Author's Note:
I'm sorry that it took me this long to update the story. I just had so much work and college applications to get done. I hope my readers can forgive me. To make up for lost time, I made this chapter about twice as long as the previous chapters. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
Just for the record, this is not the last chapter of the story. There's still a lot more to add, before the story ends.
Without further ado, here it is: Chapter 14 of Forever and a Day.
It's been about a week and a half since Kagome started staying with Inuyasha and his legs have healed up pretty well. They're well enough for him to walk around for extended periods of time. With that said, he's going to school for the first time in a long while. He's nervous about it. For him, it feels like the first day of pre-school all over again. He's nervous about what the others might say if they see him and Kagome together being close. He wouldn't mind the attention but he was afraid that it might scare Kagome away from him.
"Inuyasha!! C'mon! We have to go or else we'll be late," Kagome called out from the front door.
"I know. These crutches are just a pain in the ass," he replied. Kagome heard Inuyasha moving about loudly in the other room.
"What are you doing in there?" Kagome asked.
"I'm looking for my bag. I can't find the damn thing," Inuyasha said annoyed.
Kagome let out a sigh and thought how cute he was. "Dummy, I have your bag here already. I can't have you carry this on your own yet."
Inuyasha hobbled out of the room when he heard Kagome say that. He approached her clumsily and asked: "Be honest, am I really that helpless?"
"Yes, but it's helpless in an adorable way," she said with a smile.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Great," he said sarcastically.
"Oh will you stop complaining and move. We have to go now." Kagome opened the front door to reveal a perfectly bright and sunny day. She assisted Inuyasha in walking to the car and even opened the door for him. As soon as he sat down, he noticed that his car is uncharacteristically clean. All the usual junk he had in the back seat was nowhere to be found. As he continued to survey the rest of the car, an odd smell entered his nose. He took a deep breath to inhale the scent. It smelled of fruits and flowers. Inuyasha began to doubt if this was even his car.
Once Kagome sat in the driver's seat, she noticed that Inuyasha had a confused look in his eyes. "What's wrong, Inuyasha?" she asked as she pulled out of the parking lot.
Inuyasha turned around to face Kagome. "Kagome, whose car is this?" he asked confused.
"It's yours…duh. What made you ask that?"
"It's just too clean, and it smells…girly. What happened to all my stuff?"
"Oh I put all your gear in the trunk where they belong. They just made the car smell funny so I put air fresheners in the car. Now it smells good. Don't you like it?"
"It's not that I don't like it. It's more like I'm not used to it. It's a nice change though I must admit, and I can breathe a little easier now," he said a little embarrassed.
"That's true," she said. They arrived at the school shortly after their conversation.
When they pulled into a parking spot, there were two girls standing on the curb. They looked over towards the car as Kagome and Inuyasha arrived. Kagome was the first one to get out of the car, and Inuyasha immediately noticed the hateful glare that the two girls gave Kagome. This pissed Inuyasha off, and not knowing the reason why only added to his anger. Kagome walked around the car to Inuyasha in order to help him out.
Inuyasha and Kagome walked by the two girls, and as they were passing by, Inuyasha heard one of the girls call Kagome a slut. The ridicule that Kagome experienced a week ago has decreased significantly, but there were still a few people who think badly of her. Inuyasha looked at Kagome, who at this point has her head bowed down, and noticed a tear in her eye. This pushed Inuyasha's anger over the edge, and he turned around to confront the girl.
"What did you say?!" Inuyasha asked angrily.
The girl was startled and looked scared. "N-nothing," she stammered. Kagome quickly grabbed Inuyasha by the arm.
"Inuyasha, don't worry about it. Let's just go," she pleaded.
"But, this bitch…"
"Please…just forget about her," she pleaded as she looked into his eyes.
"Alright. Let's get to class Kagome," Inuyasha said. He turned around and followed Kagome towards the school. Kagome walked as if she didn't want to talk about what just happened. Because of that, Inuyasha didn't get an opening to ask what that was all about. They walked silently until they arrived in history.
The class including Mrs. Kaede was cheerful to see that Inuyasha was back, but Inuyasha paid them no mind. He was thinking of more pressing matters; namely Kagome. He was worried about her.
The class flew by without Inuyasha noticing, partly because the class never held his interest, but more because he was more concerned with what was wrong with Kagome.
Mr. Yamoto's class went exactly as Mrs. Kaede's class did. Inuyasha sat in his usual seat next to Kagome, but he didn't get the chance to ask her any questions. His only chance to strike up a conversation with her came during lunch in the cafeteria.
"Kagome, I've been meaning to ask; what was this morning all about?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome averted her eyes away from Inuyasha and looked down at her food. Inuyasha just waited patiently. After a while, Kagome looked up at him once again. "Is it really that important Inuyasha?" she asked with a weak chuckle.
"To me it is. I only want to know so that I can understand how you feel, and maybe find a way to help." Kagome just smiled.
Kagome POV:
He's just so perfect. He's so nice and kind to me. I love him so much.
"Okay, I'll tell you, but remember that this isn't your fault."
"How can it be-"
"Shhhh" Kagome said as she put a finger on his lips. "Just say yes," she said.
"Okay"
"It's simple really. People found out that I was staying over at your place, and people, especially girls, got jealous. You're just too popular Inuyasha," Kagome said jokingly. She felt herself become more and more cheerful as she was talking to Inuyasha about the situation.
Kagome POV:
Talking with him makes me feel so at ease. It's amazing considering how tense and angry I was this morning.
"How did people find out about it?" he asked.
"Mr. Yamoto accidentally blurted it out in class," she explained.
"What a dumbass! When did this happen?"
"About a week ago," Kagome answered.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Inuyasha asked a bit hurt.
Kagome smiled at the handsome face in front of her. "I didn't want to worry you. Stress is the last thing you need right now."
"You still should have told me."
Kagome let out a small chuckle. She was happy to know that Inuyasha cared about her. "You and I both know that you would have forced yourself out of bed and into the school to stop the whole mess," Kagome said.
"So…your point is?" Inuyasha asked.
"It's okay. I'm fine now…really I am. I'm glad you're here for me." The two if them just looked at each other and smiled knowing that everything's okay now.
It wasn't long after that when the cafeteria started getting packed and more and more people were walking by their table. It was getting loud in there. It was getting to the point where Inuyasha and Kagome could hear the conversations of the people around them but not their own.
"What are you getting your girlfriend for Christmas?" a girl asked some guy.
"I don't know yet"
"What?! You'd better get moving. Christmas is almost here."
A pang of realization hit Kagome and Inuyasha at the same time.
Christmas!! They thought. They both reached for their cell phones quickly and checked the calendar. Both their faces fell when they both found out that it was already December 20.
Shit!! was all they could think.
In the afternoon, Inuyasha wanted to see the team practice, so he went along with Kagome. They walked in, and he was immediately greeted with cheers. The team was glad that their captain is okay. Sango walked over to Inuyasha and gave him a well deserved hug.
"How are ya feeling?" she asked.
"Much better now, there's barely any pain left."
"That's good. Take it easy though. If you want to compete in the championships come February, then you better let those legs get back to a hundred percent," she said
"Don't worry about. I actually feel well enough to have a little sparring match. I just need to be on crutches though." Kagome heard what he said and hit him lightly on the head.
"Oww! What was that for?" Inuyasha exclaimed exaggeratingly.
"You know you can't do anything too physical yet, dummy! You're not that strong yet. You'll just hurt yourself."
"That's not true," Inuyasha murmured childishly
"Yes it is. You were barely able to get out of bed this morning," she said smiling.
"Watch. I'll prove you wrong." Inuyasha looked around the dojo for someone to spar with. It wasn't long until Hojo caught his eye. He was just in the corner of the gym by himself practicing his vertical strikes. "Hojo! Come over here a sec," Inuyasha commanded.
Hojo complied and ran toward his captain. "It's good to see you again cap'. You feelin' better?" he asked as he walked up.
"Yeah I am. Thanks for asking. In fact, I want you to spar with me a bit. You up for it?" Inuyasha asked.
"Yeah…but are you sure you should be sparring in your condition, cap'?"
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Sango take these for a second will ya, and let me borrow your sword." Inuyasha gave the crutch for his right hand to Sango while she handed her sword over to him. The moment Inuyasha let go of the crutch, he lost his balance a bit. He did manage to catch himself before he fell over…barely. Kagome and everyone else saw this.
"See. You can barely stand let alone fight," Kagome said with worry. Sango stopped her though.
"Let him be Kagome. Let him have a little fun. You have no idea how much he loves this sport. It makes him happy."
"Well…Maybe he should find something else to make him happy," Kagome said. Me for example, she thought to herself.
"Are you ready, Hojo?" Inuyasha's voice took Kagome out of her reverie.
"Yeah,"
"Here I come," Inuyasha said as he lunged himself to strike Hojo. Inuyasha moved but it wasn't his usual best. He didn't move as fast as he would have without his injury. He also noticed a sharp pain shoot up his left leg as he put his weight on it. He clearly wasn't fit enough to be doing this.
Since his movements were much slower than usual, Hojo was easily able to evade Inuyasha's strike and was able to muster a counter attack. Hojo was able to strike Inuyasha's shoulder as he fell forward. It wasn't a hard strike, but it was enough to knock Inuyasha down. The force of the blow was transferred throughout his whole body, including his legs. Because of that, the intense pain that he felt sent him to the mat. Kagome gasped when she saw him fall, and ran to his side as quickly as she could.
"Are you okay Inuyasha?" she asked.
"Never felt better," he said with a satisfied smile. He tried to get up by himself but lacked the power in his legs to do so. Sango and Hojo had to lift him up by his arms so that he could stand up. Sango picked up his crutch off the floor and gave that and the one he handed her earlier back to him. Hojo left the three friends and returned to practicing his strokes. Once Inuyasha had the power to stand up by himself, he turned around and thanked Sango for all her help. As he did this, he noticed Miroku walking up behind Sango. She saw in his face that he was looking at something behind her. She tried to turn around to see what Inuyasha was looking at, but Miroku already had his arms around her waist.
"Hey Miroku. Where have you been?" she asked. She didn't need to turn around to figure who was holding her.
"I went back to the locker room to get my helmet." Both Sango and Miroku looked towards Inuyasha and Kagome only to be met with shocked and confused looks on their faces.
"What's wrong guys?" Sango asked.
Inuyasha looked at Kagome with a knowing smile on his face, then turned back towards Sango and Miroku with the same smile. "No reaction whatsoever to Miroku hugging you like that! What's going on here? You usually say: 'get the fuck off me!' then kick him in the balls, but now you take it like he's your boyfriend or something."
Inuyasha saw Sango's face turn red from the anger and embarrassment she felt at the moment. "What are you taking about Inuyasha?!? Don't make me punch you!!" she said as she made a fist.
"Don't get upset, Sango." Miroku said. "They just don't know about us yet."
"What about us?!" she asked angrily.
"You know…about how were together now and that you want to bear my child," he said with a lecherous smirk.
"WHAT!!" Inuyasha and Kagome exclaimed in unison.
Sango quickly elbowed Miroku in the gut to make him let go of her. She quickly turned around and gave Miroku hard right hook to the face followed by a jarring kick to his genitals. Miroku let out a sharp yelp of pain as he fell to the mat, but no one in the gym paid any attention to him. This scene was all too familiar to the guys for them to be concerned about Miroku.
"That's what you fucking get for making up stupid lies!" she screamed at him.
Inuyasha shook his head from side to side feeling a bit sorry for his friend. Just a little bit. "You never learn do you, Miroku." Inuyasha said to his friend. Miroku struggled but he managed to lift his hand high enough to give Inuyasha the finger. This made Inuyasha chuckle a bit.
"Well…we gotta go, Sango. I still have to tutor this idiot," Kagome said pointing to Inuyasha.
"Hey!" Inuyasha exclaimed cheerfully.
"I'll see you later around seven okay." Kagome said
"Sure," Sango replied.
