Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I only accept constructive criticism.
10-10-2-Do-Me
Chapter 34
Phone A Friend
Isis could not remember the drive home. The usual cacophony of shouting, revving engines, and music of the Strip faded to silence. The heat mirages of the blistering asphalt and captivating mountains were all lost on her. She was floating through the city, lost in a daydream that she couldn't really remember. Once she drifted back to reality, she found herself idling in an empty garage. Much to her relief, it looked like no one was home. The last thing she needed was to be teased by her current appearance.
She turned the key and got out, only to stumble and have to grab onto the car door. Sore was an understatement. But it was such a delicious type of sore. Isis mastered a 'bow-legged wobble' walk that greatly assisted in her getting to her room quickly. She took a shower to rinse away the deeds of the night before, then took a long soak in her bathtub. She listened to the bubbles around her neck happily pop against her skin, as she sunk deeper into the wonderfully warm water.
In the quiet of her bathroom, she thought back over the previous night's activities. Honestly, she didn't think Kaiba had it in him, well, in her. When was the last time Isis had such great sex? Well, there was that one weekend when the 'AVN Awards' were in town. Las Vegas was crawling with sex industry icons and their devoted fans. She doesn't talk about that encounter in the Bellagio often, but it was mind-blowing to say the least. Other than that, her previous one-night stands had been mediocre. After that 'professional tryst', she settled into unplanned celibacy and focused on her education and job. It was safe to say she made up for the past year, last night.
There was no question about she and Kaiba's sexual compatibility. The hotline showed how easily they could be turned on by each other's voices; the video's provided evidence that seeing tripled that desire. But Isis was someone who didn't so easily reach her own finish line. Getting herself off wasn't hard to do, but someone else entrusted with the job wasn't always successful. The second year of her marriage she stopped reaching that big 'O' and it was all mental. Her ex-husband wasn't doing anything different, but Isis felt differently towards him.
Last night showed how invested she was in Kaiba. Not only did her body crave him but the mental barriers found themselves to be lost when he was touching her, deep inside of her. Isis felt that low simmer of desire settle just under her skin. She sighed in the acceptance that she was screwed, pun intended. And not just because of how sexually invested she was in Kaiba, but because they were going on a date. Isis hadn't been on a date since her marriage. It was one thing to have casual sex, but a date-date? Right now she just wanted to enjoy the afterglow of last night's activities, and worry about the rest later.
She got out of the tub and dried off. After tying her damp hair up into a bun, she placed a robe on. She slid into her slippers and started tidying up her room. She gathered up her dirty clothes and carried them downstairs to the laundry room. She was loading in her colors when she heard the rumble of Malik's muscle car coming down the street. When the garage door was closing and she could hear her brother opening the door, she casually called to him.
"Malik, I'm home."
The sound of his footsteps hesitated before continuing. Malik stood in the doorway giving a neutral smile. His undercut was pulled back into a small, cute ponytail. He was wearing a yellow tank top with the sides cut down to the hem, exposing his often-forgotten side tattoos of Egyptian proverbs written in Arabic. The top was paired with camouflage print joggers and an expensive pair of sneakers. He had the biggest shit-eating grin.
"Where were you?" Isis could smell someone's cologne on her brother.
"Isn't that my question to ask, sister?"
Isis sighed. Malik was not going to go easy on her and she shouldn't expect anything different. "I suppose you're right."
Malik crossed his arms with the grin still on his face, "I was at a day party Bakura's company was hosting."
Isis wondered if Bakura was the person she heard laughing in the background during their phone call at the hotel. "How was that?"
"Meh. You know how I feel about day parties." Malik walked fully into the room and hoisted himself up on the dryer, swinging his feet. "Marik was having fun."
"Did Duke attend?"
"He had business to handle."
Isis nodded as she measured out detergent to add to her load. "Where might our cousin be now?"
"Still at the day party with Strings and the others." Malik watched his sister close the washing machine and start sorting her next set of clothes. "After Bakura ate my ass and I fucked him in the back office, I was over the party."
"…Well…" Isis continued sorting her whites from her delicates, not too sure what to say to that.
"Tell me sister," Malik cocked his head with an evil smile, "Did you get your ass eaten or perhaps eat some ass yourself?"
Isis immediately stopped what she was doing. "Malik…"
"Did you take the Plan B?"
Isis' face went completely red.
Malik reached into his pocket and held a packet out to her. "Here. Bakura wanted me to gift you with this, you know, just in case Kaiba forgot to offer it to you."
Isis angrily snatched the pills from her brother. Not that she wanted them (actually, maybe taking them wouldn't hurt?) but because snatching something out of his hand felt good. "Why must you be like this?!"
"Still waiting to find out if you ate Kaiba's ass." Malik casually checked out his arm tattoos, "Bakura said Kaiba's ass use to be flat as a board, but then he started some work out program and—"
"—I am not going to discuss Seto's origin story to getting a derriere."
