The Club

Christielea54

Chapter Nineteen

Kagome bounced into work looking even more ridiculously chipper than usual.

"What are you so happy about?" Inuyasha grumbled. It was so not fair that she was a morning person.

A wide grin broke out on her face. "It's less than two weeks until Christmas Vacation!"

That startled him awake. Christmas? Already? But instead of the thought provoking a smile, as it would in most people, it brought a scowl to his face.

Kagome was already busy rooting through a giant yellow back pack she'd brought, and missed his reaction. She began throwing huge, sparkling, cardboard snowflakes over her shoulder, looking for some string to tie them to the ceiling with.

"Christmas decorations?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah! Isn't it exciting?" she exclaimed.

Christmas was possibly Kagome's most favorite holiday all year long, and Inuyasha's least favorite holiday. While everyone else was home, getting and giving presents, and spending time with their families, he was stuck here, in an empty apartment, without even school to take his mind off things. And it made him beyond bitter and cranky for the whole holiday vacation. No wonder such a big percentage of suicide deaths occured around major holidays!

"You can't hang those up here!" Inuyasha commanded with a scowl still present on his features. The last thing he needed was a constant reminder of his holiday season depression hanging from the ceiling!

She looked up from her sorting, bewildered. "Why not?" she asked.

"Just because!"

She raised an eyebrow. He guessed she wasn't about to buy that kind of excuse. Desperately he searched for a reason. "Because… because Miroku's Buddhist!" he threw at her triumphantly.

She turned to Miroku, surprised. "Are you really?"

He laughed. "Actually I am. But I don't mind the decorations at all. Besides, they're good for publicity."

Inuyasha seemed to deflate with every word that Miroku spoke.

The bells over the door chimed as Sango walked in.

"Hey Sango!" Kagome greeted her. "Want to help me with these Christmas decorations?"

Sango felt her throat suddenly close up, and a look passed over her face that Inuyasha immediately identified with. Last Christmas, she thought, her dad had bought her a car. The car was gone now, and so was he. A wave of self-pity threatened to crash down around her.

No! She wouldn't let herself sink that low again! She took a deep breath to steady herself. "I'd love to Kagome, but I can't reach that high either. Have Inuyasha help you."

"Feh, whatever." But later on, as he stood on a step ladder attaching the obnoxious snow flakes to the ceiling, he watched Kagome as she handed them up to him. She looked close to bubbling over with excitement. She was gushing about what she was going to buy for everyone, and how much fun this year would be, and so on and so forth, and unexpectedly he felt a little of that 'Oh Humbug!' bad feeling leave him.

Maybe this Christmas wouldn't be quite so bad.

It was late afternoon and Inuyasha was getting bored. Really bored. Kagome was still going crazy with tinsel that she was hanging everywhere! He was so sick of tinsel; he never wanted to see another piece of it in his entire life!

He sighed. What to do… What to do… There were currently no customers to serve, Kagome wouldn't stop decorating, Sango only worked weekends, and Miroku had some college event that night.

Suddenly he grinned, and his eyes lit up as he thought of something. You could almost see the light bulb turn on over his head. He took the phone from under the bar top and set it on the counter in front of him. Picking up the receiver he dialed the number.

"Hello?" a deep voice answered.

"Sesshomaru! This is Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha?" A microscopic amount of concern entered his tone of voice. Inuyasha never called unless he absolutely had to. "Is everything in order over there?"

"Sure is! I just wanted to send my personal congratulations!"

He was being entirely too cheerful. "Why?"

"For you and Rin, of course." He made a big show of clearing his throat, and then began to sing. "Sesshomaru and Rin, Sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, First comes love, Then comes marriage, Then comes a baby in the baby carriage!"

Dead silence. And then, "Inuyasha, I want you to know that was beyond a doubt the most immature thing I have ever heard in my entire life."

"When's the wedding? I am invited, aren't I? Hey, tell Rin when you see her that- Aw, he hung up on me."

He heard Kagome laughing at him. "I can't imagine why," she told him sarcastically.

"Shut up, you," he said playfully.

"Make me," she taunted mischievously.

Miroku walked in at that exact moment. He smiled lewdly. "Tell me Kagome, what was he going to make you do?"

"Miroku!" she yelled, blushing.

Okay, maybe she had been flirting with Inuyasha a little bit. But she hadn't meant to! Honest! Miroku didn't have to go and make it look so bad!

Kagome was absolutely freezing as she walked into The Club. Sure, winter was fun, but did it have to be so darn cold?! As she opened the door going in, she bumped into Inuyasha who was coming out.

"Hey," he said.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "Where are you going anyways?"

"Have to pick some stuff up for my guitar. I'm playing this Saturday, remember?" he reminded her dryly.

Oh yeah, that. She still wasn't exactly sure where she stood with him on that one. "So I'll see you later then?"

"Sure."

"STOP!" Miroku interjected loudly.

They spun around, 'what's wrong?' written all over their faces. Miroku never shouted! Slowly his perturbed expression relaxed into a smile, and he motioned to above their heads. "You might want to look up there," he suggested breezily.

They looked up… and froze.

Mistletoe.

Kagome could feel her heartbeat pick up, and Inuyasha was sure his was so loud Kagome could hear it. Simultaneously they thought, "Who the hell put that up there?!"

Miroku grinned. "Seven years bad luck if you don't kiss her Inuyasha."

Kagome was looking anywhere but at Inuyasha. She laughed nervously. "Oh come on, Inuyasha doesn't believe in bad l-"

But she was cut off as he leaned down… and kissed her. She could have sworn that her heart skipped a beat. His lips were really, really, soft against hers, and suddenly she didn't feel so cold anymore… In fact, she was pretty sure that she was blushing awfully warmly by now. But as quickly as it had happened, it was over, and Inuyasha was out the door before she could even see the look on his face.

Kagome was left standing with a hand on her lips, staring dumbly at Miroku, and wondering what the heck had just happened.

"Don't look at me like that!" he said. "It was your idea to put the decorations up."

-------------------------------------

Cute, huh?

I don't think the time between the radio station tour and when he's going to perform is working out like I said it would. One too many Saturdays in there somehow… but don't worry! He'll get to it eventually!

Isn't it weird reading about winter in the middle of July?

And about Miroku's Wind Tunnel – maybe something about a car crash? Emotions run awfully high in hospitals.

Review!!!