Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author's Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).
Chapter Fourteen:
The Cabin Boy Shippo
Kagome gulped and moved closer to Inuyasha as they walked down a rather crowded street. It seemed like the amount of drunks in the town had doubled in the few minutes they had been walking and she now found herself surrounded by an array of men that were so intoxicated that they couldn't even stand, let alone walk. She gulped when she noticed a man face down in a street gutter, he wasn't moving, he didn't even appear to be breathing.
Glancing up at the Captain from her place a few feet beside him, she watched his eyes, trying to see if he had noticed the unmoving man. The Captain's eyes didn't waver, however, he only continued to look ahead, his eyes every once and a while darting this way and that. She looked in front of them, trying to determine where he was looking as his eyes darted back and forth about the street. She sighed, unable to keep up, it was downright impossible, he simply could look around much too fast for her to keep up with.
They turned a corner then, heading down a street that jutted off the main street. It was almost like an alleyway, the buildings no more than five feet or so apart. The very thought made Kagome gulp, not the fact that the buildings were so close together but instead the fact that the closer the building got to one another, the closer she was forced to walk to Captain Inuyasha.
She blushed when she felt her shoulder brush his own, the contact, although minimal, caused a tremor to fill her—warming her all the way to her stomach. She glanced at the Captain out of the corner of her eye, looking to see if he had wavered because of the contact as well. His face showed nothing, much to her disappointment and she turned away, just in time to trip because of her father's boots which were too big. She desperately tried to keep her balance and succeeded only to run her shin smack dab into a barrel in front of a store they were passing.
"Ouch!" She hissed as she went to grab hold of her aching shin only to realize that the action of consoling her injured body had caused her to become heavily off balance. She felt herself begin to tumble forward and winced as she waited for the impact of the barrel on her forehead. "This is going to hurt." She found herself thinking and then grew confused when the pain actually never hit her.
Opening her eyes in confusion she came to see the barrel in front of her, just as she had expected, but instead of her face coming towards it she found herself hovering, as if time had frozen before she made the impact.
"Clumsy."
She heard the deep voice of the Captain and with that sound in her ears realized that someone was holding her with big strong hands—hands she had felt hold her before. Her breath hitched in her throat as she also noticed that those hands were not letting her go but were instead pulling her closer, closer to their owner. Those hands were turning her to face their owner and when she was finally turned she nearly died at the sight of the Captain's deep gold eyes looking her over.
"Are you okay?" He asked as he took in the sight of her. "Stupid girl," He muttered. "Tripping over a barrel, you gotta pay more attention."
Kagome felt her whole face go red, from both her own embarrassment and her bubbling anger. "I'm not stupid." She administered as she brushed his hands away.
"Sure." He said dryly and she was slightly surprised to see an irritated look overcome his face.
It was almost like he was angry at something. Could it be he was angry she had back talked him? No—that wasn't it. Kagome watched as he tried to discreetly look at her hands, staring at them as if he was mad at them. Kagome flushed from head to toe as she realized, much to her astonishment, that he was glaring at her hand. Was he doing that because he was upset she had pushed him away? The very thought gave Kagome a chill—a distinctive chill that wasn't entirely upsetting to feel.
Looking down at her feet, she noticed her too big boats and sighed. "It's these boots." She told him firmly, opting not to cause a fight.
"What's wrong with your boots?" He asked as he motioned her onwards, indicating they should start walking again .
Kagome blushed before answering her tone showing her embarrassment. "They're my father's boots and—," She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze as he followed her movements out of the corner of his eye. "They're too big for me so I keep tripping over them." She finished in a rush.
Inuyasha nodded as he watched her, although he hadn't seen her trip except this one time, he believed her, he could tell the boots were too big just by the sound they made when she walked. When a person wore a boot that was the right size, the foot would fall all at once making a distinctive stepping sound, when a boot was too big, however, the boot would fall and then the foot inside would fall, making two sounds instead of one when a person walked. It was almost like hearing a double foot step with each foot fall the person made. That was the case with Miss Dresmont, each foot fall sounded like two instead of one—which meant one thing, Miss Dresmont's shoes were far too big.
He watched her carefully as she walked, noticing the way she was forced to alter her steps in order to keep from tripping again. He frowned, if she had to run in shoes like those, it was very likely she would get hurt. There was no way she could stand a chase in boots that big. "I should get her boots that fit." He determined, "For her safety." He added for his mental sanity.
His decision made him stop, causing Miss Dresmont to glance at him strangely. Ignoring her glance he took in the scenery, they were on a back road, or better yet an alley which he knew lead to a carpenter but he wasn't sure if it would also lead to a Cordwainer. "Or at the very least a Cobbler." Inuyasha thought absently.
Letting out a strangled sigh he walked over to a man who was sitting outside a shop smoking a pipe, Kagome following behind him confused. He took in the man's appearance, noting the apron and the somewhat nice appearance of the man's face, indicating the man regularly bathed. He sniffed the air, taking in the telltale scent of a fellow dog demon. He smiled at the thought this man wasn't dangerous, he was merely a shop keep and a fellow dog at that.
"¿Hay algún hombre que haga zapatos en èste pueblo?" The Captain called as he approached the man.
"Por supuesto, el Señor Claudio." The man replied as he pointed away from them.
The Captain looked in the direction of the finger and nodded. "¿Adonde està su tienda?"
The shopkeeper shrugged with a yawn, drawing on his pipe as he thought for a moment. "En la calle principal. Tiene una vaca como rótulo."
"Èl trabaja con cuero?" The Captain inquired.
The shop keeper gave him a strange look and then laughed heartily. "Sí, pero èl puede hacerle un par de zapatos bien finos."
"Genial, gracias por su tiempo." Inuyasha said with a nod and a smile directed at the man and turned around, heading back the way they came. Kagome looked between the shop keep and the Captain in confusion before turning and following the man back towards the main street.
"Um, Captain?" She questioned as she came to stand by his side. "What was that about?"
"Needed some information." He answered simply as he walked with long strides, strides that were hard for Kagome to keep up with.
She frowned as she struggled to match his pace, her boots causing her some trouble as they flopped about her feet. "Where are we going, then?" She huffed out not used to moving so briskly.
Inuyasha gave her a sideways glance before deliberately slowing down. If Kagome noticed the gesture, she didn't say anything. "Back to the main street." He told her matter of factly as he continued to adjust to a pace that was easy for her to match. He watched as her breathing seemed to even out as she began to walk at a normal rhythm. Turning one of his ears towards her, he listened for her heart beat and smiled satisfied that it was returning to its regular tempo after the short burst.
"Okay but why are we headed back there?" She asked once she had caught her breath. "Were we headed the wrong way before?" She continued to question as she dodged a drunken man who had come too close. She shuddered as she felt the man's hand graze her arm, an accident but still troubling.
A growl beside her made her tremble and she gasped when the Captain suddenly moved from her side so he could smack the man away from her. "Fucking drunk." The Captain growled out as he walked away from the man who was groaning and slowly sinking to the ground. "Need's ta use his nose and watch where he goes." His snorted loudly as he haphazardly grabbed for the jewel rubbing it as if too sooth his temper. "I swear, this stupid generation is full of dumb pups." He walked passed Kagome who continued to stare in utter disbelief, her eyes trained on the drunk man who was holding his head in his hands, lying in a gutter like the man she had seen before.
"What? Why?" She watched the Captain as he walked passed her offering no explanation. "Captain?" She said in shock as she turned towards the man refusing to go any further until he paid attention to her. "Why did you do that?"
"He touched you." The Captain stated bluntly dropping the gem seeming to deem its soothing powers useless for now as he looked at her, his face stern and unreadable.
"Yeah, it was an accident, not a grab like before." Kagome narrowed her eyes at the Captain and crossed her arms over her chest. "You have no right."
Inuyasha's eyes went wide at her words. "No right?" He said in disbelief. "I have every right and he knows it, even if he is a pup!" The Captain pointed at the man behind him, his face clearly showing his own astonishment caused by her words.
"You have the right to beat a man just because he touched me?" Kagome scoffed crossing her arms under her chest. "That's absurd."
"You're absurd." Inuyasha shot back his arms coming to cross over his chest just as hers had. "You have a claim, no man can touch you but me and he touched you, so I hit him—," He pointed between her and the man who was now walking away as if nothing had happened. "Perfectly within my rights."
"He probably didn't even know I had a claim." Kagome stated as she huffed and turned up her nose. "Besides, last time I checked you didn't own me." She drew out each word as if to hammer her point more perfectly into his skull. "So you have no right to forbid another man from touching me."
Inuyasha saw red for all of ten seconds, the demon in him causing his whole vision to blur from this girl's words. He grabbed onto the gem so hard that the chain should have broken and counted backwards from ten as slowly as he possibly could. By the number four his vision began to return to normal showing him her turned up nose and closed eyes. He took deep and controlling breathes as the gemstone started to burn against his hand causing him to hiss and let go expectantly. "Why does it keep doing that?" He mentally snarled momentarily distracted as he looked at the gem the best he could while it laid against his chest and sighed. "Kami-sama." He grumbled as he forced himself back to his current problem, the defiant girl in front of him. With a glare he turned his eyes back onto her and groaned wanting nothing more than to put some sense into her pretty head but knowing he couldn't. "She just doesn't understand." He told himself. "She's human and she doesn't understand." He took a few more deep breaths, focusing on maintaining a semblance of control before he approached her slowly. "The sooner she understands the better." He told himself as he came to stand in front of her.
He waited until she became aware of his presence. Her eyes opened when she did and he couldn't help but love the sight of her sweet and innocent confusion as she took in his tall shadow. Reaching out he put his rather large hand on her right shoulder, the place where the mark was underneath her flesh and watched with demonic satisfaction as she gasped at the contact his mark reacting to his touch upon her skin. Inside of him the demon stirred practically salivating as it heard her heartbeat pick up and her body instinctively react to the marker touching the mark. Every bit of it was delicious to the demon in him, absolutely delicious.
"According to this," He allowed his fingers to gently massage the mark through her clothes a pleasure for both him and her. "You—are—mine." He said, punctuating every single word with a brief pause. "All demons know this instinctively, they smell it, they feel it, it comes at them like a sixth sense."
