-1The Beauty and the Duelist
Chapter Four: A Reluctant Rendezvous
"Just relax and make yourself comfortable, Mia. My brother has to come home eventually," Mokuba comforts.
Mia looks around the rather large and lavish surroundings with an uneasy feeling of discomfort. Although the furnishings in this room are of the finest quality money can buy, and quite comfortable as anyone could hope to afford, the sheer size of the Kaiba mansion makes her feel very weak and vulnerable. However, from her wandering observations, she can clearly see that although the Kaiba brothers are indeed quite wealthy, they don't appear to have fallen prey to such eccentricities and extravagances that most wealthy individuals are said to be consumed by. From the decor, she can tell that Seto Kaiba is a practical man who has little use for frivolous luxuries. However, nor is his taste in decor bland, having a few tasteful decorations placed sparingly throughout the Kaiba residence.
"Uh...are you sure this is okay? You're brother wouldn't mind you bringing a stranger here," Mia inquires nervously.
"Oh don't worry, he'll get over it. You're my guest. If Seto has a problem with it, I'll be the one to deal with the consequences. You needn't be so worried Mia, you haven't done anything wrong," Mokuba replies.
"Well...I suppose so, but I don't want you to get in any trouble. I really just wanted to return this money to him. I never imagined how much trouble I'd cause," the young waitress comments.
"Trouble? Why would you cause anyone any trouble," Mokuba wonders.
"Oh, nothing...I guess. It's just that today seems to be a bad day for me and anyone around me. I really had no inclination that it would all lead me here."
"Mia, I have a question for you."
"Sure, what is it Mokuba?"
"You REALLY don't have any idea who my brother is?"
Mia shakes her head sincerely.
"No, nothing beyond what you, Yugi, and Joey have told me," Mia admits, "I suppose I live a closed and sheltered life. I just basically do whatever I need to get by. Not much other than living. Every once and awhile I'll go out for karaoke, but it isn't really fun singing all by myself."
"Wow Mia, I really find it hard to believe that a nice girl like you doesn't have any friends," Mokuba comments.
"Well, I've never really been able to get close to people for a long time. I've never had any friends when I was little...I was too scared to get close to anyone because I was afraid that they'd leave me. I guess after all of this time, I'm just too lonely. But that's all okay now, because today I made several friends and I won't have to feel so alone anymore."
"Really? Like who?"
"Yugi, Joey, and I'm hoping even you Mokuba," Mia answers.
"Of course I'll be your friend. You don't have to worry about being alone every again. I'll never leave you," Mokuba responds.
"Thank you Mokuba."
"But it's still kind of hard to believe that someone as cute as you never had anyone to play with. You didn't have any brothers or sisters or even cousins."
"I...I don't have any relatives. I used to believe that I had an uncle in America, but when I was very little I thought America was where people went when they died. So when I was a little older and tried to run away to live with my uncle, I found out the hard way that he had been dead for awhile. As for my parents...they died in a car accident. No, I'm sorry Mokuba. You didn't need to hear all that."
"Oh no, don't be sorry Mia, it's my fault. I shouldn't have pried into your personal life. If it's any consolation, me and Seto were orphans too. Technically, we still all," Mokuba informs.
With his white coat flowing behind him as he walks, Seto Kaiba enters his mansion. Walking into the foyer he notices his younger brother sitting with an unfamiliar female. He gives his younger brother a stern look.
"What's this girl doing here," he demands.
Immediately the beautiful young waitress stands up and presents herself to the older Kaiba brother. She bows before him and takes out the money he had given her earlier.
"My name is Mia Chibara. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Kaiba. Please take this back. You gave it to me earlier, but I simply cannot accept such a large amount of money."
Kaiba turns his attention away from Mokuba and looks at the young lady bowing before him holding a hundred dollar bill.
"Hey, you're that girl from earlier today," he notes.
"Yes, again I'm really so very sorry for the trouble I've caused you. Please, accept this back," she replies.
Kaiba sneers at her, almost as if insulted.
"So, is this how you accept gifts? By throwing them back at their givers," Kaiba inquires rather cruelly.
"But," Chibara protests standing up with her eyes averted down, "this is too much money to be giving to someone you do not know. I'm sure you did not intend to give me this much."
"Hmph...it's only a hundred. That amount means nothing to me. It's little more than pocket change," Kaiba replies.
"Pocket change," Mokuba wonders, "that may be, but my brother's a stingy tight wad. Giving away more than a single penny is too generous even for him."
"Eh, I understand but still...I did not earn this money. I've done nothing to deserve it. That is why I've decided to return it to you. Please accept it back," the waitress insists.
"What for? It's your money now. I don't want it back. Now take you and your money and get out of here," Seto sternly reinforces.
Mia defiantly shakes her head in protest. She insistently presses the bill against his chest. Mokuba sweatdrops apprehensively, a bit uneasy with Mia's forceful stubbornness. He ponders quietly to himself about who will be more stubborn: the cute young waitress, or his cold and relentless older brother.
"I'm really sorry, but I cannot accept this much money from a stranger," the young lady asserts.
"Hmph, you're rather ungrateful. You really should learn to appreciate such a generous donation. I'm not usually inclined to just throw money away like this," he retorts.
"Then don't throw it away on me. It's your's you should keep it, so please take it back," Mia persists.
"Absolutely not. I already gave it away. As I've already said, this money belongs to you," Kaiba insists removing her hands from against his chest and forcing hers to close around the bill.
"Then I give it back to you!"
"What? You can't give it back to me," Mokuba's older brother retorts.
"Of course I can," Mia replies cleverly with a giggle, "since it's my money then, I can give it to whoever I like."
"Fine, if that's the case I'll accept it back," Seto seemingly gives in.
Mokuba's eyes widen with shock. Someone has gotten the better of his brother outside of Yugi constantly creaming him in duels? The sight is all too unreal and unbelievable for him.
Mia smiles, pleased with herself as Seto Kaiba finally accepts the return of his money. She feels relieved.
"However," Kaiba smirks deviously, "I'll just have to give it to you again."
Mokuba falls over to his side. He should have realized that Seto wouldn't back down from anything that easily. Their childish bickering is quickly becoming to amusing yet all too terrible to watch. He has to cover his mouth to keep himself from bursting out with laughter. Never before had he seen something like this happen between his brother and anyone else. Mokuba half-expected his brother to put his foot down and have Ms Chibara escourted out, along with the money he had given her. Instead, he keeps going back and forth arguing with her about it, almost as if he is enjoying it.
"Wait a minute, that isn't fair. You can't give it back to me after I've given it back to you," she complains.
"Of course I can. If you can give me back the money that I gave to you, then I can give back to you the money you gave to me that I had given to you," Seto Kaiba retorts.
"Then that means I'll have to give you the money that you gave back to me that I gave back to you that you originally gave to me," Mia perseveres with her arguement.
"If that's the case you know that I will simply give it to you again after you give it to me again after I had handed it back to you when you had returned it to me and...well, you get the idea!"
"Well, I'll just keep returning it," Mia insists.
"And I'll do the same," Kaiba warns.
"Sin from my lips? Oh trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again," Mia teases saying a quote from Romeo and Juliet.
Unable to contain his laughter any longer, Mokuba bursts out with "hoo" and "ha" as well as "wha ha ha" at the sheer ridiculousness of their situation.
"I...can't...help...it! You...hoo hoo...two...ha hee hee..are SO...hee hee...cute and...wha ha ha...FUNNY," Mokuba laughs out loud.
Mia's face reddens as she realizes just how foolish she has been making herself look. Kaiba, on the other hand, merely coughs, and maintains his normal, cool yet cold composure.
"Oh uh, well, it was very nice meeting the two of you, Mokuba, and Mister Kaiba. It's getting late, I should be going now. Please forgive me intrusion," Mia excuses herself.
