here's a holiday fanfic for Yu-Gi-Oh! ZeXaL. I wasn't planning on writing this, but a friend of mine who has accounts on this sight and was talking about doing a holiday fanfic for a friend of his, and I thought I should give Yu-Gi-Oh ZeXaL one. this is the first one ever, and I plan to make a good one. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! ZeXaL, nor its characters. only this story. also, this is skipping to after the Bariens are defeated and Astral returns to his home world.

It's Christmastime in Heartland, and everyone is ecstatic, including Yuma Tsukumo. School's out, which meant no classes, but it also means more time with his family. His mom and dad were back, which made him and his sister so happy.

Anyway, he was walking home from the Heartland Mall, holding a box for one special girl named Tori Meadows. Oh, how Yuma loved her, and how everyone but her knew. His friends and family were constantly teasing him about his crush on the verdette. He wished he knew how to tell her, but she didn't make it easy with how much more beautiful she got over time.

Anyway, as soon as he got home, he smiled at the sight of his home. The lights and decorations around his home was extravagant. Pretty much anything you could find on a house that size at Christmastime. He walked in, and was greeted by a hug by his mother, Mira.

"Oh, sweetie, we got home and you weren't here," she said.

"Calm down, mom," he said. "I was just doing some last-minute Christmas shopping."

Mira let go, and looked down at the box in his hand. Then she raised her head, and grinned at her son.

"For Tori?" Yuma blushed at the question, causing Mira to giggle. "Thought so, my little lover boy."

"Mom! Please, I'm already embarrassed enough as it is that you and dad figured it out."

"Figured what out, son?" Kazuma said as he entered the room.

"Oh, just his crush on Tori."

Kazuma laughed, and noticed the package in his son's hands.

"Oh, and I assume that's for Tori?"

Yuma blushed again, and Kazuma just laughed again.

Yuma took his gift for Tori, and went upstairs to wrap it. He got out some wrapping paper they made when they were younger, and wrapped it up for her.

"There," he stated proudly. "I sure hope Tori likes it."

"I'm sure she will," a voice said from the door. He looked to see his sister Kari standing there.

"Geez, sis, why do you insist on doing that?"

"Well, I overheard you and our parents talking."

Yuma just turned his head, blushing redder than his hair.

"Why does everyone have to tease me constantly?"

Kari sighed, and walked over to the bed. She put her hand on Yuma's shoulder, forcing the 14-year-old to look up.

"Well, for one thing, it's too much fun not too, but more importantly, we all want you to be happy. You too look so cute together, and you need to tell her how you feel. If you don't, then you might lose her. I know what it feels like to lose the person you love because you said nothing." Yuma knew what she meant, considering their last encounter with Charlie McKoy. "I don't want you to lose your girl like I lost my guy, okay, little bro?"

Yuma smiled and said, "Okay, sis. I'll tell her on Christmas!"

Kari grinned at her little brother's antics. They then went downstairs so Yuma could place his gift for Tori underneath the tree.

"Kids, dinnertime!" Mira called from the kitchen.

"Alright!" the Tsukumo siblings said in unison. If there was one thing they had in common, it was their love for their mother's cooking.

'I'm definitely gonna tell her on Christmas,' he thought to himself. 'If I don't, I may lose her, and I refuse to let that happen.'

well, there's chapter one. this story will be at least three chapters, four if I decide to change the rating from T to M, for obvious reasons. next chapter will feature Tori and her family having fun, and the one after that will be their confession. I don't know when I'll update this again, but I can assure you, this story will be complete before December 26. please tell me if you like it or hate this one. so many people are hating on ZeXaL, and I don't quite like that.