MERRY CHRISTMAS, LOVELY READERS!
Big thanks to everyone for being so patient, I really appreciate it. This will be pretty hectic this holiday season so I have a little something in store for all of you: this will be a special chapter with multiple parts with no rules applied. A few chapters within a chapter, if you will. This is a gift to Jade546, so I hope you enjoy it! I don't own rights to YuGiOh! 5Ds but I do own this FanFiction. Hope you enjoy!
Christmas Special:
Part 1: Snowflakes and Cocoa Kisses
Yusei glanced out the window as he cleared away the dishes, his sapphire orbs spotting the first few clusters of snowflakes fall onto the glass. They had finished breakfast not too long ago; scrambled eggs with fluffy almond flour pancakes with a cherry merlot syrup he made from scratch. The entourage from Viktor's gang had dispersed due to the holidays coming up, leaving Yusei and Akiza alone. Her parents had insisted that they spent the holiday all together and had even graciously offered to host the festivities. Akiza, however, had other plans.
"I'm not trying to be stingy or anything," she held up her hands as her mother moved to intervene. "I want to make this Christmas special. I don't want a giant tree so big that we have to call in a crane to decorate it, no catering from the biggest restaurant in town, no gossip fueled parties full of people who only want to see each other burn themselves on the yule log…" Her hands fell as Hideo stepped forward and collected her in his arms. "Please understand."
That was right after the busy Thanksgiving feast that her parents had hosted. Yusei wasn't the only one who had noticed how quiet she had been as well as her lack of appetite and socializing. He had been initially surprised with her attitude during the Halloween Bash they had, but ever since then she had been steadily drooping. Today was going to be different though. He quickly checked the weather forecast and started the dishwasher before he slipped up the stairs.
"Akiza?" He gently knocked on her door and blinked as it swung open. Yusei barely had enough time to brace himself before something collided with his chest, sending him to the floor. He bit back a smile Akiza's flustered features came into focus. Her hair was collected into a messy bun, leaving two strands to frame her face. He silently appreciated the way her emerald green velvet dress hugged her figure but couldn't resist relishing the soft fabric as it moved against his own being. The neckline, old time portrait style, was lined with a thin band of lace that sparkled subtly in the light when she moved. She had somehow managed to get one of her legs tangled with his and was sitting just above his hips, despite the cream colored wool stockings she wore. She instantly jumped up, her cheeks tinging pink and sputtering out apologies, her hands fluttering as waves of worry and anxiety radiated from her being. In one smooth motion, he sat up and collected her in his arms. Her motions stalled as he placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. "Calm down, deep breaths, and try again."
Her head fell onto his shoulder as she followed his instructions, the tension in her body dissipating with each breath she took, bringing her attention to the subtle hints of the cocoa they had along with their breakfast. The fabric of his charcoal zipper vest was slippery, almost making her head slid off to the side, but it was incredibly warm and contrasted nicely with the navy long-sleeved shirt underneath. She shook away the tingling effect of the chocolate and marshmallow that was slowly beginning to make her drowsy, leaned back and fixed her orbs with his own, and her lips lifted into a smile so sugary sweet it would put pure sugar to shame. "Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?" Yusei felt his insides sink.
…
Handing the keys to the valet, Yusei took a deep breath before turning and facing the gateway to the mall. Fourteen stories packed full of people and businesses, each with one thing on their mind: gifts. He bit back a smile as Akiza grabbed his hand and began towing him inside. They dropped off their coats at the check-in station and hopped onto the closest escalator. He peered over her shoulder as she furiously typed away, deftly maneuvering her off to the side as they stepped off so those behind them could continue on their way. She was drafting a list. There had to be at least a dozen things under each person's name. He saw his name pop up right before she turned off the screen and slipped it into her purse.
"If I catch you peeking one more time, you're on my naughty list." She winked, grabbing his hand again. "Now, first stop is LoveSak." They had only taken a few steps into the store when she shoved him suddenly and he found himself being enclosed into something so soft it might as well have been a cloud. He couldn't help the sigh that slipped through his lips as the softness all but enveloped him, leaving only his face bare. Giggles from above caused his eyes to shoot open -when had they closed?!- and find a grinning Akiza standing above him. "Should I get you one too?"
