Mutou Sugoroku sighed as he closed Yugi's bedroom door behind him. When she had fallen asleep midway through infiltrating Hyrule Castle, it had been difficult to wake her enough to get her to go to bed. She had lasted longer than he had suspected, and if she was up in time for breakfast tomorrow he was going to be surprised.

He had never been prouder of his granddaughter. She had gone above and beyond to save him and help her friends at Duelist Kingdom. Plus Jonouchi had informed him that after her return, she had been working herself to the bone, opening the store daily after school to try and bring in at least a little income.

He could be nothing but proud of her for trying her hardest to take care of everyone and everything else, but now he was home, he was going to do his damnedest to ensure that she took care of herself. His decision not to open this weekend had been based on that. While it meant that the Black Crown got an extra trading weekend on them, both he and Yugi had needed the chance to spend time in each other's company. Today and tomorrow were just too important to miss. That and, if the shop was not open, Yugi would not resist him when he tried to get her to rest.

As he returned to the living room, he scooped up the folder Yugi had presented him with earlier, when they had paused for dinner. He skimmed though it, sighing as he went back over the ten students who wanted his granddaughter to run their Duel Club for them.

He was not sure how he felt about it. On the one hand, he relied on Yugi to help him run the shop and part of him felt like it was part of her family responsibility to assist in keeping the business operating smoothly.

On the other, she was fifteen now and she needed to have a life of her own. He knew she loved the shop and it was a primary part of her plans for the future, but dueling was also a major part: a part that made her happy. Moreover, she had been so much more alive since she had gotten friends her own age that it would be cruel to deny her the chance to spend more time with others who wanted to learn more about her passion.

He sat back on the sofa and picked out the timetable that had been shuffled into the slightly dirty, disorganized papers. Mondays and Thursdays were no problem. She was normally home an hour and a half after school ended anyway. It would just mean she would need to come straight home rather than stopping by the arcades or fast food places with her friends on those days.

It was Saturday that was the problem. It was the busiest day of the week for the shop. Yugi always came straight home from the half day of lessons and they were always snowed under. He needed her as soon as she was available. If he agreed to let her join the Duel Club he would have to keep running the place on his own for that extra time and just hope that he did not get complaints.

It would not be as big an issue if the student who had been working on the weekends had not handed in his notice because he was going over to Tokyo for University and wanted to get there early so he could get settled in. Sugoroku had been prepared to work alone until he could find someone to hire for the role, but he had been relying on his granddaughter helping him on Saturday afternoons and Sundays.

Jou was helpful and would continue to be so around his other job, but Dr. Mutou was fully aware that the other job was the one that paid for the boy's education, so he could not ask Jonouchi to work more hours for them if it interfered with that. The Mutous helped as much as they could, but Jou was a proud boy and hated asking them for help. There was only so much they could do, especially when legally his father was supposed to be financially supporting Jou, so the school got funny if Sugoroku tried to make payments for the boy.

The sound of the backdoor opening made him pause and turn to look over, where Jonouchi was just dropping his school bag by the entrance. "Ojiisan, hey. Good to see you home."

Dr. Mutou grinned broadly at the other teenager he was inordinately proud of. Jou too had done his best at Duelist Kingdom. Checking the shop cameras revealed that he had been assisting Yugi around his other job there when he could, too. He had made a good choice by allowing the boy to move in all those months ago. "It's good to be home. Can we talk for a moment?"

"Uh oh, what did I do?" The sudden nerves from the Duelist made the elderly archaeologist chuckle.

"Nothing, nothing, but I want to bring up something with you while Yugi's catching up on some well-deserved sleep." He gestured to the couch. The blond took a seat, running his hand through his hair as he glanced in the direction of the bedrooms with a worried look.

"Yuge okay?" Jou fretted as Sugoroku adjusted in his seat to face him.

"As okay as she can be with what she's been up to recently." The old Game Master sighed. "First of all, I wanted to thank you for helping her out."

"I mean, how could I do any less," the Duelist deflected, "with what she offered? Besides, she's my friend. I ain't gunna let her run into trouble without me."

"And that's why my second item has come up." Doctor Mutou placed the Duel Club paperwork back in its folder and sighed. "Your mother is coming tomorrow, and I want you to be aware that I will not allow her to badmouth you in this house."

Jou startled and stared at the old man, trying to work out if he was serious.

"You have proved to be a valuable member of this household, and I consider you one of us," Sugoroku confirmed. "This is your house as much as it is mine and Yugi's, and that means you have more rights here than your mother does."

The teen sat back, letting out a slow breath at the realization that the old man was speaking honestly. "I… I'm not a Mutou. This is your house."

"You aren't officially a Mutou, no, but I am looking into fixing that, and even if I can't, you still have a place here." When Jou stared at him again, Dr. Mutou nodded. "I'm not lying about that, Jou."

"Why?" The boy sat back, his expression closed as he tried not to let his mind jump to the worst case scenarios for the reason.

"Two reasons." Ojiisan held up two fingers and then lowered one. "One, you've proved yourself to be a good kid, a fantastic ally to my Yugi, and a valued member of my household. I don't wish to lose you, and I want be aware when you're having issues so I can help you, rather than having to hear it second hand because I'm not your guardian."

Jou nodded, blushing slightly at the praise but not sure how to respond to it. Then the second finger rejoined the first. "Two, it's not unheard of for a family that owns a business but has no male heirs to adopt a boy who has proved himself, and you fit the bill. The question I have is, do you want me to continue to try?"

"You're trying to legally adopt me?" Jou asked, trying to wrap his head around the news, the confusion trickling onto his features. "Like, you want custody? Seriously?"

"I know your Otosan is your legal guardian, and unfortunately I can't get Shinken, legal custody, from him. I'm not a member of your family, and they won't allow me due to my age and my heart problems. I've already had my lawyer look into it. That means for things like your passport and other legal documents, your Otosan is responsible. Supposedly," the Mutou clan head admitted, disappointment and distaste dripping off his words. "However, this is still your home, and I am looking into options that would formally give me physical custody, Kangoken."

Jou paused as he realized he had never really considered the custody arrangements for himself. His mother had taken Shizuka and bailed on him, leaving him with his drunkard of a father. He just knew his father had Shinken and Kangoken for him, and he had just kind of assumed that arrangement was immutable and unchanging until he hit twenty or he could prove that he was capable of functioning on his own and could tell his Otosan where to get off. He had not realized someone else could get physical custody of him. Or that anyone would want to.

"If you want me to continue applying, I will, or you can tell me to back off. Just so you're aware, I'm already most of the way to officially having physical custody just by the arrangement we have now. As long as you continue to sleep here at night, go to school, and follow my rules, I can claim Kangoken and can protect you if I need to as long as no one looks too closely. It's dependent on you, though, Jonouchi," the elderly Game Master warned the teen, who looked at him sharply. "Kangoken is the right to house and raise a child. I can only apply for it as long as you are doing better under my care than you were with your father, so your grades need to stay up and you need to stay out of trouble, understand?"

"What about the age and heart thing?" Confusion pulsed through Jou as he tried to comprehend what he was being told.

"That is a large chunk of the hold up, yes, and the recent 'unexplained' coma didn't help." The bitter tone told Jou that there was more to that than he was being told, and that Ojiisan was still understandably peeved about the whole soul-stealing thing. "But Kangoken is a much less formal arrangement than Shinken. It doesn't have to go to court to be arranged, and if something happened to me, as long as I ensured there was someone to keep an eye on you and you had a roof over your head, it should still go through. Eventually."

"So same arrangements you have to make for Yuge anyway." The blonde nodded, understanding but curious what the rest of the 'hold up' was. "Does this mean I'd be a Mutou? If it goes through, I mean."

Ojiisan sighed, his shoulders slumping as he shook his head. "As much as I would be proud to make you a Mutou and if I were younger and healthier I would be allowed to adopt a male heir, I can't make you a Mutou by name without getting Shinken. However, as far as I'm concerned, you are part of this family and I promise you, as long as I have responsibility for you, I will do my best by you."

Jou swallowed hard, trying to ignore the disappointment that suddenly struck and shift the lump that was rising in his throat. He was used to the adults in his life either abandoning him or considering him a waste of space. Here was a man who had only known him for about nine months, yet actually wanted him and was willing to add him to the family legally if he was allowed. "Does Yuge know?"

"Not yet. I didn't want to get her hopes up if you were going to tell me to push off. I know this is a big thing and I haven't asked you before." Sugoroku gave him a sheepish shrug. "Plus this doesn't change the Koseki at all, so it was my decision to make."

