Thanks everyone who has made it this far with me and my story. I really appreciate all the feedback and encouragement to continue. This story has been all I wanted and more, I've always wanted to write a good post-canon Azureshipping story, and without all my readers, that wouldn't have been possible. Just please stuck around a little bit longer, and don't forget to please review after reading. Thanks a ton!

~AllisonWalker

New York couldn't last forever. And standing again alongside the portable barre practicing alone after class, Anzu realized that she was becoming far more distracted than she had been before. She couldn't focus, when the instructors were giving her commands, falling too short from what was expected from her at the level she danced at. Anzu had come so far, especially for someone of her body shape and size, but after what had happened a few weeks ago, she was beginning to lose her drive.

It had been some time since that fateful internship at New York City. She had returned to Domino City, renewed, yet very anxious as school was beginning again for her and she needed to keep her position in the university's ballet program and not get swallowed up by the new freshmen. Many of them were lithe; their bodies were made for dance. They didn't have to overcome the challenges of a full figure.

Anzu just felt like she was starting to lose her drive. After all that work, her dedication was slipping as she watched younger girls get past her, the politics of dance pushing her behind as she had no way of fighting against it.

"Mazaki, you're going to harm yourself if you keep pushing so hard," yelled one student, who had picked up her things after showering in the locker room, "Go home already."

"Not until I have this fouette down!"

The other girl just rolled her eyes and left, her pony tail swinging as she went out the door. Anzu spun around one last time before tripping, crashing to the ground and landing on her ass hard. She almost thought she'd done something to her tailbone, but the pain wasn't that bad, it just stung a lot. And unable to stop herself, she swore a little before slamming her hands on the ground in defiance.

"First day with new legs?" Asked a deep voice.

Turning her head around, she realized Kaiba was there, standing with his arms folded, a smirk across his face. She grimaced; he wasn't supposed to be around, but Anzu couldn't stop him from appearing if he wanted to. They were still friends, in spite of everything, and although she didn't approve of his intentions for them, she couldn't tell him to go away either.

"Shut up, I've been at this for some time," she replied, frowning at him, "And class was long."

"Oh, I could only imagine. You look beat. You're not hurt are you?"

"I'm fine."

Before Kaiba could offer her a hand, she got up, dusting the front of her skirt before walking for to the mirror to collect her bag. She needed to get home, before it got dark, and giving Kaiba a confused look, she walked past him while heading out of the studio to wait outside for the bus to come.

"You know Mazaki; I didn't come by just to watch you fall on your ass. I'd like to take you out to dinner."

"You want a date?" She asked, turning back to look at him, "I'm tired. I'd have to take a shower and get redressed again."

"No you don't," corrected Kaiba, giving her a smug look, "I wasn't going to drag you out in public. I have my own chef."

Anzu turned to blow him off, but he was too fast, grabbing her arm gently but assertively enough to stop her in her tracks. He seemed set on having his way, walking in front of her.

"You've been avoiding me ever since you got back. I don't know if you just don't like me anymore because of my feelings or are just playing a mean game of hard to get, but you need to get over it, Mazaki. What's your problem? I haven't been anything but respectful to you, and you're treating me like some pest."

Instead of replying, she averted her eyes, and Kaiba dropped her arm, grumbling before getting out of her way.

"If you really don't want anything to do with me, then fine. I'll leave you alone."

" -What kind of dinner are you offering?"

Anzu's fridge was near empty and as long as Kaiba behaved, there was no reason not to go. It wasn't like he was a bad host either, he tended to carry on good conversation when he was motivated to be social, and she knew he wouldn't act like an ass unless she did something to provoke him.

After all, she had been avoiding him. And Anzu knew that after his declaration back in her apartment three weeks ago, he wouldn't let her go without a fight. He never let anything go, when he wanted something hard enough, and she was almost afraid she'd give up too fast and get sucked in by his affections… That meant she'd have to fight hard to resist him, and the only way Anzu knew how to do that was by not seeing him.

"French. But it's different, the style is far more simplistic and the food isn't so heavy. I think you'll like it. It sort of reminds me of Japanese food actually, in the minimal presentation of it."

He looked a bit eager to convince her to go; his face was lighting up at the prospect of dining together. She wondered what exactly he had planned, and finally sighing in defeat, Anzu meet his eyes and smiled a little.

"I like French. Just drop me off at my apartment first so I can pick up some clothes and take a shower. I don't want to be disgusting at your house."

"It's not like you have anyone to impress," said Kaiba, rolling his eyes at her request, "But fine. I'll stop at your place, but try to be quick about it…"

His car was conveniently parked close to the dance studio, near the coffee shop where they had bumped into each other months before. Glancing at it, Anzu frowned a little at the memory before getting into the red sport's car, buckling up before trying to fit her bag near her legs.

