Okay, since as of late our mail deliverer had been a bit careless and started giving us our neighbor's mail, this plot came to be... (I don't really mind too much about the mail mix up since he gave me a really cool idea for a plot and plus it's the Christmas season. Mail delivery is bound to be exhausting)

Anyway DD was where I got the use of clichés out of my system. This is going to be a little less cliché and a bit more original.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha

Summary: Mail is such a wondrous thing. It can bring cards, letters, word from relatives long lost... Hell, it can even bring love.

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Underneath The Brown Wrapping

Chapter One

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(Tsuki)

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Light flooded through the pink curtains of a small bed room. It made a trail, slowly but surely until it reached the bed of a young woman. It purposefully stopped there.

A raven haired girl lay underneath pink and white thick blankets. She could not have been more than eighteen. She wasn't astoundingly gorgeous, but the she was attractive.

She rolled onto her side to escape the sun. "Go away Mr. Sun..." she muttered, unconsciously furrowing deeper into the blankets to keep out the sun.

Little rays of light managed to seep under the covers, mockingly caressing her face. The hum of the air conditioner seemed to share a secret laugh with the incoming beam, at her expense.

A groan sounded from the mass of blankets, "Can't I get a little more sleep?" As if in answer to her question, the rays of sun continued to tease her.

A sigh of defeat sounded grudgingly from the blankets, "Well then, I guess it's time to wake up."

She sent a pout in the direction of her window.

With a stretched and a yawn, she exited the room and began her morning routine, muttering about not being able to get cut a break.

It was mid-June in the city of Tokyo. Kids were getting off from school left and right and were either beginning their summer vacation or starting summer school.

In the Higurashi household, they had already been out of school for a week and change, but they were not exactly doing anything special for the lengthy, two almost three month long break. There really wasn't anything they could do.

A light buzzing sounded throughout the house, as several letters and a package plopped through the mail slot. A young man about the age of fifteen with messy brown hair and sparkling cinnamon eyes called out to his older sister.

His name was Souta. He had just finished his first year as a freshman at the district high school.

"Kagome! Mail's here!"

For the past week, it had been the same routine. The mail would come. His sister would run down, she would ask if her package arrived, and everyday she had been horribly disappointed when simply a few letters and bills would come in.

Today, however, was quite different.

Kagome eagerly ran downstairs. It was a bit past one o' clock, and the sounds of chirping birds, and laughter rang through out the house, despite the fact that most of the windows had been shut to run the air conditioning.

Kagome was completely dressed for the warm weather. She was wearing a pair of faded denim shorts and a short sleeved button up blue shirt. The first few buttons had been left open, and her hair was in a messy bun. She was completely barefoot.

It was partly because she didn't feel like smothering her feet in shoes or even socks, and the other reason was because it was a resident rule to not wear shoes while in the house, as to not ruin the woven mats that covered the area of the floor.

"It is? Is there a package in there? Do you see one?"

If you couldn't tell, she was very inquisitive.

Souta nodded, "There is a package. It's real tiny, though, sis. What's in it?"

Kagome twirled around dramatically, "Only the uniform that Mirouku— tiny!" A strangled noise came from her throat, "A uniform can't be tiny! I was expecting a full out sign-for-this-please package..."

Souta shrugged and held up a tiny box that could not have been bigger than the palm of his hand. "Well Mirouku must have sent anextra, extra Honey-I-Shrunk-the-Kids-so-now-they-have-to-wear-doll-clothes small. You are pretty midget-y."

Kagome huffed and took the package from him, "You're such a pain Souta, you know that? And all the Higurashi women are naturally petite," she muttered the latter.

Souta laughed, "Right... Sorry, Kagome..."

His older sister was about to wave off the apology but the little monster had stuck out his tongue yelling as he ran away to his room, "I'm sorry the truth hurts!"

With a frustrated groan and a roll of her eyes Kagome stuck out her tongue in return at his exit, "Little brothers!"

They just never grew up. He would probably still be annoying her even when they were both old and senile!

Kagome shuddered... that really was not something to look forward to.

She picked up the rest of the mail before depositing them on the living room coffee table for her mom to later look through.

Kagome plopped down on the couch and folded her feet comfortably underneath her. She brought the package up for examination, "Kikyou Hurishi... 89 Sun Shine Drive?"

The raven haired teen sighed, "I guess I see how there could have been a mix up. Kagome Higurashi... Sun Shine Shrine."

There had been a lot of recent mail goofs.

She huffed angrily. "They really outta fire the guy! He's looks even younger than Souta!" As soon as the words left her mouth, she sighed, "Harsh Kagome! Wishing unemployment on people... the poor guy probably has enough trouble already and I'm wishing bad ill on him."

The raven haired woman gave a sigh and held up the package again, "Hurishi... I'll drop this off now. I have nothing better to do. Better check with Momma before I get going."

By the slight scent of rice in the air, Kagome knew her mother to be cooking.

She went into the kitchen. Her mother was indeed busily cooking lunch. Kagome hurriedly crossed the room to where her mother was. "Momma, I'm going down the street. There was a mail mix up."

Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome's mother, moved aside her cutting board and the vegetables she was chopping. She wiped her hands on her apron, "Another?" At Kagome's nod she sighed, "Are you sure you don't want me to take care of it?"

Kagome wrapped her slender arm around her mother and leaned her head on the other woman's shoulder, "Nah! I need some exercise for the day. I've just been sitting around the house all day. It'll only take a second. Plus, she might have my uniform! Once I get it I'm free to start working."

The middle aged woman let out a soft chuckle, "You and that job of yours."

Kagome smiled, "It's not just any job! I'll be..." she pause for dramatic effect and to find the proper phrase. "waitress-ing, and getting paid." She sighed, "I'm going to go so I can come back quickly. Bye mom."

Mrs. Higurashi returned to her cooking. Her playful air was now gone, and it was replaced with one that was bordering on dismal. "Alright honey, I'll see you later."

Kagome left the kitchen with the package, her mood dissipating as well.

It was a known fact in the Shrine, that bills were piling up and her Jii-chan's tours were decreasing along with her sales. Her mother worked as a nurse, but that only paid so much, and then in September, Kagome would be entering college...!

As the oldest, she felt it her duty to get a job, hell, get two jobs even. There was an opening at the café down the street. And if she could somehow learn to live solely on coffee and cereal bars- she'd make it three.

They were all trying to help Momma out more. Her jii-chan at the moment was outside looking through the job ads. Souta was even working in the district daycare.

He was great with kids... It was just his sister skills that needed work.

Kagome slipped on a pair of sneakers, and was out the door and down the street in a matter of moments.

Of course luck would have it that once she was a good halfway down to where she needed to be, she realized that she had forgotten the package that was the sole reason for the whole trip.

She slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand, "Ugh! Stupid, stupid, me!" An old woman who passed her gave her a strange look, but continued on her way, muttering about crazy kids.

Kagome ran back up the street and into her house, her mother remarking, "Back already, dear?"

With a sheepish laugh Kagome retrieved the package off a small wicker table. She had placed it down to out on her sneakers, "I forgot the box."

A light chuckle was heard, and a teasing, "Let's just hope you don't do that when it comes time for you to start working. I don't think your customers will be too understanding," came from the kitchen.

Kagome laughed imagining such scenarios, "I'm out...again."

For the second time, she went down the street, but this time with the package, and in a light jog.

The Shrine was an even hundred and six, so she really didn't have that far to get to house eighty nine.

It was just the Shrine steps that made it seem as if she had walked a mile. There was a good fifty something steps to it!

She felt even sorrier for their mailman... He had to climb up all of them in rain, snow, sleet, and hail.

'That's one job that's been crossed off the list,' she thought dryly.

Kagome reached the house in a bit over five minutes after coming from her own home. She took in a deep breath, feeling oddly nervous and rang the bell.

She had no idea who this Kikyou was, only that she had gotten her mail and it was only right to return it.

The teen ended up waiting but half a minute before the door opened.

A woman who could not have been that much older than her opened the door. Who she could only guess was Kikyou had raven colored tresses such as her own, but milk chocolate eyes, where hers were a gray-ish blue. "Hello?"

"Hi," she began a bit uncertainly, "are you Kikyou Hurishi?"

She looked with curiosity at Kagome, "Yes, that's me."

Kagome smiled, "I'm Kagome Higurashi. I live in the Shrine down the street—"

Kikyou's eye lit with recognition, "Kagome Higurashi... Please, why don't you come in?" The door opened wider and Kikyou stepped aside, "That was rude of me to interrupt you, but I have something for you."

Kagome did as asked, "I also have something of yours."

Kikyou looked a bit anxious, and not the least surprised, "You do?"

Kagome nodded and handed her the package. "This came for you today." The older girl nervously ripped open the package not batting an eye to the fact that it had no sender's address written on the brown packaging.

When she opened the small box she suddenly paled, and tears began pouring down her face.

"Oh no..." She closed her eyes as if willing away the object.

Kagome was at a lost as to what to do. It was decided for her, however, when Kikyou pointed at the door, as she sagged with exhaustion onto the couch.

"Please, leave... Your package is in the closet... Take it and leave..."

Kagome didn't know what to say. But she did not want to pry, and reluctantly got her package. With the sounds of silent sobs as her good bye Kagome opened the front door, "The Sun Shine Shrine..."

Kikyou didn't look away from the box, but Kagome continued. "If you ever need to talk it's not that far away."

And then she left.

(Tsuki)

The package was similar to Kikyou's no sender's address simply, brown paper wrapping, her name and mailing info scrawled on top of it.

The only difference: It was a gazillion times bigger.

Okay, so that was an exaggeration. It was the size of large computer monitor, but that did not matter to Kagome as she tore halfheartedly through the paper.

Once the brown paper was gone, a regular egg white box took its place. She lifted the lid and grinned, her enthusiasm more than apparent.

Inside was a slim royal purple with a yellow trim uniform. It was completely western retro looking. Like something out of the fifties. Her cousin, Mirouku was partial head of a four star hotel and continental breakfast in Tokyo called the Aika no Tsukiakari Hotel but since saying the Lament of the Moonlight Hotel was too complex and long for her dear cousin he simply unofficially remained it A n' T.

Very original, huh?

But Mirouku loved the hotel. He had been in it all his life, and now that he was nineteen, he was able to have a partial ownership with his uncle, and have a say in many matters.

"And apparently that lech had a say in these, too!"

Her eye twitched at the sight of the almost non-existent skirt, and the more than slightly low dipping V neck.

"Ooh! I will definitely give him a piece of my mind the next time I see him...I just hope Sango doesn't get to him first...If she does there'll be nothing conscious left to beat."

Sango was her best friend. The two had been close since as way back as second grade. She was the same age and would be taking on the same job as she would.

A slip of paper fell out of the apron of the dress.

Kagome picked it up, and skimmed the first few lines, "My work schedule..." It said that she would work everyday from nine to three waiting tables.

Kagome grinned. "That doesn't sound so bad..."

It still left her with enough hours for a night shift job somewhere.

She pumped her hands into the air, "Now off to the café down the block!"

Or it would have been off to the café down the block had not the doorbell rang. Mrs. Higurashi poked her head out of the kitchen.

"Kagome dear can you get that? I have to keep an eye on these or they'll burn."

Kagome nodded, "Sure." With a little bounce to her step, she opened the door to reveal Kikyou. In her hands was a plate of cookies.

Her voice was hoarse, and her eyes slightly red, when she said, "If the offer is still good, I really need someone to talk to..."

Kagome only smiled and led her inside.

(Tsuki)

Whoo! Story two of four is done! If I wasn't feeling so horrible I'd have written more, but I since I feel so crappy...eh. Eight pages with Times New Roman is like six with Veranda so I'm content...

Please tell me how this was! And Happy New Year,

MT