(A/N: I have writer's block for Part 03, so I took a temporary break because I wanted to write this scene really badly...)

"...Never have I ever... gotten drunk before?" Ashley asked tentatively. "I couldn't think of anything else..."

There was a slow pause before everyone except Steven raised their hands.

"What? I'm the only one besides Ashley who's never done that?" Steven asked, a little shocked.

"I'm surprised Seto's gotten drunk before," Mitch pointed out.

"Yeah, you don't seem like the type to drink..." Husky said.

"It was the first and last time I ever decided to drink alcohol," Seto admitted. "It's just not for me."

"I wonder what made you decide to never drink again," Jerome said, grinning. "Did you do something extremely embarrassing?"

Seto felt his face flush red. "N-No! I don't even remember what I did, and that was the problem! I also felt really crappy afterwards when I woke up with a hangover..."

~~~

20-year-old Seto stared at the glass shot in his hands, struggling not to cringe at the bitter smell wafting from the clear liquid. The night club was filled with chatter and occasional laughter.

"You sure you want to do this?" Sky asked, sitting next to Seto and staring at him with a rather concerned expression. "I mean, you usually just ask for a soda... or water..."

"I'm just curious," Seto replied, swirling the drink around as he continued to stare at it. "It's just alcohol... Fermented starches... It's not like it can hurt me. Trying it once won't hurt."

"Well yeah, it won't, but... why the sudden change of mind today?"

Seto pursed his lips. "I'm just curious," he repeated with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

Sky grinned. "Well, I think just a little bit should be enough, since it's your first time drinking. Uh... It might burn a little. Take it slow, don't drink too much. You don't want to start throwing up all over the place."

"Wasn't planning to," Seto muttered.

"Wait, what are you drinking?"

"What you drank last time. Vodka. I thought it would be a good drink to start with," Seto replied, raising the glass to his lips.

Sky's eyes widened in horror. "W-WAIT-"

Hearing the warning too late, Seto immediately tipped the contents into his mouth. He started coughing violently almost as soon as the drink hit his throat. It burned, burned worse than Seto had imagined it would.

Sky snatched the shot glass from him and patted his back. "Oh my god Seto, that's hard liquor! That's not something for first-time drinkers!"

A random man sitting near them burst into uproarious laughter. "Oh come on, the first time I drank, I drank lots of vodka!"

Sky glared at him before turning back to Seto. "You all right?"

"Yeah- Yeah I-" Seto hacked. "I'm- I'm good- I'm fine..."

Sky moved the shot glass away. "Why don't we try something less... hard. Like a martini-"

"No- No I-" Seto coughed a little. "I've had enough."

Sky stared at him and Seto wondered if he was judging him. "Oh, okay then. You want me to stick around, or-"

"No, no, it's fine."

"All right..." His golden eyes suddenly darted to the door and lit up with excitement. "She's here!" Sky whispered.

"Who's here?" Seto asked, looking at the bar entrance. He saw a group of women walk into the bar, recognizing one in particular due to her distinctive red hair.

Oh. Of course.

"If you'll... excuse me..." Sky muttered mostly to himself as he slid off the bar seat and sauntered over to the group. "Hey! Alesa!"

Seto watched him go, expression unreadable, before turning back to the bar stand.

"Hey, sorcerer!" the bartender said, walking over to him. "How was that vodka?"

"It, uh, burned," Seto said, grimacing.

"Oh geez, was that your first time?" the bartender asked, laughing.

"Yeah."

"Well, could I satisfy you for the usual glass of soda?"

"Sure." Seto began to pull out his pouch of emerald coins, but stopped. "Actually... Could I have another shot?"

"Of vodka?" the bartender asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah," Seto said, pulling out the money.

"Okay..." The bartender took out a bottle of vodka and poured him a shot.

"Uh, just... give me the whole bottle, I'll pour it myself."

The bartender set the bottle down and left to attend to other customers.

Seto stared at the shot in his hand before taking a swig. The burning sensation returned in full force, but he choked it down. He could handle this! He could show Sky he wasn't weak!

Seto paused for a moment to calm himself down before pouring the bottle's contents into the glass and taking another shot. He was getting used to the burning feeling, and in fact it actually felt strangely pleasant.

He was onto his fifth shot when a pink-haired man took the seat to the right. "Yooo, Seto!"

"Hey Kyle..." Seto said, not really paying attention to him. "Are... Brice and Ty here too...?"

"Yep!" Brice said as he and Ty sat down to his left. "I see Sky found Alesa..."

"Uh huh..."

"So how's everything going- Oh my god Seto, are you drinking?" Ty asked, his red eyes widening with shock.

"Yeah?" Seto replied, pouring himself yet another shot and taking a swig.

"Oh shit, I didn't even notice!" Kyle exclaimed. "Is that vodka?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh... How many shots have you had so far?" Brice asked, concerned.

