InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Kisses: Mistletoe or No ❯ Just a Kiss ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Sardave, this one’s for you! ^_~


Kagome looked up into eyes the color of molten gold. As beautiful as she thought Inuyasha's eyes were, these were even more captivating. Instead of mistrust, anger, and frustration, she could see wisdom, confidence, and humor swirling in them. She shook her head slightly to break the spell she could feel herself falling under. Sango had warned her about grown kitsune and their ability to feed off of the energy and emotions of others, and to mesmerize and seduce to get what they want. And Miroku had told her about this particular kitsune's reputation as a thief. He had been following their little group for weeks, always just beyond their senses, but somehow, they knew he was there. It had been driving Inuyasha nuts. Shippou was the only one who had seen him, and he had told the small youkai they had something he wanted.

"Please don't hurt my friends," she pleaded with him.

"As long as the hanyou stays still where I left him and doesn't do anything stupid, he won't come to any harm," a deep, velvety smooth voice answered, sending little shivers down her spine.

"Oh, no! Then he's in trouble!" she cried.

A rich, hearty chuckle met her ears. "Don't worry, little one. Even if he should be foolish enough to fight his way out of my vines and plunge 40 feet into the clutches of my little pet, he won't suffer much. I won't let it eat him. It will merely ... detain him. And I don't believe the monk or the slayer will be able to free themselves. As for the little kit, he is sleeping comfortably on a thick bed of rose petals, alongside the nekomata."

"Oh, ... then, arigatou gozaimasu. But I can't give you the shards. It's my duty to guard them and gather them to complete the Shikon no Tama, and to keep it purified and safe," she said nervously, glancing around to see how she could escape and get back to her friends.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, "What makes you think I want the shards of a shattered jewel? Perhaps once you have it all together again, ..."

She stared at him in confusion. "Then what do you want?"

Gently running a finger across her cheek, he traced her lips with his fingertip, careful not to scratch her with his claw. "Something ... simple, yet worth more than any gem."

Cupping her chin in his hand, he looked up above her and she did the same. There, dangling over her head, was a small bough of greenery with white berries. "Mistletoe?" Then her eyes widened, "It's almost Christmas. I'd forgotten."

He looked at her curiously. "You recognize this parasitic little plant? Do you know of the traditions associated with it in other cultures, like the Greeks?"

She nodded.

The corners of his lips curved up in a genuine smile and Kagome found she couldn't take her eyes off of his mouth. "You are even more unique than I thought." Then he very slowly lowered his head towards her until their lips met.

She had no idea what to expect, and she found herself melting against him as his lips gently caressed hers. He touched and tasted every part of them, before sliding his tongue between them to explore her further. The feeling was electric and Kagome fisted her hands in his tunic. He held her firmly as he encouraged her tongue to play and explore, too. Then, he eased the passionate embrace until it became almost unbearably tender. When he finally lifted his head to look at her, he smiled at the dazed expression on her face.

"I am releasing your friends now. They will be here in a few moments," he told her.

She stared at him, and then reached for the shards around her neck. They were still there. "You mean ... you really don't want the shards?"

He chuckled again. "Did you not believe me?"

"You just wanted to kiss me?" she asked, her disbelief plain in her voice.

Reaching out to run a hand through her hair alongside her face, he said, "I will confess, I sought you out because I had heard of the Shikon no Tama, and then I was intrigued by your strange group. But I have hundreds of jewels more beautiful than those shards, and I have no use or desire for false power. However, I did see something in your group that I wanted very much."

Taking her hand, he led her over to the edge of a small pond. "Look at what I see. Thick, rich hair the color of ink, that flows like a waterfall of midnight. Sparkling blue eyes that rival the most perfect sapphires. Skin that is as clear and delicate-looking as porcelain, and as smooth and beautiful as the finest ivory silk. And lips the color of my most beautiful roses, with the sweetness of ambrosia. And hidden away underneath it all, a heart of the purest gold that allows a ningen to befriend and care for a bitter demon slayer, a perverted monk, an angry hanyou, and an orphaned kitsune kit." He turned her so she was facing him. "I am a thief, -- sometimes called the king of thieves. I am only interested in the most valuable and highly-coveted of treasures. And that is why I could not resist stealing ... a kiss." And he brushed his lips against hers once more before stepping back. "Perhaps, when you have completed the jewel, I will return."

"To steal it?"

"No, little one. I told you I am only interested in the greatest of treasures. When you see me again, I will be after your heart." And he disappeared into the trees.





When Inuyasha and the others found her, she was still standing there, staring after him with a small smile on her face.

"Are you all right? Where is that bastard? Did he take the shards?" Inuyasha demanded.

"No, he didn't. I'm fine," she said.

"He didn't try to take the shards?" Sango asked, with a puzzled and worried look on her face.

"No. He said he didn't want them," Kagome told her, continuing to stare off into the direction where he had vanished.

"My dear Kagome, Youko Kurama doesn't leave empty-handed. If he didn't want the shards, what did he want?" Miroku asked slyly, with a wicked grin on his face.

"Just a ... kiss."

"A kiss? He kissed you?!!? I'm going to rip that bastard apart!" And as Inuyasha ranted and raved, Kagome tuned him out to relive those moments and think about what the handsome kitsune had said. He may have stolen a kiss, but he had given her so much more.