Continuity: Post-canon for sure cuz people are older! There's not really references to DSOD in here.
Summary: Yuugi decides to organize a Secret Santa for Christmas. Surprises ensue.
Notes: This is a (late) fic I wrote for yugiohsecretsanta2017 , and more specifically, queen-cierra-baldured !
THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST WHOLESOME THING I'VE EVER WRITTEN. I wasn't really sure what to write, so I worked hard on trying to make this enjoyable and lengthy enough for a gift! I tried to include a lot of the main cast. I will note that there's a lack of Seto Kaiba in this, if only because I don't see him as a Christmas-y type character. He gets mentioned, though!
It was with a smile and a flourish, that Yuugi turned off the "Open" signage that flashed in the window of the Kame Game Shop. The ladder did him the courtesy of staying put this time around, equal parts gift and blessing so far as he was concerned. He'd already counted the drawer, rearranged a few scattered items and was ready to properly celebrate the holidays.
Snow wasn't always common in Domino, and it didn't seem as though this Christmas would be welcomed by it. But that was fine, Yuugi decided. Since he was hosting this year's exchange, it was up to him to bring in a bit of cheer to everyone else, and set a good example.
The shop seemed a perfect place to meet, since there were already decorations up. Enough Westerners were in the city for Holiday-time tournaments, that they received compliments and thanks. Grandpa already considered it a tradition; Yuugi thought of it as a nice comfort for duelists away from family and friends, and there was just something about all the green and red and white that definitely felt festive. His finishing touch was to provide what was missing. Yuugi circled to the store, scattering white glitter on the counter tops and tables.
Not everyone was receptive to the idea of a Secret Santa - at least, not after Yuugi revealed who would be participating.
Some of his friends weren't quite over the events that transpired over the summer they all met Yami. It was hard growing close to people in such strange circumstances, but so far as Yuugi was concerned, that was the best reason for them to all stick together!
For this first time, Yuugi invited the Ishtars to participate, all three of them; Ryou, Jounouchi's sister Shizuka, and even Mokuba.
He'd invited Kaiba, too, but he refused. Yuugi thought it was just as well - what couldn't they already give him that he couldn't get himself? Mokuba was in a similar circumstance, but he at least appreciated the gesture. They all saw each other much less frequently than before, and all things considered, Mokuba seemed surprised and flattered to be included. Yuugi was lucky to have him; Mokuba had grown up in a lot of ways in the last few years.
It was as though his thoughts were a summon. A car, long and black, slowed on the street in front of the shop, and there was no doubt of who it could be. After the success of Dungeon Dice Monsters, Otogi could navigate in style like that, but he never did. To be fair, Mokuba was kind of similar. More often than not, his older brother probably forced him to take that ride; even as the driver got out to open the door, Mokuba emerged on his own, shooing the man away and back into his seat. They exchanged a few words, the driver shook his head and then got back into the car, waiting.
"You're early," Yuugi said, grinning brightly as he opened the door, glancing up and down the street.
"Oh, wait!"
Mokuba hurried back to the car and threw the door open. Yuugi watched as he crawled onto the seat, hands sweeping. When he came back, it was with a bouquet of flowers, what looked to be a card, and a small box.
Yuugi's grin widened.
But Mokuba wasn't too early, it seemed. Just as he headed to the door again, he was intercepted by most of the old gang: Otogi, Jou and Honda, with Shizuka trailing just behind them.
"'Ey, it's Mokuba!" Jou declared, loudly, and Honda facepalmed just long enough for it to be caught.
Yuugi opened the door to usher them all inside. "Come on in, guys - before someone thinks we're still open!"
The next several minutes were spent chatting as they made their way inside. Yuugi guided them to the empty tables they used for casual duels.
With them, Shizuka had the biggest gift, a box that took two hands to carry. No one else's were in sight, and Yuugi resisted the urge to make a face.
Grandpa made an appearance to deliver snacks before heading back home. They'd both looked up some things about Christmas treats, and it seemed the small cookies and chocolates they bought did the trick.
"Who are we waiting for?" Mokuba asked, after a few minutes.
"Mai, and Anzu—actually, let me get my laptop." When Yuugi returned and set it up, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
"Hey," said a familiar voice, when he answered. "I'm just making sure it's the right time. I didn't want to be late. Zones and all."
"It's Marik," he told everyone. Jou scrunched his nose to make a face, brows furrowed and lips in a thin line.
But Otogi blurted out, "Did he get my present?"
"Oh, right," Mokuba's features lit up. "You were gonna Skype, right?"
Yuugi nodded. "It's the right time! I hope it's not too inconvenient. I'm sorry to keep you up late."
"No, we're the ones who feel bad," Marik said. "—our gifts aren't there yet!" His voice dripped with annoyance. "We ordered them early, too."
Yuugi relayed the message to Otogi. "He says he's sorry his present isn't here yet."
Otogi shrugged. "It's whatever—but did he get mine?"
"Tell him we did! We got all of them. Even Anzu's."
Yuugi's mouth hung open in surprise. "Who did Anzu pull for Secret Santa?"
"Rishid!"
"Yuug', don't cheat!" Jounouchi called out. "You'll find out who got who when we open 'em all up!"
He had the grace to blush in embarrassment. "Sorry."
"Well," Marik told him, "It doesn't seem like you're ready yet. Just call when you're all ready. We're up for now."
"Uh, yeah! We're just waiting for Anzu and Mai - I gotta call Ryou, too! It should just be a few more minutes!"
"Oh, Yuugi - I think this was a really cool idea. Rishid had fun picking out his present. He doesn't really have fun doing anything."
Yuugi heard a muffled grunt in the background, and giggled. "You're welcome! I'll call you back."
It didn't take much longer for Mai to arrive, and the tapping of her nails on the glass gave her away, or at least, before everyone got an eyeful of that big blond hair. Yuugi rushed to let her in, and everyone else seemed glad to see her, too.
"Ugh," she said, stepping in, "I knew I was late. I got lost - never really been in these parts before, hon. How are ya?" She was dressed in her usual color, purple, though this time she paired leggings with her staple corset. Just off her arm hung a purple gift bag, overflowing with lavender tissue paper.
As a small twist for the occasion, however, she sported a purple santa hat, and Yuugi laughed at the sight. He was sure that if he ever needed any clothing in purple, she was the person to ask. And it was a great distraction from her chest, which was on display like always - Yuugi resisted the urge to blush as he led her inside.
"Uhh—I'm fine. Just waiting on Anzu, now."
Mai pumped a fist into the air. "Yes! I'm not the last one!" She shuffled over to the table and greeted everyone. "Am I the only one who brought their deck?"
Yuugi tried to call Anzu, but was sent immediately to voicemail. The last text she sent was that she was boarding her plane for Domino, and that was very, very early in the morning.
Although Anzu didn't live in the city anymore, she'd made a lot of progress in pursuing her dream. After they finished high school, she applied and practiced for as many performing arts programs as she could afford - and made it into one of her top picks, too! She was still in school, but her schedule was actually the easiest to bend for this holiday - she was already on break for the semester.
Normally, she would have arrived already.
By the time he finished sending her another few texts, and left a voicemail message, Jou and Mai were a few turns into a duel. Yuugi sighed and asked,
"Should we start without her? Sorry for the wait, guys."
Otogi shrugged. Jou and Mai weren't paying attention.
Mokuba frowned. "Maybe we should," he said. "Do you know who had her?"
There was another knock on the door, and Yuugi brightened immediately.
"Oh, wow," Shizuka said, from her brother's side, hands covering her mouth.
Oh wow, indeed.
The Ishtars were, all three, standing outside of the game shop. There was no mistaking that grey hoodie, the long flowing black hair, or those piercing eyes. Even Mai and Jou turned to look.
Yuugi almost tripped over his own feet getting to the door. Even though he was still worried about Anzu, he couldn't help smiling; he hadn't seen any of them in person for quite some time. In fact, his happiness was only dampened by caution. He took the time to address everyone else.
"Be nice," he said, just before he let them in.
No one disliked them, per se, but the feelings of the group at large towards them were lukewarm at best. It was a little hard wanting to be friends with people who, at least in Marik's case, made things so difficult for them. Yuugi understood the burden of the Millennium Item, and what that did to people. For everyone else, however, accepting that was a little harder.
"Your computer's making noise over here," Honda said. "You're getting a call or something."
"It's Ryou!" Yuugi said. "Answer it and say hi!"
Suddenly, everything was happening at once. Everyone gathered at the computer to say hello to Ryou, with the exception of Mokuba who joined Yuugi at the door. There was chatter everywhere. Tons of noise.
"What are you guys DOING HERE?!" Yuugi bellowed at his new guests. "I can't even—"
"My brother is good with keeping secrets," Ishizu said, stepping inside first. She held two boxes, one in each hand, one a fair size but thin, and the other a small box.
"Hello," Rishid said.
Marik didn't bother with words. Though he held a small parcel in one hand, he still managed to envelope Yuugi in a hug. It was tight, full of strength that was surprising for such a petite body (not that Yuugi was one to talk), and Yuugi couldn't help but grin.
"Though it was a little difficult getting through customs," Ishizu said. "We've brought the gifts we received as well. They are not fond of wrapped parcels on planes these days."
"Yeah," Mokuba said, "I've had problems with that before, too. Hi."
It hadn't occurred to Yuugi that Mokuba could've traveled from somewhere else to be with them as well. Sometimes it was hard thinking of him the way that he thought of Seto, big and so important that he was untouchable. But they were both brothers, both a part of KaibaCorp - and Yuugi realized that in some ways, he hadn't really been acknowledging that Mokuba was growing up. He seemed a little more levelheaded and grounded now.
When Marik let go, striding confidently towards the tables, Yuugi found himself looking out of the window, hopeful that Anzu would be rounding the corner behind them. It seemed wrong to start without her.
The Ishtars were a bit less talkative when they weren't addressing Yuugi. They greeted everyone, pulled up chairs from a neighboring table, and had their attention absorbed by the duel laid out between Jou and Mai.
Most filtered back to their seats, and Yuugi rushed to his computer, knowing that Ryou was waiting for him. Honda seemed content keeping Ryou occupied in the meantime, filling him in on what was happening. In a way, Yuugi was most excited to see that Ryou was able to reach them. Especially now that everyone else was there in person - really, having everyone here was the best gift of all.
Ryou was the person he'd pulled in the lottery for his giftee - and apparently viceversa, since Ryou ended up sending him a package as well.
"Ready?" Honda asked. He vacated the seat in front of the computer.
"I messaged Anzu," Jounouchi said. "So I mean..." Rishid hovered nearby, eyes glued to the cards in Jou's hand. Opposite them, Mai and Ishizu collaborated, both looking fairly mischievous as Marik watched on from a little further away.
"Yeah," Yuugi said, eyes trailing over to the door one last time. He couldn't make everyone wait forever. Anzu would understand.
When he sat at the computer, Ryou's soft smile greeted him. The connection seemed really good, and he could see everything clearly. Ryou was dressed in a Christmas sweater, red and green and white like the decorations in the shop, with the package on the table in front of him.
"Hi, Ryou! You ready?"
Ryou pouted. "I heard Anzu isn't there yet. Are you sure you don't want to wait a tad bit longer?"
But Yuugi made up his mind already. He nodded. "I'm sure." He cleared his throat, and looked up at everyone. "Thanks for waiting, everyone. So, I mean, you guys know why we're here. Merry Christmas and everything! I'm so glad that everyone could be here - especially Marik and Ishizu and Rishid. I wasn't expecting that AT ALL!"
Marik crossed his arms, smirking smugly. "I aim to please."
Jounouchi rolled his eyes.
"So, I mean, I don't want to make this into a big deal or anything," Yuugi giggled nervously, "But I guess, let's go around and tell everyone who we got and then we can give up gifts! I'll start, and then we can go around clockwise! I got Ryou—"
Ryou laughed, though it wasn't as loud on the computer as Yuugi would have liked. "—and I got Yuugi. Pretty simple."
The next person near them was Honda. "I goooooooot - Shizuka!"
Jounouchi, who had nearly played a card on the table in front of him, scoffed. "You dirty rotten liar!"
"I'm so serious! I got the screenshot from the app-thing to prove it!"
"I got Marik," Otogi said quickly.
Shizuka giggled. "Oh, Jou." She sighed. "I'm next anyway. I got Honda, too. I guess it was fate or something."
It was hard to ignore the blush that suddenly took over Honda's cheeks. Suddenly, he fell quiet.
"Whateva, whateva," Jou chimed in. "Nuts to all dat. I pulled Ishizu. Next—!" He cut himself off. "Mai, I gotchu!"
"Like I don't have a counter!" she snapped back, eyeing the table between them.
Rishid's expression was a little more somber than the occasion called for. "I received Anzu's gift. In addition, I was assigned her as well."
"My my," Ryou said, and everyone quieted down to try to hear him. "Did everyone else just get paired up?"
"No," Ishizu said. "I purchased a gift for Mokuba."
Sitting next to her was Mai, who was playing out a multi-card strategy on the field. Things didn't look too good for Jou, if her grin was any indication. "I got Dice-boy."
"Really?" Otogi asked, surprised.
"Yup."
Not quite next to her, but closest, Mokuba laughed nervously. "I might as well give out my gifts now, since they're so obvious. Only two people haven't had their names called yet." First, he swept up the card and bouquet in hand. "Hey, Mai - this is for you!"
Mai didn't miss a beat - her cards hit the table, face down, and she turned to him. "Oh my..."
"What did he get?" Ryou asked, and he sounded more excited than either of them.
"Sorry," Yuugi hissed, realizing that, up until now, Ryou couldn't see anything but him. He turned the laptop, adjusting the top. "I hope it's coming in clearly."
"Enough, I'd say. I can tell that's a biiiig bunch of roses! How lovely! I'm jealous!"
Yuugi decided to move his chair, so that he was beside the laptop rather than behind it. "Jealous? You'd rather have flowers?"
Ryou's voice was quiet. "I suppose—if they were from any of you, I'd certainly accept them with pride!"
Marik, now closer to Yuugi's new seat, turned to look at him as well as the screen. "Noted." A wink followed. Ryou outright blushed, this time.
Mai tore open the envelope holding the card, eyes scanning it silently while Mokuba handed her the bouquet. "Oh - you sweet kid, come here!"
She reached for him, but he pulled back, looking a bit embarrassed. "W-wait! There's something else!" He handed her a small box, but it seemed more like he was using it as a shield.
"Why do I have a feeling you went over the limit?" Mai asked coyly, "Naughty, naughty Mokuba!" Not that it stopped her from accepting the next gift, too.
