Author's note: My eternal thanks to Zeo-Chan for all of her help. Sorry for the long wait everyone!
Seto was fuming by the time the van showed up. For thirty minutes they sat there, waiting for the idiot to show up with the van. When it finally slowed at the corner and came closer to him, Seto was ready to tell the guy when he dropped them off that he was fired. He stood up, paced a bit more as the guy slowly pulled the van to where they were at. "S... Sorry Sir," the guy stuttered, wringing his hands. "I couldn't find a vehicle to transport her," he gestured towards Tamara. Seto's eyes narrowed and he trained his icy glare on the guy. "If I were you," Seto started to threaten, "I'd stand around less and start doing your work more."
Tamara put a gentle but restraining hand on her new husband's arm. "Seto calm down. It's okay." She turned to the poor employee. "Please forgive him; he isn't used to how things work regarding people with special needs."
Surprised that she spoke up, Seto took a deep breath and allowed his mind to think only of his wife sitting next to him. He closed his eyes for a moment then opened them. "Well, ready to go?" he asked, turning his head to look at her.
"Yes, I am. Are you calmed down now?" She asked, cocking her head to the side in question.
Seto snorted then rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm calm now."
The redhead looked doubtful, she allowed herself to be loaded into the van, helping the poor man figure out the straps that tied down her wheelchair with ease and kindness. She finally felt on familiar ground as she verbally guided the employee though the task at hand.
Seto's hands curled into fists but he stood there, watching. What if she ended up doing this to all of his employees before the annulment? He snorted quietly and stepped beside the man before pulling open his door.
Tamara mentally sighed and reminded herself that she wouldn't be saddled with Kaiba forever as the van got moving. Absently fingering the ruby tear on her Vestal wedding ring, she stole thoughtful glances at Kaiba from time to time, wondering just what had she gotten herself into.
Kaiba climbed in front, his mind already a million miles away. What would he tell everyone? Demand they leave, or they stay and do what he ordered them to? Naw, he did that every day... No, he needed something different. A night off for everyone would work in his favor. He smirked as he continued to plot, and absently raised his fingers to stroke an imaginary beard. Tonight was going to go great, or else. He smirked again.
The redhead and the employee chatted lightly amongst themselves, as Seto was off in his own world at the moment. After the van stopped at a light, the employee looked at Kaiba and cleared his throat slightly. "Where would you like to go Sir?" He asked wanting to be sure of his orders.
"The house," Seto said, still off in his own little world. He was still smirking but he had his face turned towards the window so they wouldn't see it in the dim light.
Her eyes widened a little, and she swallowed. 'What in the world have I done!' She thought in a panic, knowing then that she'd driven right into a trap.
Seto was still grinning to himself as they continued along. It was going to be an interesting night. "You'll have the one and only guest room downstairs for now," he said, glancing over his shoulders.
"All right." She said, praying to the Goddess that the door had a good lock on it. "I'm assuming the bedrooms are on the second floor then?" It was a risk asking this, but it was better safe than sorry.
"Yes," Seto said. "Mokuba's game rooms are both on the first and second floor. My office is on the second floor and the other rooms are on the third floor," he rambled on.
Mentally, the girl breathed a sigh of relief. This was getting better and better. "Interesting, is your mansion stairs only access then?" She wasn't expecting any other answer.
"For now, yes." Seto replied, still gazing out the window.
Surprised, Tamara shot him a suspicious look. That didn't sound good, considering that she didn't intend to stick around for that long. "I won't be around much." She pointed out. "There's no need to spend that kind of money on me."
Seto saw the look. 'No, she's just surprised!' He thought in haste as he shook his head. "No, no. It's no problem. Trust me if I didn't want to I wouldn't." he spoke, rolling his eyes as he looked ahead.
She nodded slowly, before she changed the subject. "What did you have in mind when we get there?" Tamara asked, unsure of how close they were to the Kaiba mansion.
Looking up, Seto saw the mansion just a bit away and bit his lip. He had no real clue on what they were going to do. He'd order them something to eat, get her room ready and that was about it. He couldn't do much else; he didn't really plan things out this time. They pulled into the drive and he kept his gaze trained out the window. He was still in his daze as she was unloaded and as he slipped into the house to take care of the loose ends.
