InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Some people need a push ❯ Obvious But Oblivious ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter 10: Obvious but Oblivious

 

Somewhere in the Forest, Japan

Feudal Era, Tuesday, Afternoon of Day 12

 

Inuyasha was standing next to the remains of an old hut. The hut had been old when he first found it, but it had been at least partially standing then. Now, it was a ruins, and he wondered if what he was looking for would still be there.

 

He hadn't been to the old hut since before he had been sealed to the Goshinboku tree. He hadn't been there since he left what he was looking for there.

 

Searching around in the rubble, he found the marker he had set over the spot. It wasn't anything visible; it was a scent he had left between two stones. It was faint; he didn't expect it to be any different, with all the time that had passed.

 

The chest had been buried pretty deep. He remembered taking days to dig the hole for it, making sure that anyone digging there wouldn't find it. Even that young, he knew that the chest held a large number of valuables.

 

He quickly unearthed it, using his demon speed and strength to aid his digging. He pulled it up, and rummaged through the contents. Bypassing strings of pearls, diamonds, and gold, he found the silver and gold band that his mother used to wear. It had dulled over time, but it wasn't tarnished. He pulled out one of the cloths from the bottom of the chest to wrap it in.

 

Placing the ring in his pocket, he reburied the chest, and returned to camp.

 

 

 

On the Road, Japan

Feudal Era, Wednesday, Day 13

 

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, not wanting to wake up. Her face felt stiff, and her eyes were sore. She tried to remember why, then wished she hadn't.

 

“Hey, Kagome! We're ready to leave; we need to pack your stuff up now.” Sango popped into the room, interrupting her train of thought.

 

“Okay. I need to change, first...” she said, then caught her backpack as Sango tossed it to her.

 

Kagome didn't look at what she was putting on as she dressed; it was only after that she realized she had put her school uniform on. She didn't care, anyway; it's not like she needed to dress up today.

 

As she dressed, she thought about the events of the day before. The recollections she had were biased, she knew, and tried to keep to the bare facts.

 

`I over reacted to what happened,' she thought. `I need to apologize to Inuyasha. I don't have to be civil about it, though!' Kagome was still mad at Inuyasha for what happened, but she knew that she was mad at him because it would be useless to be mad at Kikyo. Inuyasha was there, so she was mad at him instead of the real reason for her anger.

 

`Kikyo. She had to pop in and ruin it, didn't she? I'd like to give her a piece of my mind right now. A really painful piece, connected to my fist.' Kagome was startled at that thought, then accepted it. Kikyo had just ruined one of the biggest events ever to have happened to her, after all.

 

“Hey, Kagome! You ready? Let's get going. Jan wants to make good time to where we're supposed to meet Koga.” Sango walked into the room, and smiled. “Miroku's getting bored, and I think he may try to feel one of her cousins up soon.”

 

“I don't think that would be good. Maria might let him, but I think Amelia might just punch him harder than Jan did.” Kagome laughed, and grabbed her pack. “I'm ready. Let's go!”

 

Kagome looked around the chamber, and was surprised when she didn't see Inuyasha there. Instead of him, though, she saw Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un, all part of Sesshomaru's traveling party. “Is Sesshomaru here?” she asked cautiously.

 

“Yeah. Jan's calling him either Sesshy or Fluffy, he's calling her Kechara, and Rin's calling her Nadea. Jaken just gets glared at by her, or called Toady if she needs to address him personally. I have no idea why she's mad at him, but she is,” Sango updated.

 

“Oh. Where is he? And Inuyasha?”

 

Sango looked at her for a moment, then said quietly, “Jan sent them ahead to scout. She didn't think you'd want either of them here to remind you about... what happened yesterday. And she says that they need to get over issues. She's empathic, and the tension between them was giving her a headache.”

 

“Oh.” Kagome paused, then added, “I don't really think that will be necessary. The keeping them away from me part.”

 

“We didn't want you to be upset or anything.”

 

“I won't be. I'm Kagome! I never stay upset for long, and I never let it show, anyway.”

 

“Not letting things like that show is what makes my headaches get worse, though. Give your pack to Rin; she'll carry it on Ah-Un with her. As soon as Sesshy comes back with a report that everything's safe, I'll start testing you for magic compatibility. If you can use the magics, I'll start teaching you active defensive and offensive spells. Oh, and if you stay close to anyone else in the party, you won't have to worry about Kikyo showing up. I can't put the shield on you, because she's usurped some of your spirit, but the others' shields shouldn't have any problems with it.” Jan walked up to them, and handed Kagome her bow and arrows. “If we do run into anything, you're gonna have to use it.”

 

“Okay.” Kagome took the arrows with a blank face, and Jan tried to figure out what she was feeling. And promptly ran into a wall.

 

Sesshomaru appeared at that moment. “Kechara, the way should be clear, unless demons come onto our path.”

 

“Thanks, Sesshy. I'm gonna see if I can get you acquainted with my spells, too. I need you to at least be a minor in them if you're gonna control the homunculi for your group.”

 

“Have we figured out who will be in which group?” Sesshomaru asked.

 

Jan cast a look at Kagome, then replied, “I'm still trying to figure out who will work best where.”

 

“What are the criteria for each group?” Kagome asked her.

 

“Well, we need one person with telepathy in each group, to control the homunculi, and fighters. That's pretty much all I've figured out for now. We were going to do a hammer-and-anvil attack. It is where you have a small, elite force on one side, and a large, powerful force on the other. It is an effective war tactic, and we thought that it would work well against Naraku.”

 

“That sounds good. Why don't you have our group, with you as the telepathic, and put Sesshomaru with Koga and his pack? I'm sure that we could get more demons to help us, too, to add to both groups.”

 

“We could ask the panther demons for aid.” This came from Inuyasha, who had just appeared. He stood slightly behind his brother, head down. “They owe Sesshomaru their lives, so they might help. And, it would benefit them, too, because Naraku would destroy them if he got past us. There's a lot of them, so they would expand our forces enough to intimidate Naraku.”

 

Jan glared at Sesshomaru, sending a thought to him. :You were supposed to keep him away: she sent.

 

:I do not control whether or not he does what I suggest. I said that one of us should scout for today's camp. Either he found it, or he disregarded what I told him to do.: Sesshomaru thought back, a level expression on his face.

 

“That's a good idea, Silver. I'll take Fluffy here and see if we can convince them.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Oh, didn't Miroku clue you in? I'm calling your brother Fluffy or Sesshy, depending on what I feel like.”

 

“Fluffy? He lets you call him that? I feel really sorry for you when he gets fed up with it.”

 

“I can take care of myself, Inuyasha. Thanks for your concern, though.”

 

“Inuyasha, can I... can I talk with you?” Everyone's head snapped up when Kagome spoke.

 

“Sure... where do you want to talk?” Inuyasha still had his head down, even further than before, but Jan could tell that he was encouraged.

 

“Over this way.” Kagome waved in a direction away from the others, and Inuyasha followed her.

 

She led Inuyasha to an area screened by trees, so that the others couldn't see what was happening. They stood in silence for a few minutes, neither wanting to talk, then Kagome broke the silence.

 

“I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I over reacted to what had happened. I didn't even give you a chance to explain, and I'm sorry.” She looked at her feet as she spoke. “I know that I shouldn't have listened to Kikyo, or jumped to conclusions. I was just...what had happened between us seemed too perfect, and I guess I was looking for the fine print.”

 

“It was my fault, though. I should have defended you against what she was saying. And I should have told you about the marking, too.”

 

“Tell me about it now, then.”

 

Inuyasha's head jerked up. “What?” he asked, not believing his ears.

 

“Tell me about it now.” Kagome was looking at him now, straight in the eyes.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes, already, now tell me, if you're gonna!”

 

Inuyasha grinned at her outburst. “A mate's mark is when a demon marks someone as theirs, forever. It's a lot like the marriage ceremony most humans go through, except that it truly is binding for life.”

 

“So why hadn't you marked me?” Kagome asked. Her voice trembled a bit, despite her efforts to keep it even.

 

“Two reasons. The first is that each demon race has a different way of marking a mate. Dog demons mark mates when they mate for the first time. The second is that I hadn't asked you yet.”

 

“Oh...” Kagome said, not able to come up with a reply to that. They stood in silence for a time, until Inuyasha reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it.

 

He stepped up close to her, and looked her in the eyes. She was surprised, and she felt short of breath.

 

He unwrapped the object he carried, and took her hand. “Kagome...” he began. Suddenly, he paused.

 

“What's wrong?” she asked.

 

“Koga.” Inuyasha looked to their left, just as Koga appeared between the trees. Inuyasha dropped Kagome's hand, and stepped in front of her. “Go away, ya mangy wolf. This doesn't concern you.”

 

“If it concerns Kagome, it concerns me. I think I'll stay.” He took another step, and Inuyasha growled at him.

 

“Inuyasha, just ignore him, and say what you were going to say,” Kagome ordered.

 

He looked at her again, and took up her hand once more.

 

“Get your paws off of my woman, dog-breath!” Koga called from behind him, and Inuyasha stiffened.

 

“Ignore him!” Kagome hissed.

 

Inuyasha forced his shoulders to relax, and took a breath. “Kagome, will you... will you be my mate?” he asked. He placed his mother's ring on her hand with the red cloth, and Kagome's breath caught in her throat.

 

She looked at the ring, at Inuyasha's face, then back to the ring. A shaking hand picked up the ring, and she tried to slip it on her finger. She kept missing the finger, though, so Inuyasha took it from her.

 

He placed it on her finger slowly, and looked into her eyes when it was on. “You will?” he whispered.

 

“Yes!” she replied, then kissed him. “I love you, Inuyasha,” she smiled.

 

“I love you, too, Kagome.” He embraced her, kissing her forehead. “I'm sorry I was such an idiot.”

 

“It doesn't matter now. I'm yours.”

 

 

Back With the Rest of the Group, Japan

Feudal Era, Wednesday, Day 13

 

 

“Get out the scrying bowl!” Jan hissed at Miroku as soon as they were out of sight. Pulling out a water skin, she filled the bowl up. Saying the incantation, a picture appeared.

 

“I can't hear!” Maria said.

 

“That's because they aren't talking, dimwit,” Amelia snapped, and everyone hushed them.

 

“Volume, up.” Jan ordered.

 

Everyone crowded around, to see what was going to happen.

 

“I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I over reacted to what had happened. I didn't even give you a chance to explain, and I'm sorry.” She looked at her feet as she spoke. “I know that I shouldn't have listened to Kikyo, or jumped to conclusions. I was just...what had happened between us seemed too perfect, and I guess I was looking for the fine print.”

 

“Why's she apologizing? She didn't do any thing!” Sango said.

 

“It was my fault, though. I should have defended you against what she was saying. And I should have told you about the marking, too.”

 

“He's whipped,” Miroku commented.

 

“Tell me about it now, then.”

 

Inuyasha's head jerked up. “What?” he asked.

 

“Smooth,” they all said in unison.

 

“Tell me about it now.” Kagome was looking at him now, straight in the eyes.

 

“Really?”

 

“Tape recorder!” Maria added.

 

“Yes, already, now tell me, if you're gonna!”

 

“And there's the Kagome we all know and love,” Sango said.

 

Inuyasha grinned at her outburst. “A mate's mark is when a demon marks someone as theirs, forever. It's a lot like the marriage ceremony most humans go through, except that it truly is binding for life.”

 

“So why hadn't you marked me?” Kagome asked. Her voice trembled noticeably.

 

“Two reasons. The first is that each demon race has a different way of marking a mate. Dog demons mark mates when they mate for the first time. The second is that I hadn't asked you yet.”

