#- Merry Christmas, Inuyasha! -#
An Inuyasha Fanfic by Tobu Ishi
-Part 3- In Which There Is An Unfortunate Misunderstanding, And Miroku Discovers Mini-Skirts
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"...jingle bells, Jaken smells, Inuyasha's mean! Naraku's a big wet smack, and Kagome makes good punch! Hey!"
Sato laughed. "That doesn't even rhyme, Shippo."
"So?" he asked challengingly, reaching for his twelfth piece of fudge with a giggle. "I like these Christmas coral things! Know any more?"
"Carols," Sato corrected. "Sure, lemme think for a second. Oh, hey! How about..." He burst into song. "Joy to the world, Kagome's dead! They barbecued her head! Don't worry 'bout the body, they flushed it down the potty, and 'round and 'round it goes, and 'round and 'round it goes, and 'rou-ound, and 'rouuund, and round it goes..."
Having regained motor movement, Inuyasha had dragged himself to a chair to try and let his poor brain figure out what had just happened.
"Pervert!"
A yelp of pain and the sound of a slap rang out across the living room. A second later, Miroku came dejectedly over to sit next to Inuyasha. "Some people have all the luck," he muttered, rubbing the red spot appearing on his cheek.
"What happened to you?" said Inuyasha, blinking at the battered priest.
"Apparently that mistletoe thing doesn't work as well for some people as it does for others," Miroku muttered, staring darkly at the floor. Inuyasha grinned.
"Tried using it on some wench and got slapped, huh?"
Miroku bristled slightly, but didn't answer. Inuyasha snorted, leaning back to look up at the ceiling.
"If it makes you feel any better, it's not that great when it *does* work, either," he said offhandedly. Miroku arched a knowing eyebrow.
"Isn't it?" he inquired. Inuyasha reddened.
"No!" he snapped, and stood up, about to stomp off.
"Hey, hey, don't get your gi in a twist," Miroku said, grabbing his arm. "I was just saying that you seemed to be enjoying yourself back there a lot more than you're letting on."
Inuyasha growled at him, and the priest quickly removed his hand from the hanyou's wrist.
"Just an opinion," he amended. Inuyasha snorted again and disappeared into the crowd. Miroku grinned; he'd seen the hanyou's blush deepen when he'd hinted about 'enjoying' the mistletoe's effects. "I love it when I'm right," the young priest said, chuckling.
His chuckle died in his throat as a pair of female legs sauntered by at eye level, encased in something unique to this modern day and age: the hot pink miniskirt.
"Hel-lo..." Reaching for his 'trusty' mistletoe again, Miroku hopped to his feet. "Hey, if at first you don't succeed," he drawled, following his new target off toward the food table.
Sato and Shippo were halfway through an "improved" version of 'O Christmas Tree' when Inuyasha poked his head into the room.
"What kind of racket are you making?" he snapped, looking around suspiciously.
Sato stopped singing abruptly; Shippo kept going. The human boy quickly clapped a hand over his mouth; he hiccupped and fell silent.
"Uh...nothing..." Sato said, too quickly. Inuyasha glared at him.
"That leafy stuff," he growled. "You knew it wasn't for getting into parties, didn't you."
It wasn't a question. Sato laughed uncertainly. "Eheheh...yeah. Good present, huh? Uhh...Inuyasha? Where are you go-"
The door slammed.
"Well. That was weird...I wonder what happened to his Christmas spirit?" Uncorking Shippo, Sato shrugged and reached for a piece of fudge...
"So...you're not from around here, are you?"
Miroku shrugged. "Not really. Why?"
The miniskirt girl giggled, tossing her curly dark hair over her shoulder. "Well, look at your clothes, for one thing. Definitely foreign...either that, or somebody forgot to tell you this isn't a costume party."
Miroku sighed. "I didn't have a lot of choice..."
She nodded sympathetically. "I know the problem." She grinned. "Besides, I've been watching you. You stare like a country boy...not used to women or something?" She twitched her hips slightly, dropping him a flirtatious wink.
