Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, or the song used in this chapter. The song used belongs to Jesse McCartney.
"Talk"
'Thoughts'
Flashback/Dream/Song
...
The door opened and her smiling face came into his sight. He smiled, knowing that in a few minutes, he would have gone down to see her if she hadn't come. However, her face fell with one look at him, or more likely, his open laptop and the documents surrounding him.
"You're still working? You should at least take a break." She said, walking towards him. With a small smile, he pushed the laptop away and turned his chair to the side so he could face her when she came to stand beside him.
"Where is Mokuba?" He asked, his hands moving forward to hold her waist.
"One of his friends called him so he is on the phone right now." She answered, her hands playing with his tie to loosen it, something he had completely forgotten to do.
"And you took this opportunity to escape him and see me." He teased with a smirk as he pulled her to sit in his lap. She let out a small chuckle.
"You caught me." She admitted. "I did come here for you, but not just to look at your ridiculously handsome face and sexy body. I came for something else."
"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "What?" He feigned innocence.
"This." She said before capturing his lips in a searing kiss. Seto groaned in appreciation and moved his hand to cup her neck as he slipped his tongue in her mouth. Her tongue joined him, dueling and pleasing him to his liking. Finally, they pulled apart for much needed air. A smirk was prominent on his face.
"Is that all or is there more?"
"Of course there is more." She whispered seductively and he felt his pulse quicken.
"When will you be done?" She asked innocently again, fingers playing with the buttons of his shirt.
"Soon." He replied, running his fingers down her back, sending a shiver down her spine. She leaned forward to place her lips so close to his ear, he could feel them move as she spoke.
"You better." With a parting delicious lick to his earlobe, she was out of his lap and towards the door before he could comprehend her action and react. She had given him quite an incentive. Feeling a sudden burst of energy and the urgency to finish work, he began flipping through the documents. Despite his desire to be done as fast as possible, he found himself coming out of his office after hours. By then, Mokuba had already slept and she was busy watching some movie on TV. Upon hearing his steps, her head turned in his direction.
"Should I warm food for you?" She asked, turning off the TV. He nodded his head. Without so much as another glance in his direction, she got up and left for the kitchen. It didn't take a genius to realize that she was angry, and Seto Kaiba was a genius. With a tired sigh, he sat on the dining room chair. She came soon after with a plate of food for him. She placed it in front of him and began walking upstairs.
"Where are you going?" He asked, watching her retreating back.
"To sleep. Good night Seto." She replied without stopping or turning. He let out another sigh and began eating. Since the maids were gone, he had to pick up his plates and place them in the washer. However, he didn't bother washing them. The maids would get to them in the morning. Right now, he had more important things to take care of. First, he went to Mokuba's room. The kid was sound asleep and tucked in nicely, her doing, no doubt. Very quietly, Seto kneeled on the floor besides the sleeping boy.
"I'm sorry for not giving you any time today Mokuba. I will try not to do the same again." He whispered before getting up and exiting the room, glad he hadn't woken the sleeping boy up. Next, he went to a room besides his bedroom. He knew she would be there. After all, it was her room, though her nights were mostly spent in his bed even though they didn't do anything more than just sleep in the same bed. Turning the knob, he was surprised to find it open. She hadn't locked it, maybe because she knew he would have opened it anyway. He entered quietly. Her back was turned to him. Taking his shirt off, he walked towards the closet that was filled with her clothes. A little looking around and he was able to find a pair of pajamas he had once lent her. He quickly changed into them and crawled into bed besides her. She didn't move when the bed shifted under his weight.
Had she fallen asleep? Curiously and carefully, he placed an arm around her petite waist. She jerked her shoulders before he could make any contact and slid away from him. A small smile appeared on his lips. She was awake but angry. Following her example, he too slid forward and made another attempt to embrace her, but yet again, she moved away from him and he followed suit. They continued this game until she came to the edge of the bed with no more space left to move forward. Seto smirked in victory and very comfortably lifted his arm to wrap around her waist, but she moved her hand to pry his hands off. Now irritated, he spoke.
