Chapter 15 :
Christmas. Yes, Christmas was around the corner - literally tomorrow. Katsuya sighed, entering the mall. It had been a while since he'd been shopping for anybody other than family since high school. Now, he was trying to find the appropriate gifts for his employers, the Kaiba brothers. He had purposely saved up quite a bit of money for the occasion. He was actually extremely grateful for his employment thus far. Sure, he hadn't been giving a paycheck for the month that he had worked up to this point, but he no longer spent as much money on food since he had been using the ingredients he'd find in the mansion. As such, he put money aside to buy presents - but still put the majority to his father's debt and rent. He thought back to the conversation he had about a week ago with Mokuba.
"Hey, Moki… question for ya," Katsuya had started off before getting distracted by taking his turn in their checkers game.
"Shoot!" The teen beamed then frowned as the blond managed to double bounce and clear two of his pieces from the board - much to Katsuya's delight.
"Everything I use to cook is back the next day." He chuckled. "So who shops and keeps track of it all?"
Mokuba tapped his chin thoughtfully while focusing on the placement of all the pieces on the board, considering his next move carefully. "Seto has always been, ummm, you know…" He took a second from his pondering to meet Katsuya's confused gaze. "Stressed over order. Notices minor details. A perfectionist. All that."
"Ah! Yeah, I getcha," the blond nodded in understanding.
The teen turned back to the board, moving a black piece forward diagonally that prevented being jumped. "Because of that Seto likes to keep tabs of what you use and double checks everything in the kitchen to make sure everything - and I mean everything - is accounted for."
"Okay then what?" Katsuya asked, scrunching up his brows as he began complementing his next move.
"Then he shops." The high school shrugged absentmindedly, still concentrating more on the game itself than their conversation.
"Kaiba?!" The blond dropped the white checker piece he had picked up to move, glancing up at the dark-haired teen with unbelieving shock.
Mokuba met his gaze, confusion to Jounouchi's outburst apparent in the teen's dark eyes. "Umm, yes, Seto orders everything on his app and it gets delivered. Then Artie will take care of it."
"Oh, okay, that makes so much more sense." The blond laughed. Him imagining the CEO pushing a shopping cart in one of the local grocery marts, among the lower-class of people, and…. Yeah, it just didn't fit. He also recognized the nickname Mokuba had given to the stern butler of their mansion. Personally, he still didn't seem on the best of terms with Kaiba's head of staff. Every time he had tried to make conversation with the taller man, he was only met with grunts and nods that he didn't entirely understand. But they weren't on bad terms, at least he thought so.
"If you ever need something else for a meal or something you're planning, just leave a list of everything on the table and Seto will get it for you. No discussion needed." Mokuba promised with a smile while creaming him, collecting all of the white pieces from the board. The teen had jumped all the rest of Katsuya's white pieces in one, and final, turn.
"Darn it, Moki! I'm never gonna beat ya!" Katsuya threw his hands up in defeat and shook his head with a crooked little smile. "But yeah, I'll keep that in mind."
And he had. He actually had left his first note to prepare for their Christmas feast. Mokuba had practically begged him for it, and to spend the entire day with him - with Seto, too, of course. Katsuya had felt the intense gaze of disapproval that was prickling the back of his head at the time. There was no way that he would've said no to that face though, especially with the dark puppy eyes glistening hopefully at him. He knew that Kaiba wouldn't have been able to say no to the insistent teen either. He was more than happy to do so anyways. He didn't really have plans, and he definitely didn't want to spend the day alone.
Now he was shopping for Christmas presents. He kind of felt he needed to, to be honest. He wanted to repay them for their hospitality. Well, more Mokuba than Kaiba, of course, but, regardless, he didn't want to be rude and only give the younger brother a gift. The problem was that he already had a great idea for what to get the dark-haired teen but the CEO? No idea. None whatsoever. He only hoped that inspiration would hit him as he wandered around the mall while searching for a gift for Shizuka as well. He also planned on getting his father a new tie.
He browsed through the windows of each of the stores on his way to his destination. Nothing really stood out. He entered where he had planned. A video game store. He made his way through the store and found his way to the Xbox section of games. He pulled the new Xbox series z game of Warframe out from its place. He broke out into a grin, imagining what Mokuba's reaction would be to this. He purchased it at the register and left the store with a small, brown paper bag in hand. Next, he found a cute mug in a gift shop. It had sunflowers sprouting out of snow and flakes falling with the phrase "Only a sister as bright as you can light up my life like sunshine." It was perfect. He happily bought it for Shizuka - to give to her when he next saw her. This year, his sister planned on spending the holidays with his mother, to which he was never invited. The tie he found for his dad was silk with baby blue wispy designs. It was much higher quality than any of the other ties that his father owned. It had previously been out of his price range too. Things sure were different than before.
All that was left was to find a present for Kaiba. But what? He thought about giving a gag gift but he was only too confident that the CEO would find some way to get back at him - and it was more likely to be humorous only to the businessman himself. Therefore, it was crucial that he find something that would even convince his rival that he put some thought into it.
Bzzz Bzzz ~ *
Katsuya reached for his phone as his alarm went off. He had set it earlier to remind himself that it was time to return to the Kaiba mansion to prepare dinner. He had set it an hour and a half early so that he gave himself time to return home with the presents, and for the walk itself. The weather had been surprisingly clear today, so perfect for a leisurely stroll to and from the mall. As he shut off his alarm, he let out a sigh. He hadn't found anything for the arrogant brunet that awaited his return to the mansion - 'awaited' probably being the wrong word since there was no way the CEO was waiting on him for anything.
On his way back home, he paused mid step. Something had definitely caught his eye. He pressed his face into the window of the shop to try and see the object more clearly. That was it! That was exactly what he'd get for Kaiba! He rushed into the store with a large grin on his face.
"Merry Christmas!" Katsuya called, bursting through the Kaiba mansion doors, the door closing quietly behind him, as usual.
Mokuba came barreling down the stairs into the blond's arms and squeezing him into a tight hug. "Jou! Merry Christmas!"
Katsuya returned the pressure, enough to make the teen squirm. He laughed at this, and again when he noticed the dark-haired youth's pajamas and mess of hair. He altered his grip and gave Mokuba a knuckle-sandwich. "You got some serious bed head this morning, pal."
The high schooler laughed while fighting back until he was free then scowled, pushing away from the blond fully. "I just woke up. I didn't have time to brush it out." The blond laughed again at Mokuba's defensiveness, watching the teen tug at and pat his dark hair in an attempt to flatten it. Jounouchi remembered using the same excuse himself when he had spent Christmas with the Muto's a few years ago. He knew just how exciting it could be.
"Mokuba."
The two both glanced up to the banister at the top of the stairs, noticing the CEO peering down at them with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Merry Christmas, Seto!" The younger brother beamed.
The businessman nodded slightly. "Morning. Now come tame your hair before a bird decides to nest in it."
Mokuba groaned. "But Seto! It's time for presents!"
The elder brother resisted an eye-roll. "Well, good thing they have no where better to be. Now come on."
The teen sighed but did as he was told. The brunet and blond watched as the high schooler went up the stairs and down the hall at the top. Katsuya chuckled.
"You're in a cheerful mood this morning."
The blond met the businessman's gaze, and smiled. "Well, it's a good day, aight it?"
The CEO shrugged then slowly made his way down the stairs, one step at a time as usual. He was wearing a dark blue turtleneck sweater and light colored jeans with black business shoes on. Now that Katsuya thought of it, he didn't think he'd ever have seen the brunet not wear shoes or show much skin in general - not that he wanted to see, of course. That would just be weird. He shuddered at the thought.
"Suddenly catch a cold, mutt?" Seto smirked.
"Uh, no." Jounouchi glared then grinned. "This jacket and these gloves keep me nice and toasty." He rubbed his hands together and shrugged his shoulders to snuggle more into the coat.
Kaiba's smirk disappeared. "It seems the least Mokuba could do was give out some scraps."
"I'm not a beggar if that's what you're gettin' at, richboy!" Katsuya's gaze heated, arms falling to his side and hands clenched into fists.
"I thought that's what street dogs did. Beg." The smirk had returned.
Just as he was about to retort, Mokuba returned into view at the top of the stairs so Jounouchi restrained himself. He didn't restrain a glare that he shot at the taller duelist though. The CEO looked more than pleased with himself.
The teen bounded back down the stairs, his dark-hair now styled and he was wearing a white sweater along with dark blue joggers. Apparently, the high schooler had decided to change out of his sleepwear as well. "Alrighty! Presents!"
"Haha, okay, Mokuba; give me a second to put the roast in the pressure-cooker for lunch real fast and then we can." The blond removed his winter attire and set them on a table by the front door. It was surprising how easily the younger of the brothers could improve his mood while the older had a tendency to destroy it. He sighed.
Seto watched patiently from the couch as Mokuba pulled presents out from under the tree. The teen knew that Santa was a false notion that parents told their kids, but that didn't stop the high schooler from getting excited over the presents themselves. 'It's basically a second birthday!' his younger brother used to exclaim in his youthful - well, youthfuller - days. The CEO was pretty good at discovering what the excitable teen wanted and purchasing them. He would then have Artie manage the staff for preparing everything else - the set up of decorations and the like. He personally felt that it was too much of a hassle. But, every year, Mokuba would make a fuss unless it was done. The businessman didn't care how the outside of the house appeared, as long as indoors wasn't touched. He conceded and allowed the teen to decorate the piano room. That was where they were now. Christmas eve, it had become a tradition to hang ornaments on the tree together before bed. Jounouchi joined them this year. The blond had helped the youngster put up the star. Seto felt his role slowly being overtaken by his self-proclaimed rival. At this point, the claim seemed to be more accurate and applicable than before.
Katsuya entered the room, carrying two presents himself. He set himself to the ground a few feet in front of Kaiba, presents set to the other side of him.
"Can I start now?" Mokuba asked. Both brunet and blond nodded collectively. They watched the dark-haired teen unwrap and open his presents. Seto knew exactly what each present was and how his younger brother would react. As such, he had a barely visible smile on his face as he watched his brother behave as he had expected for each of the gifts. On the other hand, Jounouchi was showing curiosity and excitement, seeming to match the youth's energy, for each opening. By the end of those presents, Mokuba had gotten a snowboard, boa snowboarding boots, a helmet (to which the teen was probably the least excited for), an Xbox series z (which the blond seemed to have guessed ahead of time) with controllers, a new headset and much more. The rest was mostly electronic and video game related.
"This one is for you, Seto!" Mokuba announced, pulling a small box from behind a pillow on the other couch and handing it to his elder sibling.
Seto was surprised. He hadn't expected a present from his younger sibling. What could it be? he wondered to himself, mind swirling with ideas. He opened the blue box without effort. His eyes softened. He pulled out a silver watch with a blue clock face surface. "Thank you, Mokuba." The CEO smiled at the teen and encouraged him over for a hug. The happy high schooler complied. After, the brunet slipped the watch onto his left wrist, fastening it to fit appropriately. It was comfortable, more so than he thought, and very much his style.
Mokuba then turned to Jounouchi and held out another box. The blond looked at it, eyes full of surprise.
"Woah, what a minute. Mokuba." Katsuya frowned. "You didn't have to get me anything. You've already given me enough."
"Not at all, Jou! You're my best friend. Of course I'd get you a gift and give it to you on Christmas." Mokuba beamed and held out the present again, more insistent this time.
"Ah… okay, Moki, I hear ya." The blond took the box, albeit still hesitantly. "Thanks," he mumbled softly.
Seto watched intently as Katsuya opened his black box. The blond pulled out a black watch with a red clock face surface. Mokuba had both gotten them watches, and the same brand at that. Seto sighed. At least they were customized to the person and they weren't matching.
Katsuya stared at the watch for a bit, feeling conflicted. He hadn't expected Mokuba to get him a present, especially not an expensive one at that. 'The watch is stunning,' he admitted to himself. The black and red were exactly what he would've chosen for himself - if he would have ever decided to buy a watch. He knew that it would make the teen feel bad if he refused to accept it, or decided not to wear it. He sighed quietly to himself and slipped the watch onto his right wrist, fastening it as Seto had done. It was done a bit more clumsily though, causing the CEO to smirk. He had to retry a second time to get the clasp to feel right. Mokuba beamed more brightly at him, and he met it with a small smile of his own. He pulled the teen down into a tight hug.
"Aight! My turn." Katsuya ruffled Mokuba's hair.
"I just fixed my hair, Jou!" The high schooler exclaimed, half-laughing. Mokuba attempted to undo what the blond had done.
"Welp, forget about it!" Katsuya waved it off, grinning as he handed a present to the dark-haired youth.
Mokuba looked at it curiously, tearing at the wrapping impatiently to reveal its contents.
"No way! Thanks, Jou!" The teen jumped up and down with excitement.
Mokuba had been speaking about this game for weeks now - complaining that Seto refused to purchase it until the teen had finished off the school year, despite already being on winter break. The businessman hadn't wanted the teen to have another distraction from his next half year of schoolwork and studies. And the brunet made his feelings over the present abundantly clear as he glared daggers into the back of the blond's head. It seemed to be Kaiba's favorite place to focus his fury lately - probably trying to give Jounouchi the brain damage the CEO thought he already had. How that was any different than the other presents that the CEO had gotten for the teen, Katsuya had no idea.
"I'm gonna go set up all my new electronics and games!" The high schooler pulled a laundry basket from behind the couch and piled all of his presents in it. Afterwards, he lifted it and trotted his way out of the room. Jounouchi and Kaiba watched him disappear around the corner then glanced at each other.
"Is this usually how you guys spend Christmas?" Katsuya asked with a chuckle.
"For the most part, excluding you and the cooking," the burnet responded flatly.
"Oh, umm, I got something for you too." The blond grabbed the last present from the floor and pushed himself up to his feet. He scratched the side of his face with embarrassment and held the gift out to the young businessman, who remained sitting upon the couch.
The CEO glanced at it suspiciously before taking it into his own hands.
"You know what, for my sake, how about ya wait to open it until I leave the room?" Katsuya said nervously with a laugh. He backed up quickly and turned to leave.
"Wait, mutt."
The blond halted and spun around. "What'd ya want now?!" He jumped when he found the burnet right behind him. Not only that, but the businessman was holding something out to him.
Jounouchi looked apprehensively at the mysterious object. It looked like a sheet of paper. He carefully took it and looked at what was transcribed on it. He blinked in surprise as he recognized it as a check. A paycheck. He glanced up questioningly to the brunet. "What's this?"
"Your paycheck, obviously," the CEO scoffed. "Can you not read?"
"Well, ya, I can freakin' read, moneybags! I know what it is but what's it for?!"
"You've been employed as our chef, haven't you? This is a job. I plan on paying you. Granted, monthly. That is unless you would rather quit," the brunet said with a sneer.
"Course not!" the blond expressed, indignantly. He shoved the check into his back pocket and marched out the room.
Although he was still fuming from his interaction with Kaiba, Katsuya returned to the kitchen and prepared breakfast.
Breakfast and lunch passed, mostly uneventful.
After breakfast, which had been french toast with eggs and bacon, Mokuba had spent his time getting acquainted with his new gaming systems. Katsuya had merely watched the teen play after cleaning following their morning meal. At least, that was until he realized it was time for him to check the pressure-cooker again and prepare everything else for lunch. Mokuba had decided to join him. The two sang and danced to the Christmas tunes on the radio as they went along.
Soon enough, they were calling up the stairs together, "Seto! Time for lunch!" Katsuya had joined in after Mokuba said the businessman's first name. The CEO had been pulled into a virtual meeting in his study midway through breakfast and seemed to still be in it - but they had forgotten. That is - they forgot until the brunet came out of his study and glared intensely at them from the top of the stairs a few moments later. Jounoouchi shared a glance with the youth - one looking quite timid while the other undeterred. The teen shrugged. "Sorry. Seto! We forgot you were in a meeting." The high schooler frowned. "You shouldn't be working on Christmas anyways," he muttered irritably.
Katsuya gave the businessman a sheepish grin, attempting to apologize as Kaiba came down the stairs but was blatantly ignored. The CEO merely walked past and into the kitchen, speaking softly to the teen he led at his side.
"Why'd I even try?" the blond grumbled to himself. "Why I oughta…" He trailed off but imagined beating some manners into the arrogant prick.
Mashed potatoes with gray, pressure-cooked roast, rolls, a vegetable plate and snickerdoodle cookies for dessert were on the table awaiting them. They sat and feasted. Katsuya did well to push aside his annoyance toward Kaiba, and the businessman was as expressionless as ever. Mokuba rubbed his belly, sliding down in his chair with a content sigh. "Thanks, Jou, that was really, really good!"
Katsuya nodded with a smile. "Glad you enjoyed it, bud! I just don't know what to plan on for dinner."
Mokuba shot straight in his chair, leaning onto the dining table. "Seto."
