InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Definition of Normal ❯ Busybody Men ( Chapter 2 )

Thanks for all the great comments that were left for the first chapter. I love hearing what you think and I hope I am succeeding in making most of you amused.

 

And just so you know, a lot of setting up goes on in this chapter and probably the next one, so you'll have to wait a little for any major developments to happen. But I promise that it will be good once I get to it!

 

Enjoy the chapter, and don't forget to comment! Encouragement goes a long way towards eradicating chronic procrastination...

 

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Disclaimer: The rights of the characters from this story all belong to Rumiko Takahashi...I'm just borrowing them and will give them back when I'm done...well, if there is anything left of them when I'm finished. ::Evil laughter::

 

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The Definition of Normal

Chapter Two

 

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"Do you think she's still mad?" Miroku gazed morosely toward the house before sighing and turning to go back into the shed. It was early afternoon, and he was hungry after working so hard all morning in an effort to get back on Kagome's good side. "I can't believe she locked us both out of the house after throwing the keys to the storage building at me through the window. What did I ever do to deserve such cruel treatment?"

 

The older of the two men looked disgusted. "You? What did YOU do to deserve such treatment?!? What about ME?!? I'm her grandfather, and therefore I deserve much more respect than you do."

 

"I wasn't the one that set her up with Jakotsu, though. You did that all on your own, Tomita-san." Picking up a decrepit-looking broom that had been leaning against one of the walls, Miroku began sweeping the floor with a downright tragic expression on his face. "I am just an innocent bystander getting punished for the wrong-doing of another!"

 

"Innocent? Ha! Your father tells me about everything you do, young man, so if you think I'm going to believe that for even a moment-!"

 

Miroku stopped sweeping and stared at him curiously. "He tells you everything?"

 

Tomita-san nodded sharply. "Of course he does. We've been friends twice as long as you've been alive!"

 

"Ohh..." The expression on Miroku's face turned sly. "So if he tells you everything, surely you must know about that time he and I both went to a charming little place not far from here. The women that worked there were SO good at-"

 

"S-Stop right there!" Tomita-san looked as if he were about to explode, though whether from anger or embarrassment Miroku couldn't tell. "You will not desecrate this shrine by talking of such things on these sacred grounds!"

 

"What do you mean?" Miroku blinked his eyes innocently. "Is it so bad to talk about women with exceptional cake-baking talents in a Shinto shrine? Because really, I must say that it was the most wonderful cake he and I had ever eaten. But I suppose it's only natural for something so good to be a sin..."

 

The only response he got was incoherent spluttering.

 

For a while after that things were peaceful since Miroku's little trick had caused the older man to sulk, and they both worked silently on getting the storage room into good order. The shrine had been unusually quiet that day, so to keep himself busy, Tomita-san had generously offered to help Miroku - by supervising, of course, and not by doing much in the way of actual work.

 

Oh well, help was help, he supposed.

 

But just when Miroku was beginning to feel like things were finally going good, and that a job well done would probably earn him dinner and a way back into the house (he didn't want to walk home that night if he could help it), Kagome's grandfather dropped a bomb right on his unsuspecting head.

 

"Miroku, I've decided that I am going to allow you the great honor of joining me in my endeavor to ensure my only granddaughter's happiness."

 

"What?!?" Miroku grabbed his chest as if the older man's announcement had caused his heart to stop.

 

Tomita-san nodded, obviously lost in thought and did not notice Miroku's dramatics. "Yes, I know, that is an excellent idea and I wish I had thought of it sooner. You are her closest friend, after all, and she would be much more likely to listen to you than to me, even if I am her GRANDFATHER." His voice turned sour near the end, showing that he was still bitter about the lack of respect Kagome had shown him that morning.

 

Miroku laughed nervously. "Really, I don't think that is a very good idea at all, if you don't mind me saying so..."

 

"Kagome should be thankful I'm so forgiving!" Her grandfather continued on, completely ignoring Miroku. "She's lucky to have someone in her life so concerned with her welfare. Why, most girls would be thrilled to have someone setting up such excellent matches for them!"

 

Realizing that there was very little chance that the old man could be reasoned with, Miroku started creeping cautiously towards the storage room door.

 

"Now, this young man I tried to talk to her about earlier has been recommended to me by Kaede-san. You remember her, don't you? I and your father have known her since we were all very young. Ah, those were the days..." His voice drifted off, and he gazed sightlessly at a bare shelf in front of him. "Kaede was in love with me, you know. But she chose not to marry me because Mushin was in love with her just as I was, and she could not bring herself to hurt either of us."

 

Miroku coughed to cover up a laugh, unable to help himself even if he was drawing unwanted attention and foiling his escape. "I'm sure that was the case, Tomita-san."

 

As if the sound of Miroku's voice reminded him that he wasn't alone, Kagome's grandfather cleared his throat and became all business once again. "As I was saying, Kaede-san recommended this young man to me highly, and there are few people whose judgment I would trust as much as I trust hers. So I must do everything in my power to give this young man the chance to make my granddaughter happy!" His passionate voice rang out in the small room, making Miroku pause in his attempt to leave.

 

"Now then," Once he was satisfied that Miroku was paying attention to him, Kagome's grandfather cleared his throat and puffed out his chest in an attempt to appear the leader he felt that he was in this little venture. "Here is the plan I've decided on..."

 

Intrigued despite himself, Miroku chose to stay and listen to what the older man was saying. He knew such a choice might later be the death of him (even LISTENING to one of her grandfather's crazy schemes was dangerous if Kagome found out about it), but now that he stopped to think about it, who was he to pass up the chance to possibly help his dear friend in need?

 

Of course, it would all be because of good intentions on his part and nothing else. He wouldn't find any amusement at all in the situation. None what-so-ever...

 

Really, though, he just couldn't understand Kagome's attitude. What kind of life could one possibly have if they couldn't enjoy certain activities with the opposite sex? It was positively scandalous, how she thought any healthy young woman such as herself could live like that!

 

He couldn't help but think back to the way she had reacted while on the blind date his father and her grandfather had set up for them...

 

It had seemed innocent enough in the beginning. Both parties had agreed readily enough to participate in the date, neither having met the other before, and at that point in time Kagome was still unaware of the horror that blind dates could be. Miroku was the first man that her grandfather had chosen to set her up with, and she had no reason to believe that there would be any other such occurrences in the future. After all, in her grandfather's eyes, what could be a better match than his beloved granddaughter and the son of such a close friend? Admittedly, they were from completely different religions and that could pose a problem, but Miroku didn't seem particularly devout to his father's temple, so perhaps he could be swayed.

 

It had been decided that Miroku would pick Kagome up at the shrine, and that they would go have a light lunch and spend the afternoon together. Nothing much, just a chance to get to know one another.

 

'I still remember the first time I saw her, standing at the top of the shrine steps and looking absolutely beautiful with her glossy black hair blowing in the breeze...along with that wonderfully short skirt...' A dreamy look over-took Miroku's face. He'd nearly pulled a muscle in his leg in his eagerness to make it to the top step where she was standing.

 

At first the pair had hit it off quite well, with Miroku behaving himself admirably during lunch and acting as charming as he possibly could. And he did a good job, too, because the amount of charm he poured on was enough to cause almost any woman to fall in love with him, and Kagome had very nearly fallen under his spell.

 

Miroku sighed pitifully. He had been SO close!

 

The moment that all his earlier success had ended up crashing down around him had occurred while the pair had been walking back to the shrine in the dusk of early evening...

 

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Miroku nearly laughed out loud with glee, and had to fight the urge to grab the lovely girl walking next to him up the shrine stairs. He couldn't believe it! A girl as cute and innocent as Kagome actually liked him! He'd never had such a successful date with anyone before, and he couldn't wait to reach her house and claim his reward for all his good behavior during their date.

 

Somehow he managed to control himself until they reached her front door.

 

"I really had a good time today." Kagome smiled at him almost shyly, and Miroku's hands twitched in response. He only had to wait a bit longer...

 

"I had a wonderful time as well! I hope you'll do me the pleasure of accompanying me on another date in the near future?" He raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner while gazing at her hopefully.

 

She blushed. "I think I'd like that."

 

Miroku smiled widely before bowing. "Wonderful! Now I must take my leave, but before I do, would you allow me to kiss you goodnight, lovely Kagome?"

 

If possible, her face grew even redder as she nodded.

