The Characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko
Grandfather's Last Request – Part Two
Kagome half-heartedly ate the cheese burger while she stared out of the window, watching the world go by with little interest. The whole day she had felt miserable, and guilty for not coming home sooner. All she could think about was her sick grandfather, lying there looking sadly back at her, the twinkle in his eyes, gone. She hadn't even noticed when her friends took her to the fast food restaurant in hopes they could encourage her to speak about what was on her mind, but all her replies were nothing but mumbles and a few sighs.
"I've never seen her so depressed before."
"Maybe it's her foreign boyfriend."
"No way, he seems like a nice boyfriend, picks her up after school and everything."
"What's wrong, Kagome-chan?" Ayumi asked. "Is everything alright with your family?"
"What?" Startled back into reality, Kagome dropped her burger, shaken by her friend's question. Quickly, she recovered from her shock, hiding all signs of distress with a smile. "I... I-I have to get home. I'll see you tomorrow!" And then she was gone in flash through the doors of WacDonald's.
"Wha-what just happened?"
"Poor, Kagome-chan." Ayumi whispered, sipping quietly on her soft drink.
The first thing Inuyasha recognised as he slowly regained consciousness was a constant noise buzzing in his ears, and the wind blowing irritably at his face. He wasn't sure what to make of it: he couldn't see, couldn't move any of his limbs, and worst of all, he had the worst headache he ever had, which could only be explained as having an all night sake competition with Miroku. Except the more he thought about it, he realised he never drank, or at least afford to drink it in vast quantities. So he tried to move again, and found there was something heavy covering his body, much like Kagome's blanket when he had slept under it not too long ago. Kagome... Her name brought comfort to him, and his body began to relax at the thought he was in her bed, sleeping next to her. A small smile appeared on his face as his nose twitched a little, taking in every scent that entered his nose, only to have his face scrunch up at the wave of a very familiar smell. Something he thought was not even possible.
His eyes snapped open, not even caring if the light flooded his vision all too quickly, or the strange shapes hovering over him and calling his name. Murder coursed through his veins, and the person who was going to receive it fell from his lips.
"That fucking... Goddamn bastard!"
"Inuyasha, calm down!" a voice called out.
A second passed, long enough for the hanyou to see the person's neck, and his own hands wrapping around it. "Calm down? Calm down?! I'd rather kill you, than calm down, you fucking piece of shit!"
"Wait...," the young man struggled against Inuyasha's grip, his green eyes darting nervously between him and his surroundings. "Don't you recognise me?" The confused look on his face told him to continue, and so he did, for fear that the irate hanyou would surely keep to his threat. "I'm Shippou." And it had its affect as Inuyasha loosened his grip, staring at him with disbelieving amber eyes.
"Shippou?" he said slowly, taking a step back to examine the person in front of him. He was dressed strangely, like many of the people in Kagome's era. His short, orange hair and bright green eyes jolted some familiar memory, but when he saw the boy smile, he knew then that this was too bizarre to be any ordinary dream. "Y-you can't be Shippou. You're supposed to be small... and..., and have a bushy tail."
"Oh, I've still got the tail. I hide it with my magic. I'll show you if you like."
Before Inuyasha could blink, 'Shippou' burst into a puff of smoke and then reappeared much the same, with the addition of a long, golden furred tail, and legs which looked like the hind legs of a fox. "See, it is me. Are you convinced now?"
Cautiously, he took a step forward, studying the teenage kitsune with scrutiny, like a calculating hunter, which made poor Shippou more nervous with each passing second, his tail twitching around nervously under his piercing gaze. They stood there, locked into a staring contest, though it was Shippou who wanted to look away, or at least say something that would distract the hanyou long enough for him to explain the situation.
Yet he couldn't. Because by the time Shippou managed to make the tiniest of sounds, Inuyasha had already raised his fist, and brought it down again in a punch, knocking the kitsune out in one hit.
In a panic, Inuyasha's eyes hurriedly scanned the room, looking for an exit. However, the room was designed in a way he was not used to. Nothing like Kagome's home, and far from anything he had seen in their travels in the Sengoku jidai, but there was something he did see that made him stop from physically making an exit, a door, almost hidden by the same soft coloured walls of the room. Thanking his luck, he made for the door, clasped the handle, and found to his dismay, that it was locked. Trying the handle again, he was about to curse, when he heard footsteps and something clicking on the other side. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but his instincts told him that whoever was on the other side was going to open the locked door, and that he had to find a way to escape. Backing to the wall, he saw a tall object beside him, a large white vase, decorated with swirls and lines of pale blue. Not having any other suitable weapon, he picked it up easily by its neck, raised it high above his head, and then waited for something to happen.
The door opened, and another man walked inside, his hair black, short and stylised, his eyes the most intense shade of blue he had ever seen. If he didn't know any better, his eyes reminded him of...
"Kouga!" in reply, the man turned, looking as shocked as the hanyou was, even more so when Inuyasha decided to bring down the heavy Ming vase violently down onto his head, momentarily stunning the man, and leaving Inuyasha enough time to escape down the hallway.
"Kouga?" the kitsune asked, his head still smarting from Inuyasha's punch.
"He didn't just hit me with that big vase did he? The one that cost millions of yen, did he?"
They both looked down at the shattered pieces of porcelain decorating the floor, and then at the monstrous four poster bed which belonged to the master of the house, its silk sheets flung around most untidily. Their worried faces then trailed to the door, quietly watching the blur of red and silver fly towards the stairway.
"Shippou..." a man's voice spoke from the headset placed neatly over the kitsune's ear. "Is he awake yet?"
"More than awake," he replied, rubbing the lump on his head.
There was a long pause, then, "I see. He didn't... break anything, did he?"
"Of course not," Kouga said, almost too hurriedly. "The bastard just ran off when the runt tried to wake him up. But we'll catch him."
"No. Just try to get him into my study. I will deal with him."
"Easier said than done," the ookami grumbled when the voice cut off their communication. Never in his life did he know just how fast the young hanyou was, especially when in the panicked need to escape. He had almost anticipated a fist fight between his old rival, yet when the vase came crashing down on his head, well, he was lucky that the vase hadn't been made out of concrete. Now all he could think of while he ran down the stairs was one thing:
"If I get him, I want to punch him first."
Peering through the crack of the closet door, Inuyasha searched the area for any signs of danger, and the two people who he had the pleasure of meeting. He didn't know who they were, even though their names and faces matched, he didn't really want to consider the possibility that they had grown up and were now living in the modern era. The confusion that was playing with his mind couldn't really care less about this revelation, not to mention the kidnapping, Shippou and Kouga chasing him down for no apparent reason – though he suspected it was not going to do him any favours – and the numerous rooms and corridors mapped out like a maze did nothing to soothe his temper. He knew that it probably would've been a better idea to have stayed and let them talk, but since when had they ever given him such niceties. All he wanted was to get out and find a way back to Kagome's house. How he was going to achieve this, he had no idea. The windows didn't want to open the way he wanted, and even if they did, the grounds below were a different obstacle all together without those idiots chasing him.
Finding his chance at last, he crept out of the door, sniffing the air for any signs of danger before he tried anything hasty, and carefully, he made for the stairs.
"Hey! There he is!"
"Shit." Inuyasha's urge to fight back was growing, yet so was his urge to run, when to his horror, he saw Kouga approach him from one end of the corridor and Shippou from the other, running full speed towards him. "Shit..." and he began to wonder what wrong he had done in his life to deserve such a fate from the kami.
"This would've been a lot easier if you'd just listened to us." Shippou called out, ready to pounce.
"Keh!" with one leap, he jumped over their heads, landed on the floor and rushed down the stairs to the lower level, while the kitsune and ookami followed close behind him, cursing the hanyou's nimbleness.
