Well everyone, it's been over a year since the last update, and I don't really have any excuse for it LOL. This is my favorite chapter. I know I said that last chapter, but i mean it this time. Even though this chapter also was a right PAIN in my ASS. I hope everyone enjoys it!
A very very late birthday chapter for the ever lovely superpixie 3
'Inhale. Exhale. Inhale, hold it….exhale,'
It was a truly idyllic setting. A beautifully warm day cooled just a bit with a nice breeze, the rushing sound of a small waterfall on the opposite end of the river mixed with the soft chirps of a group of nearby birds orchestrating a soothing melody. It was the perfect time and place to get some healing meditation in. Unfortunately, no matter how many times Ume inhaled and exhaled, she simply couldn't get her brain to shut off.
A couple of moons had already come and gone since she gave Jinenji the kimono she made for him. They had passed the remainder of that afternoon with a comfortable rapport, discussing his future plans for the garden and making small talk about a number of subjects, from his mother's health to the gossip Ume heard whenever Ume joined the village women at the river to wash her laundry. They were so involved with their conversations that, instead of waiting for Inuyasha, Jinenji escorted her home.
Which Kagome had a field day with.
Kaede had invited Kagome and Inuyasha over for dinner - much to her chagrin - and so was forced to endure question after question about her "date" with Jinenji (which Ume was quick to reassure Kagome that this was not a courting situation, just one friend making a nice kimono for another friend that she just happened to think very highly of possibly in a non-platonic way, which was a perfectly acceptable thing to do thank you very much, but Kagome cared little about her opinion on that subject).
"Did he like the kimono?"
"How did he look?"
"Did he express his feelings for you?"
"It was so romantic of him to walk you home!"
Ume had once thought that Kagome's interrogation of her budding romantic feelings for Jinenji were bad, but she would have given anything to go back to that time. Kagome's questioning was exhausting after her long day, even though Ume really hadn't physically done all that much, save for walking to and from Jinenji's; she expected that the anxiety from worrying about his reaction probably took a lot out of her.
Dinner that night was probably the longest affair of her life. Thankfully, Inuyasha seemed to be in tune with Ume's irritable demeanor towards Kagome, and sent both of them back home early for the night.
Although Kagome's questioning came at an inopportune time, she was excited about the change she expected would come with their relationship. Yet, the dynamics of their relationship didn't flow exactly the way Ume expected them to.
The last few weeks were filled with happy conversation and extended glances. Jinenji made more of an effort to speak directly with her when she visited and walked a little more closely together. She could still practically feel the firmness of his grasp on her the day she tripped by the river. Ume had been sure that Jinenji was going to kiss her. Embrace her maybe. Confess to his undying love for her? Instead, the cruel sound of nature had come between them, placing far too much distance between them. Suddenly, Jinenji's whole demeanor changed. He kept her at a distance, similar to when they first met, rarely making conversation or eye contact with her.
An entire week of stilted conversation and awkward visits passed. Ume was puzzled. Did she do something to upset him? Perhaps he didn't actually feel the same way about her that she thought he did?
She didn't think she could take the not knowing. It hurt because she really did care for him. He was so kind and gentle; big and strong and so good with his hands -
Ume slapped her hands over her eyes, unseating herself on the ground by throwing herself backwards. She let out a groan at the painful contact with the ground, not ready to move her hands yet.
The things that were about to float through her mind were not proper of a single woman. At least, she didn't think it was. She had never thought about a man that way before - never really got to know a man enough to have that good of an opinion of him - but Jinenji was taking everything Ume knew and flipping it upside down.
It wasn't fair.
Ume wasn't getting any younger. She had no family to rely on to help bridge the divide between herself and any suitors - not that there were any. Of course she was grateful that Lady Kaede was kind enough to take her in under her wing, but how long will that last? Ume has no spiritual power of her own to be considered a replacement for the elderly woman (not like that would even be an option seeing as Kagome is the obvious choice for something like that), and she really didn't want to be a burden to anyone else, more than she already is anyways.
To be honest, this whole situation was a silver lining around a gray cloud. Here was a man that was kind, strong, capable of taking care of himself and his family, and knowledgeable. So what if he wasn't fully human? Ume sure didn't care about that. It was the last thing she could have expected when thinking about her marital future, but considering how her life has gone, it was not the worst thing that could happen. Not in a longshot.
