A Valentine's Conspiracy.

An Azureshipping Fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh!

Today was the day....

....Valentine's Day.

The day when girls flocked around their crushes, boyfriends and/or significant other. For Anzu, it wasn't exactly the same. She didn't have a crush (not anymore), a boyfriend or even a significant other. No, what she had was a group of guys who were her best friends in the entire world. Friends who were equally as single as her.

Anzu smiled.

She enjoyed her single status and extended pity to those who were afraid of being alone on this farce of a holiday. Call her cynical, but Anzu couldn't understand a females dependency on the male species. Weren't women supposed to be self sufficient, proud and driven individuals? Instead it appeared most women today, were still living the lives their predecessors left behind. A life which revolved around men.

Exhaling a deep breath, Anzu walked over to her shoe cubby, non to happy about spending the day with a bunch of lovesick fools. Didn't they know love didn't last a lifetime. Like a rose, it withers and dies, becoming the ugly emotion she knew it to be.

With a muted bang, she closed the swinging door and started to class. She was almost at her destination when a very interesting sight caught her eyes. Anzu knew she was never the type to eavesdrop on a conversation, but the temptation was too great. Who was she to pass up the opportunity to see the great Seto Kaiba squirm?

Only, he wasn't squirming, so much as withholding the need to kill the pretty little thing in front of him. Anzu witnessed the muscles clenching sporadically in his jaw, his narrowed eyes and stance screaming annoyance, and for once in her life, she felt sympathy for the poor bastard. Well, as much as one could for the very proud Kaiba.

Squinting her eyes, she almost smiled at the festively colored box lying in the girl's hands. Decorated with pink and red hearts, topped with a charming (and glittery) red bow, and without a doubt containing homemade chocolates.

The thought didn't surprise her.

Aoi Umehito was a very traditional, yet simplistic girl. Her long brown hair was nothing to gush over, but her eyes were the envy of most females at school. They resembled the darkest pools of emeralds, with shards of silver embedded around the pupils and a deeper shade of green lining the outer edges of her irises.

For a moment, Anzu wondered if she should be viewing such occurrences. Even though she held a high disdain for Kaiba, she should at least give him his privacy. Besides, when was she ever concerned about Kaiba's affairs? Shrugging, she started walking ahead, knowing for a fact Aoi was going to get the short end of the stick.

Anzu took no more than two paces when the sound of someone crying permeated her ears. She refrained from turning around, knowing it was what she had predicted. A part of her felt sorry for Aoi, yet another felt like walking up and telling her it wasn't the end of the world. Alas, she simply chose an alternative route: pretending nothing had ever happened. It became second nature to her lately; ignoring everything around her.

"Hey, Mazaki."

Anzu's strides halted. She turned around slowly, hesitantly. "Yes, Kaiba?" Had he caught her staring earlier? It was indeed a possibility. She was in plain sight. "Did you want something? I'm late for class."

The fine lines around his mouth expanded to produce his patented smirk. "Actually," He drawled. "I didn't know you made a habit out of spying on people. Maybe you're not such a good little girl after all."

"So what if I was spying? What are you going to do? Tell my mother?" Her temper was volatile today. She was never in a peachy mood on February 14th. Too many unwanted memories....

"Whatever happened to the kind, polite Mazaki?" Kaiba asked, clearly amused by her standoffish attitude. "Not that I'm complaining, she was a bit of a nuisance."

"Like I said before, I'm late for class."

"Running away are we?"

Anzu smiled. How many times had she asked herself that in the last three years? Twenty? No, fifty times? The accurate answer escaped her, so she simply replied with the utmost truth.

"Yes, Kaiba. I'm running away."

Mazaki's behavior was becoming annoyingly troublesome. Throughout the morning she was acting aloof, inconsiderate, and Kaiba had to admit, she was acting like himself. The thought made him frown with displeasure.

At first he thought, maybe she was upset because she didn't have a boyfriend. It was Valentine's day after all, and people like Mazaki constantly needed someone by their side. However, he dismissed that thought after a couple of (fairly good looking) guys asked her out. Their offers were declined and for some unknown reason he derived pleasure from it.

His frown deepened.

Whatever possessed him to think or feel that was beyond him. He held no significant feelings for the little chit, so that brief moment of insanity was dismissed. Nevertheless, he continued to observe her. His position at the back of the class afforded him such luxuries and he continued his silent review.

Anzu had the niggling feeling that someone was watching her. As a dancer, she should be used to the fact, but this uncomfortable feeling just wouldn't quit. Glancing around she caught the worried expressions of her friends and frowned. She knew her behavior towards them was abysmal, but even if she were to tell them the reason, they wouldn't understand. Ignoring their looks, she shifted and became ensnared by the navy eyes of Seto Kaiba.

