Kaiba straightened his tie, then lowered his hands to his sides and inspected himself in the floor-length mirror before him. He wore a double-breasted black suit, fit to perfection by his tailor, his cuffs folded upwards and pinned with black titanium KC cufflinks. Kaiba was hopeful it would be a good enough indication to his guests that he was still in mourning over his brother and not anywhere near in the mood for socializing. The charity ball was tonight, and although he wished to be anywhere else in the world, he was obligated to attend, being the host and all. And it was for the children in the orphanages. It was one of the major wishes of Mokuba, that they would raise money every year to upgrade the living conditions of the underprivileged children. Kaiba still remembered what it was like, sleeping in dingy bunk beds and eating the pig-slop excuses for oatmeal and soup with the rocky hunk of bread and a single piece of mealy fruit. To this day, he still felt a twinge of guilt any time he ate a sirloin steak or lobster, a delicacy that was unheard of in such places. That's why Kaiba opened his doors one night a year and allowed the children free reign of the buffet tables, give or take with the assistance of the caterers and wait staff so they didn't clamor all over them like starving kittens.
As if summoning the staff with his thoughts, there was a knock on his door. "Enter." called Kaiba stiffly.
The door opened and in walked Fuguta. "Everything and everyone is in place and ready for tonight, Mr. Kaiba." said the guard. "We await your word to start admitting the guests."
Kaiba expelled a quiet sigh from his nose before pressing the hidden receiver in his lapel.
Yes, Mr. Kaiba? came Roland's voice.
"Open the gates." said Kaiba curtly.
Yes, sir. said Roland, and Kaiba removed his hand from the receiver.
"Will you be alright tonight, sir?" asked Fuguta suddenly. It was the closest the normally stern-browed guard had ever come to expressing anything even remotely close to concern.
"I have to be, don't I?" was the reply from the young CEO.
Fuguta inclined his head, becoming serious again as he said, "If at any time you feel the need to remove yourself from the crowds, we'll make sure your exit is discreet, sir."
"I don't need an escape plan." said Kaiba as he moved away from the mirror and towards the door. "I just need people to keep their distance as much as possible."
"We'll be sure of that, Mr. Kaiba. After the opening dance, of course." said Fuguta.
Kaiba's jaw flexed slightly as he gritted his teeth; he loathed with a seething passion the opening dance. Ever since he turned eighteen a few years back and became "Domino City's most eligible bachelor", formal events KaibaCorp hosted always started with "one lucky lady" (as his master of ceremonies put it) opening the night with a waltz with him. And it was almost always a ditzy, doe-eyed, drooling fangirl, usually spoiled by daddy's money. Normally Seto Kaiba would never have allowed such headache-inducing social interactions at his events, especially now, but it was a tradition that Gozaburo's grandfather had started when he had become of age and Gozaburo and his father had maintained during their bachelor years, and so it was too ingrained in KaibaCorp's history to remove. And Kaiba had to put on a good face for these rich brats so they would actually donate for the children. "And besides, that's the most interaction you ever allow with a girl. Wouldn't want the tabloids to get the wrong idea about you, now would you?" Mokuba had once told him with a sly wink. Kaiba clenched a fist. He never had even a passing thought about wasting his precious time, attention, or resources on a relationship in his entire life, but still Kaiba would put the tabloids into the ground with litigation if they ever dared to slander his image by suggesting he was interested in anything other than the female gender.
Kaiba pushed the button to the elevator as Fuguta waited behind him. He would be taking the service elevator to lead the security staff along with Roland, seeing as he was the second-in-command after the security chief. "I'll see you in the banquet hall, then, Mr. Kaiba." said Fuguta as Kaiba entered the elevator and mashed the button to the proper floor. "...and I hope you find your company tonight to be to your satisfaction."
Kaiba let out a "hmph" before the elevator doors closed between them. Even if he cared about such a thing, he highly doubted whichever rich brat danced with him would be to his satisfaction.
The driver opened the door and held out his hand to Téa, who took it and stepped carefully out of the car that Roland had sent for her and the guys. She clutched her long white coat around her, the evening air surprisingly chilly for summer, as she and the guys were guided into KaibaCorp's lobby by the driver.
"If it please you, ma'am, I can take your coat and hold on to it for you until the evening is over." said the driver, holding out an arm.
"Oh, thank you." said Téa, and she shrugged off her coat.
The guys made a collective noise of astonishment, their eyes wide, and Bakura said, "Wow, Téa! You look absolutely radiant!"
Téa colored at the compliment. She was adorned in a shimmering sapphire blue dress, with gossamer sleeves flowing from a Queen Anne shoulder cut and a heart-shaped neckline. The A-line dress sculpted her waist beautifully while the skirt of the dress fell to just above her knees. She wore matching strappy heels, and her hair was pulled back out of her face and secured on one side with a glittering blue flower hair comb. Standing next to the guys in their rented black suits, she easily outshone them as she sparkled like starlight in the bright ambiance of the glass KaibaCorp building.
Yugi straightened his white bow-tie and said, "Everyone ready?"
"Ready!" said Bakura excitedly.
"Ready as we'll ever be!" said Duke, buttoning his suit jacket.
"Yeaaah, ready fer some good grub!" Joey said, rubbing his hands together gleefully, his mouth drooling at the thought of the delicacies KaibaCorp would be serving. His black suit jacket was unbuttoned and his regular white T-shirt showed underneath, no neck tie in sight.
Tristan adjusted his black tie and buttoned his matching shirt collar, saying, "It's always the food with you, Joe."
"Hey! A man's gotta eat!" said Joey as they walked into the banquet hall. "An' Kaiba just so happens to serve da best food around! Aaawyeah, look at d'ose buffet tables! Joey's gonna feast tonight, baby!"
Chains of long tables stretched the length of the banquet hall on three sides, with a more than generous assortment of hors d'oeuvres, dinner entrees, drinks and desserts. Giant crystal-cut punch bowls were placed between trays and tiered towers of food, looking all the more like huge flowers blossoming out of the tables. Caterers were stationed every three feet, ready to dish out food to the eager children that flocked around them. The children were the only ones outside of dress code, wearing their best of what they had, which ranged anywhere from shorts and T-shirts, hooded sweaters and jeans, and casual play dresses and rompers. Joey led the group towards the buffet tables to get their food, and they seated themselves at one of the many smaller round tables scattered throughout the ballroom. Téa tried not to watch as Joey balanced several heaping plates of food on his elbows, shoulders, and head, his bent arms held outwards making him look comically like a chicken. He also held two glasses of punch in each hand, a plate set carefully on top of each one.
"Geez Joey, you know you can always go back for more." said Yugi, watching him and ready to grab at a plate if it fell.
"Yeah, but dey might run outta sumthin' before I get to it!" said Joey as he managed to carefully slide all the plates onto the table in a half-ring around his seat, taking the one from his head. "Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Dis is gonna be da best meal o' my lifetime!"
Joey immediately dove into the food, stuffing his mouth with several charcuterie board appetizers at once, chugging down bowls of different soups to wash it down before inhaling the next volley of finger sandwiches. Téa turned her eyes to her own plate of salmon, mixed vegetables and roasted potatoes so she wouldn't get sick just watching him.
"Dang, where does he put it all?!" asked Duke, blinking as he watched Joey attack a plate of sushi and sashimi next.
"I've been friends with him for years and I still haven't figured that out." said Tristan, Yugi and Téa nodding their agreement.
"Weeeeell, look who's here!" came a familiar female voice.
Joey choked on his food, sputtering as Mai Valentine glided over to the table, donned in a hip-hugging dark violet ball gown with layers of sheer satin under a lace corset bodice complete with opera-length matching gloves. "Fancy seeing you lot amongst the wealthy elite." she said.
"Hello Mai! Good to see you!" said Bakura cheerfully. "You look lovely!"
"Thanks hun. You look quite dashing yourself." Mai replied with her signature broad wink. She turned her violet gaze to Joey, who was beating on his chest trying to recover from choking. "What's the matter, Joey? Wrong pipe?"
Joey swallowed and chuckled nervously, saying, "Happens all da time."
"You haven't changed a bit." was Mai's reply as she seated herself into the empty chair between Joey and Téa. "So what brings you all to such an upscale gathering?"
"Roland invited us." said Tristan. "Trust me, this isn't the kind of party we'd normally attend."
"Wow, a personal invite by Kaiba's right-hand man? He must miss the good ol' days." said Mai. "Well, I'm always down for an extravagant evening such as this one. Lots of single, handsome, wealthy men to bat my eyelashes at. You know what I mean, Téa?"
Téa swallowed her small bite of salmon and nervously replied, "Sure, Mai." She knew Mai had also come from a wealthy family, so the blonde beauty was probably more than accustomed to such atmospheres. Téa, on the other hand, couldn't bring herself to approach even the women for social conversation, as most of the people here looked like they would judge her for breathing wrong near them.
A vein ticked in Joey's forehead as he made a noise of frustration, and Mai glanced over at him, saying, "You seem upset, Joey. Penny for your thoughts?"
"Aaagh, it's nuthin'...nuthin' really." said Joey, picking up a leg of lamb and cleaning the bone in one bite to distract himself.
"Sure it is." said Duke with a knowing grin as he stood. "I'm going to get dessert. Mai, you want some punch or anything?"
"Perhaps a flute of champagne to celebrate our little reunion?" suggested Mai with another broad wink at the Dungeon Dice master.
"Hear hear!" said Duke before walking back to the buffet tables.
"Honestly, I'm surprised Kaiba's having this party so soon, or even holding it in the first place." said Mai, picking up where she left off. "I would have thought he'd need more time to grieve."
"You heard about Mokuba, too, huh?" asked Tristan.
"Oh gosh, I was devastated when I heard the news." said Mai, holding a hand to her heart. "I was driving down the freeway and it came on over the radio. I actually slammed on my brakes and had to pull over, I was bawling my eyes out. I never thought I'd ever feel bad for Seto Kaiba, but my heart broke for him that day. His brother was such a sweet little boy."
"Yeah, he was." agreed Téa, looking solemn again as she picked at her food.
Mai seemed to pick up on her somber turn of mood, and she cleared her throat softly and said, "So about the camping trip...where exactly is it? Not some run-down campground where the kiddies congregate, I hope."
"Not at all!" Yugi piped in, leaning forward. "We start at Domino Pier and take a bus up to the mountains. Then we hike up the rest of the way and through some woods to our super secret spot on a private beach!"
"Really! Sounds interesting." said Mai, blinking in surprise. "A private beach...this I gotta see! And Serenity's coming, too?" she asked Joey, who nodded while slurping down an upended bowl of stew. "Fantastic! The girls can have a tent all to ourselves so we can gossip and giggle about the boys behind closed tent-flaps. Isn't that right, Téa?"
Téa giggled at the guys' looks towards Mai, playing along by replying, "But of course!"
"So does this mean you're staying in town for a while, Mai?" asked Bakura.
"Yeah, I thought I'd take a break from the Dueling tournaments for the summer...maybe share some of the glory." said Mai, winking at Joey. "I heard someone made a name for himself in the locals and regionals."
"Heheh, you know it!" said Joey, beaming proudly over his glass of punch. "We'll hafta have a re-match soon, you an' I. An' o' course Yuge, too, right buddy?"
"Right!" said Yugi, nodding. "You really have come a long way, Joey! I'm proud of you!"
"Thanks, Yuge!" said Joey with a grateful grin at his buddy.
Duke returned at that moment with Mai's champagne in one hand and a large dessert sampler platter in the other, saying, "I brought enough for everyone! Help yourselves!"
"Oh boy, cheesecake!" said Joey, snatching up a slice and stuffing the whole thing in his mouth.
Mai sighed as she accepted her champagne flute from Duke, but raised it and said, "To the good ol' days." before raising the glass to her ruby-painted lips.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, may I have your attention please!" came the microphoned voice of the master of ceremonies, and everyone turned their attention to the gigantic marble staircase, where the MC stood off to one side three steps up so everyone could see. "Welcome to KaibaCorp's bicentennial charity ball! As you know, tonight's proceeds benefit the Domino City orphanages and underprivileged children. Located under your placemats, you will find an anonymous envelope, in which you may place your cash or check donations, which will be collected and counted at the end of the night. Mr. Kaiba vows to double the total amount of all donations. We hope your generosity will help us to break our record of 14.8 million from last year! And as always, we would like to remind everyone that there are collection bins to donate gently used clothing, shoes, toys, and other necessities for the children."
Téa reached under the mat and pulled out the blank envelope, embossed with the KC logo in the bottom right corner. She slipped a crisp bill into the envelope and licked it to seal it shut. Yugi placed his donations, both from him and grandpa, into his own envelope and sealed it. Tristan stuffed a wad of bills in his and folded the envelope in half neatly while Joey emptied his pockets of several crumpled bills and a handful of coins. Mai sighed and stuffed her donation into the envelope with Joey. Duke and Bakura scribbled out their checks and tucked them neatly into their envelopes.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my greatest pleasure to introduce our host tonight! Please put your hands together for the president and CEO of KaibaCorp, Mr. Seto Kaiba!"
Applause and cheers from several cooing girls rang out as the MC gestured with a flourish up to the top of the stairs, and Téa watched as Kaiba slowly descended the stairs with his clenched fists held stiffly by his sides. He looked like a man walking to the guillotine, and Téa had a feeling Kaiba would rather be anywhere else in the world but here right now. He kept his gaze fixed ahead of him, and Téa noticed even the usual hard glint had disappeared from his dark blue eyes. If he didn't have such an ingrained perpetual look of stoicism, Téa could swear Kaiba's eyes betrayed his well-hidden depression. His all-black suit was a stark contrast to the white studded coat he usually wore with the platinum KC belt, the long coat-tail the only thing reminiscent of his usual attire. He paused at the bottom of the stairwell, standing to attention and looking all the more like a shadow in the brightly lit hall.
"As always, KaibaCorp has a tradition of opening the night with a dance." continued the MC. "All the non-betrothed ladies of age, would you take to the floor this moment? One lucky lady will have the opportunity to share a dance with Mr. Kaiba!"
Several girls ranging in ages between 18 and 25, garbed in various shades of gem colors and pastels, flocked like a gaggle of giggling schoolgirls to the center of the ballroom. Mai grabbed Téa by the wrist and said, "Come on, hun! We're non-betrothed ladies of age!"
"Wait, but Mai, I-..." Téa started, but couldn't finish her sentence as Mai yanked her out of her seat and towards the group of waving, screaming girls. Yugi and Bakura waved apologetically after Téa as Joey, Tristan and Duke snickered.
"And now, Mr. Kaiba will personally select the lady he wishes to dance with!" said the MC, and the group of girls' shrills got louder as they begged for themselves to be picked, waving and jumping up and down to try and catch the attention of the young CEO. Kaiba looked around at them all, sighing inwardly. It was like picking through an assortment of bitter candies, none of which were a flavor that he could tolerate.
Téa and Mai were sucked into the crowd, pushed together by girls who crowded towards the front trying to get in direct line of sight. "Hey! Back off, will you?! People need to breathe, you know!" Mai shouted into the crowd, but her protests were drowned out by the shrills of the other girls. Téa struggled to get out from between three different girls, pinned as she was from several different directions and trying her best not to step on dress trains and fancy shoes.
"Mai, help! I'm stuck!" she called towards her blonde friend, but Mai was also too busy trying to extricate herself from the crowd. Out of nowhere, a heavy-set girl tried to barrel herself through to the front of the crowd, which worked quite well, except that Téa was directly in the path of the onslaught. She screamed as she was thrust forward, and suddenly went from being pinned on all sides to falling through thin air. Téa landed square on her bottom, yelping aloud as a sharp pain shot up her spine from the hard marble floor.
The break in the crowd caught Kaiba's attention, and he turned his head to see a familiar lob hairstyle that swept delicate shoulders, but this time with her hair pulled out of her face. A blue flower comb revealed the face of Téa Gardner from behind the sweeping curtain of brown hair. Kaiba blinked, his mouth parting slightly before he caught himself.
Téa pulled her slender legs away from the stampeding crowd, wincing as her bottom smarted. She turned to put her hands on the floor, about to right herself, when an outstretched hand appeared before her face. Téa blinked and looked up into the dark blue eyes of Seto Kaiba.
Oh great. Way to make an entrance, Téa. she thought to herself. Not that she had much of a choice in the matter. She placed her hand in his, and a small gasp escaped Téa's lips as Kaiba effortlessly pulled her upright to her feet with one hand.
"Thanks." she said sheepishly to him before starting to walk back into the crowd. She had barely moved an inch when she felt Kaiba's firm grip on her hand tighten, and Téa looked up at him, shock etched across her wide blue eyes. Kaiba's own blue eyes were locked onto hers, and Téa thought they almost looked pleading.
"It looks like Mr. Kaiba has chosen his dance partner!" cried out the MC suddenly, cutting across Téa's thoughts.
From their table, all the guys' mouths dropped open simultaneously.
The crowd of girls gasped and glared at Téa, and she could hear some snide remarks from a handful of them here and there, commenting on her out-of-style dress and her plain-Jane haircut. One girl's voice in particular stuck out, saying, "Are you kidding me?! She's not even that pretty!" Téa chanced a glance back into the crowd of angry faces and saw Mai's encouraging wink. Kaiba kept his eyes on Téa, seeming to ignore the childish protests of the crowd behind them, and backed slowly onto the ballroom floor, pulling her along. Téa looked back at him as he led her forward, and she heard the tapping sound of a maestro's baton on a music stand, and then the live orchestra played a smooth, easy waltz. Kaiba raised their still-clasped hands to shoulder height and placed a surprisingly gentle hand in the curve of Téa's waist, his long fingers resting on the small of her back. Téa suppressed a shudder, a strange fluttering sensation in her stomach as she was pulled closer, her face inches away from Kaiba's broad chest and shoulders, one of which she rested her other hand on. They began to dance slowly in a circle.
"Thanks for rescuing me." murmured Kaiba suddenly, his lips barely moving, though he was now faced away from the crowd. Téa blinked out of her mulled thoughts and looked up at him, and Kaiba kept his face straight as his eyes lowered to meet hers. Even in heels, she still only came up to his collarbone. Téa couldn't believe she never realized how tall Kaiba was, especially since she had stood in his way more than a few times before. She supposed she had been too preoccupied trying to stare him down on those occasions, trying not to tremble before Kaiba's intense gaze. That same gaze now held hers, but it seemed strangely gentler than usual, and Téa pondered the deeper meaning behind his words as she recalled Roland extending his own words of thanks to her for coming to Kaiba's aid.
"Oh! Um, you're welcome." Téa whispered back. She was quiet for a moment, but the silence felt awkward in such close proximity. "Dancing with strangers not your thing?" she asked him.
"Specifically screeching, spoiled harpies, but yes." replied Kaiba, practically imitating a ventriloquist now, his Adam's apple the only thing giving away that he was talking.
Téa had a feeling there were press cameras fixed on them, and they probably employed professional lip-readers so they wouldn't miss a word from Kaiba or his dance partner. She turned her face away from the crowd, following his lead, before speaking.
"Oh come now, don't insult Mai's favorite Duel Monster." she joked, and she was rewarded with a slight lift of one side of his mouth before Kaiba's face immediately resumed its normal stoic facade. Téa felt strangely relieved to see Kaiba even sort of smiling after the recent events, and she continued the conversation, hoping to distract him from any inner negative thoughts. "So why even have an opening dance if it's such a nuisance to you?"
"It's been a KaibaCorp tradition for fifty years." said Kaiba simply.
"I didn't know you were so traditional with your so-called step-father's customs." quipped Téa. She knew all too well Seto Kaiba's great disdain for Gozaburo Kaiba.
"I had already caused enough of an uproar amongst the consumers and shareholders when I changed KaibaCorp from a military supplier to a gaming technology producer." explained Kaiba, suppressing a smirk at her comment. "As much as I wanted to uproot other company norms, I wasn't going to push my luck."
"I see." said Téa. "So you do this at all your social gatherings?"
"Far too many to count since I was eighteen." was the quiet reply. It had been a few years since graduation, and Téa knew Kaiba was almost a year older than her, so he had to be close to twenty-three years old, as Téa herself would be twenty-two by the end of the summer.
"I guess I should have been paying more attention to social events. I would have come rescued you sooner." said Téa, ducking behind his shoulder as she saw a camera flash in the distance.
"Would you, now?" said Kaiba flatly, and Téa had a feeling he sincerely doubted her words.
"As a matter of fact, I actually enjoy dancing." said Téa. "It is my profession, after all."
"Is it?" said Kaiba, and Téa thought she heard the slightest hint of surprise in his voice. "Well, I suppose I lucked out this time around."
"What, the esteemed ladies of the upper class don't know how to waltz properly?" asked Téa, glancing over at the flocks of girls who glared at her over their hand-held fans.
"You have no idea." murmured Kaiba, his dark blue eyes narrowing in annoyance. "Most of these esteemed ladies can't dance without standing on my feet like a child."
"Can't or don't want to?" asked Téa with a knowing smile, and she saw Kaiba's jaw flex slightly. "The perks of being Domino City's most eligible bachelor, huh? Ladies just throwing themselves at you left and right." she teased him, suppressing a giggle as Kaiba's hard blue eyes lowered to hers again.
"You're one to talk." he countered.
