AN: Hahaha.. Funny story for you guys. When I split up the 9 and 10.. I forgot to add half of 9.. So Ch. 10 will now be 11. And this is Ch. 10... Haha.. Told you it was funny. So read this, then reread 11.. Heh.

Disclaimer: I don't even deserve to own Yu-Gi-Oh. I'm too dumb, lol.

Seto awoke to the sound of a screeching alarm clock. He calmly switched it off and yawned as he stretched luxuriously in his bed. He sighed and glared up at the ceiling as he remembered what he had to do this morning. He had to go sit in a meeting with stuffy board members and listen to them bitch and moans about the company and how their ideas weren't being heard. He scowled as he threw back the blankets and made his way to the bathroom. He flipped on the light and studied himself in the mirror. He didn't look terrible, he thought to himself. He noticed the dark circles under his eyes were beginning to disappear and his face didn't look as haggard. After he was satisfied with his reflection he turned on the water in the shower, steaming hot like he liked it, and stripped out of his boxers. He stepped into the shower and let the hot water wash over his body. He felt good despite knowing he had a long day ahead of him. The only thing that kept him from jumping overboard was the fact that he would be spending the rest of the evening with Ryou. This realization brought a rare smile to Seto's face. He greatly enjoyed spending time with the boy. Yet, the way he had acted last night made Seto uneasy. He frowned and pressed his forehead against the cool tiles of the shower. Seto wasn't sure what to think about Ryou's strange behavior. And worse, Ryou wouldn't even tell him what was bothering him. Seto wanted nothing more but to help Ryou, yet Ryou refused to open up. This hurt Seto deeply, but there was nothing he could do. He was both elated and angered that Ryou had finally told him what had happened to him when Seto left him. In fact it made him sick to his stomach. He had meant it when he said he would have killed Bakura. Actually, he still intended to, but it would have to wait. Remembering the way he found Ryou handcuffed to the bed and knowing Bakura had done that to him infuriated Seto beyond reason. He took a deep calming breath and released it. It wouldn't do him any good to get worked up over something he could do nothing about… For now…

He washed his hair roughly as if he could scrub the stress from his body. Satisfied, he shut off the water, grabbed a towel running it briefly through his hair, then tied it securely around his waist. As he left the bathroom, the cold air hit his skin and sent shivers down his back. He dried off quickly and dressed. Checking his watch he found he still had some time before he needed to leave. He sat down and lay back on his bed to stare up at the ceiling.

He found himself thinking about Ryou a lot recently. Not because he was worried about him, he knew Ryou was now perfectly safe, but he thought about him because it made him so happy. There was just something about him… Seto shook his head and sat up, smiling slightly to himself. He then stood and paced around the room. Against his will he found himself thinking about hat had transpired between them last night. His embarrassing confession to Ryou, comparing him to the sun, their game of 'I've Never', and afterwards Ryou's strange behavior after he had supposedly went to bed.

He turned suddenly and went to the door. He crossed the hall and stood before the door to Ryou's room. He hesitantly reached to the handle and turned it. He opened the door slowly and peeked inside. The bed was empty. Seto scanned the room and much to his surprise, saw Ryou sprawled out on the floor beside the door. Seto quickly rushed to his side. Upon examining him, Seto found that Ryou was actually sound asleep. He didn't want to wake him up, but he also couldn't just leave him on the floor. Seto bent over and carefully picked Ryou up in his arms as gently as he could without waking him up. He carried him lightly over to the bed and laid him down, covering him with the blanket. Seto reached down and gently brushed a few strands of hair from Ryou's face. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, which satisfied Seto. His hand lingered on Ryou's cheek, his thumb lightly brushing Ryou's soft lips. Seto sighed softly and looked at his watch.

"I'll see you later," Seto whispered as he tore himself away from the slumbering teen and headed for his meeting.

Ryou awake that morning and practically jumped out of bed, though he did not necessarily remember being in one. He was anxious to take part in the various activities of the ship. He planned on swimming most of the day until Seto's meeting was over. That's what he looking forward to the most, spending time with Seto. Ryou smiled slightly then changed into his swim trunks. He was almost out the door when he remembered his back. He certainly didn't want anyone seeing that. He went back to his room and found a tight black tank top to wear. He slipped it on, grabbed his towel, and headed for the pool.

Ryou was greatly relieved to see that there were very few children littering the place. When he got to the pool, he found it pretty empty with a few teenage boys hanging around.

"Hey, Ryou!" A voice called to him from the perfectly blue water.

He turned in the direction of the voice to see Will smiling and waving in his direction. Ryou smiled and waved back. He set his towel on a chair and waded into the pool. Will swam over to him.

"Hey, what's up?" Will grinned.

"Not much…" Ryou responded quietly.

"Ah… So you're a shy one, huh?" Will smiled.

"I guess…" Ryou said, not knowing how else to respond.

"That's okay… It's cute…"

Ryou raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing," Will grinned and then quickly added, "The other guys and I have a volleyball game going. Want to join?"

