"Higurashi" by Jezunya
Chapter 8
I dun own nothin'…
This chapter: Plot!! Seriously! And plenty of fun Inu/Kag fluff stuff in the first half ^_~ ..And there's a small
LIME WARNING
at the end of the chapter. *blushes and runs away to hide* If you don't care for that sort of thing, I'll give you a basic summary of what happened in the Author's Notes at the end, since that bit is necessary for the plot.. *still blushing* And omygosh this thing is LONG!!! 16 PAGES!!! JEEZ!! (that's instead of the usual 8 or so..)
** ** ** ** **
Kagome woke slowly to the sounds of birds chirping softly outside her window as morning sunlight stretched across the floor toward her place in the bed. She lay completely still for a while, not really fully awake yet, before glancing at the alarm clock on her nightstand.
Ugh, waaay too early… she thought, and rolled over to get comfortable against the large warm mass beside her. Part of that warmth stretched out to circle her waist and lazily pull her a little closer to it. It took her a moment to register the loud, firm heartbeat that her ear was pressed against and the warm, strong arms holding her. When she did, though, Kagome was suddenly very much awake.
She could only stare in shock at the face resting on the pillow only inches from her own. His eyes were shut lightly, silvery bangs falling across his forehead to pool on the pillow beneath him, while his lips were parted ever-so-slightly to breathe in long, slumbering puffs. It was probably the most relaxed she had ever seen him, but then sleeping in her modern bed always tended to have that effect on him…
Sleeping… in… her… bed..?
Kagome yelped and tried to scramble away from the sleeping dog-demon and out of the bed, but her legs tangled in the blankets and she ended up falling over the edge onto the floor and taking nearly half the bed covers with her. Back on the bed, Inuyasha sat up and blinked down at her.
"Oi… What happened to you?" he asked, tilting his head to look mildly concerned.
Kagome growled and fisted her hands in the blankets pooled around her. "You jerk! What are you doing in my bed?!"
Inuyasha looked around, slightly confused. "Um.. sleeping?" he suggested, looking back down at her innocently.
Kagome glowered up at him, and Inuyasha distinctly felt his hackles rise with a sense of imminent doom.
"Osuwari!!"
Her voice cracked like a whip, issuing the magical command that he had not heard in a very long time. And down he went with a loud indignant, "Oomph!" After a moment of being held down by the rosary, Inuyasha blinked his eyes open in surprise. "Wow.. that didn't hurt at all…" he commented, once again marveling at the unbelievable softness of Kagome's strange futon.
"Inuyasha…" Kagome ground out warningly.
He quickly sat up defensively, "What?"
"Get. Out. Now!"
"Wha..?"
"This is my bedroom!" Kagome yelled, rising to her feet. "You can't be in here!"
Inuyasha frowned back at her and clambered off the bed, not about to let her tower over him. "You've never had a problem with me being in here before."
"That was different! You were in my bed!"
"I've slept in your bed before too," Inuyasha pointed out, starting to get frustrated.
"Not while I was in it!"
He stared at her blankly for a moment or two. "Yeah, so..? What's the big deal?"
Kagome's eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously. "'What's the big deal'?" she hissed, taking a step towards him, causing him to lean back a bit in surprise. "What kind of girl do you think I am?! You can't just come in here and expect me to let you just climb in bed with me!"
Inuyasha's face clouded with anger; he clenched his fists and squared his shoulders as he straightened to glare down at her. "Oh yeah?" he snarled, grabbing her left wrist and wrenching it up in front of her face, "Then what the hell does this mean?!"
Kagome stared hard at the diamond ring on her finger before replying quietly, "It means that I agreed to marry you."
"Exactly!"
Kagome pulled her hand free of his grip and stepped back a little, shaking her head. "But we're not married yet…"
"Kagome…"
She shook her head again, frowning at him as her anger began to quiet. "I'm just… not ready to be sleeping with a boy…" She blushed prettily, looking down at the floor and wringing her hands. "…Much less… doing that…"
Inuyasha felt his face begin to heat as well. He knew what she meant by 'that.' He swallowed hard and looked away, but not before he caught a rather unwelcome scent coming from Kagome. It made him frown at the implications as an odd sinking sensation began in his stomach. "You.. you were afraid I was gonna try something while you were asleep.. huh?" he said quietly, not looking up at her.
There was a beat of silence, then, "What..?"
"I mean, I guess I can understand, because I'm half demon and all," he continued, his thick bangs falling over his eyes, hiding his emotions from her.
"What-?! Inuyasha, what in the world are you talking about?" Kagome gasped, more than a little alarmed.
Finally he lifted his head to meet her gaze, his eyes slightly angry and pained. "You're afraid. I can smell it, and it was even stronger a few moments ago."
Kagome's eyes widened a bit as she realized what he was implying. Stepping up to him, she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. "You big idiot," she said softly, hugging his stiff frame, "I'm not afraid of you. I.. I love you. And I know you'd never do anything like that." Suddenly she grinned, hugging him a bit tighter, "Unless, of course, Miroku's started rubbing off on you."
