InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Fortuneteller and a Nerdy Hanyou ❯ Distractions of Caffiene ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

 

Reviews: Crescent Venus asked about the alternative universe that this is set in. Probably since this was originally only a fluffy one-shot that fucking spawned into the atrocity that it is now, I forgot to develop the setting—my bad. Anyway, as I have it pictured, the AU that this is set in is basically a large city (I don't think it really matters which one) in a dimension were humans and demons live side by side. If you really want to dig deep, the human population is endangered and there are too many demons, so humans are more valued (thus the weak explanation as to why Inuyasha and Kagome can pretty much murder a snake youkai and get away with it—I guess it resembles Feudal Japan in that aspect) I feel like demons have more political power…maybe they have some sort of alliance, like a human/youkai ruling council. Anything magical (mikos, hanyou, youkai, etc.) has to be registered and have an id, but there are just plain human humans. As far as Kikyou is concerned, she went to some of the training, but you could say that she was the girl that almost never showed up for class. The Higurashis are an old family with some sway in the miko community so that she doesn't exactly have the license, but she is allowed to use the title. Finally, I think I mentioned Kikyou being a “separatist”—I'm sure I heard it somewhere else like Star Wars or the Civil War for all I know. Basically, it's a movement for humans/demons who want to the two species to live separately, its not that hard, and other than being a reason for Kikyou avoiding a relationship with Inuyasha, its not that important. As a separatist, Kikyou in her right mind really wouldn't want to bring Naraku into being, so that further shows how she's being manipulated.

As far as Kikyou and Onigumo meeting, I haven't covered that, and I'm not sure if I will or not…but that is a good idea. Maybe a flashback, I'll have to see…I need the ideas. Make sure I cite you as your idea if I put it in.

I think that's about it, but if you have any other questions, be sure to ask. I don't have it cemented out because the AU they're in isn't the most important part of the story, but I can see why it needs to be clarified.

 

Princesslovealot: Sorry, did not mean to offend anyone in the glasses-wearing community. Honesty, I like guys with glasses—maybe not Inuyasha's glasses in this fic, but other frames—so that might be part of the inspiration. And yes, he probably will have some form of a makeover, but when and how much of one, I haven't decided. As for Kikyou, I kind of feel like it's out of character for her to be the typical slut/bitch that everyone makes her out to be. Yes, when she first appears in the series, she is a bitch, but she isn't all bad. Basically, I try my best to keep my characters in character (hey, never said I was good at it—just look at Kagome), and writing a super-evil Kikyou just doesn't fit her part. The Kikyou I try to stick to is a women trapped in surroundings that were beyond her control and that gave her particular behaviors and ideas that she did not have the background or will to change. Blah.

 

Chapter 7

 

Sango pushed the door to her apartment open, leaving it open so that Inuyasha could follow her through the entryway. From the living room she could hear Miroku and Kagome where she had left them half an hour before.

 

“…And do you remember the time when you botched that exorcism?” She could hear Kagome's giggles from the room away. “The one where you screwed up the water and everyone's hair turned that horrible puke green? That was awful!”

 

Looking back to make sure the sour looking Inuyasha had walked through the door, Sango made her own way into the living room to find Miroku flopped back on the couch and Kagome curled up in a chair, both with content but red faces. They hadn't moved much.

 

“Have fun guys?” Sango asked, slumping down into the couch next to her boyfriend. Miroku immediately scooted over so he could wrap an arm around her waist. Sango tilted her head in his direction, Miroku did the same, meeting her half way so that they each propped up the other.

 

Kagome watched the interaction with a slight smirk on her mouth. “You guys are just too sweet for your own good.” Making fun of couples had been her personal favorite hobby since her last breakup.

 

Miroku blushed and Sango smiled and looked down at her lap.

 

Kagome wanted to tease more, but Inuyasha, who had finally made his way into the living room, interrupted them. He stood over Kagome's chair, sucking in a deep breath from the air that circulated around her.

