Is she serious? Does she honestly think that she can outrun him? Feh! Pup's got another thing coming!
"You're not gonna get away from me!"
He darts after her, closing the short gap easily while she giggles and yips happier than he's ever heard in all his life. She drops down to all fours to use all of her limbs to increase her speed. Heh, stupid girl hasn't figured out yet that running like that only slows her down. She's better off saving herself the trouble and sticking to her two feet. Swiftly, he knocks her down and rolls into the grass dragging her in tow.
"No! No! No!" More happy little giggles. "Stop! That tickles!"
She's rolling halfheartedly around in his arms while he mercilessly tickles her sides. He has to admit, sometimes the brat can be a lot of fun. Shippo hates this kind of stuff. Any time he chases after the boy he gets all jumpy and throws things at him. He bets the kit's still sitting on Kagome's shoulder where he left them. The girl is fun though, she doesn't have any fox tricks to stop him.
"HA! As if you could escape me! I've got you now, pup!" She nips his arm lightly. "OW! Don't bite me!"
Kagome watches them rolling in the grass with a smile on her face. Watching him with Kiyomi is refreshing. It's really great to see him so unguarded for a while and the girl is as sweet as can be. She couldn't imagine a better pair for the other; finding her really has been lucky. He's grown up a lot since meeting her, it's such a different side of him.
The little shadowy, self-doubting voice in her mind wonders if Kikyo knows this side of him.
Suddenly, something about watching the two of them makes her feel, well, she's not sure really but it's not good. She sees him growing so close to Kiyomi and Kiyomi growing so close to him and all she can wonder is what would happen if Kikyo swoops back in. She's not stupid, she knows that he sneaks off to go see Kikyo when he thinks her back is turned. But… what if he chooses Kikyo in the end? The thought of her two hanyous turning tail and choosing the dead priestess hurts her more than she cares to say.
"Something on your mind?" Sango asks, matching her pace so that they are strolling behind Miroku. Kagome is about to assure her friend that she's fine when Sango gives her that very pointed look. "Don't bother trying to lie to me."
That's fair. She's not trying to lie though or avoid discussing it. She doesn't know how to articulate the feeling that's stuck to her now. Is it jealousy? Envy? Aren't those both the same thing? She sighs, watching as Kiyomi runs behind Inuyasha with her arms outstretched in an earnest attempt to catch up to him. He's purposefully slowing down so that he's just out of her reach, looking behind him with an amused face. She's hollering up a storm at him. Shippo's hopped off of her shoulder to join in the fun now.
She just can't imagine Kikyo fitting into that picture but that's not likely to stop Inuyasha if he decides that he—
"Kagome?" Sango asks, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go talk over there?"
She leads Kagome away from the sight of Inuyasha at the mercy of Shippo's new onslaught while Kiyomi seeks refuge in a large tree. Sango takes her just off of the beaten path so that the two of them can rest privately among the roots of an old oak. Neither one of them is all that concerned about the others moving on ahead. They'll be able to catch up easily with Kirara if the others get too far ahead. The neko-youkai purrs loudly in Kagome's lap while she strokes her downy fur.
Sango waits patiently for Kagome to pick apart her feelings and assess them.
Finally, she begins, "Do you think that he'll choose Kikyo? I… I know I told him that I'd stay and I want to stay. But, watching him now, with Kiyomi, I can't help but wonder…"
Sango frowns. Honestly, she doesn't know how to answer that question. She can't predict the future and she can't read Inuyasha's mind. But, at the same time, she will not fill Kagome with false hope. Part of her wants to. It's the same part of her that would love to storm up to that infuriating hanyou and beat him to a pulp with her hiraikotsu for hurting her friend like this. She won't but that doesn't mean she doesn't want to.
"You're wondering if Kiyomi might have changed things so that he'll want to stay," Sango finally concludes.
It's a fair thing to wonder. A child, especially an unexpected one, is a shakeup to even the most stable person. Kids are demanding, they need time, patience, affection, unconditional love; without those things they don't grow up properly. Inuyasha is slowly gaining those traits but it will be a while before they shape him completely. Kikyo's demanded Inuyasha's life too many times for him not to consider the girl in his care. She's sure he must understand that, with this new role, he's not free to make the same choices. It's obvious that he's taking this seriously, her conversation with him a couple of weeks ago only proved that point. Regardless of those factors, he really needs to make this decision for him and him alone. Until he does, Kagome is always going to wonder.
"I just keep thinking that she's going to show up and just take him away," Kagome confesses, her hands clenching into fists in her lap. "And that he won't… it won't matter to him."
The taijiya frowns into the distance. It's a legitimate concern. Kagome won't say it out loud but it's clear to anyone with half a brain to know that she is in love with Inuyasha. Of course, she's concerned that Kikyo is going steal his affections again; what's worse is that Inuyasha may still be stupid enough to allow it to happen!
Through the leaves, they don't notice the eyes peering at them through the branches of the tree.
"Well," Sango finally answers after a long stretch of silence and openly glaring at Inuyasha's silhouette pouncing around with Shippo in the distance, "she hasn't succeeded in that yet. And you may be right, his life is no longer just his to forfeit, he has others that rely on him now. You never know, his feelings about Kikyo may just change. He might decide not to settle with her in the end."
Kagome just lets out a begrudging sigh. "I doubt it. He… What they have… He can't let that go and it's not fair to ask him to. He's always going to choose her over me."
"Kagome…"
She steels herself. "I just have to accept it. Who are we to stop him?"
"Hey, Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice rings out. "Get a move on, will ya?"
Both Kagome and Sango sigh but that doesn't stop them from rising and joining the others. When they finally reunite with the others Inuyasha frowns. He thought that Kiyomi was with the girls. He sniffs the air curiously, she's nearby so he's not all that worried about it. He really hopes she's paying mind to what he's told her about wandering off. If not, he's going to be so pissed…
Fortunately, a few moments later she's trudging over the hill behind them.
"Atta girl," he praises with a smirk. "She's finally getting it. Good. Took her long enough."
He crouches low, excited to play another game of tag with her. As per usual, Shippo complained that he was too rough and he hadn't been able to get even one noogie in. He'd barely been able to tickle him! If the boy was going to be such a spoilsport about it then why'd the kid even bother trying to play in the first place? Well, it doesn't matter, his pup's tougher than that. He growls at her playfully with a sneaky grin on his face. This is gonna be so much—
Huh? Where's she going?
He's surprised to see her slink right past him to walk beside Kagome. The pup's looking up at her and she smells anxious. And Sango smells like she's pissed now too! Literally, he turns his back on them for five minutes, and all of a sudden all the females come back gloomy. Must be the weather… Wait, it's a sunny day. Well, all the more reason to play! Nothing lifts a pup's spirits like a good game of chase.
He'll even be nice and let her win this one.
With a playful growl, loud and clear so she'll hear it, he charges behind Kiyomi to tap her between the shoulder blades. He's alarmed when instead of bracing herself for the impact—because he knows for a fact he'd been loud enough to hear him coming—she lurches forward with a short cry. Before he realizes what's happened, Kiyomi's on the ground with a look of self-absorbed surprise on her face and her arms outstretched in front of her. Kagome gasps and Miroku, thinking something is wrong, turns in a half-circle to investigate. Shippo, seeing Kiyomi with her face in the dirt, immediately rushes to the scene.
Okay, that didn't go at all the way he'd thought it would… She must not have heard him growling to her. Oh well, she likes getting messy. This oughta cheer her up! She looks up at Shippo and then back down at the dirt that she's lying in. It takes only thirty seconds after the impact for her lips to start trembling. That's bad! He'd better go in for some damage control and quickly before Kagome gets mad at—
"Inuyasha! What were you thinking?!"
Too late… This really hadn't gone the way he'd planned it. Smoothly, he crouches down next to the kids to help her up. She's probably embarrassed that he'd been able to pull a fast one on her. All he needs to do is show her it's no big deal. She's just gotta work on being more aware of her surroundings. See! This is a good thing! Now he knows what he needs to teach her.
He chuckles at her, "Too fast for ya, pup?"
Kagome is fuming above him, it's a little scary! Okay, he can only deal with one crazy lady at a time. If he shows Kagome that the girl's fine then she won't be mad at him! He reaches over to pull the kid up when he hears a warbling whimper below him. Ah, shit! Are those tears? Yes, those are definitely tears.
"Oh no! Don't do that!" he panics.
Shippo rounds on him, immediately. "Inuyasha! Look what you've done!"
"I—" he stammers, his brain going into overdrive so that he can't think straight.
Kagome is kneeling on the ground now, coldly ignoring him while she helps Kiyomi back up. The little girl sniffles before she shrinks closer to Kagome. Ah hell, he hadn't meant for this to happen. At least Kagome isn't gonna sit him…
"What's the big idea?" the miko snaps at him over the pup's head. "Picking on her like that! Are you okay, Kiyomi-chan."
"I wasn't picking on her!" he assures himself indignantly.
She whines, looking down at her dust-covered pants, "My clothes… They're all dirty."
Kagome just smiles sweetly at her before shooting Inuyasha another dirty look. "That's okay, sweetie, we'll get you cleaned up."
"Eh, it's just a little dirt," he grumbles defensively crossing his arms. "S'not a big deal. I was just tryin' to—"
"Inuyasha, SIT!"
His explanation is rudely cut off by the beads of subjugation literally smashing him into the ground. Really?! That hurt way more than her tumble had to have!
"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" she snips, taking the pup by the hand and walking off and down the road with her. "Miroku, we're near a village, right?"
The monk, a little amused and a little intimidated, nods.
"Good," she says. "We're going to need you to get us a nice room for the night. Kiyomi is getting a hot bath and someone to wash her clothes."
~.~.~
"They've been in there for hours!"
Miroku looks at his companion over his tea with an arched brow. It's true, the girls have been in the bathhouse for quite a while now. Upon their arrival, Kagome and Sango took the girl for a warm bath and sent for a change of clothes to tide her over until her normal garb is cleaned. Even Shippo has gone off to wander the town, which leaves him stuck in the room with Inuyasha. He doesn't see what he's done to earn such treatment. After all, if it weren't for him plying his artful craft the ladies wouldn't even be having a bath at all!
The least they could have done was invite him along.
He decides it is best to issue a warning. "If you want my advice then you'll leave them to it."
"Who said I'd asked you, monk?" Inuyasha huffs, glaring at the steam rising from the bathhouse. "How long does it take to clean off a kid, damnit?"
"I very much doubt that the bath was their sole objective."
In other words, Miroku is under the impression that the reason the women are dawdling has less to do with hygiene and a lot more to do with the man in front of him. Once again, it is Inuyasha's fault that Miroku is left with only daydreams about the fantastic curvature of Sango's—
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
Miroku sighs, his glorious fantasies interrupted. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed. The reason they are taking so long is to avoid you, my friend. And I must say I don't blame them."
"Whaddya mean you don't blame them?! What's wrong with me?!"
Inuyasha turns to glare at the monk who is only eyeing him coldly before he takes a long sip of his hot drink. Is everyone going to stay mad at him all day? What the hell did he do?
"They are probably still upset over your little prank this afternoon."
He groans and throws his head back. "It wasn't a prank! I was just trying to play with the stupid kid!"
"By knocking her to the ground?"
Miroku's tone is laced with doubt and really just sounds like he thinks Inuyasha is some kind of idiot. It only makes him angrier. They can't honestly think that he'd intentionally upset the kid, could they? He's not a total asshole. It was an accident! If he'd known that this was going to be the result then he obviously wouldn't have done it. And this reaction honestly seems wildly disproportionate to what had happened.
They've really been in that damn bath for hours.
With a loud huff, he says, "I wasn't trying to knock her down. She just wasn't paying attention and fell when I tried to tag her. S'not like I pushed her or nothin'."
"Well, you should have stated your intentions before roughhousing."
"That's a stupid way to train a kid," Inuyasha grumbles, "a demon's not going to announce that he's gonna attack. She's gotta learn how to pay attention to what's happening around her."
"So this was a training exercise?"
Miroku doesn't understand quite where this is going. One minute this was an unfortunate accident and now it was training? The lad had better learn to get his stories straight before the girls get back. This type of flip-flopping will only make this situation worse. Inuyasha's face turns a little pink. It wasn't intended to be training but that is the best way to teach a pup; when they are that little they learn by playing.
"Uh, not exactly… She smelled upset about somethin' so I figured she'd feel better if I played with her."
"While your intentions were noble, I'm afraid your execution may need a little work," Miroku summarizes. "Do we know what she smelled"—he's still amazed that Inuyasha can smell an emotion—"upset over?"
Knowing Inuyasha, he probably said something callous and vexed the child. It wouldn't be the first time that he's done that and it certainly won't be the last. He's not one to think about his words even during the best of times. The idea of him saying the wrong thing to Kiyomi is not exactly a stretch of the imagination.
"How should I know? All three of them took a break and when they got back all of them were pissy. I didn't even do nothin', honest!"
Miroku shrugs. "Accident or not, I suggest you apologize over dinner."
The kid will be a raisin if he waits that long to apologize. Not that he even needs to apologize! He didn't do anything wrong so he won't apologize. He's just got to tell the pup that she's got the wrong idea and it'll be fine. Oh! He'll bring her a snack! She loves snacks! If that's not a surefire way to forgiveness with her, he doesn't know what is. With a smile, he stalks over to Kagome's yellow backpack and starts rifling through it.
Miroku issues another warning, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"It's fine," the hanyou dismisses while sifting through the items inside.
Aha! He pulls up a granola bar, the kind that has the little chunks of chocolate mixed in with the oats. The pup really likes these! All he's gotta do is bring this to her and she'll get over this whole mess. The way to this pup's heart is definitely through her stomach. With a proud grin, he looks over at Miroku.
"I don't gotta apologize," he declares. "I've just gotta feed her."
"What fine parenting skills you've developed, Inuyasha," Miroku muses, thinking about the bond that Hisashi had discussed with the group a couple of weeks before.
With that, Inuyasha bounds out of the room to do exactly what Miroku had advised not to only minutes ago. He marches over to the small hut that has steam pouring out of the windows. He can see a small human tending to the fires that are keeping the bathwater warm. Maybe if this doesn't work he'll ask the human to put out the fires. That'll get everyone out of the tub for sure.
He stretches up to peep through the windows. All three of them are sitting in a giant bath. Sango and Kagome are huddled together, gossiping about this, that, and the other. They are both immersed in hot water so he can't see anything that he shouldn't. Not that he's trying to look! That still doesn't stop the blush from climbing up his face when he thinks about it. He'd better look at something else before he creates an even bigger problem for himself.
He spots the pup glumly hanging over the side of the tub staring at the ground with droopy ears. What's eating her anyway? She'd been perfectly fine before she'd followed Sango and Kagome to rest. Honestly, he'd thought that they were having fun.
"It's nice to have a hot bath," Kagome sighs. "Kiyomi-chan, are you ready to get out now? I'm pretty sure I heard the village headman say something about a nice dinner."
The pup turns to look at Kagome, her ears perking at the word dinner. Aha! She's hungry! This snack is really going to come in handy!
"Is it gonna be just us?"
Sango looks confused but smiles sweetly. "Well, I don't think the headman will be joining us. It'll be us and the boys."
Kiyomi's face sours. "I don't wanna. I'd like to keep swimming, please."
Sango, bless her, swims towards the middle of the tub. "Are you still upset? I'm sure Inuyasha didn't mean for you to fall down."
"Finally, someone with half a brain around here!" he huffs to himself.
Kiyomi frowns. "I don't care that I fell."
"Then what's the matter?" Kagome asks with her super-duper-nice voice.
Why doesn't she talk to him with that voice? He likes it too!
"I just don't like him, okay?!" she snaps. "I-I think he's mean! I don't wanna go eat. I wanna stay in here and play."
"Hey! I'm not mean! … Am I?"
