Chapter 3
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Serenity's head was reeling. Her world spun, just slightly off balance, but a pair of strong familiar arms held her safely. She couldn't possibly fall as long as he held her there, so she kissed back. His hand splayed across her back and he brought her closer against him. She moaned out into his mouth and could practically feel his blood rush against his soft firm skin. He had a fire inside him that was warming her, but she knew if it continued, she would probably end up burned.
They broke, both out of breath as they found their footing again. Serenity had gained control of herself again, but Kaiba still seemed a bit out of it. She decided it was time for him to get his grip back.
"You... are still a terrible kisser." She could almost see the life spark back into his eyes. He offered her a challenging glare which she met. Her eyes flickered back to his mouth and for a moment... no. She shouldn't. She couldn't. She had kissed him twice today. Or he kissed her, but still, it happened. She barely knew him. It wasn't like her. Or maybe it was? Her whole life she had been told what and who she was. Maybe this was just the real her breaking through. She had said it herself. He freed her.
She reached forward and brought him back down to her, this time, initiating on her own. He allowed it to happen, not returning the kiss until she had established herself. He just felt so right. So strong, but still so very human. She pulled back, finished and he looked down at her.
"We... should stop." She whispered, stepping back and flattening her shirt again.
"That last time it was you sucking my face off." He shot at her, raising an eyebrow in amusement.
"Well, someone had to teach you a thing or two." She offered him a wink and he caught it with his own smirk. He stroked the side of her face, keeping eye contact.
"I think I did learn a bit." He said playing along. She grinned widely and put some distance between them before continuing.
"Not really, I'm pretty sure you're a hopeless case." She teased. "Now, we have class." She moved back into the room, glancing around to make sure it hadn't started yet and found her seat. He waited a few more moments before re-entering and sitting at his own desk.
The school bell sounded after a boring final block and the students were released into the world. Joey was the first out the door while more patient people like his sister and enemy took their time in packing up.
They walked out to the front of the building together. They said nothing, but were side by side, just enjoying a sweet silence that took place all to little nowadays. Kaiba had never felt so comfortable with someone. It was as if the stresses that plagued him for the last few weeks had gone and now the only thing that remained was... trust? He didn't trust very easily, but she was just so trust-able... so... genuine.
He fell back as he moved to enter his limo and she turned and nodded a farewell before continuing down the street. He watched her walk a few more steps before turning to climb into the car before him. That's when it hit him. Or, to be more accurate, he hit him.
A fist connected with his jaw, throwing Kaiba against the side of the limo as instinct took over and he looked for something to brace his back against while gaining his balance. He looked at his assailant and paused as Joey stood before him, completely enraged. His brunette friend stood behind him and had an equally upset look.
"What the fuck do you want?" Kaiba asked, standing up fully.
"I want you to keep ya dirty hands of my sister you son of a bitch!" He barked out. Kaiba froze for a moment and absently turned towards where she was walking. But she wasn't there. Instead, she was running up to her brother, slightly out of breath and grabbing onto his arm.
"Joey stop! What are you doing?" She looked between Kaiba and Joey a few times, but all Kaiba could offer her was a sigh while her brother continued to glare him down.
"Don't worry sis. He wont touch you again." Joey said protectively.
"What?"
"I heard what this ass hole did. He aint gonna put his disgusting mouth on you again!" Kaiba was tempted to tell him about the last kiss they had shared, but pushed the idea aside. More conflict... she didn't want that. He wouldn't do it to her.
"I kissed him." That grabbed everyone's attention.
"Wh-What?" Joey stuttered out.
"Yes, I kissed him. He didn't start anything Joey, I did."
"Serenity-" Kaiba started, knowing she was taking the blame for him and not liking it, but she silenced him.
"No, Kaiba, I've got this. Just... Just go over there for a second? Let me deal with this." Kaiba paused but quietly moved off to the side. He moved enough away that he couldn't hear what they were saying, but could still watch.
"What do you mean you kissed Kaiba?" Joey asked, not waiting for her to turn back to him.
"Exactly what I said Joey, I kissed him. It wasn't Kaiba that started this. It was me. I did it. So stop hurting him." She said moving between the two despite the distance already separating them.
"Why would you do that? You know he's a soulless bastard!"
"Joey, maybe if you didn't argue and pick fights with him so much, you'd actually get to learn that he's not. He's just another person in the world and you're treating him just as poorly as he's treating you. Haven't you realized that lately he's been trying to stop fighting with you? That he's been avoiding the problems you've been trying to start lately?"
"Why because you're macking on him all the time?"
"It wasn't all the time Joey, just today. It didn't even mean anything."
"Oh, so you're just a whore then?" Serenity stopped. Her brother had never said anything like that to her. Granted she had never argued with him like this before either. She was being herself in front of him, and because of it, he was treating her like just another person. She wasn't the kid of the group. Wasn't his baby sister. She was a person. A human being. And as much as that made her feel better, his words still stung.
"If that's what you want to think, then so be it. I kissed one guy so I'm a whore. You've been sneaking girls into your room since you were twelve, but hey, don't worry about it. You're just a guy." She turned on the spot and started back to Kaiba. He looked down at her expectantly and she ran her hands through her hair frustratedly. "The only reason I'm here with you right now is because if I spend one more second over there with him, I'm going to hurt him." She said angrily. He hadn't seen her this worked up before and decided to pick his words carefully.
"What did he say?" She paused in front of him and sighed deeply, looking off to the side.
