InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Right One ❯ Chapter 2

.:.:.:.:.

“There we go,” Kagome sighed, swatting her hands together as she looked up at the tall, realistic evergreen. Standing sturdy and proud in the corner of the large lounge area, the undecorated Christmas tree had already begun to fashion the holiday spirit.

“Looking good,” Koga commented enthusiastically as he walked into the room with a large box full of tree ornaments. Sesshomaru followed, holding a few stacks of other Christmas decorations.

“I know, it does!” Kagome agreed happily, still gazing at their wonderfully green tree. “Still the same one from last year, but looks just as great!”

Placing the cardboard box down beside her, Koga wrapped his arms around his elated girlfriend. “I wasn't talking about the tree,” he cooed softly in her ear.

“Ugh…” Hayato groaned quietly in disgust, crouched beside the ornament box as he began to pick out a few.

Kagome quickly untangled her from his arms. “Oh, geez,” Kagome huffed indignantly, bending down to grab a few ornaments while hiding away her clandestine blushing.

Upon hearing the two lovebird's exchange, Sesshomaru gave an irritated sigh, reflecting silently on how Kagome should have known better than to believe that Koga was seriously interested in anything to do with the holidays, much less, a tree. The only thing he was interested in was the presents. If Hayato could really do something about this insufferable and sexually tense wolf, he wished he would do it soon. The less times he had to see that, the better chance he had of staying migraine free this week.

Setting down his boxes on the couch, Sesshomaru shook his head as he went to help out with decorating the tree as well.

After they had completely bedecked the tree with glass bulbs, ribbons and lights, with a short intermission for dinner in between, Kagome closed up the ornament box and placed it next to the others lying on the couch. She walked over to where their baggage lay near the staircase, grabbing the brown paper sack and beginning to remove some of its contents - neatly wrapped, colorful, rectangular packages, topped off with a ribbon or bow.

“And what would a Christmas tree be without the presents?” she smiled as she sat beside the fake evergreen. Placing one of the gifts down, she turned her head to Hayato. “This one's for you, but no peeking; you can't open it until Christmas day, got it?” After Hayato uttered his quiet `got it', he sat down beside her to hold and gawp over his package.

After pulling out a few other gifts for her parents, aunt and uncle, Kagome held the last two presents in either hand with satisfaction.

“And these are for you guys; this one's Koga's, and this one's Sesshomaru's,” Kagome said while motioning to each one. “Same goes for you two - Christmas day.” Then with a playful smirk, she waved the boxes in the air teasingly before sliding them under the tree.

With that, Koga gave a handsome grin of his own and reached into his jacket pocket, removing a small - and to Kagome's surprise - neatly wrapped package. The shiny, smooth paper that enveloped was a dark hue of red, and an intricate, metallic silver bow graced the top of the petite gift.

“Same goes for you - Christmas day,” Koga mocked her, giving her a short, peck of a kiss as he handed the present to her.

Kagome gasped with excitement, looking down at the gift. “How sweet, Koga!” she thanked him, gazing up at him with smiling eyes, still clutching the small box.

Sesshomaru lowered himself to the couch, watching them with weary eyes. For with every passing moment, he felt increasingly aware of the two's growing relationship, and without warning, he had found himself hoping for nothing more than to see Hayato's plan come into fruition.

.:.:.:.:.

The beginning of the next day was dedicated to completing all the holiday decorations. Kagome began with twining ribbons around the staircase's banister while the less artistically inclined men hauled the huge container of stringed lights to the front yard. Meanwhile, Hayato remained inside, placing and arranging the small collection of bearded nutcrackers on a table in the front room.

As Koga and Sesshomaru continued to string the lights quickly around the trees, Kagome moved on to the task of hanging the traditional mistletoe under the archway going from the atrium to the lounge. Kagome set off to find the ladder.

Opening the last door in the corridor, she revealed a flight of steps leading down into an abyss of darkness. Flipping on the switch, Kagome descended the steps, eyeing around for the ladder among the mess that was their basement. Cardboard boxes, as well as scraps of it, were flung all about the room; a metal toolbox lay open beside the peeling cabinets. An animal cage trap sat on the shelf, filled with a variety of old books and junk, perhaps to save room for other things to fit around their cluttered basement. Walking among the chaos, Kagome soon found it trapped under a large, toppled pile of plastic containers and spare house equipment.

“Great…” she muttered. “How am I supposed to get that out of there?”

Sighing, Kagome made her way out of the disorderly mess, making the habitual decision to call Sesshomaru for assistance.

Making her way to the front door, she shouted out loudly from the doorway, “Sesshomaru! Can you come here for second? I need help!”

Sesshomaru looked up at her for a moment before laying down his string of lights. He turned to Koga. “Can you handle the rest? There's not much left to do,” he said, his question more like a comment than a request.

Koga dismissed him with a lagged wave of his hand. “Yeah, whatever…” he responded, his voice as frozen by the cold as his hands were.

With that, Sesshomaru made his way over to his hopeless friend, waiting with her usual short patience at the door for him.

After a long while of struggling with the ladder and its accomplices, Sesshomaru and Kagome had successfully removed all the boxes and equipment, liberating the troublesome ladder.

“Was it really worth all that?” Sesshomaru asked as they carried it into the living room.

Kagome laughed guiltily. “Well, at least we won't have to worry about getting it out later,” she replied sheepishly, helping him to set the ladder down under the arch. As they placed it upright, Kagome sighed happily.

“There we go!” she sang as she dusted off her clothes. “Thanks, Sesshomaru.”

He turned, about to head back outdoors. “Hn,” he replied in acknowledgement.

However, before he could go, Kagome stepped forward, quickly catching the sleeve of his jacket in her hand. “And also,” she began softly as she slowly released her hold on him, “I wanted to thank you for coming here with me. It really means a lot to me.”

Sesshomaru paused, looking down at his best friend, smiling up at him with those forever dancing sapphire eyes, its blue flecks constantly glimmering with the emotions. Gradually, he found their captivating dance had entranced him with their spell, and somehow, he had no will to pull away. It was strange; this feeling felt familiar to him, yet, it was odd and confusing, making him feel as if he hadn't the mind to understand it.

Most times, he felt things were as they should normally be - Kagome was his best friend, and he was comfortable with her. The next, it was as if she wasn't the Kagome whom he had known for years, but someone else. Someone completely different, yet at the same time, he knew her as well. However, the relation seemed entirely changed…

“What's that noise?” Kagome asked suddenly, turning to pinpoint the source of the sound. Sesshomaru snapped out of his meditations to hear a dull series of thuds pound from the atrium.

Kagome rushed to the front door, but soon realized it was locked after having unsuccessfully tried to open it. Quickly unlocking the door, she opened it, only to gasp as she found a pale-with-cold wolf demon huddled in the upright fetal position on the edge of the welcome mat.

“Koga!?” Kagome exclaimed, allowing him to stumble inside.

“Wh-wh-whoever locked the d-d-door…” he said through chattering teeth, “…is g-g-going t-to die…”

Sesshomaru almost smirked as he realized the situation. Of course Kagome's cousin would use every chance he received. Perhaps his plan was to make Koga so miserable that the wolf would leave of his own accord, but… Even if Hayato's `plan' didn't work, at least watching this was amusing. Seeing Koga in such a helpless state was truly priceless.

Kagome took off her jacket and wrapped it around the shivering ookami, closing the door behind him. “Oh gosh, how did this even happen? You're freezing!” Kagome said while she ushered him inside to the lounge. How long had he been locked out for, Kagome wondered. Ten? Twenty minutes?

Seating Koga on the couch and handing him the blanket draped on its back, Kagome headed into the kitchen to get him something warm to drink while Sesshomaru, at the request of Kagome, made the fire. Meanwhile , Hayato sat guiltlessly in one of the lounge chairs. Absently fiddling with the matchbox Sesshomaru had used to start the fire, he had already begun to hatch the next of his schemes…

Koga sat near the hearth, which had considerably warmed his body up. Still wrapped in the thick blanket like a cocoon, he held Kagome in his arms for the purpose of “body warmth”, as he put it.

Holding his arms around herself, Kagome looked up at him with concern. “How are you feeling?” she asked, reaching up with one hand to feel his temperature.

“I'm fine,” he murmured, leaning forward so his nose was buried in her hair. Holding her tighter, Koga added teasingly, as well as with a slight touch of sincerity, “But it's only because I feel better when you're with me.”

Sesshomaru sat, watching noiselessly from his seat on the couch. He saw Kagome smile genuinely at the man behind her, her cerulean eyes softening beneath her long lashes.

The youkai leaned back into the couch as he closed his eyes, not compelled to watch. Not long after, he felt the sofa budge as another force landed itself upon the cushion beside him.

“What are you doing?” Sesshomaru asked with a low voice, looking at Hayato with one eye as he watched the boy plop what seemed to be a roasted marshmallow into his mouth.

“You'll see,” he said as he finished chewing his last bite. But even before the boy could swallow, Sesshomaru could already see his next plot unfolding. Glancing over at the couple once again, he caught sight of a wriggling flame; however, this flame was aside from the blaze inside of the fireplace. Groaning, the inuyoukai pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned forward on his knees. Alright, didn't his mother ever teach him not to play with fire? Koga freezing - fair play. Catching the wolf on fire, as well as the house in the process - not so much.

Sesshomaru got to his feet, but just before he could say a word about said fire, Koga sniffed the air in alarm. Turning abruptly, he inadvertently shoved Kagome off his lap with a yelp as he stripped the smoking blanket off his body.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” he repeated in panic as he attempted to stomp out the fire, looking ridiculous as he desperately danced upon the partially flaming blanket. Hayato burst into laughter, rolling onto his side as he watched from the quilted sofa in obvious delight. Kagome, slightly shaken at first from being pushed so abruptly, staggered to her feet as she rubbed her abused back just as middle-aged woman would. Sesshomaru couldn't help but laugh lightly, suppressing it with a series of quiet coughs as he momentarily forgot all previous thoughts of moral principle.

