InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Some people need a push ❯ And the date Begins ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: And the Date BeginsSecluded glade, JapanFeudal Era, Monday, Day 11Inuyasha and Kagome felt awkward. Neither knew what to say. Kagome did not know why Inuyasha was there, only that he was. Inuyasha did not want to ruin the tender peace they had found, but he knew it would not last as it was.Kagome picked at her food. She wished Inuyasha would say something; the silence was killing her. Looking up from her plate, she saw that Inuyasha was doing the same as she was – staring at his plate. What the hell. It won’t hurt to look at him, and it’s been so long since I have. Kagome studied Inuyasha. He looked as if he had taken a bath, she reflected. His hair, normally silver-white, was now nearly luminescent. His hands had been cleaned as well. There was usually evidence of dirt beneath his claws, but, tonight, they were as clean as possible.Running her eyes over him appraisingly, she noticed that the shirt he was wearing was not the same tattered thing she had repaired oh-so many times. There was neither stain, nor suture. She stared at it, transfixed. Then she realized it was the same shirt; it had just been magically repaired.Jan must have helped him. Wait, what’s that on it? Kagome had noticed the one little patch left on there. Small, above the heart, repaired badly… she realized with a mental start that the rip was the one she had first fixed when she had met him.Every time Kagome saw that one spot on his shirt, she was reminded of the day they met, when she had pulled the arrow from his chest, and released him from Kikyo’s spell. As of late, it had reminded her of how much he had loved Kikyo, and how she, as herself, could never compare to her. Especially in Inuyasha’s eyes.Across from her, Inuyasha watched Kagome’s eyes as they judged him. They moved from the top of his head to his hands to his shirt. When Kagome dropped her eyes again, he knew he had to say something to break the silence.But what?Stopped for camp, JapanFeudal Era, Monday, Day 11Not hearing what Jan said, Miroku said, “I do not think we should reveal ourselves, not just yet.”“You nit, Miroku, you nit. Even if we kept hidden, Sesshomaru would find us. Unless he isn’t from the DOG demon side of Silver’s heritage.” Miroku gave Jan a blank look. “Oi! You are a nit! Dogs have a strong sense of smell. He will smell us. Especially with that lotion you’re wearing, because it reeks. Sorry, but truth is truth.”Jan rolled her eyes, then said her traveling spell.“Take me to where I desireOn the wings of fastest fire.”The first time anyone in the group had heard that spell, they had stared at her – for the exception of Inuyasha, who had interrupted his ogling of Kagome long enough to laugh at her. It surprised them all when it worked. Now, they were used to it, but it still sounded ridiculous, even to her.~*~*~*~Sesshomaru walked back into the clearing. Looking around, he saw that Jaken had decided to test his limits – his restraint. Dumping the firewood he carried, he turned to look at Rin. The girl was shivering violently; it was cold there on the ground, and she was so small.“Jaken.” Sesshomaru’s voice was calm, even, and… cold.“Yes, milord?” The strange little toad-looking creature jumped, and rushed to his master’s side.“Did I not instruct you to build a fire? I believe I did. Is not one of your duties to see to Rin? She is on the ground, shivering, next to a cold fire place. When I tell you to do something, I would expect you to do it, not push your luck with the restraint I use.” His voice was still cold, and calm, but it slowly began to change as he talked. The barest hint of anger showed through the void his voice was – and Jaken cowered at even this small amount of anger being shown.“I will mend my ways immediately, milord. I shall make the child comfortable. I beg forgiveness!” the little toad-man quivered with fear.“I shall make her comfortable. You will light the fire and begin making dinner.”“Yes, milord!”“Ahem.” A slight, subtle cough intruded on their conversation. “You should probably carry at least one blanket with you if you insist on traveling with a human child. And, if you just talk while she freezes, she could die of the cold.”“I suggest you mind your own business, woman, and leave us to ours.” Sesshomaru’s voice had resumed its lack of feeling.