Phoxy- Bout time I updated, ne? It's a bit shorter than usual...sorry.
Disclaimer- ...Bite my bunny!
********************************
~~~*'Beating around the Bush'*~~~ ****~~~~'Troubled Hate'~~~~****
There was a breeze lightly blowing threw the cracks of Kagome's room. Her eyes flickered open as she sat up on the bear pelt and looked around not really sure where she was.
Her gaze fell on a black haired boy near the opening of her little room. He was looking at her with his deep green eyes, and as she looked at him her mind swam with no thought what so ever, and then it clicked.
"What are you doing in here!?" Kagome asked a bit louder than she had first anticipated it to be.
"Well good-morning to you too." Kouga said calmly. What was she so worked up about?
Kagome scowled at him, "What are you doing in here?"
"We are suppose to sleep in the same room-"
"What!?" Kagome hissed.
"My mother's out there and if I hadn't come in here she would have gotten extremely suspicious." Kouga said in his own defense. It didn't help him much seeing as Kagome was determined to derail his nerves this morning.
"I don't care! Get out!" She screeched.
"Shhhh. Kagome. You don't want to wake everyone up do you?" This seemed to be falling apart fast.
"If it gets you out of here...YES!"
"I didn't do anything to you. Please keep quiet." Kouga tried to reason with her quickly.
"You kissed me yesterday! And now you're in the same sleeping quarters as me!" Kagome said still screeching loudly. It was a wonder no one was up and listening yet. Or at least that's what Kouga was hoping.
Kouga blinked, "You never seemed to mind when Inuyasha slept next to you. And for the record the kiss was wolf-tribe tradition."
Kagome lost her voice for a few moments before she looked at him funny.
"What?" Kouga asked not sure if he liked that expression in the least.
"Why are you doing this?" Kagome asked as she reached up and ran her fingers threw her hair. It hadn't been what all she had been planning to say, but it seemed to work for the time being.
And she had managed to confuse Kouga as well, "What do you mean?" He asked narrowing his eyes at her.
"I mean, why are you going threw all this trouble to trick your mother?" Kagome rephrased as she unknotted her hair a bit and then flung it over her shoulder.
"Because I can."
Kagome wanted to take who ever came up with the phrase out into a dark alley and beat their brains in with a base ball bat, "That's not a good enough answer."
"Well it's the truth." Kouga said with a shrug.
Kagome got up with a dull look on her face as she headed to walk out of the room. "I'll just be going now."
"Going? Wait!" He stumbled to grab her sleeve and stopped her, "It's too early. The sun isn't even up yet."
"Give me a real answer or I'm out." Kagome pulled her arm from Kouga's grip and eyed him closely.
Great. Why did she have to do this to him? Why, why, why, why, why... "It's because I can't stand her face when I disappoint her. I've always done it and every time I let her down in the smallest way she gives me that face. She's done it ever since my father died. She blames me for his death."
Kagome sat back down. She hadn't been expecting that at all. Usually it takes a lot more to get information out of people...or maybe that was only Inuyasha, she wasn't really sure at the moment, "That's horrible. Why would she blame you for you're fathers death?"
"Because she can. He was killed by a demon bear. He had gone out alone on the morning hunt and never came home...we found his corps a few days later. Completely mauled...I had been the first to see him." As he talked Kouga seemed to drift off into his own thoughts, as he stared at the ceiling you could tell he wasn't seeing the stone over head.
"I'm sorry..."Kagome said timidly, she hadn't known...
"Yeah?" He asked still out of it slightly, "Well that's why I'm doing this, because I don't want to see that stupid disappointed expression on her face, and if you don't want to help then I'm screwed."
"What about that little wood nymph? She seems like she would have helped you."
"My mother already met her. The two of them have 'artistic' differences." Kouga said carefully picking his words.
"Like how?" Kagome asked. When was the last time she had had a real conversation?
"Like my mother saw Kiyoumi as dead and Kiyoumi saw mother 'dearest' as dead. It's a mutual hate-hate relationship, and quite frankly I hate her too"
"You're mother or Kiyoumi?" Kagome asked trying to keep up.
