InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Future Past ❯ Chapter 3: The Meeting ( Chapter 3 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

 

Chapter 3:

 

 

They stayed one more day and night at the bath house. Inuyasha used the daylight hours to scour the surrounding hillsides for signs of his brother or his brother's human companions. It bothered him that the one time he actually went looking for Sesshomaru, the youkai was nowhere to be found. Back when they were both hunting Naraku, their paths crossed far too many times for Inuyasha's liking. Why couldn't his brother show up now? He wondered briefly if Sesshomaru was avoiding him.

 

The nights made it worthwhile. Kagome put Shippo to bed on their second night and slipped out the door with Inuyasha, who didn't bother telling her that Shippo was only playing along. He was youkai, after all.

 

Inuyasha wrapped Kagome in his red haori, ignoring her protests that he would be too cold, and leaped with her into the night. He had found a small, isolated hot spring in an area that would have been inaccessible to humans even in daylight. Deep crevices and snarly undergrowth surrounded the small pool on all sides. Inuyasha cleared the obstacles in one great leap and balanced on the pool's rocky edge, wrinkling his nose as he was hit with the smell of sulphur. Steam rose up steadily from the deep rock-ringed pool and mingled with the clouds above.

 

Kagome could barely see in the diffused moonlight, but even that dim light reflected off Inuyasha's eyes so that they seemed to glow in the dark. By feel, they helped each other disrobe, then Inuyasha grasped Kagome lightly around her waist and dropped into the water. Kagome hissed as the hot water touched her cooled skin, but after that first unexpected second, it felt wonderful. She wriggled out of Inuyasha's arms but kept hold of his hands as she felt around the bottom of the pool with her feet for a place to sit. She pulled him down beside her until just their heads remained above the surface of the water. She closed her eyes, relaxing. “This is nice,” she murmured.

 

Inuyasha watched her as she seemed to drift into sleep. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight which, to his eyes, was as bright as day. He knew she wasn't sleeping, though, the same way he knew Shippo hadn't been sleeping when they left him at the bath house. The kitsune knew better than to follow them here. Still, to be sure, Inuyasha took a slow deep breath, trying to isolate other scents from the ever-present sulphur smell. No one else was around. Good.

 

Inuyasha shifted his weight slightly in the water and snaked his arms around Kagome. She popped an eye open and glanced meaningfully down to where his hands now rested. Inuyasha gazed back at her, knowing she couldn't see the expression on his face, which was probably a good thing since he didn't think blatant adoration was a look he wanted her to know he was capable of. “What's the matter,” he asked softly, not moving his hands. “Too much?”

 

“Not enough,” Kagome replied, placing her two small hands on top of his own and sliding until she sat in his lap.

 

 

By the time they got back to the bath house, Kagome started to feel the cold. Inuyasha guided her to their sleeping area, nudging Shippo back with his foot when the little kitsune started to get up. He stared pointedly at Shippo, his meaning clear, until the little fox youkai settled back into his blankets.

 

Inuyasha curled his body around Kagome and gradually she stopped shivering. “My heater,” she whispered. “Even your feet are warm.”

 

Over in the corner Inuyasha heard Shippo rustling. When he glanced back, the kitsune was watching him with solemn eyes. Every now and then a shiver would ripple through his tiny form. “Keh,” muttered Inuyasha. He knew damn well the kit wasn't cold. He was youkai. Even so. . . Inuyasha sighed. “Get over here, Shippo,” he growled under his breath. The kitsune scurried across the cold floor and snuggled in against Kagome's chest, mirroring Kagome's posture as she in turn snuggled against Inuyasha.

 

A scream woke them all up the next morning, followed immediately by a broom thrashing delivered by the innkeeper's wife. “Youkai!” she yelled. “Help! Help!” The woman continued to whack them with the broom.

 

Inuyasha sprang to his feet and put his hand on the hilt of his sword. He sniffed the air frantically. “Where?” he asked the woman. “I don't smell anything.” He plucked the useless broom from the woman's hands, as Kagome and Shippo scrambled from beneath the jumbled bedding and stood behind him.

 

“Eek!” screamed the woman again. “Help! He's killing me!” she shouted. Miroku and Sango slid through the door, armed and ready to fight. Inuyasha looked bewildered. He still couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary. “Get him!” the woman yelled, pointing at Inuyasha.

 

“Me?” Inuyasha was astounded.

 

“Now, now. . . .” soothed Miroku, laying his hands on the innkeeper's wife. “Inuyasha is a youkai, that's true, but he's not going to harm anyone, isn't that right, Inuyasha?”

 

Ears flat, eyes narrowed and lips curled, Inuyasha looked anything but harmless. “Keh,” he spat, but he released his grip on Tetsusaiga and sat down cross-legged on the floor. Kagome knelt down next to him, holding Shippo like a stuffed toy in her arms. Inuyasha held out the broom to the innkeeper's wife. “Here.”

 

The woman's eyes bulged in terror. She wouldn't touch the broom. “I—I thought he was devouring that girl,” she said to Miroku, refusing to make eye contact with Inuyasha. “Please, please. Get out. You are not welcome here.” This time the woman looked directly at Kagome as she spoke. Inuyasha couldn't help it—he growled, and the woman screamed and ran out of the room.

