Just so everyone knows, I re-wrote the ending of the last chapter. I feel it was rushed because I was in a bit of a rut when I finished it, so I went back and cleared it up some. Everything after "and he felt it hard to breathe" is new or synthesized material, so give that a look if you want! Thank you guys for reading, sorry about the delay on the update! xxxx


Seto and Katsuya reached the front of the amusement park with a few minutes to spare. They both stood hands-in-pockets beside the ticket kiosks, but out of the way of the people exiting the park. Katsuya shifted his feet often and looked around too much while Seto stood perfectly still, waiting patiently as he usually did. Katsuya was about to ask Seto the time when he noticed a hand waving; he saw that it was Shizuka and lifted his hand to wave back. Seto had been thinking again on how miserable Katsuya looked shivering in his withered jacket, but turned slowly when Katsuya began waving over him. He watched as the two younger ones ran up to meet them; each was put perfectly at ease to see their respective siblings in one piece.

"Hey guys, have a good time?" Katsuya asked politely, embracing Shizuka gently.

"Yeah!" Mokuba responded eagerly. "Shizuka didn't tell me she liked roller coasters so much, it reminds me of-"

Upon receiving a sudden piercing glare from his older brother, Mokuba changed the subject.

"-Yeah, we had loads of fun!" he continued, looking nervously Seto. "We rode everything twice, I think. Man, that laser game is my favourite!"

Seto swallowed.

"We did, I had such a good time," Shizuka laughed. "Look at the stuffed animal Mokuba won for me, big brother! Isn't it cute?" **

"It's- it's adorable, but... what is it?" Katsuya laughed, taking it from her offering hands.

"It's a capybara, you idiot," chimed in Seto uncharacteristically. Everyone stopped to look at him briefly, astounded he'd spoken at all. Seto personally felt that insulting Katsuya justified his unnatural spoken turn. Katsuya didn't want to be the one to pay for the accidental attention they all paid him later, so he quickly carried on.

"Oh, pft," he laughed. "I see it now, but it's like… why is it just a head?" he asked, handing it back to Shizuka.

"I don't know, but I love it!" she said, squeezing it tightly to her chest. "Did you guys have a good time?"

Katsuya nodded, Seto made no movements whatsoever.

"Yep. Old grumpy gills over here wouldn't ride anything with me, so we just walked around for a while."

"But Seto loves amuse-" Mokuba went to counter, but with another glare, he stopped himself again.

"-buuuut, Seto!" he said in mock anger, making an ugly face. "You said you were gonna try to have fun tonight."

"Oh, I did," Seto countered flatly. "I've had all the fun I can stand."

"You did not!" Mokuba argued.

"I assure you, I'm entirely funned out," he replied, not changing his tone.

Katsuya put the back of his hand over his mouth to prevent himself from laughing and Shizuka tugged on the sleeve of his jacket.

"Big brother, you didn't really spend this entire time just walking around, did you? I'd feel so horrible if you did. I mean, you invited me, I can't be the one that had all the fun."

Amidst his arguing with Mokuba, Seto happened to overhear what Shizuka said and stopped immediately to look over at her (and more importantly) Katsuya. Katsuya had told him that Shizuka wanted to go; did she not just say that he invited her?

Katsuya felt all the horror of what was about to happen, but he was powerless to stop it. He swallowed hard and did his best to take it in stride.

"No, Shizuka, really," he said loudly. "We had a lot of fun. I did drag him onto the panoramic tower, the view was really spectacular."

"Ooh, Mokuba and I got on that!" she said. "You can see the Kaiba Corp. building from there!"

"Yeah, it's pretty cool," Katsuya responded, very purposefully avoiding looking at Seto, whose glare he could almost feel.

"Big brother!" Shizuka said suddenly, reaching out her hand to touch Katsuya's cheek. She held his jaw gently and moved his face into the light.

"Did you get into a fight?" she asked, sounding extremely concerned. "It looks like someone hit you!"

Katsuya grimaced, but took the opportunity it gave him to change the subject from the fact that he had lied to Seto about the reason for the invitation to the park.

"Yes, actually," he said plainly, moving his eyes towards Seto. "He punched me in the face."

Shizuka immediately turned to look at him and Mokuba turned as well.

"Mr. Kaiba, is that true?" she said in disbelief. For a few moments Seto's expression did not change at all, but he felt anxious at being so openly accused, despite being guilty as charged. Why had Katsuya so readily admitted to their fight?

"Hm," he said flatly, nodding vaguely. Katsuya had been a little apprehensive about how Seto was going to respond, but it was too late to take back what he'd said, so he waited, hoping it would end in his favor.

"You did not," Mokuba offered, scoffing and crossing his arms. "What really happened?"

Seto crossed his arms and a half-smile lit his face.

"I wish I had hit him," Seto lamented, "he would have deserved it. He's lying because he's embarrassed- he ran straight into a sign attached to one of the food vending carts. It was really humiliating to watch."

Mokuba could not suppress a small laugh, but Shizuka just covered her mouth, looking more worried than before. Feeling heat rise to his face at Seto's degrading lie, Katsuya laughed to go along. Seto was probably already paying him back for lying to him about the invitation, which Seto had every right to be upset about. A lie for a lie, that's how things worked with Seto most of the time, and Katsuya had no choice but to accept those terms. Not wanting things to become irreparably disastrous by the potential of another round of lies, Katsuya made to excuse Shizuka and himself for the evening as quickly as possible.

"Yeah, it was stupid," Katsuya said, rubbing his cheek gently and smiling. The nervousness in his stomach made him feel sick. "Anyway, Shizuka, it's not a big deal. Thanks for being concerned, though."

Mokuba scoffed again and rolled his eyes, muttering to himself about how anyone could be so clumsy. Seto felt a brief taste of satisfaction and having embarrassed Katsuya- it was what Katsuya deserved after lying to him to get him to come to the park. Then, however, Seto found himself focused on the fact that the change of motivation meant Katsuya had wanted him to come just for the sake of coming. He didn't regret lying about Katsuya's face because it made them even, but he did feel differently about the situation entirely. He didn't immediately know how to feel, but he wasn't mad.

Shizuka wrapped her arm gently around Katsuya's and pushed against him.

"Sorry you got hurt," she said gently.

"Jeez, I'm serious. It's not a big deal," Katsuya laughed. "Anyway, we'd better be off for the night. I've got to take you back early tomorrow. Thanks for coming along you two; I hope you had a good time, Mokuba."

"I did! You guys should come to Kaiba Land sometime, though. It's way better than this."

Seto stared disdainfully at Mokuba, but he furrowed his eyebrows stubbornly and did not relent.

"Thanks for inviting us. Maybe one day Seto will stop being such a stiff and enjoy himself in public for once," he said, making a face.

"It's past your bedtime," Seto said stiffly.

"What!" Mokuba shouted indignantly as they began to walk away. "I'm 15! I don't have a bed time!"

Seto did not respond. Mokuba stopped to turn back and wave at Shizuka and Katsuya; Seto turned with him, but did not move otherwise.

"It was good seeing you Shizuka, get Jounouchi to bring you again some time!"

"I will!" she responded, waving back. "Thank you again for the stuffed animal!"

"No prob'!"

"It was nice to see you Mr. Kaiba," Shizuka continued. "I'm really glad you and Mokuba were coming tonight- and thank you for keeping big brother company."

Seto inclined his head slightly and said nothing, turning his eyes deliberately to Katsuya as if to obtain a verdict on the condition of their departure. Katsuya's posture showed that he knew he was in trouble, but exactly how much, he had no idea. He had been absentmindedly rubbing his cheek and avoiding Seto's intense scrutiny, but upon hearing the verbal goodbyes die out, he was forced to look up.

He met eyes with Seto, whose expression was even less readable than normal due to the darkness. Katsuya couldn't infer anything at all about what terms they were parting on and it made him uneasy. Mokuba had already turned to walk away, but Seto lingered a moment. Katsuya took Seto's hesitation as his way of leaving in a manner that wasn't completely offended. After all, Katsuya thought, Seto most likely would have stalked off without so much as a backward glance if he had really been mad. Katsuya was grateful, but the look Seto was giving him kept the uneasiness in his stomach. It seemed almost as if Seto wanted to say something, but wouldn't. It made him curious.

Just as Seto was turning away, Katsuya finally got the confidence to say something. He couldn't allow Seto to leave with everything hanging in the balance and Seto obviously felt his statement had been made. Katsuya had already personally thanked Seto several times for coming and expressed how happy he was, and he certainly didn't feel it the time or place to explain why he had lied, so he made it simple.

"Goodnight, Seto," Katsuya called gently to his turned back. Seto hesitated for the slightest moment, but continued walking. He saw Mokuba waiting ahead of him with an incredulous look on his face.

"Did he just call you 'Seto'?" Mokuba whispered as Seto came up beside him.

"Forget it," he said solidly, not stopping.

"Since when are you on a first name basis?" Mokuba asked quietly, snickering. A cold stare from Seto quieted him nicely enough so they continued into the parking lot in silence.


"It's so nice that you and Mr. Kaiba are friends now," Shizuka said pleasantly to Katsuya as she squeezed the arm she'd clutched onto and followed him back to the car. "I think you're really good for him, you know."

Katsuya nearly dropped the keys he had fished from his pants pocket.

"I mean, with a good brother like Mokuba and a good friend like you, I think Mr. Kaiba will be much less reserved in the future," she smiled.

Katsuya swallowed and laughed lightly, feeling relieved of his sense of panic. "Good for Seto" in terms of helping him to break his reclusive nature Katsuya could agree with, but otherwise, he wasn't so sure.

They reached the car and Katsuya opened the passenger door for Shizuka.

"Do you want me to treat that when we get home?" she asked, motioning to his cheek and slipping into the seat. Katsuya shut the door and rounded onto the driver's side and climbed in.

"Honestly, it's fine. Thank you, though." He pushed the key into the ignition and started the car. "I'm glad you came."

"I am, too. I'm glad you invited me. I really hope you had a good time, though."

"I did," Katsuya said, rubbing his cheek lightly and swallowing. He pulled the gear shift into reverse. "I really did."


"Seto!" Mokuba said loudly.

"Hm?" Seto turned his head and looked at Mokuba, who was glaring at him with crossed arms from across the back seat of the car.

"Welcome back, space cadet. I've said your name twice already," Mokuba huffed, shoving his back against the seat. "What's your problem?"

Seto felt uncomfortable for having been so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed Mokuba saying his name. He pushed his right thumb hard into his left palm and thought a moment.

"No problem, just tired."

"I bet, especially from all that nothing you did," Mokuba said sarcastically. Seto's expression softened, but he did not reply.

"Anyway, you're just being weird and I thought something might be up."

Seto gave him a disbelieving look, which was fair, as Seto's disposition rarely ever changed.

"You've been messing with your hands like a crazy person ever since we got in the car," Mokuba explained, unfolding his arms and twisting against his seatbelt to face Seto.

"And you've looked out the window and down at your hands twice and you just look so serious- it's like you've lost one of your Blue Eyes and now you can't face reality or something, it's so creepy."

Seto knew Mokuba was being dramatic, but he did feel embarrassed that he'd been so obviously preoccupied. He looked gently back down at his hands for effect.

"If I don't wash the filth of the public from my hands soon, I might fire someone who doesn't deserve it tomorrow."

"Jeez!" Mokuba laughed, "You're such a germaphobe, and you do that all the time anyway." He paused for a moment, thinking. "Hmm, but between your hands and the whole conflicted look- did you really hit Jounouchi?"

Seto looked up at him slowly and said nothing. He had a feeling his face was being too telling, but Mokuba knowing about it didn't distress him aside from how much he was going to be bothered to talk about it.

"What'd he do, though?" Mokuba insisted, not waiting for Seto to reply. "I mean, I know he's an idiot, but you usually just settle that stuff with duels. It must have been serious."

Seto did not respond for a moment, but then admitted in a tired voice, "He trapped a so-called "fan" of mine into our cart in the Haunted House without my consent."

"You did go on rides!" Mokuba almost shouted. Seto grimaced, internally cursing himself for telling the whole truth.

"I know that's not the point," Mokuba continued, smiling despite the look on his brother's face, "but I knew you couldn't go a whole night at an amusement park without riding anything, even if it's not nearly as good as Kaiba Land."

He clicked his tongue thoughtfully, "But what a lousy thing for him to do. He has to know how much that bugs you."

Seto nodded grimly.

"But you really punched him for it? Right in the face?" Mokuba asked, the excitement in his voice apparent.

"Twice," Seto replied, his voice lifting slightly. He could not stop himself from being proud.

"Twice!" Mokuba nearly shouted again, laughing incredulously. "Jeez, big brother, you've really got some balls,"- Seto winced at his lax terminology- "I mean, you're a lot smarter than he is, yeah, but he's bigger than you. He was in a gang, you know? He could probably have done some serious damage if he wanted to, especially since you didn't have anybody tailing you tonight for safety."

Seto appreciated Mokuba's concern, but the thought of Katsuya's clumsiness and comical personality made him feel that all of Katsuya's real danger had long since dissipated. With his friends, Katsuya was generally a very physical person, but in flopping his body over their backs, doing stupid handshakes, and play-tackling them as he did, he was certainly not a threat. Seto resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the thought. Katsuya tended to rough-house with his friends, but nothing actually violent came out of him much anymore unless seriously provoked. Seto supposed he was one of those people Katsuya was close enough to to be physical with, but thinking about it made him anxious; Katsuya was almost never in physical contact with him at all, despite this development, so how close did Katsuya consider him to be?

Seto thought that at some point he must have been on the side nearly provoking the violence out of Katsuya, but that certainly was not the case now, if it had been before. In having his hand held and his kiss returned, Seto didn't exactly feel Katsuya was a destroyer that should be feared, but those physical things were incredibly novel and incidental. Katsuya was even more physically reserved with him than he was with his friends in most cases, standing too close to Seto for no apparent reason, looking over his shoulder when he was working, and somewhat recently nudging his shoulder at times, but that was the extent of it. He wasn't exactly sure where he stood with Katsuya, then, if not obviously physically friend or foe.

Regardless, he was aware that Katsuya had been in a gang, as his unrefined demeanor was still painfully obvious at times, and Katsuya was probably still an impressive street fighter, despite the rarity of his practice. He knew that if Katsuya wanted to, he could have fought back, but true to the righteous nature he'd developed somewhere along the way, he was no longer the type to resist a punishment he deserved. When Seto thought about it, Katsuya seemed always hesitant to truly fight with him anymore, but he seemed to do so out of respect for maintaining their relationship rather than unwillingness to fight. Seto could not decide if he was more irritated or impressed by this dedication. Katsuya had more of that fluffy mop of hair than he had brains, but despite that and his Orphan Annie clothes, he had an indescribable attractiveness, a genuine, albeit simple, personality, and a way of making Seto's heart pound.

"Yes, I'm sure I was in a lot of danger. Let us be thankful that he did not attack me for hitting him when he deserved it."

Mokuba scoffed, then suddenly got excited. He loved pestering Seto with questions because Seto was so high-strung and reserved, it was rare to get such good development out of him.

"He's calling you Seto now, what's up with that?"

Seto didn't have an answer to that. He wasn't sure when Katsuya had begun to call him Seto, but he didn't really mind it. Katsuya had called him "Kaiba" with such disgust in high school, he probably didn't want to remind himself of the way they used to act. Especially lately, since things had seemed to escalate personally to some degree; informality at the current point would be painstaking.

"It probably makes him feel important," Seto replied. Mokuba could not argue with that. Seto's first name was certainly a social grace not allowed to most.

"Yeah, but it doesn't seem like it bothers you," Mokuba suggested.

"Unlike him, I don't /care/ what he calls me. It's not like it's going to affect me in any way," Seto said derisively. In the moment of silence after he'd finished speaking, he closed his mouth and grit his teeth hard, feeling he'd made his point in the worst way. He could have just said "it doesn't," because that would have been the truth, but he had chosen instead to make a point that he didn't care, despite knowing the difference between the two and knowing the latter was untrue.

He had spoken of Katsuya the way he used to, with such a bitter inflection in his voice that was long since unnecessary. He felt confused and disgusted with himself for doing so. That it was so much easier for him to speak callously of Katsuya despite their developing friendship disturbed him because he could not even question himself about whether or not Katsuya still spoke negatively of him to Yuugi and the others, even on accident- he knew that Katsuya didn't.

"It's a wonder you don't have more friends," Mokuba said lightly, rolling his eyes. He felt Seto was being defensive because he didn't want to explain the situation for what it was, but that was typical.

"He comes over more often now, though, and you came to the park tonight knowing you'd be with him the whole time. You must not mind having him around."

Seto both no longer knew how to and did not feel the need to respond.

"Does anybody call him by his first name?" Mokuba asked, changing the subject, feeling he wasn't going to get any more of Seto on the previous one. "Shizuka just called him "big brother" all night and everybody from Yuugi's group just calls him "Jounouchi". I don't even think I know his first name."

"It's "Katsuya"," Seto said immediately, then felt extremely uncomfortable, as if he'd spoken a taboo word. For some reason, calling Katsuya by his first name felt intensely more personal than Katsuya calling Seto by his own.

"Katsuya," Mokuba repeated. "That's a decent name. You guys are friends now, right? I mean, you don't say it, but you obviously are. Why not call him his first name, too? Shizuka and I do it, you know."

The car had pulled up to the front steps of the Kaiba Estate and they both climbed out.

"It's unnecessary to get that personal," Seto said, shutting the door. " 'Bonkotsu' suits him just fine."

Despite what he'd said, as they climbed the steps to the front door, Seto thought he wasn't averse to getting more personal with Katsuya. He hadn't disliked it at all thus far and couldn't decide whether that made him more aggravated or satisfied. He rubbed his hands together and the warmth it created made him think of Katsuya's hands holding his. It made him nervous that he should connect Katsuya with such a thing so readily. He regretted speaking of Katsuya the way he had, although it had kind of been the truth, under the negative connotations, but he definitely wasn't bothered about it one way or the other.

Frustrated that he was even still thinking about it, he tried to remember the way Katsuya said his name to test himself. To his slight surprise, he found he could recall it almost immediately. He heard the Katsuya he knew in high school saying his last name in that threatening growl that was produced whenever Seto would provoke him with some condescending comment. Seto broke a small smile at the thought, although he felt largely indifferent towards these moments aside from being vaguely amused at how easily upset Katsuya used to be.

Then he thought of the present Katsuya exclaiming incredulously after the roller-coaster and speaking to him on the phone, but stronger than anything heard his first name in the whisper that had disturbed him in his half-sleep state the night they'd spent together. He heard it once, twice, a third time in his mind, and his throat constricted. He thought of Katsuya's warm hands, his warm lips saying "Seto" in such a nervous and honest way, and the gentleness of his kiss. He shut out all thoughts as the color began to rise to his face, thinking it was just because Katsuya said it differently that it made a difference. Honestly, though, he couldn't help feeling he might prefer his first name to his last after all. He swallowed, feeling the front door was much heavier than usual as he pushed it open, thinking gravely that after all the time he'd spent with Katsuya, "bonkotsu" probably served more as a nickname now than an insult.


**- Google "capybara plush" to see the plush Shizuka has!