CHAPTER TWO
*
"Who the hell is that?" Inuyasha said in a low voice. The old woman was staring at him curiously, but seemed unfazed by his appearance. Her thin gray hair and lined face made him think briefly of Kaede -- but this woman was far, far older.
Kagome tried to smile. "Uh, great-grandmother, I was just - I mean, I was going to introduce -"
"Is this your boyfriend, dear?" The wrinkles in the old woman's narrow face grew more pronounced as she smiled.
"Yes, he is," Kagome said quickly.
"I am n-" Inuyasha's protest was cut short as Kagome's hand shot into his mouth, between his fangs. He stopped, glowering at her. But if he spoke, he would end up biting her fingers.
"- so thrilled to be here," Kagome finished. "He's looking forward to meeting everyone here. I've been telling him about the reunion for weeks."
Inuyasha shot her a venomous look.
"Oh, that's so nice," the old woman said amiably. "So glad he could join us. And so glad he is so patient with you, what with your health being what it is. I'll see you both at dinner."
"Yes, of course," Kagome called. As the old lady drifted away, Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and yanked her fingers out of his mouth. "Whadja do that for?" he hissed.
"I had to claim you were my boyfriend," Kagome said in a low voice. "This is exactly why I was trying to keep you hidden! I've been trying to get back to the well for the past couple of days-"
"Well, if she saw me, then it's a bit late, ain't it?"
"No, it ain't," Kagome said darkly. "Great-grandmother is blind as a bat. She has the worst eyes I've ever seen. Forget dog-ears -- you could have been wearing antlers and a clown nose, and she wouldn't have noticed. Unfortunately, the rest of my family isn't as myopic as she is." She reached up and tweaked one of his pointed ears, getting a growl in response.
"Now listen," she continued. "I didn't know this was going to happen -- there was going to be a family reunion elsewhere, but there was a fire at the reception hall where it was scheduled to be. So it had to be done here at the last minute. Mom and Grandpa were going to claim I was too sick to come, but they can't really excuse away my disappearing entirely from my own home."
"Ya could've come through the well and told me!" Inuyasha snapped.
"I wanted to, believe me! But every time I finished one chore, there were fifty others waiting. I can't get a moment to myself, let alone creep off down the well without someone seeing."
"So didja have to claim I was-"
"I'm sorry, but it's the only way. What could I say -- 'Great-grandmother, this is dog-boy from the feudal era'?" Kagome avoided his eyes. "And now they're going to be expecting you at dinner, because Great-grandmother will tell everyone about Kagome's first boyfriend."
"First?" Inuyasha said blankly.
Kagome flushed. "Can we avoid that topic? She's always asking about it when she sees me."
"Fine. But now that I'm done with this little episode, can I leave?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because if you aren't there, then they're going to ask a LOT of awkward questions. So you better be ready to eat at five."
"Are you kiddin' me?" Inuyasha exploded.
But Kagome was looking out the door. "Eep! They're coming back." She seized Inuyasha's shoulders and wedged him back into the broom closet, before leaping in after him.
"Not this again!" Inuyasha said a little too loudly. He tried to wriggle away as Kagome pressed up against him, and made a concentrated effort at ignoring her hip right against his.
"Shut up! They'll hear you!"
Inuyasha squirmed, feeling himself blush. "If I have to be in here, could ya at least not rub against me like that?" he grunted.
"I am not rubbing against you. You're rubbing against me. I know you don't like this, but you'll have to put up with it! Now hush!"
"I DO like it! That's the problem!"
Now Kagome could feel herself blushing. She backed as far away from Inuyasha as she could without opening the door. He, in turn, seemed to be trying to press himself against the back of the broom closet. And as the sound of voices faded away, she stepped out backwards, allowing Inuyasha to slither out.
"You were rubbing against me," Inuyasha said, smoothing his scarlet clothes. "And look, if you're gonna get all prissy, then don't start doin' that to me!"
"Me? Prissy? You're the one who started saying we shouldn't be in there!"
"Anyway, I am not attending your family reunion. Got that? And there's no way you can make me!"
