Author's Note: hey guys, how it going. good i hope. well i got a new story for you, and this is my last writing assignment for my english class! Yeah! i know i usually have you guys say if there's something wrong with it, but you dont have to. all i need to do is figure out a theme for the story, but i think i could do that on my own. well i hope you all like it, and i have a few things to say to all of you at the end. enjoy my LAST english assingment of the YEAR!

note: this takes place 5 years after the end of Clarity.

" See there's this place in me where your fingerprints still rest, your kisses still linger, and your whispers softly echo. It's the place where a part of you will forever be a part of me."

Gretchen Kemp

How long has it been? I can't even remember what you look like. The color of your eyes. The sound of your sweat bell like voice. Everything about you is all but a faded memory by now. Long forgotten by the bittersweet taste of alcohol. Pushed away into the deepest, darkest places of my memory to hopefully never be seen again. That in my opinion, is the best way to deal with it. It might not be the healthiest, but sometimes the best things for you aren't always the healthiest. Deep down in a place in my very soul, I know that it is completely impossible to rid myself of your memory forever. It doesn't matter how much I drink, or how many people I have in my bed. You're always going to be there in my head. The memory of your touch, the sound you would make, your soft as silk skin under my fingertips, but most importantly your eyes. So full of joy and happy, so bright that they would always make my day just by looking into them. The memory can and will never fade. Every Time I have someone else I can never get you out of my head. I compare all others to you, all down to the smallest detail. I know that doing that is morally wrong of me down to the very core, but I just can't help it. Only after you left, did I finally realize not only how much you loved me, but how much I loved and NEEDED you, but I realized too late. 2 years too late. That day, a part of me just died. It felt like the other half of my soul was ripped right out, leaving a hole in its place. A hole that can never be filled again by anyone else, but you. Now and until the day I die. If I ever have the chance to see you again, I would cry and ask for your forgiveness, but at the same time I would tell you how much I love you.

5 years later

5 years ago today you left. 5 years ago today I went to your house to see if you were ok, because you didn't go to work that morning, but when I got there you weren't there. Everyday for the past 5 years I have woken up wondering how you're doing, or if you're even still alive. Some nights my dreams are plagued with memories of the times that we shared. To some these would be good things, but to me they're nothing less of nightmares. Anything with you in it ends up being a nightmare because it makes me relive the pain that I put you through. Every morning I check the obituaries to make sure that you're still alive out there somewhere, and if I ever see your name I will take my life in a heart beat so that I can be with you. Hopefully I'll be allowed into heaven with you, but I doubt that with everything that I've done to you. Every time I come to wor-

" Mr. Sennen you are to report to Mr. Kaiba's office immediately. "

I slowly look away from my drawing, and up at my life long friend with a mask of no emotion. I stopped showing any kind of emotion after my love left. It's one of the ways that I have taught myself to deal with it. I give him a nod to let him know that I had heard and registered what he had said.

As I stood up from my desk chair I saw the quick flash of worry and concern in his dark violet eyes. I know that I worry him to death with how I've been acting, but there's nothing that I can really do. Im dead on the inside now, and there's nothing that can be done to change that.

I sigh silently as I stop to stand in front of my cousin's door before I knocked loudly so that he could hear me. I have an idea of what this could be about…. Well 2 ideas.1. could be about the way I've been acting, but he's not the type of person to worry a whole lot about me. He only really worries about his younger brother. 2. were supposed to be getting someone from the design division in the American branch, which so happens to be my branch. Before I had gotten promoted to the design branch was in the programing division, so we had to create the programs for the game with a list of things that they had wanted in it.

After a few more minutes I hear a muffled " come in " coming from the inside, and with that a loud buzz from the locking mechanism that he has on the door. With one final sigh, I open the door and walk into the massive room that happens to be his office. The floor is white carpet with light gray walls. On the left side of the room there are 2 black leather couches, and in front of his desk there's 3 red velvet chairs in front of his clean white marbled desk.

" you wanted to see me Mr. Kaiba?" I said with a bow of respect. Even though, we're considered family, we still show each other respect in the workplace like we aren't related.

" yes Mr. Sennen. I presume you know about the worker from the American branch who is supposed to be coming here to help with designing a new game, right?" I didn't answer because I knew that it was a rhetorical question. " I want you to be the one to work with them. Since you two are going to be spending a substantial amount of time together working on this project you two will be living together, not only because getting a hotel room for an unknown amount of time is uncanny, but also because it will be a better way to work together. If you shall decide to decline my offer you will be demoted back down to the programing division, but if you accept you will get a raise and become floor manager. So the choice is yours cousin. Will you accept or decline?"

