InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Easy as 1, 2, 3... ❯ Taking Advice is Never Easy ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but Christmas IS coming up! (Oh, mommy dearest!)

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Easy as 1, 2, 3…

Chapter Nine

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Lady Rumiko tried. She really did! But seriously, if Inuyasha sat down and told you everything that had happened so far between him and Kagome, could you keep a straight face? I rest my case.

Light, amused laughter drifted around the library where Lady Rumiko and her son were talking privately, and it lasted for several minutes before the former could compose herself. Inuyasha just glared at the floor as he waited.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha." Lady Rumiko apologized as sincerely as she could manage. "I know I should help you and not laugh at you. But really!" Another huge smile broke out on her face. "Couldn't you have done something a little more subtle than mooning her or giving her bloody roses? MY roses no less!"

Inuyasha winced as the smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared, since Lady Rumiko was obviously not happy to have a huge hole in one of her favorite rose bushes. She wondered for a moment if she ought to make him replace it with his own two hands later, but then decided against it. It would be safer for the rest of her poor plants if he stayed away.

"I wasn't planning on doing any of that stuff." He finally muttered in his own defense. "It just kind of happened that way."

Lady Rumiko gave her son a dry look. "Everything 'just kind of happens' with you, doesn't it? That could almost be your entire life story summed up in four little words. You really should start thinking before you act."

Inuyasha just continued to watch the floor as his ego took a beating at the hands of his own mother. For once he was regretting not taking his problems to Miroku even though he knew he deserved every word of it.

Finally, Lady Rumiko decided to take pity on him, and seriously turned her attention to his dilemma. "Inuyasha, I think your problem is that you're expecting things to move much too fast. Just because you're ready to get married and settle down doesn't mean she's even begun to think about it. After all, you're three hundred years old and she's only seventeen." As an afterthought, she added "Cradle robber" under her breath and smirked at him when he glared at her.

Both were silent for several moments before Inuyasha finally decided to try defending himself again. "I am not expecting things to move too fast. She's just refusing to see things my way!" He sounded just like a petulant little kid.

"Oh really?" His mother raised her eyebrows. "May I remind you that YOU'RE the one that wanted to share a room with her the very first day she was here."

Inuyasha's shoulders suddenly slumped in defeat, finally taking Lady Rumiko's well- made point. Noticing this, his mother smiled at him in understanding.

"Don't worry, I think you have a very good chance with her! I'm sure it won't take her long to see that you're trying hard because it's very obvious. And while most men are rarely sincere in their pursuing, you are. Very few women can resist a man like that."

"What else could I do to get her to see it?" Inuyasha questioned. The look on his face was nothing short of anxious now, and the sight tugged on his mother's heartstrings.

"Well…" Lady Rumiko knitted her eyebrows together thoughtfully, one finger pressed to her lips. "Be kind to her, and don't push her. No matter what she does, you need to be polite and maybe even a little affectionate."

Inuyasha gulped nervously. "Polite? Affectionate?" His nervous look turned into a grimace. "Why are things always a lot harder than they look at first."

Lady Rumiko laughed again and patted her son on the back. "Don't worry too much. If you really care, then it will come easier than you think. Just try it, okay?"

This made Inuyasha smile slightly and he finally nodded in agreement. In turn, Lady Rumiko patted him on the head playfully for being a good doggy, causing him to growl.

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~*~*~*~*~*~

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During dinner that evening, Kagome was trying to eat and just ignore Inuyasha, but the task was more difficult than she thought it would be. Every time she turned around, he would be offering her something or giving her some screwed-up compliment! Once he even told her she smelled good, which promptly got his leg kicked under the table.

Lady Rumiko watched helplessly, wondering how a son of hers could have ever turned out so socially challenged! But then, glancing at Lord Tai as he ignored everyone around him and concentrated on eating his food more than answered that question.

Sesshoumaru seemed to be ignoring the two lovebirds at the table, but the slight smile on his face that appeared every time Inuyasha got kicked gave him away. He had to admit, it was fun watching his little brother suffer at the hands of a mortal girl. Sesshoumaru made a mental note to himself to buy a video camera so he could humiliate Inuyasha in front of his grandchildren one day. The thought brought another small smile to his face.

By the end of dinner, the white-haired hanyou's shins were black and blue, despite the quick healing ability. He tried really hard not to let it get to him though. Closing his eyes and counting to ten, he was startled when Kagome suddenly called his name after trying to ignore him so long.

"Inuyasha?"

His eyes snapped open, and he glanced at her across the table in surprise. "Huh?"

Kagome suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at his intelligent response. "What has gotten into you tonight?"

Inuyasha schooled his features and muttered the same thing he had been trying to drill into his brain all night under his breath. "Be polite…"

"Excuse me?" Kagome's eyes widened in outrage. "Are you calling me rude?"

A small snort of laughter came from his mother's direction, but Inuyasha ignored it frantically tried to get himself out of this one.

"I didn't mean that!"

"Yeah, right." Kagome stood up and looked towards the three people at the table who were in her opinion, the only other mature people in the room besides herself. "May I please be excused?"

Lady Rumiko frowned. "What's wrong Kagome? You don't want any dessert?"

Kagome shook her head. "Not tonight, thank you." With that, she stalked out of the room stiffly, Inuyasha watching her go.

'That wench!' He fumed silently. 'I try hard all night, and that's the only response I get? Keh! If she wants to be that way, why should I care?'

"Inuyasha?"

His mother's voice shook him out of his thoughts, and he glanced at her questioningly.

"That was the most pathetic thing I've ever seen."

Inuyasha scowled at her, but she held her hand up to stop him from talking so that she could continue. "I think I gave you bad advice, telling you to act like someone you're not. Why don't you just do whatever feels comfortable for you?"

Inuyasha considered this suggestion carefully. If he did things his way, he probably wouldn't get very far. And doing things someone else's way didn't work well either. Maybe he could compromise.

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~*~*~*~*~*~

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The next morning, Kagome stretched as the sun shining through her window finally woke her up. Being able to sleep in was nice, and knowing she didn't have to deal with shrine chores was even better. But did she really have to pay such a high price for the break by living with someone like Inuyasha? Kagome's mood suddenly went sour at the thought.

Sitting up in bed, Kagome was startled to notice something lying on the pillow beside her. Turning to get a better look, she saw another rose. A small laugh escaped her.

"His mother isn't going to like this."

This rose had been carefully cut, unlike the last ones, and all the thorns had been removed. Probably so she wouldn't accidentally get stabbed while she slept. The startling thought left Kagome feeling oddly touched.

Beside the rose was a folded piece of paper with her name on it, written in slightly messy scrawl. Picking it up with mounting curiosity, she read the contents out loud.

"Kagome. I'm really sorry for everything last night and I want to make it up to you. Please join me for dinner tonight. There will be candlelight and everything. Miroku told me girls like that. Oh, and it will be just the two of us!"

The note was hastily signed 'Inuyasha'.

Kagome had to stifle a laugh as she read back over the messy scrawl. "Inuyasha really needs to take a lesson on writing romantic notes! But at least I know he didn't stoop to letting Miroku write something for him."

Whether she liked it or not, Kagome could feel herself softening as she stared at the flower still sitting on the bed, stripped of all its thorns.

'Are you really that lonely after all these years Inuyasha? Even after everything I've done to avoid you, you still haven't given up. Maybe I should give you at least one more chance.' A mischievous smile broke out on her face. 'After all, everything else you've done had been pretty entertaining so far. Some more than others.'

"Should I join him, or would it be better for me to just keep ignoring him like I've been doing? I have to admit I'm curious about how this will turn out. If the note is any indication, I might at least get a good laugh out of it!" Kagome suddenly smiled wryly. "And as long as he doesn't try to cook the dinner himself, then there's a good chance I'll probably survive the evening."

Kagome remained in bed for several more moments, thinking carefully. "What the heck, I just can't resist! Inuyasha, you have yourself a date!"

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~*~*~*~*~*~

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That evening, Inuyasha was setting up a table in one of the smaller sitting rooms in the house. He carefully spread a pure white tablecloth over the small round table for two, trying to make sure it looked neat enough. Inuyasha was really nervous and hopeful about what might happen, so that's why everything had to be perfect! He couldn't afford to screw things up again.

Inuyasha had finally decided on using Miroku's dinner idea, but on his own terms. Instead of it being a romantic evening, he wanted for them to take the time to get to know each other, and not rush things like his mother said. He was much more comfortable with that than trying to wine and dine her like Miroku suggested.

Once everything looked good to him, he tried to remember other suggestions Miroku had given him that day. "Let's see…I should give her some sort of little gift tonight too…" His face brightened as he got an idea.

That would be easy enough! He could use that box of chocolate he'd gotten Sango to steal from his mother. Sesshoumaru and his chocolate addiction were finally coming in handy! But if anyone found out what did happen to that chocolate, Inuyasha knew he wouldn't have long to live at the hands of his brother.

Frowning suddenly, Inuyasha paused in his preparations. He had everything perfect. Flowers in the middle of the table, clean plates and silverware, candles…so why did he get the sudden feeling that he was missing something?

Not able to think of what it could be, Inuyasha finally shook off the feeling and got back to work. He was determined to show Kagome how serious he was, even if it was the last thing he ever managed to do.

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Hmm, would this be considered a cliffhanger? ^_^ Will Inuyasha screw up, or will things actually go right for a change?