A/N: I do not own Yu-gi-oh, only my own characters and my own plots and ideas.

I will be posting, on my profile page, where I am as far as writing is concerned. That way you won't have to wonder what happened to me.

This chapter took me a while because it needed something...hopefully what I wrote is what it needed...

Chapter 6

The Declaration

Iolite paced in her bedroom. Her footfalls were quiet on the plush white carpeting in contrast to her racing heartbeat. It was quite late and Seto was not home. She knew he was not going to be working tomorrow, Christmas Eve and he promised to take off Christmas Day as well. So, it only stood to reason that he had a bit of work to do in lieu of his mini-holiday. Then again, who really did work those days? She sighed, her anal-retentive husband, that's who.

In her hand she held his gift, she slowly turned it over and over. Christmas Eve would be too busy to give the article to him because of the party and Christmas Day wouldn't be private enough so tonight would be the night. She tried to sit down again before the roaring fireplace and train her thoughts elsewhere. Everything was set for the party. The hall was decorated, as was the rest of the mansion. They had just finished the trees late this afternoon, even the tables were set and decorated. She could hardly wait to show him.

It was midnight before the bedroom door opened and he walked in. Her breath caught, as it usually did, at the sight of him. Why he still had that effect on her she couldn't explain. She only knew that it wasn't unpleasant. She stood as he approached her.

"You're late," she whispered with a soft smile.

He stood before her just studying her face. She was wearing a deep blue silk robe that covered a matching nightgown. Gone forever were the sweats and t-shirts she once wore to bed. The only time she did that now was when she was angry with him. Funny how he knew her mood by her bed time attire. When had he started to notice that habit of hers?

"I wanted to show you how the decorating went today." She walked over to him and slowly took his hand. The expression on his face didn't change. If she didn't know it as his normal look she would have thought he was annoyed, but he was just Kaiba.

She told him all about the menu, the music and the seating chart. He just listened as she pulled him into the ballroom. The Christmas lights were the only source of illumination and the room was cast in beautiful shadows and shades. He almost smiled with approval, but fell short. She turned on the stereo as she guided him around the room. She was hoping he could picture how it would all come together in just a few hours.

He had never hosted a party in this house before, then again, he found himself doing things he had never done before since she came along. He looked around the room, carefully noting the details she had shown in her attempt at perfection. He looked at her; she was studying the tree with a frown on her face. He watched as she toyed with a few of the ornaments, his lips twitched, almost smiling, at her efforts. Finally, satisfied, she returned to him.

"I can't wait to dance with you tomorrow," she blushed and looked towards the dance floor.

"I don't dance," he answered simply. His eyes never left her profile.

"You won't dance with me?" She sounded hurt.

"Not in front of people…no." He watched as she turned to look up at him.

"Why not?" She asked, suddenly upset that she wouldn't experience being held in his arms. This was just another thing she would have to get used to…no ring…no romance…no dancing. She sighed heavily trying not to feel too disappointed.

"I just won't," he stated. "If you want to dance I suggest we get it over with now."

"Gee Kaiba with an offer like that how could a girl refuse?" She tried to walk away but he captured her wrist.

"It's Seto and you can't." He pulled her onto the floor and slowly took her in his arms. She wouldn't look up at him due to the anger she felt at his refusal to dance at the party. In fact, she refused to move.

"You don't dance very well," he commented as he held her stiff body.

"I'm not very happy with you." She whispered as she held her arms taut on his shoulders. She didn't want too much contact or her anger could dissipate.

"Would an early Christmas gift make you happy?" He asked as he tilted her chin up. His eyes captured hers.

"You bought me a present?" She asked. He felt a pang of hurt, did she think he wouldn't? She almost sounded shocked that her own husband would deem her worthy enough for a gift.

"I have two gifts for you, but one has to wait until Christmas morning. The other I could be persuaded to give you tonight." He smirked at her, his eyes smoldering. Her eyes narrowed.

"What's your price for a gift Kaiba?" She didn't like feeling as if she were a prostitute.

"Seto," he reminded her gently. "All I'm asking for is a dance."

She smiled, "I can meet that price…Seto."

He took her right hand off his shoulder and held it against his chest. Slowly they danced on the floor. A few of the workers watched the cold-hearted CEO and his Princess. Things had changed since she had first walked into his life. The household staff no longer dreaded coming to work and laughter filled the halls as opposed to tension.

A few songs later found them leaving the hall and making their way back up to their room.

Kaiba walked over to the bed and sat down. He slowly pulled off his shoes and then tugged his tie free of his neck. It had been a long day. Thankfully he'd have two days where work would, for once, be placed on the back burner. He slowly rubbed his neck, trying to force the tension out. She watched him.

