Sorry for the lateness of the chapter, been busy with a horrible illness; it's called Real Life, maybe you've heard of it. ;p This chapter isn't much, just a reflection/set-up sorta thing. After all the action in the last couple of chapters I had to relax and let it smooth out a little.
Disclaimer:: Hold on, hold on, Im sure I have the legal documents around here… ::rummages through her desk drawers:: …somewhere…
____________________________
Inuki
Chapter Sixteen :: Reflect
Ms. Higurashi ran a comb through the tangled mess again, lining up the end with her fingers before snip-snipping with the small scissors in her right hand. Inuki sat impatiently in front of her, lips pursed. When Katsuseki had hacked off his braid, he'd left Inuki's hair in an uneven mess. Luckily Kinoko was quite handy with hair, and had taken on the task with her usual smile.
"All finished," she told him, and he looked up into the mirror. His hair now went a little past his ears, straight and even, except for the tails by his ears, which still hung several inches past his shoulders, as Katsuseki had not even touched them.
"Thanks, Ms Higurashi." He gave her a quick nod of his head, smiling, and stood, heading into the shower to rid himself of the itchy strands of cut hair that clung to his shoulders and that had fallen down his back.
As he sat in the tub, claws tapping rhythmically against the ceramic, he stared up at the tiles blankly. The memories of today's events was like a Mobius strip in his head, a deafening din that ran back and forth on an endless track. The hot water that soothed his tired muscles and aching ribs did little to the same effect for his mind.
He'd never before been able to do that. The jumping, the fighting; all of that had been held back considerably in this era. The feeling of power, the feeling of flying had awed him and frightened him at the same time.
All these years, he'd had this ability, and he'd never been able to use it? He felt mildly cheated, and very deprived. He wondered if Takeru, show-off that HE was, had ever allowed himself that pleasure, of running through the park at night, or perhaps climbing up through Tokyo Tower like some sort of magical being from an anime. You didn't need the Sengoku-jidai to act on those feelings of power; just 333 meters of steel.
He promised himself he would try that out sometime.
His thoughts drifted ever so gradually to Kagome, and after a moment he shook his head and forced himself to think of something else, because thinking of her confused him. What was she to him? A girl he went to school with; the girl whose house he had borrowed. A friend he loved to hang out with, the girl whom he had sworn to protect. The object of his affections.
Inuki looked down, eyes narrowing as his cheeks flushed. Abruptly the tapping and clicking of his claws had stopped. Did he really like her? Probably. She was very attractive, smart, kind-hearted and considerate. She was unique, and it was very possible and even more probable that he did. The question, then, was: was it really HIM who liked her? Or was it Inuyasha, buried deep somewhere in him who still longed for her.
He didn't know. He didn't know and he hated it. He hated it the way a man hates something he can't change. It's there, and you know it's there, and you want it gone, but you can't do anything about it.
He got up, toweling himself off and dressing quickly, turning the corner out of the bathroom and stomping up the stairs to the room he shared with Souta. He shut the door behind him and flung himself face-forward onto the bed and didn't move.
Souta was sitting on the top bunk where he usually slept, doing what looked to be homework. He quietly watched Inuki stomp around the room in his melancholy, and when the older boy had settled onto the bed, Souta peered over the side at him.
He hadn't moved. He looked dead for all intents and purposes, Souta thought. The grade schooler pursed his lips. "Inuki-niichan?"
"What?" came the through-the-pillow reply. Souta blinked. "You and Neechan had a fight?"
"No."
"Why're you acting weird then?" Inuki mumbled something then; it sounded like plain nonsense, gibberish to the boy's ears. Souta shrugged and settled himself back to his math.
The bed squeaked as Inuki turned over on his side, folding his arm underneath his head as a makeshift pillow. His eye caught a glimpse of Tessaiga, leaned against the wall behind the half open door. He forced himself to look away from it, swearing softly under his breath.
Another thing from Inuyasha he had inherited and never would be able to use freely. Was it possible to hate someone you had never met? To have nothing to your own name? Currently, the things he held dearest to him --Kagome and Tessaiga-- were not his own.
His eyes narrowed as something, long forgotten, occurred to him. He did have one thing. One, single thing to his name. But he hadn't even thought of using it in years. After he had forsaken it, abandoned that talent, could he now create the same beauty that he once had, years ago? The beauty that had people stopping with awed gasps, that made them do double takes.
He cursed silently and sat up again. It plagued his mind, both his troubles with the Sengoku-jidai and his forsaken love. But he knew that that same love was the only thing that would be able to clear his mind. Determined to regain it, he stormed out, snatching his wallet from the bureau as he went.
Souta watched him leave quietly, keeping his concerned musings to himself. Inuki and Kagome would get through it; he knew they would. After all, she had always made it through with Inuyasha, and Inuki was nicer. He smiled faintly to himself.
Downstairs, Inuki rummaged through the hall closet, tugging out the few cardboard boxes with the belongings he'd managed to collect from Takeru's before he ran away. On the bottom was a shoebox, stashed underneath the larger ones with his winter clothes and his parents' heirlooms.
He tugged it out, looking inside to make sure nothing had spilled from it or been broken. He noticed some of the tubes were missing, and made a mental note to buy replacements while he was out.
Ms Higurashi, hearing the noise, came out as he was restacking the boxes inside. Incredulously she looked at him. "Inuki-kun, what are you doing?"
"Relieving stress," he replied shortly, shutting the closet door and standing in one motion. With inquisitive dark eyes he looked up at his guardian. "Ms Higurashi, is there anyplace I can go to not be disturbed? Somewhere no one here goes very often?"
The older woman put her index finger to her lips in thought. After a moment she replied, "Well, the old shed. Its got a lot of boxes and things, but Kagome's father's workbench is still in the back. If you want to, you can use that."
He smiled broadly at her. "Thanks. I have to go out, there are some supplies I need to buy, but I'll be back before six." Kinoko smiled at him. "Be careful."
~*~
The next morning was Tuesday, and Kagome awoke refreshed. Things seemed better this day than they had for a long while, and she knew it was because of the fact she had finally gone to see Miroku and Sango. She felt as if a huge weight was lifted off of her, and feeling as good as she did, she spiffed herself up, dressing unusually nicely.
She wore light makeup, a little rouge and some eyeshadow to highlight the deep brown of her eyes, as well as a faint bubblegum pink touch to her lips. She curled her hair a little and pulled it back, allowing it to drape over her shoulders in heavy waves.
Her outfit was a simple ensemble of cream and dark brown; a cream-colored blouse and brown vest, and a pleated skirt that went just past her knees in bare flounces. Satisfied with her appearance, she hooked her fingers into her shoes, took up her bag, and headed downstairs.
Mama gasped in surprise, Jiichan stared, and Souta grinned widely, complimenting her as she came in. Mama smiled at her daughter as she set Kagome's breakfast before her. "You look very nice today, Kagome-chan."
"Thank you," the teenager replied sweetly, before politely digging into her breakfast. As she munched into a piece of buttered toast, she noticed offhandedly that a member of their household was absent. The fact that he would miss eating wasn't the problem; Inuki often did not eat breakfast. But he was always up at the break of dawn, and he would have his typical glass of hot tea, chatting with the family before he and Kagome headed off to school.
She pursed her lips, feeling a little hurt. She wondered if maybe he was avoiding her. After all, she had left his side the day before, wanting to just be away from him. Twice yesterday, he had protected her, thrown himself between her and danger. Both times he came out the victor, but banged up nonetheless.
The moment they had returned home, she had gone to her room to think. She had not come down for dinner that evening. Around 9 she had bathed and then gone to bed. She wasn't even sure how he was doing, if he had been more seriously injured or if he was worried.
