InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Falling For the Baby Sitter ❯ Things Have Got to Get Better ( Chapter 1 )

 

 

Chapter One: Things Have Got to Get Better

By Shikon Priestess

Aka

Zabe Phillips

Bryan Faw

 

A/N: Ok. So I thought about leaving up the old chapters, but my pride as a writer couldn't handle the old version of the story being up on the same bored as so many other amazingly talented writers. Besides, I whole heartedly believe that the updates are far better than the originals, and they need never see the light of day again. Consider the originals the rough drafts, and these the polished copies. I don't know what the hell I'm going to do about Saisei Karasu yet but yea. In the mean time, while you're waiting for updates on this story you should check out He's My Girl by Karaumea for a good laugh. This story is so funny I seriously almost peed myself laughing. Also, check out Dances with Scissors if you're looking for a good Sess/Kag pairing. On please, you know you want to. Even us die hard Inu Yasha fans cannot deny the older brother's fuckability. Yes that's right. Fuckability. If you don't know what it means, go as your mother, and then get the hell out of the X section, as that's the first clue you're somewhere that you shouldn't be. Anyway. I'm taking down the old GARBAGE and putting up the new finished product. Please please please read and review. I'm a professional writer, and this is a good way to get feed back. Plus Bryan loves it when you stroke his ego. ( O_O Stroke my whaaat?) *slap* … Anyway. Please enjoy. The updates will be coming from both ends on this one.

 

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The screeching harpy on the other end of the phone made the almost permanent ringing in his ear kick on. That was going to be fun at work tonight.

Inu Yasha ran his hand through his ebony locks, pushing them out of his face. Deep familiar frown lines formed on his face, as he listened to his mother's excuses of why she wouldn't be able to watch the boys anymore: some bullshit about her having to be around the house more now that Nazuna and her boyfriend were moving in.

His dark and brooding brown eyes stared intensely at the sketch pad still lying blank in his lap, before they attempted to drift closed again. The dark circles under his eyes heralded his severe lack of sleep, though despite the long hours he'd been putting in, he still had nothing for the damn sketches for the new calendar. It didn't help that every time he tried to sit down and get some damn work done, some new family catastrophe was popping up.

"Momma," he began irritably, running a hand through his tangled ebony locks. "I can't afford to pay a person twenty bucks an hour to watch these kids. Besides, what the hell am I supposed to do about Souta's home schooling? I have to work sometime. Unless you plan on forking over some dough…" he trailed off, scowling at the clock. He had to finish that painting for the restaurant, or he was going to blow that contract too.

"Oh so now it's my responsibility again?” Muuona scoffed perturbed. “I can't help my situation either, Inu Yasha! I have my own family and children to take care of you know! Once Nazuna moves in, here I'm going to have my hands full trying to keep her from getting knocked up before graduation, anyway!”

That was it. He couldn't take it any more. Between work and his boyfriend, the kids breaking the brand new dishwasher already, his impending deadlines, and now this; he felt like he was a wire cable and his mother was just cranking him tighter and tighter. Any minute now he was going to snap and she just kept turning the crank.

"Well, that shows how much you trust your own children!"

A pause came from the other line. Inu Yasha cringed, suddenly realizing who he was yelling at. Izayoi's voice got really low and threatening, using a tone he hadn't heard her use since back when he was a child and he'd broken her favorite lamp.

"Inu Yasha, now you listen here. I don't know exactly who it is you think you're yelling at like that, but it seems to me I put a whole hell of a lot of undeserved trust in my children. How many times have I asked you to look for more help with the kids, and you told me, `Yea, Mom! Sure, no problem!' And here we are once again on the damn phone fighting about it again!” she snapped.

Another pause was heard, but Inu Yasha stayed silent, knowing when to and when not to push his mother's buttons. Now was definitely one of those `not to' moments. The woman took a shaky breath and seemed to get a hold back on herself.

“If push comes to shove, yes, I will help pay for a nanny, or a live-in baby sitter, but you need to get your ass in gear, as of now, and get an ad out in the paper if you want to have one by the end of next week.”

The time limit made Inu Yasha's eyes bug out at the prospect. “Mom!” he started but she cut him off indefinitely before he could even get the next words out of his mouth.

“Now, I will help you as much as I can until you get a sitter, but if you do not have a sitter by the end of the month, at the latest, you're going to be looking for a new place to live. It's about time you've learned to live on your own anyway. You're 24 year's old now.”

