Chapter Two: What Little Girls Are Made Of…
Tea cradled the kitten gently to her, and dipped her pinkie in the milk she'd manage to snaffle from the canteen and heat in a cup with a little hot water, holding it to the kitten's mouth so it could drink. A tiny tongue tried to lap it away- with food, the baby cat was improving slowly. It had drunk only a small amount, but soon Tea would stop feeding her- too much at once would make it sick, and she couldn't afford that. Her mind raced, as she warmed the little fur ball. How had –of all people- Seto Kaiba managed to rescue an abandoned kitten? And more interestingly; why?
She had been AWOL for about half an hour, when she heard someone come into the theatre. She wiggled back into the little nook she had found, hiding herself and the kitten in the thick piles of material that were being prepared to replace the carpet in the hall, and waited- perhaps it was Kaiba, back to check in? So when a more familiar voice called her name quietly, she jumped, and caused the kitten to squeak.
"Tea? Are you in here? What was that? Are you hurt?"
Yugi called quietly, climbing the steps onto the stage, and peeking behind the curtains into the wings.
"Yugi?" Tea called back, seeing his shadow move towards her, "yes, I'm fine. Come over here!"
She gave him room to sit in the comfortable swirl of red velvety carpet beside her, and showed him the kitten.
"Isn't it adorable, Yugi? Kaiba found her this morning, and asked me to take care of her while he went to class- she was abandoned!" Tea's eyes shone with fury and indignation. Yugi brushed his finger over the kitten and looked troubled. Yami, invisible beside him, smiled thoughtfully.
"Poor little thing- who would do such a horrible thing?" He asked sadly, as the kitty pushed its nose against his hand, searching for milk, which Tea obliged.
"I don't know. Maybe it was orphaned by accident or something…"
Yami looked skeptical as Yugi agreed.
"Can I help?" He asked, eyes on the small cat who was parent-less like himself. At least he had grandpa- the cat had no one! He subconsciously resolved to help her in any way that he could- friendship was the most important thing in the world, and this tiny kitty needed it more than most.
"Sure! I know Kaiba won't mind…much…do you want to feed her?" Tea frowned slightly, thinking of Kaiba's probable reaction, then smiled gently as Yugi carefully dipped his finger in the cup as he had seen her do.
"So, did Kaiba tell you why he saved her?" Yugi asked, watching the sleeping cat snuggled into Tea with tender eyes. It was so small…so helpless. Tea, catching the look, smiled sweetly back.
"No, he didn't- but he was late for class, and he practically ran as it was…I think, knowing Kaiba…It had to be Mokuba." Tea's astute guess left Yugi wondering again why she wasn't a more confident duelist- she had all the skills!
Perhaps said Yami silently, she truly understands that there are times when it is more important to be there for others than to take part in the action. She is always there for us, Yugi, and not only us- even Kaiba reaps the benefits of her kindness. Yugi nodded silently back. Tea gave everything to her friends, and they, in return, tried to return her loyalty in their own ways.
"You're right. Is he coming back for her?" Yugi asked, touching his puzzle reassuringly. Tea noticed, and patted his arm.
"Yes, he is- I told him to come straight here at break. Yugi- he'll need help; someone needs to stay with her all day; she needs feeding every couple of hours, and eventually she'll need…well…a litter box, and grooming…" She blushed slightly, then, as Yugi's astounded eyes met hers, they burst into giggles at the thought of Kaiba and a kitten needing a litter-box.
Very soon, it was break time. Yugi had to go back to class, and he made excuses for Tea to the rather bored teacher. Joey and Tristan immediately bombarded him with questions about Tea and his lengthy absence ('What happened, Yug- didya fall in?' 'Real mature, Joe...'), and he whispered the whole story to them, earning himself and them even more evil stares. When the bell rang, Yugi, Joey and Tristan were the first out of the room, leaving their classmates staring after them, wondering where the fire was. In the corridor, they met Kaiba, who was also walking fast towards the auditorium.
"Hey, Kaiba! Wait up, man!" Joey yelled, seeing Yugi falling behind as they ran to catch up with the young CEO.
"I don't have time for this. Go away."
"Gee, Kaiba, do you win many optimist awards a day?" Commented Tristan sarcastically, and slightly out of breath as he came to a stop beside them.
