InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Cinnamon and Mistletoe ❯ Chapter 3

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It was an adopted holiday. The two women had long ago fallen in love with the atmosphere: the tree, the decorations, the cookies and the mistletoe – and their loved ones were along for the ride. Their husbands didn’t mind the parasitic weed under which they would ‘accidentally’ meet their wives and the children loved any excuse to get presents. Sipping their hot chocolates, the two friends enjoyed every moment of it, especially the sight of their children under the tree.

A little girl was just fighting her way through the wrapping of her gift under the Christmas tree, a red-haired boy watching patiently while leaning on his own, yet unopened box. Wrapping paper was flying around and small fingers finally pried open the box inside. The boy slowly inched behind his present as the girl took out a teddy bear half her height and started hugging it and ran to her mother to show it off. He sighed and took the chance to unwrap his own gift. He was more meticulous about it, untying the bow and looking for the edge of the wrapping paper, but he didn’t get far before he found himself knocked to the floor and caught in a group hug between the little girl and the stuffed bear.

Their mothers watched as the hug turned into a tickling match and they had to drag them from under the tree before they knocked it over. Lucky they were easily distracted by cookies and further damage was avoided.

There was also a snow fight. There was always a snow fight. The children came back looking like living snowmen, completely exhausted, not caring who won. They let their mothers change them out of the many layers of clothes they had been bundled in for the fight and into their pajamas. Before they new it, they were tucked into bed, teddy between them, and the light turned off.

A small hand reached across the fluffy obstacle in the darkness. It was met by another and tiny fingers knitted together. “I’ll get you next time” one of the children promised into the bear. A soft ‘umhm’ was lost in the soft fur and sleep overcame them before they could plot anything else.

~+~

In the kitchen of a little mountain lodge, a boy and a girl managed to find the only spot next to the stove that wasn’t in anybody’s way. They watched the people fuss around, getting everything ready for Christmas dinner. The place seemed to be run by a short woman of unintelligible age who ruled with an iron rolling pin. She had offered them hot chocolate as soon as they came in and ushered them to their current spot only to completely forget about them after. Not that they minded.

They tried to catch up on their lives so far but found it awkward. You just couldn’t tell a guy about your adventures in Feudal Japan without sounding … an apple short of a fruit salad and she wasn’t very proud of her school work either, so Kagome did most of the listening. She always did like to listen to his stories. He was going to one of the best private high schools and one of the best students there, though he didn’t say it, and she was surprised to hear about his friends, about as mismatched as her friends. He didn’t tell her everything about him, but she was happy enough not to fill in the blanks. They couldn’t be filled with more colorful details than hers.

“I have the strange feeling one of our moms will show up” Kagome said out of nowhere, taking another sip. It had a strong cinnamon flavor and she liked the spicy taste.

Shuichi looked up from his own cup.  “Is there something wrong?”

The girl shrugged. “Mine’s been acting a little weird lately. Nothing wrong, just…” Another shrug. Maybe she’d been away from her mother for too long and had become unaccustomed to her. “But I’m still expecting one of them to show up” she insisted, smiling.

He was about to comment just when a young woman showed up in front of them. “Sorry” she started in an English better than what they’ve been used to “Diner’s ready and your mothers asked me to fetch you”

Kagome threw Shuichi an I-told-you-so look. They followed her into the dining-room, trying hard not to giggle.