Author's note: Hi, everyone! I'm really tired right now, so I'll keep this short. Thanks for all the great reviews, and you'll all be glad to know that Bakura's no longer chained up outside. Sorry, Schala! I figured he had enough torture. I really appreciate all the reviews, and I'm glad that you're all enjoying this so much. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: You all have read a million by now, so I won't bother. ^__^
The Heart of Eternity by Shelly
CHAPTER EIGHT
She was soon ready to leave, and her friends walked with her to the exit, speaking excitedly amongst themselves about who she was going to stay with. Of them all, Joey seemed the least excited, and he kept to himself, occasionally putting in a word or two. Lagging behind so that she was walking next to him, she snaked her arm through his, giving him a nervous smile when he glanced down at her. His answering smile warmed her heart and washed some of her nervousness away as she gazed into the deep chocolate of his eyes, framed by wisps of blond hair. She averted her eyes quickly before she drowned in them, afraid to look into them for too long.
"You okay?" he asked, concerned as to her behavior.
"I'll be okay," she replied. "I think. It's just that I don't know who it is that's waiting out there for me. Is it maybe the orphanage coming to get me? Or maybe the police? Maybe they found something that puts me at fault."
Her voice betrayed her nervousness, and he stopped her to stand there and put his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "Shari, it's nothin' like dat," he assured her. "I know who's comin' ta get ya, which is why I'm not very happy at da moment."
She looked up into his eyes, her own full of fear. "But, Joey, if you don't like him, then why am I going to stay with him? I'm afraid," she admitted.
"Don't be, Shari. I may not like 'im, but it's da best place for ya ta stay right now. He's got plenty of money an' enough security ta keep ya safe, an' dat's all dat matters ta me."
All of a sudden she threw her arms around him and held him close to her, her fingers playing through his hair and enjoying the silky feel of it across her knuckles. "Joey, I don't know what to say," she whispered. "I've never had a friend that cared this much before."
He held her tightly, savoring the feel of her next to him. "Well, get used to it, all right?" he asked as he pulled away from her.
"Hey, you lovebirds, get a move on would ya?" came Tristan's voice.
Hearing this, they broke away from one another and played at acting like nothing was wrong, but they both kept glancing at one another from the corners of their eyes, remembering how it felt to be so close to one another.
The bright afternoon sun soon greeted them, and they all stopped in awe as they saw the limo that was parked in front of the hospital, Shari's jaw almost falling to the pavement. Joey had mentioned money, but she never imagined this much! At her arrival, the driver emerged from the darkness of the limo and walked around to open the side door to invite the passenger inside out into the sunlight.
Upon seeing who she would be living with, her eyes widened in awe as it was none other than Seto Kaiba himself that was to be her unofficial guardian.
Kaiba's cool blue gaze swept across the assembled crowd, his gaze narrowing on Joey, who stood protectively by Shari. His gaze swept across her next, and was held there strangely for a moment as he became momentarily captivated by her. In times past, he had had no use for members of the opposite sex since his focus was only on Duel Monsters, but as soon as he looked into her green eyes he knew that that would change. What was even stranger was the feeling that he should know her, as if he had seen her somewhere before. School maybe? No, he would've remembered her if he had seen her there.
Realizing that he was staring, he tore his gaze from her and instead found Yugi standing some ways from him, his grateful eyes on him. "As you can see, I changed my mind, Yugi," he said.
Yugi smiled. "I appreciate it, Kaiba, more than you know," he replied.
A brief smile touched upon his lips. "I only hope I won't regret this someday," he stated.
Joey suddenly growled as his fists clenched at his sides. "Why ya arrogant little--"
"Oh, look, the dog has learned how to bark," Kaiba mocked.
Joey's eyes narrowed slightly in readiness for a fight. "Ya think I'm barkin' now, wait till ya feel my bite," he snarled.
Tristan moved in front of him to try and keep him under control. "Easy, Joey, he's not worth it," he reminded him.
"It's not him I'm tinkin' 'bout," he replied. "No one talks about her dat way and gets away wit' it."
