After much debate, they decided to sit outside on the patio of the ice cream parlor to enjoy their treats. Anzu enjoyed her strawberries and cream ice cream cone while Mokuba indulged in his cookie dough scoops. Seto, at his brother's insistence, ordered a single scoop of classic chocolate, feeling it was more appropriate to eat with a spoon than his tongue.

Anzu and Mokuba chatted aimlessly while Seto browsed his phone. It was a beautiful autumn day with a cool breeze gently blowing as the sun warmed them up. It wasn't really ice cream weather, but it didn't matter to Anzu or Mokuba. As they wound down to their last bites, Mokuba asked, "So, are you guys going to tell me what it means to 'put out' now?"

Anzu choked on the remaining bites of her ice cream and Seto tensed up. Mokuba wondered at their reactions. "You guys seem to be making a big deal out of this."

She coughed violently and cleared her throat before responding hoarsely, "Well it's a slang term that is pretty much a crude reference." She cleared her stinging throat again, "But we agreed to have that conversation when we got back to the mansion."

Mokuba pouted. "Why can't you tell me now?"

Seto scowled and put his phone away. "It is a private conversation to be handled in a private setting. A table in front of an ice cream parlor in downtown Domino does not count as a private setting."

Mokuba clasped his hands behind his head and sat back. "Geez, you guys are acting like it means sex."

They were stunned to hear how nonchalant he sounded about it. "You sound like you know what sex is." remarked Anzu.

Mokuba nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"Whoa, okay!" Anzu exclaimed. "Didn't see that coming!"

"Where did you learn that?" demanded Seto.

"School. There was a health lesson on it last trimester."

"Why wasn't I notified of this?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, a letter was sent home to all the parents. I gave it to Isono thinking he would give it to you."

Seto frowned, he'd have to ask Isono about that later.

Mokuba scratched the side of his face. "Anyway, it was embarrassing and super awkward, but they told us how it works." He shrugged. "After that, we realized it wasn't really a big deal. That's just how it is."

"Well, then. The hard part is out of the way it seems." Anzu sighed with some relief. "But you're right; that is what 'put out' means."

Mokuba blinked then blushed madly. "Wait… what? Seriously? That's what…" He looked at his brother and gagged, clutching his stomach. "Oh gosh, that's what your fangirls… I think I'm gonna hurl…"

Anzu just rubbed his back and Seto looked away awkwardly. "Yes, yes I know. That's why we hate fangirls so much."

"But why?!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"That's because your brother is rich and handsome." Anzu explained. "They also find his cold personality attractive. They like the idea of 'melting his heart'."

Seto listened to her explanation and scoffed. "They're idiots."

"You're not wrong." Anzu agreed.

"But how do you know that?" Mokuba asked.

Anzu looked at him and said, "Because they gossip. A lot."

"What sort of things do they say?" He asked curiously.

"Again, nothing appropriate for your ears."

"But-"

"Mokuba, I'll answer any question you want to ask me but you also have to ask yourself if you really want to know that answer." Anzu said seriously. "With this question, I'll answer with 'they get descriptive'. Now, do you want to know those details?"

"Mazaki!"

She put her hand out to stay his objection, she knew what she was doing. "Well?"

Mokuba thought about it. Did he want to know the details of what those girls said? To be fair, his class didn't go into any specifics beyond the basic functions so he was a little intrigued if high school girls had more knowledge or some crazy imaginations.

Which made him think of a hentai magazine he once caught a glimpse of from a few of his male classmates and mentally put his brother in that situation - unwillingly. He blushed profusely, shaking his head. "No, I don't."

"Good. And thank you; cause I don't want to think about that stuff either." She sighed.

"You don't?" Mokuba asked.

"Of course not!" Anzu exclaimed. "Why would I want to think about that?"

Mokuba shrugged. "I don't know. Didn't you say he was handsome?"

It was Anzu's turn to blush hotly and Seto smirked. "I didn't say that!" She denied.

"Yes you did. You said that he was rich and handsome."

"That's because he is rich."

"And handsome?"

"That's their opinion!"

Mokuba was confused. "But you didn't say it was their opinion. You just simply said that he's handsome."

Anzu was caught. And the smug jerk behind her was clearly enjoying this moment way too much. Mokuba sat there waiting for her honest answer and she moaned with her face in her hands. "Okay, fine! He is! Now get off my back about it!"

Mokuba smiled and Seto's smirk turned triumphant. "But that doesn't mean that I want to sleep with him! You're not supposed to just sleep with someone just because you think they're good looking!"

"You don't?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

Anzu's blush continued to stain her cheeks and Seto grimaced. "No, Mokuba." He responded.

"At least, you shouldn't," Anzu mumbled.

"Then, when do you?" He asked.

"You learned about this in school. Didn't they explain anything further?" Asked Anzu.

"The class explained explained what sex is and how it works. They didn't say anything about the why." He said. "From what I understood, there needs to be some sort of attraction to even get things going, right?" Anzu took a deep breath and Seto pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well," Anzu exchanged a look with Seto before continuing, "Attraction is definitely a factor, but it's not just a superficial thing. You should be attracted to who they are as a person," She explained, returning her gaze back to Mokuba.

"Mazaki is correct." Seto continued, his ice cream long finished by this point. "Physical attraction is merely a step towards deciding whom you wish to pursue on a romantic level; not a reason to share yourself so intimately with."

She thought it odd, to say the least, to hear the man who avoided emotions as if they were the plague talk about romance. Then again, he himself admitted that he would marry if he found the right person. It was a natural human instinct to seek out the companionship of a mate, but to hear Seto Kaiba give advice on what should and shouldn't happen seemed a little out of place.

Which was a good thing that Anzu was there to answer the hard questions. Like….

"So… I should only do that with someone who is really special to me, like…" he blushed, "Rebecca?"

"No-" Anzu put a hand up to stop Seto's objection in its tracks. "The hell-" She interrupted him again with a look. Trust me, it said.

