Lifestyles of the Rich and the Arrogant


A/N: WELL! I couldn't resist; I just couldn't resist! Happy happy heart day, everyone! MWAH! Hee hee. Golly... I'm SO angry at this chapter, and yet... I LOVE IT. So conflicted... The GREAT SECRET (that I've been hinting at all along!) is finally revealed, but it's really rather anti-climactic. And by now I'm sure everyone knows what it is. It's funny though, because I've been TRYING to hint at it since chapter five, with a bit farther-reaching hints starting in chapter two. HA-- I bet you never thought this story had so much depth! (It doesn't; I'm just deluding myself.) And... wow, that's it! This was UN-EDITED, so BEWARE! WHAA! I have the habit of just looking over things as I write them, and usually that catches any particularly egregious un-grammar-ly-ness. (And spelling errors,word displacement, etc.) With that said, ENJOY! my fellow Seto/Anzu devotees. And I dedicate this chapter to all my reviewers. (tears up) I love you all...


Giving Back to Society
(In Which There are Crushes and Seto Scowls)

Seto scowled. He wasn't happy; actually, he was quite un-happy. It was Thursday afternoon, he sat in the dark, abysmal reaches of his cavernous living room, and he was scowling. Oh, and what a terrifying scowl it was. He had already frightened away a faint-hearted maid, and he lay in wait for his next unsuspecting victim.

It wasn't long before poor Mokuba appeared.

"Seto?" he inquired to the room, flipping on the light. "Why are you sitting in the dark? Sulking again?"

"I'm not sulking," Seto said sulkily. "I'm enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Whatever, Seto," Mokuba said, rolling his eyes. "I don't know what you're upset about, but you're obviously sulking." Mokuba plopped down on the couch, beside his brother. "Can't we watch TV or something? Sitting here doing nothing is really boring. Why are you in here, anyway? Hiding from something?"

Seto glared at his younger brother. "I'm not hiding from anything, Mokuba. I was sitting here, enjoying the solitude, when you came and disturbed me."

Mokuba sighed, not going to even attempt reasoning with his brother. "Well I'll leave you alone, then. But come on big brother; sitting alone in the dark– for entertainment? Get some more work for your company or a date or... something! You need a life!" And with a last grin and a wave, Mokuba skipped out, leaving his brother alone.

And to the world's surprise, Seto resumed his scowling.


Arisa sat at her desk, grading a big stack of papers. Classes hadn't started yet, so she was taking advantage of the early morning stillness. Just as she had scribbled the last red "X" on a particularly poor paper, she heard a knock on the door.

She smiled. "Come in."

A tall boy (with freaky follicles) came inside and shut the door. She smirked. "Well. Shouldn't you be in homeroom, Honda-kun?"

He leaned down, his elbows resting on her desk. "I won't tell if you won't." He smiled, quick and sweet. She laughed softly.

"What are you doing?" he asked, peering down at her work.

"Grading tests. You better let me work unless you want to fail."

"Ooh, that's harsh Arisa-sensei," he said teasingly. "And here I thought I was your favorite student."

She looked up at him, a smile slowly spreading across her face. "You know you are. But I need to get this done and I don't need any distractions. You have to work hard if you want to keep your 'favorite' status."

"But I so enjoy being a distraction."

She leaned closer. "Oh you do, huh?"

He leaned in as well, surprising her with a quick kiss. "You know... You sure are sexy when you're grading tests."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "And you're incorrigible. Now why don't you let me finish?"

The bell rang, and he shrugged. "Guess I have to, now. My departure's unavoidable." He kissed her again, tipping her chin up with a finger. "Miss you."

"You'll see me third period, you little idiot."

He grinned as he sauntered out the door. "You know you love me!"

"Get out of here," she called to his back, laughing to herself. She couldn't help it– something about that boy...

He really was her very favorite student.


Honda grabbed Kaiba's shoulder, pulling the other boy back into the classroom. "Hey," he said quietly, out of earshot, "Don't forget about this afternoon, alright?" He grinned suggestively. "You and Anzu? I know you're looking forward to it."

"I most certainly am not," Kaiba retorted. "I never even agreed to go along with this stupid plan of yours, so why–"

"Aw come on!" Honda whined. "You don't know how much she's looking forward to it!" Kaiba rolled his eyes and pulled away, successfully exiting the room and making his escape. "You better be there!" Honda called, after him. With a sigh, he let Kaiba go. "He better be there," he muttered, headed toward his locker. "He better be there."

And perhaps to everyone's surprise, Kaiba was there.

Anzu spotted him as he walked in the door, clearing a path as he walked to the counter. She took a sip of her drink as her eyes followed him; he appeared to be searching for something, pacing back and forth at the counter as his drink was being made.

She had to admit she was curious. He looked nice, in dress pants and a button-down shirt. But what was he doing in a coffee shop? Domino's most popular coffee shop, she realized. Even evil CEOs probably needed caffeine once in a while.

Honda was supposed to be meeting her, but something had apparently come up, and he was going to be late. She and Honda rarely hung out together; usually they were with Yugi and Jounouchi as well. But he was one of her best friends, and he had made it sound like whatever he needed to talk to her about had been urgent.

Anzu glanced over at Kaiba again. He was scowling fiercely, looking ready to decimate a planet. Honda couldn't keep her attention, not when someone like that was in the room with her. She was an honest person, and could admit when she had been wrong. And she had been wrong. Kaiba was no longer an object worthy of contempt and disdain, he looked like a young god, with a wit and an intelligence to match. He was beautiful, and she couldn't overlook that any longer. She liked him. She liked him a lot. And even though she didn't know him as well as she could, no one (aside from Mokuba) knew him, so at the very least she didn't have much competition.

She looked again. He was still scowling.

She almost giggled; watching him was quite amusing, especially since he had no idea she was doing it. She took another sip of her coffee, wondering how bad the consequences of going over there to pester him would be. She'd come to grips with the fact that she was infatuated. There was no getting around it– Seto Kaiba, the God-damn fox he was, had her hot and bothered. Anzu shivered a bit at the very thought.

And since he didn't even know she was there... She crossed her legs and smirked, feeling deliciously evil. What was the harm in indulging herself? She rested her chin on her hand, her smirk growing wider.

He had just ran an annoyed hand through his hair, exhaling in a most exasperated manner. She decided that no pose could be better for him.

'I wonder what he looks like naked.'

Biting her lip to hold in the bubbly laughter that wanted to escape, she stood. Bothering him, whatever he might say or do, would be infinitely worth. With a small spring to her step, she waltzed over to him.

Kaiba scowled when he spotted her, and Anzu wondered yet again why he was there if he was so unhappy. Shrugging and taking another sip of her drink, she waved at him cutely. "Hi Kaiba."

He grunted a greeting in return, feeling secretly relieved that she had taken the initiative to speak to him. "So you're here."

"Well... Yes, this is a public place, you know. My friend Honda– you know him– made plans with me today to hang out here, but he's going to be late so I just thought I'd get a drink and read until he got here." She eyed him almost hungrily. "You can join me. If you want, that is."

He scoffed, simply fuming inside. "You really are the friendship-freak, aren't you? I'm not a charity case, you know. I–"

"Hey, calm down," she said, lightly touching his arm. "I've claimed a table over here. Sit for a while at least; in a mood like that, you're liable to spill that hot drink in your hands. Come on." She smiled and led him over to where she had been sitting. She was worried that he'd just sneer and leave, but to her immense surprise he did the opposite. He politely pulled out her chair for her, then planted himself in the seat opposite hers.

But he looked furious; he looked like he would rather be inside a raging volcano than sitting there with her.

"So," she said, trying to start a conversation, "What's up? You, ah, here for the coffee?"

"Best in town," he said with a shrug.

"Yeah."

There was silence.

"Well this is awkward," Anzu said after a moment. "I don't really know what to talk about. To be completely honest, I never would have expected you to come and talk to me, so this whole situation is a little screwy." She looked at him earnestly. "Any topics at all would be appreciated." When he didn't respond, she went on with, "Unless you'd rather just sit here and be silent and awkward, of course. We can do that, too."

"Oh, forgive me for disliking superficial conversation. I should be killed on the spot."

Anzu cleared her throat, feeling a bit ruffled. "You didn't have to come sit down."

He shrugged. "Point taken."

"So... If we're not going to talk, what are we going to do? Sip coffee and stare at each other?"

Kaiba sneered. "As much as I know you'd love to stare at me Mazaki–"

"Ooh, a little arrogant, aren't we?"

He smirked. "When you're as rich as I am, you can afford it."

Anzu scoffed. "Right. I must have forgotten that money's the most important thing in the world. Maybe I'll go out and buy some world peace. Or happiness! No, maybe I'll go out and buy a big barrel of love, and–"

"Can't buy me love," Kaiba murmured, interrupting her.

Anzu shot him a glare. "You're not amusing."

He shrugged. "I never claimed to be, did I?"

She rolled her eyes. "I suppose not, oh rich and powerful one. All your wealth astounds me, how may I show my devotion?"

"Bowing down before me declaring to the world that I am the superior would be more than sufficient."

Anzu giggled cutely. For some unfathomable reason, he felt the irrational urge to make her laugh again. "This is crazy!" Anzu said. "Do you have a sniper outside waiting for me or something?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She giggled again. "Well, you're being so nice to me that I figure you must have some ulterior motive." He was silent, and she said, "You're not just being nice to me, right?"

Kaiba shifted in his chair. "Look Mazaki, I–"

At just that moment– saving our poor Seto from saying something he just might regret later– Honda showed up, peppy and happy and skipping towards them.

"Hello all!" he said with a wide smile.

Anzu returned his happy expression, but Seto fixed him with the iciest glare the world had ever seen. Trying to keep his voice level, he grabbed Honda's collar and pulled him over to the side. "Excuse us, Mazaki– we need to talk."

When they were a suitable distance away from the other patrons, Seto pushed him away and upped the intensity of his glare. "What the hell were you thinking?" he spat. "Are you trying to make a fool out of me? I only came because I felt sorry for the poor girl, and now I've come to find out she wasn't even expecting me! What's your damn problem, you stupid, ignorant, foolish, conniving–"

"Whoa, there, Brad," Honda said, holding up placating hands and offering a repentant smile. "I have an explanation."

Seto growled. "Then you sure as hell better start explaining."

"I tried to tell Anzu I had set the two of you up, but I never could. I... Ok, so I was a little scared of what she'd do to me if I told her the truth. Everytime I tried to hint at it she thought I was making fun of her for being attracted to you."

"Then you should have told me that! I–"

"Why does it matter, anyway?" Honda asked calmly. "If you don't actually like her, have a crush on her– whatever!– then you should just accept this afternoon as a minor, unavoidable inconvenience and move on. Why's that so hard for you to do?"

Seto looked down, glaring a hole into the floor. Honda nearly burst open his grin was so wide. But he quickly suppressed it before it could be spotted. Only another little push, and...

"Come on, Brad ol' buddy– you can say it; I know you can!"

"Say what, you foolhardy idiot? I'm warning you now that you're well on your way to making me angrier than is wise."

Honda shrugged. "I just want an honest answer. Do you have a thing for Anzu or not?"

After an eternally long, never-ending, lasting-forever, on-and-on-and-on, and eternally-long-again second, Seto said quietly– and most unwilling, scarcely having the courage to admit it to himself–

"Yes. I think I do."


End A/N: (looks at last sentence... goes back, reads it again) SQUEEBY! SQUEEBY! Wow, that was the stuff. Yes, my avid fans, THAT is the big secret/plot-device this whole fic is based on. Seto has had a crush on Anzu for MONTHS, and finally it's out in the open. Bwa ha ha-- bet you weren't expecting THAT! Go me. Eh... Lord, all that chocolate I've mindlessly consumed is getting to me. I feel all fuzzy inside... So read and review and rid me of the fuzziness! Or...eh, I don't care; I just hope everybody liked this! LOVE THE ELEVEN! (bows) Thank you. Thank you so very much.

-Next Time on LOTRATA:Yugi and Jounouchi hatch a plan. Anzu gets infatuated-- Seto's the MAN! TheYu-Gi-Oh! boys get into a pickle. (Or perhaps they do not... for I am quite fickle.) Twelve will be wondrous, a chapter of lore! With Seto and Anzu and... "I'm not a whore!" (Actually, that's a line from a lovely (I say lovely, but I mean deliciously indecent) little Valentine's one-shot I did. Maybe I'll post that later. Heh.)