InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Thank God It’s Christmas ❯ Thank God It’s Christmas ( One-Shot )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
A/N: Believe it or not, this 3,173 word X-mas crack was a rush-job to make the deadline (and still came in late :3) for the `Thanks' prompt at Izzanami's daughter's comm, inufanfictionya. Yet another Queen song titled piece as I could not think of a better title based on the prompt. I think it's appropriate to the season. Happy Holidays!
Thank God It's Christmas
“Ah, that smells great.” Kagura inhaled, closing her eyes. She set the turkey on the counter and removed her oven mitts. “Kagome, can you finish up the preparations? I believe it's time to wrench the men-folk away from the game.”
“Sure,” her young cooking companion replied. “Good luck.”
“Don't need it,” the older woman smirked. “My special charm is my ultimate weapon; Sesshoumaru can't resist.” She patted the wrinkles out of her flour-dusted apron, straightened the tinsel adorning her bun and headed for the living room. She could hear them before she saw them, their boisterous dispute of a play called in favor of the opposing team nearly bursting her ear drums.
Kagura wound an arm around her mate, breathing softly against his ear. “Ready, Honey?” she offered in her most seductive tone. He paid her no mind, eyes glued to the television screen. “Hey,” she said a little louder, “Sesshoumaru.”
“Hm?” His gaze remained fastened, unblinking, to the box mounted on the far wall.
Kagura smiled and nuzzled his ear, eyeing his brother pitched forward on the couch, hands on his juddering knees, eyes the same amber color as his brother's fixed firmly on the colorful figures flashing across the screen. “Baby,” she murmured in her lover's ear.
“In a minute, the Hanyous are in scoring position.” Sesshoumaru emphasized what his unruffled tone would not betray by a wave of his hand in Kagura's face.
“Sweetie,” she whispered deceptively, nibbling his earlobe. “Get in the goddamn dining room now!”
Sesshoumaru bowed his head under her piercing shriek, his eyes clamping shut. His brother turned at last with wide eyes. She meant business, that was clear. Kagura straightened her figure with a winning smile, patting more flour from her snug, nicely form-fitting apron. Her dearest sighed, rising from his comfy leather armchair with a groan. He passed her without a word, his little brother darting up from his seat and following, head drooping as they passed the lady of the house.
Arms akimbo, chest puffed out in victory, it was time to stop relishing her triumph over the men and move on to the even more difficult task of wrangling the children. They were undoubtedly all huddled still in Rin's room, playing her new XBOX 360, barely out of the box before they began clamoring around the controls, all ready to try their little hands at controlling the gremlin-looking creatures of Overlord. Kohaku had biked down the street ahead of his sister and brother-in-law just to see it and compare and contrast her long-awaited Christmas gift with the copy of Grand Theft Auto IV he opened that morning.
Kagura climbed the stairs, the children's playful laughter and squeals reaching her well before the visual of them, much like the boys and their football game did. She peeked through the cracked door, Rin, Shippou and Kohaku enthralled in the mass destruction flickering on the screen in front of them. Jaken sat on the bed, shouting about one thing or another. Perhaps he wanted to play. Whatever he was shrieking about, it hardly mattered now. Why Sesshoumaru bestowed such kindness on his diminutive personal assistant was beyond her, but she supposed even little annoying green people deserved to eat Christmas dinner too, should it be their choosing.
“Step away from the XBOX.” Kagura added a little vibrato to her voice for effect. “Come on, kids, dinner's ready.”
Rin was up and ready in a flash, always such a well-behaved child. “Okay! Shippou, Kohaku—race you downstairs!” The little girl went sprinting through the door, the two boys dashing behind her, nearly knocking Rin's adopted mother on her rear.
“No running down the stairs,” she hollered after them.
“Such ill-mannered little brats,” the tiny man sitting on the bed complained. He scooted down from his perch, planting his misshapen feet on the floor with a grunt. “Should I report their behavior to the appropriate guardians, Miss Kaze?”
“No, that won't be necessary, Jaken. Come on, time to eat.” Kagura slipped out of the room and down the stairs with more grace than the children or the imp were capable… or possibly anyone in that house, with the exception of her refined mate. The smells of her meticulously prepared dinner wafted through her equally as fussily decorated house. Kagome met her at the bottom of the stairs and she struggled to contain her laughter, a smudge of mashed potatoes garnishing one her youthful cheeks.