Who knew childish games like these could be so entertaining?

.:.:.:.:.

Later that night, the company took their turns with the two showers. Koga and Hayato won the first two rounds, naturally, since Koga claimed he had been cursed with ill fate, and not surprisingly, Hayato pulled the `baby' card. A game of rock-paper-scissors determined Sesshomaru the winner of the third shower. In the meantime, Sesshomaru and Kagome waited in the living room, lounging comfortably on the sofa.

“What a day,” Kagome yawned lazily as she leaned back against the couch's arm, propping her feet up on Sesshomaru's thigh. She giggled as Sesshomaru made a face before gingerly lifting her small feet off of his lap. But her elation soon faded as she sat upright, looking at the dog demon, a frown drawn upon her innocent face.

“What is it?” Sesshomaru asked cautiously, a slight tone of concern hidden in his voice.

Kagome shrugged casually. “I don't know…” she sighed, propping her head up with her knees. “It's just that I feel like…” Kagome groaned, stopped herself before she could finish. “Oh, I don't know.”

Sesshomaru raised his brow as he watched her, resting his arm on the back of the couch.

Pressing her lips together, Kagome looked down. “It's just that you've been so quiet... Well I mean, quieter than usual,” she corrected herself.

“Hn. That's strange,” the inuyoukai commented. “I believe I'm as normal as I normally am.” Sesshomaru smirked as he turned to stare absently in the empty space in front of him. “Perhaps you're too preoccupied with the wolf-boy to notice.”

Kagome jerked her head up, hurt that he would even think that. She opened her mouth to deliver her defense, but before she could, Koga jogged down the stairs, still drying his hair with a towel. Walking over to them, he flung the white cloth over his shoulder.

“Your turn,” the ookami announced flatly, dismissing Sesshomaru from his close conversation with his girlfriend. Sesshomaru got to his feet, smiling saccharinely, leaving Kagome listless on the sofa.

Sesshomaru stepped out of the shower, grabbing the towel that hung on the steel rack. After drying himself off, he threw on a shirt and the pajama pants Kagome had given him last Christmas. For some odd reason, she seemed to have a strange fetish with buying him clothes. But not the normal types of clothes, such as button up shirts or winter jackets. No, she always bought him the comfy sorts of items, like the lounge pants he was wearing now, or socks, or sweatshirts. One year, she had even gotten him a wearable blanket; the Snuggie. A corner of his lips pulled up into a smile. She was so odd sometimes.

Opening the bathroom door, Sesshomaru draped the towel over his shoulders and headed for his room. However on his way, he noticed Kagome's neglected door, left wide open. He briefly peeked his head in, but found her bed left vacant.

Sesshomaru turned back around, going downstairs to check and see if she was there. As he made his way to the couch, sure enough, he found Kagome lying peacefully on the couch, sound asleep. But to the inuyoukai's dismay, Koga was present as well, Kagome's head resting on his lap.

Sesshomaru watched the pair as they slept the night away, blissfully unaware of his presence. Just as he was about to return upstairs to his room, Kagome sighed softly, causing him to pause for a moment longer. The inuyoukai frowned. Kagome's face had a calm air to it; she seemed contented. The corner of her lips were upturned, almost in a smile.

It was as if being in Koga's arms made her happy…

He let his eyes rest upon her soft face once more, but furrowed his brow as he realized something. He saw the familiar Kagome he had known for years, but at the same time, he saw the one he had recognized earlier, but did not know - the one he saw as he stood with Kagome under the mistletoe; the one that sped his heart, confused his senses and left him speechless. Sesshomaru let a short breath escape him as he put his hands in his pockets.

He looked at the young woman he had known for years - impatient, stubborn, and seemingly hopeless. Yet, she was kind, spirited, cheerful, and had a heart filled with compassion. However, the sight of her pained him. She was so close, yet so distant, so far from reach. Sesshomaru averted his gaze.

Perhaps it was not particularly the sight of her that pained him, rather, the scene as a whole. Seeing Kagome so at ease in his arms… Maybe… Maybe what he was feeling was… jealousy.

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome again for the umpteenth time that night. Slowly, he bent down to a crouch beside the sofa, almost level with the sleeping human girl. He reached out, hesitating for a moment before he touched the side of her face lightly. Sesshomaru ran his thumb across her cheek.

`He doesn't deserve you,' he wanted to tell her. `Don't be with him.'

The youkai sighed. Standing, he turned and headed for the stairs. At the foot of the staircase, the inuyoukai turned back to look at the sleeping couple, cuddled on the couch. Frowning, he continued his ascent with a slow, deliberate pace.

Hayato had his support; one hundred and ten percent. He could be sure of that now.

.:.:.:.:.