"He... called me a whore." Kaiba's brow furrowed. It was completely uncalled for. It was only a kiss, well a few of them, but for all he knew it could have been a peck on the cheek.
"What?" Kaiba looked over towards Joey in a mixture of confusion and disgust.
"Whatever. He was... He was treating me like just another person, and I guess that's all I could ask for." She said, the thought not calming her as much as she would have liked. Kaiba offered her a sympathetic look and she sighed again. "My brother's... no..." She shook her head, abandoning the thought
"Say it." He commanded, knowing she needed to admit her feelings to herself.
"He's an ass hole." She said quietly, but brought a hand up to her mouth, fingers brushing her lips as if trying to grab for the words and bring them back.
"He is just trying to protect you." Serenity's eyes shot up at him as shock took over.
"What? Since when were you on his side?" She asked baffled.
"Since you needed it. He's hurt, and though he's now treating you like an adult, he's still your brother. You know he doesn't think before he speaks. He just says whatever bullshit that flows through that sewer of a brain he's got. He has no filter and he's angry." Kaiba never thought he'd see the day where he would be playing the devils advocate for Joey Wheeler, but his words sunk into the younger Wheeler and she seemed lost in though for a moment.
"But... it's still uncalled for." She said slowly, knowing he was right, but still feeling hurt.
"Completely." Kaiba agreed, smirking down at her. She looked up at him and just stared for a moment as he wondered what was going through her mind. "I'm going to go talk to him." He decided while she was doing nothing productive toward the situation.
"You guys will start fighting again." She said disapprovingly.
"Most definitely. But some battles are worth fighting." He said as he started towards him, smirking back at her as he moved. He had the same glimmer in his eye as right before going into a big duel and she knew he was going to enjoy this, no matter the outcome.
When he made it to the older Wheeler, Joey glared daggers at him, ready to retort anything Kaiba had to say.
"She did kiss me, but only the last time. Yes it's happened more than once, and the first two were all me." He had a smug smirk on his face, which just aggravated the blond before him even more.
"You mother fu-"
"Kaiba!" Serenity called out, having heard his confession.
"It's about time you acted like the adult you want to be treated as. Take responsibility for yourself, I've got my own. Stop lying and just be honest. Completely honest. Stop hiding behind their perceptions of you and say what you need to say." He pierced her with his eyes as he spoke, holding her captive in them until he was finished. When he looked back at Joey, he was staring at the CEO in a confused rage.
"Joey... I... I did kiss him the last time. He kissed me before that. I let him. I want to make my own decisions. I want to live my own life. I don't want to be controlled and told what to do anymore. You're not my mother."
"Ren, I just want you not to make mistakes like this guy, I love you-"
"Do you even know me?" She asked, cutting him off and completely taking him aback. "Joey, I know you love me, but you have no clue who I am. The last time you saw me I was four. It's been almost thirteen years Joey. A lot has changed. I'm still your little sister, I'm just not as little as you'd like to believe." Joey seemed at a loss at her words. He paused and thought for a few minutes, but the same look of anger and stubbornness took over as he glared at her.
"Fine. Do what you want. You obviously don't need me anymore." Before she could say another word, he stormed off. Tristan tossed her a hurt disapproving look as he moved to follow his friend and they disappeared into the crowds.
"Well... that was... something." She said emptily. He put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly and chuckled a bit.
"Welcome to adulthood."
"Hey, Serenity. How you doing? You seem down lately." A familiar voice called. Serenity hadn't been paying attention, but that was usual over the last week or so. Joey hadn't been talking to her past formalities and it was really starting to bother her. She still had Kaiba, but Joey was her brother. She really did love him, she just wasn't willing to sacrifice her freedom and individuality to make him happy.
"Hey Duke. Yeah, I'm just really out of it." She said, offering him a false smile.
"Yeah, I would be too. Joey's still royally pissed." he said, sitting next to her and laying his lunch tray down. "But I mean... is it true? You kissed Kaiba?" Duke looked at her in much the same fashion Tristan had. Hurt and disapproving.
"Yeah. But it meant nothing. It was... It's hard to explain. It's not like I'm going out with him or anything." Duke visibly relaxed.
"Well, that's not what gossip is saying." he chuckled out, but she scrunched up her face.
"Gossip can say what it wants, it doesn't make it true." He laughed again and she felt a little better. It was good to talk like this. It was nice to know not everyone hated her because of what happened between her and Kaiba.
"Why don't you forget all about it. Let me take you out tonight. We can see a movie, or just hang." Serenity knew what was going on. Duke was always trying to get her to agree to go out with him, and now he was using her situation as an excuse. She thought it over for a moment, but it didn't really matter what she wanted, in the end the answer would be the same.
"Sorry Duke, but I have to take care of my mother tonight. She's come down with something and she's been out of work for a few days." She said sweetly, trying not to hurt his feelings too much. She didn't know if she would have accepted his offer this time, but didn't dwell on it, thinking that it would be a pointless set of thoughts. She wasn't able to anyways, so why make a decision?
"Oh, sorry to hear that. Maybe some other time?" He tried. That's what he always said. Maybe some other time.
"Maybe."
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So, when I was writing the "Joey calls Serenity a whore" section, The song "I am not a whore" By LMFAO came on my music player. I love my playlist. It knows me so well!
You know who else knows me well? my readers! They always know that I just love those wonderful wonderful reviews!
Read, Review, Enjoy~Love Ya
