Disclaimer: Do I even look like Kazuki Takahashi?
Never Let You Go
The clock struck nine-o'-clock over Domino City, and one by one the lights in the museum turned off as the streetlights flickered on. The curator's footsteps echoed through the empty marble halls as he approached a young Egyptian inspecting the security system in her exhibit.
"Miss Ishtar, it's closing time. Are you going to stay here any longer?"
The Egyptian woman turned around and smiled humbly. "Feel free to close, I'll leave afterwards."
The kind old man nodded and smiled. "Don't overwork yourself, Isis," he said, patting her gently on the shoulder.
"Thank you, Mr. Hikura," Isis closed her sea-green eyes and returned to managing her exhibit. As soon as the sounds of the curator's footsteps disappeared down the hall, however, the Egyptian abandoned her round and strode towards the phone at the other end of the room.
She paused to stare at the large stone tablet before her, reading the hieroglyphics she had paused to read so many times in the past, the one depicting a spike-haired pharaoh dueling against his rival priest.
Isis bit her lip and looked away. After this, she thought, she could leave everything behind her. She would return to her homeland, find a suitable job there, and forget everything that happened between them. She had just one last thing to do, and after that, she could put her entire past behind her.
She could forget everything…after she completed her last task to complete her destiny, her job in the sacred cycle. Yet it would be so difficult.
Isis's hand trembled as she reached for the phone. She grabbed the handle, digging her nails into the plastic. Why did she have to be so emotional? After all, there was nothing left between them. Grasping the phone tighter to subdue her trembling, she punched in the number and prepared herself.
In an office on the top floor of the KaibaCorp building, a young brown-haired man stared angrily at his computer screen.
"Mr. Kaiba?" the secretary's voice rang on the intercom.
"What?" Kaiba snapped.
"You have a call on line one."
"Fine, put it on," he said grudgingly.
"ONISAN!" Mokuba's loud voice boomed through the office.
Kaiba grimaced and turned the volume down on the intercom. Since the little brother was at a boarding school in the US, he somehow decided that not having his older brother hear his voice 24-7 could be substituted by having him hear it uber-loud for just five minutes each day.
"Hey, Mokuba," yawned Kaiba casually, closing his laptop and leaning back in his leather chair with his hands behind his head.
"TODAY AT SCHOOL WE HAD A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION AND I PASSED ISN'T THAT GREAT BIG BROTHER AND THEN IN MATH CLASS I GOT THE HIGHEST GRADE IN MY CLASS AND AFTER SCHOOL TODAY I WAS DUELING WITH SOME OF MY FRIENDS AND OF COURSE I WON THANK YOU FOR THE DECK YOU BUILT FOR ME SETO AND THEN AT DINNER SOME KIDS IN THE OLDER GRADES STARTED A FOOD FIGHT AND IT WAS REALLY FUN WATCHING AND I THOUGHT I MIGHT JOIN BUT THEN I DECIDED NOT TO BUT IT WAS STILL REALLY FUN WATCHING AND AFTER DINNER I DID MY HOMEWORK AND HELPED RINA DO HER HOMEWORK I THINK SHE LIKES ME AND I REALLY LIKE HER TOO AND WHAT DO YOU THINK SETO I THINK IT'S REALLY FUN HERE ALTHOUGH I REALLY MISS YOU HOWS THE KAIBACORP STOCK GOING DID THE BUSINESS MEETING YESTERDAY GO WELL OH WELL YOU CAN TELL ME LATER AND ANYWAYS I'M DOING FINE HERE AND EVERYTHING IS FINE EVEN THOUGHT MY FRIEND GOT FOOD POISONING BUT I DIDN'T SO I'M PERFECTLY FINE AND I THINK I WILL SEND YOU A PICTURE OF RINA BY EMAIL I THINK SHE'S REALLY NICE OH YEAH HOW ARE YOU?"
