InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Savvy ❯ Chapter Twenty ( Chapter 20 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

I don't own Inuyasha. I asked for him for Christmas, but I really don't think I'm going to get lucky this year. I asked for a drawing tablet just in case. (ALWAYS have a back up plan.) Eee, I'm so excited; I've been waiting to write this chapter forever!

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"Wishlist" Pearl Jam

"Next Contestant" Nickelback (The inspiration for the whole story, people! You guys are psychic, I swear. Or maybe it was just that obvious.)

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Monday... Christmas...

Kagome was wide awake as soon as her foot hit the floor that morning (she was still being careful with the other one), and she limped into her bathroom with a smile on her face as she got ready to take a shower.

After drying her hair, she put dressed in her pajamas again before crawling under her bed to retrieve Inuyasha's presents. The gifts she'd purchased for everyone else were in a bag on her couch, ready to take up to Kagura's that afternoon for Christmas dinner.

Gathering the boxes together, she placed them in a large gift bag to easier carry them across the hall, and hobbled in that direction. Knocking on Inuyasha's door, she got no answer, which she'd been expecting. It wasn't even nine o'clock.

Twisting the doorknob, she found he hadn't locked it, and let herself in to see him sprawled across his couch, his mouth hanging open slightly, and she had to fight back a giggle as she went to sit on his coffee table. Seeing his ear twitch as he slept, Kagome felt as though she was being unconsciously monitored, and she reached out to rub the soft fur between her fingers, causing Inuyasha to let out a very unmasculine little whimper. "Wake up, Inuyasha," she sang softly.

One golden eye popped open, focusing on her. "Hn?"

"It's Christmas!" she cried quietly, releasing his ear. "Wake up!"

Letting out a huge yawn, Inuyasha rolled onto his side, blinking sleepily at her. "You woke me up this early for Christmas?" he mumbled, scratching his head. Then, his eyes fell to the bag at her feet, and his expression quickly turned greedy. "Is that mine?"

"Yes... Are you going to get up now?"

He sat up, rubbing his hands down his face as he yawned again. "I can't give you all of your presents yet," he told her. "One of them is in Kagura's apartment, and there's no way in hell I'm waking her up this early."

Kagome laughed. "I don't blame you." Handing him one of his gifts from the bag, she smiled. "Merry Christmas, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha returned her smile before shredding the wrapping paper of the small box with his claws, revealing a nondescript white box. Opening it, he shook his gift out, smiling. "A sock hat?"

"Well, yeah, but it's a special one," she replied. "Unfold it."

Doing so, Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and Kagome burst out laughing at the little ears sewn onto the hat. "Very funny," he drawled, pulling the hat over his head, which only caused Kagome's giggles to escalate. "Any more cute tricks?" he asked, arching a brow.

"No," Kagome managed to reply. "The rest are real presents, I promise." She handed him the next gift, which he eyed suspiciously before opening.

Inside were three CDs he'd been meaning to buy at some point, and he was surprised she'd remembered him mentioning it before. He was more surprised she'd remembered the names of the bands, and thanked her before she handed him his last present.

He knew what it was before he opened it; the shape gave it away, and as he tore the paper away to reveal the photograph of their dance at the wedding in an expensive looking frame, he smiled softly, letting his eyes linger for a moment before looking to Kagome.

"I would have given it to you before now, but I couldn't find a frame I liked," she admitted. "I know it's not much of a present, since you knew you were getting it, but--"

"It's great; quit babbling, wench."

She smiled, looking relieved, and Inuyasha suddenly felt extremely nervous. It was time for him to give her his gift, wasn't it? One of them, at least. He went to his bedroom, opening the top drawer of his dresser where he'd been hiding the present since Sango had talked him into buying it. Returning to the living room, he handed it to her, saying nothing as he watched her look curiously at the small box before smiling eagerly and tearing the paper away to reveal the velvet box underneath. Her brow furrowed slightly as she opened the hinged lid, and Inuyasha feel his heart racing as Kagome's eyes widened, her skin flushing. "Inuyasha..." she breathed, her eyes bright as they looked up to him. "I can't take this," she said in a wavering voice. "It must have cost so much..."

"It wasn't that bad," he assured her, lifting the necklace from its box, which he tossed on his sofa. "Sango told me she saw you drooling over it when you were shopping. Besides, you other present didn't cost me anything."

