A/N: Just a note for anyone whom I might have confused, in the end of chapter four, Seto is beginning to prepare a chess board for the two of them to play. However, while I would enjoy writing a chess match between these two, the game isn't actually played in this story. Atem's clear disinterest stops Seto from even putting the rest of the pieces on the board, and the match never happens. Chapter five picks up immediately after chapter four ended (or there-about). I apologize if this was not clear enough. Chapter six picks up on Sunday morning of our boys' vacation.

"Nii-sama, I'm here!" Mokuba called from the front room as he let himself in the door. The sound of an automobile pulling away outside the building was heard over the peaceful quiet of the mountains.

"In the kitchen, Mokuba," Seto called from where he was eating breakfast on the countertop, and Mokuba quickly stepped in to greet his older brother. "Good to see you, kid. Did you enjoy your weekend? I see you've gotten yourself a bit of a tan." Mokuba nodded, then grinned.

"So, guess what, nii-sama?"

"The beach house burned down," Seto guessed.

Mokuba shook his head. "Nope. Thankfully not. That's my favorite vacation home."

"Hmm. You've decided to take over KaibaCorp so I can retire at twenty-two."

"Not even close. You wouldn't let me anyway."

"No. And I have little interest in guessing games, so what is it?"

Mokuba pulled up a seat across from his brother and propped his elbows up on the countertop. A light rosy tint crossed his tanned cheeks. "I kissed someone."

Kaiba finished his bite of food and set his utensil down before flashing his little brother a congratulatory grin. "Well, then. What's this girl's name?"

"Uh... You kind of already know her."

"Do I?"

"Yeah. I heard she was in the area so… I invited her. To the beach house."

"And? That doesn't answer my question."

"Rebecca…" The tint on his cheek grew a shade darker.

"Not… Hopkins? The girl who attended our Grand Prix tournament?" Mokuba nodded. "I didn't realize you liked her."

"Well… yeah." Mokuba said, as though it should be obvious. "She's really smart, and a lot of fun. She's a great duelist, too."

"I recall that she had some skill," Seto agreed. He considered this for a moment. "I think she's a decent fit for you. Have you decided to pursue a relationship?"

Mokuba wrinkled his nose. "Seto, you always have such a strange way of phrasing things. You make it sound so lame. We're not in nineteenth century England, and I'm not "courting" her," Mokuba flashed air quotes with his fingers while he rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I do want to ask her out. I'm... Just not sure how we could make it work."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the distance. She lives in America most of the year."

Seto sighed. "Mokuba, need I remind you, we're rich? We own a fleet of aircraft. You'll find some way to make it work if you want it bad enough."

"So you're ok with it? With me dating her?"

"So long as she makes you happy, little brother." Mokuba smiled and Seto ruffled his already messy hair, just as Atem came down the stairs.

"Hey. She wouldn't happen to be the reason you wanted to throw your little party, is she?"

"Uh… maybe?" His fading blush deepened again.

"Good morning," Mokuba greeted cheerfully, happy for the distraction. Atem regarded the brothers with a nod and began to rummage through the refrigerator.

"Did I miss something?" Atem asked, though his tone indicated he was less than interested.

"My baby brother's growing up," Seto teased.

"Seto! Don't say it like that. It's just that… I think I might like to ask Rebecca Hopkins out. On a date."

"Rebecca, hmm? Cute. But are you two even old enough to date?" Atem asked. Mokuba snarled, but Seto smirked at the question.

The Kaiba brothers spent the last day of their weekend together playing various games, with Seto mostly bending to his younger brother's whims. Atem joined in when he felt up to the task of faking his enthusiasm, though most often he opted to spend his time alone, often outside with a view of the scenery. While he no longer sought out battling against the man, games against Seto Kaiba could hold his interest, as he'd recently re-discovered. But the idea of joining in, or even watching, when the younger brother was involved, Atem found incredibly dull.

Mokuba, feeling more adult than his brother often gave him credit for, was allowed a small sampling of wine with dinner that night, but had liked the taste enough that a small sample quickly turned into a glass and a half.

The three gathered together in the sitting room after eating dinner. Mokuba made the request that his brother play music for the two of them on the piano, not knowing that he'd been playing for a good part of the day before. But after a full day of playing games with his sibling and more wine than a teen his age should have, left him weary. He threw himself across the sofa and drifted off to the gentle notes played by his older brother's skilled hands.

Seto glanced over his shoulder to see that his brother had fallen asleep listening to him play. His form lay limp on the couch, one arm draped over the side. In between notes he could hear the boy's breathing grow deeper. He smiled gently to himself. Atem, he could see from the corner of his eye, was sitting in the armchair sideways, his feet hanging over one armrest and his back against the other, facing away from Seto.

