Hi everyone. Please don't kill me. I know that it's been two months since I've updated – I'm quite aware of that. Finally, I'm updating, amongst many threats and pleas! I never realized how…vital my chapters were – First makeup runs, then asthmatic attacks, next thing I know, you all will be threatening me with your lives! (Please, don't!) I had originally intended this chapter to be a lot longer, as compensation for not updating in so long, but my anxiousness to update finally overcame my desire for length. I hope you all don't mind! Please forgive me for how long it took to update – these past few months have been crazy! Along with a hurricane, a death in the family, school, travel, and a serious emergency surgery in the family, I've been going through a horrid writer's block that I've had to painstakingly squeeze past. However, I think that you all will enjoy this chapter – for once, I swear things are starting to pick up! Thank you all so much for your patience! Please Read and Review… You know you want to.
Love, RR
Disclaimer: Twists off Coca-Cola (which I don't own) bottle cap. Reads Sorry, you don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Try again. Crap.
Like The Rain by Revolutionnaire Rouge
Chapter Ten – Rebellion.
Dedicated to my brother – you know who you are. You had best read and review, I know where you go to school. Also, dedicated to Life, Love and Luck.
We'll see what comes of it, I thought
and I hardened my heart against her.
What, won't the villain speak to me? she
thought, flying into a rage.
And there we stood, sedulously refusing to look one
another in the face,
Until at last I managed an unconvincing laugh,
and her tears robbed me of my resolution.
-Amaru
"For once, I'm not going to be late…"
Anzu smiled slightly and looked at the time on her digital watch. 6:20. Quietly, she closed the door of the apartment and locked it, so as not to wake her still sleeping roommate. Anzu walked down the stairs, trying hard to ignore the brutal twinge that emanated from her back.
The sky was just starting to get light as she walked out onto the sidewalk. The rising sun cast odd patches of fiery orange and red onto the overhanging dark clouds, bathing the whole city in a strange, jewel like light.
I wonder if it'll rain today… she thought, looking up at the tangerine and blood colored clouds. Knowing my luck…
Anzu sighed, and rearranged her backpack onto her back. She couldn't wait until the rainy season left, and took away all of the strangeness it had brought with it. In a last ditch attempt to bring back a little normalcy to her life, Anzu was getting back to her regular morning routine – wake up, practice for dance, get ready, go to the post office, then go to school.
The post office was only about three blocks away from her apartment, and not too far after that from the school. Normally, it didn't take her very long to get there, but her back and arm had been giving her trouble that morning…
She looked up to the sky again, and saw that the recently rising warm colors were being replaced with the darker, more ominous shades of oncoming rain. With a groan, she began to walk a little faster, although she knew that it would do no good – there was a good chance that she would get rained on.
Which also means there's a good chance that HE'LL show up… but he wouldn't be out on one of those 'Rain Walks' this early… would he?
Shaking her head, she tried to banish the thought from her mind. While she wouldn't put I t past Seto Kaiba to talk rain walks at any unsightly time of day, she was going to hope that he decided it was more important to go to school this morning rather than torment her this early in the morning. But she wouldn't put it past him.
As a way to get the teen that had given her so much trouble over the past week out of her head, Anzu decided to focus on what was around her. She scanned the streets, passing familiar shops and homes as she walked. It didn't take her long to notice that there was something different, something wrong. Normally, when Anzu took this route, the shops and businesses that lined the street were just beginning to get ready for the day, and the commuters were on their way to work – most mornings, her area of Domino was like a bustling metropolis. While most people in Domino were employed by the massive Kaiba Corp. administrative and factory headquarters, many smaller companies and independently run businesses still thrived. However, today, the street was empty, devoid of all life but her. Anzu glanced to her watch again – 6:30. She was already half way to the post office.
The small droplet of water that sprinkled onto her head and slowly trickled down her face brought Anzu to more a more important observation. It was raining. With a groan, she began to walk faster and carefully swung her backpack over head, not caring if her books got wet. The rain came first in slow, lazy drops, but it quickly escalated into a constant, driving mass of rain arrows. Anzu's leisurely pace sped into an all out dash to the post office. She could see the intersection, all she had to do was cross the street and she'd be there, and out of the rain. Anzu sped up even more, ignoring the puddles that her feet kicked up and splashed her shins, soaking her socks. She had one goal, and she was almost-
Anzu felt all of the breath rush out of her lungs and she made direct contact with the solid object that she had slammed into. As she felt herself fall backwards, she was vaguely aware of the fact that she was at the intersection, and the person she had collided with had just turned the corner when it happened. A long arm grabbed her uninjured one, and the sudden change in direction jerked her forward, her momentum causing her to crash into the person again. There's no way… God, strike me down now… Anzu silently begged as she smelled the familiar, spicy cologne. I must just be asking for this – not even ten minutes after thinking about him, voila!
"Alright Mazaki, you can get off of me now."
Anzu pushed off of Kaiba's chest and stared up at his chilling blue eyes. Anzu raised an eyebrow and glared back at him.
"Is there any way to avoid you, or do you have like, your mind set in 'Anzu Radar Mode'? Because, you know, I'm really getting sick of running into you."
Kaiba put a hand to his chest, where Anzu imagined she had run into him," Yea, so am I. Honestly Mazaki, aren't dancers supposed to be light?"
Anzu scowled and swung a fist at him, but her punch ended with an ineffectual "umph" in his raised palm.
"Now this is a surprise. I didn't think you were an advocate of physical violence."
She looked up at him darkly, but didn't say anything. He held a dark blue umbrella over both of their heads, keeping them out of the driving rain.
"Well, you should no better than to insult a girl – especially when it's about her weight!" Anzu said, placing her hands on her hips and looking indignant.
"Well, you should know better than to go running around through the streets of Domino like a madwoman and not look where you're going!" Kaiba shot back, narrowing his eyes.
Anzu threw up her arms in frustration," I was not running through the streets of Domino you-you baboon!"
He scowled, and quickly snapped the umbrella shut, allowing the rain to suddenly come flooding back over the both of them.
"I am not a baboon Mazaki," he said dangerously," I believe that I'm very well mannered – more so than you."
"Yea," she snorted in a very unladylike manner," And I'm Harry Truman."
"Now I could believe that. You look more and more like a man every day."
