The Twelve Days of Christmas

Lieutenant Motou peeked one of his eyes open, noticing that his heat from the night before was now missing, and his bed going uncomfortably cold. He hadn't really noticed the extra heat the first half of the night until he had woken up from a strange noise.

His eyes had been pried open, for he had been in a blissfully deep sleep, and noticed that he had been securely wrapped up in the Aldar's warm embrace, his face pressed up against Yami's chest. Yes, Lieutenant Tiyaku had refused to let go of him even after falling asleep, too.

Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have woken up, but he realized that night as he watched Yami's chest rise and fall with his breaths that Aldars do, in fact, purr.

That's right, purr. Just like a little kitten.

After his initial shock, Yuugi started warming up to the idea, finding it rather amusing, and let the melodic drum lull him back to sleep.

But now his bed was empty, and he didn't hear or see anything in his bedroom. Just what was that Aldar going to be up to today?

Shrugging, he got up, noticing that his back was still a bit sore, and jumped into a steaming shower that helped alleviate his sore muscles of some of their strain.

After fumbling into his clothes for the day, he traipsed down stairs and into the kitchen, the only thing really on his mind being food and more food.

"Morning bud, how are you feeling today?" Jou was at the stove, cooking himself some eggs and bacon.

"Fine, if not a little less sane than I used to be." He grabbed the gallon of milk out of the fridge. "Is there enough of that bacon left for me?"

"Yeah, everyone else has eaten." The Elsarian set down the spatula, turning to look at his friend. "Say…where's Yami?"

Yuugi shrugged. "Hell if I know. I woke up this morning and he was gone." Retrieving a glass from the cupboard, he poured himself some milk and sat down at the table.

Jou frowned. "Wonder what he's up to."

"Good question."

The two were silent for a moment as they contemplated, suddenly hearing footsteps as another body joined the room. "Oh, Lieutenant Motou! Wonderful morning to you! How are you today, friend?"

Yuugi winced as Malik walked cheerful his way towards the fridge, pulling out a can of soda. Mornings and perkiness did not go well in together. "Simply grand, Captain. Yourself?"

"Spectacular!"

Jou sat down at the table with a large plate of food. "The rest is on the stove, Yuugi, if you still want some."

"Thanks." He got up and dished himself up a generous plate.

A deep baritone voice was drifting their way from somewhere in the depths of the living room, growing louder as it drew closer. Confused and yet frightened at the same time, Lieutenant Motou sat down and looked on as the voice entered the kitchen area.

"Motrou liato, enta lia seeya! Ii ahh, seya! Litou seyna!"

Yuugi looked up with wide eyes and a gaping mouth as Yami paraded in, singing in his strange tongue and dancing to an unheard tune.

Jou's fork stopped in mid flight to his mouth, his jaw dropped slack as he starred at the Aldar dancing through the kitchen, eventually finding his way over to Yuugi. "Nya, seya, mitrou lio sahh! Inta seho, lio elo sahaa!!!" Wrapping his arms around Yuugi in what was unmistakably a bear hug, his gave the earthen Lieutenant a bruising kiss before heading back out of the room. "I'll love my love, meya teno seyla!"

Jou had yet to eat the now cold food on his fork. Yuugi sat clutching at his chest, unusually frightened for the first time in his life. "And…and…that was…"

"Oh, Sehala Mi-ala, the day of the song," Malik spoke up happily. "What a beautiful melody for him to have picked."

"Hell of a voice he has," Jou finally said. He shook his head, eating another bite of egg. "I suppose this is going to go on all day?"

"Indeed," Malik stated.

"Tell me this is the most radical of the days yet to come," Yuugi rasped out.

"Radical," Malik questioned. He was silent as he thought of the translation of the word. "I think that they are all rather radical, Lieutenant. But enjoyable just the same."

Yuugi's face fell. "My luck seems to just keep getting better and better."

~ * ~

Yuugi lay slumped on the living room couch, hearing Lieutenant Tiyaku parade around the cabin singing like an opera singer. Earlier he had been at the usual folk-song style, then somehow switched to country-Yuugi had still yet to figure out just where he heard that- and then a type of monotone chant. By far he sounded better with opera, as odd as it might seem.

Yami walked into the living room, sitting down next to Yuugi and pulling him on his lap, singing a lullaby as he gently rocked him. "Jou!" Yuugi cried. "Help!"

The blonde Elsarian poked his head into the living room.

"Astu, leetu, melatah halya entu…" Yami smiled and nuzzled his face affectionately.

"What do you want me to do?" Jou asked exasperatedly.

Yuugi pouted. "Make him go back to opera?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

Yuugi frowned hard, getting drowned in Yami's affection. "You think it'll work?"

Jou shrugged. "No harm in trying."

"Petah, eyata, lestanke eetu…"

"Uh, Yami, do you think you could go back to opera? Please?"

Yami continued to rock him back and forth. "Melatah halya entu…"

"Hey, what's Estukenteh for opera? Go find Malik."

"Got ya." Jou turned and left, actually finding that he, too, rather enjoyed the Aldars deep voice in the old-styled music.

Yuugi sat and drummed his fingers on his thigh as Yami remained oblivious of his previous comment, happily singing away and gently rocking him.

Finally the padding of feet came back, and Malik looked at Yuugi's highly annoyed face, being held tightly by his Lieutenant. "Can I help you, Lieutenant Motou?"

"How do I ask him to sing opera again in Estukenteh?"

Malik was silent for a moment as he thought of the translation. "Mitanke, istahleh, isato mileteh pentenkeh?"

Yuugi relayed the strange words with a dialect that was rather accurate, if not a little clumsy.

Yami's eyes grew wide for a moment as he starred at Yuugi, his face suddenly breaking out in a fabulous smile, kissed Yuugi deeply for the…fifth time?…that day, then got up and paraded out of the room, singing opera at the top of his lungs.

"What exactly did I say, Captain Malik?"

"Technically, you said 'Lover, beloved, sing opera for me please?' I figured it would have more of an impact."

"I'll say," Yuugi stated, rolling back onto the couch to lay down, still unable to get rid of that slight sting in his lower back. "I'd swear it was like Christmas for him."

"Christmas," Malik questioned, his head cocked to the side.

"The reason we're on vacation," Jou stated. "A human holiday that seems to have a lot of meaning to them. Everyone gets gifts from friends and loved ones, complete with a big meal."

"Oh, that sounds lovely," Malik stated. "I'll have to find gifts for all of you!" He left heading back upstairs.

Yuugi shook his head. "I'll never get over their perky attitude, will I?"

"Not unless I do, too," Jou replied.

Feet pounded down the stairs two at a time. "Isn't there ever any peace and quiet in this place?"

"Never!!" Yuugi yelled, then gave an insane cackle to go with it.

Growling, Seto headed outside. "I'm requesting a transfer. You people are getting crazier every day!" The door slammed behind him.

"He still loves us," Jou replied, going back into the kitchen for some lunch.

"Entanka, milaata tue melah!"

~ * ~

Ishtar stormed into the den, intent on getting some order established inside of the cabin. "Motou!"

"Ruestenke miitah, iilah!"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Iitah, entah, miilah…!"

"Can't you get him to be quiet!?"

"Mistakeh mitahle issantah metiah!!!"

"Sorry, Captain, unless you'd like him to sing some old westerns that only Kami-samma knows where he dug up."

"Mitanke estu milah!"

"Malik!!!" Ishtar roared.

Feet padded into the den. "Yes, Captain Ishtar?"

"Can't you get you're Lieutenant to be a little more quiet? The caretakers threatened my grave unless I could get some quiet in here!"

"Ittahnkeh, mi-tah!"

"Umm…Lieutenant Motou?"

"Yes?"

"Could you repeat this?"

"All right."

" 'Istahleh, whespirah penteh melu.'"

Yuugi did as he was told.

Yami stopped singing, blinked, then looked at Yuugi blankly for a moment. Suddenly he smiled softly, walked over, wrapped Yuugi up in a soft hug, and began to whisper his singing instead.

Malik turned back to Ishtar. "Better?"

Ishtar's eye began to twitch. "You couldn't have done this in the beginning of the day?"

Malik blinked owlishly at him. "No one asked."

Yuugi saw his captain's hands clench and unclench at his sides, and he could see as the blood rushed to Ishtar's face. This was always a sign of a dangerous mood for his captain, and most of the time his crew members were ducking for cover whenever he was about to explode.

"Getting ready for bed, captain?" Yuugi asked out of the blue. "I know that I'm fixing to. Yami's actually a pretty sound sleeper, aside from his purring."

Ishtar stopped in mid growl. "Purring?"

"Yeah. He purrs."

Ishtar blinked. Yuugi could almost hear the gears squeaking inside of his head. Suddenly he laughed. "Now that's a talent!" The captain left for his room without another word.

Malik looked back at Yuugi confused. "What just happened?"

"We just avoided a national disaster, that's what happened, Captain Malik. Count your blessings."

"Hmm," Malik thought.

"Good night, Captain Malik."

"Good night, Lieutenant."

Suddenly, Yami stood up, carrying Yuugi upstairs, still softly singing a melodious tune. Yuugi grinned in achievement. So he had been right. Say goodnight to someone and Yami would pick him up and carry him upstairs for bed. He could deal with that, at least it wouldn't be hard getting through to him that the day was finally over.

Malik sat back down in the living room when Yuugi left, probably ready to flip through TV Land and find all of the old 'Bewitched' and 'I love Lucy' re-runs. The television for some strange reason absolutely fascinated the Aldars ever since they had arrived.

Odd race of people, they were.

~ * ~

Well, I hope that was okay. I've got some scary days yet to come, and fun, and fluffy, and simply strange…two down…ten to go.