Chapter 11 Love and Latches

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Sad, isn't it?

Well, I'm currently in my room at 12: something in the morning, writing by the light of my portable DVD player as the "Cancan" from Moulin Rouge plays in my headphones. (Isn't technology great?) I suppose I should be getting some sleep, since I have to get up when my sister does. (I'm babysitting tomorrow. Ugh.) But oh! I just HAD to write! It's like my notebook was calling to me. You know the feeling? Of course you do! You're all writers, too!

Anyway, I bring you chapter 11. Hope you like it!

"Ya know, Serenity, I'm real glad you an' Yugi are getting to know one another better." Joey put his arm around his sister, grinning. "Don't tell him that I told ya, but he's had a crush on you for a while now."

"Um…" Serenity fought the feeling that she was digging herself deeper and deeper into an already abysmal hole. "Yeah, he…he told me at the party." She swallowed uncomfortably. Lying to him was tearing her to pieces.

"Before ya go, let me just tell ya something." He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "I've known Yugi for a long time, and there's no one I'd rather you be with. He's not like all those other guys out there. He'll treat ya right."

"…" She looked down then spoke. "I'm …glad you approve of us, Joey." What was she becoming? She couldn't even look her brother in the eyes anymore. And poor Joey…he didn't suspect a thing. He would never think of his sister as the deceiving type. This just made her feel worse, and she knew she had to get out of that house. Even as the words tumbled out of her mouth, she knew her excuse sounded fake. Fake…just like her. "Okay Joey. I'd better be going. Yugi's going to be waiting for me, and I don't want him to think I changed my mind. That wouldn't help our relationship any." She forced a laugh. Her brother, obviously not catching the nervous tone in her voice, let go of her and smiled.

"Awright, bye then. Oh, but don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"That's unfair! I doubt you'd even hug Yugi!" She called mockingly over her shoulder, trying to cover up the fact atha her nerve had practically turned to jello. For a second, she had almost broken down and told him everything, but she had managed to pull through.

As she walked to the corner, she thought about what Joey had said. So, he'd known yugi liked her, too. Did everyone? If Joey could tell, then all her friends must know, too. And even Seto, who never like to associate himself with their group, had figured it out. Why was it she was always the last person to know?

Still pondering this, she stood by the stop sign for merely a few seconds before Seto's white limo pulled into view. She smiled and straightened yellow sundress, hoping she looked nice enough for wherever they were going. The trouble with surprises is that one never knows what to wear. If Seto was taking her somewhere nice, she wanted to look good enough to fit in. But if they were going to a normal place, she didn't want to show up overdressed and draw attention to herself. That would be just as embarrassing as showing up at a ball dressed in rags!

She had decided on a simple yellow dress. At the time, it seemed casual enough for everyday activities, but also could be dressy, in comparison to jeans and a T-shirt. But now she was having second thoughts. Maybe she should've worn something nicer. Let's not lie. Seto was a rich man. He could plan a surprise for anywhere, and with men, it seemed like they thought the more expensive the better, which wasn't always true.

As the car got closer, though, she remembered the first time she had met him. Hadn't she looked like a hobo? Yet he'd allowed her to ride in his limo, even though she was covered in mud. And then there was their date. She'd looked terrible when they'd entered the restaurant, and even worse when they had left, but so what? They'd enjoyed each other's company. They'd had fun together, and although they'd both been soaked and covered in a gourmet meal they were both able to surpass embarrassment and have the time of their lives. It was a t this moment that she realized no matter how she looked, Seto would see past that. He didn't care.

The limo stopped, and the door opened from the inside. Seto grinned at her, and to her relief, he was dressed casually. Well, what you could call casually for Seto Kaiba. He was wearing a simple white shirt, dark pants, and his trademark blue trenchcoat. (Season One! Right? I could be wrong. I've kind of lost track…huh…how many trenchcoats does that man own? …hmm…I'll have to count sometime…Oh! I'm rambling again. Sorry. But I'm pretty sure it WAS season one…)

She got in, and he immediately put his arm around her. Usually, this would make her feel uncomfortable. She didn't have much experience in the dating world, but on the few dates she'd been on (If you could even call them dates) before Seto, she always hated it when the guy, whoever it was, would put his arm around her. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she just always got this creeped out feeling with them.

Besides Seto and Duke, the only other guy she'd ever gone out with was, of course, Tristan. She'd been on two dates with him, and both of them had seemed excruciatingly dull. The first time they'd gone to see a horror movie that almost put her to sleep, and the second they'd simply talked over coffee. Truthfully, Tristan was a nice guy to hang out with, but as a boyfriend he just tried too hard. She'd decided shortly afterward she'd prefer to be friends with him. Just friends.

But with Seto, everything was different. He could kiss like nobody's business. He was a romantic genius. He knew how to kiss. He could always tell just what to say. And damn! Could that man kiss!

So, it was only natural that his arm would feel just perfect around her. Instead of that uncomfortable, paranoid feeling, she felt safe with his arm draped around her shoulders.

"Did your brother ask any questions?" Seto asked as he leaned over to give her a small kiss on her cheek.

" Nope. He seems perfectly fine with Yugi and me dating."

"Oh! That's good!" He laughed. "And when he finds out I'm not Yugi?" He was smiling. Serenity loved his smile. IT made him look so…complete. So perfect.

"He's not going to find out." She said, surprised at how deceiving that sounded. Still, she continued, her voice unperturbed. "And if he ever does, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"…If you say so. He's your brother, after all." Seto yawned suddenly, then smiled apologetically at her. "Sorry, I've been working late. Even later than usual. I've been planning a business trip, and it's exhausting."

"It's okay." She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "You've been working hard, Seto. Don't you think you deserve a vacation, or at least a day off every now and then?"

He smiled ruefully. "I wish I could. The idea of a vacation is very tempting, but no. I'd probably spend the whole time worrying about Kaiba corp. And the same thing applies to taking a day off. If I'm not there, something's sure to go wrong. No one knows how to do anything without me."

"Oh…" She said softly, and looked up at him. What could be seen by just looking at him? Well, he was over sic feet tall. He had luscious brown hair, eyes that put a sapphire to shame, and a killer smile, if he would just show it sometime. All this in short? He was drop dead gorgeous.

Gorgeous, and rich. You could tell from the clothes, the limo, the mansion, helicopter, and assortment of other things that most people only dreamt about.

But look deeper than that, and you would discover that he was much more. He was, for instance, the CEO of his own company, a company which shifted all it's weight onto his shoulders. He was strong, for he carried the burden of work without complaint. That was just the beginning.

So, how would one describe Seto Kaiba? She thought about this for a minute. Well, he was a brother who, after the death of his parents, had been thrust into the role of fatherhood. He was one of the best duelists in all the world. He was a CEO of a huge company. A multimillionaire. A genius. And, he was nineteen years old.

When this realization struck her, Serenity felt respect for him flood through hre. He had accomplished so much, and still he was working as hard as ever. It was unreal that someone so young should have gone through so much. It sounded like some sort of soap opera, except for everyone having amnesia.

"…Seto…How do you do it?" She asked softly, still laying her head on his shoulder.

"Do what?" He mumbled sleepily. Aw, he was so cute when he was half conscious.

"Everything. You're so strong. How do you manage to do everything you do without losing your mind?"

"Some people think I already have." A taunt smile curled his lips.

"No! No one thinks that of you!"

"What about your brother? He doesn't seem to fond of me. And I believe he called me…what was it? Psycho?"
"…" She remained silent.

"It's okay. I understand, really. Let him think what he wants."

"You're not psycho." She said determinedly. "You're anything but. Joey just doesn't know what he's talking about." She looked out the window. They had been out of the city for a while now. She swallowed. "I didn't know we'd be leaving Domino…Where…are we going?"

Seto caught the hitch in her voice, and he looked over at her. "Serenity…" He said softly. "Are you…Scared of me?" His voice was a mixture of concern and disbelief. She looked down and scooted away from him.

"I don't know." She whispered. "I really don't. Part of me really wants to trust you, but another part…" She closed her eyes. "I just don't know who I can trust anymore." A sad sigh escaped her lips. "I'm sorry, I must sound ridiculous."

"…No…" Seto took her hand. When she looked up at him, his eyes were full of compassion. "It's okay. But Serenity…" He gently took her face into his hands and stared unblinkingly into her eyes. "I promise you: I would never…ever…try to get you to do anything you didn't want to do. You don't ever have to feel afraid around me…"

She felt hot tears prick her eyes. Seto noticed how close she was to crying. Gently, he wiped away the solitary tear that slid down her cheek. For a second, she hesitated, then threw her arms around his neck, wanting nothing more than to be in his arms. He held her against him and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Sitting there in the limo, wrapped in Seto's arms, she didn't think the day could get any better. Because now she knew. The realization struck her suddenly and without warning, and yet she didn't react in a surprised manner. Because what dawned upon her was something that she had known deep inside the whole time, but osmething she would keep to herself just a little longer, until she knew exactly how he felt about her. Did he love her? And if he did, was it possible for him to love her as much as she did at that moment?

(K, I was going to end the chapter here, but I know you'd hate me, so I decided to combine chapter 11 and 12 into one big superchapter! Taaadaaa!)

"You can't see anything, can you?" Seto asked as he helped Serenity from the limo. He was making her cover her eyes so she couldn't ruin the surprise he had worked so hard on."

"No." she she said, smiling. He looked suspiciously at her and waved his hand in front of her face.

"Are you sure? You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

"Of course not." She said indigenously. "When can I open my eyes?"

"Not yet." he smiled and led her by the elbow. "This way. Watch your step."

"How am I supposed to do that?" She asked, a smile crossing her face."

"Good point…" He murmured. "Here hold on for a second." He let go of her. "Now, there's a step downward. I'll help you, just don't open your eyes." She felt his arms on her waist, but she made no objections. He helped her down, but she lost balance. Luckily, Seto's arm shot protectively around her, and he steadied her. She smiled as he helped her sit down on the wooden seat. By the way they rocked unsteadily, she could tell they were in a boat of some sort.

Then they were moving. "Can I open my eyes yet?" She asked.

"No." He said, taking her hand. "Not yet." Shed felt him slip something around her wrist…a bracelet. Her heart sped up. "Just a second." He mumbled, fumbling with the latch on the gold chain. "I never could figure out how these things work."

"Need some help?" She asked coyly.

"No, no, it's fine." He said, still trying to work the latch. She smiled and waited. And waited. Finally, after about twelve tries, he gave up. "Okay, well, the latch must be broken or something. Open your eyes and see."

When she finally got a look at her surroundings, she gasped in awe. She'd been right when she thought that they were in a boat, but never in her finest dreams did she imagine such a beautiful lake could exist. They were near the shore of the crystal clear water. The trees, covered in blooming pink, white, and lavender flowers, surrounded the lake all around, giving it a secluded feel. Petals floated near their rowboat, and Serenity looked up to realize they were underneath a beautiful tree. It leaned over the water, it's tremendous burden of flowers making it hang like a weeping willow.

Then, she looked at the bracelet, which had a beauty that rivaled their surroundings. In one swift motion, she secured the clasp, and he bracelet, gold with diamond and ruby studs in an intricate pattern all around it, was safely fastened around her wrist. Seto looked slightly irritated.

"Hmm…I was hoping it would be a little more romantic. I wasn't planning on having trouble with it. I wanted everything to go perfect."

She smiled warmly and put a hand gently to his face. "But Seto," She said softly. "Everything is perfect."