Disclaimer: I do not own YGO. I WISH I did, though…. I wonder if the MakeAWish foundation covers buying huge manga/anime corporations….

Author's Note: Okay, well, I've been in a slump for a bit of a while now… I've been going through chemotherapy treatment for about two weeks now and it's kicked the shit outta me. Man, this is the first day in a long, LONG time where I've felt decently NORMAL!! (jumps around screaming like crazy) FEEL THE GOODNESS!!! XD

Anywaaaaaay, for the YGO Fanfiction Contest (which I am participating in) the pairing for this round was Kiddyshipping, or Mokuba Kaiba x Rebecca Hawkins. Good thing for this pairing—Rebecca should be paired with someone her own age anyways. And Mokie needed someone to interest him… who wasn't like, twice his age and starting at a C-cup. I think this is a good pairing—necessary, because Mokie needed a love interest and Rebecca should keep her pre-teen hands off of Yugi, who is property of Yami or Tea or whoever wants to claim him (Yugi is very claimable, apparently… even by fan fiction authors XD).

So, here's my Kiddyshipping one-shot. I hope you guys like this… I thought it was cute, and I pray you all find it just as adorable, and just as sweet.

#2 Author's Note: Thoughts are in italics. I don't know why they are… I just, like italics, or something like that but that's all… yeah, that's all.

Sweet Treat

By: Angel's Nocturne

Finally! Mokuba thought to himself. I've been waiting for something like this all week!

He gazed with pride at the two super-special double scoop sundaes he had in his hands, the ones he just bought with his saved money from one of the best-reviewed ice cream parlors in the area. He'd been saving that money over the course of two weeks—all leading up to this delicious dessert.

He hurriedly walked down the street, past shops and people, with his eyes flashing between the passing cars and the status of his prize. He didn't want the ice cream to melt and dribble down his sleeves before he could make it back to KaibaCorp—inwardly, he kicked himself for not asking his brother if he could use the company limousine to drive him. It would have been helpful right now to have the limo, where it was air-conditioned, and there was less risk of him getting run over in his pre-occupied state.

That was a lot of trouble over two plastic cups of vanilla ice cream mixed with warm hot fudge, whipped cream, a succulent cherry and a variety of other mouth-watering toppings. So much trouble that Mokuba began to wonder why he didn't just get Roland or one of the other bodyguards on hand to do it for him.

He shook his head. No, he thought, I just had to think it would only be a five-minute thing. I just had to tell myself, 'It won't be that big a deal. Just go get them yourself. Make yourself useful'. I couldn't have let someone go get them for me. No, deprive them of a job, go get it yourself! He snorted at his own thoughts, wishing he had a free hand to brush aside the stray strands of raven-black hair that were tickling his face. Sadly, both hands were currently busy due to the ice-cold concoctions he spent all his earned money on.

But, that had been the original plan in the first place. It was almost traditional (or at least Mokuba wanted it to be traditional); with his own money, Mokuba would treat himself and his older brother Seto to some of the best ice cream in Domino City. Sure, they had their own ice cream machine at home, equipped with every ice cream topping available and a hired chef on hand to design the luscious desserts, but there was something special in going out and getting your own ice cream—about finding a place that made it a certain way that tasted nothing like the generic treats the home parlor had. It was special, because there was work in it, and the labor no matter how small made the sweet dessert at the end seem all the more precious, because you earned it.

Or at least that's how Mokuba thought of it. Ever since the start of the summer season, just two months earlier, Mokuba was keeping with his tradition as he set out on his adventure nearly every week he had available cash of his own—to ask Seto for money seemed to go against the idea of the outing, because then he wasn't doing his fair share. Seto did everything for him; he should at least take some of the burden for himself, since he was starting to grow up and knew the importance of responsibility.

Responsibility… not words you would think to hear when coming from the mind of a kid. Mokuba had grown up fast, though—with everything that had happened (with the company and with his brother) he had to leave a lot of his childhood desires and feelings aside. He knew as soon as the company found peril against Pegasus that this was no longer the time to be a baby—if he wanted to make his brother proud of him and keep the company safe, then childhood was a leaf blown away by the wind. Gone, forever sacrificed for better things.

His brother wouldn't be proud of a younger sibling who couldn't do things for himself. That was Mokuba's philosophy, which is why he made sure he used his own money, which he got doing some jobs for Seto's employees and occasionally Seto himself, to pay for this little piece of paradise.

Sure, ice cream seemed like a childish thing to chase after… he should have been investing money in things that would be useful to his family and the company. He was though—this was just a little fun… a little time to remember to live. The ice cream was his way of keeping to the simpler things… it was a symbol of the fact that, life wasn't all hard work. There had to be a little goodness in there as well.

He wondered if his brother could ever consider his ideas. He knew no—if he spitted out such thoughts Kaiba would probably scoff at him, telling him not to think like that. Seto would consider his thoughts immature delusions and that if he wanted any part of this family, he had to loose his infant heart and grow cold, tough…

Merciless.

Mokuba sighed. When could he get his brother to finally see that life wasn't just about his work? That there was so much he was missing out on….

Well, maybe the ice cream'll cheer him up! Mokuba thought hopefully. The last few times could have made an impact… Mokuba wasn't sure, as he would watch his elder brother reluctantly eat the ice cream Mokuba insisted he try. He could have enjoyed it… deep down, somewhere… maybe….

Mokuba crossed a busy street, narrowly avoiding a honking car as he balanced the now melting ice cream cups in his little hands. He yelped as he made it to the other side, not even stopping to take a breather as he hurried down the sidewalk. In this hot summer weather, he would be lucky to get the ice cream back before it turned into a liquid puddle. The sun baked the sidewalk and the asphalt, making the streets in the distance look as if they wavered and rippled unnaturally. Mokuba felt a small sweat drop form on the side of his face.

Just a few more blocks, he encouraged himself. He tried to wipe the sweat off his face with his shoulder, the awkward movement distracting him for a moment. Just a few more blocks, and I'll have finally made it….

He looked up at the corner ahead of him. There was a small booth, meant for people waiting for the bus—it was made of flimsy plastic and it was covered in graffiti. Behind the gray tint of the plastic awning, Mokuba could see someone sitting on the bench, looking straight ahead as the cars zoomed past on the road. It looked to Mokuba like a girl, because she had long blonde hair that cascaded down past her shoulders. As he quickly walked towards it, towards the corner, he started to see the girl more clearly… finally he stopped where he stood.

That looks a lot like….

"Rebecca?"

Mokuba entered the booth, looking down at the duelist prodigy. It was definitely her, he realized: she was wearing what looked like a school uniform, with a plaid skirt and white tee. Her face was still the one he remembered, complete with her green-tinted half-moon glasses that sat perched on her freckled nose. Beside her sat a pink knapsack, and sticking out of it was the famed Teddy that she used to carry around when she was younger.

Rebecca looked up in surprise. "Hmm? Oh, hey Mokuba."

The sound of her voice was dull and seemingly bleak. Mokuba raised an eyebrow at the tone, but then shrugged it off as nothing.

"Long time no see," Mokuba said, smiling in vain as he tried to lift the mood. He realized quickly that the gloomy atmosphere around her just refused to dissipate. Geez, what's up with her? he thought, a little aggravated.

Rebecca turned her eyes back to the road. "Yeah, I guess so." Still, the same dull expression.

Mokuba blinked at her. "Okay… um, do you mind if I sit here?" He gestured to the other half of the bench beside her.

Rebecca shrugged. "Sure. I don't mind." She didn't look back at him, making Mokuba even more irritated. He couldn't understand what had Rebecca so… bleak, and for some reason it nagged at the youth.

Last time he had seen Rebecca Hawkins she had been cheery, loud-mouthed, and opinionated to a fault. The Rebecca he saw now couldn't compare with the old memories he had. There was something that bothered him about that.

He sat down uneasily beside her, the backpack with Teddy scrunched between them like a barricade. He felt the cold chills that came from the two ice cream cups he held, but he ignored them. In the shade, the ice cream wouldn't melt that fast. Some things were a little more important.

He watched her curiously. "Um… so, how have things been?" He needed to break the ice somewhere.

Rebecca sighed. "Alright."

Wow, what a great start, Mokuba thought sarcastically. "Well, um, can I ask why you're sitting out here then? It's not really the best weather to just be sitting in the heat."

"I don't really mind it," Rebecca said. "And I'm waiting for a bus to take me to the airport. I'm going home to my Grandpa."

"What? Really? How come?" He leaned in a little closer—he was getting somewhere. "Did… something happen?"

Rebecca turned away shyly. "Mokuba, I don't know if I wanna talk… it's kind of…." Her voice trailed off.

Mokuba winced. Sore spot. "Oh, um, that's okay. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just thought I'd ask—"

"It's Yugi!" Rebecca blurted out. Mokuba jumped, nearly dropping his ice cream. "I… I knew that he was never really interested in me, but I kept on going. I thought maybe he would like me if I just got a little better at dueling, or if I spent more time with him, but… it can't work out…."

Mokuba nodded. "Doesn't he like Tea?" He recalled how much his brother's rival seemed to favor the blue-eyed girl. Yugi was always very close to his friends, but Tea seemed to be very important to him….

"That's the problem. He always preferred Tea. I was just too blind to see it." Rebecca adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her pixie nose. "I can't keep lying to myself. I realized that, so now I'm going back to my Grandpa's place. To think, I came all this way just to visit him…."

Mokuba shook his head. So that's what was bugging her. He should have figured as much—all she ever talked about was how great her Yugi was. Her world seemingly revolved around him.

"I'm sure it's all for the better," Mokuba said, hoping to encourage her.

Rebecca nodded. "If you say so. I just can't believe it took me so long… I mean, I'm a twelve-year old college student!" She laughed without humor. "You'd think I'd have figured it out by now… I guess I'm just too stubborn."

"We all make mistakes," Mokuba replied.

"And what was my mistake? That I was hopeful and naïve?" Rebecca bit her lower lip, which had begun to quiver, as her voice shook a bit. "Well, maybe I should have listened to my Grandpa when he said that love is blind but the neighbors ain't. I was so foolish!"

Mokuba gritted his teeth. Ah God. What had he done? "Oh, well, I didn't really mean it to be offensive or anything—really, honest, sorry—"

"No, I know that," Rebecca said calmly. Mokuba could see that she was holding off the panic of before. "It wasn't what you said. I'm just… still a little on edge. Everything happened so fast. I'm still trying to make ends meet with my own decisions." She looked over at the raven-haired youth and gave him a half-hearted smile. "I… still have feelings for Yugi. But I won't let that get me down! Yugi was holding me back—now that I'm free, I can become the kind of great duelist I've always wanted to be! Maybe even better!"

The half-hearted smile was what she hid by—Mokuba had seen half-hearted smiles like that before. His brother had done them whenever he covered up his feelings… Mokuba knew how to read past them, so when others said he was cold, Mokuba knew that Seto wasn't as icy as they said. Now he could see what lay behind the half-hearted smile on Rebecca Hawkins's—from what he could see, it was the typical case of a broken heart.

Mokuba inwardly sighed. He never had his heart broken before by a girl—hell, he'd never been on a date with a girl. You would think that with his brother being the wealthy and famous Seto Kaiba he might have a chance just because he was related… but apparently, that was not the case. Somehow he had a bit of bad luck in the love department.

Despite that, he couldn't help but feel bad for the blonde. And the fact that she made the decision herself… to have that sort of realization must have wounded her, and bad. Yet, she was still willing to leave it behind and live life with the same fire as she had before. Mokuba was impressed; this girl was certainly no pushover.

She was hurt, though. Mokuba could see it reflect behind her glasses, even if she refused to admit it. In a way, a part of him felt like that was a show of weakness, but he shoved that voice away. This was not the time to be macho.

He glanced at the melting ice cream cups in his hand, and then back at Rebecca. He looked between them for a little while, before finally doing something that he hoped he wouldn't regret later.

He doubted he would, though.

"Um, Rebecca?"

The girl looked over at him. "Yeah?"

"Well, I doubt this could make everything alright again, but, if it helps to cheer you up…." He held out the sundae meant for Seto. "You can have this. It's starting to melt anyway."

He waited, his hand outstretched. The twelve-year old duelist eyed the ice cream strangely, like it was an alien life form he held and not some sweet summer delight.

"You… sure?" Rebecca asked. "Is it really okay if I—"

"Don't sweat it," Mokuba said. "It's hot out. You could use something anyway…." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't tell me you don't want it…."

"No! That's not it!" Rebecca retorted. She scrunched her nose at him, before smiling and taking the ice cream cup. "Well, if you really want me too… it's not poisoned, is it?"

"Why would it be?" Mokuba snapped. "Here, I'll eat the other one, so you can see." With a determined face, he took his cup and gobbled down his dessert, showing her his obvious spoonfuls. She giggled at his sloppy eating.

"Okay. I trust you." She daintily ate her ice cream, and they both sat enjoying their cup in silence.

It wasn't long before they were done. Mokuba smiled at Rebecca. "So, how was that?"

Rebecca licked her spoon with her small pink tongue. "In my opinion, very delicious."

"Funny—I had the same thought."

Rebecca smiled warmly at her companion. "I had a feeling you'd say that." Her words faded beneath the screech of brakes as a large bus rolled down the street to halt in front of the booth. The doors snapped open as the engine roared, waiting.

Rebecca looked up. "This would be my bus." She stood up and quickly strapped her backpack behind her, Teddy peeking out from the flap. Standing straight and with conviction, she grinned back at Mokuba. "Well, it was real nice seeing you, Mokuba."

"Same here," Mokuba agreed as he stood up as well. He noticed that they met each other eye-to-eye. "Have a safe trip to America."

"I will, don't worry. Thank you for the ice cream. It was very… sweet of you." Before Mokuba could react, she darted in close and gave him a small peck on the right cheek. With a giggle and a wave, she ran onto to the bus, as the doors shut behind and her and vehicle went on its way.

Mokuba stood very still for a long time, his mind a bit frazzled at what just happened. He touched his cheek very tenderly, like it was scarred.

Did he just get his first kiss?

I did…. He smiled a little, his eyes locked in a permanent twinkle as he walked back down the street, towards KaibaCorp. He was down two blocks before he realized that now he had no ice cream for him and Seto. He swore at himself. God damnit!

But then he grinned. Well, Seto never really like the ice cream anyhow. And today, he received something even sweeter.

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Author's Note: Okay, that was it—have to get off computer now before my mom kills me. Hope you liked it!