Notes: This is for the zexal AU meme, although it's not AU-ish at all (it's an AU in which Kaito acts like he's actually 18 years old).

Hints of stolenshipping and KaiRio/Diamondshipping. I also wrote this before sunday happened, so~ enjoy your ridiculous middle schoolers and your ridiculous Kaito to remember when zexal was cute and adorable.

Clearing your debt

Talking to Rio Kamishiro was really exhausting, Kaito noticed.

Since she left the hospital, it was hard to see Ryoga without her by his side, which was in fact totally okay for him. Seriously, he never cared about any of Yuma's friends, couldn't remember their names, because Yuma seemed to have a lot of friends, but Ryoga was an exception to the rule, because they dueled, and he kind of stole his soul back then, but, hey, he gave it back, so they were even again, but then, Ryoga saved his life with that Kotori girl, who was another exception to the rule, and Kaito hasn't gotten a chance to clear his debt yet. He didn't say "thanks", but he knew he was in Ryoga's debt and Kaito hated being in someone's debt, he'd rather die than let anyone help him, and that anyone being Kamishiro Ryoga of all people made it even worse.

Which was the reason he told Orbital to keep an eye not only on Yuma but also on Ryoga, while he was researching about the Barians, so he would be able to clear his debt as soon as possible. Their lives have gotten pretty un-dangerous, now, they had to face some duelists, but they were weak enough for both of them to handle on their own without his help, so he stayed back and watched recordings of the duels Orbital on the screen in the Heartland Tower. He also meet Ryoga and Yuma from time to time, mostly at Yuma's home because Yuma was the thing that connected them with Astral and the Barians, and he was the one connecting Kaito and Ryoga with each other ever since the first time they met. Sometimes Kotori was there, too, and lately Rio started coming as well, because she probably thought they needed he help, or whatever her reason was, and while Kaito was Astral and Yuma's friend, didn't really mind Ryoga's presence for most of the time and knew Kotori and Yuma were pretty much inseparable, but Rio was different.

It turned out that talking to her was exhausting, Kaito noticed. She was a lot like Ryoga, which was not a real surprise, they were twins after all, but she tended to behave like Ryoga did when he was about to do something stupid without thinking, but the thing was she was like this almost always, responding with that mocking smile and that stupid "don't tell me your afraid, Tenjo-kun" whenever he told her how reckless and silly her plans were. It started to get really exhausting to spend his time with these kids and he thanked God that Astral was there, too, telling them it would be better to think through their plans and luckily, Rio wasn't always there so the three of them (three because Astral tended to disappear into the key more often lately) could have some time on their own to discuss everything that has happened and what they wanted to do.

On one of these days, when it was only him and Yuma and Ryoga and there hasn't been any kind hints for a Barian attack recently, so they were just siting around together, talking about rather meaningless things, although in their case, 'talking' translated into Yuma speaking while he and Ryoga listened, even though Ryoga obviously wasn't listening at all today, just nodded sometimes looking through the window. While it took Kaito three seconds to notice, Yuma needed some more time, but he eventually figured it out as well.

"What's troubling you, Shark?", he asked, looking at him with an honestly worried expression, but Ryoga didn't notice it. When Yuma repeated his question, he winced. Then he turned his head to Yuma and blinked a few times, as if he just realized he was there.

"It's just about Rio, nothing important, really." which was not the answer Kaito expected from Ryoga, he thought Ryoga would have told him to stay out of his business or something like that, and Ryoga would have said that to everyone but Yuma, he figured out by the way Ryoga's voice got soft when he talked to Yuma, similar to what Kaito's did when he spoke to Haruto. And while he couldn't care less about whatever was wrong with Ryoga's sister, he knew Yuma wasn't satisfied with such a response. So Yuma asked again.

"And what's wrong with your sister? I thought she was finally okay again and she looked okay today at school. What's wrong with her, Shaaaku?"

Shark glared at Kaito and he just shrugged and Shark sighed, knowing that Yuma wouldn't rest until he found out what was wrong and that it as probably easier to tell him right now, although he didn't like the fact Kaito was there.

"Nothing serious, she's fine, okay? It's just... there tend to arrive lots of letters for her, recently, and we don't know who the hell sends them, but she actually thinks they're cute while it's actually really creepy and now she's trying to find out who's sending them."

"What's so bad about that? I think it's nice that your sister found some friends, now that she's finally out of hospital." When Shark bit his lip, curiously examining the ground with his eyes, while Yuma honestly didn't seem to get the problem.

"Yuma, I think his sister is getting love letters and he's worried it might be some crazy pervert sending them, right?" Kaito pointed out, with a little bit more annoyance in his voice than usually, because seriously, Ryoga usually wasn't this stupid, what was wrong with him. And Ryoga's cheeks turn a little bit red at his comment and he glared at him again, the it's-not-your-buisness-so-get-out-glare he almost always used when they were with Yuma.

It didn't seem like Yuma noticed the building tension between them, as he jumped on his feet, smiling just like he had a plan to help Shark, and Kaito sighed. God, were they really serious about this, he couldn't remember having such problems himself when he was in their age.

"Nee-chan told me, that all letters are sent to the Heartland Tower and from there they get delivered to each household." Yuma was basically jumping up and down from his excitement, smiling at Kaito and Kaito could already tell where tell this was going... why was he wasting his time with these kids again?

So in the end, after Yuma fixed him with his big, puppy-like stare and Ryoga reminded him about the I saved your life back then so you owe me, they agree that it'd be the best, if Kaito just tried to find out who sent these letters. Which apparently sounded easier than it actually was, because it turned out that there weren't any letters delivered to the Kamishiro household since months, so the sender most likely brought the letters there himself.

Since Kaito knew Ryoga and Yuma, knew they wouldn't be satisfied with that result, he got there himself, searching for their post box. When he found it, he checked if there were any letters in it and there was one, obviously a love letter in a pink envelope with some hearts drawn on it.

So while he was still wondering who the hell thought sending such an embarrassing letter to a girl could impress her, he didn't hear the approaching steps, but then someone snatched away the letter from his hands.

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here." He turned around and there's Shark's sister, Rio, wearing her school uniform, waving the letter with her other hand, the other hand resting on her hip, waiting for him to answer the question.

He shrugged, crossed his arms, wondering how he got into this.

"Nothing important. Why aren't you at school? I know Ryoga loves skipping classes, but I didn't think you're like that as well."

Which was something he just said because, yes, she should be at school right now, the reason he was here now was that he thought the twins wouldn't be here. For a short moment he felt like there was a sparkling in her eyes, the way Ryoga's eyes sparkled when someone challenged him to a duel, but then she looked normal again, wearing the sweetest smile Kaito has ever seen on someone's face.

"So, Kaito, you're trying to say writing creepy, disgusting letters to girls who are about four years younger than you is 'nothing important'? AREN'T YOU ASHAMED OF YOURSELF OR HOW MUCH DEEPER COULD YOU SINK, KAITO TENJO?!"

Some people were already watching them, as he blinked once, twice, then opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, waited, then decided a simple "what?" is the easiest thing to say in this situation. She crossed her arms, looking at him carefully, and seeing his confused expression she raised an eye brow.

"Just explain yourself already" she finally demanded. Which he did, because the whole thing had been stupid from the beginning, he was only here because of Yuma. Hunting Numbers had probably been easier than the whole friendship-thing with Yuma. But they were friends, now, and Ryoga somehow became his friend, too, so he started explaining the whole thing to her, how Ryoga told them about the letters and they convinced him to do some researches and so on. When he was finished, he almost expected her to yell at him again or to tell him to get lost, but not that she'd just start giggling.

"Ryoga found a lot of silly, new friends", she smiled at him and he wanted to tell her that he's neither stupid nor her brother's friend, but since it was the first time he realized Rio Kamishiro was truly capable of an real and honest smile, he thought it was probably the best to say nothing at all. He just turned around, telling Orbital he wanted to drive home, when she spoke again.

"You know, you're still in my brother's debt," there was that sweet smile again. "He just drove to school on his bike without me, so..."

In the end they arrived at school and while Rio's friends asked her how she made the famous Kaito Tenjo drive her to school on his motorcycle, Kaito had to deal with an angry Ryoga and Yuma, who asked him to drive him to school next time.