InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Phony Digits ❯ It's Your Move ( Chapter 20 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I have nothing.

Chapter Twenty: It's Your Move

Kagome crouched down and rolled a wide ribbon of tape across the seam of the final box containing her earthly possessions. With a heavy sigh of accomplishment, she plopped back onto her butt on the floor and scanned the room with surveying eyes, taking in the view of the boxes, plastic totes, and few meager pieces is dismantled furniture that sat in her bedroom. This is it? She thought to herself. Well that's not very much...

She decided she was going to have to do some major shopping if she was going to fill up an entire apartment. She hoped Rin would be more blessed with material possessions than herself. The thought that she didn't own a sofa, dining table, television, or even dishes and silverware hadn't even crossed her mind until this very moment. Maybe Rin would like to go shopping with me sometime. That might be a nice bonding experience.

Kagome was drawn from her inner musings by the ringing of the doorbell downstairs, followed by the sound of the front door opening and Shippo's voice calling out "Lucy, I'm home!" in his very best Ricky Ricardo impersonation.

"Up here!" Kagome called down to him. "And you'd better have coffee!"

She listened as the sound of two distinct sets of footsteps made their way up the stairs and down the hallway to her room. Shippo and Sango appeared in the doorway, holding coffees in disposable travel cups stamped with a very distinct mermaid logo that was most certainly not indicative of her regular coffee place.

Kagome took in a breath to speak, but before she could voice her question, Sango answered it for her. "A cute girl works there." She rolled her eyes and nodded toward Shippo.

Kagome narrowed her eyes and shot Shippo a condemning look. "Of course." she said as she stood and begrudgingly accepted the cup Shippo offered her. He smiled at her sheepishly as she brought the cup to her lips and took a sip of the mediocre coffee. "She better be real cute, that's all I have to say."

"She is." Sango cut in. "He doesn't stand a chance in hell."

"Hey! Do too!" Shippo objected, but his two friends merely chuckled at his dismay.

"Come on." Kagome said. "Let's get this show on the road."

<<>>

Miroku was abruptly jerked from sleep by the loud banging of his roommates fists against his bedroom door.

"Get your ass out here right now before I break the fucking door down!" InuYasha called out from the other side.

Miroku immediately rose from his bed and quickly made his way to the door. He and his door had learned from past experience, that InuYasha did not give empty threats.

"Fucking delete it." InuYasha said the second Miroku exited his bedroom.

"InuYasha, I assure you I have no idea what you're talking about." Miroku played dumb and he casually strode toward the kitchen.

"You know what I'm talking about. Now delete it or I'll beat your ass to a pulp!"

"InuYasha," Miroku said calmly, "I deleted it the second after I sent it to you. I just wanted you to see how foolish you're acting."

InuYasha sighed in relief. "How bad was it?" he asked reluctantly.

"Well, let's see…" Miroku raised his hand to his face and tapped his index finger against his chin. "you cried and rolled around on the floor for a while, of course, you already know that if you watched the video. Then you called me dad and threw up on me while I was trying to take you to your room. Then you fell in the floor in the hallway and tried to take off all your clothes, but I stopped you because Sango was here…"

"Shit…" InuYasha cursed, bringing his hands to his face. "That was Sango?"

"Yes," Miroku answered, then continued to recount the events of the night before. "and when I finally got you to your room you did take off all your clothes...and I do mean all your clothes...kudos, by the way…" he added jokingly and InuYasha rolled his eyes. "Then you started crying again. I couldn't make out a whole lot of what you were saying, but best I could understand you were upset about polar bears. You must have been watching the Discovery Channel while you were getting hammered. Then you let out a huge burp and giggled and wheezed about it for a solid two minutes before singing for several more minutes and finally passing out and snoring like a jet engine."

InuYasha cringed continually through the play-by-play. "Sorry if I ruined your date."

"Don't worry about it. You actually might have helped me out a bit."

InuYasha raised a brow. "Really? How?"

"She thought I was being a good friend, helping you out. She liked it."

"Girls…" InuYasha said shaking his head. "They like the weirdest shit."

