Disclaimer: I don't own YGO!

Seto strolled through the park after a long day's work. The night air was refreshing and it seemed to relieve his mind of his troubles. Walking up to the blue bench he sat down and let out a contented sigh watching the water ripple through the crystal clear lake. Rubbing the sides of his head he frowned when he heard soft footsteps approaching him. Turning around annoyed he saw a familiar brunette walking towards him with her arms wrapped loosely around her. She came nearer to him completely oblivious of his presence and he was shocked to see tears running down her chilled cheeks.

Standing up from his current position he heard her gasp in surprise and her sore blue eyes widened. He would have smirked at her stupidity if she didn't look so vulnerable.

"Mazaki." He whispered and she jerked her head to look at him directly. He could see her face clearly in the dim light of the street lamp and he frowned when he saw nail marks across her cheek, apparently from a hard slap. "What the hell happened to you? You look like the mutt." He smirked thinking she would retaliate like she always did but much to his surprise she looked away and kept on walking. Frowning her grabbed her wrist and spun her around to look at him. "What the hell's wrong with you? Have you gone brain dead? I asked you a question!"

Anzu didn't even flinch and her eyes looked devoid of life. The usual sparkle that was always there seemed to have been swallowed up by a black hole and for the moment Seto was worried. He never saw her like this. Even when she was tied up with a hanger over head and the chance of dieing imminent she was fearless. But now she looked like a scared little girl crying out for help and no one was there to save her. Sighing, he let go of her wrist and raised his hand to lightly slap her into consciousness. He was shocked when he saw her eyes widen and she stumbled back in an attempt to get away. She blinked rapidly and her gaze focused on him.

"Kaiba? What are you doing here?" Seto rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I'm watching an idiot make a bigger fool out of herself than usual." She frowned at his sarcastic reply and turned to leave. "What happened to your face?" He inquired suddenly and watched in satisfaction as her shoulder's tensed.

"It's none of your business." Anzu replied and he could here the sudden crack in her voice. He didn't have to see her face to know that she was crying. Putting his hands in his pockets he asked slowly.

"Who was it?" She gasped and turned around looking like a scared rabbit. He couldn't understand why she would be frightened. He found himself overflowing with curiosity and pressed for answers. "Who did that to your face?"

"I said it's none of your business Kaiba!" She turned her back to him and sighed. "Besides, you don't give a damn about me." Seto frowned for the fifth time that night. She wasn't acting like the Mazaki he knew and loathe. She was hiding something and he knew it.

"You're right. I don't care about you." He watched her shoulders drop. "But I know abuse when I see it." She tensed again and he knew he hit the nail on the head. "I'll ask you once again Mazaki. What happened?"

Anzu sighed sadly. She didn't know why he was bothering her. He usually ignored her or yelled at her to mind her business. Everything was so confusing right now and she didn't know what to do. What started out as the best day of her life turned into a nightmare. She looked back at Kaiba with wounded eyes.

"Please Kaiba. Just forget about it. I don't want to get anyone involved especially you." Seto's brow arched in confusion. Why wouldn't she want to involve him? He wasn't her friend. Hell, they weren't even acquantainces. He couldn't fathom this girl in front of him.

"I don't understand Mazaki. Why wouldn't you want to involve me?" He saw her eyes widen before she ducked her head hiding her face from him. Anzu couldn't believe he just asked her that. She couldn't tell him her reason for wanting to keep him in the dark. If he knew she had feelings for him, he'd never talk to her again. No scratch that, he'd never associate with her again. So to solve her current dilemma, she would tell him what happened to her and forget this night ever occurred.

"If I tell you would you leave me alone and forget we saw each other tonight?" Seto scoffed at her hopeful face.

"Whatever." Anzu nodded and took a deep breath preparing to tell him her short tale.

"When I arrived home this evening I didn't expect to see my father and mother quarrelling. It was a rear sight really since they never fought unless it was about work." She risked a glance at Seto and saw him looking at her intently. Sighing she continued her monologue. "Apparently my father wanted us to move because he had been offered a big position in Australia. My mother on the other hand was very upset. She didn't want to move after we had been living in Japan since I was five." She saw Seto's confused look and explained. "My parents used to travel a lot when I was younger because of my dad's job. Anyways, long story short he raised his hand against my mother and I pushed her out of the way." Anzu pointed to her face. "Which explains why I am wearing this."

Seto just nodded at her absorbing the information she was sharing. He always thought Anzu was one of those kids who were given a happy life with great parents and a loving home. It appeared he was wrong. Very wrong. Judging by the bluish mark forming on her cheek and the way she held herself he knew she wasn't in the right state of mind for any unnecessary stress. But that didn't stop him from making some crude remarks.

"You're pathetic Mazaki." Her fists clenched and she glared at him.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." He said looking down his nose at her. "You're always acting like the world is nothing but rainbows and sunshine and how friendship is everything. But look at yourself. Instead of running to one of your loser friends, you came straight here probably to bury yourself in your grief." Anzu felt like the biggest hypocrite in the world. He was right. She could have gone to her friends but she cowardly ran to the park in hopes of escaping her troubles.

"You don't understand Kaiba." She whispered. "I didn't want to burden them with my problems." Seto sneered at her response.

"How can you even say that?" He questioned angrily. "After all you've done for them. Putting yourself in danger. Begging me to forget about you and save them. How can you even stand there and give me that bull?!" He walked up to her and forced her to look into his angry blue eyes. "Answer me Mazaki. How can you put them before yourself? Yet when you need their support you cowardly refuse to face them." Anzu just stared into his eyes, her body was numb and the tears refused to stop. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed quietly. Seto looked down at her in disgust. "You make me sick." He spat and stepped away from her crying form.

