InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ All I Want For Christmas ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any characters related to him. He is the sole creative property of Rumiko Takahashi. Besides, if I did own him, he would be my personal cabana boy on some remote beach in Hawaii and serve mixed drinks while wearing nothing but a thong and a smile.

I also do not own any other trademarked companies or characters that may be mentioned in this 'fic, so no suing, ya hear!

A/N: Um… yeah. Lame excuses offered to any who ask. On with the show.

All I Want for Christmas

Chapter 10

Kagome stood and stared in disbelief at the image before her. How could he do this to her?! How could he be so insensitive?! More importantly, how was she going to hide it?

"Damn it, Dog Boy," Kagome grumbled, reaching up and fingering the dark mark on the side of her neck. "I don't really mind the 'mosquito bite', but did you have to make it so dark? And why the Hell couldn't you at least put it somewhere I could cover it up!" Glaring down at the clothes she had chosen to wear, the poor girl sighed in exasperation. "It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to actually leave the house to run my errands," she griped as she picked up the sweatshirt and pants and made her way downstairs to the bathroom. "At least then I wouldn't have to worry about old grannies staring at the deviant little girl who had the gall to come out in public with the world's biggest hickey on her neck! I feel like I'm suddenly back in junior high for gods sakes!"

Slamming the bathroom door behind her, Kagome threw her clothes on the sink and turned to start the water for her bath before undressing and grabbing her sponge. Sitting down on the bath stool, scrubbing and fuming, she continued to grumble and curse her boyfriend for the moron that he was until she was clean and finally slid into her warm bath for a much needed soak. Allowing the combination of steamy water and faintly lavender scented air to relax her and melt her irritation away, she resolutely turned her mind from the demonic dimwit and to her wardrobe and what she could wear to hide the evidence of Inuyasha's affection.

: Let's see,: she thought, sinking up to her chin in the bath water, : there's that sweater that Aunt Nazuna gave me for my birthday. : She shook her head, mentally discarding the item. : No, I gave that to Rin last year 'cause it didn't fit anymore. What else, what else?: Her brow scrunched in thought : What about the one that Inu-: then she scowled in irritation : Nope. Not even. I'm not wearing anything he's given me right now - it would only encourage him if I see him later. Besides,: she sighed : ,the neckline's too low on that one. : Getting out of the tub and drying herself, she continued to ponder her choices as she toweled her hair dry, until the perfect shirt flashed across her mind's eye.

"That turtleneck Aunt Mayu sent last Christmas! It's perfect!" With her dilemma resolved, Kagome made a more cheerful journey back to her room in search of her sweater. When a rummage through her closet proved fruitless, the young woman turned her attention to the pile of dirty laundry that littered her floor. And there, lo and behold, was the subject of her search, smushed against the wall with a pair of grass stained jeans and the shirt she spilled jelly on yesterday morning. : Maybe it's not too dirty. When did I wear it last, anyway? :

Picking it up, Kagome wrinkled her nose as the smell of cigarettes and sweat wafted up to her. :Damn. This is the shirt I wore when we went to that club last week. Jeeze, Kagome, you really need to do your laundry.: "Well," she said aloud with a resigned sigh, "I guess there's nothing for it but to wear what I got on and hope nobody notices."

Famous last words.

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A handsome young man whistled a jaunty tune as he made his way down the busy street. The late morning breeze caressed his face and played gently with the small tail of black hair secured at the nape of his neck. With his girlfriend out on a training mission and his employer taking pity and giving him the day off, Miroku was finally able to shop for Sango's Christmas gift without worrying that she would suddenly appear and ruin his surprise.

It hadn't been difficult to find what he wanted, especially since Sango had pointed it out to him a couple of months ago - in a wistful, sledgehammer hinting 'if you were to ever need something like that, that's the one I would choose' kind of way; and Sango being the snoop that she was this time of year he needed a place to hide his gift, hence his journey to the Sunset shrine to ask Kagome to hold on to his purchase for him. It wouldn't do for his snooping girlfriend to find her surprise before the proper time.

Taking the shrine steps two at a time, Miroku made his way to the shrine family's front door. As he waited for Kagome to answer his knock, he slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and gripped the small box he had placed there as though to reassure himself that it had not been lost in the last ten minutes.

This was a big step he was taking, and he couldn't fight the slight nervousness he was feeling. Kagome and Sango had been friends for longer than he had known either of the girls, and Kagome's opinion meant a lot to him. This was almost as bad as the other talk he had had a few days ago…

He was jolted out of his thoughts when the door in front of him opened to reveal a nervous looking Kagome. Putting on his best smile, he greeted her, "Kagome! You look as radiant as always! How are you this fine morning?"