Anzu's jaw dropped, and she stuttered for a moment before she was finally able to spit out," Well, at least if I was a man, I'd be better looking than you! And I'd have a girlfriend!"
Kaiba suddenly did an abrupt about face, so she couldn't see his expression. "Who says I don't have a girlfriend Mazaki?"
"Um, let me see here, the world, maybe?"
"'The world' doesn't know anything," He mumbled," Anyway, where were you headed before you oh-so-gracefully flung your body mass in my direction?"
His question jerked Anzu's attention to her watch. 6:40. She let out a groan, and turned from Kaiba. She began to cross the intersection, noticing that Kaiba followed behind. She hoped that it wouldn't take to long to get her mail – if she did get to school on time, she would be cutting it close. Anzu made it across the road, and pulled the handle of the glass door of the post office. She was met with a blast of cold air that made her shiver. Anzu looked around, and saw that the post office, like the streets the post office oddly enough, was deserted. It must have had something to do with the rain. Her footsteps echoed as she padded across the expanse of the post office to her own mailbox, followed by Kaiba's quick, precise steps.
Kaiba quietly followed Anzu's agitated form through the post office. He wondered when she would realize that he was behind her – and then wondered if maybe she knew, but wasn't reacting. Despite how much she got on his nerves, he just couldn't help but be slightly curious as to what she was doing, coming to the post office so early on a day like this. Anzu reached a wall of towering, metal mail boxes, and took a small key off of a chain that was attached to her bag. She came to one of the boxes, and stuck the key in its lock. With a deft twist, she opened the box, and quickly pulled out the mail before closing the box and relocking it. She began to shuffle through the pile of letters, and without even looking up, said," Jeez Kaiba, can you stand to leave me alone for longer than ten seconds?"
Kaiba said nothing, just watched her sort through her mail. He came a little closer, openly looking at what she had received. Anzu tore her eyes away from the mail to glare up at him, but said nothing more. She threw away most of the mail she received – it was mainly junk mail and advertisements.
Suddenly, Anzu let out a string of curses, loud enough that he could hear them but soft enough that no one else would be able to. He suddenly realized how close to her he was now standing. He glanced at the letter she held, but her thumb blocked out the return address. Anzu opened the letter, and pulled out a small note. Kaiba caught the word 'tuition' and 'dependent' before Anzu angrily crumpled up the note and shoved it back in the envelope. She took the letter in two hands, and began to rip it down the center. However, she paused, and looked at the envelope again. Her eyes clouded over with an alien emotion, and she quickly stuffed it into her bag, all while muttering some rather unpleasant sounding phrases.
"What do they think they're doing?" Kaiba heard," Messing with my life… like they give a damn…"
Anzu grew quiet, until her curses faded into a few jumbled words, and then finally, melded in with the silence of the post office. She simply stood, looking dejected, gazing down at ground. Kaiba was all too annoyingly aware of the few inches of air that separated the two of them – he was about to step away when she suddenly looked up and caught him with her eyes. Two dull orbs emotionlessly peered up at him in a chilling manner, and he did his best to glare back down at her. She shook her head slightly and broke eye contact.
Her eyes… a random though buzzed around his conscious liked a fly he just couldn't seem to swat … they almost never shine anymore…
Kaiba scowled at himself. It was as if being around Anzu had made him soft, had made him susceptible to ideas that involved caring for someone other than Mokuba. He had made a resolution long ago that he would have as little to do with Yugi and his inane groupies as possible, but here he was, standing in the post office less than half a foot away from the girl that he had taunted and tormented since they first met. It was practically inscribed into the unwritten law of existence: Seto Kaiba will hate Anzu Mazaki, and Anzu Mazaki will hate Seto Kaiba. But here he was, defying a law that he had never had wanted to break.
"Kaiba," Anzu muttered, bringing him back to his current situation," I don't have personal space issues, but seriously, if you don't move now I might develop them."
Kaiba blinked," What, am I in your comfort zone or something?" he snapped.
Anzu glared up at him fiercely, and for a moment he thought he could see a slight sparkle," Yea, just a little." she replied caustically," My comfort zone for you is about two yards, and you've definitely broken that one."
"So now I make you feel uncomfortable?" Kaiba asked, although not entirely sure why.
She sighed, and rolled her eyes," Something like that."
Anzu shoved the rest of her mail into her bag, turned from him, and began to walk to the door. Kaiba followed behind her, opening up his umbrella as they stepped outside. Anzu looked up at the umbrella almost wistfully, and then started walking away from the post office. Kaiba remained rooted where he was. Almost immediately Anzu left the safety of the umbrella's coverage, and stopped when she felt the raindrops slide down her face. She didn't turn around, but simply waited.
"Where do you think you're going?" Kaiba asked, now smirking. Anzu took a look at the watch around her wrist," To school. And If I don't hurry, I am going to be late…"
"To school, Mazaki?" Kaiba's cruel smile grew a little larger.
"Yea," she replied without even facing him," You know, that place that the government makes us go so that we can learn to be productive and intelligent members of society."
Kaiba chuckled, his wolfish grin making Anzu uneasy.
"I knew you liked school," he said bitingly," But I didn't thing that even you would like it enough to come on a Saturday."
Anzu blinked. "What?"
He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms," It's Saturday Mazaki. You know, that day when no one goes to school and everyone wears normal clothes?"
Only then did Anzu notice Kaiba's attire – true to his previous statement, he was dressed normally, well, normally for Kaiba, meaning a cerulean dress shirt, black, tight fitting pants, and a slim black trench coat. Anzu could feel tendrils of red color spread out across her cheeks as she looked down at her own, mundane school uniform.
"You've got to be joking," she finally spat out.
"You know I don't joke," he replied. Anzu stood for a moment, staring into his eyes. No, Kaiba didn't joke – at least not on a regular basis. Kaiba grinned smugly as he watched Anzu's reaction.
"I, unlike other people," Kaiba said," Know how to read a calendar." He could see in Anzu's face that something inside of her had snapped. His grin grew wider as she glared up at him, eyes glinting with an almost untamed ferocity.
"You always know what buttons to push!" she screamed, waving her school bag around as she did," You jerk!"
Anzu hurled her bag at him, but missed and instead hit a light pole a few feet to his right. The bag exploded open, spewing all of its contents out on the wet side walk.
