Feb 14 2007: Author's Nonsense: I think this is going to be my actual Valentine's Day dedication - releasing it on the day and all.
End of Chapter 19:
The mocking laughter was more a bother than something the CEO took seriously, but his nearly cleared field and the overpowering monster facing him was something that would worry most duelists, nonetheless he'd come back from far worse circumstances and drew his card without much concern on his face…
Chapter 20: A Deciding Draw
He frowned, keeping a poker face in case the coward had some sort of ace up his sleeve. Shaking his head a little and shrugging. "It's fine, just a matter of time before I get you Marik. I'll lay a monster in face down defense mode and then I'll set another card face down."
"No luck for you though Kaiba?" the chuckle just made Kagome want to retreat more away from what she was witnessing, but instead she stayed. Cheering on the person across the table from her, despite whatever Marik wanted to claim aloud - she did believe in Kaiba. She just didn't want him to get hurt - it didn't mean she didn't believe he would win. His frown but then the following confidence made her a little less nervous and she bit her nails as she observed the match but wasn't able to act.
"Then this should be your last turn." Marik laughed. "First I'll use Heavy Storm to wipe your Trap and Magic cards from the field."
"Tsk, for saying I'm predictable you should have known that I have the Trap card Magic Jammer…stopping your spell cold." Kaiba replied, eyes hard and vengeful as their indigo depths didn't even blink while glaring at the man.
"No worries…one less trap to worry about later." the man shrugged again with Kagome's shoulders. "Next I'll have my monster attack yours then."
"Activating my monster Cyber Jar. You know how it works? We lose the monsters on the field and as you have nothing to sacrifice you lose your Axe of Despair as well. Next we each draw five cards, all with four stars or under we put on the field in either position and we keep all other cards in our hands." Kaiba explained as he started to draw his cards, placing another Mad Dog of Darkness, a Gemini elf, and a La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp cards in attack mode next to a face down defense card. Keeping the last card in his hand.
"Too bad for you…" Marik laughed, setting a single card in face down defense, and then four of his own attack monsters in the rest of the places on the field for monsters. Three of them Zombyra the Dark and the last one a Dark Zebra. "…I can't keep attacking now but you have a turn left before I wipe you. You'll have lasted as long as your girlfriend at least this way, rather appropriate. Take your turn."
"You think so Marik?" Kaiba asked with a cruel laugh of his own, his eyes hateful as he pushed the button to revel his trap card. "First I use my Crush Trap card…to destroy all of your face up monsters on the field. Wiping you to only the face down card that you have there. Next I will soul exchange your last monster, and along with my face down monster and my Genie I will summon Obelisk the Tormentor. Finally I'll activate the magic card: Poison of the Old Man to raise my life points back up to 2000. Nervous yet Marik?"
"Not really…I activate a favorite card of yours…the final turn trap card. Then I activate the magic card Yugi is so fond of the Swords of Revealing Light. Leaving you powerless before the next turn." Marik laughed a little.
"Stop getting ahead of yourself. First I'll activate the trap card: Seven Tools of the Bandit and pay a thousand of those life points to end your Final Turn trap card before it begins. Next I'll use my Dust Tornado to sweep away your Swords of Revealing Light. Then I'll use Obelisk the Tormentor to wipe your life points straight to zero. I suppose it's rather fitting for you to be destroyed by the very monster that you wanted to steal." Kaiba mocked the man in return. "Now return Kagome to me and be glad that I don't know where you are…you won't survive if I ever find you Marik."
"No…" Marik paused, trying to go back over everything that had happened. "No…this girl is suppose to draw all the right cards…she's got some sort of power. Who are you to defeat that? You can't avoid me forever Seto Kaiba…I will gain possession of Obelisk the Tormentor."
"Are you a liar as well as a poor loser?" Kaiba snapped at him in reply, having gotten down from his platform and heading toward where Kagome's body still stood controlled by Marik's invisible strings.
"No…I'll give you your girl back for now. If she was this easy to control this time, she won't be difficult to gain control of again. I'll return for you and your rare cards another time." Marik promised before Kagome's eyes slid shut and she fell backward from the platform, Kaiba having to run to catch her, taking the brunt of her short fall on his body as opposed to letting her come to harm there.
"Kagome!" he called, somehow sensing that Marik's presence had indeed left. Not certain what to think of his sensitivity to the disappearance. "Kagome, wake up…Higurashi can you hear me?"
"I'm okay…" she whispered weakly, raising a hand to squeeze his arm lightly. "Just really dizzy…"
"Respond to me when I talk to you." he ordered a bit harshly, then took a softer tone. "Can you walk?"
"I think so…" she coughed a little and accepted the help up gratefully, still a little woozy she wavered and he shook his head, picking her up bridal style.
"You aren't all right…did he not let you eat while he was controlling you?" Kaiba asked, showing more concern than he would have liked but too worried to bother to keep his composure at the moment. "Let's at least get you some water and something small."
"I…" she gave up, knowing that protests wouldn't mean much - and was still a little dizzy and tired to argue as she didn't really mind being back close to him. "He lied to you…I was cheering you on even though he tried to twist my concern for your well-being into a lack of faith…"
"It all worked out." Kaiba answered. "I don't need that sort of thing to succeed."
The way he just pushed off her saying she believed in him was a bit annoying but she bit her lip and rested her head on his chest instead, listening to the heartbeat below her ear. Somehow it was much harder to get annoyed when she was cradled so comfortably against him.
"You should put a little more effort in listening to the people around you." she yawned sleepily. "It might make the rest of us feel a little better if you weren't always so cold."
He paused in her bedroom, glancing down at the innocent statement and letting out a soft sigh as he settled her on one side of her bed, moving to un-tuck the other side before carrying her and putting her under the blankets. "Rest here Kagome, I'll get some food made and brought up as soon as possible."
She grabbed his arm as he started to leave and he looked back to her, starting to speak but pausing at the slightly frightened glint in her eyes - it seemed so foreign to see something like fear in her. "Don't go…" she almost begged him, lip quivering a moment. "I don't want to be alone after that…I…I'm sorry…"
He let out another soft sigh and sat down on the edge of her bed, reaching out to pet some strands of hair out of her face - a rare tender moment for the usually uncaring Seto Kaiba. Instead he drew out a cell phone and called his own kitchen to bring up what he was after, ordering them without leaving the girl he'd somehow grown attached to over the past few weeks sense he'd met her. "Better?"
She nodded, curling her body closer to him and resting her eyes, she looked far more worse when she wasn't actually being controlled. There were as heavy a circles under her eyes as Kaiba possessed…so much for returning to school the next day…they were due to be awake in about four hours and he doubted he could get even his conscious to force her into that after what had happened - or manage to get away from her…he started on a text to his secretary to let her know to tell the school he was sick the following morning and to have Yugi and his band of cheerleaders deliver their homework when they got out of school. The group would complain but he knew he could count on them to take the job seriously…it was more for Kagome than him anyway…
"You look really tired." she commented… "I…um…I'm sorry that I had something to do with pouring that water on you…you don't get enough sleep as it is."
"You weren't responsible." Kaiba waved it off. "I'd rather not think about it…these clothes are still damp…try to eat some of the food. Can I excuse myself long enough to change?"
She blushed a little when he asked and nodded as she pushed herself up to sniff at the soup that was brought - her stomach growling in response to the scent (more proof that she hadn't actually eaten much while Marik had been controlling her). She dove into the small meal while Kaiba disappeared for several minutes and returned wearing silky blue pajama's - not that the color surprised her but she was still fighting if she wanted him to stay with her…
Without him I'll never get to sleep… the realization didn't make her blush any less when he climbed into the bed and laid down on his side, propping his head up with a pillow to watch her finish eating.
"I'm just going to brush my teeth." she excused herself to her bathroom to try to make her heart stop racing. I'm not sure I'll get to sleep with him next to me at this rate.
She brushed her teeth and put some cold water on her cheeks to try to keep the red away. Washing her face off and nodding to herself with a resolved look she didn't feel as she finished up getting ready for bed and then returned to the room, smirking when she found the brunette with his eyes already closed.
I shouldn't be surprised. She admonished herself. He seemed exhausted when I was forced to wake him up so rudely earlier…I bet his bed's mattress will be unusable for a while after that little stunt.
She couldn't help but smirk just a little at the memory, her more devilish side remembering the moment for future banter battles she knew they would exchange.
I wonder what mom would say if she saw this…? Kagome pondered as she crept to turn off the light and crawled under the covers on her half of the bed. When she moved a little further into the middle Kaiba reached out and wrapped an arm around her, tugging her closer unconsciously and nuzzling into her hair with some sort of incoherent mumbles. On second thought, I never want mom to know anything about this! Does he have to be possessive of his surroundings even subconsciously! Geez!
Kagome doubted for several face burning minutes that she would be able to ever rest in this position…certainly they were going out now…and him holding her felt…right. But he was sleeping with her! Not sexually of course but there was a certain line that she somehow felt was being crossed considering the furthers they'd ever gone before was kissing some and now they were all but spooning in bed together.
Despite her many frantic thoughts, they eventually started to slow and die down - natural exhaustion taking away the edge of panic that her high morals and sensibilities were pressing onto her. It wasn't more than ten minutes before she too drifted off to unconsciousness.
Scene Switch (moving ahead - but aw wasn't that just cute!)
The next morning was groggy and Kagome didn't realize what the wonderful slight pressure holding her was until her brain caught up and reminded her of the events of the past few days. She was mostly over what had happened because of Marik - it had bothered her more yesterday likely because of just how exhausted she had been.
It wasn't as if she'd never been forced into such control before - and while she had been bound into involuntarily saying and doing things she never wanted to somehow she knew that Kaiba wouldn't hold it against her. Otherwise why would he have stayed with her after the request the night before? She had never been one to dwell on negative things and while she wasn't completely recovered either; she was already immensely better than before she'd slept.
She didn't want to move, given that Kaiba deserved the rest more than anyone she knew…but he was wrapped around her rather throughout and she had the slight problem that she needed to pee now that she was actually more fully awake.
She tried to carefully unwrap herself without alerting the young CEO but just as she was about to free herself he pulled her close again, muttering to her more words she couldn't make out and squeezing her protectively at her tenseness til she forced herself to relax a little.
How do I get myself into things like this? She asked herself, a little morbidly amused at her situation. You really are possessive even in your dreams aren't you Seto?
The fact that he just nuzzled into her hair even more made her smirk at the unwitting answer to her unspoken question, she started the process over once he seemed to relax again and managed to get her way free by giving him a pillow to grab in her stead.
Three cheers for me! She congratulated herself on the brilliant bedding bluff before she scooted stealthy to the bathroom to relieve herself after the small battle to freedom. Though I'm not sure I'd want to try to wrestle that pillow away from him now.
She finished her business and washed her hands and brushed her teeth again before figuring that it was likely too late for much but going back to bed and she was never one to argue when it came to sleeping in and wasn't going to complain about the idea after the whole ordeal from the previous weekend.
She returned to find that Kaiba had ditched the pillow and looked a little vexed in his slumber…she paused to watch him for a while…smiling…though it didn't take long for the call of the warm blankets as opposed to the cool tile floor got her to crawl back into the bed.
It seemed to be on cue as soon as she'd settled that he nestled himself closer to her this time and back into much the same tangled position that they had started in when she woke up. She had to smile a little at his behavior though - glad that he cuddled as opposed to shoving her away.
"Mmmm…" it seemed he was finally stirring himself after all the activity and she craned her neck to look at him as he opened those entrancing sapphire eyes. "Kagome?"
"Good morning." she offered with a gentle smile. "You sleep all right?"
"How long have we been sleeping?" he asked with just a small slur - even just waking he managed to keep himself nearly fully articulate.
"Not sure." she answered honestly, watching him watch her back.
"Okay." he offered shortly before closing his eyes again, apparently the answer wouldn't have mattered cause he seemed more content to continue to snuggle and try to return to dreamland. Pulling her closer again and muttering with barely audible volume. "…you smell good."
Kagome stifled a laugh but couldn't help but chuckle some at the strange behavior from the normally straight-manned Kaiba brother. She was so used to him being rigid that she was a little perplexed by his soft underbelly. That was until whatever she'd said finally sunk in and he nearly shoved her out of bed as she jumped up to look at the clock…a moan following his reading of it's hands.
End Chapter
Whew, now that I got more inspiration for this again, I'm moving it right along again…which I guess is a pretty good thing. I hope that people don't give up on me and stop reviewing right away. I've gotten more feedback in the last week than the whole time I've been writing this fiction and all the positive commentary is what got me interested in continuing it again. Remember: reviews inspiration.
-Aura
To my reviewers:
Shiori The Lady Kazekage - I am not attracted to Marik personally heh - must be all the wrinkles and such when he goes all super nuts mode. Of course - Kaiba has emotional problems and he's pretty nifty so yeah - quite a few of the cuter characters seem to have issues. Not a far cry from the real world really ;)
Kage Otome - Yes, Marik used Kagome's deck augmented with cards of his own. Had Kaiba lost the duel yes he would have become another puppet. Though that didn't happen so Kagome didn't have to break free and save him.
Viper - well wait no more ;)
Kurama'sFoxyMiko - Naw Mokuba is off trying to keep warm and I can't see Yugi and friends just wandering into Kaiba's mansion in the middle of the night heh.
Oribe Junpei - Yep - yay! I thought the way Kaiba shot him a couple times was very Seto like of him - and I'm not the largest Bakura fan just cause everyone goes too crazy over him and it bugs me. I guess I could try to move this to the Inuyasha category but it seems like it more belongs in Yu-gi-oh as there is more of that anime's universe than the Inuyasha one. (Which is why I put it here to begin with.)
I'm glad you enjoyed reading last chapter and hope you continue to like the story. Yeah Mokuba is always getting a little screwed - but like Kagome that's sort of in character for the young lad.
No, Kaiba didn't lose or yes he would have lost his title again - at least the way I would have written it. He did rescue Kagome all by his loan some! giggle Poor guy was exhausted too…and still kicked Marik's butt. Though I don't see a love triangle anytime soon - at least not with Bakura or Marik hint giggle Keep reading!
S. T. Nickolian - Seto did win - of course he did silly guy! I am all updated for you!
Cowgirlkitten2000 - Shippou and Kouga should still be alive but I doubt I'll be tossing in either of the other two demons at the moment. I'm pretty content so far with how things have turned out…not saying that it's a never - there will be more characters from InuYasha still introduced ;)
Tashio - Yeah - Kaiba would just look at everyone funny if Kagome mentioned what he had done - or ignore them completely - actually lets go with the ignore part - fits him more. Though yeah - I'd be all for Kaiba saving me all shiny and knight-like le sigh…well dare to dream anyway. Keep reading!
Darkmoon99 - Heh, well you got to see…yes, and yes. Seto beat Marik and Kagome got set free…but man there are more problems and drama ahead.
Chaotic Rei - Yeah Mokuba is always getting kidnapped somehow! Yes Seto won - of course he won giggle Reviews do help make me more cheery about getting more chapters out. Hope you continue to enjoy the fiction.
Larkagurl12 - I've said before that I don't know for sure if I will add Shippou or not but I try not to write fictions simply by ideas given by reviewers - Generally I have an overall idea in mind and if something ends up fitting in then I use it and if it doesn't then I don't. shrugs I think it's better to listen to my instinct on following the overall plan than to give into a few requests and possibly mess up my own idea ;) It's not that I couldn't completely come up with a way to add Shippou but more I have no reason to add him at this time. This fiction is for Kaiba and Kagome - and I want to keep the feel of that. Not (Kaiba and Kagome plus friends). I'm glad that you support my fiction but my maybe is gonna stay maybe ;)
YamiNoKiba - You are welcome. She initially couldn't be controlled by Marik - she got controlled here because she lost a shadow game. That was the whole purpose behind him challenging her to it. Not to mention for the first period that he held control (the weekend) he weakened her body (which helped weaken her ability to fight later on). The reason I made her have to be released was because the reason she'd gotten controlled was because of a shadow game (something in Yugioh that allowed characters to steal souls away). I wasn't trying to make Kagome weaker and even had her completely resist until the villian reverted to that tactic. I'm sorry if you feel that wasn't enough but for me it seemed to work pretty well. I hope you keep reading anyway.
Yue Hime - She only did the once - and that was prior to him enacting the shadow game (a very dark thing from the Yugioh series really that was more powerful than most of the mind control that had been pressed upon her before. It's not actually her willing her body to move but more like she's watching from further off while her body is moved for her - it doesn't fall under the same circumstances as any time in the show.