An Unplanned Holiday by Sakura Dragon
Chapter 1
A/N: This is my entry for this year's Dokuga Holiday Exchange on LiveJournal. It was made for Caleesci.
Disclaimer (almost forgot this one): I do not own any part of Inuyasha.
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Chapter 1
“Hey, Miroku! Move your lazy ass or we're gonna leave without you! Ow! Hey, what was that for, Kagome?”
"Control your language, Inuyasha. There are kids in the car,” Kagome said, giving him a cold look.
Inuyasha glared back and tried to get support from Kikyou, his girlfriend and Kagome's twin, but the look she was giving him matched her sister's perfectly. It was a look they had inherited from their mother and it was very effective.
“Keh, whatever,” he said, his puppy ears flattening to his head.
It always amazed him how different the two were. It wasn't just their hair and eyes, it was their personalities: they were like fire and ice. Kikyou was the oldest and she was always calm and level-headed. Some people said that she was cold and emotionless, and while Inuyasha had to admit that she didn't often voice her opinions, he believe she was very kind and loving. Kagome on the other hand was rash, completely useless in a serious crisis and loud-mouthed. Her emotions changed faster than than traffic lights and he knew that to get her angry only got him a fast and painful retribution. But despite her quick temper she was also loving, very loyal and a great organizer (unless there was a crisis). After she'd moved out of the shrine her grandfather owned she took in Shippou, a little orphaned fox kit that she'd found outside her apartment building. The kid's main hobby seemed to be to drive Inuyasha crazy with his pranks and fox magic, but he loved Kagome like a mother. It was a fact that the two sisters weren't always on good terms: they argued and fought sometimes, but in the end they always stuck up for each other. Why couldn't he and his brother be the same?
Speaking of his brother... Inuyasha threw a quick glance in the rear-view mirror at the tall, silver-haired figure sitting at the back of the van, looking bored. He wondered again why Sesshoumaru was coming with them when he couldn't stand any of his friends. The answer to that was simple, could be summed up in one word and was currently sleeping in his brother's lap: Rin.
It had been a huge shock to everyone in the family when the cold, stoic demon had adopted the sweet, bubbly, five-year old human girl two years before. The child had instantly warmed up to Kagome and Shippou, especially since they were regulars at the house. She was also very fond of Sango's fire-cat, Kirara.
Inuyasha had planned to spend two romantic days with Kikyou before Christmas at a cabin his father owned. But Kikyou hadn't taken the hint and had invited Kagome along as well, who'd also invited Sango and Miroku. Then Sango's father left town so she had to take her brother Kohaku as well. And because he was going Kikyou asked Souta to come. And because Shippou didn't want to be lest behind, he cried until he could come too. So Inuyasha's plan had turned into a group holiday. Since the car wasn't big enough for all of them, his father had lent him one of the company vans. The plan was to spend two night at the cabin and return on Christmas Eve, when Kagome, Kikyou and Shippou had been invited over for dinner by his mother Izayoi.
When Rin had heard that Shippou was going to be at the cabin, she insisted on going as well. The little girl had a determination and stubbornness that he was sure she'd picked up from Sesshoumaru: whatever she wanted she did everything in her power to get, without actually being a spoiled child. However, Inuyasha couldn't help but be in awe of her persuasion technique. While he would have thrown a tantrum and sulked, a tactic that had stopped working when he was about six, Rin used something that his father called 'puppy eyes' in order to get what she wanted. She looked so sweet that even Sesshoumaru had a hard time refusing her. And because he refused to leave his ward alone with them, even if Kagome was going to be there, he came with them as well.
Miroku's approach pulled him out of his musings and he got out of the car to help his friend load his and Sango's bags in the back, while she got in beside Kagome and the three girls exchanged greetings. An excited laugh came from the back, where Souta and Kohaku were playing with the slightly sleepy Kirara, and Shippou craned his neck around Kagome's arm to see.
“If you two break anything, you'll be in big trouble,” Inuyasha threatened as he got back behind the wheel and threw Miroku the map.
“Stop threatening the children,” Kagome glared, allowing Shippou to join the others next to Sesshoumaru, who didn't complain to being cramped by the four youngsters.
“Okay, here we go,” Inuyasha said, pulling the van out of the driveway.
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After about an hour Sango nudged Kagome.
“What, Sango?” she asked.
“We've driven past that gas station three times already,” Sango whispered, leaning closer so the others wouldn't hear. “Don't you think we should do something before Inuyasha gets frustrated and ends up causing an accident or something like that?”
“What can we do? You know he's not going to listen anyway,” Kagome whispered back. “Besides, he's the only one that actually knows where we're going.”
“Sesshoumaru knows too.”
“So?”
Kikyou leaned in as well:
“So ask him to help us. I want to get there sometime today, please.”
“Why me?” Kagome asked incredulously.
“Because he's actually civil to you and hates you the least out of all of us.”
“Okay, you two realize he's sitting right behind me and can probably hear us, right?”
The three of them turned slowly to see Sesshoumaru stare at them with an amused expression. Kagome smiled meekly at him.
“So can I,” Inuyasha glared at the girls in the rear-view mirror. “Are you saying I don't know where I'm going? Because none of you have ever been there before. And I have. Lots of times.”
“Have you ever driven there before?” Kikyou snapped at him, losing her patience with his antics.
“No. Dad or Sesshoumaru always drove.”
“Have you ever navigated?”
“No. Mom did that.”
“What did you do?” Kagome asked, trying to keep her sister from throttling her boyfriend.
“Well, I slept in the backseat most of the time,” Inuyasha admitted guiltily. Kagome put her hand over her eyes in a dramatic gesture. “Okay, so I don't know the way. It's not entirely my fault. Miroku's navigating. Why don't you pick on him?”
“We're getting to that,” Sango quipped, leaning over the back of the seat to look at the map over his shoulder. “Where are we, exactly?” Miroku pointed vaguely at a spot on the map and yelped as Sango punched him. “Idiot! That's not even the highway we're on! Honestly, you can't read a map to save your life.”
“Why the hell did you agree to navigate then?” Inuyasha yelled, turning to Miroku with a murderous look.
“KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD!” the three girls shouted, startling the two of them.
“Eh... because you asked me to?” Miroku answered nervously, rubbing his temple where Sango had punched him.
Kagome mumbled something under her breath about stupid boys before turning to the only person that could help them. The three boys had stopped playing and were looking at the adults in incomprehension. Rin, humming gently to herself and oblivious of the drama, was concentrating on expertly braiding Sesshoumaru's long hair. Kagome cleared her voice.
“Um... seeing as you know where we're going, could you please help Inuyasha navigate so we can get there today and without wishing to kill each other? Please?”
He stared at her for what felt like the longest time, making Kagome wonder if she had something on her face. The part of her brain that knew she spent way too much time around Miroku wondered if he would lean closer and brush whatever it was off, running his fingers gently over her cheek, and then probably... She mentally slapped herself. This was so no the time for her mind to wander off into the gutter.
“Very well,” Sesshoumaru answered finally, tilting his head slightly so Rin wouldn't pull to hard on his hair. “Inuyasha, take the next exit and then listen to my instructions.”
Inuyasha was about to protest about being bossed around by his brother, but he knew that the girls were almost out off patience and pushing his luck any further would be a very unwise choice so he did as he was told. He still had the marks from the last time he made Kagome and Kikyou really angry.
“Thank you,” Kagome mouthed to Sesshoumaru, getting a slight smile in return.
After about another hour of driving, they left the main road and entered another road that wound like a snake up the side of a steep, woody hill. The children were pointing excitedly at the white patches of snow that were visible between the trees and were growing larger and closer together the higher up they went. At the top of the hill, through a gap in the trees, they could see a long valley, cradled between hills, with tiny villages scattered here and there under a thin snowy blanket.
“That's so beautiful,” squealed Kagome, pressing her nose against the window. “Just like a Christmas postcard.”
They drove on into the valley and through the quiet villages. A large pine tree that grew in the middle of the square of one of the towns had been cleared of snow and was being decorated with silver tinsel and huge red globes. Children were trying to build a snowman with the little snow around the square. At Sesshoumaru's instructions, Inuyasha turned onto a side-road and kept driving for two more kilometers until they reached a heavy iron gate set in a tall concrete wall. Sesshoumaru got out and unlocked the gate, that swung open with difficulty, allowing the van to pass through. The road continued to wind between the pines until the cabin appeared after a bend. It was a sturdy wood construction, two stories high and with big windows. Off to one side was a shed and Kagome knew that behind the house was a large lake, now frozen and fenced off.
Inside the cabin it was a little cold, but Sesshoumaru turned on the central heating and said that it would get warm soon. Rin had already run off to give the boys and Kirara a tour of the house. Sesshoumaru showed the others around as well. The front door opened directly into a large living room with a small dining area and the kitchen at the back, from which it was partially separated by a large counter. The dining area had a door that opened into a small porch facing the lake. On the left wall of the living-room there was a large fireplace. On the other wall, a door led into a study. The walls of the study were lined with tall bookcases. Next to the door was a winding staircase. Under the stairs there was a door leading into a small bathroom and another door that led to a cold storage pantry that they found fully stocked with everything from milk and flour to chocolate and wine.
“Wow,” Kagome said. “I thought you said nobody's been here in over a month, Inuyasha.”
“That is true,” Sesshoumaru answered. “But father prefers to keep the pantry stocked because whenever he argues with his mate he would come here and 'sulk' for about a week.”
“Huh, sounds like someone else I know,” Kagome smiled.
“Hey, I heard that,” Inuyasha grumbled.
The winding staircase let to the upper floor, which was divided between four rooms and a bathroom. There was also a hall linking the rooms, with a window facing the front and a coffee table and chairs at which the children were sitting. The guest room was the largest, since it contained a separated bathroom, and it faced the front along with Inuyasha's old room on the other side of the hall. The master bedroom, Sesshoumaru's room and the bathroom faced the lake. Another steeper staircase went up into the attic. The adults decided to leave the assignment of room for later, except for the master bedroom, which was given to the children by majority vote.
“Why?” Inuyasha protested once he heard the decision.
“Because it has the only bed big enough to hold four people. That is the best solution,” Kagome said, cutting his protests short.
After the tour was concluded they all went to the living-room and she, Sango and Kikyou played with the children and Kirara outside until dark. Unfortunately, there was too little snow to make a snowman, but they had a nice snowball fight.
After dinner, where they had Sango's special French Potatoes, the children wanted to watch 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and Sesshoumaru went into the study to read, only coming back out when Rin had started getting a little cranky from lack of sleep. As he picked her up and declared it was 'bed time' for all the children, Kagome realized that his hair was still braided to the side, complete with the pink ribbon the little girl had used to tie it. She had to admit it quite suited him. She was distracted from her thoughts when Shippou asked her to carry him upstairs and put him to bed. After all the four had been tucked in, she returned downstairs with Sesshoumaru. While they had been gone, Sango and Kikyou had cleaned up.
With more than a little dread, Kagome addressed the neglected problem of assigning the three remaining room. She had a feeling it wasn't going to go very well and wasn't disappointed when Inuyasha came up with an arrangement.
“That's easy,” Inuyasha said. “I'll stay with Kikyou and Sango can stay with Kagome and Miroku with Sesshoumaru.”
“What? No!” Miroku pouted. “I want to stay with my lovely Sango. He's your brother, you share a room with him.”
“No way! I'm not sleeping in the same bed as Sesshoumaru and I'm not letting Kagome or Kikyou do that either.”
“Well, neither am I and...”
“That's enough!!” Kagome growled. It had been a long day and this wasn't helping. “You two are acting like kindergarten children. We're going to draw for rooms. Does anyone have a problem with that?” She glared at Inuyasha who grumbled something and hung his head. She took six colored marbles from a bowl on the table and put them in an oven mitt. “Okay, we each take one of these. Red gets Inuyasha's old room, blue Sesshoumaru's and green the guestroom. The decision is final. Let's do this then,” she smiled sweetly, but the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes didn't match it.
“Kagome is really scary when she's angry,” Miroku whispered in Inuyasha's ear.
“You have no idea how scary,” he whispered back...
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Kagome leaned her back against the guestroom door. She couldn't believe her bad luck. After the draw, Inuyasha had started making a fuss over sharing a room with Miroku and the fact that neither Sango or Kikyou wanted to switch. She'd hit him over the head to prevent him from waking up the kids and her knuckles still hurt. Which brought her to the real problem: she was going to share a room and a bed with Sesshoumaru for the next two days. It wasn't that she didn't like him... that was just it: she did like him.
She started when the bathroom door opened and the object of her recent thought came out, drying his long hair with a towel. In light of her problem she'd forgotten that the guestroom had its own bath and she hadn't even known he was in there. He must have gone upstairs while Inuyasha was making a scene. What if she'd gone in? She didn't even want to consider it. The fact that he was wearing sweatpants and a rather tight T-shirt really didn't help her situation.
She realized she was staring and he was waiting for her to speak so she tried to swallow her nervousness.
“Um, I think we should choose which side of the bed we want to sleep on. So, you know, there's no debate afterwards. I mean...” she stopped talking, realizing she was making a fool of herself. “What side do you normally sleep on?”
“I generally sleep in the middle,” he said, folding the towel and putting it on the radiator to dry. “But you may choose whichever side suits you best and I shall comply.”
Kagome pondered for a while. Sleeping arrangements had always been a problem when Inuyasha had stayed over in the past. He would stretch over the entire bed, crushing her into a corner or pushing her out of the bed, depending on what side she took.
“Okay, you take the left side and I'll take the right. But if you come over to my side, I will bite you,” she finally answered, firmly. It took her a few seconds to process what she had actually said, and a deep blush crept up her neck. Why on Earth had she said that? And to him off all people. She felt like she wanted to die of embarrassment. Sesshoumaru watched her curiously for a minute before he stalked over to her and close enough that their noses were almost touching.
“Hn, is that a threat... or an invitation?” he teased, enjoying how her blush spread even further at his words.
His amber eyes pierced her, making it very difficult to form a coherent thought and she prayed he would attribute her quick heart-rate to embarrassment, and not to the effect his closeness had on her. She felt like a deer caught in the headlights. He held her gaze for a little longer before smirking and turning away and getting into bed. He turned on the light and picked up a book, ignoring her.
Kagome swallowed down the lump in her throat and managed to convince her body to move, her heart still hammering in her chest. She went to her suitcase and took out a towel, her toiletries bag and pajamas before going into the bathroom to take a shower. She let the hot water pour over her for a long time and take away all of the day's worries. When she came out Sesshoumaru had turned off his light and was presumably asleep. She quietly got in under the covers on her side and tried to sleep. Her mind kept going back to what he'd said and she tossed and turned for over an hour before finally falling asleep.
Meanwhile, outside the cabin, the slight flurry of snowflakes had turned into a full-blown storm.
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