NOTE: I would just like to take this time to thank EVERYBODY! You guys have made me feel so proud of this fic! You've given it so much attention…and /sniffs/ I'm glad you all like it. I fell like a real writer! I've been aiming for great fics all along and trying to put a little drama or angst into one or all of them: and you guys are telling me that this is the one! Thank you so much! Now…READ ON!

PS: Y'all were confused about the date: Okies: in chapters 1-6 it was Friday. Chapter 7 started VERY early (12:45 to be exact) on Saturday. Now, it's still Saturday: remember though, they had their little staring session (with the accidental kiss). This lasted for about fifteen minutes maybe? So that led us up to about 1:00 or so…dunno. Then we had Tea's little accident and fit leading it up to about 2:00. And then they both fell asleep. So it will still be Saturday when they wake up. (I apologize for the confusion.)

PSS: I know this probably won't be the greatest chapter, but 1) It's an update and 2) it gets some feelings starting...I think.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! (I don't own the song "She's Not Just a Pretty Face" by: Shania Twain that was originally in this chapter.)

Chapter 9: Pancake Breakfast

Tea stirred and snuggled deeper into her warm bed…clutching the covers about her. She didn't want to get up. It was so nice and warm here….

But something clicked in her brain. The last she remembered, she hadn't been home. She had been at school…locked in…with…Kaiba!

Tea's eyes shot open, and she looked at her dim surroundings. The storm was still raging outside, but that didn't mean that some sunlight didn't get through. With the help of a few of the rays, Tea looked about where she was.

She gasped when she finally found out.

She wasn't in her bed.

She was in Seto's lap.

She wasn't clutching the blankets around her.

She was holding onto his school blazer.

She wasn't snuggling into her bed.

She was…snuggling into Seto!

And it wasn't the bed or her blankets keeping her warm:

It was Seto, with his arms lightly wrapped around her.

One thing went through Tea's mind:

WHAT

THE

FLIPPEN

CRAP!

And this was how Tea Gardner's day started. Complete and utter confusion. Not a great way to wake up and start in the morning.

Tea closed her eyes) her heart beating rapidly) and tried to reply the previous night's (or morning, rather), events.

Okay, she thought, first: we had a bit of dinner…. Then, we tried getting back to sleep, but I got bored…. We got into an argument…. I toppled onto S-…KAIBA…where that thought came from, I have no idea….

Then…we…uh…dare I say we stared at each other for a while? Oh geez, I just said it…. And then…good Lord, I fell into his lips ON ACCIDENT! This time was a TOTAL mistake! But enough about that….

Let' see: I jumped away…and then I…I fell. Yes; I toppled backwards and he came over, and- Tea started fuming at the memory, he started looking all over me! So I kicked him: always a plus….

Then…he helped me up…and noticed…my wound. That's when…we sort of talked, after I had told him I could take care of myself…. But he had fixed me up while I was blathering to him! Argh! Actually…that was pretty slick there….

No! No, no, no, no! It wasn't slick: he went against my wishes. And then…he started asking about…abuse? Oh man…and then I had a fit…and I must have fallen asleep. But why on him? WHERE DID THAT COME IN!

Tea pounded her mind for the memory. She…ah! In the argument she had come up against Seto and pounded into him whilst yelling at him that she wasn't being abused. Yes, that was it. And then she must have fallen asleep: lulled by her tears.

But WHAT ON EARTH was with him and holding onto her like this? That's when Tea remembered the distant feeling of calmness. A soothing sensation had been massaged into her back…. Tea's eyes shot open wide: he had been trying to calm her, by stroking her back. But the idea of it all seemed so…affectionate.

Tea blushed deeply. Here she was in Seto Kaiba's arms like some…girlfriend of his or whatnot. She didn't belong there. No. She wasn't in any relationship with him. He didn't deserve to have her burdens and stresses put upon him.

Tea lifted her head slowly, and looked up at him. Seto's head was slightly lolled to one side –the side on the opposite from where tea's head had been resting on his chest- and he still looked sound asleep.

She carefully removed his arms from around her, and ever so slowly stood up, relieving her weight from his lap. Seto shifted slightly, bringing his now free arms, to cross slightly across his chest.

Tea smiled, biting her lip in a reaction to keep from giggling softly. The position was so natural for him that he involuntarily did it in his sleep. Tea stood and stretched for a moment. She looked back at his sleeping form.

Then, most interestingly, she bent down, "Thank you," she whispered, and kissed the top of his head, "…Seto." Then, the girl stood up and walked out into the hallway, wondering what "adventures" awaited her today.

Tea walked along the hallways, questions forming in her mind:

I wonder what my aunt and uncle are up to…what are they doing about my disappearance?

What can I do for three more days here?

What about hygiene? Tea suddenly passed the upstairs bathrooms and stopped. She looked at the girls, and ran inside suddenly. I hope I'm remembering things right: YES! These bathrooms, thanks to the gym being on this floor, happened to have a few showers in them (my old school had a couple showers in the bathrooms, so it's true!). Prefect! Well almost…there were other factors that needed to be taken care of, but could easily be looked at later.

Tea then walked out of the bathroom and resumed thinking: her next thought complying with the rumble in her stomach, What are we going to eat the next few days?

And that's when Tea passed the heavy metal cafeteria doors. She snapped. Of course! The doors to the cafeteria were never locked: just closed sometimes. She pushed on them, and they opened with ease.

Wonderful! Something has actually gone right this weekend! Tea thought happily. She proceeded inside. One wall of the cafeteria was a complete window. This allowed the most sunlight to come through in the entire school. This was the brightest room Tea had been in for the past two days while stuck here: and by brightest, she meant as bright as having a few flashlights on in a single room whilst the lights were off.

It wasn't bad lighting, but it wasn't the best. Heck, she would live. As long as she could get to the kitchen….

There was, of course, the entryway for the cooks themselves, which was locked of course; but then there was the service window. It wasn't a small window: it was rather large, in fact. There was a metal screen pulled down over it, however, there was a crack of air between it and the surface of the counter. Tea smiled: her way in.

She walked over to the window, and easily pulled up on the screen. Then, she proceeded to climbing in: the more difficult task of this adventure.

Tea sat herself upon the counter, pulling herself up, and then pulled her legs up. She spun around to where she was facing the inside of the kitchen. She scooted to the edge of the surface, and then plopped on the floor.

"Yes!" Tea cried out jubilantly. Wouldn't you exclaim too if something had actually gone right after a day of bad luck?

The only problem was: what to eat?

Tea frowned slightly at the thought, but proceeded over to the pantry. The door, thankfully, was unlocked, and she opened it up. With a bit of the light coming from the large wall-window outside, she could scan the ingredients:

Noodles…macaroni…bread…taco shells…pudding mix….Tea's eyes suddenly widened excitedly: pancake mix! Perfect! It was easy and required few ingredients. Not only that: but it was the perfect breakfast food.

She took out the box and squinted to read the ingredients: milk; the mix and one egg. Well, she knew the school had milk. The eggs were something else…. But if they had pudding mix, wouldn't they have milk for that too? And she did recall that the school had had pudding on Friday….

But the eggs and milk would be in the fridge…. Tea looked. That was locked. She frowned. However, every lock could be picked. All she needed was something to pick it with….

Tea set down the mix and looked around for anything small and sharp. For once, she hated herself for not being one of those girls wearing thousands of bobby pins and barrettes in their hair.

Tea searched around the room. Her eyes landed on something. Ha! Would do you know? Tea picked up a can of paper clips. This day kept getting better and better. Why they had paper clips in the kitchen, Tea could only guess, but right then, she didn't care.

Tea took a clip and stretched it out. She walked over to the lock of the door and started fiddling with it. After countless attempts, and a bruised patience: Tea heard a click. She immediately pulled open the door, and smiled. There was the milk…she turned to the door, which had shelves in it…and there were the eggs. Of course, she didn't know how good these things would be due to the fact that the power had been cut; therefore the refrigeration wasn't working quite well. After all, they had been out of power for about…she looked at the clock: 9:58…twenty hours. She shivered. That couldn't be good…. She felt the milk. It still had a cool edge to it.

Tea looked around quickly for anything that might keep it cool. That's when she spotted the icebox. More good luck!

Tea kept the door only slightly ajar, by sticking a box of pudding mix in the crack, so that she wouldn't have to unlock the door again. However, Tea still had to unlock the icebox. She sighed as she began smashing the pick into the lock. After a little bit (she had had some practice with the refrigerator), it clicked, and she slid the door open. It still looked pretty decent. Of course, the ice was beginning to melt, but it would do.

Tea then returned to the refrigerator and took out every cold ingredient that she thought they might need in the next few days. Then, she stashed them in the icebox, except for the milk and eggs, whish she set upon the counter.

She rummaged around through some cabinets to find a bowl and a pan. She stopped suddenly. A stove used electricity…. She looked over at the cursed thing, when she noticed something.

"God loves me today!" Tea exclaimed, jumping up. It was a gas stove: no electricity required.

She fetched a bowl, made the batter, while singing a quiet tune (then returned the eggs and milk to the icebox), and set the pan on the stove. She found a spatula (after some more digging) and also some Pam®. She gave a quick spray to the pan and set the un-sticker aside. Lastly, she proceeded to pouring some batter out onto the frying pan.

Seto stirred and opened his eyes a bit. He blinked a few times while scanning the room. A bit of light came through the windows, and the clock read 10:25. He looked around again. Something was missing…. No, he realized. Someone was missing. He looked down and saw that Tea was gone.

Seto stood up immediately, for reasons why. She probably just left to use the bathroom or something, he reasoned, why am I so jumpy?

You're jumpy because you're beginning to care… a little voice said in his mind. Seto scowled. Care about what?

About whom, more so.

Oh.

Seto shook the thoughts away and decided, just to get the nagging out of his head, to go and search for the girl. After all, there weren't many places that she could be.

He limped down the hall, his foot still being incredibly painful, while using the wall as a support. He wasn't about to reduce himself to hoping. THAT was out of the question.

She wasn't down this hall. And she wasn't in the bathrooms…so he inferred. She wouldn't be back at the room…so where else did that leave?

He passed two metal doors, on his way down the hall when he stopped. He turned around and walked back a couple steps. The cafeteria doors were never locked. Seto slowly pushed them open.

Sure enough, he heard Tea Gardner in the kitchen. Seto continued limping over to kitchen window. He arrived just as she was making the batter. Seto leaned against the window and watched her. She began singing softly, just a particular song she happened to like:

Seto was beginning to find the words quite true. She was quite intelligent; could dance; could cook; could hold her own in many things; could sing (he had to admit) and…she wasn't just a pretty face.

Seto mentally slapped himself. Did he just think she was pretty? Well, okay…so she had caught him staring at her…earlier; but it had certainly been an accident!

Right, the voice in his head chimed. Seto decided that the best thing to do was to ignore it.

"So, you actually found us something to eat in this prison?" Seto suddenly said. He saw Tea jump violently. She quickly flipped a pancake and turned to him.

"You're finally up, I see. And yes, I did find something to eat," she responded. How long had he been there? she wondered.

"Are you sure the milk and whatnot didn't go sour-"

"It felt fine to me. Besides, I but the rest of the stuff we might need in the icebox: it had a decent temperature. I'm not stupid, you know," she retorted.

"…I know." Tea stopped. Her eyes widened slightly. Did he just say…she wasn't dumb?

"What-?"

"You heard what I said," Seto replied.

She had. Tea returned to tending the pancake quickly. It was finished. She fished out a plate from nearby and slapped it on there. then, she walked over to the counter and slid it over to Seto. He looked at her, slightly questioning.

"Look, it's the least I can do for the way you helped me last night," Tea replied. "I'm not taking "no" for an answer. Eat it: I didn't poison it." Seto gave a small smirk at the comment.

"Wrapping up-"

"Not just that," Tea replied, "You…helped calm me down last night," she looked away, embarrassed, "with my little outburst and all." She then turned her back to him, and held one of her arms in a shy sort of fashion.

Seto noticed this, "You going to eat something, yourself or not? You're the cook behind all this anyway." Tea smiled to herself. He had a way of bringing the end to feelings of being uncomfortable. She gave herself a what-the-heck look. Tea had NEVER thought she would say that about Kaiba.

However, she did return to making a pancake. And…passed over a fork and knife she had dug up for Seto, having forgotten to give him one.

