Author: foxmagic
Rating: PG/K
Disclaimer: I don't own.
A/N: Not much to say. This is for no set timeline, slightly AU where the spirits have their own bodies. One-shot!
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The Devil Doesn't Knock
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Anzu breathed a sigh of relief.
Her feet padded softly down the hallway, where sounds of sleep could be heard echoing off walls darkened by the shadows of dusk. Despite curfew, despite her better judgment of not wanting to get involved in Jou and Otogi's battle to see who could stomach more burgers than the other -she had stayed out late. Besides, if she hadn't been there to act as ref, then who would've? Yugi?
Now that would have been just plain mean.
They had fallen asleep in the end, sprawled on the couch, and the floor, and god knew where else. She had voluntarily taken her leave -like she'd damn herself to a night locked indoors with a house full of boys on a burger and bean dip high.
No way in hell.
And now there was home. Clean, crisp, quiet home. Home that wasn't covered in boy's dirty gym clothes and twice-worn socks. Home with a bed, sweetly calling to her just beyond the shape of her door. She grasped the handle, pushing open to reveal a mattress, sheets, her pillow, a boy-
Anzu blinked.
Whoa, back up. What?
There in the dimness, lit barely by the stairwell light, she could see…just a bit, the figure of a man. He stood suddenly, blinding her momentarily with the flicker of something shimmering against his chest. It could have been anyone. It could have been a robber, a murderer, rapist -anyone. Anzu reacted accordingly.
She stood dumbly, flipping her bedroom lights on like a grade A moron.
"For god's sake, woman-" The figure hissed, quite like any malicious figure would in such a situation, and covered his eyes.
"…Bakura?" She blanched. "What are you doing in my room?"
His arm dropped to regard her with narrowed eyes. She would have recognized that gaze anywhere.
"S-Spirit…"
"Correct."
She swallowed, glancing behind her. Chance of escape? Not good. Chance of not being grounded once her parents woke to find a boy in her room? Also…not good. "How did you-"
"I followed you home from the pharaoh's. Your window was open. Now if you're done babbling, I have come here on important business and I do not wish for my time to be wasted." His serious expression turned upwards at that, albeit slightly. Amused. "Worry not, I have no intention of harming you…as long as you give me what I want."
She flushed scarlet. "You-"
His face contorted in disgust. "I didn't mean it like that. Imbecile." And at that, he pulled out a paper from his pocket, crumpled a bit during its journey home from school. He held it out to her, as if a peace offering. "This."
When she didn't budge, he grew increasingly frustrated.
"I'm not going to eat you, for god's sake."
"How do I know you aren't trying to trick me…?"
"Would I be wasting my time watching you gape like a fish if I was?"
He had a point.
"Well, what is it?" She approached cautiously, taking the paper from him and scanning the outside. Just a normal, folded note by the looks of it. Though it did smell faintly of…
"Sweet pea?"
"Who cares what the bloody thing smells like -just open it!" He snapped, arms folded and face turned away. "Damn thing was shoved amongst my things at school. Someone has infiltrated my quarters, and I can't decipher the meaning."
Oh, now she was really curious.
Unfolding the note, Anzu scanned it's contents quickly. Short, simple, and quite to the point.
Her eyes widened, alarming Bakura.
"What?"
"This…"
"What!"
"This…is a love letter."
It was as if saying the words were some sort of perverse taboo.
His face fell into seriousness. "Explain."
"It -it's a love letter! Don't you get it? Some girl…some poor, confused girl has a crush on you. Bless her eternally damned soul."
"What the hell are you talking about? That thing contains nothing but drivel. I was under the impression that it was some form of idle threat-"
She burst out laughing. "What? Haven't you ever had someone like you before?"
He stammered, turning his nose up stubbornly. "Of course I have, you ridiculous girl. I just don't-" He was cut off by a forceful yank, courtesy of Anzu, as she pulled him closer to take a look.
"See this? What does that look like to you?"
"…a poorly drawn heart."
"Erm…right. But besides that -this right here. She says she wants to meet you."
"A challenge."
"No!"
"No…" He scratched his head, studying it closely. "I know that Ryou gets a lot of these, but I never bothered to ask. It seemed more of a nuisance than anything."
Anzu's eyes flickered up towards his, filled with mischief. "It must be because…someone finds you attractive."
Cause it certainly wasn't the personality winning him points.
"Tch. Like I would lower myself to the level of some overly-dramatic high school girl."
She rested a hand on her hip, eyeing him suspiciously. "You came all the way here to ask me about this? Why not just wait for school tomorrow?"
"I highly doubt even you would want to be seen associating with me in a public place. Besides, I do things on my own time and for my own purpose."
She smiled lightly. He really was trying to settle in, even if his crazy scheming wasn't yet over with. She had no doubt that someday, he'd challenge Yugi again, just as how it was fate for Kaiba, Jou, Otogi, and countless others to do the same. Though a bit on friendlier terms than he. It was repetition. It was fate.
She had a feeling that he knew this as well.
Bakura lifted the dreaded thing with one hand, sniffing it lightly. "So this is how women confess their feelings these days? How stupid."
"It's not stupid. I happen to think it's kind of sweet."
"You would."
"Hey!"
He snorted, tossing the note into her trash can without a second thought. "I believe I've heard all I need to hear."
"Wait!" Anzu reached out again, grasping his sleeve as he turned to leave. "You -you just can't throw away someone's feelings like that!"
There was silence, and then he tilted his head to regard her with a cold stare. She held in a shiver.
"Aren't you afraid of me, like the others?"
Anzu swallowed, grinning at him slightly. Impishly -or as much as she could possibly muster. "I don't believe I could ever be afraid of someone who walks around all day with a love note stashed in his pocket."
His mouth twitched, and he leaned in closer. "And just how many of those have you received lately?"
"Ah…p-plenty! I've gotten plenty, I'll have you know."
"Is that so?"
"Yes!"
She didn't blame him for looking strangely suspicious. Which was why she wasted no time in hurrying him on his way, out the window, because what if her parents found out? Nevermind that Miho was her only female friend, that she often stayed out for days at a time venturing with the boys, and that after skipping school to go to duelist kingdom she still wasn't grounded for life.
Anzu swore up and down that when she was finally a parent, she'd try to at least make sense.
;-
"No Jou, I would never turn to cannibalism if we were stuck on a deserted island." She snorted, clearly offended.
"Alright, but if you had to who would you eat first?"
She seemed to seriously ponder this for a moment. "Well, I'd need Yugi's quick thinking to figure out a way back, and Honda's strength to fend off predators, so…"
"What! Me?" He was obviously disgusted, though probably more at his apparent uselessness than the idea of being eaten alive.
Pushing him off to class, Anzu headed towards her locker to grab her math book. She had lost track of time by being baited into ridiculous conversation. The bell would ring any minute. "Damn…" She fumbled a bit, opening the door and suddenly pausing in mid-thought. There, atop her neatly stacked books was a folded letter. If she didn't know any better, it would seem almost like a…
"Love note!" The surprise was evident, and though she had received them before it had been a while. Courtesy of any possible suitors and their collective fear of Jou and Honda.
Curiosity won out and the imminent arrival of first period was soon forgotten as she unfolded the paper, scanning its contents quickly.
Nothing, save a few scribbled sentences at the bottom paired with a signature that made her face deadpan.
Hope you could find this amidst your multitude of adoring fan mail.
Bakura
"Very funny." Anzu muttered.
And the first period bell rang loudly.
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FIN
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Thank you for reading. Please review for me!
foxmagic