Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Or the characters...I'm just borrowing them for a while from Kazuki Takahashi, since we're old buddies and all...
Cheer up, Mr. Kaiba!
Chapter XX – Turbulences
-by Alena S. Anigor
Dead silence greeted Serenity's mother when she entered the house half an hour later, holding bags in her hands. Her face was tear-stricken and her eyes were puffy, a stark contrast to the usual facial expression she would wear after coming back from shopping spree. She closed the door behind her mutely and sighed heavily, wiping away the wet traces from her cheeks, her head lowered and her eyes glazed.
She sniffled once, remembering the futile attempts to reason with her son, but Joey simply stormed out of the mall, together with the smaller spiky-haired boy and the taller one in a trench coat who ran after him hurriedly, leaving her to stand stiffly in the middle of the aisle while people stared at her curiously, whispering.
She took a deep breath and shook her head, feeling so ashamed, humiliated and stupid. She raised her head slowly when she remembered Serenity and quickly dropped the bags to the floor, dashing up the stairs to see if she was home or ended up god knows where.
She stopped in front of her doors, staring anxiously at the pink, heart shaped cardboard hanging on them, Serenity's name written neatly on it and leaned in, knocking softly on the door.
When there was no reply, she panicked and pushed the door open, peeking inside and heaving a sigh of relief when she saw her daughter curled up on the bed, her hair tousled and her clothes wrinkled.
"Serenity..." She started, taking a hesitant step in and closing the door behind her. The girl was quiet, lying on the bed stiffly, her back turned to her. She didn't move, budge or say anything; she simply lied there like a cold, motionless statue. Her mother's eyes softened and she bit her lip, taking a few steps forward until she reached her bed and saw that she was holding her teddy bear tightly, eyes staring blankly at the wall in front of her.
"Oh, honey..." Her mother whispered sadly, leaning down to put a hand on her shoulder. Serenity remained still, hazel eyes glued to the wall in front of her, glassy and dull. "Are you...are you okay?" Her mother ventured tentatively, mentally smacking herself on the forehead. Of course she wasn't okay – it looked like someone placed a mute doll, just a shell on the bed instead of her smiling daughter...
Serenity took a deep breath, just to breathe in the needed oxygen and continued to stare at the white of the wall wordlessly. She felt so torn and bruised inside, like someone just ripped out her very heart and soul and left only body behind as a sad reminder of what once resided in it. She wanted to scream but yet couldn't. Her lips wouldn't part to let something out, her voice didn't want to speak and her eyes refused to close no matter how heavy they felt. She felt so betrayed, cold and alone...She felt like dying or disappearing somewhere where nobody would ever find her - nor Kaiba, nor Mokuba, nor her mother or Joey...especially not Joey...
Her eyes closed in the end and her body shook once, involuntarily releasing the pent up emotions inside her that finally refused to stay inside. Her mother's eyes watered again and she hugged her daughter tightly, crying together with her.
"W-why?" Serenity choked out, the words coming out as a shaky whisper. She inhaled sharply and stiffened another sob as her mother kissed her forehead and stroked her hair slowly, still hugging her and trying to soothe her pain somehow. She, too was shaken by the incident but not as much...Serenity thought only best of her brother, always, and nothing could break or taint that image of him in her mind...Until he did that himself and showed her the other side of him, as well...the ordinary, human side, made of flesh and blood, totally different from her image of him in her head - holy, pure and divine.
"Serenity..." Her mother whispered gently, still stroking her hair, doing her best to comfort her. Serenity stood up slightly and buried her head in her shoulder, shaking and shivering in her arms.
"Why did he do that? Why did...what did I do...I don't understand...why couldn't he...?" She was mumbling, her voice muffled by the silky material of her mother's shirt. The older woman stopped caressing her hair and took a deep breath. She knew Joey was always overprotective of her, but...Still, she tried to find an adequate explanation for his action, just so not to completely ruin the image of him in her mind. For she knew that would shatter her only further...and she had already gone through so much...
"Honey...Joey was...he's...well, he was just trying to protect you..." She started and looked down when Serenity raised her head and a pair of hazel, puffy eyes greeted her, looking at her in a mixture of anger, despair and disbelief.
"Protect me? I'm not 5 anymore!" She cried out, now furious and angry all of a sudden, but then started sobbing again when she remembered his harsh words and sank deeper in her mother's embrace. "I don't need to be protected...I don't need..."