"I don't know..." Seto replied without thinking as he reached for the bottle again.

"Dude, you're drinking too fast," Ty said. "You're gonna start getting sick at this rate."

"I feel fine..." Seto said as he struggled to grip the bottle firmly without dropping it.

"Yeah, that's because it hasn't kicked in yet," Kyle muttered.

Brice snatched the shot from Seto's hand. "I think you've had enough."

"N-No Brice... I'm fine..." Seto slurred.

"Oh shit, it's already starting," Ty cursed. "Maybe you should drink some water, that would help-"

"I'm fffIIINNNEEE..." Seto repeated, reaching for the bottle. He tried to lift it up but it slipped from his fingers. Fortunately it didn't tip over or break, it just landed on the counter with a loud thud.

"You're totally wasted," Kyle said. "If only we came earlier... You're gonna have one hell of a hangover..."

Seto turned around and tried to find Sky. His vision was swimming and he blinked over and over again. "Where's Sky?"

"He's on the dance floor," Brice replied. "You need some water?"

Seto looked at the dance floor and saw Sky dancing with Alesa to some kind of pop tune. Sky was a horrible dancer, but so was Alesa, and they were both laughing without a care at all. They were stumbling over each other's feet but that just seemed to make them laugh harder, the rest of world seemed to have faded away for them because they were lost in each other, drunk with the other's mere presence. Sky looked so happy with her, his crush...

Seto's stomach twisted.

"Hey. Hey. Seto. Earth to Seto." Seto realized that someone was snapping their fingers in front of his face and flinched.

Brice was holding a water bottle. "Here, drink some."

Seto shook his head. "I want vod... vodk... vodka..."

"This is vodka," Brice lied. "Come on, drink up."

Seto gripped the bottle shakily and took a swig. He was so intoxicated, he didn't notice the difference. He did, however, notice the trio mutter to each other with hushed, worried voices. "Wh... What're you talking about..."

"Hey, Seto... Is everything all right?" Ty asked.

"Yeah, 'm totally fine..." Seto mumbled before drinking more "vodka".

"Why'd you decide to get wasted all of a sudden?" Kyle asked. "It's not like you."

"Huh? Isn't that a good thing?"

Brice raised an eyebrow. "What's a good thing?"

"Not being me."

The trio looked at each other before looking back. "Could you elaborate?" Ty asked.

Seto stared forlornly into space. "I mean I'm the one who's always acting antisocial and awkward ya'know? And- And I figured it was time I stopped being a fucking weirdo and just start being normal like everybody else- So- I mean sure the vodka hurts like hell but it's fine I can totally handle it like everybody else can-" Seto burst into a coughing fit and gulped down more water.

There was a horrified silence.

"Seto..." Kyle said sympathetically, trailing off.

"Look man, you don't have to be 'normal', okay. No one's really 'normal', everyone's got their own weird habits," Brice said. "I mean, sure you could be a little less reclusive, but... You shouldn't force yourself like this."

Seto pointedly ignored Brice and turned back to the dance floor. Sky and Alesa were gone, but he found them sitting at a nearby table by themselves. Sky was chatting animatically, making exaggerated hand gestures as he told a funny story or joke. Alesa was giggling.

"Seto? How are you feeling now?" Kyle asked tentatively.

"Huh...? Oh... Fine..."

Alesa suddenly laced her fingers with Sky's and pecked Sky with her lips on his cheek, making Sky flush with flustered embarrassment.

"Need more wat- I mean, vodka?" Ty asked, gesturing to the bottle still in Seto's hand.

Seto's arm trembled as he placed the bottle back on the counter. "I need to pee," he said rather bluntly.

"Oh. Okay. Need anyone to go with you?" Brice asked.

Seto shook his head. "'M fine." He slid off the stool and stumbled for a moment before staggering towards the restroom. His face felt kind of numb and the bar seemed to spin around him.

He was almost there when he tripped over something, probably his own feet. He would have fallen had someone not caught him. "Woah there..." the man said, laughing as he wrapped his hand around Seto's waist. "Looks like someone's had too much to drink. Here, let me help you get some fresh air."

Before Seto could react, the man was dragging him away. Seto started to struggle weakly. "N-No... I don't wanna..."

The man, who was holding him very tightly, opened a door that led to the back alley. He shut the door behind them and shoved Seto forward. Seto cried out with pain as he landed on the ground. "I found one," the man said, stepping forward.

There were four other men standing there with dark clothes on. "You sure he won't fight back? He looks like a sorcerer, judging by the clothes," someone noted.

The man grinned, and although Seto couldn't see his face clearly he could see his gold tooth that glinted in the dim moonlight. "Alcohol works wonders."

The men crowded around Seto, who started to crawl away in a feeble attempt to escape. "Don't- get away-"

One man with curly red hair grabbed his hood and pulled it. Seto shrieked as he tried to cover his head, now exposed for everyone to see. "Huh. He's got a scar at the oddest place..."

"Shut up and don't get distracted. We need to do this quickly," another man reprimanded as he reached into Seto's pocket and pulled out his sack of emerald coins. The man's eyes gleamed with triumph. "Ooh, he's got quite a bit..."

Seto keened as he reached for the bag. "Give- Give it back-!"

The man pocketed the sack. "No, we're keeping this, don't mind me...

Gold Tooth grabbed the bottom fringe of Seto's cloak. "Help me get this stupid thing off him."

Seto writhed desperately as he was pinned down. "No- No stop- Stop- Stop please- Stop!" he pleaded. He tried to fight back using his magic, but nothing seemed to work. The most he could muster was a few pathetic sparks from his fingers. "Stop! Stop!" he begged loudly until someone with a sapphire-studded ring decked him in the face, leaving a stinging bruise.

They forced the cloak off of him and discarded it unceremoniously to the side. Seto, who was now only wearing a white T-shirt and blue shorts, shivered as his bare skin felt the cold night breeze. He instinctively covered himself with his arms, trying to hide himself from the roaming eyes of the men. "Don't- Don't look at me-!" he shrieked. He was hyperventilating now, adrenaline joining the alcohol in his veins as his mind swirled with panic.

"Oh come on, no cellphone?" Red Hair complained. "Dammit, you should've found someone else..."

Gold Tooth looked furious. "Come on, do a full body search! A sorcerer like him should be hiding something valuable! They always do!"

"Sky! Sky help! Sky!" Seto shouted frantically, thrashing wildly.

"Shut up or you'll get hit again!" a man with a long, jagged scar on his arm ordered.

The men started searching him, feeling everywhere despite Seto's squirms of discomfort at every touch.  Seto started to cry, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed inconsolably. "'M- 'm sorry- Master- Master I'm sorry..."

"The hell is he talking about?" Sack Stealer muttered.

"M-Master- Master please- Don't hurt me- Please say I passed- Please say I passed the physical- Please say the doctor passed me- Please say I'm healthy enough to keep..." Seto mumbled almost incoherently.

Sapphire Ring pulled off his boots, dumping them upside-down. "Hey, here's something!" he said when a pocket knife fell out. "Hmm, I wonder if this does anything magical..."

Seto's face was scrunched up and blotchy with flushed tears. "Don't... hurt me..." he whispered, shuddering with each terrified sob. "I'm sorry... Master..."

"That's all he has," Scarred Arm said, standing up. "Only a sack of emerald coins and a pocket knife, huh?"

"Man, that's disappointing..." Red Hair lamented.

"Well, there was quite a lot of money in the pouch, right?" Sapphire Ring said with some optimism.

Gold Tooth glared daggers at Seto. "You wasted our time..." he hissed.

Seto flinched and let out a whimper of shame. "'M sorry Master..." he repeated for the umpteenth time.

"You wasted our time!" Gold Tooth shouted, grabbing Seto by his brown hair and pulling him closer.

Seto shrieked with pain and went limp in his hands, paralyzed with fear. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Scarred Arm stepped forward. "Cut it out, he's drunk out of his mind. Plus we need to leave or someone'll catch us."

Gold Tooth pushed him away before shoving Seto to the back wall. Seto whimpered and pressed himself against the wall, cowering. He couldn't do anything before Gold Tooth started kicking him and punching him relentlessly, raining blows on him as he shouted with fury. The pain was blinding and Seto couldn't stop screaming. His muscles wouldn't respond, wouldn't shield himself properly.

Help... Someone... Please...

Suddenly Gold Tooth stopped beating him up and whirled around. "Wh-What the-"

"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF HIM!!!"

Seto looked up at the open door with bleary eyes and vaguely saw...

"...Sky?" he asked weakly.

Sky dove from the steps and tackled Red Hair to the ground before punching his face over and over again. Red Hair let out undignified wails of pain as he struggled desperately. Finally, Red Hair managed to push Sky off and leap to his feet. "I'M OUT!!! I'M OUT!!!" Red Hair shrieked before fleeing the scene by leaping over the wooden fence blocking the alley from the street.

Scarred Arm cracked his knuckles before running at Sky, but was stopped when Kyle hurled a wooden chair at him. Scarred Arm howled as the chair shattered into fragmented, splintered pieces against him as he crumbled to the floor. Kyle grabbed the largest piece of the chair that had remained intact and smacked him in the head, knocking him out.

"I know the pink hair and clothes don't make me look menacing, but mess with my friends and you'll have hell to pay," Kyle threatened.

Ty joined them in the alleyway. "Anyone else I can beat up?" Ty asked, perhaps a little too hopefully.

Sack Stealer let out a snarl as he charged at Ty with his fists. Ty ducked and aimed a precise, forceful kick to his crotch. Sack Stealer's eyes bulged as he squealed with pain, falling to his knees. "Fine! Fine you can have his money back!" Sack Stealer shrieked with a high-pitched voice as he hurled the sack of coins into Ty's arms.

