Title: Serenity of Christmas
Part: 1/1
Author: Usagi-chan
Warnings: Romance, small SPOILER for Egypt Arc
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance
Pairings: Atemu Yuugi
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, I don't make money from fanfiction. I write only for fun and to get better at English.
Description: The day of Christmas Eve. A story about the Christian belief is told and Atemu learns about what meaning the feast has for his aibou.
And I must not forget, many thanks to Deb and SF for betareading.
This thing with the names:
Well, I am using the original Japanese Names but... since I saw a lot of fics where these, terrible English names were used, I will give a "who is who here for help".
Yami Yuugi Yami no Yuugi, Mou hitori no Boku (called by Yuugi) (YY)
Yugi Mutou Yuugi Mutou (YM)
Joey Wheeler Katsuya Jonouchi (KJ)
Seto Kaiba Seto Kaiba (SK)
Tristan Taylor Hiroto Honda
Tea Gardner Anzu Mazaki
"Speaking" - Speaking
Mind communication - Mind communication between Hikari and Yami
"Umpf! HEY AT LEAST APOLOGIZE IF YOU CAN'T SEE WHERE YOU ARE GOING, IDIOT!"
"Jonouchi cut it out! I think he didn't even realized he ran into you."
"Well, that's even worse, Anzu, don't you think? Idiots like him shouldn't walk around the streets daydreaming then."
"They are just busy with their Christmas shopping. You should know that by now; every year it's the same in case you haven't noticed yet."
Yuugi Mutou was calmly walking beside two of his best friends, Anzu Mazaki and Katsuya Jonouchi, who were currently bickering. He chuckled silently to himself while he watched the two argue. His other half, the young former pharaoh Atemu, walked right beside him, shaking his head while his eyes sparkled with repressed amusement.
It was the day of Christmas Eve and the four teens were on a last minute shopping tour for the party to be held at Kaiba mansion tonight. This was supposed to be the first Christmas they would spend together with everyone they had befriended since the day Yuugi solved the so called Sennen Puzzle.
So much had happened since that fateful day. And they would see the many people they had befriended due to the Sennen puzzle again tonight. Atemu, who was originally supposed to leave for the afterlife after he regained his memories, had refused to leave his aibou behind on that memorable day.
At first he had been determined to just take the last step, as he was supposed to do, even though the idea of saying goodbye to his beloved aibou was tearing his heart apart.
He tried to be strong, masked his sorrow and turned his back to his friends with a smile on his lips. But just when he was about to enter the door to the afterlife, his other did something that no one ever had thought he would do.
It had surprised everyone when the usually shy and quiet Yuugi had screamed at the top of his lungs that he loved the pharaoh and if the gods forced Atemu to leave this world, his own heart would die with him. The spirit of the Sennen Puzzle had been so shocked and overjoyed at the same time, that he forgot all about his previous intentions and simply turned around to fling himself into the waiting arms of his desperate aibou.
This was the day Atemu truly became alive again as the gods indeed seemed to be so merciful as to grant him and Yuugi a life together. Perhaps they had been touched by the young love between them that had blossomed during a rocky path of endless duels and tests. But surprisingly, it wasn't only the former pharaoh who got a new lease of life; the thief king Bakura was granted a new life as well.
What had surprised them even more though, was the fact that Ryou was willing to take the former spirit of the Sennen Ring in. On the other hand, Bakura seemed to have changed after the events of the memory world. He still had a bad temper but he was bearable and sometimes a little thoughtful. He even frequently went along with his old enemy. Atemu thought this might be because Bakura had been possessed by darkness previously and since they had destroyed it, he was now free.
This had all happened two months ago and now it was Christmas; the first Christmas for the two former spirits to celebrate and the first Christmas for everyone to meet up again. Yuugi and all his friends were looking forward to this meeting and were overjoyed when Seto offered his house for the party. And because this meeting meant so much to all of them, they of course wanted to have nice presents for everyone.
Yuugi and Atemu got their presents for their friends as soon as they learned about the party; and so, it seemed, had most of their friends. But it turned out that Anzu and Jonouchi were a little helpless with what to get some of their friends. This was why Yuugi and Atemu found themselves out in the cold in the middle of a big crowd helping their friends decide on a decent present.
Instead of a nice, cosy day together with Jii-chan and Yuugi's mother before leaving for the party, the still fresh couple were running around for hours, until finally both Jonouchi as well as Anzu found nice presents for everyone.
Yuugi mentally sighed in relief when they were able to say goodbye to the two of them and just leave the damn crowded downtown. While walking back to the game shop and stumbling through the masses, Yuugi caught sight of the park and he tugged on his boyfriend's hand, which he had been holding the whole time since they had left the house hours ago.
"Atemu, can we go to the park for a while?" the holder of the Sennen Puzzle asked. "We still have some time before we have to be back to get ready for tonight."
The former pharaoh looked over to his beloved and smiled gently.
"Sure. Why not, aibou?"
Together they broke away from the crowd and in comfortable silence made their way over to the park. It had been snowing last night and the weather stayed cold enough that the snow didn't melt. So the crowns of the trees still glittered and sparkled with ice and fresh snow, leaving the spectator to believe that this was a totally different world. However, even with the natural beauty and magic, the park was surprisingly empty.
But Yuugi couldn't care less. Content for the first time today, he took a deep breath and snuggled closer to his boyfriend who immediately put an arm around his waist.
Isn't this funny? Yuugi suddenly mused over their mind link. So many people running around trying desperately to get some last minute presents for the feast. Everyone is in a hurry, busy and yet it is said that Christmas is the time of serenity and peacefulness. Even Anzu and Jonouchi-kun succeeded in dragging us along for some last minute Christmas shopping since they didn't know what to get Ryou and Bakura.
