Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh. Sorry to disappoint, since I know how much better the show would be if I were the creator. XD

Author's Note: This is a Christmas fic for Danni-chan. She requested a creepy silentshipping fic. Silentshipping is one of my least favorite pairings, but I think I pulled this off decently enough. So, enjoy, Danni-chan!

Frozen in uncertainty, Shizuka shifted from foot to foot as she worried her lower lip, hand poised to knock on the door. She warily glanced up and down the dimly lit hallway, her heart pounding in her chest, jumping with each uneasy flicker of the lights. All she needed now was her onii-chan to suddenly acquire a bout of insomnia and wander the hallways at this insane hour and catch her outside of his greatest rival's door. She really did not relish the idea of being locked in his chamber for the rest of the finals.

Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, a nervous habit she was not consciously aware of. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and nerved herself to knock.

The door swung open before she even got the chance. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes lifted to meet a pair of cold azure orbs, fathomlessly cold depths glowering down at her with enough force to paralyze.

"Who are you?" Seto asked impatiently.

"Jounouchi Shizuka," she said softly, her heart pounding in her chest so loud she was surprised he could not hear it. Sweat beaded on her palms and she absently wiped them on her nightshirt.

Seto grunted. "What do you want?" he asked, looking less than impressed.

Shizuka blinked, her mouth dry. Indeed, what did she want? For some reason, his gaze pinned her so thoroughly that she could not even recall what had compelled her to come to his door. Her lips parted, but no sound emerged.

"Speak, Jounouchi," he growled out. "Or are you as dim-witted at that mutt of a brother you have?"

"He's not a mutt!" she exclaimed, her temper flaring.

"Uh-huh, and I'm not a Duelist. What did you come knocking on my door for at such an unusual hour? Shouldn't you be preparing to cheer for your idiot brother, or sleeping with your harem?"

"M-my harem?" she sputtered, her amber eyes widening. "I…I just came to thank you f-for what you did for Bakura-san." She broke off abruptly, aware that she was on the verge of rambling. Harem, indeed!

Seto snorted but did not deign to respond.

Shizuka squirmed beneath his piercing glare, feeling an overwhelming need to fill the ominous silence. "I, uhm…it was very nice of you, especially since you would not listen to anyone else, and I hope you wou—" She cut off with a soft cry as he suddenly grabbed her upper arm and yanked her into the room, slamming the door shut behind them. One brief motion and the girl was flung against the wall hard enough to solicit a gasp.

Seto loomed over her, his height seeming even more monstrous than usual, and Shizuka was trembling with fear. His cold eyes were alight with an icy fire as he leaned down, pressing her further against the wall with his very presence. Shadows seemed to play along his slender cheekbones, giving his face an old, hollow look.

"You interrupted me for that?" he hissed, his hot breath fanning against her cheek. Shizuka could distinctly recognize the sour stench of alcohol; she had smelled it often enough at her father's. When she did not respond his hands found her upper arms, fingers pressing in hard enough to bruise. He did not relent until he had forced a pained cry from her lips.

"S-stop! Kaiba-san, you're hurting me!" she pleaded softly, trying to pull out of his grasp.

He gave a laugh, low and husky, an unhealthy flush spreading across his cheeks. "And why should I?" he rasped, cold nose nuzzling her neck. "You came to my door, remember? And you interrupted my preparations."

He tugged her backwards with no warning, flinging her towards the massive bed situated nearly dead center in his sparsely decorated room. She hit the bed hard enough to rebound, and she rolled off the side, dashing towards the door. He swiftly cut her off and snatched her up, ignoring her yelps and cries, tossing her back onto the bed and following immediately afterwards. He pinned her small body down with his own and forced her legs to either side as she thrashed, desperate to land a strike.

"You should know better than to interrupt a Duelist while he's preparing," he sneered, ignoring her futile smacks and slipping a hand beneath her nightshirt, his chilly fingers causing gooseflesh to rise on her side. "I'll have to make sure you are a good girl from now on…" The hand rose, slipping along the edge of her bra and causing the breath to catch in her throat. His slender fingers danced over the thin fabric as if it were the finest instrument made just for him. "You'll be a very good girl, won't you?"