Her mother sighed heavily and just hugged her again, not able to do anything but sit there on her bed and listen to her daughter's sobs. She was really a wreck. She inhaled deeply and let go of her, deciding to just be frank with her. Serenity sank on her bed, head lowered, nose running and her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her mother knelt down on the soft carpet and forced her to look at her in the eye.
"Serenity, listen to me," She started; her voice firm and Serenity looked at her miserably, tears still streaming stubbornly down her cheeks. "Joey maybe wasn't nice," and there she stopped when Serenity frowned at her choice of words and looked aside before she returned her gaze back at her, "okay, he behaved like a total idiot and I understand you completely but...you have to understand that he's only worried about you. You're his little sister and no matter how old you'll be, you'll always be his little sister he needs to protect and take care of."
"But I'm not a child anymore! I'm 16!" She yelled, a rebellious streak waking up inside of her. Her mother nodded before continuing.
"I know, but...I guess...big brothers are like that. I wouldn't let you go either, but Seto Kaiba seems like a reasonable and responsible young man and you say Mokora-"
"Mokuba," Serenity corrected her and her mother halted for a moment, sweatdropping at her slip-up.
"Yes, well, you say he is your friend and I know you're a good girl and I trust you..." There she stopped for a moment, biting her lip and looking away from her questioning glance. "And I don't want to keep you between four walls all the time like my mother did...and look where that has brought me..." She added in a whisper and Serenity had a strange feeling she was the one who needed comfort now since her eyes watered again but she shook her head sharply to shake the tears away and look at her again. "You must be strong and let no one put you down...ever!"
Serenity was staring at her mother in some sort of wonder and admiration, blinking away the rest of the tears after her mother wiped the most of them away. She stood up briskly and straightened, smoothing the wrinkles on her clothes and smiled encouragingly at her still crestfallen daughter. Serenity looked up and tried to smile, albeit barely, her lips merely stretching a bit. Her mother bent down to hug her one last time before she reminded her that she was going to be in Switzerland the next day.
Serenity flinched at her words and her eyes widened suddenly. She looked at her mother and gasped softly, wet traces still visible on her cheeks. She has completely forgotten about Kaiba and the trip and Switzerland and...
"Oh..." she muttered and sniffled once, her mother crossing the small distance to her desk to hand her the handkerchief. She took it slowly, still in some sort of daze from the emotional collapse and crying and the sudden realization that she still wasn't packed and...
She let out a heavy sigh, feeling dizzy all of a sudden and plopped back onto the sheets heavily, her mother gaping at her worriedly.
"Serenity?" Her mother asked, sitting by her side in an instant but the girl just sighed and closed her eyes. She felt so tired and exhausted.
"I'm okay...I just need some rest..." She whispered dejectedly, putting a hand over her eyes. "And I'm still not packed..."
Her mother smiled at her and got up quickly to kneel on the floor again and peek under the bed, searching for something. She beamed when she finally spotted the sports bag lying underneath and dragged it out, dusting it off a bit. Serenity looked at her wearily from her position on the bed. She had a feeling like her head was spinning.
"Don't worry, I'll do that!" Her mother said cheerfully, no traces of sadness on her face anymore and took the bag with her after giving her daughter a quick peck on the cheek. "You just rest!"
With that, she left the room and closed the doors behind her, the happy mask disappearing and making room for the worried, sad expression again. She took a deep breath and sighed heavily, clutching the bag to her chest. She hoped Serenity would get over the incident...and as for Joey...she hoped he would cool down and apologize to her. If they would stop talking as well, she knew her daughter would be devastated.
With one final sigh, she started walking down the stairs and towards the bags she left on the floor.
Serenity stared at the ceiling dully. Her mother's pep talk managed to cheer her up a bit, but now she felt like she could burst crying again. She shook her head and closed her eyes firmly, not letting the tears fall again. She had to be strong...she had to be strong...she had to...
She fell asleep soon after.
---
"Are you out of your mind!" Mai Valentine screamed at the fuming blonde who stormed past her and Tea once he got back from the mall and after Yuugi and Tristan explained what happened there. Joey turned around and glared at her angrily. That, though, didn't stop Mai Valentine from glaring back. "How could you do that to her?"
"So, what, now you're on her side as well!" He yelled, the noise making grandpa Mutou come down the stairs to see what the sudden fuss was all about. Yuugi just shook his head, warning him to step away. Solomon merely nodded but didn't leave the entrance to the living room.
Mai huffed angrily and put her hands on her hips. "Well, if you want to put it that way, then yes!" She replied indignantly, violet irises staring intently at the brown ones. Joey stared at her in disbelief for a moment before he burst out again.
"Didn't you hear what I just said?" He yelled, making Tea cover her ears and look away in fright. She had never seen Joey so angry. "She wants to go with Kaiba! To Switzerland!"
"So what?" Mai screeched back, taking a step forward as if trying to prove her point. Joey's fists clenched as he took a step forward as well, his eyes narrowed dangerously.
"So what? So what!" Are you all crazy? Are you listening to yourselves!" He screamed; making Mai lean back a bit but her eyes narrowed only further at the incredible stubbornness of the blonde across her. When would he learn?
"Yes, I'm perfectly aware of what I'm saying," Mai replied dryly, her fists clenched as well now, "I'm not deaf, Joey!" She spat out and crossed her arms over her chest. Joey just stared at her in astonishment and then turned around, flailing his hands angrily.
"I don't believe this!" He yelled, turning around to glare at them all again. "I suppose you all agree with her as well!"
Yuugi, Tristan and Solomon exchanged awkward glances and remained silent while Tea just looked at him somewhat indifferently. She still couldn't believe Serenity would agree to go on a journey to Switzerland with Kaiba brothers but if that would help Mokuba, then why not? She shook her head and looked at him gently, trying to reason with him.
"Joey," she started but before she could get any further, Joey snorted and looked away from her and outside the window. The groceries lay on the table, forgotten.
"Thought so," he cut her off and glared at the sunny autumn day. "I can't believe you're all so incredibly stupid!"
"And I can't believe you're so incredibly selfish!" Mai said again, glaring at him. The girl needed to breathe on her own, for crying out loud.
As if drawn by some magical spell, Joey's head snapped back at her, brown eyes widening for a second and then narrowing again.
"What, you, too? Could someone else tell me I'm selfish just because I'm trying to protect my sister from that bastard?"
"Oh, grow up, already!" Mai yelled, Tea wisely choosing to sit down on the sofa. All the yelling and screaming between the two friends was starting to make her feel sick. "Can't you get over the fact that he beat you at a duel already! You're acting like a little sulking kid who lost his toy!"
Joey's lips parted and his eyes widened again. Joey and Tristan, together with Solomon and Tea gaped at them in wonder. Joey was staring at her for a while longer before he snapped out of his stupor and to Mai's surprise leapt forward, almost growling at her over the small, wooden table.
"No, I can not! I can't and will never forget the way he laughed at me and insulted me all those times! And now he wants to take my sister away as well! I will not allow that!"
Mai smacked herself on the forehead and resisted the urge to shake the living daylight out of him. "Who says he wants to take your sister away from you, you idiot! She has made the decision herself! And it's only because she wants to help Mokuba! Tell me something – what are you going to do when she'll get married one day, huh? Beat her husband up?"
That made the blonde silent but just for a second.
"Still, she's too young to make such decisions by herself!"
"She's 16! I've already seen half of the world when I was 16 and nothing happened to me!"
"That's different!"
"Oh, really? How come?" Mai growled, sparks practically flying out of her eyes. If she hated one thing, then that were overprotective people! Joey glared at her, letting his emotions carry him on without thinking.
"She isn't a heartless bitch like you!"
Silence. Mouths open, eyes wide. A pair of amethyst eyes wide with shock and hurt. Another moment passing, breaths audible in the living room. Hand raised in the air, swinging sharply. A slapping sound echoing off the walls.
And twice in one day, Joey wheeled around unceremoniously, his own eyes wide with terror when he realized what he just said, his cheek stinging. Mai was standing stiffly across the table, breathing heavily, her own palm hurting from the impact she made with his face. Her vision blurred slightly as tears threatened to spring from her eyes but she shook them away angrily, glaring daggers at the boy whose head was still turned aside, eyes staring blankly at the carpet.
"I really feel sorry for you, Joey...and for Serenity...because she couldn't choose a better brother than you who only thinks about himself and pays no heed to other people's needs!" Blinking once at the boy, she turned around and took a few steps forward before she stopped in front of a shocked group of people and turned around one last time.
"It's no wonder you lost your sister...just be careful not to lose all your friends, Joey...you're on a good way to achieve just that." With that, she walked away from them and through the front doors, Solomon cringing when she banged with them loudly. The sound of engine roaring could be heard outside and then the squeaking of the brakes when Mai drove away, making everyone turn to look at him.
