'tis the Season

By: Xhibit B

.i do not own yu-gi-oh!.

Hiyori whistled as she placed the last of the ornaments on the tree when the front door of the family home opened and shut. She turned to see her twin brother standing there, holding the last of their luggage. He'd gone to get her bags from his car for her since she was in the middle of decorating and he'd brought them down at her request. They had just come home from University for the holidays and were going to surprise everyone with their presence. Hiyori had left that morning so that she could decorate because she knew her mother hadn't yet. Yuki had come later with all of their stuff from their on-campus apartment the two shared.

"Dang sis, you did all of this, this morning," Yuki asked as he looked around the house.

"Yep, and I had some help too," Hiyori answered. "Marc came over for like two hours this morning and helped me get the lights and stuff up on the house."

"He didn't stay," Yuki asked. He and the Devlin boy had grown close over the last four years since he and his sister had started dating. "I'm mad I missed him."

"He had to go to work for a bit," Hiyori said, tucking tensile into the tree that had slipped off. "He's coming back for dinner tonight though, so you'll get to see him."

"Shut up," Yuki said rolling his eyes.

"Love you too, Yuki," Hiyori teased as she plugged in the lights for the Christmas tree. The lights twinkled, casting rainbows against the opposite wall. Hiyori stepped back, her hands coming to rest against her hips as she took in her handy work. "Do you think Mom and Dad will like it?"

"Yeah, they'll also like the fact that they don't have to do it," Yuki laughed.

"That's true," Hiyori said, laughing along with him. "Hikari won't be too happy though, since I'm sure she wanted to help put everything up. I'll let her put the star on the top of the tree."

"Sounds good," Yuki said as he moved to head upstairs, bringing their luggage along with him. He paused on the second step to look back at his little sister. "Did you tell them we were coming?"

"Nope," Hiyori answered, grinning at her brother. It was her idea to tell them that they wouldn't be coming back for the holidays this year in order for them to surprise their parents and little sister. Of course, she wouldn't spoil the surprise. "Us being here is going to be a surprise. I'm going to get dinner started soon so that it's pretty much done by the time everyone gets home tonight."

"Alright, I'm gonna go take a nap then," Yuki said as he began to make his way up the stairs again. "I'd make extra just in case Aunt Mana, Uncle Atem and Hiba come over for dinner too."

"Already planned on it," Hiyori called after him as she grabbed her wallet and car keys. "I'm gonna go to the store and get food for dinner tonight. I'll be back soon."

"Alright sis," Yuki called out to her before his bedroom door closed behind him.

Hiyori shrugged into her coat and moved to leave the house. She locked the door behind her before stepping into the 2015 Mercedes Benz ML350 that Yami had given her. She started the SUV before backing out and driving off to the store. She already knew what she was going to make for dinner and wanted to make sure she had everything she would need. Plus, she wanted to take the stress of making dinner off her mom for the night.

…

Yūgi sighed, signing her signature on a slip authenticating yet another artifact that she'd been working on. She was a little disappointed that the twins wouldn't be coming home for Christmas this year. They were going to stay on campus and would come home for the summer since they both had decided to take a few, quick, three-week classes over the winter break. Shew as half tempted to pack the family up, get a hotel and celebrate with the twins on campus. She'd have to talk to Yami about it and see how he felt about the idea. Hikari too.

Lifting her arm, she glanced at the time on her Apple watch. Yami would be off soon and picking Hikari up from school. She was going to leave her office early, so that she could make it home and start the food since Mana, Atem and Hiba would be stopping by for dinner that night.

Grabbing her iPhone, she texted her husband about them possibly getting a hotel and going to celebrate Christmas with the twins while they were on campus. She really wanted to be around her children for the holidays like they always had been. Yami text her back a moment later, the message making amethyst eyes roll. He was fine with it but, thought that she was being a bit over the top with the twins not being home for Christmas that year.

She'd start looking at hotels that night so that they could go a few days before Christmas. She'd call the twins when she got off work to see how they felt about it. She was certain that they wouldn't mind having them on campus to celebrate. They wouldn't do anything to embarrass them. At least she wouldn't she couldn't say the same for Yami.

…

Hiyori returned home from the grocery store two and a half hours later, carrying all the bags in from the garage. She and her brother had parked their SUV's in the garage to make sure that no one knew they were there until they walked into the house. Especially since Yami and Yūgi don't park in the garage, ever.

She placed all the bags down before shrugging out of her coat just as Yuki came downstairs. He was yawning and rubbing his eyes. Hiyori figured he must have just woken up from his nap.

"Need any help, sis," Yuki asked before he yawned again.

"No, but you need to brush your teeth, again. You have morning breath," Hiyori teased. "Mom called me while I was at the store. She, Yami and Hikari were going to get a hotel near campus to try and spend Christmas with us."

"Imagine their surprise when they come home and we're already here," Yuki laughed. "Let me know if you need any help with anything."

"Will do," Hiyori said as he left the kitchen.

She set up to begin cooking as she thought over the conversation she and her mother had, had about an hour or so ago. Her mother had asked her what she would be cooking for herself and her brother that night. She needed ideas on what to make for herself, Yami, Hikari Atem, Mana and Hiba since they would be coming over for dinner that night. Hiyori was glad she had grabbed enough to feed everyone.

Everyone would be getting home soon, and she wanted to have dinner already started. She'd been in the middle of putting the roast in the oven when the front door opened. She could hear her mother's heels clicking against the hardwood floor as she made her way through the foyer. The amethyst eyed woman stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the decorated living room. Hiyori glanced at her brother who had returned to the kitchen not long after she'd gotten the food started and nodded her head towards their mother who stood shell shocked at what she saw.

Both twins made their way into the living room where her mother was standing. They made sure to be completely silent so not to tip her off that they were there too soon. It would ruin the surprise if they did.

"Who on earth put all this up," Yūgi wondered aloud. "And who is in the kitchen? I know Yami and Hikari aren't home yet… so who on earth…?"

She slowly turned to make her way into the kitchen, only to be met with the smiling faces of her children. Yuki and Hiyori burst into laughter at the look on her face.

"Hi Mom," Yuki said, wiping tears of laughter away from his eyes.

"We're home," Hiyori said, doing the same.

"I thought you guys said you weren't coming home for the holidays," Yūgi questioned. "What happened to your classes that you were supposed to be taking for the Winterim term?"

"We never actually signed up," Hiyori explained. "We said that, so we could surprise you guys when we came home for Christmas."

"Well, you definitely succeeded in surprising me," Yūgi said laughing. "Who's cooking?"

"I am," Hiyori said as she turned to make her way back into the kitchen. "I'm making roast, potatoes, asparagus, dinner rolls and homemade brownies for dessert."

"Everything you said you would be making for yourself and your brother tonight," Yūgi said, putting two and two together. "You two are slick."

"We know," Yuki said as he followed his sister into the kitchen.

Yūgi smiled, deciding to join them as well. "I guess I won't tell Yami about it, so you can surprise him and Hikari as well, like you did me."

"That was the plan," Hiyori said as she closed the oven.

…

Yami and Hikari arrived home two hours later, both making their way into the house. They were greeted by the smell of dinner cooking and the sound of Yūgi humming from the kitchen. The two walked in, spotting Yūgi checking on the roast in the oven.

Yami smiled, placing his keys on the island, "That smells good. What are we having for dinner?"

"Roast, potatoes, asparagus and dinner rolls for dinner," Yūgi answered as she closed the oven. She turned and placed a kiss on her husband's lips. "And for dessert, homemade brownies."

"Sounds delicious," Yami hummed thoughtfully. He turned to glance at his daughter. "Get your homework done, Kar. Then go wash up for dinner."

"Okay," Hikari said, sitting down at the island.

Yūgi smiled, pulling her phone from her pocket. She shot a text out to the twins, telling them to come back down since Yami and Hikari were finally home. She'd sent them away about twenty minutes ago so that Yami hadn't been tipped off that they were there.

"Hey babe," Yami said as he poured himself a glass of water.

"Yes," Yūgi said glancing over at him.

"Did you put up the decorations before we got home," Yami asked irking a brow.

"Actually," Yūgi said as the twins walked into the kitchen.

"I put the decorations up this morning while you guys were at work," Hiyori chirped, startling both Yami and Hikari. They hadn't been expecting them to pop up out of nowhere. "Hi guys, we're home!"

"What the hell," Yami practically yelled, looking from the twins to Yūgi, who was laughing into her hand. "Were you in on this, Yūgi? Is that why you suggested that we go celebrate with them on campus to throw me off? Because so help me if you did and you knew they were coming…"

"I was actually serious about going to the campus to spend Christmas with the twins," Yūgi said placing a hand to her chest. "They surprised me too. I came home and these two were already here."

"It was Hiyori's idea to surprise you guys," Yuki pointed out, laughing. "I just went along with the idea. It looks like it worked though. You three were definitely surprised."

Yūgi, Hikari and Yami laughed, the latter nodding his head. They had definitely got them alright. He was thinking that they wouldn't be home for the holidays. But here they were. His arm came to rest around his wife's waist as he smiled. "Well, we're glad that you two are here. It wouldn't have been Christmas if everyone wasn't home to celebrate as a family like we always have."

"I agree," Yūgi said smiling fondly.

She got her wish; her entire family was together for the holidays. And now it truly was a season to be jolly.