I thought about whether or not Seto and Noa would clash, the way they do in canon. It seemed like the natural way to do things, when I first started this story. But as time wore on, and I started really thinking about it, I realized I didn't want to do that.

It struck me as much more interesting to have them meet on more neutral ground.

Seto's story has always been about family. In canon, we see plenty of examples of what it means when that betrays him.

I wanted to explore what happens when his faith in family is rewarded.

.

By the time Noa Kaiba woke up for the first time since the accident that nearly claimed him, his parents had already begun the process of expanding their household. Seto and Mokuba were not yet ready to leave the Children's Home, but their fellow orphans already knew they'd been chosen by one of the city's wealthiest families; they had new clothes, they'd gotten fresh haircuts, and the staff at the Kaiba Estate was already in the process of setting up spaces for them.

Standing outside Noa's hospital room for the second time, Seto Yagami felt like a soldier awaiting fresh orders.

"Remember," Amaya said softly, "your brother has been through a harrowing experience. Be patient with him. He will be exhausted, and it would not surprise me if he is in a . . . very bad mood. If he says anything disparaging, try not to take it too personally. All right?"

"Yes, ma'am." Seto bowed his head solemnly.

Noa Kaiba was thin, gaunt even, and his hair was the same peculiar shade of gray as his mother's. Depending on how the light struck it, their hair took on a greenish look. Noa's eyes were a bright, icy blue; the fire in them belied the fatigue that seemed to radiate off him like heat waves.

Noa immediately locked eyes with Seto.

"Chichiue says you're to live with us," Noa said.

Seto bowed his head. "That's correct."

Noa was seated against a pile of pillows, with his hands folded in his lap over the covers of his bed, and he offered a prim little smile when he saw his mother enter behind Seto and Mokuba. "Hahaue," he said. "I'm sorry to have worried you."

Amaya favored her son with a doting look. "That's quite enough of that, darling," she said.

Seto put a hand on his brother's back. "Say hello, Mokie," he coaxed gently.

Mokuba stood up straight and made a practiced little bow. "Hello, Mister Brother."

Noa blinked several times, stared, then sputtered with sudden laughter. "H-Hello to you, too," he said.

"I'm Seto," said Seto, "and this is Mokuba."

"Noa," Gozaburo growled, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "Your mother and I need to speak to your doctor. Seto and Mokuba will be staying with you for the moment. We'll be back shortly."

"Yes, Chichiue."

"Behave yourselves, boys," Amaya said, following her husband to the door.

"Yes, Hahaue."

.

"I remember," Noa murmured, "before my accident, that Chichiue and Hahaue were arguing about whether I needed to socialize more with other children." He stared off through the single window. "I wonder if this is their compromise."

Seto considered how best to respond; he eventually decided that he needed more information. "Have you been home-schooled?" he asked. "By private tutors?"

Noa nodded. "I've been taught by some of the best minds in the country, or so they've told me."

Seto hummed. "That sounds . . . lonely."

Mokuba ambled over to Noa's bed, reached over, and patted the older boy's leg. "Is okay," he said. "We keep company now. No lonely."

Noa regarded Mokuba silently, clearly surprised by the younger Yagami for the second time. He tilted his head to one side like a curious bird. "Thank you, Mokuba," he said eventually. He turned his attention back to Seto, still with surprise written on his face. "How is it that you came to . . . be here?"

"I challenged your father to a game of chess," Seto said. "If I won, we would be adopted."

Noa's eyes snapped wide. "You . . . beat Chichiue."

Seto nodded. "I did."

"At chess."

"Yes."

Noa studied Seto with renewed interest, seeming to really see him for the first time. "We should play sometime," he said. "I think I need to see your skills for myself." He paused, then eventually added: "If you're up to it."

Seto's eyes glittered; so did Noa's. "Always," he said.

"Game? You play?" Mokuba looked thrilled beyond imagining. He started dancing about the room. "King game! King game! King game!"

"He's . . . enthusiastic, isn't he?" Noa asked.

"That's one word for it," Seto said, smiling as he watched his brother. He turned back to Noa. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" He could see that Noa was keeping himself poised and proper, no doubt in accordance with his parents' expectations, but Seto was no stranger to pain. He knew what it looked like when someone was hiding it.

He thought of his father.

"No," Noa said. "Thank you." He sighed heavily. "I am . . . very tired. I think I'd like to rest."

Seto nodded. "Mokie," he said, firmly, and Mokuba whirled around. "Quiet down now. Mister Brother needs to sleep. He's not feeling well."

Mokuba nodded solemnly, then held up one finger against his lips.

Noa smiled. "Thank you," he said.

.

"Seto says you played chess. He says he won."

Gozaburo gave Noa a grim nod, like he was confirming a death in the family. "The game of chess has always skewed young," he said. "All the same, there is no denying his ability. Seto Yagami is a skilled player."

Noa's eyes lit up. "I want to challenge him."

Gozaburo nodded again. "Avenge me," he said.

Amaya was idly running a hand through her son's hair, sweeping it from his forehead. "How are you feeling, darling?" she asked. "Is anything out of place? Do you need more pillows?"

"No, Hahaue," Noa said. His face reddened; he was only relieved that Seto and Mokuba were no longer in the room to see this. "I'm fine. Honest." His eyes flitted from one parent to the other and back again, several times. He seemed to be calculating something. Then he said: "What does this mean? For our family, I mean. This . . . isn't a contingency plan, is it? In case I end up . . . unusable?"

Gozaburo raised an eyebrow. "Unusable," he repeated.

"Not at all, Noa," Amaya said, gently but not without reproach. "This is merely the next step in the evolution of our family." She frowned. "Whatever would make you think such a thing?"

"I mean. Seto does look quite a lot like me."

Amaya's brow furrowed. "That," she said, "is pure coincidence. You are not replaceable, and I won't hear anything of that sort. What you are is an elder brother. With that will come plenty of responsibility, and I hope you're ready for it."

"I don't know," Noa admitted, "but I suppose it will be good to have more people in the house." He hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know what it means to be a brother. To have brothers."

"You will learn," Gozaburo said, "as ever you have."

There was something about the way he said it, about the steadfast confidence in his voice, that convinced Noa Kaiba that his father was telling the truth, even if his words hadn't.

"Yes, Chichiue."