That made him jump, before he responded. "Keh! I hope not. That damn lecher's fucking annoying…" he grumbled even as his hands found her waist.
Kagome pulled back a little to grin up at him. "Aw, c'mon, you know you love him."
"Hell no!" Inuyasha protested, glaring down at her.
Kagome tilted her head to one side teasingly, "Reeeally?"
"Yeah, really," he growled, leaning forward so he was almost nose to nose with her. "'Cause there's someone else I love, remember?" He suddenly closed the distance between them, locking his mouth over hers, kissing her aggressively. Kagome was about to respond, but the kiss ended as quickly as it had begun, Inuyasha leaving her mouth to rest his forehead against hers.
"Inuyasha..?" Kagome began a bit dazedly. He closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them to stare at her intently.
"Do you… mind… that I'm half demon?" he asked quietly, seriously.
Kagome frowned, feeling both worried and uncomfortable. "What does that have to do with anything?" she asked.
Inuyasha straightened and looked away, though his arms remained around her. "If.. I were ever to lose control, turn full demon…" He scowled, not even really sure where his thoughts were going. If he ever hurt her in any way.. he'd never be able to forgive himself. He shook his head, drawing a long breath. "Kagome… Would you, ah… Do you want me to turn human?" he asked seriously, finally looking back down at her.
Kagome blinked up at him for a few moments, at a loss for what to say. Did she want him to be human? If he were human… She frowned, her eyes tracing his face, seeing him watching her so intently. "No," she finally said slowly. "No, I don't mind that you're half-demon. I… I fell in love with you as a hanyou, didn't I? I.. I think you're perfect as you are," she said, smiling shyly up at him.
Inuyasha's eyes widened a little, looking shocked and hopeful. "You… You really wouldn't want me to be human?"
Kagome couldn't help smiling brightly at that; he really sounded touched by her admittance. "No, I wouldn't," she agreed. "I think I'd miss your ears too much," she grinned, reaching up to tug on one such furry appendage.
That immediately brought a blush to Inuyasha's face, and Kagome laughed outright as she hugged him, and then shooed him out the door. "Go on, get out, I need to get changed. I can't believe I slept in my clothes last night…" she mumbled, closing the door after him.
Inuyasha glanced back at the now-closed door, feeling warm all over and actually allowing a warm smile to creep across his face. It wasn't like it was something he consciously thought about – except when someone else brought it up and he was forced to – but hearing Kagome say that she didn't mind, even liked him – loved him! – as a hanyou… He didn't know how to describe it, but he settled for sitting at the base of her door and practically glowing with joy and pride. Kagome loved him!
His smile faded a little as he thought more on it. Sure, it was great that Kagome was one of the few people in a long, long time to accept him for what he was, but there was just one problem: Kagome was human. Humans grew old, humans got sick, and humans died. She would age while he was still young and healthy. And then he would be alone again. He bowed his head, feeling the emptiness creep through him all over again.
He didn't think he could do it. He couldn't bear to watch her go through life without him, growing older while he remained the same, as if he had been frozen in a moment of time.
She could join him, of course – use the jewel to make her immortal. But what about her family, her friends? He couldn't ask her to leave them behind, to have to watch them wither and die. He couldn't ask that of her any more than he could do it himself.
Despite what Kagome had said, there really was just one solution: he would have to turn human.
***
When Kagome had finished changing, no longer wearing a kimono but her usual modern skirt and blouse, they trooped down to the kitchen for breakfast. There they found a pile of schoolwork for Kagome to make up, and a note from Jikkou-san:
Kagome-
I'm afraid whilst cleaning the crew took the liberty of completely emptying the cupboards and refrigerator of old food. There is little, if any, left. I decided it would probably be best to allow you to pick out your own food rather than restocking for you. I have obtained the credit cards, bank cards, checks, etc. that you will need to be able to shop for yourself. It all comes from your own money, so don't worry, there's plenty, but do use it wisely. If there are any complications, you know where to contact me.
-Jikkou
"Well, guess we're going to have to go shopping," Kagome sighed, looking around the rest of the kitchen a little in dismay.
Inuyasha looked up at her warily. "Shopping?"
"Mm," she nodded, setting the note down and picking up the money items. It was rather convenient that Jikkou-san had been able to get these for her, although she really wasn't sure how she was supposed to go shopping with Inuyasha hanging around, she thought as she watched the dog-demon curiously sniffing at her school supplies piled on the table. There was no way he would just wait patiently for her at home while she went out and shopped.
A smile slowly spread across her face as she watched him, and Inuyasha looked up at her a moment later, eyebrows raised questioningly. On the other hand…
***
"Why did I let you talk me into this again?" Inuyasha half-growled, trying to keep pace with Kagome in the thick downtown crowd while scratching at the baseball cap on his head with his free hand.