Kagome clenched her teeth, in an expression that Inuyasha knew all too well.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
"Who the hell is that?" Inuyasha said in a low voice. The old woman was staring at him curiously, but seemed unfazed by his appearance. Her thin gray hair and lined face made him think briefly of Kaede -- but this woman was far, far older.
Kagome tried to smile. "Uh, great-grandmother, I was just - I mean, I was going to introduce -"
"Is this your boyfriend, dear?" The wrinkles in the old woman's narrow face grew more pronounced as she smiled.
"Yes, he is," Kagome said quickly.
"I am n-" Inuyasha's protest was cut short as Kagome's hand shot into his mouth, between his fangs. He stopped, glowering at her. But if he spoke, he would end up biting her fingers.
"- so thrilled to be here," Kagome finished. "He's looking forward to meeting everyone here. I've been telling him about the reunion for weeks."
Inuyasha shot her a venomous look.
"Oh, that's so nice," the old woman said amiably. "So glad he could join us. And so glad he is so patient with you, what with your health being what it is. I'll see you both at dinner."
"Yes, of course," Kagome called. As the old lady drifted away, Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and yanked her fingers out of his mouth. "Whadja do that for?" he hissed.
"I had to claim you were my boyfriend," Kagome said in a low voice. "This is exactly why I was trying to keep you hidden! I've been trying to get back to the well for the past couple of days-"
"Well, if she saw me, then it's a bit late, ain't it?"
"No, it ain't," Kagome said darkly. "Great-grandmother is blind as a bat. She has the worst eyes I've ever seen. Forget dog-ears -- you could have been wearing antlers and a clown nose, and she wouldn't have noticed. Unfortunately, the rest of my family isn't as myopic as she is." She reached up and tweaked one of his pointed ears, getting a growl in response.
"Now listen," she continued. "I didn't know this was going to happen -- there was going to be a family reunion elsewhere, but there was a fire at the reception hall where it was scheduled to be. So it had to be done here at the last minute. Mom and Grandpa were going to claim I was too sick to come, but they can't really excuse away my disappearing entirely from my own home."
"Ya could've come through the well and told me!" Inuyasha snapped.
"I wanted to, believe me! But every time I finished one chore, there were fifty others waiting. I can't get a moment to myself, let alone creep off down the well without someone seeing."
"So didja have to claim I was-"
"I'm sorry, but it's the only way. What could I say -- 'Great-grandmother, this is dog-boy from the feudal era'?" Kagome avoided his eyes. "And now they're going to be expecting you at dinner, because Great-grandmother will tell everyone about Kagome's first boyfriend."
"First?" Inuyasha said blankly.
Kagome flushed. "Can we avoid that topic? She's always asking about it when she sees me."
"Fine. But now that I'm done with this little episode, can I leave?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because if you aren't there, then they're going to ask a LOT of awkward questions. So you better be ready to eat at five."
"Are you kiddin' me?" Inuyasha exploded.
But Kagome was looking out the door. "Eep! They're coming back." She seized Inuyasha's shoulders and wedged him back into the broom closet, before leaping in after him.
"Not this again!" Inuyasha said a little too loudly. He tried to wriggle away as Kagome pressed up against him, and made a concentrated effort at ignoring her hip right against his.
"Shut up! They'll hear you!"
Inuyasha squirmed, feeling himself blush. "If I have to be in here, could ya at least not rub against me like that?" he grunted.
"I am not rubbing against you. You're rubbing against me. I know you don't like this, but you'll have to put up with it! Now hush!"
"I DO like it! That's the problem!"
Now Kagome could feel herself blushing. She backed as far away from Inuyasha as she could without opening the door. He, in turn, seemed to be trying to press himself against the back of the broom closet. And as the sound of voices faded away, she stepped out backwards, allowing Inuyasha to slither out.
"You were rubbing against me," Inuyasha said, smoothing his scarlet clothes. "And look, if you're gonna get all prissy, then don't start doin' that to me!"
"Me? Prissy? You're the one who started saying we shouldn't be in there!"
"Anyway, I am not attending your family reunion. Got that? And there's no way you can make me!"
Kagome clenched her teeth, in an expression that Inuyasha knew all too well.
TO BE CONTINUED