Feudal Diaries:

Shopping

Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Summary- Inuyasha goes on a trip to the grocery store with Atsuko.

It was a typical afternoon in modern-day Tokyo. Kagome and Sota were still at school and they wouldn't be home for quite some time, so for the time being, it was just Atsuko, Sanosuke, and Buyo minding the house and the shrine. As Atsuko sat on the couch, watching TV, she heard the sound of the door opening. She smiled, knowing fully well that it was her favorite half-demon (and future son-in-law).

"Hello?" Inuyasha called. "Anybody home?"

"In here, Inuyasha!" Atsuko called back, and soon, Inuyasha entered the living room as she stood up to greet him.

"Hi, Ma!" Inuyasha exclaimed as he gave Atsuko a hug, which she promptly returned.

"Hi, Inuyasha," Atsuko greeted back. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," Inuyasha replied. "I just thought I'd come and visit, that's all."

"I see," Atsuko smiled. "Are you hungry, dear?"

"Starving, actually," Inuyasha admitted.

"Well, there's a cup of instant ramen in the kitchen for you," said Atsuko. "Help yourself."

Inuyasha promptly left the living room, licking his lips at the thought of his favorite snack. As Atsuko sat down to return to watching her program, however, she heard an ear-piercing shriek of horror. With a startled gasp, she shot up and headed for the kitchen, only to see Inuyasha staring slack-jawed at the table...or rather, who was sitting at it AND enjoying the very last cup of beef-flavored ramen with the soy sauce on top: Sanosuke.

"Dad!" Atsuko exclaimed, gaining the old shrine keeper's attention.

"What?" asked Sanosuke. "I'm just having a little lunch."

"Dad, that ramen is for Inuyasha!" Atsuko argued. "That was the last cup, too!"

"It was just sitting there in the cupboard," said Sanosuke. "I thought it was a waste to let it sit there, so I helped myself to it."

Inuyasha groaned, comically weeping as he mourned the loss of the last cup of his favorite food while Atsuko placed a hand on his shoulder in sympathy.

That's when the proverbial lightbulb appeared over her head.

"Inuyasha?" she asked, prompting the half-demon to look at her. "Do you wanna go shopping with me?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha muttered.

XXX

It wasn't long before Inuyasha found himself wearing his "modern attire", consisting of a black shirt that said "BAD DOG" on the front, a pair of blue denim jeans that were nice and loose, his sports cap, and his Fire Rat haori. After he got dressed, he got in the car with Atsuko and they both took a not very long drive to the grocery store. Inuyasha did enjoy the ride, having taken those pills that Kagome gave him whenever he got in the car so that he wouldn't get sick like he did, the first time.

The moment they entered the store, Inuyasha immediately looked around for the one thing he had in mind, and lo and behold, he spotted it: a whole aisle of instant ramen! He gasped in delight as he prepared to go down and grab some, but then Atsuko grabbed him by the sleeve.

"Hold it," she said. "I know we're here for ramen, but I also have to get some other things, Inuyasha."

"But...but..." Inuyasha stammered as he glanced back at the instant foodstuffs. "But it's right there!"

"I know," Atsuko replied, "and I promise that we'll get some AFTER I get the other things on my list." She then pulled out a small sheet of paper. "Let's see...cabbage...fish...chicken breast..."

Inuyasha groaned, causing Atsuko to glance up at him before she smiled and put a hand to his arm.

"If you're patient," she began, "I'll let you get a whole box of instant ramen...okay?"

"...Okay," Inuyasha replied before he followed after Atsuko, tucking his arms inside his sleeves. They stopped at several sections of the store, such as the produce section in order to pick up some cabbages, leeks, and fruits, then got some milk and butter at the dairy aisle. When they stopped by the aisle where they sold the meat and fish, it was here that Inuyasha's sense of smell proved useful.

Atsuko wanted to buy some salmon to grill tomorrow. However, she had a bit of trouble regarding what fish was fresh and what wasn't. Knowing that Inuyasha had a keener sense of smell than she did, she let him decide by holding two different salmon filets. Inuyasha sniffed the one in her right hand before immediately gagging, prompting Atsuko to put the salmon back. When she gave him the one in her left hand to sniff, he gave a small nod of approval.

After that, they went to pick up some chicken breasts to make chicken karaage. However, as soon as Inuyasha got his hands on a package, he saw that an elderly woman had gotten her hands on it, as well.

"Uh...excuse me, but I saw this first," Inuyasha said.

"Well, I've got my hands on it, now," the cantankerous old woman groused.

"Look, lady, let go!" Inuyasha argued as he tried to tug on the chicken breasts.

"You let go or else!" the old lady shouted.

"Or else what?!" Inuyasha questioned.

"You asked for it, sonny!" the old lady said, and soon, she started whacking Inuyasha on the head with her cane, causing him to yelp every time it made contact with his skull. Atsuko tried to make Inuyasha let go, but he just wouldn't have it. However, while she kept walloping Inuyasha on his head, she accidentally knocked off his cap, revealing his dog ears underneath...which caused the old woman to scream.

"A MONONOKE!" she cried as she ran down the aisle, leaving the package of chicken breasts behind with a triumphant (and black-eyed) Inuyasha.

"Oh, dear, are you all right, sweetie?" asked Atsuko.

"...Never better," Inuyasha replied as he handed the chicken breasts to her, which caused the Higurashi matriarch to smile.

Deciding that he had been through enough, Atsuko decided to go down to the instant ramen aisle and buy Inuyasha the box of beef-flavored ramen with soy sauce, just as she had promised.

For good measure, she even bought him two bags of barbecue potato chips.

After they made their purchases, Inuyasha and Atsuko returned home, and as soon as they did, the former headed into the kitchen, made himself a cup of ramen, and sat at the kitchen table with Atsuko, enjoying his well-earned snack.

"Mmmm...!" he hummed as he savored the saltiness of the beef seasonings and the savoriness of the soy sauce. "This was SO worth the wait."

"I'm glad you got what you wanted, sweetheart," Atsuko said. "I'm only sorry you got a little beat up, today."

"Ahh, it wasn't that bad," Inuyasha replied. "I mean...aside from that...the trip was pretty nice."

"Really?" Atsuko asked.

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered. "Maybe we could...do it again, next time I visit?"

"...Sounds like a plan," said Atsuko, and at that moment, they heard the door opening.

"I'm home!" Kagome called as she entered the kitchen. "Hi, Mom!"

"Hi, Kagome," Atsuko greeted as she gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, Inu-" Kagome greeted, only to pause when she saw his black eye. "Uh...what happened to you?"

"Uhh...I went with your mother to the store and I got beat up by an old woman over some chicken," Inuyasha answered in slight embarrassment.

"...Lemme guess," Kagome said as she turned to her mother. "Mrs. Nakamura was at the store again, wasn't she?"

"As usual," Atsuko answered.

This is something I wanted to do for a while. XD

Review, please!