“Have Miroku and Sango arrived yet?” the younger girl asked.
“I wouldn't know; I was upstairs. I didn't hear the bell. Kagome, you got a little something.” Kagura waggled a finger in front of Kagome's face, the girl wiping the wrong side of her face in directional confusion. “Um, other side, dear… almost… here, I've got it.”
Using her apron, the lady of the house wiped the spot of mashed potatoes away with a smile, before removing the floury garment and joining the others. All gathered around the bounty the two girls so lovingly prepared and collected piles from each aromatic dish onto their plates, breaths and sighs of thanks and delight resounding all around as everyone took their places at the dining room table. Sesshoumaru unfurled his linen napkin over his lap, his amber eyes meeting Kagura's across the long table with an approving, if barely visible from her end, glinting sparkle.
“Shouldn't we wait for all the guests to arrive before we begin?” he asked.
Kagura picked up her wine glass with a smile. “Knowing those two, it will be daybreak before they halt their,” she paused, looking around at all the children, “Well, you know how they are. Young lovers and all.”
“You speak as though we're ancient.”
“I say that merely for the sake of censorship, my dear.”
“Censorship of what?” Rin's innocent voice chimed in.
“Nothing, Sweetie,” Kagura grinned, eyes still locked with Sesshoumaru's.
“They're talking about sex,” Shippou blurted.
Those that were drinking choked on their collective sips, or chugs in InuYasha's case.
“Shippou! That was… that was…” Kagome sputtered.
Bing-bong
“Saved by the bell,” the little redheaded boy sighed.
Bing-bong
“There are the lovebirds now.” Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow toward Kagura's end of the table.
Bing-bong
“Well, don't everybody get up at once.” She met her boyfriend's eyebrow with a half-serious glare, then tossed her napkin from her lap onto the table and scooted her chair back. She stood from the table, sauntering into the hall that led to the front door and opened it, forced a step back as the realization struck her of who stood just beyond its threshold. She almost slammed it shut, the words `piss off!' rising from her throat and barely choked off in time to be replaced with, “Dad?”
“Kagura,” the dark-haired man in the doorway shoved his way past her.
“What the hell are you doing here? I thought you'd be spending Christmas with your new girlfriend. What's her name? Kikyou?”
“She booted me out, told me to go f—hey! All these kids yours?”
Kagura turned in the direction of the dining room, three little heads stacked almost directly on top of one another as the kids peeked around the corner at her and her visitor. “No, Dad, we don't have any children.” She slammed the door shut. “Something you'd probably know had you paid any goddamn attention.”
“Come now, Kagura, let's not do this.”
“No, let's. The holidays are a perfect time to resolve family conflicts. What are you doing here, Dad? What do you want?”
The man fidgeted, rustling his indigo coat as if trying to shake out an answer that might satisfy his estranged daughter. He pulled an elaborate chain from his pocket and dangled its huge pink centerpiece of a jewel between them. Kagura frowned. This was more drama than she needed. Everything was so perfect, right down to the last detail… and now, this.
“What is that gaudy thing?” she sneered.
“Kikyou is on this spiritual kick, crystals and whatnot. I thought she might like this even though she insisted we not exchange presents or celebrate this holiday at all, it being so commercial and observant of earthly pleasures. She said my giving it her was just another example of how I never listen to her and that it represented bad juju, so she kicked me out.” He shoved the bauble back into his coat pocket and drew out a flask, tipping it back against his lips and emptying its contents down his throat.
“Oh, this is great!” Kagura slapped her hands against her face, smushing her cheeks as her fingers dragged down her skin and met under her chin. “So, what? You want me to invite you in? You want to sit at my table for Christmas dinner and for me to pretend like nothing ever happened? That you're welcome in my home, you drunk idiot?”
“Thought you'd never ask.” He slid out of his coat and handed it to her, a pool of woolen indigo plopping in front of her feet on the immaculate hardwood floor when she neglected to catch it. Flabbergasted, literal minutes passed before Kagura was able to rejoin her family at dinner, their wide eyes meeting her half-panicked stare as her father, who had taken up residence between InuYasha and Kikyou's sister, Kagome, offered his drunken blessing on the meal.
