InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Smooth Sailing ❯ Sibling Love ( Chapter 2 )

AN: Hey... I'm writing fanfiction again... sorta. ^^; Anyway, one reason I'm continuing writing fanfiction is primarily for the feedback I get on my writing, so please review and tell me what you liked and didn't like about the storyline, my plot thus far, my writing style, ANYTHING. I have questions at the bottom for a guideline to a decent critique. ^__^;

 

As far as my disappearance goes, I was busy with exams, school, friends, marching band, and winter guard. Just plain and simple. For those that know I'm writing a book, I'll tell you this: It's a LOT harder than one would think… and being as inexperienced as I am, it's going to take awhile. *sighs* Anyway, I hope this chapter is worth the wait.

 

A special thanks to Inuyasha-is-pretty, who somehow guilted me back into writing fanfiction. >>; I really don't know how you did it. Maybe your review was "the straw that broke the camel's back."

 

Disclaimer: I own Inuyasha's mind, body, and soul…. Would I lie? xD

 

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Smooth Sailing

By: dragonfire onna

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Chapter 2: Sibling Love

 

"What…?" Mrs. Higurashi called up the stairs with a bewildered look, mimicking her daughter's earlier reaction to the same situation. With a twist of her wrist, she turned off the running sink water and placed a wet, pink flowered-designed plate into the cupboard, not bothering to dry it before moving onto the next dish. She fumbled with the new soapy plate as it slipped out of her fingers. With a sigh of relief after catching the serving dish, she quickly washed it and returned it to a cabinet. The widowed woman plucked the rubber gloves off her hands and rubbed the sweat off her forehead. Finally, the dishes are done. Now she could turn her full attention to the matter at hand… "You're doing what?!"

 

"I already told you, mom! I'm going on a cruise with the famous model Inuyasha," Kagome clarified dully over her shoulder from a room upstairs. She was nearly bored to tears because of having to repeat herself for the umpteenth time that evening. However, the mere thought of seeing Inuyasha in person excited her to no end. When she had first arrived home that day, she flung open the front door to her house and let out a wild, high-pitched squeal. Souta, Kagome recalled, frantically shouted "Fire! The fire alarm is going off, Mom!" when he rushed into the room.

 

A small smile planted itself on her face when remembering the nasty, irritated glance her brother shot at her. Still, that did not put a damper on her newfound mood. She was ecstatic, to say the least. It was every girls dream (and she was no exception) to even see this boy in person and get his autograph, but to actually go on a trip with the guy and talk with him? It was a miracle, a dream come true! Before, she and her friends could only dream of things like this. Now it was a reality.

 

"Oh," was the distant reply from the downstairs kitchen.

 

Kagome rolled her eyes at the same reply she had received when she first told her mother. With a sigh, the raven haired beauty resumed her packing. She sped from one room to another, back and forth, to make sure she packed everything. So far she had neatly folded two more shirts into her massive suitcase. It was followed shortly by a pair of sandals, three more pairs of shorts and another bathing suit. Just in case. So let's see… Sango said there'd be formal dining every night and one 'ball' type thing. Must be some extravagant cruise line. Hmmm, I can't remember what the name of the ship is. Well, at least Sango just said she'd send someone to pick me up and she would meet me there.

 

In Kagome's eyes, Inuyasha was such a gentleman—opening doors for the ladies and letting them walk in first before following with that confident, sexy smile on his face. Of course this was on TV during the Grammies and other such important events, but how bad could the guy actually be in person? Everyone said he was perfect. Everyone; there was no exception as far as she knew. He was way too handsome with this charming smile and bright, golden orbs that could possibly glow in the dark. He was perfect, Kagome decided, and she could not wait to meet him in person.

 

His eyes… they are so strange, but that's what makes him so appealing. I wonder how he got his hair that white color. And those ears… his modeling trademark. Maybe I'll get to touch them! Kagome was grinning from one ear to the other as she thought about rubbing the ears. There was a rumor going around a few years back about them being real. Kagome snorted at this preposterous thought. Of course they're not real! How could anyone with half a brain even think that? Idiots. I wonder how that rumor got started though…. Placing a thoughtful finger on her bottom lip, Kagome twirled around to see if something that she might need to bring caught her eye.

 

"When are you leaving?"

 

Kagome whipped around and was surprised to find her younger brother leaning up against the doorframe, a frown firmly positioned on his petite face and arms folded stubbornly across his chest. She should have known that he had been eavesdropping on her conversation with her mother because she had not told him about her trip yet. Well, she had caused quite a ruckus when she got home… and her mother and her yelling across the household couldn't have helped….

 

"How long?" he asked, almost touchily.

