InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Buffy the Youkai Slayer ❯ Not Before That First Cup of Coffee ( Chapter 21 )

21. Not Before That First Cup of Coffee

Somewhere in late 16th-century Japan

Buffy's eyes flew open. Oh, damn! I overslept!

For one panicked moment, still groggy from a dream where she was walking down endless hallways, frantically looking for the exam room, she wondered what the hell she was doing in the middle of a forest. Did I forget about my midterms and go camping?

Then it all came back to her. She was in feudal Japan, thousands of miles--and hundreds of years--away from UC Sunnydale.

Buffy relaxed back onto the hard ground with a sigh. Miroku and Inuyasha hadn't come to wake her for second watch, nor had they roused Sango. The youkai-taijya was still curled up against Kirara's furry bulk, little Shippou sandwiched between them.

Was anyone standing guard over the campsite?

Blinking, Buffy raised her head and scanned her surroundings. It was still pretty dark, but the eastern sky was turning that shade of silvery gray that meant the sun was about to rise.

The wolf prince? Nope. A dark ponytail spread out from a blanket-covered mound next to the extinct campfire--Kouga was apparently still dead to the world.

So was Miroku, his dark robes blending with the shadows that clouded the edge of the forest.

Inuyasha was sitting upright against a nearby tree-trunk, his red kimono-thingy looking dark gray in the half-light. At some point during the night, Kagome had crawled into his lap, sleeping bag and all. She was fast asleep, her head on his shoulder, her mouth slightly open.

His eyes were closed, too, and his cheek was resting on the top of Kagome's head in a totally sweet pose, but he wasn't asleep--or at least not deeply asleep. As soon as Buffy sat up, she saw his ears twitch at the slithery nylon sound of her sleeping bag.

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. Buffy grinned at him conspiratorially, happy that he'd finally loosened up enough to show his girl a little affection.

Took him long enough, she thought, remembering Kagome's confession at the hot spring a few days ago.

His eyes widened and he started, looking alarmed and guilty at the same. Kagome stirred with a soft moan as his arms tightened around her, and her eyelids fluttered. "Wha--?" she mumbled.

She turned her face, and sleepily kissed his neck. "Mmm." A smile curved her mouth. She looked tousled and blissfully happy.

Inuyasha made a strangled sound, and all but dumped her off his lap.

"Kagome!" he whispered, looking positively panicked. "Don't do that!"

Jerk! thought Buffy, indignantly.

"What? Why?" Now sprawled on the ground in front of Inuyasha, Kagome struggled to free herself from her sleeping bag.

"--someone's watching!" finished Inuyasha. His yellow gaze returned to Buffy.

"Oh!" Finally awake, Kagome looked around, wide-eyed.

The sleeping bag slipped down around her waist, revealing pajamas--pink, of course--printed with a pattern of little dogs. They were schnauzers.

Buffy sighed. "Chill out, you two. It's just me."

"I--we didn't--" Kagome said, then stumbled to a halt. She stared up at Inuyasha, a little apprehensively. "Did we?"

"I don't think he got past second base," said Buffy. "Kinda hard to do anything really fun, I mean, uh, really bad with a busted rib."

Kagome looked down. It was still too dark to see clearly, but Buffy was willing to bet her friend was blushing furiously.

"Keh! You're the one who told her to sleep sitting up!" Inuyasha was scowling now. "And she kept falling over! That's all! So, stop with the stupid talk. It wasn't like that!"

"Ooookay," drawled Buffy, trying really hard not to laugh.

Why was the dog-boy making such a big deal of this? Was touching a girl you weren't married to, like, totally against the rules in 1500's Japan?

Kagome looked embarrassed, mortified, and hurt by turns, and Buffy suddenly didn't feel like laughing any more.

"Don't worry," Buffy said, to Inuyasha. "I won't tell anyone if you don't. But, really, why all the secrecy? What's the big deal?"

His face darkened. "I'm a hanyou. And she--she's...not."

Puzzled, Buffy just stared at him. Is he being a snob?

He looked really mad now. "If anyone saw us, they'd think I--I was...defiling her."

Kagome's brows drew down in a frown. "But we're among friends here! Miroku--Sango--they wouldn't--"

He hunched his shoulders. "Doesn't matter. I just don't want--want anyone thinking badly of you, Kagome."

"But--" She reached out for him, and he flinched back.

Apparently forgetting Buffy's presence, they sat in miserable silence for a minute or two, just gazing at each other with tortured expressions.

Kagome looked like she wanted to cry. So did Inuyasha, actually, though he was trying to disguise it with a sneer.

Poor kid, thought Buffy. She wondered how much Sango had been whitewashing the deal with hanyou kids in this time and place. Someone like Inuyasha was getting a pretty raw deal if just hugging a girl was considered "defiling" her. Guess he has good reasons for being so cranky all the time.

"Um," Buffy said, finally, clearing her throat. "Since we're all awake, you wanna get breakfast started?"

"I'll go gather some wood," Inuyasha said, looking relieved.

He was up and gone so quickly that Buffy could have sworn he was running away.

"Hey," Buffy said, softly. "How are you feeling this morning, Kagome?"

Kagome sighed deeply, looking at the patch of trees where Inuyasha had vanished. "I--I think I don't wish to talk about it, quite yet."

"I mean, uh, how are your back and ribs feeling?"

"Oh!" Kagome gave an embarrassed chuckle, stretched cautiously, and winced. "Really sore...but a little better than yesterday."

Buffy nodded. "Just keep taking the Panadol, okay? It'll keep the swelling down on those bruises."

She wriggled out of her sleeping bag, reluctantly leaving its warmth for the chilly morning air, and stretched. She was feeling a little stiff herself from getting thrown around yesterday, but moving around a bit would solve that.

"So, what do you want for breakfast?" she asked, digging through the supplies in Kagome's pack. "Ramen...or ramen?"

* * *

The others were awake and stirring by the time Inuyasha returned with an armful of fallen branches. He energetically snapped them into short lengths as Buffy used the cigarette lighter that Kagome had thoughtfully brought along to rekindle the fire.

Breaking stuff seemed to calm him down, and he was back to normal by the time the last of the wood had been reduced to campfire-size chunks.

Kouga was the last to wake. Everyone else had already gone down to the stream to wash their hands and faces, and they were unpacking their chopsticks and bowls when the wolf-prince finally sat up.

He was a bit rumpled-looking, but Buffy noticed that yesterday's deep slashes across his torso, back, and arms were little more than pink scars now. He caught her staring at his bare chest, and blushed, which was really sort of cute and appealing in a guy, even a demon guy.

The fire had settled down to a nice glowing bed of coals by now. Buffy turned away and set the kettle on the grate to heat water for the ramen, tea, and--most importantly--coffee.

"Oi, Kagome," Kouga said, a minute or two later, dressed in his leggings and armor once again.

"Good morning, Kouga-kun," she said, politely. "How are you feeling this morning?"

In an instant, he was standing next to her, his fingers laced with hers, looking down at her with that goofy expression. "Much better, thanks to your kindness."

Inuyasha stopped shoving wood onto the fire, and glared at the wolf-prince. Buffy could have sworn she heard an honest-to-goodness growl issuing from the dog-boy's chest.

Kagome gave Inuyasha a nervous look, and tried to pull her hand out of Kouga's grasp. "Ah, Kouga-kun, would you like some breakfast?"

His face lit up. "I know how I can repay you! I'll get you some real breakfast, Kagome! Wait for me! I won't be long!"

Then he was gone in a whirl of dust and leaves.

"I wonder, Kagome-sama," said Miroku, thoughtfully. "What a wolf-youkai would consider a real breakfast."

"I hope he doesn't steal livestock from those villagers up the road," Sango said, in a concerned tone. "They didn't like youkai to begin with, and it would be...awkward...if they hired us to exterminate him."

"I'd do it for free," said Inuyasha, examining the claws on his right hand. He didn't sound like he was joking.

"Maybe Kouga found a Starbuck's in the next village," Buffy said. "I'd kill for a latte right about now."

Kagome giggled. Everyone else gave her a politely puzzled stare.

"Never mind," said Buffy.

* * *

When the kettle was finally boiling, Sango made a pot of tea, and used the rest for the ramen.

Well, it wasn't a very big kettle, Buffy thought, disappointed. She took it down to the stream and refilled it. Next batch of water, and she'd finally get her coffee.

