"ICOE" Chapter Twelve
Story Universe: the Lifestyles-verse
Series: In Case of Emergency
Chapter: Twelve - Hold a Moonbeam in Your Hand (12/36)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5272
Disclaimer: Not mine.
12: Hold a Moonbeam in Your Hand
Seto was sitting in front of his computer when Mokuba sauntered arrogantly into his office. “Seto,” he said nonchalantly, “I have that field trip tomorrow. I trust you’ve remembered?”
“Yes, of course,” Seto said briskly, his mind still on his work. “And as you know, Anzu will be accompanying you- I told you that days ago.”
“I know that.” Mokuba sighed. “Seto... It’s really about time we settled this.”
He sighed, and after a few vital keystrokes turned to face his younger brother. “Mokuba, I don’t think-“
“I don’t really care if you do or don’t, Seto. I’m tired of being angry at you.”
“Fine.” Seto cocked his head towards a chair. “Sit down and we’ll... talk. We’ll talk- and you can work out whatever it is you feel we need to work out.”
“Whatever I feel we need to work out? Seto...” Mokuba plopped down in the chair across from his brother and let out a bitter laugh. “You went completely crazy for no reason! I was just teasing you like I always do, but you flipped out on me and starting yelling and made it clear in no uncertain terms that you wanted me gone. And Seto... I know there’s a reason! Even when you’re at your most evil, there’s always a motive there. So why? Why the hell did you go off like that? Was it something I said?”
“Mokuba...” Seto put his head in his hands, his elbows resting on the desk. “Look, we just all have our days. I don’t pretend to be perfect-“
“Yes you do.” He grinned cheekily. “All the damn time.”
Seto sighed again and had to suppress the heavy urge to roll his eyes. “At any rate- I did not mean to go off like that. I hope you understand.”
“Well yeah I understand, but I really just want a reason.”
“And right now, I can’t give you that.”
“Seto, what’s-“
“Mokuba, please. Just accept that for now.” He held out his hand. “Can we agree to be civil to one another again?”
Mokuba took the proffered appendage and shook it soundly. “I guess so. There’s no need for us to fight, not really. But. You have to agree to this- you’re going to have to tell me why you freaked out someday. Ok?”
“Fine, Mokuba. Someday.”
The younger Kaiba grinned. “Great. And now...” He spun around once in his chair. “Maybe you can substantiate a certain piece of information that’s floating around the KaibaCorp rumor mill. Was there really a scantily-clad woman in your office a few days ago? And then, once you joined her there, did you really-“
Seto held up a hand. “Mokuba, just stop. You know you shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”
“Oh, of course not.” He nodded sagely, though not convinced entirely of his brother’s innocence.
Seto cleared his throat. He spoke quickly and quietly. “And it wasn’t just any woman, it was Anzu.”
That earned him a stint of stunned silence and then a disbelieving laugh. “Well,” Mokuba began, settling back and getting more comfortable in his chair. “Now you know you’re going to have to tell me this story.” He propped his feet up on the big, wooden desk. “Don’t be shy, Seto- regale me.”
xXx
The next morning broke to find a certain brunette in the midst of a fitful sleep. Anzu grunted softly and rolled over, clutching her pillow. Surely there was plenty of time before she had to get up. It was still so early, the bed so warm, the pillows so soft-
BEEP!
The alarm clock so loud...
Anzu groaned and sat up, glaring at her offensive clock with bleary eyes. It was only six. She growled and collapsed back down on her pile of linen-y bedclothes.
“I don’t want to get up,” she whined. “It’s too early.”
But despite her protests, she did drag herself out of the bed. She had promised Mokuba that she’d be there for him and she didn’t plan on disappointing him. She had to take a shower, get dressed, then manage to make it to the museum at eight.
With a giant yawn, Anzu turned on the light in her bedroom, dug out some clothes, and headed into the bathroom. It took her about twenty minutes to finish her shower- a delightfully warm and wonderful experience- and then about thirty more minutes to dry her hair and get dressed. She ate a quick breakfast, drank a cup of hot, sweet coffee and at 7:25 she was out the door.
The walk to the museum was refreshing and not too long. Anzu could make it in about twenty-five minutes if she rushed. So there she was, sitting on the steps at ten til eight, seeing the first members of Mokuba’s class arrive.
xXx
Mokuba, the debonair young playboy that he was, always made it a point to be fashionably late. So at 8:05, he strolled up nonchalantly next to his classmates, a smug grin nesting happily at his lips.
“Hey, Mokuba,” a friend of his called. “What’s up, man?”
He waved back. “Hey.”
Anzu noticed him and smiled. “Hello Mokuba,” she said politely, walking up to him.
“Anzu! Great to see you; glad you could make it!” He grinned- and it was utterly contagious. She laughed at his happy demeanor. “You should probably go check in with our dear teacher- since you’re the responsible chaperone and all that. I’ll see you in a bit, babe.”
She nodded and waved slightly as he walked back into the crowd. Realizing he was right, she stood up and started scanning the bustling group for the signature harried form of the teacher. Spotting him soon, she walked over to introduce her.
“Excuse me, sir,” she said politely, “I’m Anzu... um, Mazaki, and I-“
“You must be the other chaperone!” he said happily. She nodded and smiled at him reassuringly. “Wonderful. We’re just about to go in- I’ll give you the tickets for your group soon- and all I really need you to do is make sure the kids behave themselves, don’t wander off, don’t touch anything, all that. I’m sure you won’t have any problem.” He clasped her hand firmly in a grateful hand-shake. “I do appreciate this, miss, and if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and make sure every student is here and accounted for.”
Anzu nodded slowly as she watched the man scurry away. It gave her a feeling quite reminiscent of nostalgia- how long had it been since she had been able to go on a school field trip, Yugi eager to learn and Jounouchi and Honda screwing around just like they always did? She giggled quietly at herself, feeling silly.
Not long thereafter, the teacher- a man called Kurosaki- got the students into a line, handed Anzu and the other chaperone a list of students they’d each be responsible for, and then herded everyone into the museum.
Anzu was happy to see that she’d gotten Mokuba- he was the only person there she knew after all, even if they were just a bunch of high-schoolers, and she had been meaning to talk to him about the fight he had with his brother.
The exhibits were beautiful. The class, which to Anzu’s understanding was something like humanities or art appreciation, was studying great works of the ages: specifically sculpture. She knew next to nothing about any of that- in fact, the only statue- or sculpture of any sort- she could ever remember studying was Michelangelo’s David. At least she thought it was Michelangelo... Maybe it was one of those other Renaissance guys that were so famous.
“Hey, earth to Anzu,” a voice announced from behind. “You spacing out there?”
She turned and found a cocky Mokuba grinning at her. She tried to look stern and not smile back at him, but his boyish grin was absolutely infectious.
“No, not spacing out,” she said, “just thinking about the exhibits here... and trying to remember anything I might have learned about them.”
He put a friendly arm around her shoulders and sighed. With his free arm, he gestured around them grandly. “Why, Anzu! How can you not absorb every detail about these magnificent works? For shame, my dearest friend!” He put his head on her shoulder and pretended to sob. His arm clutching his chest, he groaned. “My heart... She weeps.”
Anzu rolled her eyes. “Do you want me to smack you? Right here? Because I will.”
Mokuba straightened up immediately and marched stiffly a few steps ahead. But giving in to his irrepressible nature, he turned around and winked. “Go right ahead,” he said arrogantly, a wide grin twitching happily at his mouth. “I can take you.” And with a little laugh he turned back and ran up ahead, soon catching up to a group of other boys. Anzu smiled. Unlike his brother, at least Mokuba had friends.
Not the best chaperone in the world, Anzu had the instinctive tendency to wander. She kept half an eye on the students, but other than that she was enjoying herself- on her own. It really was a nice exhibit- well put together and full of very good pieces. There were a few in modern art that she felt she could have done a better job on herself, but at the very least it was all... interesting.
At about 10:15, Mokuba found her again. They would be staying in that wing til eleven, then move upstairs for an hour and a half, have lunch, and then the students were free; the field trip had been a special treat for the students, and since they were mostly in honors classes the administration had decided that a one day break from their studies was acceptable. The students themselves found little in that arrangement to complain about.
“So,” Mokuba said, tapping Anzu on the shoulder. “Having fun?”
“Oh yes,” she said with a smile. “It’s very interesting.”
“Interesting... You seem so thrilled.”
She laughed. “I am having fun, really! I just... Well I don’t know, I guess sculpture just isn’t my thing.”
“Mine either mon ami, I much prefer paintings.” He jumped over a tile in the floor, and spun around to face her again. Walking backwards- a skill he seemed to have mastered- he grinned mischievously, a twinkle in his eye. “And I seem to have a distinct predilection for the Impressionists.”
Anzu raised an eyebrow. “Really now.”
He nodded wisely. “Yes, my naïve friend. My fascination, secret though it may be, stemmed from a deep-rooted appreciation of the triumph of the human spirit. The creative urge that flows through all of us, the need to express our deepest, strongest feelings, the-“
He was interrupted as he ran abruptly into one of his classmates.
“I am so sorry,” he told the girl intensely, a hand on her arm. “I’m so careless. Please... Tell me I’m forgiven.”
The girl blushed red and giggled, her shoulder coyly raised. “O-of course, Mokuba-kun. Who could stay mad at you?”
He grinned- facing forward- and kept walking, allowing Anzu to catch up to him. She just stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, amazed that the boy could charm his way out of anything. He humbly brushed an imaginary piece of dirt off his shoulder. “All in a day’s work, my dear. All in a day’s work.” Then his face split into a smile and he and Anzu both laughed.
“But really,” she said, once the chuckling subsided, “you don’t seem the artist type. How’d that happen?”
“Blame Seto, I guess,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “It all started one fateful day- when I was about, oh... thirteen or fourteen. We were going over the choices for my school schedule, and Seto happened upon a course geared toward hearty young business. With a fearsome eye turned upon my innocent, trembling self he asked quite harshly whether or not I planned to take that. And I, being the wonderful little thing I am, grinned cheekily and told him that no, I was going to take Art I- my mind would be a blank canvas for whichever crazy teacher to paint upon! Needless to say, he wasn’t thrilled. And though I only took it to spite him, I ended up enjoying it. And being pretty good! So... yeah.” He grinned again- Anzu realized it was a frequent occurrence. “And now I’m here.”
“That’s right,” she said, “you’re here.” Sighing, she looked around the room they were in. “And I’m hungry. I hope lunch is soon.”
“It’s at twelve thirty, dear, you know that. But if you’re bored...” He grabbed her arm. “Come on, I’ve got some guys I’d love to introduce you to.”
He lead her through the crowd, masterfully winding in and out of the other bodies. And then he stopped, right in front of two boys.
“Guys,” he said happily, pulling Anzu in front of them, “This is Anzu.” He turned to her. “And Anzu, these are my two lackeys and very dear friends: Takeshi and Megumi. Say hello, boys.”
“Hey,” they both mumbled.
The taller one- who was even handsomer than Mokuba, though he lacked the charming personality to back it up- looked Anzu over critically. She felt her face turn red in embarrassment and anger, and was about to say something when she was abruptly cut off by the same boy.
“So who is this, Mokuba?” he asked casually, his eyes daring away from Anzu. “Some new girlfriend?”
“No, you foolish thing! Eww. That’s practically incest!”
The other boy spoke up. “So she’s your sister?”
Mokuba threw an arm around her shoulders. “She will be when Seto gets the balls to propose.”
“Mokuba!” Anzu shrieked, smacking him hard on the side of the head. “That... Well, you shouldn’t...”
The other two boys snickered, much amused by her embarrassment. The tall one shook his head and grinned. “Well good luck with that one. If the infamous elder Kaiba is anything at all like Mokuba described him...” He laughed again.
Anzu glared half-heartedly.
“Oh, come on- be nice Takeshi,” the shorter one said, smiling at Anzu. The girl was very pretty and Mokuba’s brother was obviously very lucky. “I’m sure he’ll marry you one day, Anzu-san.”
“Of course he will,” Mokuba scoffed. “Anzu, have you ever known him to just suddenly give something up? How long has he been obsessed with dueling again? No, how long have the Blue-Eyes been his favorite monster? Face it sweetie-“ He ruffled her hair affectionately. “You couldn’t get rid of him if you tried.”
Anzu lifted his arm from her shoulders. “Whatever Mokuba. It was nice to meet you, boys,” she said, smiling at the two. Megumi blushed a little and waved at her shyly. Takeshi rolled his eyes. Anzu walked back across the room, a little flounce in every step.
“Hmm,” Mokuba said, tapping his chin with a finger. “I hate to ditch you two dirt-bags, but I really must go.” He ran off, looking as silly as ever. “Anzu! Dearest, darlingest An-zu! Wait for me!”
“Forgive me?” he asked lightly, catching his breath as he caught up to her.
Anzu rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing to forgive, silly. Just stop being stupid.”
He nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. “But of course.”
Anzu bit her lip, knowing she didn’t have much longer to bring up the subject she desperately wanted to. “Um... Mokuba?”
“Yes, my little lovely? How can I help you?”
She wanted to roll her eyes- she didn’t, but she certainly wanted to. “I heard that... you and Seto had a fight. It upset him. Did the two of you ever make up?”