 

Yes, there was no mistaking it, that was miko scent, and not any miko scent: a miko scent that lured him in. And that was dangerous. The last time that had happened, he had found himself with an engagement ring in his pocket and more misery than he could handle.

 

“Hello, Inuyasha.” A cheerful voice broke through his thoughts and when he looked down, for a moment he was sure that he was looking into Kikyo's eyes.

 

Only these eyes were looking at him without that cool glare that Kikyo's had held the last time he had seen her.

 

“Um…hey.” He sucked in a deep breath to hide the insult that rose to the tip of his tongue.

 

No matter how much this new miko looked like Kikyo, he couldn't just bitch her out. She smelled too nice. He sucked in one last breath of her scent and went to sit on the floor next to the television.

 

Miroku watched his friend and glanced over at Sango. The shared a smirk before Sango looked at her watch.

 

“We should get going. I thought we could hang out for a while, but someone didn't want to leave the office.” She said, looking at Inuyasha.

 

“I was busy,” the hanyou defended, ducking his head at Sango's glare.

 

In truth, he had been putting off coming—it didn't take an idiot to know that she'd be there. What in the hell were Sango and Miroku thinking? They were trying to set him up with a girl who both looked like and was related to the woman who was still haunting his nightmares half a year after she had left him. Youkai didn't let potential mates go very easily. Maybe that was what was bothering him about Kikyou's cousin. He had spent so much time mourning the loss of Kikyou's presence, then in less than a few hours with her cousin and all his senses had shifted their efforts to her. It was confusing as fuck.

 

Looking up from the floor, he tried to glance at her out of the corner of his eye only to find she was staring at him. There was something about her eyes…an expression that he had seen Kikyo wear before—it was like worry.

 

Kagome and Inuyasha's eyes locked for a second before they both turned quickly, both praying that their friends wouldn't notice the faint blush that crossed their faces.

 

Unfortunately, Sango and Miroku had noticed. Glancing at one another they shared a conspiratory smirk before revamping their efforts to get the two to the restaurant in time to make their reservations.

 

XXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Inuyasha and Kagome sat on opposite sides of the table the group of four had been sharing. They stared out over the dance floor at a swaying Miroku and Sango.

 

Kagome spied at Inuyasha from under her lashes. He looked bored and pitiable as usual. In the heat of the restaurant with all of its dancing couples, the sweat was causing his glasses to slip off the bridge of his nose so that every few minutes she could see him move to push them back into place. His suit seemed particularly rumpled that night, more so than the last time she had seen him. The white shirt underneath the navy blazer was painted with a peppering of ketchup, mustard, soda, and several other stains that she couldn't recognize by sight alone. It seemed that someone (more than likely Sango) had tried to do something with his hair so that it was bound back, but in all honesty, it seemed somehow more unruly that before.

 

Skimming over all of Inuyasha's disheveled appearance, she turned to his face. He looked bored and perhaps lonely watching his friends on the dance floor.

 

“You want to dance?” Kagome asked loudly over the live band that played on the opposite end of the room.

 

Inuyasha looked over at her, his expression shocked enough that Kagome felt she might as well have slapped him. He shook his head no, and looked down at his half eaten dinner. Having her there did nothing for his appetite. Every bite he took would bring in her scent, and his stomach would churn.

 

Kagome watched him glare at his food. Ok, so he didn't want to dance, but he still seemed unhappy…

 

“You want to get out of here? I want some coffee, and I know a place near here…” Kagome stood. Her hands were shaking and to hide it, she began to slip on her coat. For a moment, Inuyasha only stared at her and Kagome was sure that he was going to refuse her. He didn't seem to like her that much—he had hardly spoken to her throughout dinner, though she had caught him staring at her a few times. All and all she wasn't doing a very good job of getting into Inuyasha's good graces.

 

Inuyasha looked his hands, taking in the dirt under his claws. When was the last time a woman had asked him to go anywhere besides the receptionist at his optometrist taking him into the examination room? When was the last time he wanted to go with a woman somewhere? His mind rolled over the idea of staying here with Miroku and Sango, of telling the miko to go do unnatural things with a sheep, but they died before even reaching his tongue.

