CHAPTER TWO
*
"But Mom..."
"I'm sorry, Kagome."
"Mom, please..."
"I'm sorry, but your friend can only stay here if things are arranged that way."
"Mom!" Kagome said, stamping her foot. "I can't have him staying in my room. Even if he does only get a cot near the window."
"Why not? He can't stay in Sota's room; it's much smaller than yours."
"He just CAN'T!"
It wasn't exactly rational. Kagome and Inuyasha had shared dozens of campsites and cramped tavern rooms, and occasionally even the same sleeping mats, when they were really pressed for space. Once he'd fallen asleep in her lap. And Kagome suspected that she was more familiar with his sleeping quirks than anyone else -- when having vivid dreams his legs would twitch wildly. Sometimes when he had nightmares his claws would shred anything he was using as a pillow, which had caused some awkwardness when she had lent him her backpack. He could sleep sitting up, lying down, or perched on her bike. And, of course, he always slept hugging the Tetsusaiga.
But the idea of sharing her bedroom with him... it just seemed dirty.
I can't say that to Mom, she thought desperately. Mrs. Higurashi didn't even seem to see him as being... well, really male. Kagome switched tactics: "Mom, I know this guy better than you do. He's not a particularly easy person to live with. In fact, he's downright difficult."
Mrs. Higurashi looked into the living room. Kagome almost groaned -- sitting by the TV, Inuyasha was playing Go Fish with Sota. It was a particularly cute moment -- at the wrong time.
"Kagome, I think he's really quite sweet."
"Well," Kagome said hesitantly. "Sometimes."
"What's that thing about fish I'm supposed to say?" Inuyasha said loudly in the living room.
And the picture of cuteness is complete, Kagome thought.
She marched into the living room and sat down beside him. "Inuyasha, you're sleeping in my room. I'll go get the fold-out cot."
"I was gonna sleep in a tree."
"Oh no you're not."
"Oh yeah? And why am I not?"
"Because if anyone sees you sitting up in a tree, they're going to assume you're a peeping tom."
Inuyasha flushed. "Fine, I'll sleep in the cot. Happy now?"
"Go fish," Sota piped up.
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Inuyasha added.
*
Much to Kagome's chagrin, Inuyasha was on his best behavior for the rest of the night. Aside from perching on the dining room table, that was. He played with Sota, flipped through half the books in the living room, rubbed Grandpa the wrong way over the phone calls, and declined pleasantly to have dinner with the family. Instead he wandered in and out of the kitchen, nibbling on anything he found.
Something's different about him, she thought, frowning. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
When she finally got into her bedroom, Inuyasha was sitting on his cot, staring out the window.
"Whew, what a day, huh?" Kagome said, tossing her schoolbooks onto her desk. "I'm just going to warn you that I'll be studying or taking tests or recovering from tests all week long. So I won't be available most of the time, okay?"
Inuyasha still hadn't moved.
"Inuyasha, did you hear me?" Kagome asked.
"Huh?" Inuyasha said finally.
"Did you hear me?"
"Sorry. Wasn't paying attention..."
Kagome sat on the cot beside him. His clawed hands were holding the Tetsusaiga tightly. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I just..."
"Inuyasha?"
Just then, Kagome saw what he was staring at. It was the enormous old tree near the mini-shrine -- the one that Inuyasha had been pinned to by Kikyo, for fifty years. He wouldn't admit it most of the time, but she knew the memory still hurt.
She closed the curtains. "We should both probably get some rest."
Inuyasha blinked. "Yeah, I guess so." He sprawled out on the cot, with the Tetsusaiga hugged tightly to his chest.
Watching him, she felt slightly guilty. I guess he can be... kind of sweet, she thought.
"Inuyasha?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry."
"Wha' for?"
"I called you difficult to my mom today."
A faint grunt. "I've been called worse."
Kagome smiled and closed her eyes.
