Guardians

Note: Thanks again for the reviews and suggestions! It's really amazing to see that people actually like this story, and it never ceases to make me happy… Anyway, here's the next chapter, and we'll see what Joey's up to, alright? Oh, and Kisaragirl6, thank you for the recommendation of My Immortal, by Evanescence, but I've decided to write my own song for Karmina.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Life without Seto… and with Joey (!)

Karmina gave a shuddering yawn and fell off the couch with a resounding thump. "Oof," she grunted, getting up, though with trouble. Her body didn't seem to want to pick her up from the floor… didn't seem to want to go on. It was odd, since she really was feeling more optimistic today, but she took it as a warning and glanced warily around her. Joey Wheeler was watching her from the kitchen with a stupid smile on his face.

"You okay?" he asked, clearly trying not to laugh.

"Y-Yes," she muttered, standing up and trying to conceal her short shorts and tank top with her arms. This seemed to amuse Joey even further, as his smile broadened.

"You're even more nervous now den before," he told her simply.

"W-well… I… I'm n-not… I'm… different, now… er… just… d-different."

"What'd he do ta ya?" Joey asked harshly, indignation rising in his tone.

"H-he? D-do? Oh… you mean… S-Seto?"

"Na, I meant Tristan. Of course I meant dat scumbag!"

Hearing someone refer to him in such a manner didn't sit well in her heart. "D-don't insult him!" she ordered rashly, for some reason no longer very concerned about Joey's opinion of her.

"Well, it's his fault, dat you're sad, isn't it?"

"N-no," she lied.

He clearly didn't believe her. He stood up and walked over to the couch, sitting down, and seeming to think she'd follow. He was in his boxers.

Karmina turned scarlet, partly with anger and partly with plain embarrassment.

"Den why were ya crying last night in your sleep, and calling out his name?"

Her blush deepened. "I… what makes you f-feel that it's your business? You d-don't even k-know me."

"I told ya I'd been thinkin'… and dere's other fish in da sea… other den Mai Valentine…"

"Yeah, I remember, but so what?"

"I doubt dat moneybags ever told ya, but you're beautiful, Karmina."

Her cheeks turned an even darker shade of red. "Actually… he… d-did… sort of… and… I still d-don't understand…"

Joey's brown eyes darkened. "You an' Seto… are you… together?"

She couldn't stop a little sob from escaping her lips, and found that the tears followed easily. "H-he… t-though… h-his… image… w-was… m-more… i-imp-portant… th-than… m-me," she sobbed into Joey's shirt, disregarding her embarrassment in the face of letting out her sorrow.

"Den… he… but you were?"

"N-no… b-but… I… I… I… I w-wanted t-to b-be… and I th-thought… that h-he… w-wanted… t-to… b-be… t-too… w-we were… c-close… I… I k-know h-him b-better… th-than… anyone…"

"He told ya stuff dat he doesn't tell his little brother? He trusted ya?"

She gave a meek nod, starting to come to her senses again, and wrenching herself from within Joey's strong arms. "N-never mind… it isn't important… I shouldn't have…"

"Shh," he consoled. "I know it hurts ta… ta have ya heart broke like dat, but ya gotta move on, get over him."

I can't. I won't. I love him. I know I do… it's stupid, but I… and then… "I d-don't think I can." Another tear let itself out of her eye, and she collapsed into sobs again, even though she didn't want to. She didn't want Joey to see her cry, to start to know her as Seto knew her… she didn't want anyone to take that spot in her life and in her heart.

"Go on an' cry, Karmina," he whispered into her hair as he pulled her into his arms again, like a small and hurt child.

She attempted feebly to pull herself free, wishing faintly that Seto would embrace her like this and make all her pain go away, and knowing that he wouldn't. That went against all that she knew about him.

"D-don't, p-please… Joey…"

He gave her a little pat on the back. "You're getting my shirt all wet," he told her smiling. "I gotta go change it, and den I gotta eat… I'm starving." He stood up and left her alone on the couch, embarrassed and distraught.

"Oh, drat it!" she muttered, wiping away her tears. "I just told him… all that stuff. Man, I'm an idiot." She let out another sob. Seto would make fun of her for talking to herself. "Why do I miss him so much?" she asked the wall, hoping it would somehow become Wingweaver and answer her. No such thing happened, of course.

She looked around to make sure Joey was still absent and then got dressed herself. Brushing her hair distractedly, she wondered what, exactly, Joey wanted with her. He'd called her beautiful, yes, but she felt strangely unflattered. In her dreams, before she'd run into Seto Kaiba on the streets, she'd always imagined the blonde whispering such things to her and kissing her wildly, but now she dreamt of Seto. And there wasn't any kissing, either. Just talking, just understanding. Wingweaver was right; Karmina was a very different person now.

"Curse you Seto Kaiba!" she muttered harshly, earning a laugh from behind her. Joey was standing there again.

"Dat's what I always say, too," he noted with a smile. "Now where ya wanna go ta eat?"

She gave a false little smile. She wasn't hungry, but she could tell that he was, and so she didn't argue. "I don't care."

He whisked her away to a McDonalds, and when she didn't specify as to what she wanted, he ordered pancakes for her and everything on the menu for himself, minus anything that might have been relatively healthy.

She picked at the plate, but didn't really feel like eating, especially not while she watched the flying food emitting from Joey's area.

"Don' ya wan' eat?" he asked, his mouth full of eggs, bacon, sausage and biscuit.

"No."

"Can have dem?"

"Sure." She pushed the plate over to him without any misgivings. Suddenly, she recalled that wonderful meal she'd had with Seto in the castle of the Realm of Monsters.

He proceeded to attack that as well. Karmina missed Seto's business like manners and how he sat up so straight. She felt more tears coming on, but managed to choke them down.

"Whaddaya wanna do?" Joey asked her, now done with his food.

"I d-don't care," she said sadly, recalling going to the park and jumping off a bridge, followed by the CEO of Kaiba Corp.

"Ya don' smile much, do ya?"

"N-not anymore…" she trailed mournfully.

Joey looked at her sadly. "Will anything cheer ya up?" he asked.

She shook her head feebly.

"C'mon, something's gotta be able ta do it."

She shook her head again.

He sighed, apparently giving up, but then he grabbed her hand. "I'm gonna teach ya ta play duel monsters," he declared proudly. "We can even get ya a deck."

She stared at him, dumbstruck. "B-but… I…" Only he wasn't listening. He seemed to think that teaching her this card game would make her feel better. Seto likes duel monsters. She fought off another sob, allowing herself to be pulled off by Joey Wheeler, someone that Seto hated very much. Suddenly, she felt rather happy about that.

End note: Hope you like it! Please review, everyone!