It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

A Yu-Gi-Oh ONESHOT and Song Fanfiction (So I don't get in trouble for using song lyrics)

By: Mazakai

Started: December 2, 2006

Completed: January 5, 2007

Posted:

Disclaimer: First off, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did I wouldn't be writing this, I would be sitting on the beach of my private island with my own personal Seto Kaiba!!!!!! This is for fun not for profit; a tribute to the Christmas season that I just feel like writing in my spare time.

She glanced in the mirror one last time, running her hands across her top and then smoothed down the flowing material of her dress. With a shake of her head she thought, 'I look like another person!' Words from the other side of the bathroom door brought her back to reality from the trance she'd gone under while donning her outfit.

"And then when he saw me, dressed out to the nines in this outfit, his jaw literally dropped," came the high-tone voice. "I mean, literally. We ended up staying in that dressing room a good, long time." Tea blinked then opened the door rapidly.

"Mai! You didn't!" she gasped, taking in the sight of her friend clad in a forest green strapless evening gown. The blonde turned her head from her inspection of her nails and gave a thumbs-up to Tea.

"You go girl. You're gonna wow 'em with that getup! Actually, go and take it off. I don't want you stealing my thunder," she joked, wagging her clutch at Tea mock-threateningly.

"Mai!" Tea whined. "Tell me you and Joey didn't do the dirty while in the dressing rooms!" Mai waved her off.

"Of course not. Though it was getting pretty hot and heavy. If that little old lady hadn't come wandering around looking for a red and black lace corset, the story might have turned out differently. Her voice was so shrill and the way she was asking about the corset was enough to turn off the heat of even a coal furnace. I think I'm going to have nightmares about her voice for the rest of my life!" Mai dropped backwards onto Tea's bed and covered her face with her arm. Tea giggled and looked at Mai's outfit one more time as she lay on the bed, trying to pretend she was in pain.

Her hair was done up in an intricate bun for once with long tendrils sweeping the sides of her face. She had kept her makeup natural, a light sheen of pink lip gloss the only real noticeable difference beside the mascara, but her clothing made up for it. The forest green strapless dress swept the floor in gentle waves, and crystals were sewn onto the neckline, which showed plenty of her assets yet kept her firmly in place. Silver gloved adorned her arms and reached above her elbows. Two green and silver bracelets adorned each of her wrists as an added touch.

Joey hadn't put up an argument and had gladly gone along with the theme, dressing himself in a black tuxedo with a shirt the same color as Mai's dress and a silver tie. Shaking her head at the thought of the crazy couple, she took a step forward and slipped into her slim heels before tapping Mai on the shoulder and rousing her from the bed.

"Come on Mai, we really need to go now," Tea informed the older girl as she glanced at the clock on the bedside table. "I promised Mokuba we'd be there at eight."

"I know, I'm coming," Mai replied, standing and smoothing out the green material of her outfit before following Tea out of the room. As the two young women emerged from Tea's bedroom, they were assaulted with several high-pitched whistles. Mai merely flipped her hair over her shoulder and Tea gave a small grin, feeling a slight blush warm her cheeks.

"Wow," Joey's breathy voice sounded out. "You two look like a coupla' sexy harpies, ready to lure men into your dens of desire." Mai gave Tea a look and then approached Joey, smacking him on the rear.

"I told you to stop reading those trashy romances," she joked. "Your vocabulary is changing."

"Well, you gotta admit, Joey does have a point," Tristan agreed as he pulled Serenity to his side, an arm wrapped securely around her. The two love-birds had opted for a quieter color scheme and Serenity was dressed in a modest cream colored gown while Tristan was sporting black tux like Joey's only with a white shirt and black tie. Slightly behind and to the left of them was Bakura who had also rented a tux, but wore it with a maroon colored shirt and a gold silk tie.

Tea's eyes drifted to the right a bit where she spotted Yugi, dressed like the others but with a deep purple shirt and black tie. He gave her a mock-salute and she grinned, winking at him playfully. Out of all her friends, he was the one that hadn't changed since their high school days. But that was in the past and they were all college students now, all suddenly going in different directions and mapping out their individual futures. It was a little odd at times.

Her gaze moved slowly to the last figure, his form cutting a daring picture in her mind. Yami. Her first and now ex-boyfriend. It hadn't been until a year before that he had begun to understand the depths of his powers, the reality and secrets of his past. Tea had been there with him to help him through it all. They had bonded, creating the desire for more than just friendship. It had lasted five months, two weeks, seventeen days, and three-and-a-half hours, not that Tea had counted. They had been over a good three months or so, but the ache still burned at times.

Tea had been the one to end it, much as it had pained her. Yami simply would not let her in. Could not let her in. His past troubled him, powers plagued him, and his mind was riddled with questions that had yet to be answered. He hadn't wanted to burden her, but seeing him suffer had torn her apart. But she realized she couldn't help unless he let her, and he wasn't at the stage where he could let anyone, even Yugi aid him in his quest for himself. She was able to respect that and they were still very good friends. Best friends.

Yami walked towards her from the shadows where he had stood and enveloped her into a large hug, holding her tightly. "You look beautiful. A vision," he whispered before pulling away and running a hand over the hair that brushed her shoulders. She smiled softly.