"F-fine," she replied, fidgeting nervously with her hair before asking suspiciously, "What are you doing here, Miroku? I thought you couldn't get any time off from work."

"Yes, well, Sano took pity on me and allowed me the next couple of days to myself, and I figured that since my Sango was on a training mission I would come and visit my other favorite beauty." He smiled guilelessly at her and prayed that he wasn't laying it on too thick. After all, it was a well known fact that Miroku only shamelessly flattered when he wanted something. This time was no exception. He just hoped that Kagome would hear him out and not just dismiss him.

"Cut the crap, Miroku," the young woman sighed. "What do you want this time?" Miroku sighed in relief at the resignation in her voice. Thank God Kagome was too kind hearted to turn anyone away without listening to them first. Well, almost anyone - as long as it wasn't Inuyasha, and then she just started yelling at him. Of course, that was usually after he put his foot in his mouth again and… Damn it, now he was rambling to himself. Miroku was so afraid that she wouldn't help that he couldn't even keep his mind on what he was doing.

"I said," Kagome's irritated voice brought him out of his inner rambling, "did you want to stand out here all day or come in. It isn't exactly warm out today, ya know."

"Huh? Oh, yes, yes of course. Wouldn't want to freeze out here," he replied absently while following the young woman into the house. After removing his coat and shoes, Miroku made his way into the living room and took a seat on the couch across from Kagome. He watched her for a moment in an attempt to gather his thoughts. Her fidgeting did not go unnoticed, but he figured he would ask about that after he had finished more pressing business.

"Well," Miroku said, clearing his throat, "I'm sure you're wondering why I came to visit this morning." At Kagome's nod, he continued, "I need your opinion on Sango's Christmas present." He grinned when he saw Kagome's face light up and reached into his pocket, pulling out the box.

"Miroku," she breathed, taking the box from his outstretched hand, "is this what I think it is?" She eyed the velvet box thoughtfully before turning eager, hopeful eyes to her friend.

"Open it and find out."

Miroku waited breathlessly as Kagome opened the box to reveal a marquee cut diamond solitaire on a platinum band. For a moment, he thought she wasn't going to say anything until - "Oh my God, Miroku," Kagome exclaimed with a squeal, "she is so going to die when she sees this! When are you going to ask her? Have you talked to her parents yet? Oh, I'm so happy for you!" She bounced across the room and threw herself at Miroku, enveloping him in a tight embrace. "This is so exciting!"

"Do you really think she'll like it?" he asked, enthusiastically returning her hug and restraining the impulse to take advantage of the situation. Kagome wouldn't help him if he made her angry. Releasing her so that she could sit down next to him, Miroku asked her his favor, "Can you hide that for me until Christmas? I don't want her to find it before I can properly ask her to be my wife."

"Of course. No problem. I know how much of a snoop she can be this time of year," she answered, flipping her hair from her face where it had fallen as she hugged her friend. The motion brought Miroku's attention to the dark mark on the girl's neck and with a suggestive grin he asked, "Is there something you and Yash need to tell me, Kagome?"

Kagome's eyes widened in horror and she made a grab for her hair to pull it back over her shoulder and stuttered, "Wh-what-what are you talking about? There's nothing to tell, I swear!"

"Oh," he said archly, cocking his head and raising his brow. "And I suppose you got that bruise on your neck shaving?" Miroku couldn't contain his laughter at Kagome's stammered attempts to deny the obvious, but his amusement was cut short by a knock at the front door.

Kagome's look of relief as she hurried to answer it just made him chuckle harder. Miroku couldn't have been happier, though. In his opinion, those two had been trying to deny the inevitable for way too long. Everyone who knew them was positive that Kagome and Inuyasha belonged together. The only ones who hadn't seen it were the couple themselves.

Miroku was just getting his chuckles under control and thinking of all the fun he was going to have teasing the living Hell out of the two when Kagome returned with a plain manila envelope in her hand. She was flipping through the contents and the look on her face sobered him immediately. "Kagome?" he said in concern. "Are you okay? What is it?"

"I don't- I don't understand. Why would someone do this? He-he would never do these things." She continued to mutter to herself as she returned to her seat beside her friend. Kagome turned confused eyes toward Miroku and handed him the envelope, asking, "He would never do this to me, Miroku, I know it! What the Hell is going on?"

