Fic: Marry in Haste - Chapter 22
Dec. 9th, 2020 08:54 am![[personal profile]](/%20https://www.npmjs.com/package/ocr-https-www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
usearkiTitle: Marry In Haste
Author: Usearki
Fandoms: YuGiOh!
Pairings: Seto Kaiba/Anzu Mazaki
Rating: Mature/Explicit
Summary: Seto Kaiba and Anzu Mazaki get married after a chance encounter and one whirlwind evening, but the next morning, due to a strange intolerance Seto has, he has forgotten it all. Left to make her own way, how will Anzu deal with this? And once they reconnect, what then?
Warnings Choose not to Warn. (CNTW is a valid warning.)
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!
Story Status: 22/??
Back to Chapter 1
Wordcount - 2162
To the Apartment:
Anzu was relieved when there was indeed a car waiting outside for them and they were whisked across town to her apartment complex. As they drew up, Anzu could still see a few members of the press hanging around outside and she stiffened slightly, then she felt Seto squeezing her hand.
"Don't show them any fear," he told her. "You have every right to be here and to go about your business. Don't even look at them if you can avoid it and I will be right there with you, OK?"
"OK," Anzu said with a lot more confidence than she was feeling. Seto squeezed her hand again, then they were there and it was time to exit the car. She took a deep breath and got out of the car first, showing that she was not going to hide behind Seto. She held her head up and walked to the door as if it were a normal day and as if the idiot reporters were not there. Seto was right behind her and then they were inside. The press were not allowed inside, although Anzu was certain that they would have tried to get access at least.
They made it up to the fourth floor without incident and Anzu opened her apartment door, quickly heading inside with Seto right behind her. It wasn't the largest apartment as she was living alone, but she would still feel the need to defend it should Seto decide to look down at it.
She noted that her landline answering machine was blinking away merrily and that it also appeared to be full. She sighed and crossed to it, then pressed the button to let the messages play. She pressed the button to skip again and again, growing more and more annoyed by the moment. Seto noticed her distress and moved up behind her and he hugged her comfortingly.
"Just unplug it," he said as the phone started to ring again, showing an unknown number on the screen. "They will be trying to call you now that they know that you are here, so save yourself the stress of listening to it."
Anzu sighed and nodded. She pulled free of Seto's embrace and leaned down to pull the plug from the wall then stood again and found herself pulled back into his arms. She sighed and melted into the embrace, feeling safe in his arms.
"Don't let it bother you," he said, "it will get better."
Anzu made a sound of agreement. "I'd better go and get packed up."
"OK," Seto said then he leaned down and kissed her, before letting her go.
Anzu left him looking around the living room, at her small couch and television and headed through to the bedroom where she opened her bedside drawer and pulled out the box containing the wedding certificate, photos and, most importantly, the rings. She took a deep breath turned to head back out, only to find that Seto had followed her.
"Oh..." she said in surprise.
"Sorry," Seto said, although he did not sound particularly apologetic. "I just wanted to see the rest of your apartment."
"Oh, well, this is the bedroom," Anzu said uselessly, as Seto looked around.
"It's not a bad place," Seto said, "If a little on the small side."
"Well we can't all afford to live in mansions," Anzu said with humour, knowing that Seto was only teasing. She held out the small box holding the documents and the rings. "Here, this is what I came in for."
Seto took it from her and moved over, sitting on the bed and placing the box to one side. He opened the lid and first took out the certificate, looking it over carefully before refolding it and placing it to one side. Then he took out the photographs. There were not many, but they, like the one that Anzu had sent to him which was still held safely in his pocket, showed that they seemed happy. He looked at them for several long moments, wishing he could remember, then he placed the photographs next to the certificate on the bed.
Finally he removed the small box, opening it up and looking inside. The rings really were perfect, gold and not overstated with a 'draconic' style pattern repeating all the way around. He looked up at Anzu, who was looking at him with a small amount of trepidation. He smiled to reassure her then removed her ring from the box, stood and moved towards her.
"May I?" he asked, holding out his other hand, asking for her to place her hand in his. Anzu blushed and obliged, holding out her hand for him to place the ring upon. As she expected, because she had tried it on when it had arrived, it fit perfectly. "Perfect," he said as he leaned down, then he kissed her.
After a moment, Anzu slipped from the embrace and moved to get Seto's ring, then similarly moved to place it upon his finger. For a moment she thought that it was not going to fit, but to her relief it slipped home. She hugged him and they stood together for a moment, perhaps feeling that now that the rings were actually upon their fingers, that they were truly married.
Then the moment passed and they broke apart.
"So how long do we have before we have to go?" she asked.
"The flight plan is filed for a few hours time," seto replied. "Plenty of time for you to pack what you need and then for us to make the trip across town."
"Oh good," Anzu said. "The kitchen is through there," she pointed him in the right direction. "If you could make a cup of tea... coffee... whatever, that would be great." She moved to her wardrobe and pulled out her suitcase, then noted that Seto was still standing there. "Why are you still here? Go on..."
Seto gaped at her for a moment, then laughed and left the room. It was funny, he was finding that he didn't mind when she bossed him about a bit. It would definitely be for the best if she didn't just cave to everything he wanted after all – and it would also be good if he let her win occasionally. This was one of those occasions.
Anzu, back in the bedroom, sighed with a little relief as Seto left. She needed just a little space for a moment and she would feel better about packing her things if he wasn't standing over her. She placed the case on the bed, then picked up the documents and photographs, placing them safely in the inside pocket of the case. Then she packed as much as she thought she would need as well as things she could not live without, such as the photographs of her friends and things that her Grandmother had given to her. She tried not to worry so much about what she was taking, but it was hard when she was essentially packing for a new life.
Seto came back with a drink for her and she took it gratefully. She also was relieved that Seto then elected to do some work in her living room instead of getting underfoot whilst she was packing. It really would be better and faster if he just let her get on with it.
She packed her essential things from the bathroom, then she was left with the kitchen.
Her fridge was full of stuff that she did not want to leave to go bad, so she grabbed a box and put the perishables into it, then headed out of her apartment and to the one on the opposite side of the corridor where old Mrs. Semper lived. She knocked on the door and waited until Mrs. Semper made her way to the door. Mrs Semper was in her seventies and not so quick on her feet these days.
"Oh! Tea dear, how are you," Mrs Semper said, ushering Anzu inside. "I was so worried about you when I saw the news. Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine, Mrs Semper," Anzu said.
"I couldn't believe it when they said you were married to Seto Kaiba... he seems such a nice young man. And it all seems so quick..."
"Well, we did go to school together and we were even in the same class," Anzu supplied.
"Oh! You're childhood sweethearts then," Mrs Semper seemed pleased with that thought. "He tracked you down and whisked you away..."
"Something like that, Anzu said, hiding a wince. After all, he had 'whisked her away' then forgot about her and Anzu was the one who had to do the tracking... but that was beside the point.
"I'll be straight with you, Mrs Semper," Anzu said, "we were hoping to be able to lead separate lives, at least for a short time, because I was still trying to succeed on my own and I didn't want Seto's name hanging over me. Of course now that is all out of the window so I shall be accompanying him to his next tournament. This leaves all this perishable food in my fridge that will only go to waste if I leave it there so I was wondering if you could make use of it?"
"That is very generous of you, thank you Tea dear," Mrs Semper said. "Will you be coming back after that?"
Anzu sighed. "I'm not sure right now," she said. "It all depends on how the press decide to react..." She knew that she was not likely to come back at all, apart from to arrange shipping for things she wanted to keep, clearing the apartment and arranging the end of the lease.
"Oh well, you should do whatever is best for you dear," Mrs Semper said with a sigh. "And thank you again for this."
"You're welcome. Now I must head back because Seto is waiting for me."
"Ok Tea dear," the old woman said. "Look after yourself."
"I will, and you too." With that she left the apartment and headed back to her own to find Seto waiting for her.
