Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh or any of the characters. Sad isn't it?

Merry Christmas to everyone that celebrates Christmas like I do and Happy Holidays to everyone that celebrates different holidays. This is my Christmas present to all of you. I almost didn't make it this year. I didn't have an idea until a week and a half ago. Life gets too stressful at times. I hope everyone likes this. I know this is early, but I might not have time in the next few days to upload it.

This is a oneshot even though there are two chapters. I didn't want to put this in one chapter because it's quite long.

Warnings: Shounen ai (MaleXMale) If you don't like it please don't read this

HHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Christmas is viewed as the happiest time of the year. A time when family and friends gather together. It was the time that Jounouchi despised the most. He could easily brush off his feelings and do what he could for his friends and family, but nothing seemed good enough to him. He strived for more, but kept falling just inches short of his goal line. All he wanted was to celebrate one Christmas with the joy he saw in the eyes of all his friends. He could understand how they could feel. He would feel the same if he had that same anticipation. The trill of watching his friends opening a gift that they long yearned for. The joy of realizing that your friends know you better than expected as you opened their gift. The love of a family dinner where he would share stories of past times and laugh at all the humorous events.

The blond sighed and stared at the small amount of money in his wallet, wondering if he would ever enjoy Christmas like most people did. Counting the money for the fifth time that morning, he dropped to the couch and placed his head in his hands. No matter how he looked at it, there was no way he could afford gifts for everyone this year. Who could he leave out? Shizuka would understand if she didn't get the gift from him until after Christmas, especially since they hardly saw each other. The unfortunate part of that scenario was that he was unable to get in contact with her to let her know that he wouldn't have a gift for their yearly meet this year. Since he didn't have money for the utilities, everything had been shut off for the second month in a row.

Jounouchi dropped his wallet and wrapped his jacket around himself as another coughing fit tore through his sickened body. The air was knocked out of his lungs, making it nearly impossible for him to take a deep breath. Brushing the tears from his eyes, he decided to find something for his friends. At least when he showed up to see Shizuka, he could explained to her that he'll mail the gift once he had money to buy it. He couldn't tolerate seeing the disappointment in his friends faces when he showed up empty handed for the second year in a row. The only one that ever understood and never gave him a hard time about it was Yugi. He never badgered him about how much he spent and why he couldn't find the time and money to get a gift for his friends.

That was probably one of the reasons why he considered Yugi his best friend. He understood that during these winter months Jounouchi needed more money in order to heat his horribly drafty home. Deciding that he wouldn't get far just sitting there, the blond stood, slightly unsteady, and moved out of the house. Oddly enough it felt warmer outside than inside his home. He walked down the deserted snow covered roads until he left his rundown neighborhood and entered into the brightly lit well trafficked area. Attempting to fight the coughs, he went into the first department store. He felt the warmth of the store and nearly collapsed from the sudden change in temperature. Holding onto the nearby clothing rake as he another coughing fit threatened to steal the breath from him, he knew he should go to the hospital or the doctor's for his cough, but he didn't have a chance of being able to afford it. Blinking the tears away, he struggled to stand up straight, oblivious to the concerned eyes watching him. He just needed to find four cheap gifts and then he could return to his cold home and sleep.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Yugi frowned as he stared at another statue he wanted to get Jounouchi for Christmas. He wanted the Red Eyes Black Dragon to be depicted in attack position, but every statue showed him with his head down and looked submissive. He sighed, thinking that he would have to go to his backup plan. He placed his hands in his pocket, choosing to try one more store before giving up on the statue. As he made his way towards the entrance, he heard someone coughing. "Sounds painful," he thought, feeling pity for the person that obviously was sick during the worst part of the year.

When he reached the door, he saw the person who was coughing. He gasped, seeing the blond hair that belonged to his best friend. He stopped himself from immediately going over to his friend. He wanted to help him and obviously get him the hospital, but he knew Jounouchi's position. He knew there was no way he could afford a bill like that, but he was risking his life. He didn't know when his friend got sick, being busy with work and shopping. He moved closer to him, but Jounouchi moved away from where he stood and staggered further into the store.

Yugi reached out his hand to him, but his words froze. Jounouchi disappearing among the merchandise snapped the tri-colored hair man out of his haze. He moved swiftly through the streets, knowing exactly where he was heading. He knew his friend wouldn't appreciate what he had planned, but he wasn't ready to lose the blond either. Running quickly through the slippery streets he found himself outside of a large cement wall concealing the large home decorated simply for Christmas. He knew that Mokuba would be home but he wasn't sure about Kaiba and Kaiba was the one he needed this time.

