Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, y'all! Life/school took some time.
MEGA ULTRA THANKS TO GWENEVIEVE SKYES AND ALL AND SUNDRY FOR HELPING ME WRITE THE DUEL IN THIS CHAPTER. It took SO LONG but it does follow the rules, so hey.
As always, please read/review/follow/fave! Thank you!
Out of the corners of half-lidded eyes, she could see them.
Hands. Hers. Twisting at the sheets at her sides, the silky material rendered a rag by her fists. Clutching tightly, arms tensing, then relaxing, then tensing once more as she felt her back arch of its own accord, as if she were straining to leave her own body-
Her lower lip practically raw from her gnawing at it with anticipation as the sensation rattled her, washing over her in an increasingly burning wave. Beginning somewhere around the apex of her thighs and spreading throughout, sparks catching onto one another until she was inflamed. Fully and well, skin raw and reborn.
Needing.
Wanting.
Fulfillment.
Release.
Then-
Hands. His. Cool. Pale. Long fingers. Soft palms gliding smoothly along her sides, rounded nails brushing against her skin, leaving ripples of gooseflesh in their wake. Caressing her waist, her hips. Fingers dipping below cotton. A moan ripping itself from her throat as she lifted her hips to let him tug the material down her legs.
Then his hands again. Now spreading her thighs. Slowly. Reverently. Thumbs pressing into the tender flesh almost urgently. As if he could not wait any longer, either.
The game had gone on long enough.
Her breathing labored. Thick. Coming from deep within her chest, then squeezed mercilessly into a vise and escaping from between parted lips as the softest, most delicate of gasps.
"Please…"
His breathing rough. Low. His lips on the inside of her knee. Then the other. Moving upwards at an impossibly slow clip. Disregarding her half-burbled, half-wailed pleas to hurry up, please…
His eyes glinting, dark. Voice a husky, teasing drawl, vibrating against her flesh:
"Let me show you how it's done, Ishizu…"
Ishizu's eyes shot open, heart skittering wildly in her chest, as her entire body shuddered itself awake. Entirely. Blessedly.
She curled up into a ball in the large bed reflexively, her spine practically screaming from the sudden shift in position. Eyes wide, blinking furiously, darting around the room urgently, as if she had given something away-a terrible secret-and had to go on the defensive-prepare for escape-for battle-to fly or to fight-?
His side of the bed was empty.
As was the room.
Her breathing slowly evened out as she rolled onto her back, her hands dropping to cover her eyes as a long, protracted groan ripped through her throat.
Of all the dreams to have-
-the one night here I manage to dream at all-
She turned her head and peeked through her fingers. Her dress from the previous night still in a puddle on the carpet.
His jacket and tie and shoes gone.
Had they even been there to begin with?
Did I dream that as well?
After over a week of dull, dreamless slumber, suddenly-
That.
The confirmation, so to speak, of that ineffable sensation that had begun to flutter through her the more exposure to him she managed to gain. The more time spent with him-
-despite her endless calculating and recalibrating exactly how best to be in any given situation, what sort of presentation the moment called for-
-of course this sort of wrench had been thrown into her plan, this threatening hiccup in her iron will, her resolve-
-of course-
-blast-
She pulled the coverlet up to her chin, willing herself to sink into the soft mattress and disappear. Eyes squeezing shut, skin growing cold despite the heat still lingering on her cheeks, her neck-
And I let him get away-
-I could have done it right then-
-as he slept-
She recalled what had seemed like a masterstroke at the time. Despite his resistance, however uncanny, however difficult to conceive-some flickering of decency within him, she supposed-the way he'd managed to contain himself and extricate himself from her clutches-
-despite the clear longing she'd sensed, felt in his touch, practically tasted on his lips as he'd almost given in-
-her invitation for him to sleep in her bed, given as it had been in a hard-to-ignore state of undress, had seemingly been the answer.
All I had to do, dammit-
Wait for him to sleep.
Do the deed. Clutching a pillow between her hands-pressing-
Then escape through the unlocked door. Get to a phone before someone noticed. Alert the authorities.
Play the innocent. Self-defense.
He had taken her prisoner, after all…
And yet under his needy gaze, his eyes framed by thick, fluttering lashes as he'd gazed at her body-
She'd managed to fall asleep first. And stayed that way.
Even to the point of having slept through his waking, his quiet collecting of his jacket and shoes, and his exiting the room, all without her having noticed.
Any moment now, I suppose…
… he'll arrive, tray in hand, prepared to pretend nothing has changed…
She sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes, stretching in a yawn as her suspicions were confirmed.
Rap-rap-rap-
Lacing a soft silk thread into her voice, she called out, "one moment, please…"
After all, I think answering the door like this first thing in the morning would potentially be overplaying my hand…
She rolled out of the bed and walked over to the dresser; rifling through drawers, she found a pile of crisp button-down shirts in a variety of colors.
Hm. I wonder-
She unfolded a perfectly pressed white button-down and studied it for a moment, a sly smile playing on her lips as an idea emerged, fully formed.
It's not his shirt-
-though the effect will likely be the same.
She slid her arms through the sleeves and fastened a few of the buttons on the shirt haphazardly, the bottom of the garment hitting just at the waistband of her panties.
Excellent.
She strode over to the door, trying to ignore that irritating thrill that rushed through her-
-it was only a dream-
She pasted a wide-eyed, demure look on her face, running one hand through her unkempt hair as she pulled open the door.
