A/N: So, I recently edited this story and, while doing so, I fell in love with the characters all over again. So, I decided to write an epilogue, even if it's been more than four years since I last updated. A quick note to my old readers: I actually edited the entire fanfiction, so there are new scenes in it now. Feel free to reread and rediscover Seto and Téa's love just as I did while I was editing it. And now, without further ado, onto the story.
Disclaimer: Well, the story has come to an end and I still don't own YuGiOh.
PS: What I write in no way reflects the policies of Tisch. Everything I've written is purely FICTION.
Epilogue
Six Months Later:
"Seto!" Téa called as she made her way towards his personal, err, their personal study. She had just gotten home after a long day at law school followed by the dance classes she taught. After she'd returned and remarried Seto, she had decided that she wanted to become a lawyer, something that she had considered when she'd worked as a paralegal. Of course, she refused to let go of her love for dancing and had decided to open up her own dance academy, where she, along with some of the most prestigious dancers, taught dance.
Now, after a long day, she'd finally gotten home and was currently looking for Seto, who she knew was most likely in the study.
Sure enough, his voice called back, "I'm in here!"
Opening the door, she found him sitting behind his desk, a book in his hand.
"Are you busy?" she asked as she approached him. Shaking his head, he closed the book and set it down. A smile crossed her lips as she looked down at the book, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Following her gaze, Kaiba looked at the book and chuckled.
"I forgot how much I loved it," he replied and she moved towards him.
"I know," she said as she sat on his lap. "After all, it's your favorite book."
Pressing a kiss to her lips, he asked, "have I told you that I love you?"
Pretending to think for a moment, she shook her head and replied, "I don't think so."
"I love you," he whispered as he leaned in and pressed another kiss to her lips.
With a chuckle, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips as well.
"Why were you looking for me?" he asked and she remembered why she'd been searching for him.
However, she merely looked at him and gave him a nervous chuckle.
"Téa," Kaiba said, his voice taking on an edge, "I know that laugh. What's wrong?"
"Well," she replied, "I got a phone call earlier today."
"And?" Kaiba raised his eyebrow.
"And," she paused and replied, "Yugi and the gang are coming to see me."
"What?" he asked, his eyes wide and she nodded.
Looking at her, Kaiba asked, "and do they know that we're married?"
She gave him a tiny smile and said, "that's kind of the reason they're coming."
At the confused look on his face, she continued, "they hadn't seen or heard from me in so long. So, Yugi called me earlier today and asked me what was going on. And," she paused.
"And?" Kaiba prompted, motioning for her to continue.
"And I told them the truth," she replied.
"That we're married?" Kaiba asked and she nodded.
"I told them that we're in love and we're married to each other," she smiled at him.
"And?" he asked, raising his eyebrow. After being married to her for almost a year, he knew when she was and wasn't finished speaking. From her tone, it was clear that she still had more to say.
"And," she leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I want you to be nice."
He let out a groan and she raised her eyebrow at him.
"I'm serious. No snarky or rude comments," she warned him and he sighed.
"I'm always nice," he replied and she chuckled, "prove it."
A naughty look entering her eyes, she leaned closer and whispered, "if you prove to be a good boy during their visit, there's a nice reward in it for you."
Seeing the feral look that entered his eyes, she chuckled and purred, "a very nice reward."
Nuzzling her neck, he mumbled, "does it involve you and me?"
Chuckling, she replied, "perhaps."
"Mmm," he moaned pressing a kiss to her neck, "and does it involve no clothes?"
Letting out a purr, Téa breathed, "perhaps."
Moving up her neck and placing kisses as he did, Kaiba whispered, "and does it involve the Tormentor?"
Looking down into his eyes, Téa replied in a husky voice, "perhaps."
Just as he moved to kiss her, a voice yelled out, "Seto! I'm coming in!" before the door opened a few seconds later and Mokuba strolled in.
Taking one look at them, his eyes grew wide and he asked, "am I interrupting something?"
Her face turning pink, Téa quickly scrambled off of Seto's lap and shook her head.
