Disclaimer: "I do not own Yugioh."
"Talk"
'Thoughts'
Flashback
...
"What?" Tea whispered in a shocked tone. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't. This was her last hope. Seto also noticed her expression and sighed. Her body began shaking with sobs. She was breaking down again. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.
"Tea, don't cry." He whispered soothingly to her.
He continued to hold he close and rock her gently. He hated to tell her that but it had to be done. She had to realize it and give up on it. He had. Plus, in his knowledge, this was the only thing that might cause her to end her search for a solution. Surely, Tea wouldn't want him with another woman. And he was going to use that to his advantage.
"Seto." She finally said in a small voice. "Is there… Is there any other way?" Seto closed his eyes and sighed.
"No Tea. There isn't." Her body went limp for a while and he assumed she had finally given up on this ridiculous idea. Finally. "Trust me Tea, if there was another way, I'd pursue it too. But there is none. And you don't want that now, do you?" No response came from her for a while and he smiled in satisfaction.
"I don't care." Her words caused him to nearly stumble in shock.
"Wh… what?" He said, pushing her away from him to stare at her. Her eyes were glazed with moisture but there was a glint of determination in them as well.
"If that's the only way, then I don't care." She said.
"You… can't be serious." He said in an incredulous tone.
"I am." She said in a strong voice.
"Tea, what is wrong with you?" He said in a loud and agitated voice.
"I can't give you children. That's what's wrong with me." She said in an equally loud but bitter voice. Guilt overcame Seto's conscious. He hadn't meant that.
"Tea, listen to me-." He began explaining, but she harshly cut him off.
"No Seto, you listen to me. I can't become pregnant. I can't have children but the same doesn't go for you." Her voice weakened and she stared at her lap. "Just because I am unfortunate doesn't mean you have to be as well. You are perfectly fine and capable. You can have children. But because of me, you are not. I feel guilty because of it." Her voice now shook slightly. "I feel selfish. I am keeping you from experiencing the biggest joy of your life just because I can't experience it myself. That's why… that's why I am willing to do whatever needs to be done."
Seto listened to her, mouth hanging open, and eyes wide. Was this how she felt? Was this having such an effect on her? Was it hurting her this much? He never realized.
"Tea." He said still in shock.
"Seto, I know you love me and you are willing to sacrifice such a big joy for me. But I'm not selfish either. I love you just as much, and I want to make you happy. And if that means you'll have… to be … with someone else… that so be it." She lifted her face and he noticed a sad smile on her features.
"Plus, it's not like she can ever take my place. I am the sexiest girl in the world, right?" Seto slowly wrapped his arms around her again and almost crushed her body against his.
"Tea. You are completely crazy." Seto said to her.
"I know." She said. "But you still love me."
"Yes I do. More than ever." He said in a strong voice and kissed the side of her head.
"So, …will you do it?" She asked. He sighed. He hated this. He really did. But he couldn't say no to her, especially if it was causing her to feel this way.
"Tea, you know I can't say no to you." He said in a defeated tone and she tightened her grip on him.
"Thanks Seto." They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the silence after the emotional moment, until Seto spoke.
"So, who is the woman?"
"Huh?" She lifted her tear-streaked face from his chest and inquired.
"You said you found a surrogate mother. Who is she?" He asked.
"Oh." She said. "Well, we know her. She's a very nice and sweet girl, and I trust her completely. That's why I chose her." Tea said.
"Enough with the riddles." He said in annoyance.
"I chose… Serenity." She finally said. His face remained clueless.
"Serenity? Do I know her?" He asked, and she frowned.
"Yes Seto. You do know her. I'm talking about Serenity Wheeler." At that, his eyes widened and his face contorted in anger.
"No. No way." He said in a final tone. "It is bad enough that you are forcing me to sleep with another woman. But now you tell me it's even worst. That she's a … a … Wheeler." He said the name with utter disgust and Tea's temper flared up.
"Stop saying the name like it's a curse. She's my friend and the perfect person for this." Tea defended.
"Tea, please, anyone but a Wheeler is tolerable." Seto said in a desperate tone.
"What's wrong with her?"
"The fact that she is a Wheeler. I refuse to pollute my superior gene pool." Seto said stubbornly.
"Oh stop it with the superior attitude." Tea said. "You should be grateful that she is helping us. She could have said no."
"I would have been glad if she had." Seto mumbled. "Does she know that she would have to sleep with me?" Tea's eyes widened in shock.
"No. I… I didn't even know this when we talked. I don't know what she is going to say now." Seto smirked inwardly. There was still hope for him.
"Well, maybe you should ask her. Maybe she hates me as much as I hate her and doesn't want to do this any more." He said.
"No." Tea said in a desperate tone. "I'll talk to her tomorrow, and… hopefully… she would understand." Seto nodded.
"Come on, I think we should call it a night before we start something else." He said with a smirk. A real smile finally appeared on her face.
"Yeah. Just let me change. You should too." She said.
"Nah. I plan to sleep nude." He said in a carefree tone. It earned him a pillow on the arm. He chuckled and fell back on the bed, thoughts revolving around tonight.
A surrogate mother.
Wheeler.
He shuddered. Hopefully, Serenity would refuse.
'If she has an ounce of shame and pride, she would refuse.'
Rrrrriiiinnnnggg.
Serenity watched the kids run out of the classroom onto the playground and smiled. She was an elementary school teacher and loved her job. It was the end of the day and the kids were eager to leave. She began collecting her stuff to put it away in the drawer. Just then, a colleague of hers came.
"Serenity, there is someone here to see you." Serenity noticed the weird expression on her face and wondered who it was.
"I'm coming." She said and followed her friend to the playground. There, a girl with flaming red hair was watching the kids run around and scream. Serenity's forehead furrowed in puzzlement. She didn't know anyone with red hair.
"Excuse me, do I know you?" She said in an unsure voice. The girl turned around, and serenity took a god look at her features. She had black eyes, and a piercing on her left eyebrow. She was wearing very baggy pants, and a fitted shirt.
"I think you do." The girl said with a smirk, and Serenity only wondered. "Can you excuse us?" The girl said to Serenity's colleague, who nodded, though uncomfortable, and left them. Then the girl turned to Serenity.
"It's me, Tea." Her whispered words nearly caused Serenity to faint.
"Tea?" Serenity gasped. "Impossible. How did this… your hair, eyes… a piercing?" The girl was totally baffled and Tea was enjoying this.
"The hair dye is temporary. It'll come off when I shower. Eyes are contacts and the piercing is a stick-on." Tea explained. "I have to dress like this to not be recognized." Serenity smiled.
"How did Kaiba react to this?" Serenity asked. At this, Tea let out a laugh.
"You should have seen his face. When I came downstairs, he dropped his coffee in shock. Then he started screaming at me for ruining my looks. I explained it to him, but he told me to never do this again."
"I don't blame him. I was freaked out when I saw my friend turn from the Dancing Queen of Domino to the reigning queen of punk. I can only imagine what he must have felt." Serenity said and began walking towards the swings.
"Stop calling me that queen thing." Tea complained with a pout. "I don't like it."
"But that's your title. Everyone knows that." Serenity said causally.
"They started calling me that when I won the international dance competition but I don't like it. I know I sound like a brat but I'd rather have them call me by my name then a title." Tea said and Serenity nodded.
"So, what brings you here?" She asked, watching two kids chase each other around the monkey bars, while waiting for their parents.
"Well." Tea fiddled with the chain on her pants. "Remember the conversation we had yesterday." Serenity gulped, but nodded. "I… I talked to Seto about it and…" Serenity's heartbeat increased dramatically. "And he said… that the way we had originally planned is not possible."
"What… do you mean?" Serenity asked, her body trembling slightly with nervousness. Tea sighed and briefed her on the conversation she had with Seto last night. She left out the most crucial part.
"So, what do you want to do now?" Serenity asked, not meeting Tea's gaze.
"There is just one more way that it's possible." Tea said in a low voice. "If you… if you sleep with Seto… then…" Tea left it hanging there, watching Serenity face. Her expression was of utter shock and, possibly, fear. Before the girl could find her voice and senses, Tea began speaking again.