The brunet met the gaze of his younger brother, arching an eyebrow. The CEO himself had barely even finished one plate while his brother had licked clean two and a half. Katsuya looked between them with concern. Is Mokuba going to ask about his appetite? Is this really about to happen? I hope Kaiba doesn't hold me responsible. Mokuba's a smart kid. He didn't need any help figurin' it out! Kaiba's been looking better too. I wonder if Moki has picked up on that as well. The blond fought with the Kaiba in his imagination. His unsuccessful attempts to calm the fake businessman leaving him unnerved.
"You…" Katsuya held his breath. "...should order Chinese food for dinner!" The youth exclaimed, eyes shining brightly.
The blond choked as he fought to contain his laughter. "Chinese? Why Chinese of all things?" It seemed like the crisis was avoided. At this rate, it didn't seem like Mokuba was ever going to know or would have more chances to guess about the CEO's past habits in regard to his appetite and indulgence.
"Well, you see, Jou, Chinese is what we have every year for dinner on Christmas." Mokuba explained cheerfully. "It's our favorite type of food."
"Ah, I see. Good ta know." The blond nodded, storing that information away for future reference.
"And," the teen added, "it gives you a break from always cooking for us."
"Oh, dontcha worry about that!" Katsuya smiled, a blush lightly encompassing his cheeks. "I'm more than happy to cook, especially for you guys!" And he meant it. He loved Mokuba like his own little brother, only he didn't have one. He'd be happy to take the youth as such. And Kaiba… well, it wasn't like he disliked cooking for his rival but some appreciation would be nice. He was just glad that the CEO wasn't fighting about it anymore. He turned to the brunet and smiled, to which Seto met for a moment with a stare before turning away his head.
Seto Kaiba finally agreed aloud to Chinese for dinner. It wasn't that he was opposed to it. He just hadn't said that he would plan on it, or really said anything until Mokuba had pestered him about it, repeatedly for five minutes continuously, without a break that would allow him to actually respond. He pulled up his phone and placed the order immediately in front of his brother. The teen seemed to appreciate it, nodding satisfactorily before turning to Katsuya. "Okay! Now, let's all go play Mario-kart together!"
The blond grinned, "I'm down. Just let me clean up here and we'll head up." The two glanced to the CEO, who looked between them before giving a short and barely noticeable nod.
After the kitchen was properly taken care of, they headed to the gaming room as a group. Mokuba tugged Katsuya along excitedly while Seto trailed behind them miffed. The blond and the brunet sat on opposite ends on the couch upon entering the room. Mokuba turned on the Wii and handed both of the others a remote. Jounouchi was given a red remote, the CEO a white and the teen took a black one for himself, which apparently was his favorite. The dark-haired teen plopped himself down between them and set up the game for the three of them to play multiplayer free-for-all races.
They got right to it. Mokuba and Katsuya jumped between characters a few times, ending with the high schooler deciding to commit to Toad and the blond to Yoshi. Seto, of course, remained consistent with his choice of Luigi. His self-proclaimed rival had jokingly chosen the green-capped character and teased that now he knew that the CEO wouldn't be able to win. He shot a fierce glare to the blond, which seemed to give him the result he wanted. Katsuya instantly apologized with some baffling nonsense before choosing Funky Kong instead. As they played, Mokuba and Katsuya seemed to trade who was in second and third for their races thus far. The businessman had maintained a good lead with each round.
As they began the next round, on the last lap, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He smoothly pulled it up with his left hand to his ear, responding cooly as usual. A smirk settled on his face as he met a side-ways glance from Katsuya - who seemed impressed and annoyed that the CEO had managed to answer his phone without losing any ground. Kaiba effortlessly maintained his speed and executed the turns with ease, only using his right hand. He was just about to cross the finish line, in about five feet or so, when Mokuba suddenly jumped up with a whine. "Jou!" The blond had thrown a red shell at him and stunted his progress, allowing Katsuya to zoom ahead of him. Mokuba's outburst and movement caused him to bump the brunet's remote, knocking it from his hand and it landing on the floor. Luigi began to spin to the right and slow into the grass, outside of the race track. The teen watched in dismay. "I'm sorry, Seto! I didn't mean to…"
"Wahoo!" Katsuya exclaimed, jumping to his feet with exhilaration. The blond's character had crossed the finish line, in first place, definitely having taken advantage of the situation. His self-proclaimed rival fell back onto the couch and gave the CEO a smug grin. "I beat ya."
The young businessman ended the call with his associate abruptly. He then gave the blond a hard stare. "Again."
The next few races, the brunet gave Jounouchi no mercy. Any time the blond was behind him in second, Seto purposefully slowed down to allow his competitor to pass. He would then hit him with shells before speeding ahead again. This occurred repeatedly the rest of the time they played. The satisfaction was enough to encourage a chuckle and slight smile to form on the CEO's face.
Katsuya breathed a sigh of relief when they heard Seto's phone go off with a special ringer. Mokuba knew exactly what that meant. The teen leapt to his feet with a yell, "Chinese is here!" before running out of the room, leaving his remote behind on the couch.
The blond was more than happy with the distraction and the inevitable end to their game. Kaiba had certainly gotten him back for all his teasing earlier. The businessman had already left the room, following the youngster.
He caught up with the Kaiba brothers in the kitchen, assisting with plates and utensils. They dished themselves up and sat as before, enjoying their meal with comfortable silence - other than Mokuba's delighted murmurings. The kid sure loved his Chinese food. They ended with the teen rubbing on his belly again. "My stomach might not be big enough for dessert." Mokuba joked.
"Well, what's next?" Katsuya asked, clearing the table and putting away the leftovers. Routine.
"Gingerbread house," Mokuba answered with a grin. The teen went over to the pantry and pulled out the kit. He brought it back to the kitchen table, spreading out all the contents onto the wooden surface.
Katsuya came over to join, peering over the teen's shoulder at all the shapes and colors. "So how does this work?"
Mokuba looked back at the blond with shock. "Haven't you done this before, Jou?"
The blond shook his head with a sheepish smile on his face, scratching the side of his head.
"Come on; I'll show you." The teen gestured him forward to the table. He willingly complied. "It's pretty straight forward. You use frosting to put everything together and wait for it to dry. Simple!"
"Is there only one frosting?"
"Oh, no, I actually had Seto buy another frosting bag and tip so that we can both work on it at the same time." The high school retraced his route, gathering the extra frosting from the pantry with its own tip tapped to it before returning and handing it to the blond.
"Thanks, Moki," Katsuya smiled and took the frosting extended to him.
Seto glanced up occasionally at them from his seat at the table, where he had been sitting since dinner. He was primarily focused on his phone.
"Whatcha doing, Kaiba?" the blond asked curiously.
The CEO's gaze flickered up momentarily. "Checking and responding to emails."
"Ah, okay." Katsuya paused. "Did you wanna join us?"
"No." The businessman's eyes didn't leave the screen of the device in his hand.
"He doesn't really enjoy this kind of thing." Mokuba explained with a shrug. "I'm just glad to get your help this time." The teen ended with a smile to the blond.
"This is takin' a lot longer than I thought." Katsuya mumbled as he and Mokuba held the edge pieces of the gingerbread houses against each other, trying to allow the frosting to harden.
"Yeah, it takes a bit." The teen murmured back.
Katsuya looked at the brunet who was still intently focused on his phone then looked back to the dark-haired companion at his side. The high schooler kept stealing side-ways glances at him.
"What's sup?" the blond asked, feeling uncomfortable.
Suddenly, the teen grabbed a hold of his frosting tube, squoze it toward Katsuya and it squirted the substance all over. Jounouchi's mouth fell open with shock, looking down at his clothes. They had been covered, along with the table and everything between the two gingerbread construction workers.
"So that's how you want it, huh?" the blond swiftly reached for his own frosting tube too. Mokuba squawked in excitement and with adrenaline as they ran around the table, switching between who was the pursuer as they took turns showering each other with the decorating substance.
They both froze in their play as they heard a chair scoot back from the table, glancing up in unison at the CEO that was getting to his feet. The brunet shot them both a fervent glare. Frosting had splattered over his face, lessening the impact of Seto's sharp look, causing them to laugh with fever. The businessman stalked around the table to Mokuba's side. The two were still caught in their laughter to pay much attention to the elder brother. Kaiba grabbed the frosting from the youth, splashing Mokuba and Katsuya while also freeing them from their gleeful outburst. Seto had a wide smirk on his face.
"The look suits you, mutt."
"Well, back at ya, wise guy!" Katsuya said jovially, retaliating with his frosting. And the war continued between the blond and brunet - Mokuba cheered them both on - until they ran out of frosting. They all chuckled and giggled, although the CEO's cut off much sooner. This was probably the most thatJounouchi had seen of the businessman in a joyful mood - that didn't result from the discomfort of another.
The kitchen was a mess. The blond sighed. "Guess we're done with the gingerbread house, right?" He continued when he got an affirming nod from the teen. "I better clean this up."
"You could leave it for one of our maids tomorrow, Jou." Mokuba offered. "You've already cleaned enough for the day."
"Nah, I'd just feel bad. I just hope I find all of that frosting." Katsuya joked, gesturing to all the areas that had frosting splattered on it.
About half an hour later, the blond smiled at the tidy kitchen. It was practically spotless. He took in his surroundings, finding himself alone, and not sure for how long. He made his way to the front entrance, trying to determine where the Kaiba brothers had gone. Mokuba was just coming down the stairs as he got there. The teen had changed out of his frosting covered clothes and had put on some winter gear. The high schooler was also carrying another set of clothes that he handed to Katsuya.
"What's this for? And whatcha dressed up all cozy for?" the blond asked inquisitively while taking possession of the neat pile passed to him.
"Something for you to change into and borrow since you don't have anything of your own here." Mokuba replied. "And we are going to see the Christmas lights downtown in Domino City."
"Oh, I see. And these I assume are…?"
"Mine." The businessman was coming down the stairs, azure eyes flashing with distaste, carrying his coat and gloves while wearing a dark green scarf. He had also changed out of his dirty clothes.
"Uh…" Katsuya stumbled over how to respond.
"Don't worry about it, Jou! Seto was the one that gave me the clothes for you." Mokuba assured.
The blond didn't respond and gave the brunet a sideways glance, finding that the CEO was giving him a dull look. He was surprised. It seemed that the seemingly emotionless businessman did care about something other than Mokuba and Kaiba Corp. He wasn't sure if 'care' was the right word. It could have easily been because the frosting on his clothes wasn't completely dry and could transfer to something else around the house. The brunet was a clean freak after all. He assumed that was more likely the case.
Katsuya shrugged and took the clothes to the bathroom, wandering down the hall past the kitchen to the destination and shutting the door behind him. He stripped and set his own clothes into a folded pile on the counter. He grabbed the new shirt apprehensively and held it up by the shoulders to get a good look at it. It was a long-sleeve and emerald green. He slipped it on, pulling up the sleeves into bunches up his arms. He picked up the pants, which were a very dark blue, almost black, and slipped them on as well. He had to roll the bottoms of the jeans up since they were long like the shirt on him. He blushed. Of course, he had been given skinny jeans. They clung to him in a way that he wasn't really accustomed to. Then again, it would've been weirder if the businessman had baggy pants. The CEO wouldn't have been the man he had grown to know and… well, scratch that unsaid last part. He pulled his shoes back on before grabbing his stack of dirty clothes and trudged back to the main entrance.
When he returned, he found Mokuba chatting enthusiastically with Kaiba, about who knows what. The teen cut off as Katsuya came into view. "Alright, let's go! Come on, Jou!"
The high schooler plunged out the door with Kaiba following close behind. The blond snagged the door before it closed completely and made his way after the two brothers after gathering his winter coat and gloves from the table close by. The weather was clear at the moment, though it was a bit nippy and getting dark. The Kaibas were standing at the end of the driveway. As he caught up with them, Seto's white car pulled up to a stop alongside them, empty. Apparently, the car could drive itself around as long as it was on the Kaiba property. Jounouchi didn't understand how but it was pretty cool. Mokuba opened the back door while the CEO went around to the driver's side.
"Oh, no, no, no! No." Katsuya shouted aloud. The teen and brunet paused.
"What's up, Jou?" Dark eyes lit with confusion as the youth turned toward the blond.
"I've done this before. I am not getting back in a car with that maniac drivin', not with what happened last time," the blond declared.
"Well, no one else is driving my car other than me," the businessman stated, emphasizing the word 'me.'
"What happened last time?" the teen questioned.
The adults glared at each other, neither responding.
"Okay then… well, Jou, I don't know what happened last time but I promise that Seto isn't that bad in the car with me…" Mokuba clearly understood the lengths that his elder brother would go.
Katsuya shifted back to the high schooler and felt his gaze soften, seeing the honesty and anxiousness in the other's dark eyes. "Okay, if you say so, Moki. I'll take your word for it," the blond mumbled. He walked over to the teen's door and slid in behind him into the car, after shooting a sharp look to the CEO, which was met with the usual cold, azure eyes.
The drive was unexpectable pleasant. Kaiba drove barely over the speed limit and followed all the other laws of the road on their way, even buckling before he started the car. It was basically having an entirely different person as their driver. The businessman always seemed to be putting on a front for the youth who was his brother.
They got to Domino City within a quarter of an hour and then took another ten to get to their predetermined destination. It had finally gotten dark and revealed more clearly all the Christmas lights set up along the way. Decorations wrapped and hung from every street lamp, glowing amber. They parked in a community lot across from a massive fountain located downtown. Leaving the car locked, they walked toward the erupting water. The area was well lit, luminous from the mass of ornamentations of every shape and color strung crosswise above the square. The lights reflected off the water of the fountain. He was happy to see heating lamps orderly dispersed outward from the area's center, even though he had put on his winter gear while in the car earlier.
Katsuya was honestly surprised that no one else was there. Together, him and the Kaiba brothers were the only ones in the square. The view was breathtaking and definitely contributed to the holiday spirit. Mokuba seemed to agree as the teen seemed to lose his breath at the sight, getting a reminder from the CEO to breathe. Looking at the businessman's expression, the blond understood why there weren't any other visitors. The rich prick had probably blocked off the area as a private event for them for a few hours. Hopefully other people had changed their plans for the evening and didn't have their Christmas ruined due to the selfishness of the arrogant businessman. He really didn't like the inconsiderate and egotistical side of the brunet but he understood wanting only the best for a younger sibling. If he had the means, he would give Shizuka the same - maybe in a different way though.
Mokuba raced forward to the edge of the fountain with Jounouchi and Kaiba following more slowly. The youngest two of the three looked in wonder and amazement at the water and the way the lights danced across its surface. The blond had moved forward to join the youth for a moment before backing up to join the CEO, who was watching them with amusement barely visible in his azure eyes.
"...So Kaiba, question for ya." Katsuya began before he was cut off as fireworks suddenly went off in the distance, but appeared to be right behind and above the fountain. They seemed to cover the sky. The three of them looked up, two with awe and the other with approval. It was obvious who had planned and staged the surprise. After the blond was able to turn away from the barrage of colors and sound, he recovered and remembered what he had planned to ask of the CEO. "Kaiba."
The businessman looked down at him, and Jounouchi took that as a sign to continue. "Did you decide if you are going to tell Mokuba about yer… um… previous condition?"
"What condition?" Seto turned away, directing his attention back to the display of lights in the sky.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about, moneybags. Don't try to avoid it. Denial doesn't suit you." The shorter duelist frowned, eyebrows furrowed with annoyance.
The brunet glared, eyes cold with hostility.
"Are ya gonna answer the question or not?" Katsuya rolled his eyes while crossing his arms over his chest. This wasn't a result of the cold. It had started to lightly snow but the cold never reached them in the presence of the heating lamps around them.
"Why would I need to answer an absurd question such as that?" The businessman stuck up his nose.
"Cuz Mokuba deserves the truth." The blond retorted.
"Why do I need to bring up a past that is no longer relevant?"
"Stop being so stubborn, you fool," Katsuya growled.
"The only fool is you for trying to tell me what to do." Kaiba's jaw clenched.
"I'm only trying to tell you what's good for ya! Again!"
"Well, I don't need it. I'm fully capable of taking care of myself. I have no need for a mutt," the brunet sneered.
Jounouchi grabbed the front of Kaiba's coat, just under the neckline, in a tight fist and leaned forward. "Don't push me, Kaiba."
Suddenly, they were swarmed by people, lights flashing and blinding them. "Kaiba! Kaiba!" They had been too focused on their heated conversation to notice the crowd enter the square.
There was a barrage of voices and the sound of clicking as reporters flooded them. The reporters sought photos and answers to their variety of questions. Katsuya's fist loosened with confusion and Kaiba glanced toward the fountain, calling for his brother with controlled anxiety and anger. They had been surrounded and there was no sight of the youth, being separated by the people between them. Reporters began pushing each other forward to get closer to their subject of curiosity. One was unfortunately pushed too far and bumped into the blond.
Impact. Katsuya and Kaiba froze with surprise as their eyes locked, brown to blue. Their lips collided, pressed together, and lights flashed around them.
End of Chapter 15