InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Minoue ❯ Accidental Encounters ( Chapter 6 )

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

Miroku and Kagome keep InuYasha company the night of the new moon. Sango attends her new student orientation and gains a new companion by the end of the day.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 08.09.2007 | Updated On: 10.20.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.1K | Visits: 4.0K | Status: Work In Progress

Disclaimers: I do not own InuYasha or any of the manga/anime characters. They belong to the wonderful genius Rumiko Takahashi. Any original characters do belong to me.

AN: Thank you very much to inufan625 for acting as my beta once again. An additional thank you goes to Knittingknots for her help as well. I greatly appreciate the time they've taken to help make me a better writer and this a better story. You will find both of their fics here at MediaMiner. You should check them out if you haven't already.

For responses to your reviews for the last chapter, please go to http://doggieearlover.livejournal.com/145996.html.

Minoue

Chapter 6: Accidental Encounters

Mama smiled as she hung up the phone. She wasn't worried about her only daughter spending the night with her Sensei. In fact she was almost disappointed that Miroku was there with them.

Kagome had been out with a number of boys over the last few years but never more than two or three times with the same one. It was clear that her heart had belonged to InuYasha for some time even though she'd tried to be normal and date boys her own age. However, none of them could keep her interest, not even boys from the dojo. Mama knew she should be concerned that Kagome loved a man so much older than her, but he had never been anything but proper around her. It was also clear from their interactions with each other that they seemed to be meant for one another, that fate had somehow intervened to insure that they meet. In addition InuYasha appeared to have a very solitary and probably lonely life. Mama wondered if he realized how much he brightened when he was around her daughter. It had not taken much effort to look up information on him from when he was first exposed, and they were trying to make him out as some kind of modern day monster. Even just after that first meeting with him, when he'd rescued Kagome, she knew that it was not true. He had seemed so surprised when she asked him to stay for dinner and honestly grateful. He might not be completely human, but Mama knew that InuYasha was a good and honest man. Her daughter could do far worse than someone who would cherish her as he would - if they could both just get past their stubborn streak.

Mama hadn't even asked Kagome why they were staying all night with him, but she had said something about how he was still depressed and that Miroku said they should try and cheer him up. Mama wasn't sure why an all-night card game would do that, but if Kagome wanted to help undo some of the damage that was done the day before then that was all right with her. She had Monday off anyway. Besides, Kagome was young. Most girls her age had already stayed out all night several, if not many, times. Kagome had never done so, not even once. Her daughter would be twenty next week. It was time for her to live a little.

~ ^~^ ~

InuYasha couldn't remember when he'd had a better human night. In fact he was having a hard time remembering when he'd had so much fun as a hanyou. It was hard to believe that his shy, sweet, innocent Kagome was something of a card shark. Miroku had won the first hand they'd played, and that was just about it. Somehow, Kagome almost always came out ahead or knew exactly when to fold. He would have sworn that she let him win a couple of times, just because, but Miroku hadn't had much luck at all.

Miroku had actually suggested playing “Strip” poker at the outset but was quickly, secretly glad that InuYasha had vehemently nixed that suggestion while Kagome flushed a brilliant red all over. If they had followed through both of the males would have been stripped naked several times over, and Kagome probably wouldn't have lost more than her socks. When they asked where in the world she had learned to play poker like that, she shrugged her shoulders and said that she and her girl friends used to play. When they finally got tired of playing (or at least Miroku was tired of losing) they stopped and reheated the Ramen that Miroku had brought for a midnight snack though it was more of a three in the morning kind of snack. Afterwards, Kagome fell over in her chair, sound asleep. InuYasha gathered her up gently in his arms and carried her to his bed. There he stretched her out and pulled the covers up over her.

After kissing her softly on the cheek, he said, “Goodnight, Kagome. Sleep well.”

Satisfied that she was comfortably tucked in, he went back out to join Miroku in front of the television.

“She really loves you, you know,” Miroku said softly as InuYasha sat back down. “And you love her. Why else would you put her in your own bed, rather than the one in the guest room?”

InuYasha blushed and stuttered before he was able to spit out his answer, “Well, be… be… because… because I didn't want you to go and crawl in bed with her and claim you forgot since you usually sleep in that bed. That's all…”

“Uh-huh. So I guess you could do that yourself now, couldn't you?” Miroku prodded.

InuYasha sighed. “Just drop it, Miroku.”

“InuYasha, the key to healing your heart is passed out in your bed. I dare say she would do anything for you, and I know you would for her even if you will never admit it. Stop punishing yourself. You deserve to be loved just as any other man,” he said seriously.

“What do you know of love? You'll fuck any female that will let you,” InuYasha snapped.