 

"Um, ten days…" she answered uncertainly. It wasn't that she was unsure about the length of her trip, but rather of Souta's strange attitude. It was a rare occasion when she found her brother acting so weird. He must have been extremely upset; Souta wasn't the type of kid to throw a tantrum when he was angry, but instead he would act guarded and would not likely say what's on his mind no matter how much someone pried. "And tomorrow morning."

 

 

"Tomorrow?" his voice wavered slightly and his arms loosened, but his muscles tensed back up, leaving Kagome to wonder if she had been seeing things. His eyes grew in size, right before narrowing into a hardened look. "But tomorrow is my soccer game."

 

Silence. She couldn't remember a time when the quietness was so deafening to her ears.

 

"You remember---my championship game…." He continued edgily, the silence getting to him as well.

 

"Souta, I---" Kagome began but cringed when she couldn't think of anything to say. She couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes and match the intensity that flowed through them.

 

"You promised you'd be there!" Souta screamed suddenly, fastening his clenched fits by his side. His hunched shoulders shook violently. Kagome reached out a comforting hand as an apology, but he flinched away from her tender touch. Taking visibly deep breaths, the eleven-year-old continued dangerously slow. "… just like you promised to be there for the last game, and the one before that, and the one before that, and---"

 

"I get the point," she proclaimed numbly. Kagome stared wordlessly down at her feet. It was true; she had done what he claimed she had, but she wasn't normally this irresponsible, especially with her brother. She had tried to make up for it by taking him shopping, buying extra special birthday and Christmas presents, and even just randomly taking him out for an ice cream and pizza for sibling bonding. Kagome had not meant to hurt her only brother… and if she could, she would have somehow shown up at his soccer games. She loved Souta more than anything, and she had tried to make it to every one of games but her failing grade in math caused her to stay behind after school on Friday nights. When she had desperately tried to explain the situation to Souta after the last game, he completely ignored her and carried on with his video games as if she wasn't even there.

 

Soccer happened to be the most important thing to him, and since Kagome was his older sister, he wanted her there to watch him score a winning goal or be there when he stopped the other team from scoring another point. Becoming a professional soccer player was his dream, and his sister had even admitted that he was extremely talented and had the determination to accomplish his goal.

 

"Souta, I'm sorry, but I promise to make it up to you…." Her voice faded quickly when she realized he was mockingly mouthing her exact words. He sent a heated glare to her when she finished.

 

"You say that all the time."

 

"But this trip isn't something that happens all the time! It's a once-in-a---"

 

"---lifetime opportunity. Yes, you said that a thousand times already to mom so she would let you go!" Kagome sighed dejectedly and turned her back to him to finish packing. There was no reason she had to listen to her brother right now; he was being unfair. How could he not understand how important this was to her? It could possibly be a life-changing experience too. This trip could make her popular at school! Maybe she'd even find a guy at school to go to prom with! At that moment in time, people thought she was some sort of freak. Living in an old-fashioned shrine with a widowed mother and a demon-crazed grandfather hadn't been easy on her.

 

Shaking her head clear of any guilty thought, Kagome made final check to make sure she packed a toothbrush and all her necessities into her suitcase and, with her newfound vigor, zipped it up.

 

Souta turned to leave but halted and gazed back at his sister. "I would have really liked you to be there. For once." He ran out of the room, and a few moments later, Kagome heard another door slam down the hall.

 

She sighed profoundly and groaned in response to his antics. He'd understand one day… hopefully. After this, I will make it to all your games, Souta. She heaved her suitcase off her queen-sized bed with and dragged it out of her room using the wheels at the bottom as an aid. Her breathe caught in her throat when a figure suddenly appeared before her.

 

"Don't mind your brother. I'm sure he'll be fine. You know he just cares about you deeply, and that's why he acts the way he does," concluded her mother after taking the baggage. The older woman had slowly climbed up the stairs to handle the suitcase for her only daughter. "I've got it," she grunted (because of its heaviness) and hauled it down the stairs.

 

"Thanks Mom," said Kagome quietly, giving one last glance up towards her brother's room. I really am sorry, Souta. Please forgive me. She would have to deal with him later when he calmed down, but she still felt extremely guilty.

 

Mrs. Higurashi was almost at the end of the stairs when the woman suddenly collapsed and rolled down the remaining steps with the suitcase. With a thunk, a violent coughing fit took control as the older woman clutched at her chest.

 

"Mom!" Kagome bounded down the stairs and skid to a halt on her knees. "Mom?! Are you okay?" She watched worriedly as her mother slowly began to stand up with her help. Her mother had come down with an illness a little over a year ago, and the doctors dismissed her case as though it was a common cold. But colds do not last over a year, so when she went back to the doctors' office, they gave her medicine to control any ordinary symptoms like coughing, sticking to their belief that it was nothing more than a severe cold virus. However, her mother grew progressively worse with each passing month, causing Souta, Grandpa, and herself to worry.

