Disclaimer: If Yu-Gi-Oh were mine, Anzu would play a much bigger role and the dub's version would not be quite so aggravating…not bashing Téa, by the way, just saying she can get mildly irritating.

Obviously, I don't own YGO, and I never will. Oh well.

Anzu bashers ought to know by now that in my stories, they will be about as happy as a seal in the desert. Not-happy. Okay.

One-sided Revolutionshipping again.Some Peach, if you want to see it that way.

I think White Day is coming up in Japan…I think. Oh well, I said I'd do something for it. Well, here you go everybody. Happy Easter, if I don't update before then…

000

JustNormal

It was unusual for Anzu to walk home alone nowadays. But she did, today at least.

Jonouchi and Honda had to stay after school; something about failing a math test and needing to gain some extra credit…Anzu smiled, very slightly.

She'd aced it. So had Yuugi.

It was Friday, not to mention White Day, which found her anticipating the weekend. No work, no school, just two days of sheer, unadulterated bliss…

Domino was quiet, and the sky was pale blue, letting gentle rays of sunlight paint the buildings. Teenagers were all around, talking in gentle tones about what they were doing over the weekend, or what their boyfriend got them for White Day, or so on and so forth.

She glanced across the dingy street, without thinking. A girl was holding a small bouquet of white roses. Another was throwing her arms around the neck of a young man, kissing him, giggling.

The tomboy in her wanted to laugh.

The girl in her – by 'girl', meaning 'hopeless romantic' – felt a little pang in her chest, and swallowed.

She wondered where Yuugi was.

She sat down on a bus stop bench. The bus had already gone, and it was a convenient place to sit down, to brood.

Anzu knew it was dumb to think about all the teenage relationships and flirting going on; give 'em two or three months, they'd be gone. But then, there were a few that wouldn't be. And for those, she felt a little jealousy.

Anzu let out a whoosh of breath, glaring up dully at her bangs as they lifted, then dropped in the lack of breath. Leaning back on the green bench, she closed her eyes, letting the metal warm her back.

The entire day had been full of secret whispers and kisses, flowers and chocolates, winks blushes and giggles. Anzu didn't enjoy it in the slightest – seeing a couple make out wasn't really appealing to her.

However, the secret kisses were an interesting matter. When the couple was just sitting together, fingers twined absently, the girl leaning on the guy's chest, she figured that there was something there.

Maybe there wasn't. But it certainly seemed that way.

Anzu's thoughts drifted, eyelids flickering in the darkness of her eyes. Some people were together for show; they made out in front of anyone, completely gross…go home and do that, good grief. But the guy and girl who stood with hands linked, hands to themselves, that didn't need to make lovey-dovey eyes at each other constantly, that were just there…

"Anzu?"

She opened her eyes. And they met an unusual sight.

Yami no Yuugi was looking at her curiously. His head was cocked to the side, bangs brushing against the right side of his face, brows unsettlingly calm.

And he was holding flowers.

"What are you doing?"

Sitting up, Anzu blinked. "Just…sitting. Thinking."

Yami no Yuugi nodded. "Uh," Anzu finally said, "what's with the flowers?"

He seemed to be considering something that confused him, brows lowered slightly, as though examining her under a microscope. Suddenly, abruptly, he handed her the flowers.

Anzu was immediately overwhelmed with the watery smell of roses, the softness of baby's breath, and the tiny droplets of water at the base of the stems, keeping them wet. They were beautiful.

Anzu felt her face glowing scarlet. "Uh…?"

"They're for you," he said, just as abruptly. "Yuugi told me it is customary to give a gift to a girl who gave something to you. It is from both of us."

Anzu stared at the luscious, red petals, of the dozen roses, blooming widely.

"Also," he added, slightly uneasy, "I…wanted to thank you. For getting Jonouchi and Honda to stop their petulant teasing. Last month."

She nodded, brain finally managing to catch up to the situation. "Oh…no problem, I guess. I wasn't expecting to get anything for White Day, really. It's a nice change." She sniffed the roses. Baby's

breath intoxicated her senses. "Thank you," she added, hoping he would think her red face was just a reflection off the petals.

His face grew odd again, that perusing look. "Why weren't you expecting anything?"

She shrugged, feeling her face flush. "Well, I've never gotten much 'cept candy and stuff…I didn't see why this year would be any different."

"No one has gotten you anything before?"

"Well," she said embarrassedly, "not like this. I mean, Jonouchi and Honda got me some candy as a thank-you…I think I prefer roses," she added mildly, sniffing the flowers again.

Frowning slightly, Yami no Yuugi seated himself beside her. Close beside her. Close enough that she felt the warmth of his skin, through his jacket and clothes.

Anzu felt her breathing hitch up, but coughed, ignoring it. "Haven't you ever had a 'Valentine' then?" he asked, saying the word like it was something foreign and strange.

"No. Guys aren't so interested in me." At this, she recognized just how very strange this was. Her. Talking to Yami no Yuugi. With no one else around. About guys.

He shifted. His body moved, and she felt the warmth again. She buried her face in the flowers quietly, under the pretense of smelling them again.

She wondered if she ought to pinch herself.

Nah.

