Here's a (really!) early Christmas present to you all- a fluffy oneshot about Ryou and Bakura! Wow, I'm so original.

This was going to be much longer, but it ended up really depressing, so I decided to post the cut version.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Are you really surprised?

This is set when Ryou's about 10. If I got any of the facts wrong then assume it's AU. Oh, and he calls Bakura 'Kura' because he can't say the full name. And because it's cute! ^^

The small child presses his forehead against the window, and watches the snowflakes drift downwards outside sadly.

"Where is he? He promised," the boy murmurs. He hugs his knees and leans further back into his chair. He will wait as long as it takes.

A man walks past the door, and pauses, leaning against the doorframe to watch the child. He sees the fire in the grate, and the small Christmas tree decorated with baubles and tinsel, and the cards above the fireplace. He sees the child gazing out of the window. It looks like a Christmas card; a boy that can't wait for Christmas morning looking out of the window in anticipation for Father Christmas. But he's not waiting for a fat saint to bring him presents. He's waiting for his father.

This saddens the man, which is strange, because he doesn't often feel sadness. He knows that the father is not coming.

The phone rings. The child jumps, as if shot, and pushes past the man to get to the ringing machine. He holds it tentatively for a second, as if he's scared, but then answers.

"Hello?" he asks, timidly. The man, who has followed him into the kitchen, sits and watches.

"Yes, I'm looking forward to….no. Oh. Okay. I understand…..Yeah. I love you too…… Merry Christmas. …..Bye."

He puts down the phone, slowly. The man doesn't say anything. He knows the child will explain.

The child walks forlornly back to the other room, and slumps onto the chair. His hair falls forward to cover his face, but a single tear escapes and drips onto his knee.

"He's not coming. He couldn't get away. It's just like last year."

The child speaks without expecting a response. But he gets one.

The man, sitting down next to the child, puts his arm around him. Although many would be surprised by this show of affection, it doesn't shock the child. He understands the man. They are friends.

So the child buries his face in the older boy's shoulder- when you really look, he's not an adult, just a teenager- and sobs quietly. The older boy rocks him back and forth, remembering that this was just like last year. And thinking about how it was bound to be the same next year.

"Sorry, Kura. I know you don't like tears."

"Hm."

It's not what he says that's a comfort to the child. It's what he doesn't say.

"You'll always be here, won't you? For Christmas?"

"What do you think? Do I look like I'm going anywhere?"

And the child smiles through his tears, because he knows that behind the gruff words is someone that will always look after him. Someone that understands that Christmas is a special time, even if he doesn't quite understand the whole giving-away-valuable-items-as-presents thing.

"Merry Christmas, Kura."

"Merry Christmas, aibou."

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you all!

- Always a Bookworm