Riddles of the Heart
written by Atlantis
( 2002
Okie day, here, right here people, is Part 4. Didn't think I'd get it out so soon? Well, honestly, neither did I, but I went through a psycho writing frenzy Thanksgiving night at about ten or eleven at night and stayed up until two writing it. There was about half done already, but I added a whole friggin' bunch, so this'll be a good long chapter. I hope you all appreciate my effort to keep you happy. (Actually, it makes me ecscatic just finishing a chapter, but don't tell anyone. I don't do this just for the people who enjoy my stuff, you know, I do it for me too.)
There was a certain critiquer who mentioned something having to do with Téa's last name. I know it seems confusing right now, but she's got two last names and it'll all be explained, probably by the next chapter. I am aware her last name is Gardener, but I have a few reasons for calling her father by a different last name. I just wanted to straighten that out.
For those of you who liked the last part, which was everybody as far as I saw unless there was some hidden innuendo in those kind critiques, you will LOVE this part. I pulled out all the stops and I'm quite pleased with the end result, so I'm hoping for some awesom reviews for this chapter, but that might just be my big ego. Please enjoy, I know I did!
For those of you who don't know anything about ownership, I do not own Yu- Gi-Oh! nor do I own any of the characters in this story. I also don't own James Bond, whose name is mentioned in here somewhere. The story is mine however and if I find out someone is trying to steal it, I'll drop-kick them to the next Super Bowl (which I also don't own). This public service message has been brought to you by 'Atlantis Inc. a dolphin friendly company.' (No, I really don't own a company. Yeesh!)
Rating: PG-13
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Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in tongues and special knowledge will all disappear. For even our special knowledge in incomplete, and our prophecy incomplete. But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear.
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
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PART 4
When Monday came around, Téa found herself dreading the moment her sisters came home. All weekend, she had been arguing with reporters who wanted her parents' death to be broadcast, seeing as how it hadn't been officially announced that it had been her parents in the fatal crash on Saturday. She decided that she hated reporters. Some of them couldn't even understand why she didn't want it released publicly yet and one even had the audacity to call her selfish.
"You're damn right I'm selfish!" Téa had screamed before slamming down the phone and blocking that phone number on her caller ID.
Not many people knew that it was her parents who had died in the 'fatal car crash' that had been reported on the six-o'-clock evening news Saturday. Only the paramedics and police who had attended the site, Seto Kaiba, and her father's lawyer, who had also been his best friend. He had seen the news and had recognized the car and yard that it had buried itself in before calling Téa to confirm it. They had both cried during their conversation and when it had ended, Harry Jackson had given his caseload to one of his partners (in his law firm) and immediately set about keeping the news quiet until Téa deemed otherwise.
She was thankful for him taking care of her even through his own grief and arranged to meet him later in the week for lunch, to talk and say thank you. The rest of the weekend she had slowly gone through all of the possessions and lovingly reminisced. When she thought back on all the crying she had done, Téa was surprised that she hadn't passed out from dehydration. Now, as she stood at the front door, waiting for her sisters to arrive, she felt utterly terrified. How would she tell them? Could she find the strength to let them know they would never see their parents again?
The sound of a vehicle pulling into the driveway floated through an open window and Téa swallowed. She heard her sisters as they jumped out of their friend's mom's mini-van and squealed goodbyes, running to the front door with duffle bags in tow. They ran in the open front door and stopped abruptly when they saw Téa.
"Hey you two," Téa greeted them, smiling softly.
"What are you doing home?" Arashi questioned her.
"I didn't go to school today," Téa replied.
"Mom and dad let you?" Kiri asked, "Or are you skipping without them knowing? Huh?"
"Neither," their older sister said as she approached them.
"I'm gonna tell on you to mom and dad!" Kiri cried. "Um, after school," she amended. Kiri didn't notice how Téa physically shuddered and furiously blinked back her tears.
"You're not going to school today girls," Téa told them. "Come with me, okay? I've got something important to tell you," she said, taking their hands in hers and leading them to the living room. She sat them down on the couch and knelt in front of them, placing her arms on the cushions on either side of them. Looking them both in the eyes, she bit her lip and began.
"Girls, you are not going to get a chance to tell on me," she said quietly.
"Why not?" Kiri asked, swinging her legs playfully. Téa stopped them with a gentle hand.
"Did they leave again?" Arashi asked. Téa nodded.
"Yes sweetheart, but this time they're not coming back," Téa said quietly. "Mommy and daddy were in a very bad accident on Saturday. You know what an accident is right?" They nodded. "Well, mommy and daddy were hurt really bad and the doctors couldn't save them," Téa explained, deciding to leave out the gruesome facts of the ordeal.
"Are they dead?" Arashi asked, tears glimmering in her eyes. Téa put a hand to her cheek and looked at Kiri who seemed to be a mirror-image. She brought them to her chest and held them tightly in her arms.
"Yes."
It was nearly two hours before the girls calmed down a little, and only because they were tired from their weekend and exhausted from crying so much. Carrying both small girls to their room, one on each hip, she tucked them in and told them to sleep for a while. As Téa stood to leave, Arashi's small hand gripped her fingers and stopped her.
"You're not gonna die too, are you?" she asked with fearful eyes. Kiri turned over in her bed to hear the answer, obviously not asleep.
"NO! No, I'm not leaving you guys, ever! I'm going to take care of you no matter what. Since mommy and daddy are gone now, I need you two to be strong for me, and for them, and we're gonna have to be a team around here now. Things are going to be hard for a little while, but we will get through them. I promise. Don't worry I won't be dying for a long time. Now you two try to get some sleep, alright?" The two little girls nodded at her, satisfied with her answer, and they sniffled quietly before burying their heads in their pillows. Téa walked out of their room quietly and down the stairs to the living room, sinking down into the large black leather recliner and pulling a pillow to her chest to hug. She sighed.
She *would* keep her promise to her sisters, but that didn't erase the fact that she had tried to break it before it had even been made. That incident in the garage... Téa shuddered. It had been too close; despair had almost won. She looked at the phone at her side on the coffee table and suddenly wished that she had gotten Kaiba's number. He would be good to talk to now. As if she had willed it with her wishing, the phone started ringing.
Startled, she didn't move to pick it up until after the third ring, and then breathed out a confused, "Hello?"
"Téa? This is Seto Kaiba." As he spoke, Téa almost felt her heart stop beating. This coincidence was just too weird. She was silent for a few moments and didn't reply, prompting Kaiba to say, "This is Téa Gardener right?"
Shaking out of her stupid-moment, she found her voice and held the phone closer to her ear to hear his voice better.
"Yeah, sorry Seto," she apologized. "I was just a little stunned that you called. I was just wishing that I could call you."
Kaiba felt a small, pleasurable tremor pass through him as he heard her talk. She had called him 'Seto', a term that people only used with him in affectionate terms. Everyone knew that, and at the moment, only Mokuba called him by that name. Just now though, Téa had said it without hesitation, as if she had spoken to him like that all her life. It made him feel a little thrilled before he laughed.
"My number is unlisted, you wouldn't have been able to call me. But so apparently, is yours. I had to give Yugi Moto a call this weekend to get it, and that was after I lied to him about needing it because we had a project to work on together for computer dynamics. He sounded suspicious," Kaiba chuckled. Téa nearly sighed hearing his deep laugh but restrained herself at the last moment.
"He was just being a good friend by caring," Téa said, defending Yugi. "Good thing you called him though. I think Tristan might have hung up on you and I know Joey would have."
"Why's that?" Kaiba asked as he pressed the phone closer to his ear and sunk back into his large leather office chair. His day at work had been hectic so far to say the least and he'd only been there three hours. He had gotten so frustrated with the snobby 'suits' that worked for him that he had just sent them and everyone else home to the day. Kaiba was content being alone in his big office, alone on the twenty-fifth floor, alone in the entire four-building complex, but he felt abandoned without Téa's presence, without her voice. He didn't know when he had figured that out, probably between Saturday night and this morning while he worried about how she was doing, but he didn't understand why. Kaiba had always been content up with his life up until the point he had actually spoken to Téa. Since then, his life seemed to be going in a million directions at once and it startled him to not have complete control of the situation.
"Well, I think it's because they think you're a little snobby," Téa replied, breaking Kaiba out of his silent ponderings. Kaiba looked up sharply as if to look directly at her though she wasn't there, eyebrows drawing together in confusion.
"Huh?" Kaiba asked.
"They think you're snobby. I guess it's because you don't ever talk to anyone and, well, I don't know... You seem kind of standoffish to them I suppose," Téa answered. "Joey especially was trying to convert me to his way of thinking because I didn't think he was right while he is the advocate for 'life without Seto Kaiba', as he calls it. To me you just seemed lonely or like you were protecting yourself. Joey holds a few grudges against you though for beating him in Duel Monsters those couple of times. That was when you used to call him a dog. Do you remember that?" Téa laughed. Kaiba laughed too.
"Yeah, and I'm embarrassed when I look back on those days. I must've looked like such a jerk. I've tried not to be that guy anymore," he told her, "but I suppose in making that guy go away, I've brought up another that's even quieter than before."
"That's for sure. But hey, that's alright too. I for one can appreciate silence, to a point. There are just some times in life where you don't want to hear anything, where you wish there was just emptiness. I've been through those times quite a bit," Téa whispered, confiding in him. "I wish I could get out of this house but my sisters are sleeping and I don't want to leave them. I want to go back to the park."
"Would you mind if I came and visited you? It's more of a bore here at Kaiba Corp than at a knitting festival," Kaiba grouched, hoping to get a laugh out of Téa. He wasn't disappointed. She giggled musically and he wished he was there in front of her, watching her bright eyes twinkle and her lips smile happily.
"I think that would be okay, but only for a little while. I don't want my little sisters to think I'm trying to forget my parents this soon by focusing on a guy. You know what I mean?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's fine, I understand. So, how about that address?"
A few minutes later, Kaiba was on the road to Téa's house after getting instructions and an address from her and about fifteen minutes after that, he arrived at her house. Pulling his Porsche into the driveway with ease, he parked it and pulled his keys from the ignition, tucking them into his pocket as he locked and shut his door. As he walked to the front door, Kaiba felt an ease about him. His muscles didn't feel so stiff, he was feeling something akin to happiness, and the stress he had been feeling that morning felt as if it had been lifted from his shoulders. Kaiba didn't even get a chance to ring the doorbell before the front door was pulled open quickly and Téa's hand reached out and grabbed his own. She blushed deeply, her cheeks turning a pretty pink.
"Sorry," she murmured. "I didn't want you to ring the bell and wake up my sisters." He nodded and followed her in, turning to shut the door behind him. When he turned around, he gave himself a good chance to really look her over and nearly stepped back. She looked... Kami-sama! She looked like she belonged in a James Bond movie! Her hair fell over her shoulders in a wind-blown fashion, bangs falling into her eyes just the slightest and she looked a little out of breath. Her cheeks were tinted a light pink and her lips looked inviting. Man, did they ever look inviting as she slowly took in air through parted lips.
*Yeah buddy, we are back in business!* devil-conscience whooped as he stood up from where he had been confined the last couple of days. There had been once when he had almost gotten free and thrown in a bit of an erotic fantasy into Kaiba's mind, but good-conscience had caught him before it had gotten too far and had tied him up again. But this time, he was free for good and he laughed triumphantly at good-conscience to had sat in a chair that had -somehow- gotten glue on the seat. *Go ahead and undress her Kaiba my boy, at least in your mind. You certainly deserve it after waiting for a couple of days!*
Kaiba shook his head harshly, not liking the direction his thoughts were flowing in and decided to simply continue looking her over. She was wearing tight-fitting black dance pants that clung to her legs and flared out just at the bottom, a pair of black shoes, and a sleeveless, white tank- top that clung to her curves with marvelous effectiveness. Kaiba gulped and looked back at her face.
Téa mistook his gaze at her for puzzlement rather than 'looking over' and shrugged. "I was practicing some hip-hop moves for my dance class. Sorry if I look like a bit of a mess right now," she said, moving away from the door to grab a water bottle that sat near a wall. She bent down to pick it up, giving Kaiba a nice view of her figure before standing up again and twisting the top off to take a drink. "How have you been?" she asked, traveling into the kitchen and motioning for Kaiba to follow.
"Okay I guess. Those damn suits at my corporation are really driving me crazy though. They try to control and manipulate me and then when I see through their plans, they act like whimpering fools and beg for my forgiveness. The only reason I don't fire the lot of them is that they're all uncommonly brilliant," Kaiba vented as he sat down on a bar-stool. Téa offered him a water bottle from the refrigerator but he shook his head 'no' and looked at her. "How about you?"
"Well," she sighed, "I got the privilege to explain to my sisters that my... our parents are dead and are never coming back. I think that, seriously, that was the single hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I nearly broke down just watching those little girls cry, and then they cried some more over thinking that I might die and leave them too, just like my parents." Téa shook her head. "I really don't know how to go about this whole thing. It's so confusing to me."
"The best thing to do is just get on with your life. Keep going no matter what. You can't let your emotions control to the point where their death is the only thing you ever think about. You can't let anything stop you from being all that you can be," Kaiba told her, leaning his forearms on the counter. Téa stared at him open-mouthed and then set her water bottle down sharply and glared at him.
"How can you say that? That is by far the coldest thing I've ever heard someone say after a death. They've only been gone for what... three days, and you're acting like I should try to forget them. What gives you the right to tell me how I should feel about this?" Téa bit at him, her voice rising before she remembered the sleeping girls and turned down the volume a little.
"Listen," Kaiba snarled back, "I'm not telling you how to run your life. I'm just trying to help you out here. If you don't want my help, why don't you just say so? Seeing as how you know everything about everything!"
"Where in the world do you get off that you can be so high and mighty with me? A few days ago, you were so nice to me, but now you act like you're the one living my life, trying to tell me how to handle this. You don't even know what I've been through!" Téa nearly screamed at him, a tear running down her cheek.
"Oh don't I just!" Kaiba shouted at her. "You don't think I know what you're feeling? How I know how to act in a circumstance like this? Of course you have to mourn their death, but you can't dwell on it because it'll eat you up."
"Shut up! I don't want to hear this anymore! You keep going on and on and I don't want to listen to this! You're so full of yourself Kaiba, presuming you know what other people are feeling at a time like this..." she started, but was cut off by Kaiba stomping around to her side of the counter and grabbing her shoulders with a hard grip.
"I wasn't finished dammit! My parents are dead too!" Téa stopped squirming in his grip and stopped cold. "I watched them die right in front of my eyes, just like you. I was six years old. And then I wasn't ever adopted and I thought there was something wrong with me. Then they tried to take my little brother away from me. Don't you dare tell me that I don't know *exactly* what you're feeling right now. Have you tried killing yourself yet? I know I did. You probably don't have the guys to even attempt it," Kaiba growled at her. When she nodded, she let go of her shoulders roughly, shock written across his face.
Téa refused to meet his gaze, wrapping her arms around herself and turning away from him to walk to the opposite end of the kitchen. Kaiba reached a hand out towards her back then pulled it back and moved to the exit of the kitchen as if to leave, then stopped as if he couldn't move anymore. Placed a hand on the doorway he bowed his head, feeling like he had destroyed the one chance at a friendship that he would ever get. He looked into the space of her living room as he heard her quiet voice break the silence, obviously thinking he had left.