“We are grateful for this food my daughter undoubtedly spent hours preparing…” so on and so forth, “and may that bitch, Kikyou, rot in hell forever-”
“Dad, you're drunk.” Kagura took her seat with hanging head. “Shut up.”
The heavy cloak of silence blanketed the once giggle-laden and celebratory dinner, too deadly quiet, even for the soft-spoken lord of the manor.
“Naraku… I wasn't aware you were invited.” Sesshoumaru caught Kagura's aimless gaze and held it. He had a remarkable way of wordless conversation, asking is she was okay and offering reassurance all in that one look.
“I wasn't.” Her father went on eating and guzzling, unmindful of the air of disapproval that should have been choking his every breath.
Bing-bong With any luck, that was Kikyou, come to take her man home.
“I'll get it,” Kagura and InuYasha spouted simultaneously.
“Let InuYasha get it, you've barely had a chance to touch your food,” Sesshoumaru insisted. Always the considerate lover. She nodded at her would be brother-in-law and watched him stand in preparation for answering the continually bonging door. Lucky bastard.
The reverberating ring of the doorbell gave way to yet more Kikyou-bashing, mournful praise, and then, yet more bashing; Sango, whose seat Naraku had shoved InuYasha into when he took his, looking quite confused when she entered the dining room. Kagura found herself downing glass after glass of white wine, all the while knowing Sesshoumaru was pretending not to notice. She mushed her face into her hand, the tink of the glass in front of her clanging in her ears before she realized she was smacking it with her spoon.
“Kagura, you have something to say?” Naraku slurred at her.
“Hm? No… you know, InuYasha has been gone a long while. I wonder what's taking him and Miroku so long.” She dropped her spoon, a loud metallic splash pounding in her head as it hit her other utensils.
“Oh, he said he had something to show Miroku. I'm sure they'll be in here any second now.” Sango smiled awkwardly.
“Ugh,” Kagura groaned, practically dipping her face in her plate. She lifted her face with a cheesy false grin and stood from her seat. “Please excuse me; I'm just going to go powder my nose. Be right back.” She stumbled from the table, Sesshoumaru's eyes following her with unease.
The hallway spun in front of her as she staggered toward the first floor bathroom. Kagura groped the doorknob, consciously ignoring the oddness of the door being closed in the first place. She was too drunk to consider it strange. The rustle of the shower curtain upon opening the door was overlooked too. Did a door not cause some wind when it was swung open and closed? Her reflection in the mirror caught her unselective attention and she paused, straightening her tinsel.
Something fell in the tub, startling her as it slapped its porcelain bottom. Nothing so odd. Not until she thought she perceived whispers. Was she going mad? She whirled around in the direction of the bath, noticing more movement behind the tautly pulled shower curtain. Mouth hanging open in wonder, she carefully approached the bath, guardedly curling her fingers into the vinyl material that hid its contents. She whipped it back to find InuYasha and Miroku, clinging to each other as if they had been anticipating a psycho killer and not their hostess.
“What the hell are you two doing? You scared the holy hell out of me! Why are you hiding in here?” The yelps no sooner left her lips when she felt the need to clamp her hand over her mouth. She realized, and maybe it was just the alcohol but, there was a perfectly good reason two men that had been absent so long from Christmas dinner and their girlfriends' sides might be hiding in a bathroom, and that reason wasn't necessarily because her father was equally annoying to all.
“What's going on? I heard screaming.” Sesshoumaru, ever the quietly concerned mate, was knocking at the door.
“Quick, tell him the toilet overflowed,” Miroku whispered hoarsely.
“Right, and how do I explain it overflowed with you two in here?” Kagura growled as softly as she could.
“You don't, just get him the hell out of here,” InuYasha whined.
“You get the hell out of here, this is not your bathroom to be canoodling in!”
“What? Is that what you think we were doing?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, that's exactly what I think you were doing. Why else would you two be camped out in here?”
“Because neither one of us planned on spending Christmas with your psycho father,” Miroku interjected.
“That's a good point.”
Knock, knock, knock
“Kagura, can you hear me?”
