If I owned Yu-Gi-Oh, you could bet your soul that Seto and Jou would be together! (But I don't)

Christmas may not necessarily mean the season for giving gifts. It could also be the giving words of comfort, words of sympathy, and words of reality that one may need to hear. Seto/Jou

A Gift With Words

Started: December 25, 2005

Finished: December 26, 2005

A relatively young man of the age twenty three walked down the street of Domino City in the dark, wandering endlessly past many young couples who were enjoying the night under the stars. He scowled in the dark and his eyes narrowed as he walked by another giggling girl. He was beyond the point of being just a tad bit annoyed at this holiday; he was more livid than ever.

Christmas had always been one of the most horrible holidays thought of in Seto Kaiba's eyes, but this year was worse than ever: This was the first year that Seto had to spend Christmas and the new year alone. Mokuba, his beloved younger brother, had passed away due to a car accident. The only reason he even bothered to celebrate this so called holiday was so he could spend some quality time with his younger brother. Now that he was gone, Seto felt his already cold and unwelcoming heart freeze even more, and the year suddenly became worthless, useless, and virtually pointless.

Though it was the day after Christmas, some preferred to pretend as if Christmas day never ended and continued to celebrate. Seto felt bitterer about this holiday; how long must he suffer until this dreaded holiday is finally over?

Although he wasn't hungry, he turned around the corner and decided that wandering around the streets wasn't doing him any good. He remembered that there was a local diner nearby, a place where he and Mokuba often dined at. He might as well sit in a place where he could hate the holiday as much as possible without being bothered with giggly, loving, and sickening couples and families all around him. The families, especially, reminded him more than ever of what he had lost and that wasn't a good feeling at all.

He felt a pang in his stomach of what felt like regret, sadness, and grief as he entered the familiar restaurant. Everything about the place was the same: the dangling lights, the smell from the kitchen, the tables, the decorations, everything. Yet, the familiarity seemed to mock him and pick at his already dreaded life.

"One," he said briefly to the hostess, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his trench coat as he was led to a quiet booth near the corner of the diner. He didn't even bother to look at the hostess when handed the menu. Seto merely stared at it as if seeing it for the first time. It felt an eternity ago that Mokuba was sitting with him, just across from him, laughing and smiling at Seto. Thinking about this caused Seto smile slightly, but the smile didn't last long.

He put the menu up on the table, shielding himself away from all the other customers dining. Try as he might, he couldn't escape the noise, the happiness, or the closeness each and everyone inside had around them. No one came alone; only Seto came in by himself.

"Hello mister and thank you for dining with us tonight. My name is—" The waiter's voice broke off and before Seto could do anything, he felt his menu being pushed down flat on the table, forcing him to stare into the brown eyes of no one other than Katsuya Jounouchi.

"I thought it was you," Katsuya stated simply, placing a glass of water in front of him. "The trench coat was just too familiar looking. No one else in town would wear such a jacket."

Amazing. Tonight was obviously tormenting to Seto. Was everything going to remind him of the past? Was, perhaps, the past going to taunt him and never let him rest? Had it not been several years since he last saw all his high school classmates? Why today, of all days, must he see the one that he had the fondest memories of?

In all the days before Mokuba had left, Seto would have been more than happy than to see the blonde. He could not place his finger on why the blonde had the lasting effects on him out of Yugi and the rest of the group. For years, he had been regretting the moment he left high school without saying a proper goodbye to Yugi and the others, but most of all, Katsuya. For years, after he arrived back in Japan, he hoped to see them once more, but his hopes and dreams all seemed to die along with Mokuba that night of the accident.

"Don't mind me saying, but you look terrible," Katsuya spoke, interrupting Seto's thoughts. "You look skinnier, paler, and more messed up than ever. Mind you, it has been several years since I've seen you, but still. You don't seem to look like the same Seto Kaiba I knew."

Katsuya's voice was friendly, easygoing, and as carefree as ever. However, it seemed to trigger Seto's bitterness and anger. Seto's blue eyes narrowed slightly. Yes, ever since Mokuba's accident, Seto had been working harder and harder, sometimes going without food for days and no sleep. He had no reason to go back home, go back to his mansion. He tried to avoid it as much as possible, not wanting to go back to the silence and emptiness it held for him inside.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Seto responded in a snappish tone. Seto did not feel the need to explain his appearance to anyone, even Katsuya. Seto saw no point and no reason. The way he looked was his business, not anybody else's.

Katsuya blinked his eyes in surprise, but perhaps remembering his temper, changed the topic and his tone became businesslike. "What would you like to order tonight? We have some appetizers if you would like to try some. They're cooked to your satisfaction."

Seto shoved the menu back into Katsuya's arm. "I'm not hungry," he said abruptly.

Katsuya stared at Seto for a while and stalked off, leaving Seto alone in his thoughts. Seto buried his fingers in the tangles of his caramel colored hair, his face towards the table. The music, no matter how loud, didn't seem to drown out his painful memories or get rid of the emotions and feelings he tried so hard to outrun. What was the point in being out if all he was going to do was do the exact same thing he would be doing at home?

A plate was placed in the center of table and Seto saw Katsuya slide in across from him, taking a fry off the plate. He looked up to see his waiter dressed in casual clothes (his apron and uniform gone) eating in front of him.

Katsuya pointed at the seasoned fries. "Eat some," he told him, "They're really good."

"I'm not hungry," Seto repeated. "And if you don't mind, I would like to be alone."

Ignoring Seto, Katsuya continued to eat, reaching across the table for his glass of water. He took a sip and then nodded his thanks. "No point in being by yourself right? Besides, my shift was over the minute you walked in. I just decided to see if my customer really was the Seto Kaiba."

"You know," Katsuya continued, munching on the fries, "You haven't changed at all. You're still as touchy as ever, not wanting any company. I would like to say that that is because you're in one of your usual moods, but I know that's not true either. I bet everyone else around you is just assuming that you're in one of your raging tempers, but I know better."

He looked straight into Seto's eyes. "You can't keep dwelling about the past, Seto."

Without warning, Seto pushed the plate off the table. The plate shattered onto the floor into several pieces, stopping and ending all conversations around them. Seto ignored the attention and stares he was getting and stood up, his anger blazing at a new level.

"DON'T tell ME what to do," he shouted at the blonde, who showed no emotion about what happened. "You don't know me and therefore, you have no idea what the hell is going on in my life!"

He kicked the pieces out of his way, storming out of the diner and back into the cold temperature of the city. He pulled his coat closer together and started to walk away quickly, not caring about the people he was pushing out of his way.

"Kaiba! KAIBA!"

Behind him, Seto could hear Katsuya crying out his last name instead of his first, chasing after him. When Katsuya finally caught up to him, he yanked Seto's arm backwards, trying to stop him from moving forward anymore. Seto tried to pull his arm away, but Katsuya's grip was incredibly strong.

Seto closed his eyes and started to count to ten, trying to calm down. He could hear Katsuya trying to catch his breath, breathing deeply. He tried to get out of Katsuya's grip, but failed again, for the blonde would not let go.

"I know you're sad and you're still hurting," Katsuya said quietly to his back, "but you have to understand that this is life. With life, comes death. You can't change the past and do you really think Mokuba would want you to see you like this?"

Seto opened his eyes and looked up at the sky, hearing the words of comfort that he had been offered for the first time since Mokuba's death. When Mokuba died, Seto channeled all of his grief into his work, not allowing himself to cry or give into the pain he was feeling. No one bothered to talk to him for he never allowed anyone to, not that anyone wanted to. He didn't want to look at Katsuya and he felt his arm weaken against Katsuya's hands.

"It's okay to hurt; it's okay to think about him; it's okay to cry for him, Seto." Katsuya had started to use his first name, the second person to ever use it. "But don't do this. It's not your fault and there's nothing for you to do. You can't let this ruin your life, Seto, you've got to live on. If not for yourself, for him. Just think about him. He's not gone entirely."

Katsuya let go of his arm and Seto turned around slowly to face him. Seto felt his eyes, his blue eyes which he never allowed to cry, tear up. Seto blinked and he felt his first tear in years to trail down his cheek, the first tear he cried for Mokuba.

"How would you understand?" Seto croaked quietly as another silent tear rolled down his cheek. "How do you..."

Katsuya smiled weakly as he caught Seto, who was leaning forward towards the other for support, a hug, whatever it may be. With Seto, it was hard to believe that he needed someone to lean on at a time like this. But it was a time for many new beginnings as the year ends with each second, with a new year approaching.

-OWARI-

It fits my mood (and my mood was totally random)

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas.

-lilrubydevil-