InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As Deemed By Fate ❯ Complexities ( Chapter 8 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Jade Catseye 
Complicated indeed...
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.13.2006 | Updated On: 09.29.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress
Complicated indeed...
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 02.13.2006 | Updated On: 09.29.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: This is me not owning anything, as per usual.
Title: As Deemed By Fate
Rating: R (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)
Pairing: Kik/Inu/Kag
Summary: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, an avid exotic that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist, especially when feelings get involved.
Chapter Eight: Complexities
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Complexities
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The aroma of sizzling bacon lured Kagome back from what could possibly be described as the best sleep she’d ever had, which she found strange on two counts; the first because she hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in the past five years because of the hard springs on a mattress that had seen better days decided to emerge, the second being that her mother had been too sick as of late to cook breakfast and left the task to her. She didn’t mind getting up a little earlier to make breakfast, but it was nice that someone else opted to make it for once.
‘Wait a second. Souta and Ji-chan can’t cook.’
Her eyes flew open. It took several moments for Kagome to force herself to remain calm and recall the events that led up to her sleeping in this foreign, but undeniably comfy bed. The relief she felt upon realizing her the previous twenty four hours and her agreement with Yash was short-lived, because as of now, her home lay in desecrated shambles.
A knot tightened in the pit of her stomach.
Gods, how was she going to scrounge together enough money to pay for repairs? She could work at the club full time instead of part time, but that would mean sacrificing more study time and she was already passing her classes by the skin of her teeth. Anymore negligence to her studies and her scholarship would be liable for retraction.
And although Hiten would undoubtedly lend the money for renovation if she told him what had happened, she couldn’t accept additional help from him. He’d already done enough with getting her the job and the flexible hours.
Kagome groaned into the pillow, the fluffy warmth of the bed no longer providing her comfort. ‘I wish I could just go back to sleep and pretend none of this happened.’ But with too many problems and too few solutions, she didn’t have time to waste lounging around.
Making a mental memo to look up contractors in the area, Kagome reluctantly pushed off the covers and descended upon the shaggy red rug that lay beneath the bed. Looking around the room, she had to give Yash props. For a guy, he had taste and was an oxymoron if she ever heard one.
It had a funky flare to its theme; the rich reds, deep blues, soft purples, and vibrant greens setting off one another. Large, colorful throw pillows sat in a comfortable pile at one end of the room, oak floorboards draped with multi-colored shaggy rugs, mirrors were created in three dimensional art pieces hung suspended from the walls and the towering windows were decked out in yards of red velvet.
She glanced at the clock. It was eight o’clock, meaning she had forty-five minutes until her first and “favorite” class, biology. She had time to sit down for breakfast instead of the usual grab-and-go snack bar. Within minutes Kagome washed up in the adjoining bathroom and followed her nose to the mouth-watering aroma.
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Inuyasha hummed softly to himself as he flipped the pancake with the metal spatula. It had been a while since he’d last fixed a breakfast for someone, including himself. He’d gotten rid of his old chef when he and Kikyo had moved into the house last month. But with their combined hectic schedules, they’d never had a chance to sit down and have a breakfast together. Of course there was the occasional luncheon and a dinner every now and then, but never a breakfast.
So it was strange that he was back in his condo cooking breakfast for a woman he’d known less than a week. He hadn’t even made it for his own fiancé yet. He’d been raised to appreciate the first meal of the day. His mother would skin him alive if she had found out that he’d been skipping breakfast for the last three years.
The thought caused his heart to lurch painfully, but he pushed it away and focused on the task at hand. Inuyasha turned off the oven and with a flick of the wrist, expertly flipped the cake onto the plate.
“Wow, I didn’t know bachelors these days could cook.”
He lifted his head to the young woman standing clad in a white tank top and blue pajama pants with puppies trotting in diagonal lines. Her long, wavy mane had been pulled into a sloppy bun and her smile was bright.
Inuyasha’s mouth grew dry. He shook it off and tried to redirect his concentration to the pancakes.
“Sleep well?” he asked bringing the plate of pancakes to the glass table.
