Seto sighed as he pulled his jacket tighter around him. Finally, the school day was over and he could go home. However, that thought didn't lighten his mood at all, as he'd received an unpleasant text message at the end of the day, telling him that, unfortunately, his limo driver had fallen ill and would not be able to pick him up, forcing the rich and pampered brunette to walk home.

It wasn't that long of a walk, but it simply kept getting more and more frustrating as, halfway home, early season snow began to drift downward from the cold, grey sky. By then, Seto was succeeding in hating absolutely everything on the planet. He hated his school for being so damn far away from home, not to mention so preppy and private and expensive. He hated his limo driver for getting sick today, of all days, and forcing him to walk in the snow. He hated that damn whimpering that was beginning to grate on his nerves… Wait, whimpering?

Seto's head snapped up just as the noise started and he waited for it to begin again. Eventually, another small whimper echoed from a nearby alley. Propelled by his curiosity, and eager for a distraction from the snow, the brunette veered off course to investigate. His searching revealed a cardboard box, overturned next to a dumpster, as the offender. It wasn't too large, but it wasn't a small box, either. As he approached it, the inanimate object shifted slightly and whimpered again. Cautiously, Seto flipped the box.

There sat a pathetic looking golden retriever puppy, perhaps only a couple of weeks old. It was thin and shivering and looked up at him with scared, weak brown eyes. Seto stared back at it, rather surprised. However, then reality sank in again. A cardboard box that whimpered and moved? What else could he have expected? He knelt to check the pup. No collar, no tattoo, and no chip or any other form of ID. The dog was definitely a stray.

However, dogs born strays were scavengers, and often fine on their own. Seto stood and turned, going to make his way back to the street once more. Immediately, the whimpering began again and he glanced back in time to see the puppy try to stand and follow him. As it put weight on its left hind leg, however, it yelped and fell again. The brunette sighed, turning and crouching next to the puppy again to scratch it behind the ears.

"You're going to guilt me into taking you home with me, aren't you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and sighing. He received a small whimper in response. "… Fine." In one swift movement, the brunette scooped the puppy up, cradling it in his arms as he walked swiftly in the direction of home.

The walk took only five minutes, but by the end of it, the puppy had already nestled itself in Seto's coat, a furry lump with its head poking out the male's collar. The situation was quite cute, and rather comedic for the people who knew the slightly embarrassed brunette was Seto Kaiba. After all, since when did big CEOs go around with puppies in their jackets?

By the time Seto got home, he was annoyed again and reached up to brush the snow from his hair and shoulders, supporting the puppy with his other arm. The small bundle of fur in his coat was very warm against his chest and he instinctively smiled slightly. It was then he heard the familiar, and excited greeting.

"Seto! You're home!" Mokuba went to perform his daily running hug, but froze completely as he spotted what was in his older brother's coat. "Oh… my god. It's a puppy!" The boy's eyes lit up brighter than they had been before. "Oh, it's so cute, Seto! Can we keep it! Is it a boy or a girl? Please? Oh, please, can we keep it?" he asked as he reached up and scratched the pup behind the ears and giggled.

"We'll see, Mokuba. I have to get a vet to look at it. It's injured, so be nice, alright?" he said, as he went to lift the puppy from his coat to pass it to his brother. However, for his efforts, he received a small growl as the dog snuggled deeper into his jacket. Mokuba smiled.

"It likes you, Seto! I'll go call the vet, okay?" he said, turning and hurrying toward the first room with a phone in it. Suddenly, Seto was left alone once more in the hallway, snow still lingering in his hair, and a stubborn puppy in his coat.

The Kaibas, being a rich and influential family, could easily convince almost anyone to make a house call, no matter what their profession. When the doorbell rang; Seto knew to expect the vet.

"Hello, Kaiba-sama. I came as fast as I could." Said the woman standing outside. She held an examination bag. Seto nodded and stepped aside to let her in and closed the door behind her.

"It's fine. You've arrived quite promptly." he replied with a small smile. "Now, so far, it's refused to get out of my coat. Do you think…?" he asked, gesturing to the puppy, napping comfortably against his chest. The vet smiled and very gently lifted the sleeping puppy, which didn't stir as she cradled it against her chest.

"A bathroom should be sufficient enough to do a check up," she offered and the brunette nodded, leading the way into the house. After a minute or so of walking, the puppy awoke and began to growl. It stopped promptly when it saw that Seto was nearby, prompting the vet to giggle and receive a questioning look from the brunette. Finally, they came to a spacious and mostly empty bathroom.

"Will this be alright?" Seto asked, and the vet nodded with a smile.

"This should be perfect." she replied as she placed the puppy down on the counter. The golden-furred pup immediately sat on the cool countertop and stared up at them both curiously. Meanwhile, the vet placed her bag on the counter, opening it and checking her tools. "It's not hard to tell this little rascal is a boy, as well as unfixed." she began, "He's got a good part of golden retriever in him, although I'd bet he's got some kind of lab in him, too." She gently began to part the puppy's fur. "Miraculously enough, no ticks or fleas, although on the phone, your brother said it was injured?" she inquired, and Seto nodded.

"Yes. His left hind leg couldn't support his weight when I found him. I don't believe it still can, or I have a feeling he'd be running about and exploring the mansion by now." he explained with a small smile. The vet nodded and began to examine the puppy a bit more thoroughly. Checking his watch, Seto realized it was time to put Mokuba to bed, so he excused himself and headed up to his little brother's bedroom.

By the time he returned, within twenty minutes, the vet was smiling and putting her things away.

"His leg's fine. It's just a strain, probably from chasing something. He's completely clean, no ticks or fleas, and I gave him his shots, just in case." As if on cue, the puppy growled defiantly. The vet chuckled and passed Seto a small bottle. "These are a few painkillers, if he needs them. Crush them and put them in his food. In any case, he should heal up in the next few days, so just try to keep him from doing anything strenuous until he's feeling better." she finished, picking up her bag.

"Don't worry. I have a feeling he won't be too inclined to run around this weekend." Seto replied, imagining the puppy curled into his jacket all weekend. He smiled. "Thank you very much. Your payment will be sent to the veterinary office, with a sizeable tip for the house call." The vet thanked him and was soon on her way, leaving Seto with the puppy again. "A boy, huh?" he said softly as he scratched it behind the ears. "Well, first time you piss on anything in the house, you're going back out into that cardboard box." He picked the puppy up. Immediately, it was nuzzling under his coat again and curling up to his chest, and he sighed.