Chapter Fourteen:
Grateful
Tea kept her eyes closed, her heart pounding in her chest as she anticipated the warmth of Kaiba's lips. Regardless of all the confusion in her mind, for some reason she found herself wanting him more than anything else.
Kaiba inched his mouth closer to hers, feeling his own pulse racing, his body satiated with longing.
Was he really going to do this?
Should he?
But despite all the hesitant questions crowding his mind, he knew his desire for her was undeniably too strong. Stopping himself at that moment would be an impossible task, even for him.
Why was this happening? Why did she suddenly want him so badly?
Tea felt her body tremble as he pulled her closer; overwhelming her with the warmth of his powerful embrace. His hand was wrapped around her waist pressing against the small of her lower back, sending shock waves through her entire body. He let his other hand slide across the side of her face, as he inched his lips even closer.
Tea felt urgency in his touch, as if he was somehow opening a door inside of himself that he was never able to open before.
The raw anticipation was like fiery torture as she felt her body slowly submitting to his every will...
But as the distance between their lips closed and their desire for each other deepened the hidden pain within Tea's heart suddenly started to overwhelm her.
In an instant she remembered the promise she had made to herself when she left Domino City.
This couldn't be happening. How could she allow herself to be hurt again? Her heart was too wounded for any of this.
The sudden disruption seemed to jolt her back into reality. Her eyes flew open and she immediately shifted into panic mode.
Kaiba's mouth was inches away from hers.
She reluctantly shifted her lips away before either of them could satisfy their longing.
Kaiba stopped himself instantly, keeping his eyes fixated on her as he felt her body become tense in his arms.
She forced herself to look back at him through teary eyes.
"I'm sorry….I can't."
Kaiba looked back at her, seeing the hurt on her face as plain as daylight in her glistening eyes.
He hoped to God that he didn't somehow make her pain worse than it was before. He kept his arm around her, stroking his fingers gently across her cheek. He kept his voice barely over a whisper, not wanting to upset her anymore than she already was.
"It's ok, you don't have to apologize."
Kaiba was still holding her in his arms, painfully close, but neither of them made any effort to move away.
They continued looking at each other and even though neither of them said another word, the silence was enough to convey exactly what was happening between them.
After a few seconds Tea finally forced herself to look away, breaking the spell.
Kaiba slowly loosened his grip on her, giving her enough space to re-gather herself.
What on earth just happened?
Were they just about to make out?
Tea steadied her breathing as she sat next to Kaiba, keeping her eyes forward and staring at the floor; too terrified to look him in the eyes.
Kaiba however, kept his eyes on her, trying to read her expression.
Did she resent him for what he just did? Did he unintentionally hurt her?
Questions of uncertainty bombarded his every thought.
What could he possibly do or say to her now to take back what he just did? The last thing he wanted was to become one of the reasons for her depression.
He silently scolded himself for losing control.
The tension all around them was thick enough to drown in.
Tea's heart was still pounding in her chest as she tried to wrap her head around what just happened between her and Kaiba.
Kaiba gathered himself as efficiently as he could manage before opening his mouth to speak. To his surprise however, Tea was the one to break the silence before him.
"…Why are you doing this? You don't have to…you don't have to keep trying to help me."
Her voice was quiet and laced with something hidden.
Kaiba looked at her seriously, choosing his words carefully
"You should know better than anyone that I never do anything that I don't want to."
Tea dug her fingers into the bed sheet, not wanting him to see just how much his words had touched her. She kept her eyes on the floor so she wouldn't have to look at him.
How could he be having such a massive effect on her?
"But I don't understand...Why did you…?"
Just then before she could get a chance to finish her sentence, there was a light knock on the door.
The sudden interruption seemed to shatter the strain between them, pulling them both back into reality.
Kaiba tore his eyes away from her and irritably stood up to head to the door.
Tea remained frozen in her seated position as she watched Kaiba walk across the room.
Her mind was still a whirlwind of utter confusion.
She took the time she had alone to take a deep breath, trying desperately to regain her composure.
Kaiba swung the door open to find himself looking down at an eager looking Mokuba, who was standing outside the cabin dripping wet, holding a towel in his hands.
"Sorry to bother you big brother but you got a call from Kaiba Corp; I accidentally put your phone in my bag when we left the hotel."
"What's the problem?"
Tea bit her lip as she stared at Kaiba who was busily talking with his little brother.
Was this really happening? Could Seto Kaiba actually have feelings for her?
She gradually slowed her heart rate as she waited for him to return, not knowing in which direction she should guide her thoughts in.
After a few minutes Kaiba finally closed to door, locking the hatch once again.
Tea felt her butterflies returning as he turned his attention back to her.
What the hell was she going to say to him? Should she try to change the subject?
Yes definitely!
"… Is everything ok with him?"
"Kaiba Corp business."
"Oh ok"
Tea watched quietly as Kaiba walked over to the window at the far corner of the room, not knowing what she should say next. He folded his arms as he peered outside.
He looked as though he was deep in thought about something.
After a few seconds of silence he finally spoke.
"I'm sorry, I was completely out of line ok…I was just trying to… get your mind off of everything."
Tea looked at him, feeling a bit thwarted by his words. What the hell was she expecting? Of course he was just trying to comfort her. It couldn't be anything else. That was good right? Then why did it feel so disappointing?
She stopped herself before her thoughts ripped her sanity to pieces.
"…It's ok, I understand. And I…appreciate you trying to help me Kaiba….but, I told you before…you don't have to burden yourself with this."
Kaiba looked over at her and after a few moments, walked over to where she was sitting. He took a seat next to her on the bed again.
He kept his voice composed and unchallenging as he looked straight at her.
"And didn't I tell you before that I never do anything that I don't want to do? If I'm helping you, it's because I choose to."
Tea looked back at him not knowing how she should respond. His words sank deep into her heart, forcing her to lose her nerve. She felt her heart rate speeding up, as she tore her eyes away from him, not wanting him to see the effect he was having on her...But somehow she suspected that it was already too late.
When she didn't respond, Kaiba took it upon himself to continue their conversation.
"…I want the truth Tea, I want to know what happened to you back in Domino, the fact that I don't know limits my ability to help you."
Tea willed herself to seize control of senses. She needed to calm down before she made a complete fool of herself. The effect he was having on her was way too intense. She forced herself to look at the situation from a logical point of view; after all, he was only doing what he felt he had to…. Right?
Kaiba waited for her to respond, all the while still scolding himself for what he just did. How could he have acted so irrational? That wasn't like him at all.
He only hoped that she would be able to over look his moment of weakness.
As he continued looking at her, to his surprise, he suddenly saw a small smile start to appear on her face.
"..So… are you like this with all your female employees?"
Kaiba felt his amusement overwhelm his worry, he was glad that she could still be her old self, despite the fact that they were in a world of scattered and unspoken feelings.
He responded, the only way he knew how; like the king of jerks.
"…Nope, just the helplessly over emotional ones."
"Hey"
Tea couldn't help smiling, feeling the tension slowly lifting all around them. She could still feel her heart beating profoundly in her chest, but there seemed to be a certain warmth spreading through her entire body. Somehow being with him like that was…comforting.
Kaiba allowed the atmosphere around them to thin out. He was relieved to see her smile and he made every effort to preserve the feeling.
After a moment he decided to rekindle the conversation. He kept the tone of his voice as light and composed as possible.
"Look, I'm not forcing you ok…"
He captured her eyes in his stare as he spoke
"…but I think I have a right to know what's going on with you. I know we weren't exactly the best of friends back in high school, but… I think I've known you long enough. I want to know why you left."
Tea sighed as she looked away
"I know I need to tell you but…It's just so hard to talk about it, I haven't spoken about it since I left home…"
"Well it's about time you did; keeping it locked away only makes it worse."
"Yea, it does…"
Tea's mind seemed to drift off somewhere…somewhere cold and desolate, a place only she could see.
Kaiba sighed inwardly, cursing himself for putting her through the agony of her memories again. But he knew he had no other choice, he wanted to protect her; and the only way he could do that was by getting her to tell him the truth.
Kaiba gave her time to clear her thoughts and think about what he said to her; hopefully she would be willing to open up to him once she had some time to think. He rose to his feet and walked over to the icebox next to the window. He pried it open and saw a hand picked selection of vintage alcoholic wine laid neatly across the first two shelves. He rolled his eyes, sighing hopelessly to himself –Geez, was every corner of the island geared toward intoxicating young couples?
He read through the labels carefully. Finally he was able to spot the brand that Tea had been drinking the night before. It was against his better judgment to give her alcohol but he decided that a small pick me up was much better than an over-sized helping of depression.
He pulled the bottle of wine from the icebox and reached for one of the champagne glasses on top one of the wooden shelves.
He poured a small amount of the wine into the glass and put the bottle back in with all the rest.
He retrieved a bottle of regular soda from the last shelf and casually shut the icebox closed.
He looked at Tea who was still staring at the floor as if the world was resting on her shoulders. He walked back over to the bed and sat next to her. She looked up at him as if she just now realized that he was once again by her side. He offered her the glass of wine, hoping that he could change her mood. He was glad to see her smile again as she took the glass from his hand.
"Thanks."
"No Problem, alcoholics need their sustenance."
Tea felt herself turn pink.
"…Very funny Kaiba."
She brought the glass to her lips and took a small sip.
Kaiba opened the bottle of soda and took a generous swig.
Tea watched him practically drain half the bottle's contents in one guzzle.
She felt herself feeling much better in his company. She was slowly starting to realize that she was becoming quite attached to the moments that they shared together; no matter how awkward, good or bad they tended to get.
The cold liquor seemed to send her mood into a different direction. She pushed her worry and all of her heavy concern into a separate corner of her mind. She took the notion to at least give herself a moment's piece before her thoughts drove her insane.
She looked at Kaiba with a calculating look.
"So why does the mighty Seto Kaiba not drink alcohol?"
He finished drinking and turned his attention to her, surprised by her sudden directness.
"Why would I? I see no logic in consuming something that impairs your judgment."
Tea smiled as she took another sip of her wine.
"…That's exactly the kind of explanation I'd expect from you."
Kaiba kept his eyes on her, amused by her daring.
He decided to play along to see where he could take their conversation.
"Is that so… so you think you know me that well huh?"
Tea noticed a sort of challenge in his tone. She avoided his gaze, staring at the wine in her hands.
"Well… I've seen enough duels with you and Yami to know how you think."
"And how is that?"
She deliberately took another sip of her wine. When she was finished she looked at him with an amused smile.
"I don't know…I guess you seem to be a bit too mature for someone your age; But…then again… you do have to run an entire company by yourself, so I guess it's warranted"
Kaiba couldn't help smiling
"Looks like being intoxicated brings out the old you"
"How so?"
"You're talking too much."
Tea pouted on purpose.
"Ha ha, very funny…and I'm not intoxicated."
She took another sip, draining the last bit of wine from the glass.
"Sure you're not."
"Hmph, that was pretty good, I think I'll have another one."
Completely ignoring Kaiba's taunting, she rose to her feet.
Kaiba watched entertainingly as she crossed the room, heading toward the ice box.
He took another swig of his soda, all the while keeping his eyes fixed on her.
She seemed to have completely forgotten the fact that he had tried to kiss her a few minutes ago; a fact he was half heartedly grateful for.
He was glad to see her returning to her normal self but it left a question open in his mind; one that he never seriously pondered about up until now.
Did she feel the same way he did?
He knew she was still hurting because of her past but what about her heart? Did it still belong to Yami?
He decided to put his questions on a shelf for now, not wanting to have to deal with too much at the same time. His only concern right now, despite his growing affection for her, was to get her to tell him the truth about her past.
He would deal with all the other complications later on.
After a few moments, Tea was once again holding a full glass of wine in her hand. She seemed to be in a much better mood than when she first stepped foot inside the cabin with him. She took a small sip as she surveyed the room as if for the first time.
She noticed the large round clock hanging on the wall behind the bed
"…Hmm, it's getting pretty late, I didn't realize we stayed at the Aquarium for so long."
She slowly walked around the room, taking occasional sips of her wine.
"Sometimes time flies even when you're not having fun."
Tea looked at Kaiba with a hopeless look on her face.
"Why are you always so glum about everything?"
"Because I don't like wasting time."
"It's not wasting time if you're giving yourself time to rest, I mean you're always so busy, why don't you give yourself a break once in a while."
"I feel like we're back at high school, trust me, I don't need another lecture."
Tea sighed loudly, knowing that it was futile to reason with him.
Kaiba took a last swig of his soda.
He put the bottle on the floor at the side of the bed, finalizing his decision.
Enough small talk, it was time for some answers.
"So when are you gonna tell me?"
Tea stopped in front of the unlit fireplace. He noticed an immediate but slight change in her expression. She looked at him with weary eyes.
"You never give up do you?"
"Do you really need to ask that?"
Tea sighed once again as she walked over to where he was sitting. She sat next to him on the bed and took the last sip of her wine.
"…Fine.. If you want to know that badly…I'll tell you."
Kaiba felt a large amount of guilt building at the bottom of his stomach. He hated having to force her into remembering but he knew it was the only way he could protect her. He waited patiently for her to speak.
Suddenly, before either of them could say anything further, Tea's cell phone went off inside of her jeans pocket.
Tea's heart instantly stopped for a few seconds with one person suddenly popping into her mind.
Her eyes remained glued to Kaiba's for a few seconds, until she finally tore her them away, forcing herself to retrieve the phone.
Kaiba watched her flip it open.
She reluctantly read the name that was flashing brightly across the display screen.
To her surprise however, it wasn't the name she was expecting. In fact it was the last name in the world that she would ever expect to see.
She stared at the screen with perplexed eyes, not knowing whether she should answer or not.
Kaiba kept his eyes on her, waiting for her to react.
When she didn't he decided to intervene.
"Is that who I think it is?"
His voice seemed to have broken her spell of uncertainty.
"…Oh…no, it's not…"
Kaiba frowned
"Then who is it?"
Tea stared at the phone again
"…It's…my dance instructor."
(FLASHBACK)
Domino City
Tea kept her hands buried deep inside her pockets, trying desperately to keep herself warm as she headed down the sidewalk. The freezing ambiance all around her seemed to reflect the cold she felt inside her heart. She had just finished talking to Miss Reyuna about the acceptance letter she had received from Julliard a few days ago.
Her mind was a sweltering mixture of frustration and uncertainty as she willed herself to stay focused.
~~approximately 30 minutes ago~~~
"I'm sorry Tea, when Mr. Anton asked me about the application I couldn't refuse. I knew it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for you."
Tea looked at her dance instructor with worried eyes, sighing as she looked away, not wanting to reveal her feelings.
Miss Reyuna studied Tea's expression, confused as to why she was so upset.
"…Tea, I don't understand…I thought you would be glad to get an opportunity like this. What's wrong?"
Tea turned her attention back to her, not knowing exactly how she should respond.
Yes, she was more than happy about the opportunity to pursue her dreams but what about her relationship with Yami? What about his feelings?
She couldn't just leave him behind but at the same time how could she abandon her life long dream, the dream she worked so hard for?
Her mind felt like it was splitting into two, what on earth was she going to do?
By choosing one she would ultimately lose the other.
"..I just, I don't want to leave Japan….My whole life is here…that's why I didn't apply in the first place"
"But Tea, a few years back you told me that you wanted to go to Julliard more than anything else. What's changed since then?"
Tea shook her head, not wanting to continue talking. She felt as though the earth was shattering beneath her feet.
"I'm sorry, Miss Reyuna, I can't talk about this anymore…"
Without another word she turned around and headed out the door.
Tea continued to walk slowly down the sidewalk; her mind still a battlefield of two uncertainties.
When she had managed to make her way through the handful of people hurriedly trying to get to their destinations she finally came to a stop in front of hers.
She looked up at the building she had come to know & love so well, her heart heavy in her chest. She took a deep calming breath and began walking slowly toward the Kame Game Shop.
Present Day
Kaiba studied Tea's expression.
He watched as she reluctantly pushed the answer button and brought the phone up to her ear.
"…Hello?"
"Tea? Oh I'm so sorry to call you like this…"
Tea paused for a half a second, trying to process the sound of Miss Reyuna's calm and familiar voice.
"..Oh no Miss Reyuna, its fine…it's wonderful to hear from you again…"
Just then before Kaiba could hear her utter another word, there was another light knock on the cabin door.
He sighed to himself, not wanting to leave Tea's side but decided all the same that maybe it was best that he gave her some privacy.
He irritably rose to his feet after gesturing to Tea that he was going to see who was at the door.
She nodded as she waited for a response from Miss Reyuna.
Kaiba once again swung the door open to find himself once again standing before a fervent looking Mokuba.
"…Uh, sorry big brother…but you got another call."
"Mokuba, didn't I tell you not to take any more calls today."
