Chapter 9

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Kaiba really wanted to travel to the next island, but night was just around the corner and he was completely exhausted. Serenity didn't look any better as well, making their stay in the island one night longer. He moved to sit on the beach and winced as his arm stung. It was better as a muscular problem, but there was still a rather large gash along his forearm. It hadn't healed properly, with the salt water and constant need to use it. As a matter of fact, he had noticed a dull stinging constantly throbbing ever since he first was submerged in the water. He was able to block most of it out, but now that he was trying to relax, it proved more annoying and loud than before.

"Kaiba... you're bleeding." Serenity pointed out, drawing further attention to the injury. He glanced down and lifted his sleeve. The salt water had dried out the skin, making it crack and bleed. He needed to clean the thing. She reached down and gently pulled at the hurt arm, not touching the wound but helping him to a standing position. She led him into the forest, where the small creek fed into the pond and knelt next to it. Out of her pocket, she pulled a few of the strips of cloth that she used on Ember before out.

She dipped them into the freshwater and ringed them out, one by one. Finally she tugged at his hand, pulling him down next to her and dabbed at the open gash. She used two of them to clean away the salt, sand, dirt and blood, then the other to tie it off. Why hadn't he thought of that? He could have used a strip of fabric from his own shirt. It would have been a softer material and it wouldn't itch like hers did. He glanced down at his arm again. It didn't sting like before. It actually felt a lot better. His eyes wandered over the girl, who was now washing his blood out of the strips she had left and putting them away in her pocket. She leaned back, now finished and smiled up at him.

"Better?" She asked, still smiling. He slowly nodded and turned back to the beach where he could hear the water dragon thrashing about, upset about his absence. She giggled and started back to the shore, pausing for him to catch up. She was so... happy. Innocent. Kind... blood rushed to his cheeks as he mentally barred himself from thinking about her that way. He didn't need a woman around. He didn't need anything. Though... he couldn't lie, in this lighting... she was rather... attractive. As they neared the waterline, he slipped off his famous silver jacket and hung it over his arm.

Serenity stopped and breathed in the crisp clean air and turned to him. The dragon had settled and was now playing with the turtle like creature in the waves. Kaiba fanned out his jacket, laying it onto the beach as he's done several times before. His eyes never left hers and she ended up looking away cautiously, facing the sea. She glanced down and bent, readying to sit on the cool beach sand, but he was suddenly behind her. His heart raced as he could feel the warmth from her body. Her eyes snapped up to his and he raised one brow.

"Here, sit." He said, guiding her to the jacket. After placing her, he also sat, eyes locked on her. The moonlight cast a slight glow against her skin and he lifted his hand to brush away some stray hairs, but he paused. What was he doing? He shouted and yelled at himself for even entertaining the notion of intimacy with her, but finally his mind retorted with a simple "screw it" and he sighed. He tangled his fingers in her fiery hair and pulled her chin up as he stared into her wide eyes. She didn't pull away as he leaned into her, pressing his lips against hers and making her gasp.

When they parted his mind cried out for him to get a grip. She was just a girl. No, worse, she was a Wheeler. But she was so soft... and she tasted sweet and fresh. His brain was warring with itself inside his skull, but his body moved on it's own. He kissed her again, then again, tender and gentle, unlike any other time before. When they finally broke apart he opened his eyes and saw that she had yet to open hers. She let out a stuttered breath and he smiled. He had her. She was easily under his charm. But he had to stop. He couldn't do more. Not with her. No matter how nice she felt. No matter how good he felt with her.

"K-Kaiba..." He heard her whisper. Her voice had something musical in it. Something he wasn't used to. She was just so different than the girls he was used to... or maybe this was just a product of him being separated from society for too long. He glanced down and couldn't help but smirk, rising from his spot next to her.

"You should get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow." He said, moving to the waters and petting the dragon that swam to meet him. Serenity blushed as she laid down and her hands ran over the silk lining of his coat. She breathed in deeply as sleep started to take over. Her last thought as she fell into the lull of slumber was how much the jacket underneath her smelled like him.

The morning light woke her as a fresh mist from a crashing wave kissed her skin. She yawned and stretched, sitting up and glancing about. She didn't see Kaiba anywhere, nor did she see the dragon or turtle-thing. She was about to call out when a pile of fruit fell next to her. She turned and Kaiba stood over her, slightly out of breath. He knelt down next to her and pushed the fruit onto his jacket. She moved off of it, allowing him to wrap the fruit in the coat and tie it off.

