CHAPTER EIGHT
*
Kagome really did feel sorry for "that nice young man." He was making a genuine effort to appear normal and polite, even though her aunts kept giggling and patting his head. Judging from the grinding of his fangs, she was betting that he hated being patted. Almost as much as he hated the stifling, heavy, thick, dusty smell of incense, or the very spicy food he was nibbling on.
Hoji had been removed by his harried-looking mother, still chanting "Dog! Dog! Dog!" all the way.
"I never want kids," Inuyasha mumbled.
"Oh, come on," Kagome said. "Hoji's okay. He's just a little kid."
"At least Shippo shuts up when I hit him."
"I told you, no hitting unless it's a matter of life or death. And no hitting little kids at all."
Inuyasha retreated into silence, eyeing the food quietly. Aunt Mai noticed his expression and shoveled more onto his plate. He hoped those thick glasses meant that her eyes were bad, and she couldn't see him flinch. "Have more, dear. I made plenty."
Inuyasha had been smuggling most of his food into his napkin, but the middle-aged human was obviously not going to stop staring at him until he ate some. Steeling himself, he picked up some spiced fish and popped it into his mouth, hoping that it wasn't as painful as curry.
It was like eating a flaming coal. Inuyasha resisted the urge to spit the mouthful back onto his plate. Tears rose in his eyes, and his fists began shaking, rattling the dishes in front of him.
"Do you like it?" Aunt Mai asked eagerly.
Inuyasha managed a nod. He grabbed an almost-empty glass of water and swallowed the contents, washing away the burning. Then it returned, spreading over his lips, tongue and throat like burning oil. He almost banged his head on the table, hoping that he could tough it out. But he felt as if he were going to faint.
"Well, that's nice," Aunt Mai said, sounding very far away and very chipper. Inuyasha had to remind himself about Kagome's no-hitting rule. "I'll be sure to give Kagome the recipe for you."
Inuyasha had been suffering for a few minutes when he felt something cold and damp being pressed into his hand under the table. He glanced to the side, breathing hard. It was the weird old priest, Kagome's grandfather. And he was pushing a glass of water into Inuyasha's hand, still staring ahead as if nothing were going on. Inuyasha gratefully swallowed the water, gasping for breath.
"I don't like her cooking either," Grandpa Higurashi mumbled.
Inuyasha rubbed his tongue with a napkin. "Mah tug huts," he agreed.
*
The sun was dipping lower in the sky, but the relatives seemed unwilling to go home just yet. And Kagome knew that if they delayed much longer, she was going to have an insane half-demon ricocheting around, operating on a head injury and too-spicy food.
Inuyasha was at her side, crouched on a folding chair, sucking on a popsicle. "You didn't say anything about poisoning myself," he was announcing loudly.
"You're not poisoning yourself," Kagome said, yawning. "It was just spicy. Not horribly spicy either."
"Speak for yourself." Inuyasha gloomily surveyed the twilit courtyard. A cool breeze was blowing, taking away some of his discomfort he was feeling. He glanced around at the people chatting and laughing, often carrying their dinner plates with them. It was kind of peaceful.
He glanced at Kagome, considering a certain idea. Slowly his arm began to creep across the back of her chair, brushing over her shoulder. She seemed unaware of the demon's movements until his hand touched her upper arm. Then she sighed and said, "Don't."
Inuyasha looked slightly hurt. "Why not?"
"Because Uncle Toshi is watching."
Inuyasha yanked his arm back, and resumed his gloomy surveying of the relatives. He wanted to go home, and he planned to once they all left. And Kagome was coming with him -- oh, she owed him big-time for this...
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Kagome really did feel sorry for "that nice young man." He was making a genuine effort to appear normal and polite, even though her aunts kept giggling and patting his head. Judging from the grinding of his fangs, she was betting that he hated being patted. Almost as much as he hated the stifling, heavy, thick, dusty smell of incense, or the very spicy food he was nibbling on.
Hoji had been removed by his harried-looking mother, still chanting "Dog! Dog! Dog!" all the way.
"I never want kids," Inuyasha mumbled.
"Oh, come on," Kagome said. "Hoji's okay. He's just a little kid."
"At least Shippo shuts up when I hit him."
"I told you, no hitting unless it's a matter of life or death. And no hitting little kids at all."
Inuyasha retreated into silence, eyeing the food quietly. Aunt Mai noticed his expression and shoveled more onto his plate. He hoped those thick glasses meant that her eyes were bad, and she couldn't see him flinch. "Have more, dear. I made plenty."
Inuyasha had been smuggling most of his food into his napkin, but the middle-aged human was obviously not going to stop staring at him until he ate some. Steeling himself, he picked up some spiced fish and popped it into his mouth, hoping that it wasn't as painful as curry.
It was like eating a flaming coal. Inuyasha resisted the urge to spit the mouthful back onto his plate. Tears rose in his eyes, and his fists began shaking, rattling the dishes in front of him.
"Do you like it?" Aunt Mai asked eagerly.
Inuyasha managed a nod. He grabbed an almost-empty glass of water and swallowed the contents, washing away the burning. Then it returned, spreading over his lips, tongue and throat like burning oil. He almost banged his head on the table, hoping that he could tough it out. But he felt as if he were going to faint.
"Well, that's nice," Aunt Mai said, sounding very far away and very chipper. Inuyasha had to remind himself about Kagome's no-hitting rule. "I'll be sure to give Kagome the recipe for you."
Inuyasha had been suffering for a few minutes when he felt something cold and damp being pressed into his hand under the table. He glanced to the side, breathing hard. It was the weird old priest, Kagome's grandfather. And he was pushing a glass of water into Inuyasha's hand, still staring ahead as if nothing were going on. Inuyasha gratefully swallowed the water, gasping for breath.
"I don't like her cooking either," Grandpa Higurashi mumbled.
Inuyasha rubbed his tongue with a napkin. "Mah tug huts," he agreed.
*
The sun was dipping lower in the sky, but the relatives seemed unwilling to go home just yet. And Kagome knew that if they delayed much longer, she was going to have an insane half-demon ricocheting around, operating on a head injury and too-spicy food.
Inuyasha was at her side, crouched on a folding chair, sucking on a popsicle. "You didn't say anything about poisoning myself," he was announcing loudly.
"You're not poisoning yourself," Kagome said, yawning. "It was just spicy. Not horribly spicy either."
"Speak for yourself." Inuyasha gloomily surveyed the twilit courtyard. A cool breeze was blowing, taking away some of his discomfort he was feeling. He glanced around at the people chatting and laughing, often carrying their dinner plates with them. It was kind of peaceful.
He glanced at Kagome, considering a certain idea. Slowly his arm began to creep across the back of her chair, brushing over her shoulder. She seemed unaware of the demon's movements until his hand touched her upper arm. Then she sighed and said, "Don't."
Inuyasha looked slightly hurt. "Why not?"
"Because Uncle Toshi is watching."
Inuyasha yanked his arm back, and resumed his gloomy surveying of the relatives. He wanted to go home, and he planned to once they all left. And Kagome was coming with him -- oh, she owed him big-time for this...
TO BE CONTINUED