Kagome was too stunned to say a word. The second he had touched her, touched the spot above her mark, she had felt something inside of her begin to build. It was a startling and scary sensation, warm in her stomach, forming against her will. It reminded her of the way she had felt before when he had touched her in his cabin—it was the same startling and pleasure filled sensation.
"If this mark wasn't on your flesh." He told her bluntly. "Then all the demons around you would become aware of your presence." He leaned forward his hand slipping upwards from the mark to rest on the side of her neck. "They would kill to have you."
His words snapped Kagome awake and she gulped, looking at him with wide eyes her mind barely registering the fingers that rested against her skin. "But—." She tried to speak but his hand shifted back down her neck to her shoulder, the jolt of electricity that rocked her body as his hand moved over the mark halting all words from leaving her lips.
"So unless you want that drunk pup to do more than just bump into your shoulder," He glared at her, his words harsh but needed. "You'll accept this mark and what it means for you and me." He pulled his hand away from her shoulder once more allowing it to move up her neck and across her throat in such a way that she found herself shivering from the odd sensation until the hand reached its destination: her chin, which it caught in an iron grip. "You are my bitch and no man can touch you but me—"
A part of Kagome wanted to kick him, that is, until he finished his sentence.
"And I won't touch you like they will—," His eyes caught sight of hers then and she found herself captivated as he continued. "I won't hurt you." His voice went down an octave becoming gentle. "I told you, I'm a better man than that." He finished and let go of her chin, backing away from her with a huff as he rolled his shoulders straighter and turned to walk in the direction they had come from earlier. "Now just shut up and let me protect you." He called from over his shoulder.
Kagome didn't move to follow right away as his words echoed in her head:
"I'm a better man than that."
Those words were haunting to her as she heard them in her mind. The more she heard them, the more she believed them. It helped her make sense of everything, anyway. The Captain protected her because she was his claim and wasn't that better than being left to the wolves? Kagome sighed as she started to follow the Captain, still unsure of where they were headed in more ways than one. "You still didn't need to hit him." She muttered as she approached the Captain's back. She noticed the Captain's ears twitch on his head and her heart nearly stopped at the sight. "That is the cutest thing I've ever seen." She practically squealed to herself.
"Yes I did." The Captain responded to her as he walked his eyes straight ahead.
Kagome blinked coming out of her ear induced haze. "No you didn't." She argued back.
"He deserved it." The Captain told her haughtily. "He touched you, he knows the consequences."
"He was drunk." Kagome shot back their earlier argument coming back full swing.
"Then maybe he shouldn't drink." The Captain replied, his hands animatedly reiterating his point.
"Do you drink?" She asked with her brows narrowed.
He looked at her haughtily. "What's that got to do with anything?"
She found herself smiling snidely as she jabbed a finger into his chest. "Well if you touched some claimed girl when you were drunk and got punched," She bit out the word sardonically. "How would you feel?"
He stared at the finger on his shirt for a second before lightly pushing it away. "I would feel like I deserved it because I didn't notice the claim." With that he started to walk off again, leaving a seething Kagome behind him.
Kagome practically growled and went to stand in front of him, stopping him from continuing to walk. He glanced at her with a raised eyebrow but made no move to go around her. "You still shouldn't have hit him," She continued completely undeterred. "You could have just—," She struggled to find a good alternative. "Told him or something."
Inuyasha made a show of thinking about it but then shrugged. "Too much work, it's more fun to hit."
Kagome let out a frustrated howl and then much to the Captain and her own surprise, pulled back her hands and tried to push him backwards, her hands making contact on his chest. Both of them froze at the action but for two wholly different reasons. Kagome froze because she had just tried to push a man who held her entire existence in his clawed hands and Inuyasha froze because this girl had the gall to actually hit him—something only Sango had ever done without being reprimanded severely for it.
Slowly Kagome brought her eyes upwards to look at the man in front of her, he wasn't moving, his eyes hidden by his bangs. She gulped, "He's going to kill me."
Inuyasha brought his hands up causing Kagome to flinch. She closed her eyes waiting for him to hit her but then opened them in shock when instead she felt his large hands covering her own.
"Miss Dresmont." He said firmly as he grasped her hands.
Kagome opened her eyes and looked at their joined grip, her heart pounding in her chest from the contact of his hands encompassing hers. "His hands," She thought to herself, her whole body flushing. "They're so much bigger than mine."
"Miss Dresmont look at me." He commanded softly drawing Kagome out of her own little world. "That pup deserved what he got." He spoke so softly that Kagome felt all her tension leave and her ears finally open. "He needs to know his place and besides," The Captain told her now that he knew she was listening. "It keeps you safe."
Kagome nodded her head somewhat understanding the Captain's words and strange endearment. "He wants me to be safe." The thought warmed her, the idea making her think the Captain wasn't as bad a man as he pretended to be. Still one part of all of this still confused her—pup? "That man," Kagome said in a small voice catching the Captain's attention. "Why did you call him a pup?"
"Because he's a pup," The Captain said in way of explanation as he shrugged her hands still held tight in her own. "Boy couldn't have been older than a few centuries."
