Winter Wonderland

Prompt: Shooting Star

Universe: AU

Genre: Romance, teeth-rotting fluff

1,000 Words

Kagome cradled a mug of hot chocolate in her hands and basked in the glow of the merrily crackling fire. The radio was on, tuned to a station that only played Christmas songs. The song playing now was coming to an end, a familiar tune sung in a language foreign to her. The next song started, the first notes of Winter Wonderland filling the room. She looked around the log cabin and its white painted walls, her gaze drawn to the tall window and the looming darkness behind it. Kagome hummed. Winter Wonderland indeed!

She and Sesshoumaru had been dating for nine months now. From the start it had been clear that this relationship was more serious than any of her previous ones, and she had learned to know Sesshoumaru well. Therefore, Kagome had been flabbergasted when Sesshoumaru – the hopeless workaholic – had announced that he had taken leave from work starting from 23rd of December and lasting until the New Year. And she had been completely blown away when he next informed her that he was taking her to northern Europe for a Christmas getaway.

And here she was, in a country far up north, so different from everything she was used to. Instead of skyscrapers and the hectic bustle of the city there were towering fir trees and a silent, peaceful calm.

Sesshoumaru had even gone so far as to use the only romantic bone in his body; opting to rent them a cabin instead of booking a hotel room. It made for a more authentic experience, in their cabin they were closer to the nature. Very close in fact, yesterday a reindeer had leisurely strolled in the yard while Kagome had sat mesmerised by the window.

It was cold, though. She had bought herself a pair of hand-knit socks from the souvenir shop to keep her poor toes warm. And the darkness… the darkness was weird. It was only five o'clock and yet it was pitch black outside. Had been for a while, the daylight hadn't even lasted for two hours.

Kagome had been so eager to explore when she had first heard about their trip and had looked up activities from skiing to dog sled rides. But now that she was here and discovered first-hand that the websites hadn't been exaggerating when they spoke of sunless days, staying in suddenly held much appeal.

Kagome set her empty mug down on a table and shivered when she felt a draft.

"Sesshoumaru?" she called out, but got no answer from her boyfriend.

He had gone upstairs after dinner, wanting to get some work done. She had not pointedly reminded him that it was a holiday; she was well aware that Sesshoumaru would be deaf to such complaints.

Kagome frowned and left her comfortable spot in the corner of a sofa. There was a definite chill at the foot of the stairs – steep enough that they seemed half a ladder – and she climbed up to investigate.

The loft was empty, Sesshoumaru's laptop lay discarded on the bed. The cause for the cold draft quickly became apparent as she found the balcony door ajar. Kagome shivered again and picked a blanket off the bed. Bundled in wool, she stepped out into the dark afternoon, quietly padding across the small balcony to where Sesshoumaru was standing. Her breath caught, more from the view than the freezing cold.

The forest stretched before them, an endless sea of dark fir trees. Everything was draped and blanketed in snow. The snow in Tokyo was always wet and fleeting, but here it was heavy, soft and magical. Like in the song earlier, it truly did glisten, the white surface sparkling silver in the light of the full moon. The night was awash in an otherworldly glow that left Kagome feeling at awe. Yesterday had been cloudy, it had snowed for most of the evening, so this was the first time that she realised it wasn't that dark after all. The silver-white snow, almost the same hue as Sesshoumaru's hair, reflected the light of the moon.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, her breath misting in the air.

"Look up," he said softly.

Kagome gasped. The sky stretched above them, dark and speckled with millions and millions of stars, shining so bright. It was a sight she'd only seen in photographs before, there was too much light pollution in Tokyo to see the night sky clearly.

Warmth welled in her chest as she felt a wave of gratitude to Sesshoumaru for planning this trip and bringing her here. Kagome greedily drank in the sight of the starry sky, forgetting how the cold pricked at her nose and ears.

"A shooting star," she cried. "Quick! Make a wish!"

"You know that's just a rock hurtling through the Earth's atmosphere?" Sesshoumaru replied, his voice lilting in amusement. "There is nothing magical about it."

"Well I'm making one, just in case," she retorted and closed her eyes.

When Kagome opened her eyes, her heart skipped a beat. Her breath trembled in her throat and she wanted to pinch herself.

She blinked but the vision didn't change – Sesshoumaru was still down on one knee on the balcony floor, silently offering her a ring gleaming against the dark velvet of the ring box.

Although he technically hadn't voiced the question, Kagome was stunned by this big romantic gesture so atypical of him. It took her a moment to find her voice.

"Yes," she finally managed in a breathless whisper. He was up on his feet in an instant, gathering her into his arms, his lips meeting hers. She dropped the blanket as she clung to him, eagerly returning the kiss.

After an eternity they parted. Sesshoumaru clasped her hands, easing the ring onto her trembling finger. Then he picked up the blanket and draped it over her shoulders.

"You're freezing," he said, his warm breath tickling her ear. "Let's get you inside."

She smiled and nodded. Magic or not, her wish had come true.

Merry Christmas!