Merry Christmas!
by Sin



WARNINGS: YAOI, repeated use of the word 'dog'.

  Wide, violet eyes blinked awake at two a.m. Smiling, the younger boy glanced to his sleeping darker side next to him. Yami lay, one arm curled protectively around Yugi�s waist, scowling lightly in his sleep.
   Squirming free of the sheltering grip, Yugi stood, stretching quietly and padding over to his kitchen, still yawning. Cracking the refrigerator open, he set out to grab the milk but froze, hearing the door creak. He grinned to himself and turned, preparing to apologize for waking him.
   The darkened figure wasn�t Yami.
   Yugi gasped in a cut-off shout as a rag was roughly held over his mouth and nose.
   Coughing, he stared dazedly at his attacker, catching only the flash of a golden eye in moonlight before passing out.

*~..~**~..~**~..~**~..~**~..~**~..~*

   �Aibou?� Yami called, stretching as he walked downstairs, to the kitchen, looking for his little love.
   �Yugi? I�m too tired to play, love, just come out alread-� He stopped short, noticing a pale sheet of paper on the plain brown table.
   Quirking an eyebrow, he plucked it up from its resting place on the table, reading:

To the King of Games--
I have taken little Yugi as a hostage. You will come to the Duelist Kingdom to retrieve him immediately. I�m waiting.

Yami growled, glaring at the flowery signature M. Pegasus. Slipping on his customary leather attire, he grabbed his coat, walking out of the Game Shop, giving only a clipped nod to the startled grandfather running the store.

*~..~**~..~**~..~**~..~**~..~**~..~*

   Murmuring could be heard at the edges of his consciousness as Yugi woke, violet eyes wide.
   �Yami...?� he muttered, still under the chloroform influence.
   A dark, lilting chuckle answered his inquiry, startling the youth awake.
   �P-Pegasus?�
   �Indeed,� came the sobering reply. �Tell me Yugi-boy, have you any idea why you�re here?�
   Yugi�s eyes widened further, as his situation sank in. �Why... Why are you doing this? I�m not going to Duel you anymore!�
   Pegasus laughed again; the dark, secretive laugh rending chills upon the listener�s flesh.
   He replied calmly, still smiling inanely, �No, we will not be Dueling... In fact, the entire purpose of your kidnapping is to lure out that alter-ego of yours.�
   �Yami? Why? Tell me,� Yugi sounded almost pleading, trying vehemently not to lose consciousness again.
   Pegasus laughed that infuriating quiet laugh, and Yugi flushed irritably.
   �Dear Yugi, you�re the only way to get him here. We have some...� he paused. Then resumed, �unfinished business to complete.�
   Then he knew no more.

*~..~**~..~**~..~**~..~**~..~**~..~*

   Yami knocked harshly on the door of Kaiba mansion. Irritably he waited before violently pounding on the thick wooden door.
   �KAIBA, I KNOW YOU�RE IN THERE, NOW ANSWER YOUR FUCKING GOD-DAMN DOOR!�
   Groggily, Seto Kaiba tore open the door, fully ready to kill the person there.
   Until two crimson eyes glared him quickly away from that thought.
   �Well, don�t stand there and stare all day, get in here. And shut the door!�
   Quite civilly, Yami walked in and closed the door behind him. Before sitting, however, he felt the need to make clear his predicament.
   �Kaiba, Pegasus has Yugi.�
   Kaiba�s eyes just about rolled out of his head, to which Yami�s instinct was to sigh, irritably.
   �What do you mean that dog has Yugi?!�
   Yami looked petulant. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to speak slowly and precisely. �It would mean that I woke to find this on my table!� He held out the note.
   Kaiba picked up the scrap of paper, ice blue eyes scanning it before handing it back to Yami with a derisive snort. �Why do you waste my time with this,� He asked, then added, almost spitefully, �King of Games?�
   Yami�s crimson eyes narrowed dangerously. �I waste my time with you because you have the power as well as the money and intelligence needed to find him. I won�t sit here and bicker with you, not while Yugi is in peril. If you want, we can Duel for the outcome, but other than that, you will help me.�
   The CEO of the world�s most successful company stared at the pharaoh, teeth gritted, before replying, shortly, �I�ll help you freely, so there�s no need to Duel for it.�
   With that, Yami sighed with tightly-controlled relief as Kaiba stood, walking over and pressing a button on the nearest wall.
   �This is Seto Kaiba.�
   The man voice on the other side of the intercom began stammering �hello� and �How are you, Sir?� repeatedly and Yami smirked as he saw the tell-tale flicker of annoyance cross Kaiba�s features.
   �Stop sniveling, dog! Let me speak without being interrupted!�
   The man stuttered out his apologies and then snapped his mouth shut, apparently waiting instruction.
   Seto sneered, somewhat content. �I want the investigative personnel here within five minutes--�
   The man interrupted, sputtering moderately. �Sir, the company residence for your investigation team is 10 minutes away!�
   Kaiba smiled coldly. �I said five minutes, dog. Don�t make me repeat myself. I want an accountant to be prepared to deal with any cost coming from me, see that she is ready.�
   He glanced to Yami. �Anything else you�ll need?�
   Yami looked thoughtful. �What about a ride to the dock and then transportation to the Duelist Kingdom? I need to look somewhere and it would make a milligram of sense that that would be the place of choice.�
   Kaiba nodded immediately, looking none whatsoever as disgruntled as Yami imagined he would be. He told the man on the end of the phone to allow Yami whatever resources he may need and gave him a description. �By the way, inform the investigation team that they only have three more minutes. I�ll have them fired and you can be sure they will never work for any major corporation again.�
   Another chilled smile.
   Yami smiled his own none-too-warm smile. �If I didn�t know better, I think he is seriously enjoying this. I thought he�d be rather angry...�
   Kaiba sat, looking somewhat irritated as two minutes slid by. Halfway through the final minute, there was a frantic knock on the door.
   Kaiba wanted just a fraction of a second before going to it. He smiled, fairly cruelly.
   �You�re lucky. You only have eight seconds.� They gasped for air, as the police pulled up with their driver, questioning and finally, ticketing him.
   �Well, don�t stand there like land-stranded fish, gaping and staring! Get inside, now, dogs,� he snapped. �sit down, across from the overly colorful boy.�
   Seto Kaiba strode over and sat next to said �overly colorful boy�, staring harshly at his investigation team. �There has been a kidnapping. I want the boy found, immediately. I won�t wait for your excuses. I don�t want mistakes, so take whatever time you need, but God help you if I catch any of you slacking off. I have intelligence everywhere and they will follow you. Security reasons, you see. Be sure to work quickly and efficiently.� He gave them a description of Yugi, during which they glanced questioningly at Yami, but said nothing.
  The investigation crew nodded, and left within an instant, mumbling amoungst themselves, debating the quickest way to attain the boy.
   Yami smiled slightly, looking to Kaiba. "Are you sure the investigation team is necessary? I know he's at the Duelist Kingdom and it's definite he's in the castle."
   Kaiba glared darkly back at the pharoah. "Do you have any idea how big that castle is? We might as well search the interior of Domino City 143 times to equal Pegasus' Castle."
   Yami sighed, nodding agreebly. "Alright. I'm leaving to the castle now, to look for myself." He stood.
   Suprisingly, Kaiba stood as well and informed Yami that he was going with him, to help.
   Yami shrugged and allowed it, leaving with Kaiba in tow.