InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Rose in Winter ❯ Chapter 3

A Rose in Winter

By:

Goijh

Author's note: I know that its been FOREVER since I updated anything. I apologize.

*smiles hopefully*

Can you forgive me?

This isn't everything that I wanted Chapter three to contain, but this would take a lot longer to write if I put everything in that I wanted to. And I figured that you guys deserve an update…Right?

So, I will try to write chapter four soon. And it should be…quite…interesting. Promise!

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Chapter Three

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Golden eyes watched the silhouette of the young woman diligently going about her chores.

A light breeze played with her hair, teasing a few strands loose from the kerchief that she had tied about her head to keep them secured. Even from where he stood, leaning against a post on the road, he could see the pout of concentration on her lips.

Those lips.

He had come so close to tasting them the day before. His tongue darted out to moisten his own mouth as he thought about.

He wondered how she would taste.

The young woman however remained completely oblivious to his rakish stare as she bustled about, taking the laundry that she had only just finished washing to hang it on the line.

The breeze that played with her hair also played with the garments and sheets which she hung to dry. The erratic movements of the laundry enticing the interest of another nearby stranger.

As the woman continued with her chores, she never noticed the rather round cat that slowly began to creep forth. Large green eyes stayed focused on the flapping sheet with vigilence as the underestimated predator crept slowly forth.

The sheets continued to flap in the breeze, temptation themselves to the overweight feline. The cat steadily advanced until it was only a few feet away.

The young woman didn't notice.

The wind blew.

The laundry danced.

The hunter sprung! Flying through the air with grace that was surprising for one its size the cat soared to the fresh clean clothes. Claws sunk into the fabrics, firmly attaching themselves so that the 20 pounds or so of fat and flesh hung with only some effort on its target.

But problems arose.

The sheet was not something to eat. And it certainly wasn't as much fun now that it was weighted down and couldn't flap around. But the feline couldn't leave.

It was stuck.

And in protest it let out a loud yowl of distress.

For the first time since the uninvited guest's arrival, the young woman noticed the nuisance. The nuisance that was clinging to her laundry with claws that were slowly dragging down and tearing the cloth!

Shrieking at the offense the maiden ran to the cat. The cat, seeing that it was now in danger, began to struggle more, ripping holes in the sheet as it did so, but still unable to gain its freedom.

Golden eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement as their owner fought back the immense urge to roar with laughter at the scene before him.

"Buyo!" Cried the young woman as she wrapped he arms fully around him and pried him off. The laundry continued to tear, the sound of ripping cloth resounding through the quiet morning. She stared horror struck at the sight before her.

Gaping holes and loose strings fluttered aimlessly in the consistent, gentle, wind.

One word came to mind.

Sewing.

She hated sewing.

Buyo took the maiden's distraction to his best advantage and none to stealthily leapt out of her arms and scampered away.

She didn't notice at all.

Her mouth gaped open and her empty arms remained folded across her chest as if she was still cradling the culprit.

Suddenly sense seemed to return to her. Her head dropped and she stared at her empty arms. Then it raised and she stared at the ruined blankets.

And then the only suitable words for the moment came to mind.

"I detest sewing!" The young woman yelled, her enraged voice easily echoing across the empty yard.

The bystander could no longer contain his laughter. Rich waves of it poured from his mouth, an unstoppable force. Golden eyes squeezed shut and arms crossed his stomach to hold his sides.

At the rumbling mirth the young woman started, jumping near a foot high and one of her hands clasping over her mouth to stifle the scream that she almost released. With a glare that could wilt the most hardy of weeds she spun to face the newest invader.

And when she saw the silver hair, the masculine figure, the golden eyes...

...She released the scream she had been holding.

"Inuyasha Akuma!"

Inuyasha continued to laugh heartily, but as if in confirmation to her outcry he nodded his head and forced his shaking body to stand straight instead of lean against the fence.

"Good morning Miss Higurashi." He finally greeted when his laughter had died. But his eyes continued to taunt her. Kagome placed her hands firmly on her hips and glared.

"What brings you here, sir, if I may ask?" She spat out in an obviously false tone. Inuyasha chose not to heed her sarcastic manners though and merely continued to smirk, his normally arrogance returning as he boldly allowed his eyes to appraised her figure once again.

Kagome hated her traitorous body for reacting.

"Why I was out to take a stroll on this lovely morning and thought that I would admire the scenery as well while I was at it." He replied easily

Kagome's eyes darted up to the sky in doubt. The storm clouds that were brewing yesterday were even thicker today. There was no sun. But there would be no storm today either...

Suddenly the meaning of the last of his words hit her full force. Her glare became frigid and her eyes narrowed. The chauvinistic pig! The cocky arrogant dog to think that he could just be so bold as to talk like that to her!

