Say What?

Disclaimer: Jounouchi Shizuka and Kaiba Seto belong within the Yuugioh universe. I don't own any of it.
Note: Written as a way to overcome Writer's Block and emphasize how different these two really are. The first part is Shizuka's perspective and consequently the more innocent half of this piece. Kaiba's perspective will come next, bringing with it the smut. Mind for typos.


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Shizuka sat across from him, hands folded neatly in her lap. She could feel the tension, heavy enough to strangle her, filling the room with an awkward silence. For every word that died in her throat and every second that seemed to stretch on for eternity, she fought the need to sputter an apology and flee. Courage threatened to abandon desire, her determination trickling away like water in a cracked glass.

When she did find the strength to lift her eyes to his, concern and apathy were casually introduced.

Kaiba’s eyes matched the room, frigid and empty, and there was no doubt her mind the only thing keeping her from being thrown out on her butt was his curiosity.

His hands were locked together, supporting his chin as he watched her closely over the naked coffee table, which went well with the utilitarian decor. Not one piece of furniture was burdened by a personal effect or gave any suggestion of the person inhabiting the room.

It was a little eerie, but she was more saddened by the thought than anything. Her own room was similar, but she was a guest while he owned the blimp. Surely it wasn’t the expense that kept him from making his private quarters more comfortable, leaving her to wonder whether his home and office were similar.

Heartened by that grim thought, she opened her mouth to respond, but closed it at once, when it occurred to her how rude she had been.

What if she’d distracted him from preparing his cards for tomorrow‘s duels, or worse, disturbed his rest?

What he must think, having her appear outside his door in the middle of the night, saying she wanted to ask something of him...

She bit her lip, suddenly worried. Was he wearing that smirk because he meant to yell at her for being so disrespectful?

“Forgive me, Kaiba-san,” she said delicately. She bowed her head, long hair closing like a curtain to hide the blush on her cheeks.

She waited for his angry lecture, something nastier than the ones he gave his opponents during duels, but it never came. Kaiba was soundless, and when she peered up at him through her bangs she noticed he was still watching her, his face unreadable.

Supposing this to be an invitation to continue, she tucked her hair behind her ears, and went on.

“I really hope you won’t think less of me for this.”

There was no reaction to the contrite look she gave him, either.

“I’m usually not so...” she paused, fishing her vocabulary for the right word, “so forward.”

An unexpected chill snuck up her spine then, making her shiver. A fleeting sense of bravery had led her to his door at a sprint, but the next time she decided on impulse to visit the rooms of someone so seemingly oblivious to arctic temperatures, she would have to remember to change out of her nightshirt first.

“You’re not a bad person, Kaiba-san,” she spoke in a soft tone, ignoring the tickle of goose bumps rising on her skin, “I can tell.” Her body’s reaction to the cold was potentially humiliating; she could have remembered to put on her bra, at the very least.

She sighed inwardly. “You don‘t care what people think of you.”

Neither should you, she thought. Besides, this was Kaiba, not Honda or Otogi, he certainly didn‘t care what she was wearing.

“And I like you for that.”

She wore a careful smile; if he could ignore it, so could she. His gaze was coldly inquisitive, nothing more, and she racked her brain for good things to say.

“I was wishing I had some of you in me earlier, actually.” It was true. “You don‘t give up for anything; it would have made coming to you so much easier.” If only she could be so confident.

“But I managed on my own.” And she had. After twenty minutes of nervous pacing, she’d taken a deep breath and gone to see him. “Just closed my eyes and went for it.” She considered the action her second major victory over fear; the first had been having the operation. “It was very satisfying.”

He didn’t say anything, but she thought she saw his lip twitch.

“You don’t believe me.” She blinked owlishly at him. “I know I‘m kind of quiet.” She studied her feet. She never had a great deal to say before, she knew next to nothing about duel monsters or how to use them, and everybody was too caught up in their own personal drama to take much notice of her ignorance, so she kept to herself. “But it’s because I‘m new to everything. I can be more vocal, when the time is right."

She contemplated telling him about how chatty she was before her parents got divorced and her big brother was torn from her life, but figured he wouldn’t be interested.

“You’re assertive,” she said in a low voice, hoping he wouldn‘t take it as an insult, “but I haven’t seen enough to describe you better, although I know there‘s more to you than that.” Now she was frowning. “I might never be able to get my mouth around it; I have no reason to believe there’s a part of you that isn’t... unique.”

Kaiba raised his eyebrow at that, and she smiled gently at him, her mood brightening significantly. She definitely had his attention.

“I guess,” she paused, fidgeting in her seat a little as she noticed a prickling on the top of her thigh. The chill made her skin sensitive to even the slightest of irritations. “What I mean to say is, ah, well--”

Starting over. “I feel sort of weird asking you this, but, um,” she paused again. She’d been trying to scratch the nuisance covertly as she spoke, when she saw his eyes flicker down to her lap and back up again. “I have an itch,” she confessed, color rising in her face.

Now she was disrespectful and uncivilized.

Kaiba’s jaw was clenched so tight she could see the muscles in it. He looked on edge, and at some point he’d crossed his legs.

She licked her lips nervously, wondering if he was feeling sick or just that angry. It wouldn’t be wise of her to ask, she assumed. If he was furious, he would say so, she didn’t think he would let her go on babbling.

“I know you dislike my big brother because he‘s not very nice to you.” She swallowed. “I care for him very much, and I also like you. I want you two to get along, even if you can never be friends.”

His brow furrowed, but she ignored it, too busy forcing herself to tread hazardous ground.

“Kaiba-san,” she said, sounding warm even as she held her chin high in defiance, “I came here to ask that you please stop picking on him.”

There was another awkward silence.

Followed by a simple, yet surprisingly expressive, “keh.”