Kagome grinned. “Best I’ve had in a while.” She went over to the chair he was pulling out for her and sat down. Her eyes widened as they roamed over the steaming meal spread out over the table. Bacon, scrambled eggs, miso soup, steamed rice, and pancakes had her salivating from the mouth. “You really didn’t have to go through all of this trouble for me though.”
He snorted and plopped down in his chair. “Who says I did this for you?”
“So you eat this much food every morning?” Kagome asked, skepticism scrawled across her face.
“Damn straight I do.”
She watched as he hefted large helpings of food onto his plate. “Are you eating for two?”
“I will be soon if you don’t stop yapping and start eating. Females are too scrawny nowadays anyway.”
“I am not scrawny,” Kagome protested and looked down to reaffirm the admission.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “It was a generalization. Trust me, you’re anything but skinny.”
“So now you’re calling me fat?”
“Wench, if you-“ His exasperation faded at the playful glint dancing in her stormy eyes.
“Cute.”
She grinned and piled up food on her plate. The combination of traditional Japanese and modern Western cuisine was both strange and appealing. “This is the first time I’ve had miso soup with pancakes, not that I’m complaining,” Kagome added quickly when his brows began to knit together.
“Do you ever shut up?”
Not taking any offense to the plausible question that held no contempt, Kagome chewed pensively on a strip of bacon. “No, no I don’t think so. I’ve always been talkative and with my family out of the country at the moment, I’m extra wired since it’s so quiet at home.” She stabbed a pancake. “Or what’s left of it.”
Inuyasha regarded her quietly with a new respect. Beneath the smiles and the happy façade she’d almost perfected, he could see the inner strength holding her together. He could practically see the burden riding on her shoulders. He knew because the same burden mirrored his own. And although she still didn’t know of the notoriety of his name –and he secretly hoped she never would – she knew he had money and had balked at the notion of financial assistance, then refused to reside in his home unless she paid for rent.
He was suddenly glad that he’d offered her a place to stay while her home was being renovated. The average female would have noticed his lavish lifestyle and would have been sniffing at his heels for handouts or sneaking into his bed in an attempt to seduce him. It had happened before during pre-Kikyo era.
Inuyasha inwardly winced at the thought of his fiancé. They hadn’t had a chance to get together ever since she cancelled on him a couple of days ago because of a last minute interview she wanted to conduct with some famous Hollywood actress in the States. She was due back either tomorrow or the day after. They still hadn’t discussed living arrangements and whether or not it was a good idea for him to move back in the house. In all honesty, he didn’t mind being back in his penthouse. He enjoyed his privacy and the solitude and not having to worry about stepping on toes.
“Wow, this is really good,” her voice rippled through his thoughts.
“I should be insulted that you would think otherwise,” he scoffed.
Kagome rolled her eyes and didn’t let his arrogance ruin the magnificence of the food. “I’m serious. I don’t know many guys who can actually cook for themselves and make something halfway decent. Who taught you how to cook?”
She immediately regretted her words –though she didn’t know why since the question hadn’t been too probing– as he abruptly shut down, concealing any and all of his emotions. ‘Did I say something wrong?’ Apparently she did because a long, uncomfortable silence settled over the kitchen soon thereafter and confirmed her faux pas.
Kagome played around with the last bit of eggs while racking her brain for something to say, but nothing came to mind. ‘So much for being talkative.’ Sighing, she drank the rest of her orange juice and stood. If she thought he would say something as she was leaving, she was sorely disappointed.
The next half hour was spent preparing for a full day of classes. After dressing, Kagome gathered all of the books she would need for the day and double checked to make sure she had the research paper that was due. Once satisfied, she grabbed her bag and walked out the door. Hopefully the bus station wouldn’t be too hard to find, if this neighborhood even had one. Most people in this area were probably driving Porches, Mercedes, or some equally high-priced imported car.