"Our first fight and we've only been friends for three days. Do I ever know how to ruin things or what?" she whispered to herself as closed the blinds of the bay window with an annoyance with the light. "But it's not all *my* fault. Damn you Kaiba, sending out so many mixed messages and not getting right to the point. Maybe I should just waltz right on up to him and apologize and then he'll say, 'We should kiss and make up.' Gosh yes, let's kiss and make up. Why doesn't he just walk right back into this house and totally render me helpless with those gorgeous eyes of his and his thick hair and tempting lips?" Téa ran one of her hands through her hair, pulling at it and shutting her eyes tightly, knowing that tears might fall if she didn't force them back.
Kaiba watched as she pulled at her hair, having turned around to watch when she had started talking and was completely shocked. She had just voiced probably some of her deepest wishes and he had heard! So what was he going to do?
*Oh yeah, I can feel these bonds loosening already,* devil-conscience laughed menacingly since the gag had already come off with Kaiba's flow of thoughts drifting into his department.
Backing up, Kaiba left the kitchen quietly and to the living room where he opened up the front door and then shut it with a bang, acting as if he had just stormed back into the house. Marching to the doorway of the kitchen, he stopped and watched Téa whip around to see him, her blue eyes wide at the sight of him. Kaiba grinned seductively and began taking slow steps toward her, making sure his eyes held onto hers like a lifeline. If this was what she wanted, he was damn sure going to help out. He hadn't been thinking of much besides what it would be like to kiss the girl all weekend and he wasn't going to be passing up an opportunity when he knew she felt the same way.
Téa's blood suddenly seemed as if it was rushing faster through her body and her skin as if she had been sitting in an oven. A wave of... nice... heat rolled through her body as she watched him approach her.
His blue eyes burned into hers, not even attempting to conceal what he felt. Desire. He wanted her so badly. His arms wanted to hold her close to him, his lips wanted to devour hers. As he gazed at her, he could practically see the flames licking at the irises of her eyes the same way he knew his own were, and he knew that she felt the same way.
But she was also a little hesitant. It would be her first true kiss, and he wanted to make it the single-most powerful thing she had ever felt in her life. His whole body felt hot. His hands ached to reach out and pull her to him at that very moment, crossing the distance the space between them with only a few long strides, but first, he had to seduce her senses. Allow her to feel totally at ease with him, and his coming touches and kisses.
Téa watched his movements with a sharp gaze, noticing how tantalizingly slow he moved to her. This couldn't have been an instant change in his attitude, but it was strange to think about how this had started. They had been talking about life, started an argument, moved into the kitchen, and had ended up going to separate corners - fuming. Now this was happening. With a startled realization, Téa figured out that Kaiba must've heard her whispered confession.
With Kaiba was only a few steps away from her now, Téa backed herself up until she could go back no further, her back pressed lightly against the edge of the counter. She dropped her head to her chest shyly, turning away a bit from his sizzling glare, failing in her attempt to get her breathing to calm down. She knew the moment he was close enough to touch, the waves of burning passion rolling off of him onto her, and his warm breath gently stirring the hair on the top of her head. Closing her eyes, Téa gulped and fought down the ferris wheel of emotions twirling in her stomach and gingerly lifted her head, her cheek ending up just next to Kaiba's. He was leaning down a little to be closer to her and when the skin of her cheek touched his, her entire body went through a flash of incredible pleasure.
"Téa." His voice was hoarse, strained, as he whispered into her ear and moved his hands to either side of her body, trapping her against the counter. He kissed the shell of her ear so that it was hardly the touch of a feather, and felt her shiver. Téa felt her eyes darken underneath her closed eyelids.
"Seto," she whispered back, her grip on the counter tightening. Her head fell back as she felt him nuzzle her neck, his lips creating intricate patterns on the sensitive skin. He moved closer, his coat brushing up against the front of her as unconsciously leaned towards him. Her hands left the counter, slipping over his own and up to his forearm where they stopped, but pulled him closer to her, her fingernails digging into his coat. Téa gasped out loud as Kaiba touched the skin of her throat with a tentative tongue, tasting her and continuing to kiss her, moving over the curves of her neck and traveling to the other side. He pushed closer to her, her body becoming wrapped up in his jacket and she nearly purred, the sound making Kaiba stop momentarily and smile before he placed another soft kiss on her jaw. Her hands let go of their grip on his forearms and moved slowly up over his arms, past his shoulders, wrapping around his neck and burying themselves in his hair. Kaiba pulled back from her neck reluctantly and looked at her face for a moment, a gentle smile playing across his lips as he glanced at Téa's beautiful features.
She truly had a beautiful face and body, as well as the most perfect heart. With midnight black lashes curling over those light blue eyes when closed, a creamy complexion with the slightest hints of rose-colored cheeks, and those full, red lips that were parted slightly, Seto Kaiba hardly understood what he had done to deserve such a beauty. Her body was flawless too, her legs seeming much longer in that pair of tight, black pants and her curves seeming much more emphasized in her tight-fitting white shirt. Téa was the perfect height too, her head fitting right into the curve of his shoulder and neck. And it wasn't a drawback that she smelled like watermelon either. It made her almost want to eat her, but decided to be content with simply taking in her affection and feeling her love.
Not wanting to disappoint when Téa made a quiet sound that translated into 'more', Kaiba moved his lips to her face, tenderly kissing her forehead and temple. He continued when he heard her sigh contentedly, pressing small kisses to her eyelids and landing a kiss on the tip of her nose. She giggled playfully, enjoying the game and stroked his neck with her fingertips, not aware of the affect she was having on him.
Seto restrained himself with a forceful will. How much he wanted to just ravish her! But remembering that this was supposed to be Téa's experience as much as his own, he placed a kiss on the side of her mouth, then placed his forehead on hers, waiting a few seconds to calm himself down. He felt Téa's fingers slow on his neck and then stop, obviously puzzled as to why he stopped.
When his kisses had stopped abruptly, Téa thought that it was just more of Kaiba's game and smiled. When his lips had touched the corner of her own, she had almost turned her face to receive the full gift, but waited patiently, knowing that he'd present it to her soon anyway. Instead, she felt his forehead touch her own and she stopped her fingers haltingly, wondering if perhaps Kaiba didn't want to kiss her. When she began to pull away, she suddenly felt his hands tighten the slightest on her waist and pull her back to him, his breath suddenly feathering against her mouth.
The soft pressure of his lips pressed against her own, warm and gentle. Téa's eyes fluttered open in surprise and then shut again, loving his lips and the way they felt. She sighed as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her and bringing her fully up against him. Feeling his warm body and hard, coiled muscles against her, around her, Téa nearly shivered. It felt so good to be in his arms finally. How long had she dreamed of it feeling this good?
A delightful sensation met Téa's lips as Kaiba angled his head and pulled away before kissing again and pulling away slowly, suckling gently on her lower lip. She thought she felt her knees give, but couldn't tell because Kaiba kept a tight hold on her, keeping her close to him. Heat spread throughout her body as he continued to kiss her and began to move his hands on her back, moving his fingers around in little circles and pushing on tight muscles to make them relax. One hand moved up to her neck, cradling it gently as she let her head fall back before he guided it back up. Her eyes felt as if they were weighted down, so hot, and she opened her eyes to look at him through passion-tinted eyes. Téa watched as Kaiba's eyes darkened as his head moved down again, soft black eyelashes falling over his gorgeous eyes.
