Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Seto's First Christmas ❯ The Children's Center ( Chapter 1 )

Title: Seto's First Chrsitmas 1/6

Author: Kris Ice

Beta: Katbcoll

Rating: PG-13

Pairing(s): SetoxJou

Spoilers: none

Disclaimer:  I don't own Yugioh or anything associated with it.

Summary:  Seto has never liked Christmas, but this year is going to be a bit different.

Seto looked up frowning when his little brother ran by the door to his office for the third time.  Curious, he walked over to the doorway and watched as Mokuba raced by again, muttering under his breath.  "Mokuba, what are you doing?"

The younger Kaiba stumbled when he tried to turn to face his brother without slowing down.  "I can't find it!"

Seto held out a hand before Mokuba could rush away again.  "Can't find what?"

Blue-gray eyes rolled.  "I can't find the camcorder you gave me last year.  I was gonna take it with me today, but I can't find it."

Seto raised an eyebrow.  "Where are you going and why do you want to take it?"

Mokuba glared up at his brother.  "Haven't you been paying attention?  I told you that I volunteered to help set up the decorations at the Children's Center. I also volunteered to tape the kids going up to get their gifts from Santa.  I just can't find my camcorder!"

The taller boy blinked and leaned back so he could see his calendar.  After some quick calculations, he realized that it was Dec. 20th.  "Why do you need it now?  Weren't you decorating on the 24th?"

The exasperated look on Mokuba's face made Seto feel like he was the younger brother about to be called to task.  "The Children's Center is a large place, nii-sama.  We need to start early so we can get all the decorations up and get everything else that needs to be done finished."

Seto shook his head.  "I'll help you find your camcorder.  Do you need a ride to the Center or are you going to call one of the drivers?"  Seto almost regretted his offer when Mokuba got a calculating look in his eyes. 

"Could you drive me?" he asked, smiling.  When Seto eyed him suspiciously, the younger boy sighed.  "I just want you to come in and see what we've done."

Seto blinked in surprise.  He could hear a lonely ache in Mokuba's voice.  He hadn't realized that he'd been spending so little time with the boy.  "Of course I'll look around if you want me to."  He hesitated for a moment before crouching down to look Mokuba in the eyes.  "I'm sorry I've been so busy.  It's just… you know how much I don't like the Christmas season."

Mokuba bit his lip and nodded, remembering how bad Christmas used to be for his brother.  He had always gotten presents and been allowed to stay in his pajamas and play in the living room floor in front of the TV.  Seto would come down much later. He had always thought that Seto had overslept until one day he had decided to go wake his brother up so they could share Christmas breakfast.  That was when he learned what their adopted father's Christmas gift to Seto was.  Mokuba didn't think Seto knew he knew, but he wasn't ever going to bring it up.  "It's ok, nii-sama.  But will you come see the Center?"

Seto offered his brother a slight smile and nodded.  "Come on; let's see where you put that camera."  The brilliant smile he got in return warmed his soul, except for the frozen place that never melted deep in the center of his heart.

A few hours later, he had to admit that the volunteers had done a good job on decorating the center.  There were lights strung around the room and some of the older kids were finishing hanging paper garlands that the younger kids had made around the room.  He wasn't too surprised to find out that Yugi and his friends were also volunteering.  The tall brunette leaned against the wall, watching as kids bustled around.  His lips quirked when Joey, Tristan, Yugi, and a couple of boys he didn't recognize hauled in a Christmas tree.  His amusement turned into shock when they finally got the entire thing through the door.  At his best guess, the giant was around sixteen feet tall.  He was sure it would fit since it was going to be set up in the Center's gymnasium, but he couldn't imagine how they expected to get the monster set up. 

A small woman came out of the kitchen, a look of amused exasperation on her face.  "And just what do you expect to do with that?"

Joey gave her a lopsided grin.  "Ah, come on Ms. Aisu, it's the first Christmas party at the Center!"

She snorted and laughed before starting to issue orders, causing Seto to smirk again.  She reminded him of a miniature drill sergeant.  He raised an eyebrow, almost impressed as an ingenious setup of pulleys and ropes was quickly put up by older volunteers on the catwalk led by Tristan.  Soon, they had the ropes tied around the tree high enough that those on the catwalk could reach them to take them off after it was standing.  Seto couldn't hold back a snicker as he tried to imagine how they planned to decorate it.

