Checkmate

by Winterwing3000

Chess can relate to one's life to another's. And it was a simple love for chess that brought these two together. SetoAnzu Rated accordingly to the theme inside.

Disclaimers: No, they belong to Takahashi Kazuki from Japan, the place that I'm hoping to go once this wretched war and wing of terrorism takes flight from the earth. So yeah!

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Checkmate,

By Winterwing3000

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Anzu rummaged around her junkie closet by the bathroom, looking for a rectangular oak box. She took a confident step back and stood on her tippy-toes to have a better view of the upper shelves, which were higher than within her sight.

"Need help?" A low voice asked from the living room down the hall.

"Mnm... No, you sit there, I found it anyways." The brunette dancer replied to her houseguest, who was sitting patiently on the love seat across from the recliner. There it was, sitting on the highest shelf, looking very dull and doleful. The hinges on its sides were beginning to change into a rusty red color and the dark brown color was fading day by day.

"God must really hate me. How in the world did it get up there anyways?" Anzu mumbled to herself, carefully stepping onto the bottom sill, testing her weight on the fragile board. It groaned and creaked a little when both of her feet were lightly planted on it. She grabbed the frame of the door tightly with one hand, just in case the board gave out and tipped toed again, her other hand searching the top. Her pale fingers brushed faintly against the edge of the box, which was still out of her grasp. Determinedly, Anzu pushed herself a little higher; now her toes were parallel to her knees. The board underneath her gave a low moan as a small spider crack ran towards the front from the end. Just as Anzu's hand firmly took hold on the side of the box the shelf snapped in half.

The girl hugged the box to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut, expecting a painful thud on her backbone as she hits the wooden floor. After a moment, Anzu didn't feel any pain at all, only something hard but soft and comfortable at the same time on her backside. Using her senses, she heard a deep chuckle and... arms wrapped around her waist?! Snapping her blue eyes open, Anzu saw her former classmate and presently boyfriend. Seto Kaiba was looking down at her with dark eyes, glazed with amusement. Currently, his arms supported her upper body but her feet were lazily slanted on the floor, the soles of her feet on the ground. The yellow pikachu slippers that she had on earlier were nowhere on her feet, Anzu expected that they had flown off somewhere in the hall.

"So, you did find it. And there I thought that you had ran away from me." The boy said, a hint of amusement in his deep tone.

"And why would you think that?" Anzu muttered dryly, pulling herself up to her height.

"That you'll lose to me again, Apricots." He said, taking the box from her and walked towards the end of the hall that leads them to the kitchen and the living room. It was a little nickname that he had given her, after they went past the first level of dating.

"I'm merely determined to beat you in chess as you are in defeating my best friend." She retorted, trailing behind him, straightening out her blue-stripped button up shirt. Abruptly, the brunette boy in front turned around and looked at her with a serious face. Not really looking, Anzu accidentally bumped into Seto's chest.

Tilting her head up, Anzu looked directly into the glaring icicle eyes. A momentary pause intercepted them as they both stared into their mirroring eyes. Emotions were flashing rapidly in Seto's blue eyes. Anger, disappointment, hate, darkness. The girl shuddered and felt a chilling tingle travel from her legs to her arms. Seeing this, the CEO's eyes softened around the corners.

"Are you ill?" He asked, pushing her auburn bangs back as he placed a hand on her forehead.

"I'm fine." She said, taking a deep breath.

"Well, why don't we start the game already?" Anzu said, her mood changing instantly. A small smile formed at the corner of his lips. "Sure."

They entered the large living room and headed towards the glass coffee table. Seto took the seat that he previously abandoned to catch his girlfriend from earning a bruised back and gently putted the chess set on the table. Anzu pulled the recliner closer to the table and flipped the lock on the box open, revealing thirty-two chess pieces. Sixteen black, sixteen white; the matching colors on the sixty-four squares of the game board.

"Black or white?" The girl asked, taking the two sets out and setting them on the surface of the table.

"White." Seto answered very predictably, smirking at her. The dancer rolled her eyes at he and shoved the white pieces towards him.

"Why did I even bother?" She mumbled, turning the board right side up. Quickly, she arranged her own black pieces on the oaken surface as Seto. As always, Anzu stuck her hand out and Seto took it. Before the game would start, they would shake on something ridiculous (Seto, being the more mature one would always comment on Anzu's crazed ideas). This time, Anzu grinned childishly at the brunette boy, which Seto took it as a bad sign.

"I suppose that you've devised something terrible this time with that look on your face." Seto said suspiciously at his girlfriend, leaning forward on his knees. Anzu drew back and mocked an appalled expression, placing her right hand on her left breast.

"Now why would you think that, Setty?" She scoffed teasingly. One intricate eyebrow rose on Seto's expressionless face. Setty? What was that? A petname? She was comparing him to that... 'Mutt'? Inside, Seto knew that she hadn't meant any harm, but still... measuring him up to that third rate duelist? How dare she! Though his face betrayed no emotion, aside from the brow, those deep blue eyes showed Anzu all that she needed to know. Automatically, the girl burst into a small fit of giggles.

"You should... have a... look of your... eyes! Oh my gods... it's just so... hahaha... gosh I... can't even say it!" The brunette girl gripped her sides, which were aching by now from all the laughing. The recliner was rocking slowly as Anzu tried to stifle her laughter, even though her shoulders were slightly shaking.

Seto scowled darkly as he saw how hard the girl was giggling. "I'm please to be SUCH a HUMOROUS subject to you." Her laughing didn't make the uneasy thoughts of being compared to Jounouchi any better. It made him feel more insulted and Seto hated how one bubbly cheerleader could do that to him.

Finally, after a little over two minutes, Anzu stopped and peered at her furious looking boyfriend. His face was in a deep angry scowl, eyes narrowed into blue-ish black-ish slits. Feeling sad, the brunette girl paddled over to Seto and crouched down to his eye level. "I'm sorry Seto." She whimpered, only to receive silence.

"Please Seto! Don't be mad at me. It was just...sudden. You never ever looked that upset when Yuugi beats you in a duel." Soon, she realized that that was the wrong thing to say. Seto's eyes leered at her with iciness and he spoke dangerously.

"You would never understand Anzu. How it is like being a failure to yourself and your goal." Anzu's blue eyes were widened with a small amount of fear. The atmosphere between them felt... cold and numbing. Trembling a little, the girl pulled her lead-feeling arms and comfortingly wrapped them around his neck and buried her head in his chest.

"Can we just forget this and pretend that this didn't happen? After all, I dragged you out of your office so you could spend some time with me. Unless you love your work more than your girlfriend." Anzu murmured sadly inside his shirt. Sighing, the boy nodded and Anzu flashed him a 100-watt smile before heading back to her seat.

"Hm..." Anzu sat there thinking hard. "I know! You have to not physically touch me for a week! Starting now!" Seto looked at her as if she grew another head. Anzu cocked her head to one side. "What?"

"I'm your boyfriend, how can you EXPECT me NOT to touch YOU?" Seto emphasized calmly, glaring at her. The girl only gave him a cheesy grin and blew him a raspberry.

"Aw, come on. Stop complaining Seto and just start the game. The pieces are getting cold." Anzu sat back as she waited for him to move one of his pawns, like always. Immediately, the CEO moved the pawn in front of his King to E4. Anzu, acting like a mirror, copied him, sending her black pawn to block movement of the white one.

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The brunette girl was walking up the campus road, saying and waving good morning to her fellow classmates. The sun was extremely bright for a September morning, but a light chill settled in the city. Entering the front of the building, Anzu walked past the main office and saw something abnormal there. A small crowd was gathered at the school bulletin, murmuring and buzzing about the newest extracurricular clubs. Deciding that it wasn't very important, she walked by but Anzu tilted her head when she heard the word 'chess'. Gently, Anzu forced her way through the mini group, finding her way right in front of the board bombarded with flyers.

"Love chess, yes? Got talent for it, yes? Then join! Meet new people, new teachers, new strategies and new challenges! All meetings are held at Monday and Wednesday after school to seven. Payment of only twenty yen per month, to be donated to the Tokyo Orphanage." The dancer read curiously.

Anzu, being a chess-lover ever since her granddad taught her around the age of five, took a loosed ticket from the plain flyer. "First meeting, Wednesday 12th at room B-2 after school."

So it was today. She could fit this into her schedule. After all, she only had dancing on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Then there was the part time job she had on Sundays. Yes. She could definitely do it, Anzu DID need to finish her community time and joining the school club would work off half of what she had left by the third semester.

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The last bell rang, signaling their dismissal. Anzu let out a sigh of relief. She thought that the bell would never ring. Quickly, she picked up her books and headed out into the busy halls, towards her lockers. Earlier, Anzu had explained to her friends that she would be busy from now on with all the things inside her hectic calendar. Yuugi, Jou and Honda understood what she meant for they too have a lot planned for themselves this year.

Yuugi was holding a small dueling club of his own, since the headmaster approved of his skills (Not to mention that the headmaster was a big fan of his). The world champ decided to teach other kids, who were interested in the game of Duel Monsters like him, about the skills and knowledge of the now famous game. Honda and Jou both signed up for the wrestling team, seeing as they were former fighters and wanted to polish their fighting skills.

Unlocking her lock, Anzu hurriedly dispatched her books and filled her nearly empty school bag with what she need for home assignments. The girl rushed up the second floor, passing some teachers who were looking out of their rooms and said a fast 'konnichiwa' and 'sayonara'.

Finally, Anzu reached her destination. B-2. There was a rumor that the homeroom teacher was a psychotic old man that scrapped eyeballs out of the naughty and disruptive students. The thought of rolling eyeballs in acidic liquid sent unpleasant shivers down her spine. Taking a calming breath, Anzu slid the door and went in. Inside the room, there were two teachers; one male and female hold two medium sized boxes. Sitting down on the classroom tables were the mostly boys and only two girls, including herself. Some of the boys she knew and some of them don't. But the one sitting at the farthest corner of the room looked oddly familiar. The brunette girl squinted to see the person better. Damn she needed glasses, or at least contacts. Anzu walked over near the end of the classroom and sat near the side of the door.

