Hey guys, I've decided to try my hand at a Puppyshipping one-shot. This is the first one I have ever written, so your comments are greatly appreciated! Please let me know if you enjoyed it. This was not Beta'd, but if you have suggestions or recommendations for Beta Readers, feel free to let me know!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Yu-Gi-Oh!

Katsuya sighed and checked his watch. 9:00 pm. Seto was late. His eyes fell to his lap, where his hands were twisted together nervously, as he fiddled with his napkin. His eyes were burning, threatening to let go of the tears that were filling his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he saw the waiter approach out of the corner of his eyes.

With an embarrassed smile, he addressed the annoyed looking waiter.

"I'm truly sorry…I don't think my date will show. Please let me compensate you for your time." Laying a hundred dollar bill on the table and with a small nod, Katsuya grabbed his jacket and quickly rushed out of the restaurant, as quickly as he could.

Katsuya grabbed his cell phone, and flipped it open, hoping for a message, a voicemail, anything to show him that maybe, just maybe, Seto was thinking of him. Nothing.

Today was their two-year anniversary. He had made reservations at Seto's favorite restaurant for 6 pm, eager to spend a night alone with the most important person in his life. Unfortunately, it seemed like to Seto, he wasn't that person anymore.

Katsuya leaned his head against the wall of the restaurant, breathing slowly. Traitorous tears were sliding down his cheeks. Three hours…he had waited three hours for Seto, his heart rate picking up whenever he saw someone tall walking towards the table. But none of them were the famous multi-billionaire.

He dialed the number for Seto's private cellphone, hearing it ring once, twice, and finally on the ninth ring Seto picked up.

"Kaiba."

Katsuya cleared his throat. "Um, Seto…It's Katsuya."

"I was just about to call you, Puppy."

His eyes shooting up, Katsuya felt hope start rising up in his chest. "Oh? What is it?"

"I'm caught up at work so I'll see you when I see you. Sorry."

Seto's slightly tired voice drifted over the phone, while Katsuya's heart dropped in his chest. He swore he could hear it breaking and cracking, falling into pieces around his feet. Seto didn't even mention anything about their anniversary. He really had forgot.

Taking a second to fight back the crack in his voice, Katsuya whispered "Okay."

Hanging up the phone, he could really feel the tears starting to slip down his face. Choking back a sob, he quickly dialed for the driver and waited until the limo pulled up to his side.

Sliding inside, he wasn't sure what to feel. He felt cold, he felt betrayed…but most of all, he felt an overwhelming amount of sadness beginning to spill over and pour down his cheeks in the form of tears.

He missed Seto. Not just on today, but in the past several months, Seto had become more and more focused on his work than him and Mokuba. Katsuya understood that his work had his responsibilities, and would often understand when things came up. But the fact that these occurrences were more and more of a regular thing than just once in a while really hurt his fragile heart. He still remembered the times when Seto would unexpectedly return home early, just so he could spend the extra time with him and Mokuba.

Flashback

Mokuba and Katsuya were laughing in the kitchen with flour decorating almost every spare inch of their clothes. They were trying to make a cake for Seto, since he had just pulled off a spectacular business deal. However, they had ended up flinging flour and other things at each other while trying not to collapse on the ground laughing.

"Take this!" Mokuba shouted, throwing a clump of flour at Katsuya's hair, laughing when it hit its intended target.

Katsuya had growled playfully, grabbing Mokuba in a tight hold and rubbing some flour into his own hair. "Oh yeah?! How do you like this then?!"

Seto had then arrived in the kitchen, both eyebrows raised at the sight that greeted him. "What on earth are the two of you up to?"

Both Mokuba and Katsuya had froze, before smiling an evil grin at each other. Each picking up a handful of flour, they had given Seto barely a second to react before they both flung the flour at Seto's face. "Surprise!"

Seto had been stunned, but a smirk had slowly formed on his face as he stepped closer to them and armed himself with his own handfuls of flour. "Oh, I'll get you both back for that!"