The young waitress attempts to casually walk away, 'accidently' dropping the money onto the floor and not noticing it. Noticing the money falling from her hands, Seto Kaiba quickly grabs her wrist. She instinctively freezes in place at the touch of his hand. Her heart races, frightened by his sudden and forceful move.
"You've dropped something, Chibara," Kaiba informs then releases her as he bends down to pick up the hundred dollar bill.
"Oh uh, please just call me Mia. You needn't be so formal Mister Kaiba, and it's really starting to get kind of late, so I really should be..."
Seto stands up with the bill in his hand. The two kind of stand around staring at one another in a long and awkward silence. Mia shuffles her feet around, not sure as to what to do next. She has found herself in a rather precarious position. Finally, Mokuba is unable to bare the silence any longer.
"Hey Mia, would you like to stay awhile long and have dinner with us," Mokuba offers.
Mia's attention is drawn away from the older brother, and she turns to address the younger.
"Ye, oh no, that's alright. It would be too inconvenient," she replies.
"It's no inconvenience at all, isn't that right Seto?"
"Mokuba," Seto scowls, "it IS inconvenient. Why can't you be a bit more considerate?"
"You're not," Mokuba mutters to himself.
"I'm really sorry. I don't mean to cause you so much trouble," Mia apologizes.
"Meh, don't worry about it."
"Well, anyway, thank you kindly for your hospitality, Mister Kaiba. I really need to get going. Thank you for your time and please excuse me."
Mia starts to walk out of the foyer when Kaiba stops her yet again.
"You're not intending to walk home alone, are you," he inquires seemingly forgetting about the unresolved issue of the hundred dollar bill.
Mokuba giggles to himself, thinking his brother's intentions chivalrous and even romantic.
"Well, yes. Is that a problem," Mia informs.
"It's not safe for a lady like you to be walking alone at this late of an hour. You could get hurt."
Mokuba briefly disillusions himself with hearing his brother's words as an act of kindness, instead of the more realistic implication his brother is making about her being a weak and defenseless little girl.
"I'll have one of the drivers give you a ride home," Seto Kaiba offers.
"I appreciate your offer, but it really isn't necessary, thank you. I can more than take care of myself. I'll be fine alone."
"Hey, Seto, why don't we walk her home? It would be good exercise for all of us," Mokuba suggests deviously.
"Oh thank you, that would be nice, but I really don't want to be an inconvenience," Mia meekly replies.
"Excuse us for one moment Ms Chibara," Seto excuses.
"Mia. I'd rather you call me Mia."
"Fine, Mia," Seto begins rolling his eyes, "could you excuse us for just one moment. I need to discuss something with my little brother alone."
"Oh, of course," she replies.
"Just wait right here, we'll be right back," Seto Kaiba orders and drags his brother into another area out of earshot.
"Mokuba, just what in hell do you think you're doing," the older Kaiba brother demands of the younger.
"What do you mean," Mokuba smiles innocently, "I'm just trying to be nice to her. Mia's a nice person and you're being mean."
"Nice? Nice! Mokuba, if you're nice to people, they'll only take advantage of you," his older brother warns.
"Hey, not everyone is like that! Mia isn't that kind of a person!"
"Oh come on Mokuba, how do you know that? She's probably a gold digger running some kind of scam. You're falling right into her hands. Any normal person would have just kept that money and never think twice about it," Seto elaborates.
"Oh yah, and what makes you so sure? You don't know her," his younger brother protests.
"And do you? Do you really know her," the older brother demands.
"..."
"That's exactly what I thought."
"Well, I know her better than you!"
"Excuse me," Mia calls out and waits for a few moments before continuing, "I need to be on my way now. I'm sorry for wasting your time. I'll show myself out."
Mia's footsteps head towards the exit.
"I suppose it doesn't matter now," Mokuba grumbles, "since she's taking off on her own."
Seto sighs as he stops glaring down on his young brother and turns his attention to the sound of Mia leaving their residence. He shakes his head, contemplating his next course of action. Meanwhile, Mokuba pouts and then storms off towards his room. Noticing Mokuba storming off, Seto quickly decides to catch up with Mia.
