"I'm home!" Umi called into the game shop as she walked through the door. The building was uncharastically dark for the time of day, but since it was still the day of the Grand Prix, Umi assumed that the normal customers might be off doing other things. She jogged up the stairs at the back of the building and called out into the main living area of the place she now called home. Yugi, their grandfather and his live-in girlfriend sat in hushed conference around the table.
"I'm home." she said again in a normal tone of voice as she entered the living room.
"Oh thank goodness!" Ms. Takanada clutched her chest in relief. Yugi sprang to his feet and embraced his sister.
"What did that Kaiba fellow do to you?" Her grandfather asked accusingly.
"Seto took me to the doctor to get me checked out." She looked at the old man who had no love for the man she cared for so deeply. He huffed before he sipped his tea once more. "He also had me file a report, well sort of, about what happened."
"The doctor?" Yugi asked. Worry flitted on his face. Umi nodded.
"Seto wants me to press charges for my assault."
"But it wasn't Bakura's fault!"
"I know, so I didn't." She met his worry with a smile in an attempt to set him at ease. "I know it wasn't his fault, but Seto doesn't believe that. And, um. you'll forgive me if I'm not too keen on being around him for a while, right?"
Bakura had been his friend since before Duel Monsters had seemingly taken over Yugi's life. Umi knew how much his friends meant to Yugi and hated that one of their faces was now tied to such darkness in her memories.
"I understand, I guess. But Bakura is Bakura again. The darkness is... gone."
"Didn't you say that the last time?" She crossed her arms over her chest as she looked at him. He had told her about the other times the darkness had seemed to consume his friend-both on the island and during the battles in the sky. After his defeat, the darkness had seemed to fade from him, but it always seemed to find a way to return as well.
Yugi rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nearvously.
"I guess I have. But I think he's gone for good now."
"I don't know. Until that ring is gone, I don't feel quite safe. He still has it, doesn't he?"
Yugi stopped to think and then rushed to the case that Mokuba had given him containing the Millenium Items. He laid the large black box on the table and popped the locking mechanism open. Gold glittered from within the foam inserts. Yugi looked at the items contained within.
"Rod, necklace, eye..." He closed the box. "The ring is missing."
Umi shivered.
"So the darkness still has him."
"But we defeated him. We defeated Zorc." Yugi popped the locks shut with a loud snap that echoed the frustration in his voice.
"Perhaps. Maybe the evil is drained from the ring, but why would Bakura take it?"
"I don't know."
"What are you two talking about?" Their grandfather asked after trying to follow the conversation and failing.
"I'll get some snacks." Ms. Takanada offered before shuffling to the kitchen. Yugi and Umi settled into seats next to each other. They sighed simultaneously before launching into the story of what happened while the old man played in the tournament and afterward.
It had grown late as they were relaying the tale. Dinner came and went and the twins kept talking. Umi found herself yawning and wrapping herself in the blanket that had been draped along the back of the seat. As Yugi was describing the final battle before they all woke up in the warehouse, Umi shot to her feet.
"Dammit, I forgot." She ran to pick up the telephone. She froze as she held the receiver to her ear. After a second of contemplation, she began hunting for her cell phone. She muttered as she scurried to her room to look for it. She searched her pockets and the table top, but the device was nowhere to be found.
"What are you looking for?" Yugi broke off from the story to ask.
"My phone. I promised Seto that I would go back over there, but I got distracted, so I figured that I could at least call him. Only his number is in my cell phone which I can't find." She looked around the room with her hands on her hips. "I don't remember having it at the warehouse either."
"But you called Kaiba with it before we left to find you."
Umi rubbed her temples and her eyes as she fought for the memory to return. So much of the time from meeting Bakura in the cafe to waking up in Egypt was foggy and obscured beyond remembrance.
"Ugh, why don't I remember?" She sighed angrily. Yugi looked at her compassionately as she flopped back down on the seat. His voice seemed to echo in her mind, reminding her that she knew exactly why she could not remember. "I guess you don't know his number?" She looked over at her brother who shook his head, then crinkled his brow in thought.
"I think I have Mokuba's though."
"Great!" Umi jumped up from the seat and scurried to the house phone once more.
Seto had paced the house, from room to room throughout the afternoon. He had resisted Mokuba's suggestions to check on the numbers from the tournament, and Roland's suggestions to take a break. He couldn't focus on any of that, not while she was gone. He yawned repeatedly as he continued his circuit and Mokuba started in on him once more.
The tournament seemed like a lifetime ago, yet it had only ended a few hours earlier. Mokuba insisted on reading him the numbers each time he walked through the office that he kept at the estate. He heard his little brother's voice, but his mind refused to make sense of what he was saying. Instead, it kept replaying his confrontations with the darkness that had possessed Bakura. At least that was what Umi thought it was. He was sure that Yugi thought the same, that some supernatural force had taken over their friend and forced him to do what he did.
