The sweetest shade of brown
~
an Inuyasha fanfiction
by
mkh2
~
Disclaimer: Doesn't the fact that I mention the "disclaimer" just scream the obvious at you? It doesn't? This sounds like a job for… Obvious Man! However, he's not here, and he's a character owned by Bizarro… I think… so I guess I have to state it anways: I don't own Inuyasha.
~
The first time I saw you, eyes flashing, growing darker and darker with each passing moment from the frightened shivery brown from just moments ago to an almost angry black… you were furious. I suppose it was only natural – from the way you were acting it seemed you must've been called that name many times today. I hate not being called by my name, instead being called something else, usually insulting, so I know how you feel.
Days passed. I started to get to know your moods, each one practically screamed from your eyes, even when you yourself were not so vocal. It was funny, almost, how the emotions expressed in your eyes were often conveyed by the change in cooler, growing darker or lighter, pale or deeper or richer or creamy. There is one shade in particular, a shade I had never seen before.
The sweetest shade of brown.
Weeks passed. As you opened up to me, even if I didn't always open up to you, you would bring all sorts of delicious treats from your world. My favorite, you quickly learned, was ramen – I knew I couldn't lie to you and say it was disgusting, especially after that face you made the first time I pounced on your backpack at your return from your time. Naturally you subdued me for ripping a hole in one pocket. Five times. One for each claw. At least that's what I think. I didn't mean to. I was hungry.
I saw many of the shades of brown in the foods you eat that were comparable to your eyes. The one I like the least is the coffee color – the angry black. I've seen it when you were angry with me, or when you thought of her… at least I think it's her you think of since you always seem so bitter about it. Bitter like coffee.
Coffee can be sweet sometimes though. That's what you said anyway. I couldn't stand the smell enough to taste it after the first time. Your favorite… frappuccino?… the one with caramel and lots of cream… I've seen that shade in your eyes when you were sad but resigned. I remember it clearest that time you decided to come back, swirling in murky circles in your eyes. I loved it. I hated it. You hate it when I'm ambivalent, don't you?
Of course, the coffee drink I liked the most – not to drink but to watch you drink it – was espresso. That was funny. I didn't know you could bounce off the walls like that. Or talk so fast. Funny.
I like it when you get that cinnamon shade. You always seem so happy and… perky? Is that what you call it? It sounds right. You have a lot of pluck. And when you smile that cinnamon smile of yours everything seems wonderful – unless you're about to subdue me. I hate it when you do that. Though sometimes I love it. You've saved me with that hated word. You've saved lives with that foul word. And those times I loved it. But most times I hate it. You can understand that. You're so understanding. That's why you put up with her and me. Just please don't say I'm exhausting again.
The sweetest shade of brown. We had been traveling for months together and I had yet to put a name to that shade you get in your eyes sometimes when I catch you looking at me when you think I'm not looking. It's okay; I do that with you a lot. You don't catch me that often though, I think. It's that warm shade that makes me tingle all over.
I remember Shippou was there. Miroku and Sango were at the village with Kaede, waiting for us. I think they were eating, but I didn't mind. I knew you would have ramen for me. Shippou was asking for candy and you said there were lollipops in your bag in the pocket – the one I put the holes in, the ones that made us leave late because you wouldn't leave until they were patched up again – I don't know why you were so embarrassed over those little white packets that fell out – you said they were only candy – mints? – wait, where was I? Oh yes, and he started digging in… and I smelled something sweet, sweeter than those lollipops he likes so much, sweeter than the strawberry pocky Shippou devours so often… so sweet.
Then you scolded Shippou. You said that it probably wasn't good for him, and you wanted him to try just a tiny bit slowly to see if it would be okay for him to eat, and not to give any to Kirara, it wouldn't be good for her at all, and maybe Inuyasha would like to try it – just a little. I hate it when you talk as if I'm not there – I was standing right next to you. I understand though – you wanted to make it clear to him who you were talking about since I've seen you do that with your little brother too, and with other small children. Oh, then you said to wait on the new candy until we get to the village.
We walked.
I like walking with you. Especially when we are by ourselves, like we used to.
You were right, you know – it's been a long time since it was just the two of us. I don't mind though – like you said, it just means I have more friends. I think I like having friends.
You aren't always right though – you should stop going to your world so much for tests and stay here, with me, like you said you would.
I don't see how you can stay with me when you keep running away from me.
But I digress.
We walked back to the village, said our greetings, had "small talk" as you put it – though I don't see how talk can be small. Unless you mean a whisper. But you never whisper small talk. Ugh – that makes my head hurt. So we made it back to the village and greeted the monk, the taijiya and the ol' hag. I know I'm older than her. It doesn't matter if I'm older than her – she's still an old hag. I like her. I bet my grandmother would have been just like her… if I had a grandmother. And if I had my pick of grandmothers.
We sat and talked and ate. Same as we do all the time. Sit. Talk. Eat. Talk some more. Maybe sleep. You have so many words for those things.
Sit.
Lounge. Recline. Rest. Take a load off.
Talk.
Chat. Discuss. Argue. Communicate.
Eat.
Devour. Consume. Nibble. Taste.
Sleep.
Rest. Nap. Catch some Zs.
Though I can't see how a person can catch a Z. I didn't know Zs needed to be caught.
At sunset we sat on the steps. The others were inside Kaede's house. Shippou was asleep, curled up with Kirara on your bed. You know he's too old to be sleeping with you still. Is that why you sometimes have him sleep with Miroku or I? I think you should do as you said once and get him his own sleeping bag.
You pulled out that candy. Said I could take a little taste – just a nibble, not too much – see if I won't get sick first before I eat more. You muttered something about canines and chalk. You mumble a lot, you know? So I had a little taste. Then I had a little more. Soon I ate it all, except for a little bit you ate and what had melted on your fingers. Oh. I had the candy of your fingers too. I had the most.
I liked it, that you let me try some of that brown stuff, the very shade of my favorite shade of your eyes. It was just as sweet as I imagined that shade to be.
Chocolate. The sweetest shade of brown.
~Owari~
Well, there you have it. This was a stream-of-conscious from Inuyasha's point-of-view… Yes, he's thinking about Kagome and the "her" I mentioned was Kikyo. Obviously. It probably makes no sense, but I did write this after watching FuriKuri, and half an Inuyasha episode where Hachi was impersonating Miroku (I knew it was him from almost the start… stupid tanuki…)
Just to let you know I've never drunk coffee except for one time before and it never even made it down my throat. (My sister was the three-year-old coffee addict, not me… But she's better now.) It did make a nice swirly design with the bubbles down the kitchen sink though… So if I screwed up (except for the bitter part, I know I'm right about that otherwise I would've drunk the coffee… I told you it's not good for headaches, mom!) Actually, much of what I write tends to come out stream-of-conscious, even if it doesn't always look it – my stream-of-conscious must've been affected by all those books I used to read when I was little. For instance, my Mikki character, at her silliest, is mostly a stream-of-conscious of my fourteen-year-old self. I was very klutzy then – I wonder if it had anything to do with Sailor Moon, which I watched for four years easy. I watched almost every episode shown on Cartoon Network. … Stop looking at me that way! Okay, okay, I can still be silly.
One or two people said I write these characters well. I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult because I pattern these (and other characters) after certain aspects of my own personality. Seriously though – one of my neighbors used to call me Grumpy. Of course, I had lots of headaches then. But my family knows better – I'm actually very silly – not a giggly high-school girl or anything, I can be serious, though my mom doesn't seem to realize it. (For goodness sake – I haven't been eight in twelve years!)
~
Now here's a word from Mikki (with some noises I tend to make – all pre-Inuyasha, I assure you.): Bleh. Keh, fh, hn, feh. Chu! Ulm? Nyeh-heh-heh-heh… mwr? Uhrbiddi? Nyew! Nyowr! Me feel better… shouldn't have eaten so many Cheetos… or other lovely snack foods. So many snack foods… Yummy, yummy, yummy. I want a cheeseburger.
ß That last part made no sense whatsoever.
Okay, buh-bye! Mikki, over and out!