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

10-10-2-Do-You Too

Chapter 7

Web Cookies

Isis stirred from a light sleep to the sound of the shades whirring up from the large windows. She blearily looked out to the unobstructed view of the ocean; the waves nonexistent as the sun started cresting over the horizon of still water. She didn't know if the black out shades were on a timer or if Kaiba was continuing his petty games. Regardless, the view of the sunrise over the water was appreciated.

She thought back over the night before and felt her stomach twist. It wasn't her finest hour arguing with Kaiba. But the teasing had her groaning in shame. This whole situation awakened a part of herself that she thought she left in Egypt. A side that could get really ugly, very fast. Hearing someone tell her she had an attitude, to shut up and stop expressing herself; to hang over her head the emotional power imbalance. It dug into a wound that was barely healed. It took her back to that generational home full of bodies but no allies.

Regardless, her behavior wasn't fair to herself. He pushed the right buttons, but she shouldn't have allowed him to take her there. At this point, she was half ready to start packing her bags; to call Isono and ask him if she'd have to fly back commercial instead of private. There was no way Kaiba still wanted anything to do with her.

Isis rolled over, finding herself alone in the large bed. Kaiba must have slept in the office or a spare room, Isis still wasn't sure what the other rooms of the property were. With all the drama of last night, she didn't even get a good look at the main bedroom.

The sun rose over the warm jarrah wood flooring, giving the room a cozier feel than the rest of the house. Since the room was in the farthest corner of the house, the right and front wall were all windows. The L-shape was the perfect unobstructed view of the ocean. It felt like you were anywhere but civilization. Angled to face the all-glass crux of the windows, was a large wabi sabi geometric U-shaped couch. The cream-colored cushions and pillows looked particularly fluffy and comfortable.

It took up almost the entire area, the space for walking around the couch on either side just wide enough for one person. In front of it was a large coffee table made entirely of tempered glass. The surface was stacked with art books ranging from fashion houses to indie photographers.

The other two walls not devoured by windows were painted a dreamy midnight blue with a matte finish. The far wall had a set of three Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints that told the story of a fisherman being swept out to sea and found by a sea serpent. On the wall over the bed, three more Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints continued the story, showing the man marrying the serpent's daughter and choosing to stay in the sea.

The bed itself was a California king, the large mattress sitting on a teak wood kondo platform frame with a dark java finish. The sheets were the same cream color, the comforter slightly weighted and fluffy.

She rolled out of the bed and slid into the slippers Isono gave her when she first arrived. She went into the closet. The closet space was huge and done in a minimalist style inspired by Japanese design. Each side was identical; there were countless shelves for shoes, racks for longer garments, double racks for shorter garments. Even compartments with sliding doors for items that needed proper storage. These units were done in a dark wenge wood, juxtaposed by the warm jarrah wood flooring. There were smaller all-glass cases for jewelry. In the middle was a bench in the wabi sabi style, made of solid wenge wood.

Isis passed through and entered the spacious bathroom. The floors gave way to the smooth jarrah wood, for black slate flooring and walls. One either side behind mahogany doors housed 'his and hers' quarter bathrooms. On the wall shared with the closet was a spacious vanity of mahogany cabinetry and counter space. The raised sinks were black stone basins with black fixtures. Each sink had its own individual large square mirror with a modern mahogany stool with a black cushion for sitting, tucked off to the right under the counter.

In the middle of the bathroom was a free standing large oval shaped black stone bath. It had black fixtures and a mahogany bathtub tray across it with unlit candles sitting on it. Above it was a rain style shower head.

Behind the free-standing bathtub was a glass shower that could comfortably house five adults. Each side of the shower had three shower heads a piece, plus a detachable shower head. In the middle of the shower was a rain style shower so large, two people could stand under it. In the middle of the wall was a floating mahogany wood bench.

She grabbed her robe hanging on the hook by her vanity area and noticed the pocket door on Kaiba's side was still slid closed. She thought back to the sound of him slamming it last night. She gently closed the door on her side and decided to go find him, exiting the main bedroom into the hallway. The strong smell of coffee hit her first. Isis followed that smell straight into the spacious kitchen. There she found Kaiba cooking breakfast.

The brunet was also in a robe and slippers, standing in front of the stove. He had a pair of chopsticks in hand and his eyes were narrowed in concentration as he rolled a sheet of fried eggs, sizzling in a square pan. On the counter was a black rice cooker with a blinking display. Next to it were two bowls made of black stoneware with steam curling from them.

"Good morning," Isis softly greeted.

