Disclaimer: I don't own YuGiOh.
Chapter Eighteen: A LOT Can Happen In Two Weeks!
"Whoo!"
"Mai, don't be sarcastic." Tea brushed the confetti from her long wood-amber hair.
"Well, this is a celebration. I can't believe he finally asked you out!" The three friends for walking, all bundled up, down the quiet street. The blonde scooped out some more confetti from her bag and threw it all over an impatient Tea. "So where's he taking you, what'll you wear, when is it held?! Seriously, I thought I'd have to knock you two out and lasso you together!"
"Speaking of what to wear," Serenity interjected as Tea didn't look too amused, hugging her scarf at the briskness of the morning, "I think you really should go with that sleeveless, white gown with all the flowers on the bodice, Mai. That was the best wedding dress there." I can't believe she designed it!
"Yeah, " Mai agreed slowly, with a twist of her pretty mouth, "but that was more of a 'Springish' dress . . . and I'm a winter bride! So-o-o . . . I dunno . . . " Whether it's that one or should I get the Valentino ?
" 'Springish?' " Tea guffawed, her own mouth dropped open in sarcasm. "You coordinate your clothes with the seasons?!"
Eyeing her sideways from under her woolly lilac hat, Mai said, "I, unlike you, Tea dear, have been planning this event for my entire life. That's what us normal girls do, isn't that right Serenity dear?"
"Uh . . . I guess . . . " Serenity said, wishing they'd keep her out of it--she was only listening with half an ear. "Listen, guys, I gotta go---see ya!" She dashed off before she really, really sucked in. "Later!" She disappeared inside a building.
"Later," they echoed, watching for a moment. Then Mai said maternally, "I'm glad you're finally going out with ol' Yugi, Tea."
"Yeah, but . . . I don't know . . . it . . . feels weird. . . . " Tea admitted, studying the sludgy sidewalk and listening to the crunch of her boots.
"Weird, what do you mean?"
"Well, we've been friends for so long . . . and I know he's liked me for a long time, but . . . it's hard to look at your friend like that, you know?" Tea studied the blue sky with her sky-blue eyes pointed upwards. "In a different light."
"Yeah, I know," Mai said comfortingly, knowingly. "Me and Joseph were friends before we got together, remember?"
"But you did know each other long to be close as Yugi and I are," Tea shivered suddenly, " I'm afraid," she admitted, "that it wouldn't work out and it'd destroy the friendship and stuff. Silly, huh."
"Yep. No, I mean, what if things don't work out, but what if it will? You'll never know, unless you try. It's better to have loved and lost, then to never have loved in the first place."
"I never thought you'd be saying stuff like that." Tea shook her head reminiscently. She'd known Mai for a pretty long time now and never would have guessed. Mai had a knack of using boys like they were personal possessions, or playthings.
"Yeah, well . . . I guess I've changed." It seemed like a day of admittance. Mai twirled her suede-gloved hands, twisting the amber-and-amethyst engagement ring beneath. "He's just like a big kid; and when I'm with him, I feel just like when I was just a child, young and carefree, innocent and naïve---" She stopped as Tea got a strange look on her face, "--what? Oh, tell me."
"Well-l-l," Tea hesitated just for a moment; always one to speak her mind. "You may not want to hear this, Mai but . . . I don't think you two should get married. Yet." Mai's reaction to that surprised her; she'd been expecting, 'What? Oh, you're silly, Tea,' or 'you're just jealous, Tea!' But not shock. Fearing Joey might kill her for putting doubts into his dream bride's head, Tea went on with a nervous laugh, "Oh, but don't pay any attention to me. A-ha. Bye Mai." And dashed off.
When Tea arrived at the Game Shop, Yugi was talking on the phone; the store was closed for the holidays. Casually, Tea took off her coat and scarf, and hung it on a peg. Yugi turned around just then, gave a brief smile of hello, talked for a few more minutes on the phone, then hung up. "It's . . . set."
Watching him wring his hands, Tea could only guess. "You've set up the duel against Kaiba?"
"Yep."
