InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 2: Defiance ❯ Matters of the Heart ( Chapter 11 )

~~Chapter 11~~

~Matters of the Heart~

 

~*~

 

 

InuYasha sat cross-legged on the floor staring out the glass doors at the pond and the woods beyond. Lost in thought, his golden gaze unblinking, unseeing, he didn't move at all. He drew a deep breath and absently flicked his ears—a habit borne of years when he'd never been able to let his guard down; not even for a moment.

 

“What are you thinking about?” Kagome asked as she emerged from the laundry room with a basket full of fluffy dried towels.

 

“Keh.”

 

Kagome grinned and sat down on the sofa to fold the laundry, shaking her head at her own silliness. She really hadn't had to ask him what he was thinking about. She knew, didn't she, because she worried about him, too. “Toga?”

 

InuYasha folded his arms together but didn't move otherwise. “A human, huh?”

 

Kagome sighed. “Apparently.”

 

“Sesshoumaru ain't going to like that.”

 

“I didn't really think so, myself.”

 

InuYasha turned his head, grinning mischievously. “So . . . do you think Kagura told the bastard?”

 

Kagome made a face. “I don't know. Probably not. You won't either; you hear me?”

 

InuYasha rolled his eyes. “Keh! Take the fun out of everything, why don't you, wench?”

 

She smiled. “Well, maybe not everything . . .”

 

With a wicked glint in the eyes she loved so much, InuYasha rolled to his knees and stalked toward Kagome on his hands and knees. “You know, Kagome . . . the pups are gone . . .”

 

“They are, aren't they?” she agreed but couldn't help the slight blush that rose to stain her cheeks.

 

“Damn straight, they are . . . kind of nice, ain't it?”

 

As if in answer to InuYasha's subtle hint, Kagome sighed as the front door slammed. “Bakas!” a female voice rang out in the otherwise quiet house.

 

At the sound of the bellow, InuYasha sprang to his feet and crossed his arms over his chest, legs askew as he waited for his aforementioned `pups' to enter the living room.

 

“Keh! Give it up, Gin. That bastard ain't never gonna be good enough to lick your feet, let alone date you,” Ryomaru growled as the twins followed a very irritated Gin into the room.

 

“What was that?” InuYasha demanded.

 

Gin stopped in her tracks, casting Kagome an imploring look that clearly stated that the young hanyou girl wanted her mother's backing on this.

 

“Caught some baka who thought he could get a little too close to Gin,” Kichiro remarked, crossing his arms over his chest in a mirrored stance of their father.

 

Gin rolled her eyes and flipped her silvery locks over her shoulder. “I dropped my bag, and he was trying to help me pick up my things when these two dog-boys decided to shove him up against the side of the building.”

 

“Boys . . .” Kagome began in her sternest tone. The twins' ears flattened.

 

“Who was he?” InuYasha broke in.

 

“Hakura Akiro,” Gin supplied. “He's one of the most popular guys at the college, and—”

 

InuYasha snorted, having had the whelp in his classes before. “Good job, boys. Keep that trouser-sniffer away from your sister.”

 

“InuYasha!” Kagome countered with a frown, having noticed the upset in their daughter's expression.

 

“No way, wench. I'll beat him down, myself, if he has the guts to come around here.”

 

Kagome sighed and stood up. “Come on, Gin. Help me with dinner, okay?”

 

Gin didn't look like she wanted to comply, but she obediently followed her mother into the kitchen, daring to cast her father a sad, almost pouting, look.

 

Careful to keep his expression stern, InuYasha silently marveled at just how very much like her mother Gin really was—and how much she looked like her, too, despite the vibrant hanyou coloring that she'd inherited solely from him.

 

“We can't stay,” Ryomaru called after Kagome. “Got big plans.”

 

InuYasha eyed his sons speculatively. “What kind of plans?”

 

Kichiro blinked innocently. “Nothing.”

 

InuYasha wasn't buying, and his derisive snort stated as much. “Keh! Don't give me that shit. I'm on to you two. Now tell me what the hell you've got planned.”

 

Exchanging significant looks, the two grinned at their father. “Just a night out with some friends,” Ryo hedged.

