Chapter Twenty One:
Looking Glass
The drive back to the hotel was quiet and somewhat restful.
Kaiba had let the glass down so that the cool ocean air could pacify them further.
Tea was leaning against him, his arm around her shoulder.
He looked down at her, knowing she was still upset about her run in with Krista that night.
After she broke down in his arms a few minutes ago he had decided it best for them to cut their date short and head back to the hotel.
He closed his hand around hers, causing her to look at him.
"You okay?"
She smiled at him, despite the sickly feeling in her stomach, her cheeks rosy red.
She nodded without saying anything, looking at him with eyes that reflected the way she felt.
He stared back, her gaze captivating him, making him glad they had finally transitioned into something more.
Tea managed to find courage beyond her bashfulness, daring to cuddle closer to him; his hold on her tightening as a result.
She spoke in a small voice.
"I'm sorry I messed up our date."
"You didn't, what happened back there, none of it was your fault."
She smiled half-heartedly, not entirely convinced.
He saw her touch her bare neck where the butterfly necklace would've been if it hadn't been so ruthlessly torn away.
The anger he felt toward Krista hadn't diminished but he knew outside of having her anonymously assassinated, there wasn't much he could do.
All he could probably hope for was the chance to bump into her again; then he could give her a little reminder as to who she was dealing with, in case she had somehow forgotten.
Until then, he would just have to push the unfortunate ordeal under the rug for the time being.
For now he had bigger fish to fry.
Being there for Tea was ultimately more important than getting revenge.
"Don't worry about the necklace okay, it's not like I can't get you another one."
She smiled again, still looking guilt ridden.
"No, it's fine, you don't have to do that…I just...wish things could've turned out differently that's all."
"It didn't turn out that bad, you finally realized you can't resist me."
She blushed.
Instantly, the moment they shared a few moments ago back at the VIP lounge, gushed into her memory all at once.
But before she could sink any deeper into her thoughts, she felt him drawing her closer, soothing her and trying to make her as comfortable as he could.
She smiled; her face glowing even more than it did before.
Her heart was still heavy from all of her crying a few moments ago but it wasn't enough to stop the thrills shooting through her entire body when he touched her. She struggled to contain herself and not let her emotions overwhelm her.
Having spent so much time with her recently, Kaiba was able to read her expression with ease. She was trying hard to keep her feelings bottled away so that he couldn't see them, a tactic she'd developed to protect her heart from impending danger no doubt. But he didn't need a response in words; he could already see everything he needed to see in her eyes.
He adjusted himself so that he could see her face, brushing a few stray strands of hair away from her face.
"…Are you sure you want this?"
She felt her heart thud in her chest, taken by surprise by his directness once again.
She forced herself to look him in the eyes…Those gorgeous, deep, ocean blue eyes that she always found herself drowning in.
"…Cuz, if you're my girl, no one else can have you. I'm selfish that way."
In that moment she knew she didn't have to lie or pretend anymore. She could be honest with him and…with herself.
She nodded shyly but without a trace of doubt in her eyes as she looked at him.
"I do…and…I don't really mind if you're selfish."
He smiled at her, pleased by her response.
"Good,
He leaned in closer, staring into her eyes intensely.
"…because as of tonight…we can't turn back."
Before she could say or do anything else he had lowered his lips to hers, trapping her in another one of his amazing kisses.
The ocean breeze rushed through the limo and over their bodies as he pulled her in closer, his both arms around her and hers around him.
Everything else was insignificant and all she wanted was for this feeling to remain.
By the time they got back to the hotel it was almost midnight.
Tea reached into her purse, retrieving her key card, blissfully aware of Kaiba standing behind her.
As she finally felt her fingers wrap around the rectangular mold of hard plastic, for a moment she hesitated.
She glanced at the door in front of her, feeling something contracting inside of her chest.
Why was she suddenly feeling this way?
Kaiba saw her hesitate but decided not to intervene.
He watched as she eventually slipped the keycard through the lock, opening the door and stepping inside, tuning to face him once again.
Tea found that for some reason her heart was pounding.
She stared up at him without saying anything.
Kaiba knew right away that she was nervous and he had a good idea why.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to appear as casual as possible so she could relax a bit.
"So are you sure you'll be okay alone?"
