The flickering candles added the finishing touch to Jou's special dinner for Seto. After much love making, snuggling, talking, kissing, and generally just being lazy Jou had headed down to make dinner. Seto had joined him until the brunet's intense stare and constant nagging to help had driven Jou mad. He had shooed the pouting brunet out and to the library to go read. Jou looked at the three place settings in the formal dining room that were nearly magazine pretty. It was a small family dinner but a special one. Jou wished his sister and father were there to make the family complete. At least he felt they completed the family.

"Looks lovely." Seto crooned softly in Jou's ear wrapping his arm about the blond's waist. He gave the ear he had just whispered into a tiny playful nip smiling as he heard gagging noises from his little brother as Mokuba took his seat at the table. "Thank you. I love my gift. I wish Shizu and your dad were here. The family would be complete then. We could call them if you wanted. We can hold off on dinner for a few minutes until they get here." Seto whispered softly staring at the lovely table filled with the most amazing meal he had ever seen in his life.

Jou took Seto's arm forcing the brunet to pull him closer and hold him tight. He would never be able to voice how grateful he was that Seto saw his family as their family. He adored that the brunet considered him family. He loved Seto for accepting his family. "No, its fine. We can celebrate with them tomorrow or something. Sorry I didn't think to invite them sooner. I thought you just wanted it to be the three of us. I didn't realize you meant the whole family." Jou said softly tuning in Seto's arms to kiss the brunet. It would ruin the surprise if he invited them over now. He wanted to give Seto a party he would never forget.

Humming low in the back of his throat Seto kissed Jou softly then took his seat at the table looking over the food his puppy had made for him. He was touched and awed by the care that Jou put into making his dinner. Jou served him first and he couldn't help but take the blond's hand kissing the inside of Jou's wrist. "This is perfect, Jou. Thank you. I love you." He whispered softly.

Brushing a soft swift kiss over Seto's lips Jou smiled at the brunet. "There is nothing to thank me for. I love you. I have fully enjoyed giving you a day as wonderful and special as you are. Now eat and enjoy for birthday dinner. Don't just stare at it." The blond ordered with a gentle fondness taking his own seat next to the man he loved.

"Gag me with a spoon! You two disgust me. Can you stop with the flirting and the kissing and the general grossness until after dinner when I'm not around. I'm happy you are happy but the PDA has got to stop. My stomach just can't take it." Mokuba groaned watching his brother and Jou. The two honestly made him want to gag. His brother gave him an icy glare that made him smile. Holding out a glass filled with bubbling cider Mokuba made a toast. "To my big brother! Happy Birthday, Seto!" He cheered as the clinked glasses giggling at the start of dinner. He was excited for the party later. "You and Jou still disgust me!" He giggled as both his brother and Jou gave him dirty looks. It wasn't anything the two hadn't heard before. They all decided it was best to turn to their meals.

Dinner was enjoyable. The conversation was light and easy. The food was good, much to Jou's relief. More than anything Jou found pride in the joy Seto seemed to be taking from the whole day. He doubted the brunet had been pampered much in his life. However dinner was over an hour before Jou had planned. He had to keep his very keen boyfriend occupied for an hour and oblivious to the people that would be sneaking into this house in about forty minuets.

Seto sat back stuffed and completely satisfied. There was nothing better than a home cooked meal made with love. "Jou, dinner was amazing. I'm stuffed. I think I could also use a nap." He said around a small yawn. His lover had kept him busy all morning and the meal had made him a bit sleepy.

"That sounds like a fantastic idea, babe. You don't sleep nearly enough. Why don't you go to the library and stretch out on a sofa or that fancy chair of yours that has that weird name I can never remember and take it easy. I'll come wake you for dessert. I think we could all use a little time to digest." Jou said happily jumping on the idea of his boyfriend taking a nap.

"Yeah! You really look like you could use a nap. I'm also sure Jou has plans to keep you up late. Don't you dare even hint at what those plans are." Mokuba said sticking out his tongue with a repulsed sneer. He didn't know why he brought it up. He felt his brother's eyes lock onto him with laser like focus. The twin blue lasers were boring into him with such intensity he felt himself starting to fidget.

