InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bankotsu's Futuristic Escapades ❯ Ten ( Chapter 11 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: kittyb78 
Ban/Kagome packing his things, car ride to the hotel. The four teenagers check into the hotel after getting two envelops from Sora.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.29.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 256 | Status: Work In Progress
Ban/Kagome packing his things, car ride to the hotel. The four teenagers check into the hotel after getting two envelops from Sora.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 10.29.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 256 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own the Characters, only this plot line and all its insane little twists.
A big thanks to The Invisible Author for proofing this! XD
Chapter ten:
Before they knew it, the rest of the week seemed to fly by and it was already Friday. Kagome had finished her packing and was currently helping a rather bored Bankotsu with his packing.
“Come on, Bankotsu, just pick something already.” She huffed refusing to let him dim her chipper mood or dampen her excitement.
He stood up and grabbed a handful of stuff from his drawers, tossed them on the bed, and scoffed, “They’re just clothes, Kagome, nothing to pick and choose about.” as he began stuffing them into the weekend bag.
Kagome snapped, “Not like that- they’ll wrinkle!” and smacked his hand away. His brow rose a minute as he cradled his attacked limb like a child.
He huffed, “What the hell is with you?” glaring at her.
Unfazed by his attitude, she muttered, perturbed, “Just go get whatever else you will need,” as she started pulling the clothes out and folding them before carefully putting them back in the bag.
Bankotsu rolled his eyes, grumbling, “They’re just gonna get messed up again anyways.” as he walked over to retrieve a light sweater from the closet. He grinned as his eyes adopted a mischievous glint and he fired it right at the back of her head. 'Bingo.' He thought victoriously.
Instead of taking the bait as he had hoped, Kagome said, unamused, “Very funny, now hurry up before Mama decides to leave us behind.” as she turned around, noticing his smirk, and picked up the sweater. She folded it and placed it in the bag as well.
She thought, 'Boys. I mean seriously, do they ever grow up?' and had to keep from rolling her eyes again as she finished placing the folded items neatly in the bag.
Bankotsu pouted when he didn’t get the reaction he wanted out of her and leaned against the closet door jamb with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at her as he sulked, thinking, 'I mean seriously, what the hell is the big deal anyways? They’re just stupid clothes, which are just gonna get messed up again when the bag is tossed around, so what’s the point in folding them?'
Shaking his head, he released a heavy sigh and thought, 'Why do girls have to get so worked up about clothes?' Scowling he deduced, 'Girls are just plain weird.' as he watched her carefully store everything neatly. Sighing he tossed his small box containing a mirror, comb, and some hair bands onto the bag, adding, “Add that too.” and watched, confused as she opened it and organized the bands by color.
Rolling his eyes as he realized what she was doing, he muttered, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” as he shoved off the door jamb. He stomped over yanking it from her, snapping it shut as he growled, “Just put it in the damn bag already.”
Kagome blinked as it was yanked from her hand and snapped, “Hey! I was fixing that.” Moving to snatch it back, she added, “Give it here!”
Bankotsu looked at her, dumbfounded, and said, “You can’t be serious…. Kagome it’s a stupid case there is nothing to fix.” He yanked it out of her reach and shoved it into his bag.
Kagome tried to reach for it, saying, “I’m not done with it yet.” She grunted as she reached her arm toward it.
Bankotsu scoffed, tying his bag shut and said, “Yes, you are.” as he shouldered his bag.
Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him and huffed, “I wasn’t done yet.” narrowing her eyes at him in annoyance.
Planting his feet shoulder width apart and with his arms crossed over his chest Bankotsu rolled his eyes, before narrowing his eyes at her adding, “It’s my case and I said it’s done- now let’s go.” pointing to her bag which was in his bedroom floor.
Kagome sighed heavily and grabbed the bag, slipping it onto her shoulder and muttered, “Party pooper.” as she walked out the door and down stairs with him stomping right behind her.
Bankotsu muttered back, “I heard that, ya know?” glaring at her back annoyed that she was making such a big deal over nothing.
She huffed, “So what? Maybe I intended for you to hear it.” as she reached the bottom of the stairs with a hand on her hip and childishly stuck her tongue out at him.
He stepped down beside her and asked, “I thought you said we needed to hurry?” staring into her annoyed brown eyes as one of his brows rose.
She blinked before grinning and said, “You’re right,” hooking her arm in his, before dragging him out the door.
He held back a sigh and allowed her to lead him outside thinking amused, 'She sure seems excited about all of this. I wonder why?'
Sora was helping Souta and Hitomi place their bags in the trunk of her little four-door car.
Hitomi said excitedly, “Thanks so much for inviting me to go along, Sora.” looking forward to a whole weekend alone with her boyfriend.
Sora smiled, replying, “You’re welcome dear. I told Souta when I got the tickets that I would let him go with any one friend he wanted to- adult free for once.” causing the teenagers to blush.
Souta reminded, “Yeah, but we will still have Bankotsu and Kagome there too.” excited to have some time alone with his girlfriend, and also to spend some time with his sister and their latest house guest.
Sora nodded, agreeing, “Yes, but I’m sure that even though the four of you are sharing one hotel room, you will manage to get some time alone with each other as well.”
Smiling, she added, “Plus this will give the four of you time to get to know each other a bit better. Kagome is really excited about showing Bankotsu around too.”
Kagome walked out, passing her mother her bag saying, “We’re ready, Mama.” She added, “And yes I am. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to our celebratory customs.”
At Hitomi’s frown she said, “He’s from a different continent and is used to different cultures than we are.”
Hitomi smiled and said, “Ah, okay.” Turning to smile at Bankotsu she asked, “So then this will be a new experience for you, huh?”
Bankotsu blinked, answering honestly, “Yes it will.” and passed Sora his bag.
Placing his bag next to Kagome’s, Sora asked, “So, Bankotsu, are you excited?”
Not wanting to make her feel bad, he settled with the answer, “It should prove a learning experience.”
Sora’s lips tilted into a smile and her eyes lit up as she said happily, “That it will.” and closed the trunk.
Souta climbed into the passenger front seat and Hitomi climbed into the back driver’s side seat. Bankotsu eyed the strange and rather enormous object in front of him and his spine stiffened.
Kagome stopped beside him and said calmly, “Bankotsu,” drawing his wide eyes from the vehicle and to her face. She slowly moved to stand in front of him and cupped his face soothing, “It’ll be okay.”
He blinked a few times and stared searchingly into her eyes, asking in a soft whisper, “Are you sure?”
As she maintained eye contact Kagome said, “I’m sure. I’ve ridden in the car hundreds of times and have never been harmed in it.
His pounding heart slowed back to a normal pace as his eyes darted from the car to her a few times. She said, “Bankotsu,” bringing his blue gaze back to her. She assured, “You’ll be fine because I’m going to be right there with you, okay?”
He searched her eyes for any sign trickery and sighed heavily. She caressed his cheek with her finger urging, “It can’t bite you- It’s not alive, and besides I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”
His jaw tightened a bit before he nodded and said, “You’re staying right next to me.” as if ordering her.
She nodded and slowly led him over to the car. She opened the door and crawled into the middle-seat, holding out her hand to him. He stared at her hand a few seconds and then huffed and slapped his hand in hers.
She winced at the stinging of her palm and closed her small hand over his larger one as her eyes connected and held Bankotsu’s, silently pleading for him to trust her.
Bankotsu hesitated before reluctantly climbing into the vehicle and blinking in shock. He smiled as his back rested against the cushion of the seat. He said, “Hey this is… kind of nice.” bouncing a little to get his body used to the luxury.
Kagome said, “Yes, it is.” As she reached over him to close the door, causing Bankotsu’s spine to instantly stiffen and his eyes to widen in a slight mixture of fear and shock. He watched with baited breath as she offered, “How about I open the window?” doing just that.
Hearing the slight noise, his gaze flew to the door beside him. He blinked and frowned as the strange thing in front of him seemed to slowly disappear. Kagome smiled and asked, “Is that better?”
Feeling a little more at ease now that the wind was able to hit his face, Bankotsu nodded and said, “This just seems so strange.” unsure yet whether he liked it or not.
Kagome smiled and replied, “Yeah, it can take a little getting used to, but for where we are going this will be much faster than walking.” and she reached over him, pulling out the seat-belt.
Bankotsu snagged her wrist and frowned, demanding, “What are you doing?” staring deep into her eyes.
Kagome explained seriously, “This is so you will be safe, okay?” He reluctantly nodded and released his hold on her wrist, watching in fascination as she clicked the belt in place.
She quickly settled back into her seat. She smiled and pulled her own seat-belt over, locking it in place.
Sora asked, “Everyone settled and belted?” getting a chorus of ‘Yeahs’ before slowly backing out of the driveway and onto the road.
Bankotsu watched, both fascinated and slightly nervous as she picked up speed to travel with the traffic.
Uncomfortable with the silence, he asked, “So this is how people travel here, eh?” still a little confused, though he was beginning to feel more at ease as his body accustomed itself to the comfortable seat.
Kagome smiled, “Yup, almost like the horses and carriages, only the vehicles go much faster than a horse ever could.”
Bankotsu nodded mumbling, “Still rather be on foot or a horse.” He wasn’t used to all this ‘modern technology’ and he wasn’t sure he ever would be.
Kagome assured, “You get used to it after a while, plus this trip would take maybe a day by horse, where as with the vehicle, it’ll only be about an hour.”
Bankotsu blinked and asked, “Wow, is it really that much faster than a horse?” as he shifted in his seat to stare at her.
Kagome smiled and answered, “Yup.” as she sat beside him, keeping him engaged in conversation to keep his mind off of the drive.
