InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Gods' Opinion ❯ Yakity-Yak ( Chapter 21 )

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

The Gods' Opinion
 
Disclaimer: Almost all characters belong to Takahashi Rumiko.
 
Warning: This is a mature story and I mean that in more than this story only containing sexual situations and bad language. It contains adult themes.
 
Summary: Kagome is trying hard to have a baby. But when things don't work out, she visits the best fertility doctor in the world. She finds her feelings and beliefs challenged as she struggles to hold onto her dreams.
 
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Chapter Twenty and One Yakity-Yak
 
Inuyasha safely made it home from his overseas trip and spent Monday sleeping off his jetlag. Since he was hanyou, it didn't affect him so much, however, he wouldn't risk helping his patients after a trip like that. Miroku had whined about not having a layover in Hawaii and that alone was enough to keep Inuyasha in bed with a headache.
 
What he was really looking forward to was Tuesday. The restaurant would be open and he would be able to see Kagome again. He had practically lived in his leather jacket all week, as the animal hide had taken on her scent ever so faintly and it was her signature odor that kept him sane during the weeklong conference so far away. And despite the numerous Japanese restaurants in Seattle, it wasn't the food she had created. He was missing and maybe even craving her.
 
He woke up early, ready to take work head-on so he could spend as much time with Kagome as he possibly could. His afternoon schedule was completely clear after two o'clock and whatever paperwork waited for him could be taken to the restaurant. Three hours with Kagome, he really just couldn't wait.
 
In his eagerness to meet up with Kagome, Inuyasha arrived a little earlier for their usual lunch date and headed up the stairs into the bar, sitting down at their usual table to wait for her. Pulling out his laptop and some files, he settled into doing some work until Kagome was done with whatever it was she did before lunch.
 
Jakotsu sashayed on over with a glass for the hot-looking hanyou. Jakotsu was hoping the hanyou would look at him, maybe even smile, but Inuyasha did nothing to acknowledge the bartender's presence or even say anything about the water. Shrugging his shoulders, Jakotsu headed back to the bar so he could continue to daydream while he worked.
 
Rin slowly made her way up to the bar as she needed to talk to Jakotsu about the drink specials for the night. When she noticed the silver hair, she excused herself, carefully making her way to the irate hanyou. She knew she couldn't sneak up on him. Slowly, she peered over his shoulders to get a sneak peek at what he was working on.
 
“What?” he snapped at her intrusion.
 
“Nothing,” she sweetly replied before standing back up. Rin slid into the chair next to him, staring at him for a long while before finally asking him a question. “What are you doing here?”
 
Inuyasha looked up and over at her as if she had suddenly lost all sense or reason. “It's lunch time.”
 
“Actually, lunch is over with.”
 
“You know what I mean.”
 
Rin shrugged. “Dining alone?”
 
“No and you fuckin' know that.”
 
“How am I supposed to know that? Kagome's not here and wasn't planning on being here all day, so I thought you might be here with someone else.”
 
Inuyasha painfully gasped at Rin's wild statement. “S-someone else?”
 
“Well yeah,” Rin blurted out snobbishly, not meaning to come off as that rude. “It's not a nice thing to do. You won't be getting free food. I'll make sure of that.”
 
“What the fuck are you babbling on about?”
 
“I guess maybe I don't really know. Kagome hasn't been herself lately and is not as chatty. So, you can explain it to me.”
 
“I'm not explaining shit to you. Tell me where Kagome is.”
 
“I don't know. There's a special promotion she's working on and has kept herself occupied with that. In fact, now that you mention it, I haven't seen her since Saturday night. I think Bankotsu opened the restaurant today.”
 
Inuyasha quickly grabbed all of his belongings together, planning to worry about its order later. He slung the bag carrying his laptop and papers over his shoulder, snagged his coat off the back of the chair, and jogged toward the stairs. Rin stared at him, her large eyes wide with wonder. What was going on?
 
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“Miroku…” Inuyasha yelled as he burst through Miroku's office door at the clinic. He didn't care if Miroku was with a patient or not. None of that mattered right now.
 
“Inuyasha is there something I can do for you?” Miroku asked as he shuffled some papers around. He thanked Buddha that his last patient had just left. A traditional Inuyasha outburst like that would send any patient packing. And this newest one was pretty, cute, and young, just to get started.
 
“Where's Sango?”
 
“In her office,” Miroku calmly guessed. He hadn't talked to her since lunch, both having afternoon appointments to attend to.
 
“No,” he snapped back, falling down into one of the chairs in front of Miroku's desk. Inuyasha gripped the leather-covered handles of the chair to the point where he could hear the wood cracking underneath his strength.
 
“Inuyasha, leave the chair alone. It didn't do anything to you.” Inuyasha pulled his hands away, crossing his arms across his chest instead to keep himself from destroying something else in Miroku's office. “Now, why are you looking for Sango?”
 
Inuyasha just turned away. Damn Miroku. Inuyasha didn't know how he did it, but Miroku had his ways of fishing for information. He could try to get Sango's whereabouts without having to divulge too much personal information.
 
“What, you can't talk to me about it?” Miroku inquired. Inuyasha had been acting strange all last week. Maybe taking Inuyasha to that sushi bar in Seattle wasn't the best idea. This sushi bar offered nyotaimori, `body sushi,' and that particular American woman was quite beautiful. Miroku just figured Inuyasha wasn't in the mood for sushi that night.
 
“No.”
 
“I know this isn't work-related.” Inuyasha shot Miroku a confused glance. “You've been edgy all week. And it wasn't until the plane landed that you finally took a calming breath. So, would you like to talk about it or what?”
 
“Fuck,” he muttered loud enough for Miroku to catch it. Maybe talking to Miroku wouldn't be such a bad idea. He was a friend of Kagome's and he might be able to offer some insight on how her mind works. “Fine.”
 
“Don't make it sound like I twisted your arm or anything. I am your friend and if I can, I would like to help you, but you have to let me. You tell me nothing and I can only tell you nothing.”
 
And Miroku made his point. He did need help because he had no clue about what to do. He knew what he could do. In any normal situation, he would just act on instinct. But this wasn't any normal situation. He hated to ask for help.
 
“Fine. But if you say one smart-ass remark-“
“I know. I know. You'll make me into your little sister. I have been duly warned.”
 
“Glad you understand.” Inuyasha took in a deep breath, his mind trying to secure the best approach. Ah, who was he kidding? “I went out with Kagome…on a date.”
 
“When did you do this?”
 
“Last Saturday, before our trip.”
 
“How'd it go?”
 
Inuyasha just shrugged. “Good, I guess. I had a fine time. She said it was good.”
 
“Then what's the problem? I'm not seeing why you're so worked up.”
 
“I don't know. Fuck. Tuesday I went to the restaurant to tell her that I was going out of town for a week for work and I went to the restaurant today to find out not only that she wasn't there, but that she wasn't expecting me to even fuckin' show up.”
 
“So you showed up at her place of work a few days after the date to tell her you were leaving for work.”
 
“Basically. Yeah.”
 
Miroku just shook his head sadly at the poor hanyou sitting in front of him. Inuyasha really had no idea about how dating or even girls worked. Guys were different, but only on the outside. Girls, as much as guys, needed to hear certain things about themselves for reassurance. Even guys needed praise and not just for an ego boost either. Inuyasha didn't know how to hand out free praise.
 
“You really fucked up this one, didn't you?”
 
Inuyasha knew that, but he didn't need Miroku to actually say it. Kagome not present at the restaurant was a big clue that something was messed up big time. The thing was, he didn't know what he did to piss her off.
 
“And I'm sure that the reason you can't find Sango may be directly related to this.”
 
Inuyasha now knew Miroku knew something about what may be going on.
 
“What the fuck did I do?”
 
“You didn't call her to tell her that you had a great time and that you'd like to do it again. Instead, you make her freak out and wait to hear from you. And when you do show up to say something, all you can say is that you're leaving town. Nice touch Inuyasha.”
 
Inuyasha normally wasn't too affected by anything anyone told him. It was a trait he quickly learned a long time ago. But somehow, Kagome, or just the topic of Kagome, found a crack in his shell and was able to torment him like nothing else.
 
“You almost seem no different than Hojo.”
 
“Fuck you!” Inuyasha roared out.
 
“No thanks.” Miroku kept his face serene-looking, hoping to avoid any more anger from the hanyou. “And while you were floating on cloud nine, she was probably devaluing her self-worth, dissecting every word she said, every move she made, wondering where it all went wrong, blaming herself and only herself. I talk to women all day long. This is what they do. Girls blame themselves for being raped or having sex when they weren't ready, or for abortions. All girls are their own psychoanalysts.”
 
Miroku leaned back in his chair, finding it difficult to watch Inuyasha suffer like this. Kagome was suffering all week long. But they were both suffering now. They were both guilty of being unable to communicate. Even he and Sango were guilty of the same thing. Miroku had been unable to tell Sango that she really was the only woman he needed, wanted. Sango had been afraid to give up her strength and independence. It took a while for them to build the bridge of trust that finally allowed them to come together, face to face, and finally talk it all out.
 
“Kagome is a different kind of girl. And I know that on some level, you know that,” Miroku continued. “Kagome took a big chance with you. And you, deep down in that thick head of yours, truly understand that. I'm not one to believe that hanyou are somehow less worthy or any of that crap. Neither does Sango. And neither does Kagome.”
 
“Fuck…”
 
“Yeah, I guess that just about accurately describes this mess. Now, what you need to ask yourself is if you are going to fix this and, if you are, how.” Miroku paused for a moment as a question begging to be asked pushed to the forefront of his mind. “You do like her, right?”
 
For a moment there, Miroku thought that maybe Inuyasha had second thoughts about Kagome. That the date somehow either confirmed or denied feelings he had, or at least he thought he had.
 
Inuyasha went that whole week in Seattle not saying one word about taking Kagome out on a date. Miroku understood that Inuyasha was a very private person and that he was the type who thought he could handle everything on his own. If the date told Inuyasha that there was no potential for what he was looking for, then…well, it actually couldn't be that.
 
“Yeah…I do…” Inuyasha softly confessed. “I…” He didn't know he had hurt her. Never did he think he could hurt her. He felt like absolute shit and realized that only he could fix this. If he hurt her, then he would be the one to heal her.
 
“Let me talk to Sango. I think Kagome and the girls may have gotten together, meaning Sango only knows about Kagome's side of the story.”
 
“What you mean is that Sango's pissed off at me.”
 
“Well, that is one way of putting it. You can't blame her. Sango's found something in Kagome that she's never really had. Plus, we're both being put in the middle since we're both your friends. Neither one of use wants to lose either of you as a friend.”
 
“How the hell do I fix it?” Inuyasha accidentally asked. It was meant to be a private thought, but it was too late now as he found Miroku curiously glancing at him.
 
“You have to tell her how you feel. I know that the very idea makes you uncomfortable, but if you believe she's worth it, then she has to know or…or you risk losing her completely.”
 
Inuyasha froze as those paramount words permeated his thick head. Completely…lose…Kagome…He couldn't even begin to comprehend exactly what that meant for him. When she'd just disappeared that first time, he struggled, but he survived and moved on. But, after their date, and having that first taste of their kiss, every single cell, his entire being, not only craved her, but that maybe…
 
No, he couldn't even think that. It was too much too soon. Way too soon. That unthinkable thought was the biggest reason he hadn't contacted Kagome right away. He just needed to get a handle on his thoughts.
 
“Inuyasha if you like her then, why…?” Miroku didn't finish his question afraid that maybe he had said too much already and that his hanyou friend needed some time alone to get organized.
 
“Sundays are spent with her mom and I didn't want to intrude. I figured I could mention something Tuesday.”
 
Now Miroku understood why Inuyasha was so bothered by the trip and where he'd gone to when Inuyasha had rushed off before their flight. Sesshoumaru and the other board members would surely feel the wrath of Inuyasha at their next board meeting. He'd blame them for sending him on that trip, thus ruining the good terms he had with Kagome. As if Inuyasha couldn't hate his brother even more.
 
Inuyasha stood up. Nothing would get fixed sitting in that chair chatting on with Miroku. He needed to find Kagome as soon as possible. But he didn't want to bother her at work. There had to be a time during the week when she wasn't at that damned restaurant. Even he could leave work at work and head home. He knew where he had to go, but wasn't sure what to do. He'd figure it out on the way there.
 
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“Inuyasha, please come in.”
 
Inuyasha stepped into the house as the door closed behind him. He slipped off his shoes and kicked them to the side. Following his host, Inuyasha made his way into the kitchen where he was offered a seat.
 
“It's good to see you again,” Mama Higurashi greeted the young hanyou. “Would you like tea? Or do you prefer something else?”
 
“Tea's fine.”
 
She quickly dispensed some hot water from the automatic tea maker Kagome recently bought her and added some macha powder to the tea cup. Using a bamboo whisk, she quickly beat the powder and liquid together. Carrying the two cups over, Mama Higurashi set them down on the table before taking the seat across from him.
 
Inuyasha took the cup and stared at it instead of drinking any of the semi-opaque liquid. He felt shamed. Here he was about to tell Mama Higurashi that he hurt her daughter for his own somewhat illogical reasons. This woman had been nothing but nice and understanding towards him. Hurting Kagome also hurt Mama Higurashi.
 