Tea stared up at him trying her best to hide how nervous she was having to face him. Feeling the way she felt about him at this point, it was hard keeping it bottled inside.
But she nevertheless, forced herself to smile.
"I'll be fine; you don't have to worry about me so much."
"Oh I forgot, I'm Seto Kaiba so I'm supposed to be a Jerk right?"
She smiled again.
"Right."
He smirked the way he usually did when he was up to no good.
"But what if Seto Kaiba the jerk suddenly became your new boyfriend? Wouldn't he be obligated to worry about you then?"
Tea couldn't help turning bright red in the face.
Actually hearing him put a label on their relationship was somehow prompting a meltdown inside her entire body.
Kaiba noticed her panic attack and reveled in his victory.
When she didn't respond he decided to taunt her about it even more.
Stepping in close, he tilted her chin up with his index finger, forcing her to look him in the eye.
"Well, wouldn't he?"
Despite feeling like butter under his touch and piercing gaze she managed to respond.
"….. I guess he would be."
"Good, so I'll worry all I want."
Tea found herself getting lost in the color of his eyes. Were they always this blue?
Her heart was racing and she didn't want the sensation to stop.
When he finally pulled his hand away she felt as if he had busted through all of her walls leaving her exposed and vulnerable.
She pressed her lips together nervously as she put her hand on the doorway, more so to hold herself up than a casual gesture.
"Okay fine, you're entitled to worry about me, but you really don't have to okay. I'll be fine, I promise."
Kaiba nodded, forcing himself to be satisfied.
Leaving her alone was against his better judgment but he decided that it was probably best for the both of them.
Knowing he was used to 'fast relationships', he couldn't be entirely trusting of his own actions if he were to keep her company tonight.
His feelings were too strong and it would be all too easy to give in to weakness; and the last thing he wanted was to make her think he was pressuring her to be intimate with him so soon into their relationship.
So as much as he wanted to stay with her, he knew he couldn't.
"Okay, then… I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"
Tea nodded with a warm smile.
She was all too aware of the lingering possibility of letting their feelings get the better of them that night but she was glad he didn't seem to be leading them in that direction.
She let him pull her into another loving embrace as he kissed her gently on the lips.
Holding onto him she felt as if she were being swept away by a strong current, taking her far away where no one else could reach her.
They lingered in the kiss as if neither of them wanted to stop, as if saying goodbye just for the night was too much to bear.
But eventually, they finally let go of each other.
"Don't worry; our second date will be better."
Tea felt her face glowing again, despite all of her efforts to contain herself.
She blushed, feeling slightly less embarrassed. As his newly appointed girlfriend, swooning over his words like a silly sixteen year old school girl was expected of her…It simply came along with the title.
She let him stroke the side of her cheek, drowning in the emotion that he invoked with his touch.
She wondered if she could ever describe what it was like staring into his eyes the way she was. If only she could define how terrifying and beautiful it was at the very same time.
Eventually, he stole his fingers away, bidding her another goodnight.
And with the reality of their progression into lovers thick in the air around them, they finally parted ways into their respective hotel rooms, their date finally coming to a close.
Monday Morning
6:30am
Kaiba had finally started to make some real progress with his report.
He blew out a frustrated breath, lifting the coffee to his lips. He had given up trying to stop thinking about Tea after the hundredth time that morning. Their date last night, although met with an unfortunate speed bump, was in his opinion one of the best dates he'd ever been on. It was the first time he actually enjoyed being in the company of someone else. For some reason, having a conversation with Tea was as easy and uncomplicated as having a cup of coffee. After what she said to him, after she broke down in his arms, he couldn't bear the thought of seeing her cry like that ever again.
Now that he had her all to himself, he could finally show her how he really felt and he was grateful for that.
He took another small sip of his hot coffee, when his cell phone interrupted his train of thought again. Sighing irritable he answered the call.
After spending a few spiraling minutes of listening to his subordinate frantically pleading for his input and initiative, it was clear to him that something had to be done.
"And you're sure you can't stall for any more time?"
…..
He let out a heavy sigh, feeling the pressure weighing heavy on his mind.
"Alright, then I guess it can't be helped."
And with that said he gave his subordinate specific instructions, feeling the regret already starting to eat away at his stomach.
