30 Nights of Wonders

Stolen Hearts (Axel/Roxas, Kingdom Hearts 2, #06)

2008-05-10T21:04:29Z

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts 2
Title: Stolen Hearts
Author: thatnobodygrrl thatnobodygrrl
Theme: 06 - stolen heart
Pairing/Characters: Axel/Roxas
Warnings: PG
Disclaimer: Characters, as well as the game, are licensed to Square Enix, which - unfortunately - means that they don't belong to me.
Summary: Axel's going to get his heart back.

06. Stolen Hearts

Roxas, I know we’re not supposed to have hearts, and I know we’re not supposed to feel, and I know we’re not supposed to be able to laugh, or smile, or cry, or… fall in love, and I know all these things, but I just can’t bring myself to care. And I know that I’m not supposed to feel sorry.

Roxas, I know this whole ‘we-have-no-hearts-because-we’re-just-nobodies’ is a load of bullshit, and I know that you know it too. I don’t care what you say you believe; you wouldn’t have gone off looking for Sora if you didn’t know deep down that you had a heart. You wouldn’t have wanted to find Sora. You wouldn’t have needed answers, if you didn’t have a heart.

Roxas, I know that something was taken from you that you deserve to have back. That Sora kid took your heart from you. He stole it, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t have one. He made you feel like you didn’t have one, he made you doubt that you had one, made you doubt your humanity. And I didn’t know this Sora, but I have a really hard time believing that anyone deserves a heart and a life more than you, Roxas. You, the one who tried so hard, who struggled against all these theories, who sought answers and explanations, and who didn’t just close your eyes and go with the flow.

Roxas, when you left, you stole my heart too. It went with you, if you know what I mean. Sure, I’m still here, living here, but it’s not like it was before. You were more than just my partner, you were my friend. And even more than that, you honestly seemed to care about me, and I honestly cared about you. Although… maybe your care for me was fake in the end. I mean, you did leave me.

Roxas, you took my heart away with you when you went God-only-knows-where, and now I’m going to get it back. I asked – practically begged – for this mission, because I’ve realized that I don’t want to turn out like you. You knew you had a heart, but at the same time, not knowing about Sora made you think like you didn’t, so you tried to contradict something you felt to be true with something you thought you knew to be true, and it was tearing you apart. That’s why you left. Well, I’m not gonna turn out like that. Nope, I’m leaving now, and I’m not coming back till I have my heart right where it belongs: right with me, at all times.

Roxas, I’m coming to get you.

Love, Axel.

Neptune's Grasp (Seto Kaiba/Téa Gardner, Yu-Gi-Oh, 21)

2008-05-10T04:26:38Z

Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Title: Neptune’s Grasp
Author: Crystal Rose of Pollux (rose_of_pollux)
Theme: 21; Seeking for you
Pairing/Characters: Seto Kaiba/Téa Gardner (Anzu Mazaki)
Warnings: PG13
Disclaimer: the characters aren't mine, but the story is!
Summary: Seto Kaiba has had to refuse game propositions countless times, but never did he dream that it could have such consequences.
Will be cross-posted to 10_inspirations, 20_heartbeats, 30_gens, 18coda, and http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4246964/1/

Author’s Note: This fic was inspired by the prompts “Won’t move on; stubborn” at 18Coda, “No man is an island” at 10 Inspirations, “Holy: to bathe in water so pure” at 20 Heartbeats, “Ocean” at 30 General, and “Seeking for you” at 30 Nights on LiveJournal. This isn’t intended to be a romantic story, but can be a prequel to my Seto/Téa poem, “Missing the Lost Conqueror” Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters, except for the villains.

***********************

“Mr. Kaiba, I beg of you!” the disconcerted man pleaded before the stern CEO. “My company is on the road to ruin; can’t you even consider taking a look at my game before you reject it!?”

It was a strange scene, a middle-aged man pleading before a young man bordering on the latter edge of his teen years, but it wasn’t an uncommon sight to behold in the office of Seto Kaiba.

“I’ve taken a look at the proposition, and I don’t feel that it’s the direction that Kaiba Corporation wishes to go,” Seto replied, his face expressionless. “Perhaps if you showed it to a different gaming company, they might be interested. But we’re not, so kindly stop wasting our time.”

"There wouldn’t be as much prestige if one of them picked it up!” the man protested. “I need Kaiba Corporation to back it! That alone will pull my company up from the downhill road!”

“If you’re that desperate, Mr. Atroman, you need to take what you can get from one of the other gaming companies. I can give you some contact numbers--”

“It has to be Kaiba Corporation!” Atroman insisted. “My game is worthy of the best, and it shall have the best!”

“If it really was the best, you wouldn’t be in this situation right now, would you?” Seto asked. “I’m sorry, but the proposition and your record are both against you. And that is the end of this discussion.”

“It’s easy for you to sit there so arrogantly and stubbornly, isn’t it!?” Atroman quipped. “You think you have the entire city kneeling down before you as though you’re their king, don’t you!? Well, let me tell you something, ‘Lord Kaiba’… You will be brought down to Earth soon enough!”

“Are you finished?” Seto asked, not showing any emotion. “I have work to get on with, so if you’re going to throw a tantrum, I’d appreciate it if you threw it outside of my office. I’m sure the others would like a bit of entertainment.”

Atroman stormed out of the office, stopping to glare at Mokuba.

“And you’re just the same way, too!” he roared at him.

Mokuba watched him leave, bemused.

“Let me guess…” he said to Seto. “You didn’t accept his game?”

"Whatever gave you that idea?” the young CEO mused, tossing the proposition into the recycling bin.

“What was so bad about it, anyway?” asked Mokuba.

“Something had me suspicious; he seemed less interested in the fact that his game should be produced and more interested that we were the producers,” Seto replied.

“And so you think that it’s a ploy to ruin our company somehow?” asked Mokuba.

“Let me put it this way, little brother… It could be that it’s of a poor quality, he could have infected it with a virus, or it could be some other thing intended to give us a bad name.”

“And, of course, there’s no way you’d ever let that happen, right?” Mokuba asked. He glanced out the window. “Well, there he goes… guess he didn’t want to give a free show after all…”

“He already lost his dignity when he was in here,” Seto replied, glancing down to see Atroman shaking his fist angrily at the office building. “But he still seems determined to lose more.”

*****************************

Atroman was a frustrated, callous soul. He had never had any difficulty in getting others to submit to his will in the past, but Seto Kaiba was different. A mere boy had dared to turn him away, when even the great Maximillion Pegasus had once given in to his demands.

He remembered the incident clearly. He had promised Pegasus that he could provide him with a stellar new game, one that he was willing to sell. Pegasus, newly instated as the head of Industrial Illusions at the time, had been willing to buy the game after taking a quick look at the summary.

What unfolded next was a waking nightmare for Pegasus. Atroman did deliver the promised game, but within days of its release, Pegasus was pursued by lawyers and media. Atroman had stolen the game from a company he had previously been fired from, where it had still been undergoing final preparations. And Pegasus had been kept in the dark about the matter. After all of the court cases and explanations that he in no way intended to steal a game under any circumstances, Pegasus was cleared of all charges. But Atroman had completely disappeared with Pegasus’s money. The incident had been a terrible blow to Pegasus, one that he had only recovered from upon the highly successful release of Duel Monsters.

And that was exactly what Atroman had been planning to do to Seto Kaiba; the game he had offered Kaiba Corporation was not his, but the boy had been too smart to accept it. But Atroman was now far more desperate than before; his was badly in debt, and needed money. And he would have to be quick; if Pegasus ever received so much as a sign of his whereabouts, Atroman would know no end of Pegasus’s vengeance. He would have to be out of Domino quickly, but he couldn’t allow himself to leave without taking a sizeable amount of the Kaiba fortune with him.

But he could never outsmart Seto Kaiba. Atroman’s eyes narrowed as he realized his only alternative: he would have to force Kaiba to give him the money. And he would also make sure that Kaiba paid for his insolence.

“The King of Domino will be dethroned,” he vowed.

*************************

The next day progressed as any other. Mokuba had taken the day off; Seto had always insisted that his younger brother should periodically escape the pressures of working in such a corporate atmosphere. Mokuba was always reluctant to take a day off just like that, especially when Seto would still be remain there alone, but Seto always felt that it would be best if one of them could escape. And it would have to be Mokuba.

Mokuba was greeted that afternoon, en route to the arcade, by Téa, who was surprised to see him.

“I thought you’d be working,” she said, which prompted Mokuba to tell her all of the things that Seto had said.

“He once said, ‘Thanks to Gozaburo, I have never known youth, and what it entails, and I don’t want you to suffer the same fate,’” the boy added.

“Well, it’s nice that he wants you to enjoy yourself,” said Téa. “But that’s ridiculous that he’d tell you all of that and not follow his own advice. I mean, does he think it’s too late for him?”

“That’s Seto for you…” Mokuba said, with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Well, I doubt he’d listen to a word I said, anyway,” Téa went on, with a sigh. “But maybe he’d listen to you…”

“Oh, I’m way ahead of you,” said Mokuba. “I already got him to agree to check out the latest video game releases with me after working hours.”

“Good for you!” congratulated Téa. “I’m heading to the theater for dance practice, so I’ll catch you later, then.”

“Right!”

*********************************

For Seto, it was business as usual that day; a few phone calls were made, meetings were attended, and stocks were on the increase (the Grand Championship had improved the company’s standing, in spite of the von Schroeder fiasco). It was nearing the end of working hours; Mokuba would be expecting him to aid him on his quest for video games. Seto was bringing his work to a close; he was putting the final touches on the draft of another holographic simulator when his cell phone rang.

“Kaiba,” he said, upon answering the call.

He had expected the caller to be Mokuba, reminding him that he should be getting ready to leave. But the voice which answered was unrecognizable. However, the words it spoke were unmistakable.

“We have your brother.”

It would be pointless to command that Mokuba be released, so in the span of a second, Seto had tracked the location of the caller; the call was being made from an area of the city filled with old warehouses, obviously from a cell phone.

“Dare I ask what you demand for his release?” Seto growled.

“Everything’s written out in a nice little letter we have waiting for you at warehouse 15,” the voice replied.

“Typical,” Seto thought. “The call is coming from warehouse 14; they plan to take the money and flee like the cowards they are.”

He wasn’t going to fall for their ploy; he would head directly to warehouse 14 and confront them directly. Printing out the GPS map from the call tracker, he headed out the office door after a quick word to Roland.

Arriving at his destination, the GPS map seemed to indicate that the call had been made from within warehouse 14. A running start forced the door open and granted him access to the interior. Tempted though he was to call out Mokuba’s name, he knew that doing so would betray his presence, assuming that his crashing arrival into the door already hadn’t.

The young businessman took off running. To stay in one place would draw his enemies to him, and he had to get Mokuba out of this warehouse before anything happened to him.

Row after row of merchandise was traversed, and room after room was searched, with no sign of anyone. Clearly, they were waiting for him at the next warehouse, though he was amazed that no one would have been left to guard this one… unless Mokuba was with them.

Seto tried calling Mokuba’s cell phone, trying to determine if the ring tone was coming from somewhere nearby, but he heard nothing. He knew, though, that the lack of a ring tone was no reason to stop searching the place; the phone could have been off or broken in the struggle. And there would have been a struggle; Mokuba would never have come along quietly.

Happening upon a back room, Seto advanced in to inspect it. He didn’t find Mokuba, but he found a whole hoard of unmarked game-related technology, transcripts, and invoices from other gaming companies concerning accusations of game theft and the monetary losses related to them. What astounded Seto was an invoice from Industrial Illusions that was dated nearly 25 years ago, written by a clearly distraught Pegasus.

But he never got a chance to read what it said. The door slammed shut, and Seto quickly looked back to see Atroman standing in front the door, blocking his only escape path.

*****************************

Téa’s dance practice had carried into the evening hours that day. But she didn’t mind; dancing was what she loved, and she still had her dreams set on going abroad and becoming a professional dancer.

But she was surprised to see Mokuba enter the auditorium and watch her perform. She finished her practice, and spoke to him.

“I thought you were going to look at video games with your brother…?” she inquired.

“That’s what I thought, but Seto hasn’t shown up,” said Mokuba, unable to hide his disappointment. “Something’s strange. I got a phone call from him a little while ago while I was in the arcade… I couldn’t answer it in there, so I went outside, but he had hung up by that time, without leaving a message. I think something must have come up, and he needs to work late.”

“What!?” Téa asked, in disbelief. “He can’t do that!”

“Actually, he can,” said Mokuba, with a sigh. “I’m heading back to Kaiba Corporation and seeing what’s going on.”

“Well, you tell him that he’s going to be in for it the next time I see him,” said Téa. “I don’t care if he is the CEO; he has no right to treat you like that!”

“Téa, really, it’s OK,” said the boy. “This isn’t the first time, and it won’t be the last. Don’t worry about it.”

“Well, I still say it’s unacceptable, but if you’re sure…”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine!” Mokuba assured her. “I’ll just drop by to tell him that I’m going to get the games myself.”

“Teach him a lesson and buy three dozen of them,” said Téa, with a smile. “That’ll teach him!”

Mokuba responded with a very good imitation of his elder brother’s smirk.

“Great idea!” he said. “And then I can tell him, ‘Hey, if you had come with me, this wouldn’t have happened’!”

And the two went their separate ways.

**********************************

“Why am I not surprised that it’s you…?” mused Seto, with a slight smirk, determined to maintain his confident tone (in reality, he was silently admonishing himself for ever falling into the man’s trap). “I reject your game, and you counter by capturing my younger brother?”

“Not your brother, Kaiba,” Atroman said, smiling coldly at the young CEO. “We couldn’t even find the boy after he went off on his little vacation, though we thought we could still make use of your concern for him. We never wanted to capture him. You were the one we wanted, Kaiba. And now, we have you.”

“Just like you had Maximillion Pegasus?” asked Seto, holding up the invoice still in his hand. “By the looks of this, it’s no wonder he’s so off-kilter today; you must have driven him to it. However, if you’re hoping to reduce me to madness, you have another thing coming.”

“I can see it in your eyes; you think you can take me out with your youthful strength and wit,” snarled Atroman. “I’ll teach you to respect your elders.”

“Respect?” asked Seto, not bothering to hide his derisive laugh. “You don’t deserve it.”

He pushed Atroman aside and forced the door open, only to find a dozen of the man’s burly accomplices waiting for him.

“We don’t intend to try to drive you to madness,” said Atroman, pleased at seeing the smug look disappear from Seto’s face. “No; we’re certain that your little brother will pay any price to see you released, just as you would do for him!”

Seto glared at Atroman; any other person would have cowered before the fierce, angry fire that blazed in his blue eyes. Atroman, however, was unconcerned.

“Now, then, Kaiba, you will take a walk with us to my yacht, which is waiting for us at the pier. You will remain there until your brother decides to give us a substantial sum of money.”

“I’ve taught my brother many things,” Seto replied, coldly. “And one of them is to never give in to an enemy’s demands.”

“Then I’m afraid that your future looks bleak. Now, when we walk, I don’t want any trouble from you. If anyone you know happens to pass by, you will say nothing, except that you are heading to a very important meeting, and that my employees are your bodyguards.”

“You wish…” Seto thought. Even now, his brain was hard at work devising an escape plan. Once he was in the vicinity of Clock Tower Park, he would make his move. A few judo throws would earn him his freedom. After that, and a quick police report, he would still have enough time to take Mokuba on his video game search.

*******************************

The sun was rapidly vanishing beneath the horizon as Téa walked home. The last rays fell upon her face, and that was when she noticed, walking in the other direction, was Seto Kaiba, surrounded by several people. Instantly, her cheery spirit diminished as she remembered how he had gone back on his word to Mokuba.

“So!” she fumed, causing all heads to turn in her direction.

Seto noticed her and cringed. The situation was dire as it was; the last thing he needed was for one of Yugi’s friends to get involved in it.

“Thought you’d hang out with these guys rather than you own brother!?” Téa demanded of him. “How dare you, Kaiba!?”

“Go away, Gardner; get out of here while you still can!” he mentally yelled at her.

“Who is she, Kaiba?” asked Atroman.

“Nobody,” he said, trying to dismiss her. “Just a random fangirl…”

Téa’s eyes widened in stunned rage.

“‘Fangirl’…?” she fumed. “Seto Kaiba, I swear--”

“GET OUT!” Seto mentally roared, teeth clenched.

And, somehow, her expression faded; perhaps she had seen the air of necessity in his eyes, or perhaps she sensed that something was terribly wrong. But whatever the reason, her anger melted away, and something told her that she had to get to Kaiba Corporation and tell Mokuba about this immediately.

Not stopping to say another word, or even to explain her actions, she left, running.

Seto concealed the sigh of relief; but the encounter had put him at a huge disadvantage. Atroman would be able to deduce that Mokuba was waiting for him somewhere, and would probably send his accomplices to either Kaiba Corporation or Kaiba Manor if he, Seto, succeeded in escaping. He had no other choice; he would have to go along with his captors to the pier and hope that he could figure a way out from there.

***************************

Téa’s first sight upon reaching Kaiba Corporation was seeing a very worried Roland speaking with a doubly worried Mokuba.

“Téa!” the boy exclaimed, grateful to see a friendly face. “Téa, it wasn’t Seto’s fault; Roland said that someone called in and told him that they had captured me, so he… went out to find me…”

“I just saw him,” she said, horrified at what was unfolding. “He was with a bunch of people, and he acted as though he barely knew me…”

She trailed off and exchanged glances with the boy, and they both came to the same conclusion.

“Téa, what did they look like?” asked Mokuba.

She hadn’t paid much attention to their appearances, but she gave Mokuba the best description she could come up with.

“That sounds like the guy that brought in the game yesterday…” said Mokuba. “He must be doing this for revenge… oh, what was his name…?”

He trailed off, recalling how Seto had discarded the game proposition into the recycling bin.

“Follow me,” he said, and Téa obeyed.

“What am I supposed to do!?” asked Roland.

“Relay any phone calls to me!”

“You know, I hate to ask questions at a time like this, but what exactly are we doing in here?” Téa asked, as Mokuba led her to Seto’s office.

“Trying to find some information on that creep!” the boy answered, emptying the contents of the recycling bin onto the floor. “Ah, here it is! His name is Atroman. Now all we have to do is search for him online so we can find out a bit more…”

He trailed off as the man’s record showed up on the screen.

