"So everything is fine now, right?" asked the raven haired teen. "You and Seto are friends?"

Anzu smiled down at Mokuba, "I wouldn't say that we're friends, but we're not fighting anymore."

Mokuba frowned. "But he said that you could stay."

"Yes he did."

"But you're not friends?"

Anzu shook her head. "You know how he is Mokuba. He doesn't try to have friends; if anything he tries to not have friends. But, that's okay." She smiled where Seto's form had disappeared up the stairs. "He considers me an 'associate', so that's good enough."

Mokuba's brow furrowed, "Associate? Really?" He facepalmed at his brother's striking lack of social skills. "This is why I tell him to go to school."

Anzu looked at him. "Oh, so we have you to thank for the presence of the Ice King on campus. Thanks, by the way. He's all sunshine and rainbows!"

He sighed, "He needs to learn how to talk to people! Ever since Gozaburo came into our lives he's neglected that. At this rate he'll never get a girlfriend."

Anzu sputtered and laughed. "Oh my gosh, you sound like his nanny! Are you so concerned about your brother's social life? I mean, you're not wrong, but shouldn't you have more faith in him?" She nearly choked on air at the deadpan look Mokuba gave her.

"Anzu, if I did that, he would legally marry KaibaCorp."

Anzu shook her head. "No, he wouldn't."

"Yes, he would." The tone in his voice made him sound convinced of this theory.

She wasn't having it though and shook her head. "I doubt it. Yes he's all about his company, but he likely won't spend the rest of his life alone."

"How would you know?"

She just shrugged and clasped her hands behind her back, recalling their conversation. "Let's just say the prospect of him dying alone really isn't as likely as we think."

He just cocked a confused look at her, but she didn't continue. He sighed. "Whatever conversation you two had in there is having some weird effect on you. But, if you say so, I'll trust you." He clasped his hands behind his head. "Just as long as he learns how to have fun eventually. I'll likely stop worrying so much if he gets to that point; until then though…." He sighed again.

That gave Anzu a great idea. "You know what! How about we have some fun?"

Mokuba looked up at her. "Like what?"

"Do you want to get out of the mansion for a bit?"

"Always! But do what, exactly?"

"We could always go get that ice cream we didn't get last time we were together." She smiled at him and he was immediately on board.

"Oh yeah! Let's go!" He hurried up the stairs to his room. "Let me just grab my phone and tell my brother!"

"Okay!" She said, then immediately called out. "Invite him!"

Mokuba stopped mid step. "What?" He looked at her incredulously.

"Invite him!" She urged.

What in the world? He thought. "He's not going to come!" He was sure of that. He had declined every single invitation that was ever extended to him.

Anzu merely shrugged. "Then give him the option to say no!"

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Okay…" He said doubtfully, but continued up the stairs and disappeared.

He rounded the corner and up another set of stairs and headed directly to his room. He passed his brother's study and home office and considered just skipping the invitation all together, but Anzu insisted so he guessed he would humor her. After grabbing his phone from its charger, he approached the closed door to his brother's office and knocked quietly.

"Come in." He invited.

Mokuba opened the door just enough to poke his head in. "Hey, big brother."

"What is it Mokuba?" He asked without taking his eyes off the screen.

Mokuba sighed inwardly; fully expecting a repeat of every time before. "Anzu invited me to go get some ice cream with her." Seto stopped typing and looked up.

"Did she?" Mokuba nodded. "I don't know how I feel about you going out for ice cream this close to lunchtime, but so long as you are not gone for too long go ahead. Make sure you take a chaperon with you." He resumed typing.

Mokuba nearly rolled his eyes. "Of course." He was on the cusp of leaving, then paused and mumbled, half hoping he wouldn't hear, "Actually, she invited you, too."

But apparently, Seto's ears were very sharp today. He stopped typing, momentarily caught off guard. "What?"

Mokuba shrugged. "I don't know. She said something about 'giving you the option to say no'."

Seto furrowed his brow. She was throwing curve balls at him today. Simply because they were stuck in that dining room for a couple of hours she suddenly felt the urge to invite him to trivial outings? He shook his head. "Tell that although her consideration is surprising, I-"

"Accept!"

Mokuba jumped out of his skin into the office. "What the heck, Anzu?!" He clenched the area over his rapidly beating heart.

She laughed, "Sorry about that." She smiled down at Mokuba with amusement.

"What did you do that for!"

She continued to smile at him, placing a hand on her hip. "I realized that I might have put you in an awkward situation so I came to back you up." She winked at him and he blushed ever so slightly, turning away from her. She wasn't wrong and he was grateful to not face the rejection alone.

She turned back to Seto. "You're accepting. Right?"

Seto leaned back in his chair. "I have work, Mazaki. I can't just fool around whenever I want."

Anzu folded her arms and relaxed against the doorway. "Of course you can."

He narrowed his eyes at her audacity. "No, I can't."

"Yes, you can." She smirked. "Or does KaibaCorp. own you now?"

He narrowed his eyes even further. Was she trying to insult him with idiotic challenges?

Anzu shrugged. "I mean, it's fine if it does! It's not like you have hundreds of employees doing their jobs and dozens of subdivisions at your fingertips. After all, you do run a multibillion, international company that can't seem to live without you. Unless, you know, you're off saving the world or duelling." She smirked at him. "No time for a few hours with your brother for one of his favorite treats."

Seto felt the anger build up but didn't feel the need to chase her out of his office. Which, for him, felt strange, as here she was barging into his office and using his brother as leverage to try and get him to abandon his duties for something they likely already had in the freezer.

He glanced at his brother's face, which had been staring at him silently this whole time, then ran a hand down his own. "You are a constant thorn in my side; you know that?" He sighed and stood up, grabbing his coat from the rack beside his desk.

Mokuba was shocked to see him stand. "Seto, what are you doing?"

Seto considered his answer as he slid his iconic white coat on. "It seems I'm being challenged by someone very cheeky. I feel the need to prove her wrong."

Mokuba sighed and looked down at the floor. "It's okay big brother, you don't have to come. It's just ice cream, it's not important. I know you're in the middle of an investigation and I don't want to force you."

Seto glanced over his shoulder, grateful for his brother's understanding. He was about to take his coat off when he caught Anzu's pointed stare. Are you really going to make him feel like an investigation is worth more than a few hours with him? He was almost positive he heard her voice in his head when he looked at her.

He looked at Mokuba again, saw his unhappy expression, and looked back at his computer. He had already assigned Isono to investigate the matter and now he was waiting to hear back with the results. While waiting, he was working on a new design, but he reached the point where he needed to manufacture the prototype, but his team was off today. In fact, the whole company, save for customer service, was closed for the weekend. So, what else was he going to do?

He straightened his coat over his shoulders and walked over to Mokuba, ruffling his hair. "Actually Mokuba, I could use a break right now. Proving a very cheeky individual wrong is merely a bonus."

Mokuba looked up at his brother, incredibly surprised and very happy. He leapt at his brother and hugged him tight around his waist, nearly knocking him back. He beamed up at him, "Thank you, big brother!"

"Be careful Mokuba! You are bigger than you think." Seto smiled down at him, seeing the exuberance of the ten-year-old his younger brother used to be. "Now let me go, I have to call the car."

Anzu, the silent bystander, dipped out the office with a massive blush on her face. She loved seeing this side of the Kaiba brothers, but that smile Seto had reserved for Mokuba was breathtaking in person. She felt her face raging with heat when she cupped her cheeks. Geez, what's the matter with me? It's just a freaking smile! She took in a couple of deep breaths to slow her rapidly beating heart. She briefly imagined him smiling down at his own at another small child sharing similar features to him and felt her entire body go hot and leaned against the wall. "I must still be sensitive from the conversation earlier," she mumbled to herself.

"What was that Anzu?" came Mokuba's voice.

She started a bit, but didn't let it show. She turned to Mokuba, who was followed very closely by his brother. "Ah, nothing. Just thinking out loud to myself."

"Talking to oneself is generally a sign of insanity, Mazaki." Seto smirked at her.

She shrugged. "That may be, but I do need the advice of an expert from time to time." Mokuba laughed at her sad attempt at a joke.

Seto grunted in amusement. "If that is your reason, why not simply give me a call?"

Anzu folded her arms. "Two reasons: one, I am an expert. Two, I don't have your number."

Seto rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket. "While I disagree with the former, I agree with the latter. Since you are going to be caring for Mokuba during your stay here you will need to be in direct contact with me." Anzu looked at him in silence as he handed her his phone. "Enter your number and email address in my contacts list."

She did so and handed it back to him promptly. She smiled a bit. "You know, this is not exactly how I imagined the first time a guy would ask for my phone number." Mokuba snorted and Seto glared at her.

"It is for business Mazaki. It is not personal."

She waved her hand dismissively. "You still got my number from me."

"You made it easy. A bit anxious to be sought after?" He teased.

She merely gave him a teasing look back. "Thankfully, no. Unlike your fangirls, I'm not ready to put out any time you talk to me."

Mokuba cocked his head curiously. "Put out?" Anzu facepalmed and Seto glanced away in discomfort. "Care to clarify a bit?"

Anzu shook her head. "Absolutely not." She ruffled his head. "You're still probably a bit too young to know what that means yet."

Mokuba folded his arms in adolescent defiance. "You guys seem to forget that I'm thirteen. I'll be in high school in two years."

Seto shook his head. "Even so, you are still too young to understand."

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Really, big brother?"

"Really."

"Right. So, what would happen if a girl my age came up to me and wanted to 'put out' and I agreed?" Anzu sputtered and Seto threw him a completely appalled look. "Your expressions are telling me that it would be bad, but I have no idea what that is!"

Anzu facepalmed again and Seto ran a hand down his face. "Okay, you have a point." Anzu responded, "but it's not a conversation to be had standing in the hallway." She looked up at Seto, "I'm not really surprised at this, but I have to ask anyway - you haven't had this conversation with him yet?" She blinked, "Actually, have you ever had someone give you this conversation?"

Seto reddened, whether out of anger or embarrassment he wasn't entirely sure, but fervently responded. "Don't go prying into my personal affairs, Mazaki!"

She held her hands up in defense. "Okay, okay! Geez! It was just a question. I was asking because I wanted to know just how much he's already been told, but I can see he likely hasn't been told anything." She looked at Mokuba. "How about this, let's talk this over later?"

He nodded, his teenage curiosity getting the best of him. "Over ice cream?"

"No!" shouted Anzu and Seto simultaneously, which Mokuba held his hands up in defense. "Okay! Did I step on some toes here?"

"It's - it's just not a conversation to have in public." Anzu stated. "How about when we get back. Yeah?"

Mokuba thought it over, a little bummed, but he nodded. "Okay, fine."

She smiled and stood away from the wall. "Cool. So, let's go, then?"

"Yeah!" He headed off with Anzu and Seto close behind him.

Anzu kept a comfortable distance from Seto, though she couldn't help being curious. "I know you said not to pry, but if I'm going to be your brother's caretaker I'm going to have to ask about the kinds of conversations you two have had." She said tentatively.

Seto glanced warily at her. "And if I share this information with you, Mazaki, just what exactly do you plan to do with it?"

"Isn't it obvious, Kaiba? I need to know where to even start. I'm not a mind reader you know."

"I didn't hire you to be a mind reader, Mazaki. I hired you to look after my brother."

"Exactly; so obviously I need his current caretaker to clue me in on where to go from here." She smirked at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine." He conceded. "Where should we start then?"

She thought about it a bit. "I suppose this is as good as any spot to start." He looked at her expecting more of an explanation. "The birds and the bees talk, Kaiba." She said flatly.

"The first place you want to start is sex, Mazaki?" He looked at her incredulously. "You clearly don't understand the meaning of decorum."

She frowned at him. "It's not about decorum, Kaiba. It's about practicality. Would you prefer he learn it at home or from school?" He remained silent, the answer was obvious. "See? How else is he going to understand the feelings of his first crush, anyway?"

Seto's curiosity piqued. "His first crush?"

Anzu nodded, but Seto's silence was an invitation for her to continue. She blinked, a little surprised. "You don't know?"

Again silence.

"Got it. Well, I'm sure he was planning on telling you soon." She smirked. "Actually, this is perfect. Suddenly, going out for ice cream is going to be more than a happy diversion."

Seto was about to ask her what she meant when she hurried to catch up to Mokuba as they reached the base floor.

"So," she began, catching Mokuba's attention. "How's Rebecca doing? I haven't seen or heard anything about her from you since I arrived at the mansion, you know. She's well?"

She fought back the giggle when Mokuba's face turned a slight shade of pink and glanced over to Seto.

"Yeah, she is. She's out of the country with her grandfather again so I haven't seen her since early this week." He sighed a little wistfully.

"You miss her?"

He flushed a deeper color and averted his gaze. "Miss her?" He glanced over to where Seto was and sputtered. "W-Why would I miss her?"

Anzu didn't miss the exchange and smirked devilishly. "Oh no reason. She's smart and interesting and easy to talk to." She leaned forward and elbowed him in the side. "And beautiful!" She sung the last part and snickered shamelessly when he turned a bright tomato red. "You're so cute!" she exclaimed as she ruffled his hair and pinched his cheek.

"Stop teasing me!" Mokuba cried covering his face in embarrassment. He didn't want his brother to see.

She giggled and looked at Seto, glancing pointedly at Mokuba as if to say, He's going to need to hear that conversation sooner rather than later.

Seto ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. He didn't do emotions well. He was famous for avoiding them and keeping his private feelings reserved only for his brother. True he lost his way after the abuse he endured from his step-father, but he found his way back. Ever since then he had been careful about letting them show.

Mokuba, on the other hand, did not have to be as cautious as he had. His heart was warm and open to everyone around him. He made friends easily and actually sympathized with others. It wasn't something that he was able to understand easily himself, but he did know that if one's feelings weren't well understood they could lead to dangerous situations.

So, when he nodded to Anzu, he knew she understood that he agreed with her.

He walked over to his brother and placed a hand on his head. He really is much taller now. When Mokuba looked up at him sheepishly, he said. "You're going to have to tell me about her."

Mokuba groaned, clearly dreading that his brother now knew he fancied a girl.

Anzu just laughed. "Hey, it's your own fault. You should have told him earlier."

Mokuba couldn't take it anymore, he burst. "Agh! I can't!" He pulled open the door and ran out to the waiting car.

She laughed at his antics but Seto was worried. He'd never seen his brother act like that and wondered if this Rebecca was having a bad influence on him. A gentle touch on his arm startled him and he saw Anzu's disarming smile. "Don't worry, he's okay. He's just shy. Rebecca's a wonderful girl, I think you may even know her grandfather."

Seto was a little taken aback. He was pretty sure she just read him like an open book. He frowned, not liking that at all. "Do not touch me so familiarly, Mazaki. We're not friends, merely associates." He removed her hand and she rolled her eyes.

"Right, of course." She huffed and frowned. He just has to be a jerk, doesn't he?

Seto opened the door and let her walk through first. She looked at him with slight apprehension, but accepted the gesture and exited the mansion. The door locked automatically once it was closed and he joined her side. "So, who is this Rebecca?"

She spared him a wary glance. "Rebecca Hopkins. She's the granddaughter of professor Arthur Hopkins. She's the reigning American Duel Monsters champion and placed fourth in your KC Grand Championship." She glanced at Seto again. "She also claimed the right to that Blue Eyes White Dragon card you ripped in half from Yuugi's grandfather a couple of years ago."

Seto clicked his tongue at her and turned away. That was ot his proudest and didn't appreciate being reminded of it. "Why would some little girl make that claim?"

Anzu stepped in front him, hands on her hips, scowling at him. "Because that card was given to Yuugi's grandfather from Rebecca's grandfather as a token of gratitude for saving his life." They exchanged a glare for a tense moment before Anzu diffused it with a sigh.

"Look, it's been a long time and a lot of things have happened. Honestly, Rebecca gave up her claim to the card when her grandfather explained the story. However, it is something that you should be aware of considering that Mokuba likes her." She poked him in the chest daringly. "It wouldn't kill you to get to know your brother's school associations, you know."

He pushed her finger out of the way; she was getting way too close for his comfort again. "You seem to have a funny habit of breaching my personal space, Mazaki. This better not be a common occurrence." He said with a mild threatening tone. A sudden sweet scent assaulted his nostrils and he pushed passed her towards the limo. "And make sure you take a shower, I can smell you from here."

She blushed and called after him. "I took one this morning!" Appalled that he even mentioned smelling her. Still, she sniffed herself, just to make sure she cleaned up enough. She didn't smell anything except her peaches and cream body wash and she huffed after him. What got into him?

She rolled her eyes and sat between Mokuba and Seto in the limo, closing the door behind her. They began pulling out of the driveway as she sat down next to Mokuba and noticed the awkward tension between them. She pulled him into a surprise hug. "Sorry for teasing you, Mokuba. You make it too easy, though." She jabbed and he blushed away from her.

"Yeah… I know." He smiled a bit. "I do miss her though. She's my best friend at school."

Anzu nodded. "Yeah, I remember you telling me."

"And when was this?" Seto interjected.

Anzu and Mokuba looked at him simultaneously. Oh, crap. I think I just ratted him out. She mentally panicked, thinking of an excuse, when Mokuba answered. "About two weeks ago. We ran into each other at the park on Saturday."

Anzu looked at him. A little apprehensive about how this could go.

Seto thought about the timeframe. That was before they had their conversation about his bullying; they weren't on the best of speaking terms then. If anything, he was sure he had grounded Mokuba during that time. "Two weeks ago on Saturday? You were restricted from leaving the mansion at the time."

Mokuba shrugged and clasped his hands behind his head. "I snuck out." He admitted without an ounce of shame.

"You what?" Seto scowled at him.

"I needed to see my friend whom I hadn't seen in weeks beforehand because she was on an archeological expedition with her grandfather. I needed to talk and she was happy to meet up with me at the park. Anzu was riding her bike when she saw me and stopped to talk for a bit." He explained. He was entirely unapologetic and merely shrugged off his brother's disapproval as only Mokuba could do.

"Mokuba, I cannot let this slide," Seto said in a very fatherly tone. "You disobeyed me."

Mokuba cast his eyes downward and Anzu gave him a pleading look. "C'mon Kaiba-"

"Stay out of this, Mazaki." He commanded.

She bristled. "I dare not; I'm his caretaker. If you want to vent it out then vent it out on me."

Mokuba and Seto looked at her, stupefied. "This does not concern you."

"I disagree." She folded her arms. "He told me that he snuck out of the mansion and I didn't encourage him to go home."

"Anzu… I wouldn't have gone home if you told me too, anyway." Mokuba admitted softly.

Anzu shook her head. "That's not the point Mokuba. I've been hired as your caretaker and I have already encouraged disapproving behavior. I knew you would be in trouble if you got caught and disregarded it." She maintained steady eye contact with Seto. "Since I'm responsible for you now, I now need to consult your brother on how this reflects on me."

Seto scowled at her. "You are not responsible for my brother's decisions."

"That may be, but I'm his guide. I care not only for his academic needs, but also his emotional well being and autonomy. If he feels trapped, needs an ear to listen to, or a shield to simply be himself I will step up to the plate on that. If you feel that he needs to be reprimanded for such an act then please," she placed a hand over her chest, "grant it to me as well."

