Chapter 7: Conversation Over Coco
Inuyasha entered the warm house and stomped his snow-covered boots on the welcome mat before slipping them off. Bending to examine his heels, he noted that the blisters the boots had caused were not as bad as the last ones. They healed almost instantly. Maybe Kagome was right. Maybe they only needed to be ‘broken in’. Setting the boots off to the side, Inuyasha removed his other snow things and hung them with the others over the heater to dry. I wonder where Kagome went off to. The hanyou thought as he laid his trench coat across the warm surface. Hearing someone moving in the kitchen, he decided to start his search there.
Inuyasha entered the kitchen to discover Kagome’s mother cooking at the stove. Kagome was nowhere to be seen. Kagome’s mother turned from her cooking to smile at the hanyou. Noticing the lost look on the boys face, Kagome’s mother motioned for the boy to sit. “If you’re looking for Kagome, she went upstairs to change her clothes. Her socks and pants got wet from the snow. I see that yours did to.” The women noted, staring at the dripping bottoms of Inuyasha’s pants. “Souta!” she shouted.
“Yeah mom.” the young boy asked as he came around the corner.
“Could you go into my room and get the bag of clothing that we dug out for Inuyasha to wear while he was here. He needs to change out of those pants so I can throw them into the drier.” The women commanded before turning back to her work.
The young boy nodded. “Ok, mom. Come on Inuyasha.” the young boy beckoned as he crossed the living room and started up the stairs. “So did you have fun today? That was awesome the way you beat my sister. She was so mad.” the young boy chattered as he climbed the stairs with the hanyou at his heels.
“It was fun.” Inuyasha answered diplomatically.
“You know, she shouldn’t have sat you. Not so close to Christmas. Santa is watching after all.” Souta added with a smile. “If she keeps this up and she won’t get any presents for Christmas.”
What the hell? Inuyasha thought, stopping in his tracks. The pictures of those jolly fat men popped into his mind. That funny looking fat man watching us? Inuyasha glanced around nervously, his skin suddenly crawling. “What do you mean watching us?”
“You know, ’he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when your awake’. Santa can be watching us any time of any day. He probably saw Kagome sat you earlier and committed it to memory.” the boy answered as he turned into his mother’s bedroom and headed over to the closet. He didn’t notice the half-demon was looking at him, mouth agape.
He can’t be serious. Not even the strongest demons in the feudal era can manage constant surveillance over everyone all the time. This Santa guy must have some strong powers. Inuyasha remembered what the boy said about Kagome sitting him and shuttered. Now that fat man knows my weakness. What is he going to do? Trying to act calm as to not alert to this ‘Santa’ character to his uneasiness, Inuyasha asked casually, “So what does he do with all this information he gathers?”
“Well, if you’re really good then he will give you presents on Christmas day. But if you’re bad you only get coal.” Souta explained. He cried out and triumphantly pulled out a plastic bag full of clothing. Digging through the bag, the boy pulled out a pair of red jogging pants and handed it over to the half-demon.
Inuyasha gave the boy a strange look as he accepted the pants and began to slip out of his bottoms. “Coal, is that all?” Here I thought that he was dangerous. The boy rolled his eyes and slipped into the pants. “Why does he give out presents anyway? What’s in it for him?”
“Cookies.”
“Cookies?” Inuyasha repeated.
“Yeah, you set out a plate of cookies for him every year. Everyone does.”
Well, that explains why he is so fat. He must have some strange addiction to them. Must be pretty strong if he is willing to give everyone in this time presents just for one plate of them. Inuyasha shook his head as he folded his pants over his arm and stared at the boy. What a waste of all that power. “So that’s all, if you’re bad you get coal and if you’re good you get presents. And you give the fat man cookies.”
“Yep, that’s it, besides the flying reindeer.” the boy added with a wicked smile.
“Oh, is that how he gets around? That’s nice.” Inuyasha stated absentmindedly. He’s so big they probably almost break their backs. Kagome’s time sure is strange.
Souta’s smiled faded, but then he shrugged. He lives in a time when combs turn into girls with killer hair. Yeah, I guess flying reindeer wouldn’t be that much of a shocker.
“So, is this guy rich or something? How can he get gifts for all these people he watches? Why doesn’t he just buy his own cookies and forget the whole thing?” Inuyasha asked, settling onto the floor.
“Oh yeah, the elves make them.” Souta stated, still considering the last question. I never thought of that before.