"It's good to see you enjoying yourself."

Seto directed a glare to the right, but found the words frozen in his throat.  He blinked, glanced toward the group near the tree, and then turned back to the impossibility by his side.  There, standing only a couple of feet away with that damnable smirk was a translucent Yugi.  Only… it wasn't Yugi.  He blinked again, and scowled as the vision chuckled.

"You may call me Yami," the other said, smirking as he regarded the expression on his rival's face.  "Don't tell me you've forgotten me."  He chuckled again.  "Of course, you never believed I existed, so…"  Whatever he was going to say was lost as the sound of a rope snapping.  Every head jerked toward the sound in time to see the huge tree fall over.  Everyone froze for a moment before a normally sweet voice started shouting Egyptian curses.  Yami's eyes widened.  "Aibou!"  The spirit darted over to where his smaller half was trapped by the prickly branches.

Seto's lips curled at the edges as several people ran around the tree, most of them calling Yugi's name.  But what was really amusing was the dark spirit partway in the tree trying to comfort his other half while his translucent butt was sticking up in the air with a branch passing through it.  He couldn't hold back a few snickers as his body quivered with repressed laughter as Yugi's language became fouler the longer it took for them to haul the monster off of him.  He had to put a hand over his mouth as Yami moved further into the tree to make sure his other half was unhurt.  The movement placed a branch going through a very inappropriate place.  He was still sniggering when they finally managed to wrap ropes around it again and lift the towering giant off of its tiny captive.

Yugi was unhurt except for a few scratches from the needles.  He glared up at the huge tree as he stood.  There were several more moments of chaos as Yugi tried to convince everyone that he was fine.  His other half kept insisting that he should at least let Ms. Aisu make sure.  Yugi glared up at Yami and must have replied in mind speech because the spirit finally backed off.

Seto made no effort to hide his smirk as the spirit came closer.  A smirk that only got wider when Yami glared at him.

"It's not funny," the shorter young man growled as he leaned against the wall.

"Of course it was," Seto answered, walking around Yami to get a glass of soda from the refreshments table.

Yami raised an eyebrow, but before he could snap back, Seto interrupted him.  "If you are the ancient spirit that is supposed to be inside Yugi," he looked up at Yami, "why are you out here?"

The dark spirit shrugged.  "I was bored and people can't see me so I wouldn't disturb anyone if I go looking around."

Seto blinked, pausing with his drink partway up to his lips.  "So how can I…?"

Yami shrugged again.  "I'm not sure.  I didn't even know you could until you looked up when I said something."  The smaller duelist smirked.  "Of course, it could be because of who you were."

Seto glared at him and didn't reply.  He took another swallow and noticed some of the workers looking at him oddly.  His eyes narrowed into a glare and they quickly found something to be busy with. 

Yami chuckled.  "They think you're talking to yourself." 

Seto snorted, but looked over the decorations again.  "It looks like it's going to be a big party."

Yami nodded, his face softening.  "There are a lot of kids they're bringing in this year.  Some from poor families, but most are orphans."  Someone turned on a radio and Christmas carols started to play.  He pretended not to notice the way Seto stiffened beside him.  "Each of the kids was allowed to ask for one thing from 'Santa' and will be given their gift by the man who dresses as him on Christmas.  There will also be a huge feast so that they will have a proper meal."  A soft sound caused him to look up and he raised an eyebrow when he saw that Seto had crushed his empty paper cup.  Yami caught a quick glimpse of something in blank sapphire eyes and he had the impression Seto hadn't heard a word he said.  "Does this time of year bother you that much?"

Seto blinked, looked at him confused before looking down at his hand.  He shook his head.  "I don't like Christmas."

Yami frowned as Seto walked away, dropping his cup in the trash before he left to find his brother.  The ancient spirit didn't take his eyes off the tall young man until he was out of sight.  There was definitely something wrong with his rival, and Yami knew he hadn't been seeing things when he saw remembered terror in dark blue eyes.  When he found out who put it there, he was going to have to play a little Game.