"Mama, where's Yashagawa-kun?" she wondered and Mama smiled knowingly at her daughter before turning back to the dishes. "Inuki-kun went to bed very late last night, and so he will not be going to school today."
Kagome frowned, setting down her toast. They had already missed a day, and he intended to miss today as well? Maybe it was just her experience before, but missing school seemed like blasphemy to her now.
Without another word, the girl stomped back up the stairs towards the boys' room. It was dim with early light, the dark curtains drawn over the offending sun. A box fan roared from its place across the room, blowing cold air over Inuki's lithe form, curled up underneath a soft chenille blanket.
Kagome knelt at the side of the bed, giving his shoulder a gentle shove. "Yashagawa-kun." Emitting a moan that sounded almost insulted, he shifted, and the blanket came away to reveal his sleeping face. Kagome blushed slightly at his expression.
He looked like a little boy, dark lashes laying gently on his cheeks, a strand of dark hair caught at his mouth, turned in a frown. That tuft of hair was far too enticing for her to back down from; gently she reached out and pulled it from his mouth.
Her fingertips brushed across his lips, and they parted slightly as he drew breath. Her heart pounded loudly, a triphammer against her chest. No matter how hard she pleaded in her mind, her eyes would not leave his face, his lips.
All she could think of was how glad she was that he was here. That he had battled Katsuseki, defended her and Inuyasha's honor. That she had abandoned him when it was over. She hadn't worried about how everything had affected him.
She should have known better, as a reincarnation herself. She knew what it had felt like to feel second best, to feel like she was a replacement. And she knew that Inuki was surely feeling the same.
Inuki, who had been her distraction from the pain, who had been her shoulder to cry on, who had sworn to protect her, who had followed her to the Sengoku-jidai despite his own misgivings. Inuki, who was her friend.
She found herself leaning forward unconsciously, as if drawn to him. His skin was hot from being buried underneath the blanket, pressure lines on his arms where he'd been lying on his limbs. He smelled distinctly of oil paint, and she noticed flecks of green and blue on his shirt and bare arms. Lips inches from each other, his breath warm against her face, heart pounding--
--and his dark eyes slid open. "Higurashi…?"
Kagome pulled away quickly, knowing her face to be red; she felt its heat. The boy either didn't notice or didn't care about their previous proximity; he did not comment on it. Instead he rolled over and curled up underneath his blanket again. "Didn't your mom tell you, I'm not going to school today…"
She opened her mouth to say something, then shut it again. She smiled faintly at him, pulling up the blanket over his shoulder. "I just came to say sleep well, and I'll bring home your assignments."
He blinked, staring up at her with a sleepy gaze full of a meaning that she did not understand. "Thanks…" he finally mumbled. She nodded at him and stood, going to the door. From behind her, he spoke again, "Higurashi?" She turned to him, and he smiled broadly.
"You look nice."
Kagome looked a little surprised at first, but then she nodded her thanks, her smile clear and true, unforced. "Thank you." She stepped out, shutting the door quietly behind her. As she walked down the stairs she thought about Inuki, about what had almost happened. She wondered if he had even noticed, and if he had, why he hadn't called her on it.
As she thought about it, she was struck with a sudden epiphany, and she slowed to a stop. For that one moment, kneeling at his side, entranced by his sleeping face and the distinct smell of paint, she had not once compared him to Inuyasha.
He had only been Inuki to her.
She allowed a wide smile to show and happily she took the rest of the steps down, darting back into the kitchen where her family was finishing up breakfast. "I gotta go," she told them, grabbing her bag. Hastily she hugged Jiichan and Mama, flashing them cheerful grins as she headed outside.
Jiichan lifted one bushy eyebrow in confusion. "She's certainly in a better mood. I wonder what's gotten her in such fine spirits?"
Mama smiled.
