I scrolled through my notifications, shocked. They were almost exclusively from Mokuba, who had called and messaged me over a hundred times.
I opened the group chat I was in and began to catch up. They were all related to my whereabouts, except for the last few;
Red Eyes: If anyone asks, (y/n) stayed home because she had diarrhea.
Dancer Girl: Couldn't you have thought of a better excuse, Joey?!
King of Games: I'm with Téa, couldn't we have just said that she wasn't feeling too good?
I groaned before typing up a quick response.
Psychopath: Gee, thanks, Joey. I'm fine guys, I was just sleeping all day.
I'm so happy we don't have school tomorrow, I thought to myself, dreading the homework I would have to catch up on tomorrow.
My stomach growled, reminding me of my original goal: food.
I sighed and stood up, stretching. I walked back into my bathroom and decided to try to fix my hair. I combed it back, only for it to look worse. I sighed and grabbed a hoodie off of my bed, pulling it on quickly.
I grabbed my wallet, only to see that I had five dollars left. No food for me, I guess.
I put my wallet back down and grabbed my laptop, deciding to instead spend this time looking for another job. I walked back out to the living room, hearing the brothers chatter quiet down once again.
"Thanks for checking on me-” I looked at Kaiba “-and breaking my window. You guys can stay if you want, but I'm not making any food or doing anything fun.” I sat down next to Kaiba and directed my attention to Mokuba. “Why did you call me so many times?”
“We were worried!” Mokuba exclaimed.
“Didn't you just say that you were hungry?” Kaiba asked, eyeing me. I shrugged.
“I guess I'm just not hungry anymore.” My stomach growled almost immediately as if it were protesting to my lie. My cheeks flushed slightly.
“..right,” Mokuba said, disbelief evident in his tone. “Seto, I'm hungry too. We should order a pizza!” His eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Absolutely not. You know how much I hate greasy foods,” Kaiba scoffed.
"But Seto, you shattered (y/n)’s window! The least you could do is order pizza for us!” Mokuba begged.
I laughed. “He has a point, you just cost me my deposit, which was two hundred dollars, not counting the repairs I'll have to pay for. Pizza is the least you could do,” I said, smiling. I shut my computer and turned my attention towards him. Mokuba perked up.
“I already said no, if you’re that worried about the window I’ll just pay to have it replaced and refund your deposit,” he said cockily. Mokuba groaned.
“Sorry, I only take payment via pizza.”
Mokuba perked up once again, a wide grin spread across his face. He giggled.
Kaiba sighed. “Fine. Gather your things, we’re heading back.”
“Okay big brother. Bye (y/n),” Mokuba mumbled sadly.
“No, (y/n) is coming with us.”
“She is?” Mokuba jumped up off the chair.
“Yes. You wanted payment in pizza, correct?” I nodded, still not understanding why I would have to go to his house. “I refuse to look at that greasy peasant food, let alone let Mokuba consume it. My personal chef will be making us dinner tonight.”
“I appreciate it Kaiba, but it’s kind of late, and I don’t want to get back when it’s dark.”
“You could stay the night!” Mokuba exclaimed throwing his arms out and smacking Kaiba in the process. He gave a quick apology before redirecting his attention to me.
“Ah, that’s sweet of you, but I’m not sure about that,” I said, not knowing how to feel.
“You obviously don’t feel safe here,” Seto began, pinching the bridge of his nose, “you had a chair propped up against your front door and you tripped me with a bat. We have 24/7 security at the mansion, and I can guarantee that no one there will hurt you.”
“Plus your window is broken, so that makes it even less safe,” Mokuba added quietly. Kaiba shot him a glare.
“Alright, let me get some stuff packed.” I stood up and walked to my room, smiling at Mokuba’s cheers.
I stopped in the hallway, realization hitting me.
“Actually, I don’t want anyone stealing my stuff. You guys wouldn’t happen to have boards in your car, would you?” I asked sheepishly.
“I’ll get someone to take care of it,” Kaiba said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Hurry up and gather your things.”
“Alright, no need to rush me.” I went to my room and packed some clothes along with my chargers and laptop. I brushed my hair out and threw it up into a bun before returning to the brothers.
Mokuba grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the door. “This is so exciting, Seto never lets me have friends over!”
