Inuyasha's First Christmas
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Summary- Inuyasha experiences Christmas with the Higurashi Family.
"Christmas?"
"That's right. It's a holiday we celebrate in my time."
Inuyasha stood with Kagome by the well, blinking at her in perplexity, causing her to sigh and shake her head. She knew it wouldn't be easy explaining this to him. After all, the holiday she was referring to wouldn't be known in Japan for centuries, so it wasn't a surprise that the half-demon didn't know about it.
"It's...it's like a festival," said Kagome. "You know like...like Otsukimi!"
"Oh," Inuyasha replied as his ears perked up a bit, seeming to get the concept. "So...you celebrate by watching the moon?"
"Not exactly," Kagome replied. "We decorate the house with all kinds of things, like garlands, ribbons, and wreaths, and we even decorate the Christmas tree! And we give each other presents!"
"Hmm..." Inuyasha hummed, thoughtfully.
"But most of all," Kagome began, "Christmas is a time where we celebrate being with our friends and family."
"...Keh," Inuyasha scoffed as he turned away with his arms crossed. "Well, I wouldn't know about it."
Kagome did feel a twinge of guilt at that. After all, Inuyasha didn't really like talking about his past, not to mention the fact that his only living relative didn't have much affection for him, either. However, she felt that this was all the more reason to bring the half-demon along with her to her time. There was no way she was going to let Inuyasha spend Christmas alone, even if he didn't know what she was talking about.
"Come on, Inuyasha," Kagome said. "Please come with me? After all, my Mom did say you could come over!"
"...She did?" Inuyasha asked as he looked at her.
"Of course!" Kagome replied. "You know my Mom likes you! And she's making a nice, big dinner~!"
"...Dinner?" Inuyasha asked.
'Ha!' Kagome thought. 'Hook, line, and sinker!'
"Of course!" she replied. "She's actually expecting you to be there, so she's making a lot of food! It would be a shame if it all went to waste."
Inuyasha pondered for a moment. On the one hand, he didn't really know how this strange holiday Kagome was referring to worked...but on the other hand, Atsuko really did like him and she always offered him food whenever he came to come and pick up Kagome (although sometimes, he was in too much of a hurry to eat something). Also, the trail for the jewel shards and Naraku had gone rather cold as of late, just like the snow around the village.
Grrrrrrrwwwwwll...!
...And he was a little hungry.
"...Fine," Inuyasha replied. "You twisted my arm. We'll go."
Kagome bit her lip and squealed in delight, hopping up and down excitedly like she was 6 years old again. She was so glad that she didn't have to "sit" him, this time. That usually ended with both of them being angry at each other and she didn't need that, tonight.
"I knew you'd agree!" she said before she took Inuyasha by the hand, causing him to stiffen a bit as a blush formed on his cheeks. "Come on! Let's go!"
"Uh...yeah," Inuyasha nodded before they both approached the well.
"Ready?" Kagome asked, causing the half-demon to nod his head, again. "1...2...3!"
With that, they took the plunge!
XXX
Buyo let out a yawn as Atsuko vacuumed up the stray pine needles that fell from the Christmas tree while Sanosuke and Sota sat around the table, the former sipping a cup of tea while the latter stared at the tree and box of decorations with eagerness. He fidgeted a little as he glanced back and forth between them and the bare tree before he looked up at his mother, who turned off the vacuum and stored it away in the closet for later.
"Mom?" Sota asked. "Can we please start decorating the tree, now?"
"You know we don't start until your sister gets here," said Atsuko.
"But Mom, she could take forever~!" Sota complained. "Please? Can I just hang one little ornament?"
"Sorry, Sota," Atsuko apologized as she headed to the kitchen to check on the food she was preparing while Sota pouted.
"No, don't be in such a sour mood, Sota," Sanosuke scolded, lightly. "Your sister should be here, soon."
Soon after he said, they heard the door open.
"Hello~!"
