Blood & Roses
Author's Note – You didn't honestly think I'd leave it there?
Chapter 8
No More Secrets
"I never want to see you again, Kisara Hunter."
If Kisara could cry, she probably would have at that moment; but all she could manage was a crimson river streaming down her face.
It is done. She thought as she tried desperately to restrain the loss and despair that enveloped her; it was for the best – no doubt, yet it still pierced her to be without Kaiba…
"That's what you want me to say, don't you?" Kaiba said pointedly; Kisara's eyes widened in surprise, "Excuse me?"
"Well. Forgive me for being presumptuous, but I get the feeling that you don't really want to say goodbye – and yet you keep insisting…" Kaiba's eyes narrowed in frustration, "Why?" Kisara gaped at Kaiba, "What are you trying to say?"
"It's like this: I'm caught between pacifying you – that is, 'stay out of my life, Kisara'; or doing the selfish thing." Kaiba paused and took Kisara's blank expression as an excuse to continue, "The selfish thing being the Seto Kaiba thing – I usually take what I want, regardless; quite frankly I don't think it's appropriate to act-of-character at this moment." He smirked.
Kisara understood completely: he wants to be with me.
"But you don't believe I'm a vampire…" She started; Kaiba replied, "Wrong. I don't care if you are a vampire."
"What about my diet; doesn't it concern you?"
"Diet is a nice euphemism – however I don't care about what you eat as long as I'm not on the menu." Kaiba said while slowly edging his hand to Kisara's until he could grasp it; strangely enough, he enjoyed this small measure of intimacy a lot more than he would have thought possible.
Kisara winced in response to Kaiba's comment, "I'll do my best." Kaiba retaliated with a hard laugh, "I hope you're prepared for an interrogation – there is so much I want to know about you-"
Kisara interrupted Kaiba, "Why are you so intent on being with me?"
Kaiba arched an eyebrow, "You remind me… of someone I knew a long time ago; to be precise when I think of you an image of my Blue Eyes comes to mind."
Kisara instantly went quiet, fully aware of the link that was the Blue Eyes White Dragon; however judging from Kaiba's tone it seemed as if he was referring to someone else – overcome by a pang of jealousy she missed the questions directed at her.
"Kisara? KISARA?" Kaiba shouted and growled with annoyance that she wasn't paying attention to him. "Hmmm?" Kisara asked absentmindedly. "I don't have to cuddle beside you in a coffin, do I?" Kaiba sardonically said which to his annoyance, made Kisara burst into hysteric giggles, "Awwww, Seto Kaiba wants to cuddle… cuuuuuuuuute!"
"Shut up!" Kaiba snapped as an anime vein formed on his forehead, "I meant - you know what I mean, woman!"
"Hollywood has it all wrong." Kisara said lightly as she entwined fingers through Kaiba's hair; she didn't even realize what she was doing until a sigh of contentment emitted from Kaiba, abruptly her hands fell to her sides. Kaiba smirked, "So, no coffins?"
"Vampires can't even sleep – why would they need coffins?"
Her answer caught Kaiba off-guard, "You can't SLEEP?"
"No sleep for the wicked, my dear."
"Lucky. Sleep is a mere hindrance… who needs it?" Kaiba declared enviously; Kisara was impressed with his spirit, "You do, Kaiba."
Kaiba paused, "Don't call me that."
"Do you prefer 'Seto'?" Kisara wondered, leaning gently on Kaiba – they were now both lying comfortably on his leather couch. "Say that again." Kaiba said instead; "what, Seto?" Kisara replied dubiously.
In response, Kaiba shut his eyes and rested his head against Kisara's cold shoulder.
"No one says my name quite like you do, Kisara…" Kaiba uttered with a yawn as he passed out from exhaustion; feeling Kisara shift her weight to depart his mansion he whispered amidst his slumber, "Don't leave me …"
Kisara smiled and placed both her arms around Kaiba who had unwittingly found himself in a position lying right on top of her; she then breathed seductively in his ear…
"I promise."
He walked along an alley somewhere in Egypt…
Inside the pharaoh's memory world, Kaiba came face-to-face with the spirit of his Blue Eyes White Dragon.
He saw HER. Kisara… "How did I know that?" he wondered briefly staring at her blue eyes; long pale hair swirling around her face…
She approached him… however it wasn't Kaiba she was seeking… but Seto.
Kaiba's eyes snapped open and became intensely aware of his rugged breathing. "What the-" he started and sat up on the leather couch; he glanced the room at least five times over before coming to two conclusions: Kisara had either left him and was God-knows-where, or she was never in his office to begin with and last night was all a dream.
Kaiba decided on the latter and went into the kitchen to drink some coffee and maybe eat breakfast. Maybe.
"Mmmrning Seto!" Mokuba called out happily with a mouth full of cereal before swallowing his food abruptly to gaze at Kaiba with an 'I know what you did, you dog, you' look.
Kaiba gulped, "What's with that face?" he demanded before sitting at the table.
"No one interests me at this moment," Mokuba quoted with a toothy grin, "How can you have a girlfriend and not tell me?" he asked with a fake hurt expression.
Kaiba replied momentarily puzzled, "I don't have a girlfriend, Mokuba!"
Mokuba paused, "Oh."
"Oh?"
"She's one of those." He said with a look of disappointment, "I thought you didn't like those…"
Kaiba growled, "What exactly are those?"
"You know…" Mokuba hinted suggestively, "The ones you pay."
Kaiba choked on the coffee he had just drank, "Christ, what THE HELL are they teaching you at that school?"
Mokuba shrugged, "You learn things in Life Orientation Class."
"Such as?" Kaiba cocked an eyebrow. "Puberty, sex… and all those other awkward stuff; by the way I think you did it wrong."
Kaiba's eyes widened in disbelief, "Did WHAT wrong?"
Mokuba looked to the side shiftily before whispering, "I don't think you can do that with your clothes ON, Big Brother…" Kaiba was stunned into silence; unperturbed Mokuba continued, "Kisara must have been VERY confused…"
"I'm not hearing this…" Kaiba massaged his temples as a huge migraine overtook him, "Getting sex lessons from my little brother – oh my god… KISARA?"
Mokuba swallowed another spoonful of cereal, "Uh huh… I honestly didn't think she was one of those."
Kaiba coughed uncomfortably, "she's NOT, at least I don't think she is… and will you stop with those."
"So she is your girlfriend?" Mokuba asked innocently.
Kaiba paused. So it wasn't a dream – she was here! And she's mine…
Instead of replying, Kaiba told Mokuba to get dressed; leaving him a few moments to think – about Kisara, about bribing the school principal to revise the Life Orientation's class curriculum, about Kisara – again, and also about approaching the delicate subject of sex with Mokuba…
Kaiba shuddered I'm not ready for this; for god's sake in a few months I'm going to be raising a TEENAGER and I just don't think I can handle that right now.
"Cute kid." Kisara muttered huskily into Kaiba's ear.
Kaiba's head snapped to the side, "You…"
"That's how you greet me?" Kisara said with a mocking offended expression; Kaiba groaned, "Go easy on me, I just had a lesson about SEX from my little BROTHER,"
"Hectic." Kisara said sympathetically and added, "Yeah, he's going to be 13 in a few months."
"I was just thinking that."
After a moment of silence Kaiba said, "I figured it out."
"What?"
"Why vampires would need coffins." Kaiba looked at Kisara's humored expression and continued, "To stash the dead bodies of course…" Kisara rolled her eyes, "That was an old trick used in the 1600s; however Vampires usually blame it on your kind now." Kaiba's eyes widened with surprise; hastily Kisara added, "I'm sorry; I'm being insensitive." Kaiba shook his head, "It's not that at all – you don't need to be careful around me; I want to know everything."
"Hmmm…okay but I get to know some things about you first." Kisara said impishly as Kaiba groaned, but reluctantly agreed.
"What girl do I remind you of?" Kisara tried to conceal the jealousy; however Kaiba noticed the sudden change in tone instantly. "Next." He said shortly; Kisara gaped – rendered completely speechless; "What are you hiding?" she demanded and instantly grew wary when Kaiba smiled crookedly at her; "Okay, scratch that – what are you planning on doing now? And what is with that look on your f-" but she was interrupted when Kaiba's hands snaked around her waist to pull her onto his lap. "Let's get you more comfortable." Kaiba decided; Kisara with a playful laugh allowed Kaiba to overpower her strength, and she had to admit it was more comfortable in this position, and was incredibly fascinated by the fact that he was unfazed by the coldness of her flesh.
Kisara soon became intensely aware of Kaiba's lips reaching for her own; his arms wrapped firmly around her arms to hold her in place, however Kisara used her inhuman strength to gently pin his arms to his side and to push his face back.
"Not fair." Kaiba groaned, "Using vampire strength is cheating, Kisara; now you must pay the penalty…" Kisara laughed and shoved Kaiba's head back again.
"Can't you at least pretend I'm stronger than you?" Kaiba asked whilst retaining his grip around her waist. "Maybe… another time." Kisara said as she easily forced his hands apart and stood up.
In a flash she had disappeared, her laughter lingering.