A/N: And here we go with another ficcie!
Disclaimer: No, don't own yugioh characters
Chapter 1: The Guise of Society
Sounds of laughter and happiness resonated throughout the party, and she smiled. But she wasn't happy.
She just smiled.
Because that's what she was supposed to do.
She smiled, just to get it over with so they could leave her alone, which they did.
But he knew. He knew.
He saw her walk gracefully out of the guise of society.
Of the rich and powerful.
Of the greedy and selfish.
He looked at her; his honey-brown orbs following her every move.
He saw her once, graceful and confident self sit down near the water fountain with a statue of a radiant angel in the middle, her now hunched form of defeat raised slightly as she took in some air and exhaled it out in a long, tired sigh.
He knew she wasn't happy.
Her face had no flush of excitement, and her beautiful, blue eyes no longer held that sparkle like it once had.
Weary and defeated, Tea looked nonetheless beautiful and elegant in her white dress, sitting among the beautiful flowers of the garden, accompanied by the musical sounds that were caused by the splashes of water falling in the water fountain.
But that was just it.
The garden's beauty and itself were all a façade.
While she was not.
The same pair of brown eyes continued watching her from the balcony, watching her observe the beauty of the garden, her mind lost in thought.
The garden was ever beautifully beautiful.
And so very beautifully fake.
For it was the best garden that money could buy.
It was all a façade.
A very convincing façade, shielding all the truths of how the rich society really was.
Shielded their greedy ways.
Shielded how they treated her like worthless dirt.
But he saw it. He saw it all.
He saw their jeers and insults.
He saw her tears of secret sorrow and pain.
But he didn't dare come close. Didn't dare comfort her.
For she belonged to someone else.
He hated himself for being weak. He hated himself for just watching. No matter how his heart broke, he only watched.
But not anymore.
She wiped her tears away, and stared at her reflection in the fountain, giving a sigh.
::I don't belong here...::
She stared up into the starry sky, a cool breeze caressing her tear-stained face.
::How did things end up like this?::
When it first happened, she didn't think it'd be like this.
She really did love him with all her heart, but it wasn't meant to be.
Her father had been sick. Terribly sick. Her family lost all their money after the giant stock crash, and she was still in school. Her part time job wasn't enough to pay for her dad's medical bills. Her mom had died when she was only five, leaving her motherless. Throughout the years, her dad and her had grown closer then ever. She didn't want to leave him. She needed him alive.
Worried and desperate, Tea did all she could to find money, but it wasn't enough. Before she knew it, they were behind on all their bills, and she broke down. She was only eighteen after all. But she never showed it when she visited her dad at the hospital. She only smiled, putting on her "happy" act, telling him that all was well.
But at night when she came home, she would cry herself to sleep.
No one at school knew, not even her closest friends. When they wanted to come over her house, she always had reasonable excuses, so they never thought twice.
She tried her best to keep up in school to make her dad proud. That was the only reason why she kept on going and stayed alive. It was all for him.
Broken and desperate, she went school during the day, and worked two jobs at night.
Then she ran into him. Seto Kaiba.
####### Flash back (3 years ago) ########
"Offffpphh!!!"
The two bodies collided.
"Watch it you jer-....Gardner? What are you doing out here so late?" The young CEO said, as he stepped back to look at the girl he bumped into.
"Ow....gomen... Kaiba?" The girl said, as she too took a step back, and looked up at him.
"Let's not state the obvious," he said smirking, "Now, answer my question," he ordered.
She growled inwardly.
::Same arrogant jerk as always. Don't know why I thought he would change after all these years. ::
"It's none of you concern Kaiba," She said coldly, her blue eyes narrowing at him.
He only smirked.
"Is that so? You should be thankful I'm here. It's not safe for a girl like you to walk alone at night. Who knows what could happen..." He said, leaving it at that, as if he had planned this all along.
Her fists clenched together tightly, but she kept her cool and replied calmly, but deadly, "Thank-you for your 'worry,' but what I don't need you to tell me what to do."
He again smirked, which only increased her anger, which he knew, but she only looked more tempting and beautiful when she was mad.
"Really...I didn't know you worked so late," he said.
Her mouth dropped slightly open out of shock, but then he pointed at her coat, which she realized was slightly opened, revealing her uniform and nametag, with the restaurant's name imprinted on the tag, along with her name.
She quickly closed it, and rushed past him, saying, "Good-bye Kaiba."
"I know," was all he said.
She stopped in her tracks, her face paled.
"W-what are you talking about?" She asked, trembling.
He came up behind her, and before she knew it, she could feel his warm breath on her exposed neck.
"The jobs, the bills, your dad, this whole act you put on for everyone," He said whispering in her ear.
Sudden tears were now streaming down her face like flowing rivers.
"How?" was all she could say.
"I have my ways," He said, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her close to him.
She was too shocked to pull away. Too shocked to think or talk. She could only cry, silent tears dripping down her face, one after another.
Her wall was broken, leaving only a helpless, vulnerable girl.
"You're very beautiful Tea," He whispered to her, "I've been wanting you for so long," He said, his grip on her tightened. "I can solve your problems. I can pay all the bills, pay for your dad's treatment."
She was scared.
"What's the catch?" She said quietly.
He gave a laugh. "You really are smart and beautiful," he said huskily, "which only makes me want you more." "The catch? The catch is quite simple," He replied, "In return, I want you...,"
Her breathing quickened, as she prepared for the worst, but she was never prepared for....
"to be mine," he told her.
She dropped the bag she was holding, her eyes widened in shock and fear.
"You....what?"
"Oh, I'm sure you heard me Miss Tea."
Her jaw clenched and her fists were clenched together, turning white.
What could she do? There was no other way.
"Marry me," he said, his lips trailing the shell of her ear.
She gave a nod, and whispered a yes to him.
Her heart broke into pieces. She would never be with him, the one she truly loved.
But she would do it.
::This is for you father...::
######### End Flashback ###########
::Ryou...::
As if on cue, out stepped the man that had always remained in her broken heart.
"Ryou...What...how..." A thousand questions ran through her head.
"Shhh..." He said, as he came over to her and placed a finger on her lips, sitting down beside her.
And then it just happened.
She burst out crying and hugged him.
"Oh Ryou!" She said, as tears of hidden grief from the past three years flowed out freely.
"It's okay Tea. It's okay," He said soothingly to her, as he hugged her close, rubbing her back.
He just sat there and let her cry everything out.
Her father's sickness not getting better.
How after a year to her arrangement with Kaiba, her father died, leaving her alone in the cruel world, married to a man she didn't love.
Her anger of how he left her when she needed him the most.
After awhile, she quieted down, with a hiccup or two every now and then.
She pulled back and looked at the man that she had come to know and love all those years, but never got a chance to say.
He was still the same, loving Ryou that she had always known.
He grew taller, and more handsome then ever, but his gentleness still remained.
"I never got to tell you," She muttered, "but I love you, I always have."
And before he had a chance to react, a pair of lips pressed firmly against his.
Wooooo! 6 pages! Uh huh, go me! At first I was going to make this a one-shot, but it was kinda long, so now I'm gonna make it into a story! Yay! Plz R&R! :p
::Luminous Dream::