This is the final story in my Christmas collection with "It's Tradition" and "Denial." I hope you enjoy it. Your regular scheduled randomness will continue in January with "Choked."

.

I know what you're thinking, Seto Kaiba's finances in danger? Never. But it wasn't the first time someone tried to buy the company out from under him, and it wouldn't be the last that his very throne was challenged. He would be back on top in no time, of this he was sure. It was just a little blip on the radar, nothing he couldn't handle. In fact, he relished the challenge. This is what Seto Kaiba tried to explain to his younger brother, Mokuba Kaiba, but Mokuba would have none of it.

"You've always promised we would have whatever we needed, whatever we wanted…" Mokuba said pulling his winter coat tighter around his neck.

"We have, and we will─"

"But that isn't my point, that's what you've always promised, but it isn't what I've needed. I never cared about being rich beyond our wildest dreams, that's your shtick. All I've ever needed was stability, and gods know I don't have that emotionally so I think the least I can ask for is financially."

"It's a week or two, a month at the most. I'm formulating this plan, Mokuba; Damian Kaiser won't know what hit him; you see, I still have the passwords to─"

"I don't want to hear your business plans, Seto! We were kicked out of our home! Why is that even connected?! Why don't you have separate funds?! Why are you such an idiot?!"

"You've never been this mad at me over something like this before…"

"Yeah, well maybe it's because it's a week before Christmas and I know we're going to be spending it in a hotel, or maybe it's just because I'm tired of your shit."

Normally Kaiba would've chastised Mokuba for talking that way, but something told him now wasn't the time. He'd read an article recently about giving your children time to cool down before addressing certain issues, and though he'd never sought out or listened to parenting advice before, the ever approaching teen years made Kaiba start to feel like he should try to be a better whatever-he-is. Something he was clearly failing at right now.

They walked in silence to the Domino Hotel. Kaiba did have some money, and he was sure Mokuba must have known that. He was probably just making a passive aggressive point by paying for the room in cash before Kaiba got the chance. They still made Kaiba show his I.D.

When they went up to the room, Mokuba immediately turned on the television and didn't even look Kaiba's way. Kaiba felt an odd mix of anger at Mokuba's attitude, and guilt. After putting down his things, he decided to give Mokuba what he wanted and left the room for the lobby. He would've gone out to the nearly empty street, but he saw a woman walk by bundled in a coat, her scarf being whipped behind her by the wind, and four comfortable chairs positioned around a tiny table with a fern in the warm lobby. He sat down at one of the chairs and made a phone call.

"Mr. Kaiba, sir, where are you?!"

"At a hotel with Mokuba."

"I'll be right there, I─"

"No. Listen, everything is fine. I will get the company back, and you needn't worry, just enjoy your time off."

"But, sir, without the security of the Kaiba Mansion─"

"I don't have the money to pay you─"

"That's not a problem, I─"

"Roland, calm down. I appreciate the loyalty, but I was just calling to tell you we were okay, because I knew you would be worried. Listen, enjoy your time off, and if things aren't back to normal by the time it's over, go back to work for the company. I don't want you to miss a paycheck, you understand? I will be back as soon as possible, I promise. Can you do this for me?"

"…Yes, sir."

"Good. Happy Holidays."

"Oh, uh, yes, you too, sir… Uh, Mr. Kaiba?"

"Yes, Roland?"

"You and… you and Mokuba take care of yourselves, okay?"

"Will do, Roland, good bye."

As he hung up the phone, he got a text message from the exact person who had caused all this madness.

Your office is very

comfortable, Mr. Kaiba.

By the way, you have

yourself a merry little

Christmas.

-DK

Kaiba growled and deleted the text immediately. He made a few more phone calls to associates to judge where their loyalties lied before taking a deep breath and making one phone call that was a little more personal.

"Hello?" answered a soft voice.

"Hey, Yugi, it's Kaiba, I was just wondering if we could reschedule our duel on Friday."

"Yeah, sure, is something wrong?"

"No, everything is fine, I just need a little more time─"

"To strategize? Listen Kaiba, No amount of working and reworking your deck is ever going to lead to my defeat. You should just give up."

"You know, sometimes you can be as much of a jerk as he was."

"Well I learned from the best…"

"Wait… do you mean him or me?"

"I suppose that's up to your own interpretation, Kaiba. Anyway, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, I just need to reschedule."

"Until when?"

"I don't know, 3 weeks? A Month…"

"What? We never go that long without seeing each other."

"Stop making it sound like we hang out─"

"What, what are you talking about? We totally hang out, we eat artichoke dip, I gloat, you insinuate you hate my guts, it's a grand old time!"

"There's something wrong with your brain."

"Kaiba, what's the matter? I know something is wrong, I know you, you can tell me."

"Stop trying to be my confidant."

"Well it's not like you have somebody else… I'm telling you, you can talk to me."

"I made some bad deals. Messed around with Damian Kaiser─"

"When you say messed around─"

"Not like that!"

"Okay, just making sure, cause you and that guy have issues."

"Yeah, well now the issue is that he is in control of my company… and my assets… and… everything else."

"Why have I not heard about this somewhere?"

"I don't know. Roland had already heard about it when I called him."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Mokuba and I are staying at Domino Hotel for the time being. I'll get my company back, no problem. I'm not worried."

"Then why are you upset?"

"What? I'm not upset, I just figured we should duel some other time, because I don't have access to the space we've been using and─"

"I can hear it in your voice. What's got you worked up? You know, other than the usual…"

"Uh… Well I don't know… Mokuba's not too happy about the prospect of spending the holidays in a hotel. But… well he always has mood swings around Christmas and his birthday. And to be honest, I'm always tearing my hair out trying to make things special, but I have no problem getting him everything he wants and he knows I have no problem getting him everything he wants, so how to you go the extra mile, when the extra mile is to be expected?"

"Huh… Never thought I'd say this about anything pertaining to being filthy rich, but that is a tough one. Well, if it's the not being at home that's bothering him, I don't know what to tell you. But if it's just the hotel thing, you guys could come stay here."

"Stay… there? In the game shop? With your grandfather?"

"Yeah, hang on," Yugi said turning his head from the receiver. "Grandpa?! Can Kaiba and Mokuba spend the night on Christmas Eve?"

"What, here?" said a shaky but enthusiastic voice.

"Yeah, something happened with their house and it'd be fun…"

"Well I suppose, but I'm going to make them each swear on a stack of dueling magazines that they won't kill us in our sleep… and also to stay out of the shop area."

"…I'm sure that's fine, Grandpa…" Yugi said before turning back to the receiver. "You can come, and maybe some company would cheer the both of you up."

"Well… Maybe he would see that as the extra mile to please him, I mean, I'm sure he would know that this sounds like torture to me."

"Gee, thanks."

"I'd much rather sit in the hotel room and work on my business plans, I'm positive he knows that… So yeah, this should be a nice surprise. What time should we come?"

"I don't know, in time for dinner, 4:00, 4:30?"

"Done."

"Yugi!?" called Grandpa, "Is he broke?!"

"What?-I don't think so, why?!"

"Well I saw online that something is happening with KaibaCorp─"

"Why are you asking me, Grandpa?!"

"Can you ask him to buy a pie?"

"I'm not gonna─"

"Yugi," interrupted Kaiba, "I will get a pie."

"Oh, okay… uh, we're blueberry people…uh─"

"Yeah, I can manage that. See yah later, Yugi."

"Oh, uh, okay, bye, Kai─"

Kaiba didn't stay on long enough to hear the end of Yugi's farewell. He wanted to go upstairs and tell Mokuba the plans immediately, but then he felt like maybe Mokuba wouldn't want to hear right now and he waffled back and forth between using it to fix things now and letting it be a surprise. Eventually, he left to get take-out for the both of them and decided he could wait a few days to tell him.

Sooner or later Mokuba mellowed out, but there was still an air of disappointment. There was obvious resistance when Kaiba told him to put on something other than an old t-shirt and gym shorts to go out on Christmas Eve.

"I'm not saying you have to dress nice, just don't dress like you're homeless."

"Why? We're just going to the store… 'sides, we are homeless."

"We're not homeless, we're just staying in a hotel for a little while, it's an adventure."

"Uhuh…"

"Just change your pants, please."

"Why do we even need to go out? Let's just order room service."

"You want to just sit around here all day on Christmas Eve?"

"Ugh, I don't even want to celebrate Christmas this year."

"So you're saying you don't want presents?"

"Oh what could I possibly need? I don't want anything… Unless it's a forensic science kit…"

"Like I've said, you would use that for two days and then be like, it's too hard─"

"The kit is for children, it's not gonna be too hard."

