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Wish	By : WhosJeebus Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 3304 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh!, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Title: Wish (4/9)

Author: WhosJeebus

Rating: NC-17

Pairing(s): Joey/Seto, scads of others, & even a few surprises

Beta: Jennie B.

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, but if someone wants to give it to me as a Christmas gift, I certainly won't argue about it...

Summary: Seto won't be home for the holidays, but can Joey's friends and family manage to show him a holly jolly time, anyway? Sometimes, Christmas miracles happen in the most unexpected of ways...
Rant: Wow. Isn't it amazing how quickly a week can pass? Looks like Thursday will be our regular day for updating, and in lieu of the ten reviews per chapter, I'll do my best to stick to it, scout's honour.
I'm sure you're all jonesing for some Seto action by now, but fear not. He'll be back with a vengeance in the next chapter. Be forewarned, however. You may end up wishing he'd stayed out of the picture a bit longer... 0__0
I hope you're all enjoying the fic so far, but I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't quite have the time to include review responses with this installment. I promise I'll make it up to you in Chapter 5, which is OUTRAGEOUSLY long. **glomps** Thanks to each and every one of you who made the effort and left me some feedback (you know who you are), and for Cirquegirl999 - since you begged so prettily last chapter you get a special treat - Mokie's mystery boyfriend IS indeed a member of the gang. Let's see if Chapter 4 gives you any clues...
See you guys again at the 35 review mark, or next Thursday, whichever comes first! **waves** (01/19/06)
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Chapter 4:

(5 days 'til Christmas)

Joey eyed the results of his latest culinary experiment and released a weary sigh. This was the third loaf of bread that had turned out like a brick, and at this point, even his infamous 'never say die' attitude had packed its bags and walked away in disgust. He'd mastered the fine art of mashed potatoes, conquered the mysterious realm of cranberry sauce, and even bested his opponents, the elusive ambrosia fruit salad and the wily glazed ham. Baking, however, he likened more to alchemy than cooking. He was fast becoming convinced that to do it properly, he'd need some sort of lengthy degree and years of apprenticeship under the tutelage of a master. Sighing in frustration, he tossed his apron down on the counter, sending up tiny puffs of flour. He was out of ideas, and as he bent down to inspect the oven's heating coils, he still retained a faint glimmer of hope that perhaps the blame didn't lie with his own cooking skills. Or rather, the lack thereof.
Joey stuck his head all the way inside the oven, and finding no apparent malfunction, briefly considered leaving it there. He only had five days left to figure this out, and he was rapidly losing all traces of his formerly indomitable optimism. He knew that no one would fault him for screwing up one measly Christmas feast, but this had become more and more about personal accomplishment than anything else. He was starting to think that he might be asking for too much, or maybe he was just tilting at the odd windmill or two. Regardless, there had to be ~some~ way of pulling this off, short of sending up the white flag and calling in a caterer, but damned if he could see his way clear to it. No matter what he eventually came up with, it would seem that one week's worth of self-taught gourmet cooking was simply ~not~ going to cut it.
As he deliberated on his remaining options, Joey thought he heard a faint rapping sound coming from somewhere in the mansion. Cocking his head to listen, his ears detected nothing but silence, and he began to suspect that he'd simply imagined it in the first place. He was dead on his feet at present, and it wouldn't really have come as much of a shock to him if his brain ended up conjuring a full-blown hallucination to go with the phantom noises. It was barely six PM and he'd already pulled an eight hour shift at the bookstore, dealing mostly with irate, last-minute mall shoppers, and going slightly bonkers from hearing the same Christmas carols over and over, piped in from overhead. He'd followed up work with a grueling rehearsal of 'A Winter's Tale', which was scheduled to be his theatre troupe's first play of the upcoming year. With holiday panic looming, none of the actors were able to focus on what they were doing, and the whole affair had been one huge disaster from start to finish. The grand finale to his crummy day had been the fact that he'd just spent two frustrating hours in the kitchen with nothing to show for it. He'd even nodded off on the phone with Seto earlier, and only now continued to stay mobile by virtue of the fact that he'd ~finally~ figured out how to work the damned espresso machine. At least ~some~ good had resulted from his culinary excursions, after all.