Tamara's eyes were huge as she gazed at the large mansion that belonged to the Kaiba brothers "Merciful Goddess almighty, what have I gotten myself into?" She asked aloud, staring at the flight of steps that led to the imposing front doors.
When Seto walked in, Kaiba's housekeeper stepped forward. "Welcome home Sir."
Seto nodded, his gaze softening. The housekeeper had been there for years so she was the closet person to the family. He wouldn't know what to do if something ever happened to her. "Have one of the newer girls prepare a room for Tamara, please." he said, his tone kind as he glanced up towards the stairs.
"I already did sir. Your little brother has been bouncing off the walls since she wrote to him. He gave orders for the ground floor guest room to be ready at all times on the off chance that he could coax her into coming over. The room was freshened up just this morning." She smiled.
Feeling shocked, Seto blinked. His brother was really faster on thinking on some things than he was. He nodded his thanks to the housekeeper and smiled. He'd have to thank Mokuba when he came home.
The housekeeper pointed out the window where Seto could see that Tamara was idly talking to the employee, she looked a little nervous, if not outright intimidated. "Did you have a plan on how to bring her inside? I'd suggest the kitchen entrance."
Respecting the sound advice, Seto nodded in agreement. He really didn't have much of an idea other than that as well, to bring her inside. He should've called ahead to warn his employees.
"I feel sorry for her." The housekeeper said quietly. "The mansion is impressive enough, but in her eyes..."
Seto nodded. It was an impressive mansion, but it would be a challenge for her. He chewed on his lip, glaring towards the door. "Use the door you planned on, then tomorrow, I'll have the outside ground employees build a ramp for her," he instructed, looking over his shoulder towards the impressive stairway. He then let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. This was going to be a bit tougher than he anticipated.
"Should I get her? Or were you going to clear everyone out? She looks a bit jumpy." The housekeeper remarked as she watched the redhead from the window. "By the way, that is a nice ring. You worked very quickly as far as that went."
As though he didn't care, Seto shrugged, but in the back of his mind he knew that she had a point; she knew it wasn't going to work out if he was pretending. He let out a deep breath and strolled to the window. He watched as Tamara politely continued to talk to the employee, laughing at something he said. He glanced at the look on her face and suddenly he felt bad for making her wait like that. It wasn't something he wanted to do, and it made himself look really, really bad in front of her. He let out another sigh. He was suddenly glad that Yugi and his gang wasn't there to witness that. He'd never hear the end of it, especially from Joey.
Tamara laughed with Rick, the employee that had driven them there. "Thanks for keeping me company. I hope you aren't bored Rick. Where do you think Seto went anyway?" She asked, her heart flip-flopping in her chest as she stared up at the unwelcoming Kaiba mansion.
Seto shifted from the window to the door. He glanced at his reflection in the glass and frowned. Man, he was jealous for sure tonight. He shook his head then strolled out the door. "Okay, Rick, that's all for tonight. Thank you." Seto's voice was cold, clipped as he stared/halfway glared at the employee.
"Rick thanks again for staying with me. If you have the time, could you please go back to my apartment and get Mr. Kaiba's car for him. There's really no sense in leaving it there to get towed away." She asked as she nodded at Seto in greeting.
Rick nodded, and then glanced back towards Seto before hurrying away. Seto let out a breath and looked back at Tamara. "Okay, let's go get you inside." He said. "You'll be taken through the kitchen door though, if you don't mind."
"All right, I was actually afraid you were going to try carrying me up all those dang stairs." She answered, driving near him, but not next to him, as he led the way.
Seto matched his pace with hers and he managed to slip his arm around her small shoulders. He pushed open the door and led her inside, his eyes adjusting to the light. He smirked as his eyes caught the sight of a note and a lunch left out. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked, motioning towards the sandwiches and the tall glasses of what he assumed was soda. He wanted her to relax and be comfortable around him, but he had a feeling that wouldn't be happening anytime soon unless he took things slowly.
"Yes, it should be close to lunch time now. At least, I think so. I'm not wearing a watch; my brother broke it... again. Are you hungry too?" Tamara asked when feeling the heavy iron-like weight of his arm around her shoulders and wondering why he wanted that kind of contact even though there was no one around.
Seto raised his eyebrow. "Do I even want to know how he broke your watch?" he asked. He shifted his arm to give his new bride more room to move and he marveled again at how small and frail she felt.
"It fell down the sink, and the water was running." Tamara replied. "At least, that's what he told me when I caught the plumber leaving." She sighed. "I don't keep my things in the bathroom anymore if we end up sharing one."
Seto nodded, unsure what to say really. He glanced towards the clock and back to her. "Well, ready to eat?" he asked, his own stomach growling in response. He motioned for her to follow after him.
Tamara followed him quietly. "Is it always so empty here?" she asked as she moved one of the chairs out on her way.
Seto shook his head. "No, I gave them the day off so they could do their own things today." he said, pulling the chair farther away from her and moving it out of her way.
Raising her eyebrow, Tamara nodded and parked in the empty spot. "Thank you." She said politely, the ring flashed in the light when she moved her hand away from the controller.
His eyes glanced over the ring. Would she wear it when she went away? He didn't want those other guys at that place to be chasing after her like dogs following their master. He held back the growl he wanted to let out as he thought about it and he shook his head to clear it. "You're welcome," he finally muttered, settling for seething on the inside.
Ignoring his darkened mood, she picked up a sandwich and took a bite, slowly turning the bite experimentally in her mouth as she thought for a moment. "This is very good. I've never tasted this kind of cheese before." She commented once she had swallowed. "Please remind me to ask your cook what kind of cheese this is. My brother is a vegetarian, so I'm always looking for new kinds of food that we both like and that we can both eat."
Seto nodded. "I'll write a note for the cook and ask him." he said, picking up a sandwich as well and taking a bite. "Why is your brother a vegetarian?" he asked, curious now.
"My father liked his meat very, very red. He wanted my brother to 'be a man', and one night he forced my brother to eat a whole steak by himself. To this day, I still don't know if that steak was actually cooked or not." Tamara replied tonelessly before taking another bite.
Seto nodded again, unsure what to really say. He did feel sorry for her brother now that he heard that come from her. He swallowed and looked down at his sandwich. His own stepfather made him do some stuff that he hated but he was glad that his stepfather never did that to him.
"Jake was really young, maybe eight or nine, I think. I don't remember. It was also around this time that father learned about my brother's reading problems, which was something that mother and I had tried to hide from him." Tamara shook her head. "My disability is different from my brother's, I can't hide mine."
Seto looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers. "How could you hide that from him?" he asked, really curious now. This was the first time that she was telling him things that were personal like this and he wasn't about to screw this up.
"I helped more than mother did. Mother mostly made sure that father was doing his own thing and ignoring us. I'd read to my brother and help him with his homework; I learned how to explain things to him so that he'd remember what was said. We became a team, two halves of one whole." She suddenly smiled and put down her half-eaten sandwich. "I loved to read and do schoolwork, I actually taught myself how to read. The big thing that helped us is that I can memorize a book after only reading it once."
An amused Seto chuckled. "I cannot do that. That is the one thing I cannot do." he said. In the back of his mind he knew he probably could but he wasn't about to put in that effort. "So how does your brother do with his reading problem nowadays? Or do you still do the same thing like before?" Seto asked, unsure if he crossed the line or not.
She nodded. "I help him as much as I can. He gets the limelight and the credit, but I do all the behind the scenes work."
Interested, Seto nodded and finished off the sandwich. He liked how open she was being with him and he could listen all night for all he cared. "So why don't you get any credit?" he asked.
"It would undermine him if I was given the credit and not him. He legally owns the company, but the transfer of power between the two branches of FearCorp has proven very difficult for him. The CEOs here will not respect him if they find out he's only a figurehead." She shrugged and took another bite of her sandwich.
Now he frowned. He didn't like how she was being used like that. He grabbed a soda and took a long swallow. "Why would they be mad over that?" he snorted out, glaring a bit.
"Because they can't stomach taking orders from a woman any more than you can." She grinned and finished her sandwich before backing up to get some water. Although there was soda on the table, Tamara didn't touch any of it.
Seto stared at her. "Why aren't you drinking a soda?" he asked, curious that she was drinking water.
Tamara smiled as she grabbed a bottle of juice that she'd found in the refrigerator. "I don't drink pop, it turns to acid in my stomach, and everything carbonated does that. Why, I have no idea. Jake's just grateful I can't drink when I turn twenty-one."
"Ah," Seto said, nodding his head. That must be a pain, but then again, there were people that didn't like pop and not because of that. He put down the can and stared towards the coffee maker.
"If you want coffee, go ahead Seto. It's your house after all." She smiled and held the bottle between her knees as she snagged another sandwich, making up for eating so little that morning.
Feeling disturbed, Seto nodded and got up to make a pot of coffee. He heard her say 'his' house clearly and it bothered him. He wanted her to say their house, not his house only. He stood at the counter, messing with the coffee.
Tamara watched him with a thoughtful expression on her face as she ate. She wondered what his plan was now that they were here.
Seto stared at the coffee as it slowly dripped out. His plan was turning to dust now that she was being open with him. He grabbed a cup from the cabinet and poured himself a cup with it was finished.
The redhead twisted her wedding ring on her finger. "What do you have in mind for the future once this farce of a marriage is dissolved?" She asked, mildly curious about his answer.
Seto froze with the cup midway to his mouth. What was he going to do when this was all over? Run the hell after her and make her believe that he was serious! He put the cup to his lips and took a long swallow. "Unsure," he said quietly, hoping she wouldn't hear him. "And what about you, once this is over?" he asked, curious but at the same time, he didn't want to hear her answer.
"Finish my schooling like I'd originally planned." She replied, taking a long drink of her juice. "If someone comes along then that's fine, if not, that's fine too. I'm not really looking for a relationship."
Seto nodded. He wasn't really sure what to say. He wanted her to stay and be his wife but he wasn't sure how to convince her to do so. The only thing he could do would be to sit and wait it out until he could prove that he wasn't like what everyone claimed he was like.
The rest of lunch was held in silence, with each of them lost in their own thoughts, after the meal was completed Tamara wordlessly helped him clean up without being asked.
Keeping the silence between them for the moment, Seto put the plates into the sink and took the glasses from her. He was lost into the very depths of his thoughts. But, he was also curious. He wanted to get to know her better and the only way was to start asking her more questions. He glanced over his shoulder and noted that she had silently moved to the living room while he was distracted. He cleared his throat and ambled into the other room. "So..." he started out, mentally rolling his eyes at himself, "what kind of stuff do you like?" 'Oh man, what an even lamer question.' he growled at himself as he parked himself on the sofa.
"Writing is my big thing, but I also like video games too, especially the Final Fantasy series. Believe it or not, I also love the Pokemon games, which are very big in America right now." Tamara admitted sheepishly. "I don't like Duel monsters very much."
Seto nodded. He liked his games but he didn't have the time to play them anymore. "Pokemon?" he asked, eyebrow raised. He had heard of it but he didn't think she liked the game. But he was also a little hurt hearing that she didn't like Duel monsters much. He looked to the wall and sighed a bit.
"My brother thinks I'm silly, but I love the dynamics of the Pokemon world."
Amused now, Seto had to chuckle at that. "So why is it you don't like Duel Monsters?" he asked, curious to her answer.
"I hate the Dueling disk format that you have to use, and it's hard to play if you're like me and can't use both hands." She replied as she flexed her right hand, hearing the joints pop softly.
Seto glanced sideways at her hand. 'Hmmm...' he wondered, 'I wonder if I could modify that so that could change?' he thought to himself and he sat back into the comfortable sofa. "Understandable," he said, unsure what else to say.
"It's fine if you are using a table system like the old ones designed by Pegasus, or even just on a regular tabletop like my friends and I did back home. But I liked Duke's dice idea too."
Seto nodded. "I can probably modify that for you if you'd like," he offered, glancing her way and hoping it made him sound sincere this time around. "But tell me more about Duke's dice idea," he stuck in at the end, wanting to keep her talking.
"I liked the idea of using dice instead of cards. They are much friendlier to those who can't use a deck of cards."
Seto nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, I might have to look up the dice boy and discuss it some more." Seto thought out loud, tapping his chin. "Okay, so what else do you like or even dislike?"
"I don't like water and I hate heights. Stairs are my mortal enemy, and an elevator does not belong in a stairwell."
"You don't like water?" he asked, surprised. He knew that she wouldn't like stairs but the heights bit was a surprise to him as well. "Well, why don't you like heights or water?" he asked, still curious.
"I don't swim, and I have a phobia about water getting into my face. As for heights, well, if I was meant to fly then I would have been born with wings."
Seto chuckled at what she said. "That's reasonable," he chuckled again and shook his head. "Well, what else? Surely there's more," he joked, laughing this time and felt so normal doing so.
Tamara raised her eyebrow. "Are you looking for something in particular?" She asked.
Seto shook his head no. "Nope, I'm just curious, that's all. Why, does it seem like I'm fishing for something?" He asked, watching her now.
"It seems like you are beating around the bush concerning what you really want to know." She shrugged, twisting the ring on her finger.
Seto shook his head. "Nope, not at all." he said, hoping to make it seem like he wasn't. He wanted to ask about Yugi and his group but he didn't want to seem like he was prying into her private things.
She looked at him. "Am I allowed to ask any questions?"
Seto looked towards her, waiting. "Of course," he said, wondering what kind of questions she had ready for him.
"Why did you verbally attack me yesterday after my mother was buried?" Tamara asked cutting directly to the heart of the matter.
Unsurprised, Seto sighed and looked the other way. He had a feeling she would ask eventually. Taking another deep breath in, then letting it out before he turned his head and trained his eyes to stay on her. "I don't know, I guess I snapped when you mentioned my stepfather." his excuse was pitiful but he couldn't explain his actions. He looked away and mentally hit himself for being so rude, so cold to her yesterday. He couldn't even form his tongue around the apology so instead he sat there, sulking like a small child that had been told no.
Tamara bit her lower lip; chewing over the very unsatisfying answer she had been given. "I won't lie and say I wasn't hurt, because I was, very much so. You use the way your step-father treated you as an excuse to lash out at people. Did you ever stop and think that maybe he thought he had been trying to do you a favor by raising you in that way?"
Seto sighed and nodded. He had a feeling that was why his stepfather raised him this way but he didn't want to know for sure. For once he didn't want to question the actions his stepfather made or even attempt to analyze something was done this way or that way. He really couldn't think of anything to say so he settled for shrugging his shoulders.
She just sighed and shook her head sadly, glad that she wasn't living here forever.
Having trained his gaze on the wall behind her and he waited for her to ask another question. He knew he was being childish but he just couldn't help not explaining why he acted that way to her.
"Why do you hate Yugi so much?" She finally asked.
Seto sighed; he had a feeling she would eventually ask him that question but he still hadn't prepared himself for the answer. "It's simply an ego thing," he said out loud to himself but he knew that sounded stupid, so he tried the next thing that came to mind. "Because I got sick and tired of him kicking me in the ass at Duel Monsters and I have no use for his little gang, or his 'friendship' bullshit he flings out as often as he can." Seto snapped out, digging his fingers into the armrest and glared at the wall beside him.
Tamara looked surprised but nodded, keeping her thoughts to herself, reminding herself that she wouldn't be around long anyway. His answer just underscored her understanding that he wasn't her type. "Your turn." was all she said out loud.
Seto's hands balled into fists and he mentally screamed at himself. He let out a long breath between his clenched teeth and shrugged his shoulders. There was one question that kept bugging him. "Why do you dislike me so much? I do attempt to be nice you know." he said aloud, realizing his question the moment it left his lips. He groaned and smacked himself in the forehead.
Now Tamara's eyes flashed with an equally tightly leashed anger. "I dislike you because you use your past as a weakness. You use it as an excuse to hide behind and push everyone away from you. It's also your excuse whenever you lash out at people without thinking for any clear-cut, good reason oncesoever except that you felt like it. Although you attempt to be nice, it's clear that you only do so when someone has something that you want." Her answer was harsh and blunt.
Seto jumped to his feet, anger flashing in his sapphire eyes. For the first time, someone had dug out his weakness and bared it to everyone. His hands balled up even tighter and he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the flashing emotions running through his mind. "It is not just because someone has what I want." He hissed between his teeth, his eyes wide and watching her like a hawk. He took another breath and blew out, unsure what else to say.
She shrugged. "Oh really? That's how it seems to me." Tamara replied, standing her ground even as her fingers traced the ball of her joystick, ready to move away if needed. "Oh, by the way, Mokuba already told me that the door to the guest room has a lock on it, and I'm fairly certain that this chair can move faster than your feet."
Seto sighed and shook his head. Leave it up to Mokuba to tell her that. But then again, she would've found out sooner or later. "Don't leave, I'll be nice." Seto attempted, crossing his right leg over his left knee, tying to make her relax again. Then he rested his left hand on his calf and tapped his fingers.
Taking a deep breath, she relaxed a little, but she stayed where she was. "Ask another if you want."
He tapped his chin, trying to think of something to ask her about. He still wasn't convinced that she wouldn't up and roll away from him at a moment's notice. Then he sighed. "How about pet peeves? What's your favorite food?"
"Pet peeve? Well, my major one is when I've made plans with someone, but they never show up and don't even call. And my favorite food is an Italian one they serve in America called spaghetti. I also love fish and shrimp." She replied, rolling closer to him a little but still at a comfortable distance.
He chuckled, he had spaghetti a few times but it wasn't his favorite. He saw her move closer and he mentally smiled to himself. He wanted her to move closer but he would settle with her slowly moving back towards him. "Anything else?" he asked.
"I also strongly dislike it when other disabled people try to use their disability as an excuse to get other people to do things for them. It really gets on my nerves." She said this though clenched teeth.
Kaiba could understand that. He wouldn't like it either. He didn't like anyone that tried to get others do their own work. He snorted and stood up. "I'm getting something to drink. Would you like some water?" he asked politely.
"Tea please, if you have any." Tamara said politely.
He nodded and before walking into the kitchen, he asked, "Sweetened or unsweetened?" From how she acted, he had a feeling she would drink unsweetened tea.
"Unsweetened tea please, with a touch of cream or milk." She answered.
He nodded before moving slowly into the kitchen. He reached into the nearest cabinet and grabbed a couple glasses and then moved along, searching for the tea bags. Then bending down he grabbed a kettle and put water in then placed it on the stove. There was something about the Nestle tea or other kinds of teas that he disliked and he was picky about what he drank. Waiting for the water to heat up, he got out his coffee mix and started making more. The few minutes he spent in the kitchen might give her enough time to calm down a bit more and have her move closer. He gave a small grin to himself and finished the drinks.
Meanwhile, Tamara gave herself a swift mental kick. 'Get ahold of yourself girl! Show some backbone for Goddess' sake. He's not interested in you. The only reason he's asking you these things in so that he can play the part of the loving husband if the need ever arises. It's not like he's going to remember you or what you tell him after this is all over with!' She scolded herself as she straightened her slender shoulders and resolutely parked her chair next to the couch before turning off the power.
Seto came back into the room, carrying two steaming mugs. He could faintly make out her moving around and he nearly smiled in surprise and happiness when he saw she parked herself next to the couch. He handed her one of the cups before sitting down in the middle of the couch, not wanting to scare her into again. "Ah, since we have our drinks, what would you like to do?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I've been trying to refamiliarize myself with Japan and its culture again, but America has definitely left its mark on me. You could say that you married an American woman instead of the proper Japanese one you were expecting."
He chuckled at this. "I'm sure it left its mark on you. I've never really gone out of the country but I eventually plan on going," he said, thinking for a moment. "And what about you're writing style? Has that changed being in America?"
The redhead smiled and nodded. "Absolutely my writing style has changed. America is a completely different world than Japan. So consequently my writing is geared more toward the American audience than the Japanese one at this point in time. I think that once my mind readjusts, that may change, but I think that I might end up dividing my time between the two styles until I figure out a way to combine them. For now, I post my stuff online for the experience and the feedback, but I'm hoping to get published at some point." She blew on her tea a little to help it cool before asking a question of her own. "Where would you like to travel?"
Seto shrugged his shoulders, unsure. "America, France, or maybe even Italy?" he thought out loud, thinking. He'd always thought going to Europe was an awesome idea and he felt that he should visit soon.
A smile flickered across her lips. "Nice." She commented. "Your turn again."
He sighed and thought once more. "Does your brother hate me?" he chuckled to himself after asking.
"I don't know. I do know that he respects you as far as corporate-wise, but you did make a rather cold first impression when we arrived here. He really doesn't like the idea of my marrying you for any length of time."
He nodded; he had a feeling that was the case. "Anything I can do to make it better?" he asked, hoping that there was something he could to do chance the other twin's opinion of him.
Tamara sighed and shook her head. "That, I don't know. You would have to ask my brother, but considering that our 'marriage' is only temporary, it shouldn't matter that much to him..."
Hours later after a rather relaxed dinner, the redhead yawned as she changed into the faded peach and white striped pajamas that she'd brought with her. She left the main light off but flipped on the lamp at the side of the bed before also tossing a notebook and a pencil onto the pillow before transferring into the large bed herself. Pushing her copper frames up her nose, she rolled over onto her stomach and flipped the long braid over her shoulder before opening her notebook. Her bare feet swung quietly in the air as she wrote. Seeing as the marriage wasn't to be consummated, Tamara wasn't afraid of being interrupted by Seto Kaiba.
Seto was also getting ready for bed, pulling on a pair of blue silk pajamas. Tugging on the long bottoms and shifting the shirt onto his shoulders, he stared towards his door. He buttoned his shirt halfway before deciding to sneak downstairs to 'check' up on Tamara.
From a crack in the doorway, Seto could see that she was hard at work writing in her notebook, every few minutes tapping her pencil against her lips in thoughtful silence. She looked nothing like a bride waiting for her new husband. Tamara looked like a young child in that large bed.
He grinned evilly to himself. She really was a child in some things as he watched her write some more. He wanted to show her it wasn't all completely for show anymore and that he was ready to give her anything and everything she needed.
Finally she yawned shut the notebook and put it onto the nightstand. Getting her night-brace out of her ugly backpack, she managed to get it on after a few moments of concentration. "Good. It's getting easier."
He shifted his feet and watched her a bit more. It seemed weird for him to be acting like this but he couldn't help it. He shook his head and just stood there. Would he risk sneaking in and being busted? Or would he just go back upstairs...? A couple deep breaths and he took the latter choice. Better not risk it for the night. Truth be told, Seto admitted to himself that he just wasn't ready for the step that would legally make them man and wife for the rest of their lives.
Looking around one last time, Tamara smiled and took off her glasses. "Perfect. I might grow to like Kaiba at some point, but I have no intention at all of obeying father by remaining married to the one he chose. Besides, he'll only forget me anyway when I'm at the Academy." She said as she turned off the light and rolled over.
Seto's head jerked up as he overheard that last comment from her. Then he sighed, he wanted her to like him and stay married to him. Oh well, he'd do everything in his power fair or foul to convince her to stay with him. At this point, Seto Kaiba was not about to let the heart and soul of his rival company to just walk away from all of this at the three month mark, not after everything he had learned today! Tamara could turn out to be very useful once he took over FearCorp.
She shifted in the bed, and then quietly fell asleep. Even in her sleep, the redhead's back was towards Seto, distancing herself from him.
He sighed and shut the door quietly, his heart heavy. Why did she make him feel this way? Why was he to be tortured like this? He took another breath and slowly made his way up the stairs.
In the morning, Tamara stretched and woke up slowly, hoping she hadn't slept in too late as she rolled aside to sit up. Wiping the sleep grit from her sleepy eyes, she muttered something to herself before reaching for her glasses. Her braid was more than a little messed up from the night before and she had to impatiently brush the loose hair away from her face before she put her glasses on. She took her right hand out of the brace and flexed it gingerly as she put the brace on the bedside table in place of her glasses.