She returned to the campfire to find that Kouga was back.

Contrary to Sango's fears, it appeared that he hadn't raided anyone's chickens or cows, after all. He was standing next to the fire, proudly hefting the fruits of his early-morning hunting trip...Buffy frowned.

Rabbits? She got closer, and saw Kagome's expression of frozen horror. An expression mirrored by Sango. Then, she saw for herself.

Half-a-dozen large rats, hanging upside-down, their tails clenched in Kouga's fist.

"Ewwwwwww!" Buffy exclaimed, before she could stop herself.

Kouga looked genuinely hurt. "You don't like them? They're really fat, too--I caught them in the granary of that village just down the road." He turned to Kagome. "See? When you're my woman, I'll feed you well. You'll have meat every day, not just those salty noodles in broth."

He offered his prizes to her. She shrank back a little. "Kouga-kun, I, ah...that was really, um, thoughtful of you," Kagome managed to choke out. She gingerly extended her hand, clearly steeling herself to touch the rats.

"Keh!" A red-sleeved arm swooped in, and snatched the bundle from Kouga's hand. "I'll gut and skin them for you, Kagome. It's not like you'd know how to prepare them, anyway."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha with the worshipful expression of someone who had just been saved from a fate worse than death.

Don't look too relieved, thought Buffy. I think we're still going to have to actually eat them.

* * *

Maybe roasted rat won't actually be as bad as it sounds, Buffy thought a short while later, as she watched Inuyasha return from the woods with six skinned--and mercifully, de-tailed--rats, already skewered on slender sticks.

No one looked enthusiastic at the prospect of eating Kouga's contribution, but no one refused, either. These people are just too damned polite.

Even Inuyasha kept his snarky comments to a minimum as he stuck the skewers into the ashy perimeter of the campfire. Then again, maybe dog-boy liked roasted rat. Maybe it was a youkai delicacy.

Shippou confirmed this by leaning over and taking a deep sniff. "I love these!" he told Kagome. "Especially when they get all crunchy on the outside!"

Kagome smiled weakly. "You can have some of mine, too, Shippou-chan," she said, softly, and the little kitsune grinned.

"Really? Thanks, Kagome!"

The water was taking forever to boil, thought Buffy, spooning dark granules from her tin of instant coffee into her mug. She hoped she'd at least get her first cup before she was forced to smile and eat rat for breakfast.

Kagome knelt by the fire, keeping an eye on the rats as they cooked. Not surprisingly, she was kind of subdued. And Inuyasha, while gruffer than usual, was like a moth circling a flame, staying close to her while pointedly avoiding looking directly at her.

His control wasn't perfect, though--Buffy caught him staring at Kagome's profile when she bent forward to rotate the skewers. With a pang, Buffy recognized his expression.

"Puppy love," she murmured. At least it seemed to be mutual. Now, if he could only get over the whole defiling thing...

"What did you say?" Kouga's head snapped around and she found herself confronted with his blue glare.

Oops. Forgot about the youkai super-hearing.

"Nothing," she said.

But her gaze returned to Inuyasha, who had allowed his scowl to slip as he turned to ask Kagome something. She handed him his bowl of ramen, and their hands touched. He gave her the briefest flash of an unguarded smile.

Oh, wow, thought Buffy. Inuyasha was positively...gorgeous...when he smiled like that. You should do that more often, dog-boy.

Kouga stiffened. "That piece of dog shit. His stink is all over her. My woman." His voice was low, cold.

He stood up. "Yo, dog-face! What do you think you're doing with my woman?" The handsome, lovelorn young man had abruptly vanished. In his place was someone--something--that Buffy could well believe had attacked villages and eaten human flesh. Uh-oh.

Inuyasha straightened up from his place at Kagome's side, his face wearing its familiar belligerent expression. He growled. "Your woman? How long are you going to keep up with that stupid talk, you wimpy wolf?"

"Until you learn your place," sneered Kouga, crossing his arms over his chest.

Inuyasha deliberately put his arm around Kagome's shoulders. "This is my place, neh, Kagome?" His eyes were narrowed, and fixed on Kouga.

"Kouga-kun," Kagome said, hesitantly, her cheeks flaming. "I don't think you--"

But Kouga's attention, predictably, was focused on his rival. "Your place, Inu-koro, is at her heels, not at her side. And you should be thanking the gods that she allows you, a lowly hanyou, to serve her. You're a dog, and not even a full-blooded one, at that. Now--down, boy!"

"Don't talk to him like that. He's not my--my pet!" Kagome said, sharply. Her cheeks were redder than ever, but from the way she was glaring, Buffy didn't think it was embarrassment this time. Open mouth, insert foot, wolf-boy. "He's my friend. My best friend. And if you insult him, you insult me!"

"But--but, Kagome!" Kouga looked startled by her vehemence. "You can't possibly--"

"You heard her." Inuyasha cracked his knuckles, gleefully, and stepped forward. "We've both had enough of you, you stinking wolf. Now, I'm gonna kill you."

From the expression on Kagome's face, Buffy was pretty sure that wasn't what she had meant.

Buffy rose to her feet. "Boys, boys--" she began, ready to break up a fight.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome said, in that voice.

He looked back at her. "Hey, don't you dare--"

"Osuwari!"

Inuyasha's necklace glowed, and he went down, face-first, barely missing the fire.

Kagome winced. "Oh, sorry!"

Kouga got half of a nasty laugh out before something bonked him, hard, and he went down on his butt.

"Hey!" he snarled, looking behind him, rubbing the top of his head.

Sango hefted Hiraikotsu. "Please do not disturb the harmony of this campsite before Buffy-chan has had her morning kou-hii," she said, sweetly, her weapon held at the ready. "She is a powerful youkai-taijya, and her temper is uncertain until after the first cup. Youkai have been dismembered...by accident...."

Kouga's eyes went wide and he stared as Buffy returned his look with as much diginity as she could muster. Then she stooped, and deliberately poured the now-boiling water into her mug.

She lifted the dark, bitter brew to her lips, and the sigh of relief in her companions was almost palpable.

Kagome was kneeling next to Inuyasha's flattened form, an apologetic hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, yes," murmured Miroku, intently studying the rosary wrapped around his evil hand, and looking as if he were trying very hard not to smile. "This kou-hii, it is truly a powerful beverage, Kouga-sama."

* * *

The tension between Kouga and Inuyasha temporarily diffused, they sat down to eat breakfast

Buffy accepted a skewer, and cautiously poked at the blackened meat with a chopstick. At least it didn't look...rat-like...any more. She decided to eat her ramen, first, anyway.

"So, where shall we go now?" Miroku asked. "How will we find Naraku?"

"We'll find him," Inuyasha said, confidently. "Bastard can't hide forever."

"Yeah, but as much as I like you guys, I have to get that Portal Key back, and soon," said Buffy. "I guess Koji could rebook my flight to Sydney if I'm not back in three days, but I only have a couple of months left on my round-the-world ticket."

Everyone was giving her that blank look again. Buffy sighed. "I, um, booked passage on a ship, in Kagome's realm. I have to return through the well before it, um, sails without me."

"Ah, I understand now," Miroku murmured. "Time and tide wait for no traveler?"

"Something like that," said Buffy. "Besides, the longer Naraku has that key, the more he'll learn to do with it."

Everyone--even Inuyasha--looked bummed at this, so Buffy added, "But it's a good sign that Sango and I forced Naraku to retreat, right? He's not invincible. In fact, he ran away..."

She stopped, a bad feeling rising in her gut. And she hadn't even tried the roasted rat yet. "Kouga-kun, in what direction did you see Naraku heading?"

He looked up from his bowl of food. "South--"

"--west," finished Kagome, looking sick. The hands holding her bowl started to shake.

"Kagome?" asked Inuyasha, at the same time that Sango exclaimed: "Kagome-chan!"

Buffy put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, and felt her entire body trembling. "What is it, Kagome?"

"I--I've been having nightmares," Kagome whispered. "That Naraku will find a way through the well...and get to my family. Mama...Grandpa...Souta..." Her eyes unfocused, as if watching a private horror unfold.

Buffy shuddered in sympathy. Naraku, with a Portal Key. Heading straight for the Bone-eater's Well. Shit, she thought, patting Kagome's shoulder. We have to stop him this time.

To be continued...