InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Killer In Hindsight ❯ Rough Waters Ahead ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha and Company. I also don’t own any recipe’s that may appear in the future contents of this story.
Update: Mostly spelling and grammar revisions, I did cut out an entire page of writing, but I think it’s better this way.

‘Thoughts’
“Speech”
OOO – Flashback
XXX – Break in scene or POV

XXXX

Kagome had ended up sleeping on the bunk beneath Sango and across from Miroku. She never knew one man could be so perverted. The cook and the captain had gotten a little bit closer forming something akin to a friendship over the week. Kagome often sat up in the control room with the captain, as he didn’t have many visitors either, bringing along with her a cup of her famous homemade cocoa.

She babied Shippou like he had never been babied before, and the young kit had no objections, the crew often overlooked someone as small as he was. Inuyasha had been somewhat resistant to her coddling but soon got over it in favor of another batch of her Kitchen Sink Cookies.

Presently, Kagome was bustling around in the kitchen making her whipped hot chocolate to bring up to Inuyasha while Shippou sat next to her on the counter eating a piece of soda bread. They had been at sea for a week looking for a place to cast their nets.

The young girl took a small saucepan from out of one of the cupboards slowly warming up one cup of milk until it was just steaming. She added one third-cup sugar, two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a teensy pinch of salt. She stirred the mixture with a wire whisk until it was dissolved and smooth.

She added some broken up squares of semisweet baking chocolate and stirred until it was all evenly melted. Kagome removed the pan from the heat to let it cool slightly. Pouring one cup of heavy cream into a medium bowl the raven-haired girl beat it with her electric mixer until the cream was stiff.

Carefully, she folded the whipped cream into the chocolate, grabbed two of the biggest mugs they had on board, poured the hot chocolate and grabbed two spoons.

“Hey kiddo you want to go ask the others what they want for lunch?” Around a mouth full of soda bread the kitsune boy answered “sure” rushing up the stairs ahead of her. ‘He’s just so darn cute.’ Kagome thought to herself as she followed after the hyper kitsune at a more sedate pace.
XXX

“I brought you some hot cocoa.”

Sitting down in her self-appointed chair, Inuyasha in his spinney chair behind the wheel, and Kagome next to him behind a bunch of blinking lights and buttons. They each sipped their cocoa; Kagome swiveled from side to side in her chair, staring at the captain over her large mug. Inuyasha continued to stare out the front window and set his mug down on the console.

“Is there something wrong with it?”

“Wrong with what?” Inuyasha asked slightly startled, having somewhat forgotten the girl was even there. Turning to her and giving her his full attention he watched as she set down her own mug.

“The cocoa, you’ve barely touched it. If it’s too cold I can go warm it up.” It was just fine even if it was a bit cold, that was Kagome for you always trying to make sure everyone was satisfied. But to be honest he had other things on his mind besides the cooling drink in his hand.

“No, it’s good.” He answered as he picked at a tear in the blue leather of his seat; he’d have to fix that later. Kagome sensing something wrong with her newly found friend gazed at him with concern.

“What’s on your mind?” she asked. Before the captain could even think of a response a soaking orange ball of fur hurled himself through the door, apparently it had started raining rather hard outside, startling the hanyou and the girl.

“They all want soup.” He said with a sneeze. Kagome nodded her head and grabbed her mug as she stood up. The half-demon’s dilemma currently placed at the back of her mind, she’d question him about it later.

“Do you want me to heat that up?” she asked turning to said half-demon.

“No, it’s fine. Go get started on lunch.” With a small smile Kagome accepted his dismissal, scooped up the little kit, and made her way out into the rain.

Inuyasha stood up and watched her go from the back window, noting that his crew was double checking everything to make sure it was safely strapped down, he also noticed they had to tie themselves down just so they wouldn’t get tossed overboard.
XXX

Down in the kitchen Kagome started taking things out of the refrigerator and placing them on the counter. Shippou watched her as he picked up the dirty laundry lying around the bunks, and piling them together to be washed later.

“Hey Kagome?” he asked as the he watched her take out a large soup pot and saucepan from a cupboard.

“Yeah sweetie, what is it?” Kagome looked over at him as he dropped a couple pairs of the boy’s dirty boxers on the growing pile. The little demon put on the most innocent face he could muster, hoping she wouldn’t notice the mischief brewing behind his eyes.

“Do you like Inuyasha?” Much to his delight she was too busy stuttering to notice.

“Shippou, honey, it’s very…” trying to choose the right word she paused for a second before continuing, “it’s very…complicated. It’s hard to explain Shippou.” ‘Especially when you’re so young, and I barely even know myself.’ She thought.

“But I think he likes you.” His big eyes looking over at her. “I think you guys should go out!” He suddenly exclaimed trying to seem as childish and innocent as he could.

“Uh, Shippou dear…we’re on a boat…in the middle of the Pacific…there’s nowhere to go on a date even if we wanted to.” Did Inuyasha really like her? Half the time he barely even noticed she was there, unless Kouga said something, or Miroku groped her, or they were alone in the control center. This was very confusing. For right now all she could hope for was they were, at the very least, friends. ‘Friends.’ She shivered at the word, ‘if only it was more.’

“There’s always Inuyasha’s room. He never lets anybody go in there so you’d have complete privacy. Besides whenever my parents wanted to spend time together they always went in their room.” God he was so good. She didn’t suspect a thing.

Kagome sputtered a little, her eyes going wide as saucers. Inuyasha and her in his room…as if. “Shippou your parents were …mated…and Inuyasha and I barely even know each other. A week isn’t even close to enough time to know somebody enough to well…spend time…alone…in a bedroom.” Although it would be very nice if she could spend some more time alone with him, the afternoons spent in the wheelhouse just never seemed to last long enough.

Of course those thoughts took the young cook down a very different path, soon innocent thoughts of friendship turned to well…time alone in the captains room. What she was picturing was definitely not “just friend’s” material. Kagome stopped what she was doing for all of two seconds at the thought of getting to “know” Inuyasha in his bedroom.

Blushing, she returned to working on lunch. Seeing that he wasn’t going to get much more out of the cook, Shippou returned to cleaning the living area, when he offered a quick “see ya” to Kagome and went up on deck to help out. After Shippou left, she breathed a sigh of relief and continued chopping the veggies for her soup.

After a few minutes, and several carrots later Kagome watched as Sango and Hojo came down for a break. Soaked clear through to their knickers even with their slickers on they very happily accepted a steaming cup of coffee from the young girl.

After about fifteen minutes of chatting with the two-crew members, Inuyasha came down to get a cup of java himself after having finished his cocoa. He stuck around to join in their conversation. Sango and Hojo had been talking to Kagome about the mechanics of the finishing industry.

Each boat was to catch a certain quota no more no less; if they caught over their number they would find themselves with a hefty fine. Apparently it all came down to tracking the schools of fish, once they found a decent sized school they would cast their nets and wait. Once the fish were on board they would toss the fish into the hold down below, commonly referred to as the ice room, and when it was full they would jog to an offshore off-loader.

After about fifteen more minutes of talking with the three they had to get back to their stations and Kagome turned back to her soup, removing the bay leaves from the top, she added the leeks and the sage from her herbs under the cupboard. The heavenly scent that wafted from the pot could be smelt all the way up on deck and soon a very hungry group of crewmates came barreling down the stairs for lunch. And the cook gladly spooned out heaping helpings for everyone.

“What is this?” Hiten between rather large spoonfuls of lunch.

“I call it my no-chicken chicken soup.” She said smiling largely at their confused faces. “ I used to be a personal chef for a married couple, they were vegetarians.” A few nods and everyone was digging back into the heavenly soup.

“Where’s Inuyasha?” Kagome asked not seeing the brash silver-haired man anywhere at the large table.

“He’s still in the wheelhouse.” Shippou said between inhales.

“Oh I guess I’ll go take him a bowl.” Knowing glances were passed between the friends as their newest companion got up to get another bowl. Grabbing some spoons and her own bowl of soup the raven-haired cook made it up to the control room, having almost slipped a few times from the wet of the rain. The wind had picked up quite a bit since she had last surfaced.

When the girl burst through the door to the small room thanks to a particularly strong gust of wind, she gasped a little at the condition it was in. There were papers everywhere, covering the dark blue carpet and the entire control panel. Sweeping a few pages off of her seat, Kagome handed the grumpy hanyou his bowl of soup.
XXX

The captain was often grumpy, but this time he had a very valid reason for being so. It seemed there was a big storm comin’ in and it would be a rough night and probably most of tomorrow. He never really did care for big storms. He stared at the weather report in front of him confirming his fears. He heard Kagome come in, her soup really did smell good and he was more than happy to take one of the bowls off of her hands.

“Is something wrong?” he heard her ask so quietly that had he not had demonic hearing he was sure he would have missed it all together.

“There’s a storm comin’ in from the north, it’s gonna be awful cold tonight.”

To say she was a little scared would be an understatement. This would be her first storm on Inuyasha’s boat. She knew how rough the sea’s could be having loved listening to her father tell tales of his time’s during some of the harsher storms when she was little. Inuyasha having scented her nervousness turned to look at her. She was sipping her soup and looking a little pale in the face.

“Don’t worry my boat’s handled some pretty big storms, this should be a piece of cake. You just stay down in the living quarters until it’s over okay?” he said seeking to reassure her.

She nodded her head, she wasn’t sure she could trust her voice at the moment. The steady reassurance in his voice made her feel a little bit better. Hearing his concern made her think back to her conversation earlier with Shippou. Could the kit really be right? Did Inuyasha really like her? Kagome shook her head a bit trying to clear her thoughts, no; she was getting ahead of herself again. But it was nice to think about.

“Chocolate?” she finally asked, smiling as she stared out the front windows. The captain chuckled and nodded his head.

“Yeah, chocolate.” He had been watching Kagome out of the corner of his eye. Her thought process truly amazed him sometimes. One minute she was worried and nervous the next she was smiling. The girl really was a puzzle, one he might just want to solve.

He liked spending his lunches with her. It often went something like she would make the lunch, the others would go down and eat and she would bring some up to him, and sit with him while they ate. Usually it was in silence, sometimes witty banter and other times telling stories about their families and where they grew up, or embarrassing moments. One time they even talked about past ex's and the heartache they had caused.

The amber-eyed captain liked it best when they would sit in comfortable silence. She seemed to be the only person he could do that with. Plus the fact that he could close his eyes and bask in her scent, and she never even noticed. Inuyasha smiled a little to himself as he breathed in her scent some more.

“What are you smilin’ about over there?” he ventured as he took another sip of her delicious soup.

“What? Oh. I was just thinking about something Shippou said to me earlier today. That boy is just too adorable.” At this she smiled fondly.

“So?”

“So what?” she turned to him quizzically as he continued to peek out at her from the corner of his eye.

“So, what did the runt say this time that was so cute?” Sometimes she was a little slow on the up and up, he thought as he smirked at her little blush.

“Oh!” she exclaimed as it all clicked into place “He said something about you and I going on a “date” in your bedroom.” She tried to play it off as no big deal but the heat in her cheeks gave her away.

“What’s so wrong with that?” He asked smirking and turning to her. Oh how he loved flustering their little cook. Kagome’s head whipped around to face him and for a moment he was afraid she might of hurt herself but when the blush spread from the apples of her cheeks to her ears and down her neck, he couldn’t help the twinkle of amusement in his eye.

“Excuse me?” she asked hoping she may have heard wrong. She was doing a rather damn good impression of a cherry tomato at the moment if she did say so herself.

“You’re pretty, in a weird kinda way.” He said more to himself than the girl in front of him, scratching his chin lightly.

“Gee, thanks.” She came back sarcastically.

“Plus, I guess you’re an okay cook, I mean, I have had better.” Now he had just gone too far. No one insulted Kagome Higurashi’s cooking and got away with it. No one. Sensing the death of his manhood from the girl less then two feet away from him Inuyasha tried to back track.

“You know I was just kidding…right?” He said. The silver-haired half demon swore he saw hell burning in her eyes. “ You know I’m just playin’ with ya…. You make the best food I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. Honest.” Head bowed he blushed a little.

That was more than she expected from him. Yes, he Inuyasha Taisho just complimented her, but the man was emotionally constipated at least when it came to admitting them out loud. Kagome looked at Inuyasha surprised.

“You really think that?” Watching as he nodded his head just a little too embarrassed to raise it, Kagome smiled softly. “Thanks.”
XXX

“What do you think they’re doing up there?” Sango asked as she stared up at the ceiling. God, she was stuffed. Her toes were curling in her boots, and she definitely felt she could go for a nap right about now. After a hot meal like that and being all toasty warm like she was, she really didn’t feel like going back out into the cold rain. The young woman chanced a glance around the table, all of her crewmates staring upwards and boring holes into their ceiling. They were all rather enthralled with the goings on of the upstairs.

“I don’t know.” Miroku said as he continued to stare above him as though he could see right through the sheet rock and metal and to the two occupants up in the control room. The navy blue-eyed man slowly inched his hand in the wrong direction. Sango having known from years of experience sensed the direction in which the offending appendage was heading and promptly slammed said appendages' owner’s face into the tabletop. Everyone switched gazes from the ceiling to the two in front of them.

“Whatever.” Kouga said as he sulked. He had been hoping to get the girl, but it seemed that she had taken some kind of interest in the reclusive half-demon, that didn’t mean he was going to stop trying though. The wolf demon could still state a claim now and then, just to piss off the captain

“Well we should probably be getting back to work.” Hojo said after noticing the sulking ookami. He stood up and headed for the stairs the others doing the same and following after him. Little did they all know about the fierce storm brewing just miles away from them. Sure they had all been through rough seas before but nothing like what was headed straight for them.

XXXX

Notes on the chapter:
-I had no idea that I had disabled anonymous reviews, thankfully, someone pointed it out to me. You may now post anonymous reviews, although, I would appreciated it if you left some way for me to e-mail/contact you, I like to personally thank all of my reviewers.
-If any of you want any of the recipe’s that have appeared or appear in future chapters give me your e-mail and I’ll get them to you.
Next up on A Killer In Hindsight: All Washed Up!