"I want to give you my gift tonight Seto. Tomorrow will be too busy and it's a private things that I don't want to share with everyone on Christmas Day." She slowly walked towards him. He pulled her closer to stroke his hands up and down her body. She shivered. He untied her robe and slid it off her shoulders. He had to remind her to breathe as he explored her curves. Slowly she caught his lips with hers and he tugged her onto the bed. Their kissing intensified as he struggled to free himself of his clothes without breaking the intimate contact. They tried to take things slowly with gentle touches and soft kisses but soon found their hunger wasn't being satisfied that way.

They couldn't bear to be apart any longer. When she felt her heart would explode she whispered, "I love you" several times against his neck. He buried his face against the hollow of her throat and heard her plea again and again. He was shaken by her admission, not believing that anyone, save for Mokuba, could love him. When had this happened? When had she surrendered her heart to him? He thought she loved him, but now he had proof. His own emotions, which he had long ago locked tightly away, remained unspoken.

After a while she managed to pull out of his arms rather reluctantly. She reached for her nightgown and pulled it on, catching a glimpse of his approving smile. He was incorrigible.

Seto's voice was raspy, "I really enjoyed my gift. I'm also pleased that you decided to give it to me tonight instead of on Christmas morning in front of everyone." His hand slid up her back eliciting chills.

"That wasn't your gift Seto," she chastised him. Several kisses later she convinced him to let her leave the bed.

"Why don't you not give me my gift again tomorrow?" He smirked as he propped himself up on the pillows. He watched her cross the room and pick up a small box from the dresser.

He decided that whatever the gift was he would be happy with it, or at least try to appear that way. He didn't want her feelings hurt. He hated seeing her look sad especially if he caused the sadness. She sat on the bed and pulled the blanket around her shoulders. He smirked at her and asked her to move closer. She did, tucking her legs beneath her. He moved and then motioned with his finger for her to close the gap.

"I know that look Seto Kaiba, if I come any closer you'll grab me." She tried to sound annoyed, but found herself giggling instead.

"I think two gifts for Christmas are two more than I deserve." He looked at the woman before him, with her cheeks stained a delicate shade of pink.

"Two gifts?" Iolite asked, not sure what he meant.

"Well, gift one was what you said to me." He answered simply.

"What did I say?" She asked, seeming to be quite confused.

"When we were…" He continued.

"Oh that," she dismissed with the wave of her hand as if it meant nothing. "I was getting bored that's why I told you to hurry up…" She smiled at him.

"I see Christmas brings out the tease in you." He chuckled. "I was refering to what you said when you.."

She interrupted his chain of thought, "Hmmm I don't seem to recall." She had a far away look in her eyes.

He wondered whether or not she actually remembered saying those words to him. Maybe it was simply because of the passion, but she'd never said those words before.

"Seto Kaiba is actually smiling? I should feel quite hurt because it isn't because of my gift." She shrugged and sighed.

"The way you wanted me tonight was a gift in itself." He reached out to touch her, but she pulled away. It would be too easy to fall into his arms and give in to his touch.

"There's more," she insisted.

"There will be if you move closer." He suggested his deep blue eyes leaving nothing to the imagination. He wanted her and her denying him was getting frustrating.

"First I have to tell you something about my family." She watched his eyes roll. She knew her family was a sore subject but she had to press on. "My mother died when I was a little girl, I only have the vaguest memories of her and a few pictures because my Dad got rid of most of them in his anger over her death. My Aunt Maggie, my Mom's sister, gave me something on my sixteenth birthday that has been a family tradition for as far back as I can remember." She took in a deep breath to steady herself before she continued.

Iolite slowly opened the box she retrieved from the dresser. She wrapped her fingers around a ring nestled inside the deep red velvet. It was a simple band of gold. Etched on the interior were three words which couldn't be read.

"For generations this ring was passed down by the women, mother to oldest daughter. Each woman is to give this ring to the man who holds her heart." She looked up at him, his eyes were unwavering as they drank in her features. "You hold mine." She shrugged and then dropped her gaze to the ring. She knew she would die if he rejected her gift.

She felt his finger slip under her chin so he could look at her.

"You had a horrible past Seto." She held onto the unshed tears.

"I recovered." He whispered.

"Have you?" She let the question lay between them. "I know you're still holding on to grudges."

"It's not finished yet." He managed, thinking of how he still needed to defeat Yugi in order to find peace. "You want me to tell you about my adopted father Gozaburo?" He asked with a trace of venom in his voice. She knew it wasn't for her, but for the tyrant who had destroyed his childhood.

"No."