Tea, Yuugi and Tristan were staring ahead, at Joey who was still in the same position like someone decided to leave him that way, forever frozen in the time and place. Nobody dared to say a word; Tea looked at her friends who were equally at a loss for words and then back at Joey, helpless. She wanted to say something, do something but somehow, lacked the will and strength to do so.
Slowly, Joey moved, flinched a bit and raised his hand to touch his swollen cheek, turning around to face the others. He didn't look at them though but kept his eyes hidden behind a mop of blond hair. He took a slow step forward, walked silently around the table, past Tea and Tristan and Yuugi until he finally stumbled out of the house and down the street, leaving everyone else to stare after him.
Solomon sat on one of the stairs and sighed heavily, gazing at his grandson and his friends solemnly, not knowing what to say, either.
Tristan joined him and flopped down next to him, gazing sadly out on the street. Joey left, Mai left and he won't be able to see Serenity for god knows how long...Life sucked. Tea put a hand on Yuugi's shoulder and the smaller boy turned around, looking at her sadly.
"I know," she said as if reading his mind and looked out, as well. "Let's just hope they'll work it out..."
---
While Serenity slept over the great amount of day, she could only stare blankly at the ceiling during night when she was supposed to sleep and rest for the trip that lied ahead of her. Her navy blue sports bag was lying on the floor, neatly placed next to the chair, filled with various things her mother managed to stuff inside. Slowly, she crawled out of bed, the headache gone but she could still feel it slightly, the throbbing sensation present somewhere at the back of her head. She approached the bag and dropped to her knees, pulling the zipper as quietly as she could. She almost paled when she saw how many clothes her mother had stuffed inside, the fabrics visible under the moonlight that crept through the branches and through her window.
"Oh, dear..." She did pale when she saw that her mother even managed to throw one summer dress somewhere amidst all those winter jackets, pants and shirts. "She can't be serious..."
She managed to pull the dress out of the mess of clothes somehow and put it back into the closet, wishing she was awake during the packing to stop her mother from throwing things inside she really didn't need. Especially in Switzerland where summers weren't that warm like in Japan. She smiled when she saw that she put her toothbrush and toothpaste into a small plastic box and zippered the bag up again, rising to her feet. She was still in her daily clothes but there was no need to change into her pajamas when it was already past 3 am...and in less than 5 hours, she would have to be at the airport where she would take off with the Kaiba brothers...
She closed her eyes and her heart clenched when she recalled the previous day and the incident at the mall. She sniffled softly and rubbed her eyes to prevent the tears from coming again. Taking a deep breath, she climbed up and sat on the windowsill, staring at the moon pensively and wondering why her life was like that...why Joey was like that...why things couldn't be different...
The moon gave no answer to her questions and soon after her lids began to fall, she crept back to her bed and lied down, willing her mind to push the images of her brother away and trying to fall asleep again. The alarm was on, but she still couldn't afford herself to be late. Mokuba would be worried and disappointed and the CEO would probably think no better things about her than he already did and...
She took a deep breath when for some reason, her throat became dry and her heart banged achingly in her chest...no more mom, no more Joey...no more Domino City...And she imagined her departure to be different...so much different that what it ended like the day before – with harsh words, tears, anger and hurt. She wondered what was Joey doing at the moment and whether he was still mad at her...Her eyes closed slowly, traces of tears glistening in the corners of her eyes and she sank back into the world of dreams.
She jerked out of it after having a disturbing dream about Joey coming to the airport to chain her to him and drag her away from a yelling Mokuba and a CEO who was...well, just kind of standing there, doing nothing much but looking at her indifferently. Her mother was crying while Joey kept on dragging her away, screaming all sorts of profanities at Kaiba who seemed like he didn't care at all. She was desperately trying to run away but the chains were tied too tightly around her neck and arms and legs and when she finally woke up from the nightmare, she found out she was trapped in a mess of her own sheets, tangled between her legs and arms, the pillow thrown away in her sleep and lying halfway on her face. She pushed it away quickly, breathing heavily after regaining her composure. She put a hand on her chest and sighed slowly, breathing in the so much needed oxygen. She looked around, noticing the dark blue hue of the night slowly disappearing, replaced by soft shades of orange, pink and red. It was morning already?
She looked at her alarm clock and saw that she managed to wake up almost 20 minutes before the alarm itself. It was 6:42, the numbers blinking and flashing on the plastic screen and she sighed in relief, glancing out the window. She could see tiny bits of frost on her window and she shivered.
She didn't feel like sleeping anymore so she got up, stretched and stared at the shiny crescent on the horizon – the sun was rising. She looked about the room, realizing that this was the last time she would see it this year...A sudden wave of sadness washed over her and her eyes saddened as well, hazel orbs filling with tears all over again. She let out a quiet sob but shook her head, remembering her mother's words. She needed to be strong. She really did admire her mother for raising her so well on her own, even after facing the divorce and the accusations from the outside world but not paying attention to them, and instead standing tall with her head held high. She wished she could be more like her...or Mai, who was always so strong and unyielding...
She jerked slightly when her mother opened the doors quietly and peeked inside only to find her daughter standing in the middle of the room and looking at her instead of finding her asleep.
"Good morning, honey," she chirped and entered the room, kissing her on the forehead. "Sleep well?"
Serenity already wanted to say no and describe her nightmare, but chose to lie instead; that would only make them both sad and depressed again. She nodded.
"Yeah, I did."
"Good!" Her mother beamed at her and looked at her appearance – tousled hair, sleepy face, wrinkled clothes...and Serenity blushed under the scrutinizing eye of her mother.
"I should...probably get dressed and all..." She mumbled and dragged herself away to the bathroom. Her mother's facial expression softened and saddened but just for a moment; she straightened soon after and picked up her bag from the floor, carrying it down the stairs and to the living room.
Serenity frowned slightly at her own expression in the mirror – she really did look like someone just pulled her out of the grave. She quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth, tied her messy hair in a loose ponytail and left her bangs to frame her face. She looked more or less presentable now, but that still couldn't hide the red rimes around her eyes, accompanied by dark crescent moons, as well. She shook her head and headed back to her room to turn off the alarm before it went off for nobody and made her bed. She noticed that the bag was missing and presumed her mother had already taken it with her downstairs.
Taking a hesitant step forward towards the doors, she turned one more time to look at her room – the shelves filled with toys and stuffed animals, her desk stacked with various books and notes and her bed, neatly made. It almost seemed impossible for her to even imagine she would leave it one day, but there she was, standing on the doorway and almost sobbing for having to leave her teddy bear behind. After all – what kind of impression would CEO have about her if she dragged a stuffed animal with her? She was 16 and almost grown up...she had to start acting more mature...
Surprised by her own thoughts, she sniffled and with a determined look, stepped outside and closed the doors behind her, the pink cardboard with her name swaying a bit while she started walking down the stairs.
Breakfast was already waiting for her on the table – pancakes with chocolate syrup and a glass of milk. Her mother smiled at her widely and she smiled back at her, somewhat awkwardly and sat behind the table. Her mother joined her with a cup of coffee and started observing her. She seemed so small and distant all of a sudden and Serenity's mother blinked at her daughter. There were no traces of sadness or depression on her face like the day before – she seemed almost at peace with herself, eating breakfast slowly and drinking milk out of the glass. She seemed so...adult. Serenity's mom smiled involuntarily and leaned on the table, watching the first rays of sunshine reaching the kitchen window.
An hour later, the bell on the doors rang and the mother and the daughter both sighed and got up – Serenity to answer the door and her mom to fetch the bag.
Serenity was slightly surprised to see the chauffeur standing on the doorstep instead of the CEO but when she craned her neck to look past him, she noticed him sitting in the limousine, the doors open and his ever frowning face watching her sternly.
"Is Miss ready?" The chauffer asked politely and Serenity flinched slightly when her mom approached her and gave her a do-you-want-me-to-come-with-you? look. Serenity just smiled at her and gave her a tight hug before she walked out. The morning was cold and the air crispy despite the sun on the horizon. She took a deep breath and wanted to put the bag on her back when the chauffer cut her to it and took it from her mother in one, swift movement. She thanked him silently and looked at her mother again who couldn't help but let the tears slip down her cheeks. Serenity quickly turned away from her; afraid she would start crying, as well and headed down the small pavement of their front garden, trying to hold her head high although her vision was starting to become blurry. She quickly wiped the tears away, suddenly sensing fear inside of her; fear of leaving everything behind so soon and so suddenly. She stopped in front of the doors to the limousine where the CEO was waiting for her to step in. The chauffer had already put her bag inside and went to take a seat in the front.
Serenity waited for a moment, well aware of the questioning gaze the CEO was giving her and turned around, spotting her mother standing alone on the porch and waving to her with a...kitchen cloth. She let out a strange sound – a mixture of a sob and a giggle and waved back at her, feeling light as a feather.
"Are we done here?"
She turned around and nodded at the blank look on Seto Kaiba's face, stepping inside the limousine and letting him close the doors behind her.
The limousine rolled away from her neighborhood slowly, and she stared at the bypassing trees and houses in awe, still amazed by the sudden outburst of emotions inside her – like everything would be fine...like everything would turn out well.
She prayed it would and tore her gaze away from the window to glance at the CEO who was looking at her with his, well known scrutinizing gaze. She sank into the seat of the limousine, feeling awkward and blushed for reasons unknown to her.
He looked away from her pink face and looked at the briefcase in his lap. He had to take his laptop with him, of course, some papers and contracts and his cell phone, as well. Just the necessary things. He also promised himself he would spend more time with his brother as much as time and his company would allow him to. Besides, he would have the girl to keep Mokuba company so perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to drag her with them.
He jerked a bit when his cell phone rang and caused the girl to look at him, too. He pushed the button and answered the call.
"Yes?" He said; his voice smooth and cool.
Serenity noticed he was wearing his usual attire – black slack pants, a black shirt and a navy blue trench coat. She looked around, noticing empty seats around them. Save for them and the driver, there was nobody else there...Wait...that didn't seem right...
Then it hit her –where was Mokuba?
She was waiting for him to finish his conversation to ask him the very same question.
Kaiba looked at her from his seat while letting the cell phone slip back into the depths of his pocket. "He's already at the airport," he replied coolly, making Serenity gape at him in wonder. "He was transported there straight from the hospital. He's waiting for us there."
And the conversation was over. The CEO went back to his papers and notes and Serenity was left to experience the jitters of anticipation and expectations. She already had the privilege to visit Kaiba's blimp but she had never flied anywhere with a plane. It was something completely new for her and she started thinking about all those plane crashes and accidents and fear crept up on her again. What is something like that happens to them?
Not being able to suppress her curiosity (and fear, as well) she cleared her throat.
"Uhm...Mr. Kaiba?" She asked tentatively, blushing again when he raised his head from the heap of papers underneath. He just raised a questioning eyebrow at her, slightly annoyed by her presence and questions.
"Is it...safe?" She ventured, making him look at her oddly. Safe? Was what safe?
Noticing his confusion, she quickly added: "The plane, I mean...is it safe to fly with it?"
Kaiba almost snorted at the remark. Who did she think she was flying with?
"Of course it is. It is my own, personal jet, made by my own men; technologically supreme to all planes and jets ever designed."
Serenity felt stupid after that. Of course it was safe – it had Kaiba Corporation logo on it...
She just let out a soft "oh" and sank back into the seat, leaving the blue eyed boy to his papers until they reached the airport.
---
The Domino City airport was already pretty much crowded with people, bags and staff when they arrived. The chauffer took her bag from the back of the limousine and refused to give it to her until they reached the jet. Serenity stepped out and a shiver ran down her spine when the cool air brushed her bangs away from her face and passed all over her body. She suppressed the urge to hug herself.
The CEO was already on his way to the jet and, Serenity noticed, it wasn't that big like other planes but it stood out proudly with the equally standing out logo of Kaiba Corporation, written neatly over the tail.
She ran after the two men and almost bumped into the CEO when she paid more attention to the airport building, the majority of it made by glass that glistened on the morning sun.
"Sorry..." She mumbled humbly when Kaiba turned around to give her a strange look. She blushed again, not knowing why this young man was making her feel so embarrassed by just looking at him. She suddenly started to feel self-conscious, knowing very well that she was a klutz sometimes and had a tendency to make an idiot out of herself and somehow, wanted to hide that from him...She just didn't know why.
A familiar voice snapped her out of her stupor and she raised her head to see Mokuba waving to them. He was still lying on stretchers, but was wrapped in numerous blankets and sheets to keep him warm. Serenity's lips twitched into a smile when she saw how happy he was to see her.
"Hey, Serenity, you made it!" He yelled, and then waved at her again. "Look, they even allowed me to move my hand freely!" He added in a somewhat sarcastic tone, but smiled nonetheless. Kaiba remained silent but his lips did quirk up just barely when he saw the good spirits his brother was in.
When they reached him, Serenity resisted the urge to hug him, so she settled for tousling his hair instead. It was then when she noticed a tall man with sunglasses standing next to Mokuba and looking warily around, and two paramedics, lifting the boy up carefully.
Kaiba was already on his way up the stairs when they started walking after him and Serenity hesitated for a moment before she took a step forward, too and sighed heavily. She was just about to start walking up the metallic stairs when she heard her name being called somewhere behind her. Another familiar voice rang behind her and her eyes widened, her head whipped around to see Joey running towards her, his hair flying behind him.
She gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, hazel eyes wide with shock and surprise. She didn't think he would ever want to talk to her after yesterday and truth to be told, she wasn't really in the mood to talk to him, as well, but there he was now, running towards her with a stern look on his face. A look she saw in her nightmare.
She gasped again and as if on cue, started to look for any signs of chains in his hands but there were none.
He stopped a few inches away from the stairs and looked at her, gasping for air. She wanted to rush up to him, but stopped, suddenly aware of the whole situation and argument between them. Joey bent down and put his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.
When he finally raised his head to look at her, hazel eyes were looking at him awkwardly, pain, hurt, fear and...hope shining in them. He smiled softly and looked at the metal of the stairs.
"About...about yesterday...I...I've been thinking and..." He stuttered, eyes hidden and fists clenched by his sides. Serenity stood there, unmoving, only her eyes giving her away. So full of hope.
He looked at her shyly from underneath his bangs and sighed resignedly. "I'm sorry."
It was all it took for Serenity to leap at him and hug him so tightly that his eyes bulged out. He didn't mind too much, though and hugged her back, allowing himself a smile to cross his lips. Serenity, no matter how hard she tried, couldn't stop the onslaught of tears that spilled like two creeks from her eyes, making his shirt wet.
"Joey..." She whispered and moved away after a while, gazing up at him expectantly, as if urging him to say something else. His eyes saddened and he patted her on the head almost childishly, awkwardly when he didn't know what else to say but what was on his mind all night. She noticed dark streaks under his eyes, too and presumed he had spent a sleepless night, as well.
"Hey, it's okay, don't cry..." He mumbled helplessly when another sobbing session started. But she couldn't help herself. She started crying again, but this time from joy.
"I'm sorry, too..." She said quietly and looked at him apologetically. Joey nodded slowly and then sighed, looking at the jet almost suspiciously.
"So that's the bird you're going to fly with, huh?" He asked her solemnly and she turned around to look at the jet and nodded.
"Yeah," she replied and a note of doubt crept into her voice. She frowned slightly, moving away from him an inch. "You didn't come here to drag me away, did you?"
Joey lowered his head and let out a long breath. "No..." He whispered sadly, "Although I still wish you would stay here."
Serenity lowered her head, as well and stared at the concrete under her feet. "I know, but...I have to go. Mokuba is counting on me."
Joey sighed, kind of hoping she would stay but smiled at her reassuringly nevertheless when her answer came out differently. "Yeah..." He whispered, relief sweeping through him when she ran up to him and hugged him. He had spent the whole night awake, lying in his room and staring out the window, thinking about her and Mai and the way Tea, Yuugi and Tristan were looking at him...and realized that he did hurt them all by behaving like a spoiled brat. Although...and there he glanced at Serenity, admitting to himself that his sister was indeed big and old enough to take care of herself was the hardest thing to do...
"If you're finished down there, we're ready to go," Seto Kaiba said from the entrance and Serenity could feel Joey stiffen automatically. She looked at him in fright, thinking he would leap at the CEO and start a fight, but Joey just glared at him from the stairs, wishing he could rip that disgusting smirk off his face. He looked at Serenity who was staring at him almost pleadingly and relaxed.
He hugged his sister one last time and wished her luck.
"And don't let that jerk terrorize you. And if he does, I'll come to Switzerland and show him a piece of my mind!" He winked at her and she smiled, pulling away from him.
"I'll call you...or send you a postcard...or something!" She waved at him and climbed up the stairs where she met the cool gaze of the CEO and quickly disappeared behind the entrance. Joey was left to stare after her pensively then his eyes rested on Kaiba's tall figure that was still standing there, blue eyes watching him intently. Joey could behave when Serenity was near but now that she was gone, he glowered at him.
"Kaiba!" He growled from the bottom of the stairs, on which the young man raised a cynical eyebrow, eyeing him indifferently.
"What ever there is to say, Wheeler, make it quick."
Joey glared at him threateningly, having so many things to say to him, but in the end, settled for the dominant one that was occupying his mind at the moment.
"Just keep away from my sister!"
Kaiba just smirked and shook his head weakly, turning around slowly. "And I actually thought you had something smart to say," he replied on which Joey growled, his ears red and his feet only a few feet away from reaching him and his hands strangling him. Still, he remained where he was, seething at the CEO who started to walk away. "But I should've known by now."
With that, the doors closed with a hiss and he was suddenly surrounded by airport technicians, rolling the moving stairs away from the jet. The turbines started to spin, slowly at first, then faster and soon, Joey had to move away from the plane that started to roll down the airfield, large wheels pushing it forward. It started to speed up slowly, and when it reached the end it turned around and started speeding up again, the nose of the plane lifting higher, then carrying the whole body of the plane up with it, until it was in the air, wheels disappearing into the small rooms beneath.
Joey had to put a hand over his eyes to shield his eyes from the sun while he watched the plane fly away into the bright, blue sky.
"And off she goes..." He whispered, wondering if he hadn't perhaps made a mistake by letting her go. He turned around and let out a heavy sigh. Now to find Mai...
---
"Relax," Mokuba said once Serenity sat down in her seat and fastened her seatbelt, shaking violently and her whole body trembling. Sitting next to her was the CEO, already typing on his laptop. Mokuba was lying on the stretchers behind them; the seats readjusted so he could be behind them and still feel comfortable. Serenity just nodded stiffly, making Mokuba laugh at her nervousness, plus, her face was very pale.
She looked outside the window and saw the city slowly disappearing away – the streets, houses, trees, roads...She was staring at them all in awe again, when a thought finally struck her – she was really leaving her home; she was leaving Japan.
A slight tremor shook the plane slightly, making Kaiba curse for he missed certain keys while Mokuba laughed. He always liked turbulences.
Serenity, on the other hand didn't and she gripped the first things that came under her hands. And one of those things just happened to be Seto Kaiba's left hand.
He jerked slightly when he felt a sudden pressure on his left hand and glanced quickly at the girl next to him who had her eyes closed, her teeth gritted as if she was expecting them to fall that very instant.
Kaiba looked at her hand on his own and didn't know what to do. He could feel something strange stirring up inside of him, the mixture of contradicting feelings – he wanted so badly to remove his hand from underneath hers but something was holding him back, making his insides turn and his eyes wide at the sudden wave of something so odd and unexplainable rush through him. He wanted so desperately to run away from her, but that would be foolish. He wasn't afraid of a single, petty girl. He managed to smother the disturbing feelings somehow and placed a cool mask back on his face. Behind them, Mokuba gaped at the sight first then his lips stretched into a cheeky grin. Was that surprise on his brother's face? And a barely noticeable blush? It lasted for only a second, but Mokuba still noticed it. He resisted the urge to whistle and just smiled to himself.
This trip was going to be one hell of a trip to remember, indeed.
When the turbulences finally stopped, Serenity kept her eyes closed for a little while when Kaiba's voice interrupted the silence.
"Would you let go of my hand? I still need it."
Her eyes snapped open and she looked at him first, still afraid and now confusion was added to her facial expression. When she noticed that he was looking down and felt she was holding something soft and warm in her hand, she looked down as well and yelped, pulling her hand away as if his hand was poisonous.
"I'm...I'm s-so terribly sorry! I didn't mean to!" She spluttered, blushing profusely at her own foolishness. Kaiba simply removed his hand and continued to type on his laptop, his face unreadable and his mask in place. Inside, the odd, strange tingles still remained and he wished he could get rid of them. They weren't quite pleasant since he couldn't define them. Finally, he suppressed them, telling them to go to hell and then growled mentally and concentrated on his blueprints instead, cursing the girl and the trip in his mind.
Serenity just sank deeper into her seat and kept her eyes on the clouds outside. Next time the plane shakes, she'll consider running to the toilet...or jumping out the window...Wait, she couldn't open them...She moaned mentally and closed her eyes.
She started to hate the planes already...
---
I UPDATED! –faints-
I'm really sorry for my lack of updates, but...uh, life and people are happening all around me and as much as I'd like to spend my days writing and drawing, I still have to pay attention to them, as well.
What else to say? Uhm...wish you all a belated happy New Year and...OMG, I updated! -throws confetti-