CHAPTER SIXTEEN
*
A kind of tense peace settled over the house as the sun set. Kagome rested her chin on her hand, watching as the dying sunlight filtered through the old tree. Tomorrow she would be watching it over five centuries in the past, surrounded by all her friends from the Feudal Era.
"Inuyasha!" she called without moving. "Either take something out of the stupid fridge or just close it!"
The sound of the fridge door slamming echoed through the house. Inuyasha strode in a minute later with a clumsily-peeled banana, sat on the table, and began eating.
Buyo meowed reproachfully and began licking himself. Kagome rubbed her temples, where a headache was brewing. I'm turning into my mother, she thought unhappily.
She sat back and gloomily surveyed the table. The plastic dishes were littered over it, most with globs of food still stuck to them. She had thought about clearing them away, but the house was already such a wreck that it seemed pointless. Sota had set the toaster on fire, Inuyasha had destroyed half the living room furniture and splattered Coke on the wall, the carpet still smelled like wet cat hair, and Inuyasha had been making long-distance phantom calls to Peru before Kagome found out and banned him from the phone again. Not to mention the strange stories the mailman was spreading.
At least there wasn't any confrontation about Hojo, Kagome thought. If Inuyasha found out that Hojo had been pursuing her for months, he would freak. He always freaked. It didn't matter that her interest in Hojo wasn't that serious...
"Kagome!" Sota called, running in with a tape in one hand. "Mom says I hafta show you all the movies I watch. Can I see this?"
Kagome took one look at the box. "No."
"Why not?"
"Why not? Sota, that is not a movie for little kids. Inuyasha and I could watch it, but you -- no way."
"Are you gonna?"
"No. I see too much gratuitous violence in my everyday life. Go find a romantic comedy or something."
"You're no fun."
"Keep it up and we'll watch news before bed," Kagome said threateningly.
*
Kagome's feet were slowly going to sleep. Sota had been sitting on her ankles all throughout the movie, and when she tried to throw him off, it had turned into a three-way-tussle.
Now her little brother was dozing with Buyo in his lap. And somehow, after the two leads had had a fight, Kagome had ended up sliding against Inuyasha's shoulder. Rather than moving away the way he usually did, he'd just looped his arm around her and continued watching the movie.
"Why's that guy tellin' her to go off with the other man?" he said suddenly, shattering the mood.
"Because he knows she'll be happier with his friend rather than him."
Inuyasha frowned at the screen. "So she's in love with one guy, but he tells her to go be with somebody she doesn't love because he thinks she'll be happier that way. He really thinks that she's gonna be happier. And she actually does it just because he told her to."
"That's right."
"They're both idiots."
Kagome sighed. "You just don't get it."
"I know pathetic when I see it," Inuyasha said stubbornly.
Kagome avoided the answer by carrying her sleeping brother up the stairs. Sota yawned and snuggled against her as she hauled him into his room and tucked him in. Buyo wound his furry tail around her ankles and purred.
As Kagome passed Inuyasha's room, she paused. He was curled up on the bed again, with the Tetsusaiga hugged against his chest.
Kagome smiled and closed the door.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
A kind of tense peace settled over the house as the sun set. Kagome rested her chin on her hand, watching as the dying sunlight filtered through the old tree. Tomorrow she would be watching it over five centuries in the past, surrounded by all her friends from the Feudal Era.
"Inuyasha!" she called without moving. "Either take something out of the stupid fridge or just close it!"
The sound of the fridge door slamming echoed through the house. Inuyasha strode in a minute later with a clumsily-peeled banana, sat on the table, and began eating.
Buyo meowed reproachfully and began licking himself. Kagome rubbed her temples, where a headache was brewing. I'm turning into my mother, she thought unhappily.
She sat back and gloomily surveyed the table. The plastic dishes were littered over it, most with globs of food still stuck to them. She had thought about clearing them away, but the house was already such a wreck that it seemed pointless. Sota had set the toaster on fire, Inuyasha had destroyed half the living room furniture and splattered Coke on the wall, the carpet still smelled like wet cat hair, and Inuyasha had been making long-distance phantom calls to Peru before Kagome found out and banned him from the phone again. Not to mention the strange stories the mailman was spreading.
At least there wasn't any confrontation about Hojo, Kagome thought. If Inuyasha found out that Hojo had been pursuing her for months, he would freak. He always freaked. It didn't matter that her interest in Hojo wasn't that serious...
"Kagome!" Sota called, running in with a tape in one hand. "Mom says I hafta show you all the movies I watch. Can I see this?"
Kagome took one look at the box. "No."
"Why not?"
"Why not? Sota, that is not a movie for little kids. Inuyasha and I could watch it, but you -- no way."
"Are you gonna?"
"No. I see too much gratuitous violence in my everyday life. Go find a romantic comedy or something."
"You're no fun."
"Keep it up and we'll watch news before bed," Kagome said threateningly.
*
Kagome's feet were slowly going to sleep. Sota had been sitting on her ankles all throughout the movie, and when she tried to throw him off, it had turned into a three-way-tussle.
Now her little brother was dozing with Buyo in his lap. And somehow, after the two leads had had a fight, Kagome had ended up sliding against Inuyasha's shoulder. Rather than moving away the way he usually did, he'd just looped his arm around her and continued watching the movie.
"Why's that guy tellin' her to go off with the other man?" he said suddenly, shattering the mood.
"Because he knows she'll be happier with his friend rather than him."
Inuyasha frowned at the screen. "So she's in love with one guy, but he tells her to go be with somebody she doesn't love because he thinks she'll be happier that way. He really thinks that she's gonna be happier. And she actually does it just because he told her to."
"That's right."
"They're both idiots."
Kagome sighed. "You just don't get it."
"I know pathetic when I see it," Inuyasha said stubbornly.
Kagome avoided the answer by carrying her sleeping brother up the stairs. Sota yawned and snuggled against her as she hauled him into his room and tucked him in. Buyo wound his furry tail around her ankles and purred.
As Kagome passed Inuyasha's room, she paused. He was curled up on the bed again, with the Tetsusaiga hugged against his chest.
Kagome smiled and closed the door.
TO BE CONTINUED