Kaiba didn't look away from meticulously rolling the eggs. "There's tea next to the coffee."

Isis spotted the coffee nook where an electric kettle of glass and purple accents was still bubbling. Next to it was a caddy of assorted packages of loose-leaf teas. A small infuser tea pot made of glass sat next to a Mudura mug.

Kaiba cut the roll of eggs into six pieces. He plated three pieces on black plates made of stoneware. He opened the cooker and placed mounds of the fluffy white rice next to the eggs, before setting the bowls of miso soup on the corners of the plates.

"Have you ever had a traditional Japanese breakfast?" Kaiba asked in a monotone inflection.

Isis stared at him, trying to figure out what was happening. She shook her head.

Kaiba pointed to the eggs, "This is called tamagoyaki. It's a type of Japanese omelet made by rolling together several layers of fried beaten eggs."

" Tamago means egg, while yaki means to be cooked over direct heat," Isis mumbled as she prepared her tea.

"What are you doing?"

"Better understanding the word."

Kaiba grabbed the plates and placed them on opposite ends of the kitchen table. He joined her at the hot drink station. "Do makiyakinabe."

"What is that?"

"It's the square pan used to cook tamagoyaki."

Isis paused in opening a container of loose-leaf tea, "Hmm... maki meaning roll and yaki is for cooking overheat. Now nabe...does it mean pan?"

"Yes, it does."

Isis didn't know if he was impressed or not, his poker face was impeccable this morning.

Kaiba removed his Blue-Eyes White Dragon mug from the shelf above and poured himself a mug of imported coffee. He walked over to the table and sat down, grabbing a tablet off the counter. He propped it up and flipped through finance updates and articles, quietly eating his breakfast.

Isis was still steeping her leaves (probably longer than needed) and looking like a fish out water. He made breakfast. He had a Mudora mug just lying around with fresh teas. None of this made sense and she didn't trust it. Were they still fighting or not? She completed making her tea and sat on the other side of the table where her plate of breakfast was.

She took a hesitant bite into the eggs and was surprised by how fluffy and flavorful they were. The rice was cooked perfectly, and the miso soup was so warm and comforting, the tofu pieces soaking up the flavor nicely. Isis was reminded of how she skipped dinner last night as she polished off her plate. She sipped her green tea and overall felt good, but still suspicious.

"Breakfast was good Seto, thank you."

Kaiba didn't even look up from his tablet. "Now we're even."

Isis nearly spit out her beverage. "Pardon?"

He motioned to the table almost bored, he had to further explain. "Anyone can prepare a meal, Isis."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It takes a lot more than a plate of food to prove something."

OK, so they were still fighting. "Not when it has meaning behind it. I promised you that dish on our first official date Seto. Even what you did this morning was special."

Kaia snorted, "There was nothing special about what I did."

"My first morning here you serve me a traditional Japanese breakfast that you made. What's not sentimental about that?"

Kaiba kept his expression the same, refusing to entertain the context or make eye contact. "Think what you want. A meal for a meal – we're even."

That part of Isis that showed up the night before, was back for round two. "I suppose that explains why the food was just OK."

OK? Kaiba looked away from stock market trends to glare at Isis.

"The omelet, it could've used… something."

Kaiba clenched his jaw. "But you ate all of it – you said it was good."

"I thought it was a peace offering and wanted to be polite. But knowing the true context of the meal, I think it's OK to share my opinion, don't you agree?"

He refused for his food to be the only dish critiqued. "Fine. If we're being honest, your fish was dry. Considerate of you to make bland tahini to help it go down."

"You speak nothing but lies Seto Kaiba," Isis' feathers were ruffled. She fought to keep her tone even, "You probably licked the plate in my absence."

"The same goes for my tamagoyaki," Kaiba stood up. "I'll have you know the chef of a Michelin star restaurant taught me how to make the perfect Japanese omelet."

Isis gave a defiant wiggle of her shoulder as a mocking shrug, "I wonder if they still work there."

Kaiba growled something too quick to catch, before tucking his tablet under his arm and exited the kitchen.

Isis set her mug down. She followed him into the closet, where he removed his robe revealing silk blue pajamas. "Might I suggest discrediting my flight next? Perhaps you should fly to the States today? That would really show me."

Kaiba almost laughed, "I flew to your graduation and back – that alone discredits your one-way attempt." He sorted through his clothes, picking a black turtleneck and black slacks. "And your apology was a copycat of what I already did. Also discredited."

