CHAPTER ELEVEN
*
Kagome yawned behind her hand. The lack of sleep was getting to her; she'd almost dozed off in class, and only a cup of coffee was getting her through her studies.
I wish it were like this all the time, she thought. Quiet. Peaceful. Inuyasha was probably sleeping or something upstairs, especially since she had dragged him out of bed that morning.
It was tough on the other side of the well, without any encyclopedias or dictionaries. Not to mention constant walking and adventures with Inuyasha, which were great for the legs but not so good for the brain. The worst thing is, he doesn't even acknowledge that I need to do this! she thought.
She flicked another glossy textbook page.
"Kagome?" called Sota. "Are you takin' a bath? I thought I heard the shower come on."
"No," Kagome called back. The sound of water falling made her frown and look up.
There was a small waterfall coming down the stairs.
Kagome was too shocked to even shriek. She stumbled to her feet and ran up the stairs, slipping on the water that was cascading down every step. "Inuyasha!" she shouted. "Inuyasha?! What did you DO?!"
The water was pouring from under the bathroom door; Kagome could hear crashing like a waterfall behind it, and the sound of something being hammered. Taking a deep breath, she wrenched the door open.
Inuyasha was hunched over the sink; the faucet had been broken completely off, and a small geyser was spraying him right in the face. And the ceiling, the walls, and at least three inches of the floor. The bathtub was half-full. He looked like he was trying to plug the pipes with his fingers, but the water pressure was too intense.
Kagome slogged over as some of the water drained out the open door. Dropping to her knees under the sink, she groped around. Her fingers closed on something round and hard, and she started twisting as hard as she could.
The water died away to a trickle, then stopped complete as Kagome furiously turned the little wheel.
Kagome pushed her wet bangs away from her eyes, and stood up, ready to scream in Inuyasha's face. But her anger drained away when she saw him. He looked like a half-drowned cat, with a look of complete bewilderment on his face. He glanced down at the broken faucet.
Kagome took a deep breath. "Inuyasha...."
Inuyasha coughed.
Kagome sighed. "Never mind. I can't say it to you when you look like that." She grabbed his sleeve and led him into her mother's bedroom. "I need to get you into something less WET."
"Why?" Inuyasha asked, wringing out his long silver hair.
"Because right now you are a big walking sponge dripping on the floor, which is already soaked. Take off your clothes."
Inuyasha scowled. "When I said that to you, you hit me with a rock."
"Would it help if I said I was sorry? Okay, I'm really sorry that I bonked you on the head those times, and I apologize in advance for any future bonking. Satisfied? Now take off your clothes."
Inuyasha didn't look satisfied, but he peeled off his kimono anyway. Kagome helped him with his silk undershirt, trying not to look at the chest and shoulders underneath. "Just what am I supposed to wear?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome squelched over to a carved wooden chest by the window. "I know they're in here -- no, too short -- too small -- here they are!" She pulled a pair of rather ratty sweatpants from the chest.
"What are those?"
"They were my dad's. Change into them while I dry out your clothes."
Inuyasha looked dubious, but he took the pants and vanished into the closet. "They're too short!"
*
Moving to the feudal era was sounding more and more attractive. Kagome was supposed to be studying for the daunting English test the next day, but instead she was trying to mop up the soaked kitchen. Huge puddles had formed, and the carpet was so soggy she could barely stand on it. Even worse, it smelled like wet cat.
She didn't actually hear Inuyasha come up behind her, but she knew he was there. "What is it now?"
"Sorry."
"Sorry, what?"
"Sorry I broke it." He really did sound sorry. "I didn't know it was gonna explode."
Kagome smiled. "Pick up a rag and mop."
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Kagome yawned behind her hand. The lack of sleep was getting to her; she'd almost dozed off in class, and only a cup of coffee was getting her through her studies.
I wish it were like this all the time, she thought. Quiet. Peaceful. Inuyasha was probably sleeping or something upstairs, especially since she had dragged him out of bed that morning.
It was tough on the other side of the well, without any encyclopedias or dictionaries. Not to mention constant walking and adventures with Inuyasha, which were great for the legs but not so good for the brain. The worst thing is, he doesn't even acknowledge that I need to do this! she thought.
She flicked another glossy textbook page.
"Kagome?" called Sota. "Are you takin' a bath? I thought I heard the shower come on."
"No," Kagome called back. The sound of water falling made her frown and look up.
There was a small waterfall coming down the stairs.
Kagome was too shocked to even shriek. She stumbled to her feet and ran up the stairs, slipping on the water that was cascading down every step. "Inuyasha!" she shouted. "Inuyasha?! What did you DO?!"
The water was pouring from under the bathroom door; Kagome could hear crashing like a waterfall behind it, and the sound of something being hammered. Taking a deep breath, she wrenched the door open.
Inuyasha was hunched over the sink; the faucet had been broken completely off, and a small geyser was spraying him right in the face. And the ceiling, the walls, and at least three inches of the floor. The bathtub was half-full. He looked like he was trying to plug the pipes with his fingers, but the water pressure was too intense.
Kagome slogged over as some of the water drained out the open door. Dropping to her knees under the sink, she groped around. Her fingers closed on something round and hard, and she started twisting as hard as she could.
The water died away to a trickle, then stopped complete as Kagome furiously turned the little wheel.
Kagome pushed her wet bangs away from her eyes, and stood up, ready to scream in Inuyasha's face. But her anger drained away when she saw him. He looked like a half-drowned cat, with a look of complete bewilderment on his face. He glanced down at the broken faucet.
Kagome took a deep breath. "Inuyasha...."
Inuyasha coughed.
Kagome sighed. "Never mind. I can't say it to you when you look like that." She grabbed his sleeve and led him into her mother's bedroom. "I need to get you into something less WET."
"Why?" Inuyasha asked, wringing out his long silver hair.
"Because right now you are a big walking sponge dripping on the floor, which is already soaked. Take off your clothes."
Inuyasha scowled. "When I said that to you, you hit me with a rock."
"Would it help if I said I was sorry? Okay, I'm really sorry that I bonked you on the head those times, and I apologize in advance for any future bonking. Satisfied? Now take off your clothes."
Inuyasha didn't look satisfied, but he peeled off his kimono anyway. Kagome helped him with his silk undershirt, trying not to look at the chest and shoulders underneath. "Just what am I supposed to wear?" Inuyasha asked.
Kagome squelched over to a carved wooden chest by the window. "I know they're in here -- no, too short -- too small -- here they are!" She pulled a pair of rather ratty sweatpants from the chest.
"What are those?"
"They were my dad's. Change into them while I dry out your clothes."
Inuyasha looked dubious, but he took the pants and vanished into the closet. "They're too short!"
*
Moving to the feudal era was sounding more and more attractive. Kagome was supposed to be studying for the daunting English test the next day, but instead she was trying to mop up the soaked kitchen. Huge puddles had formed, and the carpet was so soggy she could barely stand on it. Even worse, it smelled like wet cat.
She didn't actually hear Inuyasha come up behind her, but she knew he was there. "What is it now?"
"Sorry."
"Sorry, what?"
"Sorry I broke it." He really did sound sorry. "I didn't know it was gonna explode."
Kagome smiled. "Pick up a rag and mop."
TO BE CONTINUED