Mokuba frowned, his good mood suddenly having turned sour. “What do you think? Would the man ever condescend to apologize?”
“He’s... Um, I’m sure he will eventually.”
“Well you keep wishing on that lucky star. He’s an asshole,” Mokuba said testily. “I love him, but he’s an asshole.”
Anzu laughed. “I guess I can’t argue too much with you there. He does have his... tendencies. It’s really bothering him that you haven’t tried to patch things up yet, though.”
“I have tried,” Mokuba said tiredly. “We talked last night. A little ground was broken, I’ll admit, but he still won’t tell me what’s really bothering him. I didn’t do a damn thing wrong this time! He just snapped! Is it really too much to ask for him to swallow his pride this once? It won’t kill him. Put the stubborn bastard in the hospital, maybe, but it sure as hell won’t kill him.”
“You shouldn’t talk about your brother that way,” Anzu chided.
“Like you haven’t called him worse. Before the two of you started dating I can guarantee that you let loose a few choice insults that my young ears were not ready to hear.”
Anzu winced a little. “I suppose we never really thought before we started screaming. Discretion isn’t one of either of our strong points. But enough of that! Look, it’s time to go upstairs. Only half an hour til lunch- that’s what I’m really looking forward to.”
xXx
“Happy birthday, Anzu!” the room announced gleefully.
And even though she had known where she was being led when Seto just happened to show up wanting to take her out, she was still surprised and absolutely delighted.
“Do you like it?” Seto asked quietly, feeling Anzu clutching hard at his sleeve as she looked around, her pretty face positively radiating light.
She turned and beamed up at him with a smile as bright as the sun. “I love it. Thank you so much Seto!” She wrapped her arms around him tightly, pulling him into a warm, loving embrace. In his ear she whispered, “And thank you for inviting all of my friends.”
She untangled her arms and after a quick peck on the cheek, sent Seto on his way. She got boatloads of congratulations from everyone, and was more than happy to see all the people she loved gathered together to celebrate her special day.
From Honda and Arisa she got a beautiful silver chain with a lovely pink stone strung on it. The stone had a carefully crafted silver butterfly inside it. “Oh thank you,” she breathed, “I love it! It’s so pretty...”
“I picked it out,” Arisa told her with a grin, “but Hiroto did tell me that you’d like the pink.”
Anzu laughed. “Well he was right. Thanks to both of you.” And she immediately put it on.
From Jounouchi she received a brown wicker basket full of...
“Tube socks,” she said blankly. She smiled up at her friend, who looked proud as could be. She set the basket down from her lap. “Thank you very much, Jounouhci; I’m sure they’ll be very useful.”
“Ah, no prob,” he said with a sheepish grin. “I didn’t really know what to get you, so I figured that everybody could use more socks. Mine all have holes in ‘em anyway. And if you don’t like socks, you have a nice basket for uh... puttin’ stuff in.”
Everyone muffled their chuckling. Anzu smiled at him. “Thank you. I do appreciate it.”
Next she opened the present from Mokuba. He had gotten her a cute tote bag with ballet slippers embroidered on it. “Oh thank you!” she said, looking at the gift happily. “I really like it.”
He smiled mischievously. “Look inside the bag.”
Confused, she did as she asked. Pulling out two small slips of stiff paper, she gasped and her eyes widened to twice their normal size.
“T-tickets to... Oh my God, Mokuba, this is the country’s top ballet company! How in the world did you manage to get tickets? This show has been sold out for months!”
He shrugged, pleased to see her so happy. “They just sort of... wandered my way.” Upon the disbelieving look on Anzu’s face, he was forced to admit the truth. “Alright, alright- I bought them off this old guy who’s wife had given them to him for some special occasion. Never underestimate the power of money and sexual favors.”
“Oh my... The man, Mokuba?” Seto asked in disgust and disbelief.
“No, of course not.” He grinned. “His grand-daughter.”
After the gifts- Mai had given her a set of sexy pajamas, Rebecca had given her some designer blush and lipstick, and Seto had assured her that the party was only the first part of his present- everyone sat down at the long table in the Kaiba dining room for some delicious cake.
Yugi had made it himself, as a surprise for Anzu. “I hope you like it,” he said nervously. “I really did work hard. A-and I tasted it and it is good, so I think you’ll enjoy it.”
Anzu smiled and hugged her oldest, dearest friend. “Thank you so much,” she said. “I appreciate it, Yugi, and I can’t wait to try it.”
The cake was delicious, just as Yugi had hoped. Everyone enjoyed it, and not a crumb was left once the feeding frenzy was over. Once the cake was eaten, however, there were no real activities to amuse the guests; so everyone decided that it was time to head home.
“Goodbye!” Mai called, as she dragged Jounouchi out the door. “Happy birthday, Anzu honey. I’ll call you later!” Jounouchi just waved.
Honda and Arisa were next, each giving Anzu a friendly kiss on the cheek.
Yugi was cleaning up the leftover bits of cake, while Rebecca sat at the table watching him. “Alright,” he said finally, “I think we’re ready to go. Coming Rebecca?”
She nodded. “Yep! Let’s get going.”
They were out the door and two steps onto the sidewalk when Rebecca gasped. “Oh! Gosh. Yugi, I think I forgot my purse. You don’t need to wait for me; I’ll be right back.”
Yugi watched her rush inside. “B-but Rebecca, I...” He sighed. “Ok, then. I’ll just go on.”
xXx
Thanks to Anzu, Rebecca was waiting patiently in the living room just off thekitchen. Mokuba would wander in there soon enough she was sure and then... Oh, then she’d show him just what she thought of him. She smirked cruelly, already anticipating the sweet taste of revenge.
After about two excruciating minutes, Mokuba did indeed appear.
“Oh hey, Rebecca. Did you forget somethi-“ She rushed at him, the look on her face frightening him to silence.
“Listen up you little bastard,” she said angrily, pointing a finger in his face. “I never want to see you around me again! I never want to hear you talking about me again! You’re just a pathetic little pervert, and I don’t think I even want you looking at me!”
“Rebecca,” he said with confusion, “Why are you so angry? What did I do?”
“What did you do!” she snarled. “I heard that message you left on Yugi’s answering machine!” She took a step closer to him, successfully backing him into the sofa. His knees hit and buckled slightly. He landed on his ass on the couch cushions, staring wide-eyed at an irate blonde menace.
“I... I didn’t mean to upset you, Rebecca. I didn’t think you’d hear-“
“Of course you didn’t think!” she hissed, poking her finger at his chest. “You’re an idiot! A big stupid loser who has to resort to merely talking about girls because there’s no way any self-respecting female would ever let you within ten feet of her!” She leaned over him, closing the distance between them. When she was done, he’d be a wreck of a man she was sure. He deserved it, anyway.
And though she meant to intimidate him, Mokuba didn’t quite see it that way. In fact, she was having the opposite effect. Mokuba had stopped listening and once she started rattling on again he just kept ignoring her. What he saw was her bright, angry eyes, her tight set lips, her hair falling in her face as she shook with rage, her generous chest heaving as she reprimanded him for a crime he barely realized he committed.
‘Oh God,’ he thought desperately, ‘tell me I’m not enjoying this.'
“And further more,” Rebecca continued, “I-“
But Mokuba didn’t hear a word. She had leaned down even closer and he was a little lost in inappropriate fantasies of her climbing into his lap and doing very naughty things. She was so beautiful...
“I hope you’ve learned your lesson, you little pig,” she said finally, straightening up. “I don’t want anything more to do with you, and I trust you know to stay the hell away from me.”
And with a determined nod of her head that sent her pigtails quivering, she turned on her heel and marched out of the room.
Mokuba sank further into the couch. “I’m a sick man,” he said unhappily, feeling slightly ashamed and still slightly full of adrenaline. “And now she’ll never even give me a chance.” He frowned and stared listlessly at the ceiling.
Oh well. At least he still had a very healthy relationship with his hand.
xXx
“Seto?” Mokuba asked, knocking on the doorframe of his brother’s personal sitting room-slash-study. “Can I... Can I talk to you?”
Seto looked up, an eyebrow going up past the edge of his bangs. “Talk? If you want, Mokuba- though I thought you still had nothing to say to me. Come in, I’m not busy.”
Mokuba sighed and stepped through the door. It was nighttime, growing later by the minute, and both were already clad in sleepwear. “It’s just... Seto, I really screwed things up.” He threw himself down in the only other unoccupied chair.
“What did you do this time?”
“Do you remember Rebecca?”
“That Hawkins girl?”
Mokuba nodded forlornly. “Yeah, that one. Well now she hates me. I said a few things that, in my mind, were quite complimentary, but she seemed to take them as an insult! And now she’d rather see me hung from my toes than ever even speak to me again. I feel icky.”
Seto rolled his eyes, but then sighed. “Have you tried telling her you didn’t mean it?”
“No, I just found out she was angry tonight. She cornered me after the party.” Mokuba groaned and put his face in his hands. “And I should have apologized right then and there, but God. She was so damn sexy yelling at me like that... And I sort of... couldn’t really concentrate on anything else.”
“Mokuba... You are a sad, sad man.”
“I know! But what the hell am I supposed to do?”
“I certainly hope you don’t expect me to bail you out of this. You’re just going to have to talk to the girl- or if she won’t listen to you, get Yugi to ask her to give you a minute to explain.”
Mokuba sighed and frowned. “Yeah, like that’ll work. Damn it, I screwed up.” He leaned his head back and groaned again. “You are so lucky to have Anzu.”
Seto sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair. Maybe now was the time to tell his brother... He might as well, he thought.
“Mokuba?” he asked warily, half-hoping the boy wouldn’t even hear him.
“What is it Seto?”
“I’m going to tell you why I got so angry. Alright?” Mokuba said up- quite interested, after all- and nodded. Seto closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled heavily. “So just listen. Do you remember what you said that made me so angry?”
“I don’t know,” Mokuba said with a scowl, trying to remember. “Something about you and Anzu, I think- we were talking about relationships.”
“That’s right, and you have to remember that my own relationship with Anzu has not been without its problems. As I’m sure you’re aware, there was a time when we terminated it and went our separate ways.”
Mokuba grunted in a half sort of snicker. “Oh I remember that, alright. God, you had to be the bitchiest person on the planet then. May she never leave you again.”
“Right. Anyway. During that time, Anzu got rather... lonely. Thinking she no longer cared for me, she sought comfort elsewhere.”
Mokuba’s eyes grew big as plates. “Elsewhere? You mean there was another man?”
“When we had that fight you also said something like ‘At least you don’t have competition’, and then Mokuba... And then you mentioned Yugi.”
“Holy shit! You mean... Yugi? Anzu and Yugi?”
Seto put his head on his hand, fingertips resting on his forehead. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you, Mokuba, Anzu and Yugi. So naturally I didn’t exactly appreciate you insinuating that Yugi was any kind of competition for Anzu’s heart. She’s dating me, damn it, and that means she loves me- she’s not going to have anything to do with that little...” Seto sighed again. “As you can see, I’m not happy with it, even if it was in the past.”
“But at least you and Anzu got back together, right?”
“Right. But there was something else.”
Mokuba leaned forward, honestly interested in the story. “What? What was it?”
“Regardless of what your gutter-dwelling mind believes, Anzu and I have yet to have sex.”
Mokuba smirked. “I knew it. Either you were that good or I was that blind- and neither of those options really seemed feasible.”
Seto sighed again and closed his eyes. “But do you know why we haven’t? Because Anzu is skittish. Because of a bad experience she had... when we weren’t dating. She’s only been with one man, Mokuba, and-“
Mokuba gaped at him, utterly shocked. “Let me guess,” he said, “the only other guy she’s seriously dating would be...”
“That’s right,” Seto said, nodding unhappily. “Yugi.” He scowled and made a noise like a soft growl. “It was so awkward for her, she said, that she doesn’t feel comfortable- not even with me. She trusts me, she loves me... But Yugi left this damn scar that still hasn’t gone away.”
“I’m sorry, Seto,” Mokuba said quietly. “I’m... sure she’ll get over it eventually.”
“When she told me, I finally had to concede to defeat.” He looked up at his younger brother. “Haven’t you ever wondered why I so abruptly gave up my quest for his title? It was because of that. If that fool can make my own girlfriend sleep with him and then never want to sleep with me, there must be something of... of merit inside him. So I gave up.”
“God,” Mokuba said, feeling awkward at the sight of his brother like that and the thought of him ever giving in to defeat. “Seto, I...” He didn’t finish. Instead, he clamped a comforting hand on his older brother’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t let it bother you. At the very least, he obviously sucks at it. Anzu’ll come around one day, and you’ll show her just-“
“Don’t finish that sentence, Mokuba,” Seto said sternly.
Mokuba laughed. “Alright, alright. I can’t help but tease you a little.” He smiled kindly at the man who was as much a father as a brother him, even with the age difference of only five years. “But you still have to help me with Rebecca.”
“Mokuba...”
“Come on! At least a little advice; I don’t know what the hell I should do!”
“Mokuba...”
“And I know that she’d love me if she got to know me. Who doesn’t love me? Maybe if I could somehow get her alone somewhere so she would have to listen to me.”
“Mokuba! Shut up, get the hell out of here and go to your own bed!”
For a moment there was silence. Then:
“Yes, Seto. Right away.”
~~~
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Series: In Case of Emergency
Chapter: Twelve - Hold a Moonbeam in Your Hand (12/36)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5272
Disclaimer: Not mine.
12: Hold a Moonbeam in Your Hand
Seto was sitting in front of his computer when Mokuba sauntered arrogantly into his office. “Seto,” he said nonchalantly, “I have that field trip tomorrow. I trust you’ve remembered?”
“Yes, of course,” Seto said briskly, his mind still on his work. “And as you know, Anzu will be accompanying you- I told you that days ago.”
“I know that.” Mokuba sighed. “Seto... It’s really about time we settled this.”
He sighed, and after a few vital keystrokes turned to face his younger brother. “Mokuba, I don’t think-“
“I don’t really care if you do or don’t, Seto. I’m tired of being angry at you.”
“Fine.” Seto cocked his head towards a chair. “Sit down and we’ll... talk. We’ll talk- and you can work out whatever it is you feel we need to work out.”
“Whatever I feel we need to work out? Seto...” Mokuba plopped down in the chair across from his brother and let out a bitter laugh. “You went completely crazy for no reason! I was just teasing you like I always do, but you flipped out on me and starting yelling and made it clear in no uncertain terms that you wanted me gone. And Seto... I know there’s a reason! Even when you’re at your most evil, there’s always a motive there. So why? Why the hell did you go off like that? Was it something I said?”
“Mokuba...” Seto put his head in his hands, his elbows resting on the desk. “Look, we just all have our days. I don’t pretend to be perfect-“
“Yes you do.” He grinned cheekily. “All the damn time.”
Seto sighed again and had to suppress the heavy urge to roll his eyes. “At any rate- I did not mean to go off like that. I hope you understand.”
“Well yeah I understand, but I really just want a reason.”
“And right now, I can’t give you that.”
“Seto, what’s-“
“Mokuba, please. Just accept that for now.” He held out his hand. “Can we agree to be civil to one another again?”
Mokuba took the proffered appendage and shook it soundly. “I guess so. There’s no need for us to fight, not really. But. You have to agree to this- you’re going to have to tell me why you freaked out someday. Ok?”
“Fine, Mokuba. Someday.”
The younger Kaiba grinned. “Great. And now...” He spun around once in his chair. “Maybe you can substantiate a certain piece of information that’s floating around the KaibaCorp rumor mill. Was there really a scantily-clad woman in your office a few days ago? And then, once you joined her there, did you really-“
Seto held up a hand. “Mokuba, just stop. You know you shouldn’t believe everything you hear.”
“Oh, of course not.” He nodded sagely, though not convinced entirely of his brother’s innocence.
Seto cleared his throat. He spoke quickly and quietly. “And it wasn’t just any woman, it was Anzu.”
That earned him a stint of stunned silence and then a disbelieving laugh. “Well,” Mokuba began, settling back and getting more comfortable in his chair. “Now you know you’re going to have to tell me this story.” He propped his feet up on the big, wooden desk. “Don’t be shy, Seto- regale me.”
xXx
The next morning broke to find a certain brunette in the midst of a fitful sleep. Anzu grunted softly and rolled over, clutching her pillow. Surely there was plenty of time before she had to get up. It was still so early, the bed so warm, the pillows so soft-
BEEP!
The alarm clock so loud...
Anzu groaned and sat up, glaring at her offensive clock with bleary eyes. It was only six. She growled and collapsed back down on her pile of linen-y bedclothes.
“I don’t want to get up,” she whined. “It’s too early.”
But despite her protests, she did drag herself out of the bed. She had promised Mokuba that she’d be there for him and she didn’t plan on disappointing him. She had to take a shower, get dressed, then manage to make it to the museum at eight.
With a giant yawn, Anzu turned on the light in her bedroom, dug out some clothes, and headed into the bathroom. It took her about twenty minutes to finish her shower- a delightfully warm and wonderful experience- and then about thirty more minutes to dry her hair and get dressed. She ate a quick breakfast, drank a cup of hot, sweet coffee and at 7:25 she was out the door.
The walk to the museum was refreshing and not too long. Anzu could make it in about twenty-five minutes if she rushed. So there she was, sitting on the steps at ten til eight, seeing the first members of Mokuba’s class arrive.
xXx
Mokuba, the debonair young playboy that he was, always made it a point to be fashionably late. So at 8:05, he strolled up nonchalantly next to his classmates, a smug grin nesting happily at his lips.
“Hey, Mokuba,” a friend of his called. “What’s up, man?”
He waved back. “Hey.”
Anzu noticed him and smiled. “Hello Mokuba,” she said politely, walking up to him.
“Anzu! Great to see you; glad you could make it!” He grinned- and it was utterly contagious. She laughed at his happy demeanor. “You should probably go check in with our dear teacher- since you’re the responsible chaperone and all that. I’ll see you in a bit, babe.”
She nodded and waved slightly as he walked back into the crowd. Realizing he was right, she stood up and started scanning the bustling group for the signature harried form of the teacher. Spotting him soon, she walked over to introduce her.
“Excuse me, sir,” she said politely, “I’m Anzu... um, Mazaki, and I-“
“You must be the other chaperone!” he said happily. She nodded and smiled at him reassuringly. “Wonderful. We’re just about to go in- I’ll give you the tickets for your group soon- and all I really need you to do is make sure the kids behave themselves, don’t wander off, don’t touch anything, all that. I’m sure you won’t have any problem.” He clasped her hand firmly in a grateful hand-shake. “I do appreciate this, miss, and if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and make sure every student is here and accounted for.”
Anzu nodded slowly as she watched the man scurry away. It gave her a feeling quite reminiscent of nostalgia- how long had it been since she had been able to go on a school field trip, Yugi eager to learn and Jounouchi and Honda screwing around just like they always did? She giggled quietly at herself, feeling silly.
Not long thereafter, the teacher- a man called Kurosaki- got the students into a line, handed Anzu and the other chaperone a list of students they’d each be responsible for, and then herded everyone into the museum.
Anzu was happy to see that she’d gotten Mokuba- he was the only person there she knew after all, even if they were just a bunch of high-schoolers, and she had been meaning to talk to him about the fight he had with his brother.
The exhibits were beautiful. The class, which to Anzu’s understanding was something like humanities or art appreciation, was studying great works of the ages: specifically sculpture. She knew next to nothing about any of that- in fact, the only statue- or sculpture of any sort- she could ever remember studying was Michelangelo’s David. At least she thought it was Michelangelo... Maybe it was one of those other Renaissance guys that were so famous.
“Hey, earth to Anzu,” a voice announced from behind. “You spacing out there?”
She turned and found a cocky Mokuba grinning at her. She tried to look stern and not smile back at him, but his boyish grin was absolutely infectious.
“No, not spacing out,” she said, “just thinking about the exhibits here... and trying to remember anything I might have learned about them.”
He put a friendly arm around her shoulders and sighed. With his free arm, he gestured around them grandly. “Why, Anzu! How can you not absorb every detail about these magnificent works? For shame, my dearest friend!” He put his head on her shoulder and pretended to sob. His arm clutching his chest, he groaned. “My heart... She weeps.”
Anzu rolled her eyes. “Do you want me to smack you? Right here? Because I will.”
Mokuba straightened up immediately and marched stiffly a few steps ahead. But giving in to his irrepressible nature, he turned around and winked. “Go right ahead,” he said arrogantly, a wide grin twitching happily at his mouth. “I can take you.” And with a little laugh he turned back and ran up ahead, soon catching up to a group of other boys. Anzu smiled. Unlike his brother, at least Mokuba had friends.
Not the best chaperone in the world, Anzu had the instinctive tendency to wander. She kept half an eye on the students, but other than that she was enjoying herself- on her own. It really was a nice exhibit- well put together and full of very good pieces. There were a few in modern art that she felt she could have done a better job on herself, but at the very least it was all... interesting.
At about 10:15, Mokuba found her again. They would be staying in that wing til eleven, then move upstairs for an hour and a half, have lunch, and then the students were free; the field trip had been a special treat for the students, and since they were mostly in honors classes the administration had decided that a one day break from their studies was acceptable. The students themselves found little in that arrangement to complain about.
“So,” Mokuba said, tapping Anzu on the shoulder. “Having fun?”
“Oh yes,” she said with a smile. “It’s very interesting.”
“Interesting... You seem so thrilled.”
She laughed. “I am having fun, really! I just... Well I don’t know, I guess sculpture just isn’t my thing.”
“Mine either mon ami, I much prefer paintings.” He jumped over a tile in the floor, and spun around to face her again. Walking backwards- a skill he seemed to have mastered- he grinned mischievously, a twinkle in his eye. “And I seem to have a distinct predilection for the Impressionists.”
Anzu raised an eyebrow. “Really now.”
He nodded wisely. “Yes, my naïve friend. My fascination, secret though it may be, stemmed from a deep-rooted appreciation of the triumph of the human spirit. The creative urge that flows through all of us, the need to express our deepest, strongest feelings, the-“
He was interrupted as he ran abruptly into one of his classmates.
“I am so sorry,” he told the girl intensely, a hand on her arm. “I’m so careless. Please... Tell me I’m forgiven.”
The girl blushed red and giggled, her shoulder coyly raised. “O-of course, Mokuba-kun. Who could stay mad at you?”
He grinned- facing forward- and kept walking, allowing Anzu to catch up to him. She just stared at him wide-eyed for a moment, amazed that the boy could charm his way out of anything. He humbly brushed an imaginary piece of dirt off his shoulder. “All in a day’s work, my dear. All in a day’s work.” Then his face split into a smile and he and Anzu both laughed.
“But really,” she said, once the chuckling subsided, “you don’t seem the artist type. How’d that happen?”
“Blame Seto, I guess,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “It all started one fateful day- when I was about, oh... thirteen or fourteen. We were going over the choices for my school schedule, and Seto happened upon a course geared toward hearty young business. With a fearsome eye turned upon my innocent, trembling self he asked quite harshly whether or not I planned to take that. And I, being the wonderful little thing I am, grinned cheekily and told him that no, I was going to take Art I- my mind would be a blank canvas for whichever crazy teacher to paint upon! Needless to say, he wasn’t thrilled. And though I only took it to spite him, I ended up enjoying it. And being pretty good! So... yeah.” He grinned again- Anzu realized it was a frequent occurrence. “And now I’m here.”
“That’s right,” she said, “you’re here.” Sighing, she looked around the room they were in. “And I’m hungry. I hope lunch is soon.”
“It’s at twelve thirty, dear, you know that. But if you’re bored...” He grabbed her arm. “Come on, I’ve got some guys I’d love to introduce you to.”
He lead her through the crowd, masterfully winding in and out of the other bodies. And then he stopped, right in front of two boys.
“Guys,” he said happily, pulling Anzu in front of them, “This is Anzu.” He turned to her. “And Anzu, these are my two lackeys and very dear friends: Takeshi and Megumi. Say hello, boys.”
“Hey,” they both mumbled.
The taller one- who was even handsomer than Mokuba, though he lacked the charming personality to back it up- looked Anzu over critically. She felt her face turn red in embarrassment and anger, and was about to say something when she was abruptly cut off by the same boy.
“So who is this, Mokuba?” he asked casually, his eyes daring away from Anzu. “Some new girlfriend?”
“No, you foolish thing! Eww. That’s practically incest!”
The other boy spoke up. “So she’s your sister?”
Mokuba threw an arm around her shoulders. “She will be when Seto gets the balls to propose.”
“Mokuba!” Anzu shrieked, smacking him hard on the side of the head. “That... Well, you shouldn’t...”
The other two boys snickered, much amused by her embarrassment. The tall one shook his head and grinned. “Well good luck with that one. If the infamous elder Kaiba is anything at all like Mokuba described him...” He laughed again.
Anzu glared half-heartedly.
“Oh, come on- be nice Takeshi,” the shorter one said, smiling at Anzu. The girl was very pretty and Mokuba’s brother was obviously very lucky. “I’m sure he’ll marry you one day, Anzu-san.”
“Of course he will,” Mokuba scoffed. “Anzu, have you ever known him to just suddenly give something up? How long has he been obsessed with dueling again? No, how long have the Blue-Eyes been his favorite monster? Face it sweetie-“ He ruffled her hair affectionately. “You couldn’t get rid of him if you tried.”
Anzu lifted his arm from her shoulders. “Whatever Mokuba. It was nice to meet you, boys,” she said, smiling at the two. Megumi blushed a little and waved at her shyly. Takeshi rolled his eyes. Anzu walked back across the room, a little flounce in every step.
“Hmm,” Mokuba said, tapping his chin with a finger. “I hate to ditch you two dirt-bags, but I really must go.” He ran off, looking as silly as ever. “Anzu! Dearest, darlingest An-zu! Wait for me!”
“Forgive me?” he asked lightly, catching his breath as he caught up to her.
Anzu rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing to forgive, silly. Just stop being stupid.”
He nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. “But of course.”
Anzu bit her lip, knowing she didn’t have much longer to bring up the subject she desperately wanted to. “Um... Mokuba?”
“Yes, my little lovely? How can I help you?”
She wanted to roll her eyes- she didn’t, but she certainly wanted to. “I heard that... you and Seto had a fight. It upset him. Did the two of you ever make up?”