“Elves? What are they?” Inuyasha asked.
Souta sat down on his mother’s bed. “Um, elves are. . . elves…they are like really short with pointed ears and they make toys for Santa to deliver in his sleigh.”
“Do they get paid?”
“No, they’re elves.”
Inuyasha considered it. This Santa doesn’t seem like a very nice person. He makes a bunch of short beings slaving away making toys so he can get cookies. Let him bake his own damn cookies. Suddenly, the image of his brother popped into his head. Hm, short with pointed ears. “Hey , they wouldn’t happen to be green would they?”
The young boy gave him a confused look. “What?”
“Never mind. It’s not important. We better take these pants down to your mother.” The young teen said rising from the floor. As messed up as this guy seems, he doesn’t sound like a threat. After all those cookies we baked yesterday, if he shows up we can just bribe him to go away. Thinking of the other things that he knew about the holiday, a new question popped into his head. “Kagome said that you guys exchange gifts on Christmas right?” Inuyasha asked Souta as they started back down the stairs towards the kitchen.
Souta nodded. “Yep, Mom and gramps give me and Kagome lots of presents. Most of its clothing and school stuff and things like that, but some of the stuff is really cool. I get them presents too. I usually get one present for everyone here and then some of my friends at school too.”
Inuyasha nodded. I wish I had some money so I could get Kagome something. The others too. They have been so nice to me the last few days. I wonder where I could get some money. “Hey Souta, where do you get the money to get the presents?”
“I save up the money I get for helping with the chores in the summer and then mom gives me some too,” the boy answered. Studying the boys face, Souta’s eyes brightened with understanding. “You want to get Kagome something, don’t you, but you don’t have money from this time do you? If you ask mom, I bet she would give you some.” Souta suggested as they turned the corner. His mother turned at the sound of her son’s voice.
Holding out her hand, she took the pants from the boy, “Give him some what?”
“He wants to get us something for Christmas, but doesn’t have any money from this era.” Souta explained. “I told him that maybe he could ask you for some.”
Inuyasha quickly held up a hand. “I don’t want to become a burden.” He insisted.
“Oh, that would not be too much of a problem. It’s just for two people, right?” she asked.
“Four mom, you and gramps too.”
“He doesn’t have to get us anything, Souta.” Kagome’s mother insisted.
“No, that’s ok. You don’t have to give me any. . . Besides I. . .” Inuyasha sighed. He didn’t know how to explain it, but taking her money to buys some gifts for the family didn’t seem right. It was as it made the presents less special in some way.
Kagome’s mother seemed to understand immediately. “You want to earn the money yourself don’t you?” The boy nodded shyly. Kagome’s mother seemed thoughtful for a moment, before she suddenly smiled. “Souta, hand me the phone. You two go down and put these in the washing machine and start it, ok. Everything is already in there and the machine is set so you just have to turn the knob. Don’t worry Inuyasha. Its shouldn’t ruin your fire rat clothing. I have a call I have to make.”
Inuyasha gave Souta a confused look. Souta just shrugged and motioned for the hanyou to follow him down into the basement. Inuyasha studied the large machine in the corner of the room as Souta threw the pair of bottoms in and turned the knob. Inuyasha watched the clothing spin for a moment before the boys impatient yanking on his robe made him turn away. When they entered the kitchen, Kagome’s mother had just gotten off the phone. Turning, she smiled brightly at the two youths. “Well boys, I think I might have found both of you a job.”
“Both of us?” Souta asked. “It’s break. Why do I have to do anything? Besides, I am too young to have a job.” Souta whined.
“Oh, it’s only for about an hour or so and it’s Inuyasha that will be doing the brunt of the work. Besides, you have been bugging your grandfather and me for mouths about raising your allowance. Now you will have some extra money.”
“What’s the task?” Inuyasha asked eager at the chance to raise some money for the gifts without the help of Kagome’s family.
“Shoveling snow. Several elderly couples that live around here are getting to old to shovel all their walkways as per law. They are willing to give each of you five dollars each time it snows to do it.” Kagome’s mother explained
“But mom, that’s so much work.” Souta cried. “Five dollars doesn’t even cover it.”
“Ten dollars total is a generous price for shoveling Souta. Besides, with three couples at five dollars each, you will be each earning fifteen dollars a day for only about an hour’s work, which is twice as much as minimum wage. You should be grateful. Besides, if you two want to make more money, ask some of the locally owned businesses. I know the flower shop down the street would probably be willing to pay a good forty dollars for their parking lot and walkway seeing that the plows always skip over it. And there are several other stores on that street.” Kagome’s mother pointed out.
