Back for more of that sweet literary lovin? Okay…that was just odd. Anyway, I didn't really plan on writing more tonight, but then I discovered that I had the EASIEST MATH HOMEWORK IN THE UNIVERSE!!! Seriously, it was all going on like, how likely is it that you get a blue M&M if there's a 90% chance of getting a different colored M&M. I mean, it was really kind of insulting to my intelligence and all, but hey, I'm not one to complain about being able to finish my math in a tenth of the estimated homework time! And for that reason, this chapter is dedicated to one who will likely never appreciate it: my Prob and Stats professor! You go Prof! Don't be afraid of the easy homework! Maybe you should talk to Madeleine's French prof…
*****
And I'll be there
Through the
good times,
And the bad,
And we'll be there for each other,
Cause you're the best friend
I've ever had.
-Michelle Branch I'll Always Be Right There
Shippo suddenly woke up to some movement behind him. A suspicious looking lump had suddenly appeared under his blanket, and he could swear he felt something snuggling with his fluffy tail. Not even bothering to hide an indulgent smile, Shippo looked under the blanket to confirm his suspicions. Asako was playing with his tail again, trying to use it as a pillow. "Asako-chan, what're you doing?" he asked the little girl. "If you want to sleep in my bed, that's fine, but you gotta sit still."
"I know, but I wasn't getting warm enough, so I wanted to use your tail for my blanket." She explained her obviously not well laid plan. "But if it's on top of me, there's not enough for my pillow."
"Asako-chan, how old are you now?" Shippo let out a jaw-cracking yawn.
"Nine." She told him, proudly holding up the correct number of fingers.
"Exactly, you aren't three any more." Shippo rolled over, efficiently pulling his tail out of her grasp. "You should be able to keep still for five minutes."
"I know." She sighed.
"And, you should be able to come up with a better excuse than that." Shippo was obviously insulted by this most of all. "Man, I thought I taught you how to lie better than that."
"I know." She agreed again. But then she set her ultimate weapon against him. The Eyes, set to maximum width, sparkling purple depths aimed at him. Shippo knew he'd lost already. "But your fur is so soft and pretty. I like to play with your tail." Asako stuck out her lower lip just to be sure that she looked sad and innocent enough.
"Asako-chan," Shippo smiled at her, brushing a strand of her black hair back behind her ear idly. "Fine, I'm not mad. But this time you really need to go to sleep, okay?" he demanded.
"Yes sir, Shippo sir!" she told him with a curt nod before cuddling against him. Her body was tiny, and ever since last year, he'd been growing seemingly nonstop, so she fit against him as easy as she had when she'd been nothing more than a toddler looking for a warm place to sleep with "Shippo-sama." She didn't call him that anymore. She'd grown out of it some time ago, but it was obvious that she still looked up to him. Kanjou did too, but they didn't really get to see the other child as much since Kagome insisted that he not miss school like she had. Her second child, Aiko, a cute girl with white hair and yellow eyes, had just started kindergarten too, so now it seemed to Shippo that the only people he really got to see as much as he'd like were Sango, Miroku, and of course Asako. She was like a little sister to him, he supposed. He didn't really know for sure, as he'd never had any siblings, but Shippo knew that if he had been able to choose, he'd have had a sister just like Asako. It didn't really bother him that she could get whatever she wanted from him. She was his Asako-chan, and he loved her. Hugging the little girl to him, Shippo gave a contented sigh before falling asleep.
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"Oh, Sango-chan it's so good to see you!" Kagome hugged her friend tightly. Inuyasha stood to the side, nodding at her in acknowledgement. Some things just didn't change, Sango realized. "You too, Miroku-sama!" Kagome hugged the priest quickly.
"And you brought the kids!" Sango looked down at the two children attached to her legs. "Kanjou-kun, Aiko-chan, you've both grown so much!" Sango could swear she saw Inuyasha stick his chest out in pride at her comment.
"I lost a tooth right here, see?" Kanjou opened his mouth wide and pointed to a vacant socket.
"Wow!" Sango gave the proper response as Miroku came over to join them.
"Why don't I get a hug?" he asked the children in the saddest voice he could muster. Sango had to bite back a bout of laughter at his bad acting.
"Oh no, Uncle Miroku's going to cry!" Kagome told her children in an urgent tone. They got the hint immediately and practically tackled the poor priest.
