InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ All I Want For Christmas ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole creative property of Rumiko Takahashi, and therefore, not available, but I have plans to stalk him and make him my willing sex slave. ^_~

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

Oh, yeah. Tsuyu and Yue are mine. They aren't much, but I did come up with them, so don't steal them. But I think that you may have seen the last of them last chapter. Haven't really decided yet.

A/N: I'm going to thank the few people who reviewed the last chapter. I guess it wasn't as good as the others, but I hope to make it up to you. Well, anyway, here's the shout outs:

HellKeeper: Be careful were you point that thing-don't shoot your eye out. Happy hunting!

Inuyasha_For_Ever: Nope, not Kouga-not Hojo either. Keep reading and you will find the answers you seek.

ArtemisMoon: Wow. Not only are you another one of my favorite authors (go read her stories-they're really good), but you reviewed every chapter. I really appreciate the feedback and the fact that you liked the little details that I tried to include. Wrong tense, huh? I'll have to go find that and fix it. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to do that and I hope that you continue to enjoy this story.

You all have my deepest apologies for the long wait on this chapter. The only thing that I can do is plead temporary insanity do to the amount of work piled on me by my court reporting teachers; that and the fact that I lost my job because the stupid store I worked at closed and I've been trying to find a new one. I hope that the fluffiness that I have included in this chapter makes up for it.

A/N 5/1/04 - I've made some changes to this chapter. That scene with our favorite love birds has been cleaned up and it's a little citrusier than it was before. I'm not so sure that I would call it a lime, so we can just call it a tangerine.

Now, on to what you came here for…

All I Want For Christmas

Chapter 8

It's amazing what some will do for family. They will defend against all allegations, true or false; they will stand fast at the side of a relative in times of strife or stress, joy or sadness, and at any other time of need or support. They will insure that nothing unfortunate happens to make that particular relations life difficult - and they will do this with a vengeance and will that can leave you stunned and breathless.

Of course, these are the good things that some will do for family. There are some who will do anything to insure that their loved ones are taken care of and kept safe; anything, legal or otherwise. They will lie and cheat, swindle and steal, even kill for that one beloved relation. They would sell their very soul to the Devil himself and they will go to their grave defending that person's actions; never seeing that they are being manipulated, whether it be by the relation or some one holding that person's leash. And, sadly, in the end, they will not care that they are the ones who will ultimately fall and take the blame, not the relation they stuck their neck out for and not the one on the other end of the string; and all because they will have turned a blind eye to the reasons for their relation's predicament.

Love and family are two of the strongest bonds known to Humanity. They are the reason we rise in the mornings and the oil that lubes the machine we call life. These bonds are also what drive us to protect and shelter those which, we feel, are weaker and unable to care for themselves. They are the very things that we as humans have laid down our lives for and they are the concepts for which we will continue to fight and die. The same could be said, at least to some extent, of demon kind.

While it may not be love that binds family members together, it is definitely a strong sense of loyalty, of duty, to keep the clan strong. And loyalty can outweigh love and devotion. As many a monarch has discovered to their detriment, these three do not go hand in hand. Loyalty is an intrinsic part of what enabled the remaining demon clans to survive the onslaught of Humanity's proliferation; that and the duty of the older sibling to insure the continuation of the line-even if that means suffering for a sibling's screw-up. Loyalty and duty, perhaps, are not as sentimental as the humans' notions of love and devotion to family, but they are concepts that are just as strong, and maybe, at some levels, even more binding.

In a moderately furnished apartment, in a middle-class part of town, a young man sat and contemplated the duty that bound him to his current project as he placed the final touches on the work before him, a project he had slaved over all night long. It was because of that very demon loyalty that he was in this mess. Aiding and abetting a human in her attempt to humiliate one of the strongest members of the dog demon clan-and all because this bitch happened to know his brother's dirty little secret. : Were he not my brother and had I not pledged to our father that no harm would come to him-I would have slain him long ago! All of this because he targeted the wrong woman-damn you, Manten! How could you have been so stupid?!:

The sound of a discrete knock on his door jarred the young man from his thoughts. With a sigh and a jerk of his head to settle his long braid behind him, Hiten Chu rose and crossed the short expanse of his living room. Biting back the growl that worked its way up his throat at the scent on the other side, the demon opened his door to reveal a human woman. For a brief moment, he simply stared at her, taking in her flawless features and almost perfect figure.