Seto, clad in his customary dark suit and tie, nearly dropped the tray as he took her in-makeup from the previous night slightly smeared around her eyes, her lips parted-and that white button-down hanging around her frame, revealing her shapely thighs to him in full-
-the perfect unconscious picture of postcoital bliss.
Seto cursed his line of thought for going astray so quickly.
-It is far too early in the morning for this-
As if the events of the previous night had not nearly unmade him-
Her lips. Those strange, compelling eyes-half-lidded, heavy. Showing nothing but acute, simmering want. For him. The way she'd lifted her hand to him-grabbed at his jacket, finding an excuse to pull him close-I may have been under the influence-drunk on her presence-but there was no damned leaf-
The heat of her mouth as he'd leaned in. The shimmering light before his foolhardy, paper-thin winged body, threatening to be his undoing. Her scent-clean, flowery, sweet but not cloying, threading throughout his body on rapid lines of electricity, igniting everything it touched.
His pained refusal-his attempt to save himself. Save her. The situation and its utter immorality.
-she's not here willingly. She's only doing this because she's drunk. Hurting. Confused-
-I could never forgive myself if I were to take advantage-
And yet he'd gone back to her room with her-
Been there while she'd slid that damned dress down her body, slowly and deliberately, he desperately trying not to look, ignoring the roaring growing within him that demanded he acquiesce. Succumb to that subconscious hold she clearly had over him-
-to the desire to watch. See every perfect, glowing of her in the flesh.
To reach out for her. Slide his hand along that smooth skin of her arm. Her waist. Pull her against him, the heat of her body-her wanting, willing body-warming him. Setting him ablaze.
Let her know exactly how she'd tortured him nights. Return the favor. Demonstrate. Participate.
-see that glorious smile of hers, all mingled with salacious pleasure and ecstasy-
Instead of doing the rational thing and leaving, he'd practically jumped into her bed at her throaty, nearly-whispered request, not bothering to consider the merits of that particular path.
Watched her drift off, the muscles of her back shift and soften, her eyelids drooping cutely, eyelashes fluttering heavily before coming to rest.
Lying back in the bed. Staring at the ceiling.
Part of him wondering idly what he had possibly done to deserve this torture…
The greater part of him knowing-understanding-all too well.
And then the whole awkward affair of having to wake up at his usual hour, before the sun had fully risen, stumbling back to his own chambers like some guilty miscreant, pretending that nothing was amiss as he'd nearly tripped over the serving girl leaving his usual breakfast and newspapers at his doorway… she, bowing her head meekly, practically running back down the hallway…
… no doubt going to tell everyone what she'd seen.
Nothing stays private in this damned house-
Snapping out of his reverie, Seto licked his lips quickly as his eyes fixated on her legs. Most rudely. Improperly.
Ishizu felt his rather bold gaze lingering somewhere around the hem of her shirt as she piped up, voice perfectly level, talking evenly over the strange weakness in her chest, "good morning, Seto-I assume you've brought breakfast?"
Seto swallowed hard, his eyes flicking back up to meet hers. Her patient, small smile. "Ah-yes. Eggs and toast…" Why am I stating the obvious-like a damned idiot-
"Excellent." She stepped aside to let him pass into the room, closing the door behind him as he laid the tray on the table with slightly shaking hands.
Attempting to fix a smirk on his face, Seto lifted the pitcher of coffee and poured himself a cup, wincing as the hot liquid spilled over the rim of the teacup and splashed onto his thumb. He hissed to himself in pain near-silently, eyes watering over as he forced his gaze to focus on the pitcher. The cup. Not her damned legs…
Ishizu walked back over towards him and took her seat, the button-down riding up slightly as she crossed her legs at the ankle and reached for a slice of toast, nibbling on it daintily as Seto finally figured out the mechanics of coffee-pouring and sat down, trying to pretend he hadn't just scalded his hand like an idiot.
"So…" she mumbled quietly, meekly, finishing the slice of toast and leaning down to pour herself a cup of coffee, offering Seto a view down the front of her shirt in an unconscious manner-if he so deigned, that is.
He deigned-nearly dropping hot coffee all over his lap as his eyes lowered of their own volition. Took in the view. Nearly breaking the cup with his grip as Ishizu sat back up and took a small sip.
"Ah-well." He cleared his throat, straightening his posture in the chair and crossing his legs in discomfort. "Well, Miss Ishtar, based on our conversation at dinner last night, I thought I might take the day off work today and teach you to play Duel Monsters-if you would be amenable, that is…"
-I could not sound more desperate to spend time with her if I literally branded it upon my forehead-
Take the day off work-for that? For me? Ishizu was almost flattered as she took another swallow of coffee, her lips curling up sweetly at him. "I'd like that very much, Seto."
It's really only a matter of time now, anyway-
-such an easy mark. For such an intelligent man-
Seto nodded curtly, more relieved than he wanted to let on, ripping his eyes away from the front of her shirt as he refilled his cup.
"Is Mokuba here today?" Ishizu inquired, leaning forward once more to pick up the plate of scrambled eggs and a fork, smiling inwardly as she noticed Seto's eyes become slightly dazed as his gaze lowered, then darted back up to her lips, eventually making the journey to eye contact.
"Nn?-no. He's out again. Something about some girl," Seto scoffed, taking another sip of coffee. My brother, the foolish romantic soul-
Ishizu raised an eyebrow as she lifted a forkful of eggs to her lips. "I see…" She almost cracked a genuine grin at the thought of the younger Kaiba attempting to woo some girl--no doubt he'd be the sweetheart type, all flowers and chocolates and anniversaries-
-the kind of thing she could never envision the man currently sitting before her doing with a straight face.