If he hadn't just taken a sudden trip to heaven, Miroku might have been embarrassed by the blush that brightened his cheeks. He was used to women, all right, just not ones that were so...friendly...
"Um...sorry about that," he apologized, making no effort whatsoever to stop staring despite his words. The girl glanced down at his hand, and a slow smile spread across her face.
"It's fine, honey," she purred. "My name's Sanna, and I like a man who doesn't beat around the bush. Hey, is that mistletoe?" She reached for it, setting down her punch glass. "Mind if I borrow that for a second...?"
"Hey! Cut that out!"
Kagome let out a gleeful cackle, lobbing another ball of snow smack into Hojo's face. The boy yelped and spluttered, shaking snow out of his bangs, and looked up at her, grinning.
"Okay, Higurashi, you asked for it." Diving for a handful of snow, he packed it into a ball and chased her across the yard with it, as she screamed with laughter. They'd gone outside for some fresh air and a look at the snow, and Kagome hadn't been able to resist starting a snowball fight.
"Yeek! Hojo, don't-kyaah!" she squealed, as he caught up to her and rammed the snowball down the back of her jacket. Falling to her knees, she shook at her jacket, trying to get the icy stuff out of it. Hojo knelt next to her, concerned and a bit remorseful.
"Higurashi? Are you okay?"
In answer, Kagome turned and tackled him, laughing. He went down instantly, too startled to brace himself, and she grabbed a handful of snow and washed his face with it.
"Pffaht! Hey, quit it!"
"Say 'Uncle'!"
"No! I-gyapffft! Okay, okay! Uncle!"
True to her word, Kagome stopped, flopping into the snow next to him. They were behaving like little kids, she thought smilingly. Must be the punch or something... She sighed contentedly; for once the problems of feudal Japan were far from her mind.
"Higurashi?"
"Hm?" Kagome murmured, propping herself up on one elbow to look at him. Hojo smiled warmly.
"I-oh, no, just look at you," he broke off, sitting up with an anxious look on his face. "You're shivering..."
"I'm fine, Hojo-kun," Kagome assured him, smiling. Hojo stood up, offering her a hand, which she took.
"Really, Higurashi-san," he said, looking seriously into her eyes. "I would never forgive myself if you got sick again because of me."
Kagome smiled. "Hojo-kun. That is so sweet," she quietly said.
Suddenly, Hojo shrugged out of his jacket, impulsively taking it off and handing it to her.
"Here."
"Oh...Hojo, I couldn't..." Kagome said, startled. "I..."
"It's okay," he insisted, pressing it into her hands. "I don't get cold easily."
When she made no move to take the jacket, he gently took it from her and put it around her shoulders, looking into her eyes.
"Higurashi-san, I know I worry too much about you, and I know it's probably a nuisance," he told her kindly. "But please, don't take it the wrong way. If I worry too much, it's only because I care about you..."
His hands lingered for a moment on her shoulders, and Kagome felt her heart warming to the sincere affection in his eyes. She leaned forward...
"Stupid wench, what does she think she's doing, hiding from me or what?" Inuyasha muttered, stomping through the living room. "First she forgets to invite me, then she practically attacks me, and now.....she......."
Flinging open the door, Inuyasha's voice trailed off, as his eyes were greeted with the sight of Kagome, wrapped in the arms of a human boy...and kissing him with a tender warmth that had been utterly absent in her show-off 'attack' on him earlier that night...
For a long moment, Inuyasha was speechless. A strange, aching feeling slowly filled his heart, as if something dark and terrible was slowly swallowing it. His eyes stung, and there was something wrong with his lungs; they suddenly didn't seem to work.
"Kagome..." he whispered, but his voice was soft, almost silent, and Kagome didn't hear or turn. Watching with shock-riveted eyes, he saw her slender hand slide up and into the hair at the nape of the human boy's neck, pulling him closer...
"Kuso!" Inuyasha spat, and bolted for the well.
