InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 2: Defiance ❯ Explanations ( Chapter 41 )

~~Chapter 41~~

~Explanations~

 

“So you're telling me she's descended from that pervert?”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes. “And Sango. Sango wasn't a pervert.”

 

InuYasha snorted. “Feh! She might have been once the monk rubbed off on her.”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes again. “That's great, though . . . I wonder if Sierra has any of Miroku's spiritual power?”

 

InuYasha suddenly grinned. “Dunno about spiritual power, but from what I hear she had Toga on the ropes.”

 

Toga grimaced as he kicked his feet under the blanket that Sierra had informed him to stay under just before she'd headed off to take a shower. After blistering his ears over what she thought was his lack of good judgment, she'd told him what her biological mother had written in the book. He had just passed that information along to Uncle Yasha and Aunt Gome to circumvent his uncle's teasing. It had worked for about ten minutes . . . . “She's kind of scary when she's mad.”

 

InuYasha shook his head. “If she's anything like Sango, that don't really surprise me.”

 

“InuYasha!” Kagome complained with a shake of her head. “That's not even funny . . . .”

 

“It wasn't supposed to be, wench. Sango was a little scary when she was mad.”

 

“You never said that to her.”

 

“Feh! That's because I liked my parts where they are, thanks.”

 

Kagome heaved a sigh but grinned as she turned her attention back to her nephew again. “You look much better, Toga. I'm glad.”

 

“I feel better,” he agreed. “I'd feel even more so if I could take a shower.”

 

InuYasha wrinkled his nose. “You can say that again, pup.”

 

Toga grimaced at his uncle. “If Sierra wouldn't have a fit, I would.”

 

InuYasha shook his head. “You're gonna let her tell you what to do?”

 

That earned him a dark scowl from his mate.

 

Toga hid his amusement as InuYasha's ears flattened a little. “For now, yes.”

 

InuYasha snorted but scooted back in his seat when Kagome leaned toward him.

 

After pinning the hanyou with one last, long look, Kagome turned her attention back on Toga as her smile resurfaced. “I told Kagura that we'd be happy to have Sierra stay with us.”

 

Toga's amusement disappeared. “What?”

 

InuYasha's lazy grin widened. “Ears broke, pup? You didn't really think that she was staying here with you, did you?”

 

Toga opened his mouth to reply then snapped it closed again. It was his opinion that Uncle Yasha was enjoying this a little too much. “Why can't she stay here?”

 

Kagome was the one who spoke next. “Your mother thought that Sierra---being human---would rather be married first, Toga . . . and I agree.”

 

“What do you think I'm going to do? Attack her? For the love of kami, I'm still bedridden,” Toga argued.

 

InuYasha snorted. “And your bastard father was concerned that your Mokomoko-sama already smelled . . . strange. Be a shame if you couldn't wear it to your own wedding, wouldn't it?”

 

Toga winced. “That was an accident,” he mumbled, fighting back the flush that heated his cheeks.

 

InuYasha grinned as Kagome stared at the ceiling. “Accidental, huh? I hear you, Toga.”

 

“InuYasha . . .” Kagome began in a warning tone.

 

“I get the point,” Toga grumbled.

 

“What point?”

 

He stifled a groan as Sierra wandered back into the room wearing one of his shirts and a very large pair of sweatpants that obviously had to be tied up to keep them on her. She was toweling her hair dry, and she smiled at Toga, which made him feel quite a bit better---until InuYasha opened his mouth to say something.

 

Kagome rose out of her seat to clamp a hand over the hanyou's mouth. “We were just telling Toga that we would love to have you stay with us while you're here.”

 

Toga didn't miss the questioning glance that Sierra shot him. He grimaced and shrugged just a little. “Uh . . . oh . . . okay.”

 

Kagome took her hand away from InuYasha's mouth to grab his hands instead. “Come on, InuYasha. I'm sure Sierra and Toga had better things to talk about, and we're just in the way.”

 

InuYasha made a face. “Nice try, wench. Sesshoumaru wanted---”

 

Kagome tugged on his hands. “Since when have you cared what Sesshoumaru wanted? Now come on!”

 

“But---”

 

“We can come get her later, InuYasha.”

 

“Oi!”

 

Toga shook his head slowly as Aunt Gome dragged Uncle Yasha out of the room.

 

“What was that all about?” Sierra asked, her tone reluctant as she sat down in one of the vacated chairs.

 

“I don't think you want to know,” Toga admitted.

 

Sierra looked like she might agree despite the quirking of one eyebrow. “Probably not,” she agreed. “So tell me.”

 

He made a face. “Father and Mother thought it would be best if you stayed with Uncle Yasha and Aunt Gome, is all.”

 

“Because we aren't married, you mean?”

 

Toga jerked his head in agreement.

 

She smiled and shrugged. “It's probably best,” she mused, “since I want you to concentrate on getting better, anyway.”

 

“I'd heal faster if you were here with me.”

 

“I am here with you,” she countered as she scooted off the chair and onto the bed beside him. “You look tired again.”

 

He started to argue with her but a yawn cut him off. “Why don't you lie down with me?” he conceded.

 

Sierra thought it over and shrugged. “A nap wouldn't be a bad idea,” she allowed. “Let me dry my hair or something.”

 

Toga grabbed her hand and tugged until she stretched out beside him. “You're fine,” he argued as his eyes closed. “I don't have a hair dryer.”

 

“Mmm,” she murmured as she snuggled closer beside him, her head resting on his good shoulder as she relaxed. “M'kay.”

 

 

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

 

 

“Come on, Toga,” Sierra prodded as she held the spoon in front of his face. “You're always hungry, and none of that, `I don't need human food,' business, either.”

 

Toga wrinkled his nose dubiously at the herbal concoction she was trying to make him eat. “I can feed myself,” he pointed out.

 

“Sure you can,” she agreed. “Humor me, then.”

 

He shook his head. “There's nothing in that,” he argued. “It's just colored water.”

 

“Colored water with vitamins and stuff,” she informed him as she poked the spoon against his lips. “Now eat it.”

 

He opened his mouth to tell her that he wasn't going to eat it. She shoved the spoon into his mouth. “Trying to choke me?” he challenged after he swallowed the tepid broth.

 

“If you'd cooperate I wouldn't have to,” she retorted as she refilled the spoon.

 

Toga made a face at the broth that dripped off the spoon onto his chest. “This is entirely unnecessary,” he said as he gently pushed her hand away. “That stuff reeks.”

 

Sierra sniffed it then shrugged. “Kichiro said that it would help you.”

 

Toga snorted. “Feh! When we were younger, he and Ryo spent entirely too much time trying to pull pranks on me. I've very little doubt that this is just another one of his stupid jokes.”

 

Sierra rolled her eyes. “I don't think that's true. Anyway, it can't hurt, can it?”

 

“You'd be amazed,” he countered dryly as he gently shoved her hand away again.

 

She gave up with a heavy sigh, dropping the spoon into the cup before she set them both on the nightstand. “You win, Toga, but you really do need to eat something.”

 

“What I need,” he grumbled as he sat up straighter, “is for everyone to stop trying to tell me what I need.”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“It means that I don't think anyone has any real idea what's best for me.”

 

Sierra sat back and stared at him for several moments before she broke into a slight smile. “Why do I have the feeling this is about more than the herbal remedy Kichiro made for you?”

 

Toga snorted again. “It doesn't matter.”

 

She narrowed her gaze as she stared at the pouting expression on his features. “Does this have something to do with my staying with your aunt and uncle?”

 

“No,” he grumbled then grimaced. He let out a long, exaggerated sigh as he tried to look like he didn't care. “They, uh . . . they just don't think it's a good idea for you to stay here with me until after we . . . umm, that is . . . if you'll . . . marry me?” he mumbled as he tried to avoid looking at her.

 

She sat still, her heart lodging itself in her throat as she swallowed hard. “You . . . you're asking?”

 

He winced. “Not if you're going to say no.”

 

Sierra grinned at his grumbled reply. “You think I'd say no?”

 

“I asked you before. I never took back the offer.”

 

“Do youkai normally get married?”

 

Toga shrugged and tried to look nonchalant, crossing his arms over his chest with only the barest twinge from his wounds. She had been relieved that in the three days since her arrival, he'd recovered a lot faster than she thought he would have. If she hadn't known that he was close to dying days before, she never would have believed it. “Not always . . . sometimes. Aiko did. It's mainly for show, but you're human.”

 

“So you'd marry me because of that?”

 

He nodded. “There's that.”

 

“What else is there?”

 

A quiet emotion filled his gaze, a hint of reluctance, as though he were afraid of something that he didn't want to voice. Toga frowned as he stared at the blanket and made a face. “I'll honor you, Sierra. I want you to have the things you need, the things you want.”

 

She smiled. “Yes.”

 

Toga blinked a few times and shook his head in confusion. “Yes?”

 

She giggled. “Yes, Toga . . . I'll marry you.”

 

It took another few seconds for him to comprehend that, too. “You . . . yes?”

 

The warmth of her laughter echoed off the walls and settled over him like a soothing balm. “First I want you to get better,” she told him, “and I want you to promise me you won't do anything this foolish again.”

 

Toga grimaced as his face shifted into a scowl. “You make it sound like I did it on purpose.”

 

“Maybe not on purpose,” she agreed as she smoothed his bangs off his forehead. “It was careless, though.”

 

“I didn't realize it would be that way,” he told her. “I didn't know . . . .”

 

“But you'll be fine now,” she said quietly. “We both will, won't we?”

 

“Are you sure?” he asked, amber eyes searching her gaze for any traces of uncertainty.

 

Sierra smiled. “I'm sure, Toga. I told you before, the only reason I didn't want to marry you was because I thought you'd be better off without me. I didn't want you to see me fall apart.”

 

Toga stared at the window for a few moments then suddenly chuckled. Sierra frowned. “What's so funny?”

 

“I was just thinking.”

 

“About what?” she forced herself to ask.

 

Toga shrugged. “Explaining things to your family. They'll start wondering why you're not aging at all.”

 

Sierra made a face. “So that's why your aunt looks so young, isn't it? For that matter, you uncle doesn't look like he's old enough to have three grown children, either.”

 

“The youkai fountain of youth,” he agreed. “Forever's a long time, Sierra. Are you sure?”

 

Sierra leaned toward him to kiss his cheek. “I'm positive, Toga.”

 

He finally relaxed as he slipped his hand around her neck to pull her back for another kiss. “Good,” he whispered as his lips brushed against hers.

 

`Forever?' she mused absently as Toga's insistent kiss sent her thoughts scattering. `Sounds about right . . . .'

 

 

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

A/N:

== == == == == == == == == ==

Reviewers

==========

MMorg

Lena17 ------ DarklessVasion ------ blzzrd53 ------ Iggy Lovechild ------ Shadow_Within ------ notzathros

==========

FFnet

xSilverShadowsx (Funny you should ask that…) ------ kestral-tudorica (Sesshoumaru said his name before she went in the house) ------ BloodyKitsune ------ Eleature ------ myeerah ------ Ryguy5387 ------ Flames101 ------ Drake Clawfang ------ SilverStarWing (Nope… not from my stories, to my knowledge… ) ------ toyas_gurl ------ Rinicat ------ Un4given Miko ------ ILOVEINUS589 ------ agent-doo ------ Akashadair

==========

AFFnet ------ AScom ------ ATnet

Colshalin ------ Midnight_Sparrow ------ Mel ------ Deep Serenity ------ catt ------ CD ------ akdreamer ------ inugrl15 ------ redtatsu ------ Shiga ------ obsesed_wit_fluffy

==========

Final Thought fromKichiro:

What did Ido?

==========

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~