Chapter 19 - New Year's ball

New Year's ball





`Seto?'

`Yes?' Seto replied, from where he was sitting at his desk. Kaede was in one of the sofas in his study. Kaede, who was wearing nothing but her panties, bra and one of Seto's shirts, was in the sofas closest to the fireplace, desperately trying to get warmer.

`You know, we have been going out for a month and a half,' Kaede replied, wrapping the big shirt around her to keep warm.

`Wow,' Seto said, pushing his chair back from the desk. He looked over to where Kaede was sitting and smiled, getting up and walking over to her.

`Yeah, I know, pretty long time huh?' Kaede grinned as he sat down next to her. She shivered as the cold of December swept around the room. A cold breeze wafted down the chimney that not even the fire could stop.

`You're shivering, are you alright?' Seto asked, concern showing in his face.

`Yes, it's just a little cold,' Kaede smiled, shivering again.

`Well, we'll have to think of a way to make you warm,' Seto grinned.

`Well, now, let me think,' Kaede said, biting her lip. After a while she smiled, and said innocently, `Nope, you know, nothing springs to mind.'

`Well, I think I might know what will help,' Seto said, and began to kiss her, whilst slowly unbuttoning the shirt she was wearing.

She was just about to start to unbutton his shirt when the door flew open and one of his servants entered.

`I have a letter for you, Master Kaiba, and for-' he saw Seto and Kaede and turned, covering his eyes. `I am so sorry, I thought, well, um a letter, for the both of you, er, well, I'll just leave it here.'

He shuffled over to the desk and lay down the envelope, then almost ran to the door to leave. Kaede collapsed with laughter, tears running down her cheeks. Seto got up and went to get the letter. He sat back down on the sofa and Kaede knelt behind his, her arms around his waist, reading the letter over his shoulder.

Dear Kaede and Seto,

On the 31st of December, my brother and I are holding a special European New Year party. It is fancy dress so please wear costumes. It is to be held at the Hotel Royale and starts at 8.00

If you wish to stay at the hotel, please R.S.V.P. us to arrange it, and say whether you would like a double, or a single bedroom.

Loads of Love,

Ana and Marc



Seto put down the letter after reading it and turned his head to face Kaede. `Well, I think a double bedroom would suit us nicely,' he said, and then reached around and grabbed Kaede, pulling her so that she lay on his lap. `Now, where were we?'

Kaede pulled herself up and knelt on the sofa so that she had one of her leg's either side of Seto. He finished unbuttoning the shirt and gently pushed it off, kissing her bare shoulders. She pulled off his shirt and hugged him to her, his skin warming her. His hands played with her hair, brushing his hands through it. She stood up and pulled him up with her, and after he had removed his trousers, they danced together by the fire, her head resting on his chest, his head on top of hers, hands stroking her shoulders. Making sure there was a rug underneath them, Kaede lay down on the floor by the fire and pulled him down on top of her.



***



A week before the party, Tea, Sakura, Yuula and Kaede all went out fit shopping. They all went to the mall, after arriving at Ana's house and being told that her outfit was going to be a “surprise”.

`It's a shame though,' Sakura said. `I wish that week could all go out together for once.'

`I doubt Ana would want all of us to go,' Tea said. Ana had never forgiven Tea for sleeping with her brother, and it didn't look like she ever would.

`I mean, if she ever found out that we were actually going out, I seriously don't know what she'd do to me,' Tea continued.

`Well, maybe if you tell her how you actually feel about Marc and that it wasn't just cake, then maybe she'll forgive you and let you see him,' Kaede suggested. `I mean, she invited you to her party, so she can't still be mad at you.'

`Trust me, I don't think she'll ever get over it,' Tea shook her head. `Seriously, if you even mention me and Marc in the same sentence to her, she goes ballistic.'

Kaede shrugged, and changed the topic to what they were going to where. Sakura wanted the whole ancient Egyptian queen style, as she was going to be the Pharaoh's bride, and Yami was going as the Pharaoh (Yugi being thoroughly outcast), so she needed a long white dress and wanted to check out the jewellery store as well. Yuula was going as a cat person, wanting ears and a tail, and a pretty dress the same colour. Tea wanted to be a ballerina so she was trying to drag Kaede to the ballet shop to buy a tutu.

Kaede hadn't really thought about what she was going to buy, everyone was going as something really original, and she had no idea what Seto was going as, though he told her he was going as someone from a film. So Kaede thought that she should go as someone from a film to match him, but she didn't know who.

They brought Sakura and Yuula's dresses, and Tea's tutu, and were going to get some lunch in one of the cafes. Kaede sat at their table, sipping a coca cola, looking around at all the shops. She supposed she could just dress up as any rich lady from a film, as she had so many black-tie dresses, but she wanted to be something original, not some pris little darling hanging off Seto's arm. She wanted to be someone original, and different; someone nobody else would think of.

She spotted the gift shop across the street. She'd been in it a few times, and they sold all kinds of sweet little gifts, figurines, fringe magnets, photos, poster-

POSTERS! Kaede jumped up, dragging her friends with her. She ran into the shop and began flicking through their poster selection, until she found the one she wanted.

Holding it and standing back so that the others could see, she showed them the poster of the comic book, Sin City. She knew that it was being turned into an all-star movie, so she would get away with this if she wanted to (sort of) match with Seto. She studied all the different characters, until she found the one she wanted.

`Okay, any of you got a pen?' she asked, and Tea took out a little notebook and poised a pen over the top. `I need dangly earrings, a kimono, two swords which I am sure we will find at the martial arts shop, boots and maybe I red bra that I wouldn't be afraid to wear in public.'

`Okay, so who are you going as?' Yuula asked, peering at the picture.

Kaede flicked through the Sin City poster section until she found the right on. `Her!' she said, jabbing it with her finger.

`But who is she?' Sakura asked impatiently.

`Miho.'



***



On the night of the party, Kaede sat in her room at home getting ready for the party. She had washed and blow dried her hair, and was now trying to straighten it with her hair irons. Impatiently, she just considered getting her grandmother's actual iron and trying to do it with that, but then all her friends came bounding into the room.

`Ack!' Kaede said, pulling her dressing towel over her, as she was only in her underwear. The boys took the hint and left the door immediately, although Joey lingered behind until Sakura pushed him out and locked the door.

Tea took control of straightening Kaede's hair whilst she herself put on her make up. She knew she might have to go a little bit over the top with it, seeing as Miho was a prostitute, but she didn't at the moment. As soon as Tea had finished with her hair, Kaede put in her earrings and then her kimono and heeled boots. Finally, she tied her two samurai swords to her back in such a way that they looked as though they were easily accessible should the need arrive.

`I might have to take these off when we get there,' Kaede said as she straightened them, making sure they were perfectly positioned. She turned around to face her friends, and smiled at their pleasantly surprised faces. Together they went downstairs and she said goodbye to her grandparents, who looked shock and slightly embarrassed about their granddaughter dressing like a hooker, but they said goodbye and waved them off as they piled into Sakura's kombi. There were only eight of them there, Sakura and Yami in the front, and Kaede, Tea, Yuula, Duke, Ryou and Joey in the back. Kaede was sitting next to Yuula chatting about random stuff, but sensed eyes on her and whipped her head around to see Joey staring at her. Although she was talking to him again and they were slowly getting friendlier towards each other, she knew their friendship had suffered such a bad knock and it might never be the same. She hadn't told him about kissing Kaiba before their break-up, think what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, but she thought he had probably guessed. Although occasionally he told her he still loved her (mostly when he was drunk), she knew he was going out with Mai full time now and hoped that they would be happy together.

When they arrived at Hotel Royale, they all got out and let one of the hotel staff park Sakura's kombi. They had a bit of a fiasco because they saw someone yelling and a car driving away, and Sakura ran to stop them, and grabbed the driver out of the car. Thinking it was a car jacker, she began to beat this guy up, but Kaede and Yami ran to hold her back. When she actually looked at the man's face and his clothes, she gasped and apologised profoundly as he was actually one of the hotel car parkers. Blushing, Sakura was lead by Yami into the hotel, and most of them followed, except Kaede who was waiting for Seto to arrive.

After a couple minutes of waiting, his limousine did pull up in front of the hotel. When he stepped out of the car, a wave of people surged forward to shake hands with the famous billionaire. He spotted Kaede and pushed through the crowd, apologising with the excuse that he had a party to go to.

`Hi,' Kaede greeted him when he reached her. `You made it in the end, then?'

`It took a while, but I made it,' Seto smiled and kissed her quickly. Why have you been standing out here on your out, you must be freezing.'

`No, I'm fine, I just didn't want to go in without my date,' Kaede laughed, and he held her at arms length to look at her costume. While he was examining hers, she looked at what he was wearing. Dressed in a tuxedo, Kaede saw a lump next to his arm that must have been a gun holster. She smiled and slipped her hand into his inside pocket, and found a card inside. She took it out and it read “007”.

`How original,' she couldn't help but smile at him. He didn't often wear a suit, but she loved it when he did because he always looked really good it them.

`And you are?' he asked, unable to guess.

`Haven't you read Sin City?' Kaede exclaimed, play shoving him. `Okay, there's this prostitute called Miho in it. She is half Japanese or something and she has samurai swords, a bow and arrows, and these really cool little throwing things which cut people's heads in half. And, yeah, she kills a lot of people.'

`Where do you read these things?' Seto asked. `Right, inside now, otherwise you'll freeze to death.'

Kaede obliged, it was extremely cold outside and her boots didn't cover much over her legs, her kimono was very thin and short, so her arms and legs were pretty much bare.

They entered the foyer and were greeted by Ana, Marc and Honda, who had all gotten here early. She was pleased to see that they had waited for her before going in, and smiled at their loyalty.

They entered the hall together, and all gasped as one at how beautiful it was; balloons and lots of glitter ready to be let down from the ceiling, white lights lit the whole hall and the ceiling, which was also mirrored, made the light reflect perfectly to every inch of the room.

The music began, and Kaede grabbed Seto arm and pulled him onto the dance floor. The first song, `Mambo Italiano' started and Kaede began her famous dancing, her arms raised above her head, spinning around in time to the music. Seto joined in, reluctantly at first, but when he noticed that no one was watching them and was all getting really into it, he joined in to.

Kaede looked over her shoulder at Ana and Honda, who were dancing in the middle of a circle of people. She stopped dancing and watched them, as did Seto, his hands holding Kaede's waist as he watched. When the song ended, Ana and Honda were clapped and cheered for their wonderful dancing.

After that song, Seto went to get drinks for the both of them and Kaede joined my friends dancing for the next song. Tea, Sakura, Yuula and Kaede all held hands as they danced, in a big circle, and Kaede lead the steps for them. Seto came halfway through with two champagne glasses, and Kaede took one, leaving the circle of her friends. She clinked glasses with Seto and drank her champagne quickly, as all the dancing had made her thirsty. The next song that came on was quite slow, and Seto took her hand and she rested her head on his chest, just as they had done by the fire at his house (except this time they had slightly more clothes on). As they danced, Seto kept wetting his lips as though he were about to say something, but the words never formed together in his head, so he said nothing.

At 11.45, Ana and Marc began explaining the traditions of New Year in Europe. Everyone stood in a huge circle and counted down when the clock reach 11.59.

`5-4-3-2-1, HAPPY NEW YEAR!' Everyone shouted, as the balloons and glitter began to fall from the circling. Seto took Kaede in his arms and kissed her, swinging her so that he held her just a few inches from the floor. Pulling her up again, she kissed him once more and after they pulled away, she whispered, so that only he could hear her through all the happy shouts, `I love you, Seto Kaiba, I love you so much.'

After dancing a couple more times, and noticing it was only their friends left, Kaede and Seto waved goodbye to them and found the key to their room at reception. Taking the elevator up to their floor, they found their room quickly, and slipped inside, locking the door behind them.

Inside, Kaede stood one side of the door, Seto stood on the other. Kaede carefully removed her swords and placed them down on a chair by the bathroom. She looked at Seto afterwards, smiling at how well that suit looked on him, and what a shame it was for it to just be thrown on the floor. By the look on his face, she knew he was thinking the same about her kimono. Beaming at him, she removed her earrings and her boots, and saw him talking of his shoes, jacket and gun holster. Afterwards, they stood still of either side of the room, then stepped towards each other.

Meeting in the middle of the room, just in front of the bed, Kaede kissed him as passionately as he kissed her, as he hurriedly undid her kimono. After unbuttoning his shirt, Kaede lay down on the bed, and pushed herself up to she was on the pillows. He leaned over her and kissed her, his hands moving through her straightened hair. Pulling off the rest of her clothes, she pulled the duvet around her and Seto and she lay in his arms, loving every inch of him, wishing to be his forever.

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