Lethe Notes: It's short! It's so freaking short! I take so long and then all I come out with is this! What am I coming to? Have I used up all of my inspiration in my youth? And how is this going to convince anyone to actually read the chapter? I'm a failure. At life. I'm so sorry…!

...So, how are you all?

I'm afraid to do the Five Replies. XD I feel like some ffnet admin will come up behind me, grab me by the neck, and hold a gun up to my head.

"Put your hands in the air! Do not touch that keyboard!"

So I'll give you a generic, heartfelt thank you! I love each and every one of you for being so super-awesome.

Appeal

Eight: Ferdinand! Magellan! Ferdinand!...

"Marco."

"This is stupid."

"Marco."

"Stupid."

"Freaking hell, Kaiba!" Jou shot, eyes scrunched shut. "Polo! Polo! Just say it!"

Mokuba giggled.

Without warning, Jou lunged forward. Kaiba dodged easily to one side, and Jou came up spluttering.

Jou growled. "Stay in one place, why don't you?"

"I thought that wasn't the point of the game," said Kaiba.

"Well, it's not," said Jou. "But it would make things easier."

"Over here, Jou!" taunted Mokuba brightly.

"Marco."

"Polo."

"Marco."

"Polo."

Jou waded forward like a bad dancer, waving his arms wildly in front of him. "Marco!"

Mokuba swam up behind him. "Pohhhh-lo."

"Aha!" cried Jou. Mokuba tried to evade him, but Jou's arms were too long. "Gotcha."

"Let's play something else," said Kaiba.

"Aw, is Kaiba-boy bored?" teased Jou. "Not kindling in your cranium?"

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not exactly sure, but it sounds good," said Jou.

"Mutt."

"Windbag."

"All right, let's race!" Mokuba decided. "Or we could play volleyball."

Jou looked at Kaiba.

Kaiba looked at Jou.

Lightning sparked between them.

"…A race it is, then."

"All right, I'll count you off! You've just gotta get to the end of the pool and back!" announced Mokuba, who had taken to sitting at the side of the pool. "Are we ready?"

"This pool is huge," grumbled Jou.

"Suck it up," said Kaiba.

"How much do you wanna bet that I'll beat you?"

"That would be a losing bet, pup."

"On three!"

They readied themselves. Jou stole a glance over at Kaiba. He looked like a mermaid, he was so pale. Or, well, a merperson.

"One!"

He kind of knew already that he was going to lose, but he wanted to try his best.

"Two!"

Because wouldn't it be cool if he actually did beat Kaiba? The man would never live it down.

"Three! Go!"

And they were off.

Holy-! I'm ahead! Jou realized, exhilarated. He was a dolphin, creating a trail through the water. He was a fish! An Olympic swimmer! I'm doing it! I'm doing it! He looked back with a smirk.

And that was when Kaiba surged forward.

Damn it.

Jou wheezed, struggling to raise himself out of the pool. "Ugh…"

The corner of Kaiba's mouth twitched. He climbed out with minimal effort. Even when he was winded, he knew that he didn't look it. "Here." He braced his feet against the floor and held a hand out to Jou.

Jou glared at him and grabbed his arm, clambering up. "I could have pulled you down," he huffed.

"You're too tired."

"Damn straight." Jou sighed, rubbing his neck.

"That was close, you guys!" Mokuba ran up. "That was really close! I thought Jou was going to win for a moment there, but then-"

"You never look back," said Kaiba sternly.

Jou groaned. "Yeah, I know. But, see, I didn't think that I'd be able to actually pass you. I was making sure you weren't dead."

Mokuba laughed. "So you should get bonus points for a kind heart!"

"Yeah, right. You were gloating."

"Well, that too."

"So should we hit the showers?" said Mokuba.

"I dunno," said Jou. "I've kinda been having fun."

"Well, if you want to, we can come back after lunch," said Kaiba.

Jou stared at him. "Lunch!"

"Yes, lunch." Kaiba chuckled. "Let's go."

Mokuba frowned. "I'm gonna go and shower in my room. I don't like the shampoo down here."