Kaiba ran his hand through his hair, wondering how his brother could say all of that in one breath. "I'm fine," he replied, having only heard about every fifth word had Mokuba said.
"ALRIGHT BIG BRO I GOT TO GO NOW I'LL CALL YOU TOMORROW BYE!"
Kaiba heard the phone click on the other end and resumed his work.
"Mr. Kaiba, you've another call," the intercom chirped again.
Kaiba slapped his laptop shut and rolled his blue eyes.
"Who's it from?"
"A certain Isis Ishtar."
Kaiba felt his heart give an excited flutter, but at the same time something curl guiltily in his stomach. He gritted his teeth. Why the hell was she calling him? Hadn't they agreed that the relationship wasn't meant to be and that everything was over?
He clenched his fists involuntarily as he remembered her. Ever since then, he had buried himself in work to forget her, to get over the fact that he was still in love with her.
No, he decided, he wasn't, he wasn't in love with her anymore. She didn't love him back, and he wasn't planning to spend his entire life moping about it. Besides, he didn't care about her anymore.
Did he?
"Mr. Kaiba?" his secretary's voice asked cautiously.
Kaiba snapped back to reality suddenly. "Put her on," he uttered, his voice unnaturally high.
Isis tapped her nails on top of a glass case anxiously. Stay cool, she told herself, he was just any other man.
"Mr. Kaiba is on," said a sweet, carefree voice. Isis suddenly envied whichever happy not-a-worry-in-the-world person that voice belonged to.
Silence. Isis listened. Well, if he wasn't going to talk first…
She swallowed unnaturally and spoke as coldly as possible, "Seto Kaiba."
The indifference in her voice almost shocked her. She took a deep breath, slightly more confident, determined to keep her cool.
"You better make the good, Isis. What do you want?" Kaiba's voice sounded on the phone, just as cold and emotionless as Isis's.
Isis thought she heard a slight painfully uncomfortable stress in the way he sarcastically spat her name.
"What makes you think I want something from you, Seto?" she asked calmly. It surprised her that the taunting came almost naturally.
"You wouldn't call me for no reason."
"You know me so well," she replied sardonically.
Kaiba stayed silent for a moment. "What are you preaching this time?"
"Are you available in half an hour?"
"What now?"
"I'll be waiting for you at the Domino museum, Seto."
"I'm busy."
"That's a lie."
"What do you want?"
"I'll be expecting you."
"I'm busy."
"No you are not."
She heard him pause on the other end of the line. Had she sounded too harsh? No, that didn't matter. It would only be more profitable for her if he broke down before she did.
"Well?"
"You better make it good." She heard a click followed by the dial tone. A typical Seto way of saying yes, she thought to herself. At least that was over with…
She glanced at the clock hanging at the far side of the exhibit. Twenty-nine minutes...
"Domino museum," barked Kaiba angrily at his limousine driver. The driver raised an eyebrow. "Why so late at night?" he asked curiously.
"Shut up and get me there."
The driver sighed and rolled his eyes at the rearview mirror before turning on the ignition and starting the automobile down the lane.
Kaiba looked nervously out the window. Before then, he had never felt this way. He had been able to hide his emotions, his feelings, inside an icy wall, opening only to his younger brother, the only family he had left. For a moment he wondered whether it would have been different if his parents had not left him and Mokuba.
And then she entered his life. At first he felt nothing for her—she was just a blurry figure outside of the cold mask he wore. But she was beautiful. And when she spoke to him in her beautiful voice, there was no hatred, inferiority, or faraway ness in her tone. She talked to him as an equal.
But she was weak too, relying on her necklace to recite her destiny for her, as he proved when he dueled her. And he somehow wanted to protect her, to be her strength. He had wanted her.
