"I've wanted to kill myself before." Seto said quietly. He immediately felt Atem's eyes on him. "I told you about it once before, actually. Not directly, but you were there."

"I don't recall," Atem answered dismissively.

"It doesn't matter. Just know that you're not the only one in the world who's ever suffered." Atem stared silently at his feet a long time before speaking.

"What happened?"

"I doubt you really care so why should I elaborate?" Atem shot the man a look of sheer annoyance. "What? You're the only one who gets to be an ass about your indifference to everything? Seems a little unfairly selfish if you ask me."

"But I didn't ask you. You obviously came out here to lecture me some more, so I decided to go along with it to avoid another argument."

"I see you've really got this down to a science these days. You have been sounding a lot like me lately. And as egotistical as I may present myself, don't mistake that for a compliment. My personality doesn't suit you."

"Just get on with it."

"There's not that much to tell. My stepfather worked me too hard. Back then, too much work running on too little sleep and nourishment was enough to drive me into a deep depression." He scowled. "…Now it's nothing more than habit," he added quietly.

"How did you come out of it?"

"Mokuba pulled me through. I couldn't leave the kid behind. His presence forced me to be strong for him." Atem rolled his eyes at the answer.

"You can pretend you don't care about anything but dying all you want. But I've known you long enough to understand full well that isn't entirely true. I've seen the way you fight for your friends. You've held such conviction; it's impressive, really. It used to remind me of myself. I'd do anything for my little brother. I want him to have everything in life. But I knew how much he looked up to me, and I was all he had. So how could he have everything if I took away everything with my life? I wasn't so foolish to believe my actions didn't affect him, no matter how much I might've wanted it to be that way. I suppose all I'm saying is that I know what it feels like to be where you are, feeling like there's no point in tomorrow… or even now. It is difficult. But once you get through it - and I know this is corny - you remember what it feels like to have hope." Atem looked at the brunet, but couldn't help himself from laughing.

"You're right, that does sound corny."

"Shut it," Seto snapped, but found himself gently laughing along. "Now I'm the one who's starting to sound like you. Or how you used to talk, anyway."

"How old were you?" Atem asked, his seriousness returned.

"Mm. I was young. Thirteen, I think."

"So that's all. And you're just over it?"

Seto sighed. "No. I'm not. It has been a battle. There have been a few times, even since you've known me, that I've come close to going back to that... sensation."

"Really?"

Seto nodded. "Yes. For all I know, it may come upon me in the future as well. But if I know one thing for certain, it's that I will never give in to that urge, so long as I still have my brother to support me."

"And he really gets you that far?"

"You, of all people, can't tell me you don't know what that feels like."

"…I can remember feeling that way. Before my friends brought me back here."

"Would you ever want that back? If you thought you could have it, that is."

Atem was silent a long time before he answered.

"I think so," he whispered. "This doesn't feel good."

"Of course not."

"I suppose, if there was another way… to make this stop…" Now Seto was silent.

He slipped his cell phone out of his pocket and checked the time.

"I'm going in to start dinner."

The change of subjects seemed to be jarring for Atem, who could respond in no way other than to nod and clamber to his feet as his host stood. He silently followed Seto back into the cabin.

"Can I help?" Atem asked once the two men reached the kitchen.

"If you please, but I wasn't asking you to."

"I'm not expecting you to wait on me while I'm here. If you're going to prepare a meal, I ought to assist."

"Who said I was making any for you?" Seto smirked at Atem and handed him a sauté pan. "Add two tablespoons of olive oil to this and set it to heat on the range. Don't let the oil begin to smoke." Atem nodded and set to work, and Seto treaded up the stairs to retrieve the block of kitchen knives from his bedroom safe. When he returned he set the block back in its proper place and began rummaging through the refrigerator.

Atem eyed the returned items, but looked away once Seto pulled his head out of his large appliance. "So that's where you'd been keeping them." Atem noted, with his eyes glued to the pan in front of himself, as though he had commented on the weather.

"Don't get any ideas. You won't be able to get to them just because you know they've been in my bedroom."

"I was just surprised they were here at all," Atem commented defensively. "I assumed you'd had an employee stop by sometime during the early morning and take everything away."

"I'd thought about it. But it's a little difficult to get delivery this far into the mountains, and we do still have to eat this weekend. Difficult to do that without proper cookware." He opened a package of vegetables and set to washing the contents off in the sink.

"I'm not one for delivery anyway."

"Neither am I. For tonight, I've decided on sushi and vegetables. Does that suit you?" Atem nodded. "I admit I don't know much of Egyptian cuisine."

Atem sighed coldly. "Honestly Kaiba, neither do I. I don't remember much of that culture anymore."

