Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this outing… especially for the one who struts his stuff. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess.

A Debt of Gratitude: With thanks to mine beta, Fenikkusuken.


Mid-January…

The Bird Tree

It was on an overcast Wednesday morning that Kagome was greeted by a note in Shippo's neat block print, pinned to her bulletin board—'Bring coat and boots to coffee.' She read the missive twice more, then shook her head with an inner sigh. While I appreciate concise communication, a little more information would be appreciated. I wonder what they have in mind?

A few hours later, she was running late for their usual mid-morning break. She barely made it through the kitchen door before Shippo snagged her arm and hustled her back out. "C'mon, Kagome! They've already started!"

"Who's started what?" she asked, hastening to keep up with Shippo's long strides.

"We're helping Miss Burke today!"

Kagome was still buttoning her coat when the red-haired janitor hurried her outdoors and around the corner of the school building to where dozens of kindergartners congregated in the snow. Decked out in mittens, scarves, and hats, the well-bundled flock surrounded a short row of stout pines. Miss Burke fluttered back and forth, encouraging several small groups to wait patiently, play nicely, and choose wisely. However, the moment she spotted Principal Higurashi, the teacher waded through the crowd to greet her. "You came!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "I was hoping you'd have the time!"

"Good morning!" Kagome smiled, waving Shippo off as he excused himself. "What's everyone up to?"

The sweet-faced young woman's blue eyes sparkled. "All the teachers on this side of the building have pooled resources to create a wild bird habitat." Miss Burke pointed towards the classrooms that faced them. "The first graders maintain a heated birdbath, and the third graders on the corner made birdfeeders and are in charge of filling them. Our contribution each year is to decorate these trees with treats for the birds, and today's the big day!"

Kagome followed Miss Burke along the edge of the group, admiring a plastic tub filled with 'ornaments' made from yarn, raffia, and bundles of millet. "All the kindergarten classrooms have been working on these since getting back from winter break," the teacher explained. "Aren't they just the cutest!"

When they rounded the end of the row of trees, Kagome immediately spotted Inuyasha, who sat on the topmost rung of a stepladder, patiently wiring a whole, dried sunflower head near an evergreen's spire. "It looks like the star on a Christmas tree!" the principal remarked in delight.

Someone tugged at her sleeve, and Kagome looked down in surprise. "It's a bird tree!" corrected a girl with pink earmuffs.

Miss Burke beamed at the youngster. "That's right! Maybe Principal Higurashi would like to help us with our bird tree?" she added with an imploring glance in Kagome's direction.

"It looks like fun," Kagome readily agreed. "Now… what do you have there?" she asked the youngster.

"Popcorn!"

"Did you make that string yourself?"

"Yes, I did!" bubbled the girl. "Teacher only helped a little bit."

Kagome made some suitably-impressed noises, then asked, "Have you picked the place where you want to hang it?"

"Over here!"

As Kagome was led towards the nearest pine to help arrange the edible garland, she glanced over her shoulder at the ladder-straddling janitor and was rewarded with a smirk.

Soon, she found herself working back-to-back with Shippo, who was helping suspend miniature suet balls from the neighboring pine's upper branches. She listened with growing amusement as he chatted with a freckle-faced boy, finally stopping to watch the two interact. "I made this'un," the lad announced, holding up a slightly lopsided ball on its loop of blue yard. "I rolled it in seeds."

Shippo crouched down and gravely contemplated the little guy's handiwork. "I'd say it looks good enough to eat!"

The boy gave the janitor a shifty glance, then confided, "They don't taste very nice."

"Oooh," Shippo replied, nodding wisely. "Well… I don't blame you for trying. They smell pretty good."

"That's the peanut butter," asserted the kindergartner knowledgably, and Kagome had to bite her lip to contain her laughter.

The kindergartners' efforts attracted attention; students watched enviously from the warmth of their classrooms as the five 'bird trees' were completed. Finally, all the children stepped back to admire the display, and Inuyasha found his way to Kagome's side at the back of the group. "Where are your gloves?" he gruffly chided, tugging her right hand into both of his and rubbing her cold fingers.

Kagome was amazed at how warm Inuyasha was… and a bit flustered by the unexpected attention. "You're not wearing any either," she pointed out a little defensively.

The janitor shrugged. "I'm not the one who needs them. Tch… you don't even have pockets," he grumbled, tucking her hand into his left jacket pocket. "Let me have the other one."

Surprised by—though certainly not opposed to—his gentle ministrations, Kagome offered her other hand while settling the first more comfortably into its borrowed shelter. When she did, she discovered… three, four, five, six paperclips!

Several of the kindergartners piped up, asking when the birds would come to enjoy the treats. Miss Burke glanced around doubtfully, but directed the children to step back and stand still. "If we're very quiet, we might be lucky enough to see some of our winged friends," she said, holding up a finger for silence.

Shippo ambled over to Inuyasha and Kagome; nodding to the principal, he casually nudged the hanyou with an elbow. Lifting his brows hopefully, the redhead jerked his head towards the trees. A roll of violet eyes served as permission, and Shippo's green ones sparkled with anticipation… as his pupils narrowed to slits. The kitsune took a half-step back so that his partner's body shielded his movements, and a look of concentration overtook his features.

With a whistling of wings, a pair of doves dropped from the sky and landed on a bending pine bough. Many of the kids gasped, but the birds paid them no mind as they huddled together, billing and cooing. "Awww," Kagome whispered. "They're adorable!"

"Real cozy," slyly agreed the redhead.

Inuyasha treated Shippo to a flat look, but the kitsune merely grinned and nodded towards the farthest pine. Immediately, a red squirrel streaked into view and leapt into the branches of the center tree. It scampered from limb to limb, much to the delight of the children, then stuffed its cheeks with popcorn. Miss Burke waved her hands, frantically trying to prevent the giggling kids from scaring away their visitor, but the bush-tailed thief paid more attention to the midwinter picnic than to those who'd laid it out.

Next, half a dozen bright yellow goldfinches arrived with their more demurely colored mates, and a raucous blue jay landed on one of the crowning sunflower heads. Shippo gave a pleased little hum when a flock of sparrows found refuge in the furthest pine, and Inuyasha's gaze sharpened. "Real ones?" he murmured over his shoulder.

Shippo nodded and made a slight adjustment, and even Miss Burke cooed when a pert-beaked nuthatch arrived, hanging upside down from one of the suet balls as he pecked at its seed coating. For the next several minutes, the wild birds grew bolder and the squirrel sampled a little something from every tree.

When Miss Burke finally insisted that it was time to head back indoors, several of the birds scattered, causing the rest to take flight as well. Kagome withdrew her hand from Inuyasha's pocket and offered him a soft smile, which quickly widened to include Shippo. "I'm glad you guys invited me; that was amazing!"

"It was, wasn't it?" the redheaded janitor smugly agreed.

Inuyasha snorted and tromped across to where his ladder leaned against the building, while Kagome scanned the grey skies, watching for any sign of returning flocks. "I had no idea the birds around here were so daring," she remarked. "With all that whispering and giggling the children were doing, I'm really surprised they came so close. They acted almost as if we were invisible."

"They did, didn't they?" Shippo cheerfully agreed. Inuyasha cut a glance at the redhead, who shoved his hands in his pockets and gazed up into the sky. Clearing his throat, he offered a rather random, "Looks like snow."

Kagome peered into the heavy clouds and said, "Erm… yeah. That's the forecast."

"Subtle," muttered Inuyasha for his partner's ears only.

Shippo chuckled, then announced, "All this fresh air and exercise has really worked up my appetite!"

"I think you're just jealous of that squirrel," Kagome teased. "Did you see how much he ate?"

"Who else wants to stop by the kitchen?" Shippo persisted.

"It's not a bad idea to warm up with a cup of coffee," Inuyasha ventured, gazing expectantly at the principal, who nodded her agreement.

"Why don't I take the ladder," the redhead casually offered. "You can get the door for the lady."

"Yeah, sure," Inuyasha quickly agreed. As he transferred the stepladder to his partner, he smirked and said, "She called it. That rodent was a regular chip off the old kitsune."

Shippo waited until the hanyou was several paces ahead, Kagome close by his side, before whispering, "Quoth the turtledove."


End Note: Posted on July 26, 2009. 1,517 words.