A/N: 04/09 Hey guys! Happy Friday! A couple of brief announcements!
1. I gave the prologue a little facelift this week in an unsuccessful attempt to break through some writer's block. If you want to check it out you can and should the spirit move you to give me feedback, just know it is welcome. I'd like to rework a couple of earlier chapters too.
2. We've officially reached the point in this story where I've lost my five to six chapter "safety net". I'm all caught up. My posting MIGHT (I promise I will try not to do this to you guys) slow down a little bit while I do some serious writing. (PS. if anyone has some good tips for smashing down writer's block, I am all ears... eyes...)
That's all! Thanks for reading and enjoy the show!
The house is empty. Where the hell did his kid go?!
Kagome is at school so he knows that she doesn't have the pup. Sota should also be in his studies as well. He doesn't understand… he's only left her on this side of the well overnight. How could she be missing already? It hasn't even been a full day!
He growls and marches up the stairs to collect his hat from Kagome's room. Surely, Kagome has explained to the girl how this world doesn't know she, along with all the other youkai and hanyou for that matter, even exist in this world? If the kid is running around unconcealed then he's going to be the one who suffers for it; he just knows it! He can hear Kagome's freakout now. He stalks across the grounds with a foul look on his face. If the pup's wandered off on her own then he'll tie her hands and feet together for the remainder of her time here. She gets lost enough in his world, forget the kind of crap she'll get herself into in this one. He's already got his damn claws full with her as is.
He's halfway down the shrine steps when Mama Higurashi turns the corner with Kiyomi beside her, much to his relief. She's been dressed from head to toe in Kagome's modern garb: an oversized, grey cable knit sweater and a pair of skinny-legged dark blue pants with a loose-fitting beanie over her little ears. She's holding Mama's hand and looking up at the matronly woman happily while jabbering away about God only knows what. He huffs and crosses his arms across his chest.
He can see her ears flick upwards from their hiding place towards the sound of his exhale half a second before she turns her head to look at him.
"TOU-SAN!" she calls out loudly, releasing Mama's hand and sprinting the length of the stairway to reach him.
She lands squarely into his chest, with a tiny little "Oomph!" knocking him back just an inch or so. She's trilling happily against him, her nose pressing into his neck to breathe in his scent. She reeks of sugar and adventure. He vaguely wonders if Kagome's mother is trying to make the girl intolerable before patting the girl's head over her new knit hat. This must be a "sugar high" as Kagome calls it, lovely. He's witnessed what happens to the boy when he has too many sweet treats.
It's going to be a long day.
'Father! Happy pup! Greeting!'
"Ah, Inuyasha! Hello, dear," Mama says sweetly, catching up to the two of them. "Have you had any breakfast?"
"I had frozen milk on a cake called a wuffle!" the girl announces proudly, hanging off of his neck. "It was sooo yummy!"
Mama smiles a little guiltily as he wraps his arm around the pup's legs so that she can let go of his shoulders. "I know it probably wasn't the healthiest breakfast choice but she said she's never had ice cream before. I'm starting to understand why the waitress at the diner gave me those funny looks."
"Mama Higurashi took me shopping! Do you see? These"—she releases him to tug at the pants she's wearing—"are called jeans! And these"—her little feet swing out behind him and she admires her footwear over his shoulder—"are boots! Why don't we have boots like this too? Do you think I can take them home with me? Oh! I have more stuff in the bags! They're plaster bags like the granny bars!"
One thing that Kiyomi has been very careful not to mention was the single rose peeping out of the grocery bag. That is a secret and he can't know about it until later.
He can't help but smile at the pup's sheer delight and enthusiasm. You'd never know that she was attacked less than a day ago. "You weren't a pain in the ass were you?"
'Pup good!'
She shakes her head solemnly. "No! Mama H says I'm a delight! I was on my best behavior!"
He finds himself looking at Kagome's mother for confirmation. He's no fool, his kid is a handful at best. He's working on it, okay?
Mama smiles and ushers them up the stairs. "She's a very sweet little girl."
"Feh," he scoffs while hugging the excitable girl closer to his chest, those damn instincts kicking into overdrive as he remembers that on the other side of this world she's in danger, "she's got you fooled too, I see."
"Nonsense!" Mama replies. "She's very bright and so curious. I don't remember the last time I had so much to talk about over breakfast."
"Mama says that when Kagome gets back then we can go to the park! Do you know what the park is? I don't! Is it fun? Where's Miss Kagome, again?"
He puts the girl on the ground with an eye roll. "All right, all right. Pipe down for a bit."
She immediately darts over to the bags, yanking one of them down so that Mama Higurashi has to let it go before she loses the arm that's holding it. Inuyasha's about to scold the girl when she climbs the length of his body to present one of those stuffed toys that Kagome likes this one shaped vaguely like a bunny except it's purple. He snakes an arm under her bottom again in the interest of her not using her claws to keep her grip.
"Look!" she insists, flashing the toy under his nose. "Mama Higurashi says it's mine and I can play with it how I want! We can kill it together, kay?"
Mama Higurashi looks baffled by that statement. He's pretty sure that this is not what the matron had in mind when she'd bought the toy for the runt. How much sugar did she give this kid anyway? It can't be more than those treats that Kagome brings back for Shippo, right? He puts her down again to help Kagome's mother carry in the bags that are loaded with goods for the girl. How has she managed to buy so much stuff in such a short amount of time? Kiyomi responds by weaving in between the two of them while excitedly giggling and yipping at him in inu-youkai.
'Play! Pup play!'
"Will you cut it out?" he complains as she trips over her own feet trying to dance around them. "You've got enough injuries to deal with. You break a limb and I'm letting them bring you to their weirdo healers, you got it?"
That stops her. She too has heard the horror stories from Kagome.
"Oh! That reminds me," Mama exclaims. "I completely forgot to check her bandages!"
