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A Charlie Brown Christmas	By : Hideki LaShae Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2292 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh! belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. Story elements © Hideki LaShae. No money was gained in the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
Disclaimer: All Yu-Gi-Oh! characters and references belong
to their respective owners. All Charlie Brown and Peanuts ®
characters belong to Charles M. Schulz and were used in this story with the
best of intentions. Story elements © Hideki LaShae. No money was gained in the
writing of this story.

A Charlie Brown
Christmas
By
Hideki LaShae

Chapter One

            The morning
dawns on a winter landscape typical to a Norman Rockwell painting… or at least
it would have if it weren’t the middle of a city on a cold, snow-less November
day. Norman Rockwell never painted anything like Domino City on the Monday
after Thanksgiving.
            Jounouchi
Katsuya pulls his lightweight jacket over his school uniform’s sweater, and he
grabs his book bag before heading out the door into the cold air. He pulls up
the collar of his jacket to help shield his neck, and he shoves his hands into
his pockets. He walks as quickly as he can towards school and the heat waiting
there for him. He enters the classroom just a moment before the bell rings.
            “Please
take your seat quickly, Jounouchi,” says Sensei, “I would like to get started.”
            “Yes,
Sensei,” says Jounouchi walking quickly to his assigned seat at the back of the
room, three desks behind Yugi’s… three desks to the right of Honda’s… three desks
along a diagonal of Anzu’s… and only one desk away from the most gorgeous, most
perfect boy, no… man to ever exist… and also the biggest asshole.
            Kaiba Seto
sits diagonally from Jounouchi, just one seat to the right and one seat back,
in the very last row and the very last column.
            Jounouchi
doesn’t bother looking at Kaiba. He knows they’ll be arguing sooner or later.
He rubs his hands together to try to warm them,
            A pair of
sapphire blue eyes catches the movement over the screen of his laptop.
            “As you all
know, Thanksgiving is over now, and Christmas is just around the corner. So are
finals for the semester,” says Sensei, “This year you’ll have a project for
your semester final grade.”
            The entire
class groans.
            “Oh, don’t
be like that! This project can be incredibly fun if you want it to be! You get
to choose what you do,” says Sensei passing packets of paper to the people in
the front row to hand back to those behind them, “These packets should tell you
everything you need to know as well as give you ideas for what to do. If you
have any questions, I will certainly clarify.”
            Kaiba takes
his packet from the girl in front of him, and his eyes widen at the project
title. “Community Service?”
            Sensei
smiles. “Yes, Kaiba. This is a community service or embitterment project. This
one project will cover your social studies, English, and Japanese grades. One
project for three grades. Do well on this project and you’ll pass half your
classes this semester.”
            “That’s not
fair!” exclaims Jounouchi standing up, “That means we’d flunk out of three
classes if we fail this project!”
            “Make up
tests would be made available should you fail the project, but I can promise
you all that if you do the project at all, you will have a passing grade on
it,” says Sensei, “But should you decide not to do this project, Kaiba, you
will fail, and I would like to see something more from you than just donating
money.”
            Kaiba turns
his eyes back to the packet of papers.
            “Okay. What
you need to do for these projects is choose a task that will help someone else
in the community. Now that could be something as simple as giving away your old
clothes to a homeless shelter or helping out at a soup kitchen,” explains
Sensei, “After that you will write two papers… one in English and the other in
Japanese. One paper will be explaining what you did, why you chose it, and what
reactions you got from the people you helped. The other paper will be
explaining the feelings you get from your experience. Which paper is in which
language is entirely up to you. You may work in groups if you wish, but you
each do need to write your own papers.”
            “Is this
some kind of torture?”
            “No. It’s a
lesson to be thankful of what you have because there are so many people less
fortunate than you,” says Sensei looking around, “Any other questions?”
            “When is
the project due?” asks Yugi.
            “It is due
on the first day of class after winter break,” says Sensei, “That should give
everyone ample time to complete it.”
            When no one
says anything else, Sensei starts in on the lesson for the day.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

            Jounouchi
stays behind as all his friends leave the classroom for the afternoon.
“Sensei?”
            “Yes,
Jounouchi?”
            “What’s the
real meaning behind this project?” asks Jounouchi walking up to her desk.
            “You.”
            “Me?”
            “Your grades
slip this time of year, don’t they?”
            Jounouchi
blushes.
            “I know you
don’t have time to study because of the work you do this season, and I want to
help you…”
            “I thought
you did help me,” says Jounouchi, “Or does decorating a banquet hall not count
as helping?”
            “It does,
but I wanted to do more.” Sensei sighs. “Don’t you think this is a good idea?”
            “I don’t
think people should be forced to do good,” says Jounouchi, “They should do it
because they want to.”
            “I agree,
but I also think that some people don’t realize the joys of doing good until
they have to,” says Sensei, “I think you need to run along now. Someone’s
waiting for you.”
            Jounouchi
smiles and moves to grab his books before heading out.
            “I’ll see
you later, Jounouchi,” says Sensei.
            “Bye,” says
Jounouchi walking through the door. He heads down to his locker to change shoes
and put on his coat. He carries his bag out of the school and immediately
starts to shiver as a cold wind rips right through him.
            A figure
looms up in front of Jounouchi.
            Jounouchi
looks into Kaiba’s sapphire eyes. “Afternoon, Kaiba.”
            “Jounouchi…”
            Jounouchi
shivers again.
            Kaiba grabs
Jounouchi’s arm with his gloved hand and pulls him down the sidewalk.
            “Hey! What
are you doing? I have to be somewhere!” exclaims Jounouchi struggling against
Kaiba’s grip.
            Kaiba stops
in front of a black sedan and opens the back door. “Get inside! I’ll take you
there.”
            Jounouchi’s
cheeks tint pink, and he climbs into the car.
            Kaiba
slides into the seat beside Jounouchi and closes the door. He nods to his
driver. “Domino City Orphanage.”
            “I’m not
going there today,” says Jounouchi as the car starts to move.
            Kaiba
raises an eyebrow at Jounouchi. “Aren’t you doing it this year?”
            “Oh, yeah!
I am!” Jounouchi smiles and rubs his arms to knock the chill from them.
            “Turn the
heater up,” orders Kaiba.
            The driver
moves to turn the fan on high.
            “So where
are you going then?” asks Kaiba.
            “Downtown
to the costume shop. Most of the costumes we’ll have to make, but they are
donating the use of a specific one for us.”
            Kaiba’s
lips tilt into a smirk. “What specific costume? Rudolph? Frosty? Santa?”
            Jounouchi
blushes. “If you come to the performance this year, you’ll find out!”
            “Unfortunately
I have a party that I can’t miss,” says Kaiba, “Besides it’s my money you want,
and I send Mokuba with a check.” He catches the driver’s gaze through the
rear-view mirror, and he nods.
            “I’m not
saying that we don’t appreciate the money, but your presence would be nice
too.”
            The car
pulls to a stop.
            “We’re
here.”
            Jounouchi
looks out the window and smiles.
            “Do you
want me to wait? I could take you and the costume home or to the orphanage…”
            “Why aren’t
we fighting, Kaiba? You’ve never offered me a ride before,” says Jounouchi.
            “Sensei
doesn’t want me to donate to charity for the project, so the check won’t
satisfy her,” explains Kaiba, “I figure being nice to you is charitable
enough.”
            Jounouchi’s
eyes droop.
            “Besides,
Jounouchi. I want to help you with your project as much as I can. I believe in
what you’re doing!”
            An excited
blond tackles Kaiba in the confines of the car’s back seat and pushes him down
to lie on the seat. His embrace comes just as quickly as his words. “Thank
you!”
            “Jou…”
            “See you in
school tomorrow!” Jounouchi scrambles out of the car with a red face, and he
runs into the costume shop.
            “Should we
wait, sir?”
            Kaiba
blushes as he sits up. “He didn’t answer me, did he?”
            “No, sir…”
            “We’ll
wait. If he wants a ride, he’ll get in the car.”
            The driver
nods and keeps the engine and heater running.
            After about
fifteen minutes, Jounouchi comes out of the costume shop carrying an extra
large bag. His eyes light up when he sees the car still parked beside the curb.
He walks over to the passenger door and opens it. “Hey, can you open the trunk
so I can put this inside?”
            “Just put
it in the seat there,” says the driver.
            “Okay,”
says Jounouchi settling the bag in the seat. He closes the door and opens the
back door to get in with Kaiba. “Thank you for waiting. Now I’m going to the
orphanage.”
            Kaiba nods
to his driver, and the car starts to move into traffic.
            “So does
this make us friends?”
            “Do you
want us to be friends, Jounouchi?”
            Jounouchi’s
cheeks tint red. “Or course I would like to be your friend, Kaiba! You’re a
wonderful person… when you want to be.”
            “Then yes.
We’re friends.”
            Jounouchi
smiles. “Great! Then I would like you to come, as my friend, to the dress
rehearsal on December 20^th. If you can’t come to the actual
performance, then you can at least come watch the show as we do our final
rehearsal.”
            “Jounouchi…”
            “Please,
Kaiba!” interrupts Jounouchi, “I’m only allowed to bring one friend, and I want
you to be it!”
            Kaiba pulls
his cell phone from his inside jacket pocket.
            “Oh, sorry.
I’m probably keeping you from work, aren’t I?” says Jounouchi sadly.
            Kaiba
places his gloved hand lightly over Jounouchi’s lips, and he dials a number on
his phone. “Isono, check my schedule for the twentieth of December… Jou, what
time is the rehearsal?”
            Jounouchi
smiles. “Five o’clock in the afternoon!”
            “Five,”
says Kaiba, “Clear the evening for me.” He listens for a moment. “Reschedule
it. I have a very important date that day, and I can’t afford to miss it.”
            Jounouchi
blushes.
            Kaiba puts
his phone away after ending his call, and he smiles at Jounouchi. “I’ll be
there, Jounouchi.”
            “Did you
have to call it a ‘date’? It kind of makes it sound like you’re my boyfriend or
something,” says Jounouchi. His voice quickens as he adds, “Not like there’s
anything wrong with two guys being together.”
            “Are you
gay?”
            Jounouchi’s
cheeks redden even more. “Yeah… I mean, I get turned on by guys, but I kind of
like girls too.”
            “So you’re
bisexual,” says Kaiba.
            “You’re
probably straight, huh?” asks Jounouchi fidgeting with his jacket sleeves.
            “I’m open
to experimentation,” says Kaiba, “I’m more interested in individual people than
a particular gender.”
            “Wow.
That’s deep…”
            Kaiba looks
at Jounouchi longingly.
            Jounouchi
slides closer to Kaiba so that their legs brush together. “Thanks for coming to
the rehearsal. Don’t forget, okay? You have no idea what it means to me to have
you there.”
            The car
pulls to a stop, and the driver says, “We’ve arrived at Domino City Orphanage.”
            “Thank you
for the ride,” says Jounouchi before climbing out of the back seat. He opens
the passenger door to pull out his large bag.
            “Do you
want a ride home?” asks Kaiba quickly.
            “No,
thanks. I’m going to stay here for awhile, and I’m sure you have some work to
do at Kaiba Corp. I’ll see you in class tomorrow,” says Jounouchi.
            “Stay warm,
Jou,” says Kaiba as Jounouchi pulls out the bag and closes the door.
            Jounouchi
waves as he walks towards the building.
            “Are you in
love with him, sir?”
            “Not yet,
but I’m hoping,” says Kaiba with a wistful smile. “Take me home.”
            “Yes, sir.”

                                    *                                  *                                  *

            Small hands
shake the blond awake. “Joey… uppey!”
            Jounouchi
opens his eyes to stare into startlingly amethyst eyes. He gasps and jumps
backwards. He moans as he rolls off the bench he’d been sleeping on and falls
on the floor.
            The little
girl giggles. “Joey funny!”
            “Ha, ha,
Tami,” says Jounouchi getting up. “I can’t believe I fell asleep here! What
time is it?”
            “Uppey
time!” exclaims Tami.
            Jounouchi
smiles at the little girl.
            The
three-year-old girl stares at Jounouchi with her mother’s violet eyes. Her
short brown hair, a gift from her father, currently carries the same style and
half-woken dishevel-ness of Jounouchi’s own.
            “You’re
right, Tami. If you’re awake it must be time to get up,” says Jounouchi, “Have
you eaten?”
            Tami nods.
            Jounouchi
blinks and runs into the kitchen. His eyes widen at the time displayed on the
clock. “Class starts in ten minutes! I’m gonna be late!”
            “Joey
stay.”
            “I’m sorry,
Tami. I’ll see you after school,” says Jounouchi running past the little girl.
He grabs his jacket and slips it on as he hurries out the door. He runs as fast
as he can in the cold air to the school building, and he enters the classroom
fifteen minutes late… panting like a dog and shivering like a leaf… or to be
more precise, panting and shaking like an overactive Chihuahua.
            “Jounouchi
Katsuya! You’re late!”
            “Sorry…
(pant)… Sensei… (huff)… I forgot… (pant)… to set my… (wheeze)… alarm!” gasps
Jounouchi.
            “I’ll
forgive you this once since it appears you ran all the way here,” says Sensei,
“but try not to let it happen again.”
            Jounouchi
nods and moves to his seat. He glances back at Kaiba with a small smile.
            Kaiba
catches Jounouchi’s gaze and smiles slightly.
            Jounouchi
sits down at his desk and reaches inside it to pull out his textbook only to
find a small wrapped present inside. He pulls it out to look at it.
            Crisp white
paper wraps around a three-inch by ten-inch box, and a simple, bowless red
ribbon holds on the tag.
            “Jounouchi,
since you were late, please read the first passage on page two hundred
forty-nine,” says Sensei interrupting Jounouchi’s thoughts on the gift.
            “Yes,
Sensei,” says Jounouchi setting the gift aside and pulling out the book. He
turns to the page and starts reading aloud.
            Meanwhile,
a pair of sapphire eyes stares intently at Jounouchi and his mysterious gift.
            All
throughout the day, Jounouchi’s fingers keep brushing the present, but he
doesn’t have time to open it until lunch comes around.
            “Hey, Jou,”
says Yugi as he brings his lunchbox over to sit in the desk beside him to eat.
            “What’s the
deal with you being late today, bud?” asks Honda taking the seat in front of
Jounouchi, “You never forget to set your alarm!”

            “I do when I’m not sleeping at
home,” says Jounouchi pulling up the present.
            “Jou! Have
you found a ‘someone special’?” asks Anzu continuing to stand as she starts to
eat her apple, “Did you S.S. give you that?”
            Jounouchi
looks at the tag. His smile grows. “To Jounouchi Katsuya. With love, your
Secret Santa.”
            “So who is
it?” asks Anzu.
            “I don’t
know,” says Jounouchi opening the present. He pulls out a pair of warm gloves.
“Oh, these are perfect! I ripped my old gloves, and I haven’t had the chance to
get new ones yet!”
            “These look
like they’re good quality, Jou,” says Anzu, “They should last you a few years.”
            Jounouchi
slips them on his hands, and his grin widens. “They fit perfectly! I love
them!”
            “That’s a
very nice gift. I wonder who would have gotten it for her,” says Yugi, “Do you
have a lover we don’t know about?”
            “Not yet.”
Jounouchi blushes and turns to look at Kaiba. “Kaiba?”
            Kaiba sets
down the cup he’s drinking from. “Yes, Jounouchi?”
            “You get
here really early in the mornings. Did you see who left this gift in my desk?”
asks Jounouchi.
            “I’m sorry,
Jounouchi. I didn’t see who put it there,” says Kaiba.
            “Oh…”
            “Jou, you
should hurry up and eat before class resumes,” says Honda, “Your precious
gloves will still be there at the end of the day.”
            “I didn’t
bring my lunch. With the whole rush I was in this morning, I didn’t have time,”
says Jounouchi.
            “You’re
welcome to share mine,” says Kaiba quickly. He blushes slightly. “I always
bring too much anyway.”
            “Really?
Thank you!” exclaims Jounouchi moving his desk closer to Kaiba’s, “You are the
best man!”
            Kaiba’s
blush darkens, and he pushes his bento box closer to Jounouchi.
            “Oh, this
looks so good!” Jounouchi lifts a vegetable roll to his lips and takes a small
bite. His stomach growls loudly.
            “Don’t
worry so much,” whispers Kaiba lightly brushing his fingertips against
Jounouchi’s stomach, “He’s going to feed you.”
            Jounouchi
blushes deep red and shoves the rest of the roll into his mouth. He chews it
quickly and swallows. “This is delicious!”
            “I’ll be
sure to pass your praise along to the chef,” says Kaiba with a light blush.
            “Do that with
my thanks,” says Jounouchi lifting another roll, “This is so good!”
            Anzu
giggles quietly.
            Yugi and
Honda share a look and a knowing smile.
            Kaiba pours
a little more liquid into his cup and passes it to Jounouchi.
            “Thanks.”
Jounouchi takes a sip. “Damn, this is some good quality tea!”
            Kaiba
smiles and lifts a roll to his lips.
            “So, what
do you all think of that project?” asks Honda, “I have no clue what I want to
do!”
            “Hey, we
should all do something together!” exclaims Anzu, “All five of us!”
            “I already
have my own project,” says Kaiba, “It’s something I have to do alone.”
            “Oh, well
maybe next time,” says Anzu.
            “What about
you, Jou? Any idea what you’ll do?” asks Yugi.
            “Yeah. I’m
sure that I could find things for you all to do if you want to help me,” says
Jounouchi in between bites of food and sips of drink, “This is the fourth year
that I’ll be conducting a charity fundraiser for Domino City Orphanage.”
            Three pairs
of eyes… brown, blue, and violet… stare at Jounouchi in shock. “What?”
            “I raise
money for the orphanage. I get help, you know. The kids put on a play that I
direct. We usually get the banquet hall’s usage donated. Mokuba helps out
making the costumes. The catering companies will often give us the food at
cost. Then the night of the performance, a whole bunch of people come to watch
the play, eat the food, and give us their money,” says Jounouchi, “Kaiba always
sends a check with Mokuba because he can’t come to the performance. But
afterwards, Santa comes and passes out gifts. It’s amazing!”
            “And you
organize it?” asks Honda.
            “Yes. We…
the kids and I… get together every Thanksgiving Day for a small feast and to
decide on a play,” says Jounouchi.
            “What play
are you doing this year?” asks Kaiba as Jounouchi finishes eating the last of
their shared lunch.
            “Promise
you won’t laugh.”
            “You have
my word.”
            “A Charlie
Brown Christmas,” says Jounouchi.
            Honda
bursts out laughing.
            “Hey!”
exclaims Jounouchi.
            “It’s not
funny,” says Kaiba, “It’s good business.”
            “How so?”
asks Yugi.
            “A lot of
people love Charlie Brown, and they’ll buy something simply because it has the
‘Peanuts’ characters on it or endorsing it,” explains Kaiba, “So donations
might be larger too. It’s good business.”
            Jounouchi
blushes.
            “You’ve
done a good job so far, Jounouchi,” says Kaiba, “Keep it up.”
            “Could we
help you with your play, Jou?” asks Yugi.
            “I could
always use extra help,” says Jounouchi, “Why don’t you come by the orphanage
after school? Meet the kids.”
            “I’d love
to!” exclaims Anzu.
            Yugi nods
his head and smiles childishly.
            “Why not?
It’ll be just like babysitting my nephew,” says Honda.
            “Well, I
suppose my limo does have room for all of you,” says Kaiba, “I’ll drop you off
at the orphanage on my way to Kaiba Corps.”
            “Thank you,
Kaiba…”
            The teacher
steps into the room.
            Everyone
moves back to their desks and rearranges them into neat rows again.
            Jounouchi
smiles at Kaiba once before turning his attention to Sensei’s newest lecture.
            A small
smile plays at the edges of the brunet’s lips throughout the rest of the
afternoon as he repeatedly sees Jounouchi’s fingering the gloves that were his
gift.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

            “Kaiba?”
Yugi steps up to the brunet’s desk while balancing his homework on one arm.
            “Motou…”
            “Are you
sure it’s all right for us to go with you? We could walk to the orphanage. I do
appreciate the offer if it really doesn’t inconvenience you,” says Yugi, “I
just don’t want to be a bother.”
            “Do you
really think Jounouchi should walk to the orphanage with that coat of his?”
whispers Kaiba.
            Yugi also
lowers his voice. “It is rather light to be wearing this time of year.”
            “I don’t
want him to get sick. There would be a lot of disappointed children if that
happened,” says Kaiba gathering up all his books and standing. “If everyone’s
ready, we can go.”
            “Thank you,
Kaiba,” says Yugi before glancing at Jounouchi, “Thank you…”
            “The
pleasure will be mine,” says Kaiba in a soft whisper.
            “And
hopefully Jounouchi’s too,” whispers Yugi.
            Kaiba
smirks. “Of course. I’m not cruel.”
            Anzu and
Honda approach Jounouchi, and Anzu gently shakes him.
            Jounouchi
lifts his head. “Huh?”
            “Class is
over, Jou,” says Anzu, “Why are you so tired?”
            “I didn’t
sleep very well last night. I fell asleep at the orphanage,” says Jounouchi
packing up his books, “and my watch doesn’t have an alarm so I had to wait
until one of the kids woke me…”
            “Are you
heading straight to the orphanage today?” asks Kaiba.
            Jounouchi
nods. “Yes. Thanks again for the ride to the costume shop yesterday.”
            “Come on,”
says Kaiba scooping up Jounouchi’s books with his own and heading out of the
classroom. “I’ll meet you at the limo!”
            “Jou, how
long have you been dating Kaiba?” asks Honda, “And why didn’t you tell us?”
            Jounouchi
blushes. “We’re not dating…”
            “At least
not yet,” says Yugi with a singsong voice.
            “He
wouldn’t be interested in me,” says Jounouchi, “Let’s go. We shouldn’t keep him
waiting.” He pulls his gloves out of his desk and smiles as he puts them on.
            The small
group heads out of the classroom together before separating to go get their
coats and change into their outside shoes. They meet again inside Kaiba’s
limousine.
            Jounouchi
snuggles up against Kaiba to make room for Yugi to sit beside them. His
shoulder brushes against the taller brunet’s arm. “This is going to be the best
fundraiser I’ve ever done!”
            “Have you
ever thought about doing it professionally?” asks Kaiba.
            Jounouchi
blinks. “Doing what professionally?”
            “Being a
charity fundraiser,” says Kaiba, “A charity would ask you to organize a
fundraiser like a dinner to promote feeding the poor. You would arrange the
location, the caterers and entertainment, send out invitations, and you would
get paid a fee for the service.”
            “I don’t
know… I mean, I love helping the kids, but it seems wrong to get paid
for helping people,” says Jounouchi, “It doesn’t feel like an appropriate way
to earn a living.”
            “So if you
married a billionaire and didn’t have to work a day in your life?” asks Anzu.
            “Charity
fundraiser for sure!” exclaims Jounouchi with a smile. “It’s an amazing feeling
to sit back and watch the children on stage, just knowing that they’ll be
wealthier and healthier because of you… I think I’d be devoted to children’s
charities.”
            The limo
pulls to a stop, and the driver says, “We have arrived.”
            “Kaiba, do
you have time to come in and meet the kids?” asks Jounouchi.
            “Just a few
minutes,” says Kaiba nodding.
            Jounouchi
yelps excitedly and climbs out of the car quickly with his friends following.
“Come on, come on!”
            “We’re
coming!” exclaims Yugi.
            Honda
emerges from the car last. “Let’s go!”
            Jounouchi
grabs Kaiba’s hand and pulls him up the walkway to the door. He taps the iron
knocker against its plate three times before opening the door and leading
everyone inside.
            “Joey! Joey
home!” exclaims Tami running up to Jounouchi and holding up her arms to him.
“Uppey!”
            Jounouchi
laughs and lifts the little girl. “Hey, Tami. I want you to meet my friends.
This is Yugi, Anzu, Honda, and Kaiba.”
            Tami
blushes and hides her face in Jounouchi’s chest.
            “I guess
she’s a bit shy,” says Jounouchi, “Her name’s Tami. Her parents were in a car
accident. She’s three.”
            Several
children run into the entranceway, which is lined with filled coat hooks and
shoe stands.
            “I’ll take
Tami,” says a nine-year-old little girl taking Tami from Jounouchi’s arms. She
looks at the teenagers and smiles. “My name is Shimbo Kyoko.”
            “She’s
nine,” adds Jounouchi.
            “My mother
abandoned me,” says Kyoko, “This is Kiki. She’s six.” She places her hand on
the head of a smaller, black haired girl.
            “These are
the Chen twins, Yin and Yang,” says Jounouchi indicating the eight-year-old boy
and girl.
            “I’m Marie
St. Claire!” exclaims a six-year-old girl, “I’m six! I’m from France! My
parents lost me!”
            “Where are
the others?” asks Jounouchi.
            “Waiting
for you in the living room,” says Kyoko, “except Ken. He’s locked himself in
his room.”
            “I’ll talk
to Ken later,” says Jounouchi putting his gloves in his pockets before pulling
off his jacket. “Let’s go meet the rest.”
            They all
take off their coats and shoes and head into the living room.
            “Attention!
These are my friends. Please introduce yourself!” exclaims Jounouchi smiling.
            A
fourteen-year-old girl sits in a rocking chair holding an infant. “I’m Yoshi
Reika. This is my baby sister Kari.”
            A
five-year-old boy stands beside the rocking chair. “I’m her brother, Yoshi
Namu. Our other brother was adopted already.”
            The
children all tell the group their names before Jounouchi’s friends introduce
themselves.
            “I’ll go
try to roust Ken. This might take awhile, Kaiba, so if you have to leave, I’ll
understand,” says Jounouchi.
            “No, you
stay here. I’ll go get him,” says Kaiba moving towards the staircase.
            “Are you
sure?” asks Jounouchi.
            “Start
practicing or whatever it is you need to do. I’ll bring Kenichi down,” says Kaiba.
            “I didn’t
say his name was Kenichi,” says Jounouchi before Kaiba disappears upstairs.
            Kaiba walks
through the familiar halls, and he stops in front of the last door. “Stop
jerking off and come out here, Kenichi.”
            “Go away!”
            “Matsuo
Kenichi. I took time away from my work at Kaiba Corps to come see you. Now get
out here!” exclaims Kaiba.
            The door
opens a crack. “Seto?”
            “Hi.”
            “What are
you doing here?”
            “Giving
emotional support to someone who really needs it. Can I come in, Kenichi?” asks
Kaiba, “I think it’s about time for a little talk.”
            The blond
haired boy blushes, but he allows Kaiba to enter his room.
            “So who is
she?” asks Kaiba.
            “Reika. I’m
seventeen. She’s fourteen. It’s not a big age difference, but it seems to
bother her,” says Kenichi, “She likes me too. I want to have sex with her, but
I know she’s not ready for that.”
            “So you’ve
been spending more time alone with your hand. I can relate, but what you should
be doing is spending that time with her,” says Kaiba, “Take some time for yourself
in the morning during your shower and at night before you go to bed. Spend the
time in between with her.”
            “Is that
what you’re doing?”
            Kaiba
blushes. “I have work responsibilities so I can’t spend nearly as much time
with him as I’d like, but I have been spending what time I can with him… And
yes, I’ve been longing for something more. Now I just have to get Jounouchi to
agree to go out with me.”
            Kenichi’s
jaw drops. “Jounouchi? As in the same Jounouchi who directs us in the pageant
every year? That Jounouchi?”
            “The blond
bombshell who’s downstairs waiting to introduce you to the rest of his friends?
Yeah. That’s the one,” says Kaiba.
            “Seto. I
hate to break it to you, but I think he’s straight.”
            “No. He’s
bi. We’ve already covered that.”
            “Then I wish
you well. Let’s go downstairs,” says Kenichi, “Is Mokuba here?”
            “Not that I
know of,” says Kaiba walking out of the room with Kenichi. He leads Kenichi
downstairs and into the living room.
            “Seto!”
exclaims Mokuba bounding over to give his brother a hug, “I didn’t know you
were going to be here today!”
            “I can say
the same thing,” says Kaiba smiling, “When did you get here?”
            “Five
minutes ago! Hi, Ken!” exclaims Mokuba.
            “Hi,
everyone. I’m Ken,” says Kenichi smiling at the group of Jounouchi’s friends,
“I’ve been here since before Mokuba and Seto were adopted.”
            “Huh? I
didn’t realize this was the orphanage you were at, Kaiba,” says Jounouchi.
            “It wasn’t
here when we were. The old building burned, and this is the new place,” says
Kaiba.
            “Are you
going to stay and help out, Seto?” asks Mokuba.
            “I can’t. I
have a business meeting in an hour,” says Kaiba looking at his watch, “I need
to go get ready. Be good, Mokuba. Okay?”
            “I will,
big brother,” says Mokuba smiling.
            “You be
good too, Jounouchi,” says Kaiba brushing against the blond’s arm as he heads
towards the door.
            “Oh, I’ll
be more than good, Kaiba. I’ll be great,” says Jounouchi, “Now, let’s get this
play rolling!”
            “What can
we help with?” asks Yugi.
            “Well, Ken,
do you need help on set design?” asks Jounouchi smiling.
            “I could
handle it on my own, but if someone wants to help…” Kenichi shrugs.
            “I can help
build a set,” says Honda, “Manual labor suits me well.”
            “Okay, come
with me and we’ll have our design meeting in the kitchen,” says Kenichi
grabbing a copy of the script from the coffee table and heading into the
kitchen.
            Honda
follows with a smile.
            “Yugi,
Anzu,” says Jounouchi, “I’ll just have you help me here for a bit. I might have
one of you take over directing the play so I can focus on other things…”
            “Uh, Jou…”
            “Yes,
Shogi?” asks Jounouchi turning his attention to the nine-year-old boy.
            “None of us
fit the Snoopy costume… Even Ken’s too short,” says Shogi.
            “Either
Honda or I should fit it. We’ll try it on later,” says Jounouchi, “First, let’s
handle those character assignments!”
            “Do I take
it that I’m Schroeder?” asks Reika, “Since I can play the piano?”
            Jounouchi
grins.
            “All right.
Do you have the sheet music so I can practice it?” asks Reika.
            Jounouchi
pulls out a script that’s slightly larger than all the others. He passes it to
Reika. “You know, we could have used a recording if you didn’t want to do it.”
            “And not
show off my mad skills to all those prospective parents?” asks Reika, “Are you
kidding? Hiroko got adopted after his performance in the play last year! I’m
going to start practicing my piano playing.” She walks over to the upright
piano in the corner and sits down with her sheet music.
            Jounouchi
quickly assigns the roles of Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, and all the
rest of the Peanuts characters.
            “Joey! Who
am I?” asks Tami.
            “We’re all
out of characters…”
            Tami’s
lower lip starts trembling.
            “You get
the most important part of all, Tami!” exclaims Mokuba with a wink to
Jounouchi, “And all you have to do is get in costume and look cute!”
            Tami’s eyes
widen happily. “Who? Who?”
            “You get to
be Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree! Without whom the story wouldn’t survive,”
says Mokuba, “I’ll make you a nice costume with pieces we can add on easily
while you’re on stage for when you make your big transformation from a small
simple tree into a powerful symbol of holiday cheer!”
            “Yay!”
cheers Tami hugging Mokuba quickly, “I’m a tree!”
            Jounouchi
catches Mokuba’s gaze and smiles as he mouths out ‘thank you.’
            Mokuba nods
his head. “Now I need to measure you all for your costumes!”
            “And I’ll
pop in to tell Ken and Honda that we don’t need a tree!” exclaims Jounouchi
stepping out of the room while Yugi and Anzu help Mokuba with the measurements.
“How’s it going?”
            “Take a look
at our tree design!” exclaims Honda, “I did that!” He passes a paper to
Jounouchi.
            “It’s
really great,” says Jounouchi looking at the scribbles on the paper, “but we
don’t need a tree.”
            “Huh?” asks
Honda.
            “Mokuba’s
going to make a tree costume for Tami. We ran out of parts and she really wants
to act,” explains Jounouchi, “so we already have a tree. And I hear you’re too
short to be Snoopy, Ken…”
            “Yeah. You
should fit the costume though, Jou,” says Kenichi, “I’ll get it and you can try
it on.” He rises from his chair and heads into a different room.
            “We think
we have the rest of the plans for props and things,” says Honda starting to
show the rest of the papers to Jounouchi.
            “Remind me
to call the music teacher at our school and ask if we can borrow instruments,”
says Jounouchi, “He has the sweetest little baby grand piano, and I just know
Reika would like to play it.”
            “Okay,”
says Honda scribbling a note on a blank piece of paper and passing it to
Jounouchi.
            “Um… what’s
this say?”
            “Call music
teacher about instruments…”
            “Gimme the
pen. I can’t read your writing,” says Jounouchi taking the pen off the table
and writing the note clearly before putting the pen down again. He folds the
paper and pockets it.
            Kenichi
steps back into the kitchen and passes the costume to Jounouchi. “I really hope
it fits you!”
            Jounouchi
unzips the back of the costume and kicks off his shoes before climbing into it.
            “I’ll zip
it for you,” says Kenichi stepping up behind Jounouchi and zipping up the
jumpsuit. “Guess what, Jou?”
            Jounouchi
lifts the Snoopy head onto his shoulders before saying, “It fits.”
            “It fits
perfectly! Can you see okay?” asks Kenichi.
            “Can you
see at all?” asks Honda.
            “I can see
fine,” says Jounouchi, “I’m going to show everyone!” He turns around carefully
and walks into the living room. “Woof! Woof!”
            Tami’s eyes
widen to saucer proportions. “Snoopy!”
            “Yugi,
how’s you like to be director for the play since I obviously have to play
Snoopy?” asks Jounouchi.
            Yugi tries
not to laugh. “I’d love to!”
            “So Anzu,
I’m going to need you to help me field phone calls, okay? We have to arrange
for the food and stuff still…”
            Anzu hides
her chuckles by turning her back on Jou. “Can we talk about this after you
change out of the dog costume?”
            Jounouchi
rushes out of the living room and enters the kitchen quickly. He pulls the head
off so that only the two seventeen-year-old boys can see his blushing face.
“Kaiba is never going to let me live this one down!”
            “Why?”
Kenichi looks confused as he helps Jounouchi out of the costume.
            “Kaiba
always calls Jou mean dog names like mutt,” says Honda, “and now Jou’s dressing
up like one.”
            “Why do you
care what he thinks about you?” asks Kenichi. He wraps the costume back up and
puts it in the bag from the costume shop.
            “Because I
like him,” says Jounouchi putting on his shoes, “Really like him.”
            “As in you
want to date him?” asks Kenichi.
            “No way!
Jou would never want to date that pompous windbag! He’s a complete and total
ass!” exclaims Honda.
            Jounouchi’s
blush only seems to deepen.
            “He’s
always nice to us,” says Kenichi, “The Seto we know sounds nothing like…”
            “The Kaiba
he described,” says Jounouchi, “You know Seto. We’ve only seen glimpses of him.
We normally see Kaiba and while they are the same person, they also aren’t…”
            “Jou, ask
Seto to show himself to you…”
            “Ew,
gross!”
            Jounouchi
swats the back of Honda’s head.
            “I meant
show his true self to Jou,” says Kenichi also swatting Honda on the back of the
head.
            “Well… I
have more work to do so I’d better get to it. Yugi’s the director so show him
your plans for the set,” says Jounouchi before heading back to the living room.
            Everyone
sits in a circle just reading through their lines for the play, and little Tami
sits in the middle smiling as brightly as a lit up Christmas tree.
            Jounouchi
watches everyone with a smile for a moment before tapping Anzu on her shoulder.
            Anzu gets
up and follows Jounouchi into another room where an old woman sits at a desk.
            “Hello,
Grandmother,” says Jounouchi, “This is Anzu. She’s going to be helping me out
this year.”
            “Nice to
meet you, Anzu,” says the woman rising on wobbly legs, “I run this institution.
You may call me Grandmother.”
            “Nice to
meet you, Grandmother.”
            “Can we use
your speakerphone?” asks Jounouchi quickly, “I want to call caterers and
introduce Anzu to them. I’d like you, Anzu, to be in charge of the food to be
served during the performance. It’s sort of a dinner theater. I can tell you
all the details when we’re talking to the caterers.”
            “Would you
stay long enough tonight to put the little ones in bed, Jou?” asks Grandmother.
            “Yeah! I
love reading bedtime stories to Tami,” says Jounouchi with a smile.
            “Then I
will retire for the evening,” says Grandmother, “Good night to you both.”
            “Good
night,” says Anzu.
            Jounouchi
walks to the Rolodex sitting on top of the file cabinet as Grandmother leaves
the room to head to bed. He turns it to a card and carefully removes it. “This
company has always been very good to us. They give me a huge discount
because I’m doing it all for charity.”
            “Okay… Jou,
I don’t want to mess this up,” says Anzu.
            “Then
don’t,” says Jounouchi turning back to the desk and sitting down in the chair,
“Bring a chair around and we’ll make the call.” He grabs out a blank notepad
from a desk drawer and lifts a pen from the penholder.
            Anzu moves
a chair around to sit close to Jounouchi’s side.
            “How neat
is your handwriting?”
            “It’s very
neat!” exclaims Anzu taking the pen and notepad from Jounouchi.
            “First off.
Put their name and phone number on the top for quick reference later,” says
Jounouchi showing the Rolodex card to Anzu.
            Anzu writes
the name ‘Gourmet Dreams’ down on her paper with the phone number. “Okay.”
            Luckily
they have evening hours so we’ll be able to talk to them after school,” says
Jounouchi dialing the number and leaving the phone set on ‘speaker’.
            Ring. Ring.
Ring. << Gourmet Dreams. How can I help you? >>
            “Can I
speak to the owner or manager please?” asks Jounouchi.
            <<
Please hold. >>
            “The owner
is Tadashi-san,” says Jounouchi as Anzu writes down the name, “and the manager
is Kohei-san.”
            <<
Tadashi, >> comes a voice from the phone.
            “Tadashi-san.
This is Jounouchi from Domino City Orphanage. We spoke last week about the
yearly Season of Love charity fundraiser,” says Jounouchi.
            <<
Oh, yes, Jounouchi-san! I remember you, young man! >>
            “I’d like
to introduce you to my assistant, Mazaki-san.”
            “Good
evening, Tadashi-san. My name is Mazaki Anzu.”
            <<
Mazaki-san. Do I take this introduction to mean that I’ll be hearing from you
more than Jounouchi-san? >>
            “Jounouchi-san
has more duties than normal this year, so I’ve agreed to take over the food
management aspect,” says Anzu, “Although I’m still not sure of what I’m doing.”
            <<
Don’t worry. I know all about food. >> The man chuckles. << What
size meal did you want, Jounouchi-san? >>
            “I was
thinking three appetizers, two mains, a salad or soup, one dessert, and maybe
some cookies and milk as a second dessert,” says Jounouchi, “But what do you
two think?”
            “Maybe we
could do a soup as one of the appetizers and have the salad during the meal,”
says Anzu, “The salad could be in between the two mains or else we would need a
palate cleanser.”
            <<
I’d like to do a gelato for the palate cleanser… perhaps something with a light
hint of peppermint, >> comes the voice over the phone.
            “Oh, that
sounds refreshing and very fit for the season,” says Anzu.
            “Well, if
you two think you’ve got it covered I’m going to go out and help the kids
memorize their lines,” says Jounouchi.
            <<
Don’t worry, Jounouchi-san. We’ll plan a feast kit for a king. >>
            “Thank you,
Tadashi-san… you too, Mazaki-san,” says Jounouchi before standing and heading
out of the office as Anzu moves into the more comfortable chair.
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A Charlie Brown Christmas