Disclaimer: First I need to get rid of all standardized tests. Then I'll look into the stealing other people's creations matters… *leers at Takahashi-san*

Look the Other Way

PM: Did I already complain about the length of this title? Yes? No? Well, I've just decided that it's too long. So there. *folds arms and scowls*

Kaito (Magic Kaito, Detective Conan): What am I doing here?

PM: Well… Ryou-kun is sulking in a corner, Ryuuji-kun is in the emergency ward (for some reason…), and Yami-kun is still being ravished by Yami no Bakura, so there's nobody here right now. And I'm convinced you are straight… although Hakuba*Kaito… *eyes roll back*

Kaito: O_o

PAS (PM's dear friend): *knocks PM out and sticks Kaito in a cage before walking away with him, cackling maniacally and vowing to brainwash the whole world*

Jyou: -.-;; And to think that I almost escaped this madness… *sigh* This half of the chapter is in Kaiba's POV, and takes place directly after the last half.

PM: *Hugging Yuki while mumbling in her blow-induced sleep* Hakuba*Kaito….

:) Many thanks to rayemars-san for beta-reading, as well as the reviewers: fani90 (Seto: I think I've suffered enough, thank you very much. Ryou: DIE!), Neko-baka-chan-chan (APs finally destroyed your mind? D), Shamanic Guardian Lena (^^;;; Should I or should I not destroy your innocent mind? *grin* Basically, -seme is the person who's dominant in the relationship while -uke is the person who… uh, isn't), Wildwolf (I still need to e-mail you, don't I? *innocent grin*), Tuulikki (Why, I thought it was a wonderful place to leave off too! ^o^), Lena (Eep! *quickly smacks Yami no Bakura to force him to spit out your hand and sews it back on), yukoma (Ryuuji: I was NOT having a temper tantrum! PM: *coughLIARcough*), Fate (There's a whole universe out there… *insert scary music*), Shikou Yamitsuki (Ryuuji's assistant: HELP!! *runs away from rabid Ryuuji*), Erfaciel (*gives you another bucket, just in case! :P), Crystalline Maxwell (I'll get that rubix-cube in next chapter), TidBits (Ryuuji *preens*: People feel sorry for me! PM *rolls eyes*), Sailor Comet (Ryou: I am not passive! I am not pensive! And I am definitely not feminine! *Entire YGO cast and PM burst into badly concealed laughter*), Shenya (*shivers* But combine this chapter with the last and you'll see how long the chapter was going to be if I didn't cut in half… *hides from chapter*), Ninetails (*GLOMP* Thank you for the review! It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!), The Evil Laugh (Thank you for the ficcy! *hug* And thank your friend too!), Dani (Kaiba: I am not plotting anything. Ryou: Liar.), Angel-Belle (*whispers* Actually, I don't know what it's about. rayemars-san told me to put it in the chapter), cheesepuff (Your wish is my command!), Dreaming Dragon (It wasn't that bad of a cliffy, was it?), Sam Baku (Just a month… really! *innocent grin*), and Squee-shi (*blinks as PM lookalike gets chased around* Hmm… A Pikachumaniac fanclub. My ego is bursting… *grins impishly*). *waves* Arigatou, minna!

~ Setting Standards (pt 2) ~

The phone is ringing.

I hate phones. I think they're horrible inventions, something that might sound odd coming from me but it's true. Phones are annoying. They allow people you don't want to talk to to call you. And you can't pretend that you're not there if you're the one picking up. At least with mail, you could claim that the postman lost the message. Same goes with e-mail… and it's even better since you can claim a virus has completely destroyed your e-mail box and you won't be able to check it for another fifteen years.

But with phones… the most you can do is have an unlisted number. And even then, people can sell your phone number and you might as well have saved your breath.

And the phone is still ringing.

Finally, I decide that it's best if I just ignore it. After all, there is an answering machine and if the person really wants to talk to me, I can pick up during the message. And if it's somebody who doesn't want to talk to me badly enough, then they won't even bother leaving a message. Even better, if it's somebody who wants to talk to me but I don't want to talk to them… then I can let them leave a message and claim that the cat stepped on the erase button of the answering machine when they ask me why I haven't called them back three weeks later.

I think I'm much more tired than I suspected.

"This is the Kaiba residence!" Meimi's voice comes across the answering machine and I can't help but smile slightly. "Please leave your name and phone number so that we can get back to you! Arigatou!"