"Kagome!" Sota exclaimed as he ran to get the door, only to see not just her, but Inuyasha at her side, as well. "Whoa! Inuyasha's here, too?! Best Christmas, ever!"
"Hey, Sota," Inuyasha greeted as the two exchanged a high five.
"It took some convincing," Kagome began, "but I managed to bring him along. Where's Mom?"
"In the kitchen, making dinner," Sota answered.
"You don't have to tell me that," said Inuyasha. "I could smell the food all the way back in the well."
"Well, look who's here!"
Kagome turned to see Atsuko coming out of the kitchen while wiping her hands on her apron.
"Hi, Mom!" Kagome exclaimed as she hugged her mother. "Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, Kagome," Atsuko replied before she turned her attention to Inuyasha. "And Inuyasha! Isn't this a pleasant surprise?"
"Uh...hi, Kagome's m- I mean...Ma," Inuyasha greeted, prompting Atsuko to chuckle warmly as she hugged the half-demon, who gently returned her embrace, even though it seemed a bit awkward. Recently, he started calling the Higurashi matriarch "Ma", mostly because she didn't want him to use formalities with her. Still, he had to admit it felt nice calling her that, even if it was going to take some getting used to.
"Oh, by the way," Atsuko said. "I got you a little something."
"Yeah?" Inuyasha asked. "What is it?"
"Wait right there," Atsuko replied as she headed to the living room, then after a moment of searching, she came back with something in her hands.
"What's that thing?" Inuyasha asked.
"Bend down a bit, sweetie," Atsuko told him, prompting the half-demon to bend down so that he was at her height, then he felt something get pulled onto his head and over his ears. As he looked up, he saw that it was some sort of red hat with white fuzz around the rim and even a white ball of fluff on the top.
"There!" Atsuko exclaimed. "It's perfect!"
"Oh, my gosh, you look like Santa Claus!" Kagome exclaimed.
"Santa what?" Inuyasha repeated.
"Don't worry about it," Kagome replied, still beaming at the sight.
"Make yourself at home," Atsuko said. "I just made tea, so you can have that and some rice crackers to tide you over until dinner's ready."
"Thanks," Inuyasha replied as he went to the table where Sanosuke sat, along with Kagome.
"Hi, Grandpa," said Kagome as she hugged her grandfather. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Kagome," said Sanosuke as he returned his granddaughter's hug before he turned and gave Inuyasha a nod of acknowledgment, causing the dog-eared boy to nod back as he sat down. As Kagome poured him a cup of tea for the half-demon, his golden eyes fell upon the pine tree in the corner of the living room.
"...Why is there a tree in here?" asked Inuyasha.
"Huh?" Kagome asked before she turned and looked at the bare Christmas tree. "You guys haven't decorated the tree, yet?"
"Mom said we don't start until you get back," said Sota. "I've been waiting all day!"
"Sorry," Kagome said as she gently ruffled her little brother's hair. "We can start now if you want!"
"Mom!" Sota called. "Since Kagome's here, can we decorate the tree, now?"
"Of course!" Atsuko called from the kitchen. "I'm gonna be busy in here for a while!"
"Yes!" Sota cheered, quietly as he and Kagome went to get the decorations out of the boxes. Inuyasha peeked over Kagome's shoulder and his eyes seemed to light up upon seeing all the pretty glass balls of red, silver, gold, green, and blue, the long red ribbon, and the cord of colorful lights. What got his attention the most, though, was the big, golden star that sat in a box all on its own.
"What's all this stuff?" Inuyasha asked.
"This is what we used to decorate the tree with," said Kagome. "We decorate it with ornaments and lights and wrap the tree up in a ribbon..."
"And I put the star on top!" said Sota. "It's tradition!"
"Huh," Inuyasha muttered. "Uh...can I help?"
"Sure!" Kagome replied as she gave him the Christmas lights. "Here, untangle these for me."
Inuyasha nodded before he took the cord in his hands.