"You should wear that maroon sweater vest, you look nice in that."

Mokuba turned around to rummage through his suitcase, mumbling, "This from the guy who wears the same coat every day."

At the store Mokuba was just as difficult.

"Aren't we gonna get food?"

"We don't need food."

"So we're just going to eat pie for dinner? And why are we getting blueberry? That's weird─"

"It's not weird─"

"It is, because we never─"

"Mokuba, listen…" Kaiba kneeled down in front of him to get his attention. He was surprised for a moment by exactly where their eyes met. Mokuba had grown a few inches. "We're buying blueberry pie, because that's what Yugi wants me to get─"

"What?"

"Because I thought you might enjoy it if we went over to his house for Christmas. He wants us to go there for dinner tonight. I haven't told you because I've been waiting for a moment when you're in a better mood…"

"Oh… really? You asked Yugi if we could go there 'cause you thought I'd like it?"

"Yes."

"Was he surprised? Was it humiliating?"

"Do you want to go there or not?"

"Yes! When are we going?"

"Actually we can be there in like a half hour─" Kaiba said looking at his watch.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Mokuba interrupted turning away to run. "Let's go! Ha, I'm glad I didn't wear my gym shorts today!"

Kaiba slapped his forehead.

After making Mokuba calm down, and stopping by the hotel for pajama's and a toothbrush, Kaiba called a cab so they didn't have to walk to Yugi's. As they got out, and Kaiba paid the cab driver, he got that twinge in his middle, poor people get from spending unnecessary money. It was a feeling he hadn't gotten in a long time. He ignored it.

Yugi opened the door to the game shop before they had the chance to knock and said breathily, "Listen, if my grandfather asks, you totally swore on the duel monsters hand book to be good while you're here. And we're gonna go straight to the living room, no going in the shop."

"Does he think Seto's gonna steal?" Mokuba asked as Yugi led them to the door in the back of the shop that contained their living quarters.

"Probably," Kaiba replied, preparing himself for being treated like a hoodlum.

Kaiba was ready to put up with all kinds of underhanded remarks and general distrust, but shockingly, when he entered the kitchen area where they had the dining room table, Yugi's grandfather hugged him.

"Kaiba, nice to see yah, please, sit down sit down. Oh Mokuba!" Grandpa said turning to Mokuba and hugging him as well, "Look at you! You're growing up real nice aren't'cha? Just don't get taller than you're brother, you won't be able to walk."

"Yeah," Mokuba replied sitting down at the table, "if I do end up as tall as him, I'm thinkin' basketball."

"Good idea, wouldn't want to waste it," said Yugi's grandfather, sitting down next to Yugi. "Well what are you waiting for? Take a seat Kaiba-boy."

Kaiba had been standing stick still since the hug. He was not used to this kind of hospitality. Finally, all he could think to say was, "Please don't call me that."

There was an awkward silence. Grandpa frowned slightly, taken aback. Yugi leaned over and whispered to him, "It sounds totally different coming from you, but Pegasus used to always put boy after our names."

"Oh, well that's creepy. I can understand that. If there's anyone I hate more than you, it's Pegasus," said Grandpa, looking at Kaiba.

"Oh," said Kaiba.

"Kaiba, I'm just kidding, would you sit down already?"

Kaiba put down his luggage on the floor and set the pie on the table before finally sitting down. His stomach was flipping. He didn't think it could be nervousness. After all, he didn't care what Yugi or his grandfather thought of him. But it was the butterflies of anxiety nonetheless. It reminded him of making changes at the company, facing important opponents, or taking Mokuba to a new school. It was like the fear of change, but he couldn't figure out what his body thought was changing.

"Thank you for having us, Mr. Muto," Kaiba said, trying to be polite. "You've been very welcoming."

"Please, all of Yugi's friends call me Gramps."

"Really, you don't find that insulting?" Mokuba asked.

"Nope, I'm a Grandpa after all. Yugi and his friends have called me that for years, I'm used to it. I don't particularly like being called old man though."

There was an almost silence, but Grandpa smiled so genuinely through it, that it broke quickly. Grandpa encouraged them to fill their plates and eat and there was an odd guilt Kaiba felt about it all. Eating Yugi's food, sitting in his house, chatting with his grandfather, just felt so bizarre, and yet there was a distant sensitivity to it, like he was looking at a painting that truly moved him.