Seto knew better. He knew that it didn't take a supernatural power, a demon or an evil god for a human to go bad. He had seen enough human generated evil to know that anyone could do anything if pushed hard enough. He had been pushed to that breaking point several times in his life, but he suspected that Yugi had limited experience on the matter. Whether it was Bakura or the spirit that everyone was convinced had possessed him, one thing he said rang true to Seto. Everyone has darkness within them; everyone is capable of unspeakable things.
Seto passed through the loop once more. He held a hand up as he passed Mokuba, letting the preteen know that he was not listening, but that he would tackle it later. He could sense Mokuba's resignation as he tossed the tablet on the desk and flopped onto the couch in front of the massive panel of monitors. The Dragon Ball theme song echoed through the room as Seto passed into the next one.
He stopped when he realized he was in the dining room. It was rarely used now that Gozaburo was gone. He certainly had no use for it, except for one small cabinet that sat unassuming in the corner. He walked around the long table and opened the elegantly carved piece. He had sworn to Mokuba and to Roland that he would stop. As such, Roland had not bothered to restock the whiskey he had polished off a couple of months ago. Was it a couple of months ago? Or only a couple of weeks? Seto rubbed his eyes as he tried to make sense of his jumbled understanding of time. Everything seemed off somehow and he could not explain it. He leaned over to examine the contents of the cabinet. There was not much left now that Gozaburo was not ordering for it to be kept well stocked. He could request that too, but he could not break his promise to Mokuba.
Still, he could really use a drink. He picked up a bottle of vodka and frowned as he noticed that it was only half full.
"It'll do." He picked up the bottle and a glass. As he tossed the clear liquid down the back of his throat, he could feel his anxiety melting away with the slight burn the liquor traced through him. He had not realized how anxious he had become as he paced, waiting for her to return. He poured himself another glass and took it, and the bottle, to his room.
He was already swaying a bit as he pushed the heavy door opened. He looked up at the bed and for a moment saw her, laying there with the blankets pulled up to her chin. He shook his head and the image of her vanished. He took the bottle and glass to a small reading area he had set up near the window. He pulled back the drapes and noticed that the sun was setting. The sky was painted in pinks and purples. He yawned again, wondering if he should maybe give her a call. He drained the glass as he patted his pockets in search of his phone. It was nowhere to be found.
"Shit."
He began looking over the surfaces of the meticulously kept room. The device was far more than a phone. It was his lifeline, his portable office. He looked under tables, under the bed, in the blankets that had enshrouded her during the visit with the doctor.
Nothing.
He looked through the dressing room where he had stormed to when he hadn't like the direction her conversation with the doctor was heading.
Nothing.
He closed his eyes and sighed, trying to retrace his steps, but the buzz from the vodka was making it difficult to think. He pressed the button on the intercom system that they rarely used anymore.
"Sir?" A voice sounded on the other side after several of his attempts to make contact. "Is something wrong?" It was one of the house servants.
"Is Roland still here?"
"Yes, Sir. Shall I send him to you?"
"Please."
A few minutes later, the older man that had been part bodyguard, part big brother to him entered the room. He frowned as he glanced at the bottle, now empty, on the table.
"Roland, I can't find my phone." Seto's voice held an edge of panic that had been with him most of the day. It was just now creeping out into the open. "Did you see it in the car?"
"No sir, but I can go look. Are you sure you had it with you?" Roland began to ask but quickly shut his mouth when Seto shot him a look. "Of course, Sir. I will go look now."
Seto collapsed onto the bed, his dilated eyes trying to trace the patterns in the ceiling above. He turned his head to look at where she had sat, not too long ago. They had argued and she had been angry when she left. But she also said that she loved him, even though she was angry. He wasn't certain how she could feel both. All he knew now was that he missed her. She had promised that she would come back. He thought she meant soon, but it was dark now outside, and he was growing worried. The liquor hadn't helped matters any. He rolled over and curled himself into a ball, wishing that he was curling around her. Everything had gone all topsy turvy and he could not make sense of it. He wanted to believe that what they had experienced was real, if only for how much closer he had grown to Umi, and how much more intense their relationship had all evidence pointed otherwise.
He clutched a pillow, imagining it was her slight form enfolded in his arms. It wasn't the same as what he remembered and it certainly was not what he wanted.
"Sir, I could not find your phone." Roland poked his head through the door after knocking gently. "But I did find something else."
"What is it?" Seto did not bother to lift his head from the bed. After a moment's hesitation, Roland entered and handed him a small orangish pink device. "The police found it with some woman's clothes at the scene. Mokuba says it belongs to Miss Muto."
