APRICOT SUNDAE


" Sit,"

Reluctantly Anzu strode affront the signified couch, seating herself hesitantly while eyeing the spirit leaning against the wall in a languid manner.

" Your friends," Bakura began, voice husky. " They're important to you, correct?"

She nodded, gradually acknowledging his implications with a nervous shift against the cushions.

" I don't care what you do to me," Anzu announced stubbornly. " As long as Yuugi and the others aren't hurt,"

He graciously graced the brunette with an eerie shift of red eyes, regarding her condescendingly as he uncrossed his arms.

" I will do whatever to them I wish," He hissed. " And you can do nothing about it,"

Agitated, she studied him from her seated place. " What are your intentions?" She demanded weakly, restraining her voice from shrouding in fear as the spirit towered above her in a challenging manner.

" You're still after Yuugi's millennium puzzle, aren't you," She clipped rhetorically.

A hoarse chuckle reverberated deep in his chest as he lowered his murderous gaze to the girl, fisting her hands in her laps in enragement.

" Quite smart aren't you," He murmured. Kneeling down till their eyes were leveled, he roughly gripped her chin and guided her face up, forcefully adjusting her eyes on him. And him alone.

" Interfere and you'll find yourself visiting Marik in the shadow realm," He husked out in a deep throated threat, before releasing her chin with a fierce jerk.

Her thoughts momentarily lingered to the mind-controller who'd been banished to the shadow realm, before she felt a hand clamp tightly around her wrist, hauling her entire body off the furniture with immense intensity resulting in a clumsy tumble of her feet, pivoting her into the former thief's lanky frame.

" Watch it," Bakura bit out coarsely, shoving her abruptly off in displease from the foreign contact her body left imprinted in his mind.

Anzu glared at him. It's not like I did it purposely! And if it were, it'd be only to strike him and make a run for it.

A stiff, rigid smirk adorned his placid features. " Your pathetic friends will be safe unless I decide otherwise,"

When she motioned to bypass his threats and stalk toward the stairs, he snatched a fistful of her pink blazer, scuffing her backward in an attempt to restrain her efforts of escape.

" Listen or you can count on never seeing those disgusting friends of yours again!" He spat, maneuvering her body till she was firmly hauled against his taller one.

Effortlessly she struggled to detach his fingers clawing her left shoulder, bruising the skin through the fabric of her sleeve as he unconsciously tightened his hold when her eyes began to wander.

" Afraid to look at me?" He husked against her ear, arousing a shudder of terror from the brunette as he erotically swiped his tongue up her neck with a low, rumbled chuckle.

" Why should I?" She arrogantly bit back, sternly meeting his eyes gradually rising to rest on her face.

" Because you belong to me now," He purred, crushing her body against his. " And you will do everything I say if you wish to see your friends alive,"


" See, Seto! I told you it wouldn't be hard!" Mokuba congratulated, climbing into the sleek black limousine before the disgruntled CEO followed, entering inside the vehicle and settling himself stiffly in the leather seats.

" This had better be worth it Mokuba," Kaiba warned, eyeing the boy briefly before signaling the driver to head off.

" Mazaki residence," Kaiba instructed sharply to the suited clad driver. This had better be worth it. I have better things to do than baby-sit Mazaki from her idiotic friends.


Anzu sucked a breath in, before the cushions of her futon supported her fall as the spirit persuasively held her down firmly atop the sofa where she lay vulnerably under the guarded pair of red eyes that possessively regarded her body.

Bakura chuckled hoarsely upon confirming her expression; fear. She feared him, and nothing more satisfied him than the terror of others inflicted by him.

" You will get me that millennium puzzle," he slurred in her ears hypnotically. Her eyes, however, dulled on the millennium necklace he possessed, admiring the gold item clatter down as he motioned above her and the adoring pointers brushed her belly.

Nervously she pushed backward as he successfully climbed atop her with his hands guiding up to rest on each side of her head.

" If that millennium puzzle isn't in my possession soon, your friends will be visiting the shadow realm,"

" For eternity," Bakura trailed off, allowing the worst portion of his speech to drum in her deaf ears as she unconsciously weighed her options.

But I don't have options. It's a win or lose…. If I don't help him, he'll send Yuugi and the others to the shadow realm……But I could never deceive Yuugi! I could never--

She bit her lip, stubbornly looking away from the former thief impatiently awaiting her response.

Defeated, her eyes fell down guiltily. But I have to. Their lives are more important. Right?

Her body seemingly deflated with the acknowledgment of her decision. " Tell me how I can get the puzzle,"

Bakura's smirk expanded triumphantly.


" Are we there yet?"

" No,"

Mokuba twiddled his fingers anxiously, his sneakers thumping against the seat as he swayed his feet to bypass time.

" Any closer?" Mokuba insisted.

Kaiba, with evident frustration, shakily ran a hand through his disheveled bangs. " No,"

" How 'bout now?"

" NO!!" Mokuba cowered in his seat, fearfully watching the crazed expression in his brothers blue eyes flicker with life.

