Chapter 21- The lunch date
No, Inuyasha and company aren't mine. sigh
So. Kagome wasn't in trouble. For all of...a few hours, actually.
Lunch was rather strained. She sat quietly at the family dining table, and talk was muted. Rin gave her a warning glance when she realized-a certain name wasn't coming up. Notably. Biting her lip, she excused herself quickly, saying she wasn't hungry.
"You should eat, child. You are pale," Inutaisho said, and she gathered her nerve.
"Inuyasha shouldn't be locked up! It isn't right! I can't just sit here and pretend he's not-" Kagome started firmly, and Inutaisho's eyes widened slightly.
"You dare speak so insolently to my Lord Father, mortal?" Sesshomaru growled, and she returned his gaze without a blink.
"You're darn right I do!"
"Then you may join him in his...indisposition for a day. Go," Lord Inutaisho said, and she paled.
"F-fine, then! Don't listen to me, but you know I'm right! It's not fair!" she sputtered, and to her shock, was all but dragged out by a guard, still lecturing as she went!
So she missed it when Inutaisho hid a slight smile. Rin and Sesshomaru caught it, and both were puzzled.
"Father...?" An inquiring glance that was serenely returned.
"Hm?" Amused eyes the same color as his own looked after her. "Tell me, my eldest. Does she not remind you of someone?" Sesshomaru frowned and shook his head slightly.
Inutaisho leaned back in his seat and smiled. A pity, really. His son did his best to ignore his Mother's gifts to him...and had scentbonded to a girl so very much like her. She had the appearance of the old Priestess, but was, undoubtedly, like his lost Lady in spirit. A handful indeed.
"You can let go of my arm anytime, you know!" Inuyasha opened an eye, roused from having a think, surrounded by the books and scrolls on the bed...as Kagome was locked into the sitting room. He could see her through the open door to the bedroom, scowling. "Oooh! That stubborn, pigheaded-oh!"
"Kagome, what are you talking about? What the hell happened?" he asked, sitting up...and as she told him, his eyes widened.
"You-told off the old man? For me? Wish I'd seen it." It was warming, actually...but now it meant she was stuck here too, poor wench. Just for the day, though, not so bad.
"Well...it wasn't right that he didn't tell you," Kagome admitted, hands clasped behind her.
"Eh..." the hanyou sat up with a wince, "he might've had a reason. I'll ask for an audience with him tomorrow and-fix things," he said. His gruff answer surprised her.
"Why? Inuyasha...since I'm stuck here too-we might as well talk. I know you said it wasn't a happy topic, but, I think it would do you some good," she asked, and he nodded with a determined frown, looking at the pile of books and things.
"Fine. But," he ticked on his fingers, "no damned ofuda! No ashen salt, no sacred arrows, no seals or barriers! No damned word of subjugation either! Agreed? Your word as a Priestess?" he asked. Kagome eyed the beads still around his neck-and nodded, coming to sit beside him on a chair she pulled over.
"I promise," she answered.
"Good," Inuyasha frowned as there was a knock at the door. "That'll be my lunch," he noted, smelling food.
"I'll get it," she told him, rising and soon coming back with a tray that had been handed to her wordlessly. The door shut again and she saw him eagerly moving the books to make room.
Soft food. She saw noodles, juice, and a sandwich...she put in in front of him with a sigh and reached for it, figuring it was for her. She was right, actually, Rin had sent it.
"Hey! Get your own!"
"I didn't have any lunch! Don't be stingy," Kagome told him, and he made a face as she took it and the napkin, sitting back and taking a bite. Not bad.
"Lunch thief," he muttered, scowling as he dug in with his chopsticks.
"Mmm. So good," the blurry sounding comment was accompanied by him pointing into the sitting room. "Drinks are-"
"I know, I stayed here in the batcave for a week, remember?" Kagome noted, rising to go to the bar fridge in the corner out there and grabbing a soda. Coming back, she sat again and sighed. "So?" eating, she looked up enquiringly as the chopsticks slowed. Swallowing, he winced.
"Fine," he looked down at his food as he started. "My Mother was the Princess of her Clan. Not a big Clan, but prosperous. My Father saved her from bandits who attacked her traveling party. When he did...he smelled her." Kagome didn't interrupt, she'd heard some of this, but wanted to hear it from him. So, she ate and leaned forward, setting her can on the nightstand as she chewed. "She chose to stay with him. The problem was-she was a mortal. She was also betrothed to a mortal who was influential. So...her family locked her up in their castle, like that was going to stop the old man," the aside made her eyes widen.
"What did he do?"
"He stole her back, and well-he brought her here. Openly, and took her as his wife and mate, not as a concubine or anything. Sesshomaru didn't like it, and neither did her family, or that baka mortal. After awhile, I was on the way, and well...he'd broken with the old man over her."
"That's horrible!"
"No, he had a point. It caused a lot of trouble with both mortals and youkai. Lords like the old man didn't take mortals as honorable mates so much. Still don't really, scentbond or not. Most of the time, they'd keep the mortal in a house somewhere and pretend they didn't exist publicly. Give 'em land or something and keep things quiet," seeing her expression, he shrugged. "That's the way it usually works in some Clans."
"It's still wrong."
"Sure. But it happens. Anyway...when she was near her time," he poked his food, "there wasn't anybody to guard her that he really trusted when a youkai decided to challenge Father. So he took her with him to a manor that wasn't far from where Ryukotsuie was, and left her with a midwife. No choice. But I came early because of the journey, and well-she fucked things up royally. By the time Father came back from sealing him, troops were surrounding the manor. The fucking asshole she was supposed to marry was going to kill them both, but the midwife had already screwed up. The old man fought his way in, and used Tenseiga. It...heals." A nod.
"I see. What then?"
"He burned down the building around them. Father got out with me, thanks to that gaudy kimono you make fun of, but-she was slow."
"Sorry. No wonder you don't like mortals," she answered, looking sadly at him.
"Eh. Most of them are bastards. You aren't, and-I like your family," he admitted, making her smile. "They don't care for my kind. Her kin didn't, anyways. So Father raised me, and made things up with Sesshomaru. I don't blame her for dying, Kagome, I blamed her...for being hanyou. Because of-I'm not immortal. I'll die one day of old age just like a mortal...and...here. Read it yourself."
To her surprise, he selected one of the scrolls and rolled it open to a section, offering it grimly. Taking it, she settled back and began to read as he closely watched her expression. Then reread it.
Puzzled. Then confused. Then...uh oh. Still faced and suspicious.
"They...refer to this period as the time of weakness or vulnerability. It is the most closely guarded of secrets, when all half-youkai, at one time or another, temporarily become mortal," Kagome looked up as she read part of it aloud. "You turn mortal? Like...a human? Miroku never said anything."
"Eh...he doesn't know. I don't think, anyways. It's not something us half-breeds tell people. You have to be one to know, or hunt the information down, be related to one, or-mated to one," Inuyasha answered uncomfortably.
"Don't call yourself that. Half-breed isn't a nice word," she chided, and frowned. "So...that's why you don't like to talk about your Mom," Kagome commented.
"Part of it," he said, and looked very unhappy as he nodded to a drawer. "Kagome...please get me the box in there," he asked, and she did after rolling up the scroll, unsure where this was going as she took out-oh dear. Another puzzle box.
"Oh no. Not another one."
"Just hand it over, wench. And remember your promise!" the hanyou grumbled. She did, and he worked the sliding panels-pulling out a case.
His spare glasses. Opening them, he unfolded the glasses and made a face at them, then looked at her anxiously. Inuyasha set them on his nose, holding them in place as his ears weren't anywhere near where they ought to have been to wear them.
"What...?"
"Look familiar, Kagome?" he asked, as everything went blurry. She looked closely...and frowned. Take Inuyasha. Change the hair color, put on glasses...take away the ears, change the eye color...oh no. No no no. Kagome felt sick. So kind, so funny, they sounded so much alike, and she-she'd...
He hadn't killed Atsuo. He-was Atsuo!
"There. See? Now you know. You know me, Kagome, all those times we talked."
"I don't know anything," Kagome told him, rising. There was a sniffle.
"Oh, crap," Inuyasha got up stiffly, setting the glasses down with relief and moving the tray as he did. Hanyou or not he was still hurt, but he reached for her arm. She pulled it away.
"You're so cruel. How could you lie to me like that? Were you following me again? Why would you...I...you were him-the whole time!" she trailed off and shook her head.
"I just wanted to get to know you! You don't understand, I had to! We never got to talk, and you, well, I like you, you like me, you're mine now, and you ought to be happy!"
"You had three years for that! All you ever did was be mean, and that! That was wrong. Mean! You lied to me, Inuyasha! You let me think you were someone else! All that time-did you think it was funny? Did you laugh it up with your darned vassals like at the reception because you pulled one over on your mortal?" she demanded angrily.
"Huh? I-that's the only way I could think of! You belonged to me, and I couldn't talk to you, or keep you close, I needed to know you weren't like...that you were the right sort of mortal!" Laughing? At the...crap. That moron! He'd told him off, damn it! But...he'd been trying for discretion.
"Belonged to you." Bitter eyes met his. "I'm not property!"
"Of course you are, Kagome," he answered, surprised as her lip quivered. "It's not like it's a bad thing-don't you dare run off on me again!" Inuyasha barked as she started to...oh no. Cry. He didn't know what the hell to do now! Weeping mortal women weren't in his line of expertise.
"Run off? That's it?"
"Don't cry! Why are you crying?" he asked, upset as she sank to the floor, hugging herself and crying.
"Why shouldn't I?" she asked, tears sliding down her cheeks.
"I cared about someone who doesn't exist. I thought-thought you...how could you? How could you just lead me on like that?" Kagome choked.
"I do too exist! Kagome, everything I said was true." A look that made him wilt. "Mostly. I just grabbed a chance is all! Yes, I lied, and it was dishonorable. I just ran into you by accident, and when I'm a mortal I couldn't smell you and I could think for once," he spoke quickly, eyes imploring.
Kagome didn't answer him at first. After a moment, she spoke.
"Could think...? What's that supposed to mean?" her eyes were lowered.
"Before I marked you-all I could think of was your scent. Really. I'm not evil, you know. I really didn't appreciate that crack. Or being accused of murdering myself," Inuyasha scowled. "Atsuo is a cover. If I ever have to travel as a mortal, I use it to keep anyone from knowing who I am. I was out that night because I broke my glasses the night before. Not, well, they broke the last time I needed them. I can't see without them as a mortal. I ran into you-and...I just wanted to talk with you awhile, Kagome. No baka customs, no people watching-just take you out for a damned date for once and see you safely home! This all would've been a hell of a lot easier if I just could've taken you out to a damned movie or something then!"
"So...when does this happen? What made you change that night?" Kagome asked finally.
"The first night of the New Moon. From dusk till dawn, I'm-powerless. And full lunar eclipses, but just for the time the moon is completely darkened," he confessed like it was dragged from his throat.
"You become Atsuo once a month, then. And-without Tetsusaiga-you become that other one," Kagome looked nonplussed as she rose, walked to the window and looked out before glancing over her shoulder. "How many people am I married to? And-which one of that crowd in there dated that obsessive hair care product? Honestly, you dated a comb!"
"Hair care product? Yura? She had a hair thing, sure, but..." he made a face, and winced. "A-comb?"
"Yep. If I remember right, it was probably used to comb the hair of the dead and gained power that way. Items may acquire youkai auras and be imbued with power or even personality by certain actions, particularly relating to rituals of life and death," Kagome noted, repeating the information with a sigh.
"Oh?"
"I paid attention to those classes, you know. It ought to have been purified between uses or destroyed but whoever used it must've been lazy until it was too late," she sighed. "Meet her at a hair salon?"
"A bar, actually. And...it's just me in here. I never transformed like that before," he answered awkwardly.
"Hm." She went back to looking outside. "What do you do most of the time when you change?"
"Hide. No one can know, Kagome! Really. If the wrong people knew or even guessed-they'd come after me, and you, and kill us both."
"I know that. I don't plan on saying anything. Panthers came for me at fifteen, remember? And the Thunder Brothers, and your old comb now," Kagome told him tartly.
"She was never my-you are so annoying!"
"You lied, don't tell me I'm annoying!"
"What was I supposed to do? I didn't know what else to say!"
"You could've trusted me!"
"I didn't know if I could then! Look, that's the way it's always been. No one knows about that. No hanyou tells anyone about that time! And Atsuo-he's me. So don't go saying you don't know me!"
"I cared about Atsuo! I knew him! I don't know you!" Kagome snapped, spinning-and covered her mouth as his jaw dropped. She...cared for him...?
"You...did?" She shut her eyes and slumped, nodding.
"Yeah."
"Kagome..." he sighed as he closed the distance and she felt arms go around her. "Damn it."
"Who are you?" she managed.
"Everything I told you was true when we talked all those times. Mostly. The important stuff. I love old movies, I listen to classical, and I fish with my old man and make rude jokes at my older brother's expense. Eh...but you stopped calling me, Kagome. Everything seemed better when I could talk to you, you know? I don't know mortals. I was worried, and I acted badly."
"I thought-the last time I-we...I was watching the news. I saw the Hijinkessou...and I thought you'd kill him. So I broke it off," Kagome sighed.
"Nah. He-did me a favor for once, I guess. Let me get to know you. I meant to tell you, I swear I did. I tried to after we were married, and I was going to in the cabin-before you went crazy on me, mind you."
"It's...alright, I guess. But you are a baka."
"Thanks."
"I'm sorry too, Inuyasha. I wasn't exactly nice to you a lot when we were courting. And I can see why you'd be worried. But you still should've told me. I don't know how I feel...but I'm not angry." Her arms slid around him gently in apology as she spoke.
"Keh."
"Hmp. Hopeless," she pulled back and frowned. "Come on, back to bed. You need to rest," Kagome told him, tugging as he obediently followed her.
"You'll keep me company?" She nodded as she helped him get comfortable.
"I don't have much of a choice. I'm locked up too, thanks to you."
"Mates are supposed to share, you know." Was the answer she got and she just looked at him.
"Except lunch?" He made a face and she shook her head.
Author's notes- Ah, some progress at last! I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for Reading!-Namiyo