Seto sat up suddenly, making his head swim. He closed his eyes in an effort to make the world stop swirling. He took the phone from Roland's outstretched hand and caressed it gingerly. At least it was part of her. Maybe he could get in touch with her using it, he thought, but when he opened the cover on the case, he found that it was locked. It would take time to hack into it. He could do it, but he figured that it might be a little extreme to do so just to call her.
"So what happened to my phone?" he wondered aloud. He remembered using it in the dream world as a portable duel disk server. He remembered having to leave it when he separated Umi from Neferet. He chewed his lip as he considered the possibility that it was left there somehow.
"I cannot say, Sir. I will have someone go over the warehouse with a fine toothed comb looking for it." Roland suggested.
Seto chewed the inside of his lip. He did not think they would find it there, but if it was simply missing, he could not afford for it to fall into the hands of his enemies. Too much of his work was on there, and accessing the company servers would be far too easy for someone who got ahold of it.
"Fine. In the meantime, I'll need to lock it out of the server." He swayed as he stood and walked to the desk on the other side of the massive bedroom. He still carried Umi's cell phone in his hand. He placed it next to him as he sat down and tried to log in to the computer. He stared at the screen for a long time, a frown creasing his face. Nothing on the screen made sense. All of the letters were blurred.
"Great." He muttered. "Roland, can you read this?"
"It's the log in screen, Sir."
"Right." He tried typing in the correct commands to gain access to the computer, but failed. He tried a biometric scan, but it also failed. "Well, this is perfect."
"Sir, You're drunk. I'm sure it can wait until morning?"
"Um. Maybe." He stared at the light of the screen and chewed his lip. "Ugh, I hate vodka."
A song started playing randomly, startling him. Seto took a moment to realize that it was Umi's cell phone ringing. He picked it up and answered tentatively.
"Hello?"
Umi sighed in frustration. Yugi did not have Mokuba's phone number as he had thought. Or if it was the right number, no one was answering. She let out a little yell of frustration as she hung the phone up once more.
"I told him I would come back soon, but it's too late now, and I can't even call him because I don't have my phone." She kicked the wall for good measure.
"Have you tried calling it?" Yugi suggested.
"I can't, his number is in my phone."
"Your phone, silly."
"What?"
"Have you tried calling your phone to find out where it is?"
Umi slapped herself in the forehead.
"I'm an idiot."
Yugi chuckled as she picked up the receiver once more on their grandfather's archaic device. This time, she dialed her own number.
"Come on, come on, come on. Someone pick up." She danced and muttered impatiently.
She gasped at the familiar voice on the other end that had picked up.
"Seto?"
"Umi."
"You found my phone?"
"Um, yeah, Roland said they found it and some of your other things. I have them if you want to get them."
Umi sighed in relief.
"Yeah, but it's too late for me to come out right now."
"That's fine."
Umi thought his voice sounded different. It was still obviously him, but something about it was off. She wondered if he was still upset.
"So, um. I need to get your jacket back to you too."
"Oh, right. Um, do you want to get together tomorrow? Meet me for lunch?"
Umi felt a grin spread across her face.
"Sure."
"Alright. Well, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay." she giggled.
"Bye. Oh wait. What's the pin to unlock your phone?"
"Huh? Why?"
"No reason. Mine's gone missing and I... I wanted to listen to some music to go to sleep." His voice was a conspiratorial whisper. Umi raised an eyebrow, thinking there was something definitely different about him.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Huh? Yeah. I might be a little drunk though." She heard a snort on the other end. "Shush Roland." He said before turning his attention back to her. "You sure you can't come over now?"
She imagined him, his face flushed red, eyes dilated, and a silly grin on his face. She wondered just how different his face would look to her in this state. From what she could hear, he was far less inhibited that he normally was, but she could also tell that he was lonely.
"Yeah, I'm sure." She could hear the loneliness more distinctly when he sighed. "It's 2211."
"What is?"
"My unlock code, silly." She smiled. She was not sure why she told him. She'd never shared her code with anyone except her mother. Even Yugi couldn't get into the device. She kept many of her deepest thoughts buried inside the device. She had just given him the key. She wondered what he would make of what he might find.
"Oh." He took a moment before repeating it back to her. She nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her. "Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Good night, Seto."
"Good night." She could hear him breathing on the other end of the line as he lingered. She did not want to hang up either.
"Ok, Bye." she said after a long lingering moment as she finally hung up the receiver. She turned her back against the wall wishing she could have gone back to him. As she closed her eyes, she was painfully aware of the hole within her heart, the hole that only he seemed able to fill. She was lonely too, longing to be with him, but when she opened her eyes, her grandfather's disapproving stare. She hung her head and scurried off to her room. She could not fight a battle with him right now. She had gone through enough for one day.
