Delicate by Sangha
Chapter two is ready - remember that English is not my original language, so please accept the (few) mistakes I may have made. I am German, after all... Thanks for the review so far, I'm glad you like it.
Chapter 2 – One Wild Night (With A Sad Sad Smile)
The only acceptable place to go to was a club called Rainmen's. It wasn't a big club like those who all kinds of weird teenagers were hanging out but it wasn't small like a village pub either. Mostly duelists chose this place to hang around as well as Yugi and his clique but there was also for Kaiba indeed no other place that would be acceptable in any way.
Seto walked in the club and steered immediately to the bar. Ordering himself a drink his mind once more drifted to the talk with his brother. He was with Serenity Wheeler – the one and only girl Seto had ever had a crush on. Indeed no one knew and he himself has always denied his own feelings towards the girl but fact was, she had had an affection to him he could never explain. They had both been teenagers, the girl had been very young compared to Seto, and how important could a simple teenager crush possibly be? So he had chosen to ignore it and shrug it off.
Groaning mentally he cursed. Maybe he was overreacting. He hadn't seen the girl for eight years and he wasn't even to know if she still had this affect on him. And even if she'd have, no one had to see that. Kaiba was used to not showing any kind of emotion and he could do that once more – hopefully. Probably she wasn't even that pretty and kind anymore and he character had probably changed, too. Now she would be like anyone else, prejudging and annoying.
"Well, if that isn't the great Seto Kaiba?" The penetrating voice of Joey Wheeler reached Seto's ears and he immediately glared at the blond who had suddenly appeared in front of Kaiba.
"Mind your own business, Wheeler." Kaiba replied coldly.
"I will, don't worry." Joey headed off to a pool table taking the queue. As usual Tristan Taylor was accompanying him and they started a match of pool billiard.
Wheeler. He was annoyed by that dumb mask of a third rate duelist ever since he had first met him. The name seemed to promise any kind of headache in Seto, whether it concerned Joey or his sister Serenity. Joey was living with Mai Valentine, not in marriage, but for years as a happy couple. Would Serenity live now with Mokuba forever? Would it be like this? Seto's headache even grew but that was nothing compared to what should happen little later.
Out of nothing, suddenly, Seto was looking into the two blue-gray eyes of his raven haired brother, accompanied by Serenity Wheeler.
"Hey Seto!"
"Mokuba…" Totally caught off guard Kaiba stated not daring to shift his gaze to the girl.
"Hello Kaiba." Her sweet voice flowed from her mouth too soon. "Do you still remember me?"
"I don't have Alzheimer." He snapped at her.
"I was just asking." She said a bit taken aback and took Mokuba's hand while she was waving with the other one to her big brother on the pool table.
"What you're doing here?" Kaiba asked his little brother blatantly.
"Well, I thought as you've said you'd be here, we might as well join. The evening's young!" Grinning he explained and greeted Joey as well.
Gladly, Serenity moved over to her brother and hugged him. Mokuba followed her on her heels, giving Seto time to get used to them both being together. Serenity hadn't changed that much. She still had those long auburn hair and big hazel eyes. Still, she had grown more mature, shaped well but with a young spirit to her. If Seto wasn't all wrong, he felt the symptoms of his affection for her again. Growling rather low he silently stood up, heading for another place to sit.
The upper area of the club was quite fine. It had a bar, a few tables and sofas to sit on and you could watch the people on the floor below. Standing at the railing his gaze darted once more to Mokuba and Serenity. They were a cute couple and certainly Serenity loved his brother and that was all what it should take to make Seto happy. Instead he wasn't and he felt bad about it. Turning he sat down on the sofa nearby and ordered Scotch.
Meanwhile downstairs Joey had lost another ten dollars to Tristan who was obviously better playing pool. Groaning slightly annoyed Joey knew he should stay with Duel Monsters to bet with money. But he didn't give up so far and challenged Tristan for another round before Mai and Tea entered the place. Mai immediately went over to Joey and pecked his cheek.
"Hey darling." Joey smiled and placed the queue on the table.
"Hey, I hope you don't gamble away our money again." Mai said with a suspicious raised eyebrow while Tea grinned, knowing how many times Joey had done that lately.