 

“Oh...” Kagome said, not able to come up with a reply to that. They stood in silence for a time, until Inuyasha reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it.

 

“He's gonna propose. Who wants to bet?” Jan asked, and everyone shook their heads.

 

“You know more about this than we do. Besides, if he proposes, he's gonna have a ring. Where would he have gotten the ring?” Amelia said.

 

“The Good Will? I didn't give him one.”

 

“He's doing something! Shut up!”

 

He stepped up close to her, and looked her in the eyes. She looked surprised.

 

He unwrapped the object he carried, and took her hand. “Kagome...” he began. Suddenly, he paused.

 

“What's wrong?” she asked.

 

“Koga.” Inuyasha looked to their left, just as Koga appeared between the trees. Inuyasha dropped Kagome's hand, and stepped in front of her. “Go away, ya mangy wolf. This doesn't concern you.”

 

“If it concerns Kagome, it concerns me. I think I'll stay.” He took another step, and Inuyasha growled at him.

 

“He's gonna get creamed,” Miroku observed.

 

“Inuyasha, just ignore him, and say what you were going to say,” Kagome ordered.

 

He looked at her again, and took up her hand once more.

 

“Get your paws off of my woman, dog-breath!” Koga called from behind him, and Inuyasha stiffened.

 

“Ignore him!” Kagome hissed.

 

Inuyasha forced his shoulders to relax, and took a breath. “Kagome, will you... will you be my mate?” he asked. He placed a ring on her hand with the red cloth.

 

“And that, folks, is why we didn't bet on it,” Miroku said.

 

She looked at the ring, at Inuyasha's face, then back to the ring. A shaking hand picked up the ring, and she tried to slip it on her finger. She kept missing the finger, though, so Inuyasha took it from her.

 

He placed it on her finger slowly, and looked into her eyes when it was on. “You will?” he whispered.

 

“Yes!” she replied, then kissed him. “I love you, Inuyasha,” she smiled.

 

“I love you, too, Kagome.” He embraced her, kissing her forehead. “I'm sorry I was such an idiot.”

 

“It doesn't matter now. I'm yours.”

 

It was silent for about one second, then they all yelled, “Finally!” and started yelling in celebration.

 

Miroku decided to take advantage of the situation, and tried to grope Sango. Sango was so excited, she not only didn't slap him, but she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Shocked, Miroku moved his hands up to her back, and hugged her back.

 

“I can't believe they finally figured it out!” she squealed.

 

“Now we get to work on the next obvious but oblivious couple,” Jan said with a smirk to Sesshomaru, who was the only one who refrained from yelling. The most he offered up was a ghost of a smile, which turned into a ghost of a grin at Jan's comment.

 

“Were you guys watching us?” Inuyasha said, making everyone stop where they were.

 

“Were we that obvious about it?” Jan asked sarcastically.

 

“We could hear you over there!” Kagome said, glaring at everyone. She did a double take when she saw the demon slayer and monk.

 

“Inuyasha, look at Sango and Miroku!” she whispered softly, so that they wouldn't hear her.

 

He jerked his gaze over to them, and tried to suppress a grin. Miroku was holding Sango by the waist with a dreamy expression on his face, and Sango still had her arms around his neck, looking guiltily at the newly engaged couple. Inuyasha's face slipped, and his large grin broke Sango out of her motionless stance.

 

She blushed, and quickly stepped away from Miroku, whose face fell from whatever clouds it had been on when he realized he no longer held Sango.

 

“Why were you holding me, Miroku?” she said accusingly.

 

“You were the one who hugged me first!” he defended.

 

“You should have kissed her while you had the chance, Miroku. I'm gonna need to come up with a new name for you. Idiot is back on the market... Thick is what I should call Sango... I'll think of something.” Jan patted his shoulder, and Sango looked at her reproachingly.

 

“What's that supposed to mean?”

 

“Nothing! Nothing!” Jan said, hands up, backing away slowly, as everyone laughed (except Sango, who was still eying her suspiciously).