Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.
Japanese
'thoughts'
"Hey Tea!" Mokuba waved, running towards the blue eyed dancer as she headed towards her dressing room. Tea turned around and let out a gasp as she saw took in the sight of the, handsome young man before her. His long unruly hair was as present as ever, but his eyes were no longer the wide eyed innocent ones of his bygone days as a exuberant young child, he was clearly now a man, from his intimidating height and perfectly sculpted body (he was now 6'1 same as his brother was when he was in high school), to his sparkling eyes and perfectly straight, charming smile. He had on a dark blue business suit, with a white tie, and white rose in his breast pocket. His white button top and ridiculously expensive white patent leather white shoes completed the look.
"Um, hello." Tea said tucking a strand of now long brown hair behind an ear.
"You don't recognize me?" He asked, smiling. Tea quirked up a perfectly manicured eyebrow.
"Should I?" She asked nonchalant, and playfully, while inside going into panic mode, judging by the way he was dressed, he looked extremely important. Didn't her boss say something about his son coming in today?
'Crap, better talk my way out of this.'
"O-of course I recognize you Philip your dad told me all about you, heh heh, he never said your were this good looking though." she said winking. Mokuba burst into laughter confusing the beautiful brunette even further, and she was beautiful with her shapely body, long brown hair, and skimpy dance outfit, (a crimson leotard with a crimson translucent skirt that clung to her body in all the right places, Mokuba noted)
"Its me, Mokuba Kaiba." Mokuba manged between laughs. Tea gave an unladylike like snort and shoved the small boy.
"Its not that funny." She groaned. "And for the record your not that good looking I was just trying to charm my way out of disaster." Tea said, folding her arms across her chest and sticking her nose up in the air mock angrily.
"Well excuse me." Mokuba replied, "but last I checked I was number two on the most eligible bachelors list."
"Your brother probably rigged it."
Mokuba gave a hearty laugh, "Your probably right there is no way he beat me, either that or they gave it to him because of his condition."
"Condition?" Tea said worriedly.
"Yeah, stick up the butt syndrome." Mokuba replied, and with that the two burst into laughter.
"Speaking of which, where is your brother anyway?" Tea asked, this was the first time she had ever seen Mokuba so independent, then again he was probably, she scratched her head to remember, about 18 now.
"He's at work, he wouldn't be caught dead at a ballet."
"What about you, you don't really seem the ballet type?"
"Are you kidding me, a bunch of beautiful women, such as yourself, dancing around scantily clad, twisting themselves into such graceful, and breath taking positions, what's not to love about it?" Mokuba said, checking out one such ballerina as she walked by out the corner of his eye. Tea shook her head and laughed use to those kind of comments having hung around with Yugi, Tristan, and Joey for all those years.
"Hey how about I take you out to dinner and we can catch up on old times?" Mokuba asked excitedly, "I know this great pizza joint."
Tea smiled, Mokuba had certainly turned out to be a great young man, spending time with him was going to be fun.
"Sure, just as long as your brother doesn't mind." She said out of habit, she knew he was older now, but she just couldn't shake away the image of the exuberant little kid he used to be.
Mokuba rolled his eyes and groaned. "He'd never agree to that, besides I don't necessarily tell him everything anymore. C'mon it'll be our little secret." Mokuba said clasping his hands together and smiling, and winking.
Tea shook her head, he still found away to turn on the puppy dog eyes without it looking weird or creepy, how was anybody supposed to say no to a face like that was beyond her. "O.K. Pick me up at 7:00 here's my address, and phone number."
Mokuba took the pieces of paper, and smoothly slipped them into his pocket. "Alright then, see you later." Mokuba said waving goodbye.
Kaiba roundhouse kicked a workout pad, the blow sending the person holding the pad stumbling backwards. Then he proceeded to punch the pad over and over, letting all of his anger and frustration at the days events with each punch. His hair was damp and stuck to his forehead, beads of sweat rolling down his bare chest as he side kicked the pad again. A black belt still firmly tied to his gi pants, indicating he should have more self control than to send helpless white belts flying stumbling, and falling through out the dojo.
"Kaiba san" His instructor barked, trying to get the brunette's attention. "Kaiba san calm down." Seeing Kaiba had no intention of stopping, the man deftly grabbed Kaiba's arm, and twisting it sent him down onto the mat arm twisted behind him, knees and other arm on the ground. Kaiba blinked and groaned in pain, before his instructor let him go.
"What's the problem?" Kaiba asked rubbing his sore wrist and glaring at the older man, whose bald head and kind brown eyes hid the deadly force that held his hands registered as lethal weapons. He shook his head disapprovingly at the young man, to say Kaiba had talent would be like saying the sky was blue, it went without saying, but he would be a much higher degree of black belt, capable of running his own dojo by now if it wasn't for his attitude problem, he refused to be the one responsible for letting a junk martial artist (someone who thought much too highly of themselves and didn't respect what they had learned at all) run his own school.
"Kaiba san, such disrespect, you are lucky I don't make you run 50 laps around the dojo right now! However as I can see that something is obviously bothering you, you may go home." It wasn't a request. Kaiba growled but said nothing as he picked up his gym bag, slinging his towel over his shoulder, he hit the showers then dressed and left the dojo. Walking down the streets of New York City was not nearly as relaxing as walking down Domino, and did nothing to ease his frustration, not that this time, working out usually did it for him, but he was just too ticked off. Growling he stopped in front of a local bookstore with the best coffee in town, and buying a book he ordered a cappuccino and looked for an empty seat, unfortunately the only available seat was a love seat that already had one occupant, some brunette babe whose face he couldn't see. Begrudgingly he sat next to her, silently hoping she'd be too occupied with his book to try to chat, Seto Kaiba did not chat.
Tea feeling someone plop down next to her, looked up from her romance novel surprised to see Seto Kaiba sitting next to her, reading the same book. (A realistic romance novel set in an office space about a young female painter who captures the hearts of two brothers who run their own computer corporation)
"Hi Kaiba, long time no see." Kaiba turned around, took one look at her, face changing contorting in rage, and stood up and left, muttering audibly under his breath. Tea quirked up an eyebrow, she'd never seen Kaiba quite that angry before, and though she didn't particularly care for the young man, she felt it her duty to go see what was wrong, so wordlessly she stood up, smiling when she saw a black, leather wallet on the ground, she raced after him. Kaiba noticed her following him about for about two blocks before he whirled around his anger levels at their highest and faced her.
"Why are you following me?" Kaiba growled, literally growled.
Tea jumped back in surprise, before regaining her composure, noticing he had led them into an alley way scared her a little, but swallowing a gulp, she held out his wallet. "You dropped this." she said, Kaiba blinked in confusion, before realizing that a) she was speaking English, since when could she speak English so fluently? And b) he had dropped his wallet, a potential disaster, there were all kinds of important phone numbers and an unlimited credit card in that wallet. Snatching it from her, he turned around to walk away, when she grabbed his arm.
"Kaiba-sama mind telling me what's wrong?" She asked gently. Kaiba snatched his arm away.
"None of your business." Kaiba growled before trying to stalk away.
"Something is obviously wrong." Tea said brushing off his rudeness and grabbing his arm. "You can tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone, it'll make you feel better."
"Even if I were to tell someone, it wouldn't be you Gardner so just leave me the hell alone and get out of my way!"
Tea put on sugary sweet smile, "O.K. But whatever it is to make you so mad, you look like a wreck, your eye is twitching your face is red and everything, certainly not good for business and the fact that your too embarrassed to talk about must mean your face is red because your humiliated, so I guess that means that the story in F.Y.I. Weekly is true."
"What story?" Kaiba growled, stopping.
"I guess I'd be a little embarrassed too, if I was outted in front of millions of people, that's the kind of thing that really isn't anyones business and when you were ready to talk, you would have, don't worry Kaiba sama, I understand." Tea said sugar sweet, smiling as she waved goodbye.
"WHAT!" She heard Kaiba thundered, "How dare you! First off, I have not been outted because there is nothing to out, I am straight!" Kaiba growled, then he smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And on that note, thanks for the show." Kaiba whispered leaning close, Tea gulped as Kaiba reached down, and untucked her blue jean skirt from her underwear. Tea sputtered, unable to squash her blush. However, she wasn't going to let him walk away so smug, without answering her question.
"Oh Kaiba sama..." she cooed in a sing song voice"Could you please wait a second."
Kaiba spun on his heels madder than he'd been in a long time, Tea was only the cherry on top a wonderful day and she was now officially on his last nerve. If he wasn't such a gentlemen he would of hit her by now. "What." he ground out.
"You didn't answer my question and..." she said walking over to him, she reached down smiling at his shocked face and zipped up his pants. "Your fly said hi."
Kaiba gulped as she pulled away, but she grabbed his arm and leaned real close to his ear, causing his breathing to hitch, "Now then are you going to be a good boy and tell me what's wrong, or are things going to have to get ugly?"
It was then Kaiba realized exactly where her knee was. Senses coming back to him, Kaiba let out a low growl in his frustration his fist clenching and unclenching. "You do realize I don't take to well to threats."
"Just tell me what's wrong and I promise to leave you alone, scouts honor."
Kaiba was about to retort about his doubts about her having ever been a scout when he thought about who he was talking about.
"Mokuba, I heard a noise coming from Mokuba's room, I walked in, he was, and he'd been doing it for a while, he was, it was horrifying, my little brother is a, he's a man!" Kaiba shouted, Tea arched an eyebrow, Mokuba was 18 years old, not a boy anymore, that was obvious just by looking at him.
"What are you...?" She asked, eyebrows scrunching in confusion.
"There was this girl, a cheerleader, I found the uniform outside the door, and I thought it was for this dumb home economics class they're making him take, but it belonged to her." Kaiba finished, hissing the last part, it was then she realized exactly what Kaiba had witnessed. Bursting into laughter, She keeled over clutching her stomach, tears coming out of her eyes, using Kaiba for support. "It's not funny, this is horrible!" Kaiba snapped.
"That's what your so, ha ha ha, that's just so, CUTE!" She finished wiping a tear from her eye. Kaiba eyebrow arched that was one word that had never been applied to him. Smoldering, sometimes. Good looking, often. But cute, never. "Your on crack." Kaiba stated simply stalking away from her.
"Ah, come back here I didn't mean to laugh!"
"Its no laughing matter!"
"Yes it is."
"And quit speaking English! Your not American, poser."
"I'm trying to speak it all the time so I lose my accent, and I don't see what that has to do with anything."
"Just get away from me."
"Look, it's not so bad..."
"Not so bad, not so bad, my little brother is a player, a pimp, you should see all the phone numbers he has in this little, black book, it's ridiculous!"
"He's a very nice, sexy guy, you should be glad you raised such a popular young man!" Tea said trying to control her laughter as Kaiba looked like he was about to hurl at the thought of his brother being 'sexy' which is of course why she'd said it in the first place.
"It's not just about that! He's going to be staying in New York after I leave, he doesn't want any bodyguards, and he doesn't want Kaiba Corp and he..." Kaiba blew up angrily, he was tired of everyone laughing at the whole thing, it wasn't funny, how was he supposed to live his life when he didn't know where his life began and his brother's ended. He had always been living his life for Mokuba, and the whole ordeal was so much more life altering than it was for most parents. He wasn't just his brother's parent, but Mokuba was his brother, his best friend, his confidante, his vice president, and his whole reason for being all rolled up into one person.
"He doesn't want to live with you anymore?" Tea said, sobering up.
"This has nothing to do with me, it's Mokuba I'm worried about, I don't think he's ready and I don't think I can trust him to do what he's supposed to. He's always wanted parties and friends and girlfriends and such, and he always does everything in excess, eat more sugar, flirts more, has more fun than he should, gets whatever he wants, I'm not sure he's ready for the real world." Kaiba continued, drowning out her words as if they meant nothing, they had struck quite a nerve, but he'd be damned if he ever showed true weakness in front of Tea, being a strong, concerned parent wasn't weak, being someone who couldn't live their own life at 23? That certainly was. Tea eyed him skeptically.
"You and I both know you trust him more than that. I think the person you don't trust, is you." Tea said poking Kaiba in the chest. Kaiba glared at her, pushing her hand away.
"That's ridiculous." Kaiba deadpanned, his stoic face and dismissive tone would of fooled anyone but her.
"Oh is it now, so I suppose what your telling me is that your brother is someone you can't trust as far as you can throw him? That he's a womanizing, party hopping boozer, who would blow off his studies for a good time, the kind of person who usually doesn't end up amounting to a hill of beans?"
"I'M NOT SAYING THAT AT ALL!" Kaiba shouted, incensed. "How dare you..."
"Hmm, or maybe he's just a conniving jerk who..."
"My brother is a sophisticated, smart, charming, witty, capable person who amounts to a hell of a lot more than a hill of beans, he will certainly amount to more than anything you'll ever be!" Kaiba interrupted stepping towards her, "and anyone who says otherwise will have to answer to me, got it."
"Then what's the problem?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders. Kaiba's eyes narrowed when he realized he'd been baited. Turning on his heel he stalked off, trench coat billowing behind him. Tea smiled, doing a victory dance, for once she got the last word, for once she had won. A real victory, not a he gets the last word, looks so cool going off, knowing deep down inside he was affected victory, but a real victory. She started twirling about.
"I won, I won, I shot the BB gun, he lost he lost, he drowned in apple sauce!" Tea sang, when she bumped into something warm and decidedly not a wall. Feeling behind her, she felt rock hard abs, a mouth, and a nose? Gulping she turned around to face Kaiba who wore his trademark smirk. Walking past her, and picking up his briefcase off the ground. He walked back the way he'd come, stopping in front of her.
"Nice singing, but I believe I'm the one that...'shot the BB gun?'" Kaiba whispered, smirking as her face reddened, and she covered her face with her hands.
"You, you heard that!"
"Everyone did." Kaiba said nodding too a crowd that was whispering in hush hush voices.
"Did you hear that, I thought someone was dying."
"Is she OK.?"
"She must've escaped from the loony bin down the street."
"Do you think she's dangerous."
"I don't know, but I already called the police."
"YOU SON OF A BITCH, DON'T YOU THINK YOU COULD'VE WARNED ME!" Tea shouted hurling expletives in Japanese. Kaiba put his hands up and backed away, into the crowd.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Tea said smacking her self in the head when she realized what a person singing to themselves and yelling in a foreign language must've looked like. Kaiba certainly didn't help matters any. A police officer walked up to her calmly, inching toward her slowly.
"Just calm down miss, everything is going to be OK, I'm not here to hurt you." The officer said cautiously, inching his way towards her. Just before she was tranquilized, as she ticked off and not thinking tried to explain herself in a mesh of Japanese and English, she saw Kaiba walking off, briefcase slung over his shoulder, smirking.
'Oh, he will pay.' she thought, just as the tranquilizer took affect, and swooning she fell easily into the officer and a man dressed in a white robe's arms.