When Anzu finally managed to look over at Yugi, she noted he had become taller and more confident. She mused at this for a moment before asking "Yugi, is this really where you meant to take me?"

"Of course, Anzu. Let's go inside." He started forward, and Anzu followed.

"How many?" a server asked them within a few seconds of entering.

"Two," said Atem.

"Excellent. Right this way, please," the man said, holding out his arm in the direction of their table.

As the two of them followed him, Anzu eyed Yugi. His face looked straight, as if he weren't worried about the situation at all. As if it didn't matter that she was someone else's girlfriend. She felt a certain, self-gratifying vibe exude from his countenance, and she couldn't help but find it almost…alluring.

"Here you are. I'll be back with your menus in just a minute."

"Thank you," Atem said, but he barely looked at the man. His eyes were only focused on the woman in front of him.

At the intensity of his gaze, Anzu blushed. "Yugi, what are you looking at me that way for?"

"I've just never seen you in such a glorious, fitting gown. You look like royalty." I would know.

Anzu's breath hitched in her throat. "Yugi, you…you're flattering me…" She felt exposed as both of her cheeks turned beet red.

As I should, he said to himself, almost aloud. But he didn't want to come off too strong, not so early in the night.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"N-no, it's not that. Not at all, I just…"

Atem's deep, crimson eyes told her to continue.

"T-the situation is just a bit rare, is all. I mean, here we are at a beautiful restaurant, and you…"

"…And I?" he encouraged.

"And, well, you're complimenting me and making me feel like…a little bit of a princess, to be honest," she finished, the color of her face refusing to return to normal.

To this, Atem only smiled.

"But then again, I mean, I could be reading the situation all wrong. You could just be bringing me here for the food, and you're not treating me or anything, and I've just been…reading it all wrong," she repeated, her head a jumble.

"Oh, Anzu, I fully intend to treat you to this meal; you won't be paying a cent. You could easily have forgotten your purse and the night would go no differently."

Anzu was rendered speechless.

Again, Atem felt the conversation was coming on too strong. But, if he were honest with himself, her questions did seem to be asking for exactly the kind of answers he was giving her.

In the silence that followed, for a long time, Yugi, who was watching with amazement from Atem's mind, could do nothing but blink. "Whoa…" he finally managed.

In the next moment, the waiter returned with their menus and slid them toward the two of them.

"What would you like to drink?" he asked.

"Just water would be fine," Atem responded. But Anzu didn't say a thing, nor did she look like she even noticed the waiter was there.

"Two waters, please," the pharaoh corrected with a small grin. The waiter nodded and left them alone again.

"Would you like to look over the menu, Anzu?" Atem offered.

Anzu said nothing, but nodded. She pulled up the menu in front of her and seemed to be very interested in it all of the sudden.

After reading over a dozen items that either contained the word "gourmet" or were at least 2500 yen, Anzu looked at Atem suspiciously over the top of her menu.

"Yugi, what's this really all about? Are you trying to make me forgive you for something?"

Atem looked at her blankly before bursting out in laughter. "You think this is an apology for something I've done?"

Atem turned inward for a moment, smirking with amusement at his aibou. "Aibou, what have you done in the past that has made her suspect you of such things?"

Yugi was laughing so nervously he couldn't answer for several seconds. "Let's just say I've pushed her into the pool one or two times when we've been at school, or at a theme park…while she's had her normal clothes on. The last time I did that, she got really mad and I ended up buying her her lunch for a week. That's probably what she's referring to," he explained, his own cheeks hot.

The pharaoh nearly guffawed in laughter, but realized it would be exceedingly inelegant to do so, especially since the girl sitting across from him hadn't heard the conversation he would be laughing at. He cleared his throat, coughed once, and turned his attention back to Anzu.

"No, this is not to gain your forgiveness, Anzu."

"Then what is it?" Anzu demanded seriously, so much so that it threw Atem off guard. She had put down her menu and was staring at him intently, her head tilted slightly to the side, imploring him.

Atem couldn't answer her intense blue eyes for a long time. He stood there, himself rendered speechless by her sudden burst of emotion directed entirely at him.

Anzu sighed at his silence. "You bring me here, you compliment me with really, really sweet things, but… And you know I'm with Seto," she redirected her sentence exasperatedly.

"What do you want me to do? What do you want me to say?"

Atem was lost in her pleading gaze, and lost in the mire of his own thoughts. "I…" he began, but he didn't even know where he could take his next sentence that would make her realize his position, make her see it his way.

"I'm sorry, Anzu. I have made you uncomfortable." He said nothing else, choosing only to lean his elbow on the table and put his face in his hand, closing his eyes.

The sincerity of his reaction to her outburst made Anzu's heart ache. "Look, Yugi, I… I don't want at all for this dinner to be ruined, that's not what I'm trying to do," she explained. "I just…really want to know what you're thinking when you bring a partnered girl to a place like this while you say such nice things to me," she continued. Then, she laughed weakly. "My curiosity is getting the better of me," she finished, trying to lighten the conversation even if it were only a little bit.

But if she were telling the truth, it was far more than just her curiosity that was getting the better of her. She looked at the man sitting across from her, and she felt an attraction the likes and depths of which were surely wholly forbidden to someone like her – someone who was someone else's. The guilt made her beg for him to give her answers for his actions.

In response, Atem only folded both of his hands in front of him and placed his forehead against them, taking a deep breath and letting it out in an equally deep sigh.

Anzu looked at him, and concern lined every crease of her face. Why was he hiding his face? Was he…crying?

For some reason, seeing him like that, she felt her heart begin to break. The shock of how sad the dejected look on his face made her feel sent shivers through her body and painted her own expression with worry. She began to tremble, desperately lying in anticipation of his response.

Many moments passed.

"Anzu, please," he started at last.

Anzu immediately looked him straight in the eye, even though his were still closed.

"Please let me attempt to begin to show you how much you mean to me, with this dinner," he finished quietly.