Guardians

Note:

Disclaimer: I own neither Yu-gi-oh, nor McDonalds.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Love Hurts

He gave her a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

She was crying again, and trying to hide it. "I don't want… it doesn't feel…" But she didn't let herself finish. She couldn't do this… she just couldn't. Even though she'd been harsh with him, and wanted to get over him, she still loved Seto… he would always have that special place in her heart, she knew. And even though she couldn't forget, couldn't forgive, what she was feeling now, for Joey, seemed wrong. She didn't want to find someone else to take Seto's place.

"It's okay… I guess this was stupid… it's just made you feel worse, hasn't it?"

She shook her head. "No… no, it's great… but… I think… I guess I've never been happy without Seto… and it feels weird… being here, now… with you…"

"And cake," he reminded her swiftly, cutting two pieces. "Cake makes almost anything better," he told her knowingly. "I ate a whole one when Mai told me she was seein' someone else… and den a whole tub of ice cream… and what I'm pretty sure was da entire stock at McDonalds."

She hiccupped and then laughed, both at herself and at Joey. "I guess it's t-true, then… love hurts."

He nodded. "It does… but it can be great, too."

She didn't miss the look in his eyes as he said it, but since he quickly looked away she decided to pretend she hadn't noticed. He was trying so hard just to be her friend, and it was probably killing him.

"Of course it can," she responded. "When I was… with S-Seto… everything was so… d-different. And even though… he c-could be an idiot s-sometimes, I always knew he'd apologize… until, of course, that last time… and then everything crashed and burned…"

He nodded and took a particularly large bite of cake, smearing icing on his face. Karmina giggled feebly. "You won't let me feel sorry for myself, will you?"

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Every time I s-start one of those depressing m-moments, you have to go and make me laugh."

"Dat's 'cause it's my job."

That icing on his cheek was starting to bother her. She wiped it off with a little smile. "Sorry… it was driving me crazy…"

He smiled. "It's okay."

They looked at each other for a minute, neither one of them really sure what to do or say. Finally, Joey stood up. "We should go somewhere, do something, to celebrate, ya know?"

She stared at him. "Not the theme park," she said quickly.

"Nah, I was thinkin' more along the lines of… ice skatin'?"

"You know how to ice skate?"

He shrugged. "You'd be surprised at da stuff I know how ta do," he said, offering no further explanation, although Karmina had a strong suspicion that Mai Valentine had taught him.

"Okay, then, but I d-doubt I'll be very good… I've never been, you know…"

She realized that she was starting to feel more comfortable with Joey and didn't know what to think about it, choosing to completely ignore it.

"I'll teach ya," he told her calmly, grabbing her hand. "No more stallin', let's go."

She gasped and followed him into the chill, reaching back to grab her gloves and adjusting her scarf for the cold air.

"It's sorta cold out here," Joey said after they walked in silence for a while.

Karmina shivered. "A little?" She hugged herself in the effort to keep warm. "I've never liked the cold," she told him. "It's too… cold."

He laughed and pulled off his jacket and handed it to her. "Here, dat should help."

She pushed it back into his arms. "You'll freeze," she said simply.

He looked at it, then nodded. "True," he said. "Just tryin' ta be a gentleman, but I guess it ain't worth it if I get sick."

She laughed and adjusted her scarf again. "No… we wouldn't want you to get sick," she said with a smile.

"It's messy, and not somethin' you wanna see," he said truthfully. "Bad immune system."

Another long silence insued, but it wasn't the same uncomfortable silence that had made her burst out with random and often stupid comments with Kaiba. It was the silence of just being happy with each other's company as they walked down the street. The only sound for quite some time was the rustle of her coat as Karmina shivered repetitively.

"Almost there," Joey consoled, looking at her with concern in his deep amber eyes.

She smiled. "I'm f-f-fine," she said, shivering in the middle of her sentence.

He shrugged, rounded a corner, and smiled. "I thought we wouldn't make it!" he exclaimed jokingly.

She followed him into the rink with a nervous bug doing the gig in her stomach. The warmth of being inside, however, made her feel so much better that she didn't even protest.

"What size do ya need?" he asked her, handing the rental guy six dollars, enough for two skate rentals.

"Eight and a half."

The rental guy pulled two pairs of brown ice-skates out from under the counter and smiled at them. "We get a lot of young couples this time of year," he said casually. "They think it's romantic, I think."

Karmina flinched a little. "Oh, right…"

Oblivious to the harm he'd caused, the guy pointed to a little stand. "Hot cocoa, if you take too many falls on the ice."

Joey nodded and quickly steered her away from the counter before the man could mention couples again. "Sorry bout dat…"

"It's fine," she said a little harshly, looking out on the ice and the giggling girls and their handsome boyfriends.

Joey put his skates on with practiced ease and laughed as she struggled with hers. "Here," he said, kneeling in front of her and sliding the skates on. Karmina felt herself flush and looked away. Don't forget, you aren't over Seto… Only, maybe… maybe this is exactly what I need in order to get over him…

"You ready?" Joey asked, holding out his hand to help her up.

"Ready as I'll ever b-be," she answered, taking his hand and letting herself be pulled off the bench and led onto the ice.