Yugi watched with amusement as Yami scowled, trying to figure out the recipe. The lesson in that day had revolved around the fact that the teacher's son had just moved back home after setting fire to most of his apartment trying to bake a frozen pizza. After almost an hour of being ranted to about how ignorant and dependent his generation had become, Yami had arrived home determined to prove that, at the very least, he could make it on his own.

"Do you need a hand with anything?" Yugi asked. Yami would never admit it, but the Japanese written language still gave him trouble from time to time.

"No, thanks. I've got this. If you want to do something, though, you can mix the flour with the other dry ingredients. Just go slow so you don't splash it out of the bowl." Yami handed over the dry ingredients and turned the cook book so that Yugi could read the amounts he had to put in. He then went back to trying to figure out the differences between the liquid measurements he was supposed to be adding.

Yugi made sure to distract him as little as possible, only asking for him to pass a measuring spoon that was out of his reach on occasion. By the time Yugi had added everything he was supposed to and begun mixing, Yami had melted the butter and mixed it with the vanilla and sugar. He was now attempting to add the egg to the mixing bowl.

As Yugi continued stirring his ingredients absently, Yami picked up an egg, eyed the thin edge of the mixing bowl, and tapped it against the side gently. Too gently, apparently, as it didn't crack. Yugi stifled a giggle and pretended to really be focusing on mixing. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he tried again, this time breaking off a large chunk of shell into the bowl. The egg quickly followed it, and Yami had to scramble for a fork to try and fish it out. Yugi glanced up. His bowl was already fully mixed, but he needed something to do to make it look like he wasn't paying attention to his brother's misfortune.

"I…" Yami scowled as he lifted the eggshell from the bowl and dropped it and the fork into the sink as unceremoniously as possible. "I can't believe this is giving me so much trouble. I used to rule an entire kingdom. I am one of the youngest rulers in all of history," he grabbed a new fork and began gently sifting through the batter, making sure there were no more eggshells. "I've traveled to foreign lands, navigated underground mazes, defeated dueling champions from all over the world, trained time travelers, completely integrated into a country and time that I was neither born nor raised in-, Yugi, what are you doing?" Yami broke off when he realized that Yugi was no longer paying him any attention.

Yugi looked up at him and grinned widely, showing off his creation. "It's a Flour Castle!" Sure enough, in the middle of the mixing bowl, was a castle made out of the rest of the ingredients Yami as planning to use in his cookies.

"Yugi… why did you make a flour castle?"

"Because I felt like it. And before you say it, no I am not proving your teacher's point." Yugi went back to work on his castle, gently using a fork to scrape portions away. "I've been in class with her son since grade school. He used to brag that he could get his mother to do his homework for him all the time, just by pretending that he didn't understand the material, or that the teacher never taught the class how to actually solve the problems he'd been sent home with. She is under the impression that her son is among the more talented of his generation, so if he can't figure out how to microwave a pizza, the rest of us must be helpless."

"So why the flour castle?" Yami repeated, slightly amused now.

"I may be a bit childish from time to time, but that doesn't mean that I am either ignorant, or helpless. I was raised by my grandfather, who had to split his time between me, the store, and his career as an archeologist that routinely took him out of the country. I know I can look after myself, and I don't need to prove it to anyone. You used to rule an entire country, and you've made more personal sacrifices than most people have in their lives. Don't let her bother you. You're going to hear that same speech whenever her son messes up. You'll get used to it."

Yami surveyed the mess he had made in the kitchen and chuckled. He suddenly felt very silly. "I don't suppose we can still make cookies?"

Yugi grinned and ran the fork through his flour castle. "You bet."

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Rule 52: Cookies should never be made out of spite or to prove a point.

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Merry Almost Christmas / Happy Holidays! I hope you enjoyed! Please review and tell me what you thought!