After dinner Gramps explained he was very excited Mokuba was here, because he was hoping he'd want to build a gingerbread house with him, since Yugi had started to lose enthusiasm for those kinds of things. Mokuba was thrilled and Kaiba watched contently with his elbow on the table as the old man and the young boy ate gumdrops and stacked graham crackers while Yugi joked and told stories.

Later, in the living room Grandpa got Mokuba a blanket and they sat on the couch together watching a movie, and talking about how toys didn't wiz all around the room back in Mr. Muto's day. Kaiba stared aimlessly at the television though he couldn't really hear it. He was glad Mokuba seemed like he was enjoying himself. Somehow it seemed like it got late very quickly, perhaps because it was winter and the sun was gone so early, or perhaps because Kaiba was tired from the weirdness of his life.

Yugi was walking to the fridge when he said, "Hey, Kaiba, I didn't know what to get you for Christmas…"

"My being here gave you no obligation, don't worry about it."

"Yeah, well but I did get you something. I just thought you might want it now," Yugi said opening the fridge and pulling out a pretty glass bottle with a blue ribbon and placing it on the table.

"Bourbon? How did you know this was my drink of choice?"

"You told me at that after duel party… you know when I called you a cab?"

"… I actually don't remember how I got home that night."

"That makes sense. It was a tough night. Let me pour you a glass," said Yugi, getting some small glasses from the cupboard. "Gramps, you want a glass of bourbon and apple cider?"

"Sure," Grandpa whispered walking over to them, "You're brother's fallen asleep."

"Oh good, good," Kaiba said quietly. "You know, I really should appreciate that he's still into all this stuff. I wasn't at his age."

"It's hard to imagine you ever having been enthusiastic about anything," Yugi said grabbing the bottle of cider from the counter.

"Ha. Ha," Kaiba said sarcastically. "What I'm saying is, I know it won't be like this forever, he's getting older so fast and… and so am I." Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You're not supposed to start getting existential until after you start drinking," Yugi said, sitting down and pouring an inch of bourbon into a glass. He handed it to Kaiba, and then filled his and his grandfather's with apple cider and a pinch of cinnamon before spiking them with the bourbon.

"Kaiba," Grandpa said, "You should appreciate these times, they'll be gone in a blink, and don't take things for granted… But I don't think you have to worry too much. You're not going to lose Mokuba to time. His enthusiasm is not his childishness, it's his personality."

"Yeah… Yeah, he's always been like that." He was agreeing, but Kaiba's voice betrayed an uncertainty.

"Everything is fine, Kaiba," Yugi said, reaching out and brushing his arm.

"Yeah," said Grandpa, "This is nice, having a drink with friends, spending Christmas together. I mean, it's about time we had you over, Kaiba."

"Huh?" Kaiba puffed.

"I mean, you and Yugi are close friends, it's time to relax and let that be. Maybe you're not best friends, maybe you'll never be like Yugi and Joey, or you and Mokuba, but you are friends. Like you are this big part of Yugi's life, and you never show your face around here but to drop Yugi off because it's raining after a duel or something─"

"He doesn't consider me a friend, Grandpa."

"Oh, but he'll drive you home in the rain. He'll sit and shoot the breeze with you over a glass of bourbon─"

"We're─…" Kaiba started, "We're a… thing."

"Eloquent, Kaiba," said Yugi with a smile.

"I guess I'm just saying that we're always here for yah, Kaiba. Just like we know you're always there for us, even if you don't act like it."

"I think you're too forgiving, old man. And a bad judge of character."

"When you get to be my age, you don't have time to hold grudges. You realize that they hurt you more than they hurt the person you're angry with. You know I once went 3 years without seeing someone. By the time we made up, she was married and pregnant and it never was the same. People are people. Everybody is just a person, no matter how you put it… Oh, and I have always been an excellent judge of character."

"Are you talking about the woman who was almost my grandma?" asked Yugi.

"No, that was another lady I knew in my youth."

"Grandpa!"

"What? I dated a lot of people. As will you. But your grandmother was the one. Always was going to be. It was destiny."

"Yeah, Yugi, he found her the way all duelist find the one they're meant to be with. He just held his deck, closed his eyes, and believed really hard in the heart of the cards, and she appeared," Kaiba said completely strait faced.

"Ah, so the kid's got jokes," said Grandpa, and then Kaiba smiled.