 

“Sure, I'll go. Coffee sounds good.” He stood and pulled his jacket off the back of his chair. What was he doing?

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

The first five minutes after they had gotten their coffee, they sat in silence. Kagome stared at the other customers, slowly beginning to regret leaving the restaurant with Inuyasha. Did he hate her that much because of Kikyou? Probably. She knew she was just as bad as her cousin, trying to trick the poor guy like this. He had been through enough because of the Shikon Jewel.

 

But still it remained, Kikyou and Onigumo had to be stopped. Even if the thief had given up on summoning Naraku, Kagome knew she couldn't let herself rest until she knew that the jewel was in a safe place.

 

The Shikon, she thought as she made her resolve. “So this is a typical weekend for you? Get drug out with Miroku and Sango and spend the night looking bored out of your mind?” She said with a sympathetic smile, blowing on her coffee to get it to cool.

 

Inuyasha looked up at her from where he had been staring into his coffee. “Yeah, basically.” He let his head drop back down. What else was he supposed to say?

 

“They forced to you come tonight?” Kagome pushed.

 

“Yeah, basically.” He knew it sounded lamely repetitious, but between the coffee and her scent, he really was at a loss for words.

 

“Is it because of Kikyou?” Kagome asked, surprised by her own boldness. Quickly she waved her hand in the air to wipe the question away. “Sorry, too early in the night and not enough alcohol for that question, I guess.” She took a slug of her coffee, wincing at the action as the hot liquid burned a track down her throat. “So you're an accountant?”

 

Inuyasha stared at the girl before him. Never had he seen someone's mind work so fast, or switch from rude and personal to polite and chit-chatty so quickly.

 

“Yeah, for now. I'm not sure if I was cracked up to be an accountant. Its too…tedious.”

 

Kagome nodded. “You don't really seem the type.”

 

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. The fact that he was an accountant seemed to be one of the few things about him that Kikyou had actually liked. When he had discussed going back to school for a career change, Kikyou had always dissuaded him—she said she liked the stability his job brought them. Them, maybe that had been when he thought she wanted marry him.

 

He took off his glasses and began to clean them with a rag from his pocket.

 

Kagome watched him with a small frown gracing his features. “You know, I could probably heal your eyes for you. Miko powers extend beyond scrapes from street fights.”

“I know, Kikyou tried.” Inuyasha growled, his voice taking on a gloomy tone. “She made it so much worse—my glasses weren't nearly as thick as this when I met her.” He slipped the spectacles back on as if he wished they'd go away.

 

Kagome stared at him, opened mouthed. “You let Kikyou mess with your eyes? You do know that her miko title is really just honorary for our family? Our family pretty much forced her to go through training—it was unfair really—but she should never have offered to fix you eyes. You're lucky she didn't blind you.”

 

“You don't call this blind?” Inuyasha snarled at her, motioning to his eyes. “I'm a hanyou, it was bad enough I had to have glasses in the first place. I look like an idiot.” He hung his head.

 

“Being vain pegs you about as much as being an accountant does.” Kagome smirked though she was slightly shaken at his outburst. For someone who had such little regard to their personal appearance, he did seem broken up about the glasses. But then he was right, very few youkai—or hanyou for that matter—had to have any vision correction.

 

Inuyasha growled.

 

“Sorry, you also don't seem the type to give a damn about what you look like,” Kagome said with a shrug. “Besides, I think you look good with glasses. Maybe not the ones you're wearing, but a thinner pair, you'd be quite handsome.”

 

She could almost swear she saw a blush spread over his face as he lifted his glass to down the contents of his coffee cup.

 

Before Kagome could stop herself she found himself speaking, “I am sorry about my cousin. She probably meant well trying to help you.”

 

Inuyasha froze, looking into the empty mug he had just polished off. Kagome checked her own movements.

 

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring her up—again.” Kagome shook her head.

 

Looking up at her through his thick eyewear, Inuyasha gave a tiny shrug. “Its alright. I really haven't spoken to anyone about her since she…left. They say it helps to talk.”

