"And I remember the sound,
Of your November downtown.
And I remember the truth,
A warm December with you.
But I don't have to make this mistake,
And I don't have to stay this way."
Winter by Joshua Radin
XV
His heart was racing, literally pounding in his chest. It was beating so hard it hurt but Mokuba didn't notice. With each step he took, he threw the next leg forward more viciously. There was nothing else on his mind except that he needed to see his brother, and fast. "MOVE IT! I'M COMING THROUGH!" Mokuba yelled at the top of his lungs as he barreled through the hustle and bustle of the Kaiba Corp. employees. He didn't care how rude he sounded. He had to get to Seto's office as quickly as possible.
"NII-SAMA!" Mokuba shouted as he flung open the door. To his surprise, the office was empty. Neither Seto nor Kisara were anywhere in sight. The only person present was Isono, holding an open file in his hand. His expression changed when he saw Mokuba, the boy's face soaked in sweat.
"Is everything okay, Master Mokuba?" Isono put down the file and walked over to him. Mokuba took a few steps back, looking around the hallway outside of Seto's office.
"I need to see my brother. Where is he?" Mokuba asked between pants.
"I believe he accompanied Ms. Safiya to the copier room. Is something wrong?" Mokuba shook his head and turned around.
"I'm fine. I just need to find him!" Mokuba dashed down the hallway, dodging every employee that stood in his way. Within seconds, he busted open the door to the copier room to find Kisara and Seto, making copies and chatting. The two of them looked up at the same time.
"Oh, hey Mokuba," Kisara said in surprise, then she looked worried, "Whoa, are you okay?" Mokuba nodded.
"I need… some… water…" Mokuba said, hanging onto the doorknob for dear life. He was absolutely exhausted. Maybe running up an entire flight of stairs instead of taking the elevator was a bad idea… "I need to talk to you… Nii-sama…"
Seto turned to Kisara, "Could you get him some water?" Kisara nodded and left the room. The minute she was gone, Mokuba slammed the door shut after her. "Alright, tell me what's going on. Are you in trouble? Is someone coming after you?" Mokuba was bent over, trying to catch his breath. He shook his head.
"No, it's not that."
"Then what is it? You're scaring the hell out of me right now." Mokuba took a deep breath and stood up straight.
"I was just downstairs in the personnel files and I stumbled upon something…" Seto's eyes widened. He moved in closer to Mokuba.
"I'd ask how you got a key to the personnel file room in the first place, but I'm more interested in what you found. Is it incriminating?" Seto then said in a hushed voice, "Is it about Kisara?"
Mokuba took another deep breath before speaking again. "December 20th." There was a long pause.
"...I don't get it." Mokuba turned around and locked the door behind him.
"That's Kisara's birthday, December 20th!" Seto rolled his eyes.
"Ugh, why do you do this to me? You come in here like its life or death and then you tell me it's about Kisara's birthday."
"No, no, no, do you even know what day it is today?" Seto raised an eyebrow. He quickly flipped out his phone and checked. Again, he gave an annoyed sigh.
"It's only December 10th. Don't scare me like that!"
"You should be scared." Seto walked over to the copy machine and took out the copies he had made so far.
"Oh yeah, and why is that?"
"Um, because that means we only have ten days to figure out what to get Kisara for her birthday. Duh! Are you an idiot?" Seto twisted around.
"Hey! You are not allowed to call me an idiot," Seto stated sternly, "Besides, I don't get people presents except for you and the only thing I give Isono is time off to see his mother once a year."
"But Nii-sama, you have to give Kisara something if you want her to be your girlfriend!" Seto wasn't sure about that. Though he and Kisara had gone on several "getting-to-know-each-other" dates in the last two weeks, he still wasn't sure he was ready to formally ask Kisara to be his girlfriend. It wasn't because he didn't know how to ask her, though that was part of the reason, but mostly it was because he didn't know if asking her out was the right thing to do. Sure, he was fond of her the same way she was probably fond of him, that part was obvious, but there were so many other things he had to take into consideration before making such a bold move.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "I have the water. Am I allowed in?" Kisara's voice was heard on the other side of the door. Seto opened the door quickly and shut it behind him.
"Thanks for getting the water. Why don't you head back my office and begin filing these in their proper places. I think I need a little more alone time with Mokuba… turns out something bad happened at school and he needed someone to talk to."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that." Seto took the cup of water from her hand.
"Yeah, but he's going to be okay. It was nothing serious. I'll see you back at the office." Kisara nodded.
"Alright, see you later." Seto went back into the copier room and handed Mokuba the cup of water.
"I don't know if I should ask Kisara out." Mokuba spit out his water.
"Wait, what? Why? Of course you should!" Mokuba said and then gasped, "You're not pretending to like her, are you? Nii-sama! That's cruel!"
"No, it's nothing like that," Seto folded his arms, "I'm just worried about what will happen if I do ask her out."
"Like what exactly?"
"Have you even thought about all the danger she'll be in if the world knows she and I are involved with each other? Imagine everything that's happened to you and multiple that by two." Mokuba rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't thought about that. It wasn't an issue he ever had to think about. Seto was the one who had to worry about Mokuba's safety because of the title he held… and because most people knew if they wanted to get to Seto, they had to hurt Mokuba. Since Seto had become CEO, Mokuba's life had been riddled with kidnappings, death threats, abuse, and constant fear for his life. He hadn't realized that would be the life Kisara would have to deal with too if she ever became Seto's girlfriend.
"I hadn't thought about that…" Mokuba said, looking down, "How have you two been going on so many dates without the press finding out?" Seto leaned against the door.
"All of our dates have been private and out of the public eye. I rent out every restaurant we go to or invite her over to the house… using my helicopter or the limo with extra tinted windows. I've done everything in my power to keep this a secret and I've sworn her to secrecy as well. I told her it was best for our work and school life."
"Well, you can't keep hiding forever. I mean, she's eventually going to want to something more, don't you think?"
"She was the one who wanted to get to know each other before we did anything," Seto said, looking down at his feet. It ended up being the best plan of action for them, Seto realized, but he had to wonder in the back of his mind if Kisara would eventually want something more. Seto knew his feelings grew stronger with each and every day he spent with her… he just didn't know if Kisara felt the same. Maybe she never would… and maybe it was better that way.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Mokuba said, taking one last gulp of his water before tossing the empty cup in the trashcan, "But I still think you should get her a gift. Regardless of whatever you two are to each other, she's been a great assistant these last couple months."
"I know… and you're right," Seto said, opening the door for him and walking out of the copier room, "Now the only problem is figuring out what in the world to get her."
"Don't worry. I'll help you figure something out!" Mokuba said with a wide smile on his face. The brothers walked together back to Seto's office. Seto immediately noticed Kisara was gone the minute he walked in. He turned to Isono.
"Where's Kisara?"
"She told me she was taking a break."
"She's taking a break? But Kisara never takes breaks. She's never taken a break since she began working here," Seto stated in astonishment.
"Except for that time she fractured her wrist," Mokuba added, looking up at his brother. Isono shrugged.
"I don't know what else to tell you. She told me she was taking a break, took her coat, and left." Seto grabbed his own coat off the coat hanger on the door.
"Nii-sama, where are you going?"
"Don't worry, I'll be back. I'm just gonna check on Kisara real quick." Seto left his office and took off towards the elevator. It opened just as he pressed the button to go down. When he stepped inside, however, he got another idea and pressed the button to go up.
Kisara walked outside of the Kaiba Corp. building and into the parking lot. A gust of cold wind blew into her face, causing her to zip her coat all the way up to her neck. It was freezing outside… Kisara had never experienced a cold December in her life. After checking to make sure no one was around, she flipped open her phone and dialed an all too familiar number.
"Hello?" Kisara smiled upon hearing her best friend's voice.
"Hey Cleo, what's up?"
"Kisara Safiya! I don't believe it. You actually called! This might be the first time you've ever called me. Where have you been? The last time we talked was a month ago! I've been trying to call you for a while."
"I know, and I'm sorry it's been so long. I've been busy with work and school. Not to mention that you still have yet to figure out the time zone differences between us. Also I had to save up for a phone card…"
"Alright, alright, I get it. You're crazy busy but it doesn't matter. Just tell me how you've been. How's life treating you in Japan?"
"Things have been going pretty well, actually, with school and work… I had to buy my first coat yesterday because it's so cold here."
"And what about Seto Kaiba? You know all I'm really interested in is how he's treating you." Kisara could imagine the grin on Cleopatra's face right then as she was asking about Seto just as easily as Cleopatra could imagine how red Kisara became from blushing.
"Well, he and I… we've actually been dating for about two weeks now." Cleopatra squealed so loud from excitement, Kisara had to hold the phone away from her face. "Now before you get too excited, we're just getting to know each other. We're not boyfriend and girlfriend or anything."
"Too late for that! I'm already excited. I'm so happy to hear you're dating again! A lot of us were worried you never would after going out with 'he who shall not be named.'" Kisara's smile disappeared and she became quiet. "Kisara, are you still there?"
"I don't want to talk about him, okay? Let's just pretend he doesn't exist for this phone call."
"Okay, okay, calm down. I called him 'he who shall not be named,' I thought that would be enough. I apologize." Kisara sighed.
"The reason I called you was to talk about Seto. We've been 'getting to know each other' for a while now but he still hasn't asked me out. I need you to tell it to me straight, Cleo… do you think he ever will ask me out?"
"Well…"
The elevator door opened. The hallway was empty, save for one door and one door only. The unmarked floor of the Kaiba Corp. building wasn't known to anyone except Seto. He walked over to the door and opened it. There were a whole range of camera monitors that could be seen along the computer screen that stretched along the three walls of the room. Seto sat down in the chair in the center of the room and scanned the monitors in front of him. He looked through each one until he found the monitor that was titled, "Front Entrance." It was there that he saw Kisara standing, talking on her cell phone.
Seto rolled over to the keyboard in front of him and clicked on the front entrance monitor, enlarging the window and turning up the volume. It was then that they camera was able to pick up what Kisara was saying on her cell phone as she was standing outside.
"You're right, I'm just going to have to wait and see," Kisara wrapped her free arm around herself, "I'm freezing… Oh, I'm standing outside of the Kaiba Corp. building, I'm at work right now… I guess this'll be the first year I'll have a white Christmas." Seto raised an eyebrow and leaned in closer to the computer, "…I know, I was hoping to go home for the holidays but I simply don't have the money to fly home right now between living on my own and saving for business school… I can't ask Mom or Dad, I know they don't have the money either. Besides, asking them would just make them depressed. I'm just going to say I have to work through the holidays so they don't feel bad… Cleo, if I can't come home for Christmas, I certainly can't come home for my birthday…"
Seto watched as Kisara's face was contorted with emotion. She missed her family and friends. She missed her home. Sure, Domino City had become a home for Kisara; that much was true. It was something he could just tell… a feeling he got from being around her. Kisara didn't seem to be living in Domino City because she had to, she wanted to, but Domino City couldn't replace the people she was leaving behind in Egypt, the people that made her feel at home. Seto knew this because he had experienced it all after moving several times over the course of his life. The Kaiba Mansion had become more of a home for Seto and his brother after Gozaburo died, but nothing could replace the home he lived in with his parents before they died.
Kisara looked down at her watch, "Listen Cleo, I have to go but I promise to call sooner next time and tell my parents I say 'hi'… I don't know how or when I'll tell them I'm not coming home, but I'll figure it out, I'm sure… alright, I love you too. We'll celebrate my birthday next year. It'll be great… Take care." Seto got up from his chair and left the room. He went back into the elevator and soon returned to his office where Mokuba was waiting for him.
"Nii-sama, I've been thinking about it, and I know what we should get Kisara! We should buy her jewelry. All girls love jewelry!" Seto shook his head and sat down at his desk, flipping open his computer.
"I already know what to get her and it's something better than jewelry."
"What is it?"
"You'll see." Seto opened up a new web browser on his laptop and began typing. Part of him couldn't believe he was actually buying a gift for someone of the opposite sex. Never before could he have ever predicted himself caring for a woman, much less feeling happiness by bringing happiness to another person. No, he could've never predicted the way Kisara made him feel and the things he would do just to see her smile. He could've never known what it meant to feel such things had she never come to Domino City with dreams as big as his own.
Seto knew he couldn't help her fulfill every dream she had, but he would try his best to help fulfill as many as he could to make her happy.
A/N: Hey all! So it's been a CRAZY month this last month… though I'm starting to feel like there's never been a month that hasn't been crazy. Could it be because it's 2012 and we're all going to die at the end of the year? I doubt it. But it may explain why life hasn't given me a break lately. BUT thankfully the harder my life is, the more inspired I am to escape in my writing and bring you a new chapter. I was going to post this chapter yesterday and give you a day early update but once again, life got in the way so that didn't happen. I finished this chapter quite a while ago… the ending was the only thing that was taking me a while to write. I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with the ending, still, but either way, I'm pretty content with what I have here. Not to mention that all of your reviews have been extra nice lately which have been really helpful during this difficult time! I hope I express enough of my gratitude in my review replies because you guys are seriously awesome. Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you guys in a month!
P.S: I'm going to be posting a new one-shot in less than a week so stay tuned for that in the near future.