This time it was Miroku who sighed heavily. “And I am coming to regret some of my choices. It is true that I have bedded many women, but I have not loved any of them. Lust, yes - but love, no. You won't believe me, but when I met Sango, it was the first time I've felt something other than just want on my part for a woman. There is something very different about her. I don't want to just fuck her and move on like I have the rest of them. I want to learn everything about her: where does she come from, where is her family, why is she here, why does she seem different from all of the others? I have never reacted to another as I did to her. I don't understand it at all.”

Miroku turned to look at his friend, expecting some snide comment in return. He wouldn't take offense to it because in addition to being vulnerable, InuYasha was also even grouchier in his human form than as a hanyou. However, for the first time since he had known him and started staying with him when he was mortal, InuYasha had fallen asleep. Miroku just shook his head. He was certain that the hanyou had not truly slept the previous night after everything that happened and was emotionally drained in addition. It was a small wonder he hadn't fallen over sooner.

Miroku couldn't help but to grin as he heaved InuYasha up in front of him, remembering the hanyou's earlier words. He carried him into his bedroom, to the opposite side of the bed from where Kagome was curled up. Shifting him so that he could hold him up with one arm, he threw back the quilt and sheet. Picking InuYasha back up, he stretched him out on the bed and then pulled the covers up, tucking them in around him. Amazed by his own daring, he went to the kitchen to make himself a bag of popcorn, grabbed a beer that InuYasha kept for him out of the refrigerator, and then settled back down in front of the television.

Kagome woke sometime during the night, warm and content. Thinking it was just a great dream, she snuggled back into the arms wrapped around her, smiled, and went back to sleep. She'd give anything for InuYasha to really hold her like this.

When InuYasha awakened, it was still dark, and his arms were wrapped around something warm and soft. Not opening his eyes, he assumed he was dreaming about Kagome again and had pulled his pillow against his body. He was embarrassed by how many times he had awakened like that recently, dreaming of holding her. On top of that, he usually had a raging erection to go along with it. Not wanting to let this dream go, he cuddled against her and realized that something was tickling his nose. Finally opening his eyes, he tried not to panic when he realized that it was hair, it was not his own, and it was not his pillow that his arms encircled. Instead, it was a body with some very feminine curves.

He was carefully trying to pull his arm from under her when he felt her arms wrap tighter around his. He heard her whisper sleepily, “It's still dark; go back to sleep.” Resigned to the fact he wasn't going anywhere yet and that he really didn't want to, he nuzzled her neck with his nose and closed his eyes.

Kagome was still bright red as she drove home Monday morning.

It has been quite a surprise to wake up in InuYasha's arms. Not totally awake, she had rolled over, said “Good morning,” and then kissed him softly on the lips. She'd then added, “Thank the gods, your ears are back,” as she reached up to rub one.

She was terribly embarrassed by the entire thing. Though she wasn't sure what was worse - the fact that he seemed too upset to speak or that Miroku had once again burst in, except that this time, he caught them. She sighed. At least both of them were fully clothed. Come to think of it, as she reconsidered the events of the morning, InuYasha didn't seem upset, just surprised at her boldness.

He had not pulled away from her; he didn't even try. The hanyou apparently had transformed when the sun came up and certainly had enough strength to escape her grip, but he didn't. He did not turn her loose and jump out of bed until Miroku threw open the door, declaring it was time to get up. That was when he started stuttering and ran for the bathroom. When he reappeared a few minutes later, he seemed to have collected himself somewhat. He thanked her for coming over and staying with him and for bringing supper the night before. Miroku had already explained how InuYasha had carried her to bed when she fell asleep the night before, and when the hanyou did the same, Miroku had placed him on the other side. He said that he should have known that in spite of the bed's huge size, InuYasha would gravitate back towards the side he normally slept on. He said they both could blame him. Kagome just blushed and said it was okay.

Miroku was kicking himself again as he headed home. He really had not expected for the two to end up on the same side of the bed. He figured at best they'd both be curled up, trying to pretend the other wasn't there and afraid to get up. He was not prepared for the sight that met him: the two awake and looking lovingly at each other while Kagome rubbed one of the hanyou's ears. Why, oh why, couldn't he just learn to knock? He thought he would save them the embarrassment and instead, caused them more. At least he was able to get Kagome to stick around for a few more minutes while he explained and then made his escape when she did. He'd face InuYasha later, after the hanyou had a chance to cool off and think about a few things.

When he entered his apartment, he was exhausted. Miroku knew that even though InuYasha had fallen asleep, he was still counting on him to stay awake and protect him. However, before he climbed into his own bed, he went and flipped open his laptop and started downloading emails. Miroku then stripped for a shower, hoping that would be enough to keep him awake so that he could at least scan through the messages to see if there was anything important before he crashed.

