InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Guilty Hero ❯ The Demon Behind the Barrier: Part 2 ( Chapter 11 )

Disclaimer: I don’t own Inu-Yasha.
In which: Inu-Yasha tests his new nurse.
Guilty Hero
Chapter 10 Part 2: The Demon Behind the Barrier


The past three days had been a very trying time for the pair in Inu-Yasha’s apartment. After spending that time observing how the demon spent his days, Kagome was more than daunted by the task that lay ahead of her.
Currently, the two were seated in the living room watching late night TV. Inu-Yasha was sprawled on the couch with a whiskey bottle at his side and a cigarette dangling lazily out of his slack mouth, while Kagome was curled up in his armchair, as was her usual position. She held her ever-present clipboard and was chewing absently on her pen as she reviewed her notes from the past three days.
From day one, she had made Inu-Yasha very clear of her intentions; she was to be ignored and he was to go about his business as normal, so that way she could get a clear picture of what needed to be done. While for the first day he hadn’t been very cooperative, as was expected, by the second day he got tired of yelling at her and succumbed to her request. By the end of the third day, she had a much better idea of what to do.
“Day 1,” her clipboard read. “Wake up at the crack of eleven. Nurse hangover/ watch TV until eight o’clock. Go to laundromat at nine; bring along flask. Return home at eleven. Drink until one, pass out. Daily drink: 1 flask, 1/3 bottle of whiskey. Food: 0.”
“Day 2. Wake up at ten. Nurse hangover until six. Fix dinner. Watch TV and drink until falling asleep on the couch at midnight. Daily drink: ½ bottle of whiskey. Food: 1 cup o’ noodles.”
“Day 3. Wake up at ten. Nurse hangover until four. Rooftop run over city. Return home at seven. Watch TV and drink on couch until–“ And the entry ended there, for day three was not yet over.
As she read over her entries, she stifled a sigh. The time spent in his apartment had been incredibly boring. He simply did not do much of anything besides drink and watch TV. The only exercise he had gotten was his ‘rooftop run’ as she called it; she assumed it was the only place where he could run as fast as he wanted and no one would notice. The rest of his time was spent at the kitchen table, grumbling into his coffee, or on the couch, drinking himself to sleep.
Suddenly, she blinked and drew herself out of her thoughts, for she felt the strange prickling sensation of someone watching her. Glancing up at the demon, she saw him quickly flick his somewhat bleary gaze back to the television, and she shook her head and went back to her clipboard. He had been watching her often, and she still had yet to get used to his rather piercing stare.
Inu-Yasha growled inwardly when she almost caught him staring at her. Sometimes he felt that he couldn’t help but stare at the foreign creature in his apartment. While he had to admit to some interest in her, he was starting to become quite irritated by her constant presence. He was used to being a solitary figure, and this slip of a girl was cramping his way of living. In fact, he had decided long ago that he was going to test her limits, but so far she was not cracking under his pressure.
All of the other nurses Sango and Miroku had sent to him in the past were unable to resist snatching his whiskey bottle from his hands when he made to pour another drink from it, or trying to control his drinking every day. Hell, they had even tried making a daily schedule for him so he would eat three meals a day and possibly do something constructive rather than watch TV. But this girl just placidly watched him from the sidelines, making no move to interact with him whatsoever. Her silence infuriated him, and he was bound and determined to get a rise out of her no matter what.
Taking one last drag of his cigarette, he snubbed it in the ashtray on the coffee table in front of him, then reclined back in the couch, blowing out smoke rings. That was something most nurses hated: when he played with his cigarettes. However, all he achieved was getting Kagome to peek at him from under her bangs, not even moving her head. Clearly, she wasn’t bothered enough to say anything.
Trying to keep back a frustrated growl, he then picked up the whiskey bottle nestled at his side and swallowed a mouthful. Yes, he had a tumbler sitting on the table, but drinking straight from the bottle was something that none of his previous nurses could stand. He had received more lectures about drinking straight from the bottle than anything else.
Still no reaction; she didn’t even glance up. How annoying. Waiting until the burning sensation from the first mouthful ceased, he put the bottle back to his lips and took several draughts, hoping that if he were more obvious, she might finally notice.