Bankotsu stared out the front windshield and complained, “Sure doesn’t seem like we are doing anything but crawling.” growing slightly irritated.
Kagome giggled and said, “Try watching out your side window, then you’ll see how fast we are really going.” pointing to the window.
Bankotsu scoffed and rolled his eyes, but looked out his window. His blue eyes widened as he said, “Damn, I can’t even focus on the road well.” amazed at how fast they were going.
Kagome chuckled adding, “That’s because we are nearing seventy miles per hour, now that we are on the highway.” as she pointed, drawing his gaze to the different lanes.
Bankotsu blinked thinking, 'That really is faster than horses.' as his mind tried to process all this information. To be honest, his head was starting to hurt from the overwhelming knowledge. He lifted his hand to his temples and began rubbing them lightly in an effort to ease the short, stabbing pains that began building up.
Kagome saw this and suggested, “Why don’t you relax a bit? I know being in a vehicle for the first time can be taxing; you could close your eyes. I’m right here and not going anywhere.”
She released a soft ‘oof’ as his arm wrapped around her with his hand on her ribs and her body pressed tight against his side. He muttered seriously, “Damn right, you’re not.” He refused to let her loose until this whole ‘drive’ thing was over.
She sighed and decided not to fight once it was clear he wasn’t going to let go. She shifted a bit to a more comfortable position and leaned into him, assuring softly, “It’s okay Bankotsu.” and patting his chest in a comforting manner.
She could feel his heart still beating a little faster than normal and thought, 'What a strange reaction.' as she softly patted his chest.
His hand gripping the door’s arm rest, pried lose to grab the hand tapping his chest. She smiled and laid her head against his shoulder thinking, 'This is almost kind of nice.'
Hitomi hid a grin as she pretended not to notice their actions. Her eyes met Souta’s in the mirror and they exchanged knowing smiles. Sora also looked in the mirror and noticed Bankotsu and Kagome’s position and she smiled before returning her eyes to the road.
Hitomi and Souta both wisely stayed quiet and stared out the window, surprising Sora who nodded her head in silent approval and drove the rest of the way to the hotel. Kagome felt so comfortable that her eyes slowly drifted shut and he felt her body beginning to relax.
Bankotsu’s grip on Kagome never left during the entire car ride, but it did eventually let up some toward the end as he absently thought, 'She’s so soft and warm.' feeling her slender body pressed against his side.
Sora started to slow down and pulled up along the curb of the hotel. When the car stopped Bankotsu blinked and stared out the window. Kagome opened her eyes and said, slightly disappointed, “We’re there already?”
Sora smiled, answering, “Yes, we are,” as she got out of her door and walked around to the back of the car, popping the trunk.
Souta and Hitomi jumped out of the car and went to get their bags. Bankotsu looked at Kagome, noticing the pout on her face and remained silent, despite sending her a simple smirk.
She blinked wondering, 'Huh, why is he smirking?' before reaching over to open his door and said, “So get out already.”
Bankotsu’s smirk widened as he got out of the car and went to where the others were standing. Kagome shook her head, thinking, 'Boys are weird and he’s the strangest one of them all.' as she rolled her eyes and climbed out of the car too.
When she walked around to get her bag, Sora smiled and pulled out two envelopes, handing them to her kids, and explained, “This one is the four weekend passes,” handing it to Kagome, adding, “There are also four spending cards in there so you four can have a little bit of spending money. It’s not a lot mind you, but at the hotel your meals and drinks are free as part of your stay here and the passes are all access passes so it should be enough.”
Turning to Souta, she passed him the smaller envelope and said, “This is for you four’s last evening here, don’t open it until then.”
Blinking as he accepted the envelope, Souta nodded, promising, “We won’t, and thanks, Mom.”
Sora said, “You’re welcome, dear. Now you four have fun and no fighting.” as she pulled back to stare at the four teenagers, who all nodded their agreement.
Sora added, “This was going to be your graduation bash for after you graduated, but I decided to let you enjoy it now instead.”
Kagome blinked and said, “Wow, thanks, Mama.” hugging her mother tightly.
Sora smiled hugging her back tightly and whispered, “I’m so glad to have you back home safe and sound.” Pulling back she said, “Now go have fun and enjoy your weekend.” Watching as a bright smile lit her daughter’s face.
Kagome threw herself into her arms, whispering in a trembling voice, “I’m glad to be home again, Mama.” hugging her tighter than she ever had before.
Sora blinked back a few tears and closed her eyes, hugging her daughter a moment before pulling back and gently urging her daughter to her friend’s side, sending Bankotsu a look that read, “Watch over her for me.” He nodded and she smiled before waving them off.
The four teenagers picked up their bags and stood on the sidewalk watching as she drove off. When the taillights faded from view Kagome sighed, clutching the envelope tightly to her chest.
Bankotsu stood beside her urging softly, “Come on, Kagome, we should go and get checked in.” as his arm went around her waist and he slowly lead her into the large building.