Without a heartbeat of hesitation, I give the man who took pity on me and gave me a job my answer " I accept". There was no way I was going back down to that place. It holds too many bad memories that I would rather forget, and they all circle around you my love. Even though your stuffs no longer there, but the memories are. I even remember how you would always try to cover up a deep scratch that you did by accident on your first day. You would always try to cover it with your morning cup of green tea. I even remember how one day I had yelled at you because I had caught you trying to color it in with a brown sharpie, but the moment that I was alone I had burst out laughing. The face and sound that you had made. It was-

" WAKE UP!"

I admittedly felt a stinging sensation right in the middle of my forehead. For a moment I was too stunned to even do anything, but I eventually looked down at the floor to see a …. Paperclip. He flicked a paper clip at me?!

" what was that for?!" I could barely contain the growl of anger from oozing into my voice.

" well you were just standing there completely spaced out, and it was starting to give me the creeps. Look if you want to space out go do it at home or something, but not here, especially staring at me with that dreamy look on your face. Now go and get moving, the plane from America is supposed to be landing here in just under and hour. Every second you're late, I'm going to take a dollar off of your next paycheck, got it."

I nodded in understanding before I turned around and made my way to the big wooden doors, and out of his office and into the small hallway. After closing the door, I walked across the hall to the elevator that would take me down the 2 floors that I needed to get back to the design department, but as I stand there and waited for the elevator time seemed to stop for a moment. I felt all of the eyes on me. They expected me to get fired, but there all surely mistaken. There was no way that he would ever fire me, and that's not just my pride talking. It has nothing to do with the fact that we're family because when he had given my twin brother a job here he fired him a year later. No, it's because I'm one of the best in the designing department. He knows that the day that he fires me will be the day that his company goes under.

I smile to myself as I head the elevator ding signaling its arrival. Once in I hit the button for the design department floor. After about 30 seconds the door reopened showing the floor, and with a nod to someone who was leaving I headed over to my cubicle to get my things to go home. While I'm packing everything up Mariku runs over to me with frantic and worry showing in his eyes.

" did you get fired?"

I shook my head ' no ' " you know that American who's supposed to be coming over here to work with us?" I asked, and after I got a nod from him I continued. " well he wants me to be the one who works with them, so I have to go over and pick them up at the airport then head over to my place." I finished as I stood up and started to make my way back over to the elevator with him following behind me.

" well I hope everything goes well for you then. See ya tomorrow or whenever you come back in." and with that he patted my shoulder before he walked away, just as the elevator doors opened up with a ding.

As I got into the elevator and pressed the button to the ground floor, where the cars are parked , and waited for the descent down 98 floors. I smiled at the kindness of my life long and most dearest friend. We've been friends since my first day here 9 years ago. Even though he's the department manager, he still finds time to not only talk to me, but to everyone else at least once a day.

After about 5 minutes or so the elevator doors opened to reveal the ground level filled with all kinds of expensive cars of all of the employees. After making sure that I had all of my stuff i walked down a flight of stairs, to the second level of the parking garage, and over to my silver and black BMW convertible.

Once all of my stuff was in the back seat I plopped down into the driver's seat, but I didn't start the car up right away. No. all I could do was stare down at my shaking hands. For some reason I just felt so nervous, and it's been growing ever since I got into the elevator. It just scares me. The fact that I don't know. That there's this bad feeling deep in my gut that's telling me not to go. The feeling of complete and utter dread. It's that feeling that you get when something bad is about to happen. The thing is, I know this feeling all too well. I felt the same thing that day 5 years ago, and that's the REAL reason I went. I thought something bad had happened, and i was right.

I shook my head in hopes that it would get the memories out of my head before they had a chance to completely resurface, but it didn't help. They still came. There always there. Fresh, and at the very front of my mind. From the moment I wake up, to the moment I go to sleep hoping that I won't see you in my dreams. All I can ever do is relive that night over and over again like a broken record. Why didn't I see the signs? You were right there in front of me, and I STILL couldn't see that you were hurting. I didn't even realize how fake you smile was. Well you know what people say ' Ignorance is bliss'.

BEEP…BEEP…BEEP

I was pulled roughly out of my thoughts by the sound and feeling , the phone vibrates , of it phone going off in my pocket. I quickly recover the device from my front pants pocket, and just stared at it. The phone was new, only a day or two old, so I haven't gotten a chance to put everyone's numbers in. Knowing that not many people know the number I press the green button on the screen, but before I could even get a word, out-

" what do you think you're doing you idiot!? GET GOING! Don't just sit there! You're already late! You wasted an hour and a half just sitting there! Get going or you're FIRED!" and with that he hung up.

