Control

"Move."

Seto didn't know why he bothered making demands of Joey. If telling him no last night didn't work, asking him to step aside for Seto to move out was a fruitless effort from the start. It didn't stop Seto from trying because he had no intention of staying.

"Stay in here. I'm sorry. We don't have to sleep together, but stay."

"Get out of my way."

With his arms full of pillows and blankets, Seto couldn't really push Joey out of the way, but enough force got him to walk back a few steps, which gave Seto to leave their bedroom for the office. The couch in there was more comfortable than the couch in the living space, so Seto had been setting up there for a half hour before Joey caught him.

Joey blocked the door when Seto tried to go back for his clothes. "You're not moving all the way out. That's just not going to happen."

"I don't suppose you'll take no for an answer?"

Seto didn't wait for the meaning to click before he brushed by Joey, knocking him into the door frame in the process. It didn't stop Joey from following him each step of the way.

"Seto. How many times do I have to apologize?"

"How many times does it take to undo the past?"

He didn't need all his clothes, just enough not to rush into the other bedroom every morning before he showered. That reminded him that he needed to take his toiletries out as well, because if one thing was certain, he wasn't going to be sharing a bathroom with Joey from that point on.

"Are you going to keep acting like this? So much is about to change that we can't treat each other like this."

"I understand things are about to change," Seto said. "But we have never been anything. There's nothing to go back to."

With everything in his arms, Seto pushed by Joey once again and took everything to the second bathroom they almost never used. It was convenient there were extra rooms for Seto to retreat to. He had to stay in the suite, but once inside, no one else would know what happened behind the closed door. Even the guards stayed outside.

"I don't want t'make an excuse. What I did was so wrong. Crazy wrong. The wrongest thing I could've ever done. But we're married. We can't just ignore each other for the next fifty years."

"Plenty of couples do."

"I'm not asking you to fuck me again. I'm just asking you to stay in the same room."

Seto shook his head and went to finish putting his things in place. "It's been a day. You're going to have to give me time."

"How much time? I just, I don't know, Seto. Ma's dead and Dad's acting weird, and now you're moving out. It's so much at once."

"Consider that the next time you ignore me."

Joey groaned loudly and grabbed Seto's arm to stop him from putting down his razor. He didn't speak, not at first, but held onto Seto's arm, staring down at the countertop. Soft breaths blew in and out between his parted lips, and finally, he lifted his gaze up to Seto. "Please. Don't go."

"I can't do this with you now. Let go of me."

Joey did, but still refused to move away. "How long?"

"I couldn't say."

"You could try."

"I'm the reason she's dead," Seto said. "Wasn't that it?"

The horror across Joey's face was enough to give Seto the space he needed. With everything in its new place, Seto had time to leave without destination in mind. He could try the roof or the game floor. Both were usually empty enough for some privacy. And since going outside still felt too soon, Seto went with the game floor, meeting up with Roland on his way down.

"Your highness."

Seto nodded once and crossed his arms while the elevator doors closed. "Any word on when I'll be able to return to schedule?"

"They expect lockdown to last until after the trial."

"He confessed. Why is there going to be a trial?"

Roland couldn't answer it. "I will let you know as soon as I hear word."

It was the best Seto could hope for you, and there wasn't much more on the subject for Seto to comment on. He preferred the days when Fuguta shadowed him, but Roland was the best he could have asked for, aside from the one guard Seto did request.

The floor was as empty as Seto predicted, and he went over to the never-used board game cabinet and took out the book he had stashed inside. There were chairs in the corner for people watching the non-existent games being played, and he sat there to read.

Mokuba was still texting updates, which made Seto wonder how he ever slept. It must not have been interfering with Mokuba's studies since Gozaburo allowed it, but Seto thought he needed to comment. Mokuba needed sleep, but Seto also had gotten used to talking to him daily, despite the time difference. The talks of letting Mokuba visit had been postponed again and again, and Seto had to think that with Alister's attempt on his life, Mokuba would never be allowed to come, by Gozaburo or Pegasus.

Roland stayed back by the door as always. While Seto had never looked into it, he hoped they were all given high salaries. Not only because it must have been boring to stand watch all day, but because when the gunfire started, Roland had used his own body as a shield. All of them had without hesitation.

Seto's phone buzzed and he checked to see another message from Mokuba, this one about a pet turtle he had gotten and named Kame-Kame, which was the most fitting name Seto could think for Mokuba to pick. Seto texted back to ask for a picture, since he knew Mokuba would spend at least fifteen minutes fixing the lighting and getting a turtle to pose.

The picture that came a few minutes after ended up saved, only because Mokuba had made it a selfie, giving Seto a bright grin and pointing to the turtle.

It had been two years since he had seen Mokuba. Two years since they had spent anytime together outside of a video chat.

Maybe given the state of the country, Seto could visit Japan for a while until it blew over. Anyone should be able to understand the need to be home during a traumatic time. Although, Pegasus likely wanted everyone to continue thinking Seto had adjusted to the idea of this being his home.

Roland pulled out his phone a few hours later, frowned, and crossed the room to Seto.

"Give me your phone, your highness."

"Excuse me?"'

Without letting a moment pass, Roland took it from the arm of the chair and stepped back with it, starting to look through for something Seto couldn't see. And that wasn't acceptable, so he put down his book to reach for the phone. "What are you doing?"

"We have two minutes before they get here."

"Who?"

"His majesty and his highness."

Seto shook his head and reached for the phone again. "And that means you need my phone?"

"Please excuse me, your highness."

Roland pulled out his own phone and checked something before pocketing it, then handed back Seto's phone. "I'm incredibly sorry for this."

