The sound of birdsong greeted Tea's ears the next morning. She sighed, keeping her eyes tightly shut. She was warm and comfortable. Safe.

But why wouldn't I be safe? Tea's sleepy brain questioned. Home, in bed. Alone. But wait…

There was something moving behind her. Tea sat bolt upright. Not something - someone.

She turned to look at the figure stirring behind her. He was still asleep - him. Seto… Blushing as she remembered the previous day's events, she opened her eyes to find out where they were now.

They were lying in a lush green meadow, wildflowers interspersed between the blades of grass. Immediately in front of her was a cottage. But not just any cottage - it was her dream cottage. The cottage she used to pass on her journey to dance college. Large enough to house a small family but small enough to be cosy, she had imagined herself - and her future spouse - living in this very cottage. A small garden fronted the house, a rose-entwined trellis leading the way into the garden. Behind the cherry blossom trees that dotted the lawn was the house itself - weathered slate, off grey, her favourite.

How am I here? She asked herself as she quietly stood up, walking towards the house.

"Tea." A voice called from behind her. "Wait. This could be a trap."

She turned back and saw Kaiba, running a hand through his hair as he walked towards her. A small fluttering began in the bottom of her stomach at his appearance. She hadn't quite appreciated how tall he was. His clothes - although a tad on the dramatic side - were flattering. His trench coat accentuated his broad shoulders, his dark turtleneck was tight over his arms and chest.

"Enjoying the view?" Kaiba smirked, making Tea blush an even deeper red.

"Um," Tea said, filling the silence awkwardly. Clearing her throat, she continued. "This is my dream cottage."

"Your what?"

"Dream cottage."

Kaiba snorted. "Figures." He muttered, so quietly Tea couldn't guarantee she had heard him correctly.

"What's so funny?" She asked, her temper rising.

"I-" Kaiba opened his mouth, but quickly shut it when he saw Tea's raised eyebrows.

"I'm not sure why we're here." Tea continued. "Probably another of those dumb challenges." She continued more loudly, looking up at the sky in protest. "Hey, why don't we ask the computer what we need to do?"

"We can't." Kaiba replied shortly, "Yugi deactivated it to try and avoid discovery."

"Oh." Tea said, feeling her embarrassment again from the previous day's events. Kaiba sighed.

"We're just going to have to find out what this lunatic has in store for us now." Kaiba said, resigned.

"But we'll stick together, no splitting up this time right?" Tea said worried.

"I'm not going to let you out of my sight." Kaiba said, looking her straight in the eyes, his sincerity making her blush an even deeper shade of pink. Turning away, Kaiba began to walk slowly to the house.

"Hey, wait up!" Tea said hurrying to catch up.

It was unbelievable the level of detail the house matched the one in her reality. Tea had viewed the cottage when it was up for sale. She had been to the house multiple times within one week to the amusement of the estate agents selling the property. She had examined every room, memorising it all from the curtain rails in the master bedroom to the light fittings in the kitchen. To her astonishment it was all exactly how she remembered it. Detail for detail. Despite their predicament, Tea couldn't help but be excited she would get some time in this beautiful house.

The pair explored the bedrooms and the master bathroom first, the latter which was shared between two of the adjacent rooms. It held a large bathtub in one corner, black slate covering the floor and steps leading to the deep water. Tea shivered thinking of the glorious relaxation it would provide. They continued exploring, finishing in large kitchen.

"Now what?" Tea asked, turning to Seto.


Seto awoke, his arm draped over a familiar young lady, his body pressed to hers. He remembered how they had come to be in this position. It had been cold, bitter. His ridiculous suggestion of sharing body heat - an excuse to be closer to her. Her - the girl who was rapidly becoming an important part of his life. Slowly, trying not to wake her, he withdrew his arm and pulled slightly away, not wanting to spook her. Closing his eyes, he drew a deep breath, breathing in the scent of wildflowers from the meadow around him, mixed with raspberry and vanilla - a scent he had come to associate with Tea.

He felt rather than heard the girl stir next to him. Knowing the moment had gone he silently got to his feet, watching as Tea approached a familiar cottage. A cottage he knew very well.

"Seto, come on!" whined a young boy's voice as the familiar limousine pulled to a stop. "You promised no work today."

"Mokuba this is important." Kaiba replied, typing on his keyboard, not looking up.

"So is spending time with your brother." That made Kaiba stop mid-sentence. Looking up from his computer he saw Mokuba frowning at him. Inwardly sighing as he gave in to the emotional blackmail Mokuba had become so good at he closed his computer. A cheer erupted from his younger brother as he punched the air.

"Come on, let's go!" He said excitedly, throwing open the limousine door and bounding out.

"Mokuba, slow down."

Kaiba stepped out of the car and looked at the cottage in front of him that he'd just purchased at Mokuba's behest. Cherry blossoms, roses.

"You have to have fresh air sometimes Seto. And this is a perfect place for the two of us to escape to at the weekend!"

