A/N: And I am back with another one-shot featuring Seto Kaiba and his daughter—whose name was inspired by an OC character of a friend that I have had the pleasure of meeting online when I was role-playing as Kadaj. O.o This is actually a companion piece to Life's Changes. And while I'm still focusing more on the father-daughter relationship aspect, there'll be a smudge of Seto x Kisara somewhere in here too [since she's his wife in this story and Sero's mother]. ;) I hope you guys don't hate me too much if Kaiba seems OOC at times, because I am not denying the fact that I'm not good at writing about him since this is only my second YGO fic—not really a grand project I have going on since I'm really focused on writing my Final Fantasy XV fics.
Anyhow, the setting's Christmas. Don't ask why. It's where the inspiration hit, and it's almost December anyway. Think of it as a very early Christmas one-shot.
DISCLAIMERS: I don't own YuGiOh. I'm only writing a story for it because I'm too caught up in my childhood feels. xD Konami owns the anime.
The Perfect Gift
Paperwork... An insane amount of paperwork.
It was driving him nuts, but then again, he was already used to it. He could catch a break, but he didn't want to. Not yet anyway. All of this needed to get done and then he could take the week off, with only a few things from work that he could safely do at home. Besides, if he was in the house, Sero would occupy his time, especially since it was the Holidays and the little girl always insisted on spending it with her family—even though Serophia would probably end up hogging his little brother's attention most of the time.
The telephone sitting on top of his desk rang. He was too engrossed in encoding the necessary things, so he didn't pick it up right away, although he was half tempted to just hang up. Still, the loud shrill persisted, filling the once quiet room with a ringing that made his ears want to pop. Sighing in frustration at being interrupted in the slightest, he gave up and answered it, putting the device to his ear as his secretary's voice flooded through the device.
"Mister Kaiba, Roland requests to see you." She told him.
"Send him up." The CEO ordered before he promptly put the phone back in its cradle.
Someone was knocking on his door a few minutes later. He was curious to know what the man wanted, and perhaps getting it over with was the quickest way to return to his work. It was only five in the afternoon, and his family was expecting him to come home at seven—not unless something urgent popped up which he, for once, hoped wouldn't happen.
"Come in." He called out in response and didn't even look up from what he was doing as he waited for the set of footfalls that would eventually announce Roland's arrival.
His fingers flew over the keyboard, carrying on with encoding as he waited for the other paperwork his secretary would have to bring in later for him to sign. A slight frown crossed his features as none of the sounds he had been expecting arrived. His office was eerily quiet, and he was sure he had seen the office door open seconds earlier. He paused in whatever he was doing to check the expansive room, and his eyes fell on a very unexpected sight—unexpected but highly pleasant.
His daughter's face broke out into a wide toothy grin once she saw that she had his rapt attention. Seto blinked rapidly, and before he could say a word, the little girl lifted a hand and waved at him happily as she sat on the cream suede couch in his office.
"Hi, Daddy." She giggled. "Surprise!" She shouted, jumping off of the couch as she performed a little twirl to express her exuberance.
It only took a second for the surprise to fade only to be replaced with the pressing need to inquire. Surely his wife was here?
The CEO cocked an eyebrow at the little girl. "What are you doing here?"
He winced at the forwardness of his own tone of voice. That would probably make Sero shrink back...
"Surprising you." The little girl replied immediately. He didn't know if she was directly unfazed with the inappropriateness of his inquiry, or his daughter just didn't care and decided to ignore her father's blatant question.
Seto smirked. "That did a number." He commented smugly, leaning both of his elbows on top of the desk to gauge the expressions flying across his daughter's face. "So Roland brought you here." Seto mused. "And your mother?"
The little girl's face sobered at the mention of her mom, but she didn't seem upset—just bummed about something. Upon seeing her reaction, Seto already knew Kisara wasn't with her daughter.
"Mommy's at home...setting up surprises." She giggled, her mood turning better in an instant as she flashed a mischievous smirk at her father.
It was a gesture he returned. "I know you have a reason for being here." Seto commented, momentarily forgetting about his tasks that needed finishing in favor of accommodating his little angel's wishes.
Sero clapped her hands together and nodded enthusiastically. "I want to go shopping." She smiled brightly.
Seto raised an eyebrow at that. "Shopping..."
His little baby approached his working desk, peeking over the edge as she stood on her tiptoes. Her head barely made it past the surface of the furniture. In the end, he was merely staring at the top half of her face as she gave him a very imploring gaze. "Christmas shopping." She clarified. "I has to buy presents."
It wasn't as if he could refuse her. Guess he would be out earlier than expected today, that is if he wanted to arrive home on time. Of course he would go with his daughter if she wanted to have a shopping venture. It wasn't as if he was going to let her wander the streets of Domino all by herself.
"So you're here to ask for my permission." He stated, glancing back at his glowing computer screen.
Serophia nodded happily that he almost feared her head would come off because of the force of her own movement.
"Can I?" She beamed at him adorably.
And there went his perfectly constructed iron will. Truthfully, only three people could successfully break it down, and he didn't have to think twice about it too. While he had always put up an icy front when he interacted with Mokuba while growing up, he had always known that he would never be able to deny his brother anything. He was the only family Seto had left after the incidents that had happened in his childhood years. He had always done his best to give him and his brother a happy life, living it the best way he could. And then Kisara came along. She too, became an important part of his life, and in the moments that led up to their wedding, he had become her willing slave—not that he would tell her anytime that he was alive. Kisara didn't ask for many things—wasn't exactly interested in material possessions, but he always took to buying her some things he knew she would absolutely love. And each gift he had given her, she always cherished.
So he had figured that Mokuba and Kisara had melted the ice that had wrapped around his heart for so long, but that was before Serophia Kaiba came into his life. His daughter was his perfect little angel.
He could still remember the first time he laid his eyes on Kisara's swollen womb and fully realized that the baby she was carrying was their child—his own flesh and blood. He had been in the middle of giving a talk on a small gaming conference in Domino City when the news of his wife's labor reached him. Roland had interrupted him as politely as he could onstage, unsure of how to approach Seto Kaiba about the news that would change his life forever—without embarrassing the young CEO of course. The rest of the events that had happened after that came in a strange blur. The white walls of the hospital rushed past him as he swiftly made his way to the wing where his wife was giving birth. He had wanted to enter the birthing room, but Mokuba held him back, convincing his older brother that it was probably much safer to wait the ordeal out.
When the nurse had ushered him in to see his wife, he had immediately rushed to Kisara's side, softly stroking his wife's sweaty face. Her ethereal hair was in an alluring disarray as she laid back tiredly on her pillows, a strangely satisfied look on her face as she smiled at him. For a moment there, he was utterly convinced that the rest of the world had fallen away—just her and him, even if the nurses and doctors were flitting around. But that moment had been broken with the cries of a healthy baby.
After they had cleaned her up, the doctors brought the newborn infant to the waiting parents. Seto had been unsure how to act at the first sight of the fussy little baby; with a crown of silky chestnut brown hair and a face that was contorted up as she cried. He had watched wordlessly as Kisara cradled their newborn daughter in her arms and the baby fell silent. The renewed calm revealed the infant's crystal blue eyes; eyes that looked so much like her mother.
Kisara beamed at him, tried to gauge his reaction, but Seto didn't have the right words to describe how he felt at that moment. The feelings were totally new just as a strange paternal instinct began to take root and grow. It had been his complete undoing when Kisara held out their daughter for him to hold...
"I... I do not know how." Seto murmured, completely unsure as he stared at the infant's face and the baby's wandering eyes.
Kisara laughed softly, so as not to startle the infant. "Just keep your hand under her head." She advised.
Still hesitant and unmistakably careful, he let his wife place the child in his waiting arms. It just seemed like his brain had tuned out the other unnecessary noises that pervaded the atmosphere of the hospital, leaving his attention completely focused on his daughter. He still couldn't believe she was really here. He felt the light weight being placed in the cradle of his arms, and as if in response to his actions, their little baby girl reached out, spreading her arms wide as she broke free of the confines of the white sheet wrapped around her.
He hadn't even noticed that Mokuba had walked in and was now joining Kisara as they stared at him while he wallowed in fascination at the new human being that was introduced into his life. Curiously, Seto lifted a finger and ran it across the baby's tender cheek. The little girl's mouth parted in a toothless grin; a grin that captured his heart wholly.
"What do we name her?" He asked, speaking in a soft voice as he kept his eyes on their baby.
"What do you think Mokuba?" Kisara asked, watching Seto's younger brother as he sat perched at the foot of Kisara's hospital bed.
"She looks like big brother." Mokuba mused, turning the idea over in his head for a moment.
Kisara chuckled in amusement. "That she does." She agreed.
All the while, Seto was oblivious to it all, still enraptured with the little adorable creature nestling in his arms.
"How about Sero?" Mokuba suggested happily, staring at his brother as he doted on the baby.
"Serophia..." Kisara added, resulting in a wider grin from the younger Kaiba.
"Serophia Kaiba." Seto mused, tearing his gaze away from the baby long enough to send an approving gaze to his wife and his little brother.
"Daddy?"
Seto blinked again and rubbed his forehead subtly to rid the memories that were suddenly invading his mind. Not for the first time, he was drowning in nostalgia all over again. Serophia's voice snapped him out of it and he brought himself to attention once more. What was his little girl babbling about again? Oh right... The Christmas shopping agenda.
"Of course." He agreed immediately. "Just...let me finish my work for a while, and I'll come with you."
Serophia's face only became brighter—if that was possible. "You'll come with me?" She asked, going around the desk to beam at her father from the side of his office chair.
"You seriously think I would let you wander the streets alone?" He asked, feigning an incredulous expression as he said the words. "Besides," the CEO shrugged, turning to his computer. "You could use the extra cash."
Sero squealed happily and wrapped her arms around her father's leg before her face sobered once again. "But I wanted to surprise everybody." She mumbled contemplatively.
Seto allowed a small rare smile to cross his face as he rested a hand on top of his daughter's head, stroking her hair gently. "I'm not going to peek if that helps, but I'll want to be there when you buy your gift for Mommy." He suggested.
Sero nodded. "Deal!"
vVvVv
"Mommy, mommy! I'm beating Uncle Mokie!" The little girl declared proudly, redirecting her attention to her parents once she caught sight of them hovering quietly in the doorway.
They had hours to kill before midnight, and this was Sero's idea of a boredom reliever. Mokuba chuckled, shaking his head at Sero's distraction while he placed a chess piece forward, determined to take down her queen. Kisara and his brother had arrived not fifteen minutes later after this chess match against his niece began. To her credit, Serophia was indeed doing well—for a child. Mokuba promptly moved a pawn into place, a sure winning strategy forming in his mind—that is to say, Sero won't counter his strategy if she ever figured it out.
"Are you now?" Kisara asked, approaching the coffee table where the chess board was splayed out, a smile on her ethereal face.
Serophia nodded enthusiastically, shifting her attention to the board as she tried to effectively gauge what her Uncle was trying to do. Daddy gave her tons of advice in chess tactics, and she believed he wasn't even done yet. He was teaching her a lot of the ropes in the game whenever he had the time and whenever she was up for it.
"How do you even know you're winning?" Mokuba asked, smiling at the little girl who had her entire facial features contorted up into a look of utter concentration—very similar to Kisara's.
"What are the stakes?" The once silent occupant of the room suddenly spoke up, joining his family gathered around the coffee table playing a board game.
Sero had concentrated long enough only to be distracted by the sound of her father's voice. She looked up at him quizzically.
"Stakes?" She muttered, a slight frown on her face.
Kisara smiled softly and reached out to smooth the creases forming between her daughter's eyebrows as she seemed to make a big show of confusion. Sero parked herself on her mother's lap, still watching the chess pieces intently as Uncle Mokie had yet to make his move.
Mokuba nodded once. "Stakes... What are we getting if we win." He explained as vaguely as possible.
"We don't have a... stake." Serophia muttered, unsure if she had pronounced the new word right. It wasn't that big, but it was new.
"Then I've got a brilliant idea." Mokuba piped up as he pushed his bishop diagonally along four squares, moving it closer to one of Sero's pawns.
The CEO smirked. "And that would be?"
"The winner of this match gets to challenge your Dad." Mokuba grinned at Sero who looked like she was considering the entire idea.
They all watched as her gaze flickered from her Uncle to her Mother, and eventually to her Father's stoic face. She had faced Daddy countless times now, and he won every time. Daddy always coached her during their chess matches, telling her what was a good move and what wasn't, and what she should or shouldn't do. Facing Daddy wasn't much of a prize since the probability of losing was pretty high, but she figured she would take her chances. She had nothing to lose after all, and she just decided to ignore Uncle Mokie's obvious reactions to her basic strategies.
"But Daddy wins every time." She reasoned, blinking at her father who was smirking at the chess board, his eyes roaming the playing field.
Mokuba shrugged. "Beating Seto is worth a shot." The young man chuckled.
"By all means, yes." The CEO nodded. "It could be worth your while." He agreed.
"You'll never know until you try, Sweetie." Kisara encouraged her daughter, brushing a few strands of her brown hair away from her face.
The little girl pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "But I always try." She protested a little. "And Daddy always wins." She huffed, puffing her cheeks out in annoyance—that did nothing but make her look cute (in Seto's opinion anyway).
"And what do I always tell you?" Seto Kaiba asked with a quirked eyebrow, shifting his full attention to his daughter.
"Try and try until you succeed." Serophia mumbled in a tiny voice.
"It's your move, Sero." Mokuba pointed out, reaching over the coffee table to tap his niece's nose.
Sero scrunched up her face at that and proceeded to thinking about her next move. The game commenced for a few more minutes until both players were down to their last pieces. At the duration of it, Seto kept his mouth shut, intent on watching his younger brother and his daughter battle it out in a game of strategy and wits. There was no doubt in his mind that both of them were intelligent, but it was amusing to watch how they both floundered over each other, trying their best to counter. Mokuba had his fair share of slip-ups and miscalculations, and so did Serophia. In the end, Sero won. Though Kaiba wasn't sure if Mokuba meant to lose or Sero really did win. Judging by the smug look on his brother's face though, Seto had a gut feeling that it was the former.
Sero had been giggling and crowing about her victory when Kisara had excused herself so she could go and assist the maids in preparing the feast that they were going to have at midnight. Seto couldn't really complain when his brother and his wife had invited Yugi and the others to celebrate.
While he still kept to himself most of the time—still so shrewd, he had conditioned himself into tolerating the 'dweebs.' Yugi was actually quite bearable, Tea no longer launched into a full blown friendship speech—but in a Holiday such as this, it was going to be hard to tell, Tristan was tolerable enough and so was the mutt's sister, Serenity, Duke still struck him as odd because of his choice of clothing—and makeup, but Kaiba didn't really care anymore, and Joey? The mutt was as annoying as ever. Over the years, he could stay in the same room with the blonde and their arguments have toned down a bit, but he still wasn't warmed up to the guy.
Not for the first time in his married life, this Christmas celebration was yet to be filled with loud people. But it made his wife and his brother happy, so he figured he wouldn't say anything adversarial to it. Serophia also seemed enthusiastic about the other visitors showing up tonight. Wasn't that the reason why she had bought so many gifts?
After Kisara sat Sero back on one of the couches, patted Mokuba's mop of black hair, and gave him a swift kiss on his cheek, he watched his wife leave through the archway that bordered the room from the foyer outside.
"Congratulations, Sero." Mokuba beamed at his niece, twirling a black bishop between his fingers. "Looks to me like you will have the honor of challenging your Daddy." He chuckled.
The young CEO shook his head before promptly switching places with his younger brother. Serophia was already busy setting up the pieces, stretching her little body over the entire width of the coffee table to place her father's designated pieces for him. She ended up ruining the arrangement of her own set—which made Mokuba snicker, and Seto suppress a chuckle. He settled for a smirk instead.
"Thank you, but I can set them up on my own." He told her with that smirk on his face.
"It's part of my strategy, Daddy." She giggled demurely behind her hand before sticking her tongue out at him, completely unperturbed with her father's remarks.
"After you." Kaiba gestured with his hand, graciously offering the first move.
"Of course I go first, Daddy." Serophia pointed out, moving her white pawn forward. "White always goes first. Pawn to E3." She grinned proudly.
The match went on in considerable silence, broken only by the sound of Kaiba's or Serophia's statement of where they intended to move their chess pieces. Seto watched the expressions fly across his daughter's face as she engaged him in a match—not for the first time. This was probably the first time Serophia was playing with an audience. On their previous matches, he and his daughter were alone in a quiet room—just so the little girl could concentrate and focus to the fullest.
He watched her now as she did her best against him. For a five-year old, Serophia's level of intelligence was showing so much promise, and almost everyone who got to interact with the little girl at a daily basis could see that—even Yugi and his 'precious' friends could agree. His daughter would begin her official studies upon next year's school opening, and she was jumping straight to first grade—not that anyone had any complaints. Yes, Serophia was his daughter, but he wasn't being biased when he claimed that the little girl was intelligent enough to begin school without preparatory education. He would never tell anyone, but he wanted his daughter to enjoy her childhood, and grow up as normally as possible—with the right balance of school work and fun that he had never experienced.
A few moments later and his daughter made a minor miscalculation. While he watched his pieces and played them to the best of his ability, he was also keeping an eye on Serophia's progress. She made a lot of impressive moves, but this small miscalculation was going to cost her. When his turn came, he moved his waiting bishop to a considerable spot, completing his foolproof game plan and winning the match.
"I'm sorry, my little angel." He shook his head. "Checkmate."
Serophia pouted and folded her arms across her chest. "Where did I go wrong?" She huffed.
He couldn't help the small smile that appeared across his lips. This was what endeared her to him. Other children might have felt put out at the loss, but his daughter's initial reaction was to inquire why she lost; as if she was absolutely sure of her victory if not for a small mistake on her part. Seto promptly began to arrange the pieces the way they were—at the moment where she began to make her miscalculations, and began explaining everything. The little girl listened intently, focused entirely on her father's mini lesson.
Roland appeared at the archway, knocking on the jamb to announce his arrival.
"Excuse me, Sir, but your guests have arrived."
Seto only nodded once even as Sero got distracted by the announcement. Meanwhile, Mokuba hopped up enthusiastically.
"Whoa, they're early!" Mokuba exclaimed, climbing to his feet. "I'll go meet them, Bro. Kisara would probably be happy to see them." He smiled.
Kaiba only nodded once before turning his attention back to his daughter.
"Uncle Yugi and the others are here?" She asked with a smile just as Mokuba left.
Seto was unsure about the idea that his daughter actually called Yugi her Uncle, or any of Yugi's friends for that matter, but he left it be since they were Kisara and Mokuba's friends, and admittedly, his daughter was quite fond of them too.
"Apparently they are." He spoke, pinching the bridge of his nose. Two more hours before midnight. "You're going to ask if we can finish this lesson another time?" He cocked an eyebrow, already anticipating her train of thoughts.
"Is that okay?" She asked a little hesitantly, reminiscent of the shy way Kisara would ask for something she was unsure of.
"Of course it is." He gave an indulgent nod.
Serophia beamed at him. "Thank you, Daddy!" She cheered, running around the coffee table to plant a kiss on her father's cheek before zooming out of the room.
