Chapter 2

Ishizu eyes widened with shock. "No?"

Her entirely confused expression made his decision all the more worthwhile and Kaiba couldn't help but chuckle. "What's the matter Ishizu? Your toy proving itself to be defective yet again? I suppose it showed you that I would actually accept your challenge?"

Ishizu glared at him, but slowly nodded.

Kaiba chuckled again. "Well unfortunately Ishizu I have no intention of being suckered into playing another one of your destiny games. It was a smooth move to get my attention with Obelisk the Tormentor the first time we met, but catering to my ego won't get you anywhere this time around. I'm done being manipulated by others."

Ishizu suddenly looked thoughtful. "Seto Kaiba, you've grown up."

Kaiba just shrugged. "I just don't like making the same mistake twice."

Ishizu smiled, "So why is it you found yourself being defeated a second time by Atem during the tournament?"

Kaiba knew he should have been angry at that little jab, and he earnestly tried to, but all he did was let out an amused snort and just smirk. "That was a little below the belt don't you think?"

Chuckling Ishizu shook her head. "I apologize, I just couldn't resist."

She was indeed attractive… very attractive actually.

If only he had the time…

Stop that!

Kaiba shook his head before such thoughts could even begin to develop.

He looked at Ishizu seriously. "Well Ishizu, you have my answer… now what?"

She gave him a questioning gaze for moment and sighed. "I don't know. It feels pointless to have come all this way for nothing."

"Perhaps a call next time would suffice."

"Oh now Kaiba how am I to find a phone while dusting pyramid walls?" she lightly quipped, "But in all seriousness, I didn't want to risk the likelihood of you hanging up on me."

Kaiba scoffed. "That's assuming you didn't beat me to it."

Again she laughed and Kaiba found himself enjoying the sound of her laughter.

"You aren't as cold as people think Seto Kaiba." She then said.

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Well I must admit that's a first. What surprises me more is that you sound so sure."

"Of course I am Kaiba." She said, "Do you really think that I would believe a heart of stone could care for his brother as much as you do?"

Kaiba… didn't have a thing to say. She'd gotten him there.

Ishizu continued. "Atem has even told me you threatened to leap off of one of the towers of Pegasus' castle if he didn't surrender to you… all so you could save Mokuba."

Kaiba closed his eyes and shook his head, not particularly liking that act of desperation now in hindsight, "Not one of my proudest moments I know…" he admitted, "but it was necessary at the time. I would've done anything to save him. I still would."

Ishizu nodded and smiled at him. "As I would for my own brother Kaiba…"

Kaiba suddenly wanted out of this conversation, Ishizu was breaking down too many of his walls entirely to fast, however he couldn't entirely blame her.

How could he?

Wasn't he the one lowering them?

"Ishizu," Kaiba began, preparing to send her on her way, but she interrupted him.

"Kaiba, do you know why you feel such a connection to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?"

Something clicked inside Kaiba's mind and he gave Ishizu a grave look.

"Don't make me say her name." he said, and he just knew that wasn't really his response, but a piece his past life coming back to haunt him.

Ishizu gave him a sympathetic gaze and he found it hard to meet it. "So you know…?"

"Yes." he said, "And I wished I hadn't."

"Why?"

Kaiba didn't answer at first, suddenly feeling confused and foolish.

"Why Seto?" Ishizu asked again.

Kaiba sighed and said as plainly as he could "Because I destroyed one of the cards."

"The fourth Blue-Eyes White Dragon, so that was you?" Ishizu asked with disbelief clearly evident in her voice.

"That Pharaoh inside Yugi let you in on that as well huh?"

"Yes…but Kaiba you need to understand, as I already said, you and Marik both know what it means to be possessed by madness, I'm sure if you had been in your right mind you would have reconsidered."

Kaiba shook his head. This was just becoming too much. "Ishizu you don't have to sit there trying to convince me that I'm a good person."

"That's true Kaiba, but what I can do is try to show you that you can be… and have you know that I like you just the way you are."

Kaiba widened his eyes, caught completely off guard.

He didn't quite believe what he'd heard.

For a long time Kaiba had been prepared all his life for anything.

Anything, but true acceptance of what he was.

He stood up from his desk.

"Seto?" Ishizu queried.

Kaiba walked around the desk, Ishizu watching him all the while with those sparkling cerulean gems with innocent curiousness as he came to stand directly behind her.

Kaiba, emboldened by a feeling he just couldn't explain bent down and slowly put his arms around her.

Ishizu gasped, her body gently jolting from her surprise. "S-Seto."

"Ishizu, do you mean that?" he asked her earnestly, his tone wistful and unguarded.

What was he doing? What was he even thinking? He had gone too far. Let feelings he had repeatedly told himself he didn't have time for completely undermine all that he was.

His thoughts however were cast aside when her hand clenched around his wrist.

"Yes Seto Kaiba, I do."

Kaiba smirked. "Thank you."

His gentle breathing against her neck made her shiver, and Ishizu's grip tightened on his wrist. Never in a thousand years could she have imagined this would actually be happening!

She knew there was connection. It had always been there…

But never would she have thought Kaiba would be so ready to act on it.

Kaiba bolder still, planted a small kiss against the neck of the woman in his arms.

Such a gentle touch, yet Ishizu gasped sharply as though he'd touched her with something hot.

"Seto… are you teasing me?"

Kaiba smirked at the childlike nature of the question. "You tell me, I'm actually pretty new to this."

Ishizu smiled despite herself. "That's funny, with all you're wealth…"

"I could I have any girl I wanted right?" Kaiba said, completing her sentence for her.

Ishizu nodded.

"If I was really that type of guy don't you think I would've done that by now?"

"I suppose so…" Ishizu agreed, allowing herself to lean more into his embrace as

Kaiba continued kissing along her neck.

Again Ishizu shivered as though his touch shook her to her very core.

"Kaiba… no…we can't do this…." she said suddenly.

Damn it.

Kaiba should have known he'd been going to fast, but his inexperience had driven his mind into a lust filled haze, completely unlike his normal rational self.

She was right this—

"…here. Don't you have somewhere more private we could go?" Ishizu asked sweetly, and she planted a small kiss on his cheek.

—Couldn't have been more perfect.

"Yes." he answered.