"You've been through this a million times already, Anzu, so why are you questioning it again?!" She groaned, throwing herself atop of the bed and bouncing slightly. "Even if he was real, it would have never worked out with Yami; he belongs in the ocean while you are stuck up on land! It's better if you did move on to someone who is your species!" A huff came from between her lips as she stood, taking up the pacing that had nearly wore a hole in the carpet. "Atem is the greatest things that has happened to you…ever! He's so thoughtful, sweet, considerate, intelligent! You are freakin' lucky that someone like that just fell into your lap and here you are telling him that he deserves better than you?! You're an idiot, Anzu, an idiot and a coward for clinging so desperately to something you can't have!" Frustration and self loath bubbled within her chest as the tears returned.
A knock came from the door, softly creaking open and footsteps crossed the room after it clicked shut. She didn't even raise her head when a pair of slim arms wrapped around her. "Oh, hun, you're a mess." Mai gave her a gentle squeeze, her manicured hands raising the brunette's head and gently cleaning her face with a tissue she had swiped from the nightstand. "Talk to me, Anzu, why am I finding you in tears yet again?" Her blonde eyebrows furrowed when the young woman shook her head. "This might stop this tears of yours. A little incident happened at dinner after you left, during which that the young man you found saved your idiot brother from several weeks in the hospital." She hurriedly assured Anzu that Seto was going to make a full recovery and her painted lips lifted into a knowing smile when the young heiress fled the room.
Her footsteps practically thundered across the carpeted hallway floors as she sprinted towards the west end of the mansion. For so long she had been too scared to run, or to go any faster than a brisk walk for that matter, but her mind was so focused upon the need to see him that she paid the slight protests of her legs no mind until she slid to a halt in front of his door. It might as well have been a curtain with how forceful she opened it. "Seto!" She quickly crossed the room and practically flung herself at him as he stood from his chair. "Are you okay?! Mai told me about you almost needing to hospitalized! What happened?! Tell me!"
"Slow down, Anzu, I'm in one piece." His hands fell to her shoulders as she buried her face into his clothing. He had strictly told Mai to keep the whole ordeal under wraps but he should have known she would have blabbed. Her earlier words rang within his ears as she clung to him, as if he would disappear in a puff of smoke, and felt his being slowly relax into her own as the warmth she gave off seeped through his clothing. How long has it been since they've embraced like this? "All the theatrics, you'd swear that the world was ending." The soft tease came from between his lips before he could even think to stop it and earned a tight squeeze in response before her hand snaked up and flicked his nose as she took a step back when his tale had finished.
"I hear you owe someone thanks."
His shoulders rose and fell in a sigh. And here it comes… "I am a grown man who doesn't need to be ordered around by a pipsqueak little girl like you."
"Gratitude doesn't cost anything," she poked his chest. "And you owe Atem big time for saving your life!"
The ice that had been within his veins slowly melted the longer she stood there lecturing him. It had been a while since she'd stood up to him like this, since she had spoken her mind freely. She was no longer the husk that shied away from confrontation, that hid her sadness behind a smile then cried in secret when she had thought all had gone to bed for the night. Maybe…just maybe…that visitor was proving useful. His hand rose and ruffled her chocolate brown locks, causing her to grow silent. "I'll be sure to thank him in person tomorrow morning, Peachie, but I think it's way past your bedtime."
She blinked, her breath catching at the childhood nickname, then a challenging smile raised her lips as she spun towards the door. "I'm a grown woman who doesn't need to be dared around by a tiny toon dragon like yourself." A squeal came as he playfully poked her side, quickly slipping out the door when he threatened to do it again.
So lost within her thoughts that she didn't even realize she had taken a different path than the one that lead her back to her suite and came to a stop before a door that made her chest warm with affection and gratitude. He deserved so many things but the one on top of that list was an apology. Her hand rose to rap her knuckles against the wood but it was then that she heard it. Whatever she had heard within the cove was not the same voice she had heard when she was rescued but what she heard just now made her heart hammer. Four…now five long months have passed since he's shown himself to her that for a moment she thought she had imagined it. "Enough," she shook her head in attempts to rid herself of the lingering hope that made her want to turn away. "It's now or never." The sound came again as she reached for the doorknob. Just one last meeting, she reasoned, just to say farewell. She turned away form the door and whispered a promise that she would be back soon.
Inside the room, hidden behind the mirror lay a slumbering crab who had rolled upon his back and upon the bed was the restless figure whose eyes were wide but unseeing as the breeze coming in through the open window carried a voice that was his own. That could only mean one thing: the siren king was near. He wouldn't stand a chance against the mighty sorcerer as he was now and he cursed the helplessness within as he attempted to understand why the enemy of his merfolk kind would be so close to land. What could he possibly gain?
She came to a stop as the air fell silent, blinking in mild surprise as she found herself down upon the beach with the sand beneath her feet and salty waves tickling her ankles. "I know you're there, I heard you just now!" Anger caused her blood to slowly boil the longer silence reigned. "Fine, then I'll go first. I will forever be grateful that you saved me but I can't keep going on like this. It…it hurts too much. So that's why I'm saying that you need to stay away from me." Her teeth dug into her lower lip as tears threatened to form within her exhausted eyes and steeled herself. "You hear me? I don't ever want to see the palm of your hand again! I'm done!"
"Is that truly how you feel?"
A spin on her heel caused her to face the right, where the sandy beach disappeared around the cliff bend as a heavy fog rolled in. It honestly reminded her a bit of an old horror game she had once played in secret that had left her sleepless for weeks after. Was this a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare as a figure appeared, one whose hair outline was unmistakably wild. "Yami?"
They called to her by name, head tilting to the right when she hesitated, then called again while raising their arms as if they were waiting for her to come closer. "I have made you wait too long, forgive me." Her heart hammering, she took a slow step towards them as their deep baritone voice lured her like a lullaby and felt a knot form in her stomach as they came close enough for her to see a malicious smile before her eyes were covered by a hand. "Come, precious Anzu, you must be so relieved to be within the arms of the one who saved your life." The voice that had captured her heart morphed into one that sent fear through it like a lightning bolt as her consciousness gave way, eyes glazing and becoming unseeing as their hand fell to her shoulder.