Disclaimer: Sadly for enough for me, I still don't own "Yu-Gi-Oh!"... even though my secret lab is full of flying pigs. Maybe I'll have to freeze hell over instead -- although Satan's pissed at me already over the whole soul incident, so perhaps that's not such a great idea.
Author's Note: I... have... over... 140... reviews... ! (faints)
Thank-yous go out to Little Priestess, Nikki, HieilovesBotan, PinkStarz, fOX-SPIRIT AKA Y.V, Bunny Meatball/Odango Usagi, Azurite, Marin M, jarjayes, Masked Reviewer, Kaia Lawson, Lily of the Shadow, MotherChowGoddess, DarkShadowFlame, KeikoGurl, Burning Passion, LuCiFeR's DaUgHtEr, tea/anzufan, ShinakaStar, Vaz1201 and Demona, Selena Style, Serenity Komoshiro, Kerrie-chan, Gwen Keely, deoki tenchi, Chi Yagami, Crystalline-Tears, and Mokuba's Official Glomper.
Chapter 8
The comfort level of the booth she was sitting in with Kaiba surprised Anzu. For some reason, she'd expected such a stuffy, formal restaurant to have really unpleasant seating arrangements; stiff chairs and the like. But then again, maybe that was why Kaiba had specifically requested a booth? But Anzu tried to just shrug it off and just enjoy the moment.
Which, despite the comfortable booth, was difficult.
For one thing, she was with Kaiba, who was even grumpier than he'd been at school. She supposed it was partially her fault, especially since he'd mumbled something about how tickling should be made illegal. And for another thing, the place was dimly lit, full of expensive decorations and statuettes, adorned with red velvet in the most illogical places -- the restaurant had an 'expensive' air to it that made Anzu feel out of place.
Her dining companion wasn't helping.
"It costs more money to eat here than a starving artist type like you will ever see in her lifetime," he said as they both sat down. Maybe he was getting revenge. Or maybe he was just being himself. Either way, Seto's words made Anzu more uncomfortable.
I can't screw this up, she thought, I'm already out of my element here. It'll only be worse if I make a fool of myself.
The menus came, and Anzu took hers with some hesitation, smiling bashfully at the waiter -- who was young, and cute, and smiled right back. Seto tried to push back a sudden surge of jealousy, wondering where it had even come from.
When the waiter departed, Seto said harshly to Anzu, "Do you know what you want?"
"Umm... not yet." Smiling to herself, Anzu leisurely pried open the menu.
---
"And just who ARE you all?" the hostess deadpanned, hands on her hips. Her brow was arched and she didn't seem amused by any of the various stories Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda, Bakura and Mokuba had spewed at her.
Honda and Bakura had been lounging in the back of the shop upon Anzu and Kaiba's arrival, although Jonouchi had wasted no time in telling them everything and attempting to recruit their help in 'tailing' Anzu and Seto. Honda had readily agreed and Bakura, although he'd had his qualms and stammeringly voiced them, was won over by the others' good-natured enthusiasm quickly.
"We're, uh...," Mokuba started, and swallowed. "Well, I can tell you we're allowed in! We're with Kaiba Seto. I'm his brother -- I'm Kaiba Mokuba."
"Why don't we just take you to Mr. Kaiba himself and have him tell us who you all are?" she suggested darkly.
Mokuba bit his lip while Jonouchi and Yugi exchanged a glance, Honda swallowed and Bakura squirmed.
Uh-oh.
--
Kaiba nudged Anzu in the ribs, glowering. "Why did you do that?" he demanded heatedly.
"Do what?" Anzu said, genuinely confused. Their menus had already been taken, but their food at not yet arrived.
"Smiled at the waiter like you weren't attached." He almost sounded... sulky? But that was impossible. Anzu just couldn't picture a sulky Kaiba.
She rolled her eyes. "He smiled at me first! It would've been rude not to smile back. Besides," she pointed out, "I'm not attached."
Kaiba just crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. It was almost cute.
No, no -- it WAS cute, if only because it wasn't at all Kaibalike.
Anzu finally turned away from Kaiba, smiling, but immediately turned back. "We're... we're being stared at!" she whispered.
"Of course we are," he said. "You are with me, remember?" The arrogance in his voice was enough to make Anzu want to smack him.