He supposed that in another time, under different circumstances, he might have found this woman extremely attractive. Perhaps he would have even pursued her. Even if she was human, he knew that she had power, albeit the kind of power only blood-money can buy, but that was required to survive in the underbelly of society where he and his kind did their business, and that was enough to attract just about any demon to her. As it was, however, the very smell of her made him want to kill something - most preferably her. Stepping aside, he gestured for the woman to enter and had to fight back the urge to fry her with the harnessed electricity he was capable of calling at a moment's notice.

He watched as she crossed the floor and sat, uninvited, on his couch. She looked at him expectantly as she made herself comfortable. She was patient, but Hiten knew that her patience would not last long. Closing the door, the demon turned and waved his hand at the manila folder that sat on the coffee table in front of her. Leaning forward, the woman pulled it to her and opened it, examining the contents closely, leisurely. She was more than willing to let him squirm as he awaited her verdict. And squirm he did; waiting in anxious silence to hear her thoughts, for she held his brother's life in her hands and if Hiten's efforts displeased her, Manten was a dead man.

Oh, yes. This woman held within her the ability to see that his dear brother never again saw the light of day. With just a few words to the right people, she could have him thrown into the humans' jail for the rest of his unnaturally long life, or slain outright by the demons' council. For neither society was willing to harbor a mass murderer in their midst; especially one with a taste for beautiful, virginal, young women.

"Well," the cultured sounds of the woman's voice jarred him from the thoughts he had lost himself to once again, "I see that you have once again managed to live up to my expectations. Your brother should be grateful."

Hiten bristled silently, but did not rise to her baiting. He knew that one wrong word, one mistake would cost him and his brother dearly. By now, she had enough on him to ensure that he would be put away for a very long time, and that just with the projects he undertook for her. He had no doubts that she knew of everything he had ever been involved in.

"Very good," the woman said as she rose and turned toward the door. "I may need you again soon. Do try and behave yourself until then."

He was silent as he watched her walk out the door. He waited until he could no longer catch that disgusting scent on the wind before finally giving in to his anger and disgust. With a roar, he drove his fist through the coffee table, splintering it and sending shards of glass and wood skittering across the apartment. "No more," he growled; his voice rough and filled with hate. "No more. I will not be your lap dog any longer. This is the last time you use me, Kikyo. I swear on the grave of my father that your life will soon be over!"

~*~

Kikyo could not contain the satisfied smirk that stretched her lips as she left the apartment building and made her way down the sidewalk toward her next meeting. Finding and exploiting those two brothers had been a stroke of genius. Granted, they were bad news before she met them, having already made a name for themselves as the nefarious "Thunder Brothers", but to learn that the younger was the very serial killer that had the authorities chasing their collective tails had made her very happy-especially when she learned about his brother and the wonderful 'talent' at his disposal.

It had been almost child's play to set Manten up so that he targeted her. Granted, she was a little older than his usual mark, but she was beautiful and, at least at that time, she was a virgin. In other words, a perfectly tempting tidbit that was too good to pass up. All she had had to do then was make herself available and then be ready when he took the bait. It had worked like a dream. Catching his brother had been the icing on the proverbial cake. Now she held Manten ransom to his brother, and Hiten put his cracking skills to use for her.

The smile she wore took on a hint of triumph when she thought about the contents of the envelope she currently held in her perfectly manicured hand. It was a copy of the documents she would be using in her next attempt to separate her puppy from his current romp and she was certain that her partner was going to absolutely love what she had planned.

She had reached her destination and, upon entering the establishment, gave her name to the hostess. With a polite "Right this way, miss. Your companion is already here" from the young woman, Kikyo was led to a secluded table near the back of the restaurant. After dismissing the hostess with a curt nod, Kikyo seated herself and regarded the man across from her with a predatory smile. Without a word, she placed the envelope on the table and slid it across to her partner and sat impatiently as he rifled through the contents.