“Just suggesting. By the way, there’s a cave, quite warm, hidden over there. It’s where my companions and I are staying the night.” Jan gestured to the approximate direction of the camp. “You could join us. We already have our dinner made, so Toady there wouldn’t have to cook.”“I would not wish to intrude on you or your companions, and in normal conditions, I would not, but I do have the girl to consider. I will accept your invitation, if you are sure we will not disturb you or your party.” He looked very unhappy to be accepting the assistance of someone else – especially a human woman.“No prob, I promise. Hold your lunch – or whatev.” Sesshomaru’s stomach lurched, and suddenly, they were within the cave. Jaken began to hyperventilate, and was about to scream when his master stepped on him.Jan grimaced at the noise it made. “While you’re here, let’s work on your people skills, hmm?”Secluded glade, JapanFeudal Era, Monday, Day 11Kagome was very, extremely uncomfortable. Inuyasha would not look at her – at least, not directly. Every time she looked at him, her eyes were drawn instantly to the one little rip on his shirt.On the other side of the table, Inuyasha was equally uncomfortable. Kagome kept taking little peeks at him, and every time, she became even more nervous. He wracked his brain for what to say.What the hell. Just open your mouth, it can’t make this anymore uncomfortable than it is!“You look nice, Kagome. Really nice.”Idiot! He scolded himself. You sounded sarcastic!Kagome looked up. Was he being sincere? Did he really just compliment her?Inuyasha was mentally hitting his head on the table. Jan would call you a nit right now, and she wouldn’t be far off!“Thank you, Inuyasha. You... you look nice, too.” Kagome spoke quietly, hoping her voice didn’t tremble.“Thanks.” Inuyasha looked up briefly, looking into Kagome’s eyes. Her eyes were still confused, but now they were hopeful, as well. “Your hair’s pretty that way.”Kagome smiled. She noted to thank Sango after she killed her for sending her on this blind date. It was a date, that was certain, now.Silence hung there for a moment, neither knowing what to say to further the conversation. Both of them were wondering who had ever thought that a good conversation could come out of a compliment like that. The only thing it could lead to would be more compliments and finally silence.Kagome decided to try and resurrect the conversation. “It’s nice tonight. It’s usually cold this late into the fall.”“Jan did some kind of weather-magic thing when she set the table up. She said something about a magic bubble to keep a certain type of weather in this area.”“Did everyone help you set this up?” Kagome wondered at how she didn’t notice this happening.“Miroku helped, but he didn’t know what was going on. Sango said she wasn’t even gonna give him a chance this year to mess it up. Jan said he almost did while you were practicing your archery, anyway.”Kagome smile. She had noticed that. “She covered it by giving me a spelled bow. Apparently, I won’t ever have to worry about losing it, breaking it, or changing the string.”“That’s good. You hated doing those things, anyway, so now you won’t have to. I’m glad you like it.”“Yeah. Sango came and got me after lunch, and said we were gonna pamper ourselves after archery. She did my hair. I thought she was doing it because it was my birthday, but I figured her excuse for it was pretty lame.”“Well, it was for your birthday,” Inuyasha said.“Just not the way I thought it would be.” Kagome figured that she might sound a little bitter, so she added, “But this isn’t exactly something to complain about, so it’s okay. It’s just a little weird that everyone except me knew something, noticed something, about this and I didn’t.”“It was supposed to be a surprise. You weren’t intended to notice until you got here.”“You guys did a good job with that.”“I had nothing to do with that. Jan handed me over to those cousins of hers early this morning for ‘cleaning up’. They could get jobs as professional intimidators.” Inuyasha grimaced.“That unpleasant?”He snorted. “Hell, yeah. They tried to follow me into my bath, all the while claiming they just wanted to get me correctly cleaned. Then they yanked half my hair out. Then they decided to tug at my ears for a couple hours. Then they started making comments on how ratty my shirt was. A whole day of being tortured and insulted!”Kagome laughed. “Sounds like you got the guy’s version of a spa day. Just be glad they didn’t try to wax your back, or anything.”“Why would they try to wax my back?”“It’s some weird thing Americans do. I have no idea why.”