Mokuba looked sheepish. "Well, I wasn't sure what you liked. I actually don't think my presents are that good."
She unwrapped the small box with the same sort of fervor from before. It was silver, foiled, and when she opened it, there was a small bottle of perfume inside.
"Oh, my! Perfume, too?"
For a few seconds, Mokuba stumbled over his words. "W-well, listen - so, I was at the store f-for a long time, and I wasn't sure what sort of smell suited you best, or what you normally wear - sorry, I'm really bad at remembering that sort of stuff. And I haven't seen you in a while, and..."
It didn't seem like Mai was paying him much attention. Instead, she was scrutinizing the bottle. "What is it?" She fluttered her lashes. "What brand?"
"S-see, that's the thing—"
"Oooh, it smells nice! A little more citrus than I would—"
"—Exactly! I-I couldn't figure out what would be good, so I just made something that smelled—"
"You made this?" That was finally enough to stop Mai in her tracks.
"Well, I didn't. I talked to someone."
Shizuka's face lit up in a smile. "Awww. That's actually the sweetest!"
Yuugi was also impressed. He definitely didn't know what it took to make perfume. But, he supposed, it wasn't something outside of Mokuba's range. He'd been expecting something a little more on the expensive side - but making that had to be expensive, right?
The next few seconds were silent. Mai sprayed some on her wrist, smelled it again, and smiled.
"Thanks, kid. You did a good job. I guess that Kaiba money's gotta go somewhere, right?"
Mokuba was trying to compose himself, hands running through his dark hair. "I just wanted to get you something... memorable. Merry Christmas."
"Indeed, honey. Indeed."
A moment of silence passed, and then Ryou said, "Oh, now wasn't that just precious?"
"Can the rest of us exchange stuff now, too?" Honda said, shrugging.
Yuugi shrugged. It would be a little much to put everyone on the spot. "Yeah, okay! Everyone go for it!"
He made sure to watch everyone carefully. Honda was the most obvious, either way - he bought Shizuka tickets to a local concert and asked if she would go with him. She answered yes, then asked Jou if he would be interested in going with them - she could spring for a third ticket, "since Honda's so nice". The look on his face was priceless, but he fixed it quick. Shizuka handed him the big box she'd brought with her - Honda tried to unwrap it carefully, but that didn't quite work out. It ended up being a motorcycle helmet, colored in a strange sort of red.
"It's my favorite color - Indian Red!" she said. "I heard you telling my brother that you needed a new one - and you're always telling me you wish you had something that reminded you of me. This seemed like the best way to get you both! Now people can see what great friends we are!"
Ryou seemed just as intent on seeing what everyone else got - he didn't try to get anyone's attention, since he was watching, too.
"Listen Otogi," Mai said through the din of the others, both watching and waiting to exchange their own gifts. "I'm not good with gifts."
From across the table, he laughed at her. "What'd you get me? Toothpaste or something?" Honda guffawed at the thought.
"No - god, I'm not that bad. But it's still pretty bad. Can you pass this?" She didn't seem to be asking anyone in particular, and in the end, Rishid shuffled over to grab and deliver the purple bag she'd brought in.
"She sure knows how to work a room," Ryou whispered, and Yuugi covered his face to keep from laughing. If Mai heard them, she didn't seem to mind.
Though it looked like the bag was packed with items, there were only a few - the first thing that came out of the bag was a black, velvet Christmas hat, similar to her own. Otogi thought that was hilarious, and put it on immediately.
"Trying to get into the spirit," he said.
Jou grimmaced. "I do not need to think about people sitting in your lap."
"I'm the sexiest Santa you've ever seen!"
Honda and Jou mimicked gagging together.
Mai didn't seem embarrassed, but reluctant instead. "I think you make quite the sexy santa. We'll see what you think when you open the rest, though. "
"Is it bad to say I'm glad I didn't get that?" Mokuba looked nervous, eyes shifting back and forth from Mai to Otogi. His face was red.
Mai heard him. "Oh, I could get you one if you wanted. Being a Kaiba and all, you'd make the best Santa, don't you think?"
"Ah..."
"You're going to give the kid a heart attack," Marik said, smiling. "He's not used to attention from pretty women."
Mokuba's face as about as red as Yuugi thought it could get. "I—I am too!"
Everyone laughed.
"I've already got my present," Marik continued. "It wasn't wrapped, so I know what it is. I figured I'd show everyone."
From a pocket in his hoodie, he pulled out a small, clear box. Inside were dice, painted a molten gold with black numbers inscribed. He shook it, and they rattled.
Marik grinned. "The Eye of Ra as the ones was a nice touch. Did you make them yourself?"
"Yeah," Otogi said, and he looked a little bashful. "I had the boys cook it up in the lab for me. It's not hard to get custom dice, really. No big deal."
"I will cherish it." For once, Marik seemed serious. Though the smile remained, it seemed a bit less haughty than usual.
"Don't—don't use words like that. It's just some dice, you know?"
"I think it's really nice," Yuugi said.
"Me, too," Ryou seconded.
"I still got stuff in this bag, though," Otogi reminded everyone. His hand was deep inside, pulling things out. The next thing that emerged was a small bottle of sake. "Really?" Yuugi didn't know they were made that small.
"Who doesn't like drinking?" Mai asked coyly.
Honda elbowed Otogi suggestively, but there was still more in the bag: a small box of assorted chocolates, and—
"What is that?" Yuugi asked.
It was a small pot of something. The container was jet black, but whatever label on it was too small to read. Otogi seemed to recognize it, though, and laughed nervously.
Mai giggled. "It's eyeliner. He obviously wears some, so I thought I'd help out with it. There's one more thing in the bag, though. Make sure you find it."
Yuugi narrowed his eyes. "You wear makeup?"
Otogi coughed. "I mean—did you think this was tattooed on my face?" He pointed at the thin, pointed line down his cheek. "That close to my eye? It's not a scar or anything. I just like it. Part of my style."
"Ah!" Mai exclaimed. She fist pumped. "So I was right! You paint it on really well, though. I did almost think it was a tattoo. I figured I'd take the chance. That's dedication."
"Jeez," Otogi said. "I feel like a girl. Chocolates and wine and makeup? God."
"You're still missing a gift," Mai said, in sing-song voice.
"...right." After a moment of fishing through tissue paper, he beamed. "Oh! Jewelry! This I like!" It was a black earring, almost identical to the one he already wore. Shaped like a die and hanging, too, with the bright red snake eye at the top. The chain was a matching black.
Actually, Yuugi wanted to get something like that for Otogi before, but hadn't seen anything like it. Mai was better at finding that sort of stuff, he supposed.
Otogi didn't try to hide it at this point. His cheeks flushed pink.
Mai missed nothing. "But did you really hate it, though? Even if I'm shitty at this?"
"...I don't think that would be the right word. Thanks. I think I'm more entertained than anything. It's not bad."
"I brought gifts for two," Ishizu declared, suddenly. "I would like to hand them out."
The first gift was for Mokuba, of course.
"What to give the man who has everything?" Ishizu said. "The question of a lifetime. Typically the answer is something that cannot be bought. There is an answer: They are for memories, information."
It was a little hard for Yuugi to take her musings as seriously as she wanted - both of her gifts were wrapped in bright, green wrapping paper, patterned with snow and candy canes. He tried hard not to grin, even while everyone else was quiet.
"What is it?" Ryou asked, voice muffled by the computer's speakers.
"It seems like you put a lot of thought into this," Mokuba said, and she handed him the thin present. "Before I even open it - thank you."
Ishizu smiled. "I'm pleased by your gratitude."
"What's she's saying is," Marik blurted out, "she's surprised Seto Kaiba's little brother can appreciate a gift."
"Quiet, brother. That is not what I said." Ishizu's edge was only for Marik, it seemed, and the frown that accompanied it, too. It vanished as soon as she directed her attention back to Mokuba.
"I don't think anyone's ever got a gift for me for Christmas before - Seto doesn't like to waste money when we're overseas," he said. "He gets me stuff when I need it of course - just not for holidays and stuff like that."
Mokuba was just as careful with his gift as Mai was rough; he found the seams, using his nails to cut neatly on the side of the package to damage the wrapping the least amount possible. Inside, even the box containing the gift was padded - he pulled out styrofoam and what looked like the longest sheet of bubble-wrap, circled around as many times as possible.
All those layers - and there was still cardboard, underneath - revealed a lovely mirror, a bit too big for the hand but still lovely. There were beautiful, thin etchings on it. Yuugi couldn't make them out from where he was. The surface was too reflective; he could barely tell anything was there, except when it was tilted just right.
"It's beautiful," Mokuba said, but Yuugi had a feeling he would have said it no matter what it was. "What's - what's written on here?"
"It's a summary of the tale of your brother, from the past - pieces of glyph not included on the main tablet, even."
Mokuba made a face. "Tablet?"
Yuugi's mouth hung open. "What?" How could that be possible? Ryou said something, but he lost focus and didn't hear it at all.
Ishizu nodded to them both. "You soon forget my brother's tattoo." Marik sighed, shoulders heaving visibly in front of Yuugi. "And more importantly, that our family are storytellers. I've known the tale of the Pharaoh since I was very small. I could carve it out by hand, if need be."
Yuugi wasn't prepared for something like this. He didn't like being reminded of Yami - or Atem - because it was just painful. Most of them had lost a friend that day. Sometimes, he still felt like he'd lost a part of himself, even if he knew that wasn't quite true. To bond with someone in his head, in his heart, that way, and then have him leave... It was a hard reality to accept even if it was necessary.
The rest of the room looked uncomfortable. Jou studied the cards on the table as though he were playing a Shadow Game. Honda shined his new helmet with his sleeve. Even Rishid, whose face was usually unreadable, wore a frown. Mai looked perplexed, same as Mokuba. So did Shizuka. None of them really knew what happened. Marik opened his mouth, as though he'd thought of something to say, and then closed it again, seeming to think better of it.
You can't think like this, Yuugi reminded himself. There's explaining to do. He could always be sad in private.
"Um," Yuugi said. "Basically, I don't know if you remember, but the 'other me' said at some point that your brother - Kaiba - was involved in what he was doing in the past. That's—I'm not sure how to explain it, but that's true. And... I guess the mirror has more information about it on there?"
"I'm lost," Mai said. "Kind of? I'm just gonna nod and smile."
Honda sighed. "That's probably a good idea."
"Good to know."
Shizuka whispered into Jounouchi's ear and he shook his head.
Taking the time to think about it, what Mokuba said was true: Ishizu's gift was very thoughtful. Even if it was years later, at the time Mokuba had wished to know more about what was going on. In fact, now that Yuugi recalled, Mokuba was one of the first people outside of his close friends to have faith in him. He hadn't questioned Yami's existence. Mokuba had been willing to believe in anything so long as it would help his brother.
There was no doubt about it - if anyone deserved to have the whole situation explained to them, it was Mokuba.
"I... I'm not sure if I get it, but - I'll try to understand. Maybe we can talk about it later?" Though Mokuba seemed more confused now than he did when he first got the gift, at least he was handling things better than everyone else. "I don't want to derail the whole exchange thing just for me. It's a great mirror, and it seems like you put a lot of thought into it. So we can talk about it later, right?"
Ishizu nodded. "Yes. We shall keep in touch. My second gift is for Yuugi." Her focus faltered, for once, down to the floor, before handing him the smaller box. "I realize now that I have dampened the mood, and for that I apologize."
"Oh—" Yuugi forced a nervous laugh. He didn't want her to feel bad. She was just trying to be helpful. Ishizu was really good at it, really. "N-no. It's fine."
"So, if it will help, I will tell you what your gift is."
The fewer surprises, though, the better. "Ah, sure. I'd like that."
Marik pouted. "We lost the tomb, but not everything in it. Our family kept some stuff with the tribe. Stuff that sometimes animals got into under our noses - sometimes the wrappings didn't keep. Sometimes—"
"—children liked to explore and knock things over?" Ishizu interjected, with a chuckle.
"Er—yeah, you know, accident stuff. So anyway, we kept some of those things. We're not really supposed to. I'm pretty sure it's considered stealing, but I mean, no one knows about it. Anyway, it's a bracelet. You can guess who it belonged to."
"How eloquent, Marik. As per usual." Rishid's stoic expression was back on display.
"That's really cool," Jounouchi said. He didn't like the room fall into silence again. "Is it like that cartouche thing? Does it have his name on it?"
"Nah," Marik said flippantly. "A quote about gods and blessings. It's always about gods and blessings if you're a Pharaoh. You're supposed to be both."
Ishizu shot him a dirty look. "What Marik is saying," she added, "is that many artifacts give thanks to their creators, or depict a god in similar tribute."
Otogi laughed. "You always make everything sound better.
Rishid chimed in again, "And my brother makes everything sound much worse."
Marik shrugged.
"Oooh, I want to see it," Ryou said excitedly. "A real artifact, in person!"
"I'll open it later," Yuugi decided. He knew, without doubt, that seeing it would turn him into a mess. "We're all only supposed to get just one present anyway."
"I couldn't resist," Ishizu said. "You've done so much for my family, and for me."
"I haven't opened my present yet, ya know," Jou cut in. "I'm goin' next—"
"I think someone's at the door," Ishizu said.
Everyone paused for a moment, but Yuugi didn't need it. By the time it was quiet enough to hear the tapping, it was too late; he was already up. There was only one person missing, and if there was any chance she was at that door, he would be there to open it for her.
The last several minutes were nearly forgotten.
Anzu wasn't smiling when he opened the door to the game shop. She was flustered, upset, wearing a big, heavy coat and carrying an even bigger suitcase. Her coat was black, the hood lined with fur - where she had come from, there was real snow.
"—sorry Yuugi!" she screamed. Then she took a deep breath. "My layover got delayed, and then my flight got canceled because of scheduling stuff, and I thought it was fine because there was one right after that and they put me on it! But then it got canceled too and then my phone died and I thought I was going to have to stay the night at the airport in Hawai'i but then someone else was using the plug and I took a nap but then they found a plane to replace the second flight and I got put on that one and—"
She was shouting so fast that he could barely understand what she was saying. "Anzu!" He tried to talk over her.
"—the flight took hours and I slept—"
"SHUT YER YAP AND GET OVER HERE!" Jou bellowed from the table.
"I...O-okay!"
In the distance, Ryou said something but Yuugi couldn't hear it.
"Oh my god—is that? Is that Marik?" Anzu's eyes widened as she finally stepped into the shop. "And Ishizu? And even Rishid?" Though she laughed, it was more in disbelief than anyone else. "This is just the best Christmas ever, then! Is Ryou here, too?"
"N-no," Yuugi said, following her. "He's on Skype though!"
"Then it's just like he's here! That's perfect—oh, I'm so sorry, Yuugi. I didn't mean to keep everyone worried. I'm just so glad to be home. Also - um - do you have a plug I could use? For my phone?"
"Sure!"
"Oh, Yuugi, you're the best!" Anzu let go of her bag to hug him, nearly pulling him up to her height to do so. She was stronger than he remembered. He'd been worried for basically nothing, too, so he tried to keep the blush from his face while they hugged. "Oh— I don't want to stop anything. Keep going. Just ignore me. I'll get my present when everyone's done. Then I can hug everyone and stop feeling bad, maybe?"
She let Yuugi go to slink back to the others, moving to the counter in the back where the register was. Anzu was used to being back there, and she knew where everything was, so he left her to it.
"LIKE I was sayin'," Jounouchi said. "What did I get?"
Marik fished in his pockets once more. "Right." He padded himself down, and his expression changed to one of confusion. "Hm. I swear I brought it with me..." He turned both pockets in his hoodie inside out. "Well, shit."
Rishid sighed. "You gave it to me, Marik." Reaching into his robes, he removed a lavender gift bag, that was more than a little wrinkled. "You forgot already? You didn't want to carry it."
"Maybe a little. But I knew I had it at some point!"
Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "So I see who got the responsibility thing down in your fam, guys."
Rishid nodded, handing him the bag. "Marik is also not good at wrapping gifts."
"I can't get mad at that. I suck at it too."
Jou's gift was simple, and a surprise: a tablet, one of the newer models that Yuugi had seen advertised on TV. He wasn't sure what Jounouchi had been expecting, but his eyes grew wide as he started it up and turned it on.
"Wha—-!? This is awesome! Thanks! Oh gosh, it must've been hella expensive!"
"A little." Though the words were modest, Marik's tone was not at all.
"I'm gonna actually get a bunch of use out of this!"
"I figured it should be something like this, or food," Marik added.
"It's a good gift," Rishid said. "Don't ruin it with your mouth."
"And I have Jounouchi's gift to me, here." Ishizu pointed to her ears, tucking her hair behind them. Yuugi hadn't noticed before, but she was, in fact, wearing earrings. They were small, gold disks, slightly pointed at the center, and they complimented her well.
"I can't see them!" Ryou said. He had raised his voice a little, seemed to realize that people couldn't hear him. But Yuugi was back in his old seat, so he made sure everyone knew.
Ishizu gladly moved over to the computer to show them off. "I haven't taken them off since I've gotten them."
"I believe you," Ryou said. "They look lovely."
Finally, it was time for Ryou and Yuugi to exchange their presents. So far as Yuugi was concerned, his was nothing special, just something small. Ryou was into occult-related things, and although Yuugi didn't know a lot about it, he didn't want to get anything basic like a Ouija board, a crystal ball or a tarot deck - it was likely that Ryou had those already, and more importantly, he didn't know enough to pick anything like that.
So instead, he'd gotten Ryou a custom casting cloth, midnight blue with some sort of circle pattern on it. It was supposed to be made out of some extra plushy, soft material. Yuugi thought it was a little bare, as a gift, so he also bought Ryou a throw pillow with a cute mascot on it as well. Just a little something to remind him of - well, not quite home, but what Yuugi hoped was a little closer to home for the time spent with them. Added in, not as presents but mostly decoration, was a sheet full of stickers, and an old picture of the two of them.
Ryou was ecstatic. He cooed and pawed over everything, thanking Yuugi more than once. Who knew how many times a person could run their fingers over a photo?
But he couldn't lie. Yuugi enjoyed his present just as much. They'd both gone for cute things. In Ryou's package was a keychain of the Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, a UK Duel Monsters booster pack with exclusive art, a few candies, a small tin of tea, and a paperweight from Italy, the last place Ryou had visited; the last was a 3D puzzle. There was also a card, handwritten and long, and Yuugi decided to keep it to himself for later.
Rishid approached Anzu quietly.
At first, Yuugi tried to watch without bothering them, but Ryou wanted to chat a little before he went to bed. By the time they finished, everyone else was also wrapping up, exchanging more hugs and gratitude, and Mai and Jou quietly played out the rest of their duel. Mai's complicated turn, the one interrupted by the exchanges, ended the duel swiftly, with Jou one draw late on turning the tides. Ryou was yawning while they cleaned up, and Yuugi shoo'd him off.
It was nice to see everyone together and laughing, though. They all seemed happy with what they got!
Marik and his family seemed more comfortable on their way out than they did leaving; Jounouchi, Anzu, Mokuba and even Mai exchanged contact information with them before they left. There was a little more flirting between Mai and whoever would listen, and Honda continued to be just a tad frustrated with Shizuka tryiing to invite her brother to their date. Anzu finally got to hug it out with Jounouchi and Honda, and announced that she was visiting for about a week - a little longer than Ishizu and her brothers - and she wanted to see everyone as much as possible. Jou and Marik pushed for drinks, and Mokuba reminded everyone that he was too young for that, still. Shizuka, too.
