InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Present Perfect ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Chapter 6

 

 

Inuyasha called EJM on his break between classes the next morning. He and Kagome had decided on a design for the house, and he wanted to get together with the architect to go over the specifics.

 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Peter hurrying down the walk on his way to his next class. With a growl, he closed the phone and sprang after him, careful not to move too quickly in the sea of humans around him.

 

Peter blanched as Inuyasha seemingly materialized in front of him. He knew what was coming. They stood in the middle of the sidewalk between the snow-covered green and the campus bookstore.

 

“Peter,” Inuyasha growled. “Anything you want to tell me?”

 

“Sorry, man. I didn't mean to do it, but, you know, she wouldn't let up. She just kept talking and talking, and before I knew it, she had your address out of me!”

 

“Well, Kagome doesn't like it,” grumbled Inuyasha.

 

“I know. Noriko wasn't too happy with me either,” Peter admitted. “I don't know what they're so worried about. Susan's just a friend.”

 

Inuyasha nodded in agreement. At the same time, he caught a whiff of Susan as the breeze shifted. She was heading towards them on the path. That's right, she had the same class as Peter. Friend or not, he didn't want to have to explain to Kagome what he was doing hanging around Susan. He clapped Peter on the back. “Gotta go,” he said. “See you.” As quickly as he had appeared, he disappeared again, swallowed up by the crowd of students trying to get to class.

 

Susan caught up to Peter and touched his arm. He jumped. “Was that Inuyasha?” she asked. “Where was he going in such a hurry, I wonder. Hey, Peter, did you finish your homework assignment yet? Can I see? I wasn't quite sure how to answer number seven. . . .”

 

Inuyasha watched from the roof of the bookstore as they made their way to their next class. He guessed he and Peter were even now.

 

 

Kagome enjoyed working on plans for the house. It was nice to have a secret just she and Inuyasha shared. Another secret, she amended. Their modern day friends didn't know about the restraining beads or the well either. In a way, she was amazed at how easily their friends had accepted Inuyasha and, with him, proof of the supernatural. Was it, perhaps, some vestigal memory from the days when humans had been much more in tune with the spiritual world? Then again, she had accepted it all rather easily when she first stumbled into the past on her 15th birthday. Maybe it had more to do with being young. Young people were more resilient. They hadn't experienced a lifetime of indisputable reality yet to deaden their senses. Kagome blinked. Where had that thought come from? It wasn't as if she were old, unless having an old soul counted.

 

It looked more and more like they would stay here once school was finished. Inuyasha had his duties to these new youkai, although he kept telling them it was just for four years. She knew him better than he knew himself, however. The longer he stayed, the more he thought of them as `his,' and the more he felt obligated to take care of them. That's why she didn't object too much about building the house, in case it turned out that they stayed longer than four years. The truth of the matter was, she didn't care where—or when—they ended up, as long as she was together with Inuyasha.

 

Now she needed to find her own purpose next to him, not just as his girlfriend. She was a miko in her own right. She wanted to be a miko for youkai in this time and place, much like Rin would be—had been—a miko for youkai back in the Sengoku Jidai. She felt a pang of sorrow whenever she thought of her friends from the other side. Even though she'd been with them just a few weeks ago, she knew in reality that many of them, possibly all of them, were dust now, like Kikyou. Reality was overrated, she thought to herself.

 

“Inuyasha, come here, please!” she called. Inuyasha came bounding out of the bedroom. “I want to try something,” Kagome said. She concentrated for a moment. “Go on, touch me.”

 

Inuyasha wondered what she was up to. He could see the glowing aura start to surround her. If he touched that, he would get burned.

 

“Please?” she asked again. Inuyasha shook his head. Kagome let the aura die down and sighed. “Inuyasha, I'm trying to control it so that I can choose which youkai's power to oppose—or accept.”

 

Inuyasha was skeptical. “Youkai powers and miko powers are different,” he said. “They fight against each other.”

 

“Not always,” replied Kagome. “Remember when we would use the power of your kaze no kizu and my sacred arrow together? It made us stronger then.”

 

“Yeah, but we weren't touching,” objected Inuyasha. “Your miko powers can still hurt me.” He thought about the other night when she was on the couch and mad at him.

 

“I know. That's what I'm trying to control. I just didn't know enough about my own powers back then,” said Kagome. “Do you want to try again?”

 

What was the worst that could happen? He could be burnt to a crisp. “Go ahead,” he said. Might as well get this over with.

 

Kagome began to glow again. With effort, Inuyasha reached forward and touched her shoulder. It was like putting his hand through warm water. It felt soothing, not painful at all. He put his other hand through and pulled her, still glowing, into his embrace. He could feel his own youki respond, and he half-expected sparks to ignite, but they didn't. It felt better than good, it felt right.

