Chapter 9 – If you can't take the heat...

Dis... whatever. So sue me for not writing one. You won't get anything more than a few Yu-Gi-Oh calendars and pencils if you do. I still don't own it.

Oh, things are starting to heat up between our favourite friends. Who will crack under the pressure first?  Hehehe... we shall soon find out...

Warning: There is a bit of an intense scene coming up. It's, well, a little explicit for younger readers.

Thanks for all of the encouraging words you folks have written in your reviews. I totally appreciate them!! Chocolate chip muffins for everyone... yippee! Chocolate rocks!

Yay! I've reached 101 reviews! A milestone for me.

Round 5 begins now...

She saw his eyes roll skyward and watched his lips move silently. It looked like he was praying. What was he praying for, she wondered and knew the answer to her question already. Strength, to resist her teasing. And she hadn't even scratched the surface of what she was capable of. He had brought all of this down upon himself, the poor guy. Maybe she should give him a break... but where would the fun be in that? It would make his collection on their 'binding legal agreement' just that much more satisfying. She smiled to herself and moved to stick another cling on the window as Seto finished his 'prayer'.

His eyes focussed on her once more a second later and he inhaled sharply. The long, lean line of her body, encased in that form-hugging red turtleneck and snug blue jeans, was displayed before him as she reached up and smoothed another cling onto the window. The pendant around her neck glittered prettily, the one he'd given her, as it swayed back and forth, and he was caught in the mesmerizing spell of it, much as a cat is entranced by a ribbon twitched in front of it. At least he wasn't sweating. Yet. But he had to get her alone in the kitchen or the bathroom or somewhere or he was, to put it simply, not going to survive tonight. He had to get a hold of himself for now. A small groan escaped through his lips and she looked over at him. She had beautiful eyes, so warm and blue...

He had to break the silence between them or all he was going to do was stare at her for the rest of the night. And that smile on her lips, her gorgeous, succulent, utterly kissable lips, told him that she knew exactly what she was doing to him. So intent was he on trying to find something to say to her that a hard knock on the window startled him. Grimace. It was just the mutt and the retriever waving insanely at Téa and making goofy faces. Those two at least distracted her from tormenting him further, for a minute or two anyways, and gave him time to think.

Waving at Joey and Tristan one last time, she glanced down again at Seto. He was sorting through the 4 inch stack of clings, intent on finding something in the pile. Pulling one out, he stood up, positioning himself so close to her that their hips and shoulders threatened to touch. The image of Seto lathered up in a steamy bathroom and the heat she felt radiating from him made the temperature in the room shoot up by about a million degrees. Fanning herself with her hand, hoping to dispel that mind-blowing image, she saw that eyebrow arch again. So, he was going to play dirty after all. His hands moved to place the cling, a brown haired angel, on the window and smoothed it on slowly, his fingers splayed out with one tracing the curve of the innocent smile the angel bore.

His piercing blue eyes looked into hers and she unconsciously ran a finger over her own lips, remembering the sweet, intoxicating press of his on hers. A burning glow started in her stomach and spread throughout her system until her fingers tingled as well. And he wasn't even touching her. What would happen if he were to put his hands on her...

"This is what you aren't," he whispered softly, his lips sporting the mischievous grin that she found so devastating. "You're playing with fire..."

"If you can't take the heat..." she murmured, her mouth curving up into a wicked smile. That naughty look was taunting her to do something else to him, something she found extremely enticing. But with Yugi and Mokuba discussing Duel Monster strategies as they hung Christmas bulbs on the tree and Joey and Tristan right outside the window stringing lights across it, there wasn't anything she could do except...

Kneeling down once more, she searched through the pile of clings herself. There was one there, if she remembered correctly, that would be just perfect. Finally, the second last one was the one she wanted. Standing up and moving around Seto, letting her fingers trail across the back of his shirt and feeling his muscles tense at that small contact, she smoothed another cling to the window. This was another Santa Claus one but he was peering at a list of names. One side said 'Nice' and the other said 'Naughty'. Seto's eyebrows rose as she pointed to the 'Naughty' side. The song on the radio switched to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Fitting tune for what was happening between them.

