Chapter Seventeen:
Blue Mirrors
Friday Morning 6:30am
Kaiba & Tea's Room
Tea woke to the distant yet soothing sound of the ocean crashing gently across the shoreline. For some reason her body felt extremely rested, as if a weight had somehow been lifted off her shoulders.
Despite the slight sensation of a throbbing headache, she had to admit that it was a nice feeling.
For a second she seemed to have forgotten where she was.
Sitting up in bed she visually scanned her surroundings through blurry eyes.
In a matter of seconds everything suddenly rushed back into her memory like a heavy gush of water.
She was still at the Hot Spring Resort!
She gasped
Then that means…
She instinctively looked at the other side of the bed.
To her relief but surprise she saw that there was no one there.
Where was Kaiba? Did they actually sleep in the same bed together?
She suddenly remembered what had happened.
That's right, she had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room.
And…
Kaiba had…. taken her to the bedroom.
For some reason she found that her memory of the later was a lot more washed away than the others.
Did he actually carry her like that? Or was she dreaming?
She thought about it for a second
But, it couldn't have been a dream…how else could she have gotten into the bedroom?
Her face burned with color as the thought of Kaiba holding her in his arms overwhelmed her senses.
She forced herself to snap out of her stupor.
She pulled the covers off of herself, realizing that she was still clad in a T-shirt and shorts.
Rubbing her eyes she sat at the edge of the bed; yawning as she inspected the room once again.
Judging by the state of the bed sheets, it appeared that she slept alone.
She looked in the direction of the door and noticed that it was slightly ajar.
Curiously she climbed out of bed and proceeded to walk toward it.
Nervously, she pushed it open.
To her relief Kaiba wasn't anywhere within sight. She sucked in a breath as she continued her investigation.
She cautiously walked bare-footed through the living room, nervously fiddling with her slightly disheveled hair.
After a few seconds she finally spotted what she was looking for.
Kaiba was lying on one of the couches, apparently fast asleep.
She stopped as she saw him.
He looked slightly uncomfortable but he didn't stir.
His hair fell over his eyes and he couldn't have looked more attractive.
Tea suddenly felt a double helping of gratitude and guilt filling her stomach simultaneously.
He had chosen to sleep out here, instead of the bedroom for her sake.
She felt her heart warming.
What happened between them last night was something she could have never predicted.
She had opened up to him and let him into her past.
Now he knew everything and there was no more running away.
She had to start coming to terms with the fact that she might be…. falling for him. As for the way he felt about her, she could only guess by his actions that he was somehow starting to feel the same way.
But could that really be true? Could she allow herself to think along those lines? Or would she only end up hurting herself again?
Questions littered her mind like torn pages.
She clenched her fist over her chest as she reluctantly walked over to where Kaiba was lying.
Her heart quickened as she approached him.
She could tell that he was sound asleep by the peaceful expression on his face.
If only she could tell him how grateful she was for everything he had done for her. Her eyes trembled, knowing that she would never find the courage in her heart to express her feelings to him face to face.
She felt like a coward and she hated it, but it was all she could do to protect herself.
She couldn't let him see how much he was starting to affect her…..
This was all she could do for now.
Putting a halt on all of her thoughts she slowly lowered her lips to his check and kissed him gently.
Her heart was pounding so heavily, she felt certain it would wake him.
She cautiously pulled herself away, grateful that he hadn't stirred.
She kept her eyes on him, admiring the peaceful expression on his face.
She refused to lie to herself any further, but she knew allowing someone to come into her heart once again would only prove to be selfish.
She was too wounded to give all of herself to anyone and she cared too much to cause him any pain.
So for now, she would pretend she didn't feel this way…for his sake…and for hers.
Kaiba slowly opened his eyes. The sound of the television whirring in his ear.
'Weather forecast next after these messages…'
The morning news was on and the sudden announcement of the weather report jolted him out of his drowsiness.
He sat up in the couch, looking at the TV.
Where was Tea?
The fact that she was the first thing on his mind didn't surprise him; after all, he stayed up practically all night thinking about her.
He adjusted his vision as best as he could as he tried to recover from a not so good night sleep.
Just then, without warning a cheerful brunette popped out in front of him.
She appeared to have been up a long time and was as cute and energetic as ever.
"Hey, you're finally up, good morning!"
Kaiba found himself staring at her; for some reason, her being the first person he saw after an uncomfortable night sleep was like a breath of fresh air.
She was like a sight for soar eyes.
When he realized what he was doing, he immediately forced himself to transform into the Seto Kaiba everyone had come to know and loathe.
"Humph, what's so good about it?"
Tea smiled, expecting nothing else.
"Guess you're not a morning person either."
Kaiba pulled his eyes off of her, running a hand through his messy hair.
"What time is it?"
"It's 8:30."
He groaned as he stood up from the couch, meaning to head straight to the bathroom.
As he passed by her, Tea felt the words desperately trying to escape her lips, but for some reason she couldn't seem to find the courage to let them out. Her heart pounded in her chest as he walked passed…
She watched in silence as he disappeared into the bedroom.
Why was it suddenly so hard to tell him how she felt? She was grateful for what he did last night; she wanted to thank him. So why did it suddenly feel like she had lost the ability to speak?
She sighed as she plopped herself onto the couch, pouting as she watched the commercials run by.
A knock on the door alerted Tea of the breakfast she had ordered before Kaiba had woken up earlier that morning.
She walked casually to the door and yanked it open for the attendant to once again push a cart of food into the living room.
He smiled warmly at her as he arranged the dishes.
"I trust you and Mr Kaiba enjoyed your stay last night miss?"
Tea couldn't help herself blushing, her imagination suddenly shifting into another world entirely.
"Um, yes, we enjoyed it very much."
"I'm glad to hear that miss."
When he was finished he stopped, looking as if he were expecting something.
Tea looked at him confused for a few seconds until she realized that she hadn't given him his tip.
Her face burned with heat as she apologized.
"Oh, sorry."
She reached for the small folds of money stuffed carelessly under the phone. Luckily, that morning, she had managed to rustle up some of her own cash in order to come up with a suitable tip fee. Being unaccustomed to the lap of luxury, she hoped to herself that her sum was neither too big nor too small.
She watched the attendant's expression closely as she handed him the money. Evidently his smile revealed that he was indeed pleased.
She smiled back as he thanked her politely.
Seconds later he was out the door and she was pushing the breakfast cart over to the couch.
Kaiba's mind hadn't been able to stop thinking about Tea. He irritably buttoned his shirt, trying in vain to get a grip on reality.
Was this what it felt like to be falling for someone?
The feeling was new to him, having never had such an experience before.
He sighed as he packed the rest of his stuff away. The date caught his attention on the small calendar stuck to the wall beside him as he did.
Friday….Today would make it exactly five days since they've been on the island. Somehow it seemed much longer than that. So much had happened between them….he felt so close to her now.
She had told him the truth, she had trusted him enough to let him into her past….but…what should he do next?
Should he tell her how he felt about her? Now that he understood her pain a little bit better, he felt as if his duty to protect her was now officially cast in stone.
He needed her to understand him, to understand that he was willing to take her under his wing.
He couldn't lock this away any longer. He had to let her know….but only when the moment was right.
Tea forced the unwelcomed butterflies away as Kaiba emerged from the bedroom. His eyes fell onto the breakfast tray at once, a hopeless look spreading across his face.
"I don't remember giving you my permission to order breakfast."
"So I need your permission now?"
"You're here courtesy Kaiba hospitality remember."
"Hm, how could I forget."
Kaiba walked over to the couch and took a seat next to her once again. Annoyingly enough he couldn't help himself noticing how good she smelled.
Tea bit her lip nervously as she felt her body tense. His presence made her uneasy now and she hated herself for falling into such a pathetic state.
She waited quietly for him to start the meal.
Unfortunately, he seemed to be a little too quick for her.
He looked at her as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.
"Something wrong?"
His question caught her of guard. She willed herself not to turn red in the face under his ocean blue stare.
"Um, no, nothing…I just…"
She hesitated but he waited patiently
She willed herself to continue.
"…I just wanted to thank you…for…listening to me last night."
She was looking at the floor as she spoke, not being able to hold such an intimidating yet beautiful gaze.
Kaiba noticed right away just how tense she was, and knew all too well how hard it must've been for her to say those things to him.
He tried his best to buffer the moment, despite the voice inside his head egging him on to just let everything out. He decided that now wasn't the time or the place.
"You don't have to keep thanking me…"
Tea reluctantly looked back at him. To her relief he wasn't looking back; he was spreading jam over his croissants.
"Look, despite my reputation, I'm not doing this for gratitude or anything else ok; So you don't have keep reading so much into it. I wanted to help you so I did, nothing complicated."
He ignored the insessant accusations of his inner self calling him a liar as he casually continued preparing his breakfast.
Tea stared at him, glad that his tone was much softer than it usually was.
She smiled.
"Ok, but…even so, I just needed to say it….your…help… means a lot."
Kaiba was glad to hear her say that to him, despite his show of being indifferent. At the same time, she was making it twice as hard for him to keep his mouth shut.
He willed himself to remain true to his resolve.
"Glad I could help."
He deliberately avoided her stare, pretending to concentrate on the breakfast in front of him.
Tea couldn't help herself blushing as she reached for the bottle of jam.
"…Besides, he had no place abandoning you like that."
His words caught her off guard again.
She paused as she let his words sink in.
She forced herself to think of a suitable response.
"…Well I guess he had his reasons."
Kaiba could hear the hurt in her voice as she spoke. Despite the urge in his body to comfort her, he willed himself to act natural.
He decided that maybe it was best he didn't say anything further.
As they ate in silence, the morning weather forecast resumed.
Despite the fact that her stomach was full to bursting with a million butterflies, Tea managed to cast her attention over to the weather report.
Apparently they were in for a rain storm.
Great, just what they needed.
Kaiba scoffed.
"At least with the rain, I might actually get some work done around here."
Tea smiled to herself.
"Not if me and Mokuba have anything to do with it."
She took a bite of her sandwich as if she hadn't said anything.
Kaiba looked at her, clearly amused.
"Is that so?"
Tea nodded.
"Yep, you're not supposed to be working when you're on vacation."
Kaiba decided not to taunt her; he was rather enjoying her company.
He continued with his meal.
"Hmph, whatever."
They both watched the rest of the morning news together, eating in each other's company once again.
A few months ago, a situation like this one would've been hard to even imagine; Yet now, it was like something they had a done a million times before.
About twenty minutes after they had finished their breakfast, a knock on the door alerted them that it was time to head back to the hotel.
Having packed their bags earlier that morning, they both gathered their belongings with ease and were out the door within minutes.
Ocean View Hotel
11:10 am
Once again all three of them stood warily in front of their respective hotel rooms. Mokuba seemed a lot less energetic since they left the hotsprings that morning. Tea watched in amusement as he yawned loudly.
"That's the last time I stay up till 4:00 watching bad television."
Kaiba shot a stern glance at his brother as he slid the key card into the lock.
"Well, that's what you get for not listening to me!"
Mokuba rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Sorry, big brother."
Tea stayed silent, listening to both brothers bicker back and forth. She stared at Kaiba, who was too busy telling his little brother off, to notice her noticing him. She asked herself the same question again, Could she really be falling for Seto Kaiba? The thought made her insides turn to jelly. He was like a celestial being among men. The thought was so absurd….yet so undeniably…appealing. She silently scolded herself for letting her mind run away with her. She waited patiently at Mokuba's side as Kaiba finally barged into his room, rudely leaving them both out in the hallway the same way he usually did.
Mokuba turned to Tea who seemed a bit pink in the face.
"Are you ok Tea?"
His voice knocked her back into reality.
"Huh, oh, yeah, I'm fine.."
Somehow she knew the tone of her voice wasn't convincing enough.
"Ok, so how was your night with Seto? Since you're standing here in one piece I take it he didn't tear you to shreds."
Tea laughed
"I guess you're right…"
She walked over to her door as she continued speaking.
"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."
"See, I told you my brother was a nice guy under all that hostility."
Tea smiled to herself as she swiped her key card through the lock.
"Yea, I guess he is."
Mokuba smiled, seemingly pleased about something.
"Well, I guess today we can just relax on our own time, we'll pick up with our sightseeing tomorrow."
"Ok, good idea, that'll give your brother some time to cool off before our next dose of torment."
She winked mischievously at him.
Mokuba beamed back, glad that he still had a partner in crime.
They said their temporary goodbyes as they parted ways into their respective rooms.
Tea let herself fall onto the bed. Feeling somewhat exhausted from the bumpy ride back to the hotel. She lay on her back, staring up at the elegant ceiling above her. Her life floated across her mind in a sequence of memories and emotions.
At this point, looking at her life, she couldn't quite put a label on it. Everything seemed so different from before. Even the fact that she was staring up at a ceiling like this one seemed too unreal to grasp. It was all a blur of confusion. She couldn't seem to find the right feeling to describe how she felt about her life at that moment.
Sighing, she rolled onto her tummy, resting her head on one of the comfortable pillows.
.…and then there was the issue of..…Kaiba.
The thought of him made her heart skip a beat.
They had gotten so close over the past few days. He had put everything aside and had made it his business to help her. She would've never thought that he was capable of such a thing.
And now because of that, she was starting to see a side of him she never noticed before; a side that she could very well come to admire.
She pouted to herself, knowing exactly what was going to happen. She wouldn't be able to be herself around him anymore because of the conflict of emotions crashing around in her mind.
Her memory shifted to earlier that morning when she had kissed him on the cheek. Like clockwork her face burned with girlish heat.
What the hell was she thinking? What if he had woken up?
She decided that she was probably still half asleep or something, otherwise she would have never done something like that…..or would she?
She sighed again. This time louder and out of shear frustration.
Why did something like this have to happen? Lord knows she had enough on her mind as is.
But there was no getting around it, no matter how much she wanted to stick her head into the dirt and pretend the danger wasn't there. She had to admit this to herself; she was starting to have feelings for Seto Kaiba.
As absurd as it sounded inside her head, the truth of the matter still remained.
This was something she would have to find the courage to deal with on her own…and she needed to start now, otherwise there was no doubt in her mind that the situation between them would inevitably escalate to levels beyond both of their control…
Kaiba stared at the laptop screen in front of him. Once again he was having an extremely difficult time concentrating on the words laid out in front of him in black and white.
Despite all of his efforts his mind refused to focus on anything other than Tea Gardner.
He blew out a long breath as he tried to come to terms with his situation.
Fine, if his mind refused to cooperate with him then there was only one thing left to do;
Give in to his torment.
He hated not being able to solve his own problems so his frustration levels were starting to boil over.
How could he have allowed himself to fall so hard for her? This wasn't like him at all.
If he left things as they were right now he would definitely drive himself completely insane.
He needed some time alone with her, that was certain…but the question still remained…what the hell would he tell her when the opportunity presented itself?
He let out a long sigh as he stood up from the chair. He walked out to the balcony, surprised by how soothing the wind felt against his face.
He stared out at the beach, watching the waves crashing against the shore.
Who would've thought that meeting her that day in the city would eventually lead to a situation like this one.
He didn't exactly know what would become of all of this but he was certain they would find out by the end of their vacation.
The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly; All three of them had decided to stay in their rooms for the remainder of the afternoon, each to their own past times.
As late evening approached however, Mokuba decided once more that it was time to pull his brother out into the world of the living again.
Oceanview Hotel
5:35pm
Mokuba nervously knocked on his older brother's door.
After a few minutes, a disgruntled looking Seto Kaiba yanked it open, looking down at him with a glare that would've frozen anyone else on spot.
"What is it Mokuba?"
"Well, I thought that we could go get some fresh air on the beach tonight."
Kaiba stared at him as if he had just spoken in Korean.
"Mokuba, how many times do I have to tell you that I hate the beach!"
"But Seto…"
"Why don't you ask Gardner?"
"She said she was feeling a bit tired so she'll be down a bit later..."
Mokuba waited for a response but unfortunately all he could get from his brother was a cold, angry glare.
He tried again.
"Come on big brother, pl-eeease!"
Kaiba felt his resolve reluctantly caving in on itself at the sight of Mokuba's puppy dog tactic.
You'd think he'd be immune to such things after all the times it's been used against him; unfortunately, as of yet, no such luck.
He sighed in an irritable defeat.
"Fine!"
Mokuba smiled triumphantly.
Oceanview Beach Front
6:00pm
Kaiba took a sip of his Caribbean breeze Cocktail as he stared out into the vast ocean.
The sun was already starting to set and the sight was magnificent enough for even him to notice.
Mokuba was sitting next to him on one of the bar stools busily gulping down a large glass of his favorite orange juice.
Despite all of his objections however, Kaiba was nevertheless glad he could spend some time with his baby brother before it was time to leave the island.
With all of his workload and him having to run Kaiba Corp on his own, they rarely had time to talk to each other anymore. So he was grateful for the opportunity.
"Hey Seto"
He turned to an impish looking Mokuba.
"Check it out, those girls over there can't take their eyes off you."
Kaiba instinctively looked in the direction of the girls, amused by Mokuba's adolescent nature finally catching up with him.
Sure enough, there were about four girls giggling and looking straight at them. Their excitement seemed to heighten as his blue eyes met their gaze.
Kaiba simply turned his attention back to his brother as if he had seen something as insignificant as wind blowing through a cluster of trees.
Mokuba couldn't help his amusement.
"Jeez Seto, you could've at least given them some acknowledgement."
Kaiba scoffed as he took another sip of his drink.
"Why would I do that? They'd only take it as an invitation to come over here!"
"And we wouldn't want you biting their heads clear of their shoulders now would we. Bad for the Kaiba Corp image I guess."
Kaiba couldn't help himself smiling at Mokuba's smart mouth. Couldn't really blame him, when it came to mouthing off, he was no one to talk.
He watched in amusement as his brother drank the last of his orange juice.
"But seriously big brother, why don't you ever go out on dates? Girls practically fall to your feet everywhere you go."
For some reason the subject made Kaiba uneasy, especially since his younger brother was the one doing the interrogation.
Under normal circumstances he would have simply thrown the topic aside and erase it from their minds completely with one of his smart ass comments; yet at that moment, he couldn't seem to find the motivation to.
Could it be that his situation with Tea was weighing on his sub conscious to the point where he felt the need to let it out?
He took another sip of his cocktail, this time deliberately, trying to buy himself time to think of an appropriate response.
Mokuba waited patiently.
Finally he opened his mouth to speak.
"You really think I'll let myself get caught up in something as meaningless as dating? Girls equals time, equals money, equals more trauma than I'm willing to put up with!"
Mokuba sighed hopelessly.
"Leave it to you big brother to make going out with pretty girls sound as dull as a day at the cemetery."
Without responding Kaiba turned to the ocean again, his mind slipping.
There was one girl however, that he seemed to be willing to make an exception for….
The evening drifted by slowly and much more peaceful than Kaiba anticipated; most of the guests were already starting to head back to the hotel and only a handful still remained lounging on the sand or gathered around tables.
It was already dark and the small bar hut lit up like a Christmas tree, with all sorts of colorful string lights hanging carelessly from the shutters. It was astonishing how easily and how well they captured the theme of the perfect Island getaway.
Mokuba stood up from his stool and peered out along the shoreline.
"Ok Seto, time for a stroll."
Kaiba looked at his brother with a bored expression on his face.
"Stroll? You mean along the beach?"
"Yea, look…
He pointed in the direction of the shore.
"…they have string lights running along the coast."
Kaiba scoffed.
"Yeah so?"
He said simply.
"Aw come on big brother, you can't expect us to stay at the bar the entire time."
"Why not? So far I've managed to avoid any contact with people looking to have me sign autographs or take pictures with them. Here is just fine or it's back up to the hotel, your call!"
"But…"
Mokuba stopped in mid sentence as he noticed a familiar brunette walking over to them from the across the entrance of the beach.
His face lit up instantly.
"Hey, Seto, look Tea's finally here."
"Great, that's all I need."
Kaiba hoped his ill-tempered facade would be enough to hide what he was really thinking.
He casually looked in Tea's direction and swallowed a lump that seemed to be at the back of his throat.
Was she doing this on purpose? Why did she have to be so god damn cute all the time?
Tea felt the piercing gaze of everyone around her. She kept her head bent a bit so as to avoid eye contact with anyone.
Since her wardrobe was limited she had decided to go completely casual. She decided on a simple white cotton shirt which she tied at the stomach in a knot and a short baby blue denim skirt. She couldn't decide what she should do with her hair so she left it open.
She approached the bar trying her best to stop her pulse from racing at the sight of Kaiba.
Mokuba greeted her with pleasure.
"Hey Tea, did you get enough rest?"
"Yea, more or less."
Kaiba watched both of them converse with ease and only then realized that he was staring at her.
When he realized what he was doing he deliberately looked away. In the process his eyes fell onto the group of girls that were 'oogling' him earlier that afternoon. He hadn't even noticed that they were still sitting there.
He noticed that they were glaring at Tea with a special kind of loathing that only girls could understand.
He took another sip of his drink as his brother continued conversing with Tea.
"…Well me and Seto were just going to take a walk along the beach."
"Oh, that sounds great."
Kaiba looked at her as she spoke.
Her smile was beautiful and it made him uneasy as to how much she was starting to affect him.
He intervened immediately despite his distractions.
"And when exactly did I agree to this?."
Both Tea and Mokuba looked at Kaiba at the same time.
Tea felt a swarm of butterflies in her stomach slowly rising to the occasion.
She urged herself to keep them intact.
She watched as the two brothers gut it out in a war of wit and words once again.
Her eyes stayed glued to Kaiba.
Why did this happen? How could she have allowed herself to feel this way?
She felt the first traces of worry building in her chest.
After a few minutes of bantering the two brothers finally ended their scuffle.
This time however, Mokuba wasn't the one to leave the field victorious.
"But Seto…."
"I've already made up my mind Mokuba, and that's final!"
Mokuba pouted in defeat.
"Fine, then me and Tea will go without you!"
With that said he grabbed Tea by the arm and started marching off onto the beach.
Kaiba watched in amusement as the both of them hurried off.
He blew out a breath of frustration as he turned to the bar. Good, he was alone…he needed some time to think.
In the process he ordered another drink.
How was he going to tell Tea how he felt? And exactly when would be considered an appropriate time to?
As he pondered various possibilities in his head he noticed that the group of fan girls were leaving their table. He glanced at them as he took another sip of his drink.
He noticed that they were heading onto the beach in the same direction as Mokuba and Tea.
Hmmm…Coincidence…maybe….but highly unlikely…
Tea and Mokuba walked casually along the shoreline. They had both removed their shoes so that they could feel the sea water gliding along the sand under their feet.
Tea allowed herself to be swept away into the moment. The cold salty air was soothing and she loved the feel of it.
Mokuba walked along side her. Despite his little disagreement with Kaiba he seemed just as relaxed as she was.
They walked in silence.
Then the moment was suddenly shattered by an unexpected question.
"Um, Tea….what do you think of my brother?"
Tea stopped instantly, her body going rigid at the question.
Mokuba stopped to look at her.
She looked down at him trying her best to stop her true feelings from surfacing across her face.
She smiled in an attempt to neutralize the moment.
"Where did that come from?"
"Well, I'm just curious, you two have been spending a lot of time together…"
Mokuba smiled back up at her, hoping he wasn't being too forward.
"Well, that is true I guess."
She looked away as she slowly started walking again.
Mokuba followed suit.
She started to speak
"Well, I guess he's not as bad as everyone thinks he is…"
Mokuba listened intently without saying anything, allowing her to continue.
"…Actually, he's…. really nice sometimes."
Mokuba smiled, choosing his words deliberately.
"So does that mean you like him?"
Tea forced herself not to let her emotions surface over her face.
"What? No, why would you even ask that?"
She couldn't help her amusement.
Mokuba decided that it was best if he simply said what was on his mind.
"…I just think someone like you would be good for my brother that's all."
She stopped again, looking directly at him.
"…What?... why on earth would you think that?"
She couldn't believe what she was hearing, despite the fact that her pulse quickened at the sentiment.
"Well, I think Seto needs someone who can stand up to him. You're the only girl who ever had to guts to do that."
Tea couldn't help the smile pulling at her lips.
"Just because I tend to blurt out what's on my mind from time to time, doesn't mean I'm standing up to him….I just can't keep my mouth shut sometimes…"
She finished lamely, hoping her half ass explanation was adequate enough to get her off the hook.
Unfortunately, Mokuba didn't seem as eager to drop the subject as she was.
He continued.
"Well that's exactly what I mean, I've never met anyone brave enough to say exactly what's on their mind straight to his face the way you do."
Tea couldn't help herself turning red in the face.
"…But, that doesn't mean that I'm….I mean someone like me is good for your brother….I think he probably needs someone who's more on his level you know, I mean he's practically a celebrity."
She glanced over at Mokuba who looked like he was pondering over her words.
She was glad that he responded with a simple nod instead of another lengthy explanation.
The subject was one that she would rather not think about much less have a discussion about.
They walked in silence for a few more minutes until Mokuba suddenly pointed her in the direction of the dock.
They headed there with no hesitation, both being a bit tired of walking.
They both took a seat at the edge of the wooden walkway. The yellow string lights hanging over them looked like a row of fireflies illuminating the water before them. They watched the small cluster of yatchs and small boats sailing lazily along the water as they breathed in the salty sea air.
Tea loved the feel of the breeze rushing through her hair. She couldn't help smiling.
"Wow Mokuba, you're really lucky. It's so beautiful here, It must be nice being a celebrity huh."
Mokuba smiled back.
"I guess it can have it's advantages…."
"It's gonna be hard going back to my shabby little apartment after all this. You've ruined me forever…"
They both laughed, feeling glad to be in each other's company.
Just then, they heard the sound of foot steps along the dock behind them.
Curious they both turned around.
Mokuba recognized them right away. It was the same group of girls that were 'oogling' his brother earlier that evening.
Tea couldn't help feeling a bit intimidated. They all looked like they were all at one time featured on the cover of ELLE magazine.
Tea noticed that their eyes were glued to hers.
She wasn't sure what she should say to them so she waited for them to speak.
The blond in the middle was the one who spoke first.
"Hi, we're sorry to bother you guys, but my friends and I were just wondering….um aren't you that brunette girl from the Battle City Tournament that Seto Kaiba hosted a few years ago?"
For some reason, Tea felt a lump forming at the back of her throat. Somehow the words coming from her mouth felt like acid burning through her skin. She could practically feel the resentment emanating from their eyes as they glared at her. Their fake smiles did little to hide exactly what they were thinking.
Nevertheless she found the courage to respond.
"Um, Yea …"
She finished lamely, not knowing what else to say.
She stared back at them, hoping that they would suddenly spin on their heels and leave them be. But it seemed that lady luck had flown south for the winter that night.
The blond girl began again.
"You are?"
She giggled a bit before continuing.
"So like…what's your relationship with Seto Kaiba? Are you two going out or something?"
Tea felt alert signals zipping through her brain. These girls were obviously legit members of the Seto Kaiba Fan club and there was no mistaking the fact that they intended to burn her at the stake.
The girl's question lingered in silence for a few minutes. Tea couldn't seem to fabricate a plausible answer….despite the fact that the answer was actually quite a simple one.
No…they weren't going out.
Yet somehow, her voice refused to cooperate.
It was Mokuba who intervened before she could.
"Sorry but I don't think it's any of your business what her relationship is to my brother."
The girls seemed slightly unhinged at the mere fact that Mokuba spoke to them in such a harsh tone of voice.
Unfortunately, jealousy and resentment tended to replace everything else when it came to matters of the Seto Kaiba fan club.
They forced a smile at Mokuba.
The red head at the left intervened this time.
"We're sorry Mokuba, but we were just curious, but we get it now. Seto Kaiba must be in a….charitable mood this year."
Tea felt her words pierce through her….cold and sharp. They all laughed as they threw nasty stares her way. Looking at her like she was nothing more than a speck of dust.
Tea couldn't help looking away. She hated how easy it was for her to give in to hurt. She avoided Mokuba's stare feeling embarrassed.
Just then she noticed that their laughter had suddenly stopped. The cold, familiar voice made her turn her attention in their direction once again.
"Is that so?"
Her heart jumped at the sight of Kaiba standing behind the group of girls at the foot of the dock glaring dangerously at them.
They seemed terrified in his presence.
The blond immediately started to apologize.
"Mr. Kaiba, we didn't…."
Kaiba of course didn't let her finish.
"Since when is my personal life any business of yours?"
The girl froze on spot, looking like a child caught in the act of stealing.
"If you're that interested in my love life, then let me clarify it for you…..She and I are going out, so do you have a problem with that?"
Tea felt her pulse quicken. What did he just say?
The expression on the girls faces were nothing short of mortified.
"No, of course not Mr Kaiba….."
"Then if you know what's good for you stay away from my girl and my brother, or I'll make all of you regret the day you came here, understand!"
They nodded in submission and defeat.
Without another word they scampered away along the beach, leaving with their tails between their legs.
Kaiba stared after them looking disgusted. He turned his attention back to Mokuba and Tea.
Tea couldn't seem to hold his gaze as their eyes met.
He sighed as he walked over to them.
"This is exactly why I didn't want to come strolling along the beach with you two! Unwanted attention is something I make my business to avoid!"
Mokuba looked up at his brother beaming.
"Nice work big brother, you sure told them!"
"A hassle I could've done without!"
Tea kept her eyes on the water, not wanting to look at Kaiba. For some reason, the mere fact that he had heard what they had said to her made her feel even worse.
Kaiba noticed her uneasiness and apparently so did Mokuba.
"Um, Seto, I think I'll head back to the bar to get another glass of orange juice…"
He stood up, dusting his trousers off.
Tea felt a wave of desperation sweep over her. Oh no, why was he leaving her alone with Kaiba? Her heart sped up in her chest.
Kaiba knew right away what his brother was trying to do and for once he appreciated the sentiment.
Maybe some alone time with her wouldn't be such a bad idea.
"Fine whatever."
Mokuba smiled as he hurried off back toward the bar.
Kaiba looked back at Tea, who was still looking at the water. He breathed heavily as he walked over to where she was sitting. Casually he took a seat next to her at the edge of the dock.
He didn't say anything for a few moments, giving both of them time to gather their thoughts.
Tea felt her body become tense.
Why was she always so weak? Why couldn't she take control of her emotions?
Despite her will to find her composure she couldn't help remembering the fact that Kaiba had actually referred to her as his girl. The words were like a loop that kept replaying itself over and over again.
She waited for him to say something.
After a few short moments he finally started talking.
"You shouldn't let what those stupid girls said get to you."
Tea kept looking straight ahead and not at the man sitting next to her. For some reason she felt reluctant to look him in the eyes. She was too afraid of what she might see there.
It was pretty obvious by now that their relationship was changing into something else. And it was only a matter of time before everything eventually spilled out into the open.
But what exactly was it changing into?
Tea forced herself not to answer that question and focused her energy on responding.
"…I know I shouldn't but….you know me, I tend to fall apart exceptionally easy sometimes."
Kaiba glimpsed at her for a few seconds then averted his attention to the line of boats.
He snuffed.
"That's fine…Just don't fall apart and fall into the water cuz, then I'll have to jump in and save you…and I don't feel like getting my clothes all wet."
Tea felt the smile spreading over her lips.
How was it so easy for him to guide her emotions in whatever direction he wanted them to go?
He was making it hard…not to feel this way about him; extremely hard.
"Very funny."
They fell back into silence as they both watched the night slipping lazily by. It was Tea who spoke this time.
"Why did you tell those girls that…we were an item? You know that's gonna spread like wild fire don't you?"
He sighed.
"Let it, maybe that way people will leave us alone. Curiosity tends to make people do stupid things. Besides, I don't think anyone would actually believe that you're just my secretary and nothing else."
"Why not, they don't know our situation; it's any body's guess."
He deliberately looked at her.
"Would you believe it?"
For some reason his tone was different than before and it made her pulse go into over drive again.
She stared back at him feeling vulnerable.
She forced herself to respond.
"…I..I guess not."
Kaiba stared back at her, studying her expression.
"Funny, neither would I"
Tea knew there was a hidden meaning in his response, but she was too unhinged to think about what it was. His eyes were so beautiful and deep. How could anyone, not fall completely….
She pulled her eyes away immediately. This was all too much for her.
Kaiba knew she was starting to feel uncomfortable but he decided that it was time he let her know what was going on.
He chose his words carefully.
"I… want you to trust me from now on Tea. We're not strangers anymore…and it's no use pretending that we are."
She kept her eyes on the water but she listened to every word coming out of his mouth.
"…I...I want to trust you…I do, but I'm so messed up…"
"I know you are, but who isn't? That's why I want you to know that you can trust me to be there for you. I know you're going through a difficult time in your life right now but you don't have to go through it alone."