"Because you love me," Kagome grinned, squeezing his hand. "..And because you're hungry." She glanced back at him, and a brief frown creased her forehead. "Don't scratch."
Inuyasha pulled a face, giving one more good scratch before forcing his hand to drop away from the uncomfortable hat. "Why do I have to wear all this, anyway?" he grumbled.
Kagome raised an eyebrow at him. "'All this'? A hat and some flip-flops aren't exactly a lot of extra clothes.." she replied, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"They feel weird…" he complained. He scuffed one foot along the pavement as they walked for emphasis. "How can you walk around with these things on your feet all the time?"
"How can you walk around barefoot all the time?" Kagome shot back.
"You get used to it…"
"Same to you!"
Inuyasha glared at her a moment before looking away with a petulant, "Keh!" She laughed, shaking her head, and pulled him along a little more quickly as they neared the grocery store.
They shopped quickly, half-filling a cart with food stuffs from ramen to fresh fruit to prime cut steak. Inuyasha discovered little candy samples at the end of one aisle and decided that they needed to buy at least a pound of each of the sweet flavors, and about five pounds of that delicious chocolate stuff – despite Kagome's reminder of how sick he'd gotten the last time he'd eaten it. In the end, they agreed on a box of non-chocolate sugar cookies and just a small handful of hard candies to satisfy the dog-demon's outrageous sweet tooth.
When they rolled up to the checkout counter and began unloading things, Kagome noticed not for the first time the odd looks people were giving Inuyasha. The dog-demon seemed oblivious to it, or perhaps he was just so conditioned that he had learned to ignore the constant whispering and staring. …Or maybe it had more to do with the packets of noodles that he was so lovingly unloading onto the conveyor belt that he paid no heed to the people around him.
Kagome shook her head, swiping a credit card through the machine and signing the receipt offered to her. They ended up with four bags total and they each carried two as they left the store.
Inuyasha glanced at Kagome curiously as they made their way back toward the Shrine. She seemed unusually quiet, as if she were thinking hard about something. "Kagome..?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"I think we should go clothes shopping," she said after a beat of silence, not looking at him.
Inuyasha blinked at her. "Huh?"
She looked up at him then, brows creased, looking slightly worried. "How long are we going to be here?" she asked seriously.
"Um.. I dunno…" Inuyasha looked away again, shifting uncomfortably. His expression darkened as they returned to the events of the day before. "As long as Higurashi's men are there, we can't go back to my time.. er…" Our time.
Kagome gave him a wry grin. "That reminds me.. I've been meaning to tell you…" She looked down at the sidewalk passing slowly beneath their feet, taking a deep breath. "I found out recently that.. I'm actually from your time," she said quietly, not looking at him.
Beside her, Inuyasha stopped dead. She turned to look at him, concerned and a little afraid of his reaction. "Inuyasha..?"
He stared at her openly, his mouth slightly open, before managing a dumbfounded, "You.. You know about that?"
Now it was Kagome's turn to look confused. "It was in the letter that Mama left for me." She looked away and started walking again. "I was supposed to get it on my eighteenth birthday, but since they're gone now… Jikkou-san went ahead and gave it to me."
Inuyasha walked beside her, frowning in thought. "That letter… the one with your name on it, from a few days ago," he realized aloud.
Kagome nodded. "Yeah. Apparently, Mama and Daddy found me at the bottom of the well when I was a baby. It said that there was some kind of amulet or tag or something that had my name and age on it. When nobody claimed me, they adopted me." She shrugged. "I guess Mama figured out what it all meant when I started traveling back and forth to the Feudal era through the well," she said, giving him a small smile. Inuyasha nodded thoughtfully.
"I guess there's probably a lot more to the story than just that though.." she continued, looking ahead of them to where the Shrine steps were just coming into view. "I mean, I can't help wondering who my family was in that time.. who my parents were… why they left me there…" Her brows creased as that sad thought surfaced.
"You were kidnapped."
She looked at him quickly, but he looked completely serious. "You were kidnapped, the thief was killed right next to the well, and he dropped you in there… you came out in this time."
Kagome watched him a moment longer, before looking forward again. "That lord," she began quietly, "the one who sent those soldiers to attack us. Who was he? Was.. was he related to me at all?"
Inuyasha grimaced. That's what he was afraid she was going to ask about. He sighed and shifted. "He's your father."
"My.. My father?!" Kagome gaped at him. "This Lord Higurashi is my father?!" Inuyasha nodded once, looking irritated. Kagome looked ahead dazedly, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. "Wow…"
Inuyasha growled low and started up ahead of her. "You don't know the half of it…" he grumbled.
***
"So… I'm some kind of princess or something?" Kagome asked as she stacked cans of vegetables and ramen packages in the pantry.
"Yeah…" Inuyasha came up next to her, carrying another bag of groceries.
She couldn't stop a small giggle. "My life just becomes more and more of a fairy tale as time goes on," she chuckled. Inuyasha snorted.