She said carefully, "He's probably got a brand new deck."
"Maybe, but I don't think so," Yugi muttered with confidence, "he's a stickler for his favorite cards." Still, he's no fool! I've beaten him so many times, with Yami, of course, he's bound to have some new tricks up his sleeve---
"Yugi? Hel-lo," Tea waved her hands on front of his face, "Don't space out on me. What're you thinking now?"
"Well . . . I'm a little embarrassed to say, but I hope he doesn't cheat this time." He rubbed his bare arms; he was still wearing his old sleeveless shirt even in the midst of winter.
Tea made a series of scoffing sounds, then sat down on the stool next to the counter, trying not to be sarcastic for Yugi's sake. "When Kaiba was here threatening you," she clamped down on as usual, "he's said you promised your Grandpa you wouldn't duel . . . why would you do that?"
Yugi flinched visibly, then went around the counter. He picked up a steaming mug with "#1 Grandpa"; a gift from two Christmases ago to Mr. Motou. "Well," he said finally, feeling like he had to be honest. "When we came back from Egypt, I found . . . that Grandpa had been in the hospital, from a heart attack, taken by Mr. Hawkins."
"Oh my God . . . " Tea gasped softly. "And by then I had already left."
"Since I was in Egypt helping Yami with his past, I felt like dueling had something to do with his death. I tried to come as quickly as I could, but it was too late . . . " His fists clenched as the mug hit the counter with a thunk. "Too late. I couldn't even tell him 'goodbye.' "
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?!" She was shocked at what he had to go through.
"I couldn't face it . . . I couldn't face disappointing you . . . "
"Why would you think that? You did all you could."
"Yeah, well . . . " He turned to study the shelves that lined the walls, "it wasn't enough, wasn't it?" There was an awkward pause, then he said apologetically, "Sorry, I didn't mean be depressing."
"I'm not, really. I'm--" Just then, the door jingled. "Sorry, we're closed!"
"No, that's okay, Tea. We need all the business we can use. Hi, can I help you?" he said, as she leaned back, watching him with a smile.
Welcome back . . . Yugi.
# Kaiba Mansion #
"Where is HE?!" Rebecca gulped a sob down as she banged on the door. The secret door, not the front one. "Momo!"
"Whatizzit?" A sleep-thickened voice answered. " 'Becca, what's wrong--"
"Do you know what he DID? I'll kill him!" Quickly, she explained about her card. Mokuba didn't look very surprised to hear it, even though he didn't know about, and instead he smiled a reassuring smile.
"Oh, about Yugi asking Tea out?"
"No . . . " she blinked a couple times, "about y-your brother -- ripping up my card . . . Yugi DID WHAT?!"
Cutting her off mid-rant, he added, "Come on inside; I have a secret to tell you."
Secret? That perked her right up. " 'Secret'?" She repeated, her ears perking up from beneath her blond pigtails, and her light-green eyes round behind her half-moon spectacles. "Ooh, do tell!"
"Actually, it's more of a secret plan." He corrected himself, as she was ushered inside.
# Kaiba Corporation #
The well suited, well-dressed, competent staff of KaibaCorp. pressed their ears up against the master office's door. Countless times, they have been caught spying with a boot to their behinds and a threat to their jobs. But long since, they've discovered "Serenity", who rehired them all back, or at least, made arrangements to.
"You wouldn't believe what happened to me today!" They heard her say, accompanied by a thunk of a body hitting a chair. Exchanging secret smiles, the staff leaned in farther, under the pretense of pretending to work.
"Hold on a moment, Serenity. I thought I heard a noise!" Kaiba suddenly opened up his office door, only to find his staff diligently working away back at their separate cubicles. Narrowing his laser-like gaze at each of them, he gave them one last suspicious look over his purple shoulder as he closed the door quietly again. They weren't allowed to hear in private conversations in the main office. Quick as a wink, the staff leaned over to eavesdrop again. But they couldn't type and listen and the same time . . .
Drat.
"You were saying?" He threw a folder with a smack on his large, wide cypress-wooden desk, still suspicious about the noise he'd heard. "How did your presentation at school go?" He said in a much softer tone.
Discreetly hiding her hands behind her back, Serenity said all accusatory, "You're not even listening! I said, it went terrible." She helped herself to a foil-wrapped caramel candy that rattled when opened.
"Why?" He merely went behind his desk and sat down, the plush chair creaking and swaying, as calm as you please. Only she was fired up!
"Because--I don't know--" She started to pace rapidly, "I was up there, in Western History 101 class, at the front, and everyone was staring---I couldn't remember my speech--it went terrible."
"It probably went better than you think." He started typing away.
"No. It didn't!" She was getting mad now at his indifference.
"Okay okay . . . " he put away his papers, and regarded her very seriously. "So, why do you think you did badly? You practiced for it."
"Yes, I know, but . . . oh well. Never mind. It's too hard for me to make presentations with my," she chewed her thumbnail and studied it, "stage fright. You're lucky you don't have any of that nervous stuff."
"Say who?"
"Says half the world." She said, referring to the fact he held press conferences everyday, and didn't choke once. "Oh, by the way, I saw Ishizu yesterday . . . " The sentence trailed off.
He unlaced his fingers with a clear scowl on his face, his movements were jerky as he stuffed the papers in their organized cabinets with a slam. "Let me guess. She preached some more drivel about Egypt and the ancients!" Puh-lease.
Serenity narrowed her eyes just very slightly, "You know, it might do you some good to be nice to my friends, once every while!" She sat back as he snorted, "Especially Ishizu. She might put a hex on you one day."
"Feh. As if." He took on a lecturing tone, getting fired up himself, all the sudden. "Countless people have drawn up countless voodoo dolls of me," he said that last sentence extra loud and pointedly to his staff outside,since they had done half of those countless times. "And nothing has ever happened to me--"
"-Yet!"
"--and nothing ever will; don't believe in that sort of stuff, Serenity, it's nothing but foolishness. Plain and simple." As is that witch, Ishizu, he thought, but didn't voice it. He felt like he'd made his point, "Anyway, I don't want to hear anything more about her." He got up again, quickly.
"Why not?" she said softly. He'd had a funny look on his face when she'd mentioned Ishizu.
"Because I'd rather talk about . . . us." He said the word "us" just as he scooped her up so fast, it seemed he did it first and then came around the wide desk after.
"Um . . . ah." she said after a squeal as he set her on top of the desk. It looked like same one as was in his office at home, only much harder on her butt. "You're not going to clear away the desk like in the movies, are you? I saw the twins, Sheli and Keli, yesterday."
It was common for her to talk about to entirely unrelated things when she was tense. "Oh really? Are they still after those two boys?"
Serenity suppressed a smile; it always amused her when he took an interest in other people's love lives. It was a rarity, but genuine. Though he didn't look it, he was really a romantic at heart, "Yeah. They're--the twins, not the boys--are going to be in Joey's and Mai's wedding party."
"Oh, yes, speaking of that," he said to her surprise, straightening up, "I have some news that'll make you very happy."
"Oh, really? What's that?" she said suspiciously, straightening her own jeans' pant leg, half-kidding. Usually, whatever made her happy made him happy, but mostly him.
"Why are you wearing this?" he said as if he just noticed, touching her on the arms.
"Oh . . . got up late today," she lied. In truth, the jacket made her look slim . . . mer, since she was starting to show. A little. Serenity put on hand behind her to prop herself on the hard desk and leaned back to look up into his eyes. "Anyhow, you were saying?"
"Oh. Well, " he looked up at the white-washed ceiling with the skylights, his probing eye taking every little bump and crack, "since I'm so very glad they're getting married and I'm just so generous, I've decided to throw an engagement party for them, plus, " he added when she gasped with delight, "pay for their honeymoon trip . . . " Here, he trailed off and the sentence hung in mid air like a suspended cloud.
Just as quickly as her smile appeared, it disappeared. "Let me guess: to anywhere you choose."
His guilty look, with the avoidance of eyes as he turned, made her chuckle shortly and shake her head. "Well . . . I for one, do think it's still a pretty generous gift," he said defensively, from behind his back. "Even though."
"Oh, yes, it is." She agreed reassuringly, getting down, her shoes squishing in the thickly carpeted floor, and going up to him. "So, where do you propose they should go, then?"
He looked toward the big picture windows that faced north with a blatant dreamy look in his eye, "How does Mars sound for them?" And I might give them two oxygen tanks instead of one. Maybe.
She sweatdropped and shook her head fiercely. Umm, no! I don't think so! That was way too far away. Count 4 billion miles! "No way. They might get lost."
"Are you kidding! It'll be resourceful, practical, and educational," he argued, turning back around to her, his eyes sparkling with speculation, "Plus, I do need to check KaibaRocket1 for any glitches, since the last crash."
"You're terrible!" she laughed, highly amused as he finally cracked a smile, "I knew there was a catch. I knew it. You're kidding. Right?"
"Okay, okay, maybe Earth," he said amiably, taking her in his arms and storking down her long, silky hair. "Whatever. As long as it's far, far away. Anyway, back to the little party: it'll be for tonight, and they can use the mansion to invite all their little friends over---"
"Wait, wait. You're not going to go?" Her dark brown eyes looked huge as they made their way slowly up from his navy overcoat to his face, "How long do you have to work today . . . ?"
He became uneasy, "Until . . . 7." It was 12. Wistfully, he reached up to play with the tiny tuft of hair that fell down from her part on her forehead.
"But-but . . . you just got back! And I know you don't have any appointments scheduled for today; I know, I saw your appointment book."
"It's . . . business," he said enigmatically. "Personal business. Look, I know you're disappointed, love--"
She nodded. 'Disappointed' didn't even cover it.
"--but I wouldn't go if it wasn't important."
With a frown, she said flatly, "Let me guess. It's Yugi, isn't it."
He slid his eyes away from her innocently, his face half-shadowed in the dim flourescents overhead. "Yes," he said finally. "He's challenged me, and I can't back down."
Serenity gave a sigh that slumped her slender shoulders a little. She scanned her brain for anything to make him stay; they REALLY needed to talk. For OBVIOUS reasons. "But . . . but . . . " she was a loss for a second, then-- "Ah! You don't have to battle him because -- because I've already beaten him for you."
He was amused. "Oh, really."
"Yeah." Eyes trained on his, she nodded her head a couple of times, not mentioning that Yugi was down to the last 200 points and was about to lose anyway. A win was a win! "So, you can stay now, right? Right? Please. We need to talk . . . rather desperately."
"Serenity . . . just tell me what it is. Now, what is it? Why can't you tell me right now?"
"I can't . . . it's really important, Seto." She pleaded, "We have to sit down someplace . . . " It was useless.
"I can't. ow about this: I'll see you at the Mendy's restaurant after, and we can have a nice candlelit dinner, and we can talk then," he said with the finality that the decision was made. " I'll see you at 10." One pad of a thumb brushed aganist the velvety outline of her lower lip and read the still-hurt in her eyes. " . . . I promise." He turned on his heel and left the room, the long length of his tailcoat fluttering behind him.
I guess I'll start planning the engagement party, she thought without enthusiasm, trudging back, heart heavy. Yay. Let's see, I have to invite Joey and Mai of course, Tea, Yugi, Tristan, Ryou, Ishizu, and her brother, Marik . . . he's back too, I think.
she thought without enthusiasm, trudging back, heart heavy. .At ten . . . he would know the truth.
# Mai's Cottage #
"Well. It's all set."
Joey looked up at his fiancée's words, "What d'you mean?"
"Everything." Mai sighed, plopping down on one of her lovechairs, throwing her slender arms over her head as she did so, so as to stretch out her back. "The wedding. Flowers. Suits. Dresses. Bridesmaids. Cake. Guests flying in. Invitations!"
He shook his head and put down the paper he was holding and came over to join her, "You're amazing. You're the fastest wedding planner in da world. So when's the rehearsal?"
"One week from today. And the real ceremony's one week after that. I know, I am pretty amazing, aren't I?" she said, trying to look modest, fanning her slender fingers over her fringed calf-length cowgirl skirt. "I hope I'm not forgetting anything!" She suddenly sat up straight, "Let's see . . . church . . . honeymoon . . . oh no, the minister!" She buried her head in her hands, tragically. "I forgot!"
"Ah, don't worry," he said in the traditional-carefree-groom manner, "you'll find someone."
"Yeah . . . I guess the guy at the church can do it for both the rehearsal and the real wedding. I suppose." And then she started fretting again, speaking aloud, drawing chuckles from him, "Now, let's see . . . did I tell everyone who's going to be a bridesmaid that they're supposed to--?! I think so . . . "
"What," he laughed, "you fergot?!"
Mai ignored his laughter. "Serenity, Ishizu, Tea . . . and the groomsmen: Kaiba, Ryou and Yugi . . . " she muttered, mentally checking it off while brushing at a nonexistent piece of lint from her fuzzy vermilion vest agitatedly. Yep, I told them all!
"Wait a minute! Hold up!!" he said, making the traditional time-out sign.
"What?!" she jumped. "Did I forget someone--tell me who!"
"Not 'forgot someone' -- forgot to uninvite someone." His dark brows bunched together over his equally dark brown eyes. "Kaiba ain't comin'. Nuh-uh." No way, no how.
"What? But he has to. The bridesmaids each have to walk down the aisle with their groomsmen. It's part of the ceremony. And--"
He cut her off. "Select someone else to walk with Serenity; I don't care who."
"Kaiba will kill anyone who comes close to her," Mai said bluntly; she couldn't believe he was being like this now. Everything was already planned out!
"So we'll have a funeral after the ceremony, den."
"Joey . . . " she gave his name ten extra syllables, "you have to accept the fact," she said, coming closer as he pressed his hands over his ears. "that you're going to be Ree-lay-Ted to the guy: your sister's having his baby. Listen to me!"
"I won't! Lalalala . . . !" And so on, until he looked up finally, to see her with her arms crossed over her chest, toe tapping in impatience.
Joey sighed, dropping her hands to the sides, "Look Mai. Dis is my wedding, too. I wouldn't force you to invite someone you didn't want! And I wanna be happy with no interruptions at my own wedding. You planned all the rest out. Why can't ya let have my own way on dis one thing?!"
"Just answer me this: why wouldn't you be happy on that day?" She asked him why he hated that guy so much.
"Do ya have a week?!"
"Okay . . . okay . . . then tell me your TOP reason why you hate him. Number one."
"Top reason, hm, so many, I can't choose . . . " He flapped his stone-grey jacket while turning away slowly in deep thought; she rolled her eyes behind his back. "I guess da TOP reason would be: those stupid names he has for me. 'Mutt.' " He scowled and thrashed his fists in the air. "He's da mutt!"
I thought he'd say, 'My sister's pregnant.' But then again, this IS Joey! "Kaiba calls us all names," Mai began to tick them off on her fingers, "He's calls me a 'harpy', he calls Tea 'Cheerleader', he calls Serenity 'Shortcake', he calls Ryou an 'albino,' he calls Ishizu 'a witch', he calls Marik 'the Creepy Insane Guy'--"
"Okay, okay. I getcher point."
"--but you don't see us jumping down his throat every time he does, do you?!"
Joey said again that he got her point.
"Bu-ut still," Mai paused and murmured, grudgingly, "you're right. It IS your wedding too. So, I guess I'll have to find someone else to be a groomsman . . . to walk with Serenity down the aisle. "
"Yeah. Thank you. How about Tristan?"
"Er . . . doesn't he have a girlfriend?"
"So? He and Serenity are just friends. He only thinks of her as such."
"Hm, I'll think about it as a last resort. Wait, is he going to be your best man? Or is Yugi?"
"Dunno." Joey reached up to scratch his head out of habit, " I can't choose between dem, they're both m'friends! You choose. Please!"
