Chapter Fourteen – Reconciliation

Yami's POV

I lay Seto down on his bed, kissing him gently, but firmly. I can feel his heart racing in his chest beneath me; I think it's from fear. He's afraid of me, afraid of the situation, afraid of facing what he's been avoiding, and that's only consciously. Subconsciously, he's afraid of me leaving him again – or worse yet, killing him again. He's afraid of taking this step I'm forcing him into, because it's always brought him one step closer to his death. He's afraid of doing anything that may change what already exists, because while what we have is not perfect, it's good enough, and he would rather have this than nothing at all. He still doesn't quite believe that he doesn't have to die, not this time.

And what he's most afraid of is acknowledging that all of our past lives really did exist. That I really did hurt him like that. He doesn't want to believe it. I'm going to force him to face it, though, because he'll never relax and be truly happy if he doesn't. He'll always be looking over his shoulder, afraid of what I'm going to do to him, and not even sure why…

"I do love you, Seto," I tell him quietly. "Really. I don't want to hurt you; I'll never hurt you again. I know you don't want to hear me, because you're afraid I'll break my promises again, but I swear this. You'll always be safe with me now. I'll never hurt you again."

I stare into his eyes, refusing to let them escape. Doubt swims through their blue depths, fear darkens them, but he doesn't try to look away. Whatever else he is – and he is a lot – Seto has never been a coward.

"You don't believe me." He doesn't try to deny it; in fact, he nearly seems relieved that I saw it on my own. "It doesn't matter. It's still true." I lean down to kiss him; he isn't responsive, but he doesn't fight me.

I sigh and look at him again. He's still afraid of me. It's almost… almost like I'm trying to rape him in the name of love. He doesn't want me to do it. I have to do it, or he'll always be afraid of me… But I want him to want me to do it.

"Seto… please trust me. Please don't be afraid of me. You know I love you, right?" He nods, almost hesitantly. He does know it, though – I can see in his eyes that he knows it, that he isn't just saying it to make me happy. He understands that I love him. "You know I will never hurt you."

This time he doesn't nod. He doesn't know any such thing. He'll take my word for it, but he doesn't quite believe it.

"I want you to trust me…" I stroke his cheek with the backs of my fingers. "I want to show you that I'll never hurt you. How much I love you." I kiss him lightly. "Will you let me?" Without permission, I won't touch him. I need him to do this, but I won't do it without express permission.

"You want to fuck me."

I flinch at his harsh words. "Seto…" He delivered them so expressionlessly, just looking at me. Like he's resigned to it.

"Go ahead." He looks away, toward the corner of the wall and ceiling. No… no no no! He has entirely the wrong idea! He thinks I just want to use him…

"Seto." I turn his face back to make him look at me. "Listen to me – hear what I'm saying. I love you, and I've always loved you. I will never hurt you, and I will never use you. I don't want to 'fuck' you. I only want to love you…"

"It's still sex," he says indifferently. "That's all it is." He's still not receptive; his gaze drifts back to the corner.

I let him go. I won't do this to him. He doesn't seem to realize I've let go of him, am now lying beside him, still staring as he is up toward the corner. Is this what he did while his stepfather abused him? Just retreated into himself and let it happen to him?

I won't do this to him.

"Seto." I make him look at me again; he seems startled when he sees me. "We don't have to. If you don't want me to, I won't touch you. It can be the most beautiful thing two people can share… I'm sorry all you've ever known of it is pain." I stroke his cheek with my thumb, my head resting on my other arm, trying to make him see that I love him with my eyes.

He sighs and turns his back to me. "It's not your fault."

"It's not yours either."

He says nothing. Does he really blame himself? Insane…

Likely. "Seto, do you blame yourself?" I suppose I could have asked more gently, but I think he needs bluntness – he gives enough of it, at least.

"He was right," he says, without looking at me, apparently almost unrelatedly. "What he did to me wasn't right, but what he said… If I had been strong – if I had been anything more than a weak little child, it never would have happened."

"Seto, you were a child!" I wrap my arms around him and refuse to let him go. "You were twelve years old… You were a child. He never should have been doing anything like that to you in the first place. It wasn't because you were weak – you never gave in, never let him beak you – that shows that you were strong. Why can't you see that everything he ever said to you was a lie?"

He shakes his head. "Gozaburo Kaiba was a very intelligent man. He understood what he was talking about – he understood strength. I will never call him a weak man. He was also manipulative and a liar, but he did teach me those lessons, and that's been invaluable my entire life. I hate him, but I have to thank him." He sounds so reasonable – telling me that he has to thank that man you abused him for years because of the lessons he taught him. This isn't right.

But I won't be fixing it tonight. I only sigh and hold him, and make a note to talk about it in the morning.