His head lowered, tongue drawing a thin line along the side of her neck. He paused and blew upon the wet skin, causing her to gasp and shiver. He slowly kissed and licked his way up her throat, across her jaw, and finally claimed her lips. He tasted of liquor and spices, sweet honey and moonlight, and it blew her senses away. For a few moments she stilled, drowning in the feel of his lips against hers, his slender fingers toying with her skin and eliciting whimpers from the overwhelmed girl. She could feel him pressed against her insistently, and her body rose of its own accord to writhe against him. His hand moved to the waistband of her pants, and she suddenly came to her senses.

No! she screamed silently as he pulled away and stared down at her, his eyes clouded with passion and liquor. Realizing she had her hands buried in the thick fabric of his shirt, she yanked them back as if burned, reaching around her for something, anything.

Her questing fingers grasped something cold and heavy, and before she could think, she brought it down on the side of his head. Hot blood stained her pale skin as Seto screamed and sprang back, clutching his face and yelling incoherently. He sat hunched up on the bed, cradling his head in his hands and…crying?

That was her chance. Not pausing to consider her good luck or the consequences of striking the powerful CEO, she rolled off the bed and bolted towards the door. Flinging it open, she stumbled into the darkened corridor, flickering lights casting peculiar shadows across her pale, frightened form. She did not slow down until she reached her onii-chan's room and locked the door, barring it with a chair.

She slumped to the ground before the blocked door, trying to still the shaking in her limbs. She had been lucky; not only because she had not awoken her brother with her wild entrance, but if she had not gotten away from Seto…

He would have…

She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, willing herself not to cry. She focused on the pain instead, pushing all other emotions away until she sat calm as the night sky. She could not tell anyone about this. If she did, they would lock her up in onii-chan's room and never let her out again, and she feared being confined. Ever since she had removed the bandages just in time to save Jounouchi's life, she had been determined to be as strong and independent as she could. Once she had been afraid of the dark; now nothing but a gilded cage frightened her. Being blind, she had grown accustomed to darkness, but not to the ever-present feelings of helplessness that bound her every move.

There was no doubt in her mind that, drunk though he may have been, the dragon would remember the night's events clearly, and would want things hushed up. He would not appreciate her blabbing to everyone on the blimp, and would likely come down on her harder if she did. As it was, she did not think he would ever forgive her for striking him. She wondered how hard she had hit him, and whether or not he would have a scar.

If she marred his pretty face, he would never let her forget. Dragons were a vengeful lot.

She rose to her feet and slipped towards the massive windows, staring down at the endless expanse of stars and remembering Otogi's strong presence the last time she had stood here. The thought of him made her blush with shame; what had she been thinking, going to the CEO's chamber at this time of night? Everything that had happened had been her fault, not only for disturbing him, but for apparently saying the wrong things. If she confided in anyone, they would simply tell her how brainless she had acted. No, she would keep the events of this night to herself and try to avoid the dragon as best she could. It would do her no good to court violence.

She leaned her forehead against the smooth glass and closed her eyes. An image of the dragon reared up and her eyes snapped back open again, seeking out the comforting sight of her brother tangled in his blankets.

She would get little sleep this night.

Several months later…

Shizuka laughed, the sound as happy and carefree as a child's. The music pounded around her, filling her with a throbbing, vigorous sense of belonging as she swayed with the crowd, belting out the lyrics as loud as her voice could carry them. A strong arm was coiled around her waist protectively, lending strength and warmth in the chill night air. She paused and grinned up at the black-haired boy, delighted that he had invited her to the concert, beyond elated that he had chosen her out of all the girls in Domino City, even though she was his girlfriend. He knew many other girls who enjoyed this type of music more than she did.

She was not all that surprised, to be honest, though she would never let on. The boy had been fighting Honda for her affections since Battle City, but after she had moved back home with her mother, she had assumed everyone had forgotten about her. When Jounouchi informed his friends that his darling sister would be moving to Domino City with her mother and future father-in-law, however, it became apparent that they had not forgotten her at all. Her onii-chan had thrown her a welcoming party, and Honda and Otogi had gotten into a fight over who would welcome her first. They were both irked beyond belief when Bakura stole the honor right from under their noses. It did not last long, however, and it had taken Otogi only a matter of hours to ask her to be his girlfriend.

For the first time in her life, she felt as if she really belonged. These people spent time with her not because they pitied her failing eyesight, or because she was blind and needed assistance, or because she was Jounouchi's little sister, but because they truly cared for her. She had never been popular, but now she felt as if the entirety of the city were at her beck and call.

However, she had not heard from Kaiba since the end of Battle City. He had slunk off to America to lick his wounds, and few had heard from him since, though rumor had it he put away his Duel Disk and cards and never looked upon them again. In a way she was relieved; she had kept the night a secret, not only because he had insisted upon it, threatening her in the hallways one morning, but to hide her shame. She was also worried. Were dragons the type to hold a grudge? The more time slipped by, the more her memory of Kaiba failed, though the night itself remained vivid in her mind.

Kaiba had gone to great lengths to conceal the wound on his face for the rest of the tournament, but even his waspish remarks could not cover the slash that would obviously leave a scar. The dragon had been marked, and he had been none too pleased about it.

Shizuka shuddered and pushed those thoughts from her mind. Now was not the time to dwell upon the past. Odds were he had gotten over it as soon as the finals had ended; he had other things to worry about than the fate of one girl.

"Are you all right?" Otogi asked her, his green eyes alight with concern.

"What?" she asked, straining to hear over the noise.

"I said are you all right?" he yelled, leaning closer to her. This near, she could smell the sweet scent of his cologne.

"I'm fine!" she lied glibly, smiling happily and leaning into him. He accepted her reply and squeezed her affectionately. She slid her arm around his slender waist and slipped her fingers beneath his blood red shirt, her sweaty palm resting against his heated skin. She could feel the tremor run through his body, and it made her pulse quicken.

Shizuka was no stranger to the pleasures of the flesh, no matter how innocent her onii-chan loudly proclaimed her. However, she had never gone all the way; the incident with Seto had left her more scarred than she wished to admit, and she had always shied away, her morals and her fear getting the best of her. She and Otogi had been an item for a few months now, and he had been nothing but patient and understanding, but she had noticed the disappointed glint in his eyes each time she cried and he comforted. She yearned to share herself with him, to give herself over completely, but something held her back.

Cold, azure eyes staring down at her, glazed and unfocused. Hot, fetid breath alive with the stink of alcohol. Rough, nimble fingers digging into her skin, bruising, hurting. The oppressive weight of an unwanted body on top of hers, pinning her down, giving her no choice but to submit. Harsh words, feral laughter…and the intense shame of enjoyment, the caresses she had nearly succumbed to.

Otogi did not understand. He did not know the visions, the sounds, the smells, the sensations that nearly overwhelmed her whenever they grew too intimate. For all she tried to deny it to herself, she had enjoyed those fleeting moments of helplessness, knowing that she was entirely at the dragon's mercy. Otogi did not understand, yet he abided by her wishes and held her close and stroked her hair until she settled into a deep sleep after one of her fits. She loved him all the more for it, and kept her humiliation bottled up deep inside.

So Shizuka threw herself into the moment, drowning in the music and his touch and the taste of the crisp night air on her tongue. She laughed and sang, danced and giggled, stumbled against Otogi and downed whatever drinks were put into her hands, completely unaware of the sapphire eyes staring at her from the crowd.

Eventually the music died down, though the laughter around her continued to overwhelm her senses. She had lost her pretty pink cardigan somewhere in the pressing crowd – she could not remember how – and the increasingly chilly wind cut through her thin shirt like a knife. She had dressed to impress in strappy lavender top and tight black pants and she was paying for it now. Despite the flush on her cheeks and the sweat beaded on her brow, she was cold, gooseflesh playing upon her slender arms. Otogi noticed and, ever the gentleman, offered his leather jacket. It was far too large for her, but its warmth and familiar scent were somehow comforting.

