My second short story in two days, and for once, this isn't a one-shot starring Ryou! In fact, there's absolutely no Ryou in it at all...
This uses Japanese names.
Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: Uh... Me no own Yu-Gi-Oh?
Last Dance
I walk slowly across the dance floor, looking for someone- anyone -from our group. I know I'm not the only one here, because I remember seeing Jounouchi. Even though this is a masked ball, I could still tell who he was. I give the clock a quick glance, frowning a bit at the time it shows me. I just want to dance with Yugi! Why won't I be allowed just that?
I scan the room for any sign of Yugi's unique hairstyle, frowning when I can't find him.
I stalk back to the wall, furious. My blue floor-length sequined dress sparkles and shimmers in the light, and I am tempted at the thought of taking my mask off. The mask is a crescent moon that only covers half of my face, but I like it that way.
I sigh and sit in one of the chairs against the wall. My mind entertains the thought of leaving early, but before I can actually put the idea into motion, a hand waves in front of my face. I look up, expecting to see Yugi or someone else from the group, but it isn't.
Instead, it's someone dressed in a black tux with a white undershirt. He has a black bowtie on, and his mask is like one from The Phantom of the Opera. I can't see his eyes, but his hair is brown. Who do I know with brown hair? Only two people- Honda and Kaiba.
It can't be Honda, this person is dressed too classy. Kaiba? No. He probably wouldn't even leave his lap top for something as small as a school dance. It's probably someone else from one of the other classes.
"May I have this dance?" The person asks, and I nod as I stand up and take his hand. The voice sounds familiar, yet unfamiliar at the same time.
Just who is this?
The last song ends just as we get to the middle and we halt in the middle of the floor as the next song starts.
And, just my luck, it turns out to be a slow song.
My dance partner clasps his fingers around mine, and his free hand encompasses my waist, as if he dances like this all the time. A bit hesitantly, I put my free hand up onto the shoulder of the hand on my waist.
We start waltzing, both of us confident in our movements. I don't normally waltz- I have no need to really, but it is something I am thankful to have learned in my dance classes.
The counts echo in my head- One two three, one two three, one two three.
My dance partner spins me out, and I am proud to say that I am more graceful than some of the other girls in the couples who have tried that move.
I spin myself back in, my arms crossed as my back is against the chest of my dance partner. It's not long before we're facing each other again, and the dance is continuing.
A smile is on my partner's face, and he leans down to my ear, and whispers,
"Let's go outside."
Now, I realize that this is a really stupid move to do with someone you don't know- or aren't sure you know -but something inside of me wants to go. Wants to find out who this person really is.
So, against my better judgment, I follow him out through the doors and out into the little garden that I just outside where the dance is being held. It's a romantic spot that one would expect to find couples that weren't inside at, but to my surprise there was none but us.
Even outside you can hear the faint throb of music coming from inside.
Looking at all the flowers, it is a romantic spot, really it is.
"It is, isn't it?" I jump slightly. I didn't think I had spoken out loud.
"Y-Yes it is." My voice stutters slightly as a blush colors my cheeks.
"Here," He says, taking my hand into his for the third time this evening. "I want to show you something."
I follow him nervously, my heels clicking against the cobblestone walkway. We pass different hedges and groups of flowers, and as the colors fly by I worry that I might get lost and that I shouldn't have come.
At last we stop and I gasp at the sight before me.
It's a circle of roses. Well, to be precise, a rose bush in the shape of a heart.
It was just so gorgeous.
My once dance partner smiles before taking a few steps towards the rose bush. He plunges his hand fearlessly into the thorny bush, and I gasp in surprise as he pulls out a red rose, hands unscratched by the rose.
He holds it as one would hold a wine glass as he walks back to me. I twitch slightly as he brushes my hair back and the rose is placed behind my ear.
To my surprise, there are no thorns on the rose.
I'm sure that my blush deepens as he smirks, and before I know it, we're kissing.
Kissing.
It's such a strange concept to me for some reason. I mean, sure I've never kissed someone before, but now I'm kissing someone, and even more so, it's someone that I'm pretty sure that I don't know!
"Get offa her you creep!" The yell startles me, and suddenly I'm stumbling back as Jounouchi and Honda launch themselves from over one of the rose bushes and into the man I was just kissing.
I manage to keep my balance as I stumble backwards on the stone, thankful that I wasn't wearing high heels.
My face is flushed- from anger more so than embarrassment. Those two-!
"Jounouchi!" I yell just as the guy he and Honda just tackled shouted,
"Get off of me mutt!"
I freeze. Mutt. Only Kaiba called Jounouchi mutt. That means I danced with Kaiba.
That I just kissed Kaiba.
The world has to be ending.
I take a small step back, and I hear the boys pick themselves up off of the ground. I can hear Kaiba brushing himself off as Jounouchi asks me,
"Daijobu desu ka, Anzu?" I don't answer. I turn and run. I faintly hear Jounouchi yelling at Kaiba, but I ignore it.
I attempt to make my way out of the garden, but my efforts are futile. I hadn't paid close enough attention on our way in. I only served to get myself even more lost in this maze of a garden.
I make my way to a nearby bench and drop down onto it. I bring my hand up to pull my mask off when my fingers brush against something soft that isn't my hair.
It's the rose.
Slowly, gently, I pull the rose out of my hair and lay it on my lap before pulling my mask off and setting it on the bench beside me.
I don't know how long I sat there before I heard the sound of footfalls coming close to me.
"Jounouchi, go away. I don't want to hear it." I say without looking up. I don't want to talk to him, and I don't want him to rant about me kissing Kaiba, of all people.
"I guess it's a good thing I'm not the mutt then, isn't it?" My head snaps up to face Kaiba Seto, his mask held lightly in his hand and his left eye sporting a newly swelling bruise. It makes me wonder what Jounouchi got away with.
"Go away Kaiba," I snap, turning my head away from him. I can hear him as he smirks and sits down next to me.
"Too bad." He smirks, and I turn my head to glare at him.
"What is your problem Kaiba?!" I snap at him again, standing up, furious, rose dropping to the ground.
"I don't know Mazaki," He smirks again and I feel my face flush again- whether from anger or embarrassment, I don't know. "What is my problem?" My jaw moves uselessly as I fumble, trying to come up with a response.
As I try to come up with a response, I watch as Kaiba kneels and picks up the rose.
He tucks it back behind my ear again, and brushes hair from my face so gently that it's as if he's caressing my face.
"Maybe I'm in love." My brain shuts completely down as I try to register what was just said.
Kaiba… loves me?
Oh, yes the world must have ended. That's the only explanation.
In the distance I hear the thumping of the music of the dance and hear the DJ announce that the next song would be the last song of the night.
"Dance with me?" The request is innocent enough, even coming from Kaiba. Before I can stop myself, I am agreeing, and we are dancing, swaying slightly to the music.
Kaiba is quite the card tonight, as I think about it. He's been quite out of character for the time I've seen him tonight.
I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad one.
I place my chin on Kaiba's shoulder as we dance, and I catch a glimpse of someone a little ways a way.
It was Jounouchi. I shoot a glare at him, and mouth, 'Leave us alone'.
He gives me a look, but in the darkness I'm not sure if it's one of betrayal or anger. It could've been both. And I understand his hurt.
I mean, Kaiba and Jounouchi hate each other. Of course he'd hate me.
But for once, I didn't care.
Everything was just so confusing and mixed up.
But it didn't matter. It was just one dance. That was it.
Just this last dance, and then I will never think of this again.
Never.
Or so I hope.
End
Daijobu desu ka- Are you alright?
So, how was it? This is only my second short story from the first present tense, so you know.
Was Kaiba terribly OOC? If so, I'm sorry.
Please read and review and tell me what you think!
~~Paw-Chan Signing Out~~