Polaroids

Sakura Takanouchi

Rating: T for an accurate enough portrayal of college existence

Kako's challenge …Only because Seto Kaiba would never get this drunk any other way… Two distinct worlds collide in one intoxicating night. They say you never regret a Saturday night...but what if you couldn't remember it? SxS oneshot- like what else would I write…?

I don't own Yu-gi-oh, and my inspiration came from a story a friend of mine told me, which I'm now warping into something fit to read- maybe? Let's find out…

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"A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts." –Proverb

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Saturday nights. There's just something magical about them, isn't there? It's the ultimate freedom, the last chance of the week to go out, to stay in. Nobody regrets a Saturday night. Fridays, maybe… but Saturdays? Never. And Sundays, those exist as a buffer to the drudgery of the weekday, a time to recover from the previous night. Ask anybody, and they'll tell you that a Saturday night was made to have fun.

That was exactly the goal in mind when Mokuba Kaiba took a seat at the near end of the bar, waiting expectantly for his companion to join him. Violet eyes narrowed on his unmoving brother. "Seto, we've been through this. Sit down." He stabbed a finger at the chair, but Seto's lanky form remained standing.

"I still think that you could have found someone else." Seto reluctantly dropped into the bar stool, conveniently located closest to the door, and glared at the younger Kaiba. Seto could barely believe it himself when he got the phone call. Apparently all of Mokuba's usual drinking buddies were away for the weekend, and as annoying as it may be, he was not going to let his brother lose all of his senses with no friends to bail him out should anything happen. He ran a hand through his chestnut-colored hair, messing it up with a disgruntled sigh. His whole life could be defined by him watching his brother wreak havoc on his stomach. When Mokuba was younger, it was candy. Candy, soda, junk food… and now this. Alcohol. Seto had accompanied his brother no less than half a dozen times, and if Mokuba turned to an even worse vice, Seto would have to chain him to his desk over the weekend. He sighed, supposing this was why he always came when he got that phone call. His brother was in college; Seto couldn't tell him what to do anymore.



What could be considered as a victory for Seto was that Mokuba's greatest weapon, his puppy-dog eyes, had no effect anymore. But it quickly became replaced by a fast smirk and even quicker wit. Mokuba had transformed into what Seto had been, but Mokuba, being much more outgoing, was always surrounded by a group of friends. Maybe that was why he had chosen to live in the dorms on-campus instead of the mansion…Seto would never admit this to anyone, let alone himself, but he missed the only family he ever had.

"Like I told you, my backup and my back-up for the backup went home for the weekend. Besides, would you prefer to have me passed out, intoxicated, who-knows where, and with the knowledge that you could have done something about it?" He smiled sweetly at his brother before ordering a drink for each of them.

Seto held back the temptation to slam his fist on the table. Damn it, he's doing it again. Mokuba knew exactly how to twist him around his smallest finger without even lifting it. He watched as Mokuba raised the glass to his lips and took a large sip, a huge grin stretching his face to capacity.

"C'mon Seto…you can take it, right? I mean, you must have been an animal in your college years…"

Seto harrumphed, taking a sip of the annoyingly refreshing beverage. Mokuba was blatantly over exaggerating- Seto had gone out a grand total of once in his entire college career. The night started out badly and only got worse. But the occasional drink he could handle. Tch, like he'd even come if he was that much of a lightweight. "I never said I couldn't take it."

Violet eyes twinkled merrily in the dim light of the bar. Several TVs were on, all turned to the same channel. Some sports game. So this was why Mokuba wanted to go out drinking. He sighed, taking another sip against his better judgment. At times, his brother could be an idiot. Now was a prime example. "Yeah, but I implied it, and let's face it, Seto, your whole posture just screams uptight, uncomfortable…lightweight."

Quicker than a flash Seto had downed whatever liquid poison was in his glass, and turned to his younger brother- the lazy smile on Mokuba's face was simply too disconcerting. "You want to say that again?" His voice was low and threatening, and Mokuba could already smell the alcohol. With a flick of his hand, Mokuba motioned for a new round of drinks.

"Lightweight."

They each took their glass in hand to face the other, their picture distorted through the curved shape of the container. Mokuba hid his delight in a confident smirk, a mirror of his brother's. Even though getting Seto drunk was a challenge, he was much more fun to be around than his friends, who seemed to want to vandalize school property every time they were under the influence. But one way or another, Mokuba was going to enjoy his Saturday night. Even if he couldn't remember any of it.

"We'll see who the lightweight is."



They each raised their glass as if toasting the other, and Seto almost wanted to laugh- looking at his brother through the etched glass of the vessel made his hair look even more disheveled. Mokuba looked fleetingly at the contents in his glass. This was strong stuff they were drinking. But he was a Kaiba, and he was never going to lose in anything, even something as trivial as a drinking contest and especially something where he himself was the instigator. Without any second thoughts they had raised the glass and drank until they could see the bottom.

"Whoooooooooooo!"

"All right, Serenity!"

Even in their alcohol-infused state, the brothers Kaiba probably could have heard the commotion happening only just next door. The moon was high and the night was alive in Domino University's resident sports bar, and everyone there was witness to what was shaping up to be the best night of Serenity's life.

"Happy birthday, Serenity!" Tea giggled as she pushed another drink in front of her friend. "Here's your birthday present…"

"Wow, thanks!" Serenity gushed, making the shot of liquid disappear. "No one's ever given me one of these before!" Bright hazel eyes sparkled; the noisy room didn't seem as bad as she once thought. Tea was looking at her a little strangely; Serenity was surrounded by the little glass vessels. She barely even registered when her brother's friend sidled up beside her, flushed cheeks showing the amount that he, too, had been drinking.

"Hey, Ren?" Serenity moved her head closer, he needed to speak up. "I just wanted to tell you now, before I forget, that you look really pretty tonight." What could have been passed off as a pseudo- romantic moment was interrupted again by Tea.

"Of course she looks hot!" Tea said, poking Tristan's arm none too gently. "We came over to her place before we came here…we had to make sure that you dressed your age, Serenity- no offense."

"None taken," Serenity smiled at her friends, twirling a little to show off her green dress, the sequined trim making slivers of light dart across the walls. "I'm still floored that Joey was the one to set this whole thing up."

"I know," Tea said, drawing all attention away from a very angry Tristan. "I mean, its Joey. The big oaf has finally allowed his sister her very first drinking party! In his presence, that is…" She nudged her friend, noticing the guilty grin on Serenity's face, to match the flush of her cheeks that the warmth of the alcohol was giving her. Anxious to make her happy again, she cheered, "but, you did turn 21 today, and this is your party! I mean, considering that it's also a drinking party…it's better for you…and 

us, if you're surrounded by friends!" She moved closer to Serenity. "It's a secret, so don't tell…" She threatened.

"I promise." Serenity giggled softly, auburn strands falling over her face as she studiously prepared to guard the incoming secret.

"I think that Joey planned this for you, but the plus is that he gets to hang out with Mai the whole night." Tea pulled away to stare none-too-inconspicuously at the unaware couple. She let loose a strange combination between a shriek and a giggle, but due to the loud atmosphere of the place, it didn't travel far. "They're both completely plastered!"

Serenity followed her friend's gaze. Joey and Mai were sitting on a couch in the corner of the room, watching the game with a group of people she had never seen before. They were almost as loud as the combined noise of the music and conversation, cheering and yelling when it suited them. She smirked, seeing Joey's arm around Mai and for once, she wasn't trying to brush it off. But Mai was a little more involved in the game than in the person whose lap she was practically sitting on. The cheers around the television became louder and louder. The bass from the stereo was sending jolts through the entire room. The atmosphere was intoxicating enough. Serenity ordered another drink and tilted her face to the sky.

