InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Best Man Steals the Bride ❯ What's the Worth of A Pepsi? ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, Dr. Pepper, Keebler's Crackers, Harry Potter or anything else I may be mistaken to own in this story. I also make no profit off of this fic either. Nothing, nada, zilch. Okey-dokey? Good, now you may move onto the fic.

Note: This was done in yen instead of dollars, which I don't have the best understanding of. But I thought I'd give it a try.'.

The Best Man Steals the Bride

By: Msmelanie (Now being known as Fondest Desire)

Chapter Nine: What's the Worth of a Pepsi?

Day: Saturday (one month later)

Place: Kadowaki

Time: 2:30 P.M.

Sango waited downstairs as Inuyasha and Miroku looked at her.

"Where's Kitten?" Inuyasha asked.

Sango just groaned. Why did Kagome let Kikuchi call her 'kitten' all the time? "Kagome didn't feel like leaving so I'll escort you up."

Miroku smiled and Inuyasha looked puzzled as Sango called over for Yumi.

Miroku's smile became even bigger. "My, my. Two lovely escorts?"

Yumi and Sango ignored him as they walked them toward the elevator. As they started to go up to Kagome's room, Inuyasha noticed something. He pointed at the calendar. "What's that?"

Yumi looked at the calendar. Kagome's name was written on the fifth square. "Oh, you mean you didn't know Kagome's birthday is the 5th of October?”

Inuyasha and Miroku looked at the calendar closely.

"Now, that will be helpful." Inuyasha grinned at Miroku. "Looks like our second chance is coming up."

Sango frowned. She knew what they were talking about. She knocked on Kagome's door.

"It's Open!"

Sango opened the door and let Inuyasha in. "I'll be tying Miroku up in 2R and watching a movie with Yumi." she remarked right before she shut the door again.

Inuyasha was puzzled by what he saw. "...Kitten?"

Kagome stuck her head out of her long warm winter blanket. "Hey Inuyasha!" She pointed to the window. "Look, isn't it beautiful right now?"

Inuyasha frowned. "Have you been out there? It's wet and slippery and cold and-what're you doing?!"

Kagome got up and bent over for some slippers.

Inuyasha's mind just went to mush as Kagome strolled over in her bathrobe and house shoes. "Duh...uhhh..."

He looked at what Kagome was holding out to him. A red robe? "What?"

Kagome dangled the robe. "Put it on."

"You out of your mind?" Inuyasha had to ask.

Kagome frowned. "No, of course not. Just put it on. It's warm and cozy.

Inuyasha just looked at Kagome suspiciously as he put it on.

"There." Kagome smiled as she crawled back into bed. She looked over Inuyasha and then patted the bed.

Inuyasha blinked and shook his head in disbelief. Was he judging the situation wrong? "I don't wanna. If you want that kind of thing, Miroku would be more than glad to help."

Kagome looked at him for a second, before she caught his meaning. "What? I'm not that kind of girl!" She crossed her arms. The things that must have been going through his head..."Idiot." she sighed. "I like to do this with my friends when it snows outside. We get in robes and have cocoa and talk." She patted the bed. "Now come on. I don't bite."

Inuyasha shook his head in disbelief. 'Friend? What, does she think of me as a harmless 'girlfriend'? "I'm a guy you know." he growled. "I'm not gonna jump in and start talking about my hair and gossip and shit."

"Duh." Kagome simply replied. "Just come in, it's warm."

Inuyasha scoffed, but eventually put the robe on and went to her bed. "This is ridiculous."

Kagome ignored the comment and plopped some of her warm blanket over him. Then, she got up and moved over toward her microwave. She opened it's door and there stood two cups of hot cocoa. She got them out and held one in each hand. She turned toward Inuyasha. "Creamy Cocoa or Regular Marshmallows?"

Inuyasha just looked at her strangely. "Marshmallows...have I ever told you you're weird?"

Kagome got back into bed as she handed the marshmallow cocoa to Inuyasha. She smiled at him. "I'm not weird, I just love this kind of weather. I'm usually out trudging to class in it or I'm too busy to enjoy it." She looked dreamily out her window. "Today though, I'm free. I haven't had to do anything, so I just started to cuddle up and watch the snow fall. She looked over at Inuyasha's cocoa he wasn't drinking yet. "When you called, I thought it would be nice if I fixed some hot cocoa for us. Like I do with Sango and my friends."

Inuyasha looked at is cocoa. It had been awhile since he had some. As he took a sip, he looked over at Kagome. "You're still weird." He looked at her robe again. "I'm not a harmless girlfriend."

Kagome looked at her robe. "Yeah...tch. Don't worry, I've got some small clothes on underneath. I just like the coziness of a robe, don't you?"

Inuyasha took another sip of his cocoa. "It's stupid."

Inuyasha and Kagome continued to drink their hot cocoa until it was gone. Then, they had another. But by that 3rd cup, Inuyasha was starting to change his tune.

"No, you go." Inuyasha insisted.

"No. I had to get up to make the last two cups." Kagome growled.

"Your place, I'm the guest." Inuyasha smirked knowingly.

Kagome grumbled as she left the cozy comfiness of her blanket and stood up to reach the second book in the series. "Fine, but you read first."

Kagome frowned as Inuyasha started to hog the blanket. "Good trade to me, kitten."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome whined as she pulled on the blanket. "Don't, you have to share!"

Inuyasha grinned wickedly. "Momma never taught me how to share."

"Oooohhh...Inuyasha!" Kagome whined some more.

"One condition." Inuyasha finally gave in. "Invite Hojo, Miroku and I to your birthday party."

Kagome frowned. She had planned on asking for Inuyasha to come, but Hojo? "Dangit."

Inuyasha hugged the blanket affectionately. "Mmmm...so nice and cozy."

"Alright." Kagome gave in. "Fine, you guys can come. BUT, you have to keep Miroku under control."

"I make no promises." Inuyasha smirked as he let Kagome back in the blankets.

Kagome elbowed Inuyasha. "That's mean."

Inuyasha just grinned. "That's me."

"I know." Kagome grumped as she opened the book up and took out her new bookmark. "I knew I shouldn't have gotten up. You start."

Inuyasha just smiled as he started to read page 139.

Time: 2:30 P.M.

Place: Bottom floor of Kadowaki/front door

"Enjoy the cold." Sango grinned wickedly at Miroku.

Miroku sighed as he looked out into the falling snow. Sango, don't you have any feelings for me?"

Sango just turned around. "No positive feelings."

"Yeah, yeah." Kagome muttered as she waved goodbye to Inuyasha. "See ya Inu."

"Yeah. You too kitten." Inuyasha waved as he and Miroku got into Inuyasha's car.

"So..." Miroku smiled. "Kagome's birthday is coming."

"Heh. This we can use to our advantage." Inuyasha smirked. "Once Raccoon hears this, he'll be able to get her something real nice."

"And you?" Miroku questioned.

Inuyasha looked at his friend as he stopped by Miroku's door. "And me what?"

"You are friends now. Are you going to get her something?" Miroku explained.

"I don't know, I guess." Inuyasha frowned at Miroku. "But it won't be better than Hojo's. Can't be, that guy is so on edge already."

Miroku just smiled. "Whatever you say, my friend." 'Whatever you say.'

Day: Sunday

Place: Bijou Bleu

Time: 2:30 P.M.

Hojo rubbed his hands together as he looked at the jewelry in the jewelry store. "1,000, 2,000...3,000 yen?"

"You should not get something too expensive." Miroku suggested. "She may not accept it."

Hojo looked over at Inuyasha suspiciously. "What are you getting her?"

Inuyasha waved it off. "Something cheap. 50, 100...maybe 500 yen.

Hojo sighed. "Good. Now...if I could just remember what she liked."

Inuyasha looked over at the jewelry in front of Hojo. "Looks the same, just pick one."

Miroku agreed with Inuyasha. Hojo pointed to a beautiful necklace for 2,000 yen. "Then I'll take that one."

The jeweler smiled. "Beautiful necklace for a beautiful lady?"

Hojo grinned. "Not only beautiful, but special."

Day: Tuesday

Place: Abe Hall/ Out front

Time: 12:30 P.M.

Hojo, Miroku and Inuyasha were leaning against the side of the building, enjoying the sun now that it had finally come out.

"Hey Inu?" Hojo asked.

"Yeah?"

"Wanna make a bet?" Hojo grinned.

Inuyasha grinned back. "About what?"

Hojo reached into his pocket. "I bet you 100 yen that you can't name six girls you went out with this semester."

"Ooh!" Miroku chirped happily. "I will take that bet too!"

"Tch...I can name six." Inuyasha started numbering off his fingers. "There's Cookie...Candy...Angelica...K..Katherine? Yeah and uhhh..."

Hojo laughed. "You won't make it!"

"I can too!" Inuyasha growled. "Got four, didn't I?!"

Hojo put up three fingers. "It was Christy not Katharine."

"Crap! Wait, wait, wait..." Inuyasha thought. "Wasn't there a Kikyou in there somewhere?"

"Hi Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha looked over to see Kagome and Tana walking up to them. Kagome smiled at Inuyasha.

Hojo waved at Kagome. "Hi there, Kagome."

"Hello." Kagome replied courteously.

"Kagome, we are going to be late." Tana frowned.

"Right." Kagome handed Inuyasha a Pepsi. "Here you go. See ya."

With that, she kept walking straight with Tana.

Inuyasha looked at the pop in his hand. "Huh?"

"Hey!" Hojo shouted angrily.

Inuyasha looked over at him. "What?"

Hojo grabbed the pop out of Inuyasha's hand. "How long has she been doing this?"

Inuyasha frowned. "Hey. It's just a pop...idiot."

"How long?" Hojo repeated more firmly.

Inuyasha just looked away. "First time she did it, okay?"

Hojo frowned. "She do anything else?"

Inuyasha glanced back at him. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." Hojo said seriously. "Has she visited you when you're sick? Thrown an extra scarf over you when she passes by..." Hojo seemed to drift away into nostalgia. "Left a little love note in your locker.."

Inuyasha kept shaking his head. "Lovenote? Locker? Hojo, this is college. We don't have lockers."

"...helped you straighten your tie for work...came over with a dessert when you felt bad..." Hojo laughed. "One time, I banged my toe real hard on the bed, and since she didn't know how to help, she banged her toe real hard too."

Miroku completely tuned out his friend, but Inuyasha was halfway listening. 'That sounds like Kagome. Looks like they do have a history together. I should probably leave him alone...'

Inuyasha looked at his Pepsi that Hojo was still holding. 'I'll leave him alone...but that is my pop.' "Hoj'?"

Hojo sighed and looked at the Pepsi dreamily. "Not very often, but every once in awhile she'd give me a pop as she walked by. Just because..."

Inuyasha was deciding on what to do. I mean, it was just a pop. Just a stupid simple pop. But Kagome gave it to him, it was his.

Miroku just looked stupefied at Inuyasha and Hojo. Both were staring at the pop in such a strange way.

"She always brought me a 7up though." Hojo glared at the Pepsi, right before looking at Inuyasha. He debated whether he could give the pop back or not.

"Hoj'." Inuyasha looked at his friend. "That's my favorite."

Hojo stared at him.

"Maybe she will bring you a 7up later." Inuyasha said firmly as he eyed his pop. "But Kitten gave me that, that's MY Pepsi."

"This?" Hojo held up the Pepsi. "You want it? You need it that bad? It's just...a pop."

Miroku stepped between his friends. Had they left the realm of reality? It was just a pop! "Yes, well I am quite parched myself. Perhaps we could find a vending machine nearby?" There, problem solved.

"Yeah, sure." Hojo muttered as he looked over at Inuyasha. "We can get another Pepsi for you."

"Nuh uh. For you." Inuyasha corrected Hojo as he pointed to the Pepsi. "Kagome gave me that one, it's mine."

Miroku put his hand to his head in frustration. What was wrong with his friends?

"You like 7up. So you can go get a 7up." Inuyasha stated logically.

"I haven't had a Pepsi in awhile though." Hojo frowned as popped the can open.

"Fine then." Inuyasha growled. How dare Hojo open up his pop! "Then go buy yourself one."

Miroku, fed up with the pointless fight about a pop can, bumped into Hojo causing him to drop the Pepsi.

Inuyasha and Hojo stared at the pop can on the ground bitterly as it spilled its contents.

"Oops. My fault completely." Miroku smiled. "Now, let's all just go to the vending machine and buy new pops. Alright?"

"Fine." Hojo agreed huffily as he turned to start to walk away. "Doesn't matter, forget the bet. It was too easy to win, to expect you to even name-"

"Okay!" Miroku patted his friends' shoulders and led the way. "I suggest we get going already because I still have a class to attend!"

Day: Tuesday

Place: Knicknacks

Time: 4:00 P.M.

Inuyasha trudged into a small store that didn't have expensive things. Mostly small, thoughtful gifts. Surely he couldn't step on Hojo's feet here.

"Hello sir." the nice lady behind the cashier asked. "May I help you find something?"

"Nah." Inuyasha replied as he looked around. 'Huh. Birthday Shopping. This sucks, I never know what to get.' But just then he saw a small area that caught his attention. He smirked as he made his way over...