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'Tis the Season – Chapter 5 (of 7) Present DayRiding back from the interview, Seto holds his koi close, frowning to himself. Christmas is less than a week away and he hadn't gotten anything for Jii-chan, Anzu, Honda or Jou and they were all going to be at Yami's house this year.
He pulls Yami closer, remembering the difficult years they had after he and Yami confessed their relationship to Yami's friends and his grandpa. Understandably, they all hated him for breaking up Yami and Anzu. Seto remembers the two Christmases when no one even spoke to them. It was very hard on Yami. Seto agonized over their decision and even tried to leave Yami once, but his koi never wavered in his dedication.
"What's the matter, Koshi," Yami mumbles snuggling deeper into Seto's arms.
"Nothing, koi. Just thinking."
Yami sits back and studies him.
"That's all in the past, Koshi. Don't worry about it anymore."
Seto pulls Yami into his lap and kisses him lightly.
"I know," he sighs.
The rest of the ride to Yami's house is silent.
Seto kisses him goodnight at the door.
"You aren't staying, Koshi?"
"Not tonight, Yami."
More than disappointment flashes in his eyes, but Seto isn't quick enough to grasp it.
"You don't have to go, koi," Yami needles.
"I do. I'll see you later."
He places a light kiss on Yami's forehead and heads to his car. Pulling up to his apartment 20 minutes later he realizes what a fool he'd been.
Yami's lonely because he's has been "absent" for more than two weeks, not spending one night with his koi since they got back from America. They haven't made love since the night before they met that kid. Gods, how clueless could he be?
Once inside his apartment, he calls Yami full of apologies.
His koi laughs lightly at him.
"It's alright, Koshi. You can stay tomorrow."
He frowns into the phone.
"Not tomorrow, Yami. Remember my trip to Kyoto? I'll be gone until Thursday morning."
A pause.
"That's Christmas Eve, Koshi."
"I know. I'm sorry. Look, why don't I pack some things for tonight and I'll stay over?"
"No. It's alright," he replies sadly.
"It's not. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Seto, don't. Really, its fine," he replies in a stronger tone.
"Yami…"
"It's fine, koi. I'll see you when you get back. 'Night."
He hangs up.
Seto listens to the dial tone for a few moments.
Shit. He's really hurt. Yami goes out of his way to make sure he's all right and he can't even be bothered to stay over.
Feeling like he's really let Yami down, he goes to bed.
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Leaving the airport, he heads straight to Yami's house, only to find his love isn't home. Placing the gifts he bought in Kyoto for Jii-chan, Anzu, Jou and Honda among the mass of gifts for him and Yami, he heads off to work, meaning to quickly debrief Mr. Kaiba, do a few things in his office and head out to pack for at least a week's stay with Yami. Unfortunately, the debrief turns into a three hour lunch meeting, the few things in his office aren't so few and a massive accident snarls traffic for hours. Consequently, it's after 10 pm when he finally gets home to five angry phone messages. He'd tried to call Yami all day, but one thing or another prevented it. He'd even tried from the car while waiting for the accident to be cleared, but circuits were jammed while everyone else tried to do the same thing.
Seto decides it might be better if he just shows up at the house, arriving at 11:15 to find the chain on when he unlocks the door.
Wow. Yami hasn't been this angry in years.
"Yami?" he calls into the door.
A wide-eyed Anzu appears in his vision and unchains the door.
"Seto!" she whispers loudly, "Where the hell have you been? Yami's frantic!"
"I know. Shit happened. I'll make it up to him. What are you doing here?"
"Not so loud! Jii-chan's asleep. We're all staying over so we can open our gifts early tomorrow," she whispers.
"Oh. Okay," he whispers. Well, no sex tonight either, I guess.
"Yami?" he calls quietly, stepping into the darkened bedroom and dropping his things in the corner behind the door.
"Where were you?"
"Sorry, koi. It was a 'shit happens' kinda day," he apologizes, taking off his clothes and dropping them in the same corner.
Sliding in behind his koi, Seto holds him tightly, placing small kisses along the side of his face, down his neck and across his shoulder.
Yami snuggles back into Seto's warmth.
"Koshi, I don't want you to leave," Yami asserts.
"I won't. At least for a week or so," he nuzzles into Yami's hair.
Yami turns around, sliding his arms around Seto's neck.
"No, I mean I don't want you to leave ever, Koshi."
"Yami…," Seto starts.
"It's been four years, koi. Don't you think it's time you at least moved in?"
Seto pulls away and sits up.
"Koshi?"
"Yami, we've been through this. I have to find Mokuba."
Yami sits up, confused by Seto's rejection.
"What has that got to do with anything?"
"Everything, Yami. That's the priority in my life. Everything I do has to help me somehow to find Mokuba. You know that."
"Everything?"
"Yes, Yami, everything."
There's a long pause before a whispered, "Even me?"
Seto reaches for him only to find his love sliding out of the bed.
"You know I didn't mean it like that, Yami."
"Do I?" the silhouette at the window questions. "After all, with my money and connections, I can get information you can't, like that kid in Montana. You'd never have found out about him without me."
"Yami, don't do this. Don't make our relationship about what you can do for me. You know that's not why I'm with you."
"Isn't it? You were so upset that I failed this last time that you didn't even want to touch me!" He snaps, his voice rising.
Seto climbs from the bed and attempts to embrace him. Yami pulls away.
"Koi, I promise you that I don't blame you for anything. You've been more than generous with your support and I really appreciate everything you've done. If I haven't made you understand that, I'm sorry."
"But you still won't move in."
"No. I can't."
"Why not, Koshi?"
"Because I have to find Mokuba."
"You're not making any sense."
"I can't explain it any better, Yami."
"How would living here stop you from finding Mokuba?"
"I just don't want to divide my loyalties."
"What! How the hell could your moving in divide your loyalties," Yami barks, voice rising again.
Seto puts his face in his hands.
"Koi, I've had a really long four days. Can't we discuss this later?" he pleads.
"I don't think there's anything more to discuss," he bites, heading out of the bedroom.
"Yami," Seto calls exasperated. He can't believe his koi is so mad he walked out of the room in nothing.
"Yami! Put some clothes on," he hears Anzu shriek.
A growl is all she gets for her trouble as he hears Yami open and close one of the guest room doors. Seto sighs. He's probably in the room with Jii-chan as it's the only one with twin beds.
How can he make Yami understand? Without Mokuba, he can't be happy.
Climbing back under the covers of Yami's bed, the last few days finally catch up to him and he falls asleep almost immediately.
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The sound of laughter pulls him from an unsettling dream. After hitting the bathroom, he pulls on a pair of long, blue pajama pants and its matching short-sleeved shirt.
Stumbling out of the room with a yawn, he greets the houseguests before heading into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. It's there he finds Yami staring into space.
"Yami?"
"So, what now, Seto?"
Seto is taken aback by Yami's serious tone.
"What do you mean koi?"
"Why stay together if you don't really want to be with me?"
"Don't really…Where the hell did you get that idea?" he asks incredulously.
"You said it last night! You don't want to divide your loyalties!"
"That's not what I was talking about, Yami," Seto protests, pouring himself a cup of black coffee and taking a few sips. He really needs some caffeine.
"Then why don't you explain it to me?" Yami yells.
"There's no need to yell, Yami."
"I'll yell if I want to!"
"Yami, please, it's Christmas. Can't we argue about this tomorrow?"
Yami opens his mouth to scream something else when Jou slips into the kitchen.
"What!" Yami snaps.
"Look, I don't know what you guys are fighting about, but you're upsetting Jii-chan. We're also waiting for you to come out here so we can start opening the gifts."
Yami's face falls, his anger dissipating immediately.
"Sorry, Jou. We'll be out in a minute," Yami affirms. Jou slips back out the door.
"Yami…"
"We'll talk later, Seto. This isn't resolved," he asserts heading into the living room. Seto finishes his coffee and joins them.
Opening the gifts with everyone seems to soothe both of them and he expects things are all right until he reaches for a small square box with his name on it from Yami. Before he can tear off the paper, Yami snatches it from his hand.
"Koi?"
"I…Maybe I'll give you this later," he mumbles, taking the box back into his bedroom.
Seto frowns, wondering what it could be and why Yami didn't want him to open it. His koi appears a few moments later and tosses Seto his phone.
"You have a message," he mumbles, obviously angry that someone called on Christmas Day.
Seto takes the phone into the bedroom to retrieve the message, not wanting to disturb the festivities.
The call is from one of the investigators. They think they've found Mokuba in a holding cell in Okinawa, but he has to come right now as the kid will be going back to Germany with a family member in the morning. Seto calls the man back and tells him he'll be there in a few hours. Changing quickly, he calls Yami into the bedroom. Seeing Seto dressed, he instantly gets angry.
"You're going to work today!" he yells.
"No. There's a lead on Mokuba. I'm flying to Okinawa," he replies, grabbing the papers he always takes with him to prove his and Mokuba's identities and stuffing them in his briefcase before starting to pull some of the things from his bags that he won't need.
"You can't go tomorrow?" Yami pleads and Seto stops in his tracks.
Turning to his koi he frowns.
"Yami, don't do this. Don't ask me to choose between you. I can't give you the answer you want."
Yami looks away, defeated.
"Fine. Go then."
"Yami…"
"I said its fine. I know how important this is to you."
He kisses Yami's lips lightly and then his forehead.
"I'll be back as soon as possible, koi."
"I know."
All necessary articles in hand, Seto races out the bedroom sliding on his shoes and grabbing his coat before racing out the door with a hasty apology and a muffled 'Merry Christmas'.