Seto could only watch her leave, shaking his head fondly as he watched the tiny brunette leave his presence to join their guests.
vVvVv
Christmas celebrations were always held at a lesser regard—like most of the holidays. He never celebrated anything, because frankly, no matter the holiday, he would still be sitting in front of his glowing computer screen—doing work and punching numbers and fixing glitches. He and Mokuba usually had dinners on Christmas eve and special breakfasts on Christmas morning. They would exchange gifts, and then Seto would return to his daily routines.
Of course, when Kisara had entered his life, opportunities for interpersonal relationships had tripled. Before, he only had to worry about Corporate parties, but now, his wife was adamant about family celebrations—not like he hated it. If he was going to be completely honest with himself, he would even go so far as to say that he longed for it, but really didn't know how to put it into action. He wanted to be more open with Mokuba—mainly, but now he knew he had to make an effort to do just that; not just for his brother—not any longer, but now, for his daughter and his wife as well.
The silver-haired woman had been insistent on sharing the holiday celebrations with friends and family, and of course, Mokuba backed her idea up. He didn't really want to comment negatively on anything, because nothing was more important to him than his family's happiness, so of course he didn't utter a protest when his brother and his wife invited Yugi and his group of cheerleaders. Their manner of celebrating Christmas had also taken on a different twist. Their little gathering began at Christmas eve and would last until the wee hours of Christmas morning. A feast was prepared for the moment when midnight would strike, and then they would exchange gifts beneath the Christmas tree, and the rest just generally went by on a single blur.
This year's celebration was no different. When midnight struck, Kisara and Mokuba had called everyone to meal. Friendly and lively conversation was rampant and as far as he was seeing things, everyone was having a rather great time. Joey still did not pass up the chance to make jabs at Kaiba, which he deadpanned and returned mildly—for his daughter's sake. He didn't want Serophia thinking that her daddy was verbally violent.
Dishes were served splendidly, mouth watering and very appetizing. His wife had certainly outdone herself, and he had every intention on showing her tonight how much he appreciated her effort. She caught his eye a few moments later and no doubt, she had seen the mischievous gleam in his eyes, to which she had responded with a discreet eye roll.
Later, when the most awaited part of the evening had arrived, he had grudgingly followed in everyone's heels as they all trooped to the foyer where the ten-foot tall Christmas tree was located. It was rather scoff-inducing to see the rest of them pile on the gifts and start hollering and announcing whatever presents they got. In a matter of minutes, wrapping paper was discarded all over the green carpet that served as the base for their ten-foot tall Christmas tree.
Seto stood quietly at the sidelines, arms folded across his chest as he watched everyone interact with so much joviality. Kisara was among them, happily engaging with the sarcastic banter. Funny how the jokes were considerably kept clean for the sake of a child in their midst. Serophia was sitting among the presents, being constantly fawned over by the others—not that he didn't find it agreeable. Seto would be the first to openly admit to himself that he wasn't a nice person—nor was he companionable, but even in the face of his obvious hostility to almost anything, even Yugi and his friends didn't find his daughter aggravating. He had once heard from the dweebs conversing about how the Mutt carelessly assumed that Serophia Kaiba would be an exact replica of her father. Well, Wheeler had assumed wrong.
He pulled himself out of his thoughts just in time to see Tea hand a rather large rectangular present out to the little girl.
"This one's yours, Sweetie." The woman smiled brightly.
"Mine?" His daughter asked in an awed voice, still staring at the wrapped present with a little bit of confusion.
"Of course it is!" Joey interjected, nudging the present closer to the little Kaiba. "We bought it just for you."
"Open it, Serophia." Yugi encouraged with a little nod.
And he watched as they all stared at his daughter while she meticulously and carefully unwrapped her present. She didn't tear through any of her gifts like some wild animal. She unwrapped them as neatly as possible, taking the time to remove the scotch tapes and the flimsy evergreen bow. She folded up the discarded wrapping paper before turning her attention to the gift. It was a rather big box, but he presumed it wasn't too heavy for a five-year old. Certainly, Yugi and his cheerleaders knew better.
Serophia lifted the lid carefully, revealing an assortment of chocolates; ranging from white to milk to fruit-flavored to silly cartoon-shaped ones. He watched his daughter pick up the chocolate shaped like a cartoon rabbit. A wide grin split her face as she took a bite, swallowed, and grinned.
"Mommy, they got me chocolate!" She cheered happily, bouncing to her feet and bounding around happily, brown hair swaying with her movement. It was so frickin' adorable that Seto actually found himself putting some effort into not smiling like a total idiot.
Serophia ran around, hugging and thanking everyone who bought her the chocolate assortment. She even ran up to Joey to give him a big hug.
"And I bet your Daddy hasn't brought you a present as awesome as this." The blonde gloated, shooting Kaiba an off-handed so-called superior look that Seto merely quirked an eyebrow at. So much effort into not looking like a dweeb. It could have been commendable, but since it was Wheeler, Kaiba reconsidered the idea entirely. Oh, he was mean alright.
"Daddy didn't give me his present yet." Serophia commented innocently, blinking at her father and at the blonde who were obviously boring holes into each other's eyeballs.
"If my daughter gets so much as a tooth ache because of your stupidity, Wheeler, I'm suing you." Kaiba smirked, choosing his words and masking them carefully so Sero wouldn't know that her father was actually demeaning the box of chocolates that Joey and his friends had gifted her with.
"Yes, Seto, where is your present for Sero?" Kisara interrupted them before the argument could progress any further and damage the entire celebration.
"But I want to hand out my presents first!" The little girl protested before anyone could complain.
Serophia darted past her Uncle, grabbing his hand in the process so he could help her drag the bag of neatly wrapped presents into the room. She didn't exactly ask her father to go Christmas shopping with her for nothing.
Kaiba watched curiously as his little girl pranced back into the foyer where the guests were conversing and bantering and throwing wads of torn paper at each other. A childish display, but he wouldn't oppose it. The holiday was for kids anyway. Mokuba was right behind Serophia, a back pack slung over his shoulder. Once he lowered the item, his daughter quickly scrambled towards it and began to dig around for the various wrapped items she had kept in there.
He was only half paying attention as she began doling out Christmas presents; checking the labels she had placed on the gift tags to identify who the present belonged to. It wasn't really a surprise to note that she read better than most children already. Pretty much every adult in the room had taken their presents from her with the utmost poise expected. He had been zoning out again, thinking about the stock records and numbers he would have to crunch once he got back to work first thing in the morning. That, and the other agenda that lingered in the forefront of his mind—which would most likely take up his entire Holiday break.
"Here's your present, Daddy." A tiny voice spoke at his feet.
He trained his gaze to the source of the voice—but not before he had caught a glimpse of the skepticism written on everyone's faces. Ever so slightly, Seto managed a small upward turn at the corner of his lips, only catching his wife's eye as she stood a little close to his side. He knelt down to accept the Holiday token from his daughter. The little girl gazed up at him with wide adoring and innocent eyes; a gaze that betrayed nothing but unconditional love that could only come from a child. He had never once thought he would receive that kind of reaction from anyone, but now, a lot did change in the past years. Seto had always known that Mokuba held him at a high regard, but now, he not only had the unconditional love of his wife and his brother, but his daughter's as well—and he knew that was more than he really deserved.
He smirked. "Thank you, Angel. And now I owe you one." Seto winked, tapping the tip of his daughter's nose with a finger.
She scrunched up her face and playfully tried to swat his hand away, but he had already straightened to his full height. Kisara chortled at the childish display between father and daughter. She wrapped an arm around her husband's elbow, leaning on him as she watched her own daughter incessantly pester her Daddy for the gift that he now owed to her. Even she couldn't keep the grin from spreading across her face.
Seto reached into one of the inner pockets of his white over coat, procuring a cylindrical object wrapped in Holiday paper decorated with golden bells. He held it out to Serophia who frantically snatched it from him in her childish excitement. They all watched as she carefully—yet again—unwrapped her Christmas present, slowly peeling off the wrapping paper. Her small effort revealed a cylindrical tube with a rolled up piece of parchment inside—kind of like those bottles that wash up on the shore of the beach and they have scrolls inside them.
"Nyeh, what's that supposed to be?" Joey asked in an incredulous tone, shooting a curious look at Kisara.
The silver-haired woman shrugged with a smile as she discreetly gestured towards the brunette standing next to her.
"It's like a little treasure." Yugi commented, appreciatively staring at the object that Serophia had in her tiny hands.
The little girl blinked and carefully pried the cap off of the tube. She turned it upside down to allow the piece of parchment to slide out. It seemed ridiculous to watch everyone else hold their breath in quiet anticipation—even if they weren't aware of it, and Seto was more than mildly amused at their comical reactions. It was just a friggin' piece of paper. What was so exciting about that?
Sero unraveled the parchment and once she caught a glimpse of what it was, she blinked innocently—unsure whether to feel disappointed or just feign excitement. Seto could read the expressions flying across his daughter's face, and somehow, he had expected that response. Given the gift he had presented her with, he supposed it was only a natural response. What parent would give their child an elaborately detailed map of Europe anyway? But he had reasons. Never let it be said that Seto Kaiba would ever do something for the sake of being random.
Joey, of course, would not pass up the chance to mock Kaiba's sorry excuse of a Christmas gift to his own daughter. Even Kisara had an odd and confused look on her face. Seto knew that his wife knew that he had a reason behind everything, and she was just struggling to figure out his motives behind this one.
"It looks like a map." Duke commented, confused and stating the obvious.
Seto rolled his eyes, but said nothing in his own defense. He knew the obnoxious loud-mouthed blonde would say something, and he wasn't wrong.
"Nyeh, who gives a continental map for Christmas?!" Joey gasped incredulously. "I bet even Santa puts geographical maps on his black list!"
Seto chuckled humorlessly. "Unlike you, Wheeler, I have reasonable motives behind everything."
The brunette watched with sadistic satisfaction as the blonde grit his teeth; probably only containing himself for the sake of the child in their midst.
"A map of Europe." Serophia muttered, transfixed at the graphic images of the most famous landmarks. She finally looked up, blinking at her father with inquiring eyes.
"Yup." Mokuba spoke up, standing proudly with his arms folded across his chest. "And your Daddy's going to personally fly you out there the day after tomorrow." He declared confidently, seemingly the only one who was fully aware of Seto's actual plans.
It took a second, but the realization of the real surprise had finally sunk in, and the little girl looked up at her parents expectantly. She had always wanted to go to Europe, and somehow, her father always knew that. Seto had seen her gazing wistfully at a well-illustrated encyclopedia once. She had been staring at the world's most famous wonders located in Europe, and when he had asked, she had declared—in her childish innocence—that she would see these places someday. Sero had no idea what he was fully capable of doing. Besides, he found her endeavor quite convenient—especially when he had been planning a surprise family trip to a certain continent all along. Knowing his daughter's desire to visit such a place only confirmed his considerations and fully erased any trace of lingering reservations toward this agenda. And what better way to put that plan into action than in a two-week Holiday vacation?
Seto met Joey's gaze, an arrogant spark within his cobalt blue eyes. He had won again. If this obnoxious blonde thought he could outshine him even in gift-giving, then Wheeler was badly mistaken. He appreciated the dweebs' efforts in making his daughter happy though, but he would never tell any of them that. Serophia was overjoyed with the giant box of chocolates that they had gotten for her, and seeing the little girl's happy face was all Kaiba would ask for.
"A trip to Europe?" Serophia asked, a beautiful smile on her adorable face.
Seto nodded once, smiling ever so slightly.
"On an airplane?" The grin only got wider.
"On board our private jet, actually." Seto stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Where are we going?" Serophia asked, clutching the map close to her chest as if it were the most precious gift she had ever received. Well, he hoped it was.
Kaiba smirked, giving his wife a knowing glance as she shook her head and smiled at him. He promptly picked his daughter up so she was at an eye-level with him. "Anywhere you wish to go." He confirmed, nodding at the map that she had carefully rolled up and was holding close to her chest with one arm while her other arm was around his neck. "That will serve as your official travel guide."
"You really mean it?" Serophia asked, crystal blue eyes glittering with sheer happiness and excitement.
"I wouldn't have given you that map if I didn't." He smirked and immediately stiffened with surprise as his daughter swiftly wrapped both of her arms around his neck.
Serophia buried her face in his shoulder, cuddling closer to her father in a complete and sincere show of gratefulness. At that moment, Kaiba allowed a tiny smile to cross his lips, completely ignoring everyone else's reactions in the room as he planted an affectionate kiss at the top of his daughter's head.
"Thank you so much, Daddy." Serophia murmured. "You're the best dad in the world."
Well, almost every child in the globe said that, and for so long, he had always thought that was rather cliched and a little outdated, but he held that opinion in the days before he ever met Kisara. He had never spoken those words to the man who had adopted him and treated him and his brother like dirt. To hear such small and simple words from the little girl in his arms right then and to feel so elated at that innocent declaration, Seto swore that he could feel his chest swell with paternal joy.
Screw money and fortune and power. He loved his family, and he always would...
vVvVv
Long nimble fingers quietly unwrapped the gift box that had been presented to him a few hours ago. Everyone was already well-situated in the guest rooms and were probably fast asleep beneath the warm covers. His wife was a gracious hostess that would never let any of her guests get less comfort. And if their guests were asleep, then so was his daughter. He had already given Serophia her Christmas gift, and now, it was his turn to unveil her present...in the wee hours of the morning—specifically at three AM.
Unwrapping the present revealed a box with a lid on it. It was big enough to house some type of medium-sized souvenir, and without further dramatic ado, he opened it and was greeted with the sight of immaculate white wings attached to the body of a very familiar dragon. He gingerly brought it out of its confines, and he watched the way its blue eyes gleamed in the minimal amount of light that his bedroom provided. It was simple, yet somehow very thoughtful. It was actually an action figure, and he had a slight suspicion that his daughter had bought the dragon in the toy store they had ventured into earlier in the day.
The Blue Eyes White Dragon stood proudly on well-crafted taloned legs, its white wings spread wide in flight, jaws lined with ferocious sharp teeth open and ready to blast its familiar white lightning. He was smiling unabashedly as he turned the little action figure over in his fingers. He liked the Blue Eyes, sure, but he appreciated the thought behind the purchased item more. He set the miniature version of his favorite Duel Monster aside when he caught sight of a paper envelope at the bottom of the metal box that had housed the mini version of the creature.
It wasn't sealed, but he supposed he could expect that since a child made it. He opened the flap and took out the folded piece of stationary placed inside. It was a letter—that much was obvious. The parchment itself was decorated with Christmas festivities designs. It had a backdrop of cliched snowflakes, and there was a tiny picture of a red-nosed reindeer at the bottom right corner. A printed picture of a wreath decorated with a red bow was at the very top, and he noticed some personal touches to—like the pesky amount of glue-on glitter bordering the paper's edges.
Dear Daddy,
I hope you liked my gift. I tried making one, but I can't seem to get Blue Eyes' head right. I kept messing it up. Anyway, I want to thank you for everything. Thank you for letting me have my own room. Thank you for giving me Flopsy. Thank you for teaching me chess. Thank you for teaching me things about computers. Thank you for being such a great Dad. Other people think you're mean, but I don't believe them. They don't know you, but I do. You're the best Daddy in the world!
Merry Christmas, Daddy. I love you.
From,
Serophia
By the way, Daddy. Can I have a puppy?
Seto blinked, unsure of what to think or say—not like he could form words. He was speechless at the moment, and incredibly amused at the fact that his daughter mentioned her favorite stuffed animal. She had named the rabbit Flopsy—which was strangely appropriate for a bunny.
"Charming, isn't she?" A voice commented behind him.
He glanced at his wife over his shoulder and could only agree at the remark. Kisara came into his line of sight, a snow globe with a Blue Eyes White Dragon inside held in her right hand. She was holding a white envelope too. He could only assume. He managed a wane smile as he placed all of his daughter's presents on top of the desk.
"She gave you a snow globe with Blue Eyes inside it?" Seto asked with a mischievous smirk, amusement glittering in his eyes as he regarded the fragile souvenir in his wife's hand.
"Sometimes I can't help but think that this family is strangely fond of this dragon." Kisara agreed, smiling brightly herself as she placed the snow globe next to his new Blue Eyes White Dragon action figure.
Seto promptly handed her the letter that Serophia had written for him at the same time that Kisara had outstretched her hand towards her husband, the envelope between her fingers, urging him to read what Sero had written for her mother.
Dear Mommy,
Please don't think I'm crazy or weird, but I really think you look like Blue Eyes. Only, you're human. But I'm not insulting you Mommy. I mean it as a compliment. I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world. I like your hair. I wish I have it too. Anyway, thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for fixing my appearance every morning. Thank you for letting me take bubble baths. Thank you for fixing Flopsy when his ear opened up and started spilling fluffy cotton. Flopsy appreciates it and wants to thank you too. Thank you for playing with me.
Thank you so much, Mommy. You're the best mother in the world! Merry Christmas, Mommy. I love you so much.
From,
Serophia
Mommy, can I ask you a favor? I wrote Daddy a letter and asked for a puppy. Please help me convince him. I really really really want my own doggy. Thank you, Mommy. =)
"I can't believe you two are scheming behind my back." Seto smirked, chuckling with amusement as he gently refolded the piece of stationary and tucked it into the envelope with much care.
"Well, since you've read the letter, I don't think you need anymore convincing from me." Kisara laughed, putting the precious pieces of parchment away. She locked them in one of the drawers; where the Blue Eyes White Dragon card drawn by Mokuba lay safely.
Emotions and sentimental gestures were extremely high tonight, and Seto Kaiba had no idea what he wanted to say. He gazed at his wife's eyes, trying to form words that would convey the warmth and the happiness that he felt at just having been told of how much he really mattered to his daughter's life. He couldn't really ask for more. Sometimes he wondered what he had even done to deserve such people who constantly put up with him even if he was being difficult. Sometimes, he just felt like it was too much.
He cupped his wife's cheeks in both of his hands as he tilted her head up and he planted a soft kiss on Kisara's waiting lips. She responded accordingly, her arms coiling themselves around his waist as he pulled her closer and indulged her with his show of affection. He pulled away before the kiss deepened, but he kept them close nevertheless—only to speak the words lingering in his tongue.
"I know I don't say it often, but I love you." He breathed against her lips, his forehead leaning against hers. "Kisara, I love you. I love our daughter, and we wouldn't have had her if it weren't for you."
Kisara pecked his lips. "Well, Serophia wasn't made with my effort alone." She smirked, nuzzling his nose. "I love you too, Seto."
Their lips met again, engaging each other passionately and deeply. Kaiba could feel a fire starting to burn within his gut as they both basked in the bliss of the moment. He had promised himself that he would commend her efforts for tonight's celebration and he was about to make good with that promise. His wife deserved something...exciting and entertaining tonight.
"Merry Christmas, Love." Kisara whispered to him as he laid her down on their bed of navy blue sheets.
He could only respond with a kiss and his wandering hands; lavishing her with the love she deserved from her husband. He married her after all. The realization that entered his mind would have shocked him at any waking moment, but not this one. To put things simply, he was happy. Happy with the new direction that his life had taken, and happy with the knowledge that this was the perfect gift that Fate had graciously bestowed upon him.
A/N: I still don't think I did a good job. I have a feeling that Seto has become OOC at the end. Well, would you be so kind as to tell me what you think? Thank you for reading and for reviewing—if you're going to. :) Until next time, YGO fandom. I'mma go back to grinding around AC Syndicate now.