Hey everyone!

As you can see, I actually meant it this time when I said I was back and planning to do quite a bit of writing in the near future. This will become even more clear once you reach the end of this chapter... for me, it's fairly long. I figure since I only seem to manage an update once a year I had better deliver the goods! Hopefully it won't be another year before chapter 19 comes out; no promises, however. Haha, I'm pretty sure I've already broken enough of those as far as my updates are concerned!

Guess what? I passed the 500 review mark for this story! (confetti! champagne!) Thanks to everyone who has left me their comments and encouragement. I hope you'll continue to do so- I really enjoy reading your detailed and thoughtful reviews!

A small note to long-time readers of the story: I went back and made a couple smaaaaaaaaaall alterations in earlier chapters to make things roll a little easier for me. The only change of any significance is that I decided to give Anzu a traditional 4 year education instead of the 5 year slug I had originally intended to torment her with. This change is reflected in the story summary and in the first chapter. If I mentioned it anywhere else, I haven't fixed it yet. Feel free to let me know if you spot any errant references. Any other changes I have made thus far are (mostly) superficial, and if anyone can spot them they shall certainly receive a cookie.

In any case, I think I've wasted enough time. If you recall, we last left Seto and Anzu at a romantic dinner in New York City. The second half of this chapter gives us an idea of what happened afterward (I think a dance was mentioned at some point?). But first we'll spend a little bit of time with Yugi, who has just landed at Kennedy Airport quite unbeknownst to our two dark-haired protagonists...

Remember, if a flashback occurs inside of another flashback (which happens twice in this chapter) it is known as a double flashback. I swear once I go back and add dates to all these flashbacks it will make more sense. sigh...

Disclaimer: Oh, by the way... I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Just a reminder for the (zero) people out there who thought I did!

The Night Before

Chapter 18: Sunshine and Starlight

xx Flashback: JFK Airport- International Arrivals, June 9, 2003 xx

"Hey pal! You need a cab or what? They don't call it a taxi stand so you can just stand there like a dummy all day!"

Yugi Moto jumped, snapping out of the bewildered and slightly jet-lagged trance he had been laboring in ever since his flight touched down in New York. He rubbed the back of his neck and blushed with embarrassment, violet eyes refocusing after their attempt to take in so many things at once. The shuffle of customs, the shouts of baggage handlers, people hurrying to and fro with bags and briefcases- the hustle and bustle were a bit overwhelming, and he hadn't even left the airport yet...

Yugi thanked the cab driver, clamoring into the back of the taxi with his bags and telling the man his destination. His previous visit to New York had taught him a few things about how to recognize the veiled politeness behind the abrasive language some people used here. Leave it to Anzu to notice such a thing- she could always pick out the best in people, looking past the obvious and recognizing what was really there.

Of course, that hadn't been the only thing she had shown him during his previous visit; he certainly never would have made it to the taxi stand without asking for directions if she hadn't met him at the terminal last time. And he knew enough of the route to Anzu's apartment to feel calm and comfortable with the journey. Now that he was on his way, he could take a few moments to relax.

Yugi briefly pondered Anzu's role as a sort of compass in his life, figuratively and now in actual terms as well. She had always been there to keep him centered, reassuring him with friendship and shoring up his reserves of optimism so that even the darkest moments seemed just that little bit more bearable.

That certainly was one of many things he loved about Anzu. Yugi folded one slim leg over the other, reclining comfortably in the back of the cab. He had chosen well-worn jeans and sneakers for the trip, and was glad of this decision as he peered out the window at the endless expanse of skyscrapers he was currently approaching. A place like New York was actually a perfect metaphor for his feelings toward Anzu and how they had grown and changed over the years. Vast, varied, infinitely surprising, colorful, lively, and maybe sometimes a little frightening...