A frown graced her lips.

Why was he staring at her with such an amused expression? Could it be about her reaction to his question this morning? It had to be. She had never agreed with anything he had to say, so that probably made him suspicious.

What a paranoid jerk.

Deciding to ignore him as well, Anzu resumed her face froward position, answering when the teacher called on her. Time seemed to go swiftly by and soon enough, the bell sounded for lunch. Without delay, Anzu rose from her seat and headed to the door, not once sparing Kaiba or her friends another look.

"Guys, I'm worried. Haven't you noticed? Anzu has been acting weird today."

"She is probably just feeling the Valentine's day blues, Yuugi." Honda said, watching the girls flock around Otogi, who was happily enjoying their company. "I mean look at us, we don't have any dates tonight and we're miserable."

"Speak for yourself, Honda." Jounouchi piped in, brushing his knuckles against his shirt. "I happen to have a date tonight."

"With who? Your mother?"

"Shaddup!" The blond yelled, grabbing his friend by the shirt front. "I dare ya to say that again!"

"Okay." Honda replied, liking the idea to repeat his statement. He cleared his throat and smirked. "Who is your date tonight your---"

"Alright, that's enough you two!" Yuugi cut in quickly, narrowly avoiding yet another tiff between his friends. "We have more important things to discuss." He witnessed their puzzled expressions and pressed a hand to his forehead. His friends could be so dense at times. "I'm talking about Anzu." Yuugi explained with the patience of a saint. "I don't know if you've noticed this, but she's always moody on Valentine's day. And it's not because she doesn't have a date." He remarked, noticing Honda open his mouth to reiterate his previous statement.

"You do have a point there." Jou admitted, releasing Honda from his grip, hands finding their way into his pockets. "I mean, didn't Sasaki and Tenjou ask her out today."

"And she turned them down." Honda concluded with the barest of nods. "Maybe she is still hung up on Atemu. She did have a serious crush on him."

"No, it isn't Atemu." Yuugi supplied with crossed arms. His expression became pensive, his eyes flickering to Anzu's desk where her satchel lay draped on the hook at the side. "She told me she has learned to deal with her feelings for him. And besides, this has been happening before Atemu left us. I wonder..." Yuugi trailed off, staring at something near the rear of the classroom.

"Ya wonder what, Yug?"

"Well, it seems weird but Anzu is acting strangely like Kaiba." He almost laughed at his friends' comical expressions." Hear me out guys. If Anzu is starting to become more like Kaiba, wouldn't he be the best person to draw her out of her sulking reverie? And Kaiba isn't such a bad guy. I'm sure he himself is curious about Anzu's change in behavior. He had been staring at her during class."

"He what!" Both blond and brunet males exclaimed.

"Yuugi are you out of your mind? Did your mother drop you on your head when you were a baby?" Honda asked, clearly not liking what his vertically challenged friend had said. "I mean come on, Kaiba helping Anzu? The guy's favorite pastime is watching us suffer."

"He is right Yuugi." Jou pitched in, his face still white from earlier. "Kaiba is the last person in da world to help us out. He is evil!"

"Don't be so dramatic, Jounouchi."

"Evil, I tell ya!"

"Anyways," Yuugi continued, purposely ignoring his off kilter friend. "Kaiba has helped us out in the past, so why not now? And did you forget? He did save Anzu's life in Battle City, so I can almost guarantee he'd be able to save her again. Please guys! Think about Anzu's happiness!" He pleaded, catching their sceptical looks.

"We are thinking about her happiness. Don't you see how those two fight every time they are together? They'd kill each other before five minutes have passed!" Honda declared, rubbing a hand over his face, whilst observing Yuugi's miffed expression. He glanced at Jounouchi who seemed to fall for the ploy hook, line and sinker. "Okay, fine." He mumbled in agreement, feeling out numbered. "I'll help you and Jou, don't be so gullible all the time."

"Eh? Sorry, but Yuugi always gets me with those big, watery eyes. He is almost as bad as Mokuba." The blond chuckled, rubbing a hand at the back of his head. "But just because I'm going along with this, doesn't mean I'm happy. Kaiba is my numba one enemy! I'm only doing this to help a friend."

"That goes for all of us. So what is the plan guys?"

"Well," Jounouchi said with an impish smile stretched across his lips. "I have just the thing."

"Honestly, I don't know how you can spend all that time with a bunch of untrained monkeys." Kaiba said gruffly. His eyebrow ticking with annoyance as he continued to glare at the back of Anzu Mazaki.

"Hey, don't blame my friends. I'm not the one who slipped on grape juice and almost killed somebody." Anzu remarked with a appreciative grin. Though she would have enjoyed the memory more if she wasn't the one Kaiba fell on. Suddenly her mood today had lightened. "Maybe I should sue."

