InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 3: Forever ❯ Inner Beauty ( Chapter 22 )

~~Chapter 22~~

~Inner Beauty~

 

Nezumi sighed as she jammed the key into the lock and turned. She was exhausted. Some days were worse than others, and this one had topped them all. It seemed routine enough. She'd gone in and checked her work schedule, pleasantly surprised to see that she only had a few maintenance-type jobs to do. The tune-ups could be done without much thought, and that was all she had scheduled.

 

By noon, she'd discovered that the vast majority of Tokyo seemed to be having car trouble---at least, that's what it felt like---and she would be lucky if she got out of the shop on time. She didn't. After a quick call and Ryomaru's very loud demand to know just where the hell she was, Nezumi had explained through clenched teeth that she would be home when she got there and that he could stop yelling at her. He started to snarl something else, and she hung up on him before he could say something else stupid.

 

Wrinkling her nose as she stepped into the apartment, Nezumi clamped her mouth closed when Ryomaru swaggered out of the kitchenette with a very proud smile and a very smudged white apron tied around his waist. “Oh, kami, you didn't . . .”

 

His grin widened. “I did. I made dinner.”

 

Biting her lower lip to refrain from commenting on the unpleasant smell of something that was well past burned and heading quickly toward `charred', she nodded instead and dropped her keys on the table beside the door. “Do I have time to get cleaned up before dinner?” she asked, making a face that he didn't see since she was facing away from him.

 

“Sure . . . oh, that smell? One of the pans boiled over. It's just burning off.”

 

`Thank kami,' she thought as she nodded and hurried back to her bedroom to retrieve a change of clothes for after her shower.

 

`He cooked? This . . . can't be good . . .'

 

Grabbing an old pair of sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt along with a change of underclothes, Nezumi hurried to the bathroom and locked the door.

 

`He can't cook . . . what is he thinking? Did he forget what happened the last time he tried to do that?'

 

Apparently so. Nezumi winced as she stepped into the shower, sighing happily as the hot water hit her skin.

 

“You do know this is a really stupid idea,” thirteen year-old Nezumi had pointed out as she hopped up to sit on the counter in the Izayoi's spotless kitchen.

 

“That's why you're here,” Ryomaru pointed out as he dug a pan out of the cabinet.

 

“Not following,” she replied, shaking her head with a frown.

 

Kichiro snorted. “Well, you're a girl, right? Cooking is instinctive, and since you're a girl---”

 

“Oh, you're really asking for it, Kich,” she grumbled. “Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can cook.” Craning her back to reach for the canister that Kagome always kept full of snacks, Nezumi grabbed a handful of rice crackers and stuck one in her mouth.

 

“It's their anniversary,” Ryomaru explained in a distracted tone as he read the back of a rice box. “Anyway, we wanted to do something nice for them, that's all.”

 

Nezumi nodded slowly as she chewed another cracker. “All right, just don't think I'm jumping in to help. I don't want any part of this. Oi, Ryo!”

 

He turned around just as she chucked a cracker at him. He caught it in his mouth. “Fanks.”

 

“No problem,” she assured him as she threw a cracker at Kichiro, who also managed to catch it. “So what are you making?”

 

“Mother's favorite,” Ryomaru mumbled, “oden.”

 

Wincing again as the memory faded, Nezumi shut off the shower taps and sighed. The oden had been awful. How the twins had managed to burn the hotpot food was beyond Nezumi's powers of comprehension but they had managed, all right. It still amazed her even now, that Kagome and InuYasha had actually been able to eat the meal and smile about it, no less . . .

 

The last thing she wanted to do was to go out there and choke down whatever `delicacy' Ryomaru had managed to concoct. She didn't see any way around it, though. `Stop that, Nez! Maybe he did it right this time.'

 

Nezumi snorted as she squeezed her hair in a fluffy towel. `Uh-huh . . . Ryo might be able to charm his way out of just about anything, but unless he's mastered the art of sweet-talking food, then there's no way that he cooked anything even close to palatable.'

 

`But you'll try to eat it anyway, won't you? Because you'd never hurt his feelings, and you know it.'

 

She sighed, conceding to the logic behind that reasoning. `Yes . . . yes, I will.'

 

Dragging on her clothes, Nezumi grinned wanly. `Maybe I should make sure that the number for the emergency room is close by . . . I can see the headlines now: Death by bad cooking . . .'

 

`You could just hide in here awhile longer.'

 

She bit her bottom lip. As much as she would love to do that, she really was hungry, and she was tired . . .

 

A sharp tap snapped her out of her reverie and she blinked as she tugged the t-shirt over her head. “Oi, Nez . . . you about done?”

 

Stifling a sigh, Nezumi drew a deep breath and unlocked the bathroom door. “So what'd you make?”

 

Ryomaru made a face. “Nothing fancy. I, uh, thought it'd be better to start out small. Frozen pizza and rice.”

 

She did a double take. “Rice and pizza?”

 

He shrugged. “The pizza was sort of small.” He must have sensed her reticence. He grimaced and twitched his ears. “The pizza's fine,” he assured her. “Followed the directions exactly.”

 

“And the rice?”

 

“It's fine,” he commented slowly. “No trouble at all.” He shot her a shy grin and took her hand, dragging her toward the living room. “Sit down.”

 

She did as she was instructed but couldn't quite shake the sense of foreboding as she watched him stride off toward the kitchen to retrieve the two plates of food.

 

To her surprise, the pizza wasn't burned. It looked perfect, actually. The cheese was still hot enough to string out when she took a bite. The strand stretched and finally broke, snapping back and sticking to Nezumi's chin. She started to wipe it away but Ryomaru's fingers were faster, and she smothered a gasp as he gently rubbed the cheese away with the pad of his thumb. “You got some on your chin,” he told her, his voice oddly quiet.

 

Nezumi swallowed and grimaced, realizing too late that she had barely chewed the bite as she set the pizza down and dropped her gaze to the plate in her lap.

 

Her appetite was forgotten in the sudden influx of butterflies that invaded her stomach, and remembering to breathe was a struggle.

 

“Nez? Aren't you hungry?”

 

The concern in his tone was enough to multiply the flutters in her belly, and Nezumi grabbed the chopsticks and stuck a glob of rice into her mouth.

 

It took every ounce of self-restraint not to spit it right back out, too.

 

`No wonder he got so uncomfortable when you asked him about the rice! It's . . . ugh!'

 

`Repulsive' came to mind, as did `charred', `nasty', `disgusting', and a slew of other words, none of which Nezumi dared utter as she forced herself to chew and swallow. Ryomaru must have burned the rice on the bottom of the pot, and the burnt taste had permeated the entire dish.

 

If he noticed, he didn't comment. Nezumi couldn't quite mask her incredulity as she watched the hanyou eat a huge bite of rice followed by another. `Eww! How can he? It's burnt, and . . . I can't watch!' she thought wildly as he stuffed another bite of rice into his mouth.

 

By the fourth bite, Ryomaru apparently realized that that food was well beyond human or hanyou consumption. Dropping his chopsticks with a clatter, he set his plate aside and spared Nezumi a quick glance as his face took on a light blush. “You, uh . . . don't have to eat the rice,” he finally allowed.

 

For some reason, his obvious upset over burning the rice made Nezumi wince. With a little smile, she took another bite and forced it down with a third. Ryomaru's embarrassment faded only to be replaced by surprise, shock, and abject horror, in that order, as she continued to choke down the rice. By the tenth bite, his hand shot out to stop her, and he looked as though he were coming close to being sick as he shook his head and pulled the chopsticks from her hand. “Kami, Nez . . . I know it ain't good.”

 

Nezumi smiled as he slipped a bottle of water into her hand and took a long drink.

 

“You've always done that, haven't you?”

 

“What? Ate your cooking?”

 

He chuckled at her half-hearted attempt to joke, but shook his head slowly as he set her plate aside on the coffee table. “Feh!” he snorted as he flopped back on the sofa. Folding his leg up under him, he turned to face her, his eyes troubled, and he frowned. She didn't pull away when he reached out, traced her jaw with his knuckles. “You've done that forever . . . put up with my shit. Why?”

 

His proximity made it hard to think, hard to breathe, hard to remember much of anything, but judging by the way he was staring at her, he honestly did want an answer. Trouble was, Nezumi wasn't ready to give that to him. “Isn't that what friends do? Haven't you done the same for me?”

 

Ryomaru flinched as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “No, Nez, I don't think I have, and . . . I'm sorry for that.”

 

“Ryo, don't be stupid,” she grumbled as she tried to look away, tried not to blush. The way he was staring at her . . . She had to wonder if he could read her mind. Had she ever seen him look so serious, so obviously upset about his past behavior? `No . . . and that's why you need to get away from him. You'll tell him too much, and if you do . . .'

 

“That's just it. I spent years being stupid, being blind, and . . . and I think I hurt you, but you gotta know I never wanted to . . . I never meant to.” He caught her hand and held it tight when she started to get up.

 

“Let go,” she rasped out, trying to pull her hand free.

 

He shot to his feet, caught her around the waist. “I can't.”

 

“Why not?”

 

He sighed, dropping his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes and shook his head. “Nothing's ever mattered to me before . . . not like this, not like y---”

 

She couldn't stand to hear him say it. Blood pounding in her ears, the rush of adrenaline that flowed from her to him seemed to linger in the air like electricity. Before he could say that last word, before he could say the one thing that would completely disarm her, she tilted her head, brushed her lips over his.

 

His back stiffened, his body tensed. Unprepared for the kiss, it took him a moment to respond, but when he did, the force of his emotion shot straight through her. He let go of her hand as his arms wrapped around her, holding her tighter. Her fists closed on his shirt, her knees gave way. Supported by his strength as he drove away the gnawing doubts, the lingering fears, Nezumi was lost in a surge of desire, a wave of need, a deeper feeling that she didn't want to name.

 

He broke the kiss to trace her lips with gentle purpose, with trembling fingers. When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her, an intensity in his eyes that made her knees buckle again. She leaned against him, let him hold her, let him memorize everything about her as his predatory gaze lingered and shifted. The scrape of his claws on her lips set off a chain of sensation to erupt deep inside, breaking down her defenses as a deeper promise of something much more beckoned her. Closing her eyes against the fire banked in his stare, she tried to breathe, tried to hold on, tried to let go. “Nez, I . . . kami, your scent . . .”

 

His body shuddered under her fists. She willed her eyes open, saw the conflict that was tearing at him. She wasn't sure if he was waiting for her to accept him or reject him. She wasn't sure of anything but the burn that singed her veins, the bittersweet wish to stay like this forever.

 

“How did I miss you? Why didn't I see you?”

 

His words were vague, foggy in her mind. She shook her head, but she wasn't sure what she was trying to say. Maybe he'd bewitched her, possessed her brain to the point that she didn't know what she wanted, just knew that Ryomaru was there, that he was staring at her, and in the power of his gaze, maybe she could give in, and maybe she could believe him.

 

He leaned in closer, his lips tickling hers with the teasing sensation of a feather drawn over her but the warmth of his shallow breaths, the moist condensation commanded a painful ache that grew and swelled deep inside her. “I want you,” he whispered as his mouth covered hers. Her reply was a soft whimper, a sigh.

 

A strange thump seemed sorely out of place in the quiet haze of Nezumi's mind. It must have made sense to Ryomaru, though, because he broke the kiss, growling viciously as his head jerked around to glare at the door. Nezumi leaned against his chest for a moment, smiling in bemusement when the unsteady beat of his heart drummed in her ear.

 

Drawing a ragged breath, Ryomaru steadied Nezumi on her feet before letting go and stomping away to answer the door.

 

“What the fuck do you want?” he snarled as he jerked it open.

 

“Nice to see you, too, Ryo. We were in the neighborhood. Going to invite us in?”

 

Nezumi sank down on the sofa, her hand shaking as she straightened her t-shirt and forced a smile as Toga dragged Sierra into the apartment despite the absolute foreboding on Ryomaru's face.

 

Toga stopped in the middle of the apartment, frowning as he lifted his chin and sniffed the air. “Damn, Ryo . . . what the hell were you doing?”

 

Nezumi could feel the instant heat of embarrassment flood into her face, and she quickly turned her head to stare at the wall, wondering what the odds were that the building would suddenly lose power so no one could see her flaming cheeks.

 

“Was there something you wanted, Toga?” Ryomaru demanded through clenched teeth.

 

“Smells like you need to check your smoke alarms,” Toga went on, his face contorting in disgust. “Kami . . .”

 

Sierra gently slapped Toga's chest to shut him up.

 

`He smells the burned rice?' Nezumi realized with a quick shake of her head. Ryomaru realized that, too, and Nezumi was relieved to see him relax just a little, enough that she wasn't worried that he would light into his cousin, though he still looked quite irritated.

 

“Did you want something, Toga, or did you just stop by to give me hell? I didn't fucking mean to burn the damn rice, and---”

 

“Wait . . . you were cooking? You? The youkai exter---”

 

“Yeah, I was cooking,” Ryomaru snarled. “What of it?”

 

Nezumi frowned. `Youkai exter . . . ? Exter . . . exterminate? Exterminator?' Eyes widening as the rest of the word filled itself in, she couldn't help the shocked glance she shot Ryomaru. He intercepted the look without a change in expression, and she quickly looked away again. `No . . . He'd tell me that, right? They don't do that, anyway . . . do they?'

 

`Of course not,' she assured herself.

 

She shook her head. `No, of course not,' she thought.

 

“Nothing, of course,” Toga replied with a chuckle. “Anyway, that's not why we stopped by.”

 

“Great, then why don't you spill your guts . . . or I could do it for you,” Ryomaru offered as he cracked his knuckles.

 

Nezumi rolled her eyes as she stood up and grabbed the plates before heading toward the kitchen to scrape the food into the trash.

 

“We're going to have a baby,” Sierra blurted.

 

Ryomaru snorted. “Good, just what the world needs: another one of you running around.”

 

“Beats another one of you---or worse, twins of you,” Toga shot back with a grin.

 

“When are you two going to start a family?” Sierra asked, likely to interrupt the argument before it could start.

 

Nezumi dropped the plate into the trash and winced as it hit the bottom of the can and cracked.

 

Toga cocked his head to the side as he shot his wife an appreciative smile. “Nicely done, Sierra . . . I don't think I've ever seen the baka speechless before.”

 

“Ain't there some place else you need to be?” Ryomaru asked as he rubbed his forehead. Nezumi set the other plate in the sink and leaned against the counter. There was no way under the sun she was returning to the living room---none.

 

“As a matter of fact, we were just on our way to see Aiko,” Toga replied. “Just figured we'd stop by since you were on the way.”

 

“Great, now get out,” Ryomaru shot back as he followed Toga and Sierra to the door. “Congratulations, Toga. Sierra . . . I'm so sorry.”

 

Toga snorted. “Feh. You're such a baka . . . Guess you can get back to what you were doing when we got here,” he tossed out casually. “You know . . . that, uh . . . other smell.”

 

Nezumi gasped as her embarrassment returned fast and furious. Toga grabbed his wife and, laughing like a lunatic, took off before Ryomaru could grab him. With a string of muttered expletives, the hanyou slammed the door and locked it before slowly turning around to look at Nezumi again.

 

To her amazement, Ryomaru chuckled. Nezumi narrowed her gaze on him as she waited for the unspoken punch line.

 

When it finally occurred to her that he wasn't going to share the joke with her, Nezumi cautiously straightened up and wandered out of the kitchen. “All right, Ryo, I'll bite. What's so funny?”

 

His chuckles escalated into full-blown laughter, and she shook her head.

 

“Ryo?”

 

“I'm just imagining the look on Mother and Aunt Kagura's faces when I give them those presents I got them,” he finally managed to say.

 

Nezumi shook her head. “Presents?”

 

She didn't trust the mischievous glint that made his eyes glow. “Seems like Toga had a short stint as a model,” he replied. “Rule number one: never pose for a beefcake calendar unless you want everyone to see your . . . beef.”

 

Nezumi wasn't so sure she wanted to know, but she couldn't help asking. “Beef?”

 

Ryomaru snorted. “Not full beef, Nez . . . and why do you care?”

 

“Because, baka . . . if it was . . . you know, bad . . . I wouldn't suggest giving that sort of picture to his mother . . . or yours, for that matter.”

 

“Are you sure? You don't have a thing for my cousin, do you?”

 

Nezumi rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in the air before turning on her heel and stalking off toward her bedroom.

 

“Oi, Nez, about before . . .”

 

“I'm going to bed, Ryo. Good night,” she called over her shoulder.

 

Sometimes she really thought Ryomaru was the biggest baka on earth.

 

Sometimes she knew he was.

 

 

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

A/N:

We're all still sick here. I wanted to get this posted though. I'll update as soon as we all stop throwing up …and thanks for the well-wishes!

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

Reviewers

==========

MMorg

Sari-15 ::: spookeymelichan ::: Akihana ::: thoughts ::: Jaxomruth ::: Mizbum2u ::: OROsan7706 ::: Raniatlw ::: Inuyashas Kagome ::: tachi_fossae ::: cjflutterbye ::: XLWarriorRikkuXL ::: suzehowe ::: inuyashasluverforever ::: trinigirl524 ::: CJ Finnegan ::: Jaded Eyes ::: tduke1999 ::: fruitcake ::: Wlfhund ::: guh :::Aitu ::: serendith ::: devildice708 ::: fallenangel7583 ::: foamyfan15010 ::: Realangel ::: Shiga ::: thefaeryofpurejoy ::: OROsan7706 ::: Firedemon86 ::: AkuPhoenix ::: tessie_fanfic ::: Queen of Hearts ::: DarklessVasion ::: KagInu ::: lana ::: tinkerbell ::: Cynbad146 ::: Wlfhund ::: akdreamer ::: notzathros ::: jadedlati

==========

FFneteave

FYI IY is mine ::: Kalara ::: Chamelia Tanochi ::: katie janeway ::: Bringer-of-the-Sun ::: Drake Clawfang ::: FYI IY is mine ::: ILOVEINUS589 ::: xSilverShadowsx ::: Ryguy5387 ::: Toya's Gurl ::: SilverStarWing ::: agent-doo ::: Lady-Sttar ::: kestral-tudorica ::: breezy99 ::: Dogiegurl26

==========

Final Thought from Nezumi:

…Baka …

==========

Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Forever): 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~