InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Something to Protect - Echoes ❯ Homeless ( Chapter 8 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Angelswrath 
The Continuation of Something to Protect.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.29.2006 | Updated On: 03.06.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.1K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress
The Continuation of Something to Protect.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.29.2006 | Updated On: 03.06.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 6.1K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter Eight
*~*~Homeless~*~*
The leap into the Bone Eaters well filled Kagome with relief and a sense of loss simultaneously. Her fingers still trembled, clutched within Inuyasha's clawed hand as the array of magnificent colors embraced her. The portal between eras blew a soft wind over her heated cheeks, and the hanyou's uncharacteristic silence urged her to forget the events of the last few moments.
Common sense sought to attribute the breathless feeling to the mayhem of the last few weeks, but the delicate fluttering seemed to be caused by flaming amber eyes and not her ever hectic life. Her rebellious mind could not help but replay the moments before coming home. . . .
What's wrong with him?
Kagome considered waving her hand in front of Inuyasha's obviously confused face, but decided against it as she remembered his irritated response the last time she'd tried that. If he didn't respond soon though she'd be forced to gain his attention and risk the tantrum. I wonder what he'd do if I flicked his ear?
She was utterly confused by his response. Normally the hanyou only had a few settings. Pissed, impatient, or endearingly arrogant. Most of the other emotions he exuded were usually some extension of the primary three.
Initially her request to return to her century had seemed to annoy Inuyasha more than usual. He had almost looked. . . hurt?
But that didn't make sense.
She couldn't begin to understand how her request could hurt him. Usually the hanyou denied, yelled, then pouted when she informed him that she needed to return. But this time he'd looked shattered. It had shown briefly on his features, but it had felt like an eternity to Kagome.
So she'd invited him home with her.
Even though she suspected he'd probably distract her to the point where she'd accomplish absolutely nothing. But the way he'd looked at her had made the impulsive offer worth it. She had to smother a smile at his uncommon reaction. His entire face had lit up beneath the moonlight, and she had had to struggle not to gasp at the impact it had on her.
Strong arms pulled her even tighter to him before he leapt deeper into the night. His unusually close hold of her caused a rush of blood to her cheeks that she was thankful he could not see. Does he normally hold me like this?
Clawed fingers gripped her clinging thighs as they always did, but she had never noticed the heat of his hands before. Even now they seemed to sear her through the fabric of her hakama. Her heartbeat accelerated even before he took his first step.
The journey that followed Kagome could only describe as magnificent. Her quiet companion raced so fast over the forest floor that the surrounding trees passed before her eyes in a dark green blur. She was positive that Inuyasha had never traveled this fast before with her in tow, but she said nothing as her entire concentration was needed to stay aloft.
A flicker of fear assaulted her but was astonishingly replaced by pure exhilaration. The beginnings of a smile on her face surprised even her and Inuyasha's upward leap into the extending branches elicited a poorly suppressed giggle.
The smirk Inuyasha threw her over his shoulder caused the giggle to bloom into a full blown laugh. He's doing this on purpose!
Breathless with the wonder inspired by the rushing wind and his tightening hold she realized the sensation was slightly intoxicating. She gripped him closer with an audible sigh, smiling at the silvery strands she upset in the process.
The arrogant boy seemed to be enjoying her obvious reaction. He proved her observation a moment later as he crouched and leapt through the air again at a dizzying speed. Kagome clamped her mouth shut to prevent the undignified squeal that was threatening release from escaping. Here we go again!
The sensation was mind-blowing. A slight tensing of his muscles was her only warning before his clawed feet contacted bark or earth then shoved off so effortlessly that she thought she'd imagined the feeling.
As he covered the distance at an unimaginable speed the risks he took seemed to increase with every leap. Kagome noticed a particularly low branch whizzing overhead setting her mane of loose hair fluttering dangerously. The near miss caused her heart to lurch and her hands to dig into Inuyasha's cream kimono for a sturdier hold.
Warm skin rumbled lightly beneath her fingertips and she realized that he was chuckling. Rare as the sound was she couldn't mount the effort to be overly upset with the fact that he was laughing at her. Even when he took his eyes off of the dizzying terrain to mock her legendary temper didn't ignite.
"Too much for you wench?"
Color flooded her cheeks momentarily at the obvious challenge, and she struggled not to notice that Inuyasha was now looking into her eyes instead of the trees that were coming closer at an insane speed. The mischievous twinkle in his eye caught her off guard and she sought to throw him as off balance as he was making her. Leaning forward so her lips almost brushed the sensitive skin of his ears she issued a challenge of her own.
"Faster."
Her voice had come out breathless even to her own ears, and she could have sworn she felt a shiver course down his entire frame before he reluctantly returned his eyes to the forest. The increase in speed was so dramatic that Kagome wasn't entirely prepared for it. Bruised ribs ached in protest beneath her kimono as her legs clenched mercilessly around the hanyou's waist. The snap of billowing clothing and hair reached the miko's ears as they rapidly changed directions. Now,the sensation of heading the upwards was added to the blur of the blinding line towards the well.
Inuyasha propelled himself off of the large branches and Kagome strangled on a gasp as the smaller ones narrowly missed the generous folds of her hakama. Inwardly preparing herself she felt his muscles bunch reflexively as he bent lower than usual then launched them through the covering foliage and into the night sky.
Oh.
My.
God.
The gentle light of the stars embraced her as Inuyasha sent them soaring for what felt like a lifetime. The beauty of the moment shocked her into laughing outright. She brought her trembling fingers to her lips to stifle the noise as the sound seemed to almost intrude upon the peacefulness of the experience.
The miko fearlessly spread her arms wide in an insane attempt to capture the gift Inuyasha had given her. The brisk night wind captured their hair streaming out behind them, merging it momentarily into a mesmerizing tangle of silver and black. Floating as if weightless upon the night air Kagome felt her earlier weariness melt away. Absolute freedom was rare, but the moment seemed to capture it perfectly, so she allowed the pure feeling to overwhelm her briefly.
My world. The words drifted through her mind like a prayer, eliciting a unique moment of complete understanding.
The descent came too soon for Kagome, but was just as amazing. Her screech of panic as they seemed to plummet from the heavens caused a smile to grace Inuyasha's face. The awestruck girl almost missed the rest of the fall, so caught up in his expression.
His world.
He was attempting to show her the world through his eyes. Inuyasha was actually willingly sharing a part of himself with her, she realized with a bit of shock.
The smile was long gone, but remained imprinted in Kagome's mind. The inu-hanyou smirked often, but rarely smiled. Not smiles that ever reached his eyes. But this one had even invaded his normally haunted amber orbs, causing her to pause and her pulse to quicken. She was so distracted that she had even forgotten the huge amount of space they had left to fall, until she glanced downwards and the bottom dropped out of her stomach.
The ground seemed to rise up at them at twice the speed they had leapt away from it. It could have had something to do with the rigid streamlined way Inuyasha positioned his body and the wicked look that entered his eyes. Show off.
Her arms instinctively reclaimed their hold around his neck as she pressed herself as close as possible into his back in something akin to fear, but wasn't quite. The branches flew by in a blur so fast that Kagome barely had time to realize that they were nearing the ground, before he had landed nimbly and taken off again through the brush.
The forest seemed to part before them as they raced from the safety of the trees into the familiar field containing her portal home. Inuyasha finally skidded to a stop in a flurry of dust, streaming hair, and clinging leaves.
Kagome wasn't sure how long they stood that way, before she realized that he was waiting for her to get off of his back. She found herself reluctant to dismount. The familiar heat beneath her was comforting. Even when running at breakneck speeds, she realized wryly.
"You dead, Kagome?" Inuyasha threw the question at her, and she had the distinct impressionthat he was biting back laughter.
"You wish," Kagome retorted, fighting off the smile that crossed her face at his poorly veiled snort.
He has the nerve to not even be winded. The trek had been a normal run for him, she realized with a small bit of shock. Deciding to climb down before Inuyasha dumped her on the ground, she gave her numb legs an experimental wiggle. The hanyou beneath her stiffened noticeably, and when she attempted to unclench her thighs she began to suspect that Inuyasha was beginning to consider dislodging her the good old fashioned way.
He proved her thoughts correct with his next clipped statement. "Get it done already."
His breathing had finally become labored, she vaguely noticed, wondering what she was doing now that the full out sprint through the woods hadn't accomplished. Her dismount was poorly timed and awkward, her numbed senses not quite ready to perform on their own. To her horror her legs crumpled helplessly as they encountered the ground, and it was only Inuyasha's arms that stopped her undignified descent.
"What's with you and not being able to stand up straight?" Inuyasha asked with a smirk.
Kagome rolled her eyes at the reference. At least he didn't grab my ribs this time.
The intimate hold he had on her waist didn't register until the arrogant smirk had fallen away from his face. He suddenly seemed to become preoccupied with his surroundings, his eyes flickering to the forest around them as though there was something of dire interest that she could not see.
She had been prepared for this reaction, and was not completely surprised at his hesitance. The hanyou wasn't exactly the most open about his feelings. Any of his feelings. Which was why she was shocked when his fidgeting visibly ceased and he focused that animal-like gaze directly upon her.
A foreign heat ignited deep within her body and seemed to spread over her skin slowly, following the path his eyes had taken. The simple stare was doing odd things to her body. She had never seen such raw emotion being directed at her. Though it was difficult to pinpoint which emotion it was exactly.
Injuries forgotten Kagome wondered what she should do. Should she risk breaking the fragile silence? To say what? Thank you? He'd obviously tried to give her something tonight. He'd shown her a part of himself that others rarely got to see. Make that, "never got to see." And now he was standing here, his gaze hot enough to melt through his own fire rat haori.
Afraid to move, afraid to breathe, Kagome stood stock still completely aware of the young man's hands on her. All logical thought faded. Her lungs filled quickly with a sharp intake of breath as she felt Inuyasha's grip tighten marginally in the waistband of her hakama, and draw her forward silently.
He paused when she was only inches from his heaving form.
Kagome's breath expended in a rush, catching a few stray tendrils , as she felt the look he had given her all the way to her toes. The look he was continuing to give her.
The miko wracked what was left of her quickly melting brain for a single rational thought. Her gasp was instinctual as Inuyasha fisted his hands in her clothing in preparation to pull the girl into his embrace. Heart beating madly, Kagome could feel his muscles tensing and almost allowed her eyes to flutter shut in silent acceptance.
Until his motion suddenly stilled.
Her entire being felt more than saw the precise moment Inuyasha realized exactly what he was holding. Oh crap.
He released the Shinto priestess garb as though it had burned him, stumbling backwards as unwanted reality crashed down upon them. Her entire body literally groaned in disappointment as the novel heat stopped abruptly and the young man before her seemed to reluctantly regain his senses.
Crap. Crap. Crap. Kagome couldn't help but feel as though she'd brought his rejection upon herself. She'd known the effect the clothing had on Inuyasha. A not so subtle reminder of his past mistakes, and his current obligations. Guilt was written clearly on his face. She could not tell if it was aimed at her, himself, or the priestess she so obviously reminded him of.
Kagome's first instinct was to flee from him and the hopeless look he was giving her, but an image of them literally flying through the forest gave her pause. True the all to familiar look he was giving her now caused her heart to ache, but the look he had given her earlier had been breathtaking. Albeit completely unexpected. It was almost worth these painful gazes to get a chance to experience something like this night again.
Kagome attempted to blink back the tears that were mysteriously absent, and took a long look at the man she had come to care for. Inuyasha's quick comebacks and cocky smirk no longer fooled her.
His eyes always give him away.
While Inuyasha wasn't exactly known for showing an emotion besides anger or irritation, his eyes always told another story. And beneath the moonlit sky for one elusive moment the hanyou had his heart in his eyes. And it nearly broke Kagome's.
Inuyasha was lonely.
Utterly, completely, heart wrenchingly lonely.
Every temper tantrum, crude comment, and reckless swing of his sword had been made to hide this fact.
Kagome fought the impulse to reach out and comfort him, knowing he would reject it as just another sign of weakness. All she could do was watch helplessly as the previous warm tingling sensation mingled with her uncontrollable urge to comfort and protect. She was utterly terrified when she realized the new all-consuming emotion had a name. But she refused to acknowledge it.
She'd made enough life altering discoveries for one night.
Common sense sought to attribute the breathless feeling to the mayhem of the last few weeks, but the delicate fluttering seemed to be caused by flaming amber eyes and not her ever hectic life. Her rebellious mind could not help but replay the moments before coming home. . . .
What's wrong with him?
Kagome considered waving her hand in front of Inuyasha's obviously confused face, but decided against it as she remembered his irritated response the last time she'd tried that. If he didn't respond soon though she'd be forced to gain his attention and risk the tantrum. I wonder what he'd do if I flicked his ear?
She was utterly confused by his response. Normally the hanyou only had a few settings. Pissed, impatient, or endearingly arrogant. Most of the other emotions he exuded were usually some extension of the primary three.
Initially her request to return to her century had seemed to annoy Inuyasha more than usual. He had almost looked. . . hurt?
But that didn't make sense.
She couldn't begin to understand how her request could hurt him. Usually the hanyou denied, yelled, then pouted when she informed him that she needed to return. But this time he'd looked shattered. It had shown briefly on his features, but it had felt like an eternity to Kagome.
So she'd invited him home with her.
Even though she suspected he'd probably distract her to the point where she'd accomplish absolutely nothing. But the way he'd looked at her had made the impulsive offer worth it. She had to smother a smile at his uncommon reaction. His entire face had lit up beneath the moonlight, and she had had to struggle not to gasp at the impact it had on her.
Strong arms pulled her even tighter to him before he leapt deeper into the night. His unusually close hold of her caused a rush of blood to her cheeks that she was thankful he could not see. Does he normally hold me like this?
Clawed fingers gripped her clinging thighs as they always did, but she had never noticed the heat of his hands before. Even now they seemed to sear her through the fabric of her hakama. Her heartbeat accelerated even before he took his first step.
The journey that followed Kagome could only describe as magnificent. Her quiet companion raced so fast over the forest floor that the surrounding trees passed before her eyes in a dark green blur. She was positive that Inuyasha had never traveled this fast before with her in tow, but she said nothing as her entire concentration was needed to stay aloft.
A flicker of fear assaulted her but was astonishingly replaced by pure exhilaration. The beginnings of a smile on her face surprised even her and Inuyasha's upward leap into the extending branches elicited a poorly suppressed giggle.
The smirk Inuyasha threw her over his shoulder caused the giggle to bloom into a full blown laugh. He's doing this on purpose!
Breathless with the wonder inspired by the rushing wind and his tightening hold she realized the sensation was slightly intoxicating. She gripped him closer with an audible sigh, smiling at the silvery strands she upset in the process.
The arrogant boy seemed to be enjoying her obvious reaction. He proved her observation a moment later as he crouched and leapt through the air again at a dizzying speed. Kagome clamped her mouth shut to prevent the undignified squeal that was threatening release from escaping. Here we go again!
The sensation was mind-blowing. A slight tensing of his muscles was her only warning before his clawed feet contacted bark or earth then shoved off so effortlessly that she thought she'd imagined the feeling.
As he covered the distance at an unimaginable speed the risks he took seemed to increase with every leap. Kagome noticed a particularly low branch whizzing overhead setting her mane of loose hair fluttering dangerously. The near miss caused her heart to lurch and her hands to dig into Inuyasha's cream kimono for a sturdier hold.
Warm skin rumbled lightly beneath her fingertips and she realized that he was chuckling. Rare as the sound was she couldn't mount the effort to be overly upset with the fact that he was laughing at her. Even when he took his eyes off of the dizzying terrain to mock her legendary temper didn't ignite.
"Too much for you wench?"
Color flooded her cheeks momentarily at the obvious challenge, and she struggled not to notice that Inuyasha was now looking into her eyes instead of the trees that were coming closer at an insane speed. The mischievous twinkle in his eye caught her off guard and she sought to throw him as off balance as he was making her. Leaning forward so her lips almost brushed the sensitive skin of his ears she issued a challenge of her own.
"Faster."
Her voice had come out breathless even to her own ears, and she could have sworn she felt a shiver course down his entire frame before he reluctantly returned his eyes to the forest. The increase in speed was so dramatic that Kagome wasn't entirely prepared for it. Bruised ribs ached in protest beneath her kimono as her legs clenched mercilessly around the hanyou's waist. The snap of billowing clothing and hair reached the miko's ears as they rapidly changed directions. Now,the sensation of heading the upwards was added to the blur of the blinding line towards the well.
Inuyasha propelled himself off of the large branches and Kagome strangled on a gasp as the smaller ones narrowly missed the generous folds of her hakama. Inwardly preparing herself she felt his muscles bunch reflexively as he bent lower than usual then launched them through the covering foliage and into the night sky.
Oh.
My.
God.
The gentle light of the stars embraced her as Inuyasha sent them soaring for what felt like a lifetime. The beauty of the moment shocked her into laughing outright. She brought her trembling fingers to her lips to stifle the noise as the sound seemed to almost intrude upon the peacefulness of the experience.
The miko fearlessly spread her arms wide in an insane attempt to capture the gift Inuyasha had given her. The brisk night wind captured their hair streaming out behind them, merging it momentarily into a mesmerizing tangle of silver and black. Floating as if weightless upon the night air Kagome felt her earlier weariness melt away. Absolute freedom was rare, but the moment seemed to capture it perfectly, so she allowed the pure feeling to overwhelm her briefly.
My world. The words drifted through her mind like a prayer, eliciting a unique moment of complete understanding.
The descent came too soon for Kagome, but was just as amazing. Her screech of panic as they seemed to plummet from the heavens caused a smile to grace Inuyasha's face. The awestruck girl almost missed the rest of the fall, so caught up in his expression.
His world.
He was attempting to show her the world through his eyes. Inuyasha was actually willingly sharing a part of himself with her, she realized with a bit of shock.
The smile was long gone, but remained imprinted in Kagome's mind. The inu-hanyou smirked often, but rarely smiled. Not smiles that ever reached his eyes. But this one had even invaded his normally haunted amber orbs, causing her to pause and her pulse to quicken. She was so distracted that she had even forgotten the huge amount of space they had left to fall, until she glanced downwards and the bottom dropped out of her stomach.
The ground seemed to rise up at them at twice the speed they had leapt away from it. It could have had something to do with the rigid streamlined way Inuyasha positioned his body and the wicked look that entered his eyes. Show off.
Her arms instinctively reclaimed their hold around his neck as she pressed herself as close as possible into his back in something akin to fear, but wasn't quite. The branches flew by in a blur so fast that Kagome barely had time to realize that they were nearing the ground, before he had landed nimbly and taken off again through the brush.
The forest seemed to part before them as they raced from the safety of the trees into the familiar field containing her portal home. Inuyasha finally skidded to a stop in a flurry of dust, streaming hair, and clinging leaves.
Kagome wasn't sure how long they stood that way, before she realized that he was waiting for her to get off of his back. She found herself reluctant to dismount. The familiar heat beneath her was comforting. Even when running at breakneck speeds, she realized wryly.
"You dead, Kagome?" Inuyasha threw the question at her, and she had the distinct impressionthat he was biting back laughter.
"You wish," Kagome retorted, fighting off the smile that crossed her face at his poorly veiled snort.
He has the nerve to not even be winded. The trek had been a normal run for him, she realized with a small bit of shock. Deciding to climb down before Inuyasha dumped her on the ground, she gave her numb legs an experimental wiggle. The hanyou beneath her stiffened noticeably, and when she attempted to unclench her thighs she began to suspect that Inuyasha was beginning to consider dislodging her the good old fashioned way.
He proved her thoughts correct with his next clipped statement. "Get it done already."
His breathing had finally become labored, she vaguely noticed, wondering what she was doing now that the full out sprint through the woods hadn't accomplished. Her dismount was poorly timed and awkward, her numbed senses not quite ready to perform on their own. To her horror her legs crumpled helplessly as they encountered the ground, and it was only Inuyasha's arms that stopped her undignified descent.
"What's with you and not being able to stand up straight?" Inuyasha asked with a smirk.
Kagome rolled her eyes at the reference. At least he didn't grab my ribs this time.
The intimate hold he had on her waist didn't register until the arrogant smirk had fallen away from his face. He suddenly seemed to become preoccupied with his surroundings, his eyes flickering to the forest around them as though there was something of dire interest that she could not see.
She had been prepared for this reaction, and was not completely surprised at his hesitance. The hanyou wasn't exactly the most open about his feelings. Any of his feelings. Which was why she was shocked when his fidgeting visibly ceased and he focused that animal-like gaze directly upon her.
A foreign heat ignited deep within her body and seemed to spread over her skin slowly, following the path his eyes had taken. The simple stare was doing odd things to her body. She had never seen such raw emotion being directed at her. Though it was difficult to pinpoint which emotion it was exactly.
Injuries forgotten Kagome wondered what she should do. Should she risk breaking the fragile silence? To say what? Thank you? He'd obviously tried to give her something tonight. He'd shown her a part of himself that others rarely got to see. Make that, "never got to see." And now he was standing here, his gaze hot enough to melt through his own fire rat haori.
Afraid to move, afraid to breathe, Kagome stood stock still completely aware of the young man's hands on her. All logical thought faded. Her lungs filled quickly with a sharp intake of breath as she felt Inuyasha's grip tighten marginally in the waistband of her hakama, and draw her forward silently.
He paused when she was only inches from his heaving form.
Kagome's breath expended in a rush, catching a few stray tendrils , as she felt the look he had given her all the way to her toes. The look he was continuing to give her.
The miko wracked what was left of her quickly melting brain for a single rational thought. Her gasp was instinctual as Inuyasha fisted his hands in her clothing in preparation to pull the girl into his embrace. Heart beating madly, Kagome could feel his muscles tensing and almost allowed her eyes to flutter shut in silent acceptance.
Until his motion suddenly stilled.
Her entire being felt more than saw the precise moment Inuyasha realized exactly what he was holding. Oh crap.
He released the Shinto priestess garb as though it had burned him, stumbling backwards as unwanted reality crashed down upon them. Her entire body literally groaned in disappointment as the novel heat stopped abruptly and the young man before her seemed to reluctantly regain his senses.
Crap. Crap. Crap. Kagome couldn't help but feel as though she'd brought his rejection upon herself. She'd known the effect the clothing had on Inuyasha. A not so subtle reminder of his past mistakes, and his current obligations. Guilt was written clearly on his face. She could not tell if it was aimed at her, himself, or the priestess she so obviously reminded him of.
Kagome's first instinct was to flee from him and the hopeless look he was giving her, but an image of them literally flying through the forest gave her pause. True the all to familiar look he was giving her now caused her heart to ache, but the look he had given her earlier had been breathtaking. Albeit completely unexpected. It was almost worth these painful gazes to get a chance to experience something like this night again.
Kagome attempted to blink back the tears that were mysteriously absent, and took a long look at the man she had come to care for. Inuyasha's quick comebacks and cocky smirk no longer fooled her.
His eyes always give him away.
While Inuyasha wasn't exactly known for showing an emotion besides anger or irritation, his eyes always told another story. And beneath the moonlit sky for one elusive moment the hanyou had his heart in his eyes. And it nearly broke Kagome's.
Inuyasha was lonely.
Utterly, completely, heart wrenchingly lonely.
Every temper tantrum, crude comment, and reckless swing of his sword had been made to hide this fact.
Kagome fought the impulse to reach out and comfort him, knowing he would reject it as just another sign of weakness. All she could do was watch helplessly as the previous warm tingling sensation mingled with her uncontrollable urge to comfort and protect. She was utterly terrified when she realized the new all-consuming emotion had a name. But she refused to acknowledge it.
She'd made enough life altering discoveries for one night.
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
"We should have come in the morning."
"Oi! You were the one who just had to come tonight."
"Shhh you baka, before you wake up the entire house!"
Kagome led the way across the dew covered grass, shooting Inuyasha a glare over her shoulder when he let the well house door shut with a slam. The hanyou shrugged to demonstrate just how much he valued her desire to remain undetected and made his way over to the back door with an impatient huff.
Kagome took a step towards him and paused, eyes widening in dawning horror. The keys. The keys were in the knapsack.
And the knapsack was sitting in a cozy hut in the feudal era.
Amber eyes narrowed on her embarrassed face, and knew he wasn't going to like the words that came out of her mouth.
"Inuyasha," she started hesitantly.
"What the hell did you do?" he growled out, recognizing her unusually submissive tone.
Well there goes subtlety, she thought wryly. "I think I forgot the keys."
"You think?" Inuyasha asked, an eyebrow raised for confirmation.
"Okay, I know I forgot them," Kagome admitted. She shifted uncomfortably when silence greeted her. "Inuyasha," she hedged, "did you hear what I said?"
"Of course I heard you woman, you said you forgot the keys." Kagome blinked in mild surprise. He's taking this rather well.
"What do these 'keys' have to do with going into the house, anyways?" Damn.
"Um. . . we can't get into the house without them."
This silence was more volatile as she could almost see Inuyasha piece together their situation in his mind. "So you're telling me I just came one hundred miles and five hundred years for nothing?"
"Not exactly." Kagome said plastering a smile on her face for effect.
"Save it for Miroku wench," Inuyasha ordered, pointing an accusing finger at her dimpled smile.
Smile fading faster than it had appeared the miko had fire in her eyes as she threatened him. "I swear if you start in yelling, I'm going to sit you all the way back to the Sengoku Jidai"
Unfazed by her words Inuyasha just cocked a dark eyebrow at her heated comment. "Should I grab the keys while I'm there?"
"Ass."
The word slipped out before she could stop it, her hands fluttering to her lips in disbelief. She never said stuff like that. At least not out loud. She shot Inuyasha a withering glare. The foul mouthed male had obviously corrupted her vocabulary. The hanyou in question didn't look the least bit offended. In fact she thought he looked in danger of choking on his own laughter.
"If you breathe one word to Shippou, Sango or Miroku. . ." she growled, obviously not learning her lesson from threatening him the first time.
Rolling his amber eyes in annoyance, he motioned the quietly ranting girl to one of the low windows adjacent to the door. Thinking that the miko might frown upon him shattering the glass as was his first instinct to do, he cupped his hands in front of him in reluctant invitation. Kagome stepped nimbly into his grasp, waiting for him to shift her weight upwards.
His muscles shifted subtly and Kagome found herself level with her goal. Deft fingers pried determinedly at the window sill for a few moments. The girl's sharp gasp had Inuyasha's eyes widening and his hands tightening protectively.
"What?" he asked, attempting to hide his growing worry.
She squinted at him over her shoulder attempting to give him her most intimidating look, but her beseeching gaze and windblown hair ruined the effect. "Don't you dare tell my mother, she ordered.
Tell her mother? His lost look must have registered, because she continued.
"About what I said. . ."
This woman will be the death of me. "Oh you mean the fact that she raised a miko with a mouth like a . . . "
Kagome shifted her weight, bearing down on the hanyou unmercifully.
"Yeah yeah, wench, I got it, I ain't gonna say anything." Though it was sounding more and more tempting just to see the look on the hot tempered girl's face. Inuyasha resisted the thought as he heard the tell tale squeak of Kagome lifting the window. Wiggling upwards in a way that attracted Inuyasha's gaze in a way he refused to admit, Kagome lifted her body through the opening.
The crash that followed had the hanyou rolling his eyes in disbelief and leaping in after her. How much trouble could the girl get into?
He discovered his answer as his eyes attempted to adjust to the dark room. Apparently plenty. Leave it to Kagome to land on the one breakable object within range. The miko in question currently sat on the floor with a dumbfounded look on her face, covered in what was left of the small statue she had toppled.
Kagome groaned loudly. Inuyasha's brows knit with concern. He hadn't thought the girl was hurt. Sniffing the air again to be sure he confirmed his suspicions. No blood. Then what was she whining about? Kagome picked up a fragment of the broken object, examined it, and groaned even louder.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Inuyasha asked, positive that the only thing injured from her fall were her sore ribs and her pride.
"Jii-chan's. . . . thing," Kagome groaned in explanation.
"Thing?" Inuyasha asked, not sure what it was she meant.
"I'm not sure what it was," Kagome admitted. She hadn't exactly been paying attention when he'd been rattling on about the virtues of his latest useless ancient artifact. "But it's old, and important to him. He's gonna kill me."
Kagome squeaked in alarm as Inuyasha scooped her from the floor and into his arms in a movement so fast that it made her dizzy, and her unstable legs tremble. She was thrust behind him just as swiftly her eyes slightly adjusting to the darkness in time to see Inuyasha deflect a heavy object an individual had seen fit to hurl at them.
Heavy footsteps thudded towards them and Kagome gasped as Inuyasha flung one attacker in the direction of the living area with one hand, subdued a second assailant with a flick of his other, and managed to pin her between the wall and relative safety of his body, all in one lithe flowing movement.
The hanyou's amber eyes glittered dangerously in the darkness as he scanned for more potential attacks. The danger had seemed to pass as Inuyasha's grip tightened on the wiggling form within his grip.
"Inu-niichan?"
The familiar whine, came from the direction of the couch where Inuyasha had tossed his first victim. It was Kagome who answered his plea. "Souta?!" The girl's blue eyes could be seen peeking from behind the safe haven that was Inuyasha.
The room was flooded with light, and both individuals blinked furiously as their vision adjusted. Kagome's mother stood by the light switch, a look of relief appearing as she recognized her daughter. "Kagome-chan?" she whispered, taking a hesitant step forward.
"Put me down this instant boy!" The order was given by the captive in Inuyasha's grip. Kagome's eyes widened at her grandfather as he struggled futilely against his hold. Inuyasha fought the urge to drop the old man where he stood, instead he placed him on the floor as gently as his conscious would allow.
"Jii-chan, are you alright?" Kagome asked, stepping from around the hanyou. Her grandfather waved her away, his pride refusing to accept her concern.
"I'm fine, no thanks to him!" He pointed an accusing finger at Inuyasha who was currently peeling haphazardly placed sutras from the front of his kimono.
Kagome's mother padded across the floor, all the while keeping an eye on the grumbling young man. She patted Jii-chan fondly before turning her attention to the disheveled room. "I'm sure Inuyasha didn't mean to hurt anyone," she defended, gathering shards of glass together with a sigh.
The old man gave an arrogant sniff. "As if I could be beaten by that whelp!"
Inuyasha didn't realize he was growling until Kagome poked him none to politely in the ribs.
"You attacked us," Inyasha stated simply. Kagome sighed, guessing that was as close to an apology as her family was going to get. Their actions did bother her though. Such a violent reaction to her entering the house, albeit unconventionally, hadn't been called for or typical. It wasn't as if they weren't used to her unusual entrances by now. Sometimes Inuyasha could even be seen leaping in through a second story window. Why were they so tense now? Kagome glanced at her mother who was still cleaning the debris. A small shake of her head stopped Kagome's questions from leaving her lips.
The miko sighed as her grandfather continued to scowl in what he must have deemed a menacing fashion, but Kagome just found kind of amusing.
Until his eyes landed on the last of the fragments her mother was quietly trying sneak into the garbage can.
His shriek of outrage had Inuyasha's ears lowering in an attempt to block out the noise. "My priceless one of a kind. . ."
The girl's hands rubbed her temples in annoyance as she blocked out his rant. "Jii-chan I'm sorry," she mumbled, "it was an accident."
He didn't seem to hear her words, cradling the fragments as though he could somehow restore them. "Don't 'it was an accident' me young lady," he exclaimed, "you couldn't care less about my statue."
Rolling her eyes Kagome attempted to soothe his wounded feelings. "I'll get you another one ok?"
Her grandfather gasped as though she'd suggested that the moon was made of green cheese. "Just what part of priceless don't you understand?"
She sighed heavily, the night finally taking its toll on the tired girl. Souta bounced over to the two, his concern about the statue apparently equaling his sister's. "Statue, smatue" he exclaimed enthusiastically, "did you see that move that Inu-niichan just did?" Souta attempted his own horribly unbalanced reenactment, grabbing his sister in his attempt her from her "attackers".
Kagome's scream of pain was brief but heartfelt. Tears blurred her vision as the grip Souta had around her made it feel as though she was once again pinned to a tree in the forest. She stumbled backwards blindly, her aching ankles making themselves known. Her mother looked taken aback, reaching out to her daughter, but unsure of how to end her suffering.
"Down, kid," Inuyasha ordered swiftly, and Souta found himself dangling in the air momentarily by the scruff of his shirt. Apparently he had not moved quickly enough. Inuyasha steadied the shaking girl with his other hand, careful of her many injuries. Kagome's mother hurried towards them, her daughter's scream echoing in her mind.
The light of the coming dawn through the window illuminated what had been hidden before. Her mother's disbelieving gasp sounded slightly broken as she assessed the damage. "Oh God, Kagome," she whispered, tucking a stray dark tendril of Kagome's hair behind her ear. Kagome fidgeted uncomfortably, only now aware of her glaringly obvious injuries.
The ugly bruises around her neck had yet to fade, her ribs could obviously be in better shape, and the bandages circling her ankles could be seen even with the long flowing hakama.
"Dear child, sit down," her grandfather's voice interrupted, precious artifact clearly forgotten. Though his voice was filled with concern, the suggestion seemed more like an order as her mother herded the two of them into the kitchen and around the table. Kagome soon found herself propped up by more pillows than she could count, her mother constantly fluffing and refluffing until they were to her satisfaction.
Inuyasha watched it all with eyebrows raised, clearly confused at all the attention she was getting. Kagome reminded herself that no one had probably ever taken care of him before, and tried not to take offense. Starting a pot of tea to keep her shaking hands busy, her mother completed the menial task as though it was of vital importance.
"H. . How did this happen?"
Kagome knew her mother was nearing her breaking point. While she had allowed her to travel to the feudal era, Kagome doubted her mother had ever realized how dangerous the place actually was. She'd purposefully shielded her family from the reality of the situation. She never discussed the looming dangers, or the heartstopping fear she sometimes felt, and she never ever came home with serious injuries. A scratch here or there, but nothing like this.
"A snake demon," Inuyasha explained simply, since Kagome seemed unable to.
"A. . A snake demon?" her mother repeated, as though struggling to comprehend.
"One of the biggest fu. . . uh. . . freaking snakes I've ever seen," Inuyasha confided. "The thing had to be close to fifty feet."
Kagome inwardly groaned at her oblivious friend's words.
"F. .Fifty feet?!" Her mother only seemed capable of repeating simple phrases, and Kagome knew that if this conversation wasn't stopped now that her mother would be looking for the strongest sutras possible to slap all over the Bone Eaters well.
"Mom, I'm alright," she attempted to reassure. Her mother didn't look as though she were buying it.
"Alright?" "Honey, look at yourself!"
"Oh that?" Inuyasha said, attempting to calm the woman the only way he knew how. "That's nothing! You should have seen the time I was stabbed through the chest with poisonous claws!"
Kagome let her face fall into her hands.
"Stabbed!" her mother gasped, eyes widening. "P. . Poisonous claws?"
And she's back to repeating.
"It was more like the whole arm actually," the hanyou clarified, "bastard of a brother never could take criticism well."
"Cool!" The word was whispered with wonder from the other room.
"Souta!" Kagome's mother yelled, "get back to bed." His heartfelt grumbling was heard as he shuffled to do his mother's bidding.
"Kagome," his voice called briefly.
"Yes, Souta?"
"I didn't mean to hurt you earlier," he apologized.
"I know."
His fading footsteps echoed deeper into the quiet shrine. If Inuyasha thought that her little brother had saved him from questioning than he was sadly mistaken Kagome realized.
"Your brother tried to kill you?"
Inuyasha wasn't prepared for the question and when he turned back to the woman, he caught a glimpse of where Kagome had gotten her legendary protectiveness and unreasonable temper. "Uh. . . I wouldn't say "kill me", exactly. . ."
She arched a disbelieving brow at him.
The concern had been successfully shifted from her to him, and while Kagome was reluctant to bring attention back to herself, she was beginning to fear what Inuyasha would blurt out next.
"Mom, why were Jii-chan and Souta acting so strangely?"
The woman released a long suffering sigh, and placed the cups of freshly made tea in front of them. Kagome immediately took a sip of the warming liquid, while Inuyasha sniffed at the steam curiously. "I didn't want to tell you all of this," she said, running her trembling fingers through her hair. "Not with all of the responsibilities you already have."
"What is it, Mom?" Kagome asked, lowering the cup with worry.
"Someone has been breaking into the shrine," she explained.
"What!" Kagome exclaimed, upset at the mere possibility of a stranger invading her family's home. "Have they taken anything?" Kagome asked, fighting the urge to wander her home to make sure the entire place was intact.
"A few things," her mother admitted. There was a sadness lurking in her mother's eyes and Kagome knew there was something her mother wasn't telling her. "It's happened twice now," her mother continued.
"What is it, Mom?" the girl asked, concern rising at her mother's unshed tears.
"They took something of your father's," she whispered.
Fire leapt to Kagome's eyes as she thought of the audacity of the criminals to dare touch her family's only mementos of her late father. "What did they take?" Her mother took her hands into her own as if to brace her daughter for the blow.
"The watch."
Inuyasha felt his heart lurch as the miko choked on a sob. "It was the first Christmas gift that Souta and I were able to save up and buy for him with our own money," Kagome explained quietly. "My father never took it off."
"He took it right off of my dresser," her mother confided. "I still shiver to think about him in my bedroom. Luckily we weren't home at the time. But the second time we weren't so lucky."
"Hence Souta and Jii-chan," Kagome said, nodding in understanding.
"It's such an ugly feeling to know someone was in our home," the woman mumbled, as though too upset to even continue the conversation.
"You called the police?" Kagome asked, gathering her composure. Her mother slowly nodded. "And nothing?"
"They don't seem very hopeful."
Kagome's sigh of utter defeat was what finally broke Inuyasha. "I guess taking a few extra days to catch this bastard wouldn't be a complete waste of time," he said quietly.
Kagome's entire face lit up at the statement and his unspoken promise to catch the culprit, as she knew he didn't expect her to capture the man alone, warmed her heart.
But that was where he was wrong. She couldn't wait to take back everything the horrible man had stolen from her family.
She smiled as Inuayasha attempted to dodge the maternal pat her mother had stolen upon his silver locks in thanks. A barely audible "Keh" was his only response. But the familiar noise just caused Kagome's smile to widen.
The lost lonely eyes she'd glimpsed hours earlier seemed to be a distant memory. The surly hanyou had never had a house let alone a home, but in that moment Kagome promised herself that she would not leave his side until he had a place to call his own.
No matter which city. . .or century he wished to make it in.
"Oi! You were the one who just had to come tonight."
"Shhh you baka, before you wake up the entire house!"
Kagome led the way across the dew covered grass, shooting Inuyasha a glare over her shoulder when he let the well house door shut with a slam. The hanyou shrugged to demonstrate just how much he valued her desire to remain undetected and made his way over to the back door with an impatient huff.
Kagome took a step towards him and paused, eyes widening in dawning horror. The keys. The keys were in the knapsack.
And the knapsack was sitting in a cozy hut in the feudal era.
Amber eyes narrowed on her embarrassed face, and knew he wasn't going to like the words that came out of her mouth.
"Inuyasha," she started hesitantly.
"What the hell did you do?" he growled out, recognizing her unusually submissive tone.
Well there goes subtlety, she thought wryly. "I think I forgot the keys."
"You think?" Inuyasha asked, an eyebrow raised for confirmation.
"Okay, I know I forgot them," Kagome admitted. She shifted uncomfortably when silence greeted her. "Inuyasha," she hedged, "did you hear what I said?"
"Of course I heard you woman, you said you forgot the keys." Kagome blinked in mild surprise. He's taking this rather well.
"What do these 'keys' have to do with going into the house, anyways?" Damn.
"Um. . . we can't get into the house without them."
This silence was more volatile as she could almost see Inuyasha piece together their situation in his mind. "So you're telling me I just came one hundred miles and five hundred years for nothing?"
"Not exactly." Kagome said plastering a smile on her face for effect.
"Save it for Miroku wench," Inuyasha ordered, pointing an accusing finger at her dimpled smile.
Smile fading faster than it had appeared the miko had fire in her eyes as she threatened him. "I swear if you start in yelling, I'm going to sit you all the way back to the Sengoku Jidai"
Unfazed by her words Inuyasha just cocked a dark eyebrow at her heated comment. "Should I grab the keys while I'm there?"
"Ass."
The word slipped out before she could stop it, her hands fluttering to her lips in disbelief. She never said stuff like that. At least not out loud. She shot Inuyasha a withering glare. The foul mouthed male had obviously corrupted her vocabulary. The hanyou in question didn't look the least bit offended. In fact she thought he looked in danger of choking on his own laughter.
"If you breathe one word to Shippou, Sango or Miroku. . ." she growled, obviously not learning her lesson from threatening him the first time.
Rolling his amber eyes in annoyance, he motioned the quietly ranting girl to one of the low windows adjacent to the door. Thinking that the miko might frown upon him shattering the glass as was his first instinct to do, he cupped his hands in front of him in reluctant invitation. Kagome stepped nimbly into his grasp, waiting for him to shift her weight upwards.
His muscles shifted subtly and Kagome found herself level with her goal. Deft fingers pried determinedly at the window sill for a few moments. The girl's sharp gasp had Inuyasha's eyes widening and his hands tightening protectively.
"What?" he asked, attempting to hide his growing worry.
She squinted at him over her shoulder attempting to give him her most intimidating look, but her beseeching gaze and windblown hair ruined the effect. "Don't you dare tell my mother, she ordered.
Tell her mother? His lost look must have registered, because she continued.
"About what I said. . ."
This woman will be the death of me. "Oh you mean the fact that she raised a miko with a mouth like a . . . "
Kagome shifted her weight, bearing down on the hanyou unmercifully.
"Yeah yeah, wench, I got it, I ain't gonna say anything." Though it was sounding more and more tempting just to see the look on the hot tempered girl's face. Inuyasha resisted the thought as he heard the tell tale squeak of Kagome lifting the window. Wiggling upwards in a way that attracted Inuyasha's gaze in a way he refused to admit, Kagome lifted her body through the opening.
The crash that followed had the hanyou rolling his eyes in disbelief and leaping in after her. How much trouble could the girl get into?
He discovered his answer as his eyes attempted to adjust to the dark room. Apparently plenty. Leave it to Kagome to land on the one breakable object within range. The miko in question currently sat on the floor with a dumbfounded look on her face, covered in what was left of the small statue she had toppled.
Kagome groaned loudly. Inuyasha's brows knit with concern. He hadn't thought the girl was hurt. Sniffing the air again to be sure he confirmed his suspicions. No blood. Then what was she whining about? Kagome picked up a fragment of the broken object, examined it, and groaned even louder.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Inuyasha asked, positive that the only thing injured from her fall were her sore ribs and her pride.
"Jii-chan's. . . . thing," Kagome groaned in explanation.
"Thing?" Inuyasha asked, not sure what it was she meant.
"I'm not sure what it was," Kagome admitted. She hadn't exactly been paying attention when he'd been rattling on about the virtues of his latest useless ancient artifact. "But it's old, and important to him. He's gonna kill me."
Kagome squeaked in alarm as Inuyasha scooped her from the floor and into his arms in a movement so fast that it made her dizzy, and her unstable legs tremble. She was thrust behind him just as swiftly her eyes slightly adjusting to the darkness in time to see Inuyasha deflect a heavy object an individual had seen fit to hurl at them.
Heavy footsteps thudded towards them and Kagome gasped as Inuyasha flung one attacker in the direction of the living area with one hand, subdued a second assailant with a flick of his other, and managed to pin her between the wall and relative safety of his body, all in one lithe flowing movement.
The hanyou's amber eyes glittered dangerously in the darkness as he scanned for more potential attacks. The danger had seemed to pass as Inuyasha's grip tightened on the wiggling form within his grip.
"Inu-niichan?"
The familiar whine, came from the direction of the couch where Inuyasha had tossed his first victim. It was Kagome who answered his plea. "Souta?!" The girl's blue eyes could be seen peeking from behind the safe haven that was Inuyasha.
The room was flooded with light, and both individuals blinked furiously as their vision adjusted. Kagome's mother stood by the light switch, a look of relief appearing as she recognized her daughter. "Kagome-chan?" she whispered, taking a hesitant step forward.
"Put me down this instant boy!" The order was given by the captive in Inuyasha's grip. Kagome's eyes widened at her grandfather as he struggled futilely against his hold. Inuyasha fought the urge to drop the old man where he stood, instead he placed him on the floor as gently as his conscious would allow.
"Jii-chan, are you alright?" Kagome asked, stepping from around the hanyou. Her grandfather waved her away, his pride refusing to accept her concern.
"I'm fine, no thanks to him!" He pointed an accusing finger at Inuyasha who was currently peeling haphazardly placed sutras from the front of his kimono.
Kagome's mother padded across the floor, all the while keeping an eye on the grumbling young man. She patted Jii-chan fondly before turning her attention to the disheveled room. "I'm sure Inuyasha didn't mean to hurt anyone," she defended, gathering shards of glass together with a sigh.
The old man gave an arrogant sniff. "As if I could be beaten by that whelp!"
Inuyasha didn't realize he was growling until Kagome poked him none to politely in the ribs.
"You attacked us," Inyasha stated simply. Kagome sighed, guessing that was as close to an apology as her family was going to get. Their actions did bother her though. Such a violent reaction to her entering the house, albeit unconventionally, hadn't been called for or typical. It wasn't as if they weren't used to her unusual entrances by now. Sometimes Inuyasha could even be seen leaping in through a second story window. Why were they so tense now? Kagome glanced at her mother who was still cleaning the debris. A small shake of her head stopped Kagome's questions from leaving her lips.
The miko sighed as her grandfather continued to scowl in what he must have deemed a menacing fashion, but Kagome just found kind of amusing.
Until his eyes landed on the last of the fragments her mother was quietly trying sneak into the garbage can.
His shriek of outrage had Inuyasha's ears lowering in an attempt to block out the noise. "My priceless one of a kind. . ."
The girl's hands rubbed her temples in annoyance as she blocked out his rant. "Jii-chan I'm sorry," she mumbled, "it was an accident."
He didn't seem to hear her words, cradling the fragments as though he could somehow restore them. "Don't 'it was an accident' me young lady," he exclaimed, "you couldn't care less about my statue."
Rolling her eyes Kagome attempted to soothe his wounded feelings. "I'll get you another one ok?"
Her grandfather gasped as though she'd suggested that the moon was made of green cheese. "Just what part of priceless don't you understand?"
She sighed heavily, the night finally taking its toll on the tired girl. Souta bounced over to the two, his concern about the statue apparently equaling his sister's. "Statue, smatue" he exclaimed enthusiastically, "did you see that move that Inu-niichan just did?" Souta attempted his own horribly unbalanced reenactment, grabbing his sister in his attempt her from her "attackers".
Kagome's scream of pain was brief but heartfelt. Tears blurred her vision as the grip Souta had around her made it feel as though she was once again pinned to a tree in the forest. She stumbled backwards blindly, her aching ankles making themselves known. Her mother looked taken aback, reaching out to her daughter, but unsure of how to end her suffering.
"Down, kid," Inuyasha ordered swiftly, and Souta found himself dangling in the air momentarily by the scruff of his shirt. Apparently he had not moved quickly enough. Inuyasha steadied the shaking girl with his other hand, careful of her many injuries. Kagome's mother hurried towards them, her daughter's scream echoing in her mind.
The light of the coming dawn through the window illuminated what had been hidden before. Her mother's disbelieving gasp sounded slightly broken as she assessed the damage. "Oh God, Kagome," she whispered, tucking a stray dark tendril of Kagome's hair behind her ear. Kagome fidgeted uncomfortably, only now aware of her glaringly obvious injuries.
The ugly bruises around her neck had yet to fade, her ribs could obviously be in better shape, and the bandages circling her ankles could be seen even with the long flowing hakama.
"Dear child, sit down," her grandfather's voice interrupted, precious artifact clearly forgotten. Though his voice was filled with concern, the suggestion seemed more like an order as her mother herded the two of them into the kitchen and around the table. Kagome soon found herself propped up by more pillows than she could count, her mother constantly fluffing and refluffing until they were to her satisfaction.
Inuyasha watched it all with eyebrows raised, clearly confused at all the attention she was getting. Kagome reminded herself that no one had probably ever taken care of him before, and tried not to take offense. Starting a pot of tea to keep her shaking hands busy, her mother completed the menial task as though it was of vital importance.
"H. . How did this happen?"
Kagome knew her mother was nearing her breaking point. While she had allowed her to travel to the feudal era, Kagome doubted her mother had ever realized how dangerous the place actually was. She'd purposefully shielded her family from the reality of the situation. She never discussed the looming dangers, or the heartstopping fear she sometimes felt, and she never ever came home with serious injuries. A scratch here or there, but nothing like this.
"A snake demon," Inuyasha explained simply, since Kagome seemed unable to.
"A. . A snake demon?" her mother repeated, as though struggling to comprehend.
"One of the biggest fu. . . uh. . . freaking snakes I've ever seen," Inuyasha confided. "The thing had to be close to fifty feet."
Kagome inwardly groaned at her oblivious friend's words.
"F. .Fifty feet?!" Her mother only seemed capable of repeating simple phrases, and Kagome knew that if this conversation wasn't stopped now that her mother would be looking for the strongest sutras possible to slap all over the Bone Eaters well.
"Mom, I'm alright," she attempted to reassure. Her mother didn't look as though she were buying it.
"Alright?" "Honey, look at yourself!"
"Oh that?" Inuyasha said, attempting to calm the woman the only way he knew how. "That's nothing! You should have seen the time I was stabbed through the chest with poisonous claws!"
Kagome let her face fall into her hands.
"Stabbed!" her mother gasped, eyes widening. "P. . Poisonous claws?"
And she's back to repeating.
"It was more like the whole arm actually," the hanyou clarified, "bastard of a brother never could take criticism well."
"Cool!" The word was whispered with wonder from the other room.
"Souta!" Kagome's mother yelled, "get back to bed." His heartfelt grumbling was heard as he shuffled to do his mother's bidding.
"Kagome," his voice called briefly.
"Yes, Souta?"
"I didn't mean to hurt you earlier," he apologized.
"I know."
His fading footsteps echoed deeper into the quiet shrine. If Inuyasha thought that her little brother had saved him from questioning than he was sadly mistaken Kagome realized.
"Your brother tried to kill you?"
Inuyasha wasn't prepared for the question and when he turned back to the woman, he caught a glimpse of where Kagome had gotten her legendary protectiveness and unreasonable temper. "Uh. . . I wouldn't say "kill me", exactly. . ."
She arched a disbelieving brow at him.
The concern had been successfully shifted from her to him, and while Kagome was reluctant to bring attention back to herself, she was beginning to fear what Inuyasha would blurt out next.
"Mom, why were Jii-chan and Souta acting so strangely?"
The woman released a long suffering sigh, and placed the cups of freshly made tea in front of them. Kagome immediately took a sip of the warming liquid, while Inuyasha sniffed at the steam curiously. "I didn't want to tell you all of this," she said, running her trembling fingers through her hair. "Not with all of the responsibilities you already have."
"What is it, Mom?" Kagome asked, lowering the cup with worry.
"Someone has been breaking into the shrine," she explained.
"What!" Kagome exclaimed, upset at the mere possibility of a stranger invading her family's home. "Have they taken anything?" Kagome asked, fighting the urge to wander her home to make sure the entire place was intact.
"A few things," her mother admitted. There was a sadness lurking in her mother's eyes and Kagome knew there was something her mother wasn't telling her. "It's happened twice now," her mother continued.
"What is it, Mom?" the girl asked, concern rising at her mother's unshed tears.
"They took something of your father's," she whispered.
Fire leapt to Kagome's eyes as she thought of the audacity of the criminals to dare touch her family's only mementos of her late father. "What did they take?" Her mother took her hands into her own as if to brace her daughter for the blow.
"The watch."
Inuyasha felt his heart lurch as the miko choked on a sob. "It was the first Christmas gift that Souta and I were able to save up and buy for him with our own money," Kagome explained quietly. "My father never took it off."
"He took it right off of my dresser," her mother confided. "I still shiver to think about him in my bedroom. Luckily we weren't home at the time. But the second time we weren't so lucky."
"Hence Souta and Jii-chan," Kagome said, nodding in understanding.
"It's such an ugly feeling to know someone was in our home," the woman mumbled, as though too upset to even continue the conversation.
"You called the police?" Kagome asked, gathering her composure. Her mother slowly nodded. "And nothing?"
"They don't seem very hopeful."
Kagome's sigh of utter defeat was what finally broke Inuyasha. "I guess taking a few extra days to catch this bastard wouldn't be a complete waste of time," he said quietly.
Kagome's entire face lit up at the statement and his unspoken promise to catch the culprit, as she knew he didn't expect her to capture the man alone, warmed her heart.
But that was where he was wrong. She couldn't wait to take back everything the horrible man had stolen from her family.
She smiled as Inuayasha attempted to dodge the maternal pat her mother had stolen upon his silver locks in thanks. A barely audible "Keh" was his only response. But the familiar noise just caused Kagome's smile to widen.
The lost lonely eyes she'd glimpsed hours earlier seemed to be a distant memory. The surly hanyou had never had a house let alone a home, but in that moment Kagome promised herself that she would not leave his side until he had a place to call his own.
No matter which city. . .or century he wished to make it in.
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~< br>
Author's Notes
Finally got the new chapter posted! A little Inu/Kag for the shippers. Hope you guys liked it and I will be posting a lot more frequently now, so I'd love to hear what you think. :)
* * Blanket Disclaimer: Inuyasha's mine? Keh! I wish! I'm just borrowing `em.**
Finally got the new chapter posted! A little Inu/Kag for the shippers. Hope you guys liked it and I will be posting a lot more frequently now, so I'd love to hear what you think. :)
* * Blanket Disclaimer: Inuyasha's mine? Keh! I wish! I'm just borrowing `em.**