He went back to his station at the door just in time for the elevator doors to open, Pegasus, Joey, Croquet, and Duke stepping out. The four of them walked over to Seto, and Duke took his phone.

"What are you doing?" Seto demanded.

"My apologies, Kaiba-boy," Pegasus said. "It is an unfortunate consequence of recent circumstances."

"Recent consequences that take away my cellphone?"

Duke turned it off before putting it in his pocket, his own phone nowhere to be seen for once. And behind them, Roland was staring ahead at nothing, like he hadn't just done something to make up for whatever they were doing.

"We need you to avoid contact with Japan for a while."

"You mean my family?"

Pegasus pressed a hand to his heart. "How it wounds me to hear you don't consider us your family. Joseph clearly hasn't done his job."

"Your job?" Seto asked, leaning a bit to the side to try catching Joey's gaze, where he was hidden a few steps behind Pegasus. He didn't get an answer from him, or even a passing glance.

"Don't take it too personally," Pegasus said. "All communications with Japan have ended once again."

No.

Seto's chest felt tight and he denied the inference while he could. Part of him knew and refused to accept it. They couldn't be serious, not after all this time, not after what Seto had given up, not after what he had taken from him.

"Open communication is part of the treaty," Seto said.

"Oh yes, the treaty Japan has never really held up. Don't fret over the treaty any longer. As of today, there is no need for it."

"You're declaring war," Seto said, voice flat.

"Already have. Japan has gotten away with their crimes long enough."

Joey still wouldn't look at him.

"I'm only here because of that treaty. If you're calling it off, I'm going home."

"You're here because you're part of our family. I'm so sorry you don't feel like it yet. Joseph should have been more accomodating."

What would that have changed? No matter how accomodating Joey might have been, nothing would have changed. Japan would still be Seto's home. And why was Pegasus referrencing this so often? Since when-?

"Your prince can't be married to the enemy," Seto said. "I'm going home."

"You aren't the enemy, and now, neither is KaibaCorp."

Seto glared when he knew.

"That's why you weren't offended when Japan offered me. You needed me here."

"You catch on so quickly," Pegasus said. "Only two years and a straightforward explanation."

Joey had acted differently before the wedding. He had acted differently until Pegasus took him aside just before "I do." He had been playing Seto, more than Seto knew, since the honeymoon. How stupid could Seto have been not to realize that?

"You knew," Seto said, now the one who couldn't look at his husband. "You knew and despite that..." He couldn't even finish the statement. Joey had known and still fucked around with Seto for two years without showing any sign of guilt over it. And Seto had slept with him, had tried to make it easier on him out of sympathy for the lost relationship. After all that, Joey had been lying to him the entire time.

"Seto-"

"You two can talk later. For now, Kaiba-boy, stay with either Roland or one of Joseph's guards. Fuguta had to be dismissed, which I'm sure you understand."

"He's done nothing wrong."

"And because of that, he was allowed to return to Japan on the last flight over. But I need you to understand that you're on our side, Kaiba Seto. For any public appearance, press conference, speech, you will be at Joseph's side, supporting our country."

Seto shook his head. "You planned this from the beginning."

"There is no war without Kaiba Corporation. Don't look so glum. In six months, Japan will have surrendered and you can have your phone and internet priviledges back."

"I've effectively been a prisoner of war this entire time," Seto said, head bobbing while he spoke. "And once the war is over again? Am I still going to be on lockdown?"

"Don't fret over the future, Kaiba-boy."

And with that, Pegasus and Croquet left, and Duke retreated back to the door, leaving Seto and Joey standing by the chairs. Seto looked down at the book he had forgotten he had been reading, and reached down to tap the cover. It took longer than it should have to process the mountain of information that had been thrown at him in the past few minutes. Everything had been a lie, the treaty, the marriage, the relationships, all of it. Serenity had apologized. Did she know? And Yugi and Yami made that odd offer at the funeral. Did everyone know except him?

"You lied," he said at length.

"I didn't want to."

"You did."

Seto lifted his gaze because this was going to call for his complete and burning attention. Joey's emotion seemed genuine enough, but it would never be enough. There was nothing in the world Joey could have said or offered to him to make any of this right or okay.

"You don't understand-"

"What. I don't understand what," Seto said, his tone as level as he could make it without breaking entirely.

"I never wanted it to go like this. It wasn't supposed to be for years, but I guess with Ma-"

"Are you using your dead mother as an excuse for the fact you've been lying to me and fucking with me despite knowing I was your prisoner?"

"Don't make it like that."

"Like what? Am I supposed to think you didn't know? That he didn't pull you aside before our wedding and tell you I was a pawn in his damned game?"

Joey shook his head. "We had to get married. What he said before-"

"Don't you dare say it doesn't matter. It fucking matters, your highness. It matters that you've lied to me this entire time. Why don't you understand that?"

"Of course I understand!" Joey snapped. "I didn't ask for this any more than you did!"

"But you still slept with me. You still fucking-" Seto closed his mouth and couldn't bring himself to say it. "Damn it, Joey. You honestly don't see what you've done?"

"Seto-"

"I swear if you touch me, I will break your hand."

Joey stepped back. "We can talk. We'll go upstairs and-"

"And nothing. There is nothing left to talk about."

He had nowhere left to retreat, but Seto did regardless, waving down Roland to take the elevator down with him.

"You downloaded my contacts?"

"Yes, your highness."

Seto nodded. At least there was one person he could trust, and if he was going to get through this, he was going to need a lot more.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! You all are amazing!

You can expect an update on Sunday, June 4th.