Jou nodded, thinking. The Koseki, or family register, listed legally adopted children underneath born ones. If he was not becoming a Mutou legally, he would not need to be added to it, and it would not affect Yugi's inheritance. So while he had to worry about Yugi's reaction when she found out, her opinion was not needed before a decision was made.

He still kind of wanted it. After how badly he had messed up on Duelist Kingdom, he was not sure he deserved the rights that Jii-san was offering him, and he wanted to hear what his best friend felt about the situation. He did not want to wake her, though. She needed the rest.

"You don't have to tell me what you want right now, and if I've overstepped my bounds then you can feel free to tell me," Dr. Mutou informed him as the old man pushed himself to his feet, "but…"

"No." The teen's voice was louder than he intended and he winced and glanced towards the bedrooms, hoping his voice had not carried that far. "I'm just… thank you."

"You're welcome, Jou..."

"Katsuya. My given name is Katsuya. You can use it if you want." Katsuya's voice cracked as he spoke and he swallowed again. "And thank you, Ojiisan."

"Jii-san," Dr. Mutou corrected him with a slightly watery smile. "No need for formalities amongst family, right?" When Katsuya nodded, the old gamer stretched, and the teen winced as he heard something pop. "Good, it took me far too long to get Yugi to call me that. Now, if you don't mind, I'm off to bed. Hospitals are horrible places to get a decent night's sleep."

The elderly gentleman headed for the door and then paused. "Katsuya, can you do me a favour?"

"Of course." Jou was not about to turn him down after their talk.

"There's a guy, his name is Otogi Ryuji. His father doesn't like me, and the kid was hanging around Yugi earlier." Sugoroku grimaced. "I don't think he has anything against Yugi and he bought her presents, but can you keep an eye on him for me?"

"No problem." Katsuya nodded, irritation bubbling away under the surface at the thought of some guy possibly trying to bribe his friend into liking him, along with a surge of something else that he did not quite understand.

"Thank you." Ojiisan half bowed and Jou waved him off, watching as the man who had tried to find a way to legally get him out from under his father's thumb headed for bed. He still could not quite comprehend why the former archaeologist wanted him. He had been honest with the man after the first incident with Hirutani. It was no secret that he had been second-in-command of a gang, a rather high-ranked one, and he had given up future prospects in the Yakuza when he had gone straight. He also could not deny that even after he had given up that life, he had been an easily-baited bully. He still was when he was in the wrong mood. Duelist Kingdom had proved that to him.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he leaned back into the sofa and stared at the ceiling. He had already made up his mind at Duelist Kingdom that he needed to be a better person. That he needed to get a stronger grip on his temper. His hotheadedness had gotten Yugi hurt and had nearly cost Shizuka everything. If Yugi had not risked her soul to get everything everyone had wanted, his sister would not be getting the operation she needed because he had allowed Kaiba to bait him into doing something stupid.

He could not let that happen again. He could not continue to hurt those around him. This offer, the offer of a home and a family that wanted him, just brought that fact home harder.

If he screwed this up, he would never forgive himself.

The sounds of a door squealing down the hallway made him pause. There was only one door in the house that made that noise. He got to his feet and poked his head out through the doorway to find that Yugi was carrying Ginka, her silver-furred, extra-fluffy kitty, out of the bedroom, quietly scolding her for trying to sleep on her face.

The snicker that escaped Jou's throat made the girl's head shoot up. Half-lidded eyes met his, and the Queen of Games grinned at him tiredly. "Hey. Work go okay?"

"It was fine. Didn't think you'd be awake." He held his arms out and Yugi planted the six-month-old cat into them. The feline went limp and floppy, forcing him to try and prevent her from melting out of his arms to the tune of his best friend's giggling. "I swear you're made of slinky."

The purrs did not dissuade his opinions as he found a comfortable position for both himself and the cat.

"Jii-san says she's part ragdoll," Yugi yawned, "which explains the floppy cat. I don't normally mind, but she woke me up by melting over my face. Can you check her food bowl for me?"

"Sure." The increased volume of the purring from the feline in his arms made the boy look down with a slight grimace. "You know the word food, don't you?"

His friend chuckled as the kitty settled happily with him. "Night, Jou."

Jou nodded, then hesitated for a moment before asking, "Yuge?"

The girl paused and looked at him, worry crossing her features as she rubbed her eyes, trying to wake herself up a bit. "What's up?"

Nervousness suddenly hit, along with the remembrance that Yugi needed sleep, meaning that it was not fair to keep her awake for his question. He just gave her a sheepish grin, trying to hide his emotions. "Nothing. It can wait. Go back to bed."

"If you're sure. If you need to unwind before bed, feel free to start a new game on any of the N64 games." It was a sign of how exhausted the girl was that she did not question him on it. Under normal circumstances she would be able to read him like an open book, so the fact she did not even guess something was up told Jou that he had made the right decision.

Then what she had said hit him. "Wait, we have an N64 now?"

"I made a friend. He bought it for me." The Queen of Games nodded. "But you can play as much as you like; I have Pocket Monsters if you're playing during the day."

Suddenly Jou understood why Jii-san was nervous about Yugi's new 'friend.' A games console was not a cheap item. That Otogi had just outright bought one for Yugi spoke of him possibly having ulterior motives, something Yugi would have known for herself if she had been with it.

"Thanks." He just grinned. "Maybe I will. Once I've fed the…" He trailed off as Ginka slipped out of his arms and stalked into the living room. "Cat."

The other Duelist just giggled and nodded. "Good night, Jou."

"Night, Yuge."


Yugi was woken up the following morning by the sounds of children screaming outside her half-open window. She groaned, burying her head under her pillow. It was far too early to deal with small, screaming children. As she emerged from her hiding place, she realized that it was not as early as she had thought it was. The sun streaming through the window was far too bright.

Reaching over to her bedside table and checking her phone revealed that it was almost midday, making her squeak and scramble out of bed. Jou's Okaasan was due to arrive at one, and she had promised her friend that she would do a last-minute tidy of the flat before she got here. She pulled on the first clothes she could grab, planning on changing into something smarter before Jou's Okaasan arrived, slipped the knotted rope of the Puzzle over her head, and darted down to the living room, hoping there was enough time to do at least a quick blitz.

She was surprised to come down to find the flat spotless and the music of the Temple of Time playing quietly in the background. She glanced around to find Jou, controller in hand, asleep on the sofa, in a smart shirt and trousers. She slipped past him, wondering if her friend had even managed to get any sleep before sunrise, and stopped in the doorway when she saw her grandfather was actually cooking.

"Jii-san?" she asked, trying to step around the feline weaving her way around her owner's legs.

"Yugi, hey, I was going to wake you once lunch was ready." Her grandfather grinned at her as he stirred the pot of chicken soup. Yugi licked her lips as the smells hit her. "Can you grab a stool a minute? I need to talk to you."

"Uh oh, what did I do?" She was not quite sure why that made Jii-san laugh, but she pulled up a stool and leaned on the counter.

"Katsuya asked that as well. You kids have a guilt complex," the elderly gamer explained as he slid a glass of orange juice across the table to her. Yugi's head snapped up at the sound of Jou's given name, and she stared at her grandfather, hoping for an explanation. "I have a question for you, and I want an honest answer."

"Okay?" she half-asked, mentally prodding her twin, who grumbled, having been dozing, but started paying attention.

"I know you're aware I gave Jou permission to stay here." Yugi nodded, wondering where he was going with it. "I am looking into making it a more formal arrangement. Are you okay with that?"

The girl paused and took a sip of her drink while she thought. "You're trying to adopt him?"

"I can't get Shinken for him, like I have for you," Sugoroku explained as he started to dish up the ramen noodles to go with their soup, "but I'm looking into getting Kangoken for him so he has some protection."

"So Jou would be my brother?" she asked, trying to ignore the weird twisting feeling in her gut despite the fact the idea made her happy. She liked Jou, he was her best friend, and he knew she would be lost without him. Having him as a member of the family would be a good thing, so she did not understand why the idea hurt. She felt the mental equivalent of a hug from her sister and leaned back slightly, wondering if the spirit of the Puzzle understood better than she did.

"Officially it's more like I would be fostering him." Ojiisan frowned slightly, wondering why his granddaughter looked hurt and hoping she was not seriously upset about this. "He wouldn't legally be a Mutou, but he would be my charge. Are you alright with that?"

