Disclaimer: I don' t own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Chapter 7

Seto took me to a beautiful little restaurant; a cheery yet elegant building I never knew existed, with a panoramic view of the black waters of the nighttime sea from our secluded table in one of the restaurant's private rooms. At first I was nervous, and stared out the window at the white-capped waves for several minutes after our menus had been taken away, since I had no other excuse not to look at the brunet sitting in front of me. Of course, I really wanted to look at Seto (and I was imagining his face the entire time I stared blankly at the dark water); but I didn't want to stare at him, since I was a little afraid I'd scare him away.

I was already head-over-heels in love with Seto, but he would probably think that was moving way too fast. So I looked at the water instead and pretended I wasn't thinking about him.

Seto coughed slightly and shifted in his seat, drawing my gaze for only the briefest second – but by then the damage was already done. He was just so perfect… I let myself gape at him, feeling a dreamy smile creep over my face as our eyes met; and then Seto smiled, too, stretching his arm across the table to twine our fingers together and rest them on the white tablecloth. We sat like that for what seemed like ages, just silently watching each other, until the waiter came back with our food and I had to draw my hand away.

Seto had ordered beef fillet with sauce – I'd heard somewhere that was his favorite food – and I ordered the same, just because it reminded me of him. That might not make much sense, since he was sitting right in front of me, but for some strange reason it made me feel closer to him to eat something he liked, just because he liked it, and to be sitting at a table together eating the same food… Well, I could almost pretend we were newlyweds at home eating dinner together, instead of an uncertain new couple on their first awkward date. I sighed quietly.

"Is something wrong?" Seto asked.

"No, not at all," I replied with what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Seto nodded and bent back over his plate, so it must have been at least somewhat convincing.

During the next few minutes, Seto finished his meal while I picked halfheartedly at my food (I'd discovered beef fillet wasn't nearly as appealing as Seto made it seem), and a heavy silence hung over us; not quite a peaceful silence, but yet not so thick as to be frightening and overpowering. It felt like each of us was waiting for the other to answer a question no one had voiced.

Eventually Seto dropped his utensils on his plate and glanced up at me. I mimicked his actions, offering a tiny smile, and he reached out to take my hand once more, softly rubbing his thumb across the back of my palm while he studied our fingers. "Are you finished eating?" he asked politely, and when I nodded in agreement Seto rose, tugging me along with him and pulling me close to his side.

Seto led me through a nondescript wooden door at the back of the room that opened onto a back staircase ("Don't worry about the bill, it's already taken care of," he assured me), and the two of us descended the stairs and stepped out onto the dark, sandy beach, where the waves pounded regularly against the shoreline just a few feet in front of us, their foamy white spray contrasting sharply with the deep black water.

In spite of however poetic this might sound, standing on the beach at night in the middle of November is not romantic. It is cold. Very cold.

A sharp gust of wind swept suddenly past me, cutting effortlessly through my clothes, and I shivered, letting go of Seto's hand to hug my arms close to my chest in an effort to warm myself. "Kaiba, let's go back inside," I complained. "It's freezing out here."

He didn't answer. Instead, Seto shrugged out of his long jacket and draped it around my shoulders, then wrapped his arms tightly around me, drawing me close to his chest and burying his face in my neck. "Better?" he murmured wickedly, his lips against my skin sending another violent shiver through my body, though this one felt burning hot.

"Much," I replied simply, and pulled back enough to take his face in my hands and join our lips together, the wind's chill forgotten in the blazing heat of a passionate kiss shared by two lovers just starting to really discover each other despite a strange, complex history together. I pondered this with the small part of my brain that could still think as Seto's hands slipped under the hem of my shirt and etched formless patterns along the skin of my bare back. There was already so much between us, yet virtually nothing had been spoken. I was almost certain that Seto loved me, but it was so hard to find the courage to admit to him how I felt. If only I could tell him I loved him, then maybe I could hear those sweet words in return… But was it too fast? Would he think it was too fast?

Seto's coat fell to the ground, spread out like a blanket across the grainy beach, and the two of us quickly followed in a jumble of heat and skin permanently joined at the mouth. Seto lay close against my chest as he finally broke our kiss in order to fill his lungs with the salty sea air, and rested his forehead atop mine for a brief moment, closing his eyes and panting lightly. His silky bangs tantalizingly tickled my cheeks, and as I slid my gaze to the slender arms braced on either side of my head I felt my desire for him well up stronger than ever.

Even if I couldn't quite admit to love yet, I could at least admit to this. I twined my legs around Seto's and pressed even closer to his long, slim form. "Seto… I need you," I whispered huskily. His eyes shot open and a devilish smirk spread across his face before he leaned down and assaulted my lips once more.

Well, maybe I was wrong. I suppose the beach in November can be a little romantic, after all. There are ways to get rid of the cold.

Morning dawned clear and bright as I watched with weary, heavy-lidded eyes, the knife wound just under my shoulder throbbing rhythmically with each heartbeat. But that painful injury wasn't the reason I hadn't slept the night before. In the middle of the night Seto had come to see me – though not for any of the pleasant activities my hormones would have preferred – and had rushed directly to my bedside, his wild eyes and disheveled appearance eerily similar to the day he had first saved me from Bakura's attack.

"Seto, what's wrong?" I asked when he stopped in front of my bed.

"Yami…" he breathed, but then, seeming to catch himself, straightened and ran a hand through his silky hair to calm it. "Pharaoh, I just had another dream, and I'm fairly sure this one was about Bakura. He's going to go after the Sennen Items."

"What! How do you know?" I cried, sitting up quickly and wincing as the action made the bandages rub harshly against my wound.

Seto bit his lip; then hesitantly sat on the edge of the bed beside me and arranged the pillows at my back so I could prop more comfortably while we talked. After he adjusted the pillows he began to draw back, but I grabbed his hand and held it tightly in both of mine. He didn't pull away.

"Seto, how do you know?" I repeated.

He looked me directly in the eyes for a long moment before finally replying. "Bakura already has Shadow powers. We don't know how; but they're very strong as it is, so it would make sense for him to try to steal the Items to make himself even stronger, and they would help him be able to control his powers, too. He probably knows that."

Seto's voice grew quiet as he spoke and he trained his eyes on a spot in the middle of the opposite wall. "And your dream?" I prompted, squeezing the hand whose fingers clamped nervously around my own.

"It was a little different," he murmured, still watching the wall. "Sometimes I have dreams and I know – I just know – that they're real. But this one was… different… like a warning, somehow…" Seto's fingers clenched tighter and I stroked his hand soothingly as he continued, his voice growing stronger, "The tomb robber is after the Items, that much I know for sure; and he probably wants to make himself pharaoh, judging from his assassination attempts…"

At this, Seto's eyes finally shifted from the far wall to my bandaged chest; then flicked up slightly to meet my gaze. I gave him a slight smile. "But you said it was a warning, so there's a way to stop him, right?"

A shadow passed over Seto's face and my smile faltered at the grim look in his eyes, which he quickly hid with his typical proud, neutral expression. "Yes, I'm sure we'll find a way," Seto replied. His gaze traveled to our joined hands and he stared at them a moment before gently pulling his palm from my grasp and rising to his feet. "I'll let you get back to your rest, Pharaoh. I'm sorry to have bothered you," Seto said calmly and swept out the door, leaving me gazing wide-eyed after him – and feeling strangely cold.

After that encounter I hadn't slept at all, instead mulling over Seto's words as I sat propped against the pillows for the rest of the night, staring blankly out the windows at the dark sky and thinking of shadows. Now, as the sun rose, I climbed wearily from my bed and slipped into my loosest robes, careful not to disturb my bandages. I needed to think of a way to stop Bakura – he was obviously powerful, a skilled thief who could hide better than anyone else in the world; no wonder Mahado had never been able to catch him.

Mahado… My eyes widened. Mahado guarded the tombs of the pharaohs! If Bakura was really after the Items, then Mahado could be in danger – the thief knew those tombs as well as the priests who had designed them, and he could hide there and wait for the opportunity to attack Mahado and steal the Sennen Ring. Maybe this was what Seto's dream was warning him about!

I started to rush out the door and order the guards to send for Mahado, just to get him away from the tombs, but halted before I'd run halfway across the room. I was probably wrong – I had no experience interpreting dreams, after all. Seto would know, though… Nodding to myself, I straightened my robes and strode from the room at a more sedate pace, my heart thudding in anticipation as I headed for my blue-eyed priest's private chambers.

I rested my head blissfully back against Seto's chest, slowly inhaling the scent of him – of us – mingled with the salt and sand. He propped his chin atop my head and tightened the arms wrapped around my stomach, causing the ruined jacket he'd spread over me to slip from just under my chin to somewhere in the middle of my chest, not that I minded. I couldn't really feel the cold anymore; besides, I had Seto's body heat pressed all along my back to keep me warm.

Smiling to myself, I absentmindedly traced the knuckles of the slender hands joined tightly just under my bellybutton, holding me intimately close to the body behind me. It was things like this that made me sure Seto cared, though he rarely said anything, let alone anything to express his emotions. But, then again, neither did I – not yet at least.

Summoning my courage, I leaned even closer against Seto and tilted my head back so I could see his face. He met my eyes easily and gave me a half-smile before bending forward and kissing my lips. I kissed him in return, letting my tongue trail lazily along each of his teeth before retreating and allowing him to dominate the kiss, and as my eyes slipped closed in bliss I almost forgot what I had been about to say.

But then, Seto broke the kiss and pulled away, and my fear came rushing back. I couldn't put it off any longer.

"Seto?" I questioned as my heart thudded heavily against my ribs.

"Hmm?" He stared down at me through hazy, lust-clouded eyes, the look on his face making my heart flop even more crazily, but I plodded onward.

"Were you – are you – happy that I came to your office that day?"

Seto blinked slowly in surprise, but then a wicked smirk crept across his cheeks. "What do you think?" he drawled, and, leaning forward again, began to suck playfully at the tender spot just below my left ear.

I shivered, but, determined not to be distracted, gently cupped Seto's cheek in my palm and pushed him back so I could look him in the eyes. "Then why did you leave?" I asked.

Seto frowned. "I already apologized for that," he muttered sulkily.

"Please? I really need to know," I murmured, sliding the hand that cupped his cheek so that it trailed gently through his thick, silky hair. Seto closed his eyes under my touch and we stayed in that pose for a long moment, my fingers continuing to comb softly through his hair, until he finally sighed and opened his eyes again.

"I didn't know what else to do," he admitted quietly.

I smiled. That was such a Seto-like thing to say – it didn't explain anything, yet at the same moment told me everything. I caught a trace of concern in his bright blue eyes, so I leaned in reassuringly and gave him one more quick kiss on the lips. When I pulled away, examining his face, I saw that hazy expression in his eyes once more and my heart swelled up with joy at the sight.

I couldn't resist a moment longer.

"I love you," I whispered.

"…but there must be another way!"

I paused mid-motion, my hand frozen in the air inches away from the door to Seto's chamber. It was already open a crack, and I had been about to knock when I heard Seto's strained cry. Who was he talking to?

"You know there isn't, Seto. You and I understand the Shadow powers better than anyone – it could be catastrophic for someone to be able to control them without the Items. If Bakura gets any stronger, it will take sealing a soul in an Item to stop his powers from spreading. Otherwise he could take over the entire nation without even trying."

"We don't know that, Shimon! All we know for sure is that the tomb robber can call up shadows to hide himself. How could he take over a country like that, especially since we have our Items to banish the shadows? Surely no one will have to seal their soul away – we can stop Bakura before things get that far."

"Don't be deliberately ignorant, Seto. You're the one who called me here; you're the one who had the dreams; you know there's no other way. He'll cover all of Egypt with shadows! All our Items won't do any good; he's probably too strong already."

Seto let out a deep, long sigh. "If what I dreamed is true…" He paused. "Then let me do it. I'll seal my soul in the Rod; that should be enough. Don't… You can't tell Yami. I can't let him do that to himself. Please, Shimon!" By now he was begging, and I could hear his voice crack as he pleaded with Shimon. "I know Yami is more powerful than me, but don't make him sacrifice himself! He would want to, if he ever found out… Just tell him after it's over…"

Shimon drew in a sharp breath. "I knew it. You have some sort of crush… Do you have any idea how inappropriate that is? Why, if…"

"SHUT UP! Just shut up! I don't care what you think anymore! I can feel however I want! And I'm not going to let Yami die, not if I can stop it."

"NO! Seto, stop! We're not even sure if that would work! It needs to be the pharaoh!"

My legs turned to jelly under me as a strong yellow light started to glow through the crack in the door. Was Seto doing what I thought he was! I shoved open the door and it hit the wall with a resounding bang as I ran into Seto's chambers to find him standing in the middle of the room, his eyes closed and both hands cupping the Sennen Rod. The yellow glow flowed out from the Rod, and Seto's handsome face was twisted fiercely in concentration as Shimon shouted at him fruitlessly.

"SETO! STOP!" I cried at the top of my lungs.

His eyes shot open in surprise at the sound of my voice and his hands jerked, almost dropping the Rod, and as he fumbled it in his grasp the Item lost it glow and returned to its ordinary dull metal sheen. Our eyes met and slowly, helplessly, I advanced toward Seto until I stood mere inches from his face.

"Yami… I can't let you…" he mumbled, not breaking our eye contact.

"What makes you think it would be easier for me to lose you?" I whispered. His brilliant eyes widened slightly and I offered him a small, wry smile; and then, after casting a sidelong glance at Shimon and frowning resolutely, Seto stepped forward and fisted his fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck, pulling me into a fierce kiss.

Kissing Seto was everything I'd hoped it would be. His lips were so soft and warm, yet so strong; his breath sent shivers down my spine as it gusted across my cheek; and the taste of his tongue wrapped around mine was more intoxicating than any wine I'd ever sampled. It was just… perfect.

But then, it was over, and he pulled away, and we had to face the world again all too soon.

"There must be another way. We'll find another way. We'll stop the tomb robber before…" I began, but broke off at the sound of frantic footsteps running down the hall. Shimon, Seto and I turned toward the open doorway just as Isis appeared, sobbing and panting while tears rolled down her cheeks. "Isis! What's wrong?" I gasped.

The distraught female took in a deep breath, wiping her face before looking at me through wet, red-rimmed eyes. "Mahado was attacked… he didn't make it…" Sobs racked her body once more before she added, gasping for breath, "And Bakura stole the Ring."