"You play beautifully, you know." Atem said as his song came to an end. Seto responded by playing through the ending straight into another piece, this time with a more powerful sound. "How long have you been playing?"

"Since I was a child."

"Where did you learn?" He though to himself, he couldn't be surprised if the man had taught himself.

"My stepbrother was a prodigy when it came to music. I hear he was quite a masterful violinist, especially. I suppose my stepfather must have expected me to pick up where his son left off when he died. He gave me tutors and made me learn how to do everything worthwhile that the brat was good at." He played on for a minute before finishing his thought, smirking to himself. "And I learned to do it all better than he could."

"Why am I not terribly surprised? You play strings as well, then?"

"I strongly prefer piano over the violin, personally. Once I fulfilled Gozaburo's expectations, I put the violin down. It only suited me while I was a child, anyhow."

"So, tell me then… is there anything you can't do?" He wore a small smile that Seto couldn't see.

"Hell no. I'm a god," Seto answered with no hint of playfulness seeping into his voice, which made Atem chuckle. He slid back in his seat until his head rested on the armrest and he was staring at the ceiling.

"Somehow I'm not surprised you'd say that."

"That's because you know it's true."

"Mmm. If you say so." He smiled at the light tone the conversation had taken. "I think I could go for a little more wine," he muttered quietly, trying not to make it sound like a request.

"Help yourself. I trust you've seen where the wine rack is stored? I could go for a bit more myself." It was a statement Seto assumed would be interpreted as a request. Atem said nothing as he retrieved Seto's wine glass as well as his own off the low table in the center of the room and walked to the kitchen. A few minutes flew by and Seto prepared to transition into another piece when he noticed the other man still hadn't returned from the kitchen, and stood to check on him instead.

Adrenaline seized his motions when he stepped through the doorway to find Atem standing against the counter, his refilled glass of wine in one hand and a knife in the other. He held it close to his face, seeming to examine the shimmering blade.

"You don't need to try to sneak up on me, Kaiba; I know you're there." He spied the brunet with one eye through the reflection of the blade before returning the knife to the wooden block and turning to face the CEO who, in that time, had crossed the room.

"And that wasn't what it looked like. I was inspecting to see if the blade was clean or not. It had been left out on the counter, and I didn't know if it ought to be washed." Atem spoke smoothly, no trace of defensiveness in his voice. He took a sip of his glass and held a second out to Seto, who accepted.

"Then what took you so long in here?" Seto asked skeptically.

"I couldn't decide which wine to pour." He gestured to the uncorked bottle. "We've already sampled a dry wine with our meal. I thought we ought to taste something sweeter for after dinner, so I poured us a glass of the chenin blanc from the other night." He took another drink of his wine.

Seto sighed. His nerves had begun to calm and he felt his heart rate slow. He said nothing, but an expression of worry creased his brow. He leaned his back against the counter Atem was pressed up against, and the men stood together for a minute, sampling their drinks.

"Why?" Atem asked after some time had passed. Seto looked at the man, blinking in confusion. By then, the question seemed out of place. "Why do you worry?" He clarified. Atem kept his eyes trained straight ahead even though he could feel the CEO was looking down at him.

Because you matter to me, Seto answered.

He wanted to say it out loud… and yet he didn't want to. He resolved that the words needed to be conveyed, but he suddenly realized he couldn't find his voice. A weight began to bear down on the CEO, and as accustomed to stress as he was, he didn't know how to handle situations like these very well. Situations where something needed to be done, but that something would force him to show his weakness. But the pharaoh's life might depend on hearing those words; on learning that he mattered.

Seto's voice didn't work. He tried to push through the lump in his throat keeping him silent, and his lips moved slightly, but nothing came out. He squeezed his fingers against the stem of his glass.

Atem was looking up at him now. At least his lips still worked. He turned his body to face the other. In a moment of hesitation, and as a chance to gather his breath, he set his glass down on the counter, his eyes locking onto the object. This action was a distraction, however; a ploy his mind had used in defense to make himself stop and question. He brushed that question away and forced himself to meet the eyes awaiting his answer.

The silence was stretching on too far, but he no longer wanted to break it with his words. Brows knitted in question above crimson colored eyes. Seto closed his own, briefly.

Because you matter to me, he repeated to himself, turning as he snaked one hand around to rest on the countertop behind his rival, pinning him with his hips against the cabinetry. Without allowing for a moment of protest, Seto closed his eyes once more while he leaned down to catch Atem's lips with his own.

He kissed once, softly, and let his lips linger on the other's mouth. He kissed again, twice, three times. Atem's hands rose from his own sides to rest on Seto's hips. The brunet wrapped his fingers of one hand in Atem's hair and placed his other in the small of the Egyptian's back, using it to pull the small man closer to him.

Seto's eyes eased open but he didn't pull away. Atem's remained closed, and he kissed the man once more.

"Does that answer your question?" He whispered gently. His breath was a ghost against the pharaoh's lips, which pulled into a sweet grin in response, and his eyes slid open slowly as if he were in a daze. He looked up at the taller man through dark eyelashes.

Atem had never allowed himself to dwell heavily on matters of his own carnal heart. He remembered that, as royalty in his time in Egypt, he was betrothed, through no say of his own. Yet another aspect of his life he'd had no control over. He hadn't given much thought to what kind of person would fill for him the void that people around often spoke of having, but he had known for some time that his dear friend Anzu, who had been practically throwing herself at him for as long as he could remember, wasn't it.

And looking at him now - not that this was the first time he'd noticed - he knew Seto was a strikingly handsome man. His porcelain skin, his chestnut hair, and those dazzling cerulean eyes with the power to either chill or pierce, made Atem want to shiver, even now.

With the hanging silence stretching on, and crimson eyes boring into his, Seto couldn't resist giving the small Egyptian another kiss. Atem parted his lips this time, and Seto eagerly accepted the invitation.

The moment his own breathing became labored, Seto broke the kiss and pulled his body away. Atem's eyes snapped open in confusion. He immediately missed the warmth.

"I wasn't intending to start something now," Seto felt the need to explain. Atem took a second to study the man's expression, and quickly grew angry.

"You weren't intending to start anything? What does that mean? You're only looking for a way to anchor me here, because you think I'm going to just let myself become tied to you, without reciprocation?" His face flushed red, but Seto pushed him back into the countertop behind him and stopped his next words with another kiss, rougher this time.

"Shut up," Seto commanded, but his tone was gentle. He wrapped a hand around the side of the Egyptian's neck, petting it affectionately with his thumb. "I was talking about tonight. I have to get back to work in the morning. I don't need such a distraction looming over me early on a Monday…" He planted a light peck on Atem's forehead. The smaller man opened his mouth to reply but he snapped it shut immediately and his eyes darted to the doorway. Seto's gaze followed to see his brother, groggy eyed and wobbly, pull himself from the couch and stretch.

"You matter to me," Seto managed to whisper against Atem's ear and pulled away before his brother turned to catch the two men in their positions. Atem immediately wanted to pull him back for another kiss. Never before had he felt such a pull toward another person as he felt toward Seto now. It was an intense draw, stronger than he had felt toward anything since the moment he was pulled back into the world by his group of friends weeks ago.

Mokuba appeared in the doorway. "Nii-sama?" He asked in a quiet voice. "Are we going home soon? It's getting late." The tired boy rubbed at his eyes. Seto quickly emptied his glass of wine and placed it inside the dishwasher.

"Yes, Mokuba. We'll be going soon. Gather your things." The boy nodded and stumbled off to pick up the few games and other possessions he'd brought with him. When Seto turned back to Atem, he was all business once again. The tender moment had come and, though Atem hadn't wanted to let it slip through his fingers, it was clearly gone now.

"It will be approximately three hours once we leave before we reach Yugi's home. I'm going to pack my things, then I'll call to let him know we'll be leaving shortly."

Atem's gaze had sunk to the floor. "You don't… have to drop me off… I think I might like to stay with you for one more night." His eyes on the tiled kitchen floor, he didn't notice Seto move silently to his side until his lips rested on the back of his neck.

"I can't. I work in the morning. I need my rest." His breath along the sensitive skin on the pharaoh's neck made the man shiver, but he smiled at the feeling.

"Is that your only excuse?" Seto nodded silently and trailed more kisses down his neck and across his shoulder. He pulled the t-shirt Atem wore back, the clothing he'd bought, back an inch to place a single kiss on the concealed skin, then pulled himself away completely again. His action earned a frustrated growl from the Egyptian. Seto looked back and smirked.

"You ought to finish your wine," he suggested, and left the room before Atem could respond.

The ride away from the cabin was quiet. The three passengers sat in the back seat, with Seto in the middle between Mokuba and Atem. The brothers held quiet, idle conversation for over half of the journey while Atem remained quiet, watching the scenery fly by as best he could outside his tinted window.

Nearly two hours into the trip when the car had fallen silent, Seto leaned over to whisper in Atem's ear. The unexpected contact made him jump and Seto tried to calm him by placing a hand on his forearm.

"I think he's fallen asleep again." Seto whispered. Atem glanced toward Mokuba, whose head hung forward and rested on the side window of the limousine. It was difficult for him to see Seto's face now that the sun had set, but he thought he saw his thin lips curled into a light smile. Atem immediately claimed them in a fierce kiss, but Seto calmly pushed him off, fighting off laughter while he tried to remain as quiet as possible.

"Calm down," Seto urged. He kissed the Egyptian once, gently, to pacify him, and wrapped an arm around his shoulder to pull him close. Atem let his head fall onto the billionaire's shoulder and he closed his eyes, breathing in his expensive cologne.

"It feels strange, to feel this way," he whispered into Seto's shoulder.

"In what way are you speaking of?"

"Looking forward… to tomorrow." Seto didn't let himself show his smile, but he could feel himself light up inside at hearing those words. He pulled Atem's hand into his lap and wrapped his own slender fingers around it.

Seto abandoned the conversation for a moment of thought. "So..." He started finally, but didn't say more.

"Hmm?"

"What's your opinion on the day after tomorrow?" Seto asked carefully. Atem considered for a stretch of time just long enough to make Seto uncomfortable. He squeezed Atem's shoulder affectionately with the hand he had wrapped around him, hoping to encourage a response.

"I guess that depends," he answered finally.

"On what?"

"Will I get to see you then?"

"Will it kill you if you don't?"

"It might…" Atem warned, but without a hint of seriousness in his tone. He nuzzled his face into the nook of Seto's neck, gracing it with light kisses.

"Then I guess I have little choice, hmm?" Atem responded by pressing deeper into Seto's warm body. The two fell silent for most of the remaining trip.

"When we arrive, I'll walk you in." Seto said when the car was nearly ten minutes away from the Kame Game Shop. "I'd like to speak with Yugi anyway."

Atem rolled his eyes but faced away from Seto, so he didn't see. When he spoke, his tone was sharp. "One reason why I wasn't looking forward to coming back tonight was just that." Seto flashed him a look of confusion.

"What's the problem?"

Atem turned back to face Seto. "I had a nice day. That doesn't happen to me very often as of late. I don't want you and Yugi to ruin that by sitting me down for an intervention the minute I get home. And if he and I don't sit down to talk about this, I'll still know he has things he wants to say to me. …I'll feel like he's judging me."

"Then I don't see how not taking you straight home is going to fix that. If you stay with me for the night, you'll still have neglected to discuss your situation, so Yugi will just go on thinking whatever he does about all this anyway. You would accomplish nothing but delaying the conversation."

"But at least I'll have had one more night with you…" Atem muttered.

"Stop trying to run away from your problems," Seto said in a harsh commanding tone. His voice had come out louder than he'd intended, and Mokuba stirred against the car door. He glanced over at his brother and composed himself, lowering his voice again to just above a whisper. "Listen. I tried to do the same thing years ago. You saw for yourself just how well that worked for me. You know you need to speak with him, so just get it over with and you'll feel better. Sleep it off…" He took a breath, "then come have lunch with me at one."

"I… what?" He laughed, confused by the sudden shift of topics. "You want me to have lunch with you."

Seto nodded. "Come by my office, and I'll take you out." Atem grinned and fell back into his chest again. "By the way, if it eases your mind any, I wasn't intending to be any part of an intervention."

"Then why do you and Yugi seem to feel such a need to discuss my situation away from my range of hearing? It makes me feel like some sort of helpless child."

"You are." When Atem looked up at him with sharp eyes, Seto stared back. "Really, Atem. You've been behaving like a deviant little toddler this weekend. Once I understood how serious, and how desperate, you felt, I didn't feel comfortable to leave you alone for even a minute. You'd find some way to hurt yourself irreconcilably before I had a chance to intervene."

"So that makes it alright for you and Yugi to play mommy and daddy?" He scowled.

"If that's the way you're interpreting this, then I'm sorry you're not comfortable in the situation you created. We're just trying to take care of you, and to do that we have to coordinate our methods. You have to understand that for the people around you who don't want you to die, your safety trumps your comfort. I don't like that that seems to mean having a complete disregard for your comfort - I am sorry for that. It probably hasn't made this any easier on you. But what else could be done? You couldn't be left alone." Atem sighed and slumped into the back of his seat, away from Seto, but he didn't pull away when Seto took his hand.

"I understand. I don't like it, but I get it." Atem stated. Seto pressed his lips to Atem's temple, and he gave a content sigh.

"It's going to be alright," he whispered in the smaller duelist's ear. "I'll see to it. Just… take it one day at a time."

"Kaiba? Let me tell Yugi about… this." He gestured between the two of them. "Whatever this is," he smiled.

"This is whatever you want it be, beautiful." Seto reached out to flick a lock of blond bangs out of Atem's face with the backs of his fingers. "So long as you understand that you're important to me."