An Xmas story for all of us fangirls out there! Merry Xmas, girls, and hope there's magic under the mistletoe! XD Please forgive me for the EXTREMELY out of character portrayal of Seto-sama...I want him to have a soft, giggly side too! Forgive me if this sounds weird, I went to a dance the other day and I'm DEAD TIRED!! Lol Please R&R! -ghastlymortal-
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters (do you even have to ask?)
Something hard and cold hit Seto in the back of his head making him lurch forward slightly and gasp aloud. He turned around to tear a strip out of the culprit but realized it was Jou who had thrown the snowball. The chocolate-eyed teen doubled over in laughter, pointing from him to the group (who remained oblivious to his stunt) and back again. Seto feebly joined in the laughter before rushing over to Jou with mock menace, waving the axe he carried above his head. The teen shrieked and ran away from Seto laughing whilst Seto chased him and laughed too.
"Stop, hahaha, STOP! I can't breathe! SETO!" Jou collapsed onto the snow and lay still for a moment. When he didn't get up after a while Seto ran to his side, abandoning the axe, and kneeled in the snow next to his puppy.
"Mutt...Mutt! Are you okay?" He said this quietly as not to warn the others (who were scoping the forest looking for a suitable tree) and murmured something. "Please, wake up...Jounouchi...puppy..." Jou was breathing but unresponsive. He leaned down and felt his forehead.
Oh, my gosh! He's burning up! I've got to get him out of here! Seto picked up Jou's small frame and carried him to the group. He explained what had happened and told them to find the tree without them. Anzu offered to take care of Jou in Seto's place but the azure-eyed teen vehemently refused. He was going to take care of his puppy himself, nobody would be allowed to touch him.
"Hey, Kaiba...you might need this. I have a feeling it may come in handy." Bakura sidled up to Seto and his unconscious ward and slipped a small object into Seto's hand. The abnormally solicitous behaviour caught him off-guard, so did the gift. It was a small cross...simply carved out of wood, but it was covered in nicks and scrapes. He wasn't sure what this was for but he had a feeling Bakura was right.
"Thank you, tomb robber. I'm sure you're right," Seto then left the group in the woods and carried Jou up to the cabin.
LATER ON...
"Is he going to be okay, Seto?" Mokuba sat quietly with Seto at Jou's bedside and touched his arm briefly.
"I don't know, Mokuba. I just don't know." Seto's voice sounded thick, as if he was trying to hold back tears. Mokuba clucked his tongue and hugged his brother.
"It's fine to cry, you know. You're not invincible...you're human." With that the raven haired teen left and Seto broke down into torrents of angry tears, hot on his face and salty on his tongue.
He couldn't sit there and watch him anymore, he had to leave. He got up and went into his private den, stoking the fire and sitting in his comfy armchair; some classical music in the background to soothe his troubled mind. He leaned back and closed his eyes to enjoy the serenity of the moment. A shuffling noise woke him from his meditation. He turned around.
"JOUNOUCHI?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Seto's whisper was harsh, but not harsh enough for anger...harsh enough for shock. He stood up and grasped Jou's arm, pushing him down into his chair and Seto took a seat on a small stool at his feet.
"I j-just w-w-woke up, S-Seto..." Jou's stuttering told him that his episode hadn't worn off. He ran from the room and grabbed blankets. He carefully covered the puppy with warm quilts, tucking him in like he did to Mokuba as a child. When his shaking had subsided Jou asked Seto what had happened. Seto explained the situation and Jou only nodded in understanding.
"Wow, I guess I really scared them, huh?" Jou's question caught Seto. Them? What about him?
"Yeah, they were worried. Mokuba came to visit you regularly, so did Anzu and the others. Bakura gave me a little wooden cross. I've never been a religious man but I think there was something out there helping me...helping you." He reached up and softly caressed the planes of Jou's cheeks with his fingertips. There was a sudden change in the music...it was a soft melody, almost like a waltz. Seto stood up and offered Jou his hand, laughing softly at his puppy's confused expression.
"Come, mon petit (my little guy) and let's dance together." Seto grabbed his hand and lightly pulled him off the chair and into his awaiting arms. They swayed gently on the spot in time to the rhythm. Jou was blushing furiously at the close proximity of Seto's body...but he blamed it for the spasmodic episode he'd had before.
"This is nice, isn't it...Jounouchi?" Seto used his proper Japanese name and Jou looked at him, astonished.
"Uh...yeah. Yeah, this is very nice." Jou willed himself closer to Seto and the other boy let him come nearer.
Oh...how long have I waited for this? they thought in complete unison.
"Mon chouchou..." Jou whispered in French.
"What does that mean?" Seto whispered.
"It means 'my favorite blue-eyed boy'," he answered quietly.
Seto leaned down quickly and kissed Jou's forehead, not wanting to contract any virus his puppy may have had. Jou's blush ran even deeper as the song closed.
"Go to bed now, Puppy. We'll have plenty of time to talk tomorrow." Seto turned Jou around and lightly patted his behind, getting him to move out the door. As Seto went to his own bedroom the memories of their dance swirled inside his head, leaving him dizzy and giddy. He laid back on his bed with his hands cradling his head, sighing contentedly.
"This will be the best Christmas ever," he muttered before sleep claimed him once more.
EEE! I know, right? SO CUTE! Okay, let me know what you think and give me some ideas for the next chapter! -Shelby-