"Get out of my way."
"Kaiba- wait! I was worried about Tea, and I found her on the stage…We can help." Yugi finally caught up. Kaiba had paused, something moving deep behind the anger on the surface of his eyes. His 'I don't need your help' seemed to lack the spark of original 'Kaiba-fury' that he usually managed to cram into every look and word, so –to Kaiba's intense annoyance- they took it as a 'yes'.
"Hey, Tea! You in here?" Joey stage-whispered as they entered the auditorium. Kaiba glared at him, and Tristan grinned. Yugi led them towards the spot where Tea had last been, and parted the curtain.
There, an unusual sight met their eyes. Curled up, deep in the center of the carpet, Tea lay asleep, an innocent smile turning the corners of her lips up slightly, and a lock of hair curling on her cheek. The kitten lay high in her arms, content and warm, and a tiny purr could be heard in the thick silence. If someone had been watching the boys at that moment, they would have cried.
Joey watched Tea sleep, tenderly thinking of Serenity. Late at night, she would fall asleep on the sofa. He'd come in from work, and find her- always trying to wait up for him!- and carry her up to bed. Carefully tucking her in, he'd smile at her, caught up in the beauty of the unguarded expression on her face. Tea had to be so bold, so strong all the time, to prove to herself she could be one of the guys, and her vulnerability shone like a protective light around her while she slept.
Yugi and Yami fused silently. She is very beautiful, Yami commented quietly. I know, thought back Yugi. She's my best friend. Always there for me, always strong. She has more faith in me that I do, most of the time. She gets me through every duel; squashing each hint of doubt I feel. Kaiba calls her my cheerleader. There are worse insults- she is beautiful, happy, and full of hope and support. I wonder if that's how he sees Mokuba? I don't know…I hope she's as happy as she deserves to be. Sometimes I see sadness in her eyes. But not now. She looks…at peace with the world. So very content.
Tristan stared at Tea. Since when had she grown so much? He hardly remembered the geeky girl he saw everyday, who criticized him gently then helped him find ways to get it right. She was, well, a woman now. Her arms curled protectively around the kitten, and her face reflected the maternal instincts which it awoke in her. She looked…right. Proper. The ideal; a mother caring for a child, beautiful in concept and thus in life.
Kaiba's face, usually so blank, was a whirl of emotion. Concern that the cat was still alive and Gardener hadn't slept on it- Mokuba would be devastated if it died-no, it was there, warmly snuggled into her arms and neck. Anger- that such precious care and attention was given so easily, without thought or logic. Jealousy, that such valuable emotion had been withheld from Mokuba and himself. Confusion; why did Gardener sleep so easily next to the cat, and why did she look so very appealing in her vulnerable state? Why did the cautiously tender curl of her arm about the cat cause such a strange feeling in him?
Breaking the silence, and thoughts of each boy, Tea shivered a little. Parting the curtain let in a draft, and her uniform wasn't really warm enough. Perhaps she also felt the weight of their gazes, but a sleepy eye opened, and as the figures came into focus, she found herself looking deep into Kaiba's unguarded eyes. What was that- loneliness and fear?- she glimpsed, before he blinked and looked away?
"Tea, are you ok?" Joey asked warmly, as she sat up, the kitten in her arms waking with an indignant meow.
"Yeeeeah…." She yawned. "Sorry; I guess it got a little warm in here. I must have dozed off."
Yugi knelt beside her, and took the kitten almost reverently from her. It moved its paws on his jacket as he cradled it, taking it to Kaiba and giving Tea room to stand. He could feel its stomach, round and full, against his chest, warm and alive.
"It needs to go, Kaiba."
Kaiba looked at him sharply.
"Where?" He snapped, almost defensively, before adjusting his tone slightly to his usual indifferent snarl.
"To the bathroom…" Tea supplied, blushing, asTristan put his jacket around her shoulders. "Someone needs to take it outside."
A tense silence.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Joey, surprisingly, took the kitten from Yugi, and moved over to the window, opening it awkwardly with one hand. In one moment, he was out of it, and moving away.
"He'll be back in a moment…" Tea said, still red faced, into the amused atmosphere.
Yugi and Kaiba locked eyes.
"So…mind explaining what's going on here, Kaiba?"
1 AWOL- Absent With Out Leave.
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