Stolen Hearts Across Time
Chapter Ten
Seto closed his labtop, sighing. He was finally done with all of his work, even with the research on Ryou Bakura. Despite his best efforts, he hadn't been able to come up with a single real reason as to why he didn't trust the boy. Bakura was clean, and what was more, he was friends with Yugi, which said quite a lot. According to Seto's sources, Bakura was the kind of guy who would help an old woman across the street.
After a few moments, he decided to ask Lily about the white-haired boy during lunch. Since she couldn't lie if her life depended on it, he had a feeling he would be able to get the truth out of her. Seto planned on finding a way to keep Bakura away from her if he turned out to be bad news. Lily was like a little sister to him, and he was going to protect her as best as he could, just like he had back at the orphanage.
Memories flooding him, Seto stood up and went to his room. He could remember Lily picking flowers and making a crown out of them, her eyes filled with laughter every time she tried to put the flower crown on Mokuba's or his own head. She could also recall her tears as some of the other kids had taunted and teased her, scaring her at times. Of course, Seto had found himself standing up for her the exact same way he did for his younger brother. Ever since then, he had always done his best to protect and watch over her.
Seto went to bed then, smiling at all the happy memories he could recall.
~~~*Dream Time*~~~
Seto paced back and forth, worry apparent on his face. He gripped his millennium rod so hard his knuckles turned white, his eyes brimming with anxiety. His younger sister had pulled a disappearing act once again, and she had yet to show back up. 'She's going to be in big trouble when she gets back,' he thought angrily, his mind constantly bringing up the fact that Lilian was gone and probably getting herself in trouble.
He was used to her wandering off during the day; however, it was night time, and she was no where to be seen. He had already looked all over the palace and even asked Lilian's servant, Hollic, where the princess had gone. Unfortunately, Hollic hadn't known.
So, Seto had resorted to pacing outside of Lilian's room, wondering where she was. 'She's probably out in the garden, hiding or something like she loved to do as a child. I know she hates being confined to the inside of the palace almost all day, but she gets herself into so much trouble.' He sighed. 'If she's hurt, I don't know what I'll do.'
Suddenly, he heard quiet footsteps down the hall. He backed into the shadows where he couldn't be seen, planning on surprising his little sister a bit. She needed a good shock, if only to impress upon her how rash her actions were and how much she had made him worry. 'I believe it's time for another lecture.'
A young girl with long blond hair carefully walked down the hall, her teal eyes watchful. She held a brown cloak in her arms, and she had her slippers tucked into the waistline of her skirt.
'She's obviously been up to something,' Seto thought, frowning as he stepped out of the shadows. "And just where have you been all night?" he asked in a disapproving tone.
She spun around, trying to hide her cloak behind her back. It was a rather pathetic maneuver, especially since he could still easily see it; however, he had to give her credit for trying, even if the attempt wasn't successful.
"Well?" Seto looked down at her, his blue eyes stern. It was wonderful to see that she was safe, but he still wasn't happy with her.
"I was... just walking around the palace a little," Lilian replied innocently, smiling up at him. He didn't buy the act for a minute. "Really, Seth. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a walk."
"So, for this walk you took a cloak and stuffed your slippers into your skirt? I don't think so." He frowned at his sister, a little disappointed in her. 'She actually thought she could lie to me? How stupid does she think I am?'
She lowered her eyes to the ground. "I went outside," she mumbled, gently kicking at the surface of the floor with her bare foot.
He sighed. She obviously felt bad about what she had done, so he decided to let her off lightly. After all, she was his only sister, and he loved her. "You were climbing trees again, weren't you?"
"Yes, I was," Lilian replied.
Shaking his head, Seto placed a hand on her shoulder, making sure he had her attention. "You know I don't like you doing that. You tend to climb too high, and since you fell and broke your ankle the last time..." He tilted her chin up so she was forced to meet his eyes. "No more. I don't want you getting hurt again. If I catch you climbing trees one more time, I'll ground you to your room for a month. Don't think that I won't." 'I should probably punish her now, but I don't think she needs to be. She seems sorry enough.'
