Wheee!

This story is drawing to a close pretty quickly. I'm almost completely sure there's one chapter and an epilogue left after this, though I suppose it might just end up being two whole chapters. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between an epilogue and a chapter... but I guess it's not a big deal either way.

I wasn't planning to write another Seto/Anzu right away, but it's starting to look like that's exactly what I'm going to do. I have about 12 pages of notes pertaining to the fully-formed story line I formulated one extremely boring evening at work. The whole thing is planned, more or less right down to the last scene. I don't intend to post anything until I have at least 3 or 4 chapters written, and I haven't started yet because I wanted to make sure to finish this story first.

It's untitled as of yet but here's a working summary: 'It's the night before Anzu's wedding, and she's having some serious doubts. A certain someone shows up and shakes loose memories of an affair, conducted in secret over 5 years and 2 continents.'

It will definitely be rated M. Sound interesting to anyone? I hope to start cranking it out soon.

Moving on...

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this since I started updating it again. Those reviews really keep me going! At the present moment, this story is only 2 reviews away from being my most reviewed story ever. I'm so pleased! Now, on to the story.

Note: This chapter has a little bit of mature content (I can hear you all clapping your hands excitedly).

Holiday Blues

Chapter 7: Electric Dreams

It was 6am, and the first traces of grey winter light were beginning to slip through the curtains of the cozy apartment near Domino Park. The occupant of this dwelling was presently in the bedroom, asleep. Anzu was twisting back and forth in seeming agitation, one slender leg flailing out from under the fluffy comforter. She mumbled and made a series of indistinct noises. She was having a very interesting dream...

x Anzu's Dreamland x

Anzu had just completed another exquisite performance of The Nutcracker with the New York City Ballet, this time for a special charity event. The crowd and the venue had been incredible; people who appreciated a quality performance, at a theater specifically designed for ballet. They had also provided her with a rather sumptuous dressing room.

She smiled, letting her hair out of its tight bun and proceeding to wipe off the heavy makeup she was required to wear under the lights. Exchanging her gorgeously simple costume for a satiny white robe, she relaxed onto the comfortable couch and sipped a glass of wine. This was always her ritual after a performance. She would get so pumped up with adrenaline when she danced-- she needed to unwind before donning her street clothes and re-emerging into the hustle and bustle of nighttime Manhattan.

Everything had gone perfectly-- but why did she feel like something was missing?

A knock at the door startled her out of her contemplations. Probably the company director coming to congratulate her, or a messenger bringing her a bundle of roses from an admirer... She glided to the door, turned the latch, and pulled.

"Hello, Mazaki."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "K-Kaiba? What are you doing here?"

He was standing there, looking far too handsome in an expensive tuxedo, with a long black coat slung over one arm. In his other hand was-- a rose?

"Didn't you see me in the audience?"

She shivered. His voice was rich with aphrodisiac qualities, and she barely had any clothes on...

"Oh! Umm... Yes, I just meant... well, I wouldn't expect you to come find me."

There was an awkward silence.

"So, are you going to let me come in, or do I have to stand in the hallway like a porter?" He thrust the flower into her hand impatiently.

She snapped out of the trance of his deep-sea stare, stepping aside to let him pass. Shutting the door behind her she opened her mouth, wishing with all her might that some innocuous small talk would force itself out. It never got a chance. She barely had time to turn around before Seto slid one arm around her waist, clutched the other none-too-gently in her hair, and pressed his lips down onto hers in a heated kiss (the coat and the red rose fell to the floor, forgotten).

Anzu's knees gave out immediately, forcing Seto to grasp her even closer to him lest she slide to the ground. She felt the contours of his body pressed solidly against her entire frame, hard and pliant in all the right places.

"Mm-mph," she exclaimed inarticulately, allowing him the perfect opportunity to deepen the kiss. She heard him inhale sharply through his nose as he slid his tongue along the back of her teeth, exploring. His hand slid out of her hair, caressing down the side of her neck as he pressed her against the dressing room door. His overwhelmingly masculine scent surrounded her, and she felt the growl in the back of his throat as she clutched desperately at the front of his tuxedo.

He broke from the Kiss and looked at her intensely, running a hand down the side of her torso and further, hitching her up so that one of her knees hooked over his arm. His eyes made erotic promises as he clutched her against himself intimately.

"Anzu..."

She squeezed his shoulder and arched her back, even further aroused by the sound of him practically moaning her name. She trembled with anticipation as he kissed her insistently once more, his hand teasing along the neckline of her robe, sliding lower and lower until she could feel him hurrying to untie the satin belt that held it closed--

x End Anzu's Dreamland x

"GASP!"

Anzu shot into a sitting position, safe-- and alone, she noticed-- in her very messy-looking bed. It took her a full minute at least to slow her frantic breathing, one hand splayed across her burning forehead.

What kind of a dream was that!

Never, ever in her life had she experienced such a... naughty... tawdry... amazingly sexy dream!

Coming further into her senses, she began to panic. A dream like that-- about Seto Kaiba? She'd never be able to look him in the face again without--

"Wah!" Trying desperately to extract herself from her tangled disaster of a bed, Anzu tumbled unceremoniously to the floor.

Ugh, just terrific, she thought as she stared at the ceiling, still tangled in her sheets. If this persists, I'll have to either start seeing a shrink or join 'Kaiba Stalkers Anonymous'...

Except you're not anonymous, dummy. Kaiba knows you.

"Rrrgh..." Anzu rubbed her face vigorously with both hands as she trudged toward the kitchen. Coffee first, she reasoned. And then maybe a walk outside. Lord knows I need to cool down. Maybe the frosty air can clear out my obviously demented subconscious...

XXXXXXXX

"Brrr!" Anzu snuggled down further into her cozy winter jacket and scarf. It was a picture perfect December day in Domino. The snow front had cleared out completely overnight, the sky was a clear deep periwinkle, and everything shone brightly in the crisp midday sun. Even the trash cans in alleyways gleamed with a particular brand of brilliance.

Anzu had originally intended to take a stroll through the park, but quickly changed her mind when she recalled the firm muscles she'd felt beneath Kaiba's coat the other night while guiding his unsteady form to her apartment. She'd opted to visit the shopping district instead-- she still had a few things to pick up for Christmas.

After a mere fifteen minutes of wandering past the shops and eateries in the center of the city, Anzu realized that she had made a grave miscalculation. If her intention had been to get Seto Kaiba out of her mind, she had come to the wrong place. There were reminders of him everywhere, and they were anything but subtle.

First, she'd walked past some scaffolding. The plywood that encased it had been generously wheat-pasted with advertisements for Kaiba Corp's brand new Duel Disk Special Edition.

Next, her eyes had been drawn to a large billboard in a bustling square. It announced the newest product line of a fashionable company that manufactured expensive watches. She nearly spat her latté all over herself when she realized that the ridiculously sexy man modeling the watch was none other than Kaiba himself. The photographer must have been a genius; Kaiba was posed artfully, looking thoughtful with his head cradled in one hand and the sleek platinum watch displayed prominently on his wrist. Fortunately, the square was crowded enough that nobody noticed her ogling the twelve foot tall vision of glacial gorgeousness.

Anzu sighed, tossing the empty coffee cup into the nearest bin. Maybe she'd be better off giving up and going home to eat ice cream and watch a soppy romantic movie...

"Yo, Anzu!"

The slim dancer jumped, rejoining reality as she turned in the direction of the familiar voice. A smile spread across her face. "Hey Jounouchi! What's up?"

The windswept blond bounded up, cheeks red from the cold and several shopping bags clutched in his right hand. "Just doin' a bit of Christmas shoppin', ya know?"

