Snow Wars – Part IV
Forgot to mention before: The previous chapter and parts of this onewere re-vamped and re-worked because of some suggestions made by LuvinAniManga. Thanks so much for your help. I'm begging you, LuvinAniManga, on bended knees and upraised arms to forgive me for not mentioning it last chapter…
Here. The final chapter of the snowball wars. It's done and finished. The ending is good. Poor Joey. Poor Mokuba.
Again, hope you laughed a little as you read it. Or at least chuckled at the vain attempts at humour. WARNING: Fluffy moments ahead. Take all necessary precautions!
Disclaimer: Don't own it and probably never will. Sniff, poor ME!
Now remember, folks, when we last left our happy friends, Megan was chasing Mokuba. That point gets a lot more interesting in this chapter. Oh, and a rather annoyed Julie was chasing Joey and Tristan…
Ha! Harvey had the two of them believing that he'd left in fear. Instead, he was going to pull Téa's own stunt back on her. Seto Kaiba was not going to stand in his way of asking Téa out! He hadn't been able to hear the conversation between those two but judging by the smirks they both sported, they had probably been making fun of Drake. Peaking out from behind a tree a few feet away, he waited until those two had moved further towards the centre of the cul-de-sac before heading towards his fallen comrade.
"Drake! Listen to me, man. We gotta go get that Kaiba guy! I think he's putting his own moves on Téa. Are you going to let him muscle in on our territory? C'mon, man, get UP!" Harvey yanked on Drake's arm, breaking the boy's self-induced, trance-like state. He'd been dreaming about driving down the main street of Domino with Téa, looking gorgeous, hanging on his arm and every word he said. Why did Harvey have to wake him up?
"WH… what?" Drake finally understood the words being spoken to him. That snake Kaiba was going to pay for making Téa turn on him like that. Selective memory, such a blessing. The last snowball fight had totally slipped his mind for the moment. "All right, I'm up. I'm up. You can leave my shoulder in its socket now."
"Good, now stand up and let's go. I can't wait to nail him with a snowball. But we should leave Téa alone. I mean we hit her and our chances are so zero for her saying 'yes' to one of us asking her out." Harvey looked to Drake for agreement. Drake nodded his head. He'd deal with Harvey himself once Kaiba was on his ass in the snow, begging for mercy. That thought made him smile as he stood up and they created their ammunition from the abundant resources before them. His father would understand. It was only a snowball fight after all. Surely, there was nothing wrong with 'accidentally' hitting the CEO of his father's competition in the face with a snowball or three…
"Uh-oh, I think we have company coming to join us," Seto whispered softly as he let go of her arm and began to turn around. She sighed at the loss of him next to her and moved to see what he was talking about. Two shadowy forms drew closer to where they were and Téa huffed in frustration. Would those two never learn? She was never, ever in a million years going to go out on a date with either one of them. She thought the last snowball fight had taught them that lesson but they seemed to be gluttons for punishment.
"Are you ready?" she asked him, leaning over and scooping up her weapons.
"I'm always ready." That smirk made her laugh delightedly. How he could twist words.
"Time for an all-out frontal assault. You hit 'em high and I'll hit 'em low," she said. Her hands busily formed more snowballs in a huge pile in front of her. That hadn't been very smart of the two of them to be seen coming in. A sneak attack would have had more success.
"Aren't those the words to a song?"
"Meh, they're still appropriate." She frowned once as the breeze tossed a stray wisp of her hair across her lips. Tucking it behind her ear, she saw Seto entranced by the movement. So easy to distract him. Anything to do with her mouth seemed to fascinate him. She had plenty of first hand experience of that as well. A sudden burst of noise caught her attention. It seemed to be getting closer until…
… a full tilt, screaming match passed behind them by about seven feet and Téa could have sworn that she'd just heard Joey begging for his life through the guttural roars. Tristan, it seemed, wasn't too far behind him and a flash of pink made her start to giggle. Those two were in way over their heads. Julie wasn't one that gave up the chase easily.
"What was that?" Seto asked, peering at the dwindling figures as they faded from sight into the night.
"Nothing much, just Julie having some fun with the boys." Téa's mysterious reply had him cocking an eyebrow and wondering what interest Julie could possibly have in those two clowns.
"KAIBA!" Harvey's voice thundered across to them and they stopped in mid-tracks, wondering what the kid was going to say next. Boy, was he ever dense.
"Yes?" The urge to say something completely and utterly childish made him struggle for a moment before his calm, cold exterior re-surfaced. At least they couldn't see that. What could those two idiots want now? Hadn't he told them to back off? Hadn't they taken the hint that he wasn't too enamoured of their presence near his Téa, at least when they were ogling her so openly?
