Disclaimer: Sadly enough, I do not own Inuyasha
A/N: Wanting a Halloween one-shot idea, lucky enought of to think of one I think is original. Warning: some OOC may follow, but I'm not positive. Enjoy anyway!
"So Kagome," Eri began. Kagome braced herself. When her friend started a conversation with "so Kagome", it usually meant trouble. "Do you know what you're going to be for Halloween yet?"
Alright, so far so good. Propping her head up on her hand with a defeated sigh, Kagome looked at the other three girls. "Not yet."
"You're joking!" Yuka shook her head with disbelief just before taking a bite of her lunch. "It's only three days away. I'm going as a fairy."
"And I suppose you two already have your costumes as well, right?" Kagome asked Eri and Ayumi.
"Genie." Eri said with a dismissing shrug.
"Sorceress." Ayumi said after swallowing a bite of her food.
"Well you know," Eri said with a hint in her tone, "Hojo is going as a prince."
"You should go as his princess!" Ayumi said enthusiastically.
"That would be so romantic!" Yuka added dramatically.
Kagome smiled nervously. "I don't know..." Glancing at Hojo, she considered the idea before dismissing it a second later. She shook her head. "No. It may cause some trouble."
"What do you mean Kagome?" Yuka asked.
Kagome's eyes widened slightly at her mistake. She'd been thinking about Inuyasha at the time. He'd have a fit if she dressed up to match Hojo. Scratch that...he'd throw a tantrum.
"You're talking about that over-protective boyfriend of yours again aren't you?" Ayumi asked. "You really shouldn't let him control you like that. It isn't healthy."
"No, no, it's nothing like that. I just want to avoid confrontation." She shifted uncomfortably under the unapproving look her friends were giving her. "I think I'll window shop on the way home. Maybe I'll find some inspiration for a costume," she said hopefully, aiming to change the subject.
It worked. Almost immediately her friends starting listing off ideas. All of which were good, but not the right ones. Listening, but not really paying attention to the conversation, Kagome started her own lunch which, until that moment, had remained untouched. Just what am I going to be for Halloween?
"Mama, Sota, Grandpa! I'm home!" Kagome called. Slipping off her shoes at the doorway, she stepped into the living room.
"Hey Sis," Sota greeted, walking out of the kitchen. "Mom and Gramps went shopping a little while ago. They should be back in an hour."
"Oh," Kagome said with a slight frown. Ruffling Sota's hair with a fond smile, she giggled a little when he ducked out of her hold with a 'hey!' and ran his fingers through his hair to smooth it out. Kagome couldn't tell the difference.
"I've been thinking," Sota started off, taking a seat on the floor in front of the tv, "about what you could be for Halloween and I've come up with a few ideas."
Flopping down on the couch, Kagome propped her head up on her hands. "Let's hear them."
"How about a priestess?" He offered, "since you're practically one already."
Kagome blanched a little. "No thank you." The last thing she wanted was to spend Halloween with Inuyasha looking like Kikyo. After finally convincing him to spend the night with her in her time, seeing as he could walk about freely without getting weird stares, she wasn't about to mess it up.
"A demon?"
Almost immediately, an image of her dressed as Sesshoumaru flashed through her mind. Smiling at the thought, she shook her head.
Sota gave her a look. "You're not making this easy you know."
Sticking her tongue out at him, she leaned back into the couch. "I know, but I don't want to walk around dressed as something I see killed practically every other day." She avoided the priestess topic all together. "Besides, I don't think Inuyasha would approve."
"Oh, so that's why you're having such a hard time deciding," Sota said teasingly. Kagome blushed a little. "Well, I'm fresh out of ideas. You're on your own."
"Gee...thanks."
"You're welcome." Climbing to his feet, Sota headed towards the stairs.
"Where are you going?"
"To do homework!" He called back over his shoulder while he rushed up the stairs to his room.
Kagome sat on the couch deep in thought for a long time. She hadn't realized how much time had passed until her mother and grandpa came back from the store with warm greetings. And that's when it hit her.
"That's it!" Kagome cried enthusiastically, and jumped to her feet. "I've figured it out!"
"Congratulations dear," Mrs. Higurashi said with a warm smile. Walking towards the kitchen, she put down the grocery bag she'd been carrying on the counter.
"Maybe there are some spare robes in the store-room," Kagome said out loud to herself.
"If you need anything, I'd be glad to help," her mother offered.
"Thanks mom, but I think I'll be alright." Kagome said distractedly just before she rushed out of the room.
Shaking his head, Gramps took a seat at the table. "Teenagers these days."
Placing a cup of steaming tea in front of him, Mrs. Higurashi smiled, amused, in the direction Kagome had run off in. "She's just excited is all."
Three days later...
Jumping out of the well with ease, Inuyasha landed gracefully on his feet at the top of the stairs of the well house. Sliding the door open, he made his way across the shrine grounds and let himself into the Higurashi household. He found Sota sitting in a chair and his mother putting the finishing touches on his outfit. Grandpa was nowhere in sight, but he was in a room close by. Inuyasha's nose told him that.
"Hi Inuyasha!" Sota greeted, peering around his mother.
"Hey kid," Inuyasha responded automatically. Peering around the house, he frowned a little bit. "Where's Kagome?"
Pulling back from Sota and nodding at her handiwork, Mrs. Higurashi turned to the half-demon. "She's putting on her costume in her room. She's very proud of it and wants to make sure everything looks alright."
"Yeah," Sota added, fixing the toy sword at his hip. (He was dressed as a pirate) "She's been working on it for the past three days; almost non-stop."
Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow which then turned into a neutral expression to hide his curiosity. "Oh...well she'd better hurry up."
"Would you like me to go tell her you're here?" Mrs. Higurashi offered with knowing smile.
"I don't care," Inuyasha said gruffly, looking the other way and stuffing his hands in his sleeves.
Mrs. Higurashi's smile widened as she made her way towards the stairs. "I'll be right back."
Following her with his eyes until she was out of sight, he turned to Sota when he felt the little boy watching him. "What?" He asked.
"Are you excited?"
"What?" Inuyasha asked again, only in bewilderment this time.
"You're going to spend the night with Kagome. Aren't you excited?"
Inuyasha fidgeted a little under the child's unwavering gaze. His ears twitched subconsciously and his eyes darted all over the place. He wanted to be anywhere, but there at that very moment. Having Kouga show up, prancing around and acting all superior sounded more appealing than this.
"Well?" Sota said expectantly.
"Sota! Your friends are here!" Gramps called after answering the door a moment after the doorbell chimed through the house.
"Sweet! See you later Inuyasha!" Sota barely managed as he rushed past him towards the door.
Inuyasha let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Now he really understood what 'saved by the bell' meant. Thank kami for small favors.
"Were those Sota's friends?" Mrs. Higurashi asked coming downstairs.
"Kenichi's mother promised to have him home by nine." Gramps said, taking a seat on the couch.
Mrs. Higurashi nodded in acknowledgment. "Kagome will be down in just a moment," she directed at Inuyasha, taking note of his anxious expression even though he worked hard to keep his face neutral. He pretended not to hear, but his ear flicked in her direction, giving away the fact that he was indeed, interested.
He turned his head towards the stairs when he detected Kagome's scent getting stronger as she approached and his ears twitched once more when he heard her footsteps on the second floor approach the stairs. To say he was shocked when she reached the bottom of the staircase was an understatement. He was downright stunned. Eyes wide and lips parted, he gaped at her.
She was wearing a set of old priestess robes, but they had obviously been washed and altered.
Around her waist was a sash tied in the front in a bow; like Inuyasha's. She was wearing a white shirt underneath the colored one that peeked through at the shoulders, hips, and at the collar; like Inuyasha's. Stitches had been made at the end of the sleeves; like Inuyasha's. The pants bunched together at her ankles; like Inuyasha's. She had even tied a leather string that crossed over her torso from her left hip to her right shoulder in a bow; just like Inuyasha's.
She had even made a rosary that looked eerily similar to his, and now wore it around her neck. A pair of black triangular ears poked out from the top of her head and she'd brushed her hair so that two locks covered her human ears.
The only differences between their outfits were that he was wearing red and had a sword at his side while she wore dark blue and had her bow slung over a shoulder. She, was dressed as a hanyou.
Kagome smiled nervously and spun around once. "Well Inuyasha, what do you think?"
"What do I think? Well..." he trailed off, unable to come up with the right words.
"You don't like it?" Kagome asked uncertainly, unsure of how to interpret his silence. "Is there something wrong with it?"
"Yes!" Inuyasha blurted. He paused, oblivious to Kagome's crushed expression. "I mean no. I mean yes. I mean...why are you dressed like...like...like that?!"
"Like what?"
Inuyasha's ears drooped a little and he fumbled over his words.
Mrs. Higurashi, understanding the situation, ushered Grandpa into the kitchen tempting him with a nice cup of tea and leaving the Kagome and Inuyasha alone in the living room.
"Like what Inuyasha?" Kagome asked softly.
His ears flicked forward for just a moment before flattening to his head once more. "Why are you dressed like a half-demon?" He asked. "Like me..." he added quietly to himself.
"Why not?"
"Well, we're dirty half-breeds," he said barely above a whisper, "everyone shuns us, everyone says we have tainted blood, we're weak, we don't belong. Why would you willingly want to look like a half-demon?"
"Well," Kagome said with a gentle smile as she walked over and stood beside him, "I disagree." Inuyasha gave her a confused look. Kagome took this as a chance to continue. "I think that you are very strong...and I accept you and always will." Shyly, she reached out and intertwined her fingers with his and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
Inuyasha smiled a small smile. Thank you.
"What do you say we get the show on the road?" Kagome offered, leading him toward the front door. "The night is young."
"Yeah..." Inuyasha said. He paused for a moment. "Hey, Kagome?"
"Hm?"
"Is that rosary of yours real?" He asked suggestively.
"INUYASHA!"
Uh oh...
"SIT!"
A/N: