Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I only accept constructive criticism.

10-10-2-Do-Me

Chapter 37

Answer the Phone

"Are you falling asleep Seto?" His eyes opened half-mast. "Hm?"

"No." Kaiba once more closed his eyes – the actions did not support his response. But her cool soft fingertips felt amazing against his flushed skin.

Isis' fingers trekked across his forehead and detoured to the middle to march down his nose bridge. Jumped from his nose to his jawline, running her index finger down the strong defined line, rounding his chin to run up the other side. "You truly have a handsome jawline."

"I've been told…" Kaiba wasn't unfamiliar with the compliment, but it held more weight coming from her. "Is that your favorite part about me?"

Isis gave an airy chuckle, "One of many perhaps…"

"Picking one favorite thing about me? Impossible." Kaiba couldn't fight the small smile from her giggle.

Isis covered his face in her whole hand, "You sound delirious. Perhaps you should go to sleep."

Kaiba grabbed her hand on his face and rested it on his chest. Her hand gently moved across his chest in a very comforting way. Maybe he could fall asleep like this.

"Where does your confidence begin and your arrogance end Seto?" Isis softly joked as she ran her unoccupied hand through his hair. Something about seeing him so peaceful made her at peace. After a beat of silence, she wondered if he did indeed fall asleep.

"Do you know when you first started calling me Seto?"

Isis furrowed her brow at the unexpected raspy question, which she found to be a very good question. When did she make that transition from Kaiba to Seto? Was it rude that she did? If she offended Kaiba by the name change, she was confident he would have corrected her.

Kaiba could hear the wheels in Isis' head turn and saved her the trouble. "At the hotel back in Japan."

The image of Kaiba and his little brother Mokuba hauling a drunk Duke into their suite felt so far away, when in all actuality it wasn't. "Was it really?"

"Prove it, Seto," Kaiba quoted as he opened his eyes. "Remember that?"

Isis felt embarrassed at how bold she'd been. Said boldness led to this visit – to this date. Had she really been the pushing factor to Kaiba's chaotic courting? Was he courting her? "I do remember that…Kaiba…"

"Never call me that." Kaiba watched her mischievously smile.

"I'm sorry…" Isis gave a dramatic pause, weighing her options. "…Seto…"

Kaiba snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Do you feel me referring to you as Seto marked a significant change between us?"

Kaiba sat up and stared at Isis, examining every detail of her appearance. Her pinned updo was sagging in some places but her hair was still pretty and stylish. Her dress was wrinkled to hell and the way she tied the straps in the back was a mess but functional. He reached for Isis and easily pulled her between his legs.

Isis yelped at the sudden change in seating. She sat with her back to Kaiba and felt his fingers undo her straps and begin the process of tying them back properly. "Thank you…"

Kaiba took his time creating a zig-zagging pattern across Isis' back with the thin satin fabric. He remembered exactly how it looked when she first stepped out of the house when he picked her up. He finished tying it off at the bottom with a proper knot.

"Well?"

Kaiba knew Isis was referring to her unanswered question rather than the ties. "Considering the context, yes things changed." He looked at the valley going down her back and her delicate shoulder blades. "I came to Nevada, didn't I?"

"You love reminding me of that."

Kaiba blew air through his nose and spread his legs a little bit wider to accommodate Isis. She took the invitation to stay seated between his legs. She leaned back and rested herself against his chest. The two sat in silence, staring at their respective views. Clair de lune by Claude Debussy floated through the speakers, adding a dreamy reflective tone to their thoughts.

Kaiba found it kind of nice that he could just sit in silence with Isis, and it be OK. She didn't seem to mind that part of himself. In fact, she didn't seem to mind quite a bit. OK, maybe she did mind a few things, but she was willing to deal with it – understand his side of things even if she didn't agree. He couldn't help but run back through the date and think of all the ways he messed it up, yet here Isis lied on his chest, content with his company. He was suddenly antsy for communication. He knew he had something to say, more so ask.