"Bien, vous aimes le non d'échecs? Autrement vous ne seriez pas ici! (1)" The fluent foreign language teacher said rapidly in French. Most of the students in there that didn't have a clue of what she said, gave her a blank look. The history teacher next to her merely sweat dropped and tapped her on the shoulder, whispering into her ear. Ms. Forêtier cocked her head to one side before blushing. She gave an embarrassed smile to the students before apologizing. "I'm very sorry! As you know, I'm Ms. Forêtier, the French teacher of the seniors, so I always get mixed up with my language without knowing."

"And I'm Mr. Kinomoto. As you know, this is the new chess club and it seems that we have quite a few members already. Anyways, an attendance list is being rotated around the room so please sign your name, contact number or email and your homeroom please." The auburn-hair teacher said, placing a pen and paper in front of the boy that was closest to him.

"To get started, why don't we get to know each other a bit, hm? You can start by telling us why you decided to join this club. We'll go from the back to the front. Young lady in the black hair, you the one with the orange pins." Ms. Forêtier said, pointing at an exchange Chinese student. "I joined chess because..."

Anzu didn't bother paying attention. The white sheet of paper with lists of names landed on her table anyways. Uncapping the blue pen, the girl read the names off of the list, stopping now and then when she remembered a familiar name or homeroom. Toya Kinomoto... hrm, wonder if he and Mr. Kinomoto are related? Xi Xang, must be the Chinese girl. Nope don't know him, or him, or him... Seto Kaiba... nope I don't kn—HOLD UP!

The dancer reread the list from top to bottom. Every time she was near the end of the sheet, there was his name. The 'Seto Kaiba'. The multi-millionaire with one of the largest chaining company here?! In this wimpy chess club? Who would've thought that the ignorant, cold-blooded, ice faced jerk would actually enjoy something so NORMAL other than his technology and work? Lifting her head up, Anzu scanned the room for him and found him sitting idly in the corner of the room, typing leisurely on his platinum Sony laptop. As if he felt someone's eyes on him, Seto turned his head and locked eyes with the brunette girl.

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The white knight, which was the side of the king, behind his pawn and waited for the next move of their opponent. The black pieces firmly sent their bishop that was right next to it's king to A4, ending their turn.

Smoothly, the white knight came from behind the white pawn and settled itself next to the black pawn; chin high in the air, looking brave and noble. Wryly, the black pieces were once again confident and moved the pawn that was currently resting on G7 once space forward.

The white horse piece took the bait and went to G7, checking the king. Slyly, the black king moved himself to F8, escaping the threat and trapping the knight in its place.

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"Okay guys, that would be for today. Next time, we'll be pairing you into twos by the levels that you play at. And do not worry yourself whether you're just an amateur or a champion. The game of chess relies on your knowledge and your patience. So practice! Practice makes perfect as they say!" Ms. Forêtier said, giving them a bright smile, as Mr. Kinomoto packed away all the chessboards and sealed the pieces in a plastic zip lock bag.

Anzu quickly turned her eyes to see if the boy sitting five desks next to her was still there. To her surprise, he wasn't. She hadn't seen him leave out the door. Was it possible that he could jump out the window? After all, she saw a boy from an anime show jumped out the window without harm. (Even though he was magical and Seto Kaiba wasn't, but it could still be a possibility!) "Which way are you looking at Mazaki?" An icy tone pierced through her thoughts.

The girl snapped her head to face the teal-blue shirt, overlapped by a navy blue trench coat. As her cerulean eyes traveled upwards, Anzu took in every detail of the shirt. Black white buttons that looks like a small dot of chocolate and vanilla blend ice cream. The faintest wrinkles along the sides, even though it looks newly ironed. The rectangular card locket was settled in the middle of his chest, right next to his heart, and a leather string circled around his neck. At the neckline, a visible end of thread hung limply above his skin. Then there was his sharp chin, the high cheekbones, the centered nose, the thin lips, those thick luscious brown bangs and those emotionless eyes.

Unwillingly, she felt lost in those attractive eyes. Even though she has seen him many times, there was always something that she would miss, his handsomely cut face and the deep dark eyes. Anzu felt her face heat up. Why was this happening? Was it just because she thought of the obvious? Just because she thought Seto Kaiba was handsome and possibly even sexy with that smirk that formed on his face? Oh boy, he had caught her thinking about him... especially with that smirk on his face.

"Eek. Um... hi?" The girl squeaked. Who wouldn't feel intimidated by the height differentiation that they were at? Not to mention the naughty thoughts that was now speeding over 200m/second inside her head. A brow only rose at her nervous hello and the smirk stayed in tact.

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Grimly accepting that they needed a sacrifice, mainly directed to the knight, the white ceramic colored pawn before the queen stepped up one, landing itself on D3. Figuring that something was feeling ominous, the black pieces took caution and shifted the king to E7, not falling into the hands of the opposite color... as of yet.

Having Plan A failing (even though it was a relief that they needn't to sacrifice their useful and loyal knight), the white pieces set another cunning trap, this time probably have a greater chance of success. The bishop that stood next to the queen headed to G6 and once more, the white checked the black. Haughtily, the black king escaped the grasp of the bishop and the knight by sliding into D6. Currently forgetting one flaw in their move... the queen was left defenseless and was opened to the white bishop.

Gladly, the white bishop skidded in front of the queen and took her place, sending her to the sidelines. Regretfully at not watching the move, the black pieces mourned for their pieces and started to stumble carelessly. Without their hardheaded queen, it was impossible to win, unless they don't start a mad and chaotic rampage. Calmly, they regained their senses and started to formulate a new plan. First starting with conquering the white bishop and the white knight. The rook on G8 set itself on H7, preparing an assault that the white pieces wouldn't forget.

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Anzu quietly took the seat across Seto and looked down at the glass table. As a waiter walked by to take their orders, Seto asked for a cup of black coffee and Anzu just wanted a cup of green tea. They were currently sitting in a corner café, the La Coupole, after Seto insisted that they "talk". However, seeing him busying himself on his laptop, there wasn't much to exchange between them. When their orders arrived, Anzu watched from underneath her bangs as the boy instinctively took the ceramic mug and drank from it, eyes glued the screen. Uncertainly, Anzu took her cup of steaming tea and sipped quietly, taking in everything of the mini restaurant.

It looked like the one that she visited with Yami no Yuugi, no Atemu, three years ago. And that was one heck of a date, or at least to her it was. Even though hanging out at a card shop, park, arcade and then ending the day with a duel over a silly date wasn't the best things to do during a date, Anzu still cherished that day in her heart. Especially now since he's back where he belongs, back in Egypt with his spirit at rest. Inside, the girl gave a longing sigh. She's been missing him ever since they're last and final meeting. Every night, fervent dreams plagued her in her sleep and unreasonable visions of him pops out every time she passes a familiar place.

"What's with the sudden silence Mazaki? Usually you chatter like an endless recording, so what did I do to learn this unexpected change?" Seto asked, smirking cunningly at her.

Frowning a little, Anzu wanted to snap back but thought better than to do something in public. Instead, she sighed in a sad way and took a long drought of her drink. Now Seto had a brow rose. Generally, the girl was put out some sort of retort against his words and soon or later, it would be developed into a one-sided argument. But... this was untypical. Not a single word came out of that petty mouth of hers. He leaned back on his cushioned seat, looking over his desktop screen and straight at her downcast face.

"What do you want Kaiba? I don't have time for this. My friends are waiting for me at the arcade, so if you invited me out for this, then thank you. But I have to go." Anzu murmured softly, taking out a few bills and placed them next to her half-drunk tea.

Seto watched as the girl stood up and bent to grab her bag. "Sit down Mazaki, I invited you here to talk... about Mokuba." He said grimly.

The dancer came to a sudden halt when she heard him mention his brother. Turning her head to look at him, Anzu saw that he wasn't joking around. There was a lurking sadness beneath those sapphire ices and a hint of ... needing aid? Hesitantly, Anzu sat down and folded her arms on her lap.

"Is there... something wrong with him?" She asked worriedly. Anzu knew that it wasn't really her place to act like a mother hen over the young Kaiba, but she couldn't help but feel that he was like her little brother, her late little brother that she had failed to protect during the fire. And now, she didn't want Mokuba to face the same fate as him. Nor did she want Kaiba go through the hell that she faced after Tanaka died.

"There would be problems if you don't agree to this." Seto said. "I was informed by the government that I was under aged and is an illegal parental figure for Mokuba. And I am to send him to find him a foster home until I can find a suitable motherly figure to take care of him."

"Hold up Kaiba. You mean that the government would be taking Mokuba away from you just because you're under aged? You're 19 for god's sake! Can't you just have a trial for this?" Anzu interrupted confusedly. Seto gave her a glare for being cut off from his whole explanation.

"If you would just listen to me for a moment, you'll understand what I'm trying to ask. I need to have a LEGAL marriage for the time being until the government can see that Mokuba is fine under my watch and care. And other than you, I see no other women capable of taking care of my little brother. Other than me, Mokuba feels more comfortable with you and is familiar with you. And this could also be your repayment to me for saving your life during my first tournament, if you recall." The CEO explained, snapping shut the laptop and waiting for an answer from the stunned Anzu.

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The white pieces examined their battleground so far. For now, they had the upper hand, but what was coming could and should be easily predicted. After all, they prided themselves for having the chess champion directing them. The white bishop moved to E7, checking the king again. To avoid unnecessary piece removing, the humane human looked over the field, watching and checking over the foreshadowed traps. Seeing none at present, the black king went to C6 and waited for the countermove.

The white queen floated to G4 and waited. This was a simple careless slip of hand, a move of a naïve child. Had Seto Kaiba thoroughly watched his right hand, his queen would've avoided the terrible fate that he had just placed her in. The black knight was in position to take her down with one trample. With mocking gratefulness, the black horse head zipped an 'L-shape' and took over G4. Oh how one would ponder to how this highly intelligent man would be snared by a fool's mind? How one with such great strategizing mind would have oily fingers and let his best piece be manipulated?