Because at this point, there was no denying it; Ume was irrevocably attracted to Jinenji. And she was pretty sure he was attracted to her.
So what was the hold up? Why was he acting this way towards her?
Ume finally let her hands fall away from her face, her arms and legs spread out beside her on the grass. Her face tilted upwards towards the soft blue sky, watching the puffy white clouds float by. It was supposed to be a perfect spot for Ume to come to meditate and receive guidance for her troubled mind. Meditate she did not, but she now knew what her next course of action was.
She had to confront him.
It wasn't proper. To some, it might be downright pitiful, but Ume had had enough. She needed answers, and she was going to get them. One way or another.
'Screw propriety!' She thought, her eyes burning with determination. She was done waiting for Jinenji to...do whatever he was doing or figure out his feelings. She was a grown woman dammit, with wants and needs that extended further than just her dreams at night. She was going to march right up to him and be as straightforward as possible. There was no room for subtlety here.
And if he really didn't share her feelings? At least she would know. It would hurt, and she would need time and space to gather herself again, but she wouldn't let it mess with their friendship. She cared for him too much for that.
Ume rose to her feet, practically running back towards the village. She had to get to Inuyasha so he could carry her there, she didn't care what she had to bribe him with to do it.
Maybe she should just start yelling for him. That way he'll know it's very important.
Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.
"INUYASHA!"
It was sweltering inside the hut. Jinenji had not been outside yet today, but he imagined it must be the hottest day since the snow melted - given the internal temperature of the hut - and it was not preferred for anyone to suffer in such muggy conditions instead of enjoying the cool breeze that came with being out in the open.
But not Jinenji. Oh no.
Instead of tending to his garden, feeling the bright sunlight warm his tanned skin as he collects herbs by the river, he was buried in the far corner of his hut, hiding under his favorite pile of furs. Every now and then, he would stoke the small fire placed in the middle of the hut, being careful to keep it just big enough to add some more light inside. Jinenji would have been fine with enduring this time in the dark - it certainly would have been cooler than this - but his mother was determined to stay with him all day and she did not want to sit in the dark.
'Instead, I get to boil from the inside out,'
Jinenji's eyes narrowed at his mother from the little peephole he made in his fur bun. It's not as if he didn't want his mother to keep him company, but he wished that he could be more comfortable during this time.
His human time.
The one time of the month where all his hanyou abilities are deafened and numbed, leaving him and his mother defenseless. From dawn till dusk during the last quarter moon.
He hated it.
It was bad enough that he was a spineless coward when he had immeasurable strength and a strange power that connected with nature around him, but he felt even lower than dirt when he was human. If he was plagued with terror as a giant monster, what could he possibly do as a weak human? Sure, he was still quite large for your average human, and possibly stronger than most people, but Jinenji's anxiety prevented him from trying to embrace any positives that came from his time of the month. The worst part of it all was probably his eyesight. Normally, the world was colorful and sharp, and even the dark of night was unable to blind him. He had a love-hate relationship with the outward appearance of his eyes - far too big and bulging and bright to be considered any kind of normal - but his eyesight had saved himself on any number of occasions, and was perhaps his least hated part of himself, despite it's appearance.
But when he was human, everything became dull and blurred. He felt as if he was constantly squinting his eyes, trying to find his normal clarity in the mountains off in the distance, or in the early morning dew drops on the grass below him.
The world just seemed numb when he became human. Honestly, he didn't know how humans could even stand it.
Jinenji burrowed himself even deeper into his fur bun. The day was only maybe halfway over with, and time seemed to be passing by slower and slower. He missed the scorned look of his mother as she continued her work weaving a new basket across the fire from the safety of his burrow.
"So Jinenji," she paused. Jinenji made a face under the covers; he really didn't want to talk today, about anything.
"Yes mother?" Jinenji sighed.
"How is the garden doing?"
'What kind of question is that?' Jinenji's eyes once again narrowed in the direction of his mother. Why would she be asking him this? She spends almost as much time tending to it as he does.
"It should be fine mother. You were out tending to it earlier this morning, were you not?"
"Of course I was working earlier! Didn't have to do much though. Nothing that can't wait till later tonight,"
Jinenji paused, wondering how long it would take for her to keep going; he knew she wanted to say something, and Jinenji had a tiny inkling on what that was. He hoped it wouldn't be what he thought it was, but when did anything go right when she was involved.