"So, he does have a nice ass?"
Isis sighed, "Do you intend on being this aggravating all day?"
Malik's smile was big and bright. "Yes!"
"Fine." Isis crossed her arms, "Seto does have a nice backside and the only thing that got eaten was me."
Malik's jaw dropped and eyes dramatically widened at his sister's utter forwardness.
"Happy?" Isis exited the laundry room and even turned the lights off on her brother.
Malik quickly followed after her, "I beseech you, dear sister! I need all the details."
"I chose to be crass to stun you into silence. I don't intend on 'kissing and telling' in such a provocative way." Isis came to the kitchen and realized just how hungry she was. All that physical activity really worked up an appetite.
Malik plopped down at the island and watched as his sister rummaged around the refrigerator. "What if I only ask yes or no questions?"
Isis paused in rounding up the leftover produce, thinking over Malik's suggestion.
"You don't have to give details, just confirm a few things."
What Isis said before was true: she didn't intend on being so forward and detailed with last night, buuut she did kind of want to talk about it. It was exciting for many reasons. But you could never give Malik an inch without him taking a mile. "Fine, under one stipulation."
Malik raised a challenge brow, "Name it."
"If the question is far too much, I'm allowed to pass."
"Fine." Malik wasn't fine with it, but he was dying for any kind of details at this point. And the more he negotiated, he was sure Isis would back out of sharing anything all together. After Bakura told Malik he left Plan B and condoms in Kaiba's suite, Malik was itching to know exactly how everything panned out post-duel. "I'm ready to ask my first question."
"Go ahead," Isis said as she set out the produce and grabbed a cutting board.
"Does Kaiba have his initials trimmed into his pubes?"
Isis blinked twice. "What kind of question is that?"
"It's a yes or no question."
"The answer is no." While Isis felt the question didn't deserve a response, it was so absurd it deserved to be cleared up with the truth.
"Bakura owes me money," Malik grinned.
"You two bet over that?"
"And Bakura lost, moving on," Malik got up and grabbed a bag of chips from the pantry, "Let's start from the beginning: who won the duel?"
Isis frowned as she washed a yellow and red peppers, "Seto."
"Lame." Malik opened the bag and munched on his snack back at his seat.
"Very." Isis dried the peppers and placed them on the cutting board before grabbing a knife.
"Was it at least close?"
"Yes, it was. I held my own." Isis gave a small smile at the memory of that. She wondered if Kaiba was impressed by her. Maybe she'd find out at their date? Her stomach fluttered and she focused back on cooking.
Malik watched his sister cut the peppers, "Who initiated the sex?"
"You have not been asking yes or no questions." Already Malik was trying to be sneaky.
Malik gave a guilty smile as he chewed a chip, "Fiiine…let me think."
Isis finished cutting up her peppers. She cleaned the knife and used it to cut off a block of goat cheese.
Malik watched her place the items on the cutting board. "Is Kaiba a good kisser?"
Isis was glad her back was to Malik as she stooped down to grab a skillet. "Yes."
"Interesting…"
"Is it?" Isis hid her smile as she set the skillet on the stove and returned to her peppers and cheese. She wrapped said ingredients in two whole wheat wraps, before adding spinach and seasoning.
"Very much so." Malik wiggled his eyebrows, "Are you sore?"
Isis hesitated in her response but decided against passing. "Yes, I am."
"Is he big?"
"Pass." Isis placed the wraps in the warmed skillet.
Malik didn't mind the pass since Isis didn't specify where she was sore, just that she was. He took that as the confirmation his perversions needed. "Did you two…copulate multiple times?"
"Pass." Isis casually fully faced her browning wraps so Malik couldn't see the grin attempting to pull at her lips.
"Would you spend the night again with Kaiba?"
"Yes."
Malik rolled up the chip bag and placed clip on the top. "Those are my questions for now."
"Oh really?" Isis was surprised he was done asking already.
Malik nodded as he put the chips away. He leaned on the counter next to Isis and her amazing smelling wraps. "You're not going to budge on the good stuff, so I'll stop while I'm ahead."
"I'm impressed." Isis set the wraps on a plate and cut off the stove.
"I'm maturing." Malik went to reach for one and had his hand swatted away. "You're going to eat both?"
"That is the plan."
Malik smirked, "You've worked up quite an appetite Ms. Isthar."
"Stop." Isis went into the living room with her food and turned on the TV. She was looking through the guide when she noticed Malik standing there, just watching her. "Yes?"
"You…" Malik stopped himself and instead shrugged before falling on the couch next to her. "When are you seeing him again? Is he already headed back to Japan?"
"I will see him tonight. He asked me on a…" Isis cleared her throat, "formal date."
Malik's eyebrows went high, "Is that so?"
"So it seems." Isis took a bite of her wrap and held it out to Malik.
Malik dutifully took a bite and chewed. He stared at the TV, not really seeing the reality show about thrifting clothes in popular cities. "Okhti…"
"Yes?"
Malik let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, "I'm trying my best not to overreact."
Isis cleaned her hands on a napkin and nodded, "You're upset about me disappearing?" She expected this from the start, so now it was time to deal with it.
"I'm not upset about that…" Malik crossed his arms, eyes still closed. "This is the first man you've shown interest in since your divorce. I want to make sure you're…OK, you know?"
Isis thought back to Malik asking her more than once if she was OK while she was at the hotel. Malik wasn't angry, he was worried. Isis felt her heart soften and offered the remainder of her second wrap as an offering of gratitude.
Malik opened his eyes to the wrap sitting on the plate. "Isis…"
"Take it." She set the plate on his lap. "I've had my fill."
Malik rolled his eyes knowing exactly what his sister was doing. But he wasn't one to turn down free food, so he ate it.
Isis sweetly patted the top of Malik's head, "You're so good to me."
"You say that now…" Malik set the now empty plate on the coffee table.
"And I'll say it tomorrow and years from now." Isis linked her arm with her brother and rested her head on his shoulder. "I understand the worry, Malik. Right now, I'm not worried, but that won't last forever… I'm happy to know I can confide in you when the time comes." Isis was riding the high of the night but at some point, she had no choice but to crash. When that happened, she had the support of her brother to get her through.
Malik rested his head on top of hers. "I told Duke we never should have gone to Japan and not because of the obvious stuff. But because we both met two assholes who followed us back to Nevada. How are we going to get rid of them?"
Isis laughed and poked Malik in his stomach, earning a giggle. "Perhaps if we sneak off to Japan, it'll be the last place they look for us."
"Duke can't come this time."
Isis giggled and grabbed a pillow. She placed it on Malik's lap and laid down.
Malik grabbed the blanket on the back of the couch and draped it over Isis. "On second thought, Duke still can't come but he needs to leave the country too. He can't be alone in Vegas with Marik."
"Why do you say that? I thought they were getting along just fine." Isis softly yawned and felt her eyes droop.
"You haven't noticed?" Malik causally played in his sister's long hair. "Marik wants to fuck Duke."
"What?" Isis drowsily questioned.
"It cannot and will not be happening."
"Does Duke feel the same way?" Isis closed her eyes. Achy joints resting comfortably into the couch, a full belly, and the gentle caresses from Malik were lulling her to sleep.
"If Duke wouldn't fuck me, he wouldn't very well fuck Marik. We look just a like."
"It's not always about looks." Isis snuggled further into the couch. "Duke does enjoy toxic men."
Malik snorted and looked down to find his sister lulling in and out of sleep. "Go to sleep, you just roasted Marik and Duke."
A little smile crossed Isis' lips before it settled into a relaxed line, her breathing even as she napped.
Palm's Place
Kaiba placed the now empty dish that once held tagliatelle pasta with black truffles, back on the room service trolly. He poured himself another glass of Barbaresco wine. The chef had sent it up as a courtesy, claiming it paired wonderfully with the pasta. He took a small sip and set the glass down. He took off his robe which was still damp from his long and very much needed shower. He slid into a pair of silk pajamas and complimentary slippers. He retrieved his wine and made his way into the office. As much as a nap sounded like a promising idea, he wouldn't be able to comfortably sleep until he went through his emails. He knew with his plans that evening, he wouldn't be doing any type of work any time soon after. Better to do it now.
He was impressed with how organized his team of administrators had arranged and distributed his emails during his absence. Instead of the inbox overflowing with messages like he expected, there were roughly forty flagged pieces for his eyes. The first item he reviewed was an update from his coding team. The same team who he yelled at and fired their team lead over a glitching fruit stand. Even now he stood by that decision – they were leading the way in gaming technology. Their newest release would not backtrack their success when it came to the graphics, not on his watch. But even with these thoughts, Kaiba didn't see the point in opening the email. Micromanaging from Nevada seemed like a good idea 48hrs ago, but now he had way more important things to do. Important things like take a nap. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel like working. He went to close his laptop when that familiar video-call chime started. One glance to the name and he easily answered.
Mokuba's huge grin was the first thing Kaiba saw as soon as he accepted. "Big bro!" His long black hair was hanging freely around his shoulders; he had on a Digimon graphic T. "How's it going?"
"Fine Mokuba." Kaiba took another swig from his wine.
"Wine?" Mokuba squinted at his brother's body, "Silk jammies?"
Kaiba snorted, "Jammies?"
"Pajamas are what you usually wear but those are jammies, Seto."
"Whatever you say kid."
"Were you working?"
"Not really."
Mokuba's brows furrowed together. "Are you…relaxing Seto?"
"…Maybe?" Kaiba never really considered what he was doing in real time, which was so unlike him. What was happening?
"Are you OK?"
"I'm fine. What did you want Mokuba?"
"You hung up on me just when things were getting good. I had to check back and make sure it all worked out."