He pressed the button several times on the device just outside of the tall steel gates. He waited only seconds before pushing it again. "Please be home," Yugi pleaded with all the gods.

"Why are you here?" a cold tired, voice sounded through the device.

"Please let me in. I need to speak with you."

A long moment passed, making Yugi think that he wouldn't receive the help he desperately needed, but the gates opened. He moved quickly through them, not letting them open fully before he ran up the long driveway. Kaiba stood at the doorway; dark circles showed that the busy Christmas season was difficult even for the CEO. He moved away from the door, leading Yugi into the living room down the hallway from the front door. "I don't know if there is much time. I need your help even though I know it would be against everything he stands for," Yugi rambled, unable to sit long enough to explain.

Kaiba placed his hands on Yugi's shoulders and pushed him into the seat. "Take a few deep breaths and explain everything to me." The CEO didn't have time to deal with the emotions of others. He had to still go through the order papers requesting more dueling devices and other things required for the Christmas rush. They only had five shopping days left, and he worried that he wouldn't have enough stock in his warehouses. That didn't bode well for him. This would be the first year he had trouble keeping up with the demand. He pushed his worries to the side, giving Yugi his full attention, knowing that the shorter man would not seek his help unless it was vital. Plus, Yugi didn't look well. He looked pale and nervous.

"It's Jounouchi. We haven't seen him in a little over two weeks because he's been working a lot and when he had spare time he never got in contact with us. I called him several times and he always refused to meet with me. I happened to see him today and he..." Yugi stopped, unable to finish the sentence. "Please help him. If he doesn't get help, he'll die. I know he may hate me for asking you, and he may not seek help on his own, but he won't survive without help. I feel terrible, but I don't have the money to give him what he needs. Please, Kaiba, please help him."

"You are still not making sense. Is someone threatening his life? Did someone hurt him?"

"I think he's very sick on the verge of dying. When I saw him at the store he could barely stand. He was coughing so severely that he gasped for breath. I could have swore that he was going to collapsed afterward. I wanted to grab him and force him to the hospital, but I know that he wouldn't go. He doesn't have the money to pay for it. I don't have the money to even think about covering that cost either. I fear that the doctors would not help him if they know he can't pay. Please help him."

Kaiba rubbed his tired eyes. He needed to get the paperwork finished by the end of the night, and he knew he had to help Jounouchi. He was all too aware of the fact that the blond had no money. He could tell that by the clothes he owned. Everything about him screamed poverty-stricken. He also knew that the blond was an extremely proud man that would never sink so low to ask for help, especially from someone he deemed his rival. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. Even though he knew he would hurt the blond's pride severely and do more damage mentally, there was no other way to get the help Jounouchi needed. He wasn't ready to lose him, not when there was something he wanted to tell him. "We need to find him. From what you describe he could have the pneumonia or worse. Would he still be at that store?"

"I don't know."

"Call him and find out. Act normal. We don't want to shock him into running."

Yugi stood, retrieving his phone from his pocket. He dialed a number that he would never forget and waited for Jounouchi to answer. "Hey, Yugi," Jounouchi breathily said.

"Hi, Jounouchi. Where are you?"

"On my way home. Why?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today."

"Not today. I'm really tired."

"Okay. Maybe some other day. Get some rest." Yugi disconnected the call and turned his gaze back to Kaiba. "He said he was on his way home."

"Wait here. I need a few things and to inform Mokuba that I will be back much later." Kaiba disappeared quickly through the doorway and walked the carpet covered staircase. He stopped at Mokuba's room first, telling him that Jounouchi was sick, and he was going to help him. He packed up his laptop into his suitcase, deciding to work on the reports while he was waiting for the doctors to evaluate Jounouchi. He moved back downstairs to retrieve Yugi. "Follow me to the garage. I will need your directions to his house."

HHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The journey to Jounouchi's home was quiet and short. Kaiba didn't obey any traffic laws, but managed to get to their location without causing any harm to anyone else. Yugi was shaking by the time they arrived. He understood the urgency to get Jounouchi to the hospital, but killing themselves along the way was out of the question, not that he would tell Kaiba that. Once his heart calmed enough, he left the car and led Kaiba up the cracked sidewalk with weeds peaking through each hole. The house was small and dark with most of the walls looking as if they would fall apart. Kaiba was appalled that someone would live in a rundown place like that.