"Gah! Now look what you made me do!" she hissed, and she frantically ran over to try and replace her things before everything was soaked and ruined.
"I didn't make you do anything," he said, casually strolling over to where she was, on her knees cramming school supplies into her bag. He held the umbrella over the two of them, but Anzu was too angry to notice. On the sidewalk, near Anzu's feet, lie a contained with its lid popped off. Something brownish-blue oozed out between two pieces of what Kaiba guessed was once bread. Yellow squishy globules stuck to the container and the lid in an unidentifiable pattern.
"What is that?" Kaiba asked, prodding the container slightly with his shoe. Anzu turned to him and placed a hand on her hip, looking more than a little annoyed.
"It's my lunch Kaiba, or it was before it spilled out on the sidewalk."
Kaiba stared at the 'lunch' in disbelief," What are you, a garbage disposal or something? I can't even tell what it is."
"It was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and some rice," Anzu said, picking up the sandwich and throwing it away in a nearby trashcan," And for your information, I made it myself."
"Well then, that would explain why it looks like a pile of crap," Kaiba said condescendingly.
"Do you just take pleasure from toying with me?" Anzu asked, scowling. Kaiba didn't answer. "Anyway," she continued," You probably couldn't do any better."
Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"
"Um, well, because you're a guy, and you're rich, so you probably have tons of other people to cook for you, so you don't have to cook for yourself."
"Oh," he said, rolling his eyes," because that's not sexist and stereotypical."
Anzu scowled," There's no way you can cook."
"I can cook better than you can which, by the looks of it isn't even that hard."
"Prove it." she said flatly.
"Excuse me?"
"Did I stutter?" Anzu said with a sigh," I said, prove it."
Slowly, Kaiba smirked, staring down at Anzu's challenging glare. He could feel his heart begin to race at the prospect of a competition, of a challenge, of a game. Even something as small as proving he could cook.
"Alright. I will."
Anzu blinked, looking startled, and Kaiba let out a chuckle," What, you thought I would back down? Where have you been for the past three years? I never back down from a challenge."
Kaiba turned, and began to walk.
"Where are you going?" Anzu yelled to his back.
He rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder back at her. "Come on Mazaki, is today a special day or do you always act like an idiot on the weekends? You told me to prove that I could cook, and I'm going to prove it to you. Right now."
Anzu sighed as she shifted into a more comfortable sitting position. Damn male testosterone… she thought as she stared at Kaiba. He was working at the island in the center of the lower kitchen – the same kitchen the he had bandaged her up in – with a furious vigor, compiling recipes faster than anyone else she had ever seen. Already, a heavenly smell was rising up from something baking in the oven. Anzu had a feeling that she would be losing this challenge, and badly. But honestly, how could she have known that Kaiba could cook. Well that's a no-brainer Anzu, she thought, scolding herself, He's Kaiba. There isn't anything that he can't do…
For the last half an hour, the kitchen had been practically silent, the only exceptions being the sound of cooking instruments scraping against bowls. They had walked in silence to the mansion, Anzu steaming and Kaiba mentally preparing himself for the challenge. It's not as though we have much to say… we only argue. However, the lack of communication was starting to get on her nerves. Anzu would rather be arguing with him that not saying anything at all. It was less awkward that way. She clenched her fists and hopped off of the counter she had been sitting on, cringing slightly on impact.
"So Kaiba…"
He made no sign of recognition.
"Whatcha making?"
Kaiba stopped stirring whatever it was he was preparing in a bowl, and turned to her. He opened his mouth the say something, but suddenly the oven let out a piercing series of beeps. He grabbed an oven mitt and went over to the oven. As he opened it up, a rolling mass of warm air rose up and heated his face. Seto quickly pulled out the baking sheet and closed the over door. He came back over to Anzu and, with a spatula, placed a batch of warm cookies onto a cooling rack.
"White Chocolate Chunk Sugar Cookies," Kaiba said flatly. Anzu stared at his serious face, and burst into a fit of laughter.
"What is it Mazaki?" he asked sharply.
"Y-You're just so serious!" she giggled, eyes sparkling," And I wouldn't have expected you to bake something like cookies." Kaiba raised an eyebrow questioningly," You just don't seem like the cookie type of guy."
" Just try one."
Tentatively, Anzu reached out and took one of the large, fluffy looking sweets. She let out a startled yelp and dropped the cookie back on the rack, and waved her hand in the air slightly.
"Ow…" she muttered," That was hot."
"Really Mazaki? You don't say. I just took them out of the oven. They're not going to be cold."
Anzu scowled and glared at the taller teen," Well then you shouldn't have told me to try one yet!"
Anzu waited a few moments, and then picked up the slightly cooler cookie again. She took a bite, and much to her surprise, Kaiba picked one up and did the same. A rush of perfect sugary sweetness enveloped her senses, and sent her mind dizzily careening. Anzu took another bite, and then another, until the cookie was gone. She was impulsively about to reach for another, when she suddenly caught the expression Kaiba's face. He grinned leeringly. Anzu scowled, and looked away from his mocking gaze.
"They're Mokuba's favorites," Kaiba said smugly," And my secret recipe."
Anzu took a deep breath, and steeled herself, clenching her fists tightly.
"Fine." she said," You win, okay? You proved you can cook. The cookies are absolutely delicious. Go ahead and rub it in my face!"
Kaiba's smirk widened," I told you I could cook, and I proved it. I'm not going to rub it in your face – watching you wither in shame and defeat is prize enough."
"Oh, thanks," Anzu said bitingly," That makes me feel better. Can I go now?"
"There was nothing keeping you here in the first place."
"But-"Anzu bit off what she was about to say. He's just trying to bait me… She turned away from him, grabbed her bag, and began to head towards the stairs that would lead her from the Kaiba Hell Hole – or, um, Lower Kitchen.
"Where do you think you're going Mazaki?"
Anzu threw a smoldering glare over her shoulder to him," Home. As you happened to mention before, it's Saturday, and there's nothing keeping me here."
"What makes you think you can leave now without learning how to cook?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm tainting his words.
Anzu stopped dead and spun around on her heel, the wave of fury that engulfed her covering up the twinge of pain in her back.
