December 13 2006: Author Notes: Not much to change from the last few, I've done quite a few updates today and this fiction just keeps coming to mind for me. It's a blast to work on and I'm gonna go until I no longer have time or no longer feel like it. I did take a break a couple times so I could fix my fingers. I warn all Joey fans that I'm a little mean to him this chapter. I like the character but Kaiba was always so mean to him that I couldn't really write a fic central to him without messing with Joey from time to time.

Chapter 5: Accepted Friendships

"Are you always this clumsy?" Kaiba asked her as she blinked at him. Their sudden closeness making her cheeks take a rosy hue.

"Um…probably." she said awkwardly. "Could you ah…put me down now?"

He grinned as he considered dropping her but thought better of it and settled her on her feet gently. "Sure you'll make it?"

If his tone hadn't been mocking her so much she might have thought of him as sweet.

"I'll manage." was her weak retort. "Thanks for catching me."

"You better be as good a cook as your mom." he smirked and let her go. "I'm going to make use of your bathroom to get cleaned up while you finish making me something else for lunch."

She glanced after him, somehow annoyed but her anger had been diffused by the fact that he'd just saved her from the painful tumble down the steps. He did remind her of Inuyasha…but only a little. It'd be the same relationship if he wanted her to track down cards for him. At least he talked to her without wanting to use her for something. So perhaps he wasn't as bad as Inuyasha, still a jerk though.

Kaiba meanwhile fished rice from his hair and cleaned off his trench coat with a washcloth, doing his best to return his appearance to normal. That infuriating girl didn't have to dump food on my head to speak to me. She gets herself into more trouble than Mokuba, and that's quite a task. Not that it matters really, I won't be seeing her after this weekend is over save for school. And by then Yugi and his band will somehow poison her mind against me. But then again, she didn't listen to them earlier. She was the first one that cheered for me when I retook my rightful title even after hearing the group talk about me. Clumsy but at least intelligent enough not to start hanging out with Yugi's fan club right away.

He finished cleaning up and glanced in the mirror, forcing the smile away from his face. I don't have time to be thinking about this. I have a company to run and things to accomplish, I can't concern myself with the worries of some girl and her family.

He nodded to himself, cold demeanor back in place as he moved back down and into her kitchen, where she had gotten together quite a bit of a lunch for him in such a short time. He took a seat and held back a smirk as she jumped at his unexpected arrival.

"Oh, you look better now without the rice in your hair." she complimented and moved over to dish him some things up. "Here, it's not much but I did what I could."

"If it's bad I can always take the alternative of you dumping it on me." he commented as he picked up his chop sticks and started eating quietly. Unused to having someone stare expectantly at him when he enjoyed his dinner he ignored Kagome for the first few bites.

"Do you like it?" she finally asked and he realized she was fishing for compliments.

"At least I'd rather eat it than wear it." he replied, watching her as he ruffled her feathers, resisting the urge to smile.

"You are impossible. I feel sorry for Mokuba, no wonder he wants to get out so badly." she remarked and headed out of the room with a sigh, realizing there would be no pleasing him.

Kaiba glanced after her and then shrugged and continued to eat, she would have to get a tougher skin if she wanted to be his friend as much as she seemed to imply she did. He wasn't worried if she put up with it or not, and nor would he tell her that her food was excellent when she was just looking for it.

He finished his lunch and headed back outside to find that Kagome's mother had taken up use of the dueling ring to allow various people to duel while he was eating. She was a nice lady, certainly the sort of mother he would have liked to have. He glanced around and then sighed as he saw Joey heading toward him with the rest of the dorks following behind him.

"What do you want Wheeler?" he asked coldly.

"Damn it Kaiba. Where do you get off cheating?" Joey accused harshly, getting close enough that it would perceived as threatening by most people.

"You shouldn't use words you can't understand. You'll end up making an ever bigger fool of yourself than normal." Kaiba just smirked at him, not worried by his proximity to the dweeb.

"You…"

"Don't Joey." Yugi stopped him. "Kaiba didn't cheat. He won the duel."

"But Yugi…"

"Oh calm down, your friend got to hold the title of King of Games for years. Now I'm just retaking the title that belongs to me. I know Yugi isn't quite as low on the losers list as you, but don't be sad Wheeler. I'm sure you'll stick together."

"Just leave him alone Joey." Anzu interrupted. "He's not worth the trouble."

"Yeah man." Tristan agreed. "Let the guy hold his victory until the other tournament. Then Yugi will kick his butt again and he'll run back to his mansion to lick his wounds again."

"This coming from monkey boy…." Kaiba's insult was interrupted as Joey took a swing at him. He ducked back and pushed his arm forward before ducking down and quickly punching him in the gut. He had strength behind him despite his odd choice of clothing Seto was anything but weak.

Joey winced and held his stomach after the harsh blow. Coughing and catching his breath.

"Dammit Kaiba." he hissed. "I'll make you pay for all of this."

"Just count your blessings that we're in the public arena and I don't want to cause problems for Kagome or her family. Or that I'm not going to charge you with assault this time, think a little more before you attack me again, loser. Fun as this little reunion is I have people waiting to duel me."

He walked off without waiting to hear the whining they would have for him. He didn't have time for the fools after the promise he'd made for his fans. Heading back over to the dueling arena and glancing toward his brother with Souta cheering him at his return.

"Great job Seto!"

"You're the best Mr. Kaiba!"

He smirked and turned from the other calls from fans to head back up to the duel arena. Settling himself back in his usual position and scanning the crowd to find people returning for his next duel. Even Kagome came back to sit with her and his brother's, she pointedly looked away from him when he glanced at her and he smiled before glancing to his opponent. The young woman was older than most duelists he came across, women were already fairly rare but most of the ones that did duel were usually pretty young. He wasn't concerned however, glancing back to the crowd and drawing cards.

Kagome watched as the two played, she enjoyed watching Kaiba play she had to admit. At least then his sharp tongue was aimed at his opponents as opposed to her. She watched him make short work of the woman and the next person get called up. Turning her attention away when she felt someone tugging at her pant leg. Looking down to the ground beside the bleachers to see the boy that had lost to Kaiba earlier. Yugi they had kept calling him.

"Yeah?" she asked curiously. "Can I do something for you?"

"I'd like to talk to you for a moment. It won't be long but you should hear something about Kaiba if you are going to be spending time with him." Yami was in control but she couldn't know that.

"No thanks." Kagome replied with a smile. "If he wants me to know something then he'll tell me. I'm not in the habit of talking about my friends behind their backs. I don't think you mean harm or anything but I'd rather just judge for myself. Hope you enjoy the festival."

Yami just paused, surprised by the heartfelt answer, the honest girl surprising him. But he nodded, respecting her wishes and wandered off. "I think that she'll be good for Kaiba." Yugi observed. "Let's leave it alone Yami."

"I suppose it's all we can do for now." Yami answered and headed back toward their group of friends that were preparing to leave for the day. "It'll be interesting to see him at this tournament if she influences him at all."

The whole group left before the rush that would soon follow, people breaking off a little earlier than the planned end of the day with the wind picking up and the weather starting to look bad again. Everyone almost gone by the time they planned to stop anyway. Kaiba finished his final duel for the day and had to admit he didn't mind the invitation for dinner that night from Kagome's mother.

They ate through a small replay of his better moments of the day, Souta and Mokuba switching between announcing it. He didn't mind it overly much and it kept things fairly quiet otherwise. Afterward Mokuba asked if he could stay the night as he'd been invited and Kagome's mother invited Kaiba to stay as well given he'd be back early but he'd declined himself, allowing his brother the night out but making him promise to announce the next day. He spoiled him too much. He got caught up in the closing orders for the day and lost track of Kagome, he was getting ready to head for his car when he saw her ducking into one of the buildings on the property and paused to consider that.

He headed over as the rain started to fall gently again, he was just going to say goodbye after all.

When he stepped into the small building he was surprised again to see her standing near an old fashioned well that the whole thing had been constructed around. With kids about the idea of boarding it up was logical, though he didn't quite get the whole shack he was more astonished by the fact that she seemed ready to cry while watching the well. She whispered something to herself he didn't hear and traced the edge of the stone with a hand.

He didn't want to say anything now but didn't want to risk making noise while leaving either.

She started to climb up and he rushed forward to grab her hand and keep her from jumping inside. She gasped as she was drug back from the wells edge and into Seto's arms for the second time that day.

"Wha…what are you doing?"

"I should ask you that. Whatever is wrong it's not worth taking your life over." Kaiba chided her, which was comforting in his way she supposed.

"You thought…no…I wasn't trying to commit suicide." she shook her head.

"So, that leaves what you were doing." he pointed out with a raised brow.

"I used to play here a lot…the well isn't so deep that if I dropped in I would hurt myself. There is a rope that runs up it's edge so I can climb back out. I was just remembering some things…" she wasn't really sure how to explain it too him. The truth would make her seem like a crazy person.

"So why were you on the verge of tears?" He hadn't released her wrist, leaning over to look and note the ladder that she mentioned but the bottom was low enough that he couldn't see it in the poor lighting and he was still skeptical enough not to let her go.

"I…it makes me think of my father and when we played here. It was around this time of year when he died and I always remember him during the festival." she lied. Trying to force a smile. "I'm fine."

"I'd still prefer you go back in your home before I leave." He replied.

"Worried about me Seto?" she blinked as it really sunk in that he just 'saved' her from what he thought would have been her death or at least serious injury.

"No," he retorted sharply, "I just don't want the press that would come along with the suicide of some girl's family I happened to be helping at the time."

She nodded a little, wanting to ask why he was still holding her then, but she'd missed being held for so long that she wasn't about to bring it to an end any sooner than she needed too. She was hopeless but at least she was temporarily content.

Kagome said more seriously. "You meant to save me even if I didn't need it. I appreciate the sentiment greatly. Thank you Seto."

He frowned at her and pulled her away and turned to put her ahead of him on the way back out the door. "Just don't go telling people about it. They'd get the wrong idea."

"Can't have anyone thinking you might be a nice guy?" Kagome asked with a smirk as she turned back around when they got out of the building but hiding under the large roof overhang that was protecting them from what had turned into another downpour in the few minutes they were inside.

"I'm not, no reason to lie." he replied with a shrug. "I always end up getting soaked somehow whenever you are around me."

"We could wait for it to clear a bit and make a dash for the house." she suggested.

"I have some other work to accomplish tonight, I can't just waste time sitting around here." Kaiba snapped, annoyed at all the time he was losing because of this girl. Releasing her wrist when he realized he'd still been holding onto it. No wonder she keeps getting the wrong idea. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Oh. Well don't you have people that can run the business when you aren't there? You won't do your company any good if you get a cold and get sick." she pointed out with vexing accuracy. "you could use a few hours to relax if someone ever did."

"Fine, stop complaining." Kaiba demanded and pulled his phone out to dial, face returned immediately to serious at the business talk he was using.

He really meant to save me. She still tried to accept the unexpected behavior. He really is more like Inuyasha than I'd like to admit…well and Sesshomaru with that cruel attitude. But it's unfair to compare him. He's a jerk of his own level after all but I don't mind a friend that had a bit of a bad attitude sometimes.

He glanced back after hanging up the phone, looking back to see her admiring the rain while she seemed more thoughtful than sad this time. At least she was all right compared to when he'd found her inside.

"You seem to enjoy the rain if you aren't in it." Kaiba observed, glancing out at the rain. It was pretty in it's own right but he still regretted the time he was losing.

"It's nice to have even if I don't like being in it." Kagome answered with a smile. "We could sit inside the shed with the well for a while if you don't think I'm gonna hop inside."

"I should have let you last time." he rolled his eyes and moved back into the dryer room, it might of looked like a shack but it held up against the elements very well, he didn't see any of the leaks he expected too. Kagome followed him back in and sat on the small set of steps with him.

"Why do you put forth such a hard image when you aren't that bad Seto?" Kagome asked directly what she'd been thinking about.

"Don't think you are judging me correctly from a series of coincidences. You haven't even known me for a week." Kaiba replied.

"Sometimes the best view comes from a fresh perspective." Kagome countered. "You've saved me from pain or threat of pain or death more than once now. You took time from your schedule to come here and help my family. Even if you say it was all just for Mokuba, an unkind person wouldn't even make the exception of his brother."

He wanted to make her be quiet, she was starting to remind him of yugi's dorkier gang and he didn't want her to enter that category, he wouldn't be able to even think about spending time with her if she started trying to give him a speech about using his heart.

She seemed to sense his unease and smiled to herself. "It's all right. I suppose that's just how you are. I have known a few people like that and I think I can deal with your caustic attitude and still be your friend. Assuming you aren't gonna blow me off again for some reason."

He'd glance up and meet her eyes with his, unsure of how to take her offer to be his friend at his choice, shocked to be certain but not about to show it. Instead he looked away again with a smirk. "I suppose I can occasionally take time out of my schedule. You are tolerable enough to put up with for rare occasions I suppose."

End Chapter

Wow, I've written nearly 10,000 words worth of this fan-fiction today and boy was it fun! I've had a blast working on this fiction so far. This chapter was a bit fluffy but I thought it fit the characters with all that happened in the past couple chapters. Kaiba retaking his title as Master of Games (Duel Monsters in particular) and then saving or intending to save Kagome a few times. I plan to try to post at least one more chapter tomorrow before I leave for Christmas but if I don't get one up I'll have one up once I return. Hope you keep reading and always happy to hear reviews. I'd work on another chapter now but I need to sleep.

-Aura

To my reviewers:

NaokiB4U - I'm glad you enjoy the fiction so much, I hope you continue to read and enjoy it as I work through the plans I have for it and get them put into words and added to the story to read chapter by chapter.