I'll Never Let Go
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
I'm back by popular demand (is three people popular?), mainly thanks to some wonderful encouragement from Kenshin Himura, thank you so much! I love your story too! Okay then, um, here's the next chapter!
Chapter 2: Errands
"Look, it's that woman again! That rich, wretched creature and her beastly son," one of village women whispered to another behind her hand. As Inuyasha and I passed her, she, thinking we hadn't heard her, put on a sickeningly sweet smile. I smiled back at her. For a moment we seemed to have a battle with our eyes; green flames of disgust emanating from hers and red sparks of anger flying from mine. We were pulled out of our battle when I felt Inuyasha tug on my kimono. I knelt down beside him so that we were closer in height.
"Yes, Inuyasha?" I asked, abandoning my fake smile in favor of a genuine one. He turned his big, golden gaze to meet mine.
"Do you not like that lady?" he inquired innocently, looking from myself to the woman anxiously.
I inwardly snorted.
"Oh, listen to you!" I scolded him lightly, giggling in a way that didn't suit me. I put a hand over his mouth as I spoke. I looked at the woman and apologized (falsely, of course) for my son's offensive question.
She raised her eyebrows at me and cautiously walked off with her friend, muttering, "Filthy half-breed."
I scowled darkly at their retreating backs and withdrew my hand from Inuyasha's mouth. His keen ears, of course, picked up everything the woman had said, so he flattened them so that the tips were touching his head and looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.
"Why'd she call me that?" he asked, the tears starting to fall. I wrapped my hands around his small body, trying to comfort him, but instead only achieving a tear-stained face myself. We wept right there in the middle of the street. A small crowd gathered around us, but they kept their distance, just in case Inuyasha decided to attack. Buffoons.
Inuyasha looked up from my shoulder, tears still streaming down his face, and saw the crowd of people. He whimpered and buried his head deeper into my bosom, obviously afraid that they were going to beat him again. When the villagers saw his tears they all gasped and took a step backwards, whispering amongst themselves.
"Look at that! I didn't know demons could cry!"
"What if he gets angry and charges?"
I covered Inuyasha's ears so he couldn't hear them, but I knew he could anyway. A loud crash came from one of the shops behind us as the door was violently thrown open. A large man ran out of the building and elbowed his way through the crowd, shouting:
"Where is that little half-breed brat? When I find him I'll kill him! I'll- " He caught sight of the two dog ears poking out from between my arms and jerked Inuyasha out of my grasp.
"You!" he roared, shaking my son. "You little half-demon devil! You broke into my shop and destroyed it, didn't you?" Inuyasha shook his head and sneered at the man. The man was hurting his pride.
"I didn't do that!" he replied with defiance that belonged only to his father. I bit my lip. If that was the case then this could get very bloody very soon. The shopkeeper shook him again.
"Yes you did! Don't lie, demon boy, it doesn't suit you!" the man screamed, spraying Inuyasha with spit.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Inuyasha growled, wiping his face with his sleeve.
Sensing danger I went up to the shopkeeper.
"Sir, I think it would be wise if you-" My words were cut off when he struck me across the face, dropping Inuyasha. I landed on the ground next to my son. One of the village men that had been watching stepped forward.
"Now see here, sir," he began, kneeling to help me up, "beating a half- breed in public is all fine and well, but the woman." His voice trailed off.
The shopkeeper looked outraged at being told off and made another move towards me, shoving the man out of the way. Inuyasha jumped in front of me, panting.
"Leave my mother alone," he snarled. I couldn't see his face but I could tell that he was very angry. The shopkeeper backed up.
"You struck her," Inuyasha continued furiously, raising his claws, "I'll kill you! Iron Rea-"
The person I saw in front of me wasn't my son, but my husband; willing to kill anybody who threatened me. I smiled and my chest swelled with pride, but then I realized what the consequences would be if Inuyasha killed the man. Just in time, I grabbed him by the kimono and jerked him back. He stumbled and fell into my lap. I smacked him hard on top of his head between his ears. He looked up at me. He was breathing hard and I could see fear in his eyes. He'd never acted like that before, but then again he'd never been in any position where fighting was necessary. His father had just begun teaching him how a few months before he died.
"Mother, I-"
I silenced him with a look.
"Come, Inuyasha," I said sternly, getting to my feet and helping him to his. I started to lead him away, but the shopkeeper grabbed me by the arm. I saw Inuyasha run his tongue over his fangs and tightened my grip on his shoulder.
"There's still the matter of my shop to settle," the shopkeeper hissed. I spun around and slapped him.
"No, there isn't," I shot back venomously. I shoved his hand off my shoulder and stomped all the way back to my house.
When Inuyasha and I were inside and the door was closed, I twisted him around to face me a little more violently than I had intended.
"What the Hell did you do that for?" I demanded, shaking him. He looked down at his feet.
"I'm sorry, Mother," he said, his bottom lip trembling, "but he was hurting you. I couldn't let him do that to you!"
He looked so pitiful, so small, and so innocent that I couldn't will myself to stay mad at him. I held him with his head near my heart. I kissed the spot on his head where I had hit him.
"I'm sorry I shouted at you," I apologized gently, "but you must understand. If you kill someone you'll just be proving that humans and demons can't live together in harmony." I smiled at the living contradiction to that statement and nuzzled my cheek against his. "And as we know, that's not true." Inuyasha smiled and nodded.
"Okay, Mother."
I smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"I love you, Inuyasha."
"I love you too, Mother."
*sob* Well, that's the end of chapter two! Was it just me or were there some personality swings in there? Anyway, if you review I'll update! Would you believe that this was six pages on notebook paper?
