The Mistletoe Incident:

Even now I can't understand it.

My fingertips inch their way up to my lips, cheeks flushing as I glance across the room and catch sight of his unsettling appearance. Shoulders stiff, and expression as blank as… well, his brother's, he leans against the wall, obviously uncomfortable.

Basically? Yes, coming to this Christmas party as a large mistake on my part. If only I had agreed to hang out with Ayame Yorozoku and her boyfriend Koga Ookami – yet here I am, stuck at Izayoi Takahashi's experimental Christmas party, which is being conducted out of sheer curiosity.

A recipe for danger, in my opinion – even if Izayoi is the mother of my closest friend.

Or, at least he had been my closet friend up until half an hour ago.

Aka?

Until the mistletoe incident.

Yes. Mistletoe.

What comes to mind at that word?

Yeah. KISSING.

I shiver.

Yes. My best friend of all time, my shoulder to cry on, my freaking punching bag…

We kissed.

Ah the horror of it all!

I tug at a strand of my hair anxiously, biting my tongue.

The thought of IT brings a weird… sour, bitter taste to my mouth as I think of it.

The mistletoe just HAD to be there.

Oh, and HIS perverted sidekick? He just HAD to be there too.

"Ah! Kagome-chan! Inu-chan!"

We both glared at him and his expression fell considerably, before a little, smug smile crept onto his face, signaling the end.

He pointed upwards.

Mistletoe.

I groan in anger.

Dammit! How am I supposed to deal with this? I can't just go apologize to Inuyasha… It'd just be wrong. Like I'm…

"Kagome-chan?"

I jump at the sound of my name, and wheel around to come face to face with the angelic smile of Rin Noto, the devotee to Inuyasha's older brother.

"H-hey, Rin-chan!" I reply shakily, forcing a smile, and gaining a radiant one in return.

"Is something wrong, Kagome-chan?" She questions, prodding me a finger, as she raises an eyebrow.

I glance in Inuyasha's direction yet again. He's looking at me now, expression? Bored.

He's really starting to scare me now.

Shaking off the uneasy feeling in my stomach, I shake my head.

"I'm completely fine!" I reply cheerily, although the edge to my tone must be evident, 'cuz she immediately becomes skeptical.

"Kagome-chan." She begins dangerously, "If you don't tell me, I'll-"

"You'll what?" I demand, reaching my limit of emotions.

A glare pierces me from across the room, and I don't even have to look to guess that it's Rin's precious 'Sessh-sama'.

Oh, kami, just fuck it all!

With a growl of frustration, I turn on my heel and stomp across the floor, my heels clattering nosily against the tile, as head out the doors to the gardens to think.

The nice thing about the Takahashi's is that their rich. Not that being rich is the only nice thing about the family – but being as… odd, dysfunctional and mismatched as they are, it's nice to know they all have something in common, other than a secret love for Ramen.

Their house? Humongous. Their garden? Gigantor. Their food? Kick ass!

Taking a deep breath, and gulping in the refreshing sting of the cold, I try to chase all thoughts of 'The incident' away.

Guess what?

Didn't work.

Perhaps you're wondering why this bother's me so much? Why I can't just go talk it out with him if he's my best friend?

You see… it's complicated.

Once upon a time, Inuyasha was dating a girl named Kikyou for about four years. They broke up after some miscommunication. Inuyasha was hurt. He met me in the middle of our first year of high school, and we… well, we hit off right away. But, Kiykou and I are identical. We could be twins… well, if we were related. And well, Inuyasha? Well I … he…

Yeah. It's complicated.

"Kagome?"

Startled, I glance around, until I find what I'm looking for.

HIM. Inuyasha Takahashi. Fellow victim of the incident.

For some reason all I find myself wondering is if he thought I was that bad a kisser.

BAD! I internally slap myself senseless, rendering my external self somewhat senseless as well.

As you can see, I don't think things through to well.

"I-inuyasha…" I respond quietly, blushing under his intense gaze, as he watches me curiously, showing – wow! – the first signs of life in thirty minutes. His golden brown eyes warm, and his silver mane of hair glinting in the halflight provided by the party inside.

One thing I forgot to mention? Or rather avoided speaking about?

Yeah. I'm freaking in love with my best friend.

"I… umm… Inuyasha.. i-i.. I g-guess I'm sorry about earlier!" I gush automatically, again without thinking, as I throw myself forward in a bow, the unwanted tears welling up behind my close eyelids.

He seems to catch his breath. Then there's silence, before his voice responds, low and almost husky.

"Are you?"

"Am I?" I echo quietly, as I look at him questioningly, as I slowly straighten back up.

"Are you sorry?" He hisses softly in the darkness, as he pushes me backwards against the trunk of a tree, his eyes dark, needy… yet incredibly gentle.

My voice catches in my throat, and I stare unmoving into his face, my own cheeks becoming increasingly warm with embarrassment.

What does he want?

His breath is warm against my lips at this point.

"Well?"

Timidly, confused beyond confusion, my head shakes itself of its own accord; as if my body knows what I need, better than my own brain does.

He smirks, as he pushes me a little bit further back, his arm around my waist.

"Well, then." He whispers, pointing upwards, "Shall we continue what we started?"

As he draws closer, I glance upward.

Dangling from the limb of the pear tree is single mistletoe.