InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ On a Leash ❯ A Canine's Slight Dilemma ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter Four: A Canine's Slight Dilemma

About two weeks later, Inuyasha had already begun to adapt to his environment. The family was actually fine, and tolerable, including that girl who had unwittingly adopted him. It wasn't too hard to get into the swing of things-and Kagome had said good-bye to him every morning ever since that first day. He'd wanted to see her friends Sango and Miroku, but she spent the night at the other girl's house. Inconsiderate. How was he supposed to be a good guard dog if she wouldn't give him the chance to ok her friends? It would take a while, but, eventually, he'd get her trained.

It was growing a bit colder as November waltzed its way in, making the stone courtyard of the shrine that much chillier under his black, padded paws. Wind blew softly through his sleek fur as he was all but dragged down the temple steps.

"Come on, Inuyasha!" Kagome grunted, tugging with all her might on the chain link leash. She'd looped the links round one arm, and her free hand grasped tightly as she fought to reel the overgrown pup in.

Resisting, like any other sentient creature would or should, Inuyasha pulled away, causing all the fur around his neck to bunch up where it met the collar. "I ain't going!" he barked back, retreating further, centimeter by centimeter, back towards the house.

"Quit fighting, you stupid mutt!" The girl yanked harder.

"You fucking bitch!" he retorted, losing his momentum for a second. Realizing that he was losing ground, he swiftly dug his paws into the steps. "I am not a stupid mutt!" The dog-hanyou strained his throat against the scaly, leather band more as he began to ease obdurately backwards, and tested his luck at not passing out from lack of oxygen.

"You're going and---that's---that!" she enunciated with each heave. The leash was taut between the two battlers, and the ebony-haired lass was having trouble figuring what else to do with her pet to cajole him into her mom's little, red car. She continued to rock rearwards on her heels as she struggled all the more. Geez, he's strong, she cogitated as she managed to haul him forward one step and transitorily guessed at how much longer till they were two steps back. What unnatural strength for an animal…I wonder if he's some kind of super-breed or something….

"You need some help, Sis?" Souta asked, trotting down the stairs.

With a grateful sigh and fatigued smile, Kagome nodded. "Yeah, he just won't come."

"Hey, that's not fair!" protested Inuyasha with a garbled yip as the siblings worked to slowly lug him all the way to the sidewalk with renewed vigor.

Ignoring the cars that zoomed by, the duo eventually managed to shove the dog into the backseat with Souta.

Just as he was about to come leaping out again, Kagome slammed the door virtually on Inuyasha's nose. "Now, just stay still." She shook her head with a light sigh. "Honestly…." With that she went to her door and climbed in the front seat beside her mom. "Got him."

Mama laughed into her hand. "Seems Inuyasha really didn't want to go the vet, did he?"

"Would you, lady?" the half-demon inquired sulkily from his perch on the backseat. "Well, you don't have those fears I do…like this is actually some ploy to 'control my aggressive nature'…" he huffed as he laid down, placing his furry noggin on his paws, eyes in deep gold trepidation before they shifted to a hue of affirmation. "I still say that mailman had it coming…."

The buildings went by in rather grey-dominated blurs. Cyclists on the sidewalk pedaled their merry way along around the humans and demons walking. The little car turned down a few streets here and there, the girl and her mother discussing new sweaters they'd seen. Souta had pulled out a Pocket Station and was playing intently.

Inuyasha was left to stare out the window from absolute boredom. He tried to focus on something good…like the pieces of bacon Kagome had given him at breakfast. He licked his chops for a moment, before conjecturing if that had been some hidden bargain to get his ass down to the vet's office. He smirked. Well, if it was, it hadn't been a very good one.

He'd had a feeling that something was up when his mistress and her mother were talking about something in quick, quiet tones that he couldn't pick up. So, naturally, when the girl called him over with the leash, he was curious to know was going on, albeit he had ulterior motives as well.

What Inuyasha's hope had been was to see what was in the mini-shrine. Kagome had led him by it on their way to the steps and he nearly towed her over to his desired destination, except she was a bit stronger than he thought she would be and was rewarded by near strangulation…. All right, that and the fact Souta mentioned that wretched place they were going to right now.

The hanyou peered at the tan floor mats with a shudder as the automobile bumped along, no doubt growing closer to that repugnant place….

The vet's office.

A gateway to Hell, more like, he thought with distaste, turning a frown up to his mistress's backside in the front passenger seat. As he dwelled on that conviction, the vehicle pulled into a parking slot.

"We're here!" Kagome's cheerful voice announced as her door clicked open and the engine was simultaneously shut off.

Lifting his head a tad, Inuyasha read a sign that said "Rising Sun Veterinary Clinic". He groaned and grumbled to himself when he was let out by Kagome. He followed when she tugged on the leash, but not without a struggle, of course. "I still don't wanna go! I don't wanna go!"

"Knock it off, Inuyasha!" she scolded as she fought the zigzagging canine, almost losing her balance several times.

She didn't, to the hanyou's displeasure.

This should be considered cruel and unusual punishment… he mentally grumbled as the girl pulled him in closer to her side. Getting an evil idea, he quickly darted away from her, dragging the teenager ineptly after, and suddenly whipped around and wound his leash about her legs.

"Ah-ah!" Kagome pivoted one way, then another, prior to finally staring down at her lower half with a glare of frustration at her shoddy bindings. She wriggled her free hand down and slid the links off her bare legs. She speedily stepped out of them and caught the rest of the leash so he couldn't pull that ruse again. "Oh, funny, Inuyasha. Hysterical," she mumbled at him with a glare.

"Yeah, actually it was, watching you flounder like a fish out of water." Inuyasha made a doglike smirk at her, tongue hanging at a supercilious angle from his muzzle.

"Cheeky thing, aren't you?" Sighing, the girl yanked on the lead, and this time her pet came lightly trotting over, cesium noggin held high. "Come on, you demon."

"Coming, Your Royal Bitchiness."

Leading him passed the few trees that decorated the lawn, Kagome stopped to let him do his business. Her brother and mom had already gone inside the clinic, which was a mahogany color with wooden shingles and a modest valence. They'd taken Buyo here several times, so the girl was confident that they'd be able to deal with a stubborn mutt like Inuyasha.

He was a character, she'd give him that. Smart, she was certain he was. A pain, indisputably so. Inuyasha could get into anything and everything. He'd somehow managed to figure out how to work several of the doorknobs, he'd been working on getting the refrigerator open the other day, and not to mention he was staring at her schoolbooks rather intently, as if he were reading or something. Yet, the other thing that really weighed on her mind was the fact she seemed to know what he was saying or feeling, in some weird way.

If Inuyasha looked at her a certain manner, she could tell when that mongrel was being cocky. Another mode, he was displeased. Kagome wondered what his voice would sound like if he could talk. Probably very arrogant, gruff, and sarcastic was her supposition.

She sniggered to herself. She was as loopy as her grandpa!

She had to be; she was giving her dog a voice. Dogs don't talk human languages, Kagome, she chided herself with little conviction.

Kagome didn't know any guy that had a voice even remotely close to the envisioned tone. The closest was Miroku, but his was smoother, though very sarcastic, she would admit.

"Hey, you done gawking at me or what?"that designated voice asked her with a huff.

Turning her gaze down, Kagome spotted Inuyasha staring firmly at her. "Like I was actually in absolute awe over you that I couldn't do anything else," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Keh! Whatever."

Sitting on the cold tile was not exactly Inuyasha's idea of a good time. Especially around all these damn people and their animals. He'd lost track of how many dogs and cats went by him, emancipated from leashes, laughing at him because of his predicament. Oh, how he wished Kagome wasn't holding him so tightly.

Actually…that girl had shooed them along with a wave of their hands. "Go. Leave him alone. Go away."

For the most part, it was effective, with the exception of one pesky wolf-what form of moron would keep a wolf as a house pet, Inuyasha had to speculate-- that snapped at her fingers, missing the tips of them by mere millimeters when she wrenched them back.

Inuyasha immediately went on the defensive. True, Kagome still reminded him of Kikyou in a lot of ways-well, maybe just that appearance thing--, but she hadn't been so horrible to him, though he wouldn't admit he liked her very much or anything, of course. Nonetheless, she was his mistress and his job was to be a guard dog, or that was what he was always being told, so, he went with the flow.

He rose to all fours quickly, chops pulling back to reveal his exceptionally long fangs-even by a canine standard--, fur bristling a bit at places, and his ears pinned back slightly. "You, shit-sniffer! Beat it!" he barked.

"Calm down, boy," Kagome ordered gently yet steadfastly, clutching desperately onto his collar whilst he exerted against his detainment.

"Stay out of this, Kagome!" the hanyou shot back. "This bastard tried to hurt you!"

"What's wrong with you?" inquired the wolf, tipping his head back a bit at a jaunty slant. "She should fear the power of wolves-" The other animal ceased speaking abruptly when a blow was delivered to the back of his cranium, causing him to whimper like a young pup.

"You know better than that," a male voice scolded harshly from above. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

Gradually bringing his ambry peering from the cringing wolf that scuttled away to a far corner of the clinic, Inuyasha gazed up to see a teenage boy with black hair tied in a high ponytail, pupil-less blue eyes, and pointed ears. The half-demon snorted, clearing a disgusting scent from his sensitive olfactory.

Wolf-demon stench.

Smirking toothily, the guy apologized. "I didn't mean for him to snap at you, Kagome."

"Give me a break…what a loser…" muttered Inuyasha as he reversed towards his mistress. Seemed like he was doing a lot of backtracking this morning. He continued to make subdued growls.

With a sigh of relief, the girl met the other boy's gaze with a smile. "Hey, Kouga. It's alright. He was just upsetting Inuyasha," she explained, gesturing towards her dog.

Kouga glanced down at the silver-haired canine. In response, the dog barked at him, and the wolf-demon blinked in astonishment. I could've sworn he told me to 'fuck off and die'…. The boy shrugged it off. No way it could've been that. "You're not hurt are you?" He clasped her hand tightly-the one liberated from restraining her dog--, and Kagome looked at him rather anti-thrilled but really reacting.

That bastard…! Inuyasha's growl deepened a few pitches, raising his chops higher to reveal more of his pearly whites. Who the hell does he think he is, stinking Kagome up by touching her like that?!

"Yeah, it's ok." Her gaze darted over the small waiting room, trying to reckon where her family toddled off to. Upon hearing Inuyasha's disgruntled rumbling, the girl managed to dislodge her hand to tenderly stroke his head. "Really, I'm fine, Kouga," she assured, though, for some reason or another, it appeared she was consoling Inuyasha.

Gaping at her for a minute longer, he pondered as to why she was stroking that malodorous cur so affectionately, until he figured she was just a bit startled and needed the comfort of an inferior life form, regardless of the abnormality that seemed to cloak it. "Alright. I'll see you in school. Maybe we could hang out after school sometime," Kouga said, less like a suggestion and more like a directive.

"Uh…" was her hesitant, noncommittal response as he strode away. I guess I'm not sure whether I want to be flattered or freaked….

Little by little, as Kagome's ministrations continued, the half-demon allowed his bodily tenseness to subside, although he watched Kouga vigilantly across the room. "I don't like him and I don't trust him. Wolves are pains in the ass anyways. Stuck-up bastards that think the rule the fucking world because they aren't domesticated…." He gave a short growl. "Conceited bastards…."

"Inuyasha," the receptionist lady called just as Mama and Souta came back into view. "Inuyasha? The vet's ready to see you."

Check-ups sucked.

Supremely sucked.

Inuyasha licked the inside of his mouth, making odd faces and tilting his head as he sought to rid himself of the taste of wood that had just touched his tongue as well as rewet his chops. "Ugh, I hate the taste of those tongue depressors. You think someone would figure out a way to make them taste at least a little bit better after fifty years. It was almost as bad as having my temperature taken…."

The old lady vet nodded and wrote something down on his chart before looking directly up at Kagome. "Well, child, it seems that your dog is quite hale. A bit on the aggressive side, I will admit-"

"Hey! I'm not becoming a eunuch or anything, so get that out of your withered head, Granny." The hanyou glanced up at his mistress with a firm look, to which she responded by absently stroking his ears.

"--but I'm sure with a little love and attention, he will shape up nicely."

Kagome smiled happily. "I haven't had him long, Ms. Kaede. He's a good guard dog, though. And I don't think he causes all that much trouble." She fondly scratched an ear, giving it a tiny tweak at the top before letting him bound off the steel table that jutted out from the wall. "He's just spirited."

Kaede grinned amiably as she handed Mrs. Higurashi the file. "I am glad. Give that to Chiaki at the front desk and she'll give you the bill," she said, talking to Mama. She went to the squat, stainless steel sink and washed her hands for a moment as Mama and Souta exited. Just as the girl was about to follow suit, Kaede stopped her by saying, "However, I do have a question for you, Kagome." She withdrew one of the paper towels from the dispenser on the wall and carefully dried her hands off.

"What is it, Ma'am?"

"How did you come by a name such as Inuyasha?" inquired the old woman coyly.

"Um…." Kagome bit her bottom lip slightly while her pet peered intriguingly at her. How had she thought of the name Inuyasha? She could've called him Fluffy, or Whitey, or Snowy, or something else for that matter. But a name that meant dog-demon, dog-forest-spirit…where had that come from? It wasn't exactly a prime choice on her list for christening. "I just knew," she finally replied slowly. Closing her cobalt eyes, she nodded leisurely, as if to assure herself. "Yes," she stated resolutely, voice somewhat distant, as if she were speaking to an entity within her, "I knew that was his name. It has always been his name."

The half-demon said nothing, contemplating wordlessly, molten gaze fixed curiously on her.

Nodding, Kaede placed the pen laying on the wood countertop back in the pocket of her white coat. "Ah, I see." She glanced at the girl with eyes full of understanding. "Well, you two have a safe trip home."

"Yes. Thank you for giving Inuyasha a check-up today." Kagome politely bowed, still very much bemused. Clicking her tongue and giving the rather slack leash a small tug, she led him back towards the waiting room.

As they were returning, only the hanyou caught what Kaede murmured.

"That is a nice collar, Inuyasha. But, perhaps you'll have it removed sometime soon…."

Eyes widening, Inuyasha whirled his head around to gawk at the old woman, but all he saw was the examination room door swinging shut after him. At first, he raised a paw to push it open, when he caught sight of something a tad more appealing at that point in time. A smirk spreading across his muzzle, the long leash not being attended to by Kagome, who was still in her own little world of perplexity, Inuyasha got a running start before leaping on the unsuspecting Kouga seated a few chairs away.

Kagome felt the lead suddenly go taut. Coupled not long after was a loud string of expletives coming from a certain dark haired wolf-demon. Spinning on her heel, she yelled, as her gaze fell upon the sight, "No, Inuyasha! Stop that!"

On the trip home…

"Kagome, I really think we should have something to ensure that Inuyasha doesn't attack someone at random," Mama was saying when they stopped at the intersection.

"Well, I think he was still mad that one of Kouga's wolves snapped at me. "

"That…and that wimpy wolf was fucking annoying…" declared the half-demon proudly from the backseat.

"He probably had good intentions." The girl glimpsed back at the canine. "I mean, he's not exactly a hooligan or anything."

Inuyasha wagged his tail innocently, albeit his leer was still situated in place. It was like Christmas came early. It'd been a long time since he'd done anything like that, and it sure felt good.

"Well," Mrs. Higurashi said, pondering aloud, "just to make sure we can keep him under control, I think we should send him to obedience school."

Suddenly, Inuyasha felt like he found coal in his stockings this year.

Damn.

Santa must've known he hadn't been exactly the perfect…whatever he was classified as, the past five decades.

~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: Hey everyone! I think I did pretty good, considering I had finals from Wednesday thru Friday. (Can we all say Gag-o-Rama?) Nonetheless, I finished this chapter and I'm pretty happy! Actually, with 70 reviews (at last count) on FanFiction.net makes it my second most popular story, and 33 on MediaMiner.org (not all of them are showing up, so sorry Aurora Thorn and Queen Klu), and I don't know how many on Inuyasha.net. Thanks! Keep the reviews coming in!

Same request applies. I really would like some more reviews on "The Orphan and the Conman" so, please check it out and review.

For Amanda who reviewed out of insanity and her pixie stick fetish and Elissa who accidentally left a review while I was still logged in. To Ghoul King: I understand if you don't like high school fics and such-as I'm in high school right now and I watch the whole escapade--, you don't have to tell me you don't like which one. I mean, it can be considered thoughtful, or a bit of a downer. "If you don't like it, don't read it," that is my motto! (It helps to not make writers feel bad.) But I'm glad you like this and my other fics. I just felt I should point that out, so please don't be cross!

Inuyasha: Don't you have any sympathy?

Yes.

Inuyasha: Then leave me the hell alone!

But…I like you. You're my favorite manga/anime character ever. So…nope! ^^

Inuyasha: Social services….

Well, I'm also very happy because I got one of my Christmas presents early. My best friend Erin gave me the Inuyasha Symphonic CD, "Wind". It's so cool!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Ja ne,

~Moonlight Shadow

hanyou_miko_dreamer@hotmail.com