Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever, EVER, EVER owned a copy of Darrin's
Dance Grooves. Or, unfortunately, Inuyasha. But I want to make it
perfectly clear that you will not find a copy of Darrin's Dance Grooves
among my personal VHS/DVD collection. Thank you.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Prom Bootcamp
The last thing Kagome remembered was looking at the clock, which read 2:46 in the morning. She vaguely remembered thinking that she could just rest her eyes for a few minutes, and laying her head on her desk. But she woke in the morning, tucked snugly into her bed, somewhat rested and refreshed. How did she get here?
She didn't remember the clawed hands that had gently stroked her hair back to see if she were really asleep or just resting. She didn't remember the strong, red clad arms that picked her up to lay her gently on her bed, or the white hair that fell across her face as the young man tucked the blankets around her sleeping form. And, sadly for her, she didn't remember the lips that, lighter than a butterfly's wings, quickly brushed her forehead before the young man stepped back to study her sleeping face, as if to memorize every detail.
He had watched her peaceful sleep until a frown of frustration crossed her face. She turned over and seemed to be searching for something. Her hand hit upon a white plush dog with little fuzzy triangular ears on it's head, which she grabbed and pulled into her embrace, smiling in her sleep, "Mmmmmmyasha." After that, she returned to peaceful sleep.
That startled him. Did she really sleep with that little stuffed dog because it reminded her of him, or because she missed having Shippou next to her? He decided that he liked the former much better than the latter, and smiled smugly. She didn't sleep with a little Houjo plushie!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha watched as Kagome dashed off for school, laden with heavy schoolbag and her lunch. Luckily, she had been too preoccupied with getting off to school to notice his presence. He was going to have to do something about that when he got her back home. Being so unaware of her surroundings could be dangerous. But then, he guessed she didn't feel so threatened in her own time.
He was so thinking when he stepped into the kitchen, ready to begin work. Instead, Kagome's mother sat him down to a big breakfast, and began to coach him in the proper use of utensils and napkins.
Mrs. Higurashi wasn't sure where they would go for pre-prom dinner, so she decided she'd better cover all bases. Forks were a challenge. While Inuyasha liked the idea of stabbing his food before eating it, he held the fork like an assault weapon instead of an eating utensil. Then came the whole concept of using a napkin to wipe his mouth instead of licking his hand and swiping it over his face (A/N I know that's a cat thing, but I'm pretty sure I've seen him do it.) Mrs. Higurashi imagined him doing that in a nice restaurant and shuddered a little. Kagome would be mortified. Or maybe not. She didn't seem to mind the hanyou's eccentricities, or even notice them much anymore. Mrs. H doubted very much that Inuyasha's lack of monetary funds or social skills had much to do with her daughter's refusal to allow him to accompany her to her dance. But if not that, what?
The biggest challenge was getting him to slow down, instead of swallowing his food practically whole. To his credit, he tried really hard to follow her tutelage, but years of practical learning were hard to break. Mrs. Higurashi decided that polite conversation without letting food fall out of one's mouth was a lesson to be tackled another day.
After breakfast, she gave Inuyasha a jumpsuit and painter's cap, and told him to change into them so he wouldn't get paint on his clothing. She pulled his hair back into a long braid (A/N: am I the only one that thinks he looks a lot like Duo?) to keep it from getting in the way. Then she took him outside and taught him how to paint.
Painting wasn't so bad, and he really liked the way it looked when he stepped back and admired his work. It was satisfying. And he didn't get too many drips on the plants below. In fact, the only real mishap happened when Buyo decided it would be helpful to sit at the top of the ladder and continually swish his tail in Inuyasha's face. The cat narrowly escaped becoming a flying paintball by the appearance of Mrs. Higurashi, who came out to call the Inuyasha to lunch.
After lunch, he went back to his task, flushing a little with pride ("Feh!") when Mrs. H praised his work. She was impressed with how hard he was working and how much he had done. If she hadn't known before, she knew now what it was that Kagome saw in this young man, er....half human. He took his jobs seriously, which is probably why Kagome was still alive. And, although he had grudgingly learned over the years to be polite and respectful of Kagome's family (it had taken a few "sit!" sessions to teach him that), she could see he really was trying to learn some social skills. It had never taken him that long to complete a meal as it had at lunch. Ok, he still isn't ideal son-in-law material (those ears and claws would be a little hard to explain, not to mention the threat of losing her daughter forever to Feudal Japan), but she wouldn't complain. No guy, let alone a guy like Inuyasha, would go through what he was willing to go through just to take her to the prom if he didn't really care. Of course, the real test was yet to come...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Souta, running up the steps and clutching a small, thin box to his chest. "I got it! I got it! I can teach Inuyasha to dance now!"
Inuyasha grimaced at the box the boy was now waving at him. He had a very bad feeling about this. He tried to tell Souta that he had to finish painting, but Mrs. H told him he had worked hard enough that day, and should go get out of his paining clothes and put them in the laundry for her to clean. She said he should hurry and get changed so he would have enough time for his lesson before Kagome got home, and that she would put the gear away. When he finally headed inside the house, she smiled to herself, thinking of where she had set up the camcorder.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"..Step back on your left foot and pivot." THUD! "&*(^%$%^$%$*(*)*)_*!!!!!"
