Art In Death
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything related to the said work. The plot of this story was inspired by this book I once read.
Chapter Five: Meet A Childhood Friend ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's his third day on Four Souls, and Inuyasha woke in panic. His heart was bounding, his breath was short and strangled, and his skin covered with sweat. He shot up in bed with his fist clenched and his eyes searching through the shadows of the room for any sign of danger.
Weak sunlight flows into the room through the gapes between the blinds and formed a cage on the thin carpet.
For a moment, Inuyasha thought that he had seen moonlit trees, mist, and a dead woman's naked body behind it.
Inuyasha shook his head and the illusion disappeared. He walked into the showers and let the hot water take over.
The bathroom was thick with steam when he dried off, but his mind was clear again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Half an hour later, Inuyasha is in the kitchen, trying to make a decent cup of coffee, but failed miserably.
So he decided to turn on the TV, and thought about how he and Sesshomaru whined about the lack of entertainment years ago.
Annoyed with the memories, Inuyasha turned away from the TV and took the first sip of his coffee.
Memories were bound to surface, Inuyasha reminded himself. That's why he came, to remember the summer, step-by-step, day-by-day, and to figure out what to do about the Higurashis.
He sipped the coffee again, and winced at the bitter taste.
Kagome Higurashi, certainly he remembered her. A girl with a sloppy ponytail and a lightning temper. He didn't have much use for girls at the age of ten, so he had paid her little attention. She had simply been one of Sota's older sisters.
Now, the streaming ponytail was gone, replaced by a flow of long rave hair. The carelessness of it, the carelessness of fashion, the carelessness of style...
Why did she look so pale and tired? She didn't seem to be the type that broke over a shattered relationship, but something was hurting, her eyes were full of sorrow and secrets.
That's the problem; Inuyasha thought with a laugh, he had a weakness for sad eyed women.
Better resist, he can't let those big brown eyes interfere with his purpose. What he need was timing, timing before he takes his next step.
Inuyasha drank the rest of his coffee and looked out the window. There was a figure walking along the river, and as Inuyasha watched him, he felt his throat go dry- he forced himself to swallow.
As the figure came closer, Inuyasha realized that it was Sota, and years that have passed made them both men. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sota looked toward the Little Soul Cottage and saw a figure. He forgot that the cottage was now occupied and made a note to self that he would now take his walk on the opposite side of the river, but now, he have to make some conversation with the newcomer.
He lifted a hand, "Morning, didn't mean to disturb you."
"You didn't, I was just watching the river and drinking some bad coffee."
"Are you settled in alright?"
"Yeah, I'm settled." Inuyasha hesitated and took the next step. " Are you still looking for the Shikon Jewel?"
Sota blinked and looked back into his memories. The Shikon Jewel was a legend on the Island of Four Souls. It was said to be lost, and who ever finds it will have all their wishes granted.
Through out childhood, it had been Sota's greatest ambition to be the one to find the lost jewel.
"I keep an eye out for it." Sota murmured and stepped closer. "Have we met?"
"I don't know. We camped out one night, across the river, in a patched out tent. Once we thought we have seen the glow of the jewel." Inuyasha smiled. "Maybe, we have met."
Sota's eyes widened and the confusion in them cleared away. "Yasha? Inuyasha? Why didn't you say so in the first place?"
The screen door squeaked in welcome as Inuyasha slide it open. "Come on up Sota, I'll fix you a lousy cup of coffee."
Grinning, Sota climbed up the stairs. "You should have let me know that you were coming and that you were here."
"Well, it's a surprise."
"It certainly is, what have you been doing all these years? How are Sesshomaru and your parents?"
The smile on Inuyasha's lips disappeared. "I'll tell you about it later, not let me fix that cup of coffee."
Sota held up a hand. "It's okay, why don't you come to the main house. I'll fix some decent coffee and breakfast."
"All right, let's go." Inuyasha answered and the two childhood friends walked toward the direction of the Shikon Inn. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A short time later, Inuyasha was happily drinking his good coffee and eating breakfast.
"Sota, looks like you know what you're doing."