Argh, she looks like she's gonna cry again. Maybe Shippo's right, he might be too rough around them. Maybe he should say sorry after—
Kiyomi's ears flick and she turns her head. Frantically, he ducks down before anyone can get a glimpse at him. If he's caught now then he'll be sat into oblivion, which is a little rude if you ask him. He's not trying to be a peeper, he just wants to figure out why the kid's acting all crazy today. Fortunately, it doesn't sound like he's aroused any suspicion. He takes a deep breath, taking a second to pay attention to the way his lungs expand and contract, and leans against the wall of the hut so that he can listen.
Unfortunately for him, Kagome and Sango have the patience of a couple of saints because they don't push the issue further. Instead, he hears the distinct sound of the two older girls leaving the water. Feh, spoiled brat can't stay in there forever. If Kagome thinks for a second that she can just leave the kid there to boil away then she's got another thing coming.
"Do you remember which room is ours?" Kiyomi deadpans Kagome and, in a movement that looks notably like Inuyasha, taps her nose. Kagome giggles. Of course, how could she have forgotten about Kiyomi's sense of smell? For shame! "All right then, you little fish. Have fun. Just come and join us when you're ready."
Kiyomi nods. "Yes, Miss Kagome."
The two girls leave, finally leaving Kiyomi to her thoughts. She wasn't lying when she'd told Kagome that she wasn't upset about falling anymore. When it had happened she had been really upset but it wasn't because she fell. She's upset about what she heard Miss Kagome and Sango talking about.
Miss Kagome said that Inuyasha didn't want to stay with them anymore… She said that Kikyo lady was more important than they were. It had really hurt her feelings hearing that. It's all horribly unfair for him to make her like him so much only to go away in the end. Why would he bother playing with her and showing her how to fish if he wants to leave so much? And when is he planning on telling her? She huffs, sinking into the hot water so that her nose is just hovering over it.
She thought that they were best friends. Aren't best friends supposed to stick together? Didn't he promise her that they were a pack?
If she was upset before then she's angry now. It's not fair! Why would he bother being her friend in the first place? She growls into the bath as if it's just insulted her. No, she's not gonna cry. Mama always told her that if someone bites that she should bite them harder. Sitting around and feeling sorry for herself is not an option.
But she's still really sad… She'd thought that they were going to be like Miss Chikako…
She thought that they were going to be a family.
~.~.~
From the rooftop of the inn, hidden from the setting sun, a womanly figure watches the bathhouse. She's positioned perfectly so that her scent is downwind. The women, young girls really, have gone and left the child alone, unprotected. She doesn't know how she got here. Ever since she's been brought back to life there have been lapses in her memory. She wakes up in strange places, often with blood all over her hands. She won't lie, it makes her nervous but the man that had brought her back assured her that these memory lapses were normal and would improve over time. But what if something happens to Kiyomi during one of these blackouts? Still, she can't let that stop her from seeing her child. And while she doesn't know how she arrived, she does know that Kiyomi is here as well…
Her baby.
She lands soundlessly on the ground outside of the inn. She'd planned on waiting for a better time to make herself known. But the opportunity is right here and now. She's only a few feet away from the most important thing in her life. Kiyomi will understand once she sees her face that it's all right. She'll only be afraid for a few minutes while she gets them out of—
"HIRAIKOTSU!"
A weapon of epic proportions is propelling straight towards her. With a loud snarl, she zips forward. She can do this. She doesn't care if she has to smash that hut into oblivion; she's going to spend tonight with her daughter, damnit! Kiyomi is everything to her. She can't stand to let these people share one more night with her baby while she is stuck hiding in the shadows. She's been alive far too long to have not held her already.
Her path is blocked by a man clad in red. Ah, yes, the man that she was supposed to kill. Why is he here? Was he standing guard? Did he know she was coming? He openly snarls at her, threatening her. Ha! As if a mere half-demon could ever rise to her ranks! She frowns as she skids to a graceful stop between the half-demon and the taijiya. The slayer poses a problem; she's learned the hard way not to underestimate a demon slayer. She's not sure which one she should kill first…
The only thing that gives her pause is a little boy at the entrance to the inn. He's a kitsune if she's not mistaken. And he's holding his nose and looking at her like she's the most disgusting thing he's ever seen. Suddenly, she's so embarrassed and so conscious of what she smells like that it makes her stomach drop.
"If you want my advice, wait until the girl cannot smell what you've become. Lest you want to frighten her away."
She can't greet Kiyomi like this… Sesshomaru was right.
Damnit, she should have waited! Quickly, before Kiyomi can see what all the commotion is about, she darts back into the trees. She moves with precision from branch to branch to put a little distance between her and that group of kidnappers. If it weren't for that little boy in the clearing, she would have taken Kiyomi and frightened her with the scent of death. What she'd done now was reckless. In less than a week, her daughter will be human and her senses dulled to the point of nothing.
She just has to wait. She just needs a few minutes to explain the smell to Kiyomi. She doesn't want her little girl to be afraid of her. That's something that she'd never recover from.
~.~.~
Inuyasha stands motionless, stunned. He recognizes that masked demoness; she's the one who'd said he had something of hers. The one he almost got into a fight with before Kiyomi had nearly been taken by Sesshomaru. She's back? His golden eyes shift to the little hut, steam still escaping out of the window peacefully. He can detect movement from inside, some splashing around. The pup's probably trying to take a peek to see what all the fuss is about.
Part of him wants to follow that scent of dead bodies while another part urges him to stay and stand guard. That demon keeps coming back and he's got a feeling she'll keep coming back until she takes whatever it is she thinks Inuyasha has stolen from her. But what? He's sure that they'd never met before a couple of weeks ago. Why would she try to attack the village? No, if she had wanted to attack the town she would have done just that. That demoness had a clear target in mind when she'd run past Sango and that was the bathhouse.