Isis shook her head, shoving past him to her side of the closet. "You are such an ornery and immature man." She slid back the door to one of the larger storage compartments, and dragged out her suitcase. "Do you offer anyone in your life peace?"

"What the hell are you doing?"

Isis turned around to find Kaiba standing directly behind her. She didn't even hear him walk over. "What do you think?"

Kaiba motioned with his head at the luggage, "Put it away."

"I cook dry fish and bland sauce; I assume you don't want me here." Isis went to move the bag when Kaiba shot his hand out grabbing the handle. "Or do you want me here?"

Kaiba held it firmly in place and refused to address her question. "Put. It. Away. Now." He leaned in, their lips almost touching. "I won't ask you again."

Isis felt a shiver run up her spine. "You're holding it, you can put it away." She turned to leave the closet, only to be grabbed by her upper arm.

Kaiba let go of the bag and let it fall pitifully to the floor as he pushed Isis into one of the doors of the compartments. He stared down at her, boiling all over again. The temptation to kiss her took over.

"Do you want me here or not?" Isis asked again.

"I heard you the first time," he hissed as he let her go. He refused to give in again and returned to his area to finish getting dressed.

"Yet you still don't answer the question," Isis quietly said she put her suitcase away. "You're headed to the office?"

"I'll work here." Kaiba grabbed his belt off the hook and looped it through his pants.

"Is that a good idea?" Isis turned to Kaiba, "Won't you have more access to what you need from the Towers?"

Kaiba's expression was unreadable as he stared, "And leave you alone in Ryūgū-jō?"

Isis didn't know if this was him being accidentally considerate or not trusting her alone on the property. That was until she caught his eyes checking to see if the suitcase was put away.

"Afraid you'll come back to an empty house?"

Kaiba yet again didn't answer her and left the closet, heading for his office.

Isis exited the room and watched him cross the courtyard to get to the office faster, closing the door behind him. She was sure the award for the 'most frustrating man she's ever met' was secured by a gentleman in North Africa, but no, he'd been in Japan all this time. Why was it so hard for him to answer her questions, but so easy to insult her food and belittle her attempts at making things right?

She was tired, possibly feeling the effects of jetlag or Kaiba's attitude. She went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, washed her face – she prepared for the day as she would if she were home. But wasn't she home? Debatable. The devil really was in the details. She returned to the closet and put on a white, Black Crown Inc sweatshirt and light wash jeans. She took her braid down and pulled her long hair into a bun.

With Kaiba working, putting their fight on pause, Isis was at a loss of what to do with herself. She wandered back into the hall and considered hanging out in the courtyard. It was a large glassed-in indoor-outdoor space, with an open roof, and open doorways for easy entry. The courtyard's stream was a continuation of the waterways at the front door. Even now a few goldfish and koi were swimming around, exploring their vast manmade streams.

Rectangular black stones created a path for crossing the stream; this was juxtaposed by the small white pebbles and limited Japanese foliage. A dark wood bench sat at the perfect angle to admire the swimming fish. It looked like such a calming space. If only she was allowed in the library to get a book to read in there.

She followed the hall down to the living room. The center had a sunken entertainment area, a set of three steps leading down to the large L-shaped Japandi couch of black cushions. Two black Japandi living chairs flanked the couch. The seating was placed before a large black stone fireplace that reached all the way to the high ceiling. A flame was going; Isis could even hear the crackling of wood. But as she got closer, she didn't feel any heat. Much like the lantern in the dining room, the fireplace was a very well-done hologram. It suited the room.

On the deep wood coffee table in front of the couch she found a small touch screen tablet. She picked it up and did her best to reach the kanji, swiping through the different menus. She settled on a menu regarding 'entertainment' and tapped a few buttons. A whirring of mechanics hit her ear as the fireplace rolled back a few inches, and a massive flat screen TV slid up from an opening in the floor.

The screen was already on to a news station. Isis stepped back and sat down on the couch, oddly excited to watch Japanese TV in real time. A big part of her language class was consuming Japanese entertainment to learn new words, slang, and work on sentence structure and comprehension.

The news anchor was doing a story on the upcoming tournament and what the public transportation systems were doing in preparation for the influx of people in Domino. A photo of Yami standing next to the mayor of Domino City and his staff flashed across the screen.

"Kaiba-sama was not present for the photo-op, having last minute business overseas, however a spokesperson for the mayor assured us Kaiba-sama's been a part of every step of the way."

