InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bottled Genius ❯ Laundry and Aloe vera ( Chapter 9 )

AN: Ok, don't worry, I've still got plenty of explanations up my sleeve about Kikyo, Onigumo and how wishes are granted, so please don't try and accuse me of making plot holes - because I'm still trying to set up the scenario whilst introducing the main plot. But relax people, I'll be explaining very shortly (in the next chapter or so).

On a happier note: I'm finally making a move on the other stories… though I don't know when I'll update. Oh well ^_^ Some time soon I hope!

Bottled Genius

Chapter 9

Laundry and Aloe Vera

AN: You can tell I had trouble thinking of a title, right…?

"As you wish."

Onigumo's chin tilted slightly up as he noticed the rather sinister smirk that had spread across Inuyasha's lips. "What are you so happy about? I've overcome the loophole you wanted to spring on me."

"So you can't become a Wishbringer." Inuyasha continued to look slightly smug. "However. You didn't not ask to have something worse than eternal slavery…"

"Slavery. Is that what you kids are calling it these days." Onigumo commented dryly.

"You want power like me… a Hanyou…" he cocked his head slightly, still with a sneer. "Well I guess that says it all, so I'll be on my way." Without a backward glance Inuyasha turned and stooped to pick the gently rousing Kagome up in his arms.

Onigumo started towards him angrily. "Where do you think you're going?!"

But he suddenly started to slow his stride as every window in the small ramshackle building cracked open simultaneously with a loud bang that made him jump. Inuyasha didn't even bat an eye lid. The door whipped open a few moments later, ricocheting against the wall. Onigumo jumped again to face the door. Inuyasha still didn't flinch, but carried on watching Onigumo closely.

"What the hell's this?" Onigumo muttered, an angry expression passing over his face, but the anxiety was clear in his voice.

Inuyasha turned wordlessly and walked out through the open door, Kagome's right hand hitting the frame lightly as he passed through the doorway. She mumbled something grumpily and drew her hand up to her chest. Onigumo scowled again. "Where the hell do you think you're going, asshole?!" he stormed forward angrily, intending to follow them out the door - if it hadn't snapped shut before he could reach it.

Outside Inuyasha stopped at the roadside and set Kagome down at the edge of the tarmac, behind him he heard the furious rattling of the doorknob as Onigumo tried to open the door. After a few moments it stopped - then the door started jumping in its frame as the hut's occupant began throwing his weight against it. Inuyasha watched passively. No force in the world could break that door down now.

The wind was beginning to pick up. Faint whispers of breeze that had been rustling through the heights of the trees transformed into strong gusts. The trees themselves no longer gently swayed, but started to bend and thrash. Irritably, Inuyasha pushed his wild hair out of his face as it started to whip around his throat and obscure his vision.

Storm clouds were brewing overhead, and the discreet wail of the wind was overwhelmed by the deep rumbling of thunder in the distance. Kagome began to stir again as small splatters of rain began hitting her face.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha was getting impatient. "It shouldn't be taking this long…"

But no sooner had he voiced his complaint, than the heavens above him split and throngs upon throngs of demons began pouring through the gap in the clouds. A small smile touched upon Inuyasha as he heard Onigumo renew his efforts to break down the door with more vigour. The demons were getting closer… there had to be hundreds, if not thousands of them.

He hadn't been counting on so many, but the more the merrier.

Inuyasha sent Kagome a cautious glance, but found she was still only gently stirring, lost in her dreams. That was good, if she saw all this she'd probably freak out in a major way.

The distance was closing, the demons were getting closer, charging at Inuyasha at full tilt. Claws, fangs, wild eyes and hideous hides all seemed to blur together like a swarm of descending bees. The gap was turning to mere metres between them, and the demons in the front lines began widening their mouths and spread their arms, baring any weapon they had as they prepared to attack.

Until Inuyasha held up his hand. And they all stopped.

A deadly silence descended on the vicinity. "Don't worry… I'm not going to wipe you all out, it's not my orders." Inuyasha lowered his hand and folded his arms grouchily. "I'm here to deliver you some food… and a new vessel."

The silence continued.

"So you're all that's left of the Youkai population…" He sighed and tutted, before jerked a glance towards the hut that was still emitting furious shouts of an enraged Onigumo. "Pig out. The evil within his soul will be very tasty, I assure you."

The path of the demons suddenly veered off to the side, hurtling towards the hut.

His job done, Inuyasha bent and scooped up Kagome in his arms, not quite bridal style since her arms hung down limply and he held her at the knees and under the arms - not the tender position of the thighs and waist.

He didn't look back as he started off down the road, moving at a full tilt run across the warm tarmac of the empty road, heading for Kagome's old manor house. Behind him he heard the sound of the hut being torn apart and obliterated as the demons descended on it. He heard the screams of Onigumo as he was consumed. But he didn't feel guilty… of all the people who had died because of him - this was the first man to deserve his death.

They'd consume him, their power would merge and Onigumo would be lost within it all. He'd be one thread in a tapestry of one Youkai. A human lost in power over his head. He wouldn't be making any more wishes… he was effectively dead - though his wish for eternal immortality wouldn't be broken… after all, he was still technically alive as well.

"Inu…yasha…"

He snapped his gaze back to the girl in her arms. Her eyes were opening but she still seemed muggy and out of it.

"What happened?" she raised her hand to rub her eyes. "Where are we…?"

"Uh… you see… the thing is…" he fumbled clumsily for her sleeping point. He tapped it and she cried out in pain.

"Ow!" she punched him angrily in the shoulder. "That hurt you git!"

Desperately he tapped it again.

"Hey!!" she screamed, fully awake now despite his efforts. "Put me down this instant!"

Ok… so maybe the sleeping point only worked once. Obediently he sighed and put her down, well aware that they were far out of range of Onigumo's little hut… or whatever was left of it by now. Kagome drew back from him, rubbing her neck and glaring at him suspiciously. "What the hell are you trying to do? Kidnap me?!"

"No." he rolled his eyes and moved past her, heading along his path again. Kagome followed him with her eyes.

"Inuyasha what-"

"Please don't ask me." He said wearily.

Kagome stared at his retreating form, absently shivering at an uneasy feeling on the breeze… there was something not quite right about this place… "Is that your explanation for knocking me out and taking me to… wherever we are?"

"I don't want to explain to you." He said flatly, still with his back to her. "It's a Wishbringer thing… but it's ok now. It's over."

"Uh… ok…" What was over? She wondered, but she'd never seen Inuyasha so… so reserved like he had been lately. Her arm skimmed his form warily, before falling on his arm again. "You're hurt!"

"Yeah… you said that before," he stopped and looked down at his arm in mild surprise as she trotted up to him and took hold of his right hand gingerly. "Don't worry, it's only a burn."

She lightly touched a finger against the burn holes in his sleeve, or what was left of it. "Looks like someone turned a flame thrower on you."

"It's ok," he pulled his arm away from her and started walking again.

"Don't you magically heal instantly, or something? I thought you were a Wishbringer?" she ran to catch up to him and walk alongside him.

"I told you. If a Wishbringer attempts to use power on himself through a wish or without a wish, I'll end up killing myself." He flexed his blistered fingers with an indifferent shrug. "Still… a Hanyou's power of healing is not to be laughed at. It'll heal by itself in time."

"You'll be covered in scars."

"Nah!" he wrinkled his nose with a grin. "And if I do - chicks dig scars!"

Kagome rolled her eyes and pushed him playfully on the arm. He cried out and nearly fell over.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow… WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" he ranted.

"You big baby!" she graced him with a strange look. "I thought you were too macho to feel pain!"

He instantly straightened. "I am. What are you on about?"

She moved around and grabbed his sleeve of the other arm. "Come on - we need to get back and treat your wounds."

^_^

"You need to take better care of yourself." She told him whilst patting the kitchen table as she moved past it towards the medical drawer. "Sit here."

"But-"

"That was an order, not a request." She told him coolly as she rummaged around for the white box where they kept all their supplies. Behind her, Inuyasha huffed in annoyance and drew himself to perch on the edge of the table. "And take off the shirt, I need to reach your wounds." She ordered over her shoulder. Another sigh and a rustle of material followed before she turned with a smile and a box in her hands.

"It's amazing that the almighty Wishbringer can't even heal his own…"

The smile slid tragically off her face when she realised what was now sitting on the table.

She'd thought haori-less Inuyasha had been bad. Try completely topless Inuyasha. Her hands were beginning to tremble so badly the contents of the box were rattling. Inuyasha gave her an odd look. "What? You look like you've seen a ghost." He told her.

There was nothing incredibly hot about his pose. He was swinging his legs casually and was bent forward slightly with his good hand resting against his knee - his face oblivious and clueless as to how he was affecting her. Kagome fumbled a smile back onto her face and forced herself to approach him, her steps just as shaky as her hands. Inuyasha still watched her uncertainly, probably trying to figure out what the matter was.