It wasn't enough that he had humiliated her yesterday, that now because of him her virtue was in question, but he had the gall to come around today and be so audacious and suggestive as he was? Had he no sense of propriety!?

He probably did.

He was probably only doing this to ruin her as he had the rest of her family.

Kagome felt the shame burning in her as she tried to extricate all her memories of him from the day before. The memories of the thoughts she had had when she thought that he was Maten. When she had yearned for him as her suitor.

When she had pined for his lips to crush her own at the top of the stairs.

Clearly he was not the night in shining armor that she had once thought him to be. No. He was nothing more than the terrible monster that her father and brother had described.

Yes. That's what he was.

It did not matter that he had been kind. That he was handsome. That something inside of her told her that he was really not who she thought he was. That she felt that her father had most likely done something to deserve to be called a cheat.

It did not matter how he made her feel.

"I would ask you, Mr. Akuma, to kindly escort yourself off of my father's property. I do not think that I should have to inform you that you are not welcome here!" She spat at him, sapphire eyes stormy, fire raging behind their depths. "And there certainly is not any 'scenery' of sorts to ogle here on this bleak morning. Perhaps you would be more inclined to search the skirts at the marketplace!"

That smirk.

That arrogant smirk.

What she wouldn't give to wipe it off his face and wash the dirtiest floor in all of Flemming with it. Golden eyes continued to taunt her, only now they danced more clearly with mirth, mocking her for her words.

"I can assure you Miss Higurashi, that I have been to the market. And I find that I enjoy the countryside view much better. It's much more beautiful than that of the town."

The pompous ass.

Kagome had to struggle to keep her blush from showing. She refused to acknowledge how much she enjoyed his words. No. Hopefully when he saw her cheeks flush he believed it to be out of anger. Nothing more.

"Well then, Mr. Akuma, enjoy your visit around the country side." She retorted coyly, sarcasm dripping from her every word. The ominous clouds in the sky seemed to darken to match her mood as, without another word or glance to him, the young woman spun on her heel and stormed inside.

Inuyasha grinned.

"I believe I have enjoyed my visit very much."

Still grinning he watched her hips as she fled to the cottage. He didn't even bother to hide his disappointment when the door closed, leaving him alone.

The ruined laundry continued to flap in the growing breeze as the silhouette of a young man turned and walked away. Leaving the mayor's humble cottage and venturing forth, whistling a merry diddy.

It wouldn't be until later that evening when Kagome would dare to leave the confines of the cottage once again to gather the laundry. And while she was out, she would gaze almost wistfully at the fence where a certain yankee had stood but hours eariler. And while gazing, she would notice a small leather pouch in the grass.

Upon picking it up she would discover that it was a purse of coin. And she would curse god and cry out, demanding to know what offense to had made that would punish her in such away.

Rain would begin to fall and Kagome would have to wait until tomorrow.

Tomorrow she would have to go to the Boar's Inn and return the loathsome yankee's purse.

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Kagome rose early, long before the sun had risen, and bustled about her chores. The house was tidied, a fire started, and breakfast made by the time the sun decided to peek its lazy head over the horizon.

Onigumo and Souta still slept. And they would for a few hours more, giving Kagome plenty of time to do what she needed. Silently as possible she snuck into her room, fetching the leather purse and then back down the stairs.

Pausing a moment she tossed a couple more logs onto the fire to make sure that the flame would not die while she was on her errand, and then, donning her shawl, she quickly fled with the purse tucked safely inside a pocket on her dress.

The shawl was pulled over her head so that at first glance no one would recognize her. Her slippered feet fairly flew across the ground despite the fact that it was still muddy from yesterday's storm as she made her way to the town. Following along the muddy puddled spotted road for near half an hour she looked to anyone who saw her to be merely a woman, either young or old, on her way to the market just a little earlier than usual in the morning.

Kagome clenched her fist securely around the purse as if in an attempt to protect it. She knew that it carried a decent sum from the weight. If her father had known that she had found it he would have most likely kept it for himself. And she absolutely refused to allow Inuyasha Akuma anything else to hang over her family's heads.

Soon enough the small town was in sight. Gentle curls of smoke rising from the many chimneys were the only sign that the town was awake. No one was out and about yet.

Good.

She could most likely go to the Boar's Inn, find Inuyasha's room, leave his purse, and flee before anyone recognized her and discovered her intent. At least that would be the plan.

The door to the Inn was already open, a worn wooden sign advertising its name hung over head. The clanging of pots echoed from the kitchen as the cook undoubtedly went about preparing breakfast for the patrons. A man stood behind the counter, counting out his coins and recording them. A shadowed silhouette sat in the very back corner, the table in front of him empty, his face hidden by the dim light.

