InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Overcoming ❯ I'm Here ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter Nine: I'm Here

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Inuyasha was sitting on the counter eating a cup of ramen noodles when Kara burst through the back door and into the kitchen, carrying three suitcases and her backpack, which was strapped to her back. His amber eyes widened when she nearly fell forward. He leapt off of his spot on the counter and swung his arm out, catching her before she fell and grabbed the heaviest suitcase that was weighing her down. Kara flashed him a sheepish smile as she looked up at him.

"Hey housie," she said with the same goofy smile on her face. Inuyasha only shook his head and laughed softly, letting go of her when she had her balance.

"So he gave in, huh?" He asked her, grinning when she nodded. I knew it, he thought as he leaned against the wall of the foyer. "I had to mention it twice to him before he got pissed off. The first time I said I had heard you had no place to go he completely ignored it and acted like he did know. The second time, I asked him if you could stay here and he flat out went, `No.'"

Kara burst into laughter, dropping all of her things to smack her hand against the wall. "Kami-sama! That was so accurate!" she hollered, tears falling down her cheeks from such a hard laugh. She then gripped her wrist, which she still hadn't done anything about since the encounter earlier in the day with Sesshomaru's wrath. "Woops. Too much movement," she mumbled. Inuyasha's eyes flickered with concern briefly as he looked her over.

"You okay?" He asked and dropped what he said when she nodded furiously. "Ok," he said and turned to leave when Kara made a frustrated sound.

"What kind of gentleman are you, Inuyasha? Not even offering to help a lady carry all of her heavy things to where she is staying," she scolded in a mock angry voice. The junior boy whirled around and eyed her oddly before snorting in an all too immature way. He then grabbed her two largest suitcases by the handle and motioned for her to put the third handle in his mouth. Kara gave him a skeptical look but shrugged and watched as he cursed through his teeth as he carried the heavy cases down the stairs. She felt slightly bad for making him carry all of it, seeing that she only had her backpack but she wanted to rest her wrist. It had been throbbing ever since she had fallen on it and a nice large bruise was beginning to surface.

Kara followed Inuyasha downstairs and down a small hallway to a cozy looking room with a bed, a beanbag chair and a small television. She clucked her tongue and made a small sound of appreciation as the boy who had been carrying her things unceremoniously dropped them in the middle of the room. "Thank you, dear slave," Kara said to him, holding her nose high in the air. Inuyasha just scoffed and picked up the beanbag chair, tossing it at her lightly. "Hey!" she yelled at him, when it hit her wrist. She cradled her arm to her chest again and Inuyasha's eyes filled with regret.

"What's up with your wrist?" He asked her firmly, seeing how she was favoring it.

"Nothing! Oh, just don't bother me about it, ok?" She shot back, calming herself when he retracted like a cat. "Sorry, I'm not really feeling very well right now. I've got… um… feminine problems if you will, plus I'm kind of tired. It is pretty late, you know," Kara finished, her voice softer and gentler now. Inuyasha was still hurt by the way she had snapped at him for being worried for her but I guess that was just what happened. Kara noticed the hard look on his face and her face slid down. "I'm sorry Inuyasha! I hurt your feelings! You're mad at me, aren't you?" She exclaimed, her eyes getting wide and sad.

"No! I'm fine! I'm fine!" Inuyasha gasped, seeing the watery edge that was coming into her eyes. "You're right! It is late!" he added, glancing down at his wristwatch. "It's 10:45! Well, I guess I'm going to… uh… go upstairs…" He stammered, not wanting to be around when she started crying. He buckled out of the room and up the stairs, leaving Kara alone in the basement. It was quiet. Really quiet.

The junior girl sighed and plopped down on her bed, feeling the chilliness of the basement setting in. Looking at all of her belongings on the floor, she decided that she would put them in her drawers and the closet that was stationed across the room and then she would check out the bathroom they had down here.

"Not bad," she murmured when she entered the aqua colored bathroom. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, muttering a curse when a big cramp hit her. "Only two more days of this… Then, I'll be fine…" she told herself as she walked down the hall back to the room that was to be hers. Before she went into her room, she turned off the light to the hall and the big room, leaving it pitch black. She shivered slightly from the cold and from the dark but entered her room extra quickly, leaving it open a crack.