"I know this is not what we decided," Tea quickly said, "and I don't want you to feel any pressure just because you agreed to help me with this. It's completely up to you. If you don't want anything to do with this, I'd completely understand and won't hold anything against you. I understand that this is absurd on so many levels, but I want you to at least think about it before you make your decision." With that, Tea began walking away, leaving a completely shocked Serenity behind.
Serenity's mind was a buzz throughout the day. She couldn't believe what Tea had told her.
Sleep with Seto kaiba.
So many girls had dreamed of this. So many girls still dreamed of this. Serenity knew because her colleagues often fantasized of a life with Kaiba. They fantasized what it would be like to be held by him, be kissed by him, and be loved by him. Hell, even she had fantasized about it.
'But that was a long time ago.' She thought, and immediately, her heart filled with pain as memories flooded her mind.
It had happened about 5 or 6 years ago. She had finally gotten permission from her mom to live with Joey. She had been ultra excited to move in with him. She was looking forward to meeting everyone, especially Duke.
The smooth-talking, sexy-looking man had finally wooed her heart, but no one was aware of it yet, not even Duke. She had hoped she'd let him know when she began living with Joey, but living with him made things harder. She was never alone with Duke to get an opportunity to reveal her feelings. Also, Joey was as protective as ever, making it impossible for her to even wink at her secret crush. Days turned to weeks, and soon, Duke attentions diverted towards someone else.
Tea.
Serenity had been shocked, scared, crushed all at once. The only light was that Tea showed no interest in Duke. She always smiled and laughed all his advances off, which provided a kind of relief for Serenity and gave her an opportunity to get things together. But still, she had no courage to reveal her feelings. She was afraid of rejection. So she waited… for what? She didn't know. She hoped something would happen to bring Duke's affections back to her again. And something did happen.
(Flashback)
Serenity sat on the couch besides Joey, stealing shy glances at Duke, who was arguing with Tristan over something pointless. It was then that the door opened and in came Tea.
"Hey guys." She said in a cheerful voice. Immediately, everyone turned their attention to her a and greeted her.
"Hey sexy." Duke said, letting his eyes trail over her dancer's body.
"Stop leering Devlin." Came an all too familiar sneering voice and soon, Seto Kaiba appeared as well. Immediately, Joey leapt to his feet.
"What the hell are you doing here money bags?" Joey yelled in anger and disgust.
"I'm not here to throw you a bone mutt." Seto replied with equal intensity. "But we had meat yesterday, so you're welcome to dig through my garbage, not that you don't do it already."
"Why you jerk? I'm gonna-." Joey threatened but Tea stopped him.
"Joey, stop it." She glared at him and then turned to Kaiba. "And you too Seto, stop it."
"Seto?" Joey said in a confused tone. "Who the hell is that? It's Kaiba you are talking to."
"You idiot." Duke said, shaking his head. "Kaiba's first name is Seto." Joey's eyes went wide like dinner plates.
"Kaiba has a first name?" Everyone shook their head at Joey's stupidity.
"You are stupider than I thought Wheeler." Seto said with a superior smirk. Tea turned to glare at him.
"Seto." She chided. "Stop it."
"Tea." It was Yugi who spoke now. "What's going on? You said you wanted to tell us something."
"And why is Kaiba here?" Duke asked with a hint of distaste in his voice.
"Well, you see…" Tea said, fiddling nervously with the hem of her shirt.
"What?" Joey pressed.
"What she's trying to say is that", Seto said with an amused smirk on his face, "your little friend is also… my girlfriend."
(End flashback)
Everyone had been utterly shocked at the revelation. Joey and duke had been angry but for different reasons. Joey's reason was his absolute hatred for Kaiba, but Duke's reason was entirely different. He was jealous of Kaiba, and angry at the fact that Tea had chosen Seto over him. But to show that he wasn't affected by Tea's choice, he asked Serenity out the very same day.
Serenity knew what his real motive was. But after seeing Kaiba and Tea together, she felt that she too, could hold on to Duke. All she had to do was do what Tea had done; i.e. show Duke how much she cared, and surely his heart would mold under her ministrations. But she had forgotten the fact that Seto and Duke were two very different people. Everyone had tried to explain it to her. Tea, too, had tried to warn her of Duke's habits and his possible motives but Serenity had been blinded by love and false hope. She wanted Duke in her life and was willing to fight with everyone if she had to. And fight she did, until she was alone.