Atemu looked at Yuugi curiously, eyes shining with wonder and thoughtfulness.
Christmas is said to be a time of serenity and peacefulness? I thought this was all about exchanging gifts and throwing a big party.
The other shook his head and chuckled a little before glancing up at the former pharaoh with an apologizing smile.
Nope, Christmas isn't just that, he explained. Sorry that I haven't explained to you what exactly Christmas is. Here in Japan, of course, it's time to have fun and to party, since our religions are mostly the Shintoism and the Buddhism. But Christmas is in fact a religious feast for the Christians. We learned in school that on Christmas day a boy by the name of Jesus was born and he was supposed to be the long expected saviour sent by their god.
When this Jesus was born, three great kings or great wise men, I just can't remember this well, from another country visited the stable he was born in and offered him various presents. I think this is why people exchange presents on Christmas Eve. The presents are supposed to be a sign of love and worship for the people you like. Oh, and he'd even been in Egypt for some time, even though his origin lay in Israel.
Why did he go to Egypt? Atemu asked, now becoming curious.
Oh, this was a little bit complicated, Yuugi replied and blushed slightly. I am not even totally sure if I remember it correctly myself. But if I do, Israel had been conquered by the Romans back then and the Jewish people were all hoping and waiting for their saviour to be born, because they believed he would have so much power that he would free them from the Romans, or something like that. Anyway, there was this bad Roman who feared god's son and wanted to destroy him. So, when rumours reached his ears about god's son being finally born he ordered his soldiers to kill every newborn boy.
Hearing this, the former pharaoh narrowed his eyes, enraged by such an order.
How could he? To kill innocent lives like this. He couldn't have been an honourable person. Newborn life should be valued as the gifts of the gods, not to be destroyed just after.
Yuugi beside him smiled and nodded.
I know what you feel, because I felt the same way every time our teacher told us about that story. Anyway, Jesus' father had been warned by some fairies and he was told to take his wife and the child to Egypt and stay there until they were told something else. (1)
Hmmm, I really can't remember someone looking for shelter in Egypt during my reign or that of the former pharaohs. Atemu mused thoughtfully. So, aibou, which time was this?
Silly, Yuugi chuckled and snuggled closer to the other, silently regretting that they were both so thickly packed into their clothes that he wasn't able to feel the beloved heat of his other's skin. This was long after your time. About some 2000 years ago.
Ah, I see, the former pharaoh nodded. And what about these 'Christians'? How long have they been in existence? I really can't remember people of that religion either.
That is because they didn't exist until this Jesus died by the hands of the Romans, Yuugi explained. The Jewish people who followed his path of belief after his death were the ones to be called Christians, because the full name of god's son is Jesus Christ. Even he himself was Jewish, and at the same time the founder of a new religion.
Oh, I remember the Jewish people, the other interrupted Yuugi. Sometimes some of them visited to learn about our culture or to try and convert us to their religion. They were really calm and intelligent people, though a little dense when the topic of theirs and our religion was mentioned, Atemu chuckled. There was this one man that really did believe that if we didn't stop believing in more than one god, we would end up in hell after our death.
I think Seto got a little fed up with him after a while, especially when this man claimed that no mortal was able to do magic and that all magic was exerted by their god himself. There were only miracles existing in his opinion, no magic, for that would be the devil's work. So Seto decided to be nice and prove this person wrong. I think the poor man nearly died of a heart attack when suddenly this Duel Monster appeared in front of his nose.
"I myself though, feared more of dying from laughter. Unfortunately, our fathers didn't share our opinion of fun. I think they yelled at us for an hour or more. He looked at Yuugi sheepishly. Well, we had been kids after all.
Yuugi couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"My poor little troublemaker. Come here," he coaxed. "I'll kiss you to make you feel better."
And he cupped his beloved's face in his hands kissing him long and deep. Yuugi loved kissing his Atemu, feeling silk and warmth, loved feeling the live pulsing touch when their sensitive skin met.
But what he also liked about when they kissed was that since the day they first met eye to eye, he had grown. Not much, but enough to equal the height of his lover. Atemu never needed to bend down for their lips to meet.
The soft kiss continued for a while until they broke apart, lips staying just millimetres away from each other. Yuugi gazed deeply into Atemu's eyes, a small, longing smile playing around the corner of his lips.
"Let's spend some more time here," he whispered. "Just a little while longer."
Atemu, who was gazing back just as deeply and passionately as his beloved was staring at him, nodded slightly and smiled gently.
"If you wish, my aibou. We still have time."
The holder of the Sennen Puzzle's smile brightened and he put his arms around the other's body, stroking softly over the back.
"I like how silent and serene this place is," he went on, voice still quiet. "I may not be Christian, but for me, this peace and silence is what I believe the Christmas spirit should feel like. This place, and to be able to be in your arms, this is what Christmas should be like. This is my Christmas."
"As it is mine, aibou," Atemu whispered back before he closed the distance between their lips to steal another kiss from his beloved.
Merry Christmas, Yuugi!
Merry Christmas, Atemu!
And there they stood, in the middle of the peaceful park. Lips joined in a chaste kiss, bodies pressed against each other lovingly and warm. Tranquillity and love glowing around them, seeming to give a feeling of serenity and wonder.
And above their heads, the snow started to fall again.
Owari
(1) Before anyone of you complains, I am perfectly aware that it were not fairies but an angel. However, since Yuugi is no Christian I decided it would be more realistic if he doesn't remember the whole story right. Thus he confused angels with fairies. XD