Mai dragged Seth into her room, their lips still locked together. His hands went to her waist, pulling her body flush against his own. Gods, it had been so long, too long, since he'd had anything like this. She was not only enthusiastic, but skilled, and if she'd made it difficult to say no before, she had made it nearly impossible to say now.

As she started to unbutton his shirt, though, and cold air hit his bare chest, the chill managed to shock him back to his senses. Before Mai had even exposed his locket, Seth pulled her hand away, stopping her progress. They both grew still, and Mai pulled back to look up at him with a question in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this," Seth murmured, still trying to fully catch his breath. Mai twirled a strand of Seth's dark hair around her finger as she sighed.

"I don't suppose there's anything I can say to change your mind, is there?" Of course, there was plenty she could do that would change his mind, but he was young, and she knew that wouldn't be fair of her to do.

"I'm afraid not. It's nothing personal, just that… I would be breaking a promise to a friend if I went through with this."

"I thought you said you weren't in a relationship."

"I'm not. It's… complicated."

"I see." She stepped away and Seth started buttoning up his shirt, mildly fascinated with the buttons themselves. They hadn't had such things in ancient Egypt. Ancient. Was he really ancient? He didn't feel that way, but he did know for sure that he was over three thousand years old, so that made him ancient, by modern definitions.

"Well, good luck in the tournament," Mai said as a farewell, sitting on the edge of her bed with an air of vague uncertainty, like she didn't know what to do with herself now.

"You too," Seth replied as he left her room. After a bit of wandering, he found his way back to the upper deck. He still wasn't sure how to get back to the room where his friends and Seto's backpack were, so he went to the prow of the ship and watched the sky and the sea, staring out at them in wonder as he tried with difficulty to not think about where he'd be right now if he hadn't stopped himself.

He failed in this endeavor, however, as images of Mai started flashing through his mind's eye. He groaned with frustration as he tried to stop picturing what he'd almost had, knowing that it would just make him feel more needy and restless.

Seth, what have you done?

The former pharaoh shuddered as he heard Seto's horrified voice in the back of his mind. He must have just woken up.

I didn't do anything, don't worry, he assured, but Seto didn't believe him.

You obviously did SOMETHING, Seth. What have you done?

His words prompted Seth to remember his kiss with Mai, and as it floated to the forefront of his mind, Seto exuded disgust and anger.

I can't believe you.

Seto, let me explain—

I don't want to hear anything you have to say.

Too bad, because I am NOT going to let this linger between us, Seth retorted. He wrapped his hand around the Millennium Rod and closed his eyes, focusing hard so that he could put this body to sleep and meet Seto in his soul room. They need to figure this out before they let any time go by. Putting it off would just be incredibly destructive.

"Well look who it is," Seto muttered sourly as Seth materialized out of the shadows. "Had fun?"

"Please don't talk to me like that, Seto," Seth said quite seriously in one of those rare moments that he expressed true displeasure with his hikari. "The least you can do is show a little respect."

"Respect has to be earned," the moody teen retorted.

"And have I not earned it?" Seth asked sharply. Seto was really trying his patience at the moment.

"Gee, I don't know, do you treat my body like it's mine or like it's yours?" Seto's insolent words were full of bitterness. "You should have asked me if it was alright to kiss her, or do anything else."

Seth's eyes flamed for a moment as he crossed his arms, coming to a halt as he stood in front of Seto. "I didn't follow through with it, Seto, and I never planned on doing so."

"The way you were carrying on with her, you were clearly about to do just that."

Seth breathed deeply for a few moments, letting his anger cool. He uncrossed his arms and came to sit beside Seto.

"You're right. I wasn't as careful as I should have been, and if I'd kept myself out of that situation in the first place, I wouldn't have come so close to laying with her." Seto scowled with displeasure. "I'm sorry, Seto. You're right. Can you please forgive me for my thoughtlessness?"

Seto felt his own anger begin to ebb. It was hard to stay mad at him when he sounded so apologetic and regretful. "I forgive you," he grumbled. "Just don't do that again, okay? I hate losing control like that, and I can't risk something bad happening as a result of your actions." What he didn't say was how something like that had already happened, with Noah and Gozaburo, and it had resulted in Seto receiving severe injuries.

"I still think you should have accepted her offer. It would have been good for you."

Seto's cheeks began to feel like they were on fire. "I don't see how that could have been the case," he muttered, hoping Seth would drop the subject.

"You know as well as I do that you've hated touching people, Mokuba excluded of course, because of your… experiences."

Seto stiffened, hoping that this wasn't going where he thought it was going.

"In addition to that, you can't stand the thought of any kind of intimacy with another person."

"I don't have time for romance!" Seto said, a little louder than he'd meant to.

"Intimacy and romance often keep each other company, true, but intimacy can be had without romance, and you know that."

"Please, just stop," Seto whispered, covering his ears and trying to tune out the spirit's words. He wasn't going to put up with this again.

"I know that, until Duke, you'd never had any intimacy outside your former occupation—"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Seto growled, but Seth continued.

"And I think you need to experience the truth that sex doesn't have to be unpleasant or cause you pain."

"We're not talking about this!" Seto was growing furious, and he removed his hands from his ears. Why couldn't Seth ever just shut up?

"Your body has needs—"

"No!" Seto shouted, turning on Seth with an icy glare. "I am not going to have this conversation with you!"

"Who else, then?" Seth challenged. "Who else would you talk to about these things? Yugi? Joey? Ryou?"

"Hell, no!" Seto yelled, his face red with outrage and embarrassment. "I'm not going to talk to anybody about it! There's nothing wrong with me! I don't need to be fixed!"

"No, you don't need to be fixed," Seth answered quietly, his eyes looking suddenly sad. "But you do need to be freed, and you do need to think carefully through these things before you make any kind of life decision."

"Freed from what?" Seto growled, still prickly after Seth had pushed him so far out of his comfort zone.

"Freed from your anxiety. It's hurting you, and I don't want you to continue hurting. I want you to be able to walk down the street and feel safe as you go about your life."

"Huh," Seto grunted skeptically. "Like that'll ever happen."

"It could, if you let it," Seth said quietly, his voice almost hopeful.

"Why should I feel safe when it's not safe?" Seto protested.

"It is safe, you just don't believe it is." Seth sighed, deciding to give up on that notion for now. He could make more progress in a different way for now. "At least, it's safe for you to be around your friends. They don't mean you any harm, so you shouldn't be on your guard when you're around them."

"I have too many secrets; keeping my guard up is a necessity."

"But surely you won't spill your secrets just because they give you a hug," Seth pointed out, making Seto frown.

"I don't have to hug people if I don't want to."

"No, you don't, but you should receive hugs graciously when they're offered. It's a matter of courtesy and of reinforcing the strength of your relationships."

"Just drop it." Seto was done talking about his issues, but Seth, apparently, wasn't. Seto started as he felt Seth place a hand on his shoulder, and he quickly brushed it away. "Don't touch me."

"I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No, you're not, but that's not the point." Seto scowled at the Egyptian man and edged away from him.

"Then what's the problem?" Seth asked as he reached out to touch Seto's hair. His reincarnation ducked his head to dodge the hand, leaning away from him as if to be touched by him would give him the plague, or leprosy. Seth's hand caught Seto's chin as he stood on his knees to lean closer to the lanky brunette. He blinked clear blue eyes at the younger one as he waited for an explanation.

"It… It burns," Seto whispered, his voice wavering. Usually, when someone touched his clothes, he was mostly alright, unless the gesture caught him by surprise. It was only when he made direct contact with skin that he felt that strange burning sensation that made him feel like he needed to get away from everyone as quickly as possible.

"But it doesn't have to," Seth murmured gently, releasing Seto and sitting back on his heels as he watched him scramble further away before wrapping his arms around himself again and resuming his former brooding. He looked more like he was pouting now, though.

"Let me help you, Seto," he pleaded softly, moving closer to him and reaching towards him with one hand.

"Touch me again, Seth, and I swear I'll throw the Millennium Rod into the ocean!" The words came out loud and harsh, and Seth dropped his hand to the floor in obedience, going still as Seto shuddered and drew the back of his hand across his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Seto," he whispered, shifting to sit close to Seto without touching him. This was more serious than he'd realized.

Author Notes: So, originally, this chapter was about 5k words long. Then I realized that was ridiculous and found a good point near the middle to break it up. The next chapter will be what would have been the second half of this chapter. So, if it feels like I didn't accomplish much in this chapter, that's why.

Please review, because more reviews = more chapters. Otherwise, I'll just work ahead and chapters and not post something new until I get a review on my latest one.