A soft moan escaped the back of Téa's throat as Kaiba pushed his tongue against the seam of her lips, seeking access for a deeper kiss. She obliged readily, opening her mouth to the onslaught of his kisses. He went slowly at first, exploring her mouth and seeking to mingle with her tongue. Then they became more impassioned, more hungry. He pushed against her and angled his head for a better position, wrapping his arm around her waist more tightly. His kisses were faster and desperate, as if trying to let out all of the pent-up emotions he had hidden for nearly thirteen years. All of the anger, the fear, love, lust, sadness, joy, everything, he poured into his kiss. He growled against Téa's lips as she began to tentatively return the passion, pushing against him and entangling her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.
Deciding it would be easier on her back if she wasn't pressed up on the edge of the counter, Kaiba moved his hand from her neck down to her waist where the other was, still continuing to kiss her, and lifted her to the counter-top. She pulled away from him for a brief moment, realizing the change and looked at his face, nearly level with her own. She hadn't realized he was so tall, able to be at eye-level while she sat above him on the counter. Not much more passed through her mind before Kaiba pulled her to him once more, his hands deciding to take a different course than before.
Téa shivered into his chest, into his kiss as she felt his hands wander over her body, stroking her back, moving up and down her arms, roving over her hips and even over her butt. She felt his fingers teasing the hem of her shirt gently, barely reaching under the material to touch the heated skin of her back. Through all of his touches and kisses, Téa realized that she was practically straddling him, her legs on either side of his body. Grinning against his lips, she decided to join in the game and wrapped her legs around his waist to bring him closer.
Kaiba was startled when he felt his body slam into Téa's, held there by her legs. As if to meet her challenge, his hands teased along her legs, fingers tracing long lines of liquid fire over her pants, knowing she felt it on her skin. He was surprised when she added more fire to their kiss, deepening it to the point of almost indecency. Kaiba like it. A lot. With her initiation of the new affection, Kaiba allowed his formerly restrained hands to wander up her back beneath her shirt, enjoying the soft feel of her skin against his hands. Téa groaned.
"You cheater," she breathed, pulling away and taking in air greedily. He grinned devilishly but then blanched as she suddenly pulled his shirt from his pants (where it had been nicely tucked) and reached under, raking her nails across his chest in retaliation. He hissed and glared at her with a dark intensity even as she continued to pull her hands across his flesh with a sexy determination.
*Man, this is getting too hot in here for even me!* devil-conscience cried, picking up a suitcase and bolting from Kaiba's mind. A little sign on the door of Kaiba's mind let everyone know that good-conscience had split long ago. With no extra little guys to help Kaiba out, he began reaching for Téa's lips with a renewed intensity when he immediately stilled, feeling Téa's muscles stiffen against his hands. They looked at each other, horrified then turned their heads fearfully to the direction of the kitchen's entrance.
"Téa?" a small voice called once again. The first time it had been so quiet that it had hardly been noticed, but both had stopped nonetheless, wanting to make sure before continuing. Kaiba heard Téa curse under her breath as her eyes widened in shock. He hastily pulled her from the counter and began tucking his shirt back in while Téa straightened her appearance as well, smoothing out her shirt and hair and fixing her pants.
"What do you need honey?" she asked, walking out of the kitchen quickly and to the edge of the staircase. Arashi stood there, rubbing her eyes and held out her arms for Téa to pick her up. Doing so, she held the girl in her arms and hugged her to her, looking at her in question.
"I had a bad dream. I dreamed that I was all alone and everyone had died just like mommy and daddy... It was awful!" she cried, wrapping her arms around Téa's neck and crying. Over the small girl's shoulder, Téa looked at Kaiba and gave him a soft smile, all of her former passion having disappeared, before focusing on her sister once more.
"Hey, it's alright sweetheart. Look, I'm right here and your sister is still upstairs. And see here, even my friend Seto Kaiba is here. You're not alone and you never will be," Téa whispered softly in the little girl's hair. Sniffling, Arashi looked up and around, spotting Kaiba as he moved over to her. He held out his hand kindly and she took it, her small eyes growing wide as he placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.
"Pleased to meet you," he said quietly, smiling at the young girl. She blinked, all tears forgotten and looked at Téa.
"I like him," she stated simply. Téa bit her lip and blushed, looking down before meeting Kaiba's gaze over her sister's head, noticing a faint desire flare in his eyes before dying quickly.
"Yeah, me too," Téa replied, looking only at her sister. "Is there anything else you need? If not, I want you to go back to bed, you still look pretty tired." Arashi looked at Kaiba and she giggled and looked at Téa sheepishly.
"Can I have a drink of water?"
After Téa had put Arashi back to sleep, she went down the stairs and found Kaiba sitting in her favorite chair, looking totally at ease. She mock-glared at him before walking over and sitting in his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. For a few moments they were quiet before Téa began shaking with laughter. Kaiba was puzzled and tapped on her shoulder, wanting to be let in on the joke.
"Oh, I just think it's so funny how we were interrupted," she laughed, watching Kaiba blush slightly at the remembrance. He had certainly given her the first kiss she had always wanted. "I mean, on movies all the time, couples are always getting interrupted by a kid who wants a drink of water or by people walking in on them. I never thought it actually happened!" Téa kept laughing, her stomach hurting a little from so much shaking and laid her head back on Kaiba's shoulder. She sighed. "How did we get so close to each other so fast, Seto?" she asked suddenly. He blinked and then tightened his arms around her waist as she stopped laughing.
"I honestly don't know, but I like it," he replied truthfully.
For the rest of the afternoon, they spent the time in each other's arms, quietly talking or watching movies while they enjoyed not being alone. They felt completely at peace, something that had eluded both of them for a longer time than they had been aware. It was a good feeling.
***
End of Part 4. Yay! Go me! Would you believe that all of this is from the imagination of a Junior in high school who has never been kissed? Probably not, but it's true. Anyways, if you had a problem with this chapter, then that's your own beef because I've noticed that PG-13s are constantly NOT PG- 13s. Most of the time, they should be labeled as PG if that. The actual accuracy of a PG-13 is more like a James Bond movie (for those of you who have never seen a James Bond 007 movie, they are mostly filled with sex, intrigue, and plans of mass-destruction from the bad guys - you see one, you've seen them all), which is kind of crazy, but true.
My ranting has brought me to the question of the week: How often do you find stories that are incorrectly labeled? I know when I go looking for a PG-13 or whatever, I intend to find one and when I find something that doesn't even describe a good kiss, I get a tad miffed.
Well, that brings me to the end of my author's notes I believe. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I loved writing it. Also, if any of you know of any good YGO! websites where I could post my stuff (fiction- wise) I would really appreciate it. I'd like an audience that extends beyond ff.net. Don't get me wrong, I love you guys, I'd just like to have it posted in other places.
Alright, something else to let you all know, I'm writing an Egyptian YGO! fic now because I just couldn't help myself. That would be why last week I asked about preferences for types of fanfics in the question of the week. Although I didn't get really any positive responses (except 1) about the whole Egypt scene, I still decided to go ahead with it because I'm having a lot of fun with it. It will be a Seto/Téa fic for all of you wondering and I've only posted the prologue so I could see what the general response is to this fic before posting more. So if you'd like, go check that out now that you've finished this. I'd really appreciate feedback on that fic.
One more additional thing before I go, next weekend, I will most definitely NOT be posting, this weekend was a freak accident as it was, but next week is a supreme no-no. I'm going to a two-day competition for Academic Decathalon (a class where you learn about ten subjects and then compete for places all the way up to nationals) and my writing time is going to be just about in the negative numbers of minutes. That makes me mad, but oh well. I also have heaps of projects to do before semester, so don't plan on getting anything else soon. My AP Biology project alone will probably mortally wound me. Please don't think I'm nerdy. With that said, I bid you all adieu!
