"Anzu."
Anzu turned slightly, her ears barely catching the sound of her own name. She was vaguely aware of the presence near by, just as she was only vaguely aware of her surroundings. Anzu's eyes were still closed, but she could picture a cloudy image of what lay in front of her eyes. It was the living room of her apartment, and she was lying on the couch, curled up in her favorite blanket. Anzu faintly recalled the night before, when she had come home and fallen asleep on the couch. She remembered waking up sometime later and feeling the weight of Ryou's head and shoulders on her own. She must have fallen asleep again after that. The weight was gone – he must be awake.
"Anzu!"
Anzu pulled the blanket a little tighter around her shoulders, feeling warm and comfortable. Ryou was trying to wake her up…
"Go'way Ryou…" she mumbled," Lemme sleep some more…"
She felt a hand on her shoulder, gently trying to shake her awake. A finger then prodded into her side slightly, she batted it away and muttered something else. How like Ryou, he would pester her until she woke up.
"Mazaki!"
Anzu shot up from her comfortable sleeping position and her eyes fluttered open. She turned her head slightly to take in her unfamiliar surroundings.
Definitely not Ryou… she thought And definitely NOT my apartment.
Immediately, she felt panic set in. Where was she? What was she doing here? Why? It seemed to Anzu that she was in some kind of library; a great fireplace crackled gleefully in front of her, and all around that, for as much as she could see, all bookshelves, packed to the brim with books. But what was she doing here?
"It's about time you got up," a voice said from behind her, not unkind. However, that voice was dreadfully familiar. Suddenly, everything came rushing back to her, every event of the day, from waking up and having cereal to seeing Mokuba at the restaurant to fighting off kidnappers, to arriving at the Kaiba Mansion's gate.
"Kaiba?" she asked hesitantly, although she already knew the answer.
"Who else?" he demanded. Seto crossed in front of her and sat down in one of the nearby plush chairs. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Anzu staring at Seto and Seto leaving the gaze unanswered. Anzu sat there, a numb screech filling her brain and spreading into the rest of her body. She had a horrible head ache, and a sharp pain raced up her back every time her heart beat.
"Is Mokuba alright?" she finally dared to ask.
Seto stared into the fire for what seemed like eternity, before turning to her and gazing into her crystal blue eyes with his own now cloudy blue. Anzu blinked, knowing she had never seen his eyes like that. It seemed to her that while they never changed color, they always changed. Sometimes, hard and cold as ice, sometimes, as deep as the ocean, sometimes dark, like a storm brewing, and, as she now found, cloudy and rheumatic with an age beyond his own. Anzu knew for a fact that Kaiba was only a few months older, but as they sat there in silence, she could see and feel almost centuries of difference.
He looks so old…so tired…
Finally, he spoke.
"Yes, Mokuba's going to be fine. The family doctor has treated all of his injuries. Mokuba's up in his room sleeping now."
Anzu nodded, relief flowing through every vein and dulling the pounding numbness that had enveloped her like a thick cloud.
"That's good," she said, not knowing what else to say," He fought hard."
Seto accepted this as if it were general knowledge. They fell into silence again, Seto's mind going a mile a minute and Anzu's struggling to start moving again.
"Would you like a drink?" he asked, out of the blue.
Without thinking, Anzu replied," Something strong."
Seto shrugged and, much to Anzu's surprise, got up out of his seat.
"Don't go anywhere," he said in a reprimanding tone," I don't want to have to send a search party after you if you decide to wander off."
Anzu felt her lips crinkled upward some, but as Seto left, she realized that he hadn't been joking. Just the library of the Kaiba Mansion was huge. Anzu felt the need to stand up and explore the large chamber, but her body seemed to protest. As she tried to stand up, every nerve screamed in agony, and every muscle groaned with weariness. Anzu gave up, and flopped back onto the couch again, sighing slightly as she sunk down into the deep cushioning. Anzu instead contented herself with watching the fire in the fireplace, much as Seto had only a few minutes ago. It helped in distracting Anzu from the absurdity of the situation – her saving Mokuba, being in the Kaiba mansion, accepting a drink from the elder Kaiba himself, and the fact that he had referred to her as Anzu. More than once. Anzu wondered if he had forgotten what had happened last night; she knew that she hadn't.
"Mr. Kaiba sent this for you Ma'am," a maid said, surprising Anzu. She hadn't even realized that another person had entered the room. Anzu nodded, trying to gain her composure. The maid set a navy blue mug down on the table in front of Anzu. A thin train of steam rose up from it.
"Thank you," Anzu replied, trying to sound as polite as she could. The maid nodded, and sent Anzu a warm smile, much different from the look she had received from the first of the Kaiba staff that she had encountered. Anzu noticed that this maid was much younger than the first, and reckoned that that had something to do with the maid's politeness. The younger maid turned, and walked to the door, but turned back as she reached it, as if suddenly remembering something.
"Mr. Kaiba wanted me to inform you that that was the strongest drink he could find without risking your mental ability. He didn't think that you would appreciate him bringing you Schnapps."
Anzu's eyes bulged as the maid left the room. She had picked up the mug while the maid was speaking, and found that it was simply strong coffee. But Kaiba, suggesting alcohol? Anzu pondered over it for a moment, and then burst out into a fit of giggles. Was that Kaiba's way of making a joke?
Anzu cupped the blue mug in her hands, enjoying the warmth it brought. Slowly, she brought it up to her lips, and took a long sip. She sighed with simple contentedness, and drew the blanket a little closer around her. Although the coffee and the fire certainly warmed her, she was still somewhat chilly, she imagined because her clothes were slightly wet.
"Would you like another blanket?" a soft voice asked. Anzu, who had already been startled enough that day, panicked at the sudden sound of the voice. She jumped in her seat, and her hands let loose of the coffee mug. To her horror, she helplessly watched as the mug came in contact with the hard marble floor below, shattering into a million pieces and spraying its heated contents everywhere. She looked up as Seto Kaiba, and made a move to get up from her chair, but he out a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Don't move Mazaki," he said," Last thing we need is you to get your feet cut up. Wouldn't be able to dance then, let alone walk."
