Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Voglia Di Dance All Night ❯ Chapter Thirteen ( Chapter 13 )

Voglia Di Dance All Night

 

Chapter Thirteen: With Shattered Hearts

 

 

Yugi was concerned. Ever since Anzu had come over to briefly talk to Yami the other day, his cousin hadn't been the same. He didn't know what was said between them, but it was obviously hurtful enough to cause Yami to lock his words away. It was devastating to see him.

 

The once proud, healthy, handsome Egyptian fashion designer now looked like a crumpled old man. His tanned skin was pasty looking, and his hair had lost its natural luster. He had even gone so long with out re-dyeing it that the blonde roots were beginning to sprout underneath the black and red. Crimson eyes were dull and lifeless. He had even lost weight. And on top of all that, he wouldn't speak to anyone. Not to his best friend, his cousin, or even his children.

 

Yugi didn't know what was going on, but he knew it had to stop. And the sooner it did, the better, too. He was afraid that if this pattern of behavior continued, Yami would end up in the hospital, or worse... dead.

 

Making up his mind, he decided to venture into his cousin's room - which had been declared off limits to all after Anzu had left that day - and find out what the hell was the matter with him. Summoning his courage, he knocked on the door and waited for a response. When none came, he opened the door and stepped inside.

 

“Yami..? Are you in there?”

 

Yami was lying on the bed with his pajamas still on and his bed sheets tangled around him. In his hands was a lighter, which he was moving slowly back and forth, following the flame with his inert eyes.

 

Yugi went over and sat on the side of the bed, grabbing the lighter. This caused the Egyptian to glare at him and then roll over. Setting the lighter on the counter, Yugi sighed. “Yami, what are you doing? You've been locked up in your room for almost three full days now. What the hell happened?”

 

The fashion designer shook his head. “I was an idiot,” he whispered.

 

Amethyst eyes blinked. Yugi placed a hand on Yami's shoulder in an attempt to get him to turn around, but the other just pulled out of his grasp and kept his focus on the wall ahead of him.

 

“Yami...you're not an idiot.”

 

“Yes I am,” Yami said, his voice still barely audible. “I was stupid enough to think that...that she would still be in love with me.”

 

The younger of the two men sighed heavily. “Yami, you have to snap out of this depression. If Anzu doesn't want to be with you, than that's her own fault. You deserve better than her, anyways. Right now you just have to stop isolating yourself like this. I mean, you won't eat or talk to anyone, and it looks as though you haven't gotten a wink of sleep in a long time. I have Sagira and Mosi coming up to me and asking if you've died!”

 

“I wish I had.”

 

“Yami, stop it!”

 

“You don't understand, Yugi. I can't just stop feeling this way, and you shouldn't be asking me to.” Yami clenched his hand into a fist, glaring at his younger cousin. “You have no idea what I'm feeling right now. You haven't the slightest clue what it feels like to have your heart broken so many times by the same woman. You don't know what it's like...to be so in love with someone...to know that that's the person you need to spend the rest of your life with...and to think that they feel the same way, too...and then have it all thrown back in your face. To have your heart trampled on like it was a piece of garbage. You have no idea...”

 

Yugi looked away. “You're right; I do have no idea of what heartbreak is like. But I do know that locking yourself in your bedroom and refusing to eat anything is unhealthy. You need to go out and spend time with your family. You need to go out and meet new people. Hey, I have an idea!” He grinned and walked over to the desk, picking up the phone. “Why don't I give Ryou a call? I think he said Bakura was in town today. And I could call Rebecca and we could all go out. What do you say?”

 

“Yugi, I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, but I'm not in the mood to go out.”

 

“Well I don't care,” the younger replied. “I'm calling up Ryou now, and I'm making plans to have him and Bakura meet me, you, Isis, Mariku, Malik and Rebecca down at Burger World in two hours. We'll decide on something fun to do from there.” He grinned and walked over to the door. “You're coming if I have to drag you there myself. Now go take a shower and get dressed.”

 

OOOOOOOO

 

“Mai, do you think I'm doing the right thing?”

 

The blonde-haired woman groaned. “For Christ's sake, Anzu, that is the tenth time you've asked me that in the last four minutes. And my answer is the same: I think you are doing the right thing. Now for the last time, can you go get me a damned chocolate bar?”

 

Anzu stuck her tongue out at her best friend. “You pregnant women sure are bossy.”

 

“And you engaged women sure do piss me off.”

 

The brunette just snorted and grabbed the half-empty box of chocolate bars from the dining room table of the Jounouchi house. Then after handing it to her friend, she went back to the couch and picked up the notepad she had been writing on before. “Who should I get to cater? I mean, I know Seto wants to use the chefs that work at the mansion, but isn't hiring a catering service all part of the wedding experience?”

 

Mai shrugged her shoulders. “How would I know?”

 

“Um, because you're married..?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, but I never made a big stink about whether or not to hire a catering service. Well, Katsuya and I don't have family chefs, so there was really no other choice but to order the food. But Seto's got money coming out of his ass; he can spare the few hundred bucks for a catering service.”

 

Anzu nodded in agreement. “I don't want to blow Seto's money. I mean, he's worked hard his entire life to earn it. But this is our wedding. It should be special, right? The food should be just perfect, and it would be so much easier for me to just order it in. So what should the menu be? I was thinking filet mignon for the entrée, but I know Shizuka is a vegetarian, and I can't have one of my bridesmaids skipping out on the main course.”

 

“So you're going to make the whole thing vegetarian? Come on, just let the girl have a salad and give the rest of us normal people a steak.”

 

Anzu blinked in amusement, loving Mai's bluntness. She truly did belong with Katsuya Jounouchi. “I guess. I'll have to talk with her and see if maybe there's any sort of special meal I can have her get. Let's move away from the topic of food, though.”

 

“Good idea,” the blonde said, holding up the chocolate box. “I'm almost finished with this pack.” She sat up slightly, resting her hand delicately over her large stomach. “Just think, Anzu. In only a week, I'm going to be a mother!”

 

The brunette smiled. “I still can't believe you're having a kid before me.”

 

“Well, you could have stayed with Yami and probably have had a whole big family already.” Mai's eyes then widened. “Oh, God! I'm so sorry. That was a stupid thing for me to have said. I'm probably making you feel worse than you did before.”

 

Anzu shook her head. “No, no, it's all right. Besides, you're right. If I had stayed with Yami, I could have been a happy mother already. But that wouldn't have worked out, because I never would have met Seto...”

 

`Which may not have been a good thing in the first place?'

 

“Anyways,” Anzu said to change the topic, “Have you decided on a name for the baby?”

 

Mai nodded happily. “Oh, yes we have. If it was a boy, we were going to name it Joey. But since it turned out to be a girl, Katsuya wanted to name it Josephine. I didn't like that name, so we thought some more. Finally we came down to two names - Téa and Serenity - and we both decided that Serenity had a better ring to it.”

 

“That's a beautiful name for her, Mai. Oh, I'm just so happy for you!” She smiled wistfully. “I hope I can have a child. I know Seto will make a great father.”

 

The blonde snorted. “Yeah, if he can ever pry himself away from the firm and come home, I'm sure he'll be great with a kid. Maybe teach him about politics or something.”

 

“Hey!”

 

Mai chuckled. “I'm just teasing. Lighten up a little.”

 

Anzu sighed and nodded. Looking up at the clock on the wall, she jumped. “I better get going. I'm supposed to meet up with my mother for lunch.” She stood up and gathered her things. Then she took her purse from the coffee table and, after waving goodbye to her best friend, left.

 

OOOOO

 

The diner wasn't at all crowded, even though it was lunch hour. The diner was the one at the end of Pine Crest Boulevard, which Anzu had requested going to because she remembered the food being delicious. When she arrived, her mother was already there and seated in a corner booth waiting.

 

“Hi, mom,” the young woman said in greeting, giving a warm smile.

 

Mrs. Mazaki stood up and embraced her only child. “Oh, Anzu! It's been far too long!”

 

Anzu blinked. “You were only on vacation for a month.”

 

Mrs. Mazaki shook her head. “A month without hearing the voice of their child can cause a mother serious grief.” She sat down and motioned for her daughter to do the same. “So, how is Seto? Are you two planning the big day yet?”

 

“He's fine. Swarmed with work, as usual. So that leaves the wedding planning up to me, you, and Mai. Oh, Mai is expecting the baby net week. Remember I told you her and Jou were having a baby?”

 

The older brunette woman nodded. “Oh sweetie, you'll never guess who I saw yesterday while at the mall.” She waited a moment and then continued. “Yami. You remember Yami, right? He was your first boyfriend...you dated him for almost five years and then broke up with him. I always liked him; he was such a good boy.” She cleared her throat. “Anyways, as it turns out, he's a fashion designer now. And a father of twins, too! It's a shame he isn't married to the mother. I met her as well, her name is Isis Ishtar. Fine woman, she was. Very intelligent.”

 

Anzu glared at her mother. “That's great, mom. But I thought we were going to talk about the wedding.”

 

“We are; we are. I just thought you'd like to know how he's doing.”

 

“I know how he's doing, mother. He was at the reunion.”

 

Mrs. Mazaki frowned. “I just don't see why you broke up with him, Anzu. He was always so nice. And he treated you so well. What were you looking for that Yami didn't have? Was he not tall enough or something?”

 

“No, mom.” Anzu sighed. “I'd prefer it if we didn't talk about him. It's not a very comfortable topic for me.”

 

“Do you regret breaking up with Yami, then? Because if you do, you can always hook back up. I could see in his eyes that he's heartbroken over your being engaged. I felt so bad.”

 

“Mom, stop it. I wouldn't consider going with Yami again because I don't love him, no matter how much you want me too,” Anzu hissed. “I know you like Yami much more than Seto, and you don't approve of my marrying Seto, but I love him so you'll have to deal with it.”

 

Mrs. Mazaki looked hurt. “I'm sorry. I'm just trying to look out for you. I don't want Seto to hurt you...and I know he has before. And that he is continuing to do so because of his never being around for you.”

 

To stop the argument from proceeding, the waiter arrived to take their orders. Anzu was surprised to see that it was the same waiter as last time; Ryou Bakura. And this time, he was accompanied by someone who looked almost identical to him.

 

“Anzu! I wasn't expecting you to come by here anytime soon. It's so lovely seeing you again. You look just as beautiful as last time.” The man next to Ryou let out a grunt. “So sad that Atemu isn't joining you today.” Mrs. Mazaki's eyebrows rose at this statement. “I wanted to speak to him.”

 

Anzu smiled. “Well, that was just a friendly lunch between us. To catch up on old times. I don't think you'll be seeing him with me anymore.” She turned to the taller white-haired man. “Is this your twin brother or something?”

 

Ryou blushed and shook his head. “Oh, heavens no!” He giggled and put an arm on the taller's shoulder. “This is Bakura - yes, I noticed his first name is my last name! He's my lover.”

 

Both Mazakis nodded uncomfortably. Anzu grinned. “Well, what a nice couple you make.”

 

This caused the waiter's cheeks to redden further. “Y-you think so? Well thank you. Oh! Here, I can take your orders now. Bakura, go sit down and let me take their orders.”

 

Bakura left and wandered over to the bar, taking a seat on the last available stool. Ryou smiled at him and then turned back to his customers. “So, what can I get for you?”

 

The mother and daughter ordered their lunches and the waiter went back to the kitchens to deliver their order.

 

Anzu placed a hand to her forehead. “Mom,” she asked after a moment. “I actually wanted to ask for your opinion on the wedding. Do you think it's a good thing for me to be marrying Seto?”

 

Mrs. Mazaki answered the question with an inquiry of her own. “Do you love Seto?”

 

“Yes. Of course I do.”

 

“Then there's your answer, sweetie.” The older brunette woman smiled kindly. “I know I may not have been very supportive of the idea of the two of you marrying, and I know it may seem as though I favored Yami when it came to who you should end up with...but you were right in saying that it wasn't my choice. I have no business telling you who you should be with. It's your decision. You just have to make the right one.”

 

Anzu sighed loudly. “It's just that...sometimes, I feel as though I may still have feelings for Yami. But it's so wrong of me to think that. I mean, he has a family for Heaven's sake! He should be with them, and support them. I'd just get in his way of doing that. I'd make things much more complicated for him; and after all he's done for me, it would be selfish of me to consider it.”

 

“But he does love you.”

 

“I know. I know he does. And I suppose a part of me still really loves him, too. But I need to be with Seto. It will work out better for everyone if I just go with Seto.”

 

Mrs. Mazaki shrugged her shoulders. “If you say so. But before you decide, I want to tell you a story.”

 

Her daughter raised a confused eyebrow. “I was once in your predicament, Anzu. Torn between to men. You see, back in my college days I was dating a man named Hatori Tanaka. He was a handsome young man with curly blonde hair and the brightest green eyes I'd ever seen. He was studying medicine, and hoped to become a doctor. Since I was studying nursing, we met up in one of our classes. We became deeply involved with each other...well, I'm sure you don't want to know the details, so I'll just tell you that we were very much in love with each other.”

 

Anzu leaned forward, very interested. “What happened to him?”

 

“Nothing happened to him. I had to move to Domino with my parents, due to my father's job relocation. Hatori had told me he didn't care about the distance between us, but I knew that we wouldn't last. Most long-distance relationships don't last. So I ended it. He pleaded with me to reconsider, but I didn't. A few years after moving to Domino, I met and fell in love with your father and we got married immediately. But...” she looked out the window. “There will always be a part of me that will be curious to know what might have happened had I not broken my and Hatori's relationship.”

 

“Does that mean you regret marrying dad?”

 

Mrs. Mazaki shook her head furiously. “No, no, no. I love your father, Anzu. Believe me when I say that I love him more than anything. But there will always be a small part of me that remains in love with Hatori Tanaka, just as you say a part of you will always love Yami.”

 

Anzu looked at her mother intently. “So what should I do?”

 

The older brunette smiled sadly. “I won't tell you. You decide on your own. Think about who you think will make you happier in the future. Don't think about what happened in the past with either of them. Think about the future...and think about who you think will provide you with a more fulfilling life. I think you already know the answer, you just need to think deep enough about it.”

 

Anzu glanced in the direction of Ryou, who was giggling at something his boyfriend was telling him. Ryou looked so free...he didn't care about what other people thought of his relationship with Bakura. He was happy. And Bakura didn't look as though he cared what other people thought, either.

 

`Seto is always afraid of what people think when they see me with him like that. He never lets his guard slip, especially not in public. He hates looking weak when there may be a chance the media might get catch of it.'

 

Ryou pulled away from Bakura and grabbed a tray that was placed on the counter from the kitchens. He came over and placed it on the table the Mazakis were sharing. “Enjoy!” he chirped before making his way to another table to take orders.

 

Anzu thanked him and began eating her salad. `But then again, Seto does care deeply about me. Just like he cares for Mokuba. I know he'd make a wonderful father if he could just pry himself away from his work.' She nodded her head. `But I know Yami would immediately drop everything and come to me if I called him. He'd probably quit his job - even though he can work from home, too - if I ever had a child with him, and I asked him to. But he already has kids...I don't want to break him away from his family.'

 

`So who do I choose? I love them both equally.' Her azure orbs closed, and immediately two other pairs of eyes flashed in her mind. One pair remained in her mind longer, however.

 

Opening her eyes again, she nodded solemnly to herself. She knew what she had to do. She knew who she had to choose.

 

She knew.

 

And now, there was no going back. She would stay with his choice.

 

Looking down at the engagement ring on her finger, she nodded. This was the right decision.

 

“Mom,” she whispered, still gazing longingly at the ring. “I've made my choice.”

 

“Oh?” Mrs. Mazaki asked.

 

“Yes...I'm going to become a Kaiba. And that's final.”