I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Between You & Me

Chapter 1: Twist & shift

„Anzu please, I'm begging you!" a young female shifted nervously from one foot to the other while watching her friend, who pretended not to hear, clear away some dishes.

It turned out to be a hopeless attempt though, since the other girl wouldn't stop begging.

„Just this one thing, just this one time and I promise to never ever ask you for anything again." Anzu then swung the towel over her shoulder, standing straight to look into those desperate doe eyes.

„Shizuka really." she interrupted quietly, sounding somewhat defensive. Shizuka clasped her hands under her chin, making her look even more cuter and desperate. Anzu opened her mouth again and at first, no words came out. Shizukas eyes grew larger with any second that passed.

„If I do it, you owe me something."

Shizuka nodded her head violently in agreement. „I'd do anything, Anzu."

The other girl understood. „Okay, count me in." she turned away to wipe some stains from the dishes while Shizuka squealed happily, dancing around the garden they were in. Around the tables, trees and the buckets filled with water. "Thank you thank you thank you!" she screamed and grabbed a towel herself to help her official best friend forever from now on to clean the tables. Anzu watched her curiously, a smile playing around her lips.

'Oh well' she thought, 'what have I gotten myself into?'

xXx

It was Saturday night and when it wasn't for Shizuka, Anzu would have been sitting on her bed, going through the last lecture she had attended at the U. She was studying communication in her fifths semester since her dream of becoming a professional dancer at Juilliard, New York, didn't turn out so well and she returned after a year. That was almost four years ago, at the age of twenty. Now she was dancing just for fun and it provided an excellent balance between classes, work and friendships.

So at this moment she was standing in front of her mirror, eyeing the white lace dress she wore and how it clung beautifully to her body, reaching to her mid thighs. Turning a little, she wondered if it wasn't too short and too revealing. More than one time she had gained dirty comments on her figure which made her angry since she didn't want to appear a whore. But most guys treated her like it which was the reason she hadn't dated in a while. She was sick of guys who only wanted her for her body and none of them did she ever allow to even slip their hands under her shirt.

She thought it would change when she went to the U, believing that men were more mature there but it seemed to be the same as in high school.

There were no real gentlemen any more in this time, she figured. In her whole life, she only had had the pleasure to meet one and he disappeared long ago. She touched the cold metal that lay above her chest with her name engraved in it. Maybe tonight was the night.

Then, the door bell rang, tearing her out of her thoughts. She quickly let the cartouche disappear under her dress which showed no cleavage and hurried for the door where Shizuka awaited her.

xXx

"I can't seem to give you enough thanks for coming with me tonight, Anzu." Shizuka claimed as her 'bff' got into the passenger seat. "Well I guess it is enough now" Anzu smiled reassuringly , feeling her fingers tremble as she put the seat belt on. 'Great', she thought, 'now I'm nervous'. She wished Shizuka would have ask someone else for this blind date, but since Mai was already engaged to Jounouchi and Rebecca inseparable from Yugi since forever, she figured she was the only one left.

"I can't wait for you to meet him" Shizuka exclaimed excited and Anzu wondered who she meant, the boy Shizuka met two weeks ago at a party and fell in love with or his friend he had described to Shizuka as a 'workaholic who almost never leaves his office, a Mr-know-it-all who is a complete stranger to all things concerning communication and social parties' and who he wanted to finally find a girl. From this description Anzu imagined her date for the night to be either a total nerd with big glasses, obsessed with computers,smelling like fish and wearing his trousers to his chin or a good-looking bachelor like Shizukas date was. Either way, Anzu would be okay with it. She wasn't one to judge people by their looks and it might also be nice talking to someone well-educated and anyway, it was only for one evening, so what?

Shizuka, who gained her driver's license a few months ago, guided the car into a parking space, coming to a halt a little too abrupt, throwing both girls slightly forward in their seats. They shared a laugh, then got out into the cool night air.

"So, where are our dates now?" Anzu asked, stretching her head over the other cars that parked in front of the restaurant.