Mokuba rubbed the back of his neck.
"..Whoops sorry Seto, I forgot that you need your alone time."
Kaiba noticed an obvious glint in Mokuba's eyes when he spoke
"…Humph, whatever."
Without another word he took the cell phone from his younger brother's hand, ignoring the mischievous grin on his face.
"Tea, how have you been?"
"…I…I've been good, how are you?"
"I'm fine…I went to your uncle's a few days ago but he told me that you had moved out."
"…Yea, I… moved to the city about six months ago."
"Oh, I see."
Tea noticed a hint of hesitation in her voice before she went on.
"…Well the reason I'm calling is that I received a letter from Kiriyu Dance Academy a few days ago."
Tea's heart skipped a beat.
"Kiriyu?"
"Yes they um, they're holding auditions here in Domino in a few weeks, I just thought that you might be interested…Kiriyu was after all the Academy that you chose on your application."
For a moment Tea's heart seemed to be leaping out of her chest. Kiriyu was the Academy that she had originally applied for…the academy that she wanted to attend so that she wouldn't have to leave Japan…but, things have changed since then…She and Yami were no longer…
She felt her excitement crash to the floor before she could think twice.
"…I…I'm sorry Miss Reyuna…but I've given up dancing… I've moved on with my life."
"Please Tea, I know you've been through a lot, but I really do believe in you, and I know you have the potential."
Tea felt herself becoming burdened with overwhelming emotions, emotions that she thought she had buried for good.
"…Thanks, thanks so much for always believing in me, but you have to understand…I've moved on."
"I understand that you have a new life now Tea, but please, all I'm asking is that you at least consider my offer."
Tea sighed hopelessly, pausing for a moment to think it over.
After a lot of deliberation she undecidedly responded
"…Ok, I ...I'll think about coming to the auditions."
Tea could practically see Ms Reyuna's smile over the phone.
"..Thank you Tea, I'll look forward to your answer…but…whatever you decide, I'll support you in your decision."
"…Thanks so much"
"Well, I won't keep you any longer ok, please give me a call when you've thought it over."
"Yes, I will. Thanks for calling Miss Reyuna."
Tea closed her phone, feeling like the world was spinning before her eyes. The dream that she had locked away seemingly forever was suddenly at her door step once again. What on earth was she going to do? She couldn't possibly go down that path again. Could she? But even if she did, there would be no one around to support her; she'd be all alone, not being able to share her happiness with anyone. A new frustration forced its way into her thoughts.
Kaiba shut the cabin door again, locking the hatch once more. He turned to look at Tea, who was just now pushing her phone back into her pocket.
Her expression was blank, as if her mind was far away, even further than it was before.
His insatiable need to know the truth was getting stronger, but he knew he couldn't rush into it. She needed to tell him when she was ready.
He walked over to the bed and sat next to her again. She kept her eyes on the floor, deliberately avoiding his stare.
He could practically feel the distress emanating from her body.
He put his hand on her shoulder, so that she would know that he was by her side again.
"Is everything ok?"
She looked at him with a small smile. Her voice was quiet and calm as she responded.
"..Yea, everything's fine."
Somehow her eyes didn't match her smile.
He knew that she was upset about the call she had just received but he couldn't find the will within himself to pry any further. It wasn't his place to demand anything from her; especially at the expense of her feelings.
Tea couldn't help noticing just how 'close' she and Kaiba were becoming. It was as if they were good friends instead of what they really were.
She felt her heart speeding up again as she looked at him.
His blue eyes were much kinder than she remembered and she found herself getting lost in them.
What the hell was wrong with her?
She suddenly realized that no matter how strange it seemed, the truth of the matter was that he was the only one who was by her side at that precise moment. Him and not anyone else; and she was grateful
She made up her mind, right there and then that he deserved to know the truth more than anyone else. It was unfair for her to keep pushing him away and leaving him in the dark after everything he had done for her. She felt her emotions filling her heart.
She forced herself to push aside her anxiety.
"…You're such a mystery Kaiba."
Kaiba looked at her perplexed.
"A mystery?"
"…Yea, who would have thought that you could be so…nice."
Kaiba couldn't help himself smiling.
"…So you're saying that you thought I was the devil incarnate?"
Tea couldn't help giggling
"…No, you know what I mean."
Kaiba waited for her to go on, feeling his own pulse increasing despite his reluctance to give in to his feelings.
"…I want you to know that…I appreciate all your help since the day you offered me a job at your company…"
Kaiba felt himself practically turning to mush against his will as he listened to her words.
"…I know you didn't have to do any of those things for me…and yet you did…"
Tea looked him straight in the eyes, letting him see the appreciation that was there.
Kaiba stared back at her without saying anything, trying hard not to let his true feelings spill out.
Suddenly she did something that neither of them could've predicted.
She slowly reached over and draped her arms around him.
Kaiba stayed frozen for a few seconds before responding, not yet grasping what was actually happening.
Her body was intoxicatingly warm against his as she hugged him.
Tea closed her eyes as she held on to him, hoping that he couldn't feel her body trembling with apprehension. She seemed to have acted out of share impulse without thinking about what she was doing. But she decided that it was all she could do to show him her gratitude.
She whispered into his ear, ignoring her fear.
"Thank you so much."
Kaiba felt his heart skip a beat at the gentle resonance of her words.
He fought the shock of the moment and allowed his body to react. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, keeping her confined in his embrace.
He kept his voice quiet so that only she could hear him.
"It's ok, you don't have to thank me."
Tea felt him stroking her hair, causing her body to practically melt with need. She kept her arms wrapped around his neck, feeling as if she would fall into a black hole if she let go.
They stayed in each others arms for a few moments longer, without either of them saying another word.
The silent understanding that they shared was enough for both of them.
When she felt that she was ready, Tea finally gathered the strength within herself to let him go.
She slowly loosened her grip, feeling him do the same.
When they finally let go of each other, Tea immediately turned a bright shade of pink, much to her dismay.
She smiled up at him, and immediately looked away, not wanting him to see her blushing; unfortunately she knew it was already too late.
Kaiba looked down at her, amused at her inability to look at him.
He chose not to say anything for the sake of her tendency to become anxious. But as he looked at her he felt his feelings for her getting stronger; she had no idea just how much her gesture of thanks meant to him.
His need to protect her was now much more than a personal desire, it was a priority. He could see the fragile state that she was in as clear as the morning sky.
She needed to be protected and he was willing to take the entire responsibility into his hands.
But for now, he decided that it was best that he not rush her into opening up to him. He didn't want to put her through any more unnecessary pain. When she was ready, she would talk to him, of that he was certain.
He gave her time to rejuvenate herself.
Tea bit her lip, trying to get a hold of herself.
Did she really just do that?
She sighed to herself, knowing that there was no helping the situation now. Her relationship with Kaiba had been officially dubbed 'awkward'.
There was some sort of unspoken truth between them; as if they were somehow evolving into something else.
But what was it? Was it friendship or was it something….deeper?
She huffed a frustrated breath as she tried to block out her thoughts.
She knew she had a lot to think about, not to mention the phone call she had gotten a moment ago about the audition for Kiriyu Dance Academy.
Could she really find the strength within herself to return to that forgotten chapter in her life?
But whatever the future held for her, she knew she had to face it regardless of her fears.
Just then, before she could drown herself in anymore thoughts, there was a sturdy, more prominent knock on the cabin door. They heard the faint sound of Ryan's voice telling them that it was time to head to the next attraction.
Tea looked at the clock on the wall behind them. It was already 5:30pm.
"Hmm, looks like it's time to get going."
"Oh joy."
Kaiba irritably rose from the bed, looking more like the Seto Kaiba she knew back in high school.
She sighed as she stood up with him, knowing that there was nothing she could do about his rotten attitude.
They both walked toward the cabin door, Kaiba leading the way. When they finally got to the doorway, Kaiba effortlessly unlocked the hatch and opened the wooden door.
The cool forested air immediately rushed into the cabin bringing with it a soothing sensation of tranquility.
Tea allowed the feeling to wash over her entire body, taking a deep breath before stepping out into the shady forest.
Kaiba followed close behind her, casually shutting the door.
Tea yawned quietly as she took a nonchalant step toward the dirt road leading back to the river pool. To her surprise however, Kaiba gently held her back, grasping her by the arm.
Before she could get a chance to turn around he lowered his mouth to her ear causing her to freeze on spot.
"You should get intoxicated more often…who knows what could happen next time."
