Chapter 20: Placing Bets
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha!
"Well, it seems your vitals are staying stable." The doctor said as he looked over at Kagome's charts before putting them down and looking at Kagome. "Are you ready to go home?"
Kagome perked up as she leaned up off Inuyasha's chest as she looked up at the doctor. "Oh, yes I am." She said as she nodded her head.
"Alright, I want you to make a follow up with your primary in a week's time to look at your incision, but other than that - I will go print off your discharge papers and you'll be free to go." The doctor said before leaving the room.
"Oh, I don't have a primary." Kagome said as she slumped back against Inuyasha.
"That's alright." Miroku said taking a step towards the bed. "I can take them out for you, I've done it plenty of times for Inuyasha and Sango, hell, I've even taken my own stitches out if I could reach them."
"Okay, thanks Miroku." Kagome said as she sent him a smile.
"You're welcome." Miroku smiled back.
A few minutes passed before the doctor came back in with the discharge papers. "Now, you need to take it easy for the next few weeks to a month." The doctor said giving Kagome a stern look. "No... activities... that will cause strain to your body."
"O-okay." Kagome blushed when she got the doctors double meaning, however, she did feel a little disappointed - she missed Inuyasha's touch and now she had to wait for a whole month before she felt it again, it just wasn't fair. She sighed as she leaned more against Inuyasha while folding her arms across her chest as her face fell into a pout.
Inuyasha and the others chuckled seeing Kagome pout over not being able to be intimate with Inuyasha, Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her waist as he leaned his lips in close to her ear before whispering that the month would be over before she knew it, he reveled at the shiver that went down her spine as his breath fanned across her skin.
"Okay, you're free to go home." The doctor said before leaving the room.
"Oh, thank God!" Kagome said as she carefully stood up with the help from Inuyasha.
Inuyasha chuckled as he helped her off the bed. "Let's get you home."
"First I want to see Hiro before we go." Kagome said as she stretched out her sore arms.
"Okay." Inuyasha said as he placed his hand on the small of her back before leading her out of the room towards Hiro's room.
As they walked into Hiro's room, they saw that Hiro was still asleep while the nurse took his vitals.
"How is he today?" Kagome whispered as she looked at Hiro, he seemed to have a little more color to his face and his lips were no longer tinted with just the slightest of blue, which made Kagome extremely happy.
"Oh, hello guys." The nurse said as she turned to face them. "He's doing well, his vitals get better every day!" She said with a smile. "The doctor said he's confident that he'll wake up soon!"
"That's great!" Kagome said with a wide smile as tears gathered in her eyes, she was happy that he was fighting - she just hoped that he wasn't in too much pain as he fought.
They spent over an hour there as Kagome read Hiro a couple books, gave him several kisses all over his face and a tight hug before leaving the hospital. They drove by the pharmacy and grabbed Kagome's anxiety medication before going home.
Once they got home, Inuyasha helped Kagome out of the car as he wrapped his arm around her waist to support most of her weight as he helped her walk inside, he then sat her on the couch before walking to the kitchen, coming back with a glass of ice water and handing it to her so she could take her medication. He sat down beside her before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her as close to him as possible as he nuzzled the crook of her neck causing a shiver to run up and down her spine. God, he missed her. Kagome knew what he was thinking without him having to say a word as she tilted her head giving him complete access to her neck with a smile and a happy sigh because she missed him as well.
Sango and Miroku walked in and sat down in the available couch before Miroku picked up the remote to turn on the television and picked a movie to watch.
Inuyasha took Kagome's glass of water from her and placed it on the end table before carefully maneuvering them, so they were both lying down on the couch, with her head on his chest and both his arms wrapped around her waist as he held her close. Kagome wiggled around to find a comfortable place to put her arms and settled down with a happy sigh once she was comfortable. Inuyasha buried his nose in her hair and took a deep inhale of her fragrance now that she wasn't surrounded by hospital scents her natural scent of a babbling brook was more dominant once again.
Kagome was on the verge of falling asleep when Inuyasha moved to check the time then heaved a sigh.
"What?" Kagome asked as she looked up at him by propping her chin on his chest.
"A new client called wanting my services, I told him that we'd meet during lunch today, but if you want me too, I'll cancel." Inuyasha said as he tucked a strand of Kagome's hair behind her ear.
Kagome did want him to stay, however, she didn't want to stand in the way of him doing his job. "No, it's okay, you can go."
"Are you sure you'll be okay while I'm gone?" Inuyasha asked as he cupped her cheek with his hand and looked deeply into her eyes as if they would give him the answers that he was looking for.
"Y-yes, I'll be fine." Kagome stammered as she tried to make Inuyasha believe her, however, as she said that Inuyasha's eyebrows furrowed as his frown deepened.
"Liar." Inuyasha accused as he moved her hair out of her face.
"Inuyasha, you need to go." Kagome said as she laid her head back down on his chest trying to hide her feeling from him.
Inuyasha, however, wasn't going to let her hide - he hooked her chin and gently made her look back at him. "I'll cancel and tell him that he's going to have to wait to talk with me."
Kagome sighed as she sat up. "I am not going to come between you and your work, I'm telling you to go."
"I never said you are!" Inuyasha said as he too sat up.
Sango and Miroku just watched in amusement as Kagome and Inuyasha bickered back and forth with each other, they placed their bets with who would win. Miroku betted on Inuyasha because he knew how stubborn he was and once he got something in his mind it was damn near impossible to get him to change it. Sango, though she didn't know her very well yet, betted on Kagome just for the simple fact that she knew that Inuyasha would eventually do anything and everything that she said.
"If you stayed here because of me then yes I would be getting in between you and your work!" Kagome said frustrated that he wasn't seeing what she was saying.
"Kagome," Inuyasha said with a sigh as he leaned his face closer to hers, secretly reveling in the way he heard her breath hitch in her throat, "you're not going to mess up anything by me missing one meeting."
"If you stay then I'm sleeping in my old room!" Kagome threatened as her hands came up to rest on Inuyasha's chest.
"The hell you are!" Inuyasha growled as he got closer to Kagome's face.
"Watch me!" Kagome challenged as her heart thundered in her chest at how close Inuyasha was, all she would need to do was lean up just a little bit to capture his lips with her own. "Better hurry up Inuyasha or you'll be late."
"Damn it Kagome!" Inuyasha cursed before jumping off the couch and stomping towards the door, however, before he left, he turned back around and stomped back toward Kagome before pulling her up by the collar of her shirt, so he didn't accidentally hurt her arm - he then pulled her into a hard passionate kiss that lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to take Kagome's breath away, before he pulled away and headed for the door once again. "Come on Miroku, Sango you stay here with Kagome."
"Oh man, I lost the bet." Miroku whined out as he placed his forehead in his hand in a sulking manner.
"What bet!?" Kagome and Inuyasha asked at the same time, both wearing ticked off expressions on their faces.
"Sango and I betted on who would win the fight and Sango won." Miroku said dejectedly as he handed Sango a twenty for winning the bet.
Inuyasha stomped his way back from the front door before grabbing Miroku by the collar of the shirt and shoving him towards the door. "Would you just come the fuck on and let's go!" He growled.
"Okay, okay, I'm going." Miroku said as they both left the house.
*X*
Arriving at the restaurant, Inuyasha and Miroku walked in and saw that the man that they were there to meet was already there waiting for them at a table in the back of the restaurant.
"I hope you weren't waiting long." Inuyasha asked as he and Miroku took their seats and began looking over the menu.
"Oh, n-no, I haven't. T-thank you for m-meeting me here t-today." The man said as he wrung his hands together, Inuyasha noticed sweat dripping down the man's temple. It was everything he was used to; everyone was nervous whenever the first met him, this man was nothing new.
"No need to be nervous." Inuyasha said smoothly as he placed his menu down on the table as a waitress came in to take their orders.
"What can I get you gentlemen to drink?" The waitress asked as she took out her notebook.
"I'll just take a Dr. Pepper." Inuyasha ordered.
"I'll have a coke." Miroku said as he too placed his menu down.
"Oh, I-I'll have an ice water." The man ordered as sweat continued to roll down his forehead.
"Okay, I'll be right back with those drinks." The waitress said before leaving.
"Now, what services did you need from me?" Inuyasha asked as he looked at the man across from him.
"O-oh, um, that is... I need a l-loan." The man said as he fidgeted with his menu.
"I'll need some information from you, just a standard form that I need you to fill you before I either agree or disagree to give you the loan." Inuyasha said as he rummaged through his bag to get the correct form for the man to fill out before handing the form and a pen to the man.
"O-okay." The man said as he took the forms and the pen from Inuyasha with a shaky hand, took a deep breath to try and calm down before he started to fill out the paperwork. A few moments later, after the man was done reading the form over and filling it out, he handed it back with still a shaky hand though not quite as bad as it was while he was taking the form.
Inuyasha read over all the answers the man gave before passing the form to Miroku for him to go over. "Okay, Mr. Nakamura, was it?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, y-yes, please excuse my rudeness!" Mr. Nakamura pleaded as he stood up and bowed at the waist towards Inuyasha. "My name is Akio Nakamura, it's a pleasure to meet you Phantom!"
"Please, take your seat, Mr. Nakamura." Inuyasha said and watched as he sat back down as the waitress came back in with the drinks.
"Are you all ready to order?" The waitress asked as she took out her notebook when she was finished handing out their drinks.
"Yes, I'll have the cheeseburger, I want lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup and mustard and I'll take the fries with that." Inuyasha said handing the menu back to the waitress.
"Um, let me get the Philly cheesesteak sandwich and a side of fries." Miroku ordered as he too handed his menu back to the waitress, he then handed the form back to Inuyasha so he could place it in his bag to file it once they got home.
"Okay, and you?" The waitress asked when she finished writing Miroku's order down on her notebook before turning to face Mr. Nakamura.
"I-I will have a ribeye steak with mashed potatoes and gravy and a side of steamed broccoli, please." Mr. Nakamura ordered as he gave the waitress his menu.
"Okay, that will be right out." The waitress said before leaving once again.
"What was it that you needed the loan for?" Inuyasha asked as he took a sip of his drink, he knew of course from having already read the form over, however, he always asked these questions again to see if anyone slipped up and gave themselves away as trying to pull one over on him.
"O-oh, I just need to do some remodeling to my house and needed extra funds." Mr. Nakamura answered. "I was having a hard time getting it completed with just my income alone, so my friend recommended me to you saying that you would help."
"And what friend would that be?" Inuyasha asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Dai Suzuki. He said that he has a loan through you right now. He said that you've been a Godsend for him." Mr. Nakamura said.
Inuyasha knew who Mr. Nakamura was talking about, Mr. Suzuki was one of his more reliable clients - he always paid on time like clockwork without any problems.
"And you understand our terms and conditions, right?" Miroku asked as he sat forward. "If you don't pay your payment, we will come make a house visit, if you still don't pay, we will come after your businesses and your homes, if that still doesn't get you to pay then we will come for your life." He said as the waitress came back with their food and taking their empty cups for refills after she gave them their food. "Do you understand our terms and conditions?" He repeated after the waitress had left.
"Oh, y-yes I do." Mr. Nakamura said with a nod of his head. "And I agree with your terms and conditions, I think they are more than fair." He said as he took a bite of his food as the waitress came back in with their drinks and leaving once again.
"How much did you say you needed?" Inuyasha asked as he took out his check book, again - he knew the amount needed, he was still seeing if Mr. Nakamura slipped up in his answers.
"Ten thousand." Mr. Nakamura said without missing a beat.
"Okay." Inuyasha said as he wrote out the check and handed it to Mr. Nakamura. "Remember, I am not the one to be messed with. I don't give you third chances."
"Understood Phantom, thank you." Mr. Nakamura said as they finished up the rest of their lunch in silence.
"Thank you once again, Phantom." Mr. Nakamura said as he stuck his hand out for a handshake. "You're a life saver."
"You're welcome." Inuyasha said as he shook hands with Mr. Nakamura before leaving the restaurant.
"You wanna make a bet?" Miroku asked as they both got into the car before driving off towards home.
"Are you sure?" Inuyasha asked with a raised eyebrow. "You've already lost one bet today."
"Aww, come on, we always make bets on the new clients!" Miroku whined.
"Okay, so what's your bet?" Inuyasha asked as he stopped at a red light.
"I bet we're going to have to destroy his house and business." Miroku said. "What's your bet?"
"Hmm, considering that Mr. Suzuki referred him to us, I'm gonna say that he'll make his payments on time." Inuyasha said as he turned down the street that his house was on. "How much are you willing to bet?"
"One hundred dollars!" Miroku said with a nod of his head.
"Okay." Inuyasha said as he pulled into his driveway before shutting his car off and getting out.
Inuyasha and Miroku both stepped into the house to see Sango scrolling on her phone and Kagome curled up on the couch fast asleep.
"She fell asleep about twenty minutes ago." Sango said as she stood up to stretch before walking to Miroku to give him a hug and a kiss.
"Yeah, the doctor said that the anxiety medication could cause drowsiness, thank you for staying with her Sango." Inuyasha said as he gently scooped Kagome up into his arms.
"Not a problem." Sango said as she watched Inuyasha carry Kagome down the hallway to their bedroom.
"Mmm, N'sha?" Kagome murmured as she cracked her eyes open as Inuyasha opened the door to their bedroom.
"Shh, go back to sleep, Love." Inuyasha said as he gently laid Kagome down on the bed before moving to get changed in more comfortable clothes, however, before he could walk away from the bed, Kagome reached out and grabbed his hand making him look back at her.
"Missed you." Kagome muttered before letting his hand go and falling instantly back to sleep.
Inuyasha crouched next to the bed and moved her hair from her face before cupping her cheek and running his thumb along her cheekbone, he smiled as Kagome let out a sigh and moved into his touch. "Missed you too, baby girl." He said before bending down to kiss her temple before standing up to change his clothes.
Once he was changed, Inuyasha crawled into bed next to Kagome, took her into his arms and held her tightly against him. He wasn't tired, he just wanted to be close to her as she took her nap - he'd be there once she woke up.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until next time, bye!