"Of course." She nodded, the twist loosening as she comprehended the difference. "He's my best friend. I'm happy to have him here. We should probably make a little more room for him, though."

"We can work it out. We might have to move things around, but we'll have time." Relief hit Jii-san hard as her face brightened. "I needed to ask before we spoke to Jou's family."

He paused, then swept across the kitchen and hugged her tightly. "You sure you're okay with this?"

"I'm okay," the Queen of Games pledged. "It's just a surprise. A good one, I promise. If you could get Jou as my brother that would be okay, too, I'm just… can I blame not being awake yet? I still feel a little weird from the weekend."

"Sure." Sugoroku was not sure that was the full story, but he did not want to push too hard if she was tired. "Can you go wake Katsuya for me? He was up before I was."

Yugi headed back into the living room, still trying to work out why the idea of Jou being her brother had bothered her so much, and paused as she considered the teen who was blinking owlishly around the room, like he was not quite sure where he was. "Morning, Jou."

"Hey, Yuge," The bigger teen stretched and adjusted to make room on the sofa for her. "I hope you don't mind, but I cleaned up. I couldn't sleep last night."

She grimaced, glancing over her shoulder to check what her grandfather was up to, and when she saw he was putting the three bowls on a tray, grabbed up her Game Boy box and her new game and slumped into the spot he had vacated for her. "Sorry, I was supposed to do it for you."

"It was done long before you normally get up." Jou saved his game and put the controller on the table as Yugi put her boxes on the table next to her. "So don't worry about it."

When he waved it off, she relaxed and leaned into him, happy that he was not angry with her, and still trying to process what Ojiisan had told her. "Hey, Jou?"

He paused and looked down at her at the quiet question. "What's up, Yuge?"

"Has… has Jii-san talked to you?" She glanced upwards and when her eyes met his, the sudden fear on his features made her realize he was terrified of her, or more specifically what she was going to say.

"You mean about…" He hesitated. When she nodded, he took a deep breath before getting to his feet and running a hand through his hair, pacing for a moment before asking. "Are you mad?"

"No." The Queen of Games shook her head, not having meant to frighten him. "In fact, if you need a little more space, I'll help you get some once your Okaasan leaves. I just… are you okay with it?"

"I. Yeah." He sighed and slumped back down next to her, his whole body language more relaxed at her words. "Kinda in shock, you know?"

"It's a huge thing." Yugi nodded, remembering how she felt when she knew Jii-san was going to adopt her after her life had fallen apart. "But you DO belong here, and I'm glad Jii-san is trying to make it official."

He opened his mouth to reply, then saw their grandfather entering the room with the tray. He got to his feet and took the tray from the elderly man so he could get comfortable. Dishing up to the two Mutous before taking a seat, he turned back to Yugi. "Even after Duelist Kingdom?"

There was a brief pause as Yugi tried to work out what he meant, then she winced. "If you mean what happened after I spoke to Kaiba, then you were right to be mad. If you meant what happened with the Eliminator, I'm not mad at you about that. Bakura was the one who caused that mess."

Then she frowned and gave him a pointed look. "Besides, how could I still be mad at you for those things after you saved us? Without you and the rest of our friends…"

When she shuddered he went to wrap an arm around her shoulder, only to pull up when her eyes turned red and a grateful look from a face that did not often show thanks made him pause.

"Seriously, Jou. You were there when we needed you, and we are grateful beyond words that you were." The spirit of the Puzzle nodded politely at him, the closest she could get to a bow with a bowl of ramen soup on her lap. "We're not going to say you can't become part of the household, because you already are and we want you to be."

"Katsuya. You two can call me Katsuya." The teen in question could not help but wonder why the deceased Pharaoh's expression closed at the offer, then remembered that Oneesan did not know her name, so she could not reciprocate, and mentally winced. "Oneesan? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"It's fine, Katsuya, thank you." She waved it off and vanished into the Puzzle, which was a good sign that she did not want to talk about it. Yugi retook control and leaned into him, a little concerned for her twin but aware there was nothing she could do to help.

As he tucked into his delicious meal, Katsuya found that having Yugi's warmth pressed into his side was comfortable. He shifted slightly so she could settle in properly, allowing them both to eat contentedly before the chaos that was going to be the meeting kicked in. Still, at least he knew all three Mutous had his back, and that made the thought of dealing with his mother much easier to bear.