Secrets of Memories
Chapter 11: Playing Normal
A/N: Lots of Thank-you's go out to the few of you that reviewed! You guys are super sweet. And for the rest of you, please review… it helps so much. To those that did, you guys rock and I'm glad you enjoy reading what I write. So a major thanks. ^_^ This chappy is for you, hope you like it…sorry for the delay yet again :P
Disclaimer: Nope don't own them, just use them to do my bidding ^_^
'Words' are thoughts "words" are what's said words are flashbacks -. - are change of place/ scene
-. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. -
It was raining. Thunder rumbled loudly from the clouds above before releasing a bright flash of lightning. The large drops of water splashed onto the pavement in a blissful fury.
Raven hair swept delicately across Kagome's face as she watched the drops splatter across the glass. She sighed loudly before resting her head in her arms, a forlorn look upon her face.
She sat at her desk, gazing out the window, contemplating what to do on such a dreary day. She stretched back against her chair before standing and making her way downstairs. Half way down her descent, the doorbell rang.
Kagome sighed lightly, again, as she paused for a brief moment before jogging the rest of the way to the door. She opened the door with her nicest smile and greeting, only to have them falter to a look of surprise to see who was standing before her.
"Oh…Hojo! What on earth are you doing out on a day like this?" she stepped aside allowing her schoolmate to step inside away from the pounding rain.
"I brought you this Kagome" his gentle smile practically made her twitch. He was a sweet guy, but she was not interested and he was too dense to see it just like Koga. He handed her a package. She opened it to find...
"It's a therapeutic pillow. Everyone at school heard that you were having back problems when you didn't come to school the last couple of days."
His words echoed through her mind and she made a mental note to have a serious conversation with her grandfather about reasonable sicknesses when she stayed home from school.
"It sure must be tough on you Kagome" he stated with genuine concern. She smiled softly at him while thinking
'If you only knew.'
"I really appreciate the thought Hojo. Thanks for coming all the way here, you really shouldn't have." He gave her that huge grin that seemed to say I don't have a care in the world, while making Kagome want to roll her eyes even more.
"It was no trouble at all Kagome. I just hope you're feeling better. You look like you're in good health." He smiled fondly at her.
"Well I should probably get going so you can rest. Hope to see you in school soon!" With that he was gone.
Kagome stood there for a few seconds holding the pillow before she closed the door and sighed heavily.
"Grandfather, one of these days you're going to come up with a normal excuse so I don't have to lie and get these ridiculous presents from Hojo" she tossed the pillow down on one of the chairs in the living room before making her way to the kitchen.
She grumbled as she prepared food for her and Souta's lunch.
She was irritated from Hojo's visit and could not help but to slam her way around the kitchen. It seemed as if the porcelain bowls were going to break under her forceful nature. The pots continued to clank as Kagome violently stirred the noodles she was making.
"Stupid Hojo…Stupid grandfather" she continued to mumble under her breathe.
She had been so absorbed in her task that she never heard the front door open and close. A pair of golden eyes watched as she slammed the pot onto another burner. His right eyebrow raised in amusement to her antics.
He had seen Hojo, who he recognized from school, as he made his way up the shrine steps. He never thought to find his friend in such an amusing state.
His lips curved upwards as the ideas and words to tease her started to flow through his head. He yearned for the cute, frustrated face she would wear. Her face would flush, her lips would turn into a sour pout, and she would try to ignore him. He loved this game he played with her; she knew what he was doing and still fed into his actions.
"What do we have here… it sounds like a bear stomping around? I'm so relieved that it's only you Kagome" he chuckled lightly as she froze in place.
She slowly turned to face him; she could feel the chills run up and down her spine in anticipation to see him.
"I-Inuyasha, when on Earth did you get here?" she blushed at the thought of him watching her tumbling through the kitchen in her frustrated state.
"Oh, I've been standing here a while" he gave her an amused grin as he made his way to the table across from the stove and sat down. He leaned his body in her direction as he continued his manipulation.
"I don't think aunty cooks like this. Where did you pick up such crude behavior?" his eyebrow raised in mock curiosity, as his grin hitched further upwards. Her anxious expression instantly fell; her eyes narrowed and her lips jutted out into the familiar pout Inuyasha had been aiming for.