The sunlight streamed through the small cracks in Seto's curtains, falling over his face and highlighting his features. He squinted and mumbled in his sleep. Then he rolled over, swatted around his face and groaned quietly. Sitting up on his elbow he looked at the clock before flopping back on the pillow. He had the notion to stay in bed but he remembered that Tamara was downstairs.
She yawned heavily and got back into her wheelchair. Rummaging in her bag, she got out clean clothing and went into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she came back into the bedroom. When Seto knocked on the door, she smiled. "Come in." Tamara was dressed in faded blue jeans and a matching jean shirt. She was brushing out the tangles in her long red hair. "Good morning Seto, or is it closer to afternoon?"
Seto shrugged his shoulders. "Its morning to me," he chuckled, stretching some more and rubbing sleep from his eyes still. He watched her a bit, noticing her faded blue jeans and shirt. Something he would've never done, even if he wasn't going into work. A moment later he noticed that she really wasn't paying much attention to him and he frowned.
The redhead flinched as she carefully worked out a particularly knotted tangle. "Ouch! I'm going to be so glad to get my hair cut before I leave. My brother's just gonna have to live with it." She muttered to herself before looking at Seto in the mirror. "What are your plans for the day? Is there any time you need me to leave?" She asked.
"Leave?" he asked, confused and still half asleep. Her words weren't making any sense in his mind. He shook his head and suddenly needed some coffee to wake himself up. "What do you mean 'leave'?" he asked, his voice rough.
"Well, if you have to go to work, then there's no sense in my staying here and getting in everyone else's way." Tamara answered patiently, biting back a smart reply. She finished with brushing her hair and put the rest of her things back into her bag before finally facing him. The redhead had left her red-gold locks hanging in loose waves down around her shoulders and the back of her wheelchair.
He realized and frowned more. "Okay, go home then. I'll send one of the guys to drive you home." he waved his hand a moment before turning his back to her. He was a little irked knowing that she wanted to go home and not stay here with him. He marched from the room, his eyes steely and hard with anger.
She sighed and shook her head. "Well Tamara Alexandra McFay, you knew it wasn't going to last." She said aloud as she hoisted her bag back onto her lap and headed back towards the kitchen. The redhead had barely gotten to the kitchen door when her cell phone rang. "Yes... uh-oh... that's not good... Jake you know I hate it when... yes, yes, I'm on my way back now." She choked suddenly at something her brother said. "Of course I didn't...! Yeah, you'd better apologize, you should know better than that! All right, meet me at the apartment to help fix my hair. You owe me for this twin..." Tamara said goodbye and shut the phone with an angry snap, her lips in a tight line.
Seto's hands balled into fists and he glowered at her as he stood in the doorway. "I'll send a guy soon," he said lowly, his eyes narrowed as he watched her again before turning his back, once again, on her. He was pissed off about how she answered and her reaction to both questions, whatever her brother had said and asked. "I bet you are happy knowing this won't last long," he said just loud enough as the door swung shut and she could hear him as he walked into the living room.
"You weren't interested either. My brother was only looking out for me, though I'm still going to blister his ears!" She fumed back sharply, leaving the kitchen to wait outside and calm down.
"Like hell!" Seto shouted, turning on his heel. "It's bull crap that you don't believe me! You haven't really given me much of a chance!" his whole body shook with anger as he followed after her. Staring down her turned back, he shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if it was worth it, playing the fake marriage. But sometimes I wish you would just believe me." Seto gave another sigh and he stormed away from her, cursing and muttering under his breath.
"Bull shit. You've only known me for two days, and the first day you met me was when you said exactly what you thought of me." She snarled to herself, and left as soon as the van arrived to take her home.
He stormed into his office, slamming the door shut with as much force as he could. Balling his hands into tight fists, he stormed over to the desk, hitting the top of the cherry wood and digging his fingers into the polished wood. The stupid ring, her attitude, he growled and shook his head. He knew he should've put up more of a fight. 'That's it, I'm through with being nice.' he thought sourly, his eyes narrowed and dangerous. He shook his head and hit the table again. This time anything was fair and he was going to have to make things right, to make sure he got the company and more.