The Visitor

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh and probably never will. "sniff"

Thanks to any and all who have read the first part of this story called "The Gift". This was all inspired by a dream, believe it or not. On to the next chapter.

The wind whipped her hair around wildly, the snowflakes falling everywhere, as Téa struggled to open the door to her house. She grimaced to herself and set down the three bags of groceries she had in her hands and then tried opening the door again. At last, success. Bringing the bags inside, she shut the door quickly behind her and gave her head a toss. Her long, brown hair shook the snowflakes free to tumble all over the maroon carpet in the living room.

"What a mess it is out there. I hope everyone makes it here for the party okay," she said aloud to herself as she moved all of her recent purchases into the bright and airy kitchen. The window afforded her a view of the snowstorm that was currently brewing outside, the wind madly blowing through the trees and the snow falling more thickly now. Sighing in exasperation at the weather and wondering why it had to happen on today of all days, she unpacked the vegetables, cheese, meat and noodles that she'd bought for the party. Her part of the party was to make the food and all of her other friends were going to bring the decorations over. Knowing Joey, though, he was complaining about that since he'd much rather be where the food is than stuck trying to drag a tree and lights over here. She smiled at the thought of him, Yugi and Tristan lugging a pine tree here just for Christmas. At least her parents had said it was okay to have a party or two while they were gone on business. They'd even left her some extra money so that she wouldn't have to dip into her own pocket. She just wished they could have been there to spend the holidays as well.

It wasn't that they didn't love her or shower her with attention or anything like that. It just seemed that recently they were spending more and more time with their business than with her. She was growing up, they'd said, and becoming more independent so they wanted to do the best they could for her so she could go to the school of her choice once high school was finished. Or even New York, if she was really serious about her dancing career. She loved them for that, knowing that they really didn't want her to go to the States.

Walking back into the living room for a quick moment, she turned on the stereo and tuned it to a station that was playing only Christmas songs. She needed the motivation to get herself going and the happy, merry music was a perfect accompaniment to the mountain of work she had to do before 6 pm, when everyone was going to show up for dinner. Back in the kitchen, Téa checked the clock. 11 am. She had 7 hours to get drinks, dinner, dessert and snacks ready for everyone. Plenty of time to make enough food that even Joey would be full by the time dinner was done. She figured on working on the big stuff first, that way it was done and she could concentrate on the all the little stuff. Opening one of the cupboards, she pulled out the biggest lasagna pan she could find. This was one dish that she could cook better than anyone else, even her mother. Her father had said so, when her mother hadn't been in the kitchen. And it was a treat since she didn't make it very often either. The gang was going to love this.

She worked quickly and efficiently for the next couple of hours, getting the lasagna ready and making the apple cider that just needed heating in order for it to be perfect. Popping the big pan into the oven and setting the temperature to its lowest setting, she put her hands on her hips and leaned back, stretching the muscles and hearing a small pop. Checking the clock once more, she saw that it was only twenty after one. Now would be the best time to get in the shower and get cleaned up for the gang. They would probably be early, and hungry, so she wanted to be prepared.

The welcome spray of hot water soothed her so much that she hadn't realized how tense she was. Only one reason for the tenseness. A reason that she hadn't let herself think about all day, or all week for that matter. Who was she kidding? She hadn't stopped thinking about it at all. She'd invited Seto Kaiba over to share Christmas with them in a fit of peace and good will to all. That was the reason she told herself anyways. And Téa still didn't know if he was coming or not. He hadn't sent her a response or anything. Hell, he hadn't even thanked her for the gift she'd spent hours agonizing over before she'd gone ahead and bought it for him. Her mouth tightened into a thin line as she recalled that couple of minutes she'd spent in his office. She'd been calm and collected but he'd been colder than ever, the ice god, and his words had dripped venom. Well, fine, if he wanted to be an ass and not thank her, then so be it. She thought maybe her note would have changed his mind. Deliberately force his hand and make him come over. She scrubbed herself down with her towel a little more harshly than necessary and hurried into her room to get dressed, still thinking about Kaiba, the note and a few other more personal thoughts about him.

A half hour later, she viewed herself in the mirror and decided that she looked good. The red turtleneck hugged her in all the right spots and her blue jeans were just snug enough to be comfortable. Her hair cascaded down her back in a shimmering wave of chocolate and she thanked herself for deciding to let it grow. As she descended the stairs to head back to the kitchen, the doorbell rang, quite insistently too, as if whoever was outside was in a great hurry. With the weather the way it was, she couldn't blame them. Entering the entranceway, she paused before the door to catch her breath, sincerely wishing that whoever it was would stop punching the doorbell. She wasn't deaf and they'd gotten her attention. The door latch felt cool under her fingers as she pushed it down and opened the door, figuring it was the guys coming over early with the tree.

