Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Silent Night... Holy Night... ❯ Hark Now Hear the Angels Sing... ( Chapter 5 )

Hey guys, this chapter won't be gift-exchanging but it will be up in the next chappie. Thanks for your reviews!!! Malik in this cute is extremely cute and child-like… I hope you enjoy!! ^_____^

===================

Hark Now Hear the Angels Sing…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas Morning… the Kaiba Mansion…

Seto's vibrating alarm clock went off from underneath his pillow, which made him stir without waking his lover, or Mokuba - who was always a light sleeper on Christmas Eve. He slipped out of bed and took a quick shower, walking around the room as if he were walking on eggshells. He didn't want to wake anyone before Mokuba's Christmas present arrived. Well, if you could really call it Mokuba's. It would be a family present, but Mokuba would be the official owner. It was six o'clock when Seto came downstairs, freshly cleaned and dressed smartly, fully alert and awake.

His servants were already up and about preparing for the party today, which would probably be even wilder than last night's. He gazed out the window in his living room at the thick snow flakes falling from the icy black clouds above. Christmas Day was always freezing, but inside the mansion it was always warm. Kaiba was a little nervous to say the least. This would be his first Christmas Day party with more people than just him and Mokuba celebrating. Before he had fallen in love with Jou, his Christmases were never celebrated to the extent of normal families. Jou was his reason for all this. He insisted a fun-filled Christmas with his friends, as he knew that Kaiba would be the type of person to have boring Christmases.

Before long, he spied Yugi's friend-to-be curled up on one of his red velvety couches. He could only imagine how much fur would be left behind once Cody awoke. He was obviously dreaming as he was purring loudly and meowing somewhat in his sleep. Seto rolled his eyes and went and fetched the box that Cody would go in so that Yugi could open his surprise. It was a rather large box; wrapped in white and silver Christmas wrapping paper. It had air holes at the top and a sheepskin rug on the bottom so that he could sleep quietly in there. Jou had insisted on tying a red and green silk bow around his neck before Yugi opened it.

Out of the blue, Don Juan sailed into the room in his best tuxedo. "Good morning and merry Christmas to you, Master Kaiba!" he said cheerfully.

Kaiba nodded and smiled only with his eyes. "Yes, you too Don Juan. Take this, consider it a private Christmas gift from me, to you. None of my other staff have been privileged like you." Seto said, handing Don Juan a wad of cash - about $1500 in total.

Don Juan's brown eyes enlarged in bewilderment. "Oh no, I can't accept that amount of money, sir! Please!"

"It's a gift, Don Juan. Now take it. It's the least I can do after your service for all these years."

"Gracias*, sir. Gracias."

"Yes now, has Mokuba's present arrived yet? He's bound to be up and awake soon enough." Seto asked.

"Sir Mokuba's gift is out the back, Master Kaiba. Do not worry, it won't get snowed on. I've put it under the shelter."

"Thank you, Don. Now, if you don't mind, will you see to it that this hairball is put into this box before 12:30pm when Yugi and the others come over?"

"Of course, Master. I will not let Cody's new master spot him before gifts are exchanged."

Kaiba nodded. "Good. Thank you, Don."

"No, thank you, sir!" with that said, Don Juan went to fetch Cody's box.

Kaiba knelt down to where the immense piles of Christmas gifts were stacked underneath the handsome Christmas tree. There must have been about twenty-five gifts in total. Mokuba's special present was waiting around the back. It would be revealed once everybody arrived. He sighed and stood up. Life was perfect at the moment. He couldn't wait for it all to come - to have a family with Jou, watch Mokuba grow, watch everyone around him grow and love and live.

Soon he heard little footsteps come colliding down the stairs, and Mokuba ran in, wearing his Blue Eyes White Dragon printed pyjamas and holding his Obelisk the Tormenter action figurine. His raven hair looked like a haystack, but that wasn't unusual.

"Seto! Seto! It's Christmas morning! Can I open my presents now?! Pleeeeeease?!" he latched onto his brother's leg.

"I want Jou to be awake before we open any presents, Mokuba. He'll be up soon, I'm sure."

"He's already up, Seto! I heard him in your bedroom!"

"You heard him? What was he doing?"

"I don't know. Walking around I guess."

"I'll be back in a minute, Mokuba. Don't go opening any of those presents now." Kaiba said, disappearing out of the living room.

Kaiba's POV…

I opened my bedroom door to find my puppy standing with his back facing me, staring out the large lattice window of our room. He was draped in his black silk robe which fell to the floor. I knew he was naked underneath, which tantalized me even more. He looked so angelic against the darkness of the room. He shone with a light which was like no other.

"Jounouchi?" I spoke his full name.

He remained still. I walked up to him and placed my hands on his hips behind him, resting my chin on the crook of his shoulder.

"Look." He spoke, pointing out the window.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I replied, looking at the fluffy white clumps of snow which were continuously falling from the clouds above. "Are you alright, my love?"

"I think something is wrong with me, Seto."

I panicked. "What? What's wrong, Jounouchi? Tell me."

"Lately I've been feeling so weak and tired. I've also found a lump in the side of my neck. I don't know what it is, Seto."

My pulsed raced and I frowned, eyes bulging. "A lump? In your neck? Where? Let me see, Jou. Show me."

Jou turned to face me and brushed away the blonde strands of hair which curled around his neck. He grasped my hand and put it up to the side of his neck. To my alarm, I felt a fair sized lump in the side of it. I snatched my hand away quickly.

"Oh no, Jou… not now… not today… it's Christmas day, Jou. Why did this have to strike now?"

"I don't know, Seto. But we can deal with this after today. Let's try and focus on having fun with our friends today. I will worry when I want to worry, and that will not be today."

I looked my lover in the eye. His eyes flickered with darkness and concern for his health. The darkness in them revolved. I had never seen his eyes so full of nothingness before.

"Come on then, lover. Let's get you cleaned up and downstairs. Mokuba doesn't want to open his presents without you there with him."

With that said, I helped Jou to the shower and waited for him to finish his shower. Together we went downstairs and joined Mokuba under the Christmas tree.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile at the Ishtar home…

"MERRY CHRISTMAS MARIK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Malik screamed as he pounced on his sleeping yami, showering him with kisses and love.

Marik forced his eyes open but to no avail, as eye crust had practically glued them shut. He rubbed his eyes free of sleep and looked up at his childish hikari who was wearing a Santa hat, red boxers and furry, fluffy white slippers [authoress pauses to go "AAAAWWWWWW!!!!!!!!]. Marik yawned and sat up against the headboard, his perfectly formed six pack creasing as he sat up [authoress pauses to think dirty thoughts].

Marik laughed and smiled at his hikari who was jittering with excitement, grinning ear-to-ear. He pulled Malik further up onto his lap and removed the silly red Santa hat lined with white fur from his head and ran his fingers through the silky platinum strands.

"Merry Christmas, Malik. I love you."

"I love you too Marik! Come on, let's get up! I want to give you my present now!" he said, jumping up and racing around the room like a child.

Marik emerged from the heavenly warm depths of his bed into the freezing room and grabbed his purple robe. Malik grabbed him by the hand and tried to gallop off toward the stairwell, but Marik being the stronger one, held back to his own pace.

After what seemed an eternity to Malik, yami and hikari arrived downstairs to the Christmas tree where their presents lay underneath, waiting to be opened.

"I want to give you mine first, hikari. I hope you like it." Marik said, grasping for Malik's present under the tree.

"Oh… okay then!" Malik said cheerfully.

"Merry Christmas, love. Please like it." he handed his light half the taupe coloured suede jacket which was concealed beneath the film of Christmas wrapping.

Malik tore into it and held it up out in front of him. His face beamed with glory. What a wonderful Christmas present!

"Oh Marik! It's awesome! I love it! Thank you so much!" he cried, flinging his arms around his dark half.

"I knew you'd like it. Try it on, let's see if it fits." Marik said. Malik handed him the jacket and turned around and stuck his arms out so Marik could put the jacket on him.

"It's a perfect fit! Oh yami… I love you!"

"And I you. That jacket will look great with your navy sweater on underneath."

"Yeah I know! Now… let me give you your present…" Malik picked up the miniscule box from under the tree and handed it to Marik.

Marik, unlike his other half, carefully peeled the cellotape away from the wrapping and revealed the present inside without ripping a single piece of paper. He fingered the small black box, covered in velvet between his fingers. He looked up at Malik and then back down at the box.

"Go on, open it, love." Malik said.

Marik opened the box and gazed down at the glittering gold ring with sparkling violet gemstones in it. He gasped and took it out of the box and held it out in front of him. "Oh Malik… this is… its beautiful!" he cried out.

"I knew you'd like it! Now try it on… I want to make sure it fits you."

Marik slid the ring onto his right ring finger. It glowed perfectly against the bronzed complexion of his skin. "It's a perfect fit! Oh Malik… aisheteru my tenshi…" Marik pulled his lover into a fulfilling kiss.

Right in the heat of the moment, Bakura blatantly glided in through the front door without knocking, announcing his arrival to the world. Ryou merely followed in behind with a bag over his shoulder, probably containing all his presents for everyone to take to the big party today. Bakura burst out laughing at seeing Malik wearing furry white slippers, red boxers, and a Santa hat, complete with a random suede jacket overtop.

"Nice outfit, Malik." He mocked.

"I know! Look at this awesome jacket that Marik bought me for Christmas! Isn't it just the most wonderfulest thing ever?!" he exclaimed, nonsense coming out of his mouth from his own mentally created dictionary.

Bakura eyed Marik and winked. Marik could only chuckle - the tomb robber had been right for once in his life. Perhaps leather was Malik's thing…

"Hey… what's that smell?" Malik asked. "It smells… familiar…" he added, sniffing the air.

"It's probably my cologne. It's my Christmas present from Ryou. It's called Armani Mania by Giorgio Armani. What do you think?"

"It smells great! What else did you get Bakura?" Malik asked.

"I got a dark red bath robe… it's very comfortable to wear." He said, placing an arm around Ryou's back.

Marik showed Bakura his ring from Malik and Ryou showed the Ishtars his new Egyptian silk shirt. Both hikaris yakked about their new garments and what they could wear with them. Bakura and Marik were discussing how well they had done on their first time shopping for their hikaris, and that birthday present shopping would be a breeze.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12:30PM… Kaiba Estate…

Don Juan had never been busier, taking peoples coats, hats and scarves and hanging them up on the coat racks. Yugi had been the first to arrive, followed by Malik, Marik, Ryou and Bakura, next to arrive was Anzu and Yami and finally, Tristan and Serenity showed up, which was surprising.

Joey was talking to the hikaris and their yamis about his fall from the ladder. Ryou and Malik looked especially sympathetic. Yami was talking to Yugi while Anzu wandered off and had a yak with Tristan and Serenity. Seto was busy getting his kitchen hands into ship-shape for their Christmas Day lunch which would be on the table soon. Ryou was especially looking forward to tucking into the apple pie. Malik was more so excited about the exchanging of gifts.

"Okay, listen up everybody!" Mokuba shouted through the hall. Everyone turned their attention on him. "My big bro wants everyone to put their gifts down on the couches in the living room, for we'll be exchanging after lunch! Now take a seat at the table and lunch should be out soon!"

Everybody did as they were instructed and shuffled off toward the living room to put down their gifts. They returned to the dining hall and took a seat each up at the table. Suddenly floods of maids and servants came flurrying out of the kitchen with trays and trays of food.

"Oh boy! Look at all this glorious food, Marik!" Malik cried, his eyes wide and mouth watering.

"It's all for us hikari. Let's tuck in."

Ryou carefully placed some potato salad and turkey slices with some pineapple rings onto his plate, careful not to get any food on his tremendously expensive Christmas gift from his lover. All the boys loaded their plates up with a ridiculous amount of food except for Ryou and began to eat. Anzu and Serenity rolled their eyes at each other watching Yami and Tristan make animals out of themselves.

After an hour or so worth of eating gourmet foods, wine and dessert, the full-tummied teens slouched back into their chairs and chatted amongst themselves. Mokuba came running into the room with a frantic expression. He ran straight to the elder Kaiba brother and tugged at his shirt sleeve.

"What is it Mokuba?"

"He's got out, big bro!"

"Who's got out?"

"Cody!"

*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:**:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*: *:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Hehehe okay sorry I didn't put the gift-exchanging in that chapter, but it will definitely be in the next. The reason I put that part about Joey with the lump in his neck in there is because I am experiencing the same thing with a friend of mine. She's got Lymphoma and has a 50/50 chance of survival by April next year. She's going through a really rough time because she's got tubes and drains and things inside her shoulder to inject drugs and stuff into to kill the tumor which is in her neck. I just thought I would express some feelings in this fic to let you know how hard it is. Seto is sort of in my position… I may make a sequel to this fic about Joey's fight for survival, you may vote if you like. Thanks for the reviews guys! Love you all… I'm out.