~*~You Stole My Heart~*~
A/N: Thanks for reviewing everyone! I reached 300 reviews! I'll try to squeeze in an extra chapter this week! Plus, I'm zipping through the story really fast because if I went really slow, this story would have a lot of chapters. I'm taking a few of your suggestions and putting them in this story. Well, I better stop talking. I'm wasting time!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha.
Chapter 20: Preparations And The Third Rehearsal
Another week flew quickly by and Kagome woke up quickly on Friday morning. She jumped out of bed, brushed her teeth, dressed into comfortable and normal clothes, and then ran down the stairs. Grandpa was sitting at the kitchen table, holding a clipboard and a pen. He looked up as he heard his granddaughter approach.
"Ah, Kagome," he nodded his head.
"Good morning, Grandpa," Kagome gave him a hug. "Preparing for today's festival?"
"Yes. Now sit down. Since you don't have to go to school today, I want you to be my assistant."
"What do you mean by 'your assistant'?"
"I mean," Grandpa cleared his voice. "I mean that you check everything off on the list once it is accomplished, got it?"
"Oh," Kagome took a seat next to him. "Hai, I get it."
"Then let's go through the list. You say what's on the list and if I say 'check', you check the box next to it."
"I already know that Grandpa," Kagome said, annoyed.
"Very well. Let's begin."
"Ok," Kagome took a look at the top of the list. "Lanterns."
"Check."
"Streamers."
"Check."
"Booths and tables."
"Check."
"Chairs."
"Check."
"Curtains for the stage."
"Check."
"Food."
"Your mother will prepare the food before the festival starts."
"Okay. Games."
"Rin said she would help with that."
"Now let's see..people who are coming: puppeteers."
"Check."
"A monkey tamer."
"Check."
"A monkey tamer?"
"I said check for that already, Kagome."
"A monkey tamer?" Kagome stifled a laugh. She continued, "Booth keepers."
"Check."
*****
Kagome and Grandpa went through the list for an hour until the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Kagome sighed and went to the door. She opened the door and looked up into the face of Inu Yasha.
"Hi," he grinned. "Thought I should get here early, so I did."
"You beat your brother," Kagome observed.
"I know," he smiled. Kagome couldn't help but giggle. He looked so different in normal clothes. Inu Yasha wore a thin red jacket, a black t- shirt underneath, blue baggy jeans, and sneakers. To add to that, he had tied back his long black hair into a low ponytail.
"Well, well. If it isn't Inu Yasha, our son-in-law," Grandpa chuckled as he walked up behind Kagome. "It's about time you came."
Inu Yasha didn't answer. He was blushing from the "son-in-law" statement.
"Grandpa," Kagome rolled her eyes. "Leave him alone."
"Not until you two get married," Grandpa replied and walked off before anyone could say anything.
Silence.
"Let's just forget what he said," Kagome said quickly.
"Yup," Inu Yasha agreed and walked into the house.
*****
DING! DONG!
"Kagome! Get the door please!" Grandpa shouted. Kagome looked up from the clipboard and sighed.
DING! DING! DING! DONG!
"KAGOME!"
"I heard Grandpa!" she shouted back.
DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!-
Kagome swung the door open and glared at the door ringer.
"Sesshoumaru, I told you not to ring the doorbell so many times," Rin bit her lip.
"Gomen, Kagome," Sesshoumaru apologized.
"Just get in," Kagome said and walked off into the kitchen.
*****
Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha were setting up the booths while Rin was talking on the phone. When she hung up, she called out to everyone, "I'm going to pick someone up. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Rin walked up to Sesshoumaru and asked for the car keys. He stuck his hand in a pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. She took the keys gratefully and walked down the shrine stairs.
*****
Kagome was helping everyone set up the tables when Rin came back with something furry in her arms.
"Rin," Kagome smiled. "What's that?"
"Well, actually, it's a 'who's that'," Rin replied. She went over to Kagome and laid down the furry bundle. Kagome blinked. It was a little fox boy!
"Why does he have those ears, feet and that tail?" Kagome asked curiously.
"He was used as an experiment by these mad scientists," Rin said sadly. "They wanted to use him to see if they could change humans into animals."
"That's stupid."