"A-arm out." She squeaked as she set the box down. He straightened co-operatively and pushed his hair back over his shoulder as he held out his right arm. It only helped in exposing more of himself to her, and showed off the perfectly toned muscles all the way from his chest, through his shoulder, to his arm in question. They flexed slightly as he idly clenched and unclenched his fingers. All those muscles working… just to clench his fist…

Kagome kept her eyes schooled on his arm and the supplies in her hands, the smile on her face was becoming a pasted on mask as she wailed in despair beneath it. He was a sin! It just wasn't fair for one person to hold so much masculine beauty… she was going to melt in a minute…

Still! He was still a jerk! He had laughed at her disability and he'd violently beaten up two dozen boys at school! He was a ruffian and a total blockhead! The axe was still a more attractive option to take on a date… she still disliked Inuyasha. He was a jerk. A hot one. But a jerk nonetheless.

This little rant helped a little bit to control herself. She repeated it constantly in a chanting though. He's a jerk, he's a jerk, he's a jerk, he's a jerk, he's a jerk, he's a jerk, he's a jerk, he's a jerk-

"What's that stuff?" Inuyasha asked, still the brainless wonder, not having noticed the reason why her cheeks were so pink.

"It's cream. For your burns. Promotes healing." She said in simple clipped words for an explanation. Her eyes remained fixed on the little tub in her hands as she unscrewed the lid and dolloped a big glob of the cream into her hand. "Hold out your arm," she told him again, seeing as it had lowered slightly after a few minutes.

When she deposited the cream on his arm he hissed and flinched, almost drawing his arm back instinctively. Kagome froze her actions. "Does it hurt?"

"Stings is all…" he shook his head, signalling he was ok. "It's cold."

"It'll soothe the burns too." She warned as she lightly used her fingers to spread the cream across his burnt and tender flesh, mindful that it was probably like rubbing a sunburn. Painful as hell. "Just give it a minute… it'll feel better in a sec…" her fingers skimmed up past his elbow to spread the cream along his forearm. A few moments later and she felt him relax under her ministrations as she applied the soother, she grew bolder and less timid and applied more cream, using her whole hand to smooth the cream across his arm.

"It smells nice…" Inuyasha commented absently, earning a smile from Kagome.

This was actually becoming rather pleasant. Kagome found herself becoming entranced in her own actions, smoothing her hand up and down the arm, regardless that the skin was red, blotchy and blistered in some places. She spent a few minutes using both hands to cover his afflicted hand in the cream, running her fingers over his gently and sliding her slick hands over his palm. She was acutely aware of how big his hand was compared to her own.

Unnecessarily, she spent a few moments on his claws - pointless considering they didn't need soothing. They were singed black, but they wouldn't be in any pain. Maybe he noticed that she dwelled a bit too long on them… carefully running her fingers over each nail, fascinated by them. They weren't razor sharp, but actually rather blunted, the way dogs nails were blunt, but when applied with force could inflict some pretty heavy damage.

"Uh… Kagome… my arm feels better now…" He was definitely noticing something odd by now.

Kagome froze and suddenly dropped her hands. "Good, good!" she piped. "Well, I'll just apply the bandage and you'll be all done!"

He watched as she picked up a roll of the pristine material and pushed his arm back up that had been sinking back to his side.

If Kagome had thought that applying the cream had been sweet torture, the bandage was only slightly worse. She started wrapping his hand first, before moving further up to apply the bandage to his entire arm. Along the entire way she was unwilling to notice how well shaped his appendage arm was… strong and firm to the touch and sight - but also limber and supple.

Damn him!

Kagome hastily dropped her hands back when she was done, quickly turning away to hide her burning cheeks as she put away her supplies in their original box and moved to put it away. When she turned back she had the blush under control and saw Inuyasha taking a big sniff of his arm. "Mm… smells like… aloe vera!"

She smiled to see his grin and moved forward to offer him his shirt again. "We can change it again in a few days when you get that one dirty."

Inuyasha shrugged back into his shirt and lazily tucked it back into his hakama. "Oh yeah… by the way."

She looked up at him expectantly, magically easy in his presence again now that he wasn't half naked.

"I'm glad you can talk again. It was getting lame having to write out conversations and whatever…" he looked down at his gently flexing bandaged hand with a look she could have sworn was edging on sheepish-ness.

"Good." She grinned. "Cause I couldn't wait to tell you that your handwriting really bites."

He shot her a stunned look… before returning her grin with a quirky one of his own.

^_^

"No - no - you have to press the X button to jump!" Souta pummelled his handset.

Inuyasha was in a similar situation. "I am pressing the stupid button!" he battered it desperately. "It's not working - and stop kicking my head!"

"Well you're not defending!"

