Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Cat of the Lilac Eyes ❯ Chapter 10: Christmas ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Shiro: Here we go! We've made it to the Christmas chapter! Also, this chapter marks the halfway mark! That's right, this story is halfway finished. I've already planned out the whole thing.

Kaze: Which is much more than you can say for your other stories.

Shiro: Oi! I have a general ending!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I do this because I enjoy writing and nothing more. I do own any OC's in this story.

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“…we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!” Damian sings happily, standing outside the Phoenix’s front door.

Laughing, Ashling opens the door to see Damian standing there dressed in a red sweater, black pants, and a Santa hat on his head. Ashling hugs him, giggling when Damian puts an elf hat on her head.

“Come on in, Damian.” Mrs. Phoenix says. “Come in out of the cold and join us. We’re just about to watch The Grinch.”

Damian grins. “You look as lovely as ever, Mrs. Phoenix. It’s good to see you, Mr. Phoenix.” He says, nodding to Ashling’s dad. “Ah, Ishizu!” He walks across the room to the dark haired Egyptian. “You look absolutely beautiful today.” Damian says, kissing the back of her hand.

“As charming as ever, Damian.” Ishizu comments.

Ashling tugs the end of Damian’s Santa hat. “Down boy.”

Damian barks playfully and sticks out his tongue, which makes Ashling laugh again.

Obviously, it’s Christmas vacation. Damian has closed the café for the break, mainly because Riley and Max went up to New York, Jiro’s in North Carolina, Kaylie’s in Florida, and Holly and Tabby (who has been helping out at the café) are in different parts of Virginia.

Once again Damian’s father has gone off to a different country for his job and Damian is staying with the Phoenix’s just like he has every year.

Malik comes downstairs just before the movie starts. Damian grins and places an elf hat on the blonde’s head, getting a glare from him.

“Oh relax Ishtar.” Ashling says. “Sit down, we’re going to watch a Christmas movie.” She yanks him down onto the couch with her after saying this.

Malik yelps and lands roughly on the couch. He then glares at Ashling and Damian, who are both grinning.

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Over in Domino City, Mokuba has enlisted the help of Tama, Ryou, Joey, Serenity, Marik, Yume, and Bakura in decorating the mansion.

The three yami’s are setting up the tree, Mokuba and Serenity are putting up other decorations in the house, and Tama, Ryou, and Joey are baking. Later they’ll all going to go outside and decorate the outside.

Tama puts another batch of Christmas cookies into the oven and then closes the door, wiping her brow. Then she looks at her fellow chef’s. Ryou’s wearing a power blue apron that says, “Kiss the cook” (a gift that Tama gave him for his birthday). Joey’s apron is dark green with dog-bone buttons. Tama’s apron is red plaid.

“So who wants to go see what trouble the Darks have managed to get into with setting up the tree?” Tama asks, wiping her hands off on a towel.

Ryou and Joey exchange quick glances and then look pointedly at Tama, who sweat drops.

“Okay, okay! I’ll go check on them.” The female Light grumbles, pulling off her apron. “If I’m lucky Marik hasn’t stuck his finger in an electric socket yet.”

“And we wonder how he gets his hair spiked up like that.” Ryou comments.

Tama rolls her eyes and walks out of the kitchen to go hunt down the “three nuts”.

“Hey Ryou, ten bucks says dat dey have managed ta get da lights tangled up.” Joey says.

Ryou sighs. “More likely one of them has gotten themselves tangled up in the lights.”

Sure enough, in the living room Yume and Bakura are struggling to get the tree up. Marik is stuck over in the corner, tied up with Christmas lights that are turned on and several ornaments hanging off him.

“What in the name of Ra is going on here?” Tama asks upon stepping into the room.

Yume looks sheepishly at her hikari. “Well Marik wasn’t cooperating and was making more of a mess so…”

“So you tied him up.” Tama finishes knowingly. “I want him untied and for this tree to be finished by the time this last batch of cookies is done.”

Yume and Bakura salute Tama mockingly. “Sir, yes sir!”

Tama growls threateningly at the two before turning around and going back to the Kaiba’s kitchen.

Out in the hall armed with a staple gun and some duck tape are Serenity and Mokuba, who are singing Christmas carols while putting up decorations. Mokuba is stapling the stringed pine needles (I have no clue what they’re called…) top of the walls while Serenity is untangling the long string.

Despite the numerous set-backs they face, the group manages to get several rooms and the outside of the house decorated before Seto gets home from work.

The brunette greets them with, “What are they doing here?” after he hugs Mokuba.

“Nice to see you too.” Tama grumbles while Yume says, “Well your damn house is still standing, isn’t it?”

The female ex-spirit gets smacked for that comment.

The hikari’s, yami’s, Serenity, and Joey leave soon after.

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Ishizu looks suspiciously at the two Americanized teens who are whispering to one another while gesturing to a piece of paper.

“What are you two up to?” She asks.

Ashling and Damian jump and then look at Ishizu guiltily. “Nothing!” They say in unison.

Ishizu just sighs and ignores them, deciding she doesn’t want to know what they’re plotting, and walks on down the stairs.

Damian looks questioningly at Ashling who just shrugs. The two go back to whatever they’re plotting after making sure no one else is within hearing distance.

“Are you sure this will work?” Ashling asks.

Damian nods. “Positive.”

Ashling bites her lip, a nervous habit she’s recently picked back up. “I hope you’re right.”

“Are you doubting me?” Damian asks in mock-horror. “How many times have I been wrong?”

“Countless.” Ashling replies smartly.

“Name one.” Damian challenges.

“Well there was that one time when we were 8-”

“I meant recently.” Damian interrupts.

Ashling frowns and has to think for a minute, but she finds something. “What about just this summer when you decided that ‘gliding’ off the roof was a good idea?”

Damian blinks comically. “I forgot about that…”

“Idiot.”

The door to Ashling and Malik’s (and partially Damian’s) room opens and Malik steps out, yawning.

“Morning Ishtar/Psycho.” Ashling and Damian greet.

“Too early. Shut up.” Malik mutters, shuffling into the bathroom.

Damian and Ashling both sweat drop.

“Well,” Ashling says with a sigh. “that worked well.”

“Indeed.”

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Malik looks curiously at the video file Tama sent his that is labeled “Happy Birthday”.

‘Do I dare?’ He asks himself. ‘Curiosity will eventually get the better of me, so I’ve better do it now.’ His mind made up, Malik clicks the link and sits back to watch.

The screen blinks to life with a picture of the Muto’s living room floor.

“Is it on?” He hears Joey ask.

“Is the red light blinking?” Malik grins at hearing his cousin’s amused tone.

The picture blurs as Joey moves the camera around to find this light. “No.”

“Well, is the green light blinking?”

“No.”

“What color is it then?”

“Purple.”

“Purple?!” Several voices exclaim. Malik can easily identify them as Tama’s, Mokuba’s, and Téa’s. He also can immediately figure out who has done it.

“MARIKU! BAKURA! YUMERI! CAN’T YOU BEHAVE FOR MORE THAN FIVE SECONDS?!”

Malik winces, almost pitying the three Darks. Tama’s wrath is a dangerous and scary thing. It’s times like these when it’s surprising that she’s a Light.

Joey finally gets the camera situated correcting just in time to catch Yugi losing his unusually short temper and blasting the three through the shadow realm and out of the house. Again.

Malik’s respect for the smaller hikari rises several notches when he sees this. ‘Apparently all Muto women have dangerous tempers. That explains a lot…’

“Alright Malik, if dis thing’s one- we’re all gathered here ta wish ya a happy birthday.” Joey says. “You’ve been gone for about a half a year now an’ quite a few things have changed.”

“Joey, we haven’t changed that much.” Téa reprimands, stepping in front of the camera. Malik’s jaw almost drops.

Since the end of the last school year, which was about the last time he saw her, Téa has let her hair grow out past her shoulders and has started lightly applying a little bit of make-up to accent her features. She’s wearing a Christmas-y red shirt with white snowflakes decorating it. She’s wearing a matching skirt that does down to her knees.

“Hi Malik.” Téa says. “Joey I swear if that thing isn’t on I’m going to feel so stupid.”

“You an’ me both, Téa.” Joey replies, moving the camera over to Yami and… Yugi? “Alright Malik, dat’s Yugi if you haven’t figured dat out.”

In his female form, Yugi’s hair isn’t spiked up. Instead it’s down and falls above his shoulders. His usual golden lightning bolt shaped bangs still frame his face. He’s wearing some of Tama’s clothes since she’s the only one about his size. He’s wearing one of her older black shirts which stretches around his rounding stomach.