"Crude eh?" her face began to flush red with anger.
"I'll have you know that my cooking is something you'd be wishing to consume every night of your life!" her chin jutted out as she let out a high pitched grunt before spinning on her heels and returning to her noodles.
"I doubt I would want to eat anything that has been tossed around so roughly by you. Hasn't anyone ever told you that food should be made with love and tenderness?" He continued to chuckle as he saw her shoulders tense.
Kagome did her best to ignore him, but with Hojo's visit, her normally calm and patient attitude was far from controlling her senses.
She turned and clicked the burners off swiftly as she rigidly moved the pot to the counter, pouring the contents into the two bowls she had prepared. She was aware of the amber eyes that followed her movements. It only caused her body to move more mechanically, she found it hard to focus under his constant gaze.
"Souta!" Kagome shouted to grab her brother's attention. She moved her way along the counter tops, till she found the drawer she was looking for. She opened it and withdrew the two sets of chopsticks, as she heard the scurry of feet clambering down the stairs.
"Inuyasha!" Souta exclaimed before taking any notice to his sister and the lunch she had prepared for them. He launched himself across the floor and straight for the silver haired hanyou.
"Hey kid" Inuyasha responded in a light voice as he turned his seat to catch the energetic teenager. He stood from the seat he had held at the counter to tower over the young boy. He smirked gently down at him before tucking Souta under his arm.
Kagome watched the mini wrestle match and rolled her eyes. She thought it was sweet how Inuyasha would always include her brother in some way, he never put a shield between them in the same fashion that Sesshoumaru did. It still amazed her how Rin had broken through the icy boundary so many years ago.
The corner of her pink lips tugged upwards as she continued to watch the exchange before her. Grunts and her brother's delightful laughter rang throughout the kitchen.
"Alright boys, break it up."
"Aww, c'mon Kagome, you're no fun at all." Souta wined.
"Yes I know, I'm a bore" she rolled her brown eyes, her smile still tugging at the corner of her lips. "If you don't stop horsing around your lunch will get cold."
"Ah!" he exclaimed finally eyeing the still steaming bowl of noodles. He climbed into the seat next to Inuyasha and began to reach for his bowl before he paused.
"What about Inuyasha? I'm sure he's hungry" he angled his face in the silver haired boys' direction, "I can't remember anytime that you haven't had an appetite." He grinned innocently at, what he thought was, his sly joke.
Inuyasha answered in return with a crooked grin. Souta knew this falsely nice smile all too well. It meant he would pay for the remark later.
As the two boys continued to stare each other down Kagome sighed as she eyed the two bowls on the counter.
"Are you hungry Inuyasha?" she asked reluctantly. She was still agitated that he had waltzed in without asking, and then criticized her cooking skills. Golden eyes met her chestnut orbs. She could not help the light flush that crept to her cheeks. 'Cool it Kagome' she lectured herself.
"I didn't come all this way for food Kagome" his rough voice rung in her ears, the sound of her name coming from his lips only made it harder for her to keep the blush under control.
"Its fine, I can make another bowl. Besides, it's your favorite." She passed the bowls towards her brother an Inuyasha before abruptly turning around to work on a third bowl for herself.
'Why can't I keep my feelings in check when I'm around him lately? I feel like my heart's about to thump out of my chest'
Kagome focused her attention on cooking, while the two boys nudged elbows and exchanged snickers while gulping down the bowls of ramen. Souta motioned his head for Inuyasha to pay attention. He smirked, as he took a noodle in his hand and threw it into the air.
He just managed to catch an end as the strand wiggled downwards. The noodle splashed liquid onto the counter, and smacked more broth onto Souta's face as he slurped the noodle into his waiting orifice.
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as he shook his head. He grabbed a noodle from his own bowl. He missed Kagome's body turning in their direction, and the swift movement of her hand until it came crashing down against his skull.
"Ouch, WENCH! That hurt!"
"Just what do you think you were about to do?" she eyed him with hard, scrutinizing eyes.
"I was just having some fun" he scoffed turning his attention back to the bowl that sat before him.
