InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Torn Apart ❯ Chapter 6

 

Chapter 6:

 

Inuyasha stared at his old fire rat haori hanging in the closet. It still looked as fresh and vibrant as the day he met Kagome thanks to the reparative magic woven into the cloth. Trembling, Inuyasha brushed its softness before grasping a sleeve and tugging it off the hanger. He could still remember the heat of the flames and choking soot that covered him from head to toe as he ran from one flaming inferno into another, unable to escape the one consuming his heart. His body shivered as he pulled the garment on. The cries had been deafening, and the crackling of flames gleeful as it devoured wood and flesh without caring.

 

Inuyasha's shoulders drooped as he stuck his hands into the sleeves of the haori. Chikran had died in the fire. His nose had told him something was burning, but his feet were not fast enough. Chikran, no doubt acting in his great-great-many times removed grandfather's footsteps had been in hot pursuit of the milkmaid when the fire began. Inuyasha had warned the rash boy to be careful, but he had insisted in pursuing the comely maiden. Knowing that line's luck, it was most likely the milkmaid's indignation which caused that perilous lantern to fall into the hay and start the Great Chicago Fire as it was now called. It was no longer 1871, and even in his nightmares, he still arrived too late to keep his promise to his friend, the perverted Houshi.

 

He could still feel the heat of the scorching flames as one building after another caught on fire, mocking him with his ineptitude and nearly outrunning him in speed. Grief had fueled him to save everyone, anyone in the hopes that he would find Chikran alive and not where he had known him to be. So, with the great fire, came an end to anonymity. His face, hidden by soot, was unrecognizable, but he had been forced to retire the haori in favor of western clothing to prevent the tell-tale red from drawing attention to his hanyou status. His heroics had already done enough as it was. It had taken weeks before Sesshoumaru had covered up enough of the stories of guardian angels and flying demons with practical lies. Inuyasha had spent weeks staring into the bottom of a whiskey bottle.

 

Shaking off the memories, he took from the bureau the one piece of jewelry he owned, an old fang-and-bead necklace made for him so long ago. It was the one thing he had of Kagome's and was counted his most prized possession, equal in stature to the Tetsusaiga but surpassing in meaning. He slipped the charmed necklace over his head, and gazed into the mirror. He looked as though he had just walked out of Sengoku Jidai. Granted, there were a few lines etched into his young looking face, and his hair was maybe a little longer. Inuyasha looked at the reflection and nodded. Yes, it would do. Kagome would have her reassurances. After all, he had promised to protect her, and he would continue to do so even if it meant protecting her from herself. If she preferred Sesshoumaru, then so be it. He would make sure that she had the time to grow certain in her decision, and if the proud taiyoukai had to work all the harder to capture Kagome's heart then all the better. Nodding to himself, Inuyasha strode out the door with a small smile gracing his face. It was time.

 

—Kagome—

 

Kagome rifled through her clothes as she wondered what in the world she was going to wear for dinner that night. School clothes were out since her friends had insisted they burn them after graduation, and all the kimonos that Sesshoumaru had given her would only serve to aggravate an already irate Inuyasha after he had been told to stay away from Sesshoumaru.

 

Kagome frowned as she remembered that Saturday afternoon. Bad enough her last final was in chemistry and electrochemistry at that, but she had decided upon Shippou's suggestion to head over to Inuyasha's house and drop off her painstakingly written letter. She had been amazed to find out that he lived on the other side of the shrine, deep in the forest preserve, or what she thought had been a forest preserve. Apparently, it was property that Inuyasha owned and refused to sell despite the pressure coming from the government.

 

However, when she arrived at the estate, she had expected to leave her letter with a servant not have Inuyasha answer the door. Her face must have turned ten shades of red when she saw him. The next thing she knew, she was pulled into the house and into Inuyasha's arms as he gave her a fierce hug.

 

Shaking her head, she looked wistfully at the vibrant colors filling her closet and wished she could wear one of them tonight. After all, they were the best kimonos she owned. She had been reticent about wearing one of them to her graduation yesterday since both brothers had promised to be there, but she went ahead and wore one anyways since it was safely hidden underneath the graduation robes. Still, her friends later that night at their celebratory pyrotechnic party had all admired the intricate weave of a green and yellow that had been a favorite of Rin's.

 

Kagome sighed and let her hands pass over the beautiful kimonos. `Inuyasha's already been through enough. There's no reason to give him an excuse to jump on Sesshoumaru the minute we sit down for dinner. He has excuse enough as it is since I ran out the door after cramming that stupid letter into his hand.' Kagome reached into the corner and pulled out her sixteenth birthday present: a black silk outer haori and burgundy undershirt and hakamas. Embroidered on the sleeves in matching burgundy, green and brown thread were a series of thorned roses. Her mama had insisted that she take it with her back to Sengoku Jidai in case she needed something fancier then her school uniform. She never had an opportunity to wear it until now. Gathering up the kimono, Kagome began to dress, hoping everything would go smoothly.

 

—Sesshoumaru—

 

Shippou watched as his otouji-san's tail twitched a centimeter as it resettled itself against his shoulder. Sesshoumaru had been almost stoically adamant in refusing Kagome's invitation to dinner. It had taken Shippou an entire day of endangering his life to badger the old man into at least attending. If it wasn't for his promise to Rin, he still wouldn't have gotten out of the office.

 

“Do you not need to ready yourself?”

 

Shippou righted himself from leaning against the wall. “What? And have you run back to your office? Not a chance.”

 

Sesshoumaru glared icily at the kitsune as he fixed his azure colored tie in the mirror. “Kagome deserves to know what happened to Rin. She will hear it from no one else but me as Rin requested. Now leave.”

 

Shippou bowed to cover his grin as he mockingly backed up. “Of course, oh great Sesshoumaru-sama. I will see you at Kagome's then. Dinner starts at 7:30 sharp. I would hate to explain why you're late.”

 

Sesshoumaru growled as the kitsune's wayward tail wagged in mockery as it slipped through the door. He had not wanted to attend dinner just to see her fawn all over the hanyou as she did last Saturday. He had stopped by to discuss a case he was drawing up against an American accounting firm. He had hoped the hanyou could use his connections to look into the claim before he presented it at court. He had not expected to see Kagome walk calmly up to his front door and fall into Inuyasha's arms. To avoid another scene, he would gladly suffer Inuyasha's brash teasing if it was what she wanted.

 

Sesshoumaru ripped off the tie and threw it against the wall. Taking a deep breath, he tried to control his youkai blood from forcing a transformation in the apartment. It would be painful at the least since while the arrangement was spacious, it lacked in ceiling height. Feeling his anger ebb a little at the absurdity of his emotions, he opened eyes he had not been aware of closing and looked at the fallen tie. `Enough, if she wants Inuyasha, then she shall have Inuyasha, but I will do so on my own terms. Kagome deserves nothing less then absolute civility from that baka!'

 

Sesshoumaru leaned over and picked up the discarded tie. Turning back to the mirror, he began to loop it around, over and under and finished with it lying snug and perfect against his throat.

 

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