InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ De Nouveau ❯ Åùå ðàç ( Chapter 7 )

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De Nouveau

 

By SaiyanBlack

 

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Chapter Seven

 

Her parents did attend the culture exhibit together, about a week after she and Inuyasha had gone. The day ended up being the one of the coldest days that winter and Kagome had barricaded herself into the house, comfortably settled under a huge fleece blanket on the couch. It was one of those perfect reading days and she was finally getting around to finishing the latest novel she had picked up from her school's library. On the side table next to the couch was a hot cup of warm cocoa, still steaming in the chilly air of the living room.

 

She was so engrossed in her book that the sound of her cell phone ringing startled her out of the reverie that the black print had sent her into. Setting it down on its face to preserve her page, Kagome pulled herself off the couch - blanket and all - and searched for the ringing device in her school bag. By the time she had found it though, her voicemail had picked up and it beeped sharply, displaying “1 MISSED CALL” across the screen. To her surprise, it began to ring again; Inuyasha's name blinking at her.

 

“Hello?” she answered, expecting Inuyasha's smooth voice and not receiving it. Instead, he sounded rather urgent and it made her heart beat slightly faster.

 

“Kagome, are you okay?”

 

What an odd question. “Yes, why shouldn't I be?”

 

“Do me a favor and go look at your thermostat. Tell me what it says.”

 

She frowned, but stood and walked toward the hallway, where the electronic thermostat for the house what situated on the wall. “Inuyasha,” she asked, “what's this all about?”

 

“Just humor me, kitten.”

 

She could swear that her heart rate picked up again. Something about the way he said it made her anxious and jumpy. When she looked at the blank digital display of the thermostat, she had a guess why.

 

“Inuyasha? I think the power's down.”

 

“You got that right. It's out all over town,” he told her. “My apartment is absolutely freezing.”

 

“Where are you now?” she asked, going to check the lamp beside the table. She flicked it on and off, but it didn't light. On the other side of the line, she could hear a rumbling sound.

 

“In the truck, on your side of town.”

 

She smiled, hearing the silent offer of his presence in the tone of his voice. “Let me call my parents and tell them that the power is out and that you came to keep me warm.”

 

He barked out a laugh that made their connection break up and she pulled the phone away from her ear and ended the call. Next she dialed her mother's cell phone number and told them that the power and heat where out at the house. Her mother seemed okay with Inuyasha coming over and Kagome could have sworn that she heard her father arguing a distance from the phone. They were across town at the museum still and it seemed that their car was stuck in the parking garage. With the power out all over town, the automated entrances and exits were locked in the `down' position.

 

Not too long after she hung up, she heard a knock on the front door. Still wrapped in her blanket, she peeked through the blinds and smiled when she recognized Inuyasha. She pulled the door open and he stepped in with the cold air, making her yank the edges of the blanket closer around her. He smiled at her as he pulled off his jacket and boots.

 

“Don't you look cute,” he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He was wearing a red sweater under his leather coat again, this one so finely knitted that it stretched thinly across his chest and shoulders as he hooked his jacket on the hat tree next to the door. She supposed that she made an odd picture, wrapped up in an over-sized blanket that dragged on the floor behind her like she was a child.

 

She smiled up at him, “Make your self comfortable. I called my mom at the museum; it seems their car is stuck there until the power goes back on downtown.” She turned to look at him as she plopped herself back onto the couch. Her cocoa was no longer steaming. “Inuyasha?”

 

“Yeah?” he asked as he took a seat next to her, putting his arm along the back of the couch behind her head. He stretched out his legs and turned his body to look at her with a lazy expression.

 

“How'd the power go out all over town?” Noticing the way he kept one hand in the pocket of his jeans, she offered some of her blanket to him, “Aren't you cold? It must be ten degrees out there.”

 

“You're not too far from the truth,” he said, allowing her to tuck him into the blanket with her. When she touched his arm above her head, she found that it was chilly and pulled it around her as well. “It's about nine degrees. I suppose that's one of the reasons the power went out. Something about the generators not making enough heat to keep going, or at least that's what they said on the radio before the Boulder station lost power too.”

 

“What a disaster,” Kagome said; practically sitting in Inuyasha's lap by the time he had finished speaking. Both of his arms where around her back and waist and she comfortably tucked herself against his shoulder. “At least I have you to keep me warm,” she teased.

 

“What did you're dad have to say when you told him I was coming over?”

 

“He didn't say a thing,” she told him as a sly smile spread across her lips, “I told my mom. She said it was fine.”

 

He laughed, “Still, do you think I need to get out of here before he tries to kill me?”

 

“He won't,” she assured him, snuggling into the warmth of his chest. “I won't let him.”

 

She was getting sleepy. Maybe it was something about the heat he radiated, or the steady sound of his heart beating and the slow, even breaths moving through his lungs, but she found herself suddenly very tired. Kagome felt his hand brush through her hair, long fingers massaging her scalp and running his long nails against any knots. She could have sworn, as her eyes closed, that his chest rumbled with a low vibration that she could barely hear but felt against her cheek.

 

Just as she was finally nodding off, she felt him press his lips against her forehead, before tucking her farther into his embrace.

 

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The power was eventually returned to Boulder later that day and Inuyasha had stayed over for dinner again - once Kagome's parents managed to get back home. The temperature also went back up, settling around thirty degrees for the rest of the winter season.

 

The next two weeks went by very quickly for Kagome, who was immersed in school, the café, her budding relationship with Inuyasha and fending off questions about that relationship from her friends. In all, life was normal for the 17-year-old and she nearly forgot about her date for Valentine's Day, if her mother hadn't decided to take her out for a shopping trip down the Pearl Street Mall the Friday before. It was just the two of them, doing something that they hadn't done together for ages.

 

“Ooh, Kago! Look at this blue one!” her mother called from one side of the bridal boutique they had dropped into. She was holding up a deep blue dress with a gentle scoop neck that seemed to shimmer in the overhead florescent lights. It was beautiful and when she tried it on, there seemed to be nothing more perfect. But, she thought as she stared at her reflection, there's something missing.

 

It was on her second round through the boutique that her eye landed on a simple red party dress, cut with vintage sweetheart neckline. She had never worn a red dress before and somewhere in the back of her mind, a little voice was saying how cheesy it would be to wear a red dress on Valentine's Day, but when she tried it on, her mother's reaction sealed her decision.

 

“Oh, Kagome,” the older woman breathed, pressing a hand to her breast from where she was standing behind her daughter. “It's beautiful.”

 

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Her cell phone rang as she was putting on her make-up the next evening. The bathroom counter was littered with cosmetic materials that she had deemed the wrong color or too bright a shade. There were three containers of lipsticks in the trash, under a pile of toilet paper used to wipe and blot. Six different types of hair spray were on the floor next to a hair dryer, a curling iron, and two straighteners. In all, Kagome had attempted six different hair styles and a four different looks before she finally settled on one.

 

The chirping device was somewhere in the mess she had created and she had to dig to find it. Inuyasha's name blinked on the screen.

 

“Hi!” she greeted, tucking the phone between her ear and shoulder so she could continue putting on eye shadow.

 

“Hey, kitten. Ready yet?”

 

“What?! No! Are you here already?” she asked, closing and throwing the case down on the counter before picking up a tube of mascara in a panic.

 

He laughed, “No. I'm just teasing you.” She nearly growled and slowed her rusted application of make-up. “I just called to tell you that I'll be there at five, okay? That's in about twenty minutes.”

 

“'Kay,” she answered, “I'll see you then.”

 

“See you,” he said and then the line went dead. It was at that point that her mother popped her head into the room, looking in to see how she was doing. Over one arm she brought in the red dress they had bought the day before.

 

“Ready?” she asked as she slipped into the bathroom with her.

 

“Almost,” Kagome said. “Let me finish up my make-up and I'll put it on.”

 

A few minutes later, her mother helped Kagome slip the satin over her head and zip up the back. Then it took her about five minutes to figure out how her heels were supposed to strap on and at the end of it all, her father was standing in the doorway of the room, laughing at her frustration.

 

“Dad! Would you stop? It's not funny!”

 

He shrugged his shoulders and turned back to look at her over his shoulder, “I just thought you might want to know that Inuyasha is waiting for you in the living room.”

 

“What?! Dad!” she screeched and started for the stairs, taking them carefully so she wouldn't fall. “Why didn't you say something before?”

 

“I tried,” he said, but the only person that heard him was his wife, who was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, one hand over her mouth to subdue her laughter. The two shared an amused look before they too started down the stairs, at a much more normal pace. Downstairs, Inuyasha was staring at Kagome with beautifully wide, amber eyes and dropped a kiss onto her forehead when she came up to greet him, causing a blush to bloom on her cheeks.

 

“Wow,” he said, spinning her out with a grin so that her dress billowed around her long legs. “Aren't you pretty.” He pulled her in again and she giggled.

 

Her parents joined them at the bottom of the stairs and they were subjected to several posed pictures and a curfew from Kagome's father before they were finally allowed to leave. Inuyasha tucked Kagome to his side as they walked down the walkway to his truck, pulling her flimsy jacket farther around her shoulders and preventing her from slipping on the icy cement. This time, instead of lifting her up into the driver's side of the truck and letting her slide across, he took her to the passenger side and placed her gently on the bench seat, waiting for her to pull her dress in before closing the door for her.

 

At the stop light that was the exit of her neighborhood, she felt his long fingers brush the side of her face and he smiled when she turned to look at him. It wasn't quite dark yet, but the orange glow of the setting sun reflected off his golden eyes and light hair and made him look almost urethral and unearthly. His hand pushed away a loose curl from her eyes and ran his thumb across her cheekbone. They stayed like that until the light turned green and he put his hand back on the gear shift.

 

As it normally was between them, they fell into a comfortable silence that lasted the fifteen minute drive through town from her house to the restaurant. Once they had parked, Inuyasha got out of the truck and came around to help her out, making sure that she had her footing before releasing his hold on her waist. As they walked toward the entrance of the restaurant, he leaned down to place his mouth next to her ear.

 

“I was telling the truth earlier,” he told her. She turned to look at him and their noses brushed, sending a blush across her cheeks. “You look absolutely beautiful. And you chose my favorite color, too.”

 

She pulled back to get a good look at him for the first time that night, not surprised to see that he was wearing a red silk shirt, top two buttons undone, and a black two-piece suit. It just occurred to her, that she had very rarely seen him without anything red on and in fact, he probably had more red shirts than the devil himself. But, she had to admit, he did look good in red.

 

“We match,” she observed and he laughed, kissing her cheek. His hand remained on the small of her back all the way into the small restaurant and when they were seated, he helped her take her coat off and pushed in her chair when she sat. He had chosen a little Italian restaurant she had only been to a couple of times, but the atmosphere was warm and cozy. Their table was in a slightly secluded section, a bit off the main floor, so even though the place was crowded with Valentine's lovers, it almost seemed as though she and Inuyasha were off on their own.

 

“Been here before?” Inuyasha asked, looking at her from over his menu. At her nod, he went back to making a decision.

 

“A couple of times,” she said. “My parents took me here for my sixteenth birthday, but that was the last time I came.”

 

He looked up at her again and smiled, and seemed like he was going to say something, but their waiter came up to the table at that moment. The young man, probably a college student, asked for their order and after leaving with their menus, Kagome found herself alone with Inuyasha again. He was watching her from across the table, staring at her with an intensity that made her toes tingle. Her face felt hot and she knew that his presence was once again making her blush. He reached over the table and pulled her hand toward him, looking at it as if he was inspecting her crimson nails.

 

“You look good in red,” he told her and kissed her knuckles. “You should wear it more often.”

 

Her blush increased and she looked away from his eyes in embarrassment. “Red's more your color,” she said quietly, “I tend to lean more towards blues and greens.”

 

He seemed to take a moment to consider what she had said, “They look good on you too. Blue makes your eyes stand out.” She looked up at him, not surprised to find him staring at her intently. “But red compliments your skin color.”

 

She didn't think he meant the blush that hadn't left her face for past five minutes.

 

“Thanks.”

 

When their dinner came, the conversation turned ordinary and they talked about school, family, and friends. Inuyasha had some outrageous stories about when he was in high school back in New York, some including pranks on his friends and riding a motorcycle through the halls of his private school. It gave her more of an insight of how different their lives were growing up. He, it seemed, had been a bit of a hellion through his schooling years - causing trouble for his teachers and family. Although, from the way he laughed as he told her, it didn't seem he felt any remorse for his previous behavior.

 

He asked her questions about her childhood in Boulder and about her grandparents. The only subject they didn't mention was the other plane, even though they both knew about the old man standing in the doorway of the kitchen, watching all the customers. Kagome could see him, and though Inuyasha couldn't, he saw her eyes wander in that direction every couple of minutes as if to make sure the spirit hadn't moved. Inuyasha still held her hand and he brushed his thumb across the back to turn her attention away.

 

Talking about his family made her remember the culture exhibit they had gone to and her discovery of the name on the brochure.

 

“Inuyasha?” she asked and he looked up at her with a raised eyebrow as he lifted a forkful of lasagna to his mouth. “Does your father own that Japanese collection we went to?”

 

He paused in his chewing and he blinked at her with his surprised golden eyes, before nodding slowly. Reaching for his drink, he washed down his food before speaking.

 

“Yeah, my dad has always been a big collector of Japanese artifacts. I think it started around the time he came to the US,” he stopped and took a good look at her, “but how did you know that my dad owned the collection?”

 

“The brochure I took said Hajime Tashio from New York City owned the collection,” she told him, “I assumed there couldn't be very many Hajime Tashio's - even in a city as large as New York. And you knew so much about everything we looked at. I'm surprised I didn't figure it out then.”

 

“You're right,” he said, turning back to his food. His other hand still held hers between them on the table. “There aren't many Tashio's in New York. At least not many wealthy enough to own a collection as large as my father's.”

 

She returned to her food as well, unsure about his answer and somewhat unsatisfied by it. They were quiet for several minutes, both thinking about the other as they finished off their dinner. Kagome felt comforted by the presence of his hand still around hers and felt him run his thumb back and forth across it.

 

“Kitten,” he started, making her look up at him, “Are you mad that I didn't tell you?”

 

She smiled at him and shook her head, grasping his hand tighter. “No. I'm just wondering why you didn't tell me. I think it's pretty cool that your dad owns all that stuff.”

 

He returned her smile and brought her hand up to his lips so he could kiss her knuckles. “I didn't tell you because I thought it would seem like I was just trying to impress you with my family's money. I had enough girls on my tail back in New York because of that.”

 

“Lot's, huh?” she teased, raising one brow as she gave him a sideways look. His eyes had a suspicious glint to them and he was about to say something when their waiter came up to ask if they wanted desert - interrupting Inuyasha for the second time that night. He sent the young man a glare, but ordered a piece of chocolate cake none the less. Kagome giggled at his expression once it was just the two of them again and reached over the table to smooth his face with her fingers. The glare disappeared.

 

Later, the cake eaten and the bill paid - Inuyasha wouldn't even let her see the total, they again headed out into the chilly winter weather. Some time while they were in the restaurant the sun had gone down and they hurried toward the truck to get out of the cold. Once inside, Inuyasha surprised her by leaning over the bench seat and kissing her soundly on the lips.

 

Startled, she found herself caught up in his embrace, still for several moments before she realized what was happening. When she did, she raised her arms around his neck, digging her fingers into the base of his ponytail and through his pale hair. He teased her, brushing lightly before coming back stronger. He gave those kind of kisses that made everything fall away until it was just the two of them; her hands in his hair and his around her waist and shoulders. She could feel the brush of his bangs against her forehead and his fingers and nails where they pressed against the fabric of her dress.

 

He pulled away just as she began to feel a burning in her lungs and pressed his forehead against hers while they caught their breath. Kagome looked up at him a minute later and attempted to suppress her breathless giggle. She wiped at his lips with her thumbs, trying to remove the false color from them. He looked at her curiously and she smiled up at him.

 

“Lipstick,” she told him and his lips turned up into a smile under her fingers as he began to chuckle quietly.

 

Outside the truck, standing in an unlit crevice of the restaurant, was a ghostly figure, standing still as a statue, watching the cab of the red truck with cold eyes. Neither Kagome nor Inuyasha noticed it as the engine started and they drove out of the parking lot.

 

^*^