Disclaimer: sigh I don't…own…anyone…at the moment!

A/N: Firstly, I would like to apologize for the problems in chapter 5. It got all screwed up because I was trying to figure out how to do line breaks, or whatever, and it totally screwed up everything. I'm sorry. Ashamed Also…I'M SO SORRY FOR MY INABILITY TO UPDATE! more ashamed I feel like such a retard. I was out of town for a week in a half. I want to let everyone know that I probably won't be able to update this month and the beginning of next month. REASONS! 1) Only two more weeks of school, which means finals and parties so I'll be busy studying and hanging out at other people's houses. 2) I'm going to Europe! YAY! So I'll be away…meaning I won't have anywhere to update…like no computer. 3) I'm actually trying to start another story…just for you guys! The good news is though that I'll probably be working on the stories while I'm gone, so I'll be able to finish like 432473275974923 chapters. :D

Cigarettes and Lavender

Chapter 6-Red Irises

Bi Polar

The weather hadn't changed much, it was still frightfully cold and they could still see their breaths, but at the same time, they both felt a little warmer having each other besides them. She noticed over the span he had spent with them, about a week including the period when he was asleep, that he was more of the listener than the talker. They talked about everything and nothing at the same time. They could get so much from saying so little, and that's what made it all the more enjoyable to be around one another.

"What are you going to do today?"

"Just sweep the grounds; your mom is getting a little defensive about cleaning the house."

"She likes to keep busy." She smiled at him her eye twinkle in the early morning sunlight.

They walked in silence enjoying the stillness in the air. It was early morning, spring, and a Tuesday; these facts made Kagome dread to go to school. Tuesdays just made a student yearn for Fridays and spring made them yearn for summer. They were always longing for something.

"Remember I have cram school today and Souta has soccer practice. So you don't have to pick either one of us up." They had just finished dropping Souta off at school and were on their way to hers. He only nodded staring up at the trees that lined the sidewalk. "Hey Inuyasha?"

"Hmm?" He still gazed at the treetops.

"Do you remember what the guy that mugged you looked liked?" She asked timidly.

Inuyasha stopped walking and turned to look at her. He wasn't afraid anymore, he just was wondering what Kagome was getting at. "Yes."

"Well…I was thinking, you should turn him into the police." She started to fidget, once again making Inuyasha want to fidget, but he held back. The silence was deafening and it seemed like the world had stopped moving just to hear his answer.

"No."

She stopped messing around with the hem of her scarf and looked at the amber eyed boy standing with her. His eyes were turned towards to trees once more and started to walk again. She stood there for awhile trying to gather what he had just said. One simple word had ruined her flow. She was still staring at the place where her companion used to be standing when she noticed that he had begun to walk again. She ran to catch up with him. "What do you mean 'no'?" She was walking besides him.

"I mean what I said, and I said no." He didn't mean to sound like a smartass but the conversation was beginning to get on his nerves.

"He almost killed you! And all you can say is 'no'!" She was more surprised than angry with the silver haired boy, but she still did not see his logic. She grabbed his shoulders and turned him to face her. His face was emotionless.

"Kagome…" His eyes softened and he took her wrists off his shoulders. "That was in the past." He held her hands to comfort her and she felt a blush grace her cheeks. "I don't want to cling to the past anymore…" His amber orbs held so much and what was the most eminent right now, was the utter sorrow they kept within their depths.

She searched his eyes for quite some time when she finally smiled timidly and nodded her head. He grinned back and opened his mouth to say something when she cut him off. "Ok…I understand. Let's go." She walked down the street completely aware that she still had a hold of one of his hands.

He stared at their entwined fingers, he felt his face heat up and his mouth go dry. She didn't dare look at him in the face, she was too embarrassed by her actions to do anything of the sort, but she also didn't dare let go of his hand. Something about his eyes and when he talked about "clinging to the past" made her want to hold onto him tighter than ever.

It was too soon for the pair when they got to Kagome's high school. Well actually, if you must be technical "near" Kagome's high school. Inuyasha understood that she was afraid of the rumors that would spread if they saw her walking with some unknown stranger, and now, holding hands with that same stranger. So she politely asked him if he would "drop her off" near the bricked building.