Sighing, Seto moved the pawn that was sitting cold on D3, to D4, using it as a sacrifice to allow free passage to his other bishop that was waiting quietly next to his king. In his mind, he mentally executed his moves and smirked in triumph as he noticed that he would need to sacrifice a great deal to rid the field of that treacherous knight that was zooming around the board. Anzu undecidedly took over D4 with her pawn and saw the empty road for the other white bishop to move. It was unlike Seto to be so... generous. Usually, they never underestimated each other's skills, since they were very compatible in this game. Taking this sign of generosity as a warning signal, Anzu determinedly thought out a well-figured plan.

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Anzu fidgeted in the white lacy summer dress. The itchy lace was bothering her skin and she resisted tearing it apart in front of the tailor. Two weeks ago, Seto Kaiba had come to her for help. Well, now more like for a 'proposal' for her quote on quote: hand in marriage. At the café, she told him that she need time to think it over and he gave her three days. However, the three days went by like nothing. Anzu had taken things into consideration.

Number one, she was 18. And according to the laws, she was officially an adult, free to do as she pleases and freed from permanent adult supervision. Number two; she was going on to her second year of college in four months. Number three, never in a million years would she let something like this happen to Mokuba or any other little children who relied solely on their older siblings for love and comfort. But there were some down sides to this too. If she agrees to marry Kaiba, her name would probably be printed on every newspaper (that she could think of, hopefully, it wouldn't spread throughout the world). Then what would her friends think of her? About her? There was an option of keeping this whole thing a secret, but it wasn't the easiest thing to do.

Nevertheless, Anzu would never let something like this befall on the Kaiba brothers. This method, it just doesn't seem... right. It was right to separate a family who has been counting on each other for survival through the harsh times of life. So, Anzu decided that she WOULD marry him just for Mokuba's sake, though there were some things that need to be taken care of. They've thoroughly discussed the matters that had been concerned by the both of them.

Seto promised her that it would be a private wedding and no one was to know it except the witness (who is it going to be is still undecided), the priest, Mokuba and themselves. He also told her that they would have separate lives. They both would have different finances (she currently works as an accountance), bedrooms and Anzu could choose on whether she wanted to keep her last name or not. And for the date, they set it for the end of the June, which was only five days away. He said the sooner the better, before the government officials takes Mokuba away from him. After that, he promptly gave her a golden ring with three tiny diamonds embedded in the center. She wore it every day now, to school, to work, to dance, to practically everywhere.

Now, he brought her to a wedding dress shop personally with a maid to find a dress suitable for the wedding occasion. Seto was on the other side of the store with Roland checking out the tuxedos. "Miss Anzu. Don't you think Mr. Kaiba would love this dress?" The handy girl said, admiring the lithe dancer in the dress.

It was the traditional color with a delicate lily design at the hem and the veil was a simple crown of daisy chains with a gauzy looking cover. The design she loved, but the laciness was bothering her so MUCH! She preferred the white dress that was on display, which looked so much more comfortable to the eye. But then again, Kaiba was paying the bill for all this. It would be rude to act the way she was feeling, even though she did bring this upon herself. Sighing, Anzu gave the young maid a smile before turning her gaze to the tailor. "Could I please try on other dresses first? I want to see which would match my fiancée better." The to-be-bride said with a hesitant grin.

The tailor nodded and brought Anzu over to some of the newest styled wedding gowns. Browsing and picking a few, the maid carried them like fragile glass and followed. After an hour of fitting and debating, Anzu concluded that the simple knee-length, X-neckline dress would be nice for the summery day. It was thick enough to cover her undergarments and it had a plain print of lilacs on the hem. The material of the top was chiffon with lines of pearls and waist down was silk.

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Seto was unhappily changing out and into tuxedos as his butler gave out suggestions and compliments to each one. The first one was criticize as too old timed (having the cowboy movies' tie). The second one made him look too old, since it was styled in the turning of the Renaissance. The third and fourth one nearly exploded, being too tight and small on him. Until Seto had a vein popping out of his forehead, they stopped him from changing and decided to just take his measurements and make him one.

By the time they were done, the girls were waiting at the counter with a small bag in hand. The tailor and seamstress murmured to each other, calculating the price and the tax due to the timing that the suit and gown was needed. Nodding on a decision, the tailor showed Seto the bill and the CEO cashed it.

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Anzu was nervous to the pit of her stomach. Was this how her cousin felt when she was getting married? Was Kaiba feeling the same thing? Because if he isn't than curse him. Why did she have to be nervous for the both of them? It was the day of the wedding and following the tradition; Anzu and Seto were kept in different rooms.

The maid that had went with her to collect the wedding dress was fussing behind her, trying variety of possibilities of hairstyles that would satisfy the wedding gown. Another maid, probably the oldest of the Kaiba house staff, was dusting light dashes of make-up on her face. "Do you have what you need for your marriage to Master Kaiba?" The old lady said.

Anzu looked at her quizzically, "What I need?"

Surprised, the elder nodded and explained. "You will need something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Your daisy hair pins are perfectly new, so that's one thing off of the list."

"And I'm wearing an old pair of bracelets that my grandmother gave to my mother. So I just need something borrowed and something blue." Anzu thought with a frown. Where could she find such things in such a tight spot? The wedding would be starting in only fifteen minutes!

"Well, you can borrow my sapphire stone necklace that I have with me." The younger maid said, unclipping the necklace and fastened it around Anzu's small neck.

"And I'll be right back with the blue. I know just the place." The young girl said, rushing out of the room and looking for the boys. When she found the Reverend, talking with her Master Kaiba about the fee, she coughed quietly and caught their attention. Walking over to the cleric, she whispered something incoherent and the priest nodded, producing a blue clean handkerchief from his shirt and gave it to the girl.

Just as she had come, the maid immediately disappeared down the dimly lit hallway. Seto wondered if they were ready, since it was nearly time for the ceremony to take place. Mokuba was sitting down on one of the plushy leather sofas by the altar with his head buried inside his arms. His butler, Roland was waking over to the little boy and roused him from his slumber. His little brother yawned tiredly and rubbed the sleepiness out of his eyes and tried to straighten out his creased white tux. When the grandfather clock struck seven (in the morning), Seto heard a click and some tiny discussion. He saw a faint outline of the three women walking out from the shadows and what he saw next nearly, NEARLY, made him breathless.

Anzu was dressed in her lilac gown flourished with chains of pearls that brought out her pale complexion. The daisy chains on her head looked like a halo for her angelic face, which was powdered and dashed with little cosmetics. Around her neck was a tiny sapphire necklace that went very well with her eyes and the blue cloth. That handkerchief that the maid had taken from the Reverend was fastened in her soft chocolate brown hair along with the flower pins.

As she settled next to him, the Reverend smiled sincerely at the two and opened the holy book that was perched on the podium.

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The white bishop that was still in place moved to E2, protecting and positioning himself for an attack on the black knight that was waiting idly on G4. Seeing that it was being targeted, the sable knight set itself in front of the white pawn on E5, catching onto the enemies' plan of conquer and victory. They could counter easily, but the biggest problem was that they needed to surrender some of their men in order to gain the upper hand. Oh well... chess is a game of winning by making required oblations. Smirks were exchanged between the two players as their plans intercepted one another.

The king and his side of the rook castled, now next to each other on squares F1 and G1 (with the king next to the right corner of the chessboard). Not even thinking twice, the black pawn from D4 stepped up one, now on D3 and fate awaited him. The white bishop quickly took charge and knocked the piece off the board as the black knight took the bishop the second it took D3. Without hesitance, the pawn on C3 took the knight.

The black bishop that was on A4 moved to C4, now diagonally in place and was ready to take down the pawn that took the black knight. The white foot soldier on E5 advanced one, standing two spaces away from their remaining white bishop. The black bishop was very much obliged to take the white chessman, as he targeted the castled rook next. Feeling a bit overpowered, the white army decided to force their opponent's hand by sending their B1 knight to D2.

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Sighing lightly, Anzu watched as the moving people carried her things up to her new room in her new 'home'. Only three hours ago, she had gotten married with the Seto Kaiba in a small secluded house-like-church with Mokuba, the two maids and Roland, the butler, as witnesses that the ceremony took place. They signed a legal certificate and exchanged rings to signify their marriage. And now, she was out of her gown, in casual clothing and supervising the move in.

The room that Kaiba had given to her for living was the adjoining master bedroom to his. The room was facing the backyard or the labyrinth, seeing that it was built like one, and the walls were painted in blue cornfield scenery, giving Anzu a sense of freedom and tranquility. The spacious area, however, was empty, aside from the queen sized canopy bed and the bureau. The closet was larger than needed, the curtains were a little dusty (since no one really stays at the Kaiba Mansion) and the bed was choppy.

When Mokuba was told that she would be living with them for the time being due to the situation at hand, the little boy, well not so little if you consider a twelve year old little, was nearly jumping for joy until Kaiba flashed him a stern look to keep the boy in check. Immediately, Mokuba threw his arms around the girl and gave her a tight warming hug, welcoming her to the family as his 'big sister'. The little boy glanced over to his older brother, eyes asking him to join the family hug. At first, Seto declined it before walking over to them and locked them into his arms. He needed to act as a 'husband' to Anzu sooner or later, even though it was temporary. So why not start now?

A light blush covered her cheeks when she felt her face being pressed against the chest of her 'husband'. Such intimidating actions were foreign to Anzu. Even though there were many times that she had given and received hugs from her guy friends, this was different. It was a sign of... being a family. Little arms wrapped around her waist, a larger hand around her shoulders and each of hers wound around both of the brothers. It felt... soothing and heartwarming. Should outside people see this (considering that they don't know the stakes at hand), rumors of a family in the Kaiba household would be spreading like wildfire.

Anyhow, Mokuba sighed contently now that he has both a brother and sister to receive love and comfort from. And that now his big brother can learn to love someone his own age and someone other than him.

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It took Anzu a few hours to adjust to her new settings. First of all, she didn't really know where everything was. A couple of times, she wandered aimlessly around the mansion just to find her room or the bathroom. And forgetting that her room was right next to Kaiba's (she thought the door was a storage room instead of the door connecting the bedrooms), Anzu accidentally walked in on him changing his shirt. Creating four new shades of red, the girl quickly apologized and slammed the door shut before Kaiba asked her anything. For the rest of the day, boy did she had a hard time forgetting how sexy and god-like Seto Kaiba had looked without a shirt on.

Whenever she saw him, whether they were alone or not, Anzu would have that naught thought chanting in her head, thus warming the blood in her cheeks. During dinner, Mokuba stared oddly at from his brother to his new sister. "Is there something wrong, Anzu?" he asked.

Shaking her head, Anzu told him no. "I'm just trying to get used to living in such a big house. And this is just a really big change you know. I always have been living by myself and now, I'm living with you guys. I also have another brother to watch over too, which surprised me because... well, never mind. Anyways, you two want some desert? I made some chocolate parfait and it's chilling in the freezer."

As the girl got up and went into the kitchen to get the ice cream, Seto was astounded. Was Mazaki born an orphan with a brother? How could she keep those disheartened and manipulating feelings inside of her? Why and how does she cover herself up with such... happiness and liveliness? Doesn't it hurt her, causing her to hurt herself?

The chain of thoughts was broken when Anzu came back one hand holding three wine glass cups of parfait and the other hand with napkins and spoons. Cheerfully, the girl handed them both a cup and placed her own on the table and then distributed the spoons and napkins. Unashamedly, Mokuba said, "Anzu, you had a brother and was an orphan like me and Seto?"

Startled like, Anzu clumsily dropped her spoon to the ground, when Mokuba mentioned the word brother. "Sorry." She mumbled, bending to pick it up from the floor and wiped it clean with her napkin.

Anzu refused to make eye contact with the two boys, as she attentively rubbed her spoon spotless and sparkling. Finally, heaving a calm breath, she looked up and as expected, two pairs of sibling eyes were staring inquiringly at her, waiting for a response that would fill their hungry thoughts. Sighing, the brunette girl gave in and started her explanation. "I was an orphan like you and Kaiba, yes. But it was after my brother died from a fire back when I was only three. I went to an orphanage in Kyoto and was sent from foster home to foster home until I was sent to Tokyo's orphanage at the age of eight. And I lived there till I was sixteen when I found a suitable job and was able to keep a stable amount of money to buy an apartment in the heart of the city. Then I met Yuugi and the rest is history."

Both of the boys were left breathless as she finished summarizing her long tale. Who knew that this girl would actually be suffering from something worser than them? They were considered fortunate compared to the girl, who was now silent and idly poking at her ice cream with her spoon. Seto felt some strings being tugged inside his heart. This emotion was... unusual. It was like a pluck of a cello, vibrating a low and woeful sound.

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"ANZU!" Mokuba, who woke up at the break of dawn, jumped into the mass of blankets on the bed. The tower groaned and shook the little boy off, revealing a very groggily looking girl with disheveled auburn hair and rumpled Babu pajamas. Anzu rubbed her eyes before opening them fully, glaring sleepily at Mokuba.

"Ugh, what time is it Mokuba?" She asked, voice parch and hoarse. The digital numbers on her clock was in a jumble and the 'alarm' was still on. Turning her head away from the clock, she peered bleary at the curtains. It looked as dark as it could get; the morning sun probably hasn't even risen. And that sleep was SO good too! Not to mention that weird dream... hm... what was it about again? Oh yeah an oversized chess game. And somehow, she was the queen of the black and her rival; the white king was distinguishingly familiar. However, the shadows cast by the fire was darkening and didn't give enough light to show his face.

"It's five in the morning Anzu! Come on! Please sis? You promised me that you were going to help me today! The kids from the orphanage are coming soon! We only have twelve hours and fifty-three minutes to prepare the Halloween retreat for them!" The high-spirited boy exclaimed in a hushed whisper. The dancer fell back to her fluffy pillows and suppressed a groan. Of course! How could she have forgotten?! Two weeks ago, Mokuba was endlessly ranting about bringing the kids from the homeless center and have a celebration with them. Kaiba had agreed to allow the children masquerade and signed a sum of a few hundred-dollars check for supplies and anything necessary. Anzu sighed when she remembered the expression that he plastered on his face. A look of distant memories haunting him with an on going series of emotions visibly coming and going in his azure eyes.

"I'm up Mokuba, so why don't you go and freshen up while I change and cook breakfast for us both and then we'll go shopping." The girl said gently, seeing that the boy was still in his Duel Monsters PJs and fuzzy Blue Eyes White Dragon slippers. Smiling cheerfully, Mokuba nodded and sped out of the room, only to zip back and tell her something.

"And could you make pancakes please? With blueberries?" The young Kaiba said, with a light of hope shining in his eyes. Laughing lightly, Anzu nodded and smiled. It was very interesting to be living with a family... and maybe it would get more exciting.

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After coming home around noon, Anzu and Mokuba worked dedicatedly around the parlor and living room of the mansion. Black and orange streamers were hung in loops on the perches of the room. Fake cotton cobwebs were stuck on the corners, laced upon the large, carved jack-o pumpkins. Cardboard black cats were planted next to the pumpkins, each doing a different activity. When it came to the bats and ghouls, Mokuba and she decided that they should tape them to the walls, which was until Seto Kaiba came in and took over. When he saw them holding those terrifying creatures (putting it in a little kid's perspective, they'll pass out with one glance) and the stool ladders near the walls, Seto immediately asked what they were going to do with those things.

"We're putting them up for decoration. It is Halloween Kaiba," Anzu replied skeptically to his question. "It is the time where evil and the un-living spirits walk abroad the world of the living. So that's what these are for. The bats represents the hideous souls of the vampires and the ghouls are for the empty zombies that walks in fuc—."

The girl didn't finish her sentence as a large hand clamped over her mouth. Turning her head, Anzu saw daggers piercing her. Then remembering that she was about to let loose a nice string of colorful words, she gave him a nervous smile from underneath his hand. Swatting it away, the girl gave him an apologetic look before restarting the silly quarrel.

"Why shouldn't they?"

"Because it's my house you're living in!"

"These are tradition Kaiba!"

"Those things are NOT going onto the wall as long as you're in my house."

"Why not?! It's a SCARY holiday. You're supposed to have these things around!"

"That's the main point. The kids from the orphanage are YOUNG! YOUNGER that Mokuba! They can't handle those things!" The CEO seethed, pointed menacingly at the glow-in-the-dark pictures.

Stunned by his deep anxiety of the little children's mental being, the corners of her eyes softened. Sighing, Anzu nodded, but held a part of the line. "I won't put these things on the wall, however, the witches and spiders go up. Agreed?"

Seeing that she would win one way or another, Seto reluctantly nodded his head and stalked away only to catch a faint statement and crash.

"You two fight like you're really married Anzu."

And there goes the crash of paper-plastic decorations and tumbling of a stool.

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After a momentary pause, the black bishop and white rook was whisked away to the sidelines. Soon, there was a small out break between the chessmen. The black pawn on D7 went up one and was taken by the bishop. Then the bishop was tackled by another black pawn. And from there, the white pawn on E5 took the black pawn on D6, which in the end was eaten by the black king himself.

Anzu sighed exhaustedly. This game was getting more interesting than she estimated and her brain cells were getting tired. "It's noon already. You want to rest for a while, while I get some lunch for us?" The dancer suggested, looking at her concentrated boyfriend.

Seto tore his penetrating gaze from the game and into Anzu's baby blue eyes. For a moment, his eyes flickered to the owl resembling clock and indeed, it was three minutes and fifteen... no wait twenty seconds past twelve. The boy nodded and watched as the girl stood up and arched back, stretching her arms and joints.

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Seto stood by the ring, drinking a cup of hot cocoa (no marshmallows, since he had a disliking for sweets other than bitter chocolate), watching intently as Anzu patiently teaches Mokuba how to stand on skates. Repeatedly, Mokuba insisted that he could stand without her help, only to fall backwards and be caught by Anzu (almost having her breaking her back by friction and gravity). It was the eve of Christmas and Anzu and Mokuba had persuaded the CEO to have some fun and enjoy the holiday air. Normally, Seto would grunt and stayed back at home working endlessly on his computer, however, this time he failed to do so.

Over the past six and a half months, Anzu and he somehow created a special bond between themselves. A bond of friendship he was told by Anzu. With the marriage still present, he needed to act and become more familiar with her and indeed they did (only with the light touches of her life and common things that he needed to know). Every time, he reminded himself that Mokuba was his first priority and his company comes next. But now, it felt as if Anzu came second to Mokuba. Seto joined them in many family activities, from playing board games, to watching a home movie, to having a snowball fight in the snow. A cheerful 'YES!' brought Seto out of his reverie as Mokuba finally learned how to properly stand on the ice without having any support.

The young Kaiba waved excited to his brother and Anzu flashed him a gentle smile before whispering into Mokuba's ear, sharing a secret with him. When she returned her attention to him, the azure and violet eyes sparkled mischievously. They both skated over to him (more like Mokuba being hauled by Anzu, he hasn't really managed to skate as fast) and exited the ice rink. Mokuba walked over to him as Anzu went over to the cashier, talking to him with some simple hand gestures. "Big brother... could you do me a favor? Please please please?"

"What is it Mokuba?" Seto said, looking down on his brother and taking a sip of his lukewarm cocoa.

"When big sister Anzu get back with skates could you put them on and come skating with us?" The ebony-haired boy asked with massive pleading puppy eyes, arms clasped underneath his chin.

Seto choked on the cocoa and hunched over until he felt someone patting his back, knocking some wind into his air pipe. His eyes were blurred by the tiny amount of perspiration that formed in his eyes. Mokuba was crouching in front of him, deep concern etched in his amethyst eyes. Looking up, Seto saw light sapphire eyes clouded with worry. So it was she who patted him on the back. "Are you okay... Seto?" Anzu asked, her brows knitting together.

"Yes, I'm fine." He rasped out, still heaving a bit as his lungs unwillingly took in the icy cold air. Until his mind settled, two pairs of sibling eyes stared at her. Feeling uneasy, Anzu laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head, too noticing what she just said.

"Um... so are you still gonna skate with us Kaiba?" The girl said, trying to ease her embarrassment. She was still shocked herself, even though it came out of her month. But it served a purpose. She testing his name it ever since... well, ever since she lived with him. Even though his name came out at the wrong time, she did like how it rolled off her tongue. It was like honey, sweet and sticky, now she couldn't get his name out of her head. Oh boy, this was going to be a very long Christmas.

"Please Seto?" Mokuba begged, tugging on Seto's black scarf that was lazily tied around his neck. Rolling his eyes, Seto gave in and took the black skates as Anzu handed them to him. Tying the laces tightly, Seto stood up wobbling. As he took a step forward, Seto toppled over and grabbed the rail for support. He heard some quiet sniggering behind him and glared at Mokuba for putting him in this position. Anzu just looked at him with a 'come on' smile and took both of the brothers' hands and brought them into the ring, which was a small private rink (Seto didn't want anyone disturbing his vacation, especially if they went to a public ring, girls would be flocking him and tugging at him mercilessly).

"Come on Kaiba, Mokuba and I will teach you, so don't worry." Anzu said, giving him a small smile and held out a hand. Uncertainly, Seto grasped her hand tightly and gripped Mokuba on the shoulder, lightly. The trio started to move slowly, taking baby steps until the boys started getting bolder and sped up a bit. Soon enough, Mokuba was speeding around the ring and trying his best to jump in the air and land on his feet. Seto was still holding hands with Anzu, not really trusting his feet to carry him on ice. However, his 'wife' had another idea. She wriggled her hand free from his and gave him a tiny push on the back, sending Seto wobbling unsteadily on the skates.

As Seto rowed his arms in a windmill motion, attempting to regain his balance or grabbing hold of something solid for maintenance, the boy managed to clutch onto something. And that something happened to be the sleeve Anzu's woolen jacket, thus the father of gravity landed the duo brunettes down hard on the shaved ice. Their position wasn't the best of the week. Anzu was crushed under Seto, because of his larger frame, and his face was dangerously close to her face. There was this sudden ringing in her ears, a quick momentum that went ba-bump. Soon, the pace quickened. Was it her heart? Why was it beating so fast? What is this flock of butterflies doing inside her stomach, batting their wings so rapidly? She hoped that Kaiba hadn't heard her heartbeat or the flapping of the butterflies in her stomach. But why would something such as this be happening? Why was it so familiar? It felt like... and old feeling being reborn from a long time ago. Was it... crushing? But how could she be crushing over a guy that she's temporary married to when the reason is nowhere near the fact?

There was this warm breath hovering over her face. It smelt like... coffee. The warmth was tickling her skin as goose bumps appeared on to her skin due to the cold situation and the ferventness on her face. Out of the blue (white, considering the season), Anzu felt Seto's lips crush against hers. The kiss wasn't harsh and demanding, but soft and featherlike, just like the one that he gave her when they were putting up the decorations for the upcoming holiday. No, this wasn't the first time he had kissed her, second yes. Mokuba had somehow trapped them both under the mistletoe that he hung just above the door. But Anzu wasn't the only one that received a kiss. When she remembered that Mokuba was there too, the brunette girl gave him a peck on the cheek.

Melting into the moment of bliss, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers into his hair. A soft and inaudible moan rumbled in her vocals as his tongue somehow passed the barrier of her lips and ran it teasingly across her teeth. Her mind was in a muddle and her breath was getting short. She needed to end this... but this felt so. So. So filling. It was like a puzzle of her heart coming back to her, like the finale piece to the jigsaw puzzle of her. Only when Anzu heard the sound of metal scraping ice did she come out of the kiss.

"Se... Kaiba, we need to stop." She whispered to him, revealing dancing blue eyes to the world. Seto looked at her, the icy orbs churning with a rusty emotion. Thinking that he didn't understand why she wanted to stop, Anzu mouthed 'Mokuba' and turned her eyes at the younger boy's direction. As if hesitating, he nodded and got off her, momentarily though, since he was still standing on his skates.

Mokuba, who was diligently practicing to get his feet of the ice, was skating over to his brother and sister. He had saw them fall but failed to take notice of the kiss. After a while when the two were still on the ice and didn't get up, he grew concerned. Now he was hoisting his big brother up with his gloved hands. Anzu was sitting up, with a dark cherry blush across her face, and rubbed behind her head.

"Big brother, did you fall on sis?" The boy asked naively.

Nodding, Seto and Anzu stared into each other's eyes. She gave him a quiet smile and a coy grin tugged at the edges of his mouth. Pushing herself up, Anzu grabbed Mokuba's other hand and started out slowly on the slippery surface. Catching onto the flow, the three skated around the rink and paid no mind to the light falling of snow.

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Seto followed the girl into the adjoining kitchen, fairly larger than the living room. However, with the wooden four-seated table near the patio door, made it look half the size. He sat down on one of the counter stools and watched as Anzu went back and forth like a bee, gathering the ingredients from the cabinets to the refrigerator to the stove. Oh how much one blooming flower could abruptly capture this bee's attention. Filled with life and plenty of sparing inspiration.

"So what do you want for lunch? Seto? Hello... Anzu to Seto?" Anzu had somehow walked in front of him, now behind the counter, waving a wooden spoon in his face.

Snapping out of his pondering state, Seto gave a small grunt for being disrupted. "Anything's fine." He said gruffly.

Anzu quirked her lips in a motherly fashion and retraced her steps back to the running sink, turning the tap and shaking the washed vegetables out. Why would he be in such a mood? Was it because so far, she's winning? Or was he just feeling grumpy? Who would be so... cranky at such a wonderful month of autumn? Well, other than him... there might be a few, like Joey. The Brooklyn accented boy was never fond of back to school seasons, even though they were out of high school for nearly three years now. The only thing that that Joey would like about fall is that it was football season in America. What a weird, but lovable guy... (Somewhere in Mattapan, New York, Joey sneezed).

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With New Years past and White Day coming, Anzu couldn't help but think. It was nearly a year when she agreed to this contracted wedding. Even though they were in such situation, it didn't stop her from her devotion to dancing and getting her college diploma. She had continued with her studies, now taking a Major in Science and Technology with a back up of Major Foreign Language (for some reason, they came naturally). And her life here at the Kaiba mansion was getting more familiar to her senses. And that night... on the day of New Year's Eve, something unforgettable happened and it was something that completely turned her life upside down.

They both were invited to go to the party that one of their classmates was holding. Mokuba was away on a vacation field trip with his class for a whole week and Anzu envied him. Being alone with her short-term husband for a day is okay, however, a whole week without the little boy's company made her feel out of place. During meals, they would spend their time discussing on loose touchy topics to get to know each other better than they do now. Over the past months, they've exchanged simple personal things. But now, it went from simple crushes and lame secrets to deeper things, like her darkest secret of her childhood and family. In return, Seto (they were now on first name basis, they both felt that it should be a normal type of family relationship) told her bits and pieces of his life of climbing the corporate ladder and growing up with the tortured bastard.

As the last day of December arrived to their door, Anzu's head was frantically running faster than a car motor. What ifs were jumping back and forth. Like what if her friends saw her going with Seto Kaiba? What if they saw the ring that was on her finger (she wasn't allowed to take it off ever, at least, she was told that by Seto)? What if the people there noticed that there is something going on between her and Seto? What if her friends left her just because she never entrusted them with this? What if ... ? "Don't hurt yourself Anzu." A voice drawled from next to her.

"Huh?"

"You're face. It was like a scrunched up mule."

"Oh thanks for the compliment wise guy."

"I wasn't kidding. So what put your face into such a grotesque appearance?"

"I was just thinking..."

"Thinking about...?"

"What ifs."

"Very descriptive 'honey', care to enlighten me on what you were thinking of?"

"Well... us, my friends, other people and...mostly about my "

"Well, I'm just scared okay? I mean, what if people are asking us questions of why I came with you? Or why I even have thing ring on me?"

"Then lie."

"What?!"

"Do not tell me you do not know how to tell a false statement?"

"Well, it's not like I don't, but I just feel bad whenever I lied to someone. It's just that, I was told and lived to be honest because lying in the end would get back at you. And the last one I told was when I was five. I took a cookie from the cookie jar and my mom asked me if I ate it or not, of course I told her no, but then after I did, I felt awfully guilty."

"Do tell that you are jesting."

"But I'm serious!"

"Just lie. It won't hurt Anzu. There wouldn't be a ghost hanging over your head for the rest of your life if you just do it."

"But how--!"

"Never mind, just get changing if you want to be there on time."

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Seto groaned inwardly. The multi-flashing disco lights and ear-splitting music wasn't his thing. Their classmate decided that it was too crowded to fit everyone in her half-sized Victorian mansion and instead brought them to a private club, which happened to be ran by her uncle. "C.D.T." it was called, abbreviated for "Club of Dark Temptation". However, Seto thought it as "Club of Dimwitted Turkeys" from the way people were dancing there. It was a two-story building that is by the beach, practically isolated by stars, sand and seagulls. The stereos were planted in every corner of every room, counting the restrooms as well (where Seto first tried to seek refuge from everything).

His so-called 'wife' abandoned him immediately when the music reached her brain and now, he was stuck sitting at the bar with felines who looked just about ready to devour him. The glares he gave to them were nothing to them, since they would only giggle and brush it off. Just when Seto was about to blow his anger on the women, a man of his late forties shooed them away from the counter, telling them that they would be kicked out if they continued to drool all over his place. Unwillingly, the CEO nodded to thank the man, because he did save him the trouble of stampeding over the girls. "So what are ya doin' here, sittin' all lonely and doleful an' 'way from the party my man?"

The bartender said, wiping the counter with a towel. "I have no interest for such ill-bred things." Seto said, scowling at the man.

"Heh, the night's still youn' kid an' so are ya. So why ain't ya just go an' kill some fun 'fore ya youth leave ya? Or I could just give ya somethin' ta drink while ya watch the gals out there." The man said, giving Seto a crooked smile. "So what'll be kid?"

"Just give me black coffee."

"Right away kid." The man said, sailing away to the shelves behind him.

Seto turned his head, facing the lower-level dance floor. His eyes wandered over the many heads, looking for a certain brunette. Finally he spotted her dancing freely between two guys from their chess club, Touya and that blond punk athlete on the football team. Soon, his drink arrived and Seto took a long scalding shot of it as he saw the athlete's grimy hands on the girl's waist. Fire churned in his dark eyes as Anzu was being pressed up against that boy, shimming his body up and down on her. The brunette girl opened her mouth to say something, only to have him lock her in his arms tightly. Seto's hand on the mug was turning ghostly white on the outside and dark red on his palms. How dare that slime ball touch her that way!

Not for long, when the music picked up, the boy started to dance dirty, rubbing his hands up and down on her body. Anzu struggled to break free from the harsh embrace. With quick thinking, she stepped on his toes with her three inched heels and slapped his hands away from her. Consciously, the dancer wrapped her arms around herself and tried to walk away from him to Seto. Just as she took a step forward, a hand roughly pulled her back and started to haul her towards the spiral staircase near the back entrance. Anzu gave Seto a pleading and desperate look of 'help me!' before being dragged away. Immediately, Seto shot up and knocked over his chair, left his drink and a bill, and went to follow them.

The hallway behind the stairs was dark and poorly lit. Seto walking blindly down the way and hoped that nothing happened to Anzu. But what if something was happening to her? What if that son of a bitch is touching her wrongly and the girl is crying silently in his wake? What if—oh heck! He was turning into her now! However, there was something nagging him. Why was he worried and jealous over this anyways? It is not like Anzu is really his wife or anything. She's only his friend, right? But then again, why did he always feel... glad and filled with more emotions when she was with him? Could it be... that he could've—

"LET GO OF ME YOU BASTARD!" a high-pitched shriek rang in his ear. Seto pitied the guy for being right next to the source of the voice. But it was a start that should lead him to the two. And soon enough, Seto found them at the end of the hallway and inside a room.

The black glittered off-shouldered top that Anzu had on was now shredded, barely clinging onto her, and her semi-makeup was smeared. The tightly bound bun on top of her head was let loose and there was a slight bruise forming at the edge of her cheek. Her lip-glossed mouth was bruised as well. Anger raged in her eyes, and from what Seto could see, it wasn't the best time to be messing with a girl in this temperament.

When the boy noticed that Anzu was staring at the door, he turned around and saw the CEO staring down at him with hate. A Cheshire grin was formed on his blistered lips (where Seto thinks Anzu had bitten him while he kissed her) and the athlete taunted, "Well well, look what the bitch dragged in... Coming to get a piece of this hot slut yourself, Kaiba? I never knew you had this kind of thing in you--."

Before even letting him finishing his sentence, Seto squarely knocked the guy in the jaw, the force sending him into the cardboard boxes. A trail of crimson liquid trailed down from the corner of his already bloodied lips. Narrowing his eyes, the victim of the fist got up and wiped his mouth before launching out a punch Seto's stomach. Stepping to the side, the brunette boy slid out his foot to trip the blond boy on the knees. As the blond toppled over, Seto quickly lifted him up by the collar and slammed him to the wall.

"Heh, why so feisty Kaiba? Is she your girl or something? Or is she your personal whore?" The athlete sneered, snaking a hand around to his back pants pockets and slipped out a Swiss army blade. Catching a glimpse of the metal flashing, Seto disarmed him of his tool with a hard push on the shoulder joint, dislocating the arm with a loud snap. He heard Anzu whimper and decided to make it quick.

"She's not my whore or girlfriend. She's my WIFE!" To emphasize his point, Seto rammed his fist into the temple of the blonde. The green eyes rolled back, showing the whites, and his whole body slumped. Seto stood there, panting from fury, glaring down hard at the athlete. A sharp in take caused him to break away and look at the girl behind him. Anzu was on her knees now, hands on her face with her fingers spread apart.

"Is... is he... dead?" She whispered, voice shaking. Those eyes were filled with fear and hope. Seto walked over to her and bent down, head turned away. "No, just out. But first...I think you should fix your clothes." He said hesitantly.

"Huh?" Was her only response until Anzu looked down at her attire. The girl's face flushed darkly and muttered weakly, "Can I ... borrow your coat Seto?"

His head bobbed a little and Seto shrugged off one arm of his jacket before peeling off the other one and tossed it over his shoulder. With a small thank you, Anzu slipped on the black trench coat and buttoned up the top, securing her privacy. "You can turn around now. And this thing is gonna look like it's standing on its own when I stand up... how tall are you exactly?" She mumbled.

Suppressing a tiny chuckle, Seto looked at her. Indeed, it would look like it would be standing with her height. "Roughly over six feet to answer your question. Can you stand?" he asked.

Frowning a bit, Anzu grimaced at the sight of her swollen ankle. It was blackish purple now and she had to shake off her heels. "I think I sprained my ankle, but other than that I'm okay." She said softly, taking a piece of her shredded top and used it as a temporary bandage to compress the swelling.

Eyes softening a bit, Seto picked her up bridal style and carried her out the back door. "I think that we should go home now." A sigh of content escaped her mouth.

"Yeah... a bath would be nice too." It felt so right and comfortable in his arms. "Wish I could stay like this forever..." Anzu mumbled, eyes lazily drooping.

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Anzu...

Anzu... wake up...

Anzu... wake up... bruises...

Anzu... wake up... bruises... change...

Anzu...--"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP ALREADY!!!!" Anzu shouted, lashing out her fists in front of her. Both of her hands were retained by something callous and large. Squeezing her eyes, Anzu tried to wriggle her hands free.

"Anzu, dammit! Stop struggling." A voice barked closely to her ears. That familiar voice! Opening her eyes without a regard to the desktop light next to her, Anzu saw who was previously talking to her.

Seto's face was dangerously close to hers and his grip on her hands lessened. "Where... no what..." She stammered, trying with difficulty to remember what happened. Okay... there was a stupid fight and Seto was bringing her somewhere. To top with that, how did she get into a white nightgown? Argh... life could be so frustrating when you're clueless!

"You're in your room and I need to you sit up so I can fix your ankle." He whispered. "O-okay. But first, could you let go of my hands first, they're getting numb..."

Anzu pushed herself up as Seto released her hands and busied himself with some ice and bandages. "I was worried."

HUH?! Anzu's eyes widened, what did he just say? He was worried... for her...?

"When I saw that bastard all over you... I felt anger and hate." Seto described unknowingly, ripping up the makeshift bandage and started to bind her swollen foot.

"Then as I searched for you, I thought about things... about us and our relationship. There is this unsettled feeling that matured over the days you've been living here with Mokuba and I." Seto turned to look at her, straight in the eye.

"Do you know this feeling Anzu? Do you know what this power hungry emotion that's devouring me inside and out? Whenever I see you, there's this longing inside my heart. I wanted to feel the warm of your skin, the softness of your hair... the feeling of your lips against mine. Don't you feel it? The moment at the ice rink?" Anzu sat there stunned by his confrontation.

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The game of chess resumed after they had eaten their afternoon meal. Anzu had cooked a hearty meal of rice and stir-fry, with some chunks of chicken breast. The pieces were where they have left them and it was the white's move.

The white knight on G7 proceeded to rid the field of the black rook on E8 and checked the black king along the way. Forced to move, the king went to E5 as the white rook from A1 checked him from E1. Now the king had to move D5. The white rook tittered to E3 and then it was their turn. Contemplating hard, the black pieces sent their last knight from its place in B8 to D7. It was a start. As long as the king was protected and the enemies eliminated, it was fine. The white knight of E8 shifted to G7, and the black pawn two rows behind the king took a step forward to G5. The white knight quickly went over to the just newly introduced pawn and sat next to it on F7. The black knight quickly moved to C5, miscalculating their opponent's strategy since the white knight went to E7. Either they were checking their black king or targeting their bishop that was waiting on C8.

The black king quietly moved to D6 as the white knight took advantage of their bishop and checked the king in one move. Almost grudgingly, the king bounced back to D5, since they lost one of their men in a snap. Again, the annoying white knight went a checked the king when it returned to E7.

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Anzu was scared, and lightly terrified. What brought up this subject so suddenly? And why was he so... different? It WAS sweet to hear these words from him, to know that Seto Kaiba had learnt a new feeling that was so old to her. Oh yes... the feeling was very familiar. The feeling that she had knew a long time and the feeling that she had kept deep within her heart after a month or two marrying him. But it was so unnatural for him to say such things... to her. It was a foolish girl's fantasy to have the rich and infamous Seto Kaiba confessing such a thing to one in a million. "You don't understand what I'm trying to say here... do you Anzu? You don't think that there is any sense in the words that are coming out of my mouth."

Anzu opened her mouth to protest, only to be silenced by his lips. Her arms, by instinct were raised to slap him, but being one step ahead of her, Seto took hold of her wrists and pinned them above her head. Slowly, she gave into the kiss and responded. Seto ran his tongue along the seal of her lips, asked persuasively for entrance, to which Anzu freely allowed him access. Slyly, he slipped his tongue into mouth and tasted the sides and the tip of her tongue, which both tasted like something sweet. Something that always lingers after eating something coated with sugar, like an aftertaste of caramel apples at the fair.

"Mnm..." Both of the brunettes were soon out of breath and broke away. "Do you understand now...? These feelings are driving me towards you, like a magnetism pull from the corners of the earth. My only question is... do you feel this... as much as you might hate or despise me?"

Lifting her hand to caress the sides of his face, Anzu only gave him a genuine smile as her crystal blue eyes danced with happiness. "You talk too much." She said timidly before yanking him down by the collar of his black button up shirt.

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The warmth of his hands...

The short pants of her breaths...

The crescent moon marks on his back...

The mews and purrs from her vocal box...

The moans and groans from his mouth...

The fire that builds within them...

The height of the wings that carried them flew past the sky...

The same pair of wings that any bird would envy with pain...

Reaching its goal, it shatters and the fire blows out...

