InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strictly Taboo ❯ Koreaboo ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Author’s Note: You guys ever have an idea, and you’re like “I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m fucking doing it”? That’s what this is.

*Song for the chapter: Everything is Embarrassing by Sky Ferreira*

Inuyasha woke up two hours later than usual, having drifted off near sunrise, not able to get the picture of Kagome glowing with her angel’s smile, even after all she had been through, out of his head. He couldn’t quite remember what he had dreamt, but he was sure Kagome had been present. Something about her just stuck with him, he could not quite put his finger on it. It went beyond just witnessing how Kikyo treated her, or knowing what the future held for her once her mother died and she would be left with him as her guardian. He would let her be a nurse or whatever she wanted to be and he would run the company for her, for Kikyo’s memory. He would make sure Kagome lived a fulfilling life.

Skipping breakfast, he rushed to the office, spending the entire day yelling at interns and dumping tedious, mind-numbing work on his hapless employees. He vowed to go to bed early, aware of his irritability and hating himself for it. One good thing that came from his irrational anger was that it fueled him and enabled him to finish all his day’s work well ahead of time. Inuyasha sat in his office, three hours before the end of the workday, wondering what to do. He could just go home, but he’d only feel the same, and all the employees witnessing his early departure would hate him more than he was comfortable with.

Without his permission, his mind went back to Kagome and Kikyo. If the way she treated her daughter was any indication of her personality as a whole, Kikyo had certainly changed, and not for the better. Or had she? Had he been too blinded by his love for her that he had failed to see her for what she was, failed to discern what she was capable of? The thought shocked him. She had always been cold, anyone could see that, and very proud. Kikyo held herself to a very high standard and demanded the same from everyone else. He remembered how she’d always comb his hair for him before they went out together, continuing even after he told her it made him feel emasculated, like a little boy. She would insist on picking out his clothes, even going so far as to forbid him from wearing things she thought were not “fitting for a man of his station”. Of course she’d be even harder on Kagome, her own flesh and blood.

And they looked so much alike! It still boggled his mind. He had spent the entire dinner studying Kagome and Kikyo, and had begun to notice differences, slight though they were. Kagome’s eyes were several shades lighter than her mother’s, Kikyo’s reminding him of lead and Kagome’s of an overcast day with the sun begging to come out. Kagome’s hair was wavy and slightly finer, looking untamed although he had a feeling she was one of those girls who agonized over its appearance. Kikyo’s hair was stick straight and flowed naturally down her back like a waterfall, graceful. Kikyo’s mouth was wider, her lips thinner and darker. Her face was a narrow oval and a shade paler, her cheekbones standing out in a way that made her look dramatic. Kagome’s face was just sweet, somehow open in a way he had never seen before. And even though Kagome was young, she already had a fuller figure than her mother. Inuyasha told himself he hadn’t been checking his future step-daughter out, it was just that he couldn’t help but notice that her dress had been a little tight in a few interesting areas. He really had only been looking at her in the first place to see how she differed from Kikyo, and he had hugged her back so enthusiastically only because he hated to see a woman cry. He was not one to rob the cradle, although technically speaking the oldest human alive would be like an infant when compared to his years.

The phone rang shrill and he jumped. Jaken wouldn’t call for at least another week. He narrowed his eyes at the shrieking piece of technology, imagining ways he would verbally torment what was sure to be a caller with the wrong number.

“Yeah,” he barked into the phone, anger already blazing. He needed to blow off some steam and anyone would do.

“Inuyasha,” Kikyo said in that soft, intimate voice that had always been just for him.

“Kikyo,” he breathed. Just getting a phone call from her was surreal.

“I need to know when you would like me to move in,” she said pleasantly.

“Hmmm,” he hadn’t given much thought to it. “What time does Kagome get out of school?”

She paused briefly. “Do you not remember my decision to withdraw her?”

“I do, I do,” he assured her. “I just figured what with the move and all that you’d keep her enrolled until she got settled here. It’s only like a twenty-five minute drive from your place.”

“Kagome will be tutored by Urasue until she is enrolled at the school you recommended.”

He shuddered, imagining the old hag torturing the girl with facts and figures, forcing her to recite pages upon pages of dry poetry until late into the night.

“Move in right now!” He hadn’t intended to raise his voice, but his thoughts had drawn an image that left him feeling anxious.

“You’re joking. I am not prepared, I could not possibly—“

“Just bring yourselves and whatever you’ll need tonight. I’ll send someone for your things first thing in the morning.”

Kikyo chuckled. “So eager for company. You have not changed a bit, Inuyasha. I’m glad. Very well, my daughter and I will drive to your home immediately. I suppose Urasue can look after the estate…”

Inuyasha stopped listening. They were coming. The spare rooms were furnished, although plainly. He would let Kagome have first choice, since she would be staying with him longer. Feeling a dull ache in his gut, he thought of Kikyo’s impending death. Would she suffer? Was she suffering now? She had to be, she was dying. Still working, somehow. That was so very her. How would Kagome react to her passing? She will flourish, his mind answered, and he immediately felt terrible and wished he could unthink it.

“Inuyasha?”

He coughed guiltily. “Uh, yes. What were we talking about?”

“I asked for your address,” Kikyo answered, her tone informing him she was somewhat peeved. He told her, giving her directions since it was somewhat hard to find, and they said their goodbyes. Immediately after hanging up, he rushed out of his office with inhuman speed, barely remembering to grab his briefcase. He sped home, breaking all sorts of traffic laws, not caring about getting pulled over. He burst into his house and immediately started tidying up all evidence of his bachelor lifestyle. Rushing around, he threw away random junk, tossed dirty laundry in the hamper, neatly stacked the magazines that had been littered around the coffee table and sofa, ripping the ones of a not-so-innocent nature into shreds with his claws and throwing them in the trash. He made a mental note to stop those subscriptions. It was the twenty-first century, after all, and porno mags were a relic of an ancient past. Plus, having a young ward would severely impact his masturbation time. He made another mental note to buy a membership to one of those internet sites his perverted accountant was always urging him to try.

Finishing with the first floor, he ran up to the second to do a quick once-over of the spare rooms. Opening up the windows to get rid of the stale smell, he checked the blankets on the beds for dust, going from room to room until he heard the doorbell ring.