Just then the hostess arrived. "Excuse me," she said. "But these five gentlemen claim to know you. Is that true?"
Yugi and Jonouchi waved shyly from behind the woman, Honda stared at the ceiling and Bakura looked at his feet.
Kaiba's tone had gone from arrogant to murderous. "Yes, I know them! But I only see four," he said. "Are you trying to insult my intelligence?"
"No!" the hostess said hastily. "I -- there was five just a minute ago -- a little one, I swear he was here -- said he was your brother -- "
"What?" Kaiba rose from his chair, startling the poor hostess. "My brother?!" Upon remembering he was being watched by half the restaurant, he lowered his voice a little. "That is impossible. My brother is with that fellow's" -- a gesture in Yugi's generally direction -- "grandfather."
"Well -- all the same," the hostess said, "there WAS another young man. And he said his name was Mokuba!"
For a second Kaiba looked like he was on the verge of a heart attack. "He -- it couldn't be -- I don't believe...."
Suddenly a little boy with scraggly hair came barreling toward them, an angry cook chasing him and waving a frying pan. "AND YOU STAY OUT OF MY KITCHEN AND AWAY FROM FOOD THAT'S NOT YOURS!" the cook warned as Mokuba, forgetting he'd gone in the kitchen to hide from Seto in the first place, clung fiercely to his brother's legs.
Anzu rose too, gently touching Kaiba's arm. The restaurant had gone deathly quiet now, except for the enraged frying pan-waver.
"Mr. Kaiba," the red-faced cook spat, "I'll be expecting you to PAY for everything he ATE!"
"Half a piece of cheesecake," Mokuba snapped, although he didn't let go of his sibling's legs. For a half a second, everything was quite and oddly tense. Then --
"THE MILLENNIUM PUZZLE IS MINE!"
Dark Bakura was pursuing Dark Yugi -- or was it the other way around? -- through the restaurant.
"OVER MY DEAD BODY, TOMBROBBER!"
"YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD, PHARAOH!"
Mokuba screamed. Anzu screamed. Half the women in the place screamed. They ran into the kitchen and the cook screamed.
They're the ones running around the restaurant acting like psychotic freaks, Kaiba thought, so why is everybody staring at me?
Author's Note: I... have... over... 140... reviews... ! (faints)
Thank-yous go out to Little Priestess, Nikki, HieilovesBotan, PinkStarz, fOX-SPIRIT AKA Y.V, Bunny Meatball/Odango Usagi, Azurite, Marin M, jarjayes, Masked Reviewer, Kaia Lawson, Lily of the Shadow, MotherChowGoddess, DarkShadowFlame, KeikoGurl, Burning Passion, LuCiFeR's DaUgHtEr, tea/anzufan, ShinakaStar, Vaz1201 and Demona, Selena Style, Serenity Komoshiro, Kerrie-chan, Gwen Keely, deoki tenchi, Chi Yagami, Crystalline-Tears, and Mokuba's Official Glomper.
Chapter 8
The comfort level of the booth she was sitting in with Kaiba surprised Anzu. For some reason, she'd expected such a stuffy, formal restaurant to have really unpleasant seating arrangements; stiff chairs and the like. But then again, maybe that was why Kaiba had specifically requested a booth? But Anzu tried to just shrug it off and just enjoy the moment.
Which, despite the comfortable booth, was difficult.
For one thing, she was with Kaiba, who was even grumpier than he'd been at school. She supposed it was partially her fault, especially since he'd mumbled something about how tickling should be made illegal. And for another thing, the place was dimly lit, full of expensive decorations and statuettes, adorned with red velvet in the most illogical places -- the restaurant had an 'expensive' air to it that made Anzu feel out of place.
Her dining companion wasn't helping.
"It costs more money to eat here than a starving artist type like you will ever see in her lifetime," he said as they both sat down. Maybe he was getting revenge. Or maybe he was just being himself. Either way, Seto's words made Anzu more uncomfortable.
I can't screw this up, she thought, I'm already out of my element here. It'll only be worse if I make a fool of myself.
The menus came, and Anzu took hers with some hesitation, smiling bashfully at the waiter -- who was young, and cute, and smiled right back. Seto tried to push back a sudden surge of jealousy, wondering where it had even come from.
When the waiter departed, Seto said harshly to Anzu, "Do you know what you want?"
"Umm... not yet." Smiling to herself, Anzu leisurely pried open the menu.
---
"And just who ARE you all?" the hostess deadpanned, hands on her hips. Her brow was arched and she didn't seem amused by any of the various stories Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda, Bakura and Mokuba had spewed at her.
Honda and Bakura had been lounging in the back of the shop upon Anzu and Kaiba's arrival, although Jonouchi had wasted no time in telling them everything and attempting to recruit their help in 'tailing' Anzu and Seto. Honda had readily agreed and Bakura, although he'd had his qualms and stammeringly voiced them, was won over by the others' good-natured enthusiasm quickly.
"We're, uh...," Mokuba started, and swallowed. "Well, I can tell you we're allowed in! We're with Kaiba Seto. I'm his brother -- I'm Kaiba Mokuba."
"Why don't we just take you to Mr. Kaiba himself and have him tell us who you all are?" she suggested darkly.
Mokuba bit his lip while Jonouchi and Yugi exchanged a glance, Honda swallowed and Bakura squirmed.
Uh-oh.
--
Kaiba nudged Anzu in the ribs, glowering. "Why did you do that?" he demanded heatedly.
"Do what?" Anzu said, genuinely confused. Their menus had already been taken, but their food at not yet arrived.
"Smiled at the waiter like you weren't attached." He almost sounded... sulky? But that was impossible. Anzu just couldn't picture a sulky Kaiba.
She rolled her eyes. "He smiled at me first! It would've been rude not to smile back. Besides," she pointed out, "I'm not attached."
Kaiba just crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. It was almost cute.
No, no -- it WAS cute, if only because it wasn't at all Kaibalike.
Anzu finally turned away from Kaiba, smiling, but immediately turned back. "We're... we're being stared at!" she whispered.
"Of course we are," he said. "You are with me, remember?" The arrogance in his voice was enough to make Anzu want to smack him.
Just then the hostess arrived. "Excuse me," she said. "But these five gentlemen claim to know you. Is that true?"
Yugi and Jonouchi waved shyly from behind the woman, Honda stared at the ceiling and Bakura looked at his feet.
Kaiba's tone had gone from arrogant to murderous. "Yes, I know them! But I only see four," he said. "Are you trying to insult my intelligence?"
"No!" the hostess said hastily. "I -- there was five just a minute ago -- a little one, I swear he was here -- said he was your brother -- "
"What?" Kaiba rose from his chair, startling the poor hostess. "My brother?!" Upon remembering he was being watched by half the restaurant, he lowered his voice a little. "That is impossible. My brother is with that fellow's" -- a gesture in Yugi's generally direction -- "grandfather."
"Well -- all the same," the hostess said, "there WAS another young man. And he said his name was Mokuba!"
For a second Kaiba looked like he was on the verge of a heart attack. "He -- it couldn't be -- I don't believe...."
Suddenly a little boy with scraggly hair came barreling toward them, an angry cook chasing him and waving a frying pan. "AND YOU STAY OUT OF MY KITCHEN AND AWAY FROM FOOD THAT'S NOT YOURS!" the cook warned as Mokuba, forgetting he'd gone in the kitchen to hide from Seto in the first place, clung fiercely to his brother's legs.
Anzu rose too, gently touching Kaiba's arm. The restaurant had gone deathly quiet now, except for the enraged frying pan-waver.
"Mr. Kaiba," the red-faced cook spat, "I'll be expecting you to PAY for everything he ATE!"
"Half a piece of cheesecake," Mokuba snapped, although he didn't let go of his sibling's legs. For a half a second, everything was quite and oddly tense. Then --
"THE MILLENNIUM PUZZLE IS MINE!"
Dark Bakura was pursuing Dark Yugi -- or was it the other way around? -- through the restaurant.
"OVER MY DEAD BODY, TOMBROBBER!"
"YOU'RE ALREADY DEAD, PHARAOH!"
Mokuba screamed. Anzu screamed. Half the women in the place screamed. They ran into the kitchen and the cook screamed.
They're the ones running around the restaurant acting like psychotic freaks, Kaiba thought, so why is everybody staring at me?