But she still had Duke, right?
Wrong.
Their relationship was baseless, fake. She tried her best to bring feeling into their dates, bring emotion into their tender moments, but she couldn't get Duke to do the same. His attitude towards her went colder by the passing minute. Still, she continued her efforts, hoping to make it work, but apparently, Duke had had enough.
(Flashback)
Serenity entered Duke's house and spotted him standing not too far away. She ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Hi honey." She said with a smile.
"Yeah." Duke said in a somewhat uncomfortable tone and pried her arms off him.
"You called me to tell me something?"
"Yeah." He took a step back, away from her, she noted. "Remember I told you about a trip I had to take for business?" When she nodded, he continued. "It might take me longer than I told you."
"No problem." Serenity said causally. "I don't mind. I can wait a few more days." Duke looked away.
"You don't have to wait." Serenity was speechless. What did he mean?
"What do you mean?" She voiced her thoughts.
"Listen." She noted his gaze was stone hard as he stared her right in the eye. "This relationship isn't working out, for me or for you." Her heart thumped violently in her chest. "I think we should end this now. Better now then when things get serious." For a long time, Serenity just remained still, not moving, not blinking. When she finally got her senses back, tears flowed from her eyes.
"Duke, what did I do wrong? Why are you breaking up with me?"
"You are not what I really want." He said, not caring if his words sliced her heart.
"Then why were you with me?" She screamed in rage. He shrugged his shoulders in a careless manner.
"You should ask yourself why you were with me. You knew it was a farce all along."
"Because I loved you. I wanted to make this work. I thought… I thought…" Her voice broke down as sobs took over her body.
"Thought what? That you and me would be like Tea and Kaiba? A perfectly happy couple?" He mocked, and her crying became louder. "That is why I had to break up with you." Duke pointed out. "You are weak, and clingy. You are still a child and a man needs a woman."
(End flashback)
Her world had shattered that day. Duke had left her and she had already severed ties with Joey and all the others. She was all alone, with no one to talk to, no one to cry out to. Loneliness became over-bearing to the point that she became suicidal. That's when Tea decided to step in. She was moving to the North part of Domino. She was attending the world-famous Domino Dance Academy there, after rejecting the offer from Julliard. She offered Serenity to come with her, an offer that Serenity accepted, wanting a change in her depressing life. The two friends moved into a moderate apartment and began a new chapter in their lives.
Serenity had imagined that things would get better with a change in surroundings and environment. But she was wrong. Even in a new area, in a new apartment, she was still alone. Tea spent all day at the dance academy and her free time was spent with her boyfriend Kaiba, who paid regular visits. Often times, Serenity watched the two lovers in secret, lying in each other's embrace, cuddling, kissing, sleeping. That's when her fantasies began. She was still single and desired the kind of love and affection Tea was getting from the seemingly cold Kaiba.
She often imagined that it was her talking to Kaiba, touching his well-built chest, running her fingers through his perfect hair, kissing his caressing lips. She imagined herself lying in his arms. She imagined being held by him, touched by him, being the one that was loved by him. She was well aware of the fact that what she was doing was wrong, and if Tea or Kaiba were to ever find out, she would never be able to look at them, ever. But she was lonely and desperate. She told herself she would control her fantasies, eventually, overtime. And she was glad she had been able to.
Serenity sighed, trying to clear her mind of all the painful thoughts. She owed Tea for what she had done for her in the past. She didn't just saved Serenity's life; she also helped Serenity get over her pain and loneliness. She gave Serenity a new chance at life, a new hope, and another opportunity. It was Tea who had managed to mend the broken relationship between Joey and Serenity, and rekindle her friendship with the rest of the gang. But Serenity's debt to Tea was more than just emotional support. During the first 6-8 months, Serenity was jobless, and it was Tea who had supported the both of them in the new apartment. When Serenity had joined college, Tea helped Serenity choose a career path to follow. Today the job Serenity had, as a high paid teacher in the most prestigious private school in Domino, was also because of Tea and her influence. Considering all that, Serenity was buried in Tea's debt. She never had an opportunity to repay Tea in the past. But this was her chance. Tea herself had asked for her help. She was in need, and the fact that she had turned to her was itself an honor for her, and she wanted to help her.
But the issue with Kaiba still remained. Sure she had gotten over her stupid crush… but then why did she feel so scared? She was afraid of commitment, she knew that. She had been, ever since that horrible encounter with Duke. She had dated but it never got to a point where she could call it a relationship, let alone something serious. So the Kaiba issue shouldn't be a problem, since the issue of commitment was out of question.
But still, something in her heart was fearful.
'No.' She thought determinedly. 'I will not be a coward. Tea is my best friend. I have to help her. If our positions were switched, I know Tea would have said 'yes' without hesitation. And that's what I have to do too. I owe her everything. I must do this.'
Tea's cell phone rang loudly, but the loud music and chatter in the studio droned its voice out. It rang once… twice… thrice…but was ignored. Just before it died out, someone picked it up.
"Hello." Serenity spoke from the other line. "Tea?"
"No. I'll get her. Hold on please." The person, who was a young girl, took the phone to Tea, who was busy conversing with some people.
"Miss Tea, a call for you." She held out the phone for Tea, who accepted it with a smile and thanks.
"Hello." Tea said, walking away from the chattering crowd.
"Hi Tea, it's me, Serenity." Tea didn't have to be told. She recognized the voice all too well.
"Oh hi. What's up?" Tea asked as causally as she could, considering her heart was beating maddeningly.
"I… I was thinking about our conversation…" Serenity said, and Tea's mind began swirling.
"Oh… th .. that." Tea said, her voice shaking a bit.
"Yeah. I… I've made a decision." Ultimate fear sheltered in Tea's mind.
"So… soon." She said, feeling her body tremble with nervousness. "There's no pressure Serenity. You can take as much time as you want. I don't want to rush you. Please think long and hard and then make a decision." Tea's rambling resembled the begging of a desperate individual.
"I don't need any more time." Serenity said in a very low voice. "I have decided that…" Tea felt a wave of nausea wash over her as Serenity paused, "I'll help you."
Silence.
"Tea? Are you there?" Serenity asked after a while.
"Yes…yes." Tea replied in a lost tone. "You said you'd… do it?"
"Yes. I want to help you no matter what." Serenity voice was considerably stronger than before as she replied.
"Th… thank you." Tea voice was laced with emotion as she spoke. "Thank you so much. I… I don't know what else to say but thank you." A sob from her side told Serenity the girl was probably crying.
"You don't have to thank me Tea. I'm just trying to pay you back for all that you have done for me." Serenity said in a humble tone.
"You are giving me the biggest joy of my life. Thank you Serenity." Tea continued. "I'll give Seto the good news." And with that, she hung up.
Seto was typing furiously on his laptop when the phone rang. Normally, he would have ignored it, but this was his cell phone and only two people knew his number, Mokuba or Tea. He immediately stopped and held it to his ear.
"Hello."
"Hi Seto." Tea's overly cheerful tone came. "Guess what? I just got a call from Serenity, and she agreed." Seto's eyes threatened to fall out of their sockets.
"What? Wheeler… agreed?" He confirmed.
"Yes. I just got a call from her." She said.
"Hmm. We'll talk when we get home." He said.
"Sure. Love you. Bye." Tea said before hanging up.
"Yeah." Seto said in a distracted tone and hung up as well.
It didn't make any sense. Serenity Wheeler had agreed? To such a preposterous proposition?
But why?
There had to be a logical explanation for this illogical occurrence. And he would be damned if he didn't find out. With a determined glint in his eyes, he grabbed the phone and called his secretary.
"Sheila." Be barked in an authoritative tone. "Hold my appointments. I have to take a little trip."
It was time to pay little Miss Wheeler a surprise visit.
...
Holy shit. I accidently added this chapter to my other story, "Payback is a Bitch." When I found out, I started laughing like a maniac. I can't believe I did such a stupid thing. But then again, compared to some of the other idiotic stuff I have done in my life, this is nothing. But still, I understand that from your standards, it was brainless.
I admit it. I am a moron.
Laugh all you want guys because I'm laughing too.
