Dear Santa, I Can Explain...
No warnings
Chapter 21 Nick
(Duelist Kingdom)
Maximilian J. Pegasus, even without the Millennium Eye, was not a man easily surprised however at the moment the man was dumbstruck.
If anyone has ever had to wait for a plumber, electrician, or some such professional who promises to arrive between the hours of eight and three and had said 'professional' arrive the next day at eight p.m. (a very slight exaggeration) they would understand why the silver-haired CEO was shocked to find that the representative from the security company arrived fifteen minutes before he'd been due and completed the installation an hour ahead of schedule.
Not only that, but everything had been done to the artist's satisfaction, the first time.
As the helicopter bearing the technician headed for the mainland Pegasus checked his pocket-watch. "Hmm, it would seem that I'll be able to attend Kaiba-boy's little gathering after all."
(Kame Game Shop)
As anyone would tell you, Yugi Moto does not get angry, and he wasn't, just… frustrated.
"A business party?" Yugi asked his mother. "What ever happened to a nice quiet holiday with just family?"
Mrs. Moto sighed as she held up first one earring then the other, "I know, Yugi. I would rather stay home too, but it's important to your father. And it's not the first time you'd be with your grandfather for Christmas Eve."
"I know that, but I was kind of hoping he'd actually keep his promise, though."
The woman winked at her son, "Then don't keep yours."
"Huh?"
"Spend time with your friends tonight, take Sugoroku-kun too if you can talk him into it."
Yugi grinned, "I think I'll do that."
She smiled at her son as he left then went back to her earring dilemma. Yugi popped his head back into her doorway, "Ba-chan, those gold hoops from your birthday would match your dress better."
She grinned at her son this time, "Thank you." Who needed a daughter to help with fashion emergencies when you had a son who coordinated his entire wardrobe to match?
(Yokohama)
Jou was very glad he'd come. It was as though the past five years had never happened.
Of course at first there were the bumbling apologies, the nonchalant 'Don't worry about it' s, and other such things but once they were over and done with, the blonde duelist remembered something he'd long since forgotten.
He loved his mother.
He'd spent so long resenting her for leaving him with his father, then angry and saddened by her initial rejection of his sexuality that he'd forgotten that, when he was younger he adored her, and Shizuka.
The only women he'd ever love, he told her jokingly when she asked if there was even the slightest chance of getting grandchildren from him.
She'd responded with 'Then you and Kaiba-san had better start filling out paperwork, I want a Guatemalan adopted grandchild before I'm fifty.'
That was another thing he'd forgotten about her, she had a dry sense of humor and a quick wit that reminded him of Seto. She was fun, not like Katsuya's loud crude humor, but again, much like Seto's quiet and droll observations.
They'd spent most of the afternoon bonding over tea when it happened.
Ding-dong!
"Whozzat?" Jou asked her.
"Oh dear," she murmured, and not answering her son's question she went to the door.
In spite of himself the blonde strained to hear the conversation.
"I asked you not to come," his mother was saying, "Katsuya's here."
"WHAT?"
Crap, Jou knew that voice, his straight-laced priest of an uncle, also one of the main influences in his mother's decisions.
Better to avoid a confrontation, he thought and grabbed his duffel, glad he hadn't unpacked or anything.
"Don't worry about getting rid of him, Oba-san," Jou told her on his way out. "I'll just catch the train home tonight; we can get together after the holidays. You could come to Domino and meet Set."
"Katsuya, you don't have to-"
"Nah, I'd rather not cause trouble; I'll be alright," he assured her, brushing past his glowering uncle.
(Yokohama Train Depot)
With a half hour before the train arrived Jou decided to open Seto's gift, Wonder what it is? He thought as he pulled it from his coat pocket.
Once the paper was removed the blonde could see a velvet box that one would get at a jeweler's. Opening it he could not hold back a gasp.
It was a locket.
Card-shaped.
Exactly like the ones that hung around the necks of the three Kaiba brothers.
His hands were shaking as he clicked it open, inside was a photo from last year's Christmas party. All of his friends and Seto were crowded around Ryo's Christmas tree smiling brightly; even Seto had managed a slightly kinder smirk than normal.
He could not wait to thank Seto for it and vowed to glomp the brunette the minute he returned as he slipped the leather cord around his neck.
Jou even managed to convince himself that his nose was running from the cold of the night.
(Some random outdoor Domino City location)
Okay, he was bored again.
And feeling pretty cynical… again.
He shouldn't have gone to the mall, or at least he shouldn't have stopped by the Santa's Village. All of those brats begging for ponies and other extravagant items with enormous price tags had annoyed the hell out of him.
Lord, had he ever been like that?
I hope not, he thought watching a pair of harassed looking parents dragged a bawling child from a toy store.
"Most outgrow that stage eventually."
"For the parent's sake I hope it's soon," Seto replied.
Wait a minute…
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?"
The old man smiled at him, "Call me Nick."
"Nick?"
"That's right." He looked up at the starry sky, "Nice night isn't it?"
The youth looked up as well and got a large snowflake right in the eye, "I suppose," he responded and began to walk away.
The rotund geezer followed him, "Of course it'd be nicer if there was someone to share it with."
"Hn."
The unlikely pair paused to let a cheery couple pass them by, a small child between them.
"I remember when mine was that small," Fatso murmured, "'Course that was years ago. Now not even the Grandkids are that young."
"Fascinating," Seto offered sarcastically.
"What about you? You got family?"
"None of your business."
"Kids are that bad, huh?"
"I don't have kids."
"Siblings then?"
"Hn."
"Wish I had some words of wisdom for you, but I'm an only child. Still, I wouldn't mind a big family. You'd always have someone to turn to."
"Family's an illusion."
"They say that blood's thicker than water."
"Blood's still not a guarantee," the brunette told him, thinking of the relatives who abandoned himself and Mokuba at that godforsaken orphanage.
"Suppose not, you'll always have some relatives you want to ditch, crazy uncles for example."
"Deranged stepfathers."
"But then there's the family you'd give a kidney to if they needed it."
"Only a kidney?" he asked, this time thinking of his young brothers.
"You have relatives like that?" Nick asked, damn now Seto was thinking his name.
"Hn," ignore the moron and maybe he'll go away.
"Why aren't you with them, then?"
"They're all off doing their own thing," aw crap it wasn't working.
"What about a girlfriend?"
Silence.
"Boyfriend?"
"With family." Dammit, Seto! STOP TALKING!
"What about your crazy relatives?"
"Don't have any."
Nick shrugged diplomatically, "Maybe you have more than you think, Seto, it's not blood or adoption papers that make a family, you know. It's the feelings you have for them."
"Did you read that in a fortune cookie?" Wait a- "How did you know my name?"
The old man just smiled, "Go home, Seto. I hear there's going to be a family reunion tonight."
A car honked and Seto looked up, just for an instant, when he looked back Nick was gone.
As he walked home the CEO tried to tell himself that he was only returning because he was cold.