Chapter Ten: Inuyasha's Big Day Out: Part Two
About two hours and many, many books later, Kagome decided that Inuyasha's brain might explode of he was exposed to any more knowledge that day.
And of course, she'd hate having to explain that to her friends in the past. "Inuyasha's head exploded because he read too many books." It was just too far fetched.
Inuyasha's brain agreed with Kagome. He wasn't as stupid as he allowed people to think, but he wasn't used to having time for learning things not directly related to survival, either. When Kagome started putting the books away, the hanyou had to will himself not to sigh with relief. His eyes hurt and he was starting to get a headache.
When the duo was safely standing in the warm, crowded Tokyo streets, Kagome began their conversation again. "What did you think of the library, Inuyasha?"
"It's ... big." His vocabulary had taken a beating in the past few hours.
"It is big," she agreed. Stating the fact that it had lots of books in it too would probably have been rubbing salt in his wounds. "Did you like it?"
After a few moments' consideration, Inuyasha nodded. "Does it have books on things other than animals? Like battle techniques?"
"Well sure. It has books on pretty much everything. You should have said something if you'd wanted to see other books."
"Oh." He tucked his hands in his sleeves and tilted his head so he could get a better look at Kagome. "Maybe next time."
Her smile was immediate and bright. Maybe next time meant that there would be a next time, which meant that he wasn't permanently scarred from overexposure to too much learning. She was very pleased with herself.
"Where are we going now?"
"We could get smoothies or a milkshake if you want." She checked her watch. It was about 2:30 in the afternoon. Still plenty of time for sight-seeing.
The hanyou looked perplexed. "Smoothies?"
Kagome nodded and took his hand yet again. "Yeah," she said as they walked. "They're cold drinks made with fruit and ice blended together. I'll get one for you." The smoothie stand was easy to see, as the interior was painted in a rainbow of colors and the boy at the cash register wore a tie-dye shirt.
As they neared the stand, Inuyasha automatically wrinkled his nose. He detected the pungent odor of raw seafood. "That doesn't smell like fruit."
"That's because there's a sushi stand next to the smoothie stand. They sell squid too." Kagome ordered a strawberry-banana smoothie, and another one with pineapple and berries. She leaned against the stand to wait for them to be made. "The blender is really loud, Inuyasha. Might wanna cover your ears."
"Hah. Hah." Beneath the bandana, said ears twitched.
She made a face at him. "No, I'm serious." Then tie-dye boy turned the blender on.
"Chikuso!" Inuyasha's hands flew to his ears, covering the quivering triangles to protect them from the noise. He hopped back a step, and resisted the urge to tear the blender apart.
Kagome wanted to grin smugly and say, "I told you so," but Inuyasha wouldn't have heard her anyway. But she did hear someone calling her name.
"Kagome-chan, Kagome-chan!" Her heart froze. Not them again. Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka quickly closed in on her and Inuyasha, effectively cutting off their escape routes. "Kagome-chan, we haven't seen you in so long!" exclaimed Eri.
"We were worried that you'd suffered side effects from your liver problems," Ayumi chimed in.
"Liver? I thought it was mono..." added Yuka.
"Mono?!" Kagome choked out.
"I thought she was in physical therapy." Predictably, Hojo had been dragged along by the three girls bouncing around Kagome. He glanced at Inuyasha and frowned. "Something wrong, Inuyasha-kun?"
The hanyou couldn't really hear what Hojo had said, but he was certain he didn't like it. Yet again he ground his teeth together as he growled. It would be a miracle if he still had his fangs when he got back to the Sengoku Jidai.
"Inuyasha?" one of the girls asked. "Hey Kagome, isn't this the violent two-timing jerk that you told us about?" The three swarmed around him and began examining him.
"N-no! I... I don't recall ever using those words, exactly..." Kagome was hoping that her face wouldn't turn red at the sudden onslaught. Suddenly, the blender was switched off and two large smoothie cups were held out to her. Now Inuyasha would actually be able to hear what her friends were saying.
Thank Kami for the end of the noise. Inuyasha had been afraid his ears would explode. He lowered his hands and glared around at the three girls, reserving most of his hostility for Hojo when he finally got to the boy. Feeling protective towards Kagome, the hanyou pushed between Hojo and one of the girls to stand beside his miko.
"Violent two-timing jerk?" Hojo asked innocently.
Where was that rock when you needed it? Kagome stuffed the strawberry-banana smoothie into Inuyasha's hands in the hopes that it would distract him. "I never said that!" she ground out in a strained voice to her friends. She could feel her cheeks heating up as they spoke.
Hojo smiled broadly. "I can't imagine you would!" He turned to her friends. "Kagome would never say such a thing about anyone."
The three girls turned to explain the situation to Hojo. Eri was the first to speak out. "Kagome told us that some guy was double-timing her for his old girlfriend. He sounds like he needs some prozac, if you ask me."
Kagome, on the other hand, had rather subversively begun to drag Inuyasha away in the opposite direction down the sidewalk.
"Hey! What're they talking about?!" Inuyasha hissed in her ear. "Let go of me, wench!"
Meanwhile, Hojo was doing his best to talk himself and the girls out of Kagome having a violent, two-timing boyfriend. "I'm certain you heard wrong."
"No, we must escape! Escape!" She continued to pull him away from her four friends. She had a manic (or panicked) look in her eyes.
It only took a glance at the girls and the way they had surrounded poor Hojo to help Inuyasha make up his mind. She was right. Those kids were demons. "Let's go." He grabbed her elbow and dragged her after him until pulled her deep into the nearby park.
Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. This was much better. No gossipy school friends or dense would-be suitors chasing the two of them around here. She relaxed her pace and looked around the area. It'd been a long time since she'd been to the little park, but then again, she saw much more scenic views on a regular basis. After all, they hadn't invented high-rise buildings or skyscrapers five hundred years in the past.
Her escort looked around, and seeing no people nearby, reached for his bandana. "Can I take this thing off?" he groused. His ears were getting sore.
"Sure. I don't think anyone will find us out here." Sitting in between the roots of a large tree, she relaxed against the trunk and began to sip on her smoothie.
Kagome smiled as she watched Inuyasha treat his poor ears. Those two little bits of skin and fur were one of the first things that had drawn her to him to begin with, and she still loved them. She began to lift her hand to rub the base of the ear closest to her, but then thought better of it. Inuyasha wouldn't like to be treated like a lap dog.
Once he was satisfied that his ears still worked, Inuyasha plopped down beside Kagome, legs crossed, and poked at the lid and straw of his smoothie.
"Don't drink too fast or you'll get brain freeze." She took another sip of her drink and stared up into the branches of the old tree.
He watched her for a moment, and then sipped through the straw. Yet again his eyes widened in surprise. The drink was good. He leaned back against the tree and did his best to block out the smells and sounds of the modern era that still reached him here. At least he had the illusion of being in the forest.
"You like it?" she questioned with a smile.
"Yeah." So he had a sweet tooth. Why'd she have to look at him that way just because he was eating her world's food and drinking her world's drink?
"I'm glad." She set her drink aside and folded her hands in her lap. She wished that she could always be this way with him. Safe and relaxed, no pressure or worry.
"Is this what you people do all day?" he asked on an impulse. If it was, then he could see why she was always so anxious to come home.
"No, not everyone. Some people can afford to do nothing all day, but most people have jobs or school that they have to go to. Not that they want to, but it's a societal obligation." Running her fingers through her hair, she turned in her spot to look at him. "When people become old, most of them have enough money saved up to be able to quit their jobs and live off their savings. But most everyone has to work."
"At what? You don't have any farms."
"We do, just not in the city. We've created so many new technologies, not everyone needs to work on farms anymore. Some people are lawyers and doctors and scientiest, or marine biologists or things like that."
He shook his head and finished his drink. "Feh." What he really wanted was a good run and some time up in the trees. He checked to see if Kagome had finished her own smoothie, and suddenly stood and pulled her onto his back.
Her eyes went wide in surprise. "What are you doing?!"
"Going for a run." Before she could do anything about it, he jumped into the tree they'd been sitting against and set off.
"Someone will see us! This is going to end up in the tabloids, I just know it!" But despite her protests, Kagome actually enjoyed riding on Inuyasha's back. She buried her face in his wild mop of hair, as if by not seeing everyone else, they wouldn't see her either.
"Relax! It's not like anyone can get a good look when we're going this fast. I'll stay in the trees if it makes you feel any better."
She shook her head, inadvertently tickling her nose with his hair. "It doesn't matter, just be careful!"
When am I ever not careful with you? he thought to himself. Inuyasha was proud of his ability to keep Kagome safe. It was an area in which he excelled.
It wasn't herself that she was worried about, though. Kagome wanted, in a way, to shelter Inuyasha from the eyes of the modern world. He was a being that certainly didn't belong on the ground between the towering buildings. He was almost unearthly, especially compared to the bland and mundane people who milled about on the pavement which was now far below them. She finally relaxed against his back and smiled. She knew he'd never let her fall.
When Inuyasha had finished his run through the park, he concealed his ears again and walked Kagome home. He needed a little time to unwind, and the Higurashi Shrine was the one place in modern Tokyo where he could be completely at ease.
"Tadaima!" Kagome called out as they entered her house.
Jii-chan was standing just inside the door when they returned. "Ahh, Kagome. You brought that demon of yours?" He patted his priest's robes as though searching for something. "I thought I had my seals around here somewhere..."
"Jii-chan! How many times do I have to tell you that Inuyasha isn't a bad demon? Leave him alone." She crossed her arms and made a sour face at her grandfather. He sure had picked a bad time to go senile.
"Nonsense, girl. Demons are dangerous, especially..." The old man put himself almost nose-to-chest with Inuyasha and squinted up at the hanyou's face. "Eh. What kind of demon is he, anyway?"
"Dog, Jii-chan." Kagome massaged her forehead. "Isn't there someone in the gift shop who needs your help or something?"
"No, no. Just a few of our regular patrons making the usual offerings." Apparently satisfied with his inspection of Inuyasha, he stepped back and ambled towards the kitchen. "And time for this old man's tea."
Throughout the incident, Inuyasha had done his best to stand calmly and ignore the way the old man stared. He didn't like it when people focused on him like that, but he also knew that Kagome's family was important to her, so he didn't snap at her grandfather--this time. He was also secretly grateful that she hadn't made a point of telling her grandfather he was a hanyou, and a little surprised the old man apparently hadn't noticed.
Kagome was beginning to desperately want a nap. As much as she'd enjoyed her time out with Inuyasha, it had been pretty stressful. When her grandfather was finally inside the house, she tried to decide what to do. "So, Inuyasha, what do you want to do now?"
"Uh, well, I did promise Souta that I'd spend some time with him." He rubbed the back of his neck, a little embarrassed making the admission.
"He would like that. He really looks up to you." She grinned and made her way to the couch, flopping on it ungracefully.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know. I don't want to get in the way of your man-to-man time," she said with a grin, "so I think I might take a nap."
"Feh." Inuyasha pretended to be offended by the idea of naps, but he secretly wondered if he could sneak back in later. He liked to watch Kagome sleep. "Try not to fall off and hurt yourself," he said, before he headed off to find Souta.
"I'm not that accident prone! Honestly!" She huffed indignantly in his direction, but it didn't bother her. She knew he liked to tease her. She yawned and curled up in a particularly nice sunbeam that was focused on the couch, and was asleep within a few minutes.
Having not found Souta immediately, Inuyasha snuck back into the living room, and when he saw that Kagome had finally drifted off, he watched her for a moment. He resisted the urge to take up watch at the end of the couch, or cover her with his haori to protect her while he was gone. After all, this was her house. He smiled a bit, then went outside to track her brother down before he came tearing into the house and woke her up.
"That's impossible! No human could ever do that!" Inuyasha protested around a mouthfull of popcorn. He'd discovered that the fluffy, salty treat was addictive, even if it didn't fill his belly very effectively. That was fine, though, because the people on the television held the bulk of his attention.
"You don't understand, Inuyasha, that man is Jackie Chan! He can do whatever he wants!" Kagome stole a handfull of popcorn and began to eat the pieces one at a time. "And anyway, this is a movie. Which means that it doesn't have to be realistic or even plausible so long as it's entertaining."
"You're sure he's not a demon?" the hanyou asked for the dozenth time.