Her breath caught in her throat as she felt his words practically ripple through her entire body, paralyzing her with panic. She pulled herself out of her stupor as he casually let go of her arm.
She forced herself to control her quickening pulse as she reluctantly turned to look at him. To her disgust she saw him smirking at her with a bantering look on his face.
"..That wasn't funny Kaiba!"
"I thought it was."
"Well it wasn't!"
Tea let out a frustrated sigh as she spun around and started walking toward the dirt road, leaving Kaiba staring after her.
Kaiba followed her at a safe distance, shoving his hands into his pockets. For some reason he couldn't help himself when it came to rattling her cage. She was just way too cute when she was all nervous like that. Besides, he wanted to shake her up a bit and get her mind out of the frustration she was in. Of course a little teasing never hurt either; although the sentiment of something actually happening between them wasn't exactly unappealing.
Tea angrily marched along the dirt road heading toward the river pool where Mokuba and Ryan were waiting. She pouted as she tried to keep ahead of Kaiba, who was relatively close behind.
What the hell was Kaiba's problem anyway? Why did he have to be such a jerk all the time?
She bit her lip as she continued walking, her heart still pounding in her chest.
For whatever reason however, his little 'joke' was having a much bigger effect on her than she expected.
She knew he was just trying to push her buttons like he always did but…there was definately something else hidden between his words…something dangerously suggestive.
She was glad that she was ahead of him so he couldn't see her face turning bright red at the thought.
As they both neared the clearing at the end of the forest, they saw Mokuba waving at them from the side of the pool. He was already back in his regular clothes and looking more hyper than ever.
Tea smiled and waved back, feeling a little less frustrated.
The open atmosphere seemed to be having a positive effect on her.
She knew she had a lot of issues on her plate at the moment, and she knew she couldn't pretend that they weren't there, but for some reason, she had a strange feeling that she would somehow be able to get through it; no matter how impossible it seemed at that point.
After about half an hour they were all back at the bottom of hill, getting ready to head to the next and final hotspot listed on the brochure.
Ryan had gone into the bar once again to check in with management before they left.
Tea stood by the jeep, allowing herself to enjoy the cool wind blowing through her hair.
She watched with amusement as Kaiba and Mokuba engaged in a heated debate about the all the various money making strategies that hotel managers throw onto their guests.
As she looked at them both, she couldn't help the strange feeling stealing into her heart.
Over the past few weeks, no matter how unexpected it seemed, they were the ones filling all the empty spaces in her life. If someone had told her a few years ago that the Kaiba brother's would be the ones to support her in her time of need one day, she'd have referred them to a mental hospital.
She smiled to herself at the thought.
It was surprising, yes, but the most surprising of all was the older Kaiba. The same old Kaiba who swore himself the mortal enemy of the only man she had ever loved. As she looked at him, she found herself suddenly remembering the heart stopping moment when his lips were inches away from hers. She had to will herself not to turn pink in the face.
What the hell was he thinking?
She knew he had only wanted to distract her from all of her pain but, trying to kiss her? That was a little …extreme…wasn't it?
She kept her eyes on him as he continued his debate with Mokuba. He was so gorgeous that it was almost frightening.
God! You would think that she was one of his fan girls or something.
But she knew she had to be honest with herself. She could no longer associate his name with the word revulsion.
Things were different between them now. There was an unspoken understanding that they shared, one that was difficult to define.
But all the same she knew she had to let him into her past sooner or later. He had earned his rights to it.
All she needed to do now was actually rustle up the courage to tell him.
But as she kept looking at him she realized that opening up to him wasn't exactly the only problem.
There was still the fact that he had tried to kiss her back at the cabin and despite his reason for doing so, his actions made her realize that her feelings for him were a lot deeper than she thought. At first she thought it was attraction but now…now she wasn't so sure.
She sighed quietly to herself, not knowing how to get her mind settled.
Just then, Ryan emerged from the bar, taking his car keys out of his pocket.
"Ok people, time to hit the road again. Next stop, the Coral Reef Hot Springs!"
Both Kaiba and Mokuba ended their debate prematurely as they all prepared to enter the jeep.
Tea took a deep calming breath as she waited for Mokuba to climb into the back seat. She decided to lock her thoughts away until a later date. For now she would just try to enjoy her time at the hot springs; and hopefully find a way to stop herself from thinking about Kaiba.