Disclaimer: I'll own "Yu-Gi-Oh" when pigs fly. So if anyone needs me, I'll be in my secret laboratory, trying to brew a potion which shall enable pigs to fly.
Author's Note: Thanks to ShinakaStar, Bunny Meatball/Odango Usagi, ma-au, Chi Yagami, deoki tenchi, Maia, Anime AngelWings, Lady Dragon 636, Geniusgirl; the Original; jarjayes, Ana, Cerulean no Hime, Serenity Komoshiro, wicked angel grls, Kerrie-chan, Little Priestess, PinkStarz, HieilovesBotan, PackLeaderT, GwenKeely, MotherChowGoddess, tea/anzufan, AkaVertigo, Trust,Faith,Pixidust, Azurite (actually, where I come from, "witch with a B" is just a way to say "bitch" in a situation where 'the b-word' might not be appropriate), Nina.
Chapter 7
They were about a quarter of the way to Yugi's when the elder of the Kaiba brothers voiced his concerns about the entire ordeal, but especially about leaving Mokuba in Yugi's care.
"I don't trust him," he said. "I don't think he and his idiotic grandfather have any idea how to take care of my brother."
Mokuba cuddled up to Seto's side and said placidly, with a little yawn, "It doesn't matter. I can take care of myself anyway."
Anzu crossed her arms over her chest. "They do so! And if you don't trust them, why are you even leaving him there?"
Seto glared at her. "I don't have any other options," he responded with a sneer. "If I could leave him someplace else, believe me, I would." After a brief pause, the CEO said, "And it's not as though I enjoy admitting to you that I'm accepting Yugi's charity, so perhaps if you were half as considerate as you like to think yourself to be, you'd just shut up already."
"You... you... !" Anzu huffed, arms suddenly at her sides, clenched into fists. Seto just smirked. Mokuba looked from one to the other, frowning and thinking this probably wasn't a good way to start their date.
"I... I... ?" Seto prompted, smirk widening.
"You need an attitude adjustment!" said Anzu. She slugged him lightly on the shoulder and turned her back to him.
"Hey," Mokuba said. "Don't hurt him, Anzu. My brother doesn't mean to upset you. Really."
"I'm not hurt, Mokuba," Seto protested. Anzu glanced over her shoulder in time to see an affectionate smile on Seto's lips. A sight that almost gave her a new soft spot for him, at least up until he said, "Besides, a weak female like that couldn't hurt me if she tried."
Anzu fumed inwardly as she turned all the way around. Seto glanced in her direction with a smug expression before turning his attention back to Mokuba.
Oh, how she would've enjoyed wiping that sneer right off his face!
She didn't know what she'd like to see in its place, though. Maybe an actual, genuine smile?
Which might be too much to ask considering it was Seto who was being dealt with here, but still....
"Does your brother ever laugh in non-derogatory way?" Anzu asked Mokuba.
Mokuba blinked. "Huh? You mean like, when I tickle him?"
Tickle him? Wait, what? Seto was ticklish? Anzu never would have guessed....
And judging by the vaguely horror-stricken expression on his face, Seto never would have wanted her to. He pulled Mokuba even closer, as though he hoped his brother could protect him from whatever thoughts Anzu was now having.
"You're ticklish?" she asked.
"No," he replied. He stiffened a little and Anzu wondered if he was just annoyed-- or actually nervous.
"Yes you are," Mokuba said. "Especially when-- " Seto shushed him mid-sentence.
But it was enough information to entertain Anzu. "When what?" she wanted to know.
Seto glanced at his watch, and then out the window. "Hn. We're almost halfway to Yugi's," he said.
"Don't change the subject!" Anzu scolded, before scooting closer, poking him in the ribs.
Seto noticed the spark in her eye. "Don't. You. Dare," he said. Mokuba wriggled out of his older brother's lap and sat on the floor of the limo, looking up at both of them with an amused grin.
"Don't I dare what?" The false innocence in Anzu's voice struck a bad chord in Seto's head. He pushed himself away from her, pressing himself against the back of the seat.
He narrowed his eyes threateningly. "You know exactly what."
Anzu pretended to be offended. "I do not," she said. "I mean, you can't possibly be talking about me not doing this." Then one of her hands shot forward with surprising quickness to dart under the CEO's coat and tickle his stomach.
"Don't!" he said, trying to curl himself into a ball. Anzu grinned and started to climb on top of him, tickling mercilessly. Seto giggled-- giggled! Of all the indignities! Giggling was for grade-school girls!-- and kicked involuntarily. He tried to wiggle out from under her but instead found himself laying on one of his own arms, with Anzu directly on top of him, sitting on his stomach and tickling his sides with both hands.
"Be nice!" she said. Seto shook his head furiously, inwardly hating Anzu for this. He really did loathe being tickled. He tried to shove her off with his free hand, but was forced to withdraw when she took the opportunity to tickle his exposed underarm.
"Be nice!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Nev-- ahh!" She hit a particularly sensitive spot on his right side and he bucked, bringing his hand to his mouth in attempt to stifle his laughter.
"Come on! Just say you'll be nice to my friends and I'll stop...," she wheedled.
She didn't notice the limo pulling to a stop, but Seto did and shrieked, "Stop, stop!"
"Say it!" Anzu said, tickling harder.
"No-o-o! Just stop!"
Mokuba glanced at them with undisguised amusement before opening the limousine door and climbing out. Seto tried to roll away from his tormentor, but found himself too debilitated from laughter to really struggle and cursed quietly under a gasping breath.
Anzu was thoroughly enjoying herself. He had a nice smile, she thought. It was only too bad a cold smirk normally held its place.
"I dunno if you guys know this, but you're doin' that the wrong way."
At the sound of Jonouchi's voice, Anzu abruptly stopped what she was doing. They'd been lying there, door open, with Anzu on top and Seto underneath her, his legs splayed as he kicked occasionally.
"He's s'posed to be on top." Jonouchi pointed. "Not that I'd expect Kaiba to know anything about sex, but-- "
As Seto tilted his head back to look at the people in front of him, Anzu had to wonder how long Yugi, Jonouchi, Mokuba and Yugi's grandfather had been watching them. She was already scrambling to get off when Seto violently pushed her aside, straightening himself up in a desperate attempt to reclaim his usual dignity.
All the same, he went out of his way to avoid making eye contact with any of the others.
"Behave yourself, Mokuba," he said, "and I'll see you soon." He paused briefly before saying, "And I know more about sex than you ever will, mutt." With that, he slammed the door, careful not to show any signs of the distress he was feeling at being seen in such a vulnerable position.
He glowered at Anzu. "Don't you ever do that to me again."
She nodded, blushing. "You... you know what you just said, don't you?"
"No. What?"
"'I know more about sex than you ever will, mutt,'" she repeated. "Don't you think that sounds kind of like... well, you know... like we... ?"
Seto's very-blue eyes widened. "No," he said. "Of course not!" But the expression on his face lead Anzu to believe otherwise.
---
"We should tail 'em," Jonouchi said, after Yugi's grandpa had gone inside the shop. "We should follow 'em. Mokuba knows where they're eatin', doesn't he?"
The younger Kaiba giggled and nodded. "Yeah!"
Yugi frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea," he said, the voice of reason in Anzu's absence. But the others' enthusiasm was catching.