"Grandpa, do you wanna decorate, too?" asked Kagome.
"I thought you'd never ask," Sanosuke replied as he got up to help by hanging up some ornaments on the tree.
"Umm...Kagome?"
"Yeah?" Kagome asked as she turned around, only to gasp upon seeing Inuyasha, lying on the floor and all tangled up in the lights. "What happened?!"
"I don't know!" Inuyasha barked. "Just get me the hell outta these things!"
"Hold still!" Kagome replied as she tried to get the lights off of him. "Ugh...how did you even do this?!"
"I tried untangling them like you asked me to!" Inuyasha replied as he struggled.
"I said hold still!" Kagome replied as she pulled the lights off his feet and wrists. "There. You're free."
"Are you okay, Inuyasha?" asked Sota.
"Yeah, I'm all right," said Inuyasha as he stood up and dusted himself off.
"Maybe you should go help my Mom in the kitchen," suggested Kagome. "I know she could use an extra hand."
Not wanting to get entangled in the lights again, Inuyasha nodded before he headed to the kitchen with Atsuko, and needless to say, it seemed that Kagome was right in that she needed a little extra help. She was boiling rice and already had some chicken karaage frying in a pot, not to mention she had some steamed salmon already on the stove. The sights and smell of the food only to served to bring about Inuyasha's hunger, evident by the sound of his stomach growling, though he was hoping that Atsuko didn't hear.
"Umm...Ma?" Inuyasha asked, causing Atsuko to look up at him.
"Oh, hi, Inuyasha," she greeted. "Don't mind me. I'm just trying to get dinner ready."
"...You didn't have to make this much food, y'know," said Inuyasha, feeling a bit guilty.
"Nonsense!" Atsuko replied. "I'm always happy to make something for you!"
"Well...do you need help with anything?" asked Inuyasha.
"Oh, aren't you a sweetheart?" Atsuko asked. "Actually, I could use some help. Once you hear the timer ring, can you take the cookies out of the oven for me?"
"That sounds easy enough," said Inuyasha. "So...this Christmas thing. Kagome says you guys celebrate it every year, right?"
"Oh, yes," Atsuko replied, fondly as she put the rice into some bowls and the karaage on a platter. "Kagome loves Christmas. Every year, she'd look forward to it. She loved decorating the house and the tree and she loved seeing us all smile..." She then sighed quietly, something that Inuyasha's ears picked up on. He was about to ask when a loud DING rang out, causing him to jolt a bit before he looked over to the oven.
"Oh, cookies are ready!" said Atsuko while Inuyasha walked up and opened the oven up and reached in to get the cookie sheet. "Oh, wait, Inuyasha! Maybe you should put on some oven mitts!"
"Oh, please, how hot can it be-" Inuyasha started as he grabbed the sheet and picked it up, only to yelp in pain at the searing burn that it brought on his palms. However, he accidentally backed up and fell on the table, causing all the dishes to fall on the floor, as well as the cookies and the cookie sheet that Inuyasha ended up dropping.
"Oh, dear!" Atsuko cried as she went up and helped him to his feet. "Are you all right, Inuyasha?"
"Yeah...but the food's ruined," Inuyasha said, guiltily.
"Oh, it's all right," said Atsuko as she brushed off the bits of rice off of his robes and fixed his Santa hat for him. "Accidents happen. The important thing is that you're all right."
"...I'm sorry, Ma," Inuyasha muttered as he looked away from her.
"Oh, Inuyasha, sweetheart," Atsuko said as she gently cupped Inuyasha's cheek.
"Mom, is everything okay?!" Kagome asked as she ran inside. "I heard a-" She gasped upon seeing the mess in the kitchen, then she glared at the half-demon, who gulped nervously. "What did you do, Inuyasha?!"
"I-I was only trying to help!" Inuyasha stammered. "The cookie sheet was too hot and I-"
"Kagome, don't get mad at Inuyasha, all right?" Atsuko asked. "I'll just order some pizza, instead."
"But...you always make dinner," said Kagome with some disappointment in her voice.
"Oh, Kagome, it doesn't always have to be homemade," Atsuko replied. "Besides, I bet Inuyasha might like it!"
"...Fine...I guess it's better than going hungry, tonight," said Kagome.
"There, see?" Atsuko said. "Everything will be all right." She then went up and whispered in her daughter's ear. "Try and go easy on Inuyasha, all right? He's trying his best, and it is Christmas. Give him some time, he'll get the hang of it."
"...Yes, Mom," Kagome replied, causing her mother to pat her shoulder before she went to get the phone to call Domino's.
"K-Kagome," Inuyasha stammered. "I'm really-"
"Forget it, Inuyasha," Kagome interjected. "It's...it's okay. It's like my Mom said. Accidents happen."
'Then why do you still sound like you're mad?!' thought Inuyasha.
***Short timeskip brought to you by Meliodas kissing Elizabeth (Seven Deadly Sins reference)***
It was about 30 minutes later when the pizza arrived. Kagome had to admit, it was rather tasty. Even Inuyasha enjoyed it, although he claimed it had nothing on instant noodles.
Once everyone had eaten their fill, Inuyasha had grown bored, so he decided to play with Buyo for a while...except that the housecat didn't share his sentiment, especially after the last time Inuyasha "played" with him. He pulled on his paws just a little too hard for his liking, so right now, Buyo was trying his best to avoid the half-demon as much as possible.
Unfortunately, Inuyasha wasn't quite getting the message, so he followed the cat in an attempt to catch him, but he disappeared in the attic upstairs.
"Hey, Buyo, where'd you go?" Inuyasha called as he looked around the dark attic. The darkness wasn't really a problem for him, though, due to his demon heritage. However, in his search, he found that there were quite a lot of boxes up here, almost as much as there were in the shed, and some of them were even labeled. As Inuyasha walked closer into the attic, his eyes fell upon an open box that had fallen onto the floor, and something was sticking out of it. Ever curious, Inuyasha reached down and picked up the object: a framed picture. The glass was a bit cracked, but other than, it was intact.
"Oh," Inuyasha said. "It's one of those...portraits that Kagome takes with her camera thingy."
He took a closer look at the picture, but it seemed that even with his eyes, he couldn't quite make out what it was, causing him to growl in irritation.
"Inuyasha!"
Inuyasha turned upon hearing Kagome's voice.
"What are you doing up there?" she asked.
"I was trying to find Buyo," Inuyasha answered as he stuck his head out from the attic, "but I found something else."
"What is it?" Kagome asked as the half-demon came down from the attic and showed her his find...but when he did, Kagome's eyes went wide and she felt her heart drop into her stomach.
In the photo, there she was when she was, back when she was a mere 7-year-old girl, standing in between a younger-looking Atsuko, whose abdomen was rather distended, along with Sanosuke, an elderly woman wearing a light pink kimono and her hair tied up in a bun, and a young man in his 30s. He had short hair and a pair of glasses, a dark gray sweater vest over a white shirt, a pair of khakis, and a red tie around his neck. They were all standing in front of the Christmas tree, smiling at the camera.
"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. "Hey, Kagome! What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"Huh?" Kagome asked as she wiped her eyes.
"Are...are you okay?" Inuyasha asked, worriedly.
"...I'm sorry," Kagome said as she felt her tears come back before she gave the picture back to Inuyasha and ran down the stairs.
"H-hey, wait! Kagome!" Inuyasha called as he ran after her. "Where are you going?!"
The only answer he got was the sound of Kagome slamming the door, causing him to groan.
"Dammit!" he cursed. "Can't I do anything right, tonight?!"
"What's wrong?" asked Atsuko.
"All I did was show her this!" Inuyasha replied as he handed her the picture, causing her to gasp as she took it into her hands.
"Oh, my god..." Atsuko whispered while Sanosuke and Sota stood at her side, the latter looking over his mother's arm. "I thought I lost this picture...!"
"...Hikaru...and Usagi," said Sanosuke, morosely.
"...Is that...Dad? And Grandma?" Sota asked.
"...That's right, Sota," said Atsuko as she gently stroked her son's hair. "That's your father...you look just like him."
"Uh...am I missing something, here?" asked Inuyasha, growing more and more bewildered. "Who is that? And why was Kagome crying?"
"Well, first...where did you find this?" asked Atsuko.
"In the attic," Inuyasha replied. "Why?"
"I've been looking for this picture for years," said Atsuko. "The man in the picture...is my husband, Hikaru, and the woman is my mother-in-law, Usagi."
"Where's Sota?" asked Inuyasha.
"Yeah, Mom, where am I in here?" asked Sota as he looked at the photo.
"You weren't born, yet," Atsuko answered as she pointed to her younger self in the photo, at her stomach. "You were still in my tummy."
"...Oh, yeah," Inuyasha realized. "Kagome told me her father died."
"This was the last Christmas that Hikaru and Usagi spent with us," said Atsuko. "When New Year's Day came around, there was a snowstorm. Hikaru was picking up Usagi from the hospital...but the snow was blinding and...well..." She then sighed. "The car slipped on the road and they crashed."
"Was...was Kagome with them?" asked Inuyasha.
"Oh, no," Atsuko shook her head, "but she was still heartbroken...Kagome loved her father. He was always sweet to her, picking her up from school, taking her out for ice cream, playing with her whenever she got sad. She may have gotten her kind heart from me, but she got her stubbornness and her temper from him."
'So that's who she gets it from,' thought Inuyasha.
"I know Kagome seems happiest at this time," Atsuko began, "but I think deep down, she's very sad because...this holiday also reminds her of when she lost her father."
"...So that's why she started crying," said Inuyasha before he looked around. "Where'd she go?"
"Outside," Atsuko replied. "You probably know where."
Inuyasha nodded before he began to head outside, too.
"And Inuyasha?" Atsuko called, causing the half-demon to look at her. "Good luck."
"Thanks, Ma," Inuyasha replied as he headed out, and it didn't take very long for him to find the modern-day priestess, for there she was, sitting in front of the Sacred Tree with her arms hugging her knees. The half-demon felt his ears droop as he walked over and squat down next to her in his usual sitting position. She didn't look at him, but he felt that she acknowledged his presence. He could see tear stains on her cheeks and her eyes were a little red. All he could do was reach over and put his arm around her shoulders.
"You okay?" he asked.
"...Sorry I ran off," Kagome said.
"...I didn't know your father died around this time," said Inuyasha.
"It's okay," Kagome replied.
"...Did...did I ruin everything?" asked Inuyasha.
"What?" Kagome asked in surprise. "No! Of course not! Inuyasha...I know there were a couple of mishaps...but it's not all ruined. I'm with my family...and I'm with you."
"...Really?" asked Inuyasha. "Even though I got tangled in lights and I ruined the food?"
"Inuyasha," Kagome began, "decorations and food don't really matter. It's when you're people who love you. That's what matters most on this time of year."
"Really?" Inuyasha asked.
"Of course," Kagome smiled. "I mean...it's still sad that Dad and Grandma aren't here anymore to celebrate it with us...but I'm not going to let it keep me from enjoying Christmas with the family I have...especially you."
"...Kagome..." Inuyasha whispered, feeling his heart melt. "...Thank you."
"...Thank you for joining me," said Kagome as she kissed him on the cheek, causing him to blush a deep red before he chuckled, sheepishly. "So...what now?"
"...Sota still needs help with decorating," said Kagome. "He's supposed to put the star on top, and...well...since Grandpa can't really pick him up..."
"I got it covered," Inuyasha smirked.
***Short timeskip brought to you by Chopper pulling Santa's sleigh (One Piece reference)***
Sota laughed as he sat on Inuyasha's shoulders while the half-demon held onto his legs so he wouldn't fall. The 8-year-old boy soon reached up and placed the star on top of the tree.
"Perfect," Sota smiled while Inuyasha gently put him down.
"...Yeah," Kagome smiled as she admired the tree. "It is perfect, huh?"
"Okay, everybody!" Atsuko called as she put the camera on the stand. "Time for the photo!"
Kagome, Sanosuke, and Sota all gathered in front of the tree with the latter holding Buyo in his arms, but then Kagome noticed Inuyasha standing on the other side of the room.
"Inuyasha, come on!" Kagome called. "My Mom said 'everybody'!"
"...Even me?" Inuyasha asked.
"Of course!" Atsuko replied. "You're part of our family, too, Inuyasha."
"Come and join us, lad," Sanosuke said with a warm smile.
"Yeah, come get in the picture, Inuyasha!" Sota said.
Inuyasha blinked before he smiled and walked over to the family, standing behind Sota and Sanosuke while putting his right arm around Kagome's shoulders and the other around Atsuko's as they all faced the camera.
"Okay, everyone smile!" Kagome exclaimed, and at just that moment, the camera clicked and snapped the photo, which soon emerged from the slot. Atsuko soon took the picture and watched as it began to develop, revealing the portrait of the Higurashi Family with Inuyasha standing with them.
"Perfect," Atsuko smiled.
At that moment, Sota gave a long yawn and sleepily rubbed his eyes, and Kagome soon followed suit.
"Oh...excuse me," said Kagome.
"Well, I think it's about time we went to bed," said Atsuko. "It's late."
Not long after she said this, another yawn was heard, but this time, it came from Inuyasha of all people, but he quickly stopped himself as he saw that he'd been caught.
"Um...my bad," he said, causing the Higurashi Family to laugh.
Soon, Kagome and Inuyasha were in the former's bedroom. Despite feeling welcome in her home, Inuyasha always felt safest in this room because it always had Kagome's scent...and it always brought him some sense of serenity. As Kagome changed out of her clothes and into her pajamas, she turned and saw Inuyasha, already about to curl up on the bed.
"...Inuyasha?" asked Kagome.
"Hmm?" Inuyasha hummed.
"...Thanks, again," Kagome said. "I'm really glad you're here on Christmas with me...it's too bad I didn't get you anything. I mean...even if I told you about it earlier, I don't know what I'd give you."
"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked as he got off the bed and stood in front of her. "You already gave me something."
"I did?" Kagome asked.
"I'm here with your family," said Inuyasha. "When I first met them...I thought they'd chase me away because of who I was...but they accepted me so quickly. Your mother always fed me whenever I came to visit...Sota always keeps me company and lets me play his video games with him...and your grandfather...well...he at least tolerates me."
Kagome smiled warmly at this.
"So, in the end," Inuyasha began, "I don't care about what I get...I'm happy just being here with you and your family...because you all make me feel like I'm a part of it."
"...You are a part of our family," Kagome replied as she went up and hugged Inuyasha, who returned her hug. "You always will be...Merry Christmas, Inuyasha."
"...Merry Christmas, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as he looked into her eyes, causing her to smile before he closed his eyes...and captured her lips with his own, causing her to moan pleasantly as she stood up on the tips of her toes.
'This is almost like when I kissed him back when we fought with Kaguya...only this time...it's much better.'
Downstairs, Atsuko sat at the table as she placed the photo of Inuyasha and the family inside a small picture frame, then stood up and put it on the mantle...next to the picture of the Higurashi Family that Inuyasha had found in the attic.
"Another perfect Christmas," she whispered, "right, Hikaru?"
THE END
This might have been a bit rushed, but I'm kinda proud of how it came out.
And for those wondering, yes, this takes place sometime after Castle Beyond the Looking Glass. Not exactly sure when, but more than likely before the Mt. Hakurei arc.
Review, please!