NINE—three months later

Kyo was on his belly trying hard to get up onto his knees. Yugi kept saying that any day he would begin to crawl, and after that it would only be a blink before he was running. Things had slowed down around the Kaiba house. There hadn't been any unexpected occurrences since Yugi was discharged from the hospital. Things were…calm.

Yugi's mother was sitting on the floor next to Kyo and Aemi was reading a book on the couch next to Seto. Yugi was somewhere making lunch and Seto was just…watching everything happen.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so comfortable with someone other than his own family—his small family of four. When he'd let Yugi's mother into his life, things had quickly changed for him.

Three months ago

At some point, Seto had dozed off and when he awoke he had to blink back his confusion. He was still sitting in Yugi's hospital room, and all was quiet. Yugi had his arm wrapped around Aemi in the bed and his breathing was steady. His vitals looked good on the monitor.

It was almost a relief. Things seemed…normal.

"She's beautiful," Yugi's mother said, startling Seto.

It took him a moment to realize she meant Aemi. "She is," he said quietly.

"Your eyes…Who is her mother?"

Seto had to bite his tongue to be civil, but he found it wasn't nearly as hard as he'd imagined. "We used a surrogate," he said. "One that looked very much like Yugi."

"Don't take this personally," she said, "but I am not one bit happy you and my son have chosen this life."

"I know," Seto responded, surprised at how calm it had come out.

"But that doesn't mean I want to cut his happiness apart. He was a sad child—always was. When we took him to Domino City…I thought…it was best he be raised by his grandfather."

"A lot has happened since then," Seto said. "Maybe the past should be forgotten."

"Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it."

He bit his lip and sighed. "He never spoke of you—either of you. Ever. Not even once."

"His father just wanted an heir to the company. It's been a Moto company for six generations."

"And what if Yugi doesn't want it?"

She shrugged. "It'll pass to a different family, I suppose, when my husband dies."

Seto didn't see the problem with that, so he just shrugged.

"It's not easy, is it?" the woman said.

"What?"

"Trying to be someone else."

He had to squint at her. "What do you mean?"

"I can see it in your eyes…how badly you want to scream at me, curse me. And yet you don't. You must put on a façade for my son, yes?"

"Yugi has known me a long time," Seto said plainly. "I didn't have to change for him."

"And yet you did."

"You do things for the people you love," he responded, and then his eyes widened. It was his first public admission.

The woman's eyes softened. "Yes, you do."

The room was very quiet for several moments. Seto's eyes stayed on Yugi and he tried to find a way to get over his embarrassment. He was not ashamed to love Yugi…but admitting it, to his mother nonetheless, had been so easy. It was strange how the words had just rolled off his tongue—as if he'd said them a million times before.

"Mrs. Moto," Seto said.

"Please, dear, call me Yuko."

"Yuko," he tried out the name, "your husband mentioned…that Yugi had a fiancé?"

She nodded. "It has always been the intention of the Fukoshi family that Yugi and their daughter Aribelle marry. They were betrothed at a young age."

"So it's true, then?"

She laughed gently. "You live in a country where it is illegal to force marriage arranged between children, Mr. Kaiba. And besides. It is clear my son is already taken."

Seto smiled, and for the first time in a while it was a genuine smile. "Would you like to meet Kyo?" he asked softly, and Yuko nodded eagerly.

Kyo cooed and Yugi laughed about something. Seto felt so far away…and yet he was there, right in the middle of a perfect life with a perfect family.

He felt something in his chest—his heart pounding. He was feeling an emotion he hadn't been able to put a name to. It wasn't just love: He'd already admitted to that one. It was something more…something he didn't understand.

That night, after Yuko had left and Yugi and Seto were alone in bed and the children were asleep, the feeling returned.

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked, and Seto just shook his head.

"Nothing."

"That's a weird feeling," Yugi laughed, and Seto nodded. "I'm really happy, you know," Yugi said.

"Why?"

"Because I have you, and I have Aemi, and I have Kyo. I have a family who loves me, a boyfriend who loves me. What more could make someone happy?"

He shrugged in response. By Yugi's logic, Seto should be just as happy. He should be proud to be where they were.

"I think…I need something else," Seto sighed, and Yugi's eyes widened.

"Something else? What do you mean?"

"I'm not happy with just a boyfriend and two kids. I want something else.

His voice was stiff and his eyes slanted towards Yugi. He could see an adverse reaction than what he had planned.

"D-do you want to b-break up?" Yugi stuttered.

"Of course not," Seto rolled his eyes. "You're taking me all wrong."

"Then what do you want? What more do you need?"

Seto shrugged. "I don't know yet."

"You're not making sense…and you're scaring me."

"I want everyone to know who I am—who we are."

"Who are we?" Yugi whispered.

"I think…we should…" he paused, and then shook his head. "Never mind."

"What?"

"I don't want to be cliché."

"About what?"

"I want two kids and a dog and a house with a yard and the white picket fence—you know, the American dream."

"This is Canada," Yugi said before he could stop himself.

"Well, then I want the Canadian Dream."

"What's that?"

"I don't know, Yugi. You're really making this hard."

"Making what hard?"

"I'm trying to tell you something."

"Then just tell me!"

Seto sighed. "I don't know how to say it."

"Use words?"

He sighed again. "I think…we should…"

"We should what?" Yugi demanded, this time placing a soft kiss on Seto's bare shoulder. "Anything you want, I'm not going to say no."

"Anything?"

"Anything," Yugi promised.

"Well, let's get a dog."

Yugi's eyes furrowed.

"And let's buy a house with a white fence."

"Why?"

"Because I want to marry you."

A/N: Kind of silly ending, but I didn't want to keep you waiting anymore. So…there it is.