“Then I’m grateful for getting off easy.”Finally comfortable, the couple drifted in their conversation, Inuyasha relaxing completely in Kagome’s presence.Stopped for camp, JapanFeudal Era, Monday, Day 11He ignored her comment.“I thought you said you had companions?”“They’re in that chamber. I didn’t want to materialize you in the middle of Miroku. Sango might have gotten a little upset.”“Miroku? You travel with Inuyasha?”“Yeah, but he’s not with us right now. We set him and Kagome together for a nice, secluded dinner. The tension between those two was killing me, so I set up a version of a blind date for them.”“What tension could there have been between the girl and my brother?”“The kind of tension that happens between a guy and a girl who are both convinced that the other loves someone not them.”“My brother is in love with Kagome?”“Nah, he just agreed to the date to shut me up about it. Of course he is! It was obvious the first day I met them, and I had my shields at full strength then.”“Shields?”“I’m an empath. Which reminds me, I promised Sango that I’d have you check them to make sure Naraku won’t be able to influence me.”“I’m not an empath. I can’t check empathic shields.”“Apparently, all men are nits today. Empathic shields are the same as shields that protect against intrusion into your mind, because it is essentially what mind reading is, on a more basic level. And you are an empath. You just keep your shields closed tight all the time, and haven’t had any proper intro into how you deal with it.”Sesshomaru was taken aback. No one had ever been able to figure that out about him, no one! Ever since he discovered it as a child, he had hidden it, because it was a female’s power. Even he himself forgot every now and then that he was an empath. It was truly his greatest secret.“What are you talking about?”“Your shields need work. I got feeling on that comment.”“I have no idea what you’re talking about!”“Temper, temper. Be careful, or you’ll lose that nice little unemotional thing you’ve got going on your face.”He just gaped at her. This was the first person who had ever talked to him in that manner, and it was confusing. “Do you even know who you’re talking to?”“Yep. The great and powerful Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands, I think Kagome said. To me, you just look like a demon’s version of a stuck up, spoiled rich boy. Not something that impresses me, Fluffy.”“What did you call me?”“Fluffy. You look like a Fluffy to me. Your brother’s been graced with Silver, and Miroku is, understandably, Lecher. I call my cousin Maria the Ditz.”“I refuse to be called Fluffy by a human woman!”“Well, it is a little less embarrassing than being called baby names by a human woman. Besides, you don’t have a choice. If I wanted to, I could turn your head into a hacky sack, with you still alive. You really don’t have a choice. Fluffy.”“Can’t you call me by something dignified?”“I call you by your nature. The only people I don’t call by their original nature are the people who I don’t plan on spending a lot of time around, or people who I can’t figure out their true nature. You are, essentially, a guy who grew up neglected and unloved. That’s why I call you Fluffy. Because you want to be loved.”“Please, call me anything other than that. My brother would never stop laughing at me. I would lose face in front of other demons. And it’s embarrassing.”“I’ll call you Sesshy, then. After you learn to not be an uptight jackass.”Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. “What is that supposed to mean?”“Wouldn’t it be obvious? Until you learn to be... how should I put this?... more... oh, I don’t know... agreeable. Less stuck up. Somewhere in there is the term I’m looking for.”“Hey! When’d you get back? Who’s he? Why’s he here?” Amelia walked – more like strutted like she owned the place – towards the two powerful entities who were fighting over the disgrace of a guy being called Fluffy.“Hey back, ‘bout a minute ago, Fluffy, and private conversation.”“I refuse to answer to Fluffy!”“Just give in and let her have her way. She’s broken harder shells than you, Fluffs, so give in.” Amelia was on the receiving end of two very nasty looks, so she decided to back out gracefully.“Already, there are even more embarrassing names to go with Fluffy!” The great and serene demon lord looked near to exploding.“Wait until the Ditz gets an eyeful of you. You’ll be saddled with annoying attentions, flirtations, and baby names. At least I’ll compromise. She won’t.”“Why would I get saddled with all of that?”“Because you’re hot, you serious NIT! How could you not know this?”“Maybe because no one told me about it before?”“If you would just let people talk to a person instead of a piece of stone, you wouldn’t have that problem.”“Lord Sesshomaru?” A faint voice came from the far side of the cave. “Did you step on Jaken again?”“Great. You woke her up!” Fluffy hissed at Jan. “Jaken just found his way underneath my foot again, Rin, because he found great offense from this woman offering us her and her companions’ shelter for the night.”“Oh. Why were you yelling at her?”“It’s complicated, Rin. Are you hungry?”“Oh, yes, Lord Sesshomaru!”“You seriously let a kid her age grovel? The kid worships you as is! If you let her grovel like this, she will not appreciate it when she turns teen.”“No one asked for your opinion, woman.” Jaken had obviously gotten over being used at a boot scraper.“Look, Toady, I don’t have a problem with shortened versions of a name or names that depict someone’s nature, but if you call me ‘woman’ one more time, you’ll find your head shoved into a place you didn’t even know existed. Kay?”“How dare you!”“Wanna try me, Toady?”“You could not begin to match the power of...”“ENOUGH!” Everyone looked at Sesshomaru. Rin began to sob, Jaken began to wet his grubby little outfit, and Jan began to contemplate whether she should wear a blue or green shirt tomorrow.“Jaken, you will accord...” The now-composed demon looked towards Jan.“Jan.”“You will accord Jan as much respect as you allot to me. Jan, you will... oh, shutting up would probably be a good start for you. Rin, will you please stop crying? I only wanted those two to stop fighting. I wasn’t yelling at you.”“I’ll stop crying, Lord Sesshomaru.” Sniffling, then, “Should I begin dinner?”“No, Rin. Lady Jan said her companions had food they would be willing to share.” Turning to Jan, he said, “We are still welcome to that offer?”“Fine, whatev, Sesshy. Leave the weird horse-thing in this chamber. Dinner and company are this way.” Jan led them off towards the chamber containing her traveling companions. It wasn’t until later that Sesshomaru realized that he hadn’t been called Fluffy in front of the others.Secluded glade, JapanFeudal Era, Monday, Day 11“My mom never really could protect me from the jibes I got. After a while, I asked her not to worry about it, because it was torturing her. I learned how to fight so that I could get people to stop making fun of me being a half-blood.”Inuyasha and Kagome were lying side by side, looking at the stars. Inuyasha was telling of his childhood – mostly memories of his mom. “She sometimes sang to me when I was little. The other boys began to make fun of me, though, so I told her I was more interested in learning how to fight so that I could bring honor to our family.”“My mom used to sing to me, too. When my dad died, though, she stopped. I don’t think she had the spirit to sing any more. He meant everything to her, more than Sota or I did then. When he died, we began to take priority. I think she feels bad about caring more about dad, but neither of us felt neglected. Sota’s really too young to remember much, anyway.”“At least you didn’t break her heart. When I told my mom that all I wanted to do was train for fighting, she looked like she was about to cry from disappointment. I think she knew that I would be thought of as a threat if I ever gained any skill at it, and she had her heart set on me being a scholar. Up until I began serious training, she had me spending at least an hour with her every day, practicing writing and reading and manners and stuff. The other guys called me a sissy for it, but that was because none of them could read more than their names.”“You had a definite advantage over them, then. They would never know anything other than their fighting and that stuff, but you would have the whole advantage of a noble’s training. If you had stayed there, you could have probably gotten a really good position as a diplomat or body guard or something.”“Yeah, well. I didn’t think of it like that, then. I wanted to be like the other kids, and when that didn’t work, I wanted to show them I was better than them because of what they called a disgrace to the family name.”Kagome was looking at Inuyasha now, instead of the stars. She looked at the way that his eyebrows bunched up every time he mentioned his mom, like it was a memory he didn’t want to look into, because it hurt too much to remember what he lost, she supposed.“How old were you when you left?”“I was about thirty, I guess. My mom had been pretty young when she met my father, and had me. She was about forty-seven, I think. All I really remember was her crying, asking me not to go. I thought that she didn’t want me to go because she still thought of me as her little boy, but... well, I didn’t think that my family – or the people who were supposed to be my family – would turn out like they did. Especially Sesshomaru.”“Why?”“I had seen how the other boys acted with their brothers, cousins, even close friends. None of them would act like that around me, because I was so... different. Their families told them that I wasn’t someone they should hang around with, and they didn’t need to be told twice. I never had a real friend while I was growing up. I thought that my own brother might have accepted me, but you can tell how wrong I was about that.”“I’m so sorry, Inuyasha.”“Why? It wasn’t your fault, and if they hadn’t acted like such jerks, I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of meeting you and being in your splendid company.”“I was trying to sympathize with you, Inuyasha, not get made fun of!”“I’m not making fun of you!”“Then why’d you describe my company as ‘splendid’?”“Because maybe I like bein’ around ya!”The two found themselves, once again, shouting at each other, face to face. Usually, these ‘arguments’ ended up with Inuyasha getting sat, and Kagome huffing off to calm down. This time, though, that wasn’t going to happen.“If you enjoy my company so much, then why do you always go off and leave me?”“Because you’d sit me if you caught me staring at you!”“You stare at me?”“Only when you’re eating or sleeping.” Inuyasha felt like he was in for it.“Why?”“I dunno. I can’t help it. I used to think it was because you were so weird, but now, I dunno.” “You thought I was weird?”“I couldn’t understand you! You were always going on about stuff from your time and how things here were so different, and how you weren’t even used to doing stuff that a four year old knew here.”“So you thought I was lazy and stupid?!”“No! I thought you were raised weird, not to know this stuff. Well, until I saw what your life there was like. You had stuff that did all of that for you.”“So just lazy?”“I never thought you were lazy! Especially after the first few detours you made us take in our search for the jewel shards. We went so far out of the way sometimes, it’s a miracle we ever found our way back.”“So what did you think of me?”“That you were weird, at first, then that you were too trusting, then that you were just too nice to everyone. Now I just think you’re... persistent in thinking you can make that big of a difference.”“So now I’m stubborn?”“No!”“Then what am I?”“You’re inflexible and difficult and snore and pretty and smart and nice and strong and I like your smile!”Kagome stared at him. How did he get from a list of insults to how he likes my smile? Wait... Inuyasha likes my smile?“I like your laugh, too,” Inuyasha mumbled.Kagome: Still staring at her date.“What?”“You like my smile?”“Yeah!”“Why do you always try to make me mad with you, then?”“I don’t try; it just happens!” Inuyasha was quiet for a moment, then said, “I’m not very good at being nice to people, if you haven’t noticed.”“You could’ve tried being nice to me!”“I have tried. It didn’t work. Besides, every time I try being nice, that mangy wolf Koga shows up.”“What does Koga have to do with this?”“I don’t like him being around you. The nice goes out of the picture, because... I’m really bad at it, and he’s always so charming to you, and you like it whenever he’s there. That’s why I thought you liked him.”“Koga’s a joke. He thinks that I’ll marry him because of him being charming and sweet. He doesn’t realize that a girl from my time barely ever marries unless she loves the person who asks to marry her! And I don’t love Koga.”Inuyasha’s heart leaped in his chest. He wondered if that had been a hint for him. Unfortunately, if there was an opportunity, he lost it by waiting to long.“So, what happened next?”At first, he didn’t know what she was talking about. Then he remembered. “Well, after I got rejected by my brother, I kinda just wandered around, getting into fights and trying to earn a name for myself.”“Until you met Kikyo.”“Kikyo was one of the first people since my mom to treat me as more than a mistake or a disgrace. She kinda reminded me of my mom, I guess. I think she was a possibility for a surrogate mother for me, before she died. Now, she scares me, because she feels so much hate and anger, and I don’t think there’s anything left of her. I didn’t really love her, though, not the way I love you.”A few moments later, Inuyasha realized what he had said. His heart lurched, and he waited to hear what