AN: The last chapter. Yes. And no lemon. What is with you lot? So many of you were pushing for a lemon! * Blushes and looks innocent* Well, there isn't one! Unless one of you wants to write one that takes place after this chapter. You do that and I'll post it. Give you credit, of course. But I'm not writing one. Sorry, please forgive this author.

Hurts XXIII

I grabbed my 'attackers' wrist, unconcerned with the pain I was obviously causing them. I didn't even care who they were or what they thought they were doing. They were touching me. They had found my scars! I felt more naked without a shirt then if I was wearing nothing but a shirt.

"AGG!" The person screamed, as I applied even more pressure. I sat up and watched as the room spun for a moment. When the face in front of me finally stilled, I released my grip a little and glared at them.

"Never. Touch. Me." I hissed, throwing their hand back at them. They sat there gasping, clutching their wrist. I looked a bit closer at their face, straining to clear the blurry picture my hangover was giving me. "Tea?"

She didn't move, just sat there, gripping her wrist like it might fly away.

"Uh, look, sorry about that. You just surprised me, and people don't touch me...you know." I mumbled, trying to apologize for my rash action. She just shook her head, not looking at me but not moving. On the up side, she hadn't screamed, run away or set Yami on me. Yet. "Are you just going to sit there, or are you gonna say something?"

"Why do you have so many scars?" She asked softly. So softly, I wasn't exactly sure if I had heard anything at all. Perhaps it was only a figment of my imagination.

"I'm sorry?" I inquired.

"Why are you covered in scars?" She repeated a bit louder. Now there was no mistake. I had heard her correctly the first time.

"I don't talk about it. Just forget what you saw." I shrugged, standing up. 'I need to find a coat. Or a shirt. And fast. Too many questions already. Damn sober people.'

"No, Seto." Tea said, standing up. "I'm not letting it go this time. That time at the hospital, I though they were just small cuts, but these are serious scars! When did you get them? Why? Where?!"

"I. Don't. Talk. About. It!" I snarled, my face inching closer with each word. I noticed that she took an involuntary step back, surprised by my anger. I ignored her obvious fear and stalked out of the room, only to see Yami smirking at me. Fighting the urge to slug him, I hurried up to my room. I ran into Yugi, Joey and Mai on my way there and, ignoring their shouts and calls, ran past them to my room. The door was locked. I realized that my keys were in my coat pocket and as long as Yami was wearing my coat, I was locked out of my room. I kicked the door in a futile effort to open it, then walked back downstairs to find Yami. I didn't find him, but I did see Joey smoking a cigarette. Stealing it, I kept walking till I was on my porch. Taking a deep drag, I slowly breathed the smoke out through my nose.

"Feeling better?" Tea asked me. I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore her. "You know, you can't ignore me forever."

"True." I nodded. "But I can sure as hell try."

"See. You just acknowledge my presence. I win." Tea laughed. I took another drag from the cigarette and turned around, blowing the smoke gently out of the corner of my mouth. Tea frowned. "You shouldn't smoke."

"You're probably right, but I feel I'm entitle to it."

"No one is entitled to the right to destroy their body."

"One, it's not like I'm addicted. Two, when you've walked a mile in my shoe's you can tell me not to smoke. Until then, keep your opinions to yourself."

"How can you be so rude?" Tea asked me as if I truly amazed her. "I try and help you, but you push me away. Besides, nothing is bad enough to make you want to destroy yourself."

"You don't understand." I shrugged. "I know you wouldn't. None of you do. You see my scars, you hear the stories, and still you do not comprehend. I suppose, it is to be expected. Look at your life. What's the worst that's ever happened to you? You had to walk home from school? And look at Yugi! He always had that damn spirit to protect him. You'll never understand. But perhaps it is because you do not wish to, and not that you cannot."

"Then why don't you try to explain it? You think Joey won't understand? His father used to abuse him. What about Bakura? He considered suicide because of what his Yami did. Honda? He has to work two jobs to help his mother support the family. Mai? She lives alone."

"But you still don't get it!" I exclaimed, turning around so that I wasn't facing her any more. "Look at me! I'm messed up in the head! Ever since I was young I was the leader; always watching Mokuba and carrying for him. Then I get adopted with Mokuba and the man is abusive, giving me these scars and stealing my emotions. He would torture me and beat me and watch as I cried and pleaded. Do you know how many time I wake in the night, hearing his laugh echo in my head? Then, I kill the bastard and get his stupid company. I was thirteen. Still in school yet running a company and raising Mokuba. And not once did I ask for help. Not once did I cry, complain or plead for a break. You want to know why? Because that was how my life had created me. I was born, no, created, to led.

"And then you show up, and save my life. Not once, but twice. Then I save you as my past comes back to screw me over. Why can't you understand? I can't have help! It's not that I don't want it! Hell, the one thing in my life I want the most is to let someone else make the decisions! Let them take over and not have to worry about anything! I'm so tired, Tea. It's not that I don't want, even need, help! I simply can't handle it. I was born to bear the weight and troubles of leading, no matter what toll it took on me. No matter what I felt. So why don't you just save you 'we only want to help you' speeches for someone who can except it?"

"Kaiba, perhaps you should just learn to except help no matter what? No matter what you were born or made to do."

"I don't think I can. I can't go against my nature." I shrugged. "Besides, the only person who even cares enough about me to help is Mokuba, and I will not burden him."

"Kaiba. When we were in the warehouse and you were talking to that boy, the one you called Noah, you said I was you're girlfriend." Tea said after a minute.

"You were awake for that?" I asked, turning around. Her question surprised me and I was caught off guard, so I barely registered that she had changed the subject.

"Well? Did you mean that?" Tea asked softly.

"No, you are not my girlfriend. How can you be? We're not even dating."

"Would you like me to be?" She asked, even softer. I was silent for a minute. "Well?"

"I won't lie to you, Tea." I whispered, looking at my feet, pondering if I should tell her the truth. It would hurt both of us, but she should know. "Tea, I love you but we can't date. It wouldn't work."

"What did you just say?" Tea asked me.

"I said that we can't date." I told her.

"No, before that." She said with a smile.

"I love you, Tea." I repeated. Her smile widened.

"I love you too, Seto." She whispered.

"But, Tea! It can't work. I'm too..." I began, before I was silenced by her lips.

"You think too much." Tea told me when she finally broke away.

"I know." I whispered back, kissing her.

'You know Tea, I'm sick of being the mouse. I think it's time I took a risk.' I thought to her.

AN: UGH!!! Sappy endings!! *Rolls eyes * I can't believe I ending it so horribly. Terrible, short and bad. Forgiveness, I beg of you!