Souta and Hitomi were already waiting by the door when they walked up. Souta said happily, “This is going to be so awesome! An entire weekend without adults.” grinning big as day.
Hitomi slipped her hand into his adding excitedly, “I know, I just can’t wait until tomorrow!”
Kagome lifted a hand to her face and wiped away the threatening tears and said, “It will be nice.” smiling at Bankotsu.
Bankotsu said, “Hope so.” as he ushered her in the door and over to the check-in desk.
After the clerk checked for their reservation and passed them the room-key cards, they took their bags and followed the bell-hop down the hall and over to their room.
Once the bell-hop showed them how to use the key cards, she handed them a list of the meal times and took her leave, saying, “Enjoy your stay with us and your weekend.”
Kagome said, “Thanks, ma’am,” and entered the room followed by Bankotsu and then Hitomi and Souta.
Souta’s eyes scanned the spacious room and he said, “Wow! This place is huge.”
Hitomi smiled adding, “Yep, and there are four full sized beds.” as she walked over to the one closest to the window and dropped her bags there.
Souta said sternly, “Oh no! You take that one, I’ll take this one so no burglars try anything funny.” as he passed her bag to her.
Hitomi sighed, “You don’t have to be so paranoid, Souta. This is a hotel remember?” accepting her bag.
Souta said seriously, “Just humor me.” staring at his girlfriend.
Recognizing his 'no arguments' look, Hitomi sighed and nodded, sitting on her bed. Souta nodded once in satisfaction and plopped his bag onto his bed.
Hitomi said cheerily, “At least I’m close to the bathroom.” as she walked into the long bathroom which separated the two sides of the room.
Souta said, “Yup,” kicking his shoes off and picking up the remote from the nightstand between their beds. He turned on the wide flat panel TV and began looking for something to watch.
Kagome looked at Bankotsu saying, “Doesn’t matter which one I get.”
Bankotsu nodded and said, “Alright, then I will take this one,” dropping his bag on the one closest to the door and kicking his shoes off.
Kagome took her bag and dropped it on the bed closest to the bathroom on their side and kicked her shoes off.
Kagome picked up the remote from their nightstand and began flipping the channels. When Souta settled on a loud music channel she rolled her eyes and said, “Hey Souta, turn it down a bit would ya? We don’t need to get kicked out for making too much noise.” and turned her TV off.
Bankotsu looked over the food schedule.
---
Buffet/Restaurant:
Breakfast is served from 7-10 am
Lunch from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Dinner from 5:30 pm- to 10 pm
Café open from noon to 11 pm
Breakfast includes freshly baked bread, waffles prepared in front of you, Japanese dishes, salads and more.
During the cafe hours, the restaurant offers original sandwiches and other light meals, as well as pastries, desserts and beverages.
For dinner, the restaurant offers dishes from around the world, imaginative seafood and meat dishes that change by the month, as well as regular everyday menus.
---
He checked the time and said, “Hey, how about we all go grab a bite to eat since they open dinner in just a few minutes?”
Remembering that they hadn’t had anything since lunch, Kagome said, “Sounds good to me,” slipping her shoes back on. Bankotsu stood up and slipped his shoes back on as well as placing the card key and the envelope with the passes and cards into his pocket.
Kagome walked around the bathroom, adding, “We’re going to grab some dinner since they start serving it an a few minutes.”
Souta jumped up adding, “We will go too. Come on, Hitomi, we’ll eat and then maybe come back and watch a movie okay?”
She smiled and said, “Sounds good to me.” Souta grinned, grabbing her hand, and walked over to the door.
Bankotsu handed him the second key card and said, “Here don’t lose it. This way you and I both have one so we can come back anytime we want to.”
Souta slid it into his wallet replying, “Good idea.” as he and Hitomi walked out the door.
Kagome questioned curiously, “I wonder what they are serving tonight?”
Bankotsu escorted her out of the room answering, “Well the list said it’s something called a ‘buffet’.” a bit perplexed as to what that meant.
Her eyes lit up and she explained, “Alright! That means we should be able to find something that everybody to be willing to eat, because it’s a wide variety of things to choose from.”
Bankotsu smiled saying, “Good, cause I’m hungry.” Closing the door behind them and checking to make sure it locked.
Kagome said amused, “Relax, Bankotsu. Everything will be safe in the room.” as she started walking towards her brother and his girlfriend who were already walking towards the restaurant.
Bankotsu sighed, thinking, 'Damn well better be,' and quickly caught up to the others.
The four of them entered the dining area and went to sit at a table together. After being brought a stack of plates and some cups by a worker, they each stood up, carrying a plate and their cup and went to scout out the food.
The four of them pretty much stuck together going from one display to the next and picking what they wanted. They got their drinks: sodas for Hitomi and Souta and tea for Kagome and Bankotsu, before sitting back at the table and eating.
After dinner the four of them walked back up to their room and settled for watching the same movie on both screens. Half way through the movie all four of them drifted to sleep and shortly after that the timers kicked in and the TVs shut themselves off.
A/N: Okay there is chapter ten everyone- enjoy! XD
A big thanks to The Invisible Author for proofing this! XD
Chapter ten:
Before they knew it, the rest of the week seemed to fly by and it was already Friday. Kagome had finished her packing and was currently helping a rather bored Bankotsu with his packing.
“Come on, Bankotsu, just pick something already.” She huffed refusing to let him dim her chipper mood or dampen her excitement.
He stood up and grabbed a handful of stuff from his drawers, tossed them on the bed, and scoffed, “They’re just clothes, Kagome, nothing to pick and choose about.” as he began stuffing them into the weekend bag.
Kagome snapped, “Not like that- they’ll wrinkle!” and smacked his hand away. His brow rose a minute as he cradled his attacked limb like a child.
He huffed, “What the hell is with you?” glaring at her.
Unfazed by his attitude, she muttered, perturbed, “Just go get whatever else you will need,” as she started pulling the clothes out and folding them before carefully putting them back in the bag.
Bankotsu rolled his eyes, grumbling, “They’re just gonna get messed up again anyways.” as he walked over to retrieve a light sweater from the closet. He grinned as his eyes adopted a mischievous glint and he fired it right at the back of her head. 'Bingo.' He thought victoriously.
Instead of taking the bait as he had hoped, Kagome said, unamused, “Very funny, now hurry up before Mama decides to leave us behind.” as she turned around, noticing his smirk, and picked up the sweater. She folded it and placed it in the bag as well.
She thought, 'Boys. I mean seriously, do they ever grow up?' and had to keep from rolling her eyes again as she finished placing the folded items neatly in the bag.
Bankotsu pouted when he didn’t get the reaction he wanted out of her and leaned against the closet door jamb with his arms crossed over his chest, staring at her as he sulked, thinking, 'I mean seriously, what the hell is the big deal anyways? They’re just stupid clothes, which are just gonna get messed up again when the bag is tossed around, so what’s the point in folding them?'
Shaking his head, he released a heavy sigh and thought, 'Why do girls have to get so worked up about clothes?' Scowling he deduced, 'Girls are just plain weird.' as he watched her carefully store everything neatly. Sighing he tossed his small box containing a mirror, comb, and some hair bands onto the bag, adding, “Add that too.” and watched, confused as she opened it and organized the bands by color.
Rolling his eyes as he realized what she was doing, he muttered, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” as he shoved off the door jamb. He stomped over yanking it from her, snapping it shut as he growled, “Just put it in the damn bag already.”
Kagome blinked as it was yanked from her hand and snapped, “Hey! I was fixing that.” Moving to snatch it back, she added, “Give it here!”
Bankotsu looked at her, dumbfounded, and said, “You can’t be serious…. Kagome it’s a stupid case there is nothing to fix.” He yanked it out of her reach and shoved it into his bag.
Kagome tried to reach for it, saying, “I’m not done with it yet.” She grunted as she reached her arm toward it.
Bankotsu scoffed, tying his bag shut and said, “Yes, you are.” as he shouldered his bag.
Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him and huffed, “I wasn’t done yet.” narrowing her eyes at him in annoyance.
Planting his feet shoulder width apart and with his arms crossed over his chest Bankotsu rolled his eyes, before narrowing his eyes at her adding, “It’s my case and I said it’s done- now let’s go.” pointing to her bag which was in his bedroom floor.
Kagome sighed heavily and grabbed the bag, slipping it onto her shoulder and muttered, “Party pooper.” as she walked out the door and down stairs with him stomping right behind her.
Bankotsu muttered back, “I heard that, ya know?” glaring at her back annoyed that she was making such a big deal over nothing.
She huffed, “So what? Maybe I intended for you to hear it.” as she reached the bottom of the stairs with a hand on her hip and childishly stuck her tongue out at him.
He stepped down beside her and asked, “I thought you said we needed to hurry?” staring into her annoyed brown eyes as one of his brows rose.
She blinked before grinning and said, “You’re right,” hooking her arm in his, before dragging him out the door.
He held back a sigh and allowed her to lead him outside thinking amused, 'She sure seems excited about all of this. I wonder why?'
Sora was helping Souta and Hitomi place their bags in the trunk of her little four-door car.
Hitomi said excitedly, “Thanks so much for inviting me to go along, Sora.” looking forward to a whole weekend alone with her boyfriend.
Sora smiled, replying, “You’re welcome dear. I told Souta when I got the tickets that I would let him go with any one friend he wanted to- adult free for once.” causing the teenagers to blush.
Souta reminded, “Yeah, but we will still have Bankotsu and Kagome there too.” excited to have some time alone with his girlfriend, and also to spend some time with his sister and their latest house guest.
Sora nodded, agreeing, “Yes, but I’m sure that even though the four of you are sharing one hotel room, you will manage to get some time alone with each other as well.”