Souta glanced nervously back at the growling hanyou behind him. This was not what he had imagined when he volunteered to teach him to dance. He didn't figure that Inu-san would pick it up immediately, but also hadn't thought it would be this tough. His hero may be strong and brave and able to slash his enemies down to mere quivering pools of jello, but Fred Astaire he wasn't. The young boy was witnessing the meltdown of his hero, and it was being done by a hip-hop dance instructor. He glanced over at the coffee table, grateful that he had made Inuyasha remove his sword and scabbard before they started.
THUD! The hanyou hit the floor for at least the tenth time, this time looking as if Kagome had said "sit!" with his face pressed to the floor. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of Kagome dancing with Houjo. Without that image, he would have given up and stormed out long ago. From his spot on the floor he groaned, "Shouldn't Kagome be home soon? Shouldn't I get out of here before she finds me?"
"Na-uh. She told me to let everyone know she was going to study with her bunch of giggly friends, so she wouldn't be home till dinner. You have plenty of time. Let's try again."
Inuyasha grunted and pushed himself back to his feet. He was beginning to miss the Thunder brothers. He couldn't remember anyone dancing like this at the Shrine festival, and he hadn't been watching anyone but Kagome at her dance, but he was pretty sure she hadn't grabbed her foot and jerked her knee up and down at any time that night.
The most infuriating thing was that the kid seemed to be picking this stuff up like it was no more difficult than walking. He followed along with the dancers and got just about every step right away. But every time Inuyasha seemed to be getting the hang of a step, they would change directions or do some tricky "ball-change" thing, and he'd end up on his butt again. Then that dark-skinned guy would say, "Moving on!" and Inuyasha would growl dangerously, "Moving on! What do you mean moving on! I'm not even on the step before the last step you did! Feh! This is STUPID!"
Mrs. Higurashi almost had to choke to keep from giggling as she watched the spectacle in the next room. Hidden behind the door jam, she had a pretty good view of it all. Finally, she couldn't keep from laughing out loud, so she went off to do some laundry. When she came back, poor Souta had Inuyasha by the back of his Kimono, trying desperately to hold him back from the TV. "No, Inuyasha! You can't kill him! He's not in the television! He lives in California someplace!"
A heavily puffing hanyou glanced back at Tetsusiaga and growled, "Where * is * California?"
"Somewhere in America. Nowhere near here. A really, really long way away. Please, Inu-san! I will turn it off!" He let go of Inuyasha's Kimono and darted to the television, hitting the power button. The hanyou slumped to the floor in defeat, looking very unhappy. Souta sat down next to him, just looking relieved.
"Ano...I'm sorry, Inu-san. I didn't know. I never watched it before."
Inuyasha just looked miserable. How could he take Kagome to a special dance if he couldn't even dance himself? No wonder she didn't want to take him.
Mrs. Higurashi looked in on the dismal pair and took pity on them both. Having chaperoned enough of Kagome's school dances over the years, she knew that very few kids danced like the people on the tape. With amusement tugging at the corners of her mouth, she stepped into the room and said, "I think I can help you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next few days went by fairly quickly. Kagome took her test, studied, took her other test and went to her prom committee meeting. And slept a little. She began to wish she were back in Feudal Japan just so she could get a decent night's sleep. All the while her "friends" interrogated her endlessly about herself and Houjo, and why she hadn't told him she would go with him. Her telling them that it wasn't fair to lead him on when she didn't return his feelings just didn't register with them. "But he's just so HUNKY!" one would sigh. "You two make SUCH a cute couple!" from another.
She didn't want to mention Inuyasha. First of all, how could she explain him? Even without his ears and fangs, he was pretty unbelievable. And she refused to admit that it was him she wanted to share her prom night with, especially to herself. He wouldn't be a real date anyway. She had no idea why he suddenly thought he wanted to go, but she wasn't about to dance the night away with someone who wanted her to be someone else. Oh, gods, how depressing! And how did these people manage to rope her into helping to plan a dance she probably wouldn't go to, anyway?
"Kagome! Hello! Are you still on the planet?" She shook her head and focused on hand waving in front of her face. Yuki looked at her with concern. "Are you feeling ok? You look a little ill."
"I'm ok. Sorry. What were you saying?"
"I was asking what movie you want to see tonight."
'Movie? I gotta get some sleep!' "Whichever one has the most comfortable seats."
"Or we could go swing dancing!" Nanami suggested.
'Swing dancing! Maybe I have more energy than I thought!'
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, Kagome glared at her alarm clock. Ugh! Why was it necessary to be there when the stores opened, anyway! She hit snooze and rolled over for a few extra minutes of sleep.
When it went off again, she resigned herself to morning, and crawled out of bed with a yawn and a stretch. She reached down and scratched Buyo's ears. "What was I thinking? I never should have closed the club down. 'But swing dancing is so much fun! I should have asked one of those guys to go to the prom with me! That would be good. No broken hearts, no emotional attachments, and no guys wishing I were his old lover. Just great dancing! Hmmm...no romance either...'
She reviewed her plans for the day. She and her friends were on a quest for the perfect prom dresses. "Hmph! As if it matters. What do I need a dress for if I'm not going? Or if I'm going alone." Or she could go with Houjo. Even after she tried to dissuade him, he still insisted that she was the only one he wanted to go with. Or there was ...NO! NO! Not an option!
But no matter how firmly she tried to push the vision out of her mind, she couldn't stop herself from imagining Inuyasha in a tuxedo, his silvery hair pulled back into a ponytail, his cute ears...oh, wait, he would be human, wouldn't he? He'd have to be for it to work anyway. Ok, with his dark hair pulled back...STOP IT!" She turned on the water in the shower as hot as she could stand it and let it pound on her skin, waking her fully.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha climbed out of the well Sunday evening without his usual energy, but still happy. All that work around the shrine and the dancing was exhausting! And he had just narrowly escaped being caught by Kagome coming home from her shopping trip.
He had been in the living room, dancing with the instruction of Kagome's mother. She had taught him some basic dance steps, taught him a couple of the popular line dances, and little swing (since Kagome loved that). And then because she just couldn't resist putting it on tape, the Macarena. She wasn't sure how she managed that one with a straight face, but watching the hanyou try to shake his hips and keep his hands from getting tied up at the same time was just too amusing to pass up.
She had just gone into the kitchen to get him some lemonade when Kagome's voice came floating through the window, "No, thank you Houjo-kun. I just need to sit down for a bit."
Inuyasha helplessly hit the floor, swearing quietly so he wouldn't call attention to himself. "Damn! She's home! Souta, you were supposed to warn me!" 'And what the hell is Hobo doing here?'
"Sorry Inu-san. I was in the bathroom!"
"I gotta get out of here! You go stall her!"
Mrs. Higurashi entered and said, "Why don't you just stay for dinner, Inuyasha? She was supposed to return tonight anyway, so she won't be surprised if you are here waiting for her, right?"
Dinner sounded good. He was really hungry, and a meal here would be better than trying to find something for himself. Kaede was a good cook, but they might have already eaten by the time he got back.
"Feh!" he said out of habit. "I mean...er...thank you Mrs. Higurashi."
So he was still there when Kagome had finally convinced Houjo that she was ok, and no, she didn't need him to carry her inside or go to the store to get her anything. And he didn't go out to maim her would-be suitor because it didn't fit the "I'm civilized enough for you to take out in public" image that he was trying to cultivate. But it took all his self-control not to.
He expected her to be a little indignant when she saw him there, but she wasn't. Or, she didn't seem to be anyway.
"Oh, hi, Inuyasha! You came to get me?" she reached up and scratched the back the back of her head.
"Uh, yeah. And your mom invited me to stay for dinner. I guess she wants to make sure you eat."
"Oh, ok." She seemed nervous about something. "Ano...Inuyasha? I gotta tell you something you're not gonna like."
A hard lump formed in his throat, making it impossible for him to swallow. His heart raced and his gut wrenched. She was about to tell him that this whole weekend was going to have been wasted because she had agreed to go to the prom with Hobo. "Well, what is it, wench?"
She closed her eyes and blurted, "I need to stay home for one more day! Just one more day, Inuyasha! Please! I have a make-up lab to do in chemistry and I want to find out the results of my tests. I promise to go back as soon as I get out of class tomorrow! Please?"
Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. "Ok."
She opened one eye and peered at him uncertainly. "Nani?"
"I said, "ok!" What, are you deaf?"
Ok, this was weird. It was strange enough that he was letting her stay for dinner, although she knew he loved her mom's cooking. But letting her stay another day without a single "sit!" was just too.....how do they call it in fanfics? OOC? 'Something odd is going on here!'
In fact, he was planning to tell her to go to school for the whole week, since he wanted to be able work. And he was getting pretty used to Mrs. Higurashi's meals. He just didn't know how to do that without giving himself away. And he wasn't about to tell her that he was spending his days at her home or what he was doing there. He wanted to surprise her, and besides, it would be too embarrassing if she still refused to take him.
They had a very pleasant dinner, and Inuyasha only had to pinch Souta a couple of times to keep him from divulging something awkward. By the end of dinner, Kagome was seriously concerned that she had landed in some alternate dimension, though. She couldn't help but notice that Inuyasha seemed to have found some table manners. And good ones, too. Instead of picking up his bowl and just horking it all down in one big swallow, he was taking his time, eating like...well... a gentleman.
When dinner was over, and he began to clear dishes and take them to the kitchen, she couldn't stand it anymore. The changes were all for the good, but she was beginning to think that he had been possessed by some demon with designs on the shards, and was trying to earn her trust so he could steal them when she was off guard. Or something.
"Ok, who are you and what have you done with the real Inuyasha?" she demanded.
"Oi, wench, what are you talking about?"