"Me? No, no. I wouldn't do that." Joey replied quite nervously and failing to goal the hit ball.
"Yeah, right." The blonde woman stated and sent Tristan a warning glance.
"Mokuba and Serenity are here, too, Mai. Even Kaiba. Guess he finally knows about his brother dating my sister." Joey told casually to change the subject from his bet.
"Really? Who are they?" Mai asked.
Joey showed where Mokuba and Serenity had found a quite cozy place to sit. Mokuba sat opposite his girlfriend and held her hands in his across the small table. She smiled sweetly at him while he was talking. Then he leant forward to brush his lips against hers. Mai picked a peanut from out of a bowl with snacks and threw it at Mokuba.
"Keep it G-rated!" She yelled over to the surprised looking couple while she was heading with Tea to join them at their table.
"Really, Mai, sometimes you can even be worse than Joey." Mokuba rubbed his head where the peanut had hit him.
Mai just winked at the two of them, smiling sweetly, and sat down next to Serenity while Tea sat down next to Mokuba. Serenity and Mai hugged each other being almost sisters-in-law.
"Hey you two." Tea greeted them both. "How are you?"
"Fine are they, if that's not obvious!" Mai spoke for them with a mischievous grin. "So your brother finally knows about you then. Where is he by the way?"
"I've got no clue. He was sitting at the bar when we were coming but he must have been gone somewhere else. No idea." Mokuba stated and sipped at his drink.
"I don't know but he didn't seem okay with me and you." Serenity shyly told.
"No, don't think that, Seren. He's just not a really sociable type of guy. Probably he just has something else rather than us in his mind." Mokuba tried to assure his girlfriend.
"Not a really sociable guy…" Tea repeated with a raised eyebrow. "That way I've haven't seen his attitude so far."
A glare from Mokuba let her rise to get a drink while Mai tried to cheer up the moods telling yet another tale about Joey and his habits, this time his habit of talking when he sleeps.
Tea instead joined the pool table after she had gathered herself a drink. Yugi had come meanwhile and after greeting the three friends at the small table, he had joined Joey and Tristan, watching their pool game.
"Hey Tea."
"Hi Yugi." She offered a friendly smile. "Seems like Joey should stay with playing cards, huh?"
"Yeah, I'm just here for about ten minutes and he's lost another ten dollar." Yugi stated smiling.
"Oh my, if Mai gets to know, she'll bite his head off." Tea replied chuckling but with a worrying short glance at the blond woman.
Yugi sighed. "They're together now for almost six years. It still works. How do they do that? I doubt it has anything to do with Joey gambling their money away."
"No clue." Tea stated.
"Would you please shut up now?" Joey suddenly shrieked. "I can hear you two!" He waved with his hand furiously.
"C'mon Joey, that was a compliment. They're envying you because of your relationship to Mai." Tristan helped to mend the air cutting atmosphere.
Gladly Joey just shrugged and kept playing pool with Tristan. It went quiet between Yugi and Tea. She had no clue if Yugi envied Joey and Mai but she indeed did. Yugi had been her best friend for most of her life but never had he been a boyfriend to her. After her crush at Yami she had even once tried with Bakura and Duke Devlin but they were just not what she needed.
Realizing what Tea needed, it dawned on her that it was indeed her best friend Yugi. So he was not very tall but at least as tall as Yami by now. He had quite childish features but she loved them nevertheless. Mai had found a friend in Joey and fell in love with him. Tea had no clue about Joey but that's what Mai had once told her. But after quite short time and it had taken Tea more than five years to finally realize her true love. The point now was, if it wasn't too late.
As if calling for the devil in disguise a blonde head appeared next to Yugi.
"Hello Yugi." A perfect smile appeared on the sweet face of Rebecca Hawkins and with a swift movement of her head she pushed her long blond hair behind her shoulders.
Rebecca was also in love with Yugi, always has been obvious. After she had graduated University in the US with an super A diploma and a doctor title by only the age of thirteen she had moved to Domino joining its University of arts to gather even more different knowledge and A grades. She had grown to a really hot girl, too. Even Tea as a girl could see why guys fell to her feet.
