Jou didn't expect to find a driver waiting for him outside his room at 9:45 AM. He also never would've guessed that Kaiba would've gone to Kaiba Corp at 8 AM while letting Jou come in at 10. The blonde would've confronted Kaiba about it, but he had other things on his mind. He hadn't missed the look of sadness that had crossed the brunette's face when he spoke about Mokuba wanting company. Jou wanted to do everything in his power to help the Kaiba brothers have more time together, even if it meant he'd spend more time in front of the computer with his eyes threatening to fall out of their sockets.

Eh...It doesn't matter.

The eyedrops help big time.

So, Jou worked faster, carefully dodging clients' and associates' meaningless questions and sending the emails in bulk. He was done with all his tasks for the day by 9 PM and grinned. Just as he was opening Kaiba's schedule to see what he could do to free up some time for the CEO, the brunette's voice rang through the cubicle.

"Go home, puppy."

Jou blushed furiously at the new nickname, mostly because of how much he liked it and how soft Kaiba's soft was when the brunette said it. He shook his head and pressed the button to the weird intercom device.

"It's 9:00 PM, sir." he said, careful not to be disrespectful with so many employees around. He didn't want Kaiba to explode at him again. They were finally at a good place. Apparently, that didn't matter.

"Don't question my decisions unless you want to be out of a job!" Kaiba yelled then clicked off the device. Jou blinked and sighed, but didn't get a chance to even get up before Kaiba's suddenly calm voice spoke through the device again.

"I need you in the office immediately."

Jou took a deep breath and walked into the office, not knowing what to expect. Was Kaiba always this moody?

The CEO didn't look up as Jou entered, only saying "close the door" firmly. The blonde did as he was told and was surprised when Kaiba gestured he should take a seat.

"How much work do you have left?" the brunette asked gently. Jou's head started to hurt.

What is with him?

Right..it's because of Mokuba.

"I don't want you to baby me because Mokuba told you that I was upset. I can handle things, Kaiba. I can 'work as you work' and 'leave as you leave' like you said before," Jou blurted, not knowing what else to do in the presence of a very inconsistent Seto Kaiba.

The brunette pressed his lips together into a thin line then opened a random drawer in his desk and handed Jounouchi some papers. The blonde quirked his eyebrow at the sheets of random numbers in random cells. He looked back up at the brunette.

"Am I supposed to-" he started.

"Of course I don't expect your puny brain to-" the CEO snapped, interrupting Jou. The blonde flinched on instinct and closed his eyes. He opened them again when he heard Kaiba clear his throat. The brunette looked...ashamed? That's weird.

"It's my former secretary's hours," Kaiba said calmly.

"Umm…"

"She worked half as much as you do," the brunette continued when he realized Jou was starting to feel bad about being unable to understand the sheets, "I was simply...joking when I told you that you'd have to work as many hours as I do. No secretary in the entire world does that. I just didn't think you'd be so...willing."

Jou was more shocked at Kaiba's words and tone than he was at the information being given to him. He felt stupid for falling for the prank. He was stupid! Kaiba could've been making fun of him or taking advantage of his stupidity, but instead the brunette was calmly and helpfully explaining the situation?

"Kaiba, you okay?" Jou asked, then continued when he saw Kaiba's confused expression, "You're being very...different."

What do I say to that?

He's already taken up too much of my precious time!

What idiot in the world needs their basic damn human rights explained to them?!

I need to get rid of him now before I choke him to death.

Kaiba cleared his throat again, then spoke calmly.

"I am perfectly fine. Now go home," he said, then pulled out an envelope and passed it to the puppy.

"What's this?"

OK NOW HE IS JUST DOING IT ON PURPOSE!

"You'll find out if you open it, won't you?!" he yelled, standing up in anger. His heart sank as he watched Jou flinch like earlier.

Is he...afraid of me?

Is that why he's been so different than he was in high-school?

He's afraid of my power over him?

Now more than ever, Mokuba's words made sense to Kaiba and the brunette knew that he needed to control his 'temper'. He couldn't stand the fact that he might be scaring the blonde. That was really the opposite of what he wanted to do. No matter how much of it a challenge it would be, Kaiba wouldn't yell at the puppy, unless he really really deserves it.

"um...Do you mind keeping it? I mean, giving it all to me in one check after 9 weeks? That would really help me out," the blonde asked after he opened the envelope to find his weekly paycheck. He knew nothing would happen to it if he kept it somewhere in the mansion, but he was too scared to do that. For the past 19 years, all his money was stolen, no matter where he hid it. He couldn't take another risk. He needed the tests and the surgery...bad enough that he would ask Seto Kaiba for a favor.

"Why?" Kaiba asked, raising an eyebrow. It was an odd request.

"There's this place I want to apply to and I am saving up for it. It's part of a whole series of payments." the blonde said in one breathe then blushed. Kaiba found his nervous attitude amusing more than weird.

"Fine. Don't forget, though. Our contract only ends in Christmas. You can't switch to part-time in the middle because you have classes," the brunette said firmly and then turned back to his computer.

Why isn't he leaving?

I don't want him to go back to being a zombie.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to stay. I don't got no computer at home and there's something I want to do."

No.

You're straining your eyes.

Don't think I can't see you squinting at the screen whenever I leave my office to go to a meeting.

"You're not using my company's resources for your personal gain, puppy. Now leave," the brunette said firmly, then almost groaned when he saw that Jou wasn't getting up. Suddenly, he felt a loose grasp on his arms and looked to find both the puppy's hands gripping it and the blonde looking at him with wide, pleading, intoxicating honey-colored eyes.

"Please, Kaiba," Jou implored with a hopeful smile.

A slight smile tugged at the brunette's lips. His puppy's eyes were too convincing. He couldn't say no to the blonde, didn't want to do anything to him that would upset him again.

"Do whatever you want, but you can't change your mind and want to leave early," the CEO said firmly, trying to shake himself out of his stupor. The blonde nodded and raced out of the office, closing the door behind him.

Kaiba sighed. That puppy would be his downfall.

Much to Kaiba's dismay, the puppy wouldn't let up on the work hours thing. No matter how early the brunette got up for work, Jou would be waiting for him, and they would go to the office together. Kaiba continued to give Jou less work daily so the blonde would give up this strange mission of his and go home early like the rest of the employees. That didn't work either. Somehow, the puppy always discovered exactly what Kaiba needed to be done and did it without the brunette asking. The CEO suspected that Mokuba had a hand in that and decided to talk to him about it whenever they encountered one another.

Whenever there was literally nothing Jou could do to help Kaiba, the blonde would still remain in his cubicle and do some mysterious work that Kaiba didn't know anything about. The brunette guessed that Jou was doing something that had to do with the university applications he had mentioned. Once again, the CEO was wrong.

It had been a month since Jou started working at Kaiba Corp and the brunette had to admit that the blonde made the CEO's workload much less tiring. Kaiba was still miserable, though. His relationship with both his brother and Jou were basically non-existent. Kaiba and Jou left for work just before Mokuba left for school and they wouldn't come back until the black-haired boy was fast asleep. As for the puppy...he was trying to hide it, but Kaiba could tell that he was exhausted. The blonde would sleep in the limo on their way to and back from work. When they arrived back, he would race up to his room and fall asleep instantly. The only sentences Kaiba had spoken to him in the past three weeks were "why aren't you done yet?" and "Have it done by 9." The brunette felt awful, but what could he do? The puppy was too stubborn.

He was surprised on the last friday of the month when, right before they left, his speaker device sounded.

"Sir, can I come into the office for a moment? I have a...proposal?"

Kaiba's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What was the puppy up to now?

"Are you asking me or telling me?" Kaiba asked over the speaker. Though he refrained from yelling at Jou, he found that making the blonde squirm was just as fun and didn't hurt the puppy's feelings or scare him in the same way.

"Er...telling you?"

Kaiba sighed and told him to come in. He looked at the ground and bit his lip as he closed the door. What's the puppy so nervous about? The brunette remained silent as Jou came closer to the desk but didn't take a seat. Suddenly the blonde took in a deep breath and started to speak quickly, mashing all his words together to the point where Kaiba could barely understand him.

"I know you and I have a work relationship and I shouldn't intervene in your personal life or anything and I Know you said I shouldn't touch your schedule unless you ask me to because it's very delicate and all, but I noticed you and Mokuba don't really spend any time together, not that I am judging you or anything. I can't begin to imagine how tough it's been to run this company and I am sure you're being a great brother, but there can be room for improvement. There were also some other reasons such as the fact that you never get any decent breakfast, lunch, or dinner and that you never sleep more than five hours a night and that just ain't right. I just kept a close tab on our work and what I can do more to help you and how we can push things to fit your needs more. There are some small tasks you do that I could get the hang of and then it won't just be all on you, you know? I am pretty sure this schedule will work if you're up for it. I didn't really change your original one. This is just a draft, but I can change the other one, too. But, then again, it's up to you."

After his painfully long rant, Jou thrust some papers into Kaiba's hands, continuing to look at the floor, blushing furiously. The brunette blinked twice and looked down. His eyes widened. The schedule that the puppy made could actually work and, more shockingly, actually had breaks for meals embedded in it. Each day started at 9:00 AM and ended at 8 PM. 11 hours would be the shortest among of time that Kaiba had ever worked in one day, but if he divided the tasks the way Jou suggested in his messy notes, he could get the same amount of work done and...he could spend at least an hour with Mokuba every day.

"It's fine if you hate it," he heard the blonde whisper, "it was just one of my stupid ideas."

Kaiba's eyes snapped up to find the puppy coming closer, his hands reaching for the papers to take them away, apparently scolding himself for the idea. It was then that the brunette realized he had been staring at the schedule and notes for too long.

How can the puppy think this is stupid?

He must've put so much effort into this.

And it was all for me and Mokuba.

How can someone be that thoughtful?

Kaiba's hand grabbed Jou's arm as the blonde reached for the papers. Honey-colored eyes snapped up and widened. The brunette stood quickly and crashed his lips on the blonde's before he could chicken out. There was nothing he could say that would make Jou understand how much the schedule meant to him, but maybe the kiss could communicate what the CEO simply couldn't.

Thank you.

You're amazing.

I wish you were mine.

I wish there was something I could give you.

They pulled away from each other after a minute, panting for breath. Kaiba's eyes were closed as he whispered "thank you."

With that, the brunette sat back at his desk and looked at his computer.

"We'll try it this week," he said firmly, "If it works, I would like you to update my original schedule with the necessary changes."

"Okay."

Kaiba closed his eyes once more when he heard his office door closing and touched his lips, where Jou's were connected only moments before. Now more than ever, he was determined to make the puppy his.