InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Present Perfect ❯ Chapter 8 ( Chapter 8 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

 

 

Chapter 8

 

 

Spring break gave Inuyasha and Kagome an opportunity to work on the house. The construction workers must have wondered how they got there every day without a car, but no one ever said anything. It just added to the growing mystique surrounding the house.

 

Kagome kept Inuyasha's restraining beads in her pocket so he could transform. She liked traveling that way, because it kept her warmer than riding out in the open on Inuyasha's back. She was enveloped in his essence when he traveled in spirit form.

 

Since that night a few weeks ago, they had experimented combining Kagome's barrier with Inuyasha's pure spirit form with the result that Kagome could now somewhat obscure her physical body so that it wasn't as visible. She no longer looked like she was floating in mid-air to the average passer-by who might happen to look up.

 

“Inuyasha! Come help me, please?” Kagome and about thirty insubstantial youkai were attempting to drag a log over to the roaring fire the construction workers had left for them when they went home at dusk.

 

Inuyasha leaped over the foundation, where he had been inspecting the day's work, mainly to see how they had done it. The whole construction project interested him greatly. “Keh,” he said, as he hefted the log over his shoulders and brought it to the fire pit. Half the youkai hitched a ride on the log. With a flick of his wrist, Inuyasha cut the log into smaller pieces, while the youkai hopped off at the last possible second. He tossed the pieces onto the fire and put his arm around Kagome, who had come up beside him.

 

“Are you cold?” he asked.

 

“Not really. The fire keeps me warm,” she replied.

 

“The fire, huh?”

 

Kagome giggled as Inuyasha pulled her closer. Over by the foundation walls, the little fox girl waited for Inuyasha to return. She had taken to following him around the construction site, like a puppy, Kagome thought with a smile. He spoke Japanese to her and she answered him in English. It really was very cute.

 

The youkai had become bolder around the human construction workers. Today one of the workers kept brushing his ear, as if a stray hair was tickling him. Kagome, who could plainly see the little wood youkai perched on his shoulders, had to turn away to keep from laughing at the poor man's predicament. On the one hand, she felt bad about encouraging her youkai to play little tricks on the workers, however harmless those tricks were. On the other hand, she couldn't help feeling proud at how much more tangible her youkai were becoming. Some of them were almost ready to follow the little fox girl and take on a specific physical form.

 

The main footprint of the house was finished. There was a central core from which two wings extended on either side, and a low, one-story circular wing faced the woods. When it was finished, the house would be multi-leveled. Their upper-level bedroom would overlook the cliff so that the light of the morning sun would greet them when they woke up. Throughout the house would be lots of windows to let in the light. The entire front circular room would have walls of glass to catch the last rays of the setting sun. Kagome was excited to be a part of the planning process. It was going to be a beautiful home.

 

She and Inuyasha got to choose the colors and the materials. Inuyasha chose dark wood and dark shingles for the outside, so that the house would blend in with the surrounding forest. They chose stone to accent the outside and carried it over to the central fireplace inside.

 

Kagome chose the colors for the inside, and although for the most part she stuck with earth tones, she kept to the lighter shades for brightness. It would be a while yet before the actual inside work began, but they hoped to have it completed by summer.

 

On the last day of their vacation, Kagome placed a small package in the bottom of her backpack. She wanted to mark the occasion with a small celebration. She also threw in some treats for the little youkai, a reward of lollipops if they could hold their physical forms enough to take it.

 

It turned out to be a beautiful day. The framing had gone up the day before, and the workers were finishing up a few last pieces. The actual building would start next week. Around three p.m., the builders wrapped up for the weekend and went home early.

 

Kagome had wanted to do this since she first found out that Inuyasha now owned this piece of land. Now, with the building taking shape, it was time. She excused herself and went into the little construction trailer the men had parked off to the side of the main building site. Quickly she changed, and went back outside. The sun was beginning to set, bathing the entire hilltop in reddish gold. She shivered, rubbing her arms underneath her sleeves. Although it was early spring, it was still fairly cold.

 

Inuyasha was racing around the clearing with a cloud of youkai at his heels. He skidded to a stop when he saw her. Even from where Kagome was standing, she could see his eyes blink in confusion.