Kagome blinked a few times and then tilted her head to the side. "Captain, just how old are you?"
The Captain let go of her hands at the odd question, his eyes clearly showing the change in mood as he gave her a questioning gaze. "Depends," He told her his posture seeming almost twitchy.
"On what?" She asked as they seemingly started to walk again, as if the action had been prearranged by both.
"Well, it depends on how you measure time. Like a human or like a demon." He supplied with a shrug of his shoulders.
"There's a difference?"
"Yeah, demons and humans have different understandings of how long a year is." He told her as they stepped out of the alley and onto the main street. He glanced around, as if searching for something, Kagome supposed he was looking for the carpenter's shop. "You humans call a year three hundred and sixty five days because of the sun or some shit like that, demons think of it differently."
"They do?" Kagome questioned as she walked beside the Captain across the street. Once on the other side they began a leisurely pace, walking with the foot traffic. "I never knew that."
"Not something we advertise." He said bluntly as he checked the street signs.
She nodded, "So then, how long is a demon year?"
"A hundred of your human years." The Captain told her off handedly as he looked around, continuing to search.
Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the Captain as if he had just grown wings and flown off. "A Hundred years?"
"Yeah," He said with a sharp nod. "Seems long to a human I know but it really isn't."
"My god," Kagome said with a rather large gulp, trying to squash out the forming lump in her throat. "Then how old are you?"
"Human or demon years?" He asked as he finally looked at her, his posture becoming a bit anxious as he looked around them as if he was apprehensive about something or uncomfortable.
Kagome watched him with shinning eyes, debating on what she should ask first. In the end, she decided to ask about the one she understood the best. "Human."
He rolled his eyes, "You would." He glanced around before grabbing her arm, she squeaked in surprise but he shushed her and pulled her out of the large street into a small back alley that didn't have any shops.
Panic over took Kagome's heart but quickly ebbed when he let go of her and knelt down on the ground. Curious she watched as he positioned his pointer claw into the dirt and wrote 1782 on the ground, the current year and then underneath it the year 1378. Kagome eyes widened as he slowly began to do the calculation.
"There we are," He said when he was done. "I'm 404 in your human years."
Kagome gasped as the thought slowly sunk into her head. For every one hundred years, he aged one year, that meant— "You're only four years old!"
His ears flattened at the high pitched sound of her voice. "Damn it, do you realize how loud you are?"
"You're four years old." She repeated not seeming to have heard him as she slowly slid down to the ground.
He raised an eyebrow at her and frowned. "Not exactly, it's more complicated than that."
She shook her head as if clearing her thoughts. "But it's right there on the ground, right?" She pointed at the math equation on the ground. "For every hundred human years one demon, one hundred goes into four-hundred, four times, so there it is. That's pretty exact if you ask me."
"Do I look four to you, woman?" He said with a dry look on his face.
She narrowed her eyes, feeling slightly ridiculous as that thought struck her. He diffidently didn't look four, that was for sure.
"For our first fifteen years of life we age like a human, after that our aging slows down, that's when we hit the every hundred equals a year." He took a deep breath when he was done, standing up from the ground and offering her a hand.
She looked at the outstretched hand surprised and took it hesitantly. He pulled her to her feet innocently before letting go.
"So you do the math Miss Dresmont, how old am I?"
She frowned at the question, thinking about it intensely. For the first fifteen years they aged like humans, for every hundred after that they added a year, he was four hundred and four years old—but that meant. Kagome looked up at him, her eyes wide as something hit her, something very unnerving. The realization was heightened when he looked at her from his peripheral vision. The look on his face clearly said what she already thought—he was really young. "You're only eighteen." She whispered into the shadowy alley.
His ears flattened on his head and he gave her a short nod, "Keep your voice down." He said gruffly. "Not exactly something anyone should know, not even Miroku knows."
"Why not?" She asked him, still stunned.
"I'm young," He said sharply. "If that hit the wind and people found out, my reputation would be destroyed." He gave her an increasingly imploring look his eyebrows raising and his eyes widening. "No young guy like me can really rule a pirate ship. If the men knew," He paused for a second inhaling deeply. "They would mutiny."
Kagome wrinkled her nose in surprise. "Just because you're young?"
"Yes," He nodded with a heavy sigh. "I've got limited experience compared to some demon pirates. I've only been on the sea sixty years." He looked up between the rooftops taking in the sight of the sun with a deep sigh. "That's like six and a half months for a demon."
"It seems so long."
"Compared to how long I'm going to live," He said giving her an almost boyish grin that sent an onslaught of shivers down her spin. "It's merely a bucket of water compared to the seven seas."
She looked at him as he said those words and for the first time she saw him as something completely different than who she had thought he was. Before her wasn't the pirate Captain Inuyasha, who could kill you with a flick of his wrist, before her wasn't even the man she had met at Port Royal two weeks ago. No—before her right now was a young man, his face looked almost childish as the sunlight played off of his handsome features. She felt her heart warm as a new knowledge washed over her, he had trusted her with this information—he was trusting her with something that could destroy his fragile reputation that had been built by such a young life. A smile flickered on Kagome's face, "I won't tell a soul." She swore from the very bottom of her heart.
He looked at her, his ears perking on his head. A small smile hinted on his face, his eyes seeming to show his young age in that moment, he opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself and blushed looking away. Quickly he brought his hands to his neck, an audible popping noise hitting the air before he shook himself firmly, like a dog wet with rain. He turned back to her and offered an almost shy smile. "Come on, we've lot's to do and not much daylight."
She smiled as they walked out of the alley together, her face brightened by the fact that he had let her in—showed her a man that most likely no one else knew, except Miroku he probably knew that man a little and maybe Sango—well at least she was in the club. "Where are we going anyway?" She asked as she moved by his side, her hands hidden behind her back as she walked with him.
"To the Cobbler." Was his short reply, his eyes staring dead ahead as if he didn't want to look at her.
Ignoring that strange gesture, Kagome stopped as the thought of visiting a man who repaired shoes ran in her head. Weren't they looking for someone who made furniture? "Why?" She asked as she caught up with him once again, her head tilting as she tried to look up into his face.
"You need a pair of boots don't you?" He said while pointing at the too big boots on her feet.
She looked down at the boots, blinking several times before looking back up at him. "You're going to buy me new boots?"
"Can't have you fallin' all over the place now can I?" He said gruffly while scratching the back of his head. "It'd be a major pain."
Kagome somehow knew that it wasn't meant to be insulting, so she just smiled and nodded before continuing to walk beside him shoulder to shoulder.
-break-
Kagome sat in the small chair waiting, watching as the Captain negotiated with a local merchant. They had arrived at the store twenty minutes ago or so and he had already found what he wanted. She had to admit it wasn't a bad choice either—an over sized bed that he would put together once they reached the ship. It looked like it could easily fit two people. Kagome blushed at the thought and turned away from the negotiations.
She took a deep breath and reached to grab a lock of her hair, only to come up empty handed. She frowned at the realization and sighed. Her eyes drifted towards the new shoes on her feet taking in the new leather. They had obtained the shoes by luck, pure luck. Usually the cobbler would only repair a shoe but this cobbler had in fact been capable of making them as well. That was not where the luck ended, however.
Normally, the cobbler would take the measurements of one's foot and then make the shoe especially for that person, this could takes days or even weeks depending on how many orders the cobbler had ahead of your own. But when they had walked in the cobbler had an extra pair of boots that were close enough to her size and he had gladly given them to her when the Captain had named the 'right' price. At first she had been a bit apprehensive that the Captain had spent so much money on her but she knew she shouldn't argue, after all she didn't want to rock the boat—not after they had made some progress—not after he had trusted her with something important to him. The thought made her feel good inside, even if she was still slightly scared, she knew (even if it was only a slight understanding) that the Captain was not a completely horrible person—what kind of person he was though, she really didn't know.
With a heavy sigh she turned her gaze away from her feet and out at the busy street watching the men and few women move past the window pane. They were people of all shapes and sizes—people she knew had lived lives she couldn't even comprehend.
Kagome taped her chin—what kind of life made a pirate? She knew Miroku was an orphan but what about Sango? The woman could be proper—she was high society, it was evident in her voice, in her mannerisms. So how did she end up here? What drove her to this world?
Kagome closed her eyes and imagined Sango meeting Miroku in the same way she had met the Captain. "I bet he romanced her onto the ship and she never left." Kagome thought to herself with a giggle before she leaned forward, her chin in her hands.
She grew thoughtful as she saw the reflection of the Captain in the window's glass. She had heard the bed time stories; she had heard the legends about this man but were they true—she had seen that they were not necessarily accurate but still, what had brought him to this life, what had happened in his four hundred and four years of life?
She narrowed her eyes at that thought, what had his life been like before he was a pirate? Just like Sango the Captain could act very high class, he could dance very well, he could play the part of the gentleman, and it seemed he had been taught propriety, just as she had been taught — she was almost certain of that.
"But was he raised to be a gentleman," she wondered, "And if he was then what brought him to a life of piracy? What made him a two faced man—one a pirate, one a gentleman, and even this new one I'm just starting to see?"
Kagome put her head in her hands, a headache developing from all of her unanswered questions.
"Just who are you really Captain Inuyasha?" At the thought Kagome's mind flashed to his face when he had punched the drunken man. What made a man react like that, what made a man lose control? What drove a man away from social obligations? Maybe, it was the same thing that had driven her away, the need for freedom, for exploration.
She smiled as she thought of the man at Port Royal, the one who had spoken of the sea in the same way she had—the one who had seemed so fond of it, so infatuated with it.
"The waters are clear and the fish are easy to see. Once, while we were on land, my mate and I, we climbed all the way to a monastery that is perched on top a giant ledge in Greece. The sight was absolutely the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life."
Those words had been honest. That monastery was real. Kagome closed her eyes and held her breath to calm her heart—even the idea of him as he was at Port Royal made her feel giddy—then again the boy she was becoming acquainted with now, the one she had met for the first time only an hour ago, he made her feel oddly giddy too.
The sound of the bell above the shop door caused her eyes to open and she looked towards it, slightly on edge. Two men had walked in with a small boy trailing them—he was tiny with pointed ears—a demon child.
