Chapter Thirteen

Bob the Kiwi Dictator: Ahaha! (laughs madly) I love your name! And, as always, it's wonderful to hear from a new reviewer! Thank you for taking the time to let me know what you think! Hm. Seto with a kitten? (rushes off to draw fanart)

inarae: Like or dislike, as long as I've evoked a strong emotion in you, I consider myself a success. Thanks for reviewing!

Firey Charizard: (huggles Yutou) But we need an evil seme...can we throw him to Marik and Bakura after he messes with Seto a little more? Please?

Smoocher of Evil: I like your name, too. Thanks for reviewing!

chittyco: Inuyasha! Cosplay! Wai! (huggles you)

mandapandabug: Alright, someone as spastic as me! Woot! (dances along with the voice in your head)

icechild13: Um, was that a flame? I don't think so, I'm pretty sure it was just constructive criticism, and very, vey polite criticism at that. If only all flamers were as nice as you! And no, Seto will not be the knight in shining armour. That's Jou's job, and I wouldn't dream of taking it away from him.

Moonlight: Oh he will, he will, Jou's fine. Sort of. And I'm glad you respect the last chapter, even if you don't like it.

Kumori Sakusha: You think I'm amazing? (cries with joy)

Nikyo: Yeah, Seto's other personality is adorable. (blinks) That sounds kinda odd.

Four hours. Four hours he'd been gone. A walk should not take four hours. Seto turned on his heel, stalking across the living room of his suite with all the furious air of a hunting cat. Jonouchi had been gone far too long, and although he was probably fine, Seto was starting to worry. It was growing dark and something about the idea of Jou out alone at night in a city where no one understood him bothered Seto.

He picked up the phone and stabbed in Jou's cell phone number. Please pick up.

Ring.

Ring.

Come on, where are you?

Ring.

Ring.

"Hey, this is Jonouchi Katsuya—"

"Puppy, I—"

"—I'm not here right now. If you really wanna talk to me dat badly, leave a message and maybe I'll call ya back." Beep.

Shit, it was his voice mail. "Jonouchi, this is Seto. I was just calling to ask where you were. It's getting dark and I was going to send Richard out for you—"

"Seto?" A deep voice, one he didn't recognize. It was obvious that whoever had picked up Jou's phone was deliberately pitching their voice an octave lower to disguise it.

"Who the fuck is this?"

"Tsk. Such language." A snicker. "You'd better be nice to me, Kaiba."

"Where is Jonouchi?" Seto's heart pounded in his chest; he was gripping the phone so tight that he could feel the joints in his hand creaking. "Put him on, right now! Who are you?"

"I'm afraid that's quite impossible, Kaiba-san. He's a bit...busy at the moment."

"What do you want?" Seto screamed into the phone. "What the fuck do you want from me?" He had Jou, oh God someone had Jou, ohmyfuckingGodhe'sgotJou...if they dared touch a hair on his head, if he came home hurt in any way... "I'll kill you. I don't care who you are, I'll find you and I'll kill you! If you so much as think about touching Jonouchi, I'll rip you apart myself!"

"My, my. He's been such a bad influence on you, Kaiba. You used to be so cold." There was a hint of anger in that voice, and Seto picked up on it. "The question is, what's he worth to you?"

"What?"

"What will you give me to let him go?"

"Let him go unharmed. I'll give you anything. Anything you want."

"That's a very tempting offer, Kaiba. I'll have to get back to you on that. The boy will remain unharmed...for now. I'll call you sometime tomorrow morning. Don't bother tracing this cell phone. I'm getting rid of it as soon as I hang up."

"No, wait, I—"

"Any messages for the little one?"

Tell him I miss him, tell him I'll get him back, tell him it'll be alright...tell him I love him. "Don't touch him, you understand me?"

"You're in no position to be making demands." Click.

Seto hurled the phone at the wall with a scream of fury that terrified the people in the room below him so much that they called hotel management. When hotel management realized that Seto Kaiba was staying in that room, they brushed it off with an apology and a nice gift basket; anything was better than facing Mr. Kaiba in one of his moods.

He threw himself on the bed, pounding a fist into the soft mattress. Who on earth could have done this? Jonouchi never came to America, and Seto found himself here rarely, certainly not often enough to make enemies. He wasn't Yami, after all, there weren't psychotic maniacs out seeking retribution for what he'd done millinea ago, and he didn't have a Sennen Item, so...

What did that leave? Someone had been watching him, watching them, enough to pick up on the fact that Jou was walking by himself and that Seto wouldn't expect him back for a while. In fact, by the time he'd realized that Jou had been gone a bit too long, it was already too late.

And what could anyone want with Jou...?

Seto clamped down firmly on that train of thought. Jou was fine. The voice on the phone had promised. He would be safe as long as Seto did what he wanted. He'd promised and Seto was going to fucking eviscerate him if he lied. He'd embrace the fact that his preincarnation was a sorcerer, and get Yami to teach him some of that Shadow magic and then he'd have fun.

Jou had better be safe.

Maybe...it was too strange, too coincidental that Seto went missing the day before Jou did. It had to be the same person behind it, but dammit he couldn't remember, everything was blank and oh God, what if he did something to Jou, what if Jou was hurt or raped, or...

Seto stopped himself, willing his heart to slow down. This was no time for a panic attack. He had to be rational, logical, that was the only way they'd both get out of this unscarred. He had to think.

Jou was safe. The only question was how long. He had to find him before the voice's patience ran out. And that meant talking to his other personality.

Oh yes, it sounded insane, but it was the only thing that made any sense. When he blacked out, the other him would be conscious, right? And even if he did have the personality of a child, he'd be able to tell Seto where he had been. At least he hoped so.

Now, how did Yami and Yuugi communicate before they split into separate bodies? He knew that this other—presence, he didn't know what else to call him—wasn't a yami, that no one was even sure if the High Priest's reincarnation had a yami, but maybe he could reach him the same way.

He close his eyes, leaning back against the headboard and resting his palms flat on his knees in the meditation position he'd been taught when he was younger. He drew breath and let it out slowly, calming himself, banishing fear and worry and anything else that might get in the way of his concentration. Hello?

Silence. It was dark with his eyes closed, although it seemed more to Seto like he was in a cold, lightless room rather than on a comfortable bed with his eyes shut. In fact, Seto didn't precisely feel like he was sitting either. Was this the 'soul room' Yami kept ranting about? Hello? he sent again, cautiously. I'd like to talk to you.

A light flared and he threw up his hand to protect his eyes, although his real arm didn't move. Every action was mental, as if his mind and his body were two separate entities. Augh! The light burned, startling after such comforting, cooling darkness.

He opened his spirit-eyes and came face-to-face with two doors. One was half-open, made of rich mahogany wood and silver, and the other was rough, heavy stone, tightly closed and sealed with the Eye of Horus. He recognized it from Yuugi's descriptions; this was the door that his yami should live behind, if he had one at all. He reached out intangible fingers to the door, meaning to push it open, and he jerked back when a crackle of energy repelled him with a vicious shock.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Seto whirled around. Who are you?

A nervous giggle from behind the half-open door. "I'm the one you've been waiting to meet, mou hitori no boku."

And this? Seto gestured to the stone door.

"He can't come out until you hold the Rod, silly. He doesn't like being disturbed, either. Just leave him alone."

Who is he?

"Your yami."

So I do have one?

"Of course. That's not what you wanted to talk about, is it?"

Come out. I can't see you.

"I can't leave. You have to come in."

Seto pushed on the door gently and it swung open with little resistance. He supposed there was some sort of metaphor he was supposed to be picking up on from that, but he had more important things to attend to. It's dark.

"I know."

I hate the dark.

"I know."

Can I see you?

"I—I don't want you to." A small, infantile whimper and a shudder coursed through the air, as if tangible fear was emitting from the voice. "Not like this, mou hitori no boku."

What do you mean? I need to know where Jou is. I have to find him.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who Jou is. And I don't know where he is." A strangled, muffled sob. "Please, just go away. I don't wanna talk."

Seto reached out into the darkness, searching for the source of the voice. I won't hurt you. Please, I have to know where we were yesterday.

The sob wasn't strangled this time. The voice, already choked with tears, lapsed into helpless whimpering and Seto could do no more than feel around for him. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry—"

"For what?" Seto asked, startled to hear his own voice. "What are you sorry for?"

No reply, just that awful, heart-wrenching crying. "J-Just go, I c-can't tell y-you, please..." A small hand covered his own gently, tentatively. "Please, mou hitori no boku."

The little hand was shaking and Seto, not knowing what else to do, gathered the tiny body into his arms, rubbing his back softly and murmuring into his hair. "It's alright. Don't cry. I just need to know where we were. I have to find Jou."

"W-who's Jou?" The little boy buried his face in Seto shoulder, nuzzling into his warmth and Seto marveled at how bizarre it felt to be comforting himself.

Seto formed a mental picture of him. "Can you see that?"

"Angel?"

"What?"

"My angel, that's my angel—mou hitori no boku, who is he?"

"Jonouchi Katsuya. My—my boyfriend."

Shock flooded Seto's sense, shock from his other personality. "Boyfriend?" Large cobalt eyes glimmered in the faint light still streaming in through the half-open door and Seto studied the child's face, half-shadowed by darkness. He looked exactly like a ten-year-old version of Seto, which was only to be expected, but those eyes...no ten-year-old should have eyes that sad.

"Yes."

"T-then we..." he paused, tilting his head in confusion. "Are we okay now?"

Seto thought briefly of the morning after he and Jou had had sex...him screaming, hurling insults at the poor puppy and he knew just how badly he'd hurt him when he remembered the pleading, pained look he'd given him as Seto whirled around and ran out the door. "No. Not quite."

"B-because of M-master?"

Seto snapped out of his reverie and gave the boy in his arms a sharp look. "Master? Who's that?"

The boy's eyes went wide, panicked, and he shook his head furiously. "N-nothing, just forget I said anything." He pulled away from Seto's grip, sinking back into the shadows, his brilliant cobalt eyes boring into Seto's own with an unmeasurable agony marring that smooth young face.

"Who—"

"Please don't ask me! I don't want to talk about it!" The boy clutched at his hair, shaking his head furiously. "I don't want to think about it!"

"Hey, calm down," Seto said, grabbing at his arms before he hurt himself. "Stop it. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I just need to know where we were last night."

"But mou hitori no boku...that's where we were."

"What?"

"With Master." The boy was trembling so fiercely that Seto wondered if he'd picked up his cold.

"Who is Master?" Seto's hold on him tightened. "Please, he's got Jou! I have to find him!"

"You know who he is."

He did? Who on Earth would know about him and Jou, they hadn't told anyone outside of Yuugi-tachi...who had seen them together...?

Oh.

Oh, no. Fuck.

"Not—"

The boy nodded. "I'm sorry, mou hitori no boku."

"No, God no, tell me Yutou doesn't have him!" He was shaking the little boy by the shoulders now, panic seeping into his voice. "You're lying, you have to be! Yutou lives in Japan!"

"He moved to America after Daddy died. You remember that."

He didn't.

"He invited you to see him off. Remember?"

No.

"He kissed you and you punched him."

"I don't—"

"You do."

"Will you miss me, little dragon?" An arm snaking around his waist, lips on his neck and he shoved Yutou away.

"Have some decency. We're in public."

Fingernails digging into his waist, teeth piercing skin. "Pardon?" A cordial, terrifying tone of voice, to say the least.

"Sorry." Seto's frown deepened. He hated it when Yutou behaved like this in public. All he needed was a reporter to show up and get a picture of the great Kaiba Seto being molested by another man and it would be all over the news within an hour.

"Hn." Yutou shifted his arm a little so it fell into a more comfortable position around his hips. "I expect to hear from you, you know."

"Get off it, Yutou. Gozaborou's gone. There's nothing you can do to me anymore. I'm in control now, and I could have you arrested in ten seconds if I wanted to."

"The downside being that parents might not want their children endorsing a former whore and possible psychotic maniac, is that it?"

Although Seto inwardly flinched at the 'whore' comment, he kept his face impassive, save for the beginnings of what was to become the patented Kaiba-sneer. "That's why you're going to America, isn't it? You don't go to jail, I keep my company running the way I want it to."

Yutou conceded, nodding in silent agreement as they reached his gate. Seto held out his hand for Yutou to shake. "This is goodbye, then, Yutou-sama. If I so much as hear about you returning to Japan, I swear I'll have you assassinated."

