Seto: I. Will. Kill. You.
Shut up Seto, you knew I was doing this. I was originally going to do two Christmas stories, one Yu-Gi-Oh! and one Kingdom Hearts, but MokiesoftManager58 asked me to do another and the count became three. I said whatever and did a Tabloidshipping. My next one will be a Puppy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or it's characters, I don't own "The First Noel", and I don't own The Mistle-Tones. I only own the plot and the OC Sary.
The kitchen of the Kaiba mansion smelt heavenly of baked goods, cookies and cakes alike. That was because Mokuba was inside with Yuugi, Ryou, Malik, and Shizuka making all the treats; they made red velvet cake frosted with cream cheese frosting, marble cake frosted with cherry, and cherry cake frosted with green-dyed frosting. The cookies were chocolate chip, sugar, snicker doodles, and peanut butter, all cut in shapes suggesting duel monsters dressed for Christmas and were decorated so. Such as Kuriboh with reindeer antlers, all the Dark Magicians, Dark, Girl, Valkyria, and Chaos, with their outfits in the style of Santa Clause, and Mokuba's favorites, Red Eyes and Blue Eyes chibified with Santa hats! The cookies that were baked and decorated were set up around/on top of a gingerbread house two and a half feet tall, four feet long, and a foot and a half wide. Speaking of gingerbread, they made plenty of that too, with vanilla frosting.
"You think we made enough Mokuba?" Malik asked pulling out another dozen cookies from the oven.
"Okay Malik, think about why we're doing this then ask yourself that question again." Mokuba answered giving him a look.
Malik thought for a second then nodded, "Right."
Yuugi and Shizuka placed a few more cookies with the gingerbread house.
"It's done!" Shizuka cheered.
Everyone looked over their work smiling and nodding in approval.
"We've been at this since eight AM and now, just as the sun's about to set, we finished!" Yuugi said happily.
"After those cookies cool and get decorated we can sent everything off." Malik added.
Ryou recounted everything they made and noticed something, "I think we made too much."
Everyone except Mokuba recounted everything they made.
"We did. Even for the cause." Shizuka said.
Mokuba giggled, "The extras are for you to take home, as a thank you for helping out."
"Aw, thank you Mokuba!" Yuugi said hugging the boy.
"Let's get everything packed up so we can head home. It's Christmas Eve after all." Ryou said.
Indeed it was, hence the festiveness of the deserts. Domino City was decorated with wreaths, tinsel, fake candy canes, and Christmas lights all over while homes and businesses were decorated just as festively inside. With the exception of the Kaiba mansion oddly enough; the only places decorated in the entire house were living room and dining room, and simply yet. The living room only had a five and a half foot tree already surrounded by gifts, two stockings hanging on the wall, lights linging where the walls met the cieling, and a small fake tree sitting in the middle of the coffee table that was designed to count down the days until Christmas by pulling a small ornament from one of the drawers framing the base marked with a star numbered with each day before the holiday*. The dining room had the table covered with a red cloth and had a center piece consisting of six poinsettias.
The last batch of cookies decorated and all deserts packed, some of the kaiba home employees came to take everything that was for the cause, gingerbread house included, to be packed in a climate controled truck to be delivered. Yuugi, Ryou, Malik, and Shizuka bundled up to go out into the snow-chilled winter air and took their share of Christmas goodies home to share with their families.
"Thanks again you guys! Merry Christmas!" Mokuba said waving from the doorway.
"No problem Mokuba! And thanks for the deserts!" Malik responded.
"Merry Christmas to you too!" Ryou wished.
"See you for the New Years party!" Yuugi called.
"Tomorrow in yours and Atemu's case!" Makuba said.
"And give Seto our best!" Shizuka added.
Mokuba waited until his friends were gone before closing the door and heading back to the kitchen.
"Now let's see," Mokuba looked at his watch "Seto will be home in an hour and half, two hours at the latest. So dinner should be done by the time he gets here. But what to have?"
Just as he finished the question a young woman with strawberry red hair, the bangs dyed midnight purple, and gray eyes came in trying an apron over her clothes.
"I have an idea Mokuba-sama. How about enchiladas and Spanish rice? I've wanted to try making that dish." She said.