"And you are breath-taking," she told him, allowing her blue eyes to wander once more over his formal attire; the same manner of dress other guys were wearing. A stunning and immaculate black tuxedo; his shirt a deep midnight black with silver trim around the collar; a stark white tie around his neck; a nice black suit jacket with black lapels and a silver handkerchief in the right breast pocket; sturdy and shiny dress shoed covered his feet; and a single silver hoop pierced his left ear. Tea blinked and looked up to realize everyone had made their way outside, leaving her and Yami alone in her living room. She was startled when Yami took her hands in his.

"We weren't meant to be, you know," he said softly, rubbing his thumbs over the skin on the back of her hands. Tea nodded, not brave enough to trust her voice as tears began to cloud her eyes. "Your heart belongs to someone else, and you and I both know that. He deserves you, needs you, more than I ever will. You've worked your way into his heart and he loves you, like I never could. Tea, I want you to be happy," Yami said quietly, looking down on Tea. Her head was bowed and she wouldn't look at him and he gave a sad smile. He pulled her into his chest and held her tight. She sobbed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she cried, wrapping her arms around his waist. His hand rubbed over the back of her head comfortingly.

"Oh, I think you do. Somewhere in that warm, loving heart of yours, you know. I just... Tea, I'll always be here for you, but not in the way you want me to be. That place is for somebody else, for a man who'd go beyond the grave to make you happy. Whatever you do, just know that I'm still your friend, your best friend." As he finished, he leaned down and gave Tea a soft kiss on the cheek before pulling away. Tea valiantly tried to wipe away the tears streaming down her face when a tissue presented itself, courtesy of Yami's hand. She took it gratefully and cleaned her face of the tears and semi-smeared makeup. When she was finished, she disposed of the tissue and gave Yami a half-hearted smile before both of them left the apartment, Tea locking the door behind them, and climbed into Yami's truck.

It wasn't long until they reached the party, their friends having gone on ahead of them. The moment Tea stepped out of the vehicle a taller body slammed into her and hugged her, body trembling as the excited person greeted her.

"I've been waiting for you!" Mokuba beamed. "Wait till you see the mansion! It looks awesome!" He pumped his fist into the air as Yami came around the side of the truck, tucking his keys into a hidden pocket and grinning at the teen before thumping Mokuba on the back in greeting. "My brother called you earlier Yami. Did you get the message?" Yami nodded. "Tea, you'll be so proud. I organized everything!"

"Everything?" she asked in disbelief, following as Mokuba pulled on her arm to lead her to the mansion. "Seto didn't help?" Mokuba shook his head.

"He said if I wanted a party, I had to do whatever was necessary to make it happen. He also didn't give me a limit in the cost so I went all-out, but he said he wouldn't be attending. Had a program to fix or something because one of his interns had gotten the protocols wrong for the entire sequence of commands," Mokuba said quickly as he continued pulling on Tea's arm. They reached the entrance to the Kaiba Mansion and Mokuba flung the doors open, revealing the grandeur of the place. Tea gasped and took in a deep breath.

"Mokuba, this... This is amazing. I am very proud of you," she said breathlessly, taking in the Christmas theme of the entire manor. Huge amounts of garland draped the stairwells and banisters and lined the entry ways of doors, massive wreaths hung on the walls, a large Christmas tree was in the center of the entrance hall and it was adorned in white lights and had a color scheme of red, green, gold, and cream, and more white lights were strung everywhere the eye could see. People were everywhere, chatting and sipping from tall champagne flutes in their formal attire and standing around the large room and surrounding ones, enjoying the lavish surroundings. Tea didn't get much of a chance to look too much because Mokuba was soon dragging her inside and towards a room off to the right and down a hall, furnished and decorated just as beautifully as the rest.

"Look," Mokuba said quietly, proudly. Tea felt tears warm the corners of her eyes as she looked into the room, watching all of the children scattered around the immense room, approaching booths that had been set up to give out presents. Many were settled in a circle in the middle, sitting and laughing, a joy beyond all measure on each of their faces.

"Oh good gracious," Tea choked, forcing the tears away so that she could see the scene in front of her clearly. "Is this all of them?" she asked through her tightening throat. Mokuba nodded.

"Seto took this on himself. It was the only thing he helped me with, but I know it made him feel really good," Mokuba told her softly. Tea took a step into the room, a tear falling down her cheek. Every orphan from every orphanage in the city was in that ballroom-turned-winter-wonderland-play place. They were all sporting brand new Christmas outfits: some in velvet dresses, some in nice dress pants and dress shirts, some in cute skirts and Christmas tops, and some in Santa hats and each and every one of them made her heart burst in immeasurable joy.

"Pwetty lady!" a little voice called up to her. Tea immediately dropped to her knees, looking softly on the small boy, who held out his hands to her and a present. "Help pwease?"

"What do you need sweetheart?" she asked him, pulling him into her lap.

"I lost my hat!" he cried, seeming to be devastated by the fact that he was without his Santa hat. Tea's eyes went impossibly wide at how cute he was and she shushed his tears, telling him it would be alright. She looked around the back of him and saw the hat had slipped and gotten stuck on the belt of his pants. Pulling the hat from the belt she placed it in his hand and he shoved it onto his head happily. He grinned and scampered away after a very brief 'thank you', running back to report to his friends that his lost hat had been found. Tea sighed and stood back up, moving to the doorway and looking back one last time at the room full of children with a second chance before moving on down the hallway.