"She got a green thumb, that girl,"
"Kagome has a very gentle hand when it comes to plants,"
"Don't lie to me boy, we both know I wasn't talking about Kagome," his mother exclaimed sharply, causing Jinenji to flinch, even under the safety of his furs. Considering only one other woman visited his home, he knew exactly who his mother was referring to.
"Yes mother, Ume has a very green thumb," Jinenji said with a clenched jaw.
A round of silence went on between them. Just the faint crackle of the fire and the whooshing brush of the leaves as they are braided together.
"An interesting girl, that Ume. She reminds me of Kagome; kind and compassionate"
"Mmm,"
"Hardworking, too. She never complains and always has a smile on her face, " she mutters something under her breath, but Jinenji has no way to hear it with his human ears. Not that he'd two want to hear it, he'd rather her drop the subject while she's ahead.
"Mmm,"
She didn't seem to be noticing his less than enthusiastic responses.
"And such a pretty little thing. I bet she'd make a good wife someday,"
"Mother, please, can we drop this conversation?"
"I shall not!" She snipped, her eyes blazed with determination as she continued weaving. "A good looking girl like her isn't meant to be unwed forever. Eventually, someone is going to notice and will sweep her away if you don't tell her how you feel,"
And there it was.
Of course, it had been of no surprise that his mother had seen how their relationship had begun to blossom over the past month. It had started with small gestures; conversation that flowed easier, keeping her in much closer contact. Jinenji was constantly watching her, and noticing that she watched him almost just as much.
And then, he nearly ruined everything a week ago. They had finished their gardening early and had taken another walk down by the river. Ume didn't see a tree root that was sticking out of the ground and tripped. Jinenji was quick enough to catch her before she hit the ground, but there had been consequences for his help.
This had been the closest he had ever been to Ume. It would have been all too easy to pull her towards him and engulf her in his arms, to never let go. He wondered what it would feel like to have her body pressed against his. If her lips were as soft as they looked.
The splash from a fish that jumped in the water brought them both back to reality, before either one could act on their extremely close proximity. Ume's face held a pretty blush as she thanked him for catching her. Jinenji didn't know exactly what it was that brought his next thought to mind; Perhaps it was the slowly fading, tingling warmth he could still feel on his fingertips, thinking about how small she was in his giant grasp. Maybe it was the quick glance of himself on the water's surface - like a mirror despite the rippling effect the fish's jump caused - of all his weird, demonic traits and the knowledge that soon enough they would transform into something a little more human-like for a single day.
Despite all his flaws as a hanyou, Jinenji didn't care for himself as a human either. His demonic attributes were the reason why most people steered clear of him, but they were somewhat normal enough to him that changing his appearance seemed wrong somehow. He still loomed heavily over his mother's shoulder as a human, big and bulky - most of the village men would probably only come to his shoulders at most. His face felt all scrunched up, with only a little nub for a nose, and his eyes dark and beady.
Jinenji might not have any confidence in himself as a hanyou, but he sure didn't feel like himself as a human either. And who would want to deal with the emotional cargo that comes with all that each month?
At the end of the day, Jinenji was a monster, and monsters don't deserve the love of pretty women.
After his internal back and forth considering the beautiful woman before him, Jinenji allowed himself the comfort of her company for the remainder of the day, but as soon as she was safely escorted back into her own village, Jinenji began constructing the walls that once stood around his heart. There was no reason to entertain any notion that she could ever love him - or even want to be with him in that way.
So, he shoved those thoughts of her deep, deep, deep into his heart, locking them away to never be seen again.
Or, he would if his meddling mother would learn to just let the damn subject go.
"Mother, we've been over this before - "
"And once again you refuse to listen to your mother! Do you think me so old and senile that I would not be able to tell when she gets that look in her eyes?"
Jinenji flinched once again at the venom in her words. "No Mother, you know I'd never - "
"Despite my age, I still remember what it was like to be a young woman in the prime of her life. I remember how I felt with your father. And I hate to see you deny yourself the potential for the same happiness I once had all those years ago,"
Jinenji could do nothing but stay silent. The anger that had once been in her voice had changed to something akin to sadness or pity.
The worst part about it all was that she was right. Jinenji knew that Ume cared for him. It was apparent by the smile on her face whenever she visited; The fact that she visited as often as she did, always eager to help out either with the garden or even assisting mother with the standard household chores.
As a human, Jinenji couldn't stop his emotions from leaking out of the cage he tried to keep it in. He could see, clearly as if his hanyou vision was back, her bright, brown eyes staring up at him with such reverence as he held her, like she knew he would always be there to save her.
It was too much for him to handle. Sure, Ume cared for him, but that didn't mean that she loved him. Not in that way. Jinenji didn't think he could handle the rejection if he dared to ask.
He treasured the time she would spend with him, but he wouldn't hold her back from her own happiness, even if that didn't include him.
Jinenji and his mother let the silence swirl around the hut, coating everything in a melancholy aura. Jinenji curled up deeper in his furs, determined that he would die of heat stroke before showing his mother the look of utter defeat that probably showed on his face. After another minute, she sighed heavily.
"I think I'll go check on the garden anyways. Call for me if you need me,"
Jinenji listened as she stood up from her place by the fire. She set her weaving supplies down at the far end of the hut, grabbed an empty basket, and made her way outside. The hut was silent, save for the crackling fire, and all Jinenji could fixate on was how alone he felt in that moment.
"Such a stubborn boy…" she murmured as soon as she was far enough away from the hut that Jinenji wouldn't hear her.
Ushi was at her wits end with these children. It was a sad fact that she had given up on the prospect of Jinenji settling down with a wife of his own, to grow his own family. She knew the consequences of having a child with a demon, how most people would shun them or fear them. Although, she certainly didn't think she'd be doing it alone.
It was because of this preconceived notion that she was so adamant that Jinenji rip his head away from the dirt he'd forced it into and realize that Ume was crazy for him. For some reason.
Not to say that there was anything bad about Jinenji. She raised a good son. She knew if Jinenji could find a woman to care for that he would be the most gentle, loving husband a man should be. But she knew that it would take a strong hearted woman to look past everything that made Jinenji….different.
She had hoped for a small moment that Kagome might be the one, but alas, just as she could see the love and admiration Ume has for Jinenji, so could she see the same things in Kagome and Inuyasha all those years ago. Just by hearing the way she defended both hanyou boys, and seeing Inuyasha follow her around like a love sick puppy was plenty of evidence.
It was a little disappointing - knowing that Kagome's heart was already won by another hanyou - but it was also inspiring. It was obvious Kagome didn't care about those parts of Inuyasha - if anything, those were some of the things she loved about him. And it gave her hope that one day, her son might find someone like Kagome. Preferably before she croaked.
All of her patient waiting and prayers began to produce good fruit when Kagome introduced them to Ume. If only her son could stop being so stubborn and scared and talk to the girl.
It was obvious that she was going to have to meddle deep into this situation. She had been honest earlier when she told Jinenji there wasn't much gardening to do today, but she had to come up with a way to push those two together, and being stuck inside with her brooding son would not be productive for her. She should have grabbed her weaving supplies out with her, but -
"Just set me here Inuyasha, I can walk up there on my own,"
She stopped. All thoughts disappeared from her head. If she wasn't going crazy, then that voice sounded a lot like…
Ume.
There she was, casually climbing off Inuyasha with her own basket in tow, quietly conversing with the inuhanyou. He locked eyes with her for just a second, nodding in acknowledgment before heading back the way he came. Ume turned toward her then, a warm smile on her face as she began walking towards her, waving in greeting.
Part of her would have liked a little more time to prepare a plan, but she was nothing if not intuitive and cunning. She could work with this.
"Good afternoon Ushi-san!"
"Ahh, good afternoon Ume-san. I didn't expect to see you today!"
Ume flushed at the statement, her gait a little more hesitant than it was just a second ago, but whatever had went through her mind disappeared as quickly as it came and she continued to walk until she was right in front of her.
"Yes, it was a last minute decision to stop by, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"
"No no, it's been a quiet day around here. Not much gardening to do thanks to you and Jinenji,"
Once again, her face flushed at the mention of her son. Honestly, the boy really thought she didn't care for him in that way? A question for another time she supposed, not when she was formulating a plan even as they spoke.
"Well, I was hoping to speak with Jinenji, is he around?"
Showtime.
"Oh yes, Jinenji is just hunkered down inside, the poor thing. Came down with a little sickness - nothing too terrible! Just some coughing and body aches." The look of horror on Ume's face almost made her feel a little guilty for lying like this.
Almost.
"Actually, it's most fortuitous that you've come by today. There is a special plant down by the river that I wanted to harvest for Jinenji, but I didn't want to have to leave him here by himself. Do you think I could trouble you to stay with him until I return?"
"Of course I would! It would be no trouble at all!"
"Ahh thank you for doing this old woman a favor! When I return, I shall make us all a hearty pot of soup for dinner, if you would do me the honor of staying?"
Ume agreed, and after the both of them bowed to each other, she made her way towards the hut as Ushi began her trek toward the river. Of course, there was no plant to be harvested by the river - nothing that Jinenji couldn't get tomorrow anyways. She decided it would be nice to just relax by the river for a good while. Perhaps she would grab the net by the old storage shed they had and catch some fish for dinner.
She held a look of pure triumph on her way the whole way there.
It wasn't much longer from the time she left that Jinenji's mother came sauntering back inside. Lucky for her, since he was just moments away from getting rid of the fire that threatened to boil him alive. Jinenji simply stayed buried under his furs, unwilling to be apart of his mother's endless meddling.
"Jinenji-san?"
Odd. That sure didn't sound like his mother. In fact, it almost sounds like -
"Jinenji-san, are you awake?"
Jinenji struggled to erect a small peephole in his furs, completely baffled by the voice he was hearing. It must be his human hearing. There's no way she was here. He made sure to keep her at a distance, to keep her away. The only option available to him was that his mother was indeed a witch - a thought he sometimes entertained over the years as she bested many of the village men whenever they decided to spew their vitriol in his direction.
He finally managed to move one of the furs so he could see into the hut. And there she stood, dark hair highlighted by the low light of the fire, her honey colored eyes - that Jinenji would swear held the sun in each of them - staring upon his bed of furs, a worried look that was far too cumbersome for her beautiful face.
"Ume-san? Is that you?"
The worried look on her face lessened as soon as she heard his voice, giving way to a bright smile that made his stomach do flips.
"I heard from Ushi-san that you weren't feeling well today. I said I'd stay with you while she went to forage by the river,"
She set her basket down by the door and walked around the fire to sit beside him.
"How are you feeling? Have you had anything to eat yet? Do you want me to make you some tea? If I had known you weren't feeling well, I could have brought some of Kaede-sama's herbal teas,"
"I….I'm feeling fine, Ume-san. Just a little…under the weather…"
Jinenji wasn't sure where he'd find the courage, but when he did, he was going to give his mother a stern talking to. He didn't know how she did it, how she managed to make the one person Jinenji could not see in his current state just….appear out of nowhere.
She was definitely a witch, no doubt about that.
The hard part now was finding a way to get rid of Ume before anything bad could happen. Like her seeing him in his human form. Or him blurting out his undying love for her and asking stupid questions like 'Will you be my wife?'.
Jinenji's hands were sweaty, and it wasn't because of the heat.
"What-what are you doing here? I didn't think you would….be stopping by," Jinenji hated the words coming out of his mouth, because of course he wouldn't think she would be visiting, not with the way he had been avoiding her all week.
Actually, perhaps this was for the best. She was obviously here to let him know she was never coming back again. One moment they were two souls traveling along the same path that only led to a beautiful meadow, and the next he was pushing her off the side of his own internal castle for one.
Mother was right. She was a young and beautiful woman who would in no time find a suitable husband. Who was Jinenji to stand in the way of that because he couldn't keep control over his emotions?
Or perhaps she never shared the same feelings with him, and couldn't stand to be around some pining, love sick monster any longer.
Either way, she was here to set the record straight and leave him. Well, at least he would always have the memory of that warm smile and soft, tinkling laughter. It would be enough. It would have to be.
Ume flushed at his question, pointedly looking at anything but his fur bundle. Her hands came up to awkwardly fiddle with the ends of her hair. Jinenji couldn't help but keep his eyes on her hands - so tiny and soft, yet still held a solid strength in them.
She huffed a deep sigh, tugged slightly on the ends of her hair, and set her hands back down in her lap. She turned her body so it more faced him, her back straight, and a determined look in her eyes.
"Jinenji-san, I came by to ask you something, and I would appreciate it if you let me finish speaking before answering any of my questions. I'm afraid of losing my resolve after working up the courage to be here,"
Even though Jinenji knew she was going to let him down with whatever speech she had prepared for him, he couldn't help but admire her tenacity. She wasn't quite as explosive as Kagome could be, but there was a fire that burned inside her. Her kindness and willingness to go with the flow could not be labeled as meekness, and it made Jinenji admire even more than he ever thought he could.
When it became clear Jinenji wasn't going to say anything, Ume began her speech.
"Did I do something to offend you? It's just…things seemed to be going so well….between us. I mean to say, you've been so…sweet and doting, and for a moment it seemed that we were of similar minds. But now you've been distant and I just need to know if I did something, or if all of this was just in my head, because this past week has been awful and I hate this distance between us and - "
Ume was rambling. The longer she went, the louder her voice became, her hands stepping away from fiddling with the ends of her hair to loudly gesturing with her words. She didn't look at him once, but her face became redder with each passing second.
Jinenji was…confused, to say the least. He was expecting something more along the lines of "I'm uncomfortable around you" or "I can't be seen with you anymore". Instead, it sounded like the opposite. Like she actually cared for him in a romantic way.
Which was crazy. But Jinenji was replaying each and every word she spoke, despite the fact that his brain was attempting to stop working.
"Jinenji-san, please say something," she spoke softly. He was so far into his own head that he hadn't realized that she had stopped her nervous rambling and was now looking to him for a response.
Jinenji didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was and ask her to stay with him for the rest of their lives because he loved her, but Jinenji was a coward, and he was so afraid of reading this whole situation incorrectly.
Despite always having his mother, Jinenji had lived a lonely life, and for once he just wanted to live a normal life. He envied the village men, the ones who would take a trip into the forest for firewood with a few others - talking and laughing and teasing each other - only to go back to a warm home with a loving wife and giggling children.
Things had gotten a little better over the years. The village didn't treat Jinenji and his mother with the contempt they used to after he saved them all from that demon. Inuyasha and Kagome and their group gave Jinenji the friendship he never had growing up. But getting married was always something that seemed so completely out of reach.
Maybe not so much anymore.
Jinenji had more things in his life now than he ever did, things that once upon a time were also 'out of reach'. If those things had become a possibility, why couldn't this?
He still wasn't sure he could speak, not quite yet, so Jinenji decided to take some action. Something small to tell her that he cared for her and wanted to share things with her.
Keeping his blankets still firmly wrapped around him, Jinenji sat up. He was shaking slightly at the prospect of what he was about to do. But no matter how this all ended up, Jinenji put all his trust in this little woman, and that thought was what fueled him to let his blankets drop, and show her his deepest secret.
He didn't expect the scream to come out of her mouth.
Ume couldn't help the scream that rose from her throat.
The whole time she assumed she had been talking to Jinenji - it sure sounded like him, despite being under a mountain of furs - but the figure that came out definitely couldn't be him.
This was obviously a human, with dark brown eyes so vastly different from the cerulean blue that were normally set in her direction. Despite broad shoulders, muscled arms, and a good foot taller than Ume sitting down, he was tiny compared to her gentle giant.
But there were other things that Ume noticed that seemed very familiar. His jet black hair framed a different pair of colored eyes, but they held a softness in them when he looked over at her, as if staring at her for too long or too hard would break her. He had the same sun tanned skin as Jinenji, the same scars littered across his arms and knuckles.
If anything, he looked like a 'human' version of Jinenji.
"Please don't be frightened, it's me!" The man spoke. He held out his arms towards her, as if he wanted to hold her, before sharply bringing them back towards his body. The movement was so sharp, it was almost like he was burned by being too close to her.
It was an action so familiar to Jinenji, especially in the beginning. Ume's heart was still frantically beating out of her chest, but she took a few deep breaths to calm herself enough to truly look at him in realization.
The human sitting before her was Jinenji.
"J-Jinenji-san? Is that really you?" She asked, wide eyes taking every part of Jinenji in. He didn't respond, just giving her a small nod as he began to squirm a little under her strong gaze. "I don't understand. What's happened to you?"
Jinenji wrung his hands on the blankets surrounding him, staring into the fire.
"I have not met many hanyou. Inuyasha was the first, and I've met with little Shiori once when she and her mother came to live in Inuyasha's village. But generally, a hanyou is marked by their more demonic traits. Some are more noticeable than others. But one day a month, our appearances change. Once a month, our demonic traits disappear, and we become human."
Ume had so many questions, and no idea where to start. For one, she couldn't believe that it had been almost a whole year since she had first met Jinenji, and she had no idea that this happened to him every month. She wanted to feel upset at not knowing such a change happened to him regularly, but one look at him had her tucking away those feelings.
He hadn't said anything after that declaration. He just sat there with a defeated look in his eyes as he continued to stare into the fire. It looked like he had lost something at just the mere mention of his predicament. She wondered if Jinenji ever told this to anyone else.
"How long will you be…human like this?" She knew it couldn't be long; not counting the winter, she spent most of her days of the week at Jinenji's, but she needed to ask, to be sure that this wouldn't last forever.
"It's different for every hanyou I think. I've seen Inuyasha before during my transformation, and he's always looked the same. For me, it happens the day of the quarter moon after a full moon. I turn into a human at dawn and stay that way until dusk,"
"And you'll turn back into your normal self when the sun goes down?"
He nodded at her question, and Ume couldn't help but sigh in relief at the answer.
"Oh, that's good to hear," she said with a smile, until she realized how that might have sounded to him. "Not that I don't care for you this way! I'm just not used to seeing you like this, and I guess I'm more comfortable with how you usually look - NOT that seeing you in this way is a bad thing! I think your human form is very handsome, but that doesn't mean that I don't think you're handsome as you already are and I just didn't want you to think that - "
Ume couldn't stop her rambling. She was sure her face was as red as Inuyasha's robes, and yet she couldn't stop. She just kept going and going, digging herself further and further into her future grave.
Jinenji, meanwhile, had been silent as Ume rambled on. He might have been human currently, but he was almost positive she said the word "handsome", and used it to describe him. Both as he was currently and how he normally is.
Which made his head want to both spin for all eternity and explode at the same time.
Jinenji tried not to read too much into it. He didn't want to assume anything, only to ruin the friendship he shared with her.
But he couldn't help but notice the way her eyes gazed over his form, causing her face to become even more flushed as she continued talking. He remembered all the times she came by to help with the garden, or to help his Ma with the daily chores so she wouldn't hurt as much the next day. All the long walks taken together, stolen glances. That day by the river, when she was so close to him.
No one else looked at him the way she did. No one devoted their lives to his like she did. Had he really been such a fool to not see it? Was he so scared of her rejection that he failed to see the love she gave him everyday?
Well, of course that last one was true. Now the question became, what would he do about it?
"Ume,"
His voice was so soft, yet it was strong enough to break through her nervous rambling. She looked over at him, surprised because she had never realized how reverent her name sounded from him when the formalities were dropped, her eyes widening at the man sitting beside her. He had shed much of the tension in his stature, sitting comfortably with his furs around him. His gaze on her burned with such intensity, her insides were melting under the heat, filling her with a warmth that was both relaxing and overwhelming. He paired his gaze with a small smile that made her dizzy in the head.
If she wasn't already aware that she was hopelessly in love with Jinenji, she sure would have known by now.
"Thank you," Ume's rampant thoughts were interrupted by Jinenji once again.
"Wh-what for?"
"For being here with me today. I don't think I could ever properly give you my thanks,"
"It's no trouble at all. I love spending time with you," she smiled.
She really wanted to tell him she loved just being beside him, but she lost some of the confidence she had sported on her way there. Of course, she never expected to see Jinenji as a full human. Besides, he seemed completely at ease with her around now that he had gotten his secret off of his chest. All of her anxious thoughts from earlier about why she hadn't seen or heard from him this week were swept away.
"And I you, little flower," his innocent nickname for her had both of them flushing even more.
Ume had come here for answers. A hope that she could mend whatever tear had been made in the fabric of their relationship. To use sturdier garments to transform what was into what could be. She wasn't sure if she got the straight answer she had originally set off to find from him. There were still things left unsaid, swirling around in the hot air that permeated the hut, but she didn't feel as rushed anymore to pry these things from him.
Not when he continued to look at her like that.
Instead, they sat together for a little while longer, content to bask in the comfortable silence that existed between them. Eventually, Ume walked over to where they kept their food stores, gathering a variety of vegetables to start chopping for the stew Jinenji's mother would make when she returned; if she was going to stay and eat with them, she might as well help. Meanwhile, Jinenji moved for the first time that day since his transformation hit him, grabbing a nearby pot filled with water to prepare them some tea.
They passed the time by making small talk, neither one bringing up Jinenji's transformation or the reason that Ume stopped by at all. They didn't need to. There would be time for that in the future.
Later on, when Ushi returned - a fair catch of fish in tow - she noticed that all the door and window coverings were open, letting in what little breeze the warm day would provide them. Jinenji never left them open during his human days, too afraid of anyone stopping by and finding him in such a state. When she stepped over the threshold, she was awarded with the most precious view she had probably ever seen, concerning her son.
The fire had severely dwindled down, now only scorching embers. Sunlight spilled through the open window onto the young ones sitting on the floor against the opposite wall. They were both asleep, Jinenji's head laid upon Ume's lap, her hand wrapped gently within his dark locks, as if she had been combing her fingers through his hair before falling asleep herself.
Ushi stifled a chuckle that she oh so longed to let free. Her son was as stubborn as a horse - pun intended - but as always, Ume seemed to pull him out of his shell and soften him up.
Ushi grabbed whatever supplies she needed to prepare the fish for dinner and tip-toed back outside.
Lovebirds needed their rest after all.
Inuyasha let out a loud burp, leaning back onto his hands and letting his head hang back.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome chided, although there was no heat behind it.
"What? I can't help it if my wife makes the best stew in the whole village," he said with a smirk, causing Kagome to giggle at him.
"Flattery will get you everywhere you know," she teased, leaning over to give him a peck on the lips. "Hand me your bowl so I can wash it,"
"Absolutely not, woman!" He chided, hastily jumping forward to grab his bowl before she could. He plucked hers from her hands before standing to take care of them.
"Inuyasha, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I'm incapable of cleaning some dishes,"
"You heard the ol' baba earlier. You need to take it easy this next month, we have no idea when the baby is going to come!"
Kagome sighed, but didn't argue with him further. She supposed he was at least a little right. Despite accounts both from Myouga about Inuyasha's mother, and Jinenji's mother, there really wasn't a good way to tell how long her pregnancy would be for their quarter hanyou child. All they could do was take it day by day. She could tell Inuyasha was nervous about it, and if she was honest, so was she. But she tried to have a positive outlook on everything. After all, the stress wouldn't be good for either her or the baby.
Instead, she reached over to grab her sewing basket from beside their chest. Between herself, Sango, and Rin, they had finished a plethora of little outfits for their newest family member. Perhaps, with Inuyasha cleaning up dinner, she would be able to finish the pattern on her current project.
It wasn't long into their tasks though, that Inuyasha stopped to look towards the door, taking a few discreet sniffs.
"Wonder what he's doing coming by this way…" he murmured.
"Inuyasha?"
"Stay here Kagome. It's just Jinenji, probably bringing Ume back home. He usually doesn't come by this route though. I'm gonna go see if he needs anything," Inuyasha dried his hands on a dry towel, leaving the bowls to soak while he spoke with the giant hanyou. "And don't you dare touch those dishes Kagome!"
It was a foolish thing to ask of her, he knew she was going to as soon as he was gone. But he'd deal with that afterwards.
It was already dark outside, although Inuyasha could still see Jinenji's giant form lumbering down to him from the tree line.
He found this all quite odd. Firstly, because Jinenji never came by the hut when he would drop Ume off at Kaede's. It was a little off the beaten path from the rest of the village, meaning that coming towards the hut would put Jinenji farther from his own. And Jinenji wasn't known to be out and about so late at night. Sure, Jinenji was slowly coming into his own - thanks in part to both Kagome and Ume - but Inuyasha knew that his fears of the world would probably take a lifetime to overcome. Straying from his own sanctuary of safety just to bring Ume home sometimes was a feat in and of itself.
There was also something different about Jinenji's posture as he came closer. Normally, Jinenji walked with a slight hunch in his back, making it look like he was constantly trying to curl into himself. Instead, he seemed to walk towards Inuyasha with almost his full height, with a quiet aura of confidence Inuyasha hadn't seen since that demon attack at his home.
"What brings you by, Jinenji?" Inuyasha asked, pulling his arms into the sleeves of his haori.
Jinenji stopped a few feet away, his eyes glancing around the hut, by the garden, making its way toward the storage shed a few feet behind the main hut they lived in.
"I'm sorry to come by so late, but I need to ask a favor of you, Inuyasha-sama,"