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: I'm sorry Im late. Apologies are starting to become more and more frequent and yet I keep doing what I'm apologizing for. I can't say how hard writing has been for me in the past few months, but I AM sorry for all those of you whom Ive left hanging on. Thanks for continuing to read, and I'll try to get chapter 17 out faster than this one. ::repeated bowing:: ^^;;;
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen
Disclaimer:: Hold on, hold on, Im sure I have the legal documents around here… ::rummages through her desk drawers:: …somewhere…
____________________________
Inuki
Chapter Sixteen :: Reflect
Ms. Higurashi ran a comb through the tangled mess again, lining up the end with her fingers before snip-snipping with the small scissors in her right hand. Inuki sat impatiently in front of her, lips pursed. When Katsuseki had hacked off his braid, he'd left Inuki's hair in an uneven mess. Luckily Kinoko was quite handy with hair, and had taken on the task with her usual smile.
"All finished," she told him, and he looked up into the mirror. His hair now went a little past his ears, straight and even, except for the tails by his ears, which still hung several inches past his shoulders, as Katsuseki had not even touched them.
"Thanks, Ms Higurashi." He gave her a quick nod of his head, smiling, and stood, heading into the shower to rid himself of the itchy strands of cut hair that clung to his shoulders and that had fallen down his back.
As he sat in the tub, claws tapping rhythmically against the ceramic, he stared up at the tiles blankly. The memories of today's events was like a Mobius strip in his head, a deafening din that ran back and forth on an endless track. The hot water that soothed his tired muscles and aching ribs did little to the same effect for his mind.
He'd never before been able to do that. The jumping, the fighting; all of that had been held back considerably in this era. The feeling of power, the feeling of flying had awed him and frightened him at the same time.
All these years, he'd had this ability, and he'd never been able to use it? He felt mildly cheated, and very deprived. He wondered if Takeru, show-off that HE was, had ever allowed himself that pleasure, of running through the park at night, or perhaps climbing up through Tokyo Tower like some sort of magical being from an anime. You didn't need the Sengoku-jidai to act on those feelings of power; just 333 meters of steel.
He promised himself he would try that out sometime.
His thoughts drifted ever so gradually to Kagome, and after a moment he shook his head and forced himself to think of something else, because thinking of her confused him. What was she to him? A girl he went to school with; the girl whose house he had borrowed. A friend he loved to hang out with, the girl whom he had sworn to protect. The object of his affections.
Inuki looked down, eyes narrowing as his cheeks flushed. Abruptly the tapping and clicking of his claws had stopped. Did he really like her? Probably. She was very attractive, smart, kind-hearted and considerate. She was unique, and it was very possible and even more probable that he did. The question, then, was: was it really HIM who liked her? Or was it Inuyasha, buried deep somewhere in him who still longed for her.
He didn't know. He didn't know and he hated it. He hated it the way a man hates something he can't change. It's there, and you know it's there, and you want it gone, but you can't do anything about it.
He got up, toweling himself off and dressing quickly, turning the corner out of the bathroom and stomping up the stairs to the room he shared with Souta. He shut the door behind him and flung himself face-forward onto the bed and didn't move.
Souta was sitting on the top bunk where he usually slept, doing what looked to be homework. He quietly watched Inuki stomp around the room in his melancholy, and when the older boy had settled onto the bed, Souta peered over the side at him.
He hadn't moved. He looked dead for all intents and purposes, Souta thought. The grade schooler pursed his lips. "Inuki-niichan?"
"What?" came the through-the-pillow reply. Souta blinked. "You and Neechan had a fight?"
"No."
"Why're you acting weird then?" Inuki mumbled something then; it sounded like plain nonsense, gibberish to the boy's ears. Souta shrugged and settled himself back to his math.
The bed squeaked as Inuki turned over on his side, folding his arm underneath his head as a makeshift pillow. His eye caught a glimpse of Tessaiga, leaned against the wall behind the half open door. He forced himself to look away from it, swearing softly under his breath.
Another thing from Inuyasha he had inherited and never would be able to use freely. Was it possible to hate someone you had never met? To have nothing to your own name? Currently, the things he held dearest to him --Kagome and Tessaiga-- were not his own.