Yugi knocked on the door and Kaiba could have sworn he saw it cave in with the gentle knock. They waited several seconds, but no answer came. The tri-colored hair man tried the door, shocked to see that it was unlocked. He turned the knob and pushed the squeaky door slowly opened, calling out Jounouchi's name. Kaiba shivered to the intense cold of the house. He tried the light switch by the door, noting that there was no electricity. Yugi walked through the empty living room and into the only other room beside the kitchen. He knew Jounouchi was struggling, but he didn't think it was bad enough that he didn't have any utilities. He found his friend buried under several blanks, sleeping and shivering.

"Kaiba," he shouted, not liking the pale, flushed face that poked out of the cocoon he had himself buried in. He tried to wake the obviously sick man, but Jounouchi wouldn't budge.

The brunet walked in, placing his hand on his forehead. "Get the door. We need to get him to the hospital right away." Kaiba leaned down, lifting up the surprising light man along with the blankets and started for the door. Yugi opened and closed everything along the way. He sat in the back with Jounouchi's head on his lap. He could feel the heat radiating from his forehead. Kaiba drove quickly through the streets, this time not bothering the King of Games.

Yugi was surprised that they didn't arrive at the nearest hospital, but Kaiba's private hospital that treated mainly Kaiba Corp.'s employees and the Kaiba brothers, but also anyone else that seek help. The CEO opened the door and gently took Jounouchi into his arms. He walked into the hospital, barking orders, "I need a doctor here right away."

Several nurses appeared in front of the CEO, one pushing a gurney along with the older doctor with graying black hair running beside him. "What happened?"

"He had a severe cough and was found unconscious in his freezing home. I don't think there was any heat."

"What is his name?"

"Jounouchi Katsuya."

"Does he have a next of kin to contact?"

Yugi moved around Kaiba. "No. His mother basically abandoned him last year at the same time his father died, and his sister lives with his mother who doesn't let them meet except for once a year. I'm his best friend."

"Either one of us will be the contact person," Kaiba added.

The doctor nodded, listening to Jounouchi's lungs. "Get him to room one, schedule a chest x-ray and draw two tubes of blood to start. We'll take care of him, Kaiba-sama. The waiting area is through the door to the left. Let the nurse know if you go anywhere."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Yugi bit his lip nervously. "Will they be able to help him?"

"I don't see why not. I only hire the best." Kaiba moved towards the waiting room, pulling out his phone along the way. After he arranged for food to be delivered, he called his brother, giving him an update. "You can call any of his friends," Kaiba said while he put his phone away and took his laptop out from his briefcase. He ignored the small about of food that was left at the table. Yugi showed no signs of wanting it either.

"I think I'll wait until we know how he is. I don't want anyone badgering him about what happened or what he was thinking. He shouldn't have to explain himself right now. I know how much he has been struggling, and the others haven't understood." Yugi made his way towards the chair beside Kaiba and sat down. He took a piece of sushi but that was all he wanted.

Yugi didn't know how long he waited for the doctors; hours or minutes could have gone by. The only thing he was aware of was Kaiba's rapid fingers flowing over his laptop. It seemed like the King of Games was trapped in an eternal loop of nothing but the white walls and the tapping of fingers. Finally the doctor came into the room, removing his mask and gloves along the way.

He approached Kaiba first, not surprising to Yugi. "Jounouchi-san will pull through, but he'll have to remain here for a few days to a couple weeks. He has double pneumonia and he has malnutrition and dehydration. We thought a few of his fingers and toes were frostbitten, but we managed to warm them enough."

"Is he awake?"

"He's been coming in and out of consciousness. I can lead you to his room if you would like to see him."

"I would," Kaiba turned his gaze to Yugi. "Do you want to call his friends now before we see him?"

Yugi shook his head. "No. Let him recover a little first." The tri-colored hair man felt guilty about hiding this from his friends; unfortunately he could predict their reaction and how much they would pester his friend. Yugi himself is barely keeping his emotions under control. He knew Jounouchi was noble and proud, but he never expected his friend to wait this long before seeking help. Half of him felt like the blond was giving up on life and he just wanted to fade away, while the other half knew he was too stubborn and proud to go to the hospital regardless of being able to afford it.