Suddenly the girl is silent as the grave and if he's not mistaken he can smell her scooting away from them.
"Hold it, pup," he warns, pinching her new sweater by the collar while being extra careful not to nick it with his claws. It is brand new, after all. "You and I both know we need to check it out."
Although, he's willing to bet that the gashes in her back are already mostly healed. If his regenerative powers are any indication then she'll likely be bandage-free by the end of the day at the latest. She looks up at him and gives him a resigned sigh, her face set into a cute little pout. Feh, the stupid runt is stubborn. Luckily he's plenty stubborn for the both of them otherwise he'd never be able to keep up.
"Do we gotta?" she whines, hopeful that if she's sad about it then he'll let her get away without poking at it. "I wanna play and it doesn't even hurt anymore."
"Oh good," he answers, hooking his arm around her waist to carry her inside, "then this shouldn't take long."
He, of all people, should have known that it was too much to hope for.
~.~.~
"Will you quit trying to bite me 'n hold still?" he snaps. "I'd be done by now if you'd stop!"
He's been trying to get these little butterflies off of her for the past ten minutes. The damn kid doesn't let up. He knows it doesn't hurt. There's no way it could, Kagome's used these sticky kinds of bandages on him before. It might not be exactly pleasant but he's sure she's hardly suffering. He frowns, wondering if it's worth the brain damage if he knocks her out.
All of this irritation aside, her back has healed well. The marks are still there but the wounds have definitely closed into shiny pink scars that will be gone in a couple of days too. That relief is the only reason that he has the fortitude to deal with the damn brat. She really does act like a damn princess.
"Ow!" she yelps, as he peels another one off of her. "Leave 'em alone!"
"Listen, kid, if you stop squirming"—he hooks his claw under another one to tug while attempting to pin her to the ground with his left foot—"I'd be done in a couple of minutes."
"If she'd let me do more than one every five minutes that is."
Mama clears her throat, surveying the scene before her. While it's admirable that he wants to help remove her, remarkably, unnecessary bandages there is definitely an easier way to do this. Both of them look up at her with various shades of exasperation written over their faces. She smiles, holding her hand out invitingly.
"I think it's time for a nice bath, don't you think?"
What's with women and baths? Kagome's like this too; every time he turns around it's "bath this" and "bath that". How many times do these ladies need to swim around to feel clean? He notices that Mama winks at him over Kiyomi's head as she crouches down.
"Uuuuh, sure… Whatever ya say…"
Mama smiles, ushering Kiyomi up the stairs where the girl hastily complies. She's only that excited to take a bath so he won't pick at her back. Must be nice to be a spoiled kid. He rolls his eyes, following them so he can sit by the bathroom door and keep watch. He might as well, he has a little time before Kagome gets back from her school. It impresses him how much time that girl devotes to her studies. She must really be a genius.
His wife will be the smartest woman in their whole province. That thought fills him with pride and warmth. His wife. His pup. These things are his world now and he's happier for it. He's found a good mate… That's an indescribable feeling.
"I love playing in warm water!" Kiyomi's muffled voice gushes, distracting him from his, admittedly, mushy thinking. "It's just so warm and cozy!"
He can hear Mama chuckling sweetly. "Yes, it's very nice, isn't it?"
"Mhmm! Inuyasha doesn't really like— WHOA! What are those?"
He'd be concerned but then Mama laughs. "This must be your first bubble bath."
"What's a bubble bath?"
"You'll see."
Heh, it sounds like quite the party in there. He's almost a little jealous that he's missing out. A few minutes later, he hears the distinct sound of the kid splashing in the water immediately followed by giggles of sheer delight. Hell, maybe it would be a better use of his time to get a little nap in while he waits. He'll need rest if he's going to get those stupid butterflies off of her. He's feeling a little resentful that Kagome used so many of them.
The door cracks open beside him. "Inuyasha? Would you like to join us?"
He can hear water sloshing over the side of the tub. "Come see the bubbles! Mama H, can I eat these— Pleh! Yuck!"
"Well, she figured that out fast. Brat's gotta stop trying to eat everything she gets her hands on."
He leans his face in the doorframe. Kiyomi's immersed up to her chin in the water gripping a bright yellow bird toy and both of them are covered in some sort of white fluff. He peeks up at Mama who only winks again and shrugs her shoulders. With a shrug of his own, he stands and joins them, curious about the fluff. Is it like the fluff inside of the teddy? Why would you put that over the water? That's stupid.
Kiyomi is positively thrilled to see him. She immediately scoops some of the fluff and presents it to him. Ah, from up close this looks more like beach foam than it does teddy stuffing.
"Look! LOOK! These are bubbles! Don't eat them. They're not tasty."
Mama reaches into the closet and pulls out a brightly colored bottle. She unscrews the cap and hands the container to a bewildered Inuyasha. It takes her a moment to figure out that Inuyasha might not have any idea about bubbles either. She smiles and pulls out the bubble wand, looking at him purposefully before she blows steadily into the wand to release eight bubbles into the air. Both of them look at her like she's performed feats of magic beyond their wildest dreams.
"Inuyasha, would you like to try?" Mama asks invitingly, holding the container out for him to take. She winks at him again.
What's with all the winking?
He has no idea what she's trying to tell him but he figures it would be best to just go with the flow. Kiyomi is watching him expectantly. What the hell's he supposed to do with this? He looks up at Mama to ask what to do. That's when he's astonished to notice that she's doing the impossible and peeling off the butterflies!
"The woman is a shaman…" he tells himself in awe while Kiyomi interestedly reaches over to take the bottle from him. "She's got to have some sort of spiritual powers like Kagome."
"You gotta blow! Right, Mama H?" She twists in the water to look at Mrs. Higurashi. Mama isn't phased by this at all and looks on innocently. "Like this?"