"I am so sorry Kaiba, I-" Anzu made another move, but was stopped as Seto kneeled down at the side of the couch and captured her with his eyes.
"Don't worry about it."
The younger maid rushed in, and silently and quickly cleaned up the mess of shattered mug. Without a word she came, and without a word she left.
I bet Kaiba pays well for that kind of service.
Seto stood up and, almost entranced, so did she. However, unlike he, Anzu's legs refused to function properly. Her knees buckled, but Seto reached out and caught her.
"Don't strain yourself," he commanded, setting her back down onto the couch and taking the nearby chair again.
"I see," he continued," That you don't need liquor to intoxicate you, Mazaki. You act clumsy enough without it."
Anzu was about to hurl back a spiteful comment, but then realized what he had said – and how he had said it.
"You're joking," she said aloud, her disbelief more than evident. Seto ignored her comment, and instead regarded her in a business like manner. He rested his head on the platform created by his interwoven fingers, and said in a serious tone," We need to talk."
Anzu nodded, not taken aback by the sudden change in mood. "I agree. I have no idea who it was that was after Mokuba. Have there been any threats? Any serious enemies? An-"
"And," Seto continued, paying no attention to her questions," we will talk. But before that, we need to get you fixed up. Unless, of course, you plan to sit there and bleed on my blanket all day?"
He raised an eyebrow as Anzu slowly unwrapped herself from the blanket and regarded the great red stains she had left in it. A long red line showed where the injury on her arm had bled through, and a thicker one revealed to her the seriousness of the cut on her back.
"Oh," Anzu said, dumbly staring at the stains," I see what you mean. I should probably go then, and have Mai or Ryou-"
"Don't be dumb," Seto said sharply," You're in no condition to go yet. At least not until you're bandaged up."
"But-"
Seto sighed, and stood up from his chair. He offered her a hand, which she took, and he pulled her up. Anzu tried to stand on her own, but instead fell against Seto's chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and she stretched up to put an arm around his shoulder. Slowly, Seto helped her move out of the room.
"Look Mazaki," he said," I would be all too willing to let you go, but the last thing I need is for you to die in some alley due to a loss of blood and have your friends come and sue me."
Anzu rolled her eyes as she hobbled along," Wow, and here I thought you were actually doing something nice for a change."
"For a change?" Seto asked, sounding incredulous," I'm always nice."
"Right, and how are things on Planet You Wish?" she replied tartly. Seto was silent for a moment, and then chuckled slightly," Funny Mazaki, very funny. I just don't know what you mean. Like I said, I'm always nice."
"Ha," Anzu muttered," If last night was an example of you being nice, I'd hate to see you when you're being mean."
Anzu felt Seto stiffen slightly at the mention of last night's events. The walked in silence for a few moments, the tension thicker than Jou's skull. Seto sighed, and Anzu looked up at him.
"You were right," he said finally. Anzu looked up at him questioningly. Since when had he ever said she was right? Since when had anyone but him been right?
"About being a cold, arrogant, selfish jerk?" she asked. Seto raised an eyebrow, and looked down at her.
"You didn't have to sound so hopeful there Mazaki," he remarked," No. I meant about the grammar thing. You were right. I was wrong. So there."
Anzu almost stopped, and stare up at him, but Seto continued to walk, and since he was supporting her, she also continued. However, she was dumbstruck, for about the millionth time that day. Was that a strange Kaiba way of… apologizing? The two teens fell back into silence. Once again, the absurdity of the situation came back to Anzu. Now, not only was she in the Kaiba Mansion, but there she was, pressed up against Seto Kaiba himself, who was supporting her so that she didn't collapse again and make a total fool of herself. Seto Kaiba, who was still not sporting a shirt. Anzu wasn't sure what she thought of that. Sure, Seto Kaiba was by no means ugly, in fact, Anzu couldn't help to notice that he was quite nicely built, but still, he was… Kaiba. In her mind, he wasn't supposed to look good. The whole shirtless thing, and the fact that she was clinging to him, wasn't helping at all.
Yesterday, they had been bickering over grammar and Yami. Today, well… Kaiba seemed different. Almost, nice. Was it possible that there were two different Kaibas? Mean, rude, insulting Kaiba and nice, considerate, funny Kaiba? That was the only explanation, but if course, it couldn't be possible.
"Where are we going?" Anzu asked. They had already been walking for about five minutes, passing various halls and turning down endless hallways.
"The lower kitchen. Most sanitary place in the house," Seto replied," It's cleaned perpetually because Mokuba always takes it upon himself to trash it."
Anzu nodded, and followed as Seto lead her down a staircase at the end of the hall. She hobbled down the stairs, grasping to his shoulder for support. The two of them came out in a large, open room – the lower kitchen.
L
Seto smirked as Anzu gazed with astonishment at his kitchen. He had seen the inside of her apartment – he guess that the kitchen and the apartment were about the same size, and from the look on her face, Seto could tell that Anzu had deduced the same thing. He had to admit, the kitchen was huge, even for him, but that was how Seto Kaiba liked it. The kitchen was of course equipped with all of the newest technology – he had an enormous stainless steel appliances, and over head cupboards on every wall that held every type of cooking device imaginable. The color scheme showed that Seto himself had designed it; the counters, cupboards, walls and tile were all various shades of blue. In the center of the kitchen, a large island stood, like a mountain rising up out of a vast ocean (ooh, got to love the kitchen metaphors…). On the counter top of the island was an extensive first aid kit, which had already been opened, its contents spread across the island.
"Alright Mazaki, stop gawking and get up on the island."
Anzu snapped back to attention, and slowly made her way to the island, moving the best she could on her own. Anzu placed her hands on the counter, and tried to lift herself up onto it. Her arms wobbled weakly, and she slid to the ground. Seto sighed, and came over. He grabbed her by the waist and, as if she were as light as air, lifted her up onto the counter.
"Thanks," she muttered, and then," So, where's the doctor?"
Seto smirked," Right here."
