Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Dreams Come True ❯ Chapter Ten: Another One?! ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter Ten: Another One?!

The next morning, as Mina woke, the first thing that came back to her was the first dance.

That…was the best night of my life. Thank you… She had said to him later, as the ball dwindled to a close.

Don't mention it. He had an aloof look to his face, as if to show that he could care less. He was returning back to his old self, and Mina was afraid of that. She liked him better when he smiled and danced and called her "kid". It felt right, somehow.

"Why are you so afraid of me, Seto?" She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest, biting her lip.

At the Kaiba mansion, Seto Kaiba was already up and typing annual company reports in his office. His eyes and part of his mind were focused on the spreadsheets on the screen, but the other part was focused on the night before.

He had gone overboard, he thought. He had gotten her hopes up, and then remembered, and become what he was again-distant, aloof, solitary. He kept reminding himself he needed no one, had no use for love in any way, shape, or form, that it was painful and would make him weaker in the long run.

But those eyes of hers…

He shook his head violently and concentrated on the numbers again. He didn't notice it, but he had typed "Mina" in two of the spreadsheet slots.

"So how was the ball, princess?" Pegasus asked as Mina sleepily trudged down the stairs into the dining room.

"Oh, it was great, daddy." She sat down at the table and blinked slowly several times, looking very much like an owl.

A butler set down a bowl, some milk, a spoon, and a box of cereal in front of her on a silver tray. She smiled in thanks and began to help herself.

"Mr. Pegasus-the preparations are all set for the competition." Croquet walked in and set a big pile of papers on the table.

"Ah. Very good. Nice work-I thought it would take longer. Notify every duelist you deem worthy."

Mina looked up from reading the back of the cereal box and cocked her head. "What competition?"

Pegasus looked at her. "Oh! That's right, you spent the summer with your friend that year, didn't you? Another dueling championship, my dear. You remember. Starchips? Dueling gloves? Prize money?" He waited for this to sink in.

"Ohhhh! I remember! Wait-Another one?! Why?"

"I think it would be a nice little vacation for the duelists, anyways."

Mina shrugged and went back to her cereal, thinking, of course, the inevitable. Pegasus cleared his throat.

"Sorry Mina, but you can't enter."

"What? Why not??"

"Because people would think I had tweaked it if you won, which you might have. So no, you may not enter."

"Da-ad!!!!!! Come on!!"

"No-sorry. It's going to be in the official rules, so don't even try to slink by. I tell you what, though. I'll let you come and run around doing whatever you please on the island, as long as you wear some kind of communicator so I know where you are at all times." Mina glared from under her bangs.

"Not fair."

"Fine then, stay home."

Mina digested this for a moment, then shrugged.

"Fine, fine. I'll wear your stupid communicator."

Pegasus smiled then. "That's a girl."

"Hey, Mina!" Mokuba grinned as he opened the door to find Mina standing there.

"Hey kid. Is your brother home?"

"Nah. He just left for the main office, you just missed him…"

Mina looked around and grinned.

"Good-he'd probably disapprove. Wanna go to the zoo?"

Mokuba's large eyes widened even more in awe.

"Wow, REALLY?"

"Yeah, really. Come on, grab a coat or something. I'll pay for the bus and stuff."

Mokuba ran and put on his shoes, threw on a coat, grabbed Mina by the hand, and started to tow her off toward the bus stop. Mina smiled and checked her watch. Nice. They could spend and hour or two at the zoo, get some lunch, and come back waaay before Kaiba did-avoiding what was sure to be a severe scolding.

"Can we go see the penguins now?" Thirty minutes later, Mina kept tugging on Mokuba's hood.

"Eww. Penguins? But they smell."

"They sort of look like your brother in a tuxedo."

Mokuba grinned and giggled.

"Is that why you want to go see them so bad?"

Mina's only response was a very deep blush, accompanied by a quick change of subject.

Hours later, Mina looked up at the sky as they came out of the video game store and frowned.

"Looks like rain. We better get home, Mokuba."

"Kay." He was clutching the most recent version of his favorite video game.

They didn't quite make it. Just as soon as they got off the bus, it started raining with large drops. Mina shook her head and made Mokuba pull his hood up. She hadn't bothered to bring a jacket, thinking it wouldn't rain until later.

Yeah, it could be worse. It's only rain, she thought.

It got worse.

The wind started howling, and then it started hailing.

"Damn," Mina said, grabbed Mokuba, ducked her head, and sprinted the last bit to the house. She was soaked to the bone, but the first thing she did was make Mokuba change into dry clothes, put on some socks and a sweater, and sit by a heating vent with a hot cup of tea.

"What about you, Mina?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me, kid. I've had every disease this side of the world, and I'm vaccinated for the ones on the other side."

"Are you sure you don't want something dry to change into?"

"No, I'm allright. The thing is getting home before your brother does."

"There's no way you'll make it in this rain, and Kaiba's probably on his way home now!"

Mina sighed in defeat. "Fine. I stay and face the awesome wrath of Seto. But you better drink that tea, or you'll feel my awesome wrath."

Mokuba frowned at his cup, took a sip, and made a face.

"Eww…."