What would that demoness want with—
"Oh fuck no."
It hits him the moment that Kiyomi steps out of the hut in a shabby brown kimono that's several sizes too big for her. He's a little embarrassed he hadn't pieced it together sooner. The blonde waves, the pale skin, the resurrected body; that demoness could very well be Kiyomi's mother. It all makes sense now!
That's what had happened to her mother's bones.
Kiyomi looks at everyone suspiciously: Sango crouched with hiraikotsu, Kirara growling lowly behind her, and Shippo holding his nose. Inuyasha watches as Kiyomi's brows come together in thought. She raises her nose to the air, sniffing curiously. He's surprised when her curiosity shifts into a glare directed towards him. Did she see? Has she figured out the same thing he has?
She's going to lose it if she's figured out that her mom was just here. He's gotta do something before she goes after that woman. She'll be upset now. Okay, he can deal with an upset kid. She's got a good reason to—
"Where is she?" the little girl seethes, looking up at him like he's the worst person both on this earth and the underworld. "Don't bother lying to me, I can smell her!"
'Angry!' she yaps.
"S-smell—" He doesn't know what to say.
She folds her arms over her chest. "Yeah, I can smell her. If you like her so much then you should just go with her!"
"Wha— Go where?!"
"I'm not—" Goddamnit, why is he stammering?
She lets out a little muffled scream through her teeth and stomps her foot, her hands slamming to her sides. She smells upset, really upset. She must know who that demoness was… No, once he thinks about it, there's a good chance she doesn't. Not saying that he would want her to do this in any capacity, but he's pretty sure that if Kiyomi knew her mother had been so close she'd be hightailing it out of here. And what the hell does she mean? He's not sure how he gave off the impression that he liked her mother. If anything, it's the complete opposite! What could he possibly like about someone who is trying to take his pup?
After several long seconds of stunned silence, she finally warbles, "I know you like Kikyo better than us so you should go away and stay with her then!"
He's never been so confused and so relieved in his entire life, it's a very strange mix. He has no idea what the hell just happened, but she's also not upset about her mom. She still doesn't know. Okay, he can work with this. Kiyomi's not exactly hard to figure out so he's sure he'll sort out what's going on quickly. He's not exactly surprised when Kiyomi, with a frustrated huff, turns on her heels and runs back into the bathhouse. She tries to tie the sides of the reed door to the little posts positioned on either side of the doorframe. He can hear her growling as she tries to tie the ropes. Heh, she's still having a tough time with double knots.
He's not about to look a gift horse in the mouth but, at the same time, he doesn't understand what Kikyo's got to do with all of this. He immediately turns around and holds his fingers to his lips pleading for the others not to say anything. He'll take the fall for this as long as she doesn't figure out what just happened. They all look remarkably confused, looking amongst themselves. He doesn't miss the glance Sango and Kagome share. They must know what the hell Kiyomi is talking about…
He'll deal with Kagome later. He's got to douse this fire first so he can get the kid inside. He doesn't like standing out here in the open with her roaming around. The fine hairs on his arm are raised and his shoulders are tight with anxiety. He'll feel a lot better once she's behind the closed doors of the inn.
With a huff that puts the pup's to shame, he marches up to the hanging door. "Oi! Get out here!"
"For the love of all that's holy, Kiyomi, just come inside. You can be mad as you like inside."
All he hears in response is a muffled "Go away! I'm taking a bath!".
"You are not, liar," he argues, gesturing with his head for the others to scram. They all dash for the shoji to watch curiously. She's a little too quiet in there. "Don't you dare get back in there! You're clean enough!"
"I said go away!"
Can't she just make this easy for him? Goddamnit. He tentatively nudges the reed door to test the "lock". It's flimsy and it unties with the lightest push. Humans and their pitiful attempts at security. What's tying the door down gonna do? Then again, she probably just tied it wrong.
"Coming in, you'd better be dressed."
She's sitting on a wooden bench that's likely there to hold clothing and towels to dry off. He's under the impression that it's not meant for sitting. He's pretty sure that it would break if he sat on it. She refuses to look up at him, glaring at a little spot on the floor as if she could kill it. Where does she even come up with this stuff? He crouches in front of her so that he's in her line of sight. Her response is to "humph" and glare off to the side.
'Pup angry,' her youkai warns him with a quiet rumble.
"What's all this about?"
She scowls. If he didn't know any better, he'd think he's actually done something wrong. He can't think of anything that stands out besides playing with her this morning. God, it's hot in this hut. How do these girls stand it? He'll never understand their fascination with hot water. A bath is still a bath no matter how you dress it up.
"I don't wanna talk to you," she grumbles.
"Fine, you don't gotta. Can we please go inside though?"
"No."
"Why did I think that would work?"
"I'll give you a snack," he offers, reaching into his robe to brandish the now squished granola bar under her nose.
It might work. He's never tried the snack trick when she's this mad. Still, it doesn't hurt to try. He holds the bar out in his outstretched palm. It's actually kind of hilarious because he can see the kid grappling with herself to ignore it. Finally, after a minute of looking back and forth, she loses the good fight and reaches over for it. With a snicker, he shuts his hand and blocks her move.
"Ah-ah-ah," he taunts, holding the bar up above his head. "First you tell me what you're so pissed about, then you can have it."
"Hmph," she huffs, "that's a mean trick."
"Ain't a trick," he answers, "it's a fair trade. You want the snack and I want you to tell me what crawled up your butt and died."
Her nose wrinkles. "Nothing's in my butt. That's gross."
"It's a joke, pup," he tells her, sitting crosslegged now so he can be a little more comfortable. "It means you're cranky. Now, why don't you tell me what you're so mad about?"
"Cranky?! You're a rotten traitor and you think I'm just cranky?! You're supposed to be my best friend! … Is that a chocolate granny bar? I like those a lot— No! I'm mad! Mad people don't want granny bars! But I really like chocolate…"
That looks like it's upset her even more. Her fingers are digging into the wooden bench and she scowls at her knees to avoid looking at him. Occasionally, her eyes flit up to the closed fist in his lap that's holding the treat. He can tell that she's totally jonesin' for a snack. She'd skipped lunch so she's gotta be at least a little hungry.
"Why do you care if'm mad?" she finally grumbles. "You're just going to go away anyway."
He rolls his eyes. Someone's been filling the pup's head with fluff. "Where'd you get that idea?"
"You don't gotta lie," she grumbles. "You're going to go away to stay with that smelly lady."
"Smelly lady?"
That earns him a nasty look. "Kikyo."
'Bad! Pup angry!'
"Did you hit your head or something? What are you talking about? I haven't seen Kikyo in weeks," he insists. "Why would you think that, stupid?"
She sighs with an eye roll. "I didn't think it, I heard it. Miss Kagome and Lady Sango were talking about how you want to leave and stay with that stupid lady. And I think that's really stupid! And you're stupid! You're the worst best friend in the whole world! So-so give me my snack and go away!"
A bunch of gossips. He lives with nothing but a bunch of tittle-tatters and it's going to drive him crazy. Now he's got Kagome thinking all kinds of crazy stuff to deal with now too? What's she going around telling the girl something like that for? She had to have known something like that would upset the pup! Forget the fact that it's not even a thing! He's going to have to get to the bottom of this with Kagome later. He doesn't know where she got the idea that he's about to abandon their mission and chase Kikyo around but that's ending this evening, thank you very much.
No wonder the kid's so worked up, she thinks he's about to bail on her.
"Look at me," he orders quietly. When she doesn't listen he pinches her chin and turns it so she's facing him, waiting for a few seconds for her eyes to finally shift to his. "I ain't going anywhere. Honest."
Her eyes narrow, trying to figure out if he's lying. "You-You're not? Really?"
"Yeah, stupid," he assures, letting her face go. "I don't know what Kagome told you but she's clearly lost her mind. What'd she sa— Whoa!"
He's caught off guard by her launching off of the bench to latch her arms around his neck. He can feel her heart pounding against his collarbone. Heh, poor brat must have been really worried all day. He lets her hang there so that her heart can sync up with his and lets a couple of reassuring growls out. He's really got no idea what he's gonna do once these puppy instincts fade out. Ah hell, she's not crying is she?
"Oi!" he snaps, tapping the top of her head lightly. "No crying!"
She rubs her face on his robe and snuffles. "'M sorry."
"You're fine," he tells her, prying his arms off of his shoulders, "you don't gotta cry, kay?"
She nods, wiping her eyes with her fists while she props herself into his crossed legs. "Mhmm. I-I won't!"
"What did Kagome even say to you?" he asks even when what he really wants to do is ask why?
The pup's not going to have that answer though.
Her face blushes and she looks guilty. "Well, she didn't say it to me. She was telling Lady Sango and I… overheard her…"
He rolls his eyes and wrinkles his nose at her. "Meaning you were sticking your nose where it don't belong. You're picking up bad habits from the monk."
So that's why all the girls had come back angry with him. Kagome's got the crazies and the girls followed suit. Okay, he's got much bigger problems right now than the lunatics. He needs to get this girl inside before her… well, shit, her mother… comes back for her. Even thinking it makes him feel like he's a scumbag but there's no mistaking that scent. Her mom's not alive and heaven only knows what's controlling her.
He lifts the pup out of his lap so that he can stand and walk with her back to the inn. She falls into step behind him and he's a little happy to notice that she's reaching out to hold his hand. Heh, stupid kid was so pissed at him before and now look at— She pulls her hand out of his with the granola bar in tow. She grins and rips the wrapper off, chomping down on the bar greedily. Okay, so that may have been her end game. Oh well, at least she isn't scowling at him anymore.
The moment they leave the bathhouse he tenses, every sense he has is going into high-alert mode. He can't sense anything around him and the scent of dead bodies is fading. After a few steps, Kiyomi stops behind him. She's sniffing the air interestedly before looking up at him shrewdly.
"I can smell that stinky lady. Where'd she go?"
"It wasn't Kikyo. She wasn't here."
Kiyomi frowns and sniffs the air again. He's right, that smell isn't the same! This smells more like a dead rabbit after she's left it in the sun too long. At first, all she could smell was bones so she'd thought that it was that nasty woman. So, who was here then?
"Then…" she pauses, looking up at him interestedly, "what's that smell?"
"Uh, not sure," he tells her, hoping he doesn't give too much away with his anxiety. "Let's get going though. I'm, uh, pretty sure that dinner is gonna be served soon."
She grins up at him and grabs his sleeve. "Okay!"
He's got to talk to the others before they blow it. Sango might be smart enough not to say something but Shippo and Miroku are dense. They won't know not to mention the demoness or what she looks like. The second they are indoors, Kiyomi retreating to Kagome's bag where she keeps the color book and crayons, he feels much better. He doesn't think that the demoness—well, he should be calling her by her name now that he knows it—is stupid enough to come after them in the middle of town. The village people won't notice a bathhouse being obliterated but they would notice an inn.
He grabs Shippo by the back of his shirt and shoves Miroku out of the shoji. Both of them are startled and Shippo protests this strongly but a glance back tells Inuyasha that the pup's already distracted with her toys. Good, if she's distracted she won't pay any mind to what's going on around her, this morning was evidence of that. The second he slides the door shut, he rounds on the two of them.
"Not a word about what happened earlier with that demon," he tells them quietly.
Shippo holds his hands over his nose. "That thing smelled awful!"
"That's because it was dead," Inuyasha replies flatly before he looks up at Miroku. "Don't say anything about it until I get the pup to sleep, understand?"
"But why?" Shippo asks, looking very confused.
"Just trust me, okay?"
They both nod, despite the dubious looks they share. He releases a heavy breath. Now he's got to deal with Kagome, the one that caused all this crazy to begin with. He trusts that Miroku will find a way to tell Sango to keep quiet. He walks back inside with his arms folded over his chest. Stupid Kagome, running around thinking that he's some two-timing jerk. It's just rude! Hasn't she figured out yet that she's…
She's his Kagome.
She looks up at him and he feels like he's got a bucket of worms squirming around in his gut. He always loses his cool when she looks at him like that, he likes it so damn much. Ignoring the blush that's rising up his face, he stalks over to her and grabs her upper arm. With a firm grip, he all but drags her outside.
"Inu…yasha?"
He frowns, placing both hands on her shoulders after shutting the shoji. Why would she think that he wants to leave? He doesn't want her to think that way, damnit! He can hear her heart picking up speed, he can feel its soft flutter through her shoulders. He wants to be mad at her for how much trouble she's managed to stir up today but he's not. He's mad that she thinks so little of him for some reason.
"Why's he staring at me like that?" Kagome asks herself, wishing her heart would stop beating so fast.
His face scrunches up and he turns so that his right shoulder is facing her. He's not sure he can say this kinda thing with her staring at him like that. Where should he even begin?
"What'd you and Sango talk about this morning?" he finally asks.
"I—" she falters, he watches her brows knit together. "I'm sorry… I just thought…"
"I know what you thought," he says resentfully. "The pup was spying on you."
He hates when she looks at him like that; it looks so helpless. Why does she have to make him feel like this? He doesn't want to hurt Kagome but at this point, it feels like everyone expects him to. Do they all really think so little of him?
"I'm sorry," she tells him softly.
She really doesn't know what had come over her this morning. It's not that she wants to think that she's less important than Kikyo but how can she not when every time she turns around she's reminded that she's her incarnation? It's like she lives in that cold woman's shadow sometimes. She's sure that whatever she feels for Inuyasha must pale in comparison to how Kikyo loved him.
As if there's any way he could ever feel the same about her…
"You're sulking again," he warns, leaning against the wall.
His gold eyes are staring at her and she wishes more than anything that she knew what was going on inside his head.
He continues softly, "I don't know why you think that. Did I do something wrong?"
"He… never asks me anything like that…"
"No, not exactly," she stammers. She feels as if she's melting under his stare.
He's in her face in literally seconds, peering interestedly into her eyes. He's so close to her now, his breath is warm on her cheeks as he huffs. She can hear a low growl coming from his chest. He grabs her hand and holds it tightly. Kagome can't stop the butterflies from fluttering around in her belly or the blush that's blooming across her cheeks.
"Then what?" he demands. "I took a lotta shit today from the whelp because you had some stupid idea. I don't know why every time I turn around I'm being told that I'm going to run off with Kikyo!"
"Oh, this isn't about me… It's about Kiyomi being upset with him! Why, how dare he?!"
Her blush vanishes and all of a sudden. Inuyasha doesn't like the look in Kagome's eye. Ah hell, did he say the wrong thing again? He does that, you know. He really doesn't mean to but sometimes it just comes out! Her eyes, previously so warm and soothing, have now shifted to look at the ground. What's with the women in his life refusing to look him in the eye?
"I see," she says flatly, almost sadly. "Well, if this is about Kiyomi then what are you bothering me for?"
"Women are infuriating. I should have left them in the damn bathhouse."
He grips her chin with his thumb and forefinger just as he had with Kiyomi. He'll be damned if she doesn't look at him when he says this. She'd better get it through her head that he means it and how the hell is she going to know that unless she can see it on his face? The moment their eyes lock, her face turns red again. He loves when she blushes… it's so, ah hell, it's so sweet. It reminds him that the world isn't always such a bad place.
"This isn't about her," he says solemnly. "I wanna figure out why you think I'm gonna leave all the time."
"I just thought—"
"Well, don't." He lets go of her chin to grip her shoulders. "Haven't you figured out that I'm here for a reason, Kagome? If I wanted to go, I would've. I'm not going anywhere, you hear me? So stop thinkin' like that."
The whole time he's speaking, his face is coming closer and closer. Oh god, is he going to kiss her? Here? Now? Oh god! That determined look on his face shifts, rigid lines smoothing as he leans ever closer.
He's a breath away…
"He's really going to—"
THUMP!
Both of them jump backward, Inuyasha spinning frantically towards the sound. In the doorway, Shippo and Kiyomi are a tangled mess of limbs and giggles. Lingering above them are Miroku and Sango's heads on either side of the now open shoji. Both children look up at Inuyasha's looming figure guiltily, Kiyomi more so than Shippo. He growls, glaring at the spectators with his infamous scowl.
"CAN'T I GET A LITTLE PRIVACY AROUND HERE?!"
More giggles from the peanut gallery. Kagome's heart is still fluttering wildly in her chest as she thinks about how close he'd been to pressing his lips against… Perhaps that wasn't what he was doing at all? She must have misunderstood. He'd never kiss her? Would he? No! That's silly!
Then again, if he wasn't about to… why is he blushing like that?
~.~.~
It's a marvel how light the pup is. She looks solid enough but when she's sleeping against him Inuyasha swears she's weightless. Occasionally he has to look down just to remind himself that she's still there. She must be dreaming about something mighty interesting because her nose is wiggling with as much vigor as a truffle hog and her ears keep fluttering against his stomach. He growls softly to help keep her calm, thanking those baby instincts that put her in this position in the first place. He doesn't want her dream to wake her up in the middle of this conversation. He waits another minute for her ears to settle and her nose to stop sniffing his robe. Once she's still, he looks up to address the others. Shippo is rubbing his eyes sleepily, sitting up in the sleeping bag.
He whines, "Why do I gotta stay up?"
Kagome shushes him, rubbing his back soothingly. "You can go to sleep in a minute, Shippo. Inuyasha has something he wants to talk to us about."
She looks at him expectantly. They are all looking at him to explain why he'd been so adamant about keeping that demoness a secret from Kiyomi. Not that he's a huge supporter of keeping secrets; after all, he's told the girl so many times that she shouldn't keep any from him. This is definitely different though. If she finds out her mother is back from the dead then, obviously, she is going to want to see her. That's natural, he expects that.
But he has no idea if Aika is completely in control of herself.
Checking one last time to make sure the kid is conked out, he finally tells them, "I think that demon from earlier today was Kiyomi's mom."
They all look like they are various shades of surprised by this declaration. Miroku looks pensive as ever, but Miroku always looks that way. Kagome and Shippo look sympathetic, which makes sense. Of course, they feel bad for her now, hell, he feels awful about the whole mess. He can see Sango putting the pieces together in her mind. She also looks rather flustered that she hadn't figured it out sooner.
"Heh, right there with you, Sango," he muses, waiting for them to say something.
Finally, Shippo asks, "Why do you think that? W-we don't know it's her, right?"
Kagome nods her head pulling Shippo into a loose hug. "He's right, Inuyasha, how can you be so sure?"
"No," Sango interjects, saving him the trouble of speaking, "I think he's right… She'd been heading for the bathhouse after we left, Kagome. This is the same demon that attacked me a couple of weeks ago."
Inuyasha nods. He looks back down at the girl sleeping in his lap, blissfully unaware of this heavy conversation. "She said I had something of hers, remember?"
Now Kagome just looks upset as she says, "We have to tell her! If her mom is back then she should know!"
"No."
There's a tone of finality to that statement that sends a shiver down Kagome's spine. She's never seen Inuyasha so serious… not like this at least. His eyes are hard, his brows knit together resolutely; there is no changing his mind on the subject. But it's also so unfair to keep something like this from Kiyomi.
"Inuyasha—"
"Her mom is still dead, Kagome," he interrupts. "She's dead with a sacred jewel shard in her chest. You saw it. We all know who brings people back like that. Until I know why the pup can't know about this."
She's about to argue with him again. Goddamnit, why doesn't she get it?
Miroku finally breaks his silence, "He's right, Kagome. If we tell her now, without knowing what the motives behind this resurrection are, it would be cruel. For once, I agree with Inuyasha on this front."
"Thanks, monk. You're smarter than you look."
Shippo looks distraught. "But I'm sure she misses her! Why shouldn't we tell her?"
Sango's silent again, thinking about Kohaku and the hold Naraku has on her little brother. She understands completely why Inuyasha doesn't want Kiyomi to know about her mother. If her mother is alive because of the sacred jewel shard then there is a chance that Naraku has control of her. There is no telling what Aika is capable of when under his control and surely whatever his motives are, they aren't good. It pains her to say this but she agrees as well. If it hurts this much to see her brother go through that torture, she can only imagine what it would be like for the girl to see her mother go through it.
"Because she won't understand why we aren't letting her see her mother if we do tell her," Miroku explains. "I'm sure that, if Inuyasha determines that the girl's life isn't endangered, then he won't hesitate to tell her. Right?"
They all look at him again, Kagome's eyes narrowing dangerously. He doesn't love the thought of having to explain to the pup that her mother's been resurrected from the dead. Hell, he's not even sure if she would really understand what that even means. He gets the feeling that all she's really going to take away from that conversation is that her mom is alive and he's keeping them apart. She'll hate him for that and he wouldn't blame her.
"Yeah," he finally concedes, "if she's not a threat to the pup then I'll tell her. Until then, not a word, understand?"
They all nod their heads, some more reluctantly than others. He lets out a breath, relieved that for the time being the pup's not going to suspect anything. As bad as he feels keeping this from her, it would be infinitely worse to tell her only for them to discover that Aika is too dangerous to care for Kiyomi. He's not putting the pup in danger, mother or not. Telling her now would only make it harder to look out for the girl and he's not completely sure she will understand what he means when he tells her that her mother could be dangerous.
He promised when he met Kiyomi that he was going to take care of her and that's exactly what he's doing now. He doesn't have to feel bad about that, right?