 

He moved closer to her...and just as their lips touched lightly in a sweet goodnight kiss...

 

"HENTAI!!!!!!"

 

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Miroku winced and snapped out of his daydream, painfully recalling the feeling of Kagome's fist meeting his face that night. For being a fairly small girl she was quite strong, and he'd been unconscious for almost a full ten minutes. Luckily for him, though, she was also compassionate. So despite her anger at her backside being blatantly groped, she only left him outside for a few minutes before returning to drag him into the house.

 

'I never was able to get her to show anymore romantic interest in me again after that.' He stopped sweeping and just stood still, staring into space. 'She allowed me to sleep on their couch that night, and didn't even protest when I kept coming back around to see her and try to convince her that we belonged together, though I know she was still angry with me. All she allowed was for us to become friends, and over time that somehow began to be enough.' Miroku never had understood that. How someone like him could settle for just being friends with such a pretty girl he wasn't sure, but for them it had just felt so natural that he almost couldn't imagine anything else now.

 

Not that their officially platonic relationship had stopped him from getting in a good grope now and then, of course! A lecherous smile broke out across his face as he remembered all the times his lovely female friend had let her guard drop...those were the moments that made being 'just friends' worth it...

 

Miroku sighed wistfully.

 

"...and my dear granddaughter won't suspect a thing!" Tomita-san nodded firmly, his eager voice finally breaking into the younger man's fantasies and causing him to freeze with the realization that he'd managed to tune out everything Kagome's grandfather had been saying for the last several minutes. It was a bad habit anyone that spent much time around the old man tended to pick up.  "Do you have any questions, my boy?"

 

It was going to take a lot of tact and caution to get out of this one unscathed. "Well...I do have just one if you don't mind..."

 

Tomita-san glared up at Miroku. "What? Was there something you didn't understand? It wasn't very complicated." He huffed. "Oh well, I suppose it can't be helped. What is your question?"

 

Miroku smiled nervously. "Could you please repeat that from the beginning?"

 

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~*~*~*~*~*~

 

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"Kaede-sama, do you believe this is such a good idea? He won't like it, you know."

 

Kaede gazed across the table at the younger woman, who unconcernedly sipped her tea as if she hadn't just asked a question and was expecting an answer. "And when have you ever been concerned with what he does or doesn't like? If I remember correctly, when he was a child you were the one that told him if he didn't eat his vegetables like his mother wanted him to, you would pin him to a tree with one of your arrows."

 

Dark brown eyes opened to stare dispassionately at Kaede over the tea cup. "Did I say that? I don't recall..."

 

"Yes, you did say that." The elder woman shook her head in amusement. "Inuyasha never did fight his mother again about what he would and would not eat. He really believed you would have done it."

 

"Maybe I would have."

 

With a half-grunt, half-laugh, Kaede pushed herself up off the cushion she'd been seated on and moved to the small kitchen with the intent of refilling their small teapot.

 

The two women were a quiet, simple pair that resided in another small Shinto shrine within the large city. It wasn't nearly as elaborate as the Higurashi shrine was, but it was home to them and they ran it with care. Kaede was getting on in years so most of the work was left to her apprentice, Kikyo, but the younger woman didn't mind. It was her chosen life, after all, to reside there as the eventual successor of the shrine.

 

When looking at Kikyo, people found it hard to guess her age. She was the epitome of a young, beautiful shrine maiden, but after watching her more closely, one couldn't help but think that she must be much older than her appearance would first suggest. Her manner was always graceful, her voice always calm and even. She gave off an air of maturity and wisdom, and could at times be very intimidating.

 

"Answer me seriously, Kaede-san," Kikyo spoke again once the elder woman was reseated across the table from her. "What are you planning? Do you believe that Inuyasha will benefit in some way from such a situation?" She sounded slightly concerned.

 

"His mother and I have been talking, and she admits to being worried about the boy. He's always been a little rough around the edges, and his rude behavior makes it difficult for him to have any kind of a decent relationship with a girl - as you might have noticed." The grave tone of her voice belied the amusement glimmering in her eyes. "So she was hoping that perhaps giving him a small push in the right direction might help him find someone kind enough to tolerate him."