"It's payback time. You can't stop us from talking to Téa. She's our friend, too!" Drake wanted to slap Harvey upside the head. What a lame thing to say. Kaiba's smirk shone like a beacon all the way to where they were standing, gathering more snowballs.
"I never said you couldn't talk to her, pretty boy. I didn't like how you and your little friend were looking at her." Kaiba replied smoothly. They'd looked at her as if she'd been a piece of meat they wanted a taste of. They needed to learn to respect girls. And he was just the guy to show them how to do so. Bring it on.
Téa snorted with laughter just within Seto's earshot. Pretty boy. She was really going to have to remember that one for another time. That was the second time he'd used it and it seemed so fitting for Harvey. He always was preening himself in his locker mirror. Seto's eyes snuck a peak at her and the sight before him was amazing. There was just enough light from the street lamp to highlight the snowflakes as they hung in her hair like stars and her eyes were luminous, blue and beautiful. Her open mouth panted out clouds of steamy, white breath and he sincerely wished that his was on top of hers right now. Shaking his head once, he decided to save that idea til a little later on, like when he joined her in her room. She still had no idea about that one and he was planning to keep it that way.
"Whatever. You've earned yourself an avalanche of snowballs so get ready," Drake hollered. His blood was starting to heat up with the exertion of what they were doing and the excitement of actually getting involved in the fray this time before he was knocked over.
"Bring it on, punks," Téa replied, softly, before adding, "Seto, wouldn't it be easier to just tell them that we're going out and you're the jealous type? They are in for a world of hurt if they keep coming towards us."
"What and spoil my fun? I'm enjoying this. I haven't had this much fun talking down to moronic dorks since… since… Wheeler." The flat look she gave him could have ironed his shirt but it just made him chuckle. Teasing Wheeler was still his favourite thing to do when forced to be near him but this snowball fight was ranking a close second. Although there were other things that didn't involve this kind of teasing that he was starting to like a whole lot more…
"Ahh," Ryan hollered as he narrowly dodged yet another snowball aimed for him. How he did it, he never knew since the snowballs were being thrown from behind him. Thrown by someone who looked like Yugi but was a much harder shot. Being the King of Games must have given him an advantage somehow. Or else the whole Star Trek thing was still in play. How he'd disappeared from under the living room window was still a mystery.
"Do you surrender?" Yami asked breathlessly from behind his adversary. The boy had never heard him come stalking through the trees after him. Then again, the boy had made enough noise that a herd of elephants could have come near him and he would never have known. The first snowball Yami had thrown had landed in the middle of his back and the chase had begun. They had yet to run into the second twin. When they did, for Yami harboured no illusions that they hadn't been heard, he was ready for them both. The hat that had been on his head, the one he'd been having trouble getting used to, was currently grasped between his fingers, stuffed to the gills with ready-made snowballs. His hair, however, was stuck up at odd angles, he was sure. There was no way it couldn't be from the punishment it had taken from being forced under the red hat.
"Yami, it's just hair. Don't worry about it. It'll sort itself out. It always does. Just concentrate on using Ryan to flush out Bryan. Once you have both of them in sight, you can get them both and prove once and for all that we are superior to them in snowball fights," Yugi stated, only a little annoyed at the idea of messed up hair. But it was true, it always sorted itself out.
"Of course, aibou," Yami replied a little sheepishly. Why was he so concerned about his hair? It was just hair after all. Getting the twins was a more important task. "Using the hat to hold the snowballs had been a very good idea, Yugi."
"Thanks." The praise warmed him to his toes. "But we'll need to re-stock soon."
"We will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let the chase continue," Yami stated emphatically, pulling another snowball out of the hat and readying his aim. Poor Ryan.
Ryan chanced a peek behind him, hoping that he wouldn't stumble in the snow, and saw how close Yugi was to him. Whipping his head around, he ducked just in time as a branch he hadn't seen almost swiped across his face. Where was Bryan? He should have joined the chase by now. What was taking him so long? He'd done his part, now it was all up to his two-minutes-older brother.
'Just a little closer,' Bryan thought to himself, watching the two coming towards him. This had been the perfect plan. He'd figured out where Yugi was when a small clump of snow had fallen from the tree when he'd been talking to Mokuba and Megan. Asking them to find Yugi, knowing he was up in the tree listening to the whole thing, was a distraction while he went in search of his brother. A few more feet and their plan would come to fruition.
Ryan ran by his brother, unknowingly, but heard the commotion as he stepped out of hiding and threw a snowball at Yugi. Turning around, he was just in time to witness its splat across Yugi's knee. The older boy stopped in confusion as he stared at the twins before him.
"Gotcha that time, Yugi," Bryan stated smugly. Ryan took the opportunity and lobbed his own snowball in Yugi's direction. He ducked down, his crazy hair flying in all directions from the wind of its passing. Bryan gave Ryan a high-five, congratulating each other on the success of their plan.