Frantically, his amber eyes scanned the large room from behind the stairwell, and relief flooded into them when he spied the large door, which with all large doors of expensive houses, he associated them as being the exit of the building. Oddly enough though, he didn't dare run to safety, as he found he couldn't hear the footsteps of the two men anymore, and he didn't like it at all. Raising his head, he sniffed the air, and it was now he noticed the familiar scent that had been plaguing him ever since he woke up from that bed. He would have paid more attention if it hadn't been for his fleeing instincts, however, now it was too late to contemplate its meaning, when he found his own feet betraying him, walking towards the direction of the scent where it was the most strongest.
He approached the door, which was slightly ajar, allowing him to take a glimpse of what was inside. The door opened noiselessly as he slipped inside, the scent definitely stronger, as if the person was in the very same room as he was.
"Well, otouto, so nice to see you again."
Kagome arrived at the shrine, exhausted, her eyes focussing on the house. She didn't know why, but she was hesitant to enter her home and face her family inside. Perhaps she was still feeling the disbelief of the knowledge that her grandfather had been taken suddenly ill, a prospect she couldn't quite comprehend, mainly because he was known as a generally healthy person who liked to keep himself busy with cleaning and organising the shrine. Now he was bedridden, and truthfully she didn't know if she should have felt frightened, or suspicious.
Don't be stupid, Kagome. You shouldn't be suspicious of your own grandfather. He's the one who makes all those excuses so that you can skip school and run away with your boyfriend.
"He's not my boyfriend."
If you say so, but who was the one who invited him to the comfort of your bed last night? A bold move, girl, for someone who denies that Inuyasha means anything to you...
"Shut up."
"What? Why?" Souta asked, making Kagome jump in surprise. The boy looked at her, his face very much like a frightened child, clutching at her uniform sleeve for comfort. "Jii-chan will get better, won't he?"
A simple question, asked so innocently, yet it left Kagome's mouth dry and unable to answer. There was no way to tell him her thoughts about their grandfather, let alone tell him a lie to ease his heart, and perhaps make their situation more bearable. So the best she could do was to hug him, and hope that he wouldn't start crying.
"Come on," she said after a while, lightly rubbing her knuckles against his hair, much to his annoyance. "Let's go and cheer him up." Hand in hand, they walked into the house, and were greeted by their mother, who looked a little less depressed, though the dark shadows under her eyes told them much, as she directed them to the small table in the living room for some snacks she had bought earlier.
Mama Higurashi smiled, watching her two children like any loving mother would. Being a simple and gentle woman, nothing made her happier, than seeing her little family, simply content to be together. She knew things were a little strained at the moment; her babies were not their mischievous and warm selves after hearing about her father's ailment – in which her feelings of guilt pricked lightly at her conscious – nevertheless, soon, everything would turn out fine, and if possible with her influence, for the better.
The two children chanced a look at each other, a message passing between them while they casually nibbled at the bean-filled snacks. Glad as they were sitting and eating as a family, some things were noticeably different, things which children always recognised straight away.
"Where's Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, looking around the room for the hanyou, while tactfully not looking at her mother's, if she were to adequately describe it, secretive smile. For some reason, she didn't like it at all. Especially when the older woman replied by merely blinking innocently and telling her he had something important to do, and that he wouldn't be back until much later, an explanation which didn't warrant any further suspicions about the matter.
Of course, Kagome could never believe such a blatant lie, since from past experience, Inuyasha was never one to reveal his secret excursions to anyone, lest he thought he would only embarrass himself if anyone would find out. It made no difference whether they were here or over on the other side of the well. The hanyou kept his secrets as though they were his very soul, no matter how kind a person was, or how long she, her friends in the Sengoku jidai, or her family knew him.
Inuyasha was stubborn that way.
With that in mind, she said little else about the topic, choosing to go to her room to complete some homework for school the next day, and to contemplate the recent happenings in the Higurashi household, until she was called down again for dinner a few hours later.