Isis heard the date the photo-op happened, and her heart hit her feet. That was the day she graduated. Kaiba turned down what she believed to be an important marketing tactic just so he could spend a few hours with her. Guilt started to creep in. A part of her wanted to rush to the office and apologize again, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She'd already owned up to her end, Kaiba needed to stop punishing her without her begging.

The charming sound of a windchime tinkling in the breeze echoed softly through the house. She had no idea what the sound was or what it meant.

Kaiba's resounding steps came down the hall. He glared down at her on the couch as he passed by. "This is my house; I'll answer the door."

The guilt disappeared as quickly as it came. It was the library all over again.

Kaiba disappeared around the corner to the entryway. He pulled back the large door and offered his right-hand man a none too kind smile. "Isono, I knew you'd come by."

Isono visibly gulped and offered Kaiba a nervous tilt of his mouth. "S-sir, good morning. I thought you'd be at the office."

"You hoped I would." This was the real reason (or so he told himself) he didn't go to the office. He knew Isono would come by to check on Isis. Kaiba crossed his arms looking past Isono to the burley workers gathered around the back of a cargo van with the MGC logo. "Why are they here?"

"To deliver the rest of Ms. Ishtar's things."

"What things? Her luggage is here already."

"The items she had to ship sir."

Kaiba watched a man slide a stack of boxes out the back, discussing the best way to bring them in with the crew. "How much is there?"

Isono heard the interest in his boss' voice. "Come down and see."

"No, I'm working." Kaiba looked back to Isono. "Where are you placing everything?"

"Where you instructed sir. Everything has been action plan compliant."

"Fine." Kaiba turned on his heel and headed back inside. "Your junk is here," he announced as he continued past Isis.

Isis sat up, not sure if she heard something lighter in Kaiba's tone. But before she could say anything, he was gone. The sound of the office door slamming being an indication not to bother him. She headed to the entryway and had to back up, as two men carrying in her trunk were passing through.

The forward-facing worker gasped when he saw her, motioning to the other man to set it down. The other did, turning around and having the same reaction to Isis. They stood there, openly gawking, mouths open and eyes wide.

" Ohayou gozaimasu," (good morning) Isis politely greeted with a bow of her head, hoping to end the awkwardness.

" Ishtar-san, ohayou gozaimasu " they returned awkwardly, one of them blushing a little, the other with a crooked smile. The sound of someone dropping something outside snapped them from their trance, both grabbing the trunk and politely bowing as they passed her.

Isis could hear them whispering to each other as they carried the trunk down the hall. The next set of workers came carrying boxes, but instead of stopping to gawk, they did so as they walked by, politely greeting her as the others did. She had no clue what was going on.

"Ms. Ishtar." Isono walked in leading her away from the doorway as more workers came in with her stuff. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine." Isis put on a brave face, but she had a feeling Isono saw right through it. She couldn't tell since his signature sunglasses were in place. "Isono, could I ask you a personal question?"

Isono was visibly uncomfortable at the mention of 'personal'. He moved them into the kitchen out of earshot of the workers. He doubted they understood English but one could never be too careful. "What did you want to ask?"

"Is there a reason the workers are..." Isis motioned to the doorway; the perfect example present.

Isono looked to find two men passing by breaking their necks to get a good look at Isis. The moment they saw Isono watching them, they comically grimaced and quickly went down the hall.

"I apologize for their unprofessionalism, Ms. Ishtar. They're unfamiliar seeing Mr. Kaiba with a partner in an intimate setting."

"Intimate setting?"

Isono's face went red, "N-not in – I mean..." He cleared his throat. "They've never seen a person of special interest in his house."

"Oh. Oh." Was Isis one of the first to be moved into one of Kaiba's properties? She didn't know whether to feel honored or take it as a red flag. "I understand."

"Again, I apologize for their unprofessionalism."

"It's fine. They've been polite and are doing me a favor."

"Just know it's out of curiosity, I do believe they mean well." Isono checked his watch. "Let me show you where your items were taken to."

Isis followed Isono down the hall to the west section of the house. A door was open to an empty room where the workers were stacking her boxes. The floors were the same black acacia walnut wood, but the walls were painted white. She spotted two items she knew weren't hers: an expensive ring light and a laptop stand that had wheels.

"This is to be your space Ms. Ishtar." Isono hit a button by the door that rolled the shades up giving Isis an amazing view of half ocean, half bustling Domino City. "Mr. Kaiba assumed you would want an office for you freelance work." Isono's cheeks visibly turned red as he adjusted his sunglasses.

"Seto told you, my profession?"

Isono straightened his posture, "It's for security purposes and only I know the details."

"I'm not offended that he told you." Isono was Kaiba's head of security and she assumed that safety now extended to her. "I appreciate your discretion." She wasn't ashamed of her job, but she also didn't want it to be broadcast.

"Of course, Ms. Ishtar." Isono continued, "The ring light and podium for your computer have been provided as prerequisites to your needs. We weren't clear about your preferences, so however you'd like the room to be styled, we can direct you to the family interior designer. We painted the walls white in preparation."

The guilt was back. Kaiba cleared out a room to make sure she had her own office to do a job many people looked down on or didn't take seriously. He supported her work and even provided additional items to elevate her brand. She thought over those 5 months of waiting for a sign to go to Japan, when there were so many she didn't know about.

"Ms. Ishtar?" Even the men moving in her items were giving her a look, confused by her 30-yard stare.

"I...I apologize for my silence, Isono. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed." Isis snapped back to reality and offered him a small smile.

Isono nodded, "Don't feel pressured to decide today; you're here now. You have time Ms. Ishtar."

She was here, she did have time. "Thank you, Isono."

The workers unloaded the remaining boxes and headed out, Isono lingering at the front door with Isis.

"Thank you for everything." Isis then remembered, "But I wanted to personally thank you for providing my dear cousin Marik with a passport. We've had trouble getting documentation for him considering." Isis assumed Isono knew Marik's colorful past.

Isono shook his head, "No need to thank me. Everything we've done or have provided was under the instruction of Mr. Kaiba. This was entirely his plan."

"…Seto did all of this?"

Isono stood there for a moment before removing his sunglasses. His green eyes were soft, paternal almost. "Seto is the smartest person I know, but that doesn't remove him from making dumb decisions."

Isis nodded at a loss for words.

Isono placed his sunglasses back on. "If you need anything, feel free to reach out. Enjoy your day, Ms. Ishtar." He turned on his heel and returned to his car waiting in the circular driveway.

Isis closed the door and stood there for a moment soaking in Isono's words. Kaiba planned everything. He knew exactly what needed to be done to not only get her here, but comfortably. He understood how important her family was to her, which is why he provided the passport for Marik. Kaiba gave her time; she could return the favor... right?

She trekked back to her office and really took it in. The space was big, but not as big as Kaiba's. It was the perfect size for her – her oasis in Japan. And right now, she needed that with how rocky she and Kaiba were. She opened the door to the average size walk-in closet, planning to hang her Dahlia clothes and wigs in there.

On the other side of the room was a door that led into a bathroom. The walls and floor were gray slate with a squared white raised sink with gold fixtures. The shower was glass with gold fixtures, with a built-in white tub.

She went back into the main space and gasped, holding her chest when she spotted Kaiba standing in the doorway. "You startled me..."

Kaiba was surveying the many boxes, arms crossed with an unreadable expression. "Is this everything or is more coming?"

"This is everything." Isis reached behind a stack of boxes and grabbed her trunk, pulling it out into the open. She unlatched it to inspect the contents. "I gave away a lot of items."

"...What does your room in Vegas look like?"

"Most likely some sort of twisted dungeon. Marik has moved in no doubt." She glanced over at Kaiba, then did a double take finding a pair of softened cobalt eyes.

"I'd like to see that."

Isis continued to stare at Kaiba, him staring back intensely.

"I'm serious. Show me the room."

Isis pulled her smart-phone out of her pocket. She tended to be nostalgic, so she happened to have pictures of her empty room. She pulled up the ones she took and held the phone out to Kaiba.

"Swipe right."

Kaiba took the phone and started swiping. He paused on the last photo: a panoramic view of a bedroom he almost didn't recognize, because it lacked any ounce of her. The room he hesitantly entered, not truly knowing why he flew to Las Vegas, was nowhere to be found. There was nothing left but floors and walls.

Isis took her phone as it was handed back to her, and watched Kaiba turn around, retreating to his office. Isis saw a crack in Kaiba's armor, but was it enough?

In the Office

Kaiba sat behind his desk glaring at the computer screen. He had the view of one of the many conference rooms in Yami's tower. Said co-CEO was sitting at the head, listening to a middle-aged woman (that was Mrs. Ono, right?) discuss street food regulations and how some of the vendors were out of code. Kaiba refused to turn on his camera and had himself on mute. He had one blue earbud in his ear, only able to handle Yami's voice coming through one ear.

"Those out of regulation have a very short window to correct their food safety licensing to be eligible for the tournament," the woman continued. "And some of the vendors paid premium prices for their spots."

