Phew, another chapter not long after the last one, I'm on a roll!
I haven't got any follows or favourites to mention this time, though I would like to thank K5Rakitan and a guest reviewer for your kind words on the last chapter. It was a short one comparably but hopefully this one will make up for that.
So here is Chapter 10 - begin!
What kind of dickhead move was that, texting Skye like that? Seto felt more aggravated than he had been for a while. He was home again now and back at work, so it couldn't be that. He was used to having to leave leisure to face up to his responsibilities. No, this a feeling that had been creeping up on him since Skye came back into his life and he still refused to address it properly. There simply could not be a possibility that he enjoyed her company. There just couldn't be.
"Morning Seto." Mokuba greeted his brother cheerfully, pleased to him again after what felt like a slightly long weekend without him. He hadn't seem Seto since he left for New York.
"Morning." Seto grunted in reply.
Perhaps some good strong coffee would help rebalance him, he reasoned. He was always especially crabby before he got his morning coffee.
Sensing it was just safe enough to start a conversation, Mokuba said, "Sooooo….New York. How was it?"
"The same as always: busy."
Ok, not the most promising tone that Mokuba could have hoped to receive, but he decided to continue nevertheless. He was very curious to see if a certain young lady would come up again.
"I spoke to your PA before you fired her yesterday." He mentioned casually.
Seto gave his little brother a hard stare. Just where was this going?
"I'm going to start taking charge of arrangements for the orphanage."
"And that snotty bitch helped you sanction that?" Seto snorted. "She couldn't even book a hotel room correctly."
"True, but then let's be honest, I think that worked out better than even you had probably hoped."
"I don't hope for anything, Mokuba, I work with what I have. Luckily Skye has the background she has, otherwise the trip would have been disastrous."
You mean luckily Skye is someone who gets who you are already and is a pretty woman as an added bonus, Mokuba thought crassly, holding back an eye roll. "Either way, I wanna start getting involved and now I have. I'm gonna be managing the finances and resources of the orphanage."
"We have people in place for that already." Seto frowned a little, wondering when on earth Mokuba had become so interested. Even with Kaiba Land, he hadn't been as invested, so why this orphanage?
Probably Skye again, he reckoned. At the thought of her and the way she had responded to his text last night, his blood boiled a little. Why, he could not say. So what if she didn't seem interested?
"But no one is there for any damage control if things go wrong and I'm better at management than they probably are." Mokuba insisted, determined not to back down this time. "No one is head of this project apart from you. Think of it this way, it's one less thing you have to worry about. I can manage."
"No." Seto decided it was time to put his foot down. Mokuba was an intelligent young man, that no one could doubt because they shared the same genes. But he lacked foresight. If things do go wrong, he had neither the experience nor the presence of character needed to rectify things. These things didn't come over night for Seto, he didn't expect them of his little brother yet. The role Mokuba wanted to take on was just simply too much for a starter.
"But why, Seto? I'm sixteen now, just like you were when you took over Kaiba Corp. What's so different?" Mokuba exclaimed suddenly, more than a little put out by Seto's lack of confidence. In fact, he was downright pissed.
"I was bred for the role the moment that man got his hands on me." Seto growled through gritted teeth. "In any case, you have your studies to focus on. To take a leading role on a project is not a small one."
Not believing what Seto had just said, Mokuba cried, "So you don't think I'm as capable as you?"
"Not right now, no. When you have finished your studies and done some more minor roles, then I would consider handing over such responsibility over."
"Bullshit!"
Even Seto couldn't contain his surprise at his younger brother's outburst. The kitchen staff and the butler certainly looked horrified, at least before the eldest Kaiba gave them a scowl to remind them of their place in the household, which then encouraged them to leave the room before this showdown got nasty.
"Please do clarify, little brother, and perhaps with less foul language." Seto snarled, pinching his fingers underneath the table by way of helping him to control his own temper.
"This isn't about me not being capable enough yet, because I know I can do it and I know you think I can too. You just see this orphanage as another project to splash money at." Furiously pointing a finger at his older brother, Mokuba rose from his seat. "Perhaps if you took a moment away from your computers, you'd realise how much this orphanage matters. We might have given these kids a place to live, but these kids need a home. So even if you don't give a shit about them, I'm gonna make sure these kids get the best start that I can give them, because lord knows we wouldn't have done without our bastard step-father, though I wonder still to this day if we should've just stayed where we were."