The cake forgotten, the three of them rushed and ducked around the kitchen while the impromptu flour fight continued, laughter and cheers coming from all sides.

On their one-year anniversary, Seto had promised to try and cut back on his work time to make sure he had time for Katsuya and his little brother. He'd even bought a promise ring for Katsuya, as a symbol of his promise. Of course, they had believed him, and for the first few months Seto had stayed true to his words.

Flashback

Seto held out a small box towards Katsuya, as they were sitting together on the loveseat in the living room in front of the fireplace. Katsuya's eyes had widened, and he stared at Seto with his mouth hanging open.

Seto had rolled his eyes at the silly sight of his puppy's reaction, and chuckled. "Calm down puppy, it's not that. Well, not yet at least."

Gulping, Katsuya had reached for the box gently, opening and gasping at the beautiful ring nestled between the silk in the box. It was a beautiful ring, with a diamond in the middle surrounded by sapphires and rubies on the sides. He gingerly plucked it from the box, observing it with admiring eyes from all sides.

Engraved on the underside of the ring was a simple phrase. "My Solemn Promise".

Katsuya looked up questioningly at Seto. "What do you mean? What promise?"

Seto smiled at the adorable, confused look on his puppy's face. "It's my promise to you…that I love, cherish and treasure you." He pulled Katsuya closed and kissed him gently. "Also, that I will try my best to spend more time with you and Mokuba."

Katsuya had immediately smiled in happiness. "Really?! Do you mean it Seto?"

"Yes. It's my solemn promise to you." Slipping the ring onto his puppy's hand, Seto lifted Katsuya's hand and gently kissed each finger. "And when the time comes, we'll be saying I do."

Blushing, Katsuya reached and pulled Seto's face to him, kissing every part that he could get to.

However, it was painfully evident that it wasn't going to hold. Staring down at the beautiful ring, a white gold band with beautiful diamonds, sapphires, and rubies as decoration, Katsuya realized that the promise it stood for…Seto had broken this promise over and over again.

Katsuya was a patient person. He tried to understand, tried to be kind. But time had taken its toll on his heart and mind, and he could feel a part of his snap as his anger took hold. A cry escaped his throat, sounding like the noise a wounded animal would make.

He did feel wounded. Not physically of course, but emotionally and mentally. He craved attention, he craved the gentle touches and smiles Seto saved just for him. He craved the kisses that they would have late into the night, the way Seto held him so close and so tenderly, like he was the most valuable treasure to him in the world. Katsuya loved that feeling. He loved Seto.

Resting his head against the glass, he watched the buildings fading in and out of the view. There was no question about his feelings for Seto. He loved the man that Seto was, his calm and powerful aura. He felt protected by Seto, his strong dragon that shielded him from the dark things that used to be part of his life. Seto was there to protect him from his dark past, and the memories that tried to drag him down with them.

Unconsciously, Katsuya wrapped his arms around himself. He was trying to hold himself together, trying to replicate Seto's warm hold with little success. His tears were still coming, and he could feel the sobs shudder through his body. The affection he never had as a child, he had craved from Seto. His parents were not the kind and loving parents he always craved, always wanted. His mom could have cared less about him, and his father was an abusive drunk, with alcohol and money being the only things he cared about. Katsuya never had someone to hug him, never had someone to tell him he was loved.

Seto gave him that. Seto made him feel loved. Katsuya knew Seto loved him, but it hurt when he was unable to spend the time that Katsuya desperately wanted from him. He was fighting against a company for Seto's attention, for Christ's sake! The thought caused momentary anger to flare up inside him, before a calmer feeling of despair and reluctant acceptance settled inside him instead.

The driver's calm, professional voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Mr. Jounouchi, we've arrived."

Katsuya looked up and gave the driver a watery smile. "Thank you. And please, Jou-kun is fine."

Slipped quietly out of the limo, he made his way up to the entrance. Opening the door and slipping inside, he locked the doors and felt his body slide down with the weight of his feelings. Cradling himself, he felt the tears from his face soak into the fabric of his pants.

"Jou! Jou! Where's Seto?"

He heard the voice of the younger Kaiba drift over to him. Taking a deep breath, he looked up into the questioning expression of Mokuba.

With a wavering smile, Katsuya replied. "He forgot…He never came."

Mokuba's mouth dropped open before he gritted his teeth bitterly. "What?! I can't believe it! Hold on Jou, I'll set things straight!"

Katsuya shook his head gently. "No, Mokie…It's done."

Mokuba froze, his gray eyes widening. "…What do you mean, Jou?"

Katsuya smiled bitterly, a dark chuckle escaping his throat. "He's made it painfully obvious just how important Kaiba Corp is to him…and I can't stay here anymore, knowing that he's basically left me for it."

Mokuba's eyes immediately filled with tears as he grabbed onto the jacket of Katsuya's suit. "Jou! You can't leave! Please don't! Seto loves you, I know he does!"

Katsuya gently patted Mokuba's head as the younger Kaiba started sobbing into the fabric. "And you know I love Seto with all of my heart. But I can't take this treatment anymore…It's not fair to me, or to you." Getting on his knees so he could face Mokuba at his eye level, he wiped a few stray tears away from the younger's face. "I promise I won't leave you alone forever, but I need some time alone to figure out if I can take this any longer."

Mokuba hung his head as he pressed his face into Katsuya's chest. "Jou, I love you! You've made both my big brother and I so happy…I'm so sorry he's treating you like this. But please…come back soon."

Giving Mokuba a gentle kiss on the forehead, he hugged the sobbing Kaiba with a warm, tight hug. "I'll try my best. And if you ever need me, you know how to reach me."

Standing up and giving Mokuba one last weak smile, Katsuya went up to his and Seto's room to start packing his things. Filling a suitcase with clothes and necessities he would need for at least a little while, he paused to survey the room he shared with Seto.

So many good memories were made in this room. Memories of the first night he and Seto had shared together, how they had come together and showed their love for each other through the slow and passionate moving of their bodies, to the times when their love and lust for each other overpowered them and caused them to struggle against each other in a fight for dominance…

He remembered the first time Seto had told him he loved him. How his own eyes had been shining brilliantly, like two glittering sapphires when he gently whispered to Katsuya his feelings. He remembered how he had started crying immediately, hugging Seto like it was their last moment together and choking out his own feelings and "I love you" through his tears.

He remembered their moments when they would just lay together in bed, wrapped in each other's arms and talking about the most silly and random moments of their day. Or, when they talked about the happy memories they had shared together or with their other friends. He remembered how playful Seto could be, when he would roll on top of Katsuya and tickle him, giving him one of his rare smiles and even rarer laughs as they tickled each other before collapsing in a giggling, sweaty mess.

Katsuya's tears started again as he remembered the birthdays they shared, the times they spent with their now mutual friends, the fights that they had but were always able to forgive each other, and the odd hours of the mornings when they would talk on the phone if Seto was away for business trips.

Flashback

Katsuya was biting his nails as the phone kept ringing. He was holding it up to his ear, waiting for Seto to answer.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Seto's groggy voice filled the line.

"Hello?"

"Seto!" Katsuya immediately said, unable to hold back the smile that crossed his face.

Seto gave a small groan. "Puppy, it's 3 am here."

"Oh…I'm so sorry!" Katsuya cringed as he forgot about the time difference…again.

He could almost feel Seto rolling his eyes on the other side of the telephone. "Its fine, puppy. I missed you today."

"I did too. I can't sleep when you're not next to me." Katsuya quietly whispered into the phone.

There was a light pause on the phone. "Katsuya, place your phone next to your pillow. Lie down, and we can talk until you fall asleep."

Following Seto's instructions, he placed the phone carefully by his pillow and crawled under the blankets. He listened to Seto's calming, baritone voice as he slowly drifted off into dreamland.