Inuyasha and Kagome left and arrived home fairly quickly, and they immediately started on the day's tutoring session. They had to stop early because Inuyasha kept on complaining about the boring session.
"It's finally over," he said. "God that was so boring."
"Awww…Don't I make bearable though," she said playfully as she walked away from him.
Yes you do, he thought while looking at her shapely bottom.
"Hey Kagome," he called out.
"What?"
"What are you and Sango doing later?"
"Nothing really. I just wanted to hang out with her since I kinda blew her off last week. We might just go to a coffee shop or something. Why?"
"No reason. I was just curious that's all."
"Don't worry though, you're not gonna be alone. Miroku will be here to hang out with you so you won't be lonely," she said.
"You didn't have to do that. I'm not a baby anymore you know."
You're my baby. Not yet anyway, but hopefully soon, she thought. "I know but I can't leave you home alone all the time."
"Fine. You guys have fun."
"You guys too," she said "Just don't watch any porn okay?"
"Ha Ha…very funny," he laughed sarcastically.
Inuyasha occupied himself by watching TV until seven came around. It came in no time and Sango and Miroku were at the door before he realized that the time passed by so quickly. When the bell rang Kagome emerged from the bedroom wearing a graphic tee with a pair of jeans and a vest to finish the look. He found himself staring at her again. He's been doing that a lot lately. God, she's perfect, he thought to himself.
"Coming!" Kagome screamed towards the front door. She opened it and let the two in. Sango greeted Kagome with a hug while Miroku sat next to Inuyasha on the living room couch.
"We'll see you guys later, okay." Sango said.
The two girls left leaving the guys alone in the apartment.
"How are you feeling, Miroku? Sango kicked your ass pretty hard earlier," Inuyasha asked.
"Yeah I'm fine. I'm a lot tougher than I look. How about you? How's the whole you-and-Kagome-under-the-same-roof-thing going?"
"To tell you the truth, it's not easy. In fact it's almost impossible."
"Why? Does she snore?"
"no"
"Does her cooking suck?"
"no"
"Does she smell?"
"no"
"What's the problem then?" Miroku asked a bit annoyed
"The problem is that she's hot, she's cute and she's perfect!" Inuyasha replied.
"Huh?" Miroku said stupidly. "Could you please explain to me how a girl being hot is ever a problem especially for a guy living with her?!?"
"The problem is that I'm barely able to control myself from molesting her. Sleeping in the same bed with her every night has me horny twenty-four seven--"
"Wait…You guys sleep in the same bed?"
"Yeah." Inuyasha said.
"You never told me that you bastard. What's it like? Physically…I mean," Miroku said perversely.
"Physically…It's the best. She just smells so good after a shower. She smells like apples and oranges in an orchard; she smells so good. When she's sleeping, she likes to hold onto things, and I'm the only one there so…you know…"
"Bastard," Miroku said with mischievous smile.
"As I was saying…when she holds onto me, she so soft, and adorable and vulnerable, and that just makes her a thousand times hotter than ever. To top it all off…she's so warm when she's right next to me," Inuyasha said nostalgically.
"You are such a fucking lucky son of a bitch!"
"Don't get me wrong. I know I'm lucky, but her being hot doesn't help me because I'm trying to control myself around her!"
"Why would you want to control yourself?" Miroku asked curiously.
"Because I don't want to scare her away by sexually assaulting her. I'm still not sure about how she feels about me yet."
"You still haven't told her how you feel?!" Miroku asked surprised.
"We've had moments when I felt that there was a chance that she's in to me-"
"Like when?"
"There were times like at the hospital and our first tutoring session where we almost kissed each other, but I only thought of them as accidents."
"Did she ever seem uneasy or uncomfortable when these happened?"
"No…I don't remember her reacting like that…not really"
"Then what are you so afraid of then?" Miroku asked.
"I don't know. I guess I'm just afraid to get hurt if I find out that she doesn't feel the same for me," Inuyasha confessed.
"You're such a pussy. Why don't you live on the edge and take a damn risk already. Grow some balls why dontcha. I'm not gonna lie, my balls are so big that I have a hard time putting my pants on," Miroku said with mock confidence.
"You've got some problems, man," Inuyasha said chuckling. He paused and thought about what Miroku just said. "That's probably why you hurt so badly whenever Sango kicks your balls in," Inuyasha said jokingly
"That's true," Miroku agreed.
"One of these days, if you piss her off enough, she's gonna kick your balls so hard that she'll fucking make a vagina," Inuyasha laughed out loud as soon as he said that.
"That has got to be one of the funniest things I've ever heard of in my life. Did ya come up with that yourself?" Miroku said with a burst of laughter.
"Nah…I got it from Youtube," Inuyasha said smiling.
After that conversation died down, the two of them just watched TV for a bit. At first nothing good was on, but with the season being Christmas and all, they decided to watch a holiday movie. They just caught the part near the end of the movie where the main couple of the film was about to confess their love to each other on Christmas Eve. As the scene progressed, both Miroku and Inuyasha felt uneasy watching the scene, because they felt that that was something that they to had to do: confess their feelings. Guys just don't know how to do that well. When the movie ended, there was an awkward silence between the two. It didn't take long until Miroku broke it though.
"You know…that movie does make a very good point," he said.
"I know it does. It's just that there's a difference between watching it happen and doing it yourself," Inuyasha replied.
"If there was ever a time for you…us to say how we feel to those girls, it's on Christmas. We've got…five days to grow some balls."
"I thought you already told Sango you loved her," Inuyasha said with curiosity.
"No, I haven't. I flirt with her a lot and do all those perverted things because I'm scared she won't like me like that."
A look of utter confusion formed on Inuyasha's face. "I don't get it,"
"I do all those things so that she'd never take me seriously. That way I always have a place in her life as a friend,"
"But didn't Kagome already say that Sango already does like you, and that all you had to do is be a gentleman?" Inuyasha asked.
"Yeah she did…but like you, I'm not sure. That's why I'm scared. If I tell her I love and she doesn't love me back everything will be awkward and I'll lose her as a friend," Miroku said.
"I know what you mean…but we can't be scared forever,"
"I know…That's why we have to make a promise between men that the confessions will happen on Christmas," Miroku exclaimed. Inuyasha and Miroku shook hands to close the deal.
This whole conversation with Miroku had Inuyasha pumped and he was brimming with self-confidence. "You can consider that promise done on my end!" Inuyasha claimed confidently.
"Good man!...Now that that's taken care of…what are you giving her for Christmas?" Miroku asked
Fuck!! Inuyasha's mind screamed out. Inuyasha's confidence completely vanished and his entire face fell. He has no idea what to get Kagome for a present. "I have no fucking clue," Inuyasha said. "What are you gonna get Sango?"
"I don't know either…But don't panic. We have time to get something for the ladies. We'll go look for something together. Christmas break starts tomorrow; let's do it then."
"Okay…Do you know what girls want for Christmas, Miroku?" Inuyasha asked seriously.
"I don't have a damned clue," Miroku said honestly.
Since it was such a beautiful night, the girls decided that walking beats driving and missing out on the Christmas atmosphere. They parked the car somewhere downtown and decided to walk from there to wherever they wanted to go. Walking through the streets of downtown Tokyo, they noticed all the dazzling Christmas decorations that adorned the light posts, the sidewalks and the stores that lined the streets.
"Aren't these decorations so pretty, Sango," Kagome mused. "Christmas is really here isn't it?"
"Yeah…Only five more days until the big occasion," Sango said with a bit of exasperation.
"What's wrong Sango?"
"That's just it. Christmas is so close yet I still don't have a present picked out for Miroku," Sango said. Kagome raised her eyebrow in suspicion when Sango said that.
"Didn't you say that you don't care about Miroku just a few minutes ago?"
Busted. Sango felt her heart race as her blood ran through her body. The blood pumped up to her face causing it to heat up and blush. "I-I don't. All I meant was a present between friends," she replied nervously.
Kagome knew that she had her sister cornered. "Uh huh…so why didn't you include Inuyasha on the list? Isn't he a friend too? "
"He is but…there's a difference between Miroku and Inuyasha," Sango added meekly.
Kagome was sure she was victorious. "'Different'? How so?" Sango just stayed quiet. She couldn't answer that question without revealing the truth to Kagome.
He's different because I like him; maybe even love him. That's why I get pissed when I see him talking to other girls, her mind screamed out.
"Sango, tell me the truth…do you like Miroku?" Kagome asked. Sango felt her heart pick up pace once more, and her mind was running amok with thoughts and memories that she shared with Miroku.
Yes! Yes I do like him, Sango thought, but she still couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. All she could do was look at Kagome in the eye and give a weak nod, but that was all she needed to do to get the point across. The point is: she does like him…a lot.
"Awwww, Sango…you are so cute!" Kagome approached her embarrassed sister and gave her a tight much needed sisterly hug. Sango didn't hug back though…she was already embarrassed enough.
"Okay, okay, I get it now get off me, Kagome! You know I can't stand this mushy stuff," Sango retorted.
"I'd bet you wouldn't mind if it was Miroku that was the one hugging you now would ya?" Kagome asked playfully as she let go of her sister.
"So what?" Sango smiled.
"How long have you liked him like that anyway?"
"I don't know …not long" Sango replied. "Maybe about a month."
"Oooh. What made you like him?"
"I guess all his antics are what made me like him. All the attention that he was giving made me fond of him. He makes me feel like I matter."
"Awww," Kagome cooed. "Does he know all this?"
"Not exactly…no he doesn't."
"Sango! When do you plan on telling him? Some girl could take him away if you don't act soon enough!"
"I know that okay. I plan on telling him. I just don't know when yet," Sango said.
"How about on Christmas? That works well," Kagome suggested.
"I don't know, Kagome."
"Why not? Christmas is perfect for you to say something."
There was a slight delay on Sango's reply. She was thinking about Kagome's idea. "I guess your right Kagome," Sango agreed.
This whole conversation made Sango think of Kagome's situation also. That made her wonder why Kagome was the one giving her advice. "Wait a minute…" Sango looked over to Kagome. "What about you Kagome? Have you told Inuyasha you loved him yet?"
"Not yet…but I plan to," Kagome replied shyly
"You were giving me advice about confessing when you haven't even done it yourself yet! What's up with that!?" Sango exclaimed.
"Hey! At least I made some moves on him already," Kagome shot back.
Sango knew that Kagome had a point there, which is why she had to make some moves of her own. "Fine, you win. But we still need to tell them and soon. We both have to make our moves on Christmas."
"I know… before any other girls do," Kagome said.
"You got that right. We still have a problem though," Sang added.
"What's that?"
"We still don't know what to get the guys for Christmas."
"We'll go out tomorrow and look for something. Let's just go out and have fun tonight. We have five days to decide anyway, right?"
"Right," Sango answered.
Mall the next day: 5 days until Christmas
"I didn't think Kagome would let you leave the house after what happened yesterday, Inuyasha," Miroku said.
"I know. We're just lucky that the girls had some place to go today also."
"Yeah." Miroku looked around the mall from where they stood and saw the many people out to get some last-minute Christmas shopping done. It's funny because they're there to do the exact same thing. There's just a bit more pressure on them to find the perfect gift. "Man, there are a lot of people here."
"I know right. Where should we go first? Do you have any ideas?" Inuyasha asked.
"Yeah I do," he said smiling.
"Let's hear it then."
"Well…I was thinking about it last night, and an idea came to me: 'why don't we give the girls some lingerie for Christmas?'" Miroku suggested.
"Are you serious, Miroku?"
"Why not? Dudes give their girlfriends kinky lingerie all the time. Don't act like you never gave Kikyo some lingerie when you guys were together," Miroku said smiling.
"But on Christmas though? I can understand giving that on an anniversary, but Christmas?" Inuyasha asked doubtfully.
"Isn't the goal to show that we're interested in them romantically?"
"Yeah...but-"
"What better way is there to show that than giving them lingerie? It shows that we're interested in them and that we want something more than just friendship," Miroku said with a wink.
"You have a point there," Inuyasha conceded.
"Yeah I do."
"All right, let's go to Victoria's Secret," Inuyasha said. Even though Inuyasha agreed with Miroku's suggestion, he couldn't escape that sinking feeling that this whole idea is the wrong way to handle the situation at hand. However, what surprised Inuyasha the most was his lack of emotion when Miroku mentioned Kikyo's name. He didn't feel any pain like he did before. Is Inuyasha really over Kikyo now that Kagome's around him?
When Inuyasha hobbled into Victoria's Secret, he noticed that the place was overrun with women. Not a single male was present in the store. He felt like the whole store stopped just to stare at him. It wasn't the "ooh he's hot" stare; it was more like the "what the hell are you doing here" stare. It felt weird and awkward being the only guys in a store filled with women and sexy undergarments. He looked over at Miroku but he seemed oblivious to the awkwardness present around them. So Inuyasha decided to ignore it as well. He just shrugged off the stares and smiled weakly at the ladies. Inuyasha just walked on inside trying to avoid the awkward stares.
When the moment passed, Inuyasha nudged Miroku and asked: "Are you sure about this idea of yours?"
"Of course I am," Miroku replied confidently. "You'll thank me when Kagome's all over you after giving her one of these." Miroku reached out and grabbed a red lace thong from the store wall and handed it to Inuyasha.
Inuyasha held it in his hands and inspected it. He found that the thong was…"lacking" to say the least. "Miroku, this isn't gonna work. Kagome will kill me when she gets this from me."
"Oh, please. You're over reacting. How do you know she won't fall in love with it?" Miroku asked.
Inuyasha held up the thong in front of him to show it to Miroku. "Because this damned thing is missing the crotch!" Inuyasha hissed loudly. He got the attention of a couple girls nearby and they stared at him again…disgusted. Inuyasha could have sworn that he heard them say "pervert" as they scurried away from him. I'm not the damned pervert; he is, he said in his mind. Miroku just had to chuckle at what happened. "Besides, Kagome's not the kind of girl who would wear stuff like this…she's just innocent," Inuyasha said gently with a loving look on his face.
Inuyasha POV:
I said that, but I have to admit…if Kagome did wear this, she would look so damn sexy.
Inuyasha took a moment to imagine how Kagome would look in such kinky underwear. He liked what he saw.
She would look so irresistible in these. She has the curves in the right places, and her ass…Oh my God…would look so heavenly in this thong… not to mention that hot pussy. If I saw this on her in person, I'd probably blow my load before we did anything. I hope that doesn't happen. That would suck soooo bad.
"Dude, you're lovesick," Miroku said knocking Inuyasha out of his fantasy.
"I know I am. So are you," he replied. "What are you planning to get Sango from here?"
Miroku walked over to the other side of the store and came back a minute later bringing something that looked a lot like bunched up string. "This is what I plan to get."
"What is it? I can't tell what it is. It just looks like string to me."
"It's a one piece underwear set. It does the work of a thong and a bra," Miroku said as he held it up for Inuyasha to see. It was "V" shaped and Inuyasha saw small patches of fabric that are allegedly supposed to cover up the boobs and the pussy. However, by looking at it, Inuyasha could tell that the fabric would only hide the nipples and the clit since it was so small. The rest of it was just string that connects the patches together.
"She's gonna kill you," Inuyasha said matter-of-factly.
"No she won't. She'll love my gift," he said smugly.
"On what alternate dimension are you talking about?"
"Very funny," Miroku chided. "Let's go. I'm fine with this."
"Hold on. Let get something else. I'll be right back." Inuyasha returned the would-be thong where it came from and proceeded to walk around to look for something else. He came upon a black lace pair of panties that was decent. He actually had to check if there parts that were left uncovered.
Inuyasha POV:
I guess this is okay. It's definitely sexy enough for her, and it's not too naughty for her personality…at least I hope not. All right, I'll get this instead of that sorry excuse for underwear.
Inuyasha walked back to Miroku. "All right, I'm ready to go,"
"What did you get?" Inuyasha held up the black pair of panties. "Oh good choice. I like that."
"Okay…let's go,"
The two friends walked over to the cashier where they were met with more awkward gazes from the girls. When they placed the underwear on the counter so that they can be scanned, Inuyasha noticed a smile form on the attendant's face. After a while, the smile turned to laughter and Inuyasha couldn't help but get a little annoyed.
All of a sudden, the attendant looked up at them trying to hold herself back from laughing out loud. "Did you guys buy these for each other for Christmas?!" she laughed mockingly as soon as she said that.
Inuyasha's face fell with disbelief after hearing what she said. "That's it. I'm gone!" Inuyasha exited out of the store in a hurry before Miroku could stop him.
"Inuyasha, wait up!" Miroku called out running after Inuyasha.
"I'm not gonna wait up. This was by far the worst idea you ever thought of. Because of you everyone in that store thinks we're gay!" Inuyasha said angrily.
"It was funny though. You have to admit that," he said grinning.
"It was a little funny," Inuyasha admitted. His anger was fading.
"Now what do we do?" Miroku asked. "I don't think you'd want to go back in there."
"There's so much more things we can get other than lingerie. I just realized that. We can get them clothes, jewelry or whatever."
"You have a point there."
"Let's try again tomorrow; we're bound to find something," Inuyasha said.
"You're right. We still have some time left until our little gathering on Christmas Eve."
"Oh yeah. Where are we gonna have it this year?"
"I told Kagome about it and she said we should have it at your place."
"That's fine with me."
The Park: Noon December 24: Twelve hours until Christmas:
Inuyasha and Miroku sat on the bench tired from days of looking that they subject themselves. It's funny that they're still empty-handed.
"I can't fucking believe that we still haven't found anything to get them! It's been five fucking days!" Inuyasha screamed as he struck the bench in frustration.
"I know!" Miroku said frustrated as well.
"I can't believe that it's this hard to shop for women! We tried to get them jewelry but that shit's just too expensive!"
"You got that right."
"Then we tried buying make up for them. Tell me that wasn't a disaster!"
"It was almost as bad as the Victoria's Secret catastrophe."
"God. Don't remind me!" Inuyasha screamed.
"The clothes shopping was just as bad since we didn't know any of their sizes. If we get them stuff that's too big, they'll kill us for thinking they're fat!!" Miroku complained. "I just don't know what the fuck women want!"
"Who does?" Inuyasha asked.
"I have no fucking clue. They seem to know what men want though. They understand us."
"That's because we're simple creatures. All we think about is sex, sports, and food. That's all," Inuyasha explained.
"You're right," Miroku sighed. "I give up. I'll probably just give her a card or something."
"Yeah…I'm thinking about that too."
At that moment, a small white kitten was walking by the bench that Inuyasha and Miroku were sitting on. There was no collar around its neck so one can only assume that it was a stray kitten. It caught Miroku's eye.
"Hold on…wait a second," Miroku said as he followed the cat with his eyes. There was obviously an idea brewing in that brain of his.
"What?" Inuyasha asked.
Miroku ignored him and focused on the walking kitten. He got up and slowly made his way to it. The kitten was now aware of his presence but made no attempt to run. It seemed like it was used to human attention.
Crouching down, Miroku gestured for the cat to come to him. When Inuyasha saw the kitten, it was clear to him what Miroku was doing. "Here little kitten," Miroku cooed. "Come to uncle Miroku." It didn't more than that for the cat to walk over to Miroku. He picked up the little kitten and sat back on the bench. "Aren't you a cute one," Miroku said as he was petting the little kitten.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to give Sango a stray cat?" Inuyasha asked figuring out Miroku's plan.
"Why not? She's cute and she's clean. You know girls love cute things."
"How do you know it's a girl?"
"Because it doesn't have a dick, dumbass," Miroku said laughing.
"Right," Inuyasha responded. "Are you sure about this though," Inuyasha asked again.
"Yeah. Whoever said that a Christmas present has to be bought somewhere?
There was something that clicked in Inuyasha's mind when Miroku said that. He remembered that he had something back at the house that would be a perfect gift for Kagome.
"Miroku, you're a genius. Why didn't we think of this sooner?" Inuyasha asked.
"Hey, the important thing is that we did think about it. Do you have something in mind?"
"Yeah, I do. Let's head back to my place so I can find it."
"Okay," Miroku said as they got up from the bench.
They got home in a hurry and as soon as they got there, Inuyasha immediately headed for his closet and Miroku and the kitten accompanied him. He was rummaging frantically through the mess in hopes of finding what he was looking for. After a few moments, he finally found the old box.
"Aha! I found it," Inuyasha exclaimed as he held the box in his hands.
"What's inside the box, Inuyasha?"
"It's my family heirloom. All the women in my family have had it for generations." Inuyasha opened the box to reveal a bright purple jewel. It was the size of a big marble but a thousand times more valuable. The sunlight that entered the room shimmered off of the shiny jewel and the golden chain attached to it. "Feast your eyes on the Shikon Jewel, Miroku."
"Holy shit. You're giving that to Kagome?" Miroku asked.
"Yep."
"That's better than anything we came up with, and it's free too. This is just awesome."
"Yeah I know. All we have to do now is to find the right time to give our presents," Inuyasha explained.
"Yep. Well, I'd better go. I still have to prepare this little girl for tonight," Miroku said pointing to the playful kitten. "I'll be here with Sango tonight around eight maybe."
"That's good. See ya then," Inuyasha said as Miroku left the room.
Inuyasha POV:
This is just perfect. I feel so good about myself because I found her the perfect present. All I have to do is give her this and confess. Hopefully I don't mess it up out of nervousness and I hope she likes me back. Jesus…I'm acting like I'm gonna ask her to marry me. Yeah right, she's too shy for her to say anything if I ask her that.
Wait a sec…she's really shy. How is she gonna react when I tell her that I love her if Miroku and Sango are around? Holy shit! This is a problem.
8 o'clock came in a hurry and Sango and Miroku arrived at the door before Inuyasha had his suit on. He was planning on just wearing a hoodie, but Kagome told him to dress nice since it was Christmas. Inuyasha hobbled to the front door to open and he was surprised at what he saw. Miroku was wearing a suit just like he was, and it was surprising because Miroku hated wearing that stuff. Sango was a surprise as well. She was wearing a very fitting dress that hugged her curves perfectly. Inuyasha couldn't help but stand in awe at her beauty that night.
"Hey Inuyasha," Sango greeted as she gave Inuyasha a kiss on the cheek.
"You guys look great," Inuyasha complimented. "Come in. You guys are just in time."
"Thanks," Miroku and Sango replied.
As soon as the three walked into the apartment, Kagome exited the bathroom to greet everyone. Inuyasha just stared at her. She was just absolutely gorgeous that evening. She wore a red, silk, strapless dress that complimented her figure and showed off her curves. It was just then that Inuyasha noticed how truly beautiful she was. Guys would have to impotent not to get a boner from looking at Kagome.
"Hey guys," Kagome greeted as she walked over and kissed Sango on the cheek. She then gave Miroku a friendly hug that got Inuyasha a bit jealous. When she pulled away from them, Kagome couldn't help but notice Inuyasha standing there looking absolutely stunning.
Kagome POV:
Wow, I knew that he would look good in a suit but I never thought he would look that handsome. That red tie just goes so well with his white shirt and black suit. It's not fair that he looks so hot. I wonder what I look like when I stand next to him
The group entertained themselves by playing some games, and singing some karaoke until the food they ordered arrived. Inuyasha was glad that he was able to hear Kagome sing. He would have never known that she has a talent for singing if they never held this celebration. It just adds to her attractiveness. Of course, she was the one that got the highest score, but even though Inuyasha is very competitive, he didn't care that he didn't win. He's just happy that he found out something new about her.
After dinner, they just sat in the living room and watched Christmas specials on TV while they waited for twelve o'clock to come around. The closer Christmas came, the more tangible the tension was that filled the room. One could just tell that all of them were nervous from the way they were sitting and the way they fidgeted in their place.