 

When Kagome eventually pulled away from him, he felt bereft. “Why did you stop?” he asked her.

 

“I want to test one more thing,” she replied, and Inuyasha had a suspicion he knew what she was about to do. He braced himself. Kagome maintained the glow but something about her aura felt different. This time, when he touched her, he was knocked back several feet and landed on his back in the middle of the living room. His hand smoked.

 

Kagome immediately let her barrier fall and rushed over to Inuyasha. “Are you all right?” she asked in concern, a guilty look on her face. She had suspected this might happen, too. In fact, it was the result she was looking for.

 

“Keh,” replied Inuyasha. He stood up and waited for an explanation, while Kagome turned his charred hand over in her smaller ones, shocked by what her own power had done to him.

 

“I told you I wanted to see if I could control it. I guess I can,” she said.

 

Inuyasha shook out his injured hand. He always knew she had the power to obliterate youkai, and it never scared him before. This new power, to let youkai close within her miko aura, that scared him. “Just be careful, all right?” He wasn't worried for himself. Her little experiment had allowed him to distinguish the difference between her auras. He might get burned again one of these days, but it wouldn't be by accident.

 

By morning, Inuyasha's hand had healed, as he knew it would. Good thing it wasn't his human night. That was tonight, and they were going to have a Miroku party to celebrate—Jen's idea—at his and Kagome's apartment.

 

Kagome bought sushi, figuring it was the one Japanese food her American friends would recognize. Back at the dorm, she'd attempted to cook some traditional Japanese dishes once or twice, only to hear `What's that?' from her roommates, who wouldn't even try a bite. So she was sticking to sushi. Inuyasha's contribution to dinner was ramen noodles, the instant kind, so she had six Styrofoam cups of noodles ready to go on the table, with the sushi in a big platter in the middle. She placed break-apart disposable wooden chopsticks next to each cup, along with a plastic fork in case her friends couldn't get the hang of the chopsticks.

 

Inuyasha had taken to pulling his black hair back in a ponytail on his Miroku nights, leaving his human ears plainly visible. He sat on the sofa, one leg crossed over the opposite knee, and arms stretched out over the back of the sofa on both sides. His foot bobbed impatiently as he waited for their guests to arrive.

 

When the bell rang, he jumped up to get the door. “I should have known,” he muttered, as he stepped aside to let their friends come in.

 

Fenn sauntered past a scowling Inuyasha, grinning hugely. “So it's true,” he commented. “You're human tonight.”

 

It was his own fault for not telling Jen and the others to keep his human night a secret from other youkai. They were smart enough not to mention it to other humans, but they had this crazy idea that the human-looking youkai were harmless. Noriko was the only one of them who had some sense in that regard. Too late now.

 

Jen pressed a paper bag into his hands. “Beer,” she said. “Sapporo. I tried to keep in line with the Japanese theme.”

 

Great. Beer. At least in his human state he could tolerate the smell, although he wouldn't like himself in the morning if he drank one. He passed. He offered one to Fenn, who declined also.

 

Kagome came out of the kitchen as the beer was being offered around. “Oh, I almost forgot!” she said. She hurried into the bedroom and came out with a pretty white bottle. “Plum sake,” she told them. “I packed it in my suitcase for a special occasion.”

 

She poured mouthfuls of the plum sake into plastic cups so that everybody could have a taste. Even Fenn tried some.

 

“Let's eat,” said Inuyasha. Everybody took a seat around the table while Kagome poured boiling water into their Styrofoam cups.

 

“Is this a Japanese tradition?” asked Peter. Noriko tittered behind her hand.

 

“It's an Inuyasha tradition,” replied Kagome. “But tonight we're celebrating Miroku night. Instead of beer, we should be having cola.” Kagome laughed. The real Miroku had enjoyed the cans of cola she brought with her occasionally from her world. Of course, nobody else got it, not even Inuyasha, she thought, until he snickered, and told her that's not all they should be doing if they wanted to make it a real Miroku party.

 

Fenn kept asking Inuyasha questions about his human form, which Inuyasha had no intention of answering. Fenn wasn't his enemy, but Inuyasha was well aware that any information he learned here would be spread to the rest of the new world youkai. Inuyasha's weaknesses were nobody's business but his own.

 

The doorbell rang again as Kagome was clearing away the dishes. It was Susan.

 

“I saw Peter's car outside, so I thought I'd stop in,” she said. “Oh, Miroku. I didn't know you'd be here. Do you remember me, Miroku? I'm Susan, Peter's friend.”

 

Inuyasha nodded, after glancing worriedly at Kagome. “Yeah, hi Soo-sen,” he replied.

 

Fenn raised an eyebrow, and asked, “Does she--?”

 

“No,” said Inuyasha abruptly, not liking the calacuating look that crossed Fenn's face.

 

“Where's Inuyasha?” asked Susan, looking around.

 

“He's not here,” replied Inuyasha. Everyone else just watched to see what would happen next. Susan made herself comfortable on the couch next to Peter. It didn't look like she was leaving any time soon. Inuyasha just hoped that Fenn had understood, and wouldn't make any references to his true identity.

 

The sparkle didn't leave Fenn's eyes. In fact, it grew more pronounced. He found it very interesting that this friend knew nothing about Inuyasha or creatures such as himself. This could be fun.

 

“Hi, Susan. My name is Fenn,” he introduced himself. He was a beautiful young man, with longish pale hair and laughing eyes. “It's a pleasure to meet you.”

 

That was all Susan had to hear. Suddenly everyone else in the room vanished and she focused all her attentions on Fenn. “I haven't seen you around before. Do you go to the university too?”

 

Fenn's eyes twinkled. “No, I'm a little older than I look.”

 

Jenn laughed.

 

“Oh, then do you live around here? Where do you work?” The questions poured out of Susan as they usually did when they pertained to males. She didn't notice the build-up of Fenn's aura, but Kagome did. She nudged Inuyasha, who in his human form was less aware. Inuyasha's eyes narrowed.

 

“Would you like to see where I live?” Fenn asked Susan. “I'll take you there some time. There's a lake behind my house where we can go swimming. I spend a lot of my time out there, and I would love some company. Would you like to see it?” Fenn leaned towards Susan in anticipation.

 

“That would be great!” Susan leaned her head in so that she could exchange phone numbers with Fenn. It was as if the others did not exist. She wriggled closer, unconsciously bathing herself in Fenn's mesmerizing aura.

 

Inuyasha was suspicious of Fenn's motives, and moved between Fenn and the girl. Technically, she wasn't one of his, but he wasn't going to let Fenn just have her.

 

“Soo-sen,” he tapped her shoulder. “Would you like something to eat or drink? I think there's some food left over in the kitchen.”

 

Susan stopped talking at Fenn for a moment. “Miroku,” she said in surprise. “Your English has got a lot better since last time I saw you! Sure, what have you got to eat?”

 

Fenn scowled at Inuyasha as Susan got up and followed Kagome into the kitchen. “What are you trying to do?” he asked.

 

“That's just what I was going to ask you,” replied Inuyasha. “She doesn't know about us. I don't want you hurting her.”

 

“Why would I do that? I thought you wanted us to get closer to humans,” said Fenn. The others looked up in surprise.

 

“Not her.”

 

“Why not?”

 

What could Inuyasha say? Because she could be annoying? Because Kagome didn't like her? Or maybe . . . . “Jen. . .” he began.

 

“Oh no, don't drag me into this,” protested Jen. “I don't own Fenn. We just have fun hanging out, right, Fenn?”

 

Fenn leaned over and hugged Jenn. “Yes, we do,” he replied. “And I'm not planning on sullying her honor or anything like that.”

 

Susan came out with a plate full of sushi and some dipping sauce. “What did I miss?” she asked innocently. Kagome, right behind her, gave Fenn one of the looks she usually reserved for Inuyasha, and let her own aura gather around her. Fenn got the hint.

 

“It's been fun, but I promised Jen I would bring her home,” he said as he stood up. “Nice to meet you, Miroku. We need to do this again, say, in about a month?”

 

Inuyasha growled as well as he was able in human form, but Fenn just laughed.

 

Susan was bewildered. “Will I see you again, Fenn?” she asked, not even fazed that Fenn had his arm around Jen's waist at the time.

 

“Most definitely,” Fenn assured her as they left.

 

The party broke up not long after. Peter and Noriko left in Peter's SUV and Kagome sat on the couch next to `Miroku,' while Susan attempted to make small talk. Inuyasha had learned his lesson, and he made sure all his responses to Susan were in less than perfect English. He could tell Susan was puzzled about `Miroku's' relationship to Kagome, since they had made it quite clear that Inuyasha was Kagome's boyfriend. Poor Susan.

 

Eventually even Susan left, and Kagome snuggled closer to Inuyasha on the sofa. “Do you remember what you said about Miroku earlier?” she asked him as she placed a small kiss on the tip of his nose.

 

Inuyasha pulled her towards him and gave her a much more thorough kiss. He let his right hand slide down to cup her bottom, and he rubbed softly. “What, this?” he said softly.

 

Kagome giggled.

 

 

 

 

 

a/n: I'm trying to get EJM to do another sketch of Inuyasha's house, this time from the cliffside view, so we can see the bedroom overlooking the cliff, and the deck with the hot tub. If I ever get it, I'll attempt to put the fanfiction link in, which I completely missed the first time. If he draws it, I'll mention it at the beginning of a chapter!