InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Hanyou Reborn, Kagome's Change of Heart ❯ Living a Life, Finding a Past ( Chapter 6 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Kagome was a little worried about leaving Inuyasha all alone in her apartment, but she knew she couldn’t bring him to work with her. So she taught him how to use the microwave to make ramen, and then set him down with the remote and cable. She thought that should be enough to entertain him until she got home at five.







“So Kag, how’s the love life?,” Shirley asked. Shirley was a co-worker of Kagome’s who loved to gossip. Kagome smiled at the older woman, and watched her as she twirled a permed curl around her finger.



“There is none. Same as always, what about you?,” Kagome replied. Shirley rolled her eyes at the girl, and took a seat at the edge of her desk.



“Kag, you have got to get a boyfriend. You’re young and beautiful and need a life. You live like an old woman, I swear,” Shirley told her, watching her with her wide blue eyes, as she batted her mascara caked lashes. Kagome frowned, turning back to her papers.



“Gee Shirley, thanks,” Kagome said sarcasm dripping from her statement. The woman laughed and slid off her desk to pat Kagome’s shoulder.



“Hey no problem. But please take my word, you need some love in your life,” She stated again, her stare unwavering until Kagome sighed.



“All right, I’ll try to do something about it,” Kagome sighed. Shirley smiled, and then gave a cheery wave before she disappeared out of Kagome’s cubicle.



‘You have no idea. But I have a love life,’ Kagome thought smugly. Her thoughts drifted to Inuyasha and she had to wonder what he was up to. She had told him about the telephone and that she would call at some point during the day. She just prayed he wasn’t getting into trouble. But she had a feeling he would behave.










Inuyasha pulled open another draw, and smirked. He was in Kagome’s room snooping around, he was into Kagome dresser. And he liked what he found.



“I knew she had them,” He said to himself smugly. He pulled out a red stringy thong, and stretched it until it flew out of his grasp. He smiled, pulling out another one.



“Just like a sling-shot,” He laughed as he shot another thong across the room. He stopped though realizing Kagome would be furious if he made a mess in her room. He shut the draw and moved on to the closet. He pulled open the doors and scanned down the row of clothes.



“Keh, there’s too much pink,” He grumbled. Kagome loved pink and her clothes consisted of many articles of clothing featuring many different shades. He looked down and noticed all her shoes neatly lined up, but that wasn’t what caught his eye. It was the bag from there shopping trip. He smirked as he pulled it out and went over to her bed. He sat down and eagerly reached in.



His eyes widened as he pulled out a shiny short black strapless dress. It felt soft to his touch and flowed over his fingers, on it were shiny jewels that reminded him of the stars at night. He smiled as he pictures it on Kagome, and he wondered why she was hiding it. He shrugged and dropped it back in the bag before stowing it back in the closet and shutting the doors again.



His stomach rumbled loudly and he grinned as he made his way to the kitchen. Kagome had left out a few bowls of instant ramen, and he smiled gleefully as he stuck one in the microwave, and did as Kagome had instructed him. As he waited he paced about the kitchen impatiently, and was happy when the microwave beeped. He sniffed deeply taking in the lovely aroma of his beloved ramen.



“Yum,” He muttered heading into the living room to sit by the table. He turned on the television and flipped through the channels before he stopped on some cartoons.










Kagome rubbed her forehead as her head began to pound. She had been sitting for an hour during a lecture, jotting down notes and making her own points. She had had about enough but still there was an hour left. The thought of going home was joyous, and even more was the fact that Inuyasha would be waiting there for her.



“Miss Higurashi, are you all right?,” Came a concerned voice. Kagome looked up to find her co-worker Jonathan watching her. She smiled and waved a hand at him.



“Yeah, just got a headache,” She said nonchalantly. Jonathan just nodded sympathetically before turning his attention back to the lecture.



‘Gods, when will this day end,’ Kagome thought. She pushed back from the table, and leaned back in her seat. She rested her head against her hand and kept her eyes trained on the speaker. It seemed he was talking in another language, but she tried hard to concentrate.



It didn’t seem like the meetings end had come fast enough. Kagome gave a sigh of relief as she jumped to her feet and raced from the room. She felt satisfied she was first from the room as she went to gather her purse and paperwork for home. Before she drove home though she stopped by the coffee shop to pick up a coffee.



Kagome was only two people away from ordering when she felt some one tap her shoulder. She turned around readying herself for the worse, and bit back her groan as she saw a pair of familiar blue eyes.