"I'll be taking Isis out tonight." Kaiba's tone lacked emotion but that slight tint of pink to his ears told Mokuba all he needed to know.
"Where are you going to take Isis?"
"Confidential."
"Whhhyyy?" Mokuba whined.
"Because you don't need to know." Kaiba decided to multitask and delete emails after all.
Mokuba dramatically 'hmphed' but didn't push. "Fine...but you better tell me about it later."
"How was the meeting?" Kaiba highlighted email from the coders.
Mokuba's attitude shifted into something more serious, though his smile was still present. "Oh yeah! It went great. They adjusted the rendering so no more glitching fruit stands. They wanted to make sure I expressed that to you."
Kaiba almost laughed. "Who found the issue?"
"I can't remember her name, but you'll see it in the email they said they were going to send you."
"Good."
"Why do you want to know?" Mokuba spun some hair around his finger, "They told me you fired their last head on the project."
"I did and I stand by it."
Mokuba watched his black hair wrap tightly around his index finger, "...Are you going to fire the lady who fixed it?"
"No."
"...What are you going to do?"
"You don't remember her name, but you care about her future at MGC?"
"She worked really hard Seto!" Mokuba snatched his finger from his hair, "The whole team did. They were terrified during that meeting."
"Fear can be healthy."
"You tyrant…"
Kaiba snorted, "If it makes you feel better, I was thinking of doing the opposite of firing: I'm going to promote her to team lead of the project." Kaiba opened the email and scrolled past the updates to find the woman who signed off on it.
Mokuba's jaw was on the floor.
"What?" Kaiba composed a quick email to the new team lead, explaining why she was getting promoted and what his expectations were.
"You-you just sent the email?"
"Yes." Kaiba casually closed out of his emails and blew the video-chat box to full screen.
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"Are you OK?"
"I'm fine." Kaiba sipped a little more of his wine and checked the clock on the computer. He really needed that nap. "Listen, I need to go."
"Before you go, one more update!"
"Fine."
"Cousin Karim says hello."
Kaiba blinked. "Does he really say hello?"
"Well, Yami said Karim said hello."
Kaiba rolled his eyes. Karim was rather reserved in his approach to most things, leave it to Yami to pretend Karim was anything different.
Mokuba gave a sheepish grin, "Yami also asked me how you're doing in Las Vegas…"
Kaiba set his wine glass down. "What did you tell him?"
"That you were having a nice time and would be home eventually..."
"Mokuba." It was spoken firmly.
"OK, OK, I told him that you like Isis...and that I think you like her a lot..."
Kaiba rubbed his forehead, "When was this?"
"After the meeting, I stopped by his office to say hi."
Kaiba was impressed. Yami hadn't bothered him about the duel yet. Maybe he was finally learning boundaries? Yeah right. "Is that it?"
"Yes... Are you mad?"
"No."
"Are...are you sure you're OK?"
"Yes. I'm leaving to nap—"
"—Nap?! Seto are you sure you're OK—"
"—Goodbye Mokuba."
Kaiba exited out of the video-call and left the office, finishing off his wine. He set the glass on the food trolly and set it by the elevator. He went into the bedroom and closed the door, pressing a button on the wall to draw the drapes. The room was now pitch black and Kaiba was ready for that well deserved nap. He slid under the sheets and pulled them up to his chin, closing his eyes.
He thought back over his conversation with Mokuba and chastised himself for not making fun of his brother's Digimon shirt. Maybe he wasn't OK. He snorted at the idea and rolled over, further snuggling into the pillow. He reflected on his little brother telling Yami that he liked Isis. No harm, no foul in Kaiba's book. Yami wasn't stupid (more annoying than anything) and put two-and-two together long before he left Japan for Nevada. He knew upon his return, regardless of what happened, Yami would be insufferable. There was no winning there. Lastly, he thought about how he kept his date idea a secret. His plans were solid, but he didn't want any input on the matter.
But why didn't he want any input? His eyes popped open, staring at the digital clock on the side table. Did he have faith in his plans to where he didn't feel the need to run it pass someone? So far, his track record with Isis hadn't been the best in general, but he did choose their brunch spot, and Isis enjoyed it. Wouldn't she enjoy another selection he was making? Then again, brunch hadn't been marked as a date. This would be. Should he have asked her what they should do? No, this didn't need to be a collaboration…or did it?
"Fucking Mokuba," Kaiba growled under his breath as he grabbed his phone. The screen light hurt his eyes after they'd adjusted to the dark, and he started going back through his call log and messages. He'd made quite a few calls for what he planned that evening and now he was second guessing things. Not good.
He opened the internet browser and typed in 'first date ideas.' He wasn't looking to redo what he already planned, just compare. He was assaulted with quite a few shitty article headlines.