"All right. Don't get the carpet too wet."

As always, Seto had to silently thank Mokuba. The child was a budding genius – and, thankfully, not nearly as rebellious as Kaiba himself had been at that age. This would, with any luck, work out quite nicely.

"Follow me, Jou," said Kaiba, snapping his fingers.

Jou grumbled.

But he followed.

All right, Seto Kaiba. This is your chance. Take it slowly. He took a deep breath and entered the shower room – spacious, with sunlight filtering through cloudy glass windows and reflecting from smooth teal tiles into the wide, doorless stalls. "Here we are."

"Wow," breathed Jou. "You people are crazy, you know that?"

Kaiba flashed Jou a smile and took a towel from a rack on the wall. "But in the best way."

He heard Jou turning on the water a moment before he did the same. Slow. Careful. Jou had chosen the stall directly opposite his.

Neither of them had removed their swimsuits, of course - thankfully.

This would still be difficult, though.

For your company, Seto. Do it for KaibaCorp.

He turned and walked to Jou.

The showers brought out the awkwardness, Jou decided, that had been latent within the pool – held at bay only by the presence of Mokuba, who demanded so much love and attention that you couldn't think about anything else anyway.

But he was definitely in a room with a half-naked Seto Kaiba right now.

All alone.

In a room.

With a half-naked – although it really didn't matter, it was just a bit weird, because everyone knew Kaiba wasn't human – Seto-

"Jou?"

A breath across the steaming drops of water running down his neck. Jou stiffened. He hadn't noticed Kaiba coming.

The very half-naked and somewhat more vulnerable Seto Kaiba.

"Alive in there? Are you melting after all?" An obscure reference – what was it? Wizard of Something-or-Other.

"If anyone would melt, it'd be you," muttered Jou. He didn't turn around. "What is it?"

"I'm beginning to think that we should have divided the board into five," said Kaiba.

Jou almost burst into laughter. Figured that he would be so on task.

Even in the shower.

"It's fine the way it is, Kaiba. Don't worry about it."

"I don't worry," Kaiba snapped good-naturedly. "Now move over, I'm getting cold."

"Go back to your own shower!"

"You're skinny enough. Move over."

"I said, go back to your own shower." Jou tossed a puff of foam at him.

"We should talk about the project." Kaiba scooped foam off of Jou's hair and threw it back in turn. Jou spluttered.

"You – don't – that's not fair! Get your own!"

"Fine. Move over."

Jou huffed and thrust the little bottle of shampoo at Kaiba.

"Much obliged," quipped Kaiba.

"Screw you."

Kaiba doused his head with shampoo and started scrubbing.

Jou stared.

"What the hell, Kaiba!"

"What now?" grunted Kaiba, eyes scrunched shut.

"It's a good thing you're rich, because you really suck with shampoo!"

"And just what," Kaiba said, "is that supposed to mean? It works, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but you use way the hell too much," said Jou. "You're not supposed to use half a bottle in a day."

Kaiba smirked. "My hair still looks better, though."

"But that's because you're you!"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"You're Seto Kaiba! That makes you naturally h-" Jou's voice caught in his throat. He shoved Kaiba over and rubbed his own head vigorously. Wasn't gonna say hot. Wasn't gonna say hot. Wasn't gonna-

"Naturally what, now?"

"Ho. Hole. Asshole," grumbled Jou.

"I'm sure," said Kaiba. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't shove me in the future. I may have an exceptional sense of balance-"

Jou harrumphed.

"-but shove me again on slippery tiles, and chances are I will fall over."

Actually, that could have been dangerous.

Jou moved back to one side of the stall. "Sorry, man. Didn't think."

"Of course not."

And Jou would have walloped him one for that, but you know what? For once, he couldn't tell by the tone of voice if Kaiba was being rude or not.

So he left it alone.

Besides, he wouldn't want to knock Kaiba over.

The very half-naked and somewhat vulnerable Kaiba.

In the shower.

Shit.

And so, Kaiba's little brainchild took another baby step.