"Kiyoumi...for the most part." Kouga added slowly.
"Kasima hate's Kiyoumi yet she wants you to find a mate...that seems a tad, hypocritical."
"Well that's good ol' mother." Kouga's gaze fell on the bear pelt that draped for a door as he heard the morning scouts leaving. The sun would be up soon, and he would have to face his mother again, as well as the morning hunt.
"That's horrible." Kagome said again.
"Yeah...."
**~~...~~**
Inuyasha had stopped for the night, he could see the water leading away from the wolf's caves.
It was still dark out, and the only reason he had stopped was because he could smell the stench of the mongrels everywhere, and with the horrible light he couldn't tell where they were.
Thus the reason he stopped.
He had been traveling after them all day, Inuyasha wasn't worried...much. The only fear he really had was what the wolf might do to Kagome.
Kouga was much stronger than her, and if he touched her...
Inuyasha would rip him limb from limb until his body parts were scattered for miles.
What a lovely thought.
Inuyasha's eyes were slowly starting to close as his head lay back against the trees' strong trunk. He was tired, but he found it hard to relax.
It had always been so easy to sleep when Kagome was around...
The dog-half sighed and let his eyes fall closed. He'd wake up in a few hours anyway. There was no real hurry...
**~~...~~**
The sun was up to it's entirety, Kouga had left a while ago for some kind of hunting party. Kagome hadn't really listened to the full argument he had had with his mom...in fact she had excused herself to her room after it had started.
She never would have guessed Kouga fought with his mother. He fought with her more than she fought with hers, and that was scary.
The conversation she had had with him earlier still was scratching at her mind, it was just rude that Kasima would blame Kouga like that for something that wasn't even his fault.
Kagome sighed as she pulled one of the pelts over her legs. It was a bit chilly in the back of the caves where her room was. And the only reason she didn't' leave the little room was because she really didn't know anyone else out in the main halls of the cave.
The doorway drape was shifted as Kasima walked threw it with something that looked like furs held in her arms, "Hello dear."
Kagome put on a pleasant smile despite the horrible feelings she had towards this woman, "Hello."
"I brought you something." Kasima said with a genuine smile on her face as she moved over and kneeled down next to Kagome. She held out the material in her arms to her, "Made them myself. You look to be about the right size to fit them."
Kagome picked up the soft white fur and unfolded it. It was a top to the outfit that was being offered to her. "wow..."
"I thought you'd like them. Well go on, put them on dear."
Kagome looked around. She didn't really feel all that comfortable changing in an unknown place, but seeing as how she wasn't getting out of this she stripped down to her undergarments, thank god for bras and underwear, and slipped on the outfit.
The top fit like a glove and the bottoms, which was much like a skort was just as fitting. There were two arm cuffs that slid on with only a bit of difficulty, but the entire outfit was extremely gorgeous.
"Beautiful. Simply beautiful." Kasima said as she looked Kagome over. If there was one thing she was right about, it did fit Kagome perfectly.
"You really think so?" Kagome asked with a smile.
"Defiantly dear." Kasima confirmed.
"Thank you so much." Kagome said as she sat back down on the bear pelts.
"Well it wasn't like I was going to be wearing it." Kasima said as if it was an excuse.
Kagome was grateful either way.
"You can keep them too."
"Oh no, I couldn't." Kagome said. She didn't want to feel as though she were robbing her.
"It's no problem. I promise. Besides, it does fit you wonderfully. I'd hate to give it to anyone else."
"Thank you." Kagome said again as she ideally brushed her hair back over her shoulders.
"Don't mention it." Kasima's smile was beautiful. When she wasn't looking stern she really didn't look old at all. In fact, she never really looked old to begin with. The woman could easily be mistaken for a classmate of Kagome's.
"You made this?" Kagome asked remembering Kasima's original statement.
"Yes. It was for my wedding to Kouga's father. There were many other pieces to it of course, but I only kept the basic parts after...after the accident." Kasima said slowly.
"What happened." Kagome asked, though, she thought she knew.
"Kouga's father died." Kasima said flatly, her smile fading from her face.
"Bear attack..."
"Yes. I see Kouga has told you about it. That pelt you are sitting on was that of the bear that had killed Hatome." Kasima glanced down at the large bear pelt that lay beneath the two of them. "Kutor and Kouga had both taken out the retched beast after finding his body..."
No one said anything for a while after that. A long pregnant pause stretched out until Kasima looked up to Kagome's face, "I was such an idiot then, and that is why I pay for it now."
"What?" Kagome asked. Not sure what Kasima had meant by that last comment.
"Well Kouga still blames me, now doesn't he. What an awful birthday present it was for him too."
Kagome still wasn't picking up what all the woman had just said. Kouga didn't blame her. She blamed him...didn't she?
"Kouga had reached his coming of age, and when it was time for him to lead the hunt, he didn't want to go. He refused to go. I made Hatome carry on with out his son. He went alone and, he never came back." Kasima was staring at the bear pelt, but she had a glaze over her eyes that told Kagome that she wasn't really seeing it.
"And...you think Kouga blames you for it?" Kagome asked. There were some serious misunderstandings in this family.
"Well doesn't he? You've seen the way he glares at me, and they way he acts when I'm around." Kasima asked.
Kagome was slowly putting the pieces of this horrible puzzle together, slowly guessing where parts fit. Kouga thought that his mother was blaming him because he hadn't gone with his dad that day hunting. And Kasima thought that Kouga blamed her because she had made his dad go on his own for the days hunt.
They were blaming themselves really, but how to explain that to them when the two of them only argued when they were in the same room with each other.
Kasima sighed and stood up. "I should be use to it by now. That boy has his fathers' stuborness and just wont let a grudge go." She put on a smile and headed for the door, "If you want you can come out of this room. We don't bite you know."
"I know." Kagome said as she stood up as well. She'd have to work out this problem in time, as well as keep the cover for Kouga...
What a mess she has gotten herself into...
**********************************
Phoxy- Sorry this has taken me so long. ^__^o I'm not sure what the next chapter will be called yet. Oh well..
READ,
ENJOY
REVIEW!!
Disclaimer- ...Bite my bunny!
********************************
~~~*'Beating around the Bush'*~~~ ****~~~~'Troubled Hate'~~~~****
There was a breeze lightly blowing threw the cracks of Kagome's room. Her eyes flickered open as she sat up on the bear pelt and looked around not really sure where she was.
Her gaze fell on a black haired boy near the opening of her little room. He was looking at her with his deep green eyes, and as she looked at him her mind swam with no thought what so ever, and then it clicked.
"What are you doing in here!?" Kagome asked a bit louder than she had first anticipated it to be.
"Well good-morning to you too." Kouga said calmly. What was she so worked up about?
Kagome scowled at him, "What are you doing in here?"
"We are suppose to sleep in the same room-"
"What!?" Kagome hissed.
"My mother's out there and if I hadn't come in here she would have gotten extremely suspicious." Kouga said in his own defense. It didn't help him much seeing as Kagome was determined to derail his nerves this morning.
"I don't care! Get out!" She screeched.
"Shhhh. Kagome. You don't want to wake everyone up do you?" This seemed to be falling apart fast.
"If it gets you out of here...YES!"
"I didn't do anything to you. Please keep quiet." Kouga tried to reason with her quickly.
"You kissed me yesterday! And now you're in the same sleeping quarters as me!" Kagome said still screeching loudly. It was a wonder no one was up and listening yet. Or at least that's what Kouga was hoping.
Kouga blinked, "You never seemed to mind when Inuyasha slept next to you. And for the record the kiss was wolf-tribe tradition."
Kagome lost her voice for a few moments before she looked at him funny.
"What?" Kouga asked not sure if he liked that expression in the least.
"Why are you doing this?" Kagome asked as she reached up and ran her fingers threw her hair. It hadn't been what all she had been planning to say, but it seemed to work for the time being.
And she had managed to confuse Kouga as well, "What do you mean?" He asked narrowing his eyes at her.
"I mean, why are you going threw all this trouble to trick your mother?" Kagome rephrased as she unknotted her hair a bit and then flung it over her shoulder.
"Because I can."
Kagome wanted to take who ever came up with the phrase out into a dark alley and beat their brains in with a base ball bat, "That's not a good enough answer."
"Well it's the truth." Kouga said with a shrug.
Kagome got up with a dull look on her face as she headed to walk out of the room. "I'll just be going now."
"Going? Wait!" He stumbled to grab her sleeve and stopped her, "It's too early. The sun isn't even up yet."
"Give me a real answer or I'm out." Kagome pulled her arm from Kouga's grip and eyed him closely.
Great. Why did she have to do this to him? Why, why, why, why, why... "It's because I can't stand her face when I disappoint her. I've always done it and every time I let her down in the smallest way she gives me that face. She's done it ever since my father died. She blames me for his death."
Kagome sat back down. She hadn't been expecting that at all. Usually it takes a lot more to get information out of people...or maybe that was only Inuyasha, she wasn't really sure at the moment, "That's horrible. Why would she blame you for you're fathers death?"
"Because she can. He was killed by a demon bear. He had gone out alone on the morning hunt and never came home...we found his corps a few days later. Completely mauled...I had been the first to see him." As he talked Kouga seemed to drift off into his own thoughts, as he stared at the ceiling you could tell he wasn't seeing the stone over head.
"I'm sorry..."Kagome said timidly, she hadn't known...
"Yeah?" He asked still out of it slightly, "Well that's why I'm doing this, because I don't want to see that stupid disappointed expression on her face, and if you don't want to help then I'm screwed."
"What about that little wood nymph? She seems like she would have helped you."
"My mother already met her. The two of them have 'artistic' differences." Kouga said carefully picking his words.
"Like how?" Kagome asked. When was the last time she had had a real conversation?
"Like my mother saw Kiyoumi as dead and Kiyoumi saw mother 'dearest' as dead. It's a mutual hate-hate relationship, and quite frankly I hate her too"
"You're mother or Kiyoumi?" Kagome asked trying to keep up.
"Kiyoumi...for the most part." Kouga added slowly.
"Kasima hate's Kiyoumi yet she wants you to find a mate...that seems a tad, hypocritical."
"Well that's good ol' mother." Kouga's gaze fell on the bear pelt that draped for a door as he heard the morning scouts leaving. The sun would be up soon, and he would have to face his mother again, as well as the morning hunt.
"That's horrible." Kagome said again.
"Yeah...."
**~~...~~**
Inuyasha had stopped for the night, he could see the water leading away from the wolf's caves.
It was still dark out, and the only reason he had stopped was because he could smell the stench of the mongrels everywhere, and with the horrible light he couldn't tell where they were.
Thus the reason he stopped.
He had been traveling after them all day, Inuyasha wasn't worried...much. The only fear he really had was what the wolf might do to Kagome.
Kouga was much stronger than her, and if he touched her...
Inuyasha would rip him limb from limb until his body parts were scattered for miles.
What a lovely thought.
Inuyasha's eyes were slowly starting to close as his head lay back against the trees' strong trunk. He was tired, but he found it hard to relax.
It had always been so easy to sleep when Kagome was around...
The dog-half sighed and let his eyes fall closed. He'd wake up in a few hours anyway. There was no real hurry...
**~~...~~**
The sun was up to it's entirety, Kouga had left a while ago for some kind of hunting party. Kagome hadn't really listened to the full argument he had had with his mom...in fact she had excused herself to her room after it had started.
She never would have guessed Kouga fought with his mother. He fought with her more than she fought with hers, and that was scary.
The conversation she had had with him earlier still was scratching at her mind, it was just rude that Kasima would blame Kouga like that for something that wasn't even his fault.
Kagome sighed as she pulled one of the pelts over her legs. It was a bit chilly in the back of the caves where her room was. And the only reason she didn't' leave the little room was because she really didn't know anyone else out in the main halls of the cave.
The doorway drape was shifted as Kasima walked threw it with something that looked like furs held in her arms, "Hello dear."
Kagome put on a pleasant smile despite the horrible feelings she had towards this woman, "Hello."
"I brought you something." Kasima said with a genuine smile on her face as she moved over and kneeled down next to Kagome. She held out the material in her arms to her, "Made them myself. You look to be about the right size to fit them."
Kagome picked up the soft white fur and unfolded it. It was a top to the outfit that was being offered to her. "wow..."
"I thought you'd like them. Well go on, put them on dear."
Kagome looked around. She didn't really feel all that comfortable changing in an unknown place, but seeing as how she wasn't getting out of this she stripped down to her undergarments, thank god for bras and underwear, and slipped on the outfit.
The top fit like a glove and the bottoms, which was much like a skort was just as fitting. There were two arm cuffs that slid on with only a bit of difficulty, but the entire outfit was extremely gorgeous.
"Beautiful. Simply beautiful." Kasima said as she looked Kagome over. If there was one thing she was right about, it did fit Kagome perfectly.
"You really think so?" Kagome asked with a smile.
"Defiantly dear." Kasima confirmed.
"Thank you so much." Kagome said as she sat back down on the bear pelts.
"Well it wasn't like I was going to be wearing it." Kasima said as if it was an excuse.
Kagome was grateful either way.
"You can keep them too."
"Oh no, I couldn't." Kagome said. She didn't want to feel as though she were robbing her.
"It's no problem. I promise. Besides, it does fit you wonderfully. I'd hate to give it to anyone else."
"Thank you." Kagome said again as she ideally brushed her hair back over her shoulders.
"Don't mention it." Kasima's smile was beautiful. When she wasn't looking stern she really didn't look old at all. In fact, she never really looked old to begin with. The woman could easily be mistaken for a classmate of Kagome's.
"You made this?" Kagome asked remembering Kasima's original statement.
"Yes. It was for my wedding to Kouga's father. There were many other pieces to it of course, but I only kept the basic parts after...after the accident." Kasima said slowly.
"What happened." Kagome asked, though, she thought she knew.
"Kouga's father died." Kasima said flatly, her smile fading from her face.
"Bear attack..."
"Yes. I see Kouga has told you about it. That pelt you are sitting on was that of the bear that had killed Hatome." Kasima glanced down at the large bear pelt that lay beneath the two of them. "Kutor and Kouga had both taken out the retched beast after finding his body..."
No one said anything for a while after that. A long pregnant pause stretched out until Kasima looked up to Kagome's face, "I was such an idiot then, and that is why I pay for it now."
"What?" Kagome asked. Not sure what Kasima had meant by that last comment.
"Well Kouga still blames me, now doesn't he. What an awful birthday present it was for him too."
Kagome still wasn't picking up what all the woman had just said. Kouga didn't blame her. She blamed him...didn't she?
"Kouga had reached his coming of age, and when it was time for him to lead the hunt, he didn't want to go. He refused to go. I made Hatome carry on with out his son. He went alone and, he never came back." Kasima was staring at the bear pelt, but she had a glaze over her eyes that told Kagome that she wasn't really seeing it.
"And...you think Kouga blames you for it?" Kagome asked. There were some serious misunderstandings in this family.
"Well doesn't he? You've seen the way he glares at me, and they way he acts when I'm around." Kasima asked.
Kagome was slowly putting the pieces of this horrible puzzle together, slowly guessing where parts fit. Kouga thought that his mother was blaming him because he hadn't gone with his dad that day hunting. And Kasima thought that Kouga blamed her because she had made his dad go on his own for the days hunt.
They were blaming themselves really, but how to explain that to them when the two of them only argued when they were in the same room with each other.
Kasima sighed and stood up. "I should be use to it by now. That boy has his fathers' stuborness and just wont let a grudge go." She put on a smile and headed for the door, "If you want you can come out of this room. We don't bite you know."
"I know." Kagome said as she stood up as well. She'd have to work out this problem in time, as well as keep the cover for Kouga...
What a mess she has gotten herself into...
**********************************
Phoxy- Sorry this has taken me so long. ^__^o I'm not sure what the next chapter will be called yet. Oh well..
READ,
ENJOY
REVIEW!!