The shrill sound of the alarm startled Anzu from her deep but restless sleep. Listlessly she rose and dressed.
Standing in front of the mirror, she was shocked to see the stranger staring back at her. Darkening circles shadowed her eyes, her complexion almost colourless. Applying a light smatter of makeup she tied her hair back in a loose ponytail, resigned that she could do no more she packed away the last of her belongings.
Grabbing her bags, Anzu gave a final sweeping gaze around the room. Satisfied that everything was in order she closed the door behind her. She had enjoyed her time at the mansion, if anything it pained her heart to leave it.
The subtle call of the house had been lost on her throughout her stay, but she now understood, the house was crying for someone to rip its figurative walls down and rebuild it. Change it from the cold shell it was to the inner warmth of a home.
"Sorry, not my job, but you'll have someone soon." She sighed patting the wall.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs she could hear the driver talking with the cook, through the open kitchen door. She'd hoped to make her escape that way, thereby avoiding the walk past Seto's office.
"Damn, so much for leaving unnoticed." She muttered.
Having left a note for Mokuba, Anzu was desperate to evade the uncomfortable after event meeting with his brother.
"He's probably at the city office by now anyway."
"I assume that by he, you mean me?" Seto stated impassively.
"I was just leaving." She stuttered. A trait she fast believed would become a permanent feature of her speech, should she remain near this man!
"I'll take you then." Adding, "Contrary to popular belief, I don't spend every waking moment working."
Anzu flinched.
"There's no need, I was going to walk."
Eyeing the bags, Seto enquired flatly, "What is it with you and walking Mazaki, anyone would think you're too frightened to be alone in a car with me!"
She wasn't sure if it was the tone of his voice or the return to formality by use of her surname, but she was hurting inside.
"All right, drive me, if it's not too much trouble." Her voice sounded strange, even to her.
Seto opened his mouth and then closed it again. Whatever he had been about to say lost as typhoon Mokuba swept past making landfall with arms thrown wildly about Anzu.
Scoldingly he gazed up at her.
"You were going to leave without saying goodbye."
"I left you a note I didn't want to wake you."
His face was all smiles at this
"You wrote a letter?"
"Yes, just for you." She nodded.
Mokuba slipped behind Anzu, ensuring her attention was engaged elsewhere he poked his tongue out at Seto.
Seto's expression remained as still as it had been.
"That wasn't very polite Mokuba." Anzu twisted her upper body round smiling down on the boy. With two fingers she snapped his gaping mouth closed. "Careful the flies might carry that cheeky tongue away.
Mokuba was in frozen awe. First it was his brother, now Anzu.
"How do they do that?"
Even Seto's phlegmatic dial succumbed to a distinctly Cheshire smile as he guided her out the door.
"I'll pay that." He murmured.
"Bye Mokuba." She waved back to him.
Still speechless all he could do was lift his hand for a sluggish reply.
Pulling up in front of her house, Anzu watched the procession of removalists going in and out the front door.
"Oh," She mouthed quietly.
"What's going on?" Seto's abrupt request cut through her thoughts.
"It seems we're moving out sooner, rather than later." She answered.
She could see her father signalling for her to come. Reaching for her bags, she felt Seto's hand on her arm.
"Wait until you find out what's happening."
She nodded.
Stepping round the front of the car he joined her as she weaved through the lines of workers.
"At last, we've been trying to get you, isn't your phone on?"
"Yes," she frowned rummaging through her handbag. "It's right he….."
She pushed the power button on and heard the tell tale beep of a flat battery. "Sorry."
"Never mind," her father engulfed her with one arm, pulling her in for a hug.
"Anu the men want to….Oh Anzu at last we were beginning to think you'd skipped town, don't you have your phone?"
Anu raised his hand signalling his wife to stop. "Arlie we've already done that line."
Anzu cast a quick glance between her parents. "No, not now, please don't have one of your arguments now." Her mind pleaded
Trying to divert her parents, she quickly asked "Didn't the removalist want something?"
"Yes, that's right, they want to know what you want done with Anzu's things."
"MY THINGS."
"Well unless you want to donate them to the next occupant, they have to be placed somewhere." Her mother reasoned.
"The house has been sold already?"
Arlie and Anu looked to each other for support. "We did say that there had already been tentative offers made. It just happens that one of those fit the bill and the finance already processed."
"But, where are we going to stay for the next week or so?"
Her father became uncomfortable shifting his gaze between them all. "Well that's why we were trying to contact you. My departure has been brought forward, and since you were currently staying at the Kaiba's we were rather hoping to force the hand of friendship a little longer, and you stay there."
Anzu's head pulled back, and the dark sapphires Seto had cast upon him last night, now shone glaringly at her parents.
"YOU WHAT? I was only there for Mokuba, I wasn't planning to move in permanently. And what about Seto? You haven't thought to ask him yet!" she stated hotly.
Several of the workman stopped to look at the proceedings, only to feel the contrastingly cool tongue of Seto asking if they were being paid good money to stand around like gaping codfish.
Pulling herself up, Anzu regained her composure. "I'm sorry, I just think it was very presumptuous of you both."
She had been going to continue along the strain of considering you don't like Seto Dad, but a niggling question in the back of her mind stamped its foot demanding to be heard. Not able to answer it for the moment, she slotted it away for further analysis later.
Instead she looked to Seto for an answer to the predicament. His normal, carefully schooled face flickered briefly with emotion. One she couldn't quite pin down with a name yet, as it had crossed so fleetingly.
a/n - oh the sneaky questions some of you ask. But my lips are sealed, you'll have to read and see. ;