"First you tell me I can stay for an extra day without an argument, then you eat politely at the dinner table, and...and...and then you help clear dishes?" She grabbed at the collar of his kimono with both hands and searched his eyes. "You look and feel like Inuyasha, but..."
"But the real Inuyasha couldn't possibly be a nice guy to have around? Is that what you're saying, wench? He couldn't possibly have any manners? I had a mother, too, you know? She taught me some stuff, too, you know! I know how to behave if I want to!"
She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, "Something strange is going on around here."
But just as he was about to reply, Mrs. Higurashi came in with dessert.
After dessert, Kagome had to bathe and prepare for her lab, and Inuyasha decided to head home. He was halfway across the courtyard when he heard Kagome call to him and he stopped and turned to see her standing in front of him. Her cheesk were flushed from running to catch up with him, and her hair was blowing softly in the breeze.
"Um, Inuyasha... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You're just acting kind of different. But in a nice way. Please don't leave mad at me."
He didn't know what to say. He wanted to ask her about the dance again. He wanted to beg her to take him. But he just couldn't make himself do it. So he nodded, "Ok."
"You're not mad?"
"No."
She reached to hug him, and he met her halfway. They just stood there, holding each other for a few minutes, neither wanting to let go. Finally, she pulled back and tiptoed up to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you."
And then she was gone. Back into her house. Leaving him standing in the middle of the courtyard with his head swimming. She * had* just kissed him, right? But why?
He heard Miroku's voice in the back of his mind, "Don't ask why, idiot! Just be happy she did it!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He was headed back toward the village, his skin still pleasantly warm where Kagome's lips had touched it just moments before. So wrapped in those thoughts, he didn't notice her till she was walking next to him. He jumped when he heard the voice of Kikyo in his ear.
"Rumor has it that you are spending much of your time in the future world these days."
"Kikyo..."
"So, I take it you were successful in protecting her from whatever it was that brought you back from your journey with me."
He stopped walking and sighed. He didn't need this right now. Looking down at his feet, he muttered, "Kikyo, I'm sorry, but I won't be going with you."
She just gazed at him for a moment, then continued walking. "You say you would do anything, come back from anywhere to protect my reincarnation. So, she has become more precious to you then I?
"Dammit, Kikyo! She's more you than you are now!" Seeing the sad, startled look on the miko's face he went on, voice gentle, "Look, I'm sorry for what happened with us, more than you can ever know. I wanted to spend my life with you. You were the first person other than my mother who accepted me, let alone loved me. And I want to see you at peace. But you didn't kill me. And I have a reason to live now. The Kikyo I knew, the one I loved would want that. And I think the part of Kagome's soul that was you knew that when she set me free from the Goshinboku."
"You've thought about this quite a bit, then."
"Every day."
"And you think things will be different with your little human girl, do you? Will you use the jewel to become human for her?"
"If she asks me to, I will. But she doesn't seem to care."
"Maybe she doesn't want you forever. Maybe she's just here to fulfill her duty."
He closed his eyes. He couldn't think about that. Not when he was just beginning to feel hope. "She won't leave me."
"You think not? What if the same thing were to happen with her that happened to us? Do you think the outcome would be different?"
He had thought about this a lot, too. He remembered all the times she had trusted him to be there for her, the times she had just assumed without a doubt that he would triumph over their enemies, the times she had said, "Don't worry, Inuyasha! I believe in you." He smiled at the memory of her leaping from the firecat into his arms, never doubting for a moment that he would be there to catch her.
"Yes, yes I do think it would be different. I'm sorry, Kikyo, but our trust in each other just wasn't strong enough. Maybe we didn't have enough time to build it, or maybe we just hadn't gone through enough together. But it was fragile enough that it was broken by what was a very simple deception. Kagome is strong willed and stubborn, and way too unmindful of her human frailties. But part of that is that she always trusts me to be there to back her up. And I always trust her to be there by my side, too."
"She trusts you to guard her life, but does she trust you? Does she know without a doubt that you would never do her harm?"
He turned away and winced at that. That was the bottom line. Did she trust him with her heart? Did she know how precious and dear to him she was? He answered, a little shakily, "Yes, of course she does!"
Kikyo chuckled lightly. She had caught the uncertainty in his voice, subtle as it was. "We'll see about that."
Inuyasha spun around in alarm, "Don't you dare touch her! If you so much as..."
"* I* won't touch her."
"KIKYO!!!!!!!!"
But she was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*
That was a tough one to write. I hope you all weren't disappointed. It took me much longer than usual because I had another show this weekend, and also because of Inuyasha's dance scene. I wanted it to be sidesplittingly funny, but it just didn't want to be written that way. The thing is, I can't try to be funny. I throw things out that occur to me as I'm writing, and people find them funny, and I like that. But as to writing a really funny scene, I just can't seem to do it.
