Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ All's Fair... ❯ Chapter One: Wheeee!!! *first chapter dance* ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One: Wheee!! *first chapter dance*

Someone was out to hurt Seto Kaiba in the worst possible way.

Mayhaps not the best possible way to start "The Sequel" out, but it was very true. Or maybe a review of facts is needed before we delve into our story so quickly.

After Mina had been discharged from the hospital, the question still remained of where she would stay. Seto didn't want her to go home and live with her father again, and she didn't want to go bother the Wheelers. That left only one option-to move in with Seto and Mokuba! (And her father obviously knew she was in good hands, because he never sent for her.)

She had her own room of course, and insisted on walking to school every morning like she usually did. The difference was that she walked Mokuba home every day now, instead of only three times a week. She had battled the gardener for a spot under the willow tree in the yard, and planted rose bushes there.

"Feh. Roses," Seto had remarked, but had affectionately tousled her hair.

Everything was basically the same on the outside, but everyone was different on the inside. Mina took to wearing loose tennis sweatbands on her wrists so people wouldn't see the scars and ask. And Seto was more patient, more protective of her-- though he still had his doubts about holding hands in public.

Of course, these are all minor details. The real thing came along when the house across the street was finally bought and moved into.

"Hey-someone bought the Langrisser estate!" Mokuba said cheerfully one day, pausing before on the sidewalk in front on the huge black wrought iron gate that fenced off the Kaiba's yard.

"Yeah, wonder who. That place is huge," Mina said, tilting her head, shifting her backpack so the strap would stop cutting the circulation in her shoulder. There was a boy standing in the spacious front lawn, hands in his pockets. Mina squinted at him, frowning. From what she could see, he had jet black hair…and…well, she couldn't see much else-but there! He had turned around-and Mina studied his face for a minute. A strong, sweeping jaw, broad cheekbones, medium forehead, and…she was too far away to notice much else.

"Oh well, we'll probably end up meeting them later, whoever they are. Let's go in-I have loads of homework, and I'm sure you do too!" Mina remarked, shrugging casually. And with that, the pair turned around and walked up the sidewalk to the house.

Across the street, the boy watched them leave with a smile.

~*~*~*~*~

"I'm hoooooooome," Yelled Mokuba as he bounced in the front door, Mina following and letting her books slump to the ground with a sigh. Since when did we get this much homework? She wondered, walking up to the staircase and starting up the stairs.

"Seto?" Mina called, smiling a little now. It was one of Seto's rare days off-he had promised to take her to dinner. "Seeeeeee-ttooooo?" She sang in a high falsetto, looking into his office. Nope. Not there. Neither was he in his room. Her brow furrowed into an upset look now, and she pulled a slip of paper off of a clip on her bedroom door, unfolding the note.

Sorry Mina, Miss Fuumura called from work, had to go in and do something, I'll make it up to you…promise. Don't let Mokuba have any ice cream before bed again…he gets stomachaches. And don't hold this against me kid, I'm honestly sorry.

--Seto.

Mina nearly turned red with anger.

"The jerk!!!!" She said suddenly, crumpling the note up and jamming it into a wastebasket. "'Oh, Mina, let's go out to dinner tonight, just you and me!'. This isn't fair. Stupid Kaiba Corp." She muttered, stomping off into the living room and flopping on the couch, engulfed in a mess of pillows as she miserably flipped channels, homework forgotten. She had all weekend to do it.

Mokuba wandered in with a small bowl full of ice cream, took one look at Mina, and giggled.

"What are you doing?" He asked, bending over to look her in the eyes.

"Sulking," She replied slowly, giving a melancholy sigh.

"Why?"

"Because your brother is overworked and underpaid."

"Underpaid?" Mokuba echoed, looking around the oversize mansion living room.

"Okay, maybe not underpaid. But definitely overworked. They won't even give him a day off to take his girlfriend to dinner. I should go down there and give them a piece of my min-What are you eating?"

"Ice cream," Mokuba said cautiously, inching away.

"You know you're not supposed to have that-oh, what the heck. Can I have some?" Mina gave in, and ice cream was such a comfort food…

"Yeah, yeah, okay…" Mokuba said with obvious relief, and trotted into the kitchen to get her a spoon.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Five hours and two bowls of ice cream later, Mina returned to her spot on the couch, preparing to sit there and wait until Seto came home. Stubborn as a mule, mad as a wet hen, she sat there-(and napped once…^_^;)-for nearly three hours, until ten o'clock.

And that was when Seto came home.

He looked tired, all but dragging his feet as he made his way down the hallway. He wouldn't have seen Mina if she hadn't cleared her throat meaningfully.

"Oh shit," Was his only comment as he turned to look at her, running a hand through his hair.

"What do you mean `Oh shit'?" Mina asked, raising an eyebrow. Even from this distance, Seto could see the anger in her eyes.

"You weren't supposed to wait up for me-Mina, go to bed. I'm sorry, honestly, I am. I don't know how to prove it to you…" He trailed off, wondering in his head how he had gone from never apologizing for his actions to constantly apologizing to Mina.

"You sure are making a lot of apologies to me lately," She commented, frowning.

Ouch. Right on the money.

"Look Mina, just get over it, will you? I'm a CEO of a company, not some baker on the corner of Smith Street who bakes gingerbread men and chases them over the country for a living!"

"Yeah, I'll get over it.." She said meekly, standing and turning away from him to straighten the pillows. He had raised his voice then, and he rarely did that…ever.

Seto sighed as she trudged up the stairs, sighing theatrically at the top before turning to the left and trudging to her room.

Ah, what can one missed day of work do? Absolutely nothing! She's really bummed about it, maybe you should take her out tomorrow…

Seto cleared his throat.

"Mina?"

Said Mina stopped slowly, looking at him.

"Mm?"

A sigh of defeat.

"We can do something tomorrow, if you'd like."