Seto had of course ensured that the isolated house had the best fibre connection possible. He'd also upgraded the security system to ensure they had no unwanted visitors. As much as he denied it to his brother, through his careful perousal of the house and the work he'd done to it, he'd also rather begun to like it.

Kaiba grimaced at the sentimental memory, the cottage presence could mean only one thing - another challenge, another trap. Shaking himself he saw his companion walking towards the cottage slowly, hesitantly.

"Tea." He called, "Wait. This could be a trap."

She turned, and he approached. Brushing a hand through his hair, trying to think of all the eventualities. But they were so numerous and his enemy was so unknown, he couldn't possibly work it out. Planning was Kaiba's specialty. Spontaneity… less so. Consumed with his thoughts he hadn't noticed Tea staring at him. She was slightly pink, her hand had moved subconsciously to her bangs which she was twisting around her finger. Her eyes ran from his shoulders, his chest to his arms.

Kaiba smirked, "Enjoying the view?" He said, arrogance filtering into his tone. His smirk broadened when he saw her blush even more deeply. He liked having this effect on her.

"Um," Tea said, clearly uncomfortable. In a valiant attempt to save face she continued. "This is my dream cottage."

"Your what?" Kaiba said sharply.

"Dream cottage."

Kaiba snorted. "Figures." He said under his breath. What were the chances. What were the chances that SHE of all people would know about the house. Another tie, another bond they had between them. However, focussing on the girl in front of him he realised he'd made a mistake.

"What's so funny?" She demanded.

"I-" Kaiba opened his mouth, but deciding that the explanation was quite frankly too weird, stopped speaking.

"I'm not sure why we're here." Tea said. "Probably another of those dumb challenges." She continued more loudly, looking up at the sky in protest. "Hey, why don't we ask the computer what we need to do?"

"We can't." Kaiba replied, grinding his teeth. "Yugi deactivated it to try and avoid discovery."

"Oh." Tea said, gloomily.

"We'll have to go in and see what this lunatic has in store."

"But we'll stick together, no splitting up this time right?" Tea said worried.

Kaiba turned to face Tea slowly, looking straight into her eyes. Ignoring the blush that creeped into her cheeks again. He said, with as much feeling as he could. "I'm not going to let you out of my sight."

Not wanting to see her response to this unlikely proclamation he strode off towards his cottage.

After exploring the house, Seto ensuring that there were no hidden surprises lurking in corners and under beds, they returned to the large country-kitchen.

Tea turned to him. "Now what?" she asked.

"Now we wait until that deluded fool sets to work the challenge."

Tea shook her head. "Do you have any idea who he is?"

"If I did, don't you think I would have found a way out of here?" Kaiba said sharply, immediately cringing at the harshness of his tone. "It must be somebody I did something to in the past… trouble is-" He stopped himself from speaking. It was one thing to fancy the girl, it was another to get her involved in his private affairs.

"Trouble is you did so many bad things to so many people you can't narrow it down?" Tea said sardonically.

"Gardener-"

"Oh quit with the Gardener crap, I've told you to call me Tea. It's not going to break my heart if you don't."

"So why are you making such a big deal about it?" Kaiba replied firing up.

"Because you are a stubborn ass who has no friends and too many enemies to count and that is why I'm stuck here." Tea said, not understanding where all this anger was coming from, walking towards Kaiba, her finger pointing at his chest. "This is all your fault Seto and I'm sick of it. I'm tired, hungry and homesick. And all you can do is call me Gardener and be hostile all the time." Seto had backed up away from Tea's words. They were now standing very close to one another, against the granite worktops.

Breathing deeply Tea looked up into Kaiba's eyes who were intently staring into her own. Azure to azure.

Taking a slow deep breath in, Kaiba replied huskily, "Hostile all the time? So what happened between us yesterday was…?" He trailed off, leaving the question hanging.

Kaiba could feel the girl in front of him shiver. "No well, that was… well… exceptional circumstances, alright." Tea said, trying to retain some of her former aggression which was fading quickly.

"Aren't we still in an exceptional circumstance?" Kaiba replied, his eyes focusing downwards, on her lips now.

"Um-" Was all Tea's response before Kaiba lowered his mouth towards her's slowly and deliberately.

"Still angry at me?" Seto said, his lips inches from her's. A small shake of Tea's head was the reply he received.

"Good." Seto said taking a step away and turning his back on the girl in front of him and walking towards the counter top, smirking to himself at the effect he had had on the girl. The counter top also helped to hide the effect that she had had on him.

Trying to look busy whilst he cooled off, he began opening cupboards looking for food and utensils he could use to make some lunch. The detail the creator of this world had gone to - in all the drawers were his utensils and his food. His exact organisation of his spice drawer and fridge. It was as if their nameless captor had been to his cottage. The thought made him shiver with rage.

Soon he had all the ingredients to make an omelette sitting in front of him.