"You just said that I-"
"I know what I said, and now I'm saying this: it's about time you stopped insulting those of us who actually can cook by throwing various leftovers together and calling it a meal," he stared her down, his blue eyes like the hearts of two intense fires," I'm going to be nice and teach you how to cook. Just think of it as payment for saving Mokuba."
"I would appreciate it more if you would just buy me a new umbrella," Anzu grumbled, but despite her mutters, she came back to the island Kaiba stood at.
"But that would make things easy," Kaiba said, smirking," And we can't have that, now can we? Now, I'm going to be even nicer than I am already being by allowing you to choose what I teach you to make."
Anzu scowled and bit her lip. She could choose something extremely difficult for Kaiba to try and teach her to make, but Anzu imagined that he would be expecting that. Thinking for a moment, her mind strayed back to a few days ago…
"Macaroni and cheese."
Now it was Anzu's turn to smirk as Kaiba struggled to keep his face from changing from its usual condescending sneer to an expression of annoyed shock.
"Macaroni and cheese. You can't be serious Mazaki."
Anzu crossed her arms and stared him down defiantly," You heard what I said. Macaroni and cheese. You promised you would teach me how to cook whatever I wanted to, and I want to learn how to cook mac-n-cheese. "
Seto looked down to her disbelievingly," You don't know how to make macaroni and cheese?" he then rolled his eyes," What an idiot. Forget about it, just go."
Frowning, Anzu took a few steps closer, until they were only a few inches apart. She looked up into his hard, dark eyes.
"What? Is the all mighty Seto Kaiba afraid to make some macaroni? Or is it that he doesn't know how?" she whispered mockingly," Admit defeat, Kaiba."
"I'd never admit defeat, never to you," he hissed, bringing his face nearer to hers so that she could feel the full intensity of his glare," Why should I waste my time proving anything to you?"
The two stood in silence, their glares locked, a simmering heat rising up from the tempers of both teens. Kaiba's face loomed only an inch or two above Anzu's – she could almost hear the gears in his mind methodically clinking. Seto could fell Anzu's breath brush his cheek, a sensation that made him want to draw back, for he was now aware of their close proximity. He just couldn't escape her gaze, and he had no intentions now of letting his falter.
"Never say never," Anzu breathed, trying to calm her still mounting anger.
The two teens were absolutely silent, unbelievably still and oblivious to the flurry of chaos around them. They stood there, tense and ready for the other's next action, unaware of the squawking wail of the oven timer or the thick, black smoke that was rising from the over and significantly raising the temperature of the kitchen. A small bead of sweat rolled down Anzu's forehead – her eyelids flicked slightly, and for a moment she was almost positive that Kaiba's face had come a little closer.
"Um, am I interrupting something?"
Anzu and Kaiba blinked, and tore themselves from the other's gaze to turn their eyes to a very smug looking Mokuba.
"I can go, if you want me to," he said, pointing slightly to the stairs he had just come down," I just wanted to make sure that you two were aware of the fact that whatever you concocted is now burning quite nicely. And I'm not talking about your secret passions for each other."
The two jumped away from each other, and Kaiba ran towards to oven. Anzu followed behind, grabbing oven mitts as she went, eyes wide and panicked. Kaiba turned the oven off and quickly opened up the door. A dark mass of smoke rolled out from the oven and into their faces, sending both teens into a coughing fit and they quickly tried to wave it away. Mokuba sat on the bottom stair, watching his brother and Anzu with an amused anticipation. Through the cloud of smoke, Anzu shoved the oven mitts in Kaiba's direction – he grabbed them and took the burning pan of what had one been more cookies out of the oven. More smoke billowed up, but was suddenly beaten back down by the turning on of the overhead fire sprinklers. The water spewed out from the small ceiling faucets and quickly quelled the noxious cloud, allowing Mokuba to see the state that his older brother and his curious guest were in. Black tendrils of soot and water streaked down both of their faces, dripping down from their hair and onto their clothes. Seto's hair was plastered to his face and stuck up in some areas at odd angles, while Anzu's hair became thin and stringy, allowing the overhead water to drip down easily. Anzu and Seto's clothes clung to them, soaking wet and getting wetter as the sprinkler quenched the thirst of the burning what-was-once-food. Mokuba sighed and shook his head.
"I suppose this is what the two of you get for trying to use cooking as an excuse to be together," he said, trying to sound serious.
"What are you talking about Mokuba?" Kaiba snapped, trying desperately to find the 'Off' switch for the sprinklers."
Mokuba shrugged and stood up from his seat on the step," Oh, I don't know really, but I can make some educated guesses from how close you two were when I came in. You guys were like, whoa - right there. I'm surprised that I didn't walk in on some kind of make-out session, and honestly I'm a little glad I didn't…"
"Mokuba…" Kaiba growled as Anzu looked away from both boys. They had been close. Really close. She could feel a blush starting to surface, and as she glanced to Kaiba, she wondered if the little bit of color on his cheeks wasn't from the work it took to turn the sprinklers off.
"Don't be silly," Anzu said weakly.
Mokuba just smiled and shrugged again.
"Well, you know what they say. If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen."
"So what did you want to ask me Mokuba?" Kaiba said, settling down into one of the library's overstuffed chairs. Anzu sat down in the next chair, sporting another set of Kaiba's clothes, seeing as hers were completely drenched in soot and water. She wondered for a moment why she was still at the Kaiba mansion – why she hadn't been sent away as soon as she had been taken care of. It might have had something to do with the pouring rain outside, but somehow, Anzu doubted it. Mokuba sent Seto and Anzu a puppy dog look of innocence.
"What makes you think that I was going to ask you something, Nii-san?"
Kaiba sighed, and blew his bangs out of the way of his eyes," Well, besides the fact that you're using the classic 'I-didn't-do-anything-I'm-a-perfect-angel' look, you also are up early." he glanced at the old fashioned clock that made its home on the mantle of the large fireplace," It's only 8:00 am, not to mention it's a Saturday morning. You're never awake anytime before ten on the weekends unless you have a favor to ask of. So, what is it?"
Mokuba rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He flopped down into the chair across from his brother. "Alright, you got me. I did come because I wanted to ask you something. I do have to say though, I wasn't expecting Anzu to be here otherwise I-"
"Just get it over with Mokuba."
