Disclaimer: Something, something, something about not owning 'Yu-Gi-Oh.'
Author's Note: Thanks issued to Ana, Rosemary-Rocketsabertooth, kaz, fOX-SPIRIT AKA Y.V, Messenger of Light, Mokuba's Official Glomper, dragonking, Geniusgirl; the Original, KeikoGirl, jarjayes, A Fan, Lady Dragon 636, deoki tenchi, Kerrie-chan, MotherChowGoddess (if you're interested, I've posted a 'citrus fruit reference guide' at the bottom of the page), HieilovesBotan, Malik Fan 03, Serenity Komoshimo, tea/anzufan, KaibaGirlSK, Vaz1201 and Demona, Anime-AngelWings, Loyal to S/A, Choas Babe, GwenKeely, Trust,Faith,Pixidust, PackLeaderT, and Samantha (which, coincidentally, is my first name in real life. Whoa...).
Author's Note: Hmm. I'm not as fond of this chapter as I am of the others.
Chapter 6
Mokuba was giggling hysterically as Seto tried to calm him down. "When is she going to be here?" he kept asking, a bit too eagerly for his older brother's comfort. His eyes twinkled mischievously and he seemed highly entertained that his brother had actually gone for his idea. ("I knew you would, nii-sama," he had assured the older boy confidentially earlier that day, when Seto had first revealed the events of his rather tumultuous day at school.)
"Not for a while," Seto said, shaking his head. "It's only six. Calm down, Mokuba."
"I get to talk to her before you leave, right?"
"Of course you do." Seto sighed. "Now will you please calm down?"
Mokuba smiled and said amiably, "I am calm, Seto." Seto was stationed at his computer, trying to get as much work done as humanly possible before his 'date' later that evening (and silently cursing both Anzu and the media for putting him into a position where he had to take time off from his company), and as much as he enjoyed his younger brother's company, Mokuba was preventing him from getting a whole lot done.
And Anzu was the last thing Seto wanted to discuss at the moment, anyhow.
"Does she have nice legs?" Mokuba said suddenly.
"What?!" Seto finally turned away from his computer to face his brother.
"Yugi said she was a dancer, or liked dancing or something," Mokuba said innocently. "So I thought maybe she would have nice legs? Since, you know, dancers usually do." Seto thought he saw a faint blush creep onto his brother's cheeks.
The CEO sighed and chuckled a little as he pulled Mokuba into his lap. So much for getting anything done.
"I don't think that is something I can appropriately discuss with someone your age," he informed the younger boy, ruffling Mokuba's already messy dark hair.
Mokuba titled his head back to grin up at his brother, face illuminated by the glow of the computer screen. "That means 'yes,'" he said knowingly.
"That means what it means," Seto informed him tonelessly, with a pointed Look. "And what's more, you don't need to be asking such questions of me. I remind you again that Anzu and I are not really involved in any kind of a romantic relationship at all. We're just posing as a couple until these vicious rumors blow over. Clear?"
"Of COURSE I'm clear," Mokuba said with both a smile and a sigh. "It was my idea, remember?"
"I remember," Seto conceded. "But you're treating this like it's a real date, Mokuba. Which I assure you I will never be going on, with anyone."
Mokuba shook his head. "You only say that now!" he replied.
Seto gently urged Mokuba off his lap. "I say that now and I'm going to stand by it later."
Mokuba laughed. Seto lifted both eyebrows and the little boy's laughter began to die down. "S-Sorry," Mokuba said. He knew his brother always stood by what he said-- well, he knew his brother USUALLY stood by what he said, anyhow-- but he didn't like the idea of Seto not having anyone. Even though Seto had him, of course. But sometimes he wondered if his serious elder brother needed a companion his own age. Especially a pretty female companion who might loosen him up a little.
Mokuba didn't really know if Anzu was the right pretty female companion for his brother, but who knew? Even if she was a friend of Yugi's and the boy his brother repeatedly equated with a dog. Only time would tell, really, if they were actually compatible underneath the apparent mutual dislike. (Although no matter what the older Kaiba insisted, two people with the same hair color could so look good together.)
~
Seto was still working when the doorbell rang. He didn't immediately rise from his seat, and the doorbell rang a few times more, echoing through the large mansion until finally the young businessman snapped, "I'm coming!" even though he knew he couldn't be heard outside.
By the time he'd stormed to the door, however, Seto was mildly surprised to find Mokuba had already allowed Anzu in and was talking animatedly to her. "He says you have nice legs," Mokuba told a blinking Anzu, who apparently did not know what to make of the idea of the CEO complimenting her body.
"Really?" Anzu said finally, shooting a sly glance in the direction of Seto, who just scowled. "What else does he say about me?"
"Uh," Mokuba stammered. He glanced nervously in the direction of his brother, who just put a hand on his hip and waited for Mokuba to answer the girl's question. Mokuba looked back from Seto to Anzu, figuring that whatever he said now would have to be true. "He said you're a witch with a B."
Seto facefaulted. The only thing worse than Mokuba 'repeating' things he hadn't said was Mokuba repeating things he actually had.
But Anzu seemed to take this well enough, yawning a bit and saying, "Your brother would say something like that."
"He also said--"
Now, Seto decided, would be an ideal time to intervene. "That Mokuba will have to stay with a real baby-sitter instead of at the game shop next time if he doesn't behave himself." Seto loathed leaving Mokuba at Yugi's grandfather's shop, but Mokuba seemed to like it there, and Seto would do nearly anything for his brother's happiness.
"He is behaving himself," Anzu responded, patting Mokuba on the head. Mokuba decided she might make a decent big sister after all.
Seto rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. Now get your coat, Mokuba." It wasn't until then that Anzu noticed Seto wasn't wearing his-- his trademark tenchcoat. He was wearing the rest of his usual ensemble, but no trenchcoat-- although he ran up stairs, presumably to grab it.
Anzu found herself trying to decide if he looked better with or without the coat before she realized Mokuba was looking at her oddly and gave herself a mental slap. Kaiba doesn't look better with or without the coat, she tried to convince herself. Kaiba looks like Kaiba no matter what he wears. It's one of his talents, in addition to being a huge jerk.
Anzu, for her part, and tried her best to follow Seto's suggestion at school and was wearing a simple black dress and a pair of sandals.
Mokuba grabbed his coat from the rack near the doorway, chattering about something. Anzu tried to focus on whatever it was he was yammering about, but she couldn't. Of course, Seto's voice cut through her reverie like a knife.
"Let's go," he said, having appeared downstairs again, trenchcoat on. "We'll drop Mokuba off at the game shop, I'll take you out to dinner, and then we'll go back and get him and we can call this whole miserable adventure a night."
"Just dinner?" Anzu ventured. "But I'd like to go to the movies."
'What would be the point of the movies?" Seto retorted, already holding the door open for Anzu and Mokuba. "It's dark. Nobody would see us. We're only doing this to be seen."
"Kids would see us," Anzu replied with a pout as she let Mokuba exit ahead of her. "People from school... they go to the movies a lot."
Seto snorted as he finally stepped out behind them both and let the door slam shut behind him.
As he locked it, he said, "I have no concern for the idiots I happen to attend school with think of me. I'm doing this to get the media off my ass-- nothing more, nothing less. And all WORTHWHILE reporters have better things to do than hang around a theatre..."
Anzu sighed. "Fine, fine," she said. "Let's just go."
"Your wish is my command," Seto said sarcastically as Mokuba's hand found his.
The two of them are not adorable standing there together like that, Anzu told herself.
**
Edit 04/26/2004 -- Thank you, Azurite, for pointing out a little mistake of mine regarding the way Seto addresses Mokuba.
**
CITRUS FRUIT CODE REFERENCE GUIDE!
For those who are interested and don't already know.
Lemon-- indicates a graphic sex scene, be it m/m, f/f, or m/f. Although it was originally used to denote strong homosexual content, it is now widely used to denote strong sexual content of any kind.
Lime-- Somewhere in the same vicinity. Usually indicates some sexual content/implications that are not as hardcore as in a lemon.
Lemon-Scented-- Hints at sex.
PWP-- Stands for Porn Without Plot or Plot? What Plot? and generally refers to a lemon that has no plot at all except for screwing.
Citrus-- Sexual content that is not as strong as in a lemon or a lime.