Disclaimer: InuYasha belongs to: Rumiko Takahashi, Viz Media, Shogakukan, Sunrise, Yumiuri TV and the other foreign manga rights companies that I have not dealt with. Twiknham owns intellectual rights only to the original characters including: Michael, Lucy, Logan, Armaund, Jin, Sesshoumaru's household staff (minus Jaken) and any characters in this story who reside in Texas. Twiknham makes NO monetary gain from this story, it is a completely free fanfic and Twiknham will not accept any payment. Reviews would be great, but are not required for updates. Also, as with any Twiknham fic, criticisms are welcome but please keep the language clean. Reviews do not come with ratings and are open to all viewers. Thx! –TK
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Kagome's favorite deli wasn't too busy by the time they arrived, so they took a table in the back. They could have eaten outside; but her mother said that if she was going to drive home with the top down, she really needed to eat inside. As the waiter left after taking their orders, Kagome leaned forward.
"So, tell me all about this man."
The blush was more telling than the hands wringing the life out of a napkin. "We met in the market. I was looking for maguro (tuna) and he was looking for…me." She giggled lightly. "Actually, he was looking for vegetables, but he took a wrong turn and ended up in the fish stalls."
"He's not Japanese." Kagome said it without rancor.
"No, he's French." At Kagome's raised eyebrow, she laughed. "Don't even think that."
Kagome put her chin on her hand. "What am I thinking?" She smiled, her entire face lighting up.
"You're thinking that Frenchmen are supposed to have sexy voices."
"And does he?"
Mrs. Higurashi giggled. "Yes, and I'm learning to speak it too."
"Mother!" Kagome laughed, drawing attention.
"Hush! Someone will hear." She waved her hand in her face and gently sipped from her water glass. "You're embarrassing your mother."
"Ah, but I think my mother can handle it. How long have you been seeing each other?"
"Four months."
"Is he good in bed?"
"Kagome!"
"Mom, you asked me. Besides, Souta wants to know if he needs to go teach him anything."
"Souta's recently married. He doesn't have enough experience to teach this man anything yet."
They both giggled, startling the waiter as he walked up to provide refills. He thought they were both gorgeous and he inadvertently spilled a little water on the table in his nervous state. Mrs. Higurashi wiped it up with a napkin, reassuring him that it was okay and agreeing to accept a clean napkin.
"So, does this mysterious French man have a name?"
"Yes my child, he does."
"And am I allowed to know it?"
Mrs. Higurashi put her finger up to her cheek and squinted at her daughter. "It depends. If you use his name to hunt him down and interrogate him, I will NOT tell you. However, if you're just nosy and want to know because you love your mother…"
"I won't interrogate him." 'I'll send Sesshoumaru to interrogate, it'll be much more effective.'
"And don't send that demon of yours either."
"Mother, why would you even think such a thing?" Kagome's blush gave her away.
"You're my child. I have the mother's 'all-seeing-eye' and I see and know all."
"Oh really. Tell me why I took you out to lunch."
Mrs. Higurashi sighed. "I can't. I swore an oath to keep my mouth quiet."
"To whom?"
"I cannot tell you that either."
"Fine. What CAN you tell me?"
"His name is Jean Pierre Renault. He's a chef for a little French restaurant in Minowa."
Kagome frowned. "That's clear across town."
"Yes, but it's on the Hibiya line. I just ride that and he meets me at the station. Or he comes to the shrine. Grandfather's met him. Of course, now that I know what I do, we'll switch to French. It sounds better in French anyways."
Kagome shook her head, and smiled at her mother. Their lunch arrived, along with a new napkin. The waiter left them to eat in peace. "Does he make you happy?"
Mrs. Higurashi's smile lit up the entire table. "Yes, he does. I miss your father, and no man can ever replace him. However, I'm willing to let this Frenchman take a new place. The place that doesn't speak Japanese fluently. Now, when are we going to get down to the business of why you're buying my lunch?"
Kagome smiled. "Who said I was buying?"
"You drove, you buy." She said it with perfect calm, hand gently wrapped around a sprout and turkey sandwich.
"Well, it appears I'm planning a wedding."
Mrs. Higurashi's eyebrows raised slightly, but she said nothing. After a few very pregnant moments of silence, she prompted. "Continue."
"Seth Shujin has asked me to marry him. I've accepted. However, we can't get married at the shrine."
"Why not?"
"I have nightmares of Grandfather throwing ofukas at him and Seth reaching across and killing him."
"Why would your grandfather throw ofukas at him?"
Kagome looked at her uneaten sandwich. Finally she looked back at her mother. "Can you see Grandfather blessing a union between his miko granddaughter and a full-blooded Youkai?"
"You didn't tell me he was FULL-blooded. I thought he was a harmless puppy."
"Does he look harmless in those pictures?"
"No, but he also looks human."
"Cloaking spell. Momma, you had your shrine wedding, just yesterday. Would you be heartbroken if your daughter had a civil ceremony?"
"Is that what he wants?"
"I'm not sure what the rituals are for full-blooded Youkai, but I suspect they don't involve a priest and san-san-kudo."
"You might be surprised, but I'd ask. Your mother doesn't mind a civil ceremony, as long as she's invited."
"When do Souta and Hitomi leave for their honeymoon?"
"Saturday. Why?"
"I'd like it to happen before they leave."
"Kagome, are you pregnant?" Her mother's heart froze in place at the thought.
She blushed ferociously. "No! It's just…complicated."
Mrs. Higurashi felt her heart start beating again. "Do you think you can plan a wedding in the next four days?"
Kagome grimaced. "I guess I'll have to." She took another bite of her sandwich before her mother could ask her any more damning questions.
After they finished their meal and Kagome had paid the check, Mrs. Higurashi looked at her daughter. "Kagome, some day when all of this is past and we've settled down to what our lives deem as normal, will you explain all of this to me?"
Kagome laughed. Standing up and putting her arm around her mother as she stood, she held out the car keys. "Sure, when I figure it out. Right now I'm as much in the dark as you are." The drive home was…fun. Mrs. Higurashi wasn't the adventurous sort. She put the top down, but she turned the music to a classical station and left it turned down low.
Kagome sighed. "Mom, in a car like this, you put it on J-pop and crank it!" She reached for the knob, but her mother smacked her hand.
"I'm driving, I choose the music. We're listening to classical, and I'll not have us scaring the neighbors by turning it up to eardrum bursting levels."
Kagome mock pouted. "Spoilsport."
"I can let you out right here, if you'd prefer to walk." She stopped the car and looked at her daughter pointedly.
"Um, actually Mom, you can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not the owner, and I have to be in the car in order for you to be legal."
"Oh, that's true. Okay, then sit still and behave."
The rest of the trip passed in pleasant commentary. When they returned to the shrine, they put the top up and walked back to the house. Ojii-chan was sitting in the kitchen, looking at a bowl of something that was in front of him.
"Grandpa, what do you have there?"
He looked hopefully at Kagome, but at her cross glance at mama, he sighed and stirred his spoon around in his bowl cautiously. "No soba eh? Hitomi made it."
Kagome leaned forward to sniff it. "Looks like leek and miso…but what a smell!"
He poured a little of the broth off the end of his spoon. Strangest leek I've ever seen."
Suddenly Mrs. Higurashi broke out in belly laughs. She was laughing so hard she had to pull a seat out and sit down. Both of her family members looked at her with concern. Finally she settled down. "Did Hitomi go to the store for the ingredients?"
"Actually, no. She said she'd make due with what was here. What in kami's heaven is this?" He looked truly concerned.
"Miso and pesuto. I'll taste it and let you know whether we eat it or fertilize the 'sacred vegetables' with it."
Grandpa looked embarrassed. "Heard that did you?"
"Yes. And Otou-san…"
"Yes dear."
She reached over and grabbed his ear. "I'm old enough to have a conversation with a boy without my father listening in. If you do it again…"
He looked at his soup sadly. "You'll have Hitomi cook all of my meals?"
She looked at Kagome with a thoughtful smile. "That sounds like the perfect punishment!"
He groaned.
A/N: Thank you again for all of the lovely reviews! Last week was tough, lots of house construction going on, and the reviews were my treat for: sanding doors, painting, hanging drywall and climbing up into the attic to update the wiring in the den (house was built in the 1940's, no such thing as ground wires back then). I sincerely hope that you enjoyed this chapter. I look forward to updating next Monday. This week is drywall mudding, sanding and painting so I'll doubly be looking forward to your reviews.
As always, reviews are not required for updates and I will never be mad if I don't get reviews (my last IY fic has gotten more reviews since I started this one than it did during the 3 months I was weekly updating). I thoroughly enjoy your reviews and I don't take it personally if someone flames me or if no one reviews. I might explain my POV on a flame, but I'm not trying to attack.
Please each of you have a great week! If you are also working on a home, I commiserate. It's been 4 years next month of living in a construction zone. There are white cat (and human) prints all over my house and I gave up keeping the furniture dusted about 3 rooms ago (drywall dust isn't nearly as icky in my opinion as normal dust). I'll have a major spring cleaning when the last of the projects are done, then I'll wait 6 months for the rest of the stuff to settle and do it again. Be Safe! Til Monday -TK