InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Oden Shop ❯ Tatsuya and Moeko ( Chapter 4 )

Tatsuya and Moeko

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

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"No, mom, you don't know him, he's Inuyasha's older half brother." She managed somehow to fold the soba (japanese buckwheat noodle) dough and started to cut it into small noodle stripes while talking with her mother on the phone.

"Is everything fine there? How's the baby?" She asked as she tucked the receiver firmer between her ear and shoulder.

Kagome's mother remarried three years ago, she, Souta and Jii-chan moved to Brisbane not long after that because Yusuke-san, Kagome's new father, had a new job stationed there. They asked her to come along too, but she was out of no particular reason reluctant to leave. Actually she was even glad that her family moved out, she didn't want to infect them with her concaved grief, and her mother was so happy in love that she almost hated her.

And the family really deserved their happiness, after she ditched them for one and a half year to spend most of her time in Sengoku Jidai. She had felt as if she really didn't belong to them now, she had after all estranged herself and it wouldn't be fair if she sought her content in them.

And six months ago her mother sent her a beautiful baby picture of her new little brother, Yousui, it was the sweetest baby she had ever seen, and she had ached, feeling the emptiness in her womb.

"Okay, Mom, take care, okay, shitsure shimasu."

Kagome set water to boil the noodle and prepared the ingredients to eat with the noodle; as the noodle cooked, she prepared iced water to cool it down, set it on the plate and sprinkled some nori seaweed on the top.  

"Tadaima." It seemed that Shippou and Sesshoumaru were just coming home from work, she sighed as she answered, "Okaeri." Everything was so cozy and somehow familiar, the clicked sound of the closed door, the greetings and the smell of the streets from their business suits.

It had been three weeks after she moved in, Shippou, as sweet as he was, was doing his best to act like an adolescent, sometimes a very tiring one, but most of the time affectionate. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, acted very careful around her; at least that was what she guessed he was trying to pull. He spoke curt words of answer when asked; never say anything unnecessary except normal casual greetings (actually she thought that greetings might even be frivolous to him), so everything and everyone went along well.          

"Take your seat in the breakfast room, please, the dinner will be ready in a minute, today we're having zarusoba." She wiped her hand on her apron.

"No, thanks, it's too hot to eat, I already had a bite on the way here anyway," Shippou shrugged away and walked towards his room.

"Thank you, but I already had early dinner today," Sesshoumaru muttered, he didn't even bothered to look at her as he continued walking towards his library.

"Oh," Kagome nodded, and then she grabbed the chalkboard she had bought used for writing messages. She inspected her nails and scratched the surface of the chalkboard leisurely, drawing a loud ear-piercing sound.

"Aaaaaaargh!" Both males screeched at her, hands covering their ears, eyes looking accusingly, disbelieving.

"Sorry about that, my hand slipped. Now, I want you guys to march straight into the breakfast room and we're going to have a nice dinner together, even if it kills you. Do you need an invitation?" She looked at them with threatening eyes towards the board, added, "Hop, hop."

Sesshoumaru looked at Shippou accusingly, mentally said, 'she's crazy, and it's your fault we're stuck with her.' but Shippou simply smiled at him, mentally answered, "nuh, she's sweet, but oppose her if you feel like it," and he grinned, while Sesshoumaru ignored him and took his seat.

She expertly served them, passing them their portion of soba and tsuyu (soya based dipping sauce).

As they began to eat, she stood up and brought three cans of beers from the kitchen, "Sesshoumaru-sama, would you have some?" He nodded, and she poured the beer into the glass and handed it to him, she started to perform the same ritual for Shippou, but she stopped suddenly and eyed him taxingly.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, in demon age, is it okay for Shippou to drink alcohol?" Sesshoumaru grinned as he nodded. Shippou started to protest, "Kaa-san, I'm already over 500 years old!" And then he muttered under his breath, "In any way I'm more experienced than you."

"What was that?" Kagome asked him sharply, Shippou quickly appeased her, "nothing, nothing," he answered placating, eyeing the chalkboard in the kitchen.

"So, tell me, how was your day?" Kagome poured some beer into a glass and gave it to Shippou, still eyeing him suspiciously.

"Well-" They started to speak in unison, Sesshoumaru clammed up abruptly, embarrassed beyond measure, while Shippou grinned merrily.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I hope Shippou wasn't a bother to you, thank you for taking care of him all these years. And to let him work for you, I couldn't express how great my gratitude to you," Kagome quickly acted in response, saving the conversation. Sesshoumaru nodded haughtily and waved his hand dismissingly.

"Mom-" Shippou gasped, "do you know how many times in these past 500 years he had tried to knock me out? And not to mention- Ouch!"

"Believe me, Mi-, Kagome, I was only trying to discipline him, I'm afraid the education that I could only give might be a bit painful-" Shippou started to protest, and Sesshoumaru gave him something to rub on again, and continued, "but I would never harm his existence."

"I'm glad, I guess," Kagome answered tentatively, and Sesshoumaru gave her a threatening 'you should' look. And then she let out a small laugh, tilted her head a bit to the side and gave both males a discerning sweet smile, "you guys really get along well, don't you?"

To her surprise, Sesshoumaru nodded, Shippou looked touched, all these years Sesshoumaru never showed him openly that he was actually glad to have him around, and now that little nod was like a true evidence of his paternal affection.

They finished their dinner and Kagome went and washed up the dishes with Shippou helping her while Sesshoumaru proceeded to his library after dinner.

They were feeling a little bit lightheaded and giddy after dinner, maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was the way happiness should feel, or at least the way home should feel.    

Kagome and Shippou moved to the living room to watch an old drama series on

TV, Kagome sat herself on the couch and Shippou contented himself by sitting on the floor near her, laying his head on her lap as she stroked his hair absently.

The drama was quite famous seven years ago, she had watched it twice already, the story was simple and tears-wrenching, Tatsuya, a young player, had a very devoted girlfriend, Moeko, whom he loved. When he was about to propose to her on her birthday, she was nowhere to find, she was somewhat suspicious that he was becoming close to a woman who was working with them, and out of jealousy she refused to meet him on her birthday, until the woman explained to her that she only helped Tatsuya to pick an engagement ring for her. So they went on looking for each other on that day, and when they finally found each other, he was crossing the street when a car hit him and he died immediately from the impact. But he didn't want to leave the world yet; he had to help his girlfriend who was trying to kill herself, blaming herself for his death, so he materialized his soul into the body of a coma patient, who happened to be the one who drove the car that killed him. And so the story goes… (AN: a bit complicated? But I didn't make this up; this is the story of a Japanese drama series named 'Anything for you')           &nbs p;

Sesshoumaru was on his way to his room when he exited the library holding staple of books under his arm, and that was when he saw them, sitting on the couch, Shippou on the floor, she stroking his hair. And he couldn't fight the sudden urge to join them, so, as if in trance, he sat himself next to her.

She was shocked, at the moment his body settled down next to her she froze. Shippou looked up, feeling her change and saw his guardian sitting next to his Okaa-san, trying to feign his unnatural behavior by looking straight ahead of him as if he too was quite taken by the drama.

She relaxed a bit and continued to stroke Shippou's hair, her other hand rested at her side.

Sesshoumaru was not feeling like himself, the moment he met her in the restaurant, he was behaving so unlike himself even after nine hundred years of practiced disinterest. He was starting to be aware of something that he guarded against, the intensity of a sentiment.

And the feeling was good, he didn't want to push it away for fear he might never experienced something like this ever again, not with anyone else, ever.

So he breathed her scent in, something in his inside urged him to touch her, not to haul her against him but to awake her gently, he observed absently her hand laying at her side and he moved his hand slowly so that his little finger touched hers.

Tingles of electricity crept up their arms all the way to their center parts, he was, to his surprise, breathing hard and she held her breath, and then she hastily stood up, startling both males.

         &nb sp; 

She dashed to the fridge, rummaging its content shakily, and asked in troubled, but feigning cheeriness, voice, "would you guys like some ice cream? I bought strawberry and cheesecake flavor, hazelnut flavor, kiwi sorbet and baileys flavor."

"Strawberry and cheesecake!" Shippou answered giddily.

"I pass, I don't really like sweets," Sesshoumaru answered in dejected voice, feeling like a kicked pup.

Kagome didn't take note of his tone of voice, and continued cheerily, "I thought you might not like sweet things much, that's why," she paused, "ta-daah… I bought you a chicken broth flavored ice cream."

Sesshoumaru eyes almost bulged as Shippou clamped his hand against his mouth, turning green (AN: Kagome, you silly twit, even though he doesn't like sweets, it's really too inhuman to offer him something like that)

Sesshoumaru sweatdropped and managed a weak croaked answer, "I take baileys, thank you."

"Mom, come on, hurry up, you missed the spot where Moeko tried to jump off from the hospital building, and now the ghost Tatsuya is looking for the nurse who's the only one who can see him."

"Coming, here's yours Sippou, Sesshoumaru-sama, the baileys flavor, right?" He nodded, accepting the handed ice, and then she did the cruelest thing she could do to him, she changed her seat. 

"Kaa-san?" Shippou asked tentatively, she gave him a tiny nervous smile and patted her lap, indicating him to draw closer.

It hurt. Sesshoumaru felt as if she had slapped him and then laughed in front of his face, his eyes started to waver, but he kept his gaze straight to the screen.

The drama was in the part where the nurse caught up with Moeko, they were standing on the roof of the hospital, and then the nurse turned her head to look deeply into the young woman's eyes, Moeko choked a sob, and the nurse continued to look at her with an understanding gaze, until her eyes started to glaze over and both females hugged each other, crying soundly.

"Waste," Sesshoumaru spat, he gritted his teeth and continued in strangled voice, "she didn't want to be saved in the first place, nobody can save a zombie."

With that he stood up and left the room.     

*end of chapter*

Shitsure shimasu: -excuse me (when interrupting)

         &nb sp;                    -good bye (ending a phone conversation)

         &nb sp;                    Literally means "I'm being rude"

Tadaima: "I'm back"

Okaeri: "Welcome home"

Zarusoba: a Japanese noodle dish, buckwheat noodle, usually self-made but they are also available in dried form in supermarkets, served cold with tsuyu (soya based dipping sauce), wasabi (japanese horseradish), nori seaweed and negi (japanese leeks). Zarusoba is usually served in summer.

Chicken broth flavored ice cream: this flavor does actually exist(or did, I don't know if they still have it), I read it in the newspaper last year or so, it said that the Japanese was addicted with the taste of poultry, that a certain ice cream manufacturer invented this special sort. (If you asked me, he must be high on crack <and hugged a big bucket of Kentucky f.c.> when he did that)     

~@~

AN: I know, I know, a very boring daily report kind of chapter, but I have to write it down, before I begin with what's coming next, but I still hope you'll enjoy it, and guys, please review, I'm new to this and very vulnerable, so let me know if I did it right. 

Daniy: wow, this is like a chanting a mantra every time, once again an enormous big-ups for sweet daniy, who is offering her time to read my humble fic, oh you experienced author out there, how did you manage so many chapters? And jinx, update, please?

LadySessho: girl, you're driving me into early retirement, first he was cruel, now he was being wishy washy, I'll turn him into a pervert next time. Just kid ya, tho a perverted Sesshou, hmm…. Oh, and I love that inu-sess talk.

Obese_a_tron5000: Why are you reviewing not updating? (Tap fingers over crossed arms) And oh think about the pairing I suggested for your fic, Sess/Kag/Mir and Inu once a month, you think I'm greedy, but I can see how your eyes waver.

For the post reviewer in a single spark:

Yuki: yes, I did make mistakes on that, thanks for mentioning them, and I tend to exaggerate too, I try to do better next time, I'm glad that you find this a good story.

Feminafures: gaahh! Look who wrote a post review to me, yossa! I won you to my side! Aaah, you'll hate me for this, but I have to say it anyway, you're the lemon writing goddess. 

Amanda: finally! Someone with dedication! Big-ups to you, girl!