Kagome saw he meant to put the necklace on her, and she lifted her hair, letting his arms encircle her neck as he clasped the thin chain around it. "But what if I break it?" she whimpered.

Inuyasha chuckled at her desperate expression. "Don't."

"O-Okay." She fingered the amethyst pendant on the chain carefully. "Thank you..."

For the first time in his long existence, Inuyasha found himself thinking that life was incredibly unfair. Seeing the rosy blush on Kagome's face, along with her vulnerable smile... moments like these were made for kissing, weren't they?

It was almost too tempting, and he indulged in a brief daydream of taking her face gently between his hands and kissing her senseless. Perhaps even skipping Kagura's Christmas dinner and spending the day in bed instead, seeing exactly how many times he could cause her to moan like she had on that morning that still haunted him. But...

Kagome watched as Inuyasha looked away from her, breathing deeply, and she felt her heart sink. He'd been about to kiss her... hadn't he? Going by the uncomfortable look on his face as he seemed to look at everything in the room but her, she knew he had been.

Not wanting the awkward moment to go on, Kagome smiled. "Um, do you want some breakfast?" she asked, unable to think of anything better to say.

"What?" He glanced at her before his eyes darted away again. "Yeah. Sure."

Kagome stifled the urge to sigh. Short of jumping on him, she had no idea what could convince Inuyasha that she wanted to be with him.

After breakfast, the two of them settled in to see if there were any channels that weren't showing Christmas films, and it wasn't until around noon that Inuyasha announced he was going to get her other present from Kagura. Kagome waited impatiently for him to return, wondering why he'd keep her gift upstairs. Was it too big to hide from her? She didn't see how anything could be better than her necklace, but she was still excited about getting something else.

Hearing Inuyasha footsteps in the hall, Kagome sat up expectantly, and her eyes widened dramatically as they fell on her seconds present.

It was a cat.

"Oh, it's so cute!" Kagome squealed, springing up from the couch to take the orange tabby from Inuyasha's arms, cuddling it affectionately. The cat purred happily, closing its golden eyes.

"Her name's Kilala," Inuyasha told her.

"Oh, thank you!" Kagome cried, letting the tabby jump from her arms to the couch. "I've missed having a cat."

"Well..." Inuyasha scratched his head. "She's not... exactly a cat. I mean, she is, but..."

Kagome looked from Kilala to him. "Eh?" she asked with a lifted brow.

Inuyasha smiled at the obvious befuddlement on her face before looking to the cat. "Take off that concealment, Kilala."

With a tiny mew, Kilala's form shimmered like quicksilver, and Kagome gasped at the two-tailed, red-eyed cat.

"She's a neko youkai," he explained. "Kagura knows a family that raises them. Normally, they won't give them away as pets, but once she explained the situation, they were more than happy to give her up."

"Situation?" Kagome echoed.

"Youkai like Kilala are great protectors," Inuyasha told her. "If I can't be around, she can."

Kagome glanced at the feline, giggling a little. "This cute, little thing is going to protect me from Kouga?"

Inuyasha smirked, crossing his arms. "She ain't always so little. I want you to take her with you if you go anywhere. And I mean anywhere. She can hide in that monstrous purse of yours." Kilala mewed in agreement.

"Well, alright," Kagome replied. "I guess we should run to the store before dinner, though, and get her a few things."

"Like what?"

"Well, some food, and maybe some toys..." she trailed off.

"She'll eat whatever you eat. If you give her cat food, you're probably going to piss her off. She'll let you know if she needs something."

"Oh. Okay." Smiling, Inuyasha was caught off guard as she threw herself into his arms, embracing him tightly. "Thank you," she said.

"Y-You're welcome," he managed to reply, his face flushing at the feel of her body against his. He found himself remembering the morning after the storm, when he'd woken up wrapped around her. He'd lain awake for nearly an hour before she woke up, letting himself enjoy the feel of her hand on the bare skin of his chest, and the gentle press of her leg on his. It was becoming harder all the time to not give into his desire to be with Kagome. Was there anything about her he didn't like? She was beautiful, of course, but he knew a lot of beautiful girls, and had seen most of them naked, considering his job. There was something else about her, however, something that seemed to draw him to her, and he wasn't even sure what it was. It almost felt like he was becoming addicted to her; he could never seem to look away from her when she was unaware of his stare. Her smile, her laughter, even the way she walked caused him to feel an overwhelming need to be near her; to protect her.

As Kagome pulled away from him, he mourned the loss of her touch. How could such a fragile looking human make him feel so weak? "I'm going to go get dressed," she told him, smiling as her eyes moved up to his sock hat. "Are you going to wear that to dinner?" she asked.

"Keh. It's my present, isn't it? Of course I'm wearing it."

Giggling, Kagome left him, disappearing into her bedroom. Inuyasha watched her go, smiling softly. It was turning out to be a great day.

Little did he know, it was preparing to take a turn for the embarrassing.

(*)(*)(*)

He was carrying Kagome's huge bag of gifts through the hall to Kagura's, while Kagome walked beside him, lightly swinging his own bag of presents he'd bought for their friends. Knocking, he heard Kagura welcome them inside, and as he opened the door he saw six sets of shifty eyes; only his brother was excluded from this. Sesshoumaru looked as uncaring as always. "What's going on?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously.

Kagura gave him a wry smile, pointing above his head.

Kagome and Inuyasha looked up to see mistletoe hanging from the door frame, and turned different shades of crimson.

"Come on, guys!" Emily cried. "I came with Amber, and we even had to do it."

"I think you liked it," Amber laughed, darting away as Emily moved to smack her arm.

"I certainly found it... um... interesting," Miroku said, cowering under Sango's glare.

Rin giggled as she looked at the blushing couple. "We're waiting..." she sang.

Inuyasha swallowed the lump of fear that had risen in his throat, looking down at Kagome anxiously. How could his "friends" do this to him? He couldn't bring himself to kiss her at all, much less make a public display of it.

He was getting ready to protest when he Kagome tilted her head, smiling. "You're a baby, you know that?" she asked, and before he realized just what she meant to do, she stood on tiptoes, planting a soft kiss on his lips. It was over in an instant, but Inuyasha barely heard the wolf howls and applause from his friends as Kagome left him standing alone in the doorway to gape like an idiot. She deposited Inuyasha's bag of gifts by the small Christmas tree, joining a grinning Sango and Miroku on the couch.

Shaking off the shock the kiss had caused him, Inuyasha grumbled out a barely audible "keh" before leaving Kagome's bag of gifts by the tree as well, and joining Kagura and Emily at the table.

Dinner was an interesting affair. Since Kagura refused to ever cook, she'd ordered carry-out from a variety of different restaurants, and the assembly of food on their plates was interesting, to say the least. On her own plate, Kagome had some baked ham and mashed potatoes, along with sweet and sour chicken, and lasagna. Looking at Inuyasha's plate, she wrinkled her nose in amusement, seeing that he'd chosen turkey, egg rolls, and a taco.

After third helpings of the large array of food, Kagura announced that it was time to exchange gifts. Kagome retrieved her bag of gifts just as everyone else did, and soon the living room was in chaos, with shouts of "Open mine first!" and "This one isn't mine!"

Finally, Kagura put her fingers in her mouth, letting out a shrill whistle, and even Sesshoumaru cringed at the sound of it as everyone went immediately silent. "Okay, this is how we're going to do it. Everyone take a turn handing out their gifts, and after those are opened, we'll move on. Who wants to go first?" All the girls raised their hands like school children, which caused Miroku to chuckle and Inuyasha to roll his eyes.

Sango and Miroku were chosen first, and as Kagome opened her gift from the two, Inuyasha caught Sango tipping her a wink. What the hell's going on now? he wondered, but his question was soon answered as Kagome opened the box in her lap, pulling out a pink, plaid item that was no more than a foot long, and covered in zippers. "Wow, this is great!" she exclaimed, holding it up.

Wait, Inuyasha thought as he eyed the gift. Is that a...? Blinking rapidly, his brow furrowed in disbelief. Oh, there is no way in HELL that is a skirt!

"It just looked so cute on you the other day," Sango explained to her friend. "I had to get it."

Once the first round of presents was over, it was Rin's turn, and she handed out the gifts from her and Sesshoumaru before taking a seat in his lap, clapping excitedly as they were opened. Emily stood up to give her a hug after opening a pair of flashy shoes she'd obviously been wanting, and Kagome tore into her own gift eagerly with everyone else. Seeing what lay beneath the tissue paper, however, her face turned red once more.

Rin gave her an evil grin from where she sat. "Kagome, no one saw your present!" she cried, bouncing in Sesshoumaru's lap.

"Oh," Kagome laughed nervously. "I didn't realize." Feeling like she wanted to sink through the floor, Kagome lifted the pajamas from the box. Amber exclaimed over how cute they were, not understanding the joke at all.

They were black, and covered in a print of white sheepdogs.

Inuyasha choked on his soda.

(*)(*)(*)

After every gift had been opened, Kagura told everyone to get out so she could get ready for work. Miroku kissed Sango good-bye before leaving for home, since he had the holiday off, and Rin gave everyone hugs before her and Sesshoumaru left as well.

Inuyasha stopped at his apartment to put away the gifts he'd received before heading downstairs. As he was leaving, he saw Kagome, Sango, Emily, and Amber scurry into Kagome's apartment, all of them giggling as they shut the door. "Fucking women," he whispered in exasperation, glaring in confusion at the door before heading down to the bar.

In Kagome's living room, there was a flurry of flying clothes as Sango, Emily, and Amber hurried to change into the clothes for work, all of them eager to wear their new presents. Emily had her new shoes, and Amber had received a pair of earrings she wanted to wear. Sango had a pair of hose she'd brought along with her that Miroku had given her. "Kagome, aren't you going to wear that skirt?" Sango asked as she was emptying her bag of gifts.

"Oh. Yeah, I nearly forgot."

"You'll make hella tips," Amber commented as she put in her earrings, which were so long they nearly touched her shoulders.

Kagome giggled, removing the skirt from the bag before going to her bedroom to change. She didn't have much that would match the plaid pattern, so she chose a simple black lace shirt and the shoes Rin had bought her for Halloween. Smiling at her reflection, she left the bedroom to go to work.

Inuyasha was bringing in a load of glasses from the back when the girls came downstairs, and he nearly dropped the tray when his eyes fell on Kagome. She turned to wave at the girls as they headed to the backstage door, and his eyes fell on the swell of her ass, noticing just how close the skirt's him was to revealing it. He quickly looked away as Kagome whirled around to face him, a smile on her face. "So, how does it look?" she asked.

"Looks fine," he mumbled, turning away to walk towards the bar.

He heard her footfalls behind him and as he walked behind the counter, he saw her worried expression. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"Nothing's the matter," he lied, removing the glasses in pairs to set on the shelf.

"Then, why won't you look at me?"

He directed his gaze to her face, his annoyed look a silent way of telling her she was imagining things. Kagome's lips pursed; she knew something was bothering him. If he didn't want to tell her, though, there wasn't much she could do about it.

After setting out the ashtrays, Kagome checked the clock and went to unlock the door, and minutes later the girls began to file in from the front entrance as well as the back. Only Shiori had requested to have the day off, and Kagura had scheduled everyone else, knowing Savvy would be packed before eight.

Inuyasha finished counting the cash in the register just before the first group stumbled in, already quite "festive." Eric was right behind them, running late, and Inuyasha could hear his exclamation over Kagome's choice of apparel all the way from the break room.

It was going to be a long night.

(*)(*)(*)

Kagome wasn't having the best night, but she kept a smile on her face as she delivered beer to another table, carefully keeping her rear end out of grabbing range as she did so. It was only ten o'clock, and she'd lost count of the number of times she'd had her butt grabbed. There was really no use complaining; it was her own fault. As soon as she had a break, if that even happened, she planned on running upstairs and changing. She'd decided that after having one of the female customers run a hand up her skirt, which still had her reeling with shock. The most annoying part about it was Eric, though. If he told her she looked hot, or sexy, or edible, or whatever, one more time, she was going to blow a fuse.

On top of all that, Inuyasha was acting like a complete jerk.

Taking another order, Kagome walked quickly up to the bar, handing Inuyasha the guest check. He'd made it clear he wasn't in the mood to converse over an hour ago, and had what appeared to be a permanent scowl on his face, even as he made her drinks. Thanking him quietly, she headed toward the floor again. It seemed like she had done nothing but walk back and forth all night.

Inuyasha watched Kagome's retreating form, and glared at the gawking assholes she left in her wake. He knew by the pout on her face that she wasn't enjoying the attention she was receiving, but most of it she seemed oblivious to. Did she not realize what she looked like in that outfit? It was driving him just as crazy as anyone else in the bar, but apparently he was the only one with an ounce of self control.

Filling an order for Eric, he saw Kagome was already coming back, and watched as Eric's eyes roamed over her legs as she approached.

Kagome didn't fail to notice it, either, and she had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes as she handed Inuyasha another slip of paper. Bending over slightly, her eyes widened as she felt the familiar press of a hand on her ass once again.

It was Eric's.

"Eric!" she cried, laughing nervously as she batted his hand away.

"I'm sorry, Kagome, I really couldn't--"

Kagome barely saw the blur that was Inuyasha before he had Eric slammed against the wall, his claws pressed dangerously into Eric's neck as he clenched his throat, an inhuman snarl coming from deep in his chest. Kagome own hand flew to her chest, covering her heart, which had suddenly quickened its pace.

"You lay a fucking hand on her again, and I will end you," Inuyasha growled, his voice barely audible to Kagome over the music, but the threat didn't really need any volume behind it. Inuyasha's sincerity was quite obvious by the lethal glare on his face.

Eric stuttered out an apology, and quickly left the bar to escape Inuyasha. Kagome turned her eyes away from his as well, only to see that nearly everyone in the club had witnessed Inuyasha's violent display. Feeling her eyes fill with tears of humiliation, she quickly ran from the bar and around the counter, escaping into the parking lot, where the frigid December wind slammed into her. She immediately began to shiver, rubbing her bare arms. I just need a second, she told herself before shaking her head. Why would he do something like that? Of all the stupid--

Hearing the door open, Kagome turned to see Inuyasha exit the club, and as the door fell shut behind him, the only sound was the dim throb of bass from within the walls.

Kagome quickly looked away, feeling her throat burn with unshed tears. "Leave me alone, Inuyasha," she said softly, taking a few steps away from.

She heard his footsteps behind her in the gravel. "Kagome... I can't leave you out here by yourself..."

Her chest hitched as a mirthless smile crossed her face, and she pivoted around to face him. "Oh, so it's because of Kouga?" she asked, her voice almost pleasant as she approached him.

Inuyasha found himself unconsciously backing away from her; there was something in her eyes that he didn't quite like. "Uh... yeah..."

She laughed, but there was no hint of humor in it. "Stupid of me to think you might be coming out here to apologize to me."

"Apologize?" he sputtered. "Why the hell would I apologize? Did you want that asshole grabbing you?"

"No!" she shouted, glaring angrily up at him. "But it happens, Inuyasha! It happens every single night! It's part of my job, and I don't need you embarrassing the hell out of me just because it was someone you know instead of someone you don't!" Kagome had advanced closer to him as she ranted, and Inuyasha was firmly pressed against the freezing brick wall as Kagome poked him in the chest with a pointed finger. "I am so sick" (poke) "and tired" (poke) "of your mixed" (poke) "signals!" (poke). "Just because someone else knows what they want, and you don't" (poke) "doesn't give you the right to hurt them! Why would you do something like that?"

"Because you're mine!" he shouted, not realizing he'd actually spoken the words until Kagome's eyes widened enormously, and her finger dropped from his chest as she stared up at him in disbelief.

At the sight of her trembling lip, Inuyasha's wavering control failed him, and he grabbed Kagome by the shoulders, spinning her around to pin her against the wall as he kissed her deeply, his thoughts fleeing at the feel of her warm mouth in the cold air.

Kagome whimpered in surprise, but as Inuyasha's arms encircled her to protect her from the icy wall, she relaxed in his embrace, gasping for air around the needy pull of his lips on hers. She no longer felt the cold as Inuyasha's tongue slipped past her lips, seeking hers. His fangs grazed her lips, causing her to shiver as she felt his hand on the small of her back, massaging the flesh there insistently as he growled against her mouth.

It was over just as unexpectedly as it began; one moment Kagome was fighting for air, and the next Inuyasha wrenched himself away from her, panting as his eyes, glowing in the dim light, fixed her with an intense stare. "Kagome..." he trailed off, his brow furrowing.

She didn't want to hear the regret in his voice, or any explanation or excuse she knew he would tell her. Sighing, she stepped away from the wall to go to the door, her eyes meeting his as she opened it. "It's alright, Inuyasha," she told him, her sadness evident in her voice. "Because I'm only yours when you're afraid I might not be... right?"

Inuyasha felt the sting of tears in his eyes as she disappeared inside, but he told himself it was only because of the cold.

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Aww, I bet you guys were all happy there for a second, weren't you? Muahaha, they don't call me bitterness for nothin'.