15 Ways to Guarantee Getting Laid Date 1
Kaiba doubted that there were fifteen ways or steps that could help someone get laid with a perfect stranger; especially when that stranger already knew where they stood on the topic. Besides, getting laid wouldn't be an issue. Kaiba smirked at the idea of their pending second romp.
In a Dating Rut? 10 Date Ideas to Blow Her Mind
Kaiba sped read the list and rolled his eyes. In no way were any of the options mind blowing. Everything was so basic. Dinner and a movie. A classic choice and a big pass – Isis wouldn't be able to properly see him in a dark movie theater. Street festival. The last thing Kaiba was going to do was subject himself to a crowded street festival with Nevada locals and tourists. Picnic. Was there ever a suitable time for an outdoor picnic in summertime Nevada? Pass. He moved on to the next article.
45 Irresistible First Date Ideas That'll Break the Ice
Forty-five seemed like overkill but considering the lack of quality in the other articles, quantity seemed like the best route for comparison purposes. Kaiba once more found mediocre date ideas, but some were just downright annoying. See a psychic. Kaiba would rather go to tea with Bakura than speak to a psychic. Go on a walk. Once again, this was summertime Nevada. Attend a book reading. What happened to these being irresistible ideas?
He went back to the other articles and didn't click on anymore. The search proved to him his idea was great. He felt validated by all the other annoying, mediocre ideas. He was about to lock his phone when he saw a photo along the top of the search engine. Wait...that's it. Kaiba did miss a detail but after a quick call down to the front desk, he had it resolved in minutes. He finally locked his phone and rolled over, confident for the evening's events.
Paradise, Las Vegas
Isis sat on the floor of her closet in her robe with the door closed. She had her phone in a chokehold as she reread the messages:
TheUltimate_BlueEyed_DragonDaddy: 'I'm picking you up at 8pm.'
Maleficent_Mudora: 'Where are we going?'
TheUltimate_BlueEyed_DragonDaddy: 'Dinner.'
Maleficent_Mudora: 'What kind of restaurant?'
TheUltimate_BlueEyed_DragonDaddy: 'Dress to impress.'
Maleficent_Mudora: 'To impress you or in general?'
TheUltimate_BlueEyed_DragonDaddy: 'What do you think?'
Maleficent_Mudora: 'I'll see you at 8pm.'
Isis reread the messages causing the butterflies in her stomach to double in numbers. After she woke up from her nap, she found the message from Kaiba. After the brief flirting, she was excited. But as 8pm drew closer and closer, the nerves settled in. She was trying her best not to overthink the night or put too many expectations on it, but it was difficult not to. Isis could feel the inner war of wanting to melt into Kaiba while also wishing she could pull away from the red flags she's dealt with thus far. It's one thing to have sexual compatibility and they had that in spades. But their communication needed a lot of work. She let out a loud sigh and set her phone down.
"Isis?" There was a soft knock to the closet door. "Are you OK? That sigh was uh, kind of loud…"
Duke's mellow tone soothed Isis' nerves enough to respond back. "Yes, I'm OK. I'll be out soon, and I will need you to be honest about how I look."
"You got it."
Isis listened as Duke's boots clicked across the room back to his seat on her bed. He'd arrived at the house a few hours ago. Malik had alerted him Isis was formally going out with Kaiba, and Duke wanted to offer moral support. Out of everyone in the house right now, Isis felt Duke was the best candidate to see her new dress. She'd bought a lot of new clothes after her divorce; she'd been trying to rediscover who she was, and with that came a more experimental wardrobe. Her selection that night had her excited but nervous if she could pull it off.
"I can't believe you're going out with this asshole." Duke's playful tone carried through the closet door.
"I have to say, this wasn't an outcome I expected or planned for." Isis removed her robe and started putting her clothes on, as well as fixing her hair.
"Did he tell you where you're going?"
"He didn't."
"When you get there, send me your location. We'll come save you if you need it."
Isis paused in putting an earring in and smiled fondly at the door, "I'll be sure to let you know."
Duke twiddled his socked toes, anticipating Isis' exit. "Are you almost ready? No rush…"
Isis, who was dressed and ready, was staring at herself in the mirror. If she couldn't even come out for Duke, how was she going to face Kaiba? She took in a deep breath and opened the closet door. She walked out and fiddled with one of her earrings, "Well?"
"…" All words died in Duke's mouth when he saw Isis.
Isis' maxi dress was smooth in satin, shaded a wonderfully rich black. The bodice was in a halter strapped style; the thin straps of the dress accentuating her shoulders, overlapping into an X over her bare back, tied perfectly against her low back. The dress hugged her body, the length coming just shy of the floor. A slit ran up the right side of the dress, resting midthigh. She'd coupled the dress with a pair of classic black open-toe stilettos, a thin black strap around her ankle and across her painted toes. A white freshwater cultured pearl pendant on a thin sterling silver chain rested around her neck, with matching pearl earrings on her ears. Her long hair was done in loose waves that she pulled back, and expertly pinned into a beautiful updo. She kept a few of the wavey locks free so they framed her face and executed her neck in the back. She lined her eyes in black and added a touch of shadow to make her eyes further stand out; her lips were painted in a cherry cordial shade.
"Damn." Duke's seen Isis present herself nicely, but never like this. He stood up and walked around her in a circle. "Wow, wow, wow."
Isis shyly smiled, "You don't think it's too much?"
"Too much? In Vegas? Is that even possible?" Duke stopped in front of her with a comforting smile. "You're a bombshell – a top tier babe."
Isis felt herself blush at the compliment, "I will take your word for it."
"It's not my opinion, it's facts." Duke winked at her. "Kaiba doesn't deserve such a dress."
"Maybe I'll find a more acceptable suitor while Seto and I are out together," she joked as she tried to build up her confidence.
Duke grabbed her small white clutch purse off the table and handed it out to her, "I doubt it. Kaiba won't allow that for a second."
Isis took her purse and double checked the contents, trying not to smile over the idea of Kaiba being jealous. "Good to know."
"Mmmhm," Duke playfully hummed as he headed for her bedroom door. "Malik is going to—"
"—Going to what?" Malik announced as he swung the door open, nearly hitting Duke. "Is it time?! I need to see!" Marik was lurking behind him on the stairs. The moment Malik saw his sister, he dramatically covered his mouth and made choking up sounds. "Marik, look at her..."
Marik, who was definitely not looking at Isis, snapped his gaze from Duke to his cousin. "Yeah, yeah, her trash bag dress looks cool." He shoved Malik out of the way and beelined for Duke. He stood directly behind him, uncomfortably close at that.
Duke did a poor job of pretending he wasn't concerned. "Oh hi...Marik..." He'd noticed Marik's behavior changed after they hung out at a poker game and an after party. He wasn't sure what the reason was, but he was grateful Marik didn't hate him.
"Trash bag dress?" Isis wasn't sure if she was offended or losing her confidence yet again. Maybe a mix of both?
Marik linked his arms around Duke's shoulders and rested his chin atop his head. "Hi..."
Malik didn't say anything about Marik's behavior, instead focusing on making sure his sister's confidence was where it needed to be. "Trash bag as in...you're the shit?"
Duke placed his hand against his face. Not a good save whatsoever.
"Li-Li, poopies go in the toilet, unless you're a dog," Marik said distractedly as he nosed through Duke's hair. "Their poopies go in the trash, right Duke?" Marik loudly inhaled through his nose, digging it deeper into Duke's hair.
Duke shivered in confusion, "Uh…are you smelling my hair?"
"Did you just say poopies?" Malik snapped his fingers offering his sister a big smile, "Yes, because a female dog is called a bitch and Isis, you are a bad bitch."
Isis blinked once. "This family is full of poopies." She made a beeline for her closet, no doubt to rethink her choices, when Malik blocked her way.
"Isis, you look beautiful – you are beautiful." Malik pushed her back to the center of the room, "You're not changing! Don't go back in the closet – trust me on that on."
Duke sniggered causing Marik to hold him even tighter. O…K?
Malik now feeling like his sister wasn't a flight risk, moved over to Marik and grabbed him by his ear. He hauled him away from Duke, "You're like a sexy version of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' with twice the amount of class…and ass."
Isis couldn't help but laugh. She really was grateful for all the ego stroking. "OK, OK. I will not change. You're all too kind."
Malik twisted Marik's ear making the man whine like a child. "We wouldn't lie to you." Malik did have a point. "Are you sure Kaiba deserves all of this?"
"I see you and Duke still aren't fans." Isis headed out of her room. The longer she stayed in there, the harder it would be not to criticize herself and look at other clothes. Best to just leave the area.
"I don't know if I'll ever be, but you understand why." Duke followed Isis down, making sure she didn't trip.
Marik rushed to walk behind Duke on the stairs. Malik blocked Marik and shoved him back into the bedroom. Malik made sure he was behind Duke. Marik followed behind him glaring at the back of Malik's head.
"If Kaiba hurts you, just give me the word Isis. I'll end him. It won't be personal…OK, it will be." Malik shrugged, "Personal or not, I'll do it."
"A personal act of violence?" A heavily accented voice asked from around the corner, "My favorite kind."
Isis entered the kitchen to find none other than Bakura sitting at the island, drinking dark liquor from a glass and shoving pizza into his mouth. His hair was pulled into a damp messy bun; he was wearing one of Malik's merchandise sets. The white hoodie spelled out 'Black Crown Ink' in gold copywrite font, while the sweatpants had the gold outline of a tattoo gun with a crown on, along the right thigh. He looked right at home.
"..." She suddenly felt embarrassed to find her date's friend hanging out in her house. "Once again, you cannot tell me when he's here?"
"I forgot." Malik hugged Bakura from behind and rubbed his cheek against his. "'Kura fits in here so well it's hard to remember he's a guest. He's already wearing my clothes."