Smiling, she added, “Plus this will give the four of you time to get to know each other a bit better. Kagome is really excited about showing Bankotsu around too.”
Kagome walked out, passing her mother her bag saying, “We’re ready, Mama.” She added, “And yes I am. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to our celebratory customs.”
At Hitomi’s frown she said, “He’s from a different continent and is used to different cultures than we are.”
Hitomi smiled and said, “Ah, okay.” Turning to smile at Bankotsu she asked, “So then this will be a new experience for you, huh?”
Bankotsu blinked, answering honestly, “Yes it will.” and passed Sora his bag.
Placing his bag next to Kagome’s, Sora asked, “So, Bankotsu, are you excited?”
Not wanting to make her feel bad, he settled with the answer, “It should prove a learning experience.”
Sora’s lips tilted into a smile and her eyes lit up as she said happily, “That it will.” and closed the trunk.
Souta climbed into the passenger front seat and Hitomi climbed into the back driver’s side seat. Bankotsu eyed the strange and rather enormous object in front of him and his spine stiffened.
Kagome stopped beside him and said calmly, “Bankotsu,” drawing his wide eyes from the vehicle and to her face. She slowly moved to stand in front of him and cupped his face soothing, “It’ll be okay.”
He blinked a few times and stared searchingly into her eyes, asking in a soft whisper, “Are you sure?”
As she maintained eye contact Kagome said, “I’m sure. I’ve ridden in the car hundreds of times and have never been harmed in it.
His pounding heart slowed back to a normal pace as his eyes darted from the car to her a few times. She said, “Bankotsu,” bringing his blue gaze back to her. She assured, “You’ll be fine because I’m going to be right there with you, okay?”
He searched her eyes for any sign trickery and sighed heavily. She caressed his cheek with her finger urging, “It can’t bite you- It’s not alive, and besides I’ll be right beside you the whole time.”
His jaw tightened a bit before he nodded and said, “You’re staying right next to me.” as if ordering her.
She nodded and slowly led him over to the car. She opened the door and crawled into the middle-seat, holding out her hand to him. He stared at her hand a few seconds and then huffed and slapped his hand in hers.
She winced at the stinging of her palm and closed her small hand over his larger one as her eyes connected and held Bankotsu’s, silently pleading for him to trust her.
Bankotsu hesitated before reluctantly climbing into the vehicle and blinking in shock. He smiled as his back rested against the cushion of the seat. He said, “Hey this is… kind of nice.” bouncing a little to get his body used to the luxury.
Kagome said, “Yes, it is.” As she reached over him to close the door, causing Bankotsu’s spine to instantly stiffen and his eyes to widen in a slight mixture of fear and shock. He watched with baited breath as she offered, “How about I open the window?” doing just that.
Hearing the slight noise, his gaze flew to the door beside him. He blinked and frowned as the strange thing in front of him seemed to slowly disappear. Kagome smiled and asked, “Is that better?”
Feeling a little more at ease now that the wind was able to hit his face, Bankotsu nodded and said, “This just seems so strange.” unsure yet whether he liked it or not.
Kagome smiled and replied, “Yeah, it can take a little getting used to, but for where we are going this will be much faster than walking.” and she reached over him, pulling out the seat-belt.
Bankotsu snagged her wrist and frowned, demanding, “What are you doing?” staring deep into her eyes.
Kagome explained seriously, “This is so you will be safe, okay?” He reluctantly nodded and released his hold on her wrist, watching in fascination as she clicked the belt in place.
She quickly settled back into her seat. She smiled and pulled her own seat-belt over, locking it in place.
Sora asked, “Everyone settled and belted?” getting a chorus of ‘Yeahs’ before slowly backing out of the driveway and onto the road.
Bankotsu watched, both fascinated and slightly nervous as she picked up speed to travel with the traffic.
Uncomfortable with the silence, he asked, “So this is how people travel here, eh?” still a little confused, though he was beginning to feel more at ease as his body accustomed itself to the comfortable seat.
Kagome smiled, “Yup, almost like the horses and carriages, only the vehicles go much faster than a horse ever could.”
Bankotsu nodded mumbling, “Still rather be on foot or a horse.” He wasn’t used to all this ‘modern technology’ and he wasn’t sure he ever would be.
Kagome assured, “You get used to it after a while, plus this trip would take maybe a day by horse, where as with the vehicle, it’ll only be about an hour.”
Bankotsu blinked and asked, “Wow, is it really that much faster than a horse?” as he shifted in his seat to stare at her.
Kagome smiled and answered, “Yup.” as she sat beside him, keeping him engaged in conversation to keep his mind off of the drive.
Bankotsu stared out the front windshield and complained, “Sure doesn’t seem like we are doing anything but crawling.” growing slightly irritated.
Kagome giggled and said, “Try watching out your side window, then you’ll see how fast we are really going.” pointing to the window.