Ty caught it and stared at it with confusion before realization crossed his face. "You... were mugging him?" he asked, anger sparking in his voice. Sky and Kyle glared at the man, and if looks could kill he would be dead.

"What else did you take from him?!" Kyle shouted, uncharacteristically furious.

"THIS!" Sapphire Ring shouted as he whipped out the pocket knife and pointed it at them. "Now, if you guys just back off, no one else needs to get hurt! Capiche?"

"Capiche my fucking ass," someone said with scathing spite. Sapphire Ring didn't have time to react before Brice leapt into the alleyway and launched blue volts of magical electricity at him. Sapphire Ring jerked violently, his knees buckling under his weight before fainting. The golden-haired sorcerer stood over the unconscious man, blowing smoke from his fingers before picking up Seto's pocket knife. "I'd say a pun like usual, but I'm too fucking pissed off," Brice muttered vehemently, curling his hands tightly. "You all are fucking cowards..."

Sky, Kyle, Ty, and Brice all stood together and turned to Gold Tooth. Gold Tooth immediately hauled Seto to his feet, wrapped his arm around his neck, and pressed a gun to the side of his head. Seto clutched at the arm pinning him to Gold Tooth's chest, whimpering. "If you don't want to see your friend get a bullet through his pretty little head, you'll stay right where you are," Gold Tooth menaced with a low voice.

The four of them stopped and stared at Seto in horror. Seto continued to draw in shaky, frantic breaths as tiny, choked sobs escaped his throat. "Sky- Sky help- Please-" he babbled, tears shining in the moonlight as they streamed down his face.

"Shut up!" Gold Tooth ordered, pressing the barrel of the gun against Seto's head until the sorcerer cried out in pain and went silent. Seto's heart raced madly against his ribcage as he shivered from the cold and his terror.

"Let go of him!" Sky shouted.

"Oh, I will all right! You just need to... cooperate." The last word seemed deadly.

"What do you want?!" Brice demanded.

"It's simple. You'll let me pass, and once I've passed through I'll let go of your friend and climb the fence. When the police arrive, as I'm sure you've already called them, you'll only tell them about the people here."

"Wh-What-? What about me?" Sack Stealer asked, bewildered.

"It was nice working with you, now shut up." Gold Tooth turned back to the group. "Well? Was that clear? If any of you try to attack me while I'm walking past..." Gold Tooth cocked the gun right by Seto's head, the sound echoing in the dark alleyway. Seto whimpered and shut his eyes tightly. "...Your friend here will get his brains splattered on the wall. It would make a nice addition to the graffiti here, don't you think?" Gold Tooth laughed uproariously.

The group had no choice but to nod in unison. Seto's safety was far more important anyway.

"You're a fucking sick, sadistic coward," Ty hissed, glaring at him.

Gold Tooth grinned, revealing his shiny incisor proudly. "Don't care. Now move out of the way."

The group stepped to the side opposite the bar, letting him pass. Gold Tooth dragged Seto along, keeping the gun pressed firmly against his head as he eyed the four of them, daring them to try and stop him. Then he stepped in front of the door and Seto winced as he heard the loud sound of shattering glass. Gold Tooth screamed and dropped the gun and Seto, who fell like a lifeless sack of potatoes to the ground. "WHAT THE FUCK???!!!" Gold Tooth screeched in pain as he hunched over and clutched his now-bleeding head, staggering aimlessly. "AAAGGGHHH!!!"

Seto saw the remains of a beer glass scattered all over the floor and weakly turned his head to see Alesa standing in the doorway. Alesa's red high heels cracked against the pavement as she walked down the steps and picked up the gun. "I'll be taking that..." she said, pointing the gun at Gold Tooth, who was groaning with agony.

"N-Nice throw, Alesa," Sky complimented, his face pale with fright.

"Thanks. I didn't want to let him get away after what he did to poor Seto..." Alesa murmured.

"Are the police almost here?" Kyle asked.

Alesa nodded. "Yep, probably in a few minutes."

"S-Sky?" Seto asked feebly, trying to reach out to him. "Sky..."

Sky knelt down beside him and pulled him up into a kneeling position. "I'm right here Seto, I'm right here, you're okay now..."

Seto's face twisted with anguish as he suddenly hugged him tightly, bursting into noisy sobs.

"How badly are you hurt?" Sky asked. "Seto?"

"'M- 'M fine now..." Seto mumbled as he clung onto him even tighter, burying his face into Sky's shoulder. "Th- Th- Th- Thank you... Thank you everyone... I was so scared..."

If Seto was sober, he wouldn't be acting so emotionally hysterical. Knowing this, Sky patted his head comfortingly. "Shh, it's okay, you're safe now..."

"I should have noticed something earlier..." Ty said quietly, staring at the ground with remorse. "He was gone for too long..."

"No, it's my fault," Brice murmured. "I was stupid not to insist on going with him."

"No, I'm the stupid one," Kyle moaned. "I had a bad feeling but I didn't listen to it sooner..."

"Guys, stop it," Alesa said. "You guys saved him in the end, and that's what matters."

Seto kept holding onto Sky as though his life depended on it. Perhaps, in that moment, it did.