Deciding to investigate the rest of the mansion and see how thorough Mokuba had been in his project, she traveled in the opposite direction of the main room, going in the direction that was generally the den and study for the Kaiba brothers. She didn't know that her every move was being watched by a dark pair of eyes that worshiped every breath she breathed, every step she took.

His breath had been hitched in his chest since the moment she appeared in the doorway. He had been waiting impatiently for her but found her delay worth the wait once her dazzling form came into view. She was a dream of beauty and soft blue silk, painting the ultimate picture of untouchable desire. A low, floor-length gown the color of dark sapphires swept the floor, lined and embroidered with silver thread that acted as ivy as it crawled up the length of the material. Her top was like a halter in some ways, the straps however crossed in an intricate criss-cross pattern across her back. White gloves covered her arms past her elbows and two silver bracelets glittered on her right wrist.

Her dark hair was half swept up into an intricate style and lying over her bare shoulders, fashioned with faux diamonds, pearls and sapphires with a small headband-like piece over the crown of her head. Connected to the silver headband was a strand of white pearls that twisted in with the bun at the back of her head and also emphasized the bright, clear blue of her eyes, lined in black with shimmering blue powdered around. Small earrings hid in the healthy locks of hair that framed her face, her bangs having gotten longer along with the rest of her hair.

In short, he had nearly passed out from arousal before seeing her interact with the small child in the room he had designed specifically to the orphans who all shared that common bond with him. It had warmed his heart to the point of near tears, confirming his undying love for her.

It had snuck up on him over the time he had known her and he could never quite pinpoint the exact moment he realized that he was in love, only realized that he had loved her for some time. Ever since the Battle City tournament and the danger he and Yugi's friends had survived through, he had released his grudge and eventually accepted them as friends. College for them had come fast and he became busier than ever with Kaiba Corp, making patents and copyrights on each of his new products even as he readied them for production and sale.

At that same time, he realized that Mokuba was slipping in some of his classes and was suffering from loneliness as well as depression and Seto, for the life of him, couldn't do anything more. He had been stretched to the limits, having forced himself to rearrange his schedule just to spend a few rare minutes every day with his little brother, and then having to deal with running an entire corporation and creating new programs and merchandise.

That was when Tea had truly entered their lives.

On a rare afternoon, Seto and Mokuba Kaiba had been able to squeeze in a lunch, just for the two of them at a small, local restaurant. Dialogue between the two of them hadn't been astounding and both had almost been ready to throw in the towel on their formerly close relationship when the spirited brunette happened by their table. She had been there to study for an exam in one of her classes at the university she attended when she had spotted the brothers and decided to say hello. Seto had been slightly distant, troubled about Mokuba and inattentive when he was pulled out of his brooding when he realized that Mokuba was laughing at something Tea had said.

"I remember having Mr. Chizuka," he remembered her saying. "Just remember not to call him Crazy Chizuka, he hates that. And hey, if you ever need help on work in that class, you let me know. I'll be able to give you a few tips on studying and homework." Before she had even finished her sentence, a brilliant idea had dawned upon Seto Kaiba and he blurted it out without thinking, which was unreasonably out of character for him.

"Maybe you could tutor Mokuba!" he had said excitedly, suddenly more optimistic about he and Mokuba and the problems that had been causing the rift between them. Tea seemed surprised but she smiled. That smile had hit Seto Kaiba right in the gut because it was at that moment that he saw Tea as beautiful, unquestionably gorgeous. She was talking and he couldn't hear her, he had become so captivated, but by her attitude he surmised that she was responding positively.

That self-same lunch-time conversation had begun the journey that the brothers and Tea would take together as Tea attended college to attain a double-bachelor in Communications and Psychology; as she aided Mokuba with his homework and issues with his older brother. She had also helped Seto, forcing him to relinquish his work every night to sit down with his brother and take some time to talk to him about his day before returning his work. Somehow she had also gathered the nerve to help Seto as he worked on programs and personal projects, putting up with his mood swings and demands and occasional feelings of failure.

It had always been with a smile that she had greeted him as he walked through the doors of his home every evening from work, Mokuba hard at work on one of the couches, his school things spread around him and Tea across from him in an easy-chair, sipping on hot coffee or tea as she did some required reading. She had spent, and continued to spend incredible amounts of time at the Kaiba household, organizing and situating and becoming a third member in their family of two, teaching Mokuba how to cook and Kaiba how to dance.

Seto couldn't even begin to fathom how much that had turned him on too many delicious times to count! Those private lessons in the privacy of his upstairs study with only the steady beat of music and Tea's body against his, holding him close in a slow dance or getting right down and dirty with it against him to the harder rhythms.

And then there were the massages she gave him when he was tense or moody, which was often enough. Her slim hands dipping over his bare shoulders, neck, and back, working out the knotted muscles and kneading him into a puddle, relaxing him into sleep.

Tea had no idea what she did to him; how she made his heart flutter, how she made his blood boil in want and utter desire.