Anzu looked around, bewildered. There was no one else in the kitchen but she and Kaiba. She turned back to Seto, who had moved past her and was now unwrapping a long strip of bandage from the first aid kit.
"But – you mean?" she stuttered. He cast a glance in her direction, then continued to gather his supplies.
"I refuse to let you-"
Seto looked up, a challenging look strewn across his face," Let me do what?"
"You're not a doctor!" Anzu finally spat out. Seto rolled his eyes.
"The Doctor had to go after he patched up Mokuba, who was, by the way, a lot more injured than you. I told him I could take care of the few scratches you did have. I'll clean your wounds and bandage you up," he said, and then raised two fingers in a universal gesture," That's all, Scout's Honor."
"You were never a Boy Scout," she muttered, desperately trying to think of a way to get out of the situation.
"How do you know?" he asked her, his attention still focused on the First Aid kit. Anzu blinked – she didn't know.
Seto smirked as the girl seated on the island grew silent. He had put her in an awkward situation, yes, but she needed some medical attention. Seto knew that Anzu was simply bothered by the fact that he was the medical attention. He took a pair of scissors near by and cut off the strip of bandage that he had unwound. Seto grabbed the disinfectant, then turned to Anzu.
"Alright then, let me see your arm first," he said calmly. Anzu stared back at him, with a look that read: Are you crazy? He smirk turned into a grin as she stuttered for a few moments, trying to think of what to say.
"At least put on a shirt first!" the brunette spat out. Seto blinked, not expecting that response. He looked down, and realized, for the first time since he had heard the commotion Anzu had been causing downstairs, that he was still shirtless. Anzu's sudden arrival had interrupted him in the middle of him changing out of his clothes, which had been wet from the walk in the rain he had just finished. He hadn't even put on a shirt. Seto wondered how long Anzu had noticed, and then wondered why he cared… Without a word, he turned and exited the kitchen. As he half-ran up the stairs, he could hear Anzu snickering behind him.
Anzu waited until she was sure that Kaiba was gone, then slowly shifted off of the island. Her legs were weak underneath her full weight, so she kept her hands on the island for support. She looked around, wondering if the single set of stairs were the only means of escape. Anzu braced herself, and took a step away from the island. Biting back a scream of pain, she took another step, and slowly made her way around the vast kitchen. She had almost given up, when suddenly, she noticed a small side door, tucked away in the corner, leading to somewhere else…
Anzu crept towards the door, hoping and praying that behind the small door was a way out of the mansion, and away from crazy Dr. Kaiba. She didn't think that he would be a bad doctor… the concept was just too strange for her to handle. Anzu made it all the way to the door, and reached out to the handle.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Anzu spun around, and fell back against the door in an attempt not to collapse again. Seto was standing there, now fully clothed, with a bemused look on his face.
"If you're trying to escape," he said, chuckling," That door won't help. The only place it will take you to is the pantry."
Anzu turned the knob and opened the door and found, true to Seto's words, the pantry. She turned back to him. He had put on a shirt, just a simple white tee shirt with the word "Seto" scrawled on it in what looked like blue marker. He was wearing, to Anzu's disbelief, loose fitting cargo pants.
"What's wrong Mazaki?" Seto asked, raising an eyebrow," I put on a shirt."
"It's just that," she said, not thinking," You look like a real person."
"As compared to any other day?"
Anzu thought for a moment," You know what I meant, it's just-"
Seto ran a hand through his hair," Don't bother, just get back over here and get back up on the island."
Anzu made an attempt to follow his orders, but in the end, needed his help in getting back across the kitchen and up on the island. While she wasn't paying attention, Seto took her arm in his hands. She stiffened at the touch, and tried to pull away, but he held her arm firmly.
"Relax Mazaki," he said, in almost a whisper," I'm not going to hurt you."
She could see that he was focusing more on her injury than her disposition towards him. Anzu relaxed her arm, knowing there was nothing else that she could do.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she asked as she felt his warm fingertips probe the area around her arm wound. Seto snorted.
"I got an A+ in the First Aid course. And I'm Red Cross certified."
"But still-"
"This is going to sting a little," Seto muttered as he gently rubbed a wet piece of gauze over her arm. Anzu let out a startled cry, and lurched away. Seto took a step back, and stuck a finger in his ear.
"Jesus Anzu," he muttered," Are you aiming to resurrect the dead?"
Anzu bit her lip and held back her tears.
"Sorry," she mumbled. Anzu clenched her teeth as Seto moved back towards her arm and cleaned the long scratch with disinfectant. Gently, Seto took the strip of bandage, and wrapped it around her arm. He secured it with some adhesive tape, and then patted it softly.
"There," he said, sounding as if he were speaking to a small child," Was that so bad?"
Anzu looked down at her lap, a replied sulkily," No…"
"Alright now, lift up your shirt."
Anzu's head shot up, her face furious.
"What? Why you perv! I can't believe-" Anzu trailed off into a long string of angry sounding syllables while she tried to slide off of the island. Seto stopped her, grabbing onto her waist tightly and preventing her from moving off of the island.
"I didn't mean it that way!" he exclaimed, sighing. Before Anzu could react, he reached behind her and ran a finger down her spine. Anzu knew that she was ticklish, but instead of shivering, a strip of pain raced down her bad. She let out a muffled cry, and Seto pulled his finger away. He raised it in front of her face, and she clearly saw that it was colored bright red.
"I meant, turn around, and lift up your shirt in the back so that I can bandage your cut up. Now turn around and let me see."
Anzu scowled and crossed her arms across her stomach," No way!"
"Look, I'm not going to molest you or something," Seto said bluntly," And you can't go around bleeding. You'll kill yourself. And I won't mess up your uniform any more. Although I seriously doubt they'll want it back. Hope you have extras."
Anzu looked down, and, like Seto had earlier, realized what she was wearing. Her Burger World uniform was by no means conservative with its tight blouse and short skirt. It was worse than her school uniform, which bordered the line between school outfit and strip-club get up. She fought to restrain a blush that was trying to creep up onto her cheeks. She had never wanted him to see her like this. Suddenly, she felt herself being moved – Seto lifted her legs up onto the island and slid her around so that her back was facing him. Anzu made an attempt to turn around, wanting nothing more than to slap him, but he held her shoulders tightly.
"Wh-"
"So Mazaki," Seto said conversationally," What was Bakura doing at your apartment this morning?"
Anzu gaped and tried to turn around, but Seto prevented her.
"Don't try to change the subject!" she snapped, but he seemed to ignore her.
"He was pretty angry when I came by this morning. Have any idea why?"
Anzu scowled," Probably because you came by and said something to make him that way," she snapped. Seto sighed," Guilty as charged."
"What did you say to him?" she asked, fearing the worst.
Seto chuckled," You'll have to ask him yourself."
"He won't tell me!" she whined," What did you say to make him so angry?"
"Ah, yes. I guess he wouldn't talk to you about that." he sneered.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing…" he said mockingly," So, did you get your umbrella?"
Anzu blinked," Um, yes. Thank you…"
"Mmm," Seto grumbled in response. Anzu translated that as "You're welcome."
"I didn't see you bring the umbrella in," he continued," And both you and Mokuba were soaked. Did you forget it again?"
"Shut up," she muttered," No I didn't forget it again."
"Then what happened?"
Anzu was silent for a moment. She bit her lip, and turned her head slightly so that she could see his face. Then, she let out a nervous chuckle.
"It broke."
Seto's eyes, which had been trained on her back, now reared up and met hers with a look of – Anzu almost couldn't believe it – shock and startled amusement.
"It broke." he replied flatly, and Anzu nodded vigorously," Uh-huh! I was just coming home from work when I saw the four men trying to kidnap Mokuba, so the first thing I could think to do was to hit the nearest one on the head with my umbrella. And then, well… it all went down hill from there…"
"So you broke your umbrella saving Mokuba?"
Anzu thought on this for a moment," Well yea, I guess you could say that, but not really. It was the second guy that attacked me that broke my umbrella. He hurled me onto the ground and then broke my umbrella, just like that."
Seto was silent for a few moments, his eyes shifted away from hers again.
"You're really dense, you know that Mazaki?"
Warm rage flared up inside of Anzu, and she would have turned to let him have it, were it not for the fact that Seto, as if anticipating her actions, placed both hands around her waist again and held her firmly in place.
"What are you talking about Kaiba?" she snapped, hoping he could hear the loathing in her voice.
"You're dense, that's all. Here you are, just sitting here, rambling off as if being attacked by four men and being brutally beaten was just an everyday occurrence… it isn't is it?" he said, his voice lowering with the last question. Anzu was silent for a moment, before starting up again.
"For your information, I'm not dense, I'm just… answering your question. And no, I don't get beaten on a daily basis, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you about it."
"Ah, that's right," Seto snorted," You tell your lover everything."
"I don't have a lover!" Anzu spat back," And I'm not beaten," she muttered," Unless of course, the constant verbal abuse I get from you is considered beatings…"
Seto didn't respond, and Anzu wasn't sure if he had heard her last comment. If he had, he paid no notice to it.
"I knew," he mumbled," That I shouldn't have used the Vodka. Just coffee would have done it. But no, now she's loopy…"
Anzu took and moment to absorb what he had said, before she turned her head again and stared at him in outraged shock.
"Vodka?" she exclaimed, her voice raising an octave. She had been feeling a little better…," Did you put vodka in my coffee?"
Seto was silent, his concentrations other places.
"Seto?" Anzu asked, unabashedly using his first name," Did you spike my drink?"
Anzu felt something press firmly onto her back, and Seto stepped away from her.
"All done," he said, and moved to her side to start packing up the First Aid kit.
"Did you?"
Seto rolled his eyes," You can get off of the island now."
Anzu blinked – Why won't he answer my question?
"But-" she started, remembering," You, my back-"
"Is all bandaged up," Seto finished, shutting the First Aid kit with a click of finality.
Anzu sat there for a moment, before she allowed herself to place a hand on her back. Delicately, she traced her fingers around the bandage that now covered the area where her cut had been. When she pulled her fingers away, they were slightly damp, as if some of the cream he had put on the bandage had leaked through. Anzu looked away from her fingers and turned to stare at Seto, who was calmly leaning against the opposite counter, waiting for her to get off of the island.
"You!" she started, flustered and indignant. She quickly started to hop off of the island," You distracted me so that you-"
Anzu was cut off as her knees, for what seemed like the millionth time that day, buckled under her weight. Seto, for the millionth time that day, reached out and caught her.
"Definitely the vodka," he muttered as he led her back to the stairs.
"Did you really put vodka in the coffee?" she asked frantically.
"What do you think?" Seto snapped. Anzu sighed, and sunk slightly against him.
"Oh Lord," she mumbled," I'm too young to become a drunk!"
Seto rolled his eyes, and slowly helped her up the stairs.
"Relax Mazaki," he sighed, pulling a hand away from her so that he could rub one of his temples," You're not drunk. You're just acting dumb. I only keep alcohol in the house for business partners who come for dinner, and even then only offer it on special occasions. I wouldn't waste vodka on your condition."
"Thanks," she mumbled, still not feeling relieved," I feel much better now."
L
"And that's when he threw me onto the ground and broke my umbrella. He was coming towards me, when Mokuba hit him or something. Anyway, he collapsed and that was the last of them."
Seto sat in the chair opposite of Anzu, silently watching as she recounted the afternoon's events. They had made their way up from the kitchen, albeit slowly, and gotten a change of clothes for Anzu, and then come back to the library. Seto watched as Anzu nervously tugged at the long sleeved sweater that she now wore – while it fit Seto perfectly, it was much too big for her.
"So then," Seto started," was it when he threw you that you got the cut on your back, correct?"
Anzu nodded, and started again, telling him about how she carried Mokuba to the gates of Kaiba Corp-
"Which reminds me," he said, cutting her off," How did you get past the gates? There were no guards posted outside to let you in, and I highly doubt that, in your condition, you climbed them."
"I just used the key pad," Anzu replied, as if it were obvious.
Seto stared for a moment," Did Mokuba give you the pass word?"
She shook her head," No, he was conscious enough to tell me that it was a six digit pass code, but then he passed out again. I guess I just, figured it out. I doubt that you need an explanation as to how I did so, seeing as you designed it. But that was pretty smart, corresponding the numbers to the letters on a telephone."
Seto blinked, taken aback," And how did you guess what numbers to press?"
Anzu sighed," I don't know really. Once I figured out the number system, I just figured that Mokuba would be the best fit. It's the one thing that I knew you would give your life for, and it had six letters. It just worked."
He observed as she stopped talking, and cast her eyes down to the warm tea cup that she held in her hand. She took a sip of the warm liquid – which she had refused to drink until both the maid and Seto swore to her that there was nothing but tea in it. He really didn't understand her, which frustrated him. One moment, she was acting like a complete idiot, a furious, clumsy, angry idiot who could throw back insults with more ease than breathing, and the next moment, she was calm but doubtful, and intelligent. He had seen it before, but never understood it. Seto had heard someone once say that all girls were mysteries, but he hadn't believed it. No other girl he had encountered, not even Isis, confused him as much as Anzu Mazaki did. But he would never let her know that. Seto couldn't help but wonder though, what was going through her mind as she quietly sipped her tea. Yesterday, he had been a complete jerk to her – even he had realized that, although much later, and today, well… she had helped the one person he loved. And Seto was trying as hard as he could to be decent to her for it. It wasn't exactly cake. Seto shook his head, as if trying to clear away his last thoughts.
"So," he said," Do you know at all who the men worked for? Or who they were?"
Anzu shook her head, her eyes still staring into the depths of her teacup.
"Did you write down or remember the license plate number on the SUV?"
She shook her head again, and Seto scowled.
"Do you remember what they looked like?"
Anzu breathed in slightly, and then looked up into his eyes," No. It was all a blur."
Seto let out a frustrated sigh – How was he supposed to exact revenge if he didn't even know where to start. 'Four guys in business suits' wasn't exactly a description that worked to his advantage – he had over four guys in business suits working for him in his very own office.
"Do you have anything that will help?" he asked her, sounding a little sharper than he had intended. Anzu bit her lip, and set down her tea cup on the side table. She folded her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking. Seto rolled his eyes, and silently prayed that she didn't burst out into tears like she had last night. The only way he could respond to that was by insult, and he knew that Anzu wouldn't be much help at all if she refused to help him because of verbal abuse. Suddenly, Anzu's head shot up, and her eyes brightened. She quickly reached over the edge of the chair, winced as her torso twisted slightly and disrupted her back, and then moved more slowly to where her dirty uniform rested in a pile at the foot of the chair. Seto watched with curiosity as she dug through a pocket at the front of the uniform. Anzu pulled up a wad of bills and held them up in the air triumphantly.
Seto rolled his eyes. What is she going to do, magically unroll the kidnappers from each dollar bill.
"How is the money supposed to help us?" he snapped, feeling more than a little annoyed, and confused. Anzu just smiled, her first real, blindingly white smile since she had first showed up in his house.
"This money," she said proudly," is my tip."
…
Seto stared at her, trying hard not to start screaming. Here was this girl, who told him many times over that she was more than the dumb cheerleader that he had judged her to be, waving around a wad of money like she had just found the cure for cancer. Sure, she was in advanced classes, sure, she had saved Mokuba, and sure, she had figured out the pass code, but none of those actions actually called for intelligence. Seto Kaiba was frustrated, very frustrated, with Anzu. Mokuba had been attacked, the guilty were still running around somewhere, doubtless plotting their next move, and the only thing she could think of was money? He had plenty of that!
Instead of yelling, instead of making a fuss, he took a deep, deep breath, and released it slowly. He stared at her with cold, callous blue eyes, but rather than backing down, she returned the gaze with equal ferocity. Seto took another breath, and then spoke.
"Alright. And what exactly are we supposed to do with this tip of yours?" he said coldly.
Anzu didn't flinch, but instead let loose another smile," Help Mokuba," she replied cheerfully, before adding a ditzy sounding," Duh."
Seto rolled his eyes. And she says she'd not a cheerleader… (no offense to cheerleaders, they rock!).
"How?" he asked. This would be the defining moment. If she answered the wrong way, he would have her leave the house, and work on finding them his own way.
"Isn't it obvious?" she said, sounding indignant.
"No, it isn't. Enlighten me."
Anzu sighed, and set the money down on the table in front of her.
"The four men came into the restaurant I work at, I guess to spy on Mokuba and Rebecca. Anyway, I had to wait on their table. And one of them gave me this tip."
Seto just stared," That's a lot of money for a lunch tip." he said blandly.
"They were in a hurry. But that's not the point! Think about it Seto!"
The boy's eyes narrowed slightly at the blatant use of his first name, but considered Anzu's words. She had money in her possession that the men who had attacked Mokuba once had. Once touched. His eye's widened, and he had to refrain from slapping his forehead. How could he have not come to that conclusion. Anzu smiled slightly.
"They weren't wearing gloves," she added.
Seto reached across the table and almost picked up the cash, but then stopped, not wanting to add his own fingerprints to the mix. He called instead for one of the maids to bring him gloves and a sandwich bag. Not exactly the best CSI gear, but it would suffice. He pulled on the plastic gloves and carefully began to place it in the sandwich bag.
"DNA fingerprinting normally takes a while," Anzu said, her voice suddenly disheartened," I just remembered that."
"Normally it takes a fair amount of time," Seto said, his voice sharp," But I think that the labs will put these bills on the high priority list…with some mild persuasion of course."
Anzu nodded as Seto zipped up the plastic bag. She could picture in her mind Seto's version of "mild persuasion" – Kaiba huffily storming into the Tokyo Forensics Lab, slamming the tainted bills down on the table, and demanding that they get the results in the next 24 hours or else they can say good bye to their jobs. She grinned slightly at the thought.
Suddenly, a maid rushed in. Seto turned in his chair and glared at the woman. She bowed, and then held out a cordless phone.