"Hey, I was shoved, thank you very much!" Téa shot back, pinching his shoulder discreetly. "Quite roughly, I might add. Your fangirls are a bit over-zealous."
Kaiba made a soft noise of amusement in his throat, and Téa felt a strange blush creep into her cheeks at the sound of his deep rumble. She ducked her head, hiding her words behind his shoulder, and said, "Besides, I thought you were happy I came to your rescue."
She thought Kaiba wasn't going to respond, but after a long pause, he finally replied, "I am."
The final note from the orchestra echoed around the hall, and she felt Kaiba's fingers push gently on her back, and Téa knew the dancer's secret lingo to twirl under his arm. The skirt of her dress billowed out, lightly brushing against Kaiba's knee, and twisted around her hips and legs when Téa came to a halt, accentuating her figure for a split second before the shimmering fabric spun back into place. Applause broke out, and Kaiba held her gaze for a moment before he finally said, "Thank you, Miss Gardner."
Téa smiled at the formality, and she grabbed the hem of her dress with her free hand and curtsied gracefully, replying, "Thank you, Mr. Kaiba."
She straightened and paused for only a second before slipping her hand out of Kaiba's, their fingers brushing along each others before they finally separated. Téa spun around and hurried back to their table, her face growing hot as she still felt Kaiba's intense blue gaze on her.
Téa made her way back to the table, where Mai had rejoined the guys. "Well, lucky lady, how was your rendez-vous with the great Seto Kaiba?" asked Duke, a sly glint in his green eyes as he echoed the MC's choice of words.
"Okay, I guess." said Téa, seating herself slowly, her stomach still fluttering strangely.
"Okay, you guess?" asked Mai incredulously as Téa looked back to where Kaiba had been, but he had somehow disappeared. She looked around the ballroom, trying to see where he went.
"Well, it is Kaiba, afta all." Joey cut in, burping loudly amidst his pile of empty plates. "If I were a girl, I wouldn't wanna dance wit' him eitha, dat's fer dang sure!"
"I didn't mind dancing with him." said Téa defensively. "He was actually glad I was in the crowd, as a matter of fact."
"Is that right?" asked Tristan, cocking an intrigued eyebrow at her.
"As it turns out, he doesn't like dancing with strangers." Téa replied, and suddenly she could feel the angry glares of the other girls on her again.
"I don't blame him one bit." said Bakura, looking around at the girls, some of whose eyes were riveted on Téa as they continued to survey her like circling hawks to a kill. "I'd probably be too nervous to ask for a dance with anyone here, too."
"I don't think he's nervous." said Téa quickly. "Just...displeased with the selection."
"Yeah, that sounds like Kaiba, alright." agreed Yugi. "I bet he hates gatherings like this."
"I bet you're right." replied Téa, looking around as the rest of the guests took to the ballroom floor now that the opening dance was over with.
"Alright, it's our turn now." said Mai suddenly, standing and holding out her hand to Joey. "Téa isn't the only one who gets to dance tonight."
"Uuuuuh..." droned Joey, glancing nervously at Mai's out-stretched hand. Tristan let out a laugh.
"You'll have to teach him how first!" he chuckled. "Joey didn't even go to prom in high school!"
"Really?! You've never danced before at all, Joey?!" asked Mai, blinking in surprise, and Joey lowered his eyes and shook his head, his mess of blond locks swaying to and fro. "Well, it's never too late to learn! Come on, professional dancer, let's show him how it's done."
"Okay!" said Téa excitedly. "Who wants to be my partner?"
"Sure, I'll go up there with you guys." said Tristan, standing and buttoning his suit jacket. "Let's do this, Joe."
"Oh, alright." said Joey, taking Mai's hand and letting her pull him onto the dance floor. The others watched as Téa showed Joey the proper hand positions, feet movement, and the rocking sway to the beat of the music, demonstrating the entire package as she danced with Tristan. She even showed him how to hold his hand and arm overhead to allow Mai to spin under his arm.
"So where did you learn how to dance, Tristan?" asked Mai as she swirled past him with Joey.
"I've got an older sister, and dad was adamant that I learn how to dance at her wedding." said Tristan as he twirled Téa under his arm. "I think I was fourteen at the time."
"I'd like to see that picture." giggled Téa.
"Trust me, you don't." grumbled Tristan. "That was before I started styling my hair the way I do now to keep it out of my face so it wouldn't get oily. The acne was bad back then."
"Gross." said Mai as she did a slow turn of her own under Joey's arm.
"Mind if I cut in?" asked Duke, who had walked up behind Tristan and tapped him on the arm.
"Be my guest." said Tristan, giving Téa an exaggerated, flourishing bow before passing her hand to Duke, who took it and led Téa in a swift circle.
"Time to let the other guys share me, too." said Mai with a wink at Joey. "How about it, Yugi?"
"Oh! Alright." said Yugi, rising from the table and taking Joey's place. He and Tristan sat back down at the table, and Bakura also took a turn dancing with Téa after Duke had his fill. A few ladies recognized Duke Devlin and cooed after him for dances, and he happily obliged.
"Some things never change." said Tristan as he watched three different girls fight over who got to dance with Duke first.
"At least he didn't bring da cheer squad dis time." added Joey, and Téa giggled at the memory.
"Could be worse. Bakura's fan club could have followed him." said Yugi with a wink at Bakura, who sighed and put his face in his hand, his cheeks red in embarrassment.
Téa looked around, scouring the ballroom. "What are you looking for, Téa?" asked Mai, cutting across her thoughts.
"Kaiba...where did he go?" replied Téa, still looking around.
"He's entertaining his guests of honor." said Mai, indicating with her champagne flute.
Téa looked over to where Mai gestured, and a look of surprise crossed her features. Kaiba was sitting on the bottom steps of the grand staircase, where he was flocked on all sides by the orphaned children. No wonder she hadn't noticed him; when he wasn't standing to full height or wearing any flashy garments, Kaiba blended right in with a crowd. He had his Duel Monsters deck out and was showing his three Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards to the awe-struck children, who begged to see more of his infamous cards, shouting out their names.
"Wow, I've never seen Kaiba around kids before." said Tristan, echoing Téa's thoughts. "I think Mokuba's the youngest I've ever seen anywhere near him."
"Yer tellin' me." said Joey as he watched Kaiba show off his Vorse Raider next, followed by the purple Fusion card of XYZ Dragon Cannon. "I didn't even think Kaiba'd allow anyone else to be dat close to him, especially little kids."
"Sure he would, Joey." said Yugi. "You forget Kaiba was an orphan at one point, too. That's why he lets them into Kaiba Land free of charge."
"Ya gotta point d'ere, Yuge, but just look at 'em all!" said Joey, watching as a woman who appeared to be a caretaker scolded a few kids who tried climbing up Kaiba's legs. "Seems really unlike Kaiba ta allow people ta invade his personal bubble like dat, even if dey're just li'l kids dat don't know any betta!"
"The kids are probably helping to lighten his mood, considering what he just went through with his brother." said Bakura, his face solemn.
Téa giggled as a tiny child that couldn't be much older than three years old popped his head over Kaiba's shoulder and cried "boo!", Kaiba pretending to startle before looking over and flashing a half-smile. The caregiver immediately took the child down from his shoulders and apologized profusely, but Kaiba shrugged it off, his half-smile flashing again as the child waved at him with a huge gap-toothed smile.