Miroku's eyes widened as he flipped through the pictures that had been sent and the thought that went through his mind was : What the Hell, indeed? :

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Bright blue eyes watched as the figure of a man set an envelope down on a porch, knocked on the door, then turned and walked quickly away. He had been following this man for several days, the stranger with the blue eyes, and he knew this house, this shrine. They would not get away with hurting this family the way his had been hurt. He would see to that.

The blue-eyed stranger followed his target through town, observing his activities. He hid himself in an alleyway when the man he followed stopped at a coffee shop and hurried to catch up when his target continued on his way. Several minutes later saw the two in the forecourt of a large office building. The blue-eyed stranger didn't follow inside. His presence would be questioned and draw unwanted attention but he knew where they were and he knew who owned the building. Ironic that he would be helping his one time rival retain something he didn't even know was being taken. Ironic, too, that the one to do the taking was a trusted employee.

Now that he knew where his target would be for the rest of the day, there was no need to linger. He would return in a few hours and confront the man at his home. It was time to put an end to the bitch and her scheming, and the man he had been following was perfect for his plans. For now, though, he would return to his current lodging and wait. It would all end soon.

/~*~*~*~*~*~/

That evening after dinner found the Shiro brothers seated in worn comfortable chairs in Inuyasha's sanctuary, the renovated basement of their modest home. Shortly after Inuyasha had turned fifteen and it became apparent that he needed a place to escape to deal with the death of their parents and the added pressures of adolescent life, Sesshomaru, in a rare showing of brotherly compassion, had the basement converted into a refuge for the younger man. It was to this room that Inuyasha went when he wanted to be alone, and it was an unspoken rule in the house that he was not to be disturbed when he was down there.

Sesshomaru surveyed the room around him and couldn't help but notice how it was truly a reflection of his brother's personality. The walls were painted a bright daring red, an in-your-face color that sometimes hurt the senses but complimented the soft cream of the sofa that resided in the middle of the room along with the two chairs the brothers currently occupied and the golden oak of the desk against the wall that held Yash's computer equipment. The sound system and small television were held in a matching entertainment center across from the couch. Both desk and shelving unit had been lovingly restored by Yash's own hands after being rescued from the trash collector. They had been two of the few pieces of furniture that the half demon's mother had brought with her when she married their father; and after her death the young man couldn't bear to part with them, even though they had been scratched and in ill repair.

There were few other furnishings in the room with the exception of several bookcases that held various nick knacks and, surprisingly, books. Yes, like Inuyasha, this room held many surprises. At first glance, it was loud and glaring, but the longer you where in there and the closer you looked, the more you came to see the softer touches under the heavy hand. Hidden among the posters of cars and the sports awards were beautifully painted landscapes; among the cheap novels and comic books were texts of advanced computer programming and engineering; and given pride of place, together on their own shelf, was the sword given to the young man by their father and the rosary given to him by the young woman the brothers had come down here to discuss.

Sesshomaru sat and quietly regarded the young man seated across from him. Taking in the sullen expression and the drooping ears, the older demon was reminded of another time when Inuyasha had looked like this - seven years ago, just after Sess had been given the responsibility of taking care of his brother and Rin. The young half-demon had worn the same lost expression the day he moved into his brother's home.

Sesshomaru remembered feeling a little overwhelmed that day. Here he was, a successful, confirmed bachelor, out on his own with few responsibilities; and then suddenly he's given the responsibility of raising two children, one of which he had never even met before the day of the funeral. The fact that all of this was happening because their parents had died just made it all that much harder.

Sesshomaru hadn't lived with his father since he graduated from high school. His mother had been one of Tai's many flings in his search for a life mate, a fling that could very well have developed into something more permanent. Unfortunately, the demoness had been killed in an accident shortly after giving birth; and Tai had been left to raise his pup alone. He had managed fairly well with only the usual snags of parenthood and Sess had always been mature for his age. Perhaps it was for this reason that Tai didn't object when Sess decided to move out and start a life of his own at such a young age.

Sess remembered the day that Tai called to say that he had found her - the woman he intended to make his life mate - and how happy the thought had made the young demon. It bothered him that she was human, but she made his father happy and that was good enough. After all, it had been a long time since Sess' mother died and he figured it was about time the old man got over it.

When Inuyasha was born, he couldn't have been happier for them. After spending time with Izayoi and discovering for himself what a compassionate and caring person she was, Sesshomaru started to think that maybe humans weren't all bad. She treated him like her own child, always asking how he was doing and when he planned to settle down and start his own family, a situation that never ceased to amuse him. She made his father happy and gave him another son to dote on and shower with attention, but it didn't change Sess' life that much. Sure, he visited and sent cards and gifts at appropriate times; but, all things considered, they were a family and Sess was just an afterthought, held aloof by his lifestyle and need for personal space.

It didn't really bother him to be thought of that way. After all, he had chosen this life and he had no regrets. It wasn't until his father died and he was to be sole guardian of his younger sibling that he realized just how bad a choice that had been. He was confronted with a sullen fourteen year old half-demon that he really knew little about. The two had never had the chance to become close and Sesshomaru realized that he was the reason why. The first year or so had been rough on all of them, but they had gotten through it and become a family.

: And now I must perform a father's duty and explain the facts of demon life to my brother. Damn you, Father, why did you not do this when he turned thirteen as you did for me? :

Noting the fidgeting across from him, Sess suppressed an irritated sigh. There really was no other way to go about this than to start from the beginning and hope that the imbecile wouldn't interrupt too much. "It concerns me, Inuyasha," he smiled a little when his brother jumped. They hadn't spoken since coming down here and it seemed that Inuyasha was as eager for this discussion as he was. "It concerns me that you were not aware of your actions until after the Intent had been laid. It also concerns me that she has not Accepted your claim."

Inuyasha raised his confused gaze from his intense contemplation of the floor and looked at the older demon. "What are you talking about? What Intent - what claim? I don't know what you're yappin' about, but you had better get to the fuckin' point before I walk. I got better things to do tonight than listen to you spout nonsense!"

"Idiot pup," Sesshomaru snarled. "Are you truly so ignorant of our clan's rituals that you don't even know what the Intent claim is?"

Yash rolled his eyes and glared, "Well, duh! If I had any idea what was going on, do ya think we'd be havin' this conversation?"

Sesshomaru pressed a finger to the middle of his forehead, "Dear God, what do they teach pups these days?" Seeing Yash about to retort, he held up his hand. "It matters not. I see now that I will have to tell you more than I originally thought." Sighing deeply, he continued, "What you have done, in essence, is let the demon world know of your intention to court this woman. You have merely placed a light scent mark that will not fade with time - if she accepts you - until such time as you either complete the mating ritual or split."

"If she accepts me? Are you sayin' she might not?"

"I am saying that she does not know to as you have not informed her of what has occurred. Usually the two are done at the same time." Sess regarded his brother for a moment. "Now, I am sure that you are aware of the things I am about to tell you, but please try to be patient and hear me out." At Yash's nod, he continued, "The claim you have laid merely places your scent on her to a stronger degree than simply touching her would. It also puts hers on you, but that has already faded because you have been apart most of today and she has not Accepted you."

"So what happens when she does? Will the scent stay?" Inuyasha was desperately trying to not snap at his brother for dragging this out. That chair was going to need re-upholstering, but at least his claws weren't digging into his information source. "You said earlier that she could reject it if she wanted."

"She can, simply be not responding and then you would turn from her and never look to her in this way again," was the cool answer. "Should she Accept you, the scent mark would be a blending of you and her; but it would be just as faint as the mark she already bears. That, as you are aware, is not much stronger than she gets from spending time with you." Sess paused a moment. Inuyasha was really not going to like this. "Unfortunately, Brother, you only have a limited amount of time to explain all of this and get her to finish what you started."

"How long do I have and what does she have to do?" Sess was a little surprised that Yash hadn't exploded at that, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"You have approximately 10 days from the time the claim was set. Which gives you until -."

Inuyasha interrupted, "Christmas Eve."

"Indeed."

"What does she have to do to Accept me?"

"She -." Sesshomaru was interrupted again. This time, though, it was from a commotion upstairs in the kitchen and the voice he heard was not one he was expecting for some time. Rin was supposed to be with Kagome and he had instructed her to stay the night. It was unlike Rin to disobey, but it seemed she had a good reason this time.

"Papa, Uncle Yash, are you down there?" The panic in her voice was strong enough for anyone to hear and that had the two demons out of their chairs and hurrying up the stairs. Clearing the last of the steps, Sess skidded to a halt in front of a distressed Rin and reached out to her, but it wasn't him she went to. Instead, she threw herself at Inuyasha and began to sob into his shirt. They could tell that she was trying to tell them something, but it was muffled in Yash's shirt.

Finally, Yash pulled back and forced Rin to look at him. "What's wrong, Rin? What's happened?"

"Oh, Uncle Yash, it's terrible," the girl sobbed. "You have to get to the hospital. Kagome's been attacked!"

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By rabid transvestite monkeys, while wearing banana tanning oil.

A/N: Yeah, I think that's a good place to stop for now. I wonder if anyone's still reading this.

Until we meet again,

Patch