She nodded her head. "Yes, Seth. I promise that I won't do any more tree climbing."
"Good." He released her and pointed towards a large door. "Now get to bed. Hollic will be waking you up early for your studies."
When Lilian made a face, Seto suddenly remembered just how much she hated early mornings and her lessons. "I know. She always does that." She gave him a quick hug. "Good-night, big brother."
"Good-night, and go to sleep now," Seto responded, returning the hug. 'I'll have to keep a closer eye on her in the future. I can't let her wander off again and end up getting hurt.'
Smiling, she did as she was told.
Finally able to relax with Lilian back where she belonged, Seto went to his own room so he could rest up for the next day. Like his younger sister, he had obligations, and they were obligations he just couldn't ignore.
Seto sat up straight in bed, feeling wide awake even though it was five in the morning. 'What was that?' he wondered, raking a hand through his brown hair. 'Was that Lily? It looked like her, but then... why did she call me Seth? And why did I think of her as Lilian?' He shook his head. 'It was just a dream... a simple, nonsense dream.'
He climbed out of bed, intending to forget the dream by working. So, he pulled out his laptop and began typing.
Lily groaned softly as she opened her eyes. A living room that wasn't her own met her eyes, surprising her. 'Where am I?' she briefly wondered before laughing at herself. 'I'm at Bakura's place. How could I forget?' Giggling, she sat up and looked around. The white-haired boy was nowhere in sight, but her dress was laying across her feet. Bakura had probably put it there sometime after she had fallen asleep.
'I'm still tired, but at least I'm awake. That's something.' The blond-haired girl glanced at the clock, her teal eyes flying wide open. "It's after ten o'clock!" She scrambled out of bed, her dress in her arms, and made her way to the bathroom. After changing quickly, she went back out to the living room, which was still empty.
"Ryou? Bakura?" she called out, hoping that she would receive an answer. She didn't want to leave without saying good-bye to her white-haired friend.
The brown-eyed male appeared in the hallway, holding a towel that he was in the process of folding. She had caught him in the middle of doing laundry. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up," he said, voice pleasant. "You had me worried."
"Sorry about that," Lily replied sheepishly. "I really didn't mean to go to sleep on you like that."
He waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I didn't mind."
She smiled sweetly at him. "Thanks." Teal eyes curious, she studied the male. "Now... which one are you? You're Ryou, correct?" She was pretty sure she was right but felt it would be a good idea to make sure.
The white-haired boy nodded. "Yes. My spirit is residing in the ring at the moment." 'Thank Kami for that.'
"Okay." Lily paused. "Unfortunately, I have to go now, but thank you for all your kindness." She went over and kissed Ryou on the cheek, mentally smiling at his blush. 'He's so cute,' she thought. "I appreciate it."
"Are we searching for the item today?" he inquired as she made her way to the door.
"Yeah, but not till sometime this afternoon. I'll give you a call-" She cut herself off. "I don't have your number." She giggled. "How silly of me."
Ryou smiled, his brown eyes sparkling in amusement as he rattled off his number. It was an easy one to remember, so he wasn't all that worried about writing it down for her.
"Okay... 555-1234. I think I can remember that," Lily replied. 'It'd be sad if I couldn't.'
~Yes, it would be,~ Tigrililian agreed, chuckling.
"Thanks. I'll call you later so we can talk about when to meet." After giving Ryou a quick hug, Lily was out the door and headed for home.
As soon as Lily entered her apartment, she picked up the phone. 'I cannot believe I've forgotten to call Dad for the past few days. He must be so worried about me,' she thought, dialing his number. Within moments, someone answered the phone.
"Hello. Croquet speaking," a familiar voice stated.
"Croquet, it's Lily. Is Dad there?" she asked.