"Fine," Mokuba said, sounding slightly defiant," I wanted to ask you if it would be alright if Roland drove Rebecca and me to the movies tonight. I know that you're a little tighter on staffing now, but neither of us can drive, so yea, we kind of need transport."
Kaiba blinked, looking slightly confused, but Anzu, a little more adept to the normal world than Kaiba was, knew exactly what was going on. She struggled not to let out a giggle.
"You're going where?" he asked.
"To the movies," Mokuba replied confidently.
"Why?" Kaiba asked, slowly.
"To study the progression of film making over the past decade," Mokuba said sarcastically," What do you think Seto – we're going on a date!"
Anzu could see the wheels turning in Kaiba's mind as he fought to reasonably process the strange information that he had just been given. There were many minutes of silence.
"A date." he finally said.
"Yes," Mokuba replied.
"With Rebecca."
"Again, yes."
Kaiba paused, and Anzu saw Mokuba stare up at his older brother, inwardly hoping. Anzu was hoping the same thing – it was about time the Mokuba was able to have a life outside of school and the corporation.
"Absolutely not." Kaiba finally said.
"What?" Anzu and Mokuba both exclaimed.
"You can't do that!" Mokuba protested.
Kaiba frowned," I can and I am!" he said with steely resolve.
"But- it's just a-"
Kaiba stood up quickly, and loomed over his brother," I said no – and this time, no tears or yells or faces are going to make me change my mind. You are not going on any kind of date, and that's that!"
Mokuba clenched his fists," Why not?" he spat out. Anzu also stood up, ready to grab one of the brothers in case the fight got any worse.
"Because," Seto growled," You're thirteen, Rebecca's thirteen, you're a troublemaker, and overall, I just don't think you're old or mature enough for something like a movie date. Especially unaccompanied."
"Like you're old enough!" Mokuba yelled," You and that old hag-"
"Enough Mokuba!" Kaiba roared, making Anzu shrink back. Mokuba, however, stood his ground.
"I don't believe that your reasons are sufficient for answering my questions." Mokuba said coldly," And I also don't believe that you could have any kind of experience with dating or relationships seeing as you've never liked a girl or even developed any kind of hormones – and don't try and delude yourself by saying you have been in a relationship because that's all just some kind of twisted farce developed to make you believe that maybe you have some feelings!"
Mokuba took a few ragged, panting breaths before he stormed out of the library and slammed the door shut, leaving Seto and Anzu in complete silence. Kaiba remained standing, but Anzu sat down, and after a moment, managed to force out a single syllable.
"Ouch."
Kaiba spun on his heel glare at her fiercely.
"Do you have anything you want to add?" he asked venomously," I'm sure you could think of some more insults."
Anzu's eyes widened and she raised her hands in her defense. In the three years that she had known him, Anzu had never seen Kaiba act so cruelly towards Mokuba, or even speak so sharply to her. Most of those comments and tones were saved for Yugi, Yami, or one of Kaiba's other numerous archrivals.
"Geez, I'm sorry," Anzu said," I didn't mean anything. No, I'm not going to insult you."
"Then what do you want?"
Anzu took a deep breath, and wondered maybe if what she was about to do would fall under the category of attempted suicide.
"I think maybe you should listen to what Mokuba has to say."
Kaiba groaned and flopped into the plush chair, then sent a weak glare in her direction.
"Try listening to what he wants, what he thinks. He's thirteen now."
"What's your point Mazaki?" he asked testily.
Anzu sighed," My point is that Mokuba is growing up, whether you want him to or not. He's starting to be interested in girls and date, starting to form his own ideas of what he wants for a future life, starting to make his own decisions. You need to be a little understanding of the fact that Mokuba's no longer a kid."
Seto glared at her," Who do you think you are, Dr. Phil?"
"No," Anzu said, her temper flaring a little," I'm just a friend of Mokuba's who's concerned about his life and his feelings and well being. Mokuba is going through a lot right now – maybe you didn't go through the same things – but it's hard for him and he needs your support."
There was silence.
"Are you questioning my parenting skills?"
Anzu blinked, and drew back slightly in shock," I'm sorry?"
"You heard me Mazaki; I want to know if you're questioning my parenting skills, because it's sure starting to sound like it."
"I'm not questioning, I just think that you need to maybe be a little more accepting of what he's going through! So far, I don't think you've provided that support, and now he really needs it"
Kaiba shot up from his seat, fists clenched as Mokuba had only a few minutes before," What you're saying is that I'm not raising Mokuba 'the right way,'" his voice was getting icily quiet, and Anzu could see the little red flags raising in her mind, warning her of the danger of the potentially explosive CEO.
"You have no right to tell me what to do with Mokuba – you have no right to tell me how to raise him!" His voice was beginning to get louder and louder," I've raised Mokuba on my own for years! Don't tell me what I can and can't do! What do you know Mazaki?"
Anzu could feel the thin tethers keeping her sense and her calm together slowly being stretched – she didn't think it would take long for them to give away.
"You're nothing but some idiotic cheerleader – you don't know anything about Mokuba!"
Snap.
Anzu took a deep breath, and let loose.
"I know that he's angry at you – angry because you won't listen to him, angry because you don't understand him, or even try to understand him! I know that if this all keeps up, he's gong to end up hating you! Give him a chance to prove that he's responsible; give him a chance to do what he wants for once! If you keep ordering him around and making him do what you want him to do, then – then, you're no better than your Stepfather was!"
Seto blinked, and Anzu could see the open fury drain out and be replaced by an even more deadly rage. She took a step back – he took a step closer.
"You know nothing," he hissed," Get out."
"GLADLY!" Anzu screamed. She grabbed her bag and pounded out of the library, slamming the door just as Mokuba had.
Anzu walked briskly down the hall, speeding up with each step. She clutched her bag tightly to her chest and looked down at the floor, trying hard to bite back the tears that were struggling to surface for no apparent reason. She and Kaiba had had fights before, but never one this bad. They'd never argued about Mokuba. Kaiba was right, he had raised Mokuba, but then what did that make Anzu – some sideshow friend?
What are you thinking Mazaki? the small voice inside of her head reprimanded Of course you're just a friend. What is it? Do you want to be something more?
Hundreds of images flashed through her mind all at once, a kind of cacophonous kaleidoscope of sound and color and things Anzu didn't want to remember but couldn't stop from shoving to the front of her mind.
Kaiba, holding an umbrella that first day, glaring down at her, looking annoyed. Catching her the next day in English, had that been a look of concern? He accused her of crying, and he'd been right. The look on his face, when she stormed into his house carrying Mokuba. Kaiba had been so kind, as they sat quietly in the library. The way he'd distracted her when he was tending her injuries, manipulative jerk that he was. Then, the pain in his voice as
he slowly revealed his past to her, why her? His gaze as he watched her dancing- she
had caught him watching more often over the past week and their closeness again in the kitchen and...
The little voice pervaded her mind again, suddenly not so little. Do you want to me something more?
Anzu shook her head, and wiped the mysterious tears from her eyes. They kept coming. Her footsteps continued to pace faster and faster.
"No," she hissed under her breath, trying desperately to convince herself that that single syllable was the truth. Something inside of her didn't fully buy it.
She broke into a full run down the stairs.
"And in other news, CEO of NeoCorp, Sebastian Haruka Muhle announced just today that NeoCorp will be establishing a new headquarters in Hong Kong by the end of the year. Recently appointed to head the Eastern European based technology company, Muhle has been implementing some revolutionary changes to its operation. With a strong basis in Western Markets, NeoCorp now strides into one of the center cities of Eastern Trade, promising to become an international giant. Economists expect that this new step will take NeoCorp into the big leagues, becoming a rival to other large technologically based corporations such as the American based Industrial Illusions, run by CEO and founder Maximillion J. Pegasus, and Kaiba Corp, the international tycoon controlled by the young prodigy Seto Kaiba. At a recent press conference, Muhle and his wife Tomoya M-"
He scowled, and pressed the power button on the TV's remote. The screen went blank with a quiet flick, leaving Kaiba surrounded in the silence of his own vast bedroom. Demurely, he folded the newspaper that he had been trying to read and stood up from his desk. Placing his reading glasses on top of the folded newspaper, Kaiba began to pace around his room, something he did on an almost regular basis. He glanced briefly out the window – welcoming, dark clouds huddled over the cityscape, but for some reason, he had no desire to traverse the soon to be wet, void streets. Something about it just didn't appeal to him at the moment. Knowing his luck, if he did go out on a rain walk, he'd probably run into Anzu.
A thought which consequently brought him back to what Seto had, in his mind, been trying to avoid all day. No matter how many times he paced around his bed, he could never completely banish her from his stream of consciousness. Seto could see her calm face as she tried to explain her opinion on Mokuba, see it turn to hurt anger as he insulted her and she screamed back at him, could hear her shrill voice. But most importantly, he could see her eyes, large and glassy, as she fled from his library, fled from his house.
Great, so you made her cry again. His predominant inner voice said, shrugging its proverbial shoulders. So what? She's just another person who tried to get involved in your life and got hurt – serves her right for thinking that she could run your life better than you could.
Seto paced, never getting dizzy as he went back and forth, his shoes tapping sharply on the cold wood floor.
So what! a voice from the back of his mind screamed. It was the little one, the quiet one that only seemed to surface at the least convenient time. She was just showing a little concern for Mokuba, and all you can do is make her cry. Good job Seto, good job.
Taking a deep breath, Seto shoved both voices to the back of his mind, where they could quietly argue amongst themselves and not bother him. He was beginning to worry himself slightly with the voices – had his work been driving him crazy? He shook his head, and stopped pacing.
He needed to talk to Mokuba.
The blurred faces of his house staff spun past him as he quickly traversed the long hall of his own mansion. Mokuba's room wasn't very far from his own, but at the moment the single hall that distanced the two seemed to be never ending. Finally, he reached Mokuba's room. Seto knocked and waited.
No reply.
"Mokuba?"
Seto turned the doorknob, and called out once more. Again, no reply. He pushed the door open, and entered his brother's room. Mokuba, while otherwise childish and crazy, was extremely meticulous when it came to his room. Not a thing was out of place. Except for the fact that Mokuba was not in his room.
Seto exited the room and calmly closed the door. Such things can be explained, he thought – but even as the thought crossed his mind, his heart began to beat a little faster. A flash of blonde caught his eye, he turned, and the maid that had just walked by stopped and stared at him, awaiting whatever command he might issue. Randomly, Seto remembered that she was the same maid that had assisted Anzu the day she had brought Mokuba, and had taken the place of the fired Helena while retaining her old duties and picking up anything else she could on the side. She would be getting a promotion soon.
"Are you alright Sir?" she asked, although not impudently. His mind snapped back to the matter at hand, and he was hit by a wave of worry.
"Have you seen Mokuba recently," he asked the girl, trying to keep his tone calm.
The maid thought for a moment, before replying," No Sir, not since this morning. I was walking by his room, collecting laundry, and I heard him talking to someone."
Seto blinked. "Did you hear any of the conversation?"
The maid shook her head," No Sir, I'm very sorry, but I did not."
He nodded – his heart was starting to beat hard, pounding blood viciously through his veins.
"Is there anything I can do, Sir?"
Seto thought for a split second," Mokuba's not in his room. Search the top two floors of the mansion, and report back to me as soon as you find him or as soon as you finish."
Without another word, the maid turned from him and headed to the stairs that would lead her to the third and fourth floors of the mansion. Seto entered Mokuba's room again – the maid's comment about Mokuba talking to someone had jogged a thought in Seto's mind. He looked to the night stand next to his brother's bed. Mokuba's cell phone wasn't there.
For the next hour, Seto was consumed by a flurry of action – he searched first and second floors. Every corner, every cabinet, room, bathroom, nook, staircase, kitchen, hallway, everything was searched, and then searched again. He called out to his brother, ignoring the worried looks of the rest of his staff as he paced through each room, pushing furniture around and throwing anything in his way to the ground as if he were a madman. As the maids cleaned up every vase he broke, they were convinced that the elder Kaiba was not just bordering upon insanity – he had crossed the line and was in deep.
"Mokuba!" he screamed, his voice going hoarse. He couldn't hear anything, not even himself – his ears were enveloped by the constant pounding of his frenzied heart. Seto paused in his search long enough to wipe his sweaty palms on his pants, and then started again. He glanced once at a clock's digital readout – 8:30. Twilight had embraced all of Domino – a thin strip of sun still rest at the horizon, but it was quickly about to be extinguished.