Rebecca was openly showing her crush on Yugi and she was impressive in any way. She didn't wore glasses anymore but lenses within her clear light green eyes. Grown almost as tall as Tea she also had a well shaped figure. This evening she was wearing a short blue skirt and a green shirt that made sure everyone could see how well shaped she was if they weren't able to do that so far. Tea had grown to keep her own feelings towards Yugi inside, waiting for the right moment to tell him for more than one year now.
"Rebecca, hello." Yugi smiled at her. "Looking nice tonight." He stated seeing how she was dressed.
Tea didn't expect Rebecca to acknowledge or greet her but sent a dismissive glance at the blond haired girl which got impressively ignored.
"Thanks Yugi, you're charming as ever. How are you? I was hoping you'd show up tonight." Rebecca babbled what really got Tea by her raw nerves. She turned to walk to the bar once more. Her drink had faded into nothing without her being aware.
"Where are you going?" Yugi asked and Tea turned.
"I'm heading to get another drink. Do you want anything, too, Yugi?" She asked her best friend with the spiky hair who shook simply his head.
"I take a water, Tea, thank you." Rebecca said and immediately turned her attention back to Yugi telling him what a day she had had. One thing was guaranteed with the blond witch. Even if she didn't even greet you the way politeness bid, she knew you when she needed something.
Tea just breathed out between gritted teeth and headed to the bar. There was no need to lose her temper, right? Wrong. When Tea came back with her drink and the glass of water for Rebecca she accepted it without a thank you, rather telling Yugi that she wanted revenge after losing to him playing pool last evening. Tea didn't even know he had been here last night.
"You really owe me revenge, Yugi." Rebecca almost clung to Yugi, holding his arm which looked quite awkward.
"If Joey's going to stop losing any time soon." Yugi replied gazing at Joey handing Tristan ten dollar once more.
"Or we might as well give them both revenge for last evening?" Rebecca giggled.
Yugi smiled at her and she pouted.
"It had been so much fun last night when we were both playing together against Joey and Tristan. I bet we both would be a good team in any competition." The girl grinned and elbowed Yugi softly which made him blush and grin sheepishly.
Tea had had enough now. She couldn't see them anymore, couldn't stand Rebecca and Yugi flirting. She hadn't known so far about Yugi having been here last night, with Rebecca! Have they been on a date even? Who knew! It seemed like Tea wasn't someone to tell anything, anyway. She felt left out. Even as a friend. So taking her drink in her hand she left the pool table and wandered around the club. The people there weren't of any interest for her, she just needed some space.
After climbing the steps to the upper floor she was standing at the railing and gazed down on Yugi and the blond witch. She leant close to him and probably whispered something into his ear which had made him laugh. Yeah, what a bloody joke! Only that Tea couldn't laugh about it.
"Eh woman, what's to watch down there?"
The voice behind her startled her but even more because she knew whom it belonged to. The brown haired woman turned to see the figure of Seto Kaiba sitting on the sofa behind her with a lazy smirk on his face.
"Kaiba. So you've been fled upstairs. Well, and there we were, riddling about where you might have gone."
"Your own fault, I'd say." He almost smiled which was rare, still.
"Right. You've probably got your reasons." Tea smiled quite sadly.
"I suppose you must have reasons as well. It's rare to see you without your bugging clique around. Or are you watching over them from upstairs!" He asked with quite a high pitched tone to his last sentence and wriggled almost his nose.
"No, I was in search for you to see a lovely smile." She smirked ironically and pleased with her joke. It wasn't any of Kaiba's business after all why she was here.
"Great, then sit down and have a drink." He offered the chair next to him and lifted his bottle of brown liquid. "Scotch?"
Tea shrugged and let herself fall in the offered chair. In normal circumstances she wouldn't try to be sociable with Kaiba but hell, the day had been bad enough and a Seto Kaiba being nice was at least a positive surprise. But she declined the offered alcohol with pulling a face.
"Scotch? No, thank you."
"What do you want to drink instead? Beer, wine, champagne?" The last word he said again quite high pitched and with a raised eyebrow but also with a cheeky smirk.
Tea thought how weird he was acting but when he mentioned the word champagne she couldn't help but smile and her blue eyes lit up like a bright light.
"Fine." He stated and called the waiter to bring a bottle of champagne. "Drink as much as you want. I hate to drink alone."