"I know. This boy was an orphan and when the scientists found him, they caught him and chained him up."
The fox boy sat up and woke up from his sleep. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"HOW CUTE!" Kagome squealed.
"R-Rin? Wh-who's that?" the boy's voice quivered.
"Shippou, this is Kagome," Rin smiled warmly. Shippou looked up into Kagome's eyes.
"Hi, I'm Shippou," he smiled up at her.
"KAWAII!" Kagome scooped him up in her arms and gave him a hug.
"I'll just let him work with you for a bit before the game stuff arrive," Rin smiled brightly. She went over to Sesshoumaru and began helping him.
"You're so cute," Kagome said again and held Shippou tightly in her arms.
"What's that? A squirrel?"
Kagome turned around.
"Hm, looks more like a fox creature," Inu Yasha poked Shippou's nose with one finger. Shippou glared at him and bit the finger.
"OW!" Inu Yasha pulled back.
"Serves you right!" Shippou crossed his arms.
"Oh, ho," Inu Yasha chuckled. "It speaks."
"I am not an 'it'. I am a 'he', like any other boy would be called," Shippou snapped.
"Whatever," Inu Yasha shrugged. He turned his attention towards Kagome. "Hey, Kagome. Did the slut arrive yet?"
"No," Kagome answered. "Now would that be good or bad news?"
"Both," he replied. "It's bad because we need help with setting things up. It's good because she isn't here to bother me."
Kagome laughed, "True."
*****
The group had a one hour lunch break. Sesshoumaru and Rin sat with Shippou on a bench and took turns feeding him. Grandpa, Mrs. Higurashi, and Souta walked back into the house to eat and Inu Yasha and Kagome took a seat under an almost bare tree.
"I'm so excited," Kagome sighed and leaned back on the thick tree.
"Me too," Inu Yasha agreed. After a few moments, he looked over at her. "Kagome, I.."
"Yes?" Kagome returned his gaze. He looked away.
"Never mind."
"Never mind what?"
"Just..never mind."
"Never mind WHAT?"
"Just forget about it."
"Forget about what?!"
Inu Yasha rolled his eyes and leaned back on the tree next to her.
"Forget it," he muttered. Kagome clamped her mouth shut and just looked off into the sky. She yawned quietly and her eyes started to close. Soon she fell asleep.
Inu Yasha sat beside her, thinking about nothing in particular. He looked next to him. Kagome had fallen asleep. When her head dropped down onto his shoulder, he blushed.
"No big deal," he told himself. "This happened in the jeep before."
Inu Yasha took another glance at her. She looked so peaceful, so happy, so cute-
He shook his head and looked away.
'Stop thinking about her!' he mentally scolded himself. Inu Yasha's eyes began to droop after a few more minutes and he too fell asleep. His arm somehow found its way around Kagome's waist and his head dropped lightly onto hers.
*****
"Lunch break is over!" Grandpa yelled. Souta covered his ears.
"Okay, we heard you, Grandpa!" he shouted. Souta looked over at Sesshoumaru, Rin, and Shippou.
"Weird how they look like one family," he smiled. He shifted his view and grinned mischievously at what he saw. Souta walked over to a tree where Inu Yasha and Kagome laid asleep.
"INU YASHA! KAGOME! WAKE UP!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The two woke up with a start and the first thing they did was look at each other, blushed, and scooted away.
"You two looked so adorable," Souta teased. "I gotta tell Mom this."
He made a run for it.
"COME BACK HERE!" Kagome yelled and chased after him. "YOU BETTER NOT TELL! OH, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!"
*****
The preparations were finally done. Grandpa told everyone to get onto the stage.
"We're going to start on the third rehearsal. Now, with the action and lines," he told them gleefully.
"But Kikyo isn't here yet," Kagome protested. Grandpa shrugged.
"We have to keep moving. We can't waste time," he replied.
"SORRY I'M LATE!"
They all turned towards the shrine stairs and saw Kikyo running towards them.
"I was doing my hair and shopping," she added. Kagome stormed over to her.
"Who cares?! Your hair doesn't look the least bit different! And shopping could've waited until tomorrow! We have been here, setting up the preparations while you were out shopping!"
"But you ditched school too!"
"Inu Yasha and I did not 'ditch' school," Kagome said coldly. "We were excused. YOU on the other hand, even though if you got Ms. Takahashi's consent, didn't help us and instead went out to shop for clothes! That sounds more like ditching to me. You were supposed to come and help us in the morning. Now look! Everything is done and it's near nighttime. You're SO lucky you came at the right time, because if you missed rehearsal or even the play, you would find yourself with two black eyes and a bruised face tomorrow."
"You tell her, Kagome!" Inu Yasha rooted.
"Yes, indeed," Sesshoumaru nodded.
"Put some sense into her!" Rin urged.
Kikyo stared at them.
"I don't care what you do to me, Higurashi," she calmly stated. Kagome narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, really?" she replied sweetly and smacked a fist against a palm. "Do you care if I punch you right now?"
She sent her fist flying.
"KAGOME! STOP IT!!" Inu Yasha rushed forward and held her back. "Don't give Kikyo any damage! Her ugly face will be even uglier! That would ruin the whole play 'cause her face would stick out!"
Kagome laughed at that.
"You are never serious, Inu Yasha," she told him.
"I know," he said proudly. "That's one of the good things about me."
Kagome freed herself from his grip and started to walk off.
"Are you sure about that?" she asked over her shoulder.
Inu Yasha blinked.
"Hey!" he called out to her. "What's THAT supposed to mean?!"
*****
"Begin the play."
Inu Yasha, Sesshoumaru, and Rin stared at Grandpa.
"Uh, you're the narrator, remember? You have to start first, sir," Sesshoumaru said hesitantly.
Grandpa smacked his forehead.
"That's right! I forgot!" he let out a raspy laugh.
Everyone sweatdropped.
"Well, then, I'll start," Grandpa cleared his throat. "A long time ago.."
A/N: Yeah! Another chapter up! Chapter 20. How nice.. Ahem, anyways, thank you all for your support and reviews and advice and comments and questions and-well, you get the idea. Another chapter will be posted up some other time this week. Just wait patiently. ^_^ Review please!
Chapter 21: Welcome To The Higurashi Shrine Festival!
A/N: Thanks for reviewing everyone! I reached 300 reviews! I'll try to squeeze in an extra chapter this week! Plus, I'm zipping through the story really fast because if I went really slow, this story would have a lot of chapters. I'm taking a few of your suggestions and putting them in this story. Well, I better stop talking. I'm wasting time!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha.
Chapter 20: Preparations And The Third Rehearsal
Another week flew quickly by and Kagome woke up quickly on Friday morning. She jumped out of bed, brushed her teeth, dressed into comfortable and normal clothes, and then ran down the stairs. Grandpa was sitting at the kitchen table, holding a clipboard and a pen. He looked up as he heard his granddaughter approach.
"Ah, Kagome," he nodded his head.
"Good morning, Grandpa," Kagome gave him a hug. "Preparing for today's festival?"
"Yes. Now sit down. Since you don't have to go to school today, I want you to be my assistant."
"What do you mean by 'your assistant'?"
"I mean," Grandpa cleared his voice. "I mean that you check everything off on the list once it is accomplished, got it?"
"Oh," Kagome took a seat next to him. "Hai, I get it."
"Then let's go through the list. You say what's on the list and if I say 'check', you check the box next to it."
"I already know that Grandpa," Kagome said, annoyed.
"Very well. Let's begin."
"Ok," Kagome took a look at the top of the list. "Lanterns."
"Check."
"Streamers."
"Check."
"Booths and tables."
"Check."
"Chairs."
"Check."
"Curtains for the stage."
"Check."
"Food."
"Your mother will prepare the food before the festival starts."
"Okay. Games."
"Rin said she would help with that."
"Now let's see..people who are coming: puppeteers."
"Check."
"A monkey tamer."
"Check."
"A monkey tamer?"
"I said check for that already, Kagome."
"A monkey tamer?" Kagome stifled a laugh. She continued, "Booth keepers."
"Check."
*****
Kagome and Grandpa went through the list for an hour until the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Kagome sighed and went to the door. She opened the door and looked up into the face of Inu Yasha.
"Hi," he grinned. "Thought I should get here early, so I did."
"You beat your brother," Kagome observed.
"I know," he smiled. Kagome couldn't help but giggle. He looked so different in normal clothes. Inu Yasha wore a thin red jacket, a black t- shirt underneath, blue baggy jeans, and sneakers. To add to that, he had tied back his long black hair into a low ponytail.
"Well, well. If it isn't Inu Yasha, our son-in-law," Grandpa chuckled as he walked up behind Kagome. "It's about time you came."
Inu Yasha didn't answer. He was blushing from the "son-in-law" statement.
"Grandpa," Kagome rolled her eyes. "Leave him alone."
"Not until you two get married," Grandpa replied and walked off before anyone could say anything.
Silence.
"Let's just forget what he said," Kagome said quickly.
"Yup," Inu Yasha agreed and walked into the house.
*****
DING! DONG!
"Kagome! Get the door please!" Grandpa shouted. Kagome looked up from the clipboard and sighed.
DING! DING! DING! DONG!
"KAGOME!"
"I heard Grandpa!" she shouted back.
DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!-
Kagome swung the door open and glared at the door ringer.
"Sesshoumaru, I told you not to ring the doorbell so many times," Rin bit her lip.
"Gomen, Kagome," Sesshoumaru apologized.
"Just get in," Kagome said and walked off into the kitchen.
*****
Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha were setting up the booths while Rin was talking on the phone. When she hung up, she called out to everyone, "I'm going to pick someone up. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Rin walked up to Sesshoumaru and asked for the car keys. He stuck his hand in a pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. She took the keys gratefully and walked down the shrine stairs.
*****
Kagome was helping everyone set up the tables when Rin came back with something furry in her arms.
"Rin," Kagome smiled. "What's that?"
"Well, actually, it's a 'who's that'," Rin replied. She went over to Kagome and laid down the furry bundle. Kagome blinked. It was a little fox boy!
"Why does he have those ears, feet and that tail?" Kagome asked curiously.
"He was used as an experiment by these mad scientists," Rin said sadly. "They wanted to use him to see if they could change humans into animals."
"That's stupid."
"I know. This boy was an orphan and when the scientists found him, they caught him and chained him up."
The fox boy sat up and woke up from his sleep. He yawned and rubbed his eyes.
"HOW CUTE!" Kagome squealed.
"R-Rin? Wh-who's that?" the boy's voice quivered.
"Shippou, this is Kagome," Rin smiled warmly. Shippou looked up into Kagome's eyes.
"Hi, I'm Shippou," he smiled up at her.
"KAWAII!" Kagome scooped him up in her arms and gave him a hug.
"I'll just let him work with you for a bit before the game stuff arrive," Rin smiled brightly. She went over to Sesshoumaru and began helping him.
"You're so cute," Kagome said again and held Shippou tightly in her arms.
"What's that? A squirrel?"
Kagome turned around.
"Hm, looks more like a fox creature," Inu Yasha poked Shippou's nose with one finger. Shippou glared at him and bit the finger.
"OW!" Inu Yasha pulled back.
"Serves you right!" Shippou crossed his arms.
"Oh, ho," Inu Yasha chuckled. "It speaks."
"I am not an 'it'. I am a 'he', like any other boy would be called," Shippou snapped.
"Whatever," Inu Yasha shrugged. He turned his attention towards Kagome. "Hey, Kagome. Did the slut arrive yet?"
"No," Kagome answered. "Now would that be good or bad news?"
"Both," he replied. "It's bad because we need help with setting things up. It's good because she isn't here to bother me."
Kagome laughed, "True."
*****
The group had a one hour lunch break. Sesshoumaru and Rin sat with Shippou on a bench and took turns feeding him. Grandpa, Mrs. Higurashi, and Souta walked back into the house to eat and Inu Yasha and Kagome took a seat under an almost bare tree.
"I'm so excited," Kagome sighed and leaned back on the thick tree.
"Me too," Inu Yasha agreed. After a few moments, he looked over at her. "Kagome, I.."
"Yes?" Kagome returned his gaze. He looked away.
"Never mind."
"Never mind what?"
"Just..never mind."
"Never mind WHAT?"
"Just forget about it."
"Forget about what?!"
Inu Yasha rolled his eyes and leaned back on the tree next to her.
"Forget it," he muttered. Kagome clamped her mouth shut and just looked off into the sky. She yawned quietly and her eyes started to close. Soon she fell asleep.
Inu Yasha sat beside her, thinking about nothing in particular. He looked next to him. Kagome had fallen asleep. When her head dropped down onto his shoulder, he blushed.
"No big deal," he told himself. "This happened in the jeep before."
Inu Yasha took another glance at her. She looked so peaceful, so happy, so cute-
He shook his head and looked away.
'Stop thinking about her!' he mentally scolded himself. Inu Yasha's eyes began to droop after a few more minutes and he too fell asleep. His arm somehow found its way around Kagome's waist and his head dropped lightly onto hers.
*****
"Lunch break is over!" Grandpa yelled. Souta covered his ears.
"Okay, we heard you, Grandpa!" he shouted. Souta looked over at Sesshoumaru, Rin, and Shippou.
"Weird how they look like one family," he smiled. He shifted his view and grinned mischievously at what he saw. Souta walked over to a tree where Inu Yasha and Kagome laid asleep.
"INU YASHA! KAGOME! WAKE UP!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The two woke up with a start and the first thing they did was look at each other, blushed, and scooted away.
"You two looked so adorable," Souta teased. "I gotta tell Mom this."
He made a run for it.
"COME BACK HERE!" Kagome yelled and chased after him. "YOU BETTER NOT TELL! OH, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!"
*****
The preparations were finally done. Grandpa told everyone to get onto the stage.
"We're going to start on the third rehearsal. Now, with the action and lines," he told them gleefully.
"But Kikyo isn't here yet," Kagome protested. Grandpa shrugged.
"We have to keep moving. We can't waste time," he replied.
"SORRY I'M LATE!"
They all turned towards the shrine stairs and saw Kikyo running towards them.
"I was doing my hair and shopping," she added. Kagome stormed over to her.
"Who cares?! Your hair doesn't look the least bit different! And shopping could've waited until tomorrow! We have been here, setting up the preparations while you were out shopping!"
"But you ditched school too!"
"Inu Yasha and I did not 'ditch' school," Kagome said coldly. "We were excused. YOU on the other hand, even though if you got Ms. Takahashi's consent, didn't help us and instead went out to shop for clothes! That sounds more like ditching to me. You were supposed to come and help us in the morning. Now look! Everything is done and it's near nighttime. You're SO lucky you came at the right time, because if you missed rehearsal or even the play, you would find yourself with two black eyes and a bruised face tomorrow."
"You tell her, Kagome!" Inu Yasha rooted.
"Yes, indeed," Sesshoumaru nodded.
"Put some sense into her!" Rin urged.
Kikyo stared at them.
"I don't care what you do to me, Higurashi," she calmly stated. Kagome narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, really?" she replied sweetly and smacked a fist against a palm. "Do you care if I punch you right now?"
She sent her fist flying.
"KAGOME! STOP IT!!" Inu Yasha rushed forward and held her back. "Don't give Kikyo any damage! Her ugly face will be even uglier! That would ruin the whole play 'cause her face would stick out!"
Kagome laughed at that.
"You are never serious, Inu Yasha," she told him.
"I know," he said proudly. "That's one of the good things about me."
Kagome freed herself from his grip and started to walk off.
"Are you sure about that?" she asked over her shoulder.
Inu Yasha blinked.
"Hey!" he called out to her. "What's THAT supposed to mean?!"
*****
"Begin the play."
Inu Yasha, Sesshoumaru, and Rin stared at Grandpa.
"Uh, you're the narrator, remember? You have to start first, sir," Sesshoumaru said hesitantly.
Grandpa smacked his forehead.
"That's right! I forgot!" he let out a raspy laugh.
Everyone sweatdropped.
"Well, then, I'll start," Grandpa cleared his throat. "A long time ago.."
A/N: Yeah! Another chapter up! Chapter 20. How nice.. Ahem, anyways, thank you all for your support and reviews and advice and comments and questions and-well, you get the idea. Another chapter will be posted up some other time this week. Just wait patiently. ^_^ Review please!
Chapter 21: Welcome To The Higurashi Shrine Festival!