Seto sprinted up the stairs, back up to the second floor, and reached Mokuba's room just as the maid did. A look of concern marred her face, and her eyes were filled with regret as she faced him.
"I'm sorry Mr. Kaiba, but I was unable to find Mr. Mokuba on either of the two top floors. I searched every area known to me twice, but I could find no trace of him."
Without saying anything, Kaiba whipped out his cell phone, and presses the speed dial button. Why didn't you think of this earlier you idiot? the little voice reprimanded.
The house was absolutely silent but for the ringing sound on the other end of Kaiba's phone.
You've reached Mokuba's phone! His brother's cheery prerecorded voice sounded strange to Seto's ears," I'm not here, so leave a message!"
Cursing, Seto dialed the museum, praying that, of all people, Isis wouldn't pick up.
"Good evening, you've reached Domino Museum," a scholarly voice said as the other line picked up," This is Professor Hopkins speaking, can I help you?"
"Professor," Seto said tersely," I need to speak to Rebecca. Now."
"Ah, Mr. Kaiba. I'm afraid that my granddaughter isn't here at the moment, she went out a few hours ago. May I take a message?"
"Give me her cell phone number." Kaiba had no time for formalities.
The man on the other end sighed," Unfortunately, for a college student, Rebecca can be rather absent minded. She's forgotten to take her cell phone with her, so even if I gave you her number, the only result it would bring would be us having the conversation again, but using a different phone. I'm quite sorry."
"Damnnit!" Kaiba hissed, and he forcefully shut his phone, ending the call and no doubt leaving a very confused and very concerned Professor Hopkins.
Seto began to pace, though this time in the hall, his panic open for everyone to see. The maid stood dutifully by, not saying anything as he muttered profanities under his breath.
"I can't call the police…" he said to himself," They can't do anything… why did Mokuba go…"
Suddenly, Seto stopped pacing, eyes wide. He couldn't go to the police. His staff didn't know anything. Mokuba was missing. And he could think of only one person who might know something about it.
"If I'm not back in two hours," he snapped," Call the police and tell them what's happened."
"Yes Sir," the maid said, her voice laced with concern," Where are you going?"
But Seto had already charged down the stairs, out the door, and onto the streets.
A myriad of bright colors and sounds surrounded Seto, but he was oblivious to everything but his destination. Swirling neon lights stained and distorted his pale face and reflected off of the thick raindrops fell from his hair. His feet pounded on the slick, wet sidewalk, matching the violent beating of his heart. Blue eyes flicked back and forth, absorbing every detail of the street in frenzied motion. The few people that traversed the street scampered out of his way, muttering and yelling as he passed.
Occasionally, amongst the people and the lights and the sounds, he would see a head of black hair, hear a familiar laugh – but no, it was nothing. It was no one.
His feet took him where he needed to go, there was no thought behind his actions. Seto charged up the steps and down the hall, his eyes passing over the numbers on the plaques next to the doors. Abruptly he stopped. Never before had a door seemed so intimidating. He raised his fist to knock, and stopped. There was no way that she'd talk to him. She'd probably just slam the door, before he could explain himself. But desperate times called for desperate measures.
He knocked.
From inside the apartment, he could hear someone yelling. He knocked again, this time louder, more impatient. Every second was precious. The door swung open.
"Jesus, I'm not deaf, you don't need to-"
Blue met blue, and the door slammed shut. Seto groaned and his head hit the door, he knocked again. He was in no mood to deal with this.
"Mazaki!" he shouted," Mazaki, open up!"
A head popped out of the next door apartment, and looked curiously at him. Kaiba shot him a wicked glare, and the head shot back inside.
"Crawl back to the hole you thrive in Kaiba! I don't want to hear any of your crap tonight!" came floating through the wood of the apartment door. Seto knocked harder and louder.
"Mazaki, open the door! Let me in!" Kaiba took a ragged breath. He was about to lose it – again. "Anzu!" he screamed," Anzu, open-"
The door flew open.
"What do you want Kaiba?"
Seto scowled, and stared down at Anzu's annoyed face. A tee-shirt hung comfortably over her slim frame, plaid pajama shorts were loose around her waist. Despite her leisurely dress, her eyes were red and watering – she sniffed and brushed away a few stray tears. For a moment, Kaiba felt a pang of sympathy, but it was overridden by his own annoyance.
"Aw, Mazaki, crying over me?" he sneered. Anzu rolled her eyes and sniffled again.
"Hardly. I was plucking my eyebrows." She held out a pair of tweezers, to prove her point. Seto blinked, taken aback. After the events that morning, he was expecting to find Anzu a sniveling mess, but her venomous bite was unchanged. She sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Get inside and shut the door. I'll get you a towel, 'cause Mai'll be furious if you drip on the carpet."
Dumbstruck, Kaiba stepped in and closed the door. Anzu disappeared into one of the rooms and reappeared a few moments later carrying a thick, fluffy towel. She handed it to him, and sent him a glare.
"Alright, now explain yourself. There has to be some reason why you come pounding at my door like some crazed lunatic at this time of night, and then stand in my doorway and insult me. What's going on?"
"Where's Mokuba?" he asked coldly.
"What? What're you talking about?"
Kaiba rolled his eyes," I want to know where Mokuba is. You're the one who's such good friends with him and Rebecca, you're the one who's on his side and thinks I can't take care of him – if he went to anybody, it would be you, so tell me now. Where is Mokuba?"
Anzu's face turned red, but not in embarrassment," Mokuba's gone? How am I supposed to know where he is?" she clenched her fists," I'm just some idiotic cheerleader who doesn't know anything, isn't that right Kaiba? For your information, I don't think you're raising Mokuba wrong; I'm not trying to conspire anything or turn him against you or whatever other crazy idea you've got! Get a grip you jerk!"
"Don't tell me what to do!" he yelled. He stared into her wide blue eyes, allowing himself to drown in them. It all broke free.
"Mokuba's gone and I don't know where. I looked all over for him, but I can't find him. I searched to mansion, not there. I called his cell phone, but just got his voicemail. I tried Rebecca, but she'd left her cell phone at the museum. I haven't seen him since this morning, since we fought." he sighed, and rubbed his temples. Without asking, Kaiba moved and sat down on the couch. He rubbed his temples, and Anzu sat down next to him.