She was in his arms again. He pulled her closer to him, running his lips across her smooth, satin skin, smelling in her wonderful aroma. He pressed his lips to hers, savoring her exotic taste, exploring her mouth with his tongue. She wrapped her slender, graceful arms around his neck and pulled herself deeper into his grasp. They broke the kiss, and he trailed his lips down her neck, listening to her breathe. He had never felt this way before. Goddess beauty beyond all possible limits…
The limo screeched to a stop in front of the museum, snapping the CEO back to his senses. He pressed his hand to his forehead and rubbed his temple, trying to shake the memories out of his head. "Let's get it over with," he muttered to himself, climbing out of the luxury convertible.
Isis waited patiently as the minute hand creeped closer and closer to the time…
She recognized the click of his shoes at the intervals of his long stride. At least he knew where to find her, she thought smugly as the footsteps echoed louder and louder. She glanced at the clock again. He was early.
They hadn't met for a long time, she thought. And she could still remember the feel of his kisses—so stern, yet so passionate, crushing her lips as his tongue, soft and warm, carefully slid into her mouth, sending a chilly flutter down her spine.
She shook her head free of the recollection and resumed her cool, just as he appeared in the doorway.
Just as handsomely hot as always.
Isis mentally slapped herself. "What a pleasant surprise, Seto. You actually showed up."
"Cut to the point," he snapped. "You didn't call me here for nothing."
"No, I didn't," Isis replied coolly. "Tell me, what kind of dreams have you been having?" One of the few lines she had rehearsed. She knew he would have been having dreams—it was definite in those with destined reincarnations or controlled destinies. She had been having some herself—although not always good ones.
Kaiba almost flinched. Bulls eye, she thought, smiling innately.
"What does that have to do with this?" he demanded.
"Surely, after going through all the recent events, having those dreams, and seeing the magic of the Millennium Items work before your very eyes, you still think it's all a fortune-telling scam? And personally, tell me, what would I get out of it if it were just all a bit of crystal-gazing?"
"Your point is?" Kaiba snapped, apparently not pleased with what she had just said.
"Why don't you reconsider? Take another look at the tablets."
Kaiba seemed bothered by something, deep in thought. Nevertheless, he strode forward, brushing past her, and looked up at the giant stone carvings again.
Hell, he didn't know what he was thinking. Hearing her talk like that almost broke him. If it weren't for the nineteen years of coldness he had shown to everyone around him, he would have cracked right there.
He looked at the stone tablets displayed in the glass behind her and slowly strode over to look at them, unintentionally brushing against her exposed shoulder. He almost felt her shiver as his arm touched her—the way she did when he pressed his lips into her soft skin…
"Well? Tell me, Isis, am I supposed to have some revelation from this crap?"
"You don't reconsider, do you?"
I turned toward her at the sudden question? Was she talking about the destiny shit or their…
He stared into her eyes. Her beautiful eyes. They were like his, blue, but they were different. They were beautiful. She looked back at him. What she saw in his eyes he didn't know, but in hers, there was emotion.
He knew she was hurting inside too. Maybe she had loved him. Maybe they were meant to be together. Had he been blinding himself the whole time, repeating over and over that she was just a momentary attraction and that she never returned his feelings?
Isis looked away. No, she did not just say that…
She felt him still gazing at her, even though she had turned away. For that second there, they were so close, his deep blue eyes so close to hers, their faces close enough that their lips could have met in less than one swift motion…
No, she was being foolish, the love part was long gone, it shouldn't have returned…
He was still looking at her, she could feel it.
Suddenly his hand grabbed her upper arm and the next second she was in his arms, with him holding her to his chest. Isis gasped as she felt herself in the position she had been in so many times. Against the muscular chest she was so used to leaning against when she felt frightened or unsafe.
She could hear him breathing heavily, holding her tightly against him. Her heart gave a painful jolt as tears welled up in her eyes and she was thrown into confusion.
Something went through his mind, and the next moment he was holding her tightly against him.
He wanted to stay this way forever. Never to let her go.
"Seto…" her voice faltered.