"Arthur."
Her eyes were drawn to one of the boy's two older companions, the one who had spoken just now. The man was handsome, with a devilish smirk that made her skin crawl slightly. Beside him was another man, fat and ugly, a fox pelt around his large waist.
"You owe me something Arthur." The better looking of the brothers said in an eerily smooth voice.
"Mr. Hiten." The shop owner stepped around the counter, passing Inuyasha while wringing his hands.
Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow and watched the small raccoon shop owner make his way towards the two men, small boy in tow.
"I don't have your money but I will," He pointed back to Inuyasha shaking slightly. "As soon as he makes his purchase I will—."
The handsome man, Hiten, snorted and slapped the small raccoon demon across the face. Kagome felt her heart lurch as the tiny man fell to the ground. "I want my money now." The man named Hiten spat out as he stepped towards Arthur the shop keeper. Reaching downwards Hiten pulled the slight man into his grip, holding him close to his face.
"I'm sorry but I—I just haven't had many sales this month." The slim man said shakily.
"Well, that's too bad." The other brother said stepping forward, his strange contorted face grinning impishly. "Cause we need our money now."
"Mr. Manten, just give me five minutes, I'll have it in five minutes, I promise." Arthur was trembling in fear, his voice shaky as well as he spoke. "Please, I beg you, please!"
Hiten looked at the man down the bridge of his nose, his face contemplative. "What do you think dear brother, should I give him five minutes?"
Manten laughed behind him and fingered the fur of the pelt on his waist. "Show mercy? Have you grown soft brother?" He laughed.
Hiten smiled as an answer and without warning punched the raccoon directly in the face, instantly blood flowed from the raccoon's nose as Hiten laughed watching him slide along the floor.
Standing on the side lines Kagome gasped. She had never seen someone punched for literally no reason. This wasn't like the man who had assaulted her on the street, this man didn't deserve to be hit even if he owed the two brother's money. Kagome gritted her teeth and stood defiantly from her chair her fist clutched at her side. Before she even knew what she was doing, she was across the room, her body stepping in front of the raccoon clerk—her eyes rebelliously staring Hiten down, daring him to move.
"Leave him alone!" She said sternly, her sudden bravery completely new to her. This was different than dealing with the Captain. Deep down she knew the Captain would never hurt her (at least not badly) but this man—she didn't know what to expect from him—even with that thought in mind, however, Kagome knew she had to protect this defenseless person.
Hiten looked at her in shock, his eyes full of wonder. "Well, you're a brave man." He said with a snort.
Kagome narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Guess again." She said snidely, her face forming a very unnatural scowl.
He took a deep sniff of the air and smiled at her like a predator smiles at its prey. "You're a woman." He said as he took another deep sniff of the air.
"Aye, I thought her face was too pretty to be a man." Manten said behind him, his eyes filled with lust as he too sniffed her. "She smells brave and haughty."
Kagome paled slightly as she noticed the sniff—this man was a demon who could smell emotions—that really changed the game. Fear seeped into her as Manten licked his lips and eyed her up and down.
"What do you say you come with me and my brother?" Hiten stepped towards her, his hand extending out to touch her face. "I know how to make you—."
"Move the hand or lose the hand, it's your choice." Inuyasha was suddenly in front of her, his eyes daring the other man to take another step.
"Like you could kill my brother." The uglier brother said with a snort.
Inuyasha growled and Kagome felt her whole body shudder at the noise, not from fear but from something else. Hiten sniffed the air again and then placed his hand up in surrender. "Now, now, I don't want any trouble. I didn't know she was yours."
"Use your nose sooner next time."
Kagome gasped when Inuyasha suddenly put his arm around her, pulling her to his torso. Her whole face turned red and she felt her heart pound in her chest as his fingers brought her closer to him. Her cheek was now resting on his pecks and she nearly swooned at the feel of the hard muscle tightening under her cheek. "Oh my God." She thought dizzily as the muscles tensed and tightened, making her want to touch them with her hands, wondering if he would like it if she did. If it was at all possible Kagome turned redder.
"I'm truly sorry. I'll be more careful next time I see something so—delectable." The handsome demon said with a predatory grin. Behind him his brother chuckled. "But I am here to collect a debt so if you will forgive me—dear Arthur and I have business."
Inuyasha grinned at the other man, pulling Kagome closer to her further embarrassment and ignored enjoyment. "Well you see, I have a slight problem. I was about to complete a transaction with dear Arthur when you walked in. If you would be such a gentleman as to let me complete it, I will be out of your way and there will be no harm."
Kagome looked at him in shock. The diplomatic answer amazing to hear coming from the lips of this pirate, this liar, this conman and yet—her mind flashed to the man she had met an hour ago. The boyish look, the gentle eyes—why was this man so two faced!
Hiten regarded Inuyasha for a moment and then smiled, a fang peeking out from his lips. "Sure, we'll wait outside for your transaction to be completed."
"Thank you kindly." Inuyasha smiled back his own fangs peeking out from his lips—a non verbal threat.
The other man nodded and then turned away. "Shippo!" He growled and the little boy squeaked before running after the two men.
Kagome watched him go, noting the bushy tail with a small smile—it was almost the same size as his little body. Slowly she became aware of the hand around her waist and the possessive grip on her hip. Her body flushed at the contact and she hastily pushed herself away much to the Captain's shock, which was covered quickly by anger.
"Why did you step in?" He barely contained the yell.
Kagome felt her embarrassment give way to her natural anger. It rose in her throat threatening to bubble over and explode but her new understanding contained her fury. He wanted to protect her—wasn't that why he was angry? He wanted to protect her and she was making that difficult—wasn't that why he was mad?
"Of all the stupid things to do, you step in front of two demon's out for blood, damn bitch."
Kagome gritted her teeth feeling the levies in her mind begin to overflow with days of pent up frustration and rage—it didn't matter if that was his problem, he had no right to yell at her for doing something that needed to be done. That shop keep had needed protection and someone had to provide it.
"Seriously, first a man grabs you on the street—that I can almost understand. You can't control a drunken bastard, then another runs into you and you brush it off like its nothing when it really is a big deal. I can even understand that incident, naïve thing that you are, but this time you just step right into trouble." He slapped himself on the head and groaned. "Look at me," He mimicked her voice poorly. "I'm gonna fight two full demons for a raccoon." Dropping the bad impersonation he added grunting. "God you're more trouble than your worth."
Kagome had it, she felt her fear vanish, she felt her new understanding melt away, and as it did it made way for anger—complete uncontrolled anger. "Forgive me for wanting to protect someone." She screamed without preamble. "Obviously you're too much of an egotistical jerk to notice when someone is in need of help!" She yelled right in his face, her whole body growing red with her aggravation and fury. "God forbid you do something to help another human being—demon—whatever, you pampas ass."
She was almost nose to nose with him when she was done, her body shaking and huffing. He breathed in her scent on impulse and was surprised to find no evidence of fear in it, just confidence and anger.
"Maybe next time you can get some bullocks and do it yourself." She finished with a huff.
Inuyasha felt his mouth open slightly, he had no idea a woman like her with her upbringing knew words like 'bullocks.'
Kagome felt the anger start to leave her with that last insult. She took a deep and calming breath before her mind told her exactly what she had just done. Her hands flew to her mouth and she looked at Inuyasha in horrible realization. She had just screamed and insulted the man who practically owned her. He could do anything to her, anything and she was helpless to stop it. She was literally at his tempers mercy. But then again—she remembered pushing him in the chest, he hadn't reacted badly then—so maybe—maybe he wouldn't now?
Captain Inuyasha found himself counting to ten for the second time that day, once his blood calmed he looked at her, his whole body tense. It was one thing to yell at him in private, another to do it in front of people. People who if they knew she was a weakness for him would take her and use her just to get at him. "No one has ever yelled at me like that and lived," He said as he felt his teeth grit together, forcing himself to maintain some control, his anger at the whole of the situation coming out, steaming off of him.
"I—um—I," she tried to speak but the words stuck in her mouth, her eyes looking at him scared, the scent of her fear coming off of her in waves. On the ground the raccoon watched with his hands covering his head, waiting for the onslaught of punishment or murder.
Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a moment to collect himself before he opened them again and looked at Kagome firmly. "You're lucky you're special." Was all he said before he turned to the shop keeper on the ground and hauled him to his feet.
Kagome vaguely heard him tell the man he would give him enough for his debt—a price which was slightly more expensive than the worth of the bed. None of that really registered in her mind as she slumped to the ground. The thing that really stuck was the word, 'special.' She was special and he wouldn't hurt her for yelling at him.
She closed her eyes and stayed completely still until she felt a hand on her forearm. It pulled her easily to her feet, a gentle gesture really when compared to the other day on the deck of the ship. She glanced at Inuyasha, searching for any clue she could find in his visage as to how he was feeling—there was not even one.
"Go outside and hold the door." He ordered bluntly, she nodded and obeyed.
Outside Hiten, Manten, and the boy Shippo all sat around waiting—she knew without a doubt that they had heard the earlier conversation or screaming match between her and Inuyasha, they were demons after all. The thought made her duck her head, blushing lightly.
Inuyasha brought the four pieces that made up the bed outside in one swoop and nodded at Hiten who smirked and walked into the shop with his brother.
"Stay Shippo." He ordered calmly as he slipped through the door.
Once he was inside Kagome let go of the large wooden entrance and watched it as it slowly shut. Her eyes looked away only when she heard the latch lock in place. She looked towards the Captain, hoping that he would give her some sign or indication of what he had meant by 'special' but all she saw was a blank face.
"Let's go Miss Dresmont." The Captain said in a monotone voice, his eyes looking through her.
Kagome oddly felt her shoulders slump at his lack of caring and nodded. She was about to follow him, defeated, when her eyes lit on the small boy the two brothers had left outside. He was clothed in rags and looked very skinny, too skinny even for his small size. She felt her heart pang in her chest as she watched him doddle in the dirt with a nail.
Inuyasha glanced at her when she didn't follow right away and watched in amazement as she ignored him and moved to the small boy. The earlier scent of fear that had tainted her aroma was gone and now—his nose was filled with the scent of pity and heart break. He narrowed his eyes at the realization and frowned as she reached the spot where the little boy was drawing in the dirt.
She knelt in front of him, the boy's eyes coming up to her face warily. "Hello," she said with a smile that made Inuyasha's heart skip a beat. "My name's Kagome and your name's Shippo, right?"
The little boy looked at her surprised but nodded none the less.
Inuyasha recognized the look the boy was giving Kagome. It was the look of an orphan, a child who had been abandoned and thrown into the world unfairly. In the back of his mind he saw a similar boy, a tiny eight year old with two missing teeth, black hair, and big sorrow filled eyes.
"Are you hungry?" Kagome asked gently as she reached out and touched the small boy's hair.
The boy's eyes lit up and he smiled at her showing off baby fangs. Kagome grinned at the reaction and reached into the pocket of her coat, where Sango had insisted she keep an apple in case they were not able to have lunch in town. Apparently, finding a place to eat at the Port of Spain was hard—especially if you wanted something that would not cause food poisoning.
Kagome handed the boy the apple and rubbed his head gently. Shippo looked at the food offering and small tears formed in his eyes but he quickly wiped them away. "Thank you." He whispered as he looked up at her, his eyes full of an emotion Inuyasha knew all too well—amazement and gratitude.
At that moment Hiten and Manten came out of the shop, laughing and joking, a bag in Hiten's hands full of what could only be Arthur's payment. Without even looking at the boy they started down the street, talking loudly.
Shippo's green eyes watched them before he stood and tucked the apple safely into his shirt. He started to head after them but stopped abruptly, turning to look at Kagome who was still kneeling on the ground. "Goodbye, Miss. Kagome." He said, looking at her with longing baby eyes. Without another word he turned away from Kagome and ran off after the men.
"Goodbye, Shippo." Kagome said softly as she stood, watching the small boy run after the much bigger men.
Behind her Inuyasha looked on, his eyes hazy, with memories of the small boy he had raised. With a deep breath he stepped up beside Kagome, the four planks of wood for the bed still in his hands. "He's a cabin boy." He said unsure if he was talking to Kagome or himself.
Kagome glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "A cabin boy—Mr. Miroku was your cabin boy, right?" She said as she continued to watch Shippo, until he disappeared.
Inuyasha nodded his head slightly and turned to walk away, Kagome coming up to him quickly, not wanting to be left alone. "Miroku was my cabin boy but—they treat that boy like a slave,"
Kagome glanced at the Captain, waiting for him to finish. She was surprised when all she saw was a mass of hair in front of the Captain's eyes. It was like he was hiding from her, just as he had earlier.
"I—," He started after a moment. "I treated Miroku like my own—like a son."
Kagome looked at the Captain in shock at the admittance. His words struck her, dipping all the way to her heart. She tried to see his eyes by dipping her head down to look up into his face but it was all for not, his bangs were too long and mangy to see through.
Behind them the Hiten and Manten watched from a nearby alley way. Hiten smirked as she disappeared from view. "Did you smell her?"
"Yes, brother, she smelt so sweet." Manten said as he licked his lips. "A virgin, a marked virgin. That dog doesn't know what he has."
"Fuck yeah." Hiten said with a smirk on his face. "You know what they say though; you don't know what you have till it's gone." The two brothers laughed, cracking their voices into the air.
Beside them staring at Inuyasha and Kagome was Shippo, fear gripping his heart as he thought of the woman with the sweet smile and gentle voice, who had given him the apple he now hid in his shirt.
"Miss. Kagome." He said in a barely audible voice as the fear in his heart grew tenfold at the sound of Hiten saying his name.
"Shippo," The man said with a smirk hinting in his very words. "It's time to collect another girl."
Shippo gulped.
End of Chapter
Please Review
Congrats TheRealInuyasha for being reviewer 200, lets hit 250 next!
Edited for Content 3/20/2011 and 7/30/2012
Translation: Spanish by LittleMargarita
Inu: Is there a man who makes shoes in this town? Merchant: Of course, Mr. Claudio. Inu: Where is his store? Merchant: On the main street. It has a cow as it's sign. Inu: He's a leather worker? Merchant: Yes, but he'll make a damn fine pair of shoes for you. Inu: Nice, thank you for your time.
Bonus Point:
What significant event happens on the day Inuyasha is born and what movie does this happen in? Hint: It has to do with the moon.
Last Chapter's Bonus Point:
The answer is technically episode 52, The Demon's True Nature because that is the exact episode in which Inuyasha kills the bandits but I have decided episode 51 is a possibility also because he does transform in that one as well. So congrats to the winners!
Victoria-Fortis-Elegit, Regina Lunaris, InuKag4eva, Ria Everwood, TheAnimeChosenOne, Warm-Amber92, Coka Cookie Cola, TheRealInuyasha,
Notes:
Hiten and Manten are cannon characters from both the anime and manga, better known as the Thunder Brothers in the English version
Cobbler is an archaic term for a shoe repair man.
Cordwainer is a British English archaic term for a shoe maker.
Next Chapter:
The Abduction
See you then!
UNEDITED
POSTED 3/18/2011