"We've had disagreements before, but this has been the worst on so far. I bet he hates me – thinking back to what I said, I wouldn't blame him. I'm horrible, an absolute monster."
Anzu frowned," It's about time you realized." she said. He glared at her, and she smirked," it was a joke, just a joke." She took a deep breath, and put a hand on his arm.
"Calm down, and we'll think this through logically. First of all, you're not a bad brother. The two of you, you and Mokuba, are very different. Mokuba's outgoing, social, friendly, and you're… well…" Kaiba's eyes flicked to Anzu's face, and she shrugged," let's face it, you're just not. Also, you grew up in a much stricter atmosphere, courtesy of your stepfather. You two are, in many aspects, vastly different, which causes you to but heads. But, one thing the two of you do share is your stubbornness – that can't be denied. If one of you has an idea in mind, you won't give it up. If one of you thinks that you're right, no one else around you can be right unless they're thinking the same thing." her voice was slow and calm. Kaiba took a deep breath, as if trying to absorb some of her calm nature. She smiled slightly, and squeezed his arm," Don't worry, everything is going to be alright. I'm sure that Mokuba ran out as an act of rebellion – he and Rebecca probably just went to see a late night film. That's the first place we should check, the theaters."
"We?"
Anzu nodded matter of factly, as if nothing else could have been more obvious. "We. You didn't think that I would patiently sit here while you wandered the streets of Domino searching for Mokuba, did you? Wait here a minute, I've got to put on some jeans and grab a coat."
She removed her hand from his arm, and stood up. His arm felt oddly warm, as if just that little bit of contact had seared his flesh. Anzu smiled and walked to another one of the rooms. Seto sat awkwardly on the couch, suddenly feeling out of place amongst the homey feeling of the apartment. All around the living room, he could see small traces of the tenets' existence – evidence that allowed some insight into the lives of Anzu and Mai. On a shelf above the television, a picture of Mai and Jou holding hands on a beach, looking towards the sunset. On the wall closest to him, numerous ribbons and plaques inscribed to both Mai and Anzu – Anzu for dance and academics and Mai for modeling. And there, right in front of him in a small picture frame with the word "Friends" engraved at the top, a picture of Anzu, Mai, Yugi and the rest of the "Nerd herd". Kaiba scowled – in the picture, Bakura had an arm around Anzu's waist while her own arm lay across his shoulders. Even though the picture was slightly blurry, he could see the shine in Anzu's eyes, and the brightness of her smile.
What's taking her so long? he thought, tapping his fingers on the couch agitatedly. Mokuba is Lord-knows-where, hasn't made any attempt to contact me, and Anzu is wasting time getting dressed!
Kaiba was starting to get anxious, but something kept him from just getting up and leaving. Instead, he pulled open the drawer of the coffee table in front of him and started to sort through its contents. Magazine, Tv Guide, brochure from a modeling agency, picture, magazine – wait…
Seto flipped back to the picture he had just passed. It was worn and wrinkled, showing signs of age and neglect. In it were two girls – one that was obviously Anzu at about the age of twelve, and another, older but bearing resemblance to Anzu, maybe a sister or cousin – in matching dresses and berets, seated formally on a stone bench. Behind them, a man and a woman, also dressed formally stood. Everyone in the picture was smiling fakely, with the exception of Anzu, who looked rather impassive about the whole thing. Kaiba imagined that the man and woman were Anzu's parents, but-
the sound of the front door closing," Anzu didn't say that she was having a guest over." The sweet voice tinted with suggestion left no doubts to who the owner was – Mai Kujaku, Anzu's roommate.
"Good Evening Mai," he replied, not knowing what else to say. He hurriedly shoved the picture back into the coffee table drawer and shut it before Mai saw.
"So, tell me, what are you doing here Kaiba?" she asked, not unkindly. Mai sat her purse on the kitchen table and came to sit in the loveseat next to the couch.
"I-"
"Mai, you're home!" Anzu suddenly exclaimed, coming out of her room and saving Kaiba an explanation. Mai smirked and crossed his arms.
"You didn't tell me Kaiba was going to be over, otherwise I would have stayed out a little later and let you guys have some more time."
Kaiba's eyes widened, and Anzu blushed a fierce crimson red. Mai chuckled, but was cut off by Anzu's serious tone.
"Not now Mai, this is important." Anzu began to pull on a sweater as she spoke," Mokuba's gone missing. Kaiba and I are going to go out and search some of the city to see if we can't maybe track him or Rebecca down. While we're out, can you call Yugi, Jou and the others? Just tell them to keep an eye out for Mokuba or Rebecca, and call me if they see him, or if he comes to them. It wouldn't surprise me if Mokuba and Rebecca went to Yugi's."
Mai nodded, and stood up from the loveseat. From seeing her duel, Kaiba knew that despite Mai's outgoing and flirtatious mannerisms, she could be clever, serious, and fast on her feet.
"Take you phone with you." she said" I'll call you if I hear anything." Mai grabbed the phone and began to dial – it was obvious she knew the numbers by heart.
Anzu glanced to Kaiba, who had stood up from the couch and was arranging the wet towel on its back.
"Are you ready?" she asked, her voice like flint.
Kaiba scowled. "Let's go."
Without another word, they left the apartment and raced down the stairs. The rain battered them like a barrage of arrows – Anzu pulled her sweater a little closer as they moved down the street. Kaiba walked quickly in front of her, and Anzu could see that even though Kaiba was trying to project an air of calm, he was panicking. She looked ahead of her, to where the rain captured the burning lights of the city and reflected them back in a softer haze. Large buildings loomed all around her, and the street seemed to stretch on infinitely. Never before had Domino seemed so large, so daunting. Finding Mokuba was not going to be easy.
See now, that wasn't too bad, now was it? I hope it was enough to satiate the hunger that has been growing within your fanfiction bellies over the past two months. I'd love some feedback on Anzu and Kaiba's characters – I feel kind of awkward with them right now, but then again, they're kind of at an awkward stage… on the edge of awakening, maybe?
Read and Review. Please?
Oh. And don't worry. It won't take me two months to update again.
RR
P.S. For those users who review, I will do my best to reply!