Atlantis *^_^*
godscartungrrl@netscape.net
Okie day, here, right here people, is Part 4. Didn't think I'd get it out so soon? Well, honestly, neither did I, but I went through a psycho writing frenzy Thanksgiving night at about ten or eleven at night and stayed up until two writing it. There was about half done already, but I added a whole friggin' bunch, so this'll be a good long chapter. I hope you all appreciate my effort to keep you happy. (Actually, it makes me ecscatic just finishing a chapter, but don't tell anyone. I don't do this just for the people who enjoy my stuff, you know, I do it for me too.)
There was a certain critiquer who mentioned something having to do with Téa's last name. I know it seems confusing right now, but she's got two last names and it'll all be explained, probably by the next chapter. I am aware her last name is Gardener, but I have a few reasons for calling her father by a different last name. I just wanted to straighten that out.
For those of you who liked the last part, which was everybody as far as I saw unless there was some hidden innuendo in those kind critiques, you will LOVE this part. I pulled out all the stops and I'm quite pleased with the end result, so I'm hoping for some awesom reviews for this chapter, but that might just be my big ego. Please enjoy, I know I did!
For those of you who don't know anything about ownership, I do not own Yu- Gi-Oh! nor do I own any of the characters in this story. I also don't own James Bond, whose name is mentioned in here somewhere. The story is mine however and if I find out someone is trying to steal it, I'll drop-kick them to the next Super Bowl (which I also don't own). This public service message has been brought to you by 'Atlantis Inc. a dolphin friendly company.' (No, I really don't own a company. Yeesh!)
Rating: PG-13
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Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in tongues and special knowledge will all disappear. For even our special knowledge in incomplete, and our prophecy incomplete. But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear.
1 Corinthians 13:8-10
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PART 4
When Monday came around, Téa found herself dreading the moment her sisters came home. All weekend, she had been arguing with reporters who wanted her parents' death to be broadcast, seeing as how it hadn't been officially announced that it had been her parents in the fatal crash on Saturday. She decided that she hated reporters. Some of them couldn't even understand why she didn't want it released publicly yet and one even had the audacity to call her selfish.
"You're damn right I'm selfish!" Téa had screamed before slamming down the phone and blocking that phone number on her caller ID.
Not many people knew that it was her parents who had died in the 'fatal car crash' that had been reported on the six-o'-clock evening news Saturday. Only the paramedics and police who had attended the site, Seto Kaiba, and her father's lawyer, who had also been his best friend. He had seen the news and had recognized the car and yard that it had buried itself in before calling Téa to confirm it. They had both cried during their conversation and when it had ended, Harry Jackson had given his caseload to one of his partners (in his law firm) and immediately set about keeping the news quiet until Téa deemed otherwise.
She was thankful for him taking care of her even through his own grief and arranged to meet him later in the week for lunch, to talk and say thank you. The rest of the weekend she had slowly gone through all of the possessions and lovingly reminisced. When she thought back on all the crying she had done, Téa was surprised that she hadn't passed out from dehydration. Now, as she stood at the front door, waiting for her sisters to arrive, she felt utterly terrified. How would she tell them? Could she find the strength to let them know they would never see their parents again?
The sound of a vehicle pulling into the driveway floated through an open window and Téa swallowed. She heard her sisters as they jumped out of their friend's mom's mini-van and squealed goodbyes, running to the front door with duffle bags in tow. They ran in the open front door and stopped abruptly when they saw Téa.
"Hey you two," Téa greeted them, smiling softly.
"What are you doing home?" Arashi questioned her.
"I didn't go to school today," Téa replied.
"Mom and dad let you?" Kiri asked, "Or are you skipping without them knowing? Huh?"
"Neither," their older sister said as she approached them.
"I'm gonna tell on you to mom and dad!" Kiri cried. "Um, after school," she amended. Kiri didn't notice how Téa physically shuddered and furiously blinked back her tears.
"You're not going to school today girls," Téa told them. "Come with me, okay? I've got something important to tell you," she said, taking their hands in hers and leading them to the living room. She sat them down on the couch and knelt in front of them, placing her arms on the cushions on either side of them. Looking them both in the eyes, she bit her lip and began.
"Girls, you are not going to get a chance to tell on me," she said quietly.
"Why not?" Kiri asked, swinging her legs playfully. Téa stopped them with a gentle hand.
"Did they leave again?" Arashi asked. Téa nodded.
"Yes sweetheart, but this time they're not coming back," Téa said quietly. "Mommy and daddy were in a very bad accident on Saturday. You know what an accident is right?" They nodded. "Well, mommy and daddy were hurt really bad and the doctors couldn't save them," Téa explained, deciding to leave out the gruesome facts of the ordeal.
"Are they dead?" Arashi asked, tears glimmering in her eyes. Téa put a hand to her cheek and looked at Kiri who seemed to be a mirror-image. She brought them to her chest and held them tightly in her arms.
"Yes."
It was nearly two hours before the girls calmed down a little, and only because they were tired from their weekend and exhausted from crying so much. Carrying both small girls to their room, one on each hip, she tucked them in and told them to sleep for a while. As Téa stood to leave, Arashi's small hand gripped her fingers and stopped her.
"You're not gonna die too, are you?" she asked with fearful eyes. Kiri turned over in her bed to hear the answer, obviously not asleep.
"NO! No, I'm not leaving you guys, ever! I'm going to take care of you no matter what. Since mommy and daddy are gone now, I need you two to be strong for me, and for them, and we're gonna have to be a team around here now. Things are going to be hard for a little while, but we will get through them. I promise. Don't worry I won't be dying for a long time. Now you two try to get some sleep, alright?" The two little girls nodded at her, satisfied with her answer, and they sniffled quietly before burying their heads in their pillows. Téa walked out of their room quietly and down the stairs to the living room, sinking down into the large black leather recliner and pulling a pillow to her chest to hug. She sighed.
She *would* keep her promise to her sisters, but that didn't erase the fact that she had tried to break it before it had even been made. That incident in the garage... Téa shuddered. It had been too close; despair had almost won. She looked at the phone at her side on the coffee table and suddenly wished that she had gotten Kaiba's number. He would be good to talk to now. As if she had willed it with her wishing, the phone started ringing.
Startled, she didn't move to pick it up until after the third ring, and then breathed out a confused, "Hello?"
"Téa? This is Seto Kaiba." As he spoke, Téa almost felt her heart stop beating. This coincidence was just too weird. She was silent for a few moments and didn't reply, prompting Kaiba to say, "This is Téa Gardener right?"
Shaking out of her stupid-moment, she found her voice and held the phone closer to her ear to hear his voice better.
"Yeah, sorry Seto," she apologized. "I was just a little stunned that you called. I was just wishing that I could call you."
Kaiba felt a small, pleasurable tremor pass through him as he heard her talk. She had called him 'Seto', a term that people only used with him in affectionate terms. Everyone knew that, and at the moment, only Mokuba called him by that name. Just now though, Téa had said it without hesitation, as if she had spoken to him like that all her life. It made him feel a little thrilled before he laughed.
"My number is unlisted, you wouldn't have been able to call me. But so apparently, is yours. I had to give Yugi Moto a call this weekend to get it, and that was after I lied to him about needing it because we had a project to work on together for computer dynamics. He sounded suspicious," Kaiba chuckled. Téa nearly sighed hearing his deep laugh but restrained herself at the last moment.
"He was just being a good friend by caring," Téa said, defending Yugi. "Good thing you called him though. I think Tristan might have hung up on you and I know Joey would have."
"Why's that?" Kaiba asked as he pressed the phone closer to his ear and sunk back into his large leather office chair. His day at work had been hectic so far to say the least and he'd only been there three hours. He had gotten so frustrated with the snobby 'suits' that worked for him that he had just sent them and everyone else home to the day. Kaiba was content being alone in his big office, alone on the twenty-fifth floor, alone in the entire four-building complex, but he felt abandoned without Téa's presence, without her voice. He didn't know when he had figured that out, probably between Saturday night and this morning while he worried about how she was doing, but he didn't understand why. Kaiba had always been content up with his life up until the point he had actually spoken to Téa. Since then, his life seemed to be going in a million directions at once and it startled him to not have complete control of the situation.
"Well, I think it's because they think you're a little snobby," Téa replied, breaking Kaiba out of his silent ponderings. Kaiba looked up sharply as if to look directly at her though she wasn't there, eyebrows drawing together in confusion.
"Huh?" Kaiba asked.
"They think you're snobby. I guess it's because you don't ever talk to anyone and, well, I don't know... You seem kind of standoffish to them I suppose," Téa answered. "Joey especially was trying to convert me to his way of thinking because I didn't think he was right while he is the advocate for 'life without Seto Kaiba', as he calls it. To me you just seemed lonely or like you were protecting yourself. Joey holds a few grudges against you though for beating him in Duel Monsters those couple of times. That was when you used to call him a dog. Do you remember that?" Téa laughed. Kaiba laughed too.
"Yeah, and I'm embarrassed when I look back on those days. I must've looked like such a jerk. I've tried not to be that guy anymore," he told her, "but I suppose in making that guy go away, I've brought up another that's even quieter than before."
"That's for sure. But hey, that's alright too. I for one can appreciate silence, to a point. There are just some times in life where you don't want to hear anything, where you wish there was just emptiness. I've been through those times quite a bit," Téa whispered, confiding in him. "I wish I could get out of this house but my sisters are sleeping and I don't want to leave them. I want to go back to the park."
"Would you mind if I came and visited you? It's more of a bore here at Kaiba Corp than at a knitting festival," Kaiba grouched, hoping to get a laugh out of Téa. He wasn't disappointed. She giggled musically and he wished he was there in front of her, watching her bright eyes twinkle and her lips smile happily.
"I think that would be okay, but only for a little while. I don't want my little sisters to think I'm trying to forget my parents this soon by focusing on a guy. You know what I mean?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's fine, I understand. So, how about that address?"
A few minutes later, Kaiba was on the road to Téa's house after getting instructions and an address from her and about fifteen minutes after that, he arrived at her house. Pulling his Porsche into the driveway with ease, he parked it and pulled his keys from the ignition, tucking them into his pocket as he locked and shut his door. As he walked to the front door, Kaiba felt an ease about him. His muscles didn't feel so stiff, he was feeling something akin to happiness, and the stress he had been feeling that morning felt as if it had been lifted from his shoulders. Kaiba didn't even get a chance to ring the doorbell before the front door was pulled open quickly and Téa's hand reached out and grabbed his own. She blushed deeply, her cheeks turning a pretty pink.
"Sorry," she murmured. "I didn't want you to ring the bell and wake up my sisters." He nodded and followed her in, turning to shut the door behind him. When he turned around, he gave himself a good chance to really look her over and nearly stepped back. She looked... Kami-sama! She looked like she belonged in a James Bond movie! Her hair fell over her shoulders in a wind-blown fashion, bangs falling into her eyes just the slightest and she looked a little out of breath. Her cheeks were tinted a light pink and her lips looked inviting. Man, did they ever look inviting as she slowly took in air through parted lips.
*Yeah buddy, we are back in business!* devil-conscience whooped as he stood up from where he had been confined the last couple of days. There had been once when he had almost gotten free and thrown in a bit of an erotic fantasy into Kaiba's mind, but good-conscience had caught him before it had gotten too far and had tied him up again. But this time, he was free for good and he laughed triumphantly at good-conscience to had sat in a chair that had -somehow- gotten glue on the seat. *Go ahead and undress her Kaiba my boy, at least in your mind. You certainly deserve it after waiting for a couple of days!*
Kaiba shook his head harshly, not liking the direction his thoughts were flowing in and decided to simply continue looking her over. She was wearing tight-fitting black dance pants that clung to her legs and flared out just at the bottom, a pair of black shoes, and a sleeveless, white tank- top that clung to her curves with marvelous effectiveness. Kaiba gulped and looked back at her face.
Téa mistook his gaze at her for puzzlement rather than 'looking over' and shrugged. "I was practicing some hip-hop moves for my dance class. Sorry if I look like a bit of a mess right now," she said, moving away from the door to grab a water bottle that sat near a wall. She bent down to pick it up, giving Kaiba a nice view of her figure before standing up again and twisting the top off to take a drink. "How have you been?" she asked, traveling into the kitchen and motioning for Kaiba to follow.
"Okay I guess. Those damn suits at my corporation are really driving me crazy though. They try to control and manipulate me and then when I see through their plans, they act like whimpering fools and beg for my forgiveness. The only reason I don't fire the lot of them is that they're all uncommonly brilliant," Kaiba vented as he sat down on a bar-stool. Téa offered him a water bottle from the refrigerator but he shook his head 'no' and looked at her. "How about you?"
"Well," she sighed, "I got the privilege to explain to my sisters that my... our parents are dead and are never coming back. I think that, seriously, that was the single hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I nearly broke down just watching those little girls cry, and then they cried some more over thinking that I might die and leave them too, just like my parents." Téa shook her head. "I really don't know how to go about this whole thing. It's so confusing to me."
"The best thing to do is just get on with your life. Keep going no matter what. You can't let your emotions control to the point where their death is the only thing you ever think about. You can't let anything stop you from being all that you can be," Kaiba told her, leaning his forearms on the counter. Téa stared at him open-mouthed and then set her water bottle down sharply and glared at him.
"How can you say that? That is by far the coldest thing I've ever heard someone say after a death. They've only been gone for what... three days, and you're acting like I should try to forget them. What gives you the right to tell me how I should feel about this?" Téa bit at him, her voice rising before she remembered the sleeping girls and turned down the volume a little.
"Listen," Kaiba snarled back, "I'm not telling you how to run your life. I'm just trying to help you out here. If you don't want my help, why don't you just say so? Seeing as how you know everything about everything!"
"Where in the world do you get off that you can be so high and mighty with me? A few days ago, you were so nice to me, but now you act like you're the one living my life, trying to tell me how to handle this. You don't even know what I've been through!" Téa nearly screamed at him, a tear running down her cheek.
"Oh don't I just!" Kaiba shouted at her. "You don't think I know what you're feeling? How I know how to act in a circumstance like this? Of course you have to mourn their death, but you can't dwell on it because it'll eat you up."
"Shut up! I don't want to hear this anymore! You keep going on and on and I don't want to listen to this! You're so full of yourself Kaiba, presuming you know what other people are feeling at a time like this..." she started, but was cut off by Kaiba stomping around to her side of the counter and grabbing her shoulders with a hard grip.
"I wasn't finished dammit! My parents are dead too!" Téa stopped squirming in his grip and stopped cold. "I watched them die right in front of my eyes, just like you. I was six years old. And then I wasn't ever adopted and I thought there was something wrong with me. Then they tried to take my little brother away from me. Don't you dare tell me that I don't know *exactly* what you're feeling right now. Have you tried killing yourself yet? I know I did. You probably don't have the guys to even attempt it," Kaiba growled at her. When she nodded, she let go of her shoulders roughly, shock written across his face.
Téa refused to meet his gaze, wrapping her arms around herself and turning away from him to walk to the opposite end of the kitchen. Kaiba reached a hand out towards her back then pulled it back and moved to the exit of the kitchen as if to leave, then stopped as if he couldn't move anymore. Placed a hand on the doorway he bowed his head, feeling like he had destroyed the one chance at a friendship that he would ever get. He looked into the space of her living room as he heard her quiet voice break the silence, obviously thinking he had left.