So, that's what I get for throwing out teasers. I really hope you all enjoyed the chappie anyway! As usual, please leave feedback. Some of you have given me some great ideas for bits of the upcoming chapters, although I won't say whom, because as I told you before, I hate giving away my story lines. But ideas or not, you can't imagine how a full mailbox inspires me to hit the keyboard! Thank you all!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Prom Bootcamp
The last thing Kagome remembered was looking at the clock, which read 2:46 in the morning. She vaguely remembered thinking that she could just rest her eyes for a few minutes, and laying her head on her desk. But she woke in the morning, tucked snugly into her bed, somewhat rested and refreshed. How did she get here?
She didn't remember the clawed hands that had gently stroked her hair back to see if she were really asleep or just resting. She didn't remember the strong, red clad arms that picked her up to lay her gently on her bed, or the white hair that fell across her face as the young man tucked the blankets around her sleeping form. And, sadly for her, she didn't remember the lips that, lighter than a butterfly's wings, quickly brushed her forehead before the young man stepped back to study her sleeping face, as if to memorize every detail.
He had watched her peaceful sleep until a frown of frustration crossed her face. She turned over and seemed to be searching for something. Her hand hit upon a white plush dog with little fuzzy triangular ears on it's head, which she grabbed and pulled into her embrace, smiling in her sleep, "Mmmmmmyasha." After that, she returned to peaceful sleep.
That startled him. Did she really sleep with that little stuffed dog because it reminded her of him, or because she missed having Shippou next to her? He decided that he liked the former much better than the latter, and smiled smugly. She didn't sleep with a little Houjo plushie!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha watched as Kagome dashed off for school, laden with heavy schoolbag and her lunch. Luckily, she had been too preoccupied with getting off to school to notice his presence. He was going to have to do something about that when he got her back home. Being so unaware of her surroundings could be dangerous. But then, he guessed she didn't feel so threatened in her own time.
He was so thinking when he stepped into the kitchen, ready to begin work. Instead, Kagome's mother sat him down to a big breakfast, and began to coach him in the proper use of utensils and napkins.
Mrs. Higurashi wasn't sure where they would go for pre-prom dinner, so she decided she'd better cover all bases. Forks were a challenge. While Inuyasha liked the idea of stabbing his food before eating it, he held the fork like an assault weapon instead of an eating utensil. Then came the whole concept of using a napkin to wipe his mouth instead of licking his hand and swiping it over his face (A/N I know that's a cat thing, but I'm pretty sure I've seen him do it.) Mrs. Higurashi imagined him doing that in a nice restaurant and shuddered a little. Kagome would be mortified. Or maybe not. She didn't seem to mind the hanyou's eccentricities, or even notice them much anymore. Mrs. H doubted very much that Inuyasha's lack of monetary funds or social skills had much to do with her daughter's refusal to allow him to accompany her to her dance. But if not that, what?
The biggest challenge was getting him to slow down, instead of swallowing his food practically whole. To his credit, he tried really hard to follow her tutelage, but years of practical learning were hard to break. Mrs. Higurashi decided that polite conversation without letting food fall out of one's mouth was a lesson to be tackled another day.
After breakfast, she gave Inuyasha a jumpsuit and painter's cap, and told him to change into them so he wouldn't get paint on his clothing. She pulled his hair back into a long braid (A/N: am I the only one that thinks he looks a lot like Duo?) to keep it from getting in the way. Then she took him outside and taught him how to paint.
Painting wasn't so bad, and he really liked the way it looked when he stepped back and admired his work. It was satisfying. And he didn't get too many drips on the plants below. In fact, the only real mishap happened when Buyo decided it would be helpful to sit at the top of the ladder and continually swish his tail in Inuyasha's face. The cat narrowly escaped becoming a flying paintball by the appearance of Mrs. Higurashi, who came out to call the Inuyasha to lunch.
After lunch, he went back to his task, flushing a little with pride ("Feh!") when Mrs. H praised his work. She was impressed with how hard he was working and how much he had done. If she hadn't known before, she knew now what it was that Kagome saw in this young man, er....half human. He took his jobs seriously, which is probably why Kagome was still alive. And, although he had grudgingly learned over the years to be polite and respectful of Kagome's family (it had taken a few "sit!" sessions to teach him that), she could see he really was trying to learn some social skills. It had never taken him that long to complete a meal as it had at lunch. Ok, he still isn't ideal son-in-law material (those ears and claws would be a little hard to explain, not to mention the threat of losing her daughter forever to Feudal Japan), but she wouldn't complain. No guy, let alone a guy like Inuyasha, would go through what he was willing to go through just to take her to the prom if he didn't really care. Of course, the real test was yet to come...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Souta, running up the steps and clutching a small, thin box to his chest. "I got it! I got it! I can teach Inuyasha to dance now!"
Inuyasha grimaced at the box the boy was now waving at him. He had a very bad feeling about this. He tried to tell Souta that he had to finish painting, but Mrs. H told him he had worked hard enough that day, and should go get out of his paining clothes and put them in the laundry for her to clean. She said he should hurry and get changed so he would have enough time for his lesson before Kagome got home, and that she would put the gear away. When he finally headed inside the house, she smiled to herself, thinking of where she had set up the camcorder.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"..Step back on your left foot and pivot." THUD! "&*(^%$%^$%$*(*)*)_*!!!!!"
