Inu-Secrect-Santa @iyfss @inusecretsanta
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~Kotatsu~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
It was times like this when Kagome wished she was more prepared for her indefinite arrival in the feudal era of Japan. If only she had an emergency bag packed with survival necessities and the simple casualties of her time, she wouldn’t be huddled so dangerously close to the fire pit within her home ready to kill for an overstuffed parka. After living two winters with Inuyasha at her side she would think that she would be able to adjust to living the hot summers with no air conditioning and the cold unforgiving winters without a heater, or in her case, a longed for kotatsu.
Kagome, home alone and itching for some company frequently eyed the entrance of her hut. The bamboo door thick with its winter coverings to keep the icy winds and snow out of the hut. She was waiting for Inuyasha’s return of, god only knows what. The half-demon refused to tell her where he was headed; only for her to stay home and he’d be back shortly. Kagome debated at this time whether to find some enjoyment and warmth in Sango’s hut.
“No, he’d get mad. Plus I really want to know where he went.” Kagome mumbled to herself.
Sitting in front of a cozy fire with no one to talk to, Kagome began thinking of many things. Her future as the priestess of this village, her future with Inuyasha and of course her future in handling winters with no kotatsu. Soon enough she drifted to sleep in front of the fire, unconsciously leaning to her side to lay down.
If someone were to ask her how long she slept, Kagome wouldn’t be able to give an answer. The warmth of the fire on her front and a welcoming direct heat to her back, Kagome felt as if she was under a kotatsu in her living room. The stress of the winter beyond her reach as she laid under the thick blankets while listening to her grandfather ramble on about spirits and demons. It was in that moment that she knew something was wrong. As if it no longer hers to have. Reluctantly Kagome sat up from her blankets and looked to her grandfather. He hasn’t aged in the slightest and as she watched him speak about a family heirloom his voice drifted to nothing, but his mouth continued to move. That’s when Kagome realized she was dreaming. She wasn’t back in her childhood home listening to her grandfather as she rested under a kotatsu. She was in her home in the feudal era in front of a fire pit in her hut.
Kagome slightly stirred awake, coming to her senses that she did dream of being under a kotatsu, but she still felt as if she was under one; she was just so warm. It puzzled her considering how cold she was before she fell asleep in front of the fire. Under her blanket she shifted warming herself away from the fire and to the other source of heat. Realizing what she was doing, Kagome shot her eyes open and looked behind her, warm golden eyes putting her at ease immediately. Inuyasha laid beside her, under her blanket, warming her backside.
“Good morning sleepy head.” Inuyasha teased with a grin at her surprise.
“Inuyasha! When did you get back?” Kagome quickly turned to face him but keeping close for his warmth.
Inuyasha laughed aloud, a sound Kagome would never be able to get sick of. “Well I’m not sure when you had fallen asleep, but I’ve been keeping you warm for about an hour now.” Kagome smiled at him, happy for his return.
“We have mats ya know. You don’t have to sleep on the hard floor. I wanted to move you, but you just looked so comfortable that I couldn’t bring myself to move you.” Inuyasha sheepishly grinned and nuzzled close to her neck.
“Awe,” Kagome cooed. “Well I’m glad that your back. I fell asleep because I was dying of boredom, and I couldn’t even go visit Sango and her girls cause you wouldn’t let me. Plus it is freezing!”
“Sorry, I didn’t think it would take me as long as it did. The snowfall is pretty heavy outside. You walking to Sango’s hut would have been very dangerous. I had to dig out a path so the snow would stop falling through the mat. I’m surprised you were able to sleep at all.”
“I haven’t looked outside much, I don’t even want to be near the walls right now. Honestly it’s so cold that I’d kill for some insulation.” Kagome chuckled. “But why were you out for so long? What were you doing?” Kagome stayed close to him still, but sat up slightly to look around their hut for anything out of place.
Inuyasha smiled again and pulled her back down to him to burrow his face to her neck again. He smiled against her neck as he heard her giggle at his actions.
“Can’t tell you just yet.”
“Ohh come on Inuyasha! That’s not fair.” Kagome sat up and unconsciously Inuyasha followed suit and grabbed their blanket. He pulled her to his lap and wrapped the heavy cloth over her front and behind his shoulda as much as he could.
“I was all by my lonesome; so cold and waiting for my love to return.” Kagome dramatically loosened her position against Inuyasha so she laid across him, a hand gracefully against her forehead.
Earning a laugh from Kagome’s childish antic, Inuyasha bent over to lightly kiss her chin. “Well you warmed up pretty well to me. I thought I was going to wake you when I got under the covers, but you clung to me pretty tightly.”
Kagome laughed and sat back up to snuggle closer to him so her back was against his chest. “Well no wonder I was having such a comforting dream. I dreamt that I was back at home, and I was listening to my grandfather go on and on about demons and the shrine and family heirlooms, but I was under a warm kotatsu that I didn’t mind it at all!”
Inuyasha grinned slightly at her dream. A pang hearing her speak of the family she left to be with him.
“But it was so weird.” Kagome continued. “I was very comfortable under the kotatsu, it was as if I was back in high school, grandpa looked as if he hasn’t aged at all. I realized I was in a dream because of that. I guess I was so cold I dreamt of being under a kotatsu.” Kagome laughed slightly.
“Kagome, what’s a kotatsu?”
“Oh!” Kagome stifled a laugh, “of course you don’t know what that is. I’m not exactly sure when they were made, but it’s this lovely thick blanket combined with a short table with a heater or hot coals under the table. It’s mostly used in the winter. It’s a great way to keep warm during this type of weather.”
Inuyasha smiled, but it didn’t reach his ears and his lively golden eyes held a seldom look of regret.
“Eh? Inuyasha what’s wrong? Do I need to explain it better?”
“No, no I think I get what it’s supposed to look like.” He mumbled and brought his face closer to her neck. He inhaled her scent deeply and with a shaky exhale, he nuzzled deeper onto her neck that, so much so that it concerned Kagome. She leaned away from his warm touch confused at his sudden change in demeanor.
“Inuyasha? What’s wrong?”
He shook his head slightly mumbled a lazy ‘nothin’.
“Oh don’t give me that attitude Inuyasha. What’s wrong, your mood just suddenly changed? Did something happen?” Kagome’s usual concern for his well being struck him differently than the times when she would treat him for minor wounds. Inuyasha felt obliged to answer.
“It’s nothin’ I tell ya. I just feel bad is all cause…” Kagome stared at him, her eyes burying themselves within his own in complete undivided attention. He scoffed slightly, “...it’s just cause you left the comfort of your time to come here, and I can’t give you the things you used to have to keep you comfortable. Your family too, you can’t see them anymore. The last time you saw them is how you remember them.”
Kagome’s chestnut colored eyes widened in surprise. “I-Inuyasha.” She stuttered. “How-I thought you stopped thinking like that along time ago?” She balled a fist and lightly hit the top of his head in retort.
“Silly dog boy.” With her eyes closed, she affectionately placed her forehead to his together and exhaled a small sigh. Opening them slightly she gave a small smile. “Inuyasha, if this is something I’m going to have to repeat on a yearly basis, it’s going to get annoying.” She chucked slowly. Inuyasha tried to keep his eyes to hers, but in an unusual manner, he looked away.
“All jokes aside Inuyasha, I don’t regret my decision to leave my time to come here. I wanted to live the rest of my life with you. Yeah, I miss the advantages and technology of my time, but it’s nothing if I can’t be with you. As for my family, I do miss them terribly. I want to see my mom and see how much taller Souta has gotten. I want to know if my grandfather got anymore wrinkles and if Bouyo got any chubbier. Of course I want to see them, they are my family. But you are my family too…”
Inuyasha finally made eye contact with Kagome’s. His deep honey gold eyes danced with hers, as if seeing her for the first time.
“I missed you in a different way than I currently miss my family now. I longed for you Inuyasha.” A cold brisk of wind made its way into their hut and onto the side of Kagome’s face. She shivered slightly and smiled. “It’s like how the trees outside miss the sun. In order to grow and thrive they need the sun, you are my sun Inuyasha.”
Kagome blushed deeply at her own sappy analogy, but smiled sweetly to him nonetheless. “It’s not as if I was miserable with my family, but those three years without you was difficult. I even wondered to myself if it was all a dream. I was suddenly ripped away from you, it was traumatic honestly.”
“I may be wanting a kotatsu or some air conditioning, but those mean nothing if I don’t have you by my side.” Kagome wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her head to the crook of his neck. She could feel his chest sink in with a deep exhale and it relaxed her. She changed her position again to lay her head on his chest, the blanket still warmly wrapped around them. “And besides, I still have my experience from my time. There are traditions we adopted from other countries that we do as well. Like around this time during the winter, there is a holiday called Christmas. We don’t celebrate it the same way or reason the Western countries do, but it is a fun to practice still...especially with a lover.”
No matter how many times they’ve kissed or lusted towards one another, Inuyasha still easily blushes at the mention of their relationship, especially when she was the one to mention it so innocently.
“Oh yeah? And what do lovers do on this ‘Chrissymass’?” He seductively squinted his eyes and lifted the side of his lips to a classic smirk.
Kagome giggled, “Well usually gifts are exchanged and cake will be eaten, but for lovers, I’d assume they did whatever they desired when they had the privacy. I only ever did gift exchanges and ate cake with my friends. Kinda like those sweets I would bring Shippo except it’s a bread.”
She raised her head towards his face and pressed her lips against his. Their kiss was passionate with need, a hinted suggestion at what’s to come. Kagome enjoyed the warmth he gave off as she cupped the sides of his jaw, where his neck met. She brought the kiss in deeper, Inuyasha holding her tightly around her waist and back.
“Wait-” Inuyasha broke the kiss to Kagome’s and his own disappointment. “You said during that...time gifts are exchanged? Like actual gifts right?” Kagome nodded her head, confused at his wonder.
“Sorry, but wait right here!” Inuyasha quickly got up and wrapped the blanket around Kagome and left the hut as quickly as he had said it. Dumbfounded Kagome sat on the floor by herself again, the comfort of her own kotatsu gone.
“Wha? Inuyasha where are you going?!” Kagome yelled and tried to remove herself from the comfort of her blanket, but found it nearly impossible as the cold air struck her. She groaned loudly and with a huff wrapped herself back in the blanket.
“Here I go again, playing this unknown waiting game.”
The said game didn’t take nearly as long as it previously did. Within minutes Inuyasha was making his way back inside their hut, shoveling through the excessive amount of snow outside; back inside and shook off whatever snow still stuck to him. Grinning like a child ready to show their mom a cool trick, Inuyasha turned to Kagome and rushed to her side. Quickly they were back to cuddling the cold away. Kagome, back in his lap smiled to him eager at his own excitement.
“Inuyasha! Where did you go?”
“I stopped by Miroku and Sango’s. I had to pick something up.” Inuyasha’s grin still stupidly amorous on his slightly flushed face.
Kagome laughed in bewilderment. “Inuyasha what in the world is going on? I’ve never seen you act this way, you’re so excited! And why were you able to go to their home? The snow is seriously deep!”
Inuyasha said nothing and reached for both of her hands which laid on his chest. Her smaller hands covered by his, he brought them to his mouth and blew his hot breath onto her hands. “It’s dangerous for you stupid, ‘sides, I had to pick something up from them. If I knew I was going to give it to you today, I would have brought it straight home rather than hiding it at their hut.”
Kagome could only stare at Inuyasha. A tint of blush to her cheeks she stayed silent as a million thoughts of what’s to come ran through her mind.
“So I don’t know exactly how this Chrissymass thing you said works, but I do have something I can give you.” He released one hand from her and reached into the inside of his haori and pulled out a small chain. He heard Kagome gasp in surprise. They made eye contact and Inuyasha pulled out the rest of the thin chain to reveal to her a necklace. He held it to her and in awe Kagome gazed at it. Her eyes followed the thin chain link down to the shine of the crafted silver pendant. The pendant resembled that of a large tree, the details well proportioned and organized finely within the metal. The branches thick and wide filled with detailed leaves and a little indention of what looked like a scar on its trunk.
“I-Inuyasha, is this...how did you get this?” Kagome stuttered as she eyed the necklace. Carefully, she held the pendant of the necklace in her palm, reveling in the detail embedded within the metal. Hearing his chuckle, Kagome’s eyes finally left the beauty of the pendant and connected to his. A smile graced his face and he wrapped his arms around her again.
“This is why I was gone, Totosai had it ready for me but didn’t want to travel through the winter storm to give it to me. It took a lot of persuading to get him to make it. The old man never made anything like this before. And there was work on my part too, had to get someone to draw the tree to show him how to make it.”
“You did all of that? Inuyasha...I love it. I absolutely love it, but I’m still wondering why? This is…” Kagome exhaled loudly still in shock at the homemade jewelry. “...it’s beautiful.”
“It’s because I saw you one day, at the Goshinboku. It was during the summer; I was out with Miroku taking care of a demon and when I came back, you weren’t in the village. For some reason, I just knew where to go to find you, and I did. You were sitting under the Goshinboku, and you just looked so beautiful. And then a thought occurred to me; the Bone Eaters Well wasn’t the only connection we had to one another. The Goshinboku is alive and well in your time too. We both have a connection to the tree and for some reason or another we end up visiting it. But during times when you can’t go to the Goshinkboku, like today, I still wanted you to still be able to see it. Honestly the urge to make this for you was sudden and strong. It was just something I had to give to you. Other than the well, the Goshinboku is a connection for both of us as well as the start of a new life.”
Inuyasha took the necklace from her and placed it over her head to hang around her neck. Moving her hair from under the chain, the pendant laid beautifully on her chest.
“Inuyasha, I’m speechless! I love it so much. This is just so...spontaneous!” Even as Kagome rose herself to him to try and give him a passionate kiss, her smile did not leave her face. She could feel her tears pool to the ends of her eyes and fall, staining the sides of her cheeks. Their kiss continued to grow and Kagome’s mouth finally relaxed and their kiss deepened as their tongues lapped over the other. Soft moans emerged from Kagome as Inuyasha hands moved around her waist and back as if searching for a way to expose her skin.
“Wa-wa-wait...Inu-yasha...wait.” Kagome mumbled through their kisses. Begrudgingly he obliged and released his mouth from hers.
“What’s wrong?” He asked as he nuzzled her neck.
“Well, it’s just that I didn’t get anything for you. I didn’t realize that we’d be doing this and I feel bad now.” Kagome’s face flushed as she felt the warmth of his his bare hands find their way past her clothing.
“Don’t worry about it. You being here with me is a gift all on its own. But if you really want to give me somethin’,” Inuyasha whispered into her ear as if other people were in the room.
“I could hold you to it right now.” He lightly licked her outer ear. Earning a small shudder in response he grinned and adjusted himself so she laid under him.
Kagome smiled up at him as her arms were wrapped behind his neck. Pulling him down close to her lips she said to him, “As long as you continue to keep me warm, my kotatsu.”
Inuyasha smirked and quickly pecked her lips.
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