"Keh. Fairy tales are full of stupid, selfless heroes, and brainless damsels-in-distress, and… 'happily ever after.' A load of crock if you ask me," he grouched, shoving a few cans of soup onto a shelf.
Kagome watched his angry profile for a moment, before going back to unloading the food. "Well, if you ask me," she said quietly, concentrating on her work, "I'd say we already got our happily ever after."
Inuyasha paused beside her, and she turned to give him a small smile, which he slowly returned.
They unloaded the rest of the groceries in a warm kind of silence. When they had finished, they just sat at the table, enjoying being near each other without anything more pressing to do.
Kagome broke the silence after a few minutes. "Why did you get so angry when you saw my name on that letter?" she asked quietly, looking over at him.
Inuyasha fidgeted a little. "Our… families… don't really get along very well."
Kagome raised her eyebrows inquiringly. "'Our families'?"
"Higurashi and.. Shiro-Inu." He said the name like it was some foreign word, or something extremely distasteful. "Specifically me and Genshi, er.. your father."
Kagome nodded slowly. "Okay.. but why? I don't get it.."
Inuyasha growled under his breath. "I don't know… I guess, probably because my father was a Great Demon and the Higurashi's have powerful miko blood in them." He looked away, wrinkling his nose. "Just natural enemies, I guess…"
"Oh.." Kagome said softly, looking down at her hands.
"But then, they finally decided to stop fighting and the old Lord Higurashi and my father signed a treaty saying that they wouldn't attack each other's lands and people and all that political crap." He made a face again, growling lightly, "And of course they decided that the best way to seal it was to have their kids get married."
Kagome looked at him oddly. "What do you mean?"
He sighed angrily and looked away. "They made the treaty a little after I was born. So, they agreed that when I was grown I was supposed to marry the first girl born to the Higurashi royal family."
Kagome's eyes widened and she turned to stare at him. "Are… are you saying..?"
Inuyasha nodded, not looking at her. "The current Lord had all sons, the oldest one, Genshi, a couple years older than me. And when Genshi grew up and took over the domain," he looked over at her, "he had you."
Kagome could only stare for a while, completely at a loss for words. Because of the treaty… She and Inuyasha were supposed to marry? She felt her cheeks heating up at that thought, despite the fact that they already were engaged. A bit of sad disappointment started to curl in the pit of her stomach as she began to see it from a slightly different angle as well..
Her eyes drifted down to her hands fisted in her lap, and to the ring on her fourth left finger. "So… That's why… Because of the treaty…"
Inuyasha looked at her sharply, his eyes following her gaze to the ring before flying back up to her face. "No, no! It's not like that!" he quickly amended, waving his hands in a placating gesture. "It had nothing to do with the treaty when I asked you!"
Kagome just looked at him sadly. "Then why?" she asked softly.
"Ah.." Inuyasha jerked back, his mouth snapping closed audibly. He blinked a few times, not really sure how to answer that. Kagome sighed and looked away sadly. She could feel tears beginning in her eyes as the silence stretched on and on. He really didn't have a reason.
"Because…"
Kagome turned her head back around slightly, not looking at him, but no longer looking away either.
Inuyasha looked down at the floor in front of him, at his hands balled into fists on his thighs. He forced himself not to think about it, not to worry that he would seem weak, just forcing himself to get the words out. "Because.. I was afraid. I was afraid, since the Jewel was completed, that you would leave." He heard Kagome sniffle and cringed slightly. "I.. I didn't want you to leave. Because… when I'm with you, I… it's like everything's ok… I don't have to worry about what anyone thinks of me… or defend myself against anyone." He stared down at his hands, allowing them to open and stared at the calloused, creased palms. "It's like… I'm not alone anymore.."
He continued to stare at his palms even as he heard Kagome shift to look at him. "Do you really mean that?" she asked, her voice a little choked. He opened his mouth to say something, but then just settled on nodding, his face bare and honest.
Kagome leaned over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Thank you. I'm sorry I doubted you."
"Keh.." Inuyasha said softly, hugging her back. He couldn't believe he'd just said all that, and as much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn't. That was really how he felt. Of course, he'd be damned if anyone but Kagome ever got to hear him talk like that.
Kagome sighed against him, her face coloring slightly in embarrassment. "I have to admit.. I was a little scared. I was always afraid that you only liked me because I reminded you of Kikyou, and then this… To think that you were only marrying me because you had to…"
"Baka!" Inuyasha growled, holding her a little tighter. "The treaty can burn in hell for all I care! But you are mine!"
Kagome chuckled, shaking her head at his completely unashamed possessiveness, and leaned up to kiss him on the mouth.
***
At that very moment – or rather, four hundred years before hand, give or take a few – the treaty actually was burning quite merrily, though not in hell, but in a brazier in Higurashi Genshi's study.
Genshi looked up sharply from the military commands he was writing out at the sudden commotion coming from the hallway. He jerked his head to his personal guard, and they moved toward the door to see what all the noise was about. The shoji was thrown aside before they could reach it, and a tall, regally dressed inu youkai strode in, looking perfectly calm for the blood staining his hands.
