Serena cast a wary sideways look at Duke as he sat in the chair behind her. She was sitting in front of Seto rubbing his feet. Apparently it was something that she normally did. And according to Seto she better get used to it, because it never bothered her before.
"Why does he keep staring at me?" Serena whispered to Seto as she leaned forward.
"He is?" Seto asked feeling uneasy as a pang a jealousy shot through him, but he pushed it away as quickly as it appeared and tried to forget about it.
"Yes!" Serena said nervously. "He was watching me all through dinner with his mouth hanging open."
"Well, Duke was your high school boyfriend." Seto lied in explanation. "Wait, you don't get any of the old feelings back when you look at him do you?"
Serena took a quick glance at the dice obsessed man again. Duke had finally stopped staring and was reclining lazily in a chair. His black hair up in his traditional ponytail with a dice hanging from his ear. Duke let out a huge burp, crushed the coke can he had been drinking out of, and tossed in the trashcan.
"Nope!" Serena said with disgust. Seto nodded in approval as he leaned back in his chair, wondering why he felt so happy at the assurance that Serena didn't find his friend attractive.
"That's good honey," Seto said as Serena stopped rubbing his feet. Serena got up and went to sit on the couch. She hadn't even sat for a second when Seto interrupted her temporary relaxation.
"Kanna, I think our guest needs another drink." Seto admonished as Serena glared at him.
"I really shouldn't, but I guess one would be okay." Duke said as Serena went to get him another coke. She walked back into the room and handed him two.
"Just in case." She said scathingly. Duke accepted the drinks without a word as Serena once again tried to sit.
"Honey," Seto's irritating drawl said as she spun on her heels to glare at him. "I'm kinda hungry, how about some brownies?"
"I didn't make any brownies." Serena protested.
'How about some chocolate cream pie?" Yami suggested.
"I made chocolate cream pie." Serena admitted as she went to go get it. In the kitchen was Yugi sitting on the counter applying something to the bottom of two plates.
"Is this idea going to work?" Joey asked watching Yugi apply the liquid.
"Of course, it's going to work, my ideas always work." Yugi said proudly.
"I loved it when you glued Yami to the toilet seat." Joey said suppressing a laugh. He turned around right as Serena entered the room. Yugi quickly situated the plated just right and ran toward the back of the kitchen and hid behind the door to observe the fruits of their labor. They were soon rewarded when Serena took the plates and started to head for the living room. She stopped when she noticed the plates were stuck to her hand. She tried everything to get the offending plates off, even hitting them against the side of the counter. She looked up when she heard the not too quiet laughs of Joey and Yugi.
"Yugi!" Serena shouted rounding on the two boys. They let out a yell at being discovered and ran into the living room. Serena ran after them the plates still stuck to her hands. She was stopped by Seto as he sat up in his chair.
'What happened?" he asked annoyed.
"This happened!" Serena said angrily as she showed him the two plates. Seto reached out and tried to pull the plates off her hands.
"You guys are begging for it!" he threatened as he leaned back in his chair. Serena rounded on him angrily her pretty golden eyes flashing dangerously.
"What are you blustering about?! You'll never punish them!" she hissed as she made a threatening motion to all four boys on the couch.
"Ease up, Kanna, just ease up!" he said raising his voice to stop her. Serena gave Seto a death glare.
"Ease up? Ease up!" Serena said her voice rising in intensity. "Ever since I have walked through that door I have cooked, cleaned, scrubbed. I have waited on you, your dogs, your children, and your friends!" she said pointing to each as she said their name. "In hopes that I would remember some SHRED of my life and now it is entirely clear to me why I have chosen to block it out!" She yelled. This had been building in her for a long time and she was finally getting it out.
"Now look!" Seto said rising to his feet angrily. "None of this every bothered you before!" Seto said as Serena said the last three words in unison. he always that whenever she made any complaint.
"Well it bothers me now!" Serena said poking him in the chest with one of her plated hands. Just then Mokuba ran up and squirted her with chocolate syrup, receiving a yell of encouragement from his brothers. Serena glared at the youngest boy with her back straight.
"Is that so?" she said silkily her voice trembling with rage as she stalked out of the room. Seto took the bottle away from Mokuba and propelled him to the couch.
"Ok, guys, no more jokes on mom today." He said.
"Got her right where ya want her don't ya?" Duke teased.
"I got everything under control." He said as he took a swig of his drink. "This one is flat! Hand me a coke."
"I only have one left." Duke protested.
"Then I guess we'll have to send the ole ball and chain to buy some more." He said with a laugh as Duke tossed him a coke. Serena chose that moment to bring the pie in and held it front of Seto.
"You chocolate cream pie." She said through clenched teeth. Seto gazed at the fire in her eyes as he took the pie off the plate still glued to her hand.
"Thanks" he said as she turned and left the room. Seto set the pie in the table as everyone began to dig in.
"Honey, we need forks!" he shouted after her. Serena stood in the doorway with a hose in her hand.
"Sugar lips!" she called sweetly as Seto looked up in response.