Kara sat on her bed, pulling out her hair tie as she flipped her mahogany and chestnut hair around, the damp strands from her earlier shower sticking to her neck and falling in wavy ripples down her back. She slid out of her pajama pants, leaving her in just her large t-shirt and her panties and dug under the covers, looking to the picture of her mom that she had placed on the nightstand next to the table. "Mom… it's really dark down here, isn't it? Well, at least I have a place to stay… with Sesshomaru…" she trailed off, feeling cold and scared without anyone to keep her company in the basement. "Good night, mom…" she whispered, closing her eyes as she attempted sleep, only to be restless and frightened as she tossed and turned.

**

Sesshomaru entered the house, flicking on the light in the kitchen as he walked out of the foyer, through the kitchen and into the living room, seeing Inuyasha in front of the TV watching Kodocha re-runs. Sesshomaru shook his head but looked closer, seeing that he had fallen asleep so he turned off the television and continued on his way to his room. I wonder if Kara has gotten here? He thought as he got out a clean pair of sweatpants and headed downstairs to the bathroom where he took a shower.

Kara gasped when she heard the water start, unaware that anyone had come downstairs. She looked to the digital clock that was stationed on the nightstand next to her Mother's picture and the time read 12:03 AM. She didn't know if it was Inuyasha or Sesshomaru but either one of them would have made her feel more comfortable than she did at that second. She was scared, cold and felt out of place because it was her first night in their basement and a lot of times she did not do well sleeping in new places for the night if there wasn't someone else there to keep her company.

Kara heard the bathroom door slide open as she saw a figure glide by her door, a wisp of long white hair cloaking the shadow. "Sesshomaru?" she called, her voice slightly timid. Sesshomaru turned towards the doorway and percepted the fear in her voice, approaching her door and opened it. His body stood in the doorway and Kara could just hardly make it out in the dark.

"What is it?" he asked, his deep voice tired.

"Um… I'm kind of scared right now…" She told him softly, feeling embarrassed. "Could you… stay in here with me? I would feel a lot more comfortable," Kara added, watching as he walked to her bed, and reached down with his hand to run it softly over her cheek, down through her hair.

Sesshomaru felt warmth in his chest when she asked him to stay. He felt important when she asked for his protection. He lifted her blankets and slid inside, next to her soft, warm body and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into his chest. Kara melded into the hot, firm warmth of his naked torso and chest, the smell of his clean skin and hair relaxing her to the point where she fell completely limp against him.

Sesshomaru stroked her hair and back, pulling her closer to him as he turned slightly to kiss her softly on the temple. Kara's eyes opened as her cheeks burned, her azure eyes filled with wonder. His golden eyes met her azure as their lips found each other's in the dark; the pillow they were laying on muffled the small sounds of their mouths brushing against one another's.

Kara pulled away from his lips, the pads of her fingers running along his face and through his wet hair as she lay down next to him, snuggling into him once again. Sesshomaru's eyes closed as he rested his chin on her head, feeling content and comfortable as he stayed there for her the rest of the night.

**

Kara awoke when she felt Sesshomaru shift against her, growling lightly in his chest as his arm pulled her into a more relaxed and peaceful embrace. She looked over at the clock with hazy eyes and say that it read 8:32 AM. Crap! I've missed my Saturday morning cartoons! She thought but then looked to the young man who was sound asleep next to her. Poor guy. He works a part-time job, takes care of the house and is in all A.P. classes…

Feeling a little playful, Kara's fingers traveled to his muscled abdomen where she blew a puff of air and then tickled briefly with her fingernails. Her eyes traveled up to his face, biting back a giggle when his eyes and nose twitched. He then rolled over brusquely, facing the opposite direction of her.

Sound asleep… she thought, leaping gently over his hard body and landing unceremoniously on her feet on the cold marble floor. She flinched when he turned over, hoping that she didn't wake him up with the noise she had just made and slid into her pajama pants. She shuffled down the hallway and up the stairs rather quickly because the temperature was so chilling.

She scampered through the kitchen, sliding her hand through her sleep disheveled hair and popped her head into the living room, seeing Inuyasha watching anime shows. She entered and plopped down next to him, grinning at him when he nodded a solemn `good morning' to her.

"Has Fruits Basket come on yet?" Kara asked, sprawling forward on the wooden floor of the living room, grabbing the pillow that Inuyasha was resting on against the couch.

"Hey! That's my pillow!" Inuyasha barked, his hand flying out to grab it when Kara simply rolled out of his reach, carrying the pillow with her. She let out a purely childish giggle and kicked her legs up and down in triumph.

"I win," she beamed, her smile widening.

"Oh no you don't," The junior boy spat back, crossing his arms.

"I'm cuter than you! HA! I win!" she retorted, lifting her hands in the air to celebrate her victory. Inuyasha only snorted and shook his head, his amber eyes rolling as they fixated on the TV screen.

"Fruits Basket is on now," he mumbled, watching as Kara squealed and immediately started to watch. She hummed along with the theme song, `Let's Stay Together' and kicked at Inuyasha when he tried to grab for his pillow back. She turned to look at him, her azure eyes teasing.

"Let's share the pillow, always!" she sang mockingly, chucking it in his face, leaping up onto the couch and got comfortable. The two juniors turned their heads when they heard footsteps coming up the stairs.

"Good morning, bed head," Kara said softly, smiling at him. Sesshomaru grunted in response, running a hand over his tired face. The American girl decided it would probably not be best to ask him what was wrong so she remained quiet.

"The both of you are too damn loud," The senior's deep voice snapped, eying both of the juniors with cranky golden eyes. "I could hear you through the floor…"

"Well sorr-ry that you overslept," Inuyasha shot back, rolling his eyes. Sesshomaru only let out an irritated growl and kicked his younger half-brother when he passed him. Kara watched him go down the hallway and enter his room, the door slamming shut.

"What's wrong with him?" she wondered, thinking of how sweet and protective he had been during the night. He hadn't once touched her in a lecherous way either. What had happened?

"He's always like that. He's just not a morning person," Inuyasha replied, cracking up at something that was said in the Fruits Basket episode that was on TV.

"Oh…" Kara replied, continuing to watch TV with Inuyasha, noticing that Sesshomaru still had not come out of his room. He's probably sleeping again. Poor Sesshomaru… You must be so worn out… Deciding that maybe it would be best to give him his space for a while, Kara spent the day with Inuyasha, they did some Chemistry homework and she helped him with his English paper. Sesshomaru stayed in his room all day long, only coming out once for a bite to eat.

Kara caught him when he was heading back to his room and raced inside before he even made it to his door. The senior stopped in his doorway, staring at her blankly as she sat on his bed. He entered his bedroom, wiping his hands on his pants to get off the crumbs of his snack. He kicked the door to his room closed behind him.

"Hey, are you ok today?" Kara asked him gently, standing and walking to him, her hand reaching up to touch his face. His eyes were bloodshot and tired as he gazed down at her in exhaustion.

"I don't sleep well anymore," He told her softly, his eyes closing as she scratched behind his ear, tucking a stray skein of hair behind it.

"Why?" she whispered, following when he sat on his bed, his eyes looking her over.

"Many things," he replied curtly, lying down. Kara nodded, knowing that that was probably the best explanation that she would get from him at the moment. She needed to come back later. He might feel more open then. "I'd like to rest some more," he stated, his baritone voice slightly weary and anxious.

"Ok, well, feel better," she replied, leaning down to brush her lips softly against his firm temple. His arm slid up hers and came behind her neck, bringing her down for a soft kiss before he let her go with a soft moan. He closed his eyes and relaxed onto his pillow as Kara ran her hand down his cheek before she left his room.

"Do you want to end up just like your mom? DEAD?"

"No father! Shut up! Stop it!"

"Don't you tell me to stop it, Sesshomaru!" Sesshomaru blacked out when a glass beer bottle crashed against his head.

Sesshomaru reached up, feeling around his hair, finding the scar that his father had given him on one of his nightly tirades. He had been a first year student in high school and his mother had just died… Such horrible memories…

He growled and tried to sleep, shoving the horrible abuse memories and images that flooded through his mind when he closed his eyes. He had actually been somewhat peaceful with Kara in his arms the night before but now… now he was as restless and anxious as ever…

Kami-sama… I will never sleep… Sesshomaru thought in sadness. He was never going to be rid of some of the horrible things his father had done to him. He was glad his old man was never home. He was glad, though he'd never admit it in his life, his father stayed away from Inuyasha, never exposing him to such torment and agony.

The worst part of it was his eyes. His cold, cruel golden eyes. They radiated with pleasure when he tortured Sesshomaru. He had beaten him, slapped him, and even strangled him. It was not as bad now. Sesshomaru had bulked up in size and muscle, now able to take his father down if he tried to subject physical abuse anymore. But now, it became verbal and the worst verbal he had ever experienced in his life. It had made him tough, brittle, selfish and paranoid. He never showed his emotions for fear that someone would take advantage of him.

It had turned him into something he had never wanted to be. Cold and heartless, just like his father had been after his mother had just passed away.

Two people had died that day.

His mother…

And his father…

(A/N: Long chapter, yes? And kind of confusing but it's going to work itself out in the next two and then the major stuff starts to happen! Aren't you excited? Dun dun dun…)