"I'm sorry if I smell," she started, noticing their close quarters, "If you roll the windows down, I won't feel offended."

"You're being silly, Mazaki, you smell just fine."

He didn't roll down the windows, instead getting out of his parking spot and heading towards the residential area of Domino, where Anzu's apartment was. The once blooming cherry trees that lined it were covered in dark green leaves, along with the lone apricot tree that stood in front of Anzu's place. It appeared slightly smaller than the rest, but just as pretty.

"I'll be fast," said Anzu, grabbing her bag and keys, "And you can come in if you'd like. You don't have to sit in your car."

Kaiba snorted, getting out and locking the door. He seemed slightly appeased now that Anzu wasn't trying to blow him off, and once they were inside the house and she'd locked the door, he found a place to sit on her couch again, flipping through his phone to look at what Anzu could only assume was business related crap.

It didn't take long at all for her to shower and change. She didn't want Kaiba going through her things, and reappearing clean and with wet hair, she hurried towards the front door. He seemed unphased, taking his damn time getting off the couch and walking out the door before unlocking his car and taking a seat in the driver's side. His smug look of self-satisfaction did not go unnoticed, and frowning, Anzu was well aware that he got his way again.

"You smell nice," he said, side eying her before pulling off of the curb, "Not that you didn't before."

"Don't tease me," mumbled Anzu, looking out of the window while folding her hands, "And next time you should call ahead before asking me on some date. I don't like surprises."

"I would have called ahead if you weren't avoiding my phone calls," remarked Kaiba, snorting a little, "May I remind you again that you said we were dating? I don't see why a little confession has you this flustered over our relationship."

She didn't like how quick he was to figure out things. Sighing a little, Anzu looked up at him, glancing at his eyes before looking away again. His face seemed schooled, there was no expression that could be read from it, but while looking at the blue in his gaze, Anzu could tell a little that he was hurt. And not trying to show it.

"I got really busy, but that's not really an excuse…"

"I get busy all the damn time," remarked Kaiba, his voice getting a little gruff, "But I'd make time for you if that was required of me. That's the difference between you and me… You can't just ignore me like that."

"I wasn't ignoring you," she responded back, looking at Kaiba again with sad eyes, "Not really."

"Then what? I don't see how you can just forget about me after everything that happened in New York. We're both grown adults, Mazaki, and you're making this all more dramatic than it has to be."

"You told me you'd make me love you, Kaiba-"

"-And I meant it. What's so wrong with that? Is the idea of you and me being together repulsive to you? Because I thought after everything we've done together, you might actually like me…"

"I do."

Instead of saying anything else, Kaiba gave Anzu a dubious look, glancing at her in silence. His eyes appeared slightly narrow, and looking away while sighing, she didn't say anything else either. He wasn't going to be appeased. And Anzu wasn't going to try to make him understand, either, because she knew he wouldn't. Sure, it seemed pretty black and white to him, but Anzu had her own goals and she wouldn't abandon them just because he made up his mind to pursue her.

Sitting in silence, she just watched the cars drive by as they went out of the city and came upon the Kaiba Mansion. It was one of the older houses in Domino, which was fenced off and had constant security standing guard around its gates. Anzu had seen it before, and looking at the large, grandiose, very European architecture she wondered how such a place existed in Japan. It looked so out of place, surrounded by nothing but trees and well tucked away from the suburban homes, Anzu thought it belonged in England by the looks of it.

There were huge pillars and the entire building was stark white. Kaiba seemed rather indifferent to it, coming over to the gate only for the guard to pass him on, the doors opening before he drove the car through them. They went down the driveway, heading towards the front entrance before Kaiba parked right alongside the curb and got out, silently waiting by the door while Anzu stumbled out.

"How can you live in such a big place alone?" She gasped, her eyes widening as she took in the sight of the house.

"I always have," Kaiba said, rolling his eyes, "And I don't even visit most parts of the house. It's more like a mausoleum than house anyways…"

Anzu didn't quite understand that comment, but not wanting to be left outside, she quickly joined him into the foyer before the door was closed. Inside, she gasped at the grand master stair case, taken back by the grandeur of the place while Kaiba turned towards a hallway, looking back slightly annoyed.

"Are you coming?"

Instead of answering, Anzu skipped after him, her face falling a little as she detected a bit of animosity in Kaiba's tone. He was being a dick, walking too fast for her deliberately, and she wanted to say something to him. Tell him to stop being a jerk, but then again, she had ignored him for the past several weeks without good reason and he had invited her over for dinner.