The rapping came again, and this time, Joey was able to pinpoint the direction from which it had emanated. Lo and behold, it had taken his tired mind this long to figure out that someone was at the front door. He smiled to himself as he made his way to the front hall. Only one person he knew ever used the door knocker, and that person was Ryou Bakura. The impeccably well-mannered young man often claimed that he found doorbells to be obnoxious and unrefined, and always insisted on knocking politely instead. As Joey hurried to greet his guest, he wondered if Seto had had anything to do with the frequency of visitors that seemed to be showing up at his door lately. Had his guilt-ridden boyfriend engineered some sort of plan to prevent him from becoming lonely over the holidays, even going so far as to scheme with Joey's friends behind his back? It certainly sounded devious enough to be Seto's doing...
Joey skidded into the foyer, wiping his hands on the dish towel he had slung over one shoulder, and made a grab for the first deadbolt. Before he'd managed to unlatch it, the visitor knocked again, but gone was the patient rapping of before. In its stead came a forceful pounding, quite unlike Ryou's usual quick, concise taps. Joey frowned. Just peachy; Bakura was tagging along this time. "Keep your panties on, will ya? I'm on it!"
He reached for the second deadbolt, and without warning, the headache-inducing pounding was interrupted by a high-pitched shriek. That had sounded a ~lot~ like Ryou -- a lot like Ryou being brutally murdered, that is. The shriek ended even more abruptly, followed by a teeth-rattling thud that shook the entire front door. Joey glanced up see the tip of a sharp blade protruding through the wood, alarmingly close to his head. For a moment, he stood frozen in place, gaping at it stupidly. "What the --?" Concern for his friends' safety took over, and Joey flung the door open, belatedly realizing that he'd essentially granted entrance to whoever, or ~whatever~ had just put a knife through three inches of solid oak. The sight that greeted his eyes, however, was not at all what he'd been expecting. Slightly off to the side, Ryou stood with his back hard up against the far wall of the entryway, both hands clutched to his chest and a look of abject terror on his pallid face. If there had been any handholds to be found, Joey was sure the poor kid would be halfway up the side of the mansion, hissing like a cat. Bakura, meanwhile, took up most of Joey's field of vision, standing spread-eagled and panting on the front stoop, with a strange mix of fear and rage twisting his features. His left sleeve was rolled up past the elbow, revealing an obviously ~empty~ wrist sheath.
Slowly starting to piece things together, Joey followed the direction of Bakura's furious gaze. An ornate knife hilt lay partially buried in the depths of the huge holly wreath that graced the front door. "Uh, Bakura?" Joey began, scratching his head in bewilderment. "You mind tellin' me why you decided to stab the festive greenery to death?"
Ryou's breathing had finally returned to normal, and he shouldered past the still-fuming Bakura to stand before Joey, albeit rather sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Joey. That was my fault, I'm afraid. When Bakura here started pounding on the door like a barbarian," he paused to shoot the other boy a disparaging glare, "the wreath started playing a Christmas carol, and I'm ashamed to admit that it startled me a bit."
Bakura scoffed. "A bit? You screeched like a girl." He yanked the knife from the door and slipped it back into its sheath. "And ~that~ thing," he growled, poking at the wreath for emphasis, "is a fucking menace."
Joey tried hard to hide his amused smile. "So, a defenseless, singing Christmas wreath, with a big honkin' ~bow~ on it no less, had the two of you pissin' your pants, is that right? It may just be me, but I've never found 'Sleigh Ride' to be all that intimidating..."
"Screw you, Wheeler. C'mon Ry, let's take his cookies back home with us."
Joey zeroed in on the foil-wrapped plate that lay abandoned on the welcome mat. "Cookies? You brought cookies?"
Ryou nodded shyly. "I didn't think you were home, so I was just going to leave them for you, but --"
"Are they homemade?" Joey interrupted, grabbing at the front of Ryou's winter coat.
"Well, yes they are, but --"
"Can you --" Joey swallowed nervously. "Can you... bake?" he whispered.
"I know the basics, but there's really --"
"Great! Get your skinny ass on in here!" He hauled his guest in through the door, across the front hall, and was making straight for the kitchen when he suddenly remembered Ryou's reluctant companion. "Oh, and Bakura, you can come too," Joey called behind him. "I know you have to be invited in or somethin' before you can enter a human dwelling."
