Dear Santa, I Can Explain…
Warnings: Mentioned Puppy shipping
Chapter14 Rebecca, Shizuka, Mokuba, and Noa
Dear Santa,
I've been good this year aside from hacking into the databases of national leaders and the heads of various organizations around the world. But it's not like I've ever TAKEN anything! I just leave them a little note!
And besides, I need to keep my skills sharp in case I need to hack Kaiba's database again in an emergency situation. (Heh heh, he's still mad about that.)
But for Christmas I want two- no wait three- things for Christmas, a teddy-bear repair kit (I just CAN'T throw him away!), for people to stop talking to me in language a four-year old would find simplistic (well maybe not your average four-year old, but I'm sure I would have!), and for Kaiba to chill out. If he keeps it up he'll have a coronary, by the time he's twenty-five. His blood pressure must be through the roof!
I appreciate it!
Rebecca Hawkins
"Done!" Rebecca announced, folding her letter and placing it in the pre-addressed envelope. "What about you, Shizuka?"
"Just about," her friend answered, as she looked down to re-read her letter before concluding it.
Dear Santa,
I've been on my best behavior this year. Wait, let me rephrase that, the best behavior it's possible to be on when I live with Oba-san.
I'm sorry, I know that sounds horrible but with what she's putting Onii-chan through it's the truth!
I can't stand to hear her speak so poorly of him, but I know I probably won't be able to change her mind. Although she did seem to be in deep thought when I left to catch the train to Domino to spend the holidays here. Maybe some of THAT argument got through to her. I hope so.
For Christmas I want this – here several tries were scribbled out before the redhead had asked for the correct spelling and if she was using the correct word – animosity to stop and for Seto-san and Onii-chan to have a wonderful Christmas together while we're at the lodge. I know they'll be grateful for the chance to sleep in Christmas Day at least.
Shizuka nodded to herself and signed her name, "I'm done too," she said reaching for her own envelope. Then glancing at the two boys who were pouring over their own letter together, the pair figured they'd save paper this way because they wanted the same thing though neither one said what.
Noa peered over his brother's shoulder (Mokuba had better penmanship):
Dear Santa,
Well, we've (meaning Noa, and me, Mokuba) been good this year. We've listened to Seto and Jou and we haven't been too disrespectful to the teachers who insist on believing that we're idiots. But Seto says not to respect anyone who doesn't do the same to you, soo… we can't both listen to Seto and be respectful to them, now can we?
And considering we asked Seto for anything material we want for Christmas we decided to ask you for a miracle. Make Seto's wish, any wish, selfish or not, that he makes this season come true. He's been so good to us and Jou and to so many people this year he deserves a miracle.
In our eyes, he deserved a miracle a long time ago.
Please,
Noa and Mokuba Kaiba
The green-haired teenager nodded his approval. "We're done too. Now we just need to light the fire," he instructed.
"Why?" Rebecca asked, "Why don't we just mail them?"
Mokuba gave a small smile, "It's how my dad used to do it," he shrugged, "I've always liked the tradition, so did Seto."
Shizuka cocked her head in confusion, "Then why are we doing this while he's at work?"
"Because," Noa said softly, "it'd just depress him."
There was an awkward silence before Mokuba hurried off to the kitchen to get the matches.
(Meanwhile in the Kaiba kitchen)
Seto Kaiba's blonde boyfriend sat at the kitchen island, telephone in hand, listening impassively to the woman on the other end.
-"Something Shizuka said made me start thinking…"-
Jou did not ask what it was.
-"She said,"- the other pressed, -"that you can't change who you are but I can change how I see you."-
She sounded choked up… but then the woman had always had a flair for drama…
-"I never wanted to lose you, Katsuya. I never wanted to leave you, either. You understand that right?"
Again, he was silent.
-"I realize now that I had no right to treat you the way I did. Especially not when you needed me to be a mother."-
More silence, but instead of the stony variety of only a few minutes earlier, this was the waiting –with-bated-breath-and-poorly-concealed-hope kind.
-"Please, Katsuya, come home. There are two trains on Christmas Eve, one in the morning and one at night, you can leave as early as ten on the twenty-sixth, but please, I want you and I to set things right, as a family."-
"I'll think about it," Jou told her, the first words he'd spoken since 'Moshi moshi'.
-"Thank you."- Click!
The blonde sighed and rested his head on his arms, it was strange; he'd waited for that phone call for over five years and now, when it came, he felt… drained.
If just talking to her for five minutes sapped all of his energy how would he last two days with her? And what about Seto? Could he handle everything on his own?
But-
If anyone would understand not wanting to lose one's parents it would be Seto, he'd want Jou to go, the problem was that Jou didn't know if he wanted to go.
"Hey, Jonuchi?"
The blonde looked up and saw Mokuba in the doorway, "Yeah, what's up?"
"Are you alright?"
" 'M fine, just tired thassall."
"Oh, well I was just wondering if the matches got moved in one of Seto's reorganizing sprees."
"Nope, not that I know of."
" 'Kay," the younger crossed over to the counter and began fishing around in one of the large canisters there.
"What do you need matches for?"
"Oh we were going to light a fire in the living room… ah-HA! Gottem!"
"Why?" Jou wondered, the mansion was well heated after all.
"Ambiance, and we were thinking about making s'mores."
"Ambi-what?"
"Mood."
"Oh," Jou nodded, "Use some of those over sized forks for the s'mores and try not to drip marshmellow fluff onto the marble."
"Sure," Mokuba acknowledged, rooting around in the drawers for the aforementioned forks.
Glancing at the clock Jou stood up, "I gotta go meet Seto for lunch; have fun and try not to burn the house down."
"Well, there go our plans," he remarked sarcastically.
"Cute," the blonde told him as the pair headed to the foyer where they parted ways.
GACK! Where'd the humor go? When did it turn to drama?
Oh by the way last chappie: Shigure Shoma was mentioned cause I'm bad at making up names so it was a toss up between Fruba's Shigure and Gravatation's Eri Yuki who are both romance novelists. And Gure-san won. Not that anyone was asking I just thought I'd tell you.