"Phone for you Mr. Kaiba," she said smartly.
"Who is it?" Kaiba demanded, his voice growing cold. Anzu shifted slightly in her seat.
The maid straightened and sent Kaiba a strange look, glanced to Anzu, and then looked back to Kaiba. Kaiba sighed, rolled his eyes, and took the phone from her. The maid bowed again, turned on her heel, and marched out quickly. Anzu sat in the chair, looking confused. What had she done? She wondered for one fearing moment if someone like Ryou or Yami had found out where she was, and was calling Kaiba to accuse him of kidnapping or something ridiculous like that. It would be just like them to do something like that. Anzu held her breath as Kaiba sent a silencing look in her direction, then stood up from his chair. He put the phone up to his ear, and said agitatedly,
"Look, this really isn't a good time."
Kaiba turned and walked to the other side of the library, and began to pace. Anzu could see his facial expression as he listened to whoever was on the other end. She guessed that it wasn't Yami or Ryou – Kaiba would have never said something like that to either of them. A scowl crossed Kaiba's face, looking venomous.
"I'm sorry," he replied sarcastically," Hello. Look, this really isn't a good time."
He paused, and then spat out," No, I'm not at school, it's a Saturday!"
He stopped pacing for a moment, and then started again, in circles, looking to Anzu like a caged tiger. Maybe caged dragon would be more accurate… she thought. Kaiba looked like he was about to spit fire.
"No, you can call me any time during the weekends except now. I've got a few problems on my hands right now- No, I'm not making excuses not to talk to you, this is serious!"
Anzu was sure that Kaiba almost hissed at the person on the other end.
"There was an attempted kidnapping. They tried to get Mokuba – no, he's fine, considering. Mazaki saw it and helped him out."
He glanced in her direction. Anzu turned her head away quickly, trying not to look like she was intently listening.
"Yes, Anzu Mazaki. No, you don't need to come over, everything is fine."
Anzu really wished that she knew who was on the other end of the phone – who was making Kaiba so mad.
"What are you saying?" he asked, his voice getting steelier," Fine then, come over right now! It makes no difference to me!"
There was a pause as he listened to the speaker on the other end, and Anzu saw Kaiba's face twist into fury.
"You have a meeting? Then why are you getting so worked up about all of this!"
His voice dropped, until Anzu could barely hear what he was saying.
"Alright. I'll pick you up when it's over."
"You too," he said, and it looked to Anzu like it was said rather reluctantly. She wondered what he meant. Without another word, he clicked off the phone, slammed it viciously on the desk near where he was standing, and stalked back over to the sitting area. He was muttering under his breath.
"Can't stand her…sometimes just…"
Anzu, despite herself, raised an eyebrow. Her? Was that a… girl on the other end? Surely, there was no way…
Anzu realized that Kaiba was glaring at her. He was still standing, with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Do you think you're stable enough to go?"
Anzu blinked, and then realized what he was saying.
"What about the fingerprinting?" she asked, protest ringing through her voice.
"I'll take care of it."
Anzu wasn't done," What about Mokuba? Doesn't he-"
"Once again," Kaiba said coldly," I'll take care of him."
But-"
"Can you stand?"
Anzu was hit with a mild shock. Gone was the Seto Kaiba that had actually been… nice. Kind of. He had been replaced with the old Kaiba. She realized that she shouldn't have been surprised. Kaiba was more prone to mood swings than Mai was during that time of the month.
"Um, yea," she mumbled," I think so…"
Slowly, she pushed herself up from the chair, bracing her knees the best that she could. With one hand still on the chair, she bent down and picked up her dirty uniform. Anzu stared at it with a look of dismay – the long rip down the back and the browning blood stains ensured that she would no longer be able to wear that uniform. It was lucky that she had a spare at home.
"Good," he said in a business like manner. He turned his back to her and made his way to the door. Anzu followed the best that she could, her legs were unsteady but she didn't want to say anything. She followed his broad back down the winding hallways, not bothering to remember which way they came because she knew that she'd never be back. Finally, they came to a large set of stairs – looking down she realized that they were in the entrance hall. The older maid had returned to her position, as she heard footsteps above her she turned to look up. The maid sniffed daintily as she saw Anzu, clutching her dirtied clothes and shaking slightly. Anzu stumbled down half way down the stairs under the glare of the older woman. Anzu's right knee buckled, and she was pitched forward. Anzu slammed into Seto's back, who had stopped abruptly.
"Ow…" she mumbled," Sorry…"
She heard the maid sniff again, and she blushed fiercely. Seto turned and looked down at her. Past him, Anzu could see the maid turn and leave the hall, looking, for some reason, scandalized.
"I'd been planning to walk you home." he said. The words came out as sounding odd.
"But instead, I think we'll take the limo."
Anzu looked up, staring defiantly into his eyes. Personally, she was ready to get away from him. She had been too close to and seen too much of, Seto Kaiba.
"I think that I'll be able to make it back on my own."
Seto raised an eyebrow. Anzu, without realizing it, was clutching onto the front of his shirt, supporting herself from falling down the rest of the stairs. She had dropped her uniform when she first slammed into his back – it now lay between their feet.
"Alright then," he said, not protesting," Feel free to go on your own. But first, let go of me."
Anzu blinked, then stared down at her fists and the cloth tightly bunched beneath them. Quickly, with a look of horror on her face, she unclenched her fists and pushed away from him. Anzu tottered back, tottered forward, and slammed into Seto again. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his waist, taking him by surprise. The force of the action caused them both to fall forward. For what seemed like forever to Anzu, they tumbled down the grand stairs. Everything before her eyes was a confusing, spinning blur, with the exception of a pair of sharp blue eyes that were locked onto hers. Anzu held back a cry of pain as her back bumped against one of the stairs, and hugged Seto even more tightly. She heard him let out a burst of breath as she squeezed tighter. Abruptly, their fall down the stairs came to a halt. The two were sprawled across the floor, a tangle of limbs. Seto sat up first, and Anzu followed, still clinging to him and breathing heavily.
