A/N: Since I'm back, you should know by now that I'm still too caught up on my childhood feels. XD Well, I've decided to try my hand out at blueshipping again, so here I am.

This new fic is another companion to Life's Changes and The Perfect Gift. And this time around, let's go back to an earlier time frame. No Room for Doubt took place a few days after Serophia's birth. Seto is in his early twenties during the events of the first two YGO fics I've posted, so if you do the math right, he's only nineteen years old in this fic. I'm going to try my best to make him sound IC, but I make no promises. This story just might be fluffy. Read at your own risk if you hate that stuff. :P Anyway, let's move on. :D

No Room for Doubt

It was late, but he couldn't go to sleep yet. Why? He had a company to run. This particular night was just one of the many. He had been browsing through spreadsheets and other various documents earlier on, just so he had a good grasp of where his company stood at this point. It wasn't a huge surprise to note that Kaiba Corporation was still at the very top when it came to gaming developments. At this point in his young life, it was getting harder and harder to not have a semblance of mid-life crisis. He had been in this particular ride for years now, and his rigorous and merciless training under his cruel step father had shaped him into being the business tycoon that he was now known for. He was perfectly in his element; the best at his job. He encountered slight problems here and there, but that was part of it all. It was inevitable, so he took each obstacle in stride, never breaking under pressure.

To put things plainly, he had mastered his craft and everything was much easier now than it had been. He had struggled with coping when he was younger, but that was only because he was new. Equipped with business skills, an iron will, and a strong drive and determination to reach his set goals, he surpassed almost anything. At his early age—after the events of Battle City, that nonsense with Dartz, and that trip to Egypt—he had wondered what else he could do with his life. And that was over a year ago; the year when he had met her.

Before he met his wife, he knew that he was on the verge of an existential crisis. He was wondering what to do with his life. Everything was just so bland and mundane, and overly smooth. People strove for that, but he knew first hand that once you've achieved your goals and reached the very peak, a life that lacked thrill wasn't something anyone would look forward to. Every single day was a monotone.

He had been fine and comfortable with the pace that his life had taken, but after he met Kisara, he began to realize how bland and unsavory his life had become. She threw him into a brand new swirl of organized chaos; one he didn't understand, was genuinely annoyed with, and something he secretly craved for. He needed that refreshing reprieve. He had never thought he would acknowledge it, but for once in his life, he actually wished for a teeny bit of confusion; something he could puzzle out and figure; something to work on. And of course, a new set of unfamiliar things meant challenges to conquer and more opportunities to assert his supremacy.

For a moment, Kaiba paused in whatever he was doing and leaned back against the soft padding of the suede couch in his bedroom. A light scowl crossed his face as he nonchalantly poked the coffee cup his wife had graciously placed there. He had only taken a single sip, and that was hours ago. The drink inside was cold and stale now, hardly touched. He rubbed his eye with one hand and decided he had done enough for now.

His life had taken a huge turn, and he was no longer just living for himself and his brother. Now, he had his own family to take care of. A week had passed since Kisara was discharged from the hospital, and they had brought a new family member with them.

The young CEO got to his feet and quietly padded across the room towards the newly added set of furniture. His bedroom was considerably large—even had a walk-in closet, and ever since his daughter was born, a portion of the master bedroom had been converted into a mini nursery. Well, there was a nursery in the mansion, but it was too far from his and his wife's sleeping quarters. Kisara was not in favor of the idea that the baby would be sleeping in a room across the hall, and Kaiba didn't like the idea of having his new daughter alone in a room that was unguarded. Yes, the mansion was incredibly secure and closed off, but they could never be too careful.

Kaiba quietly approached the cradle in the room. The mini nursery was bathed in the soft glow of numerous fairy lights strung on top of the cradle. Even the restroom adjoining the sleeping quarters had a few new features installed into it. There was a diaper changing station in there. A table lined with baby paraphernalia was purposely placed next to the cradle, and a vanity filled with baby outfits was present too.

He peered over the edge of the cradle shadowed with curtains that were purposely placed to keep the baby from being disturbed. He gazed fondly at the face of the tiny being nestled in a moderate amount of pillows and blankets—that were conveniently in baby size to avoid smothering the infant. Serophia slept quietly, tiny hands and feet twitching as she slumbered. Her tiny hands were covered in teeny mitts as her head turned to one side. His wife had just fallen back to sleep after being awakened two hours ago. The baby had needed a diaper change and was hungry, and now, Serophia was asleep again.

The birth of his daughter at the hospital a week ago had strangely reminded him of the time he had set foot at another hospital that seemed lifetimes ago to witness the birth of his greatest motivation in life. He could remember feeling extremely elated at the sight of his baby brother. He could remember the tired yet strangely satisfied smile upon his mother's face, the proud and stable expression of his father as he gave his wife strength in the midst of her momentary weakness. He could remember the moment when his breath had fogged up the glass as he gazed at the incubated infant through the nursery's fragile barriers. He could remember feeling ecstatic at the thought of having a baby brother to play with.

Well, they had been happy. His earlier memories had a habit of assaulting his mind in short meaningful bursts. It was hard to forget his mother's loving smile. It was hard to forget how she always used to tuck him into bed, stroke his hair until he fell asleep. It was hard to ignore his father's smiles of appreciation and approval; how the man had always supported his eldest son through every endeavor.

Sometimes, it was difficult to grasp how that had changed because of an untimely circumstance that claimed the life of his birth parents. It was quick as lightning—as swift and harsh as a hard slap to his face. It was waking up to a cruel reality, where grief and abandonment and betrayal were rampant. He had known that life was unfair, but he had never really paid attention to the validity of that statement until it came hitting him straight in the face one day.

Even in the face of misfortune, he knew he didn't have a choice. He had to be strong for both himself and his little brother. They had nobody but each other, and Mokuba was his only family left. He had taken on the role of father, mother, and brother to Mokuba—trying his utmost best to keep his emotions in check. He couldn't show weakness, because his brother had needed him. He had no one to turn to; no one to depend on. He had to learn to live his own life the hard way. He had to build his own future... And that he did.

And now in the face of finally being a parent to his own biological daughter, he wanted to keep his baby girl shielded from that. He wanted her to live the life that he could not have; a life that he had been deprived of.

A long helpless wail that demanded attention abruptly tore through the silence of the night, and of course, had shaken the young CEO out of his countless unwanted brooding sessions once again. Cobalt blue eyes instantly shifted to his daughter who now demanded his attention. Seto knew this little girl was special—from the moment Kisara had placed the baby in his arms and he had held his daughter for the first time. It was without hesitation when he bent over the cradle and picked up the crying infant.

He held the delicate being in his arms with the utmost care, cautiously feeling the diaper to check if it was damp. Finding no sign of irritation in the nether region whatsoever, he quickly swiped a baby bottle filled with milk from the table that was lined with it. The content was still warm—perfect if the little girl was hungry.

"Shh..." He hushed bouncing the infant lightly. Without another word, he carefully placed the tip of the baby bottle to his daughter's lips.

Instinctively, the baby's mouth latched onto it, drinking greedily as one tiny hand subconsciously tapped against her father's chest repeatedly; a show of small locomotion for the infant.

"Famished, aren't you?" He spoke quietly, smirking at his daughter's eagerness to finish the bottle.

He wasn't really new to taking up parental responsibilities. Years of shielding and taking care of Mokuba had left him with numerous instances of experience on his belt, but this was different. It was strangely similar yet so unfamiliar at the same time. He only had to play as a father figure for his brother, but to have an actual child was something else entirely. He had assisted his birth parents in taking care of Mokuba when he had been born. He had watched his mother change diapers, feed, and lull her own son to sleep. But none of that could have prepared him for the actual experience.

Sure, Kisara did the majority of nurturing and taking care of the newborn baby, but that did not mean he could ignore his own responsibilities as a father. And he wasn't even out of his teenage years yet! It was entirely a new subject to learn and figure out. Most people his age were still in college—searching for a part-time job, trying to organize their life, coping with the rigorous college program they had taken, eager to figure out the path that they should take in life, and most of all, still socializing. Seto Kaiba didn't even get to have any of that. He was entirely different from everyone else, and he had been happy about that before, but now he wasn't so sure. For one, he didn't expect to be a father at this early age.

Kaiba regrettably admitted that Serophia was an unexpected baby. He and Kisara just hadn't been careful, but he was grateful for the outcome—no matter how shocking and mind-blowing it had been. Being a parent at nineteen wasn't an easy feat for anyone. He was sure that most young people who had children could barely provide for their families. Love children were the result of careless whims and bursts of raging hormones. That was why so many kids ended up at orphanages.

But he was at the fortunate end of the pole, wasn't he? He knew for certain that he was able to give Kisara an insured future. She could even give birth to a dozen children and he would still have no problems raising all of them. Yet, every ounce of good fortune had its fair share of ill luck—Kaiba's doubts on his efficiency as a father, for one.

They could probably put a mountain of business trials in front of his face and he wouldn't even flinch, but interpersonal relationships weren't always his strong suits. He felt awkward if he was forced to interact with other people in a friendly manner—though it barely showed because he was a master at keeping his real feelings in check. The only people he would ever be comfortable with was his wife and his little brother. And now... He could only hope that his daughter wouldn't find her own father unapproachable. He didn't want that.

A gentle hand alighted on his arm, and he tossed a glance at Kisara who was suddenly hovering very close to him, peering at her baby girl resting upon her husband's arm, drinking greedily from the bottle.

"She woke you." Seto whispered. It was more of a statement rather than a question.

Kisara offered her husband a brilliant smile that shone stark and true. "Allow me." She nodded, reaching for the baby girl.

Kaiba gladly conceded and carefully passed the infant into his wife's waiting arms. The baby bottle followed, and Serophia continued to suck on it. Seto could only watch with adoring eyes as Kisara cooed and spoke to the child, as if the week-old baby could understand. If he knew anything about raising babies, he knew for a fact that they were still unable to understand actual language. For the most part, they were probably still unconscious, and more often that not, week-old babies normally acted on instinct.

"You're aware that she can't understand what you're talking about right?" Kaiba asked, still watching the baby girl as she continued to feed.

Kisara giggled a little and leaned down to kiss the top of Serophia's little head. "Your daddy doubts your ability to comprehend human language." She teased, nuzzling the baby's forehead.

Seto rolled his eyes, and reached out, carefully adjusting the cloth beneath the baby's head.

"You say it as if you don't speak to her yourself." Kisara smirked mischievously at her husband.

"That's different." Seto insisted.

"How exactly?"

"I don't hold a lengthy conversation with her." Seto replied, as if it were totally obvious. "Not yet anyway."

At that moment, Serophia turned her head away, little arms and feet wiggling restlessly. Kisara handed the bottle back to Seto just as the baby began gurgling, mouth forming into a toothless smile that was just unbelievably adorable. Small crystal blue eyes roamed listlessly around the room, uncomprehending but fully aware. Kisara gently held her daughter's tiny covered hands and began trailing playful kisses across the baby's arm, only stopping when she reached her daughter's chubby cheeks. The baby cooed, and Seto watched wordlessly as mother and daughter bonded in such an impeccable way that he almost felt like an intruder.

"You're a little wonder, yes you are." Kisara chirped, rocking the baby gently in her arms. "Who's our little girl?" She cooed. "Serophia. That's right." She grinned at Kaiba before placing the sleeping infant back inside her homey cradle.

Still, Seto watched as Kisara tucked the baby in tenderly, with such love and care that could only come from a mother. While he enjoyed watching his wife interact with her daughter, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Why couldn't he act that way to their baby? Make no mistake, Seto actually found it incredibly attractive that his wife was a wonderful mother, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling inadequate whenever he watched them play and whenever he watched his daughter respond to her mother's affectionate actions.

"And she's out." Kisara whispered with a wistful smile on her weary face. She had to wake up at least every two hours whenever Serophia would cry for food or a diaper change or any discomfort. "And it's time for you to come to bed as well." She spoke sternly, poking Seto's chest with a fingertip.

He was quick to react, taking a hold of his wife's hand and lifted it to his mouth, brushing his lips gently across her knuckles before releasing her hand. He cast another glance at the cradle outlined in fairy lights before shifting his attention back towards his wife. Sensing the sudden change in his expression, a confused frown furrowed Kisara's brows.

"Seto, is something wrong?" She asked, concerned.

The tall brunette ran a hand through his hair and sighed, shaking his head. "What if she won't like me?" He muttered, thinking out loud but realizing it quickly at the same time. He might have regretted that, but it didn't really matter anymore, because he had spoken his thoughts out loud, and Kisara had heard him clearly.

Kisara's face relaxed a bit and she stepped closer to her husband, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his chest. She stayed like that for a while, listening to the steady beats of his heart. At long last, she tilted her head up to gaze at his face, only to find that he was already looking at her. Their eyes met and she smiled up at him.

"What made you think that?" She asked, knowing exactly what he meant.

Seto just shrugged, slipping his arms around her shoulders instinctively. "It's a known fact that I'm not very lovable."

"But I love you." Kisara pouted at him.

The young CEO rolled his eyes in the gloom. "That proves nothing, Kisara. For all you know, I could have brain controlled you into thinking you felt these complicated emotions for me."

The silver-haired young woman chortled, amused at her husband's slightly peeved answer. "But you didn't though, did you?"

That all too familiar arrogant smirk wormed its way to his lips. "I didn't need to, and I'm not that desperate." He untangled himself from her gently as he decided to relent to her request of him to finally sleep.

Kisara laughed softly, following closely at his heels. "You do realize you just went against your own statements."

Seto scoffed for a lack of response. "Whatever."

He approached the study desk in his room to fix his things. He promptly shoved the important papers back into the confines of his briefcase, slamming it closed as he shut down his computer. Kisara was close by, hovering quietly as Kaiba's words ran through her head.

"Frankly, I don't understand how such a thought could even cross your mind." Kisara commented, not unkindly. She was simply stating it curiously.

Kaiba paused in what he was doing for a while before resuming his task. "And?"

Kisara bit her lip. "It's rather odd."

"Your point?" Kaiba muttered, leading his wife to their bed.

Kisara shook her head as they both stopped their tracks once they reached the foot of their king-sized bed.

"Prove me wrong and tell me you're not doubting yourself." She spoke softly, looking into his eyes.

Seto kept his mouth shut, and that was an answer that spoke loud and clear to her. Kisara sighed sadly, sitting down on the edge of their bed. She patted the empty space next to her; a silent invitation for Kaiba to join her. It took a while, but Seto obliged, climbing into bed without saying a word.

"You should know more than anyone that there is no room for doubt." She reassured him quietly, tucking her knees close to her chest as she wrapped her arms around them. "I know it's not easy being parents at our age, but she's already here." Kisara smiled. "And I know she'll like you because it's clear as day that you love her."

Seto was still at a loss for words, so he kept his silence. He only continued to gaze at Kisara with numerous inquiries swimming in his cobalt eyes.

"You might not say it." His wife scooted closer to him, laying her head on top of his shoulder as she snuggled closer to his side. "But I know that you do. She is your own flesh and blood, after all." She took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "And if I know you at all, I am positive that Seto Kaiba doesn't cave under pressure, nor does he leave room for needless doubts."

Seto turned his face towards her, his eyes scanning her face. Kisara lifted a hand to brush his cheek before allowing her fingers to bury themselves in the thick strands of his brown hair.

"He knows he can handle anything." She encouraged him, placing a very brief and sweet kiss on his lips before offering him a soft smile.

"Thanks." He whispered, his breath beating against her lips. "You need to sleep." He smirked, stroking his wife's glistening silver hair. "And if Serophia needs anything, I'll take care of it." He assured her as Seto settled down next to his wife.

He promptly wrapped his arms around her as Kisara smiled before she snuggled closer against his chest, burrowing herself deeper into the comfort of their sheets and the pleasant warmth of her husband's body. Seto made a rather comfortable pillow, but she figured he already knew that—if her actions were anything to come by and as if she wasn't being obvious enough.

A minute later, and Kaiba knew that Kisara had drifted to sleep. Her breathing slowed and her body felt limp, one of her hands still clutching at his sleep shirt. Despite his wife's level of maturity, she still reminded him too much of a timid child when she was asleep—but that was only because he found it incredibly endearing. And just like that, Seto realized she was right. He'd worry about the future when it came. For now, he just had to live in the moment and do his best.

His family deserved all that he had to offer, and his wife was right. There's shouldn't be a sliver of doubt in his mind because he was Seto Kaiba, after all.

A/N: Fluffy, ain't it? xD Well, I warned ya. :3

Seto doesn't strike me as the type to be a huge brooder, but he has a huge potential to be. Years of physical and psychological torment aren't exactly nothing. Tell me what you think? I'd be happy to hear from you. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review. :) We'll see where my childhood feels take me next. ;) See ya.