THE PARTING OF LOST SOULS

Chapter Sixteen: Matters of the Heart

Two days already passed since Kaiba, Mokuba, Jonouchi, and Yugi took Emrys home from the hospital. To spend their last evening together in New York, the five enjoyed a quiet dinner at Kaiba's favorite posh Japanese restaurant.

Afterwards, they went back to the loft and decided to turn in for the evening.

At the balcony of her bedroom, Emryse sat on a lounge chair with a pillow propped behind her back for comfort. Her listless eyes absent-mindedly stared at the moonlit sky as she flexed her neck. The prominently bruised areas of her body hurt, her sprained left arm throbbed, and her torso shot pain whenever she moved.

Someone behind Emrys cleared his throat and said, "You're supposed to be in bed."

Emrys looked sideways and saw Kaiba leaning against the sliding glass door with his arms crossed in front of his chest. She quietly motioned him to join her.

Kaiba sat down beside her and gazed at the moonlit sky. He leaned forward, rested his elbows on his thighs, and clasped his hands. As much as he noticed her marked improvement, he could see she was still worn-out from their ordeal.

In spite of the pain, Emrys managed to muster a gentle smile. She asked him, "How are your wounds?"

"They'll heal. How are you feeling?"

"Still pretty banged up, but I'll live."

As Emrys turned sideways to face Kaiba after the long and awkward silence between them, she kidded, "Are you competing to see who got the worse wounds?"

Kaiba responded with his trademark smirk, "You were hit by a car."

"And you were the one bitten, slapped, and seduced by a vicious female. Must be your killer good looks and charming personality doing all the work for you." Emrys then gave Kaiba a sly grin. "You must've enjoyed that."

Kaiba scoffed at the comment, his eyebrows raising and his azure eyes narrowing as he deadpanned, "I'd rather be hit by a car."

Emrys' eyes widened in feigned disbelief. "Oh no,I don't think so. Remember what happened to me...coma, concussion, broken bones, fever? Also don't forget about those shadows trying to kill me."

Kaiba repeatedly shook his head. "How could I forget?"

Referring to her recent amnesiac episode, Emrys chuckled, "No pun intended, huh?"

Not letting it go, Kaiba shot back a glance. "You're a pain in the ass."

"Yes, I know. Tell that to the many people I drove insane over the years."

They uncomfortably exchanged chuckles and smirks as they once again looked at the moonlit sky. Another moment of awkward silence then followed.

Eventually, Kaiba muttered in frustration, "I hate this... I can't..."

Emrys sighed and then whispered, knowing what Kaiba wanted to say but could not bring about doing so, "I know. I..."

"Was I foolish to think..."

After a long pause with Kaiba leaving his words in mid-sentence, Emrys murmured, "No, you're not."

Kaiba's expressive and intense sapphire eyes deeply gazed into Emrys' hazel ones. "Then what's going on between us?"

Emrys quietly told Kaiba, "I have feelings for you."

What rattled the sable-haired young man was not what Emrys said but the way that she said her words. He asked in a flat tone, "Just as your feelings for Mokuba?"

"It's more than that. It's hard for me to say this, but…."

"You like Yugi much more than you like me."

Emrys corrected him. "I love both of you. You're a good friend, a brother, and much more than that to me."

Kaiba's frown intensified as he stood up from his chair and glared at Emrys. "That's bullshit. How could you love me and him at the same time?"

"People can love others in many different ways. I love you more than I should love a friend. Even though I want to, I can't give you all that you're seeking from me. My feelings for you are more familial and platonic rather than romantic."

A long period of silence stood between the CEO and the singer.

Emrys gazed into Kaiba's eyes, the CEO's flared temper cooling down once more. She tried to probe his thoughts and see his efforts in controlling his emotions. "If you want to sever our friendship, I would understand. No matter what your decision might be, I would respect it and would still feel the same way about you."

The CEO looked down at the marbled floor, gathering his thoughts. He saw in Emrys' eyes the warmth and authenticity of her words. "You knew how cruel I could be. I even showed it to you. In spite of that, you still looked beyond that and reached out. Why?"

"And why not?"

Kaiba stared at Emrys. "You tell me..."

A veil of empathy rested on Emrys' face. "It's because I know how it is to be misunderstood...just as you have been. If they or you could see what I see in you then you'll understand why I feel this way for you. I saw it at Kaiba-Land even though you and I had gotten off the wrong foot there. I most especially saw it during this entire time. It proves that Mokuba and Yugi are right about you...and so am I..."

After pausing for a little while, Emrys added, "There are many things you don't know about me. Once you find out and see who I was before, I wouldn't blame you if your feelings...whatever we have for each other...might change."

Replying in quiet reassurance, Kaiba noted, "I don't think it would..."

Emrys gave Kaiba a grateful smile. "We're kindred spirits because of the lives we lived. Fate has also been good to both of us. We need to strive for those we love and love us in return We need to have more faith and hope than what we've started with."

The CEO then kept his focus on the moonlit sky without saying a word, not knowing how to respond to Emrys.

Gazing sideways, Emrys murmured, "If you asked me... If it was solely up to me... I wouldn't want to end our friendship."

Kaiba returned Emrys' meaningful stare. "Normally, I'd say that everything you just said was a bunch of crap."

"You do have a place in my heart. I can't see myself having a life without you and Mokuba in it."

A tightlipped Kaiba then quietly said, "I'm making this clear, Emrys. I'm not obligating you to feel the same way for me. My feelings won't change."

"There's someone out there for you. Just keep your heart open for that special someone to come into your life. And when that time comes, you'll find that this person can bring the completion you seek for yourself. That person will see and accept you for who you are."

Kaiba leaned against the wall to face Emrys completely. Afterwards, he asked her, "Does Yugi make you feel that way now?"

Radiating a light and teary-eyed smile, Emrys replied, "Completion..? Yes. I've never been this happy before."

Kaiba's gaze softened as his face became more somber. "I see..."

Emrys gently rested a hand on top of Kaiba's hand. "I'll always be there for you and Mokuba. Please don't forget that..."

"I won't..."

After lightly kissing Kaiba on the cheek, Emrys affectionately tightened her hold of his hand. "I'm blessed, Kaiba. I'm blessed to have you as a good friend."

Kaiba gave Emrys a peck on the cheek. How he wished deep inside that he could do more. Azure then met hazel with heart-touching depth, making her eyes misty.

Fighting back his emotions, Kaiba quietly stated, "You were also there when I dueled against Yoshiko. I thank you for that..."

Teardrops flowed down her cheeks as Emrys replied, "You're welcome. I owe you my life. I'll never forget what you've done for me."

Kaiba placed his other hand over Emrys' hand and tightened his squeeze. After letting her hand go, he then stood up, turned around, and left the balcony. He left the scene sporting a tight lip, breathing deeply, and maintaining his iron-willed composure even though his heart was tearing him up inside.

Emrys, on the other hand, looked upwards to hold back most of her own tears. In spite of what she told him, she really loved him as much as she loved the other Yugi. She hid her face behind her right hand as she wept.

Author's Notes

Everything is still left hanging between Kaiba and Emrys. What does fate have in store for both of them, now that Kaiba knows how she really feels about him?

The third installment of the Lost Souls Story Arc - The Descent of Lost Souls - is already posted. For Pegasus, Shadi, Isis, and Malik fans, this next story arc will be a welcome treat!

Normal Disclaimer

Yu-Gi-Oh is the copyrighted property of Kazuki Takahashi. Alexandra Emrys, Yoshiko, Detective Garson, other original characters, and this fan fiction are the property of the author. This fan fiction is written for entertainment purposes only, thereby releasing the author from any and all liabilities.