InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ One Simple Question ❯ The Question. ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Neither the characters nor the songs(if there are any) belong to me. In fact unless there's an A/N stating otherwise nothing but the story idea is mine. I've said it once, will probably tack it onto the end as well, don't expect it every chapter(cause I'll forget lol). And this story WILL contain vulgar language and sexual content, if you're too young or offended by such material turn back now. I apologize for spamming people's inboxes with update announcements but I want to get this reposted now.

 

Italics are unvoiced thoughts, “quotes” are spoken, bold is emphasis, bold italics will be song lyrics. POV changes are noted for convenience. (Not a songfic, but I LOVE music so there is a chance I'll toss some in somewhere down the line.)

 

 

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The leaves of the Goshinboku swayed gently in the mild breeze that drifted through the forest. The great tree stood serenely, as it had for hundreds of years, and nearly hidden from view was a tiny speck of red hidden under the dense foliage. The wind lazily changed course, blowing in from a new direction and the tree swayed in perfect harmony; eternal dance partners who knew each other oh so well.

 

The tree's occupant, however, was less than serene.

 

Fucking typical woman with no sense of priorities. Since when is `skool' gonna save the world from Naraku? We spend one week hunting one fucking shard and she's gotta go home. His mind's voice rose at the end in a mocking imitation of the girl's voice. Stupid fucking ignorant bitch belongs here. And that was where his internal monologue cut short. He knew why he wanted her there. He knew damn well. But he couldn't admit it, not even in his head. He knew he had no right pursuing the young woman he loved. On his good days he told himself it was because Naraku was still alive and would use his love against him and that Kikyou hadn't been put to rest yet. But on days like today, when the birds singing and the warm sun smiling and the gentle breeze playing stood in stark contrast to his cold, almost hopelessly dark mood he was reminded of his even darker thoughts. Memories of his mother and what she went through flashed unrelentingly through his mind. Yet despite all his doubts the inu hanyou in the tree was not one to let the general public determine the course of his life. Fuck. Them. I don't give a shit what anyone else thinks, or what they'd say. Let them try to hurt her, I'll fuckin' kill them all. Yet a tiny part of his brain pointed out that Kagome might indeed care what others would think. No. She stands up for me. She worries more about what they say to me than what they say about her for stickin' around. And yet no matter how positive the hanyou felt he could never completely dismiss his doubts, could never bury them quite long enough to untie his tongue and even broach the subject to the girl.

 

In those few and brief moments where he was free to remember the countless times she said she cared for him, the times she stood by his side and stood up for him against youkai and ningen alike a faint hope, like a rainbow colored butterfly, fluttered in his chest. It made breathing difficult but it made the future promise to be so bright. Later he would always convince himself he had been wrong, that there had been a flaw in his logic, but he still cherished those moments.

 

As he sat, lost in his thoughts, he recognized a familiar scent heading in his direction. He felt his lips pull back into a small smirk. Runt always has the best timing, he thought to himself sarcastically. He watched, unconcerned, as the redheaded youkai kit raced towards his hiding place. He observed the young youkai run the short distance from the well to his perch and he felt an odd pride arise as the kit began trying to track him after his scent vanished from the ground. He couldn't remember quite exactly when Shippou had gone from an annoying burden to a friend, nor could he remember when the friendly feelings had become familial. Even stranger was when those feelings became down right paternal. He couldn't remember any of those changes, and it scared him.

 

Every time his sword grew in power or he learned a new attack or the sword was augmented he had immediately been able to see the change, realize the need to become stronger to handle the new situation. But the tiny green-eyed demon staring up into the tree at him slipped into his heart without warning and sometimes InuYasha wondered if he had truly become strong enough to deal with that.

 

“InuYasha?”

 

“What?” The hanyou's voice was gruff, but the little fox couldn't tell if it was irritation or something else that coursed through the hanyou's voice.

 

“Can I talk to you?” InuYasha cocked one of his pitch-black brows into a questioning glare as the crafty kit used his illusions to float himself up into the tree. He hovered over InuYasha before a hollow pop was heard and a puff of smoke dissolved into the bushy-tailed child who fell into the hanyou's lap.

