Eight
Two hours and three of Josh's CDs later she was engrossed in icing her two layer masterpiece. This was oddly satisfying. Maybe I should give up academia and start a catering business.
In the middle of "Remember When It Rained, she heard the front door shut. She pushed down the urge to meet him and concentrated on the cake. Let him come to you and whatever you do, don't cry this time!
Kagome's back was facing the kitchen door but she heard the sound of his bare feet behind her in the dining room.
"Kagome?" he asked softly.
"Yes Inuyasha." She smoothed another helping of icing across the bare top of the cake.
"I had to be alone for a while."
"Went for an early morning walk?" She licked icing from the tip of her thumb while trying to keep the bandage on her hand clean.
"I needed to pray, for guidance."
Pray? Who knew he even knew what the word meant. It's another difference between the child and the man.
"Prayer is good."
"Miroku taught me prayer and meditation before he left." He had the patience for mediation?
"Ahh" she nodded.
"Smells good in here" she heard him sniff the air.
"Chocolate cake, I made it."
"I've never seen a cake quiet like that before."
She felt the hair on the back of her neck bristle and knew he was right behind her.
"Kagome, I've hurt you and I'm…sorry." He whispered.
She sighed and closed her eyes. "Yes but it couldn't be helped. If that's how you really feel than you were right to tell me."
His hand snaked over her shoulder and plunged a finger into the sweet chocolate icing. She swatted it away.
"Inuyasha! If you eat the icing then there won't be any for the cake." He'll be scrubbing icing out from under those claws for sure…
She blinked. His fingers were long, thin with blunt nails. The claws were gone. Her eyes flew to the kitchen clock that bore the date, time and cycles of the moon. The moon was still full. That means...
"It worked! You really are human!" She spun around and found a man with long dark hair that hung to his ass and slightly oversized ears standing behind her. His eyes were big, black and human. Kagome squealed and threw her arms around him smearing icing on the old t-shirt.
"Kagome, you did this, for me. I can finally rest." He spoke as he wrapped his arms around her. "There are no words of thanks that are big enough." He pressed his cheek to hers and scratched her skin with the beginning stubble of a beard. She pushed him away so she could study him and noticed his pale face was red from the sun.
She broke her promise to herself and cried. "I am so happy for you." She rubbed her hands on her sides. "Guess the old Shikon no Tama still has the mojo!"
"Today is the first day I walked amongst people and there were no insults or fear. A couple of girls followed me around until they realized I don't speak their language."
Kagome frowned then stopped herself. "Now you have the chance for a real life. A family even."
Inuyasha stood there studying her with his new dark eyes.
"I'll find a way to buy you an identity and teach you English. You can even go home to Japan."
He dropped his arms from her shoulders and stepped back. "That is what I mediated on. Kagome can I stay… here with you?"
Why? So I can watch you live, love and be happy. I can be on the outside looking in.
Again.
She washed her hands at the sink and dried them on a kitchen towel. She stood looking at him unconsciously wringing the towel in her hands. I am a fool but I cannot live without knowing this man. Even if I am not to be the woman he loves I must still see him. Her mind flashed back to a time he'd chosen the dead Kikyo over her but she'd asked if she could still stay with him. The thought of not being by his side destroyed her. Miroku and Sango did not understand how she could forgive him such a betrayal but it didn't matter. Inuyasha you are my opiate, my drug, my wine flowing in my very blood and soul... How can it ever be any different? She heard her heart beat then thought.
I am worse than those women I've seen on daytime talk shows.
"Yes Inuyasha. You may stay." She turned away from him and placed the towel on the counter. Stupid, stupid woman.
Inuyasha put his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. He then fell to his knees in front of her. He held her hands and pressed his face into them.
"Lady Kagome I beg your forgiveness for all these years. I give my life to you. Will you have me as your husband?"
Kagome stood frozen, unable to speak. Then tears burst free and flowed down her face. She threw her arms around him and fell to the floor with him. She heard Kikyo trot over and felt her cold nose press into her arm. She pushed the dog away and hugged Inuyasha.
"So that's a yes then?" She could hear his smile in his voice.
Kagome's nose began to run and she wiped at it with her arm. "Of course."
"Good." He leaned against the cabinets and grinned. "Because I'm ready to try that strange cake you made me."
She punched him lightly in the arm. "I made the cake for me. But… I could be convinced to share."
"Oh really?" Inuyasha's human face took on a mischievous youki slant.
You know the old saying…you can take the demon out of the man but…
He bent his head down and kissed her. It was a different kiss than the one they shared in the castle. This was not a kiss of buttons. It was a man claiming his love.
Kagome cried for the joy of it as he moved his lips across hers and she opened her mouth letting him in. He responded by pulling her into his lap and running his hands down her sides and lightly skimming his fingers over her breasts. After that the cake was temporarily forgotten.