The boy thought for a second. While he was the adventurous type when it came to trying new food, Seto was picky in what he ate. But since they hired Sary, the woman who addressed Mokuba, Seto had been a bit more willing to try new dishes so long as she made it. Though the first time only happened because Mokuba used the ever adorably deadly Puppy Pout he learned from Yuugi.
Finally Mokuba nodded, "Okay Sary, go for it! And when you're ready to head home for the night, I have a couple of boxes of some of the treats we made packed for you."
"Aw~! you didn't have to Mokuba-sama!" Sary squealed in delight.
Mokuba just smiled bright and went upstairs to get cleaned up; Malik was cranky this morning at having to come over so early and attacked with flour and sugar. Thankfully he got over it and while their first batch baked the cleaned up the kitchen; Ryou commented on how it was a good thing Marik, Bakura, and Jou hadn't come along or the mess would have been worse. The others, himself included, laughed at how true the statement was.
Upon getting to his room Mokuba grabbed his MP3 player and took it with him into the bathroom where he he set it up in homing dock with HD speakers. Setting it on shuffle the first song to come on was a First Noel cover by Vic Mignogna and Johnny Yong Bosch that Yuugi downloaded and sent to him; he immediately thought of Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist and Izaya Orihara from DuRaRaRa! singing it. Memories aside Mokuba got undressed and got in to take a warm shower; Domino City was freezing during winter. As he washed up he thought about how the year was approaching its end and a new steps in everyone's lives. Mokuba was fifteen and would soon become a freshman at domino High, Atemu would probably finally decide to get up the courage to ask Yuugi to marry him, Ryou would start college, Malik's older sister Ishizu would have her baby, so much was going to happen. But it was better to focus on the events of Christmas! Like how his aunt and uncle who came from Egypt for the holiday were going to meet Yuugi (finally) after dating their son for almost three years. Ryou and Bakura were going to Malik's to spend the holiday with him, Marik, Ishizu, and her husband Mahad since Ryou's father was in England, and there would be a Christmas party at the Kaiba mansion for family with Yuugi and his grandfather being invited for obvious reasons.
Shower done with all evidence of Malik's tantrum washed away, Mokuba dried off and went back to his room to put on warm clothes; boxers of course, sweat pants, a thermal shirt and a T-shirt one size too big over that, and a pair of socks. Now he had one little issue...
"Need help with your hair again kiddo?"
Jumping at the sudden voice behind him Mokuba turned to see his older brother already out of his suit and into a pair blue flannel pajama pants and a white hoodie. He had an amused smile on his face.
"Nii-sama!" he ran over to hug him "Welcome home! How long long ago did you get here?"
Seto leaned down and kissed Mokuba's head, "A half hour. I got off earlier than I thought I would."
Mokuba smiled brightly, "I'm glad, and yes please! My hair's always a pain after i wash it."
The older Kaiba chuckled and went to get Mokuba's brush, "What happened that you needed to wash your hair?"
"I learned the hard way that early morning and Malik do not mix." The teen answered as his wet hair was brushed.
"That so?" the brunette chuckled "By the way, the orphanage called. They're gratefully for all the sugar you sent over."
Mokuba just smiled as Seto finished brushing his hair and braided it just as they heard Sary call up to them that dinner was ready.
"What did she make for dinner anyway?" the older Kaiba asked as they left the room for the dining room.
"Enchiladas and Spanish rice. I think it'll be a good meal." Mokuba answered.
Seto grimaced, "It won't be like that time you forced me to eat from that fast food place when I had to work late, will it?"
The boy laughed remembering when he had imitation Mexican food brought to the Kaiba Corp. building; Seto did not like it, thought it was bland.
"Sary made it, I think it's fine."
And he was right. Sary may have a punk attitude but she was one hell of a cook and did better than most five star restaurant chefs without any education credentials to back her up. Both brothers were thoroughly enjoying the meal, though Seto wished Mokuba would take it easy with the cheese and sour cream; he smothered his food with the stuff.
"So kiddo, you choose a movie for us to watch?" Seto asked before taking another bite.