"So are you all done?" he asked.
"Just about," she replied. "I was just taking the perishables out to a neighbour. It would be a shame for them to go to waste."
"Hmm..." Seto said with the tone of someone who didn't even think about that kind of thing most of the time. "The jet is due to leave soon so we should get going."
"Oh, OK," Anzu said, turning away. Seto was being all business and she supposed that it was how it would be most of the time, but right now it felt like he regarded it as a done deal. However, she knew it was still early days and she may be mistaken. Time would tell.
She got her case and overnight bag from her room then methodically made sure that everything that should be turned off was actually off. Then she took a last look around to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything important, picked up her case and made to head for the door.
"Just hold it right there," Seto said, causing her to jump. She had been so caught up in making sure the flat was ready to be left that she had almost forgotten he was there.
"What is it?" She was both concerned and slightly agitated.
"Just... put the bags down," Seto said. Anzu did so, then he stepped over towards her. First is this..." he pulled her in close and held her tightly for a moment, something else that shocked her so that it took a moment until her arms returned the embrace.
"Remember that I am here for you, OK? You don't need to be nervous of the press."
Anzu mentally sighed. He had thought that she was worried about the press! Actually that wasn't the first thing on her mind right now.
"I know, thank you," she said. She leaned up and kissed him quickly, then pulled away and made to pick up her case.
"Oh no you don't," he said. "That thing must be heavy. Let me."
Anzu wasn't sure what to say. On one hand she was quite capable of carrying it herself, no matter that it was rather heavy... but on the other hand... why not let him do it if he wanted to.
"Oh, thank you Seto," She followed him from the room, turning back momentarily to make sure that the door was well and truly locked, then they left the building. They once again had to run the gauntlet of the press, who no doubt would try to make something of the fact that they were leaving Anzu's apartment with a large case and overnight bag in tow. But then they were in the car and away, heading towards the airfield where Seto's private jet was waiting to take them to Orlando.
On to Chapter 23
A/N - Slightly longer than I really wanted but there was no real good place to cut it. Feels kinda 'filler'-ish, but 'filler' chapters are important too, dammit!
Author: Usearki
Fandoms: YuGiOh!
Pairings: Seto Kaiba/Anzu Mazaki
Rating: Mature/Explicit
Summary: Seto Kaiba and Anzu Mazaki get married after a chance encounter and one whirlwind evening, but the next morning, due to a strange intolerance Seto has, he has forgotten it all. Left to make her own way, how will Anzu deal with this? And once they reconnect, what then?
Warnings Choose not to Warn. (CNTW is a valid warning.)
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!
Story Status: 22/??
Back to Chapter 1
Wordcount - 2162
To the Apartment:
Anzu was relieved when there was indeed a car waiting outside for them and they were whisked across town to her apartment complex. As they drew up, Anzu could still see a few members of the press hanging around outside and she stiffened slightly, then she felt Seto squeezing her hand.
"Don't show them any fear," he told her. "You have every right to be here and to go about your business. Don't even look at them if you can avoid it and I will be right there with you, OK?"
"OK," Anzu said with a lot more confidence than she was feeling. Seto squeezed her hand again, then they were there and it was time to exit the car. She took a deep breath and got out of the car first, showing that she was not going to hide behind Seto. She held her head up and walked to the door as if it were a normal day and as if the idiot reporters were not there. Seto was right behind her and then they were inside. The press were not allowed inside, although Anzu was certain that they would have tried to get access at least.
They made it up to the fourth floor without incident and Anzu opened her apartment door, quickly heading inside with Seto right behind her. It wasn't the largest apartment as she was living alone, but she would still feel the need to defend it should Seto decide to look down at it.
She noted that her landline answering machine was blinking away merrily and that it also appeared to be full. She sighed and crossed to it, then pressed the button to let the messages play. She pressed the button to skip again and again, growing more and more annoyed by the moment. Seto noticed her distress and moved up behind her and he hugged her comfortingly.
