InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Latex Blues ❯ Chapter 3

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Part 3

The morning that followed Kagome's fight with Inuyasha was warm and beautiful. Sunbeams came streaming in through Kagome's bedroom window and warmed her face as she slept. At 9:30, Mrs. Higurashi knocked lightly on her daughter's bedroom door. She had heard Kagome arguing with that Dog Boy last night, and she didn't want to disturb the sleeping demon had he decided to camp out on the floor. He had done so in the past, and she hadn't protested. She trusted her daughter, and trusted that Kagome could keep the young man in line, having once seen the effects of an "Osuwari". When no one responded to her knock, she opened the door as quietly as she could and peeked inside. There was no evidence of the young man in the room, but what she did see made her frown slightly.

"Kagome?" she called softly. The sleeping girl bolted upright from where she had fallen asleep at the desk. She looked up at her mother groggily, a pencil stuck to the side of her face.

"Kagome," her mother began, her gentle voice edged with concern, "you didn't fall asleep at your desk again?" Kagome lowered her head, contritely.

"I was studying, and I…" she trailed off with a sigh. Mrs. Higurashi smiled at her daughter, shaking her head. She reached down and gently removed the pencil from Kagome's cheek.

"Darling, I know that your schoolwork is important, but you shouldn't push yourself so hard. That test isn't until Monday, so you have a few more days to study. You need to pace yourself." Kagome stared blankly at her mother for a moment, then her face contorted into a mask of horror and confusion.

"What do you mean by 'Monday,' Mama? Today's not…Friday?" Her mother frowned, more concerned than before.

"Kagome, dear, yesterday was Friday. I fear you've lost track again."

"You mean to tell me that I studied all night…" Kagome's mouth fell open and her hand slapped her forehead. "Baka!" she moaned, her hand remaining on her forehead. "Mama! Why'd you have to go and wake me if it's Saturday? I could've slept some more!"

"I thought that you and Youkai-sama might like some breakfast before you had to run off." Her mother replied casually, giving Kagome a tiny, knowing smile.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome blinked at her mother, coloring slightly, then spun around in her chair. She gave the room a quick perusal before returning her gaze to her mother. "He's not here." she stated flatly.

"Well, in any case, why don't you get dressed and I'll make you something to eat. I'll even make something extra for your friend and you can bring it to him as a peace offering." her mother said, brightly.

"You heard us fighting?" Kagome asked, a little embarrassed.

"Kagome dear, it would've been difficult not to. Your friend is very…boisterous." The two women looked at each other for a moment, the burst out laughing.

"That's one way of putting it, Mama." Kagome said with a happy sigh. Her mother smiled at her, then leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

"It's good to see you laugh, Kagome. I'll be downstairs." Kagome watched as her mother turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. With a giant yawn, she stretched her arms high above her head. The stretching brought heavenly pain to her stiff neck and back as the kinks caused by the previous night were pulled out. She stood up, stretching her calf muscles, and headed for the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Kagome emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam, a towel wrapped around her body and another wrapped turban-style around her head. Her skin was pink from the hot water of the bath. Ever since she had begun traveling back to Inuyasha's time, hot water had become very precious to Kagome. The hotter the bath water, the better as far as she was concerned. Now she was warm and clean, and her muscles were no longer stiff from an awkward sleep. She hummed a happy little tune as she brushed the tangles from her clean, wet hair. She let the towel drop to the floor and let the sunbeams kiss her naked body. She danced over to the small stereo on her dresser and turned it on. Light, poppy music filled the room, and she danced. She twirled over to the full length mirror in the corner of her room and looked at herself. She was startled by how grown up she was becoming. Where only a year ago she'd been skinny and straight as a reed, the woman who looked back at her from the mirror was shapely and…beautiful. She smiled at the girl in the mirror, pleased by what she saw. She turned and looked over her shoulder to get a view of her back, and notice a small bruise on her left hip. I must have gotten that yesterday when Inuyasha landed on top of me. The thought sent a shiver through her body. He had been pressed so close to her, and at the time, she had been too angry to notice. I really should apologize to him, she thought, he had no way of knowing.

"Besides," she said out loud, "I'm in too good a mood today to hold a grudge!" With a big grin on her face, she danced over to her dresser and opened her underwear drawer. The grin quickly disappeared.

"Kagome! You're forgetting you pack!" her mother called after her, chasing the girl out the back door.

"Forget it, he doesn't deserve it!" the girl called back angrily. Carried by her anger, Kagome ran into the well house, down the stairs, and leapt easily into the well. A moment later she was pulling herself out on the other side.

"Kagome!" she heard a little voice cry as a ball of fur attached itself to her leg.

"Not now Shippou!" she said absently, shaking off the confused kitsune.

"But Kagome!" Shippou wailed, "I want to show you the weird snakeskin I found!"

"Oh, alright." she said softening. After all, it wasn't fair to take out her anger on the poor kid. The kitsune visibly brightened at her sudden interest, and hopped into her arms. He excitedly held his treasure up for Kagome to see.

"Look! I'm not sure what kind of snake has skin like this, though, it's so weird. It must be very rare!" Kagome's eyes widened as she looked at Shippou's 'snakeskin'.

"Uh, Shippou-chan, where did you find this?" she asked, her voice raising a few octaves as she did so.

"Near the Goshimboku!" he replied happily. "There's all kinds of other stuff there, too. Look at this!" He turned his head to show her his hair, which was being held back by a white rubber ring. "See? Just like yours, Kagome!"

"I-It's beautiful, Shippou-chan." she managed. "Now listen, I need to speak with Inuyasha. Have you seen him around?"

"He's in a weird mood today." Shippou said gravely, shaking his head and pointing towards the Goshimboku.

"Thanks Shippou-chan!" Kagome called, running off in the direction of the tree. Shippou watched her go, then hopped off in the direction of Kaede-bachan's hut. Maybe she'd be interested in his findings…

Kagome arrived at the bottom of the Goshimboku to discover that what Shippou had said was indeed true. Littered all over the ground were wrappers, paper, and 'snakeskins', all in various stages of destroyed. She looked up into the branches of the tree. She didn't see Inuyasha, but…

"Osuwari." she said quietly. There was the sound of splintering branches and a long string of curses before the hanyou lay subjugated at her feet.

"Rrrrraaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!" he screamed as he pulled his face out of the dirt. "You could've just called for me! YO, ARE YOU UP THERE? Something like that!"

"Inuyasha," she began, ignoring his outburst, "we have to have a serious talk."

"I've got nothing to say to you, whore!" he growled, twisting the word in his mouth like a knife.

"Listen," she said, grabbing his forelocks and pulling his nose up to meet hers, "if anyone has a right to be angry here, it's-" she released his hair with a gasp and he fell gracelessly onto his backside.

"W-what did you call me?" she asked in a tiny voice.