 

The youkai swirled around him, then over him and towards Kagome. Inuyasha's hand half went out, to warn them, to warn her, he wasn't sure himself. He let his arm fall back to his side and stood rooted to his spot as Kagome slowly walked towards him, surrounded by joyful youkai. Stupid youkai, that didn't realize who stood among them.

 

“It's all right, Inuyasha,” said Kagome softly. She reached up on tiptoe and kissed the tip of his nose. “I know I look like her. We share the same soul, remember?”

 

Inuyasha suddenly crushed Kagome to him in a fierce embrace. She could feel him trembling with emotion. Ever since she had come back from the Sengoku Jidai with all of her soul back, Kagome had felt at peace with the part of her that was Kikyou. First, when she and Inuyasha finally declared their love, and finally with the regaining of the last piece of her soul, Kagome felt secure in herself. She was Kagome, and yet she had been Kikyou too. Both of her had loved Inuyasha, and Inuyasha had loved both of her. She needed to tell him.

 

She caught his mouth with her own and kissed him deeply, with all the feeling Kikyou had never had a chance to express in her lifetime.

 

“K—“ began Inuyasha. Kagome was fully prepared to hear Kikyou's name spill from his lips, and she was Ok with it this time. But he didn't say it. “K—Kagome,” he whispered, before he pressed his mouth to hers again.

 

She broke away reluctantly, and took Inuyasha by the hand. There was still one thing she needed to do. In the dying light, not letting go of Inuyasha's hand, she let her own power flare. Inuyasha trusted Kagome. He didn't let go even when he felt the heat of her spiritual power build and swell.

 

“Now you,” she told him. With his free hand Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and watched it transform above his head. He swung it once, letting its youkai power merge with Kagome's spiritual power. The hillside erupted in light.

 

“Come on,” Kagome called softly to their youkai, who cowered just at the edge of the woods, uncertain whether to flee or to stay. Slowly they crept back, passing through the combined barrier with no ill effects. They sat by Kagome and Inuyasha's feet, and Valynne hesitantly clutched Inuyasha's pant leg, needing that touch for reassurance. Kagome pressed the barrier out to encompass the entire hilltop.

 

There. The land was now blessed. Their youkai would have free access, but any other youkai would need specific permission to approach.

 

Inuyasha looked at her admiringly. Neat trick. By combining their powers, she had made the place truly theirs. She was a wonderful woman, his Kagome. He had to admit, the miko clothes had given him quite a shock. For a moment he even thought he caught Kikyou's scent. But it was his beloved Kagome who stood before him. He had lost her once before, when she had been Kikyou. He would never lose her again.

 

Now Kagome sat by the fire handing out sweets to the suddenly corporeal youkai who surrounded her. She looked beautiful in her miko clothes, but it wasn't Kikyou that he was seeing now, it was all Kagome. She caught him staring at her and stood, gathering up her bag. “Are we ready to go?” she asked him. It was dark already.

 

“No,” he growled. “We're not done blessing the land.” Kagome's eyebrows rose, two question marks.

 

He glanced at their youkai with blood-red eyes, and growled softly, “Go.” They got the message. Quickly scooping up their lollipops, they fled into the shady depths of the woods, grinning back at him as they went.

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

He stomped over to Kagome and grabbed her arm. “Let's go.” He pulled her along with him to the construction trailer. “Take it off,” he said, unconsciously repeating his words of long ago when she had dared to wear Kikyou's clothes. For just a second, Kagome worried that she had offended him by putting on the miko clothes, bringing back painful memories. She needn't have worried.

 

“For this blessing you don't need any special clothes,” he clarified, as he helped her to disrobe. Then he wrapped her in his red outer shirt and sprang with her in his arms back to the fireside. He gently laid her down with the haori as their blanket. It was toasty warm by the fire, and Inuyasha was toasty warm as he lay down beside her. He glanced up and asked her, “Can you?”

 

Catching his meaning, Kagome nodded and opaqued her barrier. Little eyes didn't need to see this. Then they proceeded to finish blessing the land until the sun rose.