InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Spring Fever ❯ It's Spring ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8

 

It's Spring

 

A week passed since Sesshomaru found himself absolutely stuck in that place which he decided to call the crust of hell, and trust him, he had his reasons.

 

First off, he was bored. He was really, very, unimaginably bored. He suddenly had all the time in the world and wasn't constrained to the doings of a lord in the making. True, he had the title, but he wasn't in charge of his lands like his father had been. Then again, he wondered if those lands would still be his by the time he got back. The correction of that would prove to be more than enough entertainment to make up for this week. Still, even though he was bored and everything else around was interesting and extremely not boring, there came in his next issue in life.

 

Second, he couldn't pass through the last barrier, of which there were multiple. How that vague demon could and he couldn't was beyond him, but he had a good five minutes after his first attempt babying his fingers. Damn the wench, and damn the damnable shrine, and just for good measure, damn the wench. And speaking of the miko, she was even more useless of late because of her excitement being replaced by dread, and so her human-energy-backup depleted itself immediately and she actually managed to sleep for a whole day. Now she wouldn't get out of the house because walking up and down steps was 'bad enough'. To think that before all of this she had been bed-ridden, and then decided she felt fine enough to just wander up to and land on his already undignified person and send them both to hell. ... Alright, he's been to hell and back a few times, but this was worse than that... Yes, it decidedly was, because hell didn't have a list of reasons as to why he hated it.

 

Third misfortune, there were questions. Too many questions. He loathed questions. Especially from innocent children. Who knew a boy could out-do Rin...

 

“So, how come you never take a bath?” the miko's younger brother inquired on an exceptionally sunny and boring day. They called their current time frame a week-end, and it apparently came often, but aside from being plagued by a child Seshsomaru saw nothing noticeably special about it. Why couldn't those learning facilities be open more often...

 

“This Sesshomaru does not need to bathe,” he replied shortly, not meeting the child's eyes. And, he wasn't lying, he didn't. Humans were filthy vermin who savored spreading their inner filth across their skin, and needed to wash it off regularly. Demons rarely required baths, and his garments already took care of any filth they gathered, such as his blood, themselves. The wonderful clothing even mended itself, with some help of his youki that is.

 

“Well, that's odd,” the boy commented, hunching slightly with uncertainty. He obviously had instincts... “So, why don't you ever change even?” ... And he enjoyed ignoring them.

 

“Sota, stop that!” came the miko's chiding voice as she approached, bearing with her the scent of soap-drenched flower beds. Her hair was wet still from her daily bath, and lay in wet segments where it would cling to her skin and clothes. A week of rest had done her body good, and she lost the dark circles under her eyes, but Sesshomaru could sense that she was still recovering.

 

She bore the mark still of his half-brother biting her, on her left shoulder. It had sealed over, yes, but sealing it had been quite the challenge for the little miko. So, although her body was mostly recovered from the spiritual draining invested in the demon infestation from the bite, she had yet to replenish even her back-up powers. Thusly, she tripped a lot. He himself still had some time left before fully recovering, but he still retained enough to do whatever he needed to do. Gather energy and travel, transform, things like that. But damn him if he could manage to pass that barrier with what he had!

 

Sesshomaru regarded her approaching self with a glance. He came to the conclusion not too long ago that, although he hated this place, he despised that woman.

 

“I'm not doing anything bad, sis!” Sota whined, running up to her.

 

“You know I don't want you bothering him,” the miko 'whispered' into her brother's ear. Although Sesshomaru had let her stay alive for the time traveling well, he also relished in the fact that the boy actually listened to her. Why that child refused to heed an order from Sesshomaru himself was beyond perplexing, and being perplexed was his new source of annoyance.

 

Thusly, he had been annoyed and bored for an entire week, and he was finding it to be... annoying, which didn't help at all. Where did the cosmos find the justice to do this to him? Why that girl had to fall on him and send them down that well was past the line of logic and Sesshomaru could only blame fate, and her, for not being stepped on by a dragon instead. Since the miko had a physical body though, she became a good outlet for his irritation with both her and fate.

 

“The boy should learn to value his life more, miko,” Sesshomaru stated in a bored manner, which was easier done than said.

 

The one decent thing about this whole predicament was that she was very fun to torment. He could even blame himself minutely for her obscenely slow recovery, since he tended to wake her up when he was either bored or finding something to do around the home. He apparently had enough energy to be sensed by a sleeping miko, which was perfectly fine by him.

 

She rounded on him, hands on her hips, and regarded his regal self with a wrinkled nose.

 

“Well, excuse me that we are not use to living outside of our comfortable lifestyle to see imminent death in the shape of a demon at arm's length,” she bit out, gently smacking the back of the boy's head as he fled the premises and into the home. The child chuckled at that.

 

Sesshomaru smirked ever so slightly, but enough so the miko could see it. She seemed to be easily unsettled by such a simple facial expression, and she was amusing that way. Her speech was quickly impaired and her diaphragm spasmed, making her look flustered as her anger presented itself through her body and her scent. In a way, annoying her had become an art form which he enjoyed indulging.

 

Hm... Angry soap-covered flowers...

 

“Y-” she started, pausing for a very minute shiver of worry-mingled anger. “You're just bored, aren't you?”

 

His smirk grew.

 

She took a firm stance and looked at him through the corners of her eyes, face tilted away.

 

“You're evil, and you enjoy it,” she stated, turning her back to him and making her way for the house. Just for kicks, he flared his aura and she spun so quickly on her heel that she fell onto her rump, covered in spiritual residue that was suppose to be a barrier for herself. What a waste of limited energy... “GAH!! No! Damn you!” She glared up at him, some locks of hair still plastered to her cheek from spinning, just in time to see his amused smile. “Oh, go to hell Sesshomaru!!”

 

'Been there, done that,' he thought. She stormed off with only her middle finger lifted at him, and he was left to find a new source of humor. He was bored again. Where was Jaken when he needed to kick something... He didn't do well being around beings and being bored at the same time...

 

Hunting the cat would have to do.

 

“Oh!” exclaimed the mother when she turned around. He found the cat. It was hiding on top of the fridge, and currently doubling its size with raised fur. The mother wiped her hands habitually on a cloth hanging from a small door under the sink “Are you hungry? I can make something. Would you like me to make you something to eat? You haven't eaten anything since you got here. You're beginning to make me worry.”

 

She had quickly learned earlier that week to drop calling him 'dear', a carefree term of that time, but her talkative nature he couldn't cut short. It was attached as firmly to her mouth as her soul was to her body, which would have been easily separated if not for the results of a conversation with the miko. It occurred immediately after reining in the mother's word choice, and Sesshomaru was quite displeased to be the loser of that spit-fire verbal quarrel. The miko was suppose to be tired and recovering, not snippy and witty. How the miko suddenly got clever via her incoherence was so far over the border of sanity that Sesshomaru left it alone.

 

But still, damn... Not being able to kill humans without completely ignoring his sense of honor was really beginning to itch under his skin...

 

He turned to walk back outside, and ran into the third-place nuisance.

 

“So, why DO you only wear one outfit?” the boy repeated himself.

 

“Sota! Leave Lord Sesshomaru of the Western Lands alone!” That was the grandfather. Sesshomaru's favorite person there, if he had to pick. The best part was the man could ramble for hours about stories from the 'past', what was suppose to be Sesshomaru's future, and Sesshomaru didn't have to prompt him and could even pretend to ignore him without breaking the 'conversation'. He hated talking to humans. Listening was fine, to a certain point.

 

“Alright! I'm ready to go!” First-place nuisance and breacher of listening point just came hopping down the stairs. She certainly changed fast. What was she ready for? Whatever it was, she looked happy about it.

 

“When will you be back?” the mother inquired.

 

“By supper,” the miko replied, straightening her outfit. She wore a different short kimono, which Sesshomaru had learned divided in the middle while looking for entertainment a few days ago. She tried to hit him with an alarm clock at that point, and was mortified that he not only caught it but melted it down to scrap too. Her top was more revealing than usual, the fabric clinging greedily to her torso while being supported by two small straps over her shoulders. For a miko, she was fairly... out there. “We're going to see a new movie too! It's called The Grudge, it looks really good.”

 

“Honey, won't that scare your friends?” the mother asked, offering a small woven overcoat, which probably only served as decorations since it was so thing and barely woven. It was taken.

 

“They can handle it,” the miko replied, practically twirling the fabric over her shoulders and grabbing a tiny bag. “Thanks! I'm off now!”

 

“Alright, have fun!” the mother stated.

 

Fun??

 

The miko, now halfway between the home and the red torii with the barrier, looked back at the Sesshomaru who was nonchalantly following her. They hadn't even left the grounds though before his presence annoyed her.

 

“Yes?” she asked, rounding on him and causing her now pulled up and dried hair to feather her cheek.

 

He barely rolled his shoulders in reply.

 

“Sesshomaru, you can't leave dressed like that...”

 

Lovely! A challenge!

 

“Why not?” he asked. “I do as I please, little human.”

 

“It's Kagome,” she supplied, sounding weary. She told him absolutely enough times for him to never forget that name, and she still didn't make the connection that he was choosing to not use it. Or, perhaps, she was trying to manipulate his addressing of her, and if so then he just found something else to kill the time with. Yes, kill the time, wait for that well to open again. If it didn't open soon, he had new lands to conquer.

 

He rolled his shoulders again.

 

She sighed, and prayed to a passing cloud. “Listen, I know you're a Demon Lord and could kill me without looking and probably even while moving in slow motion in your terms...” Naturally. “But this isn't your world. You're in a city named Tokyo and you are a demon in a human society...”

 

Her elaboration was almost as sarcastic as his third shrug.

 

“RRRGH!” she vexed, storming closer to him. Her scent was now beginning to penetrate the soapy floral smell, and he refused to admit that her real scent was far better than the fake. “You are a pain in the ass, you know that??”

 

“Yes,” he replied. Her face didn't fall with shock, like it once would to such a response, but quirked like someone just twisted her nose. She stomped her foot.

 

“You know what! I'm glad you hate me, because then I don't have to feel bad about hating you back!” She twirled and walked off, and he did the same. “And stop following me!!”

 

“No,” he replied simply. Alright, perhaps he was being a little immature, but with only her seeing it there was no harm. Well, no harm to him, which was a delight.

 

“Wha- ... Yes!!” she barked. “I am NOT going to tolerate your presence everywhere I choose to go!!”

 

“Too bad you do not have much of a choice in that,” he replied. Cha-ching! This was going to be an excellent day, and he would pass up hunting for getting her goat any time. She began to walk away, simmering.

 

Hm... The barrier... How to get an armature miko to lower a barrier... Or, one of the three that were there.

 

“You do realize how unfavorably those clothes portray you, correct?”

 

She stopped right on the top step, three ripples of pink going unnoticed by her. Perfect.

 

She crossed her arms. “I'll have you know that I don't give a blink over what you think.”

 

He smirked, she scowled, the world was good again.

 

The world went off kilter when she took two audacious steps out of the barrier. Damn.

 

“I'll have you know, I-!”

 

Sesshomaru did absolutely the most childish thing he could recall ever having done in his centuries of maturity, and putting a finger on her collar bone he pushed her.

 

She was so shocked she fell and sat on the ground, and gapped at him.

 

... Not the reaction he was aiming for... So, he flared his aura.

 

“IS THIS SOME SORT OF JOKE?!” the miko demanded, smacking the ground with her hands and flaring up as well.

 

“How else do you expect to be treated when dressed as an easy lay?” Sesshomaru inquired. Yep. That did it. With a drawn out 'oo' noise she balled her fists and got to her feet, pointing a finger at him.

 

“You litt-!”

 

“Be quiet,” he ordered.

 

Miko explosion.

 

POW!

 

Sesshomaru jumped away and was very satisfied to see the first layer of the barrier fragment and fall like cherry pedals. The miko held her head over the sudden energy outburst and results.

 

“I hate you,” she muttered.

 

Despite how strong it still was, Sesshomaru knew he could certainly pass through the barrier now with the sacrifice of a bit of his energy. After all, energy was quite expendable now, considering the only demon left was a ghost as far as he had seen.

 

The miko got unsteadily to her feet, attempted to glare him to death, and came stomping up to within three inches of his face, trembling with fury. Yes, a good day was ahead.

 

“Why you-!”

 

“Hey Kagome!!” The miko looked ready to cry with how her anger was suddenly bottled up.

 

Sesshomaru looked past his victim and at the tall flight of stairs leading into this property to see what had distracted the miko from her splendid anger. He was ready to exploit it again too. The nerve...

 

“My, my, my! Who's this?” asked the girl with the shortest hair of all three.

 

“A cosplayer?” asked another girl with unnatural wavy hair. How did she get it curled like that... “What are you cosplaying as? There's a convention around here?”

 

Oh dear lord, questions... Sesshomaru was about to leave, but the miko's whimper anchored him comfortably to the spot.

 

“What's your name?” asked the third and last female, her hair pulled back from her face with an odd utensil. Since when hasn't a utensil been odd there? ... Well, the chopsticks, but everything else was different. He had destroyed the kitchen while people were asleep to satisfy some of his curiosity, and the next night discovered that one of the odd sounds was actually a bowl of water with a seat over it tucked away in a small room, and it was easily flooded with a few switches of that little lever. A very tired miko came storming into the room with the bath and turned on the light to see Sesshomaru looking into the upper portion of the odd utensil secured to the wall. She looked groggily at her feet, and stated her hate for him when her toes got wet from the bowl water.

 

Aside from all of that, finally! A question he actually didn't mind answering. “You may address me as Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands.”

 

... Usually, saying that did not result in giggles... Feminine giggle no less...

 

“So Kagome, where'd you dig this one up?” asked the girl with short brown hair.

 

Dig? That better be a common-place phrase on how to find someone...

 

“O-oh!” the miko stuttered. “He's just visiting, really. He's actually Inuyasha's half-brother, and-”

 

“REALLY??” all three newcomers suddenly shrieked.

 

Sesshomaru thought his ears were bleeding, and was suddenly encircled by the new girls. This was not what he wanted.

 

“You're older, right?”

 

“Why do your ears look like that?”

 

“I like the face makeup! It's really well done!”

 

“My GOD, IS this a wig?”

 

“So both you and Inuyasha like to dress up oddly! That's pretty cool!”

 

“How old are you?”

 

“Why are you here?”

 

“Is Inuyasha here?”

 

“Are you seriously here with Kagome while Inuyasha's gone?”

 

At that last question the girls fell silent for a split second (and he kept count) before a very long 'oo' that was very different than the miko's came perfectly toned from each girl, causing the air to vibrate the fur of his pelt, which was being touched...

 

...

 

No, this was definitely not what he wanted. He easily jumped out of their circle and landed at a safe distance, which happened to be on a wall, leaving them to gap like sheep which forgot how to swallow.

 

“Oh boy,” Kagome giggled nervously, clutching her chin and apparently thinking.

 

“WOW!!” the newcomers cheered, the one with wavy hair applauding. ... Applauding? Why?

 

“You can do martial arts!”

 

“That was so cool!”

 

“How high can you jump?”

 

“Are you a black belt, or is that not the ranking system for your style?”

 

“Where did you learn?”

 

“Can I have your phone number?”

 

“Seriously, I'll take classes with you!”

 

“Are you in high school?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

“Do you go to school HERE??”

 

“Which school, because I wouldn't mind switching to have a class together!”

 

Must. Kill. Them.

 

“Guys, he doesn't like talking too much,” the miko giggled nervously. “And he's only here for a little while and doesn't go to school. Anymore.”

 

What was she blathering about? He's NEVER been to one of their learning facilities, he always had private tutors growing up.

 

“Hey! You should come hang out with us!” stated the brown haired girl. To Sesshomaru, not the miko, which was... weird. They were all weird. He didn't want to be there anymore.

 

“No!” the miko squealed with painful thoughts.

 

“Alright,” Sesshomaru agreed, easily hopping down to the ground. He received a death glare and returned it with a smirk. For some reason the amount of hormones in the air suddenly exploded and the three girls were hanging on one another looking at him. Said smirk disappeared instantaneously.

 

He could suffer through this, if only to annoy his hostess, who had to be kept alive... Damn...

 

“You. Are. Staying. Sesshomaru,” Kagome bit out. The best part about annoying her was that it was easy...

 

Then again, he could say the same for himself, feeling his lip curl back with threatening disgust when two girls each grabbed one of his haori sleeves and the other actually began encouraging him ahead with two hands on the back of his armor. To their disappointment, he didn't move, but they got to hear him growl threateningly.

 

“He can come!” the women reassured the miko, trying to tug him onward. He was willing to lie and say he forgot he couldn't kill anything... Which was a very stupid, stupid, baka result of a conversation a few days ago. It started with approximately thirty five immensely annoying morning birds laying split in half across the shrine grounds. So, instead of just not being able to kill humans, the miko got clever and now he couldn't kill anything... Well, he could, just with consequences he'd rather avoid. Like demon seals, and breaking his word. He did have back quite a bit of his energy, but he needed it all to keep from being sealed.

 

... Ugh... Stupid, clever wench with spiritual powers.

 

The girls turned to leave, walking ahead and woman-handling their friend the miko with frantic whispers. Sesshomaru ignored them, and gathering his youki he jumped through the barrier.

 

Ow...

 

That stung...

 

The miko looked back at the power flare with an intrigued look, but her attention was captured by her friends again.

 

Hopefully he wouldn't have to go back through that barrier any time soon...