"Letting my brother antagonize you, does not mean you should go with the urge to outdo his tricks. You should know better, how old are you, three?" Kagome whipped back to the stove.
"You could have a little fun, yah know" Inuyasha stirred the noodles in a circle, before tilting the bowl upwards. In one gulp, the slippery worms were engulfed never to be seen again. He wiped the warm broth from his lips as he set the bowl gently down. He pushed it to the edge of the counter, signaling to Kagome that he was finished.
She sighed as she turned reluctantly to fetch the bowl. She caught sight of the golden orbs, she adored so much, as she twisted her torso. She frowned as she noticed they were drooping to match the pout that was forming on his lips.
Inuyasha's gaze was averted out the window as he began to nibble violently on his lower lip with his right canine. Kagome felt her thoughts go blank.
Her distracted gaze left her forgetting about the bowl she was originally reaching for. Her continued twist caused her small hand to collide with the deserted bowl. It scratched against the table top, and came to a stop only to teeter on the edge of the counter for a short second. Inuyasha and Kagome both made a grab for the unstable dish, but it was too late.
Their fingers missed by a mere inch; the crash and crackles of the break echoed in the silent room as pieces flung across the floor.
Souta sat still in his spot, eyes wide, as he continued to watch the scene before him. His chopsticks remained mid-air with a clump of noodles dangling before his open mouth. Inuyasha lay frozen stretched across the counter top, while Kagome was now kneeling beside the broken fragments.
"Shit" Inuyasha whispered to himself, though the room was so quiet he knew the siblings heard him. He sighed heavily before retracting himself from the counter top. He slowly moved his stiffened body to position himself in front of his childhood friend.
Kagome closed her eyes for a moment. She was angry at herself for being so clumsy, and for, yet again, letting her guard down around Inuyasha. 'If I keep this up I could bring the whole house down' she thought grimly.
"I got it" Inuyasha's scratchy voice woke Kagome up from her self-loathing.
"Its fine, I can do it" she said while shaking her thoughts from her head. She moved her fingers delicately to pick up the scattered fragments. Inuyasha ignored her response; he too, collected the fragmented pieces of the bowl.
Kagome moved her hand swiftly to pick up the final piece, while at the same time trying to avoid contact with any part of Inuyasha. Her body jumped at the sharp edge that managed to prick her pointer finger.
"Ouch" she squeaked as she immediately retracted her hand from the last piece of the shattered bowl. She instinctively placed her finger into her mouth and began to suck on it to relieve the throbbing pain that had already started to form.
"Damn it, hey Souta stop gawking and find some band-aids ok?" Inuyasha's concerned voice drew Kagome back to his topaz orbs. The chair Souta had been sitting in scratched across the floor, and the teenagers heard him barrel up the stairs.
"Think he could go any faster?" Inuyasha cracked a grin, and Kagome smiled warmly back at him. She felt relief wash over her, and the tension between them ease.
"Alright…hand over the rest of the pieces, before your other fingers become victims." He held out is hands, and she complied. She fumbled with the broken pieces trying not to cut herself again as she handed them over to Inuyasha's waiting hands. They were large and rough to touch, but they were warm. For some reason the feeling comforted Kagome.
He rose swiftly, and threw the broken pieces away before her breathe evened. He slumped back to Kagome who was still sitting on the ground by the counter. 'Way to go chump' he accused himself. He had already started to blame himself over the whole incident.
A large clap of thunder boomed above the couple, and the lights in the house flickered. It was then that Kagome remembered the down poor that had been raging since that morning. Her brow creased as she looked at the lights, her finger still suctioned between her lips. Inuyasha's lips cracked into a wide smirk as he looked down at the brunette before him.
She looked like the same little girl he met at the park so many years ago. He could not help the small chuckle that escaped from his lips. The sound sparked Kagome's interest as her attention turned from the lights to his amused face.
"What?" she asked, her mouth still occupied with her cut finger.
"Nothing" he replied gently as he continued to gaze softly at her.
She raised her eyebrows in question, not believing his dull remark. The look was stern and challenging. Inuyasha bent down and pulled her right hand from her mouth. He examined the cut on her finger, as the blood began to slowly ooze from the small wound.