-Seto Kaiba couldn't even get an actual lover-he had to resort to wearing me on his arm like some accessory in public. Who's to say he would even manage to be adequate at this sort of thing-?
-what a strange line of thought-
Her chest felt strangely tight, her stomach tinged with a queasy feeling as she finished the plate of eggs quietly, the room falling silent, filled only with the sounds of eating and drinking. Him trying to focus on drinking his coffee in the manner befitting someone with hand-to-eye coordination. She trying to not wilt under the unconscious intensity of his gaze.
The little deep sounds he made as he shifted in his seat, unable to get entirely comfortable, were beginning to affect her. Tiny, throaty noises he didn't seem to notice he was uttering that rippled through her. Crackling. Prodding. Collecting. Unerringly.
-not this, not now-gods, please-
She found herself beginning to steal glances at him as she began to finish the rest of the toast. Almost like a dare-will he notice if I look here? What would he do if I were to-
-her eyes flickered to his lap. His crossed legs. The perfect pleats of his thin-legged trousers. Then back up again. To where his tensely vibrating legs met.
Something disturbing shivered through her.
Once the tray had been cleared of food and the pitcher emptied of coffee, Seto leaned forward and picked up the silver platter, rising to his feet as Ishizu took a deep breath and mirrored him, walking beside him to the door and pulling it open for him.
"Should I come back here in a few…" Seto's voice trailed off suddenly as Ishizu, seeming not to hear him, strode over to her dresser and withdrew a sea-foam green dress and a pair of panties, which she then carried over to the bed and laid out over the rumpled white coverlet.
As he watched, awestruck, fingers aching from how hard he was squeezing the tray, she turned her back to him and started unbuttoning the white shirt, which she let fall to the ground at her feet.
She bit her lip to suppress the thrill of his gaze eating her alive as she turned her head to the side, catching a glimpse of him with her peripheral vision. "Oh, that won't be necessary," she chirped gaily, tugging her panties down her legs, pressing her thighs together reflexively as she felt him look there. There. His intense gaze on her tangible like a questing hand. There-
She then switched panties, bent over fluidly, and pulled up the new pair, fully aware that she was this close to giving the poor man a serious heart failure, before she reached for the dress and pulled it over her head, smoothing it down over her hips.
Sucker.
-I've become such an exhibitionist, haven't I…
She smiled cruelly to herself as she turned to face him, relishing the way his cheeks seemed to flare up as her eyes, round and nonchalant, met his own, noticing the way his pupils had darkened, the too-firm set of his jawline as he white-knuckled the tray. "Just give me a moment to brush and wash my face, and we can get right to it."
Leaving him in her doorway-looking for all the world like as if he were about to have an aneurysm-she padded over to the bathroom and closed the door behind her-
-and then she let out a shuddering breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding as her knees began to buckle, her body sagging against the closed door as something frighteningly insistent jolted through her, licking at her. Ruthlessly. Nearly knocking the wind out of her with how urgently it sought her out.
As she bit her lip, trying to ignore it-the way she was squeezing her inner thighs together-for Ra's sake-she lifted her head and caught a glimpse of her face in the glass.
Hair unkempt, falling over her shoulders in thick, tangled waves. Her eyes heavy-lashed and wild. Her cheeks rosy and flushed. Lips trembling of their own accord.
A reflection of how she was in that moment-with Seto Kaiba-how she hated him-on the other side of the door, no less, across the endless plains of white carpet…
Like she had been when she'd startled herself awake, after a night of sleeping beside him, a night of feeling him above her, if only in her subconscious mind-
-that smirk. That mouth of his. Poised. On her-
The look on her face was positively feral.
Seto sat across from her at the square wooden table, his legs crossed, face utterly serious as he shuffled the deck, the cards flying through his fingers like some kind of magic trick.
Ishizu leaned on her elbows on the table and watched the fluid motions of his hands, her legs demurely crossed at the ankles. Waiting.
His voice held more than a smidge of arrogance, of complete and utter confidence, as he spoke. "Now, for a basic duel, each person has forty cards in their deck." He neatly cut the pile of cards in perfect halves, placing a stack before her. "Since I am teaching you the game, we're playing with my personal deck. Usually my deck has forty cards, pursuant to the rules, but since twenty cards is hardly anything, I've taken the liberty of giving us thirty apiece."
After she learns the basics, perhaps I'll take her to my private arena-
-not like that, dammit-
Ishizu nodded, studying the brown-and-black swirled design on the back of the cards.
Seto leaned back and crossed his arms, a smirk crawling onto his features. "You may shuffle if you like-though I promise you, I am not the type to cheat…"
Ishizu lifted her eyes and threw him a tiny, twisted smile. "That is what someone aiming to cheat would say, Seto…" She picked up her makeshift deck and shuffled it a few times, albeit not quite as naturally as Seto had.
Seto ducked his head in acknowledgement of her point. "Well taken, Miss Ishtar. Now, your deck will contain three types of cards: monster cards, which will have a brownish or tan background, spell cards, which have a teal-blue background, and trap cards, which have a magenta-purple background."
Ishizu nodded and watched as Seto fumbled in his jacket pocket. His face lighting up slightly as he found what he sought. "So in order to decide who goes first, generally the duelists will flip a coin." He brandished a shiny one yen coin, the grace of his motions truly like that of a magician. "Tree or number?"
"Number, please."