Yami took the time to make another snowball or two and stash them in his carrying hat before standing back up again, grinning. "It has been a worthy battle and you are to be commended for your efforts. But this ends, now."
The flash of challenge in Yugi's violet eyes made them acutely aware of one thing.
Yugi was the only one with snowballs ready to go. They had nothing, absolutely nothing, to defend themselves with except for their legs. Which they put to good use as they started to run. They'd been so close to winning, too. At least they were smiling as they ran for their lives. This had been the best snowball fight ever, they thought as a snowball whizzed between them.
"No, Julie, no MORE," a strange voice screamed, right in front of Ryan and Bryan. Yami froze in mid-throw. That voice sounded suspiciously familiar. In fact, it sounded a lot like…
"Say it, Joey, just say it and the pain will stop…" a laughing, female voice taunted from a little further away.
"No way! Dere is no way dat I'm sayin' you're better 'n' me. We both know it's not… OUCH… not another shot there. Dat's no fair!" Joey exclaimed. Yami watched him come into view, stop and turn to stand his ground. He was white from the neck down, most of it concentrated on his back and, laughingly, bottom areas. Tristan came to a shuddering halt a few feet away from him, his sides heaving from the exertion of running away from Julie. Staying as far away from Joey as possible was all that had kept him from being covered in snow as well.
"Whatever, Joey. I got the jump on you…" Julie started to say as she halted a short distance away from the entire group. Ryan and Bryan stared at the newcomers, not knowing what the heck was going on. Yami only understood a little more than they did. He'd have to get the story from them later. It would certainly be interesting.
"De only reason you got de jump on me was Mokuba. HE staged your escape by distractin' us," Joey responded, ducking down for a couple of quick swipes of snow. Yami wondered how Mokuba had gotten involved in this whole affair. The last time he'd seen the younger Kaiba, he had been running off into the night with Megan.
"You should know why Mokuba did what he did, Joey," Tristan said. And it would have been fairly cute, too, if it had been some other 'unlucky' boys involved in the snowball fight.
"Oh, I know why he did it, Tris." Joey bounced his new snowballs in the palms of his hands, as he got ready to target Julie. None of the three had even noticed the other three boys surrounding them. "He did it because of Megan."
Now Yami and Yugi were thoroughly confused. Mokuba and Megan had helped to bring Joey to this point? How had this happened? His curiosity was going to get the better of him shortly if someone didn't explain anything soon.
A clearing of the throat behind them made Joey and Tristan turn around to see who else was there, possibly waiting to get them.
"Yugi? What're you doin' here?" Joey asked, surprised at his presence. He'd been so involved in getting away, or getting even with, Julie that he hadn't noticed him standing there, his hand holding onto a hat full of snowballs. Now, that was sheer brilliance. Too bad he hadn't thought of it earlier. It would have made snowing Julie a lot easier.
"Well, your arrival interrupted my battle with the twins. And now you are right in the middle of it…" Yami smiled his winning smile. He'd just trumped Joey. A look at the twins and an exaggerated wink in their direction sealed Joey's fate. His battle with the twins could wait until another day. For now, the three of them were about to get the jump on Joey, something they hadn't ever done because he was bigger, taller and faster. Tristan caught the look and smirked. Joey was in for it now, the poor guy. Maybe now he could get Julie's phone number.
"No, wait, Yugi. Can't we talk dis ova'? You can't do dis t' me. I'm yer best friend…" Joey started to say before realizing it was no use.
"All is fair in love and war, Joey. And this looks like war to me," Yami replied smoothly. Yugi gave a chuckle at Joey's predicament.
Julie stepped closer, eyeing Joey evenly. He was about to get his comeuppance. And she'd make sure to block any escape attempt on his part. This was what he got for messing with a girl. "Well, Joey, looks like you've gotten yourself into fine mess. C'mon, boys. Let's finish the job."
A slow ring formed around Joey, blocking any possible exits or escape routes, and he eyed those around him warily. He was in for it now and all because he refused to admit that Julie was better than he was. If only he'd surrendered earlier… Well, if he was going down, it wasn't going to be without a fight.
A true hail of snowballs rained down everywhere as the group let loose a double-handed round on Joey before it turned into a free-for-all melee.
"Now remember, no matter what happens, we can't hit Téa. That wouldn't sit too well with her if one of us tried to ask her out afterwards. The beanpole, however, has this and a whole lot more coming. I don't care who he is. He can't talk to me that way, as if he's somehow superior. I can't wait to wipe that smirk off his stupid face."
"I know, Harvey. I'm not a complete moron and besides, you've told me this a million times already." Drake stuck out his tongue at his best friend, who was completely oblivious to the gesture.
"KAIBA!" That one word rang across the yard til it was drowned out by a chorus of shouts from a little further away.
"What!" The slightly exasperated edge he added to that word was the perfect touch as Harvey's face turned a deeper shade of eggplant. Across the gap between them all, about fifteen feet, Harvey lost his look of concentration and faltered in his step. Seto shook his head in amazement, the snow that had gathered there falling around his face in its own blizzard. Even Wheeler's buttons weren't this easy to push. A mosquito could derail that kid's train of thought and footing.
The duo floundered for a moment before their pace sped up, their feet kicking up sprays of snow in an attempt to reach firing distance. At least they were determined. Téa had to admire that. They were facing the ass kicking of a lifetime and they seemed almost eager to get to it as fast as possible. Her shoulders shrugged nonchalantly as she knelt down in the snow, heedless of the cold and wet. The excitement of pummelling those two morons worse than last year had the blood pounding heatedly in her ears. Seto's presence right beside her was contributing to that as well.
Turning her face up to his, she smiled mischievously and said, "Ready?"
"Aim." Two snowballs sat ready in Seto's hands. His bare hands. Téa took notice of this little fact and grimaced.
"What? A snowball fight hadn't exactly been on my agenda when I showed up tonight."
"I don't like cold hands."
"We'll do something about that later. Right now, we've got two very angry teenage boys heading towards us."
"Oh, all right. Fire at will."
That was the beginning of the end for Drake and Harvey. With those last three words, the avalanche of snowballs they'd promised to bury Kaiba in came hurtling at them instead. They didn't stand a chance against their combined forces.
Seto's first two shots were perfect. The first one hit the snowball heading for his chest in midair, both of them exploding like fireworks. The second shot smacked hard right into Drake's stomach. The younger teen was forced to drop the second snowball he'd been about to launch so he could cover his middle and drop to his knees in agony. That hit had hurt. A few inches lower and he might have been singing soprano for the rest of his natural life. Drake was beginning to understand why his father was always wary and extremely polite to Kaiba.
Téa eyed Harvey from her kneeling position. He had that gleam in his eyes, the one that meant he was up to no good. Her blue eyes narrowed as she saw him take aim at Seto while Drake distracted him. No way. There was no way she was going to let some jumped up excuse for a football player tag team Seto in the middle of a snow fight. It was a two-on-two match up, even if they weren't willing to admit it. The corners of her lips curled up, in a pretty good imitation of the trademark Kaiba smirk, and her shots were off. The first hit Harvey in the shoulder and as he staggered back, the second shot took him right in the knee. Another teetering step backwards and a grunt of pain let her know that her aim was still perfect. Target practice in gym class was still serving her well.
Shots from both sides continued for another minute or two, snowballs arcing through the air every couple of seconds. They hadn't yet realized their error in judgement. No one takes on a Kaiba and wins. Seto's hand cut through the air, signalling a halt to all snowball action from their side. Their resources were getting low and it was time to replenish them from the sources around them.
Maybe not including Téa as a target in their plans hadn't been such a good idea, Harvey thought as he winced. Her shots had gotten a lot harder since last year. The memory of that pummelling still haunted him sometimes and tonight was proving to be just as painful. Drake was still gasping from the first shot he took in the midsection and their opponents seemed to be lounging around, just waiting for them to make another move. Why weren't they taking advantage of the situation? Why were they holding back?
"Seto, why are we just sitting here? We could have buried them by now," Téa exclaimed softly, looking up at him. His blue eyes were luminous in the faint light and their preternatural glitter made her tingle. What was he thinking? He'd never been this unreadable before.
"Good things come to those who wait, Téa. And victory is so much sweeter when it's snatched from the opponent's hands. Don't worry. Those two will never know what hit them. Just keep stockpiling the snowballs. We're going to need them very shortly," Seto replied, his eyes focussed on the two before him. If he had been anything other than a human, he would have been licking his chops in anticipation of a good meal or sharpening his claws for the final kill. "Let them come to us, Téa. Why should we strain ourselves any more than we have to by throwing snowballs to that distance? This will work." Seto was in full control of the situation. Nothing was going to stop him.
"All right, Seto, but if it doesn't, I get to say 'I told you so' and you can't stop me." Téa trusted his instincts, both in battle and in business. After all, they were what drove him to be the best. The 'I told you so' threat was just another incentive.
"You won't have to say it." The plan was perfect. Let the baiting begin. "Téa, is Harvey a football player?" His voice was loud enough to carry to the other two boys who were still recovering from the first round of snowballs.
Her quizzical look at him made him grin as she slowly replied, "Yeah, he plays second string for the school team. Why?"
"Second string? Oh, I thought he was the mascot. He's got the face for it." Again, the same voice that drove Wheeler nuts was having the same effect on Harvey. With fists clenched at his sides, he would have been marching relentlessly on Kaiba's position if Drake hadn't grabbed his arm.
"Harvey, stop it. Can't you see what he's doing to us?"
"I don't care. No one makes fun of me or the football team and gets away with it."
"What about Drake? He's not a football player is he?" Seto's voice was deliberately sneering. Drake seemed to have more sense of the two of them and he had to take him out for the offensive to occur as he wanted.
"No, but he's as bad as Harvey when it comes to preening in locker mirrors. Too bad it never helps," Téa replied, her voice betraying exactly how she felt about someone who spent more time on his hair than any normal girl did. So this was Seto's idea.
"Ahh, so he doesn't have enough brains even for the football team. Too bad. They should have used him for a punching bag. Maybe that would have knocked some sense into him." This was too easy. Both of the boys were about to explode at Seto's casual, but calculated, insults. They hit where it hurt. Téa's comment hadn't been too bad, either, and the squeeze he gave her shoulder let her know that.
All Drake saw was red. How dare that bastard Kaiba insult him like that? A punching bag, indeed. He'd show him who should be the punching bag in a minute. "C'mon Harvey. It's time to wipe that disgusting smirk from his face and claim our victory. Téa is still waiting for one of us to ask her out. It's tradition."
"Let's go kick his ass into New Year's." Harvey's fist smacked into his palm with force as they started towards the waiting teenagers before them. Both of them bent over occasionally during their march to scoop up some snow for ammunition but they had nowhere near the amount that Seto and Téa had created. There was only one outcome to this match-up.
"Here they come, right on schedule," Seto whispered, giving her shoulder one last squeeze before he claimed two snowballs from the mountain before him. She couldn't believe that he'd managed to make them try a frontal assault with just a few, well chosen words. His insight into how those two ticked was remarkable. Readying her own snowballs, she waited for him to give the word.
"Wait, just a second or two more. A little closer, c'mon boys. Come and get it." The soft words spilled out of Seto's mouth as he judged the distance. At five feet away, he smiled an evil, villainous smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Give them what they've got coming to them, Téa."
The mountain of snowballs in front of Seto and Téa was reduced to nothingness in the next minute and a half. Drake and Harvey had made a final, fatal error. With their minds clouded by their rage to 'get' Kaiba, they'd forgotten that Téa was still there, and still on his side. Nothing had been done to persuade her to back off. While all of their snowballs had been aimed at Kaiba (who managed to dodge most of them), she was left free to shoot them at will.
"Not a brain between the two of them," Téa said, shaking her head sadly at the moaning piles of sprawled bodies before her. They were covered in snow from neck to boot tops. They'd lost. Badly. Even worse than last year. That would teach them to pick on Seto and maybe they would forget about asking her out ever again. Looking up at him, she saw that he was dusting the remnants of snowballs off his trench coat. Out of the ones that had been thrown, only three had actually met their marks. Not even one to the face, at least, no matter what Drake had promised to himself.
"That's it. It's over. You lose," Seto stated matter-of-factly in the direction that Drake and Harvey lay in. He fought the urge to do a primitive, victory dance to mark the kill. This had been a most exhilarating time tonight. They were only four feet away and yet the combined forces of Seto and Téa had brought them down easily.
"C'mon, Seto, let's go see what happened to everyone else. I think I heard Julie chasing Joey and Tristan over there," Téa said, her hand closing around his elbow to guide him in the direction the chase had gone.
"How about we don't and find another way to amuse ourselves. I'm sure whoever is involved in that snowball fight is having a good time and we'll hear all about it from them later." His refusal to budge in that particular direction may have had something to do with Téa changing her mind about going anywhere without him.
"Well, we do have to do something about those cold hands…" she started to say as she turned back towards him. His eyes were alight with mischief as he regarded her with undisguised want. "But can we at least move away from our defeated opponents?" She peered up at him through her eyelashes and he nodded his head in response.
"Of course. I wouldn't want them to see that anyways. It was hard enough when Mokuba caught us yesterday. Speaking of which, have you seen him at all tonight? I want to know if he's all right," Seto asked, his steps slow and steady as they wandered closer back to Téa's house.
Well, speak of the devil.
"I'll get you this time, Mokuba!" a female voice exclaimed laughingly from somewhere in the same vicinity. The sound of boots crunching on snow and ragged breathing was becoming louder as Seto and Téa looked on. The girl had mentioned Mokuba. What was going on and why was she trying to get him?
Mokuba burst into view through the trees just in front of the two older teens, black hair flying behind him and clouds of steam spouting from his open mouth.
"MOKUBA!" Seto shouted, hoping to stop his younger brother's flight and find out what the heck was going on.
"SETO!" He looked like a deer caught in the headlights as he turned to face his older brother. What a sight for sore eyes. Maybe now he could get away from her. She was as relentless as Seto was. "You have to save me. She won't stop…"
"Mokuba, calm down, what's going on?" Seto was concerned. His little brother was usually so in control of almost any situation. The panic in his eyes was unnatural.
"It's Megan. She says… says that… says that I…" Mokuba stopped to breathe deeply just as Megan came into view, skipping.
"Take your time, Mokuba. What did she say?" Seto was so absorbed in consoling Mokuba that he didn't even notice the entrance of the blonde-haired girl. Téa, however, did.
"Megan, what's going on?" she asked pointedly, "Mokuba looks like he's being chased by demons or something. What did you do to him during the snowball fight?"
"Nothing much. I just told him that he owed me a kiss," Megan stated, as innocently as she could manage.
Mokuba cringed at that final word. Maybe Seto would be able to protect him from that horrible fate. He was good at that. That was his job as older brother. Seto took notice of the flinch and raised his eyebrow first at Megan and then Téa before settling his gaze once more on his trembling sibling.
"Is it true, Mokuba? Do you owe her a kiss?" Seto said it in as serious a voice as he could but it was hard. Here he thought that someone had threatened to kidnap him or send him to the so-called Shadow Realm when in fact it was just a girl chasing him for a little peck on the lips. Keeping a straight face took all of his will power.
"Yeah, I threw a snowball at her and I missed…" Mokuba started.
Téa groaned. She knew where this was headed. And knowing Megan as well as she did, it didn't surprise her one bit.
"…and then she said 'Missed me, missed me, now ya gotta kiss me'," Mokuba replied, his breathing calming down.
"That's it, then? That's what all the fuss is about? That's why she wants to get you?" Seto asked as he looked down on his younger brother, his voice level and even, though his eyes portrayed another story entirely. Megan grinned at Mokuba's older brother. Téa rolled her eyes to the heavens and counted slowly to ten. If she hadn't, she would have lost it and started giggling insanely at the whole thing. Yup, this was all Megan's doing. Mokuba was just an unwitting pawn.
"Uh huh, she wants me to kiss her." Mokuba was a little scared of the whole idea. True, he had liked the idea of it when she was sitting on his chest but that had been different. That wouldn't have been a forced kiss. Now, though, he owed it to her.
"Well, Mokuba, this is going to be a hard lesson for you to learn but there won't be that many girls in your life that will beg you to kiss them. Usually it's the other way around. Just ask Téa. She'll tell you it's all true." The older Kaiba brother looked to the taller girl and saw the tears in her eyes from holding back a fit of the giggles.
Téa's sides were hurting from holding in the laughter, but a hiss escaped from between her lips before she managed to clamp them shut with her teeth as Mokuba's gaze swung towards her. Why did Seto have to put it that way? In fact, why did he bring her into this? Megan looked on, hands clasped behind her back. She would claim her prize yet, she just knew it. The way those two were enjoying the entire thing would almost make sure of it.
"I think you're absolutely right, Seto. Usually, it is the guy begging for the kiss. You should consider yourself lucky, Mokuba. Even your brother doesn't have girls begging to kiss him." Mokuba's wide eyes regarded her silently as he thought it over. He should be lucky that some girl really wanted to kiss him. Was that supposed to make him feel special? One look at Megan, her bright, blue eyes solemnly watching him as a smile played about her mouth, and he figured that maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. One, little kiss. Nothing like what he was witness to yesterday. Just a meeting of lips on lips. No more and no less. It wasn't as if it was going to hurt, either. Why was he objecting to it so strenuously? A pretty girl wanted to kiss him. Maybe Seto was right. He should take advantage of this opportunity since it may never come again.
"Since you put it that way, Téa, I guess it's not such a bad thing." Mokuba looked up at Téa and gave her a watery smile. He'd be all right. It wasn't a big thing, but the decision had to come from him.
Giving him a pat on the shoulder as she met his gaze, she said, "Okay, Mokuba. Now, Seto and I will leave the two of you alone and you can decide what you want to do. Are you all right with that idea, Mokuba?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Mokuba replied, turning his eyes once more to Megan. She was pretty. And she wanted a kiss from him. Not the twins, not Seto, not Yugi, not anyone else in the whole wide world. Just him. A glow formed in the pit of his stomach and spread throughout his entire system. He was surprised that no one could see him sparkling in the dark of the night. Megan's eyes widened when their stares met and locked. Well, maybe she could see it.
"Bye, Mokuba, Megan. Don't be too long out here. I have a feeling the snowball fight is almost over." Mokuba watched Seto and Téa melt into the distance and knew what they were about to do. Which was what he was about to do, too. Gulping once, he turned back to Megan and slowly closed the distance that separated them. He felt as if he might be walking to his doom and Megan was the one holding the axe. No, it was just a kiss. No one said it had to be slobbery or gross or anything! Just his lips on top of hers. Nothing like yesterday's yuck fest in Seto's office.