"Go ahead." He responded wryly. "I'm not sure Jounouchi has enough money in his doggy bank."

"I meant you."

"Did you?" He'd noticed the change in Anzu's attitude ever since lunch had concluded. The reason, however, remained a mystery to him. He gave a mental shrug. Whatever the case, he was still covered in juice as was she. And yet unlike himself, she was completely enjoying the situation. "Mazaki?"

"Hmm, yeah?"

"Why were you behaving like such a bitch this morning?" She stopped and immediately he'd noticed her shoulders went rigid.

"That's none of your business."

So, the ice queen was back, was she? Strangely he delighted in the fact that she was prone to another emotion besides 'sickenly happy'. "Now, that is the attitude I'm talking about. And isn't it familiar to you?"

"Whatever." Anzu replied, knowing what he was about to say. "If you're implying that I'm acting like you, then you're sorely mistaken."

"Don't be fooled." Kaiba warned. "I will never make a comparison between us." He glanced at her from head to toe, noticing the anger dotting her cheeks, her pink jacket covered with purple splotches and her curled fists. "The gap between us is immense. People like you will never match my greatness."

"Your greatness?" Here she was covered in juice, bruised and completely untidy, and he had the audacity to say something so trite! All she wanted to do was go to the bathroom, clean up and get back to class. "How conceited can you be? It's people like you who make me sick!"

"I make you sick?" Kaiba asked, his gaze showing amusement.

"Yes, damn you!" He reminded her so much of her father, that it became distressing. In her lifetime, she'd thought she'd never meet a man who resembled her father so closely. Her father...just thinking about him made her angry.

"Mazaki."

"What?"

"You're crying." A gasp ripped from her throat, and she raised shaking hands to her cheeks. Kaiba was right. She was crying. But why? How? She was so shocked, she didn't notice Kaiba steer her into the deserted classroom on her left....

Meanwhile....

"Jounouchi, are you sure your plan will work?"

"Of course it will, Yuugi." He assured, his hands linked behind his head. "Trust me, their stroll to the bathroom will be life altering. Besides, it was the only thing I could come up with, without being sued by moneybags."

Somehow that didn't reassure him. It was a big gamble 'accidentally' spilling grape juice on the floor, and Yuugi had definitely didn't want anyone getting hurt. But that was precisely what happened. Kaiba skidded and collided into Anzu; both meeting the floor in the end. Not exactly how they planned things, but things happen. He'd just hope those two didn't get into an argument on the way to the bathroom. Everyone knows how temperamental they can be.

"Wow, I never thought I'd cry in front of you." Anzu remarked, blotting her eyes with the end of her shirt. She blinked, when a folded hankerchief was presented to her. Her red eyes, wide and disbelieving as she stared at Kaiba.

"Just take it." He ground out roughly.

"Thank you." She took silk square and dabbed her eyes daintily. A shuddering breath or two later, she was calm enough to complete a choerent sentence. "I'm sure you're enjoying this." She gestured to her tear stained face.

"I probably should be, but I'm more interested as to know why you started crying." Kaiba watched as her eyelids lowered. It became obvious she didn't want him to know. Either way, it wasn't as if it was an urgent need, and like she said earlier: it was none of his business. "Never mind, you don't have to tell me." His left foot moved in front of the right; he was leaving. There was no need for him to stay here any longer.

"I was crying because I remembered my father." His hand stilled on the stainless steel door knob.

"What?"

"I didn't even know I was crying, but the way you were acting, reminded me of my father." Anzu inhaled deeply. "You see, my father isn't a very kind man. Like you, he only cares about power. And....and well, he had never cared about me or my mother. But unlike him, you care about Mokuba and that is your only redeeming quality."

Although, he wanted to comment on her last statement, he chose not too. There was still something bothering him. "Is that your reason for acting like this today? Because you have daddy issues?"

Fire flared in her eyes, the red surrounding her irises becoming dismal and pale. "No, Kaiba." She snapped, obviously angered by his tactless comment. "It's not because I have daddy issues! I just can stand the fact that he...."

"That he what?" Kaiba persuaded, his stomach coating with an apprehensive feeling. It disturbed him as much as the earlier one, both of which resulted from the girl standing before him.

"My father treated my mother horribly." Anzu began, her eyes downcast. "In his world, everything revolved around him and my mother's happiness came second to his stupid company. I'm sure you're aware of his position in the business world." She witnessed the dropping of his chin. It was an odd sensation, but talking to Kaiba like this, seemed to alleviate some of her stress. "Anyways, three years ago, I found out my mother had a life before she wed my father. She had dreams, a job and was so full of aspirations."

There was fondness in Anzu's voice which puzzled Kaiba. Wasn't she upset a minute ago? It seemed the mother was greatly favored by the daughter. He couldn't say much about the patriarch of the Mazaki family.

"So, what happened?" Kaiba found himself wanting to know, and cursed his curiosity.

"She let a man become her life." answered Anzu with a smile. "She'd never once tried to fulfill those dreams she had when she was younger. Everything was for my father. Everything. That's why I can't tolerate Valentine's day. It's supposed to be a day you spend with the person you love most. Instead I'm constantly reminded of my father's unloving nature towards my mother." She gave a hollow laugh, something which sounded foreign to both their ears. "Did you know he asked for a divorce on the most romantic day of the year? Said he found someone else, someone who could give him true happiness."

"Mazaki..."

"Gosh! I'm seriously messed up, aren't I? What normal teenager hates Valentine's day because her parents' marriage failed? I must be an idiot!"

"Mazaki, would you shut up?!" A pair of hands descended on her shoulders; a palm on either side, and she winced at the angry expression in Kaiba's eyes. "You need to grow up." He told her roughly, his voice reflecting the ire building inside of him. For once in his life, he let his emotions control his actions and said quite adamantly, "You're a fool. You're a fool for waisting your time over something that has already been decided. Your parents' marriage failed, big deal. It's not the end of the world. There are other people suffering far worse than you are, so stop being a brat."

"Kaiba..."

He removed his hands from her, needing to distance the closeness his actions had ensued. "Your friends are worried about you. I may not like them, especially Jounouchi, but they care for you. Maybe you should stop being selfish and talk to them. Aren't you always preaching about friendship and its importance?" He gave her a self satisfying smirk. "Your father may be an asshole, but that doesn't mean you are." A lengthy silence followed, only interrupted by Kaiba's stark voice. "No need to thank me." He said walking to the door. "I didn't say what I did to help you. I just can't tolerate your bitchy attitude anymore."

"Kaiba, you're such a..." The door closed behind him before she could finish. But if he had stayed, he would have heard the rest of her sentence. "...you're such a nice guy."

"Hey guys!" Anzu greeted cheerily and smiled at their flabbergasted expressions. "Look, I'm sorry for being so...so...withdrawn today. I used to hate this day because of my father, but someone told me that I was a fool for dwelling on the past." She sent a furtive glance in Kaiba's direction. He didn't notice it because his nose was buried in a book. "So, do you guys think you can forgive me?" She asked quietly.

"Of course we can, Anzu!" Jounouchi exclaimed, gathering her into his arms, then swinging her around like a merry-go-round.

"Thanks guys." Anzu said, clutching her spinning head. "Ugh, I think I'm going to throw up."

"It'll pass." Honda said whacking her on the back. She glared at him and he mumbled an apology.

"How about we go to the arcade?" Yuugi suggested, a blinding smile planted on his face. "All of us are free for the evening, so we can grab something to eat while we're out."

"Hey! Are you guys forgetting I have a date tonight?"

"With your mother, Jou? Anzu asked while gathering her satchel.

"That is the same thing I asked him earlier." Honda commented while restraining his friend from attacking.

"You guys are da worst friends in the world!" Jounouchi shouted, while chasing Honda out of the classroom. Yuugi trailing behind, to prevent any type of physical altercation. Smiling at her luck of having such wonderful friends, Anzu made her exit as well. But not before leaving a few words with her unexpected savior.

"Thank you Kaiba. You've really helped me today." Not knowing whether he heard or not, she left the class, her smile for all to see.

A few minutes after Anzu vacated the room, Kaiba lowered the book from in front of his face. He sighed, the breeze from the open window threading through his hair, and like Anzu and her friends, he secured his belongings and walked out of the class. Her parting words a constant reminder of his 'good deed'.

"What the hell made me act so...?" He blew a sharp breath through parted lips. "Damn, I must be getting soft."

Author's Note:

Romance is always associated with V-Day, so I thought why not try something different. I don't know whether I accomplished that task or not, but I gave it my best. I'm sure whenever you think about V-Day, you think of love, roses, candy etc, so I went the other way and wrote something with a deeper meaning.

The conspiracy, if anyone didn't notice, was Yuugi and the others trying to get Anzu out of her miserable state, by plotting to have her spend time with Kaiba. And in the end, it sort of worked. But the credit undoubtedly goes to the CEO. :)

The beginning of the story where Anzu's point of view towards some women and their dependency on men reflects on what she thinks of her mother. So, ideally, it really is her parents fault for making her so cynical on such a festive day.

Will there be a continuation? Probably. Depends on my free time.

By the way, Jounouchi's date really is his mother. Kidding! It's actually a girl from his neighbourhood, Saeko Kurou.

Happy V-Day!