Feudal Christmastime

By Ekonika

Chapter 7: Bows and Arrows

Disclaimer: Pop quiz! What's 2+2? 4! Right! That's how many ways I can say I don't own InuYasha!

On their way to the food store, Kagome and InuYasha stopped by a cart in the center of the main aisle. InuYasha looked around as Kagome did, and bought a large, red bow that was about a foot across. He put it in the box on his shoulder that he carried easily, although it was getting heavy. They now went to their last stop at the mall, the food store.

When they arrived at the food store, Kagome got a basket.

"InuYasha, how much of my mom's money do you have left?"

"Um… about 3,500 (a/n- $30) yen."

"Great! I have 9,500 (a/n- $70)… so if I give it to mom, I won't have to do so many chores."

InuYasha looked around the store, trying free samples and sniffing anything that appealed to him.

"Do you think this is enough?" Kagome asked, after buying about 2,500 (a/n- $20) yen in food.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Okay, now we have to buy it and then we can go home." Kagome said as she placed a ham, hotdogs, ramen, fish, and other foods on the checkout counter.

Kagome and InuYasha were walking home with everything in InuYasha's box except for Kagome's two boxes she insisted on carrying herself. As they walked, the sun was approaching the horizon. (a/n: it's around 4 o'clock… winter shorter days you know) Kagome turned off the road into the park, and naturally, InuYasha followed. Kagome set her boxes down on a bench and stretched, facing the sunset. InuYasha followed suit and carefully placed the large box next to Kagome's.

InuYasha was really confused. First of all, who was that guy at the mall? Second, Kagome wasn't acting like herself at all. He was worried, but hardly expressed it, even in the deserted playground. Like whatever she's doing now. What is she doing, by the way? He looked around, and she was climbing the square monkey bars.

InuYasha bounded over to the bars and jumped up, catching Kagome on the way up and taking her to the top. He wobbled for a second on the thin foothold before setting her down carefully.

She looked up at him and her breath was taken away. The sunlight did wonders now more than it usually did. InuYasha's face was just so… Kagome hugged him on impulse, before she was able to stop herself. She pressed her face into his chest, causing him to almost fall. He was surprised at first, for the millionth time today because of Kagome, but hugged her back. What's troubling her so much?

After a little while, Kagome wordlessly went to the side of the monkey bars closest to the sunset and sat on the edge. InuYasha walked over and sat next to her, wondering why he was following her. Kagome watched the sun set beyond the city, sighing in awe. She slowly reached for InuYasha's hand, and realized what she was doing after only a second. She pretended to brush her hair back to explain the movement. After the sun had set, she stood, and began making her way towards the boxes across the top of the bars. InuYasha walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. He jumped f the edge of the bars, landing a few feet from the boxes.

Kagome turned to him after he released her, and smiled.

"Thanks for carrying me down, InuYasha. Sorry if I've been weird today, I really don't know what it is, but I think it's something to do with the stress and stuff of Christmas shopping. Thanks for putting up with me."

"Putting up with you? I wasn't putting up with you, I was just… responding to you how I saw fit."

"Well, thanks."

"Yeah."

Kagome picked up her boxes, and InuYasha got his, and they headed to Kagome's home.

Well, Kagome's back to normal. She was a bit … off, there for a little, wasn't she? Okay, I have… an alternate ending! I wrote it first, and then decided it would be too much too soon, but I think you should read it. Kagome and InuYasha just sat on the edge of the monkey bars:

It was nearly 4:15, which was about the time the sun went down in the winter. The two teenagers sat, silently, on the deserted playground. InuYasha slowly inched his hand over, almost all barriers between them were gone. He was still a little embarrassed, though, as he inched for her hand while the sun set below the horizon. In a swift, silent, soft motion, he grabbed her hand, and she shivered. InuYasha let go for a second, took off his coat, and wrapped it around both of them, pulling Kagome even closer to him. He was about to reach for her hand again, when she took his. This surprised both, but Kagome just leaned into the warmth of the one she loved, and he put his arm around her. There they sat, for thirty minutes, before InuYasha woke with a start at a car honking on a nearby road. His slight shift woke Kagome, who looked at him with a tired sparkle in her eyes. It was dark by now, so her eyes shone, it seemed, to InuYasha.

She looked up at the night sky, breathing in the fresh air from all the plants surrounding the park, and saw a shooting star go by. She gasped, and closed her eyes, still leaning against InuYasha, knowing she wouldn't fall. He stared at her quietly, entranced by the light that seemed to be her aura, which was the greatest thing in the world to him. He wondered what she was wishing for, when she looked up at him again, clearly wanting to go to her house, an entrancing smile flitting across her face. He stood and lifted her, then jumped off the monkey bars, landing softly on the ground far below. They picked up their boxes, and, with their spare arms around one another, headed home in silence.

Bet you're all full of squishy-ness from the love… Wondering what I meant by arrows in the title? Well, I meant Cupid's arrows! Hope you're looking forward to the next chapter! Oh, and if you're wondering what the four ways were in the disclaimer: 1. I don't own InuYasha. 2. Do I own any rights to any T.V. shows? Guess. Two letter word. First Letter: N. Go on, guess. 3. Dirt owns more InuYasha than I do. 4. InuYasha's not mine.