“That picture!” gasped Téa. “That’s him!”

“I know,” said Mokuba. “But look…”

“‘Warrant issued for his arrest on multiple counts of money laundering…’ Wait; that warrant was issued 25 years ago. You mean to tell me that they haven’t caught him since then!?” Téa shrieked.

“Apparently--” Mokuba began, but he was cut off by his cell phone.

The two exchanged nervous glances, and Mokuba took the call.

“Hello?” he ventured. His eyes widened. And he pointed to the computer screen, mouthing, “It’s him!”

He immediately tracked the call as Seto had done earlier that day, and discovered it to be coming from the pier.

Téa immediately grabbed the computer keyboard, not wanting to speak in case she was overheard.

“They’ll be after you, Mokuba,” she said. “Let me go there in your place. You head to the game shop and tell Yugi.”

Mokuba knew that she had a point; it wouldn't be any good if Seto was freed, only to be captured himself.

“I’ll try to stall him,” Mokuba typed back.

With a nod and a prayer, Téa left the building.

****************************

Seto knew that as long as Mokuba was on the phone with Atroman, the boy would be safe. The CEO, however, was not as fortunate; he was still a prisoner of the madman. More than ever, he yearned to strike back at his adversaries, on alert for the slightest diversion.

“That’ll be all,” Atroman said, and he got off of the phone. He then turned to address Seto. “Your brother seems to be as stubborn as you are.”

“Good for him,” Seto replied, glaring at the man.

“But it’s not good for you, though, is it?” asked Atroman. “I mean… who knows what will happen to you if the money doesn’t come?”

“Will you stop the charade?” asked Seto. “I know why you’re doing this. It’s because you were nothing but a shameless thief when you were my age, while I run a successful company.”

“How successful will it be when all that money comes to me?”

“You won’t get it,” Seto declared.

“Even if I don’t, I’ll still get something for all of my trouble,” said Atroman. “Revenge, and the knowledge that I outwitted you. For you stand before me as a helpless boy who, mere hours ago, was the most powerful man in Domino, and now is nothing.”

That did it. Administering a judo throw to the man guarding him, Seto once again forced Atroman out of his way and escaped to the deck. The night air greeted him.

But he was far from free; more of Atroman’s cronies swarmed the deck, caught off-guard by his sudden arrival.

“Where did he go!?” Atroman roared.

Seto had made it to the roof of the yacht, where gravity would be in his favor, holding his own against those who attempted to capture him again. Had anyone beheld the sight of the young CEO, silhouetted before the full moon, one would have thought that a fiery aura was surrounding him as he glared at his former captors. The smirk was back on his face as the sea breeze blew his brown bangs about his face.

Téa, who had just arrived at the pier, froze at the sight.

“Kaiba!?” she asked, unsure if he as alright or not.

Seto glanced in her direction.

“What about Mokuba!?” he demanded.

“I swear to you, he’s safe!” she vowed. And she was right; Yugi had called her moments ago to say that Mokuba had arrived, and that the police had already been called and were heading to the pier.

Seto gave her a silent thanks; no matter what transpired here in the next several minutes or hours, Mokuba would be alright. And that was all he needed to know.

Atroman’s crew was quick to surround Téa, too, as soon as they realized that she was on Seto’s side. And even though she hadn’t taken any form of martial arts, she was still a dancer; that was enough to allow her to hold her own against the creeps, as Seto continued to fight back from his vantage point.

And then, at last, the welcoming sound of sirens filled the air as both police and media arrived on the scene, and the flustered henchmen began their retreat. Téa breathed a sigh of relief, and Seto let his weary muscles relax as he still stood upon the roof. But their celebration was too soon.

Neither saw it coming. Téa had glanced up, casually, and that was when she had noticed Atroman himself on the roof, approaching the unaware businessman from behind.

“Kaiba!” Téa screamed, but her warning came too late.

The force of the blow knocked Seto off of the roof, sending him crashing onto the deck. He landed upon his arm, and a huge wave of pain flowed through it.

“Of course it had to be the same arm that Anubis injured!” he thought, furiously, gripping it.

Téa was running over to him, but Atroman was already there, glaring at Seto with dislike.

“I know that they’ll be after me in a matter of moments,” said Atroman, as Seto struggled to get to his feet. “But I don’t care anymore.”

“NO!” pleaded Téa.

The second blow… Seto’s fall over the railing… the splash of the water… the police handcuffing Atroman… it all happened in the span of five seconds, and yet it seemed to be playing out in slow motion. And through it all, Téa could do nothing but stand there and watch it all.

She leaned over the railing, staring at the water.

“Kaiba!” she yelled, frantically. “KAIBA!”

There wasn’t a sign of him. Had he been unconscious when he had fallen in?

“Surface, please, Kaiba!” she mentally pleaded. “Please, you can’t be…”

She didn’t want to finish her thought, but as minute after minute went by without any sign of Seto, her hope vanished.

Her knees gave way as she heard the newscasters behind her began their report, already beginning to refer to Seto Kaiba in the past tense.

“Mokuba, I’m sorry…” she wept. “I let you down…” And then she began her apologies to Seto himself. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you…”

****************************

Beneath the surface of the water, Seto Kaiba was once again fighting with all that remained of his strength; this time, he was fighting against the riptide that, within seconds, had pulled him away from the pier.

His muscles ached from the fall onto the deck, and he wasn’t making any headway against the tide. And to make matters worse, one of his arms had been rendered useless. The current seized him as though Neptune himself held him in his fist.

The water seemed eerily silent all around him, but Atroman’s words began to echo through his mind.

“…a helpless boy who, mere hours ago, was the most powerful man in Domino, and now is nothing…”

And the young man’s eyes opened in rage and determination. Masking the pain, he fought back against the current, utilizing his bad arm as best he could. And, for an instant, he broke the surface. He soon went under again, but he had been able to breathe in the precious air that he needed. He had to continue with this routine, until the current weakened enough for him to fully escape it.

And so he did, trying to swim parallel to the shoreline. With each gasp of air he felt weakened yet strengthened at the same time. And, at last, after what seemed like hours of being carried by the current, he pulled free of the riptide. Neptune had released him.

