[Merry Christmas, Ryo. This is part one of your present. I hope you like it.
-Yami]
"IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE!" Ryo excitedly screamed, bouncing around and hanging last minute decorations in a fit of holiday joy. He had tinsel in his hair still, from meeting with Yugi earlier that day. Ryo pinned some holly up with a thumbtack and grabbed another plant-like decoration from the bag he had slung across his body. He pinned this one up on a doorframe, standing on a chair.
"Yeah, you wish. That's mistletoe." Said a voice with a smirk from behind Ryo. Ryo instantly went pink, taking it down and replacing it with holly.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. It's Christmas Eve! I'm too happy to notice which plant is which. They all look the same when you're going fast." Ryo climbed down from the chair and beamed at his Yami who just looked at him.
"Is that a big deal or something?"
Ryo's eyes widened. "A huge deal! Christmas is the happiest season of them all! There's songs, and hot chocolate, and everyone's happy, and presents," He almost skipped over to the nearby window and opened he drapes. "And see, there's even snow! Snow, Yami! I love snow!"
Bakura couldn't help but laugh at Ryo's enthusiasm. He himself was dressed in a black long-sleeved shirt with a dark blue jacket and jeans, for the weather, but nothing spirited. He looked at Ryo, who was donning a bright green turtleneck and a Santa hat. He chuckled to himself, still not understanding the big deal of Christmas.
"What do you even do with snow, anyway? Just looks like a fluffy load of white shit. Looks cold, too." Bakura walked to the window too and grimaced at the white sparkles floating down from the sky.
"You can make things. Like snowballs, and snowmen, and snow angels..." Ryo rattled off, while still looking at the snow outside, but with a more longing expression then Bakura's grimace.
Bakura looked at Ryo like he was crazy. "...You've got to have some snow-balls if you want to go outside in this weather. It's got to be 12°F out there."
Ryo giggled. "I'm going to play in it in a few hours with some friends. You're welcome to join us, if you want."
Bakura wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Freeze my ass off throwing frozen water at people? No thanks. But have fun knocking each other unconscious with ice-balls."
Ryo shook his head. "You don't know what you're missing. In the mean time, I have a Christmas movie I want you to see."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Ugh, I was rooting for him up until the end. Sell out. Just push the goddamn bag over the edge, it'd take like two seconds." Bakura ranted, folding his arms as Ryo picked up the popcorn bowl and took it to the kitchen.
"He was taught to love again by that little girl. He wasn't a sell out!" Ryo yelled back as he turned on the water and rinsed out the popcorn remains from the bowl, before putting it in the dishwasher.
"No you're right. Jim Carrey is. Bastard. He was a funny guy up until that bit, though." Bakura yawned and stretched. "I could've been a better Grinch. I'd steal it, AND feel no remorse. A conscience, the fatal flaw."
Ryo laughed and came back to sit next to Bakura again. "You liar. Are you telling me that if a little girl showed up on top of that bag, you'd just push it over the edge?"
Bakura tilted his head in thought. "No, I wouldn't. I'd throw her over the edge first, THEN push the sled over."
"You liar." Ryo shoved Bakura's shoulder. "What if I showed up at the top of the bag? What then, hm?"
Bakura thought for a moment again. "Nah, you'd be pulling the sled, Max." He grinned and ruffled Ryo's hair. "Good puppy."
Ryo laughed and smacked Bakura's hand away. "Away, vile kitty." He giggled.
The doorbell rang just as Bakura was leaning over to smack Ryo in the back of his head. They both looked up, and Ryo bounced up to answer the door. Bakura folded his arms and leaned back in his seat, smirking, facing the door.
"Yugi, Marik! I'm glad you came!" Ryo said, a smile in his voice as he hugged them both and invited them in.
"Yeah, it's our Hikari Christmas Snowball Fight, after all, Ry." Yugi said, hugging Ryo back and discretely placing more tinsel in his hair.
Bakura scoffed from the sofa. "Et Tu, Brute?" He said, raising his eyebrows at Marik.
"If Brutus could have said 'fuck off' in Latin, he would have." Marik said, flipping off Bakura. Bakura laughed, got up, and walked over towards the group.
"You idiots going to freeze yourselves in the snow, eh?" Bakura asked, putting one arm around Marik, and one around Ryo.
"I suppose you could say that. We're going to have an epic snowball fight, and I'm going to win!" Yugi declared, pumping his fist in the air.
"You wish." Marik pretended to sneer at him. They had gotten on good terms now, after all.
The group laughed, with the exception of Bakura who still looked at everyone as if they had lost their minds. "Have fun killing yourselves, I'll be in here." He said, dropping his arms and going back to sitting on the sofa.
"Last chance to join us!" Ryo called, putting on a red scarf and replacing his Santa hat.
"Mnh." Bakura waved them away, turning on the television, flipping for something non-Christmasy to watch, settling on CSI. The group shrugged and headed outside.
~*~*~*~*~*
2 hours later, Bakura was snoozing on the sofa, having given up on TV all together. Even bloody CSI was a Christmas episode. The door slammed and he woke, opening one eye in curiosity. Ryo closed the door behind him and came in, still covered in snow, and holding a snowball. His face was pink from being outside in the cold for so long.
"Still alive, I see." Bakura said, sitting up and looking at him.
"Hm? Oh, yeah, I am." Ryo said, distractedly. "Hey, help me clear a spot from the freezer, please?"
Bakura got up, confused, and walked to the freezer. He took out a box of pizza rolls, saying "Dinner." He grinned as Ryo rolled his eyes, and placed the snowball on a plate inside.
"Okay, I'll bite. Why the hell are you saving a snowball?" Bakura asked, preheating the oven.
"Because it's the Christmas Eve snow, and the first snow we've had all season. I'm saving it until we get a new snow, then I'll get rid of it." Ryo shrugged.
Bakura shook his head. "You people have strange Christmas things, eh? Movies, snow obsessions..." He trailed off, smirking. Ryo laughed softly and yawned. "Tired?" Bakura asked, to which Ryo nodded. "If you're so anxious for it to be tomorrow, why don't you go to bed now? I can take care of not burning the kitchen. I think." He chuckled.
"Okay I guess. It's early, but I'm exhausted." Ryo said, stifling another yawn.
Bakura put his arm around Ryo, and Ryo did the same back to him. Bakura smiled at him. "Merry Christmas, Ryo."
Ryo's face lit with happiness and hugged him. "Merry Christmas, Yami."
[AN: Part Two: .com/albums/ee137/Hitchin_A_ ]