"I was just, umm," she mumbled, trying to find an excuse. "I came in here to see if Seto was hungry."
"For food," Mokuba asked with a wicked glint in his eyes, "or for you?"
"Umm, no. Ob-obviously for fo-food," Téa babbled as she backed away towards the door. Throwing a look at Seto, she mumbled, "I'll see you later," before she turned and quickly left the room.
"So, when are they coming?" Kaiba suddenly asked, looking over at Téa as she cut her food and took a bite.
"Um," she mumbled.
"When?" Kaiba asked.
"Ummm," she played with her food. "In a few days."
"Exactly how many days, Téa?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at her.
Clearing her throat, she replied, "two days."
"Great. Sooner than I thought," Kaiba grumbled and she laughed nervously.
"Actually," she began and saw him stare at her, "tomorrow."
"What do you mean tomorrow?" Kaiba ground out and she shrugged.
"They're coming tomorrow."
"Even the mutt?" Kaiba ground out and Téa glared at him.
"You are not to say anything rude, Seto. You're to be nice to everyone." At the narrowing of his eyes, she narrowed her own as well, adding, "especially Joey. He was the most against our marriage."
Scoffing, Kaiba said, "as if I need the mutt's blessings to marry you."
Sighing, Téa shook her head and said, "can you at least be nice?"
With a resigned sigh, Kaiba said, "fine. I'll try but I can't guarantee anything."
Placing a kiss on his lips, Téa smiled at him and said, "that's all I ask."
"Téa!" Téa looked over and saw her old group waving at her. Smiling, she made her way over to them, hugging each before she got to Joey, who turned away from her, clearly upset.
"Hi Joey," she smiled at the blond, who scoffed.
Before she could say anything, Joey yelled out, "how could you marry him?!"
"Now Joey," Yugi began, "we spoke about this already. He lo-"
"How can he, Seto Kaiba, love?!" Joey exclaimed cutting Yugi off. Turning towards Téa, he demanded, "how could you marry him, Téa?!"
Before Téa could reply, a voice spoke up from behind them, "because she loves me just as I love her."
"Kaiba," Yugi smiled at him and Kaiba gave him a curt nod in greeting.
"She doesn't love you! You probably blackmailed her into marrying ya!" Joey yelled and Téa sighed.
"Now boys," she said as she placed herself between the two, who looked ready to kill each other. "I want you two to play nicely with each other. We'll be together for a while, so behave yourselves."
"A while?" Kaiba suddenly asked and she nodded.
"They're here for a few days," she shrugged. Narrowing his eyes at her, Kaiba bit out, "exactly how many days is a few?"
Shrugging, Téa said, "seven days," watching as he inhaled sharply.
"They're here for a week?" he asked and she nodded. Shaking his head, he turned and began to walk away.
"Téa, is he-" Yugi began but she quickly shook her head.
"He's fine. He's just going to sulk for a while," she dismissed it before she smiled at them. "How about we grab your bags and head out?"
"I still don't understand how you could have married him, Téa," Joey said, looking over at Téa. They were currently in the living room, where she had filled them in on all that had happened since she'd come to New York.
"Because I love him, Joey," Téa replied, "just as he loves me."
Shaking his head, Joey sighed, "but after all that he's done to you." He looked up at her and Téa saw the concern in his eyes. Giving him a small smile, she sat beside him and placed her hand on top of his.
"I know, Joey. We went through a lot, but Seto loves me dearly," she smiled before adding, "sometimes, I think, even more than I love him."
At that, Joey's eyes widened before he asked, "are you happy with him, Téa?"
Téa didn't even have to think as she replied, "yes. I'm completely happy with him. In fact, it doesn't feel right when I'm not with him."
She watched as Joey swallowed the information before a smile crossed his face and he nodded. "As long as you're happy, Téa, then I'm happy."
Beaming, she threw her arms around him, surprising him, before he hugged her back.
"But Téa," Yugi said, looking at her, "you went through so much over those couple of months. Why didn't you tell any of us?"
Looking at her friends, Téa could see the hurt in their eyes and sighed before she replied, "because I didn't want to stress and worry any of you."
"That's silly, Téa," Tristan said. "We're your friends. You've always been there for us. Of course we would be there for you."
Nodding, Joey added, "Téa, you've always supported us and helped us. There was no way that we wouldn't have been there for you."
"Téa,"Yugi said, "you're the glue that holds our group together. You're our cheerleader."
At that she chuckled and he continued, "we would be there for you no matter what happens."
Tears coming to her eyes, Téa nodded and smiled before she replied, "I know, I know. And I feel so horrible for keeping it a secret. It was just that, when it's any one of you, I always want to share in your pain and worry. But, when it was me, it was harder for me to share my stress and pain with you guys. I didn't want to worry any of you. I didn't want to be a burden."
"You will never be a burden, Téa," Yugi shook his head. Also shaking his head, Joey added, "don't you remember our bond, Téa?"
They all held up their hands and Téa smiled before holding up her own.
"We'll always be here for each other," Yugi said.
"Where were you at dinner?" Téa asked as she crawled into the bed and looked over at Seto, who was standing by the window wearing only a pair of pajama bottoms.
"I had some work to take care of," he replied and Téa felt a strange feeling wash over her. However, she quickly pushed it away and crawled out of the bed.
"Do you still have work to do?" she asked as she got onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss against his neck. Turning around, Kaiba looked down at her smiling face before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. His arms wound their way around her waist and he pulled her into him as his hands progressed to exploring her body while he continued to kiss her. She was wearing the sexy blue lingerie that she'd bought a few days before. It seemed as though she'd made the right choice to wear it that night.
"I'll take that as a no," she breathed when they broke apart. With a smile, he picked her up in his arms bridal style and began heading towards the bed with her.
Just as they reached the bed, the door opened to reveal the gang in the hallway.
"Oh my god!" Téa screamed as she struggled to get out of Kaiba's arms while covering herself. Both Yugi and Tristan stared back at the scene with wide eyes while Joey had already turned away yelling something about not being able to unsee the scene.
"Sorry! Wrong room!" Yugi yelled before he slammed the door closed as both his face and Tristan's turned red.
"Well that was embarrassing," Téa mumbled before she looked up at Kaiba, who hadn't said a word or even moved. Inhaling deeply, he went over to the bed and put her down before he grabbed his shirt and pulled it on.
Téa watched as he headed toward the door before she asked, "where are you going?"
"My study," was his curt response before he left the room, slamming the door behind him and leaving a slightly upset Téa staring after him.
Two Days Later:
"Oh my god," Téa breathed as she looked down at the test in her hand. Tears filled her eyes and she fell to her knees, unable to control the joy that was building up inside her.
For the last couple of days, her breasts had looked larger than usual and had felt more tender as well. At first, she'd dismissed it, attributing it to her new workout schedule.
However, she'd started to notice that foods she'd enjoyed eating in the past now suddenly made her feel nauseous. Then, the fatigue and headaches had started. Until the very end, she'd dismissed it as stress and lack of sleep.
Then, the morning before, she'd realized that she was late. In fact, she was more than a week late. Later that day, she'd gone out and bought the test.
Now, she felt her heart thumping as she looked down at the two lines on the test.
Tears rolling down her face, Téa realized that she was pregnant. She was pregnant with Kaiba's child. Smiling through her tears, she threw away the test before she ran downstairs to find her husband.
"Where is Seto?" she asked as she barged into the dining room. The gang looked up from their breakfast and shrugged.
"I saw him heading towards the," Joey paused and gestured in the direction of Kaiba's study.
With a smile, Téa quickly turned and ran out of the dining room towards his study.
"Seto!" she breathed as she flung open the door. His eyes grew wide as he took in her disheveled appearance.
"Téa," he said as he got to his feet and walked over to her, "what's wrong, sweetheart?"
Looking up at him, she opened her mouth to speak but found that she couldn't. Unable to stop herself, she began to cry. Alarmed, Kaiba immediately scooped her up and carried her to the chair.
"Téa, what's wrong, darling?" he asked, worry in his voice and on his face. "Why are you crying?"
When she didn't reply, Kaiba, feeling as if he were about to go mad, turned her so that she was looking up at him and asked more vehemently, "what's wrong, Téa? Tell me!"
Placing her hand on his cheek, Téa looked into his eyes and, with a tearful smile, whispered, "you're going to become a father."
The moment the words left her lips, Téa saw Kaiba freeze before he asked, "what?"
Nodding, she replied, "I'm pregnant, Seto. With our baby."
Instead of looking at her with joy, Kaiba shook his head and whispered, "how did this happen?"
Immediately, Téa sobered and asked, "how? What do you mean how?"
Looking at his face, she continued, "Seto, this baby is a symbol of our love for each other."
Shaking his head, Kaiba replied, "I know but," he paused and Téa could see the confusion and uncertainty on his face.
"Seto, are you okay?" she asked, reaching out to touch him. However, he drew back and shook his head.
"I'll be back, Téa." With those words, he stood and left her alone in the study.
"Where's Kaiba? I haven't seen him all day," Yugi said, looking over at Téa, who gave him a small smile.
However, he knew that something was wrong. Something had happened earlier that morning. When Téa had returned after seeing Kaiba, she'd been different. She seemed much less happy now compared to how she had been earlier in the day.
"Téa," Yugi looked at her, "what's wrong? What happened?"
Shaking her head, she gave him a quick smile and replied, "nothing. Everything is fine."
Sighing, Yugi looked at her and said, "I know you better than that. Something happened, Téa. What's the matter?"
When she didn't reply, he continued, "did Kaiba say something to you? Did he do something to you?"
She shook her head and sighed, "he didn't do anything. Anything at all."
"So, what's wr-" Yugi began asked but she quickly shook her head and stood.
"Nothing's wrong Yugi. I'm just not feeling too well. I'll see you later," she said before she turned and headed back to her room.
Later that Night:
Téa looked up from her book as Kaiba entered the room.
"Where were you? You missed dinner," she said as she put the book down. He nodded and replied, "I got caught up at the office," as he took off his jacket.
Nodding, Téa watched as he went into the bathroom and felt her heart break. He hadn't kissed her like he usually did. He hadn't even looked at her.
Moments later, the bathroom door opened and Kaiba emerged, wearing only a pajama bottom. He had a towel in his hand, drying his wet hair.
"Seto," Téa said, looked at him as he hung the towel up. "Can we talk about what happened this morning?"
Getting into bed, he looked over at her before saying, "I need to sleep. I have an important meeting tomorrow."
Before she could protest, he pressed a gruff kiss to her forehead before he pulled the covers over himself and went to sleep, his back facing her. As Téa watched him sleep, tears rushed to her eyes.
What was happening?
Two Days Later:
"Téa, where has Kaiba been disappearing to?" Yugi asked.
"Yea, we haven't seen him in days," Joey added. Téa gave them a weak smile before she turned away, too pained to answer them. It was true. He'd slept at the office the night before, saying something about having to work overtime.
However, Téa knew that truth. Everything had changed now. The news of her pregnancy had changed everything.
What if he realized that he couldn't deal with a child and divorced her? What would she do then?
Téa felt her heart hurt as she thought of it. No, she quickly shoved the thought from her head. Seto would never do that to her.
But, why was he avoiding her? He had been less affectionate towards her after she's told him about the pregnancy.
"Téa?" she tuned back in to see the group staring at her.
"I'm sorry," she apologized. "What did you guys say? I kinda zoned out."
"Téa," Yugi said, "Is everything okay between you and Kaiba?"
Nodding, she opened her mouth to reassure them but found herself unable to speak. Suddenly, tears began to fall and they watched as she dissolved into tears.
"Téa!" they all yelled, leaping to their feet.
Instantly, they were beside her, concern clear on their face.
"Téa, what's wrong?" Yugi asked and she shook her head.
"Don't lie to us, Téa," Joey piped up before asking, "did something happen between you and Kaiba? Did he say something to you? Did he hurt you?!"
Instantly, she shook her head and tried to speak again, finding that words still wouldn't come out.
"Then, what's wrong, Téa?" Tristan asked.
Finally finding her voice, she whispered, "I'm pregnant."
Silence fell across the room and the three men stared at her, unsure what to say or do.
Yugi, the first to recover, smiled, "congratulations!"
Joey, however, narrowed his eyes and, making his way to her, asked, "what did Kaiba say?"
At her desolate face, he grit his teeth and spit, "that bastard."
Quickly, Téa shook her head and said, "no, Joey, it's nothing like that."
Wiping her tears, she continued, "he didn't say anything about it."
"Then, what's the problem, Téa?" Tristan asked and she sniffed.
"That's exactly it! He didn't say anything about it!" she yelled before she burst into tears again, causing Tristan to move back a few steps.
"Shhh," Yugi comforted her as he sat her down. "Is he upset?"
Shrugging, she said, "I don't know. I know that he's surprised and in shock. And, I guess from his attitude, upset too."
Watching as Téa dissolved into tears again, Joey shook his head and snarled, "that bastard. I'll teach him a lesson."
"No Joey," Yugi shook his head, "don't do anything."
Turning back to Téa, he said, "everything is going to be fine, Téa."
Looking into his eyes, Téa whispered, "how do you know?"
Smiling, Yugi replied, "because I do. Just trust me."
"Where's Téa?" Kaiba asked as he entered the living room. Instantly, Joey looked at him and scowled before growling, "bastard."
Ignoring him, Kaiba turned towards Yugi and asked, "where is my wife?"
With a sigh, Yugi replied, "I don't know. She just said that she was going out."
Nodding, Kaiba turned to leave when Yugi stopped him.
"Kaiba," he paused before he continued, "don't you dare do anything to hurt her."
Narrowing his eyes, Kaiba replied, "I appreciate your concern, Muto, but I would never do anything to hurt my wife. I love her."
With those final words, Kaiba turned and stormed out of the living room. He knew exactly where she was.
"Téa," Téa didn't have to look to know that Kaiba was standing right behind her. She stared out at the water, leaning against the railing of the pier.
"What do you want?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady as tears ran down her face.
"I know that you're crying," he said as he approached her. Shaking her head, she whispered, "no I'm not."
However, he placed his hand on her shoulder and turned her around to look at him. Looking down at her face, he leaned in and asked, "then why is your face wet?" as he wiped away her tears.
Looking up at him, Téa felt all of her emotions just let loose and broke down into tears.
"Shhh," he comforted her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. "Calm down, love."
After a few moments had passed, she finally calmed down and pulled away to look at him.
"Don't cry, darling," he whispered as he wiped away her tears before adding, "you look ugly when you cry."
At his words, she gave a little chuckle before her face became somber again.
"Seto," she whispered as she looked up at him, "what are we going to do? What's going to happen to us?"
Confused, he asked, "what do you mean what are we going to do?"
Sniffing, she replied, "about the baby."
Leaning in, he asked, "what do you mean what are we going to do about the baby? Téa, we're going to become parents. Nine months from now, you're going to become a mother and I'm going to become a father."
"But I thought you didn't want the baby. I mean, you freaked out and then you avoided me," she said, more tears forming in her eyes.
Sighing, Kaiba shook his head and replied, "I wasn't avoiding you sweetheart. I really was busy at the office. But, I did freak out, except it wasn't because I don't want the baby."
He leaned down and, looking into her eyes, whispered, "I'm overjoyed that you're having my child. Téa, I'm beyond happy that we're going to start our own family. But," he paused.
"But what?" she asked and he looked at her with uncertainty and doubt in his eyes.
"But I'm not sure if I'll be able to be as great a father as you will be as a mother," he confessed, watching as her eyes grew wide.
"What?" she breathed. "Seto, why would you think that?"
Closing his eyes, he inhaled before he opened them and said, "because I'm not exactly the most loving or caring person. I'm cold. That's what everyone says about me."
Immediately, Téa shook her head and placed her hand on his cheek. "Seto, my love, you're not cold and unloving," she whispered.
"In fact, you're one of the most loving and caring person I know," she breathed.
"Really?" he asked and she nodded.
"Like I told you before, you're just a little rough around the edges. But, that doesn't make you cold and unloving." Shaking her head, she continued, "over these last couple of months, you've given me more love than I've received my entire life."
At the incredulous look on his face, she nodded and continued, "you are caring, Seto. And you do love. Ask anyone in the house. Those who have experienced your love know just how deeply you can love."
"Téa," he breathed and she smiled at him.
"Don't be scared, sweetheart. You'll be a wonderful father to our baby," she whispered as she got on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his lips. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her into him and deepened the kiss.
When they broke apart, he looked down at her and whispered, "I love you, Téa."
Smiling, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips before she replied, "I love you too Seto."
"By the way," he suddenly said as he reached into his jacket and produced a medium sized box, "I got you this."
Eyebrows knitted together, Téa took the box and asked, "what is it?"
"Open it," he smiled at her.
Opening it, Téa let out a gasp and looked up at Kaiba with tears in her eyes.
"Seto," she whispered as she traced her finger over the cover of a journal that looked exactly like the one his mother had had. The word 'Diary' was written on it in elaborate script. She flipped it open and placed her hand over her mouth as she saw that there was a picture of them on their wedding day placed in the journal. On the inside of the book was an inscription.
To my wonderful wife, Téa, who makes me a better person every day that passes. I cannot imagine my life without you beside me. You are my star. Love always, your husband Seto Kaiba
There was also an entry on the first page.
Today, our family officially begins.
Looking over at Kaiba, Téa covered her mouth as she began to sob again.
"Seto," she cried, "it's beautiful. Thank you."
Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed a kiss to her head and whispered, "I love you, Téa."
Three Days Later:
"Well, it was great seeing you, Téa," Yugi smiled at her. Téa smiled back at him before she leaned in and hugged him, tears rushing to her eyes as she did.
"I'll miss you," she sniffed as she pulled away. However, he chuckled and shook his head.
"We'll see you in nine months," he winked at her. Smiling, Téa looked down at her stomach before she nodded at him. She turned toward Tristan and smiled, "bye Tristan," before she gave him a hug as well.
"Take care, Téa," he replied after they broke apart. Nodding, she turned and made her way towards Joey.
"Joey," she whispered and he sighed before he pulled her into his arms.
"Take care of yourself, Téa," he mumbled into her hair and she nodded. Pulling away, he looked down at her face and wiped the tear that had escaped.
"Don't cry. We'll see you in nine months. Maybe less," he winked and her eyes grew wide.
"What do you mean le-" she began before she gasped.
"Are you going to propose to Mai?" The moment the words left her lips, she saw him flush before he cleared his throat and replied, "shhh, don't scream it out like that."
She smiled at him as Kaiba moved to wrap his arm around her waist. Joey suddenly sobered and looked at Kaiba.
"You'd better take good care of her," he said to Kaiba, who rolled his eyes and nodded.
"Of course I'll take care of her. I love her, you mutt," he sneered and Téa quickly shot him a glare before she turned and gave one to a scowling Joey.
"Play nicely, you two," she shook her head.
"Joey, let's go!" Yugi called. Téa watched as the three men approached the gate to board. Turning, they waved at her and Seto before they disappeared through the gate.
"Ready to go home, Seto?" she asked as she turned and looked up at Seto.
Dropping a quick kiss to her lip, he smiled and replied, "wherever you go, Téa, I'll follow you."
As they headed towards the car, he smirked at her, "by the way, when do I get my reward?"
At her wide eyes, he continued, "I was a very good boy while they were here."
Chuckling, she pressed a kiss to his lip before she said, "I guess we can duel when we get home."
So, what did you guys think? I know it was kind of sappy, but it was supposed to be a little fluffy. But, honestly, it was painful to see this story officially end. I had so much fun writing it and then editing it and, somewhere along the lines, the characters just became a part of me. I'm debating if I'll do a sequel or start an entirely new Seto/Téa fanfiction. However, I do plan on having them make an appearance in my Bakura/OC fanfiction. So, if anyone of you guys are interested, feel free to read it. Until next time,
-DramaQueen95