Seto flipped the coin and palmed it. "It's number." He showed Ishizu the coin. "Would you like to go first or second? Mind you, there are strategic advantages to either-though you don't really have to concern yourself with that right now…"
Ishizu bit her lip as she considered quickly. "I'll go second." Don't rush blindly into things. Watch. See what they do. Consider. React.
"As you wish, Miss Ishtar." Seto nodded and put the coin back into his jacket pocket. He then lifted and moved his deck slightly to his right and drew five cards in one rapid motion. "So now we each draw our first hand of seven cards-in fact, if you don't mind, we can play open-face for this first round." Ishizu watched the slight wrinkle in his brow as he considered his hand, then flipped them over, laying the five cards in a neat row; she looked down sharply as he looked up again towards her and imitated his motions.
All right. Two of those teal spell cards, four of the monster cards, and one trap card. Ishizu swept her eyes over her revealed hand. Monster Reborn, Vorse Raider, Hitotsu-Me Giant, Battle Ox, Cloning, Saggi the Dark Clown, Lullaby of Obedience… she lifted each card closer to her face in succession, attempting to memorize the small text on each card, the statistics of the monster cards, the effects of the spell and trap cards…
Seto rubbed his chin in his hands as he considered his hand. Blue-Eyes White Dragon-excellent-Flute of Summoning Dragons, La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp, Power Balance, Polymerization, Blade Knight, and Card Guard.
He lifted his eyes slightly to look at Ishizu's cards all laid out before her, her fingers poised over them. Hmm. Not an awful first hand…
"All right, Miss Ishtar-let's agree that we'll begin with four thousand life points apiece. So you see the number of stars on the top of your monster cards?"
Ishizu nodded. Hitotsu-Me Giant has four… Battle Ox also has four…
"Now, that number of stars dictates how you can summon that monster. Four stars or fewer means you don't have to sacrifice any monsters to summon them to the field. Now, as you can see, I have Blade Knight and La Jinn, who each have four stars, and-with excellent fortune-the mighty Blue-Eyes White Dragon, who has eight."
Eight stars? A powerful creature…
Seto moved Blade Knight out from the spread and placed it vertically before him. "So, since I cannot summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon on my first turn, I'll play Blade Knight in Attack Mode. As you can see, Blade Knight has sixteen-hundred attack points and one thousand defense points. Now, Attack Mode means that on my next turn, I get to attack you and whatever monster you put on the field. If you lay the monster vertically like so, then it's in attack mode. Horizontally is Defense Mode. Got that?" He moved another card from the top of his deck to the spread before him. "And, of course, I draw another card so that I continue to have seven in my hand." Lord of Dragons…
Ishizu nodded as she studied her hand, a crinkle appearing between her brows. So if his monster has one thousand six hundred attack points… Tentatively she lifted Battle Ox from her hand and set it out before her. "I'll play Battle Ox in Attack Mode."
Seto's mouth turned up at the corners. She's getting the hang of it. "So since your monster has a higher attack power than mine, I can't attack your monster. So now I'll summon Lord of Dragons in Defense Mode, and draw again" Let's start off nice and easy-let her get some damage in…
Ishizu felt a small thrill of satisfaction. "All right then, so I'll attack your Blade Knight. My monster has one hundred more attack points, so that means I destroyed your monster, correct?"
Seto moved his Blade Knight off the field. "Correct. So now my Blade Knight goes to the Graveyard, and I lose one hundred of my life points." Easy, easy…
"Don't forget to draw another card, Miss Ishtar." Ishizu nodded and selected another card from the stack at her right. Command Silencer…
Seto moved La Jinn onto the field. Eighteen-hundred attack points… excellent. "I'll summon La Jinn in Attack Mode and end my turn. Now, Miss Ishtar, you can't attack me because your Battle Ox only has seventeen-hundred attack points."
Ishizu licked her lips and studied her hand. "I see…" She moved Battle Ox into a horizontal position. "If I move Battle Ox into Defense Mode, does that protect my life points?"
Seto nodded. Indeed. She's thinking on her feet… "Yes, so now while I will destroy your Battle Ox, it won't affect your life points."
"All right, so I'll do that and end my turn."
"So now I'll summon Lord of Dragons to the field in attack mode, and then I'll attack Battle Ox, so it goes to the Graveyard." Ishizu moved the Battle Ox off the field into a separate pile.
She looked back at her hand. "I'll summon Hitotsu-Me Giant in Defense Mode." She laid the monster out on the field, then lifted a card from the top of her deck and put it in her hand. De-Fusion…
Seto looked across the table. "You know, Miss Ishtar, you might want to try using one of your spell cards…" Monster Reborn could bring back Battle Ox…
"Ah-" She skimmed her eyes over the teal cards before her. Monster Reborn… I could bring back Battle Ox…
"And I'll also play Monster Reborn, allowing me to return Battle Ox to the field, and I'll also play it in Defense Mode." Ishizu laid out the spell card on the field and moved Battle Ox from the Graveyard to lie horizontally beside Hitotsu-Me Giant, then drew two more cards from her deck. Blue-Eyes White Dragon-that has eight stars-and Kaiser Glider-that has six stars…
Seto grinned darkly. "Playing on the defensive, I see, Miss Ishtar?"
Ishizu chewed on the inside of her cheek, the look on his face bringing an unwanted flush to her cheeks. "I like to stay in the game for as long as possible, Seto Kaiba." And I do not like to lose-
Seto's eyes dropped to her lips for a moment, lingering briefly; he then looked down at his hand once more. "I'll summon Flute of Summoning Dragons, a magic card, which then allows me to Special Summon my Blue-Eyes. It can also allow me to summon up to two dragons, but as you can see, I only have one in my hand." He laid the cards out on the field, smirking as his fingers brushed against the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The ultimate monster…
Ishizu swallowed hard, sucking in a sharp breath. "Ah-" That's formidable… I don't have anything in my hand stronger than that-
Seto looked up at her challengingly, his eyes bright and glittering. "Your move, Miss Ishtar." He drew two more cards and laid them out before him. Enemy Controller and Shrink…
Ishizu dropped her gaze to her hand as a thought occurred to her. "Oh! Joey Wheeler mentioned he used to play Duel Monsters, too-do you two ever play against one another?"
Seto rolled his eyes. "You're stalling for time, Miss Ishtar-and, for the record, no. I am-well, let's just say Mr. Wheeler is not quite at my level…" As if that man could hope to keep up with me-let alone defeat me…
Ishizu wrinkled her nose petulantly. "I am not stalling for time, Seto… I was merely curious, is all…" Damned snob…
"All right, Seto-so I want to summon Kaiser Glider. Since it has six stars, how do I summon it?"
"You sacrifice one of the monsters on the field and put it in your Graveyard," Seto replied, scanning his eyes along her open hand.
"All right-so I'm sacrificing Hitotsu-Me Giant and summoning Kaiser Glider in Attack Mode."
Seto smirked once more, sending a shiver down Ishizu's spine. That's your mistake… "Well, I wouldn't have done that if I were you… perhaps Defense Mode could have saved some of your life points…"
Ishizu looked down at the field. Blast. "Oh-"
"But I'll have to ask you to please say goodbye to your Battle Ox."
Eh? Why wouldn't he attack Kaiser Glider? It's in Attack Mode… I would lose life points that way…?
She moved Battle Ox into the Graveyard, her eyes flicking to his face, wide with confusion.
He spoke smoothly, anticipating her question. "And before you ask, Miss Ishtar, Kaiser Glider's special ability-which some monsters have, by the way-would have allowed you to force me to move one monster on the field back into my hand once it was destroyed, thus potentially ruining this lovely little Blue-Eyes White Dragon summoning combo I've got going …"
"Ah." It is his deck-he would know it better than anyone…
"Your turn, Miss Ishtar."
Ishizu scanned the field quickly. Ah-! "All right-in that case, I'll destroy your La Jinn with my Kaiser Glider, costing you six hundred life points."
Hm… she's learning- Seto lowered his eyes and smiled to himself, a hint of pride about his lips, as he looked over his hand. "My turn, Miss Ishtar… and I think I'll lay one card face down and end my turn." He flipped over Enemy Controller and laid it on the field, then reached over to draw. Another Blue-Eyes… excellent.
Ah. A face-down card…so he's hiding something. I'd better be cautious- Ishizu narrowed her eyes and looked at her own hand. "I'll play Vorse Raider in Defense Mode and end my turn." She plucked a card from the top her deck. Kaiser Sea Horse.
Seto smirked once more, revealing Enemy Controller. "I'll activate my spell card Enemy Controller, which allows me to force your Vorse Raider into Attack Mode. I'll also play the spell card Shrink, which cuts the attack power of Vorse Raider in half. I'll then destroy Vorse Raider with my Blue-Eyes, which, I believe, takes away two thousand and fifty of your life points."
Blast-I have fewer than half of my life points left- Ishizu bit her lip as she looked over her cards. Kaiser Sea Horse, Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Cloning, Command Silencer, and De-Fusion, Saggi the Dark Clown, Lullaby of Obedience -with Kaiser Glider on the field in Attack Mode…
She looked across the table to observe Seto's open hand. Blue-Eyes White Dragon-another one?-Polymerization, Power Balance, Card Guard, Hyozanryu-another powerful monster-Sword of Soul, and Des Feral Imp-with the combination of Lord of Dragons, Flute of Summoning Dragons, and the Blue-Eyes on the field...
-damn-I could have negated the attack with Command Silencer if I'd been thinking…
Oh-
She lifted Kaiser Sea Horse and placed it on the field. "I'll play Kaiser Sea Horse in Defense Mode."
She bit her lower lip as she looked over her hand once more.
"And I'll place one card face down." She moved Command Silencer to face the table and laid it out on the field.
Seto's eyes flashed. "I'll just destroy your Kaiser Sea Horse-"
Ishizu grinned broadly, flipping over Command Silencer. "Not so fast-I'm activating Command Silencer, which negates your attack and allows me to draw one card."
Ah. Excellent move-
-I should probably pay more attention to her cards…
He lifted his eyes from the curve of her neck to meet her own, which fairly shone with anticipation. A thrill of victory-
Ishizu moved one card from the top of her deck into her hand. Gadget Soldier…
"And now, I can use Kaiser Sea Horse's special effect-I can sacrifice it to summon a light-type monster in place of two tributes-and summon your favorite monster, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
What the hell… Seto watched, almost disbelievingly, as Ishizu placed his Blue-Eyes on the field. Their two creatures at an impasse. Evenly matched.
She had the gall to summon-
Part of him seethed slightly under the surface, he gritting his teeth together as his hands moved to clench the seat of his chair as Ishizu merely looked at him, her eyebrows raised questioningly.
My monster-my Blue-Eyes-how dare she-
Part of him, though-
He blinked several times in rapid succession, willing himself to calm down. His shoulders and back to relax, to unknot. His hands moving back to the table.
It was… well…
Seto would be lying if he were to say that Ishizu taking control into her own hands in that instant did not have a certain… effect on him.
