Christmas With Sesshoumaru
Sesshoumaru entered the miko's domain, his nose wrinkling at the unusual smells filling the area. He looked towards the direction of the scent and was surprised to see a Christmas tree seemingly filling half of the miko's living room. It was elaborately decorated and filled with lights and sparkling bulbs. "Miko," he said as he moved around the indoor tree. "What is that?"
"It is a Christmas tree, Sesshoumaru," she said as she accepted his jacket from him and hung it by her door. "What did you think it was?"
He ignored the miko's question. "I was under the impression that you grew up on a shrine."
"And I did," Kagome answered. "But there is something about the Christian holiday that appeals to me."
"What would that be?"
"The giving of gifts," she answered with a flourish of her hands and a sigh. "I have always enjoyed gifting people and seeing the expressions on their faces."
"That is entirely commercial," Sesshoumaru commented as he helped himself to some of the wine the miko had left sitting out. He knew she wouldn't mind.
"Perhaps. But I have always enjoyed pleasing people."
His eyes took notice of the several gifts piled underneath the miko's tree and Sesshoumaru fought against the need to know who, exactly, had been gifting his miko. In the end, he could not resist. "You seem to have quite another collection," he said nonchalantly as he sipped at his wine.
At that, Kagome smiled and her face lit up with happiness. "They are for my babies," she said by way of explanation. "Two for each of them."
At that, Sesshoumaru's brow rose. The miko would buy gifts for her pets. "Even Jaken?" he asked, his eyes straying to the toad in his glass case.
Kagome grimaced. "Well, he has an extra batch of live crickets on hold for him."
After a moment's pause, Kagome's face lit up and she danced towards the tree. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but enjoy the warmth and feeling that radiated from the woman before him. She filled him will emotions he'd rather not feel, but damn did it feel good to have them where she was concerned. Never had he thought that would be. "What are you about, miko?" he asked as he watched her suspiciously.
She laughed at the expression on his face and fetched a gift from underneath the tree. It was brightly wrapped in red and white striped paper with a homemade candy cane cut-out decorating the top of it. There was also a shimmering bright red ribbon "holding" the package together. She handed the gift over to him and reflexes made him take it into his hands. Sesshoumaru gave the gift a tentative sniff, remembering the flea collar the miko had given him before. "What is this, miko?"
She gave him an exasperated look. "It's a Christmas gift, of course!"
"But what is it?"
"Nothing embarrassing," she quickly assured him, "Or derogatory. Those gifts were just in fun. This is serious."
She punctuated the end of her sentence with a nod of her head and Sesshoumaru fought against the urge to smile at her oh-so serious look. He glanced back down at the package in his clawed hands to distract himself and found his other hand reaching for the ribbon covering it. The miko moved faster than Sesshoumaru thought she could as she darted her own hands out to stop his. "You can't open it yet, Sesshoumaru!" she admonished.
Never liking to be told what to do, Sesshoumaru bristled at her directive and his spine stiffened. "If the gift is for this Sesshoumaru," he said in his best lordly voice. "Then I may open it whenever I so choose."
"It doesn't work that way," she answered, not at all concerned by his tone of voice. "You have to wait until Christmas day."
"And why is that?"
"Because!" was her answer. "That's just the way things are done."
Truthfully, he was intrigued by the gift from the miko. She had seemed so sincere when she had stated that it was nothing like her flea collar gift and he wanted to know what it was. Always he had been a curious youkai, as it was in his nature to be so, but little had he found throughout his long life that truly held a bit of intrigue and that was worthy of contemplation. Of course, the miko from over five hundred years ago had been one such intrigue and was continuing to be so in this day and age. "Perhaps that is just the way of humans...," Sesshoumaru said as he made another attempt to slice at the wrapping paper.
Her hand settled possessively in between he and the gift once more. "Sesshoumaru," she fairly growled at him. "Do not make me treat you like a wayward pup!"
Now that did have Sesshoumaru growling at the miko. He was centuries her senior and yet she dared to call him a 'wayward pup'? If possible, his spine stiffened even more. "This Sesshoumaru is no mere pup, miko."
She smiled, almost motherly, at him and that had him growling anew. He was not like that kitsune she had taken under her wing hundreds of years ago! He was a youkai grown and was merely indulging himself where the miko was concerned. Or was he....?
Her hand that was not protecting the gift from his claws reached out and splayed itself across his chest, over his heart. Her eyes were entirely heart filled when she addressed him. "I know you're not," she said, totally out of her normally playful character. "But I would truly appreciate it, if you would wait until the twenty-fifth to open this."
"And why is that?" he insisted, wanting to know.
"Because traditions are important to me and I want you to have something to open on Christmas."
"This Sesshoumaru has lived for centuries without."
"And now you will live, for at least a few decades, with."
Sesshoumaru snapped his mouth shut as his mind whirled. He'd never figured the miko's human existence into their "gatherings". It almost saddened him as he realized, again, that each day was another day less he had with her. The need to please this female reared up within him and he found himself nodding his head in agreement. "This Sesshoumaru shall wait then, miko."
The smile she gave him was blinding and she clapped her hands together with excitement. "Great!" she answered as she practically danced back across the room.
Sesshoumaru fought the smile that threatened to grace his face.
Fin
a/n: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year's Everyone!!! And yes, this wasn't exactly on the humorous side, but you know...another one always follows that is (or tries to be!) ! lol My love and wishes for peace to you all.
