For anyone who has been wondering, the characters that will be included in this story are: Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Kouga, Kohaku, Rin, Sesshomaru… and well, to go any further would be to spoil the story plot. ;)
I haven't had much time lately to sit down and write properly --- and perhaps not in the future either. I'll try to update soon, but the chapters may be getting longer versus the frequency of updates.
Disclaimer: This disclaimer will just have to cover the rest of the story, because no way am I writing this out, a thousand more times. (Ah, once again, exaggeration holds me in its grasp) Why anyone would think Rumiko Takahashi is on is beyond me.
The parts in italic are different completely, from the main plot. It's a little side spin off plot, that will weave in, and tie in with our favourite couple...>.>; Inu/Kag, in case your favourite couple is Mir/San.
Make Me
"WENCH!"
"…I just saved your life. You should be thanking me."
Both stared down at the once fresh cigarette lying brokenly in a small puddle.
Inuyasha gazed with what could have been described as a touch of mournfulness, coupled with hungry desperation inside a empty cigarette packet, the hollow contents telling him he was not having a hallucination about his losing his last cigarette to a schoolgirl. "That was my last one as well."
"For good, I hope."
Golden eyes stared at the petite girl beside him for a long time, trying to decide how to convey his displeasure, before finally relenting. Pushing his hands roughly inside unkempt jeans, he walked faster, deliberately in front of Kagome, his silver hair flapping in time to his steps: a silent taunt for her to rise to his challenge.
A few minutes later, the adamant absence of Kagome keeping up to his strides forced him to slow down. Disappointed she hadn't given in to the (admittedly childish) bait, he turned around, only to find her staring up at the sky, continuing at a more stately pace. Each footstep of hers was delicate and small, automatic; unaware of her own feet moving her onwards, only watching the clouds drift by in the blue sky.
She gave a little content, happy sigh. "Isn't it beautiful…?"
Inuyasha pushed the dark sunglasses off his face to flick a short, disinterested glance upwards. "…It's the sky."
He earned himself a reproachful glare when he said that. "It's more then that! Look!" Kagome waved her arms around, gesturing at the endless azure.
"…You're right. There's clouds, too."
A sharp look and a huff told him that Kagome was Not Happy with him. "You just don't have an eye for these kind of things."
Inuyasha waited until they were side by side again, shuffling along companionably, Kagome's gentle breathing somehow quietly comforting to him. He snuck a side glance at her profile, admiring how clear and pale her skin looked, touched only with a tint of rose pink; her gleaming dark hair a little mussed, both from having only just gotten up and the wind that skittered through the street now.
"What do you mean?"
"Huh?" Kagome gave him a distracted glance, jerking her gaze away from the solitary street. Not a soul was there; Kagome suspected that was the reason why Inuyasha had been so lenient on the 'celebrity concealment' matter, having chosen to don only sunglasses to protect him from the public. Even if they were designer sunglasses that probably cost more then her entire outfit…
"When you said I don't have a eye for 'these kind of things.' What do you mean?"
"Oh." Kagome was silent for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. She inhaled deeply, thoughtfully, and then seemed to brighten up, due to an idea. "When was the last time you took a breath and just savoured it?"
At Inuyasha's mystified look, she forged ahead. "I mean, most people just don't care about the little things in life anymore. They've achieved so much, but they don't stop. They just keep going on and on, thinking they never have enough… I just think it's kind of sad. Sometimes you should learn to step back and just enjoy what you've got."
Inuyasha looked up, trying to comprehend. "…Like the sky?"
She rolled her eyes, a little disgruntled. "Don't worry, I don't expect you, of all people, to understand."
His voice carried to her, even though Inuyasha continued to stare upwards. His tone held something akin to amusement, and another sentiment that sounded suspiciously like longing. "That's so typically you, though. All that shit taking pleasure in the smaller things in life…" He shook his head, the tenor of his voice edged a chuckle. "So fucking naïve. So… you."
It was with a smile that Inuyasha quietened her enraged splutters down. A funny little smile, strangely wistful and pitying infused together; a curious mix that quirked his lips up, even though perhaps a downward turn would have been more suitable. His golden eyes were tinged with soft yearning, and it was Kagome he directed them at.
She swallowed, caught in the emotion and the moment. But it was really his next words that caused her heart to stop, and her breath to catch.
"Stay like that for me, yeah?"
And after another second of those golden eyes trained on her, he turned, and started walking, leaving her feet planted on the sidewalk, staring after him.
She was frozen with confusion and curiosity; a part of her wanted to ask him what he meant by that, while another part of her still tingled with the feeling from the moment weighing on her mind. So many unanswered questions, so many emotions to decipher. Her head was swirling; the clarification there, but hidden under a thick fog.
A more pressing matter soon surfaced in her mind though; something far more important then the hidden meanings yet to be revealed.
"Wait, Inuyasha! I don't know this part of town! I'll get lost, you idiot! Wait for me!"
>>>>>>>>>>
She started walking again, ignoring his protests. "O-oi! Who do you think you are?"
Turning, interest captured by his question, she grinned. Green eyes glittered with undisguised amusement. "Who I think I am? Listen up, I'll tell you once and you better make sure you goddamn well remember: I'm ---"
"So… um, Ayame, what're you here for?" Sango asked in a nonchalant manner, sipping at her coffee mug in a hopefully casual fashion.
The auburn haired girl rolled her eyes playfully. "What else is there to do here? I came to pay a visit on his noble Majesty."
Sango sipped at her coffee mug again, her knuckles tightening. The last thing I need… no wait, the actual last thing I need is ---
Miroku swept into the room, almost regal in his distaste. "Sango, security says that a woman with red hair and a grey skirt got in. Honestly, the security boy that told me was so young, how on earth we can rely on him is --- oh…" Violet eyes settled on the streetwise girl sitting unperturbed on the couch opposite Sango. His gaze darted up, at her titian hair, and then down, at the grey skirt. And then further down…
"I'm Ayame. And stop staring at my legs."
Miroku gave a small, guilty jump. "I wasn't! I was… admiring your shoes."
Both Sango and Ayame refused to relinquish their sceptical gaze off his face.
Miroku coughed discreetly, and then edged himself onto the couch, beside Sango. She, in turn, edged herself as far away as the couch would allow. "So, Ayame, is there any particular reason you want to see Inuyasha?"
Ayame didn't miss a beat. "Well, I figured it'd be nice to have a little talk. For old times sake. Although…" She tapped a long finger against her chin. "If he doesn't get his ass here soon I might go drop in on Kouga."
"Yes, why don't you? I'm sure he'd appreciate it." Sango was never really a good one for lying through her teeth, but when the circumstances required it… "I don't think Inuyasha is going to come back anytime soon."
She stiffened when she felt Ayame's penetrating green gaze. She forced herself to stare back; contrary to what most people thought, Ayame hid a smart, calculating nature underneath that sweet face.
After what seemed a long while, Ayame eased her gaze off. "Right, I'll go see Kouga then."
Sango let a mental breath out, immensely relieved. She took a sip of coffee again, not caring it was nearly stone cold.
"Of course, I'll drop back again in a couple of days…"
Sango nearly choked. Hacking, she withdrew from her coffee (barely noticing Miroku pat her back comfortingly) and stared furiously at her mug. It's not coffee I need; someone pour me a brandy!
>>>>>>>>>>
Kuso…
Inuyasha clenched his fists moodily inside his coat pockets, a scowl fixing itself onto his face.
I couldn't help it… it just triggered --
He could hear her cries behind him, could hear her pounding footsteps, gradually growing louder and louder as she drew closer to him.
She just triggered --
A hand caught at his jacket sleeve, a lightly panting Kagome staring up at him with liquid brown eyes, a light flush colouring her cheeks. She wrinkled her nose up, hitting him gently. "Jerk! Didn't you hear me?"
He answered with a non-committal grunt that silenced both of them, their steps synchronised as they trudged along.
Triggered… a memory, I guess.
A memory of myself -- no. My younger self.
He cast a glance sideways at her again, like he had done earlier. Admired the sereneness she radiated with; wondered about how quiet she was keeping.
Damn you, wench. Why do you have to be so much like me?
>>>>>>>>>
Golden eyes stared down at her.
She caught her breath, startled. But then she visibly drew herself together, and risked a timid smile. "I'm sorry, I'm new. Could you please show me the way to Professor Carlton's room is?"
Rosie waited, waited a long time for him to speak. She was patient, however, and was finally rewarded, when a rough masculine voice echoed earlier instructions: "Second floor. To the right."
"Well, um, yes…" She switched the briefcase to another hand, drawing his gaze down towards the movement, where it lingered on the briefcase with the slightest flash of recognition. It was gone as soon as it came; she missed it. "…I was told that already, but I really don't know how to find the room. Could you show me the way, please?"
He made no effort to keep his qualm to himself -- there was a big sigh, and a pointed glance towards the clock that hung on the wall behind them. Eventually, he started moving, his footsteps thudding heavily against the floor compared to her light little taps.
They arrived, a little later, outside a room that belied the chatter inside it with a slight buzz, even though the door muffled most of it.
She gave him a small smile, thanking him. He merely acknowledged it with a slight raising of his eyebrows, before walking away. Reaching out to open the classroom door with a hand, she suddenly paused in mid-air.
"Wait!"
He stopped.
Looking behind him, he saw her whip around, her dark hair fluttering down onto her shoulders, draping there softly. She really was very pretty.
"I'm… Rosie." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking expectantly - albeit gently - at him. "I don't know your name."
There was a long silence, but she had accepted that it was simply part of him. What looked like a slight grimace pulled at his mouth, but there was a strange kind of warmth that lit up his golden eyes.
He licked his dry lips. "I'm Felix."
"CUT! Thank you, that was a good scene, everyone! Right, have some coffee, pack up, go home, people!"
Cid took a gulp of his espresso, and pulled out a lighter. Putting the cup by his feet, he took a cigarette out of his pocket with practised ease, and lit it. Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and savoured the taste, before blowing out a steady stream of smoke. Sparing a glance to Kagome (who, onstage, was looking disapprovingly at him), he grinned. "Don't look at me like that, Princess. I've lived till now, a cigarette won't kill me yet. Take a break and then go home, yeah?" He walked out, presumably to go smoke his cigarette in relative Kagome-free-peace.
Inuyasha and Kagome were both silent, still on set -- but only for a moment.
"You hear that? A cigarette won't kill Cid. Why would it kill me?"
"You see? This is precisely why you shouldn't smoke! Do you want to end up like Cid?"
Inuyasha was the first to recover. "Keh!" He pushed his hands unto his pockets, waiting for her to respond. She looked down at the floor, and stayed quiet, breathing slowly; unaware of Inuyasha watching her cautiously.
"Oi… wench."
Another deep breath. Steady inhales, accompanied by what seemed to be staring off into space.
Inuyasha decided to use a gentler approach. Hovering over her, he tapped her lightly on the head. "Kagome… Anything going on in there?"
She turned around so fast he was afraid she got whiplash.
"Inuyasha…"
Kagome stared rather penetratingly at him.
"Ah?"
"You've been acting really weird. Ever since that night."
Inuyasha shifted. And wished that he didn't feel so damn guilty, even though he hadn't the slightest idea what was going on. "That… night?"
"When I brought you dinner, you know? You just woke up, and then I went off to get… um… what was it?"
And suddenly, as if there was a little mechanism in his head that allowed him to view past moments like a 'playback':
…He'd never 'had' a virgin before. All the women he'd ever been with had been… 'experienced,' to say the least.
And he was kind of… drawn… to the idea.
To Kagome.
Christ.
"Hey, I've got the salad dressing!"
Shit.
Inuyasha coughed weakly. "…Salad dressing?"
Her face lit up in remembrance. "Yes!" Snapping out of it, she stared strangely at him again. "And then you went all weird after that."
He blustered rather unconvincingly. "I wasn't weird!"
"Oh… of course, you're right. Because shoving people out of your rooms right after they bought salad dressing for you is perfectly normal!"
Inuyasha blinked. "None of that sentence was normal…"
"Oh, whatever!" She snapped at him, fuelled by her memories. "And what about this morning? When you said ---"
"I don't want to talk about it."
His voice was calm, although Kagome had come to recognize to barely concealed fury hidden in his tone. He was cold, and in turn it doused her anger, making her suppress it reluctantly.
But the frustration did not go away.
"I see." The words were uttered to his face, her voice mimicking the same coolness he had. And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving him to watch her dark hair sway with each footstep.
>>>>>>>>
To everyone who wants the next instalment of Lay on My Leather Couch: it's in the works. :P I just need to find the time…