"Agh…hey, watch it…" Miroku struggled as they pulled him down to the ground. "I need that leg…no!" Kagome and Sango shook their heads as they laughed at his antics. After shooting a cautious glance at the seemingly disinterested Inuyasha, Kagome whispered in Sango's ear conspiratorially.
"You know, they always do that with him at home. I'm sure he's just dying to join in, but he's uncomfortable with so many people." Kagome told her. Sango nodded knowingly.
"Yeah, in a lot of ways, Inuyasha hasn't changed much from the way he always was." Sango shook her head ruefully at the hanyou, who was darting impatient glances at the wrestling children.
"I know, the kids have really…hey, where's Asako?" Kagome asked, looking around as though the small girl would appear out of thin air.
"Oh, I think she went to sleep with Shippo again last night. He always sleeps in, and she won't leave the bed until he gets up, so…" Sango shrugged her shoulders to indicate that there was really nothing she could do about all of this.
"Wait…those two are still sleeping together?" Kagome made an odd face. "Isn't she getting a bit old for that kind of thing, Sango-chan."
"Hey, I don't tell you that you shouldn't let your little girl bite my husband." Sango raised her eyebrows and pointed at the yelping man with a little quarter-demon girl latched onto his arm firmly. "So you don't need to tell me what to do with my Asako."
"Well…it's not that I don't think you're a good mom, Sango-chan." Kagome blushed apologetically. "I just…well, she is nine years old. And what about Shippo? He's fifteen. Do you really think that you can trust a teenager who's so…well…he is a guy, and look at who he's had as role models? Miroku-sama and Inuyasha aren't exactly models of perfect male behavior." Kagome opined.
"Okay, I suppose I see what you're saying, but you know Shippo." Sango made a face. "He'd never do anything like that. Asako's like a sister to him."
"What's going on out here?" came an excited girl's voice before Kagome could respond. The women turned to see Shippo carrying a giggling Asako on his back. They both gasped in happy shock to see Kagome and her family there, Asako leaping off Shippo's back and into Kagome's arms before he could even respond.
"Aunt Kagome!" she squealed happily before pulling away to spread her arms wide. "I missed you thiiiiiissss much!" she told the woman, who smiled at her warmly.
"I wanna hug her too!" Shippo tried to get past Asako, but the little girl reclaimed Kagome's arms for her own.
"I'm not done yet." She told Shippo, sticking out her tongue. His still-adorable face screwed up in frustration before he crossed his arms angrily.
"Feh! Like you can keep her the whole time she's here!" Shippo stomped off and Sango and Kagome looked at each other in surprise.
"You were right. Nothing to worry about." Kagome shook her head. "They act just like Souta and I used to."
"I don't know…you may have a point." Sango looked after Shippo worriedly as the kitsune stopped to talk to Inuyasha, obviously telling him of the grand travesty that had taken place. "He reminds me more of how Inuyasha used to act around you."
"As long as he doesn't start acting like Miroku used to." Kagome commented, and Sango agreed emphatically.
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*sniffle*
"It's really cold tonight." Asako shivered much more than the situation could possibly warrant
*sniffle*
"Ooh, I don't think I can feel my toes anymore." She sighed sadly.
*sniffle*
"And I'm really tired, but I just can't sleep." She continued speaking to the lump on the floor that was feigning sleep.
*sniffle*
"Cause it's so cold." She clarified.
*sniffle*
"Stop with the fake sniffles. It's really irritating." Shippo finally answered her.
"But I am cold." She insisted.
"That's because you're out of bed, little idiot. What did you expect to happen?" Shippo asked, rolling over to face her. That was when she turned The Eyes on him, full strength. Shippo never knew what hit him.
"Shippo…you're…you're mad at me, aren't you?" Asako's eyes were wet, filling with tears, and Shippo just couldn't hold out against that.
"Oh, come on then." He lifted his arm and the blanket draped over it. Asako crawled in next to him, and Shippo discovered that she was indeed quite cold. "I'm not mad at you, Asako-chan."
"I'm sorry I was teasing you about wanting to hug Kagome." Asako apologized, burrowing into his warm chest.
"You're freezing." He told her, rubbing her arms to return their heat.
"Well, you're the one who made me sit there for so long." She told him.
"I'm sorry." He apologized, thinking of how their fights were always so stupid they never lasted longer than a full day. He just couldn't stay mad at someone he cared so much about.
"Sokay." She mumbled, swiftly dropping off to sleep next to him. Shippo sighed, close to sleep himself, thinking absently that Asako was very pretty. Like a little flower. My little flower.
*****
The End (Of Part 7, That Is)