That fear was something that Yugi had always wished to be rid of and, with a lot of self-searching and the support of his friends, he was fairly sure he had exorcised it at last. It was a light and giddy sensation, like you might get when you have a dream of flying. Smiling faintly, the spiky-haired young man remembered back to one occasion where his courage- not to mention Jounouchi and Honda's timing- had failed him.

xx xx Double Flashback: Streets of Domino, June 8, 2001 (night of the Domino High graduation party) xx xx

"...and that was when Honda said they would be driving up. Yugi? Are you listening?"

"Umm..." As much as he hated to admit it, Yugi Moto had not been listening. He was too entranced by Anzu's sparkling eyes, and the golden cast thrown onto her skin by the sun as it set behind them.

The two friends had decided to brave the somewhat hilly walk from downtown Domino to the Kaiba Mansion for the graduation party of the century. The walk would last perhaps forty minutes, taking them past the Domino lookout and meandering up to the distant hillside where the mansion stood. Yugi liked listening to Anzu's voice as they walked together, telling stories and talking about their friends. Like calm before a storm, the colors of the sky were soothing; purples, oranges, beautiful sapphire blues...

Tuning back into reality, Yugi smiled and nodded. "I talked to Jounouchi. He said that Honda would give us a ride home later if we don't feel like walking."

Anzu's eyebrows relaxed as her friend finally replied. He worried her a little sometimes, when he spaced out like that. It seemed that Yugi occasionally went places that were so deep and far away that no one could follow. She smiled as they walked side by side, wondering if Yugi's wanderings ever had anything to do with the spirit who had left his presence such a short time ago.

Without a doubt, Anzu Mazaki would have blushed crimson if she had known that the blond boy's thoughts were much less related to the departed Yami than to the teasing flutter of her short yellow sun dress...

Yugi blushed, hoping the sunset would at least provide him with minimal camouflage. Maybe some more conversation would distract him for the remainder of their trek. "Can you believe we graduated? It doesn't seem possible that school is already over."

Anzu let out a small laugh. "You're right. The past few years have just flown. It sure has been a strange ride. And to think- now they're letting us loose on the rest of the world!"

Smiling, Yugi took the ball and ran with it, wondering aloud with Anzu about the varied ambitions of their classmates and friends. Many (including Yugi, Honda, and Jounouchi) would be taking some college classes and working part time jobs. Otogi was more or less dedicated full time to Dungeon Dice Monsters and his shop, hoping to expand the business now that his time was all his own. Shizuka, much to her dismay, still had a couple more years of school to go. And as for the surprising benefactor of their graduation bash?

"I can't believe Kaiba is having this party at his house. I mean, I know he isn't as bad as he seems- we should know that better than anyone, right?" Anzu giggled, trying to imagine the stoic CEO doing the limbo and drinking jell-o shots. "I don't know. It still seems... out of character somehow. Don't you think?"

Yugi shrugged, glancing absently up the hill to their destination as he thought about Seto Kaiba. He tended to think of Kaiba as a friend, even if his feelings on the matter were rather one-sided. Anzu was right- it was odd for him to invite the entire graduating class to his house, and Yugi was relatively sure Kaiba probably hadn't hatched the idea on his own. His little brother Mokuba seemed a likely suspect, and following close on his heels were the Kaiba Corp executives.

Kaiba was certainly one member of the graduating class whose future success seemed assured- at least if success was measured in dollars and cents. Yugi wondered if a day would ever come where Seto Kaiba would find true happiness, and just what it would take for such an eventuality to arise. Maybe someday they would even be real friends?

Friends...

Yugi felt a twinge in his heart as he looked over at Anzu, walking beside him with her hair blowing in the light breeze. She was his best friend and more. She was beautiful, brilliant, and talented- which was part of the reason why she was leaving to study in New York.

That guilty corner of Yugi's mind wondered, not for the first time, why Anzu couldn't have chosen a dance academy closer to home, closer to him... a confusing cocktail of feelings pulsed in the young man's unusual purple eyes as they scanned the sidewalk. He knew it wasn't fair to feel that way. He was so proud of Anzu, but he was also so in love with her...

She was standing right next to him, like always. Smiling at him, walking alongside him- so why did Yugi's courage always fail him in moments such as this? He had loved her for as long as he could remember, the kind of love that had grown from friendship to admiration, turned into a teenage crush, and come out the other side of everything as a full-fledged and authentic brand of love that felt strong and enduring. With so much to offer, what was he scared of?

Rejection? He knew she cared for him as a friend, but could Anzu harbor deeper feelings for him? And would it ruin their friendship if she didn't? He didn't think Anzu was the kind of person who would let such a thing keep them from being friends, especially after so long. But if she looked at him differently as a result, would things be the same? Yugi certainly didn't want to lose what they had, but he hoped for so much more.

Would he be holding her back by giving her his heart? Anzu was currently poised to take off in pursuit of her dream, one that she had held dear for many years. If he told her how he felt, would it change her priorities and weigh her down? Yugi certainly didn't want to be responsible for ruining Anzu's chance for success. He wanted her to be happy. What was that old saying? If you love something, let it go...

Perhaps he was scared because he wasn't ready? He looked at Anzu again. He certainly felt like he was... and who knew? If he didn't say something before she left for New York, he might not get another chance. Surely he could tell her in a way that made it clear he wanted her to pursue her dreams no matter what. And the possibility of rejection? He would just have to take the chance and trust in their bond.

Yugi suddenly stopped walking just outside the gates of the Kaiba Mansion, turning to face the girl he loved so much.

"Yugi? Is something wrong?"

Now her attention was focused on him, and it made him feel like the most important person in the world. The sun made her hair shine golden around the edges, like a halo of light.

"Anzu... I... wanted to tell you something." He smiled earnestly, unable to quite meet her eyes. This was it...

"What is it?" She sounded genuinely interested, perhaps even concerned. He hoped he was making the right choice.

"I..."

BEEEP! BEEEEEEEEEP!

A red car screeched to a halt right next to where Yugi and Anzu were standing on the pavement. Yugi felt the words stick in his throat as Jounouchi leaned out of the passenger window and waved his arms. "Hey guys! What do you think of Honda's new wheels?"

The moment was lost. Anzu greeted their friends with her usual energy, admiring the sports car and chatting with enthusiasm. Yugi mentally reined in his declaration from where it hung in the air, tucking it away for another time, another place.

"What's up Yugi? Ready to party?"

Yugi gave his friends a warm smile and worked himself back into the spirit of things. This was a night to celebrate their friendship, their past, and their future- with no room for regrets. Right?

"You know, I think I am!"

xx xx End Double Flashback xx xx

Sitting in a New York city taxi cab two years later, Yugi was almost glad that the fates had intervened in such a way. If he had spoken then, it might've been too hard, too painful to let go. Emotional attachment and physical distance weren't easy things to reconcile, and the changes they'd all experienced in their lives after graduation had surely been complicated enough without piling on the strain of a long-distance romance.

He was also of the opinion that he hadn't been as ready back then as he thought he was. It just goes to show, he thought, that it's even possible to be wrong about your own feelings...

From his vantage at the window of the zooming taxi, Yugi spotted a shop he recognized. He knew Anzu's apartment was just down the block. Signaling the driver, Yugi paid his fare and opted to walk the rest of the way. The bright sun and breeze brought Yugi back to that summer, reminding him of Anzu in that vivid yellow dress.

A ringing bell across the street captured Yugi's attention. In a twist of fate that seemed most encouraging, his eyes landed upon a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses- the very same color as Anzu's dress- in the window of a small florist. The thought of surprising Anzu with these flowers improved Yugi's mood even further, and he jogged across the street with a determined smile lighting his face.

All the pieces were slowly falling into place, and with his heart full of warmth and honesty, Yugi hoped that Anzu was as ready as he was for their relationship to evolve. Every step he took brought him one step closer to her doorstep, to the final piece he needed to complete this most cherished of puzzles...

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xx Flashback: Anzu's Apartment, New York City, June 9, 2003 (the same day) xx

"What are you talking about? We are dancing."

That had been his response last night, when Anzu voiced her opinion that Seto had promised her a dance. Being crushed rather erotically against the kitchen counter was no kind of dance she was familiar with, but he had forced her to let that technicality slide. And then...?

Now it was the following morning- check that- afternoon. Anzu blushed at the coffee pot, feeling slightly woozy. It certainly hadn't been laziness that had kept them in bed until one o'clock in the afternoon. Thankfully it was Saturday, and Anzu felt a sense of freedom that sometimes eluded her in a busy life where the cycle of rehearsal and performance were currently king.

Or maybe it was just being with Seto that made her feel this way. As much as she tried to keep things straight in her mind, the days spent without him weighed on her. There was longing, confusion, maybe even a dash of loneliness. Thinking back to last night, she could feel those apprehensions lifting up off her shoulders like a lead cape. Their dinner had been special, so full of revelation and tenderness. And as for what followed after...

xx xx Double Flashback: Anzu's Apartment, the previous evening xx xx

"What are you talking about? We are dancing."

Seto Kaiba, the ruthless and ice cold CEO who also happened to have her mercilessly trapped against the counter in her small kitchen, was actually being playful. Despite Anzu's protestations to the contrary, she thought that had to be worth quite a few dances. Giggling, Anzu tried in vain to struggle free from Seto's grasp. "As a trained professional in this field, I am forced to disagree."

Her squirming motions earned her a rather firm meeting with the entire length of his body, creating delicious friction as it sandwiched her against the hard countertop. The feeling of his lips tickling her ear made Anzu's limbs go slack, aborting even the least energetic of her escape attempts.

"Unfortunately for you, I'm a professional at getting people to see things my way."

Seto did not allow her to respond, pushing his lips against hers and stifling any remaining protests. Anzu shivered as he gripped both of her wrists with his long-fingered hands, holding them against the countertop. He was kissing her with maddening slowness, twisting his tongue against hers as if they were engaged in a slow, sensual dance.

Anzu's legs seem to liquify beneath her as his teeth scraped her bottom lip, ending the kiss. Seto's eyes glowed an unearthly starlight blue in the dark kitchen, peering at her intently. Still gripping her wrists, he pushed her body away just slightly, hoping to prolong the torture and drive her mad with desire. Anzu could feel the heat in the inches of air between their bodies as he stared into her eyes, rubbing teasing circles along her sensitive inner wrists with his thumbs.

Every cell in her body was drawn to him with some force akin to a gravitational pull. Sometimes it did seem as though Seto was the center of her universe- especially in moments like these where his mere proximity had her ready to explode like a supernova...

For his part, Seto may have been good at acting like he was in control, but with Anzu trembling before him, the veil grew ever thinner. He had dreamt and fantasized about every possible way to drive her crazy, and perhaps he would get to try them. Right now, however, he was rapidly losing patience. A year was a long time for any man to wait, never mind one like him who was used to getting his way.

"Do you want me as badly as I want you right now?"

Seto's rough and tumble intonation made the words catch in Anzu's throat. Perhaps he had been more successful than he thought. Lips parted, trying to catch air, Anzu managed to eke out a response. "Y- yes-"

Releasing her wrists abruptly, Seto slid one arm around her midsection. His other hand brushed fly-away hairs from her face. His lips were so close to hers that they brushed together as he spoke again. "Say it."

Anzu braced against him, arms pinned to his chest. Her desire for him was overflowing, and with great effort she was able to channel that energy into her voice. "Please, Seto. I want you so mu-mmph!"

The rest of her words were lost as his mouth descended. Anzu felt like she was flying in every direction at once- as Seto's lips pressed down her feet left the ground and she felt the rest of her body being hoisted upwards. Seto had yanked her up from the floor, gripping her against him. Her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively.

The year they had been apart seemed to wash away with the tide of familiar passion that swept over them. Anzu felt like she was floating along somewhere outside of time, to a place inside her heart and mind where she was always with him. At the graduation party, on his rooftop, in the taxi cab after the charity ball... she wasn't sure if the perfect way they fit together was a component of her memory or it was was something... else.

"Bedroom?"

At first she didn't understand Seto's question. If he wanted to know where she wanted him, she would say here, now, everywhere. It took his raised eyebrow and mocking grin for her to remember that Seto had never been inside her apartment before and was actually asking for directions to her bedroom. She laughed quietly, running her fingers gently through his dark hair. "It's at the end of the hall."

Anzu's shoes were the first thing to fall by the wayside as Seto carried her toward the bedroom. Gripping her legs tightly around his midsection, she managed to relieve him of his t-shirt about halfway down the hall. As they stepped across the threshold into her bedroom, she wondered if this had been on Seto's mind earlier when he had told her to put her black linen sun dress back on before they went to dinner- it took him about three seconds to remove. He threw it across the room, where it fell in a small and crumpled heap. Well, it was certainly an improvement over what happened to her ball gown...

In fact, Seto had been thinking about this moment since he first spied her walking down the street in the little black dress. Her legs had stretched for miles, and that was a highway his hands had been so ready to travel. The main reason he had suggested that she change back into the dress was that he was determined to have the chance to rip it off.

After a brief storm of blue boxer shorts and lacy black under things, the two fell onto the bed. The fluffy down comforter was a stark contrast against the lean muscles of Seto's body. Anzu's skin was overwhelmed with sensation, a moan erupting from her throat as she felt lips and hands exploring her body. Arching her back, she felt Seto's fingers tugging almost gently on her hair, still miraculously in a loose braid.

Anzu dimly realized that her hands were also were not idle, pressing into his flesh and willing their bodies even closer. As Seto's legs tangled with hers, she felt her hair spilling over her shoulder. He had managed to unravel her braid completely, giving a feral purr of satisfaction. At first he really hadn't approved of her longer hair, but he was finding that it added an extra dimension to her body, catching his attention and giving him even more untried ideas of things he wanted to do to her. Anzu herself felt like a wild and sensual creature with her hair fanned out in all directions, twisting her body against Seto's in a warm and dangerous dance.

"Anzu..."

He began pressing against her insistently, pushing her down into the blankets with a dazed expression on his face. This was the place Seto went to when he felt the pressures of life bearing down, when he missed her so much that it hurt. At these times he could see her in his mind's eye, writhing beneath him with those lust-glazed sapphire eyes, telling him with no more than a look how much she needed him, what she wanted him to do...

The lustful pressure between them had reached its breaking point. Anzu aligned her hips with Seto's, meeting his thrust and taking him in, drawing him as far into her as he could go.

For a moment, they were still. Seto looked down at her, breathing raggedly. There was a force of feeling behind his eyes, but Anzu was in no fit state to start wondering about it. A small gasp escaped her as Seto's hips jumped. The miniscule movement made them both want more, and before she could blink they were grinding and sliding against one another at a rapid and intoxicating pace.

Anzu had never experienced anything else in the world that made her feel like this; despite the fact that he was dominating her, plunging in and out with his arms braced on either side of her head, she felt powerful. She squeezed the sides of his body with her legs, sliding her knees further up his abdomen and digging her heels into his back so that he could push deeper into her. Her moans were almost continuous now, arms locked behind his neck, hips rising up off the bed in time with his thrusts.

He loved the little noises she made, and the way she gripped him so tightly. She certainly made the most of that dancer's body as well, flexing and bending with ease and a feral grace that perhaps only he ever got to see. The moment her heels dug into his upper back, he felt her squeezing around him even tighter. White hot sparks swam in front of his eyes, and he drove himself into her pliant body as hard and fast as he could...