He had no idea where he was now, but knew that he had to get back to Domino. And he would. He was Seto Kaiba, and he had just proved that there was nothing he couldn’t overcome.

Catch the Wind (Nephrite/Naru, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, #1)

2008-05-03T06:30:25Z

Fandom: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon
Title: Catch the Wind
Author/Artist: LuckyLadybug
Theme(s): #1 - You were never mine to begin with
Pairing/Characters: Nephrite/Naru; includes the love triangle with Umino, but it's definitely not a threesome
Rating: K/G
Disclaimer/claimer (if needed): The characters are not mine and the story is!
Summary (if needed): Naru has been having strange feelings lately, and Umino realizes she still cares for the deceased Nephrite. Takes place after StarS.

Cross-posted to 31_days, ladybug_tales, and http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4233301/1/

... Apparently I was so rushed I got the FF.net link wrong. Pathetic. **fixes.**

Sailor Moon
Catch the Wind
By Lucky_Ladybug

Notes: The characters are not mine and this ficlit is. It was directly inspired by the prompt You were never mine to begin with at 30 Nights. It does support the Nephrite/Naru pairing, and it takes place shortly after the StarS season. Consider it an intro for some of the elements I'll be introducing in my multi-chapter Sailor Moon fic, so if anything seems odd, it will be explained there.

He had really always known that she had never loved him as she loved the ghost from her past.

Of course she cared deeply for him, and they had spent many happy hours together. And in every way he had tried to show her the extent of his feelings. She was always touched by his efforts, and she would smile and tell him how sweet he was, or how thoughtful.

But sometimes a far-away look came into her eyes. The smallest thing could trigger it, from the sight of a red Ferrari to the mention of chocolate parfait. And she could never stand to walk past a certain part of town, where the old abandoned buildings stood. Sometimes even the local park was off-limits. She would stare intently at one spot, under a tree, and then look away again. She always walked faster past that point.

He knew what those times meant. It was then that she was thinking of the man whom she could never have, the one whom she still loved. The wound had scabbed over, but it had never fully healed.

It usually seemed that she had been able to move on. Sometimes she actually was happy and cheerful. Sometimes she had even ended up with innocent crushes on other guys, such as that weird one who had played the flute. But as time went on she had become closer to the one who longed for her love. He had wondered and hoped at times if maybe she would be able to give her all to him. She knew that he, the Nephrite person who was haunting them both, would want her to be happy. He would want her to move on if she at all possibly could.

Innocent crushes were not the same as deep and lasting love. She cared about Umino with more than infatuation, but it was Nephrite whom she truly loved. He could always tell.

The moments where she grew far away had happened more often of late, though they always increased when it approached the time of year and the day Nephrite had perished. Usually she returned to her normal self within a day or two. This year was different. She had been distant since before Nephrite's death date, and by now it was long past it and she had not changed. Something was deeply bothering her, but when he had asked about it, she had not wanted to tell him. He could only suspect that it had something to do with Nephrite, and when he had asked her, she had not denied it.

She had finally been told that she had to choose. Nephrite was dead and gone, but he, Umino, was alive and waiting for her. He knew she wanted to fully put the past behind her. Or at least, he had thought she had wanted it. Over the past few months, he had become all the more unsure. Where once she had seemed to have overcome the past, now she seemed to be becoming entrapped by it.

And he was no longer sure if their relationship could continue. There was not room for a third party, and a ghost at that.

In some part of his heart, he was extremely jealous of Nephrite.
****
She could not bear to continue hurting him.

For a long time she had never given him a second glance—or a first, really. He was just the class nerd, rambling about topics that neither she or Usagi cared about. Generally the girls had tried to get away from him as soon as possible.

Once Nephrite had come along, she had become devoted to him. He had been everything she had dreamed of in a man, and of course she had come to realize that she had only been crushing on him at first. She had been a foolish and silly child. But somehow that had changed. She had come to truly and deeply love him. She had risked her life for him. Despite everything she had been told by Sailor Moon, and even what she had witnessed herself, she had longed to believe that Nephrite still had good within his soul.

Not even he had believed it of himself. But he had proven it to both of them.

She had not been able to get over his death for some time, especially because she had been afraid that it had been her fault in some way. But then she had been so touched by Umino's bravery when he had struggled to save her from the Youma in the cemetery. And she had been able to start picking up the pieces of her heart.

She had begun seeing him in a new light that day, and afterwards. It was true that she had come to love him, too. And yet sometimes she wondered if her feelings had come too fast after Nephrite's death. What if she had only begun to fall in love with Umino on the rebound? What if it would not have happened in any other circumstance?

This worried her all the more as they entered high school. If it was true, then she was not being fair to him. She should probably let him go. But she was not being fair to herself, either. Nephrite was dead. And Umino was alive. She should not throw away her chance for happiness.

But if she did not love Umino the way he loved her, then how could they hope to spend a lifetime together? Should she just figure that the love would come later? What if it did not? They could not possibly be happy in a situation like that.

She drew her legs up to her chest. "Oh Nephrite, I don't know what to do," she whispered aloud to the night air. Here she was, in the spot in the park that marked where he had departed this life. Though no one knew it, occasionally she went there when she needed badly to think. This certainly qualified. Umino had given his ultimatum earlier that day. She had to choose.

Would it be easier or more difficult if Nephrite was alive and well again and there were two men she actually could choose between?

To love a ghost, she might as well be trying to catch the wind.

"I really am silly, aren't I," she said, trying to smile through her blurring vision. "This is impossible, and I know it, but I still can't let go. And this year's been really bad. It's funny, I almost feel like . . . I don't know, that we were supposed to be together and something went really, awfully wrong. But how can I tell something like that to Umino? And I know waiting won't do any good now . . . I mean, when you're . . ."

She trailed off. She needed time to think, to pull herself together. Maybe the best thing would be to put her relationship with Umino on hold for now, and they could both step back and really try to access the situation. Then, maybe they would be able to get back together if it all worked out.

But what if she decided she did love Umino and wanted him, and in the meantime he found someone else?

She buried her face against her crossed arms.

"I've gotten myself into such a big mess," she sighed.

Nephrite would probably tell her that she was being a fool. Maybe he would even say that she had only loved the false image of himself that he had created. Sometimes she had had those doubts herself. But she had always come back to the same conclusion—that the image he had presented was not altogether a facade. At least some part of it was his true self, the him that he had not remembered.

Did he know now what his life had been like before he had lost his memories? He had told her of the fragmented scenes he still recalled, but none of it was very helpful.

And if he actually did come back—though of course it could never happen—would he continue lying to her, as he had predicted? Or would that be in the past because he would have changed after all this time?

She had changed, too. She had told him that even if he kept lying to her, she did not care, as long as he was with her. That was ridiculous. She did not want to be in a relationship like that. Her time with Umino had shown her that a relationship built on true love would involve trust. It would be one of the most important elements. She had trusted Nephrite from the beginning, and he had let her down so many times. Yet she could not help remembering how he had begun to change towards the end. What would have happened if he had lived?

If he ever came back and continued to lie, would she be able to tell him that she did not want that now? A weak smile came over her features. She did not think he would be like that anymore. But this was such a silly train of thought anyway. Nephrite would never come back. People did not return from the dead.

With a sigh she began to pull herself up. She needed to get back before it grew any later. And she was still not any closer to a resolution. Maybe there was none to be found here.

"Umino's probably really the best guy for me," she said aloud, continuing her one-sided conversation with Nephrite's ghost, "so why can't I forget? Why do I keep feeling like it was supposed to be you with me instead, Nephrite?" Her voice was raising, though she was not fully aware of it. "What does it even matter now, after all this . . ."

She trailed off, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice lowering. "I shouldn't be talking like this. I just . . . feel so alone."

A slight breeze picked up, gently moving her hair and clothes. It almost felt like she was being embraced from behind. That only made the tears come to her eyes and fall.

But the weak smile returned as well.

"Nephrite," she whispered.

Before Dawn (Code GEASS: Schneizel/Suzaku - Theme #24)

2008-05-01T16:46:19Z

Fandom: Code GEASS: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Title: Before Dawn
Author: Jusrecht
Theme(s): #024 – My heart is bleeding for you...
Pairing/Characters: Schneizel El Britannia x Kururugi Suzaku
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Code GEASS belongs to Sunrise.
Summary: A small mistake and the length of the price he has to pay. And it’s only the beginning.

Before Dawn

Gundam SEED: Yzak/Shiho Theme 13

2008-04-30T02:27:09Z

Fandom: Gundam Seed/Gundam Seed Destiny
Title: Birthday Stars
Author/Artist: sunlite_4life
Theme(s): #13 Paint the night with stars
Pairing/Characters: Yzak Joule x Shiho Hahnenfuss
Rating: K+ - T (rated for language)
Disclaimer: I unfortunately do not own GS/GSD.

The story....

Persephone (Soul Calibur, Raphael/Cassandra, #22)

2008-04-25T07:06:07Z

Fandom: Soul Calibur
Title: "Persephone"
Author: bri_ecrit
Theme: #22 - Love you 'til the very end.
Pairing: Raphael Sorel/Cassandra Alexandra
Rating: R (for not-quite-explicit sex)
Words: 1,594
Summary: "You shall not eat of this fruit, lest you die." A look into Cassandra's mind as she begins to fall.

( Persephone )

Tending To Dean

2008-04-25T03:51:07Z

Fandom: Supernatural
Title: Tending to Dean
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Theme(s): #36 - Don't Worry, I'll Always be by Your Side
Pairing/Characters: Sam/Dean
Rating: R
Warnings: Slash, Incest
Disclaimer/claimer: I own nothing Supernatural.
Summary: Sam is taking care of Dean for a change.

Sam sat by the motel bed listening to Dean breathe. He had water in the ice bucket and was wiping down Dean's feverish body. When Dean was conscious, Sam made sure he kept talking to him. Sometimes, Sam rambled on to Dean even when he knew Dean wasn't going to respond. Hearing his own voice comforted him a little. He wondered how Dean survived all of Sam's childhood illnesses and hunting injuries without going out of his mind.

"Sam?" Dean's voice was weak.

"Right here," Sam put the rag down scooted closer to the bed.

"Am I naked?"

"You've got a fever and the pills weren't keeping it down."

"Never knew you were this desperate, Sammy. Don't I give you enough attention?"

"Yeah, you do."

"So why'd you have to sneak a peek?"

"I was keeping your temperature down," Sam was flustered.

"I'm the one with the fever and you're blushing," Dean managed a little laugh. "That's my Sammy."

"How did you keep from going crazy when I got sick?"

"Who said I didn't go crazy? Sometimes I was flipping out of my mind. Still do."

Sam wrung the rag out and began to wipe Dean down again.

"You should have just stayed away from that black dog, Dean. Now you have an infected bite."

"It was lunging toward you."

"Always my protector, aren't you?"

"You'd better make this up to me later, Sam. I see us having lots of sex."

"You always see that," Sam chuckled.

"But only with you."

The part of Dean that insisted on taking care of him had never changed. It had just expanded to include loving Sam, physically. Sam allowed himself to get lost in those memories.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Your fever broke. How do you feel?"

Dean's smile said it all.

Letting Go (Detective Conan, Shinichi/Ran, #1)

2008-04-23T15:50:26Z

Title: Letting Go
Fandom: Detective Conan
Author: Amm (SoulSeeker)
Theme: #1—you were never mine to begin with
Pairing: Kudo Shinichi/Mouri Ran
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters of Detective Conan—I just play ‘Barbie’ with them, because god knows they’re a lot more fun than real Barbies.
Summary: Ran prepares for a date.

“It looks great on you!” Sonoko exclaimed excitedly.

“You think so?” Ran blushed, twirling around, modeling in her new silky red dress she had come home with that day. Her cheeks had matched the dress perfectly. “I don't know, do you think maybe it's a little too fancy?”

Sonoko's short hair bobbed side-to-side as her head shook vehemently. “Come on girl, this is the New Beika Hotel we're talking about here!” she grinned. “It's perfect!”

The New Beika Hotel. It wasn't the first time Shinichi had invited her out there, but the last time hadn't exactly worked out, so he said he wanted a second try. Ran had actually suggested that perhaps they should go somewhere else, where the food was a bit less expensive—but the detective was rather persistent about the place. It made her curious, but she hadn't said anything.

“I can't believe you're still going back to that place with him after he ditched you last time,” came a commanding voice from the hall. “He's your boyfriend isn't he? Can't you keep a leash on him?”

Kogoro had walked into the room, making his presence known. His arms folded threateningly.

“Oh come on, dad,” Ran pleaded. “Shinichi's not like that anymore. And he's not my anything; he hasn't belonged to anyone for as long as I've known him.”

“Yeah well, someone ought to put him in the pound then,” her father murmured, discontent. “I don't like him.”

She shook her head in disapproval.

“You're always saying things like that,” Ran sighed. “Talking about Shinichi like he's some dog or something. You guys are a lot more alike than you think, you know.”

Sonoko giggled, as she softly ran a comb through Ran's hair, watching it as the tangles straightened away. “Don't worry, Ran,” she said. “I'm pretty sure he's just jealous that someone might be taking his precious daughter away.”

“That's not it at all!” he replied defensively. “I just don't trust him, that's all. I mean, that little brat would leave you for Sherlock Holmes, if he could!”

Ran and Sonoko couldn't help but laugh at the mental images. Their favorite detective did have quite the obsession over the character; really it wasn't hard to imagine at all. The picture practically painted itself!

“Well, it seems the Sleeping Kogoro has made another brilliant deduction,” a voice chimed sarcastically. “Tell me, old man, how ever did you find out my top-secret plan of eloping with my favorite fictitious character?”

All heads turned to the doorway to see Shinichi, who was wearing an elegant blue tux, similar to the one he had worn the last time they had gone to the same restaurant. Kogoro's growl resonated through the room; Sonoko simply looked pleased that Shinichi knew how to dress for the occasion. Ran smiled widely at his sight, running up to him.

“Shinichi, hey!” she greeted with a wide grin. “You look great!”

“You're not looking so bad yourself, little lady,” the detective returned the compliment, smirking. “You ready to go?”

“Sure am—been looking forward to it!”

“You won't be out too late, will you?” Kogoro eyed them suspiciously.

Ran rolled her eyes, lightly nudging her dad on the shoulder. “Come on dad, we talked about this,” she said exasperatedly. “I left dinner in the fridge, so all you have to do is heat it up. I won't be back too late, but just don't worry about me, okay? Goodness, you act like this is the first time I've gone out with Shinichi...”

“Yeah yeah,” the old man sighed, thinking of his cold dinner. “Just get outta my sight, before I change my mind about this whole thing.”

“Thanks dad, you're the best.” Ran gave her father a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing her coat and left arm-in-arm with Shinichi. She had never looked so happy, and Kogoro supposed he had to be grateful for it.

He listened to broken bits of their conversation on their way out.

“So Shinichi—you wouldn't really leave me for Holmes, would you?”

“Hmm. I dunno, Ran, Holmes has got a lot going for him...I mean with those deduction skills, and the violin, fencing, and who could forget—”

“Shinichi!”

“Ouch! What? I was just kidding!”

Sonoko sighed happily for them as they left, waiting patiently for her limo to arrive to take her home. It'd been a long day, shopping and getting Ran ready for the date. But now it was all done, and she had done her duty as a good friend. She turned to Kogoro now, who was also watching them as they ventured off, his eyes focused sharply on them. Mainly Ran.

She was right; it wasn't the first date she'd ever had with the brat. He had to wonder why his 'letting go' issues were coming up now. The man turned to Sonoko.

“You think she'll be all right?” he asked with a certain honesty in his voice.

And Sonoko just giggled, leaning back in the chair she sat on, completely care-free.

“She's not yours to worry about anymore, old man.”

A/N: I don't really know how I came up with the idea of making Kogoro and Sonoko interact. I guess it turned out pretty well though. I think it worked. :3 Anyways, sorry bout the large gap between updates as usual.

I'll finish these guys up one day.

Also posted to 40 Nights: Shinichi and Ran.

Song of a Softer Tune, Part 19A

2008-04-19T05:03:42Z

Fandom: Supernatural
Title: Song of a Softer Tune, Part 19A
Author/Artist: my_sam_dean
Theme(s): #37 - Threads of Fate
Pairing/Characters:Sam/Dean
Rating:NC-17
Warnings: Slash, Incest
Disclaimer: I own nothing Supernatural.
Summary: Dean and Sam celebrate Sam's 25th Birthday.

Dean closed the curtains when they heard the sirens.

"I guess we can celebrate your birthday now, Sammy."

"I feel like I'm a hell of a lot older than twenty-five."

"Nights like this will do that to ya."

***

Sam sank into Dean's arms in the soft, warm bed.

"It took twenty-four and a half years and our childhoods, but Dad finally killed it. That's one hell of a long time to be driven for justice."

"I'd want revenge if anyone took you from me," Dean told him as he played with his long brown hair. "I'd hunt them down like Dad did. Wouldn't you?"

"Yeah. I just don't know if I'd have the strength to keep it up for over twenty years."

"You damn well better," Dean told him. "Something evil kills me, I want you to hunt it to the four corners of the Earth and the end of time to waste its ass. You love me, don't ya?"

"Of course I do. But, would you really want Rayna growing up in the Impala instead of the home we've made for her?"

Dean didn't have a ready answer to that question. "Why don't we forget all about demons and get back to our celebration?"

"Happy birthday to me," Sam smiled as he kissed Dean.

Dean put his hand on the back of Sam's head to pull him closer. He moved his tongue over Sam's lower lip, the one he always chewed when he was nervous.

He rolled them so that he was on top as he felt his way around Sam's mouth, never getting enough of his taste. Sam's hands roamed down Dean's back to his waist and settled on his hips, where Dean's boxers were previously.

While Dean devoured his mouth, Sam inched his hands lower, caressing Dean's fine curves.

"Yeah, Sammy," Dean sighed as he pushed against Sam's large hands.

"Dean, I've got to get--"

"Just give me your fingers," Dean's voice was breathy.

Dean took Sam's fingers in his mouth and sucked on them, slicking them up with saliva.

"They'll be fine now," Dean whispered.

Sam moved his hand back down and spread Dean open so he could tease his opening with his fingers. He put one inside and Dean pushed himself back on it with a moan. Sam slowly inserted another one and rubbed against Dean's prostate.

"Sammy!" Dean called out, not caring if anyone heard.

Sam smiled against Dean's neck, loving that he could make Dean react the way he did.

Palace of Illusions (Code GEASS: Schneizel/Suzaku - Theme #31)

2008-04-10T08:21:33Z

Fandom: Code GEASS: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Title: Palace of Illusions
Author: Jusrecht
Theme(s): #031 – Finally together
Pairing/Characters: Schneizel El Britannia x Kururugi Suzaku
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Code GEASS belongs to Sunrise.
Summary: A taste of nobility for a fledgling imperial knight (a sequel to Fairy Tale)

read here...

30 Nights - Seventh Night: Taste in Drinks (Saint Seiya)

2008-04-07T13:12:16Z

Fandom: Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac)
Title: 30 Nights – Seventh Night: Taste in Drinks.
Author: Lauand
Beta: Macavitykitsune
Pairing: Milo/Shaka
Rating: PG-13 for this chapter.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Theme: #24 My heart is bleeding for you.
Summary: Little by little, Milo makes progresses.
A/N: Thank you very much to macavitykitsune for the beta-ing.

------------

It was strange, but their relationship actually improved after Shaka learned about the bet. It was as if, knowing what to expect of the Knight of Scorpio, the defensiveness caused by the unknown had started to melt. Shaka was still cold and quiet, but in a way, he seemed more relaxed, nearly at ease in Milo ’s presence. As far as Shaka was able to show being at ease, that is.

That night, Milo had brought the tray with little bears. It was nearly cute in its hideousness. Shaka’s tea rested there untouched while Milo took painful sips of his from time to time.

It wasn’t as if Scorpio prepared stupid questions in his free time to throw at Shaka in their shared nights, but he always ended up asking them anyway. Maybe it was a gift.

“…By the way,” he attacked again, “what does ‘Ohm’ mean?”

Nearly imperceptibly, Shaka sighed.

“It means ‘May the foolish infidels who come to me with sinful propositions and silly questions all bugger off and leave me in peace’. Approximately.”

“Wow,” Milo grinned, “that’s sort of an economical language you got there in Malaysia …”

“I’m from India ,” Shaka impassively corrected.

“Exactly what I said.”

Unfazed, the Knight of Scorpio took his cup and tried to swallow the rest of his tea without making a face. He must have been too obvious, because Shaka commented.

“You don’t really like tea, do you?”

Good. A personal question.

“Honestly, piss tastes better than this beverage to me.”

Shaka ignored the crudeness and raised an eyebrow.

“Are you in the habit of drinking urine?”

“Well, I’ve heard that is common practice amongst the mountaineers that get short of water in their way up. It can’t be so bad if so many people do it.”

Shaka couldn’t tell if that little pearl of information was true or if it was Milo ’s frantic imagination at work, but he didn’t comment on it. He just tried not to wince at the imagery.

“If your seduction tactics include making me think you consume urine on a regular basis, I feel morally obliged to inform you that it’s not working.”

Milo burst out laughing at that. It had been a good comeback.

“You’ve got a fine sense of humour… how come you never show it?”

It was a bit unnerving, Shaka’s lack of body language. Milo knew the Knight of Virgo would have shrugged at that, but the fact was that he didn’t, and it disoriented Milo a bit to be able to catch the intentions instinctively, without the gestures or the voice tone that normal people used to express themselves.

“I suppose is the same with your conscience,” Shaka mildly replied. “I know you have one. You just happen not to use it often.”

“Mmm,” Milo vaguely agreed, “thinking with the genitalia consumes a lot of time. None left for doing what I should when they tell me otherwise. So, what’s your excuse, then?”

“That way, tiresome visitors don’t feel like staying.”

Oh, how subtle.

“If I didn’t know better, I would swear you’re trying to get rid of me…”

Shaka’s lips looked like they were fighting to repress a smile.

“Maybe you do know better.”

“Impossible. You have fun with me, don’t try to deny it. Whoever else would provide you with silly bantering and dare to imply they have drunk piss?” Milo had a point there and he knew it, “I would even presume people don’t even say the word ‘piss’ in your presence…”

Somehow, Shaka managed to sound grave when he next spoke. Not that his normal tone was especially light and flippant, but, after all, Camus was Milo ’s best friend. Scorpio was used to catch the tiny nuances in his speech that gave away when he was being more serious than accustomed.

“You should stop coming here.”

“No way.” Milo was stubborn. “I still have a bet to win, you know…”

“What would it take for you to forget the bet and leave me alone?”

“What would it take for you to forget the bet and let me kiss you?”

Shaka inhaled and exhaled in what Milo had already labelled as Shaka’s decaffeinated version of a sigh.

“I’m a good kisser, “ Milo insisted.

“I don’t doubt it.” If Shaka didn’t have his eyes closed, Scorpio supposed he would be rolling them. Or, well, on second thought, he probably wouldn’t. But Milo was sure the inner sentiment was the same. Or, at least, quite near.

“So… may I kiss you?”

“Of course not.”

“You’d love it.”

“I’m sure, but anyway, I’ll have to pass.”

Milo pretended to sniff.

“You’re so cruel, ignoring my feelings…” He whined.

Shaka was a terribly patient man.

“You don’t have such a thing.”

“You hurt me.”

“Yes, I see you’re deeply wounded.”

Milo’s whining evolved into a dramatic declaiming.

“My heart is bleeding, my soul is dying, I can’t stand another day without you…!”

The faint trace of alarm could be hear this time in Shaka’s response.

“Oh, no… no cheesy poetry! Out of my temple, now!”

Milo dropped the act and laughed. He started to get up, then.

“Ok, ok… I’ll go to my temple and cry myself to sleep,” his tone was light this time, contradicting his words, “you’re quite the heartbreaker, you know….”

“Go away once and for all, will you?”

Milo grinned.

“As you wish. Good night, Shaka.”

The Knight of Virgo didn’t bid him a good night, but his cosmos was peaceful and kind. Milo hadn’t expected a reply anyway, so he got out of the shrine with the contented feeling that always invaded him when he had spent some quality time with a trusted friend.

--------------

~~30 Nights of Wonders~~