The sound of running footsteps broke the warm spell that seemed to have laid hold of Kagome, and her eyes blinked open...
Just in time to see a familiar dark-haired shape run the last few steps to the well and leap in.
*Inuyasha? Oh, no...*
"Che!" she swore, breaking away from Hojo. The poor boy stared at her, bewildered.
"Higurashi...?"
Cursing her stupidity, Kagome sighed and looked up into Hojo's eyes. *It couldn't just be Inuyasha, could it. I break hearts like kindling...* Guilt filling her, she touched Hojo's cheek gently.
"I'm so sorry, Hojo-kun...I didn't mean you, I just..." Her eyes dark with worry, she glanced over at the well. "I'm sorry. I guess the punch got to me, or something...I don't know what came over me..."
Hojo might not have been the brightest bulb in the box, but the guilty, agitated look on her face finally registered. "There's someone else, isn't there?" he said, his voice soft.
Kagome looked back to him, startled. "Hojo?"
He sighed, gently letting go of her. "I should have seen it before. *I'm* sorry, Higurashi-san...for being such a nuisance."
Kagome's eyes filled. "Oh, Hojo-kun...you were never a nuisance..." She took a deep breath. "I know it's a stupid thing to say, especially now, but...I'll always count you as one of my best friends."
Hojo nodded, and a sweet, sad smile crossed his face.
"Right. Well, I guess all I can say is good luck, Higurashi-san."
Standing on tiptoe, Kagome kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Thanks for understanding," she whispered, smiling warmly at him. He patted her on the shoulder.
"It's fine... Go get him, ne?" With that last, he turned and went slowly back into the house.
Kagome sighed again, deeply, as the door shut. *Poor Hojo...* Then the well caught her eye, and she swallowed hard, setting her face resolutely.
"I can fix things with him later...right now, I have a hanyou to find."
________________
-Part 4- In Which Harsh Words Are Exchanged, and Kagome Learns The Meaning of 'Better Late Than Never'
Coming soon!
An Inuyasha Fanfic by Tobu Ishi
-Part 3- In Which There Is An Unfortunate Misunderstanding, And Miroku Discovers Mini-Skirts
________________
"...jingle bells, Jaken smells, Inuyasha's mean! Naraku's a big wet smack, and Kagome makes good punch! Hey!"
Sato laughed. "That doesn't even rhyme, Shippo."
"So?" he asked challengingly, reaching for his twelfth piece of fudge with a giggle. "I like these Christmas coral things! Know any more?"
"Carols," Sato corrected. "Sure, lemme think for a second. Oh, hey! How about..." He burst into song. "Joy to the world, Kagome's dead! They barbecued her head! Don't worry 'bout the body, they flushed it down the potty, and 'round and 'round it goes, and 'round and 'round it goes, and 'rou-ound, and 'rouuund, and round it goes..."
Having regained motor movement, Inuyasha had dragged himself to a chair to try and let his poor brain figure out what had just happened.
"Pervert!"
A yelp of pain and the sound of a slap rang out across the living room. A second later, Miroku came dejectedly over to sit next to Inuyasha. "Some people have all the luck," he muttered, rubbing the red spot appearing on his cheek.
"What happened to you?" said Inuyasha, blinking at the battered priest.
"Apparently that mistletoe thing doesn't work as well for some people as it does for others," Miroku muttered, staring darkly at the floor. Inuyasha grinned.
"Tried using it on some wench and got slapped, huh?"
Miroku bristled slightly, but didn't answer. Inuyasha snorted, leaning back to look up at the ceiling.
"If it makes you feel any better, it's not that great when it *does* work, either," he said offhandedly. Miroku arched a knowing eyebrow.
"Isn't it?" he inquired. Inuyasha reddened.
"No!" he snapped, and stood up, about to stomp off.
"Hey, hey, don't get your gi in a twist," Miroku said, grabbing his arm. "I was just saying that you seemed to be enjoying yourself back there a lot more than you're letting on."
Inuyasha growled at him, and the priest quickly removed his hand from the hanyou's wrist.
"Just an opinion," he amended. Inuyasha snorted again and disappeared into the crowd. Miroku grinned; he'd seen the hanyou's blush deepen when he'd hinted about 'enjoying' the mistletoe's effects. "I love it when I'm right," the young priest said, chuckling.
His chuckle died in his throat as a pair of female legs sauntered by at eye level, encased in something unique to this modern day and age: the hot pink miniskirt.
"Hel-lo..." Reaching for his 'trusty' mistletoe again, Miroku hopped to his feet. "Hey, if at first you don't succeed," he drawled, following his new target off toward the food table.
Sato and Shippo were halfway through an "improved" version of 'O Christmas Tree' when Inuyasha poked his head into the room.
"What kind of racket are you making?" he snapped, looking around suspiciously.
Sato stopped singing abruptly; Shippo kept going. The human boy quickly clapped a hand over his mouth; he hiccupped and fell silent.
"Uh...nothing..." Sato said, too quickly. Inuyasha glared at him.
"That leafy stuff," he growled. "You knew it wasn't for getting into parties, didn't you."
It wasn't a question. Sato laughed uncertainly. "Eheheh...yeah. Good present, huh? Uhh...Inuyasha? Where are you go-"
The door slammed.
"Well. That was weird...I wonder what happened to his Christmas spirit?" Uncorking Shippo, Sato shrugged and reached for a piece of fudge...
"So...you're not from around here, are you?"
Miroku shrugged. "Not really. Why?"
The miniskirt girl giggled, tossing her curly dark hair over her shoulder. "Well, look at your clothes, for one thing. Definitely foreign...either that, or somebody forgot to tell you this isn't a costume party."
Miroku sighed. "I didn't have a lot of choice..."
She nodded sympathetically. "I know the problem." She grinned. "Besides, I've been watching you. You stare like a country boy...not used to women or something?" She twitched her hips slightly, dropping him a flirtatious wink.
If he hadn't just taken a sudden trip to heaven, Miroku might have been embarrassed by the blush that brightened his cheeks. He was used to women, all right, just not ones that were so...friendly...
"Um...sorry about that," he apologized, making no effort whatsoever to stop staring despite his words. The girl glanced down at his hand, and a slow smile spread across her face.
"It's fine, honey," she purred. "My name's Sanna, and I like a man who doesn't beat around the bush. Hey, is that mistletoe?" She reached for it, setting down her punch glass. "Mind if I borrow that for a second...?"
"Hey! Cut that out!"
Kagome let out a gleeful cackle, lobbing another ball of snow smack into Hojo's face. The boy yelped and spluttered, shaking snow out of his bangs, and looked up at her, grinning.
"Okay, Higurashi, you asked for it." Diving for a handful of snow, he packed it into a ball and chased her across the yard with it, as she screamed with laughter. They'd gone outside for some fresh air and a look at the snow, and Kagome hadn't been able to resist starting a snowball fight.
"Yeek! Hojo, don't-kyaah!" she squealed, as he caught up to her and rammed the snowball down the back of her jacket. Falling to her knees, she shook at her jacket, trying to get the icy stuff out of it. Hojo knelt next to her, concerned and a bit remorseful.
"Higurashi? Are you okay?"
In answer, Kagome turned and tackled him, laughing. He went down instantly, too startled to brace himself, and she grabbed a handful of snow and washed his face with it.
"Pffaht! Hey, quit it!"
"Say 'Uncle'!"
"No! I-gyapffft! Okay, okay! Uncle!"
True to her word, Kagome stopped, flopping into the snow next to him. They were behaving like little kids, she thought smilingly. Must be the punch or something... She sighed contentedly; for once the problems of feudal Japan were far from her mind.
"Higurashi?"
"Hm?" Kagome murmured, propping herself up on one elbow to look at him. Hojo smiled warmly.
"I-oh, no, just look at you," he broke off, sitting up with an anxious look on his face. "You're shivering..."
"I'm fine, Hojo-kun," Kagome assured him, smiling. Hojo stood up, offering her a hand, which she took.
"Really, Higurashi-san," he said, looking seriously into her eyes. "I would never forgive myself if you got sick again because of me."
Kagome smiled. "Hojo-kun. That is so sweet," she quietly said.
Suddenly, Hojo shrugged out of his jacket, impulsively taking it off and handing it to her.
"Here."
"Oh...Hojo, I couldn't..." Kagome said, startled. "I..."
"It's okay," he insisted, pressing it into her hands. "I don't get cold easily."
When she made no move to take the jacket, he gently took it from her and put it around her shoulders, looking into her eyes.
"Higurashi-san, I know I worry too much about you, and I know it's probably a nuisance," he told her kindly. "But please, don't take it the wrong way. If I worry too much, it's only because I care about you..."
His hands lingered for a moment on her shoulders, and Kagome felt her heart warming to the sincere affection in his eyes. She leaned forward...
"Stupid wench, what does she think she's doing, hiding from me or what?" Inuyasha muttered, stomping through the living room. "First she forgets to invite me, then she practically attacks me, and now.....she......."
Flinging open the door, Inuyasha's voice trailed off, as his eyes were greeted with the sight of Kagome, wrapped in the arms of a human boy...and kissing him with a tender warmth that had been utterly absent in her show-off 'attack' on him earlier that night...
For a long moment, Inuyasha was speechless. A strange, aching feeling slowly filled his heart, as if something dark and terrible was slowly swallowing it. His eyes stung, and there was something wrong with his lungs; they suddenly didn't seem to work.
"Kagome..." he whispered, but his voice was soft, almost silent, and Kagome didn't hear or turn. Watching with shock-riveted eyes, he saw her slender hand slide up and into the hair at the nape of the human boy's neck, pulling him closer...
"Kuso!" Inuyasha spat, and bolted for the well.
The sound of running footsteps broke the warm spell that seemed to have laid hold of Kagome, and her eyes blinked open...
Just in time to see a familiar dark-haired shape run the last few steps to the well and leap in.
*Inuyasha? Oh, no...*
"Che!" she swore, breaking away from Hojo. The poor boy stared at her, bewildered.
"Higurashi...?"
Cursing her stupidity, Kagome sighed and looked up into Hojo's eyes. *It couldn't just be Inuyasha, could it. I break hearts like kindling...* Guilt filling her, she touched Hojo's cheek gently.
"I'm so sorry, Hojo-kun...I didn't mean you, I just..." Her eyes dark with worry, she glanced over at the well. "I'm sorry. I guess the punch got to me, or something...I don't know what came over me..."
Hojo might not have been the brightest bulb in the box, but the guilty, agitated look on her face finally registered. "There's someone else, isn't there?" he said, his voice soft.
Kagome looked back to him, startled. "Hojo?"
He sighed, gently letting go of her. "I should have seen it before. *I'm* sorry, Higurashi-san...for being such a nuisance."
Kagome's eyes filled. "Oh, Hojo-kun...you were never a nuisance..." She took a deep breath. "I know it's a stupid thing to say, especially now, but...I'll always count you as one of my best friends."
Hojo nodded, and a sweet, sad smile crossed his face.
"Right. Well, I guess all I can say is good luck, Higurashi-san."
Standing on tiptoe, Kagome kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Thanks for understanding," she whispered, smiling warmly at him. He patted her on the shoulder.
"It's fine... Go get him, ne?" With that last, he turned and went slowly back into the house.
Kagome sighed again, deeply, as the door shut. *Poor Hojo...* Then the well caught her eye, and she swallowed hard, setting her face resolutely.
"I can fix things with him later...right now, I have a hanyou to find."
________________
-Part 4- In Which Harsh Words Are Exchanged, and Kagome Learns The Meaning of 'Better Late Than Never'
Coming soon!