Bankotsu scoffed and rolled his eyes, but looked out his window. His blue eyes widened as he said, “Damn, I can’t even focus on the road well.” amazed at how fast they were going.
Kagome chuckled adding, “That’s because we are nearing seventy miles per hour, now that we are on the highway.” as she pointed, drawing his gaze to the different lanes.
Bankotsu blinked thinking, 'That really is faster than horses.' as his mind tried to process all this information. To be honest, his head was starting to hurt from the overwhelming knowledge. He lifted his hand to his temples and began rubbing them lightly in an effort to ease the short, stabbing pains that began building up.
Kagome saw this and suggested, “Why don’t you relax a bit? I know being in a vehicle for the first time can be taxing; you could close your eyes. I’m right here and not going anywhere.”
She released a soft ‘oof’ as his arm wrapped around her with his hand on her ribs and her body pressed tight against his side. He muttered seriously, “Damn right, you’re not.” He refused to let her loose until this whole ‘drive’ thing was over.
She sighed and decided not to fight once it was clear he wasn’t going to let go. She shifted a bit to a more comfortable position and leaned into him, assuring softly, “It’s okay Bankotsu.” and patting his chest in a comforting manner.
She could feel his heart still beating a little faster than normal and thought, 'What a strange reaction.' as she softly patted his chest.
His hand gripping the door’s arm rest, pried lose to grab the hand tapping his chest. She smiled and laid her head against his shoulder thinking, 'This is almost kind of nice.'
Hitomi hid a grin as she pretended not to notice their actions. Her eyes met Souta’s in the mirror and they exchanged knowing smiles. Sora also looked in the mirror and noticed Bankotsu and Kagome’s position and she smiled before returning her eyes to the road.
Hitomi and Souta both wisely stayed quiet and stared out the window, surprising Sora who nodded her head in silent approval and drove the rest of the way to the hotel. Kagome felt so comfortable that her eyes slowly drifted shut and he felt her body beginning to relax.
Bankotsu’s grip on Kagome never left during the entire car ride, but it did eventually let up some toward the end as he absently thought, 'She’s so soft and warm.' feeling her slender body pressed against his side.
Sora started to slow down and pulled up along the curb of the hotel. When the car stopped Bankotsu blinked and stared out the window. Kagome opened her eyes and said, slightly disappointed, “We’re there already?”
Sora smiled, answering, “Yes, we are,” as she got out of her door and walked around to the back of the car, popping the trunk.
Souta and Hitomi jumped out of the car and went to get their bags. Bankotsu looked at Kagome, noticing the pout on her face and remained silent, despite sending her a simple smirk.
She blinked wondering, 'Huh, why is he smirking?' before reaching over to open his door and said, “So get out already.”
Bankotsu’s smirk widened as he got out of the car and went to where the others were standing. Kagome shook her head, thinking, 'Boys are weird and he’s the strangest one of them all.' as she rolled her eyes and climbed out of the car too.
When she walked around to get her bag, Sora smiled and pulled out two envelopes, handing them to her kids, and explained, “This one is the four weekend passes,” handing it to Kagome, adding, “There are also four spending cards in there so you four can have a little bit of spending money. It’s not a lot mind you, but at the hotel your meals and drinks are free as part of your stay here and the passes are all access passes so it should be enough.”
Turning to Souta, she passed him the smaller envelope and said, “This is for you four’s last evening here, don’t open it until then.”
Blinking as he accepted the envelope, Souta nodded, promising, “We won’t, and thanks, Mom.”
Sora said, “You’re welcome, dear. Now you four have fun and no fighting.” as she pulled back to stare at the four teenagers, who all nodded their agreement.
Sora added, “This was going to be your graduation bash for after you graduated, but I decided to let you enjoy it now instead.”
Kagome blinked and said, “Wow, thanks, Mama.” hugging her mother tightly.
Sora smiled hugging her back tightly and whispered, “I’m so glad to have you back home safe and sound.” Pulling back she said, “Now go have fun and enjoy your weekend.” Watching as a bright smile lit her daughter’s face.
Kagome threw herself into her arms, whispering in a trembling voice, “I’m glad to be home again, Mama.” hugging her tighter than she ever had before.
Sora blinked back a few tears and closed her eyes, hugging her daughter a moment before pulling back and gently urging her daughter to her friend’s side, sending Bankotsu a look that read, “Watch over her for me.” He nodded and she smiled before waving them off.
The four teenagers picked up their bags and stood on the sidewalk watching as she drove off. When the taillights faded from view Kagome sighed, clutching the envelope tightly to her chest.
Bankotsu stood beside her urging softly, “Come on, Kagome, we should go and get checked in.” as his arm went around her waist and he slowly lead her into the large building.
Souta and Hitomi were already waiting by the door when they walked up. Souta said happily, “This is going to be so awesome! An entire weekend without adults.” grinning big as day.