Anzu felt her heart breaking in two. Her feelings for him were weighing her down and his words sliced through her frail body. She had never felt so weak before in her life and at the moment death seemed like the best choice. She shook her head fiercely and pushed the last thought out of her head. She would not give up so easily. Her life was meant to be lived and not thrown away carelessly. But even as she chanted those words in her head, her heart was being ripped out of her body and being stepped on repeatedly. Why oh why did she have to fall in love with the cruelest man on the planet?

"Mazaki. Pull yourself together. You look like a filthy mongrel." Anzu stared at him incredulously. Here she was crying her heart out for a man who would never have any feelings for her. She felt like a hopeless fan girl. Gathering the broken pieces of her heart she glared at him fearlessly.

"How dare you Kaiba?! How dare you say that to me?!" His cold emotionless eyes burned into her watery ones and she suddenly didn't care anymore. She would take all of her anger, frustration and sadness out on him. "I can't believe you would say something so hurtful to me after all that I've been through today. Have you no heart Seto Kaiba? But you're right." He looked at her curiously. "I am a coward for not going to my friends and I am a fool for falling in love with a man who can never love me the way I love him. A man who will never learn to love anyone but himself." Seto's eyes widened at her declaration. Was she talking about him? Was she in love with him? It wasn't possible but he had to make sure.

"Don't worry the midget feels the same way about you.." He joked and was shocked when she looked at him with pained eyes.

"It's not Yuugi." She whispered and turned away from him. "Its you." Seto's heart leapt up in his throat. So it was him but he couldn't understand why. Why would she fall in love with the one person her friends hated more than anyone? And why would she fall in love with the man who made her suffer?

"Why?" He whispered and she turned to him and smiled.

"Because a girl can't help who she falls in love with even if he is an obnoxious jerk." She laughed and Seto felt somewhat happy to hear her laugh. She became quiet again and she walked up to him. "Truth is, I fought my feelings for you but eventually I stopped and embraced them. I bet this sounds stupid to you huh?"

"No." He replied and it shocked her. "Contrary to popular belief, but I do know what love is." He saw he confused look and decided to elaborate otherwise she would annoy him to do so. "My parents loved each other very much. So much that my father died of a grieving heart rather than in a car accident." Anzu nodded sadly. She heard the story of their parents from Mokuba and from that day she knew she could never look at him in the same way again. She couldn't blame him for having a horrible life with his stepfather nor could she blame him for his inability to love. She sighed heavily. She would have to file this one under unrequited love. Anzu made a move to step away from him and out of his personal space when she felt him grasp her hand in his. She looked into his eyes and was shocked when she saw the tender look he was giving her.

"Do you really love me Anzu?" Her eyes widened at the use of her first name. She smiled and nodded.

"Yes. I really do love you. Only you." For the first time in her years of knowing Seto Kaiba he did something terribly out of character; he smiled. It wasn't a full smile but a smile nonetheless. And it was beautiful to her.

"I may not feel the same way for you, yet." He said with that same small smile. "But I guess I do care about you."

"I know." Why else would he yell at her for being a cowardly fool? The saying was true; you really fight with the ones you love. "Thank you Kaiba. You really helped me tonight, I think." She laughed and he touched her cheek gently tracing over the thin red marks.

"Its Seto." She smiled and saw his expression change. "What are you going to do now?" Anzu frowned and thought about this. The only logical thing to do was to go back home and talk with her parents. She only hoped they didn't kill each other after she'd left.

"I'm going to go home. It's the best thing for me to do. My parents and I need to work this out." He gave the barest nod and released her cheek.

"Do you want me to walk you home." Anzu shook her head and smiled at him.

"No it's fine. I live a few houses away from here so I'll be alright." He nodded again and watched her step away from him to leave.

"Wait." He said and she looked at him curiously. She blushed when he cupped her cheek and kissed the marks on her skin gently before smirking at her and walking away. Anzu touched the spot and smiled softly before she went the opposite direction and back to her house.

Seto was in the school cafeteria working on some contracts. He happened to be sitting a table away from Yuugi and his gang of misfits, excluding Anzu of course due to what occurred in the park the night before. He heard them asking her about the now barely there marks on her face and he smiled inwardly when she relayed the tale to her friends who immediately comforted her. He didn't stick around long enough to hear what happened afterwards and he made his way to his locker.

"Seto! Seto!" He turned around to see who was addressing him and fought the urge to roll his eyes at her.

"What is it Mazaki?" He said when she reached him and saw her frown. This time he did roll his eyes and shoved a book into his locker before closing it. "I mean Anzu." She smiled warmly at him and he felt a weird feeling inside.

"Well," She said leaning against the row of lockers. "My parents and I had a very long discussion about what happened last night. Apparently after I left they stopped fighting and my father came up with the solution that he would keep his job here in Japan. He apologized for what happened repeatedly and promised to take us on a family vacation soon." She smiled at him. "Also, I told my friends and they were very supportive of me even Jou." Anzu laughed and touched his arm. "And it's all thanks to you for being a jerk." She whispered and grabbed the lapels of his jacket pulling him down for a long, passionate kiss. She released him and they both panted for air. Seto was the first to recover and he smirked at her.

"That was some kind of thank you." He remarked and Anzu smirked as well before her gaze softened.

"I love you Seto."

"I know." They bell was heard in the distance and he glanced at her. Lunch was over and the students were returning to their classes. Bending down, he brushed his lips against her forehead and gave her that special smile of his. "Come on, we have to get to class." She nodded and they walked side by side ignoring the weird looks they received.

At this moment nothing mattered to them than the person by their side.

A/N: Yet another one-shot completed. I'll probably update my other stories later this month. So please review and thank you for reading.