Summary: Katsuya wonders why he's so in love with Seto when Seto is so in love with Yami.

Author's Note: Dedicated to a special person, with a special meaning. I just hope the special person knows that they're exceptionally special. Hope you enjoy, beloved.

Knowing that he would disappear, that he would gash himself out, Katsuya would be there. Just so Seto would have something to fall back on. Even if it was out of trauma, out of a tragic loss, he would then drown in the right arms.

After Ever

As peaceful days became the contented mold, the time was drawing closer. To face the inevitable was not what Yami had feared, but growing awfully close to his once and forever held rival was what truly placed him in terror. He knew very well, in fact, better than most, what was meant to happen, let alone supposed to be done; but no fate's attempts ceased him from pulling the certain being closer or in often cases, allow himself to be pulled nearer. Held captive was all he ever was and though he despised the very thought of limitations, just this once, he allowed the vulnerability, the exposure to Kaiba Seto.

Just for the hell of it.

Something about Kaiba was inviting, after all.

Though he was threatening, in the end Yami concluded that all his coercion were nothing but empty arrows shot up in the air for it to simply plant itself back to the ground. No attack, no defense- just hollow and threatening looking. Perhaps it was the emptiness that reeled in the old pharaoh ultimately, and the thought of a new legroom for him to remain in. Selfishly without thought, he was to remain in Kaiba Seto's heart as well.

In the end Seto hated it. Loathed him for intruding without any form of consent, agreement; but one asked out loud, who truthfully asks for permission when falling in love? In spite he refused any form of love, lust, connection from Yami no Yuugi, cursed at him even moreover than usual for his self-righteous idiocy and pathetic beliefs.

"You fool," Kaiba hissed, finally pivoting his posture to glower. "You and I aren't linked by some shackles of the past. If its freedom you seek, perhaps retaining your own body first is a better idea."

Yami knew better than to continue this dispute with another insult, but Kaiba's skeptics were too unnerving to ignore. If the past revelations were not so credible, was his love not compelling enough?

"I may be the fool, but I am not blind. I see what I see and I accept what I see, I believe in what I experienced and what I feel. Your defiance is immature, Kaiba, likewise the way you deny your affections for me." Yami glared back with audacity, slightly shaking as he stood. "Tell me, do I come and chain you with the past? Do I unlock your mind and insert thoughts of your and my possibilities? Do I sing to you every morning of adorning songs? You damned fool; I possibly can not do any of these things! All I offered was an understanding, even perhaps the acceptance of parallel feelings- but you rejected me and for your loss that you will never regain, I will be gone. Gone to the grave where I belong, without you to think of, without you to hold on to. For once I'm glad I've won you, Kaiba Seto. For once I truly understand how it feels to win the blue-eyed master of the white dragons, the fool, because in relief I'll know I'll be dead before you miss me, before you come back to me."

Appalled Seto stood, frozen in his steps just before his entrance of the manor. The night sky looked as if to pour, but the coldness only helped both Seto and Yami to focus. Their thoughts already chaotic in morals, priorities, pure desires of the mind and the body, all pertaining to the short grasp within each other.

Finally Seto opened his mouth to retort just as bitterly.

"Full of yourself, aren't you, darkness? Parallel feelings- you accuse me of parallel feelings," He scoffed lightly, never once looking away. "I have no feelings. None to start with, and equivalent to end with; you can not blame me for something I do not have. You speak of nonsense concerning your disappearance, but you and I both know, a bit too well where you mean by that. You mean to your petty comfort zone, protected by the incorruptible boyhood you chose to linger in. You underlay your broken old soul in a renewable body that shields you, but you and I perfectly understand who you are really- the filth of all darkness."

With the word 'filth' Yami approached closer, growing more cynical than distressed now. Knowing Kaiba would not take one step back, Yami stood only a few inches away from the brunet, with a crooked smile.

"I'm moreover relieved to hear you admit to my existence. But before I go, knowing I've gotten more from you than I ever did in the past few months, years-" Seto watched as Yami inhaled a sharp breath. "I will leave to my death. I wanted to let you know furthermore personally, rather than as implicit information. Good bye, Kaiba Seto, my archaic rival and friend."

Due to his sarcasm, the farewell was easier than Yami had ever hoped it to be. He smiled to himself as he turned and gathered the leather jacket closer for warmth. In the matter of seconds he felt his wrist turn firmly, revolving his entire posture to face Seto forcefully, meeting his pair of lips in haste.

When was the last time they shared a kiss?

When was the first time they ever kissed?

Would this be the last time, the final expression of love, lust, and connection?

The kiss was too airy to have been felt, but Yami pulled away in alarm when he heard Seto's agonizing groan. The taller figure then threw his fist against the wall beside him and slowly fell to the floor, simultaneously the rain beginning to pour.

"Kaiba," Yami whispered, also falling to his knees to gather the brunet's face. "Seto,"

He called out in vain. "What are you thinking about?"

The rain made it harder to hear, but also harder to see. While Seto missed Yami's gentle voice, Yami also missed Seto's tears.

The established fact that Yami was actually going to leave-

That he would leave a scar forever embedded in Seto's heart. Again without any form of consent, agreement, he would disappear just as he appeared in Seto's life. How selfish of him! How unfair and unjust, how vile and intolerable was he?

Seto threw Yami's hands off his face, glaring at him back again with the right eyes of wrath.

"Seto," Yami then pleaded, deftly ignoring the heavy rain. "This is my last-"

"So what? What the hell do you want me to do? Accept you and let you abandon me? Allow you to die because that's where you belong? Why haven't I died yet then? I belong dead any less than you do! Why am I still alive? Answer me!" Seto spat whilst in agony with his fist beginning to bleed at his second blow.

The remaining truth was Yami had already subsided within Seto's heart. He was already the core and the contaminating affection that tore Seto into pieces. And now, without further a due, he would vanish into thin air.

"I remained with a flaw, Seto. A tragic flaw that will seal my fate and unlike you the perfect creature, I was doomed from the very beginning. I was only given this afterlife because I haven't finished what should've been done and for that, I am to be forever disabled in life. You know this, you know it well as I do, even more, Seto- dying for me is the easier way out." Yami lightly chuckled in Seto's ear.

"Yet it is the contemptible way." Seto growled, hating every moment.

"Hateful or not, I will be freed."

The raindrops on Yami's face too hid his tears well.

Unacceptable yet undeniable, Seto forced the smaller body into his grasp and kissed him bitterly. The once so airy and mistook embrace was now solid in pure desire. They finally landed in the manor helplessly drenched.

Knowing that he would forever be gone, knowing that Seto would be forced the heartache, Seto welcomed Yami into his grasp, one last time.

The automatic lights that flicked on with the entrance of the two beings signaled a new awareness in a pair of brown eyes. Even till then, the pouring rain had still poured, not once sympathetic to a certain blond who stood across the street from the exact manor, unwilling and unmoving. Jounouchi Katsuya knew, more than the others, what exactly was happening to both Kaiba and Yami in the exact moment the lights had turned on, off.

Ultimately it was strange. Unable to word it specifically, let alone entirely. Katsuya knew his feelings were genuine, but weren't grand enough to convince anyone, even himself. He had heard their conversation from the corner of the same block, the risen voices in anger and rebuttal, shameful but so in love. It hurt to see Seto hurt, but it even hurt to see Yami hurt when Seto wasn't hurt. Either way, it hurt Katsuya and that's where it all got wrong. Being the biased and yet the honesty they both needed, Katsuya was in an uncomfortable position all out drenched in the rain.

He loved Kaiba Seto, but he knew love wasn't what Seto needed. Seto already had the love, had the pain from love, and he knew that much.

In inevitable amount of days Yami would leave as he promised, return to a place where no being would even dare, not with the human consciousness. And when Yami does leave, Seto would not only bind to follow, but laugh that rare amusement while doing so. Then where would Jounouchi Katsuya go? Where would he stand?

But if Yami wanted Seto out of his selfishness, and it from his selfishness Seto would get hurt, that would be the last thing Katsuya would offer. He would offer selflessness instead. Altruistic, forgiving love and all Seto would have to do is share;

Share the little bit of love left in him.

Knowing that he would disappear, that he would gash himself out, Katsuya would be there. Just so Seto would have something to fall back on. Even if it was out of trauma, out of a tragic loss, he would then drown in the right arms.

Author's Note: Probably preferred for the SxYY audience, (prideshipping, was it?) and having that said, this was my first actual(?) attempt at a Seto and Yami pairing. It sure was fun and I'm sure I'll write more of it, just with the right ideas, plot-holes, etc. But whew! What a headache; the two take incredible loads of thinking to fabricate, even if it was an unnecessary drabble like this!

I doubt this would continue, but if it does- it would obviously end up being my old, puppyshipping finale- only because Jounouchi Katsuya is a part of me, and believe-it-or-not, I want a part of me finishing this story, haha(?)

Nonetheless, if you have ideas/suggestions/comments/questions/etc. let me know, and I honestly have to see if I'll even continue from here. Beloveds, I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading.