Adult-FanFiction.org : Yu-Gi-OH

Truth and Lies	By : pixiewolf3 Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1885 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. First posted on Fanfiction.net

Chapter List
- 1-Chapter 1 - A Chance Encounter
- 2-Chapter 2 – Let’s Be Friends
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Serenity plucked at her damp t-shirt as she bent over the test booklet in front of her; the frantic scratching’s of pen on paper, the only sound in the otherwise quiet room.

You’d think with all the tuition we pay they’d be able to afford a decent a/c system.

Thought Serenity Wheeler wistfully as she glanced up at the clock.

Tick. Another second slid away.
Tock. Always running out of time.

She tilted her head back down to her test paper, forcing herself to concentrate.

It had been a long four years of University, the results of this test would determine her future. Next summer she would either be a doctor or she wouldn’t.

“Times up, pencil’s down. Please pass your test booklets to the end of the row and wait to be excused.” Serenity dropped her pencil and stretched her arms luxuriously out in front of herself. Test booklet safely on its way to decide her fate she collected her things and exited the room. Glancing down at her watch she sighed. All she wanted to do now was to go home and do nothing, unfortunately for her school wasn’t cheap.

5 minutes later she squinted, shading her eyes under the sudden intensity of the sun. Taking a 4 hour test in a windowless room tended to make one sensitive to such things. She made her way past the parking lot and down the sidewalk along the sprawling end of campus. She never ceased to be impressed by the beauty and grace of the old buildings. Lush green ivy crawling along the ancient stone. Stained glass windows shinning in the bright sunlight.

She walked with purpose, her long legs moving her past the buildings and off campus. It wasn’t long before her destination came into sight. Baby Dragon Café.

Ding. “Order up table 21.” Shouted a portly man in an apron.

“I’m here, I’m here,” shouted Serenity over the noises of the kitchen. The room was hot and cramped and full of all sorts of appetizing smells. It was also chaos. Today’s shift was theoretically to be quiet, the way Cafés near campus were supposed to be during the summer. Serenity put down her serving tray and straightened the collar of her blouse before picking up her tray again and piling on the plates. It had been a long night but her shift was nearly over. She took a step forward when her manger Jake burst into the room a pained expression on his face.

“Serenity, I need a favour.”

Serenity shifted the weight of her tray slightly in her hands and stifled a groan. She knew what was coming.

“Looks like we are shorthanded tonight. Some sort of tournament going on down the street. I need to ask everyone to put in an extra couple of hours; we need to stay open longer than usual. The owner you see is one of the bigwigs running the tournament and what he says goes.”

Serenity opened her mouth to speak but before she could get the words out he was already on his way out the door. She sighed and turned to look at the chef. Charles just shrugged at her and went back to work. Serenity turned back to the door and put on her best smile before walking out the door with her tray.

It was a full 2 hours later before Serenity had any time to relax. Most of the customers had been served. The café now only held a few tournament participants camped out in the corner locked in what looked like a heated debate. Serenity leaned heavily against the counter just out of sight of the guests. Thankfully her night was almost over. She turned when she heard her friend and colleague Marika come through the door from the kitchen. She gave her friend a tired smile. Marika grinned back at Serenity, her smile bright as always. Serenity never ceased to be amazed by her friends’ seemingly boundless energy.

“Serenity you’ll never believe who just walked in!”

Serenity almost grimaced at all the excitement and boundless energy in her friends’ voice.

“I’m way too tired right now.” Thought Serenity before she answered.

“Umm. Who?”

“Seto Kaiba!” Squealed Marika just a bit too loudly.

“Seto Kaiba is here in this restaurant. Sitting at one of our tables,” whispered Marika conspiratorially. Serenity nodded not entirely sure what sort of reaction she should be having. Her past with Seto Kaiba was not something she wanted to reminisce about. Even letting her friend know she was already well acquainted with Seto Kaiba was not an option.

“Yay?” Agreed Serenity cautiously. Marika didn’t seem to notice as she continued her diatribe.

“He’s just so cute and like rich and um cute and smart and um I was wondering if I-could-have-your-table-since-he’s-sitting-in-your-section?”

Serenity blinked at Marika.

“Seto is sitting in my section?” Asked Serenity after a long moment of trying to deduce what her friend had just said.

“And you want to trade?” Marika nodded sagely at Serenity, her hands clasped in front of her as if in prayer. Serenity took some time to compose herself before continuing. She didn’t want her friend to know just how relieved she was. Serenity didn’t want anything to do with Seto Kaiba. Based off her short experience with him and her brother’s description of the man, he wasn’t the kind of person Serenity wanted to be around.

“Take whatever table you want,” grinned Serenity.

“But you owe me a smoothie.”

“Deal. Oh thank you so much,” squealed Marika, before lunging at Serenity with a hug.

“Ahem. If you too ladies are finished.” Serenity and Marika both turned their heads in the direction of the door and the man standing there.

“We have a few more tables left and our VIP guest before we can call it a night.”

Serenity and Marika both nodded in unison and took a step away from each other before following their manager Jake back into the kitchen.

“Serenity picked up her last order of the evening from the kitchen, passing a grinning Marika. She wondered how meeting someone like Seto Kaiba could make anyone feel that happy. And Marika practically glowed. Serenity walked to her last table and began setting the orders down. She set her last plate down and was about to ask if anyone needed anything else when a man sitting at the table slammed his fist down. The impact on the lacquered wood surface shook dishes and knocked over glasses. Serenity stepped back quickly partly out of surprise and partly to avoid getting wet.

“No! No! No! You call this food. This is disgusting.” Sputtered the man, his face reddening with anger. Serenity was a bit taken aback. She had rarely seen anyone get so angry over food. She took a second to look around the man’s table at the other guests. None of them made eye contact with her, nor did any of them seem surprised by the unfolding situation.

“Hey chicky, are you gonna do something about it or are you stupid. This…food…is…inedible.” Said the man enunciating his last sentence slowly. Serenity felt her spine straighten as she brought her gaze back to the man. She stared directly at him, taking in his almost comically red face and the tiny white spittle that had formed at the corner of his mouth. Then she smiled.

“Sir. If you are unsatisfied with your meal-” Her voice quavered for a moment. She wanted to take another step back but knew that would be seen as a sign of weakness. The man hadn’t even tried his food and he was making a scene. Serenity stood her ground as the back of the man’s chair hit the floor as he stood. The room fell dead silent and Serenity could feel all eyes on her.

Out of the pan and into the fire.

She thought as she steeled herself. Smiling Serenity took a step forward,

“Sir, if you are unsatisfied with your meal I’m sure I can provide you with alternative choices.” Serenity paused to take a breath and saw the angry man open his mouth to speak. She forged on ahead, raising her voice slightly the way she had seen Yugi do in his matches.

“Or if you are still unsatisfied I can get the manager of this establishment and we can work out a solution that will fulfill your needs.” She waited for his response patiently. Serenity felt a cold shadow pass behind her but she forced herself not to waver, not to turn her back.

He opened his mouth once more and then eyes darting to just over her left shoulder, he closed it again. He picked up his chair and sat down, mumbling something incoherent about water. Before Serenity could turn she felt the shadow recede, melting into the other shadows of the restaurant.

Serenity turned and headed back to the kitchen, careful not the meet the eyes of any of the other patrons. She knew that they had all witnessed the scene; she didn’t want to give anyone the satisfaction of knowing how rattled she was. When she finally reached the relative privacy of the kitchen she let out a shaky breath, trying to calm her frayed nerves. After a few moments she left the kitchen and caught the manager’s eye and motioning him over.

“Serenity. I saw part of what happened. Are you okay?” Serenity took a second to answer.

