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Of Butterfly Wings

Chapter Thirty-Five: Damaged Goods

Marriage.

That was what Touya had indicated to his father earlier. That she could be his future wife. The word kept ringing in her ears as her heart pounded within her chest.

She'd always found Touya to be attractive in both appearance and personality but never once did she think that he was looking that far ahead in their future together. It was both nerve wracking and exciting all the same.

Kagome quickly shook the thought from her mind.

He said that it'd be a few years down the line. It wasn't like he knelt down on one knee and offered her a ring. He just said that there could be a possibility of them getting married in the future after they graduated. Still, it didn't settle her heart any to know that the thought had been on his mind.

"Higurashi," Hound Dog growled, "Did you hear anything that I just said?"

Admittedly, no.

No she most certainly had not.

Kagome rubbed the back of her neck, "My apologies, I've just had a lot of my mind."

Namely Touya's kinda-but-not-really proposal.

She shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts before they became any more muddled.

The weekend had passed in the blink of an eye. After Touya's confrontation with Endeavor, the man had left the house and hadn't returned. So they were able to enjoy the remainder of the weekend in peace. Having been shamed not once but twice seemed to have made him incapable of facing his children. Especially while she was still there at the estate.

She'd walked to school with Touya like normal that morning. The only difference was that he had his arm slung around her shoulders instead of holding her hand like normal. Reporters were still swarming the school for interviews after the Sports Festival. So they pushed their way through without responding to any of the intrusive questions being thrown their way.

Being in class wasn't all that much better either. Random students would stop, call out to them and a few others would ask for selfies with them. The only reprieve they'd managed to get was during lunch where they'd retreated to the roof. At least up there they were able to enjoy some peace and quiet before having to return to the chaos that awaited them. She supposed that having positive publicity had its own set of drawbacks.

As class ended for the day, Touya had brought her to Hound Dog's office so that she could start her first counseling session. He on the other hand promised to swing by and pick her up afterwards as he needed to do supplementary training with Eraser. Although he made it clear that he wouldn't be transferring classes, he did want to learn how to better control his ice in order to keep from injuring himself or others.

So that was how she found herself here sitting in front of her counselor, dwelling on Touya's not-quite proposal.

Hound Dog gave a low growl of disapproval as he caught her gaze wandering towards the window once more. Kagome shook her head, attempting to force herself to focus.

He gave her a pointed look before he moved onto a new question, "Do you feel safe in your home?"

Her fingers flexed at that.

"Before the Sports Festival I wouldn't say that I felt unsafe." She fought to find the right words, "It's more like I always felt as if I didn't have a place there. I'd been staying with a friend over the weekend so I haven't been home since well, this." She gestured to her side.

She didn't need to elaborate on what she meant either.

"Do you feel unsafe now?" Hound Dog followed up his question with another one.

Kagome pursed her lips together, "I don't know. I don't think I'll know for sure until I do finally go home tonight." She lifted her head to meet his gaze, "But I know I'll be alright."

For she had people that she could count on. She had Touya, Fuyumi, Natsuo and now even some new friends in Sango, Kagura and Kanna. The three had found her in the halls earlier and stopped to talk, inviting her to join them the next time they went into town.

She wasn't in this alone anymore.

Hound Dog allowed her to leave after several more minutes of asking her details about her life with her family. Honestly, it was difficult for her to really put into words how her mother viewed her. She wasn't physically abusive but she wasn't warm either. To her mother, everything had a price tag, including herself. It was that calculating personality that'd made her the Silver General's most trusted financial advisor. However that was also the reason why she'd buried herself in books from an early age. No matter how dysfunctional the families were in the novels that she read, they always felt more welcoming than her own. It was simply easier for her to get lost in the fantasy of 'what if's' than it was to deal with the icy shell her mother called her heart.

When Kagome exited Hound Dog's office, she found Touya waiting for her patiently just as he'd promised.

"Did I keep you waiting?" She threw him a warm smile.

He smirked at her in response, "Not at all."

Neither of them spoke much as they made the long trek back to the Shrine. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't feel nervous. After what happened to Kikyou's face and their battle being aired live on national television, there was no telling what would happen when she finally got home.

Her mother wasn't like Endeavor. She didn't resort to physical violence to get her message across. Quite frankly, she didn't need to. Her words alone were often sharper than any knife and the damage they left behind was far deeper than any physical scar.

Kagome felt her stomach coil itself into knots.

She didn't want to go.

Touya curled his arm around her shoulders, tugging her flush against his side.

"Do you want me to go with you?" His voice was low, as if he were concerned that she didn't want their conversation to be overheard.

The softness of his tone was enough to settle her anxiety for a few short moments.

Kagome bit into her bottom lip, "I do."

The real question was if it'd be a good idea. Her mother had to be furious by now. Endeavor hadn't let on at all about the sort of conversation he'd had with her but she was certain that it couldn't have been pleasant. Knowing her, she probably tried to bleed him completely dry of his cash for Kikyou's injury.

Her own wound gave a painful twinge.

She felt the warmth of Touya's lips on her forehead, pulling her out of her reverie.

"Then I'll go." He smiled down at her, that time claiming her mouth just as softly.

Kagome felt herself flush.

She leaned into the comfort of his warmth as they made the long trek home. This time they chose not to make any pit-stops. They passed by the library and the convenience store that they'd visited before. Flyers with their images upon them were plastered throughout the storefront's windows along with a sign saying 'merchandise available!' just beneath their pictures.

It felt like the entire country was pushing them forward at this point. Where their collective parents had failed them, she felt a small sense of security in knowing that random faceless strangers supported them more than their own flesh and blood.

Kagome paused as they came upon the familiar vermilion torii gates that signaled the Shrine's entrance. Wordlessly, Touya crouched in front of her. She knew he was still trying to be cautious as she hadn't yet received the all clear clear from Recovery Girl for her injury, but clamoring on his back still made her flustered all the same.

What she never told Touya was that every time he lifted her, she could feel the tight coiling of his muscles beneath her touch. It often caused her heart to stutter and make her wonder if perhaps he would be the death of her.

Kagome clung onto his shoulders as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. She noticed that he purposely avoided using his quirk in order to take as much time as possible to reach the top. It was such a small thing, but it told her everything she needed to know about his level of consideration towards her.

"Hey Touya," Kagome began, taking comfort in his familiar scent. "I really like you."

Her boyfriend gave a hearty laugh, "I would hope so. We're dating after all."

She shook her head, "No—well, yes—but I mean that I really like you." She had to correct herself midway.

She wasn't sure if she could call this love. If anything, an adult would look at their relationship and call it a cute 'puppy love' that most people grew out of. However it felt different to her. It felt like she'd known Touya for years despite it only being a few months. More importantly, she felt like she could trust him with anything. He'd defended her time and time again, no matter who was standing in front of him. She also felt safe whenever he was around. As if the world couldn't touch her. Could these feelings truly be something as fleeting as a simple teenage crush? It didn't seem like it to her.

She felt Touya hitch her up further on his back as a smile stretched across his lips.

"I kind of figured that out when you kissed me in front of our classmates," His tone was teasing as he pressed forward. "For what it's worth, I really like you too," His lips curled up into a playful grin. "I also like it when you're bold. So you can pull that stunt again as many times as you'd like, or do you want me try that move on you in front of your mom?"

Kagome let out a squeal of terror at the very thought.

"Oh please no! Anything but that!" She buried her face into his shoulder as she shook her head at the thought.

Her hands began to tremble in spite of herself. She felt no shame about bringing Touya home. Honestly just having him by her side was a comfort for what was about to happen next. Still, the notion of her mother witnessing any public display of affection from them left her feeling ill at ease. She could still recall the way her mother had sneered at her the singular time she'd held Inuyasha's hand in her presence.

Her mother was cold and unwelcoming at the best of times. At the worst, she knew exactly how to cut a person down to make them feel small and insignificant. If she was already going to be in a foul mood, then she didn't want to risk making it any worse.

Touya's smile fell away as he noticed her change in demeanor.

She felt him come to a stop at the top of the stairs. She'd expected him to set her down on the ground, but he held her even more firmly.

"You know," He turned his head towards her. "If you ever need a place to crash, you can just call me. Fuyumi won't mind having you over and my brothers like having you around too."

Touya lowered her feet onto the ground. She shifted to clutch at his shirt from the back, pressing her forehead at the space between his shoulder blades.

Somehow, just feeling his warmth was enough to set her heart at ease.

"I will." Kagome took a moment to collect herself.

She sucked a breath through her nose, steadily steeling her nerves for the battle to come.

Touya remained where he stood, simply offering her to comfort of his presence and support.

After a short moment, she finally calmed herself enough to take the first step towards the shrine.

He took her hand into his own as they made their way inside.

As expected, she'd found her mother already waiting for her at the dining table. The woman's face as a mask of stoicism yet she could tell by the thinly pressed line of her lips that she was unhappy.

Kagome clutched at Touya's hand even harder.

"So you've finally returned," Higurashi Momo scanned her head to toe. Her brows furrowed as if she found her to be lacking. "I see you've brought your stray with you."

Kagome stiffened at her mother's derisive tone.

"He is not a stray. Touya is important to me, so I'd appreciate it if you were at least civil with him." She did her best to keep her voice from shaking.

"A stray is a stray. Even if you drag it into a house, bathe it and care for it, it'll always belong on the streets. That holds true for animals and men." Azure eyes narrowed at them sharply, "What separates strays from pets is that strays have no loyalty. They'll claw the hand that feeds them without remorse and move on to the next fool willing to grant them shelter."

Kagome felt Touya tense beside her. She knew that he was only holding his tongue as to avoid a physical altercation.

"Endeavor stopped by this weekend." Her mother shifted topics with ease, "He mentioned his concern about you living in this house. Said that it would be wise to separate you from your sister."

Kagome swallowed thickly as the woman pinned her with a cool glance, "I then asked him what he intends to do to compensate Kikyou for the injuries she'd incurred in her fight with your stray." Momo tucked one foot under the other as she turned towards them, "The scarring on her face will require intensive surgery to reduce. They will never be fully fixed and her worth has now dropped by dozens of thousands."

Her gaze lowered to the ground.

There it was.

"Are you saying that you only see your kids as a monetary investment?" Touya's voice was low, as if it were taking everything in his power not to hurl his flames at her parent.

Momo leaned her cheek against her curled fist, "Do you know how much I sank into these girls?"

When they remained silent, she continued.

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars. I had to go through the process of having a qualified team of doctors put together the best possible sequence of genes during the fertilization process in order to ensure Crystallize's continuation." Her voice hardened, "I received a 'bonus' in you, child. However Kikyou is the culmination of all of my time, money and effort. She is the perfected heir to our line."

Momo rose from her seat at the table. Although she was short in stature, she had a way of making anyone feel small next to her.

"So what should I do when that perfect investment has been damaged?"

Kagome flinched as Momo took her chin into her hand.

"You were given free reign in this house. I gave birth to you under the misconception that you might develop a worthwhile quirk. At least then I could market you." She turned her head forcefully, as if she were examining an insect beneath a magnifying glass. "Your appearance is only average and you're several pounds heavier than the ideal weight. You've even managed to ensnare a stray that is even more disturbing to look at than yourself."

By that point Touya swiftly shoved her mother away from her. A line of azure flames divided the room, separating them across a wall of fire.

Momo's lips curled into a vicious smile, "Angry on her behalf? A charming trait to be sure, but it is ultimately useless. I have no need for a product with no chance of a return on investment." She gave them a placating wave of her hand, "Incidentally, after Endeavor dropped by I had another visitor right after. He offered to open up his home to you and will allow you to stay there until you graduate. You can thank them both later for opening their wallets, otherwise I would've been forced to marry you off in order to pay the debt for Kikyou's facial reconstruction surgery."

Kagome felt her mouth go dry.

She'd been… sold?

She wrapped her arms around Touya's middle as he tried to charge the older woman.

"You just sold off your own child?!" He thrashed, only holding back from using his fire to keep from harming her.

Momo's smile sharpened, "It was a fair transaction, I assure you. Besides, you'll be relieved to know who you'll be staying with." She glanced over her shoulder towards a tiny figure she'd missed standing in the far side of the kitchen.

"A toad?" Touya growled low in his throat as the fourth occupant of the room stepped forward.

"Lord Sesshoumaru has already moved your belongings to his manor," Jaken threw her an ashen look. "He says that the Eastern Wing will be yours to use at your leisure. He wishes to be the one to inform you of his remaining conditions upon your arrival."

Touya still thrashed within her grasp. He was rightfully furious, but she felt her own heart begin to settle.

If it were Sesshoumaru's home she were being sent to, then she knew that she would be fine. She would no longer need to worry about what was to come next. At least until she graduated.

"It's fine," Kagome whispered to him in a low tone. "I'll explain later."

It'd be too much to try to tell him everything right now, but at least she knew that she'd be safe for the moment.

"Jaken," She addressed the toad-like man. "May I bring Touya with us when we leave? It's only fair that he knows where I'll be staying from here on out."

He was also owed an explanation that she could only give elsewhere.

Jaken cast a wary look at her boyfriend, as if unsure as to whether or not he should agree to her request.

"Please." She added for good measure.

The elderly man gave a vague sigh of annoyance, "Lord Sesshoumaru will not be pleased but I shall do as you request. Now follow me, the car is ready."

Kagome took Touya's hand as she followed him out the door.

"Child," She heard her mother call after them. "Do remember to put a leash on your untamed beast. I won't have that filthy thing harming my investment."

She stopped.

Having insults thrown her way was one thing, however she would not tolerate anyone hurling vicious barbs as Touya.

Kagome turned to shoot her mother a vicious glare, "One day you're gonna grow old and feeble. When you do, your 'precious investment' is going to toss your ass into the cheapest nursery home she can find. You'll be old, miserable and alone until the moment you die." She held Touya's hand tighter as she pressed on, "We're not your pawns or your products that you can sell on a whim's notice. When you finally realize that, we'll both be long gone. Enjoy the victory mother, because it'll be short lived. In the end, I'll be the one happy and surrounded by family while you'll die a cold and lonely death."

She slammed the door shut behind her. Touya held his chin up high as he interlaced his fingers with her own.

Come what may, she knew that she would have a happy future.

Her eyes met Touya's as a small smile crept across her lips.

She was sure of it.