What Did He Say!?
Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh so I'll have to satisfy myself with just writing stuff about them.
I changed the rating just to be on the safe side since I do use some bad language here.
Now we come to a very important scene in the unfolding drama between Seto and Téa. What is he going to say to her? How will she react when she hears it? Does he have other surprises in store for her? Stay tuned and find out in Chapter Three!!
Thanks for all of the awesome reviews so far. I just have a question if someone could answer it for me in their review. - What is all this talk of -shipping? I have no idea what that means. Please inform me so that I don't feel like a stupid git.
On with the show...
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.
It was time to say it for the first time in his life. Her eyes, almost twin to his own, watched him expectantly. This was, by far, the hardest thing he had ever done. Dueling against Yugi or wresting control of a corporation from his stepfather was one thing but trying to express himself to someone other than Mokuba was completely alien to him. How should he start?
Téa took a sip of her coffee, savouring the play of emotions across his handsome face as she waited for him to speak. The bitter brew was softened by the cream and sugar she had put in it. His eyes met hers, focused on just her, and he opened his mouth to speak. But what she heard wasn't what she'd been expecting, at all.
"I'm sorry," he whispered softly and looked away. That was it. He'd said it with all of the sincerity he could muster. There were no other words to describe what he felt like at that moment. Seto Kaiba, for the first time in his young life, was completely, utterly speechless. He always had something to say, a retort or an insult even, but to this girl... no this woman, those two words would have to be enough for the moment.
The house was so still that she could hear the lasagna pop and sizzle in the oven. She was in shock. Looking into his blue eyes, she knew the apology was genuine but it was still hard wrapping her head around..."You're sorry? For what?" Téa couldn't believe her ears. Seto Kaiba was apologizing. For what, she had no idea. But this was another for the record books. Kaiba NEVER apologized for anything, even when he was clearly in the wrong about something. He was looking thoughtful right now, a mood she had never seen him in before and one that was certainly quite the change from just a few minutes ago.
He sighed once and stood up, turning away from the table, staring out the window as the snow continued to fall heavily. Maybe it would be easier if her eyes weren't watching him. Her red sweater was something of a distraction as well. The way it clung to her like a second skin... and the way her chocolate hair fell over her shoulders... He shook his head once more, his still damp hair falling in a mess around his face. Now was not the time to indulge in a fantasy about her. Maybe later but definitely not right now. "I'm sorry for being a jerk the other day and not saying "Thank you." Even Mokuba gave me hell for that, once he found out." He paused for a moment to catch his breath and remembered the look of utter horror on his little brother's face when Seto had told him that he hadn't said thank you and that's why he wanted to go to the party. That wasn't the only reason, however, and Seto had been smart enough to keep that under wraps, even from his nosy little brother. His back may have been to her but he knew, just knew somehow, that she was grinning from ear to ear.
"You were only trying to be nice to me and I blew you off without a second of hesitation. You have to understand, Gardner, that no one is ever 'nice' to me. I'm the CEO of one of the biggest corporations in the entire country. My name commands respect. People don't expect me to be a nice guy. I'm supposed to be the human glacier. I'm not allowed to have feelings and emotions. I learned that lesson early in life but I won't bore you with the details. When you came into my office you upset me, for lack of a better way to phrase it." For some reason, this amused her and she couldn't help but smile again at the thought of a pissed off Kaiba. She had always liked getting in his face. It was simply payback for the way he treated Joey all the time. Watching his blue eyes flare in anger might have had something to do with it as well. Idly, she wondered what he would say if she mentioned that she thought of him as the 'ice god'.
"I was annoyed at the intrusion you represented. I don't take kindly to interruptions of any kind and your appearance threw off my work for the rest of the afternoon. Hell, long into that night. You made me think about happier times in my life. You made me realize that I haven't been living at all. I've been hiding in my fancy office, a cold-hearted bastard, thinking that nothing besides power was important to me."