Kaiba placed his laptop back in his briefcase, pleased to hear that Yugi wanted to still keep his other friends in the dark, not that he would ever tell him that. He would have chosen to do the same thing if he was in Yugi's situation. Kaiba ignored the food, thinking that either someone would eat it or throw it away. "Right this way," the doctor said, leading them down the deserted white halls. Only a few patients resided in the rooms leading to Jounouchi's room. He knew the hospital was privately owned by him and expected it to not have many patients, but he never advertised that only his employees and their families were allowed here. He sighed, sure that it had to do with that many people fear him more than them willing to seek help at his hospital. He had to do something about that or else the hospital and his staff may start to struggle.

The doctor stopped outside of Jounouchi's room. He didn't move inside and allowed the two all the time they needed in order to prepare themselves before entering. He understood that some people had difficulty seeing someone they love lying in a hospital bed. Kaiba didn't even hesitate to enter. He had never been one to second guess or linger on a decision, but when he entered that dimly lit room, his step faltered. Jounouchi was pale and hooked to several machines. A long tube connected to a bag that was obvious the saline drip to help with his dehydration hung above the machine to the left. A breathing apparatus sat slightly behind the bed, pumping air every few seconds.

Yugi launched himself beside the blond, taking his hand. He didn't say anything, afraid of waking his sickly friend. Kaiba pulled one of the chairs over to Yugi and placed it behind him. He turned to the doctor and bowed slightly. "Thank you for helping him," he commented. Those few words sounded foreign on his lips, but it was something he felt he needed to say.

The surprised doctor bowed. "Do not be alarmed by the breathing apparatus. He breaths on his own, but this is to help his lungs. He needs to wear that while he's lying down. Page a nurse if you need anything or if he wakes and becomes distressed. He may wake on his own and react fine." He left quickly afterwards, not sure want to think of the sudden change in the man labeled the Ice Dragon. He didn't want to be anywhere near when the man suddenly changed back to his normal personality.

The CEO moved over to the other chair, placing the briefcase down and looking over at Yugi. "Sit down before you fall down."

Yugi glanced over at Kaiba before doing what he said. "You don't have to stay if you don't want. I'm very appreciative of what you did so far."

"I'll leave if you want me to."

Yugi gasped. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure you're busy with Christmas almost here."

The brunet sighed and leaned further into the chair. "I appreciate you thinking of me, but all the work that I need to do could be accessed through my laptop. I have a lot of work to still do so I can stay awake if you want to sleep. You look like you're about to collapse."

Yugi rubbed his tired eyes. "Thank you. Wake me if you have to leave. I know you also take care of Mokuba."

"Don't worry about Mokuba. He can take care of himself. If he needs me, he can call my cellphone. Now get some rest," the CEO ordered, reaching for his briefcase. He knew that he should go to the office, but something inside of him told him not to leave the sickly blond or his exhausted rival. He watched as Yugi pulled his legs up into chair and curled up there instead of the other bed that was behind him. Kaiba shook his head, not bothering to say anything to the shorter man about his choice.

He accessed the documents he needed from earlier and continued on his work. He only had two more reports to finish before he started on the next day's work. He was pleased to see that he now had enough merchandise in all the stores to make it even after Christmas. He spent hours working on the reports in the slightly quiet room. He would look up at Jounouchi every now and then, attempting to figure out why he would stubbornly not seek help. Kaiba sighed, not noticing that he was spending more and more time staring at his ex-rival. He drifted asleep without even knowing.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Kaiba awoke the next morning to a slightly quiet argument. He groaned as his sore muscles screamed in pain from the movement. He shouldn't have fallen asleep at such an awkward angle. He opened his eyes, blinking to clear his vision and looking over at the group of people now gathered in the room. Yugi was clearly not fairing well with the other two angry friends. "Why do you bother helping him? It's not like this is the first time he did something like this. He's not going to learn if you keep doing that," Honda hissed, towering over his shorter friend.

"He's right, Yugi. If you keep helping him without him asking he'll never learn to seek our help before it's too late," Anzu agreed.