There was something strange going on. Seto could almost feel it. His brother was hiding something and his darling cuddle fish was acting a bit odd as well. He stood stretching then started picking up the plates deciding to get to the bottom of this little mystery in the kitchen. "I'll help wash dishes." He said easily. Jou took the dishes from his hands gently setting them down.

"Seto, it is your birthday. Your only jobs today are to relax and be spoiled. Go, take a nap. We can go make out if you want. You are not to touch the dishes or do any cleaning today. It is your day. Also I was going to leave the dishes for the morning. I could use some extra cuddle time with my sweet dragon before the holiday season takes him from me and keeps him busy." Jou cooed stroking the fine strong lines of Seto's jaw tempting his lover into a tantalizing kiss.

Sneering Mokuba quietly gathered the dishes creeping out of the dining room as Jou distracted his brother. He hated to admit it but he was a bit jealous of the blond. For most of his life all of Seto's attention had been on him or on Kaiba Corp. Now there was Jou. He was happy for his brother but there were times he missed Seto and the way things had been when it was just the two of them. His face then heated slightly as he thought of Jou's sister. He had a major crush on the redhead and he was happy to share time with her.

Completely distracted from his earlier thoughts Seto gave Jou a nod letting the blond lead him off to the library. They flopped down on one of the sofas his lover snuggling close and holding him tightly. It was magical to Seto. Jou was honestly the greatest gift he could have ever asked for. All he had ever really wanted was someone to love and care for him. Jou gave him just that and so much more. "I love you. I love you so very much. Thank you for my very special birthday." Seto whispered softly against the silken gold of his lover's hair. He honestly felt his life could end at that very second and he'd die a completely happy man.

Smiling softly Jou snuggled more firmly into his lover his arm draped over a strong chest his face mostly hidden in his shoulder. "I love you so very much." He whispered back. He wanted to give Seto Kaiba everything. If he could hand the brunet the world on a platter he would gladly do just that.

After an hour of snuggling on the opposite side of the house from where the surprise was being set up, Jou lead his sleepy sweet dragon to the living room with the promise of more snuggling.

Seto was so absorbed in Jou he barely noticed the doors to his living room open. He didn't notice the shapes shift in the dark until the lights flicked on and everyone yelled and let off the party poppers covering Seto in a dusting of glitter, confetti, and twirled paper. He stood stunned staring at the people in his house. " I couldn't let you celebrate your eighteenth birthday with out a proper party with all of your friends." Jou's hand was twined with his own their fingers laced together as the blond stood on his toes whispering into his ear.

Rocking back on his heels Jou waited to see what the brunet would do. Seto stood there for a long while covered in glitter and confetti looking stunned.

There was nothing Seto could say to express his joy for this moment. It was every dream he had ever had about his birthday that always seemed so hopeless. He turned to Jou gently grabbing the blond's head in both of his hands kissing Jou with all the joy and passion he contained.

The kiss left Jou a bit dizzy and light headed. He felt a maniac grin stretch across his face as he watched the man he loved move though the small crowd of people looking happier than Jou had ever seen him.

"You did good son." The voice of his father brought Jou's head around to his elder who looked at him with a warm smile.

"Glad you could make it dad." Jou said happily smiling peeking back at the glowing brunet.

"Like I would miss this. I knew back in January that Seto Kaiba would be a big part of our lives. We owe him a lot. Him and Mokuba are basically family at this point." Jou's father huffed slightly grinning at his son.

Jou took the two steps needed to close the distance between him and his father. They didn't always get along. They hadn't always had the best relationship. They were family and family was forever. His father seeing Seto and Mokuba as family meant the world to Jou. This was everything he had ever wanted. A person to love who loved him in return, his father back, he had wanted a family and he had found just that all because of Seto Kaiba. Seto Kaiba had given him more amazing and wonderful gifts than he could ever thank the brunet for or return in kind. He just knew on December 24, he was going give his secret kiss a very special gift.