"Aw, what a sweetheart." said Mai endearingly. "I didn't know Seto Kaiba had it in him."
"Yeah..." said Téa, watching the caregiver shoo away the kids so they weren't crowding Kaiba as much, allowing him to get to his feet again. Téa watched Kaiba say something to Roland before the security chief nodded, and Kaiba disappeared around the staircase and out of sight.
"Where do you think he's going now?" asked Yugi.
"Probably hiding himself away to avoid the giggling girl scouts." said Tristan, glancing over at the group of pastel-gowned girls that had eyed Kaiba expectantly.
"Nah, he's probably just goin' to da John." said Joey. "He can't hide from his own party."
"I imagine Seto Kaiba can do whatever he pleases under his own roof." said Duke.
Téa sighed and lowered her gaze to her plate, shifting the rest of her veggies around, and Mai cocked her head to look at Téa's face. Suddenly she stood up, saying, "Would you excuse us, boys? Call of nature. Come on, Téa, let's go find the ladies room together." Téa was about to protest again, but in a fantastic bout of déjà vu, Mai grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out of her chair again. She was surprisingly strong.
They made their way across the ballroom and asked one of the attending maids where the restroom was, and they were graciously guided to it. The ladies room was huge, with at least 50 stalls, complete with wing-back chairs and vanity tables. There were several girls touching up their make-up in front of the full-length mirrors and gossiping in the corners. Téa slipped into a stall before she could be spotted, Mai taking up the one two stalls down.
"...and I heard he finished his high school years in a public school!" Téa overheard one girl saying. "A public school! Can you believe it? Gozaburo Kaiba gives him private tutoring at home and he decides to get his diploma outside of a private institution! Whatever would make him want to attend a stinking cesspool like that?"
Téa realized they were talking about Kaiba, and listened in from her stall.
"Probably trying to mingle with the lower-class. Gozaburo did publicity stunts like that all the time. That's how he ended up adopting him and his runt brother in the first place."
Téa bristled at the derogatory mention of Mokuba, and clenched her fists in her lap to stop herself from shouting at them through the stall.
"Speaking of which, how do you suppose he actually died? Seto Kaiba has all the top-notch doctors around and gets first hands on the state-of-the-art medical technology. I have a difficult time believing even a wimp like his brother went belly-up just because of a little cold."
"I hear there's another traitor in the midst. We all know about the Big Five and the debacle with Maximillion Pegasus. They probably offed his brother to force his hand."
"I doubt it. That ugly duckling was always the bargaining chip. That's why he was always a target for kidnappers. Seto Kaiba would bend over backwards for his precious baby brother."
"Too bad he doesn't do that for a lady or he might actually have an heir by now." Giggles erupted at the subliminal joke.
"But you know he'll have to now!" came a serious voice through the giggles. "The KaibaCorp by-laws say only a Kaiba heir can inherit the company! And with his brother gone, now Seto Kaiba will have no choice but to take a wife and get busy real soon!"
"I read the latest that this whole party was for him to pick an heir to adopt, just like Gozaburo Kaiba did with him!"
"All a bunch of hogwash, I say! He'd never adopt so soon after his brother's passing!"
"I personally think he won't do either of those! He can just change the by-laws, can't he?"
"And who do you suppose he'll just hand over KaibaCorp to, hmmm?"
"The biggest shareholder, I would imagine."
"Rubbish! Seto Kaiba would never throw away his life's work to some random shareholder! Especially after he had to give the boot to the Big Five!"
"Well, it's not like he can hand it over to a child either, whether it's his or not! Someone will have to take over the company if something happens to him."
Téa finished her business and exited the stall. She tried to ignore the group of gossiping girls, focusing on washing her hands.
"Hey! Aren't you the girl who danced with Seto Kaiba?"
Téa froze from shaking the excess water off her hands, and she glanced over in the mirror to see that all eyes were now on her. "Um...y-yes." said Téa, reaching for a paper towel.
One of the girls, donned in an elaborate crystal-studded gown of pastel green satin and holding a matching fan, looked Téa up and down, the fan held pensively under her chin. "You look oddly familiar. Have we met before?"
"I know who she is! She's one of Yugi Muto's friends!" said another girl.
"The King of Games!?" said another. "Battle City AND Duelist Kingdom's Grand Champion? The one who beat Seto Kaiba when he was just a nobody out of Domino High School?"
"Really now?" said the green-clad girl, peering at Téa. "Seto Kaiba went to Domino High. Were you and Yugi Muto in classes with him?"
"Uh...a few." said Téa, tossing out the towel.
"Did he ever date anyone there?" prodded one of the girls, leaning forward anxiously.
"Kaiba? No, of course not. He was just focused on getting his diploma." she said, and the green-clad girl squinted her eyes at Téa.
"Yes, you're probably right. He'd never waste his time on a girl from a public school." she said.
"What's wrong with public school?" Téa fired at the girl, her fist clenching again.
"Oh nothing really, just that some of us socialites are given higher standards for life." said the girl, her nose raising into the air.
Higher standards?! thought Téa as her eye ticked, trying not to lose her temper. "I think you're forgetting that Seto Kaiba came from humble roots himself." she said carefully.
"Yes, but he didn't stay there for very long, now did he?" said the girl, waving the fan towards her face. "And given the choice, he'd never go back to the slums, of course."
"Well, you were just talking about how he chose to go to our slummy high school instead of a private school." Téa slipped, and the girl bristled.
"Okay little ladies, playtime's over." Mai snuck up behind Téa and linked an arm in hers. "Let's go, Téa. The boys will be missing us."
"Yes, I'm sure they are." Téa heard the girl whisper to her friends. "She probably sleeps with the whole lot of them."
Mai yanked Téa out the door as she shot an angry glare over her shoulder at the girl. She steered them two corners away from the bathroom and into a private hallway, where a long cushioned bench nestled between two large potted trees. Mai gently pushed Téa down onto the bench to cool her growing temper, saying, "Don't pay them any attention, Téa. Snot-nosed spoiled brats like them thrive off of dirty rumors and cat-fight talk. Best not to stoop to their level."
"What ill-mannered, despicable brats!" said Téa, still seething from their comments. "I can't believe they had the gall to call Mokuba a runt, a wimp, and an ugly duckling when he's not even cold in his grave yet. They never even used his name! How do they not know who Mokuba Kaiba was?! It was all over the news!"
"You're more concerned about them poking fun at Mokuba than you are about that green girl implying you were a slut?" asked Mai, taking a jab at both the girl's fashion sense and her obvious jealousy of Téa. "I thought you were gonna knock the stuffing out of her after that one."
Téa huffed, saying, "I wouldn't waste my energy on some spoiled rich brat who can just as easily drop a lawsuit for me daring to breathe the wrong way near her!"
"You know it." agreed Mai with knowing nod. "...and it's not that those girls didn't know who Mokuba Kaiba was, it's that they didn't care. The only things that concern them are Seto Kaiba and his deep pockets. They wouldn't have given Mokuba the time of day, much less a passing glance. I know their type. All they care about is a pretty face and whether or not their material needs can be more than satisfied, and Mokuba was still far too young for that."
"And they said they're the ones with the higher standards." muttered Téa.
"These little girls wouldn't know standards if it slapped them in the face." retorted Mai.
Téa made a noise of aggravation, flailing her fists in front of her as if she was fighting an invisible enemy, before slamming her fists down on the cushion. "I can't believe how vain they are! How can anyone care about something as shallow as money!? And they called public school the slums like we were the poorly raised ones! It's not like we were in the bad part of town!"
Mai cocked an eyebrow at her, saying incredulously, "I get the public school thing, but you're telling me a cute guy with money doesn't interest you in the slightest?"
"I don't care how fat their wallets are! They'd better have a comparably amiable personality to go with it or I'm not interested!" snapped Téa, looking with disbelief up at the blonde beauty. "Especially if the men are anything like those pretentious prissies!"
"Hmmm, well, you got a point there." said Mai thoughtfully. "I didn't even stop to think that the rich boys might be as poorly behaved as their female counterparts. Wealth certainly has a way to spoil the fruit, so to speak. It certainly explains Kaiba's radiant personality."
"Kaiba's nothing like those stuck-up prudes!" said Téa. "The whole reason for this ball is to raise money for impoverished children! I doubt anyone else is so generous with their precious riches without making it a sheer publicity stunt, as those jerks called it!"
"Maybe..." said Mai. "But Kaiba's got a public image to upkeep, too."
"He's been there, Mai!" cried Téa. "He helps orphans because he was one, and he knows their living conditions. He could just as easily cozy up to special interests and big business, but he chooses to do this instead. Unlike the rest of these people with diamond-encrusted spoons stuck up their butts, Kaiba actually has a heart!"
"I guess you're right. There are other ways to get tax breaks." shrugged Mai. Téa sighed, and Mai watched her carefully, adding, "So where did all that come from?"
"Where did all what come from?" asked Téa, sounding irritated.
"The whole Kaiba having a heart thing." said Mai, peering at Téa suspiciously. "I thought you always said he was a big jerk? What changed?"
Téa looked Mai straight in the eyes, saying, "He did, Mai. Kaiba was a big jerk. I thought for the longest time all he cared about was himself. But after all those years of Mokuba being a target, I realized he cared about his family, too. And after hearing the garbage that spewed out of those hussies' mouths, now I realize he cares about the less fortunate, too. Even now when his brother is gone. He didn't have to keep doing what Mokuba wanted, but he still does. And..." Téa held a hand to her heart, as if it would hold back her tears. "...and I'm glad he is. I'm glad Kaiba's honoring Mokuba like this. I'm glad he still has a purpose for his life. I just hope it's enough to keep him going." She felt the tears well up in her eyes and looked away quickly.
"Wow, Téa! I had no idea you cared so much about Seto Kaiba!" said Mai, sincerely shocked.
"He's still a human being, Mai." said Téa, sniffing and rubbing a hand across her eyes. "Far more human than most of the uppity folk attending this party."
Mai sighed, saying, "You're probably not wrong." She reached into a hidden pocket in the crease between her lace bodice and the satin layers of her gown and procured a clean handkerchief for Téa to wipe her eyes, adding, "Alright, enough with the tears already, hun. Let's get you cleaned up and head back to the guys before they start to think we drowned in the toilets."
"Yeah." said Téa, accepting the handkerchief and dabbing her eyes carefully with it, seeing some of her eyeliner come off on the clean white fabric. Téa took a deep breath to calm her nerves and rose slowly from the bench, and she followed Mai back out to the ballroom. They had barely stepped back into the bright hall when a screeching voice pierced their eardrums.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I'M EVICTED?! THIS IS A PUBLIC EVENT! YOU CAN'T JUST THROW ME OUT INTO THE STREETS!"
Téa and Mai blinked in unison at the green-clad girl and her entourage, who had been gossiping in the ladies room. The girl was waving her fan menacingly in Roland's face. "As a matter of fact, KaibaCorp is still private property and I can indeed throw you out, Miss Heather." said Roland, moving the fan aside with a finger. "...and under orders from Seto Kaiba himself."
"FOR WHAT!? MY MONEY NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR HIS STUPID CHARITY!?" the girl shrieked, receiving gasps from many people watching, especially the orphaned children. She was clearly being as loud as possible to attract attention, but it wasn't going in her favor. "MAYBE I SHOULD TAKE IT ALL BACK THEN!"
"I'm afraid there are no refunds or returns on charitable donations, ma'am." said Roland, with heavy emphasis. "Now if you'd come with me..."
"DON'T TOUCH ME! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THIS DRESS COSTS?!" Heather jerked her arm out of Roland's grasp, turning away from him. As she did, she caught sight of Téa and Mai. "YOU!" she said, and Téa jumped at the sudden attention brought to her. "YOU WENT MOUTHING OFF TO YOUR HIGH SCHOOL BUDDY ABOUT OUR CONVERSATION IN THE BATHROOM, DIDN'T YOU!? EITHER THAT OR SETO KAIBA KEEPS CAMERAS IN THE LADIES ROOM! AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, I'M SUEING! ALL OF US WILL BE!"
"Well, I thank you for verifying our information, Miss Heather." said Roland, snapping his fingers loudly, and two large guards appeared. "I'll ask you one more time to come quietly..."
"SCREW YOU!" Heather yelled at Roland. She grabbed a glass of punch from the nearby buffet table and turned back to Téa, shouting, "AND AS FOR YOU, YOU HAVE SOME NERVE, SLUT!" She threw the punch into Téa's face and smashed the glass on the floor at her feet, receiving startled gasps and looks from the onlookers. Téa flinched and sputtered as she was drenched with the sticky fresh-fruit drink, now dripping from her hair and down into her dress.
"That does it! Remove this girl at once!" commanded Roland.
"Yes sir!" said the guards in unison.
Téa wiped a hand down her face as Mai grabbed a cloth napkin from the table, glaring daggers at Heather, who was now being lifted by both arms and carried between the two guards, screaming all the way to the door. "PUT ME DOWN, YOU OAFS! MY DADDY WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS! HE'LL HAVE YOU ALL FIRED WITHOUT PENSION OR UNEMPLOYMENT AND MAKE SURE NONE OF YOU WILL EVER HAVE A JOB FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME! YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE BRUISES ON MY SKIN! DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD I WORK DAY AND NIGHT TO MAINTAIN THIS FLAWLESS COMPLEXION?! THIS IS HARASSMENT! PUT. ME. DOWN!"
"Miss Téa, I'm terribly sorry! Are you alright?" asked Roland, gesturing a nearby group of maids forward.
"I-I'm fine." said Téa, her voice shaking a bit as the cluster of maids and caterers gathered around her and Mai, a handful carrying brooms and dustpans to clean up the broken glass.
"Bring Miss Téa to another room and clean her up." Roland ordered the maids.
"Yes sir!" chorused the maids, bowing before leading them away from the staring crowds and into a private room off to the side. They produced more cloth napkins and helped squeeze the punch out of Téa's hair into empty glasses, dabbing her shoulders and chest gently to dry her as they chattered about her like mother hens.
"Oh you poor dear! Don't you worry, we'll have you looking good as new!"
"That was completely unlady-like of that girl!"
"Such atrocious behavior! I do hope she's punished!"
"Good on Mr. Kaiba for evicting her! She deserves worse!"
"Téa!" She heard the chorus of the guys as they suddenly barged into the room.
"Are you okay, Téa!?" asked Yugi, halting in front of her, and Téa nodded wordlessly.
"Dat was nuts!" said Joey, standing protectively over his friends.
"What happened?" asked Tristan, flanking her opposite side. "Were they talking smack in the girls' room?"
"They sure were!" said Mai, pulling the flower comb out of Téa's hair as the maids washed out the punch with spray-bottles of perfumed water. "About Mokuba, of all people!"
"You're kidding!" said Bakura, his eyes wide as Téa shook her head. "What nerve!"
"That explains why Kaiba had them evicted." said Duke with an equally shocked expression.
"Yeah, but that doesn't explain how he knew." said Mai, looking questioningly at the maids as they started spot-cleaning Tea's dress with a stain-removing fabric cleaner. "Now I have to ask, does Kaiba keep cameras in the bathrooms?"
"No, ma'am, absolutely not!" replied an elderly maid, who appeared to be directing the others. "That would be completely improper! Mr. Kaiba would have human eyes and ears in such places for security purposes."
"Ah, that makes sense. Have one of his hench-ladies camp out." said Mai understandably.
"Yes ma'am."
Téa pondered to herself as the maids started spraying a leave-in conditioner in her hair and combing it out gently. She didn't remember seeing anyone like a guard or a spy in the bathroom. But she did recall being quite a ways down the hall, and there was still more hallways and winding corridors beyond that. Anyone could have easily been around the corner, listening in on her and Mai's conversation, which had relayed much of what was said in the bathroom. She remembered Roland's words to Heather...under orders from Seto Kaiba himself...
"Is Kaiba's receiver connected to his entire security staff?" asked Téa.
The maids stopped what they were doing and stared at Téa, their eyes wide.
"He's used it in front of all of us before, so we already know about it." said Tristan quickly, recalling the time Kaiba had called an auto-piloted helicopter to save Téa from the crate being dropped on her head by one of Marik's Rare Hunters. The others nodded agreement, assuring the maids that they weren't breaking operational security.
"No, Miss Téa, just to Mr. Roland." replied the elderly lead maid at last. "The chief of security has the comms to all the security staff. He simply relays intel to Mr. Kaiba."
Roland couldn't possibly have heard the entire conversation and circumnavigated the halls back to the ballroom that fast. Téa thought as the maids started blow-drying her hair and the damp parts of her dress. And if there was a guard in the bathroom, surely they couldn't have relayed everything that was said in there to Roland, who would have had to relay all of that to Kaiba for him to make such a swift decision...
...which means...
Téa walked out of the side room, surrounded by the guys and Mai. The maids had completely cleaned and dried her hair and dress, and even touched up her makeup and reset her hair comb. She was good as new, as if nothing had ever happened. The broken glass and punch puddle had been cleared away, and the caterers were back to serving food at the buffet tables. A few eyes turned to look at her, and Téa felt her face coloring. "I hope the press didn't catch any of that." she said, her embarassment finally settling in.
"We saw everyone with a camera being ushered out right before Roland and the gang confronted that girl." Bakura assured her.
"Yeah, I bet Kaiba has stuff like this happen all the time at his events and knows when to evict the tabloids." said Duke. "I'm forced to do it at my game shop sometimes, too. Take it from me: bad publicity is bad for business."
That further strengthened Téa's convictions, and she took a deep breath, saying, "I'll be right back. I think I left something in the bathroom stall..."
"Want me to go with you in case there's more crazy girls with flying punch glasses?" Mai asked.
"No, I think I'll be fine after all that." said Téa, waving her away. "I won't be long!"
Mai watched as Téa hurried off, her brows knitted together.
Téa made her way back to the ladies' room, but instead of going into it, she turned the two corners and returned to the bench between the potted trees, where she and Mai had been talking. She walked slowly, cautiously, further down the corridor, which was only lit by dim sconces overhead. Her heart was beating fast as she turned another dark corner, and she immediately felt a draft. She finally noticed a pair of double doors open to a courtyard a few more feet down the hall to the right. Téa walked through the doors into the courtyard and was greeted with a flowing fountain fashioned into the Water Omotics Duel Monster, water flowing from her jar tipped over her shoulder. Téa admired the fountain for a moment, thinking it very fitting, before walking farther into the courtyard, her heels clicking on the smooth cobblestone. She walked through a stone archway and looked beyond into the grassy area, and her thoughts were confirmed.
There was Kaiba, sitting on a lone stone monument in the center of the grassy knoll, his long legs stretched out before him and his head bowed. It was impossible to see if his eyes were open or closed under the bangs that framed his eyes. Téa walked closer, and in doing so noticed that the stone monument Kaiba sat on was engraved with a single name in large lettering:
MOKUBA.
Téa paused, realizing she was on sacred ground. She approached carefully and knelt on the ground before the monument, her hands in her lap, and bowed until her hair swept the ground. When she righted herself, she noticed Kaiba's eyes on her from under his hair, but he hadn't moved an inch. Téa stood and pulled her blue flower comb from her hair, laying it on the monument under Mokuba's name. She rested her hand on the gravestone, her fingers tracing down the body of the K, and leaned her forehead against it, eyes closed. For a moment, Téa thought she could feel Mokuba's spirit leaning his own forehead against hers and his hand pressed against hers, with his big childish grin on his face as he peered his mischievous dark eyes into her shining blue ones. Téa took her head away, her hand sliding down the cool stone, and realized Kaiba was looking over at her now, but he still hadn't said a word. She walked around to his opposite side and sat next to Kaiba as his gaze lowered to her hair comb, the jewels of the blue flower glittering like the stars overhead.
They sat in silence for a long moment, the night wind blowing Téa's now loose hair softly, tickling her shoulders. Normally a stillness like this between her and Seto Kaiba would have been fraught with tension, but this was different.
Finally Téa spoke, saying, "I bet he didn't like parties, either."
Kaiba was silent, still regarding her hair comb. At first Téa thought he wasn't going to respond, that Kaiba would just ignore her until she left him alone. But to Téa's surprise, after a long pause, he finally said, "He hated them. I couldn't even get him to wear a full suit until recently."
Téa smiled, recalling Mokuba's previous outfit. She missed that cute little yellow vest of his. "I was shocked that you got him to cut his hair, too." she said.
Kaiba made a rumble of amusement and finally turned his gaze away from the hair comb. "Only because the barber convinced him he could easily donate three wigs with it." he replied.
Téa laughed out loud, stifling the noise with her hand. She hummed softly, rubbing her hand along the monument. "That's just like Mokuba to give of himself to help others." she said.
Kaiba was silent again, absent-mindedly twisting his cufflinks as he stared at the ground. Téa watched him for a moment, then nudged him gently with her shoulder, saying, "Kind of like you're doing tonight with this party, and every year since."
Kaiba blinked at the sudden gesture, but made no comment about it. "It was his idea..." he said simply at her remark.
"You didn't have to continue it." Téa pointed out.
"Yes I did." replied Kaiba. "I wouldn't be honoring him if I didn't."
Téa blinked as she heard her own words, and her wide-eyed expression softened into a warm smile. "So it was you." she said. "You heard Mai and me talking."
