InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Proposal ❯ Chapter 2

The Proposal

By: InitialA

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha!

Author's Note: Thank you everyone for the kind reviews, I'm glad people are actually reading this and enjoying it! =3 I've plotted three more chapters—including this one—to round everything up, unless I get assaulted by the plot bunnies. Enjoy!!

 

Another week, another chance. So he kept telling himself, but it was damn near impossible to get her alone! If she wasn't babysitting while Sango did the wash, she was learning medicines with Kaede, or some other stupid woman thing he couldn't be bothered with. Was it his fault her only free time had been when he didn't want to be around the monk? No, it was her fault. Her fault for not having any free time, and her fault for making him open his big mouth. He supposed it was Miroku's fault too. Idiot never could keep his trap shut when he wanted him to.

So here he was, sulking by the river; Rin had shooed him out of Kaede's hut, insisting that `Kagome-chan' needed her rest. Rest. Keh. Stupid humans and their stupid bodies needing stupid rest.

He ignored the aches in his joints from one too many nights without sleep.

That was her fault too, and not even a mind-reader could dispute that. Damn human females going into heat every month, it was a wonder they didn't over-breed themselves into extinction. Though, in his opinion, Kagome's time seemed damn close to it. Noisy, smelly, overcrowded `sit-tee', or whatever the hell it was called.

Oh, yes, he'd gotten distracted, as his friendly nether friend reminded him. Kagome's heat cycle; this had absolutely nothing to do with why he was trying to ask her to marry him either. He just… wanted to let other males know that this particular flower had been plucked, so go sniff somewhere else! Not that he was interested in flower plucking. He left that to Miroku.

He didn't sleep because he didn't trust himself. Stronger youkai than he—not that there are many, he added defiantly—had fallen prey to the haunting scent of a woman in their sleep. Primal instincts took over when one was sleeping. (What, you never punched someone in the face for rudely awakening you? There was a reason Kagome fixed breakfast before calling him to full alertness! ) The last thing he wanted was to wake up to a slap in the face, or a deafening shriek over something he had no control over. If he wanted to get smacked around, he'd at least try to deserve it!*

His ears twitched at the sound of footsteps behind him. “Hey,” Kagome said, sitting down next to him.

“Keh.”

“What'cha doing out here?”

“Nothing.”

“I see that. Why are you doing nothing?” She asked, smiling.

He mumbled something under his breath. It was a bit easier to be around her, her heat scent was much lower than it had been. Now they'd have to put up with her moods, but it was more bearable. She cupped a hand to her ear. “What was that?”

He grumbled, and didn't say anything, pointedly keeping his eyes on the water. She sighed, and put her head on his shoulder. InuYasha stiffened. She smells good… could do with a bath though…

The world continued on without them. Children ran down the road along the bank, calling greetings to the pair and insults to each other. The steady, muffled `thwack' of the farming tools sounded in the fields. Birds shrieked overhead. InuYasha slowly relaxed: one muscle at a time. Kagome hummed to herself. This is stupid. InuYasha thought suddenly.

“Y'know when you were watching the kids last week?” He asked.

“When?”

“When Sango and Miroku went to that extermination.”

She looked confused for a moment, then her eyes widened. “Oh! Oh, right, that night. Yes, I remember.”

His brow furrowed. “Well…remember how I wasn't there when you came back, but they were?”

“Er… yes,” she said.

He paused. There was an uncomfortable feeling growing in his chest. He knew that feeling. It was felt frequently, but he always managed to distract himself. Usually by throwing himself headfirst into battle before the rest of his body realized what he was up to. “I… er, well… see what…” he stammered, feeling himself going red.

Kagome waited patiently with that smile on her face. The one that said she knew what you were about to say but would let you say it anyway. The one that infuriated him because it meant she knew him as well as he knew himself, while she still managed to pull the wool over his eyes whenever possible. He tried shoving his nerves and fear out of his mind, and spoke again. “Well, er… I had a run-in with Miroku, and… er, what I'm trying to say is… dammit…”

“Go on, InuYasha,” she prompted.

“Aww, hell with it...” he muttered, and mustered up his courage. “Kagome, I want you to marry me.”

Her eyes widened. She didn't say anything. Long moments passed, and only the bees buzzing around his ears let him know he hadn't gone deaf. His heart sank. Suddenly, she started laughing. She clutched her sides and fell back onto the ground.

Disappointment and shame were replaced with pure rage and the humiliation of betrayal. He snarled, getting to his feet; her laughter became higher pitched, until an audible `POP' sounded, complete with pink smoke, and Shippou rolled in the grass. InuYasha fumed at the trick, grabbing the kitsune by the tail and shaking him vigorously. “You brat! I keep your sorry hide safe and fed for years and this is the thanks I get! Mocked and humiliated!” He shouted, adding a few good smacks upside the head for good measure.

Shippou's laughter immediately turned to painful yelps. “It was practice! I didn't know you were gonna ask her that!” He tried to defend himself, but InuYasha was quicker than that, holding the small boy's arms behind his back along with his tail.

“Some practice! I ought't've left you for a street urchin! See how far you got on an empty belly and a pocket of tricks!” InuYasha shook the boy again.

Shippou's eyes began to tear up. “I didn't know! I learned new scent magic and I wanted to see if it worked!”

InuYasha's eyes were still slits in anger, but he stopped the beatings and let him finish explaining himself. It's more than I ever got…and more than he deserves! Shippou flinched, waiting for another impact. When one didn't come, he looked up at the hanyou; InuYasha's face clearly stated `talk, and talk fast before my patience runs out'. “You don't know anyone's scent as well as Kagome's—you knew she was back the second she came through the well. I thought if I could fool you, I could advance again next year! And I did—didn't I?”

InuYasha dropped the kitsune. “Not enough. Kagome's in heat, or didn't you notice? And you aren't as clean as she is. Bathe next time you want to humiliate me.”

With that, he punted the kitsune into the river. The real Kagome was walking towards him as he turned to leave. “InuYasha! I sent Shippou to find you ages ago, this is where you've been? Where's Shippou at then?”

She rambled a bit more, but he ignored her and pushed past rudely as she noticed the flailing child in the water. He can swim… InuYasha thought darkly as she panicked, and stalked back to Kaede's hut.

 

((*This paragraph isn't an advocacy of or an allusion to rape. I know too many women who have had their lives shattered because of it. The mental image I'm having is either he's groping her, a-la-Miroku, or something akin to humping Kagome's leg, all while asleep and not really in control of himself.

I really wanted to drop a few f-bombs in here, but I think the standard for movies is 4 f-bombs or less to keep a PG-13 rating and this is definitely PG. XD If someone knows I can do so without causing Total Drama Island, please let me know so I can edit. Inu refuses to be kept silent—I'll be swearing left and right in my next story just to keep him happy! XD (also, Shippou can be an annoying brat, but I tend to like him more often than not. This is probably the first time I've treated him so rough, but imagine how you'd react!) Please review!))