 

Kagome nodded. “I know she's my cousin and I should be loyal to her, but being related to her—I guess I've seen the good and bad in Kikyou. She can be so good, but then she can do some terrible things.” She shrugged her shoulders in apology. “I'm just saying that anything she did, I'd understand why you're hurt. Sometimes she doesn't even see when she's being brutal.”

 

Inuyasha swallowed hard. “Did she ever—did she ever mention me?” He didn't know why he was asking her this, hell, he didn't even know why he was at the coffee shop in the first place. No wait, he did know why. It was that damned bitch sitting across from him with her bright, trustable eyes and her warm welcoming scent and her…

 

Wait, bitch? Inuyasha inwardly cringed, then let his shoulders slump. Great, now his youkai had move to thinking of her in the terms of a life mate. Perfect, just what he needed, another miko to puree any chances he might have at a normal life. Sooner or later the partners at his accounting firm were going to find out where he was sleeping and kick him out. Hopefully they wouldn't fire him.

 

Staring at him, but not seeing the hanyou's inner turmoil, Kagome tried to fathom why he was asking her this. She knew she had to let him down easy—he wanted to know if Kikyou had ever cared about him enough to bring him home to meet her family. “I heard about you in passing once or twice. But Kikyou and I haven't really been all that close since we were girls.” On impulse, she reached across the table, slipping her fingers in the hand he used to clutch the empty coffee mug. “There is a lot I don't know about my cousin.”

 

“I just don't see how we could have gotten our signals so crossed.” Inuyasha said more to himself than the woman so close to him. “When she broke up with me, she said we had just been having fun. I thought we were a lot more serious than that…”

 

A pang of guilt shot through Kagome's gut. She was practically dragging information out of the hanyou. “You don't have to tell me this, if you don't want to,” she gave his fingers another squeeze, “but I'm more than happy to listen.”

 

“Why do you care?”

 

Kagome gave a little sigh. “Coming from a family of human mikos, you get gain a sense of unity. You were hurt by one of my family so I feel like I might be partly responsible. Maybe if I had been there for Kikyou more, she wouldn't have toyed with you the way she did.” Kagome inwardly cringed. What was she saying?

 

“So you pity me, and that's why you're here?”

 

“I don't know. Maybe I am trying to clean up my cousin's mess, but then you never know, maybe I like hanyou with thick glasses.” She flashed him a teasing smile while mentally smashing her forehead with the palm of her hand.

 

No one is dumb enough to buy that.

 

To Kagome's great surprise, he did buy it. She watched, both amused and stunned to see a light blush cross his cheeks. This guy needs a girlfriend.

 

Kagome felt herself blush as her brain continued: you could be it.

 

No, he's not ready, and neither am I.

 

She smile back at Inuyasha. Perhaps next time she could enter the Shikon no Tama into the conversation.

 

Next time…For some reason the thought made her smile.

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

GAAAA! Runs and brushes teeth, trying to protect them from fluff induced cavities.

 

A/N: Ok, I know that that wasn't filled with the fluff level most fanfic fans are used to, but it was a lot more than I'm used to writing. To be honest, I use fanfiction as a guinea pig for scenarios I'm not comfortable writing—fluffiness being one of them—for my own original stories. Sorry you guys have to be my screeners.

 

Important: I'm going back to school on Saturday, so writing is going to become scarce. I like to read a lot of fanfic, but I'm going to try and cut back this semester so I can spend more time writing. Unfortunately with friends and class and work (hopefully) and homework, I'm not going to have as much spare brain chemicals as I'd like, so this is where you guys come in. Send me ideas or things you'd like to happen in this or my other fic! Half my problem with writing during the semester is writer's block—I either run dry or only write more mundane shit than usual. Help me, and I'll try not to leave you hanging. Finally, if I do use your idea, please make sure I cite you!

 

In conclusion, has Media Miner been screwing up for anyone else? I get my reviews, but I haven't had an author/story update since July. I know for a fact that several of my favorite stories have been updated, but I had to manually check it. Maybe I just fucked up a setting on my profile…who knows?