“Yes I’m fine, just a little surprised is all. Can you go out and make sure everything is okay with them. I think they would rather speak to you anyways.” She felt a little defeated having to ask for help but that was his job after all and he would never begrudge her his aid. She waited for him to enthusiastically agree like he usually did with problem customers, instead he looked away and then down, picking nervously at a button on his jacket.

“Ah well, it’s been taken care of. You see that man was, er, a duelist from the Tournament. He uh has been handled.”

What does handled mean?

Thought Serenity as she took a step forward toward the dining room. She tensed when she felt her manager Jake’s hand on her arm it was as if he could read the question on her mind.

“It’s been handled and there are no other guests to take care of this evening. It’s okay now. It’s been a long night for everyone.” He gave her a lopsided smile, letting his hand fall away from her arm before walking back into the kitchen without another word.

Serenity meanwhile walked out into the silence that was now the empty dining room. Even the music that usually played softly in the background was turned off. She was somehow unnerved by the empty space. It wasn’t like this wasn’t familiar to her. Often at the end of the evening she cleaned up the empty dining room. It was different somehow this night. The café had still had a few guests only a few moments ago. It was as if they had all left in a hurry.
- 3 Days Later
Serenity waved goodbye to her colleagues, locking the front door of the Baby Dragon as she exited. It had been 3 days since the angry customer and only now was she feeling like things were getting back to normal. She made one last check of the dining room before heading to the kitchen to turn off the lights. She said goodnight to her manager huddled in his tiny office just off the kitchen. He replied not bothering to look away from his work. She continued to the back door, unlocked and pushed it open. The alley was well lit in front of the door as a safety precaution since this was the way most of the staff left. She turned right and she saw him. She knew instantly who he was. She forced herself to stand her ground as Seto Kaiba stood unmoving in front of her. She felt a curious coolness surround her and shivered.

“Excuse me Mr. Kaiba.”

He lifted an eyebrow at her and stepped aside. Even though she had only seen him a few times she had no trouble recognizing Seto Kaiba. She recognized the familiar solitary quality that surrounded him like a shroud. His striking face gave away nothing, no emotion, no interest.

She turned anticipating that Seto had walked away, but there he stood watching her.

At first study, she would have judged him as cold, an icy fortress of a man who guarded himself against any and all. But there must have been heat. It took more than discipline and intelligence to rise so high so young. It took ambition, and to Serenity’s mind, ambition was a flammable fuel.

Without warning, he turned his head, and looked directly into Serenity’s eyes.

It was surprise that had her resisting the urge to smooth down the front of her clothes. It was will that kept her from blinking or shifting her gaze. For one humming minute they stared at each other.

He spoke first, his voice cool and unhurried.

“I just wanted to make sure it was you.”

“What?” She was taken off guard by the silky deep tone of his voice. Then there was movement at the mouth of the ally as a couple walked by laughing. She turned her head in the direction of the sound and when she turned her head back again, he was gone.

Retreating down the street, Serenity frowned; her puzzlement growing.

Had he been waiting for me?

She felt herself hesitating when her thoughts drifted to her reaction to his presence.

She dismissed the thought as being ridiculous as she walked towards the Tournament venue. Its high walls and glistening mirrored glass made it look eerily similar to an ice fortress. She checked her phone for the latest news on the games. Her brother had made it to the semi-finals and she had promised to cheer him on that evening afterword. Despite the warmth of the evening and her coat she shivered once as she walked through venue gate. The high glass walls, reflecting the lights of the city creating the illusion that it shimmered. She could hear the faraway roar of the crowd inside and the everyday sounds of people as they hurried by her. Glancing at her phone she noted the time and hurried to the main arena to see her brother and his friends. The place never ceased to amaze her. When she entered the arena she paused to take in the scene before her. A large scoreboard hung over the centre of the arena. He brother’s score flashed to the centre just as a loud cheer erupted from the crowd. Serenity cursed to herself, she was just in time to see her brother beat his opponent. She had missed the entire match. She sighed. There was nothing she could do. Work came first. Joey would understand. Her phone buzzed once in her hand, a text from her brother filling her screen.

“Where are u? Going to the winners lounge.”

“K” She texted back.

Wading through the crowds of people Serenity found the arching entrance marked “winner’s lounge’. Flashing her VIP pass. Having a brother as a contestant had its perks. She walked into the winner’s lounge. A better name would have been winner’s ballroom / throne room / freezer.

She slipped her hands into her jacket pockets as she walked into the huge glistening space. People milled about everywhere, laughing, drinking and even casually dueling. She spotted her brother and his friends near the front of the room, closest to what she could only describe as a throne on a dais. To the left of her brother and his friends she saw Seto again and watched with interest as a tall leggy woman clung to him, as he bent his head and murmured to her. She felt her stomach tighten as Seto laid a hand on the woman’s right cheek, kissed her left before stepping back and turning to speak with the man standing next to him. His conversation with the man was brief before he starting walking in her direction.

She froze. Watching with something akin to excitement and horror as Seto walked towards her.

He stopped in front of her and as he had less than an hour before, met her eyes. She thought she caught a flash of something in them, curiosity, impatience, heat. Then it was gone and they were simply cool, blue, and unfathomable.

“I'd like to speak with you,” she said when they faced each other, trying to keep her expression as neutral as his.

“Do make it a habit of waiting for waitresses outside of Café’s?”

His expression remained impassive as he considered his answer. She clenched and unclenched her hands in the pockets of her jacket trying to relieve them of the cold.

“I have an interest in that establishment,” he said simply.

“You’re freezing, Serenity.”

“What did you mean you wanted to be sure it was me?” Serenity bit back a shiver ignoring his peculiar comment.

“It’s nothing.” He replied nonchalantly. He sounded almost bored to Serenity. It was pissing her off.

“Fine. If you’re not going to give me straight answer.” She felt surprised by her sudden feeling of disappointment as she turned to walk away.

Any minute, he thought, she would start shivering. The rest of the tournament guests were wearing heavy clothing. He took in her poorly cut hair, long, around a very interesting face. Tall, eyes the colour of honeycombs. Intelligent, stubborn, sexy. He found he had an unmistakable urge to get to know her better and he had no idea why.

“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to talk someplace warmer?”

His sudden question caught her off guard. By the time she had turned to face him, he turned and walked away from her. Frustrated, Serenity walked quickly to catch up. It wasn’t until they had crossed the entire length of the room that she realized they were leaving the winner’s lounge. One look over her shoulder told her no one had noticed their exit.

She turned back to Seto and was surprised to see they stood in front of an open door, where there had been no door. She looked from door to Seto as he gestured for her to walk through. On the other side of the door was dark car, engine already running, a driver standing at attention next to the open car door. PSA ads warning her about ‘stranger danger’ danced through her head as hesitated at the door before stepping into the car. She felt the warmth of the car sweep through her as she let herself lean back against the supple leather of the seats.

“Now then.” Seto slid in beside her, slipping his phone into his pocket. Something platinum winked at his wrist as he leaned over to fasten her seatbelt for her. She stiffened as he leaned over her; the unexpected warmth of his body against hers excited her. She bit back a moan, hoped desperately he wouldn’t notice the heat that had crept in her cheeks. He smelled amazing.

She waited until Seto had settled back in his seat before she asked her question again. “What did you mean you wanted to be sure it was me?”

“I saw what happened between you and that customer. Your handling of the situation was.” He paused very briefly. “Favourable.”

Her stomach fluttered. She turned her head to look out the window of the car. His unexpected compliment had caught her off guard.

“At the time I didn’t recognize you.” She felt his eyes on the back of her head, blue and intense. And beautiful.

“After some research I learned who that waitress was. Miss Wheeler.” He buckled his own seatbelt, wondering if he made her as nervous she made him.

“Where too?”
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Truth and Lies