Mokuba swallowed his bite then answered, "Yuugi recommended a movie that first showed on TV last year called The Mistle-Tones. Now I know how you feel about musicals, but even Atemu liked it; he said it was a lot of fun to watch. And you know how he is about what movies he watches."
Seto tried not to choke on his food as he resisted the urge to laugh, "Yuugi got Atemu to watch a musical?"
His little brother giggled, "Yeah, shocker. But it does sound interesting. It's about a small-town girl wanting to join a local singing group founded by her mother but gets denied. So she decideds to form her own singing group and challenge the other one."
Blue eyes narrowed, "It isn't a chick flick is it?"
"I asked. Four bits of romance, but mostly musical numbers. Atemu assured me." Mokuba answered.
"Okay, we'll watch it. Seto conceded.
Every Christmas Eve the Kaiba brothers bundled up on the couch and watched a Christmas movie, but nothing corny or sappy. It annoyed Seto.
Well anyway, dinner finished the brothers went to the living room; Mokuba went to set up the movie and Seto went to get the blanket they used. Sary had come in with a tray carrying a plate of duel monster cookies and two mugs with covers on the rims made to fit and keep the heat of the drinks they held inside.
"Your hot chocolate and cookies. After I finish up in the kitchen I'll head on home." She said setting the tray on the coffee table.
"Oh Sary, you've done enough tonight. Go on home." Seto said.
Gray eyes widened, "Are you sure Kaiba-sama? I don't mind."
"Go. And I don't expect you back until the twenty-seventh."
"And don't forget you holiday treats!" Mokuba added.
Sary smiled brightly and bowed, "Thank you very much! Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!" the brothers wished.
Later into the night saw the Kaibas on the couch with the television and Christmas lights as their only light source, the mugs of hot chocolate in their hands only half full, and cookies were absently taken from the plate from time to time. Mokuba was cuddled up against Seto's side with his brother's arm around his shoulders when the minute craving for a cookie got to him, but when he reached for the plate he only felt crumbs... The cookies were gone!
Crunch! Munch, munch, munch
He looked up to see Seto with half a Blue Eyes shaped cookie hanging from his mouth (there's something you don't see everyday.) He pouted at the fact that Seto had snagged the last cookie then a lovely, mischievous little idea came to mind making him smirk; he leaned up and started trailing butterfly kisses along Seto's jaw slowly making his way towards his lips. The older Kaiba noticed at first contact and wondered what had gotten into his brother; as the trail got closer to the edge of his mouth he thought he'd figure out what Mokuba was trying for and turned to face him... Only to have the cookie he forgot was still hanging from his mouth be taken and finished by his minx of a brother.
'I can't believe I fell for that again!' he mentally shouted.
Seto watched his little brother, the look of triumph on his face for getting the cookie changing into content as he settled back into the brunette's side and finished off his hot chocolate. Sighing silently Seto settled back into his seat and watched as the movie's main girl, Holly, sang with her love interest, her boss, in front of the whole town before the movie ended.
"Yuugi and Atemu were right about this one. What did you think Nii-sama?" Mokuba asked.
"I admit it was good. But now it's time for bed." Seto said finishing his hot chocolate and standing to take their dishes to the kitchen.
Mokuba turned off the television and DVD player then ran upstairs to Seto's room; he had one more thing to do before he settled down for the night.
Seto finished washing the mugs and plates and headed up to his room deciding to leave the Christmas lights on for the night. Upon entering he saw Mokuba in his bed already snuggled under the blankets; he just smiled and got in next to him, only to hear him giggle.
"What?" he asked.
"Look above our heads." Mokuba told him.
The brunette looked and saw a sprig of mistletoe taped to the headboard between them.
"And you know the tradition."
Seto shook his head with a small smile and leaned over Mokuba to softly kiss his lips finding that they still tasted like the cookies they ate that night while watching the movie. A few more loving pecks and they settled down for sleep, Mokuba cuddling against Seto's chest with his head tucked under his brother's chin and Seto's arms around him.
And in a final bidding of good night, "I'll see you Christmas morning."
*I had one of those trees when I was a kid.
Story done and two to go! Please ignore any mistakes, this was posted in a rush. Review please!