InuYasha Fan Fiction / Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Such a Small World ❯ Chapter Ten ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter Ten

 

“You have no room to be upset with me!”

 

“You're the one that wanted to get away for a while,” she snapped back. “So why don't you just go back to whatever it was that you were doing, and leave me alone for a while?”

 

“Hey, I just wanted to go see Jakotsu. Do you have a problem with that all of a sudden?” Bankotsu asked, glaring at her a little more. “I just wanted to go out so that you weren't scheming in my ear for an hour or two. I told you'd I'd come back, and I even brought Jakotsu with me so that when Kagome comes home we can talk to her, or whatever it was you wanted for us to do.”

 

“Kagome needs a constant in her life,” Sango hissed. “I just wanted for you to see her, to make her see that we aren't going to toss her out of the street because of a little mistake.”

 

“Little?” Bankotsu stopped himself from going further, biting his tongue. “I understand your concern, but I saw the way Hiei reacted to Yusuke. If you're so worried about a constant in her life, then maybe you should talk to him. From what I saw, he's not going to suddenly dump her because she made a mistake. Hell, I've made plenty of mistakes, but at least I've ended up with something good. She's ended up with a guy that's not going to simply drop her, that's more than I can say for a lot of guys I know.”

 

Sango stiffened. “I had no doubt he wouldn't leave her. However, Kagome needs more than one person.” She narrowed her eyes, “Besides, I wasn't scheming in your ear. I was simply telling you a few of the things I wanted to do if that bastard ever decided to come here searching for her, for whatever sick reason he may have. It's not my fault you can't handle that.”

 

The sound of crunching popcorn filled their ears, and they both turned to glare at Jakotsu, who'd once again taken a seat on the couch in front of them. He looked rather delighted, smiling at them in a way he only could, continuing to eat the popcorn that he'd so obviously just made. Sango, snorting in Bankotsu's face, watching as he crossed his arms stubbornly, went to sit beside the other man. Her hand reached into the popcorn bowl, and she turned her attention completely to him.

 

“Is the show over?” Jakotsu asked.

 

“For the moment,” Sango muttered, popping a few pieces into her mouth. “Besides, he's being childish again. Just look at him, crossing his arms like a teenage boy who just got into a fight with his first girlfriend. And that glint in his eye, telling everyone that he's starting to get annoyed, but won't do anything about it because he knows he's in a losing battle.”

 

“It's been a couple of hours!” Bankotsu snorted. “How can you still be angry with me?”

 

“Maybe because you woke her at nine the morning, when the shrine doesn't open until ten thirty,” Jakotsu commented.

 

Bankotsu glared at him for a moment, hissing, “She's always up by eight. It's not my fault that today was the one day of the year that she decides she doesn't want to get up that early.” However, the look that his girlfriend sent him told him otherwise, and he stopped his rant, instead of continuing as he was going to. Then, the feeling of dread in his chest on got worse when Jakotsu sent him an amused glanced. Traitor.

 

“Actually,” Sango popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth, “Bankotsu, you are the reason I decided to sleep in today of all days. I didn't expect for you to come back so soon, since you told me that you were sick of me bitching constantly. You probably don't remember doing it, you were a little drunk before you took that cup of coffee and went to see Jakotsu, but I do remember you saying it. And I remember you telling me that you already knew that Kagome needed your help, you didn't need me constantly reminding you that you need to be there, or kick Urameshi's ass simply because it's her time of need.”

 

Jakotsu gasp. “You never told me you said that, big brother! No wonder you're always having woman problems!”

 

“It's not my fault she thinks Hiei's going to suddenly turn on Kagome,” Bankotsu argued, still wondering if he had said that. He wasn't quite sure; he probably had though, especially if he was a little drunk. Alcohol was wonderful, but that didn't mean that he should be drinking it whenever he decided to. He'd noticed that whenever Sango decided to comment on something that he didn't like, he had the tendency to start complaining with his loose tongue, yet he never remember any of it.

 

“I never said that!” Sango scowled. “I told you that Hiei is probably the only man that's loved Kagome as much as he does. He might not say it, but he shows it enough, unlike that idiot Inuyasha ever did.”

 

“Inuyasha,” Jakotsu sighed. “He was a cutie, too. It was a shame that he was so into women, I could have made him feel so much better than I'm sure that blasted Kikyo can.” Leaning slightly into his hand, he put more popcorn into his mouth, and allowed his gaze to darken. “We could have been such a cute couple. Him and his rough exterior, and me and my stunning beauty.”

 

“Anyway,” Sango continued, “every man that's been with Kagome before Hiei has usually had a hidden agenda. Hiei's the only one that's with her because he wants to be, not because he wants something from her. And, he's also the only man that's been with her this long without hurting her.”

 

Jakotsu blinked, “What about that little sweetheart… Hobo…? Hogo?”

 

“Akitoki Hojo?” Bankotsu asked. “That little bastard that was always bringing Kagome gifts when she got sick?”

 

“Yes, he was rather cute, though he had that youthful look,” Jakotsu nodded.

 

“Agh,” Sango groaned. “That guy still comes around sometimes, but not as often since Hiei scared him off. I think he had the best intentions, but he's not Kagome's type. I always told her that she's going to get herself hurt, but she has to go for the bad boys.” Sango, however, allowed a small frown to form on her lips, and then said, “But, he was only one guy, and Kagome never liked him that way. He might have treated her right, but I heard that almost a day after Hojo met Hiei, he asked out some girl named Setsuko. Shows how faithful he was once he found out what type of guy Kagome liked.”

 

“Holy crap,” Bankotsu muttered, “that guy got a girl that fast?”

 

Sango stared at him as if he could get dumber by the moment, before sighing to herself. Sometimes she wondered why she picked Bankotsu of all people to be the one to hold her heart so tenderly in his hands—at least with him, though, she was sure that he wasn't going to start touching other women inappropriately. “He was considered one of the brightest, nicest, and popular boys when we were in middle school and high school,” she replied. “And with him always chasing Kagome, I guess that the other girls, the ones that wanted him, thought he was playing hard to get. However, it was quite clear that he did notice or at least acknowledged their attention in some way—which, by the way, made me wonder how faithful he truly would have been if he had gotten Kagome.”

 

Jakotsu simply shook his head, “All the good ones are always straight.” He stuffed more popcorn into his mouth in his sadness, happy to have the taste of butter distract him from his slight depression.

 

Bankotsu's eyes sharpened, “Makes me wonder, too. I might not have liked or trusted Hiei that much until I got to truly know him, the way he ticks at least, but that is a little odd. Tell me,” he asked hotly, “was Hojo ever close to this girl before he asked her out?”

 

Sango's brow creased as she thought, wondering that herself for a moment. Then, slowly, she nodded, “Now that you mention it, yeah.” She felt her anger begin to boil underneath her skin, realizing that for some reason Hojo had also been trying to use Kagome, since it was quite clear he knew and acknowledged in some way Setsuko's lust for him. “Kagome and I used to see them heading off down the street together, laughing, and Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi would tell Kagome that she better hurry before that girl snatches him away. Not that Kagome cared, but Hojo did seem to rub up against that girl whenever he thought we weren't looking.”

 

Jakotsu allowed his mouth to fall open, a piece of popcorn falling from his lips and landing on his lap. His eyes sharpened much like Bankotsu's had, as his tone hardened, “That boy was possibly sleeping with a tramp when he was pursuing my sweet, sweet Kagome?”

 

Bankotsu growled, “It seems that way.” He muttered quietly to himself for a moment, and then continued, “And it also seems that Hobo needs to be taught a lesson the next time he decides to show up. I think I might just pass this information along to Hiei, see what he thinks about there being another man out there trying to hurt her.”

 

“Not if I tell him first,” Sango hissed. “Or beat the crap out of that innocent little punk the next time I see him.”

 

OoO

 

Her lips thinned to a pencil line, as she tapped her fingernails lightly against the wooden table she sat at. She did not like the fact that she had been found by that idiot in such a place—especially after she'd tried to catch the attention of that handsome man Kouga. Of course at the time she hadn't realized that he was the same Kouga that Inuyasha always bitched about, just as he did with his brother quite often, until early this morning, but that wasn't important. What was important was that that blasted Onigumo had found her inside that club.

 

Kikyo's eyes hardened a bit more, hatred bristling underneath her flesh. At one point in time she'd liked the man, until she'd found out that he lusted after her to a disturbing level, but that time was over. Now she wanted nothing to do with him, and as fate would have it, he crossed into her life once more. Really there was nothing she could do about that, but her hatred for the man, her disgust at the fact that he had gone to that level, had nearly made her run. She had not run, though, which had only made the experience worse.

 

Huffing, she wished that Inuyasha would return soon. He'd left that morning muttering about Kagura wanting to see him before she went to work—that was nearly three hours ago. With so much amount of time having passed, she wondered what exactly Inuyasha was doing with Kagura that made him stay away from her warm embrace for so long. It didn't make sense that he would be gone this long if Kagura had to get to work, she doubted that the woman went to work this late in the morning. So, where was he? It was an honest question, especially when she wanted him, because she knew, in some way, he would be able to help her wipe clean the memory of Onigumo the night before and then she would go on with life once more.

 

The door suddenly slammed, and Kikyo allowed her head to shoot up quickly, but upon hearing Inuyasha's low mutters allowed herself to relax. She smirked slightly at the hold that she still had over him, even after all this time, as he muttered about Kagura and the traffic. He stepped into the room she occupied not soon afterward, his red shirt bright against the white walls, which caught her attention. And, as she knew he would, he distracted her from the memory of Onigumo she had when he smiled slightly in embarrassment toward her. “Inuyasha,” she greeted, her voice still a bit tired.

 

Inuyasha took notice of this almost instantly, his concern for her wellbeing rising to the surface, “Are you alright, Kikyo?”

 

“Yes,” she nodded. There was no reason to tell him that she had crossed paths with Onigumo once more, because then he would wish to know where, and that would lead to unwelcome questions. Especially after she told him that she went to a club without informing him, or at least asking him if he wanted to go with her, since he did know of her love for dancing.

 

Inuyasha was not convinced. He stared hard at her, taking in the way she leaned lightly against the table she sat at, and the way her eyelids slid slightly closed after a few moments of silence. “You look beat,” he told her, “maybe you should try getting some more sleep?” Then, he scowled, and said, “I wouldn't mind sleeping some more myself. That stupid bitch Kagura kept yapping in my ear until she suddenly jumped up, said she was running late, and rushed out the door without another word. I swear, I told her four times that it was nearly time for her to go, but that stupid bitch wouldn't listen to me.”

 

Kikyo laughed a bit, before asking, “What did Kagura speak of?”

 

Inuyasha shrugged, “I didn't really give a fuck.”

 

“I figured as much,” Kikyo replied. “However, I do believe the idea of some more sleep is an excellent one, Inuyasha. But,” she looked at him and batted her eyelashes, “I'm also feeling a bit stiff, I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a very good rest.”

 

A smirk appeared on Inuyasha's face as his eyes lit up with delight at the thought of touching her. “I could give you a massage if you wanted one?” he suggested. He knew she'd take him up on the offer, she always did, and then he usually got her wrapped up in the sheets not long after he was done. He loved her passion, and he loved the way this brought it out of her.

 

Kikyo turned her head, smirking a bit when he couldn't see her face. She rolled her shoulder, allowing the light yukata to fall open, revealing some skin to him. “I would like that,” she said at last.

 

Yes, she would definitely take him up on that offer. After all, he'd done it enough times that she knew she would be able to fall asleep as he did so, especially with how tired she was. Plus, she would be able to easily forget about that stupid Onigumo and his stupid assumption that just because Inuyasha wasn't with her, she wasn't still with him. She could only hope that sick fuck didn't start following her around when she went to find herself a lover while Inuyasha was with Kagura, since he might also find that she was still with Inuyasha as well. Then her fun would be over, she might lose her dear Inuyasha—so completely wrapped around her finger—, and have to find some other way to support herself.

 

OoO

 

“Yes, in fact,” he smiled.

 

Keiko allowed her confusion to show clearly on her face. However, before she could reply she heard a slight noise behind her and turned to find that Yukina was now standing there. Her friend was staring at the person who'd come into the shop with a smile on her face. She figured he must not be that bad, since Yukina was smiling at him and had come out to greet him herself, it seemed. But, she still couldn't get the nagging feeling that she knew him to leave her alone, but the memory was distant, most of her last five years having been devoted to raising her daughter and spending time with her husband whenever she could. Not only that, but visiting her family if she had time, and trying to make sure that Yusuke remembered they had a date for that night, instead of working late.

 

Yukina smiled a little more, her voice drifting softly toward the person who'd been conversing with Keiko. “Oh, hello,” she said, “Shuichi.”

 

The male smiled, “You may call me Kurama if you wish to, Yukina; everyone else does.” His green eyes glittered, and Keiko knew that he was native to the land, no matter how exotic his looks were—his accent was perfect, flawless, and his voice so smooth. Not that she wanted to notice, she was still slightly wishing that her stupid husband would realize she was waiting for him to come to her, but she did.

 

Yukina shook her head, “I still don't know why your friends always insisted on giving you that nickname.” She allowed herself to think for a moment, and then asked him, “Are you here for the usual?”

 

“Yes, Yukina,” Kurama replied, dipping his head a bit to her. He watched as she nodded back and then scurried back through the door she'd exited, most likely to get him what he wished for. His mother had passed on her liking for sweets, though he knew that she'd deny it if she was still alive, even when it was so obvious in the first place. However, once Yukina had returned to the back, he turned his attention back to the woman that Yusuke had carelessly hurt.

 

Keiko, sure that Yukina would get whatever this man's usual was, return to sitting on the stool she'd been given for the day. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to sit on, but it was better than simply standing the entire time. Then, slowly, she allowed her eyes to slip back up to the man standing in front of the counter, and frowned. She knew that she knew him, but she wasn't quite positive if she really did. True, he'd told her that she knew him, therefore he knew her, but that wasn't something she was going to so easily believe. Not after Yusuke told her he loved her and let her walk out of the house, only to come back and find out he'd been cheating on her.

 

That was a blow she never wished to take again.

 

Kurama allowed a slight smirk to tug at his lips, noticing the interest she showed toward him. It was quite clear that she was curious about him, whether it was because of his foreign looks or the fact that he knew her, he could not tell, but she was curious. That was what he wanted, since he was sure, with a little patience, that he would easily be able to sweep her off her feet. Then, after a few moments of silent, he asked, “Are you wondering how it is that I know you?”

 

Keiko nearly jumped off her stool at his voice, but shook off the embarrassment soon after. With a small frown, she said, “Yes, in fact. I feel like I know you, but I'm not quite sure about a few things at this moment in time.”

 

Deciding it best not to mention that he knew of Yusuke's cheating, or that he knew the girl he'd done it with through blackmail, he nodded in understanding. “It's not hard to believe,” he said, “Yusuke—”

 

“You know Yusuke?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. If he was there to rub in the fact that Yusuke had cheated on her, and with such a pretty girl, then he had another thing coming. She wasn't going to sit there and take his bullshit, if he started up on that, she was going to send him flying out the door with his tail between his legs.

 

“I do,” Kurama continued, unaffected by the fact that she'd interrupted him. “However, I was merely going to say that Yusuke rarely ever called myself, Hiei, or any of the others that we know unless he was alone and knew that he could get away with simply laying on the couch in boredom until we either left, he complained about a movie that ended, or fell asleep.” He chuckled a bit afterward, remembering a few times when Yusuke had fallen asleep during a less adventurous movie and muttered in his sleep, lightly swinging his arms at invisible victims, or his memory of Kuwabara.

 

She allowed her lips to tilt slightly, remembering a few times when she was working that she would come home to find Yusuke sleeping in that exact spot. It wasn't surprising that he'd call his friends while she wasn't home; she almost expected to hear it now, since then he wouldn't have to listen to her bitch about something in front of them. That, and she'd always wondered why his friends would be leaving or were mentioned, but rarely ever seen. It seemed that Yusuke either hadn't wished for her to ever truly meet them, or hung out with people that drove him to sleeping with another woman. “Do you know about…?” she stopped before she could finish her sentence, not knowing quite how to phrase it without accusing him of it.

 

“About Yusuke's latest adventure?” Kurama asked, his eyes sharpening. When Keiko's head snapped up, her eyes shining in a way that he knew she was expecting him to start into her, he nodded. “Yes, I am quite aware of that. Yusuke may not know it, but he crushed a woman's wish to stay faithful to the man she loved, as well as making her feel worthless in that man's eyes. She will get better over time, her boyfriend is seeing to that, but—”

 

“I am aware,” she mocked his choice of words, “of who this boyfriend is and who the woman is, Shuichi, there's no need to continue to talk about them in that manner.” Her voice was a little sharp, but she was glad that he wasn't directing the anger that was clear in his voice at her. She allowed a tear to slip from her eye, “I'm also aware that he cheated on me with his friends girlfriend.”

 

Kurama's eyes softened, “I'm very sorry that you learned all of that.”

 

Keiko shook her head, “No, I'd rather know then think about it all the time.” Then, slowly, she looked into his eyes, and asked, “Have you seen her since this happened?”

 

“Yes, I saw her just yesterday,” Kurama nodded.

 

It was then that Yukina returned, a small bag in her hands. She smiled at Kurama, but realized almost instantly what they must be speaking of. That, and hearing Kurama's last sentence, she asked, “How is she, Shuichi?”

 

“She is holding most of her guilt and anger in, and trying to get better for Hiei,” Kurama replied softly. “If you'd like, Yukina, I could ask Hiei if he'd be willing to stop by with her for a short time, or allow you over to see her?”

 

Yukina thought for a moment, but then shook her head. “I would like to speak with Kagome if she hasn't made any progress within the next mouth, though,” she said afterward. “I would like to help her in any way that I can, but at the moment I think that Hiei will be enough for her, as long as he doesn't purposely remind her of it.”

 

“I will tell Hiei,” Kurama replied. He turned his head to Keiko once more afterward, and dipped his head, “It was a pleasure seeing you and finally speaking with you in the real sense of the word, Keiko.” He nodded at Yukina shortly afterward, “Thank you, Yukina.”

 

Keiko took the money he offered, gave him his change, and watched as he walked out the door once more, the tiny bells tinkling happily as he left. However, she looked down at her hands, wondering just how badly Higurashi Kagome was taking this all. She was angry with Yusuke, really angry in fact, but she wondered how exactly the other woman felt, having obviously tried to make Yusuke see reason, since it was becoming clearer to her that Kagome loved her boyfriend. She might not have seen much of Hiei, she'd rarely heard about him either, but obviously it was more so than Shuichi, Kurama, or at least closer to the time that he'd finally gone through with the act, since she'd easily remembered Yusuke talking about him, but not Shuichi.

 

Sighing, Keiko wished once more that she could meet this Higurashi Kagome. The other woman would probably think that she was there to hurt her, but she wanted to get her story. She wanted to find out what had started this, what had ended up with Yusuke making that tape, thus leaving proof of his cheating ways. She wanted to know, but she could understand if the other woman simply wanted to stay away from anything that had to do with Yusuke—and until she decided what to do, truly do about their relationship, she was still something that had to do with him.

 

OoO

 

KibaSin: Gasp! There was no moment between Hiei and Kagome in this chapter—I hate myself, especially after reading that wonderful new addition to Black Widow Miko by madmiko, which you should read, by the way. However, I wanted to get this chapter out, and I had to reread all of the pervious chapters because I forgot a few things! I had to rewrite the last bit about three times because I kept forgetting that Keiko is quite aware of the fact that Yusuke slept with a Higurashi Kagome whose boyfriend is Jaganshi Hiei, thanks to Yukina.

 

But, I hope that the next chapter does not require me to turn my attention from it for nearly two months. The story really only last between twenty and twenty-five chapters, maybe up to thirty, so I hope, seriously hope, that this time my mind does not wander off as it did this time. (sheepish grin) But, I can't promise that, since I never know what my mind, nor my muse, are going to do.

 

Oh, and if you haven't, you should listen to Time After Time by Quiet Drive. You can find it on youtube with Kingdom Hearts as the show (some with Final Fantasy). I love the song, though, it reminds me of madmiko's interaction between her Hiei and Kagome in Black Widow Miko. Don't ask me why.

 

Kiba

 

Review Replies: (I'm always forgetting to do this)

 

loveinuyasha911 - And now we know who the stranger is! I almost wished I'd wrote that piece first, at least then I wouldn't have had to try to figure out for so long why I'd started it with Sango, Bankotsu, and Jakotsu. Lol.

madmiko - Oh, thank you so much, madmiko. I'm so glad that I have the support of one of my favorite authors. I love writing pieces between Bankotsu and Jakotsu, especially in this future setting, since it gives me a reason to have them beat up a bunch of people. I can only hope that I eventually bring in some other the other brothers. Yes, I completely agree with you, they do belong on the Jerry Springer show! I can only hope that I don't torture Inuyasha too much (even if it's so much fun) and finally let him see the light—I do have the perfect way to do that, too (insert evil laughter). Yeah (nervous glance) the tape, I hope I get that destroyed soon, I seem to keep forgetting about it. Lol. But yes, that will open up a new setting, and I'm not sure if I'll put that in there, it make cause Hiei to do something crazy!

animeboysrock23 - What else do I have to do? Nothing, really, except update my other stories that continue to scream at me, `update us, update us! We're waiting right here, we want to be finished! No, Kiba, don't make a new story, you moron!'

ChaoticKittiex3 - The happy hammer? I don't think I like the sound of that. Please don't hurt me. Lol!