Chapter 29: The Rest
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Inuyasha stood, a motionless barricade; his arms crossed, and his signature scowl planted firmly over his features.
"I don't like it" he complained, his growl more for show than anything else.
Still, the girl paid him no mind.
She pulled the brush swiftly down her long hair, he in turn followed the movement with his eyes, fixated in the shine of those raven locks.
"Mhmm, I know."
"You're supposed to be resting..."
"And I will be; once we get back, I'll set up camp in the living room, and not move one inch. After my test that is."
He huffed, not satisfied in the least with her. Already he knew there wasn't anything he could say that she wouldn't argue against, the damn woman had an answer to everything.
Kagome finished her task, pinching some color into her cheeks when her reflection in the mirror seemed much too pale. It could have been the way she was mostly wrapped up in bandages, the image she created was of a frail looking girl, a car-accident survivor.
Although part of her fit the bill, the other part was much too stubborn for that. Instead of feeding into the pain of her body, she focused on leaving this formal, noiseless room.
Dead set on getting to school on time, Kagome had covered up the remaining bruises with make-up, and called it good enough.
After waking from what she could only describe as a drug induced coma, she had been horrified when she came to. Learning that the full week of prepping for her tests had been reduced to a mere sixteen hours, to say she became frantic was an understatement.
All of that 'plenty of time' she once had, vanished under all the erratic events of the last few days.
Now, it was time to pay the piper.
Kagome might not have the preparation she needed, or the luck for that matter, but she still felt positive about this.
However, that positivity was fragile, and she really didn't need to be driven mad by this cream-colored cell. Bad enough that at this rate, she wouldn't even get a passing grade, let alone one that would allow for scholarships.
Inuyasha was beginning to waver in his promise, if she showed any signs of having doubt, he'd jump in on it in a heartbeat.
Taking a last glance at the mirror, Kagome pulled at the sleeves of her uniform shirt. Making sure they covered as much as they could, the only visible bandages now were those on her hands.
She could always tuck them into her skirt pockets, the long navy-blue skirt had deep enough pockets to allow for that.
"Ready?" Inuyasha asked, holding her once forgotten yellow bag, over his shoulder.
She peeked at his dressed-down figure through her curtain of hair, secretly admiring the fit of his black slacks, and white short sleeved shirt. It was the most casual she had seen him in as of late, the black jacket he tossed on seemed to be made of wool, as opposed to the high fabrics he was usually adorning.
His concealment chain rested over his shirt, adding to his look. What had her gaze lingering, were those tendrils of messy brown hair, gelled or styled to look both wet, and soft.
Kagome had to turn away, before her over-eager heart began its silly torment all over again. Instead, she switched her focus on gathering up the last of her hygiene products, tossing those into the sling bag he had brought for her.
"As I'll ever be."
Walking out of the room, Kagome followed silently behind Inuyasha, he took them down a long hall, only to come out to an empty lobby.
It looked to be your average waiting room, aside from the fact that the place was empty, not even staffing around.
Of course, Inuyasha didn't give her the chance to stop, and ask.
Really, the only surprise was when they entered the elevator. She assumed he would take them down to a public area, she was more than ready to leave whatever place this was.
But when there was no button to be pressed, it had taken Kagome a moment to realize they weren't just in any elevator, but a particular one it seemed.
"Wait, are we-" She stopped short, earning herself a half turn, and a rise of an eyebrow from the man next to her.
It seemed almost impossible that they were in the same building they had always been in, the view outside showed them to be in a completely different setting, but she realized stranger things had gone down over the last few days.
"You saying something?"
Shaking her head in the negative, Kagome let it go with a simple, "Never mind."
The screen in front of them flashed each floor number; first starting with the fourth floor, then rapidly flashing down till they reached the lobby.
With the flashing of numbers, came a different flash.
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It was as though someone had asked her to touch an exposed outlet, the quick zap to her senses made her jump; the jump pulled at her bandaged sides, forcing her to drop with the pain.
All that left her was a stunned gasp.
Somehow, he managed to turn in time to see her falling. How he could drop her bag, with enough time to catch her around the waist, Kagome would be forever stunned.
"Damn it, Woman! That's it, fuck this stupid obsession with your tests; I'm taking you back."
"No- No! just hold on, Inuyasha." Kagome waited, expecting the shock to come again, but it never did. "I'm fine, just- help me out here, will ya?"
He growled his discontent, going against the graveled sound to ease her back up to her straight posture. The warmth of his hand on her lower back felt great, great enough to tempt her to ease back into his embrace.
Her groan of disappointment escaped when the doors opened, in turn, when he dropped both arms from around her.
He stepped a good foot away from her, as if she had encountered nuclear radiation within the last two seconds. Inuyasha peeked down at her, but chose not to say anything about her pout, another sign that he was holding himself back because of their public setting.
"You sure you want to do this? I can just-"
"No, Inuyasha. I told you already, I'm not cheating. I might not get the best grade out there, but at least it will be mine."
Kagome didn't bother to wait for him.
She crossed the empty space between the elevators, and the heavy traffic area of the actual lobby. Her eyes found the far elevators that led to the parking lot, Kagome assumed that's where they were heading. She was just about to enter the sea of the important people, when her elbow was caught in a familiar hold, by a too familiar hand.
She blinked twice; not understanding the angry look he shot her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Inuyasha shouted as though they were back in his home, no concern for where they were, or who could hear him. His anger had been an oddly spiking specter, appearing whenever it damn well pleased, and taking anything out as it went.
He had to keep a close eye on his rage and had succeeded for the most part. But when the bandaged girl had walked on, leaving him behind, he had felt the first thrum of his temper.
Watching her walk towards the crowd of perfect strangers triggered him, making it so that his annoyance grew to actual anger, all in the matter of a few seconds.
Her shrug and simple explanation, nearly did him in, the words-
"Parking lot, right?" followed by the careless point towards the public elevators, had his growl rising in volume and ferocity.
Those who could hear him, could feel that snap of his aura, turned. Eyes wary, as they assessed the two.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Inuyasha shouted as though they were back in his home, no concern for where they were, or who could hear him. His anger had been an oddly spiking specter, appearing whenever it damn well pleased, and taking anything out as it went.
He had to keep a close eye on his rage and had succeeded for the most part. But when the bandaged girl had walked on, leaving him behind, he had felt the first thrum of his temper.
Watching her walk towards the crowd of perfect strangers triggered him, making it so that his annoyance grew to actual anger, all in the matter of a few seconds.
Her shrug and simple explanation, nearly did him in, the words-
"Parking lot, right?" followed by the careless point towards the public elevators, had his growl rising in volume and ferocity.
Those who could hear him, could feel that snap of his aura, turned. Eyes wary, as they assessed the two.
When he glowered at them, they averted their gaze, and scampered off.
"You have got to be smarter than this, Kagome. Think about it for one, God damn, minute.
No one knows if Naraku is dead for sure; even if he was, he has accomplices all over the damn place. You can't possibly know who's with who around here."
Kagome looked left, then right, coming back to him with a dismissive look, "Okay; well, we're still in your building, right? So, I'm fine for now."
His grip tightened, choosing to ignore her ignited look with his actions, "Woman, I don't know if I'll actually be able to protect you; can't you just make it less difficult to keep you alive?!"
Kagome would have yanked her arm free, but the cuts on both arms were still a greenish blue that hurt when moved too much. Instead, she moved the arm he held, to wrap around his arm.
"Okay, fine, have it your way."
Inuyasha opened his mouth, and like the intellectual that he was, managed a string of stuttered words that ended with a tight nod. Inuyasha chose to leave her hold as is, only slightly bothered by the masses, he led her to the privacy of the far elevator.
Kagome was able to gaze at herself, using the reflection of the silver doors, to take in her final appearance. Noticing straight away that she no longer looked pale, on the contrary, she was a brilliant red. It could have something to do with the fact that she still held on to the man next to her, although it was no longer necessary.
Peeking at him through the reflective surface, she could spy the same faint blush across his face.
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It seemed humorous to her that the parking structure wasn't as she had remembered it; that first trip seeming too long ago to her, but what remained was not the dark and forbidding structure she had remembered.
The place was well lit, the cars parked there of the 'top-model' variety; briefly she wondered which car would be his? When he led her to yet another long stretch of vehicle, she paused, apprehension growing.
"What's wrong?"
"Can't we take your car?"
Inuyasha looked down at the girl in his arms, blinking at her big blue eyes before her question fully registered. "Oh, um... I- can't drive."
"What was that?"
"I can't drive..."
"Sorry, really didn't hear you."
"Keh! I can't drive, okay?!"
"Pffft!" Kagome slapped both hands over her mouth, but the laughs were already rolling through, "I'm- I'm so sorry, pffffft!"
His growl could be heard echoing around the underground structure, unfortunately, it gained the opposite effect. The girl bent over in her efforts to stop the long stream of muffled laughs, when her efforts seemed in vain, she laughed freely, wincing as she pulled at her wounds with her belly laugh.
"It ain't that funny, Wench. If you want to drive so damn badly, then just go right ahead, leave your life in the hands of these iron carts!"
Kagome wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, finally done with her fit.
"Nah, I can't drive either" then she walked off towards the limo.
"Then what the hell was that all about?"
"Well, I'm only eighteen. I've only procrastinated learning for a few months. What's your excuse? You're like a thousand years old."
"What!?" Inuyasha half shouted, but his volume alone couldn't mask the surprise in his reaction.
"Dr-what's-his-face. He said you were like centuries old, so what's the hold up?"
He was left without words, not that she waited around for a response. Kagome was already climbing into the limo by the time he snapped to it, she was eager to get on with the day.
"And what makes you think the punk didn't lie?"
Inuyasha went after her, slamming the door shut behind him, perhaps harder than necessary.
The limo shifted forward as it began to move, but his attention was only on the girl in front of him, a deep growl of displeasure rising between them.
Once more the girl remained unfazed, busy fixing her sleeves, she answered without looking, "Are you telling me it isn't true?"
Inuyasha glared at her form from across the small space, his thoughts were battling once more, waging whether to tell the girl or not. In the end it didn't seem to matter as much as the darker truths he had admitted to, he couldn't help thinking she wouldn't believe him either way.
"And if I did say he lies, who you gonna believe?"
He expected a pause, hesitation, but instead she answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You of course, not that I don't trust -eyes. But if you say it ain't so, then it ain't so."
His mouth opened, then closed; the action one he seemed to be doing a lot lately, especially in her presence.
"No... punk didn't lie..." he finally grumbled.
Kagome lifted her gaze then, appraising him for just a moment, before going back to fixing her cuffs around the bandages.
"So, how old we talking?"
"...Couple of centuries, and some change."
Kagome mulled this over in her brain, not entirely surprised, seeing as how half the time Inuyasha said the oddest things. She figured he had to be around for the Taisho and Early Showa Period, a time when shouting things like 'Damnit all' and 'Woman' were perfectly normal.
"Do you care?" His soft-spoken question derailed her thoughts, so that now, she was paying closer attention to the man before her. Kagome could see the lines of worry marring his features, she may not know why it mattered so much to him, she knew it did matter.
"Care?" she asked, momentarily lost as to why he would be so worried. Shaking her head, Kagome gave him a warm smile that had those worry lines softening, "No, I don't particularly care."
He would have sighed in relief, but then the girl had a look flashing across her face, there was no missing that devilish twinkle in her eyes.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering, should I start calling you JII-CHAN?"
"Why you!" Inuyasha made a fake launch at her, surprised when she squealed in fright and dodged his outstretched hand. "Ka-Go-Me!"
She grinned from ear to ear, it was clear to see she was having too much fun keeping him on the chase, but this was neither the time nor the place.
Tackling the problem with a different narrative, Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest, keeping his grin hidden when she seemed intrigued with his change in tactic.
"Fine. I guess you won't be getting this then."
Watching him unfold the envelope, curiosity won over whatever little game they had been playing.
"What's that?" she asked, her eyes following the envelope in his hand, as he held it this way, and that way.
"Oh, this? Just a little gift."
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Author's note: Small break aside, I'm back and ready for action. Thanks again to all those who took the time to vote for me, unfortunately I did not win, but I did get to read lots of great Fics from even better writers. If you haven't had a chance, I suggest to go read some awesome Inuyasha fiction, the listing of their winners is still up on Tumblr.
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I do want to address a P.M that I received that had something to do with my unannounced break, I know my stories may seem half-brained to some readers, but I actually put a lot of time and effort into them. My English may not be perfect, English not being my native language, but I do a whole lot of re-reading and editing before posting. If I miss some things it is not at all intentional and I do rely heavily on free editing software that may not be the best.
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That being said, I do hope everyone is enjoying the story so far and I will be double posting just to make up for the lack of new chapters.
Thanks again to everyone that takes the time to read, writing is my passion and Inuyasha is my outlet. So thank you, so, so much!