InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Gray ❯ on to the small talk ( Chapter 7 )

~<>~ Shades of Gray ~<>~

 

 

~<>~ Chapter 7 ~<>~ on to the small talk

 

 

 

Kagome walked with Rin under the tunnel connecting their dorms to the campus before turning to smile thankfully to Rin. “Thanks for walking with me; this can be a bore of a hike when doing it alone.”

 

Rin shrugged while turning her face towards the setting sun. The ocean breeze swept across the treeless courtyard tousling the girls' black hair across their faces as they emerged from the tiny tunnel. “I used to hate walking by myself across the Ocean County College campus…but then again, it wasn't that long of a walk.” Looking behind her, she quickly added, “but…neither is this. In fact, I really think it's shorter. Wow…you would never know this was a small campus.”

 

Kagome shrugged and wrapped her arms around her body, her coat hardly keeping out the cold January chill. “Never the less…thank you.”

 

Rin smiled. “Don't mention it…and I think I'll reframe from mentioning InuYasha's little stunt…again.” she watched Kagome's face carefully, laughing as the shades of crimson dashed across her features.

 

Kagome stammered for a moment. “Well…I told you he was an asshole.”

 

Rin shook her head. “He has the hots for you, I hope you know that.”

 

Kagome stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes trained on the back of the Rin's leather coat as the young girl kept walking, a smile on her face. “Wait…you think…no! No he doesn't! He would never…he wouldn't…did you hear what he called me?”

 

Rin glanced over her shoulder, waving her hand dismissively, “I heard what he called you…but I also saw how he reacted to you. Trust me! Kenren's father was the same way, except he never was really nasty towards me…just…debasing. But it was never out of hatred or dismay; he just wasn't much of suave kind of guy and more then that, he didn't want to be seen as weak. It was something in his family, I think, that showing emotions made males weak. I saw right through him from the first day, and it drove him crazy. And it also drove him right to where I wanted him.” Giggling behind her hand, Rin flashed Kagome a dazzling smile, “I'll tell you, InuYasha is just as clear. You just need to open your eyes!”

 

Kagome's jaw hung slack for a moment before she broke into a jog to catch up to Rin. “Even if you're right, which you're not, he's with Kikyo so it doesn't matter!”

 

Rin shrugged, “if you say so.”

 

“I do.”

 

Rin laughed lightly and shook her head. “All right Kagome, I'll back off, I promise.”

 

Kagome nodded once in appreciation, and then quickly changed the topic. “So, are you working at the dorm every day now?”

 

Rin shrugged as she dug through her purse looking for her car keys. “They say so…we'll see I guess. I won't mind the work, but daycare might have a fit.”

 

Kagome sighed lightly, “It must be so expensive putting your son in there for so long. Have you thought about an on-campus daycare?”

 

Rin jerked her head around to stare at Kagome as if the girl had slapped her. “No!” she exploded rather loudly. Looking shaken, she cleared her throat, though the wildness in her eyes didn't dissipate. “No…that….wouldn't do at all.” She laughed nervously and went back to searching for her keys. “I …umm…don't really...trust people that much with my son. I'd have a hard enough time letting my father baby sit, really. It took me forever to find the right daycare…you would never believe how hard it is.” Rin forced a laugh that sounded rather pitiful to Kagome and grabbed her keys. Rushing to the side of a 2000 silver Santa Fe, she grinned at Kagome with a panicked smile. “I…just…yeah…I'll talk to you later.” Taking a deep breath, she seemed to pause for a moment to collect herself. Leaning her forehead against the roof of her car, she took a deep, calming breath and sighed heavily. “I'm sorry, I must seem a mess.”

 

Kagome's eyebrows had long disappeared under her bangs, as she leaned back on her heels to look over Rin. “Just…slightly. I'm sorry,” she said genuinely confused, “was it something I said?”