Genshi rose to his feet as the youkai backhanded his guards out of the way as if they were no more than paper dolls, and then turned cold gold eyes on him. He was about to demand what he thought he was doing, when the demon's eyes flickered to the brazier, his nose wrinkling at the smell of burning ink and paper.
"That had better not be what I think it is."
Genshi blinked, glancing at the fire as well, and then all the color drained from his face as he realized just who he must be speaking to. "Lord Sesshoumaru," he began a bit shakily.
Sesshoumaru regarded the human man with his trademark poker face, sizing him up carefully. This clan was known for its extraordinary spiritual leaders, as well as for its fierce military. The Higurashi's had, at one point, even rivaled his own father's forces – and that was no easy feat. This man did resemble his predecessor greatly, though he lacked the former lord's poise and honor. Perhaps a threat, perhaps not..
"I came to inquire as to the reason for your soldiers taking up residence in my brother's domain, but if you are doing away with our treaty, then perhaps I should take this as an open act of war," he said coolly, eyes trained on the human man carefully.
Genshi tensed, his hands dropping to clench into fists at his sides. "I refuse to abide any longer by a treaty which requires me to give up my only daughter to a demon, much less to that abomination!" he growled.
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You would do well to watch your words, human. My brother may be a mongrel half-breed, but he is of noble lineage, and has proven himself worthy of that lineage. And he has the right to choose whomever he will for a mate." He shifted, half-turning as if readying himself to leave. "But if you will no longer 'abide' by our treaty, then consider yourself dead where you stand. I will no longer refrain from attacking and killing your subjects." And with that, he turned and left.
***
"So, now that we have that all figured out, back to my original question: how long do you think we're going to stay here?" Kagome asked, leaning back in Inuyasha's arms to look up at him.
The dog-demon thought about that for a moment, before shrugging and looking back down at her. "No idea. Genshi's a persistent bastard, though, so it could be a while.."
Kagome nodded thoughtfully. "Well, if we're going to be here for that long, then I think we need to get you some more suitable clothes.."
Inuyasha blinked down at her. "What..?"
***
"There is no way in all the fucking burnt hells that I am going out in public like this!"
Kagome laughed, handing him a t-shirt over the dressing-room door. "Come on, let me see. I'm sure you look fine."
"Why did I agree to this again?" Inuyasha grumbled, pulling the shirt on over his head and then reaching over to unlatch the door for Kagome.
"You're saying that an awful lot today," Kagome said, poking her head around the door to see him. Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight that met her. The baggy, American-style blue jeans and red t-shirt against the mane of silver hair, surly expression, and fanged necklace made him look like a regular skateboard-riding, parent-ignoring, hard-rocking teenager. She smiled, trying to stop the giggles building up.
"What are you laughing at?" he demanded, glaring at her as he folded his arms over his chest self-consciously.
Kagome shook her head, still laughing quietly. "Nothing.. You just look like…" She covered her mouth with her hand, smothering her giggles. "You look like a punk."
"What?" Inuyasha growled.
She grinned up at him, uncovering her mouth. "A punk. You know, the kind of guy that's always getting into trouble and never does what he's told…"
Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow. "A troublemaker?"
Kagome giggled again. "I guess you could say that.."
He just growled again and looked back at the mirror, tugging on the t-shirt and then on the jeans. "They're too tight.. I feel like I can barely move."
"Oh, please, I picked out the loosest clothes they had, just 'cause I know how you're used to wearing that big baggy gi." Inuyasha just made a face and continued trying to stretch the shirt out. Kagome sighed and shook her head, coming over to grab his hands and make him stop.
"Well I like it," she said, smiling slightly. He raised an eyebrow at her and her smile widened. "There's just something about seeing you in clothes from this time…" She shrugged, "I don't know, but it's nice. You know, sort of like the first time you saw me in a kimono like people wear in your time."
Inuyasha blinked at her. "You mean the first time I saw you bathing and then when you came out you put on those priestess robes and you looked almost exactly like Kikyou?"
Kagome's eyes narrowed at him dangerously. "No… I meant when I wore a kimono to the summer festival in the village last year."
"Oh… right…"
Kagome glared icily at him, then turned her back to let herself out of the dressing room. "Go ahead and change out of those clothes so we can pay for them. I'll wait for you outside," she said snippily. Inuyasha winced as the door slammed shut behind her, then winced again at what he'd blurted out to her. He'd done it this time.. no wonder she was offended…
He dressed quickly, shaking off the sense of doom left from the bathing comment and instead thinking about what Kagome'd said. He couldn't remember much of the festival she was talking about, but maybe that was because he'd barely been able to take his eyes off her for most of the night…
(Well, that and the fact that he and Shippou had practically been run out of the village several times by angry humans who didn't want youkai in their midst…)
But if his wearing these future clothes had the same affect on Kagome that her cute little white and pink kimono had on him, then to hell with being able to move! He'd wear whatever she asked him to!
