Disclaimer: I don't own jack!
Pairing: Genos/Kagome
Because I feel that this is a good place for it, I've decided to change things up a bit and put my note here for once. First things first thank you all so much for supporting me! A shout out to all of you: CK, Anime Hotty Lover, Tamadream, kakashixangela, Lunardragon33, LovelyPolkaDots, BenevolentBizzy, kanamelover101, CrystalNyx, ClassyLifeChoices, jyre alcon, ohshc4ever and Haziq47. All of you are absolutely amazing for the support you've shown this story and Beautiful Phantom in her story Ordinary as well.
Now before going on, this story is going to get fairly dark. However it will still have its happy ending. I'm not much of a fan of tragic endings so if you're able to hang through this part and you'll be well rewarded at the end.
While I'm drawing from my own experiences dealing with people who have had Narcissistic Personality Disorder, there are still quite a few things involved in the dynamics that I'm still trying to flesh out here. Also this case is far more extreme than anything I've experienced. So thank you all for all the support you've given us, especially in the last chapter. I honestly can't even to put into words how grateful I am to the responses I got. You are all amazing!
Kazoku
Chapter Twelve:
Saitama took a deep breath. He'd just gotten off the phone with his lawyer. The meeting with Izumi and Mamoru had not gone well. The bald man pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be extremely difficult. His dark eyes shifted to stare at small box peering out from under the couch. By request of Sesshoumaru Saitama now had to pull it out and deliver to his office first thing in the morning. Though he doubted that the man would wait that long. He'd certainly try calling again in a few minutes to verify that they were still in his possession. The young man's heart dropped, he had tried very hard not to use it. However this next fight was going to require it. His shoulders slumped as he leaned against the wall. Thankfully Kagome and Genos had yet to return. They had messaged him earlier to inform him that they'd be dropping by his doctor's place for a short visit. If he was lucky, they'd be gone for another hour. Straightening his back, Saitama approached the couch. He kneeled down and pulled the box out from its hiding place. It was just a simple cardboard container with its flaps folded over the tops of each other to keep its contents sealed safely inside.
He slipped his index finger under the crease of the flap and tugged on it. The seal sprung loose. The man's heart ached as he glanced down into the package. Nearly all of them were pictures. Most of which were images of physical scars on Kagome's body. One photo in particular had always torn his heart into two. It was of Kagome as well. She'd been twelve at the time and had complained constantly of being hungry. While she'd always been on the skinny side, Saitama had never known just how bad it was until she had come over to go swimming. The picture captured the moment as she was attempting to climb into the pool. Her limbs had been extremely frail—practically nothing more than skin on bone. But that wasn't the most shocking part of it all. His eyes were drawn to the girl's ribs and he fought against the emotions that swirled within. They had become visible.
At that point in time, her stepfather had taken to sending her to her room without food for any supposed 'infraction' against him. Those transgressions were so frequent that the only way she ate was by sneaking over to his home or stealing food from her own pantry. That day at the pool, Saitama had marched back to her home and confronted Mamoru. By the end of it all, he'd broken the man's nose with a hard right hook. He wound up in jail for the night but it had been well worth it. Though his only regret now was that he didn't break his jaw instead. Perhaps that would've silenced the bastard's foul mouth somewhat.
The rest of the pictures that had been taken exposed the condition of the home that Kagome had been living in at the time. Her room was but a mere shell of what it should have been. A mattress had been laid out on the floor and a single dresser left sitting under her window for all of her 'needs'. There hadn't been a single, personal item of hers in that photo. More than anything, it shed light on the vastly different lives she and her brother had been living from one another. Where one sibling was neglected to the point of malnutrition, the other had been showered in overbearing affection with unrealistic goals placed upon him. Now that Kagome was out of the house, he feared for Souta's mental and emotional wellbeing. It would only be a matter of time before they turned their aggression onto him.