I groaned out loud to myself as I started up the car, and after about a minute of letting it get warmed up I took off in the direction of the airport. I thought that I would be able to avoid that place at all cost, but I guess I was wrong. Even after 5 years I still can't bring myself to delete that message. I still have it saved on my house phone. It's the only thing that I have left of you, and whenever I need to hear your voice I play it. I know it might sound creepy, but some days it's the only thing that gets me through the day….

36 minutes later

Domino airport

Drop off/ pick up

I sighed to myself as I leaned against the driver side door. " How am I supposed to know what they look like? He never told me their name or even their gender. Dear god some days I hate my job… " I mumbled out loud to myself, and in the process I got a lot of weird looks from people, but a death glare directed their way sent them scurrying inside the building or to their car. It took every last bit of my restraint not to laugh at the horrified looks on their faces whenever I shot them a glare. See that's why it's a good thing to have odd natural eye color some days.

" excuse me, but are you Mr. Sennen from Kaiba Corp?" Asked a very timid and nervous voice from my left.

The unexpected voice made me jump at least a mile high, and release a very unmanly sound in my surprise. After I got my heart rate down some I turned my head to the person who had spoken, to tell them off, but froze as my crimson eyes met amethyst. There standing right in front of me was my love in a black business suit and a blue suitcase.

Without even thinking I pulled my long lost love into a bone crushing hug right into my chest " it's you… I can't believe it…. I get to see you again…. Oh you don't know how much i've missed you…"

" umm….. Do I know you…?" asked the sweet bell like voice of my love in a shy and very confused voice.

I froze as the words slowly sunk in. After a few more seconds I felt myself being slowly pushed away from my love. I slowly glanced down , i'm at least an inch taller , and the moment I looked into the beautiful amethyst eyes did the words become crystal clear. Amethyst held complete and utter confusion. Then the moment they finally sunk, in I felt a piece of me just die.

' do I know you…' just kept repeating itself over and over again in my head. My love…. Does Not remember….? Why? How? I…. I… I don't understand. How can someone just completely forget. Amniasa? No. What about forcing yourself to forget? Thats possible, but very unlikely. That only happens when something traumatic happens to a person, and it couldn't have been that traumatic….. Could it?

" you really don't remember me?" I just couldn't help the sadness from lacing my voice, or keep it from shining in my eyes.

" i'm sorry. I really am. Im pretty sure that I would remember someone with crimson eyes. Now that i'm thinking about it, are those your real eyes or contacts?"

The pain I felt in that moment is indescribable. Its beyond any type of pain that I have ever felt in my life. The fact of knowing that the person that you love with all of your heart, doesn't even remember you. It's like dying a thousand times over in different way. Is this some sick way that the gods have come up with of punishing me for what I've done to you? Is this some type of cruel joke that you're pulling because of what I did to you? The sad thing is….. I know I deserve it.

I smile sadly " im sorry, but I must have gotten you mixed up with a friend of mine. My friend tends to wear purple contacts. I guess I just looked at the eyes, and just amused. But to answer your question, yes they're real."

" wow! I thought that I was the only one in the WHOLE world with odd eye color. Oh by the way, am-"

" I know Mouto."

It took all of my self restraint to hold in a chuckle at the look upon my angels faces, but I couldn't repress a smirk. It was just the way that the already big eyes just seemed to double in size that made it so funny.

" wow.. How do you … wait don't answer that question. Mr. Kaiba probably told you. Gods, I just made myself sound beyond stupid in that one moment."

I wanted to say no. that I already knew, but I bit my tongue. I know that I had already made a bad first impression, and staying that would be beyond creepy.

" we should go. It's getting late, and I bet you have some pretty nasty jet lag." I asked with some humor to lighten the mood, and hopefully get rid of the tense and odd atmosphere that had settled around us like smoke.

Chuckle " yeah. I just feel like I could sleep for at least a week. This is why I hate overseas traveling. The jet lag is horrible."

I chuckled at the nervous chuckle, as I reached out and took the medium size suitcase and put it into the back seat with all of my stuff from work. Once in, I motion to the passenger side as I got into the driver's side. The moment that I turned on the radio the atmosphere from earlier came back, and this time with a vengeance as we both became so lost within our own thoughts that conversation wasn't even an option.

The atmosphere and silence was deafening, but neither of us knew how to break it. I was a complete stranger, but to me we were once lovers. I don't know how to explain what we had. We weren't lovers. We just slept together. That was it. I never stayed. At that moment I was hit so hard with the realization of what had happened 5 years ago I slammed on the breaks jerking us both forward.

With wide eyes, I glanced over in the passenger seat to see wide eyes staring back at me with confusion and fear. I quickly shook my head before I started driving again " sorry. I thought I saw a rabbit in the road."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a nod of understanding, but the look in those amethyst eyes said that I wasn't believed. We both know that it was a big lie, but we let it drop. The atmosphere around us become even more tense that it was almost suffocating, but at the same time neither of us tried to break it.

As I stared at the rode I could help but get lost in my thoughts again. That's why. I never stayed. The pain, humiliation, the hurt must have became too much to the bare, and the only way to get rid of it was to leave. Now I understand, but at the same time I don't. I could never understand. I could never understand the pain that I had put you through my love. I could never because it was me that left, not you. I left. I never said a word to you. I never stayed to show you how much I actually cared. I never even DID anything to show you that I had EVEN cared. I loved you, but I was too scared to admit it. Then you left, and I died. Everyday I wake up hating myself. I knew that what I did was wrong, but I didn't want to admit it to myself at the time. I was to frighted. To frighten as to what you would do. I was frightened at what I had felt.

I sighed out loud to myself as I pulled into the driveway of my small white house, but when I sighed I caught the attention of my passenger.

" hey you ok? Look i'm sorry. I know this must be REALLY akward and all to have a complete stranger staying in your house, and I knew that am making you feel uncomfortable. " sigh " look what i'm trying to get at is that we should start over. You know, from the beginning"

' from the beginning….' if only I could. If we did, it would be from YOUR beginning. Nothing that you say or do could make everything that we went away. It just doesn't work like that. Its impossible to start from the beginning.

I shook my head " no its ok. You didn't do anything wrong, and I don't mind having you stay at my place. Since I live alone and all, it tends to get pretty lonely some days. Having someone around would be a nice change. It will take some getting used to, but I will adjust." I explained with a complete and honest smile as I spoke the words from the bottom of my heart. I did leave out some of the things like the fact that we used to sleep together. Yeah that's the word that I was looking for. We just slept together.

" oh I see. Well then i'll do everything in my power to make it less odd while i'm around. How do like that idea?"

I nodded, but I didn't think that it would work. Every time I hear your voice, or even see you am reminded of our past together. Wait… it would be my past, not yours anymore.

" come on, I'll get your stuff so that you can get settled in before I make dinner." and with that said I got out of the car, and when I went to grab the suitcase it wasn't there. I was about to panic, but I saw my love with it.

" I can get my own things, and beside it looks like you got a lot of stuff to take in. It would be rude of me to make you carry my things, and yours. I would be considered a bad guest." and with that I heard the sound of the wheels rolling on the pavement as my love walked away.

I smiled into the car as I grabbed my things from work, once I had everything , I hurried up the small steps to my front porch. After a few minutes of me struggling to get the keys out of my pocket , because of all the stuff I have , I unlocked the door, and for the first time my door opened for someone else to see.

The house was small with two stories , and a basement , on the outskirts of town right on the border between the city and farmland. The floor was a polished dark oak with some red marble thrown in some places to give it a unique look, with pure white walls and a black tiled sealing. When you first walked in you were met with the living room and dining room with a half wall dividing the two, so right away you couldn't see into the living room. The dining room had a simple mahogany dining table just barely big enough to hold 4 people comfortably.

I glanced over at my love standing next to me just to see that adorable look of amazement on your face that I love so much. " follow me. I'll show you too your room, then afterwards I'm going to start dinner." then with a motion with my hand, I started to walk to a small hallway next to the entryway to the kitchen. I didn't look back to make sure that I was being followed because I could hear the soft tap of bare feet against the wooden floor not far behind me.

The upstairs was a small carpeted hallway with 4 doors , 2 on each side of the hallway, and a window at the end. " that doors yours" I explained as I motioned to the door on the left that was closest to us. " and that's the bathroom. It's the only one in the house, so we're going to have to share." I explained with a motion to the door right next to the bedroom. " and that one is my room, and the one right next to it is my office or drawing studio." I explained at as I motioned to each door starting with the one on the left that was closed to use, and then the one right next to it, the office or studio.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a nod before I heard a door open then close.

The moment that the door closed I let my fake friendly smile drop, then my body just went on autopilot. I don't really know what happened in the time between me going to my room to me ending up, down states on the couch with a half empty bottle of Russian Vodka and an unopened bottle of Whisky. The moment I felt the burning sensation of the alcohol going down my throat I relaxed. I felt better. Whenever I drink it help with the pain of living. Knowing that I'm only feeling the pain of the drink at the moment, and nothing else, is peace. That's why I drink. It makes the troubles in the world go away. When I'm sober I feel pain, but when am drunk I feel nothing. Nothing, and it's the best feeling in the world. 5 years of drinking my problems away. Only after my love left did I take up the habit. It's the only way that I can get through the day sometimes. The only way I can get to sleep. I just black out. No dreams. No, just darkness.

I sigh as I take another swig slightly wincing at the dull pain that followed. I know that I'm never going to be able to get with my love. What we had for those 4 years is gone now. It's all just a pained memory. The thing is, drinking isn't the only bad habit that I had picked up over the 4 years. I picked up the habit that my love had. Now I see why it's addicting. It feels great. It helps with the pain when I can't get to the alcohol.

I felt the tears before I realized that I was crying. The pain of being the only one that remembers. Knowing that I was the reason. It's just too much. I just can't bear with the thought of living with those memories while you just to forget.

Then before I knew it, I was walking into the kitchen where I grabbed the big chef's knife out of a drawer. My body was on complete autopilot, and I didn't know how to turn it off. I knew what I was doing, but I couldn't stop myself as time seems to go in slow motion. I slowly rolled up my dress shirt sleeve to reveal white lines on my skin going up my arm. I knew what they were, and so do others. If you saw them you would know. A lot of people have them, but I just never thought that I would have them. I slowly lowered the blade down to my skin, and without even thinking I ripped it across with as much force and pressure as I could. I knew what I was doing, and a part of my mind was screaming at me to stop. The thing is, I just didn't have to will to stop anymore.

The moment that the blood started to come out at an alarming rate did I realize that I did it too deep. Way too deep. I cut the arty. I knew it the moment that my vision started to blur, and go out of focus. Blood loss. I fell to me knees, letting the knife fall out of my hand with a clank on the floor. As my vision started to slowly go I heard something. Foot steps? No that's impossible I live alone. Was that a gasp? I groaned as I felt myself being placed into someone's lap followed by a panicked voice on the phone. The words were muffled, but there.

" shhh. Its going to be alright."

Is that an angel? No. I forced my eyes open, even though I don't remember closing them, and I was met with watery amethyst eyes staring down at me. I smiled as I slowly reached a bloody hand up to the face of my complete and utter affecting.

" I….. Love…You…" my voice sounded so hoarse even to myself.

Sniffle " oh gods. I love you to. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that."

What….? " You….. Remember….?"

" of course I do. I thought that if I acted like I didn't we wouldn't fall back into what we had. I'm sorry…. You did this because of me…"

I smiled as I reached up and pulled my lovely angel down for a kiss " it's…. Not your…fault….." and with that said I felt my world go black as my heart finally gave out…

The other person:

Why…? Why? Was all that I could think as I stared down at the love of my life. Dead, in my arms. Why? The moment that I was able to see you again, you had to leave me. Back then I thought that the choice that I made was the best one, but now I know. It was the worst thing that I could have ever done. " am so sorry…" I couldn't help the way my voice broke right before a wail of complete and utter heartbreak tore through my throat and filled the empty house. In that moment I knew what I had to do.

I reached over to the discarded knife on the ground covered in the blood of the love of my life, and did the same thing.

When I first took it over, it didn't go deep enough because of all of my old scars, but a second time and more pressure did the trick. It went right through to the artery.

I smiled to myself as I set the now blood soaked knife down on the counter before I curled up next to my love laying my down head right above where the heart was, and closed my eyes.

Right before darkness consumed my vision and my heart gave out I heard the front door fly open. Then right before I left the world, I heard one sentence…..

" …. Romeo and Juliet…."

Well i hope you all liked it. just a little heads up school is almost over, thank god, so i can go back to updating on fridays. we finish finals on the 4th, so i plan to update either Black Heart or The Secret. also i got at least 3 new stories that you will be seeing soon, so look out for those. to those who are wondering i've been doing better, and i will actually indirectly tell you all what it was that was wrong with one of my new stories. But i cant wait to hear from you all again, and get back into posting. just wait a little bit longer because i promise you that you wont be disapointed when i come back full force! till the 6th, see yeah!