She turned to Mokuba and explained. "It might seem like that now, but the answer is not yet. Sex is far more than just acting on a mutual sense of attraction, it's about seriously considering the feelings of the other person and being willing to be at your utmost vulnerable." She placed a hand on Mokuba's and continued with a smile. "Right now, you have a crush on a wonderful girl, but that kind of expression of affection is beyond you. It's a declaration of passion, commitment, and love. It's a wonderful thing when it's between two people who love each other and…" her thoughts turned inward for a moment, a flash of pain shooting across her face that did not go unnoticed by Seto, "a terrible thing when regarded as a… tool."

"A tool?" Mokuba asked. "How could sex be a tool?"

Seto frowned, this was starting to take a hard turn. "People misuse it." He said and Anzu looked over. This seemed to be his side now. "Just as we mentioned earlier, my fangirls would use that to try and win my favor -a futile attempt, but they would try all the same. Some people disregard the commitment and consequences that come of such an act and quite often end up developing a skewed perception of it." He rested his arms on the table.

Anzu nodded in agreement as Mokuba nodded in understanding. "Got it. So to 'put out' is a bad thing."

Anzu chuckled. "Pretty much." She ruffled his hair. "Did you have any questions?"

He thought on it for a minute before asking, "Do you have to be married to have sex?"

Anzu blushed and glanced at Seto. He, too, glanced at her. Neither of them really wanted to answer that question.

Mokuba waited for an answer, examining their faces. "Does the silence mean no?"

"No, no, you should!" Anzu blurted out.

"I should?"

"Yes, you should." Anzu cleared her throat, taking a moment to allow her thoughts to catch up with her mouth. "Like we said, sex is an intimate expression of love and commitment; you shouldn't give yourself to just anyone. It should be someone special; like your wife." Mokuba blushed lightly at the idea. "It's a big step and should be regarded with the utmost care; marriage is generally the best way to describe the gravity of how important it is. Understand?"

Mokuba nodded. Anzu smiled. "Any more questions?"

He shook his head. "No, thank you. It was easy to understand. You sounded pretty knowledgeable."

Anzu kept a smile on her face as Seto watched her. "My parents explained this to me when I was about your age. They didn't want me going through puberty without some idea of what I would be going through." She laughed lightly. "Now I understand why they were having a difficult time - I asked a lot of questions."

Mokuba grinned. "What kind of questions?"

She shrugged and answered without thinking, "What it was like for them the first time and what they did."

Seto smirked, "You asked your parents for details about the first time they had sex?" Anzu flushed furiously and glanced at Mokuba who was watching her like a hawk. She threw Seto a glare that dared him to keep poking fun at her. He smirked back at her. "You must have been quite a handful."

Then Mokuba turned his gaze to his brother and asked, "How did you find out, Seto?"

Seto frowned, "I read about it."

"You read about it? Where?" Seto refrained from answering. Mokuba cocked an eyebrow and waited for his answer.

Anzu rolled her eyes. "Probably in a health science periodical."

Mokuba laughed a bit, "Seriously?"

Seto shrugged and remained silent. He wasn't about to answer that question honestly - a health science journal would simply have to do.

"Got it!" Mokuba laughed again. "So, I should pretty much wait." Anzu nodded and Seto confirmed. "Okay, but what if something changes?"

Anzu cocked her head to one side. "Changes? How do you mean?"

Mokuba felt the flush rise to his cheeks again, "Well…. I remember in the class they talked a lot about hormones and that they can, well, make you do things that you normally wouldn't?" He scratched the back of his head, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. "What if that happens to me with… Rebecca?"

"Get out of the situation immediately." Seto retorted with finality.

Mokuba looked up at him, a little caught off guard. "Get out of the situation?"

Anzu nodded in agreement. "He's right. Try to be as kind as you can, but if you both find yourselves wanting to touch each other, just make up an excuse and get out of there."

"It's a natural thing, though, isn't it?" Mokuba asked. "I mean, you guys have touched each other."

Anzu glowed the brightest red she's ever felt in her life and Seto felt like he was going to spontaneously combust with mortification. Mokuba watched their reactions then realized his statement may not have been as innocent as he thought.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked.

Oh boy did you ever, thought Anzu. She took in a deep breath and eyed Seto who had the deepest scowl on his face that she had ever seen, his jaw twitching from the pressure.

Anzu put her face in her hands and answered with a muffled, "No. I have never touched your brother in that way." Mokuba regarded Anzu's answer and turned to his brother who gave a curt nod, indicating that he, too, never touched her in that regard.

Mokuba folded his arms, "Hmm… maybe I still don't fully get it. It seems a lot more complicated than what the class covered."

Anzu nodded, face still buried in her hands. "Yeah, it is." She glanced at him through parted fingers, afraid to ask, "A-anymore questions?"

Mokuba thought about it again then laughed, "I get the feeling I've already embarrassed you enough so no, no more."

She sighed into the back of her seat, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Are we done with this topic, then?" She looked at Mokuba. He nodded his head.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed. "Now, shall we head back?" She stood up and Seto followed suit.

Mokuba stood and said, "Actually, could we go somewhere else?"

"I don't mind, but you have to ask your brother." Anzu responded.

Seto looked at him. "We've already been out for awhile Mokuba and I need to get back to work."

Mokuba smiled. "Don't worry big brother, I actually want to go to KaibaCorp."

That surprised them. "Why?"

"I'd like to go ice skating."

"Ice skating? This time of year?" Asked Anzu. "Isn't it a bit early for that?"

"Not entirely, Mazaki." Seto said, catching her attention. "When the duelling arena isn't in use I convert it to an ice rink for Mokuba. He enjoys the exercise often when I'm wrapped up in extensive meetings."

"Oh," Anzu hadn't noticed that before. She always assumed he would just keep that arena available for his own private duels. However, since that area was already completely guarded by other KSCP operatives her Wooden Horses weren't necessarily needed, so she would turn her focus to the CEO during those times. "Is it open during this time?"

Seto smirked. "Need I remind you who you're speaking with, Mazaki? It's always open for me."

She rolled her eyes, a wry smile on her face. "Of course. How careless of me, your majesty."

He felt the chuckle rise in his chest but clamped in down. He looked at Mokuba, who was pleading insistently. "Very well. I'll call the car and we can go."

"Yes!" Mokuba jumped up from his seat excitedly. "It's been a long time since I last went skating!" He grabbed Anzu's arm excitedly. "Do you know how to ice skate?"

Anzu shook her head. "I do, but unfortunately I haven't skated in a very long time. I'm a ballerina, not an ice skater."

Mokuba brightened. "No problem! I can teach you! You'll need to get skates though."

"Oh, thanks but that's okay. I'll just watch you," she said kindly.

But Mokuba was insistent. "No way! It's been an even longer time since I last went skating with a friend. Seto's going to be in his office so please!" He begged.

"Mokuba, we're Kaiba's. We don't beg people." Seto reminded him.

Anzu rolled her eyes. "Oh brother. There's that famous ego, again."

"Your point, Mazaki?" He said as he dialed for his chauffeur.

"Nothing, your highness." She curtised, "Just noting how lonely your brother gets."

"Watch it," he bit at her as the line picked up.

"Yeah, yeah." She dismissed his threat and turned to Mokuba. "Fine, I'll skate with you. So where do I get ice skates?"

He beamed up at her. "We can get some right around here!"

"We can? And where would they sell ice skates here in downtown Domino?"

"I wouldn't recommend new skates for your first time, Mazaki." She and Mokuba turned to Seto as he put his phone away. "Unless you want to risk bloodied blistered feet for weeks that is."

She was about to retort that she was used to bloodied blistered feet, but Mokuba agreed with his brother. "Actually he's right. It even made Isono uncomfortable when he was skating with me."

Anzu's eyes widened. "Isono, huh?"

"Yep, he's big brother's personal bodyguard."

Anzu nodded, "I see." She wondered if that was the same man who was her reaper not too long ago. She sighed; she hadn't seen this Isono since she moved in and was curious to know more about him. She glanced at Seto, the question on the tip of her tongue.

"I think we have a pair of extra skates." Mokuba said. "They might be a little snug, but they should fit you."

"Oh?" said Seto. "And these extra skates are from where?"

"They're my old ones I just recently out grew." He looked down at his feet and Anzu's, "Our feet are about the same size." She looked down at hers. He was right. They were also almost the same height. This whole time she had been ruffling his hair she forgot that she was practically looking at him eye to eye. She laughed. "What?" He asked.

"It's just, I've been treating you like a kid this whole time when you're actually almost as tall as I am." She took her hand and measured her height over his. "I think I'm just about four inches taller than you; and I'm already eighteen!"

Mokuba smirked. "Oh yeah, I'll be much taller than you by the time I hit eighteen. Probably even by the time I'm fifteen."

"You'll probably be as tall as your brother by that point." She smiled at him. "Maybe even taller?"

"Doubtful," said the eldest.

"You never know. It's a trend for the youngest to be taller than the oldest." She said, earning a huge smirk from Mokuba.

"Yeah, big brother! I'll probably be taller than you one day!"

Seto chuckled and approached his brother. "You have a long way to go to get there, short fry," he said measuring the distance between his height and his brother's. Mokuba merely stuck his tongue out.

"You'll see!"

"Sure, Mokuba." Anzu and Mokuba laughed as the limo pulled up. Anzu opened the door for Mokuba and Seto held it out for her to go in first. They retook their former sitting arrangement and headed out to KaibaCorp, which wasn't very far from downtown.

The KaibaCorp building rose up into the sky as they approached it. The stark white building was well kept, considering how old it actually was. Seto had not only changed the branding of KaibaCorp, but also its physical appearance. The building was painted a pure white to reflect a majestic, almost celestial dominance overlooking the city as opposed to the tyrannical color scheme that Gozaburo used. It reminded Anzu of a dragon rising into the sky, proud and powerful.

They pulled through the gate and let out at the front entrance. The chauffeur didn't have to wait for instructions as he pulled immediately around to the parking area as Seto let them into the building. Their footsteps echoed on the tile and sleek walls as they passed through the empty receptionist area and to the elevators.

"Did you move the arena?" Anzu wondered aloud as he called one. "I seem to remember running directly up to the stairs the last time I was here."

Seto smirked over at her. "That was quite some time ago. I have not moved it, however I have a private entrance. The front doors are locked and I see no reason to go out of my way when we can head straight in from here." The elevator arrived faster than she anticipated and opened promptly for them. Seto entered first and held the door for them.

Anzu nodded. "Right. Convenient." She smiled down at Mokuba who also nodded in agreement.

"I look to make my life easier, not harder, Mazaki." Seto replied, selecting their floor number.

Anzu felt the urge to mumble something under her breath about fools, but resisted. The elevator rose and quickly came to a stop, letting them out onto the third floor hall. She let them exit first and followed them down the corridor to set of double doors. Seto opened the one of them and Mokuba rushed in pulling Anzu along by her wrist in contagious excitement. He pulled her through the stadium and down the steps, the air cooling significantly as they approached the ice rink. Anzu felt a chill kiss her skin and she shivered in delight. The cool was refreshing and the excitement warmed her. It had been quite some time since she last skated and the anticipation was making her anxious to get back out.

"Wait here!" Mokuba exclaimed as he released her and disappeared down one of the large entrances.

"Okay!" She turned to look at the ice in awe. The ice was pristine, cut perfectly like a diamond. She walked over to the entrance and bent to touch it. It was rock solid and thick. She smiled. She wondered if she could still skate as well as she used to.

"Here you go!" She turned around to see Mokuba carrying not only skates, but a pair of pants.

"What are those for?" she asked.

"For you, of course! This is kind of a last minute thing and I didn't know if you would be comfortable skating in a skirt."

Anzu looked down at what she was wearing. She completely forgot that she was in her pink skirt, black thigh highs, and sleeveless yellow turtleneck. She laughed, sticking her tongue out scratching the back of her head. "Yeah, that would be embarrassing, especially if I fell down on my face."

Mokuba laughed. "I would imagine so!" He handed her the pants and the skates. "The ladies room is over there." He pointed in the direction he came from, "Across the way from the lockers. Go ahead and change, I'll get my skates on in the meantime." He held up his skates that looked much newer than the ones he gave her but clearly broken in.

She nodded and headed off to the ladies room. "Thanks Mokuba! See you in a bit!"

"I'll be here!" He said, sitting down at the entrance to change into his skates.

Seto approached his brother as Anzu passed him, noticing the pants in her arms. "Are those mine?"

Mokuba nodded. "Yeah, I couldn't give her mine since I'm wearing them, so I figured letting her borrow your's wouldn't be an issue."

Seto frowned. "And if I wanted to join you? What would I wear?"

Mokuba snapped up at him. "What? I thought you were going to the office."

Seto sat down in front of Mokuba. "I was, but today has made me realize something." Mokuba set his skate covered feet down and locked eyes with his brother. "We haven't had a day like this in a while. We haven't spent this kind of time together much and I know that's my fault." He smiled at Mokuba. "I won't always be running KaibaCorp but while I am, I want to make certain I have everything in order for when we eventually pass it on, whenever that may be. However, focusing too much on the future prevents me from being present in your life.

"I shouldn't have had to ask Isono to find out you were being bullied and I certainly do not like knowing that Mazaki found out before I did." Mokuba squirmed and opened his mouth to apologize but Seto stopped him. "It isn't your fault. It's mine. I have not seen how much you have grown over the years and here you already have your first crush and asking for your own privacy. You're growing into your own person and I'm missing it." He placed a hand on Mokuba's shoulder instead of the top of his head. "You're a teenager now, two years younger from when all the magic and occult events happened to me and those two years are going to fly by. So, before you get too old for me, I'm going to watch you grow. I won't miss a thing, anymore. I promise."

Mokuba's violet eyes shone with tears and his throat closed up tightly. He didn't know what to say but he never thought he'd hear his brother speak so humbly ever again. He always respected his brother's dedication and focus to KaibaCorp; he always knew he would pass it on, but didn't know he was aware of the time passing between them. He was grateful.

He smiled happily at his brother and looked him eye to eye. "Thanks, Seto!"

Seto regarded Mokuba again, taking in his height, his shorter hair style, the slightly more mature glint in his eyes, and his smile. He was older and more experienced than he rightly should have been by this point, but the experiences caused him to carry himself well. He stood tall with squared shoulders with a confidence that only being a Kaiba would bring. In that moment, he felt so much pride and well pleased in the person his brother was becoming. He cleared his throat before responding, "You're welcome."

"Mokuba!" cried Anzu, breaking the moment. The brother's looked over at her. "Are you sure I can use these pants? They're kind of long on me." Mokuba smiled at her but Seto's mouth fell open slightly when he saw her.

Her sleeveless yellow turtleneck clung to her torso familiarly, but the waistband of his white-striped black training pants was rolled several times around her hips to shorten the length, complementing the athletic figure he didn't realize she had. She fit her hair up into a ponytail, revealing more of her small face, making her eyes appear bigger and brighter. "Oh, Kaiba." She said, noticing him as she adjusted his pants over her glutes. "What's up? I thought you were going to be in your office."

He pulled back out of his thoughts when she said his name and Mokuba responded. "Oh yeah, he said he was going to join us. But, that means you're going to have to change out of those pants."

"What? Why?" She asked.

Seto found himself clearing his throat again, feeling a rasp that wasn't there before. "They're mine."

Anzu looked at him then down at the pants and blushed. "Oh! I'm sorry! I'll go change!" She rushed back to the ladies room.

"Are you sure, Anzu?"

She nodded. "Yes! I actually had a pair of shorts underneath my skirt so I'll just wear those with my leggings!"

"Are you sure that will be fine?"

"Yes!" she said as she disappeared.

"Okay," Mokuba said and chuckled resting a hand on his waist with a chuckle. "You know, she can be really cute sometimes."

"Who?" Seto asked, staring after her.

"Anzu." Mokuba replied.

"She can?"

"Yes, she can." He looked at Seto who kept staring in her direction. He glanced where she disappeared and smirked. "Well, she looked good in that ponytail anyway."

"Yeah, I guess." Seto responded without thinking.

"Ha!"

"What?" Seto asked, looking at his brother.

"Big brother, you've been staring at her this whole time. Were you just checking her out?"

Seto narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Oh boy. Let me clarify. Did you like what you saw?"

"On Mazaki?"

Mokuba nodded.

Seto thought about it for a moment. "She wasn't displeasing to look at."

"'Wasn't dis…'" Mokuba face palmed. "Seto, how is it possible that I know how to be honest with my thoughts but you don't?"

Seto shrugged, but didn't answer. He wasn't about to admit to himself that he found Anzu attractive. That would mean consorting with the enemy, even though he didn't really have much of a problem with her. She was still Yuugi's cheerleader, that much hadn't changed; he just respected said cheerleader a little more after this morning.

Mokuba just shook his head. "One of these days, big brother. One of these days."

"'One of these days' meaning?" He pressed his brother for more details, but Mokuba merely shook his head.

"I'm going to go warm up. Let Anzu in when she arrives, okay?" Before Seto could answer, Mokuba was already on the ice gathering his bearings.

"I'm back!" Cried Anzu, rushing up to Seto. He turned back and had to turn away again. She was still in her ponytail and sleeveless yellow turtleneck, but the shorts she had mentioned were barely shorts at all. They covered her hips, but just barely and there was a good five inches of skin from her thigh highs to the hem of her so-called 'shorts'. She handed his pants to him, drawing his attention to her. "I'm sorry about that. Mokuba didn't mention that you would be joining us or that these were yours." She fidgeted with the hem of her stockings, straightening out the fabric so it was flush against her porcelain skin. The stockings curved around her long shapely legs and the shorts picked up where the leggings ended, drawing attention to her full hips. The turtleneck hugged her trim waist and brought attention to her ample, yet well covered chest. The necklace he didn't even notice she was wearing earlier rested comfortably where he assumed her cleavage began. She was fully clothed (practically), yet Seto felt like he could see everything she had to offer and felt the heat rising to his cheeks.

"How can you wear something like that?" He mumbled.

"I'm sorry?" She asked, not hearing him properly.

He cleared his throat, "Nothing," he said hoarsely. "Just… get your skates on."

She cocked an eyebrow, but let it drop as she sat down against the entrance to the rink. She had already removed her shoes in the ladies room so it was easy to fit her feet into the skates. Mokuba was right, they were a little snug, but they fit just fine. They also gave way easily to her feet so she was grateful to Seto's warning regarding new skates. The excitement built up in her and she rose to her feet, hanging on to the entrance for balance.

"Well, I guess I'm ready!" she exclaimed. She stepped up and carefully placed her skates on the ice, leaning on the wall for support and Seto watched with amusement. She looked awkward, probably felt awkward, too.

"Hanging in there, Mazaki?" He teased.

"Ha, ha." She responded good naturedly. "I want to let go, but it's been such a long time I actually feel scared of falling."

He rolled his eyes. "If that's what you're scared of then you'll never get out there." He put his training pants down and stepped on to the ice with care, grabbing her hand. She looked at him as he pulled her over, placing her hand on his shoulder as he grabbed her by her waist. "Just relax and shift your weight forward over your feet. You're a dancer right?" She nodded. "Then take a cue from your classes; balance your weight forward and you'll right yourself."

She blushed at the proximity, but did as he instructed. She imagined being in ballet class and felt her muscle memory kick in, her balance shifting to the balls of her feet and her hips opening to turn out. Her back muscles activated, pulling her posture up and her core tightened to control her movement. She felt stable and nodded to Seto, signaling that he could release her. He did and she removed her hand from his shoulder, the warmth of her touch lingering on him. She smiled at him, "Thanks."

He smirked. "Of course." She rolled her eyes. "Always so smug." She stuck her tongue at him teasingly and he felt a sudden jolt of excitement as she did. What the hell? She took her first tentative steps in her newfound stance and felt herself glide away, completely unaware of the CEO's thoughts as she found her way to the center of the ice.

"Mokuba!" she called to the young teen who was practicing circles at the far end of the rink.

"Hey, Anzu!" He skated swiftly over to her and grabbed her around the waist. She squealed as he grabbed her firmly, carrying her away with him and Seto felt a surge of energy pass through him at the sound of her squeal. He watched as he noticed his brother grasp her firmly and swing her around with ease and he realized just how light and lithe she must be in order for someone much younger than her to swing her around like a doll. Her flushed face and bright jovial eyes surprised him as much as they captivated him.

His throat had tightened again and he pulled at his collar to loosen it up. For an ice rink, it was awfully warm.

"Seto!" called Mokuba, breaking him away from his inner thoughts. "Are you coming?"

He looked at the pair on the ice, noticing that Mokuba was now holding Anzu firmly by her waist and she was resting her arm over his shoulder for balance. He briefly recalled holding her by her waist just moments before, feeling her muscles and skin beneath the textured fabric of her blouse and found himself wanting to feel it again.

He shook his head and called back. "I will; I'll be back in a moment."

"Okay!" His brother called happily and continued to guide Anzu on the ice. Seto grabbed his pants and headed for the men's room to change, grateful to get away from the woman that seemed to pervade his mind without consent.

When Seto emerged from the mens room dressed for the ice he found Anzu skating freely with Mokuba. Her past experience seemed to kick in and she was moving with greater ease and control by herself. He saw Mokuba's bright smile and thought it would split his face in two with how big it was. It had been a long time since he last saw his brother this happy.

He changed out of his shoes and fastened his skates before stepping on the ice. Not really one to skate much, it took him a little bit to get his bearings, but he found them quick enough to gain control over his movement and join his brother.

Mokuba saw him and beelined straight to him, catching him around the waist. "Seto!" He exclaimed joivally.

Seto ruffled his hair.

"Welcome to the ice, Mr. Kaiba." Anzu stated with a smile.

He looked up at her, taking in her energized form from the activity. Her skin was flushed pink and her eyes lit up with adrenaline. She was clearly enjoying herself.

"Enjoying yourself, Mazaki?" He asked with a smirk.

She actually beamed at him. "Absolutely!" Her ponytail bounced with her exuberance. "It's been so long since I last skated that I forgot what it was like!" She stretched her arms over her head and arched her torso to stretch out her back. Seto briefly glanced away when he noticed the curves of her body accentuate with tension before relaxing again. She exhaled, "Although it's reminding me of how out of shape I am." She joked.

Mokuba immediately dismissed that. "You? Out of shape? You're joking right?" He glided over to her. "Not from what I felt, missy." He pinched her side and she let out a squeal. "That was muscle, not flab."

"No, that was one of my ribs!" She whined, covering her sides protectively. "Do that again, and I will bite you."

"Oh? Are you ticklish, Anzu?" Mokuba flexed his fingers teasingly and Anzu propelled herself backwards. Seto watched on in amusement.

"You better stay back!"

Mokuba looked like he struck gold. "You are!" He chased after her and she fled crying out.

Seto laughed inwardly and decided to go warm up as they chased each other around the rink. He was in the middle of his routine when he heard a loud squeal of protest and his brother calling out, "Seto! Help me grab her." He looked up to see Anzu struggling to get free of Mokuba's grasp, practically losing her balance in the process.

"Let me go!" She laughed through her struggles, which made her weak in her attempts to get free.

Seto rolled his eyes, "Finish what you started, Mokuba."

"Awww, come on!" Mokuba insisted as he reached for Anzu's other wrist. "She's actually pretty strong!"

"Good, that means she can take care of herself." He said as he finished his warm up. He glided over to the playful duo when Anzu decided to show Mokuba just how strong she could be and decided to pull him along as he held on to her wrist.

"Whoa hey!" He protested promptly letting go of her, not wanting to get dragged along. The sudden loss of weight sent Anzu flying forward towards the side of the rink uncontrollably; it was a head on collision with a loud thud and embarrassing crack against the ice.

At least, it would have been had a certain CEO not reacted as quickly as he did and grabbed her around her waist, holding her body close to slow her with his lack of momentum. He pressed his hand against the small of her back and supported her shoulders with this other hand. She had grabbed onto his shirt when flailing for something supportive to right herself with. "Are you all right, Mazaki?"

She looked up at him, not realizing she had shut her eyes when bracing for the impact. She looked up into his deep cobalt irises and saw the chiseled outline of his jaw and the perfect slope of his nose. His hair was slightly disheveled from the air pushing through his locks as he skated and she felt the heat of his chest through his shirt pushing into her hands. She felt his masculinity beneath her fingertips and felt her body temperature rise in response, her skin coming alive in a way she hadn't felt before.

She gulped and nodded, "Yeah. Th-thanks." She released her hold on him and he helped right her.

Seto, who had felt the dramatic curves of her body pressed tightly against him in that hold, merely grunted and nodded to acknowledge her gratitude. That tightness was in his throat again, but this time he felt that his entire body was on fire - a feeling he was unfamiliar with. The soft strength of her body ghosted against him like an intoxicating wine that his body wanted to drink in. She made him feel things he had never felt before.

He didn't like it.

Mokuba skated over to them. "Hey! Are you guys all right?"

Anzu and Seto looked at him, both with flushed and confused faces. "Yeah, I'm fine Mokuba." Anzu reassured him. "Your brother just surprised me; but he saved my face from pancaking into the wall." She smiled gratefully at him.

She really needed to stop smiling at him. "Yeah, well. I should have let you run into the wall so you would have learned your lesson." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his training pants. "Note to self, Mazaki: Newton's third law of motion. Try to pay attention in physics class next time."

Anzu scowled at him. "You don't have to be a jerk about it, Kaiba. I'm sincerely grateful that you helped me, and you just have to be obnoxious!"

"Hey, hey…" Mokuba raised his hands and intervened between the growing argument. "Try not to take it personally, Anzu. Remember that my brother lacks social skills." He smiled disarmingly at her, and she huffed. "And Seto, really?" His brother just turned away, completely unapologetic.

"Whatever." Anzu stated and decided to glide away.

Mokuba watched her go before turning to his brother with a frown. "Really, Seto?"

Seto didn't meet his gaze, but he knew Mokuba was looking at him with disapproval. "She was getting too close."

Mokuba let his words settle for a moment. "And?" He prodded further. "Is that a problem?"

Seto didn't answer, just clicked his tongue.

"Big brother; come on. It's okay to have that wall for everyone else, but when it's just us you can let it drop." Mokuba knew his brother was lonely; the problem was that his brother didn't know he was lonely. "Having a friend wouldn't hurt, would it?"

"I don't need friends, Mokuba." Seto retorted.

Mokuba sighed, crossing his arms. "I hate to break it to you, but yes, you do." Seto glanced at him in denial. "You said that you want to pass KaibaCorp on in the future. Something tells me that you won't be passing it on to me, and I'm fine with that. But, if you don't learn how to communicate and interact with others properly, how in the world are you going to pass this multi-billion dollar company on to an heir? Before you have an heir, Seto, you need a friend, first." Mokuba glided away after that, leaving his brother to his thoughts to join Anzu.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked her gently.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Anzu said quietly. "I just… I thought today was going rather well. I mean, I know we aren't friends, but after our conversation earlier I really felt that something had changed between us but I suppose I read too far into it." She sighed. "But what was I getting my hopes up for? It was my own stupid fault for thinking he might consider me trustworthy enough for that."

Mokuba didn't know what to say. He wanted to comfort her, but he could only make up for his brother so much. It really wasn't his place to try and convince her to see past his brother's flaws. Beneath the icy exterior really was a socially awkward, over intelligent teenager who felt more at home with numbers and formulas than emotions and people. Then again, he felt that Anzu already knew all that, so there really wasn't much to say.

So instead, he placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Just give him time."

Anzu smiled wryly at him. "I won't hold my breath."

Mokuba shrugged, "Fair enough."

"Do you guys have music you can play here? Not going to lie, the silence is kind of boring me." She laughed a bit, trying to lighten the mood.

He nodded. "We do actually. Here," he pulled out his phone. "The sound system is connected to an app on my phone. Play whatever you would like."

She smiled brightly at him. "Thanks!" She pulled up his media app and browsed the categories. She searched for something upbeat with a nice melody that she glided to. "Got it!"

"Awesome! Just let me adjust the volume a bit so it doesn't destroy our ears," he laughed. "Here we go." He hit play and the strings permeated the arena with gusto.

Anzu smiled from ear to ear, relishing in the music as it moved through her body. "Thanks, Mokuba." She breathed out and let the music carry her away on the ice. Mokuba watched as Anzu allowed herself to let go and forget about everything for a moment.

Seto started at the music and glided over to Mokuba as Anzu took off. "What is this?"

"A song Anzu chose. She said she was bored with the silence." Mokuba chuckled. "I honestly think she just needs to vent. She's too nice for her own good sometimes."

"She is?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Yes, she is, big brother. She wouldn't hurt a fly."

Seto snorted. "Yes she would."

"No she wouldn't."

He responded with a snip in his voice. "She slapped me across the face, Mokuba. Yes she would."

"She what?" Mokuba exclaimed, "What in the world did you say to her?!"

Seto was surprised that Mokuba immediately took her side. "What makes you think I provoked her?"

Mokuba glared at his brother with suspicious eyes. "Because we're talking about the woman who saved my life at the expense of her own. The woman who kept you from jumping off the side of a building despite your desperate need for victory. The woman who let me cry on her shoulder after I threw a punch at her at the park. What did you say to her?"

Seto scowled, averting his gaze. "Nothing that I haven't apologized to her for already."

"You… what?" Mokuba shook his head and cleared out his ears. "I'm sorry, I don't know if I heard that right. Could you please repeat that?"

"I don't repeat myself, Mokuba." Seto said.

Mokuba frowned, then smirked. "Fine." He turned and took a deep breath in, "Anzu!" catching the female's attention. "Got a question for you!"

Seto bristled, "What do you think you are doing?"

Mokuba ignored him as Anzu glided over to them. "Yes?"

"My brother here tells me he apologized to you over something. What was it?" Mokuba had a smirk on his face and Seto was looking somewhat distraught, in his own way.

Anzu examined their faces. "You mean earlier today?" She asked him, clarifying.

Seto looked at her then immediately glanced away. The reaction confused her even more. "No?" She thought back to the last time he "apologized" to her and- a deep scowl flashed over her face. "Oh, right. That." She approached him, staring directly into his face. "You just reminded me that I wanted to talk to you about that." She turned to Mokuba, "I'm sorry, but could you give your brother and I some space?"

Mokuba was stunned. She wanted to talk to him in private? "What in the-"

"Please?" She smiled sweetly, but urgently at him. Seto nodded in agreement.

He hesitated, but acquiesced. "Okay... Just, let me know when you're done, I guess." He glided away to give them space.

She turned back to Seto, who also had a firm expression set on his face. They exchanged hardened glares at each other, neither giving an inch.

"I still can't accept what you said as an apology, you know." She adjusted her posture to reflect the disapproval and agitation she felt. They may have had their own version of a heart-to-heart earlier that day, but it doesn't make up for what he said in the past. People could call her petty over it, she didn't care. It was an emotional time, her heart was breaking under the weight of her guilt, and his disrespect towards her mother hurt in more ways than just an insult. Granted, his own experiences with parents and guardians were quite different from her own, but he still understood the importance of, at the very least, decorum. He violated that and the hypocrisy is half of what bothered her - not to mention his sorry excuse of an apology, which was beyond revolting. Normally she could forgive it.

But not this time.

"Do you want to try again?" She said.

"I thought I made it clear that I do not repeat myself, Mazaki."

Her scowl deepened. "Really?" She closed the gap between them even more, her eyes ablaze with indignation. "You defame a woman you know nothing about based on gossip and then proceed to offer me a half-assed apology in her stead." She glared at him. "Tell me, would you speak that way about Mokuba if it happened to him?"

Seto felt a rage he didn't deserve to feel burn within his gut; but he remained silent. He would never allow someone to even so much as breathe disrespect towards his brother's direction. He understood her point. He truly did; but he already attempted to make amends and she threw it back at him with physical vengeance. He wronged her first, but she wronged him, too. "I already explained myself, Mazaki. Though I may have wronged you, it does not change that I already extended that olive branch."

They resumed glaring intently at each other, each contemplating their next move. Unfortunately, it would involve at least one of them swallowing their pride and while one was generally more inclined to do so, this rare instance sparked a decisive grudge against that.

They were at an impasse.

Anzu turned away. There was nothing left for them to say to each other. She started to leave. "He says you're too nice for your own good." She heard him and paused.

She kept her back towards him. "Does he now?"

"He seems to admire you."

"He looks up to you, though."

"He took your side on this without a second thought." He said bitterly. It wasn't as if Mokuba hadn't taken sides against him before. He had done so plenty of times, but this left him uncomfortable in a different way.

Anzu merely shrugged. "I don't think it's a matter of sides, Kaiba." She looked back over her shoulder at him. "Mokuba has a caring heart and he knows how crass you can be."

Seto bristled again. "I have never been crass in my life."

"It also means lack of sensitivity."

He clicked his tongue again. He wasn't a sensitive man. He wasn't a sentimental one either. In fact, he was quite certain he was a sociopath. So why was this whole event actually getting under his skin?

"I was honest with you. I did not have to apologize for what I said since you did not overhear me originally. Yet, I approached you. Whatever you feel would be appropriate is beyond what I feel is necessary."

She paused for a moment, mulling the thought over. He was right on that. He didn't have to reveal what he said. In fact, she was quite surprised that he did so she could give him that. But again, it just wasn't enough to satisfy. She was generally a very forgiving person, but she did have an edge to her. It took a lot to hit that edge, but it was there and he was one of two who had the misfortune of succeeding. She glanced at him over her shoulder, examining him. His guard was up, but he was being open with her. Still, that didn't mean that he would offer her a better apology. But, it didn't mean that she shouldn't.

"You're right." She faced him, looking him square in the eyes. He was taken aback by her, and was momentarily rendered speechless when she bowed. "I apologize. You came to me with the intent to clear air I was unaware of and yet I met your honestly with hostility. I was in a distraught state at the time, but that does not make hitting you okay. Thank you for considering me and I'm sorry for my reaction." She maintained her bow throughout her speech and did not raise her head at the end.

Seto regarded her as stocially as he could, but the slight twitch in his jaw made him avert his gaze. When she continued to not raise her head he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Raise your head, Mazaki. Stop that." She lifted her head and looked at him, her blue eyes much softer now. It made him want to squirm again - he was used to the scathing looks, not the soft ones. "And don't look at me like that!"

That caught her off guard. "Like what?" She asked.

He cleared his throat, finding his composure once again. "Forget it, it doesn't matter."

She looked at him strangely. "Okay, then…." She trailed off. The silence between them rang through the rink as the song that Anzu had chosen earlier died off long ago. Even the sounds of Mokuba's skates across the ice could no longer be heard and the two azure eyed brunettes stood awkwardly in front of each other.

Anzu shifted on her blades. "Well, if there's nothing left to say, I'll go join Mokuba."

He was relieved. The awkwardness was stifling and made him exceedingly uncomfortable. So when something in his head screamed wait, he found himself involuntarily grabbing her and unintentionally pulling her into him, his arms circling around her torso, and setting off that buzz in him again that was quickly becoming addictive.

Anzu gasped softly, feeling the warmth of his chest against her back and looked up at him in confusion. "Um…. yes?" The angle she had of him right then made her heart flutter in her chest and couldn't deny that she enjoyed what she saw. Not only did she feel him -warmth, strength, heartbeat- she noticed the scent of his cologne, the softness of his hair, and again that chiseled jaw. They were so close to each other, which was exceedingly odd. The first time was an accident; was this an accident, too?

Meanwhile, Seto was currently running a diagnostic test on the error that just went off in his head. He wanted her to leave, why did he stop her? He was always in control of himself, this was abnormal. It was wrong for him. He didn't want this.

Yet he couldn't deny that feeling her so close sent a rush through him that so far only duelling was able to provide. He felt her every pulse, breath, and even her heartbeat like this. He briefly mused over the idea of how much more of her he would feel if all of that were increased. And, in good old Freudian fashion, his mind went back to their conversation with Mokuba at the ice cream parlor and the quickest flash of her naked beneath him and completely entwined in the most intimate of ways shot through his mind.