Shutting his phone reluctantly, he finally gave in to the inevitable. He had been trying his hardest to avoid the truth, but it seemed to have caught up with him a little too soon. He had no other choice now but to do what had to be done. As much as he didn't want to he had to take control of this situation now before things got out of hand.
Sighing irritably, he stood up from the table and headed over to the phone in the living room, making the decision he knew he had to.
Hesitating for only a second, he picked up the receiver and dialed the office of hotel management.
Tea's room
7:00am
Tea was lying in bed, wide awake and staring at the lamp on the night stand.
Her thoughts were saturated, but this time with memories that filled her heart with a new happiness and hope. She had officially become Seto Kaiba's new girlfriend and all in a matter of minutes.
The moment she pleaded with him to rescue her, she knew she had bonded herself to his heart.
And now, they were ready to accept their feelings for each other and take the next step into acting on them.
Her face burned with heat.
Despite her fear of the unknown she decided that it was useless worrying about it.
Her life was now officially changed and all she had to do now was jump in and let the current take her where she needed to be.
She got up out of bed and walked into the bathroom to freshen up.
When she was finished she headed into the small kitchen to fix herself a soothing cup of Earl Grey tea.
Stirring in the sugar, she wondered what was in store for her today.
Should she order some breakfast for Kaiba again? This time maybe they could eat together. They were a couple after all. What better way to start the first day of their new relationship.
She smiled to herself as she reached for the breakfast menu on the counter.
Just then before she could read another line, there was a knock on her door.
Putting the cup and menu down, she made her way through the living room.
She opened the door, smiling when she saw Kaiba standing in the hall.
The sight of him made her forget she was nervous.
He smiled back.
"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes in the morning."
She blushed as he pulled her into a strong hug.
When they separated, she invited him inside, closing the door behind them.
"How come you're up so early?"
Before she had time to gather her thoughts, her heart sped up in her chest as he cornered her, gently, deliberately pinning her wrist against the door.
He nibbled the side of her neck, forcing her to shut her eyes to the ripples of pleasure he was sending through her entire body.
"I wanted to see you."
He spoke into her neck, his voice raspy, his kisses soft and seductive against her skin.
Her heart was speeding up, finding herself powerless against his iron will.
The torture was like a calculated maneuver, from a villain who knew exactly what he was doing.
He continued his trail of butterfly kisses along her neck, enjoying her scent and the way her skin tasted under his lips. He kept her hands in place against the door, prolonging the sensation they granted each other, claiming her with no restraint or hesitation.
He wanted to erase any doubt left in her mind about what they were to each other; forcing her to concede to the fact that she belonged to him in every sense of the word.
Finally after a few moments, he loosened his grip, allowing her to wrap her arms around him, finding her lips and kissing her at last.
They kissed each other for what seemed like a long time, both of them forgetting everything else.
When they finally stopped, Tea felt as if her head was spinning, completely overloaded with emotion.
As she looked up at him she found that she had somehow lost the ability to speak again.
Looking into her eyes, Kaiba realized for the first time that his body felt considerably lighter, like someone had lifted a great weight off of his shoulders; allowing him the pleasure of breathing deeply again.
He knew then that he had made the right decision. Tea was always the breath of fresh air that he needed and now that she was his, he had no intention of letting her slip away from him.
Tea smiled up at him, her butterflies running amuck inside her stomach.
"How can a workaholic be so good at kissing?"
He shrugged casually, not even trying to hide his inflated ego.
"Maybe it's because I'm good at everything."
Tea narrowed her eyes, playfully.
"…hmm, or …maybe somebody had too many opportunities to practice."
"Once or twice maybe."
"Yea I bet."
"Hmm…what's this, do I detect a hint of jealousy?"
She blushed.
"I'm not."
"Good, because, in case you need me to remind you, you're the only one I'll be kissing from now on so there's no need to be."
He flashed her a sexy, self-assured smile, giving her pulse a jump start into overdrive.
She smiled, feeling flattered and doing a terrible job hiding it.
With one last peck on her cheek, he followed her into the kitchen.
Tea retrieved the menu from the counter, her heart still pounding heavily, trying to get a grip on her new reality.
"Um, I was just about to order breakfast…anything in mind?"
Kaiba leaned against the counter, looking apprehensive.
"Well actually, we can't…"
Tea frowned, looking perplexed.
"Really? Why? Have you already eaten?"
