Feudal Christmastime
Chapter 11: Exchanging and Changing
DISCLAIMER: For Christmas I want to own rights to InuYasha.
InuYasha and Kagome leapt out of the well to the eager faces of their friends, and to a dazzling white landscape. There was at least a foot of snow everywhere; in the trees, over the ground, and even some on the edges of the well. The presents, luckily, were in a patch of dry dirt covered by a conveniently placed parasol, ironically decorated with birds and flowers.
Kagome forgot about everything but the snow for a minute, and she ran around a 20 square foot spot of untouched snow, making a trench around it to stake out her area. After she finished with that, she looked up to the confused stare of InuYasha. Miroku and Sango grinned and pointed to the spots they'd staked out, and Shippou was running around, making his own. InuYasha huffed and rolled his eyes. Kagome walked over to InuYasha and pulled out the blanket from the bottom of the box. She spread it across the ground under the Christmas tree, where there was a thin layer of snow, and patches of dirt.
After all the presents were laid out and a small fire was warming the group's hands and food, Kagome clapped her hands together.
"Time for presents!" She said. Shippou jumped up and ran around, sorting through the presents to find one for him. Kagome joined him, except she found one for everybody and passed them out. When they were all seated with their first round of presents, Kagome signaled to open. Shippou tore into his with his little hands, and Kagome couldn't help but snicker. When she looked at InuYasha, she started laughing. He was inspecting it by sniffing it, then shaking it. He tore it open with his teeth, and grinned when he pulled out a sword sharpening stone from Miroku. Shippou got a rocking pony from Miroku and Sango. He was delighted, and insisted on sitting on it like a grand lord of a castle.
"Bring me my presents, Lady Kagome!" He said like a lord, but still nice enough to make Kagome play along.
"Okay, Lord Shippou!" Kagome said as she tossed a present at him. Kirara had gotten a cat food from Miroku, and Sango had gotten Kagome's Bath Salt, and after a quick explanation, was delighted with her present. They all continued opening presents until there were only two left. InuYasha and Miroku rose slowly and walked over to them. They looked at each other and blushed slightly, their blush deepening when they turned back to Kagome and Sango, each with a package wrapped and held carefully in their hands. Shippou was merrily off playing with his new toys, and Kirara too.
Kagome watched as InuYasha paused so Miroku could go first.
"These are for you, my Lady Sango." It was Sango's turn to blush, and as she slowly peeled back the wrapping paper, she took out a bunch of wildflowers. She tossed the wrapping paper aside, and when Kagome saw what it was, she applauded. Sango hugged Miroku and thanked him for the present. Now InuYasha continued to Kagome.
"Here." Kagome considered sitting him, but thought he'd probably meant to say something, just couldn't. She took the package delicately, and peeled it from the bottom. When she pulled it out, something barely pricked her finger, so she moved her hand tentatively up the stem. When the red rose came all the way out of the packaging, she repeated Sango's way of saying thank you. She felt InuYasha stiffen, then return the embrace.
When all the presents were done, they had the feast. Kagome got many compliments on her cooking, as did InuYasha when she mentioned he helped a little. Everyone loved the ham, and Kagome had to cut it to keep InuYasha from splitting it in half and taking half for himself. After the feast, where the talk was not much more than current situations with the surrounding villages and such, the group divided to their corners, satisfied and ready to delve into the new toys.
(A/N--- this is what they got. Of course I'll tell you.
Shippou got a Jacob's ladder and Kite from Kagome, a rocking horse from Sango and Miroku, a brightly colored finger trap from InuYasha, and a dead lizard from Kirara.
Miroku got a Kimono from Kagome, four finger traps from InuYasha (with praise from Sango and approval from Kagome), From Sango, a bracelet to match the beads on his right arm and a weeping mushroom from Shippou that sang and a dead small mammal… unidentifiable from Kirara.
Sango received Kagome's bath salt, InuYasha's perfume, Miroku's wildflowers, Shippou's fireflies, and Kirara's sparrow, to stunned to fly away, but very much alive.
Kirara got a toy mouse from InuYasha, a ball of yarn from Kagome, cat food from Miroku, a red bandanna-like collar from Sango, and a fluffy toy on the end of a stick from Shippou.
InuYasha got a bone from Shippou (which he was pleased with although it mocked his dog-ness) a red scarf from Sango, the sharpening rock from Miroku, a rabbit from Kirara, and a red silk kimono from Kagome.
Kagome received the rose from InuYasha, A bow and arrows from Miroku and Sango (the arrows had small carvings of puppy heads on the feather end), fireflies and a miniature tree of ages that would disappear soon from Shippou, and a gorgeous male sparrow, also very much alive, but tied to a weight by a string.
End A/N)
Kagome walked over to her new gifts, and picked up the sparrow. She untied it and let it rest in her hands to warm up. It chirped at her, and she held up her hands to let it take off. It paused in midair for a second, and then was joined by Sango's bird. Kirara mewed happily, and after the bird disappeared, Kagome arranged her presents so the snow wouldn't damage them and began playing in the snow she'd staked out.
InuYasha came over to see what she was doing, and was soon followed by the rest of the gang. Kagome way halfway through building a small snowman. InuYasha got bored quickly, and returned to his presents. When Kagome finished, Miroku and Sango were working on a snowman together. Miroku had asked Sango to pose for it, and she was delighted when the pile of snow took her shape. Kagome's snowman was more of the traditional one, though. It was hard to shape the snow as Miroku did with her mittens. Shippou ran by with Kirara, dangerously close to her snowman.
"Look out, Shippou." Kagome closed her mouth. InuYasha? She spun around, and sure enough, InuYasha was behind her watching Shippou carefully.
"Thanks, InuYasha."
"Whatever." He said as he sat, cross-legged near her and her snowman. Kagome got an idea, and smashed her snowman into a pile. InuYasha stared at her as she gathered more snow and made it bigger. She began packing it, and then started carving out the features. About 15 minutes later, her pile of snow looked like InuYasha if you used your imagination. Kagome sighed as she brushed snow off of the ice-dog's cheek.
"Well, at least you can kind of tell who it is…" Kagome muttered as she looked at it sadly. InuYasha had begun romping with Shippou, delighted with the boots he wore. His feet weren't wet or cold, and they weren't letting any snow in. After Miroku and Sango had gotten a good look at Kagome's snow-dog, Shippou ran up to look. Kirara mewed her happiness at the snowman, and InuYasha, who'd been chasing Shippou, came skidding up before he realized what it was.
"InuYasha!" Kagome cried, hoping he'd stop before he would smash her snow-dog flat. Miroku and Sango looked over just in time to see InuYasha frantically skidding to a halt, but not before he'd smashed the head off Kagome's snowman. It did look a lot like InuYasha though, now, because where his head was, it seemed like part of the snowman. Shippou fell over laughing, and Miroku couldn't help cracking up. Sango joined in, and after making sure InuYasha was ok, Kagome broke up too. InuYasha growled at everybody, until Kagome called after him.
"InuYasha, lighten up some, it's Christmas!" When InuYasha paid no attention, Kagome got a little angry, and formed the white, puffy, oh-so-familiar snowball! She chucked it at InuYasha, and it hit his shoulder squarely. He turned around, surprised and insulted. Kagome was already forming another one. InuYasha got what Kagome was doing, and ducked behind the ruined snowman, forming snowballs of his own. When he came out to throw them, he threw one at Kagome, and two more in Sango and Miroku's direction. However, Miroku and Sango seemed to be nowhere in sight, and when InuYasha looked around, he saw them walking through the forest together, Miroku leaning towards Sango, whispering into her ear, and Sango giggling. He didn't eavesdrop, mostly because he didn't want to, and partly because Kagome threw another snowball at him, and he had to duck.
Soon after, Shippou was lying in the grass; his panting dulled and slowed as he fell asleep. Kirara was lying next to him, and Kagome and InuYasha were lying on their backs with their hands behind their heads. InuYasha suddenly sat up, showering Kagome in snow.
"Hey, Kagome. I'll be right back."
"Ok." Kagome sat up as InuYasha left and shook the snow off her like InuYasha would've. She fell over, dizzy after shaking like that. I wondered what that would be like… Kagome laughed to herself. She suddenly sat up and walked about twenty feet into the forest, eventually sitting in a thin patch of snow.
"Kagome…" Kagome stood up suddenly.
"InuYasha?" Kagome turned around and her face collided with someone else's. Before she realized it was InuYasha, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. Kagome melted on the spot, confused, but more than happy to return the sudden display of affection. When InuYasha backed away finally, Kagome asked him breathlessly what that was about.
"Look up." Came his simple reply. She did, and above her was none other than the twig of mistletoe. Her jaw dropped slightly, and she turned to InuYasha, studying him. She just realized he had the large Christmas bow; on his head, of all places.
"I got you a gift." They both said at the same time. They both blushed.
"You first." InuYasha mumbled.
Kagome took out the locket she had on. She then took out InuYasha's.
"I decided you should get the red one so it matched your Kimono." She opened it up, making sure he saw how, and watched in delight as he took it and unyieldingly put it on. He smiled as he looked at it in his hand, then back at Kagome.
"I won't take it off. Promise." InuYasha said, making Kagome beam.
Before she could say a word, he pressed his index finger to her lips.
"My turn."
He moved away about 10 feet, and leapt into a tree. Kagome curiously followed him, and had no trouble climbing into the tree; the branch was 5 feet off the ground. After she sat comfortably, InuYasha jumped to the ground in front of her.
"Kagome, for Christmas, I give you…"
"Yes?" Kagome said, and in the way he seemed to be playing it up she couldn't help but giggle. InuYasha looked off-put and huffed. "Well?"
"I give you… me." He mumbled. Kagome leaned closer, hardly believing what she heard.
"What?"
"You heard. I give you me. I won't go after Kikyo anymore. Seriously." He said when a glare flashed across her features. "I don't love her anymore. I won't. I can't. Not with you around, or even when you're not. I realized, the last time I was with her… that she wasn't the one I loved."
"Oh? And who is?" Kagome said, half-teasing, half not. There better not be another girl.
"You." her heart skipped a beat, and her face blanched. InuYasha studied her, and was rewarded when she leapt out of the tree into his arms, pressing herself against him in a hug.
"I love you too." Kagome whispered into his dog-ear. He pulled away after a short while, and set her gently on the ground.
"Close your eyes." He said, as he pulled the bow off his head and tossed it aside. Kagome obeyed his request immediately, and wondered what was going to happen now?
"Okay." Kagome opened her eyes. InuYasha had backed up about ten feet. He stood there, smiling. Kagome noticed the mistletoe over heis head. Her eyes gleamed with childlike delight, as she ran forward to fulfill the mistletoe's wish, as well as the one under it.
Well, I hope you enjoyed that! Just make up what you will from here. His chapter took me way to long, even by my regularly stretched standards. Sorry for the wait, hope it was worth it! Ekonika InuYasha and Kagome forever::hearts: