Silent Night

A/N: YAY! Another Christmas fic! I wish this could have been released yesterday on Christmas, but I didn't finish in time…and I would rather give you all a quality story instead of a rushed one. And, for once, I don't have another fanfic to worry about at the same time (-cough-"Shrine of Love"-cough-).

This fanfic is a one-shot. I actually began two Christmas fics before this one, but I realized the plots were too complex and needed more chapters than I had intended for them (and time was not on my side, so maybe they'll be out next year).

Anyways, I'll stop blabbering :D

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: "I, Waterlily216, do NOT own Inuyasha. Never did and never will."

Silent Night

It was Christmas night.

Kagome glanced in the direction of her boss, Inuyasha Takashi, who was standing behind the front counter and adding hot chocolate powder to a large mug. She let out a heavy sigh and turned to look out the window of the Takashi Coffee Shop.

It was a white Christmas. A really white Christmas.

In fact, there was a heavy snowstorm outside…which was one of the reasons why she was stuck in her workplace with her boss right now. Her boss who was completely obnoxious and egotistical. And hot.

The same boss who had kissed her when she was five. On the mouth.

She supposed it was something to be proud of. Not everyone could boast that they had their first kiss when they were in elementary school. Yet to this very day, she blamed him as the reason for why she couldn't get any boyfriend…as if his kiss had placed a curse on her.

But she couldn't be mad at him really…because she had fallen in love with him.

Too bad he didn't seem to have mutual feelings.

To add to that matter, there was a high chance that she was going to be fired tonight.

Takashi Coffee Shop belonged to the prestigious Takashi Corporations, so it was not your average coffee shop. To start off with, the coffee shop had a fireplace located in the shop's sitting area. Because of this, Kagome suggested "roasting chestnuts on an open fire" at the coffee shop as some sort of celebration for Christmas, an idea which her co-workers seemed supportive of. The event took place the previous day during Christmas Eve. At first, her idea was a hit. Families and couples roasted chestnuts in the shop's fireplace from morning to late afternoon…that is, until a kid accidentally caught three of the shop's armchairs on fire.

Of course, Inuyasha wasn't too happy about that.

"Roasting chestnuts on an open fire" was put to a stop. At the end of the workday, Inuyasha had come up to her and told her that he'd like to have a "nice little chat" with her during the night shift on Christmas night, one of the worst work shifts ever throughout the whole year.

Which was why she was here now.

Alone with him, instead of her family. On Christmas night.

Realizing she was sulking a bit too long, Kagome walked over to the sitting area where several couches and armchairs were strewn about. She took a towel from the apron around her waist and started wiping up the coffee table nearest to her.

It wasn't like anyone was going to come anyway during this snowstorm…but she had to look busy. She couldn't afford to get fired. Her family shrine was struggling financially, so she had to help with the family income.

Kagome heard the clinking of a spoon as Inuyasha stirred his hot chocolate.

When the hell was he going to talk to her? They hadn't talked to each other all day. Then again, they never did. Inuyasha was always too busy glaring at her. Was it because he hated her? Maybe he was utterly disgusted with her after he kissed her in elementary school...

And yet she still liked him.

"Higurashi."

Kagome snapped out of her reverie. She straightened immediately and turned to face her boss, who was now standing a few feet away from her. The uniform of the shop employees was a white collar shirt and black pants, all with a red apron on top. Inuyasha single-handedly began untying the full apron he wore. As he pulled the apron off his head, Kagome saw that his white collar shirt was untucked, and the top buttons of the shirt were open, revealing the top of a well-toned chest. She found herself busy staring at it…that is, until he threw his apron onto the table she had just wiped.

Kagome cursed. Why did such an obnoxious guy have to be so hot?

"I'll make this short," Inuyasha said, sipping his hot chocolate. "What is Takashi Coffee Shop's slogan?"

"A place that warms the soul," Kagome recited monotonously.

"That's right," Inuyasha replied shortly. "Not a place that kills the soul."

Kagome grimaced. This was not starting out good for her.

"I'm aware that I should take responsibility, since I permitted you to do it," Inuyasha went on. "But you were the one that suggested the idea, so I had trusted you to take charge efficiently…which you failed to do."

Definitely not good for her. Definitely not good at all.

"Be sure to take better care with your ideas next time, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," she answered solemnly.

"Good," Inuyasha stated, sitting down on one of the armchairs closest to him.

Kagome waited for him to continue his scolding. When he didn't, she blinked in confusion, "Is…is that it?"

Inuyasha took a long drink from his mug before finally giving a reply.

"Nope," he answered. "I have something serious to discuss with you, so please take a seat over here."

Kagome's mouth ran dry.

'Shit, this is the part when I get fired,' she panicked, slowly making her way to the seat beside Inuyasha. 'He's just easing in slowly so he can torture me longer.'

She grimly sat down in the armchair adjacent to her boss. What the hell was she going to do now? With the current recession happening throughout the world right now, it was hard to find a job she actually liked.

Scenario after scenario ran through her mind, yet her thoughts halted in their tracks when Inuyasha set down his hot chocolate on the table with a loud clank. He clasped his fingers into a loose fist and rested his chin on it. For a brief moment, there was complete silence as Inuyasha stared at her, his deep violet eyes piercing through her. Kagome shifted uncomfortably. She bit her lower lip as Inuyasha's eyes narrowed into the usual glare he always seemed to give her.

Yet what he said next completely through her off guard.

"Do you hate me?" Inuyasha asked.

Kagome's mind went blank.

"E-excuse me?" she stuttered.

"Do you hate me?" Inuyasha repeated.

Kagome merely stared at him. Was this a trick question?

"Look," she began in an apologetic tone. "I'm really, really sorry about the chestnut incident. So please don't fire me-"

"Higurashi, I'm not talking about the chestnut incident," Inuyasha interrupted calmly. "I merely asked you if you hate me. It's a yes or no question."

There was silence. It was so quiet that they could hear the ticking of the clock on the other side of the shop.

Kagome swallowed, "Well, then…no, I don't. Why do you ask?"

"Because you have been avoiding me ever since I kissed you in elementary school," Inuyasha replied, his eyes still on her. "Do you detest me that much?"

Kagome's jaw dropped. What the hell did he just say?

"Excuse me, but – you're the one that has been glaring at me ever since that incident," Kagome retorted.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes again, "Glaring at you?"

Kagome gave a nod in his direction, "Yeah. Like right now."

Inuyasha blinked once. Then again. And then, to her utter shock, his expression softened and he laughed.

Kagome sat deadly still. She didn't know how to react. It was the first time she heard him laughing. It sounded nice to her ears. She wished she heard it more often.

After a good minute or two, her boss finally calmed down again.

"Good grief, you are one funny girl," Inuyasha sighed heavily. "Glaring…I have never glared at you once in my entire lifetime."

"Oh really," Kagome answered sarcastically. "Pray tell, what were you doing during all those times then? You glared at me all throughout high school. And you still glare at me, even though we're in college and working in the same workplace."

"I was merely observing you."

"…Oh."

Kagome reddened.

Huh. So those hadn't been glares after all. He had just been trying to figure her out.

"Well, why do you keep looking at me anyway?" she snapped, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

"Because you never responded to my confession," Inuyasha said simply. "Even after all these years…"

Kagome looked at him in confusion, "What confession?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Think about it," he said. "I kissed you – how straightforward could I possibly be?"

Kagome shrugged, "How was I supposed to react? It was elementary school. Having contact with boys would give us girls 'cooties'."

"But those boys and girls mature," Inuyasha pointed out. "If you're mad about the kiss, then I humbly apologize for forcing myself on you back in elementary school. But like you said, we're in college now. Co-workers, if not boss and employee. You could at least acknowledge my existence as another human being, other than as just your boss."

"It's because of you that I avoided you in the first place," Kagome snapped. "You're always so cold to me...or at least I thought you were, so I thought you hated me."

"But I thought you hated me," Inuyasha countered. "So it was a misunderstanding between the both of us."

"Yes."

"So just to confirm all this…you don't hate me."

Kagome sighed in exasperation, "Correct."

"Well I'm glad that's settled," Inuyasha said, finally ending the conversation.

An awkward silence passed. The two of them looked out the large window panes of the coffee shop and saw the snowstorm was still going on, blowing strong as ever.

"I was going to let you off work after the discussion, but it looks like we'll be stuck here until morning because of the snowstorm," Inuyasha sighed. He saw Kagome nodding grimly at the corner of his eye. "Had any wishes for Christmas?"

Kagome shook her head.

Inuyasha gave a shrug and turned to look out the window once more. Kagome gazed at him, really taking a look at him after all these years. He wasn't the same scrawny kid from back then. He had grown up to be a man that was handsome and attractive…a man she happened to be in love with, despite all the misunderstandings she had of him all these years.

And then she realized something from what he had told her during their conversation.

He had "confessed" to her in elementary school, meaning he had liked her back then.

Ironically, right now, she wanted to kiss him because, well…she liked him. It was a long shot, but it wouldn't hurt to ask…right?

Besides, it was Christmas. Maybe he'd do it.

"Actually," Kagome said loudly. "I do have a wish."

Inuyasha turned his head back to her. With a raised eyebrow, he answered, "Oh really?"

Kagome nodded.

A silence passed between them. Inuyasha stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

Kagome took in a shuddering breath and then said, "I want you to kiss me."

Inuyasha gave her a blank look.

"That is, if you still feel the same way," Kagome quickly added. "You know what, sorry, forget about what I just said. It was just on impulse-"

Blushing madly, she opened her mouth to go on, to come up with excuses of why she had blurted out such a request. But she never got to…because Inuyasha suddenly leaned over and crushed his mouth against hers.

Inuyasha had been right. Elementary boys and girls mature.

Inuyasha had definitely matured. His kiss had too. And this one was brimming with passion.

He was thorough, so very thorough. She felt his fingers – his fingers so warm and strong – cup around her face. She could taste the hot chocolate he had finished a few minutes before, sweet on his mouth. His lips gently tugged at hers, beckoning her to respond to him.

So she did.

Her arms draped around his neck, and she pulled him closer to her, tilting her head to deepen their kiss. She felt Inuyasha's hands drop from her face, settling on her waist instead.

She had no idea how long they kept at it, but it was the hottest kiss she ever had.

"I take it that means you still feel the same way?" Kagome asked breathlessly when they finally pulled away from each other. Inuyasha grinned.

"Hold up," he murmured. He let go of her and strode off. Kagome watched in curiosity as he stopped in front of the entrance door. Her mouth curled into a smile when he flipped the sign over from OPEN to CLOSED.

When he made his way back to her, she slyly remarked, "You know, we don't close until another hour."

She gave a small giggle when Inuyasha gathered her in his arms again, gently bumping heads with her.

"Who cares, I'm the boss," he said quietly. "And who in their right mind would go outside in this snowstorm anyway?"

They both laughed. For a moment, the two of them rested their foreheads against one another's, gazing into each other's eyes. Kagome gently ran her fingers through Inuyasha's long, black hair.

"I love you, Inuyasha," she whispered at last.

Her gray-blue eyes closed as he gave her a sweet, long kiss. When Inuyasha pulled away, he finally gave her a response.

"I love you too," he said softly. "…I have since elementary school."

They smiled at each other.

And then he kissed her again, holding her close to him for the rest of the warm, silent night.

:o:O:o:O:o: THE END :o:O:o:O:o:

A/N: It's been more than a year since I last wrote a fanfiction, and it feels weird, haha.

Just in case you guys didn't know, the anime for Inuyasha has started up again :D It's following the manga quite nicely…which is somewhat of a bad thing, since that means they'll probably end the anime with the manga ending (which I was definitely not satisfied with).

Anyways, Merry Late Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Please review! :)