InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fade and Flare ❯ Side Story (Xmas 2005) - Mistletoe ( Chapter 7 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

By: Pinku

Fade and Flare Side Story - Mistletoe

Upon awakening, it was all too apparent that it had been dark for hours. Kagome blinked a few times and sat up quickly. For the last three days she had isolated herself with her piano, dissatisfied with her work. All she needed was one perfect single. One perfect melody. She had a handful of lesser melodies already devised. A smattering of lyrics had been written too-- all enough for three or four songs.

None of them were single material. To Kagome's standards perhaps they weren't even album-worthy, which meant they would be coupled with singles.

It didn't take long for Kagome to realize that her neck hurt. Her face also started to sting, crushed under the weight of her head against piano keys. The piano chirped when Kagome finally sat up, rubbing the skin on her face as she stood and walked towards a window. Damn. The keys left an imprint on her face; she could feel it with her fingertips.

Tokyo at night was always so bright and lively, twenty-five stories below Kagome's window. By the time the end of December came around the metropolis was splashed in rich reds and greens, and on this particular night snow tumbled softly from the sky. Kagome's eyes followed stray flakes that twisted and swirled, shrinking from sight into the wide world below.

Her stomach didn't care, though. It gurgled at her, cranky from neglect. What time was it? Hopefully she could take a quick hop to the store. Kagome dashed back to her piano, intent on checking the time on her cell phone. For a brief minute a blue light shone onto her face as she activated the backlight. There were a couple of missed calls from Hojo, and a quick text message from her boyfriend:

Merry Christmas from Okinawa, Kagome! Can't wait until I come home on New Year's Day.

Kagome sighed, smiling. Oh yes, the time... 6:47 P.M. Wonderful! Before Kagome could pocket the phone her eyes caught on another set of numbers. 25... 12...

"What!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping the phone. How on earth did Christmas sneak up on her? Kagome pulled her hair into a wide-brimmed hat and grabbed her purse, coat, and a heavy scarf as she ran for the door.

Why Kagome decided to go to KFC for food was beyond her, and she wasn't about to question how she had managed to buy a Kurisumasu Box chicken dinner for four without being recognized. The restaurant was pretty crowded, and perhaps everyone was already preoccupied with getting home on time.

It was getting colder by the minute as she rushed across the sidewalk. Thankfully the gate to Inuyasha's house was in sight, and his Porsche was in the driveway. How predictable, he's cooped up at home. Kagome soundlessly slipped into the gate and ran the last few steps to the door, giggling at how he made an effort to get a gate installed, even though that and his door were always left unlocked when he was home.

"Inuyasha?" called Kagome from the entryway. She placed the box on the ground beside her while she removed her damp boots, and located her pair of fuzzy house slippers. Retrieving the box again, Kagome stepped slowly into the living room. While the television was on, nobody was here. She shuffled to the kitchen. Inuyasha was still nowhere to be found. Sighing, Kagome deposited her food on the kitchen counter, hoping he wasn't asleep.

She didn't have to walk much further. As she passed by his empty bedroom and empty office, the door to the furo opened. In the space of a few seconds Kagome collided with a gust of hot air and Inuyasha, rubbing his wet hair with a towel.

Her manager raised an eyebrow. "Hey. What're ya doing here?"

Kagome spun around, turning to face Inuyasha, who was so casual in posture as he stood at the door. A single drop of hot water trailed off of his neck, caressing its way across Inuyasha's bare chest like a fingertip until it disappeared into his belly button. The hanyou blinked. Kagome's face was so red and flushed from the steam! He didn't think the bathroom was so hot. Oh well.

"I, uh, brought some chicken. KFC, if you're hungry?"

"Great, I'm pretty starved! No time to cook and stuff. How's the single going?"

Kagome's shoulders drooped.

"That well, huh? We'll have to talk about what's going on, but first let's eat!" He paused a moment. "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing wrong. It's just…" Kagome gestured overhead to a tight green bundle of mistletoe, held together by a red ribbon. "Never thought I would see something like that in your house. Why is it hanging over the bathroom door?"

Inuyasha slumped. "Was a gift. ‘Cept I don't need it to get chicks, or kisses, so I put it in a place where it wasn't gonna do harm."

"Whoops," mumbled Kagome.

"Yeah… whoops."

Kagome looks so much like her, he realized, sighing at memories from just a few months ago. When Kagome wasn't laughing or frowning, something in her eyes reminded him of his black-haired girlfriend who chose to break up by leaving a note on his nightstand. They had parted ways only a few months ago.

"Well?"

"What?"

"What are you waiting for? Kagome gestured towards the mistletoe again. "I'm starving and you probably need a t-shirt. Plant one on me and let's go."

"Uh. Right." Inuyasha steeled himself, placing either hand on Kagome's shoulders. He couldn't bear to break eye contact with Kagome, for fear of missing his target. As he moved closer to her their eyes locked, and suddenly a quick peck turned into an ordeal. Kagome's small hands raised to grip Inuyasha's clawed hands, still glued to her shoulders as the distance between them closed slowly.

Their eyes closed. Inuyasha held his breath as he brushed Kagome with his lips, narrowly missing hers by a centimeter. Kagome's hand squeezed Inuyasha's, and as quick as the kiss was finally executed was how quickly they parted. Before anything further could be done, Kagome's hands clapped together. "That's it! I've got my melody now!"

Though he hadn't quite recovered from what had just happened Inuyasha nodded as if he hadn't missed a beat. "Um… good. Want to borrow my tape recorder to put it together right now?"

"You know I do," laughed Kagome.

"So then… does that mean I get all the chicken to myself?"

Kagome sighed. "Merry Christmas to you too."

This is really meant to take place (either months or a year) before the tour in Chapter 1, and Inuyasha's ex-girlfriend in Chapter 1 is the same as the one he thinks of here.

Merry Christmas everyone! This was just written on a whim tonight, and I'm DEAD tired now, so I'll leave it at that. Will add cultural notes with the chapter 7update (still working on it, fu fu fu). Got suddenly inspired by reading about the role of KFC in Japan during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Mmm, chicken. :9