Souta glanced nervously back at the growling hanyou behind him. This was not what he had imagined when he volunteered to teach him to dance. He didn't figure that Inu-san would pick it up immediately, but also hadn't thought it would be this tough. His hero may be strong and brave and able to slash his enemies down to mere quivering pools of jello, but Fred Astaire he wasn't. The young boy was witnessing the meltdown of his hero, and it was being done by a hip-hop dance instructor. He glanced over at the coffee table, grateful that he had made Inuyasha remove his sword and scabbard before they started.
THUD! The hanyou hit the floor for at least the tenth time, this time looking as if Kagome had said "sit!" with his face pressed to the floor. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of Kagome dancing with Houjo. Without that image, he would have given up and stormed out long ago. From his spot on the floor he groaned, "Shouldn't Kagome be home soon? Shouldn't I get out of here before she finds me?"
"Na-uh. She told me to let everyone know she was going to study with her bunch of giggly friends, so she wouldn't be home till dinner. You have plenty of time. Let's try again."
Inuyasha grunted and pushed himself back to his feet. He was beginning to miss the Thunder brothers. He couldn't remember anyone dancing like this at the Shrine festival, and he hadn't been watching anyone but Kagome at her dance, but he was pretty sure she hadn't grabbed her foot and jerked her knee up and down at any time that night.
The most infuriating thing was that the kid seemed to be picking this stuff up like it was no more difficult than walking. He followed along with the dancers and got just about every step right away. But every time Inuyasha seemed to be getting the hang of a step, they would change directions or do some tricky "ball-change" thing, and he'd end up on his butt again. Then that dark-skinned guy would say, "Moving on!" and Inuyasha would growl dangerously, "Moving on! What do you mean moving on! I'm not even on the step before the last step you did! Feh! This is STUPID!"
Mrs. Higurashi almost had to choke to keep from giggling as she watched the spectacle in the next room. Hidden behind the door jam, she had a pretty good view of it all. Finally, she couldn't keep from laughing out loud, so she went off to do some laundry. When she came back, poor Souta had Inuyasha by the back of his Kimono, trying desperately to hold him back from the TV. "No, Inuyasha! You can't kill him! He's not in the television! He lives in California someplace!"
A heavily puffing hanyou glanced back at Tetsusiaga and growled, "Where * is * California?"
"Somewhere in America. Nowhere near here. A really, really long way away. Please, Inu-san! I will turn it off!" He let go of Inuyasha's Kimono and darted to the television, hitting the power button. The hanyou slumped to the floor in defeat, looking very unhappy. Souta sat down next to him, just looking relieved.
"Ano...I'm sorry, Inu-san. I didn't know. I never watched it before."
Inuyasha just looked miserable. How could he take Kagome to a special dance if he couldn't even dance himself? No wonder she didn't want to take him.
Mrs. Higurashi looked in on the dismal pair and took pity on them both. Having chaperoned enough of Kagome's school dances over the years, she knew that very few kids danced like the people on the tape. With amusement tugging at the corners of her mouth, she stepped into the room and said, "I think I can help you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next few days went by fairly quickly. Kagome took her test, studied, took her other test and went to her prom committee meeting. And slept a little. She began to wish she were back in Feudal Japan just so she could get a decent night's sleep. All the while her "friends" interrogated her endlessly about herself and Houjo, and why she hadn't told him she would go with him. Her telling them that it wasn't fair to lead him on when she didn't return his feelings just didn't register with them. "But he's just so HUNKY!" one would sigh. "You two make SUCH a cute couple!" from another.
She didn't want to mention Inuyasha. First of all, how could she explain him? Even without his ears and fangs, he was pretty unbelievable. And she refused to admit that it was him she wanted to share her prom night with, especially to herself. He wouldn't be a real date anyway. She had no idea why he suddenly thought he wanted to go, but she wasn't about to dance the night away with someone who wanted her to be someone else. Oh, gods, how depressing! And how did these people manage to rope her into helping to plan a dance she probably wouldn't go to, anyway?
"Kagome! Hello! Are you still on the planet?" She shook her head and focused on hand waving in front of her face. Yuki looked at her with concern. "Are you feeling ok? You look a little ill."
"I'm ok. Sorry. What were you saying?"
"I was asking what movie you want to see tonight."
'Movie? I gotta get some sleep!' "Whichever one has the most comfortable seats."
"Or we could go swing dancing!" Nanami suggested.
'Swing dancing! Maybe I have more energy than I thought!'
~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, Kagome glared at her alarm clock. Ugh! Why was it necessary to be there when the stores opened, anyway! She hit snooze and rolled over for a few extra minutes of sleep.
When it went off again, she resigned herself to morning, and crawled out of bed with a yawn and a stretch. She reached down and scratched Buyo's ears. "What was I thinking? I never should have closed the club down. 'But swing dancing is so much fun! I should have asked one of those guys to go to the prom with me! That would be good. No broken hearts, no emotional attachments, and no guys wishing I were his old lover. Just great dancing! Hmmm...no romance either...'