Yutou grabbed him by the elbow and jerked him forward, lips closing over his in the typical insistent manner Seto had accustomed himself to, tongue sliding past Seto's frozen lips and halfway down his throat. As soon as Seto's body comprehended what was going on he swung at Yutou, catching the elder man square on the jaw. "You fucking—!"

"Shh, Kaiba-kun," Yutou murmured, pressing his body to Seto's. "This isn't over. I never throw anything away, no matter how broken it is." He gave Seto a roguish wink and strode towards the gate.

"I'm not your toy!" Seto screamed at his retreating back. It was a momentous point in Domino City history: Kaiba Seto lost his temper in public. "Bastard!"

The airport staff was talking about it for weeks.

How had he forgotten? It hadn't been that long ago, surely he should have remembered...

"It would have hurt you, mou hitori no boku."

"What?"

"Remembering. So I made it go away." Made it go away? This child, this other him could control what he remembered, control what he thought, and that terrified Seto. Just knowing that his memories could be deleted as easily as if they were files on a computer...that his life could be edited...

"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" Anger, no, this wasn't right, his control was cracking, and he couldn't have that because he was Kaiba Seto, and nothing touched Kaiba Seto.

"Doing what?" There was a quaver in that soft voice, a hint of tears. "I was only trying to help!"

"We have to go. Now. Get him back." Seto shoved the boy away and stood shakily. "Take me to Yutou."

"But he—"

"Now!"

ooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo

"Nnng..." Cold...sore...hungry...he opened one eye and immediately shut it as blinding sunlight lanced through his vision, aiding the pounding beat in his head with tiny tongues of flame licking at his nerve endings. He hurt, he hurt everywhere and he couldn't move, why...?

Jou was awake now. Awake and pulling at his makeshift duct-tape bonds. "What the fuck?" he hissed. His wrists were taped together, behind the back of the chair he sat in, and his ankles were taped to the chair legs, spreading his knees in a rather suggestive position. What had happened?

"You're awake."

He gave a start and the chair legs scraped against the wooden floor. He narrowed his eyes at the man in the doorway. "You," he finally mumbled, tongue still numb from the chloroform.

"Yes, me. I was worried you'd sleep all day."

"You drugged me."

"I did."

"Why?"

Yutou arched an eyebrow at him. "I'd think that was obvious, Jonouchi."

Jou blinked, startled. "How d'you know my name?"

"I've been watching you for a while." Yutou pulled another chair out from under the table and spun it around so that he was straddling the back, chin rested on folded arms in a manner much too boyish for him.

"Not really somethin' I wanna hear from you." Jou winced as he tried to pull apart his duct-taped wrists and was rewarded with pain. "What the hell d'you want from me?"

"That's a very open-ended question," Yutou said casually, gracing Jonouchi with another lazy, catlike grin. "Why do you think anyone would go to the trouble of kidnapping a pretty little thing like you?"

Jou's only response was a venomous amber glare.

"I was trying to compliment you."

Jou's eyes narrowed.

Yutou threw up his hands. "I can't win with you, can I? I don't know how Kaiba-kun puts up with you," he muttered. "You're very high-strung."

"Look, I doubt you went t' all this trouble jus' to tape me up in your kitchen and make conversation wit' me, so could you hurry up with whatever death threats you have planned? My arm's fallin' asleep."

"Cheeky," Yutou commented and Jou half-expected him to punctuate this revelation with a slap, but the elder man didn't move. "I didn't bring you here to make death threats."

"What did you bring me here for?"

Yutou gave him an exaggerated wink. "That would be telling," he purred, tilting Jou's head up with a knuckle under his chin.

Jou's cell phone rang and the blonde's head snapped around, trying to discern where the sound was coming from, since the phone obviously wasn't in his pocket anymore. He wasn't sure he liked—no, he was absolutely certain that he didn't like the idea of Yutou poking around in his clothes, but there wasn't much to be done about it now. He'd been asleep anyways.

"You gonna answer that?" Jou asked as Yutou reached into his jacket for the phone. Yutou examined the small device in his hand with a mild sort of amusement.

"He called my bluff, the cocky little bastard." Yutou tossed the phone at the trashcan. "Pity. I'll bet that was expensive."

"You're not throwin' my phone away!" Jou growled at him.

"Actually, you're right. He could still trace it to this apartment, couldn't he? Very well." Yutou retrieved the phone from the garbage can and strode over to the French doors leading to his balcony. Jou watched him, puzzled, and it took a moment for him to realize what he intended to do.

"No, don'—"Too late. Yutou had thrown the phone as far as he could manage and Jou heard a faint but distinct 'splash' as it sunk into the Manhattan Bay. "Damn it, that was mine!"

"You hardly look like you're in a position to argue," Yutou said calmly, locking the doors behind him as he reentered the room. "Now, Jonouchi, I think it's high time you and I had a little talk."

"As long as the talk involves my clothes stayin' on, that's fine wit' me," Jou snapped. "One question, though. Could you maybe just untape my hands? They're startin' t' fall asleep."

"Answer my question and maybe," Yutou said noncommittally.

"Shoot."

"Don't tempt me." Yutou was already growing sick of the blonde's attitude. It had been so long since he'd had to deal with anything more than his little dragon's submissive whimpers and pleading. It made him wonder if breaking Jonouchi would really be worth it. After all, he wasn't as young as he once was, and those years of Seto's training had been hell on his nerves. Maybe it would be sufficient to get him away from Seto, far away, maybe even convince Seto to stay in America with him.

Why, he asked himself absently, did he want Seto to stay with him so badly? Did he love the boy?

Certainly not. He felt nothing for him, nothing but lust and need and pride in a work of art. Nothing. It was because Seto was his. Yutou had always been territorial, and he needed Jounouchi out of the way, one way or another.

"How do you know Kaiba-kun?"

"Been goin' t' school wit' him since we were ten."

Fair enough. They'd known Seto the same amount of time. "How well do you know him?"

"Better than you ever will, asshole."

Yutou slapped him and to his surprise Jou didn't even look shocked, just gave him that same self-satisfied grin, as if he'd expected it all along. Which, Yutou realized, he probably had. "Don't talk to me like that."

"Control issues much?" Another slap and another grin, and Yutou had the distinct impression that he was being woven into Jonouchi's web, not the other way around.

"Look, punk, you're in no position to argue with me. It wouldn't take much for me to shove you down and fuck you senseless right here, so let's cut the bullshit, shall we?"

"Fine," Jou snapped. "Whatever it takes to get me out of here quickly."

"How far have you gone?"

Jou seemed taken aback by the question. "How far have we—? I don' see how that's any a' your business."

Yutou was suddenly way too close for comfort, his face scant centimeters from Jou's, their noses practically touching. "It's my business because he's mine, kid, and you're getting in my way. He belongs to me, not to you."

"He doesn't belong to anyone. You've got no claim t' Seto, you're jus' a coward who can' get any on his own and has t' resort t' rapin' fourteen-year-old kids! I'm not leavin' Seto t' you, because he hates you! He's terrified of you!"

Yutou had just opened his mouth to reply, and by the way he was baring his teeth, it was clear that Jou had just stepped over the line from "righteously angry" to "pain in the ass."

And then they both jumped, because someone was knocking on the door. Perhaps knocking was too kind a word, since the door seemed to be in danger of being removed from its hinges. Yutou's glare vanished, melting into a snakelike smile. "It's about time."

The door swung open with a rather disconcerting splintering of wood and there stood Seto, shoulders hunched up around his ears, fists clenched at his sides, blue eyes hard as diamond. Jou's eyes widened; Seto was scary.

"Get. Away. From. Him. Now."

ooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo

The silence was starting to worry Jou. Seto hadn't said a word since they'd gotten into the car. His hands were clutching the wheel so hard that his knuckles were white where bone pressed against skin and he was glaring ahead, as if he could burn a hole in the rear windshield of the car in front of them by merely staring at it. Jou was afraid he'd bite his head off if he asked something, but...

"Ano...Seto?"

"What." It had been a while since he'd heard Seto so angry. His voice was furious and his eyes barely flicked towards the blonde in response. Jou shrunk a little further towards the car door.

"I—I jus'—"

"Spit it out."

"What the hell's your problem?" Jou growled, temper flaring. "Eva since we left, you've been actin' really bitchy. What'd he say t'you?"

"Nothing."

"I don'—"

"Mutt. Shut up. I really don't want to listen to it right now." Seto turned the wheel sharply and the car screeched into the parking garage of their hotel. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

Jou didn't listen. When did he ever listen? He wanted to know what Seto was doing, why they'd come back to the hotel, and more importantly what Yutou had said to get Seto so rattled. He waited a few minutes and then followed Seto into the hotel. He got more than a few disapproving looks, what with the way he tore through the hallway and dashed up the stairs, nearly knocking over several housecleaners.

When he slid the door to the hotel room open, Seto whirled around, eyes blazing cobalt. "I told you to wait in the car!"

He stared. Seto was packing Jou's bag. He was stuffing the clothes inside, seemingly not caring about how wrinkled they were getting, just as long as they were in the bag, and that wasn't really what mattered to Jou, but why did he...were they leaving? "W-what're you doing?"

"You're going back to Japan." Seto resumed his work, pausing for only a moment when he picked up the blue shirt Jou had worn on their last date before resolutely jamming it into a side pocket. "I'm sorry."

"You're...not coming?"

"Not now."

"Why am I going back alone?"

"Because it's over." He jerked at the zippers, tugging them closed with more than a little difficulty.

"It's over? We're over?"

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Seto didn't meet his eyes, just hefted his suitcase in one hand and walked past him towards the door. Jou could only stand there stupidly, mouth gaping, mind struggling to comprehend what Seto had just said.

"But...but I didn'...did I do somethin'?"

"No."

"Then why? I—I thought you liked me."

"I did. I do. I just can't be with you." Seto cast him a glance. "You're going to miss your plane."

"I don'...I don' understand..."

Seto bit his tongue, hard, wincing when the coppery taste of blood flooded his mouth. His stomach clenched and it was all he could do to force the words out but he had to, he had to, it was for Jonouchi's own good. "I want you gone."

Silence.

"I want you out of my life. It was fun while it lasted, but we're done." Oh, it hurt, it felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest but he had to do this, he had to. Someday Jou would understand.

He tried to ignore the way Jou's breath hitched but it stung, it stung so badly and he turned to look at Jou over one shoulder. Jou was facing away from him, curled up into himself, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. A lump of guilt formed in Seto's throat, nearly choking him and he wanted so badly to run to Jou, to pull him into his arms and tell him everything would be alright. Tears pricked at Seto's eyes and he hissed in frustration. He couldn't cry. He was Kaiba fucking Seto, he didn't cry. He had to leave, had to turn and walk out, but the sight of Jou collapsing to his knees on the floor, crying, kept him rooted to the spot. "Jou..."

"You...never cared." Jou gave a great shudder, his voice dampened with tears and Seto scrubbed roughly at his own eyes. "You never cared about me, did you?"

No, Seto cried inwardly, please don't turn around. He couldn't bear to see him, couldn't take the pain and betrayal. Jou turned accusing amber eyes on him and it took everything Seto had to keep still, to not run to him, not to cry out as guilt wrenched at his stomach. It was times like this that he appreciated Gozaborou's training. "No," he whispered. "I didn't."

Jou nodded numbly. "I...I see."

"I'm—"

"Sorry. I know." Jou said listlessly. "Call Richard. I don't want you driving me." He pushed himself to his feet and held out his hand to Seto. Seto reached for it, wanting no more than to touch his puppy one last time, but Jou shuddered and shook his head. "My bag."

Seto called Richard. They sat in silence, Seto gritting his teeth and digging his nails into his palms and Jou sitting by the door, curled up, head buried in his knees, crying softly. Ten minutes later Richard called back. He was in front of the hotel.

This was it. Jou was leaving, going back to Japan, and Seto only needed to hold on for a few more minutes, just until he was out the door and then he could cry, because then Jou would be safe, away from him. He didn't notice, or perhaps didn't care, that he'd gone from repressing the tears altogether to repressing them just until Jou was gone.

"Goodbye," Seto tried, praying the Jou hadn't noticed the quaver in his voice.

Jou picked up his bag wordlessly and tossed his room key on the coffee table. He reached for the knob and turned it, pausing halfway out the door. "Seto?"

"Yes?" He kept his voice neutral, as best he could. Jou couldn't hear it, couldn't hear the pain that threatened to suffocate him.

"I...I love you."

Then he was gone.

Seto cried.

A/N: Wahahaha! Cliffhanger! Sorta.