Thanks to you reviewers for all the reviews I got for chapter seven! A big thanks to Beautiful.Black.Joy for writing me a really cute poem! Thanks again!
I enjoy the support ya'll send me, and it makes me want to write all the better!
Disclaimer: Me No Owney Inuyasha…ey…
Chapter the Eighth
Beating Heart
After she and Inuyasha had had their little spat, and Sango had revealed all, Kagome hadn't seen much of the elusive demon prince. Hours turned into days, and soon Kagome found that she'd been living in the castle for almost a month, getting to know Sango, Miroku, Ayame, Koga, and Shippo very well.
She even dropped her guard completely around them, telling them why she'd been running from her home, how her grandpa had her betrothed to an idiot, and her relatively foul treatment from her entire village most of her life.
Kagome had even taught Koga a few of her 'special' recipes.
"Hey Sango, can you toss over the salt?" Kagome asked, pointing at a small container.
Sango passed it to her friend, smiling, "Are you sure this is going to get Inuyasha out? And besides, why would you want to see him so badly anyways?"
Kagome turned a light shade of pink at Sango's comment, "N-Nothing like that! It's just; he seems to dwell on everything so much…and he should enjoy his time while he can."
"I agree," Koga piped up from his place over the wood burning stove, "That guy is so touchy!"
"Of course you'd say that," Sango joked, elbowing Koga playfully, "You hate not being the dominant male around here."
"Don't make it sound like we're animals, I get it enough already!" Koga kidded back. He put his finger into the broth and then licked it, making a 'hm' noise as he thought over the taste, "Hey Kagome, do you think this broth needs anything? It seems a little bland."
"One sec Koga, I'm just going to finish up with this pork…done! Now we can just let it sit until the potatoes are done…you really know how to find the good stuff don't you Koga?"
Koga blushed sheepishly, "Well, I've had over fifty years to map the forest out so…"
"Sorry, sorry, what did you want me to do before?" Kagome asked, changing the subject completely.
Well, no one said she didn't have her moments of being air-headed.
Koga laughed, "I just want you to check the broth for me."
"Okay!" Kagome skipped over to him, taking a wooden spoon and dipping it into the broth. She took a small sip of the broth on the spoon and squealed.
Koga and Sango both exchanged glances.
"Kagome, is it that bad?"
Kagome started to hop up and down, "It's awesome, it's awesome, it's awesome!" She giggled, "Now we just need to get the meat and the vegetables into it, right?"
"Yeah," Koga replied, letting out a sigh of relief.
Sango smiled at Kagome's behavior. She knew it was typical for this girl to get excited over anything and everything, "Kagome, I'll finish up here with Koga, how about you go search out Miroku and Shippo."
"Come to think of it," Koga tapped his chin with the stick end of the ladle, "Where the heck did Ayame get to?"
Sango and Kagome both looked at each other and grinned knowingly, "Koga's room!" They said at the same time.
Koga turned a very ample shade of red, "W-W-W-What? M-My room?"
"She's imagining you in there kissing her." Kagome said, making kiss noises and puckering her lips jokingly.
Koga jumped at that, "You know, I'll go find Shippo and Miroku, you two stay right here." He practically flew out of the kitchen.
Kagome started to giggle insanely, "Gets him every time!"
"But it is true you know," Sango commented, "She'll be in his room."
"Only because that's the only place she hasn't cleaned in a week," Kagome retorted, beginning to take the pork and chop it up.
Sango glanced at Kagome slyly, "So, tell me the real reason why you're so anxious to see Inuyasha again."
Kagome's knife clattered onto the counter and Kagome turned to Sango, red faced and arms waving, "Sango!" She cried.
"Well come on, you seem very chuff with yourself preparing him dinner and waiting for him to come out every day." Sango snickered, stirring the soup some more, taking a deep whiff, "You know, it's not a bad thing…"
"What isn't?" Kagome asked, a tad defensively, turning back to her cooking.
"Caring for someone," Sango explained, smiling ever so slightly, "It's not bad to care about someone a lot. It's a gift, a special blessing, so don't you waste it. Enjoy it."
"You sound like this is coming from experience," Kagome replied, dropping some squares of meat into the broth.
"That's because it is," Sango told Kagome, "When we were human, Miroku and I had a chance to be together. Except…I never admitted my feelings, and now I'm not sure if Miroku cares anymore."
"Oh, I don't know," Kagome said, "I think he gropes you because he's trying to say 'I love you'."
Now it was Sango's turn to turn a nice shade of crimson red, "Kagome! He's just being a pervert, nothing more."
"Just give him a chance," Kagome winked at Sango, "Maybe he'll change."
Sango rolled her eyes, "Just cut the pork."
"Touchy!" Kagome whined, going back to her cutting.
"But still…" Kagome murmured. Her eyes were half-lidded in thought.
I remember…that day. He turned and looked at me, and something in me suddenly felt like it had burst. My heart started to race…
And I've been longing for that same feeling since. Why? Why is that feeling so important all of a sudden?
Kagome closed her eyes and groaned slightly. Her thoughts were pounding her mind like hammers continually bashing against her head. It was giving her a headache.
"Kagome? Are you okay?"
Kagome blinked at looked up. She saw Sango staring at her worriedly. Kagome realized that she was shaking.
Sango repeated her question slowly; putting a hand on Kagome's shaking form, "Are you okay Kagome?"
Kagome nodded and gulped, "Yeah. I think I just felt a little sick, from the fumes of the food!"
"Oh. Okay," Sango replied, but she did not look the slightest bit convinced.
"Nothing to worry about," Kagome told her friend.
They worked in silence after that. Kagome cutting the vegetables and meat, putting them into the soup, Sango stirring and adding spices and other concoctions to make it taste better.
After a while, Kagome put her knife down, leaning against the wall and letting out a sigh of relief, "Finally! Everything's done!"
"You're a phenomenal cook Kagome, I wish you'd come here a lot sooner!" Sango complimented, pulling the pot of soup off of the wood burning stove and covering it.
Kagome flushed in embarrassment, "Thanks. What now?"
"Well, you could go find Inuyasha and break the news." Sango suggested, pulling her homemade 'kitchen gloves' – as she called them – off and placing them neatly folded onto the counter.
Kagome crossed her arms, "Is this a ploy of some sort?"
"Nope."
"Well why not one of you guys? I mean, I'm the only one who can't brandish my claws when assaulted here!" Kagome protested, holding her hands up for Sango to see to prove her point.
Sango shrugged, "Wasn't it you who almost tore half of Inuyasha's arm off with your teeth?"
"I did no such thing! I bit him out of fear, and I hardly 'tore his arm off'!"
Sango waited for Kagome to finish her tirade, the girl's last words sounding suspiciously like 'stupid dog-man making everything sound worse than it is'. Sango then pushed Kagome out of the kitchen, "I have to help Ayame with some cleaning anyways. If you must hide from Inuyasha, find Miroku and make him do it. The man always did like annoying Inuyasha."
Kagome sighed as Sango disappeared out the double doors of the dining room before Kagome could protest again.
She trudged towards Inuyasha's room, "Such a long way away…" Kagome murmured in a depressed fashion, her shoulders slumped tiredly.
In the month that she'd spent in the castle, she'd familiarized herself with every part of it…well, except the West Wing. Inuyasha would always be there, and Kagome was forbidden. After her first experience, Kagome wouldn't let her curiosity guide her there anymore.
She knew almost every passageway and trap door. She'd also learned the immediate outside area, accompanied by Koga of course, for she was still captive.
Kagome had realized after her first week there that she kind of didn't want to leave anymore. This place seemed more like home than where she grew up, despite the arrogant demon who ran the castle.
She still found him to be quite the jerk.
And she was ever so pleased and smug when she found out that Miroku had been told by Inuyasha that he knew very well how much she disliked him, and that he wished to avoid her 'stupid human woman wrath.'
Kagome really had gotten a laugh out of that.
Of course, Miroku had been found the next day with a black eye that Kagome suspected he'd acquired from Inuyasha. Obviously the proud demon hadn't wanted Kagome to know that he was sort of afraid of her.
"Only two more steps to go…then a whole freaking hallway…" Kagome muttered. She continued to mutter until she reached Inuyasha's room.
The door wasn't grand or anything, just nice. It was red with gold hinges and a gold dragon painted on the front.
Kagome gulped anxiously. She'd never, ever knocked on Inuyasha's door. Obviously Sango thought he wasn't in a murderous mood or she had a screw loose in her head.
Nonetheless, Kagome timidly knocked on the door.
Almost like he was expecting her, the door flew open and Kagome was greeted by Inuyasha.
"Uh…hi." Kagome said lamely.
Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow, "What do you want?" He growled.
Okay, Kagome had officially ruled out the 'not in a murderous mood' idea.
"Well, uh, Sango and the other put together an idea – which I was strictly against – that you come out of your room and have a meal in the dining hall…" Kagome relied quickly, almost at a shout.
Inuyasha clapped his hands over his ears, "Can you be any noisier?"
"Sorry," Kagome apologized, rubbing the back of her head nervously.
"And what was that you said?"
Kagome realized he was toying with her.
Screw timid, she was pissed now, "You heard me." She snapped with her hands on her hips.
"Aw hell, mood swings…" Inuyasha muttered under his breath. He then motioned to close the door, "No."
"No what?"
"I'm not doing this 'dinner' thing." Inuyasha told her simply, preparing to slam the door in her face.
Just as he was closing it, Kagome put one hand on the door frame and the other on the door, taking the gutsy step of blocking his door, "You know, we slaved in the kitchen to make this happen, can you try being civil?"
"I didn't force you to, it was you're choice. Go away." Inuyasha tried to shut the door again, but Kagome pressed onward.
"Seriously, is this the way you treat people whenever they do something nice for you?" Kagome asked angrily, "Because I don't like your attitude mister!"
"Do you think I care?"
"You should."
"Well, that's just wonderful, because I don't."
Kagome forced herself into the bedroom. She stared at the dimly lit room. For a prince's room, it was rather simple. There were lots of paintings though. A bed, a dresser, a red carpet, and a lot of paintings.
"You're really persistent, you know that?"
Kagome balled her hands up into fists, "Seriously, what is your problem, can't you call me by my name?" When she turned around, she gasped.
Inuyasha was right upon her. She could feel his breath on her forehead. Kagome gulped and closed her eyes, trying to hide the blush, but failing miserably.
"Okay then, Kagome," He said her name as rudely as possible, "Get out."
The moment being ruined by Inuyasha's attitude sent Kagome off the wall. She punched him hard in the chest, causing him to let out a small 'oof'. "What is your problem?" She screeched, "I know that you may not have much time left, but wouldn't that be a big reason to live your life to its fullest? I mean, seriously, one dinner with the people who you used to be friends with, why can't you grant them that one last thing? Are you heartless?"
Inuyasha grabbed her arm, the one she'd punched him with, and stared at her intensely, "I avoid them because I don't know when I'll lose control. I can feel the demonic presence in my head, even now, as I speak to you. That is why I avoid everyone…that is why I keep to myself. I cannot bear to see myself kill. It makes me retch."
"But…" Kagome whispered, "Even so, they want to talk with you so badly. I can see that with all of them. Miroku once told me that he'd give his own life to see things go back to the way they used to be, even for a moment."
"I don't want to hear it anymore," Inuyasha snarled, his voice hardening. He let go of Kagome's arm, "You know my answer, so get lost!"
At that moment, Kagome did the most unexpected thing. It surprised her as much as it shocked Inuyasha.
Kagome leapt towards him and hugged him.
She just poured all her empathy out to him at that moment, "I know how you feel, being the outcast…the one who feels like they don't belong. Except next to me, you make my problems seem measly. I…we all want to help you. So maybe, if you just took this one chance, you'd feel a little better. Who knows, you might even figure out how to break the spell if you stop moping around in your room."
Inuyasha's arms hung limply at his sides, his eyes wide, his head hung in partial shame. This girl, she had the uncanny ability to make you feel better.
It was sort of like a blessing and an annoyance at the same time when coupled with her attitude.
She pulled away, passing him and heading to the door, "I'm sorry for bugging you," She said with a hint of venom at his unresponsiveness.
Inuyasha's arm went out and took a hold of her shoulder, "When?"
"Huh?"
"When is this meal?" Inuyasha asked, still not looking at her directly.
Kagome broke out into a smile, "A few hours from now, okay?"
Inuyasha hesitated, and then nodded. He let her shoulder go, and watched as she left.
Kagome smiled and closed the door quietly. She stared at it for a moment.
I think I just helped make him feel a little better…if only a little bit.
Kagome felt light. She felt giddy.
And for a strange reason she wanted to let loose a scream and dance like a maniac.
Of course, she held back…barely.
As she descended the stairs, she stole one last glance at the red and gold door, of which Inuyasha was undoubtedly behind; I knew you couldn't be all bad…
End of Chapter
(Dramatic sigh.) Another annoyingly fluffy chapter. Yes…I know. Still no plot movement, but remember that the Beauty and the Beast story is basically all romance. Kagome's made a bit of a crack in Inuyasha's hard exterior!
I hope you enjoyed it, and we'll have plot movement next chapter!
Next up: Kagome has convinced Inuyasha to come to dinner, but when the meal starts and everyone 'mysteriously disappears' besides Inuyasha and Kagome, will sparks fly? Of course, pride and attitude get it the way. Look forward to one hell of a time!
Will Kagome stand for Inuyasha's bad attitude any longer? Will she run away out of fury?
Who knows?
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