Crossover Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Journey to the City of Endless Night ❯ Chapter Fifty-Six ( Chapter 56 )

Chapter Fifty-Six

 

Warm sunlight bathed Shippo's face and the fox kit blinked his eyes. He stretched, yawning wide. Shippo sat up, rubbing his eyes. He felt well-rested and wondered what the day might hold. The little boy saw Miroku's empty bedroll, the covers haphazardly tossed back. He scratched his head, knowing that the monk was usually tidy. Shippo shrugged his little shoulders. “Whatever.”

 

Shippo stood up and his mouth opened in surprise when he glanced toward the bed. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Miroku hadn't woken up, after all. Instead, the monk slept in the bed, his body wrapped around Sango's. His cursed hand rested on the demon slayer's stomach, pulling her snugly against him. Shippo couldn't believe that Sango hadn't beaten Miroku senseless. She slept soundly, her arms wrapped around the monk's encircling her. The fox kit tiptoed past the bed, sliding his overcoat off of its peg. Shippo heard a soft sigh and froze. When no one stirred, he tugged his coat on and crossed to the door. He did not want to be in the room when Sango realized what was happening.

 

Shippo eased opened the door, closing it as softly as possible behind him. He sighed in relief when he didn't hear any noise from the room. He knew nothing had happened between the two of them. Their scents hadn't changed and they didn't intermingle completely like Inuyasha and Kagome's did. He may not have understood much about mating, but he knew they had not done so. Shippo slunk down the hall on silent feet. He had to be as far away as possible, before either Miroku or Sango woke.

 

The little boy stopped in front of Inuyasha and Kagome's door. He shook his head and his shoulders slumped. Sango had told him he could see Kagome in the morning, but he wondered how badly Inuyasha would beat him for trying. Shippo muttered to himself, “Stupid Inuyasha. He takes up all her time and never lets me see her. I wish that Inuyasha and Kagome hadn't become mates. Kagome would have time for me and things would be like they used to be. It's not fair.” He twitched his tail and bit his lip. Making a tiny fist, Shippo quietly rapped on the door. “I don't care if Inuyasha gets mad. I want to see her today.” He heard a soft groan of protest and Inuyasha's deep voice grumbling. Kagome's soft voice replied, but Shippo couldn't quite make it out.

 

Sounds of footsteps reached Shippo's ears and the door opened. Kagome stood in the doorway, tying Inuyasha's haori closed around herself. She smiled wide. “Shippo-chan, what are you doing here so early?” She shot a warning glare over her shoulder in Inuyasha's direction. “Why don't you come in? Maybe we can have breakfast brought here. Wouldn't that be nice?”

 

Shippo scampered into the room. He said, “I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. Besides, I didn't want to see Sango kill Miroku.”

 

“Oi. It's barely dawn, whelp.” Inuyasha lounged in the bed, his chest bare. His eyes were closed and his ears down. The half-demon yawned wide, revealing his fangs as he scratched his stomach. “You couldn't find someone else to pester this early in the morning?”

 

“Inuyasha,” Kagome chided. She sat down next to him, curling up onto his chest, and sighed. “Miroku and Sango are still asleep?”

 

Shippo nodded. “Yeah. I didn't want to be there when Sango woke up. I think Miroku's going to be in big trouble.”

 

“Feh. Just what did the lecher do this time?” Inuyasha settled an arm around Kagome, squeezing her shoulder.

 

Shippo scuffed his foot into the floor. “Well, when I woke up, I noticed Miroku's bedroll had been left unmade. He was asleep in the bed with Sango.”

 

Kagome shot up, staring at him. “Did you say what I think you just said? Miroku's sleeping in the same bed as Sango?”

 

Inuyasha grunted. “Kagome, warn me before you elbow me in the gut.” He snorted. “Feh. The monk's probably going to die for that.”

 

Kagome snatched her arm away from Inuyasha. “Sorry. I didn't mean to, Inuyasha.” She put a finger to her chin. “You don't think they---I mean those two have had feelings for one another for a long time, now. It's bound to happen at some point.”

 

Inuyasha sat up and crossed his arms. “Those two won't do that unless that idiot monk quits chasing anything wearing a skirt. As long as he keeps behaving like a lecher, Sango won't give him a chance.”

 

Shippo shook his head. “No. They didn't do anything like that. I just know I don't want to be there when Sango wakes up.” The fox kit shuddered at the thought of how angry the demon slayer would be. It would most likely make the time she fought the bear demon appear tame. She had looked enraged then and Shippo figured she'd look worse when she woke up and realized that the monk was in bed with her. He said, “She's scary when she's mad.”

 

Inuyasha chuckled softly. “He may not have to worry about the Wind Tunnel ending his life if Sango has anything to say about it. She might cut that cursed hand off.” He scratched an ear, yawning again. “Oi, brat, you sure wake up early.”

 

Shippo sat down on the edge of the bed, swinging his legs lazily. He yawned, scratching his stomach. It growled, announcing his hunger. He said, “I'm hungry. Can we have that breakfast, Kagome?”

 

Kagome smiled. “Sure, Shippo-chan.” She kissed Inuyasha's cheek. “Will you ask someone to send breakfast this way? Please?”

 

Inuyasha's eyebrows knit together and he frowned. “Feh. You can do that all by yourself, wench. You got legs.” He crossed his arms, a blush covering his cheeks. “Don't play weak human on me.”

 

Kagome nuzzled her nose underneath Inuyasha's chin. “Please? I'm hungry now that I'm awake and I know you are, too. You always are when you first wake up.” She leaned closer to his ear, and Shippo caught the whisper, “Besides, I'm a little under-dressed, if you know what I mean.” She smoothed down Inuyasha's haori over herself.

 

Inuyasha's cheeks flamed further and he sighed loudly. His ears flattened to his head and his shoulders sagged in defeat. “Alright, alright. I'll get us some breakfast.”

The half-demon tossed the blankets back and climbed out of bed. Shippo looked away when he saw that Inuyasha was naked. He trained his eyes on the door, and Shippo could hear Inuyasha pull his hakama on. It wasn't as if the kit hadn't seen Inuyasha naked before, but those times had been during baths. Inuyasha stomped towards the door. “Feh. It's too early for this shit.”

 

Kagome called out, “Wait! Your ears!”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Oi! Woman, will you make up your mind? Do you want me to get breakfast for you or not?” He tugged his hood on and opened the door. Inuyasha poked his head out into the hall and exchanged a few words with a servant. He closed the door, leaning against it as he tossed his hood to the floor. “There. Ya happy now?”

 

Kagome smiled wide. “Yes.” She crossed the room, hugging Inuyasha. She kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “You're adorable when you're grumpy, Inuyasha.”

 

“Oi! Not in front of the whelp, wench.” Inuyasha blushed, although he did pull Kagome closer, hugging her. “I am not adorable, either.”

 

Shippo looked away, blushing. “Inuyasha's right. Don't do any of that in front of me. Gross.”

 

Kagome laughed. She eased out of Inuyasha's arms and scooped Shippo up into a hug. “Oh Shippo, you're adorable, too. Both of my boys are.” She brushed her nose against his. “So what would you like to do this morning? We can do whatever you want, Shippo. Right, Inuyasha?”

 

“Feh. Whatever.” Inuyasha sat back down on the bed, his arms above his head as he stretched. He cracked his knuckles, yawning. “How about we sleep the rest of the morning?”

 

Kagome sat down by Inuyasha. She leaned her head onto his shoulder. “Hey now. Let's do something fun, something all three of us can enjoy together.”

 

“We can all sleep. That's fun.” Inuyasha rubbed an eye.

 

“Inuyasha.” Kagome glared at him. “Come on, help me think of something fun to do. Besides sleeping.”

 

Shippo hugged Kagome and smiled wide. “Do you have any games with you, Kagome?”

 

Kagome shook her head. “Sorry, all I have are the cards. I couldn't pack anything else.” She sighed. “I'm so tired of playing cards. There has to be something else to do.”

 

“Sleep.” Inuyasha yawned, his eyes closed. He pulled Kagome to his chest. The half-demon whispered into Kagome's ear, “Why don't we let the whelp find something to do on his own? I had planned on sleeping in with you this morning.” Inuyasha nuzzled his mark.

 

Shippo clenched his hands into tiny fists at his sides. He couldn't believe that Inuyasha wouldn't let Kagome spend any time with him. The fox kit growled low in his throat before shouting, “It's not fair! You get to spend all the time you want with Kagome and I never get to see her! Kagome said we get to do what I ever I wanted to do.” He turned his back towards them, his arms crossed over his tiny chest. Shippo continued on, shouting, “I hate you, Inuyasha! You and Rin get to spend all the time you want with Kagome and I never get to see her! I hate both of you!” He heard Inuyasha growl and smiled to himself as he waited for Kagome to reprimand the hanyou. It never came. Instead, Shippo found himself pinned to the floor by an angry Inuyasha. His fangs were bared and his ears pinned back. Shippo shifted his eyes towards Kagome, pleading with her to stop him. “Kagome?”

 

Inuyasha gripped Shippo's chin in one hand, roughly turning his head back towards him. He snarled, “I've had enough of your whining, whelp. You whine at anyone who will listen and I won't put up with it anymore. I know you bitch constantly to Sango and Miroku. You forget how well I can hear.”

 

Shippo glared in defiance, a tendril of fear coursing through his small frame. He shouted, “It's true! She's always with you and has no time for me! It's all your fault! She's always with Rin! It's both your fault that Kagome never has any time for me! I hate both of you!”

 

“You'll leave Rin of this if you know what's good for you, runt. This is between you and me.” Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in fury and he snarled in the boy's face, causing Shippo to shrink back. “You will shut the fuck up. You're going to listen to what I have to say and not bitch.” He lifted the kit up, holding him level with his eyes. “Listen, brat, Kagome is my mate. Mine. You got that? You cry about that one more time to one more person and I will give you a damn good reason to cry.”

 

Shippo struggled against Inuyasha and growled. “She's my mother! Doesn't that count for something?” Kagome gasped from her position on the bed, her eyes wide. She looked away when Inuyasha glared in her direction. Kagome shook her head and sighed. Shippo strained against Inuyasha's grip. “Aren't you going to stop him, Kagome? He's being mean to me!”

 

Kagome lowered her head and clasped her hands in her lap. “No, Shippo. I'm not going to stop him.”

 

Inuyasha growled and shook Shippo. “Listen, brat, I'm Kagome's mate. I'm the alpha-male here. Don't forget it.”

 

Shippo struggled in Inuyasha's iron grip. He clawed at Inuyasha's wrist, barely scratching the rough skin. The fox kit glared at him, growling. “Let me go! You're not my father! You can't tell me what to do!”

 

“Oh, I'm not, am I?” Inuyasha's voice dropped to a low whisper. “Who feeds you? Protects you? Puts clothes on your back? Shelters you? Provides for you? Just who was it that killed the Thunder Brothers when you couldn't avenge your father yourself?” Inuyasha flashed his fangs at the kit. “That's right, me. I do all of those things. I was the one to kill the Thunder Brothers.” His gold eyes narrowed in rage. Inuyasha tightened his grip on Shippo's shirt. “I'm the only father you have, boy. I expect you to show me a little respect for all that I do for you. I'm tired of you bitching because you don't get to sleep in the same sleeping bag as Kagome anymore. If I hear so much as one complaint pass your lips, I'll make sure you can't sit for a week. You will show me respect, whelp. Do you understand me?”

 

Shippo gulped in Inuyasha's grip. His eyes went wide and he stuttered. He lowered his eyes. “You mean that? You mean what you said? That you're my father now?”

 

Inuyasha frowned, and glared at Shippo. “I believe you haven't answered my question. Will you show me respect, Shippo?”

 

Shippo nodded his head, bowing it in submission. He whispered, “Yes.”

 

“What was that? I didn't quite hear you. I know Kagome didn't. What did you say, Shippo?” Inuyasha tilted his head to one side, raising his ear to full alert. “Mind saying that again?”

 

“Yes, I will respect you, Inuyasha,” Shippo said, his voice subdued. “I won't complain anymore.”

 

“Good. I'm glad we could come to an understanding.” Inuyasha gently set the kit back down onto his feet. “I'm going to hold you to that promise, runt. I won't put up with any more of your whining or disrespect.” The hanyou sat back down on the bed, pulling Kagome close to his chest. He said, “Not only do you disrespect me when you act like a spoiled brat, you disrespect Kagome. I won't have it anymore.”

 

Shippo's shoulders slumped and he felt his lower lip tremble. Tears spilled down his cheeks shortly afterwards. He fell back to land on his bottom and whimpered. The fox kit hung his head and whispered, “I'm sorry, Kagome, Inuyasha.” A knock came to the door and Inuyasha tugged on his hood as he crossed the room to open it. Shippo kept his head down as the hanyou walked past, feeling ashamed. He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Kagome smiled gently down at him. Shippo sniffled. “Did he mean it?”

 

“Yes, Shippo, he did.” She frowned. “I hope you meant what you said, too.”

 

“I mean, does he think of me as his son? Did Inuyasha mean it when he said he was my father?” Shippo wiped his nose with his sleeve and sniffled.

 

Kagome nodded, tears in her eyes. She hugged him. “Of course, Shippo-chan. He meant it.” Kagome held Shippo close. “He meant everything he said. You better listen to Inuyasha, Shippo. He does the things he does because he loves us and to keep us safe.” She rested her cheek onto his hair. Kagome whispered, “If you're really good, maybe he'll let us play a game after breakfast. How does that sound, Shippo-chan?”

