A/N: I'm so sorry!!! I've been so busy lately, and now that school is like a month away and I still haven't gotten my contacts, new hair dye, and backpack I'm just freaking out!!! My brother hasn't even started his work list!!! What Am I gonna Do!!!???
Oh ya, thanks for the reveiws everyone! How about a couple more for this chapter? Please? Or is that too much to ask?
Dedicated to:
My brother and his insanity for forcing me to be like a mother, made it possible for me to cook 4 lasagna, two kid cakes (chocolate-vanilla swirl and strawberry short cake), and my surprise fruity cake (for the old grown ups who don't like sweets too much) for my aunts party. And I was paid!! She even paid for all the batter and stuffs so yay! (Does money dance in head)
Chapter 5:
Day's and time were measured differently by children. To them a day was not a day if nothing was done, a week was not a week if they did not play with their toys, and a life was not a life if they barely knew the life. But then again the value does not change, that morning the little silver haired child woke, a Sunday, one of the few days they chose to give off to their maids and butlers. Her face was flushed and although her room was heated nicely she pulled the blanket around her shaking body resisting the urge to lay back down and wait till a later hour she called out to her father "Inuwasha," it was more of a groan than anything else but the hanyou man came in looking at the small child noticing two things out of place her red cheeks and her unusually pale skin making the redness in her blue eyes stand out more than ever "I don't feel good."
"You have a fever; uh… do you want something to eat?" he read the thermometer 100.3 it wasn't anything incredible, but she was sick for sure.
She though hard for a moment fixing the cool cloth on her forehead, "Kagome say's she makes a delicious rice porridge, with eggs and green onions." she gave her father a soft smile.
"Sounds good but can you settle on some chicken Ramen and rice?" he didn't want to disappoint her but he most surely didn't want to call Higarashi in for every little thing in his child's life, he was having enough trouble explaining to the press that her mother was long gone. The last thing he wanted was to make everyone believe he had relations with any woman.
"Okay…" she nodded, not to disappointed, but she felt rather tipsy.
"Call me if you need anything, kay kiddo?" she nodded again attempting to sleep if only for ten minutes her small body hidden under the blanket making her seem like a small ball rather than a child. He walked down the stairs lifting his phone dialing his second choice to calling in Kagome.
"Hello, Sango here." The woman spoke into the phone, by habit she spoke with a county accent when she didn't care who was calling.
"Hey Sango it's me Inuyasha."
"Oh hey, Inu, what's up?"
"Uh, Shiru's sick I think it may be the flu or a cold."
"Well if she's not vomiting then your right, has she had anything to drink?"
"Not yet, she just woke me up."
"Well put down the phone and bring her a glass of her favorite juice you numbskull!"
"Ok!" he put the phone on it's side running into the kitchen and pouring her orange juice into her favorite yellow colored animal patterned cup, the very one Kagome had purchased at the zoo. Then, balancing the juice so that it would not spill he went back up the stairs. Shaking her softly he held out the juice for her. "Thought you might want something to drink, wanna have a sip?"
"Kay." She sat up against her pillow sipping the naturally citrus flavored drink she gave her father a weak smile. "It's good."
"Don't worry kiddo; just drink that while daddy has a nervous breakdown." He spoke with a pale face as he walked back to the phone where an annoyed woman waited.
"Okay." Such an agreeable child, even when sick, he couldn't help but give her a smile back.
"Now what?" he asked into the phone.
"Well do you have any medicine? Maybe Tylenol, make sure it says for kids you can't just go around giving her any random grown up pills. Do you have any?" he checked the pantries holding the phone with his shoulder, his sensitive dog ears picking up every word she said.
"No, can't I just give her some soup or something?" he spoke into the phone suggesting something else.
"Well when you have a cold do you just sit around drinking soup and moan all day?" she asked this in a sarcastic voice.
"I don't get colds!"
"Well children do, you should have bought something when you adopted her! Well since you're a hopeless moron I'll have to get it for you." She nearly growled into the phone, he could hear her shuffling papers and turning off a television "I'll be there in forty minutes just make her some ramen and make sure she gets plenty of fluids. You can handle that much right?"
"Sure…"
"See ya then." She hung up before he could say any more, so he did as she said. Heating up the ramen noodles and adding some rice-balls and sweet seaweed—unsure whether or not salty seaweed was good for the poor sick child—he choose with the sweeter green vegetable. Carrying the food on a tray he put down the food in front of the child on her bed, "Think you can eat some of the food kiddo?" she looked at the food, her body uncurling from the small ball she'd been in.
"Kay." Taking the rice ball she nibbled on it like a rabbit, she looked at her dad her blue eyes a grey blue with sickness yet she summoned up a comforting smile for him "it's tasty."
"Good then you can eat and get better." He looked to her wooden cabinet placed next to her, on it stood the glass of juice empty. "You want some more juice? Maybe apple juice instead this time?"
"Okay."
He brought back more juice silently, seeing her cough into her arm. "Do you feel any better?"
"I don't know…"
"What hurts?"
"Everything… my arms hurts, my legs hurts, I feel sleepy, and my throats been hurting too."
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"Cause I didn't know I was sick… I sorwie Inu…" she tested the name carefully, speaking in a soft mumble of a voice she peeked up at his golden eyes. He smiled softly his cheeks going pink feeling a strange flurry feeling in his gut, leaning down he kissed her cheeks.
"You don't need to be sorry just be Shiru, and listen, you can tell me anything and everything that you're feeling ok? I really truly love you kiddo." He held the small child in his arms, feeling her sticky hands dig into his shirt. "Promise me, next time you'll just tell me what you want and I swear I'll do my best to get it for you." The shortening of his formal name to a less formal name made him feel giddy with excitement and wonder, he hoped that soon the name would be something that connected her to him in more than just parenthood but blood as well.
"Promise." He let her lay down in bed, curling into a ball clinging to her second pillow as if it were another person's body. He brushed back her bangs and let her sleep, placing the food over the cabinet. Sure that she would most likely avoid the ramen, as much as she loved the taste of it with her sick it seemed sweet things made her feel better than any salty taste. He stood at the sound of the door bell, checking the clock he saw an hour and a half had already passed since Sango had hung up the phone.
"Well it's about time, geez and the poor girl just went to sleep." He opened the door complaining, but when he looked to see the brown haired woman he saw the smaller form of Kagome. Her dark blue hair in a messy bun she looked up at the silver haired man with a confused face. He flushed red, "what are you doing here? I though Sango was going to come."
"She got a call from her brother's high school; he got suspended so she had to go drive up to pick him up. She told me to come instead, I got Shiru some flu medicine and other things she might need. Can I come in? It's chilly out here." He nodded smiling slightly at the sight of the young woman shivering, although she wore a jacket, mittens, and even a scarf she still seemed cold. She walked inside, the grown hanyou taking her jacket and bags to the kitchen. "Sorry I didn't have time to change." She blushed shyly, she wore a simple jean overalls and a faded yellow sweater but it only made her seem so much more like a child.
"It's ok. You look nice in it."
"Thanks, how's Shiru doing?" she asked, getting back to her reason for being in the Takashi residence.
"Sleeping, she say's that her throat's been hurting and that she feels tired all over."
"Defiantly the flu, I know Sango told you to give her fluids has she been drinking water or juice? Can I cook?"
"Orange juice and some apple juice" he nodded letting her take the bags of vegetables, eggs, and rice "she said she wanted your rice porridge this morning."
"And it's rice porridge she'll get." She flashed a toothy smile at the man; he sat down on a chair watching her from behind as she cooked. She turned with a pink face looking at the man, "uh, its weird having you watch me from behind, wouldn't you rather sit on the counter or something?"
"Sure." He stood and walked to the granite counter, there was more than enough space for him to sit and her to cook. As she beat the egg and heated water she spoke to him much as a she would any other friend, "My mom use to cook whenever she was nervous or scared, always a cake or something that we could do together. Then we'd eat the whole thing while watching my favorite cartoons and it was like everything was all better after that."
"You mom sounds sweet, she must have taught you a lot about cooking."
"Ya she did, I swear she was a master at cooking. I'm still not half as good as she was. What kind of mother did you have?"
"Well, she's the human side of me, she loves children and hugging. When ever I came home after a fight and I had a bruise, after my father's long lecture she would always sneak me her homemade 'sweet sesame seed dumplings' and she would always make it with some red bean paste right at the center, when I finished that she would reach behind her and pull out some bubble soda with the glass ball rolling inside. After I drank the whole thing with her we'd always break the glass and I'd give her the glass ball. She still has every single one of them in a marble bag."
"Wow, she sounds sweet. I wish my mom was still here."
"What happened to her?"
"She died when I was seven, it was so long ago but I still remember the day clearly. I wish I'd kissed her cheek one last time, I wish I had taken time to memorize her face, and hug her real close. There are so many things I wish I had done, but that morning all I did was push her off me when she tried to fix my uniform and yell bye while I ran out of the door." She looked at him as she began cutting the vegetables, "I sorry I must being making you sad."
"Not much it explains a lot actually. I think that's why whenever Shiru wakes up in the morning the first thing she does is go to me. She doesn't spend a minute without me if possible; when I leave her to go to school she's always pulling me in for a hug and sniffing me. You know she called me Inu today for the first time instead of calling me by my name." He smiled at the human and she did the same back; seeing the improvement in the small girl's attitude with her father making her feel giddy inside.
"Did you ever think you could love a child let alone a little girl?" she asked this question without making eye contact watching as his silver ears turned with his head.
"No." he answered relaxing once again.
"Do you love any less Shiru?" she peeked, a look at his shinny golden eyes.
"No…"
"Hey, sunshine…" the young woman smiled looking at the child's sleeping face; she brushed back her bangs gently feeling the evident fever. Her blue eyes flicked open her yawn weak.
"Kagome, you came." She held the peach hand of the woman a weak smile on her face, "Did you make me porridge like you promised you would?"
"Yep, you wanna sit up and eat it?"
"Okay." With her pillows propped up she sat up in her bed, letting her silver hair fall into place; she actually seemed older sick, they grey in he eyes and paleness of her skin made the young woman worry but then again her fever wasn't terrible.
"After your done eating I want you to take the nasty medicine, or do you wanna take it now with water?"
"Now. It'll taste worsers if I take it after your good food." She was passed a small cup filled with the nasty pink wonder, whoever's idea it was to flavor child medicines with bubble gum and cherry was a moron; it just makes it taste worse. She sucked it down as fast as she could not letting a drop fall on her tongue, much as this burned her throat she couldn't taste the medicine at all. The peach hand of the woman passed her a glass of water and she gulped it down attempting to rid herself of the burning sensation that came with most medicines. When she was done the mother like woman placed the glass down, with a smile she took the bowl of warm porridge dipping the spoon into it she held some to the child mouth.
"Say Ah,"
"Ah!" the food was placed in her mouth and with an ecstatic smile she chewed tasting the ingredients used, "its good!" she nearly bounced for the second bite. Being fed by the woman reminded her of her mother even more than she would ever admit. When the food was all done she was given another sweet rice ball from Kagome, and finally after several hugs and a soft kiss on the nose she fell back into dreamland. Her fever down to 99.6, nearly a normal temperature, "I swear the only thing this girl needs is some soft touches and motherly love and she's the happiest little thing on earth."
"Well aren't all children like that?" she passed her hand over the wooden door, feeling the strange texture beneath her fingertips.
"No, I hated being cared for; I was overly cared for with fake love in everyone's eyes so seeing people stare at me with love for my money rather than me I felt disgusted."
"Well obviously a baby like her with only a mother and many relatives that disliked her the one thing she needs is to be smothered with as much love as possible. How would you feel if rather than overbearing attention you were overbearing distaste?" she walked around the tall man holding onto the railing, not bothering to look back till the last word.
"Bad…" he answered with his head down looking at the woman, "Why do you know so much about how a hanyou would feel?" he asked this, ears twitching head crocked to one side in confusion.
"My First boyfriend was a hanyou a lot like Shiru."
"What was he a little kid who wasn't afraid of the things he should be and overly sensitive to words that to most would mean nothing?" he attempted to make a joke of the boy, his face burning at the thought that another male had touched the innocent woman in front of him
"Not exactly but he was an orphan when he was ten after being abandoned by his family and dead parents. See in Shiru's case she had a willing living parent, but in his case he had no one, he was just a poor boy looking for love from anyone who would give it to him just like Shiru." She spoke as she walked down the stairs the man stayed where he stood watching her from above the stair case. "He took everything people threw at him, even if it was nothing, and with that he would try to build up as high as he could. But sometimes you need someone else to help build you up." She looked up at the father his golden eyes starring down at her with interest, watching his silver mane fall down around his tall form.
"So what happened to the boy?"
"We were sixteen that summer and he had traded in his car for a motorcycle, 'bout two weeks later he was hit by a car. Instantly killed by the shock so I guess it wasn't too painful." Her head was down now letting him see the top of her head and her hands held together to her heart.
"So is that your master plan with Shiru? Build her up so high then when you're gone let her fall without stop. If she doesn't go higher the fall won't kill her."