"Gardner, thought I'd forgotten about your little get together today?" a cool voice asked amidst the swirl of snow the wind carried into her face. No, it couldn't be... could it?

"Kaiba?" She was so shocked that he'd actually shown up that she couldn't decide what to do next.

"Good grasp of the obvious, Gardner. Now, can I come in or do you want me to freeze to death out here?" he asked, somewhat good-naturedly. He still couldn't believe he'd come here today, in the face of everything and the weather, too. One little box wrapped in green and red paper was the cause. And a note written in a neat, flowing hand. At least he'd had the sense to drop Mokuba off at Yugi's. Just in time too, as they'd been gearing up to head out and get a Christmas tree. That gave him at least an hour to thank Téa for the gift she'd given him earlier in the week, part of which he was currently wearing, and maybe make an apology to her for being such an ass that day as well. Maybe. The other part of her gift was in his coat pocket, holding his deck and her precious invitation.

Shaking her head, she stepped back from the door and waved him inside. He came in gratefully, glad to escape the snow that was blowing about fiercely. The door closed behind him and he finally got a good look at his hostess. And inhaled sharply. Red was definitely a good colour for her, he thought, as his eyes skimmed over her. The cold from the outside at least hid the darkening of his cheeks.

"Thanks for coming, Kaiba, but you're a little early. Where's Mokuba?" At least her voice didn't betray her as she watched his hand comb his snow-dampened hair back from his face, wet flakes falling to the floor with a splat. Now that it was all dishevelled, her fingers itched to put it back in place and she had to plant her feet firmly to stop herself.

"I dropped him off at Yugi's place. They were just leaving to get a tree when we came by. Mokuba thought it would be high adventure to go tree hunting with them so I said it was all right. And I'm early because I wanted to thank you, privately." He took a step towards her and she backed up and turned away.

"Come on inside, then. You can thank me over a cup of coffee. With the weather the way it is out there, you could probably use something to warm you up." Seto groaned as he thought about what he really wanted to do to warm up. The tension he felt between them was unmistakable and undeniable. She led the way through the living room, not looking back, hoping he took enough of a hint and followed her. No threat of him not following her. He was captivated by her once more. Her coolness in the face of him just showing up on her doorstep fascinated him. Most everyone else would have been flustered to be faced by the CEO of one of the most powerful corporations in the entire country confronting them in the midst of a snowstorm. Not her. Her smile when she'd let him in had been genuinely pleased, and it had set him afire. Never had he felt like this before.

"Gardner, I just wanted to say..." he started before being interrupted. The apology was the first thing he wanted to say and get out of the way. That was more important to him than anything else was right now.

"Shh, not now, Kaiba. I said you could thank me over coffee and I meant it. No more talk of thank you's right now. The coffee will only take a few minutes to get ready. Surely you can wait that long," she replied over her shoulder. She was going to savour this when it happened. Seto Kaiba thanking her for something she'd done for him. This was a first and one for the record books. She grinned to herself, glad that he couldn't see the glee written on her face.

Again, she'd stopped him from speaking his mind. The cheerleader had a backbone and wasn't afraid to stand up to him and put him in his place. She never had been afraid to get in his face before. Why should today be any different? But he had to respect her wishes - this was her house after all and he was only here at her invitation.

She led them both into the kitchen, where she promptly pulled out the coffeemaker and set about the task of making a proper cup of java. The motions put her at ease and she relaxed a little, even with Kaiba's eyes staring at her from behind. He'd taken a position by the counter and watched. Just focussed on her and nothing else. She sensed something different about him but couldn't quite put her finger on it. She also had enough sense to realize why she was still so tense even after her shower. Seto Kaiba, teenage billionaire, CEO of his own company, former dueling champion of Japan, was hot. Oh, she'd always found him attractive enough before but now that he was actually here, in her house, at her request, she couldn't deny the fact that he was truly handsome and oh-so-sexy as he leaned his tall frame against the edge of the counter with his hands folded across his perfect chest. Sneaking a peek out of the corner of her eye, she took in his form and saw the telltale sparkle of blue and silver at his waist. Grinning to herself, she realized that he was actually wearing her present. That made the whole agonizing day she'd spent picking it out worthwhile. She could feel a connection between them, somehow, and the tension sparking between them was thick enough to cut with a machete.

He couldn't stop looking at her. She seemed so comfortable here with him in her home. Unlike his experience with her in his. He'd been wound tight as a spring for those few minutes she'd been there. And it had taken him a long time, long after Mokuba had gone to bed, to unwind that night. Funny that he'd never thought of her as his type before.

Taking out the sugar bowl, creamer jug, a couple of mugs and spoons, Téa headed for the kitchen table to arrange them as the coffee started to brew. His eyes followed her movements and he took a step towards the table, wanting to help her get organized. Two hands reached for the sugar bowl at the same time and collided, their fingers getting entwined and tangled up. Two sets of eyes met and two sets of cheeks darkened at the contact.

"Sorry," they both said in unison and smiled. She looked away from his eyes, not wanting to get caught in their spell as they twinkled in mirth. The tangled fingers separated and Téa moved towards the oven, wanting to check on the lasagna before she totally lost it in front of Kaiba.

Now that she wasn't in his direct line of sight, he glanced around the kitchen, taking in the pictures and knick-knacks that decorated the lesser used surfaces. Looking at the smiling faces, he saw that people who loved and laughed lived here. A sense of warmth and comfort, a sense of home, radiated like a beacon from this one room. His mansion, with all of its priceless treasures and artifacts, couldn't hold a candle to the coziness this kitchen radiated. What made matters even more interesting was that he felt content and at ease here, with her, like nowhere else. Gripping the lapels of his gravity-defying coat, he slowly tugged it off and placed it on the back of a chair at the table. Seto Kaiba, CEO of KaibaCorp., had officially left the building.

Opening the oven door, she inhaled deeply and smiled in satisfaction. Her lasagna was perfect. It just needed to spend the rest of the afternoon in the oven, just at the keep warm setting, to let the flavours meld and melt together into a gooey mess of cheese, meat, noodles and sauce. A faint sniff from behind her told her that Kaiba could smell it as well.

"Something smells good. What is it?" Whatever it was smelled heavenly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a home cooked meal. Usually it was restaurant take out, pizza or soup from a can. Mokuba was going to love this, whenever they showed up with that Christmas tree anyways.

"What you smell is my famous, or infamous, 'Dieter's Nightmare Lasagna'," Téa replied, closing the oven door and turning towards the coffeemaker. Her brain was working overtime, trying to reason why Kaiba was different. The venom and sarcasm from her earlier meeting with him had disappeared. Was that why she found him so attractive now? She was brought out of her musings by his next question.

"'Dieter's Nightmare'? What kind of a name is that for a dish that people are supposed to eat?" A ghost of his former sarcastic tone suffused that last comment and he grimaced. Trying to control his sarcasm was like trying to dam Niagara Falls with a stick. It just wasn't going to happen.

She heard the tone and decided to ignore it. A verbal battle of wits was not something she wanted to get into today. "It's a nightmare to anyone on any kind of a diet, or not, because of the fried onions, mushrooms and beef, the pound or two of shredded cheese that I put in it and the alfredo sauce that I poured on top of it. If that isn't at least a bad dream, I don't know what is!"

He chuckled appreciatively. She hadn't risen to the bait. She'd just blown off his tone and ignored it. That was what he liked about her. She didn't cower under a rock but she didn't blow her lid either, like Wheeler always did. That's why Seto kept insulting him, he was so easy to target. Téa Gardner, on the other hand, was not a woman to be trifled with. "'Heart Attack on a Plate' would be a much better name for that dish then."

Grabbing the carafe of coffee, she headed for the table and he caught the grin on her lips. "Hahaha, very funny, Kaiba," she commented as she poured them each a cup of the steaming brew. Téa motioned to a seat and settled herself down in one of the chairs. Seto took a seat, realizing that she was the one that was totally in control of this whole situation. She had the upper hand, much as she had in his office. He still hadn't figured out why Roland had let her in there in the first place. Roland was under orders to not let anyone into the house without asking permission first. That was something he had to ask about.

Silence reigned for a moment as they got their coffees fixed up to their satisfaction. Cream and sugar for her, black for him. "Jingle Bells" was playing on the radio, he absently noted as he took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. Here it was, the moment of truth. The moment he'd been anticipating and dreading at the same time.

Sorry for the cliff-hanger but I really needed to get this part out of the way. The next chapter should be up in a bit. Give me a week to get some long neglected homework out of the way and then I can write the next chapter. Besides, I like leaving people in suspense!!

Aphrael21 ;)