"Tea please, I need to sleep." Her movements stopped and he finally touched her soft body. A feeling of comfort, relief, and relaxation washed over him. He pulled her body against his and buried his face in her hair.
"I'm sorry." He finally whispered. She didn't reply.
"I tried to finish everything early, but I guess there was more work than I had anticipated." She didn't speak for a while.
"Mokuba waited for you till late." She finally said. "He wanted to show you an assignment he had done well on. But I made him go to bed after he began dozing off on the couch." He didn't answer, having nothing to say.
"I asked you to at least take a break every hour. It's not good for your eyes to stare at the computer screen continuously for hours, or for your back to be hunched over some laptop for hours." Her voice held disappointment and he felt guilt overcome him. He knew she was just concerned about him. Tightening his grip on her, he whispered another apology.
"Seto, I understand you have a lot of work, but you also have a lot of employees who get paid to do that work. Don't you think you can give them a little more responsibility so you can spend more time with Mokuba and I? I spend almost all of my free time here in the hope that you'll be free soon and we can spend some time together. I even refuse the guys when they ask me to hang out with them, and I know they are probably very angry with me for it, but I want to spend time with you Seto." She let out a deep breath and turned to face him. "I want to spend some time with you, my boyfriend." Seto engulfed her in his embrace again, burying her face in his chest.
"I want to as well, I really do." He admitted. "But I can't trust those stupid employees. They have made mistakes in the past and I can't trust them with a huge responsibility again."
"People make mistakes Seto. It's only fair to give them a second chance. People learn from their mistakes and I'm sure they will as well. Just give them a little more responsibility and I know they'll pull through. They're your employees after all." She said.
"I'm sorry Tea. I'll try to spend more time with you and Mokuba." She nodded her head against his chest.
"Are you still angry with me?" He asked. She pulled her head back to stare at him with a small smile.
"Why don't you guess?" With that, she lifted her chin and connected their lips. Seto smirked against her lips and began moving his lips against her rosy soft ones, running his tongue over her bottom lip to ask for entrance to her mouth. She complied eagerly and allowed him to pleasure her. Seto slowly moved to lay above her, his hand moving over her body, gently touching her sides to feel her curves. Before things got out of hand, he pulled away. They had only been dating for a few weeks and he didn't want to rush things. She let out a small noise in protest and moved her face closer to his to join their lips again. Though he wanted to comply to her wishes, he controlled his urges and instead opted to just gaze at her.
"What are you looking at?" She asked, blushing under his soft gaze.
"You." He answered, resting his forehead against hers. "Sometimes I find it hard to believe that you are with me." She raised an eyebrow in confusion. He closed his eyes and spoke.
"I don't give you the attention that you deserve."
"What are you talking about?" She said. He stared at her with an honest look.
"I barely spend more than an hour with you a day. You deserve someone better, someone else." He looked away as he finished.
"For a genius, you are really stupid." She said with a smile. "I know you have a lot of work and responsibility, and that's why you can't spend time with me, and I won't leave you because of it. I'll be with you for as long as you need me."
"What if someone better than me comes in your life. Then?" He knew he sounded pathetic asking that, but he had to. She held his gaze and replied.
"I'll be with you for as long as you need me Seto."
"As long as you need me."
"As long as you need me."
"As long as you need me."
Her voice faded away and he felt himself regain his senses. He tried to drift back into the darkness where she came to visit him, but his mind was awake and alert. It was no use now. Sighing, he opened his eyes and glanced around the room. He was in his home office. He had spent last night here, working. He glanced at the clock. It was 7 in the morning. He slowly got up and went to take a shower. He would be leaving for Kaiba Corp. early today.
Cleaned and dressed, he came to the kitchen to find Rosa reading some magazine. But she sharply noticed his presence and got up to make his cup of coffee, leaving the magazine open. Seto took a seat, eyes moving towards the magazine page purely out of curiosity. However, the content of the page got his attention. Without another thought, he grabbed it and placed it before him. His suspicions were right. Spread on one page was a picture of Tea lying on top of Alistair, their eyes hooded, lips slightly parted to indicate their passion. On the next page was a collage of pictures of the two of them together, smiling, laughing, hugging, kissing, swimming, running, playing, and doing various other activities.
"People usually come together because they have the same likes. We came together because we had the same dislikes." The writing told him this was an article about the couple. With a prominent frown of distaste, he began reading.
"Tea and I have been together for almost 2 years now. We decided to hide it because of the media and the scrutiny every celebrity relationship is subjected to." Alistair gave the reason for keeping their relationship hidden.
"I was an emerging actress and I didn't want be known through my scandals." Tea said following Alistair. "Also, I didn't want people to think I was dating a big shot businessman to further my career and popularity."
"But you already had two hit movies by then, and were well established in the film industry." Our reporter said. Tea's answer was a smile. Instead, Alistair answered for us.
"Our relationship was new and long distance, and so it was very fragile. We both knew the only way it would work was if we trusted each other. If it had been in the open, I'm sure the media would have involved us in many scandals, and exaggerated each one to a ridiculous level that it may have caused doubt to take root in our minds. We didn't want that. We didn't want the entertainment industry to be our eyes and ears. We wanted to trust each other and see if the relationship had the capacity to last. When it did, we informed the rest of the world."
In response to a question about Tea's recent encounters with Mai and Joey, Tea said that she had no issue with any of them. She had known Mai before and couldn't imagine why such animosity was exhibited towards her at her welcoming party.
A dry smile appeared on Seto's lips. He had a decent idea why "such animosity" existed.
Though Tea did say that she was quite disappointed with the way Joey Wheeler had behaved. If he had an issue with her, he should have spoken with her about it instead of behaving so rudely. Tea seemed calm about the whole ordeal but Alistair, on the other hand, was quite open about his distaste for Joey Wheeler.
"I am disgusted with the way Joey behaved. If I was like him, I would have gone to the media and spurted some nonsense about him and his girlfriend to get revenge. But I'm not as low as him. I will not stoop to his level. But I want to make this very clear. He still hasn't apologized for his behavior. We haven't received any apology from him or his girlfriend or from his side for that matter. And now, I won't forgive him until he publicly apologizes to my girlfriend for his rude behavior." Tea only shrugged her shoulders and smiled at her boyfriend's protectiveness.
Seto doubted it was a mistake. He believed the mutt when he said he had been framed. The whole thing had been too perfect and in Tea's favor. Seto guessed that Tea had made that video on purpose, having already predicted what Joey's reaction would be upon seeing her. She had used it to her advantage and gotten the best of Wheeler.
But what about her dueling abilities and those amazing cards? Our reporter asked and this was the answer she received.
"I knew how to duel already. But what you saw was all Alistair's doing. He taught me a lot. The cards that I used were his present to me." Tea said as she gazed lovingly at her lover.
"I personally went to Pegasus and had the cards created. They were my idea and design, from my inspiration. I am very thankful to him for fulfilling my wish and not only creating the cards but keeping a silence about them."
So that was the story behind those cards. Seto had been wondering.
"Would you like to borrow that Mr. Kaiba?" Rosa asked as she placed his coffee before him. Having been caught reading the entertainment magazine, Seto immediately pushed it away.
"I don't need that atrocious thing." He quickly said. Rosa smiled knowingly and turned away. Seto grabbed his cup of coffee and exited, not wanting to be near that woman.
Tea felt soft breath near her shoulder, followed by a sweet kiss. She opened her eyes with a smile and turned to face her boyfriend.
"Did I wake you?" He asked. She let out a small giggle and moved to place her arms around his neck.
"Yes. But I'm glad. I have a nice plan for us to spend the day." Alistair gently kissed her and made a move to get up.
"Well then, let's shower and get ready."
"Yes. Shower separately." Tea said and pushed him back on the bed. "So we can be done in less than an hour." Alistair let out a chuckle as he watched his beautiful girlfriend disappear in the bathroom. After getting ready, they walked downstairs together and spotted Steven sitting at the dining table.
"Hey Steven." Tea said. The man only raised his hand in acknowledgement and continued staring at his laptop.
"What are you looking at?" She asked curiously.
"Place to buy a car. I'm tired of renting." He replied. "What about you guys?"
"I'm going to take Alistair on a little walk around town and show him all my favorite places." Tea said excitedly.
"Be careful." Steven warned.
"Don't worry." Alistair said. "I'll be with her. Plus, around this time, everyone will be either at school or at work so we don't have to worry about being mobbed by her fans." Steven smiled slightly and continued working. By the time Tea and Alistair finished their breakfast, Joshua came downstairs as well. He too was going with Steven to buy a car.
"Well, we're off." Tea said grabbing Alistair's hand. They walked down the streets of Domino, and as they had expected, not many people were around to disturb them. Tea smiled, reliving good memories and telling Alistair about them. They came across a dance studio and Tea stopped. Star Dance Academy.
"I don't remember this. Maybe it is new." She said.
"We can go in and see." Alistair suggested. She nodded her head and they walked inside. The school was small with only three rooms as classes. They continued down the hallway and stopped before a wooden door, labeled 'office'. Tea knocked.
"Come in." They entered and came face to face with a women in her mid forties. Her eyes widened with one look at them. Clearly she hadn't expected them to come through her door.
"Oh my. It is such a surprise to see you. I can't believe it." She gushed, walking towards them.
"We were just walking by and we saw your studio." Tea explained kindly. "I didn't remember it from when I lived in Domino, so I was just curious."
"My name is Vanessa Rhodes. I am the head teacher here, and this is my school. I opened it last year, and that's why you haven't seen it. But you won't see it for long either. It'll be closing at the end of this year." Vanessa finished sadly.
"Why is that?" Tea asked.
"It is a private school so it operates on funds and donations, and recently, all our funding has been cut off." Vanessa said.
"But why?" Tea pressed.
"Well, I'm sure you are aware of the prestigious Domino Arts Academy." Vanessa said and Tea nodded her head. "I used to work for them. I worked for them as a senior instructor for 10 years and saw it change from a school to a business. I was disgusted with the way they exploited their reputation and charged higher fees. So I quit and opened my own school for those who couldn't afford Domino Arts Academy. In the beginning I received funding for my school, but the day I signed up for the annual Arts Festival hosted by Domino Arts Academy, my funding was cut off."
"That's horrible." Tea exclaimed.
"They were quite angry with me for quitting and then opening my own school. I guess I crossed the line by signing up for the festival. Now I have a payment for the rent coming up and I don't have enough." Vanessa said.
"They probably used their influence to cut off your funding." Alistair pointed out dryly.
"That's not the only problem. They even got one of our girls to quit our school by offering her admission to their academy with lowered fees. She was to be included in our performance, and with her gone, the rest of the group has gotten quite dishearted." The woman looked down sadly. "I tried to help them, but in the end, I guess it was all useless."
"Maybe I can help you." Tea offered.
"No, I can't take financial aid from you." Vanessa said. "I didn't tell you so you would give me money." Tea smiled.
"I understand, but I can help you in another way. I can help you with the rent for now, but the funding issue we'll deal with later."
"That would be wonderful. I'd be in your debt." Vanessa replied gratefully.
"It's not a big deal. I hate it when people think they can stomp on the little guy." Tea said.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you for another favor." Vanessa asked hesitantly. Tea raised a curious eyebrow and she continued. "I read your interview in the magazine and I read that you dance. I'd be honored if you'd participate in our performance."
"I don't think that will be allowed." Alistair said. "Tea is not part of your school." The woman began thinking.
"I can ask the organizers." Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed the phone and made the call. Tea and Alistair exchanged looks, mainly Tea giving the 'begging for support' look, and Alistair giving the 'I can't believe I'm so weak look.'
"Yes." Vanessa said in joy as she finished the call. "They agreed."
"They did?" Alistair exclaimed in surprise.
"Well yes. I didn't tell them who would be performing, just that someone out of my school would be participating. At this point, they are so confident that they have broken me that they don't care what I do. So, will you do me the honor Tea?" Tea excitedly nodded her head.
"Of course."
"Thank you. Let me introduce you to the students and the people you'll be working with." Tea and Alistair followed her and met with the excited student population who were even more ecstatic when they found out she would be performing alongside them.
"You can't tell anyone until Vanessa gets it in writing that someone from outside the school can perform. Once that is done, feel free to tell anyone and everyone. The more publicity for the school, the better." Alistair said, holding Tea's hand who nodded in agreement. There were some murmurs but everyone seemed to agree. Tea then turned to Vanessa.
"Here is my number. Give me a call as soon as you have their consent in writing."
"I think you should practice at our mansion." Alistair suggested. "You'd get too much trouble from media if Tea is seen coming in and out of your studio. I think it would be better if you brought your performing students to our mansion. We can spare a room." Vanessa nodded.
"Well then, it's decided." Tea said in an excited tone. "I'll see you soon at my mansion. And I promise you, I won't disappoint you."
Water ran down his body and washed off the spicy scented lather of the body wash. The water was freezing cold but that was just what he needed to get her images out of his head. He had received the invitation to Domino Arts Council's Annual Arts Festival. Almost everyone who was someone had received it. After all, Tea Gardner was performing in it.
She would be dancing again.
He remembered the first time he had seen her dancing. They had been dating for 4 weeks.
Flashback
Seto walked around the mansion looking for a certain someone who, he had been informed, was already there. But so far, he hadn't had any success spotting the said individual.
Where was she? He had checked the kitchen, the bedrooms, living room, bathroom, everywhere he thought she could be, but no luck. Maybe Mokuba had been joking when he had said she had come from her dance studio early. Dejected and slightly angry, he walked downstairs when he heard music coming from his old dining hall. It was a huge hall his step-father used for dinner parties but Seto had rarely made any use of it. Curious, he walked inside and spotted the object of his desire twirling in a beautiful leotard. Her eyes were closed and she was dancing. Even though they had been dating for a while now and during that time, she had participated in a few performances and recitals, Seto had never been able to take time out of his schedule and see her. This was his first time, and watching her, he regretted all the previous opportunities he had missed. Though he was no expert, from what he saw, she was amazing, her movements smooth and calculated. He was mesmerized by her, and found himself standing like a statue, eyes fixed on her. Feeling his gaze, she opened her eyes and abruptly stopped, noticing him.
"S… Seto." She stuttered. "When … when did you come?" She was probably baffled at having been caught off-guard. He walked towards her.
"Just right now."
"Oh." She seemed a bit relieved. Did she not want him to see her dance? He grabbed the stereo remote from the floor a few feet away from her and stopped the music.
"I didn't mean to interrupt. I was content with just watching you." He said and she blushed prettily. He smiled and turned the music on again. "You can continue." She stared at him nervously and began dancing again. However, this time, her movements were strained and stiff. With a frown, he stopped the music again. She stopped as well and watched him approach her.
"Why are you so nervous?" He asked in a slightly irritated voice.
"I'm not." She shot defensively. He just stared and she looked away. "You've never seen me dance before. What if you think I'm not good?" His face softened when she revealed her fears.
"Tea, I think you're amazing." He said, gently holding her face. She blushed. "Don't be nervous. Just dance." He played the music again. She only stared at him nervously. Realizing he had to do something to make her comfortable, he gently grabbed her waist and pulled her closer. She stiffened.
"Just relax." He whispered and began moving slowly to the music. He could feel her heart beating wildly against her chest. "It's just me." He whispered again. This time, it seemed to have some effect on her, and he felt her relax and begin moving to the music. After a few minutes of dancing together, Seto moved away from her and watched as she continued dancing as beautifully as when he had first found her, and once again, he found himself mesmerized by her talent.
End flashback
Since then, he had made sure to attend all of her performances. But that had been years ago. He wondered how much she had improved. He couldn't wait to see her, dressed in a tight leotard, stretching her beautiful, curvaceous body in breath-taking positions on the stage…
He turned the shower to even colder. After a while, when he was satisfied with his body's state, he stepped out to dress up for the night.
"I can't believe you're going." Her voice came before her. The door fully opened and Serenity walked in, a frown on her face.
"I can't believe you're not going. You never pass up an opportunity where press and publicity is involved." Seto remarked. She huffed and sat on the bed while he buttoned up his shirt.
"I don't want to go. In fact none of us are going." Seto knew whom she meant by 'us'.
"Really, Valentine is not going?" He said in mock surprise.
"Yes, because she doesn't want to." Serenity was quick to say. Seto smirked.
"She didn't get an invitation."He said knowingly. Serenity's face paled but she quickly recovered.
"That's not true. She did, but she refused." Serenity said. "All of us refused because we are not 'charmed' by her highness." Serenity spat. "Not all of us are gullible fools who follow her around like faithful pets, wagging our tails at her every command like trained dogs, unlike your brother." Seto's face hardened at her words. With a menacing look and an angry growl, he turned around to face her.
"Watch your mouth Wheeler, or you'll find yourself in the same shit pile as your brother." With that, he grabbed his coat and left, leaving a slightly scared girl behind.
The hall where the performances were usually held was unusually packed. Along with the guests were various members of the media. The event was being broadcasted live for those who could afford pay-per-view. Seto walked in and wasn't surprised at not finding any of the members of the geek squad.
"Hey Kaiba, so glad you could make it." Seto groaned as Alistair approached him with a sickeningly smug smile.
"Amelda." Seto regarded him coldly. Alistair smiled even further.
"Have a seat with me. I've got the best one since my girlfriend is performing." With that, he led Kaiba to the front row where Mokuba, Steven, and Joshua were already seated. Alistair took a seat besides Steven and motioned for Kaiba to sit on his right. Grudgingly, Seto complied. He didn't want to ruin his mood so early in the evening or make a scene. He was here to see Tea and he would do just that. The show started soon after. Many students from the Domino Arts Academy performed in various forms of arts, from music to drama. But everyone wanted to watch the dancers take the stage. They all got their wish at the end. Domino Arts Academy was the first one to go. Their dancers performed flawlessly, all moves executed perfectly. Then came the most anticipated performance of the evening. Star Dance Academy's performance. The dancers appeared on stage, one by one, dancing beautifully. But Seto's eyes longed to see her. Where was she? He was sure she was part of this performance. The invitation said so.
The others dancers continued dancing, presenting a story with their movements. And then she came. She was as beautiful and graceful as he remembered her to be, perhaps even more. She moved across the stage like water, holding the attention of every eye in the room. She danced for a few minutes and from the looks of it, her role in the story was a small one. Seto had expected her to play the main role. He had expected the dance school to capitalize on her status, but their instructor had chosen to showcase her own students instead. Seto couldn't argue whether it was a smart move or not. At that point he was, yet again, mesmerized by Tea. Her role ended much too soon for everyone's liking and she disappeared off the stage. However, the performance went on, and everyone continued watching mutely as the other dancers danced. When they finished, the audience clapped like they had done so for the other performances, but this one lasted longer. The organizer of the show, the president of the Domino Arts Theatre appeared on the stage, looking slightly sour.
"I thank you all for your support." She said taking the mike. "But the night is not over yet. We were very lucky to have the famous Tea Gardner perform on our stage. And now, she'd like to do a solo for you." Cheers and applause erupted at her announcement. So that's why she had a small part in the performance, Seto concluded.
"She never told me about this." Alistair muttered from beside him, but Seto ignored him purposely. Music and Tea appeared at the same time. The tune was fast, and definitely not classical.
Girl,
There's something 'bout me that you ought to know.
I've never felt the need to lose control.
Always held on back and played it slow.
But not this time.
The song came on and she started dancing. Her moves incorporated different styles from ballroom, to contemporary, to ballet.
Baby, don't be gentle,
I can handle anything.
Her moves turned slow and seductive and she moved with her eyes fixed on him... no, on Alistair.
Baby,
Take me on a journey.
I've been thinking lately,
I could use a little time alone with you.
Her movements turned wild, and he saw her spin and twirl and jump, mixing hip-hop and ballet together beautifully.
Crazy,
Let's do something, maybe.
Please don't take your time,
You got me,
Right where you want me
The music slowed again and her dancing calmed. This continued throughout the song. Her dancing style switched according to the beat of the song or the lyrics, and showed what a versatile and talented dancer she was. The song came to an end, but the look on her face said she was about to do something big.
You got me,
She pointed at the crowd, or more specifically, at Alistair.
whoa o ou o whoa.
She ran down the stairs of the stage and towards them. Seto's heartbeat increased, but he knew she wasn't coming for him. She seated herself in Alistair's lap and faced him, mouthing the lyrics to him.
You got me.
Right where you want me.
The song ended and the only sound in the room was her heavy breathing, or so it felt to Seto who was a few inches away from her. Alistair was the first one to make a move, and he did so by placing a sweet kiss on her parted lips. Mokuba began the clapping fest and in no time, everyone joined him, cheering and applauding their favorite star. Tea smiled and got off Alistair's lap. She candidly walked back up on the stage and bowed before disappearing altogether.
"That was… quite entertaining." Alistair said with a pleased look. "Did you enjoy it Kaiba?" Kaiba grunted from beside him. Just then, Tea came racing towards them, wearing a fitted coat over her dancing outfit, and threw herself at Alistair. He slightly tumbled back from the impact but recovered swiftly and held her close.
"Nice job Tea." Mokuba said.
"Yeah, you were pretty good. And that costume made you look sexy." Joshua commented. Steven nodded in acknowledgement.
"I think everyone enjoyed it, except Kaiba." Alistair said slyly.
"Well, I can't meet his standards." Tea said sarcastically.
"Very few can." Mokuba said. Seto gave him a cold look and turned on his heel, walking away from them.
"One of these days, he's going to punch you." Joshua warned Alistair who only waved his hand in dismissal.
"Okay get ready. Here comes the media." Steven warned and soon, they were swarmed with reporters.
"Miss Tea, you were fantastic." She smiled charmingly at their praises and replied.
"Thank you. All credit goes to Vanessa. She is an amazing teacher and her school was just fabulous. I am honored to work with her and her students."
"What other talents are you hiding?"
"Is there anything you can't do?" She smirked with a knowing look and answered.
"You'll just have to wait and see." After a few more questions, the reporters left her alone and surrounded Vanessa and her students. Tea smiled in satisfaction.
"I see Kaiba again. I'm going to go talk to him." Alistair said.
"Don't you think you've bothered him enough for one night?" Steven said.
"I am going to talk business with him." Alistair said before kissing Tea on the cheek and walking towards Kaiba.
"Another job well done by Domino's hero Tea." Mokuba said in a dramatic tone. "What heroic deed is next on the agenda?" Tea slapped his shoulder.
"Shut up." He laughed. Behind them, reporters had now surrounded the pupils of Star Dance Academy, plaguing them with questions, especially Vanessa. This was sure to get her a boost in publicity and maybe some funding.
"Seriously Tea, you need to stop all this." Steven said in a serious tone.
"Stop what?" She asked carelessly.
"Making enemies." Steven said. "You already have many, why add more?"
"What are you talking about?" She asked, facing him.
"Domino Arts Academy is a very prestigious institution, and you showed them up. I don't think this will work in your favor later on." Steven said seriously.
"Come on Steven. Must you ruin everything?" Joshua said in an annoyed tone.
"I didn't do anything but a small favor." She pointed out.
"What about what you're planning next? That's anything but small." Joshua and Mokuba shot Steven a confused look. Obviously, they were missing something.
"I'll speak with Stan and Alistair before I do anything." She assured him. He only stared at her in disbelief. She shifted uneasily under his probing gaze and glanced around the room.
"I'm going to talk to Alistair." She said and walked towards him. He was still talking with Kaiba. A smirk formed on her face. This was another chance for her to piss Kaiba off. Maybe she should ask where his significant other was tonight. When she was a few meters away, darkness suddenly engulfed the room.
"What happened?
"Did the lights go off?"
"Don't panic everyone. I'll go check. Just stay calm and stay where you are."
She stood frozen, listening to the conversations proceeding around her, trying to identify familiar voices. Just then, someone bumped into her. She nearly fell, but managed to steady herself.
"I'm so sorry, whoever you are." The person said and continued stumbling in the dark like a drunk bee. Standing in the middle of the room was dangerous. She had to find Alistair. With a determined look, she began walking in the direction she had seen him standing. In the dark, the outline of a tall man was faintly visible.
'Alistair.' She thought. Speeding up, she quickly approached him and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.
"Alistair, I was looking for you." She whispered. He didn't reply and just stood, frozen.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, not withdrawing from him. Suddenly, his arms wrapped around her tightly, his face lowering to bury in her hair. He was acting odd.
"Alistair?" She made an attempt to life her face off his chest, but he placed a hand behind her head and resumed her original position. His other hand slid over her body hurriedly, as if quickly trying to feel her curves. This wasn't like Alistair at all. She took a deep breath and was about to ask him why he was behaving this way when she froze, her breath held in.
That cologne. That smell. It was familiar. It was the same scent that had haunted her nights for years. Panic suddenly overcame her senses and she struggled against his strong hold.
"Let me go." She breathed desperately. He made no attempt to do so and instead, tightened his grip on her.
"Tea, please, list-."
"Let me go right now or I'll scream." She whispered venomously. His shoulders slouched and his grip loosened. Immediately, as if he was an electric pole, she withdrew from him and turned her back. He stretched out his hand to touch he again but the lights came on again. Without another glance at her or at any one else, he left.
Mokuba whistled happily as he made his way upstairs to his bedroom. Just as he was about to close the door, a hand shot out and held it open.
"What do you want?" Mokuba asked turning his back to the door. Seto came in.
"I don't want to deal with you right now. I've had a great day and I don't want to ruin it." His voice was cold and uncaring, and even though Seto didn't show it, he was hurt.
"I know you don't care but at least pretend to respect me and treat me as your older brother Mokuba." Seto said and Mokuba snorted.
"I have seen what you do to people who care about you." Mokuba said without turning. "I have every reason to be cautious." Seto leaned against the door tiredly and let out a deep breath.
"People make mistakes Mokuba. Even though everyone has different presumptions, I too, am a human. I am not exempt from making errors."
"People also learn from their mistakes. They don't pretend they never occurred and move on, acting like they have forgotten the mistake altogether." Mokuba said.
"I never forgot." Seto whispered so low Mokuba thought it had been his imagination. But one look over his shoulder at his brother's glossy eyes told him otherwise.
"How could I forget?" Seto continued. "She was always there, in my mind when I was awake, behind my closed eyelids when I slept… always there." Mokuba fully turned around and watched his brother carefully.
"Today, I wasn't really surprised, because I had seen her dance so many times before. And it was just like those times. She is still as amazing as before, more confident, but still as amazing." His confession was followed by silence.
"Does she ever talk about me? Has she ever mentioned me?" He suddenly asked, hoping that he didn't sound as desperate as he felt. Mokuba could see his brother's heart on his face. For a while, he didn't answer.
"She's happy Seto. She had moved on." Seto slowly nodded his head, and headed for the door, but before he exited, he looked over his shoulder and whispered.
"Next time you see her, be sure to ask her for tips on how to move on. Because for some reason, I can't seem to do that."
...
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