Before he left, Anzu gave Rishid a hug, and it made Yuugi curious about what he'd given her. So he waited patiently as their friends filtered out. After the Ishtars left, Mai left for home as well, and after an hour of catching up, of short stories and venting, Jou and the rest did, too, with him and Honda bickering the entire time.
In the end, Mokuba was the only other person left, and he made it clear why:
"Anzu, um... did you need a ride home? I know that you probably rushed to get here from the airport." Mokuba cleared his throat. "Cabs are expensive and uh, I'm just offering. It's fine if you're crashing at Yuugi's or something—"
Anzu laughed. "Oh, no. My folks are waiting for me. I was texting them earlier because I know they were worried too. They're expecting me at this point. If I don't go home, Mom'll have a heart attack."
"Right. So, I wouldn't mind. I just didn't want to interrupt anything. It seemed like you were waiting for something."
Yuugi felt caught. "N-no, it's nothing like that!" He shook his head. "I just wanted to ask Anzu what she got from Rishid! That's all!"
They both looked surprised.
Anzu covered her face with her hands. "Oh—we didn't share, did we? He was just so, I dunno, quiet about it. I didn't even notice! He gave me a really cute necklace - it's... it's like the cartouche. But it's got a quote on it about strength. He said that, after we met in Battle City, the thing he remembered most about me was being strong. And he wanted to 'honor' that, I guess. Whatever that means. I don't feel strong. I feel like I need more sleep."
Mokuba smiled at her. "I think he's right."
"Absolutely," Yuugi agreed. "You're the best, Anzu!"
They didn't talk about it often, because there were still a lot of feelings, but that summer taught them a lot about each other. Yuugi didn't think that there were many people who could've done what they did and make the decisions they made.
Yuugi remembered his gift. If he wanted to share it with anyone, it'd be Anzu. The small box, unwrapped, was plain and unassuming. Just cardboard. But the bangle inside was solid. Solid gold. It was heavy, in his hand and around his wrist. While Mokuba watched, he brought it to her.
He knew his expression was sad. It changed the moment he touched the piece of jewelry, put it on; though it was heavy, it was not the same weight as the Puzzle, and knowing that somehow made it sting just a little more.
"Ishizu brought it from Egypt. She said it was from the tomb. It used to be his."
Immediately, Anzu frowned. She shook her head and wiped at her eyes. "I can't handle that right now. Yuugi—please put it away."
Suddenly, he was near tears, too. "Right? Yeah. I feel the same way." He sniffed to stave them off, not sure what he'd been thinking. It was right for her to know about it, though.
"I know the 'Other Yuugi' meant a lot to you guys," Mokuba said softly. "I'm sorry that I can't quite wrap my head around it."
"No-no—it's fine!" Anzu insisted. "It's weird and complicated and not very fun. Today is supposed to be good - tomorrow is Christmas, right? It's fine. Don't worry about it, Mokuba."
"Ah, okay." While Yuugi put the bracelet away, Mokuba asked, "Did you want that ride? The car should be pulling up soon."
"Um? You know what? Yeah. I don't have the energy to say 'no' right now. My coat is too hot, I'm jet lagged and I've been on planes for almost a day. Yes."
"Okay," Mokuba said, and then added, "Hey, I don't think anyone asked, but what did you get him, Anzu?"
"Oh, it was dumb. I wasn't sure what he would like. I don't know a lot about him. So I got him a watch. It's cool and really dark purple, kind of like the clothes he wears? I didn't want to get him typical guy stuff. I don't really think any of the people we know want whiskey glasses or other stuff like that."
"A good man needs a good watch. I think you made a great choice." Then Mokuba turned to Yuugi. "I think we all needed this. Thanks for putting everything together. Really, I'd forgotten about how cool I thought you all were when I was younger. It still feels like I'm catching up to you - but in a good way. I'm really glad everyone made it tonight."
Anzu cleared her throat. "Yeah, sorry I was late. I want to do this again next year."
Yuugi waited with them patiently until the limo arrived. Anzu, exhausted, hugged them both before realizing that she was leaving with one of them. She really did need sleep. But her phone was charged at least a bit, and she was still in one piece, so the biggest problems had been dealt with. He thanked Mokuba for being so kind, and saw them out.
He kept it together all the way until the car was out of sight. Then, the bracelet was on his wrist, his finger tracing over the etchings, tears on the back of his hands while they moved. Yuugi could tell that it had been cleaned as thoroughly as possible, but there were still stains that gave away its age.
It was hard not to think about Atem. He would have liked this, seeing everyone together, exchanging gifts, asking about what things were and what they did. And he would have enjoyed seeing everyone get along, after all they'd been through.
But that was a selfish thought, and Yuugi knew it. Atem was happy where he was, free of all the conflict and drama that had brought them close together. Everyone fit in somewhere, and Atem was certainly where he belonged.
Yuugi knew he was where he belonged, too.
{FIN}