A/N: Okay, I'm being a good authoress and writing this chapter even though I'd really rather not. This one just doesn't…amuse me any more.

Chapter 4

December

"Yes! It's finally Winter break! Kagome, aren't you excited? Inuyasha is coming to visit, right?" I realized I had to answer, and for once, I didn't really mind.

"Yes, and he's going to stay with his brother. He said Mika and her parents are coming as well, but she and her boyfriend will probably want to spend time together."

"True. They make such a cute couple! How old is she?"

"I dunno, a few years younger than us, I suppose."

We walked in relative silence on the cold snow-covered sidewalk and turned the corner onto our street. I could see the steps to my house from here. I thought about tomorrow, and how I would get to see Inuyasha again…finally.

I hadn't seen him in a couple weeks, and it felt a lot longer than that. He'd been really busy with school and he got a job to take up his spare time, though he didn't really need it.

I crossed the street and began climbing the steps, my toes numb from the cold. I didn't really mind it, though. The feel of the crunching sound the snow made beneath my feet was welcoming to me, and Christmas was only a few days away.

I turned my head and said a goodbye to Sango, and she hurried to her warm home to get out of the skin-biting wind.

"Mom! I'm home!"

"Hello, dear," she said, coming from the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"Great, actually. The winter festival is next Friday and Inuyasha is coming to stay until Sunday."

"With his older brother, right?"

"Yeah. I wonder when he and his fiancé are getting married…"

"Oh, he's engaged? He seems so young."

"He looks it, but he's not, really."

"What's his name again?"

"Sesshomaru. And his fiancé's name is Kagura. She's kind of rude to Inuyasha, but the two make a good couple."

"Are you hungry or thirsty? I can make you some hot chocolate, if you want."

"Thanks. I'm going to go take a quick bath; it's freezing out there."

I made my way up the stairs and thought of how my mother reacted when I told her Inuyasha's older brother was getting married. What will she think when I tell her about me getting married? I'm even younger than Sesshomaru.

I filled the tub and slowly got in, letting my skin thaw out in the warm water. I took a deep breath and let it out, feeling totally relaxed I could take a nap.

After a little while, I glanced at the clock on the wall and decided to get out. I got dressed and went back down the stairs, and I heard a wonderfully familiar voice drifting from the kitchen.

I raced to the door and slid it open, revealing the owner of the voice. "Inuyasha! What are you doing here?"

He looked up at me and grinned, which nearly made me melt into a puddle right there. He stood and began to walk towards me, arms open slightly. "What, not glad to see me?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous, of course I'm, glad! I thought you were coming tomorrow, is all." I nearly fell into his arms, overwhelmed with happiness. He wrapped them around me, settling in my hair. I gripped my arms around him tightly and felt like I never wanted to let go, but I did after a too-short time because my mom was standing in the corner of the kitchen.

"So, how have you been, Inuyasha?" she asked.

"Great, now that I'm back home. Living with Miroku gets a little…hectic."

"How so?" she asked. I held back a smile, knowing exactly what he meant.

"Have you met him?"

"Once or twice in passing, but I've never had a conversation with him. Why?"

"Never mind, he's just a little…unorganized," he said, trying not to laugh. If 'unorganized' meant 'has his girlfriend over all the time and watches the scrambled channels' then it was exactly the right word. I knew it was just a little lie to keep from having to explain his lecherous behavior, but it was too funny for if you already knew what he was like.

"Oh, that's too bad. I'll let you two have some privacy. I know you haven't seen each other in a while."

She left the room and we both burst out laughing. "Unorganized…what a joke. The guy's like OCD about where his stuff is put away and everything."

"Oh, really? That must get annoying."

"You have no idea."

We stopped laughing finally and just looked at each other, faint smiles on each of our faces. He didn't take long to scoop me back into his arms and lower his head, catching my lips with his. My eyes slowly closed and several seconds later he lifted his head and I rested mine against his chest. I felt his chin rest on the top of my head, his steady breathing tickling the roots of my hair.

"I've missed you," he said.

"You have no idea how lonely it is this year without you."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault."

"But I still feel bad about it."

"Well, you shouldn't."

"But I do."

"Okay, fine. Feel bad." I did not want to get into a stupid fight now.

"Thank you. What do you want to do?"

"Did Miroku come back too?"

"Yeah, he's at Sango's."

"Should we go do something with them?"

"Think we'll need the Jaws of Life to pull 'em apart?"

"Possibly."

"I'll make a call and get some, just in case."

I laughed at that. It was so easy to talk to him, even though he's never around for me to have a normal conversation with him like now.

"Mom! We're going to Sango's. Be back later."

"Okay, you kids have fun!"

"Thanks!"

We left and I saw his car as soon as we got to the top of the shrine steps, a smear of red paint on a bright white canvas.

But Sango just lived a couple blocks away, so we walked. I noticed it started snowing lightly, adding a blanket to the sheet that covered the ground

"I hate the snow," said Inuyasha.

"Why?"

"It's so cold and…wet."

"Most dogs I've seen love the snow."

"Well, I'm not most dogs, am I?"

"Very true."

We hung out with Sango and Miroku for a few hours before finally deciding to go to Inuyasha's house. We took the car so we could leave quickly, if we had to.

As soon as we walked in, Rosa was there to greet us. "You weren't supposed to be here yet!"

"Wonder how Sesshomaru will like my coming home early?"

"Not well, I assume."

"We'll just have to see."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

We spent Christmas morning opening presents with my family and then the evening with his brother, Kagura, Mika, and Rosa. Mika left after we were done opening them to hang out with her boyfriend—the same guy she met at the carnival a while back—but not before she decided to sharpen her nails on the wrapping paper and shred it all to pieces. Once she was satisfied with the reaction she got from her cousins, she left.

Inuyasha bought me a beautiful necklace that was made of both gold and white gold. It was small and somewhat simple—not overly elaborate. The chain was the two golds twisted together to make a smooth single chain with a small charm shaped like a heart that hung just a few inches below my neck. The heart was the same gold colors and covered with small diamonds that sparkled like stars in the light. It was the best necklace I could ever ask for.

I got him some clothes and when we were in privacy, I gave him the engagement ring I'd bought for him. It was a simple gold band with our names inscribed on the inside. He said he loved it and put it on as soon as he was done looking at it.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Winter break ended too quickly and when Inuyasha left, I was stuck with just Sango at school again. Just a few more months…

A/N: Okay, I know I'm skipping through this rather quickly, but…well, I really don't care. I'm trying to finish this story line once and for all! For Kagome's necklace, I actually have one that looks the same that my sister got me for Xmas a few years ago. She was in the Navy for six years, and her ship docked in like...Dubai or some place like that and she bought it there for me. I love it so much! But the chain broke so I can't wear it anymore. Oh well. TTFN.