He balled the clothes up in his hands and left the dressing room, looking around for Kagome as he let the door swing shut behind him. He finally spotted her across the store with her back to him, but he had to wonder as he made his way over to her – hadn't she been wearing something different earlier..?
The girl looked up when he touched her shoulder and it was then that he realized that she wasn't Kagome at all. It was almost disturbing how similar they looked, but still.. he'd be able to tell them apart if they stood next to each other.
"Yes?" the girl asked, smiling a bit too encouragingly up at him.
He pulled his hand back as she leaned closer, practically leering at him. "Um…"
"Inuyasha!" He spun around when he heard Kagome call out from behind him, seeing her waiting for him by the checkout counter. He hurried over, casting one last quick glance at the girl, still watching him smugly. "What were you doing?" Kagome asked when he reached her, frowning up at him.
Inuyasha looked back at her, his face coloring slightly. "Uh.. Nothing…"
Kagome frowned and took the clothes from him, but didn't comment again.
They left the store after paying for the clothes, and Inuyasha couldn't help looking back over his shoulder one more time. The girl he'd mistaken for Kagome was still watching him as they left, and he felt his hackles rise at the smug smirk that spread across her face. He didn't see Kagome watching him, or the saddened look that came into her eyes when she followed his gaze to the object of his attention.
***
Just don't think about it, Kagome, she told herself as they sat down to lunch in a small burger restaurant downtown. Inuyasha had changed into his new modern clothes at the first public bathroom they found, and Kagome was beginning to wonder if buying the clothing had been a huge mistake. Apparently, she wasn't the only girl who thought the wild skate-boarder look was attractive. She just couldn't ignore all the female attention Inuyasha was suddenly getting, and it was also becoming increasingly difficult to ignore Inuyasha's lack of rebuttal against most of the women who approached them.
She could understand him being clueless and confused when girls asked for his phone number, and he did glare at most of the women he caught staring at him. But there were a few that he would stare straight back at… They were always tall and slim, with long dark hair, and cool taunting eyes. And they all seemed to look like Kikyou.
Great. Now you're getting paranoid! She glared down at the menu, doing a pretty good impression of her fiancé's dog-demon growl. She glanced over at said dog-demon, only to find him once again distracted, this time by an especially pretty one across the street, wearing an expensive-looking short black dress that clung to her body and showed off every one of her absolutely perfect curves.
Kagome cleared her throat loudly.
Inuyasha jumped and whipped around to look at her, looking startled. Kagome leaned her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her up-turned hand. "Whatcha thinking about?" she asked causally, though her eyes were slightly narrowed as she watched him.
He swallowed hard. "Um, nothing…" He looked down at the menu lying on the table before him, trying to figure out what was what. "Uh… Do you know if they have ramen here?"
Beside him, Kagome sighed and he frowned. He wondered if she had noticed all the strange people (okay, mainly strange women) who had been following them around since the clothing market. It was beginning to wear on his nerves, making him wish they could just go home already, but he didn't want to say anything and possibly scare Kagome, if she hadn't noticed them yet.
He wasn't even sure what they were… They smelled human enough, but there was just something that was.. off… Something was sparking against his senses, making him want to go on full alert and hunt it down, whatever it was. It was like when Shippou tried to transform near him – he was so young that he didn't know how to curb his youki, so he would send off a little blast of his aura whenever he made any foxfire or pulled any of his tricks. At the same time, it was also like the feeling he got when Miroku, or even more so, Kagome, charged an ofuda with their purifying powers. It was like a little shock running through the air because of the huge amounts of power being wielded.
So whatever was trailing them was either very clumsy ..or very powerful.
***
[This is where the LIME WARNING comes in! Run for the hills!! _]
The days seemed to fly by. Before either of them knew it, they'd been there an entire week. Inuyasha would have tried to return to the past by then, but he was becoming increasingly edgy as the days wore on. It seemed almost like the strange women he'd seen on their first day there were slowly closing in on them. First, practically everywhere he looked when he actually left the shrine there was a face that resembled Kikyou or Kagome or some mix in between. Not to mention the overshadowing youki that lurked around them, taunting his senses.
Then, one of them had come to the Shrine.
He'd stayed hidden inside the house, just watching suspiciously as the crisply-dressed woman made her way through the compound, bypassing all of the temples and holy shrines and coming right up to the house. She hadn't knocked on the door or tried to find if there was anyone home; she'd just looked around the outside of the house, until her gaze came to the window where he was barely visible. She had smiled at him, that same smug grin he'd been seeing everywhere, and then simply turned and left.
Kagome had come home from school then, coming up the stairs just as the woman was leaving, and he saw her give the younger girl that same smug smile as she brushed past her. Kagome had watched her go, her face both concerned and confused, before turning back around to make her way over to the house, looking like she was lost in thought.