Kagome did a double take when she saw Yash standing by the front doorway wearing a costly, custom tailored suit that hugged him in all the right places. His aura screamed wealth and exuded so much self-confidence that it made her feel extremely self-conscious. His dark platinum hair had been brushed back pulled into a low ponytail that set off the chiseled perfection of his cheekbones and gave his amber eyes a definitive glow.
“You ready to go?”
Blushing at her errant lapse of sanity, Kagome snapped out of her daze. “Excuse me?” Did he just volunteer to take her to school?
“I said are you ready to go. I have to be at work in thirty minutes so let’s get a move on.”
So she hadn’t heard him wrong, but she couldn’t accept his offer. This was taking hospitality above and beyond what was called for. “That’s okay. I’m going to take the bus. It’s no problem.”
He heaved a sigh and instead of answering, took her elbow and maneuvered her out of the door. Kagome knew he was only half-listening to her protests as they rode the elevator to the garage, but she couldn’t help but voice her incredulity. Despite his gruff personality and the scowl that was permanently attached to his face, Yash was actually a really nice guy. And that threw her off because he totally redefined her misconceptions about the so-called rich and infamous. His types of people were supposed to be snobby and scoff at inferior beings of the working class.
But here he was offering her his home while her own was being restored and driving her to school when it was probably out of the way.
Ten minutes later they were on the road and Kagome was still no closer to resolving the issue that sent Yash into shut down mode earlier. Maybe she was reading too much into it. If he didn’t want to open up, there was nothing she could do about it. But she couldn’t help but feel a tendril of disappointment. Because it wasn’t like they were friends or anything right?
As they neared the campus, Kagome gave him directions to the location of her first class. The car stopped in front of the tall, domineering science building.
“My mother.”
With one hand on the door handle, she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him, but he was staring straight ahead. “My mother wanted to be a chef. She taught herself how to make different cuisines and always added something extra to personalize the plate.” A small, nostalgic smile tilted the corner of his mouth upward. “She made sure my brother and I knew how to cook from childhood so that when we grew older, we wouldn’t have to depend on women to prepare our meals.”
They sat in silence for a minute after his disclosure. It was obvious by the warmth in his tone that he loved his mother, but what had the wheels cranking in Kagome’s brain was his usage of the past tense. Had his mother passed on or was he simply reminiscing about his childhood?
She smartly kept her questions to herself and instead instinctively placed her hand over his. “Thank you,” Kagome smiled, grateful that he had decided to share a piece of his past with her.
Surprise flashed briefly within his amber eyes before he returned the facial gesture and nodded. “Now go to class. I don’t want you bitching to me later on about how I made you late.”
She eeped at the time and hurriedly gathered her things. “Thanks Yash. I’ll see you later.”
“Wait, what time are you done?”
“You don’t have t-”
“What time?” he fired relentlessly.
“Four o’clock,” Kagome gave in, knowing there really was no point in arguing any further.
“If I’m not here, I’ll have my driver pick you up.”
She closed the door and waved as he sped off into the distance. “Wow, who was that?”
Jumping slightly, Kagome turned and smiled at her longtime friend and classmate Takane Ayumi. “Um… a friend.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a hot new ‘friend’ with a Ferrari?” Ayumi asked grinning slyly.
Kagome groaned. “Long story.”
“A short version will do just fine.”
“How about we discuss this over lunch?”
Ayumi reluctantly conceded. “Fine. Meet me at the café at 12. And be prepared for the second degree.”
“Oh, joy.”
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As soon as Inuyasha pulled off the campus he called the office. “Yo, Miroku. Cancel all of my morning meetings….I don’t care that he came all the way from London…Fine, reschedule for this afternoon…It’s none of your fucking business what I’m up to…Whatever, I’ll see you when I get in.” He pressed end and redialed another number.
After verifying information with his secretary, Inuyasha detoured from his usual route to work. A couple of missed meetings wouldn’t kill him or his stockholders. On the way to his destination, he recalled this morning’s conversation with his new roommate and the crestfallen expression that had crossed her face when he clammed up in response to a seemingly simple question that refused to relinquish its death grip on his conscience.
Truth be told, the unexpectedness of the query had took him by surprise. It hadn’t been exceptionally prying, but it had elicited memories that he had assumed were resolved and buried. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
If it was one thing Inuyasha never discussed, it would be his family, save for his asshole of a brother. Everyone, including Kikyo, knew that and pussyfooted around areas in which they knew he would be sensitive to. He had never wanted to talk about it; not thirteen years ago, not now, not ever.
But somehow, baring the sliver of his past to Kagome had eased a heaviness from his chest; not considerably but enough that he became aware of the intensity of its existence.
Inuyasha snorted and shook his head. Thirty thousand yen per session for therapy and some slip of a girl had managed to accomplish more in one morning than his therapist did in four months. Un-fucking-believable.
Two large trucks and a van were already parked outside of the shrine when he pulled up. Inuyasha mentally commended their punctuality as his long legs strode up the steps. The men were walking roaming around the perimeter observing and taking notes as they assessed the damage imposed.
“Nakamura-san?”
Inuyasha glanced to his right as a short, pudgy man barely five feet tall approached him with a clipboard in hand. “Is everything under way?”
The balding man nodded. “Yes sir. From what we gathered, the extent of damage isn’t enough to warrant too much alarm and shouldn’t cost more than several hundred thousand yen.”
“The cost is of no concern to me,” he said with a hard edge.
“Of course not sir,” the man said hastily. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll give you the walk through.”
Inuyasha followed the contractor into the house and listened as the man went on about their undertakings and repairs necessary. In actuality, things weren’t as bad as they initially seemed. Doors and windows would have to be replaced, new coats of paint for the interior and exterior, a bit of sweeping, and pieces of ripped or smashed furniture would have to be replaced.
He vaguely wondered how hard it could be to find the exact replicas of the ruined fixtures. There were no rare articles or precious heirlooms, but some of the things could hold sentimental value and he knew that to people like Kagome they held more worth than objects selling for millions. Inuyasha voiced this matter and didn’t bat an eyelash after hearing the additional charge for restoring everything.
“As I said before, money is no object, so don’t waste any expense. I want this place restored to its original state.”
The contractor nodded and wrote something down, then excused himself. Inuyasha continued his tour of the downstairs and made his way into the kitchen. A spark of anger kindled within him. Who would go so far as to desecrating a holy shrine and its caretakers? From what he gathered from the week he’d known Kagome, she wasn’t the type of person to ignite hostilities to the point of retribution.
Though she did have a tendency to run her mouth and speak her mind, she was a kind and gentle soul that wouldn’t be able to harm the proverbial fly. Someone would pay for this misdemeanor, even if he had to see to it personally.
Amber eyes stopped their scan after coming across a calendar that had managed to come out unscathed and still hung pinned to the refrigerator. Curiosity overriding his better judgment, Inuyasha stepped across the littered floor and up to the black fridge.
There were writings in boxes under every day, indicating chores that needed to be done, assignment due dates, and other work related activities. But one particular date stood out amongst the rest.
Tuesday after next had been circled in red marker, a large happy face centered in the middle with ‘Homecoming!’ scrawled beneath.
‘I bet that’s the day her family comes back.’
Inuyasha contemplated with a small frown. What was the deal with her family anyway? She had lied to him about their whereabouts. That hadn’t bothered him as it was none of his business. But what did strike a resonating chord deep within him was her initial response to his query. The fleeting expression of absolute anguish and true helplessness on her face had solidified his need to know, his need to help in any way possible because if there was one thing he couldn’t do, it was standing by while someone was in pain.
Inuyasha knew all too well what it was like to have no one to turn to, no one to rely on when he was suffering. And he’d be damned if to let that happen to someone else, especially a someone else that was he beginning to grow fond of.
A/N: And little by little we see more of Inu’s past and that good stuff. Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback and your encouraging reviews. You know how they make my day and my fingers work harder to produce faster updates. Haha. Thank Kimmie for editing my shit work because we all know by now I’m good with the ideas but bad with the grammar. I’m still not completely satisfied with my last few chapters and might to some heavy revisions but that won’t be until I finish the story (hopefully).
Tune in next time to see what unfolds next folks.
Title: As Deemed By Fate
Rating: R (for obscene profanity usage, content, and some limey situations)
Pairing: Kik/Inu/Kag
Summary: AU. Man is incomplete until he marries. Inuyasha believes his fiancé Kikyo will make him whole, or did until he met Kagome, an avid exotic that instantly complicates things. Temptation has never been so hard to resist, especially when feelings get involved.
Chapter Eight: Complexities
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Complexities
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The aroma of sizzling bacon lured Kagome back from what could possibly be described as the best sleep she’d ever had, which she found strange on two counts; the first because she hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in the past five years because of the hard springs on a mattress that had seen better days decided to emerge, the second being that her mother had been too sick as of late to cook breakfast and left the task to her. She didn’t mind getting up a little earlier to make breakfast, but it was nice that someone else opted to make it for once.
‘Wait a second. Souta and Ji-chan can’t cook.’
Her eyes flew open. It took several moments for Kagome to force herself to remain calm and recall the events that led up to her sleeping in this foreign, but undeniably comfy bed. The relief she felt upon realizing her the previous twenty four hours and her agreement with Yash was short-lived, because as of now, her home lay in desecrated shambles.
A knot tightened in the pit of her stomach.
Gods, how was she going to scrounge together enough money to pay for repairs? She could work at the club full time instead of part time, but that would mean sacrificing more study time and she was already passing her classes by the skin of her teeth. Anymore negligence to her studies and her scholarship would be liable for retraction.
And although Hiten would undoubtedly lend the money for renovation if she told him what had happened, she couldn’t accept additional help from him. He’d already done enough with getting her the job and the flexible hours.
Kagome groaned into the pillow, the fluffy warmth of the bed no longer providing her comfort. ‘I wish I could just go back to sleep and pretend none of this happened.’ But with too many problems and too few solutions, she didn’t have time to waste lounging around.
Making a mental memo to look up contractors in the area, Kagome reluctantly pushed off the covers and descended upon the shaggy red rug that lay beneath the bed. Looking around the room, she had to give Yash props. For a guy, he had taste and was an oxymoron if she ever heard one.
It had a funky flare to its theme; the rich reds, deep blues, soft purples, and vibrant greens setting off one another. Large, colorful throw pillows sat in a comfortable pile at one end of the room, oak floorboards draped with multi-colored shaggy rugs, mirrors were created in three dimensional art pieces hung suspended from the walls and the towering windows were decked out in yards of red velvet.
She glanced at the clock. It was eight o’clock, meaning she had forty-five minutes until her first and “favorite” class, biology. She had time to sit down for breakfast instead of the usual grab-and-go snack bar. Within minutes Kagome washed up in the adjoining bathroom and followed her nose to the mouth-watering aroma.
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Inuyasha hummed softly to himself as he flipped the pancake with the metal spatula. It had been a while since he’d last fixed a breakfast for someone, including himself. He’d gotten rid of his old chef when he and Kikyo had moved into the house last month. But with their combined hectic schedules, they’d never had a chance to sit down and have a breakfast together. Of course there was the occasional luncheon and a dinner every now and then, but never a breakfast.
So it was strange that he was back in his condo cooking breakfast for a woman he’d known less than a week. He hadn’t even made it for his own fiancé yet. He’d been raised to appreciate the first meal of the day. His mother would skin him alive if she had found out that he’d been skipping breakfast for the last three years.
The thought caused his heart to lurch painfully, but he pushed it away and focused on the task at hand. Inuyasha turned off the oven and with a flick of the wrist, expertly flipped the cake onto the plate.
“Wow, I didn’t know bachelors these days could cook.”
He lifted his head to the young woman standing clad in a white tank top and blue pajama pants with puppies trotting in diagonal lines. Her long, wavy mane had been pulled into a sloppy bun and her smile was bright.
Inuyasha’s mouth grew dry. He shook it off and tried to redirect his concentration to the pancakes.
“Sleep well?” he asked bringing the plate of pancakes to the glass table.