 

InuYasha narrowed his gaze and shot a significant look of his own toward the fireplace and the rusty old sword hanging over the mantle. “I'm not as blind as your mother,” InuYasha remarked casually enough. “I know you two. You'd better pray your mother doesn't find out because if she does, she'll purify both your asses, you got that?”

 

“Yes, Father,” Ryomaru answered with a straight face.

 

“Oi!” InuYasha bellowed since he hated being called that, in particular.

 

The two darted for the front door. InuYasha shook his head slowly as the slam echoed in their wake. Kagome's sons were hell-bent on destruction, InuYasha just knew it . . .

 

 

-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-

 

 

Kagura sat on the huge bed with her legs curled under her as she leafed through an old photo album with a sad smile.

 

“Mama, what do you think of these flowers?” Aiko breezed into the bedroom and stopped short, a concerned frown casting her amber eyes in cloudy distress. “You miss him. I do, too.”

 

Kagura smiled and hugged her daughter as Aiko settled on the edge of the bed. Idly smoothing back the long silvery strands, Kagura turned her attention to the flowers in the younger woman's hand. “They're lovely, of course.”

 

Aiko shook her head slowly. “Do you think he'll come?”

 

“I'm almost afraid if he does . . .” Kagura admitted.

 

“Surely Papa won't argue with him at the wedding,” Aiko assured her mother though she didn't look all that sure of herself.

 

Kagura shook her head. “That's not what I'm afraid of . . .” She sighed. “Toga's got a . . . friend.”

 

“A friend?” Aiko echoed with a frown.

 

“A human friend.”

 

Eyes widening in sudden understanding, Aiko's mouth rounded into a silent `oh'. “That's not good . . . Papa's not going to like that.”

 

Kagura smiled at her daughter's massive underassessment. “What do you think, Aiko? Do you think your father's being unreasonable?”

 

Aiko sighed and shrugged. “I don't know . . . I mean, yes, I think he is, but . . . I sort of think that I can understand his concern . . . but I don't think he has the right to tell Toga who can or can't make him happy . . . isn't that what's important? That he's happy? That he finds his mate—his true mate, no matter what she is?”

 

Kagura nodded. “I wish I could get your father to see that, too . . . and your brother is just as stubborn as Sesshoumaru has ever been . . .”

 

Aiko leaned her head on her mother's shoulder. “Papa says it's all Uncle Inu's fault . . .”

 

Kagura rolled her eyes. “He would. Trust me; it has more to do with your father than it does your Uncle InuYasha. They're both just too stubborn to admit it.”

 

Aiko sighed. “Mama?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Do you think Toga misses us?”

 

Kagura hugged her daughter again. “I'm sure he does, Aiko.”

 

Aiko nodded slowly and hugged her mother back.

 

 

-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-0-=-

 

 

Sierra threw her head back in laughter as Toga jammed his hands deeper into his pockets and shook his head, a bashful grin surfacing as he turned his face to the side, trying to hide his obvious embarrassment.

 

“Is it so bad, Toga?” she teased, referring to the old couple they'd passed on the corner. The woman had nudged the man and, nodding toward the two, had commented on how nice it was to see such a beautiful young couple.

 

“Of course not,” he agreed. “Just . . . is that what we are? A couple?”

 

Sierra stopped abruptly and slowly turned to face him. The afternoon sunshine of the late autumn day reflected in those startling amber eyes to make Sierra's stomach erupt in a spiral of butterflies that tickled and teased her belly. “Are we?”

 

Toga's smile seemed to falter just a little as he shrugged. “Is that what you want?”

 

She suddenly laughed again, shaking her head as she tried to stop her humor. “We're sad, huh? We just keep asking, and—”

 

He caught her hand and pulled her close, ignoring the passers-by who stopped to eye the two as though they'd gone insane. Before she could think, before she could react, before she knew much of anything at all, his lips touched hers, and everything else faded away. His hair was caught in the chilly breeze, whipping around the two of them as she pushed herself onto her toes, leaning against him, hands on his shoulders.

 

The innate sweetness of the moment seemed to meld into something a little brighter, a little headier, a little more brilliant than anything she could have ever imagined. His arms held her close, the touch soothing yet invigorating at the same time. She'd hadn't dared to consider what it would really be like, this moment, but if she had, she knew deep down that it wouldn't have mattered. Nothing on earth could have prepared her for it: for the aching sense of tenderness that brought tears to her eyes, that filled her chest with emotion so poignant, so beautiful, that she couldn't do anything but hold onto him.