"Of course, didn't you read the pamphlet. My cooking is rated five stars."
Inuyasha sipped his coffee again. "This is the best coffee I have ever drank. For the last two days, I have been drinking sand."
"Then why didn't you come here before this?"
"I've been busy, but it's mostly because I'm too lazy." Trying to figure out what to do was more like it. "Now that I have sampled this, I'll be one of your regular customer."
Sota tossed the vegetables he had been chopping into the pan and added some cheese. "Wait till you get a taste of my omelet. What have you been doing that allowed you to take six month off work to sit on the beach?"
"I brought work with me. I'm an architect. As long as I have my computer and drawing board, I can work anywhere."
"An architect." Dumping the eggs into the pan. "Are you any good?"
"I'd put my building against your coffee any day."
"Well then," Sota leaned against the counter. "What's Sesshomaru up to? Did he get rich and famous like he wanted?"
The wound had opened again, the hurt was there all over again. Inuyasha waited for his hands to become steady before he spoke. "He was working on it. He's dead Sota. He died a couple of months ago."
"Oh god," Sota was shocked. "I'm so sorry."
"He was in Europe. He was more or less living there for the last few years. He was on a yacht, some party. Sesshomaru liked attention." Inuyasha muttered as he rubbed his temples. "He must have had too much wine and fallen overboard. He might have hit his head, but he's gone now."
"That's rough, I'm so sorry." Sota turned back to his omelets. " Losing family must take a big chunk out of you."
"Yeah, it does." Inuyasha drew a deep breath. "It happened just a few weeks after my parents were killed. Train wreck in South America. Dad was on an assignment, ever since Sesshomaru and I hit college age, mom traveled with him. She used to say that it made them feel like newly weds all the time."
"Yasha, I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything. Just don't remind me of the loss, it's good to be back here, it's good to see you."
"We had great time that summer."
"Some of the best in my life." Inuyasha worked up a smile. "Are you going to give me that omelet or are you going to make me beg for it?"
"No begging necessary." Sota arranged the food on a plate. "Just show your gratitude."
Inuyasha picked up a fork and dug in. "So fill me in on the years of adventure of Sota Higurashi."
"Not much of an adventure. Running the inn takes a lot of time. We have guest all year round now. We house them, feed them, entertain them..."
"Sounds like a twenty-four/seven job."
"I suppose." Sota answered.
"Wife, Kids?" Inuyasha asked.
"Nope. You?"
"No." Inuyasha said dryly. "You know, your sister Kagome checked me in."
"Did she?" Sota refilled Inuyasha's coffee. "She just got here about a week ago. Kikyo and Sango are here too. We're one big happy family." Sota glanced at the door just as Kikyo swung in. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Looks like someone is up for coffee..." Kikyo began, but paused as she spotted Inuyasha. Automatically, she flipped back her hair, angled her head and aimed a flirtatious smile. "Well, kitchen company."
She strolled closer to pose against the counter and gave Inuyasha a sniff of the perfume she had rubbed in her throat from the magazine sample that morning. "You must be special if Sota let's you into his kitchen."
Inuyasha shrugged. "He took pity on an old friend, that's all."
"Oh really." Kikyo like the looks of him, and pleased herself by the approval on his face. "Well, Sota introduce me to your old friend."
"Inuyasha." Sota said shortly as he fetched the second pot of freshly brewed coffee. "My older sister Kikyo."
"Inuyasha." Kikyo offered a hand that she had manicured in bright red. "Sota stills sees me in pigtails."
"Brother's privilege." It surprised him that the grip was firm. " Actually, I remembered you in pigtails myself."
"Do you?" Kikyo leaned toward him. "I can't believe I've forgotten you. I made a policy to remember all the attractive men who have come into my life. No matter how briefly."
"Well," Sota interrupted. "Today's special, cheese omelets. You better deliver them to our morning customers Kikyo."
Kikyo shot daggers at Sota, but made her lips curve upward. "Thanks sugar," She purred it as she took the plates and coffee he pushed at her. She fluttered her lashes at Inuyasha. "Don't be a stranger. We have so little interesting men on Four Souls."
Then, Kikyo walked out of the kitchen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whoa, some sister you got there, Sota."
"She needs to learn some discipline, coming on to strange men this way."
"It was a nice side dish with my omelet..." Inuyasha paused as he noticed that Sota's eyes went hot. "Don't worry about me pal. I have enough trouble already. You can bet that I'll look, but I don't plan to touch.
"That's none of my business," Sota muttered. "She's determined to find trouble."
The door opened again, but this time, it was Kagome who walked through. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kagome stopped as she saw him, her brows drew together before she deliberately smoothed her forehead. "You look right at home, Mr. Inuyasha."
"Feeling that way, Ms. Higurashi."
"Well, that's pretty formal," Sota commented as he reached for a clean mug, "for a guy who pushed her into the river, then got a bloody lip for his trouble when he tried to fish her out again."
"I didn't push her in." Inuyasha smiled as if stating the obvious. " She slipped, but she still punched me in the face."
"The memory circled around her mind, then, it all became clear. Hot summer afternoon, the shock of cool water, head going under and coming up again. "You're Mr. Inutaisho's boy. Which one?"
"Inuyasha, the younger."
"Of course." She pushed her hair back, not with the studied seductiveness of her sister but with impatience. "You did push me. I never fell in the river unless I wanted to or was helped along."
"You slipped." Inuyasha corrected. "Then I helped you along."
She laughed. "I suppose, at least your father was a nice man."
"My father?"
"Yes, your father. I chased him like a shadow, bothering him endlessly about how he took pictures, why he took the ones he did, how the camera worked. He was so patient with me, I must have been driving him crazy, interrupting his work that way. He taught me so much, not just the basics, but how to look and how to see. I suppose I own him for every photograph that I have ever taken."
The breakfast he had just eaten turned greasily inside his stomach. " You're a photographer?"
"Kagome is a big- deal photographer," Kikyo said with bitterness as she came back in. "The globe traveling K. Higurashi, snapping pictures of other people's lives as she goes. Well, Miss World Traveler, you have beds to strip."
"Yes," Kagome murmured as Kikyo strolled out again, she turned her attention back to Inuyasha. "Anyways, thanks to your father, I'm a photographer. So how is your father?"
"He's dead, "Inuyasha said shortly and pushed himself up from the table. "I have to get back, thanks for the breakfast Sota."
He went out fast, letting the screen door slam behind him.
"Dead? Sota, what does he mean?" Kagome asked.
"A few months ago," Sota told her. "An accident, both of his parents, and he lost his brother a month later."
"Oh god," Kagome ran a hand over her face. "I just had to talk about it, didn't I? I'll be right back."
Kagome put down her mug and chased after Inuyasha. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Inuyasha, wait please, I'm so sorry." Kagome caught up with him on the path into the forest. "If I had known, I wouldn't have..."
"But you didn't know." Inuyasha took a look at her, there was a single tear sliding down her cheek. She looked so sad, she had done nothing more than accidentally scratched an open wound. "Don't worry about it."
Kagome didn't respond so Inuyasha changed the topic of the conversation.
"Funny that we're both back here isn't it?" Inuyasha looked over her shoulders at Shikon. "Why did you come back Kagome?"
"This is my home. Why are you back here?"
"I don't know, but since I'm here, why don't you walk me back to the cottage?"
"You know the way."
"It will be nicer to walk with company. With you." Inuyasha said with a grin.
"I told you that I'm not interested."
"I'm telling you that I am." His smile deepened as he reached to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Men never flirt with her, not that she had ever noticed. The fact that he was doing just that and she noticed, irritates her. "I have work to do."
"Right, bed stripping. See you around Kagome."
Since he turned away first, she had an opportunity to watch him walk into the tress. Deliberately, she shook her hair so that it fell over her ears again. The she rolled her shoulders as if shrugging off an unwelcome touch.
She didn't want him here, or does she? Kagome was forced to admit that she was already more interested than she wanted to be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another chapter done.
Just so you readers know
Inuyasha is 28 years old
Sesshomaru is 29 years old
Tell me how I can improve this story
Please read and review
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or anything related to the said work. The plot of this story was inspired by this book I once read.
Chapter Five: Meet A Childhood Friend ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's his third day on Four Souls, and Inuyasha woke in panic. His heart was bounding, his breath was short and strangled, and his skin covered with sweat. He shot up in bed with his fist clenched and his eyes searching through the shadows of the room for any sign of danger.
Weak sunlight flows into the room through the gapes between the blinds and formed a cage on the thin carpet.
For a moment, Inuyasha thought that he had seen moonlit trees, mist, and a dead woman's naked body behind it.
Inuyasha shook his head and the illusion disappeared. He walked into the showers and let the hot water take over.
The bathroom was thick with steam when he dried off, but his mind was clear again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Half an hour later, Inuyasha is in the kitchen, trying to make a decent cup of coffee, but failed miserably.
So he decided to turn on the TV, and thought about how he and Sesshomaru whined about the lack of entertainment years ago.
Annoyed with the memories, Inuyasha turned away from the TV and took the first sip of his coffee.
Memories were bound to surface, Inuyasha reminded himself. That's why he came, to remember the summer, step-by-step, day-by-day, and to figure out what to do about the Higurashis.
He sipped the coffee again, and winced at the bitter taste.
Kagome Higurashi, certainly he remembered her. A girl with a sloppy ponytail and a lightning temper. He didn't have much use for girls at the age of ten, so he had paid her little attention. She had simply been one of Sota's older sisters.
Now, the streaming ponytail was gone, replaced by a flow of long rave hair. The carelessness of it, the carelessness of fashion, the carelessness of style...
Why did she look so pale and tired? She didn't seem to be the type that broke over a shattered relationship, but something was hurting, her eyes were full of sorrow and secrets.
That's the problem; Inuyasha thought with a laugh, he had a weakness for sad eyed women.
Better resist, he can't let those big brown eyes interfere with his purpose. What he need was timing, timing before he takes his next step.
Inuyasha drank the rest of his coffee and looked out the window. There was a figure walking along the river, and as Inuyasha watched him, he felt his throat go dry- he forced himself to swallow.
As the figure came closer, Inuyasha realized that it was Sota, and years that have passed made them both men. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sota looked toward the Little Soul Cottage and saw a figure. He forgot that the cottage was now occupied and made a note to self that he would now take his walk on the opposite side of the river, but now, he have to make some conversation with the newcomer.
He lifted a hand, "Morning, didn't mean to disturb you."
"You didn't, I was just watching the river and drinking some bad coffee."
"Are you settled in alright?"
"Yeah, I'm settled." Inuyasha hesitated and took the next step. " Are you still looking for the Shikon Jewel?"
Sota blinked and looked back into his memories. The Shikon Jewel was a legend on the Island of Four Souls. It was said to be lost, and who ever finds it will have all their wishes granted.
Through out childhood, it had been Sota's greatest ambition to be the one to find the lost jewel.
"I keep an eye out for it." Sota murmured and stepped closer. "Have we met?"
"I don't know. We camped out one night, across the river, in a patched out tent. Once we thought we have seen the glow of the jewel." Inuyasha smiled. "Maybe, we have met."
Sota's eyes widened and the confusion in them cleared away. "Yasha? Inuyasha? Why didn't you say so in the first place?"
The screen door squeaked in welcome as Inuyasha slide it open. "Come on up Sota, I'll fix you a lousy cup of coffee."
Grinning, Sota climbed up the stairs. "You should have let me know that you were coming and that you were here."
"Well, it's a surprise."
"It certainly is, what have you been doing all these years? How are Sesshomaru and your parents?"
The smile on Inuyasha's lips disappeared. "I'll tell you about it later, not let me fix that cup of coffee."
Sota held up a hand. "It's okay, why don't you come to the main house. I'll fix some decent coffee and breakfast."
"All right, let's go." Inuyasha answered and the two childhood friends walked toward the direction of the Shikon Inn. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A short time later, Inuyasha was happily drinking his good coffee and eating breakfast.
"Sota, looks like you know what you're doing."
