Blue Eyes
Tears. They threatened to fall, the unshed ones blinding her as she made her way around the room, pulling a shirt from this drawer, a pair of jean shorts from that one. Her hair fell across her eyes, a welcome silver-blond shield from the pain as she slowly filled the suitcase on the bed. It kept her vision focused on the task of finding her clothes, and off the tall figure standing in the doorway of the bedroom.
"Are you sure about this, Willow? I still don't understand why you're going."
She turned to face the brunette as their eyes met, blue locking on blue. "It's because you don't understand, Seto. If you did, I wouldn't… this wouldn't…"
Her voice trailing off, Willow turned away, unable to maintain the eye contact. Looking anywhere but at Seto, her eyes landed on the photo frame resting on the bedside table. Picking it up, she looked at the four children smiling back at her. She remembered that day well; the picture was taken two weeks after Willow and her little sister, Aspen, arrived at the orphanage, just days before Seto and Mokuba were adopted.
"Willow, wait up!"
"Come on Ash, you know the rules. Catch me if you can!"
Tag. It was one of Willow and Aspen's favorite games. Willow was the fastest, while Ash was most nimble; the girls were constantly trading who had the most wins. Right now, Willow was in the lead; if she could just reach the tree that was home base…
A blur to her left caught Willow's attention, but before she could even register more than brown hair, she was sent sprawling, a grunt forced from her lungs as she hit the dirt. Hearing a rather insane giggle, Willow looked up to see Ash and a young boy with dark hair and grey eyes standing under the tree. Ash had won the chase, thanks to the brunette that was just now getting up.
"Seto! What the heck was that for?" Jumping to her feet, Willow glared at the twelve year old, sapphire eyes meeting cobalt. He may have a year and a few inches on her, but Willow was ready to come up fighting.
Seto laughed, a clear musical sound. "What? I was just trying to help Ash even things up between you guys. You've got, what is it, a ten win lead on her right now? When you take off like that, you know there's no way she can catch up. Besides," Seto leaned in closer, a spark in his eyes, "Only reason I did it was 'cause Mokuba asked me to."
Willow looked at him, her head cocked at a slight angle. "You telling the truth?"
A mock show of surprise flashed across the boy's face, the gleam never leaving his eyes. "Yeah, I am! Why would I lie?"
A grin starting across her own face, Willow asked, "Well then, you thinking what I'm thinking?"
Seto broke into a smile. "Time for a game of 'chase the younger siblings'?"
"GO!" Laughing, Willow sprinted away, Seto close on her heels. Ash shrieked as both her and Mokuba started running, but it wasn't long before Seto and Willow tackled them, sending all four of the kids into a sprawling heap in the dirt. Laughing, they sat up, just as Willow heard the unmistakable sound of a camera. Looking up, she saw Ms. Patrice, the lady that ran the orphanage, and she was holding a small camera. "Come on, kids, it's getting late; time to come in."
"Race you in!" Mokuba shouted, jumping to his feet. Still giggling, Ash followed close behind him.
Willow started to get up, but Seto put a hand on her arm, stopping her. Turning her head, she cocked it to the side again, curious about why Seto's cheeks were suddenly red. "What's up, Seto?"
"I… I just wanted to… umm…" he seemed at a loss for words, which was totally unlike him. She smiled; the smiles always came so easy around him. "Well, what is it? Just spit it out already!"
Instead of answering her, Seto leaned in close, catching her lips with his. Willow's eyes widened in surprise; where had this come from? But then she found herself kissing him back; he tasted like oranges and chocolate, and she liked the way his lips were so soft.
Willow didn't know if it was a second or a year later, but Seto broke it off, his face flaming. He refused to look at her as he mumbled, "Well, uh… yeah, I guess that's what I wanted to ask. Umm…" Suddenly jumping up, he raced for the building, leaving Willow behind, totally confused.
Blinking the past away, she gently set the picture back on the nightstand. There had been so much common ground between Seto and Willow; dead parents, distant relatives unwilling to take the kids, a younger brother for him and a younger sister for her. Even the ages were similar; five years separated Seto and Willow from Mokuba and Ash. They'd all been lonely, looking for someone they could trust when it felt like the world had turned its back on them. It wasn't that surprising that the four of them had found a friend in each other.