"Me? Oh, no. You'll have to choose which is your 'bestest' friend, buddy boy. Mr. Popular," she said with a kind of triumphant smirk. "Serenity's my maid of honor, and whoever you choose will walk with her. " She sank down on the plush sofa, crossing her legs sophisticatedly and he followed suit after a bit. "But let's drop it, for now. What're we doing tonight?"
"Wait. One more question . . ." He reached over to the little deep-mahogany polished table by the sofa, "I got this in the mail. Did you sign me up for this?"
She glanced at the official-looking police seal on the envelope. "Oh. Yeah."
"Why?"
"Well, 'cause you said you needed a job, and all . . . so-o-o . . . " Mai twirled a finger around the string of his hood, "I took the initiative. I see you got accepted."
"Yeah, I did, but . . . a police officer?" He shook his head. "I dunno . . . usually I run away from the cops."
She laughed. "I bet!" In a much serious tone, "But all joking aside, I think you ought to really consider it. I mean, you don't need it, since I've got my own career as a designer in a clothing line, but . . . " She let the sentence trail off, watching her frown, not in a bad way, down at the sheet. "Besides, did I mention how much I like a guy in a uniform?"
"Oh really? Better keep you away from the mailman, den."
"Verry funny. Ha ha," she said sarcastically. "You know I wouldn't cheat on you, as long as you don't. And," she added, grabbing the front of his collar with a saccharine smile, "do you know what'll happen to you if you even think about it? I'll snip off your -- "
"What?" He said as she beckoned him closer and whispered something in his ear, and lightning flashed as scarily from a storm outside and the electricity blinked once as if she'd willed it to. The light from the fireplace only illuminated them when she pulled away from him again. He was shocked. "That's . . . that's cruel. Sadistic."
A cat's smile grew on her beautiful face. "But I know you wouldn't cheat, because I trust you!" she said, snuggling up to his chest.
"That's-that's good."
She frowned just a little and looked up at him again, "You're supposed to say 'I trust you, too, Mai.' "
"All right . . . " He said it, and although it sounded a bit grudging, she decided to accept it.
"Good." She patted his face. "Now . . . what're we going to do tonight? It isn't too late to go to a restaurant."
"Mm . . . " he grunted unhappily. "I'd rather us stay here and watch TV. And order some pizza."
"Oh, yeah," she rolled her eyes sarcastically, "that's real romantic date! Riiight."
"We could order a movie."
"We always fight on which movie to see," she complained.
"Dat's because you always wanna watch something GIRLY like, Bridget Jones' Diary 2 or My Best Friend's Wedding IV: The Runaway Bride Stops a Wedding."
"So?! So what?"
"It's jus' da same plot over and over: the guy cheats on the girl, then winds up with da hero. Bo-ri-n-g."
"Yeah," she said dreamily. Then, jabbing him with her finger, she added with abruptness, "Well you always want to get: Guts and Glory, or Chuckie VII: Chuckie Gets Lucky and Guts and Glory."
"Yeah," he said dreamily, as she poked him in the ribs. "Ow! What's so bad 'bout horror? It's strategic fer us guys, really: that way, the girl gets to snuggle up to you--"
"While hearing screams and moist ripping sounds. Whoo-hoo." Then, thoughtfully: "Wait . . why are we arguing about which movie to watch again if it ends up ignored?"
His mouth opened and closed a few times. "I dunno . . .Good question. " She laughed and got up before her phone rang, having a sixth sense about it. It was a good point.
" . . . Hello? Uh-huh. Sure . . . I guess. Okay. See you at four. Well," she said, going past the wardrobe and putting on her fur coat, "it looks like our decision's been made. That was Serenity; she'd just invited us to come to our engagement party, at the Kaiba Manor."
"Right now?"
"Yep."
"Is he -- ?"
"No." Serenity had said, in a rather sad tone at that, that Kaiba wasn't going to be there.
"Cool." He grabbed a scarf and a pair of mittens, and followed her through the beautifully carved French doors.