"Sure," Ryou smiled uncertainly.

He was grateful that he wouldn't have to spend the morning alone, yet he wasn't sure he found the best person to spend it with.

After a few hours of volleyball, Will invited Ryou to have lunch with him.

"So, you're what exactly to Mr. Kaiba?" Will asked as they sat in the sun enjoying their lunch.

"I'm his personal assistant," Ryou answered coolly.

"Is that all?" Will eyed Ryou, which made him shift uneasily.

"What do you mean?" Ryou asked, avoiding Will's piercing gaze.

"You mean… There's nothing more between you?" Will's suggestive question took Will by surprise.

Ryou shook his head and blushed slightly, "No, he's just my boss…"

"Oh, sorry… It's just that, my dad says Mr. Kaiba's really cold and distant. But when I saw him with you, he was nothing like that. My dad was really surprised…" Will said, carefully watching for Ryou's reaction.

Ryou felt his stomach do a somersault.

"Really?" Ryou tried not to sound interested.

"Yeah. In fact, my dad says he's never even seen Mr. Kaiba smile before. So, surely you two are…?"

Ryou blushed more. 'Is that true? But why…?' He thought to himself.

"Ryou?" Will's probing voice startled Ryou out of his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, no. I assure you. He's just my boss…" Ryou said. For some reason it hurt him to admit this.

"Good," Will smirked. "I have a chance."

"What?"

"Nothing… Want to hit up the arcade with me?"

Ryou looked at his watch. "Oh, umm… Seto's meeting should be getting out soon and I was going to meet up with him. Sorry."

"Oh, no problem. Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow during the next meeting?"

"Yeah, sure," Ryou smiled. "I'll see you then." He stood and headed back to his room.

Will watched Ryou's thin figure disappear around a corner and smiled to himself. "This should be fun."

Ryou got back to the room only to find it empty, though he wasn't surprised. He had intentionally excused himself early. It wasn't that he didn't like Will, he just made him uneasy. It was because Ryou noticed that Will rarely took his eyes off him along with the strange comments he made. Ryou resolved to confront him about it if they continued.

He made his way to the bedroom and without bothering to shut the door, began stripping out of his wet clothes. He walked naked into the bathroom and headed straight for the shower. He stayed in just long enough to rinse away the smell of pool water, then slung a towel around his waist and stepped out into the bedroom. He had just finished dressing when he heard the suite door open and close. He quickly made his way to the living area, a big smile on his face, where he saw Seto sprawled out on the couch, his arm over his face.

"Hey, how was your meeting?" Ryou asked.

"It was a bunch of bull shit," Seto spat.

Ryou was startled by the harshness of Seto's voice as he took a seat in the chair furthest from him.

"Sorry…" Seto sat up and buried his face in his hands. "Those people just piss me off… What did you do today?"

Ryou watched him carefully. He couldn't tell exactly how Seto was feeling. He knew he was angry, but there was something else. He wanted to see Seto's eyes. Then he would know.

"Well, I went swimming and ran into Will Fargo at the pool. So I just hung out with him all day…"

Seto lifted his head and locked eyes with Ryou. His eyes were steely and cold. Ryou hadn't seen his eyes like that since the first day they met.

"Will? You were with him all day?" Seto inquired, his voice was icy.

Ryou nodded slowly. He was dumbfounded by the sudden change that had overcome Seto. Just last night Seto would speak to Ryou softly and his eyes were much warmer. The Seto that sat before him was cold and made Ryou feel like… Like everything was his fault…

"God damnit, Ryou! I don't want you wandering off with that guy while I'm preoccupied at work!" Seto growled, his voice full of obvious anger.

Ryou stared at Seto in disbelief then hesitantly rose shakily to his feet.

"Excuse me, sir…" Ryou whispered then moved quickly passed Seto and headed for his room as briskly and calmly as his body would allow.

"Ryou! Don't walk away!" Seto called loudly after him, but Ryou was already in his room with the door locked.

Ryou slid to the floor, finding himself in the same position as the previous night. His vision blurred and his eyes stung with unshed tears.

'What did I do? What did I say to upset him? I haven't seen him this way in a long time… It must be my fault! It has to be! But what did I do? How can I fix it?'

Ryou cursed himself and roughly wiped away the tears from his eyes.

"Damnit, I wish I knew how to make him happy," Ryou said aloud.

"You do, Ryou…" Seto's voice said from the other side of the door.

Ryou jumped and turned to face the door, afraid to speak lest he make the situation worse.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just an ass…" Seto spoke so softly, Ryou had to move closer to the door to hear. Seto's words seemed to lift an invisible weight off of Ryou. He unlocked and opened the door. Seto stood before him, eyes downcast and head bowed.

"I was just jealous because that guy got to spend the day with you while I was working," Seto admitted.

"Is that why you don't want me to see him?" Ryou asked quietly.