"Of course, didn't you read the pamphlet. My cooking is rated five stars."
Inuyasha sipped his coffee again. "This is the best coffee I have ever drank. For the last two days, I have been drinking sand."
"Then why didn't you come here before this?"
"I've been busy, but it's mostly because I'm too lazy." Trying to figure out what to do was more like it. "Now that I have sampled this, I'll be one of your regular customer."
Sota tossed the vegetables he had been chopping into the pan and added some cheese. "Wait till you get a taste of my omelet. What have you been doing that allowed you to take six month off work to sit on the beach?"
"I brought work with me. I'm an architect. As long as I have my computer and drawing board, I can work anywhere."
"An architect." Dumping the eggs into the pan. "Are you any good?"
"I'd put my building against your coffee any day."
"Well then," Sota leaned against the counter. "What's Sesshomaru up to? Did he get rich and famous like he wanted?"
The wound had opened again, the hurt was there all over again. Inuyasha waited for his hands to become steady before he spoke. "He was working on it. He's dead Sota. He died a couple of months ago."
"Oh god," Sota was shocked. "I'm so sorry."
"He was in Europe. He was more or less living there for the last few years. He was on a yacht, some party. Sesshomaru liked attention." Inuyasha muttered as he rubbed his temples. "He must have had too much wine and fallen overboard. He might have hit his head, but he's gone now."
"That's rough, I'm so sorry." Sota turned back to his omelets. " Losing family must take a big chunk out of you."
"Yeah, it does." Inuyasha drew a deep breath. "It happened just a few weeks after my parents were killed. Train wreck in South America. Dad was on an assignment, ever since Sesshomaru and I hit college age, mom traveled with him. She used to say that it made them feel like newly weds all the time."
"Yasha, I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything. Just don't remind me of the loss, it's good to be back here, it's good to see you."
"We had great time that summer."
"Some of the best in my life." Inuyasha worked up a smile. "Are you going to give me that omelet or are you going to make me beg for it?"
"No begging necessary." Sota arranged the food on a plate. "Just show your gratitude."
Inuyasha picked up a fork and dug in. "So fill me in on the years of adventure of Sota Higurashi."
"Not much of an adventure. Running the inn takes a lot of time. We have guest all year round now. We house them, feed them, entertain them..."
"Sounds like a twenty-four/seven job."
"I suppose." Sota answered.
"Wife, Kids?" Inuyasha asked.
"Nope. You?"
"No." Inuyasha said dryly. "You know, your sister Kagome checked me in."
"Did she?" Sota refilled Inuyasha's coffee. "She just got here about a week ago. Kikyo and Sango are here too. We're one big happy family." Sota glanced at the door just as Kikyo swung in. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Looks like someone is up for coffee..." Kikyo began, but paused as she spotted Inuyasha. Automatically, she flipped back her hair, angled her head and aimed a flirtatious smile. "Well, kitchen company."
She strolled closer to pose against the counter and gave Inuyasha a sniff of the perfume she had rubbed in her throat from the magazine sample that morning. "You must be special if Sota let's you into his kitchen."
Inuyasha shrugged. "He took pity on an old friend, that's all."
"Oh really." Kikyo like the looks of him, and pleased herself by the approval on his face. "Well, Sota introduce me to your old friend."
"Inuyasha." Sota said shortly as he fetched the second pot of freshly brewed coffee. "My older sister Kikyo."
"Inuyasha." Kikyo offered a hand that she had manicured in bright red. "Sota stills sees me in pigtails."
"Brother's privilege." It surprised him that the grip was firm. " Actually, I remembered you in pigtails myself."
"Do you?" Kikyo leaned toward him. "I can't believe I've forgotten you. I made a policy to remember all the attractive men who have come into my life. No matter how briefly."
"Well," Sota interrupted. "Today's special, cheese omelets. You better deliver them to our morning customers Kikyo."
Kikyo shot daggers at Sota, but made her lips curve upward. "Thanks sugar," She purred it as she took the plates and coffee he pushed at her. She fluttered her lashes at Inuyasha. "Don't be a stranger. We have so little interesting men on Four Souls."
