I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH!
Chapter 17 – Avoiding and Awaiting
It had been a few days, but already Mokuba had his people working on rebuilding Kaiba Corp, as well as the mansion. He was currently stationed at an expensive hotel –the top floor his suite and also office. He had been released from the hospital, on the orders to just take it easy the next few weeks.
But that was a hard thing to do, with all the work he had to do on the rebuilding.
Duke was coming in today to give him the details of exactly what happened. He really didn't care too much, as long as no more attacks were going to happen. But a part of him still wanted to know the entire situation.
There was a buzz on his intercom at his small desk near the big windows of the hotel. He pressed it to receive the message. "Sir, there is a Mr. Devlin and... company here to see you." Said the woman at the front desk of the hotel over the intercom.
"That's fine, send them up." He replied and shifted his arm in it's bandage. It was sore, but alright. The girl had said 'and company'. He wondered if Serenity was there with them. He hoped she was. Over the last few months, she had become a great friend, almost like an older sister.
There was a ding as the elevator reached his floor, and there was a knock on his door, and he pressed a button and let them in.
Sure enough, Duke came in, along with Serenity, Mai, Joey, Tristan, and Yugi. "Hey everyone!" He exclaimed, and everyone brightened to see the boy's spirits a little better than they had witnesses before.
"Mokuba!" Serenity exclaimed a little too loudly and ran around the desk to give him a big hug, since he couldn't stand without his crutches. She pulled back and smiled happily.
He turned back to the others.
Joey looked slightly perturbed, but was hiding it with much effort as he tried to stay civil in front of the younger Kaiba; because he knew the little guy had been through enough that he didn't need to hear older brother rantings about staying away from his sister.
Tristan was smiling too, as was Yugi and Mai. Duke had a small smirk and was acting like the leader of the group, standing ahead of them, leaning slightly on his desk.
"So, Duke." Mokuba looked over at the green-eyed dice boy. "Tell me everything."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Tea was nervous. She didn't know how to feel. Here it was, the end of the week, and the end of the bet, and neither of them had made a move, or even looked like they were going to make a move. Tomorrow would be the end of seven days. And this day was almost over too!
The week had been miserable and frustrating, in her view of things. They'd bicker more than they'd actually talk. It seemed like their 'frustration' over their bet was making them irritable.
And to top it all off, they had even managed not to touch eachother; not even a single bit of physical contact. It was like they were both avoiding it; like the other was poisonous or something.
Tea sighed loudly across the fire pit from Kaiba. He had just gotten the fire started. The lighter had lost all its fluid a while back, and now he had managed to make fire out of some sticks and grass. He was quite talented, she had to admit; for being who he was an all.
She sighed again.
"Quit it. It's getting annoying." He commanded from across the fire, as he chewed on some coconut rinds.
She squinted again. Bickering; was that all they ever did anymore? She huffed and stood. She couldn't stand to be near him at the moment.
Storming off, in the dark, she mumbled to herself about Kaiba being a jerk. She was too busy with her thoughts on the certain guy she occupied the island with, that she didn't notice a large branch ahead of her.
She growled, thinking about what she ever saw in him to make him remotely attractive. Well, he was devilishly handsome, and good god –was he a good kisser... she stumbled on a fallen branch and fell down, twisting her ankle.
She cursed. That was the last thing she needed. She was supposed to be graceful; dancers almost never got twisted ankles, right? Maybe not...
She tried to stand, but her foot buckled and she fell down in the sand again. She looked down in the dim light from the now-far away fire and inspected her leg. She rubbed her ankle and hissed in pain. It didn't look too bad.
There was a sudden gust of wind and it chilled her. A storm was coming? They hadn't had one in a while, and they were overdue for one.
She looked out into the ocean and saw some flashes of light from lightning in the distance. They had been there long enough to know when a storm was approaching. And the clouds that afternoon had looked a little dark.
To her surprise, she saw Kaiba walking down the beach towards her. He got to her side in no time and frowned.
"We need to get in the shelter. The storm's coming." He said and saw she looked away from him. He turned away from her, not wanting to put up with her either, and headed back to the fire and the small shelter he had built before.
When she didn't follow he turned back around and saw her struggling to stand up. But she fell back down in the sand and growled in anger. He walked back over to her and looked down at her.
"Do you need help?" He asked.
"No! I'm fine! I just hurt my ankle a little. I'll be there in a minute." She paused and sat there, waiting for him to leave. When he didn't she looked up at him with angry blue eyes. His eyes were equally as piercing.
She huffed and struggled to stand, and when she did, she lifted her injured leg and hopped on her good one to keep from falling over. And to make matters worse, he was just standing there, staring at her as she did all this. Was this amusing him? She glared at him and noticed his trademark smirk. He was; that pissed her off.
She tried to hop her way across the sand, not making it a foot before she fell to her knees again. She puffed at the sand by her face and felt her cheeks burn. Great, she was embarrassing herself in front of him. And he wasn't doing anything to help her. Well, she had refused his help after all. Maybe she was just afraid of his very touch.
Before she could attempt to stand again, she felt those very hands she had been avoiding and awaiting touch her waist and turn her over. He swiftly picked her up in his arms and carried her back.
His very touch made her throbbing ankle seem meaningless. Even though his behavior was cold, his body was warm, especially his hands that were wound around her back and under her knees.
Just as they went inside the makeshift tent-hut it began to rain. Kaiba let go of her legs and let them slide carefully down to the ground. When he was sure she was stable he released his other hand that was wound around her torso.
Silently he went to the corner of the hut that was attached to the tree and sat down, the rain loud against the large leaves sheltering them.
He tried not to look at her; even though he was dying to say a sarcastic remark about her foot being injured –and see the surely equally amusing look on her flustered face. Truly that was the first time they had touched in days, and he was more distracted by the feeling of her body against his to make him think of anything else.
"So..." Tea began once she got settled. The noise must have startled Kaiba because he slightly –barely- jumped and turned to face her menacingly. "How are you?" She asked, and instantly looked away, regretting the simple, but idiotic, question –given their situation and who she was talking to.
"Tolerable." He replied and began to inspect his hands all of a sudden; as if out of boredom.
"Oh." She paused. "So... how was your childhood? It's kind of hard to imagine you young." She asked.
Kaiba stopped looking at his hands and proceeded to stare at nothing in particular as he pondered for a moment about Tea. Why was she so interested all of a sudden? Was she just bored, like he was?
"It was... challenging." He replied without taking a glance at her.
"Uh... were you-" She was cut off.
"Why the sudden interest, Gardner?" He snapped suddenly, catching her off guard. "You never showed an interest before, why now? Are you simply so bored out of your mind that you have to talk? Can't you stay quiet for ten minutes?" He barked in an angry, spiteful tone.
She squinted her eyes. "I was just trying to get to know you a little better. We've been here for months, and I don't even know your favorite ice cream, your favorite color, or what you were like when you were small, or anything. I wasn't bored, I just wanted to know! What's wrong with that? What are you afraid of?"
There was a small pause as he took in her retort; tried to analyzed it. "I have no reason to share that kind of stuff with someone like you. No matter what you may think, Gardner, we are not on such intimate terms." He spit out, glaring daggers at her, his blue eyes icey.
But she wasn't going to back down. "Yeah, well no matter what you may think, we have shared something between us, and like it or not I want to know more about you so that we can be friends, because dammit Kaiba, I want to be your friend."
"I neither want or need your friendship." He replied coldly.
"You need it, Kaiba, you definitely need it." She snapped back just as coldly as he did to her. She had begun to crawl a little towards him, minding her hurt ankle.
"Don't tell me what I need, because you know nothing about me." He growled, just as lightning stuck and rumbled around them. The rain came down harder.
"I know plenty! I know you... you are determined and willful and definitely don't like to lose –at anything. You hate losing to Yugi, but you stay focused enough to not let it cloud you; confident that one day you will win. I also know you're ruthless. You work hard, probably more than humanly possible. I know you are smart –a genious even- but sometimes too smart-ass for your own good." She sighed, trying to calm down, even though she was practically emptying everything.
"I know you had a troubled childhood. I know you and your brother were orphans. I know that you love your brother very much, and you have raised him like a father. He's probably the only one you've ever loved. I bet you've never gotten close to a woman –you've never had any girlfriends- but I know it's because you think they're a waste of time and too annoying. I know you love to tease Wheeler only because it's so easy and he reacts the way he does." She saw him roll his eyes slightly, and he stood up and looked like he was about to leave.
"I know you don't want to have friends because you're afraid. You're afraid of betrayal and liability! I also know that no matter what your appearance may give off, you do care for people and their safety!" She exclaimed, and with that he had obviously heard enough and turned and left, storming off into the rain.
She grunted as she stood on her good foot and hobbled to the 'door' and limped into the rain with him. She stopped when she saw that he hadn't run completely away. His back was facing her, and he was only a few yards away.
She continued. "You wouldn't let anyone innocent die; you saved me back in Battle City on the docks! Do you remember? You may mock us, you may even despise us, but you've never wished harm on us." Tea saw his shoulder's stiffen. The rain fell down harder onto both of them, soaking them. The storm roared around them, but neither seemed to notice.
"And this may seem egotistical, but I know you feel something for me..." She said softly. She awaited a response; any response. Why wouldn't he say anything? "Because... because the last kiss we shared –I felt it." She said, knowing she was on dangerous grounds. She wobbled slightly on her unbalanced feet as a gust of wind blew at her.
"Kaiba... Seto... I do know you, more than you think. Don't you see I want to be your friend, something more in your eyes than Yugi's girl -or some dumb cheerleader!" She saw as he finally began to continue to walk away. She closed her eyes and screamed into the storm's own noises "Don't you see that I care for you! No matter who you are! It's you!"
She froze, trembling in the cold water, her eyes closed shut tightly. She had just admitted her feelings for him, and she was scared; scared that she'd open her eyes and he'd be gone.
But slowly, her courage took the best of her, and she peeked open and looked up to see that her fears were not coming true. He was still standing there, only he was now facing her and now closer; close enough to reach out and touch him.
And she did. She reached out and grabbed onto his shirt in her fists, her weight suddenly resting against him as her ankle buckled. His large hands came up suddenly and rested ontop of her own, holding them. She looked up, painfully slow, and caught his eyes in hers.
The dark blue eyes glared at her with both hesitation and determined resolve. Her heart sank slightly when she felt his hands move hers away from him and to rest at her sides. She frowned at his silent behavior. "Say something," She pleaded in a whispered voice.
He reached out and cupped her cheeks and pulled her close, whispering back against her lips "Tea..."
She closed her eyes at the sound of her name being spoken so ardently. All he had to do was say that and she was committed. She parted her lips, lost in the sensation as they brushed against his ever so lightly.
If she wasn't mistaken, she felt him shiver. And he sucked in a breath as he brushed back against her lips. The feathered touches were sending them both past the point of ever caring about the 'bet'.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as his slid down to her waist.
There was another crash of lightning, but neither of them flinched as their lips fell upon eachother's in a passionate meld of yearning and desire.
Somehow they ended up on the ground, rolling in the sand and leaves as the storm raged around them. Rain had long ago soaked them to the skin, their bodies heavy and wet as their lips lifted them into oblivion.
Kaiba loomed over her, his mouth claiming hers as he molded it fervently to her lips. His mouth was so full of pent-up emotion she felt it radiating through her all the way to her cold toes and trembling fingertips.
She rolled slightly so she was pinned above him and she nipped at his lower lip causing him to lose it even more and pulled her body to his firmly, his hands bold enough to escape under her wet shirt to her back.
His teeth scraped her own lips and then his tongue slid in and made her go limp against him, only her hands steadfast and strong as she gripped his shirt, feeling the fabric warm and soaked by rain water.
The wind blew at them and the rain pelted them down, heavy enough to feel like a blanket was covering them as they lost themselves in eachother's arms.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
"And that's that." Duke replied coolly as he raised his hands –in the fashion of a mock surrender. He looked over to see Mokuba just staring at him, a little shocked at the whole story behind it.
Mokuba rubbed his forehead after a second of silence. "Seagulls... good thing Seto really isn't here to hear that seagulls nearly took down Kaiba Corp."
There was a moment of small laughter –although it was a bit of an uncomfortable laughter. Mokuba looked up and managed a smile for Duke. "Thankyou Duke, truly. And know that neither Kaiba Corp –nor I- will forget what you did for us; you can guarantee it." He winked at Duke, nodding.
"Thanks." Duke nodded also.
Mokuba cleared his throat and then turned to everyone else. "Who wants room service?"
Everyone agreed yes, especially Joey. Everyone erupted into happy banter and smiles. Mokuba sighed and kept a small smirk on his face. He was glad to have friends like them around. Without them... what would he be now?
A/N: ...