 

The incredible gentleness behind his actions tempered the heady sensations as the butterflies in her stomach broke free. Her body felt lighter than air, the thoughts in her mind drifted into incoherence. The feel of his mouth, so soft, so tender against hers was enough, and she sighed. Nothing seemed to matter as sound faded away; nothing penetrated the wonder surrounding her, cosseting her in an engulfing sense of belonging. Warm and inviting, something about Toga, about his kiss precluded anything she might have thought, any protest that might have surfaced. `I belong . . . with him . . . ?' She smiled.

 

Toga drew away, the light of bemusement clouding his vision as he stared at her. Sierra had to blink to clear her own line of sight, and when she saw that look in his eyes, she couldn't help but laugh. What was it about him that made her feel so happy?

 

“I guess that was a little forward of me,” he remarked with an unrepentant smile as the two started along the sidewalk again. He hesitantly took her hand. She squeezed his fingers gently.

 

“It was,” Sierra agreed with a wide grin.

 

He chuckled. “I guess I could apologize.”

 

“You could.”

 

She felt his gaze slip toward her, and she tried not to smile.

 

“And how could I do that?”

 

Sierra felt her cheeks heat under his scrutiny. “I'll think of something.”

 

They stopped outside Sierra's apartment building. Toga nodded at the doors. “Thanks for going to dinner with me,” he remarked, sounding a lot more formal than he normally did.

 

Sierra checked her watch. True, she had to be at work by five a.m. to set up for a meeting, but it wasn't even seven yet. There was still time. “You don't want to come up for a little while?”

 

Toga shrugged, his cheeks coloring just slightly. “If you'd like.”

 

Sierra giggled. “You've gone all formal on me, haven't you?”

 

He chuckled. “Maybe. I'm new to this sort of thing.”

 

She led the way inside, tugging him along by the hand. “You can't be that new at this sort of thing,” she remarked as they started up the stairs. “You've dated before. You said so.”

 

“You'd be surprised,” he answered, his tone drier than normal.

 

Sierra stopped on the steps and shot him a quick look. “I guess,” she agreed finally as she started climbing again. “Fujiko's brothers were pretty big.”

 

“Fujiko's brothers?”

 

“Yeah . . . in the park?”

 

“Oh, them . . . yeah . . . yeah.”

 

She stopped again and glanced at him. Staring at the stairs with a consternated frown, Toga seemed lost in thought. Sierra turned to face him. “Toga?”

 

“Pardon?' he responded as he snapped out of his reverie.

 

She licked her lips and tried to sound nonchalant. “That night in the park . . . how was it that you moved so fast? I could barely see you . . .”

 

“It was dark.” He was hedging, and she knew it.

 

“Sure, but . . .”

 

Toga sighed. “There are things that you don't know about me,” he said slowly.

 

Sierra stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. He was avoiding her gaze, his eyes darting from side to side as though he were taking in everything about the area without being conspicuous, and while she was sure that part of it was nervousness, she'd noticed that sort of thing far too often for it to be coincidental . . . Things she didn't know about him? Maybe, but even so . . . why did she suddenly feel like she was better off not knowing? She shoved that thought aside and smiled. “Are you a convicted murderer?”

 

Toga blinked. “No . . .”

 

“Rapist?”

 

“No.”

 

“Girlfriend beater?”

 

“No.”

 

“Child molester?”

 

“No.”

 

“Sexual deviant?”

 

“No!”

 

“Son of a mobster?”

 

“No.”

 

“Any felonies?”

 

His expression turned chagrined. “Keh! No.”

 

She sighed. “Then it can't be that bad. Come on.”

 

He looked as though he wanted to say something but followed Sierra up the rest of the stairs and down the hallway to her apartment door. The telephone was ringing. Sierra hurriedly unlocked the door and ran inside to intercept the apparatus. “Hello?”

 

Toga turned on the lights as Sierra frowned.

 

“Sierra? This is your father. I was hoping to hear from you soon.”