"Our first fight and we've only been friends for three days. Do I ever know how to ruin things or what?" she whispered to herself as closed the blinds of the bay window with an annoyance with the light. "But it's not all *my* fault. Damn you Kaiba, sending out so many mixed messages and not getting right to the point. Maybe I should just waltz right on up to him and apologize and then he'll say, 'We should kiss and make up.' Gosh yes, let's kiss and make up. Why doesn't he just walk right back into this house and totally render me helpless with those gorgeous eyes of his and his thick hair and tempting lips?" Téa ran one of her hands through her hair, pulling at it and shutting her eyes tightly, knowing that tears might fall if she didn't force them back.
Kaiba watched as she pulled at her hair, having turned around to watch when she had started talking and was completely shocked. She had just voiced probably some of her deepest wishes and he had heard! So what was he going to do?
*Oh yeah, I can feel these bonds loosening already,* devil-conscience laughed menacingly since the gag had already come off with Kaiba's flow of thoughts drifting into his department.
Backing up, Kaiba left the kitchen quietly and to the living room where he opened up the front door and then shut it with a bang, acting as if he had just stormed back into the house. Marching to the doorway of the kitchen, he stopped and watched Téa whip around to see him, her blue eyes wide at the sight of him. Kaiba grinned seductively and began taking slow steps toward her, making sure his eyes held onto hers like a lifeline. If this was what she wanted, he was damn sure going to help out. He hadn't been thinking of much besides what it would be like to kiss the girl all weekend and he wasn't going to be passing up an opportunity when he knew she felt the same way.
Téa's blood suddenly seemed as if it was rushing faster through her body and her skin as if she had been sitting in an oven. A wave of... nice... heat rolled through her body as she watched him approach her.
His blue eyes burned into hers, not even attempting to conceal what he felt. Desire. He wanted her so badly. His arms wanted to hold her close to him, his lips wanted to devour hers. As he gazed at her, he could practically see the flames licking at the irises of her eyes the same way he knew his own were, and he knew that she felt the same way.
But she was also a little hesitant. It would be her first true kiss, and he wanted to make it the single-most powerful thing she had ever felt in her life. His whole body felt hot. His hands ached to reach out and pull her to him at that very moment, crossing the distance the space between them with only a few long strides, but first, he had to seduce her senses. Allow her to feel totally at ease with him, and his coming touches and kisses.
Téa watched his movements with a sharp gaze, noticing how tantalizingly slow he moved to her. This couldn't have been an instant change in his attitude, but it was strange to think about how this had started. They had been talking about life, started an argument, moved into the kitchen, and had ended up going to separate corners - fuming. Now this was happening. With a startled realization, Téa figured out that Kaiba must've heard her whispered confession.
With Kaiba was only a few steps away from her now, Téa backed herself up until she could go back no further, her back pressed lightly against the edge of the counter. She dropped her head to her chest shyly, turning away a bit from his sizzling glare, failing in her attempt to get her breathing to calm down. She knew the moment he was close enough to touch, the waves of burning passion rolling off of him onto her, and his warm breath gently stirring the hair on the top of her head. Closing her eyes, Téa gulped and fought down the ferris wheel of emotions twirling in her stomach and gingerly lifted her head, her cheek ending up just next to Kaiba's. He was leaning down a little to be closer to her and when the skin of her cheek touched his, her entire body went through a flash of incredible pleasure.
"Téa." His voice was hoarse, strained, as he whispered into her ear and moved his hands to either side of her body, trapping her against the counter. He kissed the shell of her ear so that it was hardly the touch of a feather, and felt her shiver. Téa felt her eyes darken underneath her closed eyelids.
"Seto," she whispered back, her grip on the counter tightening. Her head fell back as she felt him nuzzle her neck, his lips creating intricate patterns on the sensitive skin. He moved closer, his coat brushing up against the front of her as unconsciously leaned towards him. Her hands left the counter, slipping over his own and up to his forearm where they stopped, but pulled him closer to her, her fingernails digging into his coat. Téa gasped out loud as Kaiba touched the skin of her throat with a tentative tongue, tasting her and continuing to kiss her, moving over the curves of her neck and traveling to the other side. He pushed closer to her, her body becoming wrapped up in his jacket and she nearly purred, the sound making Kaiba stop momentarily and smile before he placed another soft kiss on her jaw. Her hands let go of their grip on his forearms and moved slowly up over his arms, past his shoulders, wrapping around his neck and burying themselves in his hair. Kaiba pulled back from her neck reluctantly and looked at her face for a moment, a gentle smile playing across his lips as he glanced at Téa's beautiful features.
She truly had a beautiful face and body, as well as the most perfect heart. With midnight black lashes curling over those light blue eyes when closed, a creamy complexion with the slightest hints of rose-colored cheeks, and those full, red lips that were parted slightly, Seto Kaiba hardly understood what he had done to deserve such a beauty. Her body was flawless too, her legs seeming much longer in that pair of tight, black pants and her curves seeming much more emphasized in her tight-fitting white shirt. Téa was the perfect height too, her head fitting right into the curve of his shoulder and neck. And it wasn't a drawback that she smelled like watermelon either. It made her almost want to eat her, but decided to be content with simply taking in her affection and feeling her love.
Not wanting to disappoint when Téa made a quiet sound that translated into 'more', Kaiba moved his lips to her face, tenderly kissing her forehead and temple. He continued when he heard her sigh contentedly, pressing small kisses to her eyelids and landing a kiss on the tip of her nose. She giggled playfully, enjoying the game and stroked his neck with her fingertips, not aware of the affect she was having on him.
Seto restrained himself with a forceful will. How much he wanted to just ravish her! But remembering that this was supposed to be Téa's experience as much as his own, he placed a kiss on the side of her mouth, then placed his forehead on hers, waiting a few seconds to calm himself down. He felt Téa's fingers slow on his neck and then stop, obviously puzzled as to why he stopped.
When his kisses had stopped abruptly, Téa thought that it was just more of Kaiba's game and smiled. When his lips had touched the corner of her own, she had almost turned her face to receive the full gift, but waited patiently, knowing that he'd present it to her soon anyway. Instead, she felt his forehead touch her own and she stopped her fingers haltingly, wondering if perhaps Kaiba didn't want to kiss her. When she began to pull away, she suddenly felt his hands tighten the slightest on her waist and pull her back to him, his breath suddenly feathering against her mouth.
The soft pressure of his lips pressed against her own, warm and gentle. Téa's eyes fluttered open in surprise and then shut again, loving his lips and the way they felt. She sighed as he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her and bringing her fully up against him. Feeling his warm body and hard, coiled muscles against her, around her, Téa nearly shivered. It felt so good to be in his arms finally. How long had she dreamed of it feeling this good?
A delightful sensation met Téa's lips as Kaiba angled his head and pulled away before kissing again and pulling away slowly, suckling gently on her lower lip. She thought she felt her knees give, but couldn't tell because Kaiba kept a tight hold on her, keeping her close to him. Heat spread throughout her body as he continued to kiss her and began to move his hands on her back, moving his fingers around in little circles and pushing on tight muscles to make them relax. One hand moved up to her neck, cradling it gently as she let her head fall back before he guided it back up. Her eyes felt as if they were weighted down, so hot, and she opened her eyes to look at him through passion-tinted eyes. Téa watched as Kaiba's eyes darkened as his head moved down again, soft black eyelashes falling over his gorgeous eyes.
A soft moan escaped the back of Téa's throat as Kaiba pushed his tongue against the seam of her lips, seeking access for a deeper kiss. She obliged readily, opening her mouth to the onslaught of his kisses. He went slowly at first, exploring her mouth and seeking to mingle with her tongue. Then they became more impassioned, more hungry. He pushed against her and angled his head for a better position, wrapping his arm around her waist more tightly. His kisses were faster and desperate, as if trying to let out all of the pent-up emotions he had hidden for nearly thirteen years. All of the anger, the fear, love, lust, sadness, joy, everything, he poured into his kiss. He growled against Téa's lips as she began to tentatively return the passion, pushing against him and entangling her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.
Deciding it would be easier on her back if she wasn't pressed up on the edge of the counter, Kaiba moved his hand from her neck down to her waist where the other was, still continuing to kiss her, and lifted her to the counter-top. She pulled away from him for a brief moment, realizing the change and looked at his face, nearly level with her own. She hadn't realized he was so tall, able to be at eye-level while she sat above him on the counter. Not much more passed through her mind before Kaiba pulled her to him once more, his hands deciding to take a different course than before.
Téa shivered into his chest, into his kiss as she felt his hands wander over her body, stroking her back, moving up and down her arms, roving over her hips and even over her butt. She felt his fingers teasing the hem of her shirt gently, barely reaching under the material to touch the heated skin of her back. Through all of his touches and kisses, Téa realized that she was practically straddling him, her legs on either side of his body. Grinning against his lips, she decided to join in the game and wrapped her legs around his waist to bring him closer.
Kaiba was startled when he felt his body slam into Téa's, held there by her legs. As if to meet her challenge, his hands teased along her legs, fingers tracing long lines of liquid fire over her pants, knowing she felt it on her skin. He was surprised when she added more fire to their kiss, deepening it to the point of almost indecency. Kaiba like it. A lot. With her initiation of the new affection, Kaiba allowed his formerly restrained hands to wander up her back beneath her shirt, enjoying the soft feel of her skin against his hands. Téa groaned.
"You cheater," she breathed, pulling away and taking in air greedily. He grinned devilishly but then blanched as she suddenly pulled his shirt from his pants (where it had been nicely tucked) and reached under, raking her nails across his chest in retaliation. He hissed and glared at her with a dark intensity even as she continued to pull her hands across his flesh with a sexy determination.
*Man, this is getting too hot in here for even me!* devil-conscience cried, picking up a suitcase and bolting from Kaiba's mind. A little sign on the door of Kaiba's mind let everyone know that good-conscience had split long ago. With no extra little guys to help Kaiba out, he began reaching for Téa's lips with a renewed intensity when he immediately stilled, feeling Téa's muscles stiffen against his hands. They looked at each other, horrified then turned their heads fearfully to the direction of the kitchen's entrance.
"Téa?" a small voice called once again. The first time it had been so quiet that it had hardly been noticed, but both had stopped nonetheless, wanting to make sure before continuing. Kaiba heard Téa curse under her breath as her eyes widened in shock. He hastily pulled her from the counter and began tucking his shirt back in while Téa straightened her appearance as well, smoothing out her shirt and hair and fixing her pants.
"What do you need honey?" she asked, walking out of the kitchen quickly and to the edge of the staircase. Arashi stood there, rubbing her eyes and held out her arms for Téa to pick her up. Doing so, she held the girl in her arms and hugged her to her, looking at her in question.
"I had a bad dream. I dreamed that I was all alone and everyone had died just like mommy and daddy... It was awful!" she cried, wrapping her arms around Téa's neck and crying. Over the small girl's shoulder, Téa looked at Kaiba and gave him a soft smile, all of her former passion having disappeared, before focusing on her sister once more.
"Hey, it's alright sweetheart. Look, I'm right here and your sister is still upstairs. And see here, even my friend Seto Kaiba is here. You're not alone and you never will be," Téa whispered softly in the little girl's hair. Sniffling, Arashi looked up and around, spotting Kaiba as he moved over to her. He held out his hand kindly and she took it, her small eyes growing wide as he placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand.
"Pleased to meet you," he said quietly, smiling at the young girl. She blinked, all tears forgotten and looked at Téa.
"I like him," she stated simply. Téa bit her lip and blushed, looking down before meeting Kaiba's gaze over her sister's head, noticing a faint desire flare in his eyes before dying quickly.
"Yeah, me too," Téa replied, looking only at her sister. "Is there anything else you need? If not, I want you to go back to bed, you still look pretty tired." Arashi looked at Kaiba and she giggled and looked at Téa sheepishly.
"Can I have a drink of water?"
After Téa had put Arashi back to sleep, she went down the stairs and found Kaiba sitting in her favorite chair, looking totally at ease. She mock-glared at him before walking over and sitting in his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. For a few moments they were quiet before Téa began shaking with laughter. Kaiba was puzzled and tapped on her shoulder, wanting to be let in on the joke.
"Oh, I just think it's so funny how we were interrupted," she laughed, watching Kaiba blush slightly at the remembrance. He had certainly given her the first kiss she had always wanted. "I mean, on movies all the time, couples are always getting interrupted by a kid who wants a drink of water or by people walking in on them. I never thought it actually happened!" Téa kept laughing, her stomach hurting a little from so much shaking and laid her head back on Kaiba's shoulder. She sighed. "How did we get so close to each other so fast, Seto?" she asked suddenly. He blinked and then tightened his arms around her waist as she stopped laughing.
"I honestly don't know, but I like it," he replied truthfully.
For the rest of the afternoon, they spent the time in each other's arms, quietly talking or watching movies while they enjoyed not being alone. They felt completely at peace, something that had eluded both of them for a longer time than they had been aware. It was a good feeling.
***
End of Part 4. Yay! Go me! Would you believe that all of this is from the imagination of a Junior in high school who has never been kissed? Probably not, but it's true. Anyways, if you had a problem with this chapter, then that's your own beef because I've noticed that PG-13s are constantly NOT PG- 13s. Most of the time, they should be labeled as PG if that. The actual accuracy of a PG-13 is more like a James Bond movie (for those of you who have never seen a James Bond 007 movie, they are mostly filled with sex, intrigue, and plans of mass-destruction from the bad guys - you see one, you've seen them all), which is kind of crazy, but true.
My ranting has brought me to the question of the week: How often do you find stories that are incorrectly labeled? I know when I go looking for a PG-13 or whatever, I intend to find one and when I find something that doesn't even describe a good kiss, I get a tad miffed.
Well, that brings me to the end of my author's notes I believe. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I loved writing it. Also, if any of you know of any good YGO! websites where I could post my stuff (fiction- wise) I would really appreciate it. I'd like an audience that extends beyond ff.net. Don't get me wrong, I love you guys, I'd just like to have it posted in other places.
Alright, something else to let you all know, I'm writing an Egyptian YGO! fic now because I just couldn't help myself. That would be why last week I asked about preferences for types of fanfics in the question of the week. Although I didn't get really any positive responses (except 1) about the whole Egypt scene, I still decided to go ahead with it because I'm having a lot of fun with it. It will be a Seto/Téa fic for all of you wondering and I've only posted the prologue so I could see what the general response is to this fic before posting more. So if you'd like, go check that out now that you've finished this. I'd really appreciate feedback on that fic.
One more additional thing before I go, next weekend, I will most definitely NOT be posting, this weekend was a freak accident as it was, but next week is a supreme no-no. I'm going to a two-day competition for Academic Decathalon (a class where you learn about ten subjects and then compete for places all the way up to nationals) and my writing time is going to be just about in the negative numbers of minutes. That makes me mad, but oh well. I also have heaps of projects to do before semester, so don't plan on getting anything else soon. My AP Biology project alone will probably mortally wound me. Please don't think I'm nerdy. With that said, I bid you all adieu!
Atlantis *^_^*
godscartungrrl@netscape.net