"You like eggs right?" He asked, not meeting her eyes.

"Eggs, um-" Tea said, her tone of voice clearly revealing the extent of his effect on her. "Yeah sure." Kaiba bit back a smirk. "Hey, hold on a minute. Seto are you actually cooking?" Kaiba's eyes snapped to her own.

"No I'm swimming." He said deadpan.

Tea grinned. "Who would have thought it - the great Seto Kaiba, a domestic goddess." She said teasing him. "Wait till I tell the boys."

"Gardener if you dare."

Tea stuck her tongue out in reply, earning her a frosty glare in reply. "Quit pouting Seto and give me something to do!"

"There's some cheese on the counter, you could grate that?"

The pair proceeded to prepare the meal together. Kaiba was surprised – Tea could almost anticipate what he wanted her to pass him, where he was going to move and how he was going to cook. And he found himself relaxing, temporarily forgetting his plight.


It was getting late, the sun outside had started to go down. Tea and Kaiba had migrated from the kitchen and were sat by the fireplace, which Kaiba had expertly lit, much to Tea's astonishment.

"You know," Tea said, breaking the comfortable silence between them, "I always wondered who'd bought this cottage. I'm guessing you did? The way you knew where everything was, it was pretty obvious" Seto shrugged and nodded once. "And I'm guessing you were persuaded by a certain little brother?" Seto rolled his eyes and nodded again. "Do you think you could be happy here? Before today I couldn't imagine it but…" She trailed off, looking curiously at him. "There's so much more to you Seto Kaiba." She looked intently into his eyes before breaking eye contact and looking into the fireplace at the dancing flames. "I don't understand why you try and hide these things from everyone."

Seto could feel himself rising to these words, but fighting against his initial instinct to argue with her, he took a deep breath before replying.

"I'm sure you have heard the rumours about how I became a CEO?" Tea nodded, "I staked my brother's and my future on a chess game. I challenged and beat the World Champion chess player, the great Gozaburo Kaiba, and became his son. Mokuba tried to dissuade me but all I wanted was a better life for my brother and I. But he was right. Gozaburo was a cruel man. He hurt Mokuba. And when I tried to stop him he hurt me instead; physically and mentally. And he didn't stop. For a long time. I couldn't protect Mokuba all the time. So I devised a plan to stop him hurting us; I'd steal his company from him and make him pay. And it worked – for a time. But long after Gozaburo disappeared he came back, threatening my family again. The threat of him – and others like him – who could hurt Mokuba and I out of spite, out of jealousy, out of whatever the hell they want. Any weakness they see in me, these people, would exploit and use against me and my family." The words seemed to tumble out of Kaiba's mouth before he could stop them. "I don't want to see Mokuba hurt again. I don't want to be hurt again." He added more quietly.

"I wouldn't hurt either of you." Tea said very softly, the words meant only for herself.

But Kaiba did hear. And they sent a wave of warmth of gratitude and of longing, like nothing he had felt before, flooding through him. Suddenly he was on his feet, walking towards Tea, the cheerleader who was so much more to him now. He sat right next to her on the sofa she occupied. Slightly startled at his sudden movement, Tea looked towards him and found his eyes on hers. His hand reached out to cup her cheek and heat seared her face as he did so.

"I know." He said simply before bending his lips to meet hers.


It could have been minutes, hours or days that the two were locked together but before either was completely satisfied they drew apart panting.

"Wow." Tea said, her face flushed. She smiled shyly at Kaiba who gave her a small smile in reply, before standing up and turning away from her, readjusting himself.

"I think we should get some sleep, who knows what tomorrow could bring." He said, turning back to her.

"And by sleep you mean…" Tea trailed off, biting her lip.

"Actual sleep." Seto said, barely hiding the grin spreading over his face at the suggestion.

Tea pouted but nodded her assent. "When you said you weren't going to let me out of your sight…?"

"That included at night, yes." Seto answered her unfinished question.

"Thanks." Tea replied.

The two soon reached the master bedroom. Seto found that the clothes filling the cupboards in the house also belonged to him. He had thrown Tea over a pyjama top of his to use overnight which reached her knees. Making sure he didn't look at her for too long in his shirt, he had gone and taken a very cold shower before tucking himself into the emperor sized bed.

"Night Seto-" Tea said sleepily, her leg moving to touch his.

"Goodnight." Seto replied, closing his eyes and falling into a deep and satisfied sleep.

Neither of the pair heard the quiet effeminate laughing that filled the bedroom and which said in a voice filled with mirth. "Things just got VERY interesting."


AAAAAND I'm back. SO so sorry for the delay - life got on top of me and I wanted to add another few chapters to fit in the middle of the story! Really hope this was worth waiting for. What could Seto and Tea have in store for them now? Let me know what you think. The last several sections I wrote in about 30m because I really wanted to publish this chapter! Looking forward to hearing all your thoughts! (please be nice!)