Disclaimer: We don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or the concept of Christmas. Please, contain your shock. You have to live through the holiday season or we'll feel guilty.

Holiday From the Ordinary: Chapter 1

Snow really was awful. It was wet, cold, and wet. Joey sneezed into his coat sleeve again, loudly. This elected a few more stares from random people along the street walking near him, everyone one of them going to a nearby friend's house or such. Joey could almost see the thoughts running across their minds.

-Oh no, mustn't get to close, he's probably contagious.

-I give him another five minutes before he keels over…

-Poor dear, why isn't he at home?

-Do I want to give him the tissue, or do I simply want to walk on and ignore him? Hmm…

If he weren't feeling so miserable, Joey probably would have laughed. But as it was, his dad was drinking himself into a stupor again (he was always just peachy around the holiday season) so Joey was out in the cold and wet with a cold. With no where to go because he didn't want to explain to any of his friends why he wasn't at home on Christmas Eve, or at least going somewhere like a normal person.

"A-choo!" Joey sniffled, feeling like he was drowning in this stupid snow. Or maybe it was his misery he was sinking into. Either way it was another water analogy, which he did not appreciate at the moment. Why anyone found anything magical about this stuff was beyond him. Why anyone wanted to have a white Christmas (or Christmas for that matter) was seriously beyond him.

He continued to wander along the sidewalk and into the park, watching as everyone else disappeared and soon all that was left was the street lights illuminating the sky enough for Joey to be able to watch more retched snow fall.

About halfway into the park he sat down on a bench and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Sitting down made him feel like a complete marshmallow in his stupid winter coat. It's not like it was even keeping him sufficiently warm. What a waste of material…

Joey stared off into space, not really focusing on anything, and after a few minutes his eyes began to droop and sleep started to over take him. He tried to keep conscious, but soon he found himself consumed by darkness and he welcomed it. No more thinking, just simple bliss. And so content, Joey slept, slowly beginning the journey to freezing to death.

Lucky for him another misfit happened to be wandering around and come upon him.

A group of carolers stood just outside the park, trying to serenade everyone and anyone who was near by. Kaiba held a special distain for carolers. He was tempted for a moment to run them all down- what kind of person did you have to be to think you could "bring joy" to others by wailing like a dying cat? But he could hear Mokuba's voice in his head, warning him not to hit even one. So with a sigh of disappointment he parked and with one last glare at the hellish singers, he walked into the park.

"Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining," came the strained notes of the carolers.

"Hardly," Kaiba muttered to himself with a quick glance upwards. There weren't any stars at all, the snow storm had seen to that.

He walked farther and farther along the sidewalk, not really thinking, just staring ahead of him. Walking in this park was about close to a Christmas tradition as he got. Christmas wasn't a holiday he held in high regard. Though he had to admit sales were excellent during this time of year.

He watched his breath as it became foggy as soon as he exhaled, feeling the cold begin to get to him. It was a long ride home, and he hadn't exactly brought the best vehicle for winter travel.

He still liked it. But it wasn't entirely practical.

It was time to be going back home. He would not doubt find Mokuba standing by the window, waiting anxiously for him to return. He was about ready to turn and leave when something caught his eye, sitting on a park bench, appearing to be fast asleep. What kind of idiot would be sleeping on a park bench in this weather?

Oh well, it wasn't his problem.

"Big, brother, how can you just leave someone there, freezing to death?" he heard Mokuba's scold him. He knew he would hear Mokuba yelling at him all the way home if he didn't do something. Then his younger brother would see his guilty face when he walked in the door and start yelling at him in person after managing to elicit a confession.

Kaiba scowled, walking over. It would at least save him the trouble of having to explain this to Mokuba.

"Hey, mutt, wake up!"

Joey opened his eyes to find the last person he wanted to see standing almost on top of him. The big blue eyes, the stuck up smirk, and the tall, muscular…crap. Clearly almost freezing to death was affecting his train of thought.

"Mutt, are you there?" Kaiba asked, sounding annoyed that Joey might possibly be suffering, or more annoying still, dead, in front of him.

"Yes," Joey snapped as best he could under the circumstances. His lips were, after all, practically frozen together. "Now ya can go away."

"As good an idea as that sounds, mutt," Kaiba said, rolling his eyes. "I can't leave you out here by yourself since it is most likely that you would fall back asleep and so poor policeman would find your frozen body her tomorrow." That would be such a nice thing to say, Joey thought, if he didn't sound so sarcastic. Or nicer than what he usually yells at me anyway.

"Don't worry 'bout caring…for…me," Joey said with difficulty. "I'll be okay. Just leave."

"Let me take you home," Kaiba said coolly. "And then I'll leave. I'm not going to have your death on my conscious." Joey doubted that Kaiba had a conscious, but he decided against voicing this particular opinion.

"Just go…not going home," Joey growled.

"Fine then, you're coming to my house." Kaiba somehow managed to loop his arm around Joey chest and lift him up. Joey pushed him away and stumbled, unable to stand up on his own. Great, he thought. Now I'm cold, with Kaiba, and half-paralyzed. My day can not get any better!

"Don't be stupid, mutt. Let me help you." This time there was something that seemed to be genuinely nice in Kaiba's tone. Something that caused Joey to relax and let Kaiba put his arm halfway around to support him.

As they walked down the path together, Joey found himself leaning closer and closer against Kaiba. He was thankful he was too cold to blush.

At the end of the path was something truly surprising.

"You have a motorcycle?"

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"No," Joey said, mystified at this spectacular revelation. How would have thought- Kaiba, Mr. Must Have A Limo At All Times, had a motorcycle. He does know that he has to drive it himself, right, Joey thought. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind he shot it down. Kaiba had to have come to the park on it after all, so clearly he must be able to drive it.

"Hey, mutt," Kaiba grunted.

"What?" Joey asked, irritated that Kaiba's insensitive voice kept knocking him out of his thoughts.

"Get. On. The. Motorcycle." Joey glared.

"Make me." A wicked gleam shone in Kaiba's eyes and Joey quickly regretted his words. Oh shit, I just challenged Kaiba. Kaiba! Of all people! Mental note, never, ever, nearly freeze to death on Christmas Eve again, it seriously screws with one's self-preservation sense.

Before he knew what was happening Joey found himself sitting on the motorcycle with Kaiba sitting in front of him.

"Hold on tight," Kaiba advised. That did not sound good, Joey thought. It would be rather pathetic to get killed after nearly dying of hypothermia just to become a casualty of Kaiba's crazy- but at that moment Kaiba started the motorcycle and sped off.

"Kaiba- stop! Slow down! There's ice on the road! Kaibaaaaaaaaa!"

Author Notes: All right, I, that is to say, Remo Con wrote this chapter, so any mistakes here are mine (though mandapandabug did really try to help correct me). I know, it's right before Christmas. Day before Christmas Eve. Why start a Christmas fic now? –looks guilty- well truth is my computer went through a rough period lately, and I wasn't able to recover this story for a while…big long complicated story. –sighs- anyway, even though its almost Christmas, I hope everyone's still in the mood for another Seto/Joey Christmas fic. Because after all this will be the best one ever. With us writing it, how could it not be? Merry Christmas to everyone! And might I suggest reviewing…come on people, it's the season of giving!