"I'm glad you're having fun," Seto said into his phone as he watched Seth shimmy up a palm tree just outside their shack. He'd already gotten higher than Seto thought he would. "Yeah, things are going well here. Oh, yes, the resort is great. Maybe I'll take you to Hawaii some day for Christmas." He watched as Seth started to work at freeing something from the palm leaves at the top. "Okay, okay, maybe not Christmas, then. Some other time. You're being good for everyone?" A slight pause. "No, no, I don't need to talk to Yugi!" Seto said quickly. "He's not bringing his friends to the mansion, is he?" He groaned in frustration and covered his eyes with his hands. "Tell him that he's not allowed to bring girls over anymore. In fact, tell him he's not allowed to bring any friends over, period. Because I said so! My house, my rules, my—Holy shit!" Seto broke off with a curse as a large heavy coconut landed on the ground not two feet from him, startling him out of his skin.

"Sorry!" Seth called out with a grin, not looking apologetic at all.

"Shut up, Mokuba," Seto growled into his phone as his little brother laughed. What Seto didn't know was that his brother had their call on speakerphone. "It's not funny at all, Seth just—harpooned a baby dolphin, so, gotta go."

"I love you, Seto!" Mokuba called into the phone, wanting to say the words before Seto hung up.

"Love you too, kiddo." The answer was automatic, but nonetheless sincere. The moment after he hung up his phone, Seth landed on the ground with a heavy thud, just like his coconut. It knocked the air out of his lungs, and he spent several moments lying on his back as he caught his breath again. "You idiot! Why would you do that while I was on the phone?"

"I didn't realize you were scared of coconuts," Seth teased, making Seto glare at him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have startled you while you were on the phone."

"You shouldn't have," Seto affirmed, then stomped back inside to plug his phone back into the charger cord. Seth followed him with a frown, coconut in hand.

"I think we should stay here for another week."

Seto turned on him in surprise, also looking a bit angry, which surprised Seth. "Why should I agree to that?"

"Because you're not relaxed, and that's why you're here: to relax and sleep and recover. It's a matter of health, and I'm worried about you."

"Gee, I wonder why I'm not relaxed," Seto snapped hack, making Seth frown further. "Was that coconut really worth it?" he asked dubiously, changing the subject.

"It'll taste so much sweeter because I picked it myself," Seth said proudly, holding the coconut up in one hand. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, did you really have to scratch up the bottoms of your feet to get a coconut," Seto elaborated with annoyance as he plucked some paper towels from the roll on the kitchen counter and walked closer to Seth. "You're bleeding on the floor, you know." He dropped to his knees and started wiping up the red smudges on the hardwood floor. "Sit down before you bleed anywhere else."

"Such compassion," Seth sighed in mock awe. "You're a regular Mother Theresa, aren't you?"

"Congratulations on your cultural reference," Kaiba grumbled.

Seth plopped onto a stool by the kitchen island nonetheless and watched Seto clean his blood off the floor. After wiping up the first couple spots, he stood and went to the cabinet below the sink, returning to the floor with a general cleaning spray.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" he asked quietly. There was something in the efficient way that Seto cleaned which made him look experienced at it.

"Shut up."

"Gozaburo?"

"Orphanage."

They fell silent. No more needed to be said on the subject. Seto cleaned the floor in silence, and when he was done, he knelt on the floor before Seth and cleaned the bottoms of his feet with water and antiseptic, wrapping them in bandages to keep them from bleeding any more.

"Tell me you love me."

Seto looked up at Seth sharply, his expression wary. "Why?"

"Because you rarely ever say it to me."

"Why do you ask me this all of a sudden? What's gotten into you?"

"You tell Mokuba you love him quite often."

"He's my brother, and he's a child. He needs it." Seto stood, looking irritated. "You're astute enough that I don't need to coddle you constantly."

"You've only said it three times that I can even recall."

"You're counting? How petty," Kaiba scoffed, standing and walking towards the back porch once more. "How about these numbers: one Seth and one coconut makes for a lonely evening. Farewell."

"Where do you plan on going?" Seth called out as he stood, rushing onto the porch to grab Seto by the arm. "Why won't you say it?"

"Because the words are tired and meaningless!"

Seth staggered from the verbal blow. "So you think it's meaningless when I say that I love you?"

"That's not what I meant," Seto replied stiffly.

"Then what did you mean?"

"Words don't mean much of anything. They have no tangible impact."

"I see—"

"I'm not done!" It was Seto's turn to grab Seth and keep him from turning away. "Actions speak much louder than words. Like that." He pointed to Seth's feet. "What I do is far more important than what I say, and it should be abundantly clear to you by now that I can't help but love you."