Masaka: Ugh I got a new desk as an early Christmas present and the thing weighed a ton going up the stairs. Well anyway, obviously that's not what you all want to know about. So far I've received three reviews that are all various shades of positive. Hopefully that will continue but if it doesn't, oh well. Without any further ado here is the next chapter
--C-H-A-P-T-E-R—S-T-A-R-T--
Mokuba was an unusually reliable employee for someone his age. Any other thirteen-year-old would have found it hard to spend their Saturdays directing the sales staff on how to answer the millions of questions that concerned parents threw at the company. Most thirteen-year-olds would absolute implode at having to spend their winter vacation wrapping gifts and double-checking addresses with grumpy costumers who didn't see why their packages 'couldn't just be sent right NOW!'
But Mokuba Kaiba wasn't a regular thirteen-year-old…well…most of the time anyway.
Today, however, Mokuba was doing a pretty good job at acting his age. And it was all because he'd received the almost miraculous opportunity to see some of the most powerful people on this planet dressed up in emerald green leotards covered in ruby red pom-poms.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Y-y-you l-l-look s-so r-ri-ri-ridiculous," Mokuba howled, clutching his stomach in one hand and pointing to the two hapless youths with the other.
Atem was handling it pretty well actually, only turning a very painful looking maroon, while Bakura, on the other hand, was covered in a threatening aura of shadows.
"Kid, do you have a death wish? Because I swear if you keep it up with the laughing you will be playing the Ghost of Christmas Past for the rest of eternity!" the white-haired spirit growled.
"GUYS!" Yugi yelled, running out of the dressing room and running in-between Mokuba and the spirits. "This is why Ryou and I told you two that you didn't have to do this! Stop acting so hostile Bakura, and Atem, if you don't clam down your probably going to make yourself pass out."
"I will be fine, aibou," Atem tried to smile for his other, "but I cannot make any guarantees. But perhaps I can clam myself by thinking that at least I was lucky enough to get a costume that is gender-correct."
As the blush was obviously forced down from Atem's face, his aibou's face started to light up instead.
Somehow, because the Universe was just inclined to mess with the hikaris in whatever manner it could, the costume department hadn't been able to find any boy elf costumes small enough to fit on Yugi's frame.
So instead Yugi was dressed in one of the female elf costumes. Like the boy's the main part of the uniform was green, only with white trim like on the Santa costume instead of bundles of little red pom-poms. This lovely little dress came with a pair of red and white stripped stockings –thigh-high stockings luckily so Yugi could actually walk around freely without worrying about crushing the family jewels- and a matching Santa hat plus some curly-toed, bell-tipped elf shoes.
"Y-yah well…it's not Kaiba's fault that the uniforms are all too big for me," Yugi coughed awkwardly as he tugged at the hem of his skirt.
"Of course not," Atem and Bakura both snorted sarcastically.
Mokuba was having a hard time breathing by this point. He'd actually fallen into the fake snow that covered the Santa's castle in the store and was alternatively laughing and hacking out the small pieces that he accidentally breathed in.
"STOP IT ALREADY YOU STUPID BRAT!!" Bakura screamed down at the kid.
"C-can't h-help it! O-oh God! S-so hilarious!" Mokuba wheezed. Finally after what seemed like an eternity the younger Kaiba rolled himself to his knees and from there back to his feet. "Phew! Man, that was great! I haven't laughed so hard since the year I managed to put alcoholic eggnog in the employee Christmas bash without anybody realizing! Phew, it nearly killed me! Yugi, I'll see that you get a big bonus for dress in the girl's costume, I can't believe that we don't have uniforms small enough."
"Thank you, Mokuba. That would really be appreciated," Yugi smiled gently.
"Think nothing of it now you…heh…elves should probably report to Santa …snkk…the line will be opened up- heh-heh- in a few minutes so –pppphht- b-be ready," Mokuba said, obviously trying his best to hold in another peal of laughter.
"Alright we'll do that. Say hello to your brother for us," Yugi said, taking both Bakura and Atem's arms in his and leading them back further into the fake throne room.
Mokuba nodded to show that he'd heard and stumbled away back towards the elevator, looking slightly hilarious himself, absolutely plastered with flakes of fake snow.
"Ooooh that kid nearly had it! If this stupid place weren't about to be flooded with brats I would have murdered him and stuck his stinking corpse in one of these outfits and let him get laughed at!" Bakura snarled.
"I doubt anyone, other than you, would find a corpse hilarious, no matter how it was dressed, Bakura," Atem shrugged casually.
Bakura only growled again and wandered over to where his hikari was thoughtfully counting out lollipops to put even-numbers in everyone's basket.
Sighing in relief that it was over, Yugi turned to look at his other and noticed that Atem was staring at him with a very intense look on his face.
"Y-yami, what's wrong?" Yugi shivered.
"…You look cute in that, aibou," Atem smirked slightly. Yugi's face went up like a roman candle and he began to chock.
"Well-well, look at all my happy workers!" a very nauseating voice said.
Atem's smirk slide right off and his hands immediately rolled into fists. From behind the North Pole's set strolled the most aggravating person that the ex-pharaoh had ever had to suffer. Their temporary boss Murakami Su.
A former attendant of Domino High School, Su had an ego that was a completely mismatch to the man's actual worth. He was a lot like a tick, with a set of wide strangely flat lips and eyes completely bugged out behind a pair of coke-bottle glasses. His behavior was also rather tick-like, he would find someone he liked and he leeched onto them without restraint or care of the other person's feelings.
This would be the second time Atem was forced to deal with him. The first time had been an encounter at the Domino Zoo (A/N: I am not referring directly to Heavenly Interventions but I am having fun re-using this horrible character-type) where Atem had foolishly tried to get a job alongside Jounouchi.
At that time it had been the blonde that Su was leeched onto, causing said blonde no end of trouble and trauma. The way that Murakami had been siphoned off that time was by Mokuba's genius maneuvering, 'accidentally' knocking over a bucket of fish guts onto the dork and then 'unintentionally' tripping him into the dolphin tank. Well…that and he'd blackmailed his brother into acting like Jounouchi's 'significant-other' for the day.
It was no wonder that Jounouchi couldn't even look Kaiba straight in the face these days without turning scarlet.
"Good morning, Murakami-sempai," Yugi bowed politely, exposing the faintest hint of bare thighs to Atem, would was standing right behind him.
Murakami pushed his glasses up his black-head freckled nose and smirked superiorly. "Ah, hello there, Motu-san. You look very stunning in that particular uniform, I'm so glad that we were able to find something that fit you."
Suddenly Atem had the sneaking suspicion that this whole uniform mix-up really HADN'T been Kaiba's fault, but rather a hideous plot by Murakami.
"Well, um…thank you…I think," Yugi blinked
"Yes, I have no doubt that you'll be our most popular elf of all, Motu-san," Murakami smirked before turning around and going over to harass Ryou about how many lollipops went in each basket or something equally pointless.
Atem couldn't help the low growl that escaped from his lips. Yugi looked over at his in worry.
"Mou hitori no boku, don't lose it, okay? I know you really don't like Murakami-sempai, but it only for a few weeks, alright?" Yugi pleaded.
"Only for a few weeks," Atem repeated tensely. "Only a few weeks…but if he dares to treat you with the same low-brow manners he treated Jounouchi with."
"He won't," Yugi laughed easily, "it will be fine. Maybe Jou was unluck, but I sincerely doubt I'll attract that much attention from Murakami. I mean, as great a bastard as he is, he still has a great eye for attractive people."
"And you think you aren't attractive?" Atem asked with one quirked eyebrow.
"Wha-I mean…well..." Yugi blushed in embarrassment.
"SANTA COMING IN! OKAY PEOPLE, TO YOUR STATIONS!" Su yelled out, interrupting whatever response Yugi was going to give.
Atem glowered over at the ugly manager and tried to remind himself that this was all for the sake of keeping his hikari safe.
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Jounouchi looked down at the phone murderously as if trying to threaten it into dialing itself.
For the last several weeks Jounouchi had been trying to work himself up to calling Kaiba and inviting him out for a strictly platonic thank-you dinner.
After the way Kaiba had saved him last year, Jounouchi had really wanted to bury the hatchet and try becoming closer friends with the CEO.
But Kaiba didn't make it easy. Nope, every time he crossed paths with the sapphire-eyed boy he'd completely loose his cool and start yelling over the most stupid things.
"C-come o-on J-Jou, y-you c-c-c-can do t-this. Y-you're j-just g-going t-to ask h-him o-out to d-dinner is all. I-it's n-not like y-you're a-asking h-him o-out on a-an actual d-date! Y-you're j-just g-going to g-give him a long-long overd-due t-thank you, is all," Jou told himself as he lowered his fingers towards to buttons.
"NII-SAMA!" Serenity suddenly called, causing Jou to jolt and hit several buttons at once.
"Damn it," Jounouchi whimpered, as his little sister came bounding into the room.
"Nii-sama! Nii-sama! Guess what! Guess what!" Serenity grinned brilliantly. Jou put the phone down and smiled indulgently up at his sister.
"What's up, Serenity? Ya gotta tell me cuz I'll never be able ta guess."
"Honda is taking me to Domino Tower for dinner Christmas Eve. DOMINO TOWER! Can you imagine! It's like the most romantic place in the entire city to eat and it really, really expensive, but Hirito said he'd been saving up fro it since June so he was absolutely covered! Oh Jou! It's okay if I go with him isn't it?"
"Uh well…yah I guess, but Christmas Eve is still a long way away, why are ya tellin' me now?" Jou blinked in confusion.
Usually he'd be upset about his best friend making moves on his little sister but well…the guy had saved up all his cash since June! That was something that Jounouchi could really respect, even if he didn't particularly like it.
"Well I was thinking that, since we already have a reservation, Honda and I, maybe it would be easier for you to take Kaiba there as well! We could call the restaurant and-"
"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! WHAT DO YA MEAN 'TAKE KAIBA OUT'! I HATE THAT JERK!!!" Jounouchi yelled, his face turning the terrible shade of cranberry that only mentions of Kaiba could bring him to.
"Oh please, nii-sama, you are so transparent. You have been mooning over Seto-kun ever since he saved you from your stupid boss six months ago! Really, I'm sure even he's realized it by now."
The suggestion, in itself, caused Jounouchi's heart to painfully skip a beat. Did Kaiba know? COULD he know? It wasn't that outrageous to presume. After all, the guy was a genius, and even if he wasn't surely it wouldn't be hard to notice that Jou had started getting redder every time they talked since that day when Kaiba had wrapped his arms around Jounouchi's waist and smirked right in Murakami's face calling him, 'my pup.'
Oh! Oh God no! No! Please no! He couldn't have figured it out, could he? Jounouchi couldn't ask Kaiba out to dinner if the billionaire already suspected that Jounouchi was more than just grateful, that he was infatuated.
"I-I-I d-don't think t-that's a-a good idea, sis," Jounouchi said painfully, "I-I mean, Hirito w-was savin' up for months, right? I-I didn't do that and s-so I won't be able to a-afford."
"Oh come on Jou, I know you've saved up a lot of money for your 'thank you' gift to Kaiba. I've seen your bank statements!" Serenity frowned.
"HEY! DON'T BE SNOOPIN' THROUGH MY BILLS!" Jounouchi snapped agitatedly.
Showing a new confidence that hadn't been there the year before, Serenity just rolled her eyes and headed for the door. "Okay, I'm sorry I guess. But if you should change your mind we still have two days in which we can switch our arrangements without any hassle."
The door closed behind the red-head leaving Jounouchi once again alone with his phone.
Taking a deep breath the blonde decided to go for it and he dialed.
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Ryou was being to feel a little bit guilt about his plans as he watched Yugi being harassed about his outfit by what seemed to be the one-hundredth annoying teenager.
It had been Ryou's own need for money that had prompted Yugi to take this job. They'd both been looking for jobs together in secret before Kaiba had come into the coffee-shop with his offer.
Yugi had already gotten his other-half a wonderful present, something that he'd had for a long time, which had simply needed a few repairs before it could be represented to his yami.
In return for helping Ryou afford his own present, Ryou had helped design and craft one of the small modifications that Yugi had made to his gift.
But considering how much trouble the small teen was going through, Ryou was being to think he'd over-charged his poor friend.
"Yugi…are…are you doing okay?" Ryou asked the boy after their shift was over. Yugi was huddled on the bench in the locker-room his head between his knees.
"I'll…I'll be fine," Yugi panted slightly. He'd been on an adrenaline kick almost all day, dodging goons left and right. It only made sense that he was overexerted.
"You know Yugi…you don't have to help me with this. I mean, it may take a little extra work on my end but I'm sure I can afford Bakura's gift on my own."
"No, don't try to let me out of it, Ryou," Yugi said lifting his head up and looking Ryou straight in the eye. "This isn't even about you! I HAVE to help out with this!"
"Wha- what do you mean by that?" Ryou blinked.
"It's…it's about my yami…about …what I want for him…and what I have to do to get what I want…" Yugi sighed.
"But Yugi, you already got him that beautiful mu-"
"It's not about the gift," Yugi sighed warily. "I mean…if it was about the gift then I wouldn't spend every other morning arguing with Atem about the importance of Christmas… no…this is about something…a little more insubstantial…but even more valuable."
"…You really aren't making any sense, you know that," Ryou frowned in worry.
Yugi laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Ya, I guess I don't, do I? Just promise me that you'll have the gift ready and that you'll bring it and Bakura to the appointed place at the appointed time, okay?"
"Of course, Yugi," Ryou nodded with a smile. He then turned and shrugged on his coat. "Listen Yugi, I still feel a little bad enough if you say I shouldn't so how about I treat you-"
Ryou turned to look back at Yugi and he saw that his friend was no longer around.
"-to…a hot drink?"
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Anzu walked into the building absolutely terrified that she would not see her name on that list.
Last week she'd auditioned for a part in the local ballet troupe's yearly production of the Nutcracker. Specifically she'd gone out for the role of the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
This particular production held special meaning for her. It was the first performance she'd ever seen and it had been the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in particular that had cemented Anzu's dream of becoming a ballerina entirely.
And now she might actually get a chance to perform the piece. The ballet troupe wasn't very well put together, in fact it was dangerously loose when it came to practicing the dance, but it was still the only troupe that Anzu had ever really wanted to perform in. Because it had been this troupe to give her the dream.
She managed to reach the double-doors before her courage failed her and she turned to leave.
"ANZU-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!" Yugi called out, running up the street at mach-four speeds.
"Yugi what are you-" she didn't get any further in her question because suddenly Yugi's foot intercepted a patch of ice and the boy came whizzing at her, plowing them both into a snow-drift beside the auditorium's stairs.
When they both managed to shake away their dizziness they found themselves in an only slightly compromising position with Yugi straddled over Anzu's hips, his face buried in the snow just over Anzu's shoulder.
"Oh! Oh Anzu-chan! I'm sorry; I didn't see that ice there. Are you okay, I didn't hurt you did I?" Yugi asked anxiously, sitting up abruptly and checking his friend over for injuries.
The brunette simply laughed and sat up herself. She then began brushing the snow off of both of them.
"No, I'm alright Yugi. No need to worry. But next time you come running down the street, please try to remember it's December and sidewalks get slick in December."
"Yah, I'm sorry. I was just so excited, I know today is the day that the audition results come in and I wanted to make sure I was here to see them with you," Yugi blushed.
Not to long ago, it would have been impossible for either of the teenagers to be this close to each other without turning an embarrassed shade of rhubarb.
Surprisingly it had been Anzu who had stepped forward first, saying that she really liked Yugi and that she thought he was cute, but that she really didn't want to be in love with him because it would just end up being a weird relationship that would undoubtedly fall apart once she left for America.
Yugi had been so relieved that he wasn't the only one to feel peculiar about the other that he had easily accepted Anzu's half-confession half-apology and agreed to continue their friendship as it was.
"Oh Yugi, you didn't have so show up here. I know you're busy getting ready for Christmas and I you already helped me so much, always shopping with me for my supplies and keeping me informed on every ballet class available," Anzu sighed, getting gracefully to her feet and pulling Yugi up beside her.
"Don't talk like that Anzu. You know that if it's for my friends, it's all worth the trouble in the end," Yugi smiled prettily.
Anzu opened her mouth to say something, but seeing the determined look in Yugi's eyes and recognizing the argument as one she herself often used, she just sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
"So what are we standing around here for, anyway? Let's go inside and check the listing already," Yugi said, grabbing Anzu's wrist and tugging her towards the doors. Anzu dug her heels into the snow making Yugi come to a stop.
"W-what's wrong?" Yugi asked.
"Yugi…I'm scared. What if I didn't make it?" Anzu blinked.
"Well…then this group is obviously made up with morons and we'll have to find you a better group to perform with," Yugi answered with only a moment's hesitation.
Anzu blushed and let Yugi led her up to the doors. With her heart in her throat she walked up to the listing and searched for her name.
"Masaki Anzu….role is the second escort to the Sugar Plum Fairy," Anzu read off painfully.
"Oh, Anzu, I'm so sorry," Yugi frowned.
"No…no it's okay…it's fine…I mean, I'm not even a real full-time student of dance yet so…this is good…this is really good," Anzu smiled bravely.
"Anzu," Yugi sighed.
Suddenly the door to the auditorium slammed open; Anzu's quick reflexes were all the saved Yugi from getting a nasty concussion.
"-AND I REFUSE TO COME BACK UNLESS ALL MY DEMANDS ARE MET!!" a waspish woman screamed over her shoulder before charging away in a huff.
Moments later another person came running out of the room. It was the director of the play, Tatsuaki Shenso.
"Tatsuaki-sama," Anzu gasped, bowing suddenly, and forcing Yugi's head down with hers.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow," Yugi whimpered.
"IIWAKA-SAN YOU CAN'T JUST-…oh hello there Masaki-san, glad you came back. You were in such a rush after your audition I couldn't say a word to you," the ballet master smiled.
"I-I had a-a job to get to," Anzu winced in embarrassment. "Um…who was that rushing out just now?"
"Hmm? Oh that WAS our Claire, Miss Iiwaka Kanna," Tatsuaki sighed. He then looked Anzu critically up and down and smacked his hand into his fist.
Yugi and Anzu both shared a look of confusion at the look.
"Say Anzu, do you think you have time to come into the auditorium every afternoon until the performance."
"I-I suppose that I could juggle my schedule around…why?" Anzu asked.
"Well I'm thinking that with a little bit of private coaching there is no reason why you couldn't play our Claire. Iiwaka wasn't all that good at it; she just had the right connections. Would you be willing?"
"OH MY GOD!!" Anzu squealed in excitement. "Oh! Oh! I'd be honored Tatsuaki-sama! I-I mean, this is beyond what I dreamed I…I mean I never thought I'd get the role of…I mean-"
"She means yes," Yugi spoke up for his friend.
"Wonderful! It's a great relief to hear that. Iiwaka had no understudy and I know most of the other girls are very partial to the roles they've been assigned…it's strange that Iiwaka would get so upset that she would give up this role actually…she said something about the stage being haunted and some hairy little demon always messing up her dressing room…honestly I always thought Iiwaka was a little cracked."
Unnoticed by either of the other two Yugi crept over to the auditorium doors and peeled off a duel monsters card that had been tapped there.
"I'll show up bright and early for practice everyday, you'll see!" Anzu smiled.
"Very well then…until tomorrow," Tatsuaki bowed in parting before walking back into the auditorium.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS" Anzu screamed in joy the moment the pair reached the sidewalk. "I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M PLAYING THE LEAD ROLE IN MY ALL TIME FAVORITE BALLET, IT'S A DREAM COME TRUE!!!"
"I'm so glad that things worked out for you, Anzu-chan…will you still be able to make it to our meeting on Christmas Day though?" Yugi frowned in worry.
"Oh the performance is on Christmas Eve so unless the whole performance hall falls down around my ears during the finale, I'll definitely come, if only to yak your ear off about what it was like!" Anzu nodded wildly.
Then, must to Yugi's surprise, she lunged at him and swept him up into a kiss. "You are the best friend ever Yugi!"
"U-uh thank you," Yugi said in shock.
Anzu then whirled around and bounded off down the street, continuing to shout to the heavens her excitement.
Yugi watched her leave casually. Then he looked at his watch, blanched, and whirled off to his next stop completely unaware of the startled and pained crimson eyes staring out from the window of a neighboring store.
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Masaka: Okay, this is definitely not going to end well. I can hear the screaming of 'You Made Anzu KISS Yugi? How could you?' already. Just CHILL OUT people! It's a plot okay, a plot in progress!!