InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Same Thing, Different Time ❯ I DO Have A Name ( Chapter 16 )

Disclaimer: Still don't own any part of InuYasha, and am still not seeking to gain anything in means of profit, rights, or anything else from creating this.

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Same Thing, Different Time

by: aishiteru_inu

Part 16: I DO Have A Name!

InuYasha waited in the high branches of the tree that grew near the entrance of the park just as he did the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that.

She was still upset.

It had been four days since she had spoken to him, four days that he couldn't elect even a turn of her head. Even when he would make his presence known to her, she would walk right by him as if he were invisible. Except, maybe, yesterday evening. She did say one word to him which made him sit in the hardest way possible. He chose to force an acknowledgement from her, which was not too wise of a thing considering, but, hey, what was his record at putting his foot in his mouth when it came to being around her? But he wasn't invisible, dammit, and at least he proved to her he wasn't by making her do that.

She had become a fixed presence in his life in a very short period of time, and was making things so confusingly difficult. Her tears, her pain, her blood, not to mention her scent; then there were her 'thank you's', and her kindness, and her smile, and thinking his ears were kawaii, and the way she danc……

He gave his white mane of hair a sharp shake, then exhaled deeply, emitting a low rumble with it. Thinking about that dark haired girl gave him a headache, Besides it wasn't her he was fixed on, it was the Shikon no Tama. The bluish-white iridescent orb that would gain him what he wanted most in the world: to be a full youkai! It would cleanse him of his weaker half, and then no one would ever say or think he was weak or tainted again. It was with that precious gem that he would be stronger, better. She was only ningen. She couldn't change him into what he desired to be most of all. She couldn't give him what he wanted most of all -- except the jewel of course.

It was the jewel of the necklace he wanted, not her, and to get to the one, he had to somehow get around the other. Waiting and watching was all he could do until that time presented itself. But while watching for his chance to get the 'one' he wound up watching 'the other' even more.

Yeap, he was in trouble, because he wasn't even making sense to himself.

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A multitude of scents began to make the air a bit heavier, not long before students of all ages passed by there, alone or in groups, boys, girls, boys and girls. It was like an endless sea as he watched them go by; not one having noticed him perched where he was. Eventually, they dwindled to a straggling few until there was no one except a normal passerby occasionally.

He knew that he had not missed her. He would have recognized her scent, if nothing else, even in the midst of all those others. There was no scent of demon around -- at least none nearby enough to be of any concern -- not even from the wolf pack. And, he certainly would have heard some sort of outburst from her, if something had happened, even at this distance. Without a doubt, he convinced himself that he would have sensed something as he reigned back the urge to go bounding off looking for her. His senses were too highly strung on alert not to have detected anything amiss.

Leaning back against the trunk, InuYasha settled himself to wait a bit more. He let out an irritated sigh, pressing his bare feet against the rough bark of the limb. That felt good. Good to have his feet bare. Good to have some other sensation distract his awkward contemplations.

He stretched and spread his toes apart, then dug them back into the bark of the tree. He hated those confining contraptions, which restricted his ability at the worst times, and at the thought of his feet being constricted as such, he flexed his toes a couple times more. It was also an effort to distract himself of wondering where she was at, but it could only hold his interest for a short time.

Once again he listened and tested the air, but still did not find the familiar scent he was looking for. If she wasn't there soon…

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Cherry blossoms and… sugar wafted upon the air, which caused his eyes to open slightly. He inhaled the scent, and his eyes opened a little bit more, but he didn't move any more than that. He didn't budge one bit from the lounging position he was in, and, despite what some would think was a sleepy gaze, his eyes were very much alert and trained upon the spot he wanted them.

She was coming. Finally, after causing him to waste another hour waiting for her. But…? What was that other scent he caught that mingled with hers? It smelled of a mixture of some kind of chalky, medicinal aroma fused with the undeniable scent that was… male.

InuYasha frowned, his eyebrows narrowing.

He decidedly shifted then, moving into a forward crouch, but did not leave the perch where he was.

Even before seeing the girl and this……male……come into view, the hanyou was already picking up their conversation.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you the rest of the way home, Higurashi? After hearing what happened last week…"

"I'll be fine, Hojo." Her voice replied gently, as they stopped at the side entrance of the park.

"Really, Kagome, it's no problem. I just want you to be safe."

InuYasha's ears flicked back a bit as he watched her smile at the boy. His lips drew in a tight line, fighting the urge to emit a warning growl, but he managed to keep silent as not to give himself away.

"Please don't worry. If I would have gone this way instead, I wouldn't have ran into those guys that day." She said reaching out to take her bow and quiver of arrows from him.

"I will not forgive myself if anything more were to happen to you."

"You're very sweet, Hojo." she said with a trickling sound of a shy laugh touched with a bit of nervousness, yet the nervousness InuYasha perceived from her wasn't stemming from the thought of the incident that happened.

He watched as she even did that lash sweep of hers when she felt awkward; eyes glancing down for about two seconds or so before returning to his face. They were even a bit sparkly, which match the expression upon her mouth. Sharp claws of his hands sunk into the roughen bark of the limb.

"But I can manage on my own now." she added.

"Well, if you're sure…" he drawled, uncertain whether he should push the issue or not, unbeknown that there was someone else that had a more definite view point.

'Yes, she sure, you moron, she has me to take care of her!'

"Really, I'll be fine." she assured, then her smile broadened. "Besides, I'm armed today."

The boy blushed slightly, as she slung the bow over her head and shoulder and the arrow casing just over her shoulder; having to adjust the placement to fit against her backpack. A smile graced his features as he watched her. "You're going to be a great archer one day, Higurashi."

Kagome laughed then playfully she snapped her heels together, straighten herself as well as possible considering the weight of her backpack, set her small fists upon her hips, and snapped her chin to the side, lifting her nose a little into the air. "Higurashi Kagome, Master Archer Extraordinaire!"

There was about two seconds, then both burst out laughing at her little tirade.

"Yeah," she added, the happy tones still in her voice. "maybe in about 50 years!" After their laughter died down a bit more, she said, "I--I better get going. I'll see you in class tomorrow, Hojo. Thank you for walking with me this far."

As Kagome turned to leave, the slender, well groomed boy spoke up quickly, "Higurashi?" and drew her attention back to him. "Do you have any plans for Saturday? I thought…maybe you and I could go see a movie."

Ears of a particular hanyou just above them stood up straight. 'You were suppose to leave, baka! Go away before I come down there and make you! Bastard! Don't you get that she wants to get away from you!' He threaten and cursed silently.

"Well,…" she said, twisting her heel into the ground before her. "I don't have any so far,…"

'She's…She's flirting with him!'

"…but I would need to speak with my mother first. I--I kind of got in trouble this past weekend and I don't know if I'm completely off the hook yet."

There was a brief flicker of disappointment that crossed Hojo's face, but then he smiled again. It wasn't a total loss yet, and besides if not this Saturday there would be others.

"Then I will wait and speak to you later about it."

She nodded her head. "Ok."

Before she even got a chance to turn around to leave, Hojo stopped her again. "Are you sure, you don't want me to….?"

'Yes, she sure, Baka! Now go away!'

"I'm sure."

"Please be careful, Higurashi."

"I will. See you later, Hojo. Thanks again." she responded back, throwing her hand up in a departing wave. The boy waved back in return, remaining where he was a few moments longer as he watched her, then made his way across the street.

InuYasha stayed as he was, watching the other male. The scent he got from the boy definitely did not sit well with him. He had been partly aroused by her, tempered only by his awkwardness, and mixed along with that of the girl's……well, it was all he could do to keep himself from pouncing down on top of him. And that ridiculous, half-wit smile he had on his face….

Finally, the boy walked across the street and down the sidewalk on the other side, and InuYasha's attention focused back to the girl who had already gone a distance away from him.

Leaping to the ground, the half demon landed so gently that it barely stirred anything more than a whisper of grass. He straighten, looking around, then followed the girl as she continued to walk, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she wasn't alone. He didn't say a word as he walked behind her only a short distance away.

When they came to the underpass where their initial encounter took place, Kagome stopped in her tracks.

"Are you being my shadow, InuYasha, or are you just sneaking up on me to try to steal the necklace?" she asked without even turning around to see if he was really there. It surprised him that she knew he was.

"No, stupid," he retorted abrasively. "I was making sure that you didn't get attacked by any demons on your way home!"

She gave him a glancing look over her shoulder. Her lips parted to say something and then closed again thinking better of it. What was the use in voicing it? She had already gone through that line before, so there wasn't any reason to reiterate upon it again; she would only get the same answer.

She turned her face away from him. If he wanted to follow her to see that nothing happened -- even if it was really just because of the necklace -- she didn't care. It wasn't exactly like she could get rid of him anyway. She could 'sit' him, but that only delayed the fact that he would still track her down as she remembered the first time she had sat him.

Just as she picked up her foot to move, Kagome heard him ask gruffly, "Who was that boy you were talking with?"

Putting her foot down, she slowly turned to face him; her mouth slightly parted in surprise of his question, brows arched upward.

"Umm…. you mean… umm… you mean Hojo?"

"Was he the one that wanted to walk you home?"

"Yes."

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, and with a stubborn look on his face, InuYasha inquired a bit more forcefully, "What are you doing with a weakling like that? He couldn't stand to protect you for 5 seconds!"

"Don't be so rude! Hojo is a very good person," she stated back in defense. "and I won't have you talking about him in such a way! He's kind, and… and… giving… and… "

"Finding it hard to find words to describe him?" He queried with a sneer.

"I find it hard to find words to describe you!" she shot back in haste.

His brows arched upward. It was meant as a tease, but there was a hint of sharpness as he inquired, "And how would you describe me?"

Without missing a beat, Kagome rattled off, "You're a bad tempered, fouled mouth, rude, obnoxious…"

"Feh! I don't see where you have a problem describing me." he cut her off in a huff, turning his face away in a tempered sulk. None of those words were anything like what she said about the other guy. "Why is it that you do with this Hobo…"

"Hojo."

His brows furrowed more and eyes rolled, as he corrected himself in a grimace. "Hojo."

Kagome didn't say anything. How could she explain something about someone that she didn't know herself?

InuYasha didn't miss the pause.

"I don't like him."

"I think that it's my business to decide."

Not to be deterred, he snapped, "He's just a weak pup! He'd never be able to protect you!" Then he stated arrogantly, as he straighten his shoulders to stand his full height, puffing out his chest, and then jabbing a thumb pointed fist to the center of it. "I can protect you! You don't need that wimp nipping at your heels while I'm around. I will protect you!"

There was a moment of silence between them as they stared at one another. Glittering golden eyes against sparkling brown ones -- brown ones which held a touch of skepticism in them as one brow arched upward.

"Oh, that's rich," she said in a tone that let him know how doubtful she was of that statement. Despite his previous rescue of her, it wasn't 'her' that he was proclaiming to protect, and she wasn't going to fool herself into thinking otherwise.

When she turned away, the hanyou was taken aback. "Wha--? She didn't believe me?"

"Fine! Whatever, wench! As if I really cared!" he snapped at her retreating back, which was leaving him to stand there alone.

Before she took another step, he was there in front of her, still in a bit of a huff.

"Get on. I will take you home."

"No, thank you," she returned. "I can manage on my own."

InuYasha noticed a distantness settling about her, which was really starting to bother him. She had been all smiles and laughter with that Ho…Hojo guy just a short while ago, and all he managed to do was to stir up her ire. Even as he proclaimed he would protect her, she wasn't taking it seriously. Was she still really that upset with him?

With his pride tweaked, he grounded out. "It's just that much less you have to walk, baka!"

Wrong thing to say.

"You know, I do have a name." She shot back at him, eyes flashing as she returned her gaze to his with a jerk of her head. "For someone that's equipped with ears that are much better at hearing than normal ones, you -- of all people -- should have heard me tell you my name. Or, maybe it's too much for that hanyou brain of yours to remember!" She took a step toward him in set determination. "It is not stupid, or idiot, or wrench, or hey you, or even bitch! It's Kagome! You got that, or do I need to pronounce it out a little more slowly for you to comprehend?" That last part emphasized as she pointed a finger at her head.

InuYasha stood there staring at her with a dumbstruck expression on his face from being reprimanded by her so.

With a heaving breath, Kagome moved around him with every intention of getting away from him.

"Hey," he called out after her, but she didn't stop. "Hey…… Kagome."

Hearing her name, both feet scuffed to a halt and she bowed her head. 'What now?'

InuYasha walked up to her. "Get on," was all he said, bending down slightly.

"You're going to be persistent until I give in, aren't you?" she questioned quietly.

"Yes."

Knowing there was no use in arguing, she sighed in resignation.

"Fine." she said in a low voice and climbed up on his back.

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Thoughts? Reviews?

YES! Finally I have been able to see the reviews that have been made on the story. And I want all of you to know just how much I REALLY appreciate each and every comment made, and thank you very much! Special Thanks To: meera, Faye273, Mija aka Maryann, Kate, InuGirlTeen, LeeLee, Lee-ia, Mitsue-chan, Katina108, and especially RabidFan……well, for being a Rabid Fan (thanks).