"Some friends you are," Kaiba sneered. "You know nothing about him if you think that he'll learn if you don't help him before it's too late. He's lived most of his life struggling to make ends meet and to be more than just a junkyard bum. He probably thinks he doesn't deserve any help or doesn't want to put any strain on any of you. Have you ever thought of that? You think someone's pride is going to make them suffer for so long. I don't think so. Even I would ask for help if I was seriously ill." The brunet turned his gaze back onto the blond. "He was trying to prove to everyone that he could do this on his own, wanted to do this on his own." He turned his eyes back to them. "If you are here to throw this back in his face, leave now. You will cause more damage to him that way."

"You're one to talk," Honda said, advancing on the brunet. "You have never been nice to him. In fact, I'm surprised that you even listened to Yugi and came to his aid. You also haven't even bothered to talk to him longer than to insult him. How would you know what he's like?"

"I watch him."

"What?"

"A person speaks more with their body than their mouth."

"And what is that suppose to mean?"

The CEO rolled his eyes. "If someone tells you they are fine, do you believe them? Judging by what you have been saying you do. What if someone who is severely depressed tells you that they are fine and goes home and kills themselves? You would probably claim you didn't know they were depressed. If you watch their body closely, you can see things you never knew. Jounouchi over there was depressed through high school and unless things changed is still depressed. I could tell because his shoulders would slump when he thought no one was looking. There wasn't much light in his eyes even though he was smiling and laughing. How many times did he tell you guys he was tired? That's a common excuse for someone that is depressed and doesn't want to smile that day or can't seem to find the energy to keep their mask firmly in place."

"He's right," Yugi said softly. "I've seen him staring out the window several times when he comes to visit and especially when we were at school."

Anzu crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't agree with him. Jounouchi had never shown any signs of being depressed. He's never done any of what Kaiba said he did."

"Shut up all of you," a soft voice said, followed by a long stream of coughs.

Yugi moved quickly over to the blond. "Easy, Jounouchi." Jounouchi placed his hand over his chest and closed his eyes while the coughing eased. The King of Games placed his hand over the blond's. "Slow breaths. That's it. Do you need something to drink or for me to call the doctor?"

"Some water would be great," Jounouchi said, voice cracking from the strain. Yugi moved away from the bed, giving the blond a perfect view of his other two friends. "You two need to leave."

"What?" Anzu gasped.

"I can't rest with you two here and fighting with each other. They were here part of the day yesterday and all night and didn't make any noise. Please leave." He closed his eyes and pulled the blanket up, shivering slightly.

Anzu and Honda stayed, staring at him. They were about to say something when Kaiba walked over with a blanket he took from the other bed. "You heard him. When he's better, he'll talk to you. Right now you are to do as he said. Leave." He glared up at them after tucking the blond in when they still didn't move. "Do you need directions or an escort?"

Honda snorted and stormed out of the room, followed by Anzu with her head bowed. Yugi breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Kaiba. I thought they would be okay if I explained it to them first on the phone, but they came in irritated. I'm sorry, Jounouchi."

The ex-duelist shook his head. "Not your fault. I do bring that on myself."

"That's not true."

"I just can't do anything right this year. I tried to live on my own. I tried to make my life worth something, but I fail at everything."

"Jounouchi," Yugi whispered. He hated hearing his friend saying those things. He didn't think his depression was that bad, and he berated himself for not checking on the blond more.

Kaiba placed his hand under Jounouchi's chin and tilted his gaze over towards him. "That's nonsense. If you failed at everything, your sister wouldn't defy her mother to come see you around Christmas. You wouldn't have been the runner up at Duelist Kingdom or in third place at Battle City. Both of those times you put up a great fight and were just unlucky. Yugi was a duelist longer than you and is a genius strategist, but you put up a great fight, and he struggled several times to beat you. In Battle City, you took a direct hit from Ra, managed to get back up and were seconds away from winning when you fell unconscious. If you would have called an attack, you would have gone further and who knows how far that would have been. You tried to live on your own, but you started out with nothing and were trying to get somewhere. You managed for a year and just couldn't do it anymore. You don't make enough, and you'll dig yourself into an early grave if you keep working all the time. You need to find one job that pays enough."

"Who would hire a bum like me?"

"Wait until Christmas and maybe Santa Claus will bring you a special present this year."

Jounouchi stared up at him. "I don't want a job from you out of pity."

"When have I ever done anything out of pity? Rest now and we'll talk more later." Kaiba looked up at Yugi. "I'm going for some coffee and to see if Jounouchi can eat anything. Do you want something?"

Yugi shook his head. "I got something earlier when I was calling Honda and Anzu."