14th December 2013
Christmas preparations
Joey sits in his office and looks at Amazon for good knows how many times. Last week he went shopping whenever he had a spare moment but so far he had no luck with finding the perfect gift for his boyfriend. He already had tons of ideas for both kids and Seto is getting their presents after Joey talked about it with Seto last night. Joe-Joe is going to get a personalized Kids book that he can read to her at night. She's going to love that little five year old Joe-Joe from Domino is going help some dragons in it. Especially since her brother Seth is helping too. Joey is trying to write that story himself especially for her, and even though he worries that it won't be as good as from a pro, he's sure that she'll love it. Seto is probably designing the pictures to go with it right now unless he's working on their gift for Seth which is a laptop. He begs Joey so often to let him use Joey's that he clearly needs one of his own. Seto decided to build one for him. The best of the best but small and light enough for a child of Seth's small size. He is neither tall nor strong for his age and probably can't carry a big laptop for a longer period of time so Seto want's him to have a small and light one. He's also going to design an emblem on the outside to give it a personal touch.
Which means that Joey only has to get a present for Seto since all his friends are covered for with bought presents. He probably needs one for Seto that the kids can join in on which isn't making it any easier. He really doesn't want to have something cheap like for Seto's birthday though. Not now that, thanks to Seto, he actually has the money to afford more and is also currently dating that guy. But what is he going to give a jerk who just buys himself everything he wants the second he wants it?
He seriously needs to learn to leave some stuff to wish for and mention it before his birthday or Christmas a few times. It's not too much to ask for, is it? Joey does it all the time. Alone during November he mentioned that his duel-disk is so old and the holograms sometimes glitches by now. And by now he mentions it twice as often.
So far the only idea Joey had is a picture frame but since he got Seto that for his birthday it's so out of the question to get him yet another one.
Joey already had asked some of his friends for suggestions. Tristan's suggestion was, "A gun, maybe he accidentally shoots himself." Like Joey would even consider to let a gun into the same house as Joe-Joe. Not that Joey assumed that Tristan actually thought Joey would do that. He probably just had to show that he still doesn't like his boyfriend, even if he isn't trying to split them up.
Yugi answered his question with, "Another leash since Jake claimed his old one for you. You could also get a matching dog costume for yourself." Sure, he'll do that right about the time Seto wears a pink glittery and frilly dress to work.
Yami on the other side had the idea, "Give him a voucher that he can do whatever he wants with you for one night." Does Yami even realize that it would possibly include the dog-costume as well as a dress for Joey? Definitely too risky.
The best or rather worst conversation Joey had about it was with V, who said, "Well you could give him coupons for sex? I'm sure he'd love to use them at the most 'appropriate' times. I'm sure sex on his office desk would be great?" Joey just thought that's not even going to happen if Seto wears a pink, glittery and frilly dress to work. While V who seemed to guess his dislike for the idea giggled, "Fine, then how about you just act all hot and bothered, knock on his door and just go for it?"
"How is that a gift?" Joey had said face palming himself and was close to giving up all hope for any help from V.
"Oh right? When he rips your shirt off you could be wearing a dog collar." V said grinning. And that's when Joey really did give up. "But if you really want to know what he wants, its you, so anything you give him he'll love, so stop worrying so much...and go to work. I want to get all of this stuff done early, Mattie needs to go Christmas shopping for his first crush." V said smiling. Well at least that was comforting but about as helpful as Tristan's suggestion.
Joey honestly doesn't know which one of his friends has the dirtiest mind.
And now Joey has about as many ideas as before. This just sucks. He only has about a week to get the perfect Christmas present. Next weekend he won't have time to get it, since Seto will probably be all over him. It's their first weekend at home with the kids gone and Seto already made sure that they won't have to work that Saturday. Seth and Joe-Joe will go to V's place for Mattie's birthday party and stay the night. An early Christmas present as V called it.
Great, Joey thinks with a sigh, even V already got a present for them both.
The ideas Joe-Joe's giving him from time to time aren't all that helpful either. Joey really doubts that Seto would like another dog like Jake. And even though he might like a bigger dog, and there is a strong emphasis on might, Joey is very sure that he doesn't want another hand bag dog as Seto calls all dogs that are of similar size as Jake and already lets the kids take care of Jake along with the Nanny. Claiming that the kids need a chance to learn to take responsibility so the Nanny will have to help the kids take care of him since they aren't always there when Jake needs attention anyway. On the weekend Joey has to make sure Jake get's everything the poor little guy needs and when the kids sleep over at V's they're taking the dog with them. Luckily Mattie grew fond of the little dog when they cared for him before Joe-Joe moved into the mansion.
With a sigh Joey turns off his laptop. It's nearly time to go home and even though there are still two papers that need his attention, he'll just leave them for Monday morning. If he gets home even one minute too late Seto is bound to use the excuse to show up at the office even though Joey strictly forbid it. He even threatened to sleep over at Yugi's for the rest of the year if Seto dares to show his sleep deprived ass at the office. He clearly had overdone it the second week on his business trip again and is in urgent need of some rest.
Joey still has to grin at the welcome Joe gave her pappy the previous night though. She had been excited all day and Joey just about managed to talk her out of throwing a huge party for him and when she saw her pappy, she ran towards him but stopped a few steps short saying, "Yuck, you stink of coffee." and held her nose.
Apparently it was so bad that she even changed her plan to sleep in her pappy's bed that night, which was the only upside.
Joe-Joe was very happy in the morning to have her pappy home all day though and Joey just hopes that the Nanny could stop her from interfering with the rest. Not that it would have stopped Seto from designing the kids“ Christmas gifts but at least he didn't have to work on top of it and probably was done with both very quickly.
And without his equipment in the office building there is no way that he can start building the laptop today. He'll have to do that during the coming week.
Once Joey returns home Joe-Joe runs towards him for a hug and starts telling him what she did during the day. Including watching her new favorite movie Tinkerbell on DVD. She looks around to see if her pappy is around before asking, "Do you know what we get pappy already?"
"No, unfortunately not." Joey replies, "What about you? Do you have an idea?"
"A time machine so he can start dating you sooner." Joe-Joe suggest. "He could tell himself to get us sooner then too."
"That's a great idea." Joey says playing along for now to humor his little girl, "Do you know how to make a time machine?"
"No but Seth probably does." She says, "He knows everything, I'll go ask him."
"You'll do that," Joey says fighting a laughing fit while imagining how Seth will react to her request, "I'll go and see how Seto is doing. Did he sleep a little more today?"
"No. He said he isn't sleepy." Joe-Joe replies, "But he doesn't stink of coffee anymore and I told him to go sleep when he wanted to drink one and then he didn't do either. He's a little more grumpy today though."
Joey chuckles, "He likes coffee so let him drink it again okay? Just make sure he doesn't drink it to stay awake."
"How will I know?" She asks.
"If he yawns a lot he shouldn't drink coffee." Joey says to make it easier for the girl to take care of her pappy and get Seto a chance to still drink his favorite drink around their little daughter.
After that Joe-Joe is off to find her brother while Joey looks around for Seto. He finds him in their bed room in front of his laptop. "How was your day?" He asks.
Seto glares at him, "Boring." He grumbles, "Extremely boring. I really don't understand why you insisted that I'd take the day off."
"Because you're working too hard." Joey replies, "You need to relax a bit more or you'll get sick from all the stress."
"I'm more stressed when you're in the office and I'm not." Seto grumbles.
"Everything went fine." Joey says to calm him, "I would have phoned you if I needed anything."
"I know, I still don't like letting you out of my sight if I don't have to." Seto explains.
"I was out of your sight for two weeks because you just had to go on that business trip alone and you dealt with it just fine." Joey points out.
"My point exactly." Seto insists upset, "I already missed you for that long and was looking forward to the day in the office. And anyway, it's MY office. It's not fair that you keep me from it."
"Well then next time go there." Joey shrugs, "But you better take the consequence."
Seto just glares, certain that Joey is all too aware of the fact that he couldn't risk that consequence even though he doubts that Joey will go through with it. He might leave for a night or two but returns way before the end of the year. "I don't even understand why you try to keep me from going into work. I'm perfectly fine."
"You're exhausted." Joey states out.
"I don't have to work tomorrow, so what's one more day?" Seto points out. "And anyway, I did a bit of work on my laptop here. You know that I'm not used to laying around and doing nothing."
Joey sighs and says, "I thought as much. And I bet the designs for the kids are done right?"
"Of course they are." Seto replies with a smug smile and pulls Joey onto his lap.
"I still felt better knowing that if you get too bored and too tired your bed would be within easy reach and more work far away." Joey claims. "You would worry too if I came home looking like you did. I'm honestly surprised that Joe only complained about the coffee stench, for a moment I feared she mistook you for a zombie. It wouldn't be too far off."
Seto just grins a little, claiming, "Now you're seriously overdoing it."
"I don't." Joey says looking serious. "I was really worried when I saw you so tired. And if you don't promise me to take it a little more easy the next time around I'm so not letting you go on a business trip without me again."
"Admit it, you just don't want to be left behind." Seto says still grinning and not taking his worry serious.
"Well, I do prefer being with you." Joey says with a little grin before looking at Seto more seriously again. "But I really did worry for you last week because the way you looked last weekend already and last night you looked even worse. You would worry for me too."
Seto gives a sigh. "All right, next time I'll show you what kind of work I plan to do while I'm gone and then you'll see that it will be manageable."
"We'll see if I'll deem it manageable." Joey says strict, "And if not you better not be back until the date I say you have to get that done."
Seto gives a sigh and already decides to only show Joey half of his workload the next time around before he agrees to it and gives him a kiss. Seto's hands are just about to move under Joey's shirt when Joe-Joe runs into their room, claiming, "Seth doesn't know how to build a time machine either, we have to think of something else."
"Damn." Joey says with a smile, "And here I thought we had the perfect idea."
"Do I even want to understand what this is about?" Seto asks confused.
"Maybe." Joey says.
"But we're not telling you." Joe-Joe adds, "Cause it's secret."
Authors Note: Thanks to Angel Dove1, dancing elf, Princess Hinata Bug, XxDeathShadowXx, theabridgedkuriboh
and Violet-Eclipse for the review.
Next chapter will be up on the 21st of December and than we'll have the Christmas special and than the last chapter on the last day of the ear. Hope you enjoyed it so far.