"I'm supposed to be defending?!"

Kagome passed a hand over her face with a sigh. They'd been at this for nearly an hour… who knew that Inuyasha would be the worst street fighter ever?

"Headlock!" Souta crowed happily.

"Get off me!" Inuyasha practically threw himself to the side as if that would tear his virtual self away from Souta's grip. Kagome winced as there was a loud cracking sound from the TV as Inuyasha's head was ripped off… in the virtual sense of course. Inuyasha slumped and dropped the handset. "Crud…"

"That's ten rounds to me and… nothing for you." Souta grinned at him. "I guess you lose."

"I guess that means we go for another round!" Inuyasha straightened quickly, but Kagome was suddenly above him, snatching the handset out of his hand, much to his annoyance. "Hey!"

"It's my turn." She told him, all but pushing him out of the way to sit down.

"No way!" Her brother protested loudly. "It's still Inuyasha's turn - at least I get a perfect score when I play against him!"

"Hey!" Inuyasha huffed angrily.

"Oh, you sit this round out Inuyasha. Give your arm a rest." Kagome nudged him aside again. "Now which character shall I choose…?"

With another angry huff Inuyasha took up Kagome's previous position on the sofa, watching them battle it out on the playstation while mindlessly picking at his bandage.

"Stop picking - I can hear you." Kagome warned over her shoulder as she proceeded to kick Souta's ass, literally.

"I wasn't picking!" he retorted, but quickly withdrew his hand with seeming innocence.

Kagome and Souta were halfway through the round when Mrs Higurashi appeared at the doorway. "Kids, I need help folding the laundry."

No one made any indication that they'd heard her.

Mrs Higurashi sighed. "Souta, why don't-"

"Kagome can do it." The boy interrupted.

"Grandpa can do it." Kagome followed.

"He's out at the chess club." She reminded them.

"Then Inuyasha can do it." The two siblings told her simultaneously.

"I thought I was supposed to be resting my arm?" he pointed out coolly.

"You don't have to Inuyasha, you're our guest." Mrs Higurashi told him kindly.

"Nah, I was about to offer anyway." He stood and followed her out the door, but not before he casually glanced back and flicked his wrist towards the playstation…

The power went dead and suddenly Kagome and Souta were staring at a Tv screen full of snow. Inuyasha snickered to himself as he heard the various shouts from the living room. "What did you do?!" Souta was shrieking. "My perfect score!"

"Your perfect score?! - I was about to pound you into the ground!" Was Kagome's reply.

"Are you sure you're ok with that arm?" Mrs Higurashi asked pleasantly as she guided him into the laundry room. Inuyasha shrugged as he ogled the piles of freshly ironed clothes and sheets uneasily.

"It looks worse than it actually is. Kagome just got carried away with the bandage." He told her.

"She tends to get carried away when she's around people she likes." Mrs Higurashi smiled secretively as she picked up a sheet and tossed him one end. "You know how to fold sheets right?"

"Right. It's not like I haven't done housework before."

"I can't tell you enough how lucky Kagome is to have you around so much." Mrs Higurashi said cheerfully as they co-ordinated their movements. "I felt very guilty for taking her out of the city… she loved the old house very much… the Shrine grounds and especially the goshinboku tree. It broke her heart having to take her away."

"Yeah… I got that impression." Inuyasha put the corners together and flapped again, before folding once more to pass his end back to Kagome's mother. "Why did you guys move anyway?"

"Money problems."

"I got the impression there was something more than that." Inuyasha remarked tactlessly as another sheet was tossed his way.

"I suppose Kagome didn't tell you about her father?" Mrs Higurashi still smiled, but it had turned a little sad now. "I trust she'll tell you in her own time."

Translation: 'I'm not telling you anything, stranger'.

"But who knows how long we'll be staying here, getting under Grandpa's feet?" Mrs Higurashi told him conversationally. "Maybe in time Kagome will be able to get a job and move back into central Tokyo… but until then…" She was slowing her folding, forcing Inuyasha to slow down to match her pace. "So you've been here a year? Do you plan to stay?"

"Actually… I'll be leaving soon." He cast a thoughtful eye to the heaps of washing behind Mrs Higurashi that still needed folding.

"Really? When do you plan to go?" Mrs Higurashi looked a little saddened by this news.

"Dunno… in the near future." He shrugged and finished folding the second sheet with her.

"That's a shame… Kagome would be sad to see you go."

Inuyasha stared at her, not understanding why she would say something like that. Kagome's mother just shrugged lightly and turned to select a new sheet… only… they'd all been folded. "Uh…" she gazed at the neat piles before her. "Weren't these all… um…"

"Well that's all the folding done." Inuyasha said cheerfully as he walked off. "Nice chat Mrs H."

"I don't remember doing all this…" Mrs Higurashi continued to stare, dumb-founded. "Must have… just blacked out…"

^_^

"Are you going to tell me what you were doing this morning yet?" Kagome asked amiably as she stepped into her bedroom and closed the door. "Or are you going to get lost so I can get changed for bed?"

"I told you. Don't ask me about it." Inuyasha grouched.

"I could always force you to tell me." She told him with a warning look as she approached her bed where he was currently stretched out upon. "But… I've also promised myself not to take advantage of my power like that."

He rolled his eyes. "Because you're such a nice person, I get it."

"No… I'm just hoping you trust me enough to tell me in your own time."

He scoffed at the unlikeness of that possibility and rolled over to face the wall away from her. She sighed and shook her head. "Fine… I guess that just proves how much you're willing to trust me."

Inuyasha carried on glaring at the wall as he heard her grab her clothes and storm out to get changed. She could have ordered him to leave… but she hadn't. He shook his mental self with a growl. He had to admit that she was different from the others… but that didn't necessarily mean he should try and attach himself to her. It only ended in tears after all…

She didn't need to know any more than she had to. And he didn't need to tell her anything unnecessary. That was the way it had always been. And that was the way it would always be…

Except he'd broken the rules with one girl… and he wasn't about to make the same mistake so soon after.

With a sigh he rolled onto his back and watched the ceiling without really seeing it. What would happen now? Onigumo no longer existed… but he was still out there. Even if he was now vessel to a thousand demons, would his mind and soul still rise up and take control of his new form? Or would it remained buried for eternity? And more importantly - what was his new form now?

He'd never worried about Onigumo in the past - he'd been classed as a secondary master - a master who's priority always came after the primary master. Since Kikyo had found him first, she was primary. But one of her wishes had introduced Onigumo into the picture, and that had eventually resulted in him discovering Inuyasha's identity. Wishbringers couldn't refuse any master… and so Inuyasha had no choice but to obey him as well as Kikyo… but Kikyo's wishes still came first, and she was the master he was bound to follow. Onigumo being second class meant that Inuyasha didn't have to stay beside him all the time, that he didn't have to wait on him hand and foot, that if he made a wish against Kikyo first, Kikyo could still make a counter wish effectively against the second rate fiend…

Which was exactly what happened.

And since no matter what the situation, when a master's life expires, or their wishes expire, the Wishbringer has to return to its container - Inuyasha had returned back to sleep. Onigumo had never found the container again… but his last four wishes were still valid.

He still had one left. But it was doubtful he'd ever be able to use it again.

Now Kagome had found him. When he'd first awoken he'd been afraid that Onigumo had found him at last and planned to consume the last of his wishes. That's why it had confused him when he's realised his new master looked almost exactly like Kikyo. He'd kept his distance for a few hours before making his presence known…

It was possible that Kagome was some kind of reincarnation. Though it could be just as likely that their matching appearance was coincidence. Either way it didn't matter. Kagome wasn't Kikyo, so why speculate the link between them?

Problem was… Kagome's life was now in danger thanks to Onigumo… thanks to Inuyasha more like…

Maybe it was in her best interests to warn her about him? To keep her safe and aware of what was out there now.

Inuyasha snorted and turned back to face the wall. Maybe he should just terminate himself and save her the hell she would face in his company. She was just a kid… she didn't deserve to be faced with the same things he had faced… she was pure spirited and innocent. Just the way Kikyo had been up until… but he'd tainted that girl and now she was dead in an act of murder-suicide.

A gentle humming began behind him and he started. He was sure he hadn't heard Kagome come back in… if she had, she'd been awfully quick changing her clothes. He sat up and looked across the room, gaze fixing on the girl sitting at her dresser in her night-clothes, combing her hair with a small brush in long sweeping strokes.

It wasn't Kagome.

Inuyasha stared at her back, uneasily and reproachfully. "Who the hell are you?" There was a subtle stench of death… and some kind of poison that tainted the air of the room. She didn't smell familiar to him in any way…

The humming stopped, a few moments before the girl set down her comb on the dresser and turned to face him. His heart literally skipped a beat.

"Kikyo…"

"I am condensed evil. Purified hatred and malice. I am pure darkness… and…" The imitation of Kikyo rose from the stool to fix him with a cool look, a conceited smile he could recognise as his own tilted her lips. "I am your creation. Though you may call me Naraku."

AN: Ok - and that will be explained later. Ciao for now!