"This is what you are," she whispered softly, her tone full of amusement as she tapped on that side of the list. "Santa's not going to bring you any presents at all because you've been very naughty." That sly look was just too much for him and he snickered out loud.

Mokuba looked over and saw the smile on his big brother's face. That one look was enough to tell him that he was having a good time and enjoying Téa's company. Now if those two would just head towards the kitchen... then Yugi asked him his opinion on what was the best flip effect monster and he lost his train of thought. Mokuba had the attention span of a goldfish when he was on a sugar high.

"I'm the naughty one? I didn't start this whole teasing thing," Seto said, his voice low enough that only she could hear him. It wouldn't do to confirm Mokuba's suspicions just yet.

"Yes, you did," she replied just as softly as she put a candy cane cling on the window. The smell of his aftershave had gotten stronger so she knew he was standing right next to her.

"I believe you were the one that gave me the snow wash outside in the snow." How could she have forgotten that so quickly? The moment that preceded that cold, wet smear had been the sweetest of his life.

"Oh no, we called a truce after that remember? In the kitchen? We decided there were more important things to do with our time than to try and plot revenge, Seto," she hissed playfully, drawing out the 'S' in his name. How could he have forgotten so quickly? The moment that followed their truce agreement had been the second sweetest of her life.

"Then why are we teasing the hell out of each other and driving ourselves crazy? Why don't we go find a quiet, little corner and, for lack of a better way to phrase it, enjoy each other?" he asked, managing to somehow keep the pleading note out of his voice as he stuck up the last cling. There, the window was finished. And the only other thing on his mind was getting her under that damned mistletoe. Then she'd have to kiss him. Tradition demanded it.

"In case you haven't noticed, there are a few other people around that might object to that, should they catch us that is. You know how some of them feel about you," Téa responded before stepping back to view the window from a different angle. All in all, they hadn't done a bad job, considering all of the teasing and touching that had been going on. Now they just had the snow left to put on. That was the fun part.

"I don't care if they object to it. In fact, the only reason my lips aren't connected to yours right now, in the middle of this living room with all of your little friends looking on, is that my 11-year old little brother is standing less than 10 feet away from us." That little, mistletoe-hanging mischief-maker would only be too delighted to see his big brother kiss Téa right now, Seto thought. He didn't really want an audience for what he had in mind either.

Wow, she thought, the ardour in his voice making her heart beat wildly. Maybe she would reconsider and let him off the hook. "How about we finish the window first? Then maybe I can find us a 'quiet, little corner' somewhere. But you have to be good. Santa doesn't give presents to naughty CEO's."

His eyes narrowed slightly and he thought about it. What did she mean by 'be good'? No more teasing? That would be something he could live without for the next few minutes. She already had him on the verge of kissing her, even if his little brother was present. And the promise of the quiet little corner was enough for him, for now. Maybe later, he'd ... no he couldn't think about that just yet.

"Deal," Seto replied. That glimmer of amusement in her eyes set him on fire. Why couldn't they find that quiet, little corner right now?

Mokuba walked over a second later and looked at Téa, smiling innocently. "Téa, can I have something cold to drink? It's really warm in here." If only he knew what his big brother and her had just agreed to, she thought. And yes, it was a little warm in the living room.

"Sure, Mokuba. Hey, Yugi, can you show Mokuba where the sodas are downstairs? You know where they are, right?" Téa looked over at Yugi and saw him nod in agreement.

"Yeah, c'mon Mokuba. I think I could use something cold right about now, too," Yugi replied, leading the black-haired boy towards the stairs to the basement. Those two would be gone for a while. Yami had a serious fascination with pop and all the flavours it came in. One day, Yugi told him to decide which flavour they had to drink and it took him a half hour to make up his mind between Pepsi and Coke.

"All right, all we have left to do for now is put the snow on the windows. The rest of the decorating can wait until after dinner or even tomorrow. As long as the majority of it's done before the Christmas Eve sleepover..." Téa started to say as she handed a can of fake snow to Seto. A quick glance out the window showed that the sun was already well on its' way to setting for the night.

"What? Christmas Eve sleepover?" Now what was she talking about? Why hadn't she mentioned this before.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? Ever since we were little, Yugi and I have had a sleepover on Christmas Eve so that we could wake up and open presents together. When Joey and Tristan came along, the tradition changed and they got included, too. And now, considering what's between us, I'll be forced to have you join us this year, too." The mock misery in her voice made him smile. So that's what a Christmas Eve sleepover was. Waking up next to her on Christmas morning was something he would dearly love to do. One precious box wrapped in red and green paper had skewed his entire world, for the better though, he thought as he took a sip of his reclaimed mug of cider. That mess of apples was tastier than he thought it would be. Now he just had to worry about what dessert tasted like.

"Hmm, sounds interesting. I presume you won't be serving Dieter's Nightmare Lasagna for breakfast?" He took the lid off of the can of snow and pointed it at the window. The mutt's face was clearly visible as he handed the retriever another string of lights to line the bottom of the window. Pushing down the little button, he was supremely disappointed when nothing came out. Shaking the can, he aimed and depressed that white button once more. Again, nothing came out except a dribble of white stuff. Now he was getting sorely vexed. Twice he'd missed his chance to nail the mutt, even if it was only for pretend. He peered intently at the opening of the little button, where the stuff was supposed to come out of, wondering if it was blocked up. Somehow or other, it wasn't working and he was bound and determined to change that.

Téa looked over from her side of the window, where she'd sprayed a line of snow on the bottom of it to look like a snowdrift, ready to answer his question with a retort of her own and watched the scene unfold before her in slow motion. There was no way she could have stopped it from happening. As Seto examined the can of snow, trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with it, his frustration got the better of him. Unfortunately, when he got this way, his fingers and hands had a tendency to tense up. And his finger was still on that little white button.

"Aaah," Seto yelped, his hand flying up to his face as white stuff sprayed out of the can. Now it had decided to work. Téa couldn't help but giggle at the sight of Seto wiping fake snow off his cheek. At least he'd had enough time to close his eyes before the stuff hit. She laughed even harder when she remembered his earlier encounter with a snow wash. If looks could kill, Seto thought to himself before he grinned. At least the mutt and the retriever had moved out of the window, he noticed when he took a glance outside. Téa was the only witness to his humiliation.

"Hahaha, that's too funny," she managed to say between fits of the giggles. The CEO of KaibaCorp sat on her living room floor with fake snow still clinging to his eyelashes and nose. If only she had a camera, the picture would be worth millions. "C'mon, haha, let's get you cleaned up."

She held her hand out to him, to help him up, and he accepted it gracefully, a sheepish smile on his face. "I guess I'll know never to do that again."

"You learn something knew everyday," she quoted as they walked into the kitchen. Now was his chance to get good use out of that mistletoe. He stopped under that spot and glanced up. Yup, it was still there, just begging to be used. And Mokuba was nowhere to be found. Téa continued on to the counter and picked up a clean dishtowel, running a corner of it under the tap to wet it down. She knew from experience that it was clingy stuff and needed to be scrubbed away.

"Do you want to do this? Or do you want me to?" Téa asked, holding the green dishtowel between them. She wasn't his mother after all, and by this time in his life, he should know how to wash his own face. Standing there, under that lamp with his hands in his pockets and sheepish grin on his face, he just looked so... so cute and she couldn't help but giggle again.

"Before we get to that, I need you to do something for me," Seto stated, well aware of exactly what he was going to ask her to do.

"What is it, Seto? Should I make a deal now? That's how you businessmen operate isn't it?" That sly look in her eyes amused him and he paused for a second to catch his breath before he continued on.

"No, no deals. I just need you to look up and tell me what you see." His gravely voice caught her attention. The last time he'd sounded like that was the first time he'd kissed her, out in the snow.

Why was he wasting time talking to her instead of holding her against him and doing the things his body was screaming for him to do? The sweet tension coursing through his system was demanding to be satisfied. Her eyes lifted to the ceiling and he heard her gasp. The devilish smirk on his lips was back as she looked into his eyes once more.

"Mistletoe... who put that there?" she whispered, her eyes wide in amazement. It couldn't have been Seto, he hadn't left her side all night. The only person it could have been was... "Mokuba?"

"My devious younger brother," Seto confirmed as a grin spread across her mouth. She moved a step closer to him, ignoring the dishtowel in her hands and the snow still clinging to his face, and wrapped her arms around his neck. The scent of his aftershave was overpowering her and she gave in to the desires running rampant through her body as she rested her head on his chest.

"You know what mistletoe means, right?" Her provocative tone of voice told him all he needed to know. Well, that and the heart he felt beating so close to his own as she pressed herself against him. "And you have been good. Very good, I should say. Should we consider this our quiet, little corner for a moment?"

Her eyes were so intensely blue that he couldn't think of a name for a colour that pure. Azure, sapphire, cerulean, cobalt, navy – all of those names didn't even come close. The only name that fit was simply Téa. Seto smiled down at her. "Mmm, tradition says that those who meet under the mistletoe must exchange a kiss."

"Thank God for tradition," Téa replied and felt him lean closer, one hand encircling her waist as the other skimmed up her back and tangled itself into her hair, bringing his lips into heady contact with hers. The sweet tension broke over him like a wave as he lost himself in the feel of her mouth on his. He pulled her closer, feeling her hands tousle his hair into a disorganized mess again and the smile that curled her lips up as she did it. Lifting onto her tiptoes, she kissed him back with an eagerness that surprised even herself. He was being too gentle, though, this time around. The heat was what she wanted from him. Raw passion right now. The electric friction between them increased exponentially and he groaned softly as she nipped at his bottom lip. His mouth opened for her and her tongue swept in, tasting the cider he'd had earlier and his own unique taste as well. She didn't know exactly how to describe it but to her, he tasted like fire. Forget the ice god/human glacier/popsicle image. That was forever shattered in her mind as his tongue sparred with hers and they separated for only short gasps of breath.

Seto never thought that just a kiss could be so ... erotic. The feel of her fingers grasping his hair, the taste of her lips and tongue, the smell of her shampoo as it surrounded him and the feel of her exquisite figure pressed so intimately against him were intoxicating in a way he never knew was possible outside of dreams. Who knew that such an intense passion existed in the perky cheerleader? The soul-searing kiss was reluctantly broken as the need for a deep breath became quite apparent. Her hands, dishtowel included, removed themselves from his hair and resettled around his waist as she leaned against his chest once more, listening to the thunderous beating of his heart.

"Téa," he whispered, his voice hoarse with want, as he wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his warm, male scent. She shivered at the way her name rolled off his tongue, at the need that was so pronounced in that one word. Wow, she didn't realize how much the teasing had affected him.

"Mmm?" she asked, nestling in closer to him and letting her hands trail gently up and down his back, not caring if that stupid green dishtowel got in the way.

Neither of them heard the front door open and close or the footsteps that pounded their way slowly towards the kitchen.

"Thank God for mistletoe," Seto said, leaning down a bit and giving the top of her head a quick kiss. They stood like that for a second or two longer, just enjoying the peaceful silence between them, before taking a step back from each other. Just as she was going to hand Seto the dishtowel to clean off the rest of the fake snow from his face, his hand came up and his thumb caressed her cheek.

Unfortunately, that's exactly when the shouting started.

Groan. Not again.

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Round 5 complete

Mwahahaha, great cliff hanger, eh? Hope you all enjoyed this instalment of my story. Chapter 10 will be up in about a week. Thanks for all of your great reviews...

Chapter 10 – "Dinnertime"