 

Swallowing the instantaneous surge of panic that shot through her, she glanced at Toga who was pulling his coat off and carefully hanging it up. “Now's not a good time . . . I haven't decided yet,” she said, her voice dropping almost to a whisper.

 

The man sighed. “Not to pressure you, but there really isn't that much time. I didn't want to say this before because I didn't want you to come out of guilt, but your mom's sick, and—”

 

“My mom is fine . . . I assume you're talking about my biological mother?” Sierra cut in icily, gripping the phone so tightly that her fingertips turned white.

 

He was silent for a moment, as though Sierra's words had hurt him. “Darling, we never—”

 

She couldn't help the violent and ugly surge of absolute outrage that shot through her. “Don't call me that. You gave up the right to call me that.”

 

Toga's hand on her shoulder offered her a semblance of calm. It blunted the emotions but it didn't remove them entirely.

 

The man tried again. “Please . . . it would mean the world to your . . . to Anne.”

 

Her voice was trembling with her rising upset. “I told you: I'll think about it. Calling and hounding me isn't really aiding your cause.”

 

“But—”

 

Sierra blinked in surprise as Toga's hand snatched the receiver out of her hand. She turned to look at him, frowning at what could only be described as a snarl on his face as he brought the phone to his ear. “She told you how she feels. Leave her alone, or I'll make damn sure that you never find her again. When she makes a decision one way or another, she'll call you.”

 

That said, Toga slammed the receiver down and uttered a low growl.

 

Sierra managed a weak laugh. “Sometimes I think you were a dog in a past life,” she remarked, trying to lighten her own mood by teasing Toga—trying to keep herself from breaking down completely and unaccountably angry that those people could hold that much sway over her emotions, in the first place.

 

He slowly turned his gaze on her, his eyes dark, fierce. “A past life?”

 

Sierra jumped as the phone rang again. With yet another growl, Toga snatched up the receiver and brought it to his ear. “Yes?” His mutinous glower dissipated and turned almost sheepish as he blushed deep red. “Oh, uh, y-y-yes, here.”

 

Holding the receiver out with his hand over the mouthpiece, Toga winced. “Your . . . mama.”

 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Sierra took the phone and shot Toga a wan smile. “Hi, Mom.”

 

“Toga is answering your phone?”

 

Sierra made a face as Toga headed toward the refrigerator. “No . . . I had a prank call a few minutes ago.”

 

“Oh . . . I've told you, dear, an unlisted phone number is a God-send.”

 

“Yeah . . . maybe I should do that.”

 

Mrs. Crawford laughed. “I was calling to ask you if you were bringing . . . anyone . . . to Thanksgiving dinner?”

 

Sierra winced. There was nothing at all subtle about that hint, was there? Suddenly, she smiled just a little and peeked over her shoulder at Toga. “Anyone in particular?” she hedged.

 

Her mother sighed. “Hm, I can't imagine . . .”

 

Sierra gave in. “Let me ask.” She turned and gasped since Toga was right behind her. She hadn't heard him approach. “Toga . . . Mom wanted to know if you were interested in coming with me to Thanksgiving dinner?”

 

Toga looked apprehensive at best. “Isn't that for family?”

 

She shrugged. “Did you have plans already?”

 

“No,” he admitted. She raised an eyebrow. He handed her a bottle of water and nodded as he moved off toward the sofa.

 

“Okay,” she told her mother.

 

“Good . . . wonderful . . . your brothers were telling me about him, and Brent can't wait to meet him.”

 

Sierra made a face. Out of all of her brothers, Brent was by far the hardest to impress. “Mom, will you tell Brent he'd better not try any of his stonewall-crap with Toga?”

 

Her mother sighed. “I can't guarantee anything, but yes, I'll try.”

 

Figuring that was the best she was likely to get, Sierra made small talk for a few more minutes before hanging up the phone. She wandered over and sat down next to Toga. As if he sensed her warring emotions, he pulled her against his chest and rested his cheek on her hair. “Is dinner with your family really that bad?” he teased.

 

“Could be,” she allowed with a shake of her head. “Brent can be a jerk, you know?”

 

“Mm . . . big brother,” he agreed. “I would have paid someone to take Aiko off my hands . . .”