“Inuyasha, I have an idea about why you are here.”
 
He looked up at her, shocked of what she had said and shocked by what he could sense from her. This couldn't be real.
 
“I do not know your particular reasons, but what happened after the date is not only your fault, but partially Kagome's as well.”
 
“No,” he quickly said. This wasn't Kagome's fault.
 
“Yes. You are both at fault. Kagome, and maybe even you, are shy, scared, and unsure about this dating thing because it's new. In my day, the male did all of the advancing, all of the courting. But now, both sexes are equally responsible.”
 
“I should've called.”
 
“Yes, you should have, but you didn't. But you're a young man and were most likely confused about your feelings. Seeing you here means that you've come to some conclusion.”
 
He could only nod his head at her. This woman confused him. She was just too damn nice—that and she reminded him of his own mother. His mother was just as accepting of him as Mama Higurashi and Kagome both were.
 
“Is Kagome here?” he finally asked after the long silence.
 
“No. You don't know?”
“Know what?”
 
“Oh dear.”
 
“What is it?”
 
“Kagome doesn't really live here.”
 
“She doesn't have an apartment. I know that much.” Kagome had mentioned that she was saving up money so that one day she could move into her own place and was also looking forward to getting together with some interior designer friend of hers and having fun.
 
“No, she doesn't.”
 
“Then where is she?”
 
Mama Higurashi frowned. “If I tell you, will you not be angry at her for it?”
 
That had Inuyasha worried. It could mean anything. Had she run off to that guy who had helped her move out of Hojo's place? He still didn't know who that guy was or what he meant to Kagome.
 
He nodded at her request. If Mama Higurashi was comfortable with Kagome's arrangement, then he could be too. She would never allow Kagome to be in a harmful situation if she could avoid it. Inuyasha knew that much about Mama Higurashi.
 
“Good. And please talk to her. She is a strong and understanding girl.”
 
Inuyasha remained quiet as Mama Higurashi explained Kagome's sleeping arrangements. She was as far to explain Kagome's routine and when he could find a private time to talk to her daughter. When she finished and Inuyasha left, she hoped the hanyou would speak to Kagome as soon as possible. They both needed it.
 
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Kagome tried to laugh along with the man who was doing a fairly decent job at telling her a story about something. What was he talking about? She really had no idea. Her mind wouldn't let her concentrate on the words flying out of his mouth.
 
Instead, her mind was playing very mean tricks on her. Why was she comparing this strange guy to Inuyasha? She missed his rude and brash behavior, the way his ears twitched, how the apple of his cheeks would blush if she caught him actually being nice. She wanted to get lost in his golden eyes one more time. And even though the weather was finally getting warmer as they neared springtime, how she wouldn't mind being warmed up in his arms.
 
A yawn woke her up from her thoughts. She felt embarrassed that this nice guy who had spent the last hour trying to impress her caught her yawning. “Sorry. It's been a long day.”
 
The dessert promotion was starting next week. She was up at four `o'clock this morning, getting ready so she could do her interview for the morning TV show, as well as making a sweet red bean paste-filled tamale, a dessert that would be available at the restaurant as a way to kick off the spring season. Then later on, she had to place orders for ingredients and new dinnerware. Each dessert was to be presented on its own unique bowl or plate. The company that they ordered their china through was using the dessert promotion to advertise their new spring line.
 
There was also the extra training of the chefs. Kagome didn't want to bring in a whole new crew of specialty chefs since they weren't sure how well the dessert promotion was going to work. There was a lot riding on this. Not just for her, but for Shippo and the whole restaurant crew. It was another `make-it or break-it' moment.
 
Kagome checked her watch. It was nearing eleven. Was it that late already? There was still so much more to do tomorrow. Another morning interview, a radio segment, and something for the newspaper, was on her agenda. She was starting to lose track of it all. “I'm going to have to call it a night. Please excuse me.”
 
Kagome didn't even allow the guy a chance to say anything else as she quickly went down the stairs, jogging through the empty restaurant to her office. The couch called to her, beckoning her to a short sleep. Opening the storage closet, she pulled out the blankets and pillows, tossing them onto the couch. Before making the bed, Kagome stepped inside the storage closet so she could slip out of her work clothes and into her pajamas.
 
Closing the storage closet door shut, she returned to the bed and, in sloppy haste, put something together that she could sleep on. Kagome climbed in underneath the covers and laid there. Yet, as the seconds ticked on by, she knew she would need a little help at actually getting to sleep.
 
Throwing the covers off, she stood up and walked along the cool tile floor into the kitchen to make herself some lavender tea that would wash down the sleeping aid she planned on taking. Normally, she fell asleep in a fairly quick manner, but lately, with the dessert promotion and the whole Inuyasha thing, she was completely exhausted, and yet she couldn't sleep.
 
Once the tea was brewed, she carried the warm ceramic cup with her to the office, blowing at the scalding liquid to get it to the right temperature so she could drink it and get to sleep. All she wanted, and what she really needed right now, was a good deep sleep.
 
“K-Kagome…”
 
Kagome spun around so fast to the sound of her name that the cup of tea dropped out of her hand and onto the floor. The fragile ceramic cup broke into tiny pieces, spilling the hot liquid all over.
 
“Ow,” Kagome cried out as the liquid splattered on her feet. She stumbled backwards to remove herself from harm's way, her foot slipping against the wet tile. Warm hands held onto her arms, steadying her upright. Kagome twisted around in his embrace, finding those golden eyes she had longed to see again looking back down at her. Did he really move that fast? Frightened by their intensity, Kagome backed away, walking into the sharpened mess she had created.
 
“Ow,” she exclaimed again, hopping around with a piece of shattered tea cup stuck in the bottom of her foot.
 
“Damn wench,” Inuyasha scolded her as he walked over to her, picking her up, cradling her in his arms and carrying her into the manager's office, setting her down on the couch-bed. “Give me your foot.”
 
“It's okay. I can take care of it,” Kagome said as she tried to pry her foot away from Inuyasha's grasp. Even if she wanted to see him again, she wasn't ready to. She had spent this whole week so utterly confused that she didn't even know who she was. And by not knowing who she was, she didn't know what she really needed.
 
Her most basic needs had to be met. Sure, she got food, water, and sleep. But also on the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs was safety and love. Kagome knew she needed both, but which one to sacrifice first to satisfy the other? Love wasn't always safe, but there was safety to be found in love. Kagome wanted to find peace and security in the arms of a man she could love and offer the same to the man who could love her back.
 
Inuyasha wouldn't let go of her foot, no matter how much she struggled. He lifted it up, inspecting the damage with his enhanced senses. Using his claws, he plucked the broken ceramic piece out of her foot. Searching around, he grabbed the nearest piece of material and held it up against her foot to stop the blood flow.
 
“There's a first aid kit underneath my desk,” she informed him. He only nodded before turning and reaching back, his hand feeling around until he felt the familiar plastic feel of typical first aid kits. He opened it up, pulled out some disinfectant and rubbed it over and all around the cut. His ears flattened against his head at the sound of her hiss.
 
“Sorry,” he said softly as he continued to treat the cut. He placed a gauze pad at the bottom of her foot and then wrapped some strips of material around her foot to keep the gauze in place.
 
Pulling back, he closed up the kit and slid it back to its position underneath her desk. Kagome carefully placed her foot on the ground, but avoided adding any extra pressure on it.
 
“Thanks,” she replied as she tugged on the bottom hem of her nightshirt.
 
Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders like he normally did when anyone tried to show him any gratitude.
 
“What brings you here?” she asked as she avoided his gaze.
 
Inuyasha leaned up against the back of her desk, extending his right leg out along the floor and bending his left one up, casually draping his left arm over it. He figured he'd better get comfortable now. This was probably going to be one of those ridiculously long conversations. Women were notorious for those things, or at least that's what he'd heard. But for Kagome…
 
“I'd like to know what's going on,” Inuyasha calmly began. He didn't know why Kagome was all wigged out, so he thought he'd ask. That way, he'd save himself from the embarrassment of saying the wrong thing. This was one of those few times when he would really have to try to think before speaking.
 
Kagome's mouth fell open and then she quickly shut it. “W-what do you mean?”
 
“You didn't tell me you weren't going to be around for lunch.”
 
“And you never told me that you were,” she quietly and calmly shot back.
 
“Where the fuck did you get that from?”
 
“From you,” she replied quickly. “Look…I get it, kind of. You were trying to spare me from something painful. It didn't work out and that's okay.” Kagome had to concentrate in order to keep her voice steady. Focusing on the stitching of her blanket helped her with that.
 
“We had one date. What can that tell you about anything?”
 
“A lot,” she snapped back. Realizing how rude she was sounding, she took a deep breath to calm back down. “Look, I don't mean to be mean like this, but I'm very tired and I have an early day tomorrow.”
 
“No. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's really going on here.”
 
Why was he making this so hard on her? She already went through the `let's-examine-Kagome's-insecurities' sideshow with her friends Sunday night. She didn't want to say it to the guy who brought her insecurities to the surface and how damaged she really was.
 
“I don't know,” she said, the promise of falling tears in her voice. “I don't know what I did wrong. And even if I did, it's…it's too late now.”
 
“Too late? Too late? Too late for what? Sounds like you're giving up.”
 
“Giving up what? Was there something to actually give up? Because I…I would like to know. You…you came only to tell me that you were leaving the country.” Kagome could feel something inside of her growing, a strength she once had. “You didn't tell me if you had fun or…or…or if you even wanted to ever see me again.”
 
“I told you it was all right when I dropped you off.”
 
“So? Maybe you were trying to be nice. But that doesn't tell me anything about how you felt afterwards, when you had time to think about it.”
 
“Keh, I don't think like that.”
 
“But I do.” Kagome still couldn't look him in the eyes, but she was getting closer. “I guess that last time I went out on dates was when Hojo and I first got together, six years ago. I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't know how to date. I didn't even know how to kiss. When you said nothing, how was I supposed to know?”
 
“I was scared, all right.” Inuyasha paused. “I was a little pissed too. I hate the phone. I…I can't smell anything. I wanted to talk about it in person during our usual lunch time, but instead I got sent to Seattle.”
 
“What was going on there?”
 
“Just a conference on fertility. I didn't even know about it until that fuckin' morning.”
 
“Oh.”
 
“And don't think you were the only one scared shitless.”
 
Kagome finally looked at him and found him staring right back at her. She had to gulp. The look in those golden eyes, they told her so much, more than he could say. Sango was right. Inuyasha did have his own reasons. He too had his own personal insecurities that tied him down.
 
Kagome cast her eyes downward, ashamed for not giving Inuyasha his chance to plead his case. She was too busy trying to protect her own heart that…that she forgot that Inuyasha had one, too.
 
“It seemed that you were okay with being friends with a hanyou, but what about going out with one? We still get treated like shit despite the so-called progress that's been made.”
 
“I would never…” Kagome cried out. Is that what he thought about her? No, she could see it. But that idea alone scared him. “I've never thought that.”
 
Inuyasha couldn't control the warm swelling those words brought on. He wanted to believe that Kagome could be different than all of those other girls he had flings with. And now he could. He could sense no deception on her part. Ever since they renewed their friendship, she had been nothing but honest with him, at least on the light-hearted subjects they, well, mainly she, talked about.
 
“Well, now I know.”
 
“Right.” So, he knew what he needed to know. Now it was her turn. What were her hang-ups? What did she feel needed to be fixed?
 
“Kagome…” But how to ask her without making her all emotional? He didn't need her to cry. “I…” He paused as the words zoomed around in his brain. “Fuck,” he whispered. This wasn't how he wanted it to go. “Can we try it again?”
 
“Eh? What again?”
 
“Dating. Another date. I should've called, I guess,” he said remembering his earlier conversation with Miroku and Mama Higurashi. Damn that guy, as well as his obsession with the opposite sex. But Miroku did have some insight into the female gender that wasn't completely useless.
 
“Is that what you really want?”
 
“It's what I said, isn't it? Damn, your hearing really needs to be checked.”
 
Kagome narrowed her eyes at his crack at her. If she wasn't so tired…She then sighed, relaxing her features. She was just too tired right now. Concentrating on anything was getting harder as her thoughts were getting fuzzy. She had already been up for twenty hours and figured she had another twenty-hour day ahead of her.
 
Opening her mouth to reply, a yawn escaped instead. She slapped her hand over her mouth. “I'm sorry.” Kagome shook her head, trying to shake out the sleepiness from her brain. She couldn't end this like it was now. She still had so much to say.
 
Inuyasha stood up and walked over to her. “Go to sleep,” he commanded her softly.
 
“No, I can still stay up,” Kagome argued back, determined to get through this, even if she didn't get any sleep.
 
“Just go to bed,” he shot back.
 
“No, I'm fine.”
 
“No, you're not. You need to get to bed.”
 
“Well, if you didn't come over here so late, I could get some sleep.”
 
“And if you hadn't skipped lunch, then I wouldn't have had to drag my ass out here so late.”
 
“Yea, well, next time, tell me that I'm a decent enough date. Or that even if I couldn't kiss well, you might find it in your heart to forgive me and give me another chance.”
 
“This is about…a kiss?” He wasn't expecting that.
 