Hitomi slipped her hand into his adding excitedly, “I know, I just can’t wait until tomorrow!”
Kagome lifted a hand to her face and wiped away the threatening tears and said, “It will be nice.” smiling at Bankotsu.
Bankotsu said, “Hope so.” as he ushered her in the door and over to the check-in desk.
After the clerk checked for their reservation and passed them the room-key cards, they took their bags and followed the bell-hop down the hall and over to their room.
Once the bell-hop showed them how to use the key cards, she handed them a list of the meal times and took her leave, saying, “Enjoy your stay with us and your weekend.”
Kagome said, “Thanks, ma’am,” and entered the room followed by Bankotsu and then Hitomi and Souta.
Souta’s eyes scanned the spacious room and he said, “Wow! This place is huge.”
Hitomi smiled adding, “Yep, and there are four full sized beds.” as she walked over to the one closest to the window and dropped her bags there.
Souta said sternly, “Oh no! You take that one, I’ll take this one so no burglars try anything funny.” as he passed her bag to her.
Hitomi sighed, “You don’t have to be so paranoid, Souta. This is a hotel remember?” accepting her bag.
Souta said seriously, “Just humor me.” staring at his girlfriend.
Recognizing his 'no arguments' look, Hitomi sighed and nodded, sitting on her bed. Souta nodded once in satisfaction and plopped his bag onto his bed.
Hitomi said cheerily, “At least I’m close to the bathroom.” as she walked into the long bathroom which separated the two sides of the room.
Souta said, “Yup,” kicking his shoes off and picking up the remote from the nightstand between their beds. He turned on the wide flat panel TV and began looking for something to watch.
Kagome looked at Bankotsu saying, “Doesn’t matter which one I get.”
Bankotsu nodded and said, “Alright, then I will take this one,” dropping his bag on the one closest to the door and kicking his shoes off.
Kagome took her bag and dropped it on the bed closest to the bathroom on their side and kicked her shoes off.
Kagome picked up the remote from their nightstand and began flipping the channels. When Souta settled on a loud music channel she rolled her eyes and said, “Hey Souta, turn it down a bit would ya? We don’t need to get kicked out for making too much noise.” and turned her TV off.
Bankotsu looked over the food schedule.
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Buffet/Restaurant:
Breakfast is served from 7-10 am
Lunch from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Dinner from 5:30 pm- to 10 pm
Café open from noon to 11 pm
Breakfast includes freshly baked bread, waffles prepared in front of you, Japanese dishes, salads and more.
During the cafe hours, the restaurant offers original sandwiches and other light meals, as well as pastries, desserts and beverages.
For dinner, the restaurant offers dishes from around the world, imaginative seafood and meat dishes that change by the month, as well as regular everyday menus.
---
He checked the time and said, “Hey, how about we all go grab a bite to eat since they open dinner in just a few minutes?”
Remembering that they hadn’t had anything since lunch, Kagome said, “Sounds good to me,” slipping her shoes back on. Bankotsu stood up and slipped his shoes back on as well as placing the card key and the envelope with the passes and cards into his pocket.
Kagome walked around the bathroom, adding, “We’re going to grab some dinner since they start serving it an a few minutes.”
Souta jumped up adding, “We will go too. Come on, Hitomi, we’ll eat and then maybe come back and watch a movie okay?”
She smiled and said, “Sounds good to me.” Souta grinned, grabbing her hand, and walked over to the door.
Bankotsu handed him the second key card and said, “Here don’t lose it. This way you and I both have one so we can come back anytime we want to.”
Souta slid it into his wallet replying, “Good idea.” as he and Hitomi walked out the door.
Kagome questioned curiously, “I wonder what they are serving tonight?”
Bankotsu escorted her out of the room answering, “Well the list said it’s something called a ‘buffet’.” a bit perplexed as to what that meant.
Her eyes lit up and she explained, “Alright! That means we should be able to find something that everybody to be willing to eat, because it’s a wide variety of things to choose from.”
Bankotsu smiled saying, “Good, cause I’m hungry.” Closing the door behind them and checking to make sure it locked.
Kagome said amused, “Relax, Bankotsu. Everything will be safe in the room.” as she started walking towards her brother and his girlfriend who were already walking towards the restaurant.
Bankotsu sighed, thinking, 'Damn well better be,' and quickly caught up to the others.
The four of them entered the dining area and went to sit at a table together. After being brought a stack of plates and some cups by a worker, they each stood up, carrying a plate and their cup and went to scout out the food.
The four of them pretty much stuck together going from one display to the next and picking what they wanted. They got their drinks: sodas for Hitomi and Souta and tea for Kagome and Bankotsu, before sitting back at the table and eating.
After dinner the four of them walked back up to their room and settled for watching the same movie on both screens. Half way through the movie all four of them drifted to sleep and shortly after that the timers kicked in and the TVs shut themselves off.
A/N: Okay there is chapter ten everyone- enjoy! XD