"Good going Mazaki," he snapped, looking over himself for injury. He looked down to her – her hair was tangled and mussed. Seto had to resist his almost obsessive compulsive neat behavior and not fix it. Seto blinked as Anzu suddenly broke out into a low chuckle, which quickly escalated into hysterical giggles. Just then, the maid walked in. Her eyes widened as she saw the two, sitting on the ground, Anzu's arms still wrapped around Seto's middle.
"Mr. Kaiba I-"
Kaiba blinked, and then narrowed his eyes. This was one of the moments he had been waiting for.
"Helena. You know what standards I operate by," he started, his voice monotone. Kaiba heard Anzu swallow a giggle at the sound of his voice; she was dead still. The maid, Helena, watched her boss with a look of suspicious respect – it was obvious that Kaiba had something in store for her.
"Yes Sir," she replied cautiously.
"I expect my employees to be efficient, respectable, and well trained."
"Yes… Sir." Helena said hesitantly.
Kaiba sent a glance in Anzu's direction, and caught her eye. He then glanced down to her arms, which were still wrapped around his midriff. She followed his gaze, saw was he had seen, and quickly pulled away, putting her arms behind her back.
"For years, you have served me well under those expectations."
Helena smiled slightly, looking relieved.
"Thank you Mr. Kaiba."
His gaze hardened, and he set a scowl on his face. The smile melted away from the maid's features, and was replaced by a pale look of worry.
"You're fired."
For a moment, the entire hall was enveloped in silence. Kaiba sat there, on the cold marble, the silent judge and jury who had just issued his sentence. Helena, the old maid in more than one way, stood, looking shocked, confused, and hurt – the awestruck perpetrator who had just felt the weight of the judge's gavel force itself down on her. And Anzu, who simply sat, arms still safely behind her back, wondering why the judge had acted as he did. Suddenly, the maid broke out.
"But- but, Mr. Kaiba Sir, why? Please Sir, I've served you dutifully for years! I served your step father, I served you and your brother without complaint! Please Sir, you must be joking!"
Kaiba sent her another steely, gut wrenching glare.
"You've served me long enough to know that I don't joke."
Anzu stared at what was happening before her. Amidst everything, a stray thought…
He does joke… a lot.
Suddenly, the maid threw dignity to the wind and fell down to her knees, clasping her hands and begging.
"Please Sir! I need this job! I'm supporting my daughter and her family! My husband is in the hospital! Please Mr. Kaiba! Pleeaassee!"
Kaiba just snorted," I might have reconsidered before that pathetic attempt – you've set your own future in stone. You're lying, and I can't stand liars. You, Miss Helena Green, are unmarried, and live alone, without children."
Helena was speechless.
"Why so surprised?" he asked, his voice cutting like a knife," Did you think that I don't keep up on the important information of my employees? What kind of employer would I be if I didn't know who was working for me?"
Silence.
"I'm going to go drop off Mazaki. When I get back, I want you in my office Helena."
"But Mr. Kaiba, at least tell me why!"
Kaiba sent a long glance to Anzu," You were rude to one of my guests. You refused her entry, and failed to see that she was carrying my brother in her arms. You failed to see the urgency of the situation, and instead of sending for me, you attempted to push out both her and my brother, whom, I might add, you are also employed under."
"But Kaiba, you don't have to do that!"
Both Kaiba and Helena spun around to face a very meek looking Anzu Mazaki.
"Well- uh," suddenly, she was finding it difficult to speak," Uh- she was j-just doing her job." Anzu gained more confidence," That's right, she was just doing what you had told her to, which was to keep out unwanted guests. And as for Mokuba, well, with the state that he was in, even you had trouble immediately recognizing him."
Kaiba stared at her long and hard. She could feel herself shrink under his gaze, which had turned from cold and emotionless, to stormy and challenging.
"You are saying that I shouldn't fire her."
A statement, not a question. Anzu nodded, hesitantly.
"This is my household, and she is my employee," he said, a storm brewing behind his voice," However, I will consider what you've said."
Anzu nodded again, and saw Helena glance towards her, looking appreciative. However, Anzu knew that Kaiba was only saying that to appease her. His decision was still as strong as ever, and nothing, especially not the opinion of little Anzu Mazaki, would change that.
"Helena. Before you come to my office, tell Rupert and Mayao that I need to speak with them."
Anzu could only guess that they were the guards who had tried to kick her out. Kaiba stood up, still looking stately, and Anzu attempted the same, although less gracefully. Helena scampered out of the main hall. Slowly, Anzu followed Kaiba down a side hallway, to the garage. She looked back to the main hall.
In front of her, Kaiba walked determinedly. He saw, out of the corner of his eyes, Anzu look back to the hall, back to where she had first unceremoniously entered the Kaiba Mansion. Kaiba doubted that she could hear it, but in his ears, the satisfying thud of the guillotine echoed.
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"Actually, could you drop me off… at the Game Shop?"
Anzu shifted in her seat uncomfortably, but it wasn't because of the seat itself. The seat was leather, padded and plush. No, all of her discomfort came from two dark blue eyes that she could feel on her face, staring, analyzing, judging. Anzu took a deep breath and continued.
"I promised the guys that I'd meet up with them at the shop after work. They're probably worried enough about me as it is."
Kaiba didn't say anything, just stared. Anzu couldn't tell if he was angry with her, but she feared that he was.
"I, I mean, if it's too much of an inconvenience, or you just don't want to, I understand I can w-"
"Roland," Kaiba snapped, turning to his driver/bodyguard," Kame Game Shop."
"Yes Sir, Mr. Kaiba."
The car smoothly started up, ad slowly pulled out of the Kaiba Mansion drive way. Anzu looked around, everywhere but at Kaiba. She had never been in a limousine before – and she had to admit to herself that if there was ever a limousine to ride in, it was Kaiba's. It had everything and more. Anzu had secretly looked for the swimming pool and helipad, and finally determined that Kaiba wouldn't spend money on something as silly as a swimming pool. But, besides that there was what looked like a full bar (Anzu suspiciously eyed the glass bottle she saw that looked a lot like good Russian Vodka), three televisions, two lap top centers, a phone, and multiple flat surfaces for writing. It looked like an office, minus the secretary. Finally, she looked out of the window, trying as hard as she could to look interested and content. In reality, she and Kaiba were sitting in an awkward silence that neither of them seemed to be able to break. No one spoke of it, or acknowledged it, but both could feel it.
It was Kaiba who broke the silence.
"Who all will be there?"
Anzu ripped her eyes away from the view outside of the window and turned to Kaiba. He was gazing demurely to the side, not at her. The question struck her as… more than odd. However, she knew that she had no choice but to answer it.
"Oh, just the normal group," she said, trying to sound casual and not at all as uncomfortable as she was feeling," You know, Yugi, Joey, Duke, Serenity and Marik," Anzu couldn't help but notice the slight raise of eye brows at the mention or Serenity and Marik, however, Kaiba said nothing," me of course, and-"
Anzu stopped, suddenly unable to speak. Kaiba had finally turned to her, his intense eyes practically drowning her. He fully raised an eyebrow, and crossed his arms over his chest. Anzu tried to ignore it, tried to keep talking, tried to say the name that was on the tip of her tongue, but she seemed unable to.
"And Yami?" Kaiba asked. Anzu nodded dumbly. Kaiba scowled.
"What about Bakura?"
Definitely more than odd.
"No. He has to work with his Dad today," finally, Anzu worked up the courage to ask," Why do you care?"
Kaiba looked away from her, and she let out a silent breath of relief.
"I don't care," he muttered.
"Then why do you keep asking?"
"You tell Bakura everything, don't you?"
Anzu clenched her fists. This was getting old, fast.
"Stop trying to change the subject!" she exclaimed," I'm sick and tired of this! You prompt conversation and then never follow through, you just make me act like an idiot-"
"Like you're acting now?" he said mildly.
"Shut up! That's another thing I'm sick of!" Anzu was on a roll now," Don't you have anything better to do with your time than to insult me?"
Kaiba was silent for a moment, then," Why do you live with Mai?"
Anzu's eyes widened, and she suddenly realized something. Kaiba conversations didn't follow normal rules, they followed Kaiba's thought process, which Anzu had learned was very fast, and rather erratic. However, she hadn't been expecting that question.
"My parents are international businesspeople. They travel the world year round. Right now they're in San Fran settling a deal on a new type of information storing software. They're never home, so I stay with Mai." she added, as an afterthought," Actually, Mai lives with me. The apartment is under my name, she just pays part of the rent."
Kaiba nodded slowly, processing the information. Anzu awaited his next question, which came shortly after.
"Your parents are Tomaya and Haruka Mazaki?"
Anzu blinked," Yes, they are. You've worked with them?"
"Unfortunately." he replied. Anzu could hear the disdain in his voice, and, although he was talking about her parents, she couldn't help but second his feelings.
"Why don't you travel with them?" he asked," From what I know of them, I imagine that they would be training you to become the next Mazaki business partner."
Anzu sighed," They are, sort of. For the moment, they are having fun pretending that I don't exist. I haven't talked to either of them for the past two months. We had a big fight about my dance." a little voice inside of her was screaming Why are you telling him all of this?, but she kept talking," They don't like the idea of me dancing. They're perfectly content to smash my dreams and force me to follow their own tedious path. They also don't like me going to public school, but I told them that if they didn't let me stay at Domino High, I wouldn't go to any school at all, and I'd run off, join a traveling dance troupe, and marry a punk rocker."
She smiled, feeling smug. "They didn't believe that that's I'd do any of that, but it at least proved to them that I was serious about staying."
She finished, and settled back into her seat. Suddenly, it dawned on her what she had done, and what she had said. In front of Seto Kaiba. Anzu but her lip, and watched as Kaiba stared – not at her, but beyond her.
"I guess…" she ventured," My parents are kind of trying to do what your father did-"
She stopped as she watched Kaiba's eyes. Anzu knew immediately that she had crossed the line with that one simple statement. What had compelled her to say that? What had made her compare herself to him? She waited for the cold answer, the reprimanding tone, the burning, freezing eyes.
"Not really."
Anzu blinked. That was all that Kaiba said. She had expected him to- to start yelling at her, to kick her out of the limo and slam the door. But no, all that was offered in response was a bland 'Not really'.
On the outside, Kaiba was an emotionless slab. On the inside, he was turning himself around, tearing himself apart. Now, instead of not understanding the girl before him, he didn't understand himself. I don't care about this girl's life he thought firmly I don't care what she says or what she does. I'm just trying to unnerve her... But nothing sounded right in Kaiba's mind. Nothing made sense, so he just sat there. He turned away from Anzu, who he thought looked absolutely petrified, and looked out the window. The sun was low in the sky, and burning bright orange. The shadows from the street lights stretched long across the road – it was evening. Steam rose from the still wet tar of the road, however, it didn't look like there would be any more rain that day. People had started to reemerge from their shops and homes.
The limo passed by the museum. So much had happened, just last night. He glanced over at Anzu, and could tell that she was thinking the same thing. They were half a block from the Kame Game Shop when he signaled to Roland to stop. Anzu glanced up at him, finally feeling his eyes on her face, and sent him a silent question.
"I didn't think that you would tell anyone, besides Bakura, about what happened today. We're mortal enemies, it wouldn't be easy to explain you arriving in my limo," Anzu nodded, agreeing," And, with your pride, I know you wouldn't let me help you there," she looked slightly startled at the suggestion of him helping her, but stayed silent," So, if you can manage to walk, feel free to go."
He heard her mumble something about pride, but he ignored it.
"Thank you," she murmured, and said it again to Roland as he opened the door for her. Stiffly, she climbed out of the limo. Kaiba settled into his seat, and watched as she got out. It wouldn't take long for the two cuts to heal, he observed, they weren't deep. Suddenly, Anzu stuck her head back in the cab, a cheeky grin playing on her face, despite the weariness he saw in her eyes.
"What is it Mazaki?" he snapped.
"You owe me an umbrella."
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