"Hey, listen…" Miroku changed topics abruptly. "I'm really sorry I forgot about your birthday…"

"Keh!" InuYasha scoffed. "As if I care about that."

"Right…" Miroku said skeptically "well I intend to make it up to you."

"Whatever."

"So…" He looked at his watch. "Shouldn't you be on your way to work right now?"

InuYasha shook his head. "I took a personal day. Rin's moving into an apartment and I told Sesshomaru I'd drive the truck for her."

"He can't do it himself?" Miroku asked as he turned to the counter and began preparing the coffee maker.

InuYasha shook his head in the negative. "He acts like it's beneath him, but really he just can't drive a stick shift."

Miroku chuckled, then he remembered something. Sango said she was helping Kagome move today also... "Is Rin moving in with a roommate?" he asked, his back still turned to his friend.

"Yeah, why?"

"No reason." Miroku said nonchalantly. "Do you know the roommate's name?"

"Is one girl not enough for you? Ya gotta go chasing after girls you haven't even met?" InuYasha barked.

"I wasn't asking for my own interests, I was merely curious."

"Well, I don't know who it is. Probably one of her friends from school. In other words, way too damn young for you."

"Again, that wasn't why I was asking." he said, sounding slightly irritated. It's a big city... It couldn't possibly be her…could it? No...just a coincidence. "Would you like some coffee?" he asked as he scooped the grounds into the filter.

"Yeah, put it in a travel thing though. I've gotta be out of here in like ten minutes. I'm already gonna get chewed out for being late as it is."

"Yes, dear." Miroku said facetiously. "Aren't you going to shower first?" he asked, pointedly looking his roommate up and down.

InuYasha shook his head. "No time."

Miroku sighed. Well...in that case, I certainly hope it isn't her…

<<>>

Kagome, Sango, and Shippo loaded all of the boxes and furniture into the back of Shippo's pickup truck and Kagome's mother's car, and headed for the apartment.

Kagome arrived before her friends, and when she stepped into her new apartment she was met with the tall, imposing figure of who she could only assume was Rin's father. Judging from his appearance the man was clearly a youkai. That was surprising, seeing as how Rin was fully human, and Kagome had never even heard of a youkai adopting a human child. His silver hair hung in a braid down his back, so long that it almost reached his knees; and she couldn't help but find it odd that the man was wearing a suit to help his daughter move. His presence alone felt like a heavy layer of frost had settled in the living room.

"Hey, Kagome!" Rin poked her head out of one of the bedroom doors down the hall and called out and introduction. "Sesshomaru, this is my new roommate Kagome Higurashi."

The man gave a curt nod. "Sesshomaru Taisho." He introduced himself plainly.

She calls her dad by his first name? Weird… Kagome thought as she sat down the box she was carrying and extended her hand out toward him. "Nice to meet you Mr. Taisho."

"Likewise." the man said, his gaze never lowering from her face as he pointedly ignored her offered hand. "Rin tells me you work for the city police."

"Uh, yes sir." Kagome nodded nervously, lowering her hand and wiping her sweaty palm against her hip. "I'm not a police officer though, I'm actually umm...more of a scientist." Her eyes were constantly shifting, as his gaze was so intense she was struggling to maintain eye contact.

"And what is your field of expertise?" he asked.

"Ballistics."

"Do you own a weapon?"

Kagome sort of wished she knew what answer he wanted to hear. "Umm...Y-yes sir…" she answered.

"There is no need for formalities Ms. Higurashi. You may call me Mr. Taisho."

Kagome nodded. How the heck is that any less of a formality?

"What kind of weapon do you own?" he continued the interrogation.

"Umm...it's a forty-five caliber Sig Sauer pistol."

"Do you have a concealed carry license?"

She nodded. "Yes sir, uh, I mean Mr. Taisho." she corrected nervously. "Sango practically insisted I get it."

Just then the topic of conversation came through the door, with Shippo tagging along. Kagome silently thanked any god that was listening for the interruption.

"Hey Kagome!" Shippo chirped.

"Hey guys." Kagome greeted.

"Where do you want this?" Shippo said about the box he was carrying.

"Just anywhere out of the way is fine."

