Title: Lessons
Author: Nikki Kiraga
Rating: PG-13
Genre: General, Romance
Warnings: Inuyasha swearing.
AU/Canon: Canon
Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome
Words: 1,406
Summary: Inuyasha pushes past his pride to ask Kagome to teach him how to write, and uses the lessons to tell her something.
Note: Week 5, Calligraphy oneshots.
The silver-haired hanyou sat in front of the old, dilapidated well, staring angrily at it, as if willing the girl to show up. Damn her. Always going back for her "ex-ams". Why'd she need to take them anyway? Everyone knew she would stay here with him once everything was over. Wouldn't she? His furry puppy ears slowly lowered. Maybe she wouldn't stay. Maybe that's why she was always so insistent to go home. The hanyou found himself sad, which then angered him. "Keh! Who cares about the wench anyway?! Not me, I'll tell ya that much!" He stood, and begun to walk off. His ears then perked up as he felt the magic flow from the well, and a familiar scent came from it. Immediately he turned on his heel, and stomped back over, staring down at the girl inside. "Wench! It's about damn time that you got back!" He reached in, yanking the human girl out.
Kagome squealed as she was pulled, and hit her rump on the hard ground. She glared up at the hanyou. "Well, thank you for the greeting, Inuyasha. It's so nice to know I was missed!" she retorted.
Inuyasha returned the glare the human was giving him. "Well, maybe if you didn't leave so damn often for so damn long, then I wouldn't miss you so damn much!"
Kagome froze. Slowly, her gaze softened as his words registered in her mind. Her cheeks began to heat up as she slowly stood up. "You... you miss me when I'm gone?"
Inuyasha's ears twitched. He really didn't mean to let that slip! He blushed as well, and turned around, stuffing his arms in the sleeves of his haori. "Keh, no. I was just sayin', the others miss ya when you're gone. Come on, we better go tell 'em you're back."
Kagome smiled, shaking her head. He wouldn't change, she knew it. She followed him as they walked toward camp, but then jogged a bit to stand beside him, flashing him a sweet smile before wrapping both of her arms around his right one. Inuyasha blushed, but didn't resist. Damn it, when will she stop being so affectionate?
A few days passed, and Kagome had once again begun to study. She'd sit under a tree in whichever campsite they picked that night, a candle being her only light. Inuyasha often sat in the tree above her, watching as she read in her textbooks and wrote in notebooks. He sighed lightly to himself one night as he watched her. Her handwriting was beautiful, usually resembling that of a noble in his time. His handwriting was horrid. Hell, he was lucky he even knew how to write. Shaking his head to clear that thought, he continued watching her. Slowly, he cleared his throat. "Hey, uh, Kagome... would you mind, er... oh, forget it. Just go to sleep."
Kagome blinked, head tilted back toward him. He was going to ask her for something? Her curiosity was piqued, and she had to sate it. "Inuyasha, what is it? You can ask me," she said softly with a smile.
The hanyou rolled his eyes, turning away from her. "Forget it, wench. It's nothing. Stop your damn studying and go to sleep. We've got a long way to go tomorrow and I can't have you dragging your feet."
It was Kagome's turn to sigh. As if she could ever convince him to ask her anything. Slowly, she blew out the candle, and returned her books to her bag. Curling up in her sleeping bag, she looked at him one last time. "Good night, Inuyasha," she whispered before she drifted off to sleep.
More days passed, and the pattern seemed to continue. Kagome studied as Inuyasha watched her, and Inuyasha kept wishing that Kagome would teach him how to write properly. Then she would teach him how to read. Really, he only knew some words, and never could understand a full letter. One night, he jumped down beside her. He couldn't stop his smirk when she jumped and looked at him, giving him a questioning stare. "Teach me," he muttered simply. He hate admitting that he needed help for something as small as this. It made him feel stupid, uneducated... well, he was the latter, but that wasn't the point.
Kagome blinked in confusion. "Teach you? Teach you what, Inuyasha?" She really couldn't figure out what he needed her to teach, confusion showing on her face.
"How to write. And... uh... maybe how to read, while you're at it. You know, if you want to... wench." He avoided her gaze now. Surely she'd think he was stupid and start laughing, then she'd say no and leave him for good.
Kagome's head tilted just slightly. He wanted her to teach him how to write... and read? Thinking back, she knew that his mother died when he was very young. Probably even too young to learn! She gasped lightly at the thought. He taught himself? That must've been hard. She turned back to him, and saw the shame on his face. Slowly, she smiled. "Okay. But, um, what do you know?"
Two ears perked up. Inuyasha looked at the girl in front of him. She didn't reject him? Damn, this girl really was perfect! He even asked Kikyo once, but she just laughed. He sat down completely now, and took her notebook. He figured he might as well show her how bad his writing was, first. He made a few sentences, his characters sloppy and nearly unreadable. Kagome nodded slightly, not saying a word, before getting a story book from her bag, and had him try to read the stories. He managed to pick out a few words, but didn't do very well at all. Inuyasha was blushing now, and pushed the book away from him. "Keh, if you wanted to humiliate me..."
Kagome quickly stopped him. "What? No, no. I just wanted to see how well you could read and write. That way I know where to start." She flashed a smile at him. "I know it must have been hard for you, since your mother died, and nobody being around to teach you."
Inuyasha blinked, and nodded. "Er, thanks, Kagome. I... really appreciate it." His blush darkened as she smiled wider and nodded. "Good night, then... we can start tomorrow night." He jumped up in the tree, watching her go to sleep.
Kagome proceeded to teach Inuyasha how to read and write every chance she got. During breaks in their traveling, when they were waiting for lunch to cook, but their favorite time was at night when everyone else was asleep. Inuyasha had progressed quickly, Kagome bursting with pride and often giving him a piece of candy as a reward. The two sat close as he wrote carefully, imitating what she had already written down. Smiling victoriously when he got it, he turned to her. "See, wench? I'm not stupid after all," he said happily. He knew she never considered him stupid, but Kikyo laughing at him when he asked her was still burnt into his heart. When she reached for the pen, he shook his head, pulling it away from her. "I wanna write something by myself. Is that okay?"
Kagome blinked in slight confusion, and nodded with a smile. "Go ahead. I think you can do it."
Inuyasha nodded, and turned his head to the paper. Slowly, he began to write. His feelings were driving him insane these last few years, and he had to let her know. Kagome's mouth fell open when he finished, and he was blushing when she looked at him. Leaning in, he whispered, "It's true."
Kagome's eyes filled with tears, and she quickly hugged him. Snuggling close into his masculine chest, she started to cry tears of joy. She melted in his embrace, and when she regained her composure, she looked back up at him. "I love you too, Inuyasha. I... I have for so long, but I thought you loved Kikyo, so I..." Her eyes widened when his lips crashed down on hers, and melted once again, all rational--or irrational--thought leaving her mind. Closing her eyes, she returned the kiss, fingers laced in his hair.
Meanwhile, the monk and slayer sat near the fire a few feet from them, each having an eye peaked open. Both shook their heads, the monk smirking and the slayer smiling. "About time."