Damn, it was becoming very difficult to keep this fury under control. Seto wondered how much longer it would be before he lost it. "Don't be ridiculous. We got a rich man to part with his money and to our benefit."
"Not what I meant, but as per usual, you avoid the subject. I'm not sitting by anymore, Seto. I'm getting involved whether you like it or not."
Upon having the last word, Mokuba stormed out of the dining room, having not touched a single morsel of his breakfast. He never forgot to eat, even when irritable. He must be really angry this time, Seto thought. Oh he was beyond furious with Mokuba for being so impudent, but he also couldn't suppress a small sense of pride in seeing Mokuba finally demonstrating a back bone.
Nevertheless, if Mokuba truly meant what he said, he would need to be keeping a close eye on the orphanage from now on. Which meant seeing more of Skye again. Seto groaned a little, putting his head in his hands.
That coffee had better be extra strong when I get it….
Skye stirred from her slumber and remembered that she had quietly slipped from Ricardo's sleeping grasp last night and slept by herself on the sofa. They had fun last night, that much she could smile about. He had been better than she had imagined in her limited experience of sleeping with men, but still, like the other men she had brought to bed, she simply couldn't bring herself to that level of intimacy. It didn't feel right to share a bed with him. They barely knew each other, really, and the thought of anything more…frightened her.
Then memories of sleeping in the same bed as Seto came back in a hot flood and she then felt a little hypocritical. Sure, it hadn't been her choice to share a bed with him over the weekend, but if she managed with that, why was it so difficult with someone like Ricardo, who clearly liked her enough to spend time with her? She couldn't help it, she decided after sitting with her face in her hands, anxiously overthinking the situation. Ricardo would make someone a wonderful partner, that she had no doubt. But she wasn't the one.
She heard Ricardo stir and instantly she arose from the sofa to greet him. As he opened his eyes and caught sight of the lovely lady who had entertained him last night, he smiled and stroked her arm affectionately.
"Buenos dias, Señorita." Ricardo's voice was low and almost a purr.
Skye returned his smile with a small one of her own and she replied, "Good morning."
"Are you well?"
"Yes. Are you?"
"Very well, si, certainly for seeing you this morning." Eye's sparkling with appreciation, Ricardo sat up, exposing his chest and lettings the covers just cover below the waist. "I believe as the gentleman I should have slept on the sofa last night."
"We were…very active last night." Skye said suggestively. "It would have been very unbecoming to disturb you after how you spent yourself."
Ricardo chuckled. "Beautiful, learned and considerate. I'm a very lucky man."
"You flatter me." Skye blushed profusely. "It's 6:30am. I would usually offer breakfast, but considering where we are, I suggest you leave so that the children and the staff don't suspect too much."
"So keen to get rid of me already. So a charmer and a heartbreaker." Ricardo said in mock horror, putting a hand to his heart. Skye rolled her eyes only a little and shoved him slightly.
"Oh believe me, your company has been wonderful. But we have jobs still and I think I can speak for both of us that it's a little early to rock the boat with any naughtiness."
"Indeed, the lady doth speak the truth." Ricardo sighed, clearly a little disappointed that Skye wasn't going to indulge in anymore action this morning. But she was right and that didn't diminish the admiration he had for her. She looked especially beautiful now with slivers of sunshine on her face and her hair a mess of waves. "May I borrow your bathroom to freshen up and dress?"
"Of course." Skye pointed to where it was.
Nodding, Ricardo arose from the bed in his naked glory and spared a final wink at the young woman as he walked past, gathering the line of clothes left from last night on the floor.
Damn, he really was a good looking man. Shaking her head to refocus on the morning ahead, Skye went to make herself a cup of tea. As the kettle boiled, she then checked to see if all her marking and lesson plans that need to be completed were, before moving onto the next lot. Before long, Ricardo returned from the bathroom, his shirt unbuttoned low enough to remind Skye of the taste she had last night.
"What's the plan for today, Señorita?" He asked when he saw her musing over her work.
"I have the sixteen to seventeen year olds first to start Tennessee Williams. Then I have the little ones to begin their alphabets, followed by my dormitory children for some duel monsters." Skye replied breezily, as though she were only half listening to her companion, so focussed on what she was doing.
"Duel monsters?" Ricardo raised an eyebrow.
Skye turned to Ricardo and smiled to hide her blush of her embarrassment. "A treat, for getting through the first week of being here. It's not easy for any child to have new beginnings, especially when the new beginnings include new homes and adults to live with. They've done well."
Ricardo stared at her for a moment, before smiling more softly than she had ever seen him do before. "As I said before: beautiful, learned and considerate. The children are very lucky also."
If only her father and grandfather were present to hear these words coming her way, for Skye was sure that Ricardo had said more praises to her this morning than she had ever heard from her relatives in months, years perhaps.
Keen to redirect the conversation away from still sore wounds inside of her, Skye merely smiled at Ricardo in thanks, unable to accept his praises but not rejecting them either. "So I shall see you at breakfast soon?"
"Our usual table, of course." Ricardo seemed to finally get the message: last night happened, but that was all Skye was offering. He respected that, but he was a little upset and disappointed that she did not want to explore the possibilities of a relationship even further. Then he wondered if that's what he had given away quite early on. He'd made it clear last night that he was looking to start settling down now, that his days of playing the field a little were over. Maybe she wasn't ready. If that was the case, then he conceded that her decision was right and fair. She didn't seem the kind of woman to string men along.
For her part, Skye feel Ricardo's dampened demeanour and felt moderately guilty for being the cause of that. She didn't have to say it directly, which in her eyes was maybe the only mercy she could have given him. Rather than outright rejecting him, the two had managed to settle the matter in the most subtle way possible, with the fewest words possible, which hopefully would also work in the long run. They could still be friends, couldn't they?
Deciding to try and end the situation on a positive note, Skye wandered towards Ricardo until she stood just in front of him. Gently, she took his cheek in her palm and laid a soft kiss on his lips. He responded in kind, placing a hand on her hip to steady them both. Once the kiss finished, Skye said, "Thank you for last night."
"You're welcome." Ricardo replied graciously, removing his hand from her hip and making his way to leave her quarters. "I shall see you later, Señorita."
"Adiós, Ricardo."
When he left the room and closed the door behind him, Skye took a sip of her tea. It wasn't the outcome she had been expecting, after spending so long thinking about what a devilishly handsome man Ricardo is. Yet it was for the best. She had never been a woman to tantalise men to heartbreak and she wasn't starting now, especially not with a good man like Ricardo.
Feeling as though the situation could now be put behind them both, she went to the bathroom to get ready, keen to see her little ones again this morning. She really had missed them over the weekend.
Seto once again found himself at the orphanage. After arguing with Mokuba again, he felt compelled to prove his younger brother wrong, even though the words between them were at worst petty. Neither of them meant to hurt each other usually, but it was more than the elder Kaiba's pride and worth to let anyone, even his brother, prove him wrong.
And now that he was there, he could see what Mokuba meant when he said that they both should be proud of what they had achieved with this place. The children running up and down the corridors to get to their classrooms had smiles on their faces. They were happy. They had comfortable rooms, a much better education than most state schools could provide. But whether the staff truly cared for these kids, Seto was naturally very cynical about. He would have to come back more often to make a judgement for himself.
As he wandered down the various corridors, he would occasionally poke his head into the classrooms or any offices, silently observing. Most of the children and the staff barely noticed him, and the few that did, would stammer a quick greeting or scurry past him with eyes downcast. Good, he thought. The less bother he had was better, as always. Just as he came towards the Humanities area of the orphanage, he heard an excited buzz of children chattering, and an all too familiar voice.
"Ok kids, today we won't be doing English today because it is now officially the beginning of our second week, not just for this class but for our dormitory as well." Skye announced to her class, who erupted into cheers. Then she continued once they settled down. "So as a treat to say thank you for welcoming me and each other, we're going to learn to play duel monsters."
This time the cheers were louder, so much so that Seto couldn't help wincing from the volume. He was also surprised by Skye once more: since when did she learn to duel? They never did when they were children, and he couldn't imagine her father or grandfather endorsing such frivolity. Gozaburo certainly never did for him, but that was a different story. Regardless, Seto couldn't help his curiosity as to how Skye was going to teach these kids to duel and decided to make his appearance.
He reached the doorway of the classroom to see the kids huddling around boxes on their tables, scrabbling desperately for the best cards they could find. Skye for her part was seated calmly at her desk, writing in her diary and on other bits of paper at speed, as though she couldn't wait to get involved with the activity either, her toes tapping to no rhythm on the floor. She looked like she was in her element in the classroom, genuinely delighted to teach the children, and nothing like her sombre self whenever she was with him or other adults. She looked animated, energetic and passionate, qualities Seto was sure he would never have seen unless he had made such a visit.
Perhaps if you took a moment away from your computers, you'd realise how much this orphanage matters. We might have given these kids a place to live, but these kids need a home.
Dammit, Mokuba just had to hit the nail on the head again.
"Oh wow! It's Seto Kaiba - its really him!" One of the children exclaimed, the room falling silent when the rest of the children realised this wasn't a joke: the boss of Kaiba Corp, the man, the myth, the legend that most kids could only dream of seeing, let alone meeting, was stood in the doorway. Some children were clearly awed, others looked afraid.
Skye however acted as though everything were normal, looking up from her paperwork, smiling and then rising from her seat.
"Mr Kaiba, we were just about to try our hands at duel monsters. Would you like to join us?" She asked.
Seto became disgruntled by the attention and replied huskily, "I think I might too advanced for you and your children, Miss McLaughlin."
Skye merely shrugged and said, "What better way for us all to learn if we have one of the best duelists in the world to challenge us?"
"Aren't you any good at duel monsters, Miss McLaughlin?" Touma piped up, his eyes wide.
"I think even your teacher could do with a teacher of her own." Skye said. The class giggled and Seto smirked a bit. Then Skye turned her eyes, full of amusement, to address Seto again. "So, Mr Kaiba?"
Seto thought for a minute. None of these kids or Skye were a challenge to him in the slightest - but then the alternative was that he took himself swiftly back to the office to actually do some work. Another day of endless paperwork, a day that Mokuba had accused him of not looking beyond. This would be an ideal chance to prove to Mokuba that Seto could make changes if it would make his little brother happier. The choice wasn't a difficult one.
"Alright then. Time to teach the teacher." He announced. The children erupted into cheers once more and started to gather their cards again to assemble their decks.
Skye grinned a little and said to Seto, "May I have the honour of challenging you first?"
"I wasn't aware it would be an honour to get pulverised by the best." Seto replied cockily, though there was humour in his manner. Skye laughed and guided him to a free table where a dueling mat had already been laid out. Her deck was sat waiting. She took a seat and looked up at her opponent, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Better to be pulverised by the best than potentially whipped by children."
Seto's smirk widened. He placed his suit jacket on the back of the chair and then took his seat.
The two battled it out. While Seto lived up to his reputation as being a powerful duelist, Skye was kooky and he was surprised at how adept she was. Every time it seemed that Seto was close to wiping her out, she had revealed a move that would give her extra time as well as chance to do damage, and all of that she would do after planning a few moves ahead. She hadn't been bad at chess either when they were children.
Regardless, someone had to win and that someone always had to be Seto.
"I summon Blue Eyes White Dragon, and then I use it to attack your Fire Princess."
The children cheered loudly and Seto leaned back in his seat, grinning. Skye was smiling too, although gently shushing the children down so that she could give out some instructions. While she did so, Seto then noticed a face down card that she hadn't played yet. He flipped it over and saw that it was one called 'Last Turn'. The description read: This card can only be activated during your opponent's turn when your Life Points are 1000 or less. Select 1 monster on your side of the field and send all other cards on the field and in their respective owners' hands to their respective Graveyards. After that, your opponent selects and Special Summons 1 monster from their Deck in face-up Attack Position and attacks your selected monster. (Any Battle Damage from this battle is treated as 0.) The player whose monster remains alone on the field at the End Phase of this turn wins the Duel. Any other case results in a DRAW.
Had she played that card, he realised, she could have used a more powerful monster from her graveyard to tackle his Blue Eyes White Dragon. Why didn't she play it?
As soon as she finished settling her pupils to their own duels, Skye turned back and saw Seto's bewildered expression. She tilted her head to one side. "Is there something wrong?"
"Your face down card." Seto held up the card in question.
Skye smiled a little and replied, "Oh yes. That."
"Why didn't you play it?"
"I had nothing on my field by that stage that could have salvaged me. And in any case even if I did, I doubt either of us would have been content to draw."
Seto smirked at this response. She was no Yugi Moto, but she was savvy and she was right in any case. A draw or a lose was never an option. Still, he would have to watch out for a little trick like that next time.
Then the pair heard two male voices coming down the corridor, both of whom sounded distinctly familiar. Both looked at each other before looking at the doorway and waited to see who was coming to the classroom. First appeared the headmaster, Mr Sokolov, and next was none other than Mokuba. Upon seeing Skye, the younger brother smiled brightly at her.
"Hi Miss McLaughlin. I see Seto here paid you a visit, no doubt to check up on you." He greeted the pair teasingly. Clearly a bit of space away from his older brother had already calmed him down, though the last part of the sentence had some barb to it. Seto bristled a little and Skye noticed this almost instantly.
Although puzzled to see Mokuba here talking to the headmaster of all people, she smiled in return and replied, "Actually, Mr Kaiba was kind enough to give myself and the children a demonstration on how to play duel monsters. I have been roundly defeated by a master."
"To be expected, of course." Mr Sokolov commented in his thick Russian accent, too feeling the tension between the brothers. "Your brother here has some ideas on how to better manage the orphanage, especially as it is in it's early and most delicate stages. I believe they could make a real difference - perhaps you should like to join us for these discussions, Mr Kaiba?"
"I have work to do. I'm sure Master Kaiba is capable of leading the plans from now." Seto suddenly became very biting and everyone listening but Mokuba flinched at the venom.
Mokuba merely shrugged and said, "Ok."
Then he looked to Skye and asked, "Would you like to meet up sometime, Miss McLaughlin? I have some friends who I think you'd get along well with."
"Oh?" Skye was surprised but nonetheless pleased with the offer, though she had a feeling that if she accepted, that would be another thing for Seto to berate his brother for.
"We're all meeting for pizza and a chill night of duel monsters, so bring your deck if you want. My treat." Mokuba continued, trying to ignore the burning stare sent his way by his brother. If he was going to try this whole independence thing, this included his social life as well. He wanted Skye to himself for a little, without the grumpiness of Seto ruining things.
"I suppose you had best name a date and time for me to be ready. It would be a pleasure to join you." Skye finally answered, smiling despite the tension finally beginning to peak in the room. Seto looked about ready to pounce.
Maintaining his cool, Mokuba nodded. "Awesome, I'll message you! Mr Sokolov, your office if that's ok? See you later, Seto."
"Yes, of course." The headmaster agreed hastily. Although she had only known him a week, Skye knew Aleksandr Sokolov was not a man to be easily rattled or made nervous. That was why he was chosen to lead the orphanage after all. But the fact that he looked shaken at Seto's change in mood said a lot about the power and presence the Kaiba's had. Even Aleksandr dared not put a foot wrong.
Fuming at the gall his little brother had by engaging in discussions without his consent, Seto growled, "He should be in school."
Thinking carefully first about what to say, and then deciding perhaps Seto did not want to hear her at the moment, Skye remained silent, watching him with her clear grey-green eyes. Rubbing his eyes a little, Seto sighed and leaned back in his chair. Did Mokuba even think how that would look to someone like Sokolov? That the younger brother, not the CEO, of Kaiba Corp had gone right under his nose and tried to usurp a responsibility he wasn't ready for yet? Then Seto wondered, for perhaps the first time in a very long while, if he had got it wrong with Mokuba, that suggesting little roles to play to begin was just too much of a taste for a sixteen year old millionaire-to-be. Mokuba could have anything and everything he wanted if it was within Seto's power, but it would seem maybe Seto was remiss in assuming his little brother was less ambitious than he.
He turned back to Skye and saw she had not moved at all, that she was watching him impassively.
"He's not ready to be a leader." Seto stated matter-of-factly, though his teeth were still gritted.
"No, he is not. He is too high strung and easily led."
This surprised Seto. He half expected Skye's sympathies to be with Mokuba, who was her friend and who she clearly still doted after all these years.
"But now that he has a taste of what it's like to be in control, how can I teach him that?" He asked in a mutter, the question more to himself than to his company.
Skye looked thoughtful for a minute before answering, "With patience."
Seto raised an eyebrow at her knowingly. "You and I both know I have a very limited supply of that."
"No, you do not." Skye's words did little to conceal her chuckle. "And he's becoming more obstinate like you, so unfortunately, it's up to the adults to show him the best example."
"Now where on earth would you get the idea that I'm obstinate?" Seto snorted, his anger beginning to dissipate with each humorous sentence between him and Skye.
Smiling, Skye looked to the children quickly to check if they were behaving. When she saw that they were happily playing their duel monsters matches, she turned back to Seto and looked a little more serious this time.
"Do not be too harsh with him. He is still learning." She counselled gently.
Seto lips thinned. He wasn't used to being counselled by the softness of women. "He's out of line."
"Undoubtedly. But only remind him who's in charge if things go wrong. He may yet surprise you and me, young and high strung as he is. If he makes a success of things here at the orphanage, you have nothing to worry about."
"You and I both know that nothing can go wrong here. There's children'ss' lives who depend on this place functioning and if it gets botched up before it's even taken off-"
"It already has taken off, Seto. Look around you: all around, children, who are housed, safe and happy. True, myself and the staff have a duty to make it a home. But none of it would have come to rumination without you either. Mokuba getting involved is a small bump in the road, not a cause of everything to fall apart. At the very least he has you to look up to."
She had a point, Seto was reluctant to admit to himself. Perhaps he would consider waiting to see what Mokuba was capable of first before nipping it in the bud too early. Perhaps it would be the best way for his younger brother to learn, and make him truly realise what Seto was trying to tell him non too successfully.
"I should go." Seto muttered, realising he had spent far too long discussing personal family matters with a woman who was still not a friend or relative. Yet it had been so easy to let some of it out with her.
"Thank you for stopping by. The children and I most definitely learned a lot. Please do come back to show us again if you can." Skye thanked him gently, rising from her seat along with him. Seto searched her expression and saw no falsehood in what she said. Rather than feeling embarrassed, he felt a little pleased.
"How are your chess skills still?" Seto then asked, suddenly remembering their matches from all those years ago. She was quite the formidable opponent in chess, perhaps even close to his own ability. Only close though.
Grinning, as though she too remembered the competitiveness they used to bring out in each other, Skye replied, "You and I are still two for five each on our last mini tourney."
"I don't think so." Seto retorted indignantly.
"Oh I do. I'd be keen to finish off where we left off…if you have the keenness for it still."
A challenge he couldn't refuse. He would wipe the floor with her, he vowed, not least for those beautiful eyes teasing him so.
"Then you shall receive. I'll name a day and time and I shall come to you. You have a set still?" Seto finally declared, smirking when Skye raised an eyebrow at him.
"Is the pope Catholic?" She retorted.
Biting his lip to contain his laughter, Seto finally took his suit jacket and made to leave the room.
"Goodbye, Skye." He said quietly so the children could not hear him.
Following suit, Skye bid him farewell quietly. "Take care, Seto."
As he left, Seto could feel his feet dragging. Another day spent with Skye where her company had left him wanting and he began to feel annoyed again. He began wishing that maybe he had some young years again where he could just play duel monsters, chess and spend quality time with his brother and the few select people he trusted. All the while he thought of that, there was Mokuba rushing towards adulthood, not realising that if he wished his childhood away too soon, he would never get it back.
He sighed heavily. The office beckoned. Adulthood officially sucked.
This was a fun chapter to write, simply because we got more Skye and Seto together. It's still not even remotely a friendship between them, but it's nice to continue their journey finding some companionship in each other. What will be interesting for me is how Skye will balance her relationships with Seto and Mokuba, because no doubt that with the tensions now firmly established between the two of them, she's gonna have to dance around the pair of them like a ballerina (I don't think I've mentioned before that she was once a ballerina and dancer, so just as well! That fact might crop up in another chapter). Then of course Skye will be meeting our favourite gang of all time - the Dweeb patr- I mean, Yugi and co, yay!
Hope you enjoyed this last chapter in the meantime,
xXxCometxXx