HIDDEN SECRETS
Tea didn't think it was possible for someone to look so clueless; especially when it was coming from Celtic who she didn't even think was capable of emotion other then the indifference mask he permanently wore.
Guess I was wrong… She lowered the shirt." You've never put on a shirt before?" She stared in disbelief.
The blank look said it all. Tea sighed. Oh-boy….I have a bad feeling about this. She picked up the boxers and held them in front of him.
" How about these? Look the slightest familiar?" Of course not, Tea, you baka! He's an ancient card! He doesn't even know how to talk!
She put them aside when he just stared. How am I going to do this? Come on, Tea, think!
" Okay…this is going to sound crazy, but I'm going to dress you, alright? So don't freak out." She warned, thinking to herself the whole time, You're the one freaking out here!
She gave his armor a stressful look. This is going to be awhile…
" Can you bend a little?" She asked, struggling on her tip-toes to reach up and remove the steel helmet on his head.
He bowed his head when she jumped up to grab at the helmet, and his face collided right between her breasts, almost as though it had been planned.
Squeaking, Tea leapt back, blushing furiously, bringing a hand over her beating heart. She couldn't believe that just happened!
She covered her face with her hands, groaning. How could she be so stupid!
Celtic swallowed hard. Never in his life had he felt something so…. soft.
Nervously, Tea grabbed the clothes. " Let's just get this over with, okay?" Wanting to get her mind off of what just happened, she busied herself with removing his armor.
" This stuff…." Gasping, she pulled harder at the metal gear strapped to his chest and shoulders from behind where it was hooked. " …is so heavy---oof!" With a click it popped off, hurling Tea back onto the floor.
Groaning, rubbing her bottom, she took a moment to stand up. Who knew undressing a guy could be so tough!
If I knew it was going to be this hard, I would've gotten some pliers!
Moving to stand in front of him, she pulled the gear off his upper body, grabbing the three-piece armor and letting it fall to the floor at their feet with a loud bang.
To her horror, she realized he had more on.He must be carrying over a hundred pounds worth of steel with all this armor!
She studied the thin metal belt draped on his hips, coming down in the middle, just over his groin, in two diamond shaped plates, one overlapping the other.
How am I going to take that off without….without touching him? She blushed. No time for bad thoughts!
Slowly, getting on her knees, facing him, she moved her arms around him, blindly searching for the hooks.
I can't believe I'm doing this. Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes, moving her hands over the belt in an effort to take it off.
Celtic stared down at her curiously, wondering what she was looking for. He found it rather amusing how his clothes were so foreign to her, while hers were unfamiliar and strange to him.
He reached down, grabbing her hands and guiding them on the sides of his hips, letting her fingers get a firm grasp around the metal bar around his hips, before he led her hands down the sides of his thighs, bringing the belt along.
After getting the thing off him, Tea could only realize in shock that all she had to do was pull it off him.
And to think I was practically groping him! Now with that off him she could see the faintest outlines of his…
Bad thoughts! Bad! BAD!
Could it get any worse than this? This was, undoubtedly, the most terrifying experience ever! She felt like she was practically stripping him!
He doesn't even look the slightest nervous! The jerk! She wished she could be as calm as him. Then again he wasn't the one undressing someone of the opposite sex, and for the first time!
There's no way it can get any worse than this.
Yugi stared up at the two-story house. " Well…here goes nothing. I hope I didn't get Tea at a bad time," he headed up the stone path that led to the door.
It was a last minute thing, a spur of the moment, feeling compelled to go tell his friends goodbye before he left to America.
He was excited, especially with the good news that a possibility of finding more information on the Pharaoh would be found.
Stopping in front of the door, taking a deep breath, hoping he wasn't blushing or sweating in nervousness--being around Tea tended to have that affect on him---he finally got the courage to knock on the door.
The door….He noticed, pulling his hand away after the door swung slightly open on its own. It's unlocked…….why would Tea's door be unlocked?
Worriedly, taking a quiet, cautious step inside, he looked around, gaining fear and panic by the second as the dreaded "what-if's" started flooding his mind with images he'd rather not think about.
What if…..what if she was being robbed? What if the robber was still in the house….? What if he was holding Tea hostage somewhere?
" T-Tea?" He squeaked. It was times like these he wished Yami would take over; he wasn't fond of horror movies and had a weak stomach for violence and blood.
Not to mention he wasn't exactly the best fighter, he was a target for bullies at school after-all. Thankfully that all ended when Joey and Tristan became his friends, like two sidekicks that always watched his back.
Please let her be alright, Louder, with more confidence, he called out her name again, " Tea?"
Nothing.
Silence.
He shut the door quietly behind him, too concerned about Tea to replace his sneakers with the slippers by the door, old Japanese customs weren't exactly his top priority in a situation like this.
He stopped dead in his tracks, too shaken to speak or move from his spot at the entrance of the family room.
Thankfully she was okay……but she wasn't alone.
Gulping, blushing a bright red, he looked away. He couldn't believe his eyes! He had to be seeing things!
Tea would never…no…would she? Of course not! She'd never undress a guy!