Kaiba said nothing.
Téa sighed and leaned against Mokuba's monument, turning her head so the cool stone chilled her face. She knew Kaiba would often refuse to confirm or deny his intentions if it looked like anything too close to caring about others. Which is why Téa was surprised when he suddenly asked, "Were the maids sufficient in putting you back together?"
Téa blinked and turned her head to look at Kaiba. "Roland told you about Heather's stunt in the ballroom, huh?" she asked.
Kaiba didn't answer that either, and Téa knew his unspoken inner dialogue was most likely a snarky response somewhere along the lines of, "What else would I be talking about?"
Téa turned her face away from him and pressed it against the stone again, saying, "Your maids were very courteous and professional, and did a fantastic job."
"Good." came Kaiba's curt reply.
"I hope you treat them well, especially after tonight." Téa said. "They worked their butts off, as they probably do every day."
"I treat all my staff more than well." said Kaiba, sounding defensive.
Téa gave Kaiba a sideways glance, saying, "And you never, ever lose your cool with them?"
"Only the ones who deserve it." he retorted.
"I see..." said Téa as she looked away again, but she had a feeling Kaiba had set the bar rather low for who was worthy of his temper.
They were quiet for a while.
"I noticed you and your entourage arrived in one of my cars." said Kaiba suddenly.
Téa smiled. "Courtesy of Roland." she replied. "He extended the invitation and said you might be quite pleased at our attendance."
"Did he now?" said Kaiba, looking off to the side as if thought his security chief was watching them at that very moment.
Téa chanced a glance over at Kaiba. "Are you pleased to see us?" she asked.
"I'm always grateful to anyone who attends my charity events." was Kaiba's neutral response.
"And you were happy for me to save you from dancing with one of your fangirls." Téa reminded him with an amused smile and another gentle nudge of their shoulders.
Kaiba inclined his head in silent acknowledgement. If he was getting annoyed at Téa's playful banter and touches, he didn't show it. Perhaps he was actually trying to be civil for once, or maybe he was just getting better at holding back his irritation. It was really hard for Téa to gauge Kaiba's emotions to anything at all. His stoic facade was ingrained into his existential foundation, but now that she thought about it, Téa figured it may be because Kaiba was the type to bury his emotions until his temper boiled over. She had never really given much thought as to why Kaiba was the way he was.
Mr. Kaiba. came Roland's voice with slight feedback, and Téa startled a bit before she realized it was the receiver in Kaiba's lapel. It's 21:30, sir. Shall I have the MC declare it a night and release the guests?
Kaiba lifted his hand and pinched his lapel, replying, "Yes. See that everyone's out at 22:00 sharp." He let his hand drop back onto his knee.
Yes sir. replied Roland, and the receiver went quiet again.
"I guess I should get back to the others, then." said Téa. "They're probably wondering where I am." She stood and walked around to the front of Mokuba's monument and bowed again, this time standing. Téa straightened, saying, "Thanks for having us. We had a great time! And..." she held her hand to her heart, suddenly somber as her eyes fell on Mokuba's name again. "...and I still mean what I said the other week. Mokuba was our friend, and I know he'd want us to look after his big brother for him and make sure you're alright. Even if you don't care, I do."
Kaiba said nothing. He seemed to be off in his own little world, his eyes riveted to the ground as he continued to twist his cufflinks absent-mindedly. Téa watched him for a moment before letting out a sigh, certain that Kaiba wouldn't respond. She turned to leave.
"Téa..."
She froze at the mention of her name on Kaiba's lips. Téa steeled herself, bracing for what he might say, and looked back at Kaiba. He was still staring at the ground; he seemed to be looking for the right words to carefully convey what he wanted to ask.
"What you said to Mai..." he said, finally looking up from the ground and meeting Téa's blue eyes with his. "...did you mean that?"
Téa relaxed, realizing she had been tensing herself. She stepped towards him again, and Kaiba watched as she reached forward to take hold of his hand and squeeze it gently. "Every word." Téa replied softly.
Kaiba's eyes raised to meet hers again. His normally intense gaze was strangely gentle. "Thank you." he said quietly.
Téa gave him a warm smile. Then, without really thinking, she leaned over and planted a soft kiss on the underside of Kaiba's jaw. She felt him stiffen, and suddenly Téa realized what she was doing. She pulled away quickly, but Kaiba merely sat there, stunned into silence. Téa swallowed quickly to ease her suddenly dry throat before saying, "Goodnight, Kaiba."
She turned and hurried back to the ballroom before Kaiba had a chance to respond, her hand slipping out of his. The movement seemed to jar Kaiba out of his trance, and he looked up and stared after Téa, his hand still hovering in mid-air. She was already past the stone archway and out of sight before he was finally able to softly call back, "Goodnight, Téa."
"Where were you!?" demanded Mai as Téa approached their table. "I went looking for you in the bathroom after a while and you were nowhere to be seen!"
"Oh, I'm sorry." said Téa. "I had stepped outside for some fresh air." It wasn't a total lie.
"I don't blame you after all that." Bakura said, and Téa smiled at him.
"Yeah, dat was enough excitement fer one night." said Joey, patting his stomach. "I dunno about you guys, but I'm stuffed like a bear ready fer winta!"
"I share the hibernation sentiment. I'm beat!" said Tristan, and Duke nodded agreement as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned loudly.
"What a night!" agreed Yugi as they all made their way back to the lobby, where their driver was waiting for them. He held out Téa's white coat for her, and she slipped into it with a quiet thanks to him. They walked outside into the crisp summer air, and the driver held the car door open while everyone piled in. They waved to Mai as she drove off in her violet convertible, beeping as she drove by. Joey, Tristan and Duke were already leaned back in their seats snoring away, Joey drooling from his open mouth. Bakura gazed out the window at the night sky, resting his chin in his hand. Yugi was nodding off, trying his best to stay awake until the chauffeur dropped him off at the Game Shop. Téa was brought to her apartment next, and she bid goodnight to the guys. Joey, Tristan and Duke hummed sleepily in response whilst Bakura bid her goodnight with a cheerful wave.
The driver opened the door for Téa and helped her out of the car. "Thank you, sir." she said to the driver, whom she recognized from a few weeks ago. "What was your name?"
"Eric, ma'am." said the driver, sounding surprised at being called by such a formality and even more shocked that Téa cared to know his name.
"Eric, thank you for driving us tonight." said Téa.
"The pleasure was all mine, Miss Téa." replied Eric, bowing to her.
"Have a good night." she said before turning and walking up the steps to her door.
"Goodnight, Miss Téa."
Téa waved as the car drove off before entering her apartment, closing the door and locking it behind her before making her way upstairs to her bedroom. She threw her keys and clutch purse on her dresser and shrugged off her coat, hanging it neatly on the back of her door. A yawn finally escaped Téa's mouth, and she balanced on each foot as she took off her strappy heels, setting them into her shoe organizer. She slipped out of her dress and let it fall to the floor before crawling into her bed in her undergarments. She rolled over onto her side, pulling the covers with her to cover her partially naked body, and immediately fell into a restful slumber.
** Note from the Author:
Shoutout to Princess Aaliyah for being the first to favorite and like "Heart of The Blue Eyes", and to lalalei for my first review! Thank you guys so much!