"Sorry: couldn't find the syrup," she replied.

"You've done enough so far," Seto answered, "It's not necessary."

"Okay," Tea nodded, returning to tending her pancake. After flipping it onto her plate, she turned off the stove and proceeded to join Seto.

Tea stood on the opposite side of the counter from him, and began eating. She took a bite, and nodded, pleased at how her makeshift breakfast had turned out. She looked up and saw that Seto hadn't touched his yet.

"Go ahead and eat already! I didn't poison it, you know," she commanded.

"I wouldn't put it past you," Seto replied. Tea shot him a look. He still wasn't eating.

"What is your problem? Do you want to starve?" Seto didn't answer her. Tea resorted to the "heavy" talk, "What, am I going to have to force feed you or something?"

Seto's eyes widened, amusingly, yet with visible hints of irritation, "That will not be necessary."

"Sure it won't," she muttered.

"What was that?" Seto inquired.

Tea smirked, "I said: Aunt Rika was right; all men-" she quickly grabbed Seto's fork and a bit of pancake, "are babies." And with that, she sent it straight into Seto's…about to scoff…mouth. Seto coughed for a second, and gave a few pounds to his chest.

When he had finally swallowed, he was rearing to go, "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?"

"I warned you, didn't I?" Tea inquired, taking a bite of her own pancake, trying to hold back her laughter. She couldn't help it. The whole prospect of 1) feeding him and 2) the look on his face…both when he had received the food and when he was coughing, was too much to bear.

"I didn't find it nearly as amusing," Seto retorted, "I found it rather painful."

"You would."

Seto looked at her confused, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"All men are babies, remember?" Tea started laughing again. Seto rolled his eyes. Why hadn't he seen that one coming? Tea started looking back and forth between his fork and his mouth, smirking. Seto got the hint and decided, like any other normal teen, to feed himself. He picked up the fork before she could and started eating.

"Someone finally taught you something," Tea said.

"Very funny," Seto answered.

"Hmm…guess Aunt Rika was also right about them going all sour when they feel insulted," Tea said thoughtfully, more to herself than to Seto.

"Lord, does your aunt have a saying for every gosh darn thing about males? Seto threw out, "because God knows how she found all this out: being feminine," Seto retorted.

"Pure experience with them," Tea replied back, calmly.

Seto sighed, "And still, no matter how much we all try, no one can fuller understand the opposite gender. We, for one," he said referring to the male population, "don't and shall never, I suppose, understand women," Seto smirked at her.

"Well," Tea started, "that's perfectly correct. We are mysteries and some mysteries are not meant to be solved."

"Let me guess: another one of your aunt's phrases?"

"No…I made up that one a while ago."

"Makes sense."

"What does?"

"You coming up with something like that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing at all, Gardner," Seto replied, sarcastically of course.

"Tell me."

"You think I'm going to just give in to your demands?"

"Almost everyone else gives into yours."

"That's different."

"Why?"

"Because I have a certain power over them."

"Power is more than just authority, you know."

"…I'm aware of that, Gardner-"

"It can mean many things. Just because you own some little company, doesn't mean you can manipulate others- who AREN'T your employees- to do what you want-"

"You don't know the first thing about authority and power, do you-"

"I know enough, Mr. I-Think-I'm-Such-A-Hotshot."

"There you go with the Chinese names again: will you ever stop?"

"No, I don't think I will. I like making fun of you: It's refreshing and a rare experience, due to the fact that I believe I'm about the only one with enough guts to do so."

"As much as I detest the fact that you are indeed making fun of me, I will have to, unfortunately, agree that you are the only one who foolishly stands up to me like that."

"Foolishly?"

"Yes, foolishly."

"Since when was standing up to someone foolish?"

"Since the dawn of time."

"The dawn of time, eh?"

"Yes: Adam and Eve stood up to God, did they not? Look what happened: eternal sin and shame put upon them…not to mention banishment from the Garden-"

"I never thought you would be one to use religious tactics to prove your point."

"You don't know a lot of things about me, Gardner."

"I know that much. Of course: it's just like you know almost nothing about me-" She stopped. Seto looked up at her. Tea locked eyes with him. She did NOT want to get back onto last night's subject of abuse. And that was exactly where she felt this was leading. Somehow, she felt that locking eyes with people delayed time. And she wanted him to forget that she had ever let that little sentence slip.

Meanwhile, for the past five minutes, their plates had stayed untouched, as they flew through four or five different topics in the subject of one quick conversation. Funny how things lead to one another so easily, eh?

"Gardner…"

"Look, don't start," Tea help up a hand, "I don't want to talk about-"

"I wasn't going to talk about you getting abused…though you really should-"

"For the last time, KAIBA, I AM NOT GETTING ABUSED," she replied, more tense, than jumpy and exclamatory. She glared at him for a second, and then grabbed her plate, turning her back to him. She began eating, silence filling the air. Seto retook to his plate too. They really ought to give the talking a rest for now. It led to nothing but arguments half the time.

Tea finished her breakfast and turned around to see if Seto had finished his. He had. She took the plates and forks, and other things she had used for the pancake making, and dumped them in the sink, running water over them. She took the extra pancake batter and found a plastic covering for it; then putting it in the ice box. She closed the icebox fully, and left the paperclip-pick on the counter.

Then she proceeded to the counter, ready to clamber back out of the kitchen.

"I'd stand back if I were you," she warned. Seto raised an eyebrow, but did as she said. She turned around, and heaved herself onto the counter, sitting upon it. Carefully lifting her legs, and keeping them straight (though bending them as far as she could) she slowly spun around on the counter, and slid towards the edge. Seto watched this entertainingly. She had now fully turned around, and of course, we must remember that her legs were sticking out.

And little Seto couldn't help but to notice them…again.

Tea narrowed her eyes as she caught him looking, "Don't. Even. Think. About. It."

"About what?" Seto's head snapped up, coming out of his admiring reverie. Tea simply threw a glare is way, and hopped down, off the counter. The land, however, sent a surge of instant, and slight pain to her knees, causing them to buckle slightly. She stumbled forward a step of two…and was caught in Seto's arms.

She looked up at him, and he looked down at the girl in his arms. He helped to pull her up a little, until she was standing straight.

Yet they still kept their proximity and their stare-fest.

"You really ought to loosen up on the clumsiness," Seto quirked a small smile at her.

"Tis a curse," Tea sighed.

Seto traced the bottom of her jaw with his forefinger, and came to rest it on her chin, tilting it up slightly, so that he could look straight into her eyes, "It may be…but you: are not."

Tea blinked a couple times, "What is that supposed to mean?" Her heart was beginning to beat faster. Not only was this guy physically touching her in a more intimate way…AT THIS PROXIMITY…but staring into those gorgeous oceanic eyes of his was making her heart flutter for reasons unknown.

Seto let the small smile turn more into a small smirk, "That will be another mystery yet to solve," he replied, taking his finger out from under her chin, and turning away to leave. He began walking…or limping more so, away slowly.

Tea stayed rooted to the spot. For some reason, her heart still wasn't calming. And it didn't stop until she had seen Seto's retreating form disappear behind the cafeteria doors.

Tea suddenly slumped (as best as she could slump with messed up knees) to the tile floor. She felt the immediate skin under her chin; still with the trace of Seto's finger.

What had that been all about? she wondered to herself. It was yet another mystery to be solved….

Well, there you have it! Hope you liked it! I thought the chapter was a little slow, but then again: who doesn't have slow chapters and anywho: this chapter introduced a new (sort of) set of coming feelings…I think. Well, hope you liked it, PLEASE REVIEW!

Oh, I have one more thing to say. Any of you remember at the beginning of this story, I said I had hoped to make it at least 10 chapters? I'm laughing at that now! Out of about five days, we've only accomplished one and 1/2 in NINE CHAPTERS! Can you believe it? So, on the extreme, imagine about eight chapters per day: let's do the simple multiplication people: 8x540. That would equal about 40 chapters. But don't get to excited yet! That would be on the WAY extreme! I'm NOT so sure about 8 chapters per day. Heck, I do believe the last day (Tuesday) would be one chapter. I think we're looking more at 30-32 as a possible outcome, then. But who knows. We'll see as time goes on. PLEASE REVIEW!