Honda was working the counter when he saw Anzu come in, and he tensed, gripping the counter as he eyed the beige Mercedes she'd arrived in.

Hey, uh, that didn't look like any standard issue squad car… And she had a bandage on her head that had a patch of dried blood…

"We're closed!" Honda said loudly and to his dismay, she pointed at the door and said, "get in. You're in danger."

Goddammit, again?! Honda grit his teeth and threw his apron aside, calling over his shoulder into the break room, "Yo! I'm headed out! My parole officer is here!" And he edged out from around the counter, following her outside and watching her open the backseat door for him.

Wait.

"Hey, shotgun," Honda growled, and then he saw a spiky-haired man in the driver's seat and froze in fear. Wait a fucking second…!

"Get in, I won't ask again," Anzu said stiffly, and she climbed into the passenger side and slammed the door.

Yami gave Honda a stiff wave over his shoulder, "or stay here and get blown up again. I don't care."

Hissing to himself, Honda threw himself in the car and slammed the door with force, leaning forward between the seats to glare at Yami, his heart pounding in his ears.

"What the fuck is happening? Are you taking her hostage? What is—"

"Sit down and buckle up," Anzu interrupted him dryly, rolling her eyes as she massaged her temple. "My entire department took a bribe and we don't know who to trust anymore, so I'm moving you to another secure location."

"Right. Secure. With this guy?!" Honda cried as the car backed out of the convenience store parking lot and made a leaning turn around the corner, rolling silently down the residential street before coming to a stop sign where another lone car trundled by in the dark.

"Yes, with this guy," Anzu said tiredly, now wishing she could lay down properly. "I'm not in the mood to argue so please shut up for the rest of the ride. I was ambushed twice by my own team today and I'm concussed, so just zip it, okay Tristan?"

Honda leaned back into the seat and finally looped the seatbelt over his chest, eyeing the back of Yami's spiky hair with apprehension as the highway lights flashed by his window, his heart thundering nervously in his chest. What the fuck was happening? Whatever it was, his life wasn't going back to normal any time soon it appeared.

They were driving out of the city and into the outskirts where trees lined the road, and the traffic lights were scarce. Yami pulled the car down a pitch-black path lit with only two lamps on each side, and they went over a slight bump, and another bump. Speed…bumps?

There was nothing but miles of grass and trees stretched out on either side, and Honda nearly fell off his seat when they approached a towering black gate walling off a monstrous mansion with glowing pillars and a rushing fountain. W-Wait…!

The gate pulled back silently to let them in, and Honda's eyes watered at the multiple curving balconies and at the two exotic cars parked beside the fountain. If he didn't know any better, this place looked like an evil villain's not-so-secret lair. Of course Yami wasn't slumming it in the city with everyone else…

"Okay. Straight inside, and I hope you don't mind me searching you," Yami said, aiming this at Honda who glared out the window at the fountain and made an ugly face.

Two doctors wearing masks and medical coats rushed out of the mansion doors to receive Anzu, who was helped gingerly out of the passenger seat and into a folded wheelchair they'd brought out.

"I'm fine. I can walk, I'm fine," Anzu chanted, but she secretly appreciated the care and let the doctor from earlier take her pulse while they wheeled her up the steps.

Honda climbed out of the car and grimaced as Yami approached him with his hands raised defensively, so he turned around and placed his hands on his hips, sighing as he glanced down at the hands skimming down the sides of his legs, checking each pantleg, above his belt, around his back, and in the pockets of his jacket.

"Not carrying. I don't even have my smokes," Honda growled, and Yami gave him a nod.

"We can send someone out to get your brand, no worries," Yami said arily as two burly bodyguards stood at attention by the nose of the car, ready to take orders, so he addressed them curtly, "he's to remain on the third floor with Miss Mazaki. Get him a change of clothes and some food. I'll come check on them both in an hour."

And Yami turned to hurry inside the house, seeing Kaiba waiting for him in the doorway with an anxious look on his face.

"Hey, welcome back," Kaiba said quietly as he scanned Yami up and down, seeing a patch of dried blood on his leg, undoubtedly from the agent he'd stabbed, but otherwise he looked unharmed.

"Thanks," Yami replied anxiously, reaching out to give Seto's arm a light touch before jogging up the grand staircase, pointing at the bloodstain. "I need my third shower of the day. Make our new guests comfortable. Looks like this is the new safe house."

Ugh, Kaiba rolled his eyes just as the new guest walked by and gave him the stink eye.

Shocked at the hostile behavior, Kaiba stared at the stranger's brown hair styled into a single spike and at his musty motorcycle jacket that reeked of cigarettes, and he glared right back.

"What'd you do?" Honda asked sourly, giving the neatly dressed businessman an appraising look, thinking he smelled of white-collar crime. "Embezzle something?"

"Excuse me?!" Kaiba breathed as he stepped into the man's face, hating how they were nearly the same height, with the other man being just a fraction shorter. "Talk to me like that again on my property and this house won't be safe for you anymore."

Honda blinked rapidly and took a frantic step back, feeling the bodyguard behind him give him a shove forward that made him stumble awkwardly into the foyer and past the businessman who was still glaring at him.

Oh crap…I think… that's Seto Kaiba! Honda balked as he climbed the enormous steps up to a luxurious floor with miles of entertainment laid out before him. Multiple screens were mounted on the curved walls, and pool tables were set artfully against a brick feature wall, where just behind it was a magnificent view of Domino City at night, the lights glittering beautifully in the distance. Holyyyyyy…..

There was a rustle behind him, and he turned around to see the doctors had set the agent up on a flat couch, monitoring her vitals with portable hospital equipment, and one masked man was approaching him with a thermometer.

"Hey, I'm fine," Honda said defensively, but the doctor grabbed him by the arm and made him sit down, and he was given an examination anyway. A bottle of water was shoved into his hands and an IV was inserted into his arm. "Vitamins and electrolytes," the doctor had said gruffly before leaving him alone there with Anzu, the both of them hooked up to bags of fluid and silently stunned by their surroundings.

"You okay?" Honda asked nervously as he watched Anzu press the ice pack to her eyes and take a deep sigh.

"Do I look okay?" She shot back flatly, lifting the pack to make eye contact before setting it back down heavily across her face. "I can't tell where the danger is anymore. I can't believe you didn't tell me Atem was your source!"

"Why would I tell you that? He'd kill me!" Honda cried, leaning back into the leather seat and unable to get comfortable even though everything was luxurious beyond his wildest imaginations. There was even an infinity pool set up perfectly against the starry night sky, and a dark screen displaying the time and temperature was hovering just at the edge, looking insanely futuristic and expensive for no reason.

"He said he's retired," Anzu replied thoughtfully, wondering if this was a lie. "Didn't he tell you that?"

"Dude," Honda placed his hands together in a mock prayer and glanced up at the golden chandelier high above his head as he spoke, "the less I talk to that guy, the longer I'll live. My bosses wanna kick me out because he talks to me all the time! I don't have control over it! And I'm not looking to snitch either, so you should stop talking to me for the sake of my health too!"

"Playing both sides is not a good look on you," Anzu replied smoothly, and Honda palmed his face tiredly, shaking his head.

"Whatever man. I do what I can to get by. That's what we're all doing right now."

Anzu shut her eyes and nodded dully. Yep. Fucking yep.

Upstairs, Yami had just stepped out of the shower when Seto came barging in to rant at him.

"So what are we, like a cop safe house now? There are bullet holes…in my roof!" Kaiba breathed as he stared at Yami's bare shoulders, trying to calm himself down. "Oh and bodies, decomposing in plastic bins in my basement. Yeah, just invite the whole city over for a party while we're at it?!"

"Your house is large, relax," Yami said calmly, reaching for a toothbrush and sticking it casually in his mouth. "And we'll keep them on the 3rd floor. So what?"

Kaiba blinked.

So what?!

There was a top agent in his house! And she was staying the night…for how many nights?! And Yami was just behaving like it was any other night, brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed. Insanity.

"Can you do something about it so I can stop freaking out?" Kaiba asked desperately as he fixated on Yami's high cheekbones, wishing he could behave just as normally, but he felt like ripping his hair out.

"I'm headed down to check on them both," Yami said carefully as he patted a towel to his face, inspecting his reflection in the mirror. "Let's give them some alcohol."

"What…!" Kaiba hissed, followed Yami magnetically out of the bathroom and watching him pull on a set of casual lounge wear. His favorite, form-fitting black tank top that showed his muscular arms off nicely and a pair of tight slacks. Cute. Hot. Whatever.

There was a cop staying the night in their house!

"I don't trust that agent," Kaiba ranted, unable to let it go. "She's nice for one second and then she's on everyone's ass another second. And I'm still angry that she slapped me with a sedative."

Yami kept the towel draped over his neck as he walked out of the closet and gave Seto a warm smile over his shoulder, holding his hand out warmly for Seto to take.

"She's a great person deep down. You'll see that when we talk to them now," Yami said encouragingly, and he wiggled his fingers playfully for a second before Seto slipped his hand begrudgingly into his and they walked down the grand staircase together.

"Do you want to tell me about the other random guy?" Kaiba growled under his breath as they approached the third floor to see the cop still resting on the couch while the man with the motorcycle jacket was half-heartedly playing a round of pool against himself.

"Low-ranking yakuza," Yami said plainly, and Kaiba let go of his hand instantly to freeze on the spot, deeply conflicted. Nice to know there was a gangster and a cop in his home tonight?!

Kaiba failed to see the humor in the situation, so he kept his distance while he watched Yami step behind the bar and pull out a few bottles of hard liquor.

"The bar is open for a team meeting," Yami said coolly as he clinked the mixer together with a can of iced tea. "Nothing for you, Anzu, but here's some cold barley tea. Come and get it."

Team…meeting?! Kaiba gripped the banister and didn't move, wondering if he would survive sitting at his own bar with a cop, a gangster, and his assassin-turned-boyfriend.

Team meeting, the fuck?! Honda tightened his fist around the billiard stick, wondering if he should carry it over to use as a weapon, just in case.

Team meeting, here we go, Anzu thought dryly as she stood up from the couch and walked slowly over to sit down at the bar, watching Yami serve her a stylish rounded glass full of barley tea with a single, circular ice block in the middle. N-Nice…

Thankfully she'd just seen him open the can, there was no way he'd poison it, right? ...Right?

Kaiba and Honda kept their distance, glaring at each other from across the room.

"This smoked whiskey is our last bottle, only a couple drops in it left for one drink," Yami called playfully, angling the nearly empty bottle over his head to inspect it in the light. "Whoever sits down first will—"

There was a mad scramble as Honda threw his billiard stick down to rush at the bar stool closest to him, but Kaiba was faster, crossing the room in three dignified strides to sit furiously down beside the agent, who gave him a tense smile and sipped her iced tea.

"You're not serving street filth the last of my own drinks in my own home," Kaiba said finally as he watched Yami slide the glass across the counter for him with a handsome smirk that made his heart skip a beat.

"…Said the criminal," Anzu muttered into the rim of her glass, and Honda edged away from her, not wanting to be in the open when the bullets started flying.

"Again, do you have proof of that or do you want to be filing out lawsuit paperwork for the rest of your life?" Kaiba snapped, taking an aggressive sip and letting the alcohol burn his throat.

A glass of dark amber liquid appeared at Honda's elbow, and he shrank away from it, shaking his head. Probably poisoned.

"Nah, I'm good." He said gruffly, and Yami smiled brightly before placing a pack of cigarettes beside it, pointing at the balcony behind them.

"Finish this drink with us nicely and you may leave us for a smoke," Yami said cleverly as he poured himself a glass of water and sipped it with a casual air.

They sat together in awkward silence, each tentatively gripping their drinks while sneaking glances at each other.

Finally, Anzu couldn't take it anymore, so she broke the silence first.

"What are we all doing here, Atem?" She asked quietly as she set her empty glass down and watched the spiky-haired man open another can of iced tea and dutifully pour it for her.

"Because I'm a great bartender," Yami answered playfully as he refilled Seto's glass too, aware that the way to keep the peace now was to make sure everyone was a little drunk.

Honda palmed the cigarettes off the table and nearly crumpling the box in his fist, glaring at Yami, "am I excused, sensei? Finished my damn drink—"

Yami reached across the counter and poured him another glass and gave him a grin.

"I kindly request that everyone stay here for the next three days," Yami said quietly, hoping to appease the tension. "The house is large enough for us not to see each other, and if you want to leave, I'm not stopping you, but my protection ends at the road leading up to this property."

There was another cold silence.

Everyone had their heads lowered, staring blankly at their drinks while processing his words.

Seto was the first to speak up, sounding stiff and resigned, "fine. But the top three floors are mine. If I catch you freeloaders up there using my library or my sauna—"

"Alright rich boy, we get it," Honda growled, leaning back to aim a glare at Kaiba behind Anzu's head. "Where can I smoke without getting your fancy furniture dirty?"

"Out…side…" Kaiba hissed, resisting the urge to punch the gangster in his stupid face. "Or in the smoking room, which is off-limits to you."

Anzu pinched her brow and held her hand up tiredly. "I already have a headache. Can you guys stop arguing about meaningless shit? I want to know who bribed my entire team! I need to contact internal affairs about this—"

"Hmm, sounds like a you problem," Kaiba replied coldly, taking his drink and easing out of the bar stool, glaring at the view in the darkness. He wanted to ask what Yami was planning but he couldn't ask openly until they were alone.

"Is it still the wacko pair of bombers?" Honda asked nervously as he pulled out a cigarette and tucked it behind his ear, addressing Yami with a furtive glance, "You owe me for Rina, dude."

"Will you please shut up about that bike?" Yami's eyes flashed dangerously. "You're lucky you got away with your life."

"That bikeis my entire life!" Honda said loudly, crossing his arms stubbornly, and Kaiba gripped his drink defensively, sensing a fight, so he walked over to sit at the glass table in the middle of the room to avoid the tension bubble at the bar.

To his surprise, the agent stood up to follow him and sat down across from him with a tired smile, whispering audibly, "only idiots ride bikes, and reasonable people like us drive cars. Metal over flesh, not the other way around."

Kaiba felt himself crack a smile against his will and toasted her begrudgingly before taking another sip, knowing Yami had a huge affinity for motorbikes too, and in the past, they'd had at least one argument regarding the safety of keeping one in the mansion around Mokuba.

I won that argument, Kaiba thought mildly as he took another light sip and felt himself relaxing. Fine. The agent was tolerable, but only barely.

Something slapped down against the counter and Yami's deep voice echoed over them, "beat me in a game of cards and I'll pay for a new exhaust of your choice."

"Shit. You said it," Honda nodded eagerly as he snatched the pack up and slid the deck out to shuffle furiously, filled with a renewed sense of determination.

Anzu rolled her eyes and lifted her hair off her shoulders with a slight nose wrinkle, asking Kaiba quietly, "I'm imposing but can I use your shower?"

"Yep," Kaiba said aggressively, pointing two fingers at the curved hallway that led out to the balcony. "Walk around there and…" He stopped himself when he realized he was being a bad host, so he got up and decided to lead her there instead, hearing Yami and Honda roaring with laughter behind him, and he turned to give them an apprehensive look, feeling slightly left out.

"I knew they were friends, fucking liars," Anzu muttered as she brushed past the CEO, her ears burning with a mixture of fury and embarrassment.

She followed the CEO into a spacious spa-like area with bamboo planted intentionally between sheets of water, splitting the space while giving it a futuristic but airy atmosphere, and Anzu could only gape.

"If you need clean clothes, here," Kaiba said quietly as he walked towards the staff drawers and unlocked the bottommost one to pull out a set of black shirts and pants, all bearing the tiny KC logo.

"Size?" He asked testily, and when he received no answer, he looked over his shoulder to see her gaping at the bathtub in the ground that looked like a luxurious pool. "Hey! What's your size?"

"What?!" Anzu squeaked, blushing furiously and hugging her arms to her chest, glaring. "You pervert—"

"Medium, or…?" Kaiba held up the stacks of staff clothes, rolling his eyes.

Had she been hit on the head too many times? He'd told her clearly, he was dating Yami…

She appeared to remember that instantly too and looked away in embarrassment.

"Medium is fine."

Cool, Kaiba growled as he left it on the counter and walked away quickly, making sure to slide the frosted glass doors into place behind him as he made his way back to the entertainment lounge, unsurprised to see the bar empty, with the cards left in neat stacks beside the glasses of alcohol. Yami was sitting on the balcony while Honda smoked.

Kaiba sat down in an empty lounge before changing his mind and cramming himself onto the space beside Yami, pushing him aside forcefully to make room for himself.

"This place isn't big enough for you?" Yami asked playfully, giving him a nudge. "There are plenty of comfortable chairs and you want to sit in the one I'm sitting in?"

"Yep," Kaiba responded aggressively as he leaned his head back on the cushion to stare up at the indigo night sky, feeling Yami shifting beside him and attempting to continue the conversation he'd been having with Honda.

"So how about a Z-Series exhaust?" Yami prompted, pulling up an electronic tablet and flitting through the images of glossy pipes. "…I heard MKS makes a good one—"

"I wanna know what's happening here," Honda said frantically as he eyed the way Kaiba's pale hand was resting intrusively on Yami's thigh. "What the fuck is this gay shit?"

He received emotionless looks from both men and while neither of them answered.

"…MKS it is. I'll buy this one," Yami said with a frown, pulling up the specs to read them. "…Or how about a pair of slip-on bronze mufflers? Say something before my generosity runs out."

Kaiba tightened his fingertips furiously over Yami's thigh and heard Anzu come up behind them and say, "Gee Honda, you're gonna spend your entire life in safehouses with language like that."

"And bikes suck," Kaiba added with a hiss, his resentment towards Honda rising.

Honda opened his mouth to retaliate just as Anzu stepped in front of him to block his view and glared, "go take a shower. You reek."

They had a brief staring contest before Honda stood up and walked away, yawning loudly with his hands laced behind his head.

Anzu shook her head in disgust and sat down on his seat, watching Yami and Kaiba have a whispered conversation while holding deep eye contact with each other that made her stomach twist.

"You're going to invite your stylist over while this is all happening?" Yami asked nervously as he gave Seto's hand a squeeze. "Your vanity knows no bounds."

"You said you had it handled. I'm not stopping my life because you're handling something," Kaiba shot back playfully, giving his spiky bangs a pinch. "You could use a spa day too."

Anzu crossed her legs and propped her head up on her hands, unwilling to admit to herself that watching them interact was fascinating. They acted so…in love.

"Fine. Then keep the agent with you. For protection," Yami said silkily, giving Anzu a side glance before turning back to focus on the way Seto's hair fell handsomely across his brow, and he tousled it with one sweep of his hand before leaning forward to press a kiss to the bridge of Seto's nose. "While I do some investigating."

"Investigate me," Kaiba said teasingly, fully aware that the agent was watching them and they were intentionally giving her a free show. "But do it fast, before Mokuba returns from camp in five days."

"That's more than enough time for me to investigate you," Yami grinned cattily and gave the shell of Seto's ear a playful nip, laughing when he felt hands running up the sides of his waist before encircling him to pull him into a tight embrace, and their lips met warmly.

Anzu clapped her hands to her mouth and turned away, her ears red as she glanced out over the edge of the pool, trying to ignore the sounds of them making out echoing across the balcony, but it was hard. Were they doing this on purpose or…what?!

"Hey, get a room maybe," Anzu said weakly and to her relief, Kaiba pulled away first to give her a heart-stopping smirk over Atem's shoulder before lifting him up in one fluid motion, and slender legs draped around his waist as he walked back into the house with Atem wrapped around him sensually.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Anzu stayed where she was and aimed her gaze upwards, counting her thumping heartbeats as she heard Honda trudging back her way, sounding confused.

"Where's rich boy and the hit man?" Honda asked as he kept the damp towel draped over his bare shoulders, eyeing the empty lounges, daring to feel relieved.

"Fucking." Anzu replied coldly, standing up to walk back to the couch. "Put on a shirt."

Honda shrugged and shoved a cigarette into his mouth as he grabbed the lighter off the end table to click it on, taking a deep lungful and letting it out slowly. Fucking, huh?

Well that explained Yami's blanket protection order from the gangs regarding the Kaiba family.

They were fucking.

Author's note:

:O next chapter coming soon next week! (10/19/222)