The next morning, he checked the phone beside him. He fought back the urge to cry in happiness as he saw that Seto had been on the line for two hours, just for him.

Zipping up the small suitcase he had filled with his belongings, he gazed over at the nightstand sitting next to their bed. A picture of the two of them was in a beautiful silver frame, Seto with his arms wrapped around him and the both of the smiling brilliantly at the camera. Katsuya had his signature grin on his face, while Seto smiled a small, but happy smile. Katsuya sighed wistfully.

Flashback

Seto had a tight grip on his hand as they walked through the park. It was late afternoon, and there was a calming breeze drifting through the trees, wrapping itself around the two.

Mokuba was following behind them, taking random pictures with the brand new camera Seto had gotten him for his birthday.

"A squirrel! Oh and a bird! That leaf is pretty!"

Katsuya couldn't help but laugh at the annoyance on Seto's face. They stopped every so often to let Mokuba get his fill of pictures before moving on again.

"Big brother! Jou! I'll take a picture of you two!"

"No." Seto answered, pulling Katsuya away from the grinning boy with the camera.

Katsuya rolled his eyes, tugging back on Seto's arms. "Come on, we need a good picture for you to put on your desk at work!" Both him and Mokuba prepared their puppy dog eyes on Seto.

Seto stared at the both of them before giving up with a small sigh. "Fine, but make it quick."

With a light cheer of success, Katsuya grabbed Seto's arm and put him into place against the background of the pond and a nearby tree. He stood in front of him, leaning his back against Seto's chest and bringing Seto's arms to wrap around his waist.

Mokuba held up his camera, getting into position. "Smile, you two!"

Katsuya had immediately grinned, but could see that out of the corner of the eye Seto wasn't.

Poking Seto's cheek with his finger, he fake glared at him. "Seto, smile! The faster you do, the quicker we'll get done."

With another audible sigh, Seto finally managed a small smile before they both turned back towards Mokuba's camera.

Gently laying the photo face down on the nightstand, he took off his promise ring and laid it on the back of the photo. He hoped this would show Seto that this time, he was serious.

With one last glance around the room, Katsuya turned off the lights and closed the door. Making his way downstairs, he gave Mokuba one last hug before leaving the mansion.

The door to the mansion opened again around 11:00 pm, this time with Seto entering the foyer. Raking a hand through his chestnut locks, his eyes closed tiredly before he shook himself awake again.

Some idiot had messed up an important part of the newest project at Kaiba Corp, and again it had been up to him to fix the problem. He never understood how or where he found the idiots that worked for him, and had finally decided to fix it by himself. Sometimes, it was easier that way.

Walking up the staircase, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he saw the light on in Mokuba's room. Usually by this time, he would be asleep.

Knocking gently on Mokuba's room, he called out for his little brother.

"Mokuba? Why are you still up?"

Opening the door, he saw that his little brother was sitting with his back facing the door, his shoulders shaking. Panicked, Seto immediately rushed forward, turning Mokuba to face him.

"Mokie?! Why are you crying? What's wrong?"

Mokuba's eyes flashed with anger as he glared up at Seto. His hands formed into fists as he hit Seto's chest over and over again.

"It's all your fault! I don't want to see you right now!"

Seto lightly grabbed Mokuba's arms to get him to stop hitting him. "What did I do? What happened?"

Mokuba's eyes continued to fill with tears as he spat out the next words in anger at Seto. "Jou's gone. It's all your fault. He left."

Seto immediately froze in shock. His puppy had left him? But why?

"WHAT?! Why?!" He couldn't think of a single thing he had done to make him leave…

Mokuba sneered up at him with a glare that could have rivaled Seto's own.

"Did you not notice the date at all?! Did you not notice the hints Jou had been dropping around you all this week? Did you not see my note to you about today?!"

Seto's brain was working furiously, trying to figure out what Mokuba was talking about.

"What are you talking about? Today's not his birthday."

"I'm not talking about his birthday! I'm talking about yours and Jou's anniversary!"