"Why are you drinking at all?" Tea asked and received an annoyed groan.
"Why are you looking like someone's died?" He countered. "Questions, questions. Are you here to talk about things like that? Well, I'm not. I'm here to have fun. Funny, huh?" He grinned lopsided and handed Tea the glass he had filled for her with champagne. "Cheers."
"Cheers."
Later that night one floor down Mokuba and Serenity were ready to leave after a quite long talk with Mai. Yugi and Rebecca indeed tried their luck once again beating Joey and Tristan in a game of pool. It had been funny to watch so far but Mai wondered where Tea had gone.
"Mai, Mokuba and I are going now. I'm staying overnight at his place, please tell Joey." Serenity informed the blond woman.
"Yeah, okay. Have a nice night then." Mai grinned and hugged the small grown young woman.
"And if you see my brother, tell him, the don't disturb sign's meant to him!" Mokuba was a cheeky one at jokes like that and it worked with girls so far. The only exception being Rebecca Hawkins but that was past.
"I'd rather like to know where Tea has gone." Mai replied but the couple went nevertheless, leaving Rainmen's. "Yugi, do you have a clue where Tea has disappeared?" She called out to the three colors haired man.
"No, I'm afraid not." He replied. "Do you think we should see where she's gone?"
"Well, I'll take a look around, okay? You keep playing, I'll be okay on my own." Mai went off and headed through the club.
There were people all around but she didn't find Tea. Until she climbed the stairs to the upper floor where she recognized Seto Kaiba talking to a woman. He seemed actually quite sociable – regarding to the word Mokuba had used. He was talking with a brown haired woman and they were laughing and enjoying their little talk. The shock almost slapped Mai's face when she recognized the woman he was talking with. It was indeed Tea.
"And that's why I think ice cubes should be round." Seto explained funnily with a adoring cute smile on his usually sharp features.
Tea was giggling at his explanation of why ice cubes should be round. "I could imagine other reasons why ice cubes should be round." She smiled wickedly. "Have you ever used them with a girl?" Her grin even grew.
Seto's face broke into a grin as well but he mimicked modesty. "Once or twice." He calmly replied.
"Tea!" Mai voice broke the atmosphere between the two of them. "We have been looking for you."
"Mai. That's nice of you but it's okay. No circumstances for me. I quite enjoy time here with Seto." Tea stated happily and obviously slightly or even much too drunk. So far Mai couldn't decide but she got worried, though.
"Seto?" She asked sarcastically.
"That's still me, after all." Seto's eyes narrowed facing Mai and his smile faded.
"I know." Mai hissed. "Tea, please come back down to us. The others are still playing pool and it's quite funny."
"Quite isn't enough, right Seto?" Tea said and reassured herself with a nod. "It's much funnier here with Seto. He is really socia…. soci… whatever, he is much more fun than watching a lame game of pool."
"Tea!" Mai said in a warning tone.
"No, no, Mai. It's okay. Go down to the others and have fun. I'll stay here. It's safe, you know? He doesn't bite, right Seto?"
"Not so far." Seto told Tea with a hint of a joke.
The blond haired woman just shook her head and left. Not only that Tea was drunk but also Kaiba. She had never seen him smile at a woman at all. Not to mention his grin, the jokes, the way he was talking – drunk. Mai was worried but Tea was old enough and if she wanted to enjoy herself with the company of Seto Kaiba, then she should have her will.
When Mai approached the rest of the remaining friends she was surprised that obviously their match of pool had ended. Joey was half sitting on the pool table and took a last sip from his beer. Rebecca glued to Yugi who was nodding to something she said smiling while Tristan stood in front of Joey.
"Eh Mai, we lost again to Yugi and Rebecca, I'm sorry." Joey tried to apologize but seeing Mai didn't really care he was wondering. "What's wrong? Have you found Tea?"
"Yeah, I found her, unfortunately." Was her response. Now even Yugi came to hear what was wrong. "She's on the upper floor drinking with Kaiba."
Silence swept over them before Joey finally needed to ask. "Kaiba? You don't mean Seto Kaiba, do you?"
"Yes, I do mean Seto Kaiba. They're both upstairs and quite drunk as far as I can see. I'm worried. It's so unlike Tea to drink with men, not to mention Kaiba." Mai replied with her head hanging low. "But anyway, she wants to be left alone. I've tried to convince her to come back down to us but she refuses. Maybe we should just leave her."
"No, we can't just leave her." Yugi cut in now. "We've got to at least ask her once more."
"I agree with Yugi. We need to at least ask her once more. We're friends for such a long time and she wouldn't say that if she doesn't mean it. Let's try together once more." Tristan suggested and grabbed his jacket.
Joey pulled himself off the table and put on his blue jean jacket as well. "If she doesn't want to come along with us, we gotta go though. I need to work tomorrow if I want or not."
"Hey, can anyone of you drive me home? I'm afraid my friends are all gone by now." Rebecca asked and smiled sweetly at Yugi, batting her eyelashes.
"Yeah, of course." Yugi agreed being the polite guy he was. Of course Rebecca can't go home all by herself, alone, in the middle of the night and she thanked him with a smile.
Together they made their way upstairs where they found Tea in the same chair as minutes ago. This time she held a glass of liquid in her hand and was talking to Kaiba while giggling throughout.
"Tea, I have to say, you are really great company. How come, I didn't notice so far?" Kaiba asked and leant forward touching one of Tea's knees. "Plus, you've got taste in fashion." He let his eyes wander up the length of her legs across her black skirt and the pink top she was wearing. Stopping only one second more breast height, his gaze shifted further to her blue eyes.
"Thanks. But how come we never did this before? We should go out more often with each other and drink senseless." She giggled and received another cute smile of the tall man with the chestnut hair.
"Yeah, we should go out every night. Just you and me. And our friends, Ms. Champagne and Mr. Scotch." Seto joked but unfortunately Tea's friends had finally arrived the two of them and gazed at Seto as well as Tea with quite dismissive expressions.
"Tea," Yugi began and tried to get her attention. "We're about to leave. Do you come with us?"
Her blue-eyes gaze darted up to Yugi and the rest of them. Rebecca. Tea shook her head and turned back to Kaiba.
"No, I'm gonna stay here."
"Really? We just don't like to leave you here all alone. Usually we come together and go together. It surely would be better if I'm gonna drive you home now." Yugi tried to convince his friend.
"Really. I want to stay here and I think I'm old enough to decide that by myself." She stubbornly answered.
"How will you come home?" Joey this time tried his luck.
"I'll take a cab. What's wrong with you? I'm fine and I know how to call a cab. Don't worry. I just want to stay a bit longer and talk with Seto."
Yugi's gaze shifted to Kaiba who sat there quite silent with an arrogant look in his eyes. He couldn't understand why they didn't leave Tea alone if she wanted to be. He didn't want her to leave either. They had fun. More fun than Kaiba would have ever imagined when he went out that night.
"What's your problem?" Kaiba spoke up. "Tea wants to stay here and you want to go. So go and I promise that she's going to get home safe."
The rest of the clique stood there in silence for a moment until Yugi sighed.
"Fine." He couldn't do anything. Tea was sitting cross armed on her chair and pouted while Kaiba was at least being cooperative and so far, Yugi trusted Kaiba. "We'll leave without you, Tea. I'm gonna call you tomorrow."
With that Yugi went, Rebecca on his heels. Reluctantly Mai and Joey followed, as well as Tristan. Outside Rainmen's Joey suddenly stopped.
"Do you think it was okay to leave Tea alone with Kaiba?"
Yugi turned to face his friend. "What else are we supposed to do? We can't drag out a twenty-four year old woman. She should know what she does. Tomorrow I'll give her a call and see if she's okay. That's all I can do for her, I'm afraid."
Joey nodded. "You're right. It's just strange. I never trusted Kaiba and to leave her with him…?"
"We just have to trust both of them." Yugi stated and opened the car's door for Rebecca to get in. "Good night."
"Night Yugi." The rest of them said their goodbyes and climbed in Mai's car to drive home.
It was even later when Tea and Kaiba were still chatting and drinking. Finally the lights of the club switched on and a waiter informed that they were supposed to close in a few minutes.
Tea sighed. "Do you have a cell phone? I need to call the cab."
