InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Waning Moon ❯ Courtship ( Chapter 17 )

17. Courtship

They're camped beneath a large sakura tree, their scent tickling the half-demon that often gives each dropping petal a glancing glare before turning to rest his cheek on the head resting on his shoulder. That day had brought a new shard possessed demon at them, and then saw another spat between Inuyasha and Kagome. The half-breed recalls Sango and Miroku's sad shake of their heads, and how Kagome had 'sat' him, called him a jerk and stomped off. He is glad she is back and within his sight.

He's been meaning to ponder his mother's talk about babies, love and courtship. He has been thinking about how to make Kagome happier. He remembers each of his mother's words. He remembers how his face had reddened to a much brighter colour than his fire-rat kimono. He would laugh at his own stupidity had Kagome not been leaning on his shoulder, sound asleep, calm and not talking.

Slowly, carefully, so he does not confuse her words and therefore their meaning, he recalls his mother's speech: “Courtship requires gift giving and spending time with the one you love." His mother had begun with a wistful smile, in retrospect, Inuyasha thinks she was thinking about his father, "Women like receiving bouquets flowers as their first few gifts. And then as you become more familiar to the one you care about, you may choose to give fewer flowers. This shows how much you trust each other; if she doesn't like it, then you should expect that your relationship will go slowly.” She'd made a face at this stage, one that left one of her eyebrows raised and a very slight frown on her pink lips; she must have been thinking to herself.

Her eyes had soon begun to gleam when he'd enthusiastically nodded, “Often, once a couple has been together for sometime, the woman will give their suitor jewellery, or perhaps trinkets. Their purpose is to be a catalyst for memory; when a man sees the item he will remember his lover. Often this is when it is proper to kiss your partner.” He remembers that by this stage of her explanation, Inuyasha's face was bright red, and, being only sixteen and looking ten.

Inuyasha feels Kagome move against his shoulder, so that her face is turned up towards his own. Inuyasha's mind wanders. Perhaps he could…

“You should let the one you care about make the first move, Inuyasha.” His mother had warned, “She will no doubt be nervous, and you don't want to force yourself upon her.”

Instantly the thought of kissing Kagome leaves his mind and Inuyasha settles his sight on the full moon, attempting to distract himself.

He realises, with a curious twitch of his ears, that he hasn't tried any traditional methods of `wooing' Kagome. Though he thinks saving her life is as much a gift than anything else; he could just let her get eaten; she'd managed to put herself in harm's way enough, she was practically calling for it. Besides that, he thinks with a stubborn crossing of his arms, she shouldn't be angry at him for not wanting to walk around a village he's never been to just to `look at all the shops' when he knows all he'll do is look over his shoulder. He has grown to be paranoid around any stranger, especially when there are many around him. He can hear their plans as they whisper to each other from behind their hands: “If he stays here, let's wait until he's asleep,” “We can kill him outside the village.” Inuyasha thinks it's completely reasonable for him not want to go.

But Kagome doesn't understand that people are afraid of those different to them, and that because Inuyasha is half-demon, he will never be accepted without fear or anger anywhere. not even his brother accepts his blood, and Inuyasha is beginning to think Kagome will never understand. Not fully.

With that sorted, Inuyasha decides he will attempt to try and be nicer to Kagome, to be nicer and not yell. He doubts he'll last five minutes, but he'll try.

Slowly, Inuyasha feels his breathing starting to slow, and his body starting to relax against the tree behind him. His eyes slide shut contently as he takes a final deep breath of air through his nose.

Instantly, his eyes are open and his ears standing to attention. Inuyasha can smell Sesshomaru, he is not too far away, north of their small camp. Gingerly, Inuyasha sets Kagome against the ground and sets the blanket over her. She remains asleep and he casts her a long stare before turning away. Kilala's here, and as she raises her eyes to meet his he decides that she will take care of his friends. She's a light sleeper and will be able to wake Sango before anything attempts to attack them.

He then rushes into the forest, his ears pricked and his claws bared and glinting white in the moonlight, ready for a battle. It isn't long before he bounds into an open field and pauses, his claws bared and eyes searching. The flowers the feild holds are closed, sleeping like he should be as Inuyasha's golden eyes scan the area and soon, he has Sesshomaru within his sight.

