InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ All I Want For Christmas ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available. But, if somebody were to wrap him up with a big red bow and put him under my Christmas tree, I wouldn't tell a soul. ^_~

I also do not own any other trademark companies and/or items that may be mentioned in this story. So, no suing, ya hear!

 

 

 

All I Want For Christmas

 

Chapter 2

 

The day dawned clear and cool and all Kagome wanted to do was stay snuggled up in her nice toasty bed. As she curled up in her warm sheets, she thought back on a conversation she'd had with Rin during their wanderings at the mall. She had finally quit fuming after a stop for a soothing cup of tea and the talk had meandered around to the men in their lives and what to get them for Christmas. Rin had settled on the old favorite -- pajamas -- and they had stopped into one of those hokey novelty theme stores that seemed to pop up in malls everywhere. Rin spotted the perfect set for Inuyasha. The only problem was deciding which character fit him better.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Tigger or Grumpy,” Rin asked Kagome, holding up the appropriate sets. When Kagome had finally calmed down enough to tell her friends why she was so angry, Rin had looked ready and willing to strangle Inuyasha. Kagome was almost sorry that she wouldn't be there when the girl finally got hold of him.

 

“Who's it for, Sesshomaru or Inuyasha?” Sango asked idly, as she flipped through a nearby rack of sweaters.

 

“Inuyasha. I can't decide which one suits him better,” Rin answered. “On the one hand, Tigger would work, `cause he's so full of energy, not to mention full of himself --,” she grumbled under her breath with a role of her eyes.

 

“Rin! How can you say that?” Kagome exclaimed, turning with a shocked expression from her perusal of a rack of key chains and other small items. “Sure, sometimes he's a little arrogant and inconsiderate, but he is not full of himself!”

 

“Well, you don't have to wait outside the bathroom for an hour while his highness combs his hair,” Rin retorted pertly, turning to face the older girl. Her lips twitched with a barely suppressed grin. They both knew that that had only happened once, and it was only because Rin had snuck into his room while he was sleeping and tied fairy-knots in his hair.

 

“Hey! That one was your fault, so no blaming the victim,” Kagome replied, one hand on her hip and the other pointing an admonishing finger at the younger girl.

 

“Okay, okay; maybe it was, that time. But the jerk deserved it! He was being an arrogant prick, and he shouldn't have eaten the last of my chocolate,” Rin muttered petulantly. “He didn't have to keep rubbing it in that he knew exactly where all of my hiding places were, and it wasn't the first time, either!”

 

Kagome couldn't help the slight smile that slipped across her face at Rin's aggrieved tone. She sounded a lot like Kagome herself did when her brother Souta pulled some stunt that really annoyed her. Maybe she had reacted a little strongly. After all, Inuyasha was the closest thing Rin had to an older brother; and she was definitely allowed to pick at him if she wanted to.

 

“I suppose you're right,” Kagome relented, even though her tone said otherwise.

 

“But he is full of energy,” Rin continued in an offhand manner, changing the subject. “I don't know whether to envy or pity the woman he finally makes his mate. She would have to have the patience of a saint to put up with his shit on a daily basis, the grump.” Had she not been looking directly at her, Kagome would have missed the wicked look in Rin's eyes just before the girl turned her attention back to the pajamas in front of her, “Not to mention the strength to keep up with him. That boy bounces around everywhere.”

 

Sango, who had been watching their interaction and noticed the sudden flush that appeared on Kagome's face and couldn't let a prime opportunity pass, joined in the teasing. “Hey, Kagome, are you all right?” she asked, her face a mask of contrived innocence. ”You look a little hot. Is the crowd getting to you? Do you need some fresh air? Or maybe a refreshing beverage would help cool you off.”

 

It was clear from Sango's amused expression that she knew it wasn't the crowd that had Kagome all red. Kagome had once told Sango that she wouldn't mind filling the role of Inuyasha's mate. Of course, that had been years ago, before she had gotten involved with Hojo and Inuyasha had become so distant.

 

Sango's giggles caught Rin's attention, and she whipped around to grin impishly at Kagome. “If I didn't know better,” she said, her brown eyes dancing with mischief, “I'd think you liked my `uncle'.”

 

This only made Kagome turn redder -- and, much to her embarrassment and her friends' amusement, she stuttered, “No…I…Wha-What?! ...Uh… Oh, never mind!” Kagome huffed, turning her back on them and crossing her arms in pique. She stared intently at the display in front of her, not really seeing the stuffed toys as she tried to cool her blush. She almost had it under control, too, until Sango spoke up.