He'd looked away too fast to see the boy's face, but it had been covered by a lampshade anyway that happened to be in his line of viewing, cutting off the boy's face and neck.
Tea stopped pulling down the steel hip huggers on Celtic, hands frozen on his waist, dreading that the presence behind her was a person. Or more importantly, Yugi.
Don't let it be him, don't let it be him, She prayed,moving her head slowly to the left.
" H-hey Yugi…" She resisted the urge to slap her forehead. Stupid, stupid!
" I…uhm…I--I didn't know," He stammered, trying to keep his face to the side, hidden from view, too embarrassed to face her in his condition.
He swallowed, then took a deep breath. " I didn't know you had company."
Tea nervously stood, taking her hands off Celtic's waist when she realized they'd been permanently stuck there till now.
" It's okay…." She looked around the room, hoping to find something to cover Celtic with. If Yugi saw his face, she'd be doomed!
There was no way he wouldn't see the resemblance. Think, think, what to do, what to do! Come on, Tea, you have to have something!
Yugi's head started turning in their direction.
" I just wanted to say…..goodbye…" He trailed off, eyes rounding as he watched Tea literally grab the young man's face and shove it right into her chest, covering his face just before he could see him. It was almost like she was purposely trying to hide his identity.
With a nervous laugh, a blush soon following, unbelieving that she had Celtic's face firmly buried in her chest, she looked at Yugi.
" Uhm……he isn't feeling well," She explained.
Yugi nodded. " Is he...a friend?"
She laughed aloud, almost dramatically. " I guess you could say that!" She clamped her mouth shut. She was acting like a complete moron! Yugi had to have figured it out by now!
I mean, come on! He wasn't feeling well? Like that explained why she had the guys face in her chest!
Tea stroked Celtic's hair in a loving, motherly fashion. " Yeah, he, uh,ate something and he feels dizzy now. I guess my cooking isn't too great." She lied.
Yugi smiled strangely. " Oh. Well I…just came to say bye before I went to America."
Tea stiffened at the mention. She'd completely forgotten he was going to America with Rebecca after all the stuff that had been going on.
Rebecca…..She gritted her teeth. That girl has some nerve! I can't stand her! Her grip unknowingly tightened on Celtic's hair, pushing his face harder between her breasts, effectively cutting off his air and suffocating him.
Celtic breathed hard, unable to believe the girl's actions, and also due to the fact that he couldn't breathe.
His hands grabbed for the nearest object to steady himself from falling. Once he had a good grab on something, he found his hands curiously squeezing the soft, rounded objects.
Tea squeaked, almost biting her tongue to keep quiet, trying not to get Yugi's attention. She couldn't believe it……Celtic was grabbing her butt!
She blushed. I can't take this much longer. If I don't get Yugi out of here soon, I'll end up like this for forever!
She sidestepped, keeping Celtic's head down on her chest. " Uhm….I'll be right back Yugi…."
Yugi blinked, watching her slowly sidestep out of the family room and into the kitchen with….hmm, now that he thought about it, he didn't even know that guy's name.
Tea sighed once inside the kitchen, letting go of Celtic's head. Celtic moved his hands off her butt once he could see just what he'd been grabbing onto for the past five minutes.
Oddly he felt disappointed as he moved his head up and away, ignoring the ache in his neck from having it bent for so long.
For a girl of her age….she had a……he coughed……healthy body.
" I…..I'm really sorry about…..back there….with the…….and Yugi," She blurted, waving her hands about in a slight fit.
Whenever she was around him she felt like a kid, always messing up something and making a fool of herself.
He cleared his throat, the indifferent mask slipping back in place. " Ah,"
She looked sharply up at him. " I--I just didn't want him to see you. You understand, don't you?" He stared silently at her.
She looked away, feeling nervous. " Stay here till I come and get you, okay?"
He watched her walk off and for a moment he felt compelled to see his Master in person, but if he did it'd disappoint her, and he didn't know why, but he didn't want that.
" Is he feeling okay?" Yugi asked, looking at Tea as she walked back in by herself.
She nodded. " He uh…..got all the bad stuff out. Thankfully he made it to the trashcan in time."
Yugi nodded, trying not to picture the unpleasant image.
" I'll really miss you Yugi," She suddenly said, whispering, keeping her eyes strained on him.
" And I hope you have fun with….." She took a deep breath, "Rebecca," She stressed, teeth grinding.
Yugi smiled. " I will, and thank you, Tea. I'll miss you too,"
She walked toward him uneasily. In an awkward hug, she pulled the small teen in her arms.
" Be sure to come back soon, okay? And don't have too much fun without me!" She teased.
Yugi nodded, keeping his head on her chest to hide the blush on his cheeks. " I will,"
She pulled back after awhile. " Well, you'd best get going. I don't want to make you late,"
He nodded. " Tell the guys I said bye,"
She looked at him curiously. " You couldn't get a hold of Joey or Tristan?"
He shook his head, causing her to laugh aloud and say. " Figures."
Tea led him to the door. " Be sure to keep in contact,"
Yugi smiled. " I'm only leaving for a week, Tea!" He scolded.
She smiled despite herself. Just want to make sure you and Rebecca don't have too much fun.
Celtic watched the exchange from afar. He was still very unfamiliar with English, having known Egyptian all his life, finding it hard to decipher some words the two were saying.
Like what was this Rebecca thing? Whatever it was, the girl looked highly upset about it whenever it was mentioned.
He looked away, realizing he had been eavesdropping, something he'd never do. It was improper and impolite.
Shutting his eyes for a brief moment, he listened to their voices, the opening and closing of the front door,then Tea'sapproaching footsteps.
" You can come out now," Tea said, coming into view.
He nodded his head, following her back out into the family room. She took hold of his hand halfway there, guiding him to the sofa like a lost child. Oddly he wasn't bothered by the motherly action, finding comfort in the contact.
In all honesty it had been a long time since he'd last come in contact with a person and not a holographic duel monster.
He sat on the sofa with her. He wondered why she was suddenly so serious and quiet.
" I really hate doing this to you, keeping you locked up, but…" She didn't want to come out and say it. He'd probably think she was some kind of freak.
I mean, honestly, how would he react if she told him that she was scared for his safety?
Oh please Tea, like you can protect him any better than the next guy?
She shook her head. " You look tired, and I know I am, so why don't we just hit the sack?"
He gave her a blank stare. Tea laughed. " I mean, 'go to bed',"
He nodded. He was tired. It was a foreign feeling, one he'd forgotten long ago, but the feeling was back now. When he was a duel monster, nothing but a card, a hologram, sleep wasn't something he had to concern himself with.
His stomach gave a low growl. Hunger, he'd forgotten what food tasted like, or, for that matter, what it felt like to crave food.
Tea laughed, obviously catching the sound. " Hungry? I can make a last minute snack right now?"
He nodded, bowing his head to show his appreciation. " Arigato,"
Slowly he was starting to feel comfortable around her enough to speak to her. The only one he felt was honored enough to have him speak to them was his Master, Yugi, the holder of his card.
It would be rude not to talk to her, after all, she had given him a home to stay in, clothes to wear, and now she was providing him with food and drinks.
" Alright, I'll see what I can make. I'll try to hurry," She said, standing from the couch with a blush; his deep voice still gave her the shivers, and not in a bad way.
He followed her movements to the kitchen before looking back ahead with a blank stare. Sleep could wait for now, right now he was starving.
Tea giggled, watching from across the table asCeltic tried eating the food, but he was having difficulty using a fork.
" Here," She said, reaching across the small table, taking hold of his right hand, smiling as she did so.
" Put it in your hand like this," She guided his long fingers over the fork till he was holding the thin metal bar between his thumb and pointer finger.
She let go of his hand, leaning back in her seat, watching him gradually get use to the grip on the fork before he started eating the Japanese cuisine she'd made at a slow, calculating pace.
She could tell he was forcing himself to eat that way, manners and all, not making a mess.
" It's okay to pig out once in awhile," She assured, smiling at him. He stopped eating to stare up at her. She shifted uneasily under his stare.
" I know you're hungry, so just forget about manners for today."
He looked back at the plate in front of him, agreeing to her words in his mind, before he started shoveling the sushi and rice in his mouth all at once, making Joey and Tristan look like etiquette eaters.
She laughed at the sight, unable to stop herself from just enjoying the moment, not worrying about what Yugi was doing right now on the plane to America, not worrying about tomorrow, nothing, simply concentrating on enjoying his company.
He looked up at her, cheeks bulging with food he had yet to swallow. Tea laughed out loud. For once in her life she wasn't alone, and the empty house seemed less empty.
" Will you be okay in here by yourself?" She knew she was probably just being paranoid, acting like an annoying mother hen, but she couldn't help but worry about him when he was by himself and not with her.
He nodded. She gripped the handle of the door with a sweaty palm. " Well…goodnight," Quickly she leaned up on her tip-toes and planted a soft goodnight kiss on his cheek, before shutting the door and leaving him to sleep.
Celtic stared, bewildered, but not showing it, at the door, fingers tracing the warm, tingling spot on his right cheek.
The girl was truly……confusing. His hand dropped to his side. Perhaps being in the human world again after all these years wasn't that bad after all…
A/N: Sorry about the slow update! (bows profusely) I never knew it was so hard writing with another author. O.o Vaz has been busy lately and I don't blame her, so I decided to write the third chapter. Hopefully Vaz will write the next! I have temporary carpal tunnel from typing all by myself. (glares accusingly at Vaz) >.>
Vaz: (blinks)
But still, owe thanks to Vaz for convincing me to write a Tea/Celtic fic with her. This is probably the first, and sadly only -.- , Celtic/ Tea fic out there, so hopefully all those fans out there are enjoying it!
Thanks to all the reviewers, me and Vaz appreciate it greatly! We hope you like this chapter. And please forgive me ( Princessyoukai) for my lame attempts at humor. -.-
READ AND REVIEW! XD It makes Celtic want Tea more.
Celtic: O.o
Tea: o.O
