There was something about birthdays that Kaiba found very tiresome. He didn't understand the cause of celebration, when celebrations were something to be earned. A person didn't have to work very hard to stay alive anymore. It wasn't like times past when people died before seeing their grand children born, and actually respected those who had experienced many winters. Instead, people were festering like insects without anything to keep them in check.
It made even less sense to celebrate the birthday of a non-living entity. Kaiba Corporation was becoming older, yet it was still a relatively young company. Turning forty years old was quite a feat, especially after seven years of being a gaming technology producer, but still… Kaiba didn't like the festivities attached to it.
The only good he saw from the entire thing was how it affected his staff. Everyone seemed revived, and that was refreshing. Older staff members carried themselves with a sense of well-deserved pride, while the younger members decorated their work space with Kaiba Corp advertisements and brought festive treats with big "KC" letters on top.
When Kaiba came to work, he was a bit surprised to find a giant white and blue cake waiting for him on his desk. It had an intricate looking Blue Eyes White Dragon on it, the claws latched onto the company's logo. Under the design was the message, "Thank you Chief for its best seven years!" Someone had put a lot of thought into it.
"Chief, huh? That's cute," said Kaiba, rolling his eyes at it.
He placed the cake outside his office at the secretary's desk. Everyone knew that their boss didn't actually eat treats, but this time, he would make an exception. Going into the staff lounge, he found a large knife and returned to cut the thing, taking a small corner slice for himself. This time, he'd indulge.
"Did you like the cake?"
His bubbly secretary Ms. Sasaki had returned, looking cheerier than ever. It was a huge contrast in personalities, between him and the fresh out of college intern, but people liked dealing with her on a regular basis. She had the best customer service skills and was able to manage his daily schedule without much assistance. Without the use of another assistant, Ms. Sasaki made Kaiba's life easier by shifting through calls, emails, and other messages to ensure her boss only made time for people who were completely necessary. And that was a life saver.
"I haven't eaten any yet. But I do like the dragon. Who made it?"
"Some people from the art department. They came by early this morning and left it, but made me swear to secrecy not to tell you which one of them actually baked the thing."
"And here I thought it was store bought…"
"Oh Mr. Kaiba, you're so funny," she laughed, although Kaiba wasn't joking at all. The woman was always taking his comments for humor, but he had gotten used to it after several months of her constant laughter. "I'll have your tea and reports at your desk in five minutes."
"Thank you."
Taking a seat at his chair, he placed his elbows on the desk and sat in thought. The dinner was tonight. They had leased out the Grand View Bay Hotel's ball room for the occasion, along with the cocktail bar and catering services for the event. It was located right downtown in front of the bay, so when all the guests came, they'd be able to look out at the water from the grand ballroom's three hundred and sixty degree wall of glass. According to the planners, it was going to be one hell of a party.
Only problem was, Kaiba hated parties. He hated them with a passion, but as CEO of the company, he had to put his best face forward and please the crowd. Everyone looked to him for guidance and vision, but now he also had to be its spoke's person. It was something that still irked him, trying to play host to a bunch of people he hardly trusted.
Kaiba Corp's board of directors were the bane of Kaiba's existence. A group of retired do nothings, they always thought their ideas carried more weight against the man who brought the company out of the dark ages. They refused to trust Seto Kaiba the way they should have, after growing in strength and popularity when Gozaburo left along with the arms industry. Although it was them that placed the teenage genius in charge, after Kaiba had lost to Yugi, their confidence had never fully returned.
It was a bunch of ludicrous, since the company survived, and even flourished, after Kaiba lost his title as World Champion Duelist. Nothing changed after the introduction of the duel disk, or even during the problems with the virtual reality technology Kaiba had put on the back burner after some failures during its beta testing. Business was still strong and the company wasn't fully dependent upon Duel Monsters exclusively like everyone had feared.
Kaiba was a very smart man. He foresaw the end of the game's popularity and made sure to sponsor and develop other technologies to remain relevant. Capsule monsters and dungeon dice, for example, were projects he took major interest in. His holographic programing systems were always improving yearly too, to the point where his old original patent was obsolete. Companies could try copying what he was doing, but they'd still be ten years behind him.
The man was just that good. Yet, the board still saw a twenty-one year old with an ego the size of his step father's, if not worse. While the employees trusted their boss like some seasoned admiral leading them to battle, the shareholders still saw a young officer with a big mouth.
It made life in the corporate world troublesome.
However, there wasn't anything else Kaiba wanted to do. His intellect made him too intelligent for most kinds of work, and he grew too bored if his brain wasn't challenged hundred percent every single day. Something new and exciting needed to motivate and drive him, and that's what technology did for him. Although Chief Executives were primarily visionaries and directors for their companies, Kaiba always had his own private engineering projects going on.
He wanted to know what made things tick.
Days at Kaiba Corp usually went by fast. There were meetings after meetings with the different department heads, all of whom Kaiba had some part in selecting. Most of them were quite young and full of talent, although not as seasoned as some would have preferred. Kaiba wanted it that way, though, for personal reasons.
"Where did she put my schedule…?"
Kaiba had the worst habit of talking to himself when alone. Shuffling through his chaotic mess of papers, he finally found his phone and opened the new email pertaining to the daily plan. Instead of having forty-five minutes after work for planning on the next day, there were party prerequisites that had to get covered. Namely, the secretary was supposed to pick up their dry cleaning and then the driver would go take Kaiba to collect his date. After that, the dinner.
They needed plenty of time in case things got crazy. He had no idea what Anzu was doing before the party and how she was planning on getting ready, but she knew the time limitations. Over the phone, she promised Kaiba that she wouldn't take too much time before he came over getting ready and she was the queen of dressing up with little to no time. After all, Anzu was a dancer. Back stage in the dressing rooms was much worse than her own bathroom.
Still, he was very anxious. When the time came to go pick her up, he nearly ran over the entire floor trying to reach the elevator before the rest of the staff left. His suit was clean and fresh, an Armani his shoppers had picked out, and his assistant didn't want anyone dropping a birthday cupcake on her new Michael Kors dress. She was just as persistent on reaching that elevator door with her boss, not wanting to get caught in the rush.
"So I heard you're bringing a date, Mr. Kaiba."
"That's correct."
"Is this a real date or just one of those girls guys hire to make themselves look good?"
"Do I look like a guy who needs that sort of thing?"
He was dead serious when he looked down at her, but Ms. Sasaki was laughing. Goofy as ever, she didn't think he actually took offense to what she said. It was her air head personality that made her a breath of fresh air in an office full of stuffy people who took themselves too seriously. Sometimes Kaiba found her irritating and annoying, but the relationship worked in business.
"I didn't think you dated. Well, I'm happy for you if that's the case. You deserve someone, all people do. Is she pretty? Of course she's pretty, you wouldn't date some ugly old thing, men like you never do-"
Her mouth wouldn't stop running. It was like some infomercial going on the TV, and Kaiba was too lazy to tell her to shut up. Not that she actually would either, thinking he was probably teasing her. Getting into the Bentley, he was only half listening to her talk, since it was the only thing keeping him distracted from what he'd have to do later that night.
"-What does she do, by the way?"
"Anzu's a ballerina. She studies dance at the University."
"A dancer, how classy. Now I know she's pretty, all dancers are pretty."
"She's very pretty…"
"Well I can't wait to meet her. I've never met a ballerina before, and maybe she can show me a thing or two on the dance floor. Could never do a proper waltz before, it's like I have two left feet or something. Even your brother said so about it once, I think he-"
Now Ms. Sasaki was rambling. Cutting his brain off temporarily from her yammering, Kaiba leaned against the window and zoned off. The ride to Anzu's apartment wouldn't take that long; she wasn't too far away from the city if they didn't leave right during rush hour. He wanted to see her, after missing the opportunity to do so all of the week before. Preparations had him working overtime, and although he sent his driver to Burger World to pick Anzu up from work, he could never make it himself.
Now he'd finally see her. Most of all, he missed her company and how she always seemed to keep him engaged. Talking to her was never a chore and some of the things she said humored him more than it should have. When they fought, it was a challenge for him to keep up. She didn't go down easily, or sometimes at all, and it was refreshing when surrounded by yes men all day long.
He had admitted to himself sometime now that she was his friend. His only friend too, since she was the only person he choose to spend time with. Mokuba and he were close, but his brother was more like a son, and it was becoming harder to stay equals with him while trying to keep the teen out of trouble. Right now Kaiba had to remain the parental authority, until his brother grew into himself more and could be treated like an adult.