 

She tugged on a lock of hair that had fallen over his shoulder but laughed just a little. “You wouldn't have,” she challenged.

 

Toga let out a deep breath. “No, I wouldn't have. Then again, her mate's a pretty nice guy.”

 

She blinked and leaned away to look at him. “Mate?”

 

He looked startled for a moment, then he grinned. “Well, Aiko is kind of an animal . . .”

 

Rolling her eyes, she settled against his chest once more. “And they're getting married,” she concluded.

 

“Yes . . . and I'm sure that my father couldn't be happier.”

 

She frowned slightly at the bitterness that tinged Toga's voice. “So he approves,” she mused.

 

“Yes, he approves. Of course he approves. What Father doesn't approve of is me and my choices . . .” Toga sighed and rubbed his eyes in an infinitely weary sort of way. “Sorry,” he apologized.

 

Sierra shook her head. “Don't,” she said simply. “You've let me whine and complain. I think you're entitled.”

 

His silence was dubious at best.

 

She sighed, too, and accepted the comfort he offered, allowing herself a moment to revel in the complete and utter sense of safety that he afforded her. “Should I do it?” she finally asked.

 

He seemed to understand her half-question. “Only if you want to.”

 

Swallowing hard, she snuggled a little closer as his arms tightened around her. “. . . Would you . . .? Will you come with me if I go?”

 

Toga squeezed her gently. “If you want me to.”

 

She sighed again and squirmed around to get more comfortable. “Thank you.”

 

He kissed her forehead, holding her close enough to listen to his beating heart. “You're welcome.”

 

 

~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~* ~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~*~=~

A/N:

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Reviewers

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Mad-Apotheotic (FFnet) :

One question has bugging me recently: if Toga and Aiko are Kagura's sons, shouldn't they inherit the power of wind youkai? And on another note, I ADORE Rin, so if when Meta and this are finished you could be bothered to write another one about Purity's Rin/Sess, just a few chapters of their parental relationship(I've always found it so cutteww). It would make me weep to see Rin asking "Sesshoumaru-sama... can I call you father, Sesshoumaru-sama?" =)

 

Toga has none of his mother's wind power, Aiko does (It is mentioned in one of the oneshots . . .) Not sure if I'll do another Purity sequel . . .Well, never say never … InuYasha's boys are quite the handful … They might be fun to tear into …

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Jaxomruth (AFFnet) :

After seeing Sierra in the tree, I can't help but wonder if she is part cat youkai. Would that just annoy the hell out of Fluffy?

 

MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!! That so would . . . LOL!!!

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Aitu(MMorg) :
I saw that someone else mentioned this but will Sierra's biological father be demon and for some reason all her demon stuff is hidden and since she's been raised by humans she has all of the human qualities that Toga has wanted in a demon mate--which, at the same time, will please Sexxhoumaru???

 

Sierra's lineage, which should prove interesting, will be revealed sooner (or later)… For now, though, I'll just say . . . I think Toga would definitely sense it if she were either youkai or even hanyou … And Sesshoumaru may just have to live with whatever choice Toga makes … Muahahahahahahahahahahaha.

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btrains126(FFnet) :

Oh - just realized - GREEN EYES? Is she related to Shippou? Knowing you - probably not but it's a good guess! Maybe she's Sesshoumaru's ? Again, probably not but its still a good guess.

 

Nope… not related to Shippou, and good LORD not Sesshoumaru's . . . and if she were, then Toga would have smelled that, I think…

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MMorg

Shadow_Within (i logged in last time) ------ nymphminxgoddess ------ DarklessVasion ------ angelica incarnate (ia apparently NOT ALLOWEED TO SIGN IN) ------ FullmetalArchivist

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FFnet

Flames101 ------ BloodyKitsune ------ Rinicat ------ myeerah ------ Kitsama ------ grand admiral chelli ------ angel8818

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AFFnet ------ AScom

Meres (Funny you should say that… lolol!!) ------ Midnight_Sparrow ------ akdreamer ------ inugrl15 ------ Asilin

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Final Thought from Sierra:

Toga . . . how about another of those kisses . . . ?

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Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Defiance): I do not claim any rights to InuYasha or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi, et al. I do offer my thanks to her for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.

 

~Sue~