 

"Maybe, but I'm sure you also know that forcing him into anything will just make him more stubborn about not wanting to do it. Speaking of which, how do you plan to get him to agree? Surely you don't expect him to do so without a fight."

 

Kaede laughed hoarsely. "Oh, his mother and I have already settled that part. I'm sure he won't put up too much of a fight once we have a chance to talk to him about it."

 

Kikyo only raised her eyebrows in response. She didn't ask for any more details, because if Kaede had wanted her to know, she would have told her more than she had. Besides, it really wasn't any of her business how they planned to railroad the young hanyou as long as they didn't involve her in the matter. "So what is the girl like?"

 

"Well,” Kaede stopped sipping her fresh cup of tea to ponder the question. “I can't tell you much about her, because I've only seen her a few times since her family moved in with that old fool Tomita. It was an odd situation, you know. Her mother was married to Tomita's son, but he just up and abandoned his little family for some other woman when Kagome-chan was…12 years old, I believe. Or was she 10?” The detail only concerned her for a moment before she waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal. “However old she was, it hurt both her and her mother very deeply when it happened, but I was very impressed with how hard she tried to make things easier for her mother, taking on things a child of her age normally does not do. If the way she acted back then is any indication of the girl she grew up to be, then I am sure her kind, responsible nature will be a very good influence on Inuyasha.”

 

Both women were quiet for a moment as they finished off their evening tea. “Are you sure about this, Kaede-san? What if he is the one to influence her?”

 

Instead of being worried, Kaede just smiled. “Maybe he will, maybe he won't. Who knows what will happen? But if he does, it might just do the girl some good.” Standing up with a grunt, she started clearing away their dishes along with help of her young companion.

 

“Good? And how would that be good?” Kikyo's voice revealed her puzzlement, though her expression never changed. “He is rude, immature, and ill-mannered; not exactly someone that should have any kind of influence over someone else. So how could that be a good thing? I'm afraid that I just don't understand.”

 

“You don't?” Kaede laughed before explaining. “Well, let's just say that I understand Kagome-chan's situation very well. After all, I grew up at a shrine just as she did, and so much was expected of me at such an early age that I missed out on many things that young girls dream about. I never married, never had a family, and always did everything that was expected of me without question. To this day I regret that very much.”

 

“Yet I have no plans to get married or have a family.” Kikyo pointed out as she carefully washed out the soiled tea cups. Kaede was waiting with a towel to dry them and put them away.

 

“Ah, but the difference is that you chose this life for yourself. You were never forced into anything, and you have always been free to choose what life you'd like to have. And who knows? Perhaps someday you'll also find someone that you'd like to share this life with. Nothing is final until you're dead, you know.” A chuckle followed this particular statement, because it had always been a favorite saying of the old priestess.

 

Kikyo nodded, showing that she understood what Kaede had just said, though there was still something she had yet to get a good answer for. “And what does all of this have to do with Inuyasha? I understand that you want to see her have some of the things that you did not, but surely she would be better off with someone a bit more-” She hesitated, unsure of exactly what word she was looking for.

 

“Inuyasha may be a handful, but he has a good heart.”

 

“I agree with you about that.” Kikyo admitted without hesitation. “But I still can't help but wonder if someone of his temperament would be good for such a girl.”

 

“You worry too much, my child.” Kaede was finished with drying their dishes, so she hung the towel up to dry. “Personally, I think they'll do very well with each other.”

 

“And if they don't?”

 

The older woman started laughing. “If that is the case, Inuyasha's mother can more than handle his temper, and that old coot Tomita will be on the receiving end of his granddaughter's wrath, not I.”

 

“Ah. I suppose that's fine, then.”

 

And with that, the two ladies said their goodnights and went to bed.

 

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NOTES: Yes, Kikyo is in the story, though she won't be used as an obstacle for Kagome and Inuyasha in any way. So if you just don't like her and her part in this story upsets you, then you don't have to continue reading. But I think I'm going to enjoy writing her part in this story!. Kaede and Kikyo are turning out to be quite an odd, quirky pair. It should be amusing to see what they do!

 

So, are things getting interesting yet? And I know Inuyasha has yet to make an appearance, but all in good time, my friends, all in good time…until then, just enjoy the anticipation and know that I would never let a build up like this one go unfulfilled, LOL…