He wrapped his arms tighter around her and closed his eyes. Nothing mattered…no, nothing mattered anymore except her.
"Seto, let me go."
Kaiba opened his eyes and, almost painfully, pulled away.
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she had to fight to keep her voice firm. But she stared back defiantly, ready to refute his cold gaze.
Instead he looked away, almost…guiltily. Something that she though she would never see, not in him.
"Isis?" he asked. His voice was barely above a whisper.
She looked away too, unable to look back, and a painful lump positioned itself in her throat.
"Isis." His voice was stronger this time, and he turned to look her in the eye.
She bit her lip and wiped her tear away hastily.
"Isis, look me in the eye and tell me."
She clenched her fists to prevent her hands from shaking. Slowly, she turned to face him, unable to bring herself to look straight at him.
"Isis, look me in the eye and tell me. Do you love me?"
The word hit her full on. Isis looked down to prevent him from seeing her tears.
"I don't care, just tell me. Tell me and I'll leave. You won't ever have to see me again."
The Egyptian looked up and stared deep into the CEO's eyes. She opened her mouth, but her voice faltered. She touched her throat gingerly and started again.
"You can leave now, Seto." Her eyes shone with tears.
Kaiba clenched his jaw firmly, feeling as if someone had just shattered his heart into a thousand pieces. He clenched his fists and nodded grimly.
His legs were stiff but he forced them to move, and swiftly strode out of the exhibit.
She couldn't see straight anymore. Tears blurred her vision, which was beginning to swirl anyways. She was suddenly dizzy, and breathing became almost too difficult. Her knees gave way and she sank to the ground, kneeling as tears spilled down her cheeks. She hugged herself and cried, wishing she had not decided to see him again.
At the door he stopped. He grabbed the doorway for support, his fingers grasping the hinge painfully. One last look, one memory to live with.
He turned around and his heart gave another painful jolt. Before he knew it, he was walking across the room back toward her. It didn't matter if he led a life from then on colder than ice, but to see her as broken as he was something he would not allow himself to live with.
He kneeled down before her, so he was at her level, and said her name. She didn't hear him. He took her hand and pulled her into his arms for a second time.
She wanted to die there as she heard his steps echoing in the museum, leaving her forever.
"Isis…" Why was his voice replaying in her head? She wanted to look for something, anything that she could end her life with right then, so she wouldn't have to go through this, but she couldn't. She let more and more tears spill out of her eyes, crying in pain.
A firm hand grabbed hers, and she was pulled into a warm embrace. "Isis…don't…"
Kaiba pressed his lips to hers, muffling her sobs. Isis opened her eyes in surprise, and then closed them again, kissing him back. She wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled him closer to her, and he snaked his hands along her waist in reply.
How long the passionate kiss lasted she didn't know, but when the two finally broke apart, the tears on her cheeks were dry and both of them were panting for breath.
Kaiba finally got to his feet and pulled her up with him.
"Seto…?"
He smiled his charming smile that took her breath away and pulled her closer, tilting her chin up to look at him. "I would never leave you, my goddess," he said playfully, leaning his forehead against hers.
She closed her eyes and buried her face into his neck. "Seto..."
"What?" He ran a hand through her dark, silky hair.
"I've always loved you."
Kaiba smiled and captured her lips again. After they finally pulled away, he whispered in her ear.
"Why don't you come home with me tonight, Isis?" He asked almost naughtily.
Isis smiled, feeling happy for the first time in months. "Why not?"
Yay! The end! This is the first one-shot fanfic I've written. How was it? I've been a BIG supporter of seto x isis for a LONG time but I've never really dared writing anything more than PG, so this is a big jump for me.
This story is intended to be one-shot, but I can continue it into a chapter fanfic, but I'd rather not since I have… counts fingers …three or four other seto x isis fic ideas on me since who knows when. R&R, and thank you! (suggestions VERY welcome)