The confusing part had come after Seto had kissed her on the playground; she hadn't understood it until after he and Mokuba both left. And then, it was four years before she saw either of them again; four long years before she had a chance to talk to Seto about that uncharacteristic kiss.
It was a late summer day; the nights were just starting to hold a soft nip of autumn chill. Willow was on her way home, a smile on her face. It was Ash's birthday tonight, and Willow was planning layered parfaits as a birthday treat; the bag with the ingredients, fresh from the store, was in her hands. It was bulging, filled to the brim. Too full, in fact.
Suddenly, with a soft ripping noise, the seam on the bag split, spilling oranges, chocolate and cartons of cream on the ground. Cursing, Willow bent to pick up the items, her hair falling across her face in the process. But no matter what she tried, she couldn't get the items back in the ruined bag.
"Need some help?" The offer was soft, almost like he wasn't use to giving help to others. There was a trace of coldness in his voice that spoke of an arrogance and a distrustful heart hidden just under the surface. It was a stranger's voice, and yet there was a familiarity to it; a hidden lilt that spoke of sunlight and laughter, of four lonely children banding together to save their sanity. Of a stolen kiss on the playground.
Brushing her hair from her face, Willow looked up to see a tall, blue eyed brunette standing over her. She saw the surprise and recognition dart across his face as he asked, "Willow? Is it really you?"
"Yeah, it's me." She smiled slightly, her heart racing. She felt his lips on hers again; tasted the chocolate and oranges they'd had for a treat after dinner that night. How could the memory of a four year old kiss affect her so much? She hadn't really talked to Seto after it; she'd been too confused, and a little embarrassed. Then, after Mr. Kaiba had adopted Seto and Mokuba, she hadn't seen him again.
Seto smiled, all the ice disappearing from his expression. Kneeling down on the pavement, he helped Willow with the errant bag; like he wasn't the head of Kaiba Corp. or the young genius that he was. Reaching for an orange, he asked, "So, you and Ash still with Ms. Patrice?"
"What? No, no. We were adopted a couple months after you and Mokuba. Lillian Frost is really nice; she wanted a family, but couldn't have kids…"
She was babbling; she hated it when she started babbling. She felt the blush cross her cheeks, a delicate heat as her pale skin reddened. She didn't know why she was acting like this; she hadn't talked to him since he'd left the orphanage; he could be someone else entirely, the confident, intelligent boy a mere memory.
He reached for the last of the oranges just as she did. It was cheesy, really, and an overused cliché, but she couldn't help but wonder if he'd done it on purpose, just so his hand would brush against hers. She felt an electric tingle run up her arm from the small contact; the taste of oranges and chocolate filled her mouth again, and she wondered if his lips were as soft as before.
Meeting Seto's eyes for a second time, Willow couldn't find any hint of the coldness that filled those eyes whenever she'd seen him on the television, turning them into chips of ice. Instead, there was a warmth in his eyes that she hadn't seen since she'd first me him. There was an uncertainty in his eyes too, one she had seen just once before. Her heart started fluttering; was he going to do what she thought he was?
He did. Gently cupping her head in his hand, he kissed her softly; the tangy taste of oranges, the smoothness of milk chocolate, hit her tongue, along with a subtler sense of winter sunlight.
And his lips were still just as soft.
This time Willow was the one that broke it off. Catching her breath, she watched Seto's face as he smiled slowly. It was more of a smirk, really, but a gentle smile was in his eyes when he said, "Was just double checking that answer. Don't worry, I'm not gonna kiss and run this time. You think you want to do this dating thing?"
Willow stood up as Seto did, each of them holding about half the contents of the grocery bag. Grinning slightly, she quipped, "Hmm, sounds dicey. I'm gonna have to check with Aspen; she considers herself some sort of dating advisor you know. Want to walk me home, maybe stay for dessert? I'm making parfaits for Ash's birthday tonight."
He grinned as they started walking. "Count me in."
