* * *
Chapter 10!!!! *does lil dance* Never thought I would get this far, but thanx to the beggings of my friends...I did. Ok, anyway, Kaiba and Toria are still in major denial, but they are willing to admit each other is hot. ^_^ Um...however, their how relationship is about denial, at least it is until the other fanfic I'm writing, which is tentatively titled Lost in Golden Sands. Anyway, hoping you'll R&R I'm pretty pleased ^____________^
* * *
Mokuba plopped down into a chair at the small table in the solarium, enjoying the rich smell of the steam rising from his macaroni and cheese. He relished the idea of something that hadn't come out of a box. He wasn't much of a cook.
He watched with a happy smile as the new maid served him a glass of milk and toast. Her bold, 'I'm-here-to-take-charge-of-everything' attitude was refreshing. Seto was always busy with the company. He barely had time to eat or sleep, let alone go to school and do homework.
"Wow, this looks great Toria," he thanked her, getting a milk mustache. She gave him a faintly warm smile, her violet eyes glowing with happiness at his gratitude.
She used these same violet eyes to seemingly x-ray the walls for a sign of life in the study. As though reading her mind, Mokuba added:
"Seto doesn't usually eat lunch. Just drink more coffee."
"That boy is going to go into caffeine shock and we'll find him gibbering madly three days later." She put her hands on her hips. "He is coming to lunch because I am going to make him come to lunch. You keep eating, Mokuba. I am going to talk to your brother."
"He doesn't like to be disturbed. I wouldn't..." tried Mokuba. But she was already off towards the study.
She barged into the room, as was her usual. He seemed to be consulting spreadsheets now. Used to these disturbances, he did not look up. She rammed her face close to his, breathing heavily, like a warhorse back from battle. She fixed him with her steeliest glare.
"Seto Kaiba," she declared. "You are going to eat lunch with your brother Mokuba. And I am here to make sure you do it."
He sent her another glare, and she glared back. Both of them were wondering why he didn't just give up. He did. He heaved himself out of the chair, taking his empty coffee cup with him for a refill. However, when he didn't move but instead went to collect papers to work through lunch, she tore them from his hands and pushed him down the hall, or tried to – for a small girl of five feet to bodily move a six foot seven guy is not exactly simple.
"No work. For a full twenty minutes. I challenge you to try it."
"I don't have to do what you say," he harrumphed, like a snubbed child. "You're working for me, not the other way around."
"It's your fault I'm here, and I plan to make you as miserable as possible by turning this mansion inside out. You'll wish you never dueled me." She gave a sort of dry humor grimace, dragging him into the solarium.
She roughly shoved him into a chair and pushed a plate of food in front of him.
"Eat it. You look half dead." He tried another final, half-hearted glare. After several spoonfuls of lunch, he turned to her, eyes slightly softer, as though some of the ice was trying to thaw.
"You look like you were up all night. Go to bed for a few hours." He gave her mocking, similar gesture as though he was pushing her as she pushed him. "Try a sofa in the library. That's an order."
"I have work to do," she said stubbornly.
"You'd rather wash dishes?" he said coolly. "Fine." Mokuba, seeing her sleep deprivation and feeling full of good food, gave her a puppy dog look.
"Please get some rest, Toria. We..." Kaiba gave him a glare, which did for once take affect. "I mean, I – don't want you catching a cold."
The double team of coldness and cuteness was too much. With a 'I'm-not- defeated-yet' sigh, she flounced off to the library.
As soon as she was gone, Mokuba spoke up.
"Big brother?"
"Yes?"
"Is she going to stay for a while?" He gestured at his plate, shoveling in more food. "I like her."
Kaiba ate stolidly, thinking methodically.
"Yes, well, I like her too." Then he cleared his table and went back to the study.
* * *
Toria had promised herself she wouldn't fall asleep, that she would get up and do something else to rebel against Kaiba's orders. But as she curled up on the plush sofa, it felt difficult to get up and cause more havoc.
Kaiba wasn't so bad, she thought quietly. A work-a-holic, true, too much coffee in his diet, yes...But his cruelty, she saw, was a shield. A shield so he wouldn't be hurt. You just had to find a way around these things.
She even allowed herself a miniature fantasy of Kaiba giving her a soft hug before she was lost to the land of sleep.
* * *
Kaiba's coffee was running low. He wondered what strange thing in him had tugged as he told her to get some sleep. Compassion, a voice attempted to hiss. He destroyed it with a mentally blow.
When she wasn't being fiery, or 'The Warrioress' or anything like that...he saw what Yugi and his friends liked about her. She was...kind. He had rarely felt kindness. With a sudden surge of energy neither coffee or the idea of stuffy executives could muster, he made his way to the library to check on her.
He slowly eased the door open, seeing her immobile form curled as sweetly as a kitten on the sofa in front of the piano. A feather of emotion brushed his heart. And, before he knew what he was doing, he reached for the heavy coverlet and tenderly spread it across her, and gently kissed her forehead. She smiled faintly in her sleep, whispering a tiny word. He listened closely, hearing a breathy, sleep-muttered word... "Mmm, Kaiba..." Startled that she might be awake and slap him for kissing her, he quickly exited back to his study.
Girls, he thought as he sat back down at his laptop, surely has strange affects of boys.
* * *
Chapter 11 soon...this is going to be a 13-chapter story, and then we start 'Lost in Golden Sands'. So keep checking...
A/N: Also, for my dear friend Twigz, expect Marik's WEDDING to be popping up here soon!
Chapter 10!!!! *does lil dance* Never thought I would get this far, but thanx to the beggings of my friends...I did. Ok, anyway, Kaiba and Toria are still in major denial, but they are willing to admit each other is hot. ^_^ Um...however, their how relationship is about denial, at least it is until the other fanfic I'm writing, which is tentatively titled Lost in Golden Sands. Anyway, hoping you'll R&R I'm pretty pleased ^____________^
* * *
Mokuba plopped down into a chair at the small table in the solarium, enjoying the rich smell of the steam rising from his macaroni and cheese. He relished the idea of something that hadn't come out of a box. He wasn't much of a cook.
He watched with a happy smile as the new maid served him a glass of milk and toast. Her bold, 'I'm-here-to-take-charge-of-everything' attitude was refreshing. Seto was always busy with the company. He barely had time to eat or sleep, let alone go to school and do homework.
"Wow, this looks great Toria," he thanked her, getting a milk mustache. She gave him a faintly warm smile, her violet eyes glowing with happiness at his gratitude.
She used these same violet eyes to seemingly x-ray the walls for a sign of life in the study. As though reading her mind, Mokuba added:
"Seto doesn't usually eat lunch. Just drink more coffee."
"That boy is going to go into caffeine shock and we'll find him gibbering madly three days later." She put her hands on her hips. "He is coming to lunch because I am going to make him come to lunch. You keep eating, Mokuba. I am going to talk to your brother."
"He doesn't like to be disturbed. I wouldn't..." tried Mokuba. But she was already off towards the study.
She barged into the room, as was her usual. He seemed to be consulting spreadsheets now. Used to these disturbances, he did not look up. She rammed her face close to his, breathing heavily, like a warhorse back from battle. She fixed him with her steeliest glare.
"Seto Kaiba," she declared. "You are going to eat lunch with your brother Mokuba. And I am here to make sure you do it."
He sent her another glare, and she glared back. Both of them were wondering why he didn't just give up. He did. He heaved himself out of the chair, taking his empty coffee cup with him for a refill. However, when he didn't move but instead went to collect papers to work through lunch, she tore them from his hands and pushed him down the hall, or tried to – for a small girl of five feet to bodily move a six foot seven guy is not exactly simple.
"No work. For a full twenty minutes. I challenge you to try it."
"I don't have to do what you say," he harrumphed, like a snubbed child. "You're working for me, not the other way around."
"It's your fault I'm here, and I plan to make you as miserable as possible by turning this mansion inside out. You'll wish you never dueled me." She gave a sort of dry humor grimace, dragging him into the solarium.
She roughly shoved him into a chair and pushed a plate of food in front of him.
"Eat it. You look half dead." He tried another final, half-hearted glare. After several spoonfuls of lunch, he turned to her, eyes slightly softer, as though some of the ice was trying to thaw.
"You look like you were up all night. Go to bed for a few hours." He gave her mocking, similar gesture as though he was pushing her as she pushed him. "Try a sofa in the library. That's an order."
"I have work to do," she said stubbornly.
"You'd rather wash dishes?" he said coolly. "Fine." Mokuba, seeing her sleep deprivation and feeling full of good food, gave her a puppy dog look.
"Please get some rest, Toria. We..." Kaiba gave him a glare, which did for once take affect. "I mean, I – don't want you catching a cold."
The double team of coldness and cuteness was too much. With a 'I'm-not- defeated-yet' sigh, she flounced off to the library.
As soon as she was gone, Mokuba spoke up.
"Big brother?"
"Yes?"
"Is she going to stay for a while?" He gestured at his plate, shoveling in more food. "I like her."
Kaiba ate stolidly, thinking methodically.
"Yes, well, I like her too." Then he cleared his table and went back to the study.
* * *
Toria had promised herself she wouldn't fall asleep, that she would get up and do something else to rebel against Kaiba's orders. But as she curled up on the plush sofa, it felt difficult to get up and cause more havoc.
Kaiba wasn't so bad, she thought quietly. A work-a-holic, true, too much coffee in his diet, yes...But his cruelty, she saw, was a shield. A shield so he wouldn't be hurt. You just had to find a way around these things.
She even allowed herself a miniature fantasy of Kaiba giving her a soft hug before she was lost to the land of sleep.
* * *
Kaiba's coffee was running low. He wondered what strange thing in him had tugged as he told her to get some sleep. Compassion, a voice attempted to hiss. He destroyed it with a mentally blow.
When she wasn't being fiery, or 'The Warrioress' or anything like that...he saw what Yugi and his friends liked about her. She was...kind. He had rarely felt kindness. With a sudden surge of energy neither coffee or the idea of stuffy executives could muster, he made his way to the library to check on her.
He slowly eased the door open, seeing her immobile form curled as sweetly as a kitten on the sofa in front of the piano. A feather of emotion brushed his heart. And, before he knew what he was doing, he reached for the heavy coverlet and tenderly spread it across her, and gently kissed her forehead. She smiled faintly in her sleep, whispering a tiny word. He listened closely, hearing a breathy, sleep-muttered word... "Mmm, Kaiba..." Startled that she might be awake and slap him for kissing her, he quickly exited back to his study.
Girls, he thought as he sat back down at his laptop, surely has strange affects of boys.
* * *
Chapter 11 soon...this is going to be a 13-chapter story, and then we start 'Lost in Golden Sands'. So keep checking...
A/N: Also, for my dear friend Twigz, expect Marik's WEDDING to be popping up here soon!