The stood beneath a tree near the building for sometime, just standing there, her right hand clasped tightly around his left one. Neither knew how to say goodbye.

"So…er…" Inuyasha rubbed the back of his head with his free hand.

"Um…"

And then, in a split second Inuyasha found Kagome clinging him, her head resting on his chest, her arms around his neck. He gasped and looked down at the black mop that was her head and found himself smiling. His arms encircled around her back and he gave her a light squeeze. She backed up and beamed before waving goodbye and jogging to get to school on time.

The walk home was dreary and depressing. When he opened the door Mrs. Higurashi stepped out of the kitchen handing him a broom and grabbing her purse. "I have to go get some prescriptions from the drug store. I'll be back in a second. You can sweep the grounds while I'm gone." (A/N: I always make her go to the store when I don't want her around. Doesn't everyone?)

He stood in the kitchen holding the broom for a couple minutes after she left. It was hushed; the only thing that could be heard was the kitchen light that hung above the sink. He took the broom outside and swept the grounds while she was away. He was still sweeping when she got back.

"Why don't you take a break, dear? I can make us some tea or something." She smiled warmly and took the broom away from his rough hands.

They sat in the kitchen, tea cups sitting in front of them. She was glancing through a magazine and he was day dreaming.

"So, how was walking Souta and Kagome to school today?" Her voice was soothing; it reminded him of the mother's you see on TV, like the lady on the Brady Bunch. He had only seen those kinds of mothers on the television and had stopped believing they were real when he turned 6 years old.

"It was nice." He turned to her, his eyes wrinkled in a true smile.

"I'm glad." She got up to take in her bowls, like she always did. He was surprised to see that she came back to sit with him. "So…tell me about yourself Inuyasha. I think I have a right to know a little about my new boarder, don't you?"

He sat there in silence for a little while before saying shyly. "What would you like to know?" What else could he say? It's not like he was going to spill his guts to some lady he had met a couple of days ago.

"Simple things, like what's your favorite color?"

He was relieved that he didn't ask anything that would make him remember what he had left behind. "Er…I really don't have one." He was still debating his favorite color, sometimes it was red, and other times, red scared him. "How about you?" He suddenly remembered his manners.

"I love the color yellow." He smiled at her. The color suited her. "Hmm…then what's your favorite…flower? I know…it's kind of a girl question, but tell me if you have one."

He thought. When he was young he remembered his family's background and how it was overgrown and sometimes if he was lucky he'd find a flower amidst the tall blades of grass. She had told him that they were called…"Irises."

"Oh…those are lovely flowers, aren't they? I think I have some growing in the yard." She beamed then got up to wash out his tea cup. He left to finish sweeping the grounds.

Kagome came home to silence. Cram school had run late, once again. It was around 10 and she had not expected to find anyone awake. Still, she had hoped someone would have waited for her. She flipped on the lights to lessen her fears and walked into the quiet kitchen. The sink dripped and the refrigerator hummed. On the table sat a note with her mother's handwriting.

Kagome honey,

I suspected that cram school would run late with finals coming up so I left you some dinner. Heat it up in the microwave for 5 minutes and it will be fine. Try not to get to bed late. I love you!

-Mom-

Shesmiled at her mother's thoughtfulness. Cram school was long and horrible. She still had some homework to finish up too. Dread welled up in her stomach much like an illness would. Kagome ate her food in silence listening to the dripping of the faucet and the humming of the refrigerator. She went upstairs with the knot in her stomach getting worse. Her room was dimly lit while she sat at her desk quickly working on whatever homework she hadn't finished.

It was the same dream that had been haunting him for the past couple of weeks. It still bothered him despite the many times he had dreamed it. It left him cold and sweaty and desire for water.

He was 5 years old again and sitting on his bedroom floor. She was sitting with him. Her smell pine and old people flowed through the room. Notebook paper littered the floor.

"Oh Inuyasha, you really need to stop writing your "R's" backwards." Her withered voice was kind and light. He tried again.

Heavy footsteps were heard throughout the house. Heavy drunk footsteps. He hated that sound. She got up, her tired body hunched in old age. He was standing in the doorway angry and intoxicated.

What seemed like seconds later he saw her shriveled body at the foot of the stairs. Red splattered the floor and he clutched tightly to the notebook paper which only minutes before she had taught him how to spell his favorite color.

It was the same as it had been for the weeks. He woke up with cold sweat running down his back and chest. Inuyasha was shaking; he bit his tongue to keep from screaming. It was an old habit. At home there were consequences for being loud. Here, he just didn't want to have people ask any questions.

He got up out of bed. The hallways were dark and deathly still. Downstairs he got himself a glass of water. Inuyasha paced the room, wiping sweat from his brow and practiced breathing deep. When he felt calm he walked back upstairs. Kagome was awake, light shown from the bottom of her door.

The floor creaked when he walked across it. He jumped when Kagome opened her door slightly, light flooding the hallway. He turned to look at her. Her blue eyes were red with the lack of sleep and her hair tangled from dozing off once in awhile. "Oh it's just you Inuyasha. What are you doing up so late?"

"It's nothing. I was just thirsty." He smiled to reassure her.

"Oh I see. Hey…Inuyasha? Do you know how to…um…find the inverse matrices?" She looked down at her feet embarrassed that she was up at 12 and only on her 4th problem.

"Yea…"

"Can you, maybe…help me then…please?" She still had her eyes glued to her feet.

"Oh…umm…okay." He walked into her pink room scented like lavender. She closed the door and afterwards he felt more confined and nervous. But then she smiled at him and all those feelings evaporated. She got her books and sat down on the floor the motioned for him to sit by her.

They worked on her homework for little more than an hour. And she understood it all, which was an added bonus to the short amount of time it took for her to do the problems. Inuyasha was lying on his stomach with Kagome sitting cross-legged next to him. She held her homework on her knee, biting her bottom lip in concentration. He watched her from behind his silver mop of hair.

"Oh…I see…" She mumbled in audible things to herself which made Inuyasha chuckle, she didn't notice though. "12!" She exclaimed turning to look at Inuyasha with the widest grin on her face. He golf-clapped for her.

"So, are you done?"

"No…3 more problems left." She frowned. "You can go to bed if you want to."

"No that's ok; I'll stay until you're finished." He looked out her window at the dark sky, sprinkled with specks of stars.

"Ok." She smiled and turned back to her work.

It was quiet for another 45 minutes before she shut her book and gave a large sigh. "I'm done!" She grinned.

"That's great!" He got up off her soft floor and wiped imaginary specks of dust off his pants. He wasn't sure what to do. Stay? Go? Ask her if she needs anymore help? She left him confused and dazed and he didn't know why.

"Thanks so much Inuyasha, I'd probably be up until 5 in the morning if it wasn't for you." Inuyasha nodded his welcomes and started to walk to the door, Kagome followed him. She stopped him right as he was about to leave the room. He stared down at her and she looked anywhere but his eyes.

"So…are you just going to keep me here until tomorrow or…what?" She had a hold of his t-shirt, gripping it tightly and twirled her hair with her free hand.

She leaned up, placing her head on his shoulder and her arms around his back. He was surprised; this girl was full of them. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist and closed his eyes. She did the same. They stood there in that position for some time before she pulled back only to lean in once again to give the tiniest peck on his cheek.

She lowered her eyes. "Thanks for everything Inuyasha."

His face was hot and his palms were sweaty when she closed the door. He stood outside of her room for a few minutes bewildered and blissful. He walked back to Souta's room in a daze, like he was walking through a huge foggy dream, except tonight's dreams wouldn't involve her or the red. The color that stained so many of his memories.

A/N: So that's the end of chapter 6. With some fluff for some of my reviewers, 7 pages long…that's a new record for me. Also sneak peak into Inuyasha's past, something besides abusive parents. And for those of you who don't know Irises mean (if my sources are correct) hope.

I'm still really sorry for being so late. I feel so guilty. By the way, for any of you that know algebra 2 and know about inverse matrixes…I'm proud of you. Because I don't know anything about them and I'm just sort of guessing about the whole 12 thing. So yea…If they're like suppose to be fractions of something pretend you don't notice my obvious mistake and my horrible math skills.

Ok…so yea. I'd really like some reviews but I'm not going to force any of you. Thank you once again to inahosetai, I can't wait to see your artwork. :D Thank you also to all of my fabulous reviews, you're all fantastic! Over and out my friends. :D