She reviewed her plans for the day. She and her friends were on a quest for the perfect prom dresses. "Hmph! As if it matters. What do I need a dress for if I'm not going? Or if I'm going alone." Or she could go with Houjo. Even after she tried to dissuade him, he still insisted that she was the only one he wanted to go with. Or there was ...NO! NO! Not an option!
But no matter how firmly she tried to push the vision out of her mind, she couldn't stop herself from imagining Inuyasha in a tuxedo, his silvery hair pulled back into a ponytail, his cute ears...oh, wait, he would be human, wouldn't he? He'd have to be for it to work anyway. Ok, with his dark hair pulled back...STOP IT!" She turned on the water in the shower as hot as she could stand it and let it pound on her skin, waking her fully.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha climbed out of the well Sunday evening without his usual energy, but still happy. All that work around the shrine and the dancing was exhausting! And he had just narrowly escaped being caught by Kagome coming home from her shopping trip.
He had been in the living room, dancing with the instruction of Kagome's mother. She had taught him some basic dance steps, taught him a couple of the popular line dances, and little swing (since Kagome loved that). And then because she just couldn't resist putting it on tape, the Macarena. She wasn't sure how she managed that one with a straight face, but watching the hanyou try to shake his hips and keep his hands from getting tied up at the same time was just too amusing to pass up.
She had just gone into the kitchen to get him some lemonade when Kagome's voice came floating through the window, "No, thank you Houjo-kun. I just need to sit down for a bit."
Inuyasha helplessly hit the floor, swearing quietly so he wouldn't call attention to himself. "Damn! She's home! Souta, you were supposed to warn me!" 'And what the hell is Hobo doing here?'
"Sorry Inu-san. I was in the bathroom!"
"I gotta get out of here! You go stall her!"
Mrs. Higurashi entered and said, "Why don't you just stay for dinner, Inuyasha? She was supposed to return tonight anyway, so she won't be surprised if you are here waiting for her, right?"
Dinner sounded good. He was really hungry, and a meal here would be better than trying to find something for himself. Kaede was a good cook, but they might have already eaten by the time he got back.
"Feh!" he said out of habit. "I mean...er...thank you Mrs. Higurashi."
So he was still there when Kagome had finally convinced Houjo that she was ok, and no, she didn't need him to carry her inside or go to the store to get her anything. And he didn't go out to maim her would-be suitor because it didn't fit the "I'm civilized enough for you to take out in public" image that he was trying to cultivate. But it took all his self-control not to.
He expected her to be a little indignant when she saw him there, but she wasn't. Or, she didn't seem to be anyway.
"Oh, hi, Inuyasha! You came to get me?" she reached up and scratched the back the back of her head.
"Uh, yeah. And your mom invited me to stay for dinner. I guess she wants to make sure you eat."
"Oh, ok." She seemed nervous about something. "Ano...Inuyasha? I gotta tell you something you're not gonna like."
A hard lump formed in his throat, making it impossible for him to swallow. His heart raced and his gut wrenched. She was about to tell him that this whole weekend was going to have been wasted because she had agreed to go to the prom with Hobo. "Well, what is it, wench?"
She closed her eyes and blurted, "I need to stay home for one more day! Just one more day, Inuyasha! Please! I have a make-up lab to do in chemistry and I want to find out the results of my tests. I promise to go back as soon as I get out of class tomorrow! Please?"
Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. "Ok."
She opened one eye and peered at him uncertainly. "Nani?"
"I said, "ok!" What, are you deaf?"
Ok, this was weird. It was strange enough that he was letting her stay for dinner, although she knew he loved her mom's cooking. But letting her stay another day without a single "sit!" was just too.....how do they call it in fanfics? OOC? 'Something odd is going on here!'
In fact, he was planning to tell her to go to school for the whole week, since he wanted to be able work. And he was getting pretty used to Mrs. Higurashi's meals. He just didn't know how to do that without giving himself away. And he wasn't about to tell her that he was spending his days at her home or what he was doing there. He wanted to surprise her, and besides, it would be too embarrassing if she still refused to take him.
They had a very pleasant dinner, and Inuyasha only had to pinch Souta a couple of times to keep him from divulging something awkward. By the end of dinner, Kagome was seriously concerned that she had landed in some alternate dimension, though. She couldn't help but notice that Inuyasha seemed to have found some table manners. And good ones, too. Instead of picking up his bowl and just horking it all down in one big swallow, he was taking his time, eating like...well... a gentleman.
When dinner was over, and he began to clear dishes and take them to the kitchen, she couldn't stand it anymore. The changes were all for the good, but she was beginning to think that he had been possessed by some demon with designs on the shards, and was trying to earn her trust so he could steal them when she was off guard. Or something.
"Ok, who are you and what have you done with the real Inuyasha?" she demanded.
"Oi, wench, what are you talking about?"
"First you tell me I can stay for an extra day without an argument, then you eat politely at the dinner table, and...and...and then you help clear dishes?" She grabbed at the collar of his kimono with both hands and searched his eyes. "You look and feel like Inuyasha, but..."