 

“Okay, Kagome.” Shippo's eyes connected with Inuyasha's as he wheeled a cart into the room. The hanyou's features remained harsh as he took his hood off. A tight frown rested on his lips, and his gold eyes were fierce. Inuyasha hung his hood up on a peg, his back to them. When he turned back around, Shippo's eyes went wide as he caught the soft smile crossing Inuyasha's face.

 

“Oi, you're the one who wanted all this food, wench. Are you going to eat or what?” Inuyasha crossed his arms, tapping his foot. “Well? Am I going to eat this by myself or what, you two?”

 

Shippo shifted his gaze to the cart, his stomach growling. Trays pilled with fruit, cheeses, and pastries sat atop it. As the little boy approached, he saw that there was also a teapot and cups. On another shelf of the cart was a bowl of whipped cream. The bottom shelf had trays of roasted meats and hardboiled eggs. Shippo rubbed his hands together in anticipation. There were so many choices and he wasn't sure what he'd eat first. He breathed, “Look at all that food.”

 

Kagome laughed as she picked up a plate. She selected some strawberries and a bunch of grapes. “Well, Shippo, are you going to get anything to eat?” She scooped some whipped cream onto her plate.

 

Inuyasha snorted. “Woman, you call that breakfast?” He piled four eggs onto his plate, followed by some meat and cheeses. He held his plate up. “Now that's what I call a breakfast. Not like that bird food you got.”

 

Kagome glared at him. “You don't have to insult what I'm eating. It's not like you have to eat it.” She turned her nose up at him before returning to the bed. She dipped a grape into the whipped cream and popped it into her mouth. “It tastes wonderful, by the way.”

 

Shippo shook his head as he picked up his own plate. Some things would never change between his parents. His parents. It felt right to think of them that way, as if he should have all along. After Shippo found out that Inuyasha had taken Kagome as his mate, he had felt anger towards the half-demon. All of Kagome's attention had shifted away from him to Inuyasha, something he blamed the hanyou for. Shippo sighed feeling foolish. Getting angry at Inuyasha hadn't solved anything. He had viewed Kagome as his mother for quite some time, and as much as he teased Inuyasha, he admired him, wishing he could be half as strong. Shippo had no idea that Inuyasha viewed him as a son. He smiled. He had been searching for a family and he had had one all along.

 

Laughter brought Shippo from his thoughts. He looked over towards the bed. Kagome said, “I think Shippo's been overwhelmed by all the choices.”

 

“Feh.” Inuyasha licked his fingers after finishing some meat. He picked up an egg, cracking the shell with a claw. He peeled and ate it. The shell fragments were shoved into a pile on his plate. “You better pick something soon, brat, or you won't get to eat.”

 

Shippo grabbed a pastry, cheese, eggs, and meat, heaping them onto his plate. He joined Inuyasha and Kagome on the bed and began to eat some cheese. He mused aloud, “Do you think Sango's woken up yet?”

 

Kagome swirled a strawberry in whipped cream. She bit into it, her eyes lost in thought. “No. I don't think she's woken up yet. If she had, we would've heard that slap.”

 

Inuyasha chuckled. “Oh yeah. If that lecher is where you say he is, the second Sango wakes up, we'll know.” He peeled another egg and ate it.

 

Shippo smiled. “Yeah.” He ate his pastry, finding that it had spiced apples as filling. It was sweet, with a flaky crust. He asked, “So, what do you think we'll do today?”

 

Inuyasha shrugged. He set his plate onto the bed and crossed the room, stopping at the cart. The hanyou poured three cups of tea. He handed a cup to Kagome and one to Shippo, before picking his own up. He sat back down and sipped from it. “Beats me. That old man hasn't said how long we'll stay in this city.”

 

Kagome nodded. “I hope we stay here for today at least. I know we could all use the rest before we have to sleep on the ground again.” She blew onto her tea and sipped. “We should also go shopping, if we can find time.”

 

Inuyasha snorted. “Whatever for? We don't need to buy anything.”

 

“Oh yes, we do, Inuyasha.” Kagome set her cup down onto the nightstand. “It's someone's birthday soon. Who knows when we might get another chance to do any shopping.”

 

“It is? Who's?” His brows knit together in confusion.

 

“Yeah, Kagome, who's?” Shippo asked as he licked his syruped fingers clean.

 

“Rin's, of course. She told me that her birthday will be in little over a week or so. She'll be twelve.” Kagome plucked a grape off the bunch, feeding it to Inuyasha. “Close your mouth, Inuyasha. You look ridiculous like that.”

 

Inuyasha closed his mouth, eating the grape. “That soon? Shit. I didn't know that the pup's birthday was coming up that fast. I remember her saying something about it, too, but that soon?”

 

“What are you going to get her, Kagome?” Shippo asked as he ate some of his meat and cheese.

 

“I haven't decided just yet. Maybe the stores in the city will have some nice ribbons or a nice bracelet of some sort,” Kagome said. “A nice silver one would go well with her necklace, don't you think, Inuyasha?”

 

“Feh.” Inuyasha ate some cheese, his gold eyes lost in thought. He said around his mouthful, “If you say so, wench.”

 

“Well, what are you getting Rin, then, Inuyasha?” Kagome ate her strawberry and licked her fingers clean. “By the way, don't talk with your mouth full.”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, swallowing. “Whatever.” He scratched an ear, yawning wide. He said, “I don't really know what to get the pup.”

 

Shippo finished his tea, staring into the bottom of his cup. He said, “Rin really liked the crayons when we colored together. Kagome, would it be alright if I gave them to her for her birthday?” He looked up, smiling shyly. “Do you think she'd like that?”

 

Kagome nodded, smiling wide. “I think she'd really like that, Shippo-chan. It'd be a nice gift.” She sat her empty plate onto the night stand. “Well, did you still want to play a game, Shippo?”

 

Shippo nodded. He set his plate down next to Kagome's. “Yeah. What game, Kagome?”

 

Inuyasha snorted. He yawned, setting his empty plate on Kagome's before settling back into the pillows, his arms over his eyes. He muttered, “Feh. You two have fun. I'm going back to sleep.” He rolled over, his back to them.

 

“Oh no you're not, Inuyasha. I need three people to play this game and that means you can't just go back to sleep.”

 

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowed. He said, “Why the fuck do you need me to play a stupid game? Can't you do something else, woman?” He flopped back down, pulling the blanket up over his head. Only one ear was visible and it twitched before folding tightly to his head.

 

Kagome sighed, clenching her hands into fists at her sides. She threw the blankets off of Inuyasha and said, “No, Inuyasha. You're going to play this game with us.” She whispered something into his ear that made it twitch. Shippo couldn't quite make out what she had said and shrugged. Kagome sat up, smiling smugly. “Come on, Inuyasha, it'll be fun, I promise.”

 

Inuyasha sat up, snorting. His ears sagged and he glared at Kagome. “Remember, wench, you owe me for this one, then.” He yawned, scratching his stomach. “So, what the hell is this stupid game you want us to play, anyways?”

 

“It's not stupid.” Kagome's eyes narrowed. She shook her head. “Well, this game is one that my mother and Sota used to play with me. It's called Kagome, Kagome.”

 

“Kagome, Kagome?” Shippo scrunched his nose. “You have a game named after you? So how do you play it?”

 

“Oi. Sounds like a strange game to me.” Inuyasha shook his head.

 

“Well, my mother and Sota always thought it was funny that it had my name in it so we played it a lot when I was young.” Kagome picked up the dishes and placed them onto the cart. She said, “The rules are simple.” She bent over, picking something up from the floor. In her hand was the yellow scarf, the one Shippo had seen her wear over Inuyasha's mark. She sat back down. “One person is blindfolded while the other people circle them as they sing a song. When the song ends, the person wearing the blindfold has to guess who is behind them. If the guess is right, then the person behind them has to wear the blindfold.”

 

Inuyasha crossed his arms. “Feh. Just what kind of game is this?”

 

Shippo said, “That sounds like fun, Kagome.”

 

“Let me finish, you two,” Kagome said. “The blindfolded person is known as a demon. Since there is only one full-blooded demon in this room, I think you should go first, Shippo.”

 

Shippo pointed to his chest. “Me?”

 

Inuyasha chuckled low in his throat. “Doesn't sound like a lot of fun, now, does it, whelp?”

 

Shippo puffed his chest out, and crossed his arms. “I'll go first, Kagome.”

 

“Okay. The song goes like this: Kagome, Kagome. What time will the bird in the basket go out? In the evening of daybreak, the tortoise and crane slipped. Who is standing behind you?” She smiled. “That's it. That's all the rules.” Kagome stood, crossing to the small writing desk. She pulled out the chair, placing it in the center of the room. “Shippo, why don't you come sit here so we can get started?”

 

Shippo bit his lip and slid off the bed to stand. He glanced over his shoulder at Inuyasha. The half-demon tilted his head towards Kagome. “Well, go on, whelp.” Shippo crossed the room to the chair and climbed on. He looked up at Kagome as she folded her scarf into a strip.

 

Kagome smiled and asked, “You ready, Shippo?”

 

Shippo nodded. “Okay. I'm ready, Kagome.” He sat still as Kagome pulled the silk over his eyes and everything went dark. She tied it behind his head, knotting it tightly.

 

“Come on, Inuyasha. You have to get up. You can't go back to sleep. Just get over here or I'll say 'it,” Kagome commanded.

 

The fox kit heard a loud sigh and stomping coming closer to the chair. Inuyasha snorted. “Alright, alright. I'm over here, wench. Let's play this game already.”

 

“You don't have to be so ornery, you know. Try and have some fun, Inuyasha. Just give it a chance, okay?”

 

“Feh.”

 

Shippo tapped his fingers on the seat of his chair and twitched his tail. At this rate they would never play this game and he'd be stuck listening to another fight between Inuyasha and Kagome. He cleared his throat. “Uh, Kagome, Inuyasha, are we going to play this game or what?”

 

Silence greeted the kit's ear followed by a snort that had to come from Inuyasha. He grumbled, “Feh. Let's play this stupid game of yours before the whelp gets bored.”

 

Kagome sighed. “It's not stupid. Why can't you at least try to have some fun, Inuyasha? We haven't even played it yet so how can you know if you hate it or not?”

 

“Oi. Kagome,” Inuyasha's voice sounded defeated. “It's not stupid, alright? Don't look at me like that. I didn't mean it.”

 

Kagome snorted. She said in an injured tone, “You better not have meant it.” She laughed softly. “Oh Inuyasha, you look like a lost puppy like that.”

 

“You have to quit hugging me if we're going to play, Kagome. You can't leave Shippo like that,” Inuyasha's gruff voice teased. “Or you could. That works just fine for me.” Shippo heard a soft whacking sound followed by Inuyasha's feigned cry. “Ouch! Mate abuse! Mate abuse! That hurts!”

 

“I'll show you mate abuse if you keep teasing me,” Kagome said, her voice a throaty whisper.

 

“Hey! You guys, I'm blindfolded, not deaf. I can still hear, you know.” Shippo crossed his arms, heat filling his cheeks. “Are we still going to play this game, or what?”

 

Inuyasha chuckled softly. “Come on, Kagome. The brat's getting impatient here.”

 

“Oh Shippo-chan. I'm so sorry.” Kagome kissed his cheek. “Okay, Inuyasha, are you ready?”

 

“Feh. Let's just play already.”

 

Shippo sighed, tapping his fingers on the seat of his chair. He heard their footsteps as they circled it. Kagome's soft soprano began the song, joined by Inuyasha's deep baritone. The half-demon mumbled most of the words while Kagome sung clearly. The fox kit listened carefully, pinpointing that Kagome was directly in front of him while Inuyasha moved to his left. Between the shuffling of feet and their singing, Shippo found he had no real trouble keeping the two apart. As the song ended, Shippo feigned uncertainty, biting his lip. When he heard Inuyasha's foot tap to his right, he said, “It's Kagome. Kagome's behind me.”

 

“You're right!” Kagome laughed. She untied the scarf, pulling it away from his eyes. “I guess it's my turn, right?”

 

“It's your game, wench.” Inuyasha stood with his arms crossed and his ears down. “You said if he guessed right that person would have to sit in the chair next. That'd be you.”

 

Shippo jumped out of the chair, standing next to Inuyasha. He said, “That was fun.”

 

“I'm glad you're having fun, Shippo.” Kagome smiled. She brought the scarf to her eyes, tying it behind her head. “Alright. You two can start anytime you want.”

 

Shippo looked up at Inuyasha. The half-demon smiled down at him, a fang peeking at one corner. He winked and held a finger to his lips. Inuyasha knelt down in front of Shippo, tilting his head at his shoulder. He whispered, “Get on. Let's see if we can fake her out.”

 

Shippo hid his giggle behind his hand. He jumped onto Inuyasha's shoulder, whispering into the hanyou's ear, “Okay. But won't she get mad?”

 

“Feh. It'll make it more fun, won't it?” Inuyasha stood, circling to stand behind the chair.

 

“Come on you guys. I'm waiting.” Kagome crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. “What's the hold up?”

 

Inuyasha started to circle the chair, singing the song as loud as he could. It sounded more like shouting and Shippo followed suit. He watched Kagome turn her head, trying to follow them and separate their voices to discern their locations. Halfway through the song, Inuyasha started to laugh, the words coming out breathless. Shippo shook his head, fighting the urge to giggle. Inuyasha stopped behind Kagome. Both Inuyasha and Shippo sang as loud as they could, “Who's behind you?”

 

Kagome tilted her head to one side in confusion. She bit her lip then said, “Shippo. Shippo's behind me, isn't he?”

 

Inuyasha stepped to Kagome's side. He shrugged his shoulder, prompting Shippo. The fox kit said, “Nope. Wrong.”

 

Kagome scrunched her nose. “That means it was Inuyasha.”

 

Inuyasha jumped to Kagome's other side. “Nope. No one was behind you.”

 

Kagome sighed. “Really?”

 

“Besides, don't you get only one guess, wench?” Inuyasha whispered into her ear, standing behind the chair again.

 

Kagome lifted the blindfold, peeking up at them. “Inuyasha! You cheater! I think you should get to sit in the chair for making Shippo go along with your little scheme. That wasn't fair! You were both behind me, weren't you?” She threw the scarf to the floor and stood. Kagome shoved Inuyasha in the chest. “You're such a jerk.” She shook her head and laughed, collapsing back into the chair.

 

Shippo jumped from Inuyasha's shoulder to land in Kagome's lap. He hugged her, resting his head onto her shoulder as he giggled. “It was funny. You looked so confused when we both said we weren't behind you.”

 

Inuyasha poked Kagome in the side. “Oi. Isn't it my turn to sit in the stupid chair? You have to get up, wench.” He held the scarf in his other hand. “Come on, you wanna play or what?”

 

“Okay, okay. You don't have to poke me.” She giggled, hugging Shippo closer. “It still wasn't fair of you two to play that nasty trick one me, you know.”

 

“Are you going to get out of the chair or what? Do I have to sit on you to get you to move?” Inuyasha crossed his arms and tapped his foot. He smirked at them.

 

“Alright already. I'm getting up. You're always so impatient, my hanyou.” Kagome stood, holding Shippo to her chest. She kissed Inuyasha's cheek and said, “We're not gonna cheat like you. We'll play fair. Won't we, Shippo-chan?”

 

Shippo nodded, hugging Kagome back. “Okay, Kagome. I promise not to cheat.”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he sat down into the chair. He folded the scarf, laying it into his lap. “Traitor.” He lifted it to his eyes, tying it behind his head. Inuyasha lifted his head, sniffing. “Alright, sing your little song and let's play.”

 

Kagome set Shippo down onto the floor. She smiled down at him and started to sing. Shippo joined in, circling Inuyasha. It didn't escape the kit that the half-demon swiveled his ears and sniffed, locking in on their locations. He smiled at Kagome as they faced one another on either side of Inuyasha. As they finished the song, Shippo found himself behind Inuyasha. He gulped, knowing that he couldn't fool the hanyou as they had Kagome.

 

Inuyasha twitched his ears and sniffed. He said, “Shippo's behind me.” Inuyasha tore the blindfold off and leapt over the chair, knocking it to the floor. He tackled Shippo. “Gotcha. I never promised I wouldn't cheat.” His fingers tickled the little boy's sides. “What are you going to do now?”

 

Shippo struggled against Inuyasha, giggling. He pushed at the half-demon's hands. “Stop! That tickles! Kagome, he's being mean to me again!”

 

Kagome laughed, shaking her head. She crossed her arms. “I don't know, Shippo. You did go along with Inuyasha's scheme to cheat. I think you deserve your punishment.”

 

Inuyasha moved his fingers faster on Shippo's ribcage. “You can't stop me, Shippo.” The fox kit pushed against Inuyasha, breathless from laughing. He slapped Inuyasha's hands before shoving the half-demon in the chest. Much to his surprise, Inuyasha fell backwards, landing on his back. “That hurt!” He clutched his chest, throwing his head back as he gasped for breath. “You've wounded me, Shippo! How will I ever recover?”

 

Shippo stood, his chest puffed out. He said, “Look at what I did, Kagome. I beat him!”

 

Kagome shook her head. “What happened to my game?”

 

Inuyasha sat up, outstretching his arms towards Shippo. He grabbed him, pinning him to the floor. “Got you. You thought you could beat me, huh?”

 

Shippo strained against the half-demon's grip. He rabbit punched him in the stomach. “No fair! You tricked me!”

 

Kagome pulled a pillow from the bed. She stalked towards Inuyasha, raising it high above her head, and brought it down onto his back. “You quit being mean to Shippo like that, Inuyasha!” She stumbled back, giggling.

 

Inuyasha held Shippo down with one hand and turned to look over his shoulder at Kagome. “You want a fight? You got one!” He snatched the pillow from Kagome's hand, smacking it against her hip. “That's it. This is all out war.” He let Shippo go, grabbing another pillow.

 

Shippo picked up a pillow and hit Inuyasha's back. He laughed, hunched over. He felt a pillow hit him in the back and he fell forward, giggling wildly. The little boy rolled over, holding his pillow as a shield as Inuyasha beat at him. He turned, looking over at Kagome. “Help me, Kagome!”

 

Kagome hit Inuyasha in the shoulder with a pillow. Inuyasha turned, swinging his pillow. It forced her to back up into a corner. “Now what you going to do, huh, wench? I've cornered you!”

 

Shippo jumped up, landing on Inuyasha's shoulder. He hit the half-demon with his pillow. Inuyasha grabbed him around the tail, holding him out in front of him. He swung his pillow at Inuyasha and shouted, “You leave Kagome alone, you big meanie!”

 

Inuyasha dropped his pillow and pinned Shippo on it. “I've got both of you now!” He tickled the little boy. “There's nothing you can do to stop me!”

 

Kagome hit Inuyasha in the back with her pillow, beating him with it. “This is for ruining my game, you jerk! We were playing nicely and then you had to cheat and start this fight!”

 

“Oh really now. You hit me first with a pillow.” Inuyasha let Shippo up, snatching his pillow back. “Bring it on, wench.” He backed Kagome into the corner again, hitting her with his weapon. “Come on, hit me!”

 

Kagome swung her pillow, hitting Inuyasha in the shoulder. She advanced out of the corner, pushing him back towards the bed. She giggled and dodged his attack. “You missed!” She hit him in the shoulder, knocking him to land on the bed. “Help me, Shippo!”

 

Shippo grabbed his pillow back up, launching himself to land on the bed. He hit Inuyasha in the chest, alternating his hits with Kagome's. Inuyasha gasped for breath as he laughed. He pushed them both back, spinning with his pillow. Shippo landed on his bottom and he giggled. “That wasn't fair!”

 

Inuyasha advanced on Kagome, sweeping his pillow back and forth. He hit her in the shoulder and she raised her pillow to deflect his. “Fight me!”

 

Kagome shoved him back, hitting his pillow with her own. “You asked for it, you big jerk!”

 

Shippo clutched his sides as he caught his breath. He shook his head, watching them battle. Kagome shoved Inuyasha back, beating her pillow into his chest. He countered by shoving at her with his. They stalemated, glaring at one another over their pillows. Soft growls followed from both of them and Shippo sighed. They had no idea how utterly ridiculous they looked in their standoff.

 

The fox kit stood and pushed his way in between them. “Alright, alright. Break it up, you two.” Kagome and Inuyasha backed away from one another. They glanced at one another, smiling slyly. Both turned, looking down at him. Shippo backed up, holding his arms above his head to shield himself. “Hey, don't look at me like that!”

 

Inuyasha said, “Let's get him, Kagome!” He smacked Shippo and Kagome followed suit. “Take that, runt!”

 

Kagome fell back, laughing. “Okay, that's enough.” She sighed as she caught her breath. “I suppose we should start getting ready soon so we can find out what we're doing today.”

 

Inuyasha stood, clutching his pillow in one hand as he panted. The hanyou's ears fell. “Do we really have to? I was having fun.”

 

Shippo sat up. He glanced from Inuyasha to Kagome. “Yeah, do we have to?”

 

Kagome shook her head. “You two are so funny. Yes, unfortunately, we can't play all day. I'm sure we'll have things to do today.” She stood, crossing to sit onto the bed.

 

Inuyasha tossed his pillow back onto the bed and sat down next to Kagome. He yawned, scratching an ear. “I guess we should find out what's going on today.”

 

The little boy jumped up, sitting in between Kagome and Inuyasha. Shippo stuck his bottom lip out into a pout as he leaned his head onto Inuyasha's elbow. “It was fun while it lasted.”

 

Inuyasha ruffled Shippo's hair. “Runt, why don't you go see if you can find out what's going on.”

 

Shippo nodded. “Okay. But who should I ask?”

 

“I don't know. See if you can find that old man. He'll probably know what we're doing.” Inuyasha scratched his stomach. “When you find out, come back here and tell us, okay?”

 

Kagome smiled. “You could always ask Polgara. Tell her we need to do some shopping for Rin's birthday, anyways. We can always go shopping together, all three of us, okay?”

 

Shippo smiled back. “Alright, I'll go see who I can find.” He jumped down from the bed and crossed the room to the door.

 

“Don't take too long, whelp.”

 

“I won't—father.”