It was Christmas morning, but still his internal clock wouldn’t let him sleep in. So at five in the morning he found himself wide-awake, starring at the one who had shared his bed that night. Seto had a hard time believing any of the last night had been real; it still felt like a dream. ‘Could always pinch myself I suppose, but damn, this is so corny...I don’t want to wake up if I’m dreaming. Not right now. I don’t want to lose this...’ As he lay there, he pulled the sleeping blonde closer to him afraid to let go. He ran his fingers through the rumpled mess of hair, stroking it out of Jounouchi’s face to get a better view, “So now what are we going to do?” He couldn’t think straight any more, wasn’t used to dealing with his emotions except with Mokuba. ‘I need to clear my head.’ Seto slowly removed his arm from around Jounouchi and climbed out of the bed, he looked down at the figure there again then turned to the bathroom.

He had heard Seto’s question but just laid there, eyes still closed pretending to sleep; heard the door shut, the water running in the next room, still he just lay there. “I don’t know...” His head hurt, weither from the alcohol or not he didn’t know, didn’t care. Last night he...everything he had ever wanted...he felt...but now...he didn’t know what he wanted. ‘Was that it? Was it just one night? Was there more than that?’ There was a soft click at the doorway, ‘Mokuba...the little brat...don’t know if I want to kill him or not. Maybe later after breakfast.’ Jounouchi got up from the bed. He quickly dressed, trying not to make any noise, then walked out of the room.


When Seto came out of the bathroom, he noticed two things; first, the bedroom door was slightly open and secondly, he was alone. “Guess that answers my question...” Mentally he slapped himself, ‘Hell you said it last night, it was just for ‘doing’, no talking, and no feeling, nothing...just there in the moment.’ “Told you I didn’t want to wake up, it was a dream after all.” He dressed then left.

After unlocking his brother’s door Mokuba headed downstairs to make sure everything was ready for the big moment. Presents under the tree waiting to be opened called to him, but he knew his weren’t there yet, Seto always kept them hidden until Christmas morning when he put them there. Of course, Seto had been locked in his room all night, ‘and very busy I hope’, and couldn’t get out to place anything under the tree. Breakfast was cooking, lights on the tree were shining, and everything was perfect. “Now to wake everyone up.” Mokuba ran to the second floor and loudly yelled, “MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!” while running down the hallway knocking on each door. The couples in each room could be heard responding in one fashion or another to the merry little imp. Most called back “Merry Christmas” to him, others, whose heads were still a little numb from the night before, grunted something along the same line. ”We open presents as soon as everyone’s downstairs.” Then Mokuba headed up to the third floor to his brother’s room. “Seto?” he called to the open door, “Big brother...Jounouchi? Merry Christmas?” The room was completely empty. “This can’t be a good thing.”


“Has anybody seen Jounouchi?” Serenity asked as they all gathered downstairs again. Everyone was there but it seemed Jounouchi and Kaiba were missing.

“I’m sure he’s all right Serenity,” Yugi told her.

“Yeah, probably got hungry earlier and is already scarfing breakfast in the kitchen,” Anzu added.

Mokuba was the only one who seemed truly upset about the missing boys, ‘damn it Seto, what did you do?’ “Hey you guys can probably figure out who you bought the presents for by what you bought...why don’t you go ahead and trade them while I look for Jounouchi and Seto?”


“The den of course! He’d stay out of the office just to say he wasn’t in the office on Christmas.” Mokuba went to look for his brother. “Seto? Why are you in here?” he walked into the room. Seto didn’t even look up, “Your present’s on the couch.”

“That’s not why I’m here, big brother. Why aren’t you joining us in the other room? And where’s Jounouchi?”

Seto looked at him, glaring, “I’m tired of all the games Mokuba, so I’m not joining your friends today.”

“And Jounouchi?”

“How the hell should I know where that mutt went to? Maybe you should have him on a leash,” he said harsher than he meant to.

Mokuba felt himself near tears, his brother never used that tone with him...’what the hell happened last night?’ “I’m sorry, Seto.”

“Mokuba...I didn’t...” Mokuba never heard his brother as he ran from the room. “Merry fucking Christmas.” Seto got up and went after the younger boy.

Everyone was opening their presents amid squeals of delight. Silly little things that they had bought each other without knowing but knowing all the same. This was a good thing as no one wanted to know just why Bakura had bought a pair of handcuffs if they hadn’t been for Ryou! The girls had taken to doing silly things with the bows and ribbons, while the boys were comparing presents. Yugi had received a new collar, Yami a new Play Station game, Otogi a set of dice he didn’t have for his collection, and Honda got a subscription to Motorcycle Monsters. Bakura received his present earlier from Ryou and wasn’t about to show anyone what it was. With the ohing and awing went on no one noticed Jounouchi come in the room. “Hi guys, Merry Christmas.”

“Jounouchi where have you been? We were all waiting for you...” Yugi started.

“I had to go pick something up, forgot to get it yesterday lucky for me the owner of the shop lives there and let me get it. Mokuba would have killed me if I forgot. Where’s the Kaiba brothers? Ain’t like Mokuba to miss his own party. ”

“He’s off looking for you and his brother,” Anzu told him, “as for the elder...probably working; you know what he’s like.” At that moment, they heard someone running up the stairs.

“Damn it Mokuba will you stop for a minute and let me talk to you!”

“There they are now...” Honda joked as they stepped out of the room to see what was going on.

“Why don’t you guys see if breakfast is ready yet,” Jounouchi suggested, “I’ll be right back.”

He followed the noise upstairs to the third floor. ‘Geeze I’m getting to know this place good now aren’t I?’ Seto was standing outside one of the doors, trying to talk through it, apologizing again to his brother.

“Mokuba, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to yell at you all right. Mokuba! If I was going to be mad at you it would have been last night, not this morning...” He turned and sat down in front of the door. “Thank you...for last night also. I know it was your idea, your present to me. How’d you know what I wanted?” He got quite, “Just wish it hadn’t been only last night...but thank you.” “It was the best present you could have given me,” he sighed.

“Same here...” the voice startled him. Seto turned to look towards the speaker. “But I think even though his present was the opportunity...we gave each other the better present.”

Seto looked into Jounouchi’s honey brown eyes, “What do you want mutt?”

“To say I was sorry. Sorry to leave this morning like I did, I had to go pick something up.” He held out a small box to the blue-eyed boy. “Merry Christmas.” Seto looked at the box as if it would bite him, then deciding it wouldn’t open it. Inside on a golden chain was a small pendant, of a Red Eyes Black Dragon.

“What am I going to do with this?” he asked.

“Wear it,” was the reply, “it matches mine.” He held up another chain with a pendant of a Blue Eyes. Seto just stared at him this time. “Mokuba bought them...he told me to pick them up yesterday and I forgot,” was the reply to the unasked questions. Jounouchi turned this time to the door and knocked, “Come on out kid.”

Slowly the door opened, “Is it okay now?”

“Better than that,” his brother told him.

“So Jounouchi,” Seto stood up next to the blond, “what are you doing for New Years?”
 

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