‘He’s wearing pajama pants.’ Malik notes with amusement.

“And dere’s Tristan, Duke, and my sister.” Joey says, moving the camera over to the three. “Ah look, da triumphant return.” He comments, panning around to the now frazzled Darks.

“Shut up before I make you shut up.” Bakura growls threateningly.

“Aww, put a sock in it.” Joey replies. “Or else I’ll sick Yug’ on ya!”

The camera is passed to someone shorter now and that person turns the camera to Yugi, who is blushing.

“So cute.”

Malik raises an eyebrow. ‘Mokuba?’

Mokuba laughs. “So much for a birthday surprise.” He says, turning the camera to Bakura and Joey, who are now arguing.

“Bakura, please don’t start anything.” Ryou begs. “Joey, don’t get him started again. Please you two!”

A fuming Tama steps into view. “SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP! All of you!”

The camera fumbles and then falls and the screen goes blank for a moment before flickering back to life. Now Malik can see everyone. Someone, most likely Tama, has arranged everyone in the group as anyone bound to start fighting with someone is away from that person. Bakura and Yume are on the far left trapped by Tama and Ryou. Marik is in the back in between Seto and Joey. Serenity and Duke are in the middle. Tristan in on the right and Yugi, Yami, and Mokuba are in the front.

“We would have gotten grandpa here, but ever since our Thanksgiving Turkey Incident he refuses to be in the same room as Bakura, Yume, and Marik.” Tama says, giving the three yami’s a look. “Anyway, since you’re halfway across the world, this is basically the only thing we can do for your birthday.”

Malik groans. “Please don’t sing.” He mutters, already knowing that they are going to. “I really don’t feel like hearing my yami and Tristan sing.”

His pleas go unanswered, further proving that the gods hate him. Malik turns the volume down, wincing at the particularly loud screech his yami purposely put in his voice. ‘I’m going to get Tama for this one.’ He vows. ‘Although… it is nice to see everyone.’

Ashling cracks open the door to the computer room and peeks in. “Ishtar, is something wrong? I felt annoyance from out link thingy.”

“I’m fine, Phoenix. My cousin sent me a “happy birthday” vide and all my friends were singing.” Malik says, as the screen flickers and then goes back to his e-mail.

“Oh. Alright, I just wanted to check.” Ashling says, before closing the door and going back to whatever she was doing.

Malik sighs and then decides to type an e-mail to send to Tama. ‘“Tama, I’m going to kill you”, that should be a good beginning.’

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Malik goes downstairs for dinner several hours later to find no one is there. “Hello? Ishizu? Phoenix? Pretty-boy?”

“SURPRISE!!!”

Malik almost falls backward in surprise when everyone jumps out of their hiding places.

“Happy Birthday, psycho!” Damian says, snapping a childish ‘happy birthday’ hat onto Malik’s head. “We’ve got pizza and cat for dinner today!”

“Meat lover’s is mine!” Ashling yells, running into the kitchen.

“Hey!” Damian protests. “What if I want some? Ash? Ash!” He runs after her into the kitchen.

“BITE ME!”

Malik sweat drops. Some birthday this is turning out to be.

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“Wake up!” Ashling and Damian chorus in unison, jumping on either side of Malik’s bed. This action makes Malik go flying up into the air from the force. He winds up landing heavily on Ashling.

“Oomph!”

The two blondes go rolling off the air mattress in a tangled head. Damian laughs at the two and can’t help but comment, “Aww, look at the little lovebirds!” At this, Ashling and Malik jump away from one another.

Damian rolls his eyes at their childishness, but maintains his cheerful look. “No time for fighting you two, it’s Christmas! C’mon guys, get up so we can go downstairs and open presents!” He exclaims, jumping up. The now green, red, and black haired boy then proceeds to loudly sing “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.

“By Ra, shut up! No one wants to hear you singing this early in morning!” Malik says, covering his ears.

Ashling nods in agreement. “Damian, we’ll sing Christmas carols later. Please don’t ruin the good morning.”

Damian sighs and stops singing. He pouts instead. “Okay, okay. I’ll wait until we go downstairs.

Ten minutes later the three are downstairs and Damian is once again singing. It’s not like he has a bad singing voice, he has a rather good one. It’s just that he sings so loudly.

“SHUT UP!” Almost everyone yells.

Damian just grins and stops singing, having succeeded in annoying everyone in the morning.

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Over in Domino things are more peaceful. Yume and Bakura are unusually quiet which means Marik has no one to plot with.

This year all the yami’s have presents of their own and Malik has a pile that’s sitting in the corner of the Bakura house. All three of the yami’s and Tama and Ryou are in the living room passing around presents. Christmas carols play in the background.

Joey and Serenity are laughing and talking while they open their gifts from each other and their friends.

Over with the Muto’s, Yugi is crying over a baby shirt from Téa. Yami is trying his best to comfort the boy-turned-girl and Grandpa Solomon is sitting there quietly, waiting for Yugi to make on of his trips to the bathroom so he can eat the last Christmas cookie.

Duke is enjoying a cup of tea in his somewhat quiet apartment while carefully unwrapping his gifts. A young girl around 12 with wavy black hair and jade green eyes sits beside him, tearing the wrapping paper off her gifts and examining them fully before moving on to the next one.

Tristan is busy chasing around the puppy his younger brother got because it stole one of his socks. His younger brother laughs while he watches Tristan chase the puppy ‘round and ‘round.

Seto and Mokuba are now settling down in their living room after eating breakfast. Mokuba merrily begins separating out the presents while Seto sits there watching, a small smile on his face.

Téa is enjoying Christmas morning with her parents. Each of them have a cup of tea and a peppermint candy cane.

Now we head over to another apartment where Mai is just leaving.

“Excuse me, Miss Mai Valentine?” The guy at the counter asks.

Mai turns around, an uninterested look on her face. “Yes?”

“You have a package.” The guys says, setting said package on the counter. “It came this morning.”

Mai’s surprised, but doesn’t show it. Instead she nods and takes the package and then heads back up to her room. Inside she takes off her shoes, letting them lie carelessly on the floor, and walks over and sits down on her couch. She then proceeds to unwrap the carefully wrapped gift. She looks in surprise at the small plushy dog she has unwrapped, it’s golden faux-fur surprisingly soft for such an ordinary looking plushy. A note falls out onto the couch and Mai picks it up.

Love,
me. (1)

She smiles, knowing instantly who sent her the Christmas present. ‘Joey…’

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Back the with Phoenix’s, Damian, Malik, and Ishizu Ashling, Damian, and Malik run into a problem.

“Look who’s under the mistletoe!” Cheyenne cajoles.

All three High School seniors look up at the same time and see mistletoe hanging above two of them… Ashling and Damian both blush.

“It’s a tradition you two.” Mrs. Phoenix says.

Ashling quickly kisses Damian on the cheek and then Damian does the same to her.

Unbidden, a wave of jealously washes over Malik, leaving him confused. Ashling glances at Malik, having felt some of the emotion through the link.

“I’m fine.” Malik mutters.

Ashling doesn’t look too convinced, but she lets it go. After all, it’s Christmas and Christmas isn’t a time to worry.

‘I really hate mistletoe.’ Malik decides. (2)

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(1) The note. There's a song by Collin Raye (a country musician) that's called 'Love, Me.' I really have no clue how it popped into my head but when it did I decided it was too cute to ignore.

(2) Did you really think I wouldn't bring the mistletoe back?

(3- Unplanned note that doesn't quite fit.) Damian has become my favorite guy OC for this story, which is really funny because I never planned on bringing him back when I started writing this. Then Keitaro mentioned something about wondering where Damian is at and thus Damian and Ashling being friends began! (grins)

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Shiro: I hope this isn't too long for you all. It's roughly 5 pages in size 11 font in Times New Roman. It's the longest I've written for this whole story so far.

Kitsune: Doesn't seem that long to me.

Shiro: Kit, that's because we read really long chapters with some of the stories we read. Anyway, I want to thank ChaosMagicianGirl for her constructive criticism and I wish I could put a note on here for her. Instead, I'll just say this: I always go back and edit my stories (when I get the time) when I've finished with them. So when I'm finished writing this and get it all posted, that's the time I go back and fix things that I notice. Okay, I'm done now.
Keitaro: Please review! Constructive criticism is appreciated, flames are laughed at and promptly deleted, funny/insane reviews are highly treasured, and short reviews are also appreciated.