He let out a frustrated puff of air and leaned his chin on his folded arms, staring out of Kagome's window, wondering when she'd be home. She'd told him that morning that she was going to stop by the grocery store on her way home from school, since he'd already eaten through all the ramen they'd bought last time. He sighed. He hadn't thought it would take this long…
"Inuyasha…"
He jumped and looked around to see Kagome standing in the doorway, watching him lazily. When on earth had she gotten home? He hadn't seen her come in at all, and he'd been watching all afternoon, unless he'd dozed off at some point…
"What did I tell you about being in my room?" she asked, slowly meandering over toward him. Inuyasha was suddenly very aware of the fact that she wasn't wearing her school uniform anymore – instead, she'd replaced it with a short black dress that showed off her long, slender legs, riding up ever-so-slightly every time she took a step. He also couldn't help noticing how low-cut it was when she bent over to look him in the face, sitting at the base of her window as he was. "I seem to remember saying you shouldn't be in here…"
Inuyasha almost unconsciously pushed himself further back into the wall as she leaned closer. "Oh.. Oh, yeah…"
"'Cause you know, there's no telling what kind of racy things could happen when a boy and girl are in her bedroom.. alone…" She breathed the last word out, her lips brushing against his cheek, making him shiver with the sensation.
His hands came up to grip her bare shoulders. "Kagome…"
"Hmm?" She was kissing along his cheek and jaw, working her way down to his neck, her hands braced on his chest. Her fingers found their way to the ties on the front of his robes, slowly working to untie them.
"Damnit, woman," Inuyasha growled, pulling her off of him to hold her at arms length. "What has gotten into you?"
"Nothing," she giggled, leaning forward again to kiss him on the lips. "But I wouldn't mind if you did," she whispered huskily against his mouth, reaching between them to massage a rather sensitive part of his anatomy. Inuyasha yelped in surprise and jumped away, staring down at her wide-eyed as he slowly backed away.
She laughed light-heartedly and stood as well, turning to face him. "A bit jumpy, aren't you?" He just eyed her warily as she advanced on him once more. She idly ran her hands over his chest before beginning to pick at the ties there again.
"Kagome…" Inuyasha began, reaching up to lightly grab her forearms to stop her. She flashed him a mischievous grin before leaning up to kiss him again, halting whatever it was he had been about to say. His grip slackened and she once again set about taking his shirt off. "Wait, wait, wait!" Inuyasha said, finally finding his senses again and taking a step away from her, waving off her seeking hands. "What the hell happened to you not being ready for 'that'?!" he demanded, fisting his hands on his hips and glaring down at her suspiciously.
She just blinked up at him, then grinned again and stepped forward to slide her arms around his neck. "What, I'm not allowed to change my mind?" she asked silkily. Then realization seemed to come to her, and she gaped up at him, half grinning. "Unless you're scared, of course…"
"WHAT?!"
She giggled again, shaking her head slightly. "It's alright, really. I promise to be gentle," she purred, leaning up to nibble on his jaw.
Inuyasha growled and tried to turn his head away from her attentions. He wasn't scared! Well, not for himself, anyway.. His only qualm about mating her was how she had made it very clear over the last week that she did not want to go that far, not 'til she was done with school, they were married, and they were ready to start a family together.
Yet here she was, throwing herself at him, in that skimpy little dress…
What to do, what to do..?
The girl in his arms rubbed her leg against his, reminding him of just how short that skimpy little dress was. Her voice was almost a moan when she spoke, "Please, Inuyasha? I know you want to.." She nuzzled his cheek and kissed the corner of his mouth, tightening her arms around his shoulders to push herself up against him more. "Please..?"
The last thought in Inuyasha's head as he turned to meet her lips with his own was, Ah, what the hell…
And down they went.
***
Kagome barely made it through the front door and into the kitchen before the two large grocery bags in her arms slipped all the way out of her grasp. Luckily, though, she managed to drop them onto the kitchen counter before they could fall and spill all over the floor, scattering all of her carefully-selected food-stuffs everywhere.
A loud thud from upstairs made her jump and she looked up at the ceiling above her, almost as if she could see straight through it to the disturbance upstairs. There was another crash against the wall upstairs, and it suddenly occurred to her what must be going on: Inuyasha and Buyo were play-fighting again. Grinning to herself, she shook her head and made her way over to the stairs, hoping to be able to catch them in a tender moment.
They had found the now-much-thinner cat holed up in one of the shrines a few days ago, surviving mainly on rodents and rain water. At first he hadn't recognized them, but when they offered him some real cat food, Buyo had once again become the happy family cat he used to be. He had taken to Inuyasha especially quickly, and Kagome was surprised to find that the dog-demon didn't mind the cat at all. She shook her head again as she climbed the stairs. You'd think they'd be mortal enemies, but no.. Buyo's more his cat than mine, now…
She'd managed to catch the tail-ends of a few of their 'fights' before, just when Buyo had decided that he'd had enough fighting for one day and snuggled into Inuyasha's lap, curling up into a purring, furry mass. Inuyasha, for his part, would just sit and stroke the cat's fur, his eyes half-closed and distant. Then he would notice her standing in the doorway watching them, and he would blush and try to act all tough to ward off the tender smile she gave him. It was so cute, she couldn't help doing it as often as possible.
When she got upstairs though, it didn't sound like they were playing around anymore. She ducked inside Souta's room, and was surprised to see the very cat she'd been looking for sprawled out on the bed, alone. She frowned and stepped back into the hall, her eyes sliding to her own bedroom. If Buyo was in there, then what on earth had been making those noises..?
Kagome felt her blood run cold as she slowly neared her bedroom doorway. It sounded like there was someone in her room.. Heavy breathing, the sound of cloth rustling, moving across skin… It took all of Kagome's strength to just turn and peek inside the room. And then she almost couldn't look away again.
Clothes littered the floor, furniture and books overturned all over her room. And on the bed.. Two figures lay there, clutching each other desperately. The white hair and canine ears of the man were unmistakable, but she couldn't get a good look at the woman beneath him. They were still mostly clothes (thank goodness!), but he was missing his red haori and it looked like his white kimono was soon to follow it. Kagome finally forced herself to look away when the woman wrapped her legs around one of his, her already ultra-short black dress riding up around her hips.
She felt numb as she slowly walked back down the hall, down the stairs, out the front door. She sat on the front steps, her face blank as she stared down at her lap. She didn't know what to feel. Anger? Sadness? Betrayal? Yes, that sounded right. She felt betrayed. But anger and sadness tied into that, and she still couldn't decide between.
Then, like a dam breaking, the emotions overwhelmed her. She couldn't think anymore; all she could do was scrub at her eyes as her tears came pouring out, and try to forget the image of Inuyasha lying there with some woman, touching her, letting her touch him.
Then it was almost like she just skipped over some time – one instant she was sitting on the porch, crying her heart out, and the next she was standing on the edge of the well, staring down into its inky black depths just before she jumped into it.
***
When she came out on the other side, she didn't bother climbing out. She just sat at the bottom, staring into space, letting her tears fall. She didn't know how long she'd sat there, when a face poked over the edge of the well, squinting to see her at the bottom.
"Kagome?" Meisai called down, looking worried. The human girl just stared up at her, her face emotionless save for the tears still tracking down her cheeks. Meisai frowned and reached a hand down toward her. "Come up here.. Tell me what's wrong."
Kagome shook her head, but stood and began climbing out of well. Just because she didn't want to talk about it didn't mean she was going to refuse a shoulder to cry on when it was offered.
Once she was standing one firm ground again, Meisai tried again. "What's wrong? What.. Do you want to tell me what happened?" Kagome just shook her head again and slid down to sit at the base of the well. Meisai frowned and sat with her.
After several moments of silence, Meisai sighed and looked away, steeling herself. She didn't know what was going on, being stuck in this time until she delivered Kagome to Marudashi, and while she did feel for the girl, her own survival really came first.
"Kagome," Meisai said, her voice firm. The other girl slowly looked up at her, her gaze questioning. Meisai took a deep breath, "There's something I want to show you. It.. It's a place. You get to it by jumping through this well."
Kagome frowned. "Meisai," she began, her voice cracking a little. "I already know.. on the other side of the well is the future…" She trailed off when the other girl shook her head.
"This is some place different." She held out her hand, smiling reassuringly. "Let me show you."
Still frowning slightly, Kagome let herself be pulled up and over the rim of the well. She felt the familiar charge of energy when they passed through, but instead of landing back in the well, they were surrounded by cool, inky, blackness. She brought her hand up to her eyes, trying to clear her vision. "What on earth..? Where are we?"
She felt Meisai pull away from beside her, and she turned around, frantically trying to find some way out of the black mist around her. Kagome stopped dead in her tracks at the site that greeted her.
"We.. are home."
** ** ** ** **
Ok, for those of you who skipped the limey part, basically what happened was that some woman who looked like Kagome came to the house and tried to seduce Inuyasha (it still remains to be seen if it really worked or not *evil cackling*). Meanwhile, the real Kagome came home from school and grocery shopping, went upstairs and found Inuyasha and some unknown woman lying on her bed, making out, etc, etc.. (don't worry, they were still dressed.. _) Kagome just left without saying anything (she was in shock o_O), and before she knew it, she was jumping down the well and going back to the Sengoku Jidai. Ok.. now you can read the very last scene, since that one's completely clean ^^;
Don't ask, I know I've sorta left the rest of the gang & Sess sorta hanging for a while, but I'm pretty sure they should come back in next chapter.. And sorry if this chapter seems a bit rough in places.. I didn't really feel like editing it much, and this has taken me so long to write already, I figured I'd just go ahead and post it. ^^;
Gi – Inuyasha's kimono-clothes-thing.. yeah…
Ofuda – the spell-scrolls that Miroku uses to purify things
Youki – demonic power
Review please!!!