She watched as he ran his hand through his hair, trying not to think about how sexy he looked doing it.
"…Well, it looks like we'll be leaving the island much earlier than I initially anticipated."
She noticed the worried expression on his face and knew exactly why he was.
"…Oh, okay."
"I'm supposed to be back at Kaiba Corp for a meeting tonight, so I already scheduled us to leave this morning….but…. I'm not exactly sure how I'm gonna break it to Mokuba just yet."
The news hit her like a slap in the face and it took her a few seconds to realize what he was saying.
She bit her lip pensively, feeling the reality slowly sinking in.
She hadn't expected them to be leaving so soon. The news somehow weighed heavy on her heart. But she forced herself to hide how she felt, not wanting Kaiba to feel any worse about his difficult decision.
"Well…It is out of your hands after all, I'm sure he'll be fine."
Tea was glad that his expression softened a bit.
She continued, wanting to be as supportive as she could.
"If you want, I can tell him for you."
"No, it's fine, I should be the one to let him know, I'm the one who broke the promise to him after all."
She nodded, knowing that he was probably right.
Taking a sip of her tea, she continued.
"So when exactly do we leave?"
"In an hour, so maybe it would be a good idea to get your stuff together right now."
She nodded obediently, still considerably disappointed about their untimely departure.
"Okay."
She replaced her cup on the counter, her heart speeding up again as he approached her.
He spoke quietly as he deliberately gazed into her eyes.
"Don't worry, when we get back, I'll be able to schedule some alone time with you."
He let his fingers gently brush the side of her cheek, his eyes locked on hers.
"…If that's alright of course."
She nodded shyly, placing her hand over his as he stroked her face.
"…I'd… like that a lot."
He smiled at her, enjoying the way she quivered under his touch.
"Okay, I'll go talk to Mokuba, so meet us downstairs in half an hour when you're finished packing."
Tea nodded again, feeling overwhelmed by his tendency to take charge.
Stealing another kiss, he finally saw himself out of her room, leaving her standing in the kitchen feeling light headed.
For a few moments, she stared at nothing, finding it hard to believe that this was even happening.
So this was what it felt like to be Seto Kaiba's girlfriend.
The feeling was hallucinogenic and unbelievable, as if she were floating on the line between dreams and reality.
How could one man have so much influence on people….on her.
Forcing herself to snap out of it, she hurriedly headed into the bedroom.
She couldn't afford to waste any more time.
Ocean View Main Entrance Beach Front
45 Minutes Later…
Tea stood silently next to Kaiba with her suitcase in both hands as they all waited for the jeep to take them back to the dock.
Mokuba was looking a bit disappointed but not enough for him to stay mad at his brother.
She was glad everything turned out okay in the end.
As they stood outside the hotel looking at the beach, she couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.
They're vacation was actually over, and although she came to the island with so much doubt and apprehension, she had somehow grown attached to it.
So much has happened in the little time they spent here, it somehow felt as if they'd been there much longer than they actually were.
It was almost sad having to leave so soon.
She spared a glimpse at Kaiba, who had just now slipped his hand around hers, so inconspicuous she barely had time to react.
She smiled as they finally saw the jeep approaching them from the far end of the beach front.
Mokuba peered out into the blazing sun, sheltering his eyes with his hand.
"Well. Looks like this is it guys, time to say goodbye."
Kaiba scoffed.
"Say goodbye to what? We're leaving an island Mokuba, not a person."
Mokuba sighed, as Tea tried not to giggle.
Same old Kaiba.
As the jeep came to a stop in front of them, they loaded their bags into the trunk and started piling into the back seat.
Tea noticed a number of girls gawking at them from the pool, still trying to murder her with their nasty stares.
She was guessing they noticed the fact that she and Kaiba were holding hands and weren't too happy about it.
She decided that she was just going to have to live with the blind hatred from now on. A price every girl would inevitably have to pay for being on the arm of the most infamous CEO in Japan.
As they finally settled into their seats, she took one last glimpse of the vast hotel, feeling a tug in her heart as they drove off toward the ocean.
Ocean View VIP Runway Strip
.
The Kaiba Corp private jet was already waiting for them by the time they exited the boat at the entrance dock.
They made their way to the runway strip, two hotel assistants carrying their luggage behind them.