"A life ain't worth living if you don't find someone who helps you up after a fall. I'm hoping that you'll catch her when that time comes." She looked up at him now her sea blue eyes fixated on his face, jumping from the second floor down to the first he looked at her with a confused face.
"And how am I suppose to do that, the kid needs a mom not me."
The aqua colored eyes gazed past him looking deeper into the person that stood beside her and spoke, "She's been needing a dad too, ain't she?"
"Ok if she has a fever again have her take this and maybe make some tea, she can't go to school tomorrow because the flu usually takes at least three days for a human so I'm assuming it's two for a hanyou. If she starts having diarrhea or vomiting make sure she takes the medicine and takes lots of fluids maybe make some chicken soup. Other than that I'm sure you can handle, Otonashi comes back tomorrow right?"
He nodded looking at the many medicines and instructions, "Ya…"
"Ok then she should know what to do. You're gonna be just fine sweetie" she nuzzled the child in her arms nose to nose, adjusting the blanket she wore over her blue P.J's she put her hands around Kagome's neck.
"Do you have to go, can't you stay over? pwease! Inu's got lots and lots of extra rooms, we can have a sleep over!" she begged like a puppy, eyes large and pupils dilated, her little hands holding the woman's silky night sky hair.
"I'm sorry I can't stay over, but I'll stay with you till you go to sleep, how about that?" she pouted her lips placing her chin in the crotch of the human's neck, feeling and hearing her steady heart beat; it was difficult to not fall asleep right in her arms. She held the child as she walked up the stairs, the large hanyou behind the two making sure neither fell. He saw the half closed eyes of his daughter, a face she never made around him on her she cuddled her nose into Kagome's neck feeling her giggle at the sensation. Her skin finally back to its regular peach color rather than a strange pale. When she put down the little hanyou in her bed, she sat next to her.
"See I'll stay right here till your asleep, how's that sound?"
"Okay. Will you tell me a story? I promise I'll sleep if you do."
"Deal." The woman lifted the new story book her thin fingers much like he remembered Kyoko's. She opened it to a random story, finding one about Mickey Mouse and a giant. It was filled with Disney stories and pictures, as her steady voice narrated the story, speaking in a deep silly tone for the giant, a softer girl-ier voice for Minnie, and—Shiru's favorite—a strong voice for the hero Mickey. By the end of the story her eyes were fluttering, in and out of consciousness, pushing back her bangs she kissed her forehead. The man's face went pink seeing the motherly like tone his secretary gave his child, ever-so-thankful for having such a great friend like her.
"And all before nine. Are you sure you've never had a kid? You're way too good with them."
"Yep." She smiled at his compliment, pulling up her overalls with one hand she spoke "Make sure she takes her medicine tomorrow and she can't go to school so have Otonashi take care of her."
"I'll remember that; want me to walk you to your car? It is pretty icy outside." he passed her the fluffy jacket, watching as she zipped it up. He noticed she wore no boots.
"That sounds nice." She said as he pulled on the nearest coat. Opening the door for her he shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling the nipping cold. The two walked side by side silently to the grey colored car parked right in front. "Don't you have any gloves?" she asked him when they were close.
"I don't like to use them, my claws usually beak 'um"
"Oh, that's too bad. What about a hat or scarf?"
"Hat's make my ears hot and scarves… well I've just never seen one that I liked." He shrugged watching her blue eyes, the darkness made them seem invisible but they shone all the same.
Till she lost her footing her, sneakers fell into the dirt hole making her stumble forward, she would have met with good-old- Mr. Dirt had the hanyou not grabbed her elbow and pulled her against him. But in turn he fell back feeling the cold ground with his behind she grimaced for him, looking up at his golden eyes "Sorry, are you ok? I didn't mean to make you fall."
"So'kay my body's much stronger than your fragile human bones." She was in his lap, the heat from her body quickly transferring to his, he knew without looking that she was blushing and he couldn't help it his body stiffened. It had been so long since he had release or rather a woman's body near his but he repressed the urge. Standing up so that she would not feel it, he helped her up "Thanks again." He said calming down quickly from the little moment.
"No thank you, you probably saved my ankle." She smiled opening the door of her car and entering, "Remember when I told you about Shiru and her medicine."
"All right here" he pointed to his head.
"So I'll see you at work tomorrow?"
"Yep, thanks again." He waved as she speed off into the distance. Watching as her car disappeared, if he wasn't careful the friendship would become more than just a kind heart and a learning father.
Thanks for reading! Please reveiw!