"If they are not up to code within 72 hours of tournament's opening ceremony, they will have to forfeit their spots," Yami firmly stated. "I understand your stance on the matter Mrs. Ono, but Kaiba and I agree we will not be risking the safety of our attendees."

Mrs. Ono nervously glanced in the direction of the screen Kaiba's face would be on if his camera was on. She looked back at Yami. "What would we do with the possible gaps? Aesthetically it will be an eye sore."

Yami sighed, "Kaiba, would you please provide your Input?" The last thing Yami wanted was for Kaiba to come off mute, but he had to admit (to himself) Kaiba was better at things like this than him.

Kaiba hit the mute icon, "I understand this is our tournament, but why is Mrs. Ono incapable of thinking on her feet?"

"D-does…does he know I'm here?" Mrs. Ono quietly asked, already flustered.

Yami's expression didn't hide any of his thoughts. "Kaiba. If you're incapable of being helpful, leave the meeting."

"And that doesn't apply to Mrs. Ono?"

Mrs. Ono stared down at her documents, not sure if she should say anything or not.

Yami clenched his jaw. "I apologize Mrs. Ono; Kaiba seems to be in one of his moods."

Mrs. Ono gave an awkward laugh, "Events like these can be very stressful—"

" Do not make excuses for him," Yami sternly corrected. "Tantrums at his age cannot be reasoned."

Kaiba had a response ready when his smart-phone vibrated. He had a message from Isono:

'Sir, I've sent you the receipt for Ms. Ishtar's imported goods for your own records.'

Kaiba clicked the link and eyed the inventory list. He cross-referenced it to the two dozen boxes he counted in her office, and the empty bedroom in Las Vegas. Isis really did pack up her whole life and came to Japan after he blocked her. She had everything to lose and still did it. Who does something like that with such crap odds?

Kaiba returned to the conversation hearing Mrs. Ono and Yami had moved on to brainstorming ideas for the potentially empty spots. "We'll use any last minute spacing for additional water and cooling stations."

Yami and Mrs. Ono exchanged a glance, impressed Kaiba gave a good answer and didn't insult the room.

Yami nodded, "Excellent idea Kaiba, we can never have too many of those."

Kaiba didn't give a response and logged off. The meeting didn't need him, he had better things to do. He spun his chair around and opened a drawer in the cabinets behind him. He pulled out a box and headed in Isis' direction. She was still in her office, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Her laptop was sitting on her trunk.

Kaiba knelt on one knee, so they were level and handed out the box to her.

Isis took the box and had no clue what it was, as she opened the top of it. Inside she found four items all in individual compartments. The first was a familiar purple keycard on a Maleficent lanyard. Beside it was a blue credit card with her initials in white in the corner. Lined beside them were two USBs. One was a USB 3.0, and the second a USB type C.

Kaiba pointed to each item. "Use the keycard to get in and out of the property and have access to my Tower. The blue card is linked to one of my accounts; whatever you need to buy, use this."

"For the office?"

"For anything."

Isis was taken aback.

Kaiba continued, "One USB is for your computer, the other your phone. The one for your phone will reprogram it with my network and apps. You'll be able to use it normally despite being outside the States. It'll also update your contact list with any necessary staff. The one for your computer does something similar."

Isis was overwhelmed. She felt swamped under the waves of how easy it was for Kaiba to be so generous and attentive. Why was she like this?

"T-thank you Seto…this is…" She sighed. "Your mind for details is remarkable."

Kaiba stared at her lips, tempted to give in again. "Do you have any questions?"

"…Do you want me here?" Isis almost whispered.

Kaiba stared.

"Tell me you want me here, Seto."

Kaiba got back up, creating distance between them. "There will be a few prompts for you to follow after you update your devices." He exited the room and returned to his office.

How long did Isis have to put up with the mixed singles? Kaiba just handed her the 'keys to his kingdom' but didn't have the courage to tell her that he wanted her. Did the crime fit the punishment? Maybe this is what she deserved for not being open to someone who wanted her so passionately. She was doomed to an eternity of mixed signals.

But Isis knew it wasn't sustainable. She'd experienced a relationship where one's words didn't match their actions and she'd been miserable. She wasn't sure how long she could do this song and dance with Kaiba, so she made it a point not to start opening her boxes.

She dug to the bottom of her trunk, finding a familiar black bag. She unzipped it and out fell the notorious blonde wig. Isis may have relationship problems, but Dahlia didn't. Dahlia's fans also didn't send her mixed signals. It was time to take a break from reality and be someone else.

In The Office

Kaiba gave the bare minimum as he continued working. He reviewed all time sensitive decisions pertaining to the tournament, followed by checking in on the game they were set to release. He'd received an email providing all key points of the meeting he left early with Yami and Mrs. Ono. But what was the point of reviewing it? What was the point of any of this?

He could feel the turmoil bubbling to the surface. He was just so fucking mad. He saw the bedroom; he saw the boxes – Isis was all in. She had to be. Who else would do everything she did and not be all in? But why did he still feel like he couldn't trust her?

He stood up and hopped off the platform of his desk area. He stood in front of the smart-board and looked at the layout for the tournament. The very life-like mock-up of downtown Domino was packed with games, food, merch, and duelists. The team even programmed little versions of him and Yami having a duel in the stadium, while thousands of fans watched. But he couldn't find the energy to give a damn. All this planning just for him not to care. But he did care, just not about this.

"Fuck..." He paced the length of his office and understood something had to give. He refused to go on like this.

Kaiba wanted her out. It'd been 24 hours of Hell. He shouldn't have to feel this torn about anything or anyone. He thought back to the mug he broke in his office. He overreacted and would continue to overreact with her around. He'd spent 28 years without Isis, he could spend another 28 alone. She was making him weak, and he couldn't handle it. He needed to return to himself and the only way to do that was to put her on a plane.

He heard his smart-phone vibrate multiple times, indicating alerts. He turned around to face the smart-board, his phone and computer updates linked to it. There above the layout of the tournament they were stacked on top of each other:

'SK Network: A new device (cellular phone) has been added. Please confirm the IP...'

'SK Network: A new device (laptop computer) has been added. Please confirm the IP...'

'Millennium Access Point: A new keycard has been activated for Tower 1. Please confirm...'

'SK Security: A new keycard has been activated for the following properties...'

'Millennium Gold Bank: A new user has been authorized for the account ending in...'

'Millennium Gold Bank: A new user has set up their pin for account ending in...

'10-10-2-Do Me: Dahlia's posted new photos. Swipe to see...'

Kaiba froze. What did 10-10-2-Do Me mean there was an update? Photos? She was taking photos in his house?! The rage reached an astronomical level of irrational. He didn't dignify the alert with a swipe, he headed straight for Isis' office. The door was closed, and he considered knocking but this was his damn house. So, he barged in.

Isis—no Dahlia, was W-sitting on the floor in front of her laptop checking out her photos. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled up into a tousled bun, with curls hanging down. Her make up was minimal, settling for a sweet pink gloss, mascara, and eyeliner. She had on a baby pink colored bra and cheeky panty set made of partially sheer lace. A cute pink lace garter was around her left thigh.

Isis jumped at the intrusion. Instinctively she covered herself, until she remembered where she was and who had invaded her privacy. She dropped her arms. "It would be appreciated if you knocked." She thought she'd feel embarrassed being her alter ego in front of Kaiba (knowingly) for the first time, but the invasion left her irritated. The whole situation had her irritated.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Isis looked up at Kaiba confused by the angry tone. Why was he acting like this? Did she do the updates incorrectly? She followed all the prompts – which he thoughtfully put in Arabic so there was no confusion – and got all the confirmations.

Kaiba felt his blood pump dangerously through his body at her silence. She was sitting like an anime girl and her ass in the underwear, had to be a crime in at least two countries. Isis adjusted herself and her cheeks jiggled – make those five countries.

"What do you mean, Seto?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" Something about the blonde against her chocolate skin made the perplexed blue eyes looking up at him a damn problem. "Why are you posting pictures?"

"I haven't shared any new content in over a week." Isis was already getting hits and messages for her new photoset. "This job attracts very fickle followers. I found this has been a good way to keep engagement when I'm not streaming."

"You're unbelievable," Kaiba said between clenched teeth.

"Don't tell me my job is now a problem." Isis worried something like this would happen. Dating a sex worker in theory was easy, but in practice was another thing. "Are you suddenly ashamed by my line of work?"

"Your job has nothing to do with this, this is all about you and the decisions you decided to make." Kaiba was shaking. "I want you out of this house."

She snapped. "No, you do not." Isis got on her feet. "You want me to stay but you won't say it!"

"No, I don't!" Kaiba fought against everything not to look down, but he failed. He failed not to look at her peak-a-boo nipples or the soft lips below, pushing deliciously against the lace. "I don't want anything to do with you! This is the final straw!"

"No, it's not and you know it's not!" Isis fired back. "You wanted me here so badly you planned everything! Isono told me!"