He meant for the "maybe" that came out to not sound so whispery and the more it echoed in his ears the more embarrassed he became. Yusei took her offered hand and removed himself from the cloud-like pillow that was nearly two times his size. Maybe he should get one.
"What color do you think Martha would like?" Akiza's voice pulled him from his inner thoughts and his eyes scanned the panel next to the pillow.
There were multiple color and pattern options, but one stuck out more than the others. His eyes found the corresponding samples and thoughtfully brushed his fingers across its almost silky finish. The rich brown shown with a hint of red when it was in the light and the elegant metallic latte and matte teal colored stitching formed beautiful mosaic patterns. A hand rested atop of his own and he shyly met Akiza's curious gaze. Her lips lifted into a smile as she waived over one of the associates and placed her order. They noted that their sister store on the other side of town would deliver it to their residence within the hour.
"I knew you were the perfect partner to bring shopping." Akiza smiled, her fingers entwinning with his own as they exited the store. She cast a glance his way, quickly looking ahead when she spotted that his own was fixated on her. He has been doing that a lot lately. "You know, I haven't been able to come up with an idea of a gift for Jack yet."
"When in doubt, Blue-Eyes Coffee. It's what is truly pumping through his veins."
She threw her head back and laughed, quickly covering her lips as passerbys gave her a confused look. "I should have known better."
"If you're wondering about everyone else, they will love anything you gift to them." Yusei drew her close as a large group whizzed by, earning a smile. Her demeanor instantly brightened as they approached a shop with blue and white stripes. Yusei could practically hear the "hallelujah" chorus playing as she looked over her shoulder at him with glittering eyes. With a deep breath, he allowed himself to be pulled into the invisible clouds of perfumes and to be surrounded by shelves full of products whose scents tickled his nose to no end. Thankfully, Akiza kept the "sticking the bottle under the nose" to a minimum. She carefully evaluated each and every bottle that she picked up, breathing deeply so that she could get the full effect of each. One in particular, from the holiday collection, caused her being to fill with a special warmth that she had discovered only this year. Carefully and as discreetly as possible, she placed the frosted bottle into the basket that hung on her arm while directing Yusei's attention to the men's section. He was relieved when they exited the store minutes later, two bags for each person but he quickly took the one closest to him as she adjusted her grip before the bag tumbled to the ground. She flashed him an appreciative smile before leading the way towards another store.
And so it went for the next couple hours, bouncing from store to store, until Akiza collapsed into a lounge chair in one of the private resting areas. Her cheeks were flushed and her bangs had fallen into her face but she didn't bother to push them off to the side. "I think that's all of them." When she didn't get a response, she glanced around the room. The walls were a dark wine red, large white Christmas tree behind her decorated with metallic green and blue ornaments, strings of lights hanging from the ceiling giving the illusion that you were surrounded by stars, carpet was a calming cream with stitching in the patterns of reindeer frolicking in the woods, and heather grey colored furniture that sat in a crescent shape around a black stained table. The Christmas music that had once been deafening began to fall into silence as her eyes darted around the room. No one else was in sight. "Yusei?" She nearly jumped out of her skin as her phone vibrated. Her shaking hands drew the device from her purse's contents and sighed as she saw the name displayed, swiping right. "Where did you go?"
Yusei's eyes slipped from the people loading the bags into a van as her voice came through the phone in his hand. It was tight with an underline hint of panic. "Akiza? Its alright, I'm right outside the lounge area that you're in, I was just arranging for them to take the bags back to my place."
"Don't disappear on me like that again, okay?"
His lips lifted into a smile. "Promise. I'll be there in a second." He heard the phone click, signaling the end of the call. With the shopping finds on their way back to the house, he quickly darted around the corner and into the lounge where he had last seen Akiza. Yusei couldn't help the amused chuckle that slipped from him as he spotted her on the loveseat. Her head lolled every few seconds, testimony to how exhausted she must be feeling. He collected her in his arms as carefully as he could so as not to disturb her and had managed to get her all the way back to the house without her waking up. That is, until he was bringing in the treasures they had found. Yusei was bringing a large parcel inside when he tripped over one of the other bags and nearly fell into the LoveSak that was for Martha if it weren't for the arms that had wrapped around his torso. "Thanks for the save."
"No problem," Akzia giggled, moving back slightly as he straightened. She gently brushed off some of the snow clusters that had formed on his shoulders and was just reaching up to brush them out of his hair when something terribly cold trickled down her back. Her slight jump landed her right in a puddle of what was once snow and sent her sliding across the floor in a similar manner to the cartoons children watched. Her hands flailed, searching for an anchor to stop her from sliding into the incoming front door, and Yusei sprung forward as the door opened, hoping to catch her before she slid any farther. He cringed slightly as the sounds of an impact came followed by the sound of grunts. Yusei appeared in the doorway a split second after she had disappeared from sight in time to see her retreat from one of the delivery men's helping hands. "I'm so so so sorry I crashed into you like that!"
The delivery man ducked his hat, his lips falling into a frown. "My apologies, ma'am, I should have been more mindful of my step."
"Is everyone alright?" Yusei pipped up, mentally noting to clean up the puddles in the entryway and salt the front steps as he walked down them to assist. He quickly shed his coat and draped it over Akiza's shoulders as she began to shiver. "We're almost done here, so why don't you head inside and we can have something warm to drink before we start wrapping the presents?" She gave him an appreciative smile, bowed once more in the delivery man's direction, and darted back inside. Yusei directed his attention to the man as he began working once more. Thankfully there wasn't much left in the delivery van so it wouldn't be too long before he too could go inside.
"She's very beautiful," the man noted, glancing up at Yusei as he handed over a particularly large package. "is she a friend of yours?"
"You could say that. We've known each other for quite a long time."
The man chuckled. "This one is very jealous of you, young man. I once had a gal like her, but I was so caught up in life that by the time I turned around she was gone." Yusei looked up as one of the man's hands patted his shoulder. "Keep good care of her. The little moments are what matter most."
"I'll remember that. Have a Merry Christmas" Yusei smiled, shaking the man's offered hand while slipping a tip into the man's pocket. He waived as the man drove off and hurried towards where the warmth was waiting. He found Akiza perched atop the kitchen counter, a steaming mug between her hands. She looked up as he entered and offered the mug when he settled on the barstool next to her. There was a cloud of whipped cream topped with red colored sugar crystals and a stick of cinnamon. One sip and he was certain of where the recipe had come from. "Sharing recipe cards with Martha?"
Akiza giggled, her eyes meeting his briefly before they disappeared behind her own mug's brim. "I thought that it would be a pleasant surprise for my boyfriend." Pipping hot cocoa threatened to come back up his pipe as his heart skipped several beats. His wide eyes locked on the woman next to him as he placed his cup on the countertop and stood, moving to stand before her. Sapphire orbs met caramel as she placed her mug next to his then faced him fully. "Thank you for shopping with me. I know it was spur of the moment and took practically all day. I should have checked with you before-" Her words were cut off by a pair of lips the gently moved against her own in a way that sent that familiar warmth aflame in her chest. Eyelids fell like curtains over her eyes as she returned the kiss, one of her hands rising to rest on his chest. They separated after a few seconds, their noses brushing with every collected breath that they took.
"In that case, why don't we wrap presents and then you can make it up to me by coming with me somewhere that I want to go." Yusei was about to move away when a hand grasped the front of his shirt and found himself bent backward over the bar, velvet soft lips leading his own in a breathtaking kiss that caused the hairs on his body to rise. The hand that had put him in the strange yet pleasurable position pulled him back up to his feet in time for him to see her slip into the living room. His heart swelled slightly as the memory of the kiss tickled his lips. Finishing his cocoa, he placed the mugs in the sink and joined her in the living room.
…
"Yusei, where on earth are we going?" Akiza rubbed her hands together as they exited the car and began walking towards the archway ahead of them. It was decorated with ribbons and lights that twinkled like little stars. "Please tell me it's warm where we are going."
He bit back a chuckle. "The drinks are, no doubt." Taking her gloved hand in his, he lead her through the archway and held tightly as she came to a stop: before them sat one of the local park lakes frozen over and lined with holiday decorations. There were stands selling everything from drinks to craft items that sat a few feet back from the decorated shoreline. One of the stall owners approached, greeting them, and handed each a pair of attachable ice skates.
"Uh-uh," Akiza's hair bobbed slightly as she shook her head, attempting to retreat. Yusei pulled her over to a bench, gently sat her down, and began tying the skates to the bottom of her boots as she glanced around furiously. "Nope. No way."
