Blanket Disclaimer:

Inuyasha, and the characters therein, are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am in no way affiliated with Takahashi, or VIZ Productions.

A/N:

This is not a song-fic, although it was inspired by the song "On Christmas Day" by Dido. This story will have a happier ending, though. It was hearing the line "I shall return for you, my love, on Christmas Day." that inspired the plot for this off-canon one-shot.

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~ I shall return for you, my love, on Christmas Day ~

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The mood was somber that morning in the Higurashi household; much more quiet than it should have been. Aside from Buyo busying himself with some discarded wrapping paper, nothing resembled what a typical Christmas morning should be.

Souta unwrapped his gifts in a slow, mechanical fashion, offering brief nods of thanks to his mother and grandfather for the various treasures he had begged them for. Treasures he would gladly return, unopened, if he could exchange them for the one gift he knew they all wanted above all else. Mrs. Higurashi glanced sadly at the small pile of unopened presents in the corner, wishing, praying, for a Christmas miracle.

Kagome was home, that wasn't the issue. Kagome had returned through the well the evening before, safe and sound…and alone. She had not been alone when she'd jumped into the well in the Feudal era. Nobody knew what had happened, exactly, as they had only been able to pick up a few words here and there through her sobs, but it was clear that something had gone very, very wrong. Now, Kagome wouldn't get out of bed. She had no desire to eat breakfast, or open her Christmas gifts.

"What's the point?" her mother had heard her mumble into her pillow that morning. "There's nothing under that tree that I want."

As she stared at the brightly wrapped boxes in that moment, Kagome's mother couldn't help but to agree with her daughter's statement. What good were simple trinkets and tokens when the one thing your heart truly desired above all else had just been ripped from you so completely, and so suddenly, that you weren't left time to brace yourself before the fall?

She could only hope that, with time, her daughter would eventually heal. She was unaware of how deep Kagome's wounds actually ran.

*** Flashback ***

The final battle had literally come out of nowhere. Over a month of searching for Naraku had proven futile. Winter was rapidly approaching, and they had returned to the village to make sure that everyone was fully prepared for the upcoming colder months. The villagers had long ago accepted Inuyasha as their protector, and were grateful for the firewood and meat that he had happily (or at least not bitterly) provided for them. Kagome had managed to work up the courage to explain to Inuyasha, briefly, about the upcoming holiday in her time, and considering their recent failure in hunting down their arch enemy, he had reluctantly complied to her request to return home for Christmas.

Then the skies began to darken.

Miroku had announced that he detected a demonic aura on the approach only moments before Kagome claimed she could feel the taint of the sacred jewel approaching at a rapid pace. It wasn't long at all after that that Inuyasha could clearly pick up Naraku's stink on the wind. Bastard wasn't even bothering to mask his approach, and with the jewel as a factor in the equation, they knew this guy was the real deal, not a puppet.

Why he had suddenly decided to seek them out himself, nobody knew, nor cared, but the fact of the matter was that they quite suddenly had a war on their hands. A war that everyone had been prepared for for months, and were itching to finally finish.

Kagome quite suddenly found herself wondering if she would even make it home in time for Christmas (or at all), and for a brief moment, she did worry about her family on the other side of the well, knowing how badly they would worry about her should she fail to return. But those thoughts had to be put in the back of her mind, she knew, as she concentrated on fighting along side her friends. In the end, nobody had walked away unscathed, but everyone had at least walked away…except for Naraku. Kagome had managed to fulfill her duty, picking up where Kikyou had left off, purifying the jewel, and Naraku along with it. She no longer resented the fact that she was Kikyou's reincarnation, and was relieved that she had managed to fulfill the promise she had made to the older miko before her death.

Kagome was the least injured of any of them, mainly because Inuyasha had taken the brunt of the few blows that had been aimed in her direction, and as she cared for her hanyou's injuries that night, it was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. There was a moment, she was sure, when something had passed between them…something in his eyes as he gazed at her, and uttered something she couldn't recall ever having heard him say before, and with more sincerity than he ever used when speaking.