“Sesshoumaru!” she blurted, both her hands slapping over her mouth, sealed by one from each man.
“Are you all right in there?”
She flung their hands from her face. “Fine, just fine. Out in a minute.”
“You don't sound fine… you sound flustered.”
“Tell him you saw a spider,” InuYasha suggested.
“I'm not going to tell him that; he knows I'm not scared of spiders!”
“Tell him it startled you,” Miroku offered.
“Kagura,” came Sesshoumaru's muffled voice like a dart through the heart.
“Spider!” she shrieked, rolling her eyes at her ridiculous outburst.
“Spider?”
“Dammit! I've had enough of this.” Kagura stormed toward the door, what were once whispers of dispute becoming fully voiced pleas for her to halt. She opened the door, the sound of the shower curtain being pulled closed betraying her company.
“Had enough of what?” Sesshoumaru knit his brows together in confusion.
“Sesshoumaru, let me ask you something.” She pushed him back from the door and closed it behind her. “Has your brother ever exhibited any… tendencies?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, you know… maybe interest in Mr. Houshi you would expect him to show more toward Kagome.”
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. “Are you saying my brother is gay?”
“No, no, not saying anything at all, just… asking.”
Sesshoumaru didn't say anything more, just stood there, the same dumbstruck look on his usually expressionless face.
“Never mind that, let's go eat.” Kagura managed a smile, a smile that soon fled when a series of screams erupted from the dining room, the sound of a scuffle and people fleeing their chairs. “Oh no, now what?”
The bathroom door opened, Miroku and InuYasha peeking out. They ignored Sesshoumaru's continually widening eyes, their own inquiring gazes fixed down the hall, in the direction of the dining room. Kagome and Sango came running down the hall, dragging the befuddled children behind them, Jaken not far behind.
“What in hell is going on?” Kagura moaned.
“Naraku,” Jaken panted, “Exposed himself!”
And now the phone was ringing.
“That had better be Kikyou or my father's blessings upon her!” Kagura stomped toward the wall where the cordless phone hung and picked up the handset. “Hello? Thank GAWD it's you. Yeah, well he's already made a mess of things; will you come down here and get him before I kill him? Thanks, Kikyou. You've really made my Christmas.” With that, she trod heavily up the stairs and disappeared around the corner of the landing, the loud slam of the door to the bedroom she shared with her love ringing in her head still as she plopped down on their bed. She lay there for several minutes before she heard the door click open, Sesshoumaru carefully peeking his beautiful face through the crack.
“Kagura, all right if I come in?” he asked softly.
“Yeah. Come on in.” She turned on her side to face him, hugging his pillow tightly.
He sat on the edge of the bed, laying a gentle hand at her cheek. “I got rid of everyone, even Jaken. Just Rin, you and I now… probably the way it should have been from the beginning.”
“I just thought it would be nice to share Christmas with our family and friends… a little too much family… and sharing… I've had enough for one year, that's for sure.”
Sesshoumaru stood up from the bed and walked over to the painting that hid the wall-safe. He moved the painting aside and quietly opened the safe. Her elegant lover returned to her side, a little black box in hand.
“What's that?” her voice broke.
“I was going to save this for New Years Eve, at midnight, but if now is not an appropriate time, I don't know when is.” He paused to open the box. “Have you truly had enough Christmas?”
Kagura gasped. “Is that what I think it is?”
Sesshoumaru's lips curved gently. “I was going to wait until the ball dropped and you had enough champagne in you to knock out a horse and couldn't say no, but I suppose the Christmas dinner from hell and the white wine you drank in an effort to drown out your father is close enough.”
“Sesshoumaru, yes!” She flung her arms around him.
“I haven't even asked you yet.”
“Oh.” She sat back with a giggle. “I'm sorry.”
Sesshoumaru took the sparkly, diamond-burdened platinum band from the box. “Kagura.” He looked at her with the ring in his hand, waiting for her eyes to touch his again. When they did, he took her hand and poised the ring at the end of her left ring finger. “Will you be my wife?”
“Yes.” She leaned in, the ring gliding up her finger, tears in her eyes. “Oh, Sesshoumaru, it's beautiful. You're beautiful. I love you.” She hugged him, his hands still between them.
“I love you,” he replied. “I hope this improves your day. Happy Christmas.”
Kagura pulled him down on top of her. “Happy Christmas,” she murmured against his lips.
Thank God It's Christmas
“Ah, that smells great.” Kagura inhaled, closing her eyes. She set the turkey on the counter and removed her oven mitts. “Kagome, can you finish up the preparations? I believe it's time to wrench the men-folk away from the game.”
“Sure,” her young cooking companion replied. “Good luck.”
“Don't need it,” the older woman smirked. “My special charm is my ultimate weapon; Sesshoumaru can't resist.” She patted the wrinkles out of her flour-dusted apron, straightened the tinsel adorning her bun and headed for the living room. She could hear them before she saw them, their boisterous dispute of a play called in favor of the opposing team nearly bursting her ear drums.
Kagura wound an arm around her mate, breathing softly against his ear. “Ready, Honey?” she offered in her most seductive tone. He paid her no mind, eyes glued to the television screen. “Hey,” she said a little louder, “Sesshoumaru.”
“Hm?” His gaze remained fastened, unblinking, to the box mounted on the far wall.
Kagura smiled and nuzzled his ear, eyeing his brother pitched forward on the couch, hands on his juddering knees, eyes the same amber color as his brother's fixed firmly on the colorful figures flashing across the screen. “Baby,” she murmured in her lover's ear.
“In a minute, the Hanyous are in scoring position.” Sesshoumaru emphasized what his unruffled tone would not betray by a wave of his hand in Kagura's face.
“Sweetie,” she whispered deceptively, nibbling his earlobe. “Get in the goddamn dining room now!”
Sesshoumaru bowed his head under her piercing shriek, his eyes clamping shut. His brother turned at last with wide eyes. She meant business, that was clear. Kagura straightened her figure with a winning smile, patting more flour from her snug, nicely form-fitting apron. Her dearest sighed, rising from his comfy leather armchair with a groan. He passed her without a word, his little brother darting up from his seat and following, head drooping as they passed the lady of the house.
Arms akimbo, chest puffed out in victory, it was time to stop relishing her triumph over the men and move on to the even more difficult task of wrangling the children. They were undoubtedly all huddled still in Rin's room, playing her new XBOX 360, barely out of the box before they began clamoring around the controls, all ready to try their little hands at controlling the gremlin-looking creatures of Overlord. Kohaku had biked down the street ahead of his sister and brother-in-law just to see it and compare and contrast her long-awaited Christmas gift with the copy of Grand Theft Auto IV he opened that morning.
Kagura climbed the stairs, the children's playful laughter and squeals reaching her well before the visual of them, much like the boys and their football game did. She peeked through the cracked door, Rin, Shippou and Kohaku enthralled in the mass destruction flickering on the screen in front of them. Jaken sat on the bed, shouting about one thing or another. Perhaps he wanted to play. Whatever he was shrieking about, it hardly mattered now. Why Sesshoumaru bestowed such kindness on his diminutive personal assistant was beyond her, but she supposed even little annoying green people deserved to eat Christmas dinner too, should it be their choosing.
“Step away from the XBOX.” Kagura added a little vibrato to her voice for effect. “Come on, kids, dinner's ready.”
Rin was up and ready in a flash, always such a well-behaved child. “Okay! Shippou, Kohaku—race you downstairs!” The little girl went sprinting through the door, the two boys dashing behind her, nearly knocking Rin's adopted mother on her rear.
“No running down the stairs,” she hollered after them.
“Such ill-mannered little brats,” the tiny man sitting on the bed complained. He scooted down from his perch, planting his misshapen feet on the floor with a grunt. “Should I report their behavior to the appropriate guardians, Miss Kaze?”
“No, that won't be necessary, Jaken. Come on, time to eat.” Kagura slipped out of the room and down the stairs with more grace than the children or the imp were capable… or possibly anyone in that house, with the exception of her refined mate. The smells of her meticulously prepared dinner wafted through her equally as fussily decorated house. Kagome met her at the bottom of the stairs and she struggled to contain her laughter, a smudge of mashed potatoes garnishing one her youthful cheeks.
“Have Miroku and Sango arrived yet?” the younger girl asked.
“I wouldn't know; I was upstairs. I didn't hear the bell. Kagome, you got a little something.” Kagura waggled a finger in front of Kagome's face, the girl wiping the wrong side of her face in directional confusion. “Um, other side, dear… almost… here, I've got it.”
Using her apron, the lady of the house wiped the spot of mashed potatoes away with a smile, before removing the floury garment and joining the others. All gathered around the bounty the two girls so lovingly prepared and collected piles from each aromatic dish onto their plates, breaths and sighs of thanks and delight resounding all around as everyone took their places at the dining room table. Sesshoumaru unfurled his linen napkin over his lap, his amber eyes meeting Kagura's across the long table with an approving, if barely visible from her end, glinting sparkle.
“Shouldn't we wait for all the guests to arrive before we begin?” he asked.
Kagura picked up her wine glass with a smile. “Knowing those two, it will be daybreak before they halt their,” she paused, looking around at all the children, “Well, you know how they are. Young lovers and all.”
“You speak as though we're ancient.”
“I say that merely for the sake of censorship, my dear.”
“Censorship of what?” Rin's innocent voice chimed in.
“Nothing, Sweetie,” Kagura grinned, eyes still locked with Sesshoumaru's.
“They're talking about sex,” Shippou blurted.
Those that were drinking choked on their collective sips, or chugs in InuYasha's case.
“Shippou! That was… that was…” Kagome sputtered.
Bing-bong
“Saved by the bell,” the little redheaded boy sighed.
Bing-bong
“There are the lovebirds now.” Sesshoumaru quirked an eyebrow toward Kagura's end of the table.
Bing-bong
“Well, don't everybody get up at once.” She met her boyfriend's eyebrow with a half-serious glare, then tossed her napkin from her lap onto the table and scooted her chair back. She stood from the table, sauntering into the hall that led to the front door and opened it, forced a step back as the realization struck her of who stood just beyond its threshold. She almost slammed it shut, the words `piss off!' rising from her throat and barely choked off in time to be replaced with, “Dad?”
“Kagura,” the dark-haired man in the doorway shoved his way past her.
“What the hell are you doing here? I thought you'd be spending Christmas with your new girlfriend. What's her name? Kikyou?”
“She booted me out, told me to go f—hey! All these kids yours?”
Kagura turned in the direction of the dining room, three little heads stacked almost directly on top of one another as the kids peeked around the corner at her and her visitor. “No, Dad, we don't have any children.” She slammed the door shut. “Something you'd probably know had you paid any goddamn attention.”
“Come now, Kagura, let's not do this.”
“No, let's. The holidays are a perfect time to resolve family conflicts. What are you doing here, Dad? What do you want?”
The man fidgeted, rustling his indigo coat as if trying to shake out an answer that might satisfy his estranged daughter. He pulled an elaborate chain from his pocket and dangled its huge pink centerpiece of a jewel between them. Kagura frowned. This was more drama than she needed. Everything was so perfect, right down to the last detail… and now, this.
“What is that gaudy thing?” she sneered.
“Kikyou is on this spiritual kick, crystals and whatnot. I thought she might like this even though she insisted we not exchange presents or celebrate this holiday at all, it being so commercial and observant of earthly pleasures. She said my giving it her was just another example of how I never listen to her and that it represented bad juju, so she kicked me out.” He shoved the bauble back into his coat pocket and drew out a flask, tipping it back against his lips and emptying its contents down his throat.
“Oh, this is great!” Kagura slapped her hands against her face, smushing her cheeks as her fingers dragged down her skin and met under her chin. “So, what? You want me to invite you in? You want to sit at my table for Christmas dinner and for me to pretend like nothing ever happened? That you're welcome in my home, you drunk idiot?”
“Thought you'd never ask.” He slid out of his coat and handed it to her, a pool of woolen indigo plopping in front of her feet on the immaculate hardwood floor when she neglected to catch it. Flabbergasted, literal minutes passed before Kagura was able to rejoin her family at dinner, their wide eyes meeting her half-panicked stare as her father, who had taken up residence between InuYasha and Kikyou's sister, Kagome, offered his drunken blessing on the meal.
“We are grateful for this food my daughter undoubtedly spent hours preparing…” so on and so forth, “and may that bitch, Kikyou, rot in hell forever-”
“Dad, you're drunk.” Kagura took her seat with hanging head. “Shut up.”
The heavy cloak of silence blanketed the once giggle-laden and celebratory dinner, too deadly quiet, even for the soft-spoken lord of the manor.
“Naraku… I wasn't aware you were invited.” Sesshoumaru caught Kagura's aimless gaze and held it. He had a remarkable way of wordless conversation, asking is she was okay and offering reassurance all in that one look.
“I wasn't.” Her father went on eating and guzzling, unmindful of the air of disapproval that should have been choking his every breath.
Bing-bong With any luck, that was Kikyou, come to take her man home.
“I'll get it,” Kagura and InuYasha spouted simultaneously.
“Let InuYasha get it, you've barely had a chance to touch your food,” Sesshoumaru insisted. Always the considerate lover. She nodded at her would be brother-in-law and watched him stand in preparation for answering the continually bonging door. Lucky bastard.
The reverberating ring of the doorbell gave way to yet more Kikyou-bashing, mournful praise, and then, yet more bashing; Sango, whose seat Naraku had shoved InuYasha into when he took his, looking quite confused when she entered the dining room. Kagura found herself downing glass after glass of white wine, all the while knowing Sesshoumaru was pretending not to notice. She mushed her face into her hand, the tink of the glass in front of her clanging in her ears before she realized she was smacking it with her spoon.
“Kagura, you have something to say?” Naraku slurred at her.
“Hm? No… you know, InuYasha has been gone a long while. I wonder what's taking him and Miroku so long.” She dropped her spoon, a loud metallic splash pounding in her head as it hit her other utensils.
“Oh, he said he had something to show Miroku. I'm sure they'll be in here any second now.” Sango smiled awkwardly.
“Ugh,” Kagura groaned, practically dipping her face in her plate. She lifted her face with a cheesy false grin and stood from her seat. “Please excuse me; I'm just going to go powder my nose. Be right back.” She stumbled from the table, Sesshoumaru's eyes following her with unease.
The hallway spun in front of her as she staggered toward the first floor bathroom. Kagura groped the doorknob, consciously ignoring the oddness of the door being closed in the first place. She was too drunk to consider it strange. The rustle of the shower curtain upon opening the door was overlooked too. Did a door not cause some wind when it was swung open and closed? Her reflection in the mirror caught her unselective attention and she paused, straightening her tinsel.
Something fell in the tub, startling her as it slapped its porcelain bottom. Nothing so odd. Not until she thought she perceived whispers. Was she going mad? She whirled around in the direction of the bath, noticing more movement behind the tautly pulled shower curtain. Mouth hanging open in wonder, she carefully approached the bath, guardedly curling her fingers into the vinyl material that hid its contents. She whipped it back to find InuYasha and Miroku, clinging to each other as if they had been anticipating a psycho killer and not their hostess.
“What the hell are you two doing? You scared the holy hell out of me! Why are you hiding in here?” The yelps no sooner left her lips when she felt the need to clamp her hand over her mouth. She realized, and maybe it was just the alcohol but, there was a perfectly good reason two men that had been absent so long from Christmas dinner and their girlfriends' sides might be hiding in a bathroom, and that reason wasn't necessarily because her father was equally annoying to all.
“What's going on? I heard screaming.” Sesshoumaru, ever the quietly concerned mate, was knocking at the door.
“Quick, tell him the toilet overflowed,” Miroku whispered hoarsely.
“Right, and how do I explain it overflowed with you two in here?” Kagura growled as softly as she could.
“You don't, just get him the hell out of here,” InuYasha whined.
“You get the hell out of here, this is not your bathroom to be canoodling in!”
“What? Is that what you think we were doing?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, that's exactly what I think you were doing. Why else would you two be camped out in here?”
“Because neither one of us planned on spending Christmas with your psycho father,” Miroku interjected.
“That's a good point.”
Knock, knock, knock
“Kagura, can you hear me?”
“Sesshoumaru!” she blurted, both her hands slapping over her mouth, sealed by one from each man.
“Are you all right in there?”
She flung their hands from her face. “Fine, just fine. Out in a minute.”