To be simply put, Seto Kaiba loved her.

Wandering down the garland-adorned hallways, Tea finally reached the private den, utterly impressed with how Mokuba had done on his first big project without his older brother's help. She stood in awe in the entrance of the room, wondering where on earth Mokuba had moved all of the bookshelves and whether he had bought or rented all of the furniture that was in its place. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she complained about how such incredible wealth was wasted on one night to celebrate Christmas, or the Winter Season, but remembering the looks on the orphan's faces, the thought was quickly banished.

Her feet took her to a beautifully decorated tree in the center of the room, covered in white lights and silk flowers and glass ornaments. Reaching out to touch a blue glass ornament, she sighed at the cool feeling and looked around her once more.

"So beautiful," she whispered warmly.

"It is, isn't it?" a deep voice asked behind her. Tea turned to find herself abruptly in front of a magnificent specimen of a man, dressed in a gorgeous black tuxedo and a white silk shirt and a midnight blue silk bow tie. The suit jacket and white shirt he wore didn't hide the broad shoulders or firm chest; the midnight blue cummerbund didn't hide his slim hips, or the black pants that clung enticingly to firmed legs with shining black dress shoes that shone in the dim lights from the Christmas tree. All-in-all, Tea felt she had been sucked into some marvelous fairy tale, because none other than a handsome prince stood before her. His arms were bent and hands resting at his waist casually, attention devoted completely on her. Tea bit her lip and moved her gaze back up, startled to find familiar, beautiful blue depths staring at her. She stepped closer.

"I thought you weren't coming," she said, amused, crossing her arms over her chest. She watched his eyes fly to the area with burning interest before dragging back up to meet her gaze. Her face flushed with heat.

"Mokuba threatened me," he told her, and she could tell he was joking by the grin that reached his eyes, making them sparkle darkly in the dim room. Tea rolled her eyes at him and turned away; walking to inspect more of the decorations Mokuba had set up in the room.

"I'm so sure," she countered. Seto avidly watched her hips sway with the movements of her skirt, naughty thoughts rushing to the surface of his mind. He attempted to quell them since he didn't truly have a relationship with her yet but as long as Tea was looking like that, he knew it would be futile. Moving up behind her as she looked over a piece of art that Mokuba had chosen for the party, he wrapped his arms around her, deliberately sliding his hands over her sides and stomach. She shivered and gave a little jump but otherwise didn't protest, as Kaiba often held her when he wasn't feeling very good about life, a way of comfort for him as of late.

"So what do you think of this piece of work?" Seto asked silkily, leaning down close to Tea's ear. She shrugged.

"It's nice, but I'm not thrilled. I think it needs more color." Seto turned her around and grinned.

"I was referring to myself," he told her cheekily. Tea's laughter bubbled forth and Seto felt like he was drowning, as cliché of old said. She kept giggling and he donned an offended look.

"Hey," he shook her gently, "stop laughing!"

Tea wiped at the tears in her eyes, took one look at Kaiba's not-so-serious face and cracked up again, finding his dry, arrogant humor amusing beyond belief. He always came up with something like that when he came home every day… wait, home? When had his home become hers?

Her laughter died quickly and she looked up tentatively into Kaiba's face, still half-hidden by the dim lighting of the room. She reached up with hands that weren't her own and pulled his head more into the light, smiling a little as she ran her hand down the side of his face.

His eyes narrowed curiously on her, wondering why her amusement had died off so quickly but she shook her head and moved onto the next piece of art on another wall. Kaiba followed directly behind her and replaced his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest and splaying one hand flat against her stomach.

His touch was warm, Tea faintly noted, too distracted by the feeling of him touching her so intimately to really pay attention. She took a deep breath and sent her eyes over the painting before her, from somewhere in the white snow covered forest in the countryside, a grayish and smeary looking piece that had an odd appeal, portraying a deer in the snow during the night, the forests' edge barely visible because of the snow that was falling.

"I like this one for some reason. It calls to you," she told Kaiba softly over her shoulder before turning back to the painting. Seto nodded and leaned down so that his mouth was next to Tea's ear, warm breath bringing up goose bumps on her smooth skin.

"I agree, but I see something infinitely more riveting. Something, someone, who calls to me like nothing I've ever encountered before," he whispered, voice slightly rough.

Tea stilled and said nothing and Seto placed a kiss again the shell of her ear, feeling Tea shiver in his arms. His lips moved of their own accord down the side of her neck, sucking gently on the skin there before continuing down to her bare shoulder where he proceeded to place butterfly kisses on every available inch of skin. As he moved to the other shoulder, he smiled through his kisses when one of Tea's hands rested itself over his hands resting on her stomach. He was pleasantly surprised when the other reached up to tangle in his hair, her head falling back against his chest.

Moving around a little, Seto turned Tea toward him, keeping a close hold on her, watching the emotions that were confusing her flit across her face even with her eyes closed. He kissed each closed eye, listened to Tea as she sighed, watched as her breath barely grazed his cheek. His lips descended to the hollow of her throat where he could feel her pulse leaping beneath his touch, and her breathing quickened as her hands closed around the lapels of his jacket. She didn't know how to react but obviously didn't dislike the attention Kaiba was lavishing on her skin. He shuffled his feet a little and he was about to sweep Tea up into his arms when they both heard Mokuba calling for them. Quickly they separated, and Mokuba came barreling into the room.

"Oh, hey, I was just looking for you. The program's about to begin." Mokuba said, panting slightly. "I wanted to make sure that you both came."

"Thanks Mokuba. We'll be right there." Tea answered and Mokuba nodded and left the room.

Tea turned back to Seto and saw his eyes darken due to the desire that had been awoken in both of the young adults.

"We'll continue later," he said, as more of a promise than an afterthought.

He offered his elbow to Tea, who slipped her gloved hand through the crook of his arm and he led the way out of the den and to the ballroom.

A hundred people lined the walls of the large room and a few were seated at the tables away from the dance floor. Twenty or so couples danced to the small orchestra Mokuba had booked.

Speaking of the young teen, he scampered up the steps to the stage he had near the orchestra and the front of the room. Clearing his throat and motioning to the conductor, the music stopped and Mokuba approached the mike.

"Good evening everyone and welcome to the Kaiba family's first ever Christmas gala; hopefully the first of many in years to come. I'd like to thank you all also for the generous donations you made to the orphanages around the city and country, your money will be a great help to each and everyone. We'd like to start the night off with the debut of the new band, Dragon Fire." Mokuba announced and then moved off the stage as Yugi, Joey, Bakura, Yami, and surprisingly Seto, who Tea now realized had left her side.

The boys walked to their equipment or microphones. Yugi was on the drums, Joey was singing back up with a base guitar, Bakura had a violin, and Yami was seated at a baby grand piano and also had a microphone set up so he could sing as well. Seto had a guitar strung over his shoulder and an electric one by behind him slightly and was going to be signing lead apparently.

Quietly Seto began to strum his guitar and Yugi joined in on his drums and Joey and Yami played their respective instruments in unison. Seto then stepped closer to the microphone and began to sing in his beautiful baritone voice.

O holy night

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth

Bakura started to slowly stroke his violin with the wand in his left hand and Seto kept on singing.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till he appeared and the soul found its worth

A thrill of hope and the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks the new and glorious morn

Joey and Yami blended their voices around Seto's at the chorus of the song

Fall on your knees

O hear the angles voices

O night divine

O night when Christ was born

O night divine

O night O night divine

Divine…divine

Fall on your knees

O hear the angles voices

O night divine

O night when Christ was born

O night divine

O night O night divine

Seto slowly backed away from the mike and Yami finished off the song instrumentally with Joey and Bakura. The whole room was quiet for the first few seconds and then erupted in applause. The guys bowed and smiled, accepting the praise and whistles.

Mokuba stepped back onto the stage and gave his brother a pat on the back. Then he slightly nudged Seto out of the way and stepped up to the mike once the noise died down.

"Okay, well I think that was a good opener for the night. Now I'd like to introduce the Domino City Orchestra as they serenade us with their lovely music that is only fit for dancing."

As the orchestra played their first notes, couples filtered onto the dance floor. All the respected couples of the group made their way onto the floor and Tea looked around for Seto. She spotted him standing near one of the large stain glass windows.

She gracefully made her way over and tapped him lightly on the shoulder from behind. He jumped slightly and smiled when he saw her gentle face.

"That was amazing what you did up there, Seto. I've never heard anything like that before." Tea said, lacing her fingers with Seto's. He smiled at her compliment and began to lead her onto the dance floor.

He gently grabbed her waist and she took his offered hand in hers. Smoothly they joined in on the dancing and moved gracefully among the couples. It was easily established that Seto and Tea were the most fluent of the dancers and people moved out of their way, clearing an area especially for the couple.

Seto gracefully dipped Tea backwards and she smiled brightly up at him. She leaned with him and they held the pose for a few seconds; and in the span of those few seconds someone snapped a picture of the two. Looking out they saw none other than Joey with a digital camera.

"Gotta have some memories from tonight." He laughed and then walked away.

Seto gently pulled Tea back into his arms and they began their dance once more. They moved in a circle for a few measures and then Seto let go of one of Tea's hands and she spun away from him only to be brought right back into his arms, her back against his chest. They swayed like that for a few seconds and then returned to their original positions.

Without the two knowing the song changed into a fast waltz. Tea noticed the subtle change in tempo and quickly changed her style of dancing into a waltz with Seto right behind her.

They flowed in the graceful movements of the waltz rising and falling like a wave in the sea. They weaved in and out of other couples and found themselves in the center of the dance floor. A spotlight slowly made its way to the center of the floor and Tea and Seto shared their first spotlight dance. Other couples stopped dancing to watch the proceedings around the center of the floor.

Soon the waltz came to an end and Seto leaned forward once more and Tea slid into a beautiful dip; held up only by Seto's strong arms.

Applause filled the room and the two bowed courteously and made their way towards the buffet lines where drinks were being served.

"I haven't danced like that since you taught me how." Seto confessed after taking a drink of his sparkling apple cider. Tea laughed lightly and smiled up at him.

"Well, it didn't look like you had forgotten anything since then. You did really well." Tea commented, this time leading them to a bench near one of the windows. A flurry of snowflakes danced in front of the window, covering the ground in a fine powder.

They sat there for an hour wrapped up in their own secret conversation and world. Lights twinkled around them and the scent of evergreens filled the air.

Yugi walked by and sniggered, both Seto and Tea looking up at their short friend. He merely laughed again and pointed above their heads were a sprig of mistletoe hung in the garland. Tea blushed and looked down and Seto's cheeks turned a slight pink color. Yugi waved his hand merrily and walked away.

Seto gently touched Tea's arm and caused her to look at his face. "We have to honor the tradition; otherwise Yugi's going to tell the rest of the gang that we were sitting under the mistletoe and we didn't kiss and Joey would never let us live that down." Seto said quietly, not breaking the mood.

Tea nodded and laughed at the thought. Seto tilted her chin up and met her lips with a warm caress of his own. They kissed tenderly and then jerked apart as a camera flashed. Once again Joey stood before them with a camera clutched in his hands. Thought this time he brought the rest of the group. Mai had latched her arm around Joey's; Tristan and serenity smiled warmly and Tristan was looking around for more mistletoe; Yugi, Bakura, and Yami stood near the edges of the gathering and smiled slightly at Seto and Tea.

"Man, Kaiba you and Tea have to be the most photogenic people of our group this evening. That one's going on my website." Joey said gleefully, waving the camera slightly. "But don't worry, I'll make copies for the both of you." He then grabbed Mai's hand and dragged her away before Seto could react.

Just then Mokuba stepped back onto the stage and everyone turned to face him. "Okay, it's time for our next performer of the night. Please give her a big round of applause, Miss Tea Gardner!"

Seto turned a shocked face to Tea and she merely shrugged and made her way to the stage. She whispered something to Mokuba who went to tell the orchestra and then she stepped up to the microphone. She nodded to the conductor who started the orchestra and then hearing her cue Tea took the mike off the stand and started to sing.

I have traveled many moonless nights

Cold and weary with a babe inside

And I wonder what I've done

Holy Father you have come

And chosen me now to carry your son

I am waiting in a silent prayer

I am frightened by the load I bear

In a world as cold as stone

Must I walk this path alone

Be with me now

Be with me now

Breath of heaven hold me together

Be forever near me

Breath of heaven

Breath of heaven

Lighten my darkness

Pour over me your holiness

For you are holy… breath of heaven

Do you wonder

As you watch my fate

If a wiser one

Should have had my place

But I offer all I am

For the mercy of your plan

Help me be strong

Help me be

Help me

Breath of heaven hold me together

Be forever near me

Breath of heaven

Breath of heaven

Lighten my darkness

Pour over me your holiness

For you are holy…

Breath of heaven hold me together

Be forever near me

Breath of heaven

Breath of heaven

Lighten my darkness

Pour over me your holiness

For you are holy…

Breath of heaven…breath of heaven…breath of heaven

Tea replaced the mike and bowed her head slightly at the end of her song. Cheers rang through the mansion and Tea looked up and smiled beautifully. Mokuba came barreling up the steps and gave Tea a one armed hug, which she returned before leaving the stage.

Seto greeted her at the bottom of the stairs and took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips for a brief kiss. "Stunning, that was absolutely stunning."

"Thanks. Mokuba heard me in the kitchen one day singing that hymn and he asked me if I'd sing it tonight during the party. I couldn't say no." Tea answered.

"Alright, the nights almost over and we've had one more request for entertainment. My brother, Seto, would like to end the night with one more song by himself and then I'll end this wonderful event." Mokuba announced and Seto approached the mike with his guitar in hand. Yami stepped up to the piano and sat down, hands poised to play. They exchanged nods and began playing.

It came upon the midnight clear

That glorious song of old

From angles bending near the earth

To touch their harps of gold

Peace on earth

Goodwill to men

From heavens all gracious

The world in solemn stillness lay

To hear the angles sing

Still thro' the cloven skies they come

With peaceful wings unfurled

And still their heavenly music floats

O'er all the weary world

Above its sad and lonely plains

They bend on hovering wings

And ever o'er its Babel sounds

The blessed angles sing

For lo the days are hastening on

By prophets long foretold

When with the ever circling years

Comes round the age of gold

When peace shall over all the earth

It's ancient splendors fling

And the whole world send back the song

Which now the angles sing

Tea clapped enthusiastically along with the crowd as Seto bowed after his song. It was truly touching to see how much he had changed since they were in high school. They had all changed since high school. Tea finally understood what Yami had said to her back at her house; someone else had captured her heart and she his. It was as if someone had lifted the blinders that had been over her eyes for so long. She was whole-heartedly in love with Seto Kaiba.

Tears came to her eyes unwillingly as she realized how blessed she was to have been placed in front of the man she was in love with; truly in love with, not some petty crush like she'd had on Yami in her younger days.

Seto made his way down to her and she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck in a crushing hug. He wrapped his arms around her waist and returned her embrace.

"What was that for?" he asked, pulling away to look at her face.

"Nothing, I just need to," Tea answered resting her head on his chest in content.

"I need to talk to you later tonight. Meet me in the den after everyone leaves." Seto said, bringing her hand up to his lips quickly and then walking off, leaving Tea behind to watch him as he left.

For the last time that night, Mokuba climbed the steps to the stage and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for coming tonight and for all of your generous donations to the Domino City orphanages. I hope to see you all again next year, when we meet again for this same cause. Thank you and goodnight."

People made their way to the front door and collected their coats from a room near the door. Tea said goodbye to her friends and told them not to worry about her getting a ride home; she could manage. Everyone waved to her one last time and she made her way through the Kaiba household to the familiar room she and Seto had been in earlier in the night.

She passed Mokuba who waved and winked at her in the passing. This confused her somewhat, but she let it slide and continued on her way.

When she got to the room, it was empty. Soft Christmas music played from somewhere in the room. Smiling to herself she fell in beat with the music and glided around the room silently. She danced the waltz from earlier by herself and hummed with the music.

As the song came to a close she opened her eyes and curtsied to her invisible partner. Noticing a couch that faced the tree in the center of the room, Tea made her way over to it and sat down, taking her strappy heels off and airing her feet out.

Stretching languidly, Tea curled her legs under her in a comfortable position and rested her head on her arms that were on the armrest of the couch, watching the lights twinkle on the tree.

After about ten minutes of watching the lights and listening to the Christmas music in the background, Tea heard another familiar voice join in with whoever was singing on the CD. She sat up and turned around on the couch and saw Seto leaning against the frame of one of the doors.

"I'm glad you decided to stay," he said, pushing himself away from the door.

"Why would I have left?" Tea asked.

"I don't know, just saying that I'm glad you didn't leave." Seto said, walking towards the tree. "Have you looked at this tree yet? I think this is my favorite one that Mokuba decorated. He did this one personally, or so he told me."

"I like the white lights; they accent the glass nicely." Tea said, getting up and walking to where Seto was standing. She laced her fingers with his and he led her around the tree, pointing out his favorite ornaments.

They had made it about half way around when Tea saw something out of the ordinary. It looked like a glass rose with a blue ribbon tied on the stem. Now that wasn't really different, but the fact that there was a velvet box tied on the other end of the ribbon that caught her eye.

She let go of Seto's hand and reached for the box.

"Oh, I see you've found my favorite one of all." Seto said, moving her hand and taking the box and rose off the tree. He untied the box and placed the rose on a near by table. "Before I show you what's inside there's something that I have to say."

"Can we do this?" she asked quietly, searching his face, his eyes, for the answer.

"What?" he croaked back. "Are you talking about this... me and you standing around a tree taking about ornaments that we like... or this, me and you, together, in a relationship?" His eyes were nearly black and he saw Tea's eyes grow darker for a second as well and wondered what she was thinking before she collapsed on his chest and hugged him tightly.

"Us." Kaiba was silent for a few seconds before he responded.

"There has been nothing on my mind but you for the last few months Tea. To be with you in a relationship, to be able to love you the way you deserve to be loved, to love you and let everyone know that I love you more than my life, is what I dream about. I don't think there's a second in the day when you're not on my mind, in one way or another. To be honest, generally I'm thinking about you and me in very dirty positions, whispering dirty things, and screaming. But no matter how filthy my fantasies get, there's always the underlying, undeniable fact that I love you. I know that money can't buy your love and that's why I love you, because you came in when what I really needed was a person, a confidant, and you saved me. Yes, us."

"Thank you Lord for this man you have given me this Christmas," Tea whispered in silent prayer.

"And after saying that, I have to know…if you'll have me, Tea Gardner, I will try my best to make you the happiest young woman on this planet if you make me the happiest man alive this Christmas…Tea will you marry me?" Seto asked dropping to one knee and flashing open the velvet box, grinning from ear to ear for the first time in along while.

Inside the box there was a diamond ring with a large diamond in the center with two solitary navy sapphires flanking the diamond on both sides nestled into the velvet cushion.

Tea gasped and brought her hand up to her mouth in surprise. Tears flowed down from her eyes onto her cheeks and they glistened in the twinkle of the lights. "Yes, Seto Kaiba, I'll marry you," she whispered, watching as Seto lifted the ring to her finger and slipped the cool band around her left ring finger.

Grinning herself, Tea threw herself into Seto's awaiting embrace, and cried into his shoulder. He touched her chin with his fingers and made her look at him through her tears.

"I love you so much. I can't stand to think about not being with you. These last few months have been some of the best of my life. I didn't realize that until earlier this evening, but you have become such a positive point in my life. With all my heart and soul, I will be there for you not only as your wife, but as your friend and confidant." Tea said, her head resting on Seto's warm chest.

"Thank you. That's all I can say at the time. Just thank you. You've brought me out of the dark and I realized the faults about how I'd acted during our time in high school. You've helped me become a better person Tea and I hope that I'll be like this for the rest of my life. And I have you to thank a thousand times for what you did." Seto said into her soft hair.

"I'll always help you Seto…now and forever." Tea whispered back tightening her hold on her fiancé just slightly.

Little did the newly engaged couple know, but Mokuba was sitting in the secret security room watching the procession of the proposal and acceptance. He trained the camera on the couple and snapped a few shots; knowing full well that he was going to use them for the engagement announcement or something like that.

He zoomed in and focused on his brother and Tea's faces and blurred the background slightly and clicked the capture button and watched as his picture filled the screen. Perfect.

Back by the Christmas tree, Seto stood up and helped Tea to her feet. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and Tea quickly wrapped hers around Seto's waist.

"Let's go find Mokuba and tell him the good news." Tea suggested, walking with Seto out of the room and to the main area of the mansion.

Seto nodded and squeezed her shoulder warmly. "We'll have to decide on a date for the wedding." He said quietly.

"Sometime in the spring when the cherry blossom trees are in bloom; I've always wanted a spring wedding." Tea said almost dreamily.

"You would have just graduated out of collage, wouldn't you?" Seto asked, knowing full well that it was true. True for all of them in fact. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Seto had been taking night classes at a prestigious collage ever since they had graduated high school four years ago.

Tea nodded and they were in the entrance hall of the mansion. Seto cleared his throat and called out for Mokuba.

"I'll be down in a minute big brother," Mokuba's voice came from one of the speakers around the room.

"That means that he probably already knows." Seto whispered. Tea merely laughed at his sentiment.

And sure enough, Mokuba appeared out of a wall from behind a mirror, just as Seto had thought he would. Mokuba walked out of the opening with a large manila envelope in his hands.

Seto noticed that his younger brother had a certain gleam in his stormy blue eyes that Seto knew all to well as the look that meant Mokuba had something up his sleeve that could possibly be blackmail towards the elder Kaiba brother. So taking the initiative, Seto decided to take care of the issue immediately.

"What's in the envelope little brother?" Seto asked, still holding Tea's hand firmly in his.

"Just some pictures from tonight. Thought you might want to look at them later." Mokuba replied nonchalantly, placing the envelope on a near by end table.

"Right." The feeling of slight annoyance had yet to leave Seto's stomach. He swallowed and continued talking. "Mokuba, listen it's time for us to act serious for a moment; I've got some important news to tell you and I want to make sure that I have you utmost attention."

"Sure, big brother. Though, I have to ask you, Tea…just exactly how big of a rock did big brother decide to put in the center setting of that engagement ring? I didn't quite catch a good look at it when he had the box open on his desk earlier tonight."

Both Tea and Seto's jaws dropped simultaneously. Mokuba already knew!

"How…I mean…what?" Seto sputtered.

Tea couldn't hold it in anymore, this was just too funny. She burst out laughing, her shoulders shaking with her mirth. Both of the Kaiba's looked over at the shaking form of Seto's fiancé, looks of confusion on both of their handsome faces.

"I'm sorry; it's just that this is just really funny to me. I mean, one moment you think that no one knows that you're engaged, and the next, when you go to tell your fiancé's little brother that he's going to be getting another family member and he already knows. That's just too ironic."

By now Seto and Mokuba where laughing along with Tea. Seto wrapped his arm around Tea's waist and motioned for Mokuba to join them. Mokuba grabbed Seto around the waist and the elder Kaiba rested his arm over his brother's shoulders. Tea hugged Seto in return and held her hand out to Mokuba.

"So, how do you feel about Tea joining our family?" Seto asked once everyone's laughter had subsided.

"All I have to say is…what took you so long? Jeeze, Seto if you had waited much longer, I would have been old enough to ask Tea myself!" Mokuba quipped, earning a look of disbelief from his older, now soon-to-be married, brother.

This brought on another round of laughter from Tea. "Now, I've seen it all," she said through her laughter.

Seto brought her closer and kissed her cheek and squeezed Mokuba's shoulder warmly.

"Who would have thought that the Seto Kaiba would one day be engaged?! And…to you Tea in any case! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't witnessed it myself. Just wait until word gets out about this. The press will go completely berserk!" Mokuba said in slight awe.

"I'm more worried about how the guys will handle this," Tea said, a slim amount dread slipping into her voice.

"Not having second thoughts about saying yes?" Seto asked somewhat sincerely concerned. It had taken a large amount of courage to get up the nerve to finally allow someone other than Mokuba into his heart; it would be a big damage to his psyche if Tea slammed that back in his face.

"Are you joking? You asked me and I said yes. You can't get rid of me that quickly Seto Kaiba!" Tea replied, sealing that promise with a quick peck on Seto's lips.

"Just making sure," Seto answered, smiling despite himself.

The small group was now standing in front of the large picture window in the front drawing room, looking out over the grounds of the mansion; which were now covered in a blanket of white snow.

The snow represented so much about how all three of them felt at the moment. It stood for a fresh, new, pure beginning that was need among some hearts. Also it made for a fit ending to the night. Something unblemished by the spite of civilization, a clear picture of what was ahead.

Everything some much clearer because of the snow that one December night. That sense of peace enveloped Seto Kaiba in a warm blanket of security of love from the two people that he cared about more than his own life. His peace came upon a midnight clear.

The End

(For now)

Okay, I'm finally done. And it's already a new year. Please tell me what you think and if you'd like to see a sequel of possibly the wedding…? I just wanted to write a short Christmas oneshot in spirit of the season, which now as I finish, is sadly over. Which also means that school starts again next week along with show choir competition season. Yea, I think. Okay well you know the drill, read and review. I'd like to hear all comments. Thanks a bunch! Bye!

Mazakai