InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stream of Consciousness: A LiveJournal Collection ❯ Dirt and Bug Soup ( Chapter 59 )

Title: Dirt and Bug Soup

Community: First Tweak

Theme: Soup

Place Earned: 3rd

Rating: PG

Genre: Humor

Universe: Canon post-manga

Word count: 818

Warnings: none

 

 

Dirt and Bug Soup

 

Inuyasha and Shippou were enjoying a rare moment of quiet, reclining on the grassy hill outside the hut which was home to both of them. The fox kit had hit a growth spurt in the past few years, and now reached the hanyou's waist. Some of his more boyish features had started to shift and change; he was rapidly becoming a young man. And like any adolescent boy, he quite often had girls on his mind, as Inuyasha suspected was the case right now, especially considering the soft sighs that periodically escaped him.

 

“What're you thinkin' about, runt?”

 

“N-nothin'!” Shippou replied quickly.

 

“You sure you weren't daydreaming about that Chiyo girl?”

 

“Yes, I'm sure!”

 

Inuyasha chuckled to himself, but said no more. He liked to tease the runt, but he was secretly happy for him. Shippou had many friends in the village, all of them human, and he and Chiyo definitely had a thing for each other, even if they hadn't admitted it yet. And even more surprising to Inuyasha, her parents had no problem with their daughter being friends—and possibly more, eventually—with a demon. He and Kagome had certainly found a wonderful place to settle down and raise their children. And speaking of their children…

 

“Otou! Otou!” came a high-pitched cry. Inuyasha picked his head up to see his five-year-old daughter Kumiko running toward him, her younger brother Kaito in tow. They seemed excited about something, but perfectly happy, so he sat up calmly to greet them.

 

“What's up, kids?”

 

“We made something for you!” they chirped in unison.

 

“You did? What is it?”

 

Kumiko pulled a small container out from behind her back, and Inuyasha's eyes widened at what he saw inside it. It looked like a bowl of muddy water, with odd clumps of dirt and pieces of grass floating inside it. And was that a live beetle struggling to stay afloat? Inuyasha suddenly had a very bad feeling about this, especially since his daughter was now holding a spoon in her other hand.

 

“We call it `dirt and bug soup.' Try some, Otou!”

 

Inuyasha gulped, starting to hyperventilate at the thought of subjecting his sensitive taste buds to that. But it was alright; he would play this cool. Holding out his hands, he took the bowl and the spoon, dipping the utensil into the `soup' and pretending to scoop some. Bringing it to his mouth, he made a slurping noise which he hoped would satisfy his children.

 

“Mmmm, good,” he said, using his best acting skills. He was dismayed to see his daughter glaring at him with a frown on her face.

 

“You didn't really eat any!” she declared, her bottom lip quivering. She appeared to be on the verge of bursting into tears, and that was something Inuyasha couldn't stand. Swallowing hard, he hastened to reassure her.

 

“No, no, I did! Here, I'll take another spoonful.” He did so, staring at it forlornly for a few seconds. There was a small black ant swimming in the brown mixture, and he sighed. I'm sorry buddy, for both of us. Then, without further delay, he lifted the spoon to his lips and sucked the contents into his mouth. His eyes nearly bugged out of his skull as he almost spit the vile mixture back into the bowl. It took all of his willpower to swallow the disgusting liquid.

 

“I-it's still g-good,” he choked out, praying to all the Kami that they wouldn't make him eat any more.

 

“Yay!” both kids celebrated at once. Inuyasha heard Shippou chuckling softly at him, but that abruptly ceased once the children turned to the fox.

 

“Shippou! Will you have some too?”

 

Inuyasha cracked a smile despite the unpleasant rumblings in his stomach. Shippou wouldn't be able to resist Kumiko's charms either. At least he wouldn't have to suffer alone.

 

 

A few hours later, both males could be found flopped on their respective futons, groaning loudly in abdominal agony. Kagome bustled about the fire pit, preparing a brew which would hopefully settle their stomachs.

 

“You know, you should have just pretended to eat it.”

 

“Shut up, wench,” Inuyasha moaned. Kagome shook her head at them. I love my boys, but they are pretty dumb sometimes.

 

“Okaa! Okaa!” she heard Kumiko yell just before she and her brother burst through the doorway.

 

“What is it, sweetheart?”

 

“We made something for you!”

 

“Oh, how nice. What is it?”

 

“We call it `stick and slug soup.' Try some, Okaa! And no pretending like Otou!”

 

Gulping, Kagome looked down at the proffered `soup,' and saw that it did indeed live up to its name. Taking one look at her daughter's stern face, Kagome knew she wasn't going to be fooled by a little ruse. And like Inuyasha before her, she was loath to make Kumiko cry. I guess I shouldn't have scolded the boys, she thought as she reached for the spoon.