“Fancy meeting you here,” Corey said cheerily. Kagome forced a smile, taking a glance to see what was taking so long with the people before her.



“We just keep bumping into each other, it’s funny,” Corey said, chuckling. Kagome laughed with him.



“Well, life is funny like that sometimes,” She replied. Corey nodded, as he tucked a stray piece of brown hair behind his ear. He was dressed in a tight blue shirt, with loose jeans that were freckled with different colors of paint.



Corey seemed to notice her traveling eyes and smirked.



“I paint, if you couldn’t see. I just finished a painting for a dealer, and dropped it off. I didn’t change, and well that’s why I’m covered in paint,” He told her. Kagome’s eyes widened slightly as she smiled genuinely.



“Wow, you paint. I would of never guessed. What do you usually do? Portraits, landscapes?,” She asked. Corey nodded.



“Both, but I prefer doing portraits. I find people to be interesting, and usually I’ll go out an photograph people and then paint them into a scene or something. I also do a little photography as well on the side. But that career hasn’t taken off yet”. Kagome smiled and thought it to be funny that someone who looked just like Koga could be such an opposite. But then again, she and Kikyo were opposites, and they looked alike.



“That’s amazing. I’d like to see some of your work someday. I’ve always had an interest in art, but I can’t draw or anything. I admire those who are creative,” She told him. She glanced to see she was next in line, but felt she wasn’t in that much a of a rush anymore.



“Really? That’s good to hear. My studio is just down the street, I could take you now. If you want,” He said, sounding hopeful. Kagome smiled politely and then shook her head.



“Oh I couldn’t I’ve got a lot of work to do tonight. But maybe another day, is your studio open to the public?,” She asked. Corey smiled.



“On occasion, I tried once teaching a painting class to bring in some extra money but no one was very interested,” He said with a sigh. Kagome laughed, and then as her turn came she stepped up to order before turning back to him.



“That’s a shame. I’d like to take a class, but like I said I’m not very artistic,” She replied. As she said this she realized that she was leading him on.



“Well, I could try to teach you. Maybe,” He said. Kagome laughed, and took her coffee as she paid.



“Maybe, I’ve got to get going. It was nice talking to you,” She said, stepping out of his way.



“Wait, let me give you my phone number. Give me a call when you have time to stop by the studio,” He said. He grabbed a napkin and then a pen from his pocket and jotted down his number and name. He handed it to her with a smile, and gave her hand a squeeze when she took it.



“Oh, thanks. Bye Corey,” Kagome said as she glanced down at the napkin and left.










Inuyasha jumped in surprise as the apartment door swung open, but relaxed seeing Kagome stumble in. The strong scent of coffee met his nose and he rose to help her as she struggled to shut the door.



“You really like that coffee stuff,” Inuyasha smirked as he shut the door. Kagome laughed as she hung up her purse and tossed her manila folder on her living room table.



“I would die with out it,” She replied. Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he took a seat on the couch again. Kagome glanced around the room to find it surprisingly clean.



“I didn’t mess anything up,” Inuyasha growled noticing her traveling stare. Kagome turned to him with a raise eyebrow.



“I’m surprised. I would of thought you’d ravage the house and go through my underwear draws,” She laughed. Inuyasha blushed faintly and looked back to the television guiltily. Luckily Kagome didn’t catch his guilty gaze.



“Speaking of which, what did you do today?,” She asked. Inuyasha laughed nervously, giving her a half hearted shrug.










“Do you have to leave again?,” He asked. Kagome rolled her eyes as she pulled her office jacket on. Inuyasha had been whining at her since she had woken up, in fact every morning of the week he had begged for her to stay home.



“Inuyasha, I told you if I don’t go to work I won’t have money to buy your ramen,” She told him. Inuyasha’s ears drooped and she laughed at his cuteness.



“But I’m bored. There’s nothing to do around here, I’m sick of it,” He grumbled. Kagome rolled her eyes, then an idea popped into her head and she smiled.



“I’ll drop you off at the temple. Sota’s home from school today so you and him can do something,” She told him. Inuyasha growled at this and plopped down on the couch.



“I don’t want to spend the day with him…,” He complained. He was about to protest again when he jumped up and looked wide eyed at Kagome.



“My Tetsusaiga!!!,” He shouted. Kagome blinked, and then looked at him questioningly.



“What about it?,” She asked. Inuyasha groaned.



“I forgot that I had left it with him. Fine, I guess I’ll go by, if only to get back Tetsusaiga,” He said. Kagome rolled her eyes again and reached for her purse.



“Hurry up and get dressed then, I’m going to be late,” She hurried him. Inuyasha nodded and ran from the room to get dressed.










Sota watched as Inuyasha downed a second bowl of ramen in two gulps. He had hoped that if Inuyasha spent the day with him he could get to learn some fighting moves or even hear a story of his fights, but Inuyasha had proved him wrong by sulking around the house all day. He would complain to him about Kagome working to much, or how he wished he could have some freedom. Sota was slowly learning that Inuyasha wasn’t the hero he had once thought him to be.



“Inuyasha, what is it you see in my sister anyway? You complain an awful lot about her, and I’m just wondering. What is it you like so much about her?,” Sota asked. Inuyasha looked up from his empty ramen bowl with a queer look upon his face.



“What kind a question is that!?,” He snapped. Sota just sighed leaning back in his chair.



“A simple one. I was just curious,” He replied, looking back at Inuyasha with a dull expression. Inuyasha sighed placing his bowl down on the table as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.



“No it’s a stupid question. Why would you be curious about something like that?,” He asked, raising an eyebrow at the younger boy. Sota shrugged.



“Like I said before. You complain about her so much, I just want to know what it is you like about her,” He replied. Inuyasha let out an exasperated sigh and leaned back in his chair as well.



“It’s hard to explain. She just makes me feel… happy. Someday you’ll understand,” He told him. Sota grumbled and got up from his seat.



“Yeah, well I hate waiting. Why don’t we head outside, and do something,” He said, before leaving the room. Inuyasha shrugged and got up to follow him, making sure his baseball cap was fixed on his head.





Outside the air was cool, and upon the small breeze danced the scent of the approaching spring. Winter was winding to an end, and Inuyasha was glad since that meant he could spend more time outside. Of course only if Kagome permitted it. He glanced around himself and half smiled seeing the large thousand year tree standing in the front yard. Sota took a seat on the steps, and watched as Inuyasha approached the tree.



Inuyasha looked at the large scar that was etched into the bark of the tree, it had been there that he had been trapped for fifty years, until Kagome had freed him. She had given him his life back in more ways then one. She had mended his heart and taught him how to feel and trust once again. She was his savior, and it was a debt he could probably never repay. But it didn’t matter to him, he would enjoy spending his life repaying her in his own way, with love and protection.



“I can’t believe I’m here,” He muttered, a smile surfaced on his lips as he turned to glance at the well shack that wasn’t to far from view.



‘I just wish all my friends were here… Miroku and Sango, even Shippo. If I could of I would of brought them with me,’ He thought sadly. He turned his gaze toward the sky and then to the boy who sat watching him. Sota wasn’t the little kid he remembered. He was almost a man, and no longer that whiny boy who believed him to be the greatest thing alive. Inuyasha laughed to himself remembering the kids doe eyes that time he fought the Noh Mask.



“Hey kid. What is there to do around here?,” Inuyasha asked him, as he walked toward him. Sota shrugged, not moving from his spot as Inuyasha came to sit beside him.



“Not much, if I had my license and a car I would take you somewhere. But that has yet to happen. I guess you could teach me some fighting moves,” Sota suggested. Inuyasha sighed.



“Keh, like I want to do that,” He garbled, leaning back on the step. Sota cursed looking over to the steps. He was surprised as he saw the top of a head appear, quickly followed by the rest of a persons body.



“Wow, we have a visitor,” Sota said in surprise. Inuyasha looked up as well and nearly fell over at the sight. The man stood tall, as he came to a stop at the top of the stairs. His hands were tucked casually in his pockets, as he gazed around. He had longish black hair gathered into a small ponytail at the base of his neck, and behind his eyeglasses his eyes were indigo.



“Inuyasha, you look kind of pale,” Sota said, gazing at the hanyou. Inuyasha blinked as he jumped to his feet, and stocked toward the man. His golden gaze was fixed on the man’s familiar face. The familiar face of Miroku.



“Hey, Miroku,” Inuyasha shouted. The man glanced at him slightly startled before his calm demeanor returned.



“Pardon, are you talking to me?,” He asked, watching the silver haired man approach. Inuyasha stopped, his glare intensifying.



“Well yeah. What the hell are you doing here? How on Earth did you get here!?!!,” Inuyasha shouted. The man looked about the place confused, and then back at the gruff man.



“I had no idea the shrine was closed. Many apologies, I shall leave,” He replied turning to leave. Inuyasha reached out a grabbed his arm whirling him back around.



“Don’t play games Miroku,” Inuyasha growled. The man stared at Inuyasha in bewilderment.



“My name is not Miroku, you must have me mistaken,” He told him, removing Inuyasha’s grip from his arm. Inuyasha’s brow furrowed and he sniffed the air.



“No, your not him. Feh,” Inuyasha grumbled in disappointment.



“Please sir you’ll have to excuse my friend, he is a bit excitable,” Sota explained as he came upon the men. Inuyasha huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, as he kept his gaze weary on the familiar stranger.



“You look just like him,” He grumbled. The man regarded him with humorous eyes and then held out his hand him.



“Hello my name is Moshi Manning. Pleased to meet you,” Moshi greeted. Inuyasha took his hand hesitantly, and then dropped it quickly.



“Inuyasha, and that’s Sota,” Inuyasha replied. Moshi nodded with a wide smile.



“Do you two attend to the shrine?,” He asked. Sota shook his head.



“My grandfather did before he passed away. We just live here now. We haven’t had visitors for the past couple years,” Sota explained. The man nodded, as his gaze shifted around the shrine.



“I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather. I just moved into the house across the street and wanted to check out the shrine and say hello to our new neighbors. My wife is at home sleeping, she was being cranky earlier,” Moshi said with a chuckle, his eyes resting back on the men. Inuyasha raised and eyebrow at him. Moshi laughed again.



“She’s seven months pregnant and mean as hell. Poor dear,” He explained. Sota snorted at this while Inuyasha just rolled his eyes.



“Sounds like you’ve got your hands full,” Sota said. Moshi nodded.



“Indeed I do. My son Sheridan is a handful as well, just turned six. He sure is a spunky kid, drive’s me crazy sometimes,” He muttered shaking his head with a sigh. Sota nodded.



“Well your welcome to visit the shrine anytime. It’s just me and my mother. Well and maybe my sister sometimes, but still I’m sure my mother would enjoy company,” Sota offered. Moshi nodded smiling again.



“Perhaps we’ll all stop by tomorrow. I’d like to hear some stories about the shrine, does your mother know of any?,” He asked. Sota nodded, eyeing Inuyasha as he answered.



“There is a legend about the tree. I’m sure your wife will enjoy the story behind it, it’s a kind of love story,” Sota smirked. Moshi chuckled nodding.



“Wonderful, perhaps a love story will inspire her to be nicer to me,” Moshi joked. Sota snorted again turning to look back at Moshi. Inuyasha however just rolled his eyes as he headed back to the steps he had sat upon earlier, he paused for a moment though as a familiar scent met his nose, and he turned gaze at the stairs waiting. He wasn’t disappointed as Kagome’s head came into view. Her eyes met his and she hurried up the steps and over to him. She gave him a big hug.



“What was that for?,” Inuyasha asked, looking down at her head. She pulled back from him and smiled.



“I just missed you is all,” She replied, burying her head in his chest again. Inuyasha smiled tenderly, and hugged her tighter.



“Hey sis, we have a visitor,” Sota called to her. Kagome pulled away from Inuyasha to glare at her brother, but as she caught sight of the visitor a gasp escaped her mouth.



“M-Miroku,” She stuttered staring. Inuyasha laughed.



“No, not him,” He told her. Kagome blinked turning back to him with confused eyes.



“I thought so too, but he’s not,” He said to her. Kagome turned back to Sota and walked over offering her hand to the strangely familiar man.



“Hi I’m Kagome,” She said forcing a cheery smile onto her shocked face. Moshi smiled taking her hand and shaking it.



“Moshi Manning, I’m your new neighbor,” He replied. Kagome smiled.



“Nice to meet you,” She replied. Moshi smiled and let her grip go before starting to turn.



“Same to you. I should get back home before my wife discovers I’m gone. I’ll take you up on that offer Sota, nice meeting you all,” He said before starting down the steps.



“Wow, he looked just like Miroku,” Kagome mused. She turned to glance at Inuyasha giving a sad smile.



“I think we should talk some more about what happened after I left,” She said to him. Inuyasha nodded in agreement.



“We can talk when we get home,” He told her. She smiled and nodded. Sota rolled his eyes and then the couple went with him inside to fetch Inuyasha’s sword, before they headed on their way home.