Once again, they ate in silence, only this time to Kagome's surprise, jii-chan was at the table with them, still a little pale, yet she was glad to see that he had regained some strength to sit up and eat.
"I'm glad you're feeling better, jii-chan."
The old man smiled. "I'm sorry to have made you so worried, Kagome. I hate being sick. It makes one realise so many things. Like when I was a younger man and you two were only small, running around, laughing, teasing me how I couldn't run as fast as you," he sighed, shaking his head. "A time where I was actually worried about getting old and not seeing you two grow up... But I'm getting off the topic. I want to give you something special. Think of it as an early birthday present for my favourite granddaughter."
Bewilderment was only one of the words which described how the young girl was feeling at that moment, seeing his wrinkled face stretch into a smile, while he handed her the strangest of gifts she had ever received from him in her life. She blinked at the normal looking gift box with the pink satin ribbon tied elegantly around it, unsure if she was actually dreaming that her grandfather was actually giving her a normal gift instead of lucky dragon whiskers or the hand of a kappa, or the fact that he was truly ill and was giving her a... parting gift, something she did not even want to think about. Carefully, her fingers wrapped around the ribbon, pulling it loose before lifting the lid of the box.
"What is it? What is it?" Souta exclaimed excitedly, watching the delicate tissue paper fall away, revealing what appeared to be a dress, flowing soft silk chiffon, coloured in hues of pink and burgundy, and a gift so unexpected, Kagome almost dropped it on the kitchen floor.
"You don't like it?" Her grandfather asked, after seeing her face change from shock to confusion and then back again.
"I... I-I...," she began awkwardly, and then frowning, said, "How did you know my dress size?"
"Ah, well, to tell you the truth... I had been saving this present for a long time... in case something ever happened to me. I thought now would be an appropriate time to give it to you."
Everyone had their eyes on the young girl, who in turn had her eyes gazing blankly at the pretty dress, wondering what exactly took place a few minutes ago. If she had noticed her grandfather hadn't even attempted to answer her question, Kagome would've told him off, if not for the feel of the fabric between her fingertips, and the sudden dreamy thoughts covering her vision, mostly of how she would look in it.
Thoughts which lasted for a few seconds before she gasped, shoving the garment back into the box, "Th-thank you, jii-chan. It's... beautiful... and...," and the cursed tears began to well up in her eyes, the bout of emotion flooding into her voice, "You baka! How could you? You're dying, damn it! And you think giving me a nice dress is going to solve everything?! I hate you!!" In a huff, she stomped off to her room, leaving the rest of the family no less than stunned, until Souta turned to the old man, saying,
"Where's my present, jii-chan?"
Inuyasha stood frozen, his back against the door, unable to believe his eyes, and ears. The figure stood tall and imposing, silhouetted against the bright light streaming through the large window, speaking in the exact same voice he always dreaded.
"S-Sesshoumaru...?"
"You are not happy to see me?" the man replied, walking gracefully towards him in cat-like strides.
"Not really, no. Unless I'm dreaming, and if I am, seeing you in it is usually not a good sign." Sidestepping along the wall, he eyed the man sceptically, first at his face which did not display any of his usual markings, at his hair tied back in a neat ponytail, and then at his eyes, which funnily enough, were the same cold shade of amber he remembered from the last time he had the pleasure of meeting his pompous arsehole of a brother.
"Really," he inhaled slowly, and then breathed out a sigh. "However, currently I am not in a joking mood, Inuyasha. I wish to discuss something of great importance, concerning your future. Yes... Come and sit down. No? Would you like a drink then? Brandy...? Port...?"
The hanyou shook his head, not really believing that it was Sesshoumaru who stood in front of him, inspecting him by grabbing his chin and then turning it from side to side, making sounds of approval or disapproval every now and then. He couldn't react, or swipe his hand away in anger; Inuyasha was just too overwhelmed by all the happenings that he wished he was dreaming, that Shippou and Kouga had not kidnapped him and brought him – from the scent which permeated through the very air – to his older brother's home.
