Taken For Granted, a yu-gi-oh fanfic

This was written to appease the readers who are probably after my blood to update "Abstinence". Sorry I haven't updated it but I'm stuck, I have no idea how to continue in chapter 2. Any suggestions!…Well…anyway…here's the appeasement fic. Hope you like!

Disclaimer: Todo-san does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! She is not happy about it. ---- T-T. .

Warning: Shounen-ai. Angsty and might be depressing. Might need tissues. :hands out Kleenex: Not for the ultra-sensitive.

Coupling: Yami Yuugi/Seto

Taken For Granted

I sit here watching you type away at that laptop of yours. All of your attention is focused on it.

It makes me wonder. Do you even notice that I'm sitting here, watching you?

We sit in silence, not a word exchanged, the room deathly silent.

The only things signifying our existence are the gentle sound of our breathing and the steady rhythm of your hands across the keyboard.

I use to enjoy the silence, it use to be so comforting, but now…now I just feel so alone.

"So…what are you working on, Seto?"

"A new virtual reality game." Your reply was curt.

You didn't even turn around to look at me.

"Oh…"

Why do I even try? It's obvious that you're too absorbed to care.

But I try again anyway. "There's this new restaurant in town. I thought maybe…"

You cut me off with another brisk response, "I'm sorry Yami, but I can't. I have to finish this. Maybe some other time. Now please, stop bothering me."

I don't know why, but something in that response ticked me off.

It shouldn't have, you've said that to me plenty of times before.

But it did, it had made something inside me snap and I was beginning so see red.

I wish for everything desperately to go back to the way it was when we first confessed. We were so happy, everything was peaceful and the world seemed perfect.

Hell, I can deal with anything else. Anything else that isn't this. That isn't now.

"Seto…"

"I said not now, Yami. Please leave the room and let me work in peace." Irritation, annoyance and a bit of anger clearly showed in your voice.

Normally at this point, I would leave to let you work as you've requested. But not today.

Today we needed to talk.

"No."

"Yami." There was a warning in your voice. You've only ever used this tone with your employers and those who pissed you off.

Never with me. Well, I guess there is a first time for everything.

And today would be a first time…or last time…for many things.

"No."

"Yami. I have work to do! Please, leave!" You snapped impatiently.

Yet you still face the computer screen. You're still typing away at it. Even now…even now you're not facing me.

"We have to talk."

"Later." What remote attention you had focused on me before was gone. Now I was just like a fly buzzing around you again.

Just a mere annoyance.

"No. We have to talk. Now."

"Yami. I said later." There was that warning in your voice again.

I guess it's slightly comforting; at least I got your attention. But why did it have to be like this?

I'm in doubt, Seto. I'm in doubt about everything. Especially about us.

I'm beginning to think that…that maybe we weren't meant to be. As we had first thought.

Maybe Fate has just been toying with us, playing with our emotions.

"No, Seto. I said now." Please, Seto, talk to me. Just take a minute, talk to me, wash away these feelings of doubt. "We really need to talk."

There is this silence in the room again. You're quiet, and it seemed by some strange miracle, you have stopped typing. Yet you still keep your back to me.

The silence is foreboding. It dares me to continue.

Yet there is a warning in this silence. It warns me not to continue.
That these words I want to say were better left unsaid.

I've heard this warning many times before and heeded it. I thought it was for the best. That it would prevent any more pain.

But it didn't. It caused more pain. At least for me.

I don't know why I feel like this, Seto. I don't really know why…yet I do.

I'm getting tire of trying to break down your walls.

After you had first confessed and those first few months we were together, I thought, I really thought that I had broken down your walls.

That you were finally letting something other than Mokuba in.

I was ecstatically happy that it was me you allowed in.

That it was me that you loved.

However…all good things come to an end…

You started to pull away, to focus entirely on your company.
At first, I felt it was selfish of me to want you all to myself; you had enough of a burden as it is.

So I said nothing. I just stood by you and was there for you when you needed me.

I got myself drunk and disillusioned on the fact that we'd be together forever and that it was just a phase; you'd cared the way you did before.

But I waited…and waited…days passed into weeks, which passed into months…and slowly…it's almost been a year now.

You still haven't come back. In fact, you're farther away from me than ever.

Not physically. Physically, you're still here. I don't see you very much physically either anymore, but you're still here.

But emotionally, mentally, the ways that truly counted, you are far away from me. You've pulled farther away as each day slipped by…and now I'm losing hope.

We haven't really talked in a year. When we do talk, the words mean nothing. They are more a politeness now than anything else.

A kiss here, a soft word there, gifts everyway I turn but nothing more. I miss the physical passion we had in bed. I miss the emotional connection between us.

I missed you.

And what I miss most is our love.

Now all it is…is just me trying to break down your walls, to get you to love me like I love you, to get you to care like you use to…to love me the way you use to….

I hear the tapping at the keyboard again and it snaps me out of my thoughts.

I look over at you. No. We couldn't keep at it like this. I couldn't keep at it like this, pretending everything was still fine.

This time you needed to know. Needed to know how I feel.

"Seto."

You snapped around abruptly, finally turning to face me.

Irritation etched deeply on your handsome, yet tired face. Your blue eyes are cold, narrowing dangerously at me, daring me to continue. "What is it now, Yami?"

You've reached your limits. You're losing your patients rapidly. And that's dangerous.

Despite the danger, I have to do this, push you the extra step.

I needed to know if you still cared.

"We have to talk."

"What about? You know you that I have a company to run and home to support. If this is not of vital importance, we can talk about it over dinner. I do not have time to heed to your every little wish and desires. So make it snappy or save it for later." You barked.