“You don't sound fine… you sound flustered.”
“Tell him you saw a spider,” InuYasha suggested.
“I'm not going to tell him that; he knows I'm not scared of spiders!”
“Tell him it startled you,” Miroku offered.
“Kagura,” came Sesshoumaru's muffled voice like a dart through the heart.
“Spider!” she shrieked, rolling her eyes at her ridiculous outburst.
“Spider?”
“Dammit! I've had enough of this.” Kagura stormed toward the door, what were once whispers of dispute becoming fully voiced pleas for her to halt. She opened the door, the sound of the shower curtain being pulled closed betraying her company.
“Had enough of what?” Sesshoumaru knit his brows together in confusion.
“Sesshoumaru, let me ask you something.” She pushed him back from the door and closed it behind her. “Has your brother ever exhibited any… tendencies?”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, you know… maybe interest in Mr. Houshi you would expect him to show more toward Kagome.”
Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. “Are you saying my brother is gay?”
“No, no, not saying anything at all, just… asking.”
Sesshoumaru didn't say anything more, just stood there, the same dumbstruck look on his usually expressionless face.
“Never mind that, let's go eat.” Kagura managed a smile, a smile that soon fled when a series of screams erupted from the dining room, the sound of a scuffle and people fleeing their chairs. “Oh no, now what?”
The bathroom door opened, Miroku and InuYasha peeking out. They ignored Sesshoumaru's continually widening eyes, their own inquiring gazes fixed down the hall, in the direction of the dining room. Kagome and Sango came running down the hall, dragging the befuddled children behind them, Jaken not far behind.
“What in hell is going on?” Kagura moaned.
“Naraku,” Jaken panted, “Exposed himself!”
And now the phone was ringing.
“That had better be Kikyou or my father's blessings upon her!” Kagura stomped toward the wall where the cordless phone hung and picked up the handset. “Hello? Thank GAWD it's you. Yeah, well he's already made a mess of things; will you come down here and get him before I kill him? Thanks, Kikyou. You've really made my Christmas.” With that, she trod heavily up the stairs and disappeared around the corner of the landing, the loud slam of the door to the bedroom she shared with her love ringing in her head still as she plopped down on their bed. She lay there for several minutes before she heard the door click open, Sesshoumaru carefully peeking his beautiful face through the crack.
“Kagura, all right if I come in?” he asked softly.
“Yeah. Come on in.” She turned on her side to face him, hugging his pillow tightly.
He sat on the edge of the bed, laying a gentle hand at her cheek. “I got rid of everyone, even Jaken. Just Rin, you and I now… probably the way it should have been from the beginning.”
“I just thought it would be nice to share Christmas with our family and friends… a little too much family… and sharing… I've had enough for one year, that's for sure.”
Sesshoumaru stood up from the bed and walked over to the painting that hid the wall-safe. He moved the painting aside and quietly opened the safe. Her elegant lover returned to her side, a little black box in hand.
“What's that?” her voice broke.
“I was going to save this for New Years Eve, at midnight, but if now is not an appropriate time, I don't know when is.” He paused to open the box. “Have you truly had enough Christmas?”
Kagura gasped. “Is that what I think it is?”
Sesshoumaru's lips curved gently. “I was going to wait until the ball dropped and you had enough champagne in you to knock out a horse and couldn't say no, but I suppose the Christmas dinner from hell and the white wine you drank in an effort to drown out your father is close enough.”
“Sesshoumaru, yes!” She flung her arms around him.
“I haven't even asked you yet.”
“Oh.” She sat back with a giggle. “I'm sorry.”
Sesshoumaru took the sparkly, diamond-burdened platinum band from the box. “Kagura.” He looked at her with the ring in his hand, waiting for her eyes to touch his again. When they did, he took her hand and poised the ring at the end of her left ring finger. “Will you be my wife?”
“Yes.” She leaned in, the ring gliding up her finger, tears in her eyes. “Oh, Sesshoumaru, it's beautiful. You're beautiful. I love you.” She hugged him, his hands still between them.
“I love you,” he replied. “I hope this improves your day. Happy Christmas.”
Kagura pulled him down on top of her. “Happy Christmas,” she murmured against his lips.