"Stop calling me that and cut it out," Bakura gruffly mumbled as he weakly shoved Malik away.
"Back hug party!" Marik announced as he once again hugged Duke from behind. But this time he hoisted him up onto his shoulders and carried him around.
Duke couldn't help but awkwardly laugh and hold on to Marik's head, afraid he'd fall.
"You can hold on to my hair," Marik innocently suggested.
Duke hesitantly buried a hand in Marik's hair and gripped.
"Now pull my head back hard and spit in my m—"
"—Marik you little fuck!" Malik charged his almost twin, "Put him down!"
Marik happily gripped Duke's legs and took off running, evilly laughing. "Catch us Li-Li!"
Duke had no choice but to hold on and watch out for doorways.
Isis and Bakura watched the three stampede around the dining and living room, before circling around the kitchen and back out again.
Isis rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Bakura. "Where you sent here as a spy?"
"For Kaiba?" Bakura laughed darkly, "I wouldn't offer the twat such services. Though he'd benefit from it tonight…"
"What does that mean?"
Bakura swallowed another slice of his Hawaiian BBQ pizza and gave a sinister smile. "Nothing… Nothing at all poppet…" He grabbed another slice of pizza and chuckled evilly. "Cheers."
Between Bakura's unsettling smile and the chaos of Malik trying to keep Marik off Duke, Isis' nerves were getting worked up all over again. She slipped from the kitchen and made her way down the hall to the laundry room. She closed the door and hoisted herself up on the softly humming dryer. The warmth and gentle smell of fabric softener calmed her. She looked down at her painted toes and the romantic sheen to her satin dress.
She thought back to how often she did laundry during her marriage. Their laundry room was out in the garage. It was a time for her to excuse herself from the main house and enjoy the rhythmic wash cycle and wonderful smell of detergent. It was one of the few times she got to be alone. The space offered her peace of mind and she wondered if that's why she immediately started laundry when she got back from the hotel. Was her mind already revving up to betray her and worry of what was going to happen next? Was Isis even ready for this?
"Isis."
Isis whipped her head over to find Malik standing in the doorway. He closed the door and sat next to her on the washer.
"Isis, relax. Have peace. Salam."
Such a familiar request and situation. Just like her freak out after their breakfast outing, she was threatening to fall apart yet again. Isis took in a breath and let it out through her nose. "You're right…"
"If you don't want to go, then don't." Malik bumped his elbow into hers, "But I know you want to."
"I do…"
"And you look so beautiful…" Malik took her hand and squeezed it. "Don't waste this look – make the bastard sweat a little. You got this."
Whether she did or not was no longer up for debate. "Yes, yes I do." She let go of his hand. "Was it wise to leave Marik alone with Duke?"
"His hatred for Bakura always outweighs his need for sex."
As if on cue, from down the hall Bakura hurled a few UK curses towards Marik. This was followed up with the Brit shouting, "Put the bloody knife down you muppet!"
"Dammit Marik!" Malik leapt off the washer and bolted down the hall.
Isis remained seated on the dryer giggling at the absurdity of it all. No matter what happened, at least she had these people to come home too.
Palm's Place
Kaiba stood in the full-length mirror critically judging his appearance. The deep-set burgundy of the suit made his blue eyes and russet hair pop. The slim-fit cut of the suit accentuated his broad shoulders, elongated torso, and long legs. He looked statuesque and fit. The black turtleneck brought an air of mystery to the deep shade of red, and his black Italian leather dress shoes were perfectly shined. Kaiba knew for a fact he looked damn good, but he wanted Isis to agree that he looked damn good. He checked himself out at different angles until he was satisfied.
He went back over to his bed to retrieve his smart-phone. He had a few messages confirming his plans for the night, as well as one from his brother:
'Have fun tonight Seto (wink emoji)'
'(Thumbs up emoji)' Was Kaiba's simple response as he checked his Movado black watch, double-checking that he set it to the correct time zone.
The ding of the elevator caught Kaiba's attention. "Mr. Kaiba sir?"
Kaiba came out into the hall to find the same staff member who brought him those damn panties. "Where are they?"
The man went back into the elevator and rolled in what looked like a small refrigerator with wheels. Inside said cooling chamber were an array of medium sized bouquets. He opened the door and reached in for the bouquet wrapped in soft white cloth, held on with a silk blue ribbon.
Kaiba took the flowers and inspected the blue-violet trumpet shaped petals of the long-stemmed flowers. The eucalyptus leaves mixed in brought the already soothing appearance of the flowers, an extra burst of smooth fragrance.
"What do you think sir?"
"They're fine." Kaiba slipped the man a large bill. "Get out."
Said staffer happily headed out to deliver the rest of the flowers to the guests.
Once the elevator doors closed, Kaiba further inspected the bouquet. This was the last detail he almost forgot: flowers for a first date. While Kaiba may not be the most traditional person, he had a feeling the cliché of flowers on a first date would greatly appeal to Isis. He chose the agapanthus blossoms based on Isis' social media handle. The florist suggested bundling them with eucalyptus, saying it was a hit with most who loved the flower. Kaiba agreed since he knew nothing about flower arrangements.
Slowly he brought the bouquet to his face and sniffed. It was very pleasant. Despite no one being around, he blushed at his actions and shooed himself to the elevator. It was time to go pick up Isis. Down in the parking garage, he turned a few heads and felt his ego further inflate. He started the black Maserati Granturismo and made sure his precious cargo of flowers was safely placed in the passenger seat. Kaiba was making his way down the ramp towards the exit of the parking garage when the dashboard lit up alerting him of an incoming call: Yami.
"Fuck..." He weighed the pros and cons of answering and decided it was best if he spoke to Yami now, since later there was a high probability that Isis would be the background of that call. He hit the green square, "What?"
"No need for the tone, I'm simply checking in on you."
Kaiba could hear the clanking of dishes in the background, as well as the dull roar of Yami's many children playing. It was morning time in Domino, shouldn't he be at the office? "Why are you at home?"
Yami sounded like he was chewing something, "I decided to take a family day."
Kaiba frowned. Of course Karim comes into town to handle Kaiba's workload, just for Yami to slack. "What do you want?"
"I want to know the state of your physical, emotional, and mental health."
Kaiba snorted, "Yami..."
Yami was heard walking through the house before a door closed. The roughhousing children were now a dull hum. "Shall we start with mental? How are your thoughts at this time?"
"Violent."
"Not funny. Emotional state?"
"Enraged."
"Take this seriously! Physical?"
"Fine."
Yami lowly hummed, "Fine you say? No sunburn? Indigestion from foreign food?"
"Am I your co-CEO or your child?" Who asks questions like that to an adult?
"You are my flesh and blood just as much as my children. However, not as special."
Kaiba could hear Yami's teasing smile, "As much as I'd love to continue this back-and-forth that will lead nowhere, I'm going to skip ahead to the end: I'm on my way to pick up Isis. We have plans tonight and I'm not giving you any further information."
Silence. Yami was silent and that was very unlike Yami after such a confession.
Kaiba checked to make sure the call was still active. It was.
Yami let out a deep breath, "Very well Seto. Enjoy your evening."
Kaiba was highly suspicious and debated on whether he should comment on those said suspicions.
"No need for further comments. I will save all of my prying for your return. Please practice safe and consensual sex. Farewell." The call ended.
"Fucking Mokuba," Kaiba griped for a second time that day. Yami's playful foreboding tone told Kaiba exactly how his return to Japan would be.
Right now, Kaiba wasn't going to offer that any further thoughts or scrutiny. His mind and attention were all reserved for Isis.
PLEASE READ:
I'm here! Hi, so happy to be back. Had a lot of changes from the summer to now. Got distracted with real life which is always lame as anything. But so excited to be back to give you all this chapter. I've been daydreaming about this date for weeks. Let's channel all the feels and fluff (as fluffy as these two can be) for the next chapter. Hopefully it'll be done sooner than later.
Arabic Words:
Okhti – Sister
Salam – Peace
Posted especially for:
.585: Hahahaha, yes, this explains that heatwave for sure! I won't comment on everything you said since I'm sure you'll see some mentions in the chapter about the date. Mokuba for President. And Kaiba would def risk getting run over just ask someone out. It's why we love him.
jtdarkman: Glad to know I'm not alone in my questionable tabs. Zooptopia you say? I've seen some 'art' so I'm a little familiar with why you may or may not be looking at. (Wink wink)
SetoRJK-Kaiba: Interesting you mentioned Kaiba being a newbie...love that you picked up some things about it. More will be revealed in the coming chapter...don't want to spoil anything. And yes, that is the true root of their issues: they want to be telepathic than just ask the important questions. I love these two idiots so much. Haha. Hope you too are staying safe!
Lauradbz13: Hahahahaha! Thank you so much!
lovereading92: Ghost pepper levels?! Yiiisssss. That was my goal when I wrote it. We all needed to be set on fire after such a build up.
KatherineBlackwell: Read it over and over until you're absolutely sick of it. I'm so glad you loved it.
Zoelle: Is it really Trustshipping if there's no inner turmoil or explosive sex? Thanks for reviewing.
Guest: Thank you so much for the compliment! I've worked really hard trying to cultivate Kaiba in AUs and it means a lot that you're enjoying it.
Lace Kyoko: As a fellow Scorpio, I both sympathize and get annoyed with Kaiba's antics. Hahaha. And thank you! I worked really hard on the smut. This was such an important moment.
Alelys: Thank you! Love that it was worth the wait.
I love you all. Thank you so much for your patience.
Still stands: If I don't get one measly review, no new chapter, however if I do get one measly review, new chapter.
REVIEW!
Well I'm Out.