Author's note: She lives! YAY! lol...anyway, this is that fic that was SUPPOSED to be a Noah romance...but has turned into a Kaiba romance instead. There will be a lemon later on...but I will make sure most of the graphic stuff isn't in it so I don't get banned. This prologue isn't the best...but it's just basically showing a bit of a flashback. I'm not if this can be considered an AU...I'm following the same plot...so yeah. If you guys like the fic...just review and tell me. I'd really like to know. Also...good news...I made a new crossover! It's a Weiss Kreuz/Yu-Gi-Oh crossover...I think possibly the only one I've seen on this site and I will post the first chapter soon...very soon.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh...but I wish I owned Noah...I do own Naomi, her father, and Tenkou Enterprises.

Rival In Love

Prologue

Summer was a time of happiness and joy. There was no school, children could play as long as they wanted, and the scenery was beautiful. For two children, the summer wouldn't turn out as planned. It was mid-afternoon in the town of Domino City. Kaiba Corporation was the largest company around and towered over all the other companies like a Colossus. Downtown from the famous company was the mansion owned by the CEO of KaibaCorp, Gozaburo Kaiba. He was a large man roughly 6ft with graying hair and a bushy mustache. His eyes were dark and cold. He was wearing a simple red business suit as he looked out the window of his mansion on two children running around.

"You'll never catch me, Noah!" a little girl cried. She had shoulder-length cinnamon colored hair that was waving in the wind as she ran. Green eyes sparkled as she laughed excitedly, blocking a tag from her playmate. She was roughly around 12 years of age wearing a blue t-shirt and dark denim jean shorts with tennis shoes laced neatly. She was running from a boy close to her age with aqua green hair and gentle blue eyes. He was chuckling as he ran after her, reaching out a pale hand to tag her back.

"You can't run forever, Naomi!" he called. He was the only son and heir to KaibaCorp, named Noah Kaiba. The girl he was playing tag with was the daughter of his father's good friend and associate, Akito Tenkou, owner of Tenkou Enterprises in Osaka, Japan. The older men had talked of a merging between the companies. Noah liked the idea, but was shocked when he was told the only way for them to merge was if he and Naomi married when they were 16. At first he was disgusted....as would any young boy. But as he thought about, it sounded more reasonable. Naomi was only a month younger than him and he was anticipating her upcoming birthday in the next week.

Suddenly, Naomi tripped over her shoe and fell down on the dirt, scraping her knee. For a moment she was silent and just blinked. Tears formed in her eyes as she tried to hold them back. Noah noticed this and quickly knelt down to her height. "Naomi, you okay?" he asked. The concern in his eyes shown brightly.

"I've...been better," she mumbled holding her knee close. She whimpered slightly at the pain.

"Here, let me see." Just as she was preparing to let him see her knee, Naomi tackled her best friend to the ground. Noah was in shock for awhile before he started tickling her and laughing hysterically. They tumbled in the grass and dirt, laughing all the while.

Watching from a window in the Kaiba Mansion, was Gozaburo Kaiba and his friend Akito Tenkou. "Our children seem to be getting along quite well," Akito stated proudly. He was a very tall and thin man with black hair and pointed rim glasses. His dark eyes shown with pride as he gazed down upon Noah and Naomi playing. "What do you think, Gozaburo?"

"Perhaps we could talk more about our companies merging, Akito," the older man replied smoothly. "If Noah and Naomi married, and eventually took over our companies...they could merge together to form one mighty corporation."

"I like this idea. It's settled then. They will wed when they are both 16 years of age." Gozaburo smiled grimly and looked back out the window at his son and future daughter-in-law.

"Whew, I'm tired," Naomi sighed as she wiped her brow. Panting for breath, she slumped herself on the ground by a Sakura tree.

Noah sat beside her and pulled a knee up to his chest. "Yeah, me too," he replied. There was a long pause, before he started to suddenly dig in his pockets for something. His hands closed around what he was looking for and he blushed slightly, pulling it out. "Um, Naomi...c-can I give you something?" This was the first time in his entire life that he was nervous. Naomi was his best friend, what was there to be nervous about?

"Sure," she answered with a warm smile. He took out a small ring and handed it to her. Naomi's eyes widened in confusion. "Noah, what—?"

"It's a friendship ring," he said quickly while blushing. "If you wear it, it means we'll always be friends."

"Awww, thanks Noah!" She hugged him and kissed his cheek, causing him to turn a lovely shade of raspberry red. "You're the bestest friend in the whole world!"

A week after Noah had given Naomi the friendship ring, she was still wearing it proudly on the day of her birthday. She was very excited about seeing Noah again, wondering what he planned to give her for a present. He always got her interesting things. She was skipping around the house, acting much younger than what she really was. The phone rang suddenly and her father ran to answer it, abandoning his work of hanging up the banners that read 'Happy Birthday Naomi'. Naomi was smiling as she stared at the ring on her finger for what seemed like the thousandth time.

It was nearly sunset now, and soon Noah and his father would be arriving to wish her a happy birthday. She could hardly wait! However, something was going to interfere with her happiness. Mr. Tenkou gravely stepped into Naomi's room, clutching the phone tightly in his hand. He was avoiding her gaze. His daughter ran up to him with concern.

"Daddy? What's wrong? Who called?" she asked.

"Naomi, we need to talk," he said calmly. His voice was shaking though. He sat down on her bed and took a deep breath. "That was Gozaburo Kaiba that just called me."

"Really? Well when are he and Noah coming? It's getting late."

"Honey....they won't be coming tonight."

Her face fell. "But why not?"

"Something's happened."

"Is it Noah?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Honey, remember when I told you that Mommy is with all the angels in heaven? Well, now Noah's there to keep her company."

The impact of his words hit Naomi hard. She was old enough now to understand the meaning of death. Her mother had been in a car crash three years before and hadn't survived. She gulped and looked into her father's saddened eyes. "Y-You mean he's....?"

"He's dead, Naomi. According to Gozaburo, he was hit by a car while trying to get something for you across the street."

He's dead?! Because of ME?! she thought angrily. "It-It can't be true, Dad," she sobbed as tears racked her being. "He's not dead! He's not! He promised! He promised he'd never leave me like Mom did!"

Akito hugged his daughter tightly, crying with her. "Gozaburo has asked that we attend the funeral this Friday. Will you be up to it?"

"I...I don't know. It's just too hard to accept. One minute I was talking to him over the phone...the next, he's gone." More tears fell down her cheeks. Noah....I'll never forget you....