Kagome grinned. “Best I’ve had in a while.” She went over to the chair he was pulling out for her and sat down. Her eyes widened as they roamed over the steaming meal spread out over the table. Bacon, scrambled eggs, miso soup, steamed rice, and pancakes had her salivating from the mouth. “You really didn’t have to go through all of this trouble for me though.”
He snorted and plopped down in his chair. “Who says I did this for you?”
“So you eat this much food every morning?” Kagome asked, skepticism scrawled across her face.
“Damn straight I do.”
She watched as he hefted large helpings of food onto his plate. “Are you eating for two?”
“I will be soon if you don’t stop yapping and start eating. Females are too scrawny nowadays anyway.”
“I am not scrawny,” Kagome protested and looked down to reaffirm the admission.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “It was a generalization. Trust me, you’re anything but skinny.”
“So now you’re calling me fat?”
“Wench, if you-“ His exasperation faded at the playful glint dancing in her stormy eyes.
“Cute.”
She grinned and piled up food on her plate. The combination of traditional Japanese and modern Western cuisine was both strange and appealing. “This is the first time I’ve had miso soup with pancakes, not that I’m complaining,” Kagome added quickly when his brows began to knit together.
“Do you ever shut up?”
Not taking any offense to the plausible question that held no contempt, Kagome chewed pensively on a strip of bacon. “No, no I don’t think so. I’ve always been talkative and with my family out of the country at the moment, I’m extra wired since it’s so quiet at home.” She stabbed a pancake. “Or what’s left of it.”
Inuyasha regarded her quietly with a new respect. Beneath the smiles and the happy façade she’d almost perfected, he could see the inner strength holding her together. He could practically see the burden riding on her shoulders. He knew because the same burden mirrored his own. And although she still didn’t know of the notoriety of his name –and he secretly hoped she never would – she knew he had money and had balked at the notion of financial assistance, then refused to reside in his home unless she paid for rent.
He was suddenly glad that he’d offered her a place to stay while her home was being renovated. The average female would have noticed his lavish lifestyle and would have been sniffing at his heels for handouts or sneaking into his bed in an attempt to seduce him. It had happened before during pre-Kikyo era.
Inuyasha inwardly winced at the thought of his fiancé. They hadn’t had a chance to get together ever since she cancelled on him a couple of days ago because of a last minute interview she wanted to conduct with some famous Hollywood actress in the States. She was due back either tomorrow or the day after. They still hadn’t discussed living arrangements and whether or not it was a good idea for him to move back in the house. In all honesty, he didn’t mind being back in his penthouse. He enjoyed his privacy and the solitude and not having to worry about stepping on toes.
“Wow, this is really good,” her voice rippled through his thoughts.
“I should be insulted that you would think otherwise,” he scoffed.
Kagome rolled her eyes and didn’t let his arrogance ruin the magnificence of the food. “I’m serious. I don’t know many guys who can actually cook for themselves and make something halfway decent. Who taught you how to cook?”
She immediately regretted her words –though she didn’t know why since the question hadn’t been too probing– as he abruptly shut down, concealing any and all of his emotions. ‘Did I say something wrong?’ Apparently she did because a long, uncomfortable silence settled over the kitchen soon thereafter and confirmed her faux pas.
Kagome played around with the last bit of eggs while racking her brain for something to say, but nothing came to mind. ‘So much for being talkative.’ Sighing, she drank the rest of her orange juice and stood. If she thought he would say something as she was leaving, she was sorely disappointed.
The next half hour was spent preparing for a full day of classes. After dressing, Kagome gathered all of the books she would need for the day and double checked to make sure she had the research paper that was due. Once satisfied, she grabbed her bag and walked out the door. Hopefully the bus station wouldn’t be too hard to find, if this neighborhood even had one. Most people in this area were probably driving Porches, Mercedes, or some equally high-priced imported car.
Kagome did a double take when she saw Yash standing by the front doorway wearing a costly, custom tailored suit that hugged him in all the right places. His aura screamed wealth and exuded so much self-confidence that it made her feel extremely self-conscious. His dark platinum hair had been brushed back pulled into a low ponytail that set off the chiseled perfection of his cheekbones and gave his amber eyes a definitive glow.
“You ready to go?”
Blushing at her errant lapse of sanity, Kagome snapped out of her daze. “Excuse me?” Did he just volunteer to take her to school?
“I said are you ready to go. I have to be at work in thirty minutes so let’s get a move on.”
So she hadn’t heard him wrong, but she couldn’t accept his offer. This was taking hospitality above and beyond what was called for. “That’s okay. I’m going to take the bus. It’s no problem.”
He heaved a sigh and instead of answering, took her elbow and maneuvered her out of the door. Kagome knew he was only half-listening to her protests as they rode the elevator to the garage, but she couldn’t help but voice her incredulity. Despite his gruff personality and the scowl that was permanently attached to his face, Yash was actually a really nice guy. And that threw her off because he totally redefined her misconceptions about the so-called rich and infamous. His types of people were supposed to be snobby and scoff at inferior beings of the working class.
But here he was offering her his home while her own was being restored and driving her to school when it was probably out of the way.
Ten minutes later they were on the road and Kagome was still no closer to resolving the issue that sent Yash into shut down mode earlier. Maybe she was reading too much into it. If he didn’t want to open up, there was nothing she could do about it. But she couldn’t help but feel a tendril of disappointment. Because it wasn’t like they were friends or anything right?
As they neared the campus, Kagome gave him directions to the location of her first class. The car stopped in front of the tall, domineering science building.
“My mother.”
With one hand on the door handle, she stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him, but he was staring straight ahead. “My mother wanted to be a chef. She taught herself how to make different cuisines and always added something extra to personalize the plate.” A small, nostalgic smile tilted the corner of his mouth upward. “She made sure my brother and I knew how to cook from childhood so that when we grew older, we wouldn’t have to depend on women to prepare our meals.”
They sat in silence for a minute after his disclosure. It was obvious by the warmth in his tone that he loved his mother, but what had the wheels cranking in Kagome’s brain was his usage of the past tense. Had his mother passed on or was he simply reminiscing about his childhood?
She smartly kept her questions to herself and instead instinctively placed her hand over his. “Thank you,” Kagome smiled, grateful that he had decided to share a piece of his past with her.
Surprise flashed briefly within his amber eyes before he returned the facial gesture and nodded. “Now go to class. I don’t want you bitching to me later on about how I made you late.”
She eeped at the time and hurriedly gathered her things. “Thanks Yash. I’ll see you later.”
“Wait, what time are you done?”
“You don’t have t-”
“What time?” he fired relentlessly.
“Four o’clock,” Kagome gave in, knowing there really was no point in arguing any further.
“If I’m not here, I’ll have my driver pick you up.”
She closed the door and waved as he sped off into the distance. “Wow, who was that?”
Jumping slightly, Kagome turned and smiled at her longtime friend and classmate Takane Ayumi. “Um… a friend.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had a hot new ‘friend’ with a Ferrari?” Ayumi asked grinning slyly.
Kagome groaned. “Long story.”
“A short version will do just fine.”
“How about we discuss this over lunch?”
Ayumi reluctantly conceded. “Fine. Meet me at the café at 12. And be prepared for the second degree.”
“Oh, joy.”
.
.
.
As soon as Inuyasha pulled off the campus he called the office. “Yo, Miroku. Cancel all of my morning meetings….I don’t care that he came all the way from London…Fine, reschedule for this afternoon…It’s none of your fucking business what I’m up to…Whatever, I’ll see you when I get in.” He pressed end and redialed another number.
After verifying information with his secretary, Inuyasha detoured from his usual route to work. A couple of missed meetings wouldn’t kill him or his stockholders. On the way to his destination, he recalled this morning’s conversation with his new roommate and the crestfallen expression that had crossed her face when he clammed up in response to a seemingly simple question that refused to relinquish its death grip on his conscience.