" When we get there, I will tell you," Kaiba retorted stiffly, swiping out his tongue to moisten his dry lips.

Mokuba sulked in the black leather seats. It's already been ten minutes! How much longer? What if Bakura's already ……

" Stop worrying," Kaiba announced suddenly, breaking his younger brother from his thoughts.

" Huh?" The boy blinked, staring up to study the CEO.

" She's capable of handling herself," Kaiba clarified sternly. He was momentarily reminded of the incident before the battle city tournaments; Marik's endless mind-controls shockingly effecting Jou and Anzu herself.

But she'd stood her ground the moment she repossessed control over her body. Even with her life in danger as she sat bounded beneath a, no doubt mammoth, crate, dangling above her with the small, vital support of Marik's henchman.

And still she insisted I end the battle. She's stubborn; a fool for risking her life for her friends.

Kaiba, someone who had never felt the strong bonds of friendship, couldn't understand why she'd risk her own life for the sake of her friends; Jou and Yuugi.

How can someone devote their live to him? Of all people. Bitterly he was reminded of the short dueler he'd despised the moment he'd battled him and lost.

I didn't lose. He foully denied. That damn fool tricked me. Had I been more prepared--

" Seto! We just passed Anzu's house!" Mokuba wailed in a frantic shout as he steered down the window and pointed a finger at the two story house now disappearing behind the corner as the driver steered the limousine further down the street.

Kaiba grunted. Just what I need. Stupid people who can't take instructions. And I'm forced to pay these idiots for not knowing how to take a measly damn instruction to someone's house?

" We need to stop the car, Seto!" Mokuba shrilled, looking behind him to watch Anzu's house vanish from sight.

" What I need," Kaiba began in a mutter. " Is someone who knows where the hell he's going,"

The driver looked in the review mirror. " D-Did I pass the house, Sir?"

With a vicious glare that could've killed a herd, Kaiba maliciously responded in a rhetorical manner.

" What do you think,"


Yuugi paced the room, and unintentionally, trampled on Jou's and Honda's hands as the two boys' consulted in another short battle of duel monsters.

" Ey'! Watch where ya' goin', Yug!" Jou chided, clutching his hand now imprinted with Yuugi's sneaker.

Honda, however, took the opportunity to sneak a glimpse at the blonde, New-Yorkers dueling-hand, before snickering to himself.

There's no way I can lose! Jou doesn't even have a good hand compared to what I got! Honda grinned in triumph; finally he'd beat Jou at a duel! Today was just his day.

Jou slapped down his cards on the ground, mixing them up with his others cards recently laid out during their match.

" Ah, forget dis'. I'm bored outta' ma' mind!"

Honda groaned. " Aww, man! You can't do this to me! I'm just about gonna win too!"

Jou smirked, standing after collecting his portion of duel cards. " Den' it's a good thing I ended da' game, 'ey?"

" How about in five seconds? Then there's no way I'm losing to your sorry as--"

" As I was saying, guys!" Yuugi wailed, waving his hands frantically to regain the two boys' attention.

" WHAT!?" They shrilled in unison.

Yuugi huffed in incredulousness. " I just said I called Anzu, and she still won't answer!"

Jou rolled his eyes partially. " Come off it, Yug. Anz is perfectly fine. 'Dat Anz knows some moves,"

" Yeah, ballerina moves," Honda croaked, before he and Jou burst into uncontrollable roars of laughter.

" I'm serious you two!" Yuugi chided, uncrossing his arms and maneuvering behind the glass counter situated in the back of the Kame Game Shop.

" Anzu could be--could be in danger!"

" Danga', how?" Jou persisted.

Honda smirked. " Who knows, man. Maybe Bakura's back and he's, like, eating her brains!" He began wiggling his fingers and making goofy ghost impersonations.

Yuugi stomped his foot. " Honda! That isn't funny! Anzu could really be hurt!"

Both boys' rolled their eyes, something they'd become accustomed to in the past hours they'd spent in the Game Shop with a paranoid Yuugi.

Jou slapped a reassuring hand to Yuugi's back. " Ya' forgettin' she's wit Ryou,"

" Well at least I'm worried!" The short boy added forcefully with a raise of his right hands index finger.

" More lika'….para---what's dat word again? When ya' worry too much?" Jou asked aloud, looking to Honda who supplied an equally puzzled shrug.

" Paranoid," Yuugi supplied with a narrow of his eyes. " And I'm not paranoid!"

" Are too, Yug. Just look at ya', ya' got dem' circles unda' ya eyes!"

" Yeah, man," Honda agreed with a nod. " But if you want we could go to Anzu's,"

" Yeah, I am pretty hungry, and dat' Anz knows how ta cook!"

Yuugi grimaced. " Can we go now?" He impatiently insisted.

" Yeah, just let me get a bit freshened up," Jou muttered, giving himself the 'once over' in the glass counter where his features were slightly visible.