"Inuyasha! I am sure that he is not a demon! He is Jackie Chan from China. He makes films in Hollywood. He is not a demon."
"Well he could be!"
"Does he look like a demon to you?"
Inuyasha actually pouted. "No."
"He's almost died a few times from falling out of buildings and things. You're tougher than he is." She smiled up at Inuyasha and winked. "I bet you could do you're own stunts too."
"Stunts? Keh! They're not stunts." Everything Inuyasha could do was important to his survival. "Why does he do that stuff if it almost kills him?"
"Because he makes insane amounts of money and is admired by people around the world." Kagome absentmindedly flicked bits of popcorn at his head.
Inuyasha picked the kernels out of his hair and popped them in his mouth, then snorted at the intricate battle sequence currently being played out.
Kagome had seen the film a few times before, but the gags still amused her. "Are you enjoying the film?"
He shrugged, and stared at the television in silence for a little while. After another moutful of popcorn, he replied, "Yeah."
Well, it wasn't a very heartfelt response but it would have to do. Kagome eyed him for a moment before taking a breath, throwing caution to the wind, and scooting closer to him on the couch. She covered the action as a grab for the popcorn bowl, though.
To be honest, he liked the movie more than he would admit. He'd always been fascinated with the television, and seeing modern people fighting, even if it was just play-fighting, was interesting. That made it easy to pretend he didn't notice Kagome scooting closer under the pretense of taking the popcorn from him. He even pretended that he didn't want to relinquish the food to her.
Kagome also pretended to be cross with Inuyasha when he made it difficult for her to steal the popcorn from his grasp. But she wasn't actually upset about it. She could feel the warmth radiating from his body. He always seemed to be eminating heat. Just to prove a point, she reached for the popcorn again after a minute or so had passed.
"Hey," he protested halfheartedly, but he actually slid the popcorn over to her.
Victorious, Kagome snatched the bowl and popped a few pieces into her mouth. That had been easier than she'd expected.
As the movie continued, Inuyasha found himself liking Kagome's nearness. It left him a little confused, just as watching her sleep sometimes did. He wasn't certain how to react. After all, the last time he'd felt this way around anyone had been with Kikyou, and wouldn't reacting the same way be a betrayal?
The movie was about half an hour from being over, and Kagome found herself wishing that it wouldn't end. The end of the film would mean that the lights would have to come back on and that this peaceful moment with Inuyasha would come to and end, possibly never to be revisited. But that's how life seemed to go for her, she supposed. Every peaceful and quiet moment interrupted by nosy friends or film endings or Shikon shards.
Inuyasha sighed in contentment, and stretched to relieve the stiffness in his arms. He settled them on the back of the couch, then fought down a blush when he realized he was one step away from embracing the girl beside him.
She did blush, though. Fortunately for her, it was too dark for him to see it. At least she hoped it was. Or maybe he was color blind? Which might explain the bright red haori and hakama, but that was beside the point. His arm was nearly around her back. The old stretch-and-hug move. She wondered if he'd done it on purpose. Knowing him, probably not. But that didn't mean that she couldn't!
Kagome gave a small yawn and stretch, then rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. There, that was just perfect.
Almost automatically, the hanyou put his arm around her shoulders. A little smile came to his lips. This felt right. He'd worry about betraying his duty to Kikyou later.
Suddenly, the movie didn't seem to matter that much any more. Kagome was content, warm, and safe in Inuyasha's arms (or arm, as it were). She yawned again and slowly drifted into an easy sleep.
Inuyasha managed to stay awake for the remainder of the film, but without Kagome to explain the American humor to him, the end seemed to drag. By the time the credits had finsihed rolling, he was sound asleep with his head resting atop hers.
Mama Higurashi found them a few minutes later. She almost stepped into the living room to wake them so Kagome could go up to her bed, but something stopped her. Was this what it was like for her daughter in the Feudal Era? Sleeping far from home, with a dog-eared boy nearby to keep her safe and warm? It was an odd picture, certainly not what she had envisioned for her eldest child, but it wasn't a bad thing. Inuyasha shifted, and Mama Higurashi caught the gleam of golden eyes in the dark. She smiled at him, then returned to her own room upstairs.