Kagome stopped, her eyes wide and face flushed from both their little banter and from the fact that she wanted to keep that tidbit private. Whoops.
 
“Kinda,” she sheepishly confessed. “I…I have some of my own issues to work on, okay.”
 
“Don't worry about the kissing, that…” he stopped when he noticed her really staring at him. Blushing, he looked away. “Keh, it was okay.” He gruffly finished.
 
Kagome sighed. At least Inuyasha hadn't changed. That was comforting. She didn't want to date a different man, or one that would change while they were dating. She really didn't need him to transform into something he felt he needed to be to see her.
 
“That's good…to…know…” she yawned out.
 
“Go to sleep.”
 
“But we need to talk.”
 
“And we can talk tomorrow. Lunch.”
 
Kagome eyed him suspiciously. “Is this about the food?”
 
“No. It's…I don't have any appointments at that time.”
 
“Okay. Usual lunch time. And we have to talk.”
 
“Keh…”
 
“No `keh' or `feh,' I'm serious. I never really talk about my problems to the one that really needs to hear them.”
 
“Fine. Go to sleep.”
 
Kagome slid back on the couch, grabbing the blankets and pulling them up so she could slip in underneath them. She was surprised, but too tired to show it, when Inuyasha took hold of the blanket to help tuck her in. Once Kagome was settled in, Inuyasha laid the blanket back down and tucked in the edges. He stopped when he realized what he was doing, and why.
 
“Thanks,” she whispered, smiling at the hint of blush on his handsome face.
 
“You better get some sleep.”
 
“I will.”
 
“And you better be here for lunch.”
 
“That too.”
 
“I better go.”
 
Kagome smirked as her eyes fluttered shut. “Good night…”
 
In a split moment, Inuyasha found himself standing back up, eyes wide from what he'd just done. Seeing Kagome make herself even more comfortable as she fell asleep with a faint smile on her face made him pause before deciding that it was okay. Sometimes, his human side did come in handy.
 
Quietly, he left her office, closing the door behind him before sneaking out of the restaurant and to his truck for the ride home. Things weren't completely patched up, but he couldn't complain. It was all going to get better, he could tell.
 
xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx
 
Kagome happily awoke at the blaring sound of her alarm clock. It wasn't sleep, but just a nap, a nice, restful four-hour nap. Kagome didn't get up right away, but snuggled deeply into the blankets grinning like a cat. Last night was a bit of a blur due to her exhaustion. But one thing felt real enough. It was so sweet, and unexpected.
 
Kagome threw off the blankets and sat up, stretching her entire body out. “Ow…” she hoarsely hissed. Right, her foot…Inuyasha had bandaged that up for her. That was real. Standing up, she tried to avoid putting too much pressure on the wound, causing her to limp around. This wouldn't do her any good. She had to walk to the TV station for her interview.
 
Gathering up the blankets so they could be put away, Kagome stopped. She reached her hand up, touching her forehead. It felt different, warm. Her fingers lightly brushed what remained of the tender good night kiss he had planted there. She giggled at the thought of a flower sprouting up from that spot. Closing her eyes, she could easily recall what had happened. Inuyasha tucked her in and never had she felt so comfortable in that bed before. She looked up at him, her half-lidded eyes trying to focus on him before she couldn't fight it anymore and they had to shut close. She could feel his soft hair tickle her face as it fell around her and then, she could feel him, the warmth of him radiating onto her. His soft lips grazed her forehead before pulling away. She couldn't help but smile. It was the sweetest gesture on his part.
 
Today was already shaping up to be a good day. If it continued, she'd have the confidence to face her fears and confess them to Inuyasha.
 
xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx
 
Kagome knew she was running on nothing but a strange potion of sugar, caffeine, the unknown ingredients of energy drinks, and some of her own adrenaline all shaken together. She'd woke up, ate a quick breakfast of cereal, toast and some juice, before heading to the TV station. There they worked on her hair and makeup for the segment preparing her planned almond-roca dessert. She wanted to make something different from the previous segment.
 
Afterwards, she went to the radio station where she talked to a host of some show about restaurants and cuisine. They talked about the dessert promotion, and the benefits and drawbacks of this type of education. Kagome felt that it was a well-rounded discussion on the modern restaurant business and educating the new generation. The older generation was afraid of the young losing their ties to the food that defined Japanese cuisine. Kagome asserted that change was inevitable, pointing out staple foods of the Japanese palate that weren't always on the menu.
 
All of that, and her day wasn't even half over. The biggest obstacle was approaching the continuing talk with Inuyasha. Just the fact that he wanted to have some kind of discussion about what happened—or didn't happen—was good news. He was still interested in her. That was something to be excited about.
 
When she was done with her morning appointments, Kagome made her way into the kitchen to check on the lunch staff and to verify the dinner special for the night. It had to be good. She would be sharing that meal with him while holding a discussion that could very well change both of their lives.
 
“Shippo…what's our special?” Kagome felt bad about not keeping up with their schedule for this week. Normally, she was on top of everything, but, with the dessert promotion and her confusing personal life, things were just slipping past her.
 
“I think it's the duck breasts,” Shippo hollered over the pan of stir fry he was working on.
 
“Is the mole sauce for that ready? I wanna taste it.” Kagome headed over to the fridge and examined the collection of pots and bowls that held the in-house created sauces. She had found a large sauté pan that held a dark brown colored thick sauce. Dipping her pinky into the sauce, she tasted it. “Did you make any more of this mole sauce in varying degrees of heat?”
 
“I don't think so,” Shippo answered as he stood next to Kagome, wiping his hands along the soiled white top of his chef's uniform. “Do you want us to?”
 
“Yeah. Those with sensitive taste buds won't be able to enjoy the meal.”
 
“I suppose so…”
 
“Shippo, it's not `I suppose so'…we want all of our customers, a very diverse population I might add, to enjoy our meals. Without them, we're out of a job. Without them, we lose the very reasons why we enjoy cooking for others.”
 
Shippo nodded. Kagome was right. And she believed in those words, as well. He took the prepared mole sauce from Kagome and stared at it. “So, what should I do?”
 
“What do you think you should do?”
 
“I need to make the mole sauce more mild, but I'd still like it to have some kick to it. It just wouldn't be a mole sauce without packing a punch.”
 
“You're on the right track. I'll let you figure it out. However, I need two plates of this by two. One with the original mole sauce and the other with the milder version. I'll make the wait staff aware of the versions so they can offer it to the customers.”
 
“Oh, I get it. Inuyasha is going to be eating. He's got a sensitive tongue, doesn't he?”
 
Kagome felt like a ripened tomato at the moment. Oh, the many meanings of that statement. “Er…yeah. Hanyou senses. But, he won't be the only one.”
 
“Sure, whatever Kagome.”
 
“Just make the mole sauce.” Kagome said, smiling at the kitsune youkai.
 
Shippo was one of her best and favorite students as he was always so curious and eager to learn about the trade. But he was still young, even in youkai terms, as he entered culinary school right out of high school. He was still discovering his own reasons for cooking, and learning to make the skill and talent he had completely his own. Kagome wouldn't always be around to guide him.
 
“Sure thing,” he replied cheerfully, heading over to the stove to prepare a milder batch of the sauce. Kagome was right. As a chef-in-training, he'd grown accustomed to the wide range of tastes and temperatures. Sometimes he forgot about the customers because he hardly interacted with them.
 
“I'll be in my office if you need anything,” Kagome hollered from behind her shoulder as she left the kitchen in the hands of her chefs. Once inside her office, she plopped down in her chair and looked up at her computer screen.
 
In the back of her mind, she thought about which things she could safely bring up with Inuyasha. Children and marriage were most definitely off the table. That topic required serious and long-term commitment from both of them, and they'd only had their first date. Her fears about sex could probably wait as well. She didn't see that happening too soon either.
 
What did that leave her with? Communication. They just needed to talk honestly. This lunch conversation wouldn't be necessary if one of them had just picked up the phone and said something. And now that she knew he didn't like talking on the phone, they would have to work on something else that would work.
 
Hunkering down, Kagome decided to spend the time she had before lunch to get as much of her work done as possible. She didn't want to be distracted by anything when lunch came around. It would show Inuyasha that she really wanted a second chance.
 
xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx
 
Two `o'clock came around a lot sooner than either one of them had expected. Inuyasha cursed at the clock as he raced through the streets to get to KenSen on time. He had a procedure earlier in the day and things didn't go so smoothly as they accidentally discovered that the woman was allergic to something used during the procedure. So, instead of treating her for infertility, they had to stabilize her long enough until the ambulance arrived to pick her up.
 
Then, he had to push back his other appointments so he could fill out paperwork on her so that her primary physician could test her for exactly what it was she was allergic to. He didn't even feel bad about rushing through the later appointments. Only Kagome was on his mind.
 
He felt much better as his truck pulled into the KenSen parking garage. After stepping out and slamming his door shut, he brushed his claws though his thick hair, releasing it from the braid he was required to wear for work. It was such a relief to have his hair down and free. So many things in his life were constricted and bound by rules that he took any kind of freedom he could.
 
Inside the restaurant and up the stairs, he found Kagome already at their usual table. She looked up at him and smiled. He couldn't help but smile back. And the way she looked at him, her eyes…those gorgeous stormy eyes…that's one storm he wouldn't mind getting caught in.
 
“Hey,” he quickly said as he took his seat across from her. He slipped out of his jacket, draping it over the back of the chair. The bag with his work in it was set on the floor, tucked carefully underneath his chair.
 
“Hi,” Kagome answered back. “You okay?”
 
“Keh,” he muttered, shrugging his shoulders. “Had an incident at work.”
 
“Oh my Gods…is everything all right?”
 
“She'll live.”
 
“She'll live? Is she all right though? No permanent damage or anything?”
 
“Don't think so.”
 
“Oh…okay then.” Kagome wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't a doctor and decided that it was just best to drop that topic. “So, other than that, has your day been good?”
“It'll get better.”
 
“Right…well…” Kagome strained to get the words out. How does one just start a conversation that needs to be discussed, but was difficult to? She startled to chuckle she was so nervous. “So…last night…”
 
“I said my bit.”
 
“Oh.” Kagome took a deep breath. This was really the moment of truth, the moment when being honest meant everything. “Eh, how about something to drink before the food arrives?” Kagome stood up out of her chair. “Please wait here just one moment.”
 
She hurried over to the bar as Jakotsu was doing an errand. She knew her way around the bar, partially…But, she wasn't very experienced at mixing alcoholic beverages. It didn't matter, they weren't going to be drinking anything. Though, she wondered if maybe a little something would help her become braver. But if she wanted to talk without slurring, not make a fool of herself, and actually remember it…she'd have to pass.
 
“Ah, there you are.”
 
Kagome looked up to find the guy from last night sitting at the bar, hands politely folded. He was smiling at her with this goofy grin that scared Kagome just a little bit. “Uh…hi?” She didn't even get his name. He just started talking and it somehow ended up getting directed at her.
 
Glancing back down, Kagome worked on the beverages for her and Inuyasha. She wanted something other than water or tea. Inuyasha probably would need either water or milk for the food in case Shippo didn't make it mild enough.
 
“What are you doing?”
 
Kagome sighed. “I'm making some drinks.” She needed to hurry and get back over to Inuyasha.
 
“Have you eaten lunch yet?”
 
“What?” Kagome asked a bit surprised.
 
“Lunch.”
 
“Uh…l-lunch…n-now…with you?”
 
“Of course.”
 
Kagome glanced up and over at Inuyasha. “I'm kinda busy.”
 
“Really?” He turned to look over at the back of Inuyasha. “With that customer?”
 
“He's not my customer, he's my lunch date.”
 
“Lunch date? Him?” The man glanced back over at Inuyasha. He immediately noticed the long silver hair. His eyes traced up along the back of Inuyasha stopping momentarily. “That hanyou?”
 
“You mean Inuyasha?”
 
“Who cares what his name is? What did he do to you?”
 
“Huh?”
 
“That worthless half-breed. What did he do to you to make you believe you owe him your time?”
 
“I…I don't understand.”
 
“Kagome, you don't have to do anything for him. Just tell him to go away. If you need help, I'll be here.”
 
Kagome just stared at this man in total disbelief. Was he really doing what she thought he was? “I'm…I'm sorry…uh, whatever your name is. But I asked him to be here.”
 
The man started to laugh. “I'm sure you did.”
 
Kagome took a deep breath. She didn't need this right now. “Look, if you'll excuse me. I have to tell that man over there that even though I'm scared, I still want to continue to see and date him. I don't mind for one moment if he's hanyou or not. As far as I'm concerned, he's much more worthy of my time than you are.”
 
“So his youkai kind has those kind of powers.”
 
“You don't even know him…He's not like that. Never would he choose to deceive someone. Inuyasha is too honest for that. And now it's my turn to return that honesty. And as a courtesy, I would ask that you don't return to this place if you can't treat me or my guests with the respect we all deserve.”
 
Kagome didn't even wait for a response from the mysterious meanie. Grabbing the glasses of the fruity sorbet drinks, she carried them over, feeling a new wave of confidence rise up inside of her. It felt…good.
 
“Sorry,” Kagome apologized as she set down their beverages before sitting back down in her chair.
 
“Kagome, you…you didn't have to say those things only because I could hear the conversation.”
 
Kagome blushed. When that man had glanced over at Inuyasha, she did as well. Her eyes zoned right in on his ears. They twitched around at all of the sounds he was picking up and she knew he could hear what was being said.
 
“I'm sorry.” Inuyasha let out a heavy sigh. “I'm sorry he said those things about you. He doesn't know you at all. I know I don't know everything about you, but I'd like to learn as much as I can.”
 
Kagome didn't look up at Inuyasha as she continued on with her part of the conversation. “I have my fears. As do you. And I've been reassured that they're normal. Everything I know about a relationship I learned from Hojo, which I know isn't saying very much at all. And a lot of my fears come from that inexperience.”
 
She finally looked up at him, her lips turning upwards at him. “I would like nothing more than for there to be an us. Not a deep…uh, permanent us…but, dates…more dates…more…m-more k-kisses…”
 
“Are you sure?”
 
“I thought you could sense whether or not I lie?” she said with a sly smile on her face.
 
“Whatever wench,” he snapped back. He couldn't let her know how excited he was by her utterly pure honesty.
 
Shippo showed up with the dinner special for them to test. Kagome thanked Shippo for his hard work and promised to let him know about the meal afterwards. She really needed Shippo to head back to the kitchen so she could continue to have time alone with Inuyasha to continue their conversation.
 
Nodding, smiling, and saluting all at once, Shippo turned and skipped away. “He's just really nervous about his cooking.”
 
“He doesn't like me.”
 
“Shippo is like that with anyone he doesn't know. And he knows you are the one who decides my dinner specials.”
 
“Keh, I do not.”
 
“You do. I'm not youkai or hanyou, so I can't know their tastes. Your brother is refined and content with the same youkai foods. But, I have my very own hanyou.”
 
“Feh.”
“Are you going to eat or not?”
Inuyasha picked up his fork and started digging into the meal. Kagome said her `itadakimasu' before touching her meal. As she worked on hers, she kept her eyes on Inuyasha, remembering how he reacted to that breakfast she made.
 
“Not too bad…duck's okay…”
 
“We can always do this with another meat…oh, like pork. It's too early for fish. I've noticed that people wait for the weekend for the expensive dishes, like specialty fish or beef.”
 
“Is that how you work this place?”
 
Kagome laughed. “It's how the restaurant business works.” Kagome paused as the real reason why they were here right now popped into her head. “You being here for lunch, to help me with my food, it works because it was about us becoming friends, and about the food. But when it comes to the real us, I, too, need feedback from you.”
 
“I know that much,” he argued back in between bites of duck.
 
“If you don't like the phone, then…text messaging is so informal and…unfeeling. But, I don't like this either.”
 
“Not like what?”
 
“This. We…we only see each other during lunch. It's so scheduled, like school.”
 
“And…”
 
“I'm working on it. Bankotsu is being trained as a closing manager so he can watch this place at night. The school is against my long hours here.”
 
“Kagome, you live here.”
 
“I know…but…I really have no choice. I don't have any money.”
 
“Am I really that expensive?”
 
“No. I made that decision and I'm literally paying for it.”
 
“So, we try again.”
 
“Yes. Most definitely. You know, it's okay for you to visit the Shrine whatever. Mama won't mind at all. I wouldn't mind either. You could drop by after work.”
 
“You're scheduling…”
 
“Eh, I am? Really? I didn't think I was,” Kagome giggled it off. “I accept the fact that we both work. It's who we are…it's even our culture.”
 
“I'm not going to be like that fuckin' idiot…Homo…Hobo…”
 
“What do you mean?”
 
“Abandoning you…”
 
“Er, he didn't really do that. Work is important to him. And to me and to you…”
 
“Still-“
 
“Don't. Okay? No use making promises we aren't even sure we can keep, right?”
 
“Kagome…” he said her name softly. She was still being honest with him.
 
“I know we're both trying to be serious, but…sometimes I get too serious and think so far ahead and create fears that keep me from living this moment…Maybe, just maybe this'll help me with my doubts by not creating so many.”
 
Kagome took a deep breath. It felt good. “Sorry, I might've gotten carried away, but…it's what I needed to say…for now.”
 
“Like I want to be burdened with your made-up female shit.”
 
“What…?”
 
“Sango always goes on and on about how you girls overanalyze everything.”
 
Kagome laughed. “She's right. We do. But someone's got to,” she teased the hanyou.
 
Inuyasha just shook his head, enjoying the moment so much more than he let on. On one level, he didn't care about everything Kagome said because she was right. Worrying about future possibilities in a very brand new dating relationship was a waste of time and energy. But on some other unknown level, he really wanted to know exactly what it was that was holding her back. All he knew for sure, at this very moment, was that they still wanted to see each other. And as long as they talked, they could be fine. It was a start, as all things had to have a beginning.
 
xxxxx-----xxx-----xxxxx
 
roshully's note: Hi-ho everyone! Here it is. I hope you all enjoyed it. I don't know about any of you, but whenever I have to bring talk seriously with someone, I have the most difficult time tying to figure out what to say, or how to actually start it. So, that is reflected here. The Beta of this story, renagrrl7 asked about the strange man that was very persistent with Kagome. Who was he and will he be back again? I don't know…We'll see…
 
Not many translations or anything. I have made a slight inconsistency that I will one day correct. I've used two different spellings of powdered green tea. It can be written as `matcha' or `macha' depending on which romanji system used. I actually prefer `macha' and the only reason I used `matcha' was because of the recipe book I was using. So I apologize for that.
 
Nyotaimori is body sushi. If any of you watched `The Surreal Life' with Adrienne and the Brady kid, then you know what I'm talking about. Basically, a naked person, in this case, a naked woman, lies down on a table and is covered with sushi that you pluck off her body and eat. When I lived in Seattle, they had just opened a sushi bar that offered nyotaimori. At this time, I don't think it is offered anymore because of sanitation reasons. But, if the woman is covered with saran wrap, then I think it is allowed. Imagine Miroku with one of these…
 
I couldn't find a recipe for tamale filled with a the red bean paste (azuki paste), but I didn't really do a thorough search. I will one day when I have time because those do sound tasty and I've been craving tamales for some time now.
 
Here is the recipe for the Duck Breasts with Asian Mole
 
Asian Mole
Makes 2 cups
2 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup garlic, chopped
1/4 cup ginger, chopped
4 serrano chiles, chopped
1 cup red wine
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon minced thyme
3 tablespoons toasted black sesame seeds
1/4 pound dark unsweetened chocolate, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil for cooking
 
In a large sauté pan coated lightly with oil over medium-high heat, sauté shallots, garlic, ginger and chiles until caramelized. Deglaze with red wine, scarping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add cranberries and water and reduce by half. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. With blender running, add thyme, sesame seeds and gradually add chocolate. Check again for flavor and season if necessary.

To make Asian Mole Sauce, use a 1:1 ratio of mole to chicken stock.
 
Serves 4
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound haricots verts
1/2 pound piece jicama
2 duck breasts, about 1 pound each
1/2 cup Asian Mole Sauce, warmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil for cooking
 
Combine first 6 ingredients to make vinaigrette.
Peel and cut jicama into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Stack slices on a cutting board and cut into sticks.
Heat water to boiling and blanch beans until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
In a medium bowl, toss beans and jicama with 1/4 cup of lemon vinaigrette (you can set this aside to marinate for about 30 minutes or use right away).
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Lay the duck breasts on a cutting board and season both sides with salt and pepper. Using a paring knife, make diagonal slashes through the skin about half an inch apart, taking care not to cut into the flesh. Put the duck breasts into the hot pan, skin-side down, and cook until the fat is rendered and the skin is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a splatter screen if you have one because the breasts render a lot of fat.
About halfway through the cooking, use a ladle or baster to remove most of the fat from the pan. Turn the breasts and cook to barely medium rare, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove the breasts to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Season each breast with a pinch of salt and pepper, cut breasts into thin slices, and fan them out on 4 serving plates.
Top with warm Asian Mole Sauce and arrange Jicama-Haricots Salad alongside.
I've never tried duck before…
Replies…
 
Autumn the Reviewer - I think we are all a little introspective at some point. My boytoy isn't as introspective as I am, but he says that he tells himself to stop being a `retard'. Kagome is the type who will talk to everyone except the one person she needs to talk to about her problems. Her mother, I think, offers a very mature and experienced point of view, where her friends offer her support. They try to offer advice, but I think it is too skewed. I've done the séance thing before. We once got lost in an apple orchard, which at night, is really scary. I'm glad the food came out. I hope to pick up cooking here again once I get a set schedule at work. I hope I get a set schedule at work.
 
Chase65 - Yeah, she's a bit bummed out. The business trip was important, especially for Inuyasha, even if he won't say so. Thanks.
cwillia - Inuyasha was just a little upset. Inuyasha's experience with women isn't all that great, so he really don't know. This chapter had Miroku telling Inuyasha what women need. What women want, that's for Inuyasha to figure out one woman at a time because all women are different, so their wants are different. About Sango, it's not about her being a doctor and Kagome being her former patient, it's about Sango being friends with both Inuyasha and Kagome at the same time. Inuyasha may say things to Sango that he doesn't want shared and then Kagome says things to Sango that Kagome doesn't want shared and Sango is stuck in the middle. It's so hard being put in the middle. Kagome's friends are just protecting her. Yeah, they don't know Inuyasha and all they know about him is what they hear from Kagome. Hard to make an informed decision based on one side of the whole story. Kagome is a modern woman in every sense except the dating part. She's working on that.
 
Sassa - I know that I get so upset when a story or TV doesn't go the way I don't it should go that I will stop watching or reading for a while. Inuyasha's fears were brought up in this chapter and Kagome learned about them. Kagome is slowly learning that some of her fears were nonsense and that she really needs to learn to deal with the here and now and see where it takes her. They are both learning. We are all learning. Spread the word if you wish.
 
InusGurl4 - Vibrate and then explode? You got a timer or something? Maybe that hentai is into that sort of thing…
 
Eve Dallas - I'm not in school anymore. I was. Now I'm just working full time, taking care of myself and the boytoy who works at least twice as long as I do. Life gets this way. But writing for me is my escape from that life. I really do get lost in this story when I write. Especially when I do the research. I don't just randomly pick recipes; I really do look for the right ones. Like the one in this story, with the mole sauce, it becomes a tool, a character that is used to further develop characters. That quote is one of my favorites too. I took a Buddhist and Feminism course in college and it was just a really powerful thing to learn about. Buddhism is an intense, deep and sometimes contradictory religion. It asks that we throw away all of our desires and learn to become nothing. And that once we become nothing, we are everything. There's something to think about.
 
nick_in_love - A dressing? That's a hard one. I don't know what kind of dressing you or your girl like or don't like for that matter. But I will add the recipes I used during the dinner way back in chapter 7-ish for ya and then you can pick the one you both like. I salute you on your wanting to make her an all homemade dinner. They are one of the nicest, and sweetest things a guy can do for a girl, and vice versa. Believe me, it really works. Scroll on down to the bottom for the salad dressing recipes.
 
elementalobsession - I love to inspire others, so that is a nice thing to say to me. I'm glad that this story allows you to search within yourself for the reasons about why you cook. Even less time consuming meals don't mean that you are sacrificing good meals. And some of the recipes I have included in my stories can be broken up. If you take the recipe I've included in this chapter, you can make the mole sauce one night, or in the morning and then the rest of the dinner later on during the night. But, now that I work nights, the amount of time I have for cooking doing the weeks is gone and I really look forward to the time I have off to get down and dirty in the kitchen making something. Your story about the deer doesn't surprise me one bit. I'm from a small town, hunting, whether with rifles, bows or your vehicle is all too common. I hope that you can find a balance with the career you've chosen, and an admirable one at that, with your passion for cooking. Rachel Ray says its okay for us to take shortcuts when cooking, like buying preshredded carrots at the grocery store. If you can find ways to reduce the time you would put into cooking, you'll find that you can make great meals in the time you have given to you.
 
And for those salad dressing…
Japanese Ginger
INGREDIENTS
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
2 teaspoons honey
ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, mustard, honey and pepper. Once these are thoroughly combined, add the oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly. When all of the oil is incorporated into the dressing, pour into a glass jar and chill until serving.
Garlic and Olive Oil
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup light olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon white sugar
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/8 teaspoon ground dry mustard
DIRECTIONS
In a blender or food processor, blend the olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, garlic and mustard until smooth. Toss with fresh greens or vegetables.
Italian Dressing
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoons salt
couple of shakes or red pepper flakes
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, mix together the garlic salt, onion powder, sugar, oregano, pepper, thyme, basil, parsley, celery salt, red pepper flakes and regular salt. Store in a tightly sealed container.
To prepare dressing, whisk together 1/4 white vinegar, 2/3 cup canola oil, 2 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons of the dry mix.
 
Can't find the shallot-balsamic dressing, so I add this instead for you.
Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup raspberry wine vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, oregano, and pepper. Shake well.
 
Thanks to all of you, the readers and the reviewers, for your most wonderful support. I know I haven't been super consistent, but I'm still here and that counts for something.
I'm having issues with the formatting as well…I'm working on it right now.
roshully