Beep!

"Seto? I just got your message from Honda-kun and I…"

I don't even let you finish your sentence before I grab the phone, hastily turning it on, "Ryou?"

There's a pause before I hear you sigh. The sigh that usually precedes a scolding.

"Seto? Are you screening your telephone calls again? You know that isn't very nice, and I don't know why you keep doing it."

Your scolding always makes me smile. I can't help it because you look so adorable. Which might seem like a paradox… being angry yet lovable at the same time, but you manage it quite nicely. Your cheeks turn a bit red and you start ranting until you suddenly realize what you are doing, and that leads to you sputtering nervously. Always the perfect moment to plant a kiss on your cheek, which is flaming hot by this point.

Unfortunately, this is not the time for me to be reminiscing, so I clear my throat and again interrupt you, "Would you stop reprimanding me if I told you that Otogi does the same thing?"

I can just see you pursing your lips in annoyance. "That has nothing to do with this and you know that Seto."

"Doesn't it?"

Rather than rising to the bait, you sigh again.

"Seto, I have just had a not-so-great day, alright? Please don't make this anymore worse for me. You asked me to call and I did. Now what do you want?"

"I wanted to know if you were busy tomorrow."

Silence.

"Because in case Otogi or Honda or the make inu forgot to tell you, it's Meimi's birthday tomorrow."

"Otogi told me her birthday was several weeks ago," you reply. There's a frustrated tone in your voice, and I suppose that you feel lied to.

I can't blame you.

"It was, but we decided to put the party off until Meimi's mother could join us," I explain hastily. Although if I could have, I would have gone on with the party without her. But then she would have thrown a fit and I've gotten enough headaches from her to last me a lifetime.

"Really?" Your voice is so quiet now, barely audible. But I can hear the pain in it.

Oh god Ryou… I'm trying. I'm trying to make this up to you, but you won't let me. And I know I deserve all this, but you don't. I… I just want you to give me a chance to make you happy again.

"Yes."

There is silence again and I can't help but cringe. Oh, if only my enemies could see what I have been reduced to when I remember what I did to you. When I live with the consequences of my own actions, and the memories of a relationship that could have continued if it wasn't for me.

But just this once… just this once… please say you'll come.

"If you won't come for me, come for Meimi. She likes you."

Where the heck did that come from?! Great, of all the stupid, idiotic things to….

"Okay. What time?"

… do? I can barely contain my sigh of relief but instead manage to compose myself to my usual, cold-hearted being. As if that ever fooled you.

"Otogi knows. He and Honda are coming anyway."

"Okay."

Before you can hang up, I find my mouth moving on its own accord. And for that, I wish to give it a slow, torturous, and excruciatingly painful death.

"I still love you, Ryou."

My knuckles are white as I hold the phone to my ear. Your breathing has suddenly turned ragged, and I can't tell whether or not I should be surprised as everything is abruptly cut off when you hang up the phone on me.

~ * ~

The bed is large and warm. Your body rests against mine, my arms wrapped protectively around your chest. Your white hair is just close enough to be tickling my nose, and I have this annoying urge to sneeze.

However, before I can, you turn so that I'm looking into your blue eyes. They're so soft but they're not sad anymore. There's this gentle happiness within, but it looks so fragile and easily breakable.

I once made myself promise that I would never deliberately let your eyes look sad again. I've broken that promise before, unintentionally, but what I am about to do is anything but unintentional.

"What are you still doing awake?" I ask as you smile and move closer. "You're supposed to be asleep."

"So should you," you mumble back softly. "But instead you're still awake brooding over who knows what…."

"It's nothing to worry about, Ryou," I whisper back as I slowly detach myself from you. I must be growing soft or overly romantic, for it feels like I'm ripping my soul away. But isn't that what you are to me? My… heart? The thing that makes me strive to be the best I can be now that Mokuba no longer needs me? "Just go back to sleep."

There's a small yawn that makes you so… so cute. I dislike using this word very much, yet no other word seems appropriate when describing you. You're cute. Not pretty, not sexy, not… you're not like anybody else.

You're just cute.

"Okay…" the word is barely coherent as you nestle into the blankets. Slowly, hesitantly, I copy your movements, careful not to touch you except for the arm I drape across your chest. If you notice this change, you don't say anything as you settle down.

I hold my breath.

"Seto?" your voice seems a bit faint, and I savor every moment of it.

"Hmm?"

"Omae ga suki da [1]."

You settle back down to sleep and I can only lie there, staring at you. Already missing you even though you're right next to me, already hating myself for what I am about to do.

It doesn't take you long to fall asleep. The day was long and the make inu wasn't helping things with his wild party ideas, and it took us quite a long time to make it home.

Home is where the heart is. I think I saw that embroidered on a pillow once.

Once I'm sure you're asleep, I cautiously remove my arm and slide off the bed. If you wake up, I can say that I'm going to the bathroom or something along those lines. If you wake up, I can lie my way out of it and hope you fall asleep soon so that I don't have to suffer any longer.

Yes, me. I know I can lie and say that I don't want you to suffer, but how can you hurt when nothing has yet to happen? No, it makes no difference to you… once you wake up and find that note on your pillow.

My clothes slip on silently as I continue to watch you warily. The note… it took me so long to write, but it still sounds wrong. Then again, it would be wrong if it sounded right. Just what I'm trying to say on that piece of paper… it's all wrong. I typed it at work and tried to make it sound as distant and cold-hearted as I possibly could. I'm pretty good at that, if one considers all the comments I get about having my heart encased in ice. But most of that was before I met you….

I'm ready.

I'm ready to walk into the next part of my life. I'm ready to let you go. Or force you to go, since that is a bit more accurate than the former.

As I place the piece of paper on the pillow, on impulse I lean over you and whisper, "Ai shiteru, Ryou [2]."

I'm kind of hoping that you will wake up and put an end to this madness. I know that I would never be able to do this if I was looking into your eyes or hearing your voice. I know that I wouldn't be able to succeed at this if I could witness first-hand the pain I would be causing you.

But like everything else that has gone wrong with my life, you don't.

"Tousama?"

You just lie there, not even reacting as I brush that soft white hair away before turning and walking away.

"Tousama?"

I hope you hate me when you wake up, Ryou. At least that way you'll get over this easier, and maybe then you won't have any need to miss me ever again.

"Tousama!"

~ * ~

I blink as I stare into Meimi's bright blue eyes. They're not like yours, but they're still beautiful. I don't quite understand how some things can be so different yet equally… lovely.

"Were you having a bad dream, tousama?" Meimi doesn't bother to wait for me to answer before launching into more questions. "If you're not, you can always borrow Seppen-chan. She won't mind, and she'll help get rid of your nightmares."

If Meimi wasn't enough to wake me up from my oh so wonderful stroll down memory lane, the threat of sleeping with anything that remotely reminds me of Yami no Yuugi is. Quickly, my eyes seem to focus and I'm no longer sleepy, letting me focus on Meimi's face. She looks almost frightened, and she's clutching Yuki II tightly.

"No, Meimi. I think you should keep her so you won't get any nightmares," I smile as I ruffle her hair, something that causes her to scowl. She doesn't like getting her hair tousled… in some cases, she can act almost like Otogi when it comes to her hair. Quite disturbing, if you ask me, but Otogi just keeps encouraging her.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"It was nothing, Meimi."

"I don't believe you."

I blink, "Why not?"

"Because you look too sad," she replies as she sits down on my lap, her blue eyes disturbingly serious. "Why are you so sad? Is it because of Ryou-san?"

My mouth moves faster than my thoughts can, "How… how did you… no!" My mind quickly snaps back to reality, but the damage has already been done. I can see it in her eyes, even as I try to cover my mistake. "No, it's not because of Ryou. Why would you think that?"

"You've been upset since he walked away from you."

"You would be upset if I walked away from you, wouldn't you?"

"Yes…."

"So naturally I would be upset if he walked away from me, right?" I kiss her on the nose to emphasize my point… how that works I don't really know, but it does cause her to giggle and I smile again.

"Did you ask him if he can come tomorrow?"

"Would I ever disappoint you?"

Her face scrunches up into a scowl as she ponders that statement. Oh god, please don't mention the incident. Anything but the incident.

"There was that time…"

"Do you have to bring that up?"

"… when you tried to stuff Seppen-chan into the shredder and Yami-san had to save her for me?"

In defiance of my attempts to put that memory in my own mental shredder, it still remains crystal clear to me. And despite what everyone thinks, I was not deliberately trying to kill her seal.