 

“Well, Rin, I think I know what to put under her tree this year!”

 

“I don't know, Sango,” Rin replied in a slightly uncertain voice, playing along. It had been a long time since they were able to get this kind of reaction out of their friend. It was kind of fun. “I don't think they make ribbon strong enough to tie him up or wide enough to gag him with. Although,” she mused, “I suppose we could use tinsel. Ooh, and a “Do not open `til Christmas” tag to keep him quiet!”

 

“I think that he'd stay quiet for Kagome,” Sango said archly. “After all, he --”

 

“Isn't this the cutest little...? Er…Whatever you've ever seen?” Rin interrupted, grabbing the nearest thing available, which happened to be a package of little boy's underwear, and shaking her head violently at the older girl. God, Inuyasha would kill her if Kagome found out how he felt about her -- not that it wasn't obvious to anyone with eyes, but he was entitled to his delusions.

 

“He what?” Kagome asked sullenly, turning from the plush toys and eying her friends with suspicion.

 

“He's half dog demon,” Sango answered a little too brightly as the reason for Rin's actions dawned on her. “He'll just chew right through that tag. Yep, right through it,” she finished lamely. She laughed awkwardly when Kagome looked at her in confusion, then turned to Rin and said, “He would probably like Tigger better, Rin. You know how he gets if you tell him he's grumpy.”

 

Rin rolled her eyes and sighed. “Don't I ever. If he's not slamming doors or stomping through the house, then he's sulking or snapping at you for asking him what's wrong.” Setting down the items she had selected, Rin crossed her and turned up her nose. Then, her voice pitched lower than normal she said, “There ain't a damn thing wrong with me, stupid! Now, leave me the fuck alone!” This elicited knowing chuckles from her two shopping buddies and dirty looks from the little old granny across the aisle who didn't appreciate that kind of language with children around.

 

“Oh, well,” Rin continued with a heartfelt sigh. “We love him anyway.”

 

Sango noticed that Kagome was starting to turn red again. Deciding that they had picked on the girl enough for one day, she asked, “I guess you've forgiven him for earlier, huh, Kago?”

 

“Yeah, I guess I have,” Kagome answered ruefully. “I can't really stay mad at him. After all, it isn't his fault I never told him about Hojo. He wouldn't have said that if he had known.”

 

When it didn't appear that Kagome was going to continue with that subject, Rin spoke up. “What happened with Hojo, Kagome? I know you broke up, but you don't seem all that upset about it anymore.”

 

Kagome sighed. She had known that this was coming. Rin was, after all, her friend, even if she was six years Kagome's junior, and she worried about Kagome. It didn't help that Kagome was still unsure of her feelings about the whole situation. There were still some things she wondered about, things that she maybe could have done different. Still, it had been long enough for the hurt to lessen, and she would answer Rin as truthfully as she could.

 

“I…I guess I'm really not,” she answered, her eyes unfocused and her expression thoughtful. “Hojo and I had been having problems for a few months; mainly about how I wouldn't sleep with him.” Her lips twisted in a wry smile. “And then I started thinking that he wasn't really the one for me, especially when there was someone else that I would rather spend my time with. Of course, I didn't realize that until he started avoiding me,” she said that last almost to herself, it was so softly spoken. Shaking the far-away look from her eyes, she continued, “I think Hojo noticed when I started to put a little distance in our relationship.” She sighed. “And I think that he was having the same doubts, because he didn't really do anything to try to get me to stay. I don't know,” she said, shaking her head. “Maybe, deep down, we both knew it was over months ago; but we were just too…” she paused, searching for the words, “comfortable, I guess. I mean, we had been together for over a year. So, maybe it was just the need to hold on to what was familiar, you know?”

 

She was quiet for a moment. Trailing her finger over the spines of some nearby books, she reflected back over the last few months of their relationship. Hojo really hadn't tried very hard to keep her around, and she sometimes wondered why she had stayed with him. :No, that's not true. I know exactly why I stayed. He was always attentive when he was around, and I wanted that, to be the center of someone's world. It didn't matter that he started to spend progressively less time with me as long as he showered me with affection when he was there.:

 

“Anyway,” Kagome continued, shaking her head clear of her previous thoughts and looking out at the people passing by the entrance to the store. “I guess catching him with that girl was just the push we needed to end it all. Sure, it hurt when I found them and I needed some time to realize that it was really over, but I think that I'm ready to move on.”

 

“To Inuyasha, maybe?” Rin said slyly. Kagome nodded before Rin's comment really registered and by then it was too late. She couldn't sputter her way out of this one --Rin wouldn't let her. “I think that would be great. I know you like him, and I really don't think it would take much of a push to get you together,” she said with a wink and a mischievous grin.

 

Kagome just stared at the younger girl for a moment, trying to figure out whether or not to take her seriously, before shaking her head and making her way to the registers. “Come on, guys. I think that the Tigger ones will work.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

 

Now Kagome lay in bed and stared at her ceiling, thinking back to the way she had reacted to Rin's comments about Inuyasha. : When did I become so protective of that idiot? I mean, sure we've all defended him to different people over the years, usually because the big oaf can't keep his mouth shut. But this was Rin, for gods sakes! She probably knows him better than anyone, except maybe his brother. I can't believe I snapped at her. Uhh! : she thought as she buried her face in her pillow.

 

She hadn't wanted her friends to see how much Inuyasha's comment had hurt. It was one thing to have the same thoughts go through her own mind; it was another thing entirely to have those thoughts voiced aloud by someone she secretly hoped could be more than a friend. How else could she explain the distance between her and Hojo, except that she wasn't enough to hold his attention?

 

Kagome hadn't told them the whole story. She and Hojo had been slowly growing apart for the better part of about six months. His answer to it all had been that they weren't as intimate as they needed to be. Kagome, though, would have none of it. She was saving that for the man she intended to spend the rest of her life with; surely an unusual sentiment in these times, but it was what she felt in her heart.

 

Only to add to the confusion was the disturbing way her thoughts always wandered to someone else when she was with Hojo. Kagome remembered a rather embarrassing moment from about two weeks before she caught him. Hojo had been kissing her and was slowly trying to take it a little further than the light touching they usually engaged in and all she could think about was how it would feel if this were Inuyasha instead and how she probably wouldn't stop him like she would Hojo. The thought had both aroused and shamed her. Here she was in the arms of her boyfriend, and she was wishing it were someone else. She had rather hastily pulled away and, giving a transparent excuse, fled from Hojo's apartment. Kagome had spent days trying to figure out just where the hell that thought had come from.

 

The young woman sighed wistfully. Looking back, she could see that she had had feelings for the temperamental dog for awhile; she had just been denying them. Of course this was all moot, because Inuyasha didn't feel that way about her, no matter what Rin said. He proved it every time they got close and he pulled away.

 

Thankfully, the phone rang about then, shaking Kagome from her depressing thoughts. Heaving herself up and out from under her warm blankets, she went downstairs to answer it. It was Sango, calling to ask when she should come and help set up for the party that night. They agreed to meet in a couple of hours and grab some lunch, then they could start to decorate. The two chatted for a little longer before saying their goodbyes and hanging up.

 

Setting the phone back on its cradle, Kagome went back upstairs to bathe and get ready for the day. Stepping into the bathroom, she decided, as she turned on the water, that she would put all thoughts of Hojo and their failed relationship aside. It was time for a new start, and, damn it, that new start would be today!

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

 

As Kagome was thinking about her mall excursion, Inuyasha was having an aggravating phone conversation with Miroku. It seemed that the young monk-in-training thought that the best way to apologize to Kagome was to take her to lunch today; and it seemed that Miroku was going to get Inuyasha to do it if he had to hog tie him and drag him there.

 

“Come on, man,” Miroku cajoled. “You said yesterday that you would do it. Don't back out on me now.”

 

“Yeah, well, I've had time to think about it,” Inuyasha said. “And I've changed my mind. Who'd want to apologize to her anyway?” That was definitely the wrong thing to say, something that Inuyasha should have known by now. In the background he heard Sango yelling something about coming over there and dragging him if she had to, so now he had both of them on his back.

 

“Alright, Inuyasha,” Miroku sighed in defeat. “It's obvious that you aren't going to do this, so why don't you just come to lunch with Sango and me? Maybe after, you and I can go see about that kitten for Rin while Sango helps Kagome set up for tonight.”

 

Inuyasha thought about that for a minute. He really needed to go make the arrangements for Rin's kitten. The pet store manager had been kind enough to hold on to that little Siamese for him, but he could only hold it for a couple of days. And Miroku did agree to help find a place for the cat until Christmas.

 

“Okay, but no Kagome,” he said finally. “Do you hear me, Miroku? Tell that girlfriend of yours, too. No Kagome!”

 

“Yeah, I hear you,” Miroku answered. Inuyasha pulled the phone from its listening position and eyed it warily. Miroku had just said that he had heard, not that he would do as Inuyasha asked. Deciding that it wasn't worth the argument, the half-demon place the phone back to where he could catch sound from it. The boys talked for a little longer, before agreeing to meet at a restaurant downtown in a couple of hours and hanging up, one to turn and shake his head at how stubborn his friends were and the other to rub his hands together in glee and start the next part of his plan.

 

Inuyasha got up from where he had been sitting on his bed and padded out to the bathroom to start his morning routine. After a quick shower and tooth brushing, he went back into his room to dress. A pair of blue jeans and his favorite sweatshirt was the order for the day, and he quickly pulled them on. Running his claws through his hair to tame it, he went downstairs to get some breakfast. He still had some time before he had agreed to meet Miroku, and he still needed to talk to Sesshomaru about the kitten. His luck was in today, because there sat his brother at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee and perusing the morning paper as was his Saturday morning habit. Now, how to bring it up?

 

“Oi, Sess,” Inuyasha called from the pantry, where he rummaged for sustenance. He straightened up from his grab for the cereal box in time to catch his brother's raised eyebrow, a sign that he was listening. “I need to talk to you about Rin's Christmas present. She isn't up yet, is she?”

 

“If you would bother to use your nose, little brother, you would find that Rin is not only up but no longer in the house,” Sesshomaru responded coolly, rolling his eyes at his brother's denseness.

 

“Oh,” was Inuyasha's intelligent response after a quick sniff proved that Rin's scent was at least an hour old. “Well, I guess I can tell you, then.” At Sesshomaru's nod, he continued while he searched for a bowl. He knew that his brother had a soft touch when it came to the girl and that there was no question about the kitten coming to live with them. “She found this kitten at the mall yesterday, and I just about had to use a pry bar to get her out of the damn pet store.”

 

“Yes, she mentioned something about that this morning before she left,” Sesshomaru said calmly, turning the page of his paper as he listened. “What do you want to do about it?”

 

“Well, the manager is holding it for me until this evening, but I need to find a place to hide it `til Christmas. Any ideas who might do it?” Inuyasha asked, pouring milk into his cereal and leaning against the counter to begin eating. Sesshomaru always had good ideas, even if Inuyasha wouldn't have admitted such a thing…ever… to anyone.

 

“Why don't you ask Kagome?” Sesshomaru said after a moment's thought. “She's always willing to do anything that makes Rin happy.”

 

Inuyasha snorted into his cereal, “She's not the only one, Sessy-kins.”

 

“In fact,” Sesshomaru continued, pointedly ignoring his brother's taunting use of Rin's favorite nickname. “You could ask her tonight after you apologize for that rather disgraceful comment you made yesterday.” Inuyasha was sure from that that Rin had given Sesshomaru an earful this morning. How else could he have found out about it? Now it would seem that Miroku and Sango weren't the only ones conniving against Inuyasha today.

 

“Rin has a big mouth,” Inuyasha mumbled. Sighing he said, “All right, if it will get you people off my back, I'll apologize to the wench,” he pouted. “Jeez, you'd think I never said anything like that to her before or somethin'.”

 

Sesshomaru frowned at his brother, “That is not the way to talk about your future mate, little brother. And I know that Kagome has asked you repeatedly not to call her that.” Seeing Inuyasha about to gear up into a full blown growling pout about how Kagome was not his `future mate', Sesshomaru glanced at his watch and shook his head. “As much as I would like to fight about this with you, Inuyasha, I have a meeting to be at in a few minutes. It seems that something has come up at the firm, and those bungling idiots cannot settle it without me. I will be back in time for the party. I will see you this evening. Do try to stay out of trouble.” Sesshomaru stood and walked out of the kitchen, shutting Inuyasha's open mouth with one claw as he walked past, effectively cutting off the angry retort about how he didn't get into trouble that the half-demon had just drawn breath to deliver.

 

Inuyasha blinked, shook his head, and turned back to his soggy breakfast. It wasn't worth it to chase his brother up the stairs for that hasty retreat. It seemed that everyone was out to make him apologize, even him own brother, and he was going to willingly spend several hours with the most vocal of the lot of them. Damn, how did he get himself into these things?

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Well, that's it for this chapter. Next one should be lunch and possibly the party. It looks like this story will be a little longer than expected.

 

Until we meet again,

Patch

 

Last Revision: 9/12/05