A/N: I was reading a book called 'The Care and Feeding of Husbands' by Dr. Laura. It's a really good book about the male mentality. After reading a chapter, I decided I wanted to write some mnemo fluff. So...I am . And now for something completely different from the norm...

Warnings: Yaoi! Of the Mnemo (Yami no Yuugi/Malik) and Death (Yami no Malik/Ryuo Bakura) shipping variety . Also, my Ishtar (Yami no Malik) is...um...adorably insane instead of insanely evil. No idea why, he just is.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. So there.

Dedications: To Renee the Rabid Squirrel and Squishii for being so eager to read a story of mine where Malik and Yami actually kiss ;).

Authoress: JKJ

Title: Datte deha... (Even then...)

"Christmas - that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance - a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved." -Augusta E. Rundel
An old man sat by the fire, his face lined with years of care. His plum eyes stare into the flickering light, sparkling softly with tears unshed. Lines of laughter and of grief are upon the corners of his eyes', and his once colorful hair is now gray. He doesn't appear to hear the small feet as they enter the room and sneak up behind him.

"Jiisan?"

Yami no Yuugi, for so it was sitting in that lonely chair, turned to look at his grandson. The small boy looked up at him with his mother's blue eyes, and brushed brown bangs he had received from his father out of his eyes.

"What are you thinking of, Jiisan?"

Yami smiled down at the boy, not his grandson by blood, but something much stronger. "I am thinking of Malik."

The small boy, Aiji, cocked his head up at his grandfather and, dragging a very well worn teddy bear, climbed up upon the older man's lap. "Who is Malik, Jiisan?"

"Malik was your daddy's daddy. Did you know that when your daddy was little that his daddy and I adopted him?"

Aiji nodded his head, "Daddy said that his mommy was a bad lady, and you and his daddy came to save him and take him away."

Yami nodded and smiled softly, "That's right, Aiji."

The little boy snuggled closer to his grandfather, feeling warm, and looked up at the wreath above the fireplace, beside which a picture of the younger version of his grandfather, another man with blonde hair, tan skin, and purple eyes, stood side by side. Between them was a boy that could have been a copy of himself, but for the purple eyes and dark skin like the blonde man. Aiji looked up at his grandfather curiously, "Where did Grandfather Malik go?"

His grandfather sighed softly, feeling his eyes beginning to burn with the tears he'd been fighting not to shed on Christmas Eve, a day that was supposed to be so full of happiness and merry making. "He died before you were born, Aiji. He was taken away from your daddy and me, and we miss him very much."

Azure eyes turned up toward him, full of pleading, "Will you tell me about Grandfather Malik, Jiisan? Please?"

Yami smiled and snuggled him closer, "alright, Aiji, I will tell you a story about a Christmas long ago..."

"WAHOO!"

Yami looked up from where he'd been studying a set of animal footprints outside the door in time to see a white, gold, purple, brown, and blue streak go by. Surprised he turned his head so he could watch said streak slow down, until he could make out a sled, Malik, and one very terrified Ryuo. He blinked as they came to a stop, and Malik leaped to his feet and commenced jumping around in circles, while Ryuo remained sitting fixed on the sled. Curious to know what was going on, and what had Malik so pumped, he walked closer to them.

"That was so awesome, Ryuo-kun! We were like ZOOM, and you where like AH, and I was like YES, and, and, and..."

Yami couldn't help but laugh as the excited Egyptian hikari fell over into the snow, landing on his backside, still laughing. Ryuo slowly got to his feet, and glared at Malik with all the might the smaller boy could muster.

"You...you...you! A nice little sled ride you said! Nothing scary you said! We could have died! And you're...you're...STOP LAUGHING WHEN I'M YELLING AT YOU!"

Whatever Ryuo had been hoping for, Yami was sure the Malik's laughing harder and rolling around in the snow was not it. Stepping out from behind the trees he walked over to the two hikaris and cocked his head.

"What are you doing?"

"He...he...he is completely incorrigible! He said we were going for a nice little sled ride, not a speed vortex of doom! MALIK STOP LAUGHING AT ME!"

Malik sat up part of the way, still giggling, and grinned up at his confused boy friend, "We just came down the hill! Yami you should have gone it was so awesome! We nearly hit a tree, and a bunny!"

"We did hit the bunny, I know it!" Ryuo whined, looking most upset, "We killed a bunny, and its all your fault!"

Malik began to laugh once more, but stopped abruptly when he found his face covered in white power. Malik spluttered as Ryuo stooped for another fistful of snow and Yami began to laugh. Ryou didn't get the chance to throw his second snowball as Malik tackled him and sent them both face first into the thick layer of fresh snow.

Yami couldn't help but snicker as he stood back and watched the two flounder in the snow bank, each trying to pin the other down, until they were both soaked clean through their snowsuits. He then went over and disentangled the shivering lights, lifting Ryuo out of the snow and setting him on his feet before pulling Malik up.

"Feel better?"

Both hikaris nodded, Malik a little more enthusiastically then Ryuo, and Yami smiled at them, ruffling Ryuo's hair in a brotherly manner, "then lets go see if Bakura's blown up the cabin yet trying to make hot chocolate."

Both of the boys laughed and followed him through the trees, back to the cabin they were renting for their two week Christmas vacation, and the three walked in the back door, Yami forcing the hikaris to stand there while he went to fetch them dry clothes.

As they stood there, shivering and staring at each other, a loud crash came from the kitchen, as well as a yelp. Malik, unable to contain his curiosity, crept toward the kitchen. Peering around the corner he found himself once more overcome with laughter.

Bakura was standing in the middle of the kitchen, stamping on what appeared to have once have been some kind of wooden spoon, looking absolutely furious with it for some reason. Smoke was issuing from some kind of black charred blob in the sink, and Yuugi was standing behind the counter that had a window into the living room above it, coughing.

"Are you...sure...its supposed...to do that?" Yuugi panted between coughing fits, partially opening one eye to look at the irate white haired teenager.

"No, baka, of course its not. That stupid oven decided to hate me!"

"The...oven?"

"Yes, the oven! It decided it wanted to catch fire!"

"Maybe...because...you have the timer set...for...20 hours...instead of...20 minutes?"

Bakura blinked, looked at the timer, and then threw up his arms in disgust, "it's a conspiracy!"

"Here Malik," Malik jumped as Yami wrapped a t-shirt around his head, covering his eyes and gently pulling back. Malik reached up and pulled it forward, turning to mock glare at his smiling lover.

"Impossible."

"Am not."

Malik shook his head and disappeared into a room some feet away. By then the smoke had mostly cleared, Yuugi having had the forethought to open a window, and Yami no Yuugi cocked his head at Bakura, who was glaring at the stove.

"What were you doing?"

"Trying to make a fruit cake."

"Why?"

"Because I live in a house full of fruits and I wanted to turn you into cannibals."

"Ooookay. Um...Where's Ishtar?"

"I don't..."

"AH!" Both Yamis turned around and ran to were Ryuo had previously been standing in the entranceway, but was now lying flat on his back with Yami no Malik snuggled up to his chest.

"I found my moonlight hikari!" Ishtar giggled.

"Yes you did." Ryuo giggled too, nuzzling into the other's spiky blond hair. Yami rolled his eyes while Bakura looked torn between anger and amusement.

"My hikari, Ishtar."

"Well he took mine," Yami no Malik pouted, pointing up at Yami, who merely shrugged.

"So I get two and Bakura gets none. Sounds good to me."

"Does not!"

Malik returned then, flipping his wet hair over his shoulder and spraying Yuugi, who was walking behind him, in the face.

"Hey!"

"Oh! Gomen, Yuugi-kun."

Yami made a mental note that he didn't sound at all sorry, but that was quickly erased as thin, teasing, arms found their way around his waist.

"What are we doing?" Malik asked innocently, resting his head on Yami's.

"We're watching my hikari be glomped," Bakura returned angrily. Malik blinked at him.

"Why? Have nothing better to do?"

"Not really."

"Okay then."

"Ishtar," Ryou giggled softly, "I need to get up. Malik and I want hot chocolate." Ishtar whined in response, but obediently lifted himself off the smaller boy. Yuugi offered his friend a hand, and the small group moved to the kitchen. Somehow Malik found himself sitting on Yami's lap, with Bakura and Ishtar across the table, but didn't bother about it to long. The fact that he was there, and quite comfortable thank you kindly, was what was really important anyway.

"What time are we opening presents tomorrow?" Bakura asked casually, watching without interest over Malik and Yami's shoulders as Yuugi and Ryuo rushed about the kitchen to make lunch.

"Presents!" Ishtar laughed, bouncing in his seat. "Excited hikari ai?"

Malik shrugged at his darker half, "I have everything I want."

Yami felt his face grow hot, and shifted Malik's weight so he was a little more comfortable. "Whenever Yuugi decides to come get us I suppose," he offered as answer to Bakura's question.

Bakura leaned back in his chair, resting his feet on the table and closing his eyes, "Well its just a dumb holiday any..." he was cut short, his 'way' transforming to a cry of surprise as Ryuo walked over and casually shoved his feet off the table, causing him to fall backward. "Ow! Gees! What was that for?"

"No feet on the table, Yami." The white haired boy offered as response, and then set down a tray of steaming mugs, each with a letter written on it. He handed out the mugs to those whose first names matched the letter on the mug, making sure Yami no Yuugi got the red mug while Yuugi got the yellow, and then stood aside as Yuugi appeared with grilled cheese sandwiches. The two chefs's grinned at each other and sat down, Yuugi on the end between Bakura and Malik/Yami, and Ryuo on the end next to Ishtar.

Lunch passed without event, and afternoon into evening in the same manner. Ryuo had dragged Ishtar out for a walk in the snow about an hour earlier, and no one was willing to go search for them for fear of what they might find. Yuugi had disappeared into his room to read, and Bakura had just disappeared, but no one wanted to go look for him either for the same reason.

Malik was stretched out on the couch, his head resting on Yami's lap, listlessly watching the fire as Yami stroked his hair. They had been sitting in comfortable silence for quite some time when Yami suddenly broke it.

"I love you."

Malik was snapped out of his trance like state, and rolled over so he was looking the other boy in the face, "what?"

"I said I love you." Yami smiled at the adorable blush that crept over Malik's features. "You're so cute."

Malik laughed, and then his eyes, softened. "How much do you love me?"

Yami seemed to contemplate this for a moment, and then, deciding he could not place it into words, firmly pressed his lips onto Malik's own.

To Malik it felt like fire, and he kissed back, their lips locked for several minutes. But even those in love have to breath, and they pulled apart much gentler then they came together, and for a while they just stared into each other's eyes, before Malik decided to speak.

"I love you too."

"Will you love me when I'm old?"

"I'll love you even then..."

"Was Grandfather Malik always that much fun, Jiisan?" Aiji asked sleepily, his head resting on his grandfather's chest.

"Aye. And he loved Christmas. He worked very hard to make sure that your daddy had a good one every year."

"Because he loved him?"

"Yes."

"Would he have loved me, Jiisan?" Yami said nothing, as Aiji fell asleep, and only when the child's breathing had become even with slumber did he answer.

"Hai, little one, he would have." Yami listened as someone entered the room, and couldn't help but smile as his adopted son, Itoshii, Malik's child through something not of his own will, spoke.

"I hope he wasn't a bother, Chichioya."

Yami smiled at the fire again, "not a bother at all. He wanted to hear a story about Malik. I told him about the sled."

Itoshii laughed, picking his son up and cradling him in one arm as he helped his dad to his feet, and looked at him fondly, "You miss Youfu, don't you Chichioya?"

Yami looked at his son sadly, "Hai, I do. It was eight years ago this day..."

Itoshii nodded at him, "I know, I know. I miss him too. He loved Christmas so much. It was ironic..."

Yami nodded at his son, "I'm going to bed now, Itoshii."

"Alright, Chichioya. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Yami no Yuugi walked slowly up the stairs, no longer able to race up them as he had as a youth. He reached the room he and Malik had once shared and lay down on what was, even now eight years later, his side of the bed. He closed his eyes with a sigh. "Merry Christmas, mai oshii kin. Wherever you are.'

End A/N: Kawaii ne? I think I like it! Hooray for my Christmas mood!

Translations:

Jiisan- Grandfather. Why he calls Yami Jiisan and Malik Grandfather I have no idea =.=;

Chichioya- Father

Youfu- Adopted father. I suppose technically it ought to be the other way around, but whatever.

Mai oshii kin- my precious gold.

And I think that's all!

Ja Ne,

JKJ