"Meimi," I groan loudly. "I thought we promised never to speak of that incident again."

"But you brought it up."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes you did."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did. And even Seppen-chan agrees with me, so it's two to one!"

I laugh, even though a part of my mind registers that I've lost to my daughter and a stuffed seal. A sad fact, I suppose, but I don't really care anymore.

"All right. All right! I concede to you," I grin as I pick her off my lap and set her down on the ground. "And now you will go get ready for bed."

"I will?" she blinks innocently.

"Yes, you will."

We both stare at the doorway, where I see the person who makes me want to scream in utter frustration.

Okajima Mami.

It's odd… I know why I married her and yet I don't understand how I could have. Ryou embodied everything I loved and wanted, while Mami just… isn't. And perhaps it wasn't fair of me to place such expectations on her… but let me say this just once.

If anybody deserved it, it was her.

"Kaasama!" Meimi yelps as she clutches Seppen closer. Mami doesn't like Seppen much, especially since she found out it came from Yami. She accuses him of lying to her about his sexual preferences and the relationships he has, although I never once saw him speaking to her.

"Meimi," Mami smiles as she comes in. Meimi carefully gives me Seppen (who stares at me with big, watery eyes) before running over to give her mother a hug. My fingers are twitching, and it takes me a great deal of effort not to get up and give her mother a strangling.

"What are you doing here?"

"Tsk. With that tone of voice, one would think that you weren't pleased to see me," Mami scowls at me before kneeling before Meimi. "Now Meimi darling, go get ready for bed while I go talk to your father."

"Is he in trouble again?"

"No."

Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes! I want to scream as Meimi runs over to get Seppen before kissing me on the cheek and running out of the office. Leaving me to deal with the terror known as my ex-wife.

If only these walls were made of glass. Then at least I could jump out and hope that there was somebody was down there waiting to catch me.

Somebody with white hair and blue eyes.

~ * ~

"You look well."

I roll my eyes as she closes the door, "Cut the small talk, will you? What did you come here for this time?"

"Some respect, for starters. Look, I don't know what I did wrong but it's time you told me. You asked me to marry you, yet you spend the rest of the time staring at me as if I was a mistake! What did I do?"

"You are a mistake," I reply coolly.

"Your mistake," she snaps back as she flips her chestnut brown hair back. She reminds me greatly of Otogi when she does that, but the two hate each other. "Not mine."

Well, she is the one who accepted my marriage proposal.

There is a long silence as we glare at each other. If it wasn't for Meimi, maybe I would have been able to live with this. But when Meimi came along, I knew that I didn't want my daughter to be stuck in any fights. I know that this is probably my fault for letting this situation go as far as it did, but at least I was able to end it. She hasn't, and she continues to be a thorn in my side even though I've sent the message to her over and over again that it's finished.

"Why can't we start over?" Before I can blink, she's seated herself on my desk and on top of my paperwork. I would like nothing more than to shove her off, but that would give her an excuse to sue for harassment or abuse or something like that. And I have enough problems on my hands.

"There is nothing to start over. What we did was a mistake and the only good that came out of it was Meimi."

"She's mine too, you know."

And I should care because…? I roll my eyes again as I look away to the surface of the file cabinet. On it there are many framed pictures. Most of them are Meimi and me or Mokuba and me, but there are several with me and Yuugi-tachi. And one of them, as inconspicuous as possible, is a picture of you and I sitting on the steps of the stairs going up to my office. I was about to have a meeting so the two of us ended up sneaking off and we were just relaxing there. We weren't even kissing… just talking. You were easy to talk to, Ryou. I felt like I could tell you anything and you wouldn't judge me.

Emi is the one who took the picture. And as soon as we saw the flash, we were up and running after her. Well, to be truthful, I was the one running after her while you chased me, yelling at me not to hurt her. The three of us ended up running into her father, who was more than slightly amused by our antics.

"It's him, isn't it?" Mami's cold words interrupt my thoughts as she gestures at the photographs. "Your boyfriend."

I raise an eyebrow as I reply smoothly, "Yes. It is."

"The one who went to America."

"There was only one, Mami."

"Do you still love him?"

I don't even blink. "Yes."

There is silence before she folds her arms, staring at me in the face, "I could learn to hate you very, very easily."

"Go ahead. I'm surprised you haven't already."

"Why can't you get over him? What is in the past remains there. No matter how much you tug and pull, you're not going to be able to get it back."

"Isn't that what you're doing?" I question coolly. "You should really learn to take your own advice, Mami. Before you start sounding like a broken record."

"There is a difference between these two scenarios, Seto!" she exclaims as her eyes flash and seem to burn. "We still have something that connects us. Meimi. What do you have with this guy? What?! For god's sake, it's been over for over eight years! It's time you moved on, isn't it? It's time you put that in the past. You let it destroy what little we had and you're letting it keep us from getting something back."

"There is a problem with your logic, Mami, and I've explained it to you many, many times before. And I don't want to say this anymore. We do not have something. We did not have something. What you and I had was nothing compared to what I had with Ryou. And I admit that it was my fault for thinking that I could get over it with your help, but at least I knew when it was time to finish what I had started. At least I knew where to stop. That's the problem with you. You don't know when to stop. I tell you 'no' and you think I said 'yes'. You hear things that aren't there, and you do it with knowledge of what is reality and what is not. You are not a part of my life anymore, except as somebody who Meimi cares about. And the only reason why she cares for you is because she doesn't see you enough to get to know the real you. If you actually cared for her, like you claim you do, you would come to see her more often than you do."

My words are all spoken coldly and emotionlessly, and she's gaping at me like a fish. And I know that even though I've shocked her, it's really nothing new. Sooner or later, she'll be back with another list of demands that I have no intention of ever complying to. Sometimes, I think it's just some twisted hobby of hers.

"Now. Are we through?"

"No. I need to know something."

"What?"

"You agree that this is your fault. Am I correct?"

"Yes." I have no idea where this is leading, but I have a feeling that I don't want to know. I'm already starting to develop a headache, and I certainly don't need it to be any worse than I know it's already going to get.

"Okay. I just wanted you to be clear on that."

"You know the way out."

"I do. I'll go say good night to Meimi and see you in the morning."

"Fine."

I barely look up as she gets off my desk and walks away, closing the door quietly behind her.

As I hear her footsteps die away, I put my paperwork down and sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose in an attempt to make the pounding headache go away.

Is this… is this what I'm doing to you, Ryou? Causing you pain because of my own selfish demands? Am I no better than Mami, who I can't stand?

I still love you, Ryou.

I know I'm pushing you, but I also know that you need to be pushed sometimes. But what I don't know is whether or not I'm doing the right thing for you. I know that this is something I want… that I want to make you happy again… but right now you seem so determined to keep me out of your life.

You're afraid of me hurting you again, aren't you?

Would it make you feel better if I told you that I was afraid of doing that too?

Notes (if I repeat translations, sorry!):

[1] I love you. Not really as strong as 'ai shiteru'… more like 'I like you', actually.

[2] I love you, Ryou.

[3] Are you all right?

PM: O_O That was a lot of dialogue…. I don't even like writing dialogue that much. Or it's kinda that I find it so difficult to write that I don't like it very much….

Ryuuji: Oh hush up and get to the point.

PM: *glares* Want to go back to the emergency room again? *Ryuuji instantly shuts up* Anyhow, that was the second part of chapter 7… a little longer than the first part. Ahh, I don't like writing Seto's POV as much as Ryou's… I've just gotten used to Ryou. ;-; But I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Chapter 8 will hopefully be right on schedule… but I'm not guaranteeing anything these days… --;; Gomen! Anyhow, if you all could take the time to answer the questionnaire, I would be most grateful. :)

Questionnaire:

Of the OCs who made their debut in this story, which one is your favorite? You could choose from the following: Kaiba Meimi, Seppen, Bakura Suguru, Bakura Erika (I'm including them because they didn't get much coverage in "Fairydust"), and Okajima Mami. Or anybody else you can think of. :) The reason why I'm not saying all OCs is because Black Magician is getting insanely jealous of Yuki. :p Although just between you and me, after you tell me who your favorite new OC is in this story (or perhaps you don't have one, which is fine as well), you can tell me who your favorite overall OC is. *wink*

I'm asking this mainly to figure out whether or not I'm doing alright with my OCs. I know that some of them just don't show up enough to make a difference, but some like Emi and Meimi have big parts. I like to make sure that they're not annoying anyone (since they're not supposed to be) and are reasonable.

^_^ Arigatou, minna!

Pikachumaniac