The sea was like a great animal; a serpent, perhaps, or a dragon, Joey decided. Waves pounded onto the sand angrily, and the sky howled along with the sea in a chaotic accompaniment.

Of course, in such circumstances, not many people would choose to go swimming...

But then, Joey was not 'many people', either.

The sand had lost all the heat it once held, so Joey's feet were cold before he had even touched the ocean.

It was cold.

Scratch that, it was bloody freezing!

The blonde was glad when his body began to numb – with strong strokes he began to swim, further and further out until the sand was merely a bleak stretch of grey in his vision. Joey thought he should do something like this more often; despite the noise, and the wind nipping at exposed face and shoulders, there was something rather calming about swimming before a full-fledged storm started up.

His opinion changed abruptly as a wave came seemingly out of nowhere, dunking the male completely underwater.

Nose filled with water, he kicked himself upwards and swam for the shore; numb he might have been, but his body was beginning to shudder in protest against the cold nonetheless.

Joey rode the waves in, and felt with a certain sense of relief the sand finally under his feet once again. Someone was on the beach; a coat flapping about their heels, but Joey could not see who it was.

The ocean seemed to take a mischievous pleasure at that particular moment to dump Joey again – one moment Joey was upright and wading; the next he found himself flat on his chest, with the wind knocked out of him.

The person in the dark coat stood near; Joey could see their shadow darkening the patch of sand in front of him.

It would be just his luck, thought Joey a little bitterly, that it was Kaiba of all people who would be here right now.

"What are you doing?"

Abrupt, as usual. For once, Joey had a comeback. He raised an eyebrow in eerie imitation of Kaiba's own favoured expression.

"Swimming."

Kaiba looked irritated.

"I can see that, Mutt. The only problem is, you shouldn't be."

"And why not?"

Kaiba sighed; a long-suffering sigh.

"There is a storm coming."

"So?"

Kaiba looked even more peeved.

"A big one."

"Since when did you care about my safety?"

"I don't."

"Then what-"

Kaiba interrupted him, his voice clipped and impatient.

"Mutt, for once, shut up. Here."

Kaiba removed his coat; he looked, to the blonde, very different and just slightly vulnerable without it.

Joey was very surprised when, a moment later, the coat was slipped over his half-naked and shivering form.

Kaiba simply stood for a moment, as if waiting for a reaction, but Joey was too shocked, and merely gaped at the CEO in astonishment.

Kaiba smirked and walked away.

"You can return the coat on Monday", he tossed carelessly over his shoulder.

Joey was left on the beach, still gaping after Kaiba, and he remained on the beach, just thinking, long after Kaiba's tall shape had faded into a silhouette, and gradually into nothing.