With trembling hands he quickly folded the box's flaps over one another again. Sesshoumaru had specifically requested these photos be handed over to him. It would be their trump card in getting Souta away from those bastards. Saitama's phone rang—pulling him out of his trance. He flipped it open and quickly answered it.
"Did you find them?" Came Sesshoumaru's voice from the other end.
The bald man sighed, "Of course I did. I told you I'd been hanging onto them for safekeeping."
"Good. Now we'll make our move in the morning. I need to draw up a few more documents." There was a shuffling of papers, "Kanna isn't in much of a position to fight against us. You've got more than enough evidence to throw Mamoru in jail if you so wanted to." He heard the other man give off a small, cocky laugh, "The man better kiss his ass goodbye because when we're through with him he'd be lucky if he still has his freedom."
That caused a small smirk to spread across the Hero's lips, "That good of a chance?"
The silver-haired man responded, "Better than most. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to prep for yet another custody battle. Ready yourself Saitama, this is going to be one hell of a fight. It's not everyday that a judge will grant a virtual stranger full guardianship of a boy whose parents are still around."
That thought made a cold chill go through his body, "Yeah I know, but we're both aware that they're toxic. Kid's going to need therapy after this." He wasn't kidding either. Souta was already developing a few bad habits—skipping school being one of the major ones. Poor child was rebelling because he wasn't fitting in the way that he was 'supposed to' at home. So now he just stopped giving two shits and was doing whatever the hell he wanted. Saitama sighed; he was going to have to stage an intervention with him soon to stop the behavior. But first, he needed to get the kid away from his parents.
"Take him out sometime." Sesshoumaru mentioned, "Be that male role model he needs right now."
Saitama stilled. That was a good idea actually, but would he be able to do it in the midst of this legal bullshit? He doubted that Izumi and Mamoru would be willing to let him take the boy out for a day. The bald man shrugged. He'd find away somehow. Right now he had other things to take care of.
"Thanks Sesshoumaru. I'll bring everything by in the morning," The Hero watched as a familiar pair rounded up the staircase. Genos was the first to be seen. He had his arm wrapped securely around Kagome and their faces were strained from the stress of the day. "I'll talk to you later." He quickly hung up on his lawyer.
"What happened?" Saitama inquired, noticing the way his ward leaned into her boyfriend.
Genos' arm tightened around her, "She got into a fight with her mother."
The older man's expression hardened. Somehow that didn't surprise him. "Over what exactly?" This part wasn't just for curiosity's sake. He needed to know so he could record it for Sesshoumaru—that man was a fucking shark when it came to the details.
Kagome's face fell somewhat, "Can we talk about it later? I'm tired." Her voice was soft but strained. Going to the doctor's had distracted her for a short time but the feelings of anger and self-deprecation still remained deeply seated. All she wanted to do right now was curl up on her futon and go to sleep.
Saitama pitched in between his brows, "Alright, but you will tell me tomorrow morning." That wasn't an order they could ignore.
"Yes sir." They repeated in unison.
Saitama huffed and swept his hand at them to the room, "Shoo, go to bed! I need to make a phone call." He pulled the phone from his pocket, seeing the couple drifting off. Even Genos looked drained, which was telling of just how serious the incident between mother and child had been. He watched as the couple settled onto the couch. Genos took up the spot in the corner and opened his arms for Kagome. She swiftly laid across the cushions and rested her head on his chest with her palms pressing against the cloth over his breastplate. Their eyes slowly slid shut as the bald man wandered outside.
Figuring that his disciple would at least conjure up some energy to fetch a blanket for them, Saitama moved down the hallway where neither of the teenagers could hear him should he become angry. Dialing a series of number he was familiar with, he pressed the device upon his ear and listened to the ringing tone, waiting for someone to pick up.
It beeped and a voice came on, "Little Grass reporting!"
Saitama slapped his forehead, "Are you still in that group, mom?! Doesn't dressing up as an old hag get boring every now and then?"
"Oh, Saitama! How are you, son?" The voice at the other end laughed. "And as for your other question, no! It does not! Especially when I get the chance to stalk my little grandbaby all over the place!" She seemed just a little too ecstatic over that one.
"Ugh," he rolled his eyes, "Is the old man with you? I need to talk to the both of you."
"Oh," His mother's voice dropped into that of a serious tone, knowing the topic Saitama wanted to discuss was something not to be taken lightly, "Mouko dear! Hold on son, let me put this phone on speaker."
The Hero waited until he heard his father's tell tale grumbling on the other line.
"What happened?" Always as straightforward as ever.
"I'm going to sue for full custody of Souta. Court will begin at the start of next week." He leaned his shoulders against the cool brick of the dilapidated building. It was a miracle the place was even still standing considering everything that had gone on.
A mild roar erupted from his eccentric mother.
"Why that's wonderful news! When do I get to shop for his clothes too?" There was a pause followed by items being shuffled about, "Oh he loves sports doesn't he? What does he like to play? I need to get him some gear!" She rambled off and listed all the things that she wanted to do with her new 'grandbaby'. Saitama sighed. Of course she'd be ecstatic. He knew that as long as children were involved, his mother would be overly excited.
His father coughed on the other line, "What made you decide this, son?" The bald man paused. Why? The answer was simple: Because he had to. There was no one else that was capable of taking care of those kids. Their own parents were miserable failures and he was the only one who cared enough to see to it that they were raised properly. Maybe in some way he was trying to get back some of those years he missed out on with Kagome. However that was only just a small part of it. This time, he only wanted to make sure that, that boy didn't have to suffer like his sister did. He was a Hero after all. Wasn't that his job?
"You already know." Came the man's cool response. He could hear his father humming in satisfaction.
"I understand, we'll support you in the courtroom and however else you need us to." There was a wink of mischief that entered his voice at the end, "Though I do have to ask, have you found yourself a woman yet? Kagome-chan and now Souta-chan are going to need a mother figure soon and you're not getting any younger…." Saitama quickly said his goodbyes and hung up. He loved his parents to death, but sometimes they were just a bit… quirky. His mother in particular loved dressing up as an old woman and followed the B.A.O.P. Squad around just so she could keep an eye on her 'little grandbaby' AKA Kagome. At the very least she reported back to him every time something suspicious had gone on. Still it was quite bothersome. While his father indulged in his mother's eccentric behavior, he too, seemed to have some odd obsessions of his own. Making sure his son got married as quickly as possible was one of them. So he'd taken to avoiding his parents except on special occasions to spare his own sanity.
Saitama made his way back inside. The sight that greeted him both softened his heart and caused his irritation to rise. Kagome and Genos were still cuddled up on the couch. By now his charge had pressed her face completely in the crook of his neck and was breathing heavily over the false skin there. The blond's arms were locked around her waist as he held one leg propped up on the couch to keep the rest of her body from falling off of him. His eyes were closed and it was clear that he too had fallen asleep. The both of them had been much too tired to so much as grab a blanket to cover themselves. The bald man grabbed a spare futon and threw it over the slumbering teenagers. He'd let this one slide. Only because he knew just how trying this day had been for them. They'd need each other's support right now. Though the coming months would be the most trying once the court got started. He sighed again. Well tomorrow's problems could wait until then. For now, he needed to get to bed as well.
With that the Hero climbed into his futon and shut out all thoughts except for what to eat in the morning. His stomach rumbled in response. Perhaps he could ask Kagome to make some of her infamous oden? That stuff was like crack! With that last thought, he slowly slipped off into the sweet embrace of sleep.
Kagome woke up in layers. She slowly opened up her eyes and glanced around. Where were they? It took a few seconds for her to realize that she was still in her boyfriend's arms. A deep blush spread across her face as she shot up. The young woman looked down to see that her hands were still bracing themselves against his chest. The blanket that had covered them slipped down to her waist, now only covering their legs and feet. Genos stirred beneath her.
"You sleep well?" He inquired, though there was an edge of exhaustion to his tone.
She nodded though the blush had yet to recede, "Yeah, thanks." It was then that she noticed that she was straddling his lap. Her face darkened as he realized this at the same time. Instead of letting her off of him, his arms went around her and held her to him tighter. The blond sat up and pulled his girlfriend to him. He glanced around and took note that Saitama had already gone for the day. Had his sensei remained it'd be likely that he'd been pitching a fit at them by now. With that settled he turned his attention back to the dark-haired girl in his arms.
They didn't say anything but both could feel the intense pull sparking between them. She leaned down as he brought his mouth to hers. It was slow yet sensual. The embrace that held her tightened possessively. She traced her hands over his chest and marveled at the steel there. It felt so strange yet so natural at the same time. Kagome pushed forward, forcing him to lie further on his back. Genos reluctantly pulled back from their kiss and followed her lead. The dark-haired woman watched as his golden eyes lit up. Ah so they worked like mood rings, did they? She'd have to try a few other things as well.
He traced his hands up and down her back, satisfied at the chill of goosebumps the action caused in her. The cyborg brought his mouth to hers again. He placed one of his hands behind her head and gently coaxed her to come back down to him. She did so and braced her hands against his chest again. Their movements remained slow yet purposeful. Unlike before there was no edge of desperation. Instead all that was left was the slow burn of desire and curiosity for one another. Genos bit back a growl of pleasure as she lightly dragged her fingertips down the fabric covering his stomach. A proud smirk spread across her lips as she noticed him writhing beneath her touch. She did that. Not anyone else but her.
Genos quickly saw what she was thinking and decided to get a little payback of his own. He wrapped an arm around her waist fluidly and flipped them over so she'd be underneath him. He casually tossed a few of the back support pillows aside to allow for more space on the couch. Kagome flushed even more as he straddled her.
"My turn." He whispered heatedly. With that he curled his fingers under the seam of his shirt and pulled it from his body. The piece of cloth was much too restrictive at this point. Besides, he needed her to see him as he was. He needed her to accept him. His breath hitched as his girlfriend's eyes widened. Was she really okay with this? Was she repulsed by the inhuman gears turning where his stomach should have been? Was she… disgusted by his body? Genos was filled with anticipation.
Kagome stared on in awe. He was so different from anything she'd ever seen. She trailed her hand from his breastplate down to the seam of his pants. He bit his lip and fought to keep himself in control. The blond watched as her hands moved over every inch of his naked torso. Whether she realized it or not, she was slowly torturing him. The electrifying shocks returned a thousand fold, only this time they accompanied with images that filled his mind. Images that did not include clothes. A long forgotten instinct arose within Genos. It was in that moment that he was grateful that the doctor did as many 'useless upgrades' as he did. Otherwise this might not have happened.
The dark haired woman beneath him leaned up and gently pressed her lips to his. The cyborg's fingers curled tightly into the fabric of the cushion on either side of her head. He wanted more but he wouldn't do it. Now wasn't the time for that, or the place for that matter. He'd wait until she gave him the okay, but for now they'd just enjoy the feeling of being near one another.
His body nearly lit on fire as he felt the timid brush of her tongue across his lips. He opened his mouth and showered her with his affection. His golden eyes lit up as her eyes fluttered closed and an expression of bliss took over her features. Another wave of possessiveness went through him. She was accepting him as he was. The sight of his body hadn't repulsed her at all. He leaned forward and pressed himself further into her. Kagome let out a low moan causing another thrill of electricity. His hand moved to her leg and gently kneaded the flesh over her thigh. Her face flushed but he chose not to take things any further than that. He needed her to come to him. He needed her to show him that this was exactly what she wanted.
The two were interrupted by the low rumble of someone's stomach. Genos' eyes slowly darkened with realization. Kagome burned with embarrassment.
"I think I'm a bit hungry," She laughed as her body let loose another roar of protest. This time he laughed with her.
"Better feed the beast then." The blond slowly climbed off of his girlfriend and helped her up. He wandered away temporarily to throw on his discarded shirt. "Should we go out to eat or do you want to make something?" He questioned.
Kagome sighed, "I'm too lazy right now. Want to head to the mall and pick up some food there? It's almost noon now anyways." He nodded at her. That actually sounded pretty good to him too. The pair took turns getting dressed in the bathroom and preparing for the day. By the time they were done it was close to one in the afternoon. Genos looped his arm around his girlfriend's neck as she locked the door behind them. She flashed him a bright smile as they made their way to their destination. Just this once, he hoped that their date wouldn't be crashed by anyone they didn't want to see.
Inuyasha stared at the man sulking in the hospital bed.
"How long are you going to complain? You got exactly what you deserved." The silver-haired man grunted as he leaned his shoulders against the wall. He cast Kouga a blistering glare.
"Shut the hell up! You didn't get nearly every bone in your body broken by that little fucker!" The blue-eyed male snarled, tossing a pillow at his 'arch nemesis'. Though he now had to reconsider whom he considered more of an enemy, Inuyasha or the cyborg bastard that had put him in the hospital for this long!
"Wrong again idiot." Inuyasha threw a cocky smirk at him, "I just heal a lot faster. Now then, you still gonna go chasing after her tail with that hell hound following her around?"
Kouga's expression turned dark, "Of course I am! I don't care who's after her! She's mine damn it!" The wolf-like man glared, "His violence is the number one reason why I want her away from that guy! He's fucking psychotic!"
Inuyasha snorted, "Oh and your attempted rape wasn't anything short of being a gentleman? Give it up dumbass. Word from Sango is that they're dating now. You approach her and he'd kill you." That part wasn't a lie. He'd already tried on several occasions to follow the two around but each time that little bastard managed to detect his presence and shoot him the 'do it and die' stare. A shiver went up his spine. Other than Saitama, that was one man that made him feel fear. He had not been a happy camper when he saw those two kissing like there was no tomorrow on the television screen. He'd been hanging out with Miroku and Sango at the time and it'd been his friend who convinced him not to confront Kagome—mostly because they both knew that he'd only wind up in the hospital again if he did. The little shit had made his move and got the girl. Now they were both relegated to position of 'friend zone'. Or at least they were at one point. Now it seemed as if they got pushed even further back to 'creeper alert' area. Damn it, how much harder was this going to get? At the very least he could say that there was still a minor chance to salvage a friendship with his ex-girlfriend. Kouga on the other hand was shit out of luck. He'd be lucky if she even looked at him again considering what he did.
"That's even worse! I have to go talk to her!" Kouga practically screamed. He tossed the covers from his nearly fully recovered body but the aches and pains from Genos' punishment stopped him from being able to completely support himself. "I love her! I won't let anyone else have her!" His voice became dark and Inuyasha sighed. Could the guy not take a hint at all?
"Hate to break it to you but she's perfectly happy right where she is," His golden eyes narrowed at the bastard, "Besides, I'd rather see her with him than you. At least he's never tried to force himself onto her." As much as he'd hate to admit, Inuyasha knew that he had spoken the truth. He didn't have a snowball's chance in hell to get back with Kagome. At the very least he could try to keep this creeper away from them in the mean time. Besides he had his own issues to deal with. Many of which involved his little whore that he had dabbled with. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed to talk to Saitama about that too. He was the only man that could give him any kind of guidance at this point—but would he be willing to hear him out? That was the main question.
"Fuck you asshole! What'd you do, come here just to fucking taunt me? Get the fuck out!" The male snarled. He threw the platter of food sitting out for him across the room. "Get out!" He screeched again. The remnants of the meal splattered across the pristine white walls-fortunately missing their target completely. Thick trails of sauce and something fruity dripped noisily to the ground.
Inuyasha shrugged, "Fine, I'll go but remember this, if you go near Kagome then Genos will likely murder you. He's not going to let you get near her."
"Out!"
The silver haired man sighed, "Don't say I didn't warn you." With that he closed the door behind him. The sounds of objects being tossed and random strings of curses echoed from within the room. Had Kouga always been like that? He couldn't remember. The thought caused a frown to crease Inuyasha's face. He didn't like Genos being with Kagome anymore than Kouga did but at least he could finally accept it. Doing so took a great deal of effort on his part. The only reason he even decided to let his pursuit drop was because Kagome had been right all along. He was only chasing after her to run away from something else—something much more important. He sighed and glanced down at the test in his hand. Why the hell had he brought it with him? Not even he could understand. Still, the young man's eyes were drawn to the dual set of lines. Hotaru was indeed pregnant and he was the father.
Inuyasha could no longer afford to run away. He needed to stand up and take responsibility for his actions. But first he needed to make things right. The only way he could do that would be to talk to Kagome and Genos firsthand. Warning them about Kouga's release from the hospital the following day would be a good way to get back into their good graces somewhat. He sighed again. Now he just needed to track them down. A message popped up on his phone.
Kikyou spotted the pair at the Z-city mall. Looks like they're on a date. Proceed with caution.
It was Sango. She was only feeding him information now because she was aware of his plan to give Kagome the space she needed. He quickly messaged her his thanks and wandered off. Now time for the unpleasant task of speaking to Genos directly. Hopefully the guy wouldn't try to annihilate him first.
Kagome smiled as she and Genos went from one store to the next. They didn't buy much but spent their time trying on clothes and enjoying each other's company. The young woman leaned into her boyfriend. She laughed, pointing towards a small arts and crafts shop. He shrugged and moved to follow her but she quickly put a stop to that idea by holding up her hand.
"You stay here! I need to go get something!" She said with a small laugh in her tone. Genos' expression dropped but he let it go. He'd just find out what she was getting later. Chances are it was something for him considering the fact that she wouldn't let him follow. After about ten minutes Kagome reemerged from the shop with a medium sized bag. All the items inside had been wrapped neatly to keep him from peeking.
"You're very thorough aren't you?" The blond commented as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. Kagome's face flushed again but she stuck her tongue out at him playfully.
"But of course!"
They had stopped to eat earlier in the day and it'd been a fairly peaceful date. The only disturbance that Genos could pick up so far was Inuyasha following them at a distance. Normally he would've already confronted the little bastard for daring to interrupt them but it seemed as if the male had no intention of getting in their way today. He shrugged his shoulders and allowed the other man to follow them for the time being. He'd just put Inuyasha in his place should he make a move.
"Where do you want to go next?" Kagome asked as she looked over the directory. She hadn't been to the mall in ages so it'd been quite fun to come back today. Normally she went with Sango and they'd spend hours just wandering around aimlessly and talking about different things—usually how to handle Miroku's 'cursed' hands.
The blond smiled down at her, "Wherever you want." The dark haired girl grinned. Well he was definitely going to regret that one! She swiftly dragged him to one of the department stores.
The next hour was spent trying on different clothes. Genos was treated to the sight of her coming out of the dressing room in several different outfits—all of which were quite cute in his eyes. She started to laugh when he pulled out his phone and started to take pictures of her. To have a little bit of fun she started to pose for him as well. As Kagome went through the stack of outfits to try on, she finally reached the last one.
"Just give me another minute!" The dark haired girl called out. The blond relaxed and waited patiently. Sure, he was willing to wait—if only to see what she managed to pick out this time.
It was then that Inuyasha finally approached. He turned his golden gaze onto the unwanted male. Unlike before the bastard was looking away from them. He was rubbing the back of his head and his eyes darted over towards Genos' stiffened form.
"Mind if we talk?" He questioned. The cyborg shot a quick glance towards the dressing room. The sounds of curses and frustrated muttering echoed back. It sound like it'd take a little while. So he chose to follow the male a short distance away where it'd far enough to not be heard but still close enough to see.
Inuyasha took a deep breath, "Look I didn't come here today to fight." The silver-haired male started off.
Genos rose a brow. That was a surprise. From InuYasha's words, most of the tension left him save for a small bit of wariness, "Then why are you here?" He crossed his arms, but allowed his stance to slacken somewhat.
"Kouga's leaving the hospital tomorrow. He's pretty hellbent getting with Kagome." InuYasha poured out-might as well be blunt about it, sooner Genos and Kagome knew about the bastard's plot the better.
The cyborg grunted, though thankful for the information. Too bad for Kouga because Kagome wouldn't be available anywhere in Z-City. She would be going out of town the following morning and staying the night in J-City. She had promised Souta that they'd go see a soccer game together. So he had taken it upon himself to book her a hotel for the evening. He'd originally been planning on going with her to play guard dog against her parents, but with this latest bit of news it'd seem that he'd likely have to stay behind to watch for the wolf and issue his own 'warning'.
"Why are you telling me this?" Genos spoke up. For as grateful as he was, perhaps telling Kagome would have been much more prudent. Though the thought of Inuyasha and his girlfriend spending time alone for left him with a bad taste in his mouth. Was this what they called jealousy? It was painful and burned like nothing he ever felt before.
InuYasha became flustered, not expecting the question. He believed that he'd be dismissed right there and then so with no answer prepared, he couldn't help the sputter that spewed from his mouth. Genos raised a brow again and the silver-haired male sighed, "I didn't think Kagome would want to see me," but that answer didn't sate Genos, so he forced himself to tell the truth, "and, well," InuYasha dropped his shoulders in defeat, "I kind of have to grow up now."
The cyborg reeled. Had the world turned over? Who was this being? It certainly wasn't the Inuyasha he had met! That person was of the immature variety-so this wasn't something he thought he would hear from the idiot dog's mouth. "Why is that? I'm surprised to hear you say such a thing." He loosened his arms from his chest, the wariness was gone in an instant, "Considering you were quite an immature type the last I had saw you."
He flinched, "Yeah, I was...pretty bad with Kagome, wasn't I?" InuYasha murmured, scratching his nape, and Genos soberly realized InuYasha actually took some time to tame his ridiculous hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. It further emphasized the fact that InuYasha sincerely want to make amends and it made Genos uncomfortable for some reason. "Let's just say that..." InuYasha rolled his hands, trying to figure out how to explain his situation, "I'm... a… soon-to be dad."
There was a chuckle, "You knocked someone up, didn't you? I think Kagome mentioned that her name was Hotaru?" Genos lost the humor, drawing into a pitying sigh when InuYasha gave a dark scowl, "A congratulation is in order I suppose. It is good of you to make a change now before you have your child." It was impressive that it took a baby to force the silver-haired man to change his outlook on life.
InuYasha huffed, "Do me a favor and don't tell Kagome about my kid, would ya? I just came here to tell ya about the jackass, not to tell you my sob story." He shifted his head toward the stall Kagome was changing her clothes in, guilt pulled on his expression, "I know I fucked up." He didn't need to see Genos to know he was implying how obvious his terrible deeds were, "And Kagome didn't deserve the hell I put her through. She is a great woman, and I did nothing but wrong to her. Ain't right what I did, and there's nothing I can do about it but move on with an apology."
Genos hummed, "That will be on her if she wants to be friends with you again, InuYasha." Since he came all the way to warn him about the flea-ridden asshole and admitted his wrong doings Genos failed to see why he shouldn't spare him some respect. "When will you apologize to her in person?" He wanted to know-though he was a bit sure some hurt was still there for Kagome. Though he couldn't deny the sharper stings of jealousy that needled at his very being.
"Not today. It's too soon." InuYasha shook his head, "Appreciate ya not blasting me with your hellfire though, dude." He took one last look at the stall, "I should haul ass before Kagome catches me. Don't need her to start asking questions why I'm here with you. Take care and," InuYasha gave him a glare, "Don't hurt her. Not like I did. I don't wanna rally up support to tear your metal ass apart."
With a snort, Genos dismissed him with a sharp turn of shoulders, "Go."
InuYasha was gone when Kagome slipped from her stall, blinking at the distance Genos took, "What are you doing over there?"
"Surveying for more dresses." Genos tugged on a sea-green dress from a rack to emphasized his answer, "This color would be good on you." It was knee-length and had a halter-top. The straps had been embroidered with rhinestones and sequins—giving it a much brighter shine in the fluorescent lighting.
Kagome grinned, "That's one of my favorite colors. Show it to me! It's gotta be easier than what I'm wearing." She twirled to show her back, "This one is a pain in the ass to put on without some help." His golden eyes softened at the sight of her dressed in a pale blue gown. It flowed like ripples of water and a light sheen of fabric covered the lower portion—creating a vibrant color to the dress.
"That looks perfect." The S-Rank Hero commented as he withdrew his phone from his pocket and snapped another photo. Kagome smiled as she turned her shoulders slightly and allowed her hair to fall down her exposed backline. This was the first strapless she'd tried on. Normally she preferred halter-tops or thin straps. Although the edges seemed to pinch into her skin much more than needed. Perhaps this one was a bit too small? Unfortunately the sizes available shot up three numbers and the only other ones were too tiny. Maybe it was a bad time to go trying on gowns around homecoming season? Winter was about to hit them soon too.
The couple returned the items to their proper places as they left the mall. Genos threaded his fingers through Kagome's this time and gently led her down a less travelled path. Where most of the area was covered in concrete and tall, overhanging buildings, there was still one area left that had been untouched by human expansion. The blond tugged his girlfriend through a small gate to reveal a park. A sea of colors overtook their vision. From a multitude of families dressed in color codes to a bed of flowers that seemed to have nearly every species on display—they had been surrounded by color. The dark haired girl grinned as she pulled Genos through the crowd to the center of the park.
A tree stood proudly at the heart of it all. Its branches were splayed out widely and its leaves had turned a stunning shade of red.
"It's an old Japanese Maple tree." Genos pointed out as he looked it over. Her blue eyes lightened up and grabbed both of his hands.
"It's beautiful!"
The pair watched as a small band of young men and women propped open their instruments and began to play to the beat of their soul. As the park was a hub of all family and public life in the remains of Z-City, such sights were quite common. Many no-name bands would come here to play and hopefully be picked up by a record label. They also would go to the center of the market area and try their luck there, but as of now the park was still much more popular as it had a great deal more of foot traffic.
A small woman pulled out a violin and began to play a soothing, yet playful melody. Her companions joined her, each one carrying a different type of orchestral instrument. Kagome glanced at her boyfriend.
"Let's dance!"
So they did. As the music played the pair looped their arms together and began to sway to the sounds. His girlfriend's face lit up as he twirled her around. Her bright yellow skirt swished fluidly to the movement, brushing against his leg as she did so. The beat increased and so they picked up the pace in their dance. Genos brought one arm around Kagome's waist as he led her through a series of steps, all of which she followed with grace and a smile. A swirl of colors surrounded them as more couples and even a few families joined in.
The two lifted their arms high as a child accidentally danced a little too far away from her parents and wandered into Kagome's legs. The young woman smiled as she offered the girl a hand. The child took it and smiled as the teen twirled her around before sending her back to her parents' waiting arms. Genos grabbed his girlfriend again and dipped her low. His mouth brush gently across hers before bringing her back up. There was a small jeer from the crowd as the other couples took her boyfriend's lead. One in particular were on the verge of falling down as they were far too interested in delving their tongues down each other's throats—drawing an even louder jeer. Kagome laughed as Genos shrugged. The song wound down and the crowd began to disperse.
"That…" The dark haired woman started between heaves, "Was fun!"
The cyborg dropped several bills into one of the empty instrument cases. The band smiled up at him gratefully as he returned to Kagome's side.
"Yes it was." He commented. That was one of the first times he'd seen her so ecstatic. He'd have to take a mental note on how much she seemed to enjoy dancing. Perhaps he should take her out here more often?
With that the couple began to return home. The memories of yesterday's events forgotten for the moment.
