Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and I am not making any money off this silly fanfiction.
~Gypsyn
Chapter 1
Mrs. Higurashi looked over her birthday gift from her father in law with a bemused (and hopefully excited) expression. It was a necklace made of a thick red cord and a large and rather gaudy red gem inset in a gold metal. She doubted it was real gold, or a real ruby for that matter despite its aged look. But the metal work was quite intricate.
"What an interesting heirloom, can you tell me what it does?" She asked politely.
Because Grandpa Higurashi's gifts always did something.
the old man smiled broadly and proclaimed, "I knew you would like it! It's a very rare charm that is supposed to grant three wishes to its owner."
"Oh really? Well, I'll have to be extra careful with it then won't I?" The mother of two said with a convincing smile.
Her two children both gave her weary looks and started to visibly ignore their grandfather's chatter. Although why they couldn't humor their grandfather about his charms with civility she couldn't understand. Especially when the family had already seen demon masks, flying swords, time traveling and Inuyasha. Gods knew There was Nothing quite like having an irritated half dog demon storm into your house at dinner to cement your belief in the paranormal.
Maybe it was just that their grandpa had overloaded them with false charms and spells for so many years that he had lost all credit with them. Still, they could show a little respect for the man.
"Alright, open mine next Mom!" Kagome demanded cheerfully pushing a large neatly wrapped box toward her. Smiling Mrs. Higurashi took the box unwrapped it and opened it. Reaching in she pulled out a feudal style blue and green teapot, cups, and small jars. "Oh my, goodness Kagome these are beautiful!" Mrs. Higurashi said in astonishment.
Kagome's smile widened. "I knew you'd like them!" She replied. "I even buried them in the past to get them here so they could pass a carbon dating test!"
"That's amazing!" Her mother responded looking awed and holding a cup reverently.
"Those have to be worth a lot of money!" Souta chimed.
"If it's a complete set, all by the same potter then yes. These are tremendously valuable." Grandpa Higurashi replied picking up the teapot very gently and looking it over in awe.
Kagome smiled proudly, and then there was a bump upstairs.
The girl's expression twitched to irritation. "Not again..." She Murmured wearily.
Before Mrs. Higurashi could ask what was wrong she heard someone leap down the stairs and land with a thud outside of the kitchen. Seconds later the kitchen door swung open.
"Kagome, Your late!" Snapped their visitor angrily.
Mrs. Higurashi glanced at her daughter and back to her half demon friend. Where they really fighting again?
"It's Mom's birthday. I just want to stay the night."
"No. you promised!"
"As if it really matters which side of the well I SLEEP on!" Snapped Kagome angrily.
He growled back at her. "God dammit, You always do this! You spout off, 'I'll be back in a week Inuyasha! I'll be back in a few hours Inuyasha!' and you know what?! You Never show up when you say you will!"
"You came back EARLY the last three times I visited, you jerk!"
"Just go get ready!"
"I don't HAVE to go ANYWHERE Inuyasha! I'm not your property."
"You PROMISED you'd come back today! I never said-"
"SIT!" Kagome shouted angrily.
Inuyasha was instantly slammed into the floor of the kitchen and laid there Presumably dazed.
the other members of the party all looked down at him before looking back at Kagome.
She snorted and walked around his prone body towards the stairs stomping angrily up each step. When she'd gone Inuyasha groaned and pushed himself to a sitting position.
"Dear... Are you alright?" Mrs. Higurashi asked coming to sit beside him.
"...I'm fine." He answered a little gruffly. He rubbed his forehead and looked around the room. Souta and Grandpa Higurashi looked back at him. He winced realizing he may have made a spectacle out of himself. "...Sorry. I ruined your party didn't I?" He asked turning back to Mrs. Higurashi's concerned face.
"No, of course not. I'm sorry Kagome has to leave so early but I agree with you. She should keep her promises."
He nodded and got to his feet. After a moment he glanced back toward the stairs where Kagome had stormed off and seemed to find a little of his anger again.
"No matter what I say... She... Goddamn. Was she always this contrary?"
Mrs. Higurashi smiled.
"When she was younger not at all. She used to try very hard to please others. As she got older she became more and more independent and maybe a little hard headed. But she always apologizes after thinking things through. She doesn't like hurting other people. I'm sure once she slows down and thinks about this she will apologize."
He said nothing looking away somewhere towards the fridge. But his expression had softened again.
"You didn't do anything wrong Inuyasha. If you want I can go talk to her."
But he shook his head. "Don't worry about it... I just don't understand why she has to make such a big deal over a party. Not like I've ever gotten a-"
He paused and glanced at Mrs. Higurashi as though he had forgotten she was there.
His ears lowered. "I-... T-Tell Kagome I'll be by the well house, OK?"
"Okay, Inuyasha-kun."
With that the older woman watched forlornly as her daughters first love turned and walked out the back door and onto the shrine grounds.
Kagome had once confided in her the way Inuyasha had been treated for most of his life and The way he continued to be treated. The thought came back to her now as she watched his lone figure retreat.
"The only reason people don't chase him out of town everywhere we go is because I have leeway as a priestess and the fact that he can be intimidating enough that not very many people willingly tell him to leave. I can't tell you how many times humans have taken one look at him and tried to turn him away from food and shelter. Demons always take one look and assume he's weak because he's half human. They try to treat him like a lesser being. When his mother died he was forced to live as an outcast for a long long time. Neither side would accept him."
Neither Kagome nor her mother could understand how people could treat a young boy that way. And It was sad that all that pressure had been dropped on poor Inuyasha at such a young age. But he was a tough young man and seemed to have pulled through somehow.
Mrs. Higurashi had long ago conceded that it was a good thing Kagome didn't treat him with pity the way she sometimes did. But she wondered why her daughter refused to at least TRY acknowledging that Inuyasha was just lonely when she was gone for too long.
The thought reminded her of a conversation she'd had with Kagome a long time ago. One she had thought back on many times.
"Why did you name me Kagome? ...The other kids all make fun of me. They won't let me play with them."
The woman sighed in worry even now 7 years later. 'How much worse must Inuyasha have had it? 'I wonder if things could have been better for them if they had met under different circumstances?' she thought.
She pictured a young Kagome and Inuyasha sitting together as children bickering over toys and smiled.
"I wish they could have met with each other as children." She murmured sadly. "They would have made such good friends."
Unknown to her the red stone of the charm she had been given briefly lit up in her pocket.
"I guess I'm leaving now." Came her daughter's irritated voice from the doorway to the kitchen. Mrs. Higurashi looked up from her thoughts and smiled.
"Alright dear. Inuyasha's by the well house waiting for you. Be sure to apologize to him okay?"
"But Mom!"
"Now listen, young lady! Inuyasha takes promises very seriously and so should you." Her mother scolded. "The next time you break a promise with someone. Think of how you are destroying your honor! Honestly, Kagome can't you tell he was trying to be nice?"
Kagome raised an eyebrow at this and crossed her arms "Number one, storming into a party and yelling at me isn't NICE. Number two, even if it was a bad attempt at being nice it would have only been because he knows I'm already mad at him." Her daughter replied stiffly.
"And why is that?"
She made a sound of irritation in her throat And her mother looked at her in worry.
"Because that idiot has been following me around ever since I got back. I haven't gotten a moment of peace, I've been too busy cleaning up his messes and apologizing for him."
"Sweetheart, doesn't that just mean he wants to spend time with you?"
"He already spends LOADS of time with me." She whined.
"You know yesterday he pushed poor Hojo down when he tried to talk to me and then he dragged me down the street?! He treated me like a disobedient pet! And this morning he followed me to school and sat on the roof watching me all day! And he wasn't wearing a hat or anything! What if someone had looked up and seen him? what if someone called the police!? What would I have done then?"
"Honestly, Inuyasha has already put me through a lot of trouble. Can't he just have the decency to let me stay for the rest of the day? Can't he see I need a break?"
"Kagome... From what I've been told you need the protection."
"Well, He's the most annoying guard dog I'VE ever met." The miko grumbled under her breath conspiratorially.
Mrs. Higurashi sighed Looking over her rather smothered daughter.
"Kagome I understand your frustrated I do. But even I know canines are known for being extremely loyal and possessive creatures. I think considering his heritage he's been very lenient with you."
Kagome growled under her breath and Mrs. Higurashi bit back the urge to giggle.
"Don't you go giving him credit he doesn't deserve. He 'lets' me have as much freedom as I do because when he gets unbearable I 'SIT'-"
Kagome was cut off by a loud -BAM!- that thundered outside the kitchen window making the glass rattle softly in the frame. the sound was followed by a low moan of pain.
Kagome's head whipped towards the window with speed her mother had no idea a human could possess without getting whiplash. The teenager narrowed her eyes in rage.
"INUYASHA!" She screamed.
"God DAMMIT. " Came a muffled growl from their half demon eavesdropper.
"You SEE mom?! You SEE what he's like?!" She cried half pleading half angry. "You freaking SPY!" She roared turning back to the window.
It seemed the poor boy didn't have a comment on the matter. But the rustling noises seemed to indicate he didn't plan on staying through any more of the conversation.
Mrs. Higurashi gave her daughter a smile. "I see your point dear. But you know... Does he treat anyone else like this?"
"No." She answered angrily. "He couldn't possibly the have the TIME to bother anyone else like this!" She snapped in the direction of the window in a heightened voice.
"Well, I think it's sweet that he's so attached to you."
Kagome made a rather strangled cry of frustration and rage.
"Sure! that makes perfect sense! Being SPIED on is sweet!" Kagome threw her arms up in mock defeat and headed to the door.
"I guess I'll go now so I can sleep in the dirt for NO REASON." She grumbled shifting her oversized backpack back on her shoulder and grudgingly exiting the kitchen door and headed toward the well house.
"Goodbye dear! Come back soon!"
This time, when Kagome growled in answer her mother quickly shut the door behind her and laughed out loud.