"But the real Inuyasha couldn't possibly be a nice guy to have around? Is that what you're saying, wench? He couldn't possibly have any manners? I had a mother, too, you know? She taught me some stuff, too, you know! I know how to behave if I want to!"
She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, "Something strange is going on around here."
But just as he was about to reply, Mrs. Higurashi came in with dessert.
After dessert, Kagome had to bathe and prepare for her lab, and Inuyasha decided to head home. He was halfway across the courtyard when he heard Kagome call to him and he stopped and turned to see her standing in front of him. Her cheesk were flushed from running to catch up with him, and her hair was blowing softly in the breeze.
"Um, Inuyasha... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. You're just acting kind of different. But in a nice way. Please don't leave mad at me."
He didn't know what to say. He wanted to ask her about the dance again. He wanted to beg her to take him. But he just couldn't make himself do it. So he nodded, "Ok."
"You're not mad?"
"No."
She reached to hug him, and he met her halfway. They just stood there, holding each other for a few minutes, neither wanting to let go. Finally, she pulled back and tiptoed up to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you."
And then she was gone. Back into her house. Leaving him standing in the middle of the courtyard with his head swimming. She * had* just kissed him, right? But why?
He heard Miroku's voice in the back of his mind, "Don't ask why, idiot! Just be happy she did it!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He was headed back toward the village, his skin still pleasantly warm where Kagome's lips had touched it just moments before. So wrapped in those thoughts, he didn't notice her till she was walking next to him. He jumped when he heard the voice of Kikyo in his ear.
"Rumor has it that you are spending much of your time in the future world these days."
"Kikyo..."
"So, I take it you were successful in protecting her from whatever it was that brought you back from your journey with me."
He stopped walking and sighed. He didn't need this right now. Looking down at his feet, he muttered, "Kikyo, I'm sorry, but I won't be going with you."
She just gazed at him for a moment, then continued walking. "You say you would do anything, come back from anywhere to protect my reincarnation. So, she has become more precious to you then I?
"Dammit, Kikyo! She's more you than you are now!" Seeing the sad, startled look on the miko's face he went on, voice gentle, "Look, I'm sorry for what happened with us, more than you can ever know. I wanted to spend my life with you. You were the first person other than my mother who accepted me, let alone loved me. And I want to see you at peace. But you didn't kill me. And I have a reason to live now. The Kikyo I knew, the one I loved would want that. And I think the part of Kagome's soul that was you knew that when she set me free from the Goshinboku."
"You've thought about this quite a bit, then."
"Every day."
"And you think things will be different with your little human girl, do you? Will you use the jewel to become human for her?"
"If she asks me to, I will. But she doesn't seem to care."
"Maybe she doesn't want you forever. Maybe she's just here to fulfill her duty."
He closed his eyes. He couldn't think about that. Not when he was just beginning to feel hope. "She won't leave me."
"You think not? What if the same thing were to happen with her that happened to us? Do you think the outcome would be different?"
He had thought about this a lot, too. He remembered all the times she had trusted him to be there for her, the times she had just assumed without a doubt that he would triumph over their enemies, the times she had said, "Don't worry, Inuyasha! I believe in you." He smiled at the memory of her leaping from the firecat into his arms, never doubting for a moment that he would be there to catch her.
"Yes, yes I do think it would be different. I'm sorry, Kikyo, but our trust in each other just wasn't strong enough. Maybe we didn't have enough time to build it, or maybe we just hadn't gone through enough together. But it was fragile enough that it was broken by what was a very simple deception. Kagome is strong willed and stubborn, and way too unmindful of her human frailties. But part of that is that she always trusts me to be there to back her up. And I always trust her to be there by my side, too."
"She trusts you to guard her life, but does she trust you? Does she know without a doubt that you would never do her harm?"
He turned away and winced at that. That was the bottom line. Did she trust him with her heart? Did she know how precious and dear to him she was? He answered, a little shakily, "Yes, of course she does!"
Kikyo chuckled lightly. She had caught the uncertainty in his voice, subtle as it was. "We'll see about that."
Inuyasha spun around in alarm, "Don't you dare touch her! If you so much as..."
"* I* won't touch her."
"KIKYO!!!!!!!!"
But she was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*
That was a tough one to write. I hope you all weren't disappointed. It took me much longer than usual because I had another show this weekend, and also because of Inuyasha's dance scene. I wanted it to be sidesplittingly funny, but it just didn't want to be written that way. The thing is, I can't try to be funny. I throw things out that occur to me as I'm writing, and people find them funny, and I like that. But as to writing a really funny scene, I just can't seem to do it.
So, that's what I get for throwing out teasers. I really hope you all enjoyed the chappie anyway! As usual, please leave feedback. Some of you have given me some great ideas for bits of the upcoming chapters, although I won't say whom, because as I told you before, I hate giving away my story lines. But ideas or not, you can't imagine how a full mailbox inspires me to hit the keyboard! Thank you all!