"Just unplug it," he said as the phone started to ring again, showing an unknown number on the screen. "They will be trying to call you now that they know that you are here, so save yourself the stress of listening to it."
Anzu sighed and nodded. She pulled free of Seto's embrace and leaned down to pull the plug from the wall then stood again and found herself pulled back into his arms. She sighed and melted into the embrace, feeling safe in his arms.
"Don't let it bother you," he said, "it will get better."
Anzu made a sound of agreement. "I'd better go and get packed up."
"OK," Seto said then he leaned down and kissed her, before letting her go.
Anzu left him looking around the living room, at her small couch and television and headed through to the bedroom where she opened her bedside drawer and pulled out the box containing the wedding certificate, photos and, most importantly, the rings. She took a deep breath turned to head back out, only to find that Seto had followed her.
"Oh..." she said in surprise.
"Sorry," Seto said, although he did not sound particularly apologetic. "I just wanted to see the rest of your apartment."
"Oh, well, this is the bedroom," Anzu said uselessly, as Seto looked around.
"It's not a bad place," Seto said, "If a little on the small side."
"Well we can't all afford to live in mansions," Anzu said with humour, knowing that Seto was only teasing. She held out the small box holding the documents and the rings. "Here, this is what I came in for."
Seto took it from her and moved over, sitting on the bed and placing the box to one side. He opened the lid and first took out the certificate, looking it over carefully before refolding it and placing it to one side. Then he took out the photographs. There were not many, but they, like the one that Anzu had sent to him which was still held safely in his pocket, showed that they seemed happy. He looked at them for several long moments, wishing he could remember, then he placed the photographs next to the certificate on the bed.
Finally he removed the small box, opening it up and looking inside. The rings really were perfect, gold and not overstated with a 'draconic' style pattern repeating all the way around. He looked up at Anzu, who was looking at him with a small amount of trepidation. He smiled to reassure her then removed her ring from the box, stood and moved towards her.
"May I?" he asked, holding out his other hand, asking for her to place her hand in his. Anzu blushed and obliged, holding out her hand for him to place the ring upon. As she expected, because she had tried it on when it had arrived, it fit perfectly. "Perfect," he said as he leaned down, then he kissed her.
After a moment, Anzu slipped from the embrace and moved to get Seto's ring, then similarly moved to place it upon his finger. For a moment she thought that it was not going to fit, but to her relief it slipped home. She hugged him and they stood together for a moment, perhaps feeling that now that the rings were actually upon their fingers, that they were truly married.
Then the moment passed and they broke apart.
"So how long do we have before we have to go?" she asked.
"The flight plan is filed for a few hours time," seto replied. "Plenty of time for you to pack what you need and then for us to make the trip across town."
"Oh good," Anzu said. "The kitchen is through there," she pointed him in the right direction. "If you could make a cup of tea... coffee... whatever, that would be great." She moved to her wardrobe and pulled out her suitcase, then noted that Seto was still standing there. "Why are you still here? Go on..."
Seto gaped at her for a moment, then laughed and left the room. It was funny, he was finding that he didn't mind when she bossed him about a bit. It would definitely be for the best if she didn't just cave to everything he wanted after all – and it would also be good if he let her win occasionally. This was one of those occasions.
Anzu, back in the bedroom, sighed with a little relief as Seto left. She needed just a little space for a moment and she would feel better about packing her things if he wasn't standing over her. She placed the case on the bed, then picked up the documents and photographs, placing them safely in the inside pocket of the case. Then she packed as much as she thought she would need as well as things she could not live without, such as the photographs of her friends and things that her Grandmother had given to her. She tried not to worry so much about what she was taking, but it was hard when she was essentially packing for a new life.
Seto came back with a drink for her and she took it gratefully. She also was relieved that Seto then elected to do some work in her living room instead of getting underfoot whilst she was packing. It really would be better and faster if he just let her get on with it.
She packed her essential things from the bathroom, then she was left with the kitchen.
Her fridge was full of stuff that she did not want to leave to go bad, so she grabbed a box and put the perishables into it, then headed out of her apartment and to the one on the opposite side of the corridor where old Mrs. Semper lived. She knocked on the door and waited until Mrs. Semper made her way to the door. Mrs Semper was in her seventies and not so quick on her feet these days.
"Oh! Tea dear, how are you," Mrs Semper said, ushering Anzu inside. "I was so worried about you when I saw the news. Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine, Mrs Semper," Anzu said.
"I couldn't believe it when they said you were married to Seto Kaiba... he seems such a nice young man. And it all seems so quick..."
"Well, we did go to school together and we were even in the same class," Anzu supplied.
"Oh! You're childhood sweethearts then," Mrs Semper seemed pleased with that thought. "He tracked you down and whisked you away..."
"Something like that, Anzu said, hiding a wince. After all, he had 'whisked her away' then forgot about her and Anzu was the one who had to do the tracking... but that was beside the point.
"I'll be straight with you, Mrs Semper," Anzu said, "we were hoping to be able to lead separate lives, at least for a short time, because I was still trying to succeed on my own and I didn't want Seto's name hanging over me. Of course now that is all out of the window so I shall be accompanying him to his next tournament. This leaves all this perishable food in my fridge that will only go to waste if I leave it there so I was wondering if you could make use of it?"
"That is very generous of you, thank you Tea dear," Mrs Semper said. "Will you be coming back after that?"
Anzu sighed. "I'm not sure right now," she said. "It all depends on how the press decide to react..." She knew that she was not likely to come back at all, apart from to arrange shipping for things she wanted to keep, clearing the apartment and arranging the end of the lease.
"Oh well, you should do whatever is best for you dear," Mrs Semper said with a sigh. "And thank you again for this."
"You're welcome. Now I must head back because Seto is waiting for me."
"Ok Tea dear," the old woman said. "Look after yourself."
"I will, and you too." With that she left the apartment and headed back to her own to find Seto waiting for her.
"So are you all done?" he asked.
"Just about," she replied. "I was just taking the perishables out to a neighbour. It would be a shame for them to go to waste."
"Hmm..." Seto said with the tone of someone who didn't even think about that kind of thing most of the time. "The jet is due to leave soon so we should get going."
"Oh, OK," Anzu said, turning away. Seto was being all business and she supposed that it was how it would be most of the time, but right now it felt like he regarded it as a done deal. However, she knew it was still early days and she may be mistaken. Time would tell.
She got her case and overnight bag from her room then methodically made sure that everything that should be turned off was actually off. Then she took a last look around to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything important, picked up her case and made to head for the door.
"Just hold it right there," Seto said, causing her to jump. She had been so caught up in making sure the flat was ready to be left that she had almost forgotten he was there.
"What is it?" She was both concerned and slightly agitated.
"Just... put the bags down," Seto said. Anzu did so, then he stepped over towards her. First is this..." he pulled her in close and held her tightly for a moment, something else that shocked her so that it took a moment until her arms returned the embrace.
"Remember that I am here for you, OK? You don't need to be nervous of the press."
Anzu mentally sighed. He had thought that she was worried about the press! Actually that wasn't the first thing on her mind right now.
"I know, thank you," she said. She leaned up and kissed him quickly, then pulled away and made to pick up her case.
"Oh no you don't," he said. "That thing must be heavy. Let me."
Anzu wasn't sure what to say. On one hand she was quite capable of carrying it herself, no matter that it was rather heavy... but on the other hand... why not let him do it if he wanted to.
"Oh, thank you Seto," She followed him from the room, turning back momentarily to make sure that the door was well and truly locked, then they left the building. They once again had to run the gauntlet of the press, who no doubt would try to make something of the fact that they were leaving Anzu's apartment with a large case and overnight bag in tow. But then they were in the car and away, heading towards the airfield where Seto's private jet was waiting to take them to Orlando.
On to Chapter 23
A/N - Slightly longer than I really wanted but there was no real good place to cut it. Feels kinda 'filler'-ish, but 'filler' chapters are important too, dammit!