"I see no reason why not," he said. Anzu blinked, pulling her face out of the flowers.

"What?"

"I see no reason anyone could think of you as unattractive."

For a moment, Anzu considered getting indignant, saying that that hadn't been what she meant at all. Then, she realized – had he just complimented her?

Holy freakin' cow, she was dreamin'.

"Erm…thanks," she mumbled, blushing hotter. Her hair dangled in her face, shielding it from view.

"Anzu, are you alright? You sound…disturbed." Oh, that's a nice way to put it.

Anzu nearly had a heart attack when she felt his fingers slide gently in her hair, swiping it gently aside, tucking it behind her ear. Oh dangit, dangit, dangitdangitdangit…

"Anzu, your face is red, are you quite sure-?" She could feel his breath tickle the side of her face-

She opened her eyes, and found Yami no Yuugi's face inches from her own, scrutinizing eyes colored gently with wonder and slight concern.

Anzu felt a powerful urge to lurch backwards, but the impulse faded and was replaced by a watery sensation in her stomach, like her organs had melted in sheer terror, face flushing hot with embarrassment. "I'm fine, just…warm."

Tilting his head slightly in the way he did, his bangs slid over his face like curdled sunlight, dappled gold. "Are you certain?" he asked, frown on his lips. He was so frickin' close, she could see his lips shine when the light hit them…

"Yeah, I'm sure," she muttered, breathless. After another long moment, he pulled away from her.

"Very well. But Anzu..."

She glanced at him furtively. His form cast angled shadows broodingly over the ground, golden light of the sun painting him with a statuesque regality.

"Yeah?"

He frowned a little again, before saying, hesitantly, "On Valentine's Day, when you…kissed me."

Her throat obstructed – her tongue nearly latched to the roof of her mouth in dryness. "Yeah?"

"Well…you have never kissed anyone in that way? Was that your first kiss?"

"Uh…yeah, I guess so."

He let his gaze rest on his hands for a moment, pondering. "Why would you do such a thing for me? Even if Jonouchi and Honda were teasing me?"

Anzu's heart gave a little jerk in terror. He seemed so clueless, so benign, so very sweetly guileless. He wasn't looking at her, but at his hands, resting on his knee.

"It was…"

She remembered just how it had felt to kiss him – the kick of exhilaration. The sensation of just throwing caution to the wind, like riding a motorcycle without a helmet. Or jumping out of a plane, the only thing stopping her from dashing to pieces being a flimsy little parachute. Weightless, insane, giddy and infectious.

What was the worst that could possibly happen if she told him? What could happen, really?

"It was…"

His eyes looked to her, and looking back at him, it was very quiet.

A painful convulsion, a sudden wrenching, pulled her back from the brink, as violently brutal as a hook snatching a fish from the water, forcing it to breathe harsh air. She bit her lip, as a single word slid into her mind like lava into an ice cube.

Yuugi.

She could not risk hurting him. She couldn't. The very thought made her want to scream, and her heart burned, agonizing.

Not because she thought because she felt so in love; she knew what a crush was.

Merely because to betray Yuugi was…

…Was…

She knew he had a crush on her. Yuugi was too open – far too open – to conceal himself, to hide himself. He could hide his fear and his anger, but he couldn't hide his hurt.

Her mind slammed back to Duelist Kingdom, seeing his eyes break with water.

She swallowed. "It was just a kiss. Jonouchi and Honda's egos needed to be popped," she said, smiling broadly.

Another hurt jabbed its way home – now she had to lie to both of them.

Yami no Yuugi appeared to think again – was he conversing with Yuugi? – before smiling gently, nodding. "Well, thank you. Are kisses not considered so important, then?"

"Oh, they can be; still, what better use for them is there than helping someone you care about?" There. At least it wasn't a lie.

His face seemed inscrutable then, eyes focused on hers. The wind rustled just a bit; one bang sifted across his eye, brushing his eyelashes for a moment, before returning to its natural spikiness.

He leaned forward, and his lips brushed across her cheek with just the slightest warmth.

"It was kind of you anyway." With that, he stood up, and bidding her farewell, began walking toward the Game Shop.

For once, he hadn't surprised her. One thing the pharaoh had never been was predictable. Other than the whole, "Save the world," bit. But oddly enough, that little kiss – a friendly little motion – had seemed completely normal. Absolutely, innocently normal.

Anzu shook her head. "Dang if they don't confuse me." With that, she gathered the flowers up in one arm, and started heading off towards her home, backpack dangling from one arm.

000

Well, if this ain't an odd little thing for me. I've got mixed feelings about it, really. I think they're both in-character, or at least I hope.

Also, a note; I've heard plenty of Anzu-bashers claim Anzu is using Yuugi to get to Yami. She never admits to Yami she cares about him, crush or otherwise, and quite frankly, if the sixth manga is being quoted for her using Yuugi in such a manner, that was back when she thought Yami was just another aspect of Yuugi's personality. Her attempts to bring Yami out ceased after that, as far as I can recall. If anything, Anzu shows great selflessness most of the time in doing nothing to upset her friendships. Sure she can be selfish sometimes, but that's only human. Okay, done with my character rant, read and review...