The pressure inside was building perfectly, and Seto growled into her shoulder as her body convulsed around him. Anzu felt his chest rubbing against hers as their pace increased, adding even more tantalizing sensations and bringing her to the brink. She could hardly even hear herself screaming his name, and was far from caring if anyone else heard. His hands gripped her hips, pinning her to the bed to keep her still as he drilled into her over and over. Finally, Seto released a shout of his own, holding himself firmly inside of her and crushing her to him as he came apart.

They held each other in silence for a long time after, for who knew how long. There was nothing that needed to be said, and the feeling was so perfect that Anzu didn't want the moment to end. Hoping to preserve her ecstasy for just a little while longer, she closed her eyes and surrounded herself with his presence. It almost felt like the most wonderful dream, and slowly she drifted off to sleep...

xx xx End Double Flashback xx xx

Anzu sighed, taking a seat at her small kitchen table as the coffee began to brew. She and Seto had been 'together' three more times after that first intense joining. Between those more heated moments they slept, held each other, and talked about little things, talked about nothing. After the sun had risen and most of the world went about their daily lives, the two had made love one last time, slow and close, with light from the sunny alleyway spilling through the window and warming their skin.

The smell of fresh coffee reminded Anzu that reality awaited- not that this was necessarily a bad thing when you happened to have Seto Kaiba down the hall in your shower...

He had indicated an intention to stay for the weekend. Anzu wasn't sure if saying goodbye again would be harder after spending the next two days together, but the chance to be with Seto for just that short while made the risk seem worth it.

When Anzu had finally risen from bed, having some difficulty extracting herself from Seto's grasp, she had cautiously suggested that the two take a walk around the neighborhood or perhaps visit one of the nearby museums. Seto had agreed quite readily- his only condition was that coffee be provided to him at the earliest possible convenience. Anzu was well enough acquainted with Seto's personality to know that the 'earliest possible convenience' was one of his more obtuse ways of saying 'now'.

She had showered first, giving Seto time to call and have his luggage sent over from the hotel. Taking his request for coffee to heart, Anzu had donned her favorite purple terry robe upon exiting the shower, padding into the kitchen with bare feet.

In a way, Anzu had a hard time imagining what the rest of this weekend would be like. Even when they had been together in Domino she and Seto had never been that way out in the open... the fact that he didn't feel any need to hide- even if they did have the massive and manic nature of New York City to protect their anonymity- seemed to change their relationship significantly in Anzu's mind.

After all, she mused, I'm halfway done with school already. Two more years, and then...

Then they could be together, right? He said that was what he wanted, which made her heart do cartwheels. For Anzu, this was finally beginning to seem real. At that moment she felt light as a feather, with less doubt in her heart about whether they would be alright than she could remember feeling in so long. Once she had flown away from Japan and everything she knew, nothing had seemed certain. Not like it did now...

The doorbell rang. Anzu smiled, assuming that Seto's luggage had arrived. Walking to the door with a light dancer's step, she did not deem it necessary to peep outside to confirm who was there. Opening the door sight unseen, she expected to meet a black-suited figure, holding Seto's (probably also black) luggage. The person who turned out to be there, however, was not who she was expecting. Not in her wildest dreams, nor in the entire storied history of bad timing.

Standing on Anzu's doorstep, almost obscured by a sizable bouquet of yellow (yellow? wasn't that the color of panic?) roses, was-

"Yugi? What are you doing here?"

XXXXXXXXXX

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Oh my. And just when things seemed to be working out so well! Hahaha, well you all know how evil I am! I can't even let poor Seto and Anzu stay happy together for one chapter!

So what is Anzu going to do with Seto in her shower and Yugi on her doorstep? I'm not sure, but I have a funny feeling that Seto isn't going to like this very much. At all.

Incidentally, did you guys recognize the sunny alleyway in the second half of this chapter? Yes, it was the same one featured in the dream Yugi had a few chapters ago. (Evil laugh!)

Review and let me know if it was any good! I tried to get a little bit of everything in there, and although the chapter was a little light on dialogue I think there was plenty of action and development nonetheless. Hopefully in chapter 19 we'll get a little more of Seto's take on things. Before and after all hell breaks loose!