Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ The Love of a Priestess ❯ Kaiba's Love ( Chapter 20 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I also edited this chapter, so I've reposted it as well. Note: I hate the upload thing on mm.org, or I hate Word. Or both. The later chapters are SO LONG and I have to go through and try to fix the formatting for this… argh.

Chapter 20: Kaiba's Love

Little did I realize that Kaiba watched me. I had expected him to be mad, I think, and so when he was not I simply forgot about him. Indeed, he watched the new light on my face, the light that shone in my usually dark and curtained eyes. He saw the shine on my lips, from lip gloss and running the tip of my tongue over it as I flirted. He noticed the new flush in my cheeks, transforming normally bland skin into healthy pink roses. He heard the new, excited pitch in my voice, heard my voice at a volume louder than a murmured reply. He saw the animation in my arms and hands and fingers as I laughed and joked with my friends.

In fact, I think seeing me this way made Kaiba a little sad. This was the woman he would never know, because he could never open himself to me. This was the woman he had fallen in love with, but who would never love him.

The Kaiba that Mokuba knew, the Kaiba that I could have loved, was too afraid of rejection to allow himself to be seen. The façade he kept up was only a protection, a way to stay in a relationship with me without any risks.

He grew jealous, but not angry, when I traded places with Mai and sat beside Duke. I felt safe flirting with Duke; he was my friend, and I was engaged to Kaiba in any case. I teased him and fed him small morsels of food with my fingers. I rubbed my shoulder against his and lay my head against his arm. My eyes, mouth, and fingers conveyed the surge of sensuality I felt.

I didn't realize that Kaiba felt sad upon seeing this too. I expected jealousy, and perhaps in a subconscious way I wanted him to be angry. I wanted to lure him into admitting that he had feelings for me, and that seeing me act this way towards another man hurt him.

But he didn't. He had always suspected, almost known, that I cared little for him. This was only confirmation. I would never be this way around him. The one woman that he finally admitted that he loved refused to love him in return. Other woman would throw themselves at his feet for what I had, but instead I remained cold and aloof. This, this vivacious and beautiful and flirtatious and sensual young woman was who Kaiba wanted.

But it seemed to him that I could never love him.

~~~~~

After dinner was over we went to the living room and settled ourselves on couches and chairs. For the sake of our engagement I sat beside Kaiba on a loveseat. He sat bolt upright, while I lounged comfortably, half-laying on what remained of the couch, my feet curled beside Kaiba's hip.

“So, what did you have in mind, Mokuba?” Yugi asked.

He smiled wickedly. “Truth or Dare.”

Tea laughed nervously. “I haven't played that for years.”

“Awww, come on Tea, don't be a spoilsport,” Tristan pleaded teasingly.

She frowned heavily. “I just don't think…”

“Just go along with it, Tea. What's the worst that could happen?” Duke asked, toying with his bangs.

She huffed but stayed silent, glowering slightly at the rest of us. It brought a slight smile to my face—not because I liked Tea mad, but because I saw how easily she let Duke grate her nerves and how clearly she wouldn't mind playing.

“I'll start,” Mokuba volunteered. Tea literally melted into the couch she was sitting on. Yugi was already half-hidden by Joey's shadow. The rest of us were clearly visible.

“Hmmm,” Mokuba said to himself, eyeing each of us in turn, trying to determine his first victim. “I pick… Duke.” Duke grinned wickedly. Mokuba returned the favor.

“Truth,” Duke announced coolly.

“Well then…”

~~~~~

The game went on around me. Though I was in plain view, no one ever picked on me to answer. I liked it that way. I could observe my friends and Mokuba, how easily they interacted. Although I sensed that sometimes they disliked the young boy (no doubt for his loyalty to his older brother, with whom the gang had had several unpleasant run-ins) they generally liked him and treated him as a younger brother.

They all—even Tea—played gamely and honestly. I watched them laugh and shriek and point accusingly at each other—but every one enjoyed themselves. Only Kaiba and I seemed to be on the outskirts, outsiders looking in. I tentatively poked at the edges of his mind with my own, unsure of whether or not he'd let me in.

He was still closed to me, but from the fringes of his mind I garnered something else: sadness. As I picked up what I could, I made a startling—and yet not so surprising—discovery.

Kaiba and I were outsiders for one reason: neither of us had had much of a childhood. We watched like this now because we did not know how to react, did not know how to be one of them. Kaiba, I would discover, had spent his childhood growing up, and that was all. He'd learned business skills at a young age, and had been put through grueling training in his pre-teens and teens.

I didn't remember what my childhood was like, but it certainly couldn't have been all fun and games. Otherwise, I think I might have remembered such simple happiness.

It felt odd, to share something so personal with Kaiba, that I reached over and laid my hand on his elbow. When he looked at me, I gave a little half-smile and moved closer, turning my body so that I leaned tentatively against him and my feet faced the end of the couch. He looked surprised for a moment, and I felt his body tense as I carefully laid my weight against him, but he made no move to stop me.

-------------

“I pick… you,” Duke said suddenly, bringing his finger down to point at me.

“Hmm?” I asked, sitting up, slightly confused.

“It's your turn. You haven't done anything yet. I challenge you to take a Dare,” he said, smirking slightly.

“If you insist,” I murmured, half-lidding my eyes. This ought to be interesting… I thought.

“Hmmm… what would be good…” Duke thought aloud, eyes closed, long fingers tapping his pointed chin. “I know!” he said, snapping his fingers. “Come here,” he beckoned to me. “I want this to be a surprise for the rest of you,” he said, glaring at the others. “And it'll be a good one.”

I pretended to pout and crawled off the couch to him. I knelt beside him and let him whisper in my ear.

“Kiss Kaiba,” he said, voice low.

“What?” I asked, eyes widening in shock.

“You heard me,” he hissed, pulling me back to him. I pulled away again and narrowed my eyes.

“Hey,” he said, green eyes twinkling with mischief. “It's a game, remember? And you agreed to play.”

“Inadvertently…” I muttered. “Fine. I'll do it.”

“Oh, and if you can get him to kiss you back, I'll pay for you the next time we all go out to dinner together.”

My eyes lit up at the challenge. Some part of me did love a challenge. “Fine,” I hissed, eyes narrowed gleefully. “How am I supposed to prove he kisses me back?”

Duke smirked. “I'll know, don't worry. You won't get cheated. Although I'm not so sure you'll even win this one… we are talking about Kaiba.”

“Right,” I said shortly, standing. “You think what you like, Duke.” I strode quickly across the room before I lost my nerve.

As soon as I stood before Kaiba, I turned back to smirk at Duke. Then, without further hesitation, I sat in Kaiba's lap, took his face between my hands, and brought his lips to mine. I kissed him, hard, waiting and praying that he would not only open up to me, but also kiss me back. This was still nothing more than a challenge I wanted to win.

Kaiba's dark blue eyes widened, and I felt his body tense beyond belief. There was dead silence behind me as the others watched, probably in some kind of morbid fascination. My kisses became firmer and more demanding as I waited for Kaiba to respond.

I was rewarded when I felt his body loosen, and his hands moved up my arms until they had reached my shoulders. Tentatively, slowly, he pulled me in by pressing my shoulders and kissed me back. I smiled, and returned the favor.

I was surprised that neither of us stopped, that for some reason or another we kept kissing. I don't know, even now, why I continued to rest in his lap and caress his lips with mine. Nor do I know why he tolerated—no, accepted and desired—me, although in retrospect I understand better.

When at last we broke away from each other, we gazed deep into each other's eyes, searching for answers. I didn't even think about my bet with Duke. Slowly, I shifted myself off his lap and broke the gaze. I could sense that he was still watching me, surprised and confused. I settled back into my old position, and this time, his body relaxed against mine.

You owe me, I mouthed to Duke, eyes glinting mischievously. He smiled, and nodded.

----------------

Just a few minutes later my friends left, each promising to see me before the wedding and me eagerly accepting their promises. I felt flushed and alive for the first time since my engagement.

“We're going to the dance at the high school,” Tristan said. “Why don't you come with us?”

“I don't think so. I should probably stay here…”

Duke shrugged. “Suit yourself. We'll be there if you feel like coming.”

“Thanks. Maybe I'll take you up on that,” I replied, winking mischievously.