"I'm guessing you've had plenty of time to grow accustomed to Asian cuisine then." Atem nodded again. Seto turned to the island juggling the colander of vegetables and a knife as he slid a built-in cutting board out of the island cabinetry.

"You look like you've got your hands full, Kaiba. How else can I help?" The CEO began slicing the vegetables, carefully, as he eyed the package of fish sitting covered on the counter near him.

"Do you know how to prepare sushi?" Atem shook his head. Seto sighed and looked around for another job he could give the man to help with the meal, but found none. "The oil is heated in the pan?" Atem confirmed the pot held a steady rolling boil. Seto turned back to the knife block and pulled out the smallest blade still suitable for his current job. He held it tightly in one hand and eyed the other man. "Can I trust you with this for five minutes? I'd like to have you slice the vegetables so I can prepare the fish."

"I can handle it, Kaiba." Atem managed to answered without appearing too eager, so Seto held the blade out to the man.

"I've got my eye on you." he warned. "Ever when you might think I don't." Atem chuckled quietly as he set to work. The two men prepared their meal quietly for the next several minutes.

"Kaiba?" Atem questioned as he poured the vegetables into the boiling water. "I've been growing curious. Why are you so concerned about me?" Seto was a long time in answering, yet despite taking his sweet time, he still found he had little to say. He doubted he understood the answer himself.

"I'm not certain how to answer that." When Atem did nothing but continue to watch the brunet, he elaborated as best he could. "I suppose… that there's just something about seeing you this way that really pisses me off."

Atem appeared surprised by this. "You haven't come off as angry on very many occasions this weekend."

"Then I'll take that as a sign that I'm getting more efficient at concealing my reactions. It's an important asset in my field of work," Seto dodged the discussion, and Atem decided to let it go. Both men heard a faint electronic beeping from the direction of the sitting room.

"Damn your timing, Mokuba," Seto cursed quietly. He paused in preparing the sushi and turned to Atem. "That's my brother calling in for a video chat, and I intend to answer it. Behave yourself for eight seconds." He stalked out of the room quickly enough that he missed the grin forming on his rival's face.

"Sorry to bother you, Seto." Mokuba said when Seto answered the call. "But some of the kids had to go home early and I wanted to keep you updated."

"Why? Did a problem arise?"

"Nope. No one's hurt or sick or anything like that. All the kids that are leaving share a class the rest of us don't have, and I guess there's some project due on Monday or whatever. Anyway, Isono said I should let you know."

"Over video chat?"

"I tried to call your phone but you didn't answer." Seto pulled the phone from his pocket and noted that he must've slipped it into silent mode at some point. An icon on the top of the screen showed two missed calls from the boy.

"Whatever. Was that all? I'm in the middle of preparing dinner."

"Yep. I'll let you get back to that."

"Enjoy the rest of your evening, little brother, and I'll see you in the morning."

"See you tomorrow, bro!" Seto clicked off the display and rushed back to the kitchen to see Atem still obediently slicing the vegetables, just where the executive had left him. Upon seeing this, a sensation washed over Seto that he wasn't fully able to put a name to. He'd felt similarly in the moment he first realized the figure walking alongside his limousine wasn't actually Yugi Motou, but the ancient pharaoh. Even without putting a specific name to the feeling, Seto was beginning to piece together just why he was getting so wrapped up in all of this.

He brushed his thoughts aside and returned to his post. Before very long, the two men had prepared a full dinner, and sat down to eat it together. Seto served another helping of the fine wine he had in house, and after some time the smaller of the two could feel the liquid bubbling into his head.

"I have to ask, Kaiba," he slurred ever so slightly before finishing the last sip of his second glass of wine. "It really seems like you are trying to get me drunk this time."

Seto watched on with amusement lighting his eyes. "I fail to see a question in that."

"Are you?" He set his glass down a little less gently than he'd intended.

"Perhaps. Your intoxication is amusing. It would seem you can't hold your wine very well."

Atem put a hand to his head to steady his dizziness. "No… It would seem not." He chuckled. "For what reason would you wish this unsteadiness on me, old friend?"

"Because I would love to watch you fall on your ass," Seto stated boldly, but Atem just laughed more. "Here, have a refill."

"Are you under the impression you'll get me to talk easier if you loosen my tongue with this?" Atem raised his glass in question.

Seto shook his head. "Wine doesn't keep as long once you open the bottle, and I probably won't be back here again soon enough to finish it. At three hundred dollars a bottle, someone might as well enjoy it. Since you're already tipsy, what's a little more?" Seto topped off his own glass and sipped slowly.