Seto shook his head at first, and then hesitantly nodded, still refusing to meet Ryou's eyes. "Partly… But also… It's the way he looks at you. Like he really wants you or something…"

Ryou furrowed his brows. "Well, what's that matter?"

"It matters because I'm—" Seto blurted out, but stopped when he looked at Ryou. "Did I make you cry?"

"No… What were you going to say?" Ryou's curiosity piqued at Seto's unfinished sentence.

"Don't lie to me," Seto warned.

Ryou smiled lightly, "Yes, but it's okay… I'm too sensitive I guess."

"Or maybe I'm an ass too much?" Seto added.

Ryou grinned. "That may be true… But you're not an ass to me most of the time, so that can't be it."

"I'm not an ass to you most of the time? What about least of the time?" Seto asked, a look of feigned insult on his face.

Ryou shrugged and looked down. "Well… You know…"

"Liar," Seto growled and tickled Ryou's stomach as he walked into the room and turned on the TV. "Would an ass have your favorite movie playing nonstop just for you?"

Ryou turned to the TV to see Moulin Rouge starting.

"Seto… That's so…" Ryou smiled, not quite finding the word that expressed how he felt.

"Thoughtful?" Seto finished for him, though Ryou was thinking more along the lines of sweet, caring… Romantic. "I know… Come on. Let's watch it." Seto patted the bed for Ryou to sit down.

Ryou crossed the room slowly then lay down on the large bed. Seto took of his coat and shoes then lay down next to Ryou.

"Thank you, Seto," Ryou said softly.

"Of course," Seto sighed as he stretched, causing various joints to pop loudly.

Ryou smiled softly, trying his best to ignore the feeling of emptiness creeping into his body. He discreetly studied Seto's form next to his, painfully aware of how much he wanted to touch Seto, to hold him, and be held by him. These feelings frightened Ryou. He had never felt like this for someone before in his entire life. His desire to express his affection for Seto was overwhelming. He didn't know what to do with it or how to control it. He could feel Seto's body heat on his left side and felt as if his right side was numbingly cold. He let out a shaky sigh, not sure if he could stand it any longer. He slowly turned to look at Seto and was surprised to see him looking back at him in turn.

As their eyes met, Ryou found himself fighting even harder not to just reach out and touch Seto's cheek, hair, arm, any part of him, knowing it could possible end their friendship.

Seto smiled warmly then placed his hand on Ryou's cheek, his thumb caressing his soft skin. He hesitated momentarily when he saw Ryou's deep brown eyes widen in surprise, but pushed his fears aside and leaned down to brush his lips softly over Ryou's.

Ryou froze. He felt his breath catch in his throat as his lips tingled from the momentary contact with Seto's. He could feel Seto's presence merely centimeters away! It was killing him…

Seto was waiting for a reaction, positive or negative. When none came he started to feel panicky. His fears were allayed, however, when he felt Ryou's small hand lay lightly on his shoulder and pull him forward enough to close the gap between them with a soft kiss.

Ryou felt his body temperature rising with every second that passed. He finally broke the kiss when he remembered he needed air. They gazed into each other's eyes momentarily until Seto broke the silence.

"I-I'm sorry," he stuttered, a hint of red colored his face as he removed his hand from Ryou's cheek. "I just couldn't keep my hands to myself… Or my lips…"

It amused Ryou to see the normally cool CEO so flustered and uncertain.

"Well," Ryou blushed slightly. "I wasn't stopping you…"

Seto averted his eyes and turned his attention back to the movie. "I'm still sorry… It was wrong of me because I wasn't sure how you felt."

Ryou smiled to himself. He picked up Seto's arm, placed it around his shoulders, and then curled up close to him.

Seto looked down at him, pleasantly surprised at Ryou's actions. Ryou closed his eyes and sighed contentedly as he felt Seto's other arm wrap around his waist. All trace of the painful emptiness in Ryou's body was now gone. He felt comfortably warm in the protective embrace that Seto provided.

"There's another reason I don't want you to hang out with that guy," Seto said softly, eyes locked onto the television.

"What's that?" Ryou mumbled.

Seto didn't answer at first. He seemed to be thinking his words over carefully.

"I'm just afraid… He'll try to take advantage of you…" Seto said uneasily.

Ryou opened his eyes and slowly looked up at Seto.

"Ryou don't think I can take care of myself?"

"It's not that… I just don't trust that guy…" Seto glared coldly at the television.

"I understand," Ryou said as he closed his eyes. "I won't see him again."

"Thanks…" Seto sighed then leaned his head against Ryou's.

'Is it really okay? For us to do this? He makes me feel things I've never felt before. Surely this must be wrong. But it feels so right… Will that make things awkward at work? Will it change us?' A thousand questions and concerns raced through Ryou's head. When he thought he came close to an answer, it became blurred and foggy. He was exhausted from his active day and the lack of sleep the night before. It didn't take long before he fell asleep, nestled securely in Seto's arms.

AN: Okay, here we go... Read this, and then go read 11 again... Lol.