"Yes. I'll let you speak with him immediately."
Lily smiled. "Thank you."
It didn't take long for her adoptive father's voice to resonate through the phone line. "Lily..." he began, voice tense. He was obviously unhappy with her.
"Sorry, Daddy," she apologized immediately. "I didn't mean to not call you for so long, really I didn't. It was a complete accident."
"You have no idea how worried I've been about you," Pegasus replied, tone sad. "I thought something had happened to you."
Lily winced. "I didn't mean to cause you so much trouble, but I can promise you that I've been perfectly fine. Ryou Bakura and Yugi have been helping me look for your eye."
"The do-gooder and one of the do-gooder's friends. Of course." He chuckled softly. "I should have expected that."
"They've both been a great help," the blond girl assured him. "And Ryou's very sweet."
"He is, huh?" Maximillian Pegasus sounded suspicious.
"Oh, yes," she insisted. "He always tries to make sure that I arrive home in one piece."
"Just don't let him try anything with you or push you too far," he advised his daughter, sounding just like an overprotective father was supposed to.
Lily sighed. "Yes, Dad. Don't worry. I'll be fine," she reassured him. "Ryou is a good guy. I think you'd like him."
"That remains to be seen," Pegasus responded.
She twisted a golden curl around one finger. "Dad, I hate to say this, but I have to let you go. I'm going out to eat with Seto and Mokuba, so I need to get ready. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Alright, but if you don't call again, I'll have to send Croquet down to keep an eye on you," he threatened.
Lily made a face, not liking her father's idea. While she had no problem with Croquet, the thought of having a baby-sitter bothered her. She was old enough to take care of herself. "There's no need to do that. I'll be just fine, especially around Yugi and Ryou. You just relax and concentrate on getting better, 'kay?"
"Very well. Good bye, Angel," her father said softly, sounding sad. He missed his daughter.
"Bye, Dad." Then, she hung up the phone. 'Time to get ready,' she mused, going to the bathroom. The first thing on her mind was a shower. After being rained on, she felt her hair probably needed to be washed.
Lily kept her shower short, towel-drying her hair and body as soon as she got out. Then, she pulled on a pale blue sleeveless blouse and a pair of nice khaki pants. By the time she was done brushing her hair, she heard a knock on the door.
"Coming!" she called out, rushing to the door in joy. She knew who it was, especially since she could feel an item nearby. Seto and Mokuba had come to pick her up.
The instant the blonde threw open the door, a young black-haired boy leapt at her, hugging her around the waist. She laughed, returning the warm gesture. "It's great to see you too, Mokuba," she stated, ruffling his hair as she looked up at the older brother. "And how are you doing, Seto? Having fun dealing with an active younger brother?"
He raised an eyebrow at that. "Usually, yes, but there are times..." he drifted off, smirking.
"Hey!" Mokuba protested playfully.
Lily just continued to smile. "C'mon now. There's no reason to get upset. He was just teasing you," she assured the younger boy. "And if you get upset, we might not be able to reach the restaurant in time."
"Let's go!" The black-haired boy promptly began to drag Lily off, leaving her only enough time to close her apartment door and grab Seto's hand to make sure that he followed. So, all three of them smiling, they went to the Kaiba's limo and took off.
Ryou sighed as he finished off his lunch. It was quiet around his apartment, and if he was truthful with himself, he didn't know what to do without Lily. He had grown used to helping her out in the afternoons, so it felt strange to be sitting around and doing nothing. 'I guess I'll just have to occupy myself until she calls.'
He put his dishes in the sink and then turned on his radio. One of his favorite songs was on, and that made him smile.
.
~Don't think that you got me girl.
Don't think you can tame me and change me.
Don't think that it's all because of you.
Just because I don't run around,
Just because we're forever together,
Don't you think of a four letter word to use.~
.