The people on his pay roll could never be his equals either. Isono was a good personal assistant and body guard, but Kaiba hardly considered him a friend, let alone good company. Their relationship was strictly business; just like how he kept his relationships at work one between employer and employee. Sometimes Ms. Sasaki challenged those boundaries with her eccentric personality, but even she knew she was nothing more than his secretary.
Anzu was different. Completely independent of him and with goals of her own, she allowed him to live in her world. For that reason, he couldn't chance walking all over her like other people and actually had to watch what he said around her at times. The girl had a mouth and wasn't afraid to use it. It was her best weapon against him.
Pulling up to her apartment, Kaiba didn't wait for the driver to open the door. Turning to Ms. Sasaki, he motioned for her to stay put before getting out. It was becoming dark outside, and the porch lights were already on. Walking up to the front door, he pressed the doorbell and waited, crossing his arms impatiently as his eyes stared at the entrance.
It didn't take long for Anzu to emerge. She opened the door for him, slipping back into the house as soon as Kaiba got hold of the handle. Her sense of urgency caught him a bit off guard, especially in how fast she could walk in high heeled shoes. He only caught a blur of her in what looked like a black dress, before she disappeared down some hall to her bedroom.
"Mazaki?"
"I'm still working on my hair!"
Women.
Following behind her wake, Kaiba went inside her bedroom. He hadn't been in there since she fell asleep on the couch that one night, although nothing had changed. Her fish was still there, looking as vibrant as ever. It immediately went to the top of the water looking for food. Glancing at Anzu in the bathroom, he knew she was too busy to care for it. Opening the canister of food, he gave it a pinch full.
"Tell me if this looks even to you."
Being called away, Kaiba immediately went into the bathroom, where Anzu stood with her back facing him. She had her hands in her hair, mouth full of bobby pins. It looked like a simple bun, only her bangs had been straightened and the design wasn't like the one she wore during ballet practice. This new one had more shape to it, but looked like something Anzu had done before.
"It's even, you're fine."
"Good. I didn't want loop sided hair in front of all those people. That would have been disastrous."
Finishing with that, Anzu then returned to the mirror that hung over her sink. She had a collection of make-up there, things like mascara, eye liner, foundation, and other things Kaiba knew very little about. He watched as she added little things onto her face, bring out the blue in her eyes, lengthening her eye lashes, and darkening her lips a little before placing everything away.
"This is the lightest I've ever worn make-up, if you can imagine that."
"Why would you of all people need make-up?"
"Ballet performances. Without it, you won't be able to make out people's faces from far away. We usually wear a lot for that reason, and because playing dress up is fun. You should try it, Kaiba. Find that inner feminine you."
"No thanks, Mazaki. I'd rather not look like a drag queen."
"Suit yourself then."
She smiled at him, before clearing everything away. Then, checking on her fish and turning off all the lights, Anzu headed towards the front door. Before she left she grabbed her coat, her keys, and took the purse she left for herself on the coffee table. It was a Chanel, like the short black dress she wore, picked out by the shoppers for her.
"See, I didn't take that long."
"I never said you were."
"But you were thinking it, Kaiba. I saw your expression in the bathroom…"
Scoffing, he closed the door behind her. Always the gentleman too (when he felt like it), Kaiba opened the door to their car, Anzu getting inside first. She was immediately greeted by an overly enthusiastic Ms. Sasaki inside, who started asking her all sort of questions before her boss even got a chance to get in too.
"I am Chiro Sasaki, Mr. Kaiba's secretary. It's so nice to meet you, he wasn't lying about you being so pretty-"
"I didn't say it like that-"Kaiba tried to cut in.
"-and you're a ballerina? That must be quite an interesting thing to study. More interesting than business, at least. I hated college and I'm glad to be done with it."
She immediately sucked Anzu into conversation, leaving Kaiba behind to sulk in his seat. They started talking about the latest dress fashion trends (at least Ms. Sasaki did) and then there was no point of return. He glanced a few times in Anzu's direction to see if she was actually following the one sided conversation, but she seemed too polite to stop her "new friend".
"-I'm getting a headache," Kaiba finally cut in, "and the party hasn't even started yet."
Almost immediately, all the gibber jabbering stopped. Sasaki apologized and moved back into her seat, staring at her window while smiling. Anzu, on the other hand, was fidgeting around. Although they were in a large car, she had the middle seat. Shifting her weight slightly, she made it more comfortable by leaning partly against Kaiba's shoulder, not shying away from touching him.
"I like this car, but the Ferrari is nicer," said Anzu, smirking to herself.
The Ferrari only had room for two people.
Her comment made Kaiba grin, as he continued to stare out the window. It was hard to prepare in his head just how the night was going to fare; with everything he'd have to do. Mainly a lot of talking about nothing to people he really didn't care for, but that's how his job worked sometimes. There would be many major shareholders at the party looking to kiss up to him, and he'd have to stay friendly. Having a good looking date helped, because it gave him an excuse to wander off a few times throughout the night without looking anti-social.
Anzu had no idea what she was getting herself into. She probably had never been to such a formal event, although ballet had their own functions right before large performances. Tonight she'd be one of the main focuses, and people would bother her over silly things just because of who her date was. Her friendly nature was a double edged sword too, and Kaiba planned to keep her close, so they wouldn't suck her dry with invasive conversation throughout the night.
They were nearly there. Grand Bay View Hotel was one of those old establishments on the west side of the pier that had an amazing view of the water. It was an older hotel, but the owners were meticulous with keeping the building new and renovated. When the Bentley stopped in front of its double doors, Kaiba could see the "40th Annual Kaiba Corporation Birthday Dinner" banner hanging over the balcony.
What surprised him, though, was the mass of spectators around to watch. Domino had made their favorite corporate tycoon a celebrity, and people were running into themselves to watch the guests as they arrived. Usually KC had a few well known entertainers invited to keep the guest list interesting, but people mainly came to see Kaiba. Usually he was pretty elusive and hard to spot in town, but tonight, there would be no hiding from the cameras.
This time, he allowed the driver to open the door. First came out his secretary, then Anzu, before Kaiba immerged himself. His eyes were immediately assaulted with the flashes of cameras, and thankfully he was used to it enough to brush off the attention, following alongside Anzu before being greeted at the hotel's entrance. His secretary followed behind.
Whoever did the arrangements at the hotel was very talented. Everything was brand new and modern, with the Kaiba Corporation banner hanging over the ceiling of the lobby. As soon as Kaiba stepped into the room, hordes of people crowded him to congratulate their CEO on another year of success. Kaiba himself didn't know half the fakes who approached him, but he didn't let his face show it. Smiling brilliantly under the guise of appreciation, he acted his part for the cameras, never once faltering.
Once that part of the dog and pony show was over, he walked off towards the ball room, where the dining tables were set for dinner. The meal wasn't ready yet, but many guests were ready sitting down in anticipation. There were no seating arrangements either, so people had to be quick about getting their spot before someone else took it. Most of the people, however, were still enjoying cocktail hour in the lobby.
"I hate these parties…"
They weren't even an hour in and Kaiba was sulking in his seat. His arms were folded and glancing around the room, he watched as people walked by not yet noticing him. Hopefully it would stay like that for some time. Attention wasn't something he disliked, but ass kissing was another. If it had been a tournament where he was being declared the winner, there was no doubt in his mind that he'd be enjoying his time much more than purposely avoiding the shareholders who were still showing up.
"Why do you hate them? I thought this was your idea in the first place, Kaiba?"
"It wasn't. This is just a tradition I must go along with. Believe me, if it wasn't required of me to show my face at these functions, I'd never go. Nothing would sound better right now than sitting in my study playing a game of solitaire."
"I could name half a dozen different things that would be more enjoyable than playing a card game alone. Kaiba, isn't there something that would make you feel less miserable about this?"
"Alcohol."
Sighing, Anzu rolled her eyes and gave him a look. "Then go get some. And get me a drink as well."
Getting up, Kaiba turned his head to look at the bar. It was an open one, and he could have a pretty decent time if he made use of it. Nothing seemed more appealing than getting just a little buzzed before his big speech. No one would notice and he wouldn't drink so much that his words would start slurring or anything noticeable like that. Just the thought of it made the corners of his lips start to rise.
"What kind of drink do you want, Mazaki?"
