A/N: Um, that card…"The Angel of Dreams" that I made up, I've changed the attack power and defense power. So, if you read the earlier chapter where it was 2750/2350, that has now changed by 1000, but I do mention it again... Just so you all know. Anyways hehe ^_^ Oh yea, in my story, everyone is like, 16, 17. I'm sure I failed to mention that earlier. And Kaiba is 18.

Chapter Eighteen – Surprises

"I can't believe you ate all that pizza Joey!" Serena exclaimed, staring at the empty pizza boxes before them.

"Tristan helped," Joey said, a burp escaping his lips. "Heh."

"Joey!" Serenity chastised, slapping her older brother lightly.

Oh brother. Kaiba rolled his eyes slightly as the conversation switched gears around the table. It wasn't until the subject got onto rare duel monsters cards that he suddenly became interested and remembered a card that Serena held in her deck which he wanted so it would not be used against him.

"What was that rare card you were telling me about Serena?" Yugi asked, all eyes turning on the blonde haired beauty seated beside Kaiba who suddenly fidgeted in her seat.

Serena noticed Kaiba's eyes suddenly seem to spark with interest as they turned towards her. "Umm, which one?" she asked casually, a slight flush on her face.

"Wait, first, I want to know where your Blue Eyes came from," Kaiba said coolly, his eyes slightly narrowing.

"Well Kaiba, if you must know," Serena began, facing him and noticing a slight twinge on his face as she used his formal name. "My uncle discovered that there were only three useable Blue Eyes, so he created another one and had it authenticated. You aren't going to destroy this one too, are you?" Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him, noticing another twinge on his face. Why am I being so rude to him…although he does look cute when he's angry…well, he always looks cute, but that's besides the point.

Kaiba growled softly and grabbed her hand under the table and squeezed it gently. "No, but you best not use it when you duel me," he said simply, his grip on her hand never releasing.

"So tell us about this rare card," Tristan said, munching on some chips Joey had found in the cabinets.

Where do their stomachs end? "Alright, it's one of a kind. My uncle gave it to me before I came here; it's very special. I keep it with me at all times, but unfortunately, I have yet to use it in a duel." Serena grabbed her duel disk which had somehow managed to find its way to the counter near the table and pulled out her deck, rummaging through it to find the card in question.

Hmm…wasn't this the card that went on the computer as her rarest card? It was the Dark Magician Girl…I think…I wonder why it wasn't the Blue Eyes…hmm…Well, then it changed. Kaiba stared at Serena, as she smiled when she found the card.

"Alright, here it is." Serena held the card up, a proud smile on her face as everyone marveled it.

"The Angel of Dreams," Yugi read quietly as he inspected the card. "Explain it Serena, I want to hear all about it!" he exclaimed, the light shining brightly in his eyes.

"Alright…where do I begin?" Serena bit her lip and furrowed her eyebrows. "Okay. It's named after my mother, Celeste Pegasus. Well, it was created with her in mind. Uncle Max was going to host another tournament and give this card as part of the prize, but when he learned of my plans to duel in Kaiba's Battle City tournaments, he changed his mind about the card and gave it to me, to aid me in my duels. She bears an attack power of 3750 and a defense power of 3350, making her one of the strongest cards. Only a few cards have the power to take her down, then again, if you play the right cards, you can destroy even the strongest monster. Anyways, she has a great special effect. When she is sent to the graveyard by loss in battle, then I am allowed to summon any monster with an attack between 1500 and 2500 and 150 life points of damage is inflicted upon my opponent. If I sacrifice the monster, then the same effect occurs, minus the damage on my opponent. But, I'm not sure how she fares in battle as I've not yet played her." Serena finally finished her speech and looked at all the faces before her who were in awe at the card. Even Kaiba seemed a little surprised by it. I'd planned to keep this card a surprise until I battled him…oh well.

"Why am I not using that one in battle?" he finally asked her, his eyebrow rising in question.

"Oh…well, umm…I guess I'm being a little selfish because I've never used it and I guess I just wanted to be the first…I guess I won't get to use it if I don't survive though," she said lightly, handing the card to Kaiba.

He eyed her with question and accepted the card, no plans to use it in mind, only to remind him what he was fighting for.

"Hey, I'd love to stay and chit-chat, but I need to go," Tristan said suddenly, standing up and taking Serenity's hand.

"Then I'm goin' with ya!" Joey said, pushing the chair back and almost knocking it over. He still wasn't quite used to the fact that his little sister was enthralled with one of his friends, especially Tristan. And he definitely wasn't going to admit to himself that they were dating. He figured that as long as he denied it, then it wasn't true.

"I should probably get back to the game shop," Yugi said quietly, a few minutes after Joey and the others had left.

"I'll go with you Yugi," Téa said softly, understanding the need for Kaiba and Serena to be alone; something seemed to suddenly be amiss between them. They could just go off in one of Kaiba's limos, but I have a feeling he doesn't want her leaving this apartment.

"Serena, I'll be back tomorrow. Be here Kaiba," Yugi said, walking out the door.

"I'll be back later tonight, leave a note if you go anywhere," Téa said gently, following Yugi out the door and softly closing it.

Kaiba sighed deeply. He was thankful they had all left, even if he was the one intruding.

"So…" Serena said, unsure of what to say. Something is off and I think it's what I said earlier…

"Are you angry with me?" Kaiba asked quietly, finally releasing the hand he had been holding for so long.

"What?" Serena asked, taken aback. "I thought you were angry with me," she whispered gently.

"Because you asked if I was going to destroy your Blue Eyes too?" By the look on her face, he hit it right on the dot. "No, you're right. I've done things in my past that I'm not exactly proud of. I don't even know how you knew that, unless you were exploring my memories," he suggested, raising his eyebrow in suggestion. He'd been doing that a lot lately; rather than narrowing his eyes, he seemed to widen them.

"Well, when you said Blue Eyes, I umm…well, you know…I guess I should quit poking my nose where it doesn't belong," Serena said quietly, hanging her head shamefully.

Kaiba lifted her chin with his hand and forced her to look at him. His eyes softened when he noticed a stray tear fall from her eye. What is it that she does that makes herself so sensitive…and makes me so…soft? "It doesn't matter, it saves me from explaining." He looked at her eyes which were desperately trying to avoid his gaze and struggled with whether or not he should continue. "Serena…please look at me."

Serena blinked back more tears. What is wrong with me! I have no reason to be crying… Slowly, she forced her eyes to look up at his face, surprised to see his icy eyes were warmed a bit. She swallowed and blinked hard, thinking she was imagining things, but his warm gaze was still there.

"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly.

"W-why?" she stuttered.

"Because I can't change in a matter of a few weeks, or months; and I can't change the past. I can't be completely feeling. I've never felt the way you make me do, and honestly, it…scares me. I've only trusted in myself and I've only cared about my little brother for as long as I can remember. And then you come along," Kaiba said, his voice emotionless and then seemingly bitter. Or was that a hidden form of happiness?

"Then you come along," he continued, "and everything changes. You're the first person to talk to me the way you did, and the fact that you can read my mind…well… And then, you're just different from everyone I've ever met. And I don't know what it is about you, but you make me feel the need to change and be a better person." By the time he reached this point in his mini-speech, he was up and pacing the floor.

"And I know you would never ask me to change, but I feel like I need to. You invade my thoughts and preoccupy my dreams. Instead of always focusing on what I've focused on the past three, four years, you're suddenly in my head! And whenever I hear your name, it's like my heart skips a beat. At first, I thought you were working for your uncle, and he wanted to take over my company. Then, you somehow convince me otherwise." He stopped pacing and looked at her.

"When I took you out to dinner in hopes of gaining more information on you, I thought you were breathtaking! You were absolutely gorgeous, but there was no way I was going to tell you. Imagine, me, Seto Kaiba, smitten by a girl related to Pegasus! And then I kissed you, and I know I felt something, but I was so…confused! And I was angry for letting my guard down; I felt like such a fool!" Kaiba growled softly and began pacing the floor again, Serena looking on amused. However, he was too busy to even notice.

"Then I saw you duel as I was in my chopper flying to KaibaCorp headquarters and I had the pilot land it so I could watch you duel. At first, I wanted nothing more than to defeat you, so I wanted to learn your strategies. But then, I realized that was just an excuse to watch you. And then, the big one! I saw you enter that pizza place with your hand in Joey's and I felt so jealous; I wanted to be the one who held your hand! I walked right in there and kissed you, hoping he would get the hint that he should keep his hands off! I wanted no one to look at you or touch you in any way; I wanted you all to myself! But then I regretted it because it made me seem soft; and once again, I wasn't sure which way to go. Whether to let you know how I feel or to forget you all together. It was driving me insane; the power you held over me."

Kaiba frowned and closed his eyes. This was definitely a surprise, to even himself. Here he was, Seto Kaiba, eighteen year old CEO of KaibaCorp, and he was pouring out his thoughts…his heart, to another. And to think that he was also putting his life on the line for her; that was a surprise because she wasn't his little brother, she was the girl he was in love with. I am not in love!  He growled to himself. There must be another explanation to this feeling.

"Then, I also had Corinth do research on your past. And in the middle of him telling me what he learned, I receive a call from your father, telling me if I don't give him what he wants, he'll kill you! I was so enraged at him for even threatening you! The thought of you being in danger presented another feeling I had only felt for my brother: worry. I worried that it was too late, but there you were. Then I saw that scar and I was so angry…" Kaiba's voice trailed off when he finally noticed the slight giggles escaping from the object of his confusion. "What is so funny?" he asked, slightly annoyed. I pour my heart out and she…laughs at me!

"Seto," Serena said softly, rising from her chair and taking his hands in hers, her heart slightly beating faster.

He looked down at her, his eyes cold from her laughter. His heart beat slightly faster when he felt her hands holding his. He didn't understand this feeling and he most definitely did not understand why she laughed at it.

Serena leaned her head close to his face and kissed his cheek, releasing his hands from her grasp. Whispering softly in his ear, she said, "I care about you in a way I've never cared for anyone before too. It would have been easier for you to save your breath and just say that."

Kaiba furrowed his brows and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "You're right," he said quietly, his face flushing. How was he supposed to know? He'd never dealt with this before. That must be it…I care, not love, care, he tried to convince himself over and over. If I love her, then I'll win the duel tomorrow and that will prove it. If I win, I will quit running from these feelings and just—

Serena cut off his thoughts when she placed a soft and brief kiss on his lips. She smiled at him and would have leaned her head against his chest, had he not brought his lips to hers, capturing another kiss. All his passion and emotion was put into that kiss as he felt himself losing all sense of reason.

~*~*~*~*~

Serena opened her eyes slowly and took in her surroundings. She was laying on the bed she had claimed as her own since she had come to Domino, but she couldn't remember how she had gotten there. Her head seemed to be clouded. She smiled in spite of it all, and closed her eyes once again and snuggled closer to the warm body beside her.

Kaiba smirked as he watched Serena slowly drift back into sleep, using his chest as her pillow. He rubbed her back gently, his eyes drifting to a picture that sat on the small nightstand beside the bed. It must be her and her mother, he thought quietly, noticing a small girl with blonde locks and dark, sapphire eyes so full of life in the arms of a woman who resembled the young girl.

His smirk slowly turned to a frown as he wondered how long the happiness from the picture lasted. Serena looked like she was four or five so it must have been not long before her father took her and her mother into his darkness. He felt Serena slowly stir in his arms and glanced back down at her. Once again, her eyes were open, and this time, they didn't look so confused.

"Seto?" she whispered, noticing that her head lay on his chest; at least, she thought it was his chest.

"Hmm?" he asked her quietly, brushing some hair from her eyes as she turned her face to look at him.

"What happened?"

Kaiba chuckled and sat up, pulling her into his lap, her head once again resting upon his chest. "You said you had a headache," he whispered gently, kissing her forehead.

"But…" Serena trailed off, unable to convey her thoughts. How did he wind up in here?

As if he read her mind, he kissed her forehead once more and opened his mouth to explain.

~*~*~*~*~

They had been standing in the kitchen for at least ten minutes, holding each other. 'At least I finally told her how I feel…somewhat,' Kaiba thought to himself, resting his chin on Serena's head and enjoying the feel of her against him.

"Seto," she whispered gently, really hating to break the serene moment. "I have a headache."

Kaiba smirked and looked into her eyes, shocking her with the concern that was in his. "Do you know where Téa keeps her aspirin?" he questioned, not releasing her.

"No," Serena answered groggily. "I'm tired," she whined.

Kaiba chuckled and lifted her up in his arms. "Then sleep, it'll make the headache go away," he whispered, walking down the hall and entering a room which happened to be hers. He laid her down gently on the bed and put a blanket over her.

"Seto," she called as he reached the door and continued as soon as he turned around. "Don't leave." Her eyes were pleading and he found he couldn't deny her what she wanted. He would have given her the world had she asked; well, he at least would have tried to.

"Alright," he mumbled, although he would rather lay here with her than sit outside her room with nothing to do. Slowly, he walked over to her bed and sat upon it, wrapped his arm around her, and smiled when he felt her head lay on his chest.

He sat there, watching her drift off to sleep and smiled once again. 'I honestly have no idea what's happening to me…and I keep trying to ignore it, but I don't think I want to anymore. As much as I tell myself I'm going to fight it, I don't think I have the willpower to do so.'

Gently, Kaiba moved himself so he could kiss her forehead and returned to the position he was previously in. "Sleep my angel," he said quietly, before closing his own eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

"Oh," Serena said quietly, a small smile forming on her lips. "How long was I asleep?"

Kaiba looked at the clock and smirked. "An hour and a half. Do you feel better?"

"Yes."

"Good." Kaiba held her closer to him, if that was possible, and let out a deep sigh. He'd finally resulted to giving in to his feelings completely…at the moment. He was worn out from ignoring how his heart felt when it came to her and reminded himself the reason he was fighting for her life was to prove his feelings to her, to him, and to everyone.

"Should we get something for dinner?" Serena asked a few minutes later, realizing it was around five-thirty.

"Later," Kaiba said gently, nuzzling his face in Serena's hair. "I want to sit like this a moment longer."

Serena blushed but did not scorn the feeling of the moment. In fact, she rather enjoyed it. I guess it is a little bit of a surprise for him to be acting this way. But…it's nice. Surprise or not.