 

"I'm fine, dear. Don't worry about me. I just forgot to take my medicine this morning." She gave her daughter a reassuring smile to hide a wince behind it.

 

Kagome agreed to make her mother happy. Maybe she shouldn't go on this cruise, though… she couldn't leave her sick mother all alone, could she? No, her mother would not be alone; there was still Souta and Grandpa. They would take care of her just as well as she could. Setting her accessories down below the vanity mirror in the living room, Kagome trailed Mrs. Higurashi into the kitchen to make a small snack before bed. With an attentive eye, Kagome observed as her mother took a pill.

 

"Have you told Miroku and Ayumi your plans?" asked Mrs. Higurashi as she finished gulping down the rest of the water in her glass.

 

"Yeah, they were the first to know because they were there—well, kind of. They were in the same building, where Ayumi had her interview." Kagome opened the refrigerator and peered inside.

 

"How did that go?"

 

Kagome pulled her nose out of the fridge to look somewhat ashamedly at her mother. Ayumi had not gotten the job, and it was Kagome's fault. If she hadn't offended the head of the company, she would have easily qualified for the job. Juan took it upon himself to make sure Ayumi and her friends never stepped foot into his building again. She had verbally forgiven Kagome with the small comment, "I didn't really want the job anyway," though Kagome knew better. She not only wanted it, but had been waiting for a chance as big as this for years. And she had ruined it for her.

 

"Not sure," lied Kagome through gritted teeth and a forced smile. Closing the refrigerator door, she decided against a snack (partly because of the remorse she felt) and tiredly headed back upstairs to her room. Shutting the door swiftly, she plopped down onto her bed and snuggled under the comforter and puppy sheets, training her weary eyes to the ceiling to count sheep.

 

 

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"You did what?!" growled a beyond angry voice with a very vexed expression. Sango had to take a leap backwards to avoid claws slashing furiously at her. Inuyasha growled again as he followed her every move, but his agent was always one step ahead of him. As always. Damn her.

 

"Now Inuyasha, let me explain! It's for the best---" Sango justified defensively, cut off by narrowly avoiding the fist aimed at her stomach. Inuyasha launched himself forward off his back foot, speeding towards the girl in front of him. "Her name is Higurashi Kagome and she's a fan of yours. A big fan. I've talked to her and she's very sweet and kind…."

 

"How could you without my permission?!" Inuyasha lunged at Sango again, who had taken refuge behind a stack of cardboard boxes in the farthest corner of her office, and knocked the boxes on top of the woman behind them. Sango gulped unconsciously and hastily slid behind her desk to put more distance between them. Grabbing the rolling chair, she hastily swung it towards her high school friend in a pitiful attempt to stop him from coming after her. Suddenly Inuyasha froze, calmly pushed the chair aside, and straightened himself. "Tell her she can't come," commanded the white-haired model meaningfully.

 

"What? You know I can't do that!" whined Sango, thanking the gods that her life was spared—for the moment, at least. She slowly—and with extreme caution—came out from behind the desk, but readied herself to make a break for the door if he was still keen on pursuing the death threats he made from when she had informed him earlier.

 

"Last time I checked, the cruise was sold out. How are you going to get her a ticket?" Inuyasha questioned, allowing an ounce of hope to shimmer in his golden eyes.

 

Sango hesitated before answering. She was hesitant in case this would be the final straw that broke the camels back. "I gave her my ticket…. "

 

The color drained instantly from the hanyou's face. "Damn you, Sango! You're just going to leave me with a stupid fan girl like that?!" He sunk miserably into the chair and crossed his arms with narrowing eyes and a grudging pout. "This was supposed to be my va-ca-tion!" he exclaimed, emphasizing and sounding out the word 'vacation.' He started growling to himself in contemplation of what this news would do to his relaxation time. This girl is going to get in my way with Kichi! How am I going to spend time with her and make amends with that stupid fan girl—what's her name—hanging all over me!

 

 

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"Souta, don't do this! It's time for me to leave now." Kagome banged her tightened fist on her brother's door. A "Go Away" sign dangled loosely on the locked doorknob and wobbled with every hit the door took. Groaning, Kagome slid to the ground with her back against the door. "Take care of Mom, please," she said in a whisper before leaving without another word.

 

Souta wiped away a tear from inside his room. He sat on the carpet beside the door with his head tilted skywards. How could his sister just leave when she knew how important this championship game was to him? It didn't make any sense. Maybe she really didn't care about him as much as she said she did. After all, this wasn't the first time she broke her promise. Sighing, the young boy sniffled. This was a special game to him, too. His team had for the first time made it to the championships.

 

Souta threw himself onto his bed to take a nap. He didn't want to say goodbye to his sister at that moment anyway, and he didn't care that she wasn't going to be there for the next ten days anymore. Good riddance. At least she can't make anymore promises she can't keep for awhile.