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Morning rays peeped through the window and landed on the king sized bed, warming the two faces who were currently sharing the same mattress. Being more used to the dark in the mornings, Seto was the first to a wake from the nightly slumber. The yellow stream hazarded his vision for a second before he turned his head, facing his bed partner to avoid the light. The glaring eyes reverted instantly to its opposite as he saw Anzu's sleeping figure. Her pink mouth was slightly parted and her breaths were deep and soft. Last night answered all his uncertain thoughts. From his questioning of the unusual feeling to whether she felt the same as him.

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Placing a butterfly kiss in her hair was enough to stir her awake. Yawning a bit, Anzu gave him a tired smile with eyes of joy. "Morning Seto."

"Morning princess." The boy leaned in and captured her lips. Pulling away, Anzu made a face. "Eck. Morning breath."

"I'm not the only one." Seto mumbled. Giggling lightly, she snuggled into his embrace. "Stop being a baby. Anyways, I lo—."

RING RING RING!!!

The song of Four Seasons started to play, disrupting the moment. Anzu scrambled off of her bed, threw on the nightgown from the edge of the nightstand and dug through her purse, searching for her cell phone. Soon, the ring tone died before it started up again. Anzu felt like murdering whoever was calling her especially when she was trying to tell the person she loved most her feelings.

Finally, she found her silver T-Mobile cell. The chain connected to it, with a mini figure of one of the Twin Stars, was blinking rapidly. Pushing the 'talk' button, Anzu answered grumpily. "Hello?"

"ANZU WHERE THA HELL ARE YA? I'VE BEEN TRYIN' TA REACH YA TWENTY TIMES!" Jou's voiced barked through the phone, loud enough for Seto to hear the conversation as well.

Anzu cringed at the phone. "I'm so sorry Jou! I left it on vibrate because I was really tired last night." The word 'LIAR' was practically stamped on her forehead.

"WELL GET HERE PRONTO! YUUGI WAS IN AN ACCIDENT! THAT DAMN ASSHOLE SON OF A BITCH SMASHED HIS TRUCK INTO YUG'S CAR! WE'RE AT THE HOSPITAL! ANZU? ANZU...!" Jou's loud yelling soon turned empty as the phone slacked from her trembling hands. The girl's eyes were darkened with fear and the rosy color from her cheeks was fading. Seto threw on his briefs and rushed over to catch Anzu before she hit the floor.

"Yuugi... he's in the hospital..." She whispered to no one in particular, pain etched in her voice. Coming to the facts, Anzu grabbed Seto's hand.

"We need to get to the hospital! Yuugi's needs me there!" Panic rose and pleading eyes were staring at him. Nodding, he pushed her towards the bathroom. "Wash up, I'll get the car ready."

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Slamming the door of the car, Anzu quickly dashed into the hospital, Seto at her heels, and demanded for Yuugi's room at the front desk. "Name and relation to Mr. Yuugi Motou, miss?" The nurse asked patiently.

"Anzu Mazaki, I'm his friend. And this is my boyfriend, Kaiba Seto." Anzu said rapidly, pointing over her shoulder at Seto. "Thank you. Your friend is in room 013, third door to your right at the second corridor."

Throwing a thank you over her shoulder, Anzu dragged the CEO with her to the room. When they reached there, most of her friends were there. Jou and Honda were standing next to the door, guarding it like dogs. Shizuka and Mai were holding each other for comfort and were crying silently. Otogi was leaning on the wall by the plant with a grim look. Yuugi's grandfather, Sugoroku Motou was sitting inside the room with his grandson, holding onto his hand. The doctor was speaking with him and Sugoroku nodded now and then. As Jou heard the quick footfalls coming their way, he lifted his blond head up and saw the two brunette approaching.

Anzu slipped her hands away from Seto's and launched herself at Jounouchi. She gripped his crosshatched t-shirt tightly and asked franticly. "Jou! What's wrong with Yuugi?"

"He was in an accident. This drunk driva from our school rammed his car inta us when we was goin' home. Yuugi's car was totaled. I only got a broken arm and Honda and sis was in the back, so they didn't get much of the damage. But... his condition is critical. The doctas don't know if he'll..." Jou trailed off, not wishing to continue. The girl's hold on his shirt lessened as she turned to look through the window.

Her childhood friend laid on the hospital bed with many wires and tubes connecting him to the machines above his head. A breathing mask was placed over his mouth and nose to help the oxygen circulate his system. There were two packets of blood hanging next to him, with the VP strapped into his right wrist. Bandages that were wrapped around his forehead and torso were stained with blood. His broken left foot was hanging in the air, held up by a strap.

With a shaky hand, Anzu touched the glass pane and traced his face's outline. The heart monitor beeped steadily, long ranged beats representing his heart's rhythm. Leaning her head on the window, tears slipped freely down her chin and dripped down the white tiled floor. A tall shadow loomed over her and Seto wrapped hi arms around her shoulder, drawing her into his embrace for the comfort that she needed. "My god." Was all she said after seeing him. Quietly, she wept over the pains of Yuugi.

Only then did Jounouchi notice the brunette boy. The blond looked inquiringly at the CEO as he returned it with a small glance down to the dancer. Jou's brows knit before Seto mouthed 'later mutt'. Coming to a mutal understanding, Jou sighed a nodded. Soon, Sugoroku came out of the room, eyes red and puffy. The old man's whole expression, body and face, seemed to be out of life. His bearded face was pale and his body was slumped, lacking energy.

Shizuka, being one of the caring of the old, scurried over to the grandfather and led him to the bench outside the room. "How is Yuugi, Mr. Motou?" She asked in a low hushed voice.

Sighing deeply, Sugoroku buried his head in his hand. "The doctor said that Yuugi is currently in coma. There is a high risk that he wouldn't make it through the day. However, he said that maybe if his friends and family were there to talk to him and try to get his spirit to wake up, then there is a chance. But for now... all we could do is wait."

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(After six checks against the black king, one against the white king, the loss of three black pieces and one white piece... the game is still in play.)

The black king, being in check, went from B5 to C4 and watched helplessly as the white rook from A6 took the black pawn on A7. For their next moves, one pawn each advanced one space forward, only for one black and white pawn to be conquered by their archenemies. The white pawn on B6 slid to B7, closing in on the last square. And in just ONE turn, a converting of roles would be taking place. A black pawn moved from F4 to F3, trying to regain one of their strongest pieces as well.

However, to their dismay, two white pieces were waiting to take both of the black pawns down with a single blow. And then there's the king backing them up. In their long awaited turn, the pawn took one step up and... the late queen of the white has returned from her deathly slumber, sacrificing the white pawn for her place in the sidelines.

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After a week passing the incident, Anzu, Jou and Honda were given cards, gifts and flowers for Yuugi. Everyday, the three friends, sometimes with an addition of Shizuka or Seto, would visit the still patient talking to him and telling him about their days. Occasionally, Anzu would break down and run out of the room. Then one of the boys would have to support her to the cafeteria to tend her mental wounds.

On weekends, Surogoku would be accompanying them, usually carrying something of significance to Yuugi. Like his first picture, the dueling deck that he had created, his high school diploma, etc.

Soon, everyone learnt about the contract and relationship between Anzu and Seto. Jou was a bit rowdy at first, until he heard the reason he decided that Anzu was being too generous, becoming the wife to Seto Kaiba just to save Mokuba from being taken away. But Anzu you argued back by saying that he would do the same thing if Shizuka were to be taken away. Mai and Shizuka promptly dragged Anzu away when the boys weren't paying any attention to the girls.

As soon as they were out the door, the two girls marched Anzu to the garden fountain. The girls started a small girl talk and ended up talking about their individual lives with their male counterparts. The conversation started from Anzu's life with Seto, to Mai's relationship with Jounouchi, to the secrecy of Shizuka and Honda. When they finished their aspects on their affairs, they thought and told each other about what they think their boys think of them. Sighing, Anzu cupped a handful of water. "Guys... have you ever thought of getting married? To them I mean, and having a family with them?"

"Now that you bring the subject to my door, no not really hun." Mai said, idly picking at the long fern she plucked from a near by bush. "Once you're tied down with someone, you're not free anymore, like a bird. Once it's captured, there's little chance of escaping the cage that your master locks you in." The blond girl philosophized.

"And I'm not planning to get married yet. There's so much out there for this gal here. The world needs to be explored by me and no one else." Mai murmured, running the tip of a leaf in the crystal water.

"Wow Mai, that's deep. But I guess what you say is true. It would be great just to free because there's nothing to tie you to or down. You could just be independent and live your life the way you want it to be. So I guess I don't want to marry yet. I still have my bachelor's degree to get from college, not to mention, three more years to go. So I'll probably think more about it after I get a steady job. How about you Anzu?" Shizuka turned the question back at the brunette.

"I... I guess I do. I mean, I love kids and I love Seto. But I'm just... I don't know, afraid of the future I guess. And like Mai said, there is so much more too see in the world, so much more to be known and learnt by me. And then there's my life long dream to dance at Julliard. I'm just so tangled in my life's web that I can't decide. Dancing is my passion, my destiny. But loving Seto and creating a family with him is also my destiny. It would be unfair to both my dream and Seto if I choose one over the other." Anzu sighed again, depositing the water from her hands.

"You've got a fork road up ahead Anzu dear. And making a choice that deals with the rest of your life is never easy. Once you're down a road, you stay there because, there's no way back." Mai explained. "Well, we should head back. We've been out for over two hours just talking and I bet you that they boys are searching like dogs for us."

"Mai, you know that you shouldn't tell Jou about that comment right?" Anzu said. "Someone talkin' bout me?" A voice said behind the fountain.

"EKS!" Anzu, who was sitting at the base of the fountain, fell in from the surprise and the other two were running behind the fountain to see whom it was.

"FOUND 'EM!" Jou shouted, only to be hushed by three nurses who were pushing handicapped residents. He smiled nervously and shrunk behind Mai. Just as he called, two boys emerged from different routes that led to the water spring. Seto calmly went near the edge of the waters and hauled up a wet, sputtering Anzu, who immediately turned her attention to the blond boy that appeared next to her boyfriend.

"Jou." Anzu said very sweetly. It was a warning sign for Jou and the boys to run. "Er... yeah Anzu?"

"I'm gonna strangle you!" The girl, with a sudden burst of energy and inspiration, sprinted after the boy that took off not too long.

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Busying herself with some flower arrangements on the lilies, daisies, roses, and baby breaths, Shizuka watched the older boy through the bundle of flowers. It was nearly a month now after the accident with Yuugi and Anzu was free from her marriage with Kaiba. The government informed them that Kaiba was responsible enough after the marriage. Mokuba's report to them was greatly satisfying to the officials (they told Mokuba to write down whether he enjoyed more time with his brother, and indeed the little boy did) and they lifted the issue of taking the younger Kaiba away.

And as promised, Seto freed Anzu from the temporary marriage and then he allowed her two choices, to stay with him at his house or to move back to her apartment. Being the girl that doesn't love to intrude in family business, Anzu chose to move back to her own habitual abode. Mokuba was crestfallen that he no longer had a sister, but she cheered him up by telling him that Seto and she were going to spend a family day every Sunday.

The girl sighed. The second school year was almost over for Anzu, her brother, Honda and Kaiba. She would miss them since she was attending the first year of college the upcoming August. Time sure flew out the window when you're living the adult life, or at least learning to. Carrying the glass vase to the bathroom, she filled it with water and carefully placed each flower into it, humming a merry tune that followed the heart monitor. As she finished the final touches to the decoration, Shizuka walked up to Yuugi's bedside and placed it at the table.

The monitor was always the same. But the young man looked better from his earliest condition. The bandages from his body and head were removed and the blood packets were no longer present since the doctor said that the bleeding had ceased and there would be no need for it. However, the foot cast stayed in place because the bones and muscles haven't really healed as of yet. Tucking the white sheet under his chin, the girl stared at Yuugi. And then there was a small twitch coming from his face.

She blinked again, just to be sure that she wasn't hallucinating. There it was again! Yuugi's eyes were fighting to open and the beating of his heart rate changed! Filled with joy, she quickly pressed the button to the alert the doctors. When Shizuka returned her attention to Yuugi, his violet shaded eyes were fully opened and were taking in everything around him. When he caught her happy emerald eyes, the girl gave him a teary smile. "Welcome back Yuugi! I'll call the others to let them know that you're awake."

The boy acknowledged this by inclining his head slightly. Taking out her cell, she dialed her brother. "Hello? Big brother? Yuugi is awake! No, I'm not joking! The doctor's here too! Come quick!"

"Everyone missed you Yuugi. Anzu and your grandfather was worried the most." She told him. "But now that you're back, they'll be the happiest."

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"GET WELL SOON YUUGI!" Everyone chorused, raising their glasses of apple cider for a toast to the duelist. Yuugi smiled at his old and new friends and drank happily from his cup. After a week from being discharged from the hospital, the doctor recommended that he should stay in the wheelchair for a while until his nerves in his legs learn to operate properly. He should still walk to help quicken the recovery, but slowly since his leg couldn't and shouldn't handle so much stress at once.

Anzu walked over to her long time friend and gave him a big hug. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"It's good to be up again." He said. "So how have you been Anzu? Is your relationship with Kaiba going well?" Jou had filled him in everything immediately when he awoke.

"It's good. And how's Rebekah?" Anzu teased. "Is she still making those cookies just for you?"

Turning slightly pink, Yuugi nodded and said, "Yeah she is. So are you still planning on going to Julliard in New York?"

"I've asked that myself many times and you know what? I don't think I'm going too because my future is here in Tokyo, here with you guys and Seto. But I'll still be dancing and maybe even teach dancing here one day." Anzu said, sitting down with Yuugi.

"It's your future Anzu, so I'll be there for you in whatever decision you choose, just like always do with me. And I also wish you the brightest future with Kaiba." The top duelist commended.

"Thanks Yuugi." She gave him a genuine smile and watched at the two Kaibas interacting with Rebekah and her grandfather.

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"Bye big brother! I'll see you when you get home okay?" Mokuba shouted over to his brother as Roland opened the limo door. Seto nodded to his younger sibling and watched as the little boy waved from the rear window. As the car disappeared from sight, Seto turned his attention to his girlfriend. "So...where would you like to go?" He asked.

"Anywhere is fine. As long as I could spend sometime with you." Anzu replied, slipping her hand into his and felt him giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I'll take you somewhere special that is if you agree to one condition." He looked at her.

Anzu nodded eagerly. "Anything!"

"You stay blindfolded until I tell you to take it off."

"Aw... that's not fair! If I can't see, then how am I supposed to know where we're going?" She pouted cutely as he took out a black handkerchief and folded over her eyes.

"As I've said before, it's somewhere special." Seto led her to his parked motorcycle and plunked a helmet over her head. Still grumbling quietly, Anzu readjusted the helmet to her comfort and sat down on the seat with her legs to the side. The brunette boy put on his own helmet and snapped down the visor.

Seto sat down and brought the engine to life. Releasing the parking gear, he checked things over before telling her to hold on. A little frightened, Anzu quickly threw her arms around his waist as he rev the motor, speeding down the street.

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"Can I open my eyes now?" Anzu asked impatiently for the umpteenth time, even though there was a smile gracing her lips.

"Not yet." Seto answered, keeping his hands over her eyes. Her petite hands covered his, tugging at it so it could stop blocking her sight. Anzu could hear cries of birds and crashing of water. The ground underneath her feet was soft. The air smelt like salt and seaweed. A light breeze brushed her hair back and forth. "Can I guess where we are?"

"Go a head."

"Are we a the beach?"

"No." A smirk form on his face.

"Then why does it smell like the sea?"

"I'm not answering that."

"Fine. Then are we at the pier?"

"No."

"Then where are we?"

"You'll find out now." Seto said mysteriously as he lifted his hands from her eyes.

Anzu gasped at the sight. They were standing right next to a lighthouse that overlooked the Pacific Ocean. The open sea looked so welcoming. Seagulls squawked overhead and the rippling white surf waves crashed against the bluffs. The grass that grows here were up to her ankles, flourished with tiny flowers. The setting sun was just in front of them, slowly descending behind the horizon. The sky was painted in fiery red, pumpkin orange, sunflower yellow, and plum purple. There were an unnoticeable hues of cerulean green and deep sea blue, but they were there if you squint.

Turning to face Seto, tears brimmed her eyes. Anzu threw her arms around him. "It's so beautiful." She whispered.

"Like you." He lifted her chin with his hand and bent his head down, connecting their lips together.

For the rest of the night, the couple sat next to the lighthouse watching the sunset with the sea.

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Fear rumbled in the pit of the black king. With two white pieces that could go freely around the board against him wasn't a good thing. Quietly, he retreated to C4 as the white queen swiftly moved diagonally to C7, placing the king in check. This game was turning into a desperate run. He turned to his left, facing and empty column that was until the white rook sided the queen. To escape this check, the black piece moved to his diagonally back left. All of the focus was on these three pieces, the other five stood forgotten at the corner of the battlefield.

The majestic queen flew to C3, again, securing the king into check. He knew that his life was near the end, but he wouldn't give up without a good fight. To die honorably was the best way for a king. Should he cower in fright and forfeit the gamble, his enemies would easily conquer the next battle that he operates. The last two moves were made. The king moved to his front and the rook took over the column.

"Checkmate."... Checkmate...the simple word declared the end of the well-fought game, only to...

"How about best two out of three?" Eagerness plagued her tone.

"Would you really want to lose again?" And amused hint was shown from his eyes.

"You just won from sheer luck. And I was feeling a little dizzy." A tiny pout formed on her lips.

"And am I supposed to believe that measly idea for an excuse?" The markings of a smirk touched his face.

"Of course! So what do you say?" Mocking indignity was smothered quite nicely into anxiousness.

"Get ready to get your sorry ass kick again." The grin of a fox came to his mouth.

"Hey that's rude! I could beat you hands down!" The weak protest died.

Quiet paddling of feet headed over to the other side and a low groan could be heard. The sound of wooden pieces being picked up by the lightest touch of invisible fingers vibrated in the room. Shuffling was heard as they were arranged on the surface of the board. And soon, the game started over again. But this time, blending it with a remix of their own. Who's up for strip chess?

(1) I'm currently taking French this year... and not the whole thing is ACCURATE, since I only took like five weeks so far. But it's the closest I could get to "Well, you do like chess no? Otherwise you wouldn't be here!"

AN: Eck! I'm near death just to finish this! Anyways, I noticed about something I typed. The ring that Seto gave Anzu (somewhere near the fourth of the story), I can't place it, but I remember that I wrote it in ONE of my stories or chapters to a story... and now... I don't remember hehe... I'm so stupid (bonks head with mallet). Did you like the halloween thingy? I thought it was kinda corny... coming from me, everything is hehe! Hm... as for the ice skating part, I sorta did a vote with the people I know and I got a tie from either Seto skidding down the ice and pass out as his head hits the ring or the scene in the story. As you know... I need things to develop between the two, so I picked this one. AND THANK YOU AZURITE FOR GETTING MY OUT OF THE NAMING-THE-CLUB-GOO! I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF I NAMED IT ON MY OWN THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

Now, as for the whole thing, it's kinda like a frame story. You know, where there's one main story inside a not-so important one? Well, I learned it at school and decided to try it out. This is actually the LONGEST piece of work I have done so far. And hopefully, I could write more of these long one-shots (with a different anime) because overall, they're less bothersome than the chaptered ones. And I'm trying really hard not to be a hypocrite just because I think that way and I do both... again, I'm not making any sense. ARGH! The fates have made me not to make any sense.

Whatever, anyways, would you care to write a review for me? It would be greatly appreciated, so I know how you felt over this and maybe I can learn what I write and not write. Not to mention, you could also help me on grammar!

LAST NOTE TO... SETO KAIBA! HAPPY BE-LATED BIRTHDAY SETO! THIS STORY IS FOR YOU! AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO YOU ALL! (10/31/2004)