InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love Remains ❯ Ch. 3: Forgetting ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

DISCLAIMER: Where is he? *pats pockets* I know I had him here somewhere... *shrugs* It seems I've lost Inu-Yasha, so, no, I don't own him. P.S. I don't own YuGiOh or Lucky Charms, either.

~*A/N: Finally, here's a chapter that's not pure memories. Hope they set up the proper emotional setting, though. So, here it is, chapter 3! Enjoy!*~

Japanese Translations:
Onna: woman
Mochiron: of course, naturally, certainly
Suteneko: stray cat
Neko: cat
Koneko: kitten
Osuneko: tomcat
Yuuryou: fine, excellent
Seikai: correct, right
Honto: really, truly
Sugoi: amazing
Ano: um
Chikushou: damn
-chan: a term of endearment

Chapter Three: Forgetting

Inu-Yasha raced home from work. It was Thursday, his twenty-first birthday. He had taken off the next four days, intending to celebrate thoroughly. As soon as he reached his apartment, he leapt up the steps and burst through the door, startling his neko. He had gotten him from his oniisan's girlfriend, Rin. Rin had "rescued" the poor suteneko, who had somehow managed to get burrdocks stuck all in his fur. After enlisting Inu-Yasha's aid in righting the osuneko's long black and white fur, he had fallen in love with the koneko. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone else, he just said he felt sorry for the damn thing.

"Gomen, Neko-chan," he muttered, rubbing the neko's head as he went for his room. A throaty miaow was his answer. He had named the cat, appropriately, Neko. Sesshomaru had praised his originality. Inu-Yasha snorted at the thought, quickly changing from his work clothes into jeans and a t-shirt. He stopped at the bathroom, running a brush through his long hair before securing it in a low ponytail. As he exited the bathroom, a knock came to the door.

He opened it to find Rin smiling at him, an arm held behind her back. "Konban wa, Inu-chan," she said, walking through the door he held open. "These are from Sesshomaru and I," she said, producing a bouquet of yellow daisies and a card from behind her back.

Inu-Yasha smirked as he took them, 'Yellow daisies, huh? Sesshy must be going soft over this onna.' He quickly grabbed a large cup from his cupboard, half-filling it with water. He owned no vases, so this would just have to do. Plopping the daisies into the cup, he turned to the still-smiling Rin.

"Are you ready for tonight?" Rin inquired, a mischevious glint in her eye.

Inu-Yasha opened the card, shaking his head. 'Kami-sama, am I even gonna be able to walk up my stairs later? Good thing she and Sesshy are driving tonight.' He read the humorous card, and stuck it to his fridge with a magnet. "Mochiron. I've been practicing for this day since I was fourteen," he smirked at her, heading for the door.

"Sayonara, Neko-chan," Rin said, bending to pet the purring neko.

"Ja ne, Neko," Inu-Yasha called over his shoulder, grabbing his keys from their place on the bannister and following Rin out the door.

"So, Inu-chan," Rin asked after they had gotten into Sesshomaru's truck. "How's it feel to finally be 21?"

"Yuuryou. Seems like I've been waiting forever, though." He idly watched the houses fly by as Rin drove towards town.

"You took off of work all weekend, seikai?"

"Hai, and tomorrow and Monday, as well."

"Honto?"

"Honto."

"Sugoi! You're really going to party it up, ne?"

"Hai. I'm going out with some friends tomorrow night, and I'm having a barbecue on Sunday."

"What about Saturday? Or will you need a day to recoup?"

"I have someone to visit on Saturday." Saturday, Kikyo's birthday. He would go to visit her grave. He was unsure of where it was, but he would find it. Rin pulled into a parking spot behind the bar. They walked up to the door, Rin opening it and ushering him in first.

Inu-Yasha stopped dead in his tracks when the occupants of the bar yelled "Happy Birthday!" Two girls from his work ran up to him and handed him a beer. "What kinda shot you want first?" Asuka, the one who had handed him the beer, asked, pulling him towards the bar.

"Ano, what's good?" he asked. He had only taken shots out of his oya's liquor bottles at home, and that had all been hard alcohol. Subsequently, he wasn't very fond of taking shots.

"How about a 'lemon drop'?" Asuka asked, holding up three fingers to the waiting bartender. After a little mixing, he placed three full shot glasses on the bar, a lemon slice next to each. Asuka explained, "You take the shot quickly, then bite on the lemon."

