Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

10-10-2-Do-You Too

Chapter 6

Downtime

Kaiba's eyes went wide, as his jaw hung open and he took a defensive step back. He didn't believe what he was seeing. All the rage he'd (poorly) kept from seeping into his everyday life imploded. Who did she think she was coming here now?!

Isis steeled herself against the wide-eyed stare of rage. She could feel Kaiba's discontent. She reminded herself that this was the bed she made, and she was choosing to lie in it. Kaiba blocked her, she could've mourned the loss and moved on, but she didn't want to.

She cleared her throat, "Seto I—"

"I blocked you." Kaiba gripped his phone so tightly it was cutting into his hand. "I blocked you." It was repeated as a scathing reminder, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Isis felt the temperature in the room drop over his frigid tone. "I said I would—"

Kaiba's tone rose considerably, echoing off the walls. "You are in my country, my city, my house—!" The gravity of his words attempted to assuage him. Country, city, house – check, check, check – Isis occupied all three. But it didn't matter, it was too late...right? "Don't stand here and continue to insult my intelligence!"

Isis inhaled through her nose and exhaled between pursed lips. She knew this would be hard but damn, this was hard. She upset him to the point that her grand gesture seemed to be falling flat. She didn't know whether to speak or to let him keep going. He made the decision for her when he opened his mouth.

"Talk is cheap and you're in the red." Kaiba looked her up and down, nostrils flaring, "Tell me the real reason you're here. Couldn't handle the rejection?"

"No, I couldn't." Isis kept her shoulders straight and her tone even.

Kaiba was taken aback by the honesty.

"There was a time we both agreed our quarrels were best handled in person to cut down on miscommunication. Is that still not the case?"

Kaiba had flashbacks to that night at Malik's house in Vegas, standing in Isis' room riding too high on adrenaline to feel the jetlag. "Using my words against me? That would work if this was a quarrel. We're not fighting."

"Not fighting would be best."

That pissed Kaiba off even more. She came all this way not even to square up with him. Where was the woman with a backbone and a sharp tongue that he fell—blocked. That he blocked.

"We're not fighting because you're done." Kaiba's smile wasn't nice in any capacity. "You're not worth the effort."

"But you are." Isis steeled herself and approached Kaiba. She stood half an arm's length from him. "You are and you've always been Seto."

"I don't need you to tell me that," he hissed.

"Yes, you do." Isis hesitantly reached out and brushed against the tense wrist attached to the hand choking his smart-phone. "You needed to hear this, in person, from me."

Kaiba hated how much her touch affected him.

"I'm not here for lists or ultimatums." Isis' tone was patient, almost tender. She was attempting to self-sooth to comfortably speak her truth, while simultaneously trying to calm Kaiba. With him so close, she could now feel the turmoil. "Seto...I've never met anyone like you."

The comment was a sweet caress to his ego but not enough to take her off the hook. "Obviously you've never met someone like me, and you never will again."

She cleared her throat, "That night at the penthouse, I was overwhelmed—"

"I know you were," Kaiba gruffly cut in. He figured that out on his own (Joey helped but details), leading to an apology before he left Vegas. "We've been over that, and this isn't a time to bring up my mistakes to make yourself look better. It doesn't excuse the last 5 months—"

"No, it doesn't." It was Isis' turn to interject. "Instead of getting over that feeling, I allowed it to bury me down. To put me in a perpetual pause." The hand still lingering on his wrist was firmer in its actions. "I need you to know – to hear it from me so there's no denying it at any point: I didn't wait because of you. It was never you."

"Then what the fuck was it?" Kaiba demanded as he let his phone drop from his hand to the dining room table.

Isis took advantage of this and linked her fingers with his. "It was my own insecurity of being so strongly chased by you. I'm not used to someone knowing what they want and it being me." Isis felt embarrassed in her admission, but it was the truth. "It made me second guess my worth and if I deserved to be here, with you. I never want you to believe I did this to hurt you or take advantage of your generosity."

Kaiba stared at Isis, hypersensitive to her hand clasped with his. Her eyes were full of so much sincerity and guilt, it left him silent. He'd never seen her so vulnerable.

"Seto...I've made you wait long enough, and it hasn't been fair to you." Isis squeezed his hand, "Moushiwake gozaimasen o yurushi kudasai..." (I'm sorry, please forgive me.)

The fires of revenge, hurt, and disappointment were doused under a tidal wave of truth, vulnerability, and penance. Kaiba didn't move, he didn't blink. His circuits were overheating in real time.

Isis continued, "If I'm too late for a second chance at your romantic attentions, then I will leave you to your life. But if I did nothing else, I had to come here and atone for how I've hurt you. Even if it meant I'd leave here with nothing but your silence." She squeezed his hand, "Yurushite kudasai," (Please forgive me) she repeated.

Kaiba's interpretation of a statue was still on display. Hearing the accountability, the apology spoken so sweetly in Japanese, spoken just for him was…well, it was his turn to feel overwhelmed. He's done with Isis; she kept him waiting. He doesn't want her, and yet he stood there wishing she didn't let go of his hand. Was he...weak?

"Seto?" Isis found his stillness worrying, especially accompanied by the intense staring (and lack of blinking). "Are you OK?" She felt stupid asking that during such an intense conversation, but if he was having a medical emergency she needed to know.

"I need to eat." Kaiba deadpanned at a normal volume. "I should eat." He dropped her hand and trekked to the other side of the table and sat down, even placing a napkin across his lap, and gathering the necessary silverware. His gaze was miles away.

Isis stood there at a loss of what was happening. She watched him stare down at the food she made, almost in a trance. "...I...I hope it's not too spicy..." She awkwardly mumbled.

Kaiba cut into the still hot meal and took a bite. The tenderness, the juiciness, the flavor... Yes, he was weak. Very weak. "...Get out..."

Isis flinched and felt her heart drop to her feet. He didn't like the fish. Telling the truth and giving a sincere apology wasn't strong enough to withstand a plate of fish not to his standards. Humiliation started to creep into her bones, her eyes daring to well up.

"Isis."

She looked back at Kaiba to find him taking another bite. "I said, get out. I don't want you staring at me while I eat." He placed a dollop of tahini onto his next bite and chewed thoughtfully. "Don't you have suitcases to unpack?"

Isis felt a ringing in her ears, unable to fully connect to reality. Her brain loudly replayed his words:

Don't you have suitcases to unpack?

Isis gulped back a whimper and nodded, quickly exiting from the room. In the hallway she covered her mouth as the first sob of relief came. He wasn't telling her to leave to go back to Vegas, he was telling her (in his own way) that he needed space! He wanted to process what she said because what she said held value.

She rushed through the large hallway back to the bedroom, to find her two large suitcases. Neither one was open, even with Isono being the first to encourage her to unpack. She didn't want to do anything until she knew Kaiba would have her. Right now, she refused to second guess. She wanted to be fully presumptive. With tears of joy rolling down her cheeks she unzipped the first bag.

In the Dining Room

Kaiba sat at the table glaring down at his now empty plate and side dishes. The fish was delicious and exactly what he needed after a long day. With food in his belly his headache was gone. He stood in the large window of the dining room; this side of the house having the view of the docks and water. Only one boat had left so far, the others still in preparation. The ocean was still and somehow so was Kaiba and it didn't sit well with him.

A gentle caress, an emotional excuse, followed by a learned Japanese phrase of apology and that's all it took to forgive her? To allow Isis into his home, back into his life? He shouldn't have to wait 5 months for someone to make a move when he made it abundantly clear what he wanted. He shouldn't have to be greeted with silence after another grand show of his intentions, such as showing up for her graduation.

Kaiba pressed his forehead into the window, eyes closed. All he asked of Isis was to come to Japan. Leading up to getting what he wanted wasn't satisfactory, but he did get what he wanted. He got an acknowledgement of how much she fucked with his head with the lack of action. Even the promise (one he didn't take seriously) of a homemade meal was fulfilled. The evidence was there, but why didn't he believe or trust her actions?

Kaiba slammed his fist on the glass. He wished he never met Isis at all. But he had met her, and it changed everything. A feeling swelled inside of him that he didn't understand. Next thing he knew, Kaiba was running full out through the house towards the bedroom. He busted into the room and didn't immediately see her. He felt a panic rise. Did she misinterpret his words and leave?

"Isis?!" He frantically called.

"I'm here!" Isis nearly tripped over her bags hurrying out of the closet, "Seto I'm here! What's wrong?"

Kaiba rushed her and grabbed Isis by the front of her dress, his hands gripping the fabric so tightly it wrinkled the material. He thought he had something to say but he remained silent, staring at Isis wild eyed.

A film of encounters flashed through his head. He could see her again – seeing her for the first time in that Tokyo night club. He could smell her again – he was back in that embarrassing pedi-cab, her head on his shoulder as he smelled her shampoo. He was touching her again – his hands digging into her bottom as he fucked her deep in that hotel penthouse.

Isis was breathing hard at Kaiba's franticness. Her heart was pounding. She wasn't scared he'd hurt her physically, but the ball was in his court to destroy her emotionally. Maybe he changed his mind. Maybe his mind never changed.

Kaiba didn't know where his obsession for blue eyes came from. Whether it was born of his favorite Duel Monsters' card, or another narcissistic led infatuation, regardless, Isis' blue eyes, the way they were looking at him, was breaking him down in real time. But he stubbornly wasn't ready to stop the turmoil.

He let her go and took a wobbly step back. "I need to work."

Isis watched as Kaiba escaped the bedroom and ultimately her.

A Few Hours Later

It was 3am and the house was quiet, so quiet, Isis could hear the ocean gently lapping against the shore. It was so soothing; she'd found herself lulling in and out of sleep as she lay on the bed. She finished unpacking, showered, and even got ready for bed. The bedroom was dark aside from the hall light shining under the door.

Isis wanted to give Kaiba all the space he needed to process, but his behavior was hard to read. She played over and over the indecision that flashed in his eyes, while he stood gripping her dress. Her hope was him returning and her getting answers, but she had a feeling operation 'go to Kaiba' wasn't over. She climbed out of the bed and opened the door, the warm light hurting her eyes.

Kaiba said he needed to work. Isono had only directed her to where the kitchen and bedroom were. Isis didn't have time to wander the grounds and discover the other locations with the time between finishing the meal and Kaiba arriving. While Ryūgū-jō was a large property, it wasn't enormous. It was a one floor square with a courtyard in the middle. Isis wouldn't have difficulty finding him if he was still there.

She stood in the doorway of the bedroom, wondering which side of the house to investigate first. Lucky for her, across the courtyard in the parallel hallway, a door was cracked, and blue light was streaming out. She took quiet steps towards the room. Slowly she pushed the door open.

The home office was much larger than expected. The same acacia black walnut flooring throughout the home was present in the office. The walls were cracked pepper black, except for the one parallel to the door. It was another floor-to-ceiling window with the prefect view of the neighborhood and twinkling lights of the city. Before the window was a sitting area. Two Japandi style couches with black cushions and cumaru wood frames, faced each other, with a round cumaru wood coffee table between them.

The shelves on the ashen black walls were also cumaru wood. They held a vast number of awards and plaques. On the left wall, between the rows of shelves, was another set of shoji doors made of glass and dark wood. Isis assumed it was a closet.

Below the shelves on the right wall was a wide black filing cabinet, sitting behind a large, curved desk. The surface was made too of cumaru wood, sitting on a metal frame. The desk housed a black mouse and keyboard that glowed blue; and three large, curved monitors saddled next to one another. The desk area sat on a raised area, the occupant having the perfect vantage point to oversee what was in the middle of the room.

On a big black pedestal sat what looked like a large thick piece of glass. It was responsible for the glowing blue light trickling into the hall. It showed a beautifully detailed hologram shaded in light blue, of a fictional ancient Egyptian city, where large monsters – Isis got closer, identifying the god cards – loomed on the edges. Villagers were milling about, making the town feel alive. She was entranced by how real everything looked, almost as if she could reach out and touch them. She was halfway tempted until she remembered Kaiba was in the room. She turned her sight back to the desk.

There was a large black modern interpretation of the executive desk chair design; it was sleek, the seating portion cushioned in a diamond pattern. Under the seat of the chair was a flip out for a footrest. Kaiba had engaged it, and lay flat in the reclined chair, asleep. Isis moved away from the fictional city and slowly approached Kaiba, making sure to watch her step for the raised platform of the desk area.

"Seto?" No response.

The blue light of Kaiba's creation coated him in a cybernetic glow. His sleeping face was something she thought about often. He was such an expressive man, seeing him so peaceful was foreign. Against her better judgement, she reached a nurturing hand forward and went to caress a lock of chocolate hair from his eyes.

Kaiba's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist in a firm hold. Isis yelped in response. "What are you doing?" His eyes shot open, glossy from sleep.

"That chair can't be comfortable Seto. Come to bed?"

Kaiba stared at her for some time before letting her wrist go. He sat his chair up, which caused the lights of the room to come back on. Kaiba rotated his head in a circle, rolling his shoulders and rubbing his neck.

"Are you feeling sore?"

"I'm fine," he grouched as she slumped in front of his screens. His eyes darted to the smart-table before his fingers were flying across his keyboard. The smart-board in the center flickered the images to nothing, the monitors showing complicated equations.

"What are you working on?" Isis politely asked. She did have an interest in project. "Was that the city for the new game?"

"What are you doing Isis?" Kaiba served Isis with a scathing but tired glare. "Why are you in here? It's late. You should be sleep."

Isis let out a slow breath. "I was waiting for you to come to bed."

"I'm planning a tournament that will have global attendance and running a billion-dollar gaming company. Sleep is a waste of time."

Isis wouldn't combat his words around his very busy and complex job, but she would push back on him sleeping. "You're useless to your plans and juniors without rest."

"I do it all the time."

"Tradition does not trump health. Surely that chair isn't good for your neck and shoulders."

Kaiba snorted. "The couch pulls out into a bed, I'll be fine." He returned to his work, double checking what he did before nodding off.

Isis walked over to the seating area and looked at both couches. Only one had a small metal bar in the front. It was so ambiguous it easily blended in as decoration. "Where do you keep the sheets and pillows?" Isis asked as she headed for the shoji doors she assumed lead to a closet.

"The sheets are in the hall closet." Kaiba watched Isis walkthrough the door ignoring his comment.

Upon entering, warm lighting lined up along the shelves brightened to optimal levels for a visitor. The signature feature of Ryūgū-jō – its large floor to ceiling windows giving captivating views – was nowhere to be found in this room. The walls were covered with shelves that reached all the way up to the ceiling. And they were all filled with books.

Some appeared to be graphic novels, others old and a little weathered. There was almost no portion of wall untouched by literature, outside of the doors Isis entered from, the other set of doors that emptied into the hallway. The shelves were made of pure black marble; the spines encased by glass walls or doors; Isis wasn't sure. She couldn't see any way of opening them to access the books. In the center were two very fluffy oversized black chaise chairs with tablets sitting on them.

"Come out of here."

Isis turned around to find Kaiba standing in the doorway, arms crossed and deeply frowning. "Why?"

Kaiba raised a brow, "Because I said so."

"I can be left to responsibly peruse a library filled with what I assume are expensive books. I can't even pull one down. Is there a reason they're locked up?" She looked down and realized this room had carpet unlike everywhere else in the home. It was a very plush black carpet that felt extra cushioned beneath her bare feet.

"It doesn't matter, get out."

"I am not a child Seto."

"It's my library and I want you out." Kaiba doubled down.

"I suppose we do have a child here," Isis mumbled to herself.

Kaiba heard her. The house was too quiet for snide remarks. "I was doing you a favor. I wouldn't want you to get overwhelmed by the selection and spend 5 months in here."

Isis loudly blew air through her nose and took the bait. "Impossible, you wouldn't allow it. I've only been here for 5 hours, and I still don't know peace."

Kaiba scoffed, "Are you implying I've been pestering you for 5 months?"

"I'm implying that you refuse to grant me peace."

Kaiba's stare intensified, "Get out of my library, Isis."

In an act of defiant compliance, she exited the library through the other doors that led back into the large hallway. The plan to make up the bed in the office as an olive branch of peace was thrown out. All she wanted to do was create distance. She returned to the bedroom only to find Kaiba hot on her heels.

"Are you here to kick me out of your room as well?" Isis haughtily sat on the end of the mattress.

"Don't be such a baby." He eyed Isis' long braid, most likely touching the bed behind her back. She had on a nightgown that seemed to be made from deep purple silk or satin, littered with white magnolia flowers in bloom. "If you can't take it, don't start."

"Says the man who started it. You kicked me out of a room without rhyme or reason." Isis watched as Kaiba started undoing the buckle of his belt. "I suppose a spanking comes with your scolding?"

Kaiba paused his ministrations to give Isis a questionable look. "You're asking to be spanked?"

She didn't appreciate the way his voice dropped. "I'm being impudent, not flirting Seto." Isis crossed her arms, annoyed by how her words came off.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. "I asked you to leave the room. How is that starting anything?" He yanked the belt from the loops of his slacks.

"You ordered me out, very different from asking."

"I didn't know you needed to be babied in every situation." He unbuttoned his pants, untucking his black turtleneck.

"I see your manners still have the same stipulations."

"Here you go again with manners." Kaiba pulled the shirt over his head, his skin showing gooseflesh in the cool air of the bedroom.

Isis couldn't help herself but look and she didn't hide the fact she was checking him out. "And here you go again not providing common courtesy."

Kaiba was fully aware of the inspection. Five months of rage helped a lot in the gym. He knew he looked just as good (if not better) than the last time Isis saw him. He disappeared into the closet. Shortly after he returned in a robe.

"Was Japanese society not incorporated into your language class?" Kaiba smirk was beyond arrogant. "We're a very polite and courteous people."

"Of course it did, but you and I both know you live in a world above societal standards, expectations, and practices. Also, Domino City is the transplant capital of Japan. A lot of tradition is lost here."

Kaiba was impressed by the knowledge, but she didn't need to know that. "Regardless of how you paint it, it doesn't matter. Only the emotionally immature need to be handled so delicately," he returned.

Isis cocked her head to the side, a slick smile curving her lips. "Dearest Seto, have my hands not been soft and gentle all this time?"

Kaiba gritted his jaw as he felt fiery rage color his neck red. At a loss of how to follow that up, he stormed back into the closet and entered the bathroom.

At the sound of the shower starting, Isis flopped back on the bed, utterly annoyed. This is not how things were supposed to go! During her private flight to Domino, she contemplated the many outcomes of her surprise arrival.

The most unrealistic one was Kaiba welcoming her with open arms, kisses and sweet nothings. The most tragic version involved Kaiba tossing horrible words at her, before kicking her out on her ass. They were communicating, unfortunately by way of arguing. But she'd yet to be kicked out. The perfect purgatory.

Isis chastised herself for taking the bait in the library, but she refused to let Kaiba talk to her like this. The ball was in his court but that didn't mean he could speak and treat her however he wanted. The whole interaction was ruffling her feathers in a way that gave her déjà vu.

The sound of wet footprints came rumbling back to the bedroom. Kaiba's hair was damp, and he was back in his robe. "Don't act like I'm the one in this situation that needs special treatment!" He boomed, dripping water on the floor.

Isis was baffled. "Did you come out of the shower to tell me this?"

Kaiba continued unperturbed, "You're the one who needed what exactly to make the move? Rejection? You're a sore loser, that's the only reason you came."

Isis was on her feet. "You are the sore loser! I made you wait but I never said I wasn't coming. You are the one who asked me to do something that completely changes my life in every aspect. Nothing will be the same! Do you know how terrifying that is? Better yet to do it for a man?"

"I'm not just any man—"

"Save your egotistical dribble for another woman, I'm already tried of it!"

Kaiba scoffed, "Egotistical dribble? I am a big fucking deal, Isis. That might fly over your head because you're used to being with losers, example, Devlin—"

"I thought I said to keep your egotistical dribble for another! And how many times must I tell you Duke and I have never been romantic in any capacity?"

"Until it becomes believable!" Kaiba stormed back into the closet, before walking right back out, index finger jabbing in her direction. "You have a lot of nerve being so disrespectful with me. I hold the cards; I pick the moves!"

Isis did not appreciate that fact being rubbed in her face. "You act as if I don't know that!"

"Your attitude says otherwise."

Attitude?! "You're so right Seto, how could I be so slow to run to the arms of a selfish, petulant, moody—"

Moody?! "I'm moody?! I've never taken almost half a year to decide anything based on my feelings," he sneered.

"Because you are impulsive! You would rather cast yourself over a cliff than live in indecision!"

"And where has your prudence gotten you? You'd spend all day on the edge of that cliff until the rock gave way, making the decision for you! Isis, I'm tired of you acting like you give a fuck about any of this—"

"Contrary to popular belief I do! I wouldn't have learned Japanese—"

"That reminds me, your pronunciation on your so-called apology could use work—"

"Because your Arabic was top tier in Las Vegas when you apologized first—"

"Don't try to downplay your mistakes by bringing up the past! And I'm the only native Japanese speaker in this room—"

"While I'm the only native Arabic speaker in this room! And I do not bring up your past indiscretions to discredit my own, we've been over that Seto." Isis tried her darndest to wrangle in her emotions, but they were swirling all over the place. "You are correct about the cliff – my circumspection was my downfall from the edge."

Kaiba stared at her, no longer feeling the need to cut her off.

"The rock may have given way, but I didn't let the current below drown me!" Isis returned in a strong voice, "I am here swimming with all I have against your waves, and you continue to beat me against the rocks!"

"I'm not beating you against metaphorical rocks, I want you to prove to me you really want to be here—"

"How Seto?!" Isis' eyes were wide, her hands up in surrender.

Kaiba was silent.

"Perhaps we should duel again? If I win, it shows I'm here for the right reasons, if you win, you can throw me from the property and watch me sink below. What more could I do?!"

Kaiba couldn't quite pinpoint what pissed him off, but he refused to address it in real time. "Shut up."

"No."

"I said shut up!"

"You do not have the authority to silence me!"

Kaiba grabbed Isis, slamming their bodies together as he pushed his lips against her. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He lowly growled as he walked her back into the wall, his warm damp body pressing into hers. "Shut up or I'll stop."

Isis was winded from the first kiss, and it didn't even include tongue. Just a kiss from Kaiba swept her off her feet. She pushed back against those lips, noisily breathing through her nose. She pushed her tongue against the seam of his lips. Kaiba opened his mouth to receive her tongue and hungrily devoured her.

The kiss was the definition of passion and rough. At certain points their teeth clicked together, but they continued unphased. Kaiba bit Isis' lower lip, pulling the flesh back before letting it slap back against her teeth, him diving back to reconnect their lips. Isis' tongue dipped far beyond its home, overtaking Kaiba's mouth; wetly tracing the grooves at the top of his mouth.

Kaiba pushed his erection into her thigh, gently griding into her. "Fuck Isis," he hissed as he reached down, bunching her nightgown up so he could get a handful of her bottom. He squeezed the globes, missing how amazing they felt in his hands.

Isis kissed back more fervently, moaning into his mouth. She hadn't been touched like this in 5 months and dammit if she wasn't spiraling fast. "I-I want you…" She whispered between hot open mouth kisses. "Always want you…"

Kaiba felt similar words on his tongue and the realization doused him in ice cold truth.

Suddenly everything went cold. Kaiba's tongue, hands, and damp body were nowhere to be found. Isis opened her eyes to find herself still against the wall, but Kaiba was now standing an arm's length back. His face was flushed, and his lips swollen.

"I told you to shut up or I'd stop." Kaiba's eyes were swirling with withheld fire. "Your defiance continues to leave you with nothing."

The lust cleared from Isis' mind as she gave Kaiba a just as bold look. "And your control over the situation is fictional."

"False, I am in control, Isis. I blocked you; you ran here to do damage control. I told you I hold the cards – I choose the moves."

Isis felt anger sizzle along the back of her neck.

"It would be in your best interest to get in my good graces."

A dark part of Isis crept deep from the depths of her nature. "How could I have been so obtuse?"

Kaiba never heard Isis' tone devoid of passion or underlining diplomacy. It was like a stone buried in snow, cold and hard.

Isis dropped to her knees, "It seems I must change my ways." She crawled in a suggestive way until she was at Kaiba's feet. "Does this please you?"

Kaiba's eyes went wide, cheeks blushing at the display. "W-what are you doing?" Her smile wasn't nice nor was it charming. It was devious.

"Appeasing you. Do you not wish for a subservient partner?" Isis kissed from his knees up his thighs. "Perhaps I should've started at your feet?"

Kaiba shivered, breath picking up. "T-this is ridiculous."

"No, my behavior was ridiculous, Seto." Isis could see the swollen head of his cock peeking out for the slit in the robe. It was begging to be sucked. "Would taking you in my mouth put me in your good graces?" Isis blew on the head.

Kaiba bit his lip, his hips automatically jerking as his brain and body started a war.

"I promise to be submissive Seto. And when you present more hoops for me to jump through, I won't ask how high." Isis looked up, her eyes almost glowing in the darkness of the room. "I'll simply leap. Now tell me Seto, am I sucking you or not?"

Kaiba gulped, terrified and turned on by whoever the woman at his feet was.

"My, is the great Seto Kaiba dealing with a bout of indecision?"

"S-shut up, you fucking tease," Kaiba hissed through a clench jaw.

"Perhaps it's contagious." Isis slowly rose to her feet, her hand intentionally grazing his cock head. "Or perhaps you are indecisive by your own volition." She narrowed her eyes, getting uncomfortably close; she could feel his erection digging into her midsection. "You eat my food, you allow me to unpack, and you want to be inside of me. But your ego will not allow you to be happy with my presence."

Kaiba glared but said nothing.

"When you are ready to stop punishing me, you'll also stop punishing yourself." Isis emphasized this by giving that throbbing cock tip a gentle squeeze. It was just enough to have that bead of pre-come glop out and slide down the shaft.

"Don't fucking touch me," Kaiba hissed while making no movement to stop her.

"Still not ready to be sweet?" Isis' smile was duplicitous as she returned her hands to herself by placing them on her hips. "And you touched me first."

The energy she exuded was at war with his own vigor. They were two crackling forces swirling around each other in a flurry of stubbornness. Things were destined to explode but Kaiba refused to give her that satisfaction, Isis fully aware it would be a sign of his surrender.

Kaiba silently stormed away, the tails of his robe dramatically flapping behind him. The slam of the bathroom door vibrated both rooms. He was shaking with rage and lust, as he tore the robe off his body and threw it across the room. Who the fuck did she think she was?! This was his house – he blocked her! His thoughts were sputtering. He couldn't pinpoint just one thing that pissed him because it all did.

He angrily stepped into the shower; the water was still just as hot as when he started it. He thought of her expressions. Her vehement stare; her cruel teasing. Kaiba could see her back on all fours, feel the kisses on his thighs. He grabbed his cock and furiously jacked off; forehead pressed into the glass of the shower, mouth hanging open as he panted.

Kaiba didn't want a submissive, subservient partner. He wanted someone who would bend but wouldn't break to his brash behavior. Someone who could put him in his place and make him really dig through his arsenal of responses. That's exactly who Isis was. He replayed their argument over and over, the sensation of his hand feeling amazing combined with the fiery recap. She riled him up, left him high and dry and why was it so hot? He felt his balls tighten.

With a groan he came all over the glass shower, thick lines of white running down the wall. He grabbed the detachable head and sprayed it off, frowning at his actions. He was supposed to ignore her but here he was, drawn to her like a magnet. How was she still able to occupy his mind and rile his body up like this?

The answer was simple: Kaiba was indecisive. Does he want Isis or not? His thoughts and actions pointed to an obvious answer. Even when she was at her worst, he wanted her. She left him hanging for 5 months but he still called just to be disappointed; he still flew to her graduation despite the lack of invitation. He held out and finally got an answer.

"It was my own insecurity of being so strongly chased by you. I'm not used to someone knowing what they want and it being me."

Isis had been married before; how did she not know how to deal with being wanted? But was he one to talk? Was it his version of being cautious when he blocked her? If he rejected her first, then she couldn't get him first. Perhaps Isis' arrival marked the crumble of his metaphorical cliff of careful.

"Still not ready to be sweet?"

But Kaiba was not in a place to reason just yet. No, he wasn't ready to be sweet, because he didn't do sweet. But he was a master of bittersweet, heavy on the bitter.

PLEASE READ:

Popping back in with a double post this month. My goal has been posting once a month, but July's been particularly shitty for me so I'm here for a dopamine hit, and to relieve you of the suspense just a wee bit. See you next month!

Japanese Words:

Moushiwake gozaimasen o yurushi kudasai – I'm sorry, please forgive me. (Formal/informal)

O yurushi kudasai – Please forgive me (Formal/informal)

Ryūgū-jō – Dragon palace castle

Posted Especially For:

helssa: Stay tuned – we're getting there ;)

Pimssy: Isn't that funny how the abridged series is now on Ziegfried von Shroeder's arc? I had a good gut laugh watching it, knowing what I had planned for the story. The potential for different bonds amongst the YGO characters was the second reason I started writing fanfiction for the show. I have always (secretly) been a Mystic Elf/Celtic Gaurdian shipper. Don't ask me why, they just make sense to me. Hahaha. Your compliment regarding places/buildings made my WEEK. Thank you, really. And never apologize for a long review, I love the feedback. I love hearing everyone's perspectives and predictions when it comes to these two. Thank you so much for reading.

lovereading92: What's funny is it's killing me to! I'm one of those people who loves buying gifts for people and has to work really hard not to tell them I got them something or what it is. It's the same with these updates – so hard not to spoil! Hahaha.

A Gentle Reminder...

My dear friend Em is illustrating the OG story, 10-10-2-Do-Me. Please check out her page for more details!

emdrawsmanga/art/Cover-10-10-2-Do-Me-by-Indigo-Token-1029247732

See you soon!