They stared at her. She was clearly taking the situation quite personally, even though she didn't have to. It was normal for teenagers to push their boundaries and get in trouble. Mokuba didn't have a problem with getting in trouble for sneaking out and Seto felt that she was taking her position overboard.

He glared down at her. "You are taking this situation too personally, Mazaki. He is not a little kid and will not be catered to as such."

"It's not possible for me to take it too personally, Kaiba." She reached out and pulled Mokuba against her protectively, holding Seto's gaze with an iron grasp. "He's an amazing and intelligent kid and I've seen his growth over the past three years. But with how busy you seem to be and how long you are away from home, I have to admit that I have been worried about him as of late." She glanced down at Mokuba, who was looking up at her in wonder. "Tell me again, how's school?"

Mokuba flushed and glanced at Seto. He knew what she was asking and, gladly, so did his brother. He stepped away from her and smiled. "It's fine, actually. Seto fixed it."

This caught her by surprise. "Really?" She looked up at him. "You did?"

"Of course, I did." Seto remarked. "As I mentioned previously, Mazaki. I know when I'm wrong."

She looked him up and down, taking in his controlled position. He was sitting back against the seat, arms and legs crossed as he regarded her possessiveness over his brother. "I see." She bowed in her seat. "I apologize for jumping in."

Seto regarded her apology and shook his head. "Raise your head, Mazaki." She did. "Listen, I appreciate you standing up for him, but Mokuba needs to accept the consequences of his actions. I do not want you shielding him from reality. What I need you to do, is to pick up where I lack. Which, as you said, involves his emotional well being and education."

She nodded and extended her hand. "I don't believe we ever got around to the official terms of my employment, but for now, we can agree on this, right?"

He examined her gesture. "You want to shake on it?"

"It is a deal, right? You are his authority and I am his confidant. For all intents and purposes, this is a partnership." She stated.

He considered her words and she wasn't wrong. Except for one thing, "So long as you report back and discuss everything with me, we have an agreement." He extended his hand but she pulled back. "Are you backing out?"

She shook her head, but said, "No, but not everything." She repeated.

"I need to know everything, Mazaki."

She folded her arms. "The boy deserves some privacy, Kaiba."

"You know, the boy is right here!" Interjected, said boy. They both turned to him. "Since this agreement is about me can I give my own two cents?"

Anzu and Seto exchanged a glance; they momentarily forgot that he was there. Seto nodded and Anzu said, "Sorry kid. Go ahead."

Mokuba cleared his throat. "Okay, so I have no intention of hiding things from Seto, Anzu. I usually tell him everything that's on my mind." Seto nodded in agreement. "However, there are a few secrets I'd like to keep before I'm ready to tell him myself." Anzu nodded as well. "So, how about this: when I'm ready to talk, I will? I won't share everything until I'm ready. Is that fair?"

"Of course," Anzu agreed readily, but Seto was hesitant. "Mokuba," he began.

Mokuba cut him off. "Please, Seto? I want you to know everything, but I'm not always ready to tell you. I wasn't ready to tell you about the bullying until after I spoke with Anzu and Rebecca, but Isono beat me to it." He glanced down, "I didn't want to wait that long, but I was also hoping it would just sort itself out. It kind of did, but… well…. I suppose there are just some things I'm not going to be ready to say yet."

Seto analyzed his brother. This was another side of his brother that he wasn't familiar with. Mokuba used to tell him absolutely everything. To hear that he wanted some privacy from his own mouth made him seem distant. He wasn't happy about it, but he understood that his brother needed time.

Anzu interjected. "Then how about this?" She began and the brothers looked at her. "How about we give him space, but if it becomes a problem, I let you know even if he wants to keep it to himself."

"But-"

"Only if it becomes a problem." She repeated and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "If it's something you can deal with I won't tell your brother, but if it becomes a problem I will. Is this a fair compromise?"

Mokuba wanted to object, but he saw the fairness. "Okay…. It's fine, I guess."

Anzu nodded at his acceptance and looked at Seto. He seemed to be considering her proposition. "Well?"

He didn't like it. He wanted to be informed on everything and he was not willing to relinquish that so easily. Of course, he always had chaperons and his staff watching over his brother, but this will be the first time someone he hired directly said no to his demands unequivocally. Of course, this was Anzu. He should have expected that she would deny him for the sake of his brother's well being.

He smirked at that, both pleased and irked by the fact. "You're more trouble than you're worth, you know that?" His smirk widened when he saw her frown. "But you have a point, and after consideration," he extended his hand, "I will agree to this. He can have his privacy, but if it becomes a problem do not delay informing even by a second."

She smirked in return and clasped his hand with hers, "You've got a deal." They shook on it and Mokuba couldn't help but smirk in amusement.

"You guys sound like you just made some sort of parenting deal over me." Seto and Anzu shot him a surprised look and he laughed. "Shall I call you 'mom', Anzu?"

Her face instantly went red and Seto berated his laughing brother. "Mokuba!"

"Should I be expecting a wedding, soon? Will you both be adopting me?" Anzu flushed a deeper red and even Seto seemed to flush a bit.

"Stop it, Mokuba!"

"Hey, hey, no need to get defensive. You both just seem to care so much, it's more like having a father and a mother than brother and sister." He plastered a wide toothy grin on his face. "Not gonna lie, it is a nice thought," he laughed happily.

Anzu fanned herself and pinched his cheek. "Well, well. Looks like I'll be taking on a very cheeky son if that's the case." He whined as she pulled at him. "I wonder just exactly what my friends would think if I showed up at school with a wedding band on my finger with my name changed and presenting my teenage son to them."

"Mazaki… just stop…" She turned to see Seto casting his gaze down with a prominent flush covering his cheeks. She recalled their conversation and averted her gaze as well. Now that she thought about it, she wondered if he actually considered adopting his brother officially at one point.

Mokuba, however, wasn't ready to drop the joke yet. "They'd probably ask why they weren't invited and why in the world you married my brother." His cheeky grin persisted, despite the hold she had on his face. "Though Jounouchi would probably try to challenge the legitimacy of the contract."

Anzu smiled and released his face. "You're not wrong! He'd probably ask things like how much your brother paid me to do it."

Anzu and Mokuba laughed. "I suppose that would depend on how much you would charge!" Mokuba cried and their laughter grew only louder.

"Do you two really think so base of me to actually buy a wife?" He asked. He was irritated, but grateful that the conversation took a different turn.

Mokuba shrugged, "I don't know, big brother. If it was within the realm of possibility then maybe?"

"Really, Mokuba?"

"What am I supposed to think? You have no social skills!"

Seto opened his mouth to object, but Anzu interjected. "He has a point."

He grumbled to himself. "Contrary to popular belief, I have social skills. I must in order to communicate with my business associates during social gatherings. I simply do not care to socialize outside of necessity."

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "There you go again. Seto, how many times do I have to remind you that a conversation about business in a business setting does not make you social? You seriously discuss nothing but business and when the conversation takes a turn towards anything personal you immediately excuse yourself?"

"I merely do not wish to indulge others with my personal life." Seto responded simply.

"That's because you don't have one, big brother."

"Mokuba!"

Anzu laughed. This was one of the reasons why she loved them so much. Mokuba called his brother out on his flaws and Seto did his best to shrug those flaws off as if they didn't belong to him. They were open and honest with each other and it was so refreshing from what she normally saw in the CEO. He was, even just for a little bit, human.

They turned to her, honestly forgetting that she was even there. "Sorry!" She said, finishing out her giggles. "You guys are just… well, heartwarming, I guess." Mokuba blushed and Seto decided to find the passing scenery very interesting. She smiled brightly at them.

The limo came to a stop and a voice over the intercom announced, "We have arrived, Master Kaiba."

"Yes!" Mokuba exclaimed excitedly. "I haven't had this brand in a very long time!" He hopped over to the door, but Anzu held him back.

"Careful, kiddo! You don't want to swing the door open and hit someone square in the face!" She laughed as he smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, right. Heh, heh."

She returned his grin and, carefully, opened the door letting Mokuba exit first. "Wait for us!" She called as she exited herself and waited for Seto.

"Wait for us in the parking area. I will let you know when we are ready to come out." She heard him instruct as he exited the car. She closed the door behind him and the limo departed almost immediately. He walked ahead to meet his brother as she made herself aware of their surroundings. She noticed many of the passersby stop to murmur and gossip to themselves about the famous Kaiba brothers suddenly appearing in downtown Domino. She noted their descriptions, features, the ratio of men versus women, and looked for the ones that could pose the most danger. She walked on, wary of them.

She caught up to the brothers easily and walked inside the ice cream parlor. She saw both Mokuba and Seto at the counter considering their order when a group of girls rushed them. They chattered excitedly, asking for photos of them, and even begged them for hugs. Mokuba looked awkward and Seto looked annoyed. She facepalmed; she was used to seeing Seto everyday that she forgot that they were technically celebrities. It wasn't often one saw the famous CEO and his younger brother out in public... without their bodyguards.

Crap.

Anzu hurried over to them and, in the rush of the moment, grabbed on to Seto's arm pressing against him intimately and gave him her warmest smile. "Hey, you guys went on ahead without me!" She looked at the stunned faces of all the other girls, Seto, and Mokuba. "Oh, are these your fangirls?" She smirked at them. "Run off little girls, they're with me."

They all scowled at her and one of them huffed indignantly. "And who do you think you are?"

She narrowed her eyes at them, her smirk turning ice cold. "The one who's going to file a physical harassment claim against that pretty bleached blonde face of yours if you don't back off my boyfriend and his brother."

"B-boyfri-" Anzu slammed a hand over her mouth and pulled her close. "Let's keep that a secret, shall we?" Her voice dangerously low and ice cold. "We wouldn't want any unwanted rumors going around; especially from a jealous fan girl who couldn't keep her mouth shut."

The girl glared at her, but the nervous sweat was making it apparent on her brow.

"Now, be a good girl and take your friends away from here," she squeezed her face, "before I personally escort you out." She released her face forcefully and the girl stumbled back, shaken but unharmed.

The girl clicked her tongue but grabbed her friends and they left the shop altogether. Anzu sighed exasperatedly. "Honestly, the arrogance of some people."

"You are one to talk." Seto nearly growled out. "What sort of act was that?"

"A rushed one." She turned to him. "We don't have your bodyguards here and I had to pry them off of you somehow."

"I could have handled it myself, Mazaki."

"No doubt, Kaiba. But I felt it would have protected your image if I snapped at them instead of you."

"Then why not simply tell them to go away instead of grabbing me like you own me?" He asked.

She recalled and blushed. She had pushed up against quite closely, she still felt the warmth of his arm between her- "Right…" she cleared her throat. "Sorry about that…."

Mokuba stood on the side snickering. "You even claimed him as your boyfriend." Anzu stared at the floor in embarrassment and Seto frowned at his brother. "Do you secretly have a crush on my brother, Anzu?"

"Of course not!" She fervently denied. "Like I'd have a crush on the Ice King of Domino High!"

Seto smirked. "A king am I?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, big shot. You have a lot of titles amongst your fangirls at school."

"And do you use these titles about him very often?" asked Mokuba.

"This is the second time I've used it." She admitted. "To be honest, I kind of agree with it. He's the coldest person in school so of course his reputation and success would earn him such a nickname." She smirked directly. "Of course, I think it would be more appropriate to call him Ice God, to reflect how massive his ego is."

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Mazaki."

"Um…." came a disembodied voice. The trio looked over the counter and saw a timid employee waiting patiently to take their order. "May I help you?" She asked kindly.

Anzu and Mokuba laughed while Seto just shook his head. "Yes, please!" said Anzu with her disarming smile and turned to the brothers. "Let's get that ice cream now, shall we?"