Guardians

Note: Enjoy and review, everyone!

Chapter Thirty-Three: At the Rink

The second they stepped onto the ice, Karmina tripped and fell, but Joey managed to keep her from hitting the ice (barely). He laughed and she smiled a little.

"It's like walkin', Karmina, one foot in front a da other… just sorta glide… not like- ouch."

This time the speed she was going at (moving a little rather than standing still) managed to pull them both down on the ice. Joey grinned a little. "You're better than I was when I first started… okay, I'm lying… I never managed to pull Mai- I mean, my teacher, down too."

So Joey's still hurt about Mai… he won't even talk about her anymore… he must've really been mad for her… I've got no problem mentioning... Seto.

"Joey… you can… I mean you should… talk about it…"

"Not now," he said, his face eerily serious. "Right now… I'm teaching you to skate, and this is gonna take my full attention!" And just like that, his smile was back.

She sighed and let him live in a dream world where there had been no Mai Valentine. She sometimes wished the very same of Seto, but couldn't make him go away. Perhaps by being in his head for so long, she had some imprint of his own thoughts in her mind. One thing was certain; they had penetrated deeper into each other's souls than they'd ever wanted to. And there was no erasing a mark like that, how in her dreams she still heard the sound of a scared Seto begging her not to leave him alone. It's sort of ironic, really… he asked me not to leave him, and then he left me… I think maybe… just maybe, we were both afraid… afraid of how much we needed one another to feel whole.

"Karmina?"

"Wha- Sorry Joey, I got distracted."

She gently pressed forward with her skate, but her foot caved sideways and she fell again, saved from the cold ice by Joey's hand in hers.

"Focus on balance, Karmina… it's not dat hard. I can do it, ya know," he joked, helping her to right herself. "Okay, I'm gonna hold on ta ya from back here," he said, positioning himself behind her and grabbing her hands. "Now, I'll help you stay up… you just go."

She tentively slid her foot forward. When she didn't fall, she slid the other one after it, and then she was almost skating, only it was more of a painfully slow walk with Joey pushing her.

"You can go faster, if ya want. I won't let you fall."

"I know you won't," she said without thinking.

He slid over to her side. "Together now, alright? On three."

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three!"

And they were in motion, and not so slowly either.

"I'm doing it!" She proclaimed, smiling at him.

"Yup," he said, as they drifted under one of the spotlights. When the light hit her, every strand of Karmina's hair glowed, and her flushed cheeks were illuminated. She was a breathtaking sight, and several guys skating nearby took sudden falls, distracted by looking at her. She didn't take any notice of the attention, too thrilled by her latest accomplishment.

"Ready to try it on your own?"

"Um… not really…"

"Come on, you gotta do it at some point."

"Um… okay… I'll try… but I'm gonna fall."

"If ya keep dat attitude up, ya will."

She grinned sheepishly. "I can't help it… I think that… that his pessimism rubbed off on me," she said gently, her face falling.

"I'm gonna let go."

"No don't I'll-" He let go of her hands and she fell over, landing painfully on her back. "Fall," she finished, sitting up with a defeated expression on her face.

"Don't give up just yet. I'll teach ya if it's da last thing I do."

"At this rate," she said, grinning. "It just might be."

He laughed. "I don' think you'd stick wit it that long, and besides, I'm starting to get hungry, so it won't be long."

"You just ate a huge slice of cake! How can you be hungry?"

He smiled. "Don't try to change da subject! Get up."

He offered her his hand and she took it once again. "This is the last time."

"Okay, den."

He led her for a little longer, and there were fewer moments when she nearly fell over.

"Here we go," he whispered in her ear, sending a chill down her already cold spine.

She felt his fingers loosen from hers, but it didn't really create any fear in her this time. She was going to do it. She was going to just keep going, and he'd be satisfied and they could go home. And before she knew it, she was on her back again, looking up at Joey's outstretched hand yet again.

"This is starting to get repetitive," she told him with a little grin, standing with his help. "And I'm getting all wet and frozen."

He grinned. "Dat you are, Karmina… I think that's enough for now, but we aren't done until you can skate!"

He had a manic gleam in his eyes, and she knew that he was determined, and that there was not stopping him. She just hoped she could survive the torture.

"Hot chocolate?" he asked.

"Um… I don't have any money, Joey, and you've-"

"You want it or not?"

"Joey…"

"I'm takin' dat as a yes." He turned to the annoyed man in the window. "2 hot chocolates," he said clearly, apparently aware that they'd bugged the guy.

"Joey… you shouldn't…"

He shook his head. "I haven't gone anywhere or done anything is such a long time, dis is nothin'."

She sighed. There was just no arguing with him. It reminded her a little of Seto, although he was stubborn in an entirely different way.

He handed her the hot cup, a striking difference to her frozen hands. "Come on, let's sit down for a sec."

She followed him to the bench and sat down beside him. It felt so great to be sitting down of her own accord rather than thrown ruthlessly onto the cold ice. Leaning back, she thought once again of a day where she'd sat on a bench with a boy, but it had been a very different boy and a very different bench. Oh, Seto, why won't you get out of my head? She sipped her hot chocolate thoughtfully, sinking back into the bench. With a jolt she realized that Joey's hand was on her knee. For a second, they both stared at it, and then they both moved the limb in question.

"Sorry… I didn't notice… your leg was just…"

"Don't apologize it-" she felt herself give a little sound that was between a gasp and a sob. Seto had always told her not to apologize to him. "It's okay," she finished.

They sat in total silence for a minute, before Karmina broke it with a deep sigh. "Really, Joey, it's okay… you can talk if you want."

He sighed as well. "I don't know why I… I didn't even think about it… really, it just-"

"It just happened, somehow," she finished, knowing very much how it felt.

End note: MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Cliffie! Review, everyone!