CHAPTER SIX
*
Kagome wrapped the ice cubes in a washcloth and pressed them to the bruise on Inuyasha's temple. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"I hate that guy," was all he said.
Kagome sighed and sat down on her bed. Her uncle, upon hearing her scream and finding Inuyasha in the same room with his nude niece, had chased Inuyasha around the house with Sota's baseball bat. The half-demon had managed to dodge him for awhile, until her uncle got a lucky swing at his head and smashed him into the wall.
Kagome had quickly donned a towel and run out to calm down Uncle Toshi. She got out just as a desperate Inuyasha leaped into her room and locked the door. She found him sprawled face-down on her bed, where he stayed as she dressed.
"Well, I appreciate what you did very much," Kagome said, patting his shoulder. "Especially since you didn't wreck anything except that picture frame you hit with your head."
"That was his fault."
"I know, I know." Kagome put the icepack on Inuyasha's head. "Well, Mom has calmed him down and given him some tea."
"Is that door locked?" Inuyasha asked, raising his face from her pillow.
"Yes, it is." Kagome sat down by the window and opened a book. "Well, most of the people have gone to hotels for the night, so we can have a little peace."
"Until that lunatic uncle of yours comes at me again."
"Inuyasha, I don't think he's going to try to kill you again. Not after Mom and I explained to him."
"Feh." Inuyasha winced.
Kagome didn't answer. Inuyasha glared at her for not comforting him further, then curled up on her bed and stared at the wall. Finally she looked up from her book and announced, "The reunion ends tomorrow night, you know. Then things go back to normal, if we last just one more day."
"That's still too long!" Inuyasha protested.
*
The sunrise spilled red light over the half-sleeping city of Tokyo. It also kept people in the streets from seeing a fleet-footed, red-clothed figure darting around over the rooftops.
"That old idiot," Inuyasha mumbled, jumping lightly from the roof. "All I did was go in to see if she was okay. If she isn't hitting me with rocks, her crazy relatives are hitting me with sticks."
He'd spent a restless night on the rooftop of Kagome's house, wishing he could sleep on the couch. But the couch was currently occupied by the despised Uncle Toshi and his wife.
He swung down into the kitchen -- and almost fell over. Instead of Kagome or her mother, a round little woman with thick glasses was puttering around. She looked up at him, squinted, and smiled. "Well, hello there," she said. "You're here quite early -- looking forward to more of the family get-together, hmm?"
Inuyasha hated lying. He made a noncommittal grunt.
"I'm Kagome's Aunt Mai, so feel free to call me Aunt Mai too." She ushered him to a chair and put a coffee cup in front of him. Inuyasha wasn't sure whether he should address her as "Aunt Mai," so he simply said nothing. The idea of addressing this stranger the way Kagome did made him feel vaguely nervous. After all, she wasn't HIS aunt.
She talked enough for at least two people, prattling about places he had never been and people he had never met. He managed to choke down a few mouthfls of coffee before making his escape.
Sota was kicking a ball around the hallway. A fat pug was following after him, sniffing his sneakers. "Hi!" he said brightly.
"Whatever."
"Um, could you do my sister a favor?"
Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "Like I haven't done plenty for her already. Is your uncle around?"
"Nah, he went out with Mom for more groceries. Aunt Mai is supposed to be babysitting."
I should just jump down the well right now, Inuyasha thought, crossing his arms. Just then, Kagome came in with a light bulb in one hand. "Oh, there you are," she said. "Could you give me a hand in here?"
A few minutes later, Inuyasha hoisted Kagome on his shoulder. She quickly unscrewed a light bulb, with her legs dangling down his chest. Just then, Inuyasha felt something nudging his leg. It was the pug.
"It's Aunt Mai's dog," Kagome said. "Just ignore him and he'll go away."
Inuyasha tried to ignore the pug, but it jumped up on his leg, making him wobble dangerously. Its wrinkled face split in a wide grin. Inuyasha grimaced, tightening his grip on Kagome's waist.
"Get lost!" Kagome called, almost dropping the light bulb. "Get down, doggie! Sit-"
Kagome realized her mistake just as she crashed into the floor, with Inuyasha landing heavily on top of her. "Would you PLEASE be a little more careful with that?" he snapped.
"Okay, I will. Sorry," Kagome said. The pug licked her face, as if agreeing.
Inside the baseball cap, Inuyasha's ears pricked up. He looked up from Kagome's face to the doorway, where a stone-faced Uncle Toshi and curious Mrs. Higurashi were watching.
Sota wandered in, licking a lollipop. "What's going on?" he asked mildly.
"We were changin' a lightbulb," Inuyasha said, scrambling off of Kagome. Uncle Toshi's gaze followed them as Kagome dragged her oddly-dressed boyfriend into the kitchen.
Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Well now, how about some lunch before the others arrive?"
TO BE CONTINUED.
*
Kagome wrapped the ice cubes in a washcloth and pressed them to the bruise on Inuyasha's temple. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"I hate that guy," was all he said.
Kagome sighed and sat down on her bed. Her uncle, upon hearing her scream and finding Inuyasha in the same room with his nude niece, had chased Inuyasha around the house with Sota's baseball bat. The half-demon had managed to dodge him for awhile, until her uncle got a lucky swing at his head and smashed him into the wall.
Kagome had quickly donned a towel and run out to calm down Uncle Toshi. She got out just as a desperate Inuyasha leaped into her room and locked the door. She found him sprawled face-down on her bed, where he stayed as she dressed.
"Well, I appreciate what you did very much," Kagome said, patting his shoulder. "Especially since you didn't wreck anything except that picture frame you hit with your head."
"That was his fault."
"I know, I know." Kagome put the icepack on Inuyasha's head. "Well, Mom has calmed him down and given him some tea."
"Is that door locked?" Inuyasha asked, raising his face from her pillow.
"Yes, it is." Kagome sat down by the window and opened a book. "Well, most of the people have gone to hotels for the night, so we can have a little peace."
"Until that lunatic uncle of yours comes at me again."
"Inuyasha, I don't think he's going to try to kill you again. Not after Mom and I explained to him."
"Feh." Inuyasha winced.
Kagome didn't answer. Inuyasha glared at her for not comforting him further, then curled up on her bed and stared at the wall. Finally she looked up from her book and announced, "The reunion ends tomorrow night, you know. Then things go back to normal, if we last just one more day."
"That's still too long!" Inuyasha protested.
*
The sunrise spilled red light over the half-sleeping city of Tokyo. It also kept people in the streets from seeing a fleet-footed, red-clothed figure darting around over the rooftops.
"That old idiot," Inuyasha mumbled, jumping lightly from the roof. "All I did was go in to see if she was okay. If she isn't hitting me with rocks, her crazy relatives are hitting me with sticks."
He'd spent a restless night on the rooftop of Kagome's house, wishing he could sleep on the couch. But the couch was currently occupied by the despised Uncle Toshi and his wife.
He swung down into the kitchen -- and almost fell over. Instead of Kagome or her mother, a round little woman with thick glasses was puttering around. She looked up at him, squinted, and smiled. "Well, hello there," she said. "You're here quite early -- looking forward to more of the family get-together, hmm?"
Inuyasha hated lying. He made a noncommittal grunt.
"I'm Kagome's Aunt Mai, so feel free to call me Aunt Mai too." She ushered him to a chair and put a coffee cup in front of him. Inuyasha wasn't sure whether he should address her as "Aunt Mai," so he simply said nothing. The idea of addressing this stranger the way Kagome did made him feel vaguely nervous. After all, she wasn't HIS aunt.
She talked enough for at least two people, prattling about places he had never been and people he had never met. He managed to choke down a few mouthfls of coffee before making his escape.
Sota was kicking a ball around the hallway. A fat pug was following after him, sniffing his sneakers. "Hi!" he said brightly.
"Whatever."
"Um, could you do my sister a favor?"
Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "Like I haven't done plenty for her already. Is your uncle around?"
"Nah, he went out with Mom for more groceries. Aunt Mai is supposed to be babysitting."
I should just jump down the well right now, Inuyasha thought, crossing his arms. Just then, Kagome came in with a light bulb in one hand. "Oh, there you are," she said. "Could you give me a hand in here?"
A few minutes later, Inuyasha hoisted Kagome on his shoulder. She quickly unscrewed a light bulb, with her legs dangling down his chest. Just then, Inuyasha felt something nudging his leg. It was the pug.
"It's Aunt Mai's dog," Kagome said. "Just ignore him and he'll go away."
Inuyasha tried to ignore the pug, but it jumped up on his leg, making him wobble dangerously. Its wrinkled face split in a wide grin. Inuyasha grimaced, tightening his grip on Kagome's waist.
"Get lost!" Kagome called, almost dropping the light bulb. "Get down, doggie! Sit-"
Kagome realized her mistake just as she crashed into the floor, with Inuyasha landing heavily on top of her. "Would you PLEASE be a little more careful with that?" he snapped.
"Okay, I will. Sorry," Kagome said. The pug licked her face, as if agreeing.
Inside the baseball cap, Inuyasha's ears pricked up. He looked up from Kagome's face to the doorway, where a stone-faced Uncle Toshi and curious Mrs. Higurashi were watching.
Sota wandered in, licking a lollipop. "What's going on?" he asked mildly.
"We were changin' a lightbulb," Inuyasha said, scrambling off of Kagome. Uncle Toshi's gaze followed them as Kagome dragged her oddly-dressed boyfriend into the kitchen.
Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Well now, how about some lunch before the others arrive?"
TO BE CONTINUED.