This Sesshoumaru Doesn't Do Christmas by SunsetMiko

Children's Crafts

This Sesshoumaru Doesn’t Do Christmas

Chapter 40 - Children's Crafts

Saturday, December 20, 2008

*Dedicated Heart* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

"Okay, guys. First, you cut your toilet paper tube in half," Kagome directed, watching as the children did as she advised. "Now you want to make little cutouts, curved, like this," she said while holding up her finished example, "to make legs." The miko continued giving her instructions on how to make a reindeer out of a toilet paper tube, all the while forcing a fake smile to stay on her face. She was dedicated to these children, and she would not let them down because she was having problems at home.

She was still stressing over Sesshoumaru's lies, and she was doing her best not to let the children see it, but she knew they had to sense the disturbance in her aura. There was nothing she could do about that, and though most of these children had never been taught how to control their powers or what their senses were telling them, they weren't stupid. They were actually incredibly insightful, and she could see the worry on their faces as they did their crafts.

Shippo mentally cursed up a storm. Someone had upset the miko angel that had become the closest thing he ever had to a mother, and he had a good suspect. It had to be that boyfriend of hers. The kitsune had always believed that he was the reason she hadn't taken any of them home yet. He knew she loved them all, but also knew that he and Rin were her favorites. For a long while he hadn't been able to figure out why she hadn't attempted to adopt them, but once he found out that her boyfriend was a demon, he had his answer.

*Proof of Life* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

He knew just as well as any of them that demons almost never adopted, which was why they were all still there. Kagome was the only human willing to volunteer with them, even though she was a miko, and so he knew she held no prejudices against his kind. It was the only explanation and it made the little boy hate the miko's boyfriend. Every time she left, he ached to go with her, and as long as she dated this taiyoukai of hers, it would never happen.

Shippo was torn. He felt terrible that Kagome was so upset, and he was angry that someone, most likely her boyfriend, had upset her, but he was also thrilled at the prospect that their relationship might come to an end. Then he might actually have a chance at having a mother, a house, and a real life. Living in the orphanage was as if someone had stuck them all on a shelf for storage until they were old enough to take care of themselves, and it wasn't fair. They were people, too. Living breathing people that deserved far better treatment than they got.

He knew that the taiyoukai was coming to play Santa for them the next day, and he thought it was hilarious that Kagome had managed to convince a demon of his stature to do something so humiliating as dress up in a red suit and allow strange children to sit on his lap. It did give him the impression that the demon boyfriend cared about her a great deal, but it was apparently not enough to keep from hurting her. He had never seen her so upset, and he was planning on getting a little revenge when the guy showed up. Someone needed to teach him a lesson about how to treat women like Kagome, and the little ten-year-old kitsune had decided he was just the one to do it.

- *If I Were a Bird* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

Kagome and Sesshoumaru had barely spoken to each other since she got home from the orphanage, except for the miko reminding him of his responsibilities the next day. She had no idea what to say to him when all she wanted to do was shout for him to come clean and tell her what he was hiding, and he was doing no better conversation-wise. He knew their relationship was crashing and burning, but he had no idea how to fix it. His beast, of course, had plenty of ideas, but he didn't have faith in any of them.

In truth, the miko wished she were anywhere but there. She wished that she could just fly away from the entire situation, be somewhere else for a while where there wasn't so much cursed tension. Tomorrow was going to be a nightmare. She knew Sesshoumaru really didn't want to play Santa, that he was doing it for her, and while that warmed her heart, it also reminded her about what he wasn't telling her.

*Gleam in the Distance* (Stella's Soundtrack Challenge)

Frustrated with the entire situation, Kagome decided that it was time to try and get over it. If Sesshoumaru was trying to find a way to tell her, like Inuyasha said, then maybe she shouldn't be so angry. She loved him, and there wasn't much he could say or do to change that. She could only hope this unpleasant period of their relationship would soon come to an end, and they could go back to being happy.

The pair was sitting at opposite ends of the couch; both staring blankly at the television while their thoughts tormented them. The taiyoukai was surprised when Kagome suddenly scooted closer. He automatically lifted his arm so she could snuggle up, and she laid her head on his chest.

"I love you, Sesshoumaru," she said into his shirt.

"And I you," he replied.

"Whatever it is, I'll still love you. I promise."

If only he could be as certain as she was.