Behind Your Eyes
By Starian Princess
Tea realizes just how human Seto Kaiba can be. New feelings are formed as she finds an equally new purpose in life for herself.
Walking briskly through Domino Park, Tea Gardner watched as the late afternoon sun began to set; its orange rays casting their last farewell. Evening was fast approaching and yet her mind was still in a complete muddle. Who could blame it though?
'Why did this have to happen to me? We were… contented, weren't we?' No, in her heart she knew the truth; that content was just a simple word, and that being contented was just a simple feeling. And unfortunately, simple was not a term one could easily associate with the King of Games.
With him, life had to be a puzzle waiting to be pieced together, a riddle with not a single clue- making it virtually impossible to solve- or a problem with a thousand complicated solutions. Perhaps no solutions at all even. Feelings were never as concrete as they should have been when it came to him, and thus, this made them harder to understand. This was the reason why her mind was so unclear today.
Making a quick turn at the end of the pathway she had been jogging on, her nimble form then pushed through an array of bushes until she came out into a clearing. This had always been her favorite spot whenever the guys weren't around. A small patch of light managed to seep through the large leafy branches surrounding it, normally providing her with an ample amount of shade if ever it would rain. Or if she would come on a bright sunny morning, the shade doubled up as protection from the heat as well.
This had been the perfect enviroment for her to relax and to reflect in. It had never failed her, not once. And since it was nightfall, she was sure that no one would come to disturb her either.
Dropping her satchel down onto the dewy grass, she stretched her arms out enjoying the cool breeze beginning to pick up. And as if the the dancing willows around her had commanded, she began to sing,
"Listen well and you might hear
You might hear my melody
A melody so full of glee
The forest nymph of the night…"
With that, she laughed, remembering the old ryhme her mother had taught her. It had always been exciting and soothing to think that an old nymph could someday appear before her and grant her a piece of advice, when she'd need it the most. It would somehow make her feel a whole lot better in times of difficult situations, situations such as this one.
'Yami will always be someone very special in my heart, but he isn't the person I want to be with for the rest of my life.' She sighed. Perhaps the nymph had lost her touch.
And as she pondered the thought, she failed to notice two familiar individuals coming her way. One, with his signature blue trench coat billowing in the wind, had the infamous scowl present on his face. And the other- the receiver of the scowl-, with his raven black hair falling in a messy yet graceful heap down his back, was conjuring his own look of utter disapproval in turn. One would have never imagined that these two could ever have such a dire argument like this, and at a public location much less.
These were the next few thoughts running through Tea's head, as she watched the scene unfold before her in wonder and at the same time dismay.
The Seto Kaiba was standing a mere two feet away from her, quite angered as if he'd lost a duel to Yami. But the difference was the situation (since she knew for a fact that Yami was not battling anyone today) and to whom he was directing his wrath at. It brought her then to stare at the tiny slightly quivering boy everyone knew as Mokuba Kaiba, his one and only younger brother.
Seto Kaiba never- and she stressed never-glared daggers at his brother as if the poor thing was his worst enemy. And as far as she knew, Mokuba Kaiba could never- wouldnever- look back at his brother with as much coldness that it could have been possible to freeze an entire volcano. Could the cosmic powers of all brotherhood have gone haywire?
"You are absolutely unreasonable!" She winced at the tone.
"I am unreasonable? Seto, you embarrassed me in front of all my friends!" To that, on the other hand, she narrowed her eyes. Embarrassing your own sibling in front of his peers? That's a definite slap in the face. No wonder Mokuba looked like he was ready to rip his brother's head off.
"Your friend said that he would kidnap you." Kidnap? Since when do elementary kids talk about kidnapping each other?
"He was making a joke, a harmless joke about me sleeping over at his house!" Oh.
"Well, he can be sure that you won't be sleeping over anytime soon, if I've got anything to say about it." She never thought that the CEO could actually use a smirk like that on his brother either. Mokuba was getting redder by the second.
"You don't have the right to say anything about it. It's my decision if I want to spend the night at my friend's house, not yours. Honestly, Seto, the only reason why you can't take jokes from my friends is because you don't have friends of your own to hear jokes from." Maybe he had gone just a bit too far now.
Tea bit her lip. Mokuba had just taken off in a mad dash, leaving his stoic brother to stare in his wake. She expected the elder Kaiba to run after the boy or at least call for his limo so that he could follow after him quicker, but the duelist simply stood there.
The dancer concluded then that she had just about enough of this. With that thought in mind, she silently resolved that she would step out from behind the bushes and give the guy a piece of her mind.
But as she began to maneuver her foot so that she could stand- and still look menacing despite having just popped out from behind some shrubbery-, she found that a part of her skirt had gotten caught on the thorns growing underneath the said bramble.
'Great. Smooth move, Gardner.' She sighed, peeking once more to see whether her supposed victim had heard her or not.
He… had vanished.
'What? How?' Her eyes widened. How could someone that tall disappear without her notice?
A sudden shuffling sound brought her attention to the nearby bench resting a few paces away. The walkway lights had just started flickering on but she could distinctly make out a mass of dark brown hair and a gravity-defying trench coat.
The normally emotionless CEO had his head bent low as he cradled it in his palms, and he appeared to be trembling. He actually looked like he was-
'There is justno way. Kaiba's... crying?' Even the thought of it was so foreign that she unconsciously made a face. The person she had always thought of as an impenetrable block of ice- perfectly capable of withstanding any situation, no matter how convoluted it was, was actually shedding tears. The image he presented then surprisingly made him look a whole lot more… human, in fact.
A loud clap of thunder echoed from above them. Tea breathlessly tilted her head up with a faraway look in her cerulean eyes. She hadn't realized just how dark and cloudy the sky had become. What would Kaiba do if it rained? She remembered the small black umbrella resting in her bag and started to reach for it as, truth be told, it began to drizzle.
She silently cursed; she was getting wetter by the second. She could only assume that Kaiba, who supposedly hadn't even flinched at the sight of the downpour, was probably looking to resemble a drenched cat by now. And somehow, the disturbing thought made something clench within her. Perhaps it was the feel of her heart tightening, she didn't know.
It was far too dark and blurry to see what the man looked like now. She decided to take a chance with it anyway.
Finally detaching the hem of her skirt, she pushed through the bushes once more and landed deftly on the pavement on the other side. She was soaked either way but the umbrella served as protection. The night's air was getting awfully chilly and she didn't want to end up catching a cold.
She proceeded with walking towards the bench, her heartbeat unexpectedly rising. She hadn't a clue why she felt the urge to run to him instead of taking her time.
'I'm just feeling bad for him, that's it.' She wished that she could conclude it with just that, but she knew for a fact that there was definitely more; more than just a sense of guilt and pity.
She could already make out his soaked form through the mist. She had been right. He hadn't moved an inch. And it was probably an effect of the rain but she noted that he was shivering a lot more now.
She was at a loss for words. He hadn't noticed her when he normally would have under any other circumstances. He was, she figured, too caught up in an emotional outburst and the feel of cold water being poured on him to care.
He looked so different now. He looked, dare she say, vulnerable even- like a little child without his parents. Her frown deepened. She had only ever heard bits and pieces from Yugi but she knew for a fact that he and Mokuba had been orphaned at a very young age. What sort of pain had he gone through before he became the man he was today? What had molded him into transforming into a teenager feared by so many? Questions were forming in her head and she found that she desperately wanted to find their answers, no matter how long it would take her to search for them.
And before she could fully comprehend what she was doing, her feet had started moving. She found herself right beside him, holding the umbrella up for them both. He was still in his own world, staring into space and still very much unlike she'd ever seen him before.
She wondered what she should do next; debating whether she would rouse him of her presence or just leave him be.
'And then what? We might as well end up camping out here.' She decided on doing the former; the more sensible choice of the two. Now the problem was how to go about it.
Tapping him on the shoulder or calling his name? Which one sounded more approaching? Which one would make her look like she cared?
She hadn't the time to contemplate anymore though, as she watched in horror his limp body fell forward.
"K-Kaiba!" She lunged for him, dropping the forgotten umbrella as the rain continued to pour harder. She barely made it but she had caught him just in time. Now they were both soaked and she was lying beneath him, trying to keep his face from touching the dirty pavement whilst her own body was taking in the burden of it all.
Her sigh of relief was followed by a cringe of pain as she felt a distinctive ache form in her lower back. A bruise would form the next day, of that she was certain. But despite the thought, she glanced at the man on top of her, hoping against hope that he would somehow regain consciousness soon. She didn't think she would be able to take his weight if she were to carry him home.
She paused, her mouth agape, at the sight above her. His eyes- normally cold and distant- looked so… endless then. They were pools of dark cobalt and she couldn't help it as she lost herself. She was falling, deeper and deeper into thatlook. She could see his pain, she could feel his loneliness, she could in a way understand now… something- there was something she was meant to do for this person. She wanted to speak out; say soothing words to him, tell him that she could take him away from this seclusion, that she could become his light, that she could-
"Get off me, Gardner." In an instant, she had been shoved to the side and his mask was back on.
The downpour had stopped. And all that was left was a girl, a boy and a forgotten umbrella.
"You havesome nerve, Gardner, coming on to me like that. As if I'd waste my precious time gallivanting in a park with a member of the Nerd Brigade." He was leering down at her, a look of disgust spreading across his face.
And she began to stand, her hair blocking his view. A small smile crept its way up her lips.
"What? Cat got your tongue or something?" He turned the other way as he continued to insult her. "I cannot believe I am now covered in your filthy presence. This is even worse than putting up with that half-brained mutt. You can expect a bill on your doorstep for soiling my uniform. Hear me, Gard-"
And for once in his life, Seto Kaiba had been completely silenced. Who could blame him though? The girl who he had labeled as Yugi's Cheerleader, who he had been trying to offend… was currently latched onto his waist; her arms holding him tight and her face covered by his drenched outfit.
"Wh-What are you doing?" This was probably the first time he had ever stuttered in surprise as well.
And Tea, she simply looked up at him with gleaming eyes and a kind smile.
"Even if you'll hate me forever, I promise you, Kaiba that I'm going to try and try until you open up to me. Tell me what ticks you off; tell me things about yourself that you're afraid to tell other people. Because I won't leave. I'll never leave you alone, even if you think I'm filthy, even if you continue to push me away. I'll never give up on you."
Maybe she was delirious. Maybe this was all just a dream and she would wake up on her comfy bed in a few seconds. Nevertheless, she didn't care. Now that she knew- now that she had realized that there was someone out there who needed her- who didn't even know that he really needed her- she would keep to her promise. She wouldn't let him fall into the darkness. She wouldn't lose him.
To her, life didn't have to be a puzzle. She wouldn't leave clues to riddles he wouldn't be able to solve. She'd go straight to the point. Because life was precious- he was precious. She just had to make him see that.
And perhaps someday… something amazing would happen for them both.
-OWARI-
"It was then that I realized
That forever was in your eyes
The moment I saw you cry."
-Cry by Mandy Moore