AN: Second chapter, whee! This story is going to be updated very sporadically, as I'm literally just making shit up as I go. I have no plan, nor schedule. Just fair warning. Thanks to those of you who have left kind reviews so far! To those who haven't…well, at least the volcano part was original? (That said, any more unnecessarily rude reviews from this point on might be deleted. Haven't decided if I care enough yet. I can accept constructive criticism, but things like "you're disgusting" and "jump in a volcano" well, there's nothing really constructive about it.)

Saturday couldn't come soon enough for either of them. The week seemed to drag on, time going slower and slower the closer it got to the weekend. For Seto, it just seemed like more and more work piled up on his desk, though getting sucked into hours of paperwork hardly helped the time fly by. As for Malik, designing motorcycles had never been a quick or easy task, and even more so now that he had something to look forward to at the end of the week. Understandably, both men breathed a sigh of relief come the end of their shifts Friday night. Nothing stood between them now except one night of uneasy sleep.

Malik found himself getting up in the bright and early hours of the day –mostly because he hadn't been able to stay asleep the whole night. Who could sleep when they were going to meet someone like Kaiba the next day? Despite his lack of sleep he didn't feel too bad; nothing a shower and a strong cup of coffee couldn't fix.

Lifting his arms over his head, he groaned as his muscles stretched. He grabbed a bathrobe and headed to the bathroom, taking a nice, long shower with a lot of hot water. His date with Kaiba wasn't until this afternoon, so that gave him plenty of time to relax until then. Even though he could use a couple of hours to himself after such a stressful week, he still found himself wishing he could just fast forward through the day. He couldn't take so much anticipation.

Done with his shower, Malik wrapped himself up tight in his robe. He quickly blow dried his hair, sprayed a fine mist of coconut oil on it to make it nice and soft, and left the room, pausing when he heard odd noises from the living room. He sighed, knowing what it was and wishing he wasn't so used to finding Ryou pulling all-nighters to play video games. Ryou was his best friend, had been since high school, and after graduation they had decided to be housemates. He loved Ryou, he really did, but he was tired of the other's teenage-like behavior.

Leaving him to his games, Malik went to the kitchen, digging up a light breakfast of mixed fruit and a protein shake. He was content to eat in silence, but apparently Ryou had other plans. The other man shuffled in, long white hair tied up out of his face, wearing an odd sort of adult onesie. Ryou had mentioned the technical name before, kigu-something or other. Malik hadn't bothered to remember. Whatever it was, it was styled to look like a red panda, and in Malik's opinion, was completely and utterly ridiculous.

He waited for Ryou to say something to him, but he just shuffled over to the fridge and retrieved an energy drink. After cracking it open and taking a long chug he set it back in the fridge, turning around to leave again. Malik raised an eyebrow, clearing his throat.

Ryou jumped, turning to face him. "Oh, Malik! I didn't know you were awake."

"I didn't expect you to be, either."

Ryou flushed guiltily. He had dark bags under his eyes. "Well, I wasn't planning on staying up this late, but this boss is a lot harder to beat than I thought she was, and you know I can't sleep when I leave something unfinished like that."

Malik hummed, not understanding his friend's obsession with video games, but not making fun of him for it. "Yeah, well… You're just lucky you work a night shift. You'd be a zombie at work if you had a normal job."

Ryou chuckled softly, grabbing a pack of Pop-Tarts and moving to sit at the table with Malik. "I know. I'm too much of a night owl to have a 'normal' job like you."

"And that's why you're a shelf stocker."

Ryou pouted and gave him a slap, but Malik just laughed. After settling down, he looked at Ryou seriously. "Speaking of though, what time does your shift start?"

Ryou thought for a moment. "Four. I get off at twelve. Why?"

"I'm going to need you to be out of here by at least three. I'm meeting someone at two and we might…come back here afterwards." He left it purposely vague, knowing Ryou would understand his meaning.

He did, and he showed he did by raising an eyebrow. "Is it that guy you've been obsessing over for the last year?"

Malik was appalled at the suggestion. "I am not obsessed with him. And it hasn't been a full year yet, either."

Ryou just shrugged. To him, those details were meaningless. "But is it? That guy you've been Skyping with?"

Malik averted his eyes, a slight pink tone coming to his cheeks. Ryou, being his best friend, was the only one who knew about his and Kaiba's odd relationship. The poor guy had accidentally over heard one of their more intense calls and, after a very awkward chat about it, he'd become Malik's sole confidant. He knew everything, from the nature of their relationship to just how intense their calls had gotten over time. The only thing he didn't know was Kaiba's full name. In an attempt to protect Kaiba's identity, Malik had taken to calling him "Mr. K" around Ryou, claiming it was his screen name. It seemed appropriate to let that one lie slide.

"…Yes," Malik finally admitted. He turned to catch Ryou's reaction, finding him in an odd frown of concern. He raised his own eyebrow, urging Ryou to share his thoughts.

"I, uhm…" Ryou started, pausing to think of the best way to voice his concerns. "I know you like this guy and you two have been talking for a while but… I don't know… How do you know he's trustworthy?"

Malik almost laughed again, but he kept silent for Ryou's sake. "Because I know him."

"Yeah, but you don't know him know him. He could be anyone."

'Uh, no, he can't. There's only one Seto Kaiba.' Malik rolled his eyes. "Well, the same goes for your own internet buddies."

"That's different!" Ryou quickly defended his gaming companions. "I just play video games with them. I don't plan on meeting them in real life, and I sure as hell don't plan on having sex with them."

Malik scoffed. "I hate that you have a point. But, trust me, I know Mr. K is trustworthy."

"But how do you know? I'm not trying to sound old or anything but… Malik, there are a lot of weirdos out there."

"I know." Malik sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Boy do I know. But I know Mr. K won't hurt me, okay? Unless I want to be hurt," he added, wiggling his brows comically to lighten the mood. Ryou wasn't impressed. He just frowned and made a skeptical, noncommittal noise.

"Ryou, I promise." Malik waved off his concern. "He's in the media a lot, remember? He wouldn't risk his reputation to hurt me."

"And his status?"

"We're both STI free, if that's what you mean." Ryou nodded slowly. "Ryou, we made sure to discuss all of this after we decided to meet up. We're being safe, we're meeting in public, we'll go over all our boundaries again before we start anything physical. Just…trust me, okay? I know what I'm doing." He placed his hand over Ryou's, giving it a squeeze. "And I've got you and Rishid on speed dial if something does happen anyway. I am prepared out my ass for any possible outcome."

Ryou snorted a laugh at that, hiding it behind his hand. "Alright, I trust you. I just worry a lot."

"Yeah, about everything but your sleeping patterns." He ruffled his friend's hair playfully despite his protests, finally returning to his breakfast after all that. Seeing his chance, he changed the subject. "Seriously, though, try to get at least a little sleep today, okay? I worry about you, too. Staying up all night chugging energy drinks isn't healthy."

"I know, and I will." Ryou picked up his Pop-Tarts again, breaking off a chunk and popping it in his mouth. "I beat the boss, so I'm just going to travel back to the market place to restock on health potions and arrows, and then I'll go to bed. Maybe fifteen minutes at the most."

Malik nodded, satisfied with this answer. "Just remember to be out of here by three, just in case, kay?" Ryou agreed with a nod, his mouth full of toaster pastry.

After that, they continued talking until their respective meals were finished. Ryou cleaned up his crumbs and returned to his game while Malik quickly did all his dishes. When he was done it was only half past ten, and he let out a disgruntled noise when he checked the clock. He wished it would hurry up and be two already.

It was nearing one in the afternoon as Seto finished tying his tie, looking over his reflection with a critical eye. He wore a navy blue blazer with shawl style lapels, open for a more casual look. Under that was a lighter button up, his tie matching the jacket's color. His slacks, also matching the blazer, were tailored for a more fitted look, perfect for show casing his long legs. He enjoyed this style, felt that it suited his profession and his personality.

He only hoped Malik enjoyed it as well.

The thought of meeting Malik in a little less than an hour brought that half smirk to his face again, though it was more shaky than how he would have liked. There was no question in his mind that, yes, he had made the right choice in agreeing to this date. He just… He was nervous. Realizing how nervous he actually was made his smirk fall. He hated that. Nothing made him nervous. He was Seto Kaiba. He knelt for no man! …Well, except maybe under special circumstances.

That thought made his smirk return. He couldn't wait to see what this date had in store for the two of them.

"Hey Seto!"

A familiar voice broke his train of thought, and he looked over his shoulder at his little brother. Before he could even get his own greeting out, Mokuba cut him off.

"Whoa, what's with the fancy get up? I thought you had the day off?"

Seto hummed, adjusting his cuffs. "I do. However, I have a date at two."

This was news to Mokuba, and his brows shot up into his black bangs. "What?" He stretched the sound of the 'a'. "This is news to me! Where you taking her?"

"Him," Seto easily corrected. Among the very few secrets he kept from his brother, his sexuality was not one of them. Mokuba was supportive, of course; he just never knew which gender his brother would be going for next, so women were his default. "And I'm meeting him at a coffee shop. This is our first date, so I wanted it to be very casual."

"You're not dressed casually."

Seto looked confused at that and gestured down his front. "My blazer is open."

Mokuba laughed and stepped closer to him, hands going into his pockets. "Alright, let me ask you this; what is this guy like?"

Seto raised an eyebrow, wondering where this was all leading to. He decided to indulge his brother. "He seems very self-assured. Has a bit of a foul mouth, but nothing I haven't heard from you." Mokuba shrugged innocently at Seto's soft glare. "He's also a bit stubborn about having things his own way that don't even matter, like the shade of blue I use to describe my shirt. He's very…persuasive, though." He smirked to himself at the thought of how persuasive Malik was. "He likes rock and roll and jazz, works at a bike shop of all things, can't cook worth a damn… But, overall, very charming."

Mokuba laughed again, looking amused. "Doesn't sound like your type at all."

"He is, more than you think."

"Uh-huh." Mokuba shook his head. "A foul mouth mechanic who likes rock? No way."

"I don't have to listen to your sass." He moved to leave the room, but Mokuba blocked his path. Standing right in front of his little brother was a painful reminder of how much the kid had grown the past couple of years; they were almost eye-to-eye. "Can I help you?" he asked, sounding tired. He didn't have time for Mokuba's games.

"You're seriously going to wear that to meet a foul mouth mecha-"

"We've established he's a foul mouth mechanic who likes rock, Mokuba and yes, I do intend to wear this to my date. That is, if you ever let me pass."

"You're going to scare him off if you go looking like you've got a business proposition for him. Come on, just humor me."

Seto pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've been humoring you for eighteen years."

Mokuba faked a laugh, turning his brother around and sitting him down on the bed. "The blazer's fine, but everything else has to go."

"Who made you the fashion police?"

"Serenity, technically." Seto scowled at that answer, but remained seated while Mokuba rummaged through his drawers and closet. He barely paid attention to anything his brother pulled out, choosing instead to watch the clock and grumble to himself that Mokuba was going to make him late. After about five minutes, Mokuba threw a plain white t-shirt- why did he even own this?- and a pair of black jeans at him.

"Put those on. You won't look like a scary business man, then."

Seto studied the clothes before looking up at Mokuba. "I am a scary business man, though."

Mokuba shrugged, and Seto sighed and stepped into his en suite to change. He grumbled the entire time, even as he opened the door and returned to his place in front of the mirror. "I look like a hipster."

"See? You'll be right at home in a stuffy old coffee shop."

"Ha-ha." Seto rolled his eyes and checked his watch. "As much as I want to change out of this, you've put me behind schedule. If I don't leave now, I'm going to be late." He motioned to the door, and Mokuba followed his hand, lingering in the hall as Seto followed him out and locked the door.

"Call me if you need anything. You know where to get proper food, finish your homework and get to bed on time," he rattled off easily, having memorized the order several years ago. "I'll be back whenever I'll be back."

"Alright, but when should I notify the police of your disappearance?"

"If I don't come home or call you by…let's say five. If I plan to be out later than that, I'll either call or return before breakfast."

Mokuba didn't look too happy with this, but he nodded and gave his brother a half hug. "I'll see you whenever, then. Have fun with the foul mouth mechanic."

Seto chuckled and returned the small embrace. "I will."