When he finally pulled the bottle away, he found himself unable to watch her reaction, for his chest was burning painfully and he could hardly breathe. It took several moments before the sensation lessened, and he gasped for breath; he was foolish to forget that it was not a wise idea to drink that much whiskey in one go. Blinking the stars from his vision, he set the bottle back at his side, feeling a bit nauseous.
It was only when he regained his breath did he sneak a look at her, and was more than irritated to find that she was yawning, and hadn’t been paying attention at all. A snarl tugging at his lips, he turned his attention back to the television, trying to think of another way to rile her.
Suddenly, he hiccupped sharply, then groaned. He shouldn’t have taken that last drink. Kagome looked up at the sound, then smiled kindly at him when he caught her eye before going back to her work.
Before he could get too angry, the telephone rang, making both jump a bit in surprise. Once he recovered, Inu-Yasha groped for the phone, having to try a couple times before grasping it. “Whaddaya want?” he growled, displeased by the interruption.
“Ah, Inu-Yasha. How wonderful it is to hear your dulcet tones so late at night,” came Miroku’s voice from the other end.
“Hmmph. What’s got you in such a good mood?” the demon grumbled, for Miroku’s joy was quite obvious.
A light chortle came from the other end. “Sango and I have spent some quality time together today,” he replied. Then, dropping his voice to a whisper, he added, “I got lucky.”
“MIROKU!!” Sango’s voice boomed from the background, and he started to laugh.
“It was just a joke!”
Inu-Yasha rolled his eyes. “You didn’t jus’ call t’ chat, did you? I’m in no mood.”
Clearing his throat, Miroku quickly reined in his mirth. “No, I didn’t. I have some business to discuss with Miss Kagome, and I was wondering if she was around. We tried calling her apartment, but she wasn’t there, so we assumed she was with you.”
“Hmph. Hang on.” Without giving her warning, he tossed the phone right in her lap, and she jumped in surprise.
Giving him a reproachful glare, she put it to her ear and said, “Hello?”
“Hello, Miss Kagome. It’s Miroku. I’m calling about an assignment we have for you. We need to see you at the quarry tomorrow morning, at about five o’ clock. Can you make it?”
“Well, yes, I think so. But what for? What’s the assignment?”
“We’re going to put your newfound powers to the test. Our informant believes there may be a jewel shard deep inside the quarry, but it’s too dangerous to simply go looking for it. We need you to try and locate it first before we send anyone down there.”
“Ah, I see. Of course. Tomorrow at five, then.”
“See you then.”
“What’s he need you for?” Inu-Yasha grunted grumpily when she hung up.
“A mission. He wants me at the quarry at five o’ clock tomorrow morning to try and find a jewel shard.”
“Oh.” Falling quiet for just a second, he then snapped, “I’m goin’ too.”
Surprised, and even a little pleased, for it meant that tomorrow he would be doing something besides lying on the couch and watching TV, she simply replied, “Fine,” and got up to put the phone back in its cradle.
When she walked in front of Inu-Yasha to reach it, he started to growl because she blocked his view. However, that growl was quickly cut short by another hiccup, and he sighed in annoyance.
Since the hour was growing late and they needed to be up early, she decided it was time to stop being merely an observer and start being his nurse. So she picked up the full ashtray and his glass, then pulled the bottle from his side, ignoring his protests.
“Sleep,” she instructed, quickly depositing the items in the kitchen before returning to the couch. Pulling the raggedy blanket off the back and tucking it in around him, much to his displeasure, she continued, “If you’re going to get up early, I’m not going to have you be a pill. You need some rest.”
He tried to grumble a complaint, but once again the hiccups haunted him, and he snarled in frustration.
“See?” she told him. “That’s what you get for trying to bait me. Now please, stop fidgeting and go to sleep.” Turning the light out, she left him alone in the living room, using his bedroom as her own place of rest.
He stared after her a moment; she had known what he was trying to do the whole time. Hmph. Stretching out his full length upon the sofa, he slowly shut his eyes. He had to give her a little credit, he supposed. But no matter. He was going to get her to break sooner or later. It would just take a little more time.
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