Inuyasha gave her no time to catch her breath. Dragging her by the hand, he weaved between buildings and cars. The local ramen shop was open. The early afternoon sunshine made the little stand glow. People could sit down at one of the few benches placed around or in the public sitting area. Eyes flashing with excitement, she helped him navigate across the terracotta tiles to the line.
The selection wasn't infinite but the ingredients were fresh. Kagome helped Inuyasha with some of the writing he didn't understand. Inuyasha took his time but eventually they ordered. The little wooden cart gave them a numbered plaque. She led him away to find a smooth wooden bench. His fingers drummed in anticipation. Nostrils flaring, eyes flashing - she giggled. The size of their order had surprised the pair working in the cart.
"Can you cook ramen at home? In our house?"
"Whatever you want." Kagome surged with happiness. Inuyasha turned to watch while the cooks brought them their order. Steaming bowls of ramen in different flavors were settled on their table. Her husband practically drooled at the selections. Pork slow-roasted in soy sauce, cut into cubes. Marinated eggs, bean sprouts and lengths of nori. Inuyasha barely acknowledged her as he tried his first mouthful. The hum of appreciation was heard by the cooks. She thanked them despite their looks at her husband.
"Try the chicken, it's good." Kagome ate at a much slower pace.
Inuyasha hunched protectively over his bowl, shoveling ramen into his mouth. Kagome sighed and decided to enjoy her chicken-based broth with citrus flavoring. The noodles were high-quality wheat. It was a thicker-quality broth that left her stomach feeling heavy. The skewers of roasted pork melted in her mouth. She considered cooking in her new house with her new stove. Sango had promised to teach her. Given Inuyasha's adoration with ramen, it was obviously going to be a common food in their home.
Home.
Kagome had learned to cook on the road at campsites under the open stars. The image of herself cooking in her new kitchen, with a little scarf around her head, while Inuyasha waited! A housewife. She could get the eggs from the village. Nori and bean sprouts were easy enough. Learning to make noodles by hand would be troublesome. Pork was expensive in Inuyasha's era but perhaps Mama could help. Marinating was a common form of preserving food in a time when there was no refrigeration. There was cabbage, rice, root vegetables - less sugar. Boiling water from the river to drink. A little garden of their own to grow vegetables. Helping the others harvest rice.
It was a tremendous amount of skills to learn. Inuyasha already knew how to hunt and fish and fight - his main role in the village. Full-time training with Kaede, nursing school, learning how to cook, how to garden...her hand drooped as she considered the enormity of their undertaking. All while adjusting to living with Inuyasha, sex with Inuyasha, cleaning their big house, committing fully to a new life in a different time!
Mama was right. It's a lot!
"Kagome, eh, Kagome!" The soft rattle on her wrist earned her attention. Inuyasha's eyes reflected the sunlight. His nose wrinkled. "What's wrong?"
"What if I'm not a good wife?" She felt every hour of her eighteen years. The weight of her new life seemed too heavy to carry by herself.
"Don't be stupid. You're a great wife." Inuyasha squeezed her wrist. The radiating wave of affection soothed the edges of her sudden panic but it didn't disappear. She quickly began to calculate her commitments.
"Should I delay school?"
"Why would you want that?" Inuyasha set down his chopsticks. His brow furrowed. She had argued with him about going through more school, more studying, more tests. Her arguments replayed in her ears. Studying anatomy and first-aid and emergency procedures was arguably her best way to contribute to the village. Learning modern ways to bring babies, close wounds and the like would save lives.
"Mama said it might be too much. I'll have to spend a lot of time studying and practicing. What if I can't do it? Nursing is really hard."
"Of course you can do it. What about the hospice, the shelter?"
Kagome knew where she would put the buildings. A large shelter for children orphaned in the wars. A ward for healing injured people, runaways. Room to separate people with infection illnesses. Her desire to help those people surged. A hospice required people to staff it, trained people. I want to help people.
"You've had plenty of practice stitching me up. I know you'll do good." There was belief in Inuyasha's face. It helped her fears settle. She knew that she could handle the procedures, she had no fear of blood. Knowing that she could ease someone's pain made her blind to the gore. Inuyasha is trying to talk me INTO attending school?
"Oi, woman! Why are you bawling?" Inuyasha flinched when she wiped at her face. "Stop worrying so much. I'll help you study." The sincere offer made her smile. She could only imagine his pronunciation of the weird Latin names for the body. His bored twitching and pacing for food.
"That sounds nice. Late night sessions with a bunch of open books. Flash cards." Kagome let her nails skim over his hand. Under the bandana, Inuyasha's ears perked. While not her ideal study partner, it meant the world to her that Inuyasha was willing to help her. The beautiful unworldly boy that would do anything to make her happy.
"We could study in your mom's kitchen. The lights are better." Inuyasha's suggested clashed with where her mind had been leading. She briefly imagined having sex in her childhood kitchen and flushed brightly. It would be too embarrassing.
"We could have pizza." The prospect of food made Inuyasha brighten.
"That's a date, right?" The question made her giggle. She nodded her head as he smiled. Studying with Inuyasha in her kitchen did sound like fun. No doubt Souta would try to hang with them. Buyo would sit underneath the table begging for scraps of cheese.
"It's actually called a study date." Inuyasha resumed eating. His pace had slowed.
"Yeah?"
"You get together with someone you like. It's a nice way to spend time together, then you can do something fun afterwards. A movie or a restaurant? It can be fun."
"Like with that Hojo guy?" The question surprised her. Badly. The question hung in the air while she stared at his downcast eyes. Is he just asking or is he still jealous about Hojo?
"I went to the movies with Hojo once." Kagome held onto her warm fuzzy feelings. I know everything about Inuyasha and Kikyo. I understand their relationship. Is he trying to figure out modern courtship?
"The building with the large magic boxes?" Inuyasha's one and only trip to the movie theaters had ended in disaster. The speakers were too loud for his sensitive ears. The flashing lights had nearly blinded her poor guy. She understood the slight curl of distaste.
"I don't even remember what the film was called. He bought me a smoothie after. We talked about random things and walked home." Memories of Inuyasha's jealousy over Kouga were still vivid.
"He brought you medicine when you were sick. He helped you study." The memory made her flinch slightly.
"Yeah, but that wasn't a date. I was coughing in my pajamas! Hojo takes really good notes and he was dating a seventh-grader. Really pretty, but a seventh-grader. None of his medicine ever worked. All that studying would have been wasted if you hadn't brewed that raw-liver potion. I got through my test because you were there."
"So...it was like we had a date?"
"Well...you could say that. Oh - all those supplies. Did you gather get-well presents for me?" The pile of foodstuffs in Kaede's hut had gone unmentioned. Kagome had been quickly hushed against questions. Sango had quietly told her about Inuyasha's reappearance with a bulging pack of goodies.
"Of course I did." Inuyasha snorted quietly. "You were sick."
The sunlight made Inuyasha's hair gleam. Kagome had a moment of brilliance and casually began searching the contents of her purse. She pulled the plastic rectangle into her lap below the line of the table. She made sure to turn the flash off before raising the disposable camera to her face. Inuyasha looked up from his ramen with surprise after the sound of the little click. His eyes narrowed on the little green brick in her hands.
"How many paintings do you need?"
"You just looked so cute!" Kagome giggled. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
Their bellies were utterly full when they disposed of their lunch trays. Kagome led the charge as they wandered aimlessly down the street. Cute antique shops and daycare centers and small businesses had their doors propped open to invite customers and make use of the strong wind. Inuyasha huffed when she stopped outside a pet store. The puppies wagged their tails and darted at the glass. Children also stood outside cooing at the sweet infantile canines. Kittens were kept on the top level, hiding from the sunshine. A particularly cute ball of fluff laid on his back kneading the air.
"We need chickens, wench – not a cat."
"We could have a pet. You like Buyo. He could hunt mice!"
Kagome pouted, not really upset, when Inuyasha started down the street. Another display distracted her. An antiques shop had a wonderful antique tea set on display, hand-painted porcelain from the first world war. The price tag was prohibitive. Inuyasha turned around on the street.
"Kagome!"
"What is it?" Inuyasha was peering into a glass window across the street. Colorful displays held stuffed animals. There were bins of toys, small bicycles, plastic dolls, wooden bats, baseball gloves, miniature kitchens – a kid's store. Her pulse relaxed when she noticed Inuyasha scanning the merchandise. That's right – they don't have toy stores in the Feudal Era. Mothers have to make rag dolls for their daughters. Boys play with sticks. Sometimes they're lucky enough to have a ball.
"Come on!" Kagome grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside.
Chalk, molding clay, soccer balls – Kagome filled a small cart with selections. She told Inuyasha they were shopping for the children in the village, but she knew they were going to play with them. Sparklers, bubbles – Inuyasha found a kite shaped like a blue dragon. She raced him down the aisle to grab the pack of playing cards. She added a red Frisbee to the mix, on sale. She had to explain that the miniature bow-and-arrow kit were fake. They wouldn't give children real weapons. Basketball, football, badminton – she gave him a brief description of the sports.
"They make all this. For kids?"
"For kids and parents and sports." Kagome guided the cart to the counter. Inuyasha helped her set the items on the counter while the salesman scanned. A few minutes later she was on the street. There was a small park nearby where parents were watching their kids play in a sandbox. She slung their purchases on a wooden table.
Inuyasha watched while she assembled the dragon kite despite the ridiculously complicated instructions. He distracted himself with the bubble wand while she put the paper in place and cursed the limp dragon head. Eventually she held up the fully formed kite. Purple and green, it was made of shiny thick paper with long linen string. She backed away from the table and waited for a particularly good wind.
"That things looks nothing like Ryūkotsusei!"
"Shush!" A few attempts later Kagome managed to get the dragon airborne. She ran with it until it soared high, casting its cloud on her face. Inuyasha blinked as it swayed in the breeze.
"Wanna try?" Kagome passed the spool into his hands. She put his thumb on the string to keep it from unfolding. He seemed surprised by the tug of the wind.
Inuyasha ran to catch it when the wind died and the dragon swooped. Kagome bit her tongue when he returned with the delicate paper toy in hand. The dragon's spine had simply snapped after colliding with the ground. She merely patted his wrist and found a nearby trash can.
The soccer ball was better. Inuyasha left his sandals with their shopping when she lightly kicked it into the field. He had played with Souta before, briefly. She told him about the professional games and the rules. Inuyasha gently pushed her aside to get the ball. In a single move he rolled it back onto his foot and pushed the ball into the air. His knee rose up to launch it into the air.
"No fair! You're not supposed to use your hands."
"I didn't." Inuyasha smirked when the ball fell. He pushed the ball down the grass towards the sticks embedded into the ground. She pulled on his shirt but he was too strong. Inuyasha blocked her feet and sent the ball flying. She smacked his arm playfully and called him a jerk but she was smiling.
Kagome preferred volleyball to soccer but she stayed silent. Inuyasha was having fun and she liked his playful meanness. Since she couldn't push him - he was too strong - and he was too fast to outrun, she settled for jumping on his back. Although her goal had been to pull him to the ground, she'd briefly forgotten his stamina. Inuyasha kept moving down the field.
"Silly human! You can't take ME down."
"You could've pretended to fall down for your wife! It was the decent thing to do."
Kagome pouted until she noticed their audience. A small army of elementary-age kids were whispering about her husband. She pinched his shoulder.
"You're really good!"
"Can we play?"
Inuyasha was the first team captain. All of the kids wanted to be on his team but they settled for rotating. They set up a second goal post with fallen tree branches on the opposite side of the little field. She waved at the moms chatting on the bench nearby. Inuyasha was already plotting with his troops. She stuck her tongue out at him. His little army was sweet.
Competitive and stubborn, Inuyasha showed her no sympathy. He slowed down for the kids kicking at his calves but not his own wife. He nearly knocked her to the ground in his hustle to beat her to the ball. It was good they didn't have enough players for goalies. Inuyasha kicked hard and sent the ball flying. He smirked at her before sprinting off to retrieve it.
They played until the parents called their children to go home. Kagome waved at the kids as they stumbled off. Inuyasha had outrun every kid. Kagome collapsed onto the wooden bench with a sigh. Her legs were cramping from the back and forth sprinting. Inuyasha twirled the grassy ball in his hand as he sat on the table with his feet on the bench. The athletics had him in a particularly good mood, working off their heavy lunch.
Kagome jumped when she felt a tug on her hair.
"You said the loser buys dinner, right? Where are we going?" Inuyasha's grin was beautiful. She hid her smile to play the pouting loser, knowing he would love it. The victory huff from her husband played well.
"Wherever you want. Let's go."
