An Orphan's Tale

Trying

Chapter 7:

**Rika Magruda**

"Seto wait!" I grabbed his hand as he stepped towards his chopper.

"Rika let go. Nothing's changed." He snapped, pulling his hand away.

"Mokuba go back to KC. We'll meet you there. I need to talk to your brother alone."

"Okay Ri!" He said jumping in without even looking at his brother. However, Seto didn't object.

"Rika please. It was 5 years ago" He sighed running a hand through his hair.

"Look me in the eyes after everything that has happened today and say you don't care." I said looking up at him. He glanced down at me with no emotion to his expression.

"I don't care about you anymore." He said looking me dead in the eyes. His piercing blue eyes that I have come to love were cold and deadly. I felt my heart drop and shock filled my system. I never thought he would actually say it. Tears filled my eyes.

"Then why did you save me? You could have done us both a favor and just won the duel and walked away." I said letting a tear slip down my cheek.

"..." He was quiet.

"Ri, even if I did care, things have changed. I'm not that innocent 12-year-old child anymore, Rika. I'm not the Seto you knew 5 years ago." He finally spoke, his voice was soft barely audible.

"Neither am I, so much is different, but my feelings for you haven't changed." I said taking his hand in mine. He looked down at me with those eyes and reached for my necklace.

"You really still have it." He whispered, running his finger over the band.

"I never forgot you Seto. You promised as long as we wore them we wouldn't forget." He reached under his shirt and pulled out a locket in the shape of a card. There on the string sat a silver band.

"Rika I didn't forget. I couldn't even if I wanted to. But that doesn't matter things aren't as they were. I have to protect..." He stared to protest again.

"Stop it!" I said leaning up and kissing him. My lips melted against his. It has been 5 years but they felt the same. His arms wrapped around me loosely and I put my wrists around his neck pulling him down closer to me. He released me almost immediately.

"We should go." He started.

"Seto?"

"Rika we have a tournament to focus on." I put my head down. My last effort failed. I felt my heart shatter and my face must have showed it.

"Hey don't cry I never said...that we couldn't...try." I smiled and hugged him tightly. He rested his head on mine.

"It won't be easy Ri. We can't just jump right back into the people we used to be. I'm a CEO and you're..."

"I'm a kick ass duelist?" He chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Come on we have to tell Mokuba! He's been after me to ask you out for days." He said pulling me towards the KC building before pausing.

"Forgetting something?" He asked motioning to my impromtu duel disk.

"Oh yea..." I said grabbing it. Honestly, I could care less about the disk itself mine was safe at home in my apartment; I just wanted my deck. Thankfully, Marik had only added cards to my already strong assortment instead of replacing any.

"When are you going to inform the geek squad that you're a duelist and will most likely make it to the finals?" Seto asked as I returned to him.

"I'm not. It's none of their business. I want to lay under the radar for now."