A/N: Whoahness. I have updated. O.o And I love all my reviewers. You guys are my SUNSHINE. Review responses will be at the bottom of the page cuz I don't want take up any more space over here.

Yesterday was my last day of classes. I am very happy. Tomorrow is the beginning of my finals. I am now very sad.

Hmm...anything else to say? Warnings for some "slightly mature scenes," along with badly attempted humor, and little sprinklings of floweriness. Oh yeah...I TRIPLE DARE all you to read this entire chapter...:D It's long I tell you...lonnnggg!

I will shut up now. Read on.

Disclaimer: Don't own Yugioh. Will never own Yugioh. It saddens me greatly...but I can't do anything about it.

Chapter 6: To be Bipolar

Manipulation was a fascinating art. It was to play upon another by insidious means, to flex and shape your host until they bended to your will. Molded and sculpted like fluid clay within the practiced hands of a skillful potter, the manipulated was created for one and only one purpose: to serve the needs and advantages of their manipulator.

And Seto Kaiba only knew too well of this mesmeric ability. He had used this beguiling talent to obtain all that he had strived for; he had used it to survive within the cold, business world governed by guise and perfidious deceit. Manipulation was implanted, developed and made use of; much like the complex and intricate wirings of a program most necessary to the vast software of an incalculable syllabus.

And for Seto Kaiba, it was essential.

An open and utterly exposed grin was replaced with a forced and clipped twist of an obligatory smile.

For to him, it was crucial.

A casual clap of a playful grasp was replaced with the firm and endearing grip of a terse handshake.

For to him, it was indispensable.

A pure and resounding laugh untouched by worry or strain was replaced with a bone-chilling scoff of derogatory jeer.

As a result…

Seto Kaiba had successfully manipulated all of those who surrounded him in the white-starched-collar of the materialistic world. He had manipulated all of those who gazed adoringly upon his dashingly handsome face in stark admiration, all of those who innately seethed with unbridled jealousy upon his endless galore of wealth and power, all of those who quailed in absolute fright upon his demanding form—

And as a result, Seto Kaiba had succeeded upon doing the unthinkable. He had succeeded in manipulating himself, molding and sculpting his entire essence to adjust to the harsh realities of which he had been exposed to.

So, here is where the question comes to play—

Would Seto Kaiba, the world-prodigy and CEO of the rising pinnacle of KaibaCorp; the renowned duelist of the convoluted game of Duel Monsters; the unfeeling and detached youth that had been deprived of warmth and capability for so long, be able to undo what he had done?

Was it possible, for a person such as himself, to be able to learn how to love?

"Reservation for two…"

A tap of a pen against polished wood.

"Seto Kaiba…"

An expression of complete boredom.

"…and Yami Mutou…"

There was a slight sneer. "Obviously. Now kindly take us to our tables before I lose my patience."

A flustered look. "Of course, of course…forgive me…r-right this way if I may…"

Yami jabbed his elbow into Seto's side. "Stop being so rude!" hissed the former Pharaoh as his gracious companion literally shoved his way pass their escort. "Honestly Kaiba! Where are your manners?" He bowed his head towards the agitated form of the attendant and smiled quickly. "Excuse my acquaintance over here…it seems that he is not in the most pleasant of all moods…"

Yami shot a disapproving glare towards the CEO.

The brunette faked an injured air of expression, a guise of perfected offense immersed within his stunningly classical features. "Acquaintance? I'm disappointed Yami. I thought our relationship was considered much more than the ties of a mere associate."

"Ho, ho, ho," drawled Yami, brushing aside Seto's arm while he settled his crimson eyes upon the brunette. "You know what Kaiba? Sometimes I wonder on how utterly bipolar you can be."

A bemused look emerged upon the countenance of the billionaire's features, causing the delicate boy to scowl faintly. He brushed a single golden bang away from his face in irritation. "I mean seriously, one second you can be the most charming person in the entire world, but then in the next! You're an absolute disaster!"

The CEO raised an elegant eyebrow. "So you finally admit that I am indeed charming?"

Yami sniffed at the arrogant tone. It figured that Kaiba would only pay attention to the "charming" fragment.

"Well, at certain moments…yes, you can be," Yami said softly, absentmindedly fingering the luxurious scarf wrapped elegantly around the curve of his neck. He then proceeded to frown, a small wrinkle of obvious annoyance and dissatisfaction appearing upon his lips "Unfortunately, right now is definitely not one of those moments."

The lean brunette casually shrugged; a simple gesture even one such as that completely radiated a feel of class and sophisticated style. "It's not a matter of being bipolar Yami." Seto surveyed the tri-color haired teen with his ice-blue eyes. "I choose only to be charming to those I find acceptable."

Oh boy.

Yami blinked and shifted his head towards the direction of the billionaire. Oh, so Kaiba wants to tease now…

"Really! Well, I find that an interesting little fact." He was in an awfully odd mood at this moment and carried on with a flash of a small smile, letting a few strands of wheat-colored hair to fall pleasingly on the pale, ivory white of his smooth skin.

Hmph. There is absolutely no way that I'm going to start getting all flustered around him again.

The former Pharaoh felt that if there was ever a time to use his allure and charisma to his advantage, now would be the perfect moment.

I CAN do this. No problem.

He deliberately shifted his shoulders; the sure and fluid movement inadvertently allowing one side of the silken scarf to slip carelessly downwards, revealing a scant section of soft skin. The pale shade clashed drastically with the enigmatic tint of ebony black, peppery spray of golden iridescences further enhancing the luminescent glow of the pastel exterior. Yami tilted his head and drew himself slightly closer to Seto, touching a single spray of golden hair with poised refinement as he fixated the CEO with a coy glance.

"Acceptable? Come, now Kaiba that is such a vague term." He pressed one velvet encased hand against Seto's torso, two slender fingers applying a light pressure upon the expensive cloth. The ex-Pharaoh made a small smile. "Care to explain?"

Ohhh. What now Kaiba?

He was about to find out.

Seto let out a low chuckle and slipped his right hand behind the spirit's head, lithe fingers effectively intertwining themselves within the many locks of multi-colored flare. Yami jumped slightly as he felt another hand wrap itself around the slender torso of his upper body, pulling him closer towards the form of the tall billionaire.

The brunette lowered his head until the barest fraction of his face caressed the unvarnished tint of black and red, smirking that arrogant yet striking thing of a smile as he brought Yami's slim form into an almost intimate encirclement.

Never mind seeing him smirk. He could literally feel the curve of his lips as they bended themselves into a condescending suggestion.

There was a breath of hot air against the shell of his ear. "And you say that I'm bipolar Yami."

He could feel each individual finger upon the small of his back applying a small amount of increasing pressure, tiny imprints of dark indentations as the lithe digits pressed against his barely covered skin. "One second you're complaining about how much of a disaster I am…"

The breath was uncomfortably warm and moist.

"…and in the next moment you're flirting with me." Crimson eyes blinked once before darting up towards the darkened shade of deep azure. "Now that's what I call bipolar, love."

The former Pharaoh lifted his chin, raising his eyes defiantly at the mention of the word "love," even as a faint blush settled upon his face.

"Oh? Well then, if it's bothering you so much, I suppose that I should stop this instant." He made a movement to push himself away from the billionaire.

There was another smug grin. "On the contrary…" Seto brushed his lips against the fragrant feel of honeyed hair. "I rather like this bipolar side of you." The hand around his back tightened, and Yami felt himself color dramatically.

"Do continue."

"Ummm…Jou, are you sure that you know what you're doing?"

There was a scoff and a flip of hair. "Of course Yugi! You just lean back like everyone else and leave it all to me, alright?"

Crash. Bang!

Yugi screamed as the car knocked over yet another garbage pail. Anzu rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah, Jou. Sure thing. I'm sure that you definitely know what you're doing."

The blonde -now temporary red-head- shot a seething glare at his complaining passenger. "Hey, I don't see you volunteering to drive this car over here!"

"I did volunteer to drive," shot back the brunette (now blonde) as she fiddled around with her seatbelt in agitation. "But a certain someone grabbed the wheel and practically murdered anyone who even got close to it!"

"Which is perfectly logical, considering that I am the one with the most experience at driving over here!"

There was a gape of indignation.

"Jou. You freaking stole a golf car and drove around like a maniac for a span of 5 minutes before the owner knocked you unconscious with his club!" A moment of reflection. "You consider that the gist of your experience?"

The blonde coolly surveyed his friend with mock interest. "And your point?"

"My point is, the likelihood of you getting us out of this driveway without killing either ourselves or some other innocent being in the process is like…slim to none!"

Jounouchi let out a loud "Oh PUH-LEAZZ" before moving the shift stick from stationary to driving mode. The vehicle backed slowly out onto the street.

And straight into a tree.

Several branches showered the car window in a mocking patter at which Anzu sent a glance of superiority towards the blonde. "And you were saying, hmmm?"

The stubborn teenager ignored the comment and with a slight flounce, got out of the car. Yugi peeked through the gaps between his fingers and bravely tilted his head to see exactly what his rowdy friend had gotten themselves into.

"Ehhh don't worry about a thing you guys!" boomed Jounouchi as he settled himself in front of the driver's seat. "It was just a couple of branches and a frisbee that fell from the tree…and a measly lil' squirrel that I accidentally ran over—"

The shorter boy proceeded to cover his small face within the protection of his hands while Honda retched with a slightly queasy look upon his countenance. Anzu's blue eyes nearly tripled in size as she let out a horrified gasp.

"What do you mean, a 'MEASLY LIL SQUIRREL?" screamed the brunette, whacking the side of Jounouchi's head with brain-bashing force.

"Owww! What did you do that for Anzu?"

"That POOR, POOR squirrel!"

"It was just a stupid squirrel! Calm down!"

"No I will NOT calm down you insensitive lil' nit-wit! How could you commit such a murderous crime and not feel the least bit sorry?"

"It was…only…a squirrel…" came the meek reply.

A dangerous glare. "No it was NOT just only a squirrel Jounouchi Katsuya! The brunette pointed a menacing finger towards the door. "You go out there right now and give that poor deceased animal a proper funeral!"

"But…!"

A twitch. "I. Mean. NOW."

"Yes, maa'm."

Some time later…

"RIGHT, DAMNNIT JOU! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, TURN RIGHT!"

"Hey! Did you hear that? That guy over there just called me an idiot!"

"Gosh, I wonder why…considering that you were DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD!"

"Oh. Well, why didn't you say something?"

Yugi yelped as Jounouchi veered sharply to the right, causing his head to collide against the passenger's window. He rubbed his head and frowned at the all-too cheery form of his driving-obsessed friend.

"Well, I thought that the excessive honking and incoming headlights from the opposite direction were enough to give you a clue—"

"Wheeeee! Look at this! I'm driving with no hands!"

The tri-color haired teen buried his face once again into his hands. "But apparently…you didn't notice."

Anzu leaned forward and attempted to make a flailing grasp towards the steering wheel. "Oh for heaven's sake—that is IT, Jou! I now officially demote you from the driver of this moving vehicle!" The brunette wobbled unsteadily towards the front of the seats and made an intense effort to push the blonde out of the way. "Give me the steering wheel!"

Jounouchi, in response to the ominous stride of an angry teenage girl, let out an indignant gasp before permanently attaching his two hands to the circular structure of the helm, 10 individual fingers gripping onto the wheel with bone-crushing strength. "NO! I got this car moving and running in the first place! Back off!"

"Jou! At this rate, you're going to get us all killed!"

The blonde rolled his eyes and brought his sulking form even closer to the steering wheel. "Stop exaggerating Anzu. You know that my driving skills far outstrip your mediocre abilities in driving!"

The girl narrowed her eyes into thin slits. "What did you say, young man?"

"Eh heh hehh…you know that I was just joking, right?"

"Give me the wheel RIGHT NOW!"

"NO! I WANNA DRIVE!"

A minor tussle erupted, consisting of swatting hands and kicking legs. "You've had your share of fun already! Now just let go you immature—!"

"Dieeee!"

Honda, looking none too thrilled, lifted his head to gaze out the window. He blinked in confusion and then proceeded to frown disconcertingly as he was met with a flashing masquerade of red and blue lights.

Wonderful…

"Oh, just fabulous…it's the police!" moaned Honda, sliding completely downwards while Yugi sent a horrified look outside the window.

"No parental guidance, underage driving…we don't even have a permit let alone an official license!" managed the tri-color haired boy as he twisted his hands in agitation.

"Never knew that it was gonna end like this, Yugi…" professed Honda mournfully. The teen clapped a hand around the shoulder of the smaller boy. "My man! Just wanna tell you that you've been a great friend Yug'! We've been through a lot together. Through Jou's absolutely horrible driving skills, and Anzu's crazed ravings of total nonsense—"

"Hey!"

"Oh, so you want a piece of this heel over here too?"

"Errr…no, not really."

With intense effort, Jounouchi shoved Anzu off of him and brought his hands back onto the steering wheel. "Horrible driving skills eh Honda? Well, lemme tell you a lil something…" The rowdy teen let out a bright smile. "You've ain't seen NOTHING so far."

Ohhh, he wouldn't…

The blonde sent a calculated glance at the approaching police cars. "Soo…cops wanna play tag now do they?" He turned around towards his three friends and sent them a fantastic grin. "Buckle up peoples! You're in for the time of your lives!"

There was a horrified gasp.

"Oh my GOD…"

"No Jou!"

"Dear heavenly father…I pray that you forgive me for all the sins I have committed within my life…"

Jou gave them a thumbs up and slammed down onto the gas.

"Hang on, you guys!"

"Yami, you've disappointed me."

There was an inquisitive look. "Good god, I haven't even said a single word, and already in an instant I've disappointed you." An eyebrow was raised. "What have I done wrong this time?" -1-

Seto curved his lips into a dignified smirk and brushed an imaginary piece of lint from his shoulder. "I had made a little bet with myself that your mouth would drop open at the sight of this." Blue eyes glinted with a faint spark of amusement. "But, I suppose it wasn't meant to be."

Yami tried hard to suppress a small smile and pressed his velvet encased hand to his lips. "Well…"

Impressed would have been a major understatement. As a matter of fact, awestruck was perhaps a more suitable choice of words in this case. Yami had to literally use all his strength and will to prevent himself from gaping like a complete idiot at his vibrant surroundings in ridiculous stupefaction.

Falling water cascaded softly from high above; surrounding the foyer with its clear and mirror-like quality, bathing the entire area with a silver-soaked glow of pure eminence. Vermillion-green ivy twisted and turned along the ebony walls behind the falling water, startling yet soothing with its pulsating patterns in vibrant shades. Champagne glasses glistened with lively vivacity; porcelain speckled floors shone with elegance, and up towards the balcony through winding staircases, stood a glimpse of an exquisite water garden. Here, destined individuals performed their waltz along with the descending currents of fluid surges, the faint sound of music gliding through the air like scattered leaves.

Damn…this place was big.

"…I wouldn't necessarily say that, Kaiba," continued Yami, flicking his crimson eyes from one lusciously designed glass plate to the other. He sidled to the side and brought a single finger towards the murmuring sheet of falling water, producing a gentle indenture within the moving liquid. The former Pharaoh brought his now wet finger to his face. "By Ra, is this actual water coming down from up there…?"

Seto smirked. "Hence the reason as to why your glove is now wet." Yami looked positively amazed and let out a surprised cry when the curtain of descending liquid veered away, lifting its translucent drapes to produce an entrance way for whatever individual wished to cross through.

Yami chose not to comment upon the feat. "My goodness, I never thought that a restaurant could be so…" The slender boy frowned for a split second in an attempt to furrow around for the correct word. "…nature-y."

The CEO brought a hand to run through his mahogany locks.

"I have taken a rather strange dislike towards those particular French restaurants and their gaudy displays of overdone luxury. Multitudes of showy carpets, an overabundance of chandeliers, stuffy rooms that would literally choke you with its garishness…" He scoffed. "I prefer a simple elegance, one with beauty that needs no superfluity of extravagance to enhance ones appearance." His voice trailed off. "A natural beauty…"

It was almost a whisper.

"…something genuine…"

…and it ended there.

Yami looked up at Seto and observed him for a brief instant. Then, with a small shift in position, he slipped a single hand around the curve of the brunette's own arm.

The reply was soft.

"Come on…let's go."

While the night is still young…

Imagine being in a perfectly formed diamond. Where the usual geometric rigidness melted forth into a gradual spill, with specks of green and iridescent gold flecked throughout the clear substance. And imagine that you as an individual stood in the middle of all of it, with the brief taste of perfected elegance upon your tongue and the glimmering feel of something grand upon your brow.

You think…is this real, is this real? Could this possibly be true?

And…you don't know…

But for now—

Don't think…

Just imagine.

"Now what did I tell you peoples? Just leave it to good ol' Jou over here and everything'll turn out fine!"

The car door of the vehicle burst open and three disheveled teens tumbled onto the ground.

"Land, land! Finally, LAND!"

"Urgghhh…I don't feel too hot…"

"Eh. Excuse me while I just lie here and pass out…"

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Oh, stop it, you guys! It wasn't THAT bad."

Anzu pinpointed her blue eyes towards her friend. "Oh yes it was mister…and don't you say so otherwise!"

"Hey, I can say whatever I want, Barbie Doll!"

"That's Miss Barbie Doll to you Freckle Man!"

"Whoah. Watch it with the freckle talk, blondie."

A hand waved itself in the air. "Now, now people. Settle down…"

"SHUT UP, HONDA!"

Oh dear.

"Uhhh guys…" muttered Yugi as he slowly lifted his form from the ground. "Don't you think we should be going into the restaurant now at this moment?"

"Oh...that's a good idea, Yugi," Jounouchi scratched his head and proceeded to whistle as he took in the full view of the restaurant. "Damn! This is one hell of a place they've got over here! Pfft. I bet they've got all sorts of stuck-up jerks just like Kaiba floating around in a place like this."

Yugi poked the blonde in the chest in annoyance. "Hey, less talking and more moving! Remember what we came here for!" He motioned for his other two friends to follow. "Come on!"

The quartet, whether tripping over high heels or adjusting their wigs from slipping off, all quickly managed to hide quickly behind one of the lush shrubs that occupied the vicinity. Purple eyes quickly took in the stolid bodyguards and the waiting attendant that checked off the names of all of those who had reserved their spots a full 2 months earlier. (And yet Kaiba-san still managed to make an immediate reservation…even with the waiting list completely booked, the teen thought amusedly.)

The shorter boy proceeded to frown. "Hmm…the situation doesn't look too good guys. The entranceway is completely blocked off, and from the look of those security guards, they'd kick us out of here before a person could even plead for bloody mercy."

Jou squinted his brown eyes and made an approving snort. "You can say that again. Gosh, ya' know who they remind me of? Those buffed-up beefsteaks that kicked us outta school from earlier!"

Honda shuddered and twitched his furry mustache in distaste. "Please. Spare me the agony of remembering all of that."

The blonde all the sudden punched a fist into his palm. "Hey! I got an idea!" Jou turned to Anzu and elbowed her in the ribs. "You think you could go up there and flirt with all those guys while we sneak in from behind?"

Slap.

Mutter, mutter. "I was just joking…" Mumble, mumble.

"You better have been joking!" There was a pause. "Come on, let's go to the back. Maybe there's another entrance…"

The foursome their way clumsily through the bushes, though not without escaping the tricky pathway without any harm at all. Multitudes of needles and various sharp little branches barred their path, and the majority, if not all four, suffered from a great deal of cuts and minor bruises.

"Ow! Oh NO…not another splinter!"

"Deal with it," remarked Yugi in an unsympathetic tone, for he too sported a few pieces of the unwanted splinters within the palm of his hand. Ignoring a wail of discomfort from Anzu, who was busy complaining about the indecency of crawling on all fours in a dress, he brushed a few bending leaves from the curve of his face and peeked out.

Well, well, well. Luck seems to be on our side for once!

"A brilliant stroke of luck, if I may say," whispered the shorter teen under his breath. He turned towards the sulking forms of his friends and smiled. "Hey, you guys! I think I might've found the perfect entrance way into the restaurant!"

The four of them staggered out of the bushes, brushing undesired pieces of leaves and dust from the bases of their bodies.

Jou shook his hair, sending millions of un-welcomed twigs into the vulnerable eyes of his surrounding individuals. "About time! I was afraid we'd be stuck out here standing around like a bunch of clueless idiots for the rest of the night!" He tilted his head to the side and frowned. "...Good god, what the hell is this thing anyway?"

"I think it's a wine cellar, Jou," Yugi replied calmly as he examined the exterior. "Lattanzi Ristorante is, after all, quite well-known for its ingenious variety of the best wine in the entire country. From what I've heard, they have approximately 153 different brands!"

"Hmmm…wine cellar, eh?" quipped Honda as he went down on his knees and examined the wooden trapdoor. "So you're telling me that this cellar over here is filled to the brink with every known alcoholic beverage in the entire world?"

Yugi narrowed his eyes. "Don't you even think of touching a single bottle within this storage Honda. Unless of course, you want to get a dosage of pepper spray in your eyes!"

The teen blinked surprisingly. "You have pepper spray?"

"No, but Anzu does. And I'm sure she wouldn't mind the least bit if I temporarily borrowed it from her."

The brunette gave an affirmative nod.

Aw, shucks.

"Stand back, you guys, while I open this thing over here!" Yugi produced a small device and placed it against the metallic coolness of the padlock. There was slight whirring noise and with a small click, the gigantic lock flipped opened.

"Oh wow. That's a pretty spiffy lil' gadget you've got over there!" whistled Jounouchi as the tri-color haired teen yanked the lock from the handle with timed efficiency. "How does that thing work anyway?"

The youth held up the device and smiled. "See this circuit over here? It produces a small electromagnetic strike which disengages the targeted lock in a split instance!" With his two small hands, he tugged on the handles of the trapdoor and gave a massive heave.

It didn't budge at all.

Yugi frowned and looked toward his three friends in disapproval. "Ahem! A little help over here?"

Three pairs of eyes blinked blankly before realization dawned upon their faces.

"Oh yeah, sorry, Yugi…"

"Didn't mean it that way…"

Jounouchi fastened his hands onto the handles, "Okay! When I say three, all of us start pulling alright? One, two, THREE!"

The trapdoor was heaved open, sending a small cloud of dust to rise from the mass that caused the four teens to wrinkle their noses in discomfort.

Yugi peeked into the entrance way and sniffed the air.

"Well, I was definitely right about the wine cellar part," briskly commented the shorter teen as he craned his head towards the dimly lit opening. Yugi paused for a brief instant, took a deep breath, and launched himself down into the waiting aperture.

Jounouchi let out a dramatic "Yugi! Are you OKAY?" and quickly barreled into the opening with a slight 'oomph.' Anzu and Honda gave each other an amused look and both shrugged, following the flight of their two friends.

"…Girgliata Mista di Carni…well-mixed and grilled combination of lamb, chicken and scrumptious veal…Pollo Lattanzi, half chicken dabbed with fresh rosemary and a clover of garlic…"

"Ummm…repeat that again?"

The waiter, a boorish and dry looking man of about 40, appeared a bit miffed and straightened his collar with a slight flick of his finger. "Tortellonial Podomoro, homemade noodles filled with veal chicken in tomato sauce…"

"Hmmm…let me see that menu for a second," Yami grabbed the menu from the waiter, ignoring the small cry of disbelief with apathetic indifference. His eyebrows furrowed with concentration as he attempted to read the flowing script-like words inked onto the sheet.

With that, the former Pharaoh tentatively hovered a finger next to the words, "Carppaccio di Salmone" and jabbed at the name with hard-pressed finality. "This one. I want this one."

"The thin, fresh salmon with lemon and extra virgin olive oil?" the waiter offered, scribbling the phrase upon his beige agenda in readiness.

"Yes, the Car…salmon thing…that's the one," managed the crimson eyed teen, completely aware of how utterly ridiculous he must sound attempting to speak in Italian. Yami heard a faint cough to his side and frowned, knowing immediately that it was Kaiba, indirectly commenting on his less than polished attempt in speaking the foreign language.

And sure enough, there he was, sitting there like the refined depiction of lounging arrogance; smirk permanently merged within the angular curve of his face, and eyes gleaming with that ever-present flash of non-stopping amusement.

"That will be all for now, thank you very much," smiled Yami as he handed his menu to the waiter, brushing aside his golden bangs as a minor breeze infiltrated the area. The wild-haired teen than pointed a finger at the reclining figure in accusation. "And you. Don't even think of saying anything."

"Assumptions, assumptions, Yami. Jumping to conclusions is never a wise thing to do," quipped Seto as he scanned the menu.

"Hmm…an Insalata di Arucola with a light cover of vinegrette…along with a Ceciata with extra olive oil if I may ask." The CEO let out a cold smile. "And make it quick, cameriere." -2-

The brunette carried out the entire speech with flawless elocution; not a trace of awkwardness even slightly hinted within each individual word that left his lips.

Yami found it to be incredibly unfair.

"You know…" he began, settling his scarlet eyes upon the lithe figure of the man across from him, "…it wouldn't have hurt if you had offered to help with the food names, Kaiba."

Seto raised an eyebrow in polite surprise. "Now why would I have done that, Yami?"

"Well, let me think about that for a second…oh yes! So that I wouldn't have looked like some clueless idiot..! That's why!"

"But that would've ruined the fun…" slowly said Seto as he picked a few grapes from the extravagant fruit dish lying in the center of table. "I had preferred to see you struggle along instead. It's much more enjoyable that way." The brunette slipped a single grape into his mouth and smiled. "Hm…these are good. Here, have a grape, Yami."

The wild-haired teen scowled at the offer and waved it away. "I don't want a grape, Kaiba! Can't you see that we're in the middle of a very serious argument over here?"

"Argument? I had the feeling that we were getting along quite splendidly." Seto bit down upon another grape, effectively breaking the smooth exterior and into the succulent coolness of moist sweetness. "Yami, you really should try these grapes over here. You know what, hand me your plate right now and I'll give you some."

"I told you, I don't want any of your stupid grapes. You can keep them all to your self and eat the whole lot for all I care!"

Seto frowned. "I'm telling you, you're missing out on some good stuff over here."

Yami sent him a withering look. "It's quite alright; I think I might be able to survive. Besides, I know how much you dislike to share and everything."

The CEO furrowed his eyebrows in disagreement. "That is completely and entirely false. Where did you hear such an atrocious statement like that?"

The former Pharaoh tossed his hair back, multi-colored locks rustling slightly in the dimly lit glow of the light. "I didn't hear it from anyone. I naturally assumed from your actions in the limo, that's all."

"Assuming yet again, Yami. Didn't you hear what I told you from before about jumping to conclusions?" He leaned forward and dropped a few grapes onto Yami's dish. "There, I'm sharing with you right now."

The former Pharaoh blinked incredulously. "You expect me to change my opinion about you just because you decided to share a few meager grapes with me?" He looked at the grapes in minor distaste.

"Of course. And besides, I know how much you secretly want to put those round grapes into that mouth of yours."

Yami made a face. "You have no idea on how wrong that just sounded, Kaiba."

"What are you trying to imply, Yami?"

A faint blush appeared on his face and he fiddled around with the napkin that lay on his lap in slight embarrassment. "Gosh, I don't know what to do with you." The slender youth stared sullenly at the scattered grapes upon his plate and picked one up with the tips of his two fingers.

"Oh, just eat it. One couldn't possible hurt." And with that, Seto placed another grape within his mouth to emphasize his statement.

Yami waved it around in the air. "Promise me that if I do eat it, you'll stop it with the stupid grape talk."

The brunette sucked at his fingertip, which was delicately covered with a light coating of stained grape juice. He gave the spirit a charming smile. "Love, just put that goddamn grape into your mouth."

The former Pharaoh scowled and pushed the miniature fruit through his lips.

The moment his teeth broke through the protective surface of brilliant smoothness, a sweet and sudden tanginess burst through his mouth in rippling delight. The taste was cool, lingering, and abundant; vaguely reminding the spirit of emerald foliage and light peppermint leaves. It was brief and somewhat poignant, with its fresh taste of vermillion green.

"Oh wow, it does taste good…" Yami murmured, chewing slowly and than swallowing. He looked up and noticed that the billionaire had a peculiar expression upon his face. And as hard as he tried, the former Pharaoh just couldn't quite place his finger upon what it was…

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

Seto didn't reply, only getting up slightly from his chair and leaning forward. Yami blinked in surprise as the brunette gently took his chin between his two fingers, lithe digits firmly making contact with his skin. Then with his napkin, the CEO dabbed at the soft fragment of skin just underneath the curve of his parted lips.

He leaned back into his chair and folded the napkin back onto his lap.

"You had a bit of grape juice over there."

Oh.

Yami supposed he should've said thank you.

But…he didn't.

He just couldn't.

"Okay…ready you guys? On the count of three…"

They were SO not ready.

After the four of them had gracefully tumbled into the wine cellar, the quartet had spent about the next 15 minutes attempting to find their way out of the -now dubbed by them- "murderous hell hole." Honda, being the wonderful person he was, had closed the two trap doors, thus officially throwing the room into absolute darkness. With that, the four teenagers had completely freaked, dominating the cellar with hysterical screaming, crying, and total chaos. It was truly a miracle that they managed to find the exit, though not without damaging a few wine bottles in the process.

Yugi had opened the doorway slightly, peeking through the gap to make sure the coast was clear.

"Alright you guys. This is IT. This is the moment where we make our move."

Jounouchi looked up startled. "Move? What move? I thought we were all just gonna slip in quietly like a buncha customers or something!"

The shorter teen shook his head. "Ain't gonna work in here. A bunch of customers all the way wandering in this section of the restaurant? I don't think so." Yugi paused. "Nope, we're going to have to find another way."

"Another way? Another way? Is another way even possible?"

A scolding glare. "Of course Anzu! There is ALWAYS another way!"

Honda looked at Yugi in curiosity. "So what's your plan?"

The purple eyed teen smiled benignly. "It's simple. All we have to do is knock out four waiters, put on their uniforms, and play the part as an attendant!"

"WHAT?" screamed Jounouchi, Anzu and Honda in unison.

"Yugi…you have got to be kidding me…!"

"We can't do that!"

"Whoah…dude…that's just too risky!"

Yugi put a hand up into the air. "Hey, it's either this or we go back outside and drive back home you guys. Which I am absolutely sure that none of you people want to do, not after all that we've accomplished so far."

Total silence.

"…He's right ya' know?" said Jounouchi. He placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder. "We've all been through way too much to give up now. Come on! Let's all finish what we came here to do!"

"That's right!" professed Anzu. "All for one and one for all!"

"Yeah! We ain't no bunch of losers! We're all WINNERS!"

"Okay, Honda, I think we should stop now."

A sheepish grin. "Oh yeah. My bad."

The tri-color haired boy stole a quick peek through the small opening and let out an immediate squeal. "Oh, oh, oh! There's a group of waiters coming this way like right now!"

"Alright. Anzu and Honda, you guys go to the right over there and stay hidden behind those shelves. Jou and I'll hide behind this door and knock them out flat with this handy-dandy wooden plank I just so happened to find lying on the floor over here. You guys can use this," he tossed a wooden rod towards the two. Yugi jerked his thumb to the corner while he and Jounouchi sidled up besides the shadowy outline of the door.

The entrance opened, spilling out a sudden burst of light and cheerful laughter. Four shadowy figures made their way casually in, blissfully ignorant of the impending doom that was waiting for them.

"Eh! Satoshi-san! What was it that the guy wanted? A Cabernet Sauvignon? Or was it a Dom Perignon?

"You mean you don't know? God, this is just great…here, just take the both of them."

Yugi let out a whisper. "Okay…ready you guys? On the count of three…" He held up three fingers so that Anzu and Honda could see them.

"One…two…"

One of the waiters turned around.

"…THREE!"

There was a shifting of cloth.

"Hm! I do believe that that went quite well!"

The unconscious forms of four waiters all laid in a neat little pile on the floor, while another four figures stood over them in beaming triumph.

We totally rock.

"Yep, it sure did!" brightly commented Jonouchi as he straightened out his shirt. "I mean, sure we'll all be plagued with absolute guilt for the rest of our lives for knocking out a bunch of innocent bystanders—"

Yugi smiled serenely. "Hey, as they say. All's fair in love and war." He turned around in a circle and rolled up his sleeves once more.

"Okay, now this is truly IT. We're all gonna go out there and find out exactly what dining area both Yami and Kaiba-san are currently at!"

Despite the shorter boy's obvious enthusiasm, Anzu hesitantly frowned. "And when we do get there, what will we do?"

"We'll figure that out once we actually get there."

"My GOD Kaiba, how rude can you possibly get?"

There was a casual sip of wine. "In this case, extremely."

"And you're proud of it by any chance?"

There was an affirmative nod. "You better believe it."

Gahhh…

Yami made a vicious stab at his finely cooked salmon and proceeded to wave his fork around the air in obvious irritation. "He was only trying to pour me a glass of wine for heaven's sake! There was absolute no reason as to why you had to scare the living daylights out of him!"

Seto settled back once again within his chair. "I didn't scare the living daylights out of him Yami. I was merely attempting to intimidate the man."

The former Pharaoh rolled his eyes. "Which you did an absolutely splendid job on."

"I know," calmly replied the billionaire, not the slightest hint of humiliation within the tone of his voice, "besides, I didn't like the ignorant fool anyway."

Yami swallowed and stirred his piece of food in a small pool of lemon juice. "He was not an ignorant fool, thank you very much! In fact, the guy was a perfectly likeable young man! I don't understand how you couldn't have seen that…"

"Likeable? Please Yami, the man was practically flirting with you. You couldn't possibly expect me to just sit here and tolerate such a form of action."

The former Pharaoh frowned for the umpteenth time. "Flirting? Dear heavens, what makes you think that he was flirting with me at all?"

"Yami, stop playing the part of the clueless and naïve teenage girl. You know perfectly well that that man was downright honing for your affections."

"Honing for my affections? Well you certainly seem to know quite a lot," coolly remarked the wild-haired teen, velvet encased fingers tightening dramatically upon his silver fork in frustration. "…I seriously think that you're just being over paranoid."

Seto placed his wine glass upon the table with a firm click upon the table. "Paranoid? Do you want me to act out the entire scene to convince that overly trustworthy mind of yours over there?" To prove his point, the CEO promptly got off from his seat and circled the table with fluid readiness until he was right behind the spirit. And before Yami even realized what exactly was going on, the brunette had lightly placed his chin upon the small hollow area upon the curvature of his neck.

Another hand made its way disturbingly close to the base of his arm.

Yami froze at that exact moment.

Hot air slowly caressed the juncture in between his neck in languorous draughts, and he felt a low murmur of a voice delicately fondling his skin with a deep sense of rich huskiness. Lithe fingers ghosted his arm in deliberate strokes, blatant and almost obvious in its continuing descent upon the slender arm.

There was a whisper that moistened the fragment of skin beneath the murmuring lips of the billionaire.

"And more wine for you…dearest, if I may so humbly ask?"

Seto slowly pried the wine glass from Yami's fingers and poured a scant amount of liquid within the delicate cup of transparency and light.

He couldn't breathe, he couldn't breathe…he daren't breathe, not even once.

A drop of the red wine fell upon the former Pharaoh's neck in a feel of faint of wetness.

Seto slowly placed the cup upon the table. "And that my dear...was what I would call flirting."

And with the tip of his tongue, Seto flicked at the drop of red wine that stained the curve of Yami's neck.

The slender teen yelped and briskly turned around, immediately swatting the brunette's hand away. "Stop that!" He shoved the billionaire away, more outraged than embarrassed at the action.

Okay…maybe it was the other way around instead.

"Of all the things…the man did no such thing!" Yami muttered furiously, hand clutching at his scarf.

Seto smiled briefly before he made his towards his chair in refined coolness. "Perhaps not, but I dare say the man would've probably done the same exact thing if given the chance to."

"Oh, I get it now," interjected Yami. "You were jealous of him, weren't you?"

There was another sip. "You damn well better believe it."

The former Pharaoh nearly dropped his own glass of wine in total shock.

"Hey…I think I see them!"

"Oh yeah, can't mistake that mop of tri-colored hair! It's Yami alright."

"Oh my god! Is that chicken I smell over here?"

"Jou, calm down over there. The last thing that we need is for you to start drooling all over yourself."

"Okay…let's split like right now…here, let's all take a tray and pretend that we're serving something…"

"Yeah, sure. No problem."

"No."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I am not going."

"Of course you are. Now stop arguing with me and let's go."

"You don't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'no' don't you?"

"Yami. Come with me right now or I swear I'll carry you over there myself."

"Kaiba. I CAN'T DANCE."

"Don't be modest, Yami," chided Seto as he attempted to persuade the spirit. "I'm sure that you aren't that horrible."

"Oh, thanks a whole lot, Kaiba," replied the former Pharaoh as he resisted an effort to roll his eyes. He swatted at the hand that was currently encircling his slender wrist. "No, I refuse to go up there and make a fool of myself. I told you from before. I can't dance for my life."

"Well, in that case…" the CEO tugged even more insistently upon the tri-color haired teen. And with his greater strength, he soon triumphed in the end; successfully pulling the slender boy out of the chair and into his arms, "…I'll just have to teach you."

With that being said, Yami was dragged unwillingly up towards the spiraling steps, with Seto's arm wrapped around his shoulders in total resolve, guiding him towards the midnight air and twinkling brightness of the shining stars.

"Oh my freaking GOD, where are they going?"

"I think they're going up there to dance…"

"Yami…dance? I'm sorry but he can't dance even if his life depended upon it!"

"Honda!"

"Hey, it's true…"

There was a smile. "I agree. All the more reason to follow the two of them…!"

Water lilies skimmed the surface of the huge expanse of flowing liquid, lush foliage burgeoning forth in vivid strands of brilliant green and budding red. The murmuring of a distant waterfall punctured the air in light, soothing strokes; blending artfully with the drawn out flight of whispering music.

Couples either wandered toward the edges of the water in timid curiosity -slender fingers pointed in delight at the bending curves of soft petals- or danced gracefully away, rather like water itself with its sinuous weaves of remarkable fluidity.

…others were simply content in chatting quietly away, casting brief and beaming looks towards the illuminating glow of the overhead moon.

Seto and Yami were an acceptation in this case.

The wine must truly be getting to him by now. For Yami felt incredibly light-headed, if not downright woozy from the intoxicating substance. The melodious drift of the music seemed to move along his body in waves of spice and flavorsome zest, nudging his form closer to the light, midnight scent of golden cologne.

His head nodded forward while his arms wrapped itself instinctively around Seto's neck.

"Can't dance…" Yami mumbled in a slight slur. "Kaiba, you idiot…can't you see that I just can't dance?

"Don't say can't." Seto smirked lightly, moving his hand towards the soft hair at the base of the spirit's neck in slow, moving fondles. "Just…dance."

The former Pharaoh staggered clumsily forward, his attempt to copy the CEO's slow and subtle movements only served to increase his awareness on how utterly ridiculous he must look.

His chin made contact with the black expensive cloth of the billionaire's shoulder. "I don't wanna try…my feet are all out of step with the music and I feel like a baboon walking on wooden stilts…hey…" Yami raised his head and blinked blearily. "…don't you smirk at me, Kaiba…"

"…this isn't working…"

Seto lowered his face until his breath just barely grazed across the surface of Yami's face. "Feel the music, Yami. No, no, don't look at me. Close your eyes now and feel it…touch it, caress it…be inside it…" -3-

Yami unconsciously rested his head against the crook of Seto's shoulder and closed his eyes, golden bangs contrasting sharply with the midnight black in startling difference. He felt one of the brunette's hands slide to his hips, while the other buried itself within his many locks of multi-colored flare…moving him so that they danced like waves upon the ocean blue.

He tried to feel the music like Seto had said, tried to be inside the swelling waves of lingering notes…

"I'm the one leading…all you have to do is follow."

He felt a warm breath embrace the base of his neck.

"…feel the music…"

And so Yami lost himself, within the dizzying swirl of alcoholic delight and the pulsating throb of ardent warmth.

"Awww…look at the two of them!"

"…sniff…it's so sweet…"

"Man…Yami is so drunk over there…"

"Oh my god, I can't believe that he's actually dancing with Kaiba over there!" growled Jounouchi as he glared at the pair. He took a fumbling step towards the two of them. "That is it, I'm gonna go up there and march right up…!"

Yugi let out a small gasp. "No! Jou! Stop it—no, no!" He grabbed onto the blonde's shirt. "Jou, you idiot…NO!"

In their brief struggle, the two of them had stumbled forward, colliding against one of the dancing couples that stood perhaps a few feet away from both the billionaire and the former Pharaoh.

The lady and the gentleman let out a small squawk of surprise and staggered back a few steps, colliding effectively with yet another couple. The result was some sort of a domino effect, eventually leading to Seto and Yami as they wandered towards the edge of the water garden.

Blue eyes looked up temporarily, just as a screaming young woman crashed into him in a flight of waving arms and lacy frills.

Might it be said that it was an effective collision, a collision that caused both Yami and Seto to fall headfirst into the waters of the waiting lake.

To be continued...

1-: This was a line adapted from Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. Gorgeous book, I suggest all of you to go read it if you haven't.

2-: Cameriere means "waiter" in Italian. At least I think so. I don't speak Italian. I used to take French and am now learning Japanese, Italian ain't one of my languages.

3-: The "be inside the music" was taken from Janet Fitch's White Oleander. Another book which I recommend.

A/N: They argue about grapes, waiters, bipolar-ness, and flirt at the same time. I swear, give me a random subject and I will somehow make the two of them argue with each other about it.

It's fun.

And I had to cut this off once again. Supposedly, Seto and Yami were supposed to go somewhere...else, after their lil incident in water. But this chapter turned out to be way too long. Did not want to bombard your brain with too much horrible written shtuff, so I just stopped. And I got tired. You can clearly see that I my writing-juice just ran out towards the end with the dancing.

And yes indeed, Jou, Anzu, Honda and Yugi will always stalk our lil honey buddies to the end of time. :) They managed to ruin yet another lovey dovey scene!

Next Chapter: Our two bunnies hit it out in! –gasp- Seto's Mansion! Where they will argue some more, fool around, get to know each other and…BOND THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS OUT OF YOU PPLS! XDDDD Along with…(maybe Im not too sure…) umm, nahh, I won't tell you…Seto does get mad though. Really mad! XD (But its a cool type of angry ness!)

I don't care what my mind's telling me. I'm gonna start on a new fic. It's gonna be an AU with magic and adventure sort of shtuff.

I will now go to sleep.

Review please? Cheer me up with something to read? Give me feedback? I don't know what to bribe you guys with now. Can't really beat an everlasting supply of chocolate ice cream! O.o