 

Since the kit actually watched where he was landing to avoid hurting the hanyou InuYasha turned his gaze outward, gazing peacefully through the emerald green leaves of the tree. A few minutes passed by in comfortable silence, that is until the little fox remembered why he had sought out the person whose lap he was currently in. He cleared his tiny throat nervously and looked everywhere but into the gaze of the man before him until he could avoid it no longer.

 

“What?!” InuYasha snapped, feeling the weight of Shippou's gaze settle on him. Two years with Kagome may have chilled him out, Shippou thought, but he's still the same old InuYasha. Seeing the hanyou about to snap at him again, possibly with a fist to his head he quickly blurted, “What are we?”

 

When he saw the hanyou's confused face he continued, “I mean me and Kagome and Sango and Miroku and Kirara and you and Kaede. We…what are we?”

 

“Mine.” InuYasha scoffed.

 

“Like a…uh?”

 

“Pack. Kinda.” This time it was the little kitsune's turn to be confused and the half demon's to elaborate. “Most all demons have tribes or packs or prides or herds…whatever word that type of demon uses. It all means the same thing, runt. Fuck, even my brother has one.” Shippou shifted in the hanyou's lap.

 

“Is that why you can hit me but you get mad when someone else threatens me?” Shippou looked unsure.

 

“Keh. Of course. You got a fuckin' mouth on you and you're gonna grow up worse than me `cause everybody else spoils you and thinks it's fucking cute. But nobody touches what's mine. Got it?” InuYasha fought the impulse to tell him men don't cry when he saw the tears slip quietly into the child's eyes.

 

“Does that make you my dad?”

 

To say InuYasha was surprised was like saying that Miroku's mind occasionally held hentai thoughts.

 

InuYasha stared for a few moments before soundlessly working his jaw. Realizing he must have looked like an idiot he crossed his arms over his chest, a familiar scowl resting on his handsome features as he huffed and growled at the demon in his lap. “Do I look like a fucking fox to you?!”

 

The kit hunched his shoulders and stared down at his bright red seat, self-consciously picking at the material as he fought for the right words. He wanted to be civil but the condescending tone of the inu hanyou grated on his young nerves.

 

“I know who my real parents were, baka. But Kagome adopted me and she's my mama now and you and her…” He let the rest of his statement float in the air between them. He had stated more than once that he thought his adopted mother and the hanyou made a good couple and he knew InuYasha had heard him. Shippou raised his head to find InuYasha gazing at him uncomfortably, shifting slightly as he sat.

 

“Oi, runt, I thought you didn't want anyone to replace your old man.” When facing reality became tricky the half demon fell back to his old habit of shifting attention elsewhere. Lucky for him Shippou still fell for it.

 

“I never said I wanted to forget him!” His voice was quiet as he continued but grew in volume as he went, “But I know he's gone, and I can't bring him back. I wanna grow up and be able to stop evil youkai so no more kids grow up like me. I wanna know I can protect and provide for the people I care about, like you do, so I don't lose anyone else.” He glared up at his friend, his unshed tears still shining brightly in his emerald eyes and practically whispered, “I wanna be strong like you.”

 

Up until those last six words InuYasha was ready to make some flip comment to the boy, but his last statement made the hanyou's heart clench. In a rare show of almost clumsy affection InuYasha pulled his arms apart and put one hand to the back of the kit's head and pulled him into himself. Shippou hugged InuYasha whispering, “Papa,” and the hanyou allowed his arm to drop from the kit's head, falling to rest protectively behind the tiny youkai, leaving him nestled lovingly within the folds of fire rat fur. InuYasha imagined what he would have said to someone who tried to replace his own father and choked back a growl. He spoke in a hushed voice, “I won't try to replace him, runt. But I will try to make him proud.”

 

 

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A/N: Ok, so that's Ch.1. I want to know if people think this story is worth continuing. So please r&r.

 

 

 

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