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
I'm back by popular demand (is three people popular?), mainly thanks to some wonderful encouragement from Kenshin Himura, thank you so much! I love your story too! Okay then, um, here's the next chapter!
Chapter 2: Errands
"Look, it's that woman again! That rich, wretched creature and her beastly son," one of village women whispered to another behind her hand. As Inuyasha and I passed her, she, thinking we hadn't heard her, put on a sickeningly sweet smile. I smiled back at her. For a moment we seemed to have a battle with our eyes; green flames of disgust emanating from hers and red sparks of anger flying from mine. We were pulled out of our battle when I felt Inuyasha tug on my kimono. I knelt down beside him so that we were closer in height.
"Yes, Inuyasha?" I asked, abandoning my fake smile in favor of a genuine one. He turned his big, golden gaze to meet mine.
"Do you not like that lady?" he inquired innocently, looking from myself to the woman anxiously.
I inwardly snorted.
"Oh, listen to you!" I scolded him lightly, giggling in a way that didn't suit me. I put a hand over his mouth as I spoke. I looked at the woman and apologized (falsely, of course) for my son's offensive question.
She raised her eyebrows at me and cautiously walked off with her friend, muttering, "Filthy half-breed."
I scowled darkly at their retreating backs and withdrew my hand from Inuyasha's mouth. His keen ears, of course, picked up everything the woman had said, so he flattened them so that the tips were touching his head and looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.
"Why'd she call me that?" he asked, the tears starting to fall. I wrapped my hands around his small body, trying to comfort him, but instead only achieving a tear-stained face myself. We wept right there in the middle of the street. A small crowd gathered around us, but they kept their distance, just in case Inuyasha decided to attack. Buffoons.
Inuyasha looked up from my shoulder, tears still streaming down his face, and saw the crowd of people. He whimpered and buried his head deeper into my bosom, obviously afraid that they were going to beat him again. When the villagers saw his tears they all gasped and took a step backwards, whispering amongst themselves.
"Look at that! I didn't know demons could cry!"
"What if he gets angry and charges?"
I covered Inuyasha's ears so he couldn't hear them, but I knew he could anyway. A loud crash came from one of the shops behind us as the door was violently thrown open. A large man ran out of the building and elbowed his way through the crowd, shouting:
"Where is that little half-breed brat? When I find him I'll kill him! I'll- " He caught sight of the two dog ears poking out from between my arms and jerked Inuyasha out of my grasp.
"You!" he roared, shaking my son. "You little half-demon devil! You broke into my shop and destroyed it, didn't you?" Inuyasha shook his head and sneered at the man. The man was hurting his pride.
"I didn't do that!" he replied with defiance that belonged only to his father. I bit my lip. If that was the case then this could get very bloody very soon. The shopkeeper shook him again.
"Yes you did! Don't lie, demon boy, it doesn't suit you!" the man screamed, spraying Inuyasha with spit.
"I didn't do anything wrong," Inuyasha growled, wiping his face with his sleeve.
Sensing danger I went up to the shopkeeper.
"Sir, I think it would be wise if you-" My words were cut off when he struck me across the face, dropping Inuyasha. I landed on the ground next to my son. One of the village men that had been watching stepped forward.
"Now see here, sir," he began, kneeling to help me up, "beating a half- breed in public is all fine and well, but the woman." His voice trailed off.
The shopkeeper looked outraged at being told off and made another move towards me, shoving the man out of the way. Inuyasha jumped in front of me, panting.
"Leave my mother alone," he snarled. I couldn't see his face but I could tell that he was very angry. The shopkeeper backed up.
"You struck her," Inuyasha continued furiously, raising his claws, "I'll kill you! Iron Rea-"
The person I saw in front of me wasn't my son, but my husband; willing to kill anybody who threatened me. I smiled and my chest swelled with pride, but then I realized what the consequences would be if Inuyasha killed the man. Just in time, I grabbed him by the kimono and jerked him back. He stumbled and fell into my lap. I smacked him hard on top of his head between his ears. He looked up at me. He was breathing hard and I could see fear in his eyes. He'd never acted like that before, but then again he'd never been in any position where fighting was necessary. His father had just begun teaching him how a few months before he died.
"Mother, I-"
I silenced him with a look.
"Come, Inuyasha," I said sternly, getting to my feet and helping him to his. I started to lead him away, but the shopkeeper grabbed me by the arm. I saw Inuyasha run his tongue over his fangs and tightened my grip on his shoulder.
"There's still the matter of my shop to settle," the shopkeeper hissed. I spun around and slapped him.
"No, there isn't," I shot back venomously. I shoved his hand off my shoulder and stomped all the way back to my house.
When Inuyasha and I were inside and the door was closed, I twisted him around to face me a little more violently than I had intended.
"What the Hell did you do that for?" I demanded, shaking him. He looked down at his feet.
"I'm sorry, Mother," he said, his bottom lip trembling, "but he was hurting you. I couldn't let him do that to you!"
He looked so pitiful, so small, and so innocent that I couldn't will myself to stay mad at him. I held him with his head near my heart. I kissed the spot on his head where I had hit him.
"I'm sorry I shouted at you," I apologized gently, "but you must understand. If you kill someone you'll just be proving that humans and demons can't live together in harmony." I smiled at the living contradiction to that statement and nuzzled my cheek against his. "And as we know, that's not true." Inuyasha smiled and nodded.
"Okay, Mother."
I smiled and kissed him on the cheek.
"I love you, Inuyasha."
"I love you too, Mother."
*sob* Well, that's the end of chapter two! Was it just me or were there some personality swings in there? Anyway, if you review I'll update! Would you believe that this was six pages on notebook paper?