 

“We'd better leave,” said Miroku. “She will be back with her husband. We don't want any trouble.”

 

Kagome smiled a little sadly. So this is what Inuyasha had to deal with for most of his life. How did he cope?

 

Inuyasha glared at Miroku. “Speak for yourself,” he said. “I wouldn't mind a little bit of trouble.” He flexed his claws and smiled grimly.

 

Oh, thought Kagome. That's how.

 

They were packed and out of there within five minutes, taking the overhead route to avoid any trouble despite Inuyasha's boasting. Miroku had suggested they escape without paying for their time, but both Sango and Kagome insisted on paying. “No matter what they think of youkai, we still owe them for the two nights we stayed there,” said Sango. “Right is right.” Miroku grudgingly left the money.

 

They traveled silently, each lost in their own thoughts, as they made their way slowly back to Kaede's village. Sango thought about her unborn child, and of Kagome's future children, and she vowed that her children would understand the truth about youkai. She would teach them the ways of her slayer kin, but her children would be brought up not just as youkai slayers, but also as protectors and friends. She glanced over at Kagome who rode on Inuyasha's back with her head resting on his shoulder. She would never let Kagome's children suffer like Inuyasha had suffered.

 

Inuyasha looked up. “You're thinking about it too much, Sango,” he told her. “Let it go.”

 

Sango blushed and nodded. Sometimes Inuyasha had an uncanny knack for reading people. Miroku, behind her on Kirara, sqeezed her gently. “It will be all right,” he said.

 

Some time before they reached the village, Inuyasha thought he sensed a familiar youkai presence. He waited until he caught the scent before he called a halt. The weather had warmed up considerably and even Miroku, as overprotective as he had become about Sango, agreed to set up camp for the night rather than push on to stay at another village.

 

They fell into their accustomed roles with practiced ease. Kagome went to fetch water. Sango started a fire with help from Shippo. Miroku gathered more firewood, And Inuyasha went off to hunt. Just before he took off, Kagome touched his arm, a question in her eyes. `Sesshomaru?' she mouthed without saying the word out loud so that Shippo wouldn't overhear. She knew Inuyasha's sense of smell was keener than the kitsune's, otherwise Shippo would have been broadcasting the news of Sesshomaru's whereabouts all over the camp. Inuyasha gave a curt nod. `Be careful,' she mouthed again, and she reached up to give Inuyasha a soft kiss. He smiled, nodded and was gone.

 

Sesshomaru was alone. Inuyasha's nose led him directly to a small clearing where Sesshomaru stood motionless, regal yet at ease. He stared coolly at Inuyasha, not speaking. Inuyasha remembered this game. He didn't say anything either and the seconds ticked by. Inuyasha amused himself by imagining Sesshomaru in his traditional clothes talking on a cell phone to Jaken. He wondered whatever had happened to Jaken in the future. It worked. Sesshomaru spoke first.

 

“What are you smiling about?” he asked. “Inuyasha.”

 

“Sesshomaru,” Inuyasha acknowledged his brother formally. “It's been a while.”

 

“You sought me.” It was a question of sorts. So Sesshomaru was aware that Inuyasha had been looking for him and he wanted to know why. Fair enough. Inuyasha had some questions too.

 

“Where's Kohaku? Don't you travel with him and that little human girl?”

 

“And why is this your business?” Sesshomaru moved closer to Inuyasha and his nostrils flared. He halted and stared at Inuyasha. “There is something different about you,” he stated.

 

Inuyasha panicked. Sesshomaru could smell the change in him? He didn't want this Sesshomaru to find out about his newfound abilities—at least not in this time. He took a step back, thinking quickly. “Don't change the subject,” he warned. “Kohaku has some human relatives that are worried about him.”

 

“They need not worry. Kohaku is well. He remains with me by his own choice.”

 

“Then tell Kohaku he should at least visit his sister. He's the only family she has left.”

 

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, displeased at Inuyasha's tone, but he replied, “I will tell him.”

 

“Good.” Inuyasha hesitated. He knew he should at least warn Sesshomaru to watch out for signs of trouble, but he didn't want to explain how he knew it. He mentioned the trouble at the bath house as a warning, but Sesshomaru scoffed.

 

“Youkai should stay away from humans. It's your own fault this happened,” said Sesshomaru.

 

“That doesn't even make sense!” Inuyasha argued. “You yourself have two humans who travel with you.”

 

“Rin is but a child. She is more at home with youkai than with her own kind; however, when she has the need for human contact, Kohaku is the go-between who enters the human world on her behalf. Should I, for some unknown reason, ever have need of human services, Kohaku will be my representative.”

 

“That's good, because there's gonna be need,” said Inuyasha. “I think.” It wouldn't do to give too much away to the proud youkai. “Maybe you could get your humans to come visit my humans some time and we can talk about it.” Inuyasha couldn't believe he had referred to Kagome and his friends as `my humans.' He was just glad they weren't around to hear it.

 

“You have changed.” Suddenly Sesshomaru was right next to Inuyasha, gripping his arm. He sniffed at Inuyasha. “You are stronger.”

 

Inuyasha shrugged him off. “Yeah. So what?” If only Sesshomaru knew. “So are you going to bring Rin and Kohaku to the village? Tell Kohaku he's going to be an uncle!”