Miroku skimmed through the emails in the inbox to see if there was anything from the university he needed to take care of right away. Deciding he wasn't coherent enough to start on the responses from the students enrolled in his class, he left the laptop up and running while he went to get at least a couple hours of sleep. Tossing his robe on a chair in the bedroom, he collapsed on the bed.

~ ^~^ ~

InuYasha closed the door behind Miroku and Kagome and then brought his fingers to his lips. Touching them softly, he remembered the gentle kiss that Kagome had given him before she was fully awake and coherent. She had done it without a second thought, just as she'd reached up to rub his ear. He flicked it with the memory of her tender touch.

He returned to his bedroom and breathed in her soothing scent that still permeated the room. This was the real reason he'd laid her down in his own bed. Her scent now filled the room and clung heavily to his sheets where he normally slept. It calmed him, even when he was trying to be angry with Miroku for putting him in such a position. InuYasha hated to admit it, but the monk had done him a favor whether he intended to or not. There was no doubt in his mind now about Kagome's feelings for him, and it was clear that he did not repulse her in any way. A small smile crossed his face as he recalled her stricken look the evening before when she saw him for the first time as a mortal. It was clear that she wanted him the way he normally was.

Walking over to his closet, he pushed his own garments aside and pulled out a small red Keikogi. InuYasha ran his hand over the embroidery on the back of it, over the picture of his father. Next week Kagome would be twenty and would be of age. The hanyou had decided to ask her to become one of his instructors and give her the customized Keikogi for her birthday if he could get her alone. InuYasha sighed as he realized he was going to have to go ahead and ask her mother's permission to do so. Even though Kagome would legally be of age, he knew she would not willingly go against her mother and would want her blessing. After all of the kind things that Mrs. Higurashi had done for him over the last five years, InuYasha realized that he would like it as well. After placing the jacket back in the closet, he stripped for a shower. Now, he could go deal with the other problem that his hakama had been hiding somewhat.

~ ^~^ ~

Sango decided the one good thing about the new student orientation was that everyone was exactly that - new to the university. All of the students were happy and excited to be there, and there was no one glaring at her for taking a spot they thought should have gone to someone else. Unfortunately, once again she found herself alone as students gravitated towards cliques with others from the same high school or town they came from. There were only a handful like her that were transfers from another college. However, this time she didn't let it worry her. She concentrated instead on remembering everything they explained before the students were taken on a tour of the campus.

Sango was pleased that the two buildings her classes were held in were almost next to each other. In addition, the library was also nearby. She was delighted to see that this library was larger than that of her old college. As a bonus they also had an immense online information system. According to their guide, nearly every document and book within the walls had been scanned and cataloged electronically. One of the items she was given was her ID that included the login information to access it. With it she could log on from her home and do much of her research from there. While the massive structure would be handy to go to between classes, she would not have to make many special trips there.

She had to admit, by the end of the orientation and tour mid-afternoon, she was pretty tired. Once they were dismissed, Sango walked the few blocks back to her apartment. The doorman opened the door for her and bowed as usual, and Sango nodded her head and thanked him as she headed for the elevator. She normally took the stairs to her third floor apartment, but she was too tired today. She wasn't paying attention when she stepped off of the elevator and walked towards her apartment while digging in her purse for the key. She didn't see the black and white furry object that was sitting near her entry until she saw it streak into her apartment when she opened the door.

“I'm too tired for this,” Sango commented out loud as she pulled off her shoes and set her bag and purse down. “Kitty, I saw you come in here. Where did you go?”

As if in answer, the cat suddenly appeared and started mewing softly and weaving around Sango's legs. Sango bent over and picked her up, holding her in front of her as she studied her. The cat was mostly covered with thick white fur but had black ears, black socks on all four legs, and black bands towards the tips of her tails. She also had black diamond mark in the center of her forehead and orange colored eyes. “What an odd cat. You're pretty, but how did you end up with two tails? I'm surprised that you aren't in a zoo or something.”

That brought a yowl from the cat, though she didn't try to escape Sango's grip.

“You didn't like that, did you? Interesting color eyes, too. Who do you belong to, Kitty?” Sango could see that there was a collar buried in the thick fur and sat down on the couch. “You must belong to someone here. How else did you get on the third floor?” She turned the collar around until she found a tag. “Kirara. So that's your name? But where are you supposed to be? Come on; let's go ask the doorman.”

Sango carried the strange two-tailed black and white cat in the crook of her arm, her hand supporting her chest. She grabbed her key though she didn't bother with shoes since she wasn't leaving the building. Kirara was purring contentedly against her chest, her ear being scratched, while they rode the elevator back down to the lobby.