The kid blows a series of bubbles into the matron's face who giggles brightly with her. Mama smiles at Inuyasha while peeling away another bandage without Kiyomi noticing. How the hell is she doing that? He was literally pinning the kid to the ground minutes ago trying to do the same thing! Before he can demand to know her secrets, he's assaulted by bubbles to his face. They tickle his nose and cheeks as they pop upon impact.
"Hey," he huffs to her, "lemme see those!"
It looks like she's having fun. He'd kinda like to try it. He reaches over for them only to find that Kiyomi is holding them out of his reach with another sneaky smirk on her face. Oh, so it's going to be like this, is it?
'Mine!' her youkai informs him challengingly.
He leans forward and pries the bottle from her slippery grip. He sniffs the contents interestedly. It smells like soap. So bubbles here must be made of soap. With a snarky grin, he fishes the magic wand out of the bottle. He doesn't particularly like how slimy this fluid is but he mimics Mama Higurashi's actions and blows lightly into the larger end of the stick. Kiyomi releases a peal of laughter as they pop on her face too.
Mama watches the exchange from the corner of her eye as she methodically removes the last of the bandages. The young man and the little girl in front of her seem to be enjoying themselves. In fact, it reminds her of when Kagome and Sota had been that age: all giggles and curiosity. It's nice to be reminded of that time.
The poor boy in front of her though clearly has a lot to learn. Perhaps tomorrow morning when Kagome is at school it would be a good idea to impart some wisdom to a first-time parent. She stands and tosses the adhesives in the trash pail.
Neither Inuyasha nor Kiyomi have noticed by this point as both of them seem to have their own agenda. Inuyasha is busy investigating the suds in the tub, his nose close to the mass of bubbles to sniff them, while Kiyomi hovers over him with a smirk that promises mischief. Before she has a chance to decide whether or not to warn the boy, Kiyomi pounces and dunks Inuyasha's head into the soapy water nearly to his shoulders. He splutters back up a moment later looking quite stunned with sopping wet bangs and forelocks. Briefly, Mama wonders if it may have gotten in his ears.
Kiyomi is giggling up a storm, thrilled with her little prank. "Hehehe! I got you so good! Now you're all wet!"
"You think you're real funny, don't ya?" Inuyasha growls menacingly, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. He slowly, methodically rolls up the sleeves of his haori and a low rumble can be heard from his chest. "Yeh keep forgetting who the top dog is around here, pup!"
The glare on his face could be categorized as frightening so Mama is surprised when Kiyomi giggles delightedly. Mama is even more interested when she hears a delighted yip come from the girl as Inuyasha's hand crashes down into the water to splash Kiyomi. It's clearly not his first time splashing someone because the girl takes a wave to the face. If she didn't know any better, she'd think they were playing with each other. The scene quickly devolves into a giant mess of spilled water, dripping hair, and, in Inuyasha's case, wet clothes. Well, it certainly wasn't the wisdom she'd intended on sharing but it seems he's at least got the fun side of being a guardian down. While the two of them snarl and yip at each other, Mama busies herself unfolding the towels that she will surely need to clean up this mess. She doesn't mind, it's been a long time since she's had to clean up a mess like this.
Suddenly, the splashing stops, and both of them look at the bathroom door with a gasp.
"Kagome!" they both whisper in unison, looking around at the mess they've made with dread before locking eyes.
Ah, so it seems her daughter doesn't need any help keeping these two in line.
Before either of them have a chance to even attempt to clean up, Kagome enters the bathroom curiously. "What's going on in—"
She cuts herself off as she surveys the scene in front of her. Inuyasha is soaked and Kagome's pretty sure that at least half of the bathwater is on the floor. Sitting in the warm bath with her eyes wide is Kiyomi. From the look of things, this is a bath that has gone terribly, horribly wrong. She stares at the two in the center of the mess only to find that both of them are pointing at the other.
Kiyomi speaks first, lurching forward in her haste and spilling more water down the side of the tub. "Inuyasha splashed me first!"
"You tried to drown me!" the older hanyou argues.
"Yes," Kiyomi agrees, looking incredibly serious, "but I didn't make a mess when I did it!"
All Inuyasha can think is how much the hard floor will hurt if Kagome sits him. "I-I'll make the brat clean it up."
"But you splashed me!"
"You attacked first!"
"But you're bigger than me! You're supposed to be the responsible one!"
Mama Higurashi's light laughing distracts the feuding pair as she begins to lay towels down onto the floor. After a few moments, most of the mess has been soaked up by the towels and they are tossed in a basket. It really hadn't been as much of a mess as it had first seemed to be and Mama had to run a batch of towels through the wash anyway. Besides, this gives her a wonderful opportunity to impart some wisdom to the poor lad.
"Kagome, how about you help Kiyomi find something dry to wear? I bought her some new clothes and the bags are in your room. Inuyasha, would you please help me downstairs?"
He frowns, but nods his head and follows her down the stairs anyway. Now he's worried that he may have upset Mrs. Higurashi who has been kind enough to let his kid stay in her home. He shouldn't have retaliated like that…
"Here," Mama says sweetly, pausing in front of the dryer and rifling through a shopping bag that's been precariously perched on the appliance. A moment later she's holding out a blue shirt, "we grabbed a few things for you to wear while you and Kiyomi stay."
The shirt is followed by a pair of grey, lightweight pants. Inuyasha frowns, these clothes are very soft, softer than any fabric he's ever touched. They must be expensive! And Kagome's mother bought some for him and Kiyomi. He wishes she hadn't done that, he didn't intend on Kiyomi being such a burden. And after the mess that the two of them made of her bathing room! Still, she doesn't look very upset at all…
"Y-you didn't have to," he finally murmurs, holding the t-shirt and sweatpants gingerly for fear of ripping them. "I'll pay you back."
Wait, Kagome says money is different here. Shit.
Mama smiles and ushers him to the half-bath on the first floor. "Nonsense, you are both my guests. If you want to go sightseeing then you'll need something to wear."
"Guests?"
"Well, aren't you staying too?"
He hadn't planned on it, that's why he went back to his time last night after Kagome had gone to bed. One hanyou is difficult enough, isn't it? He can't expect Kagome's mother to provide clothing and shelter for two hanyou. That wouldn't be fair to her at all.
"Uh…"
"It's just that your little one had a hard time sleeping alone last night," Mama explains. "Understandable considering what she's gone through. There's a guest bedroom and we'd love to have you."
"It won't be—"
"It won't be any trouble," she assures sweetly. "Besides, you look like you could use an extra hand with that one. Headstrong babies can be exhausting."
Headstrong is an understatement, he's met wild animals with less resolve than that kid. With a chuckle, he nods his head and shuts himself into the small room to change. By the time he's sorted everything out and emerges, both Kagome and Kiyomi are already downstairs. The girl is sitting patiently at the kitchen table and staring at Kagome adoringly. For some unidentifiable reason, Kagome takes one look at him and starts blushing. It must be these pants… they are far too tight.
"Well, don't you look good enough to be in a magazine!" Mrs. Higurashi praises. "How does it fit? You're quite tall so I bought the large."
"Uh," he blushes brightly, "are these supposed to be this…"
"Hmm… turn around?" Inuyasha follows Mrs. Higurashi's instructions warily. He's had to do away with his fundoshi because of these pants! He's sure that these pants are tight enough that someone can see the curve of his… you know. "Kagome? What do you think?"
Kagome turns beet red as she concludes that her own mother just encouraged her to check out Inuyasha's butt. Quickly, she turns her head away and turns her attention to Kiyomi who's dressed in a precious set of overalls over a purple t-shirt. The little girl had wanted something to eat, right? Yes! That's a mighty fine distraction! She'll feed the girl.
"I'm sure it's comfortable," Mama continues when Kagome doesn't answer. "You and Kiyomi should go outside and test out your new clothes?"
Inuyasha's face flushes even more. "Yeah, c'mon, kid, let's go."
Before Kiyomi can protest or point out the fact that she's already busy waiting for a glorious snack he's dragged her out of the chair.
~.~.~
He's crouched down in front of Kiyomi interestedly. If he's going to train her then he's got to do a preliminary check to see what he's working with. He holds her right hand up to his face twisting it so he can get a good view of her paws. Okay, a full set of claws there, a little short but that's just because she's small for her age. He unceremoniously pinches her jaw open to inspect her fangs. Hmm, she's still got her baby fangs so they're too small to do any real damage… But they should do in a pinch.
It's a pity she keeps trying to use them to bite him when he does stuff she don't like.
"Knock it off," he warns, peering into her mouth as she earnestly attempts to chomp his nose. "I'm just tryin'ta see what you've got in there. I ain't gonna do anything to ya."
She narrows her eyes obstinately at him. "'Eggo 'y 'ace!"
He does so but not without pinching her nose briefly to remind her that she's the brat. She snorts and glares at him with a pout. She doesn't like being told to hold still for anything, he's noticed. Well, he'll help her grow outta that at some point.
"All right, pup, I'm gonna need you to think back to when your youkai took control of you," he tells her.
She frowns at him and crosses her arms over her chest. "I don't like that."
He's beginning to wonder if there is anything the kid likes. "I know ya don't but it's important. Your claws did something when your demon took over and I want to see if you can do it again."
She looks at her fingers now, holding them up close to her face. "They did?"
"Uh-huh! I think it might be your base attack. Like how I've got Blades of Blood and Iron Reaver."
Her pink eyes grow wide and she smirks. "Really? Cool!"
It'll be really cool to have her own demon attack!
"It is," he tells her with a pat to the head. They've just got to figure out how to summon it and he'll actually be able to work with that. "So, do you remember anything about that night?"
She looks up at him guiltily before mumbling, "I remember I hurt you and I think Lady Sango too."
He shakes his head. "You didn't touch Sango, promise. 'N if you hadn't scratched me I wouldn't know what to look for so don't feel bad."
She doesn't believe him even the slightest bit. "Promise?"
"Promise. Now think back to when it took over. Can you remember what your hands felt like? Any tingling or pulsing?"
She shakes her head, staring up at him with big eyes. "No… I don't remember. I'm sorry."
All she can remember is being horribly sad and then… nothing. She doesn't want to say that though, she doesn't like thinking about how much that hurt…
This is going to be harder than he'd thought. Okay, they'll be able to coax something out of her eventually just doesn't look like it's going to be today. That's fine, he can protect her until she's got her own way to defend herself. He stands and stretches his arms out before dropping a hand on her head. She looks up at him before she leans into his thigh affectionately, peering up at him cheerfully.
"Don't worry about it," he tells her simply. "You wanna check out Kagome's metal village with me instead?"
She perks up instantly and nods her head. "We can?!"
"Why not? Go grab our hats. We can't walk around here without them."
Her head tilts innocently. "How come?"
He shrugs, "Eh, I'm not really sure. Kagome says so."
The little girl nods her head perkily and jogs over to the back steps where his baseball cap and her beanie have been placed. Kagome's mom keeps them nearby in case someone decides to visit the shrine unexpectedly. He doesn't really understand why Kagome makes such a big deal about it. It doesn't really matter what they do, he and Kiyomi are hanyou. People are always going to look at the two of them funny no matter what era it is.
The kid races back to him waving his cap over her head.
"Where are we gonna go?!" she asks excitedly.
He's about to answer her when her little hand gripping his distracts him. Ah hell… It's really cute when she does shit like this. It's really not fair… Well, at least it's just the two of them. No one's going to tease him about enjoying this.
"Mama H says I have to hold some'un else's hand if we leave the shrine," she explains dutifully. "Otherwise I might get lost."
He really has to pick up some pointers from Kagome's mom… He's pretty sure that if he had told her that she had to hold someone's hand, he'd get lip about it. Just like with the butterflies… How does that woman do it? That little hand grips his tighter as they descend the steps and make their way out onto the street. Almost immediately, the gawking begins. A young boy with white hair and a blonde little girl with pink eyes strolling through town is apparently an uncommon sight around here.
A car honks and Kiyomi jumps about a foot in the air before she remembers that Mama Higurashi told her that cars won't hurt her if she's not near them. Inuyasha takes note of this and raises his nose to the air. He figured she wouldn't really like the metal village all that much, he doesn't really like it either. He'll take her to the place with the most grass. That oughta make her feel a little better, at least while she's acclimating to all of the sounds and smells. With a scoff, he grabs her by the middle to carry her there.
Before anyone can really notice them, he leaps into the nearest tree only to have to pause to adjust his pants, a second too late and they'd have fallen to his ankles. These clothes are extremely impractical. How's he supposed to run around with these on? Kiyomi doesn't seem to have this problem. She actually looks like she's enjoying the new wardrobe.
Despite his frequent pauses, they arrive at the park quickly. He likes this place, it doesn't smell nearly as bad as the rest of Kagome's world. It still stinks, but it's a little more tolerable than in the middle of the metal village. Kagome has brought him here before and he's seen children playing here so the kid should have a good time. There are a lot of toddlers running around, all of them screaming and laughing.
Kiyomi wrinkles her nose at all of the noise while eying the children and their parents warily. She's never seen so many kids in one place… Why are there so many? And just what the hell are they playing on? It looks kinda dumb.
"What's that?" Kiyomi asks, pointing to the various structures that seem to be at the center of all the commotion.
"I'm not too sure," he answers honestly. He and Kagome hadn't spent too much time here and when they had come here she'd insisted that he was too big to test out the assembly in front of them. "I think you're supposed to play on it."
"W'll, I don't wanna," she informs him, her eyes following a particularly rambunctious looking three-year-old boy disapprovingly. "Those babies are too little to play with me. Can we go hunting instead?"
He pauses to consider how Kagome's strange humans would react to watching a small girl catching a rabbit with her teeth and decides it's not the best idea. A decision that Kagome would be unspeakably proud of. Apparently, these humans are not nearly as exciting as the ones in his era are, they don't even hunt for their own food. He shakes his head at Kiyomi's request.
"Not a good idea," he answers.
"This world is boring," she sighs. "I wanna go back home."
"We can't, not for a few more days. Sorry."
She frowns at him earnestly and grips his hand. "Is that my fault? That you can't go back home?"
"Never said I couldn't go back. Just that we can't." He pauses to rub the back of his neck like he usually does during uncomfortable moments like this one. "I'm not going to go back without you though, okay? Well, I've got to go back for a little bit and talk to Miroku and Sango again but I'll be right back after."
Her face brightens up a little. "You're gonna stay with me tonight?"
He runs a hand over her head and gives her a confident grin. "Yeah, someone's gotta make sure you don't get into trouble around here."
"But I already told you that I was good while you were gone! Mama H said so!"
"Feh," he scoffs, crouching so that she can clamber onto his back. "I'll believe it when I see it for myself. Let's go, you're right, it's pretty boring here. We can go play with Sota's soccer ball instead."
"What's soccer?" she inquires interestedly.
"I think it's some kinda game that they play here. Sota usually just kicks the ball around the grounds. I think it's almost dinner time anyway."
Well, this excursion has been a complete waste of time…
She nods, her ears tickling his cheek as she leans forward with the strangest, most delighted look on her face. "That sounds stupid. I think I'm gonna pick out something to wear for dinner. We don't want to be late! Mama H will be really mad if we are late for dinner!"
What the hell is she going on about now? If he didn't know any better, he'd think the girl was plotting something.
~.~.~
"Hoooow 'boooooouuuuuut"—Kiyomi's fingers wiggle over a row of shirts that are laid out on the bed in the Higurashi's guest bedroom—"this one!"
She's pretending to choose at random but Mama Higurashi told her which one to pick: a white kimono with one very thick red stripe running down the back and sleeves that only reach the elbows. It also doesn't close in the front. Inuyasha takes one look at it and shakes his head vehemently.
He's got no idea why the kid is so obsessed with "picking out his clothes for dinner". Sure, Kagome's mother said she had company coming and wanted everyone to look presentable but why can't he just skip it? He'd much rather be outside on the roof with the brat until this unknown person leaves. It seems like a lot of work to get dressed up and having to hide his ears when he and the kid can just hunker down somewhere else. Okay, the black pants aren't so bad; a little tight for a hakama but at least he's able to wear his fundoshi again. The kimono is a bit much though.
"Nothin' doin'," he informs her. "Pick another one."
Not that any of the others are that much of an improvement. He's kind of hoping if he tells her no to each one then she'll just drop it. Again, he of all people should have known that was too much to ask for.
Her eyes go wide. "B-but you gotta…"
"I don't gotta do nothin'. Why're you making such a big stink about this? I'm the one that's gotta wear it."
Well, she certainly hadn't planned on this. Very well, time to "pull out the big gums" as Miss Kagome likes to say! She juts her lower lip out and forces it to tremble a little. Gingerly, she lifts the shirt and holds it up to her heart. She's really got to sell this one. She's gotta make him believe that he's wounded her very soul by rejecting this shirt.
"But I thought you'd like it…" she murmurs, her voice and expression the epitome of dejection and dismay. "I picked it out for you at the strange shop with Mama Higurashi…"
Ah crap, either the kid is taking him for a ride or he's actually upset her. He's not entirely sure which is happening now. "It's not that I don't like it. It's just not something I'd wear."
Ugh, does he always have to be so difficult? Just put on the stinking shirt!
She forces a little tremble in her voice as she insists, "Th-that means you don't like it!"
Shit, here comes the waterworks. Great. This fucking child will be the death of him. With a grumble and a glare, he yanks the shirt away from her, shrugging it on over the white t-shirt he's been wearing most of the day. He tries in vain to close the front before he realizes it's supposed to be left open. This realization only prompts a string of nearly indiscernible murmured curses.
"There, happy now?" he snaps. "I put it on. Can we go eat now?"
He starts stomping towards the door, his humility and patience spent when he hears, "Hold it right there, buster!"
Buster? Did she just dare to call him buster? He turns his head with a warning growl when he sees her pointing to the side of the bed for him to sit. In her other hand is a hairbrush. Oh, absolutely not! He's compromised enough for one day. He doesn't know what's gotten into this kid but he'll be damned if he bends on this one.
"Not happenin', pup," he tells her shortly over his shoulder.
"Puh-leeeeaaaaase," she whines.
"No, I don't want to. Now leave it alone and let's go."
That cute little pout is replaced with a glower. "You make me do stuff that I don't wanna do all the time."
"That's different," he informs her. "I'm keeping you in line. You're just being a brat."
"Hmph! Well, fine! If you ain't gonna listen to me then I ain't gonna listen to you!"
"That's not how this works, you know."
"It is now! You did this to yourself, mister," she tells him snootily as she folds her arms over her chest.
Great, now she's using his lines on him. He's not quite sure how he winds up there, but moments, and several more curses uttered under his breath, later he's sitting on the edge of the bed while Kiyomi hums merrily behind him. He doesn't mind the feeling of the brush running through his hair and he's surprised by how gentle she's being. Every tangle she comes across is smoothed out with her little fingers before running the brush back through.
"Don't get used to this," he warns after a few minutes with a sour look on his face.
"I won't!" she chirps, all traces of melancholy gone.
He's starting to think this whole thing was her testing her boundaries. If so, he's failed spectacularly. She's learning how to walk all over him.
"You're not half bad at that," he finally confesses, hoping that if he flatters her enough she'll stop.
"Uh-huh! I used to brush Mama's hair all the time."
'Mother…'
"Feh, you should worry about your own damn head. What's your deal today?"
Sure, she's bossy but she's never asked to dress him before. It's horribly annoying and he sincerely hopes it never happens again.
A little too quickly, she responds, "Mama H wants everyone to look their best for dinner! I'm makin' sure you look nice!"
That's a lie if he's ever heard one.
"Now, lemme see," she orders, smooshing his cheeks together as she turns his head to inspect his face. She is too busy scrutinizing to notice the spluttering coming from her subject. "Hmm… I guess this is as good as it's gonna get…"
"What the hell's that mean?!"
She grins impishly at him before patting his head right between his ears. "Oh, nothing! Let's go eat. I'm starving!"
While Inuyasha was being groomed, Kagome had her own set of problems to deal with. Her mother has been acting strangely all afternoon. For starters, she's tried on at least three different outfits, and each one Mama has had the same reaction to: "Oh, dear, don't you have anything else you'd like to wear?"
Finally, her blue sweater and pink skirt combo later, her mom is pushing her out the door saying that Buyo is stuck in the old tree. Whatever her deal is, it's getting a little ridiculous. She had a lot of studying to catch up on! Mama is obviously up to something because Kagome has been standing under the sacred tree for the past five minutes and there is no sign of Buyo. Not to mention, she's pretty sure he's too fat to climb this tree…
Just what is she up to?
The front door opens and exiting is a very disgruntled Inuyasha with a single rose in his hand. For once, Kagome notices, he's dressed rather nicely. She'd really thought it would take a miracle to persuade him to wear modern clothes. It looks… nice doesn't really begin to cover it. If she's not mistaken his wild silver hair looks… slightly tamed. What could have brought this on?
"Why do I gotta—"
Kiyomi interrupts him, pushing him by his rump out the front door. "Just go give it to her, stupid!"
Before he has a chance to retort, the girl has darted back inside the house and shut the front door in his face with a maniacal giggle. Behind him he hears a lock click shut. What the fucking hell?!
"Inuyasha?" Kagome asks, crossing the distance between them.
"She's crazy!" he exclaims, throwing his arms up in the air. "I'll kill her when I get my hands on her!"
Kagome looks bewildered. Why is he holding that flower? "Why do you have that?"
She's pointing to the rose with a slight blush on her cheek.
"I have no idea!" Inuyasha bemoans, waving it around rather dramatically. "The kid told me to give this to you right before she pushed me out the door!"
He doesn't expect Kagome to start giggling. She's not as slow on the uptake as Inuyasha seems to be. So that's what her mother was up to!
"Wh-what's so funny?!" he demands, his face full of dread.
She rests a hand lightly on his shoulder. "I think we've been had, Inuyasha."
"Had? Had what? Is the brat up to something?! I'll drown her!"
"Stop saying you're going to drown her," Kagome scolds. "She's your daughter now, in case you've forgotten."
"Feh," he grumbles, glaring at the door petulantly. He doesn't care what Kagome says, he still reserves the right to drown her or at least threaten it. "So what the hell did she do now?"
"Not just her," Kagome corrects. "Her and my mother seem to have teamed up to, well, set us up."
The moment those words escape her lips, her mother's hand can be seen dropping a small basket outside the front door. Before Inuyasha even has time to react, the door is shut again and they can hear the front bolt clicking. From behind the locked entrance, both Kiyomi and Sota can be heard giggling delightedly. Ah, so it seems that even her brother was in on the nefarious plot.
Kagome sighs lightly with a warm blush creeping up her face, picking the basket up and nodding to the sacred tree. "Come on, Inuyasha, it looks like we're eating dinner out here."
"But I thought your mom—"
Kagome chuckles. "I'm pretty sure she lied. Like I said, I think we've been had."
He folds his arms over his chest still holding the rose in his right hand. "The hell does that mean?"
Her face flushes as she explains, "It looks like Mom and the kids have set us up on a little date."
Kagome carries the basket over to the sacred tree with a smile. It really was very sweet of her mom to go through all this trouble to plan a date for just the two of them. While traveling in the feudal era they don't exactly get a lot of time alone together. And after their last conversation alone about the house… Well, she'd be lying if she said she hasn't wanted more alone time with him.
"What the hell is a date?" Inuyasha inquires, investigating the bento boxes filled with fish and rice and vegetables that Kagome's mother has prepared, it smells delicious.
He doesn't really understand why Kagome's mother lied to them about having company. That just doesn't make much sense. As a matter of fact, it's kind of hurting his feelings a little bit. If she didn't want him around all she had to do was say so… He wants Kagome's mom to trust him so why would she lie over something as silly as having dinner guests?
And why is Kagome's face turning that shade of red?
"Well," she says softly while she shakes the picnic blanket onto the ground underneath the tree, "a date is something that happens when two people who like each other spend time alone together…"
"Like when you and Sango go to the hot springs?"
Kagome shakes her head, her bangs covering her eyes. "No, no…"
"But you just said it's spending time alone with someone you like," he informs her, sitting cross-legged in front of her with a mildly interested look on his face. "You like Sango plenty… I don't get it."
"I don't like Sango the same way I like you," Kagome confesses, snatching her bento box without making eye contact with him. "I'm not on a date when Sango and I go to the hot springs…"
Inuyasha turns pink as he comes to the realization that "a date" may or may not have something to do with courting a lady… something he'd never imagined doing in a thousand years. But why would Kagome's mom do such a thing to them?! Why would she want them to be alone! He's never said anything to Kagome's mother about how he feels about—
Wait, Kiyomi's been here since yesterday…
She didn't— No, she wouldn't— What is he thinking? Of course, she would!
Taking one look at Kagome's face right now, he's pretty sure she did and now he feels like someone's just dropped a rock into his stomach. So that's what Kiyomi has been up to all day! All that crap with the clothes and the hair was over this!
"I don't know how Mama figured it out…" Kagome muses softly, unable to keep the blush from climbing up her face.
She hasn't said anything about her and Inuyasha to her mother. Not because she doesn't want to, mind you. She just hasn't really had a good chance to sit down with her and explain everything. How is she supposed to tell her mother that her boyfriend—well, she pretty sure he's her boyfriend now—is a hanyou living five-hundred years in the past with a foster child?! It's not exactly easy to explain.
Now it's Inuyasha's turn to blush. He never should have let the kid weasel it out of him! Now, thanks to the kid's big mouth, Kagome's mother knows that he intends to take Kagome as a mate! Or at least that he wants to! Why else would they go through all of this trouble?! And why isn't that woman upset about this news? He's a hanyou, goddamnit! He's a hanyou and Kagome is this perfect human girl and her mother is okay with him wanting to… mate her daughter?
It really makes no sense. He doesn't deserve Kagome! Doesn't her mother realize that? He's the type of guy that mothers dread their daughters bringing home in his time…
Maybe this is why she's making them eat outside? Perhaps this isn't one of Kagome's dates but her mother's way of saying they aren't welcome to eat with them.
"Kagome…" he murmurs, eyes narrowed frustratedly, "you don't think she's angry, do you?"
She looks remarkably confused before asking, "Why would she be angry?"
She honestly can't even remember the last time she saw Mama angry…
He frowns, glaring off to the side, not unlike an ill-tempered child. "Don't act like you don't know! Because I'm a… You're a…"
"Inuyasha?"
Maybe she doesn't understand… Of course, she doesn't… She thinks there is nothing wrong with him. She looks at him and doesn't see his ears or his fangs or claws, she sees him. Gods, he doesn't deserve her in so many fucking ways. She drinks in the dark look on his face and smiles, leaning forward to press her lips to his. Her face is hot with blush as he tentatively cups her cheek—more like half of her face—in his hand.
When she pulls away she whispers, "Mama isn't upset with us at all. She's gone through all this trouble to tell us she's happy. Now, let's eat."
And so they did. For two precious hours, the pair sat together and simply enjoyed each other's company. Two hours of Inuyasha admiring the way Kagome's eyes sparkled in the sunlight and teasing her for blushing. Two hours of Kagome worrying about what to say only to realize that it didn't matter what she said. He was there. Inuyasha was beside her. She had a warm, hopeful feeling that he'd always be there. It was two hours of long-needed peace and tranquility.
From inside, peeking out of Mrs. Higurashi's bedroom window, Kiyomi and Mama share a high five and a proud grin for a job well done.
~.~.~
When the two of them finally make their way back inside the house, there seems to be a lot of noise coming from the living room. Lying on the ground as the center of attention is Kiyomi, growling earnestly while trying to pull a puppy tug toy out of Sota's grip. The nine-year-old is surprised by how strong the girl's bite is as she yanks and pulls on the rope toy. The moment she notices their feet in the doorway, she drops her toy mid-tug and topples backward.
'Father! Mother! Pup play! Pup play!' she yips cheerfully, darting over to the pair with a beaming face.
Inuyasha finds himself relieved that he's the only one around here who understands inu-youkai, he's not really sure how to explain to Kagome or her family that the pup sees Kagome like her mother.
Before she collides into Inuyasha's legs, however, she stops short. He turns, following her sudden scowl and aggressive crouch to see what's caught her attention so quickly. Lo and behold, purring contentedly behind them is Buyo who has finally left the confines of Grandpa's room to join the family. Kiyomi's upper lip lifts and she growls softly at the cat, eyes narrowed and ready to hunt. No one said anything to her about a cat living here.
And how on earth hadn't she noticed him until now?
"Hold it, runt," Inuyasha warns, gripping the straps of her overalls as she tries to get past him. "We don't hunt that one."
'Not prey,' his youkai rumbles for good measure.
Kagome follows Kiyomi's intense stare to Buyo and giggles. Of course, Kiyomi would be interested in chasing the cat. She looks up at Inuyasha with a look of pure dismay. Who on earth is he to tell her that she can't chase the cat! It's a cat and she's an inu! Hmph! She knows how to get him to let her go…
"Inuyasha," she begins with a snarky grin, "did I see you kissing Miss Kagome?"
As she'd counted on, Inuyasha lets her go with a choking sound and his eyes flit up to Mama Higurashi shamefully. Kagome squeaks as she realizes what Kiyomi has just announced to the room. Now, she knows that her mother had orchestrated the whole thing outside but she isn't ready for her mother or her brother to hear that! Some things are better left unspoken and she's pretty sure that's one of them! Fortunately for the pair, not even a moment later the entire room is distracted by a loud thump in the hall. Kagome, Inuyasha, Mama, and Sota all lean into the hall to see Kiyomi rubbing her now aching head and Buyo darting back towards Grandpa's room.
He's beginning to regret having tried to join the family in the first place.
Inuyasha charges over to her while she's still gingerly rubbing the top of her head and holds her up by the back of her shirt so they are face to face. With an extremely menacing-looking stare, he whispers, "I know you had your hands in that trick, you little punk."
She feigns innocence as per usual. "I was just doing as Mama H asked. Aren't you always telling me to listen to grownups?"
He can't really argue with that one. He also can't even pretend he's all that angry for what she's done. Honestly, he'd really enjoyed his time alone with Kagome this evening. It's made him feel better knowing that her mother likes them enough to plan some alone time for the two of them. She must not mind the idea of her daughter mating with a hanyou, especially if she'd planned a whole afternoon for them. Now, instead of worrying about what her family thinks of him, he's relieved that they, just like Kagome, accept him.
Instead of telling her that, he begrudgingly rumbles, "Thanks, pup."
"You're welcome!" She grins at him cutely and pats between his ears. After a moment of this, she looks incredibly serious and orders, "Now put me down and let me hunt the kitty."
He chuckles and marches them into the living room with this mate and her family. "Nice try but no. That cat's under our protection, you can't hunt family."
She looks outraged by his proclamation. A cat, family?! Why, how absurd!
"What? You don't hunt Kirara. This is the same thing," he explains. He looks at Kagome, sitting beside her and grabbing the pull toy from the ground to inspect it. He'd better make himself look tough or something or Kagome's mom will think he's weak. "What're you lookin' at?"
She giggles sweetly, running her hand over Kiyomi's hair affectionately. "You think Buyo is your family too?"
He blushes brightly. "W'll, he's your family, ain't he? If you're my mate then I've gotta look out for your family too."
His statement earns a surprised look from Mama and Sota and a bright blush from Kagome.
Kiyomi, on the other hand, couldn't care less about such a boring subject. She already knows Miss Kagome is Inuyasha's mate, that's why he said Kagome is going to be her new mommy. Gosh, grownups can be so boring sometimes. She rolls out of Inuyasha's lap and makes her way to the bag of "puppy toys" Grandpa and Sota had picked up for her after school that day. These squeaky noises are much more interesting than talking about mates.
"So, Inuyasha," Mama asks politely, "did you enjoy the meal?"
"Yeah, thank you very much," he answers, the perfect image of gentility.
Even though he is pretty sure now that Kagome's mother does not disapprove of his relationship with her daughter he doesn't want to take any chances. Mama smiles at him warmly before collecting Kiyomi who has been rolling on the ground looking for someone, anyone to pet her with a squeaky toy latched in her mouth. Kagome can't help but stifle a giggle at the sight of the little girl contentedly chewing away while she lazes in Mama's lap. The girl's ears are flicking back and forth with each chomp and there is a light, happy growl stemming from her chest. The squeaking, however, is starting to get on Inuyasha's nerves.
"What the heck is that thing?" he asks, eyeballing the noisy toy like it has offended him, his child, and his mother all in one squeak.
Sota suddenly looks very sheepish as Kagome giggles. "It's a chew toy!"
"Chew toy? What the heck is a chew toy?"
Now Mama is giggling, absently running her fingers through the girl's hair while she continues to chomp down on the toy in her mouth. She appears to be endlessly amused by the noise she's making.
"Well, you know, you give them to puppies to play with," Sota answers brightly.
Inuyasha splutters indignantly. "She's not a dog you know!"
"Could have fooled me," Kagome thinks to herself, rising to investigate Kiyomi's new toys.
"But didn't you say you are half dog?" Mama asks interestedly. After all, it's not every day you have a half-man half-dog in your home.
He glares at the room. "We're half inu-youkai. We're demons, not actual dogs."
Kagome feels no shame for what she's about to do. In her hand is a highlighter-orange colored ball. "Inuyasha!"
He looks up at her with those wide gold eyes that she's fallen so much in love with.
"Fetch the ball!"
The reaction is immediate, she tosses the ball and Inuyasha practically trips over himself to get his hands on it. A-hah! She knew that would work, she's done it before with sticks and when he doesn't give in and actually chase it he always has the same look in his eye. Now he's powerless to ignore the call of a bright orange ball. Sure enough, just as soon as he and the bouncy ball are out of sight she hears: "Kagome!"
She smiles innocently at him as he rounds the corner with a seething look. Just when he'd told them that he's not a damn dog then she goes and pulls this crap. Why she's the most infuriating—
Happy giggles interrupt his line of thought as Kiyomi darts past him with the ball in both hands. Eagerly she gives it to Kagome and then stares at her expectantly, waiting for her to toss it again with a tiny head tilt. The entire room goes silent before everyone, Inuyasha and Kiyomi excluded, burst out in a fit of laughter. Inuyasha now looks peeved beyond consolation and Kiyomi just looks confused but she's happy that she's made everyone laugh! With another string of whispered profanities, he grabs Kiyomi by the back of her shirt to drag her into the guest bedroom.
They are going to have a long discussion about dignity, goddamnit!