YYF14: Hey, I'm back with the third story in the series! Hope you guys like this one!
Yusuke and Koenma-clones: Are we in it?
YYF14: Yep!
Both clones: I'm not gonna like it.
YYF14: -shrugs- Whatev. Disclaimer: I don't own anything except DVDs. Now, on with the story!
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Chapter 1: Intro/Confession
It was the week before Christmas, and Spirit World was very busy. Some people were busy making gifts, or ferrying souls. (There always seemed to be more deaths around Christmas than the rest of the year.)
Yusuke was, at the moment, asleep in his room. Koenma, in teen form, was watching him sleep from the doorway. He knew he had work to do, but didn't really care.
He was contemplating Yusuke's Christmas gift.
Yusuke had been staring out the window longingly lately, and Koenma thought he knew why.
Yusuke missed the winter. He missed snow. And that was exactly was Koenma was going to give him. He was going to let Yusuke go back to the Ningenkai for Christmas. It was a hard decision, though, as Christmas was a special day…
But Koenma knew that Yusuke would love to be able to play in the snow and things like that.
'Besides… it's not like anyone else remembers…' Koenma thought bitterly.
He looked over at the clock. The neon red numbers read 9:15.
"Better get back to work," Koenma mumbled to himself, and left the room.
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Yusuke woke early that morning, at 5:00, to a faint pounding noise. He got up and went through the halls quietly to Botan's room and knocked on the door.
Botan opened the door, looking irritable.
"Yusuke, it's five in the morning. What is it?"
"Do you know what that pounding noise is?"
Botan sighed. "That. Yes, Yusuke. Koenma works much harder than he should around Christmas. From a week before to a few days after, he works the whole day. He's been doing it for the past… 500 years, I think."
Yusuke's eyes widened. "Do you have any idea why?"
Botan shook her head. "I know I used to, but not anymore."
Yusuke sighed. "Thanks, Botan. I'll go talk to him."
He entered Koenma's office, and frowned.
"K-chan? Are you okay?"
Koenma looked like he would collapse any moment. Yusuke moved to stand in front of him.
"K-chan?"
Koenma blinked, seeming to have just noticed Yusuke.
"Yu-chan? When'd you get in here?"
"'Bout a minute ago. K-chan, why're you working at five in the morning?"
Koenma frowned. "I'm allowed to, aren't I?"
Yusuke shrugged. "I guess, but did you get any sleep, or did you stay up all night?"
Koenma looked down. "Yu-chan…"
"You worked all night, didn't you?" Yusuke asked exasperatedly.
Koenma winced. "…Yeah."
Yusuke sighed. "I don't want you to get sick or something. Botan told me that you always overwork around Christmas."
Koenma winced again. "It- It's nothing, really… Um… Yusuke, I know it's not Christmas day yet, but I have your present ready."
Yusuke wanted to press on the work issue, but realized he wouldn't get anything out of Koenma, so he relented.
"What is it?" he asked curiously.
"You can go back to the Ningenkai for Christmas," Koenma said. "You know, play in the snow and everything."
Yusuke grinned. "Awesome! Thanks, K-chan!"
Koenma smiled. "You're welcome."
"Hey, maybe you can come with me, because I'm going to be staying with my Mom, and just in case… you know."
Koenma chewed on his pacifier for a moment.
"I don't know, Yusuke, I usually stay here and work around Christmas…"
Yusuke shook his head. "No, K-chan. I want you to come with me. It wouldn't be Christmas without you."
Koenma hesitated. "Yusuke…"
Yusuke put a hand on Koenma's chin, silencing him. (A:N:It doesn't sound right, but he can't really put a finger over his mouth, he has a pacifier! Only thing I could think of at the moment.)
"C'mon. First things first, let's sleep for a few hours, then we can go to the Ningenkai."
"But who's going to do the work?" Koenma asked, desperately trying to find a way to avoid going to the Ningenkai. Christmas was a widely celebrated holiday in the Ningenkai, and Koenma wanted to avoid it as much as possible.
Yusuke frowned. "K-chan, why don't you like Christmas?"
Koenma winced. "I- I just don't, Yusuke…"
He got up, and turning into toddler form, left the room. Yusuke sighed and followed Koenma into his room, sitting next to him on the bed.
"Please tell me," he said softly.
Koenma shook his head.
"Don't make me remember. Everyone else's forgotten already."
Yusuke kissed his cheek gently.
"I won't," he said quietly.
Koenma thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and turned into teen form. He faced Yusuke and closed his eyes.
"Okay, Yusuke… Christmas is my birthday…" (A:N: Sorry for inturrupting again. I'm not 100 sure this is true, but it's what I think.)
Yusuke blinked. "But… then shouldn't you be happy?"
Koenma sighed. "My father noticed my birthday when I was younger, and it was celebrated with lighter work, and I would sometimes get a gift. Not like Ningen birthdays, but at least it was noticed."
Koenma paused, then took a deep breath and continued.
"This went on for about a hundred years. Then it just stopped. It was never mentioned, never noticed. I tried to deal with it, and I did for the next hundred years, but then I kept remembering it, and I couldn't make it go away, so for the last five hundred years, I work from the week before to three days after all day."
Yusuke's eyes widened. He threw his arms around Koenma in a tight hug.
"K-chan, why didn't you say something earlier? I would've gotten you a present or something."
Koenma shook his head. "No thanks. I don't need anything. I have you, Yu-chan. Now, were we going to the Ningenkai?"
Yusuke grinned, leaning back. "Yeah! But let's get a few hours of sleep first."
Koenma nodded. "Sure."
He was just about to lie down, but Yusuke held him back. Koenma looked up at Yusuke inquisitively.
"I want to make sure you don't go back to work," Yusuke said. "You need your rest."
He pulled Koenma into his room and they both sat on the bed.
Yusuke lay down, and motioned to Koenma to lie down in front of him. Koenma complied, and Yusuke wrapped his arms around him.
"There, now you'll be able to get some rest," Yusuke said. He yawned. "Night, K-chan."
Yusuke reasoned that even if Koenma had developed an urge to work from five hundred years of the same thing, he'd have to get rest, because Yusuke wasn't going to let him go.
Koenma heard Yusuke's breathing slow, and attempted to get up, but Yusuke stirred and tightened his hold.
"No, K-chan… sleep…" he mumbled.
Koenma sighed. This seriously changed his routine from the past five hundred years. Oh well, he could just sleep…. Just sleep…
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YYF14: So, what do ya think so far?
Yusuke-clone: Not too bad, but you're being mean to K-chan.
Koenma-clone: At least it's not physical yet.
YYF14: Keyword: Yet.
Both clones: -exchange glances-
YYF14: Whatever. I'll update soon, and please review.