His eyes narrowed as something, long forgotten, occurred to him. He did have one thing. One, single thing to his name. But he hadn't even thought of using it in years. After he had forsaken it, abandoned that talent, could he now create the same beauty that he once had, years ago? The beauty that had people stopping with awed gasps, that made them do double takes.
He cursed silently and sat up again. It plagued his mind, both his troubles with the Sengoku-jidai and his forsaken love. But he knew that that same love was the only thing that would be able to clear his mind. Determined to regain it, he stormed out, snatching his wallet from the bureau as he went.
Souta watched him leave quietly, keeping his concerned musings to himself. Inuki and Kagome would get through it; he knew they would. After all, she had always made it through with Inuyasha, and Inuki was nicer. He smiled faintly to himself.
Downstairs, Inuki rummaged through the hall closet, tugging out the few cardboard boxes with the belongings he'd managed to collect from Takeru's before he ran away. On the bottom was a shoebox, stashed underneath the larger ones with his winter clothes and his parents' heirlooms.
He tugged it out, looking inside to make sure nothing had spilled from it or been broken. He noticed some of the tubes were missing, and made a mental note to buy replacements while he was out.
Ms Higurashi, hearing the noise, came out as he was restacking the boxes inside. Incredulously she looked at him. "Inuki-kun, what are you doing?"
"Relieving stress," he replied shortly, shutting the closet door and standing in one motion. With inquisitive dark eyes he looked up at his guardian. "Ms Higurashi, is there anyplace I can go to not be disturbed? Somewhere no one here goes very often?"
The older woman put her index finger to her lips in thought. After a moment she replied, "Well, the old shed. Its got a lot of boxes and things, but Kagome's father's workbench is still in the back. If you want to, you can use that."
He smiled broadly at her. "Thanks. I have to go out, there are some supplies I need to buy, but I'll be back before six." Kinoko smiled at him. "Be careful."
~*~
The next morning was Tuesday, and Kagome awoke refreshed. Things seemed better this day than they had for a long while, and she knew it was because of the fact she had finally gone to see Miroku and Sango. She felt as if a huge weight was lifted off of her, and feeling as good as she did, she spiffed herself up, dressing unusually nicely.
She wore light makeup, a little rouge and some eyeshadow to highlight the deep brown of her eyes, as well as a faint bubblegum pink touch to her lips. She curled her hair a little and pulled it back, allowing it to drape over her shoulders in heavy waves.
Her outfit was a simple ensemble of cream and dark brown; a cream-colored blouse and brown vest, and a pleated skirt that went just past her knees in bare flounces. Satisfied with her appearance, she hooked her fingers into her shoes, took up her bag, and headed downstairs.
Mama gasped in surprise, Jiichan stared, and Souta grinned widely, complimenting her as she came in. Mama smiled at her daughter as she set Kagome's breakfast before her. "You look very nice today, Kagome-chan."
"Thank you," the teenager replied sweetly, before politely digging into her breakfast. As she munched into a piece of buttered toast, she noticed offhandedly that a member of their household was absent. The fact that he would miss eating wasn't the problem; Inuki often did not eat breakfast. But he was always up at the break of dawn, and he would have his typical glass of hot tea, chatting with the family before he and Kagome headed off to school.
She pursed her lips, feeling a little hurt. She wondered if maybe he was avoiding her. After all, she had left his side the day before, wanting to just be away from him. Twice yesterday, he had protected her, thrown himself between her and danger. Both times he came out the victor, but banged up nonetheless.
The moment they had returned home, she had gone to her room to think. She had not come down for dinner that evening. Around 9 she had bathed and then gone to bed. She wasn't even sure how he was doing, if he had been more seriously injured or if he was worried.
"Mama, where's Yashagawa-kun?" she wondered and Mama smiled knowingly at her daughter before turning back to the dishes. "Inuki-kun went to bed very late last night, and so he will not be going to school today."