Ryou hummed along with the song as he filled the sink with hot water, enjoying himself. 'It's sad how a guy can go and deny his feelings for a girl,' he thought as the lyrics ran through his head. 'It's not like love is a bad thing.'
~It makes you weak,~ Bakura sharply informed his aibou. ~Love makes you do stupid things that you normally wouldn't have done. It's the most vile emotion ever created.~
The polite boy blinked, surprised by those words. He couldn't understand how anyone could say such things. 'Why do you say that?' he inquired softly. For some strange reason, he had been feeling braver lately, more willing to stand up and talk to his spirit. True, Ryou didn't want to push the tomb robber too far, but he also didn't feel nearly as afraid as he usually did.
.
~So what if I just don't want anybody else but you?
So what if you're all that I ever really wanna do?
I know what you're thinkin', but that doesn't make it true...
Believe me, baby~
.
Bakura mentally scowled. ~Because I've seen people in love. They're distracted and weak. They risk their lives for each other, and one usually ends up dead. Once one dies, the other one no longer wants to go on living. It's pathetic.~
'There's a good side to it too,' Ryou protested gently, wanting to explain his point of view to his yami. 'People in love protect each other. They know they can depend on one another to watch their backs.'
~Big deal. I can watch my own back,~ the spirit shot back.
.
~I'm not in love.
No, not at all.
What makes you think,
You made me fall?
I slip, but no, I'm not in love.~
.
'Then why are you keeping Lily around?' Ryou wanted to know, filled with curiosity. Ever since that sweet girl had walked into his life, things had improved. He even felt that Bakura was growing attached to her.
~She's useful,~ the tomb robber retorted. ~That's all.~ Of course, he was trying to conveniently forget how worried he had been when she had taken ill. It just didn't make sense to him. Lily wasn't important; she was just a tool to him. Yet... he enjoyed her company, and she tended to amaze him at every turn.
'I like her,' the British boy commented. 'She's kind and understanding, and I have yet to see her judge anyone.'
.
~What if I just can't sleep at night?
I see your face in the starry skies.
So high above...
But girl, I'm not in love.~
.
~You're a fool. You should distance yourself from her before you grow too attached,~ Bakura advised his hikari. ~Although, it's probably too late for that. You're such an idiot that you most likely already consider her a friend.~
Ryou nodded his head, both mentally and physically. 'Yes, I do.' He paused, unsure of whether or not continuing to speak with his spirit was a good idea. In the end, he decided to continue anyway. 'But what about you? There are times when I think you might be a little attached to her.'
~I am not,~ he snapped, fuming. He couldn't figure out where his aibou had gotten the courage to say such things. Usually, the young boy remained pretty much silent. ~I am not attached to the girl in the least bit.~
.
~Don't think that you got it made.
Don't think it's so easy to keep me.
Never know it could all just fade away.~
.
'From what I can gather from Lily, you're kind to her. You've protected her from gangsters,' Ryou reminded his spirit, wondering if he had gone nuts. He was arguing with his yami, a known killer, for Kami's sake!
~I just don't want her dead yet,~ Bakura replied. ~At the moment, she's more useful alive than dead.~
.
~So what if I just don't want anybody else but you.
So what if you're all that I ever really wanna do.
I know what you're thinkin', but that doesn't make it true...
Believe me baby~
.
'Then why did I have her number in my pocket after you let me take over?' the polite boy inquired softly. It was amazing that his spirit wasn't yelling at him, and he had a feeling that it was because they were talking about Lily. That girl seemed to have an interesting effect on the both of them.
~I need some way to contact her, of course,~ the tomb raider shot back, sounding annoyed. His hikari was asking excellent questions, ones that he didn't even know the answer to himself, and that fact bothered him. So, naturally, he went on the defensive. ~Why else would I ask for it? It's not like I'm going to call her up to chat or something stupid. I leave those things up to you.~
Ryou sighed softly. He wasn't getting anywhere, even though he believed his spirit was just as fond of Lily as he was. The tomb robber was just unwilling to admit it. 'Then what about your reaction when Lily was talking with the Kaiba brothers? You quickly became angry. Why?'
.
~I'm not in love.
No, not at all.
What makes you think,
You made me fall?
I slip, but no, I'm not in love.~
.
Bakura bristled as that memory of the cafe resurfaced. He had hated watching Lily interact with both Kaibas, especially the older one. When she had hugged the duelist, he had felt his blood almost boil, and he didn't even know why. ~I didn't want Kaiba distracting her. She's supposed to be helping me find the new millennium item,~ the spirit snarled.
Ryou whimpered and curled in a little on himself. 'Why are you so angry?' he asked while praying that his spirit would calm down.
~Because that bastard isn't supposed to be associating with her,~ he retorted, growling softly.
'If you don't care about her, then why does it really matter who she talks with? It's not like she's going to stop looking for the items, both the eye and the new one,' the British boy responded, knowing that his question would either set his yami off or make the ancient spirit think. He was hoping for the latter. The former would likely give him a headache as well as have his control of the body ripped away.
.
~What if I just can't sleep at night?
I see your face in the starry skies.
So high above...
But girl, I'm not in love.~
.
The tomb raider immediately shut up, actually considering the question. He couldn't think of a good lie; hell, he couldn't even think of a bad lie. For some reason or another, the spirit failed to come up with a single answer. He knew that he grew jealous whenever Lily hugged another guy, which made no sense to him. Lily wasn't important; she wasn't important; she wasn't...
Bakura shook his head, trying to clear it. Things were so confusing that he just didn't know what to think anymore. ~That's none of your business, aibou, so shut up and leave me alone,~ he growled out, tone dark and forbidding.
.
~So if my heart just skips a beat?
What if I lose a little sleep?~
.
'Alright.' Ryou understood that he had pushed his yami too far, had asked too many questions. Fortunately, he had caused an interesting reaction in the tomb robber, which was a start. Perhaps if he could convince Bakura that it was okay to care about people, the spirit would stop being so cold and cruel.
The British boy was praying with all his heart that something or someone could soften up his yami. He was tired of Bakura taking over, leaving him to wake up with a fearful heart and no memory. He wanted his spirit to be kinder... at least kind enough not to hurt other people for no reason.
.
~I'm not in love.
No, not at all.
What makes you think,
You made me fall?
I slip, but no, I'm not in love.~
.
~Good. Now, shut off that stupid music,~ Bakura ordered. He had actually paid attention to some of lyrics, and they annoyed him. For some reason he couldn't figure out, they seemed to hit home, tugging at something inside of him. He hated things like that.
Ryou sighed, not wanting to anger his spirit any more than he already had. 'Okay.' He really didn't want to turn the radio off for two reasons. The first was he liked the song, and the second was it seemed to affect his yami. And if the lyrics affected Bakura for the reason the young boy thought they did... Well, needless to say he thought the spirit needed to listen to the song again and actually contemplate what it was saying.
.
~I'm not in love.
No, not at all.
What makes you think,
You made me fall?
I slip, but no, I'm not in love.~
.
The polite boy turned off the radio and finished washing the dishes, remembering one interesting fact as he did so.
He had the song on CD.
CotA: Hey people. The song is by BBMak. It's called "I'm not in love." *laughs* I just had to use it, mainly b/c it's one of my favorite songs. Well, the review responses are below.
Yami'sLittleGirl: Mokuba's not going to tell Seth. He promised. Besides, there's no reason for him to tell.
crystal crittenden: I will update as soon as I can.
spontaneousxhumanxcombustion: Yes, denial. Sad, but true. You'd think that he'd eventually come out of it, but nooooo. He has to be a tough guy. *snorts* How pathetic.
Hutchy: I'll try to update soon. ^_^
Elen Liste Alda: Thanks! ^_^
Crazy: I'm glad you approve of Lily. Sakura-chan helped me develop her.