Seto stared at the phone in his hand. It was a dead, lifeless thing now that her voice was no longer emanating from it. He could not take his eyes from it as he made his way back to the bed.
"Roland, see if Mokuba can do the lock out on my lost phone." Seto flopped onto the large bed, sinking into the covers as he entered the code that unlocked Umi's world to him. He scrolled through various applications, many of which were for some sort of social media, but that had largely gone unused in recent weeks. He tried to flip back to one of the programs he had opened previously, but could not find a back button.
"Stupid iphones." he muttered under his breath as he finally figured out how to accomplish the task he had been attempting to do. He grumbled as he searched for her music library. He eventually found her Pandora app, which he launched. He turned the volume low as he listened to the stations she had created. He marveled at the diversity of her taste, which ranged from J-pop to soft jazz and everything in between. He especially enjoyed the chillstep station that she used. He closed his eyes and leaned back, wishing she was with him, as it played. He grunted as he sat up, frustrating mounting due to her absence.
"I should have told her," he grumbled to himself as he flipped through the applications on her phone once more. "Where's the damn voice recorder? Aha." He activated the application and began to speak.
"Umi, I..." He started, as the soft music provided the perfect counterpoint for his emotions.
Umi turned around several times as she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked far more cute than she had even attempted recently. She was happy that it had started to grow warm as the soft peach sundress fit her amazingly. She smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't just look cute; she looked hot. She had not thought much of the dress when Ms. Takanada had insisted that she try it on during their shopping trip, but it had fit well and she had let the older woman talk her into picking it up. After all, it had been on clearance since it was off season. Now, paired with a pair of cute heels and a pale blue sweater and belt, she was extremely grateful for the older woman's excellent taste. The colors set off the blue and purple highlights in her black hair as she flipped the short strands near her ear. She slipped a simple headband into her hair and pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose.
Seto had not said that their lunch date was an actual date, but she was not going to pass up any opportunity to spend time with the busy CEO.
"And maybe, if I look this cute, I'll just win a little more of his time than he intended." She grinned to herself, her pink lips spreading wide across her face. She nodded once before turning and retrieving a bag that had the hoodie she came home in the night before. Part of her was disappointed in herself that she had not been able to wash it before returning it, and another part of her was disappointed that she could not just keep it for herself. It was soft and warm and smelled like him. She had worn it to sleep that night because she missed his touch hence the lack of washing. She hoped he would not mind.
She practically danced down the stairs to the shop. Yugi was working behind the counter. Joey was on the other side of the glass boxes that held the shop's most valuable, or easily thieved merchandise.
"You're in a good mood." He looked up from his attempt to inventory the card packs in the glass case. "Whoa." He blushed when he saw her.
"Where's Grandpa?" She leaned on the counter, crossing her arms as she did so. She could feel the eyes of both young men on her.
"What happened to you?" Yugi asked. "You look... amazing."
Umi laughed.
"A little make-up and styled hair, and suddenly everyone thinks you're a beauty queen. Where's Grandpa?"
"Oh. He went to the post real quick. Why?"
"I kind of have a date. And I would like to be out of here before I have to go in front of the interrogation squad."
"You're meeting Kaiba?" Joey asked. Umi only smiled in response. "Of course you are. Gramps is still up in arms about that?"
"You have no idea how pissed he will be." Yugi said. "He was livid that she went home with him yesterday."
"I swear it was only because he wanted to make sure I got checked out. Apparently, he has an issue with doctors. He doesn't trust any of them except his own."
"So he took you to see his private physician?" Joey looked at her with skepticism until she nodded. "Man, that dude's weird."
"Anyway, I have to go." She slid toward the door.
"Umi, wait. The police brought some of your things back this morning." Yugi lifted up the bag she had used as a purse the day prior and placed it on the counter. Umi looked at the large white tote.
"I guess I left it at the cafe?" She wondered aloud.
"Yeah, they said a waitress founded it. But your phone wasn't in there, only your ID, so they called the police about it. They were suspicious, because they said you didn't seem to be all there when you left with Bakura."
Umi flinched at the sound of his name.
"Anyway, here it is. Your wallet is in there too."
"Oh great. I need that." She reached into the depths of the bag and retrieved a small green wallet. She opened it up to find her ID card, her California driver's license, and her entrance badge for Kaiba Corporation. She also noted that she had a little cash still in the pocket. She zipped the case back up and slipped it into the smaller orange bag that she had slung across her body.
"Thanks, little brother." She kissed him on the cheek from across the counter.
"By five minutes." He argued as she slipped out of the door.
Now that Umi stared up at the monolith that was the Kaiba Corporation headquarters, she recognized how nervous she was. She tried to tell herself that it was not the first time she and Seto had met each other on a date, and that it was not even the first time she had seen him at his office. But somehow, because she was not entirely certain if he had intended their meeting to be a date, she was frozen in fear. She instinctively reached for Neferet for strength. She called out for the spirit that had until so recently made a home within her soul but she was met with silence.
"That's right," she muttered to herself, feeling a fresh wave of grief suddenly strike her. "Neferet's gone." She looked up at the building again as she found her courage and began climbing the steps. She flashed her badge to the security guard at the building's entrance. The burly man, the same man who had been on duty the last time she showed up here, smiled at her as he waved her through the metal detector.
"Good morning, Ms. Muto."
"Good morning. I'm surprised you remember me."
The guard laughed jovially.
"Like we could forget you after the boss's reaction the other day."
"Oh. He did make quite the scene, didn't he?"
"Indeed. In fact, we've never seen him so... happy."
Umi blushed and shifted her weight from one foot to the next.
"Well. I should be going. See you later!" She waved as she hurried to the elevator. A receptionist stopped her on her way
"Excuse me. Do you have an appointment?" The young woman, not much older than Umi herself, asked.
"I'm just going to see Se... Mr. Kaiba." She caught herself. "And yes, he is expecting me."
"What's your name? Who do you work for? I don't see any appointments in his schedule."
The guard called across the lobby to the receptionist.
"Mina, don't harass the poor girl. The boss will get mighty upset if you make his girlfriend late."
"What? G-girlfriend? Oh I'm terribly sorry." She stammered.
"Oh, It's alright. You were just doing your job." Umi said, feeling herself blush once more. She sighed as the elevator doors closed before her and she sunk back against the elevator wall. She had only faintly toyed with the idea of calling herself his girlfriend, and she had never thought to broach the subject with Seto. Apparently, others had already decided the matter for themselves.
He had his hand covering his mouth and his fingers rubbed his cheek absently as he looked intently at the papers on the desk before him. She stood in the doorway for a moment taking the scene in. He had a pair of wires running from his ears, and she noticed upon further observation, that his fingers did not just stroke his cheek, but also beat a rhythm in time with whatever music he was listening to. The wires ran from his ears, she realized, to her phone, which sat on the edge of the desk.
He was so absorbed in the work that he did not look up until she reached the other side of the desk. He startled as her shadow fell across the papers, but his gaze traveled slowly up to her face. He locked his gaze with her as he pulled the earbuds from his ears and the sounds of soft jazz faintly emanated from them.
"Hi." He stood, his gaze never leaving her eyes. She placed the bag she had brought his jacket in to the side of the desk, careful of the paperwork.
"Hi, yourself." She leaned over the drawings that covered the surface. "What're you working on?" She picked up one of the technical drawings, an electrical schematic.
"Oh, nothing much. Just trying to upgrade the duel server system, but I think we'll have to build a new one from scratch. We don't have enough power to keep up with the growing demand, at least not if it keeps growing the way it is." He pulled the hoodie from the bag as she shuffled through the documents and held it up to his nose, taking a deep breath and sighing as he exhaled. Umi looked up at the sound, only to see that his face had grown more relaxed as he breathed. She chuckled, realizing that he was breathing her in, as she had done all night with his scent. She perched herself on the edge of the desk and pulled on his tie, drawing him to her until his eyes were once more locked with hers.
"You know, one usually waits until the other person is gone to do that." Umi said, her voice husky and full of desire.
"To do what?" He sounded so innocent before he closed the miniscule distance between them and brushed his lips against hers. He had only meant it to be a small kiss, but between her grip on his tie and the intoxicating smell of her, he found himself lingering, repeatedly pressing his lips against hers. He could feel her smiling more at every touch before she eventually kissed him back. He pulled her across the desk top toward him and into his lap as he also sat on the wooden surface. Eventually, he found himself simply staring at her.
"One of the guards downstairs called me your girlfriend." She admitted as she chewed on her lip. She had thought about keeping that tidbit to herself, at least for a while. She was not sure how he would react.
"Did he now?" Seto looked out the window as several emotions warred on his face. Eventually he shrugged as if he thought it was no big deal. "Did it bother you?"
Umi stammered. She had been certain that he would have been concerned at the very least, or at the worst, would have fired the poor guard. She was shocked at how unfazed he seemed.
"No. It doesn't bother you?"
He looked out the window for a long moment, considering his feelings on the matter. All the while, he pulled her more tightly to him.
"I know we never talked about it, but..." Umi started, nervous in his silence. He cut her off with a gentle squeeze.
"I don't mind. After all, it does seem to be that way, doesn't it?" His voice was uncharacteristically soft. She could feel his arms shaking slightly as he held her. She looked up at him, watching his jaw clench and relax.
"Seto, do you want me to be your girlfriend?"
His nod was almost imperceptible. She smiled as she laid her head against his chest. He propped his chin against the top of her head as he continued to look out over the city below. He reached behind him on the desk, careful to keep her from slipping from his lap as he did so. He pressed her cell phone into her hand.
"Here. I, um. I left you something on it."
"Really?" She began to unlock the device.
"Just, don't' listen to it now, alright?"
His entire body seemed to tremble with nervousness as she looked up at him. She had always known, ever since their first kiss, that beneath everything, he was a vulnerable child. She had never seen it so clearly on display as right now.
"Sure." She held the phone against her chest as she slipped from his lap. "You said something yesterday about lunch?"
His entire demeanor changed as she changed the subject. He was instantly back to his calm, cool and collected, and slightly arrogant self.
"Yeah. I had just planned to go get food from the cafeteria or have Roland pick something up nearby, but..." he looked her over once more. "You're too beautiful to keep hidden away." He picked up the phone on the desk and ordered his assistant to have his table reserved at a restaurant Umi didn't fully catch the name of and to have a car prepared to pick them up.
"You don't have to go through all that just for lunch." she reminded him. "I'd be happy walking and going some place close."
He shrugged and pulled her fingers to his lips.
"I need to go pick up a new phone anyway." He kissed her hand before leading her out of the office. He guided her to another large room where Mokuba was seated on the middle of the floor. Papers were scattered around him and he looked as if he were trying to put together a puzzle.
"Mokuba, I'm going out. Might take the rest of the day off."
The younger boy looked up at him in frustration.
"Seto, you can't just run off and leave me..." Mokuba trailed off as he noticed Umi standing next to his brother. "Oh." He drew the sound out, and his face broke into a smile. "Alright. I can handle things here. I'll see you at home then?"
Umi looked up to see Seto roll his eyes before losing to the smile that forced itself upon his face.
The limo pulled up just as they exited the building. Seto opened the door and motioned for Umi to get inside before climbing in after her. Umi realized a moment later, as the front door was pulled shut, that Seto had done the job that the driver had intended to do. A few minutes later they were off. Umi picked at the hem of her skirt and Seto shifted in his seat. Silence was heavy in the air between them, pregnant with unspoken thoughts and feelings.
"So, um, where are we going?" She asked eventually in an effort to break the silence.
"Do you like French food?" He asked simultaneously.
Umi giggled before answering his question.
"I've never actually had it, not properly in a restaurant anyway."
"Really? With all of the traveling you've told me about, I assumed that you had."
"Really. Mom and I did a whole bunch of things, but she never took me to a French restaurant. We stopped over a few times in Paris with a layover, but never long enough to really explore the city. And the few times we were there for longer than it took to change planes, we only picked up pastries."
"Well then, let me introduce you to your first French restaurant. This place is great. My favorite place actually. Sometimes I wish they would allow me to make take away orders. I don't usually have anyone to come with me, except maybe Mokuba, so I don't come here as often as I would like."
"You make it sound like you could eat here every day." She laughed. He bit his lip and thought about it.
"I probably could."
Her laughter brought a smile to his face, softening the angular features. She leaned against him, tucking herself beneath his arm.
"If it's good enough to impress Seto Kaiba, I'm sure I will enjoy it."
And she did. The flavors in the meal were amazing and everything was prepared to perfection. In addition, the presentation of the food was both imaginative and beautiful. The entire meal was truly a feast for the senses.
But it was not exactly a feast for the belly, not quite to the extent to which she was accustomed.
"No wonder you're so skinny." she said as they settled back in the car.
"You didn't like it."
"No, it was absolutely amazing. I just wanted more of it. I'm still used to American sized portions. Even Joey has remarked about how much I can eat. But what can I say, I love food."
He chuckled as he pulled her close into his side.
"Hey, I wanted to get you something." He said, changing the subject.
"What?"
"A present. But I'm not entirely sure what. I'm not used to this whole... relationship thing. So what might you want?"
Umi chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about it.
"Hmm. A new laptop would be nice. Maybe a soldering iron."
Seto laughed a full throated, belly deep laugh.
"What?" Umi looked at him defensively.
"Nothing. I just forgot for a moment that you aren't like most girls."
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" She elbowed him in the ribs playfully. She grinned up at him.
"Most girls would say things like clothes or jewelry, or something, at least that's what I've been told. But your first thought is a laptop and a soldering iron." He wiped a tear that had escaped from his eyes which had been crinkled up in laughter as he smiled down at her. "I love you."
As the words escaped his lips, his face changed from mirth to surprise. The words hung in the air between them as Umi's face mirrored his. Seto clenched his jaw. He felt all of the emotions that had been trapped in his throat for so long, since they met in fact, now struggling to be free. He took a deep breath as he looked at her. He licked his lips while he tried to sort through everything that he wanted to say at once.
"I do." he told her finally. "I've been wanting to tell you, ever since we got back. I've tried. It was so easy there, but here, I just couldn't. I don't know why. But I love you."
Umi took his hands, which were trembling once more. His entire body seemed to vibrate with unspoken words as she climbed into his lap and placed a soft kiss against his cheek and lips.
"I know, Seto. I've always known." She kissed him again and the buzzing in his body stilled at her touch. He kissed her forehead. "I love you too."
He buried his head against her neck.
"I want you." His voice was a husky whisper that brushed her skin with warm air. It sounded deeper than the oceans or as epically vast as outer space. It resonated within her soul setting it alight with desire.
"Oh, I know that." she breathed as her desire escaped in her own voice.
"Sir?" The driver asked from the front. "Where to?"
Seto took a deep breath, inhaling her essence deeply before giving him orders. They stopped at a place where Seto picked up a new state of the art cell phone. He complained the entire time that it wasn't as powerful as his old phone, and that he would have built himself a new one had he not needed an immediate replacement. He also argued with the manager of the shop over whether or not he had to sign up for the offered service in order to purchase the phone outright. Needless to say, the manager backed down and Seto walked out with a two new devices.
"I find the tablet easier to use for drawings and design. Maybe it's just me, but I think you should try it." He frowned as he looked at the box. "This one won't be able to run a full version of the software though. It should be able to do some basic things. Ugh. I'll still build you a computer though." He slid into the seat next to Umi.
"It's fine. I can use Fusion on a tablet, I think."
"But it's not the best."
"It's workable."
"But it's not the best." He reiterated more firmly. "Anyway, I'll run it through the network so you won't have to worry about data rates or anything." He knocked on the glass that separated the driver from the passenger compartment.
"Yes, Sir?" the driver asked as the glass disappeared. Seto tossed the bag onto the front seat.
"Bring those to Roland after you drop us off at the next stop. Tell him to get them connected to the network."
"Of course, Sir."
Seto returned to his seat next to Umi.
"Next stop?"
"I still want to get you something."
"You got me a tablet."
"Something pretty." He fidgeted in his seat.
"You want to get me jewelry. Don't you?"
Seto flinched as if she had read his mind. He swallowed hard.
"Maybe."
"So what do you think would look good on me."
"I think you need a ring." he blurted out faster than he could think. Once he realized what he had said, he clamped his mouth shut, but the blush of embarrassment had already spread through his cheeks.
"Wait, what?" She asked, hoping he would repeat himself. She was curious to know what he had meant.
"I said," he cleared his throat and looked at her. He tried to look her in the eyes, but he found it difficult to maintain contact as he spoke untruths. "That you would look good in anything." The truth was he wanted to get her a ring, a very specific ring, one that would tell the world she was his. He had wanted to before their escapade to the memory world. Now since their return, he needed to mark her as his.
No, he thought, she's not my property. Rather I need to prove to her how I feel and all I can think about right now is growing old with her, to take the chance that my other self hadn't had.
"Ok." she did not believe him. She had the feeling that he was up to something, especially with the uncharacteristic way he fidgeted and rubbed his neck. She straddled his lap, forcing him to look in her eyes before she kissed him. His nerves seemed to still at her touch. She laid her head on his shoulder as his hands grazed her thighs before landing on her rear.
"Wouldn't it be nice if we could stay like this?" He whispered. "Never have to worry about anything, just lost in contact?" She could feel his entire body relax against her as a calm washed over him.
"I don't know, I think I might eventually want a little more than just this."
His chuckle reverberated deep throughout him. She could feel it in every cell where his body touched hers. When she lifted her head to look at him, his eyes were closed and he was smiling. She kissed him gently, which made him smile more broadly.
"I love you." She said before kissing him gently once more. He purred against her lips as his hand slid over her thighs and then underneath the soft fabric of her skirt.
"I love you, too." His voice was a low growl against her lips. Umi gasped at his touch and the desire she felt infused there and in his voice. His touch thrilled her in a way she could not describe, or at least not adequately. She only knew that she wanted more and that she never wanted it to stop.
"Sir, we're here." the driver called. Seto groaned, lingering in the moment just a bit longer. Umi pressed her lips against his once more, quickly.
"You're the one that wanted to come here." She reminded as she extracted herself from his embrace and slipped out the door that the driver held open. She stopped short as she looked at the building they had parked in front of. It was a jewelry store, true, but it was the most well-known, most exclusive store in the country. She stood looking at the building with her mouth open until Seto prodded her to get out of the way. As she cleared the limo door, she looked down the street at the fancy shop windows. She had heard of every brand that lined the street, despite her lack of interest in fashion or other such status symbols. She had never dreamed of actually going into any of the stores. But Seto slipped her arm around his and led her into one of the shops.
"Seto, this is too much." she whispered as they passed through the glass doors into the quiet shop.
"This is the best and my girlfriend will only have the best." he explained as a saleswoman approached them smiling.
"I feel so out of place." she murmured as he strode confidently through the cases of jewels.
She had tried on necklaces, rings, and bracelets. They looked at earrings, but she did not have pierced ears, so they quickly put them aside. Umi felt like she had touched everything in the store.
In the end, she chose a thin golden chain with a simple, dark green emerald pendant. Umi kept touching it once he had clasped it around her neck. It dazzled against her skin and she could not take her eyes off of it.
"It brings out your eyes." he whispered in her ear. She felt a ripple of desire shiver through her as his breath warmed her skin. She turned and looked up at Seto, who looked her over critically before turning to the saleswoman.
"We'll take it."
"Yes, sir. Did none of the rings suit you, Miss?" The saleswoman asked smiling. She seemed excited as if she were witnessing some important occasion.
Umi looked to the saleswoman, to Seto and back.
"Um, no. Not right now?" Umi did not quite know what to say and Seto's intense gaze was unreadable at the moment. The woman looked disappointed.
"Very well then," the woman motioned to Seto.
"Go on out to the car." he said as he kissed her cheek. "I'll be out in a minute."
Umi nodded before leaving the store. She watched Seto through the window for what seemed like a lot longer than a minute. He spoke with not just the saleswoman, but also some man who came out of the back room. He handed a piece of paper to the man that he ripped out of a small notebook. It looked to Umi like he was giving the man instructions, but she could not make out much through the windows. The woman's smile grew larger than ever and she clasped her hands together in excitement as Seto turned to leave the store. He could not keep the goofy smile from his face as he slid into the seat next to her. He pulled her tightly to him, squeezing her briefly.
"It really does look beautiful on you." He touched the stone laying on her breast. He gazed into the green depths of the stone, his face falling into an unreadable mask as the limo pulled away into the street. Umi cocked an eyebrow at him.
"You're hiding something." She regarded him closely.
"What? No." he backpeddled. He was not used to people being able to see through his walls, but he should have known she would be different. Umi shrugged.
"You don't want to tell me, fine, but don't lie to me." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Fine, yes, I'm hiding something, but only because I want it to be a surprise." He bent down so he was eye level with her. "Ok?"
Umi took a deep breath before meeting his gaze.
"Ok."
He kissed her quickly, suddenly, making her giggle as she bit her lip.
"Come home with me." he pleaded. His voice was even, flat. To anyone else, it would have been an order, not a request. He never asked, not like most people did, but Umi could see the uncertainty lightly veiled beneath his confidence in how he chewed nervously on the inside of his cheek and the clenching and relaxing of his jaw. "Stay with me tonight."
Umi brushed his cheek and watched his eyelids slide closed as he leaned into the touch. She wanted to stay with him. She never wanted to leave him. All she really wanted in that moment was to wake up next to him.
"I can't." her voice broke and she felt her blood run cold.
Seto leaned back in the seat and sighed in frustration.
"You know my grandfather is being very protective of me. Even more so since the tournament."
He looked at her profile as she stared ahead into nothingness. He chuckled mirthlessly.
"It seems we're on opposite sides of the fence, the old man and I, but with the same goals."
"And what goals are those?"
"To keep our most precious, our beloved, safe."
"Seto." She turned to see the seriousness in his face.
"I don't speak freely of my emotions, Umi. When I said I love you, I meant it. I will do anything for you. Sometimes that terrifies me, but it's true."
She brushed his cheek once more and pulled his face to hers. She kissed him lightly before pressing her forehead against his.
"I know. But I have to respect his wishes too, at least for now. Just give me a little time, alright?" She felt the rocking pressure of his nod against her forehead. "I would do anything for you too, Seto, but there's a proper time and place for things."
"Alright." He whispered against her lips before kissing her once more. "But it would be nice if we didn't have to wait to wake up together."
She felt a grin creep over her features.
"I was thinking the same thing."
His smile answered her own as the vehicle pulled up next to the game shop. Umi started to slide across the seat to the door, but Seto stopped her.
"Wait. I need your number." He knocked on the window and retrieved his now active new phone. "And you need this." He handed her the tablet he had bought for her. She slipped out of the limo and he followed as she rattled off a string of numbers that he typed into his phone. He looked at her with a mischievous little smile as he entered her name and information into the device. He leaned over and kissed her quickly on her cheek as her grandfather glared at them from inside the shop.