"Where did you get this? I thought that the security system was uncrackable," Hojo's eyebrow raised in surprise. The security protocols on the computer system at White Dog Investments was said to rival that of the federal government, especially the safeguards around anything concerning the late Mr. Shiro. That Kikyo was able to obtain these documents was astounding.

"I have a wonderful acquaintance that was there when the system was installed. In fact, he helped to write some of the programming," Kikyo informed him. "These will arrive in the girl's in-box in the next day or so and they are virtually untraceable. I think that she will enjoy them, don't you?"

"Yes," Hojo agreed with malicious chuckle, "I'm sure that she will get a real kick out of them." He continued to flip through the documents, stopping when he came to some near the end. "What are these?"

Kikyo leaned over as he tilted them so she could see what had caught his attention. She smirked and chuckled maliciously before answering him. "Those, my dear, dear Hojo, are what are going to make that bitch come running back to you."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Warm.

Safe.

Totally and completely content.

That was how she felt as she slowly opened her eyes and greeted the new day. Her mind was slow to catch up, so it didn't occur to her to wonder at the feeling of security that swept over her. Kagome was only just starting to truly wake up and she rolled over to check the clock at her bedside, curious as to why it hadn't awakened her with its usual mind piercing shrill, even though it was obvious that the sun was just starting to come up and peek through her window. At least, she tried to roll over. The arm draped over her waist tightened as she moved and wouldn't let her do more than squirm a little. The disgruntled growl that came from behind her was more of a wakeup call than that damn alarm ever could be and all vestiges of sleep went speeding out the window as she realized what, or rather who, was holding her .

With wide eyes, Kagome followed that arm; first down to the delicately clawed hand that rested lightly on her bare stomach, and then up, along the broad shoulder, to the peacefully reposed face of her boyfriend. : Damn it, I thought I told him to sleep on the couch! What the Hell is he doing up here, in my bed?! Not that I mind waking up to this, but, jeez, can't he ever do what I ask him to?: With an exasperated sigh, Kagome tried once again to extract herself from the half demon's embrace, but that only compelled him to tighten his grip on her again, pulling her tightly into his firm chest.

"Would you please quit squirming? Some of us are trying to sleep here," Inuyasha's voice from behind her was soft and a little gruff, as if he had just awoken himself and Kagome couldn't suppress the thought that he sounded very sexy that way. But she still wanted to know why he was up there and why he had felt the need to join her, but before she could chastise him for their position, she felt him start to gently nuzzle her behind the ear. Nuzzling that turned to whisper soft kisses from her ear, along her neck and across her shoulder before returning along the same path back to her ear. Kagome couldn't suppress the shiver that went through her when she felt the tip of his tongue lightly trace its outer shell. And the patterns his claws were tracing on her bare midriff from where her top had ridden up were making it very hard for her to keep the reason she was annoyed at him as a coherent thought. But when she felt his hand start to creep up under her shirt, her mind snapped into focus and she caught his wrist in her hand, effectively halting his hand's progress. He retracted his hand and rested it back on her stomach just above her panty line, his claws tracing delicate patterns that caused a tightening between her thighs.

Kagome shivered as she felt him continue his assault on her neck and she unconsciously tilted her head to allow him better access. She felt it as his lips curled up in a self satisfied smirk and she couldn't contain the gasp that was pulled from her as his fangs trailed across the smooth flesh of her neck or the soft groan caused by his subsonic growling. Inuyasha was getting reactions from her that Hojo could never have dreamed of and Kagome couldn't remember a time when she had felt any sensation down there without her partner touching at least close to that part of her - and all he was using were his lips on her neck and his claws on her stomach in feather light caresses.

Speaking of those lips, Kagome was a little surprised when she felt them softly caress her own. She hadn't realized that he had managed to turn her onto her back at some point, so lost had she been in the sensations he was creating. Suddenly overwhelmed with the need for more contact, she reached up and hooked her hand behind his head, pushing his mouth closer to hers and deepening their contact. It made the position they were in slightly awkward, but neither was complaining. In fact, it wasn't until he shifted so that he was lying over her and she felt the too firm evidence of his arousal against her thigh that Kagome really thought about what they were doing and remembered why she had been annoyed at him. By then he had started to lightly trail one hand up and down her side while the other moved stealthily up the inside of her thigh. That, combined with feelings he was creating while nipping gently at her pulse, was almost enough to make Kagome forget again; but when she felt the hand on her thigh creep higher and one finger graze that spot she hadn't let any man touch, she strengthened her resolve. Pushing at his shoulder with one hand, she reached between them and grabbed his wrist, halting his progress and making him pause in his ministrations. Inuyasha growled his displeasure at being stopped, but he didn't push it and just rested that hand on her thigh.

"Inuyasha," she murmured as he once again concentrated his attentions on the point where her neck met her shoulder, "we have to stop." : No matter how good this feels, and it feels really good, I'm not ready for that. Hell, we've only really been together for, what, four days. Hojo and I didn't get this far for almost a year! Hell, I never let him even get close to touching me where Yash's hand is going. This is just too much, too fast. I mean I know that we've had feelings for each other for a long time, but this is too fast. I'm really not ready. : She could tell by his disapproving growl that he was not in the least bit interested in stopping what he had started, but she had to get him to see it her way, no matter how aroused he was making her. "Please, Yash, you've gotta stop. I'm really not ready for this." She pushed a little harder at his shoulder, forcing him to look at her.

She felt his sigh as he looked up and met her eyes. Kagome was a little startled to see that the beautiful gold she was used to seeing was shot through with a vibrant red, a sure sign that his demon blood was getting the better of him and that frightened her just a little. All the more reason to get him to stop; Kagome didn't want him to do something that they might both come to regret. She watched as he seemed to really look at her and the red slowly receded from his gaze. The look in his eyes was one of almost shock Kagome decided as they continued to stare at each other.

"Ka - Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was thick with confusion and uncertainty as he took in their position. "What - what happened?"

This is what she had feared, that his demon side had taken enough control that he wasn't completely aware of what he was doing. She had seen it before, when they were younger and he was fighting with Kouga. It had been brief and he had regained control of himself, but later he couldn't remember what he had been doing during that time. It looked like that was happening again.

"What do you remember?" Kagome asked softly. Neither had moved from their rather compromising position, but Kagome didn't mind. In fact, she kinda liked the feel of his weight on her. It just felt comfortable and, well, right.

"I - I remember waking up because you were squirming around." Shifting a little, he freed his hand from her grasp and ran it through his hair, his face heating with a blush when he realized where that hand had just been. "And I remember kissing you and rubbing your belly…but - but that's all I remember. What did I do?" Kagome could hear the distress in his voice and she was a little surprised that he couldn't remember any more.

"It's okay, sweetie," she reassured him, leaning up and kissing the tip of his nose. "It wasn't anything more than a slightly heavier make-out session than we've had so far. I got you to stop before it went any farther." She sighed as the tension left his face and he relaxed on top of her, but then she tensed as she remembered what had started all of this. "You know, we wouldn't be in this position if you had stayed on the couch like you were supposed to."

"Hey," he said indignantly, "you can't blame that one on me!"

"Oh, really," she said her tone dripping with contempt. "Then would you care to explain why I went to bed last night with you on the couch and woke up this morning with a horny half demon in my bed!"

Inuyasha rolled off of his girlfriend, his face a mask of hurt. She thought that he had planned this! It was obvious from her tone and the disbelieving look on her face. He allowed the hurt to dominate for about a second before he felt it turn to anger - and then he let her have it. "Fine! Be that way! Believe what you want, but the next time you start screaming and yelling in your sleep, I'll be sure to stay where you put me!"

Shock settled over her features as she watched her demon get up and stalk out of the bedroom. : What the Hell does he mean 'screaming and yelling in my sleep'? Did I have a nightmare and he came to comfort me? :

It was then that her mind supplied her with the answers she was seeking as memories of her dreams from that night came surging up. She vaguely remembered waking up screaming, and Inuyasha bursting in to make sure that she was okay. She also remembered crying uncontrollably and clinging to him when he sat down on her bed and tried to soothe her. : Oh, my God! I asked him to stay in here. Told him that I didn't want to be alone…and he agreed to stay. :

In a horrified moment of clarity, Kagome realized her mistake and was up in an instant, dashing out her bedroom door hot on the heels of an angry dog demon.

~*~

Inuyasha was in a snit. Anger at Kagome and shame at his own actions warred for dominance in his mind. What the Hell had he been thinking, coming on to her like that and in her bed no less! He really was a pervert. And to make matters worse, he couldn't even remember what he had done to her; and then to have her just about accuse him of planning the whole thing. Well, it was almost enough to make him storm out the door and damn the consequences. He had just been trying to comfort her for God's sakes, not seduce her!

At least, that was what he had been thinking when he started to kiss her this morning. But then something had happened and just the taste of her had been enough to try his control…and the demon in him slipped his leash. Not enough that he was completely unaware (he could still remember sensations, just not the actions that went with them), but enough to make him a passenger in his own body. There was no telling what would have happened if the scent of Kagome's discomfort hadn't invaded and snapped him out of it - and that frightened him more than he was willing to admit, even to himself.

Reaching the living room, he sat down on the couch and allowed all of his conflicted emotions to drain away. It wasn't like he could really blame Kagome for being angry; after all, she probably didn't remember anything about her dream and what happened after he went in her room. She'd really been out of it when she asked him to stay, but he couldn't just leave her, especially not after seeing that broken look on her face, and this morning she had been a little - well - distracted.

A sound on the stairway made him look up in time to see an upset Kagome make her way down the steps and across the room to stand in front of him. For a moment all they could do was look at each other. Then Inuyasha was knocked backwards as Kagome flung herself at him and clung to him. He wasn't sure what had made her act this way, but he could guess that she had most likely remembered what happened last night. His suspicions were confirmed when her muffled voice sounded from his chest.

"I'm sorry that I got angry at you, Inuyasha. I was just so startled and half asleep and then what you were doing and seeing your eyes change like that…" Inuyasha cut her off when he pushed her away enough to kiss her gently.

"Its okay, Kagome," was all that he said before she dissolved into his arms, sobbing. This confused him. Why was she crying? He had said it was all right, that he forgave her. "Hey," he whispered, holding her to him and rocking a little, "why the tears? I'm not mad at you. I figured you would remember as soon as you woke up completely."

"It-it's not that," Kagome sniffed, her tears slowing as she regained her composure. "It's just…well, you see…I…um…Oh, God, you're gonna think I'm a real idiot." Kagome buried her head in Inuyasha's chest in an obvious attempt to keep from looking him in the eye. Inuyasha thwarted her attempt by grabbing her chin and moving her head up until he could see her face.

"You know I would never think that, Kagome," he said searching her face for some clue to her distress. "You don't have to worry about telling me what's wrong; especially if it bothers you this much."

"It's just," she looked down and started to pick at his shirt, "I remembered my dream and it was really upsetting."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't really remember a lot of it. Just that you, Sango and Miroku, and Shippo were in it and that you…you…" she trailed off as her eyes filled up with tears again. Inuyasha gently wiped them away and gave her an encouraging smile. Evidently it made her feel a little better, because she continued, whispering, "You died" before breaking down into sobs again.

To say that he was startled would be an understatement. Shocked and completely floored would have probably been better descriptions. Would his death really affect her this much? It certainly put the sobbing mess that was his girlfriend last night and this morning into a better perspective, not to mention explaining why she had acted the way she did last night. So, with that in mind, he tightened his hold on her and began the task of comforting her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Kagome, so you can calm down. See, I'm right here, alive and breathing. I won't leave you, ever. Please stop crying," his voice took on a pleading tone when it didn't appear that she was going to stop any time soon. He continued to murmur comforts in her ear for a while, until she finally seemed to have cried herself out. Then he just sat and held her and she seemed content to stay in his arms for the rest of the day.

