Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et. al.
A Soul That Knows
He'll never know what possessed him to let Mama Higurashi tweak his ears when he'd crossed over into modern Japan to get Kagome the first time. He has no clue why she was never afraid of him either and he'll probably never know. She trusts him alone with Kagome behind closed doors and has never warned him not to do anything improper. She knows instinctively that he won't.
Kagome's too shy and unsure of his feelings for her.
He's too unsure of himself to make any bold moves.
Inuyasha knows Mama Higurashi hears them when they argue; he's seen her wince in sympathy when he gets "sat," and he's pretty sure she smiles when he and Kagome make up.
Still, he doesn't know why she instantly trusted him with Kagome's life. He doesn't, but his soul does.
His soul knows she is the one whose lap he'd rest his head in as his puppy ears were rubbed and he was lulled to sleep. His soul knows she is the one he used to look at with love and adoration. It was her hair his claws used to untangle. This his soul is sure about.
His soul knows that she understands his needs and his hidden pain. When he comes, the teenage version of the pup she knew, she offers advice and a bowl of ramen.
"Another fight, Inuyasha, dear?" she asks.
"Yes, Higurashi-san. She ordered me to leave her to her school work." His ears droop and something flashed in her eyes that said she wanted to rub them. He doesn't like his ears touched really but he makes an exception for her.
"Have some ramen while you wait. You know, if she finishes her homework now, she can spend all weekend with you and the others. Kagome won't have any distractions."
"Feh, except for the wedding." Stupid human ceremony. Much easier to just to mate and mark your female.
"Oh, that's right. Miroku and Sango are getting married. But after that, you and Kagome could go someplace nice together, alone." Alone with Kagome sounded really good. Maybe they could finally settle things between them. He could take her to the shore. No one to interrupt them. No monk, no demon slayer, no fox…shit.
"Still got the cub to look after." He couldn't be left with Kaede. The brat had been driving the old woman crazy for the last few days.
"Didn't Kagome say your brother was taking him for a while?" His ears perked up and a devilish grin spreads across his face. Inuyasha hears Higurashi-san's sigh but it barely registers.
"Yeah. Something about Rin wanting to play with her friend. Let Sesshoumaru deal with Shippou's tricks for a couple of days." Still swimming in anticipation, Inuyasha stands and stretches, one ear twitching madly in a vain attempt to shake off an itch. Just as he's about to drop down on all fours and use his foot, Mama Higurashi scratches the itch for him. A sigh of relief escapes.
"Better, dear?"
"Yes, thank you." Blushing slightly, he's glad he didn't do a very dog-like thing.
"You're welcome. Inuyasha, is it tradition to get newly married couples gifts?" she asks. Inuyasha looks at her, knowing she knew the answer.
"Yes, Kagome and Kaede were talking about them."
"Funny, Kagome said nothing. I wonder if she forgot." Panic ran through him. If she forgot and showed up empty handed, it was going to be his fault. He could feel the "sits" now. "Perhaps you ought to go ask her. We could shop for her while she works." The chair he'd resumed sitting in rocks backwards as he takes her advice to heart. He doesn't glance back to see if it falls.
Kagome looks up at him surprised when he comes in, but blanches when he mentions the gifts. "Why didn't you remind me sooner? Mama!" Inuyasha who'd also forgotten decided not to answer. She'd screech for sure then.
He can hear Mrs. Higurashi's "Coming, dear," and her slow ascent upstairs. She watches Kagome and him, a bit of a smile around her mouth.
"Can you do me a really big favor? I have a list here somewhere… I need to get presents for the wedding. Could you go get them?"
"Of course, dear. Inuyasha, go change and we'll leave Kagome alone." Willingly he grabs clothes out of a truck set against one wall. It is his, and contains the clothing he now wears when out in modern Japan. He's in the midst of trying to do up his pants when Kagome yells to him.
"Where is that list? Inuyasha!"
"Keh, try that 'diary' of yours, wench." He continues to grumble to himself.
"Oh, right." Higurashi-san lets out a little chuckle and his soul knows she used to do that when things no one else would find funny amused her.
"Hahaue!" he whines inadvertently, his hair getting caught in the shirt he chose. He's in trouble and she knows it.
"Coming, dear," is the reply, much like she'd answered Kagome. Somehow in the last year, after Naraku's defeat, Mama had gotten him to call her that. At least sometimes.
It is with relief that she joins him and untangles his hair. The brush his dumb ass brother insisted he use gets taken into her hand and used. With easy, practice strokes, she braids his hair then fixes a bandana over his ears so that they're hidden but not squished.
"There, now grab your wallet from Kagome and we'll go." His soul knows she is proud of what that wallet represents. He'd wanted to repay her for all she'd done for him and the others. Having no money, he'd asked Kagome about what he could do to repay her mother. Shards from the Diamond Spear Blast were littering the ground at the time.
Knowing it was a point of honor with him, Kagome had picked up a shard and told him to give that to her. Thinking one wasn't enough; He grabbed a handful and brought them to Mama Higurashi. At first she refused, saying payment wasn't necessary. Finally he'd convinced her and she'd accepted one. The others she'd used to start a "trust fund" for him that he could access when he wanted. Some strange man had helped provide identification for Inuyasha to use as well.
Higurashi-san had helped him invest his money and now he had to him, a staggering amount. He was proud. Now he could provide for Kagome in either era. His soul was happy for his mother had always worried about his future. Now it was secure.
Inuyasha sees her finger the pendant he'd given her as a gift. Another diamond shard. This one from a blast that had weakened Naraku in the final fight. To him, it was a symbol that they had won. Tears had glistened in her eyes when Inuyasha had brought Kagome home but she hadn't wept in front of them. His soul was glad and knows he would have been lost if she had.
"We can go," he says, desperate to get away from the onslaught of instructions that had started when he's gotten his wallet from Kagome's purse. She obliged his unspoken plea and they left, closing the door on Kagome's orders.
"Don't let her get to you, dear. Kagome's just nervous."
"Nervous? Why should she be nervous? She's not the one getting married. Sango's been perfectly calm." Thank the gods, he was thinking. He didn't think he could have handled two insane women at once.
"I suppose, dear, that's why." She must have seen his confusion because she goes on to explain. "Brides are often nervous. Sango isn't because she's confident and assured. They've planned for months. Kagome wants nothing to go wrong to spoil her friend's happiness. She's a romantic."
"No kidding. If Miroku hadn't convinced me to help rebuild the slayer village with him, I'd have gone nuts with Kagome and her plans." A shiver passes through him.
"Be glad she's done a lot of that at home. Souta was begging Father to find him a way through the well." His horror at the thought must have been visible because she smiles at him. Inuyasha still can't understand why Kagome's brother seemed to worship him.
They entered the mall, a place he absolutely abhors. Mama seems to understand because she only takes him to the stores they had to visit to buy what Kagome wants. She lets him pay for the gifts and helps him only when he has them wrapped. He takes her suggestion on which card to get and once that's done, she takes him home.
It's a very grateful hanyou that helps her start dinner until Souta drags him away to play some game. She lets him go and his soul knows hers is remembering when he didn't have any friends as a pup. He's amused by the game so willingly joins Souta in the past time.
Kagome comes downstairs at some point and gives each boy a hug. He turns one ear in the direction of the kitchen when she goes to help Mrs. Higurashi.
"Mama?"
"Yes, dear?"
"Thank you for helping Inuyasha and I. Especially Inuyasha."
"Of course, dear. What are mothers for?" she asks and his soul agrees.
She is no longer his mother in the flesh but his soul knows that she was and always will be his mother.
