Kisara takes a sip of her drink while she stands outside of a local shopping mall. She leans on the building using her free hand to read a blog that she found on her phone regarding wedding planning. It has been a week since Kaiba's grand opening for his amusement park and it is now open to the general public. She thinks back to their argument that ensued between the two of them once the big day was over with.
"Seto, what you did back there wasn't cool," Kisara says, standing in front of his desk as he types away. The opening of his theme park was a bit rocky, but they were able to make it through without anyone realizing what had happened with the explosion.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he says, not removing his eyes from his computer as always.
"Look, I'm glad that everything turned out alright in the end, but that wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for Mana and Atem. I think you treated them rather poorly earlier. You didn't even thank Mana and I'm pretty sure you didn't thank Atem either. Not to mention that whole thing with Ziegfried the other day."
"I don't have time for this Kisara. I'm extremely—"
"When do you ever have time?" Kisara asks, raising her voice a little. She is tired of him blowing her off and being closed off from her lately. She understands that he is busy, but she also feels that she has been very understanding and patient with him. When they first met, he was a gentleman. Sure he was rough around the edges, but he made time for her and did little nice things for her. As he got further into the Duel Monsters industry and now amusement parks, he barely has time for her at all and he is very distant.
Seto breathes a deep sigh and finally takes his eyes off the screen. "What is going on with you?"
This question enrages her even more. Hasn't he been paying attention to anything she's said? She grits her teeth and her body begins to shake as she tries to keep her emotions in check. But the very sight of him with that emotionless expression of his is sending her over the edge. "You're…you're—!"
"I'm what?"
"MEAN!" she blurts out, shutting her eyes with her fists balled at her sides. He gasps lightly, taken back by her sudden outburst. He can see her shoulders starting to tremble and tears threaten to fall from her closed eyes.
"Kisara…"
"No! You listen here!" She opens her eyes and takes a deep breath before continuing. "I know you've been working hard and things can get really stressful when running a business. But that doesn't mean you put your loved ones on the back burner and treat the people who have always been by your side like dirt! It's not right!"
She quickly wipes the tears that overflow down her cheeks until she opts to bury her face within her hands. Seto slowly stands up from his chair as she sobs. He has never seen her so upset to the point of tears. He isn't the type to admit that he's wrong, but telling by her reaction, he now knows he has messed up. Admittedly, he hasn't been making time for her like he should. He has been cold and distant to her and others. He had fully immersed himself in his work and now he can see the toll it is taking on her. He comes from behind the desk, bringing her into his arms.
"Don't cry Kisara," he says in a soft tone.
She wipes her tears and looks up at him. "Do you still love me?"
"Kisara, why would you—"
"Do you still want to be with me? Is the reason why you've been burying yourself in your work is because you can't stand to be around me?"
He inhales and then exhales. The next two words he is about to say will be tough, but necessary. The last thing he wants is to lose Kisara. "I'm sorry," he finally manages to say.
Those two words coming from his mouth even manages to surprise Kisara and she asks, "What?" to be sure she heard him correctly.
"You're right," he continues. "My mood has not been the best lately. But I'm trying to build a legacy for my family…my future family…and that includes you," he explains, looking directly in her eyes.
"Seto…" she sniffles, wiping her remaining tears.
"I haven't been giving you the time that you deserve and I apologize. I will make it up to you."
He wraps his arms tightly around her waist and she places her hands on his chest. "You promise?"
"I promise."
She looks up to the sky and breathes in the fresh air. Now that the amusement park is full operational, Seto has pushed any further projects back so that they can prepare for their wedding. Hopefully with everything that is going on, things will go smoothly. She furrows her eyebrows when she senses someone entirely too close, intruding on her personal space. Her eyes slowly scroll down to see Mana looking up at her with a puzzled expression.
They stare at each other and sweat appears on Kisara's forehead, feeling thrown off by her friend's sudden presence. Mana is short compared to her tall frame, so she must've slipped by while her head was in the clouds.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Mana asks, staring at Kisara with deliberate intensity in her eyes that starts to make her feel uncomfortable.
"I'm thinking why are you so darn close and where the heck you came from?!" Kisara exclaims and Mana jumps back with a smile as Téa walks up as well.
"Been standing here for a minute actually."
"You look like you have a lot on your mind. Are you alright?" Téa asks with concern.
"Yeah…this wedding planning has been pretty stressful you know?" Kisara replies before looking over at Mana. "And how about you? Last time we saw each other, Atem seemed pretty upset. Seto didn't get you into too much trouble, did he?"
"Oh we're fine. We made up," Mana replies with a happy smile, causing Téa and Kisara to exchange looks before smirking. "What?"
"You guys had angry make up sex," Téa concludes and she nudges Kisara's arm with a chuckle as Mana's jaw drops.