Kagome watched as Shippo and Sango walked past them, and sat the boxes along the back wall of the living room. As the two made their way back toward the door, Sango took advantage of her position of being behind Sesshomaru's back, and pointedly looked him up and down, waggling her eyebrows and giving Kagome a thumbs up. Shippo made a hand gesture that she didn't quite recognize, but was sure meant something obscene.

"Uh, Mr. Taisho, these are my friends and co-workers Shippo Pocket and Sango Miyahara." Kagome introduced in an effort to put an end to their childish shenanigans.

He turned slightly and nodded over his shoulder to the two new arrivals.

"Do you have a room preference, Kagome?" Rin asked as she came bouncing out of the hallway.

Before Kagome could answer, Rin's father interjected. "You will take the bedroom furthest from the door."

He didn't elaborate, but Kagome figured his strategy was to have the armed tenant sleeping closest to the entrance...either that, or he just thought of her as bait to distract any criminals from Rin...either theory seemed entirely possible.

"My brother should be arriving soon with the truck carrying Rin's belongings. I'm afraid I must be going now." he said as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, removing a business card and handing it to Kagome. "My personal number is on the back in case of emergencies. Rin has already given me your phone number."

Kagome nodded. "Thanks."

He turned to Rin and said a quick goodbye.

Kagome watched as Rin threw her arms around his waist in a hug and she couldn't help the mental image of steam rising from their embrace like warm water thrown onto an ice sculpture.

She almost chuckled at the silly thought.

After Rin's father exited they started in on the moving process, the three heading back down to the street to unload the truck. When Kagome exited the building, her attention was drawn around the corner of the building, where she saw was yet another, decided less icy looking silver haired man pulling boxes out of a small rented box truck. No doubt this was Rin's uncle. She could hear the man softly cursing to himself as he worked. When he stood straight, she caught a clear view of two white pointed canine ears on top of his head. They rotated back towards her, evidently catching the sound of her approach. For a moment her heart began to pound, but her logical, scientific mind quickly shook off her anxiety. It was a big city, and there were plenty of people with ears like that. It couldn't possibly be him.

She took it upon herself to give an introduction. "Umm...Excuse me." she said as she approached him. "My name's Ka-" Her introduction died on her lips as he turned to face her, and she got a full view of his face.

"Kagome…?" InuYasha finished for her. He'd thought he smelled her scent when he arrived, but convinced himself it was only his still hungover mind playing tricks on him. "Hey...wha...what are you doing here? Do you live here?" he asked, pointing toward the building.

For a moment Kagome just stood there gaping, trying to register everything that was taking place. How could this be? Had Sango set her up? And if so, why hadn't he taken the time to at least look like he didn't just crawl out of a dumpster? Either way, he was, quite honestly, the last person she wanted to see today. The day she was taking a big step forward in life, and the man who had crushed her self confidence to a fine powder and caused her biggest setback. Just her luck...

"I will live here, after today." she answered him flatly.

"Oh." he nodded slightly. "My niece is moving in here today too." he said, clearly oblivious to the situation.

"Yeah...I'm pretty sure she's my new roommate."

"Wait…" His brow furrowed. "you're Rin's roommate?" he said, unable to hide the slight upturn of his lips, or the excitement in his voice.

Kagome let out a sigh. "Yes...but if I'd have known she was related to you I would have never agreed to it." she said with a pout.

InuYasha crossed his arms. "Really Kagome? Am I really that bad?"

"Yes." she said, mirroring his crossed arms and refusing to make eye contact with him.

"Well, that's really fucking childish."

"You're really fucking childish!" she yelled back at him before gasping dramatically and throwing her hands over her mouth. "You made me say the 'F' word!" she added in a loud whisper.

He found her reaction so incredibly cute, he had to fight the urge to pick her up and squeeze her. "So, I take it you haven't forgiven me then?" he asked with a smirk.

"I haven't really given you much thought at all to be perfectly honest." she snapped, placing her hands on her hips and finally turning to look at him. She was lying, of course, but he didn't need to know that. "You look terrible, by the way." She threw in an insult for good measure.