This is so unlike you. But then again, I have no idea what is like you anymore…you've changed so much…at least to me.

"I don't know if you would define this as of vital importance. But we need to discuss our relationship and where it's heading."

"Our relationship is fine and it's heading down a good road. If you wish, we can continue to discuss this over dinner later, but not now. I have work to do."

You started to turn back.

"No…we can't discuss this over dinner…Mokuba and I rarely see you anymore at dinner anyway. You're no longer around. You don't notice anything anymore besides your work. You've ignored Mokuba. You've ignored me. You've ignored us. And I'm having my doubts now, Seto. I really am. It may sound selfish, but I really need to know that you still love me the way you did. There is only so long I can go without some form of contact from you. The physical contact, I can last without, but the emotional and mental ones I can't. I'm dying inside Seto…I really need you…Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who still cares anymore. The only one who's still in love anymore…I feel like you've slipped away from me, Seto and that you're still slipping. There's a painful fear in my heart that the love we have is slipping away…"

I look at you. I know there are tears in my eyes, but I won't let them slip.

I wanted to see what you'd say, what you'd do, before I have to do what I must.

You sit in silence. Still as a statue.

Then you look up at me with those blue eyes, the ones I've drowned in countless times before.

They're cold, icy. There is anger in them.

I wait.

And you begin to speak. Your tone is sharp, harsh.

"You know how much my company means to me, Yami. I've worked countless years at it, sacrificing so much for it. And now you're expecting me to give it up? All for you? This company is my livelihood, what I need to support Mokuba and us. Without it, we'd be nowhere. You wouldn't be here with me. I'd be nothing and you wouldn't care a thing for me. I've put everything I am into this company. It is as great a part of me as Mokuba is. As you are. And I refuse to give it up. How could you say that I no longer love you? I shower you with gifts, we go out for dinner, on dates, and I still hold you and kiss you, don't I? Isn't that enough as it is? What more do you want from me? I have enough of a burden as it is, I want to come home to someone who'll love me for me, who'll give me my own time, who'll help ease the burden, not add to it with childish wants. I need someone who loves me the way that I am. If you can't deal with me the way that I am, you can leave. I hate to say it, but it's the truth. I still love you Yami and you know it as well as I do."

I nodded slowly. That was all I really needed to hear.

I say nothing and you turn back to your laptop, satisfied that this conversation is through and everything is going to go back to normal again.

But it's not.

Rising from the chair I've been sitting on, I walked to the door, and then stopped, before turning slowly to you.

"I'm leaving, Seto."

You merely nodded, acknowledging my statement, brushing it off as nothing.
"I'll see you at dinner later than?" You asked coolly.

"No. I'm leaving Seto."

You look up with an arched eyebrow. "What do you mean, Yami?"

I sigh softly then smiled sadly at you.

"I'm leaving, Seto. I'm not coming back. I've heard all I needed to hear. I know that you care for me, but it seems that you don't care for me the way that I want or need for you to. I'm not with you because you are wealthy, as you seem to believe but because I love you and every part, good or bad, of who you are. But you don't seem to notice that. Gifts are merely that. Gifts. I need more than material possessions from you. I need you. But it's become impossible to reach you. I'm tired of trying to climb your walls, of trying to tear them down. The more I try, the higher, the thicker, the stronger you build them. I've stood by you, faithfully for almost a year now without you really acknowledging me. I can't do it anymore. I still love you. With every fiber of my being, with every part of who I am, was and will be. I don't want to do this, yet I have to. There is no other choice. It hurts to let go, but it hurts so much more to stay. I'm sorry, Seto. I really do love you. But if you tell me stay I will. Just say the words, and I'll stay. Or else I'll go."

I know there are tears streaming down my face, but it's pointless to stop them now.

You stare at me, emotionless. There is a tiny flicker in your eyes, but that soon disappears.

You say nothing.

Our eyes are locked for the longest time, and then you break it.

You give a slight nod of acceptance and turn back to the laptop.

"Then so be it…" These words pass through my lips merely as a whisper as I accepted your answer.

With a heavy, pain filled heart and a bittersweet smile, I turned and walked out the door, closing it gently behind me.

"If this is the hand that Fate has dealt us, then so be it…then so be it…but I'll always love you, Seto. No matter what happens. "

"No matter what, Seto…I will always love you."

Seto watched from the corner of his eyes as Yami walked out and the door clicked gently closed.

He stared at the screen blankly, his eyes slightly glazed.

He bowed his head, his hands holding his forehead, fingers gripping his hair tightly.

A cold silence hung in the room, broken by the tears that splashed onto the smooth black keys of the keyboard, staining them.

The tears fell one by one, and then became a torrent of salty crystal liquid.

Seto Kaiba was crying…he was crying…

He was crying for the first time in well over a year…the last time being when Yami had accepted him…last time, they were tears of joy.

But now…it was tears of pain…now that Yami had left him…

"Stay…please…don't go…stay…."

It came out as a hoarse, pleading whisper.

But it was a little too late…

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Done. :ducks tomatoes and other flying projectiles: Don't kill me! It had to be done!

Wow…it's 8:13 in the morning. I wrote this in about an hour. A brand new record time for me…not to mention a brand new record length for me. Longest chapter I've ever written:winces: I don't like it…they're so OOC…:bangs head on table:

So what did you think of that? I haven't written a Seto/Yami Yuugi fic in so long, so it might have been a little rusty.

This is most likely gonna be a one-shot unless you guys want me to continue it.

REVIEW PLEASE:hands out cookies: