Note: only parts are told in first person, the rest is in third person. Enjoy.

{ | x.o.x—Mistletoe Mistake—x.o.x | }

"A woman often thinks she regrets the lover, when she only regrets the love" —Francois de la Rochefoucauld

.

.

.
. . . { Kagome's P.O.V } . . .

How many years have gone by now? Since I first met you? When you were a wreck, after she left you. The only woman you ever were faithful to, the only one you ever stuck with for a prolonged period of time. You remember what your first words were to me?

"Kikyou?" But then you paused and realized your mistake, you cleared your throat, "wait, who are you?"

"Higurashi Kagome," I answered, "your new secretary, Toashi-san."

That lasted, what? A year. God, it was awful working for you. You're a great entrepreneur, you make a lot of grand investments, you can talk people into giving up a ton of money, you can talk anyone woman into bed, too. That was the terrible part of my job, figuring out what to send to the one night stands as a 'hey, that was fun but… let's not do it again, alright? No hard feelings'. Because, you moron, there isn't a gift that really says that and I was the one that had to take the phone calls from the pissed off women.

Then I quit, 'cause I couldn't take it. I became friends with Sango and she married Miroku and Miroku is your best friend so we stayed near. Then we became friends, I watched you screw around with so many women, most of the time more than one at a time—lucky for you only few figured out they weren't your one and only. Can anyone be your one and only? Besides Sango, which doesn't count, I think, since she was off limits due to Miroku, I'm your only female friend. The only one that has ever stuck by you through everything…

I fell in love with you somewhere along the way by mistake. It's pretty shitty to love such a dog, to watch him almost every night with another but always for just one night. I suppose that's best in the end, it's easier to watch you with some random woman instead of a steady love...

Then that night happened… again, and again, and again.

|x|—{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}—|x|

"Stop," the silver haired man with piercing amber eyes grunted as he avoiding looking at the stunning sight beside him, "I get it, now stop it."

"I'm just checking," a woman with hair the color of a starless sky sang back before she removed her green petticoat to reveal her red cocktail dress and hand her jacket to the coat check just as the silver haired man did, "I just want you to stay healthy, Yasha."

"I wear protection, got it?" He growled, "stop telling me—"

"It can't hurt to go to the—"

"Shut up!" His hands flung up to his ears to keep the hellish suggestive away. She was always telling him that, did she know what it entailed to go and do that? No man would ever want to.

"You're such a baby," she murmured with her nutmeg colored eyes scanned around to the other highly well dressed people that lingered about the ball room, "I'm just saying."

"Well stop sayin' it, alright?"

She rolled her eyes, if he hadn't come begging her only an hour ago to come with him to this party she'd be in a pair of warm flannel PJs watching her favorite TV show and relaxing for the night like she had planned all week long. Instead, she was stuck in a room full of people that looked like they blew their noses with a hundred thousand yen. Then again, that was the type of people her dear friend Inuyasha always choice to hang around, "why am I here, again?"

"'Cause, Kagome," he stretched out her name like he did only when she was getting under his skin—which, she was skilled at doing. "I needed a date and you didn't have any plans tonight."

"I had plans," she bickered back, "I had really great plans."

"Gods, watching that stupid TV show is a pathetic way to spend a Friday night."

"It's the small, simple things in life that you should learn to enjoy, Inuyasha," his ear twitched at that, he knew he had started to eat away at her good grace when she used his full name like that, "but you wouldn't know that, huh? I bet I know what it is, all the girls you know right now figured out there was another? Or, what? Three others? Tsk, tsk, you terrible person."

"Hey," he snapped as he picked up two glasses of champagne off of a trail and handed her one, she thanked him lightly before he continued on his well prepped rant that she knew so well, "monogamy is overrated. I've never once told any of them that we were in a mutual exclusive relationship so it's not my fault if they think that. It's not like I don't buy them fine gifts—"

"It's not like your secretary doesn't do that," Kagome corrected and, as always, was ignored so he could finish.

"It's not like I don't take them out to nice restaurants and on great weekend outings, so they should just be grateful we have fun together. I can't help that women are so emotional and psycho."

"We aren't all," she countered before elbowing him in the side, "do you think I'm pyscho?"

"No, but your different," he mused, "you're Kagome, the rest are women."

"Uh," she gawked, "are you saying I'm not a woman?"

"That's not…" he murmured, he always found a way to put his foot in his mouth when it came to her so he just shook his head and pretended like he hadn't even started that conversation, "so, anyway, how was your week?"

She shook her head before getting her phone out of her little black clutch, "I missed a call, why don't you go on and talk to whoever you are trying to sucker into investing in whatever your company is up to now, OK?"

"Whatever," Inuyasha shrugged.

"Hey, Kagome!" Her voice mail began, "it's Hojo, I just wanted to call and… say, I had a great time the other night and hope to do it again—I mean, see you again. I… well, um, Kagome," he laughed lightly, "it was great seeing you after so long. I… yeah, bye."

A smile fluttered upon her burgundy lips, Hojo had always been a bit awkward around women, it was nice to see that some things never change.

"Who's Hojo?" Inuyasha grinned.

"I thought you went off to talk to someone," she retorted before shoving her phone back in her clutch, "you know eavesdropping is rude, Inuyasha."

He just shrugged without letting his smirk fade, "what's Hojo want to do again, Kagome?"

"None," she started with a sweet smile as she took a step closer to him to look up in his fluid golden orbs, "of your business."

"He's not your boyfriend, is he?"

She swirled he glass around a bit before taking a sip, "what would it matter?"

"You know what I say about relationships," oh, no, she just knew he was going to start on another rant against monogamy, "they—"

"Yes, yes, they aren't a good idea, lead to blah, blah, blah," she swooshed her glass towards him as a sign that she didn't care before she turned to walk about, and like she thought he followed.

"I'm serious," which is what caught her attention the most. The Inuyasha she knew so well was almost never 'serious', he never talked to her with a stern voice like that, he was always screwing around or angry… that's why she felt a lump in her throat, "who's Hojo?"

"Why?" She inquired with a cocked brow.

"I'm curious, you know you're like…" he mulled over his next word as she stopped on the outskirt of the dance area to look at him, "family, so it matters who you're screwin' around with."

"You are really vulgar," she scolded with a shake of her head, "Hojo's my high school sweetheart."

"Really? You would have one of those," he snickered as he finished off his drink and sat it on the next tray that walked by.

"Jeez, thanks, but it's over, I ran into him the other day randomly and we went out to eat."

"Then you brought him home?" He dragged out, only to be smacked upside the head.

"Even if I did, which I didn't," at least, she wouldn't admit to it, "it wouldn't be any of your business. See, unlike you, Yasha, I prefer to keep my sex life private instead of having it spewed all over the tabloids."

"I can't help that the tabloids are interested in who I'm fucking at the time," he shrugged with a smug smirk, "and the only reason you like to keep your sex life private is because it's almost nonexistent. Do you know why that is?"

"Oh my lord," Kagome groaned, finishing off her drink rather quickly and setting it on a—sadly—empty tray, her nutmegs wondering about for the next one to come around.

"'Cause you only screw guys your dating, there's nothing wrong with letting loose every once and a while."

"You are a repulsive person," she stated, "how are we friends?"

He took a moment to think about that before he could form a rather simple answer, "I haven't a clue." But, he didn't care to figure it out either, so he took her hand and led her to the dance floor that he noticed her eyeing so longingly.

"Yasha," she murmured as he placed a hand on her hip and the other grasped the hand it already possessed, "you must really want the investment if you're willing to come to a Christmas themed party."

She knew it was an iffy subject, probably one she shouldn't try to touch, but… she said it anyway. Just to see if he'd react the same way as always or if, by some miracle, he'd gotten over it. It stung to see him flinch at her words and move his gaze away from her to the people about them. Neither said anything for a while, he never wanted to talk about it, and she'd never force it. It was the one thing she knew actually hurt the invincible man she'd grown so close to. The Christmas before they met his one and only long term relationship to his college sweetheart ended and ever since he hated the holiday, which, really, put a damper on it for her since it was her favorite holiday.

Though, she couldn't blame him… if someone she loved so dearly died that day, she was sure she'd hate it, too. Hayashi Kikyou, Kagome had never met her but she had heard so much from Miroku and Inuyasha about her that she felt she had. From the bits and pieces she had heard about the accident that took her life—which were few, since Inuyasha refused to talk of it and she never asked Miroku—it was a car crash.

"Hey," Inuyasha grinned after the song finished, it lifted her heavy heart to see that, "mistletoe."

"What?" She muttered before letting her nutmegs follow his gaze upward… oh, no, really? She had thought often of a kiss with him but… it would be a bad idea, she already had unrequited feelings for him, she didn't need them to become stronger, to cause her more pain but…

Would she ever have another chance? It was just a game to him, she could tell from the mischievous look in his eyes and the smirk upon his lips, while it would mean the world to her. In the end, she rose up a bit and he bent down so that their lips could briefly meet.

|x|—{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}—|x|

Something was sparked from that little kiss, something stirred within the both of them all night, something kept him from focusing on the conversations he meant to help his business, something kept her from being able to stand still beside him, something forced them to leave within an hour and head back to her apartment.

They tried to pretend like they were just heading back there as if it were any other night, just for a glass of wine, maybe a movie, perhaps she'd force him to watch her favorite show that he hated so, but neither believed that once they kicked their shoes off in her entry and stopped to look at the other.

There wasn't really any need for words. He started it; he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him so their lips could mingle again. It was his tongue that pried her lips open so it could roam about freely and tangle with hers as his fingers found the zipper of her dress so it could slide down off her body so simply to hear a small thud in her living room.

Her skin was so soft, so warm… so flawless.

His pants were off by the time they got to the room and his shirt was discarded before they tripped upon the bed. All was lost at that moment; their sense of what was right and what was wrong, their friendship, their restraint, their senses. Passion took over as they joined their bodies together. A wild, reckless, zeal that wrote what their rhythm would be throughout their night of foolishness.

Nothing kept them from gasping, moaning, and a 'thud, thud, thud' of the bed that was sure to drive her neighbor's mad. Never, though, did a name escape either's lips—on the rare occasion that they were apart or not roaming across the other's bare skin.

It was an unspoken agreement, one that they both kept for separate reasons. It wasn't happening, they weren't conjoined by a carnal need that they didn't think they had for the other.

All in all, it was a splendid sensation of sensual satisfaction that caused stars to brighten the somber bedroom.

|x|—{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}—|x|

I was a silly girl but I couldn't help myself, I just… wanted you. Not just for sex, that's all you wanted, but I yearned for more. I guess that's why I let you come back every day that December—except for Christmas, you didn't show up to my party, you asshole but that didn't stop me from opening the door to you the next day. We didn't really talk, either, we just did it wherever—the kitchen ones, the living room often, and the bedroom. Before you figured out I was a good fuck buddy, we used to talk about our days when we saw each other, we used to talk about a lot of stuff. I really hate that we lost that.

Sometimes, you'd ask about my day as you got your clothes together, sometimes I'd ask you before our clothes were discarded in some of the most awkward places.

At the start of January I knew it had to end, I couldn't take it anymore. I was losing you, I never even had you but our friendship meant the world to me before… that was gone, though. I just became one of the stupid girls that you went to but… I was never as dim as the rest, I was never delusional enough to think that you didn't leave me each night/afternoon/whenever to go to another girl.

Gods, that hurt so much. I love you, I always will, but you can't love anyone anymore, can you?

I had to get away, I just had to. I couldn't keep going on like that. That was why when my boss came to me asking if I would take over a promotion in Kyoto I took it without question. I moved out of my apartment in Tokyo without telling you. That's why I never left you an address for my new apartment and begged Sango never to tell you—which, she agreed without hesitation.

I changed my number; too, do you think that was a little extreme? It's not like you were going to track me down. I was just another lost sex toy that could be replaced ever so easily. Wasn't I?

I readjusted to my new life well, I think, I made new friends at work, I made more money, I had a nicer apartment, bigger space, for less than I had to pay in Tokyo. I missed some things about Tokyo but Kyoto was still a big city and I preferred that.

Then… I missed my period. I didn't think much of it, I was stressed from the move, I was working double time just to get you out of my head. Then I felt nauseas… and worry set in. My hands were shaking as I held the white stick in hand to see what the result was—positive.

Gods, why? Why? Why?

I felt the nausea come back like never before at that moment. I went to the doctor that very day.

"The results are like you thought," the doctor said to me. Crashing my whole world around me just like that… remember what you said about kids? I do. It only made me sicker.

"You know what?" I snickered at him as I hit his upper arm, "someday one of your random whores are going to call you up and tell you you're a daddy."

You shivered so severely at the very notion, "that's my worst nightmare. One of the girls comin' back saying she's," you couldn't even say it, "fuck, do you think I could pay a woman to abort—?"

"Inuyasha! God! You're an awful person!"

"There's nothing wrong with protecting my assets," he protested only to get slapped again. "What?! I don't want kids! That'd be hell on earth, a bunch of little freakin' rug rats running all over the place! That'd be prison, fuck that."

"Oh my god," I dragged out with ample space between each word, "you are a terrible person."

"What?" he snickered, "do you want kids?"

"Yes," I squealed, "someday, with the right man. Of course!"

Jeez, I always thought that right man would be my husband… now I'm left to have a bastard child. I never thought that'd be me. I guess it's fairly acceptable nowadays… but I still want that white picket fence type of life. I don't want to do this alone… but I'll never tell you.

"There are a few options," the doctor dragged out, snapping me from lala-land, "but you will have to decide within the next month or so."

Ah, that… I will never. I want this child, what if I don't get another chance? More importantly, regardless of the fact that this child is yours, it's mine. I will cherish the child like you never would. I… can't ever let you find out. You wouldn't want to know, anyway. Don't worry. I won't let my baby get in the way of your assets.

|x|—{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}—|x|

.

.

. . . { Inuyasha's P.O.V }. . .

A few too many months passed by after Kagome left without a word to me, the bitch. After everything we've been through together, after all the years of friendship, she just left without as little as a goodbye? Without even telling me where she was moving to? And she changed her phone number?

What the fuck?

I was pissed like hell for a month straight. Frustration flew through my veins, I couldn't work well so I just took the month off and called up the prettiest women I knew and spent days after days with them yet it didn't cure a thing.

I stopped bothering with that after the anger wore away. I didn't hassle with anyone else but you, Kagome, for that month we mingled. I… guess, looking back on it—like I so often did—I was kind of an asshole, huh? I didn't really do the right thing by you. You didn't just randomly screw around with men like I did women, you only had sex with people you cared about… you were dating. I should have taken you out a few times, I should have stopped to talk to you but… you know how I am in December, it's a shitty month for me.

"Inuyasha," Miroku beckoned to me as I swirled around slightly in my chair, my gaze locked upon the ceiling, "Inuyasha."

"What?" I snapped back, not bothering to glance at him.

He took a long pause, "you've been… down lately, what's up?"

As if he didn't already know, did he just want to hear me say it? Fine, I'd give him that, because… it was true. "I never… knew," gods, it was harder to say then I thought it would be, "it would be this… bad if she wasn't here."

"Kagome?" Miroku guessed before he sat down upon my desk, "you miss her, don't you?"

Of course I did, who'd I have if she wasn't around? Miroku's a great friend, yeah, but he's married and has a two kids and another on the way, he didn't have time to go out and have a good time. Besides the random hock ups I formed I… didn't have anyone. I had someone. I had Kagome, she was always there when I needed someone to hear me rant, when I wanted someone to just hand out with, when I just… wanted someone there. She was always a phone call away.

And I fucked that up by ignoring her feelings.

"I really do," I muttered, I spun around so I was finally looking at him, "tell me, where is she? Sango knows, I couldn't believe Kagome left without telling her, and if Sango knows then you know—"

"Inuyasha, I have no idea what you are talking about," Miroku assured stiffly.

I pressed my lips together before sliding open my drawer and pulling out a small black box, "I've decided… that I can't," I bit my lips together. I can't find pleasure with anyone besides her, I don't want to, I… think I can settle down, for her, if she'd let me. I think I can be faithful, to her, how couldn't I? She's beautiful and sensational in bed; I doubt I could find someone better.

"Inuyasha," Miroku drew out, "I can't tell you where she is…"

"Fine, I'll figure it out myself."

"Please, Inuyasha, leave her alone."

Leave her alone? If I do that, then I'd be alone.

|x|—{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}-{X}-{O}—|x|

It took a lot of will power for her to get out of bed on her day off but she did, groggily she pulled her hair back into her ponytail and walked to the door. When she looked out the peephole she didn't see anything… stupid kids, it's not funny to knock on a door so early. With a small sigh she turned around to go back to bed but then it happened again so she spun around and yanked open the door.

No one was there? She took a step forward, "stop it you little—!"

"Little what?" It pierced through her, stealing her breath away and turning her stomach before she could turn to see just who she thought standing there… "I figured if you saw me through the peephole you wouldn't open the door." He explained as he pushed off of the wall to stand up straight.

"I… Inuyasha," she choked, she didn't mean to but her hand still moved to her stomach. She swallowed the lump in her throat but she couldn't find any words.

"Kagome," he murmured before he walked up to him, "can I come in? Can we talk?"

She meant to say no but… she still took a few steps away from the door to allow him in, he closed it and she found herself making a cup of tea for the two of them before he followed her into the kitchen.

"Kagome," he started again but she refused to turn around to see him, "I… I made a mistake."

"We both did," she replied in the most surreal way, as if she hadn't really said it.

It stumped him; he took a breath before he formed an answer, "mostly me. I… Kagome," he waited until she turned to hand him the tea. It killed him a little to watch as her nutmeg beauties avoided his eyes fully. "I… miss you."

That's great; she almost rolled her eyes before she sat down at a table, "alright."

He didn't expect a warm welcome or a giddy greeting, but he'd never seen her so warn, either, he didn't expect the usual joy that was attached to each of her words—even when she was pissed at him—to be gone. "Kagome, I made—"

"Yeah, OK, I get it," she snapped.

"Just… Just listen to me," he begged before he took a seat next to her, "I can't… function without you anymore. Look, I've been thinking about it a lot since you left and… Kagome," it was too good to be able to say her name and see her before him all at once, "I… you, you are the only person that I can't manage without."

"Inuyasha," she dragged out with a mild groan before she took a sip of her tea, "please… stop."

"I care about you," he stated swiftly, so the words would finally come out. Her eyes widened slightly before she looked away again, "I really do. I don't need anyone else but you."

Translation, he didn't need to have sex with anyone besides her—at least, that how Kagome took it. How sweet, how romantic, not, "I don't—"

"Go out with me tonight," he interrupted whatever surely sassy thing was to come from her, "just tonight. If you don't like what I have to say then I'll leave for good. You'll never have to see me again. What do you say? Just one dinner."

"Just one…?" She mused… how could it hurt?