InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Something to Protect ❯ Prologue ( Chapter 1 )

Prologue

 

“You do realize that this isn't going to work… don't you?”

 

The man gave a snort of indifference, in an attempt to brush off the comment, but the woman beside him knew better. “You'll never be able to find her in there.”

 

“I will too!” he bellowed, and Jessica looked up at her silver-haired companion with a raised eyebrow. The young woman from America engaged in a staring contest with her best friend for a few seconds, before sighing and continuing to walk. “You're impossible.” She sighed, sipping her smoothie.

 

He was still standing there dumbly, staring at the spot she'd just been, as if not yet realizing that she'd walked off. “Hey!” he yelled and took off after her, finally catching up as she stopped at the corner, waiting for the `walk' sign to flash.

 

“This was your idea, you know.” He groused and as he looked down through his peripheral vision, she saw a flash of red as she shook her head, a breeze tossing her crimson hair about slightly. He could just imagine her grey eyes, giving him a dour look as she marveled at his stubbornness yet again. She'd get that one look, the pouty one, where her full pink lips would point downward slightly, her thin auburn eyebrows quirking at him, on her face and then say something slightly smart-aleck; but true nonetheless. He continued to watch her, and turned as she did, so they were once again facing each other.

 

“No.” she corrected. “Looking for her in a coffee shop was not my idea. I said to look for her in clothing stores and at school. Not a coffee shop.”

 

He bristled, knowing she was right. She was always right. He knew it, too. But that didn't mean he was going to let it show. A soft, musical laughter tinkled beside him and he spun around to look at her.

 

The twenty-six year old woman was laughing at him! This is small, pushy, sensitive surgeon was laughing at HIM. The mighty hanyou. Said hanyou glared at her, his nose twitching as he smelled the spike in her amusement, and leaned down to stare her in the eyes, making the woman before him go cross-eyed. She wrinkled her nose a bit at him, before the light changed and she continued walking.

 

He snorted. She was as impossible as him, sometimes. He supposed that's why they'd made friends.

 

He watched her walk away, red braid swishing as she walked, a few loose tendrils hanging out of place. She looked stupid, or so he'd told her that morning. She was still wearing her scrubs and lab coat from the hospital. She hadn't even bothered to change.

 

Because she dropped everything to come with me. She was working since really early and she hasn't even been home to change.

 

This is why they were friends, he supposed. Even though they bickered, they were extremely loyal to each other. He'd never forget the day they'd met…

 

The bar was open late, lucky for him.

 

He sighed, pushing the door open, a bell clinking as he did so. No one really looked up. He made his way in silence up to the bar and sat down on a stool, not really paying attention to the petite woman sitting beside him.

 

George, the bartender, made his way over to him, still in the middle of cleaning a glass. “Hey, man.” He greeted with a smile. “The usual?”

 

Lifting a clawed hand to scratch at his silver dog ears under the hat, he nodded. “Yeah. But double it.”

 

George frowned a bit but nodded and walked off. There was a sudden clink beside him and the man turned to the sound of the noise, and saw her for the first time.

 

She was wearing a white lab coat and blue scrubs, so of course he assumed she was a doctor. Lengthy red hair fell in waves over her shoulder. Reading glasses balanced precariously on the end of her nose, a slightly freckled nose. With his youkai vision he could see she had grey eyes, and he noticed dark lashes lay gently on a smooth cheek as they closed. She seemed familiar, what was it about her..?

 

He surprised himself when he spoke.

 

“Long day?”

 

The girl turned to look at him, and for an instant, he was surprised. He'd never seen such sadness in a person, such horrible grief. It was like looking at himself, in an almost alternate universe. She looked how he felt.

 

Nonetheless, she managed a smile and nodded. “Yeah. I'm a surgeon; it's my job to have long days.”

 

He noticed the way her voice seemed almost musical. It was soft and sweet, yet domineering, and he could almost see her up on stage singing her heart out.

 

She took another swig of her drink and held her hand out. “Jessica.” She said with another small smile, and he took her offered hand. “Inuyasha.”

 

Jessica looked at him a bit curiously. “I didn't think you were from around here.” She mused as they dropped hands. He chuckled. “No, I'm from Tokyo.”

 

The woman's eyes widened a bit with curiosity. “Really?”

 

He chuckled. “Yeah. I come here every winter to get some better weather.”

 

An auburn eyebrow was quirked at him. “And you picked Boston.”

 

He laughed aloud at this and she joined him. “Yeah, and I think I made a good choice after all.”

 

She smiled. For real, this time.

 

It hadn't taken long for the two of them to become close. After all the years of pain and heartache, he had finally allowed someone else into his heart. He hadn't done that since….

 

Kagome.

 

He allowed a smile to creep across his lips, but there was also a slight pain in his heart. He missed her. Gods, how he missed her. He still had yet to find her, but maybe with Jessica's help he could. What were friends for, huh?

 

He'd grown to care for this woman, much like he'd cared for Sango all those years ago. But, of course, one mustn't get too attached. Humans, they died easily. He was afraid to lose her. She was his best friend.

 

She'd made her way across the street now, and was standing at the corner, waiting for him.

 

“Inuyasha!” she called, looking a bit perplexed. “If we're going to find Kagome we've got to get a move on!”

 

Smiling, he broke into a light jog and caught up to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders protectively.

 

“You really think we will?”

 

Jessica looked up at him and smiled. “Yeah. I do.”

 

~*~

Wah-ha. Review. I want at least one or two before I update again. Let me know what you think.

 

:]