He hadn't even noticed that Megan had started walking towards him as well, so lost in thought was he, until he was almost toe-to-toe with her in the snow. She smiled at him then and shivers raced up his spine, as the glow in his system was reborn.
"Hi, Megan," he said softly, not being able to bring his eyes up to meet hers. His toe was digging a deep hole through the snow as he eyed her brown boots.
"Hi, Mokuba," she replied just as softly. Now that the moment to claim her prize had actually arrived, she wasn't feeling as confident. In fact, she was downright nervous as to how to proceed. This was the first time she'd ever been so close to someone so cute. Her mother never told her that boys could make her feel just as goofy as she made them feel.
The tremble in her voice matched his and he realized that she was just as scared as he was. Maybe, if they did it together it wouldn't be so bad. If neither of them knew what to expect, then it was all right. "So, uh, I guess you want your kiss right?"
"It's not my kiss, Mokuba. It's ours. We'll share it together." Her pink-mittened hand tilted his chin up slowly and violet-grey eyes peered at ocean blue ones. "You know, you really are cute."
"And you're really pretty." Mokuba's voice held wonder as he watched a blush extend across her cheeks. Reaching out his own navy-blue mittened hand, he cupped her cheek and felt a matching flush spread over his own features. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah. Are you?" she asked, moving in just the tiniest little bit closer to him. She was so close now that her boots threatened to actually touch his if she moved just a quarter inch more.
"I think so." Mokuba sighed once and closed his eyes as he leaned in towards Megan. Megan let her lids fall closed and did the same.
Somehow, their noses missed colliding during this all-important moment.
Soft lips met gently under the still falling snow.
It was like nothing he'd ever experienced before. It was sweeter than chocolate and more touching than just about anything else in the entire world.
Wow was the only thing she could think of. Nothing had prepared her for this moment and she really couldn't describe how it made her feel besides wonderful.
Their mouths parted and their eyes opened. Two pairs of eyes gleamed warmly.
"That was way better than I'd expected," Mokuba said, pulling himself away from her.
"I agree," Megan replied, clasping her hands in front of her as she stood up straight once more. "Thanks, Mokuba, for letting me share my first kiss with you."
"Then that means the two of us shared our first kiss together. Thanks, Megan." Mokuba, ever the dramatic one, crossed his arm over his chest and gave her a sweeping bow. Her amused giggle made him smile. Looking back, he didn't understand how he could have been so afraid of kissing her. It wasn't a death sentence, after all.
"Let's go see what everyone else is doing. Maybe we can throw some more snowballs," she suggested, grasping his hand with hers. There would be no tug-of-war this time, she was sure.
"Okay. Maybe I can throw some at Joey this time," came the enthusiastic reply. The two friends raced off towards Julie's house, the last seen location of anyone besides Seto and Téa.
Both of them made sure to keep a tight grip on the other's hand.
"Bye, Mokuba, Megan. Don't be too long out here. I have a feeling the snowball fight is almost over." Seto turned for one last look at his little brother and saw the two youngsters slowly walking towards each other. Ahh, puppy love. His gaze hardened a little as he turned it towards the girl walking right next to him. "So I don't have any girls begging me for kisses?"
"Nope," was the simple answer he got. Too bad it was so dark with the snow still falling around them or he would have seen the glitter of her smile as she looked at the ground at her feet.
"Would you like me to change that?" Her breath hitched once or twice as his arm suddenly snaked itself around her waist and pulled her close. Checking the area around them, he saw that it was virtually deserted. Mokuba and Megan were far behind them and the Christmas lights from Téa's house still shed only a faint light out this far into the yard.
"That would be a nice change of pace. Making you beg has gotten a little boring." Her provocative voice had him growling in the back of this throat as he took complete control over this situation as well. Guiding her with the arm he had around her waist, he had her back pressed up against the trunk of a tree in seconds. The dim glow from the Christmas lights combined with the twinkle of the snow as it fell softly around them gave the night an almost magical quality.
"Oh really, well we do have to keep the spark between us alive somehow. How's this for a so-called change of pace?" She'd never realized how strong he was and that he could manhandle her so easily. It was exciting to know that he could take charge, anywhere, anytime. The need to kiss him was growing stronger and if he didn't do it soon…
"Not bad at all, and we still have to do something about your cold hands." Her own hands slowly wound their way up his chest to his neck, loosely holding on there. He was the one in charge. She'd let him make the rest of the moves.
So he now had the challenge of making her beg, hmm? This would be a challenge he would love winning. He'd have her begging in no time at all. He wasn't the head of his own multi-billion dollar company for nothing. He was used to people begging, although not quite in this fashion.
His movements began slowly and deliberately, heightening the already high tension between them. With her back pressed up against the tree trunk, his long, jean-clad legs moulded themselves against hers. His hips and chest followed the same process, feeling the electric tingle anywhere they were touching. Reaching up, his hands took hold of hers, twining their fingers together, as he brought them from around his neck back down to waist level. His hands were still cold but that only contrasted with how hot she was. The only part of their bodies not touching were faces.
'So far, so good. He's not done anything too drastic yet. I can hold out for as long as he can. He won't make me beg tonight.' Her body, however, betrayed her as it unconsciously sought his heat. Seto nearly lost it when her hips moved gently against his. The only thing that saved him was biting his lower lip for a second and taking a deep breath before moving on to stage two of the challenge.
Smiling down at her, and seeing her resistance to his presence, he leaned in closer and gently pressed his lips to hers. Nothing more than that. Softness was the key here. His hands moved to grip her fingers more tightly, knowing what she was about to do before she even did it. As she tried to deepen the kiss by pressing herself in closer, the pressure of his hands kept her from doing so. The more she tried to get more from him, the less she felt of his lips as he slowly pulled them away. A soft mewl of frustration tickled his mouth but he hardened his resolve to make her beg.
"Seto," she pleaded softly, "Please…" The rest of whatever she was going to say was lost in a growl of exasperation. If he didn't kiss her properly, and soon, she was going to scream. And right now, she didn't particularly care who heard.
Instead of acceding to her request, his mouth ghosted across hers, teasing and tormenting the one he still held with his hands. A whimper this time. How much longer he could do this for, he didn't know, but the sounds she was making were exciting him. She'd never made those noises before. Just a little longer.
"Please what? I didn't quite catch the rest of it," he taunted, his mouth hovering a mere hairsbreadth away from the temptation of her lips. Her breathy gasps were starting to affect him. He just wished she'd hurry up and say the magic words.
"Please, Seto, I'm begging you. Kiss me." Ah, music to his ears. When she'd had him begging for a kiss on her couch a few nights before, he couldn't even articulate words. He couldn't hold back any longer. Her soft, dulcet tones worked their magic on him and his lips swept down on hers once more, giving her what they both desperately wanted.
"Wow," she whispered once their lips had finally parted for a breath of air. The whole world suddenly looked new and bright and her grin stretched from ear to ear. He chuckled softly as he pressed her closer to his chest. He didn't ever want to let her go.
"That's all I get for making you beg is a lowly 'Wow'? I'm going to have to try harder next time." His impish smile, what she could see of it, amused her and she laughed. She still remembered that first kiss they had shared in the snow of her front yard and it had only gotten better from there. Who knew that giving someone a present wrapped in red and green paper could have such interesting consequences?
"Actually, I should upgrade that 'Wow' to a 'That was amazing!'"
"And that means… what exactly?"
"That means that on a scale of one to ten, that kiss was a thirty-eight thousand." He chuckled softly. Being with her was proving to be a test of his mental, and physical, faculties. She never ceased to surprise or amaze him.
"Know what?" she asked, seeing the far-away look in his eyes.
"No, what?" He focussed on her once more and was surprised to see their entwined hands held before them, fingers waggling wildly.
"You're hands aren't cold anymore," she teased. The deep rumble of his laugh made her giggle before their hands separated. "Now, how about we round up everyone and head inside for some hot chocolate and cheesecake?"
"I'd rather not, but if you insist…"
"Now, now, remember, you have to play nice. The guys aren't as bad as you think they are." The carefully disguised cough hid his snort of disgust.
"Really? I'll put up with them for your sake but right now, you can't ask for more than that." His eyes locked on hers and she could see that she shouldn't press the issue. Well, they'd all learn to get along one day. They'd have to if this turned out to be a long-lasting relationship. Even Joey and Seto. Thinking back over the last few years and the various events between them, she grimaced. Okay, well maybe not those two. But an uneasy peace was better than an all-out war.
"Well, that's better than an all out 'No'. Thanks," she commented. Reaching up to ruffle his hair, something she hadn't been able to do during their kiss, she turned and started back towards the house. The rest of the neighbourhood had gone deadly silent in the last thirty seconds. The pressure of Seto's arm around her shoulders made her sigh in satisfaction and snuggle in closer until a single word rang through the night like a silver bell.
"KAIBA!"
Don't you just hate cliff-hangers? Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the final battle here. I thought it was highly entertaining myself. Can't wait for the next chapter. What mischief is in store for our beloved friends?
Thanks for all of the reviews. Next chapter should be up in a little while. I may take a break from it so that I can work on chapter three of "I Need to Get This Out".
Aphrael21;)