A/N: Here is my Christmas gift to all of you! If this looks familiar, it's because I did post this up last year for Christmas, but it got deleted I think because I put song lyrics in them So, lo and behold I took them out so I could post it again for you this Christmas! So enjoy :D
But anyway, this is a Christmas one-shot fic. I think it could also be called a song-fic, because it's inspired by the song "Christmas Shoes" by Newsong. I love this song! It's so sweet -sniff- So it's mostly through Seto Kaiba's perspective, because it's about how one boy might be able to change Seto's view on Christmas. So here we go!
Disclaimer: I own neither "Christmas Shoes" nor Yu-Gi-Oh! Those belong to Newsong and Kazuki Takahashi. But if I win a contest I might get stuff signed by Takahashi-san!
Christmas Shoes
By: Hedwig the Millenium Owl
It was almost Christmas time…'The lights going down the street seemed brighter this time of year', Seto Kaiba thought as he walked down the lightly snow covered sidewalk. Many people had in fact put up their own Christmas lights to "Brighten up the holiday spirit" as some people would say. Of course, Seto would say something more like "To blind the people who are walking down the street trying to avoid everything with the word 'holiday' in it." The wind blew a quick cold wind towards him, picking up some crisp snow on its way. He pulled his winter coat closer as he walked down to the store entrance.
Kaiba had just come here because he was on a walk that was supposed to help him clear his mind. Being the young CEO of Kaiba Corp. got very stressful, especially around the holidays. Seto had walked into the store for some warmth and decided to pick up some stuff while he was here. So far, his mind hadn't gotten any clearer. He waited in line constantly tapping his foot impatiently. The people around him were doing the same though. But what he saw some of them do just made him have yet another reason to hate people and/or the human race. Several times, he saw two grown men fighting over a teddy bear for a gift. Other times he saw women fighting and shoving each other to get a better place in line. And he even saw a little boy, probably about twelve, trying to sabotage the Christmas lights, the little kiddy rides, and his older brother was even attempting to break into a security money safe. Seto stared at them in disgust, had everyone really taken what's supposed to be a happy, brotherly holiday and made it into a day of cursing, stealing, fighting, and guns? At least he had an excuse not to be in quite a Christmas mood, but compared to these insults to humanity, he could've been jolly old Saint Nicolas himself!
Seto's turn in line was almost here, which he was happy for. He couldn't wait to get out of this dump and try to spend the rest of this Christmas Eve night with Mokuba. A few minutes went by and now the only person ahead of him was a boy. It was a small boy, probably no older than 9 or 10, he had very shaggy, messy black hair, his big eyes were a deep blue, a blue that held sadness and anxiousness, but a slight light of joy. He was waiting anxiously near the register for his turn in line, as if in a hurry, and Seto saw that he held a beautiful pair of woman's shoes in his hands.
Seto was surprised that this boy was out here on his own; he looked around and didn't see any form of guardian with the boy. He snorted in disgust, he'd never let Mokuba out on his own like this. Looking back down at the boy, he noticed that his clothes looked like they'd been worn several times before this and not washed much. The boy was glancing around nervously and Kaiba caught a glimpse of his face… he reminded Kaiba so much of Mokuba. The boy's turn soon came and he hurried up to the register and placed the shoes on the counter. He looked up to the cashier and said:
"Sir, I wanna buy these shoes, they're for my momma, please. …"
Seto looked at the boy surprised as the cashier started to ring the shoes up. However, the boy still looked worried and rushed.
"Could you hurry sir" he said, "Daddy says there's not much time… You see, she's been sick for quite a while and I know these shoes will make her smile and I want her to look beautiful, if... if mamma meets Jesus tonight"
However reluctant it might have been, Seto's heart went out to the boy. He understood the pains of a mother dieing. However, he never looked at it the way this boy was. The boy dumped a pouch of pennies that rolled over the counter, and it seemed like years before he was done counting.
"Son, there's not enough here." The cashier finally said, looking sadly at the boy. The boy looked at him in disbelief.
The boy buried his hands into every place possible on him that could hold any cent worth of money. He looked around to the blue eyed CEO and said sadly:
"Mamma made Christmas good in our house, but most years she just did without. Tell me sir, what am I gonna do? Somehow, I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes."
Seto looked at the boy; unknown compassion was draining into his usually cold heart. So, he thought, this boy wanted to buy this pair of shoes for his mother in hopes of seeing her last smile before this boy's savior took her away from him. All this child wanted, was to see her smile, have a good last Christmas, and to look beautiful when she met their Lord. The boy looked at the ground in despair, knowing now that all hope was lost. His cold heart melted for this boy. Seto wasn't sure why, but he placed the money down so the boy could buy the shoes to make his mother smile. The boy looked up to the counter and saw the money. He then looked up at Seto in disbelief that formed into teary gratitude. The cashier rang up the shoes once again, and took the money, bagging the shoes he handed them to the boy.
"Mamma's gonna look so great!" the boy said happily, his expression was of pure joy and thankfulness, something that Seto had long forgotten. But he knew that this image of the young boy's joy would stay in his head forever, along with the realization that he had put it there.
The boy smiled widely. He turned to Seto and bowed deeply, "Domo arigato! Totemo tasukarimshita to goshinsetsu ni!" (Thank you very much! It was such a help to me and it's very kind of you!sorry if it's not completely correct) He thanked happily.
"Yorokonde." (With pleasure.) Seto said smiling, not a smirk, an actual, genuine smile. He watched the young boy run out with his special gift and knew that this did not happen just by coincidence. Some, more powerful force then any of us could imagine, had sent that little boy to teach Seto a lesson.
Seto finished up his shopping and left the store for home with a smile on his face. When he finally got home it was late, and he knew Mokuba was in bed either fake sleeping or actual sleeping. He peaked into his brother's room and found him sleeping peacefully with a content look on his face. Seto thought about the little boy he helped out and thankful that Mokuba was here and safe with him. He quietly walked inside his brother's room and stood beside his bed. He smiled and brushed a stray bang away from Mokuba's sleeping face. He kissed Mokuba's forehead in an act of caring big-brotherness (A/N: NOT THE DISGUSTING YAOI PAIR!!) and then left.
He walked down the hallway to his room, all the while still thinking of that young boy. Once he was in bed ready for a well-earned rest, his mind still wheeled. The boy made him realize to be thankful for what we have now, and to look at the world as a glass half full instead of his usual glass half empty. That boy, in a way, was like himself when he was younger. Seto understood the feeling of losing a mother, although he wished he didn't. But what really made him think was the way the boy looked at the whole situation. When Seto's mother died, he remembered the feeling of sorrow overflow him, then reality slapped him hard in the face and told him that he was now left alone with Mokuba, for his father had already left and none of his relatives wanted him. His so-called "family" striped him and Mokuba of all their money and possessions after the death, and then dumped them off at some run down orphanage. He remembered starting to get bitter then, mostly towards any member of his family (except Mokie) and took up the responsibility of protecting the only thing he cared for or that cared him back, his little brother, Mokuba. Seto's step-father, Guzaburoh Kaiba, didn't ease his slowly growing anger and bitterness, but made it worse.
Seto thought about the boy again. The boy seemed to be very poor, just barley getting by, but he still looked happy. His mother was dieing and had been very ill for the past several years, but he looked happy. It was Christmas Eve, he was most likely not going to get any presents, and his mother was probably going to die within the hour, and still he looked joyful. Not that he didn't care for his mother… no.., that definitely wasn't the case. It was the thought that his mother would finally be freed from the pain and suffering she'd been through, that she'd leave this world for a better one where she'd be happy. And the thought that he had gotten her one last gift that would make that boy's mother smile. That's why that boy had been happy and optimistic!
Seto finally managed to force himself to sleep, knowing that he'd get up early the next day, even if he didn't have to work. His last thoughts were a prayer, --though to who, he was not sure-- which thanked for Mokuba's safety through out the years, and asked to continue protecting him, for Mokuba was the world to Seto….
----snowsnowsnowsnowwooooooohoooosnowsnowsnow----
"Nii-san! Nii-san! Seto! Wake up!" a small voice shouted excitedly.
Seto groaned and rolled over on his bed, pulling the covers over his head. "Five more minutes Mokie…" he mumbled tiredly.
"No Nii-san!" Mokuba argued, jumping up and down on his brother's bed. "Come on get up! It's Christmas! Which means that we get to go out and play our annual game of football!"
Mokuba saw a rustle under the covers and saw that his brother had just flopped over on his stomach and stuck his head under his pillow. He giggled and went over to the pillow. He made the bed bounce again and poked the pillow.
"Niiiiiiiiiiiii-ssaaaaaaan!" He moaned. When nothing happened he grabbed a near by pillow, quickly removed the one that covered his brothers' head and whacked his brother with the pillow. Seto shot up and Mokuba rolled over laughing.
"O, you think that's funny do you…" Seto said grinning. He grabbed a pillow and wacked Mokuba with it.
"Hey!" his brother squeaked. And the Christmas Day pillow fight of the Kaiba brother's began. It lasted for about fifteen minutes before both brothers laid on their backs on top of Seto's blue and white comforter that covered his huge bed. It took a few minutes for them to catch their breaths before finally words were heard instead of huffing.
"Ok Mokie, which game do you want to play for our Christmas Day sport?" Seto asked turning his head to face Mokuba's.
"Football!" Mokuba answered happily throwing his arms into the air. After Seto sent Mokuba to his room to change Seto himself changed into a pair of loose fitting jeans, a long sleeved shirt, and a black, hooded sweater that had blue flames going up and down the arms. (A/N: can't you picture the awesomeness of that sweater! –dreamy sigh- I want one T.T) He then started downstairs and made some breakfast.
This Christmas Day sport they talked about was a sort of tradition for the Kaiba brothers. Every 25th of December, in the early morning, Mokuba and Seto would go out to a near by park and play some sort of sport before heading back home to open presents and having hot cocoa. This year, the sport was football.
After the brothers had a quick breakfast, they left for the park with a football in hand. Snow crunched under their feet as they walked and several times Mokuba would pick an icicle off of something. They reached the park and played a game of football, but it was more like catch-tag. After a very long time of playing with the ball, as well as rolling in the snow, and a snowball fight or two; Seto and Mokuba sat down on a bench huffing much like they were earlier this morning. Cold stung their now red cheeks and their breath froze in the air creating several different clouds of breath.
Seto leaned his head back, still breathing heavily, and thanked the powerful force again for Mokuba. He realized how good a mood he was now in. Smiling he said to his brother, "Nice game there kiddo." He laughed tiredly.
"That…huff… was really…huff… fun, huff, Nii-san." Mokuba smiled as well and tiredly leaned his head against Seto's arm. They sat there for a few minutes until Seto caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.
Walking down the sidewalk near where the brother's sat, was the same little boy Seto had helped the night before. Seto picked his head up and studied the boy. He was walking with his head down, kicking the snow at his feet. Seto stood up and walked over to him as confused Mokuba hastily followed.
"Hey there." He greeted the boy softly, hoping not to scare him. The boy looked up at him for a moment with a quizzical look on his face before he remembered.
"Hey…! You're the nice man that helped me pay for my mamma's shoes." He said looking up at Seto, both smiled.
"Glad you remembered." Seto said smiling at the boy, but a frown played at his lips at his own next question. "So… how is your mother?"
"Oh, well…" the boy looked down again sadly but then looked back up smiling a teary smile, "She- She finally met Jesus last night." There was a pause before he continued, "I-I told mamma about you, and she told me… 'Make sure you thank the nice man for me, please son. It was very nice of him to do that.'… She really liked the shoes too." He smiled looking up at Seto.
Seto smiled putting a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "And I'm sure she looked beautiful in them when she met Jesus."
The boy smiled tears running down his face, he nodded. He hesitantly switched the weight in his feet before hugging Seto, catching Seto off guard. "T-thank you again sir."
Seto stood there for a moment surprised but then lightly hugged the boy back, and smiled, "No problem kid."
The boy soon left with a wave and Mokuba turned to his brother smiling. "You bought that boy a gift for his mom?" he asked. Seto nodded. They soon were walking back to their mansion and were inside sipping hot cocoa near the fireplace. The whole time between, Mokuba was calculating the information he'd found out and Seto was thinking about the little boy.
"You know Seto," Mokuba turned to face his brother, "You helped that boy out didn't you?"
"Yes, Mokuba, I suppose I did." Seto said taking another sip of his hot cocoa.
"Well I'm very proud of you!"
"Why's that?"
"Because you've finally felt the true meaning of Christmas!" Mokuba hugged his brother tightly as Seto smiled and hugged him back.
…What Christmas is all about.
XxX
Hedwig: Aw, ain't that cute? Well please review and I hope you had a very--
Merry Christmas!