"Nonsense. I will drive you home." Kaiba simply stated.
"You want to drive? How much have you been drinking, Seto?" Tea didn't get it.
"I won't drive by myself, Tea, I will be driven. And you, too." He said with a smile and paid their latest drinks before he grabbed his coat and tried to pull it on. With difficulties as he was really, nearly badly drunk.
Tea stood up and tried to steady herself. Clutching a small hand to her forehead she realized how much she really had drank. Gladly Seto had seen her coat and held it open for her to pull in on. She smiled thankful and tried to walk with him to the door. Unfortunately she was stumbling but Kaiba caught her right in time and with his arm around her waist he guided her outside to his limousine. The driver had been waiting all the time and Tea almost felt sympathy for him.
"Ooh, you really allow me to get driven with you in your limo?" She raised her eyebrows when Seto held the door open for her to climb inside.
"Sure." Seto smiled climbing quite clumsy after the woman. "It would look quite stupid if I wanted to stuff you in the boot." He grinned another wicked smile and sat finally down next to her. "Where are you living?"
Tea told the driver her street's name and Seto ordered the man to take off to their destination. Kaiba then pushed a button to let the shield between the passenger's seats and the diver's seat appear. While it slowly went to shut them out from the driver he leant back lazily to sit quite squeezed to Tea. Seto laid his arm around her shoulders.
"Quite comfortable, isn't it? It should be like this every time." He stated calmly.
Actually, it didn't felt that bad, Tea had to admit. She liked it within Kaiba's arms. It was cozy and he always had been a man with whom any girl would feel safe. She nodded to his question and laid a hand upon his knee before she gazed upwards into his sapphire blue eyes.
"Yeah," Tea breathed and before she really knew what was happening Seto had bent forward to kiss her. His hand had moved to her thigh where he hovered at the hem of her skirt.
Slowly Tea's hand raised up to entangle with the brown strands of hair at the base of Seto's nape. She wanted to kiss him as well and enjoyed what was happening. They were deepening their kiss and it began to get quite passionate when the car stopped. Almost unaware that they had arrived their destination they kept on kissing each other when suddenly, Tea broke their kiss, trying to catch her breath back.
The blue eyed woman nevertheless didn't let go of Kaiba and gazed in his blue eyes. "Do you want to come up with me?"
An offer Seto couldn't possibly refuse. "Yeah." He answered simply and climbed out of the car, followed by Tea.
Under normal circumstances Tea would certainly never ask Seto Kaiba or any other man up to her apartment but with the alcohol in her blood, she really didn't want to be alone tonight. That night she had had fun and the fun hadn't to stop here.
Kaiba had ordered his driver to go home and made his way together with Tea up to her apartment which was on the third floor. Fumbling in her hand bag for her keys Seto wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and leant down to kiss her neck. A low murmur escaped the brown haired woman and she almost forgot what she was looking for in her hand bag.
"Finally," Tea led Kaiba in when she had found the key and opened the door. "Welcome in my home. I'm back in a minute."
Tea called out while she rushing into her bathroom, leaving Seto alone for a minute. After he had taken off his coat he gazed around the apartment for a while but wasn't really interested in the rooms, anyway. His eyes lit up when Tea came back, also her coat had left her body.
"Do you want something to drink?"
"No." Seto shook his head and took Tea's hands in his.
The woman instead slowly walked backwards, Seto following her, until they were both in Tea's bedroom. Kaiba let his eyes dance for a while to take in where he was until his gaze stopped at the smiling Tea who had raised an eyebrow. But no words spoken Kaiba simply leant down to kiss her and what grew quite slow in comparison to their first kiss, this one started quickly and with passion.
It didn't take them both much time to lay down on Tea's bed with Seto on top of her. He kissed her and touched her and soon found her way too overdressed to what he had in his mind. The woman tugged at Seto's shirt. She wanted him, needing to feel his warm flesh.
Tea shouldn't get disappointed.
(A/N: See? I promised a longer chapter and right now, my eyes hurt. I will cut the second chapter here. No further details allowed ;-D It's quite difficult to write Kaiba drunk, I must say, though. Can you imagine him being chatty and nice, smiling and laughing? Quite a weird thought…)