He waited for her to respond but she seemed to be having a difficult time accepting what he was saying to her.
He continued, it was time he let her know.
"Tea.."
He reached over to touch her face, gently forcing her to look at him. Their eyes met instantly and the moment was an intense one.
"Let me protect you."
Tea felt her entire body succumbing to his will. She felt tears burning the backs of her eyes, trying to escape but she willed them not to.
"I…"
Before she had a chance to say anything else she suddenly felt a cold drop of water fall to her nose.
Kaiba noticed it as well. They both looked up at the sky and saw the first traces of rain clouds covering the sky. Without warning the drops of rain increased and before they knew what was happening it started to rain.
They both scrambled to get up; Kaiba inwardly cursing the weather for its horrible timing. He stood up first and out stretched his hand for Tea to take. She accepted his help and stood up as well. He held her hand as they both ran out toward the beach; the closest form of shelter being an old straw hut on an isolated part of the beach.
By the time they finally got to their destination, they were already soaked to the bone.
As they made their way further into the dry refuge Tea noticed that they were still holding hands. Her face immediately burned with heat despite the cold seeping into her body from her rain soaked clothes.
Kaiba led them to the back of the hut where the rain couldn't reach them. The hut was brightly lit with more string lights woven into the rafters above them. They could still see the dock and the line of illuminated boats sailing across the water through the rain.
Kaiba casually let go of Tea's hand, only just then realizing that he was still holding onto it.
Tea gripped her arms feeling the cold sea breeze blowing past her, causing her to shiver.
"Well I guess the weather man was right."
Kaiba scoffed, feeling aggravated.
"Out of all the times to be right!"
Tea smiled at his childish nature.
She peered out at the rain, feeling the tenson of the moment beginning to envelope her senses once again. They were alone.
His words played over in her mind again.
"Let me protect you."
The memory made her heart skip a beat and the heaviness of his presence weighed on her.
Kaiba glanced at her. Her hair was wet and her clothes were sticking to her body.
He forced himself not to stare. He peered out at the rain not saying anything. After a few moments of silence Tea was the one who spoke first.
"Why do you want to protect me?"
He looked down at her, surprised by her directness.
He noticed that she was trembling and avoiding his eyes.
"Is it really that hard to accept?"
"Actually it is, you're…Seto Kaiba….you're not supposed to say those kinds of things, at least not to girls like me."
Kaiba turned to face her, amused by her sentiment.
Tea looked up at him. His brown sandy hair was dripping wet and his skin glowed under the shallow light. He was as gorgeous as ever.
Why was she thinking those things?
She looked away, feeling the pressure of his gaze falling upon her.
"And why would you think that?"
He stepped closer to her, causing her to step back.
She couldn't respond but Kaiba continued nevertheless.
"What's wrong with me saying those things? And more importantly what's wrong with me saying those things to you?"
Tea stepped back further, feeling the full blow of his intimidation getting the better of her.
"Why is it wrong for me to care about you?"
Tea felt the cold air flowing through the hut. She was freezing and she was completely infatuated with the man standing before her.
She forced herself to speak through trembling lips.
"Why are you always…. so stubborn about everything?"
Kaiba stepped in closer to her and reached forward to stroke the side of her check, keeping his eyes locked onto hers. She looked back up at him, unable to move.
"I'm Seto Kaiba remember."
Tea managed a small smile despite her trembling. She felt him wrap his other arm around her as he continued to caress her face with his fingers.
Her voice was small and barely over a whisper.
"Then that means you're a jerk."
He smiled back.
"Well this jerk wants to keep you safe."
He stared into her eyes, unable to contain himself any longer.
Without another word he slowly lowered his mouth to hers. Their lips met with blistering passion. Tea couldn't believe what was happening and yet despite her astonishment she couldn't bring herself to pull away. Instead she allowed herself to surrender to him, feeling all of her walls disappearing into nothingness as he deepened his kiss.
Tea gripped the back of his shirt with both hands, feeling as if she would fall away if she didn't hold onto him. She felt her heart melting in her chest and her body felt like it was on fire. She felt his hand gliding up her back and into her wet disheveled hair. He was forceful and yet she could feel the tenderness in his embrace. She loved the way he felt, the way he tasted…everything.
Kaiba pulled her closer to him, feeling her wet body press into his as he kissed her. At this point he didn't care about anything else. Her lips were enticingly soft and her mouth felt intoxicatingly warm against his. His need for her surged him on and he deepened his kiss even more; enjoying the feel of her hair entangled between his fingers.
The both of them seemed to lose all sense of time as they allowed themselves to submit to feelings beyond their control. At that moment Tea knew this was where she needed to be and she didn't care why. She would stay in Seto Kaiba's arms for as long as the moment permitted; not thinking of anything else but the sound of the rain and the feel of his kiss fervently caressing her lips into passionate submission.