"Will you stop being mad at me, Kaiba?"

"I'm not mad."

He was lying, but Anzu didn't say anything else. She followed him, practically running down the hallway until they reached the dining room. It was huge, and becoming slightly nervous, Anzu stepped back from the room, overlooking the giant oak table and the surrounding chairs, but Kaiba walked past them. Instead of sitting down there, he opened a pair of French doors, leading them outside onto the patio where a small table set for two waited for them.

"I never eat in there," he explained, "Not since Gozaburo died. Usually I eat in bed, but I presumed you wouldn't want to be so informal with me tonight."

He pulled out her seat, still frowning while Anzu sat down, before sitting at his own. His face looked strained, as he pulled up to the table and crossed his legs, but at least when one of the staff arrived, his face lit up, if only a little. They served them two appetizers, and Anzu couldn't help but make a slight face.

"Caviar isn't so bad," said Kaiba, picking up a cracker as he inspected the sturgeon's eggs, "Haven't you had it on sushi before?"

"I don't usually eat it, and it was never black in color."

Kaiba snickered at her, before eating the entire thing. She made a face at him, but then her stomach growled, and one of the staff was coming out with a wine bottle. A drink sounded lovely, but she couldn't risk getting drunk off an empty stomach.

"You eat strange things sometimes, Kaiba," she remarked, picking up a cracker, "But fine. I'll try it."

Putting it into her mouth, Anzu was a tab surprised that it didn't taste terrible. It was salty, and the taste of fish was rather strong, but to her surprise, it was almost like eating raw fish on bread. And it tasted slightly buttery, all things considered. She wasn't completely opposed to it, and taking another cracker to her mouth, she allowed the eggs to melt on her tongue before swallowing it, surprised at herself for liking it as much as she did.

"See? It's not that bad, when you aren't thinking over where it came from. I've always liked caviar," explained Kaiba, lifting his nose a tad, "But Mokuba tells me it's an acquired taste."

"I don't think it's bad, just different," said Anzu, having another, "I'd definitely eat this more often with sushi if I could afford to."

"Salmon roe is quite delicious, actually."

The food was appearing fast on their table now, the staff coming to and from the kitchen quickly to feed the pair. Each plate was small and rather simple in presentation, the lobster being fresh, and the scallops perfectly seared. Anzu was amazed by the array of seafood Kaiba had brought to them, with the French flair that seemed to consist of subtle flavors she could appreciate, not far from the Japanese meals she was already used to. It was good, all the food, and after having a few glasses of wine and ending dinner on a sweet desert of simple fresh fruit with cream, Kaiba helped her up from the table.

But when they headed back inside the mansion, Anzu could tell almost immediately that he was drunk. There was an uncharacteristic grin across his face, and he was strolling around a little like he wasn't exactly sure as to where he wanted to go. Taking a firm hold of his arm and leading him back to the foyer, Anzu made sure he didn't trip over his long legs, getting them over to the staircase before realizing she didn't know where he even slept.

"Kaiba, where's your bedroom?"

"Upstairs, on the right side," He mumbled, "I can walk just fine you know."

Anzu ignored him, making her way up the stairs with Kaiba following behind. His eyes were glazing around all distracted, and looking back several times, she frowned a little when he caught him checking her out.

"Stop staring at my ass!"

"I'm not staring," he corrected, turning up his nose, "I'm admiring. You should appreciate my attention more, Mazaki."

"Stop it, before I leave you behind."

She wanted to slap him upside the head, but she was on the wrong side of him, and he was too tall for that anyways. Huffing a little, Anzu just hurried up the stairs more before waiting on Kaiba to join her, grabbing his arm again before pulling him down the hallway, looking around until her companion stopped at the end of the hall, smiling more broadly before turning towards her.

"This is my room," said Kaiba, sounding a bit full of himself, "It used to be his, but then I took it. Because this is my house."

"I already knew that," replied Anzu rather flippantly, and following Kaiba into the bedroom, she was slightly surprised how by big it was. The room was as large as her apartment, and walking far enough that Kaiba could close the door; she stepped in and glanced through it, noting the huge bed, French doors leading to the balcony, and the gaming system that was set up.

"I had the bed replaced, of course, when Gozaburo died," continued Kaiba, as he collapsed on the mattress, "And I changed the décor some. I didn't like the pseudo-European crap theme he had going on here. This modern simplistic style is much better. I feel freer."

Anzu just smirked at him, before taking a seat next to him. His blue eyes were staring at the ceiling before they fell upon her, his goofy ass grin still across his face. He looked pretty happy, and she almost felt like touching his hair just to be nice, but Anzu stopped herself. She didn't want to motivate him into doing something in return.