Three years. It had been three years since that grocery bag had split on Willow and she had met with Seto again. Three years since they had started going out, and seven since that kiss at the orphanage. There'd been lots of ups, and plenty of downs, but things had been pretty good. She rarely saw the ice that most people did, and he could be so sweet and tender, it made the occasional fights bearable.
But things had been changing in the last few months. The easy smiles, the companionship; everything was becoming more strained. She could feel it, feel the tension mounting; it was a living, breathing creature, a malicious monster waiting for the one moment when it could swallow her whole.
Finally, the suitcase was filled. The last thing to be placed inside was her worn copy of Ashes in the Wind, the two of hearts her bookmark. Sliding the zipper shut, Willow pulled the suitcase off the bed as she slung a backpack over her shoulder. Unwillingly, she let her eyes return to Seto, to the confusion in his own eyes.
"It's because I don't understand? What kind of answer is that?"
Willow couldn't keep the hurt out of her eyes any longer. She felt a single tear roll down her cheek, felt as if her throat was ready to close up and choke her. But when she finally spoke, her voice came out steady. "It's the kind of answer that didn't need explaining four months ago, when you could read me at a glance, as I could read you. It's the kind of answer that didn't even need to be spoken; the answer would have been clear in the eyes. But now? You're pushing us away. Mokuba, Ash, me; you're pushing all of us away. You're so focused on Kaiba Corp., Duel Monsters and the Wolfe girl…"
Seto's eyes widened as he sputtered, "What does Ivy have to do with any of this?"
Willow closed her eyes and sighed, her shoulders sagging. "I honestly don't know, Seto, and that knowledge hurts me. It used to be… it used to be that I knew what was on your mind without having to ask. But I don't know anymore. I feel as if I don't know your heart anymore. It's like I'm invisible, living through you while your eyes pass right through me. It's like… like you can't see me here with you anymore, even though I've been beside you all along, through all the crap that's been piled on Kaiba Corp. and then some. But you can't see that anymore, can you? Not through the company, not through those cards or through Ivy."
She didn't want to appear weak. Whether her heart was breaking or not, Willow could put on a strong façade.
Something she'd learned from Seto.
Willow walked up to Seto, her back straight and her eyes shining softly. For the briefest moment, she set the suitcase down between them as she met his eyes, sapphire eyes once again meeting each other. Her next words were a soft whisper that he'd later decide were more akin to a pained scream. "The truth of the matter is that you're obsessed, Seto. It used to be that it wasn't so bad, but now it's eating you alive, driving out the people in your life. I can't compete with your obsessions Seto. But what hurts the most is that I don't even want to try."
This time, she started the kiss, drinking in his heady essence of oranges and sunlight. Her throat was burning, the pressure of holding back unshed tears almost too much. But she kept them back; she didn't want to cry and ruin this final memory of his kiss, of the passion they'd shared at one time.
Pulling away, she quickly scooped up the suitcase. Reaching the doorway just behind him, Willow stopped for just the briefest moment. "Willa's staying with the Ishtar's. I'll call once my plane's landed, so you can tell Ash and Mokuba I'm okay. I'll see about getting Ash enrolled in a school in Cairo so she can start the Fall semester there. I…"
Shaking her head, Willow let the final thought trail off as she slipped out the door, silent as a ghost.
Two hours saw Willow to the airport, her tears spent for the moment. Looking out the window at the starless night, she smiled sadly. What happens now is entirely up to you Seto. You hold my heart in your hands. Please, don't destroy it, love.
As the plane began its ascent, she reached for the phone, her fingers dialing the number without thought. She heard it ring a few times before it went to voice mail, a young female voice saying cheerfully, "Hey, this is the Ishtar's. It's a real bummer that we missed you, but if you'll just leave a message, we'll return the shout-out ASAP. Just be sure to mention which stray your looking for in your message: Odion, Ishizu, Marik or your's truly, Willa! Just no boyfriend requests for Marik, 'cause he's taken. Bleep!"
"Hey Willa, it's Willow. Looks like I'm coming to Cairo after all. Can I still bunk with you guys? My plane's gonna land about noon tomorrow, so maybe I'll see you there…"
Vixen: Any takers on reviews? Please?