"When did you learn to waltz Seto?" Isis leaned further into him. "I learned at my all-girls school in Cairo."

"You went to an all-girls school?" Kaiba was pleasantly surprised by the admission.

Isis smiled remembering a simpler time in her life. "It was an international school. It's where I learned English too. My parents sent me there for a well-rounded education but wanted to be surprised by my sudden need for international travel and adventure."

"What did they expect to happen?"

"That's the key question." She had more to say but she left it at that. "Where did you learn?"

"We had a tutor."

"We?"

"Mokuba and I. We had a specific tutor that taught us the etiquette of different countries, dances, and other asinine skills we didn't need." Kaiba could see his younger self trying to lead Mokuba in a waltz as his little brother insisted to madam, that he wasn't trying to step on his big brother's toes. Little shit. "It was a waste of time."

"My, you sound like a fussy prince." Isis absentmindedly drew circles along Kaiba's leg. "Upset by decorum and expectations."

"I'm guessing you enjoyed learning how to waltz?"

"Well, yes. It was exciting to learn. Besides, you saw firsthand, I'm good at it."

Kaiba smirked. "Where does your confidence begin and your arrogance end, Isis?"

"Your pettiness knows no bounds." Isis leaned her head back to find his smirking face. "Doing something you're good at is always enjoyable. Don't you agree?"

A dirty joke immediately came to mind, but Kaiba couldn't get it out. Not while being hypnotized by those azure eyes and that flower sweet smile. "Isis, what the fuck are we doing?"

Isis was caught off guard, not too sure what he meant. "What?"

"You and I, what are we doing?"

Isis picked up on the implications and sat up a bit straighter, transitioning to sit side-saddle across Kaiba's lap so she could face him. She wrapped an arm around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair as she pondered. "Well…" She felt it was wise to choose her words carefully. She wasn't sure how spooked this conversation could make him.

The pause would have drove Kaiba crazy if it wasn't for Isis petting through his hair. The simple touch gave him a little bit of patience.

"Is it safe to assume we're dating?"

Dating. Kaiba didn't like how that sounded or how gentle the delivery of her words was. It was too flimsy. "That's not good enough for me."

Isis didn't know how to respond to that exactly. "OK, then what would you prefer to call it?"

"I don't know."

Leave it to Kaiba not to agree but offer zero feedback. "Then what do you want?"

"You."

So much for a lack of feedback. The way Kaiba's eyes softened at the statement made Isis' heart pound in her throat. She felt like she couldn't speak. She didn't know he was capable of such a tender look, better yet direct it at her.

"In what way?"

"You know," Kaiba felt his face going warm.

"I don't, which is why I'm asking." Isis was hanging on every word. "Say it…I'll be kind."

Kaiba wondered if she was being condescending, but he couldn't find a reason why she'd need to be. "You know…be my girlfriend or whatever the fuck people call it."

"O-Oh…you're talking about being exclusive – having a…relationship?"

A relationship. Mokuba was in a relationship. He and Rebecca saw no other people and only put all their time and energy into each other – that's where the exclusivity came into play. That's what Kaiba wanted, a relationship. No one else could have Isis. Fuck that. "Sure."

Neither of them could make eye contact. Kaiba was now frowning and glaring out the window, the tips of his ears strawberry pink. Isis was looking down at her lap, counting the many wrinkles, as a cherry flush spread across her face.

"I um…I would like that Seto…I would like that very much…"

Really? "…Good…" Was it just that easy? Couldn't be.

Isis was the first to attempt eye contact. She leaned in and placed a sweet kiss to his forehead. "Good."

Kaiba slowly made eye contact, "What do we do now?"

"We embrace as only lovers can and share kisses under the stars."

Kaiba blinked. "No."

Isis burst into a fit of giggles and hid her face in Kaiba's neck, giddy and embarrassed by such a simple exchange. Kaiba was happy to keep her there despite choosing not to embrace her. Neither knew how long they stayed like that, occasionally sharing a few words, before Kaiba's phone was buzzing. After a quick exchange the Ferris wheel was moving again.

Isis stood up and adjusted her dress just as the lights of the pod came on. She grabbed her purse and hoped she didn't look too obvious of their activities. Kaiba retrieved his jacket and rather than put it back on, absently draped it around Isis' shoulders as they arrived back at the bottom. As soon as the doors opened, he started across the platform to feel Isis reach for his arm. He easily poked it out for her to hold.

Instead of having to come back the way they came, they were redirected to a nearby service alley where their limo from before was waiting. Kaiba and Isis got in and sat shoulder-to-shoulder.

"The traffic is gone sir, I'll get you back to your accommodations in no time," the driver assured.

Kaiba gave him a curt nod and rolled the partition up.

Isis looped her arm with Kaiba's and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt a million miles away. She couldn't remember the last time someone gave her butterflies better yet convinced her after one date to be exclusive. Girlfriend? It'd been years since she last had such a title. Estranged wife. Divorcee. Those were more her speed. But to be a girlfriend…what did it all mean?

Kaiba glanced over at Isis to make sure she was still awake. She was awfully quiet after them having such an important conversation regarding a title. He felt like she should have more to say – should he have more to say? What more was there to say? Isis was his. That's all that mattered…right?

Once the limo arrived back at the hotel, the pair passed through the lobby ignoring the nosy stares. The elevator ride was shared with three other couples who got off before they did of course. When the doors to the penthouse opened, neither knew who started it first. Was it Kaiba's kiss or Isis pulling him against her body? They happened simultaneously. They stumbled across the hall where Kaiba's jacket fell from Isis' shoulders. The two easily fell to the bed in the master bedroom. Kaiba immediately toed off his shoes while Isis wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss with a tilt of her head.

Kaiba started kissing down Isis' throat and across her chest. He slid his hands under her dress, squeezing her thighs while he continued to work his way down. The moment Isis felt his warm breath fan against her, she shook with anticipation. However much to both parties' distress, the loud buzzing of Kaiba's phone interrupted what was about to happen.

The brunet grumbled something not so nice in Japanese as he fished his phone out of his pocket. He had every intention of putting it on silent and in the beside drawer until he saw who was calling: Yami. If his cousin and co-CEO was calling it was for a good reason, he couldn't ignore it.

"What?" Kaiba stood up and stared down at Isis looking a delicious mess on the bed. "What the fuck do you want?"

"There is no one else capable of handling this." Yami sounded almost torn about calling him. "Do you have time?"

"What's the issue?"

"The D.O.T.M servers have gone down."

Kaiba's eyebrows furrowed, "What?"

"We're not sure what the issue is. I've been on the phone with—"

"—How long have they been down Yami?" Kaiba was already walking out of the bedroom towards the office.

Isis slowly sat up and listened to the quick footsteps disappear down the hall. She slid her heels off and also made her way down the hallway. Was everything OK?

"How long they've been down doesn't matter," Yami replied. "Are you able to access them from where you are?"

Kaiba placed him on speaker and immediately accessed the system from his laptop. "Of course, I can."

"Good, get it up and running. I'll reach back out to—" Yami cut himself off when heard Kaiba's groan of frustration. The cat was out of the bag.

Thanks to the data's time stamps, Kaiba could see that the servers had been down for thirty-three minutes. "What's the rule?"

"I don't see the point in reciting it."

"The rule is any wide scale technical error that cannot be resolved in ten minutes is to be escalated to me. Why did you wait?"

"Fix it. We can talk when you get back to Domino."

"No," Kaiba's fingers were flying across the keys. "We can talk about this now. Why didn't you call me immediately?" There was a long pause. Kaiba was unsure of Yami's hesitation as his business partner was never afraid to be honest with him. It was completely out of character in this context. "Atem."

Yami gave a heavy sigh at the use of his true name. Pleasantries weren't necessary right now, but it was still difficult for him.

Kaiba quickly and efficiently isolated the error and had the servers back up. Anyone currently accessing the website would find it's slower than usual, but still manageable. He focused on moving the issue to a file to be later reviewed for how exactly this happened. "Atem, I'm waiting."

"I know how unfair it is to be living a normal life, only to be interrupted by what we were born into."

Kaiba watched the code scroll swiftly across the black screen showing him everything was just as it should be. Despite the fix in such a short amount of time, it didn't feel like a win. Not when he fully registered Yami's words.

"I didn't call because I made a decision not as your co-CEO, but as your family Seth." Yami's sincerity came in loud and clear. "You deserved those thirty-three minutes not fighting technology but continuing your happiness."

Kaiba felt…a lot of things at once and none of them were good.

"Seth?" Yami sounded concerned.

"The website is back up. I'll email the IT team further instructions." Kaiba hung up the phone and immediately began composing the necessary email.

"Seto?"

Kaiba cut his eyes to the doorway to find Isis standing there. She looked unsure of herself. Maybe she was mirroring him. "…What?"

"Is everything OK?" Isis knew it wasn't. Everything Yami said felt like a cold splash of water not only over her heard, but from the looks of it, Kaiba's too.

"It's fine now." He finished the email and closed the laptop with a firm thud. He stared down at the laptop's lid.

Silence.

Kaiba's ever running brain was slowly coming back from its vacation. The dam that was holding back his thoughts, ideas, and plans shattered in an explosion that had them rushing at the speed of white-water rapids. Had that dam been of happiness? What even was happiness? He had so few memories of the feeling that he wouldn't know it if it slapped him in the face. Looking back at Isis, perhaps she was his metaphorical slap in the face? He felt sick – he blamed it on mixing alcohols.

The silence felt too heavy; Isis couldn't take it. "When will you…return to Japan?"

Fuck…he did have to go back to Japan. He had to go back to Domino and return to his life, a life that didn't include any of this. "…Soon…" He refused to give an actual day or time, though it wasn't hard to calibrate one. The server issue could be presenting a much bigger one that needed further investigation. Kaiba thought he could live in this bubble a little bit longer before his responsibilities popped it.

Isis nodded in understanding. Soon felt too soon. Yami's words were very apologetic for someone who was just trying to make sure Kaiba did his job. It made her worried. What would come of them? They'd been through so much together in such a short amount of time and now it would be tossed away due to distance? She'd never been in a long-distance relationship, and she seriously doubted they were built for one. Isis needed, well, this: contact, conversation, comfort. And she doubted Kaiba's impatient nature would allow a healthy well balanced long-distance situation. He couldn't even argue with her at a distance, how could he provide everything else needed to keep things afloat?

"How much did you hear Isis?"

"…All of it…" Isis looked down at the floor, upset for being nosy and in turn, getting her feelings hurt. "I'm sorry for invading your privacy."

She thought of the night when they first met, when she and Kaiba talked briefly about relationships:

'Relationships in general aren't my thing.'

'I don't have time.'

'My career is very demanding.'

But in the same breath, when she told him he could make time for what he wanted, and asked him what it was he wanted:

'What if I said it was you?'

'Would you put up with my chaotic work schedule?'

Isis felt something bubbling up inside of her. She didn't want to sort through these thoughts, they were stressing her out. She didn't want to be faced with the idea that Kaiba could indeed not choose her. She knew how much it hurt not to be chosen in that way, could she handle it for a second time?

Kaiba wanted to ask what Isis was thinking about but couldn't bring himself to do it. The reason was based on the fear of her asking the same question in return and him having to confess. Kaiba was a pragmatic man to a fault – everyone knew this. It's what made him such an innovator. His skill set was best seen in black and white situations, but this wasn't one of those. Because if Kaiba chose one side or the other, he felt it was a lose-lose.

He couldn't be all in with Isis the way most couples could. His career was challenging, busy, exhausting. He didn't work a 9-5; he was on the clock 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It'd been his experience that that turned off most people. Kaiba couldn't deny Mana was a rare find for Yami. She'd grown up with them and understood the lifestyle better than most, so she came in sympathetic and understanding to Yami's career driven boundaries. They'd been able to make it work with Mana usually having to make more compromises than Yami, but Kaiba didn't know how Isis would feel about that.

But when he finally did leave from Nevada, he couldn't act like nothing happened. It would be impossible for him to act like Isis wasn't existing somewhere in the world without his interference. It was already driving him insane with the idea of her living her daily life without his physical presence. As much as Kaiba didn't know how to let her go, he didn't know how to make it work. This was a gray area and he hated gray area. The least he could do is get an answer about something black and white.

"Isis…"

"Yes?"

"Is our dynamic still a disheartening entanglement?"

"No, it is not." Her response was soft with zero hesitation. "Perhaps we're now more of a quantum entanglement?"

Kaiba wasn't sure what she meant.

"You mentioned it before, when I called this a disheartening entanglement."

"I know, but what does that have to do with this?"

"You mentioned, and forgive me if I butcher your explanation, it has to do with the state of particles no longer being described as independent of one another."

Kaiba was impressed Isis remembered this. "That's a decent summary."

"I would like to think we are no longer working independently of one another." Isis felt a smile pull at her lips. It was a very sad smile. "What do you think?"

"Wait here."

Isis was surprised by the request, but she did so, moving out of the way when Kaiba exited the office. She sat down on the nearby couch and listened for any sign towards what he was possibly doing.

Kaiba returned holding a black velvet box. He sat down beside Isis and placed the box on her lap. He placed his hands on his knees, shoulders slouching and his facial expression hard. "Open it."

Isis looked down at the box. It was too big for a ring. Maybe a necklace or bracelet was inside? She wasn't sure what jewelry had to do with this conversation, but if Kaiba thought whatever was in the box was important, she was willing to address it.

Gingerly she opened the box and found the last thing she expected: a card. It was the size of a credit card and Kelly green in color. It was clear and inside of it, Isis made out tracks of sliver microchip lines. It was connected to a Maleficent lanyard. "What is this?"

"This will give you access to my house and a certain level of clearance at my MGC tower."

Isis had no idea what to do with this card or the information.

"This issue that Yami called me about is important…" Kaiba made sure not to give Isis time to respond and quickly spoke again. "When I leave, come with me. Come back to Japan with me."

A very pregnant pause engulfed the room.

Isis was left with her stomach rolling, her chest barley able to contain her pounding heart, and her hands starting to shake. This was not the reaction she should be having. "Ay?"

Kaiba assumed that 'what' uttered in Arabic was more out of shock than Isis asking him another obvious question. However, this was too important to leave things up to guesses.

"Come to Japan."

Kaiba couldn't say any more than that because the logistics of having Isis in Japan weren't worked out, but he could figure out. All he needed was her there to make it happen. While the card was planned under the pretense she accepted his invitation for inclusivity, he didn't plan to fully invite her to Japan. This was another matter of impulse and impatience consuming him when it came to Isis.

"Come with me."

"Leave Nevada?" Isis was stating the obvious because she was in shock.

"Stay in Domino City…" With me. Kaiba was starting to feel like he was begging, and he hated it. He didn't want to feel stupid for showing his hand like this, but her reaction to the invitation wasn't satisfactory.

Isis was speechless. She didn't know what to say or do at such a request. All she could do was stare down at the pretty keycard with the thoughtful lanyard. The Kaiba she'd spent time with tonight was everything Isis never expected but welcomed with opened arms. He was thoughtful, attentive, and dare she say, sweet? Sweet in a way only he could be. And while one would argue she was now comparing those traits to his lesser than ones she's already experienced – impatient, argumentative, selfish – that wasn't the case. Isis knew how to handle those three, it was the caring side that she was having trouble with.

Kaiba couldn't handle how long Isis had been quietly staring at the card. He felt desperation start to claw against his skin. "You said you belong to me…"

"Huh?" Isis snapped out of her daze to address Kaiba.

"Tonight, when I had you up against the window, you said you belong to me."

"We've all gotten caught up in the throes of passion and made statements we didn't mean…"

Didn't mean? Kaiba felt his insides twist painfully. "…You agreed to be my girlfriend…"

Isis realized what was happening. "I didn't mean—I mean…" She huffed and closed the black velvet box holding the card. "I thought you were caught up in the moment when you said it, I didn't take it as a confession."

"What if I was being serious? You agreed to be my girlfriend. Are you saying you don't belong to me?"

"I don't belong to anyone." Isis had a bodily reaction to certain parts of his words. "I'm not property that can be shuffled from one man's hands to another."

"I don't view you as property." Kaiba was trying to say something more abstract, but his emotions were getting in the way. The sting of what he viewed as the ultimate rejection from Isis, was taking things from bad to worse.

"I've done nothing but sacrifice for others who were too selfish to consider my own needs, I will never be in a situation like that again – treated as some common object!"

Kaiba clenched his fists, "You're not an object, otherwise I wouldn't be asking you – I'd be telling you!" Why was she getting upset?!

"No, you're telling me to come to Japan or this isn't going to work!"

Kaiba wished she was wrong, but she wasn't. This impulsive ask was based in hopelessness. "Fine. It isn't."

"I know…because I understand how things like this work." Isis could feel the sting behind her eyes and hated herself for it.

"But do you?" Kaiba felt an anger bubble inside that he was all too familiar with: bitterness. "What did you expect? That I could drop everything and run around with you in Las Vegas indefinitely?"

"No!"

In a way, yes, Isis did hope things would fall into place so easy. As if their story was being written in real time by a hopeless romantic. They would give her and Kaiba the ending they deserved. One that was easily figured out where everyone won. But this wasn't the case. No matter how much it hurt, sacrifices had to be made for anything good to come of this. Kaiba had already sacrificed coming here, now it was Isis' turn. But why was she hesitating?

"Then what's the real issue, Isis?"

Isis couldn't even respond. She stood up, hiding her back to Kaiba to hide the tears that wanted to fall. She was so embarrassed falling apart like this, but she was invested. Kaiba was a second chance at something she'd always wanted, but that very idea made her terrified. Maybe those back home were right, maybe Isis was a coward.

Kaiba couldn't believe Isis couldn't even face him. He was furious as he pulled his phone out and called his security.

Isis listened to the Japanese exchange wishing she knew exactly what was being said.

He hung up his phone and stood up. "A car will be here shortly to take you home." Kaiba's response was tart. He wished he never said anything. He wished he never came to Nevada. He wished he never logged onto that website. He was perfectly content being alone, because having something like this dangled in his face was too much to deal with. He was crushed.

Isis turned around to find Kaiba's less than happy face. "I just need time to think about it…it's a lot to consider…"

"What do you need to consider?" Kaiba's tone hard as stone. "If I'm worthy of you coming to Japan?"

Isis could hear the hurt in his voice, and it made her feel even worse. "I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"Who said I was hurt?" Like hell Kaiba was going to admit anything now.

Isis licked her lips, "I…it's another country…I—"

"—You ran to America without a second thought."

"My brother was here waiting for me."

"And I won't be waiting for you in Domino?"

Isis stared down at the floor. "Some of us aren't like you Seto. We can't be so bold and upfront when making decisions like this."

Kaiba was suddenly in her personal space. "You're full of shit. You're the very one who challenged me back in Domino to prove what the fuck I wanted from you. Well, I'm here Isis! I'm here making a fucking fool of myself and laying it all out."

"You can't make such a large request and expect an instant answer!"

"Why the hell not?!"

"Have you lost your mind? Look at our timeline Seto! We've only known each other for a few weeks if you count online!" Isis shook her head, "I can't very well agree to such a life change without first thinking clearly! Not after I've been drinking and wooed by a wonderful date. My emotions can't be trusted to make this decision!"

"Because of him?" Kaiba narrowed his eyes, "Because of your ex-husband?"

"What does Shadi have to do with this?!" Saying his name made Isis' skin crawl.

"What does he have to do with this Isis?" Kaiba took a step forward, "When we first met you said you chose Shadi because you were lonely. Do you think you're choosing me out of loneliness?"

Isis wasn't sure how to respond.

"You said being in love wasn't a good enough reason to stay in a marriage. But what comes before that? Don't let Shadi be the only one to have that chance with you! It's fucking unfair!"

Isis couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was almost like Kaiba was competing with Shadi, despite never having met the man.

"I'm not going to stand here and pretend with you that there isn't a deeper issue here than the logistics of a global move. Visas, flights, accommodations – I can handle all of that without you doing a damn thing and you know that."

Isis felt a lump form in her throat.

"If you don't want to fucking be with me, just say that!" Kaiba could hear his voice echo out in the hall of the penthouse. His fists were clenched so tightly he could feel his nails digging into his palms. He hated that she was seeing him like this. "Shit…" He unrolled his fists and rested his hands on his hips, pacing over to the window to glare out over the city. He could hear her whimpering behind him, but he refused to comfort her. "I'm leaving tomorrow at noon…your car is here…"

Isis didn't even wait in silence or consider a few words to change his disposition. Instead, she ran. She rushed down the hall, retrieved her purse and shoes, and pressed the elevator button furiously until the doors finally dinged open. She stepped on with her back to the hallway as she felt the tears start to leak out. Against her better judgment, she looked over her shoulder to have a straight view into the office where Kaiba's back was still to her.

Kaiba slowly turned around to find Isis with tears streaming down her face as the doors to the elevator closed. He grabbed his laptop and hurled it with a roar of rage at the wall. The poor device slammed into the wall denting the paint and crashing pitifully to the floor.

PLEASE READ:

Happy belated Thanksgiving (if you celebrate). Just know I am very thankful for all of you that continue to support this story. I am beyond shocked at the amount of love this story has gotten. I'm beyond humbled and grateful.

This chapter may seem shorter than some of the other recent ones and yes, that was intentional. I had to trim the fat for the next chapter…and rudely leave everyone in their feelings.

Also, I don't know what's going on with the website, but I am not getting emails notification for anything. Messages, reviews, posts, etc. Sorry if you've messaged me and I have yet to respond, I don't log on every day, so I plan to check my messages until the error is resolved on the website's end.

Arabic Words:

Ay – What?

Posted especially for:

Tay13: You're welcome and thank you for the review.

Lauradbz13: (Happy dances with you) You are so very welcome.

franfangfan: You are too sweet! It means so much to me that you feel that way. Thank you.

.585: Hahaha, your reviews always find a way to make me laugh. 'Holy BatWasabi.' I'm stealing that by the way. (Wink)

SetoRJK-Kaiba: You are right on the money and after reading this chapter, I'm sure you'll understand what I mean by that. You too be safe.

Serena Sempgo: Thank you and hope all is well with you too!

Pimssy: We all know that Kaiba is indeed a romantic. He doesn't have to admit it, we can all see it. 'Bratty classist' Kaiba is one of my favorites. And there's a clear difference between railing someone in a window in a Ferris wheel vs kisses on a busy street...in Kaiba's mind. Hahaha. Isis growing in confidence is one of my favorite things. She's coming into her own. Thank you so much for your sweet review, really made my night.

Lace Kyoko: I feel like Kaiba has a grudge against the US, and as an American, I can't really blame him. Haha. Thanks for your review and continued support.

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.