Disclaimer: Happy Holidays, readers. I definitely wanted to do something festive for the holidays, and also wanted to try my hand at the crossover side. This is my first one so please be gentle. I also dedicate this to my awesome bff, kaze senju the wolfwarriorgirl who reminded me that on fanfiction, a fanfic can involve more than one couple.
Miracle of Christmas Wishes
Soft, warm lips imprinted his neck with kisses. Delicious, nice kisses that stirred him out from his sweet dreams into the semi-consciousness that was equally pleasant due to the feelings she was stirring inside with those lips of her.
He didn't want to give himself away. He knew the kisses would stop if she knew he was awake. It was a challenge, though, feeling such desire and not responding to it. He bit his lip hard to hold in the moan that was trying to break free.
She, being the clever woman she was, caught onto him and decided to torture him, running her fingers against his chest while devoting her lips to his neck that she kissed and nibbled playfully.
Great Agni, this woman is going to be the death of me, he thought, unable to hold down the moans that erupted from his mouth. "I can't tell whether you're trying to seduce me or wake me up."
Even with his eyes closed, he could tell she was smirking. He could feel those lips he loved so much curving up into a taunting, cruel smirk. "Maybe I'm trying to do both."
He opened his eye, meeting mischievous blue that twinkled from the early morning light.
Two can play that game.
He pounced on her, battling his wife for dominance. A battle fought through swift touches and soft kisses, one which he won by paying close attention to her neck and the spot he knew that made her crazy. Her defenses were lowered as she leaned more against him, practically melting in his arms. It was just what he needed to grab her wrists, push her down on her bed, and make her his prisoner.
To his delight, her body was still wonderfully bare. He kissed everywhere his lips could touch. What they couldn't touch, his hands took care of, caressing and massaging. All while she lay underneath him, head titled back, eyes shut, looking both in almost pain and ecstasy at the same time.
"This is bad of us," Katara mumbled in a moan, her back arching from the bed while her husband did wicked things to her chest.
He smirked against her skin. "Then kids are right down the hall and most likely in bed."
"But we have guests coming over." she protested weakly
"They can wait a few minutes."
For a moment, Katara looked like she was swayed. Just a small moment. A moment that was quickly broken as their door burst open and the two little girls rushed into the room. They stopped short before the bed, staring wide-eyed at the sight before them.
"Look," Izumi pointed towards her flustered parents. "Mommy and Daddy are doing the nasty."
Katara quickly pushed Zuko off her, nearly throwing him off the bed, and covered herself with the sheets and blankets.
I need to stop letting Azula babysit them. Zuko grabbed his black pajamas that lay in a heap by the bed and slide them on underneath the covers. And to consider adding a lock to the door.
Not that he didn't love his kids. Next to his wife, there was nothing else he treasured more. His girls were the world to him. As much as he loved him, there were times he needed his privacy so he could relax or show his wife how much he treasured her.
"Girls," Zuko tried putting on his best stern look, but it fell flat once he saw the ever deadly puppy-dog eyes. Sighing, he hung his head in defeat. The girls took that as an invitation to join their parents in their bed.
Born less than a year apart, Izumi and Kya acted more like twins than regular siblings. Rarely apart since the moment they could walk; they looked out for another and were evenly matched when it came to mischief. As alike as they were, they were entirely different in terms of their looks. Izumi was her father's daughter with her raven-black hair, pale skin that was as smooth as marble, and piercing gold eyes. Kya took after her mother with her incredibly blue eyes, skin the color of light cocoa, and wild mane of chocolate brown curls.
"I can't wait until tomorrow." Kya cheered, looking so giddy it brought a smile to Zuko's face.
"And why's that?"
Izumi wrapped her arms around his neck and made herself at home on his lap. "Because, Daddy, tomorrow is Christmas eve,"
"And the day right after that is Christmas." Kya finished off for her sister.
"Don't forget who'll be celebrating Christmas with us," Katara smiled at them. "Your Aunt Kagome and Uncle Sesshomaru, along with Shippo and Rin."
The girls' eyes lit up at the mention of their best friends' names.
"What time will they be here?" Kya asked.
Holding the blanket securely around her, Katara glanced over at the alarm clock sitting on their night stand. It was after nine. "They should be here soon. Who wants to help mommy make breakfast?"
"Me!" they said. Izumi looked over Kya, a challenging gleam in her eyes that reminded Zuko a bit of uneasily of his sister.
"Race you." She was already off, racing down the downstairs before they could blink.
Enraged, Kya chased after her. "No fair, you cheater!"
The moment they were alone again, Zuko turned back to Katara, hoping to continue on where they left off. To his dismay, she was already out of bed, nightgown-clad, tying the knot of her night-robe.