"Thank you."

His wounds were mostly healed the following morning, thanks to his youkai blood, and after a few hours of beating around the bush, Kagome finally managed to muscle up the courage to breech an entirely different subject with our hanyou than returning home.

She told him that she loved him; had loved him for a long time now. She told him that she wanted to be with him, if he would have her; if he could find it in his heart to love her in return. His eyes had widened in surprise before he'd lunged forward, pulling her into an embrace so tight it threatened to cut off her air. He told her that he returned her feelings; had returned them for a long time. He told her that he was sorry for all of the pain he had caused her in their past, especially over his loyalty to Kikyou. She told him that she forgave him, and that she understood. As he gazed into her eyes, he could tell that she meant it.

They had shown each other that night just how deeply their love for one another truly ran. Neither had been touched by another, and as they joined, mind, body, and soul, there was nothing that either of them could think about except just how right everything felt. The following night was Christmas Eve in her time, and Kagome had explained to Inuyasha that according to lore, if two people confessed their feelings for one another on that night, that their wish for being together forever would be granted. Inuyasha had joked that perhaps they should have waited until the following night, then, earning himself a playful slap on the chest. Both knew that neither of them had wanted to wait another second.

The following morning, on the day before Christmas, Kagome managed to get Inuyasha to agree to come back with her to her time. She wanted him with her on Christmas Eve, as it was a time for all young women to spend with the man they loved. He readily agreed to join her in her time, and the rest of the morning was spent more or less lazing about, as they relished in the simple peace of mind that came with knowing that Naraku was finally defeated.

The sacred jewel was no more, but while they knew this, it had not been a concern on either of their minds. After all, Kagome had been without jewel shards before, and had always been able to return to the past so long as Inuyasha was with her. Another reason why he had so readily agreed to accompany her to her time, having known he would be required to bring her back to his again, afterwards. As for Inuyasha himself, he'd never needed a jewel shard in order to use the well. They had always assumed that this was most likely because he had spent half a century pinned to the Goshinboku, the sacred tree of ages from which the well was constructed, from its wood. Surely Inuyasha and that tree had some sort of connection, especially if the tree itself could help he and Kagome to communicate with one another through the very fabric of time.

So it was with a joyous heart, and a pair of smiles, that Kagome lovingly clutched Inuyasha's hand within her own, as the two of them jumped together into the well, and to Kagome's time. It was when she'd suddenly realized that she could no longer feel his hand that she first knew that something was wrong. She had glanced up in his direction just in time to catch the equal look of panic on his own face, before the blue lights of time fully engulfed her, and her alone.

The first thing she had done as she'd arrived on her side of time was stand there muttering "…no…" quietly to herself for a few moments, before she promptly climbed up out of the well, only to turn around and jump right back in again. She already knew it wouldn't work. She already knew that Inuyasha was likely jumping into the well in rapid succession on his side, as well, and from his lack of appearances, that wasn't working, either.

Her family had found her curled up and crying at the bottom of the well, muttering Inuyasha's name over and over again.

***End Flashback ***

Christmas Day was steadily progressing, as all days tended to do, whether or not you wished that they wouldn't. Kagome's mother did her best to leave her daughter be, which was hard when she had to play interference with her school friends. She was only grateful that she had been the one to answer the door, so that for once, Kagome wasn't thought to be suffering from some exotic disease you could probably only catch at an airport. Still, Houjou had sympathized, saying how unfair it was to be suffering from the flu on Christmas Day. Mrs. Higurashi had only mumbled quietly to herself about how it wasn't fair, it wasn't fair at all.

Lunch time came and went, and again Kagome refused to eat. Her mother was worried, but she had to keep reminding herself that this only just happened the day before, and that it would undoubtedly take time before Kagome would be ready to face the world again. Although, if she refused to eat again tomorrow, she might be forced to remind her of how a certain "somebody" wouldn't want her getting sick from neglecting herself. She didn't know if bringing him up so soon would cause her daughter more pain, but she needed to eat. She would give her the rest of the day, but tomorrow, she would serve Kagome breakfast in bed if she had to.

She was just cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen when there was a gentle knock on the door. That was odd, because everyone they knew always used the bell. Drying off her hands on a floral towel on her way to the door, Mrs. Higurashi then opened the door with a friendly smile, which quickly turned into a startled gasp.

Up in her room, Kagome couldn't stop crying, but she didn't care. Who cared if she cried, when the one person who always told her to stop crying wasn't there to yell at her about it? Her mother's gentle knocking sounded on her door, which was quickly answered with a muffled "Go away." through her pillow.

"Kagome, dear…" her mother began, ignoring her command to leave. "There's somebody here to see you."

"Tell them I died." she muttered with a sardonic undertone.

"Kagome…" her mother repeated, a little more forcefully that time. "This person has been waiting to see you for a long time, and I'm not about to send them away."

That statement gave Kagome pause, because after everything that had happened, who on Earth could be so important that her mother would insist that she see them in her current condition? Her mother had already dismissed Yuka, Eri, Ayumi, and Houjou. She had asked her politely if she'd wanted to see them, and upon her negative response had promptly told them that she was sick. What made this person so different that they couldn't be lied to just as easily?

The miko was just determining that she was drawing a blank to her self-asked question, when her ears registered the sound of her bedroom door being unlocked from the outside. She knew her mother had a key, but she had never expected that she would so blatantly invade her privacy like that. Especially at a time like this.

As her door creaked open, Kagome turned to glare at her mother, the look preset in her eyes ensured to let her know just what she thought of her disregarding her wishes. The miko's eyes then promptly widened in shock upon the realization that the person standing in her doorway was not her mother.

She sat bolt upright, staring in disbelief.

A rather handsome young man stood before her, his long black hair tied back in a low ponytail. He was young, but not too young, appearing to be in his mid to late twenties. He wore a dark gray suit jacket open over a fitted cream turtleneck sweater, the snug fit of the woven fabric easily hinting to the well-built chest and abs hidden underneath. His pants were slacks in the same color of the jacket, and a dark brown leather belt, and matching dress shoes with tassels completed the look. His hands were shoved carelessly into his pockets as he observed the girl on her bed, his relaxed posture betraying nothing of his anxiety.

His clothing appeared to be very well made, and very expensive, but that wasn't what had captured Kagome's attention. No, her eyes were fixated on the beaded necklace draped elegantly across the man's chest.

"Inu…yasha?"

As if time had stood still until she spoke, he moved forward then, removing his hands from his pockets and removing a ring he wore on his right hand. Instantly, the hanyou she knew and loved was standing before her, though perhaps a little bit older than she remembered.

"Merry Christmas, Kagome." he uttered softly.

"…How...?" was all she could say in response.

Responding as though she were only referring to his concealment charm, he held up the ring between his thumb and forefinger, as he started to explain, "A couple of centuries ago, a group of kitsune found a way to-"

"No." she cut him off, and he merely smiled, pocketing the ring. But his response had still answered her question, as his statement of kitsune creating those concealment charms a couple of centuries ago sank in.

"All this time?" she whispered. "You waited all this time?"

He knelt beside her, as she straightened herself up a little more, sitting upright on the bed as they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Remember when I told you I never wanted anyone else but you?"

She nodded slowly.

"I meant it, Kagome." he said. "I thought about you every day, reminding myself that nothing had happened to you, but that you were only stuck on your side of the well. Kami…I…"

Tears started to form in his eyes. Kagome reached forward to touch his hand, and he instantly latched onto hers.

"I couldn't go on…at first. I was so lost without you, it was like you had died. I couldn't sleep. I wouldn't eat. Miroku had to literally paralyze me with a sutra while Sango shoved a rise ball down my throat just to get me to realize that there were still people around who cared about me. I wasn't…completely…alone."

She nodded her understanding, recalling how many times her mother had attempted to see if she could help, although she just hadn't been ready to deal with anyone yet. Oh gods, she had thought she was going to lose it after only one day. How on Earth had he managed to survive for five centuries?

The hanyou continued his story.

"My bastard of a brother wasn't really so much of a bastard after Naraku's death. He actually almost half-complimented me once when he said that I showed 'acceptable' levels of strength, for having defeated the dark hanyou. He became even more like a brother after he mated with Rin-"

She cut him off again.

"With Rin?"

Inuyasha laughed softly at her reaction, and the sound was one Kagome found both strange and comforting.

"After she was much older, of course." he explained, tapping her nose playfully for where he was sure her mind had wandered. "But he reluctantly admitted that he finally understood what father's 'obsession' was with human women, and actually managed to offer some measure of condolences over my loss." Inuyasha continued after a moment. The way he spoke of Sesshoumaru in past-tense made Kagome wonder...

"Is he still…"

"Alive?" he finished for her. She nodded. "Sure is. He and I are the brothers in Taisho Brothers Inc." he explained.

Her eyes widened significantly larger at that piece of information. Well, the miko thought, that certainly explains the Giorgio Armani.

"Sango and Miroku?" she asked hesitantly then.

Inuyasha sighed, unsure of how to respond.

"Well, they were mortal, Kagome…" he started slowly. She nodded her understanding, and her eyes told him that she wished for him to continue. "They were married, and had a total of six children. Four boys and two girls. They each lived to very ripe old ages, well passed the life expectancy back then. Miroku eventually passed away at age eighty-three, and Sango followed him a few months later at age eighty-one."

Kagome had to wipe a few stray tears from her eyes, but she was happy to learn that her friends had apparently had rich, full lives. "And Shippou?" she dared to ask next.

Smirking, Inuyasha fished his ring out of his pocket. "This is one of his designs."

Kagome smiled a larger smile at those words, and he repocketed the ring before pulling both of her hands into his.

"Kagome…there's something I was going to ask you…I meant to ask you…all those years ago. I know you understand that inu-youkai don't necessarily mate for life…considering my older half-brother's mother was…actually is still alive…" She nodded her understanding, remembering the conversation they'd had, and how Inuyasha had proclaimed that with his human heart, he never wanted anyone but her, forever. "We can take life-mates…if we choose to. There's a bonding ceremony done with the exchanging of blood that bonds the souls of two youkai together, forever. When done between a youkai and a human, it increases the human's life span to that of their youkai partner."

The miko's eyes widened impossibly large at such a realization, not over what he was suggesting, but over the fact that she'd never really thought about how she would die so much sooner than he would. Well, it now appeared as though that wouldn't be an issue, after all.

Kagome was expecting him to ask the question. The question she was sure he already knew the answer to. He would ask her if she would be willing to do this bonding with him, and she would say yes. She was not expecting him to first reach into his other pocket, and pull out a small black velvet box.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha started slowly, and her tears were instantly back at full-force. Fortunately, he knew they were tears of joy.

She wanted to fling herself at him right then and there, but somehow, she managed to stay calm long enough to at least let him finish asking the question first.

"You know what I'm going to say." he stated instead, chuckling as she nodded her head vigorously, biting her lip to keep from squealing.

"Is that a yes, then?" he asked teasingly, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes!" she screamed, launching herself off the bed, and into his unsuspecting arms.

They both tumbled to the floor with a loud thump, and there they stayed for a moment, simply holding onto one another, as they laid on their sides, gazing into each other's eyes. It was as if they were each reassuring themselves that the other person was truly lying there before them.

"Merry Christmas." he whispered again after a moment.

"Merry Christmas." she repeated. Slowly, they each closed their eyes, before closing the gap between their lips.

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~ Fin ~