"It's no different then skating," he soothed, finishing and sitting next to her so he could tie his own on. "just like when I taught you how to drift backwards." She shot him a grimace as he stood, skates on his own feet, and drew her to stand. "You know, I heard from the twins that they thought that was out first date. The picnic was ruined and the Netflix-and-Chill was nice, but I don't think that should suffice." Red flooded her face at his words before she attempted to hide within the confines of her scarf. Stepping out onto the ice, he gave a gentle tug that caused her to fall forward into his arms and the momentum carried over, causing them to slowly drift backwards. He dipped his head, brushing his lips against her temple before lowering them to her ear. "What do you think about this being our first 'official' date?"
Her head rose, revealing wide eyes full of panic, as he moved her to arms length. "What are you doing?!"
"I'm helping my girlfriend learn how to ice skate," he smiled, adjusting his hands that were now held in hers in death grips. "remember to relax and let your body move on its own." Tried as he might, his smile could not and would not stay hidden as they skated. It was just like that day; every so often she would wobble or fall and she would attempt to play it off as if she meant to do what she did. He sharply turned to the left as she nearly fell once more, managing to catch and spin her in a 360 then sent her on her way on much steadier feet. It wasn't long until she was slipping across the ice as if she herself was a penguin and her smile made all the twinkling lights seem dull. Her confidence had even progressed enough that she was able to spot problem spots in the ice and gracefully avoid a possible fall.
It was on their fourth circle of the pond when someone from one of the stalls waved them over. The young woman, approximately in her mid thirties, asked them for permission to take photos of them during their time in the park. "I'm a traveling photographer, and believe me when I say that I have never seen a more perfectly paired couple. I really want to share the joy and happiness that I see." Yusei glanced towards Akiza as she fumbled for words; this could be an opportunity. Wrapping his arms around his girlfriend, he nuzzled her hair and hinted that he would like to have a pic or two of them. Being the senator's daughter had gotten her used to her picture being taken, Akiza had also wished for some pictures with him but wanted to be respectful of his occasional shyness. Hearing him give consent made her heart jump with joy. "How about you come back in an hour and I'll have them already for you?" True to her word, when they swung back by her stall, she had wrapped all of the prints in a neat little box with metallic snowflake patterns. They collectively thanked her when she mentioned that she had included a memory stick backed up with a copy of each photo she had taken as well as a special gift to say thank you for allowing her to take the photos. With their insistence, she accepted their contributions and bowed her head as they picked up a few of her business cards.
…
"I'm so excited to see how they turned out." Akzia practically beamed as they entered the living room, shaking the snowflake clusters from their clothing before settling on the couch next to Yusei. They removed the lid and awe overcame their features as their whole time in the park laid out in front of them. Skating across the ice hand-in-hand, sharing smiles over the special cranberry parfait that a vendor was handing out, the snowball fight that they had gotten caught up with, there were even a few shots of them simply leaning on one another while taking a break on a park bench. Each photo seemed almost surreal! "How on earth did she get these without us knowing?"
Yusei commended her talent and felt a mild heat rise in his cheeks as he pulled out the "gift" she had included. There were two 12x8 frameless canvas prints of them sharring a kiss under a cluster of frosted mistletoe with the street light casting them in an almost ethereal glow. Without a word, he stood while taking her hand and lead her up the stairs to his room while hiding them from sight. He suggested that she close her eyes, to which she complied, and hung one of the special prints next to the window. She lowered her hands with his say so and gasped as her eyes fell on the duplicate in his hand. "There was one for the both of us," he smiled, passing it to her. "I love it."
"It's amazing," she whispered, brushing her fingers over the canvas. If she ever returned home, she knew exactly where it would go. Her shinning eyes rose to meet his own and they found themselves drifting closer due to an invisible force. Before the kiss, they had both begun to feel the cold and were nearly ready to call it a night. After the kiss, they had both felt as though they were walking on clouds. "just like you."
Though she tried to hide it, Yusei could clearly see the shadows appear under her eyes. With gentle words and one last kiss, he sent her off to bed. One last walkthrough of the house and shower later, he too retired to his bed. The last thoughts he had before dreamland enveloped around him were of the smiles Akzia had shown and the soft whispers of "I love you" that she would slip into his ears.
That is the first part! Stay tuned for Part 2!