Then, Kikyo walked out of the kitchen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Whoa, some sister you got there, Sota."
"She needs to learn some discipline, coming on to strange men this way."
"It was a nice side dish with my omelet..." Inuyasha paused as he noticed that Sota's eyes went hot. "Don't worry about me pal. I have enough trouble already. You can bet that I'll look, but I don't plan to touch.
"That's none of my business," Sota muttered. "She's determined to find trouble."
The door opened again, but this time, it was Kagome who walked through. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kagome stopped as she saw him, her brows drew together before she deliberately smoothed her forehead. "You look right at home, Mr. Inuyasha."
"Feeling that way, Ms. Higurashi."
"Well, that's pretty formal," Sota commented as he reached for a clean mug, "for a guy who pushed her into the river, then got a bloody lip for his trouble when he tried to fish her out again."
"I didn't push her in." Inuyasha smiled as if stating the obvious. " She slipped, but she still punched me in the face."
"The memory circled around her mind, then, it all became clear. Hot summer afternoon, the shock of cool water, head going under and coming up again. "You're Mr. Inutaisho's boy. Which one?"
"Inuyasha, the younger."
"Of course." She pushed her hair back, not with the studied seductiveness of her sister but with impatience. "You did push me. I never fell in the river unless I wanted to or was helped along."
"You slipped." Inuyasha corrected. "Then I helped you along."
She laughed. "I suppose, at least your father was a nice man."
"My father?"
"Yes, your father. I chased him like a shadow, bothering him endlessly about how he took pictures, why he took the ones he did, how the camera worked. He was so patient with me, I must have been driving him crazy, interrupting his work that way. He taught me so much, not just the basics, but how to look and how to see. I suppose I own him for every photograph that I have ever taken."
The breakfast he had just eaten turned greasily inside his stomach. " You're a photographer?"
"Kagome is a big- deal photographer," Kikyo said with bitterness as she came back in. "The globe traveling K. Higurashi, snapping pictures of other people's lives as she goes. Well, Miss World Traveler, you have beds to strip."
"Yes," Kagome murmured as Kikyo strolled out again, she turned her attention back to Inuyasha. "Anyways, thanks to your father, I'm a photographer. So how is your father?"
"He's dead, "Inuyasha said shortly and pushed himself up from the table. "I have to get back, thanks for the breakfast Sota."
He went out fast, letting the screen door slam behind him.
"Dead? Sota, what does he mean?" Kagome asked.
"A few months ago," Sota told her. "An accident, both of his parents, and he lost his brother a month later."
"Oh god," Kagome ran a hand over her face. "I just had to talk about it, didn't I? I'll be right back."
Kagome put down her mug and chased after Inuyasha. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Inuyasha, wait please, I'm so sorry." Kagome caught up with him on the path into the forest. "If I had known, I wouldn't have..."
"But you didn't know." Inuyasha took a look at her, there was a single tear sliding down her cheek. She looked so sad, she had done nothing more than accidentally scratched an open wound. "Don't worry about it."
Kagome didn't respond so Inuyasha changed the topic of the conversation.
"Funny that we're both back here isn't it?" Inuyasha looked over her shoulders at Shikon. "Why did you come back Kagome?"
"This is my home. Why are you back here?"
"I don't know, but since I'm here, why don't you walk me back to the cottage?"
"You know the way."
"It will be nicer to walk with company. With you." Inuyasha said with a grin.
"I told you that I'm not interested."
"I'm telling you that I am." His smile deepened as he reached to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
Men never flirt with her, not that she had ever noticed. The fact that he was doing just that and she noticed, irritates her. "I have work to do."
"Right, bed stripping. See you around Kagome."
Since he turned away first, she had an opportunity to watch him walk into the tress. Deliberately, she shook her hair so that it fell over her ears again. The she rolled her shoulders as if shrugging off an unwelcome touch.
She didn't want him here, or does she? Kagome was forced to admit that she was already more interested than she wanted to be. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another chapter done.
Just so you readers know
Inuyasha is 28 years old
Sesshomaru is 29 years old
Tell me how I can improve this story
Please read and review