After a while, though, it came to the time when Inuyasha needed to leave and let his family know that things were all right and that he and Kagome were going to be okay. As reluctant as he was to leave her in this condition, he knew that if he didn't make an appearance soon Rin would be breaking down her door and demanding an explanation. It did make him feel a little better when she told him that she had a few things to take care of today and he would just be bored if he stayed.

"I meant what I said, Kagome," Inuyasha told her as they stood at her door just before he left. "I'm not going anywhere and you don't need to be afraid that I'll leave you."

"I know. I told you it was just a stupid dream and I'm sorry if I upset you." Kagome grinned sheepishly at him. "Just forget about it. I swear that's the last time I watch anime just before bed," she joked. He chuckled, then leaned down and kissed her goodbye. She watched from the door until he disappeared down the shrine steps, then turned and went up to her room to check her e-mail.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"I've told you what happened! What more do you want from me!" shouted an angry voice at the Shiro residence late Tuesday morning. A voice that was loud enough to shake the foundations and cause anyone with demon hearing to cringe and cover their abused ears - which at least two members of the group now seated in the kitchen did with almost identical winces of pain. The third demonic member of said group didn't - mainly because he was the one doing the shouting and Rin had already left to get dressed after having her curiosity satisfied.

"Damn, Yash, quit with the decibels," this from Shippo, who was still shaking his head to clear the ringing. He had stopped by earlier that morning to hear the rest of the story from last night and to pick Rin up to finish their Christmas shopping. She insisted that she had missed somebody somewhere and she was determined to make sure she got something for everyone - right down to the lady that came out three times a week to make sure the house stayed clean.

"Indeed, brother. Please spare us from deafness," Sesshomaru said, eying his sibling thoughtfully. "The way that you deny anything happening between you and the girl makes me believe otherwise."

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?" Yash shot back. "I already told you that nothing happened!" He hadn't mentioned waking up in her bed or what took place in said bed - that was just none of their business. He also hadn't mentioned the mark on Kagome's neck that he had noticed just before he left her. A mark that had made his blood run cold when he realized what it meant and what he had done.

"Then why were you sneaking in this morning after having been gone all night? And why do you smell of the girl?" Sess questioned archly. "How do you explain that?"

"Hello," Yash's exasperation was very plain in his voice, "she is my girlfriend and I was with her last night and this morning. Why wouldn't her scent be on me?"

"Not to mention that you have chosen her as your mate and have already laid your claim. I can smell it," Sesshomaru almost smiled at his brother's sputtering. Deciding to save himself the anguish of the younger demon's lame excuses, he continued, "Calm yourself, Inuyasha. I approve. She will make an excellent addition to the clan, but you must have care in how quickly you do this. I am surprised that she has not commented on how fast you are going." Something in the way that Inuyasha would not meet his gaze made the older dog demon very suspicious. "You have told her what you're doing, have you not?" At the younger man's continued silence, Sesshomaru growled warningly. "Inuyasha, if you do not tell her what you are doing, then I will. And I will be sure to tell her exactly what she needs to do to reject the choice!"

That got a reaction from the silent half breed, but it wasn't quite the reaction his brother expected. "Damn it, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha growled, "I didn't even know that I was claiming her!"

Sesshomaru drew in a hissing breath and narrowed his eyes at his sibling. Coming to a decision, he turned to Shippo, "This is a family matter, fox. I would ask that you take yourself elsewhere - and take Rin with you. This is not something she needs to be involved in."

While they waited for Shippo and Rin to leave, Sesshomaru paced pensively in front of his brother; the younger Shiro was sitting in miserable silence in a chair at the kitchen table and waiting for the ax to fall. And he knew that it would. Choosing and claiming a mate was a very important thing to most demons and to claim ignorance of the act was not a thing to be taken lightly.

The silence stretched between them and was only broken by the sounds of Rin and Shippo getting ready and finally leaving the house. At that point Sesshomaru stopped his pacing and took the seat across from Inuyasha. Pinning his brother to the seat with the heat of his angry stare, he growled, "You will tell this Sesshomaru exactly what happened between you and that girl and you will do it now!"

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

A/N: Well, that's it for now. Let me know what you thought.

Until we meet again,

Patch