Those words chilled Seto's blood straight to his heart. He immediately pulled out his phone and checked the date, realizing immediately that Mokuba was right.

"Oh god…"

Mokuba stared up at Seto, still with anger in his voice.

"He made a reservation for you at your favorite restaurant. He made sure with your secretary that you would be free. He dropped so many hints this week. He made the reservation at 6 pm, Seto. He didn't return until 9:30, alone." Mokuba's eyes were shining with tears again. "He waited three hours for you to show up, Seto. But you never did." Rubbing his eyes, Mokuba's voice grew louder. "YOU MADE HIM FEEL LIKE YOUR WORK WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO HIM! TO ME! TO BOTH OF US! YOU PROMISED, SETO. YOU PROMISED THINGS WOULD CHANGE!"

At this point, Mokuba had collapsed into a sobbing mess as he continued to scream out things that were unintelligible sounds.

Seto's head had fallen into his hands as he realized what he had done. He had left his puppy alone for three hours, when he was too busy with work to even take the time to call him and check on him. His puppy had been so loyal, waiting for three hours for him to show up. He couldn't even call him his puppy anymore, not after the way he treated him…

Seto's heart throbbed when he realized that it wasn't the only thing he had done to his puppy. He realized that he had been so busy lately, constantly staying over at work for hours upon hours, not returning home until it was the early hours of the morning. How alone must have his puppy felt, lying in their bed alone.

Seto couldn't help the cry of despair that escaped his lips. He probably would have left him too, if he were the one being hurt.

"Mokuba…I promise to make things right. I'll bring him back, I swear it."

Mokuba sniffed and looked up at Seto. "You better, big brother. He's our family."

Without a second thought, Seto immediately ran into the room he shared with Katsuya, hoping for any clues that would tell him where his puppy was.

He almost collapsed in tears when he saw his puppy's ring sitting on his nightstand. Katsuya was serious this time…did he even want Seto to go after him? His hands shaking, Seto picked up the ring and pressed it against his cheeks, fighting the urge to cry out that was beginning to grow in his body. His hands shook so much that he couldn't even turn the picture back up.

Pocketing the ring in his trench coat's pocket, he immediately ran down the stairs and raced out the front door, not even listening to his security guards yelling for him.

The buildings and streets passed in a blur around him, as he only searched for one thing and one thing only-his puppy. His darling Katsuya. The one thing in the world that he loved the most, but had failed to treasure.

Katsuya felt numb as he sat on the park bench, staring out at the pond. The night air was cold as he tugged his jacket around his shoulders.

He had returned to the apartment he previously shared with his father, which had been cleaned up and renovated by Seto after his father was sent to jail for child abuse and assault. It felt weird for him to be alone in the apartment, as he was so used to being in the mansion with Seto and Mokuba. Really, he was living with them, but still kept the apartment as a safety net.

He sighed as he looked up at the sky. The moon was shining brightly overhead, casting light over the grass and pond as they shimmered in the darkness. Right now, he wasn't sure if keeping the apartment had been a good idea or not. Of course, it meant that he had somewhere to stay right now, but did Seto see it as him not trusting him and their relationship enough?

Katsuya was quiet as he contemplated this, while he was also immersed in his own thoughts. He couldn't fall asleep, so he had taken a walk to the park to think. The only sound he could hear was the faint noises of the city behind him, and the quiet movements of the ducks in the water.

His eyes closed momentarily as he laid his head against the back of the bench. His hands felt empty, without the ring surrounding his left middle finger. There was a small groove from where the ring had sat for the last year, and he rubbed at it absentmindedly.

"Katsuya! Please, where are you?!" His head jerked back suddenly as he heard the voice piercing the silence, wincing as he hit the back of the bench hard.

"Puppy!"

Katsuya knew the voice was Seto's. He almost broke at the sound of pain and longing in his voice, but he forced himself to stay still. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see him or not right now.

"Katsuya!" The same voice cried out, echoing around him.

He heard steps behind him, running and then coming to a sudden stop behind him. With a shake of his head, he stood up and faced the man behind him.

