Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Dreams Come True ❯ Chapter Twenty One: In the summarized words of my loyal readers--"Seto beats the living crap out of ( Chapter 21 )

Chapter Twenty One: In the summarized words of my loyal readers:--"Seto beats the living crap out of Keith"

Mina complied as quickly as she could, ducking off to the side as she heard fist connect with face. She cringed, very glad she wasn't in the gang's place right now.

But boy, was she ever relieved!

You found me…I knew you would…

Hands suddenly snatched her from her spot, but this time, she screamed. As muffled as the sound was, Seto dropped the collar of his current victim and looked up. Keith had Mina by her neck, a hand over her mouth.

"Jerk," growled Seto, jaw tensing.

And then something happened that surprised everyone.

"Lemme go!" Yelled Mina, jamming her heel onto Keith's toe, and biting down on his hand at the same time. He gave an astonished cry and let go suddenly, sending Mina tumbling to the ground. She ducked as Seto tackled Keith, pinning him to the ground-a hand on his throat.

"You deserve to die, you lowdown son of a bitch." He punched with his free hand, accentuating each new curse word with a fresh hit. Mina looked afraid.

"Seto-no-stop!" She ran and grabbed his arm, trying to restrain him from swinging it again.

"Mina-this guy just kidnapped you, was about to tie you up, maybe even hurt you. Let me just finish this-"

"No!"

"Don't be stupid."

"I won't let you hurt him anymore! I think he's learned his lesson by now, Seto. I'm ok, really! Come on..." She tugged at his arm, and he stood up reluctantly.

"Are you sure you're allright?"

She nodded. Shaken up, a little scared, yes, but hurt? Not in the least.

"Now that that's settled-what are you doing here?"

Mina froze. Oops. Hadn't planned on that question.

"I'm, an, uh, eliminator!" She suddenly said, showing him her right hand, which sported a bright red Duelist's glove.

"Ah," He said, looking as if he didn't believe her. "And you didn't bother to tell me?"

"…Oh, wow, look, is that a cardinal?" She suddenly skipped out of the cave and looked into the forest, hoping she was convincing enough. Sure, it was a lousy way to get out of a question, but she wasn't great at spur-of-the-moment things.

"It was blue," he said flatly, and crossed his arms across his chest, looking at her skeptically. She giggled nervously.

"Oh, was it? It looked red to me! Gomen!" She racked her brain for excuses. And she had been doing so well, too! Why'd he have to go and push it?

"Whatever. Let's go." He turned and walked in the direction he had appeared from, carefully trodding on every gang member. "Oh, I found this. I think it's yours." He tossed the communicator over his shoulder, and Mina caught it, and looked at it.

"Hey! Thanks! I was wondering where this went!" She put it on and adjusted it happily; not bothering to think about what the small computer might have told him. He didn't bother to think about upsetting her.

Mina was instead thinking of all the possible reasons why Seto was acting the slightest bit angry. It had to be her reluctance to answer him-that was the only thing that would really get under his skin, she decided.

"Seto, you're not angry, are you?" He looked very much it.

"No, I'm not," he said, stopping and turning around to look at her. "Come on, we've got to go find Yugi."

"What? Why?"

"Because I have a competition to win, can't have you…" He didn't know how to put this delicately.

"Can't have me what? Being a burden? Is that it?"

"No, no, that's not it!"

"Then what?"

"……Nevermind." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Whenever we're in a remotely public place, you just clam up and refuse to show any affection towards me whatsoever! You will not melt! The world will not throw tomatoes at you! Read my lips, Seto: It. is. okay. to. show. emotion. " With that, Mina crossed her arms firmly across her chest and sat down on a fallen tree, scowling at her shoes.

Seto stood silent for a minute.

"It's not as easy for me as you may think, okay? If you want emotion, go date Yugi. Or the mutt." He turned around and began to walk, knowing that had been the wrong thing to say. He glance behind himself from out of the corner of his eye-she was still scowling at the ground, but he could see her lower lip trembling, and he felt like smiling at the way she was trying so hard not to cry.

I won't show him he's won, she thought.

"Ugh. Mina, don't cry, please."

"I'm not crying!" She gave a defiant sniffle, frowning. Seto sighed and walked back, sitting down by her.

"Come on, then." He wrapped her in his arms, sighing diplomatically. Maybe he really was going soft.

Or maybe he was just beginning to return to normal.