Cheers resounded from the bar as both brothers threw their glasses down quite forcefully on the wooden counter of the bar. Mokuba grinned at everyone who had gathered around them. The place was unusually crowded, even for this prime weekend hour. He was impressed; he hadn't expected his brother to last that long. Seto's face was flushed as if he was outside, and he was eyeing Mokuba with a dry grin. "You ready to give up?"

Mokuba glanced around the room- he wasn't about to back down, especially in a room with so many pretty girls. "Never!"

The cheering continued as other patrons moved to the bar and back. The door had been propped open long ago. Seto faintly thought he heard music coming from outside, but shrugged it off. He eyed his brother, a lazy smirk on his face. The alcohol was coursing through his bloodstream, warming him up from head to toe.

"Well, we know what that means then…" Mokuba smiled, catching the eye of a pretty girl laughing with a group of her friends, obviously a little tipsy herself. She looked familiar, she was in one of his classes…but what was her name? Sarah, Jessica, no …Rebecca! Turning on the charm, he smiled at her, beckoning her to come closer. "Rebecca…you want me to win, right?" The girl blushed to the roots of her blonde hair.

Seto momentarily wondered what Mokuba was playing at. He could faintly hear the voices of that gaggle of females, giggling and whispering and it was all directed at his brother. He wanted to drink 

more if just to drown it all out. "Mokuba Kaiba knows you, Rebecca? You better watch out; from what I hear he's got a reputation." Ugh. Seto did not even want to think about what his brother was doing at college—this girl seemed to be only another pawn in Mokuba's game of love. But from what he gathered about his younger brother, it sure as hell didn't have anything to do with love. How pathetic. That girl was all over him.

"If I win I'll give you a kiss…" Mokuba's voice slurred, his warm breath against her collarbone. She giggled nervously, almost drowned out by the sudden rush of noise that permeated everything. The shift in focus nearly shook Seto out of his bar stool, but instead he swiveled around, watching as more than half of the bar's patrons immediately swarmed onto the street. "Guess this competition's over," he mumbled, his eyes lighting up interestedly at the spectacle.

And it was a spectacle. He had a clear view of the street which was rapidly becoming more and more crowded. Music was being pumped onto the street along with the people, and everyone looked… ecstatic. It was as if everyone's greatest wish had just come true, and they all had to celebrate it. Suddenly, Seto felt the irresistible urge to be out there, to be one of those people. It came from somewhere around his stomach (he would have normally dismissed it as the alcohol talking) and it yearned, for once in his life, to be an unknown, simply a happy face in a happy crowd. And as Emeril would have put it, that crowd was happy.

Mokuba was too busy caressing Rebecca's shoulder to even notice. Suddenly, he looked up, the commotion in the bar diverting his attention momentarily. Seto's chair was empty and still swiveling. Barely audible, "Now where the hell did he go?" But like he cared…he had other things on his mind now. "A tie is just as good as a win in my book…" He drawled softly, leaning in to the blond and kissing her squarely on the mouth.

He could hear her friends giggling but the one he was kissing had finally quit that annoying habit. Tucking that tidbit of information away for future reference, he finally broke, his mind swimming from lack of oxygen. "Let's go out and enjoy the festivities, shall we?" He directed one arm towards the open door, skillfully snaking the other around her waist. She nodded, her cheeks tinged pink. Mokuba quickly tossed several bills onto the counter, more than enough to pay for all of their drinks. They stepped out of the bar and into the street, joining the seemingly endless river of people lighting up the night.

Serenity was humming along to the music when she was nearly knocked over just by the sudden increase in noise. It had sounded not unlike people counting down to the New Year, and then finally celebrating its start. Looking around confusedly until she found Tea, she managed to make her way 

across the room. It wasn't easy; people were jostling and trying to go the other way, out of their bar. "What's going on?" She shouted over the din.

"We won the game!" Tea exclaimed, an excited glimmer in her eyes, a light sheen of perspiration on her face. "This is a big upset, so you know what happens now, right?"

Serenity still looked doubtful. "We're upset? But everybody looks so happy!"

Tea's laugh was drowned out by the crowd, and Serenity joined in, although unaware just as to why anyone was laughing at all. The atmosphere was simply too contagious. Tristan was almost dragged into them. He was laughing too, along for the ride. "I've seen people move more slowly in a fire evacuation!" He joked.

"Well, let's go!" Tea called cheerfully, taking one of Serenity's hands in hers. "Everybody's storming the street, so we should all go, too!" They moved with the crowd leaving the huge bar; people had been drifting in for the whole duration of the game, and even now it was still packed.

"What about Joey?" Serenity shouted practically into Tea's ear.

"He'll be there!" She reassured her friend, dragging her through the threshold until they had only the sky as their ceiling. At the late hour, it should have been dark outside, but it seemed much brighter, for every street lamp was on, every shop window was glowing with activity, and people were pouring out of every door visible onto the street. And it seemed like people were there for almost every occasion- people were dressed for the clubs, in the colors of the university, even people in sweatpants who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

She followed the path that Tea made as they swarmed down the packed street. People were yelling and cheering, taking pictures and dancing. Someone must have brought a portable stereo… the pounding and resounding bass only served as a magnet to draw more people in. More people started to dance as the crowd came down the street, forming what could almost be described as a conga line of joyful students. Serenity had no idea where they were all headed to, but it seemed as if the crowd had a mind of its own.

A new song began to play, rocking the crowd, causing yells and cheers to permeate the air. It was infectious. "Please don't stop the music!" Serenity crowed, this time dragging Tea along. Tristan was almost hopelessly behind, but Serenity saw him faintly through the corner of her eye. As the music started and the lyrics seemed impossibly louder, the crowd seemed to slow to a stop at once, forming an impromptu conglomeration of people content to do nothing but dance frantically, almost desperately, to the song.

Serenity instinctively began to dance too, laughing as she moved her body in time to the music. She felt so …free. It was something she had rarely experienced in her 21 years of life. That was one thing she loved so much about college—she was free to make her own decisions, and become the sort of person that she had always dreamt of becoming. She felt a small twinge of fear that maybe this was a one-time deal…the combination of the booze, birthday, and victory was potent. Somehow she knew 

that this Saturday night was magical, that anything could happen. If this were the case, then she was going to go out drinking a lot more often.

It seemed like there were two crowds, one on either side of the street, jumping and dancing in time to the music, trying fruitlessly to outdo the other. Serenity found herself on the inside of the crowd, surrounded by people that, even if they did not know her, wanted to dance all the same. It took only moments for Serenity to realize just where they were. They were standing at a street corner.

The crosswalk light became white.

Once that red hand was gone, it seemed like the whole crowd surged out onto the street, determined to become not two crowds but one, dancing out boldly into the intersection and ignoring all cries to 'keep moving' from the security officers. They weren't disobeying, really. They were just following their own interpretation of the command. Nobody was sure who stepped out first, but the crowd moved with one mind, congregating in the middle of the intersection.

Serenity looked around and noticed that Tristan and Tea were dancing…together. Serenity had always figured that Tristan was going to try and dance with her, and felt a little alone, even in the crowd. Watching them move to the music, she figured that they must have been either more than just good friends, or really intoxicated, that was for sure. Hiding her slightly disappointed look by twirling away from them, she began to take notice of someone else, who happened to be looking straight at her with a half-smirk, half-smile etched onto his otherwise easy features.

For one moment, time seemed to slow down until it was just the two of them, and the bond made by their eyes, unbroken. The music was pumping and the crowd was jumping, yet nothing seemed to get in between them, to block one's view of the other.

The female mind is known to have many drives. But when Serenity caught the azure eye of a certain CEO, the most dangerous one switched on. Her mind was strongly ordering her to do one thing. Get over there and hit on him. In her alcohol-induced state, she was only happy to comply.

It was almost magnetic, the way they met in the middle of the street. If Serenity had known what was going through his mind when he first laid eyes on her, she would have blushed even brighter than the effect cold air was already having on her skin. If Seto had known of the hunger with which her eyes devoured him, he might not have appeared so eager.

Serenity was about to speak, but to question something was to ruin everything. Seto was one step ahead of her, as always. Laying a finger gently on her lips, she looked up at him, her eyes wide. Her foggy mind couldn't comprehend that such a small action, only a touch, could stick her feet to the ground. "It's just a dance," he murmured. "You know it's nothing more than a dance."

Sighing slightly in frustration, her personality seemed to do a 180 as the music was revved up again. The street intersection seemed to become even more packed as the crowd condensed, throwing Serenity rather unceremoniously into Seto's arms. He caught her effortlessly, even though he was more than affected as well. That feeling was back: Serenity found herself unable to move when she felt his 

hands on her bare arms. That shiver was from the cold, right? She frowned, the man holding her wasn't laughing at her, was he?

"You have to move if you're going to dance," he whispered in her ear, bringing her back to reality. She felt his arms leave her shoulders to snake around her waist, holding her close, almost possessively. She felt the familiar spark return to her, and she grinned up at him. "Try and keep up with me." Her arms easily found a place over his shoulders, and as they looked at each other, dancing in time to the music, she thought she saw a flicker of disgust cross his oceanic eyes.

"You're drunk."

It was a statement, said with conviction. A fact, which Serenity did not deny. She didn't feel like she could conceal anything from him anyways. Flashing a cheeky smile again, she said almost seductively, "You are too…"

She noticed him sigh and wondered why he was even trying to talk to her. They were just two people searching for a dance, right? In three minutes, when the song had ended and the crowd had dispersed, they would never see each other again…right? She wasn't even sure what had drawn her to him in the first place. She had simply turned around and he was there. And gorgeous, too. He wouldn't have a problem finding a girl (her heart stilled for a moment if he in fact wasn't alone), and yet he had chosen her. Well…they had seemed to choose each other, simultaneously.

"Do you think I'm pretty?"

She immediately regretted letting those words slip out. If they weren't surrounded by people, she would have attempted to run away. As it is, she was trying to look anywhere except at him. She felt his body freeze; she chanced a look, and saw his eyes locked onto hers, a pensive frown on his face. "Now where did that come from?" He wondered aloud. "I'm dancing with you. Have I given any inclination that I don't?"She thought that she could tell what he was thinking. Not only am I dancing with a drunken girl, but emotionally unstable as well. It was there, hidden by the façade of concern.

"I'm sorry…" A faint smile on her face caused a ghost of a smile to flicker across his, before it disappeared again. Did she look…nervous? "It's just that… … it's my birthday."

One of his hands grasped hers and held it tightly. Her eyes wide, she waited, expectantly, for something to happen. He used the connection to spin her in a circle several times. She responded instinctively, turning as he spun her, letting a joyous laugh escape her lips. This man was certainly full of surprises.

He finally stopped spinning her, but kept the connection unsevered, resting his remaining hand on her shoulder, where his fingers seemed unable to stop rubbing small circles. His voice was deep but unwavering. "Happy birthday."



Instead of resting her head on his chest, she stared up at him, a wondering smile on her face. Deciding to tease him a little, giving him a playful look that would normally strike fear into the heart of her brother, she simpered, "What, don't I get a present?"

She had to give the guy credit, even when they were both anything but sober, he maintained his composure, no matter what was coming out of her mouth. Smirking down at her, he continued the dance. Serenity's cheeks reddened at the thought that he had subtly changed the dance, making it more formal—they wouldn't be out of place if this were her proper birthday party.

"How about a kiss?"

Now it seemed that he was more affected by the alcohol than he let on. He wanted to kiss her, of all people? She was starting to look like a tomato or a watermelon, with her green dress and bright red face. She hated when she blushed- it clashed terrifically with her auburn hair. He took her silence as being uncomfortable with the idea, but in reality, she was shocked speechless.

"You won't remember this in the morning," he valiantly tried another tack, slowing until they were unmoving, using both of his strong hands to rub soothingly on her shoulders, trying to calm her down.

"Well neither will you then, so why does it matter?"

That took him by surprise. Was she refusing? Why did it or anything matter, then? And what female alive would ever refuse a kiss from THE Seto Kaiba, even and especially when drunk? Nothing added up, but she had a point; it didn't matter. If he knew one thing, it was that he wanted to kiss the breathtaking creature in his arms, and Seto Kaiba always got what he wanted.

She seemed triumphant, that she had won this verbal spar. "I'm waiting…put up or shut up." Her eyes seemed to capture all the light of the stars in that moment.

"I have ways of making you shut up." His eyes returned the glimmer, absorbing and reflecting her light, an in that moment they were absolutely radiant. His hands were gently tugging at her upper arms, getting her even closer to him. In the moments before, all that Serenity could comprehend was how impossibly great his cologne smelled.

If it wasn't so cold outside, Serenity would have melted into his kiss. She closed her eyes, giving in to all of her desires then, not knowing when the next chance would come. Her arms unconsciously wound themselves around the back of his neck, using them to draw her even closer into the kiss.

She felt gooseflesh appear on her skin again and his hands were instantly there, the heat from each other's presence enough to drive away any chills. Could he tell that it came from his touch? There was something about it that froze her feet to the ground. And yet, it warmed her through, even to her treacherous feet. She didn't know if she could ever get enough.



She was so absorbed in the man she was kissing that she failed to notice that the music had faded away. The people were no longer dancing, but rather milling about; congregating and moving out of the intersection. Already officers in blue were making their way into the intersection, to return order and direct the traffic that had begun to form.

Seto was the one who broke the kiss; they were both a little short of breath. Neither one attempted to move away from the embrace. "That was my favorite present," she said, smiling, her brain filtering through, seemingly finally coming back to coherent thought.

"It better be," he replied seriously, and that was the last she heard from him before she felt herself being tugged out of his grasp and away, to the side of the street from which she came. Seto, in turn, was also being moved from the force of the crowd to the opposite sidewalk. Serenity tried to burn the picture of him in her memory forever, but all she could focus on was the glaring red light from the crosswalk sign. She had to get out of the street, and so she did, moving backwards until her feet stepped over the raised edge of the sidewalk. She was almost instantly approached by Tea.

"Where were you?" Tea didn't have to shout; the crowd was still thick but not as noisy as before. People were starting to move away from the street, to other buildings or back to their respective dorms. Serenity wondered momentarily if that man lived on campus.

"So Tristan said something to me about having to get up early Sunday morning for work, and so he had to go," Tea said, linking arms with Serenity as they made their way down the street, back towards the bar where Joey was standing half out of, waving his arms at them like a lighthouse beacon, calling her back home. Home… she struggled to remember. Her actions were betraying her…

"Ugh… … why does my head hurt so damn much?" Seto mumbled groggily as he sat up, realizing that he was lying on a very uncomfortable futon. The frame was poking him in the back, he realized, as he rubbed that sore spot and that he was still in the clothes he had worn the previous day. Something creaked above him; he noticed Mokuba was shifting around on his lofted bunk bed, causing the springs to groan in protest. He let out a slight 'harrumph' of annoyance, moving to the window to close the blinds that were letting in way too much light for his liking. He began to rummage in Mokuba's fridge for something to eat or drink, and as he pulled out a carton of juice, he heard the creaking start up again.

"Don't you dare swipe my o.j." Mokuba groaned, slowly stretching and making his way down the ladder. He padded over to the fridge and yanked the carton out of Seto's grasp, then filled two glasses halfway. He took a large sip and sighed contentedly. "Ahh…last night was wonderful. Seems Rebecca's just playing hard to get, and that's more than fine, 'cause I live for the chase."He chugged the rest of his juice, and then grimaced. "Why the hell did I buy orange juice with pulp in it?"

"I like it," Seto defended, sipping the drink with overemphasized good cheer.



"Oh, knock it off," Mokuba grumbled, ambling over to the futon and turning on the TV. The morning news was on, with the anchorwoman talking about the game that Domino had won the night before. Throwing a wicked grin at his older brother, he continued, "So, Seto, did you have as good of a time as I did last night?"

"Hmm," Seto grunted, realizing that his memory was foggy ever since he watched Mokuba leave the bar. He remembered leaving as well…was that when he went back to the room? How did he even get in? Mokuba must have been there…but why couldn't he remember? Mokuba, sensing his frustration, smiled sweetly, "What, you don't remember? Alright, I concede, you won the contest…"

Glaring daggers is not as effective when the person in question is nearly as tall as you are.

"I do have something with me that might help jog your memory," Mokuba said, getting up from the futon and reaching in his top desk drawer. In his hand was a plain white envelope. Seto merely arched an eyebrow at his grinning brother. Just what was he playing at?

"You didn't." Seto didn't even try to mask his anger at seeing the small snapshots in his brother's hands. He had more than a dozen Polaroid pictures somehow taken throughout the night. Incriminating evidence for whatever Seto had done the previous night, and as frustrating as it was that he couldn't remember, it was even more so that he wasn't able to remain in control of this or the situation documented by the photographs.

" Well, since last time we went out drinking was so…eventful, I hired someone to take pictures of whatever you were doing so that I could use them as blackmail for the next time I need a drinking buddy…" Seto growled and tried to grab the pictures from Mokuba, but his brother leaped away, clutching them to his heart dramatically. "Come on, Seto, don't be so hasty to destroy them…after all, don't you want to see?" He held out several in particular which immediately caught his brother's attention.

How strange that something as simple as a Polaroid would cause such of a reaction from Seto Kaiba. He took one look at it and everything came rushing back, all at once in a torrent of memories. There was a street, and music, and… … a girl. A girl with auburn hair and a green dress. A girl who was a really good kisser.

"Augh, what have I done?" Seto buried his head in his hands and let out another groan. Mokuba smirked at him and looked at the picture again. "What have you done? I'd be asking what haven't you done—and wow, doesn't this picture bear an uncanny resemblance to that WWII Times Square kiss photo, don't you think?"

"No…we were both drunk, that shouldn't have happened." Seto looked up hopefully at his brother. "Do you know who she is?"

"I haven't the slightest idea of who she is," Mokuba said. "She must be a student here, but that only narrows it down to thousands." Realization dawned on him as he added slyly, "What do you want to know her name for? That must have been some kiss if you want to see her again that badly."



"No…it's not like that. I want to find this girl to apologize. It was a mistake on my part, which I shouldn't have let happen. It's only right to find closure. That's why I need to know her name." Mokuba watched on as his brother stared at the photo in his hand. The ironic thing was, was that, deep down, Seto Kaiba did not want to apologize. He didn't regret anything that happened the night before. Fixing her face forever in his mind, he couldn't help but wonder…did she remember? Did she know who had given her 'her favorite' birthday present? Would she even want to…?

Author's Note: So I've finally gotten around to writing this not-so-short one-shot piece. This is what's been absorbing my time, so I've been neglecting my other works. This has a premise that can be extended, and I'm willing to keep going on it if it gets enough feedback. This is my challenge to you: if you've gotten this far, please drop a line or two to let me know what you liked/ didn't like, and whether it would be worthwhile to continue the plot as our hero pursues his mystery girl.

If you liked this, please don't hesitate to check out my other SxS pieces! And thanks to everyone reading Polaroids, I hope you enjoyed it!

Love, Sakura Takanouchi