Ruffling his hair and matting down his white shirt adorned with a blue strip across his chest, he regarded the two boys' with a satisfied grin.

" A'ight. I'm ready,"

Honda arched a brow. " What's with the 'freshening up', man?"

Jou stared at the slighter taller brunette as if he'd just jumped off a cliff and somehow came back in one piece.

" Are ya' crazy!?" Jou flailed his arms. " Mai might be 'dere!"

" Mai?!" Honda laughed out incredulously. " Why would she be there? Anzu and Mai hate each other!"

" No 'dey don't. Dose' two get along great!" Jou protested brushing off Honda and heading toward the door where Yuugi impatiently signaled them over.

" Yeah," Honda agreed falsely. " As great as you and Kaiba,"


Fondling the millennium necklace dangled about his neck, Bakura roamed the family room of Anzu's house in contemplation. This is going along well. Soon I'll have that puzzle, and everything I've ever wanted will be mine for the take.

Anzu sullenly gnawed at her lower lip. You can do this, Anzu. For the sake of your friends you can, and will. She assured herself in thought.

They're depending on me. I have to do this. She gave Bakura an askew look. All I have to do is get the puzzle from Yuugi, and Bakura will leave us alone.

" For good," She breathed aloud.

Bakura brought his eyes up as he halted mid-stride. " You will not speak of this to your friends. Especially the Pharaoh,"

Anzu tentatively nodded. " But if Yuugi or the others get hurt, the deal is off," She firmly grounded out.

He chuckled. " Now why would I go against my word? You have my undying promise, my dear,"

The deception of his words wounded her confidence to obey his wishes, or face the deadly threats. Could she really trust Bakura of all people?

Of course I can't. He knows that; I know that. So why am I doing this? He could easily have some trick up his sleeve. So why am I risking it?

" Because you, my dear, have no choice," Bakura replied thickly.

She stiffened. Had she said her thoughts aloud? I have to stop doing that.

" Yes, indeed," His grin grew, and angrily she wanted to slap it off him.

" I know I didn't say that out loud. You're reading my thoughts!" She accused, before adding. " But how?"

" Simple, girl," He murmured, closing in on her and moving his left arm behind her to grip the base of her neck and pry her body toward him.

" A good friend of mine showed me," He murmured, caressing her cheek impulsively flushing from the delectable touch of his callous hand.

" You're quite acquainted with him in fact," He hushed against her ear, narrowing his eyes to a half-lidded state as he nicked her earlobe with his teeth.

The erotic act shrilled a cold chill up her spine, till it reached her lips that trembled as he began swaying his tongue along her neck.

" Quite a delicious specimen," He murmured, his thick lips vibrating against her jugular as he stroked the flushing flesh with his skillful mouth.

She was distracted, however, with the information he'd willingly exposed to her of his mentor, who'd taught him his now capable ability to read minds.

Who could've---- Her eyes grew in disbelief. MARIK!

" Excellent perception," He congratulated in fabricated praise.

Jaw set, eyes slanted, she felt him retreat from her neck, marred with teeth indentations and a portion of moistened skin.

Sick jerk. Getting sick pleasure out of this. I hate him.

Furiously she wiped away any remnants of his saliva off her neck, hoping in some way to rid the teeth marks as well even when she knew those would slowly ebb away.

" The feeling is mutual, trust me," He breathed against her ear, before re-licking her neck with impish intent to enrage the brunette, something he highly relished in doing.

" I wouldn't trust you if my life depended on it," She bit back, lifting her hand to swipe at her neck.

He snatched her wrist, halting its ascend up to her neck as he regarded her with a challenging look.

" Don't," he seethed out. " You will leave it," To prove the meaning of his words, he dug his fingers in her wrist, marring the skin before he released her fail hand.

She grimaced. " Why not?" She demanded.

" Because I said so, and from now on everything I say you will do,"

That was when the doorbell rung, and she was more than filled with joy to find an escape route.

He grabbed her shoulder, jerking her around to face him before she had time to leap with jubilance on her way to the door. " Tell them of my presence and you'll be visiting the shadow realm far sooner than expected,"

She meekly nodded. " Don't worry, I won't forget," She pulled away from him, warily eyeing him from the side as she walked to the door.

Exhaling sharply she reached out to open the door. You can do this Anzu. All you have to do is not tell them Bakura is here and currently threatening your life, and everything will be okay.

" I can do this," She echoed aloud, gripping the handle.


A/N: Oh no!! Who's at that door!? Is it Kaiba and Mokuba? Or Yuugi and the gang? Or is it neither!? . Review and you'll find out faster!

Here is the poll currently:Seto/ Anzu/ Ryou: 3

Bakura/ Anzu/ Ryou: 3

Anzu/Seto: 3

Anzu/ Ryou: 5

Seto/Anzu/Ryou (Bakura): 1

Anzu/Bakura: 3

And it looks like Anzu/Ryou are in the lead! If that's not who you want winning than I'd advice VOTING!!

Read, Review, and VOTE!! XD