Ishizu watched, eyes wide with surprise, as Seto bowed his head towards her, smoothed the front of his suit jacket, and began to clap slowly. Loudly. The sound echoing throughout the high-ceilinged room.
Not bad, Ishizu Ishtar.
Not bad at all…
"Seto, where are we going?" Ishizu clasped her hands in her lap and looked over at Seto, who leaned back in his seat, fixing his eyes on hers as the limo sped down the gentle foothills of Domino City and into the teeming downtown area, into the swarm of loud noises and amber streetlights.
"My favorite restaurant, Miss Ishtar." His voice was soft. Low. Confident. Almost warm as he shifted in his seat to turn towards her. His eyes once again transfixed by how the evening sun seemed to light her from within.
Despite her impressive maneuvering and summoning of one of his Blue-Eyes White Dragons, he'd managed to defeat her handily within the next half-hour or so. Still, though, if he were to say he wasn't impressed with what seemed like a fairly natural aptitude for his favorite game-that relic of his proud, foolish youth-he would be telling falsehoods. And yes, once the game had finished Seto had excused himself up to his rooms for a nice, long cold shower-but again, nothing to do with Ishizu Ishtar. Nothing in the slightest.
On a whim he had decided to take her out. Found her standing in the room he had dedicated to the display his art collection. She'd been eyeing the Chuck Close painting on the wall-the massive portrait coalescing into something logical from far away, but merely abstract pools of color from where she stood-and cleared his throat.
"Miss Ishtar." Willing himself to keep calm as he regarded her. Her form. The look on her face as she turned towards him, her hair falling gracefully about her shoulders and face.
"Might I request your presence this evening?"
Ishizu had nodded, eyes neutral. Unsurprised.
"You know where to find me, Seto." She'd turned her back to him then, continuing her study of the painting on the wall.
Ishizu pressed her lips together, a slight twitch of anxiety running in spurts through her. His favorite restaurant-oh gods, I'm surely underdressed for something like this-I'm sure it's some hoity-toity place where they won't serve me if I don't look like I own half of the city…
"Ah, I see…" She dropped her eyes to her lap, wishing she'd thought to wear something a little nicer. One of Yugi's dresses… Wishing Seto had, in his haste, his sudden excitement at this outing, thought to perhaps warn her of something along these lines.
As if sensing her concern, Seto replied quickly, his eyes scanning her from her sandaled feet to her loose hair, "don't worry, Miss Ishtar-where we're going, I'm actually the one who's rather overdressed…" He leaned forward in his seat to take off his suit jacket, folding it and laying it neatly on the armrest between them, then reached up to untie his tie, sliding the silken fabric out of its perfectly tied knot before he rolled it up adeptly, placing it on top of the jacket.
Ishizu watched with an almost morbid fascination as he unfastened the buttons at his wrists before rolling his sleeves up to the elbow, exposing his forearms, all pale and smooth like his hands, then reached upwards once more to unbutton the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing a hint of a white cotton undershirt underneath the fine linen.
She ripped her eyes away-not nearly quickly enough-as Seto noticed her staring at him.
His voice, tinged with curiosity. "Miss Ishtar-do I have something on my shirt?" He looked down at the crisp front of his shirt, fingers scrabbling along the surface, searching for an errant thread-perhaps a stain-?
She swallowed hard, slowly lowering her eyes to his chest-clenching her fists in her lap, smothered by skirts where he couldn't see them-as she tried not to linger for too long.
I am the one in control here-
-remember that-
A smile curling on her lips almost defensively as she flicked her eyes up to meet his confused gaze.
"Nothing, Seto-I thought there was something there-I must have been mistaken."
Control.
Vinegar.
Ice.
He is the one who has already overplayed his hand. Not I.
The limousine pulled over to the curb in front of a ramshackle tenement building, the green awning over the first floor tattered and dirty, blowing in the slight sunset breeze. A storefront, the windowpanes plastered with posters, smudged with handprints.
Ishizu nearly goggled at the sight, her mouth falling open. Seto Kaiba-knowing of a place like this-let alone enjoying a place like this?
"We're here, Mr. Kaiba."
Thank you for stating the obvious, Roland. Seto rolled his eyes as he replied, "you'll be picking us up in one hour, Roland."
"Yes, Mr. Kaiba."
Seto unbuckled his seatbelt with swift fingers, opened the door and climbed out of the backseat, Ishizu's eyes almost subconsciously moving-lingering-over his form-she jumping slightly, startled, as he turned and bent over to look back inside. "The coast is clear, Miss Ishtar-though I am not entirely surprised, as the paparazzi wouldn't exactly place me here, of all places…"
Ishizu licked her lips, feeling a flutter of nervousness-that's all it is-tear through her as she opened her door and exited the vehicle.
As the limousine pulled away from the curb, Ishizu turned to face the front of the building, studying its almost dilapidated state, her forehead crinkling slightly in confusion.
Again-how would Seto Kaiba, the CEO of KaibaCorp, know of such a place?
She inhaled sharply as she felt Seto's hand on the small of her back. Not like he had touched her before, there, so many times prior-confident, pressing, taking ownership-but almost like the brush of tentative feathers.
Even though he had touched her there while leading her through throngs of reporters and photographers, his naked palm on her bare skin-the way his fingers almost cradled her spine now, through the fabric of her dress, affected her more. Again. That shiver. Her skin erupting into gooseflesh.
She could only pray to all the gods that he wouldn't notice…
She lifted her head towards him abruptly as Seto removed his hand, his eyes wide and almost apologetic. "Ah-I'm sorry, Miss Ishtar-I only meant to guide you inside-"
I shouldn't have assumed it was all right to-after all, we aren't putting on any act-
"I-it's fine, Seto." Her back, against all reason, suddenly missing that gentle pressure of his touch…
Yet Seto did not replace his hand. His brow furrowing for a moment as he regarded her.
I do hope she isn't falling ill… she is acting rather strangely…
Then turning and walking to the front of the building, Ishizu following closely behind as their bodies fell into shadow under the threadbare awning as Seto pulled open the door and stepped aside to allow her to pass through.
First she heard it, squinting her eyes to adjust to the sudden dim lighting of the place. A hum of voices, all talking over one another firmly, almost excitedly, the sounds coalescing into not entirely unpleasant background noise. Almost comforting. As her eyes grew used to the darkness, she could make out a narrow, deep room all panelled in cheap-looking wood. A mess of tables, all filled with customers-packed to the brim with people sitting over bowls, their faces half-obscured by steam. A thick, savory smell permeating the air-almost strong enough to taste.
Seto's lips at her ear unexpectedly, sending her heart into uneven palpitations-of surprise-of fear- "this way, Miss Ishtar-" and she bit the inside of her cheek, willing her shoulder muscles to unclench as she followed him deeper into the restaurant, feeling compressed as the space between the walls grew narrow.
He gestured to an impossibly tiny round table replete with two wobbly-looking chairs. "Here-" He pulled out one of the chairs, looking at her pointedly while she stood.
Just sit down already, Seto-no need to-
A strange thought occurred to her-
-oh-he means for me to sit-
-what a gesture-
Ishizu bowed her head in silent acknowledgement as she gracefully lowered herself into the rickety chair, crossing her legs at the ankle and folding her hands in her lap as Seto took his seat across from her, hands trembling slightly with anticipation-
I do hope she likes this place…
Seto stiffened slightly as he felt the softness of her thigh-for that was how small the table was-give way against his rather bony knee. Not now-not now-dammit-
"Is there a menu, Seto…?" Ishizu's voice trailed off as a small, reed-thin man wearing a slightly yellowed apron approached their table; Seto almost smiled at the man, lazily lifting two fingers; the man nodded his head curtly and walked away from the table, disappearing into the darkness from where he had emerged.
Again. That smile-
Seto looked almost relaxed in his seat, leaning back a bit as he replied: "Ah-no, Miss Ishtar-they really are known for their hakata ramen here-in fact, it's rather out of the ordinary if someone asks to see a menu, let alone attempt to order something else…"
"I see." Ishizu shifted slightly in her seat, her knee knocking against his, sending a wave of electricity through her spine, settling below her belly. Blast-
"Ah-I'm sorry, Seto…" She pressed her lips together, attempting to regain control over her senses. I cannot think about this now-entertain such a possibility-
-it was only a dream-
"And how do you know this place?"
At her question, Seto's eyes narrowed, his posture growing rigid as he gripped the seat of his chair tightly. "I believe I told you last night, Miss Ishtar, that I did not want to discuss matters related to my childhood. This is such a matter." She doesn't need to know why I know this restaurant-why I would come here as a child-
-hiding-
Ishizu felt an unpleasant squeezing in her chest as she looked down at her hands, a flutter of remorse doing bizarre things to her stomach. "Ah. I apologize, Seto."
-why do I care why or how the asshole found out this place?
-what is going on with me-?
They sat there like that, the din of the clientele slowly enveloping them with sound, until the clatter of two large bowls of ramen being placed on the table disrupted their own antiparallel lines of thinking: Ishizu stewing, wondering just why Seto's withholding of information was disturbing her so, Seto cursing his acid tongue-his reflexive cruel coldness.
"Thank you," Seto muttered quietly, fumbling for his chopsticks and splitting them apart cleanly, hardly a splinter to be seen.
Have I ever heard him thank anyone before-? Genuinely? Sincerely?
Like a human being…?
As Seto sniffed in the fragrant steam from the bowl of noodles and strips of meat, Ishizu broke apart her chopsticks and rubbed them together briskly, trying to keep her hands-and mind-occupied.
Seto licked his lips, eyes suddenly warm-wide with delight-as he began to eat, capturing clumps of thin white noodles between his chopsticks and placing them into his mouth.
God. This is exactly what I needed-
He could nearly always count on this little hole-in-the-wall joint to ameliorate, if not entirely cure, the toxic, roiling frustration of a particularly trying day at the office.
And before the office-
-even those days-
And thus far, he'd managed to do it for years unseen. Unmobbed. Perhaps the paparazzi don't much like this part of town… He smirked to himself as he watched Ishizu carefully place a good-size clump of noodles between her lips, the steam making her eyes water.
The look on her face as she tasted… chewed, swallowed… her cheeks rosy from the heat, that wide, almost beaming grin that appeared on her features as she clearly and thoroughly enjoyed the rich flavors...
No one should be allowed to look quite like that when they are eating ramen-
But alas, Seto Kaiba did not run the world-or write its rules to suit his will.
I have to hand it to him-he does have good taste in some things-ramen included-
As Ishizu let out a quiet, throaty noise of satisfaction, her eyes watching him carefully to gauge his reaction, he found himself shifting in his seat uncomfortably once more, almost cursing aloud as his leg bumped hers again.
He found his voice, recovering quickly as he placed a piece of pork between his lips, chewed, and swallowed, "do you like it, Miss Ishtar?"
The ramen, dammit-
-I must get my thoughts under control-dammit all to Hell-
Ishizu almost giggled to herself at the nearly awestruck look on his face as she lifted her eyes to him quickly. Her mouth twitching as if struggling to hide the hint of a genuine grin.
"Yes-very much so, Seto Kaiba."
Seto paused at the doorway to the bedroom, Ishizu looking up at him from underneath thick lashes, leaning against the door, her expression perfectly neutral-
-almost expectant.
He swallowed hard. Is it even proper for me to ask-
-does she want me to-
Her behavior in the limousine had confused him once more. Rather than the effusive, almost tender manner in which she'd addressed him the previous night-oh god, last night-she hadn't spoken a word to him. Hadn't so much as looked at him, her posture in the backseat perfectly straight, hands folded in her lap as usual, her skirt flowing smoothly over her thighs-don't think about her thighs-her neck tense as she gazed out her window. Watching the city pass before her eyes. Observing.
Ignoring his presence.
As he so deserved, after all…
Looking down at her then, feeling temptation saturate his every fiber as she shifted slightly against the door, he could have sworn he saw a small, almost-flirtatious?-smile flit across her features as she asked, her voice soft, trailing down the back of his neck most distractingly:
"Please-Seto-one more night-would you stay with me?"
Her hands moving to clasp in front of her, squeezing tightly.
One more night-
-that's all I need-
I will do it tonight, by all the gods-
Tonight.
She cocked her head to the side, noticing the way his eyes dipped to her neck momentarily as he visibly shuddered, shoving his hands in his pockets, hoping to steady himself.
"Ah-of course, Miss Ishtar…"
He felt her shift beside him in the bed. A tiny moan issuing from her lips as she rolled from her side onto her back, the coverlet and sheets slipping down to reveal her breasts as he dared to look out of the corner of his eyes-
As if he hadn't been having a devil of a time trying to fall asleep next to this impossible woman-
"Seto…" he felt her whisper shakily. Thickly. Needily. Her lips suddenly by his neck. The hairs on the back of his neck standing at attention. His entire body practically screaming at the sound of her voice, his skin responding to that soft breath of hers as it woke every cell in his body, him uttering a slight groan in response before he could stop himself.
Then-
Her delicate, elegant hand. Suddenly on his chest. Playing idly with one of the buttons of his shirt as she scooted closer to him in the bed. The plushness of her body-so damned close to his-
Then she was sitting up, her hair tumbling around her shoulders, eyes sleepily seductive as she moved her fingers to his belt buckle.
"May I…?" she murmured quietly. As she had the night of the dinner with Pegasus, her fingers scrabbling at his tie. Everything flooding back.
As a sliver of moonlight crossed her face, Seto could see her cheeks were flushed. The incredible lines and planes of her neck and collarbones coming into sharp relief.
"Ishizu…" Seto gulped hard, disbelief and arousal soaking through his mind in opposition. His hands by his sides shaking as he fought to keep them still. From moving to her hips. Her thighs. To run his hands along her soft flesh. To make it his. Run his nails over the surface of her skin-to leave a trail of goosebumps the likes of which currently electrified every square inch of him-
She does-
-she really does want this-
-she's not drunk-
He closed his eyes briefly, offering a silent prayer to no one in particular, for he was not one to pray, as her nimble fingers slid his belt out of the loops and let the fine leather drop to the floor.
Then another perfectly wanton-sounding moan from her as she moved to straddle him, his inner thighs cradling his legs firmly as she reached out her hands to his and lifted them to her waist. Seto almost gasping as his thumbs dug into the curves there, holding her steady against his hips-against him-as she moved to unbutton his his shirt.
He let out a deep, breathy groan as she ground her hips against his.
"Seto…" her voice slightly louder-more insistent-quavery.
-all Seto could do was nod feverishly in response, all hopes at breathing evenly, of holding any cards to the vest left abandoned-
-this is happening-
-my god-
In several careful, swift motions she had stripped him of his shirt and undershirt and let those fall to the carpeted floor on top of the discarded belt. Her lips parting as she took him in, her tongue peeking out as she licked her lips hungrily, her darkened eyes surrounded by fluttering lashes.
And then somehow she'd moved onto her back, pulling him to crouch above her, one of his knees between her legs as she tugged his pants down his legs. Smiling with satisfaction as she moved her fingers to the waistband of his boxers, seemingly relishing the way he positively shivered under her precise touch.
"Seto-"
He opened his eyes, meeting her half-lidded gaze. His chest twisting in a vise. Hardly able to breathe as he took her in-the soft, graceful lines of her body-her confident, fluid motions-
She lifted her hands from his boxers and reached for one of his hands. Dragged it down her body. To the apex of her thighs.
He nearly yelped as his fingers brushed against cotton.
Her voice, agonized. Wanting. Desperate. Almost coming out like a cry.
"Please-touch me-"
And then his eyes opened, he barely suppressing a shout as he nearly fell out of the bed, his entire body drenched in a cold sweat. His shoulders rising and lowering shakily, his chest heaving as he slowly blinked himself into full consciousness.
My god-was that-
He was still wearing his clothes. Belt still buckled around his waist.
Ishizu was curled up, faced away from him, her bare back visible to him, the blanket only coming up to her waist. Her breathing even. Rhythmic. The little snorts she made in her sleep almost endearing.
-that-
-it was just a dream-
-only a dream-
He flopped onto his back, attempting to catch his breath-to ignore the demanding feeling coursing throughout his entire body.
I most certainly-
-without a doubt-
-crossed over into the very utmost depths of Hell a long time ago.