This latter person was the one that caught Kagome's eye as she made her way over to him, a gentle smile already on her face.

"Good Morning Myouga." She greeted when she reached him. The pots continued to bang and the man behind the counter never looked up.

Myouga started at the sound of a woman's voice so near. He had been deep in thought over some recent event or another and completely missed the speaker's approach.

The old man looked up, his brown eyes wide and bloodshot. The left eye looked slightly cloudy, like he was going blind. The top of his head was mostly bald, only a few scraggly hairs grew in defiance to his old age. A bit of stubble littered his chin and cheeks.

His clothes were dirty, stained with mud and who knows what else. But when he looked up at Kagome, a smile broke across his face that gave him the appearance of a kindly grandfather instead of a drunk bum who slept out on the streets and begged for ale in the evenings.

"Why 'allo d'ere 'Gome." He slurred, obviously still intoxicated from last night's hospitality. "What c'n ol'Myouga do fer ya?"

Kagome continued to smile gently. Though he was really nothing more than a drunk, Myouga had always been kind to her, helping her out when she needed it. It was him that slaughtered the hogs when the season came around as she had not the stomach for it. And in return she fed him when he came to the door and would mend and wash his clothes at times.

Of course her father never knew of this. If he had found out..She didn't want to think of what would happen.

"I was wondering, Myouga, if you would happen to know what room Inuyasha Akuma is staying in?"

As soon as the words left her mouth Kagome regretted them. Just seeing the way the old man's glazed eyes lit up told her that he had misinterpreted her words.

"I found his purse and I wish to return it to him before my father discovers it." She quickly explained, cutting him off before he could shout out anything innappropriate in his intoxicated state.

"Oh. Is'at all den?" He asked, looking oddly disappointed. "I seen dat feller wid me own eyes an' I tink dat 'e would make ya a right fine 'usband."

Kagome unsuccessfully tried to stifle her blush.

"Yes Myouga. That is all. Perhaps you have forgotten what he did to my family?" She chided him, her voice slightly more cold that she would have wished.

But it got her point across.

"'E's de las'room on de left of de hall."

"Thank you."

Myouga nodded as Kagome slipped off, exitting the room via the staircase.

The man behind the counter glanced curiously, the pots in the kitchen had ceased banging.

"She's looking fer 'er broth'r." The old man explained.

The pots resumed banging and the coin continued to be counted.

"Nosy blokes." Myouga whispered before nodding his chin against his chest and closing his eyes.

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Kagome tiptoed down the hall. Most of the doors were still closed since it was so early in the morning, but one or two were open and the soft padding of feet could be heard from within. The last thing that she wanted was to be caught on the sleeping floor of the inn.

Her reputation was already at stake because Inuyasha had been alone in her house with her for an unaccountable amount of time.

If she was caught among the rooms of the inn...And heading towards the very man's who was the source of her questionable integrity....

She shuddered just to think of the rumors that would spread like wildfire through the village. There would be no way that she would be able to salvage her herself.

Though on the positive side it would be unlikely that her father would be able to wed her off as he planned.

But that also meant that she would be stuck with him, forever doomed to cook his suppers, wash the laundry, and clean the cottage.

What goes up must come down.

Kagome reached the end of the hall. There was in fact only one room, the door to which stood on the left. At the right was a stairwell that undoubtedly lead from the cellar and back yard to the inn.

It was now or never.

If she hesitated any longer than she would be caught, something that she could not afford.

Clutching the leather purse tightly underneath her cloak she took a deep breath and raised her hand. Eyes closed she allowed the limb to fall upon the door. A rapping sounded, echoing dangerously loud in the otherwise silent hall. Kagome could feel herself freeze.

It seemed to her like all the gentle footsteps that she had heard earlier were rushing to their doors to see who had caused the tapping disturbance.

No doubt she would be recognized before she could flee.

Tainted goods they would say. The women in the market would all talk of how she was caught outside of Inuyasha's door as if they had been there themselves.

Though why did she care so much? It wasn't as if she was attracted to him or anything.

Her traitorous heart sped, causing her pulse to race at the mere memory of him holding her in his arms. Golden eyes taunted her from the backs of her memory.

And suddenly the door in front of her flew open, revealing a sculpted man's body barely covered by a flimsy towel.

"Yura! I told you I'm NOT interested in anything but the bath water!" A masculine voice, raised in temper, shook the floor with its volume.

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There we go. Not too much of a cliff hanger I hope?

Uh oh! What's Kagome going to do? An all but naked Inuyasha…Yummy!

Lol!

Well until next time….

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