End of the month?! Inu Yasha growled and gripped the phone tightly, "I do live on my own, you old bag! Ever since I moved out of your damn house at 16! And what's this shit about the end of the month?! Where the hell do you expect me to find a damn sitter by the end of the fucking month?! I'M ONLY HUMAN!"

There was, again, a small pause on the other end of the phone before a very cold and very serious voice rumbled its warning tone.

"End of the month, Inu Yasha."

Click.

His narrowed eyes fell on the newspaper lying a few feet away from him on the floor. His lip curled in discontent as he snatched up the blasted thing.

"End of the damn month… where am I going to find a cheap live-in baby sitter within two weeks?"

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Trees flew by Kagome's window that she stared blankly out of, slowing as the vehicle came to a crawl. They were finally nearing their new `home' town.

She rolled her breathtaking silver eyes and looked up to study the rain clouds that were gathering over a public park. As she watched the scene, content to have something to entertain herself with in the minor traffic jam, she noticed it had a playground where children were playing, laughing, and chasing each other. Amidst all the chaos and uproar, were two little boys side by side on a bench right by the side walk, not much farther than arms reach from the car. They seemed rather forlorn, watching the cars go by. The older little boy had jet black hair that was tousled and tangled, about chin length and soft sad brown eyes. The younger boy had fiery red hair that hung down his back, tied into a ponytail that had started to come undone long ago, and beautiful bright green eyes that were staring right into Kagome's troubled silver ones. Both of them seemed to be waiting for a severe looking woman by the tree to get off of the cell phone. The seemed awfully despondent as they stared into traffic, wincing occasionally as the woman's domineering tone raised and lowered in response to her level of anger. They looked like they were going to burst into tears at any given moment.

Kagome's heart went out to the two little boys, "Things will get better…" she whispered softly as the traffic picked back up and they were again on their way. She looked at the little blonde girl sitting beside her, who was kicking her legs madly and coloring in a notebook. Her silver blue were eyes focused intently on her work of art. The elder girl smiled softly with a sad glint in her eye as she reached over and mussed her silky hair.

The younger girl looked up at her in surprise and stuck her tongue out, trying to smooth her hair back down, drawing a soft chuckle from her attacker.

Their family's moving van pulled up beside them at a stop light and her mother leaned out the window to speak with Kagome's step father about something. It sounded like he was going to stop by the warehouse where he'd soon have a job, to see if they might have a shift open for him tonight.

Whatever, Kagome shrugged. That just meant she could put off settling into her so called new `home' that much more.

The official story they'd told everyone outside of the family was that her mother had wanted to move out here because of her older sister, Sayo. She lived near here with her husband and child, and she had been striving to bring the family back together for the past year and a half.

Obviously, considering, Sayo and her mother weren't even blood related that wasn't the only reason for the sudden uprooting of the family. A twinge in Kagome's gut made her feel slightly ill as she reached over and grabbed the little girl's hand and gave it a squeeze.

Then she thought of how her mother had constantly been uprooting them and moving them about the country for the past eighteen years of her life. Suddenly, she didn't feel quite as guilty as her eyes narrowed. Well, this would be the last move, because it was the last time Kagome would do anything with this crazy family of hers. Too many lines had been crossed in the past year. Too many words that should have never been spoken had come to light.

Kagome turned a bitter eye out the window again looking at the old town stores they passed. Loitering outside them in between alleys and some just out on the curbs were what looked to be like a mixed group of greasers and hippies, passing drugs and cigarettes between each other. She rolled her eyes and looked around the town a bit more, spotting a few more guys that were obviously Juggalos; sporting their Twiztid t-shirts, and smoking their Newports and hand rolled blunts. She wrapped her free arm around her waist, eyeing the people who passed outside of the window. Pondering on her cynical thoughts, she started when what was obviously the KKK of the new generation appeared before her very eyes, speeding through town on roaring four wheelers, rushing through the people on the sidewalk, nearly running them down. A few pissed off people turned and took off after them, yelling and waving their fists.

Kagome just rolled her eyes again before she closed them and waited for to arrive. It sure was going to be fun living here. From the looks of it they still burned witches at the stake.

The car finally slowed and came to a stop.

"Well, here we are!" Her mother's forced and strained cheerful voice chirped out over the radio and the jabbering of the numerous children stuffed into the cramped van.

Kagome cracked an eyelid to peer at her surroundings, but immediately snapped it shut again. No fucking way, she thought forcing her eyes open again to look at the all too familiar sight that waited. She had to stifle a groan at the rambling stories of the old Victorian house that looked like they were ready to collapse in on each other.

“Of course,” she muttered. “Why expect anything less out of Mrs. Fix-it?”

Her mother shot a sharp look back at her and got out of the car to begin unloading bags and boxes and directing children where to take shopping bags full of clothes and things.

Kagome unfolded herself from the cramped van and started handing some boxes over to her little brother who looked just about as happy about their destination as she did. The place could easily have been pronounced condemned. School did not look good this year. Good bye friends that they probably wouldn't have liked anyway.

She turned back to grab some more boxes, but the little blonde girl tugged on her baggy black pants before she could reach for one and looked up at her with a rather pitiful look on her face. “When are we going to go home? Where's Daddy?”

Kagome's heart wrenched as she eyed the little girl, then turned her face away, not sure how to answer her. She reached up and grabbed another small bag for her to carry. “I don't know, Mayu,” she murmured, averting her eyes.

The little girl took the bag and scowled sadly at it, but drug her feet into the house none the less.

They finished unloading the vehicle just as Onigumo pulled in with the moving van. While he was distracted with a small argument with her mother, Kagome used the opportunity to slip away into the back yard unnoticed. Shoving her thumbs into the ratty holes in the sleeves of her black hoodie, she strode towards the darkest corner she could find in the twilight and flopped down. She stared up at the old moldy wood and felt queasy.

"No way…" she muttered, "No way am I sleeping in that house…” The damn thing looked far too much like her old home… and nothing good had ever came out of living in that house. Except Mayu...

A soft sad smile pulled on Kagome's lips as she felt herself begin to doze, the long drive having drained her strength.

Her head snapped to the right as she heard her mother calling her to come help unload the moving van. She sighed at having been found out, but just grumbled something beneath her breath that sounded like, “I'm coming …” and stood to start shuffling back towards her daily dose of misery.

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Kouga wrapped his arms around Inu Yasha from behind and laid his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes. Inu Yasha felt himself relaxing in his lover's arms as Kouga stretched his aching muscles he'd received from the draining performance that he'd just put on for him.

He spotted the news paper on the floor and again found himself in just as much of a bad mood as he was in before they started. He reached for the coffee table and snapped out a Winston, lighting it up and glaring through the smoke at the wall. He was still on edge about the whole baby sitter situation. The only offers he had received so far were for well over $600 a week.

He pushed a hand through his tangled hair and leaned back against Kouga, trying to convince the older man that he had his undivided attention. But Kouga knew better; that he had just been worried about the boys the whole time anyway.

He sighed and opened his eyes to peer at Inu Yasha.

"Love, you worry far too much. You have to relax… you still have a week, just let yourself mellow out. Things will get better…" he murmured nuzzling his neck and nipping at his earlobe.

Inu Yasha smiled and looked up at him.

"Yea…" he sighed, leaning his head back against him and letting his eyes drift closed. He found himself becoming lost in the sensation of Kouga's hands inching down his bare abdomen.

"They've got to get better…"

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Kagome sifted through the morning papers in hopes of finding some sort of a job and/or apartment but so far she had had no such luck. She took another hardy gulp of tea and flipped the page.

She was shivering from the late night rain she'd slept in, and could barely read the furiously shaking and spotted newsprint. True to her word, she hadn't slept in the house, which was why she was currently sitting at the table downing cup after cup of tea with frost and leaves in her hair.

`This can't go on for too much longer,' she thought gloomily to herself, flipping another page trying to steady her still shivering hands.

Suddenly, her eyes fell on an ad toward the bottom of the last page:

Looking for a live-in babysitter with experience

Two boys

Ages 2 and 4

Cheap pay, but boarding, food, and various other expenses will be taken care of.

For further questions, please contact Inu Yasha Takahashi

555-6969

 

Kagome's eyes widened slightly as hope surged through her breast.

"Ohhhh, halleluiah!"

It might be a temporary fix, but she could use it as a spring board to get out on her own none the less. She cheered and snatched up her phone dialing the number quickly.

A groggy sounding voice rumbled huskily into her ear and she suddenly remembered that it was only 9:40 in the morning.

“Hullo?" it mumbled.

For some reason the sound of that voice sent shivers through her spine and she swallowed around the lump in her throat.

"Hullo?" The voice repeated a bit irritably.

Kagome finally got a grip on herself, "Hi, my name is Kagome Higurashi, I'm calling about the babysitting job…"