 

 

---

 

 

 

Did you send someone to pick her up yet?"

 

"Of course. I couldn't keep a fan of yours waiting, could I?" Sango smiled confidently at her client with the air of a child who had just won a precious prize from Disney World. She had gotten her way with Inuyasha, and now Kagome was going to put him in his place. Operation Take-Inuyasha-Off-His-High-Horse, Phase One accomplished. Inuyasha would never know what hit him.

 

"Then where is she?" Inuyasha growled impatiently as he ran his long nails through his lengthy hair. His brows were furrowed deeply on his forehead, shaping his crinkled nose. A scowl completed his defiant attitude. He wasn't fond of waiting for others. In fact, he couldn't even remember the last time he had waited for anyone. Except Sango, his mind admitted, but she was his agent, and he still gave her a piece of his mind when she had finally arrived. "Stupid girl. She's going to miss the ship if she doesn't hurry," he muttered to himself, flipping his hair over his shoulder in one swoop. He glared at his agent and was displeased to find her ignoring him; however he found comfort in the thought that he might not be stuck with this stupid girl. His mind relaxed a bit when he gazed at the cruise ship. Kichi is on there right now….

 

Sango refused to make eye contact with the model because he would force her to explain why the girl was late, and frankly she didn't know. Maybe the driver met up with some traffic on the way there, or maybe she decided not to come after all. Sango recalled that the girl sounded unsure if she should go… Something about her brother… championship game, and a sick mother…. Fear that Kagome wouldn't come spread like wildfire through Sango's mind. Her fingers tapped anxiously on her forearms, and she fidgeted from one hip to the other. Kagome had to come; she had to or else all her planning would go out the window, just like that. When a limo rounded the corner Sango's fears were put to rest and Inuyasha's uncertainties were realized. Sango took a deep breath as the limo came to a stop in front of her.

 

Inuyasha's eyes were drawn to the vehicle and its awaiting occupant inside. He wondered who she could be and what she looked like. What was her name again? Kag… Kago…me? Kagome. Yeah, that sounded right to him, but he wasn't satisfied to be on a first name basis with her, so he settled with calling her by her last name, Higurashi. The renowned model did not want the girl to think anything about this trip, especially that he was enjoying his time with her. He grimaced as he remembered the night before.

 

"I don't want to do this. I'm going to bed."

 

"Say it again, first."

 

"Don't you understand?! Read my lips," Inuyasha demanded, carefully stretching out each word in the last sentence. He moved in closer so Sango could clearly hear him. "I. Don't. Give a. Shit."

 

Sango clicked her tongue in annoyance at his choice of words for the situation. Pursuing the subject could ultimately mean death for her, but she wasn't one to give up so easily. She was just as stubborn as he was. Pushing him away from her and back into his chair, she groaned at his childish antics. She hated it when he was being difficult, but Inuyasha wasn't one to sit still and listen to her. He jumped out of his chair and headed to his room, while Sango followed him with a pointed finger. "You better learn Higurashi Kagome's name and say it right! Say her name right now, or I'll---"

 

In one rapid motion, he spun on his heel and caused Sango to smack into him. They were face to face now. He peered down at Sango and leaned in so his mouth was next to her ear, resting his cheek against hers. "Or you'll what?" he asked threateningly. Sango was shocked into silence, allowing the model the time he needed to slip into his room and shut the door in her face.

 

He had lost a good hour's worth of sleep learning the girl's name. Even his dreams that night had been consumed by the name "Kagome" and were centered on what a nuisance she was. One dream had even disturbed him significantly, though he'd never disclose it to anyone. That dream had involved Kichi and this "Kagome"---who remained faceless. Inuyasha was running towards the actress and calling to her---in the dream, he had sounded more desperate than he had wanted to admit---when Kagome had blocked his path to her. Then he had woken up…. Inuyasha's face suddenly contorted into a nasty glower at the limo after recalling the nightmare. That's it! He didn't have to put up with this girl. He was here for Kichi and no one else. With an exasperated deep breathe, he leapt onto the ships boarding stairs and was out of sight within seconds.

 

 

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AN: Here are some questions you can answer in your review, if you wish. I'd really, really appreciate it. I'm looking for someone who can critique my writing truthfully. Please take the time to answer my questions. It would mean sooo much to me.

 

1) How was my writing style? Did the story flow well at all times?

2) How was my grammar? Did you find any mistakes?

3) Did you see any plot holes yet or something that should be fixed?

4) Were my characters well-rounded---all of them? I've been working on my characterization and developing flat characters into something more. Did I succeed?

5) Was there something I should have explained better? I.E. a character's relationship with another character or a character's background.

 

Also, on a different note, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, seeing as I like to try to perfect my chapters to the best of my ability before uploading them. However, whenever I find the free time, you can be sure I'll be writing the next chapter.