The demon Lord isn't facing him, but looking out over a river, his feet inches from the waters steady licking at the bank. There is no scent of fear; no smell of blood on the demon, Inuyasha believes he is capable of a good, long fight. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Inuyasha scowls and calls out, once he is a few metres away from Sesshomaru, his hand poised on Tessaiga, “What are you doin' around here? Want a fight?”

Sesshomaru doesn't answer immediately, and even Inuyasha must strain his ears in order to hear him once he does, “I do not wish to fight you tonight, Inuyasha.” As if to prove his words, Inuyasha realises that there really isn't any sign of hostility from Sesshomaru. Surprisingly, he seems unguarded.

He won't lower his defences, though; Sesshomaru might bait for a trap, “So, why are you out here then?”

“I am admiring the moon.”

“The moon?”

Sesshomaru nods, causing his hair to flash white silver before it returns to simply shining, “It isn't quite as stunning when one is watching it from within the forest.”

“Keh,” Inuyasha snorts as he crouches down, his elbows resting on his knees, ears and eyes still completely focussed on his brother, “It's just a moon. It's the same as the full moon that we saw last month, and all the times before that.”

Sesshomaru moves to sit down, startling Inuyasha into his fighting stance. Sesshomaru turns his head, so that he is staring over his left shoulder, and regards Inuyasha with uncaring eyes, before turning them back to the sky, “That may be so, but certain circumstances change our perspective. The moon tonight is looking especially appealing to me.”

Inuyasha snorts, “Why?”

“It is unreachable. No matter how hard demons and humans should try, we will never get close to touching it.”

“And that's why you're staring at it?” Inuyasha asks, one dark eyebrow raised.

Sesshomaru remains still and silent. Inuyasha crouches again, his own amber eyes aimed at the moon.

He doesn't understand what Sesshomaru finds so entrancing about it. `Unreachable?' Inuyasha must hold back a snort, here's the biggest, cold hearted bastard Inuyasha has had the pleasure of meeting, being philosophical! Really, Sesshomaru thinks too much. Inuyasha squints, trying to find something worth staring at, but even then he does not find much; it is a moon.

His brother must be losing it, he muses with a small upturning of his lips. Or he has finally lost his mind because of his crazy, ear-torturing toad. Either way Inuyasha thinks that it would be a gift for him to kill Sesshomaru right now. He would, were he not honourable. He could gain no honour by attacking his older brother with his back turned to him.

Again, Inuyasha jumps into his fighting stance, as Sesshomaru's only hand moves from in front of him, allowing Inuyasha to see it for the first time tonight. Carefully, the demon Lord sets a flower on the ground beside him. Inuyasha doesn't know what to wonder first; why Sesshomaru had a flower or why Sesshomaru was treating it with so much care.

“Here, little brother, for your priestess; she will treasure it more than I.” He can almost hear an amused edge bite into the tone of his brother's smooth voice, “No doubt it will only improve your image within the diluted girl's mind.”

Inuyasha growls, but says nothing. It would make Kagome incredibly happy to receive a gift from him, though he'll never hear the end of it should Shippo witness his gift giving, or Miroku or Sango for that matter. But the flower is from Sesshomaru and Inuyasha is nervous; his brother could have it ready to unleash a mist of poisonous gas, or he could have had a spell cast upon it.

He must stop his musings as Sesshomaru gracefully returns to his feet, and takes a step forward, much to Inuyasha's surprise. And the demon Lord simply floats gracefully into the sky, looking like shining star finally taking his place amongst the heavens. It is only Inuyasha's third time watching his brother fly, and he is enthralled.

When his brother is a speck of light in the sky, Inuyasha can't help his eyes glancing back down to the flower left on the river's bank.

After a moment's contemplating, his ears twitch with annoyance and he stomps over to the flower and he carefully picks it up. He doesn't want to waste its existence by leaving it there; he may as well give it to Kagome. Sesshomaru's right, she will appreciate it.