Kagome POV:
God, I'm so nervous about this. I know I said that I'll tell him tonight, but that's easier said than done. I don't think I can go through with it. What if he rejects me? I don't think we can be friends anymore if that happens.
At the very least, I hope he likes what I got him.
I wonder what he got me. Did he me anything at all? I hope he did. Jesus Christ, why doesn't Christmas just get here already!? The suspense is killing me!
Inuyasha POV:
It's almost time. I'm so nervous. I hope Miroku doesn't get mad when I give my present to her. I just don't want her to get shy in front of them.
Sango POV:
Miroku better have given me something nice.
Miroku POV:
I hope she doesn't kill me before I get the chance to give her real gift to her. I had to come up with a decoy present to keep her happy until later. I just don't want to get her nervous in front of everybody.
12:00 – Christmas Morning
"Merry Christmas!" they all yelled out as the clock struck twelve. They gave each other hugs and kisses to celebrate the occasion.
"Time for presents," Miroku said.
"Can I give mine first?" Kagome asked shyly
"Sure you can," Inuyasha said.
"Thanks." Kagome trotted into the bedroom and came back out with a long rectangular box perfectly wrapped in red, shiny wrapping paper. She walked towards Inuyasha and handed the box to him. "Merry Christmas, Inuyasha"
"Thanks, Kagome," Inuyasha said gratefully as he gave her a hug.
"Umm…Inuyasha?" Kagome started to say. Her heart was pounding for what seemed like a thousand beats a second. Her face took on a new shade of red. Will she do it? Will she confess?
"Yeah Kagome," Inuyasha said looking at her beautiful figure.
"O-open your present. G-go ahead," Kagome stammered. Kagome was mentally beating herself up because of her lack of courage. Kagome could feel Sango staring at her in disbelief.
Kagome POV:
Damn it!! I couldn't do it after all. I'm just so scared. That was my perfect chance to say something, and I blew it. I probably won't get another chance like that in a long time. Damn it all!!
Sango POV:
Way to go Kagome. You're such a chicken.
Inuyasha tore off the wrapping on his present and opened the box that was inside. It was a new sword. You could see the smile form on Inuyasha's face. He was truly appreciative of the gift. Kagome picked the perfect present for Inuyasha. It wasn't romantic, but it was something that made him happy. Despite her disappointment, she couldn't help but feel glad that he liked her present.
"Thanks Kagome. I really love it," Inuyasha said while giving her another hug. "How'd you know to get it for me?"
"It was kinda easy seeing how much you love kendo."
"This is perfect. Thank you," Kagome smiled when he thanked her, but she wasn't completely happy about how things turned out. "I have something for you too," Inuyasha said.
Kagome's spirits picked up when she heard that she's getting a present from him also. "You didn't have to, Inuyasha," Kagome said even though she really wanted to get a present.
"Nonsense. I wanted to get you something." Inuyasha put his sword down on the table, and then reached in his coat afterwards. Inuyasha pulled out a white envelope and handed it to Kagome. You could see Kagome's eyes sparkle as well as Miroku's eyes grow in shock when she got her gift.
Miroku POV:
What happened to the jewel? Hmm. Wait a sec…Maybe he's thinking of doing the same thing I'm doing. Great minds do think alike.
"Thanks, Inuyasha."
"Open it. I hope you like it."
Kagome opened the envelope and pulled out the present inside. It was a card. It was a free day pass at a spa. Of course Kagome loved it. "This is so awesome Inuyasha. Thank you," Kagome said as she kissed Inuyasha's cheek
Inuyasha POV:
I'm glad she likes it.
"My turn to give my present," Sango said. She reached in her purse and gave Miroku an envelope as well. "Here you go, Miroku. You better say you like it."
He opened the envelope and pulled out a hand made card. Much to Miroku's delight, it was a pass for a date with Sango. "You're serious about this Sango?" Miroku asked almost in disbelief.
"Of course I am. After all I do lov-" Sango stopped herself mid-sentence. "I mean you deserve it since you've been working hard at Kendo. You've improved a lot."
Sango POV:
Damn it! I was so close. I almost said but I chickened out in the end. You're such a wuss Sango. You just blew your chance.
Kagome POV:
What happened Sango? I guess we couldn't go through with it after all.
"Thank you Sango. I'm definitely gonna use this soon," Miroku said. He couldn't stop smiling. "I got you something also, Sango."
"Really?!" Sango said happily. "What is it?"
Miroku reached into his suit coat and gave Sango her present. From the way the present looked, one could say that it was a picture frame. "Merry Christmas, Sango."
Inuyasha POV:
Good job, Miroku. I didn't think you'd come up with the same idea.
"Thanks," Sango replied. She ripped off the wrapping to reveal a framed picture of Miroku. "You're such a dork, you know that?" Sango said smiling at Miroku.
"Don't you like it?"
"It's okay," Sango said, but in reality, she really did like the present she got. She can now look at the guy she liked whenever she wanted to.
"Awwww c'mon, Sango. Don't be like that," Miroku teased.
Even though the event was a happy one, Sango and Kagome couldn't help but feel disappointed with their lack of action. You could have seen the disappointment plastered onto Sango's face as she and Miroku left the apartment. He only noticed her sadness when they were alone in his car.
"What's wrong Sango? You look so sad," Miroku asked.
"Nothing's wrong. I'm just disappointed I guess."
"Are you disappointed by my present?"
"It's not that. It's just that I'm disappointed by how things turned out," she said honestly.
"What do you mean?" Sango didn't answer the question. "If I told you that I have another present for you, would you cheer up a bit for me?"
Sango quickly turned around and looked at Miroku to see if he was lying or not. She looked in his eyes and saw that he wasn't. She just smiled knowing that her Christmas may just turn out the way she planned after all. "Maybe," she said with a big grin. Just then, she heard a soft meow in the back of the car. "What was that?" she asked Miroku.
"That would be your present." Miroku reached for the cat that was behind all the pillows that he had in his car. He moved the pillows out of the way and grabbed the white kitten wearing a big red ribbon on its neck. He then handed it over to Sango. "Merry Christmas."
"She's so cute," Sango said as she was petting the kitten. "She's so soft too. Thank you Miroku."
"What are you gonna name her?" Miroku asked
"I'll name her Kirara," Sango said with doe-eyes. "Thanks again Miroku. I love my present." She leaned over to him and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
"Is that all I get? A kiss on the cheek? I was hoping for something more."
Sango felt her heart skip a beat when he said that. "What did you expect?"
"I was expecting a kiss on the lips at the very least," Miroku whined.
"Why would I do that? Aren't we just friends?" Sango asked playfully.
"What if I don't want to be just friends with you anymore?" Miroku asked in a serious tone of voice.
"What are you trying to say?" She was playing coy. She knew where this was going. She had him where she wanted him. She was happy this was happening.
Miroku POV:
Oh shit. I'm about to confess. Don't chicken out Miroku. Be strong. Here goes nothing.
Miroku took a deep breath in order to compose himself. "What I'm trying to say is that I .like you Sango, and not the 'we're friends' kind of like; it's more the 'I think I'm in love with you' like." He paused for second and thought about what he just said. "Who am I kidding? I don't just like you, Sango. I love you. I have for a long time now, and it took me this long to grow the balls I needed to tell you that. I was just too scared of rejection to say it. I didn't know how you felt about me so I couldn't put myself out there until now." He looked her in the eyes and confessed: "I love you. I love you. I love you. There I said it."
Sango just sat there next to him holding her cute Christmas present looking in his eyes. He wasn't lying; she knew that, and her heart couldn't be any happier. "You know…you talk too much," she said with a cute expression. "All you had to say was 'I love you' and 'kiss me' and it would have been done."
Miroku just smiled back at her. "Well, I already said that I love you so I guess…kiss me," he said softly as he leaned forward.
"With pleasure," she cooed as she moved to close the gap between their lips. Their lips locked and smiles formed on their faces between kisses. Miroku kissed her hard while Sango returned his kisses with the same amount of fiery passion.
Miroku pulled away from her with a huge smile on his face. "I hope this night doesn't end with us just kissing," he teased.
"Oh shut up, and just kiss me," she demanded.
"Whatever you say," Miroku replied.
Back at the apartment:
"Did you have fun tonight Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as they were cleaning up the mess from the party.
"Yeah," Kagome said with an exasperated sigh and without much enthusiasm.
Inuyasha picked up the melancholy that was in her tone. "I guess it wasn't that great, huh?" Inuyasha smiled as he clutched the box inside his coat pocket. He slowly made his way behind Kagome. He really hated those crutches. "Would your night have been better if I gave you your present earlier?" Inuyasha asked with the jewel in his hand.
"What are you talking about, Inuyasha? You already gave me a present." She turned around and saw that perfect smile of his that she loved so much. He was just too irresistible for her.
"Oh, but you have another one," he said as he placed the box in her hands. "Merry Christmas, Kagome. Go ahead. Open it," Inuyasha said.
At this point, she was just utterly speechless because of Inuyasha's romantic display. All she could do was stay silent and open the box in her hands. She lifted the lid to slowly reveal the purple wonder that is the Shikon Jewel. Kagome covered her mouth as she gasped in amazement.
"Do you like it?" Inuyasha asked as he gazed upon her surprised face.
"Inuyasha, I love it. Thank you."
"Here, move over in front the mirror so I can put it on you," Inuyasha asked. He grabbed the jewel out of the box and followed closely behind Kagome. He unclasped the chain and put it on her. "You look beautiful, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered. He moved back from her a bit to take in her image.
She turned around to face him. "Oh my God. I don't know what to say. How much did this cost you?" she asked. "I don't think I'm worth that much."
"You don't have to say anything, and don't worry about the price. I didn't spend any money on it," he said. "It's actually a family heirloom. This belonged to all the women in my family for generations."
"Wow," she said amazed. "Why are you giving it to me then?"
Nervousness was starting to enter Inuyasha. He cleared his throat as if to get rid of the anxiety that he was feeling.
Inuyasha POV:
You can do this Inuyasha; don't back down now.
"Because I want to show-" Inuyasha paused. He was lost for words.
"Show me what, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.
"My feelings."
Kagome's heart started to race the moment she heard what her beloved said. It was beating so fast that it was becoming difficult to breath, so she just didn't say anything.
"I wanted to show you that what I feel for you goes far beyond friendship," Inuyasha said truthfully. There was a long pause in his words as he stared into her eyes. He wanted to see if she felt the same. Judging by the sparkle he saw in her eyes, she did. "I love you, Kagome. I don't what else there is to say."
"How long have you felt that way?" Kagome managed to say weakly.
"Since the day I met you," he said grinning. "Since that day, I've never been able to look at anyone else but you when you walk into a room. You've always had my attention. You've always had my heart. I just didn't realize it until you showed me a part of yours." He thought of her kindness when he said that.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I just wasn't sure if you had the same feelings for me. I was just scared to get hurt again. I didn't want to feel that pain anymore. That's why I waited this long."
"How could you not tell?" Kagome asked. Inuyasha thought of all the times they spent together. He thought of their tutoring sessions and the chemistry they had. He thought of the fact that Kagome visited him every single day when he was in the hospital, and she was also there when he woke up. He also thought of how Kagome has been the one who has been taking care of him. The signs have always been there and they have always pointed to one thing: Kagome loves Inuyasha. "I have always been there for you. My heart has always been yours for the taking ever since the day we met. I love you too Inuyasha."
Inuyasha couldn't help but chuckle. "So we wasted all that time being scared when we could have spent it being in love?"
"I guess we did, but none of that matters now," Kagome said with tears in her eyes.
"Then there's only one thing left to ask then," Inuyasha said.
"What's that?" she asked as she walked closer towards her love.
"Kagome, will you be mine?" he asked as he stretched out his hand to her
"Definitely," she replied. Once she placed herself in Inuyasha's waiting arms, she stood on her tip toes to kiss his lips passionately. Kagome parted her lips and Inuyasha parted his as he caressed her tongue with his own. He's such a great kisser, she thought.
The kiss that waited too long to happen finally became a reality.
End of Chapter 14
Sorry for any typos. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.