He stopped talking for a moment and turned back towards her but couldn't look at her directly. He felt too vulnerable and defenseless. Never had he opened himself up like this to someone that he hardly knew. It was kind of refreshing, though. His eyes roamed around the kitchen, a place where he'd come to feel so at ease and at home in such a short span of time. The song on the radio had changed. "Let It Snow" was cheerfully playing in the background, making him feel like more of an ass for being such a downer on a holiday. Once the dam was opened, though... A quick glance in her direction and he could see that he had her hooked, line and sinker. Spellbound by him for a change instead of vice versa. He shivered as he felt her beautiful eyes gazing at him, patiently waiting for him to continue, and crossed his arms over his chest lest she hear the wild beating of his heart.
She'd never known that he could be so... intense when he wasn't dueling. Her attention was focused entirely on him. Nothing besides him and his sexy, whiskey voice existed for her as she leaned slightly closer to him, wanting to offer him some kind of comfort but not wanting to disturb him either. Mechanically, she took a sip of her coffee, didn't even taste it as she swallowed reflexively. He'd never said so many words in her presence at once before and she doubted this would ever happen again. Personal confessions like this were a once in a lifetime thing.
"That little box in red and green paper with the gold bow that you left for me was my undoing. I stared at it for at least an hour, dared myself to open it a million times and see what was in it. A tie, maybe a wallet or a keychain. That's what I was expecting. I only opened it to be polite. The effort you put into wrapping it demanded at least that much from me. When I saw what it was, I was, to put it mildly, amazed. No one has ever given me such a gift before. I saw a different side of you that I'd never even suspected existed, Gardner."
Uncrossing his arms, he thrust his hands into his pockets and half turned back towards the woman sitting at the table, cup of coffee forgotten in her raised hand. His fingers brushed against the small box that hid in his pocket, the smooth feel of the creamy paper it was wrapped in making him wonder if that's what her cheek felt like. If he was lucky, he might get to find out for sure. "Thank you, Téa Gardner, for reminding me of what it feels like to be alive."
What could she say? He'd just given her one of the best compliments of her life. On par with that one line she heard in that movie "As Good As It Gets". Her little present, which she'd given to him with only the best intentions at heart, had been more important to him than she realized. She blinked once, trying to clear her mind and think properly of a reply. Her hand sloshed the coffee in the cup she was still holding, a single drop hitting the table with the force of a thunderclap, before setting it down. She didn't stand a chance. Kaiba was faster than she was.
His long legs carried him back to the table and he stood beside her chair, watching the shock register in her eyes. His hand grasped that small box in his pocket more tightly, carefully avoiding the golden bow that crowned it.
"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know what that present meant to me. I have one of my own for you. Just for you. No one else would understand the significance of it." With that, the small box from his pocket was placed in front of her on the table, narrowly avoiding that drop of coffee. The red and green paper glittered prettily under the gold bow he had carefully placed on top. Gardner still hadn't made a move and Seto smirked, proud of himself for surprising her as she had him. "Go ahead, open it, Gardner."
In ten minutes, he'd turned her world upside down, inside out and reversed it all for good measure. Glancing up at him as he stood beside her, she saw the gentle smile on his lips and returned it. Glancing down at the present, she gave a little start. The golden bow was the exact same one that she had put on his gift. With a small gasp of delight, she grasped the small, slim box. One hand gently pulled off the golden bow that crowned the gift. Setting it off to the side, she turned the small box over, looking for the seam that held the paper on. Carefully peeling the tape away in several spots, she took the red and green paper off. A small white box now rested in her hands. With trembling fingers, she separated the top from the bottom and peered inside. The present itself was still hidden under a layer of silver tissue paper. Sighing, she pulled the edges aside and revealed what was underneath.
