The First Christmas
The cold winds of winter rapped against their window, the hanyou's sensitive ears picking up the high pitched whistle as Inuyasha struggled to piece together their artificial tree. He had wanted to get a real one, this being their first Christmas as newlyweds, but the money simply wasn't there and Kagome's mother had had an old tree tucked away in the basement.
"Can you pass me the middle piece?" He asked, tightening the screws of the stand effortlessly.
His wife picked up the green stand, its fake needles falling on the floor from being disturbed. He couldn't help but smirk as she walked over, the bottoms of the faded red flannel pants catching his eye. Somehow, all his pajamas had become hers; on the nights that she actually donned clothing in bed, it always seemed to be his old band tee shirts. But that was marriage, right? Sharing everything, even the laundry. And fuck if she didn't look adorable in it. Once she had inserted the middle of the tree, he quickly grabbed the last piece, placing it snugly on top. He stood back, draping his arm over Kagome's shoulder.
"The branches just need to be fluffed a bit, but it's in good shape." She said, her slim arms wrapping around his middle to give him tight hug. He rose a dark brow at her optimism. This might have been her mother's tree when she was a kid. At first, he had been ready to refuse it, eager to thank his mother in law for her kindness, but to turn her down none the less. Once Mama Higurashi had figured out that the key to giving her new son hand me downs was to threaten to throw them away, she seemed to find a plethora of things their small apartment was missing.
"I'm sure you'll work your magic. You fluff, and I'll string."
His nimble hands set to work, untangling the lights that had probably been knotted for the last decade. These too, had been a gift, passed along in a box from his mother's old Christmas ornaments, stored away in the attic and collecting dust. Apparently, Kagome's mother chatted with his, because the same excuse slipped out of her mouth, and Inuyasha accepted the decorations with thanks and frown; his mother had offered to buy them new ones, she had offered to decorate their entire apartment, in all honesty, but they had turned her down. They wanted to do things on their own. It was okay if their apartment was small, if their things used. It was theirs.
There had been many people against their marriage when the news first broke that he had proposed. The ring was pretty, but petite, and Sesshomaru made no qualms about giving it a disapproving glare. His family came from old money, plenty to spend and plenty to spare; but Inuyasha felt that if he didn't earn it with his own two hands, it was meaningless. He had scrimped and saved for that diamond, and it was truly a labor of love. They were young, still in college and working minimum wage jobs, but when you know, you know; and what he knew was he couldn't wait a single moment more to spend his life with Kagome. There was no feeling to compare, no memory that could rival the feeling of slipping the silver ring around her small finger, the million 'yes's that fell from her lips.
That's what he thought; every day she seemed to top that feeling. The way she stretched when she woke up, the feeling of sharing breakfast together, and more than anything, coming home, to her. But there was something about Christmas, the magic of the season, or maybe it was the low glow of the lights that made his heart swell with love for his little wife. She was bent over, humming some old carol, spreading out the branches with a determined look. He grabbed her hand, pulling Kagome from her work and gave her knuckles a brief kiss. "It looks good." He complimented, giving her a toothy grin. "Can you plug this in?" He asked, nodding to the lights; The massive ball lit up, and he went about wrapping each strand over the branches, making the dull tree suddenly shine. By the time they were done hanging the ornaments, Inuyasha was sure it was the best tree he had ever seen.
"All that's left is the star." She smiled, holding out the yellow tree topper to her husband. It went without saying that he would the one to place it; Kagome was shorter than the tree and even on her tiptoes, she would have difficulty reaching the top. With a quick smile, he placed his clawed hands on her waist, turning her to face the tree and lifted her up. She squeaked, calling out his name in surprise, the star still firmly in her grasp. Kagome stretched out her hand, placing the shining yellow star in its place. Inuyasha lowered her down slowly, taking his time to bring Kagome to the ground, indulging in the feel of her body, simply because he could. They may not have much, and their tree may be fake, but they had each other, and that was all that really mattered. "Wife." He rumbled, cupping her face in his hands, mindful claws stroking her cheek, bright eyes staring back at him.
"Merry Christmas." He whispered, his lips no more than a breath away. Kagome smiled as she closed the gap; their first Christmas as husband and wife was just as warm and wonderful as she had always dreamed.