A/N

Note: This was written for JK, known as JK Fie'r, for her X-mas present! Thanks for being such an amazing and straight-forward beta and friend! You've made writing so much more interesting!

Note2: Merry X-mas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

LIFE IS COLOR

He stood on the beach; his toes buried in the soft, sun-warmed sand, and stared out at the ocean. A wind picked up and rippled through his hair and he spread his arms out, for a moment pretending that he was flying with the wind.

To be so free, so boundless...To be able to whisk across the sea in the blink of an eye, past countless cities in both night and day, no particular destination in mind. All he really needed was his other, the other half that made him so complete that nothing could divide them. Not in the very least.

Was it their connection, the bond between one half and its other that made it so? No, and he couldn't help the smile that threaded its way past his heavy feelings and showed on his face, he knew it was more than that. It was more than the connection of past experiences, of facing danger and finding hope together, more than sharing the weight on their shoulders.

It's love, he thought. Such a simple thought, and so easily understandable. Yet, he wondered, why did so many people fail to realize its possibilities? Life wasn't all in one color. Love wasn't only in black or white. So many different shades came together to create something so wonderful...So lovely.

As the wind died down the a playful breeze, he threw his head back and let the gentle rays of the sun wash over his face, as if greeting an old friend.

Hello sun, he thought.

Dropping his arms to his sides, he wriggled his toes until the sand crunched under his feet in a pleasant way. Such a wonderful way to live, he couldn't help but acknowledge.

Hello sand.

A group of ragtag seagulls began to sound off in the distance, and rather than disturbing the mood, they seemed to add to it. So peaceful...He sighed and closed his eyes, the unfaltering light of the sun through his eyelids the only thing he could see.

Hello seagulls.

Why wasn't life always like this, so enjoyable and simple? He wondered what it would be like, to have nothing to ever worry about again. No overhanging doom or prophecies to fulfill.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" He mumbled out loud, to the sun, sand, or waves lapping the shore a little ways down, it didn't matter.

Hello waves.

"What would, Aibou?" A voice suddenly sounded in his ear, warm breath tickling his ear. He giggled.

"Yami, you surprised me!" He remarked lightly as Yami's hands came up to wrap around his waist.

"Yuugi, that was my intention," Yami smiled into his hair. "You know I love to catch you unawares."

"Hmm," He smiled back as his gaze flowed from one side of the ocean's endless expanse to the other. "I do.

"The ocean sure is beautiful during the day, isn't it?"

"It's just as breath-taking during the night," Yami said with a grin, while Yuugi blushed from his not-so-subtle reminder of their last night's activities.

With another sigh, Yuugi let himself be pulled down to the ground in his lover's embrace. He buried his and Yami's limbs in the sand and reveled in the pleasurable groan that came from his lover.

"I'm glad you convinced me to come, Yami. I could never have imagined something like this."

"Oh?" Yami sounded pleased. "Well, I'm glad that you decided to come with me. You know, for a while, I had given up hope."

"Yami," Yuugi brought a hand up to cup his lover's face. "There's nowhere I'd rather be than by your side"

"And there's no person I'd rather be spending time with than you, Aibou." Yami's voice rumbled in his chest and send vibrations through Yuugi.

They spent another moment in silence, enjoying the unusual but welcome song of the seagulls. And Yami had almost fallen asleep under the gentle warmth of the sun when Yuugi spoke again. "There's one thing I miss, though."

There was a pause as Yami gathered his thoughts from where they'd spread out in his mind. "What's that?"

Yuugi chuckled. "There's no snow."

"Is that a problem?" Yami smiled, his eyes still closed.

"No," Yuugi replied. "Not at all. I get enough of that all over my face from those rocket-powered snowballs that Jou likes to launch at me."

At the thought of Yuugi's face every time Jou got the "urge", Yami couldn't help his own chuckle.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me, Yami!" Yuugi protested.

"I'm not, Aibou! You're just too funny." Yami tried to say in between his laugh, and rubbed his lover's back reassuringly. "This was a good idea, wasn't it? Going on vacation, I mean. We have been long overdue for one."

"Yeah," Yuugi sighed and settled in more comfortable against his lover's chest. All was quiet for a moment.

"Merry Christmas, Yami."

"Merry Christmas, Yuugi," Yami replied and gave his own sigh of joy.

Some things, they were just better in color.