 

Rin lifted her head and smiled patiently, her eyes betraying her the entire time. Inadvertently, Kagome had set off some type of warning bell in Rin's head, and this was the panic alarm. “No, not really…it's just that I really don't take Kenren out that many places. I like order and I like consistence, and the daycare I take him to offers that. To even think of pulling him away from that…” she smiled and shook her head, “I'm just really jumpy when it comes to my little man, you know?” Her eyes said the rest that she couldn't vocalize. `He's all I have left.'

 

Kagome frowned, not liking the secrecy that Rin was holding back, but couldn't blame her. After all, they hardly knew each other. Kagome would never dream of telling her… Biting her tongue, Kagome chose to let the subject fade to the back of her mind. “So…then I will see you tomorrow?”

 

Rin's entire body relaxed with a wave of relief. “Yes…tomorrow. Have a good night Kagome, and thank you again for having lunch with me.”

 

Kagome nodded and stepped back so the girl could get into her car. Stealing a glimpse into her backseat, she could see the baby seat, a few scattered toys and a car in disarray. There was no question to Rin's claim of motherhood…but why would she react so violently at the thought of bringing her child to the campus? Did she think that lowly of those who went here? Was it bashing the rich attitudes that so many carried on their shoulders like crowns…or disputing the child care clinic's reputation? Kagome couldn't have cared less what Rin was trying to say about their institution, but instead, was more worried with the connotation of her outburst. What was Rin hiding? Or…was she one of those obsessive mothers who didn't think anyone worthy…or certifiable, to watch their child. A sharp pang attacked Kagome's heart in the midst of her questions, and she stopped dead, reaching instead into her bag to call her mother. She felt her throat well up as she began to walk towards the dorm. The need to hear her mother's voice was never more pressing.

 

 

&X&X&XX&X&X&X&X&X&X&X& ;&X&

 

“Should I…”

 

“Shut up? Why yes, yes you should. That is unless you want my size ten shoe up your asshole.”

 

Miroku hefted an eyebrow but wisely chose to shut his mouth. Picking up a French fry, he very slowly bit into it, staring unabashed at his friend.

 

It only took a second for InuYasha to fidget under his glare. Setting down his third bottle of soda, he sighed loudly. “What?”

 

Miroku kept his gaze unmoving on InuYasha and nodded towards the soda slowly, the french-fry he had so adamantly been dissecting lay limp between his fingers. “On a totally serious note?” InuYasha nodded, looking if not more frustrated. “What color is your urine?”

 

InuYasha nearly exploded. “What?” he roared over all the noise in the cafeteria. Maybe he was just so irritated that Miroku was dancing around the main subject. He knew his roommate, he knew how Miroku though, he knew how Miroku processed information. Hell, he knew what Miroku was thinking halfway before Miroku did. And that was why he had been on the edge of his seat. He was expecting a rather blunt `so when did you fuck her', or a `so that's how bad you want into her pants', not some trumped up question about his piss.

 

Miroku's expression never changed, no matter how many people turned to stare at the sudden outburst. “See…drinking all that dark liquid would turn a normal person's piss to be a awful dark yellow color. And you can house up to about seven bottles of cola a day, give or take three bottles of root beer and then five Budweiser's at night. I'm just wondering what you do to balance because any normal person would have pissed out their liver by now. But…you haven't, and being that you partake in a habitual affliction of not being able to flush…”

 

InuYasha gawked at the man in front of him, unable to construe a logical sentence off his assertion. “You…have been studying…my piss?” leaning across the table, InuYasha dropped his voice to a harsh whisper, “Miroku, I have two works for you. Psychological counseling. There's a center for that here, on campus, right outside this door. I will walk you there, if you want me to. But seriously, seek help. Now.”

 

Miroku laughed and shook his head. “All I'm asking…”

 

InuYasha growled and looked towards the ceiling. “Water. I drink lots of water.”

 

“Bull shit. You don't touch water. I know you don't.”

 

InuYasha narrowed his eyes as his hefted his gaze towards his roommate. “I call your bluff. Every day before class I buy a bottle of water.”

 

Miroku's smile grew. “One bottle of water would never be able to counteract the acids of the soda that pool in your bladder.”

 

InuYasha was just short of jumping across the table and pummeling his friend into a coma. “Is this some fetish I should know about? Cause if it is, that's disgusting.”

 

Miroku shook his head and waved the French fry at InuYasha. “No. and I agree, that is a rather offsetting fetish. But back to the point; how do you…”

 

InuYasha shook his head and threw up his hands. “I told you, you sick freak, water. I drink it at class and I drink it when I'm at Kagome's dorm.”

 

Miroku opened his mouth to nod; the smile that lit up in his eyes was boasting nothing short of victory. “Oh…I see. So…at Kikyo's, you drink lots of water?”

 

InuYasha snorted and rolled his eyes, finishing off the rest of his soda. “Isn't that what I just said?”

 

Miroku pursed his lips and readied himself. “No, actually you just referred to it as `Kagome's dorm' which tells me that your subconscious is still thinking about that female, twenty minutes after she's been gone.”

 

And the Pepsi bottle sprouted wings and flew across the table in the direction of Miroku's face.

 

“You ass! Didn't I tell you not to include me in those fucking studies of yours?”

 

“But you're such the willing patient, Yash. I mean, you are completely inept of medical and psychological knowledge, you fall right into my test, and you're oblivious to everything. Tell me how I couldn't include you?”

 

InuYasha grunted loudly, “you're fucking health-study interest disgusts me, Miro.”

 

Miroku's eyes sparkled. “You're interests interest me, how's that fair?” seeing InuYasha stand up, Miroku faked a pout. “Oh and here I thought our date was going so well. Tell me, was it something I said? Something I did? I thought I was absolutely charming.”

 

InuYasha dumped his tray and flipped Miroku off as he walked out of the café. To his annoyance, it was only a second before Miroku was at his side.

 

“Okay fine, I will stand to listen to you rant about Kagome. You know you want to, I know you want to…hell, everyone who saw you suck on her finger knows you want her…I mean, you want…no, no, I'm right. You want her.”

 

InuYasha stopped by the doorway exiting the student center. Pulling Miroku out of the middle of the hallway, he threw the boy into the brick wall. “Look, Miroku…” as InuYasha began, he held out his finger towards the other man. Both their eyes fell to the limb and instantly InuYasha retracted it with a grimace.

 

Miroku pouted yet again. “And here I was about to stick it in my mouth. Cause…apparently that's normal or something.”

 

InuYasha growled and punched the brick by Miroku, stifling the grimace as the bare stone tore into his knuckles. “What do you want me to say? Yes, I fucked up. No, I don't know why I did it.”

 

“How hard is it to admit that you have some latent desire to fuck her brains out? You want her, Yash, and that's fine, it's normal. Ignoring it and turning it into some Capulet/Montague blood feud is not only unmoral, it's immoral and I'm sure unhealthy. And not to mention, it's suppressing your livid libido.”

 

InuYasha looked rather pained, and not from the wound on his hand. “I…can't. Look, maybe in some stretch of the imagination, I have…something…besides for disdain for Kagome. But I would never, ever, act on it. I will not get involved with yet another Higurashi!”

 

Miroku made a face and backed away from InuYasha. Clucking his tongue once, he smirked at the man and walked out the double doors. He heard InuYasha swear then approach him from behind.

 

“That's it; No giant parade or banners? Where are the signs saying `Miroku's right'?”

 

Miroku's smile grew smug. “Oh, they're flying high-mast in my mind…but that's beyond my point.”

 

InuYasha rubbed his forehead then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus Miroku, what the hell is wrong with me? Why would I want to get involved with a dumb bitch who's a rich and snobbish little pris who I have spent years arguing with? I don't! I really, really don't! I hate her father almost as much as I hate mine, and I hate her cousin more then I hate my own brother. Do you know how impossible that is to do? It's completely impossible. It has to be something screwed up in my head! It has to be.”

 

Miroku yawned and stole a glance at InuYasha. “That's a fascinating story. Have you thought of making an adaptation for stage?” Turning and patting InuYasha on the shoulder, he added, “call me when you start seeing your father's ghost and you think your step-father is trying to kill you.”

 

InuYasha swatted Miroku's hand away. “Never. I'm not even considering Kagome, and I hope you get that through your skull.”

 

Miroku laughed and started walking again towards the dorms. “Of course, because she's a Higurashi.” Wrinkling his nose, he looked towards his friend again. “But…when you really think about it, no she's not. Her father is a Higurashi…but he disowned her and her mother. So technically, she's a…a umm…what's her mother's last name?”

 

“Fuck if I know.”

 

“She's a fuck-if-I-know.”

 

InuYasha flicked his hands towards Miroku then punched him in the shoulder when he tried to avoid. “Punk. It doesn't matter, disowned or not. That blood runs through her veins.”

 

Miroku rolled his eyes again. “How does that go? Oh yes; two households, both alike in dignity…”

 

InuYasha threatened to hit him again and Miroku shut up. Silence ensued while they walked towards InuYasha's SUV.

 

“So…just why did her father disown them again?”

 

InuYasha shrugged as he pulled the keys to his car from his letterman's jacket. “Her mother cheated on him with a family friend over in Japan.”

 

Miroku grunted, “as if we don't all cheat. Everybody lies, doesn't he know this?”

 

InuYasha got into the drivers seat and waited for Miroku to get into the H2. “But she got pregnant.”

 

Miroku grimaced. “Ouch; the worst kind of parasite…and lie detector test.”

 

 

&X&X&X&X&X&X&X&X&X&X& &X&X&X&X&X&

 

 

 

Kagome swung around the end of the hallway, her brain churning a mile a minute over that damned…man. She had dealt with InuYasha for six long intolerable years; she had dealt with his jibes, his taunts, his ill-mannered way of life, and his horrid temper. She had weathered the worst of insults from that boy…he had called her things that she would have killed another man for calling her. All for what, Kikyo? Maybe it was for making sure that her cousin didn't have reason to hate her, or maybe more so, her aversion to wanting to piss off yet another relative. Only her mother was left for her, when reality weighted down on the situation; Kagome was sure that her father would turn her away from his door in the midst of a tsunami if she went knocking. That went for Kikyo's family as well. Her Aunt, her father's sister, somehow blamed Kagome for her parent's failed marriage, not that Kagome didn't blame herself already, but at least she had the facts. Chiyo had simply grasped onto a semi-logical theory and blamed the child. It apparently was always the child's fault. Or…a worse idea that had kept Kagome up many nights over also presided; it was possible that her father told Chiyo the truth.

 

Drowning in her own thoughts, she hardly had time to recover when a figure barreled into her coming from up her dorm-room hallway. Hearing a half muttered apology, Kagome clung to the wall to where she was knocked to, trying to quickly orientate herself.

 

“Hey, watch where you're going!” Kagome whirled in her spot, shouting to the rogue figure that had so unceremoniously dumped her on her ass. Her eyes narrowed at the flowing black hair that bellowed out from under the hat and over the trench-coat that he donned. Kagome stood up quickly, disregarding her dropped book bag. She darted up the hall after the person, something sitting ill at ease in her gut. It was like the man stepped out of a Peter Seller's novel. Gritting her teeth, she quickly sprinted into a jog as she came closer to the elevators. She could hear the ringing of the door opening and sped around the corner, praying that her sleuthing would uncover some type of conspiracy…or find some gorgeous man waiting for her.

 

As she reached the elevator, slightly out of breath, she was disappointed as the door was closing on the face of her villain. What she did catch though was a steady stare of a set of dark brown eyes that were nearly crimson, and a dastardly smirk that only Satan should be able to pull. The man inclined his head to her then vanished behind two large metal doors. But it was enough to stop her in her tracks.

 

“Naraku?”

 

Kagome stood staring at the door for a minute, blinking rapidly. Why was Naraku on her floor? He came from…down by…her…dorm. Her head snapped like a whip in the direction of her room. Setting a quick stepped pace, Kagome strut down the path snagging her book bag off the floor from where she had abandoned it. Reaching her room, she opened the door, knowing her cousin hadn't locked it.

 

Glancing wildly around the room, she took a hesitant smell of the air. There was nothing…stale or…manlike in the air, which was a good thing. If Kikyo was cheating on InuYasha with Naraku, the boy was bound to go ballistic. At that was one gun she would not step in front of. She could hear the shower running, knowing that Kikyo must have just stepped into the bathroom if her suspicions were correct. That…or…they were in the bathroom.

 

`Eww…' she thought as she wrinkled her nose. It wasn't that Naraku wasn't hot…but it was disgusting to think of him with Kikyo….or Kikyo with anyone for that matter.

 

Kagome waited outside of the bathroom, tapping her fingernails against the cold concrete blocks that made the walls of their tiny cell-like dorm room. Her mind was whirling with different thoughts as she sat in contemplation over the day's events. She was glad for the interruption that Naraku had provided for her, it got her train of thought to focus away from that damned asshole. Why would Kikyo be hanging around with Naraku…in their dorm room? Kagome would never profess to be an angel, even in her `school form'; if Kikyo was entertaining Naraku in their room, she knew it wouldn't be with milk and cookies while watching Family Matters.

 

Kagome groaned and ran her hands through her hair as the shower was shut off. She couldn't believe that she was, in some round about way, going to stand up for InuYasha. Was she going to stand up for InuYasha? Why? He had just…thoroughly…humiliated her in the cafeteria, why did she care if his girlfriend was cheating on him?

 

Hearing the door to the bathroom unlock, Kagome held her breath and waited for her cousin to emerge.

 

Kikyo rounded the doorway, oblivious to her younger cousin's presence, in her dark blue satin robe with her hair put up on her head in a turban made of towels. Shuffling towards her dresser, she began to wade through her undergarments, searching for a new bra to wear.

 

“Hey.”

 

Kikyo whirled around, her hand pressed firmly to her chest, panic settling to irritation in her eyes. “Don't…do that!”

 

Kagome made a face, “What…be pleasant?”

 

“Sneak up on people!” Turning around, Kikyo returned to going through her clothes. “Shouldn't you be in class?”

 

Kagome pushed off the wall and walked slowly towards her cousin. “I'm not feeling to well, so I'm ditching.” Looking at the door then back at Kikyo, Kagome carefully worded her next question. “So…what's up?”

 

Kikyo shot her another annoyed glance then pulled out a black satin bra. “I'm getting ready for my date with Inu tonight. We're going to Mama Rosa's in Manchester.”

 

Kagome shifted her weight on her heels, her eyes quickly adverting away from Kikyo's. Her cousin must have felt the tension because she quickly stood up and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

 

“All right…what's this, what's going on….what's happening?” she asked while wiggling her finger up and down at Kagome's posture, doing a rather great impression of Karen from Will and Grace.

 

Kagome rolled her eyes and sat down on her bed, tucking her legs under her body. “Kik…when I was coming up the hallway, I passed…” seeing her cousin's blank stare, Kagome licked her lips. “Do you know Naraku?”

 

Kikyo cocked her head to her right shoulder, blinking at a set pace of intervals as her brain churned in her head. After a moment, the proverbial ding could be heard regarding her answer. “Oh. Naraku…Itogowa. Yeah, he was the skeezoid who tried to stick his tongue down my throat when I was a freshman at the Tao Kappa party. Man…InuYasha was pissed off.” Blinking again, she pursed her lips, “why the flashbacks?”

 

Kagome faltered for a moment, seeing her cousin keeping rather calm and collected. “Well…I passed him in the hallway coming back here.”

 

Kikyo wrinkled her nose. “Someone on this floor is sleeping with him? Eww.”

 

Her disgust was too obvious to be faked. As Kagome's relief became evident, apparently so did her intent.

 

“Kaggie!” crossing her arms and looking rather hurt; Kikyo furrowed her eyebrows and shifted her weight to her right hip. “You didn't really think that I was…”

 

Kagome felt the spotlight turn on her and began to sweat. “Well…it's just…I know that you and he flirted at one point…and he's not that bad looking…”

 

Kikyo's eyebrows vanished under her raven bangs. “Are you asking what I think you're asking or do you want him?”

 

“What? No!” Feeling her cheeks flush, Kagome stammered for a moment, “I just thought…that you…”

 

Kikyo studied Kagome's face for a moment before vanishing to her bathroom. Setting down her clothes she had picked out, she stormed back out and stood directly in front of Kagome. “You think I'm cheating on InuYasha.”

 

Kagome knew a rhetorical question when she heard it. “Kik…”

 

“No, don't say anything.” The voice that sounded out of her airy cousin's mouth was harsh and rather wounded. Kagome winced, not liking being the cause. “I don't want to hear it. How dare you presume that I would cheat on my Inu-Kun! Of the six years I've dated him…have I ever brought another man back to this room?”

 

Okay, so now Kagome felt like a shmuck. Seeing the hurt on her cousin's face, she relented with a sigh. “No…I'm sorry…I…”

 

Kikyo shook her head violently, “Don't…I don't want to hear it. Answer my question.”

“No. you have never brought…”

 

“Have you ever heard me talk about making out, or having sex, with anyone other then for InuYasha?”

 

Kagome squirmed in her seat. Attempting to slide off the bed, her path of retreat was blocked by her cousin's body. Sitting back against the wall, she sighed again. “No.”

 

“Then why would you think for a minute that I would have Naraku here, in this room?”

 

Kagome frowned and looked away from her cousin. `Damn…' “I'm sorry Kikyo, I wasn't thinking…it was too easy of a connection to link together. I should have thought…”

 

Kikyo shook her head, turning her face towards the ceiling. “You know, Kagome…not everyone cheats on their partners. I would never cheat on InuYasha. And seriously…those who do deserve what they get.” Staring hard at Kagome with an insinuation that burned Kagome's blood into a boiling rage, she turned and stormed into the bathroom slamming the door behind her.

 

Kagome nearly followed her. How dare she make such insinuations about her mother? Kagome knew it was there…Kikyo was always playing mind games with Kagome over her mother's `infidelity'. Kikyo thought it was humorous to prod at Kagome about her mother's fall from the social spectrum and Kagome nearly punched her every time. Did Kagome deserve the jab this time, yes…but her mother didn't!

It would be the first time that Kagome considered telling Kikyo the long truth…a truth that ruined lives. Would Kikyo believe her though, or would it be her own death sentence?

 

Shaking her head, Kagome turned on her heels and stalked towards the door to the room. She needed a drink…and she really didn't feel like going up to the city to get it. Maybe she could use a few connections over at Jak's to get herself a few drinks.

 

Grabbing her leather coat from her closet, she got into it and stormed out of the room, letting the door slam behind her. No longer was she questioning Narkau's appearance on the floor, but more so was focused on Kikyo's acclimation; “Not everybody cheats…”. Kikyo was right, not every body did…but if she thought that InuYasha wasn't having a few flings on the side, then she was sadly mistaken. Kagome was nearly sure that InuYasha had slept around while with Kikyo, his personality screamed it. But that was something that Kikyo would never want to hear.

 

Kagome grunted loudly as she slammed the heel of her hand against the button for the elevator. Somehow this day had managed to get worse.

 

&X&X&X&X&XX&X&X&X&X&X& ;X&&X&X&X&XX&

 

Sorry so slow for a update, things got in the way. Next one should be out soon. >.<

 

Blanket Disclaimer: I Don't Own InuYasha! I only borrow him on Saturday nights…and the occasional Tuesday.