They lingered about the concert site, talking to some of Otogi's acquaintances and sharing what was left of the alcohol being passed around. Shizuka could not help but feel she was being shown off, a pretty little trinket attached to Otogi's arm, wearing his jacket and his pretty silver locket and saying just the right pretty little things like a pretty little trained songbird. As much as she loved him, she always felt this way when around his friends, and his casual dismissal of her frustrations had been less than pleasing. He acted different in public than when they were alone, and Shizuka told herself it was because he had a reputation to maintain for the good of his game shop and ever-increasing popularity in the gaming market.

Shizuka stifled a yawn, feeling her eyelids droop, and decided it was time to head home. Her mother would be worried if she stayed out too late, and she had put the patient woman through far too much already. Tears sprung to her eyes as she stifled another yawn almost painfully, and she blinked a few times while she tugged on Otogi's sleeve.

"Yes, sweetling?" he asked, his eyes catching the artificial light and glowing strangely.

"I'm going to go home," she said softly, taking care that her words reached only his ears. "I'm awfully tired, and kaa-san is going to worry if I get back too late."

The raven-haired boy nodded almost absently, his eyes flicking to his friends who were busy laughing and trading a bottle between them. "I'll walk you home."

"No, that's fine," she said, forcing a smile. "I'll be all right."

"You sure?" His brow furrowed in concern, though she could tell he was torn between wanting to stay and wanting to keep her safe.

"Of course!"

He returned her smile and bent down to give her a soft, lingering kiss. "Call my cell when you get home so I know you're all right," he said as he gently nuzzled her cheek, his strong arms holding her close. His warmth seemed to seep through her clothing and into her frozen skin, and she sighed happily, wanting to burrow into his shirt and stay with him like that forever.

A sudden shiver crept up her spine, causing her to tremble and pull away from her boyfriend, looking this way and that. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled warningly. Was someone watching her?

She calmed down when she realized that, yes, she was being watched. Otogi's friends stood not far away, leering at the pair and jabbing each other and laughing. She did not know what they whispered to one another, but her cheeks flared all the same. Otogi gave them a sharp look and they turned away.

"Get home safe," he whispered, kissing her again.

Shizuka smiled and stepped away, feeling his gaze on her back until she slipped around and corner and vanished from his sight. However, the feeling of being watched never left her.

She clutched the leather jacket tight about her slight form, her eyes scanning her path as she moved as quickly as she could in her heeled boots. In all honesty, she was not comfortable in this part of the park, though she had never heard any stories of kidnappings or murders happening here. She was a girl, and she was alone, and it was dark, and that was enough of a reason for her to be wary.

Lights appeared in the distance and she breathed a sigh of relief, for she had nearly reached the edge of the park. A small smile flitted across her face as she thought of the hot cocoa she would make when she got home, and the cupcakes her mother had undoubtedly left out for her to snack on while she talked to Otogi on his cell phone, reassuring him with her voice and reassuring herself with his love.

A twig snapped and she froze, glancing behind her curiously, her pulse racing. The path lay empty. Must have been a squirrel, she thought as she giggled to break the cloying silence. She shook her head at her jumpiness and continued on her way, hands stuffed in the jacket's pockets.

A faint brush of air was her only warning as something connected with the back of her head. A metallic taste filled her mouth as she fell, her world turning black.

A nearly blinding pain welcomed Shizuka to the realm of consciousness. She gritted her teeth, her stomach rebelling against the acrid taste in her mouth. She shifted, rolling onto her other side, and quickly regretted her actions. The back of her head was throbbing, and her tentative fingers found tender skin slick with blood. What was going on?

She lay still for how long, she did not know. The pain slowly faded to a dull ache, distant enough that she was able to open her eyes and sit up without feeling ill. She blinked slowly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her, a cold wind cutting through her skin. She had lost the jacket somewhere, and her shirt was a poor substitute against the swiftly dropping temperatures. She felt confused as she took in the cold, dank cell she was in. The bars were long rusted and torn apart in places, the cold ground overgrown with lichen and weeds, and the moonlight revealed odd…somethings…creeping up the water-stained walls.

Shivering with more than just the cold, Shizuka forced herself to her feet, fighting the sudden wave of dizziness that threatened to send her back into unconsciousness. Biting her lower lip nearly hard enough to draw blood, she staggered through an opening in the bars, ignoring the way it looked as if something had clawed its way out, leaving dark stains that looked far too familiar for her to dwell upon. Laughter chased her out of the cell – no, not a cell; a cage of sorts – and into a nightmare.

She recognized where she was. This was the old Domino City Zoo, abandoned decades ago after something awful occurred within its walls. The entire incident had been hushed up, and for years school kids dared one another to spend a night within the hollowed out cages and desolate buildings. Many never returned. The more superstitious folk insisted that whatever had happened was terrible, and had left behind ghosts and monsters beyond imagining.

Now, Shizuka had a steady head on her shoulders. She was not superstitious, and did not believe in any sort of magic or monsters or ghosts. Impressed as she was with the special effects she had witnessed during Battle City, it had never once crossed her mind that they were real. Her steadfast denial of anything out of the ordinary would have put even Kaiba to shame. However, staring out at the abandoned grounds, she could almost find herself falling prey to the old stories, to that primeval dusty part of her brain that desperately begged her to run, to hide.

Parts were curiously overgrown, while others looked freshly tended or nearly bare. The plant-life looked ailing and parched, their warped limbs reaching towards the sky as if seeking nourishment. The moonlight left shadows, long and twisted, and she fancied the sick undergrowth alive with dozens of feral eyes, all latched onto her, watching her every move.

She couldn't figure out for the life of her what she was doing here, but standing around would do her no good. Squaring her shoulders and drawing a scant bit of courage about her like armor, she set off down a winding, unwelcome-looking path, desperate to find the exit. She walked for hours, minutes, seconds; time seemed to slow down, and it felt like she was moving through sludge for all the ground she covered. She could not even guess as to the time, and she absently realized that her mother would be worried, and Otogi would be angry that she hadn't called.

She continued on her way, tripping over exposed roots and cracks in the ground, nearly falling several times. Once she caught herself on a nearby tree, and her hands came back wet and sticky. Curiously, she brought them to her nose and inhaled; a strange, metallic scent filled her nostrils. Something wet dripped onto her head and her eyes rose of their own accord.

He was swinging from the tree almost silently, the only hint a soft creaking as he swayed, his once-bright emerald eyes dull and staring. His black hair was torn from his customary ponytail and lay clinging to his scalp, dirty and unkempt. His clothing was ripped and shredded as if some giant creature had mauled him, and his throat…

Where his throat had been…

A strangled scream catching in her throat, Shizuka turned and fled blindly down the path, tears freezing as they trailed down her cheeks. Branches scratched at her face, but she barely felt the pain, caught in a panic as she was. She did not care how she got here, or who had brought her here; she just wanted to get home.

A light appeared in the distance, and she nearly cried in relief. She quickened her pace, warily eyeing the abnormal trees that seemed to reach for her. The closer she came to the light, the more her heart soared; here was safety, she felt deep in her heart.

The light belonged to a lonely little cabin, looking quite out of place in the abandoned zoo grounds. She did not pause to question it, however, for she was frozen and frightened beyond belief. She nearly fell against the door as her stiff hands knocked desperately.

Moments flew by slowly, her heart counting the seconds, until the door was opened, and a familiar pair of cold blue eyes stared down at her cruelly, a faint glimmer of smugness floating within them. A pale hand reached out to her as she stood frozen in shock, the slender fingers twisting around the silver locket at her throat before jerking hard enough to snap the jewelry, letting it fall to the ground.

"Welcome home," Kaiba growled as he grabbed her arm. He jerked her inside and laughed, the sound echoing through the desolate grounds as the door slammed shut, blocking out her screams. Silence descended upon the night once more, and the very trees seemed to weep.