She looked over his shoulder and smiled slyly. "You heard what I said, Zuko. We need to get coming. Kagome and her family will be here in less than an hour."
Zuko let out an over-exaggerated groan that came from the very depth of his body before he collapsed back onto the bed, reminding Katara of a child forced to go to school. "No."
She frowned slightly, confused by his behavior. It wasn't like this was the first time Kagome and her family were staying over during the holidays. For the past five years, the two families spent the Christmas to New Years' season together, going back and forth between houses. "You're acting like a child."
"I am not." Yet sure, enough his lips pouted in such a way it put their daughters' to shame.
"Yes, you are. And I don't know why. You get along well with Kagome. You adore her children as much as you do our own. Yet every year you always throw fit."
Groaning again, Zuko said "It's not Kagome or the kids I have a problem with."
"Then who?"
"That damn dog."
It took Kagome more than three tries to finally get her clothes and keep them on.
A task that was more than difficult to accomplished with her husband lurking around. With his quick hands and sensual lips, able to completely unmake her in less than three seconds. Which was great when they weren't in the rush and have time to let go, but not when guests were expecting them. Not when there was still so much to do.
"Don't even think about it, sticky-fingers." Kagome pointed a warning finger at her spouse after she managed to break free of his arms before she got stuck into them.
Sesshomaru tried to look innocent, but she saw the sly look that flashed through his gold eyes. "Is it wrong wanting to hold my mate in my arms?"
"It is when your fingers have a fetish with unbuttoning her blouse," Kagome said. "And teasing her. And making her flustered."
He smirked victoriously, not having even the slightest decency to look modest.
Serves me right for falling in love with an entitled demon, she thought as she walked over to the staircase and called for her kids. "Shippo, Rin! Get your things together. We're leaving in ten."
Excited laughter and paddled feet from below answered her back. She smiled, sharing in their enthusiasm. Her smile quickly dropped when she turned around to her mate and was surprised by the dark scowl on his face. "What's wrong?"
He cut her with a glare that would have cold-hearted businessmen quake with fear. "You know what."
She stared back at him in confusion until the answer hit her square in the head. She pinched on the bridge on her nose to wear off the migraine she knew was on its way. "Seriously? You and Zuko are still going at it?"
The look on his face said it all. She rolled her eyes as she groaned.
Five years ago Kagome had met Katara at a new workout center in downtown for aerobics class that was designed for expecting mothers. Ordinarily, she would never consider doing such a thing and wouldn't have gone to the class if her best friend, Sango, hadn't dragged her down there. According to Sango, the classes were what helped her get through six pregnancies and plot her revenge on Miroku, her husband, for making her go through so pain. Kagome had arrived five minutes late to class, thanks to unhelpful directions given to her by staff, and walked into a room full of heated glares.
She had stood in the doorway for a second or two, unsure what to do.
Katara answered her prayers like a guardian angel, patting to an empty mat besides her, the first face to look at her not with a glare but an actual smile. A warm smile that gave the courage to face the glares head-on and make her way over to the empty mat.
"My sister-in-law signed me up for the classes," Katara had said as she took her place. "Said it helped ease morning sickness and reduce swelling. Not that I believe her."
Kagome giggled. "My best friend forced me to come here against my will. Apparently stretching and squatting are what's going to be help me get through nine months of nausea."
"As if it were that easy."
They both giggled together, as if they were old friends. By the end of class, they became friends. Over time during much stretching and squatting and meeting each other at Starbucks after class, the relationship grew as the two discovered how much they had in common such as their love for literature, addiction to Starbucks' tea, their spitfire personalities hidden underneath gentle faces, and the fact they were the only two expecting girls out of the whole class. A first for Kagome, a second for Katara.
They became great friends. Their kids formed their own tight group after they met each other. However, there was one small hitch that came along with their friendship.
Their husbands couldn't stand each other.
Which the young women found funny, given the fact the two were more similar than they realized. Both incredibly stubborn, could easily run cold as they could hot, didn't trust easily, and had steel-iron walls that shut out the world and kept people at miles-length. Yet every time the theory was brought up, the men would look at their wives, glance at one another, and look away, as if the sight of the other man was too much for their eyes to bear.
"Sesshomaru, please." Kagome begged. "For the sake of Christmas and our sanity, can you be more civil towards Zuko?"
"I am perfectly civil. It is that sad excuse of a child trapped in an adolescent's body that is the hostile one."
Cocking a disbelieving brow, Kagome crossed her arms. "Uh-huh. So it was Zuko who set a poison bomb on himself during last's year snowball fight? Zuko who cut a hole around through the ice he was standing on when we took the kids ice-skating? Zuko who somehow grabbed hold of your whips and used them to make zigzags on his own pants? Of course. Because that makes perfect sense."
Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed into cold slits. "This one does not appreciate your use of sarcasm, Kagome."
"Well this one does not appreciate you dodging a question, Sesshomaru."
He turned his head away, choosing not to answer. Kagome slapped the palm of her hand against her forehead, feeling that migraine coming fast.
God help us all. "Sesshomaru," she looked him right in the eye to let him know she meant business. "You know how much the holidays mean to the kids, to me, and to Katara. I also know how much you and Zuko, despite your differences, treasure moments like this. So I'm begging you to please be civil to him. I'm not saying you two have to be best friends, but it would be nice not to worry about a firebender-demon-dog Civil War breaking out during dinner."
The look on his face said he'd rather use his brother's toenails as toothpicks for an entire month than to do such a thing. But he loved his wife, and would hate to be the cause of any discomfort she might feel. So, pushing pride aside, he said words he knew would make her smile and his stomach churn uneasily. "Very well, Kagome. Because it means so much to you, I shall, as your people say, 'play nice' with the human."
It was moments like that reminded her why she loved him so much. There was no doubt her mate was a prideful man, trusting no one but himself and his opinions, but he'd always push it aside for her. "Thank you."
To show her gratitude, Kagome stood on the top of her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a kiss that turned his scowl upside-down. Intrigued, he pulled her body against his and waited for her to open for him.
"Eew."
The couple broke apart. Down below staring up at them with both amusement and slight disgust on their faces were their kids. Shippo, their adopted fox-demon son, and Rin, their half-demon, half-human daughter who took after her priestess mother than her father.
"Mommy and Daddy are kissing." Rin announced.
"More like making-out." Shippo stated with a smirk that reminded Kagome too much of Sesshomaru.
Before she could ask him where he learned the word and whether it was time to put parental-locks on their TV, Sesshomaru started a slow countdown while he stared calmly at his children.
"Five. Four,"
Oh-no. Kagome knew what the countdown meant, and knew her kids would pay a hefty price. She gave them an apologetic smile, taking a few steps back.
"Three. Two,"
The two siblings exchanged an anxious glance, their bodies shaking in anticipation, feet directed towards the door.
"One."
They ran as fast as their tiny feet would allow them, but they were kids and nowhere near close to a full-blooded demon. In a flash of silver, Sesshomaru was downstairs, gathering the kids into his arms and unleashing their arch-foe, the unbeatable Tickle monster.
"No, daddy," Rin giggled. "No."
"I surrender," Shippo managed to say in between laughs. "I surrender."
"If you're going to kill them, can you least do it in the car," Kagome raised her voice slightly so she could heard over the laughter. "We need to start going."
Hands still attached to the kids' stomachs, Sesshomaru carried them outside to the car, where servants were packing their bags into the trunk.
I can tell this going to be an interesting Christmas, the young miko thought.
Minutes later, the family arrived at their destination, where their friends waited for them patiently with smiles on their faces. Greetings were shouted and said. Hugs were exchanged, and, much to the relief of all, War World III hadn't broken yet between the men.
After gently prying Izumi and Kya off his legs, Sesshomaru waited for Zuko on the side. After receiving a warm hug from Kagome, Zuko joined him.
The two stared at each other with unmasked disdain.
"Human," Sesshomaru spat out.
Katara saw the fire erupting in Zuko's eyes, a look that foreshadowed a great fire about to be lit. She glanced down at his hands and saw they glowed orange, steamed with thick smoke.
Zuko please. The last thing any of them wanted was to start Christmas Eve-Eve with a huge fight.
As if the Spirits could hear her prayer, Zuko didn't attack Sesshomaru. He looked like he wanted to. He looked like he wanted to set him on fire. But he resisted. Still, he was never one to let an insult go.
"Runt." he said, putting all the venom he could muster into the word.
A vicious growl rumbled through Sesshomaru's clenched teeth that sharpened into fangs. One blink, and his gold eyes changed to monstrous crimson. It was only Kagome's prayers that kept him from tearing Zuko's insides out.
Okay, she thought as they walked inside the house. Maybe it won't be a completely peaceful Christmas but hopefully it won't become a complete bloodbath.
Later on, after a nice breakfast of Santa-shaped pancakes and Nutella-stuffed French toast and unpacking their bags and setting more gifts under the tree, the kids played with their toys while Christmas movies on ABC family ran on TV. The adults watched them and the movies from a safe-distance on the couch.
Katara lifted her head slightly off Zuko's chest and looked outside the window, casting a wistful look at the sky. "I hope it snows soon."
Zuko glanced over, where the streets were covered close to waist-high in snow, including their own front yard that resembled a winter wonderland. "It snowed three times already this week- a good twelve inches each. All which I had to shovel."
"Don't be such a Scrooge." Katara swatted his arm playfully.
Kagome shook her head at Zuko with an amused smile on her face. "You say that because you're not used to the cold."
"Sure I am," Zuko said. "Cold ice-cream. Cold drinks. Cold-feet and cold-showers, which your friend here," he nudged towards Katara. "caused."
Katara swatted him again with more force.
Kagome decided that she needed to explain it better. "Okay, look. I won't lie. Even I'm not always fond of the snow, but I still love it. Especially during Christmastime. When the whole city's covered in a pure white blanket, snowflakes fall and get caught in your tongue, and the place becomes a wonderland. There's no better feeling than standing in the middle of a nice snowfall, surrounded by so much soft white. It makes you realize what Christmas is really about."
"You mean the true meaning of Christmas is frozen rain?" Zuko questioned. "Frozen-rain-turned-to-slush. Fascinating. And all this time I thought Christmas was about peace on Earth, good-will to all, and the celebration of Mary's son. My mistake."
This time both women teamed up to swat him on the arms, using strong force behind the hits. Sesshomaru's lips almost curved into a faint smirk. Almost.
"You forget Santa!" All four heads looked up, seeing that their conversation reached the kids. Rin dropped her stuffed Olaf toy and said "Santa plays a big part in Christmas. He makes wishes come true for all the good boys and girls."
"And gives lumps of coal to all the bullies and brats." Shippo added.
"I spot a brat right now." Sesshomaru murmured, eyes fixed on Zuko.
Zuko scowled, fighting off the urge to incinerate the dog. It would certainly bring a new meaning to the word, hotdog. It would also certainly land him on the hot-seat with Katara, which he wanted to steer clear of.
"I hope Santa gets us the Frozen Castle playset. It's the only thing me and Izumi put down on our letter." said Kya.
"I asked for him for the Snow Glow singing Elsa doll." Rin said.
Shippo frowned. Zuko was glad to see he wasn't alone on the anti-Frozen island, a place he wouldn't have resorted to if his daughters didn't have the movie played on a continuous loop. "I put down ten things in my letter."
"Ten? Doesn't that seem a little selfish, Shippo?"
He shrugged. "There's one the main thing I want. The rest are just suggestions."
"What did you ask for?" Kya asked him.
Grinning big, Shippo leaped from his seat and announced "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Stretch 'n' Shout Leonardo!"
He tried to mimic one of the moves he had seen the turtles do on TV, where they leap into the air and deliver a revolting high kick like a helicopter. Problem was there wasn't enough fuel to take the flight and he ended up crashing face-first onto the pillow-covered floor, sparking a laughing fit among his friends and the grownups who were trying hard not to laugh.
"Maybe you should also ask Santa for ninja skills, too." Izumi smirked.
To this, Shippo lifted his head off the pillow to glare at her. "Ha, ha, ha. Very funny."
His words made the girls laugh harder.
Shaking his head at kids while trying to bite back a smile, Sesshomaru attended to his phone that was vibrating in his pocket. "Taisho."
It took approximately five seconds for hell to erupt.
"WHAT!"
The kids took refugee under the coffee table. Kagome nearly dropped her cup. Katara looked stunned. Zuko rubbed his ears in an attempt to stop the ringing.
"Repeat!" Sesshomaru commanded, his voice ice-cold.
"What's going on?' Katara whispered to Kagome.
"I don't know."
"Human," he addressed Zuko. "You. Kitchen. Now."
He didn't even wait for Zuko to get up before he marched over to the room.
Spirits give me the strength, Zuko begged, following after the dog.
"What is your problem? Your little tantrum moment scared the hell out of the kids, Katara, and Kagome-"
"Be quiet."
"The hell I will," Zuko snapped, feeling the lock he had on his temper slowly melt as his anger started to fire up. "This is my house. Not yours. Mine. The only reason your mangy, flea-infested ass is in here is because your wife is a good woman and your kids take after her. If it weren't for them, I'd barbecue you-"
"Be quiet!"
"If you say those two words one more time-"
"Be. Quiet."
Any other time or person, Zuko would have kept the argument alive, but this was not the time. Not when Sesshomaru wore the pure look of murderous vengeance in his eyes, a look only a fool who had a death wish would challenge. Zuko had no plans to die just yet.
"What is it? Who was what on the phone?"
Sesshomaru hang on the phone and held it tightly in his fist, Zuko could hear the material being squeezed in. The ice in the demon's eyes didn't break as he looked over at him. "That was one of Santa's elves. A useless, simple-minded, soon-to-be-dismembered-and-annihilated elf who just informed me that he lost the bag containing Santa's presents."
"What!?"