Constrained

By:

Setalina Muro

Summary: Things should have been normal, but they weren't. Not for her. She loved Kaiba Seto. They went to the new tournament on D.K. together. And there was someone else there. He could offer her something even Kaiba couldn't. Or so she thought. Now she has to make a choice…SxSxP

A/N: Yeahness. 'Nother update for you people. But it's real short, so I fell kind of bad, but oh well. Anyone else think that new format is kinda weird? Well, my computer hates me, so that's not saying much. Grr…

To the Reviewers:

Setine What? Both? Boy, you don't ask for much, do you? Well, I'll see what I can do. ; P

Imperfect Paradise Lol. See? It's people like you who make me glad I joined FFN. Then there's psychotic updates (and dares) that make me think, "What the hell was I thinking?"

Leader of the Pack What's that supposed to mean? Seto is destined for Shizuka! Lol thanks for the review!

Jade Shadow87 Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it! Here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any places, people and/or other things you are familiar with from the show or anything else. The idea for this fiction was from Yamiko Yakou (aka Imperfect Paradise). Blame her if you have a problem, well actually, don't. I don't have a problem and if you do, don't read it!

A Note on the Story:

Pegasus never lost the Millennium Eye, so he can still read minds and takes souls and stuff (hey, you never said he couldn't!)

I never realized how creepy this pairing is until I actually had to write an interactive scene between the two. (Dies from gagging)


Ch. 10

Three months is a long time to wait and not give up on love. The roses she sent from the first few weeks were dead and wilting, their petals destroyed by the decay of time. Some were fresher than others. She had sent a new bouquet just yesterday, in fact. The roses were blue and white in color, potent, long stemmed, delivered in a white box with blue velvet interior.

The tiny card that came with it always said the same thing in her neat, curly little handwriting.

'I'm sorry. I love you. Please forgive me.'

But the words were empty, devoid of meaning. She didn't love him. She couldn't. She had done that with him.

It ended everything.

Because Kaiba Seto didn't forget…he didn't forgive…and all the money in the world couldn't mend his broken heart…

"Seto…Seto…SETO!" Seto jumped rolling off the couch onto the floor.

He sat up groggily. "What time is it?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"It's two-thirty in the afternoon. Why didn't you come home last night, Nii-Sama?" Kaiba Mokuba looked down at his brother; hands on hips and a cross look on his face. "And you said you'd meet me and Beccy-chan for lunch."

Seto blinked up at his little brother as he sat on the floor. He absently ran a hand through his hair.

"What were you doing?" Mokuba asked. He was still angry.

"I was working," Seto groaned, flopping back onto the ground.

"You were asleep, Nii-sama." Mokuba leaned down and poked his stomach. "I don't understand, Seto. Why won't you tell me what's wrong?"

Seto put a hand over his face and rubbed at his eyes. "I'm not ready to talk about it, okay? Now why don't you go home? Treat your girlfriend to dinner or something."

"Oh, no," Mokuba said, grabbing Seto's arm and hauling him to his feet. "I want you to meet Rebecca. And you have to come home and sleep in your own bed for once."

Seto's eyes widened slightly. He couldn't go back alone. Not without her. It was too lonely…too cold. But so was everything these days without her.

They had brought him his jet and he flew home. He couldn't even bring himself to talk to Mokuba that night. Moving up the stairs alone was difficult. He could remember the times he had come up with her. She was giggly, drunk, and they had danced fro hours those nights. It had been fun. He had fun, and for once in his life, he felt alive.

Now he was numb.

It was difficult to pick up his old life without her. Thirteen months did strange things to people. He didn't even feel comfortable going places with Mokuba anymore. There were very few things he felt comfortable with doing now. Only work. And he buried himself in it.

A few days later (and several more nights of sleeping in his office) Mokuba came to him again with a plea for dinner. Just the two of them.

"Aw, please, Nii-sama?" he begged. "Just this once. Pleeeeeeease?" He dragged out the syllable and pouted.

Seto smiled sadly as he received the full-blown puppy-eyes that Mokuba enjoyed using.

"Alright," he said. "I give. I'll go with you to dinner."

So they went. That night they were ushered into a small, cozy restaurant with candle lit tables and a dance floor.

Seto stood in a corner as Mokuba went to find their table, stopping for a moment to talk to a short blonde girl in glasses. He was smiling at her charmingly until she blushed and threw her arms around his neck. Seto tore his glance away. He didn't think his heart could take it.

"Hello, Kaiba-san." Another unwelcome sight met his gaze.

He looked down coldly at the blond mess of hair. "Jounouchi." How long had it been since he broke his habit for her? Subdued his hate? Silenced his tongue when her brother came into play? "Did you get lost, Mutt?" It didn't feel as satisfactory as he thought it would have.

The air was icy silent for a moment before Jounouchi let it pass. "Where's Mokuba-san?" Seto nodded in the direction that Mokuba stood, he and Rebecca now joined by Yugi and Anzu. Jounouchi made no reply as he walked over.

It was a few minutes before the group parted and Mokuba returned. "This way, Nii-sama," he said, tugging at Seto's hand. They hadn't traveled twenty paces before Seto stopped dead. Several tables away a red-head sat with her hand humbly folded in her lap.

"No way," he said, pulling back as his heart hammered uncomfortably.

"At least talk to her."

"No." Seto just wanted to run.

"Nii-sama, I know what happened. I know why you won't come home anymore and I know why you can't even sleep in your own bed."

Seto remained silent, frozen.

"You don't want go home alone again. It makes you sad. So does knowing you'll have to go to sleep without her by your side. You know you were happy once with her, Nii-sama. You can't ever walk the hallways without hearing her laughter or turning a corner expecting to see her face…"

Seto's eyes were troubled again. He was fighting a loosing battle with himself.

And Mokuba was right…

"She's gained weight…" he said, eyeing her from behind.

Mokuba smiled. "Don't tell her that," he said, giving Seto a push. He stumbled on his first step but slowly, he continued to walk toward her, his eyes never leaving her silent form.

It took no time for him, and yet it took forever. Finally he was at her table and he sat himself down across from her.

"Hey…" he said, staring at the leg of the next table.

"H-hi, Seto-san," she whispered, chocking back tears.

Silence fell between them.

Shizuka couldn't take her eyes off him. His hair, his face, his eyes…memories flooded her.

"Seto, I--"

"Don't talk about it," he said, closing his eyes. When he opened them he was able to bring himself to look at her. She was biting her lip, tears bright in her mossy eyes. His own heart clenched. How he had missed those eyes.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. "It was my fault. I never told you that enough."

"Seto--"

He looked away. "You're going to be paying me back for a long time, you know that?"

She nodded.

"I'm not sure when I'll be able to fully trust you again, though."

Her face fell as he stood up and moved around the table. He stood by her and held out his hand. She looked at it for a moment amazed before she took it, and together they moved on the dance floor.

He pulled her close and nipped her ear. He felt her smiled against his neck as he whispered to her, soft and low.

"I still want you to be mine, Shizuka Kaiba…"

A/N: Wait! Don't run away yet! There's still an epilogue coming! I hope you enjoyed! Just once more post and you'll "never" get bothered by me again. Pshhh. Who am I kidding. Thanks to Yamiko, I believe that I will write another story for this love triangle. Excetp then I'll take a page out of Setine's book and have it be 'Dark Shizuka' instead of nice friendly 'I'm-so-innocent-all-will-bow-to-me' Shizuka. Lol. Please R&R.

Also, (look for it soon), a lovely new story entitled 'The Seventh Gift and Blessing'. Another story involving 'Dark Shizuka' but also a KisaraxSetoxShiuzka love triangle.

Let's see, there are Seven Guardians (Pegasus, Bakura, Isis, Mahado, Malik, Anzu, and Atem, the supreme lord of all.) Seven Races (Human, Demon, Witch, Beast, Worlock, Plant, and Magyk) Seven Blessing, Seven Gifts, Seven Sins (anyone seeing a pattern here?) a prince and two sisters fighting for his love.

Sound interesting enough? I've almost got the prologue finished and when my mother starts going to work again (probably sometime next week. Growls). I'll be able to type it.