“Hey, Ryota?” Sango called to the doorman. “Do you know who this cat belongs to?”

“Kirara, where have you been?” Ryota answered. “You didn't want to go with them, did you?”

Sango looked puzzled, so he continued, “Kirara belonged to old Mrs. Nakamura. She passed away on Thursday and what family she had was here cleaning out her possessions Saturday. No one really wanted Kirara, but one of them made some comment about either selling her on EBay or to one of those traveling oddities shows. She's a smart cat and slipped out while they were moving the furniture out.” He reached over to scratch the top of her head. “I don't know what to do about her. She's too sweet and smart to end up wherever they would let her go for money, but a two tailed cat isn't something you can easily advertise to find a new home for without attracting a bunch of kooks.”

Sango was pulling the tails gently through her hands. “They're odd, aren't they? I guess if you're going to have a birth defect, two tails are better that two heads or five legs.”

The doorman nodded in agreement. “She's a smart one, too, she is. She's the one who let us know that something was wrong with her mistress. Mrs. Nakamura lived on the first floor, and Kirara could go in and out the terrace door. She went out and came around to the front door here and kept at us until we went to check on her. We had to wait for the manager to come back from lunch, and she howled up a storm until we followed her. It's just too bad that the relatives were so greedy. I'm glad they couldn't find her. Now, what to do with you, hum?” Ryota commented. “And I'll tell you something. She doesn't take to everyone like she has you. She's pretty picky about who'll she'll let pick her up.”

“She just ran into my apartment when I got home. Her collar only said Kirara but didn't have her owner's name,” Sango responded.

The doorman chuckled. “Mrs. Nakamura always insisted that no one could really own Kirara. If you were lucky, she would choose you and stay for awhile. I'd gladly take her home myself except that my youngest is allergic. Mrs. Nakamura swore she was a good luck charm. We don't even know for certain how long she had her or how old Kirara is. However, Mrs. Nakamura lived to the nice old age of ninety-eight and then died peacefully in her sleep. So, maybe there was something to it. All I know is that Kirara needs a good home. She doesn't need to go to those greedy relatives.”

Kirara was still busy purring and was rubbing her head against Sango's chest. Sango held her away from her and looked at her. “So, you're all alone now, too, huh? The only family you had is gone? Do you want to stay with me?”

The cat mewed in response.

“You know I'll be gone a lot. I have classes that start tomorrow,” Sango said. She couldn't believe she was talking to a cat like it understood her, but she'd swear that it did.

“Oh, don't worry about her,” Ryota told her. “She's really very good. Mrs. Nakamura was still active up until just a few years ago, and Kirara was used to being left while she was out. If she couldn't take her with her on a trip, I went up and checked on her while she was away. You won't believe it, but she doesn't even have to have a litter box since she managed to teach her to use the toilet. As long as Kirara has food and water, she's good to go.”

“Food…” Sango sighed. She was so tired. “I'll have to go out and get you some then.”

The doorman shook his head. “Wait right there.”

He disappeared and reappeared a few minutes later with a large paper bag. “I salvaged this when they were moving Mrs. Nakamura's stuff out. It's Kirara's bowls and what was left of her food. It should be plenty to get you through the next couple of weeks. She also likes fresh air, so don't be surprised if she wants to go out and sit on your balcony.”

“Thanks,” Sango said as she took the bag from him. “Okay, Kirara, are you ready to go to your new home?”

Kirara responded by jumping down and sauntering towards the elevator, her two tails twitching. Looking back over her shoulder, she meowed. Sango would have sworn she was telling her to hurry up.

“I guess that's a `yes'. Thanks, Ryota. I'll let you know how it works out,” Sango said before following the two-tailed cat.

Ryota's bright green eyes returned to their normal cat-like appearance as the elevator doors closed. Whether they knew it or not, those two were perfect for each other.

Sango had not had a pet since she was a kid, so she had no idea why she had just volunteered to take a strange cat home with her. But for whatever reason Kirara had decided that she wanted to stay with her. In addition, she felt oddly like a kindred spirit with no other family to take care of her. It wasn't just the two tails and the deep reddish-orange eyes - there was something very different about the cat that had now run off of the elevator and was patiently waiting in front of the door of her apartment.

Sango shook her head and smiled as she unlocked the door and Kirara waltzed in like she'd lived there her entire life. Sango headed to the kitchen and pulled the bowls out to wash them before finding a safe place to put them on the floor. Filling one with water and the other with food from the bag, she set them down and Kirara ran up to them, clearly both hungry and thirsty.

Sango smiled as she watched the cat eat. It was strange, but for the first time since she'd left the hospital, she didn't feel alone.

To be continued…

Ryota: Stout, Strong