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Kaiba

I was caught up in the plans for Battle City, but I watched the time carefully. There was one thing I needed to secure before I could feel more sure about Jem's safety. I worked up to the last precise minute that I could before I had to meet her. At 6:27 I left my office, as I had made sure to instruct Jem to be outside my company and ready to pick me up promptly at 6:30.

Having her drive me to the location would save me time since she could not get lost trying to meet me there. It would also limit the number of people who knew about all this to an absolute minimum and allow me to evaluate how safe of a driver she was. Hopefully it would be one less thing for me to worry about.

As I reached my front entrance, I could see her in her silver car just beyond my glass doors. At first, she appeared calm and still, but as I got closer, I could see an underlying anxiety. Her bright eyes watched her surroundings attentively, her stillness seeming to stem from tension in her body.

I was swift on my journey from the elevator to her, watchful and cautious as I approached. I did not bother to alert her in any way. Instead, I quietly opened her passenger door and slipped in.

The first sound of the handle caught her attention and she sat up, now poised to drive. She looked at me and awaited instructions. I kept my eyes forward as I directed, "Turn around."

She switched her blinker to the other side and adjusted to look over her shoulder at the line of traffic. She waited patiently for the right opportunity before she began her turn. During this pause I began to notice details of my new environment. Her interior was clean and completely bare with classical music played politely in the background. I felt strange, perhaps never before being in a passenger seat. It seemed as though she had thought to move the seat back to accommodate me.

She just drove straight for a couple of blocks, minding the traffic until I told her otherwise. She never looked over at me, her focus on her mirrors or the color of the stoplights every few blocks. Good.

As we came to a stop at one light, I took advantage of her distraction, taking a minute to examine her from the corner of my eye. It was a warmer winter day, and here in Domino, it did not get particularly cold. Her coat was wrapped around her, fitted nicely along her body until the skirt. The soft frills of the lace covering the skirt complimented her appealing femininity. I felt the car begin to move again and redirected my attention to the road.

"You need to be in the right lane," I directed, reaching into my front pocket for the keys. She switched lanes silently, her focus in tact. It seemed I had nothing to think about when it came to her driving safely.

We had only been riding for a few minutes, but I already saw our destination. "There, turn at those iron gates."

Jem seemed hesitant at this, but turned on her blinker and began to slow. I reached up, attaching the sensor to her visor just as we reached the wrought iron gate to the building's garage.

Soon we were under the building, yet one side was still open to a secluded garden area, making the space less dreary.

"Park," was the last direction I gave, and she complied.

Once the engine was off, she finally turned to me, but I was already getting out.

Jem stayed close, looking around as I led her upwards. I kept my gaze forward, noting her whereabouts and how closely the guards watched through each security checkpoint. I did not turn to her until we reached the door.

Outside, I turned back to her, and she stopped with me. She looked up at me, and though she said nothing, it was clear the questions were building up behind her eyes. I simply unlocked and opened the door.

She looked in, then looked back to me, finally asking, "What is this?"

"Go in."

Her eyes stayed on me a moment longer, then turned back to the apartment, and her body followed. She roamed through the space, looking back at me for a moment as she went. I waited for another few steps, watching her and the sway of her dress around her knees with each step. Once she was well into the apartment, I followed.

As I expected, she went straight to the window, then stopped, looking out over the streets. Once I caught up, she turned to me. "What is this place? Why did you bring me here?"

"This is now yours. Your father won't be able to trace you here," I answered evenly, then held out the key.

Jem seemed dazzled, and a little stunned. Still, she held out her hand. I dropped the key into it, and she looked down at it. Once her brain had a moment to process, she closed her hand around the key, bringing the fist to her chest, and looked up at me.

"You don't need to do so much for me," she said almost apologetically.

"I am already in the middle of this, and I don't want to see your father any more than you do," I countered.

Jem looked down, then back out to the streets, thinking. "I don't know what I can do in return, except leave I suppose. I hate to put you in the middle of this-"

"That's unnecessary now," I cut her off sternly.

"I wish I could do something for you to show my gratitude, but I don't know what you could want from me..." She trailed off in thought.

I said nothing. I wanted to say reflexively that there was nothing I wanted from her, but that was not entirely accurate, and I felt this more with her so close to me. If I had said so, I could have lost the opportunity to gain those things I wanted. This dilemma made my mind frantic, though I showed nothing outwardly. In this debate, I said nothing. But then:

"I could read to you," she said. I narrowed my eyes and she turned back to me. "While you work I could read you all of those 'frivolous' books we're assigned in our literature class that you don't care to find the time for."

It was not the more of her that I wanted, but it was an opportunity. "I will accept this," I answered. "Now take me back to my company. I have work to do."

As I began to turn away she caught me with a hand on my chest. I turned back, looking down on her. "Thank you," she said. I was frozen, unsure and full of anticipation. This was just like that night at my house. I remembered it so clearly: her sudden touch, looking down to see her bright eyes. I remembered the confusion I felt, and how badly I had wanted to take hold of her right then, but had resisted.

I had that same longing now, and the debate started up again. Later that night I had been able to kiss her, touch her, and hold her. For a long time that night I laid there, looking at her and admiring her as she slept. It was odd for me, but surprisingly, I had enjoyed it. And eventually I had fallen asleep, awakening more refreshed than I had ever been. And then she had left, and I had done nothing since. I desperately did not want to trouble myself with this, but she haunted me.

She then continued, interrupting my thoughts. "Yes, I know, I'm doing it again... But you're not stopping me, either," she said, referring to her hand. Then I realized part of the reason I disliked this so much was because it left me feeling out of control and powerless. I hated that.

I looked at her another moment, then sharply responded with, "I know." And suddenly I felt a power surge and took a step closer to look down at her. Darkly, I told her, "You have nothing I need, but don't presume to know what I want."

This felt right. The regained control I felt was satisfying, and I turned. "Come on. I need to get back to work."

That's where the updates end for now! I'll update more soon, just know if you read past this chapter it's old content and continuity might be wrong.

With such little encouragement this falls much lower on my list of priorities, so you'll have to tell me if you want updates.