CHAPTER THIRTEEN
*
The first thing Kagome smelled when she woke up was smoke.
She was wide awake immediately, and scrambling out of her bed. She was halfway down the stairs before she managed to shriek, "Fire! Inuyasha! FIRE! Someone call the-"
Something small and moving hit her in the stomach. "It's okay!" Sota said as his sister doubled over. "False alarm! He put it out!"
Massaging her sore stomach, Kagome went into the kitchen. Inuyasha was perched on the countertop, looking very pleased with himself. He was, she noticed, still wearing just those ratty sweatpants. Behind him, smoke was rising from a sodden, crumpled mass that, she guessed, had once been the toaster.
"Anyone care to explain?" Kagome asked slowly.
In small fragments, the story came out. Apparently Sota had tried to teach Inuyasha how to use the toaster, but had left a dishtowel on top of it. The dishtowel had burst into flame, and Inuyasha had quickly extinguished it with a pitcher of soda pop, the remains of which were dripping off the curtains and walls.
Kagome sank into a chair. "It's too early for this," she mumbled. "I'm going back to bed."
Inuyasha intercepted her at the door. "Don't you have a test today?" he asked.
As if on cue, her alarm clock went off upstairs.
Inuyasha gritted his teeth and dashed up the stairs. A moment later, the beeping stopped.
When he came back downstairs, rubbing his fist, Kagome asked wearily, "You broke another one, didn't you?"
"No, it was still in one piece," Inuyasha said.
Kagome looked at the curtains and wondered if anyone had gone prematurely gray at fifteen. If anyone did, she thought, she would probably do so too.
*
Almost finished, Kagome whispered to herself. She felt strangely light and relieved at the thought that she was almost finished with her finals. The day after tomorrow, Grandpa and Mom would be home, and she could go back to the feudal era and forget -- at least for a week or two -- about studying.
"Inuyasha," she said, dunking a plate into the sink. "I appreciate you protecting us. But did you really have to attack the mailman?"
Inuyasha didn't meet her eyes as he dried a coffee cup. He had been being unusually helpful around the house. Probably trying to stay on Kagome's good side, after the exploding faucet incident.
"Well? Why exactly DID you chase after him, growling and with no shirt on?"
"I thought he was tryin' to break in."
"Why?"
"He was rattling around the door."
"He was trying to leave a package there!"
"I know that NOW," Inuyasha said peevishly. "But nobody told me. Besides I didn't hurt the old geezer."
Kagome sighed deeply. The image of Inuyasha chasing the mailman was kind of funny actually. The "old geezer" had probably been chased by a lot of dogs, but never half-dressed boys with dog ears and claws.
"I'm causin' a lot of trouble, right?" Inuyasha said suddenly.
Kagome was taken aback by the question. "Trouble? Well, um, some... I mean, Sota was the one who set the dishtowel on fire."
"I didn't mean that. I meant in general." Inuyasha was intently watching soap bubbles trickle down his fingers.
Kagome sighed. "Not too much. And I'm not just saying that." She took the bowl from his hand and smiled warmly at him... until his claws scraped against it.The noise set her teeth on edge and almost made Inuyasha pass out.
The evening was relatively peaceful. Inuyasha's fire-rat clothing had finally dried, and he was wearing it when the three of them huddled on the couch to watch a movie.
Kagome shifted on the cushions, and let her head rest against his forearm. All in all, I guess this week hasn't been too bad, she thought. Maybe nothing will go wrong tomorrow...
TO BE CONTINUED
*
The first thing Kagome smelled when she woke up was smoke.
She was wide awake immediately, and scrambling out of her bed. She was halfway down the stairs before she managed to shriek, "Fire! Inuyasha! FIRE! Someone call the-"
Something small and moving hit her in the stomach. "It's okay!" Sota said as his sister doubled over. "False alarm! He put it out!"
Massaging her sore stomach, Kagome went into the kitchen. Inuyasha was perched on the countertop, looking very pleased with himself. He was, she noticed, still wearing just those ratty sweatpants. Behind him, smoke was rising from a sodden, crumpled mass that, she guessed, had once been the toaster.
"Anyone care to explain?" Kagome asked slowly.
In small fragments, the story came out. Apparently Sota had tried to teach Inuyasha how to use the toaster, but had left a dishtowel on top of it. The dishtowel had burst into flame, and Inuyasha had quickly extinguished it with a pitcher of soda pop, the remains of which were dripping off the curtains and walls.
Kagome sank into a chair. "It's too early for this," she mumbled. "I'm going back to bed."
Inuyasha intercepted her at the door. "Don't you have a test today?" he asked.
As if on cue, her alarm clock went off upstairs.
Inuyasha gritted his teeth and dashed up the stairs. A moment later, the beeping stopped.
When he came back downstairs, rubbing his fist, Kagome asked wearily, "You broke another one, didn't you?"
"No, it was still in one piece," Inuyasha said.
Kagome looked at the curtains and wondered if anyone had gone prematurely gray at fifteen. If anyone did, she thought, she would probably do so too.
*
Almost finished, Kagome whispered to herself. She felt strangely light and relieved at the thought that she was almost finished with her finals. The day after tomorrow, Grandpa and Mom would be home, and she could go back to the feudal era and forget -- at least for a week or two -- about studying.
"Inuyasha," she said, dunking a plate into the sink. "I appreciate you protecting us. But did you really have to attack the mailman?"
Inuyasha didn't meet her eyes as he dried a coffee cup. He had been being unusually helpful around the house. Probably trying to stay on Kagome's good side, after the exploding faucet incident.
"Well? Why exactly DID you chase after him, growling and with no shirt on?"
"I thought he was tryin' to break in."
"Why?"
"He was rattling around the door."
"He was trying to leave a package there!"
"I know that NOW," Inuyasha said peevishly. "But nobody told me. Besides I didn't hurt the old geezer."
Kagome sighed deeply. The image of Inuyasha chasing the mailman was kind of funny actually. The "old geezer" had probably been chased by a lot of dogs, but never half-dressed boys with dog ears and claws.
"I'm causin' a lot of trouble, right?" Inuyasha said suddenly.
Kagome was taken aback by the question. "Trouble? Well, um, some... I mean, Sota was the one who set the dishtowel on fire."
"I didn't mean that. I meant in general." Inuyasha was intently watching soap bubbles trickle down his fingers.
Kagome sighed. "Not too much. And I'm not just saying that." She took the bowl from his hand and smiled warmly at him... until his claws scraped against it.The noise set her teeth on edge and almost made Inuyasha pass out.
The evening was relatively peaceful. Inuyasha's fire-rat clothing had finally dried, and he was wearing it when the three of them huddled on the couch to watch a movie.
Kagome shifted on the cushions, and let her head rest against his forearm. All in all, I guess this week hasn't been too bad, she thought. Maybe nothing will go wrong tomorrow...
TO BE CONTINUED