Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Till My Dieing Day ❯ Till My Dieing Day ( Chapter 1 )

Till My Dieing Day

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The aisle was busy as nurses rushed back and forth pushing wheelchairs and large trays with them. The white-washed walls offered no source of comfort to the men and women waiting in the visitor's room. Anzu Mazaki shivered, staring out the clear glass door of the visitor's room. She hated hospitals with a passion. They were so depressing and always seemed to give off a feeling of death.

Closing her eyes, she wrapped her pink jacket tighter around her thin body. She didn't want to be here. She didn't even know what had made her want to come. But after hearing that Seto Kaiba was in the hospital, something had made her get in her car and drive to the Domino Hospice Center.

She snorted lightly. It figured that a rich guy like Kaiba wouldn't go to the regular Domino Hospital. The Domino Hospice Center was a private hospital that offered care and facility to the more wealthy citizens of the town.

"Miss Mazaki, the doctor is now allowing Mr. Kaiba to have visitors."

Anzu looked up at the young nurse. She smiled and nodded her thanks to the woman. The nurse returned the gesture and led her down the stark white hallway. They soon came to a stop as they reached the end of the hallway. The nurse opened the door to the room and they both stepped inside.

Anzu's eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. Lying on the bed in the corner of the room was Seto Kaiba. Or at least she figured it was Seto Kaiba, since his name was written on the door outside. But if the name hadn't been there, she never would have guessed that the man in the hospital bed was the cold-hearted CEO she knew.

He looked so different. His face was drained of color and his thick brown hair was disheveled and stuck to his face due to the cold sweat on his body, as was the white hospital robe he had on.

"What happened to him?"

The nurse smiled sympathetically at the brunette girl. Shaking her head, she took a file from the cabinet on the wall next to the bed. "We're not entirely sure. It seems like a severe case of pneumonia, but he's been like this for long than pneumonia usually lasts." Bowing slightly, she looked to the patient of the bed. "I'll leave you alone with him now." And then she left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Anzu walked further into the room. Pulling a chair out from a nearby desk, she wheeled it over to the bed and then sat herself in it. Her eyes dimmed slightly as she surveyed his sleeping form. Leaning forward, she took the cream colored blanket and pulled it further over his body. She stopped in the middle of the action as he let out a small cough, his breathes coming out in wheezes.

"Seto..."

She gasped, realizing she had called him by his first name. She had never, ever done that before. He had always been just `Kaiba' or, Jounouchi's favorite, `money-bags.' Never Seto. A small smile appeared on her lips as she spoke his name again. He stirred slightly in the bed, his hand coming to rest on top of hers.

Azure eyes widened. She gazed down at their hands, shivering at the cold touch of his fingertips on hers. Afraid to disturb him during what appeared to be some much needed sleep, she left her hand right where it was.

After getting as comfortable as she could in her chair, she absently began playing with his hand. Her fingers caressed his palm and entwined themselves around his fingers. Consumed in her little game, she hardly noticed when he began to play as well. His fingers slowly started tapping against hers and wrapping themselves around each other. It was almost as though they were dancing; only they were using their hands instead of the rest of their bodies.

Anzu let out a small giggle when his grip on her hand tightened. Glancing over his features, she blushed as her eyes landed on his face. She had never noticed it before, but Seto had an extremely attractive face. Even now as he lay in bed pale and sick, he was so handsome. And the smile on his face made him all the more eye-catching. In all of years of knowing him, she could never honestly say that she had seen him smile a real, genuine smile.

`What's going on with me? How can I be thinking of Seto Kaiba as good-looking?'

Shaking her head, Anzu pursed her lips.

`I didn't even want to come here in the first place, and now that I am here, I'm blushing over him! This is Seto Kaiba, the cold-hearted jerk who treats you and your friends like trash!'

She sighed loudly, rubbing her thumb over his.

`But...I've never seen him like this before. I've never seen him act sweet like this. Maybe there's more to him than I figured. Maybe I never looked hard enough. Or maybe I've looked too hard and passed what I needed to find. This...do I feel something towards this?'

Anzu was snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of a deep male voice.