Mokuba frowned, his good mood suddenly having turned sour. “What do you think? Would the man ever condescend to apologize?”
“He’s... Um, I’m sure he will eventually.”
“Well you keep wishing on that lucky star. He’s an asshole,” Mokuba said testily. “I love him, but he’s an asshole.”
Anzu laughed. “I guess I can’t argue too much with you there. He does have his... tendencies. It’s really bothering him that you haven’t tried to patch things up yet, though.”
“I have tried,” Mokuba said tiredly. “We talked last night. A little ground was broken, I’ll admit, but he still won’t tell me what’s really bothering him. I didn’t do a damn thing wrong this time! He just snapped! Is it really too much to ask for him to swallow his pride this once? It won’t kill him. Put the stubborn bastard in the hospital, maybe, but it sure as hell won’t kill him.”
“You shouldn’t talk about your brother that way,” Anzu chided.
“Like you haven’t called him worse. Before the two of you started dating I can guarantee that you let loose a few choice insults that my young ears were not ready to hear.”
Anzu winced a little. “I suppose we never really thought before we started screaming. Discretion isn’t one of either of our strong points. But enough of that! Look, it’s time to go upstairs. Only half an hour til lunch- that’s what I’m really looking forward to.”
xXx
“Happy birthday, Anzu!” the room announced gleefully.
And even though she had known where she was being led when Seto just happened to show up wanting to take her out, she was still surprised and absolutely delighted.
“Do you like it?” Seto asked quietly, feeling Anzu clutching hard at his sleeve as she looked around, her pretty face positively radiating light.
She turned and beamed up at him with a smile as bright as the sun. “I love it. Thank you so much Seto!” She wrapped her arms around him tightly, pulling him into a warm, loving embrace. In his ear she whispered, “And thank you for inviting all of my friends.”
She untangled her arms and after a quick peck on the cheek, sent Seto on his way. She got boatloads of congratulations from everyone, and was more than happy to see all the people she loved gathered together to celebrate her special day.
From Honda and Arisa she got a beautiful silver chain with a lovely pink stone strung on it. The stone had a carefully crafted silver butterfly inside it. “Oh thank you,” she breathed, “I love it! It’s so pretty...”
“I picked it out,” Arisa told her with a grin, “but Hiroto did tell me that you’d like the pink.”
Anzu laughed. “Well he was right. Thanks to both of you.” And she immediately put it on.
From Jounouchi she received a brown wicker basket full of...
“Tube socks,” she said blankly. She smiled up at her friend, who looked proud as could be. She set the basket down from her lap. “Thank you very much, Jounouhci; I’m sure they’ll be very useful.”
“Ah, no prob,” he said with a sheepish grin. “I didn’t really know what to get you, so I figured that everybody could use more socks. Mine all have holes in ‘em anyway. And if you don’t like socks, you have a nice basket for uh... puttin’ stuff in.”
Everyone muffled their chuckling. Anzu smiled at him. “Thank you. I do appreciate it.”
Next she opened the present from Mokuba. He had gotten her a cute tote bag with ballet slippers embroidered on it. “Oh thank you!” she said, looking at the gift happily. “I really like it.”
He smiled mischievously. “Look inside the bag.”
Confused, she did as she asked. Pulling out two small slips of stiff paper, she gasped and her eyes widened to twice their normal size.
“T-tickets to... Oh my God, Mokuba, this is the country’s top ballet company! How in the world did you manage to get tickets? This show has been sold out for months!”
He shrugged, pleased to see her so happy. “They just sort of... wandered my way.” Upon the disbelieving look on Anzu’s face, he was forced to admit the truth. “Alright, alright- I bought them off this old guy who’s wife had given them to him for some special occasion. Never underestimate the power of money and sexual favors.”
“Oh my... The man, Mokuba?” Seto asked in disgust and disbelief.
“No, of course not.” He grinned. “His grand-daughter.”
After the gifts- Mai had given her a set of sexy pajamas, Rebecca had given her some designer blush and lipstick, and Seto had assured her that the party was only the first part of his present- everyone sat down at the long table in the Kaiba dining room for some delicious cake.
Yugi had made it himself, as a surprise for Anzu. “I hope you like it,” he said nervously. “I really did work hard. A-and I tasted it and it is good, so I think you’ll enjoy it.”
Anzu smiled and hugged her oldest, dearest friend. “Thank you so much,” she said. “I appreciate it, Yugi, and I can’t wait to try it.”
The cake was delicious, just as Yugi had hoped. Everyone enjoyed it, and not a crumb was left once the feeding frenzy was over. Once the cake was eaten, however, there were no real activities to amuse the guests; so everyone decided that it was time to head home.
“Goodbye!” Mai called, as she dragged Jounouchi out the door. “Happy birthday, Anzu honey. I’ll call you later!” Jounouchi just waved.
Honda and Arisa were next, each giving Anzu a friendly kiss on the cheek.
Yugi was cleaning up the leftover bits of cake, while Rebecca sat at the table watching him. “Alright,” he said finally, “I think we’re ready to go. Coming Rebecca?”
She nodded. “Yep! Let’s get going.”
They were out the door and two steps onto the sidewalk when Rebecca gasped. “Oh! Gosh. Yugi, I think I forgot my purse. You don’t need to wait for me; I’ll be right back.”
Yugi watched her rush inside. “B-but Rebecca, I...” He sighed. “Ok, then. I’ll just go on.”
xXx
Thanks to Anzu, Rebecca was waiting patiently in the living room just off thekitchen. Mokuba would wander in there soon enough she was sure and then... Oh, then she’d show him just what she thought of him. She smirked cruelly, already anticipating the sweet taste of revenge.
After about two excruciating minutes, Mokuba did indeed appear.
“Oh hey, Rebecca. Did you forget somethi-“ She rushed at him, the look on her face frightening him to silence.
“Listen up you little bastard,” she said angrily, pointing a finger in his face. “I never want to see you around me again! I never want to hear you talking about me again! You’re just a pathetic little pervert, and I don’t think I even want you looking at me!”
“Rebecca,” he said with confusion, “Why are you so angry? What did I do?”
“What did you do!” she snarled. “I heard that message you left on Yugi’s answering machine!” She took a step closer to him, successfully backing him into the sofa. His knees hit and buckled slightly. He landed on his ass on the couch cushions, staring wide-eyed at an irate blonde menace.
“I... I didn’t mean to upset you, Rebecca. I didn’t think you’d hear-“
“Of course you didn’t think!” she hissed, poking her finger at his chest. “You’re an idiot! A big stupid loser who has to resort to merely talking about girls because there’s no way any self-respecting female would ever let you within ten feet of her!” She leaned over him, closing the distance between them. When she was done, he’d be a wreck of a man she was sure. He deserved it, anyway.
And though she meant to intimidate him, Mokuba didn’t quite see it that way. In fact, she was having the opposite effect. Mokuba had stopped listening and once she started rattling on again he just kept ignoring her. What he saw was her bright, angry eyes, her tight set lips, her hair falling in her face as she shook with rage, her generous chest heaving as she reprimanded him for a crime he barely realized he committed.
‘Oh God,’ he thought desperately, ‘tell me I’m not enjoying this.'
“And further more,” Rebecca continued, “I-“
But Mokuba didn’t hear a word. She had leaned down even closer and he was a little lost in inappropriate fantasies of her climbing into his lap and doing very naughty things. She was so beautiful...
“I hope you’ve learned your lesson, you little pig,” she said finally, straightening up. “I don’t want anything more to do with you, and I trust you know to stay the hell away from me.”
And with a determined nod of her head that sent her pigtails quivering, she turned on her heel and marched out of the room.
Mokuba sank further into the couch. “I’m a sick man,” he said unhappily, feeling slightly ashamed and still slightly full of adrenaline. “And now she’ll never even give me a chance.” He frowned and stared listlessly at the ceiling.
Oh well. At least he still had a very healthy relationship with his hand.
xXx
“Seto?” Mokuba asked, knocking on the doorframe of his brother’s personal sitting room-slash-study. “Can I... Can I talk to you?”
Seto looked up, an eyebrow going up past the edge of his bangs. “Talk? If you want, Mokuba- though I thought you still had nothing to say to me. Come in, I’m not busy.”
Mokuba sighed and stepped through the door. It was nighttime, growing later by the minute, and both were already clad in sleepwear. “It’s just... Seto, I really screwed things up.” He threw himself down in the only other unoccupied chair.
“What did you do this time?”
“Do you remember Rebecca?”
“That Hawkins girl?”
Mokuba nodded forlornly. “Yeah, that one. Well now she hates me. I said a few things that, in my mind, were quite complimentary, but she seemed to take them as an insult! And now she’d rather see me hung from my toes than ever even speak to me again. I feel icky.”
Seto rolled his eyes, but then sighed. “Have you tried telling her you didn’t mean it?”
“No, I just found out she was angry tonight. She cornered me after the party.” Mokuba groaned and put his face in his hands. “And I should have apologized right then and there, but God. She was so damn sexy yelling at me like that... And I sort of... couldn’t really concentrate on anything else.”
“Mokuba... You are a sad, sad man.”
“I know! But what the hell am I supposed to do?”
“I certainly hope you don’t expect me to bail you out of this. You’re just going to have to talk to the girl- or if she won’t listen to you, get Yugi to ask her to give you a minute to explain.”
Mokuba sighed and frowned. “Yeah, like that’ll work. Damn it, I screwed up.” He leaned his head back and groaned again. “You are so lucky to have Anzu.”
Seto sighed and ran a hand through his thick hair. Maybe now was the time to tell his brother... He might as well, he thought.
“Mokuba?” he asked warily, half-hoping the boy wouldn’t even hear him.
“What is it Seto?”
“I’m going to tell you why I got so angry. Alright?” Mokuba said up- quite interested, after all- and nodded. Seto closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled heavily. “So just listen. Do you remember what you said that made me so angry?”
“I don’t know,” Mokuba said with a scowl, trying to remember. “Something about you and Anzu, I think- we were talking about relationships.”
“That’s right, and you have to remember that my own relationship with Anzu has not been without its problems. As I’m sure you’re aware, there was a time when we terminated it and went our separate ways.”
Mokuba grunted in a half sort of snicker. “Oh I remember that, alright. God, you had to be the bitchiest person on the planet then. May she never leave you again.”
“Right. Anyway. During that time, Anzu got rather... lonely. Thinking she no longer cared for me, she sought comfort elsewhere.”
Mokuba’s eyes grew big as plates. “Elsewhere? You mean there was another man?”
“When we had that fight you also said something like ‘At least you don’t have competition’, and then Mokuba... And then you mentioned Yugi.”
“Holy shit! You mean... Yugi? Anzu and Yugi?”
Seto put his head on his hand, fingertips resting on his forehead. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you, Mokuba, Anzu and Yugi. So naturally I didn’t exactly appreciate you insinuating that Yugi was any kind of competition for Anzu’s heart. She’s dating me, damn it, and that means she loves me- she’s not going to have anything to do with that little...” Seto sighed again. “As you can see, I’m not happy with it, even if it was in the past.”
“But at least you and Anzu got back together, right?”
“Right. But there was something else.”
Mokuba leaned forward, honestly interested in the story. “What? What was it?”
“Regardless of what your gutter-dwelling mind believes, Anzu and I have yet to have sex.”
Mokuba smirked. “I knew it. Either you were that good or I was that blind- and neither of those options really seemed feasible.”
Seto sighed again and closed his eyes. “But do you know why we haven’t? Because Anzu is skittish. Because of a bad experience she had... when we weren’t dating. She’s only been with one man, Mokuba, and-“
Mokuba gaped at him, utterly shocked. “Let me guess,” he said, “the only other guy she’s seriously dating would be...”
“That’s right,” Seto said, nodding unhappily. “Yugi.” He scowled and made a noise like a soft growl. “It was so awkward for her, she said, that she doesn’t feel comfortable- not even with me. She trusts me, she loves me... But Yugi left this damn scar that still hasn’t gone away.”
“I’m sorry, Seto,” Mokuba said quietly. “I’m... sure she’ll get over it eventually.”
“When she told me, I finally had to concede to defeat.” He looked up at his younger brother. “Haven’t you ever wondered why I so abruptly gave up my quest for his title? It was because of that. If that fool can make my own girlfriend sleep with him and then never want to sleep with me, there must be something of... of merit inside him. So I gave up.”
“God,” Mokuba said, feeling awkward at the sight of his brother like that and the thought of him ever giving in to defeat. “Seto, I...” He didn’t finish. Instead, he clamped a comforting hand on his older brother’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t let it bother you. At the very least, he obviously sucks at it. Anzu’ll come around one day, and you’ll show her just-“
“Don’t finish that sentence, Mokuba,” Seto said sternly.
Mokuba laughed. “Alright, alright. I can’t help but tease you a little.” He smiled kindly at the man who was as much a father as a brother him, even with the age difference of only five years. “But you still have to help me with Rebecca.”
“Mokuba...”
“Come on! At least a little advice; I don’t know what the hell I should do!”
“Mokuba...”
“And I know that she’d love me if she got to know me. Who doesn’t love me? Maybe if I could somehow get her alone somewhere so she would have to listen to me.”
“Mokuba! Shut up, get the hell out of here and go to your own bed!”
For a moment there was silence. Then:
“Yes, Seto. Right away.”
~~~
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