Disclaimer: I don't own Yuugiou! Don't friggin sue me! lol
Rating: R. Violence. Language. Probably sex.
Summary: Seto Kaiba vowed that he would never turn out like Gozaburo, but now that he has a daughter, it seems he was wrong. How is he going to fix that?
Author's Notes: Okay. I don't know if it's mainly gonna be from Seto's POV, or from Rayne's POV. Rayne being the daughter, that is! Hehe. Now, erhm. In this, Seto is, like, twenty-six, and that'd make Mai like, thirty-three. So, Mai was twenty-five when they had Rayne, and now Rayne is eight. And blah blah. Anyway. Uhmn. Read and review. Oh! And the way that the talking is going? That's not the format for the story! --;
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No, no, no! What you're doing is wrong, Seto! You hear me?! Christ.. Look at me while I'm talking to you..
There's nothing wrong about how I choose to deal with things, Mai. Now leave me alone, I have work to do..
I want to know what happened, Seto.. You promised you wouldn't turn out like him..
And I haven't - not completely, anyway! You don't see me making her parade around in some collar like a filthy dog, do you? You don't see me lashing out at her with whips and blades, right? I'm not entirely like.. he.. was, Mai. I'm not nearly half as bad.
That doesn't change the fact that you're beating our daughter! Fuck, Seto, she thinks you don't love her.. and I'm starting to think the same, too.
Well, I don't, and I've made that perfectly clear to her.. I was sure I'd made it clear to you, as well. How many times have I told you that I don't want her--
You're such a dumbass.
What?
You heard me, Seto. You're a dumbass.
Do you have a death wish, Mai?
You're not going to kill me. You won't - not more than you already have.
.. you're unhappy. Look, I've given you more than enough chances to leave, Mai. You just refuse to take them..
You've what? Bullshit!! Every time I tried to leave you'd beg for me to stay, Seto! Look, goddamnit, I don't want to leave. I've never wanted to leave. I love you, Seto; I want to help you. Every time I've attempted to leave was only because you keep doing stupid shit that gives me no other choice.. You have a problem, Seto. Fuck. A problem? You have issues, Seto. And I want to help you sort them ou--
Spare me the speech. I've heard it before.
---
Rayne curled up beneath her blankets, biting her lip and trying to ignore the fighting from only two doors down the hall. Sometimes they would yell.. sometimes they'd be quiet.. but Rayne's hearing was better than she wished it was - she heard everything. She heard her father growl in annoyance.. heard her mother sigh, patiently. Waiting. But.. what was she waiting for? Oh. Right. She was waiting for Rayne's father to calm down.. As if that would happen! As far back as Rayne could remember, her dad had always been angry at something-- no, wait.. somebody. Rayne had always carried around this sinking feeling - a weight on her shoulders - she'd always known that the person her father was always mad with was, infact, her; the daughter; the useless mistake - Rayne.
Rolling onto her back, Rayne bit down on her lip harder, drawing blood and rather unconciously drinking it up. It didn't taste coppery. For some reason, her blood always tasted sweeter when it was voluntarily drawn, and not beaten out of her by somebody else. She slowly slid off the edge of her small bed, landing on all fours with a soft thump. Standing up properly, Rayne inched over to her open door, peeked her head through, and peered down the hallway; still sucking the blood from her lip.
---
Alright, Seto.. are you ready to listen to what I've been trying to tell you for the past two hours, or do you still want to argue with me?
I suppose I'll take that as a yes, then..
---
There was a far too clear shout of 'go away, I'm trying to work!' and Rayne winced as she saw her mother get pushed out of the office only a few doors away, and flung against the wall beside it.
Rayne bit down on her lip again - hard. She watched somewhat angrily as her father towered over her mother - he was much too tall; Rayne found it way too intimidating, and thought it was just horrid - and whimpered slightly when her mother cowered against the wall quite visibly.
She could only really see her father's back, but Rayne could tell that he was glaring, and muttering something far to quietly for her to hear properly. Whatever he said, though, it was obviously bad, as Rayne's mother almost immediately started to plead with him.
---
No, Seto no! You'll wake up Rayne.. don't!
Do you think I honestly give a damn about if that brat wakes up?
Seto...
It's her fault for leaving her door open all of the time, anyway..
You yell at her if she keeps it closed, Seto! What the hell else would you expect from her?
More than what I'm getting.
What?
Well, come on, I wasn't as goddamn weak back the--
She's not you.
--look, yelling is nothing compared to what I had to go through!
---
He was doing it again.. comparing what he did to Rayne to what he'd had to live with. Rayne never understood it when he did that; she knew barely anything about her father's life.
---
Seto--
No! Look, Mai, I don't want her to be weak like this..
You sound like your father.
He wasn't really my father!
Then stop trying to live up to his memory, already!
.. Take that back.
Take what back?
---
Rayne dug her teeth into her lip again, staying quiet, but wishing she were brave enough to yell at her father before he could do anything bad. She knew her mother's almost bitter sarcasm would not go without punishment.
Rayne winced when her father shoved her mother more against the wall, and curled his hand around a fistfull of her long, blonde hair.
Directing her gaze to the floor, Rayne tried to ignore her mother's muffled sob.
---
Seto, please stop..
No, you dirty, lying bitch!
Let go of me...
Why should I?
.. that hurts!
Obviously - why else would I do it?
Just stop, already! Let me help you, Seto..
You can't! How many times have I told you that?! I can't be helped, Mai, ever
Yes, you can, you just have to let me..
.. no.
Please, Seto; I love you, let me help--
You can't
-- stop hurting me, and let me try.
---
Rayne chanced a peek at her parents - her father had gone completely silent for a few minutes. She frowned when she saw that her mother had caught her father in a tight, loving embrace that he hesitantly returned. Rayne sighed, and eyed her father for a moment; he was shaking slightly, and it looked like very well could have been crying.
Ignoring it, Rayne backed into her room. Still frowning.
---
I'm sorry..
Shh, don't apologize--
.. I'm so sorry..
--it's okay, Seto. Just let me--
You're bleeding.
--I know. It's nothing. I'll be fine.
Why are you bleeding..?
You hit me, Seto. That's why; but it doesn't ma--
Sorry..
--stop apologizing, Seto! I forgave you before this even started..
---
She could still hear them; her parents. It was quieter now, slightly muffled. They must have moved into their bedroom to continue talking. No bother. Just so long as they weren't still fighting.
It puzzled Rayne, her father apologizing so readily - saying 'sorry' more than once in one breath. It scared her. She felt like the family was falling apart at the seams..
More so than before.
Rolling on to her stomach, Rayne clutched her pillow t ightly and sobbed as quietly as she could. Pausing once, and only momentarily, to listen again.
Her father was whispering; something she couldn't hear, and haf a feeling she didn't want to, anyway. Rayne heard her mother moan, quietly, and that feeling was confirmed.
So she just went back to crying.
---
Mai bit her lip, frowning slightly and stifling another moan. She shivered every time Seto planted a kiss along the side of her neck; his hands busy getting rid of the flannel pyjama pants she was wearing - shirt already taken care of.
It was kind of stupid, really. After what he did, she shouldn't even be letting him near her, let alone slowly driving her crazy. She had to get him to calm down, though, and as twisted as it seemed to her at times, sex was the only thing that ever made Seto forget something long enough for her to try and talk to him about it. Try to help him.
Kicking the pants away, Mai clenched her eyes shut as Seto's hands made their way back up her sides - slowly; barely touching her skin. He was being gentle. It was insane.. He was doing hardly anything, and it was enough to make her want to scream! Biting down on her lip again - harder, this time - she tried to stifle any noise; but, not wanting to make herself bleed, she released the pressure on her lip and moaned.
She frowned slightly when Seto lifted his face away from her neck, and opened her mouth to protest. Mai was cut off, however, when Seto leaned down to kiss her properly. And it was then, in the near silence of her room, that Mai noticed something strange. A noise echoing in from the hallway. Somebody was crying.
Eyes going wide, Mai pushed at Seto's chest, trying to get him to sit up, "Seto.."
".. Mai."
"I--, gah! No, stop.. Seto. Get up.."
He scowled at her, but complied. Sitting up properly and fixing his shirt slightly. Eyeing Mai, and thoroughly irritated, Seto growled: "What?"
Ignoring the look, Mai sat up and looked out into the hallway, frowning, "It's Rayne.. You left the door open, Seto. She's awake."
"Yeah. So?"
Shaking her head slightly, Mai started to get up, off of the bed, but Seto grabbed her by the shoulder and held her in place.
"What are you doing?"
".. Going to comfort our daughter. What else?" queried Mai, glancing back at her husband.
"No."
Sighing, she shook her head again, "Please, Seto.. just let me--."
"No. I'll do it."
"I--," Mai sat down properly again; breathing, "what?"
He scowled, and stood up. Fixing his shirt a bit again and heading for the door, "I said I'll do it, Mai. Me."
Mai just sat there. Shocked and confused, but, most of all, she was worried. Watching Seto leave the room, she frowned, and sighed. She knew that he wasn't off to actually comfort Rayne, and there was nothing she could do about it.
---
"Why the fuck are you awake, brat?"
Rayne instantly stopped crying, as if somebody had just turned off the tap. It was a reflex. That was her father's voice. She turned over, and sat up slightly, peering at her dad through the darkness of her room. She didn't reply.
"Fine, whatever.." muttered Seto, and even though it was dark, Rayne could tell that she was glaring at her, "just go the fuck to sleep, alright? Just go to sleep, little bitch, and try to not wake up in the morning. Maybe, that way, I won't have to deal with you being in my life any more." he sounded annoyed. Worried, even, "Got it?"
Still remaining silent, Rayne just nodded and began to lay down again. Her father was out of the room - slamming the door - before her head even hit the pillow.