Some time slipped by and Atem furrowed his brow. "What did Yugi wish to speak with you about?"

Seto waved. "Nothing of much importance. He merely wanted to find out how well I'm managing to babysit you."

Atem grimaced, his mood suddenly soured.

"I'm not at all shocked," Seto said, "that you don't want to accept any kind of interference from me. But I am a little surprised you're fighting help from your own friends so adamantly."

"It would be best if Yugi allowed himself to let me go. I wish he wouldn't concern himself this way. …He doesn't need me anymore."

"It didn't seem that way at my last tournament," Seto said.

"Your last…? The Grand Prix? What has that to do with anything?"

"Grand Prix? No. Didn't Yugi ever tell you what happened last year at KaibaLand?"

"I don't know what you're referring to."

"So he didn't tell you everything." Atem shook his head but his eyes were locked onto the CEO's face, waiting for an explanation.

"Never mind. It isn't my story to tell." Seto continued to look away, but he could tell he'd piqued the former pharaoh's interest.

"You're saying there's something Yugi hasn't told me? I can't think of a reason why he would do that. He has always come to me with everything. Kaiba, if there is something that you know about my friend, you must tell me."

"Since when do you care about anything but yourself?" Seto challenged.

"I care a great deal about my friends, Kaiba. Yugi especially; he is very dear to me. But that does not make me feel obligated to be tied to this place." Parting again is a bittersweet sorrow I would be willing to embrace, Atem thought coldly. He doubted his host would be anything less than annoyed at his dramatic way of words, and said nothing more but stared evenly at the man, waiting for an answer.

The CEO sighed. "Fine. About a year ago, Mokuba and I were back in Domino on business, since we'd taken off to America straight from Egypt, after your duel with Yugi."

"Alright?" Atem urged.

"While I was there, my brother roped me into throwing a local tournament. While I did not participate personally, your friends did show as expected, and Yugi was in the leading position.

"I can't say I find myself surprised," Atem almost smiled.

"Then," Seto went on, "in the middle of it, some punks showed up and took the tournament in a different direction."

Atem's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean? What happened?"

"Essentially, Yugi was forced to duel for his own safety, and that of everyone else involved. Spoken in the words of your little fan club, there wasn't 'magic' incorporated. But there was certainly a force of persuasion. I understand that situation is something he's had a few prior experiences with, but I have to say, I was surprised he made it through that time. The kid damn near buckled under the pressure."

"No…" Atem struggled with the imagery. "Yugi's strong. He's been through worse."

"Not as strong as you think, it would seem. He's got some sort of confidence; perhaps it's a little too easy to overestimate people like that."

Atem stared silently at his empty plate.

"The purpose," Atem started after a few minutes of silent contemplation, "for Yugi and I to have been drawn together through our puzzle was to learn from one another. From him, I was to learn compassion. From me, he was to learn strength. The fact that he was able to defeat me in our duel was supposed to mean that he was ready to go on without my guidance."

"I didn't say the kid isn't strong. Just not so much as when you're fighting his battles, apparently," Seto said dismissively. He waved the discussion away. "Sorry to bring it up. Something you said earlier reminded me. I'd just assumed you already knew."

Atem closed his eyes. The fogginess that had been forming in his mind was clouding his thoughts. The Egyptian could tell he wasn't properly absorbing the entirety of the conversation, and that unsettled him. He said nothing on this, however, but stood from his seat and carried away his dishes and placed them into the sink behind him.

"I would like to say I have a response, but I find I am unable to fully process this in my current state. You'll have to forgive me."

"It really wasn't a big deal. Forget I said anything. Yugi probably didn't mention it because it didn't matter."

Atem shook his head, putting a hand to his forehead. "I think I'll retire for the evening," he said suddenly. "And I do believe I'll have water at tomorrow's evening meal," he added quietly.

"Whatever suits you," Seto mumbled with disinterest. Atem walked away, not without stumbling slightly, up to his temporary bedroom without another word to his host.

A/N: The scene in the beginning of this refers to a flashback in one of the episodes in which Seto is dueling his step-brother Noa, who's using poor little brainwashed Mokuba as a meat shield. I don't recall the exact episode, but I'm guessing you all know which one I'm talking about. Yeah, with the crayon-drawn Blue Eyes card that just about makes a person's heart melt…

Anyhow, as always I must offer my unending appreciation for the support I'm receiving from everyone out there, reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. There wouldn't be much of a reason for me to keep writing without an audience.

There's a reference to a bit in this chapter that's probably not well understood right now. That will pass. Perhaps not in the next update. Bear with me, please.

I hadn't meant to take so long to get this out. There's always something. Til next time, guys! Thanks for reading. :)

~omgagr