He held a gasp at the sight before him. Seto was panting, his trench coat skewed around his body and his usually orderly hair was completely messed up. His eyes were bloodshot, and had dark circles around them.

"Seto, what the hell?!" Katsuya quietly scolded him. "Stop making such a racket this late in the night."

He wasn't prepared at all for him to suddenly pull him towards the chest of the CEO, and he couldn't help but tear up at the familiar feeling of Seto's strong arms around him.

"Oh my god, puppy, I'm so sorry. I'm the worst person in the world right now; I can't believe I left you all alone. I'm so sorry I forgot about our anniversary. I'm sorry for everything that I have done, and everything that I haven't done for you. Please, please…Forgive me and come back." Seto's shaky voice filled his ears and he struggled to breathe in his tight grip.

Shaking his head slightly, he pushed them apart. He held onto Seto's shoulders, looking up into the eyes he loved so much. They were cloudy with tears, and he could see the pain and sadness that shone through them.

"I love you, Seto…But I can't stand being second to your company." Katsuya's voice was calm and cold, as he struggled to keep his anger in check.

Seto seemed to hesitate as he reached his hand out. His hand gently cupped Katsuya's cheek, urging him to look at him. "You're the most important thing to me. I love you. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."

Katsuya snapped, his normally calm eyes flashing in anger as he looked up at Seto. "Then why do you leave me for work so much? Why do you leave me alone in our bed, when I long for you to be there, hugging me?" He screamed out, bitterness lacing his every word. "Can your company hug you? Can it kiss you and make love to you? Can your company promise to be there for you whenever you need it? WHAT DOES IT HAVE THAT I DON'T HAVE?!"

Katsuya's face fell into his hands as his shoulders shook with the force of his sobs. He was so upset at the fact that he couldn't even win his lover's affections over a company. He had never felt so destroyed or insignificant in his life.

"I'll leave Kaiba Corp."

Katsuya froze in shock. He looked up at Seto, momentarily stunned. "…What did you say?!"

Seto cleared his throat and with conviction in his voice, repeated his phrase. "I'll leave Kaiba Corp. If it'll convince you to come back, I'll do it right now."

Shaking his head, Katsuya frowned. "But Seto…Kaiba Corp is everything to you."

"It's not everything…You are. You and Mokuba. It doesn't matter what happens, as long as I have the two of you, it'll be enough for me." He moved forward, cupping Katsuya's face in his hands.

Laying his head against Seto's chest, Katsuya closed his eyes and breathed in the familiar scent. "I don't want you to leave Kaiba Corp…It's made you who you are. And I love who you are…but I can't stand it when you don't have time for us." He looked up at Seto, his eyes still wet with tears. "We're a family, Seto. You have no idea how important it is for me and Mokuba to spend time with you."

Seto pressed his lips to Katsuya's forehead and hugged him even tighter. "I will cut back on hours immediately-you can help me make my new schedule. You can make it so I only go in on certain days of the week, or that I'll leave at a certain time every day."

Katsuya smiled against Seto's chest. "Do you promise this time? That you really will stick by it this time?"

Seto pulled back to look at him, with a serious look in his eyes. "Yes. And if at any time I break my promise, I will leave Kaiba Corp without a second thought…as long as you'll be still waiting for me."

Katsuya leaned in against him, kissing Seto's neck. "I understand that Kaiba Corp is important to you. And I will understand if occasionally you need to stay late. But I really want to see changes this time around, please."

Seto suddenly drew him in for a passionate kiss, as their tongues battled for dominance. Pulling back and panting slightly, he looked deep into Katsuya's eyes. "I love you, Katsuya. And I promise, that you'll see that I mean what I say this time around."

Smiling, Katsuya reached down and grabbed tightly on Seto's hand. "Now, do you have something to give back to me?"

Reaching into his pocket, Seto grabbed the ring and slowly slid it back onto Katsuya's finger, sealing their promise with a kiss.