The cold air made my skin tingle. I walked out onto the pavement and was surprised to see a sports car parked outside. “Did you drive that over here?” I asked Kaiba.
Kaiba scoffed. "How else do you think we got here?” he asked cockily, continuing to walk towards the bright blue car.
“Gee, I don't know, don't you guys have limos?” I asked sarcastically, a little annoyed with his behavior. I glanced at Mokuba, who seemed to share my frustrations.
Mokuba had a look of disbelief and irritation on his face, one that quickly turned into a mischievous grin. “Seto was so worried about you, (y/n), he couldn't trust our driver to get us here fast enough!” He gave us an innocent look before opening the passenger door for me. “Here you go, (y/n).”
“Thank you, Mokuba.” I got into the car, buckling my seatbelt and holding my bag on my lap.
I glanced at Kaiba, quickly looking away before he could accuse me of staring. I directed my attention at the window, watching the scenery fly by.
The ride to the mansion was short and silent, the only noise being the purr of the engine.
We finally arrived at the mansion, pulling in front of the building. Mokuba practically lept out of the car, running to the doors.
I got out of the car and swung my bag over my shoulder, smiling at Mokuba’s energetic outburst.
I waited for Kaiba to get out and walked with him towards the enormous building, opening the door for him.
“Where should I put my stuff?” I asked.
“Seto will show you to your room! What do you want on the pizza, (y/n)?” Mokuba asked, ecstatic.
“What about (favorite topping)?” I said, glancing at Kaiba. He looked tired and slightly annoyed.
“Sounds good to me! I’ll go ask Raymond to start on it!” Mokuba ran off, likely in the direction of the kitchen.
“Follow me,” Kaiba said quietly.
We walked for what seemed like forever before reaching a hallway with 2 doors on each side, and one at the end.
Kaiba opened the second door on the right, walking in and turning on the light. A bed was on the left side, with a dresser across from it.
“This will be your room for the night. Try not to mess it up too badly.” He rubbed the back of his neck, averting his gaze. “And, if you need to sleep here for more than one night, you’re welcome to do so. Mokuba appears to enjoy your company.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Kaiba. I really appreciate it. And thanks for checking up on me today, sorry if I made you worry.”
Kaiba locked eyes with me, his gaze softening. He opened his mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by Mokuba entering the room.
“Hey, uhh, big brother? Raymond quit.” Mokuba handed Kaiba a note.
“Unbelievable,” Kaiba muttered.
I tossed my bag on the bed and walked over to Mokuba. “Should we just order one?”
“No. I’ll make it myself.” Kaiba crumpled up the note and threw it into a waste bin before dramatically exiting the room. I quickly followed, afraid I would get lost in the endless halls.
We reached the front of the mansion, the glass coffee table in front of the couch looking at me threateningly.
“Do you want help, Kaiba?” I asked, still following him. We went through an archway which revealed a large kitchen.
“No, I do not need help, thank you. I think I am capable of making a pizza by myself.” Kaiba walked up to the fridge and got out several ingredients, mumbling to himself. The only words I could catch were ‘unreliable’ and ‘idiot’.
Mokuba walked up beside me, glancing up at me. “So, (y/n), do you want to play video games while we wait for Seto?”
“Sure, what do you want to play?” I grinned at Mokuba’s excited smile and followed him into the living room, watching him open a cabinet and look through the games.
I sat down on the couch, carefully walking around the glass coffee table.
“Do you want to play Mario Kart?!” Mokuba asked, his eyes shining.
“Sure,” I said, entertained by the idea of destroying this young child.
I let him win the first few rounds before I got serious. I easily beat him, flaunting my victory after the third win.
“I am the Mario Kart Queen!” I yelled, standing up and throwing my hands in the air. Mokuba giggled.
“The Queen, huh?” Kaiba walked into the living room, smiling slightly. I grinned at him.
“Yep. Care to challenge me for the title?” I asked, holding up a controller.
“Not today,” he said, walking over and sitting across from me. I smiled at him, happy he was talking to me a bit more than last time.
“Mokuba, can you set a timer for the pizza?” Kaiba asked. Mokuba nodded and grabbed his phone.
Mokuba and I played a few more rounds of Mario Kart. He gave up after I won for the fifth time in a row.
“So Seto, tell me more about that girl you fired today.” Mokuba was barely able to sit still, constantly moving around in anticipation of the pizza.
“She was incompetent, and I have no room for incompetent people at KaibaCorp,” he stated simply before sipping from his glass of water.
“What did she do wrong?” I asked curiously.
“Well, for starters she didn’t appreciate the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. She had the audacity to tell me that it was just a card,” Kaiba looked up at me. “She also overlapped my appointments several times, and I had to do her job for her today.”
“I see. Was she your secretary?” I asked. Kaiba affirmed by nodding. “Does that mean you are looking for someone to replace her?”
“Are you interested?” Kaiba asked, raising an eyebrow. Mokuba was watching us intently.
Do I really want to work for Kaiba?
Joey had always told me horror stories, but he didn’t seem that bad. Joey also exaggerated a lot, so something simple like Kaiba's taste in food probably offended him.
"Yes. Should I set up an appointment for an interview now? Or would you rather do that later on?” To say I was desperate for this job was an understatement. If I got it, it would take a lot off of my shoulders.
Mokuba and Kaiba looked at each other. Kaiba took a breath to respond before Mokuba quickly interrupted him.
“Mokuba, she's still in school. How is she possibly going to have time to work full-time as my secretary?”
Oh. I guess he has a point.
“But it would be perfect! You would get to see each other all the time!” Mokuba protested.
I sighed. “He has a point, Mokuba, I didn’t realize the job was full time. You're not offering any part-time jobs, are you?” I asked, still desperate. Kaiba thought for a moment.
“Do you want to scrub toilets?” he asked. Mokuba facepalmed.
"....how much does it pay?” I asked.
“Sixteen dollars an hour,” Kaiba stated simply.
“Done. I'm hired.” I stood up and stretched. “I feel like the pizza should have been done by now. Mokuba, how much time is left on the timer?”
Mokuba looked at his phone and paled. “I never pressed start.”
“Do you guys smell something burning?” I asked, looking at the kitchen. Black smoke became visible.
“Fire!!!!!!!!!!!!” Mokuba screamed.
“The pizza!!!!” I yelled, running into the kitchen. I threw the oven open only to be smacked in the face with the sun's heat and glory, along with a ton of smoke. I started coughing and grabbed the pizza, desperate to save it.
The pan burned my hand, and I yelled, dropping the pizza. The pain was intense, but it hurt more to know that my food was willing to hurt me in that way.
“What are you doing?!” Kaiba yelled, startling me. He put on an oven mitt and put the pizza on the stove.
“Saving the pizza,” I said, coughing a little. Kaiba sighed and opened a window. He walked over to the sink and turned the water on.
“Put your hand under the water,” he said, walking back to the burnt pizza. I followed his directions quietly, looking back at him. He shook his head and shoved the pizza aside.
I stood there for a few minutes. He walked over to me and turned the tap off, gently grabbing my wrist. He looked at my hand and shook his head once again.
“Come on.” Kaiba walked out of the kitchen. “Mokuba, order a pizza.”
Mokuba cheered and ran for his phone.
I followed Kaiba through the mansion, keeping my burnt hand close to myself. We reached a familiar hallway, entering the second door on the left.
We entered the master bedroom. There was a bed with a dark blue comforter on the right side of the wall, a window at the back of the room, and a door on the left of the room.
“Sit down,” he said, opening the door. He walked into a bathroom and opened a cupboard.
“Where?” I asked, glancing around.
“On the bed.” Kaiba walked back to me with a first aid kit.
He sat on the bed next to me and tenderly took my hand in his. I looked away, my cheeks warm, trying to ignore how his rough hands fit perfectly around my own.
“It’s fine, you know. The burn isn’t even that bad, it’s not like I’m going to die,” I mumbled. I glanced over at him and watched him completely ignore me, continuing to treat my burn. He lightly wrapped it in gauze. When done, he sat there holding my hand, saying nothing.
"Enlighten me: why did you grab the pizza pan with your bare hand?" he asked in disbelief.
"It was burning??" I said, confused.
"There were oven mitts right there." His eyes pierced into my soul, analyzing my very being.
"Well, Kaiba, I wasn't looking for oven mitts, I was saving the pizza." He looked irritated at my response, removing his right hand from mine and pinching the bridge of his nose, his left hand remaining on mine.
Kaiba let out a deep sigh and stood up, pulling me with him. "Let's go see what Mokuba ordered."
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