"You just looked like the same little girl when we first met. Your face looked so innocent; it just caught me off guard, is all."
"Oh" she whispered, and another loud rumble echoed from the sky. The house seemed like it was shaking with fright from the noise and the raging storm. The lights flickered again. They lit continuously for a moment before completely going out.
"You're kidding me right?" Kagome asked in disbelief. "Ugh" she groaned as her shoulders slumped forward.
"Your day's racking high on the list of 'greats' isn't it? I mean Hobo, a broken bowl, fighting with me, and now the electricity is out. Can't get much better huh?" Inuyasha's sarcastic tone brought a smile to Kagome's face.
"Yeah, not even an ounce of rottenness in this day" she chuckled lightly, allowing the sarcasm to roll off her tongue. "How'd you know about my visit from Hojo?" She stressed the boys name in two syllables as she eyed Inuyasha.
She may not have liked the boy, but she did not want to make fun of him or his name either; though Inuyasha seemed to do so at any chance he got. It seemed since he came back he was constantly arguing with Kouga and scaring off Hojo.
"Saw him on my way in" he mumbled. Inuyasha tugged lightly on Kagome's hand, bringing her slightly closer. He sniffed the air in front of him.
"Even with your finger cut, I can still smell his disgusting stench coming from the hallway. My nose doesn't miss much, you should know that."
"Right" she nodded as a light blush formed on her cheeks, for what seemed to be the millionth time that day. She was grateful now that the lights were out, yet she doubted that he was unable to make out the change with his hanyou vision.
A loud thump was heard from the second floor. The couple stood from the floor and looked into the directions of the stairs.
"You think Souta's ok?" Kagome asked absentmindedly, her vision still locked on the stairs. She caught the twitching of Inuyasha's ears from the corner of her eye.
"Yea, the squirt is fine. He just bumped into something" he chuckled "I guess I should go help him out" he let go of Kagome's hands, which she forgot he was still holding, as he made his way toward the stairs.
"I'll be right back, so don't move. I don't need the both of you trying to move in the darkness without any help."
She nodded in response as she watched his silhouette disappear into the darkness that surrounded the stairs. She sighed softly as she brought her finger to her face. She focused her eyes on the small cut, and changed her mind when her eyes caught sight of the drying blood.
She groaned inwardly as she forced her eyes out the nearest window. She watched the trees sway in the breeze, and the endless round pound sloppily to the earth. She shivered. It all reminded her of Naraku's encounter months ago, something she hated remembering, especially now with the prophecy to worry about.
She hated the queasy feeling in her stomach. It only seemed to erupt when no one was around. It made her feel even more helpless and alone just like that sad, grey day.
Kagome walked around the counter and plopped herself down in Souta's open seat. She forced the bad memories and the surreal night of truths into the back of her head. Instead she fought hard to focus all her attention on the fraying strings at the bottom of her shirt.
The telephone screeched into the silent house, nearly causing Kagome to fall back to the floor. 'I guess not all of the power is out, thankfully' she caught her breath and headed towards the wall behind her, where the phone let out another screech. She picked it up.
"Hello, Higurashi residence" her grip on the phone was tight as she waited to hear the caller on the other line. Her vision shifted to the stairs, hoping to see Inuyasha appear from the darkness.
"Kagome, darling, its mom" the soft voice caused Kagome to relax immediately. She closed her eyes slowly and rested her head against the wall. Her brown orbs open again. She left them idling on the stairs as she continued the conversation.
"Hi momma. I'm glad to know the phones are still working. We've lost the lights at the house."
"Oh dear, you too? I'm working late with the others at Inutashio's office. Thankfully the backup generator is working. Is Souta still home? Are you both alright?" her worried voice rang through the receiver.
Kagome smiled softly as the stairs gave way to a large white t-shirt.
"We're fine, and Inuyasha's stopped by. I'm sure he can hunt down our flash lights without any fatalities" she laughed softly for effect to show her mother that everything was fine.
"Well I'm relieved to hear that sweetie" her voice was still laced with worry.
Kagome's eyebrows knotted as she continued the conversation, her fingers now playing with the dangling phone cord. She tried not to think too much about the shadowed figure across from her.
"I'm sure Inuyasha will head home after we're settled here. No worries momma, we'll be fine. Don't work too hard tonight."
"I'll try not to. Hold on one second sweetie." Soft mumbling came from the background as Kagome hung in the silence. She thought it would have been nice to have a demon's hearing to make out was going on in the background.
The line came back to life with her mother's voice "Kagome, you still there?"
"I'm here, is something the matter?" she questioned back.
"No dear. I just talked to Inutashio, and we agreed that it may be better if Inuyasha spent the night."
The color flew immediately to Kagome's face as she continued to listen to her mother's reasoning. Her fingers stopped their fiddling with the cord in mid tangle.
"It's just that the storm has gotten very horrible, and we would hate for him to have to attempt the walk home. I know it's not far, but a hanyou can still catch a cold, and it will make me feel more at ease knowing the two of you aren't alone. Is that ok with you?"
Kagome stumbled for word as she continued to look at Inuyasha. Her jaw hung open, as he tilted his head inquisitively.
"I-it's fine momma. I'll pass on the message to him." Inuyasha crossed his arms as he leaned against the wooden stair railings.
"Alright then, let me get back to work. Call me if you need anything, or if something happens" her mother's voice snapped Kagome back into reality. She had zoned out right after agreeing to let Inuyasha stay.
"I will. Take care, and we'll see you tomorrow" a small smile crept to her lips, the same one she put on to wish her parents a good day whenever they left the house. Though her mother was unable to see it she sighed in slight content on the other end of the phone.
"Tell Souta hi for us and to sleep tight, we'll see you tomorrow sweetie" with that the line went silent. Kagome removed the plastic phone from her head and placed in back on the receiver. It was the first time her eyes had left Inuyasha since he returned from upstairs. She sighed loudly and looked up to meet his questioning eyes.
"Momma" she referred back to the phone, though she knew he had already acquired that information. "Everyone's working late at your father's company, so they won't be home tonight. They requested that you stay here with how bad the storm has become. My mother would feel much more at ease with you here, if that's ok with you that is…"
He nodded slowly. "That's fine" he whispered.
"I'll make up the guest room for you" Kagome started to make her way up the stairs when Inuyasha caught her wrist.
"You can do that after we clean up your finger. He twisted on his heels and bounded up a few steps ahead of Kagome. He led her to the bathroom and let go of her wrist as he went to work. He cleaned the small cut with water and scrubbed it clean with disinfectant soap.
Kagome fought back the giggles she had as she watched Inuyasha work tentatively on her cut, as if it had been a large gaping wound.
Finally, Inuyasha placed the polka dotted band-aid around her finger. He nodded in her direction as he stood there very pleased with his handy work; hands on his hips and chest puffed out proudly.
"Thank you" she smiled genuinely in his direction as she returned her hand to a normal position at her side.
"Feh, it was nothing" he played hard to get. Kagome could tell he enjoyed being complemented by her. She smiled again and headed for what she thought was the doorway.
"Hold it" Inuyasha called as his hand found Kagome's waist. The contact brought her blush back immediately. She looked behind her, ready to question what he was doing. Instead he interrupted her before she could mutter a syllable.
"Unless you want to walk into the wall, I suggest this way" It was now his turn to fight the small chuckles rising in his chest. Kagome's blush deepened, this time from embarrassment.
"Well then, good sir, would you mind so terribly to lead the way for this poor blind soul?" Kagome tried her best to shake off her almost face plant.
"Surely, milady" Inuyasha answered back in the same fashion.
-. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. --. -
Ok so another update! YAY! Just so you know I am going to continuously apologize for my tardiness. I started writing this chapter ages ago and just found the inspiration to finish this last night. I hope you guys enjoy it. I have ideas for the next chapter sketched out, it'll probably be a fluffy filler between Inuyasha and Kagome, and another couple to try and show the bonds…any suggestions that you would like to see? I'm leaning towards Sesshy and Rin :)
I'm going to try and get down to business after Ch. 12 with the final battles and what not in order to wrap this puppy up. Wish me luck, and keep nagging to motivate me. A couple more snow days and this thing could be finished lol. Sorry again for the wait. Review and let me know what you think :) thanks!! See you next chappy!