Truth be told, the unexpectedness of the query had took him by surprise. It hadn’t been exceptionally prying, but it had elicited memories that he had assumed were resolved and buried. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
If it was one thing Inuyasha never discussed, it would be his family, save for his asshole of a brother. Everyone, including Kikyo, knew that and pussyfooted around areas in which they knew he would be sensitive to. He had never wanted to talk about it; not thirteen years ago, not now, not ever.
But somehow, baring the sliver of his past to Kagome had eased a heaviness from his chest; not considerably but enough that he became aware of the intensity of its existence.
Inuyasha snorted and shook his head. Thirty thousand yen per session for therapy and some slip of a girl had managed to accomplish more in one morning than his therapist did in four months. Un-fucking-believable.
Two large trucks and a van were already parked outside of the shrine when he pulled up. Inuyasha mentally commended their punctuality as his long legs strode up the steps. The men were walking roaming around the perimeter observing and taking notes as they assessed the damage imposed.
“Nakamura-san?”
Inuyasha glanced to his right as a short, pudgy man barely five feet tall approached him with a clipboard in hand. “Is everything under way?”
The balding man nodded. “Yes sir. From what we gathered, the extent of damage isn’t enough to warrant too much alarm and shouldn’t cost more than several hundred thousand yen.”
“The cost is of no concern to me,” he said with a hard edge.
“Of course not sir,” the man said hastily. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll give you the walk through.”
Inuyasha followed the contractor into the house and listened as the man went on about their undertakings and repairs necessary. In actuality, things weren’t as bad as they initially seemed. Doors and windows would have to be replaced, new coats of paint for the interior and exterior, a bit of sweeping, and pieces of ripped or smashed furniture would have to be replaced.
He vaguely wondered how hard it could be to find the exact replicas of the ruined fixtures. There were no rare articles or precious heirlooms, but some of the things could hold sentimental value and he knew that to people like Kagome they held more worth than objects selling for millions. Inuyasha voiced this matter and didn’t bat an eyelash after hearing the additional charge for restoring everything.
“As I said before, money is no object, so don’t waste any expense. I want this place restored to its original state.”
The contractor nodded and wrote something down, then excused himself. Inuyasha continued his tour of the downstairs and made his way into the kitchen. A spark of anger kindled within him. Who would go so far as to desecrating a holy shrine and its caretakers? From what he gathered from the week he’d known Kagome, she wasn’t the type of person to ignite hostilities to the point of retribution.
Though she did have a tendency to run her mouth and speak her mind, she was a kind and gentle soul that wouldn’t be able to harm the proverbial fly. Someone would pay for this misdemeanor, even if he had to see to it personally.
Amber eyes stopped their scan after coming across a calendar that had managed to come out unscathed and still hung pinned to the refrigerator. Curiosity overriding his better judgment, Inuyasha stepped across the littered floor and up to the black fridge.
There were writings in boxes under every day, indicating chores that needed to be done, assignment due dates, and other work related activities. But one particular date stood out amongst the rest.
Tuesday after next had been circled in red marker, a large happy face centered in the middle with ‘Homecoming!’ scrawled beneath.
‘I bet that’s the day her family comes back.’
Inuyasha contemplated with a small frown. What was the deal with her family anyway? She had lied to him about their whereabouts. That hadn’t bothered him as it was none of his business. But what did strike a resonating chord deep within him was her initial response to his query. The fleeting expression of absolute anguish and true helplessness on her face had solidified his need to know, his need to help in any way possible because if there was one thing he couldn’t do, it was standing by while someone was in pain.
Inuyasha knew all too well what it was like to have no one to turn to, no one to rely on when he was suffering. And he’d be damned if to let that happen to someone else, especially a someone else that was he beginning to grow fond of.
A/N: And little by little we see more of Inu’s past and that good stuff. Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback and your encouraging reviews. You know how they make my day and my fingers work harder to produce faster updates. Haha. Thank Kimmie for editing my shit work because we all know by now I’m good with the ideas but bad with the grammar. I’m still not completely satisfied with my last few chapters and might to some heavy revisions but that won’t be until I finish the story (hopefully).
Tune in next time to see what unfolds next folks.