InuYasha smiled. "Well, you look…" he paused, looking her up and down. "You look really good actually…"

Kagome sputtered and turned away again, her face suddenly feeling rather hot. "Well, I need to get back to helping my friends."

InuYasha chuckled as he watched her scurry toward the building's entrance. "We're both going the same place, ya know. No point in running away." he called out to her back.

Kagome gave a frustrated growl as she picked up the pace and raced through the doors and up the stairs.

"SANGO!" she began to yell as soon as she reached her floor. "SANGO!!!"

As she entered her apartment she saw Sango's head pop out of her bedroom door, a confused look on her face. "You called?"

"Don't act all innocent! You know what you did!"

"What...I...did?" Sango said, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"Drop the act! I know you're friends with that...with that….with THAT!" she sputtered, pointing to InuYasha as he entered the front door, peeking sheepishly over the large box in his hands.

"InuYasha?" Sango said, clearly surprised. "What…? What are you doing here?"

"I'm just helping my niece move." he defended.

"Your niece? So...so you're Mr. Taisho's brother?"

"Keh! Mr. Taisho..." he muttered. "I bet that pompous prick told you to call him that, didn't he?"

By this time Rin and Shippo had also come out to witness the excitement. "So you really didn't know?" Kagome asked, and Sango shook her head in the negative.

"I'd introduce you to my uncle, but it looks like you've already met." Rin said. "Here, let me take that." She approached InuYasha and held out her hands to take the box from his arms.

"I got it." InuYasha said, refusing to let her take the box. "So, how did this...I mean, how is it…" he shook his head. "just how?" he asked in disbelief.

"Kohaku is Sango's brother." Kagome said as if that explained everything.

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" InuYasha asked.

"It's Rin's boyfriend."

InuYasha whipped his head in Rin's direction. "Boyfriend, You say?" he said, raising his eyebrows and shooting her his trademark smirk.

Both of Rin's hands flew to the end of her ponytail and began twirling nervously. "Oh! Um...Yeah...did I not mention that before?" she said chuckling nervously.

"So, your boyfriend suggested Kagome for a roommate?" InuYasha reiterated.

"Well, technically he suggested me to Kagome."

"So this is all just a complete coincidence?" he asked.

"It would appear that way." Sango said nodding.

Well, if this wasn't a sign, InuYasha didn't know what was. "Kagome, can I talk to you?" he looked around the room at the three other sets of eyes watching them expectantly. "Alone?" he added.

"It'll have to wait." she said shortly. "We're in two-hour parking and we've already wasted enough time as it is."

"Well, when we're finished moving this crap, then can we talk?"

She took in a long breath and let it out slowly through her nose as she contemplated her answer. "Sure, why not." she resigned with a shrug.

InuYasha gave an almost imperceivable smile before saying, "Okay. Let's get to it, then." and heading in the direction of Rin's bedroom. Once inside, he quickly discovered that he had fortuitously parked the moving truck just below her second story fire escape, which was easily accessible to him given his advanced physical abilities. This was going to make the moving process a hell of alot easier.

He and Rin quickly worked out an efficient system. He would carry boxes from the truck up to the fire escape, and pass them through the window to her. Within twenty minutes all of the boxes had been moved inside, and all that was left was the furniture, which InuYasha reluctantly accepted help with carrying from Shippo. It wasn't that the furniture was too heavy for him to carry alone, it was just awkward to maneuver up the stairs. He made sure that everyone was fully aware of this undisputable fact.

With finally getting the opportunity to explain himself to Kagome as his motivation, InuYasha completed moving the furniture in record time. Now all that was left was to finish moving the rest of Kagome's boxed belongings and he would finally get his chance to set things straight. But how the hell was he going to do that? He hadn't even given any thought as to what he was going to say to convince her. I'll just show her a picture of Kikyo. She'll have to understand if she sees for herself. I'm sure I have a picture of her on my phone...right? Yeah, of course I do... She was my girlfriend after all...of course I have a picture of her…I probably have tons of them... He internally mused as he headed out the door and back down the stairs to offer his assistance moving the remainder of Kagome's things. As he pushed open the steel door leading into the stairwell, a concerning scent reached his nose, and without a second thought he sprung forward, propelling himself down the stairs.