“A whole parking lot? That will take hours.” Souta protested.
“ Inuyasha’s a strong boy. I’m sure he can handle the physical labor. You’re the one that is profiting the most. You will be doing a fraction of the work for half the earnings. If I was not sure that Inuyasha might get lost, I wouldn’t have let you do it at all.”
“The work won’t be a problem,” Inuyasha stated confidently. How hard
can shoveling a little snow be in comparison to defeating a demon?
Kagome’s mother nodded. “It’s settled then. I will get you two up when I get up in the mornings and you can be out and finished by breakfast.” Kagome’s mother smiled, choosing to ignore the groan her son released at the mentioning of getting up early. “Now, sit down you two. Lunch is almost ready.”
The two youths did what she instructed. As if on cue, the minute they sat down, Kagome entered the room and headed towards the table as well. She smiled as she took a seat next to Inuyasha. “Here is where you went to. I was wondering if you had gotten lost in the snow.” The young girl teased playfully. She received an eye roll from Inuyasha who was silently wondering why Kagome‘s family thought he had no sense of direction. “I was going to ask you if you minded spending a few hours with Souta this afternoon.” Kagome added choosing to ignore the hanyou’s reaction to her previous comment.
This got the attention of the Hanyou. He sat up and looked at the girl as he felt a stab of fear and panic rise in him. What did I do now? Is it happening? Is she starting to regret that kiss? They still had not discussed the incident. In fact, Inuyasha had almost forgotten about it in the whirlwind of fun they had this morning. Trying to act as nonchalant as possible, he asked, “Why? Wouldn’t you rather join us?”
Souta, who had been about to scream with excitement at the prospect of having the insanely cool hanyou all to himself for a while, gave Inuyasha a deadly look.
Kagome shook her head, “I can’t. I got some schoolwork that I have to get done.”
Inuyasha eyed her suspiciously. “You said there was no school during the holidays.”
“Yes, but the teachers like to drown us in homework before they let us go.” Kagome commented dryly, silently cursing the public school system (A.N No offense if you’re a teacher. I know. Have to fit all that stuff in. Please don’t flame me lol.). “Don’t worry. I finished most of it before you got here, but I still got a report that I want to get finished so I can send it in before the due date. My professor has extended it twice for me due to my “illnesses” and he won’t do it again. I promise it will only take tonight. Please.” Kagome turned to give Inuyasha a puppy dogface.
Inuyasha swore he could actually feel his heart melting. The relief that it was just school that was making the girl pawn him off to her younger sibling not some kind of growing resentment towards the helpless hanyou, who recently realized he was in love with her, was enough to make him agree. The face was just overkill. If she asked him to kiss Sesshomaru with that face, he would have grabbed his brother and puckered up.
Seeing that the boy fell for it, Kagome rewarded Inuyasha with a stunning smile before turning to her brother. “You got the afternoon. Don’t say I never did you a favor.” She told him.
Ignoring his sister’s rudeness, Souta practically bounced in his seat from excitement. “Awesome, we can play video games and I can show you my cards, and I . . . this is going to be so awesome”
Inuyasha just shook he head at the boy and gave Kagome a look that said ‘what have you gotten me into now’. Kagome gave him a wicked grin before rising to help her mother, who had just shut off the stove.
“I hope you don’t mind having ramen, Inuyasha. I figured that it would be beneficial to get something warm into you kids after spending an hour in the snow.” Kagome’s mother commented as she set down two bowls in front of the half-demon.
Kagome rolled her eyes as she set down Souta and her own bowl, “Mom, the day that Inuyasha complains about having ramen is the day that I commit him to the loony bin.”
Inuyasha raised his head from the bowl he was inhaling. Around a mouthful of noodles, he asked, “What’s the ‘loony bin’?” Kagome shook her head.
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Kagome resisted the urge to smack her head repeatedly on her desk. She was so close to being done with this stupid report. All she had to do was to drop it in the designated folder on her school’s website and she would be able to forget about the wretched thing for the rest of the holiday. She has already dedicated seven hours of her life to the report today and she did not want to waste another minute. Dragging the file once again towards the folder, Kagome almost screamed as once again the same error message popped up onto the scream. Ah!!! Curse technology. She thought slumping in her chair.
Through the wall, she heard Souta give out a sudden cry of victory at whatever video game he had the half-demon playing now. Kagome glared at the wall as she felt a pang of jealously towards her little brother. The one time she manages to convince the hanyou to stay with them for a long period of time and she had to give him to her brother to entertain. Since lunch, the only time that she had seen him was at supper and they did not even get to speak. Souta hogged all the time by bragging about beating the hanyou at a card game.
Kagome tried once again to file the report and slammed her fist down
on her desk when the computer gave her the same response it had given her for the past half hour. Stomping over to her bed, she threw herself into its comforting confines. Grabbing a pillow, she curled up and sighed. If only she did not have this report to do. Who knows what they could have done today. They could have gone for another walk in the park but this time there would be no evil memories to destroy their wonderland. She would take him down the paved path so she could show him the ice covered weeping willow that grew by the pond. They could sit on the bench, watch the water move under the thin layer of ice, and just take in the beauty of winter. Maybe he would kiss me like he did in my dream. Kagome thought with a smile.
Though they had not spoke about the kiss, Kagome knew that even if Inuyasha hated it, hated her for doing it, Kagome could never regret it. Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine the way her soul had sung when those lips moved against her. She had wanted to stay in his arms forever. She could just lay her head against his shoulder, take in his smell, and die happily in his arms. She smiled when she pictured what the hanyou would every say if she told him that though she was human she knew his scent just as well as he knew hers. She loved the way he smelled. She had always laughed when someone had said that about their own boyfriends. Sure, she had heard of studies done about pheromones attracting the opposite sex or of mothers who, if given several baby blankets, could ’sniff out’ the one her child had slept in. Still, she never really thought that a way a person smelled could have a big effect on another person. But when she meant Inuyasha all that doubt had changed. He smelled so good. Like the forest after a rainfall. Earthy and wild and just so delicious.
After the kiss, she had been frightened out of her mind that he would be furious at her. He loved Kiko after all didn’t he? But so far, the boy had said nothing about the kiss. He certainly did not fight her when she was kissing him. Kagome smiled to herself as she hugged the pillow closer. Maybe he did not love Kiko as strongly as she had previously thought. Maybe in time he could learn to forget her and move on to someone else. She had been noticing his attitude towards her changing ever since that incident on their first walk. He is less angry and aggressive. He doesn’t yell near as much as he usually does. I haven’t heard him talk about the shards or Kiko once in the last two days without me bringing up the subject first and I swear after that bowl spilt, after we all got showered with powdered sugar, he was about to kiss me. It was like being away from his own time and being with her family was allowing him to open up to her. Maybe by the end of the holiday, he will trust me as I trust him, kagome thought with a warm smile. Kagome wanted to say love but knew that that was selfish. I have to take this one-step at a time, help him in any way I can and hope that these changes don’t fade away when they go back to the feudal era. Hope that maybe his feelings for me will change as well.
Kagome pulled herself away from the warm bed, glanced at the clock and sighed. Eight o’clock, a half of day wasted. She had only a few more minutes to turn in that paper before her professor started docking points for being late. Rising from the bed, she steeled herself for a battle with the computer gods, sat down at her desk, and held her breath as she dragged the file over to the dreaded folder. She released the mouse and almost danced with joy when the computer gave a content little ping as it filed the information in the folder.
“YES!!” She cried out as she reached forward to quickly open the folder to make sure that the computer was not playing tricks on her. There was her submission with a neat little box marked grade beside it waiting to be filled in by her teacher at his earliest convenience. Yay, I am finally free. Kagome rose from the chair and quickly shut down the computer before it could change its mind and spit her information back out. Staring at the darkened screen one thought went through her mind. I deserve some chocolate. Remembering the brand new box of hot chocolate downstairs, Kagome decided to reclaim her hanyou from her brother’s care and share a relaxing cup of coco with the boy before heading up to bed.
Skipping down to her brother’s room, she knocked at the door and heard the two boys go silent. “Oh Souta.” she called out sweetly and heard her brother whine.
“Go away.” he commanded.
Kagome pushed the door open to find the two boys sitting dangerously close to the TV, their eyes glued to the screen. Kagome paused to stare at the absorbed gamers for a moment before shaking her head. Kagome walked forward to look at the fighting game with little interest before pausing to stand over the hanyou. Just then, on the screen, Souta’s character kicked Inuyasha’s in the chin, making it fly across the room and the bright words KO flash on the screen. Souta quickly pressed a set of buttons to start another round before his sister dragged his captive out of the room. Inuyasha on the other hand glanced up at Kagome and actually smiled. “Hi, Kagome. Look. These people in the weird picture box can fight just as well as demons. I have control over them too see. Inuyasha demonstrated by pushing some random buttons which caused the girl he had been playing to hit Souta’s character in the head with her quarterstaff, KOing him in one move and causing Inuyasha to win the bout.”
Souta gave out an impressive growl that would have rivaled even Inuyasha’s, “Would you stop doing that?” the boy grumbled.
Kagome giggled before responding to her brother’s rhetorical question. “Yep, he will because I am stealing him back now.” she stated.
Souta dropped his controller, “Aw sis, can’t we play just one more game?”
“Nope, you have had him almost all day. It’s my turn now.” Turning off the game system and grabbing Inuyasha’s hand, she started to lead the surprised and bewildered hanyou out of the room, Souta protesting the whole way. Kagome shoved the hanyou into the hall before firmly shutting Souta’s door behind them. Souta muttered something about selfishness but did not follow the teens out into the hall.
Kagome let out a sigh of relief. That was easier than I thought it would be. I thought I would have to play tug of war with Souta to drag him out of the room. Kagome suddenly realized that though she did get the hanyou back, she did not really plan what to do now. Now that we are alone, together, for the first time since that kiss! Kagome blushed with that thought and turned, slightly nervous, to face the hanyou. Oh no, what do I do now?
Kagome smiled nervously at Inuyasha who was giving her a sort of dazed and confused look after being dragged into the hall. “You have fun with Souta?”
Inuyasha was still slightly dazed from the three and a half hour video gaming session so it took him a few minutes to register the fact that Kagome was speaking to him. Inuyasha focused on Kagome and noticed that she was blushing. He realized that with Souta closed behind the doors he would now have to face Kagome alone with the effects of the kiss still rattling in his brain. He blushed as well. “Yeah, I guess. You get that report done.” he countered.
Kagome rolled her eyes at that. “Yes, finally.”
“So no more school work?” Inuyasha asked shifting from foot to foot and giving her a slightly suspicious look.
“Nope, all done for the holidays, yay.” Kagome replied nodding over-enthusiastically before correcting herself. She felt like fool. He must think that I am a total idiot. But then again is it just me or did he look almost relieved? No no, must be my imagination.
“Good.” the young boy stated.
The pair fell into an awkward silence for a few moments before Kagome remembered her earlier goal.
“Are you thirsty? I was heading down to get some hot chocolate. Want a cup?” Kagome asked, glad for a reason to break the silence. Inuyasha’s eyes lit up like stars at the mention of the sweet liquid. Kagome smirked, “I’ll take that as a yes. Come on.”
Kagome turned swiftly and headed down the stairs with Inuyasha right behind her. Stepping into the kitchen, she quickly located the kettle and filled it before setting it on the stove. “Now where is that coco that mom bought for you.” Kagome said her voice shaking slightly as she bounced about with nervous energy. Inuyasha watched as Kagome threw open cabinet after cabinet, disappearing almost completely within them on her search for the Carmel coco. “Ah, here it is.” Kagome cried out triumphantly as she emerged box in hand.
As if on cue, the kettle on the stove started to whistle. Happy to have something else to do but shift from foot to foot and look stupid, Inuyasha lifted it off of the stove and switched of the burner. Kagome smiled at him as she retrieved two cups from the cupboard and joined him near the stove. Pouring the packets into the cups and adding the water, she handed the hanyou his cup and nodded her head towards the table. The two teens then sat and settled back into the uncomfortable silence without anything but each other to occupy their attention.
Inuyasha sipped at his hot chocolate, avoiding Kagome’s eyes. Part of him wanted to bring the subject of the kiss up. He had been dying to ask her to explain her reason for kissing someone like him. He desperately wanted her to tell him that nothing would change between them and that she would still stay with him forever. He had spent half the night worrying himself sick over the subject after all, but now with her sitting in front of him, he felt his confidence waning. Sighing, he stared at his cup, ashamed of his cowardliness.
Kagome sipped her own hot chocolate and tried to fight the blush that was trying to overtake her cheeks. She knew that they had to discuss the incident sometime and she did not want to have this constant awkwardness hanging over their heads for the rest of the holiday. But what if he hadn’t enjoyed it? What if this one kiss destroyed their fragile friendship? What if it drove him back into Kiko’s arms just because she couldn’t control herself? Suddenly, all those confident thoughts that she had had when she was laying on her bed cuddling her pillow and daydreaming seemed foolish and unfounded. But they could not avoid the subject forever. Sighing, she tried to gain the courage to speak.
“Inuyasha, I’m. . .” “Kagome, What . . .” both youths begin at the same time.
They both blushed and stopped. A short period of awkward silence followed as the two teens seemed absorbed in their own lack of confidence. Finally, Kagome spoke up
“I’m sorry, Inuyasha” Kagome whispered, her eyes glued to her cup. “I
should never have done . . . Well you know.”
Inuyasha felt his stomach drop and an awful ache went through his chest. He looked down at his cup as all his fears were realized in that one little sentence. So she does regret it? Inuyasha’s very soul seemed to radiate with pain and disappointment with every beat of his heart. So that’s it? Does she hate me now? Will she leave? For a moment, he could not trust himself to speak as he suddenly felt the sting of tears behind his eyes. He growled at himself. What am I a weakling? I lived without her before she came and I can live without her now. I don’t need her; I don’t need anyone. Glancing away, he clenched his hands into fist as he tried to fight the growing sorrow in his heart, but then slumped down in his seat. There is nothing I can do. I still love her. “I understand. Do you want me to leave?”
Kagome glanced up in surprise at this question. She stared at the hanyou with a mixture of confusion and concern. The boy looked devastated. Why would he think that I would want him to leave? “Of course not. Why would I make you leave because of my own stupidity? That is if you don’t want to go.” Kagome lowered her eyes, “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I know that you love Kiko, I just thought. . .”
“Wait, what? What do you mean ‘making me uncomfortable’? You did not make me uncomfortable.” Inuyasha cut in. A bud of hope started in his chest. Kagome looked up in surprise and Inuyasha blushed.
“You mean, you don’t hate me for kissing you?” Kagome asked.
“You thought I hated you for kissing me?” Inuyasha echoed in disbelief before he let out a soft chuckle as he felt a dizzying wave of relief come over him.
Kagome felt anger rise. He’s laughing at me. That jerk. “What’s so funny?”
Inuyasha held up a hand at her as he tried to smother the chuckle and get his bearing through the sudden wave of emotion. “I’m sorry, I was not laughing at you I just. . . You thought I hated you? That thought was the farthest thing from my mind trust me,” he stated fighting an idiotic grin. He felt suddenly exhausted and the relief was making him giddy. So does this mean that she doesn’t hate me? Inuyasha felt like he had been given the biggest gift in the world. Kagome on the other hand was watching the smiling hanyou, her annoyance growing as fast as his overcoming relief.
“Oh, and just what were you thinking?” Kagome asked crossing her arms and giving him that look she always gave him when he was heading towards being sat.
Inuyasha, who was still smiling and not paying an ounce of attention, did not notice. But he did notice her words. Inuyasha blushed the minute the question left Kagome’s mouth and looked away, feeling incredibly stupid. You just had to say that didn’t you? Even though you knew she would ask you that. I am such an idiot. Maybe if I just ignore her she will forget about the whole thing. Glancing up shyly, he suppressed the urge to curse when he saw Kagome expression. She was still staring at him waiting for an answer and by the looks of her posture if she did not like the answer he gave, he would be kissing the floor. Growling softly, Inuyasha toyed with the idea of remaining silence and taking the punishment instead of revealing his feelings and risk being rejected. But she did not regret kissing me so maybe she likes me too.
Inuyasha swallowed, his throat dry with nervousness, before he answered, “I was surprised at first.” He began slowly. “I had been so lost in thought when you did it that it took me a few minutes to realize what was going on, realized that you really kissing me. Me! And when I did I. . .it was so. . .damn.” he cursed. Why can I just be like the stupid monk and be so smooth talking around women? He drops one lame line and they are crawling all over him. Yet when I actually fall in love with someone and I can’t even form a solid sentence. I am as pathetic as everyone says I am aren’t I. Just a stupid useless hanyou.
“It was so what Inuyasha?” the young girl prodded, her arms lowering from her chest as she gave the boy a questioning look.
Inuyasha squirmed under her scrutinizing gaze. He sighed, “I don’t know. It was. . . confusing.” Inuyasha blurted out. Kagome gave him a look that said that she wanted him to continue but Inuyasha threw up his hand and shook his head, at a loss for the words that would truly describe what he had felt.
Kagome stares at Inuyasha with a mixture of bewilderment and fascination. The boy was blushing scarlet, slumming down in his chair and looked so confused and frustrated that Kagome wanted to reach out and hug him. She felt for him. She was just as confused about this as the boy in front of her apparently was. So he wasn’t mad. Even though Kagome was sure even before she asked him that he wasn’t angry, she still felt much better after hearing it from his own lips. But if he is not mad, then how does he feel about it? Did he like it or was it something that he just bore for my sake? And what about Kiko? That question burned in Kagome’s mind. Looking into her now cold cup of coco, she asked the one question that was plaguing her mind the most. “What do we do now?”
Inuyasha looked up, “What do you mean?”
Kagome blushed, “Where does that leave us? Can we still be friends? You don’t want me to leave do you?”
Inuyasha felt a flash of fear at that question, “Of course not, Kagome! Don’t even think about that.” Inuyasha’s voice seemed to echo off the walls. Inuyasha suddenly realized he had jumped out of his seat when he had stated that, almost knocking over the chair he was sitting on in the process.
Kagome looked at Inuyasha, surprised. She did not miss the flash of fear in the hanyou’s eyes when she mentioned leaving. Seeing the reaction it had enacted, she felt more than a little guilty about even bringing it up. “Ok Inuyasha I won’t. I promise.” she jumped in to reassured the boy. “I don’t want to leave its just. . . I don’t know what to do.” It would absolutely kill her if she had to do that. To leave the others and Inuyasha behind, but she did not want things to be this awkward and uncertain when they were alone and they were alone a good deal in the feudal era, despite their companions presents.
“Do we have to do anything? I said I wasn’t mad, you believe me right. Actually, I’m glad you kissed me.” Inuyasha blurted out without thinking, fishing for any reason to deter the girl from coming back to the idea of leaving. When he realizes what he said, he flinched. Oh no, what have I gotten into now?
“Glad, but what about Kiko? Don’t you love her?” Kagome questioned, feeling confused.
Inuyasha growled in frustration. “What about her? She’s dead right. You and the others have said so yourself. The only reason that she keeps bothering us is that she wants me to go to hell with her. She could never love me. Even when we were together, she was ashamed of me. She wanted me to become human. I don’t even know if she ever truly accepted me for who I was. What we had wasn’t love. Not like I. . . ” Inuyasha resisted the urge to slap his hand across his mouth when he realized just what he was about to say. Inuyasha turned scarlet once again and avoided Kagome‘s eyes.
Kagome gave the hanyou a long and studious gaze. What did he mean not like I. . .? What was he going to say? Could it have been…? Kagome’s mind flashed back to the events of the last two days. Inuyasha’s kindness towards her family, his good attitude. Could it be that he is finally seeing me as something more than a friend? Kagome suddenly smiled at the boy as the warm feeling of hope began to bud in her chest. She wanted to reach out and grab the boy. To pull him to her and kiss him until he passed out from the lack of oxygen. She wanted to question him until he said those magical three words. But she stopped herself. He had not said that he loved me. He had technically said nothing. But what else could it be? Kagome eyed the confused and lost looking boy across the table from her. I won’t push him, she decided firmly. He’s obviously confused about what he is feeling, but that’s a start isn’t it? He doesn’t love Kiko anymore, so there is hope. Kagome smiled as she felt her spirit raise at the thought that perhaps the beautiful boy in front of her finally loved her filled her with an unending joy. Kagome couldn’t resist. She leaned forward.
I am such an idiot. What was I thinking? I almost told her I love her. I almost. . .Inuyasha’s train of thought was broken by the soft press of lips on his own. He almost died of shock as his heart speed wildly out of control. The contact only lasted for a moment, but it was just as breathtaking and dizzying as the last kiss. When Kagome pulled back, Inuyasha could still feel those precious lips on his. His heart was beating dangerously fast and his stomach was dancing along with his head in a dizzying reverie. Inuyasha crushed the urge to bring his fingers to his lips in disbelief as he gave Kagome a bewildered look.
Kagome smiled at the confused looking hanyou. “Thank you.” was all she said.
Inuyasha blushed and looked into his cold cup. Then he smiled. Maybe I don’t have to say anything at all. Maybe she already knows and maybe, just maybe, she feels the same.
(a.n will take me a while to get more up. but the next one is going to be a sledding adventure