It stung him and he released her as if he had thrown his hand on a burning stove. He had never felt such a rush, such agitation from something as simple as touch. His pulse pounded and his chest burned as heat seared underneath his skin. He felt as if he were on fire and he struggled. Struggled to banish those thoughts from his mind and struggled to even look at her directly. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, attempting to banish the lewd thoughts from his mind.

He cursed under his breath. What the hell was wrong with him?!

Meanwhile, Anzu, completely unaware of the torment that surged through Seto, looked on with ever growing confusion. The hug was an obvious, but he reached out to her which meant he was trying to stop her. If it wasn't for the slight momentum they wouldn't have collided like that. So, what was that about?

She turned and set a hand on her hip. "Um… Kaiba. You okay?"

No, he wasn't, of that he was sure. He was aware of everything about her, more than of anyone or anything before. It was a war between his mind and his body that he never wanted to admit to. He was Seto Kaiba. He was stronger than his basal instincts. He was successful, brilliant, and cold. He wouldn't be taken down by one girl and a surge of hormones.

He took a deep breath and scowled up at her. "I am fine. Forgive the misunderstanding and unintended contact."

Anzu deadpanned. "Uh-huh." She crossed her arms over her chest -which Seto found himself suddenly fighting to not gaze at the way her arms pressed up against herself- and continued. "Well? Did you have more to say?"

He cleared his throat, damning the sensations that were still coursing through his nerves. "Yes." No, I didn't. I haven't the faintest idea why I reacted so impulsively!

Anzu waited, noting that he seemed a bit strange, but it was probably just her misreading him. She seemed to have done that all day so she did her best to disregard his bizarre discomfort.

He steeled himself as she waited for him to continue. "Since we will be sharing the same," -bed- "roof I must insist that we keep this unpleasant atmosphere at bay."

She cocked an eyebrow. Since when did he care about the atmosphere? But, she rolled with it. "Okay…. What do you suggest to make the atmosphere more pleasant?"

An image of her naked, spread eagle, and calling his name assaulted him like a brick and he fought it off with a silent growl. "Your conditions."

She started slightly. "My conditions? For what specifically?"

Imagined moans and desperate pleas for sexual release rang in his ears and he cursed inwardly. "Accepting what I offered."

She looked at him with confusion then rolled her eyes. "You're asking what my conditions are to accept your apology?"

No! "Yes."

She felt herself scowl. He wanted her to just accept his apology despite the insincerity he offered her. Despite the insult and complete disregard of whom he was talking about? And he had no intention of repeating himself; he already made that clear. Even though she's willing to accept something different.

A different apology would work for her, but won't offer words any where close to resembling him repeating himself. But if it were under different circumstances, she would reconsider accepting his poorly proffered one.

Her scowl turned contemplative as she mulled over this prospect. Still, no matter how she looked at it, she couldn't accept an apology that abysmal unless it was from someone close to her. Like, Yuugi or Jounouchi. Her friends.

Oh. Oh what an idea!

She covered her mouth as a smirk and a chortle nearly escaped her. Wouldn't that be manipulative beyond belief. Accepting his apology only if he became her friend. A real friend.

The idea was absurd, trading an apology for friendship… but with a man like Seto, it just might actually work.

She cleared her throat, ready to answer when she saw the tormented look on Seto's face. "Okay, Kaiba, seriously, are you okay? You've been acting strangely for a while and I'm a little concerned." She carefully glided over to him to get a closer look. His jolt away from their accidental cuddle earlier sent him a good five feet back from her thanks to momentum. She reached out to touch his face.

He grabbed her hand to stop her from touching him with her noticeably soft and feminine hand, scowling deeper than he consciously intended. "I am fine; but please remember to keep an appropriate distance between us."

She huffed indignantly. "Right. I understand your need for space, but honestly that's going to actively work against you regarding my conditions."

He was slightly taken aback. "You have them already?"

"Of course. Though you shouldn't be surprised. I'm sure you have known me long enough to know what my 'conditions' are." She smiled at him expectantly; which brightened as he scowled in realization.

"How underhanded of you." She shrugged his insult off with simple acceptance.

"True. I won't deny that. But it's also honest. I would never accept such a poor excuse of an apology from anyone less than a friend." She added. "And even then, only certain friends get that kind of leeway."

That intrigued him a bit. "What do you mean by certain friends?"

She thought about that for a moment. If she were being completely honest with herself, would she even consider that apology from a friend?

From a friend who was socially awkward and judgmental beyond belief but was actually willing to admit that he was wrong?

She beamed brightly up at him. "A real friend, Kaiba. Someone you can honestly be yourself with no matter what. Comfortable, reliable, and caring." She placed her hand on his cheek. "And a bit touchy feely." She laughed.

He felt the heat from her hand as it sent sensations through his body and groaned. "You are incorrigible."

"But at least I'll never lead you astray." She winked at him and removed her hand.

Of that, he couldn't deny. Of everyone he has met in his life, she was one of the few he could place something resembling trust in. But what she was asking for might as well be the entire planetary system. "You are asking for the improbable."

"But not the impossible." She countered. "Look, I can't and don't expect you and I to become friends just like that." She said with a snap of her fingers. "But my conditions at least require you to try." She locked her gaze with his for the second time that day. "I don't deal with fake friends. I consider them worse than enemies. But if you want me to accept your apology, you need put forth the effort to convince me to do so. Otherwise we're just wasting our time."

He considered this and knew that he did not have to meet her conditions. It was entirely on her to accept his apology or not - he didn't have to go through this. But he was the one who asked for them in the first place. He could refuse and nothing would change from here; and truthfully he couldn't care less about the atmosphere between the two of them.

But if this morning was anything to learn from, it was hard on his brother and if he followed through with what he said about spending more time with Mokuba, that meant that he would automatically be spending more time with her. Which meant that he was going to have to put forth the effort anyway.

In that case, why not make this as profitable as possible.

"Very well." He said finally, and Anzu thought she was going to leap off her skates in triumph. "I will make an effort, as you have requested, however it will be within reason. I cannot give more than what I am capable of providing. What you see is what you get with me."

If he had meant to discourage her efforts he should have said something else; because Anzu smiled her brightest, most breathtaking smile ever and his heart came to a screeching halt. She glowed as she took his hands in hers. "Kaiba, that's all I've ever asked for!"