"For the trip, just in case." He explained, lifting the bundle and moving towards the water. She glanced down at her pokeballs, knowing how well her Pidgy could collect fruit, then back at him. The sun was barely up. He must have either woken very early or not slept, either way it would have been better with some help.

"You should have woken me, I would have helped." He paused for a moment and turned to look at her. There was something playful in his eyes as he smirked. She could tell something was different with him. He seemed warmer, not as distant or mean. She still didn't know why he had kissed her, but it was something she hadn't felt before. His warmth, his gentle touch, his soft lips... she had only ever seen him as something to be fears. Someone who didn't care for much other than himself and his brother. She knew there was more to him, but he never wanted to show anyone that, and she respected it. Now it was all different.

"It's done now." He said, still smirking as he strode into the water. "Come on." He called to her, then put his hand in his mouth and let out a loud whistle. The dragon tore through the ocean, making it's way speedily to him and finally lowered it's head and let him climb on. He reached down towards Serenity, offering his hand to her and letting her climb on behind him. She hugged his waist securely and he instructed the dragon to swim towards the nearest island. The ride had some bumps in the turbulent waters, but they were able to safely cross. The beach they landed on showed obvious signs of life and they glanced at each other excitedly.

Calls for their friends started immediately as they dismounted. Though, the closer they got to the inlaid forest, the more agitated the dragon became in the water. Kaiba stopped and stared back at it frustratedly, then started for it. Serenity decided to wait where she was and watch from a distance, wanting to follow him, but figuring he had everything under control.

"If you really cant stand being away from me, get in the ball." He said, holding it out. The dragon paused, looking at the thing. It had seen Kaiba release and call back the other sea pokemon several times, but this one was never in one. "If not, I'm just going to leave you here." He said threateningly. That did the trick. The beast leaned forward and tapped the ball, willingly entering it of it's own accord and Kaiba was able to turn back away and start again towards the forest.

Serenity moved behind him, allowing him the lead as they followed the trails into the island. They called and called, waiting for any sign of response as they moved. This island was longer but thinner than the other. From the center they could see the ocean on both sides through the trees. They continued up the length of it and in the distance could see the end of the strip of land. Serenity glanced up at him wondering where the "life forms" they had seen sign of were. There had been no pokemon at all atop this island and she was beginning to think it was some sort of a joke.

Before she could voice these concerns a dark hole caught her attention and she stopped. Kaiba paused a moment later, wondering if she had spotted something important and turned to the direction she was facing. It was a small hole in the earth, big enough for a person to fit in, but small enough to be easily concealed. He started towards it and she let him lead once again, but as he stepped over the ground to close the distance, it seemed to sink beneath him. It wasn't until she screamed that he knew what had happened. He weakened the ground beneath them and it could no longer hold Serenity's weight. She was falling in.

He stopped and spun on the spot, reaching for her, but their combined weight was enough to bring him down as well. They both finally hit solid ground and Serenity let out a pain filled 'Omf!' from under him. He lifted himself immediately, trying not to further injure her and she squirmed beneath him. He had heard the crunch sound her back made when they landed, and he pulled her up, looking it over. He moved to lift the back of her shirt and she pushed at him harshly.

"No!" She cried, but froze as he did. "I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean it! I just..." She tried but he shook his head.

"Never mind." He lifted himself, put off from helping someone who didn't want it. He was trying to do something kind for a change, and as he had imagined, he was only ever pushed away. Fine. If she didn't want his help, he wouldn't offer it anymore.

"Kaiba, wait." Against his will, his body did. "It's not that I don't appreciate it, I just..." She hugged her mid section, looking vulnerable and shy. He could almost see her shaking. "I cant... even if you're just trying to help, I cant." He had a sinking feeling in his gut at what could be causing her to act this way.

"I'm not going to hurt you." He said frustratedly, turning his body to face her. She looked up at him with fear in her eyes and confused him. He slowly moved to her and circled his arms around her. She was pressed against his chest as he slowly lifted the shirt off of her back. He was positioned so he was not able to see anything too revealing, just her back. He felt her fingers clench around his shirt as hers rose higher and higher, but he had to stop. A large ugly scar marred her otherwise soft and smooth skin. He continued to raise the shirt, uncovering more and more of them until finally he found the fresh gash.

She had landed on a sharp rock and there was still dirt embedded in the skin. It would become infected if left untreated. His fingers grazed one of the scars and she shivered and moved from his touch, pressing against him more as she avoided his hands. Her body was trembling and he could almost feel the fear coming out of her as she began to hyperventilate.

"Shh. Breath. Just breath." He said gently to her. She began to breath more deeply, listening to him as he lowered her shirt. They didn't have any clean water with them, so there was little he could do. Even though she was now covered and moving away from him, the image of the scars remained etched in his mind. He knew the pains of abuse and cruelty, but his abuser knew better than to leave a mark. Hers... didn't seem to care.

"Kaiba?" A voice called from behind and he jumped away from her. It was Tea. Serenity rose and ran to her, giving her a big hug. She was obviously much more comfortable with women then men, making him wonder if maybe... no... He was annoying but not... It couldn't be Joey. The very thought made him want to punch something. Family was supposed to take care of each other. She glanced at him and he froze. There was something haunting in her eyes. He wanted to be near her again. To tell her it was alright.

"Hey, you found people!" He heard Yugi's voice call. His body straightened and he turned to face his rival. "Kaiba, Serenity, It's so good to see other people." He said slightly out of breath as he finished running up to them from deep within the cave. "Are you ok?" He asked, noting the small amount of blood on the ground.

"I'm fine, just had a hard fall." Serenity said with a smile. Kaiba wondered how she could rapidly switch between absolute fear and a kind smile, but remembered when he had been going through the torments of his adoptive father, how he would switch between the terror and a cold and icy exterior, uncaring and unfeeling. The part that confounded him the most was, she was able to fake a smile throughout it. He could barely handle being able to feel.

"Oh, let me help you with that." Tea Said, grabbing one of her pokeballs and releasing a small blue seahorse creature. "Hey, can I have a little clean water?" She asked it and it complied, spraying a gently stream of water out. "Boys leave." Tea said, standing between Serenity and the males. Kaiba could see her staring at him, worry returning to her features. He tilted his head and shot her a look, letting her know she would have to make a move if she wanted him to do something about it.

"Actually," Serenity started, gaining the attention of everyone else. She was having a difficult time with her words, so Kaiba moved around Tea and stood beside her. Yugi and Tea looked between themselves, then back to the two in front of them.

"She'd be more comfortable with me assisting." He said for her, not patient enough to wait. Tea looked at him incredulously, then to her.

"Is... that so?" She asked and Serenity nodded. Tea and Yugi moved around a bend, leaving the two alone with Tea's seahorse. Kaiba asked it to provide more water and cleaned her up.

"Who did it?" He finally asked. He needed to know. People who did this sort of thing to other people needed to be stopped. The girl in front of him remained silent as he finished and lowered the clothing over her. "Who?" He repeated, knowing she wouldn't answer unless prompted more. She couldn't bring herself to face him, but she didn't have to. He reached around and cupped her cheek, turning her head to him.

"I... I cant..." She said, trying to escape his grip. He kneeled next to her and pulled her closer.

"Kaiba, what are you doing?" Tea called, peeking around the bend. He didn't look back at her.

"Can we have a moment?" He asked frustratedly.

"No. What makes you think we trust you?" Tea said as she waltzed up to him and yanked on his arm. Kaiba winced visibly as she grabbed his wound.

"No, be careful!" Serenity cried, pulling it gently back towards her and out of Tea's surprised grip. She lifted his sleeve and checked the wound. It had re-opened, but was still clean. She re-bandaged it with the now loose strip of cloth and fixed his sleeve over it. Tea was thoroughly confused and continuously glanced between the two. They seemed to be in their own little world.

"Serenity, I need to talk to you." She said, glaring up at Kaiba as he rose. He sneered at her and turned away, moving towards Yugi.

"We're not done." Kaiba said to the sitting girl as he left. She didn't know what she wanted to avoid more. Her talk with Tea or the one with Kaiba. Either way, she was stuck.

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So that brings an end to the epic upload massacre of 2012! please dont forget to review! Toodles!

Read, Review, Enjoy~Love ya!