"Surprise me."
Vodka was Kaiba's pick, and by the end of the night, it showed. Anzu was giggly and loose once again, smiling at everyone who came over to talk to her. No one seemed to get on her nerves, and Kaiba couldn't help but stare as she stole the attention off from him. Standing next to her was the safest option, while she greeted everyone who came over in the most enthusiastic yet sincere way that could only be brought upon by copious amounts of alcohol.
People liked her. They flocked to her, and after several hours, everyone was drunk right alongside her. It was always this way, but even more so than years before. The board of directors were even drinking, discussing theatre with their new friend as Kaiba sat by and watched. He barely got a word in during dinner, but that didn't bother him in the least. He hated small talk and for once, wasn't asked to join in. Sitting there with a smirk on his face, he watched the show unfold around him.
When midnight finally arrived, the party began to die down. People were heading home, or to their hotel room, which Kaiba had booked for himself. He didn't plan on taking a long car ride home in the middle of the night and try to stay awake before reaching the mansion. Parties wore him out, and he'd be dammed if the chauffer had to wake him up.
Having his own hotel room made much more sense. Only problem was, Anzu was too drunk once again to be dropped off and left at home. She'd have to stay with him again. Leading her to an elevator, Kaiba could smell the vodka on her breath. There was fruit mixed in too, and although he had plenty of drinks himself, he wasn't nearly as intoxicated.
"Kaiba, I had fun. I hope you had fun, since it was your own party… I feel like I talked too much…"
"You were fine, Mazaki."
"No, I talked too much! People were probably getting annoyed by me. I get nervous and can't stop running my mouth, and before I know it, everyone gets upset and-"
"Everyone loved you."
"Really?" Her eyes got bright. "Even the board of directors?"
"Especially the board of directors. You saved me from having to talk to them."
"… Kaiba, where are we going?"
Sighing, he looked at the girl next to him. She was looking back at him, confusion written across her face. It wasn't until Anzu saw a window and realized just how high they were, did she figure out that they weren't heading back to the limo.
"You're too drunk to sleep alone. I shouldn't have let you have so much, but people kept offering you shit and you wouldn't refuse them-"
"You said those people were all assholes, but they were actually nice!"
"Nice to you, maybe."
"Maybe if you smiled more, they'd like you too, Kaiba."
Scoffing, he grabbed the room key out of his suit pocket and came to his room's door. It was the Presidential suite, with full view of the ocean made possible by walls entirely made out of glass. It had a view of the entire Domino Bay coast line, something Kaiba wished to see more of. For some reason, the view of the water helped put him at ease.
Anzu immediately wandered off everywhere once the room door was opened. She probably had never been to such a luxurious hotel before, and Kaiba just stood near the door way while she investigated all of the rooms. It was amusing to watch, especially since Anzu was drunk and failing miserably at walking in high heels now that her balance was compromised. Although it didn't stop her from going all over the place, she did end up collapsing onto the bed in the master bedroom suite.
"Anzu, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to bed…"
She crawled on top of the comforter and without taking off her shoes, grabbed a pillow to lay her head on top of. Her eyes were closed and she drew her legs up close to her chest. Taking a seat next to her, Kaiba just rolled his eyes and began taking off his shoes. Why she wanted to fall asleep wearing a tight dress, he didn't know.
"Anzu, aren't you going to take that off?"
"No."
"Why not? You won't be comfortable wearing that while you sleep, and you'll ruin it too. It was expensive, and unless you'd like to pay me back-"
"I'm asleep, Kaiba."
His eyes narrowed at her. She was most certainly not asleep, although she never opened her eyes. Whatever she was trying to pull, he wasn't too sure. He didn't doubt that she was tired, after running around the entire ballroom like a maniac and dancing with however asked her. Anzu's way with people never ceased to amaze him.
"You're not asleep." Sighing, he got off the bed. "If you think I'm going to try something, I'm not. I'll go sleep on the couch if that'll make you happy."
"Sleep on the couch?"
Turning around, she grabbed at Kaiba's hand, pulling him back down to the bed. Then she sighed and worked on undoing the bun against her head. Once all the bobby pins were taken out and Anzu had set them on the bed side table, she held her hair back against her shoulder, exposing the back zipper of her dress.