~~~

The police soon arrived and arrested the muggers. Red Hair managed to escape, but the police knew his identity because the rest of the gang had ratted him out. They'd asked Sky, Brice, Kyle, Ty, and Alesa a few questions but there wasn't much else that could be said. It was too late to take Seto home, so that was how Sky found himself driving a still-drunk Seto back to his apartment.

"You doing okay?" Sky asked, looking at Seto in the passenger seat.

"Y-Yeah..." Seto replied, his eyes already half-lidded with drowsiness. "'M doing a lot better..."

Sky frowned and turned back to face the road. He could talk to Seto in the morning, when he was sober, or he could talk to him right now. The problem with the first option was that Seto had never been one to talk. Sky still knew so little about Seto's internal mindset and his past...

He didn't even know his last name for God's sake.

All he knew was that Seto was probably an orphan and that he was probably abused at some point. He had depression and anxiety, didn't like much social interaction, and used to...

Sky's eyes widened. "Seto?"

"H-Huh...?"

"Can I... see your arm?"

"Uh... I don't..."

Sky stopped at a red light and turned to Seto. "Give me your arm."

"Y-Y-You want me to tear it off?" Seto asked, alarmed. "I- I can't do that!"

Sky sighed and grabbed his left hand. "I just want to see something."

Seto began to squirm in his seat. "N-No-! Don't rip my arm off!"

Sky placed a hand on his shoulder to still him. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to see something."

A different sort of panic filled Seto's eyes. "There- There's nothing to see!"

Sky slowly pushed up Seto's sleeve despite his cries of protest. He noticed that the marks there were quite faded, they probably wouldn't noticeable if it weren't for the fact that Seto's skin was paler than most people's. Sky breathed a sigh of relief at first, but then he saw them.

Three thin red marks stood out near the crook of Seto's elbow.

Sky sucked in a sharp breath and stared, horrified. Seto started making distressed sounds. "S-Sky..."

"Seto, you-"

"Green... It's green..."

"What?"

A loud honk from the car behind them startled Sky from his thoughts and he looked back to see that the light had indeed turned green. Sky let go of Seto's arm and started driving. It was difficult to concentrate after what he had just seen, however...

~~~

After struggling for about 10 minutes to get Seto up the apartment stairs, Sky finally got him inside his room. Seto stumbled to the bed and plopped down on it, mumbling incoherent words into the mattress.

"...Seto?" Sky asked quietly, sitting down in front of him.

Seto managed to get himself in a sitting position. "What?"

"...Why did you start cutting yourself again?"

"H-Huh? I didn't... No I didn't..."

"I saw them," Sky said. "You can't lie to me, Seto."

"I... It was an accident, I was chopping carrots and I-"

"You 'accidentally' cut yourself near the inside of your elbow."

Seto's eyes filled with tears. "'M- 'M sorry Sky- I broke my streak this morning..."

"...It's okay. I know that feeling."

Seto stared forlornly down at his lap. "It... It just happened..."

Sky chose his next words carefully. "Seto... Brice, Kyle, and Ty said that you were forcing yourself to drink vodka. They said... you were trying to seem 'normal' and stop being 'weird'."

Seto didn't respond.

"Why... Why is that bothering you so much lately?"

Seto tentatively grabbed Sky's hand and stared at it with his bloodshot eyes for a few moments, gently rubbing his thumb over the calluses on this palm with an almost pining expression. Then, with the caution of one who is treading on thin ice, he laced their fingers together. Seto's hand shook as he held Sky's hand tightly, not wanting to let go. Seto breathed heavily as he stared at their hands with a mixture between awe and... heartbreak?

Sky was too bewildered to speak or stop him. Okay, Seto is probably too drunk to think properly.

Seto then leaned forward, his lips delicately pressing against Sky's cheek when Sky flinched with surprise and finally pushed him away, letting go of his hand. "Uh... Er... Seto?" Sky said, laughing uncomfortably. This is really awkward...

"I don't know what I was thinking..." Seto mumbled. "It's not like you're ever going to like someone like me back..."

Sky was at a total loss for words, unsure of what to make of the whole situation. 

Seto's eyes slid shut. "'M sorry... I just... thought there was a chance... for some reason..."

Sky stared at Seto, realizing that this confession sounded too genuine to be the result of an alcohol-intoxicated mind. Lacing their fingers together, kissing his cheek... That's what Alesa had done after he'd confessed to her, right? Had Seto seen her do that? He must have... "...W-Wait... are you serious? You... like me? Romantically?"

Seto burst into tears and nodded. "Sorry... 'M really sorry..."

There were too many questions spinning around in Sky's head. He felt dizzy. Seto liked him, and that's why he'd started cutting again. What was he supposed to do to fix this? How could he help Seto when he was part of the problem? Sky forced himself to calm down. "...Why are you sorry?"

Shuddering sobs shook Seto's whole body as he cried. "I'm- I'm not good enough for you..."

"...Not good enough... What?"

Seto hiccupped and started babbling, unable to stop. "I'm- I'm so disgusting- I'm trash- c-compared to you- I mean- You're so nice and funny and popular and I'm just a weird loner- And I don't know why you ever wanted to become friends with someone like me but now I just ruined it because I did something really stupid and overstepped my boundaries and you probably hate my guts now and- and-

"Seto."

"I'll go- I'll go home now, I won't bother you again I promise I won't, you won't ever have to deal with me ever again- You won't ever have to see my disgusting face ever again- I'll make sure of that I promise-" Seto tried to crawl off the bed but Sky held him back.

"Seto! Stop it!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!!!" Seto shrieked, covering himself with raised arms. "Don't hurt me!"

"Don't hurt you?" Sky asked, stunned. "Why would I hurt you?"

"Y-Y-You're so nice... Why are you still so nice to me...?" Seto whispered before sobbing again, still shielding himself with his arms.

Sky bit his lip and tried to pull Seto's arms away. "Seto. Seto, look at me."

Seto shook his head and stubbornly kept his arms where they were, ashamed. "I'm sorry..."

Sky slowly pulled him into a hug and rubbed comforting circles on his back to soothe him. Seto's sobs eventually died down to soft whimpers and he relaxed in Sky's embrace.

"Y-You don't... like me back... right?" Seto asked quietly.

"...I can't lie to you, I don't. I never saw you that way."

"I knew it..." Seto said sorrowfully. "You hate me..."

"No, that's not true. I like you, but as a friend."

Seto shook his head. "You're just saying that because you're nice..."

"Then why did I help save you from those assholes earlier?"

Seto paused. "That was before you knew..."

"No, even now I still want us to be friends."

"Wh-Why? Why don't you hate me? I don't understand! Why do you still- still deal with someone like me?!" Seto shrieked.

"Stop putting yourself down like this. Look, you've got your own merits, okay? You're smart, kind... I don't love you romantically but I still care about you. We all do."

"We?"

"The rest of our friends. Brice, Kyle, and Ty... Even Alesa cares about you. Don't... think that romantic love is somehow more important than friendship, it's not." Sky laughed bitterly. "If my previous relationship with Dawn taught me one thing, it's that."

Seto didn't say a word, but he nodded slowly.

Sky stared at the wall, wondering what else to say. He could tell that Seto was starting to fall asleep, but selfish curiosity gnawed at him. Now that Seto was drunk, he would more readily tell him anything... "Seto? Can I ask you something?"

"Huh? Yeah..."

"Where... are your parents?"

"...Dead."

So Sky had been right. "Um... How?"

"...My fault."

"What?"

"Mommy died when I was born..."

Sky bit his lip, pity washing over him. "That's not your fault, that kind of stuff just... happens."

Seto shook his head tearfully. "Shouldn't have existed..."

"Seto, that's not true."

Seto didn't reply.

"What... about your father?"

"...My fault."

"How?"

Seto only shook his head repeatedly. "My fault... All my fault... My fault... He hated me... Ruined his life..."

"That's not true either. Did he abuse you or something?"

"No... I deserved it..."

Sky felt anger burn in his stomach. "What kind of father does that to his own son?"

"He didn't abuse me! He didn't, I swear he-" Seto burst into sobs of anguish. "I'm sorry Daddy! Don't hate me!"

Sky felt horrible. What business did he have to pry into Seto's private, personal information like this just to satisfy his own curiosity? Now he'd probably triggered something... "I'm- Oh god Seto I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked..."

"'S... 'S okay..." Seto slurred, closing his eyes. "'S okay now... 'M better now... with friends..."

Sky dutifully held him for awhile until he realized that Seto had finally fallen asleep.

~~~

The first thing Seto thought when he opened his eyes was Oh god I need to puke real bad. So he did, right into a trash can that had been aptly placed right next to the bed. Seto heaved and retched until he felt hollow inside. He panted, struggling to comprehend what was going on.

Sky walked in. "Oh, you're finally awake."

"...Sky?" Seto asked hoarsely. He cleared his throat. "Ugh, what... what's going on?"

"...How much do you remember?"

Seto paused to ponder his question. "Um... I was in the bar... You were there... You left because you saw Alesa... And then... Then..." Seto clutched his aching, throbbing head and fought the urge to vomit again. "I don't remember after that..."

"...Oh. Well you got really drunk."

Seto's eyes widened. "I did?"

"Yeah. Brice, Kyle, Ty and I helped get you back."

"I remember... they were there... I saw them at some point..."

"Why don't you stop thinking about that, it's not important. Alcohol just does that to your brain when you drink too much."

"Yeah..." Seto frowned. "Did I... say anything weird?"

"...No, not at all. You mostly just... stumbled around until I took you back to my apartment, then you passed out."

Seto looked immensely relieved. "Okay, that's good. I didn't embarrass myself. But... I think that's gonna be the last time I ever drink... Oh god, hold on." Seto grabbed the trash can and held it in front of him as he puked  into it.

"You need water?" Sky asked, holding a glass to him.

Seto nodded, slightly flustered. "Yeah, thanks." Seto sipped the water and took deep breaths. "You know, Sky?"

"What?"

"My body might feel terrible right now, but strangely enough I feel pretty good... Weird, huh? I'm not complaining, but... Anyway, can you thank Brice, Kyle, and Ty for me?"

"Thank them for what?"

Seto paused. "Thank them, for... taking care of me. When I was drunk. I don't know, I just want to thank them. And Alesa too, I... think she was there as well."

Sky grinned. "I'll do that."

"Thanks. You're a good... friend. Yeah, friend. I'm... glad to have all of you... as friends." Seto smiled to himself. Although he was unable to remember or fully understand why, he finally felt emotionally at peace.