Epilogue
Hours later they ate the cake in the nude and laughed as a very confused Kiki danced around them. Kagome felt no guilt when she thought of Hojo because she knew he'd wanted her to be happy. Hadn't the note the Tetsusaiga came with even said so?
That summer they spent a week with Kim at her Hilton Head beach house. Inuyasha refused to cut his hair and experienced his first sunburn.
Inuyasha still marveled at the foreign landscape but grew to love South Carolina as Kagome did. Eventually they answered the call of exotic lands and she returned to archaeology, her third love. Kiki was secure in the knowledge she was Kagome's fourth love.
There were still challenges. After all nothing worth having is ever easy. For example, Inuyasha's first visit to the dentist was a day that will not soon be forgotten by any who were present.
Kagome was never convinced Inuyasha possessed the patience required to be an archaeologist. But he was always an outstanding guest speaker in her classroom. He brought the feudal era of Japan to life for hundreds of undergrads and as a result the papers Kagome was forced to grade grew in quality and quantity as her class size continued to expand. They could have sold tickets the days he came wearing his red kimono and brandishing the forever broken and battered Tetsusaiga.
Class size wasn't the only thing expanding and soon Kagome gave Inuyasha a gift even greater than his humanity. A son. He was brought across the globe to be blessed in the Higurashi family shrine and dedicated to their family guardian the great hanyou Inuyasha who seeks the Shikon no Tama. All their friends were at a loss to explain the boy's silver white hair and golden eyes. The boy Inu, born over five hundred years after his father, grew up with a dual citizenship in the United States and Japan. The boy was his father's greatest joy and Kagome was his father's only love.
Notes:
Update: There are two more completed stories in this series. The Hanyou Hits the Frying Pan and Hanyou on a Hot Plate.
This is of course of fan fiction based on Rumiko Takahashi's Inuyasha. I have no claim to any of these characters, except for Kiki…she's all mine.
This was my first fan fic and offering to this site. The anime Inuyasha captivated me and when I discovered the story has no ending I had to make my own. Doesn't everyone watch the show because all we really want to do is to grab those ears!
This story is based in Charleston South Carolina of the good ole USA and all the places mentioned are very real. I encourage you to go there and explore. I originally wanted to base this in Tokyo but I've never been to Tokyo and was unable to do the city justice.
Josh Groban is an amazing artist and I hope he isn't displeased should he ever see his name here.
Poogan's Porch really does have a ghost and also a website. Go check it out and you will learn why Kagome loves to eat there. I included it because Poogan's is a local landmark. It's named after a dog and is haunted by a dead woman. What better place for Kagome to ponder her Inuyasha?
Piggly Wiggly is an actual grocery store. Yes really. Before you laugh just consider this. In Pennsylvania there is a convenience store with the name Wa-Wa. A bit of trivia; Piggly Wiggly is the oldest form of the modern self serve grocery store in the US.
Yadkin Valley is the famous wine region of North Carolina.
I know I spelled Wallmart wrong but who wants to risk the wrath of the Waltons?
And yes Golden Retrievers are great pets and lousy guard dogs.
Where I got the idea for this fanfic:
'Peter and Wendy' is a play and an actual book. I can't be the only person who noticed the similarities between these two stories. Isn't Inuyasha really a half bred Japanese Peter Pan forced to choose between his Tinker Belle, Wendy and adulthood? Because when you come right down to it he can't have Kikyo or Kagome. The quest cannot end until he realizes he has to lose everything in order to win. Just like Pan took Captain Hook's hand, Inuyasha took Sesshoumaru's arm. Sesshoumaru never kills Inuyasha even though he has ample opportunity as Hook with Pan.
Peter takes Wendy because he misses his mother. Inuyasha is older but Kagome still mothers him. Tinker Bell was his "mother figure" until Wendy arrived and intends to make her pay for usurping her position. But Tinker cannot allow Peter to grow up and that is the betrayal. Peter cannot have Tinker and the reason is obvious. Kikyo is dead. She walks talks and gives kisses but she has no claim on our living hero. Kikyo is magic, she is death which is what happens when you cease to age. Kikyo only wishes to die and pull Inuyasha into death with her.
Kagome is the silly Wendy who stays when an adult woman would leave. Hojo and Miroku are symbols of adulthood and Sango is loss. She is what Inuyasha will be if he chooses to win and grows up. Shippo is as lost boy complete with a bag of tricks. Jaken is Smee or Smithee who is Hook's groveling right hand man. Naraku is time and the greatest enemy of all who avoid growing up. That is why he is evil, perverted and changes shape with will. Because Miroku is an adult time is not on his side and will swallow him whole if he isn't careful. To defeat Naraku is to banish the hole in his hand which is really only time.
I thought on this and realized it only stands to reason that if the adult Wendy spent her life looking around every corner for the boy who could fly that it's a safe assumption Kagome would do the same.
So this is what happens to people who stay up late watching anime cartoons. They think too much and write stuff like this. In short I hope you liked my story. I welcome any feed back ya'll have to give.