*
To Be Continued
*
"But Mom..."
"I'm sorry, Kagome."
"Mom, please..."
"I'm sorry, but your friend can only stay here if things are arranged that way."
"Mom!" Kagome said, stamping her foot. "I can't have him staying in my room. Even if he does only get a cot near the window."
"Why not? He can't stay in Sota's room; it's much smaller than yours."
"He just CAN'T!"
It wasn't exactly rational. Kagome and Inuyasha had shared dozens of campsites and cramped tavern rooms, and occasionally even the same sleeping mats, when they were really pressed for space. Once he'd fallen asleep in her lap. And Kagome suspected that she was more familiar with his sleeping quirks than anyone else -- when having vivid dreams his legs would twitch wildly. Sometimes when he had nightmares his claws would shred anything he was using as a pillow, which had caused some awkwardness when she had lent him her backpack. He could sleep sitting up, lying down, or perched on her bike. And, of course, he always slept hugging the Tetsusaiga.
But the idea of sharing her bedroom with him... it just seemed dirty.
I can't say that to Mom, she thought desperately. Mrs. Higurashi didn't even seem to see him as being... well, really male. Kagome switched tactics: "Mom, I know this guy better than you do. He's not a particularly easy person to live with. In fact, he's downright difficult."
Mrs. Higurashi looked into the living room. Kagome almost groaned -- sitting by the TV, Inuyasha was playing Go Fish with Sota. It was a particularly cute moment -- at the wrong time.
"Kagome, I think he's really quite sweet."
"Well," Kagome said hesitantly. "Sometimes."
"What's that thing about fish I'm supposed to say?" Inuyasha said loudly in the living room.
And the picture of cuteness is complete, Kagome thought.
She marched into the living room and sat down beside him. "Inuyasha, you're sleeping in my room. I'll go get the fold-out cot."
"I was gonna sleep in a tree."
"Oh no you're not."
"Oh yeah? And why am I not?"
"Because if anyone sees you sitting up in a tree, they're going to assume you're a peeping tom."
Inuyasha flushed. "Fine, I'll sleep in the cot. Happy now?"
"Go fish," Sota piped up.
"I couldn't have said it better myself," Inuyasha added.
*
Much to Kagome's chagrin, Inuyasha was on his best behavior for the rest of the night. Aside from perching on the dining room table, that was. He played with Sota, flipped through half the books in the living room, rubbed Grandpa the wrong way over the phone calls, and declined pleasantly to have dinner with the family. Instead he wandered in and out of the kitchen, nibbling on anything he found.
Something's different about him, she thought, frowning. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
When she finally got into her bedroom, Inuyasha was sitting on his cot, staring out the window.
"Whew, what a day, huh?" Kagome said, tossing her schoolbooks onto her desk. "I'm just going to warn you that I'll be studying or taking tests or recovering from tests all week long. So I won't be available most of the time, okay?"
Inuyasha still hadn't moved.
"Inuyasha, did you hear me?" Kagome asked.
"Huh?" Inuyasha said finally.
"Did you hear me?"
"Sorry. Wasn't paying attention..."
Kagome sat on the cot beside him. His clawed hands were holding the Tetsusaiga tightly. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I just..."
"Inuyasha?"
Just then, Kagome saw what he was staring at. It was the enormous old tree near the mini-shrine -- the one that Inuyasha had been pinned to by Kikyo, for fifty years. He wouldn't admit it most of the time, but she knew the memory still hurt.
She closed the curtains. "We should both probably get some rest."
Inuyasha blinked. "Yeah, I guess so." He sprawled out on the cot, with the Tetsusaiga hugged tightly to his chest.
Watching him, she felt slightly guilty. I guess he can be... kind of sweet, she thought.
"Inuyasha?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry."
"Wha' for?"
"I called you difficult to my mom today."
A faint grunt. "I've been called worse."
Kagome smiled and closed her eyes.
*
To Be Continued