"Lucas said to be waiting outside for us, let's go looking for them." she took Anzu's wrist, afraid she backed out any minute by the sight of her date's companion, fearing from Lucas description that he was an annoying nerd.

"Lucas" she suddenly called, moving along the sidewalk that provided the entry a little faster until they reached the staircase that led up to the fancy restaurant. One of the reasons Anzu agreed on the date, beside the facts that she wanted to make Shizuka happy so she would finally shut up and meet new people was the good food she would get. Gratis even since the two bachelors were going to pay.

Anzu noticed how unsure Shizuka was suddenly, not knowing whether to giveher date a brief hug or even kiss him on the cheek, she just stood smiling at him, hoping to look pretty.

"Where is your friend?" she asked.

"Oh, he is coming any minute. He had to finish some paper work, he's hopeless." Lucas explained, shaking his head.

Anzu grumbled inside. The evening started perfect for her. Not.

When Lucas noticed Shizuka shivering, he suggested to get in and wait there for his friend. Shizuka was on cloud nine, Anzu could tell. They left their coats at the cloak room and were led to their table. Shizuka sat next to Lucas and they started talking immediately, flirting with each other and making Anzu feel uncomfortable and dispensable. She tried to distract herself by looking around the restaurant. It was really nice. It was filled with couples who murmured words to one another, creating a warm atmosphere. An aquarium was lit up on the other side of the room, making out half of the wall there and cute fishes were swimming between water flowers, opening and shutting their little mouths which made Anzu smile. Then she saw a tall figure enter, talking to the receptionist. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer as he seemed so familiar. A suspicion developed in her as she watched him and right when he turned around in her direction, it was confirmed.

Seto Kaiba.

Wow, she hadn't seen him for years. She backed away a little as he began to strode forward, taking big, confident steps, looking straight ahead with those piercing blue eyes. Anzu noticed immediately that he hadn't changed at all and was still that arrogant, mean guy she knew from high school. When he passed Anzus table, she pretended to read the menu card. Then suddenly Lucas stood and while waving his hand he called "Hey Seto, we are here."

Something in the atmosphere changed and for a moment it seemed that there was a break in the space-time-continuum. The world stopped spinning for a second and everything froze, everybody stopped breathing, even the fishes just stared with open mouths.

Then, Seto turned around again, very slowly walking back to their table and came to a halt next to it and next to Anzu who told her herself to breathe.

From the corner of her eyes she watched him shaking hands with Lucas and then glanced at Shizuka who looked just as shocked as Anzu. This couldn't be true. Seto Kaiba couldn't be her date. It was a misunderstanding, Anzu was sure of. He would never-

"Anzu, this is Seto Kaiba, a very ambitious and clever business partner of mine and well, your date for the evening." Lucas stated with a silly smile on his face, pulling back his hand and sitting down again to share another endless conversation with Shizuka.

Anzu looked up at Seto, forcing a smile and sinking a little further in her seat as he walked behind her, taking his seat next to her and opposite of Shizuka. Anzu desperately hoped he didn't recognize her, confusing her with someone else, another Anzu. She was sure she wasn't the only one with that name. Kaiba didn't even look at her, his lips a thin line giving her no clue what he thought at that moment, if he was as shocked as she was. Maybe they should start a conversation, but he was busy reading the menu. Or maybe just pretended it like she did. She wondered what she would do if he asked her about school or her friends he hated so much. With a longing look in her eyes, she first glanced at the door, then at the clock. Just a few hours and it would be over. It wouldn't be so bad as she feared right now, would it?

Maybe, if he asked her something provocative, she should just pretend not to know him like 'What, we went to school together? Really?' and "You mean we were enemies, that you bullied my best friends? Wow I really can't remember that.'

Yeah sure, as if that might work.

Luckily, Lucas was in high spirits that evening and suggested to order their meals now that everyone was gathered here. They were silent over dinner, except for a few giggles from Shizuka whenever Lucas whispered something at her. Anzu felt tense, every once in a while she would side glance at Kaiba, who didn't seem tense or pissed at all. Maybe she should just relax. After all, she had never been afraid of him, even put him into place a few times but that was what made it impossible for her to act like they were strangers now, like nothing ever happened between them.

However, taking a deep, hopefully unnoticed, breath, she started "So, how's the company going" at the same time as Kaiba asked her about dancing.

They stared at each other for a second, having turned their heads at the same time as well and Anzu blinked surprised, mouthing an "oh". There it was again, a shift in time and space as it dawned on her that, yes, he remembered.

"Fine.. I guess. I don't do it professionally any more because of lack of time and else..." she finally explained, still looking at him whereas he had his attention back on his plate, but he heard her, nodding in approval. Anzu noticed Shizuka watching them curiously and when Anzu caught her eyes, she couldn't suppress a smile. Anzu tried to ignore it or else she might have turned red.

She wondered if she should say more about dancing, like her year in New York. Gulping down some of her red wine, she thought it couldn't cause any harm, except some harsh comments she was already accustomed by now, not only by Kaiba but by other people as well who didn't approve of her dancing. Glancing at her food a little shyly, she finally managed to gain some more courage. "Actually I attended Julliard and have been living in New York for a year. But it didn't turn out to be what I hoped so now I'm studying at the U."

She felt good telling him that and proud of doing so. She could still feel Shizukas eyes lingering on them, but Lucas engulfed her into a new conversation.

"I guess you just can not always have what you want." Anzu added and slapped herself inwardly for telling him, Seto Kaiba, who could buy the world and much more, about not always getting what you want. Just when she thought things started to go well, she had ruin it.

But Kaiba didn't seem amused in the slightest by her comment, only watching her for a second until he replied a little dryly, "Well I guess sometimes you just have to let go of some things in order to develop new dreams."

How poetic of him to say that. It sounded like a sentence from one of her mother's book she read during her midlife crisis, but not like something the rich and priggish Seto Kaiba would say.

Stil, he was right putting it that way. Giving up dancing showed her so many possibilities she never thought about, like communication and media. She smiled at him and then asked him, again, how his company was going.

XxX

She was near to explode, she was sure of, so much had she eaten. And not only her, Lucas and Shizuka looked also well sated in the way they were hunched in their chairs.

Only Kaiba could still swallow the rest of his wine.

They had ordered a dessert after finishing their main meal. Anzu had ordered vanilla ice cream with hot cherries and whipped cream from which would probably stretch her tight dress over her stomach, but she didn't care about that right now. It was the best ice cream she has ever had. But it was expensive as well.

"So, I guess, we should get going paying for our meals" Lucas, again, took the lead role and called for waiter on the other side of the room which Anzu thought to be kind of rude. Since she was a waitress as well, she would feel offended by rich people treating her like a dog. Luckily, the people she often served were old ladies eating strawberry cake and drinking coffee under a cherry tree.

She had told Kaiba about her studies in communication at the U and her job she had at the garden café after they talked about changes in economy and society, sharing their knowledge and opinions on various topics, finding themselves to be on the same wavelength, making it a very entertaining evening for both of them.

"Before we leave, I need to go for the ladies room." Shizuka said, and looking at Anzu she held a demanding yet pleading look in her eyes, "are you coming with me Anzu?" and the other girl followed willingly.

"Gosh, that was super lame!" Shizuka exclaimed furiously as soon as the door to the ladies room fell shut behind them. Putting both her arms on the think, she stared stressfully in the mirror. Anzu stood beside her, not quite sure what she meant.

"Lucas has been talking my ears off about his company the entire night!"

Anzu watched her carefully now, listening all the while to her complaints.

"And have you seen the way he kept checking out the waitress that brought our food? Before my eyes! Can you believe it?"

"No" Anzu confessed, shifting on her legs and feeling bad for Shizuka. She had thought that her friend had a good time, she had been giggling now and then, stared at Lucas with amazement. But maybe Anzu had been too occupied talking with Kaiba that she just hadn't noticed her friend's trouble and that they shared a one-sided conversation.

Shizuka inhaled a deep breath, then tearing at her long brown hair. "Okay, let's get it over with. I'm close to home, then I don't have to hear him any more." she muttered to herself in order to calm her nerves. She swung the door open again and walked straight towards Lucas and Seto who were already waiting with their jackets at the front desk.

"Here" to Anzu's surprise, and she had had many, many surprises already this evening, Kaiba lay her coat above her shoulders, helping her slip her arms through it.

Shizuka saw this but her eyes were darted away when Lucas pressed her own coat against her chest a little too roughly, which went unnoticed by him.

She almost flinched, but could stop herself in time.

They stood outside a little awkwardly, because Shizuka wanted nothing more than to get away from Lucas whereas Anzu and Kaiba couldn't seem to part just now, having caught up on another conversation about how nice the meal was, but Shizuka managed to drag Anzu away to her car, saying bye to Lucas without a hug or a kiss how she planned in the beginning and Anzu without a phone number or any plans if she would ever meet Kaiba again.

XxX

"Finally" Shizuka muttered as she put on her seatbelt.

"That wasn't very nice" Anzu told her as she put on her own seatbelt as well.

"He will be fine." Shizuka grunted, but that wasn't what Anzu meant. She didn't want to be torn away like that just because Shizuka was being in a bad mood and selfish.

"You just can't expect a guy who is like 10 years older than you and whom you only met at a bar once turn out to be your prince charming." Anzu commented as Shizuka drove off rather roughly, exceeding the tempo limit as soon as they reached the high way.

"Maybe you judged him too much by his outer appearance." Anzu added quietly, not wanting to offend her friend or make her even more angry.

"I didn't. And besides, we chatted everyday and am I not allowed to expect at least a tiny little bit of attention and admiration?"

"You're right" Anzu gave in, not wanting to discuss this further since she had had a wonderful evening, still not really getting how she suddenly came to see Kaiba in a whole different light and she wouldn't let Shizuka disturb her good mood.

But of course, she wasn't ready to let it go.

"But Kaiba" she scoffed, switching lanes while grabbing the steering wheel too hard, making the car move dramatically, "Kaiba is a real gentleman."

Anzu swung her head at Shizuka in a swift motion, astonished by the choice of words. She was very careful in using that word for a guy. It was her key element, a spell that must be chanted with caution. She didn't interrupt her friend this time, curious why, exactly, Shizuka found this.

"He asked about you, how you are and what you're doing whereas Lucas only talks about himself and we have nothing in common, what do I know about running a company, finances, employees.." she fussed when Anzus thoughts drifted off to the conversation she had with Kaiba, how much they really understood of each other even though they were occupied with different subjects.

"And then the way he looked at you.." Shizuka pointed out along the way which made Anzu snap out of her thoughts immediately.

"What, which way did he look at me?" her voice sounded higher now, shocked and hopeful at the same time.

"You know, with a sparkle in his eyes, I don't know..they glinted somehow as if liking what they saw."

Anzu stared at Shizuka as she explained this so casually, how Kaiba found she looked pretty. "He even helped you into your coat whereas Lucas.." Again, as she began fussing on about her disastrous date, Anzu's mind concentrated on something else. But when she felt heat coming to her face, something inside her snapped and she felt like waking up from a dream, sitting up straight immediately.

"What's up?" Shizuka asked her irritated, drawing her eyes away from the street for a moment to look at Anzu worriedly.

But Anzu didn't notice as she wondered, what exactly she was doing. This was Seto Kaiba, for crying out loud! Her and her friends enemy, more so Jounouchis, Shizukas brother, worst enemy until death.

This was so wrong. And she wouldn't see him again. She couldn't. And after all, she told herself from the beginning that this was only for Shizuka, just one evening where she would eat with some random guy and then never see him again.

Yes, that was it. Just one night and everything would be back to normal.

Average. Simple. Plain.

There was a longing feeling in her heart all of a sudden, and maybe, just maybe, she couldn't get back to average.

Not when her world had shifted tonight.