"You should lie down with me," he purred, putting a hand on her thigh before rubbing it with his thumb, "You look so tired and tense. They work you too hard at the studio. I don't get why you do it to yourself."

"I want to dance, Kaiba."

"I know," he lamented, moving to touch her hair, "But we both know how hard it is to make a career out of it. And Anzu, you don't exactly have a ballerina's physique. I'd hate to see you fail and your dreams become crushed, but you need to face reality. Even if you did dance, your career would be short and brutal."

"I think it would be worth it," she mumbled back, looking away briefly, "I always wanted this."

"So you'd rather put yourself through misery at the risk of failure than take a chance at being with me? We both know this relationship can't last if you move to New York."

There was silence as they stared at each other for a while. Kaiba's face looked more vulnerable than Anzu was used to seeing it, and despite trying to look away from him and scoot back, he seemed adamant at making her look at him, moving to sit up before cupping the side of her face so they'd look each other eye to eye again.

"Anzu," he began, "I really want you to stay with me. I'd do anything to make you change your mind… Anything. If you went to New York, I'd still go over there as often as I could to make you reconsider, and I know how you feel about dancing, but… Please. I could make you happy too, if you'd just let me."

There was alcohol on his breath, and looking at Kaiba's face, Anzu knew he was being serious. Alcohol made people too honest and he wasn't trying to hide anything from her. His expression appeared completely sincere, and she didn't know what to say for a long while. It wasn't like him to be so… open over his feelings, and when she didn't respond back, he just sighed and lay back down again, still touching Anzu's face.

"I don't expect you to feel the same way. But that doesn't mean I won't try doing everything possible to change your mind. You know I will… I'm anal retentive."

He finally looked away, turning onto his side before kicking off his shoes. Anzu just watched, he seemed able to take off his clothes without a problem, and once he was down to his boxers, he got under the sheets and pulled the left side back for Anzu. She wasn't sure exactly if she wanted to sleep with him, because being close just made things that much harder for her, but Anzu couldn't reject him. Getting down to her underwear, she settled next to him, not at all surprised when he moved to lay against her back.

"I'm sorry I got drunk," he muttered, "I'm usually much better with alcohol."

"You're fine, Kaiba."

"-I really like your dancing, too."

"I know," sighed Anzu, closing her eyes, "You're rambling. Go to bed."

"It's still too early to sleep, I'm an insomniac, you know."

His voice was slurred, mixing in well with his natural drawl that he seemed to have while talking. Anzu knew it was because of his accent that he was always trying to hide, and snorting, she thought about just watching a movie then if he wasn't ready to go to bed.

"I'm actually really tired," mumbled Anzu, turning to face Kaiba, "And I was actually planning on going to bed before you stopped me at the studio. My feet feel like shit, and I should have done something with them before going to bed."

"Something like what? I could rub them down for you."

It was an offer she couldn't resist. Sitting up against the head board of the bed, Anzu stuck her legs out as Kaiba moved down to her side, sitting up some before taking the closest foot into his lap. Her feet looked bruised, the skin tinged purple with yellow slouches all over. The discoloration was unsettling, but it didn't stop him from kneading the muscle in his hands.

"Do your feet always look like this?" he asked, tracing the bruising with one finger.

"I'm trying to break in a new pair of en pointe shoes," Sighed Anzu, closing her eyes, "Pain just goes along with making them fit."

"I don't get why you'd do this to yourself," said Kaiba back, "This doesn't look comfortable at all."

"It's not. I'm taking Motrin for it almost on a daily basis, but that's what all ballet dancers do. Pain is a part of dance, and I've never split a toenail or something extreme like that."

"You hurt your ankle once," reminded Kaiba.

"I'll end up doing it again," answered Anzu, rolling her eyes, "But it's not the end of the world. That just goes along with the territory of my art."

"Injuring your body?"

"Not on purpose, Kaiba…"

He changed feet, pushing his thumbs hard into the sides of Anzu's left foot while frowning a little. His buzz from before was beginning to die down, his grin long gone as he concentrated on massaging Anzu's feet.

"… What are you going to do after retiring from ballet, if it works out? Your body will be destroyed. Nothing will be as strong as it was before, you know that. The body can only take so much abuse, and aging will hit you so hard, Anzu…"

"Kaiba, I'll worry about that if I become a professional ballerina."

"You should be worrying about that now."

His features looked calm, but his eyes betrayed him. And as they sat in silence, Anzu thought over his words, doubt slowly creeping upon her as the pain in her feet subsided.