Disclaimer: NO I do not own Inuyasha. That awesome privilege belongs to Romiko Takahashi. Thank you!
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Chapter 23: Family
Inuyasha's mom wasn't mad.
She was furious.
Absolutely livid.
But not at her son. At Hinazuka. On the phone she was so happy to hear from him, happy he was safe, elated he was out, and curious if she could buy a wrecking ball and tear the place down herself. She said she would come up but Inuyasha told her that he wasn't staying and would be returning with his father after visiting hours. She promised to make him ramen for a welcome home feast.
"Your mom sounds...sweet." Kagome said, smiling up at him.
He shrugged like he was indifferent but he agreed with her completely. His mother was an angel fallen to earth "Well, maybe you'll meet her when you get out."
"Really?" she asked, her eyes bright.
"Of course you can right." he paused and looked at Inutaisho. "She can, right?"
Inutaisho smiled. "Of course." he agreed.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
A pixie like woman with short cropped hair poked her head inside.
"Kagome!" she smiled at the sight of her daughter and ran inside.
Inuyasha managed to jump off the bed just in time for her practically pounce on Kagome, wrapping her in her arms.
"Mom." Kagome sighed. In felt so good to be back in her arms, being able to smell the scent of cooking food that her mother always exuded.
"Oh, baby. Ms. Higurashi leaned back and looked at her daughter, her hands cupping her cheeks. "You look hungry."
Kagome smiled. "Where's Souta? And Gramps?"
"Souta is sleeping dear. I didn't want to wake him. And you know your grandfather, he sleeps more often than a baby. I'll tell them you're out when they wake up tomorrow and we can all come visit." she said pushing her hair behind her ears. Looking her over, making sure with her own eyes that she was okay.
Kagome nodded, then noticed Inuyasha in the corner, hanging back respectfully. "Um, mom." Kagome put her hands over her mom's and looked at Inuyasha. "This is Inuyasha. The boy I told you about in my letters."
Ms. Higurashi turned and looked at him.
He had been scrutinized before. Weighed on peoples personal scales to judge his worth. After all his father was a respected member of the community and a judge himself, people were always judging him. But none of them mattered like Kagome's mom.
Her eyes were kind, but sharp as she looked him over. The eyes that had raised two children and who knew how to look under scruffy clothes to your heart within. She walked away from her daughter and looked him over. He was sure he had never been judged so carefully.
She looked at him so long, stared into his eyes for a good portion of that time, that he became self conscious and his ears started twitching. Her attention was immediately caught.
"Are those...?"
Despite being a half demon, he wasn't fast enough to keep her arm from snaking out and capturing one of them in her hands.
Inuyasha jumped back as far as he could seeing as he was already nearly leaning against the wall and covered his ears.
Ms. Higurashi stood there for a moment, her hand still extended.
Then her face broke into a huge grin and she turned to Kagome.
"Kagome, those ears would be so cute on my grandchildren!" she squealed returning to her daughter's side.
"Mom!" Kagome said her face turning red as Inutaisho started snickering.
Inuyasha cautiously released his eras and Ms. Higurashi's eyes locked onto them. "They are so adorable. I'm not getting any younger, you know, dear."
"Mom, stop!" Kagome said, smiling despite her embarresment. Oh, how she had missed her mother and her unique way of parenting.
"Hello, Ms. Higurashi, I'm Inutaisho Takahashi." He said holding out his hand.
"Oh, the judge." her mom said shaking hands with him.
The adults struck up a conversation on the future of Kagome and Inuyasha, not grandchildren or marriage to their great relief, but about what would happen now that Hinazuka was closed.
Inuyasha was slightly confused at Kagome's mother's reaction though and looked at Kagome, the question written clearly across her face.
'She likes you.' she mouthed a smile on her face.
'Really?' he mouthed back.
Kagome nodded. He smirked in victory.
3 days later, Kagome went home. It felt unreal to her.
Her room was exactly how she left it when she left and it felt strange.
It was disorienting to see her books on her desk and her pink covers smooth on her bed. Seeing the happy faces of her and her friends and clothes hanging in the closet. Colors were odd to her in general right now.
The first thing she did upon coming home was taking the pictures of her 'friends', taking them out of their frames and ripping them to shreds. Shreds she planned on burning at the first opportune moment. She was sure her new friends would help her.
"Prison friends are real friends." she laughed to herself putting the pieces of the photos on her desk.
Then she sat on her bed, the fluffy comfort of it was odd to her, almost alien, after so long on a cot or hard floor.
She had been picked up by her mom and Souta. Gramps had been at home, putting the last touches on a welcome home feast. It had oden, her favorite, and soda. It was the first time she had eaten so well in months. Souta had been so happy to see her, talking her ear off. Gramps had bored her with tales he hadn't gotten around to telling her in the past. But it felt so good to be home that even those had a measure of entertainment.
For a while at least.
Her only problem was that she hadn't talked to her friends in a long time. Three days may not be long to some but she had been with these people nearly 24 hours a day for months now. Being away from them was strange.
Sango hadn't called yet but Inuyasha had. Only once to say that the others were fine, she would see them soon, and not to worry. Things were getting straightened out right now and he was spending most of his time in court with his family. He was the unofficial spokesperson for the whole school and no one had questioned that. Most were just glad to be home.
But now that Kagome had a moment to herself she found how much she really missed her hellmates.
