Forever in Light: A Night at Seto's part one
''
Anzu laid quietly on the couch in Ryou's lap that night as he softly played with her hair.
Bakura hadn't been seen since that afternoon and while she was worried, Ryou had told her not to.
"Ryou...who was he talking about?"
Ryou stopped for a moment and sighed deeply.
"I don't entirely know myself. From what I've pieced to together of his memories she was his first love in Ancient Egypt. She was killed in the village with his parents and siblings. It was a horrible event that eventually made him the way that he is."
She sat up suddenly.
"Ryou. I'm going out. I'll meet you at the museum tomorrow okay?"
Ryou looked worried.
"Where will you sleep? What could you do out in the city by yourself for thirteen hours!"
She smiled softly.
"I...need to spend some time with Seto. I'm sure he'll let me crash at his place for the night. I'll be okay."
He stood as she did and stepped in front of the door.
"Anzu, do you really think that's safe? You've been having nightmares about him and what if he hurts you?"
She shook her head softly.
"He won't hurt me anymore Ryou. And whatever damage he does tonight will be erased within twenty-four hours. Please let me go Ryou."
He sighed heavily.
"Do you really think this is a good idea?"
She nodded.
"I don't want to be traumatized the way I was a year ago. I want to know his plan of attack and what he's planning on doing to me. If I spend some time with him I'll learn to trust him just enough that I won't be as scared as I was."
He hugged her tightly for a moment and looked into her eyes.
"Just be careful. If you need me at all any time, just call me."
She teased a few fingers through his hair.
"I promise."
With that he let her go, watching her walk out the door and hoping she knew what she was doing.
''
Seto got the shock of his life as Anzu buzzed him at the front gate.
He let her in and met her at the front door.
She slowed her steps as she approached him, trying to quench the fear rising in her chest.
He wrapped his arm gently around her waist and pulled her in.
"Good evening Anzu."
She smiled weakly.
"Good evening."
He closed the door and leaned against it for a moment, looking down.
"I think I know why you're here. I'm going to show you that I am mostly a normal person."
She smiled a little and touched his hand.
"I'm really trying Seto."
He looked up into her eyes with a sad smile.
"I couldn't have honestly expected anything less. How could I not see that it would hurt you?"
There was a moment of silence between them until he smiled brightly and took her hand.
"You're just in time for dinner actually. Mokuba was supposed to be home by now but he just called and said he was going out to dinner with Rebecca. I was wondering what to do with his."
She smiled.
"Sounds good."
''
After dinner they sat on the couch in one of the living rooms with soft music playing.
He took her hand and refused to look into her eyes.
"I want you to know that whatever happens tomorrow, I will not hurt you."
A look of nervousness crossed her face.
"I know. I think we should talk about it...plan it out so that I know what will be going on."
He looked up into her eyes.
"I think we should keep it pretty much the same. At least the first part."
She began to shake as she remembered that night too clearly.
"I don't want to do this at all. Why can't he just love me without this?"
Seto leaned closer and kissed her forehead.
"He does Anzu. He's just worried."
She stared at him in shock for a moment.
"Than why make me go through this again?"
He looked out the window at the bright full moon and sighed.
"For the same reason I never asked you out during my tournament. He's afraid it won't work out. He's afraid he'll hurt you more if he doesn't."
Suddenly he stood and reached out his hand.
"Let's calm you down a little before we start to think about this."
She looked up at him nervously.
"What do you have in mind?"
He smiled softly.
"We're going for a walk, that's all."
She nodded quietly and took his hand as she stood.
He led her out into a garden just behind the house and she took a deep breath of the cool night air.
Her heart began to settle and they sat together on one of the benches.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder.
They sat in silence for a long while, staring up at the moon until Seto spoke softly.
"Can we be friends when this is over?"
She looked up at him.
"I don't know. It's taken me this long to be able to even be around you without being scared and I'm still having nightmares. What if I still do?"
He looked down, pulling his arm away from her.
"I'm going to try and avoid scaring you at all this time. Anzu...if I had known it would affect you in this way I'd never have agreed. I know my guilt doesn't come close to the fear you live in everyday but it's damn close. I made the worst mistake of my life when I agreed to help him and I did it out of greed. But also...to be close to you for a while. I really didn't believe I was hurting you."
She gently touched his hand with a sigh.
"I know Seto. I don't want to be afraid of you but it's been really hard to forget. I didn't know what your intentions were. First you said you wanted me, then you said you loved me, then you threatened to kill me...I thought you had lost your mind. That wasn't the Seto that gave Pharaoh and I a ride to the prom in a limo for free. I know the real you Seto and I don't know why you lied about knowing each other but, I knew that wasn't you and that really scared me."
He laughed softly for a moment.
"I was trying to keep my ass out of serious trouble. Knowing you would have sent me to jail for a very long time. And let me tell you, two days, even in requested solitary in prison was not fun. I lost two days of my life and in that forty-eight hours I realized everything I'd ever done wrong had just caught up to me."
She squeezed his hand tightly for a moment.
"We'll ask Shadi if we can fix that."
He looked over at her and shook his head.
"No. It taught me a valuable lesson. If we're going to forget this night, sitting right here under the moon...than I want to live it again to remember the lesson I learned from it."
He looked down suddenly, taking her hand in his.
"Are you ready?"
She nodded.
"Let's get it out of the way."
He pulled her up and led her back in the house.
She sat back on the couch as he began to pace in front of her.
"Alright here's my idea. We'll keep the first part. I'll have one of my men film it. We should do at least one other thing to make sure he comes but where I need your help is figuring out what he has that I could possibly be willing to kidnap you to get."
She sat quietly for a moment.
"The whole reason he came in the first place was because of Yugi's puzzle. It's not what he has; it's what Yugi has. But the problem there would be that Pharaoh will be normal so he'll be inclined to save me...unless."
They locked eyes for a moment as a smirk crossed his face.
"I'll call him and tell him the whole thing has been staged for Bakura and not to interfere."
She smiled for a moment but closed her eyes.
"Now...what will you be doing to me in the next part?"
He sat next to her and took her hand.
"Nothing you don't want me to. You obviously trust mesome or you certainly wouldn't be here right now."
She nodded as she began to think.
"I'd like to make this as pleasurable as possible."
He nodded and gently took her cheek into his hand.
"I should kiss you still...and tell you that I want you."
She wasn't sure exactly what he was getting at until he quickly but softly captured her lips with his.
She stared at him as he broke away, unsure of what else to do.
"We need to keep our thoughts on business."
He nodded with a smile.
"I was. I wanted to know if there was a way to kiss you without you being afraid of me."
She looked down.
"It wasn't ever that you kissed me, or the way...it was what you said to me while you were doing it. The only way around this is for me to be ready. To know every intention behind your words and actions. My only saving grace right now is that you're not acting like that. This should be well rehearsed."
He looked into her eyes for a moment.
"We have another twenty four hours to do that...let's sleep for now."
He stood and turned back to her.
"You can sleep here, or I can have a room readied for you."
She shook her head.
"Here is fine...thank you Seto."
He smiled softly.
"I should be thanking you. I'll be right back."
She laid down, pulling one of the soft pillows under her head and smiled softly as he placed a warm blanket over her.
"Goodnight Anzu."
She only murmured as she drifted off to sleep.
He glanced at her one last time before trudging to his room.
'We'll make things okay Anzu, I promise.'