"Will you? I can't get it down myself."
"Certainly."
Her eyes never left him as he pulled down the zipper, trying to avoid snagging on the expensive material. Once it was all the way down, Anzu turned to the other side of the bed and let it slid down her body, the dress falling into a small heap on the floor. Now only down to her bra and underwear although not shy in the slightest, she turned back around and smiled up at her companion.
"I really liked dinner tonight."
"The Spanish cuisine? I wasn't sure if it would go along with everyone's tastes. Iberian pork is a delicacy, but I think most people were expecting something Japanese, not European."
"Well, I liked it. Kaiba, have you been to Europe before?"
"Yes. Just once."
"Did you like it there?"
"I've only been to France. It was very beautiful, but not somewhere I'd want to live."
"Ballet started in France."
Her voice sounded so tired. Feeling sleepy himself, Kaiba began taking off his suit and preparing for bed. He just wanted to get under the sheets and close his eyes. Hopefully Anzu wouldn't get sick in the middle of the night, because she still stank of booze and didn't seem to handle it all that well. He knew as soon as he went to sleep, she'd pass out fast. It some ways, it reminded him of Mokuba when he refused to go to bed.
She was staring at him too. Once Kaiba got down to his shirt and boxer briefs, her eyes wouldn't leave him. He didn't know what was so interesting about him, since it wasn't like he was standing naked in front of her, but apparently something about him was catching her attention. Maybe it was the necklace he was still wearing. Kaiba almost never took it off.
"What are you staring at, Mazaki?"
"You look so normal when you're not in those stuffy designer clothes of yours. And, you aren't such bad company when you're not trying to show off."
"I guess I'm losing my touch then."
He rolled his eyes and got under the sheets, moving to the edge of the bed before closing his eyes. If he was going to have to share the bed with her, he didn't want Anzu thinking he was trying anything. No one was going to accuse him of taking advantage of her, and he'd keep his distance. Kaiba usually slept like a log anyways. The position he got in was the one he stayed in all night.
"Kaiba, I think you use sarcasm to hide your fear."
"Fear from what?"
"People. You don't want to rely on people, but no one's meant to be alone."
"You're just drunk rambling, Mazaki. Go to bed."
"I'm being serious. And I'm not that drunk…"
"You wouldn't be talking about this so adamantly if you hadn't had so much vodka at the party."
"… Perhaps. But what I'm saying is true. And I'm tired, my stomach hurts, and I don't like it when you shut me out. Sometimes I wish I could do it back to you as easily as you do it to me. Then maybe things would be fairer."
"What are you talking about, Mazaki?"
Turning around, he tried finding her face in the dark, but she had turned her back towards him. He didn't think she'd turn into some emotional drunk, but then again, he'd only seen her drink one other time. And that was before they started getting… complicated with one another. That was the only word he knew for it.
"Mazaki? Stop acting like a kid and face me."
"Don't call me that, it's Anzu."
She didn't budge from her place. In fact, she had moved herself to the far end of the bed, hiding her face behind her dark hair. He could barely make her out in the darkness, but the dark lump of her body was enough to go by. Anzu was still close, just not as close as she could have been.
"Anzu… why are you getting angry at me?"
"Because. I'm going to bed now."
"Tell me."
She didn't say anything more. When she refused to talk, Kaiba scowled and reached over to shake her shoulder. He didn't want to touch her, but Anzu's words bothered him and he knew he wouldn't get any sleep unless he knew what she was thinking. Kaiba hated being ignorant of things. Even things like what some girl was thinking about him. Until she told him, he'd get no rest.
"Don't touch me."
"Why are you mad at me?"
He didn't take his hand off from her. Instead, he gently pulled her shoulder over until Anzu was lying on her back, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. She seemed too drunk to fight him off, but enough to be upset with him. Still, she wouldn't say anything to him. Shaking his grip off of her, the girl only folded her arms and stared up at him.
"Anzu, I'm not going to bed until you tell me what's bothering you."
"You're bothering me. This attitude of yours is bothering me. Sometimes you're so good to me, but other times you keep me at a distance for no reason and it hurts. I hate it how I like you, despite how difficult you are. It's not fair. Do you even like me?"
"… I don't know."
"That's a lie. You either do or you don't. And I know you know the answer. Why can't you just be honest with people for once in your life? Would it kill you to do that?"
"Kill me? No. But why do I need to say it? Why can't you just figure out things for yourself? I thought you were smart. Apparently that isn't the case."
His words came out harsher than he had meant them too. Immediately regretting it, Kaiba shook his head and moved close to Anzu's side, looking down at her eyes. They were shinning in the dark and her head hilted to his side to look at him. Her arms were still folded across her chest, but he could tell by the pain in her face that she was emotionally falling apart.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"… Why can't you just tell me what you're feeling?"
"It's complicated."
"No it isn't. You make simple things complicated, when it doesn't have to be. And you lash out at people, when they're just trying to help you. I'm not trying to hurt you, Kaiba. I'm not your enemy."
Sighing pitifully, she rolled towards Kaiba's side and reached out to touch his face. At first, he only wanted to move away from her, but he knew that wouldn't be the right thing to do. Instead, he just submitted to her desire and allowed Anzu to have him, as her fingers trailed down his face until they stopped at his bottom lip. Her eyes were staring at them, as he stared back down at her. It was like she was still making up her mind at what to do. Or trying to decide what she wanted.
"You're not like the Kaiba I met in high school. The one who hated everyone and did everything he could to keep everyone else away. He was never happy. Stop trying to be like him again."
"I'm not trying, Anzu."
"Then tell me why you'll introduce me to all your business associates, buy me things I could never afford on my own, give me rides home so I don't take the bus home alone, have dinner with me several times a week, share a bed with me I didn't help pay for, but you can't tell me how you feel about me? Why you can't admit to something that's so obviously clear?"
"Ugh. This isn't going to work out, Anzu."
"You won't even try."
"You're going to New York soon. I'm still going to be here. Since there's a chance that I might never see you again, I'm not going to risk it. It's not worth it to me."
"I'm not worth it?"
"That's not what I'm saying, Anzu."
"Yes it is. I'm not worth fighting for. I hear you perfectly clear."
Letting go of Kaiba's face, Anzu used her hand to wipe her cheek. If Kaiba had been able to see in the dark, he would have known that the girl was crying. He didn't figure it out until she sniffled, blinking her eyes several times before trying to wipe them both of the tears that were falling down from her cheeks. The alcohol had made her more emotional than he'd first though. It puzzled him, because he wasn't quite sure on what to do.
But then something inside began to gnaw at him. He didn't know quite what it was, but it felt like instinct, and Kaiba couldn't ignore something like that. When Mokuba cried, he never stood there watching. Kaiba always tried comforting him, in some way. It was his job to. And although Anzu wasn't Mokuba, the same sort of feelings were digging at him. That same sense of responsibility.
He reached out and placed his hand against her cheek. It was wet with tears, and although she tried moving away from his touch, Kaiba wouldn't let her. Instead he just got closer, until he was laying right over her with his elbow bracing against the mattress of the bed. They were nose to nose, and Anzu couldn't even try avoiding eye contact if she wanted to. Being so close, Kaiba could even feel her chest begin to rise faster, her body against his own.
"Kaiba, what are you doing?"
"Anzu, you ask too many questions."
Then, before Kaiba could think about what he was doing, he kissed her. This time it wasn't so panicky or forceful, but soft and tender as he caught Anzu's bottom lip with his own. Eyes closed and still touching her face, he stopped until the gesture was repeated back, unsure if he was doing the right thing. Thankfully Anzu lifted her head up and caught his mouth with her own when he moved away, desperate for him to come back until he was right against her again. Opening her mouth for him, she didn't fight against Kaiba when his tongue greeted hers, nor when he began kissing down the side of her neck with his open mouth. Going down her collar bone and stopping at the curve of her left breast, Kaiba raised his eyes to look at her.
"Kaiba," started Anzu, sighing as she touched the man's hair with one hand, "you make things so difficult. I can't think right now."
"Relax Anzu; I'm not trying to do anything to you. Just go to sleep."
Frowning, she dropped her hand and turned to the other side. He was glad she did, because being so close was bothering him. Her smell was too potent and the way her skin felt against him… it was better if he stopped things sooner than later. Especially since she was drunk and he had a few drinks himself. Going to bed was the best idea.
And after closing his eyes, Kaiba did just that.