Kagome frowned, setting down her toast. They had already missed a day, and he intended to miss today as well? Maybe it was just her experience before, but missing school seemed like blasphemy to her now.
Without another word, the girl stomped back up the stairs towards the boys' room. It was dim with early light, the dark curtains drawn over the offending sun. A box fan roared from its place across the room, blowing cold air over Inuki's lithe form, curled up underneath a soft chenille blanket.
Kagome knelt at the side of the bed, giving his shoulder a gentle shove. "Yashagawa-kun." Emitting a moan that sounded almost insulted, he shifted, and the blanket came away to reveal his sleeping face. Kagome blushed slightly at his expression.
He looked like a little boy, dark lashes laying gently on his cheeks, a strand of dark hair caught at his mouth, turned in a frown. That tuft of hair was far too enticing for her to back down from; gently she reached out and pulled it from his mouth.
Her fingertips brushed across his lips, and they parted slightly as he drew breath. Her heart pounded loudly, a triphammer against her chest. No matter how hard she pleaded in her mind, her eyes would not leave his face, his lips.
All she could think of was how glad she was that he was here. That he had battled Katsuseki, defended her and Inuyasha's honor. That she had abandoned him when it was over. She hadn't worried about how everything had affected him.
She should have known better, as a reincarnation herself. She knew what it had felt like to feel second best, to feel like she was a replacement. And she knew that Inuki was surely feeling the same.
Inuki, who had been her distraction from the pain, who had been her shoulder to cry on, who had sworn to protect her, who had followed her to the Sengoku-jidai despite his own misgivings. Inuki, who was her friend.
She found herself leaning forward unconsciously, as if drawn to him. His skin was hot from being buried underneath the blanket, pressure lines on his arms where he'd been lying on his limbs. He smelled distinctly of oil paint, and she noticed flecks of green and blue on his shirt and bare arms. Lips inches from each other, his breath warm against her face, heart pounding--
--and his dark eyes slid open. "Higurashi…?"
Kagome pulled away quickly, knowing her face to be red; she felt its heat. The boy either didn't notice or didn't care about their previous proximity; he did not comment on it. Instead he rolled over and curled up underneath his blanket again. "Didn't your mom tell you, I'm not going to school today…"
She opened her mouth to say something, then shut it again. She smiled faintly at him, pulling up the blanket over his shoulder. "I just came to say sleep well, and I'll bring home your assignments."
He blinked, staring up at her with a sleepy gaze full of a meaning that she did not understand. "Thanks…" he finally mumbled. She nodded at him and stood, going to the door. From behind her, he spoke again, "Higurashi?" She turned to him, and he smiled broadly.
"You look nice."
Kagome looked a little surprised at first, but then she nodded her thanks, her smile clear and true, unforced. "Thank you." She stepped out, shutting the door quietly behind her. As she walked down the stairs she thought about Inuki, about what had almost happened. She wondered if he had even noticed, and if he had, why he hadn't called her on it.
As she thought about it, she was struck with a sudden epiphany, and she slowed to a stop. For that one moment, kneeling at his side, entranced by his sleeping face and the distinct smell of paint, she had not once compared him to Inuyasha.
He had only been Inuki to her.
She allowed a wide smile to show and happily she took the rest of the steps down, darting back into the kitchen where her family was finishing up breakfast. "I gotta go," she told them, grabbing her bag. Hastily she hugged Jiichan and Mama, flashing them cheerful grins as she headed outside.
Jiichan lifted one bushy eyebrow in confusion. "She's certainly in a better mood. I wonder what's gotten her in such fine spirits?"
Mama smiled.
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: I'm sorry Im late. Apologies are starting to become more and more frequent and yet I keep doing what I'm apologizing for. I can't say how hard writing has been for me in the past few months, but I AM sorry for all those of you whom Ive left hanging on. Thanks for continuing to read, and I'll try to get chapter 17 out faster than this one. ::repeated bowing:: ^^;;;
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen