InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feel Like Makin' Love ❯ A Debt of Gratitude ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter 17

 

A Debt of Gratitude

 

 

InuYasha carefully moved Kagome off his back and into his arms, to carry her into the house. She sighed and stirred, and he glanced down at her as she snuggled against his chest, but did not wake. Mrs. Higurashi saw them coming and opened the door for him. He nodded in thanks, and she followed him up to Kagome's bedroom. She pulled back the covers on the bed, and he gently laid her down. He stood there, undecided what to do next, feeling a longing pull at his heart. Mrs. Higurashi slipped off Kagome's shoes, and then covered her with the blanket. If she had not been there, he might have…Shaking his head, he sighed, while Mrs. Higurashi clasped her hands and smiled at him. He tried to smile back, and they left the room.

 

“Tell Kagome I want to see her tomorrow,” InuYasha requested, as they walked down the stairs.

 

They approached the front door, and Mrs. Higurashi turned to him. “Can she call you?”

 

“Uh, yeah,” InuYasha said, fumbling for the cell phone in his pocket that Emiko had given him. “But I don't know the number for this thing…”

 

Plucking the phone out of his hand, Mrs. Higurashi flipped it open and pressed a button. Then she reached into a drawer in the side table by the door, and pulled out a pad and pen. InuYasha waited while she took down the number, then wrote Kagome's number for him and handed him the slip of paper and the phone. He was about to shove them in his pocket when his phone rang. Self-consciously, he opened it and answered the call.

 

“Uh, yes?” InuYasha said.

 

“InuYasha-sama, I am sorry if I am intruding. I just got your message.”

 

“That's okay Emiko,” InuYasha said. “Sorry about the cloaking device.”

 

“Don't worry, I'll get you another one.”

 

“Keh, thanks,” InuYasha mumbled. “And, um…do you think you can pick me up?”

 

“Of course. Do you need me to come get you now?”

 

“Yeah,” InuYasha replied.

 

“Okay, see you soon!”

 

InuYasha closed the phone and looked up to see Mrs. Higurashi watching him curiously. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. She was making him all too aware of how strange it seemed that he was relying on Emiko. Hell, it had taken him quite a while to learn to trust and rely on his friends and Kagome - he was amazed himself! Lifting his chin and smirking, he showed Kagome's mother he had not turned into a wimp…but even he could admit to himself, he had changed. He felt like a fish stranded on a beach, never to return to the sea.

 

“Gotta go, Mrs. Higurashi,” InuYasha said, shoving the phone back in his pocket.

 

“Call me Mama-san,” Mrs. Higurashi said. “Mrs. Higurashi is too formal. You are welcome here as an honorary member of our family.”

 

That declaration caught InuYasha off guard, and his hand fell away from the doorknob. He flushed, unable to meet Mrs. Higuarshi's eyes. Why did she have to be so damn sweet? It felt strange! A little voice in his mind reminded him…she was Kagome's mother, after all.

 

“Uh, yeah, thanks,” InuYasha mumbled. “Maybe I will call you that…someday.”

 

Almost dashing out the door, InuYasha took a deep breath as he stalked quickly to the shrine stairs. Kami, that had been awkward! He scanned the street, and was thankful to see Emiko pull up. He got down the stairs in three leaps, earning him a look of warning from Emiko when he pulled the door open. Grinning, he climbed in the car.

 

~*~

 

The bell rang, and the empty hallway soon filled up with students rushing about like lemmings to get to their next class and their lockers. Kagome dodged left and right, her friend Ayumi somewhere behind her, in an effort to get to her locker without being mowed down. When she finally reached her destination and got her locker open, she was met with the red eye of missed calls and voice mails on her cell phone, which blinked at her from the small top shelf. Her intuition told her that a certain impatient youkai was responsible for them all. Biting her lip, she reached for it…

 

“Higurashi!”

 

The voice behind Kagome made her jump, startled, and her hand knocked the phone off the shelf. Frantically, she grabbed for it, catching it before it hit the floor. She bowed her head and sighed…

 

“Sorry about that.”

 

She turned her head slowly with trepidation and foreboding towards the voice. It was as bad as she feared. Hojo stood there with a look of sweet concern on his face. He smiled at her when she looked at him.

 

“So glad to see you recuperated from the swine flu,” Hojo said. “I brought you something - an old family remedy for flu. I've just been waiting for your return. Let me go to my locker and get it for you!”

 

“Uh…” Kagome tried to respond, raising her hand to stop him, but he dashed off.

 

“Come on, Kagome,” Ayumi said. “No time to flirt with Hojo now, even though he is a hunk. We will be late for class!”

 

Ayumi's remark made Kagome flush, but she could not get out a retort. Ayumi grabbed her hand, and Kagome just had time to shove her phone back onto the shelf and slam her locker door. Math class awaited them, and Kagome's stomach churned with dread.

 

After another grueling day of classes was over, Kagome walked out of the school building with her friends. Her face was a mask of stress and frustration, as she wondered if she would ever be able to catch up. And now, she did not have the Feudal Era to run to and take her mind off of all of it for a while.

 

“Look, I think Hojo is waiting for you,” Ayumi said.

 

Kagome looked up and wilted at the sight of said boy standing by the gates, smiling at her. His cloyingly sweet solicitations and noxious gifts were not what she was at all in the mood for. She pretended not to see him, and hoped he would get the hint and not approach her.

 

“Isn't that the guy who was waiting for you at the shrine yesterday?” Eri said, pointing.

 

This time, Kagome looked over and saw InuYasha, cloaking device in place. He stood watching and waiting for her, wearing a black leather blazer, a white dress shirt open at the throat, a pair of jeans and black dress shoes. His expression said, `Come here now.'

 

“Uh, yeah, I forgot he told me he was walking me home today,” Kagome said quickly. “Gotta go, see you Monday!”

 

Kagome dashed by Hojo, who moved to speak to her and ended up watching her run to InuYasha. The young man shut his open mouth and his face fell. He shrugged as Ayumi, Yuka and Eri passed by him.

 

“I wonder what happened to that other boyfriend of hers, InuYasha?” Yuka said.

 

“All I know is, Kagome has all the luck,” Ayumi sighed. “All the hunks go for her.”

 

Without a backward glance, Kagome walked speedily away, InuYasha by her side. Damn, she had forgotten to return his calls today! Not her fault - couldn't he see she had to fit into her old life again?

“I called you like five times,” InuYasha said. “Didn't you get my messages?”

 

“InuYasha, I was busy!” Kagome hissed. “You are not supposed to take personal calls during school hours!”

 

“You could have called me during your lunch break,” InuYasha replied. “I got worried about you.”

 

“What, did you think I got attacked by some youkai or something?” Kagome quipped. “This isn't the Feudal Era, InuYasha.”

 

“Keh, so what?” InuYasha retorted. “There are still youkai around.”

 

Kagome shook her head and sighed, closing her eyes a moment. InuYasha would always be her protector, and once, that had meant the world to her. But now everything had changed, and she did not know how it would fit into her life here.

 

“I see Emiko got you a new cloaking device,” Kagome said, after they had walked in silence for a few minutes.

 

“Yeah, but I am getting uncomfortable with her always having to take care of me,” InuYasha replied. “I have to get used to things and make my own way, I guess. And I owe her a debt of gratitude…”

 

Kagome glanced over at InuYasha, his face pensive in profile as he gazed at the sidewalk in front of him. She could tell he really meant what he had just said. It dawned on Kagome that for the first time in his life, he was not self-sufficient. She smiled softly and put her hand on his. He took it, looking up at her thankfully with his usual smirk.

 

“Is there something nice you can do for Emiko, to show her you are grateful?” Kagome asked.

 

InuYasha pursed his lips, remembering his conversation with Emiko about Kitomaru. It seemed there was some kind of romance going on there, but his brother did not condone it. He remembered the sad, wistful look on Emiko's face as she told him how hard it was for them to see each other, and how she missed Kitomaru.

 

“Maybe there is…” InuYasha said. “But I have no idea how to help her…on my own.”

 

The look sly yet hopeful on InuYasha's face let Kagome know…he wanted her help with this. Poor youkai, he still did not know much in the way of interacting with others. She squeezed his hand, and he grinned. Yeah, he knew she would help him.