As they neared the Jet, Tea noticed the same gentleman who had greeted them on their arrival, hurrying toward them with a broad smile on his face.
"Good day Mr Kaiba, we're so sorry to see you and yours leave so suddenly, but I suppose an important man like yourself would have other obligations."
Kaiba, as always, merely stared at him blankly, not bothering to bat an eyelid.
The gentleman whose name Tea didn't know seemed unfazed by his impoliteness.
"I trust your stay was comfortable with us?"
Mokuba decided to intervene on behalf of his brother who seemed to be running out of patience.
"Uh, yes sir, we enjoyed our stay very much."
He beamed up at the young man, who seemed immensely pleased at his comment.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that Mokuba."
Only then did he seem to notice how dangerously Kaiba was glaring at him.
He quickly cleared his throat as he gestured toward the Jet.
"Yes, well, I 'll not keep you waiting any longer…We hope to be graced with your presence again Mr Kaiba, Have a safe trip back to Japan."
And with his closing statement he granted them entry, walking swiftly back to the small booth at the side of the runway.
The two hotel assistants followed them to the jet, offloading their luggage inside before leaving.
Kaiba looked at his watch as he reached into his pocket, retrieving his cellphone.
Tea and Mokuba watched as he engaged in another detailed phone call to Kaiba Corp.
"Well, at least he managed to get a little rest while he was here."
Tea saw the worried look on Mokuba's face again.
She placed her hand comfortingly on his shoulders, smiling sympathetically.
"Don't worry so much ok, he'll be just fine, you'll see."
Mokuba smiled at her.
"And I take it things went well last night between you two?"
He nudged her in the side playfully, hinting at something else.
Tea couldn't help turning red.
"I… guess you could say that…"
He smiled broadly, looking immensely pleased.
"Geez, finally, took you two long enough."
Tea giggled; amused that he figured it out so easily.
"Would you two hurry up already!"
They both looked at Kaiba who was standing on the jetliner steps, shutting his phone and looking impatient.
Mokuba rubbed the back of his head.
"Whoops sorry big brother, we'll be right there."
The Jet ride lasted a couple of long uneventful hours. Tea and Mokuba were forced to enjoy each other's company alone, as Kaiba was mostly preoccupied with his cellphone and Laptop for the better half of the trip.
Tea didn't mind of course, he did have a lot of responsibilities resting on his shoulders after all and a girl like her wasn't one to be selfish.
Finally, they were able to see the Kaiba mansion in full view for the first time in a whole week.
No more sand, ocean, coconut trees or sun tanned money bags with legs anywhere in sight.
Only the nostalgic expanse of reality: hitting them hard with the fact that they were back to civilization.
Back to the city and all the drama and problems they left behind with it.
Their vacation was finally over, cut prematurely by work and obligation.
Tea sighed quietly to herself as they landed behind the mansion; only now realizing just how much she was going to miss the Ocean View Hotel.
They all exited the Jet, three of Kaiba's security staff unloading all of their luggage in the process.
Tea took her lone, 'heavier than she intended it to be' suitcase from the stack, before they could carry the rest to the mansion.
She stood next to both Kaibas, feeling indecisive and a bit awkward, not knowing what she should do next.
Kaiba noticed her dilemma at once.
He turned to Mokuba, resting his hand on his little brother's shoulder.
"You can head back to the mansion ok; I need to go to the office for a little while. I'll be back after my meeting."
Mokuba smiled, understanding completely.
"Sure thing big brother."
He turned to Tea, beaming at her as per usual.
"Tea, why don't you come inside, you've never been inside our mansion before, how about I show you around."
His invitation made her flinch.
Inside the Kaiba Mansion?
For some reason the thought of stepping inside Kaiba's not so humble abode, made her insides turn to Jelly.
Only then did it occur to her.
Now that she and Kaiba were dating, would it be ok to go back to how her life used to be before all of this?
Her mind started to spin all of a sudden.
Before she could respond however, Kaiba intervened.
"She can't right now, she's coming with me to Kaiba Corp."
Tea looked at him perplexed, but decided not to question him.
"Oh, ok, then I'll see both of you later then."
Without another word, he waved them goodbye as he ran back to the mansion through the large courtyard, looking more energetic than usual.
Tea waited as Kaiba phoned his limo driver, ordering him to pick them up at the back entrance.
Tea willed her butterflies away as she looked at him.
Before she could say anything he intervened.
"So, where do we put that thing?"
He gestured at her suitcase.
"…At your place…or mine?"
Her eyes widened at his proposal.
"… What do you mean?"
Kaiba shrugged casually.
"Exactly what I said."
He waited for her to respond.
After a few seconds of looking cute and confused, she finally managed to respond.
"..I hope you're not suggesting…that I…move in with you and Mokuba."
"Why not? It's not like we don't have room for you."
Her head was spinning too much to even notice or admire him flexing his ego in her face.
"…But….don't you think, it's a little too soon to move in together…I mean…we only started dating yesterday."
Kaiba realized that he was enjoying himself again. Seeing her get all worked up was always way too much fun.
"I'm not asking you to move in with me, Just to stay at the mansion for a while."
Tea folded her arms.
"And how is that not the same thing again?"
Kaiba took pleasure in humoring her.
"In case you haven't realized yet, a mansion is just another word for 'a really big house'. You can stay in one of the guestrooms; just think of it as having a bigger, better apartment without the rent."
Tea opened her mouth to protest, but ended up closing it again, realizing that he actually made a good point.
"….. But, I …"
He sighed.
"You won't be moving into the master bedroom with me if that's what you're afraid of…"
He paused, pretending to be pensive.
" ….. Unless of course … you want to…. then I'm sure we can work something out."
She couldn't help blushing.
"Would you stop joking around… this is a big deal for me."
Kaiba could tell she was having a hard time deciding.
She stared at the ground, looking worried, as if she were actually thinking about the possibility.
Seeing her so distraught over it, made him a little more empathetic toward her dilemma.
He sighed, as the limo finally drove to a stop beside them.
"Okay fine, I'll let you off the hook for now okay. We can talk about this later. "
She smiled, feeling defeated but relieved that he was willing to give her a chance to think about it.
She nodded, already feeling the pressure starting to build.
They drove to Tea's old apartment building first, so that she could drop her suitcase off, before heading to the office.
On the way there, Kaiba explained that he would need some help preparing for his meeting later that night, hence the reason he needed her to go with him to the office so suddenly.
Tea, although a bit exhausted from the long Jet ride back to Japan, was more than happy to help lighten his workload, even if it was Just a little.
Finally, they made it to her Apartment Building...
Kaiba lugged Tea's suitcase into her now seemingly, smaller than ever living room, placing it with ease onto the couch.
He folded his arms, once again inspecting her apartment with, she assumed, more scrutiny than he did the first time he stepped foot in it.
She pressed her lips together nervously, her back against the door, waiting for him to say something.
After a moment he looked at her.
"Are you sure you're okay staying here on your own?"
"…Yea, Its okay…you don't have to worry, I mean I've been here long enough already…"
He walked over to her, making her swallow hard, his intimidating nature ever Omni- present.
"Yea, but, you aren't alone anymore, and I don't like the idea of you being so far away from me, in a city where I can't always be there to protect you."
She couldn't help feeling touched, his concern for her warming her heart.
She responded in a soft voice so she could put his mind at ease.
"I understand how you feel, but, you have to let me live my own life…at least for now okay. Even if I'm here, we can still see each other as often as we like. You know…the way normal people do it. It's not quite the crisis situation you imagine."
Kaiba listened intently to every word, completely impressed with her courage to lay it all out for him like that.
He paused, his arms still folded, contemplating her words.
She smiled, feeling more relaxed.
"..Besides, aren't you still my boss, we'll practically see each other every day."
He sighed, finally giving into his defeat.
"Okay fine, have it your way then…"
He moved in closer to her, touching her cheek.
"…But the moment you get tired of living here, you know where I'll be."
She nodded, too mesmerized by his deep beautiful eyes to say anything.
He drew her into a kiss, the reality of their relationship more real to them now.
After a short moment and before they lost track of time, he pulled his lips away so that they could head back down to the limo that was waiting for them downstairs.
Kaiba Corp
6:30 pm
Tea plopped herself onto the leather sofa in Kaiba's Office, completely worn out by the sight of all the new files stacked on the floor in front of her.
She groaned childishly as she put her hand on her forehead as if she was ready to pass out from a fever.
"…I can't believe how much work this is!How the heck do you do this every day? Are you some kind of Special Edition Robot?"
Kaiba smiled to himself but kept his eyes on the screen of his computer, enjoying her tantrum a little more than he should.
"Hmm, I'll definitely have to look into that possibility now that you mention it."
Tea sighed as she slumped down over the top layer of folders.
Kaiba tore his eyes away from the report he was working on to look at her.
"Come on; don't tell me you're wimping out on me already."
She forced herself to sit up, a stubborn pout on her face as she looked back at him.
"I'm sorry…I don't mean to be a pain…"
"You're not, if you weren't here to help me, I would've probably pulled all of my hair out by now."
"Somehow, I find that hard to believe."
"Guess that goes against your special edition robot theory, huh."
She smiled, feeling silly for even bringing that up.
Kaiba saw the weary look in her eyes and empathized. She had been working diligently at his side for hours, helping him wherever she could without a single complaint.
Because of her, he was able to get everything done ahead of schedule and even had time to edit his final report.
She was so unlike any other girl or person that he'd ever known and he felt a great deal of gratitude for having met her.
If he could, he would drop everything right now and steal her away to somewhere they could be alone.
He wanted to get to know her so much more.
But he knew responsibility always came first. It was something both of them understood.
He stood up from his seat and made his way over to her, sitting on the couch.
He stared at the ground for a few moments, before looking at her.
He closed his hand over hers, causing her to look at him.
"I'm sorry. This isn't how I wanted to spend our first day together."
Tea shook her head.
"There's nothing to be sorry about okay."
She smiled.
"I'm just glad I could help out."
Kaiba felt her words tugging at his heart strings again. How could she possibly be so perfect?
Tea felt her heart beating heavily in her chest as she gazed into his eyes.
Kaiba gazed back, feeling everything else fading into the background.
His meeting with Sky Net wasn't for another two hours.
He made a mental note in his head as he leaned closer to her on the couch.
At that moment, he couldn't seem to focus on anything else; all he wanted was to claim her lips again.
Tea managed to pull back slightly despite being caught completely off guard.
She protested softly, her worried eyes scanning around them and looking nervously at the door.
"Wait . . . what if someone sees us?"
He smiled, enjoying the effect he was having on her.
"It's late, there's no one here but you and me."
She felt him pulling her closer, her pulse speeding up in the process.
"Besides, I'm the boss remember. I can bend the rules whenever I want."
He inched his lips closer to hers as she felt her apprehension slowly melting away.
Finally he captivated her in a passionate Kiss.
He knew better than anyone that office romances were against company policy and that eventually someone would notice what was going on between them, but somehow at this point he didn't really give a damn.
Everyone would just have to deal with the fact that he had fallen for his secretary, and fallen considerably hard too.
He would deal with the exposure when the occasion called for it.
But for now, all he wanted was keep her locked away, far from everyone else, far from all of her troubles and safe in his arms where she needed to be.
Tea felt her body becoming light and weightless in his embrace and she felt all of her worry vanishing with the taste of his lips.
She allowed herself to give in, her back against the couch, him leaning over her; kissing her passionately and without holding anything back.
She felt her entire body heating up, not caring about anything else. All she wanted was to stay in this feeling, to keep this beautiful warmth that only Kaiba's touch could ignite within her body.
Within the confinement of his office she felt isolated from the rest of the world. As if he had stolen her away into a realm of his own creation.
As he kissed her, Kaiba felt all of her emotion pouring out of her, as if she wanted him to feel what she was feeling in her heart.
Eventually he ended their kiss, staring back into her eyes.
"I'll make this up to you, okay."
Tea smiled warmly, shaking her head again, putting her hand against his face in an affectionate way.
"I told you there's nothing to make up to me, I'm fine, we have all the time in the world to spend together…"
Kaiba listened to her intently, her eyes on his, her words reaching somewhere deep inside him.
" .. . This meeting is important, and it wouldn't be fair for me to intervene. So please don't think you're hurting me by being here okay. It's not like that at all."
Kaiba stared back into her eyes, trying to come to terms with the unfamiliar emotions she seemed to be unraveling inside of his heart.
"You better be careful, or you're gonna make me crazy about you."
She blushed, pressing her lips together nervously.
"And we wouldn't want that would we."
He smiled, amused by her sarcasm.
Looking at the time, he finally rose from the couch.
"Okay, tell you what, I'll finish up here on my own and I'll have someone take you back to your apartment."
Tea looked up at him with worry in her eyes.
"Wait, are you sure?"
"We've covered most of the hard stuff already, don't worry, I can handle the rest from here."
For Kaiba, dealing with ridiculously heavy loads of work was something he had gotten used to. But, judging by the wary look on Tea's Face, he knew she was only pushing herself further than she would like to admit.
He cared about her way too much to let her run herself down any more than she already had.
Tea starred up at him feeling apprehensive.
Kaiba sighed as he took her by the hand and pulled her to her feet.
"You've done enough already Tea, go home and get some rest okay. Boss's orders."
She smiled, knowing she couldn't argue with him even if she wanted to.
"Okay, if you insist Mr. Kaiba"
She reached for her purse lying on the couch.
Kaiba phoned his limo driver immediately, instructing him to wait for Tea in the parking lot downstairs.
When he put his phone back into his pocket, she stepped in closer to him, much to his surprise.
She tip toed so that she could reach him better, kissing him lightly on the lips.
"Hope everything goes well with your meeting, call me when you're done okay, I'll be up late unpacking."
Kaiba nodded, feeling those unfamiliar feelings again.
"I will."
She smiled sweetly at him as she bid him goodnight, leaving him alone in his office staring at the door.
This was the first time he'd felt this close to a girl in this entire life.
He walked over to his desk, feeling energized despite all the work he still had to do.
If this was what a real relationship felt like, he could definitely get used to it, no problem.
Tea's Apartment
Tea smiled to herself as she finally put the last of her clothes neatly away.
She pushed her now empty suitcase back into her small closet, feeling exhausted.
She had already taken a long, well deserved shower and stuffed her cheeks full of the delicious chocolate chip cookies, that Mokuba had given to her on the Jet a few hours ago.
She sat heavily on the edge of the bed, sighing with relief, feeling contented with all of her work.
She glanced at the clock on her night stand.
It was 11:30 pm.
Her cell phone lay on the bed next to her.
Pressing her lips together she picked it up, scrolling through her list of contacts.
Finally she stopped at the number she was looking for.
'Kaiba cell'
She blushed to herself.
She and Kaiba had already exchanged numbers within the first few weeks of her becoming his Secretary.
Back then it was simply a formality so that he could keep in contact with her if he ever needed her to get something done.
But now, things were different.
She blushed some more as she stared at the number.
Her heart, she noticed, had become considerably lighter in her chest.
And her gratitude knew no bounds.
It was as if someone painted a new life over the one she had grown so accustomed to.
Somehow her future didn't look as dark and unappealing as it did a few months ago.
She scrolled through her list of numbers again, stopping at another name which immediately grabbed her attention.
'Miss Reyuna'
Seeing her dance instructor's name made her chest swell with an unexpected wave of excitement.
Was it really possible to hope again? To go back to dancing, even after she turned her back on the possibility?
According to Miss Reyuna, the new Audition was only one month away and as much as she tried, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about being on stage again.
She would have to make a decision soon.
But something told her, she already knew what that decision was.
She breathed in deeply, everything crashing into her mind all at once.
Suddenly, without warning, someone else's face flashed across her memory.
A pang of sorrow rang through body her immediately.
Yami.
It was all because of him, she had given up on dancing and ever finding true love again.
And even through all of the pain he forced her to endure; she still couldn't find it in her heart to hate him.
But now, someone new had taken his place inside of her heart.
Seto Kaiba had become her savior and the man she could confide in.
Her feelings for him far out- weighed the heavy sadness she carried inside for her ex-lover.
So now all she had to do was find the courage to finally turn away from him once and for all.
In that moment she decided.
No matter how apprehensive or scared she was to take the first step, she was going to embrace her new life.
Her past was dead and gone and it was time to accept her new reality with open arms and no more hesitation.
Just then her cell phone went off in her hand, startling her.
She smiled, glad to see Kaiba's name flashing across the screen.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she brought the phone to her ear, eager to hear the reassuring sound of his voice on the other line, and knowing their relationship was only just beginning.
She wasn't alone anymore, he had rescued her …. and now she was finally ready; Ready to move on and accept him wholeheartedly into her brand new life.