"Hey! How did you even come up with that sort of conclusion?!" Mana yells, raising her fist in the air.
"I told you Kisara. Mana is gonna be the first one to turn up pregnant out of the three of us."
"Well it wouldn't be bad for her, I guess. It might actually teach her to slow down a bit. Emphasis on the word 'might'," Kisara says with a shrug.
"I'm standing right here!" Mana exclaims before glaring at Téa. "And you should be the last one to talk with your late night 'spa sessions' you use an excuse to ditch us."
"You shut your mouth!" Téa yells causing Mana to grin.
"Come on guys. We're not gonna find any outfits for the our little trip if we stand out here," Kisara says with a chuckle.
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Atem and Mana sit side by side in the limo that Kaiba provided them for their couples trip. Instead of having a huge engagement party, Kisara opted to do something a little more private with her closest friends. They will be staying at one of Kaiba's private cabins in a wooded and secluded area. It is dark as the limo climbs up the rocky road, surrounded by nothing but trees and more greenery.
Mana looks out the window and shutters. "This has 'horror movie' written all over it," she says, huddling next to Atem.
"It'll be fine," Atem assures her. His calm demeanor puts Mana somewhat at ease.
The limo finally pulls up to the large two story wood cabin. The lights from within shine an orange hue through the large windows in the front and there appears to be a deck for lounging from what they can make out in the dark. Atem is the first to step out once the door opens and Mana follows closely behind, observing her surroundings. It is quiet compared to the city atmosphere and the only sounds they hear are from crickets, frogs and owls. The driver offers to take their bags in, to which Atem politely declines, having no problem taking them in himself.
Opening the door, Mana gasps with surprise at how extravagant it looks inside. Aside from the entryway that has a rustic chandelier, the living room is complete with light gray furniture with blue accents, a fireplace and a wide screen television. There is also a bridge that goes across, connecting the two sides of the second level. Each bedroom has its own connecting bathroom complete with his and her sinks, a claw foot tub and a shower.
"Wow. It's…beautiful," Mana remarks.
"Thanks," Kisara says, coming from around the corner. "Feel free to choose whatever room you like. There are five. Yugi and Téa have already chosen theirs."
"Sweet!" Mana exclaims before zooming off to go pick a room.
"Will Kaiba be joining us this weekend?" Atem asks.
"Found one!" Mana yells from the upper floor and their luggage suddenly glows as she uses her magic to transport the bags to their room.
Kisara giggles. "I bet that never gets old."
"Not at all," Atem says, smirking.
"But to answer your question, yes he will. He's actually here now."
Atem's eyes widen in surprise. "You don't say." To think she was actually able to get him to step away from work. She truly is the one for him.
"Question is, will he come out of the room," Mana says, popping out from nowhere and levitating next to Kisara who jumps a little and holds her chest.
"Of course he will!" She yanks Mana down to the floor who grins.
"Excellent. Then I can hassle him about ruining my outfit at the theme park." Mana rubs her hands mischievously and Kisara shakes her head.
"Anyway, you guys get some rest. It's late. We're having a personal chef make us breakfast in the morning."
"Thank you Kisara," Atem says with a nod and he walks up the stairs, leaving the two women behind.
"You guys really do have a nice place here," Mana compliments, beginning to float in the air with her legs crossed.
"Thanks. Before Seto got swamped with major projects, he used to take me out here all the time so that we could unwind and have time 's also a training ground here that Seto made just for me so that I can brush up on my skills." She walks over to a large window and places her hand on it with a smirk, knowing that will get a reaction out of her magician friend.
Mana's eyes light up. "For real? Your own training grounds?"
"Yeah, I can't have you trying to surpass me."
"What makes you think I haven't already surpassed you?"
"Wanna bet?" Kisara asks, looking at her from the corner of her eye. They both have a very competitive history, though it has always friendly. It has been a long to since they have actually sparred against each other. "First thing tomorrow?"
Mana purses her lips together in a smirk.
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Téa sits up quickly after hearing a loud boom followed by two women yelling. She grunts, rubbing her sleepy eyes and yawning softly until another boom causes her to jump again. She holds onto her chest, feeling her heart beating quickly and she looks over to the other side of the bed where it is empty. "Yugi?" she calls out.
After getting dressed she heads down the stairs, smelling the aroma of food and she smiles, taking in a deep whiff of the breakfast that is being made. But another boom causes her to jump and she peeks into the kitchen seeing Yugi and Atem sitting down at the counter enjoying a meal, seemingly unbothered by the commotion.
"Delectable handmade blueberry muffins," Atem compliments the chef who is a middle aged woman wearing a white apron, a long sleeved button up shirt and a dress.
"Thank you Atem. They're made from my great, great grandmother's recipe," the chef tells him as she wipes down a plate. The counter is full of different food ranging from eggs, bacon, waffles, fruit, grits and more.
BOOM.
"So you guys are gonna just sit here like you haven't been hearing all that?" Téa asks, walking up to them. "Seriously, what's going on?"
"Oh, good morning Téa," Yugi greets.
"Mana and Kisara are sparring," Atem finally answers and Téa's eyes widen.
"Aren't you afraid they'll damage something?"
"Better here than our backyard," Atem mutters, taking a sip of his coffee. For once, he isn't concerned. A friendly spar between friends isn't any cause for alarm in his eyes.
"I heard that," comes a familiar voice and Seto walks into the kitchen, immediately walking over to the coffee pot. Atem grunts, side eyeing his cousin. He is still mad at him for putting Mana's life at risk back at the theme park. He showed absolutely no remorse and his lack of gratitude angered him even more. But seeing that they are staying at his cabin at Kisara's request, he decides to let it go for now.
"Good morning sir," greets the chef with a slight bow.
Téa hits her forehead with a heavy sigh. "Why am I the only one concerned about this? Shouldn't we stop them?"
BOOM. BOOM. CRACK.
"Hey! No fair! That was a sneak attack!" they hear Mana whining from outside.
"Was not! You're just sloppy!" Kisara shoots back.
"No need to stop them," Seto says, stirring in a pack of cream. "They'll tire each other out."
Téa groans loudly and slaps her forehead. This is supposed to be a weekend of relaxation. Aren't they tired of the battles that they have had to endure most recently?
Mana grunts, crossing her arms over her face from being blown back by one of Kisara's blasts and Kisara does the same after getting hit by Mana's magical attack. They both pant heavily, facing off in an open field surrounded by trees in the back of the cabin.
Kisara uses the back of her arm to move the handful of hair that is in her face, slinging it backwards. "Okay, so maybe you've gotten a little stronger since we last fought."
Mana chuckles with a grin. "What are you saying Kisara?"
Her blue haired friend growls and stomps her foot. "I'm saying we may be evenly matched! Don't get any crazy ideas in your head!"
She charges at Mana, preparing for another attack and Mana rushes at her as well. It is fun to be able to test out their strengths and limits. They haven't gone face to face like this in a few years now, so it's interesting to see how the other has progressed. As Mana holds her wand and sprints, she suddenly feels a sharp pain in her lower abdomen, causing her to grit her teeth. She decides to fight through the discomfort and continue on. But as she raises her wand to attack, the sharp pain only becomes intense, bringing her to her knees.
Sensing something wrong, Kisara immediately stops. "You okay?"
"F-Fine." Mana grimaces, making her wand disappear and she takes in a few deep breaths. She places a hand on her lower abdomen, waiting for the pain to subside.
"We probably overdid it. And on an empty stomach at that," Kisara points out as Mana stands to her feet. "We can continue this after we eat. And then I can truly show you what I've been working on."
"Heh. Looking forward to it! Let's eat. I'm starving!" She gets a small whiff of herself and cringes. "But first, a shower."
After eating his meal, Seto heads up the stairs, not wanting to get social. He is finding it hard to be away from his company at the moment. He has put his younger brother in charge in the mean time and he trusts him fully. But a huge part of him would rather be at the office. He chuckles lightly. "Maybe I am a workaholic." He shakes his head, knowing that in order for his relationship with Kisara to work, he will have to be committed to making more time for her. Though he doesn't always say it, her happiness means the world to him.
As he finally makes it up the stairs, something makes him stop abruptly. Mana kneels with her forehead pressed on the floor. One hand is holding onto her stomach and the other is stretched outward, balled into a fist. Is she chanting a spell, he asks himself. No. Telling by how tense her body is, something seems wrong.
"Should I contact the nurse on call or is this some sort of weird magic trick," he asks, wanting to verify. "If it's a magic trick, please stop. It's creepy."
Mana slowly lifts her head, hissing through the sharp pain and she manages to grin. "My magic tricks aren't weird. Besides, I'm not performing one at the moment." She wobbles to her feet, exhaling through her teeth.
"I'm sorry. You're weird," he corrects himself, causing her to grunt. "Why were you on the floor just now?"
"I'm hungry," she whines. Only that answer is partially correct. She isn't sure why there is a sharp pain shooting through her abdomen at the moment.
He walks past her, walking toward his room. "Not my fault you decided to spar before eating."
Mana rolls her eyes with a smile. Maybe she'll feel better once she gets some food in her stomach. Food has never let her down in the past and it isn't going to, now. The thought of food magically curing any discomfort fills her head and she begins to smack her lips, thinking of all the food she is about to indulge in.
Seto places his hand on the door, turning the doorknob and begins to walk in, until he hears the sound of a body hitting the floor. He sighs heavily and turns around.
Mana.
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That ends another chapter! Leave a review!