Sighing, Bakura reached down to retrieve the forgotten cookies. "Get bent," he muttered under his breath. He gave the offending wreath one final, malevolent glare before trailing after the other two boys.
Once inside, he eyed the mansion's high, ornate ceilings and endless hallways with a touch of trepidation. He'd seen pharaoh's tombs with fewer twists and turns. After a few false starts, he found his way to the kitchen and joined the cooking lesson already in progress. Rolling his eyes, Bakura proceeded to raid the liquor cabinet, and once he was firmly ensconced on a kitchen stool with vodka in hand, he began poring over one of Seto's financial magazines. Listening in with one ear, he amused himself with the thought that if he hadn't already known that mere baking was going on, he might have gotten the wrong idea...
"No, Joey! You're using way too much oil! Try again!"
"What's wrong with it now? Am I bein' too rough with my hands or somethin'?"
"Oh, I can't do a thing with this! It's just too soft!"
"Ow! Don't shove at it so hard! My hand's in there!"
"Kneading, Joey. It's called ~kneading~, and you have to do it right if you want to get anywhere!"
"Hey, what are these big hook things for?"
"Now we just leave it alone and let it rise."
"Wow! Lookit how big it got!"
An hour later, Bakura closed the magazine and rubbed at his temples. "This piss-poor excuse for a vaudeville act is starting to get on my nerves. Aren't you ladies finished yet?"
Ryou glanced up and made a face in Bakura's general direction, just short of ignoring him altogether. "Don't mind him, Joey. He's just pissy because he got a parking ticket today."
Bakura took immediate offense to this. "You're the one who woke me up and dragged me out Christmas shopping! I should make ~you~ pay it!"
Ryou was nonplussed. Calmly, he stated, "Now Bakura... think back and see if you can tell me how many times we've had our little 'no parking on the sidewalk' discussion, hmm? More times than I can count, honestly. I can't let you get away with saying it's all ~my~ fault."
Crossing his arms, Bakura replied sulkily, "Fine. But I still say it's a damned stupid rule."
Joey was perplexed. "Bakura has a car? When did he-- ?"
Ryou pursed his lips and gave his head a minute shake. It was the non verbal equivalent of 'don't ask', and Joey decided to heed the warning. Right. He was probably better off not knowing, anyway. Looking around for something to relieve the tension in the air, his eyes fell upon the plate of cookies. "Hey, I almost forgot about these!"
Ryou made a quick grab for his friend's hand and missed. "Wait! There's something I need to tell you before --"
The warning came too late. Joey pulled the foil cover off, and then stared down at the plate in confusion. "Gingerbread cookies?"
Bakura smirked. "Gingerbread ~men~. Anatomically correct gingerbread men, to be exact."
Ryou's pale complexion flushed a lovely shade of pink. "'Kura snuck in the kitchen while they were still in the oven, and gave them little, candy corn, uh... erections."
"Oh, for Ra's sake, Ryou! Say 'boner', why don't you? I bet you even get one yourself every now and then," Bakura groused. He thought about what he'd just said for a moment. "Actually, I ~know~ for a fact you do. Remember that one time, when you were looking at that picture of --"
Ryou cleared his throat loudly, his face becoming even darker. "Luckily, I got to him before he could ~disfigure~ any more of them after this batch, but he insisted that the first dozen were yours. I hope you're not offended."
"Not at all." Mesmerized, Joey reached down and broke off a piece of candy corn. The other two boys visibly winced.
"Good. I told Ry you'd like them, and besides, with Kaiba out of town, I figured you could use a stiff dick or two around the place."

"BAKURA!!" Ryou looked like he might faint at any moment.
"Oh, lighten up. It's the holidays, after all. Isn't that what you've been telling ~me~ for weeks now?" Bakura sneered, turning his back on them both. "Merry Christmas this and happy holidays that," he muttered. "It's just one big pain in the ass if you ask me..."
Joey leaned over and stage whispered in Ryou's ear, "What's he got against Christmas, anyway?" The smaller boy merely shrugged helplessly.
Bakura whirled around in his seat. "I don't have anything against Christmas, you ninnies! I just don't fucking ~understand~ it!"
Joey was more confused than ever. His baking efforts forgotten for the time being, he pulled another stool from around the corner and sat down across from Bakura, while Ryou took the seat behind. "I don't get what you're sayin', B. Whaddya mean you don't 'understand' Christmas?"
"Are you dense? I mean I don't ~get~ it. What the hell is it all about? What's with all the decorations, and the shopping, and thrice-damned, asinine music? And who the hell is that annoying, fat bastard whose face is plastered all over everything from soft drinks to Yugi's underwear?"
"You're jokin', right?"
"About Yugi's underwear? No, I'm perfectly serious. He bent over to pick up a case of Duel Monsters cards the other day, and there they were, plain as day -- "
"That's not what I meant!" Joey grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose -- a gesture that he'd picked up from Seto just recently. He took a deep breath before continuing. "This may be your first Christmas with your own, uh-- I mean, the first one since you've, umm..." Joey sighed, exasperated with himself. "OK. This is your first Christmas 'on the outside', so to speak, but surely you've been through it with Ry a bunch of times before..."
Bakura was shaking his head. "No way. He always got so sappy and -- and just plain ~weird~ at this time of year." He shuddered. "I generally made a beeline for the Shadow Realm until it was all over. It was... quieter there."
"So, no one's ever sat you down and explained the meanin' of Christmas to you, is that what you're sayin'?"
The white-haired boy gave a casual shrug. "I guess not. Whatever."
Joey and Ryou looked at each other over Bakura's shoulder. Where to begin?
Throwing out the opening gambit, Joey decided that the empathetic approach would be for the best. "You're kind of a material guy, so it's safe to say that you like gettin' presents, right?"
"Sure. Who doesn't?"
"Well... Christmas is the time of year where you think about the people in your life, and what they mean to you, and you give them gifts to let them know you care."
Bakura pondered this. "Still don't get it. What's the point?"
"OK. Let's try a personal example, instead. Marik's your best friend, ain't he?"
"More like partner in crime..." Ryou mumbled.
Bakura narrowed his eyes, but didn't respond to the jibe. "Yeah, technically."
"That's perfect, then. So, keepin' in mind that you value his friendship, you'd go out and buy him a nice present in order to demonstrate that fact. Get it?"
"Why the fuck would I buy him a present? He owes me money."
Joey hung his head. "I give up. Do the words commercialism and propaganda ring any bells for ya?"
"Here Joey, let me try." Ryou put a hand on Bakura's shoulder to get his attention, and then explained in a soft voice, "For lots of people the world over, Christmas is a holiday with deep, religious connotations. Some say it represents the long ago birth of a saviour, while others view it as the symbolic death of the previous year, and the beginning of a new one, all rolled together. They celebrate with their family and friends, and take time to reflect on the meaning of life, often giving each other gifts of special significance, or representative of their spirituality."
Bakura's brows climbed toward his hairline, and understanding dawned in his eyes. "Oh, I get it now! It's kind of like the Nakat al Netjeru!"
Joey squinted. "The whoozie whatzit?"
"The Nakat al Netjeru! Back in ancient Egypt, in order to procure a season of fertility and healthy crops, we would celebrate the Nakat al Netjeru during the first great flood of the year. The men would drink fermented ox urine and dry hump crocodiles, while the women wore elaborate, skimpy dresses woven from hippopotamus hide, and danced erotically for our amusement. Then, at the culmination of the ceremony, a live virgin would be flung into the Nile with a basket of figs strapped to his or her head. It was truly one of our most holy days."
Blinking, Joey muttered, "Sorry I asked..."
Ryou just smiled politely. "Well, yes... I suppose that ~could~ be considered similar..."
Bakura snorted and gave his former host a light smack upside the head. "Come off it, Ry. I was just pulling your leg. I still don't get this Christmas shit, and I'm not even sure if I even want to anymore. Seems like a giant crock, more than anything."
Joey kicked Bakura in the shin, nearly unbalancing the other boy from his perch. "You asshole! You totally had me goin' there for a minute! I dunno why we're even botherin' to try and explain this to you if you're just gonna jerk us around! Shouldn't this fall under girlfriend duty, anyhow?"
Behind Bakura, Ryou's head shot up at Joey's words, and he hopped off the stool, trying to get the blond's attention. Bouncing frantically up and down, he flailed his arms wide in the universal gesture of 'shut the hell up'. He was hoping to stem the imminent tide of Bakura's ire, and maybe save his friend's bacon, in the process.
Chalk it up to a glitch in the translation, but Joey didn't quite get the message. He merely tilted his head at the other boy and gave him his famous, patented 'huh?' expression before continuing to rant. "Go home to Mai and ask ~her~ about the meaning of Christmas if you really wanna know, and stop harrassin' us with your pathetic sense of humour. I'm sure you'd be more wary of pissin' ~her~ off, since you'd probably end up sleepin' on the couch if you did.,And that's only if you're lucky. Speakin' of Mai, how's she been doin' lately?"
Ryou's covered his eyes with his hands and braced himself for the outburst he knew was coming.
Bakura was up off the stool and in Joey's face quicker than a bolt of lightning. "How's Mai?? I'll tell you exactly how she is!! She... LEFT ME!!"
Joey toppled backwards off the stool and landed on his tailbone with a loud crash. "Oh shit, man; I'm sorry! I didn't know!"
"Yeah, well... it only happened yesterday, so -- "
"What the hell did you ~do~?"
Bakura was towering over him again in a flash, and he gave Joey's prone form a swift kick in the ribs.
"Oww!"
"What makes you thing that ~I~ did anything? Maybe I wanted her to leave; did you think of that?"
"Sure, whatever. I'm sure the bitch was just crampin' your style or somethin'." Joey rolled his eyes, and then heaved himself back up on his feet with a tired grunt. "Now tell me what ~really~ happened."
Bakura rubbed a hand over his face and sat back down. "It's just more of the usual crap. She claims that I don't take her or our relationship seriously, and until I learn to acknowledge her as an equal partner, and make some sort of a commitment to being with her, then I can just stay the hell gone." He scrubbed his fingers through his white hair and gave Joey a lop-sided smile. "For fuck's sake, men in ancient Egypt did ~not~ have to deal with this shit..."
Joey nodded sagely. "Lemme guess. Hidin' out at Ryou's for a few days, and then slinkin' home with your tail between your legs isn't workin' anymore, is it?"
Bakura met Joey's gaze, astonishment plain in his dark brown eyes. "How did you know?"
"I kinda went thru the same thing with Seto early on in our relationship. There's really only one way to fix this -- that is, if you're prepared to go through with it."
"This may just be the vodka talking, but I'd be willing to do anything! I can't stand this much longer!"
Joey drew himself up to his full height and peered intently down at Bakura. "Are you serious about Mai? For real?"
"Yes! I love her! It's just that I don't know how to ~talk~ to her about feelings, and... stuff."
"Well, you're gonna have to figure that out and fast, big guy. For now, all you need is something to get you back into her good graces; then you can deal with the rest of it from there." Joey gestured aimlessly. "Y'know, whatever kind of weird shit you two do..."
Fisting his hands in Joey's t-shirt, Bakura pulled him close and demanded, "Stop getting off on the sound of your own voice and tell me what to do, dammit!"
Joey pried himself out of Bakura's grasp and sniffed haughtily. "Fine. What you need, my friend, is some sort of grand gesture. Not just your typical bouquet of roses or box of chocolates. I'm talkin' ~big~, and I'm talkin' ~sincere~. Get her attention with something flashy, but make sure it's comin' from the heart, too."
Ryou nodded along with Joey's advice. "And, it wouldn't hurt if you managed to demonstrate a lover's grasp of the holiday's significance, as well."
Joey wrinkled his nose. "Say wha?"
"Ry's telling me that to ~really~ get Mai's attention, I should make it huge, make it real, and make it Christmas-y, if possible. Am I right?"
Ryou beamed. "You've got it perfectly."
"Great." Bakura whacked Joey on the back and jumped up from his seat. He was halfway out the kitchen door when he called, "I'll catch you losers later; I've got to go find a way to get myself in the holiday spirit!" He stuck his head back around the corner and winked at Joey. "Oh, and Wheeler? If this doesn't work, I'll be back later this week to murder you in cold blood. Don't try to run and hide or I'll only make it hurt worse." With a quick wave to his gentler half, Bakura was gone.
Ryou smiled fondly after him. "Be sure not to leave a trail of forensic evidence!" He turned back to Joey. "I hope you don't mind having me around until a little later. I can give you a few more baking tips and then call a cab, if that's alright with you?"
"Sure man, it's kosher." Joey offered Ryou a well-endowed gingerbread man, and smiled mischievously. "Cookie?"
The two boys puttered around the kitchen for a while longer, before retiring to Seto's private den to drink hot cocoa and celebrate Joey's first, perfect loaf of homemade bread. They had eagerly devoured the entire thing with butter and raspberry jam, and now they simply wanted to sit back and enjoy each other's company in front of a roaring fire, and the Kaiba's beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Joey fiddled with the stereo for a bit, and found a station that was playing all Christmas carols, but thankfully not the horrid Muzak versions that he was forced to endure all day at work. Truth be told, despite his loneliness, Joey was thoroughly enjoying this cozy little holiday moment with his friend, and the pleasant atmosphere had relegated his tiring, frustrating day to a distant memory. That was, until an announcer interrupted the festive tunes with an emergency weather bulletin, detailing a massive blizzard headed straight toward Domino City. Over the next few days, they were expected to receive over eighteen inches of snow, along with gusting winds and subzero temperatures. Even though he realized it had been a slim chance at best, Joey had stubbornly held onto a tiny ray of hope that Seto might still make it home in time. From the sound of the severe storm coming their way, there wouldn't be an airport open within a hundred mile radius, effectively spoiling any chance of a last minute Christmas miracle.
As if reading the other boy's mind, Ryou put his mug down and strolled over to stand beside his friend, resting a warm hand at the nape of the blond's neck. "I'm sorry, Joey. I guess this means Seto will be missing that fabulous dinner of yours for sure now, the poor bastard."
Joey laughed softly. "Yeah, right. Come and talk to him ~after~ all the guests have filed their lawsuits." When he didn't hear Ryou's answering chuckle, he glanced up to find the other boy staring pensively into the flames. "Ry? You OK, man? You've seemed kinda down the last few times I've hung out with you. Is everything alright?" He placed a reassuring hand on Ryou's arm and asked earnestly, "Bakura's not up to his old tricks again, is he? 'Cause if that's the case, I'll march right out this door and --"
"No, no; it's nothing like that... These days, he's more like a stray cat than anything. He only wanders home every few days or so, looking for a hot meal and a change of clothes." Ryou averted his face from Joey's searching gaze, and his eyes fell upon a framed photo sitting atop the fireplace mantle. He picked it up and examined it closely. The picture featured a teenaged Mokuba sporting a jaunty Santa's hat and smiling brightly for the camera. In his arms he clutched a small, grey kitten. "Speaking of which, I didn't know that the Kaiba's owned a cat."
Joey took the photo from Ryou's hand. "Oh, you mean Dragon? He was a bit before my time, actually. I think he died right before Seto and I started datin', since I've only ever seen him in home movies a couple of times." He chuckled to himself. "That cat had this freaky soundin' purr that kinda reminded me of a really bad opera singer warmin' up before a performance. Seto once told me that it was because Dragon was some fancy breed called a..." He handed the frame over to Ryou, and thought back for a moment. "A Russian Blue, is what I think he said. Apparently, they're all supposed to sound like that."
Ryou continued to gaze wistfully at the photograph. "What happened to him?"
Joey shrugged. "They took him to get neutered at the vet's office, and he had a bad reaction to the anesthesia. Poor little guy just never woke up. Mokuba was totally heartbroken, and ever since, he's refused all of Seto's offers to get him a new pet."
Ryou brushed his fingers across the glass and murmured quietly, "He's never mentioned Dragon before..."
Joey furrowed his brow. "Uh, no... he doesn't really like to talk about it." When had Ryou and Mokuba ever had the opportunity to trade mutual tragedies, anyway?
Straightening, Ryou replaced the photo where he had found it, and plastered a fake smile on his face. "I'm sorry; what were we talking about again?"
"Well, before you awkwardly changed the subject, you were about to fill me in on why you've been so gloomy lately. Jeez, and I thought ~I~ was clumsy about these kinds of things..."
"Am I really that obvious?"
"Face it, buddy. You wear your heart on your sleeve." Joey patted his lap. "Now come over here and dish to ole Santie"
Ryou laughed out loud in spite of himself. "You may be able get me to spill my guts, but I'm most certainly ~not~ going to sit on your lap. For one thing, I don't know where it's been."
Joey feigned offense. "Alright, but it's your loss, little boy. Seriously though, what's been eatin' at you?"
Flopping down on the sofa next to Joey, Ryou let out a pent-up sigh. "I'm just confused, I guess."
"Matters of the heart?"
Ryou peered at him suspiciously. "You're not psychic by any chance, are you?"
"Nope, I just pay attention. Can't really afford to pay much else. Are you havin' problems with your, uh... lady love?"
Smiling to himself, Ryou drawled, "I suppose you could say that. I've been seeing someone steadily for a while now, but I'm not sure if it's really going anywhere. I guess the holidays are making me maudlin, but I thought it was pretty serious until just recently. We fought over something ridiculous, and now I'm not sure where I stand."
"Damn, Ry. You're pretty good at keepin' secrets, aren't you? Does anyone else know about this?"

"No, and I'd appreciate it if you kept this just between the two of us." Despite the fact that he was practically Bakura's identical twin, Ryou's attempt to come across as menacing was somewhat less than convincing.
"My lips are sealed unless you say otherwise. What was the fight about?"
Ryou leaned his head back on the couch. "Ugh, it just seems so silly now. We fought simply because I was mad that I haven't been introduced to the family yet. I argued that it was an important sign of commitment, especially around Christmas, and well... let's just say that the other party didn't quite agree."
"So now you're thinkin' that she's ashamed of you?"
"It's a bit more complicated than that, but yes, that's mostly what it boils down to."
Joey turned sideways to look Ryou in the eye. "Lately, it seems like I've been handin' out advice to the lovelorn left and right, and I'm not gonna break my streak now, if that's alright with you." The other boy nodded. "OK, good. I'd say that you've got nothin' to stress over, because your options are clear. This sounds like it could go one of two ways: if it's as serious as you say it is, then this chick is probably gonna come around and haul you home to meet the folks. Now, it may not be for a nice ham dinner on Christmas day, but if it's meant to last between the two of you, it'll happen soon. Especially now that she's gotten this big wake up call about how important it is to you. Catch my drift?"
"I think so, yes."
"But... if she doesn't happen to feel the same way about you, then she's gonna drop you like a hot rock now that you've started yappin' about commitment. If that's the case, then you've got no worries there, either, because she wasn't worth your time in the first place. Harsh, but true."
"I think you may be right, Joey. It seems rather simple when I look at it from your perspective."
"Hey, simple is my middle name after all." Joey reached over and ruffled Ryou's ivory hair. "Seriously though; you're a great guy Ryou, and what's more, you're a great judge of character. If you've been together for a while now, then there must be something there. I don't think you would have stuck around very long if you really thought there was no future for you two, right? You and I are a lot alike in that respect, I think."
"Honestly Joey, if we weren't both so young, I wouldn't hesitate to say that this is it; this is ~the~ one."
"See? I knew you were onto somethin' there! Just be patient. God knows I've had to suck it up and deal with enough of Seto's relationship weirdness in the past..."
Ryou's eyes widened in curiosity, but Joey placated him with a pat to the back of his hand. "Another tale for another time, my friend."
The two sat on the couch in companionable silence for a long time afterward, listening to the sounds of softly muted Christmas music and the crackling fireplace. The tree in the corner cast twinkling, colourful stars over their still figures, and as the night drifted closer and closer toward the magic hour, conversation became sparse and sleepy at best. At some point, one of the pair had demonstrated the presence of mind to get up and place a warm fleece throw over them both, and before long, they lay huddled together in restful slumber. Keeping true to the holiday spirit, Ryou slept in heavenly peace, and if Joey had had the faintest idea what a sugarplum looked like, visions of them surely would have been dancing in his head.
~~~~~~~~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~
tbc

Author's note:

Items used in this chapter:
* (8) Mokuba wearing a Santa hat holding a purring blue kitten named Dragon.
* (9) A large singing holly wreath.

* (10) A parking ticket.
* (11) One dozen anatomically correct gingerbread men cookies.

Word Count:
5537 this chapter / 17001 total thus far
- 4
- 5
- 6
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