Usearki's Writing Journal

Title: 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?
Warnings Choose not to Warn. (CNTW is a valid warning.)
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!
Story Status: 31/35

Back to Chapter 1


Wordcount - 1619

At the Mansion:

"Anzu, are you alright?" Anzu looked up to find Mokuba stood in front of her. He really had grown since she had last seen him so she stood and threw herself into his arms and cried on his shoulder.

"Come on," he said gently, "lets get you home." He gestured for Isono to grab Anzu's bags and he led her to the car. He didn't say anything to her or ask what was wrong, he just gave her time to get her grief out of her system. When they reached the mansion, he had to gently wake her, but he didn't try to chivvy her out of the car, instead giving her a few moments until she was ready. Then he brought her into the house.

"I think you need to rest," he said. "Come on, I'll take you up." He led her through the house and up to a wooden door. He opened it and led her inside, but she stopped dead.

"This is Seto's room, isn't it?" She asked, eyes wide.

"Well, yes..." Mokuba was confused by Anzu's reaction. "You are his wife so you are entitled to be here..."

"No, no, you don't understand... he hates me," she cried, backing away.

"What do you mean, he hates you,?" Mokuba asked. "He doesn't hate you!"

"Yes, he does... I can't stay in here... oh god, it was a mistake to come here..." she was verging on a full blown panic attack.

"No, it's OK," Mokuba said. "We'll get you another room. It's not a problem." He gestured to Isono who dodged back into Seto's room and picked up Anzu's bags. "Just come and sit downstairs a minute whilst the other room is prepared, OK?" Mokuba was being gentle as he knew that Anzu was tired, well, more like exhausted, and full of grief from her Grandmother passing. It sounded like Seto had only added to her burden, which would be typical. He brought Anzu down into the lounge and asked one of the staff to bring her a drink.

"Look, I'm sure whatever happened between you and Seto is a big misunderstanding," Mokuba said patiently, not wanting to cause another meltdown. Anzu had been through enough already. "Don't say anything about it now, just have your drink and go sleep a while. You'll feel a lot better."

Anzu sighed. "You are probably right," she said, although she really doubted it right now. "Thank you Mokuba." She was also considering that perhaps she should not have come here, that perhaps she should have gone back to her Grandmother's house, to stay in familiar surroundings instead.

Well, she needed to sleep first. She could do nothing until she had rested. Still, she took the offered drink gratefully.

"Can I take the cup up with me?" Anzu asked, her voice showing her clear exhaustion.

"Of course," Mokuba said. Isono appeared at the door and indicated that Anzu's room was ready. "Isono, could you take Anzu up to her room."

"Of course, please follow me," Isono said respectfully. Anzu nodded and followed him out, leaving Mokuba alone to consider what had happened.

Well, there was only one way to find out what had happened for sure, and that was to call Seto. He checked the clock and thought it was an acceptable time to call, but even if it wasn't this really couldn't wait. He picked up his cell and dialed.

"Mokuba," Seto said evenly as he answered the call. "Is everything alright?"

"Well, that depends on what you mean by alright," Mokuba said gravely. "What the hell did you do to Anzu?"

Seto snorted. "More like what did Anzu do to me," he said with some annoyance. "She called me just after Yugi defeated me – again!" He sounded outraged by that, "then she disappeared without a trace until she appeared on the news boarding a flight. Then when she finally deigned to turn her phone back on, I asked her what the hell she thought she was doing and she told me to fuck off and hung up! I never thought she would ever speak to me like that!"

Mokuba sighed. "You really have no idea why she called you in the first place, do you?"

Seto paused, Mokuba correctly assuming that it had only that second occurred to him that perhaps there was a reason. "I suppose I don't," he said quietly. "I take it that you are calling me because you know the reason?"

"Yes," Mokuba confirmed. "She had a call from St. Jude's hospital that her grandmother had been admitted with complications from Pneumonia. Seto, you yelled at her at a really bad time, and I know that you did yell at her."

"I did, I suppose," Seto admitted reluctantly. "So how is her grandmother, do you know?"

"Oh Seto," Mokuba said sadly. "She died. Anzu got in just in time to say goodbye. She's here now and asleep in a guest room. She wouldn't even enter your room because she became almost hysterical, said that you hated her and she had no right to be there."

"Well, fuck..." Seto sounded almost stricken, well, as stricken as Seto Kaiba would ever sound. "Of course she wouldn't call me unless it was something important and I probably cost her precious time with her Grandmother." he paused. "I need to talk to her, can you please call me as soon as she wakes up? It doesn't matter what time it is, I need to set this right."

"You really do care for her, don't you Seto?" Mokuba said sadly.

"I wasn't sure going into this, but I suppose I do," Seto admitted grudgingly.

"I'll be honest, I think you've fucked up really badly here, but don't take it too hard if she won't accept your apology at first. Once she's had time to calm down a bit and work through her grief she might be more receptive."

"I will bear that in mind," Seto said thoughtfully. This wasn't the first time that Mokuba had talked him through interpersonal relationships as he had a tendency to just steamroller people and then wonder why they were much more wary about dealing with him in future. This tendency may just have cost him his marriage and he was feeling very much like a heel. "Thank you Mokuba, now how are things with you. Getting all your homework done and is your school work up to date?"

Mokuba groaned internally. No matter what, Seto always made sure that he was keeping up with his studies. But then it showed that Seto cared and he wouldn't have it any other way.

–

It was still dark when Anzu awoke. She looked at the clock, noting that it was 5.30am. She yawned and stretched and got out of bed. Although it had been the thing to do to come to the Kaiba mansion yesterday, at least before Seto had reamed her out in her hour of need, now she did not feel right staying here and she had to go.

She got out of bed and dressed quickly, foregoing a shower for now. She just wanted to leave, to get away from this place. She dashed off a quick note for Mokuba, so that he would not worry too much, and she left the room, carrying her cases for now because she did not want to make too much noise.

Some would take what she was doing as running away, but she took it as protecting herself. Seto had abandoned her once, arguably that first time wasn't exactly his fault, but then he had abandoned her again, when she needed him the most. She could not take a chance that it would happen a third time.

She made her way to the front door, only to find Isono waiting for her.

"Is there somewhere you need to go?" he asked, eyeing the suitcase in her hand.

"Yes, but I can just call a cab," Anzu said warily.

"No, I must insist. If you need to go somewhere I shall have a car brought around," Isono said. "Shall I get your coat?"

Anzu subsided. "Thank you Isono, I will take the car."

"Very good," he said. He brought her coat and then she put her shoes on and he took her out to the waiting car. She wondered how on earth he had known she would want to leave, but put that thought to one side and told him where she wanted to go. When they arrived shortly after, she got out and let herself into the house, somehow feeling as though she were trespassing even though she had every right to be there – at least for the moment. After the will had been read she would have to move on.

She started as she realised that Isono had followed her inside.

"Will you need me for anything else?" he asked gravely.

"No, thank you Isono."

"Very good," he said, then he left her to her devices. Finally alone, she felt that she had time to grieve. She slowly walked around the house, taking in all the little things that made it feel like home, dabbing at her eyes the entire time.

After a few minutes, she shook herself down. Time to get ahold of herself. There were things to be done and the first thing on the list was to take a shower. Then she would get down to the nitty gritty of sorting out what was to happen with regard to the funeral. She knew that her Grandmother had already got arrangements in place, having paid for her funeral years ago. She just had to ensure that those plans were enacted.

Time to get started.

On to Chapter 32

(–)


A/N - I know that 'the reading of the will' isn't something that's normal IRL, but fic rules go here. :P