Kaiba wanted so badly to throttle the man into the sea below.

"You have thought of every detail down to providing Marik with a passport. That is a detail no one else would even consider, but you did Seto! You did because you want me!"

"Why was that so hard for you to accept?" Kaiba motioned with his hands, "Why did it take you 5 months to understand that!"

"I told you; the problem wasn't that I didn't believe it, it was that I thought I didn't deserve it! I didn't deserve your attention."

"That doesn't make sense!" He felt like that response was more for himself than Isis.

"It does if you took five minutes to see someone else's perspective outside your own!" Isis yanked her wig off and angrily threw it into her trunk of clothes. She was grateful she didn't unpack her boxes; it would make the transition easy for the movers. "Would you have me to believe that you've never second guessed anything in your life?"

"Never!"

"You liar!" Isis pointed a finger in his direction, "I've always admired your authenticity but right now you're not honest with me or yourself. All you've done is second guess my intentions since I arrived. Your words and actions do not align Seto."

Kaiba did a quick recap of everything that's happened since Isis arrived. That's when it finally clicked: Kaiba felt like he didn't deserve Isis' apology or effort. That he didn't deserve something good. It was a rare feeling for someone like Kaiba and it might have taken him too long to come to this conclusion.

Isis took his silence as nothing significant and shoved past him, heading for the closet. She was done. It was time to pack her belongings and return to the States. At least when she got home, she wouldn't be blamed or criticized like the daily occurrence staying with Kaiba.

But Kaiba had other plans. He used his long legs to outwalk her, cutting off her path in bedroom. He blocked her entry into the closet.

Isis' nostrils flared with an exasperated sigh. "Congratulations Seto, you win. I know you love hearing that."

Kaiba's eyes ticked all over her face, conflicting thoughts to the highest degree swirling around his brain. How could he believe he didn't deserve Isis? If he wanted something, he deserved it. None of this made sense and the frustration behind the lack of comprehension was reaching its peak.

Isis considered walking around to the other side of the bed where the other entrance to the closet was, but now was not the time for diplomacy. "Stand aside."

"No."

"I'm giving you what you want."

"You don't know what I want!" Kaiba shouted more to himself than Isis.

But Isis didn't know this, "You've made that clear!"

Kaiba didn't even remember moving in to kiss Isis, but it was happening. He leaned his upper body forward to meet her lips in multiple closed mouth breathy kisses. His hand dug into the wood of the door frame, as he slanted his head more, looking for deeper contact. When she didn't grant it to him, he used his left hand to cradle her jaw, tilting her mouth so it further opened. He took advantage of this and overpowered her, flicking his tongue into her mouth. Soon he felt her lips moving more assuredly, her tongue twirling with his.

He reached behind her and removed the hair tie that kept her hair in a low ponytail. He tossed it aside before placing his right hand on her hip and led her backwards. Kaiba firmly shoved Isis onto the bed. He grabbed her knees and pushed her legs open. He stood between them, staring down at her.

Isis watched him take in every inch of her body. In that moment the same woman that made a snap decision in that penthouse of the Palm's Palace, reared her head. "Stop being a coward."

Kaiba ticked his eyes to hers. "I'm no fucking coward."

" Prove it."

PLEASE READ:

Yes, the next chapter is what you think it is. No, I will not further elaborate.

I had a good giggle at the idea of Kaiba's staff never seeing him with a partner before. I feel like the delivery men gossiped their drive back to the office.

Japanese Words:

Ryūgū-jō - Dragon palace castle

Tamagoyaki - A type of Japanese omelets made by rolling together several layers of fried beaten eggs.

Makiyakinabe - square or rectangular cooking pans used to make Japanese-style rolled omelets.

Ohayou gozaimasu - Good morning (formal)

Posted Especially For:

lovereading92: The level of family trauma and unresolved issues that manifest in their everyday lives is an aspect of Trustshipping that I've always been obsessed with. Leaves room for a lot of emotional depth in their interactions. And I cannot wait to see your future interpretation of the next chapter. Hee hee~ And thank you, things are getting better but aren't yet ideal. Pushing forward best I can!

pimssy: I'm such a sucker for their dynamic, as much as I love writing them when they're good, I've really enjoyed exploring the toxic side of their pairing. I adore Isis in so many ways, I have to sometimes check myself when I'm fangirling for her too hard in certain chapters. Hahaha. Yes! People love to forget this woman is an Ishtar and they're all their own flavor of bat shit crazy. I had so much fun writing that scene. The wait ends next chapter: the deed is upon us.

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!