"No. You are not dreaming." He said in reply to his silent question. "Yes, they have brought you at my request, as a favour."
"Who are 'they'? And what favour?"
"All in due time, otouto, but please, do sit down and have a drink. You look like you are about to faint. And don't give me that look. My intentions are pure."
"Keh, I doubt that." He took a sniff of the strange, orange brown liquid in the small glass, and blanched when the wave of alcohol hit all of his senses, making him slightly dizzy. "So if you are really real, and I'm really here... Then those guys... they're not really... are they? They didn't really... kidnap me, did they?"
"Shit, inukkoro, I can't believe how dense you are!" Kouga shouted, flying through the door. "We waste all this time, and—"
"That is quite enough, Kouga. He has every right to be in denial, after all, just about an hour before, he was looking at dresses with Kagome's mother, were you not, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha straightened up in his seat, his ears stiffening at his words. "What are you getting at, Sesshoumaru? How do you know all this? I hope this isn't one of your schemes."
The youkai's mouth pulled up into a smirk, "Why, what do you mean by that? Surely you are not suspicious of your own brother?"
"Well, after that little trick you played on me using the image of my dead mother, suspicion doesn't begin to describe it."
"You stab me. That was a long, long time ago." The look on his younger brother's face nearly managed to amuse him, if not for the fact that he was a dignified man... youkai in a cultured society. "Now, to get on with the subject, we have squandered enough time already. Simply put, I have been asked to assist you, in your otherwise... lack of romance in your life." His eyes darted when he heard the ookami sniggering, and cast a warning glare for him to leave, and for Shippou to fetch some tea for his young guest. "Apparently some people are worried."
"I don't know why," Inuyasha said, crossing his arms in indignation. "It's not like I would die just because I couldn't... well...," he blushed as his sentence finished in a mumble.
"That's where you're wrong, my dear little brother. If you don't propose to Kagome before her grandfather passes on, something... terrible may happen to you."
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha asked warily.
"You know what I mean." He replied, lazily cracking his knuckles for effect. "But I have said too much already, client confidentiality and all that. I am here to help you, so that your proposal goes as smoothly as possible."
"You make it sound like a fucking contract."
To his surprise, Sesshoumaru actually laughed. It was a laugh that rang rich and deep, echoing in the interior of his study, a laugh that provoked some long forgotten memory buried deep within his childhood, a laugh that made Inuyasha have an irrational sensation of wanting to punch him in the mouth. A sensation made worse when the man's smirk grew more vicious, reminding the hanyou how much of a dick he could be whenever he was allowed to think about his 'pure intentions'.
A dull ringing noise was heard from behind the door, followed soon after by Shippou entering through the doorway, carrying a silver tray and a tea set on top. Boyishly, the kitsune smiled, pouring the hot tea into the china cups, catching a glimpse of the hanyou who was staring somewhat cautiously back at him, probably thinking if he was truly who he said he was, which was understandable, considering it was not everyday someone had the chance of meeting the same person from different timelines all in the same day. He had been thrilled when word came around that Inuyasha was coming to Sesshoumaru's house, even more so when he was asked to assist in his... kidnapping. Admittedly, it was a strange feeling seeing him face to face, looking not much older than he. He was as he remembered him, the bump on his head proved it.
"You wouldn't believe how long I've waited for this day. To see you sitting here... all in that red, it's incredible. I mean, after you..."
"Shippou..." Sesshoumaru warned, tapping his clawed fingers on the mahogany desk. "Inuyasha does not need to know that." But he knew when the words left the kitsune's mouth; it was already too late to stop piquing Inuyasha's growing curiosity, with his eyes now showing the many uncomfortable questions he wanted to ask. If by chance he found out anything about his past, there would be no doubt that it would endanger them all.
It was time for a distraction.
"Would you like some tea? It's camomile, very good for relaxing the nerves which may cause one to become irritable."
"I am not irritable." He retorted, sipping the hot brew while glaring at his brother, who still refused to say anything further, except to nonchalantly drink his tea and run his elegant hand through his silvery locks. "I just find it hard to comprehend that you, my brother, the same brother who disowned me for having tainted blood of a human, tricked me into believing you had brought my mother back to life, poked a finger into my eye to get a black pearl to get to Tessaiga, was constantly after said weapon, almost killed me numerous of times by stabbing me or poisoning me, and now after all this time, you're saying you want to help me? What kind of shit are you trying to pull?!"
"My dear otouto, I am not pulling anything. I only want to help you. Why can you not accept that? And I am not looking for forgiveness, whatever you may think. Times change, Inuyasha, and when one has a lifespan such as mine, seeing the world change, watching people grow and die throughout the ages, it gives one time to think, reflect on life.
"And one day, I realised, I did you a great wrong. I wanted to tell you, however... Well... let's just say, I found out there was a difference between hanyou and youkai blood." He fell silent, turning away from the young hanyou so that he could not see how the overwhelming emotion of seeing his face again affected him – which Sesshoumaru never thought could happen to someone like him. He hoped Inuyasha could feel the same agony he could feel, the same emptiness he felt when he knew that his own blood brother was lost to him, and the guilt when he realised the rift between them could not be repaired.
Obviously it worked, because now the hanyou sat uncomfortably in the chair, clawing at the edges of the seat, all the unnecessary questions he had wanted to ask quashed and replaced by the need to leave or at least a change of subject which was less depressing.
"So, if I were to go along with this, what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Nothing, I will take care of everything. A marriage proposal takes preparation, and from the looks of it, you need all the preparations you can get. I'll take you home, before that woman of yours gets worried."
Later, after a tour of the whole house, at Inuyasha's insistence, ever since he found out that his brother was living in the era along with Shippou and Kouga, he wanted to see out of curiosity, what kind of life his brother was living, in a world where most of the population were now filled with humans, and that most of the forests he could see were tall buildings of dreary shades of grey and glass. His eyes filled with wonderment at every room he saw, each room appearing much bigger than the last, and decorated in the most expensive and luxurious of furniture, sculptures, and paintings of oriental landscapes. Sesshoumaru didn't contribute much to the conversation, preferring to stand against the wall with the most bored expression he had ever seen, which allowed Shippou to do most of the talking and explaining of the architecture and objects of the house, or mansion, as the kitsune called it.
But all too soon, night had fallen, and to Shippou's disappointment, the older brother had become more insistent that the time had come for the young hanyou to go home.
"Tomorrow, Shippou," and with those final words, Sesshoumaru ushered Inuyasha into the backseat of the car, taking the seat next to him, then knocking at the tinted screen in front of them, signalling the driver that they were ready to leave.
Pressing his nose against the car window, Inuyasha watched the scenery whiz by, entranced by how fast the shapes were travelling, becoming unrecognisable smears like some of the paintings in his brother's house. It was a bizarre sensation, the feeling of movement around him while he did not move at all, a feeling which his stomach agreed upon, and it forced him to withdraw from the window, closing his eyes in attempts to not think about it, though it didn't necessarily make him feel any better.
"I felt the same way when I first rode in these human-made vehicles." Sesshoumaru commented when he saw the hanyou's form slouching miserably on the car seat. "You'll soon get used to it."
It was only when the car reached its destination at the shrine, did Inuyasha feel the relief wash over him as he opened the door to let the cool breeze flow over his face.
"Remember; be up early tomorrow morning, where we will discuss your strategy. And, oh, before I forget, do not say anything to Kagome about today, or the fact that you have met us."
"Why?"
"Not a word, otouto. Kagome is a woman, and women are prone to gossiping. This is strictly between us men. Only tell her you want to take her out to dinner tomorrow." He then nodded his head, bidding farewell to his brother. "I'll see you then. Goodnight."
"Bye, Inuyasha!"
The voice of the driver made Inuyasha spin around in fright, but the car had already sped off down the street, too late for him to see who it was, and too late to see if his mind was playing tricks, or that the familiar voice he had heard really belonged to a person who he thought only existed on the other side of the well. Yet in all possibility, knowing him and his amorous ways, it didn't seem that farfetched. Either that or the odd events of the day were taking a toll on him.
"It can't be... can it?" Bounding up the shrine steps, he decided it was best to forget about it, seeing that he would have to face... whatever he had to face tomorrow, and he was pretty sure, with all his luck, it was going to be one hectic day. And to think just yesterday he only had to propose to Kagome. He never would have guessed how such a simple request had turned into some elaborate plot, more complex than any war plan. Perhaps he should've followed Miroku's advice, after all the craziness that had happened today, his straightforward approach appeared the most sensible, and sane.
"Who am I kidding? I can't even do that." He whispered to himself, mulling over why things were always so difficult whenever Kagome was involved. His eyes gazed upwards to the girl's window, the ears on top of his head drooping when he saw the light illuminating behind the closed curtains, a sign that she was in her room, still studying for yet another test.
Maybe she's too busy...
If it were any other day, he would have been more than happy to see her face again, except today was not like any other day, and he was dreading to see her concerned face and questioning eyes. Jumping onto the ledge, hoping that she would be at least preoccupied with her studies, Inuyasha silently opened the window and slid inside, finding to his astonishment, Kagome was not at her desk at all, but sitting on her bed, her attentions directed at a box which was placed on her lap.
"Kagome...?"
"Oh!" she cried out, visibly shaken by his voice bringing her back to reality. "Wait, where are you going?"
"I-I... uh... you're busy aren't you?"
Kagome gave him a little smile, inviting him to sit next to her. "I tried to be, but I couldn't concentrate. I only wanted a break, Inuyasha. I never asked for jii-chan to be so ill."
"It's not your fault, if that's what you're thinking. People get old, it's to be expected."
"I know," she said, leaning onto his shoulder. "Still, to see him suffering... And that's not all of it, look. Isn't it beautiful?"
Inuyasha's eyes widened in that instant, recognising the same coloured dress he had seen from the shop window. The dress he had imagined Kagome wearing, now in her small hands, idly playing with the fabric.
"How did...?" The colour drained from his face, feeling suddenly afraid. What did this all mean?
"That idiot, instead of giving me some random dead animal, he gives me this dress. It's not fair. I don't want him to die." She gasped when she felt his arms wrap around her, his warmth, comforting, enough for her troubles to vanish, if merely for a short while, but it was enough. Closing her eyes, she snuggled against him, returning his embrace, and nearly missed his softly spoken, yet nervous words.
"D-do you want to go someplace for dinner tomorrow? Somewhere nice, so you can relax for a bit, unless you're busy."
"Tomorrow, well, I have school for half a day..." she blinked, and then paused, thinking over his question. "Somewhere nice...? Dinner...? Relax...? What are you talking about?"
"I'm not sure. You just look so stressed out. I thought... Please?"
Kagome had never seen his expression so pleading, that she temporarily forgot how to speak, and the longer the pause persisted, the more uncomfortable the hanyou became, until he had to look away, embarrassed. Lightly, she touched his face, drawing it along his cheek, slowly coaxing him out of his discomfiture.
"What were you thinking? Of course I'll go out with you." She said with a giggle, only realising much later in the early hours of the morning that Inuyasha had asked her out... on a date.
Oh...
"Aren't you coming to bed yet?" The woman sleepily asked her husband, who was at his desk, his hand stopping short at the buttons of the telephone.
"In a minute, my dear," he replied, his voice still suave despite being two o'clock in the morning. "I have to make a very important phone call to my friend."
"If you say so," she said, rolling her eyes.
The man smiled, turning his attention back to the phone, purposely dialling a number he knew would signify the beginning of trouble. Patiently he waited as it continued to ring, and when the person on the other end finally did pick up, the grin on his face widened.
To be continued...