He quickly made his way down the stairs and toward the door, stumbling over his feet in his eagerness, checking his appearance in the mirror on the wall before opening the door. He had been alone for so long, without even guests. Anyone coming over was exciting, but coming to stay… That was truly something.

Kikyo and Kagome stood on his doorstep, the girl behind her mother carrying two overnight bags, one in each hand. Kikyo breezed past him and into the living room, Kagome following and smiling at him, even more excited than he was. With a nod at her daughter to behave, Kikyo sat down on the sofa and Kagome continued standing, looking at her surroundings curiously, eyes lit up. Inuyasha tried seeing it from her point of view, wondering what made her seem so delighted, but couldn’t. His home was large and plain, with little furnishing and almost no decoration. He used to keep a photo of him and Kikyo over the fireplace as a reminder that he had once been normal, but that had gone in the trash years ago. The only thing on the wall was the mirror he placed by the door to ensure he at least looked semi-presentable on his way out. He had only a sofa, a small coffee table, and a television in the living room and this was probably the only room he had put any thought into beside his bedroom. He had never been one for material objects, anyway.

“I love your home. It’s so open and bright,” Kagome said, her voice echoing in the near-empty room.

He laughed, surprised even though he had seen her thoughts on her expressive face. “Well, that’s one way to put it. It’s pretty much empty.”

“It’s simple. There are no distractions. Perfect.” She smiled at him again and he suddenly felt nervous, not knowing why. She liked it, didn’t she?

“Have you given any thought to where our rooms will be?” Kikyo asked, bored with their short conversation but still achingly polite.

“Er, I thought I would just let you two pick.”

“Aren’t you guys going to be together?” Kagome asked, blushing.

Inuyasha winced visibly. Kagome did not know this marriage was just a charade. He had to think of something to say before Kikyo started giving him The Look. The Look was something he had feared most during their relationship, always right there whenever he managed to slip up in the littlest way.

“Uh, well—“

“Inuyasha is very old-fashioned. He and I will be sleeping separately until the wedding.” Kikyo gave him a slightly milder version of The Look and he relaxed. She always had things covered.

“Oh, that’s so romantic!” Kagome squealed, clapping her hands and dropping their bags in the process. Kikyo rolled her eyes and the girl immediately flushed and looked down. She bent down to pick the bags up again and he did as well, taking them from her and brushing her fingers in the process. Kagome didn’t seem to notice, but he certainly did. Shivers ran up and down his spine, and he wondered at how such slight contact could make him feel like that. She thanked him with another one of her angel smiles and he told himself he had just been alone for too, too long.

“Why don’t you ladies follow me upstairs and we can pick out rooms?”

Kagome hurried toward the stairs, almost skipping, but feeling Kikyo’s glare between her shoulder blades, she slowed down and stepped gracefully, pausing at the bannister to wait for them. Inuyasha lead the way, followed by Kikyo, and he placed their bags at the head of the stairs.

“Go ahead, Kagome. Pick one.”

Kagome stared at the rows of doors he had gestured to, one down the hall to their left and one down the hall to their right. Suddenly turning shy, she said, “Um, Mother should pick first.”

Before Kikyo could speak, he said, “Nope, I’m the man of the house and I say you get first pick. Now go ahead. Look inside the rooms, too. You can’t pick properly if you don’t know what they look like.”

She glanced at him and then away again quickly. “Whichever’s smallest.”

Sighing in a playfully exasperated manner, he pointed to the one closest to them. It was actually the largest after his own, the one he had wanted her to have. “That one, then. Open the door and check it out.”

Tentatively, she placed her hand on the door knob and turned, entering the room slowly. She gasped and the sound delighted him. The room was very plain, with white walls, wood floors, a twin bed and a good-sized closet. Its one special feature was a large bay window with a window seat. It had a good view of the Goshinboku and the sunlight came in strong. He watched her take in her surroundings, her happy gray eyes darting about every which way.

“You like it?” he asked lazily, leaning against the doorway and feeling proud.

“I love it!” She skipped back to the door and threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Papa Yasha,” she murmured into his chest. He stroked her hair again, one arm wrapped around her with a hold as tight as hers. Inuyasha sniffed her hair, completely conscious of the creepiness but too drawn in by her scent to care much about it. What was it? What was so very attractive about it?

“’Papa Yasha’? When did that happen?” Kikyo asked, amused. He stiffened guiltily. He had completely forgotten she was there.

Kagome pushed away from him and explained quietly, gaze stuck on the floor, “He said I could call him anything I wanted and Papa Yasha just felt right.”

“I’m going to take a room in the other hall,” Kikyo said with an air of distraction about her, wandering off as she spoke.

“My room’s right down the hall from yours, Kagome, okay?”

“Can I see it?”

He immediately blushed, cursing himself for his reaction to her innocent words. “Uh, sure. This way.”

He led her to the end of the hall, his door already open. She skipped inside ahead of him then stopped so abruptly he bumped into her. He was about to apologize when she said, “Wow! Your room is so cool!”

Nodding, he again tried to see his home through her eyes. Usually he hardly noticed his surroundings, but with Kagome there everything was just so much clearer. His bedroom was red, black, and gold with a splash of white here and there. His walls were total black, and the bed was large, beyond king-sized, a Victorian-style four poster with a heavily embroidered gold bedspread and red satin sheets. He normally was not one for such extravagance, but he enjoyed his sleep and had splurged on this one thing. The single window of the room was large but covered with a heavy, deep red velvet curtain with gold tassels. The thick, soft carpet was pure black, the intricately carved chest of drawers white. Bookshelves took up an entire wall from top to bottom, all but the space where an arch led to his personal bathroom, the floor of which had a white and red mosaic of the sun.

A light laugh and the creak of bedsprings startled him from his observation and he looked to see Kagome on her back on his bed. She spread out her arms and smiled, her dark hair fanned out gloriously over the shining covers. He felt an odd tightening in his chest as he looked at her, a nervous anticipation. He wanted to reach out and—he knew not what.

“Can you jump on it?”

“Er, I never really tried.”