He felt relief mix with disappointment. She wasn't trying to console him, she was trying to help him come to terms with his past. The injustices he had suffered were unforgivable, but he was so young and to waste his life away living in a past he couldn't correct was insane.

She moved next to him on the bed and stroked her finger down one of the scars that marred his shoulder and ran down his back. "This is your past Seto Kaiba. What I'm offering is a future with Mokuba andme at your side."

She leaned down and kissed the scar. He felt it down into his soul. Her gentleness shattered something inside of him and made him feel intensely warmth. His eyes closed at the soft touch on his skin. If anyone could stop the gnawing pain it was her. She could heal him as he was slowly healing her. She gently slipped the ring onto his finger. He caught her hand in his quickly and then turned his lips to hers. She kissed him slowly and deeply.

"Your strength comes from within and from your love of your brother." She whispered against his lips.

"I still have so much to prove." His voice was harsh.

"Look around at all that you've already accomplished Seto. You run an amazing company, keep people employed so they can care for their families, and you provide joy for children. You are worthy of happiness Seto, please see that."

She leaned forward and kissed him again, this time he wouldn't let her pull away; instead he slid his fingers into her hair and held her against him. He rolled her onto her back and slowly lay on top of her. He never broke the kiss that was consuming him.

He made love to her again and again until she slept soundly in his arms. Sleep was elusive for him. He had finally realized his greatest weakness as he look at the ring on his finger…she terrified him.

"Is everything going according to plan?" Kaiba asked Raine as they drank coffee in the kitchen the following morning.

"It's all right on schedule though I think you're making a mistake." Raine grumbled. Ever since Kaiba had his brilliant idea for Iolite's Christmas gift he had tried to talk him out of it.

"Why do you have a problem with my gift?" Raine was hiding something and Kaiba was determined to figure out what it was.

"I see Iolite gave you her gift already." He smiled as he flipped the page of his newspaper. "The girl never could keep a secret until Christmas."

Kaiba looked down at the ring on his finger. It still felt very foreign to him as he twisted it around his finger. He kept thinking about the story behind it and something troubled him, he was about to ask Raine to explain something when Mokuba came bursting into the kitchen.

"Seto! Did you give Iolite her necklace last night! Did she like it? Do you think she'll wear it tonight?" Mokuba stood there smiling widely. He loved the idea that his brother was going to be home for the next two days and there would be no laptop check ins either. Kaiba couldn't be sure about Iolite's 'Christmas virus' threat and didn't want to take any chances.

"I was caught up in things." Seto smirked at his brother.

Mokuba frowned. "What things Seto? I thought you said that that was your plan. What happened that you changed your mind? Was it the dancing?" Mokuba climbed into the chair across from Kaiba.

"Dancing?" Kaiba asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we all saw you and Iolite dancing last night in the hall. Were you practicing for tonight?" He asked as he started shoveling pancakes onto his plate.

"Who is 'we all'?" Kaiba asked starting to get annoyed that he had no privacy in his own home. At least he knew no one was privy to their bedroom activities. His cheeks tinged pink at that thought.

"Big brother are you ok?" Mokuba asked, noticing the color change.

"I'm fine kiddo." He lifted his coffee cup to his lips.

"Where is Io? She's usually down here by now." Mokuba noticed. "Should I go and get her up Seto? Maybe she's sick." Mokuba was about to slide off his chair.

"Leave her be Mokuba, she may just be tired from all the work she's been doing for this party." Kaiba thought about the real reason she was exhausted.

"She's never too tired to get up in the morning. Did you say something to upset her?" Kaiba looked at the evil glare Mokuba shot him. He almost laughed at the way he protected his sister-in-law.

"She's just tired Mokie. If it will make you feel better I'll bring her up some breakfast in bed. That way if she is mad at me I can make amends." Kaiba stood up and had one of the cooks prepare a tray for her.

He took it and started for the door with Mokuba on his heels.

"Why don't you give us a few minutes so I can make sure she isn't really mad at me?" He had to stall the boy. He knew she wasn't dressed, thanks to last night's activities, and he also wanted some privacy to give her his gift.

"Mokuba," Raine interjected seeing that Kaiba was having a hard time. "I'm going to need a hand with sampling the cookies for tonight. The cook wants to know which we need to make more of."

Kaiba climbed the stairs alone thanks to Iolite's fast thinking guard.

A/N: Okay, what did you think of her gift to him? Did I get too sappy? I was in a sappy mood. I also wanted a wonderful moment between the two to show that it isn't all tempers and fights. They just happen to be stubborn and fiercely independent, also they've both been hurt deeply so there is a major trust issue. Hmmm will her gift melt his icy heart? How did I do? I won't know unless you all tell me…please review! Oh and thanks for all the reviews you've all given me so far…