"Really?" Yugi said like a little kid. "So if I take out my deck," Yugi pulled his deck from his pocket like a clown doing a magic trick, "and close my eyes," he closed them tight, "and believe really hard, the perfect person for me will appear right in front of my eyes?"

"Yep," replied Yugi's grandfather.

He spent a few moments looking like he was concentrating very hard before Kaiba saw his purple eyes shoot open. He paused a second, looking at Kaiba, and then said, "Nope! Still just you guys!" and they all laughed.

"You know, next year we should go to your aunt's house Yugi, you know she's not going to be around forever," said Grandpa, changing the subject.

"Yeah…"

"Clearly you don't want to," said Kaiba.

"Eh, she's just kinda judgmental. She doesn't understand the whole… I want to be a professional duelist thing."

"You do?"

"Well it's not that I don't have other aspirations, but… why would I do something else? I'm the King of Games, I could make a lot of money on the dueling circuit."

"Well… Until I dethrone you, and no one even wants to duel you anymore because you're has-been."

"Oh, bring it on, Kaiba," Yugi said zealously.

"Okay," Grandpa said emptying his glass. "I think I'm gonna head to bed. Maybe don't have any duels until tomorrow?"

"Oh, we won't," Yugi said watching him head for the stairs. "Happy Christmas, Grandpa."

"Happy Christmas, Yugi."

Once he was gone Kaiba asked, "Hey, Yugi? When did… well… With all the things that have happened… even just between you and me, I'm surprised your grandfather is… so relaxed."

"Mm, he always said, even right after he met you, that you were just a kid who needed a friend… so… yeah…" Yugi trailed off.

"Hmf, oh…" Kaiba said looking toward Mokuba. Easily distracted, it was getting late, they were tired.

"Maybe Grandpa had the right idea…"

"Oh… Oh okay."

"Do you want me to get out a futon, or…?"

"No, no I'll just find a place with Mokuba," Kaiba said getting up. "Before I forget…"

"What?"

Kaiba went to his suitcase and popped it open as quietly as he could, but it still made a clacking noise as the locks unhooked. He pulled out a wrapped box with a crushed bow. He walked slowly over to Yugi's tree, and placed it beneath, to the side. Then he looked to Yugi and said, "Mokuba."

"What is it?" Yugi whispered.

"It's this science kit that he's been wanting," Kaiba whispered back. "It's all I brought with me from the house, but I think it's enough."

"Aw," said Yugi getting up and putting his glass in the sink.

"You going upstairs?"

"Mhm, but you can come up if you get lonely," Yugi joked.

Kaiba smiled like he might have laughed but was too tired. Yugi disappeared, and Kaiba found himself pouring another glass and wandering over to Mokuba. He brushed the hair out of his brother's face, and pulled the blanket up to his chin. He leaned down and kissed Mokuba on the cheek. It came out deeper than he expected when he whispered, "Good night, Mokuba."

Mokuba stirred slightly and in his sleep said, "Good night, Daddy." Tears came to Kaiba's eyes, and he knew he was being foolish, but he wished more than anything Mokuba hadn't said that. He patted him on the head and turned away, staring out the window.

He stood in front of the window for a long while, sipping at his drink and staring at things blowing down the street in the cold winter wind, and his own reflection in the glass.

We're always here for you, Kaiba. Just like we know you're always there for us…

You don't have time to hold grudges. You realize that they hurt you more than they hurt the person you're angry with.

I know something is wrong, I know you, you can tell me.

People are people. Everybody is just a person, no matter how you put it…

Why are you such an idiot?!

You and Yugi are close friends, it's time to relax and let that be.

You guys could come stay here.

All I've ever needed was stability, and Gods know I don't have that emotionally.

"Emotionally…" He repeated aloud. He was frowning, and then he was smiling, and then he was frowning again, and then he was setting his glass down on the window sill, walking up the stairs, and knocking softly with the knuckle of his index finger on Yugi's slightly open door.

"Yeah?" Yugi said prompting Kaiba to open the door a little further.

"Hi."

"Hi, come in."

Kaiba stepped into the room slowly. "Um… I got lonely?" he said

Yugi had changed into some blue pajamas and was sitting on the edge of his bed. He laughed and patted a spot next to him to get Kaiba to sit.

"Yugi, I just wanted to thank you─"

"No, we have room, why─"

"No," Kaiba took his hand. "I just wanted to thank you for never giving up on me." He hugged Yugi abruptly and Yugi was taken aback, but pleased. "And for putting up with me and I want you to know that no matter how I act," he grabbed Yugi's arm with one hand and still hugging him with the other, squeezing, "I appreciate that I always have you." Kaiba kept changing positions like he didn't know how to give affection, like he kept trying to do more just to get his point across. "And like, Gramps is right and stuff and just thanks!" Kaiba said giving Yugi a small kiss.

They stared blankly at each other, Kaiba's eyes widening. "Kaiba…" Yugi whispered.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. I got carried away."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Sorry."

"It's cool. Are you okay? You're not dying of cancer are you?"

"No. But I've had an epiphany, Yugi!"

"Really, now?" Yugi said, humoring him.

"Yes! Mokuba, he told me when this began that all he needed was stability and that he wasn't stable emotionally so he wanted to be financially. And I thought he was just giving me crap about losing the company… But no, what he really wanted me to know, what I should've been listening to, is that he doesn't feel he has emotional stability."

"Uhuh…"

"Yugi, he doesn't care about being in a house on Christmas, or being here, or getting lots of presents. He just wants me to be there for him. He just wants me to tell him everything will be okay, instead of assuming he knows. And that seems really obvious out loud."

"It's okay, epiphany's are like that, they always seem obvious after you've had them."

"Yugi, I feel like-like everything I've done has led up to this moment," Kaiba said leaning in close to Yugi. "I feel like it's destiny that I would come here, and hear the word of Mokuba, and the words of your grandfather, and hear the world outside my head for once."

"Uhuh," Yugi said so sarcastically, this time Kaiba noticed.

"I swear this isn't the bourbon talking."

"Oh really? It smells like the bourbon is talking."

Kaiba put a hand over his mouth, embarrassed. "It's not," he said, his voice slightly muffled.

"Well let me ask you a question, Kaiba, a minute ago, was it the bourbon who kissed me?"

"Yes! I mean no! I mean… oh," Kaiba said, his eyes going wide again and his face slacking, like he'd just had another epiphany far greater than the last.

"Kaiba…" Yugi said, wrapping an arm over Kaiba shoulder and using it to pull himself up toward him so that their noses were touching. Yugi waited a moment, searching Kaiba's eyes as if trying to find if it was okay, but when Kaiba didn't budge, he kissed him.

They shared a few more kisses before Kaiba said, "My breath…"

"It's okay, mine too," Yugi replied, and as if that had meant something entirely different than it had, Kaiba pushed Yugi down onto his bed, kissing him softly but purposefully. Yugi let out a small noise somewhere between a giggle and a moan, and Kaiba stiffened. He leaned back, pulling away slowly, and Yugi's eyes drooped. It must've been too much for Kaiba, and now he would leave and this would be a memory.

He stopped at the door, gripping the handle, and then the door shut, but when it was closed, Kaiba was still inside the room. Yugi looked at Kaiba, confused, and Kaiba put a finger to his lips as if to say shhhhh.

"My grandpa takes his hearing aid out at night."

"But Mokuba is still downstairs."

Yugi nodded, and Kaiba returned to the best, gently pulled Yugi into his arms, still tentative, still afraid, but embracing the fear.

Yugi kissed him and he sighed to himself, then said a loud, "You know, when I think about it, I really am quite lucky."

"Everyone can see that but you."

"Better late than never," Kaiba said half lidded. Yugi melted into him and kissed him with his mouth slightly open. Kaiba huffed out hot air between them and they could taste each other's skin, saliva moistening their lips. Yugi pulled Kaiba down with him onto his bed, laughing, but it was muffled by Kaiba's mouth.

Kaiba slept in Yugi's room that night. Mokuba was the first to wake up in the morning, for which they were quite grateful, because though Kaiba might have to have a talk with him later, at least when someone swung the door open and said, "Merry Christmas!" it wasn't Yugi's grandfather.

Mokuba didn't seem wholly bothered, and was far more concerned with the one present under the tree that had his name on it that was just the right size to be, "Yes! My forensic science kit! That's what I'm going to be when I grow up, Yugi! I'm going to be a forensic scientist!"

"No you're not."

"Stop stifling my dreams, Seto!"

"You can be whatever you put your mind to."

"Thanks, Gramps."

All in all, the 4 of them had a very merry little Christmas.