"Mazaki? What are you doing here?"

Clear blue eyes snapped open as she noticed that Seto was wide awake and staring at her with his narrowed cerulean orbs. Jumping up from the seat, she broke her hand free from underneath his. "S-Seto! I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you up!"

To her astonishment, he didn't appear to be angry with her. It was quite the contrary. He looked...pleased. Sitting up slowly in the hospital bed, he told her he didn't mind.

"I've been sleeping all day anyways. The doctor says I need the rest, but I'm getting sick of it."

Anzu nodded in understanding. Sitting back down in the chair, she offered a smile. "How are you feeling?" she questioned, her tone sincere.

Seto let out a laugh, answering the question with an inquiry of his own. "How do I look?"

The brunette girl blushed, not entirely sure how he would react with a truthful response. Shrugging her shoulders, she told him what she thought of his appearance. "Like crap."

"Then that's how I feel," he explained with a chuckle.

Anzu giggled, becoming more comfortable in his presence. It was odd...being with him like this. It was as though they had been friends for ages even though, in fact, they hated each other not even a month ago.

But really...had she ever really hated him? Deep down, could she say that she hated Seto Kaiba? Could he say he ever really hated her? Or was it just the petty rivalry between himself and her friend Yugi that caused him to think that he did?

There was a soft knock on the door and the nurse stepped inside, wheeling a tray of food in front of her. Her green eyes widened slightly. "Mr. Kaiba, I didn't expect you to be awake." She smiled. "Do you feel any better?" At receiving a shake of the head, she sighed. "I'll go get you some medicine. Miss Mazaki, this food is for you. Did you want anything to eat, Mr. Kaiba?"

"No, thank you."

The nurse nodded. "I'll just get the medicine then." She left the room quickly, mumbling under her breath.

Seto sighed, his breath once again coming out in wheezes. Reaching a hand up, he ran it through his tangled hair. Bringing it back down to his side, he turned his sharp eyes on the brunette girl. "So, why did you come here?"

Anzu frowned. "I...I don't know, honestly. I was over at Yugi's house when Mokuba called to tell us you were still in the hospital. I...I don't know what came over me, but I felt as though I needed to come and...And be here with you."

The brown haired young man smiled softly. "Mokuba...how is he doing?"

"He sounded really upset on the phone. I felt so bad for him."

Seto looked away, averting his gaze to the floor. "I...I'm not letting him come see me."

"What?! Seto, he's your little brother. How can you not let him come and see you?"

The CEO bit his lip. "I don't want him to see me like this, okay? I've always been the strong one...I don't want him to see me weak like this. His whole view of me would change."

Anzu, on impulse, grabbed his hands. "Seto, he's ten years old! He needs to see you." She gave him a reassuring grin. "Mokuba idolizes you. How he sees you won't change because of something like this. If anything, he'll become even fonder of you because you're brave enough to battle something like this." She squeezed his hands tightly, the expression on her face one of panic. "Don't isolate yourself in a time of need."

As Seto was about the say something, the door opened and the nurse stepped back inside. In her hand, she carried a needle. "Okay Miss Mazaki, could you turn away for a moment?" She jumped as her beeper went off. "Oh dear..." Placing the needle on the desk, she turned to the brunette. "Would you mind...? It's an emergency." Without waiting for an answer, she rushed out of the room.

Anzu blinked, looking to the needle. Her face paled slightly. "What does she want me to do?"

The blue-eyed man gazed wearily from her to the needle. "It's just a needle, but you don't have to give it to me. It doesn't work anyways"

"What do you mean?"

Seto reached out, taking her hand in his own and moving her forward until she stood over his bed. "That medicine is for pneumonia, which I don't have." He eased himself back down so that his head rested on the pillow. "The disease I have I was born with. I've always had it, but it hasn't ever acted up like this. When I was a child, back in the orphanage, it did get pretty bad. The doctors then couldn't tell what it is either. I...I don't think it's curable though, whatever it is."

Anzu felt her breath catch in her throat. "Seto..." She sat down on the edge of the bed. "Please don't think that way. It hurts me to hear you say such things."

"It's the truth, Anzu. What's the point in hiding from it?" He brought their adjoined hands forward until they rested over his heart. "It beats slower every day. I'm dieing, Anzu. I can't deny it anymore."

Tears formed in the girl's clear blue eyes. "Seto...you can't die. You just can't."

"Why do you care so much all of the sudden?"

"I...I don't know. I just think..." Anzu gripped the material of his hospital robe, bending down over him. "I just think I never looked hard enough at you. I never gave you the time of day. I just...I just thought you were some jerk, but now I think that I was wrong. You're more than that and...if there was one thing I could change in my life, I would go back and change my attitude towards you so that maybe we could have been friends."

The girl sniffled, tears falling down her cheeks and landing on his chest. Seto was blushing slightly at having her so close to him. Though he had never even dreamed of telling her...he had always felt something towards Anzu. He would always get flustered when in her presence, even when she would scream profanities at him.

"S-Seto...if there was one thing you could change about your life, what would it be?" Anzu asked; her voice shaky because of her crying.

The brown haired man was silent as he mulled over the presented question. Finally deciding on a suitable way to phrase his answer, he reached up and placed a hand to her cheek, "not loving you sooner."

The teenage girl blinked a few times, startled by the answer. W-what?"

Seto gave her a sheepish smile. "Anzu, I'm dieing," he explained, putting emphasis on the last word. "But all the time I was alive, I was too stubborn to admit to myself my true feelings. I...Anzu, I've been in love with you since the first day we met. I didn't want to believe it, but now that I'm sitting here with you and now that I have nothing left to lose, it's painfully obvious."

He used the hand on her cheek to bring her face closer to his. Blinking his eyes slowly, he answered her question again. "If I could go back and change one thing, I would make myself realize my feelings for you sooner. That way we could have been together longer than this."

Anzu blushed at his words. Reaching up with her free hand, she placed it over the one on her cheek to hold it in place. "Seto...I think I love you too. I think that's why I felt the need to come and see you. So we could be together like this, if only for a little while."

"I'm glad," Seto said, wheezing out another breath as he felt a cold chill wash over him. The end was soon, he knew. But he wanted to show Anzu how much he cared before he left for good. "Anzu," he whispered, being careful not to loose her gaze. "Would you mind terribly if I kissed you right now?"

"No."

Nodding his head, the brown haired young man gently touched their lips together. It was a brief kiss, but it was all Seto could muster with his limited energy. And to Anzu, it was the most magical thing in the world.

To ruin the moment, the nurse entered the room. After scolding the young girl for being so close with a potentially contagious patient, she informed her that visiting hours were now over.

Anzu nodded sadly, getting off the hospital bed and gathering her things. Taking Seto's hand in hers for one last time, she kissed it gently and in return, he kissed hers. "Seto...I do love you, and no matter what happens I will continue to love you. I-I'll come visit you tomorrow, alright?"

Seto nodded, all the while knowing that there wouldn't be any tomorrow for him. "I love you too, Anzu. Never forget that."

The brunette nodded and, after casting one last glance in his direction, left the room. He smiled as she left, bringing his hand to rest on his chest. Finally, after all his years, the yearning ache in his heart was gone.

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The next morning, Anzu Mazaki received a phone call from the Domino Hospice Center. She was told that Seto had passed away in his sleep late the previous night. There was nothing the doctors could have done to save him. The odd thing was, the nurse reported, that when they found him...he had the most peaceful smile on his face.

Something really must have changed him the previous day to make him look so content.

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At the funeral a few weeks later, Anzu stayed behind after the service. She approached the casket, looking down at the handsome face of the deceased Seto Kaiba. Giving a small smile, she placed her hand over his cold, dead one. It felt the same as in the hospital...only this time she knew that he wouldn't wake up.

Sniffling, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Seto...I won't forget. I promise." Bending forward, she kissed him lightly for the final time. "I love you forever," she whispered as she pulled away. Seto's expression remained the same, his lips still curled upward in the same content smile.

As her eyes filled up with tears once more, she turned away from the casket. And she ran from the church.