And gasped in surprise, her eyes wide with appreciation. "Kaiba, it's beautiful!" she exclaimed, knowing he was right. A long, delicate, silver chain rested on another layer of silver tissue paper inside the box. That wasn't the exciting part, though. The pendant on the end of that chain was what had really grasped her attention. Golden flames engulfed and surrounded a heart-shaped diamond. The light in the room was caught and reflected in the facets of the diamond and she looked up at him once more. "Thank you, Kaiba. It's wonderful. But you didn't have to get me anything, you know."
"'We're supposed to be friends, right? Well, friends get other friends presents for special occasions'. Isn't that what you told me when you barged into my office? Well turn about is fair play, Gardner." Her blue eyes sparkled merrily as she looked back down at the necklace he had spent hours designing before taking it to a custom jeweler to have it made. It was all worth it, though.
"Would you help me put it on, Kaiba? Please?" Téa asked, picking up the chain and holding it out towards him. His fingers touched hers again as he claimed possession of the chain and separated it. Her heart beat a little faster at his touch and her cheeks reddened as he moved to stand behind her chair. "Hold on, it'll be a lot easier if I'm standing. You can see better to do up that little clasp." She stood up and moved a little ways away from the table, hoping he didn't see how nervous she was all of a sudden. He moved to stand behind her and the heat she felt from him made her want to melt. His arms lifted the chain over her head and held it before her eyes.
"This would be a lot easier if you'd move your hair out of the way," he commented mildly. Control was now his as he took another small step closer to her, inhaling the soft scent of her shampoo as her hands lifted the mass of chocolate hair up into a temporary ponytail. His fingers brushed against her cheek as he brought the necklace down to rest against the fabric of the turtleneck and did up the tiny clasp. Her skin was nothing like the wrapping paper – her cheeks were much softer and warmer. "There, all done." She released her hair and he groaned silently as the silky strands caressed his fingers. It was as soft as her cheeks.
"Thanks, Kaiba," she said, noting the receding redness on his cheeks as his eyes flicked down to look at the chain encircling her neck. "How does it look?"
He swallowed once, twice before he could even look at her face. The pendant rested against the gentle swell of her... he hadn't realized how long the chain was when he'd bought it. "It looks good." He caught the flash of laughter in her eyes and knew that she knew what he'd been thinking about. He flushed slightly.
Getting a grip on himself, he asked her one of a few questions he'd been musing over since her visit. "Gardner, this may sound strange but I need to ask you something."
"Go ahead, ask away. Just let me check on the lasagna again." She turned away from their intimate little circle and sighed at the loss of the heat he radiated.
"How did you get in to my mansion that day? Roland is under strict orders to not let anyone into the house without permission, especially you and your little group of friends. How did you manage to subvert one of my most loyal employees so easily?" The answer he got was something he never expected to hear.
"Oh, that? That was the easiest part of that day, Kaiba. Roland is dating my aunt. What better way for him to score points with her than to help her niece give a certain CEO and his little brother a present for Christmas." The lasagna was fine, she decided, closing the oven door and moving to the fridge.
Silence from behind her as Kaiba just stared at her back while she pulled out some vegetables to chop up. "What did you say? Roland is dating your aunt? I never knew he had a social life. Hmmm," he replied, somewhat stunned. She was more resourceful than he'd given her credit for. That was something he hadn't expected. What other secrets was Roland hiding from him? Shrugging his shoulders, he was glad that Roland had let her in that day. "If that was the easiest part of the day, may I ask what was the hardest?" He reclaimed his coffee cup from the table and leaned against the counter once more, taking a sip of the black coffee.
She paused as she rummaged through the drawers for a knife. She really had to get the veggies chopped up for the tray. "The hardest part was working up the courage to actually go to your house and see you. I know you hate interruptions. And I really wanted to drop off Mokuba's present for him." Looking around, she realized the cutting board she needed was right behind where Kaiba was standing. "I have a question for you."
"All right, what is it?" he asked, taking another sip of the coffee. Grimace. It was getting cold. A warm-up would be good. Not just for his coffee, either, but he couldn't risk that just yet. He didn't want to be slapped into next week.
"If you're just going to stand there, do you want to chop up these vegetables for me? I could really use the help. The invitations said six but knowing Joey and his stomach, they'll be early. I've already had one early arrival today." She looked at him pointedly, eyes narrowed, and he couldn't help but smile.
"Only if you get me a warm-up for my coffee, Gardner. Final offer." The cup was held out expectantly and he heard a hurriedly smothered laugh as she grabbed the carafe from the coffeemaker. She did make good coffee. He'd have to remember that the next time he came over here.
"Deal, Kaiba" she replied delightedly as she tipped the carafe over and filled up his cup before filling up hers where it rested on the table. Kaiba was actually going to help her. The record books were going to burst. The vegetables and knife were handed over and he started to chop them into slices with expert precision.
"Are you sure you trust me with a knife when Wheeler comes in the door and sees me here?" Kaiba quipped, knife poised over the head of broccoli he was about to decapitate. The sharp edge slid easily through the thick, green stalk, separating it from the tender bits she needed for her tray.
"Kaiba..." she said in exasperation, hiding the grin from him by opening the fridge door and pulling out the sour cream and cheese.
They worked in companionable silence for a few minutes, each occupied with the task at hand. Seto finished the mountain of vegetables she'd handed him and watched her stir the dip she was making. The look of concentration on her face was quite becoming and he wondered if she'd have that kind of a look if decided to k... bad thought. "Need help with anything else right now, Gardner?"
Will wonders never cease, Téa thought to herself. Kaiba actually volunteered to help her, no deals involved.
"No, I'm almost done here and the only thing I have left to do is make dessert. That shouldn't take too long. It's already half finished, Kaiba." The bowl of dip was wrapped in plastic and put back into the cavernous fridge. Pulling out another bowl filled with something brown, Seto made a face.
"What is that?" He couldn't keep the disgust out of his voice as he watched her take out some other ingredients from the bottomless cupboards. Whatever that mess was, it didn't look very healthy.
"It's the apples I stewed for the apple cider I made. I'm going to use them in an apple crumble recipe my aunt gave me," she replied calmly. Kaiba obviously didn't know what good cooking was all about. "I'll be finished it in a few minutes. Just have to mix in some oatmeal, brown sugar and a couple other things. Relax, it tastes good." She took a peek out the window and saw that the snow had lessened a bit. The sidewalk and walkway were going to need cleaning soon.
"The same aunt that Roland is dating?" he asked, humour colouring his tone.
"As a matter of fact, yes." Mixing and measuring the ingredients quickly, she poured the sticky mass into a baking pan before popping it into the oven next to the lasagna. He watched her movements and marveled at the efficiency with which she put everything together. It looked like she'd made the recipe a hundred times. She pulled the lasagna out and turned up the temperature on the oven to 325. "Now, if you'll excuse me for a few minutes, I have to go clear the walkway to the house. Don't want the guys slipping when they bring that tree over here."
"Do you want some help?" Seto surprised himself by asking. He was not one for manual labour, but since he'd volunteered to do the vegetable cutting, he couldn't stop himself. Will wonders never cease?
"What'll it cost me this time? Hot chocolate?" she asked, grinning at him as she walked past him to get to the living room.
Such an open-ended deal. There were a few things, quite a few, he wanted in return for his help and hot chocolate wasn't one of them. "We'll discuss it later. Now do you want my help or not?"
"Sure, both of us can freeze outside," she replied dryly as she pulled her coat on and grabbed a pair of mittens from the hall closet. This was going to be interesting, she thought, watching Kaiba pull on his gravity-defying coat before joining her at the front door. Never in a million years would she have expected to see Kaiba shovel snow.
To be continued...
Hope you enjoyed this installment. Fun times await our friends in the next chapter entitled "I Hate Snow." Thanks for reading and feel free to leave a review. That's all for now, folks.
Aphrael21 ;)