Inu-Yasha picked up his shot glass, clinking it with the others before slamming it down. The alcohol burnt a fiery trail down his throat as he put the lemon wedge into his mouth. He sucked the bitter juice, cooling the fire that had settled in his belly.

The night was filled with shots and beers, all bought by someone wishing him a "Happy Birthday". He smiled at them all through his alcohol-infused stupor, having finally forgotten his grief of the past six months. As the bar closed, he approached Rin and Sesshomaru. On the table they occupied lay chips and dip, a cake, and a wrapped bottle with birthday ballons tied to it. 'Sesshy really went all out,' Inu-Yasha smirked to himself.

"Inu-chan," Rin slurred. She had been enjoying herself tonight, too. His oniisan stared at him soberly.

"Hai, Rin-chan," Inu-Yasha replied, throwing a loving arm over the small onna's shoulders.

"Ready to go?" Sesshomaru asked. Inu-Yasha merely nodded, removing his arm from around Rin to help his oniisan carry the left-over food. When they reached his apartment, Sesshomaru carried most of the food, while Inu-Yasha clutched the bottle. Sesshomaru followed Inu-Yasha up the steps, praying he didn't fall. Although he faltered a few times in his steps, he remained upright. After seeing him safely inside, Sesshomaru waved and left, closing the door behind him.

Inu-Yasha put away the food, stumbling slightly as he moved around the kitchen. It didn't help any that Neko had decided it was a good time to rub up against his master's legs. Inu-Yasha cursed as he tripped on the troublesome neko for the fifth time, and Neko took off to hide under the bed. Apparently, he had decided his tail had been assaulted enough for one night.

After unwrapping the bottle of rum his oniisan had given him, he put it in the cupboard with his other liquor. He poured himself a glass of water, and collapsed onto the couch. He idly flipped through the channels, lighting up a cigarette. 'Chikushou. I went through a pack and a half,' he thought, counting his remaining cigarettes before tossing the pack aside.

After finishing the cigarette and glass of water, he switched off the television. He stumbled to the bathroom, wanting to rid his mouth of the taste of an ashtray before passing out. That task done, he stripped his clothes off as he went to his room, then collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion. It took him mere seconds to fall into unconsciousness. For the first time in six months, he slept easily and without interruption.


Inu-Yasha awoke the next day to the sound of a loud car engine. 'Wait, that's too loud to be a car on the street. Or did I leave my window open last night?' his sleep-clouded mind attempted to discern the source of the sound. Then he registered something fuzzy brushing against his forehead. There was a ball of fur above his head on the pillow. He reached up to touch it, and felt a rough sand-paper like surface flick over his skin. 'Neko,' his mind identified. Neko was asleep on his head again, purring loudly. Inu-Yasha smiled, swinging his legs over the side of the bed as he sat up. He held the purring koneko in his lap, absently scratching behind his ears.

Neko eventually decided he had enough, and leapt from Inu-Yasha's lap, his tail swaying behind him as he exited the room. Inu-Yasha rubbed the sleep from his eyes, stretching and yawning as he stood. He absently ran his hands through his hair as his eyes fell on the clock. "Chikushou! Two thirty?!" he muttered. "Way to sleep the day away." He made his way to the bathroom, picking up his discarded clothes from the night before.

After putting the clothes in the hamper and pulling on a clean t-shirt, he went to the kitchen to scrounge up some breakfast. Five minutes later found him on the couch, watching YuGiOh and happily munching on Lucky Charms. He placed the bowl, now containing only milk, on the floor. Neko came running out of his hiding place, and eagerly lapped at the milk. Inu-Yasha looked again at the clock. "Three o'clock. Miroku works until, what, six? So that gives me a few hours before I have to get ready. What am I gonna do, Neko?" he asked, looking down. Neko paused, turning his head up to miaow at his master, before returning to his milk. Inu-Yasha chuckled, reaching down to pet the osuneko affectionately. "Sounds good to me, Neko-chan. Laziness it is." With that said, he lounged back on the couch, becoming totally absorbed in the current duel on his television screen.


~*A/N: So, in case you haven't noticed, I really like to use Japanese words in my story. Hope that isn't too confusing for you readers, all the going back and forth. As a student of the language, I feel compelled to include it in my story. If it annoys you, let me know. I want your feedback, good or bad! Honto! Ja ne, minna!*~