The two friends smiled and began to walk along together, chatting excitedly. Anzu was delighted; she hadn't seen Jou in a few weeks. Plus, his company provided a welcome distraction from--

"Hey, didja see this?" He held up a bundle that had been hidden under his arm. "Kaiba's in the newspaper again. So what if his ugly face gave a buncha money to an orphanage? He's just tryin' to make people believe he's not a complete ice block. Ha! Fat chance!"

Anzu groaned internally as Jounouchi continued to babble on about all his favourites among Seto's less-charming qualities. Her eyes fastened onto the newspaper photo, which was of a mildly uncomfortable looking Kaiba and a group of giggling orphans. Her heart wrenched alarmingly. He could have just sent the donation, but he chose to deliver it to the orphanage in person...

Looking more closely at the photo, she saw that his eyes held a faraway look. He's probably remembering being an orphan himself...

Anzu was distressed to feel an electric thrill run through her body at the thought of holding him, comforting him, kissing him--

"Ah great," exclaimed Jounouchi, "speak of the frost-covered devil!" She heard the familiar sound of Jou's teeth gritting against each other.

Her head snapped up, following Jounouchi's line of sight. She only just managed not to crumble into an ungraceful heap atop the adjacent snowbank.

"Check it out! Seto Kaiba!"

"Wow, he's the coolest!"

"I hear he's a jerk, but who cares! I'll bet he's great in bed."

"Forget that. Who cares if he's good when he's that rich!"

Anzu glared briefly at the giggling gold-diggers, who were straightening their hair and jumping up and down excitedly. How shallow can you get?

Kaiba had just stalked out of a nearby restaurant wearing black pants, a grayish-blue sweater, and his black trenchcoat. He had clearly recovered from his hangover, and his face was clean shaven. His blue eyes narrowed at the curious onlookers.

Can I hide under a rock, now? Anzu could feel herself blushing. God, I hope he doesn't see me...

It seemed as if she would get her wish. Kaiba was about to pass by, looking distracted.

"Yo, icicle! What's the hurry? Off to the bank to count your precious money?"

Kaiba halted, spinning on his heel to face them.

Must... Not... Kill... Jounouchi...

Kaiba now looked completely furious. After all, Jounouchi was quite probably his absolute least favourite person on Earth. He opened his mouth, presumably to rattle off a swift and scathing response. Before he had the chance to call Jou a dog or otherwise insult him, however, his eyes locked onto Anzu's.

Jounouchi looked bewildered, clearly not perceiving the electric charge crackling between his friend and his enemy. Anzu's breath caught in her throat as those blue eyes burned into hers, totally lost to their intense depths. The look he was giving her-- it was so much like the way he'd looked in her dream. A shiver ran up her spine. Oh, it makes me want to--

The moment was over in a flash. For a second, Seto looked hesitant; one of his hands appeared to twitch, and Anzu was almost certain he was about to step towards her. Instead, he broke eye contact and lurched away in the other direction. He was around the corner and out of sight before his greedy little fan club could say 'Mastercard!'.

Jounouchi whistled. "Geez, Anzu! Kaiba sure was givin' you the evil eye! Figures. I bet whenever he meets a pretty girl, he wants to pick her up and toss her right off his iceberg!"

Oh Jounouchi, if you only knew... Anzu's pulse finally began to normalize as the two resumed strolling down the sidewalk. If Kaiba ever set foot on an iceberg, it would probably melt instantaneously under the force of his hotness...

Anzu hoped they had a straightjacket ready for her at Domino Psychiatric, because she was lost.

XXXXXXX

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There. Hehe! That was very enjoyable to write, I must say. I hope my Jounouchi was okay. And I also hope I didn't accidentally refer to him as 'Joey' at all. For some reason, he seems to be the only one I don't automatically think of by the Japanese name. We'll get a peek at Seto's reaction to this little encounter in the next chapter. What, did you think I would torture Anzu and then let him off easy? Oh no no. That just wouldn't be fair now would it? Review and make me even happier than usual!