"Oh don't go, at least let me walk you home," an annoyed Seto offers.
"I'm really so, but there's no need for that. I can find my way on my own, thank you very much," the cute and stubborn waitress insists then walks quickly out.
Frustrated and all around annoyed, Kaiba pursues after her. First of all, he has no intentions of letting her leave satisfied over winning their little tiff over ownership of the hundred dollar bill. Furthermore, he feels somewhat compelled to escort the weak little maiden home. Lastly, although he isn't entire sure how, it would teach his younger brother a lesson. What that lesson was, Kaiba hasn't quite figured out yet.
"Are...are you following me," Mia inquires turning around.
"I simply can't allow you to walk away from my home alone at so late an hour. I'd be responsible if something were to happen to you."
Mia blushes. She diverts her eyes away to avoid the cold and piercing stare of Seto Kaiba.
"Is something wrong," Kaiba inquires.
"Eh? Oh! N, n, no! Absolutely nothing," Mia insists and awkwardly forces her gaze forward.
Mia marches onward taking rather large and unusually awkward strides. Seto Kaiba continues to keep pace with her, wondering why he has to waste his time with this bizarre young lady.
"So, are you one of those cosplayers," Kaiba asks attempting to make conversation.
Mia halts in her tracks, she quickly spins around on her heels and faces him square in the face. An insulted look scrolls across her face.
"I am NOT a cosplayer! I don't have time to waste dressing up in silly and adorable costumes...nor the funds. Believe it or not, Mister Kaiba, I'm a real waitress, a working woman. I'm more than capable to taking care of myself and I sure don't need some spoiled rich punk like yourself throwing money at me and treating me like some sort of pity case!"
Kaiba is stunned, taken aback by her strong and harsh words. Clearly not the response he had been expecting.
"Oh, I'm sorry! That was too harsh. I just don't like people pitying me. It really ticks me off. I shouldn't have yelled."
Kaiba smirks and lets out one of usual high and mighty chuckles.
"Oh, you're good, real good, but I'm afraid not nearly good enough."
A puzzled look crosses Mia's face, baffled by Seto's statement. She shakes it off.
"Look, if I have to put up with this kind of rude behavior, I'd rather you just leave me alone. Just because you're rich and famous and whatnot, don't expect me to treat you like some kind of prince. I would be more than glad to smack you one of you keep annoying me like this."
"You really crack me up, you know that?"
"I can take a hint, you know! If you dislike me this much, then why don't you just leave me alone? You don't want nothing to do with me, and I certainly don't want anything to do with you, so GO A WAY!"
Mia stomps her feet and quickly starts marching away. However, her eyes are already beginning to swell with tears. She forces herself to hold her head high, and hold back her whimpering. No way does she have any intention of giving this stuck up snob the satisfaction of seeing her cry. As she storms away, Seto Kaiba takes a step back. His eyes fall down upon the ground, slightly ashamed of himself.
"Way to go," Seto mutters to himself, "I have no tact whatsoever do I? Not that I care or anything. Errrrrr...I better do something. Mokuba might not forgive me this time."
Sighing at the aggravation of it all, Seto resigns himself to catch up with her. He quickly slips his left arm under her right.
"I was out of line," he speaks promptly, "allow me to escort you more like a gentleman."
Mia looks away.
"You're not...crying, are you," Seto asks looking up at her face.
"Of...of course not! Wh-why would I? Absolutely not!"
With his free hand, Seto wipes it across the top of her cheeks. His hand is moistened.
"Then exactly why are your cheeks so damp?"
"It must be starting to sprinkle. I better hurry home before there's a downpour," Mia insists.
"Oh, is that so," Kaiba teases.
"You don't have to walk me all the way home...there's no point in you getting wet too."
"Oh, that's fine," Kaiba insists, "it's been awhile since I last got soaked."
The two continue to make their way down the darkening street in silence...