She sat up and bounced a little and his eyes could not help but follow her movements. Something, everything about her was just so appealing. Seeing her on his bed brought odd feelings that he was not willing to decipher. He felt a wave of guilt wash over him and he shrugged his shoulders, dismissing it. He had done nothing wrong.

“Let’s see which room your mom picked.”

The girl nodded and scrambled off the bed, hurrying out his door and down the hall they had come. He took a deep breath and followed, noticing that her scent was now in his room for better or for worse.

Quickly, he caught up to Kagome, gesturing to the door beside hers that was going to be her private bathroom from now on. She peeked inside. It was small but had all the necessary items. Kikyo was standing outside the room at the end of the other hall. For some reason, Inuyasha felt glad she was as far away from him as could be. He cared deeply for her, but this reunion had him drawing new conclusions about her and he couldn’t say they were good ones. She had already taken her bag and unpacked the few things she had brought with her.

“All settled in?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you. I must get going, though I would love to stay and catch up. We’ve hardly had any time to talk.”

“W-wait, what?” She was going to leave him alone with Kagome? A teenage girl? He visibly paled. He didn’t know the first thing about teenagers, especially modern ones.

“I know, but it’s urgent. We’re developing a new line of glucometers and those incompetent idiots I employ need my oversight on every little thing, especially now.”

“Can I come?” Kagome asked, perhaps a little too brightly. He sensed she was nervous, and the fact that she was as uncomfortable as he was in this new situation soothed him a bit. Perhaps they could find common ground somewhere.

“Of course you’d only show interest in your future right when it’s inconvenient,” Kikyo muttered. “I’m in a rush. I’m going to have to drive out to the factory so I probably won’t be back tonight.”

“Okay,” he squeaked, his anxiety reaching new heights. Kikyo kissed him on the cheek and rushed downstairs and out the door, but he hardly noticed. His heart was beating so loudly he was sure even the little human girl could hear it.

“So…” Kagome said. He could tell from the start that she was not one who was content with simple silence, but even she seemed at a loss for words. They had been alone together once before, but Kikyo had been nearby. Now it was like they were meeting for the first time.

“Uh…yeah.” He flinched at how stupid he must sound to her. She was looking at him with her big, gray eyes and seemed so unsure. He remembered she had not had a male presence in her life and reasoned with himself that he was as new to her as she was to him. They were on equal ground.

“Have you read all your books?”

“Most of them.” He could not think of anything to say beyond that. Words were gone. He knew seventeen different languages yet he could not even manage a complete sentence in front of this girl.

“I love to read.”

“If—If you want, you can borrow a book. Or two. Or twelve. Any of them. Any time. Just ask me. Or not. It’s okay. Some of them are really old though, so you’ll have to be careful. They’re mostly history books, a few novels. Nothing really brand new. Well, brand new meaning the last fifty or so years.” The word vomit was worse than silence. He wanted to punch himself.

“Thank you,” she smiled sweetly, lessening his embarrassment.

“Yeah. Do you need any help unpacking? Or do you need me to get you anything?”

“No thanks, I brought everything with me.”

“Everything?” He raised an eyebrow. Those overnight bags were small and only one of them was hers. “Are you sure? Who knows when Kikyo will be back. Don’t you need toothpaste or shampoo or a change of clothes?”

“No, I’ve got it all. I packed all my things when we left. I didn’t want to go back,” she confessed.

“All your things? Seriously?”

“Yes. Mother says a spartan upbringing ensures a greater drive for success later in life.”

Inuyasha was speechless. He himself wasn’t very materialistic, but he sure as hell would not limit himself to a single bag of possessions. He knew enough about teenage girls and females in general to know that they were supposed to have things. Women liked things. Kagome didn’t have enough. An idea took root in his mind and he smiled. He had found a way to bond with her.

“We’re going shopping.”

“Alright. What would you like me to make for dinner?”

He laughed outright. “No, Kagome. We’re going shopping for clothes. Clothes for you.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened and she seemed very surprised. Patting himself on the back for remembering something about the fairer sex, he eyed her clothing. A plain, white blouse that looked exactly like what she had worn for her school uniform and a knee-length, shapeless black skirt.  He assumed her other clothes would be much the same, boring and not suited to her.

“Come on. We’re going to one of the Tetsusaiga stores.”

“R-right now?”

“That’s what I said.” He spoke in his more casual, somewhat rough tone. Now that he had a purpose he was no longer nervous, no longer unsure. Kagome followed behind him and they exited the house, not even bothering to lock the door. He never did. Hardly anybody knew where he lived, the road leading to his home was ten miles of dirt and hard to find unless you knew where it was. Add in the chain-link fence with barbed wire going all around his forest, and you have a pretty secure homestead.

Inuyasha slid into his favorite car, the sleek white one he had spent a large, forgotten amount of money on. He heard the door close and started the engine.

“Front seat, Kagome. You’re not a child,” he smirked.

He heard her belt unbuckle and she slid into the front seat gracefully, legs first. Catching himself just as he began to admire the long, creamy appendages, he backed up and sped out of the driveway. Now he was presented with a series of new problems. Did she want to make conversation? Or would she prefer music? But what kind of music? Maybe even talk radio? And what about when they got to the shop? He knew nothing of her preferences and she seemed to not know much more about what she’d like herself, apparently having never been allowed a choice in her life.

“So, um, you own Tetsusaiga?”

“Yes,” he almost sighed in relief. She was talking about his business! He could go on about the subject for hours even in his sleep.

“I’ve never been to any one of the stores, but I’ve heard they’re everywhere.”

“Yeah. We’re like Wal-Mart, only not cheap and shitty.” His eyes widened when he realized he had cursed in front of Kikyo’s daughter. Fuck, if this got back to her he’d be in trouble.

But Kagome just giggled. “I’ve never been to a Wal-Mart, either.”

“Have you ever been anywhere?” he asked jokingly.

She sighed. “Not really. I’ve honestly only ever been shuttled from whatever school to home and back again. But sometimes Urasue lets me watch television so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on too much.”

Almost getting into a car accident from gaping at her, he quickly righted the vehicle and kept his eyes on the road. “Seriously?! You’ve never been anywhere but that dusty old place and whatever snobby school Kikyo picked?”

“Well, I’ve been to other people’s houses. I’m not a complete loser,” she muttered.

He blanched. He hadn’t been trying to insinuate that there was something wrong with her. “I’ll just have to take you out and show you around then. Organize your grand debut. We’ll go shopping and then to a restaurant and a movie or something. You’ve seen movies, right?”

Kagome snorted, obviously taking offense at his words. “I might have never been to a theater, but I’ve seen a ton of movies.”

“Alright, don’t get pissy with me, angel. I’m just trying to show you a good time.” The nickname he had been calling her in his mind just slipped out and it felt too right to take back.

He glanced at her and she was smiling at him. “Thank you, Papa Yasha.”

He flinched at the name, hoping his reaction wasn’t obvious. Being a father was not something he had ever seriously thought about, and to have a young woman call him that made him feel like some sort of pimp. Vowing to get used to it, he pulled into the parking lot of Tetsusaiga department store, managing to snag a spot close to the front.

Inuyasha practically jogged to the front of the store, Kagome running to keep up with him. He wanted to give to her, but he hated shopping. The people, the searching, the waiting. He constantly thanked whatever deity came first to his mind for the creation of the internet. Now he could just get whatever he wanted from his home and he didn’t even have to talk to anyone to do it. But Kagome needed clothes now and she deserved the experience.

“Pick what you like. I’ll go over and wait by—“

She grabbed his wrist so suddenly it stunned him, then released him just as quickly. “S-sorry. It’s just… I haven’t been alone before. I don’t know what to do,” she whispered, glancing at all the people around them with wide eyes.

“Sure. Uh, let’s head to the women’s section.”

They wandered the short distance to where women’s clothes were kept, Inuyasha leading the way. Kagome stared at everything, her eyes constantly moving from item to item, person to person. She jumped when an announcement came from the speakers in the ceiling, interrupting the boring elevator music with a pre-recorded message reminding them that Halloween was just three weeks away and Tetsusaiga had a variety of women’s costumes that would make your friends “scream in jealousy at how boo-tiful” you look.

“So… You’re afraid of Count Chocula,” he teased as soon as the goofy voice ended and the jazz came back on.

She smacked his arm that she had been gripping not two seconds before. “It surprised me! After the music, it was very loud and just—Ugh. And that stupid laugh!”

“Do you want me to tell them to turn it down?”

“No, no. Let’s just keep going.” She marched ahead of him, determined, and he stared after her a few seconds before following, wondering why he liked her so much so soon.

“So,” she said, stopping in front of a rack of skirts. He waited for her to continue, but she did not. Kagome was holding a skirt in one hand and fiddling with the tag.

“Just get what you want, Kagome,” he said. “You’ll pay me back by ending your hermitage.”

She glared up at him with a soft pout and he smirked at her expression. “I didn’t stay at home because I wanted to, you know.”

“I know. Now get what you like before Count Chocula comes back on and you start screaming for help and embarrass us.”

She stomped away angrily towards a row of dresses and he followed her with his eyes, leaning against the rack of skirts she had been touching. Realizing she was probably going to buy a lot of expensive things now that he had ticked her off, he sighed and tried to calculate how much she would cost him over the next six years (at least). The numbers didn’t matter much to him, but it was something to do. Girls were much more expensive than boys, he concluded. He would probably keep Kagome until she was 21, which was when she would inherit the company, although in name only since he would be the one officially running it. She would begin to receive a sizeable income from Shikon and would probably want to move out, unless she had already moved into the dorms of whatever college she ended up going to, or moved in with a friend or boyfriend. Inuyasha made a face at the last thought. He just could not, would not imagine Kagome with a boyfriend. Some stupid kid hanging around her constantly. She was attractive, more than attractive. There would be no shortage of boys offering themselves to her. He just had to make sure one of them was good enough.

“Papa Yasha?”

Shaking himself from his musings, he saw Kagome standing in front of him holding a bundle of clothing.

“I’m done.”

“That’s it?” He eyed the clothes in her hands skeptically. There was no way that was all she was getting. There was hardly anything there. “You’re gonna need some more things.”

“But my new school has a uniform, so—“

“So you’re gonna need some more things. Are you planning on just wearing your uniform all the time? Who does that? I’ll hold these, you go back out there and get whatever. Some casual things, some dressy things. We’ll head over to shoes next.”

She opened her mouth to protest but shook her head, handing him the clothes and heading back into the jungle of upper-end yet still reasonably priced (considering the quality) clothing. Bored, he held up the items she gave to him to hold. Two dresses, a blouse, and a skirt. The dresses were plain and seemed two sizes too large for her. The blouse was functional and exactly like the one she was wearing. The skirt he didn’t object to, although he did think it was a little too short.

“Okay, I think I’m done for real now,” she said, holding another dress and a pair of pants.

He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah,” she chirped brightly.

“No.”

“What?” Her smile faltered and she looked confused.

“I just don’t think these clothes you’ve picked suit you.”

“What do you mean?”

He sighed, exasperated. “You’re dressing like a cat lady and you’re barely fifteen.”

“What?!” she growled between clenched teeth, obviously offended. “I don’t criticize your taste in clothing. Speaking of which, what makes you think you can talk? You dress like a homeless guy from the 80’s. When was the last time anyone wore a turtleneck with a blazer and jeans?! Let’s not forget the Birkenstocks. I don’t think that look has ever been popular.”

Obviously, she was describing the outfit he had worn to Kikyo’s house for the dinner. “Your mother picked that out for me.”

“In this century?” she asked sarcastically.

He was going to shoot back with something just as sarcastic when he realized that it had, in fact, been an outfit purchased in the 90’s and therefore a part of the last century.

“Whatever. Just get some new clothes. This isn’t Little House on the Prairie.”

“Fine. But you do the same.” She had a stubborn look on her face and he rolled his eyes.

“Fine.”

Smiling, she took the clothes from him and hung them back up. “Thank you, Papa Yasha,” she said in a sing-song voice, skipping away. Sighing, he followed her with his eyes again, hoping she would choose something acceptable this time. He grabbed the short skirt she had picked earlier from where she had hung it up after his objections. He would include it in their purchases. Bored again, he decided to just enroll Kagome in school before Kikyo could change her mind. Dialing practically the only person he used the phone for, he impatiently waited for two whole rings before he got an answer.

“Myoga, enroll Kagome in that private school everyone sends their kids to.”

“Who, sir?”

“Kagome.”

“Uh, yes, but who is that?”

“Kikyo’s daughter,” he said, quickly losing his temper due to his subordinate’s incompetence.

“Why would you be involved with that woman’s daughter?”
“I’m marrying her.”

There was a brief pause, and then Myoga practically yelled, “You’re marrying Kikyo’s daughter?!”

“No, you idiot, Kikyo! Now just get it done.”

“But sir, I don’t—“

“Do it.”

He hung up on his secretary and silenced his phone, not wanting to deal with his complaints today.

“Was that Mother?” Kagome stood before him, arms burdened with a humongous pile of clothes. He blanched. Perhaps he should not have encouraged her so much.

“No, I was just seeing about getting you enrolled in school.”

“Oh. Well, shall we go look for your stuff?”

“Have you tried those on?” He gestured to the mountain in her arms.

“Do… Do I have to?” She fidgeted nervously, nearly dropping her bundle but regaining her hold at the last moment.

“It’s kind of standard procedure. Just make sure everything looks alright.”

Sighing wearily, she trudged toward the entrance to the fitting rooms. He went to sit in the chairs placed near the entrance she had gone through, those rickety seats chosen especially for the use of bored, suffering males. Inuyasha contemplated getting up and grabbing a few shirts to satisfy Kagome’s “misery loves company” urge, but ultimately decided to wait until she finished. The minutes passed and he stared off into space, plunging into a depth of boredom so intense he was almost certain he was having an out of body experience.

“Done.”

He shot up quickly, eager to move on and end this portion of the outing as soon as possible. His gaze landed on Kagome standing next to him and everything just stopped. Her face was turned away from him, she was looking around the store to see where to go next. She was wearing a yellow sundress with daisies embroidered on the hem, stopping inches above her knees. Her hair was the same as before but somehow appeared better to him, fuller and shinier. Kagome coughed and he realized he was gawking at her, so he quickly looked away and said, “What… What happened to the clothes you had on?”

She blushed and fidgeted, again almost dropping the pile of clothes she clutched. “The fitting room attendant took them and put them in the trash. She said I had wronged fashion and the only way to make recompense was to never wear anything like that again.”

“…I see. You look—“ He stopped there, not knowing what he was going to say and wishing he had never begun to say it.

“What? I look what?” She asked anxiously.

“Weird,” he blurted out. He wanted to punch himself when he saw the stunned, hurt look on her face. “I mean, uh, not bad weird. Just… I’m gonna shut up now. It’s a change, that’s what it is. A change. And it’s good. You look… good.”

“Really?” she asked shyly, looking up at him from beneath her lashes.

“Yeah. Definitely. For sure. Uh, let’s find some shoes and then we’ll head over to furniture.”

“Why furniture?”

“Your room has nothing in it.”

“I think it’s nice the way it is.”

“That’s sweet, but no. We’re gonna turn it from a guest room to your room.” It would make her more comfortable, plus it was a way to kill time until Kikyo got back and made things less awkward. Furniture shopping was more fun than clothes shopping, anyway, and it might distract her from wanting to update his wardrobe.

“Thank you, Papa Yasha,” she smiled. A woman with two young children passed by and glared at them. He mentally rolled his eyes. That name really did make him sound like a pimp, and with how young Kagome was, he must look like a monster.

“Yeah, let’s get going.”

He watched Kagome try on shoes for the next half hour, marveling at all the many selections women had to choose from. He had only two pairs of shoes, one for work and one for not work. He preferred to go barefoot around the house, and if he could he would go barefoot everywhere. When she finally declared she was finished, he was burdened with the pile of her clothes and eight boxes of shoes stacked precariously atop it.

“Um, Kagome, I think I’m just gonna leave your stuff here at the shoe desk so I can see. We’ll come back for it all when we’re done.”

Barely taking the time to nod, she was already skipping off toward furniture, her first timer’s anxiety gone, and he hurriedly dropped his own name and shoved the pile of goods toward the masculine woman manning the shoe department, running after his soon-to-be step-daughter.

Kagome stopped suddenly and he literally ran into her, but quickly grabbed her upper arms to ensure she would not fall. “What’d you stop—Oh.”

The lingerie section. Sure, those items were essential, especially for a teenage girl who was still in the process of maturing. But certainly she would prefer to go with her mother? However, Kikyo had mentioned she would be gone a lot, so who knew when she’d actually have time to spend with her daughter.

“You, uh… You need, um, those things?” He gestured vaguely to a rack of bras, not even looking at them or at her. Inuyasha cursed his awkwardness, wondering why this situation was so different. He had bought women lingerie before, no problem. But he had always seen them in those purchases soon afterward. Shopping for Kagome, though, made his palms sweat. Even if he just stood around doing nothing, not even entering the section, just knowing his money was what got her those things made him feel… well, weird. Nervous.

Distracted, she responded, “Yeah, I’ll just grab a few things and I’ll be done. I’ll ask them to keep it here for us, okay?”

“Uh, do you need help?” he choked out, hoping he wasn’t blushing even as he felt the heat rise to his face.

She laughed, and although he knew she wasn’t laughing at him exactly, he still felt his face heat up further. “No, I’ll be fine on my own. It won’t take too long.”

“Get some pajamas, too.” He remembered the nightgown he had glimpsed before, recalling its drab flannel look.

“Yeah, whatever,” she muttered, already heading into the jungle of women’s underwear. He exhaled and pulled out his phone to check the time, ignoring the fifteen missed calls from Myoga. Five o’clock. If they finished soon, they’d still have time for dinner and a movie. The nervousness came back full-force and he felt almost queasy. It was Friday night, a lot of people would be out and about, so it wasn’t like he’d be alone with her, although he didn’t know why he felt that was such an issue. Inuyasha nearly slapped himself when he realized he was thinking of this as a date instead of just getting to know his fiancée’s daughter. It was true he liked her and thought she was pretty and he enjoyed spending time with her and he had been alone for a very long time, but she was so off-limits and he didn’t even want to go there anyway, so he just stopped thinking and concentrated on getting the bored out of body experience back in order to feel semi-normal again and not like a raging pervert.

“Okay, let’s go,” she sang out, grabbing his wrist and pulling him from his thoughts and towards the furniture department. He found himself wondering what she had chosen and felt almost physically sick when he saw the direction his mind was taking. This was too fast, too wrong, too crazy. He would need to gain a great amount of self-discipline in order to take charge of his thoughts and prevent them from going down the path they seemed so focused on.

“What… What do we do?” Kagome asked, looking around at all the beds and chairs and sofas and tables. Nobody else was around, so she could not watch them and learn. Inuyasha chuckled at her anxious, confused face.

“Just take a look around and tell me what you like.”

“I… don’t know. I don’t know what I like.”

He sighed once again. “Whatever catches your eye.”

“Can you pick for me?” she asked, pleading with him with her big, gray eyes.

“Why?” he asked, pretending he was bored. He didn’t want her to catch on to how flustered she made him.

“It’s just—you have such good taste,” he flinched at her choice of words and she continued without noticing, “and I’m so new to this. Can you pick for me?”

“We can always come back later, you know, when you figure yourself out.”

“I’ll only ask the same thing. Please, Papa Yasha?”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to clear his mind, knowing it would make him appear exasperated and impatient. “Fine. But be honest if you don’t like it, okay?”

She nodded enthusiastically and he resisted the urge to pat her on the head like a dog. He was sure she wouldn’t appreciate it, and honestly he just wanted to touch her and that creeped him out. Turning to survey his options, he immediately spotted the perfect bed. It was a canopied bed, with almost transparent white curtains going around it. At its foot, the curtains were tied back to the posts, and he thought of a theater stage. Everything was white and puffy and it reminded him of a cloud. Since he thought of Kagome as an angel, a cloud would be fitting.

“That one,” he pointed at the bed with a smirk.

Her brow furrowed and she glared up at him. “Did you just pick the first thing you saw?”

“No, I just happened to see that one first and I knew it was perfect for you.”

Taking his wrist, she walked towards it, intent on examining the quality. He hoped she could not feel his pulse hammering away.

“Well, it is nice,” she murmured. She flopped down on it and extended a hand, beckoning to him. “Test it with me.”

Inuyasha’s mouth went dry and he felt his upper lip tremble. Kagome’s dress had made its way up her thighs and now her legs were almost completely bare to his eyes, something which he both appreciated and cursed. “Um, well, we’re just going to buy a different mattress anyway, so—“

“Get over here,” she said impatiently.

He obeyed without thought and lay beside her on the bed. “You’ve got a nice view of the, um, rest of the bed here,” he said, staring at the curtain going over the top.

“It feels too big for just me. Do you think it comes in a smaller size, like maybe full at least? This one seems as big as yours,” she complained.

He knew it wasn’t as big as his, this was queen-sized and his was custom-made. “Big beds are nice. Lots of room for sleeping or whatever.”

“Well, there won’t be any whatever in my bed,” she joked quietly, blushing and wrinkling her nose. He forgot how to breathe for a second and reached out and tapped her nose, putting a stop to the wrinkling, cute though it was.

“Let’s see if we can find a—“

“Can I help you folks?”

“—sales associate,” he muttered.

Kagome sat up quickly and he admired the way her hair fell in messy yet pretty waves down her back and over her shoulders, one strap of the dress sliding down in a way that was not yet immodest. “Yes, we were wondering if this bed was available in a smaller size?” she asked pleasantly.

“We currently only have it in queen and twin, but we’re getting a new shipment on—“

“We’ll take it. Throw in the bedding, too, and get a soft mattress. Know what? We’ll take the entire bedroom set,” he said, rising to his feet and smoothing his shirt out.

“Sir, you’re going to have to take care of that yours—“

Inuyasha flashed his business card and the clerk’s smile perked up and his transformation into kiss-ass was nearly complete.

“Certainly, sir, and would you like it delivered and set up as well?”

“Yeah, sure. Get it done by nine tonight.” He scribbled down a number on the back of his business card which contained only his name and title and handed it to the scarily chipper young man. “Call Myoga at this number, he’ll give you the details. Let’s go, Kagome.”

Setting a brisk pace as he walked away, he heard her stutter out a thank you and scamper after him. He didn’t slow down until they got outside the store and Kagome grabbed his wrist, again setting off that weird reaction he had to her, making his heart cease beating and then speed up.  He stopped suddenly with his back to her, feeling ashamed when he heard how out of breath she was.

“Aren’t we going to pay?”

Whipping his head around to look at her, he flinched in embarrassment. Being in the bed with her had made him so nervous he had defaulted into what he privately called Scary Boss Man mode, where he was abrupt to the point of rudeness, unquestionably in charge, and so alpha other males either avoided him completely or fought to be of service to him. He had concentrated so hard on being Mr. Taisho, President and CEO, that he had totally forgotten his purpose at the store. What’s worse was that he wasn’t sure if he was acting in charge simply because he was nervous or because he wanted to show off in front of the teenage daughter of his fiancée.

“Uh, yeah, I forgot. Guess I’m getting old…” he muttered, trailing off. Kagome giggled and he somehow felt elated and even more embarrassed all at once. “Tell you what, my assistant is going to be coming down here to get the bed already, so I’ll just text him and have him take care of the clothes and everything else. It’ll all be in your room by the time we’re done.”

“Thank you, Papa Yasha,” she smiled, leaning in to give him a hug he was only too eager to receive. “You’re so nice,” she whispered.

“You smell nice,” he whispered back, lost in her scent.

“What?” she pulled away quickly, an odd look on her face, and he realized what he had said.

“Um, I said you are nice. You’re nice, too.” Inuyasha wished they were by a mirror so he could casually check how badly he was blushing. He couldn’t remember ever having been so awkward in his life.

“Oh,” she laughed, relieved. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I heard something else.”

He laughed uneasily, promising himself some sort of punishment later, such as no ramen for a week or something. They walked back to the car in silence, Kagome content and him wanting to get away from her and eager to spend more time with her all at once.

“This is like something out of a K-drama,” she said excitedly as she buckled her seatbelt.

“A what?”

“A Korean drama. They’re basically soap operas. But the guy always takes the girl out to buy her all these clothes and stuff and usually he owns the store they’re at or whatever,” she giggled. “The main guy is always a complete jerk, so you’re more like the nice guy character. The nice guy never gets the girl, though.”

He laughed with her, while a darker part of his mind he thought died centuries ago proposed he could stop the car and show her exactly how nice he wasn’t. His brief consideration appalled him and he almost didn’t stop in time for a red light, their quick halt making Kagome squeal in a way he was certain he could hear again if he used his tongue and hands instead of brakes. Inuyasha clenched his teeth and almost slapped himself. He was a modern man, with a normal routine and normal desires. He was not some feral monster fantasizing about fucking the girl next to him, willing or not. Their relationship would be friendly, but nothing more. If something were to develop, it would be only the feelings a father would have toward his daughter and vice-versa. Yes, she was pretty and yes, he was attracted to her, but nothing would ever come of it. Repeating the mantra several times, he let out a breath he did not know he was holding. He had most certainly been alone for far, far too long.

“So, uh, what kind of movie do you want to see?” he asked as they neared his favorite theater.

“Hmmm,” she pondered for a moment with a cute, concentrated look on her face and he nearly got into another accident as he stared at her. Driving with Kagome would be dangerous. “I don’t know. I usually like romantic movies, but you’re a guy so you don’t want to see that.”

“Just pick whatever you want, Kagome, don’t worry about me,” he said, both loving and hating that she was so considerate. Kikyo had always picked without even asking him and it had ruffled his feathers, although of course he endured in silence. He shook his head, promising he would not compare the two any longer.

“We could see a funny movie, I guess. I don’t even know what’s out now,” she mumbled. “Can you—“

“You better not be asking me to pick for you again,” he interrupted.

“Please?”

“No. You need to start making your own decisions,” he said sternly, trying to channel the fathers he had seen on old sitcoms.

“I do make my own decisions and I’m deciding to let you pick,” she said cheekily.

“Why?” He was sincerely wondering.

“You would know better than me. And it feels weird when you let me choose everything. It feels—“

“Like a date?” he said flatly, trying to mask his hopeful tone.

She turned to look at him, shocked. “No! Oh, no no no. It—it feels like… like you’re bored and you don’t really want to be here and you’re just carting me around to keep me occupied. You’ve been super nice, but that’s just how it feels,” she finished with a sigh.

Inuyasha pulled into the parking lot in a stunned silence. Had he overdone the standoffishness? Really, all he had been trying to do was not scare her with how much he liked her. It was already scaring him. A lot. He knew she wanted to be friends, and he did too, but how could he let her innocently befriend him when he could not stop himself from having the thoughts that had been running through his head since her arrival?

“I’m sorry,” he said honestly. “I just—I want you to have a good time. I’m not used to being, well, nice. But I want to be nice to you,” he said awkwardly, cursing his current inability to not sound like some sort of weirdo.

“Don’t feel bad,” she said urgently, placing a hand on his knee in a gentle way that made him break out in a nervous sweat. This girl really had no sense of personal space. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” he almost laughed out loud, “I just want us to be friends. Mother loves you and I want to see what she sees so I can love you too.”

The sincerity in her eyes nearly overwhelmed him and he suddenly wanted to tell her the truth, the whole truth. About how her mother did not love him and he did not love her, that her mother was dying and had requested he care for her at least until she turned twenty-one and inherited Shikon. That even though she was fifteen and he was so old he had stopped counting the years, he wanted her with an intensity that was so strong and so sudden that he didn’t trust himself around her. That even though he would hate himself if he ruined her innocence, that wouldn’t stop him from staying by her side.

Instead, he said, “Thank you, Kagome. I think we’ve had enough serious talk, how about some popcorn?”

She smiled and nodded, removing her small hand from his knee and exiting the car. He sagged over the steering wheel in relief. His little crush on her was going to have to stop, and soon. Getting out, he caught up to Kagome who was already halfway to the theater, obviously excited enough to forget her timidity. He scanned the list of available movies as they waited in line, picking one with a title that seemed interesting enough. The ticket seller gave him an odd look, glancing between him and Kagome. He assumed it was because of the visible age difference (which only appeared to be about five years) and fought the urge to needlessly explain that she was his future step-daughter and they were definitely not on a date or anything. Inuyasha was grateful when they made it into the building without any of Kagome’s sweet “Thank you, Papa Yasha”s. He bought her a soda, popcorn and some chocolate she had been staring at, and she was so in awe of the people, sights, smells, and sounds that she didn’t even notice. Loading up on food for himself, he carried everything to the theater, almost becoming cross with Kagome when she followed slowly, looking at every poster and cardboard set-up.

He sat directly in the middle, waiting for her to catch up, hoping she would find him in the dim lighting. When she didn’t show up in the next couple of minutes, he became worried and twisted around, hoping she was wandering the theater. What he saw made him go completely rigid. Kagome stood by the entrance, talking to a group of boys. Boys her age. They seemed clean cut and friendly enough, smiling at her and saying things he couldn’t hear that made her laugh. She chatted back innocently, and he narrowed his eyes at her. She didn’t know how boys thought, not like he did. They shared the same thoughts regarding her, it was obvious, but he was not going to touch her so she was better off in his company. She blushed at something the leader of the group said, smiling her angel smile and turning her face away, scanning the crowd for him without success. She looked beautiful, he thought angrily, and he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Inuyasha stood up suddenly, marching over to where she was unknowingly flirting with boys whose intentions were not pure, not pure like she was. He grabbed her wrist while glaring at the group of boys, who of course weren’t man enough to stop him or even attempt to glare back. Kagome waved and gave them an oblivious goodbye, and he almost wanted to shake her. He settled with roughly dropping her snacks in her lap once she sat down next to him. As if on cue, the lights dimmed and the previews started.

“What were you thinking?!” he hissed in her ear, unable to keep silent.

“What do you mean?” She turned to face him and they were nose to nose. He could feel her breath on his chin and he shivered.

“You were talking to those boys,” he spat the word out like it was something filthy.

“What’s wrong with that? I need to make friends,” she mumbled.

“It’s just—I didn’t want you to miss the movie,” he finished lamely, unable to put his feelings into words or even want to.

“Well, I’m here,” she smiled gently at him and he almost wanted to turn around and smirk in triumph at the idiots who approached her. Kagome was here and she was with him.

She shivered next to him and he leaned down to whisper again.

“You cold?”

She was in that little dress without a sweater, and they really cranked up the A/C in theaters these days. She nodded and he put the arm rest/cup holder up, first grabbing his soda in order to not splash some unlucky person behind them. He scooted a few inches closer until their sides were touching. He wanted to put his arm around her or give her his jacket, but unfortunately he was her future step-father and he had not thought to bring any kind of coat. She seemed satisfied with just his nearness and snuggled into him while munching on her popcorn, eyes intent on the screen. Inuyasha smiled down at her, proud he could make her so happy in just a couple hours. Every day with him would be a day she’d never forget, he vowed.

Finally, the movie started, and immediately he knew he had made a bad choice. It opened with a man and woman furiously going at it in a way that looked much too real to his eyes. He glanced at Kagome, feeling guilty when he saw her mouth open, unmasticated popcorn in it, eyes wide and horrified. Quickly, he placed a hand over her eyes, muttering, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so, so sorry,” over and over again in her ear, his tone desperately apologetic. “This was supposed to be a comedy!”

He felt her hand on his wrist, her delicate fingers gently pulling his hand from her eyes. “It’s okay, Papa Yasha. It’s just a movie,” she said in her sweet voice, although it trembled slightly from nervousness. He allowed her to remove his hand, accidentally brushing her cheek and feeling the heat from her blush. He cursed himself. This was probably the first time she had ever seen anything like that. He knew she was a virgin, she had to be, she was just so completely virginal. Had she had sex ed? Had Kikyo explained the birds and the bees to her? Would—his eyes widened in terror—would he have to explain now that he’d opened that door? What if she told Kikyo? He’d definitely be in for it then.

The movie went on and although there were no more bouts of impropriety, he could not laugh with Kagome and the rest of the audience due to the degree of his anxiety. He kept glancing at her, just to see if she was uncomfortable. It seemed as though she had gotten over it completely, even glancing back at him and able to make eye contact much more comfortably than he was, moving even closer to him to steal more of his warmth so very casually.

Finally, it was over, and they were the first ones out of the theater even though Kagome had said she wanted to read the credits. Inuyasha couldn’t stand being in that place any longer, what with the bad experience of the boys flirting with her and then accidentally popping her sex scene viewing cherry. He was doing his best to not think about it but it replayed in his head over and over and he was ashamed that he had chipped away at her perfect innocence. She would always be an angel to him, though.

“How’d you like the movie?” she chirped, unaware of his anxiety, only wanting to fill the silence.

“It was… alright.”

She laughed. “You didn’t seem like you were paying attention. You were staring at me the entire time,” her eyes twinkled as he gaped at her. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Mother. It’ll be our secret.” She said the last part in a low voice that he found very appealing and he turned away in order not to let her read his thoughts in his eyes.

“What do you want for dinner? And don’t tell me to pick,” he said, smoothly changing the subject as he pushed open the double doors of the exit.

“I wasn’t going to,” she said testily. “Mother told me about your taste in food and I don’t like noodles very much. Let’s get burgers!”

He drove to a nearby burger place, ordering through the drive-thru. He had seen a lot of young kids Kagome’s age inside and did not want a repeat of earlier. She did deserve to make friends, but he didn’t think she should be having male friends any time soon.

They chatted over their greasy dinner about anything and everything. He found out it was Kagome’s first time having a burger from a fast food joint and he promised to take her more often. The more she opened up to him, the more he liked her, even as he tried to find things to dislike about her. She was quick to anger, stubborn, occasionally obnoxious, sometimes childish. But she was so nice, and funny, and smart, and pretty, and beautiful, and adorable and that’s when he stopped making a list.

“You said you wanted to be a nurse, right?” he asked, sipping on his milkshake. Their food was long gone and they had been talking for the past hour, mostly about her, but that was how he directed the conversation.

Her eyes lowered and she sighed. “Yes, but Mother would never let me. You saw how she was.” She blushed, probably thinking about their last meeting when she had gotten upset and cried in front of him.

“I would let you.”

“I know Mother loves you, but I don’t think even you could change her mind on this subject.”

“I’ll find a way. Trust me,” he smiled at her and she looked up at him, trusting him but afraid to hope. It made his heart melt. “What made you want to be a nurse in the first place?”

Kagome leaned her head back on the seat, staring through the foggy windshield into the recesses of her memory. “Mother Teresa. She was so loving and without a thought for herself, so strong. Everything I’m not. I wanted to be like her ever since we saw a documentary on her when I was seven.”

“So you want to be a nun?” he teased.

“No,” she laughed, playfully slapping his arm. “I just want to help people. I want to help them die,” she flinched. “That sounds morbid. I want to make people as comfortable as they can be, give them the understanding and care their loved ones can’t.” She stared at him sadly as she finished, not seeing him but something in her mind. He had a terrible urge to kiss her at that moment and so he looked down at his milkshake, fiddling with the straw.

“You really are an angel,” he murmured and she smiled at him. “You’re going to be whatever you want to be. I’ll run Shikon for you when Kikyo—when she decides to hand it over to you. You’ll get a paycheck and everything, just go be what you want to be.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

They sat in silence after that. Kagome had been trying to get him to talk about himself, but got the picture after he answered her questions with more questions and didn’t press him. He wanted to tell her everything, to have this be a real getting-to-know-one-another thing rather than just what felt to him like an interview. But he had lived a long time and done a great many things, most of them things he didn’t want her to know about. And that’s what made him feel the worst, that he had only ever felt this way once before and it had taken quite a bit more time for him to feel it. Only with Kikyo, his first real girlfriend, had he ever felt so attached.

Inuyasha blew bubbles into his milkshake, listening to Kagome’s soft giggle at his actions. He was in love with his teenage step-daughter.