Chapter 11: Brewing
It was morning, the sun was out and the birds that played happily outside near the window chirped merrily. It was a perfect morning; nothing was amiss. Everything was peaceful.
Kagome opened her eyes to the morning, blinking a couple of times to wake herself up. It was hard to simply take herself out of peaceful slumber when she was so comfortable. She saw outside the morning rays, the dewdrops hanging from the leaves of the tree near the window. Everything seemed to have an iridescent glow.
When her mind was fully awake, she felt a warm hand entwined with hers. She looked down at her waist and found a clawed hand; his hand used to be cold and that morning, it turned warm. She noticed that Haruko was gone since she was lying where Haruko was supposed to be. She craned her neck to look up at, whom else, but Sesshoumaru and was surprised to see him staring down at her.
Something about his eyes made her falter, it was as if he was searching for something inside of her that even she didn't know about. He was so beautiful. If he only knew how much she envied him…
"Good morning…" she greeted softly. She was given no reply and she returned to lying on her side, looking out of the window with a sigh. Sesshoumaru will always be Sesshoumaru. "Have you been awake all this time?" she asked. If she were her normal self she would have jumped out of the bed at the sight of him. But she wasn't herself that morning. She felt so overpowered by beauty that she couldn't dare move. She was too afraid the beauty might disappear the moment she breaks her hold on his hand.
She was actually starting to accept what Sesshoumaru told her two nights ago. To have a family with him, to have Haruko as their daughter…it all seemed like a wonderful dream. It was such a sweet thought that she actually forgot about Inu-yasha and the Shikon no Tama.
Once again, silence answered her. She had just woken up and was in too good of a mood to let his rudeness make her angry. She closed her eyes, "About last night," she started. "What did you want to talk about anyway?"
Soon she received an answer, "I…wanted to know what would make me take you…" slowly her eyes opened, she stared into nothingness.
"Why…?"
His words were uncharacteristically soft, gentle as if trying his best not to hurt her when he was sure he would. "So I would be able to avoid it…"
She hesitated to ask, "Y-you don't want to have Haruko as a daughter?"
There was a moment of silence but his sharp, stern voice broke it. "No, I don't."
Sesshoumaru felt Kagome's hand grow cold in his, her fingers trembled and tightened their hold on his relaxed ones. She took a deep breath and whispered, "That's about the worst thing you could ever say to me, Sesshoumaru."
Not now! She thought angrily. Not now that I actually accept her! Not now that I actually love her! Not now! Why now!
"You don't understand…" Sesshoumaru said softly, smelling the unshed tears. His heart pounded inside his chest as an unknown fear flowed through him when Kagome's hold on his hand loosened. She was letting go of him. And for some reason, he was terrified. He grasped her hand tightly in his, holding her in place. "Listen." He commanded.
"I can never understand you, Sesshoumaru. Do you enjoy playing with my emotions? Are you making fun of my stupid human emotions, is that it? Why are you doing this to me?" Kagome whimpered softly, a tear falling from her sapphire eyes.
"Listen to me, Kagome." He demanded. Kagome silenced herself, waiting for his explanation. "In my family, having a daughter is bringing disgrace. If I take you, I will have a daughter, a hanyou at that."
"How is having a daughter a disgrace!" she said, closing her eyes again; willing the tears to stop. She understood why Sesshoumaru didn't want a hanyou child but what she couldn't understand was this…
"A princess cannot have sovereign over the lands without having a King. If she is to wed a prince, the pure inu bloodline will be mingled with an impure blood. It is a disgrace." He coldly explained, he was after all an emotionless King. But inside of him, he thought, I do not trust I will be able to bear giving my daughter away to an unworthy brat of any royal family. These words that could have said everything, that could have made it crystal clear to Kagome, were never spoken.
"I…see…" and with that, she let go of his hand.
"What are we gonna do today?" her voice was melodic and happy as her bright smile matched her mirthful eyes.
"We're gonna play! We're gonna play!" sang two little boys in front of the hanyou girl, pretending to march like militants,
"What are we gonna do today?" she sang again, marching along with the boys.
"We're gonna play! We're gonna play!" Shippou and Kayo yelled at the top of their lungs. Haruko giggled at the adorable little children and bent down to their level.
"Alright, let's play! But…what are we gonna play?" she asked, looking animatedly thoughtful to make the children think that she was thinking very hard.
"I know, I know!" Shippou yelled, waving his hands up in the air and jumping with obvious excitement.
"Hai?" Haruko asked.
Shippou patted her head, right in the middle of those adorable white ears and ran away with Kayo at his tail. "Tag! You're it!" he exclaimed.
"Hey! No fair!" Haruko yelled, coming after them with an exaggerated slow pace. "Come here you! I got ya'!" she was just about to catch up to Kayo, who squealed with delight but was lunged at by Shippou, who pushed her to the ground. Haruko started laughing and wriggling on the ground when Shippou and Kayo started tickling her!
"AH! NO STOP! NO TICKLING! NO! AH-HAHAHA! AH!"
"Kayo!" the three of them stopped when they heard a honey-like voice calling to the human boy. They looked up to see Mila walking towards them with a worried look. "Father's been looking all over for you." Kayo stood straight and simply looked down at his feet in shame. "Go to him now." Mila said gently.
"Oh, Mila-kun, it's my fault…" Haruko started, not liking the thought of Kayo getting into trouble because of her.
Mila smiled comfortingly, "Don't worry, Haruko-san, he isn't in any trouble."
"OH, GOOD!" Shippou sighed in relief, "Coz it was all actually my fault." He whispered to himself.
"Ja ne, Haruko-chan." Kayo said before doing what Haruko considered the unthinkable. He kissed her. It was a quick peck on the lips and after which, the boy left with his brother. Haruko's eyes were left wide and her whole body was frozen. Who would ever have thought that her first kiss was to a child? It was strange to her, since she barely ever experienced physical contact in such an intimate way. And to think that a little boy would do that so vivaciously to her, without even the slightest idea what it meant.
"Haruko-chan?" she was snapped out of her reverie with the help of Shippou's voice. She blinked and looked down at the adorable little kitsune. "How old are you again?"
"126 human years old, Shippou-sama. Why?" she asked.
Shippou started counting on his fingers in deep thought. Haruko's eyes furrowed in confusion. "Then that means …84 years apart…" he said to himself.
"What?" Haruko asked with a confused look. She couldn't understand what Shippou was talking about and he wasn't bothering to explain anything.
"Haruko-chan, since when did you have a crush on the future me?" he asked again.
"What! I can't tell you that!" she said, standing.
"Aw, why not!" Shippou whined.
"Because," she started, "Then you'd know what I kept secret!"
"Aw, come on, tell me!"
"Nope!"
"Well then at least tell me if I'll be marrying anyone in the future!"
"Hmm…Nope, you're gonna be single forever!" she said, turning and walking away.
"Well what if I courted you?" She stopped dead in her tracks. Her finger twitched but Shippou didn't see it. "When I get older, what if I courted you?"
Haruko managed a wide grin, a fake smile like her mother's. She turned to face Shippou and winked, "You'll still end up single!"
"Aw, why!" Shippou whined again.
"Because," She turned around for the last time and walked away, this time intent on never looking back. "You don't love me."
Meanwhile, Sango sighed with relief. Her tense muscles relaxed under the warm water and the peaceful surroundings helped a lot. Her mind was clear of worrying for once and her lips were in a serene smile. She should use the Hot Springs more often.
"Ne, ne, have you heard?" she opened an eye to peak at who interrupted her peaceful time. At the corner, she saw three villagers talking closely but shamelessly loud.
"Nani?" the smallest of the three asked with excitement. At that, it became obvious that they were gossiping. Sango inwardly rolled her eyes, so childish, she thought.
"Shinta-sama is in love!" the average looking girl with dimples exclaimed as if it was a miracle. At the mention of Shinta, Sango opened an eye again, now slightly interested.
The fat one gasped, "With whom!"
"Rumor has it that he's in love with that hanyou girl!"
"Hm?" Sango raised a brow, now really interested.
"Her? But he only just met her three days ago!" the little one said.
"Yes, but from what I've heard from Lady Arisa's ranting in her room, it sounds like Shinta-sama was giving the hanyou everything she wanted! And more!" the girls gasped, "and she actually caught him staring at the hanyou, twice!" more gasps.
"That can't be!" said the stout one who started sobbing. "That can't happen! Shinta-sama, why!"
"I know! It's not like him to fall for somebody so quickly! Why, he's known all the beautiful, smart, charming, talented young women here since birth and he's never even fallen for one! Now this? This is an outrage!" yelled the skinny one with raggedy hair that just joined their conversation.
"I mean, look at her! She came in our village in such revealing and indecent clothes! She acts like a royal pain as if she was to be revered or something and she doesn't even dress like us!"
"She's always staying with the boys, she's a flirt!"
"She isn't even that friendly! I said hi to her this morning and she didn't even answer me!" Sango's hands clenched angrily and she ground her teeth, trying to contain her rage.
"And, I think, that Mila-kun has also fallen under her spell!"
Gasping. "A spell! That's it! She's a sorceress remember? She summoned those ice burgs from heaven! So if she could do that, what stops her from casting a spell on Shinta-sama and Mila-kun?"
With that, Sango abruptly stood, hands balled beside her, shaking in rage. Everyone looked at her and the stout one quickly recognized her with fear in her eyes.
"Y-You're the taijiya!"
"For your information, The Hanyou's name is Haruko! First of all, I was there when you said hi to her. She smiled at you, so don't say that that isn't a response! Secondly, she is not a flirt! You don't even know her and you're already judging her! And lastly, I don't think it's fair for you to say that she cast a spell on them just because she summons ice from heaven. You should all be ashamed of yourselves! Grown women, gossiping like little girls. And to think that we actually saved your town… How ungrateful." She shook her head and tsked at them.
She walked away from the Hot Springs with a triumphant feeling! She held her weapon behind her with one hand. The other hand was holding the towel up to her chest, to save her decency since she had to walk to get to her clothes.
She was just about to walk away when she suddenly heard a low clapping. She turned to the bushes at her right and out of it emerged a graceful looking Miroku. He was clapping. For what?
"Bravo, Sango-sama! That was…sugoi! You defended our beloved hanyou friend with fierceness and grace only you can possess, my dear." He gushed charmingly.
At that, Sango blinked and blushed. It wasn't always that she got a compliment about her righteousness from the monk. It was almost always a compliment about her body. And that always made her mad. "A-Arigatou, houshi-sa—" it was then that she thought, how could he have know if no one could have heard that from outside?
PAK!
"HENTAIII!"
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