Shari eyed Kaiba coldly and turned to Joey, placing her hand gently on his chest. "It's all right, Joey, I understand where he's coming from," she told him. "He's placing himself and his brother in danger by taking me in, and I'm grateful that he's taking that risk willingly."
Kaiba had to wonder if it was willingly after having gazed into the endless depths of her green eyes. It was a good thing he had learned to master control over his facial expressions, otherwise he would be just another fumbling teenager who had met a pretty girl for the first time. And that wouldn't be a pretty sight at all, especially not for him.
"Your name's Shari, right?" he asked.
She turned towards him and fixed her eyes upon him again. "I am," she replied.
"Then I'm sorry to have to break up your little party here, but I've got a company to run and there's a lot you need to know before we return to my mansion." His gaze must've brooked no argument as she stepped forward towards the limo, looking back once towards her friends before climbing into the limo, the driver taking her bag and stowing it in the trunk. Kaiba stepped inside and shut the door, but not before regarding Yugi with a solemn expression. Yugi nodded once, a gesture which Kaiba returned before disappearing inside. The limo drove off, taking their newfound friend with it.
Joey watched it with something close to heartache written on his face. "I hope she's gonna be okay," he said to no one in particular.
"I'm sure she'll be fine," Yugi assured him. "If anything, I think you should be worried more about Kaiba than anyone else, cause once she comes out of her shell, there's no telling what she'll be like."
"Den I hope she tortures 'im night an' day!" Joey crowed.
"Speaking of Shari," Tristan eased in beside Joey. "It looks like she's got you wrapped around her little finger," he teased, wagging his pinky finger at him.
"She does not!" Joey argued. "We're jus' friends, dat's all!" he cried.
"Sure you are," he continued ragging his friend. "Was that why you both were all over each other earlier?"
"Nnnn, you lookin' ta start a fight, pencil head?!" Joey exploded.
"I can take you anytime!" Tristan crowed as they tackled each other to the ground.
Tea stood there with her face buried in her hand as Yugi looked on with a patient smile. "It's a good thing we're this close to a hospital, cause one of them might end up in it!" Tea lamented.
Shari watched as the hospital grew smaller the farther they drove off, the butterflies in her stomach refusing to be still. She had no idea of what to expect from living with Kaiba, but she had to hope that perhaps it wouldn't be too bad. After all, anything was better than what she had been living with the past few years, and maybe things would work out for the better for her.
Glancing over at him, she saw him staring out the window thoughtfully, not noticing the passing of traffic or time for that matter. She took the opportunity to study his features, finding them striking as were his piercing blue eyes. He was everything Joey wasn't: a neat appearance as well as nicely chiseled features which reflected a keen intelligence and a bit of a cruel streak, just enough to keep people in their place. Not that she was comparing him to Joey for any reason, but where Joey showed her compassion, she knew she would find none with Kaiba, although over the years she had become used to it so it was nothing new to her.
"Are you through staring at me?" he asked, his voice testy.
She fixed her eyes on him. "Why, does it bother you that I'm curious about who I'm going to be staying with?"
"If you're curious, just ask whatever's on your mind," he replied. "It's not nice to stare."
Somehow she found a core of strength deep within herself, something that helped her stand up to Kaiba instead of cowering in fear like he wished her to. "If I recall, you are nothing more than my unofficial guardian. You are not my father, and as such you cannot tell me what to do," she reminded him.
He leaned over close to her, just enough for them to stare deeply into the other's eyes as he wanted her to hear every word of what he had to say next. "Must I remind you that you're here as a result of the goodness of my heart? What little I have anyway. I consented to let you stay with me, and I can just as easily take it back. Perhaps you want to go back to the orphanage, there to see where you will live next?"
She eased off as she realized the implications of his words, knowing she had spoken too soon. "No, I do not," she replied. "I spoke too hastily. Please accept my apologies." But her gaze upon him never wavered, telling him that although she understood him very well, that didn't mean that she was going to grovel at his feet and be his slave while she was there. All in all, it was turning out to be a test of who could keep their sanity the longest.
******************
A good question. Who will break first? I guess you'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for reading! C-ya!
Disclaimer: You all have read a million by now, so I won't bother. ^__^
The Heart of Eternity by Shelly
CHAPTER EIGHT
She was soon ready to leave, and her friends walked with her to the exit, speaking excitedly amongst themselves about who she was going to stay with. Of them all, Joey seemed the least excited, and he kept to himself, occasionally putting in a word or two. Lagging behind so that she was walking next to him, she snaked her arm through his, giving him a nervous smile when he glanced down at her. His answering smile warmed her heart and washed some of her nervousness away as she gazed into the deep chocolate of his eyes, framed by wisps of blond hair. She averted her eyes quickly before she drowned in them, afraid to look into them for too long.
"You okay?" he asked, concerned as to her behavior.
"I'll be okay," she replied. "I think. It's just that I don't know who it is that's waiting out there for me. Is it maybe the orphanage coming to get me? Or maybe the police? Maybe they found something that puts me at fault."
Her voice betrayed her nervousness, and he stopped her to stand there and put his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "Shari, it's nothin' like dat," he assured her. "I know who's comin' ta get ya, which is why I'm not very happy at da moment."
She looked up into his eyes, her own full of fear. "But, Joey, if you don't like him, then why am I going to stay with him? I'm afraid," she admitted.
"Don't be, Shari. I may not like 'im, but it's da best place for ya ta stay right now. He's got plenty of money an' enough security ta keep ya safe, an' dat's all dat matters ta me."
All of a sudden she threw her arms around him and held him close to her, her fingers playing through his hair and enjoying the silky feel of it across her knuckles. "Joey, I don't know what to say," she whispered. "I've never had a friend that cared this much before."
He held her tightly, savoring the feel of her next to him. "Well, get used to it, all right?" he asked as he pulled away from her.
"Hey, you lovebirds, get a move on would ya?" came Tristan's voice.
Hearing this, they broke away from one another and played at acting like nothing was wrong, but they both kept glancing at one another from the corners of their eyes, remembering how it felt to be so close to one another.
The bright afternoon sun soon greeted them, and they all stopped in awe as they saw the limo that was parked in front of the hospital, Shari's jaw almost falling to the pavement. Joey had mentioned money, but she never imagined this much! At her arrival, the driver emerged from the darkness of the limo and walked around to open the side door to invite the passenger inside out into the sunlight.
Upon seeing who she would be living with, her eyes widened in awe as it was none other than Seto Kaiba himself that was to be her unofficial guardian.
Kaiba's cool blue gaze swept across the assembled crowd, his gaze narrowing on Joey, who stood protectively by Shari. His gaze swept across her next, and was held there strangely for a moment as he became momentarily captivated by her. In times past, he had had no use for members of the opposite sex since his focus was only on Duel Monsters, but as soon as he looked into her green eyes he knew that that would change. What was even stranger was the feeling that he should know her, as if he had seen her somewhere before. School maybe? No, he would've remembered her if he had seen her there.
Realizing that he was staring, he tore his gaze from her and instead found Yugi standing some ways from him, his grateful eyes on him. "As you can see, I changed my mind, Yugi," he said.
Yugi smiled. "I appreciate it, Kaiba, more than you know," he replied.
A brief smile touched upon his lips. "I only hope I won't regret this someday," he stated.
Joey suddenly growled as his fists clenched at his sides. "Why ya arrogant little--"
"Oh, look, the dog has learned how to bark," Kaiba mocked.
Joey's eyes narrowed slightly in readiness for a fight. "Ya think I'm barkin' now, wait till ya feel my bite," he snarled.
Tristan moved in front of him to try and keep him under control. "Easy, Joey, he's not worth it," he reminded him.
"It's not him I'm tinkin' 'bout," he replied. "No one talks about her dat way and gets away wit' it."
Shari eyed Kaiba coldly and turned to Joey, placing her hand gently on his chest. "It's all right, Joey, I understand where he's coming from," she told him. "He's placing himself and his brother in danger by taking me in, and I'm grateful that he's taking that risk willingly."
Kaiba had to wonder if it was willingly after having gazed into the endless depths of her green eyes. It was a good thing he had learned to master control over his facial expressions, otherwise he would be just another fumbling teenager who had met a pretty girl for the first time. And that wouldn't be a pretty sight at all, especially not for him.
"Your name's Shari, right?" he asked.
She turned towards him and fixed her eyes upon him again. "I am," she replied.
"Then I'm sorry to have to break up your little party here, but I've got a company to run and there's a lot you need to know before we return to my mansion." His gaze must've brooked no argument as she stepped forward towards the limo, looking back once towards her friends before climbing into the limo, the driver taking her bag and stowing it in the trunk. Kaiba stepped inside and shut the door, but not before regarding Yugi with a solemn expression. Yugi nodded once, a gesture which Kaiba returned before disappearing inside. The limo drove off, taking their newfound friend with it.
Joey watched it with something close to heartache written on his face. "I hope she's gonna be okay," he said to no one in particular.
"I'm sure she'll be fine," Yugi assured him. "If anything, I think you should be worried more about Kaiba than anyone else, cause once she comes out of her shell, there's no telling what she'll be like."
"Den I hope she tortures 'im night an' day!" Joey crowed.
"Speaking of Shari," Tristan eased in beside Joey. "It looks like she's got you wrapped around her little finger," he teased, wagging his pinky finger at him.
"She does not!" Joey argued. "We're jus' friends, dat's all!" he cried.
"Sure you are," he continued ragging his friend. "Was that why you both were all over each other earlier?"
"Nnnn, you lookin' ta start a fight, pencil head?!" Joey exploded.
"I can take you anytime!" Tristan crowed as they tackled each other to the ground.
Tea stood there with her face buried in her hand as Yugi looked on with a patient smile. "It's a good thing we're this close to a hospital, cause one of them might end up in it!" Tea lamented.
Shari watched as the hospital grew smaller the farther they drove off, the butterflies in her stomach refusing to be still. She had no idea of what to expect from living with Kaiba, but she had to hope that perhaps it wouldn't be too bad. After all, anything was better than what she had been living with the past few years, and maybe things would work out for the better for her.
Glancing over at him, she saw him staring out the window thoughtfully, not noticing the passing of traffic or time for that matter. She took the opportunity to study his features, finding them striking as were his piercing blue eyes. He was everything Joey wasn't: a neat appearance as well as nicely chiseled features which reflected a keen intelligence and a bit of a cruel streak, just enough to keep people in their place. Not that she was comparing him to Joey for any reason, but where Joey showed her compassion, she knew she would find none with Kaiba, although over the years she had become used to it so it was nothing new to her.
"Are you through staring at me?" he asked, his voice testy.
She fixed her eyes on him. "Why, does it bother you that I'm curious about who I'm going to be staying with?"
"If you're curious, just ask whatever's on your mind," he replied. "It's not nice to stare."
Somehow she found a core of strength deep within herself, something that helped her stand up to Kaiba instead of cowering in fear like he wished her to. "If I recall, you are nothing more than my unofficial guardian. You are not my father, and as such you cannot tell me what to do," she reminded him.
He leaned over close to her, just enough for them to stare deeply into the other's eyes as he wanted her to hear every word of what he had to say next. "Must I remind you that you're here as a result of the goodness of my heart? What little I have anyway. I consented to let you stay with me, and I can just as easily take it back. Perhaps you want to go back to the orphanage, there to see where you will live next?"
She eased off as she realized the implications of his words, knowing she had spoken too soon. "No, I do not," she replied. "I spoke too hastily. Please accept my apologies." But her gaze upon him never wavered, telling him that although she understood him very well, that didn't mean that she was going to grovel at his feet and be his slave while she was there. All in all, it was turning out to be a test of who could keep their sanity the longest.
******************
A good question. Who will break first? I guess you'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for reading! C-ya!