Happy first day of Christmas! I will be participating in the "December Fanfic Challenge" tumblr challenge started this year. Each chapter will be inspired by one of the 31 prompts.

First up is a bit of trustshipping, do enjoy!

There it was.

The sense that all was right with the world, literally, all balance found...

Then it was gone.

Again.

With a scratchy grate and stifled cry, he knew once more just how hard a sheet of ice was, particularly so under his backside.

A quieter grate from nearby told of company. For once there was no fight to keep his gaze from the automatic rove upward – this time it would have been from a pair of gleaming, dark skates – he didn't care to see her face. No, he'd rather have continued staring down at the blades underfoot and pretend the wetness of the ice wasn't so frigid. Oh no, the cold had never bothered him...

"Seto..?" Her voice was as soft as it was quiet, like a teacher approaching a student who'd imposed residency in a corner upon himself.

Of course he didn't answer. But he didn't have to. A sudden shudder of cold wracked his frame. So it was a little cold... If he wanted to sit and freeze his ass off then that was his business.

A gloved hand came into view and he looked up unwittingly.

"Here," she prompted, "come on."

He sent a scowl up at her. And with something of a horrified thrill, he watched her mask slip... A twitch of lips then she was sliding away ever so slightly, laughter sending up intermittent plumes into the air.

"Just go," he snapped, "I'm fine."

Clearing her throat – twice – she offered him a hand again even while silent laughter shook her shoulders. "I'm not making fun of you."

"Yes you are!" he barked and cast a look around just after, remembering himself.

Mokuba had gone and stayed so, wise choice on his part.

"No!" Ishizu tried to protest but was cut off by the return of her own laughter. It was only after a moment that she tried again, words still broken up even so. "It's... the looks... you are cute, that's all..."

She finished and raised a hand, carefully touching a gloved finger to the corners of her eyes in the case that a little tearing up was marring artful smudges.

For a moment his brows rose but they fell again all too quickly. Sniffling faintly, she looked down at him. He sat, ends of his skates stuck in the ice as if he feared he'd slide otherwise. Irritated breaths sent out faint clouds and the scowl was back already, between the cold-willed rosiness across his cheeks.

She offered two hands and they were soon locked a vice grip even after he'd gotten to his feet again.

"Seto..." she breathed, "you can let go now."

And he hadn't.

Ishizu skated backwards slowly, bowed slightly since Seto was, slow fluidity where he was stock-still and allowing her to pull him steadily along.

After a glance over the shoulder to make sure she wasn't skating too close to the edge, she looked up to him. "You can–"

"No."

"All right."

A good half hour was spent talking him into letting go of one hand but no amount of quiet prodding would have him let go of the other. And so the cold afternoon went on with the pair hand in hand over the ice.

This prompt was 1. "ice skating" and in case you hadn't guessed, chapters are named after whatever Christmasy type song I was listening to while writing.

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