InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ When Life Throws You Lemons ❯ Canned Beans ( Chapter 1 )

Canned Beans

Chapter One

 

 

 

“This is it. It can't get any worse then this,” she sniffled, grasping the collar of her light zip-up while trying to fend off the down pour with a sopping bundle, of what used to be newspaper. Those were her thoughts about two seconds before a double decker bus sped passed leaving something equivalent to a small tidal wave in it's wake, which promptly consumed everything in its path, consisting mostly of the once dry, happy-go-lucky girl by the name of Higurashi, Kagome.

 

Yes, this was once a girl who had everything; the world was at her fingertips. She had a loving mother and father, a tolerable younger brother and a somewhat, eccentric grandfather.

 

They lived in a happy home. It didn't really matter that it was a massive estate with over thirty rooms, pillars in the front, and a pool, sauna - not to mention a view that could steal your breath no matter how many times you saw it - Jacuzzi, and club house found in the back. And this was just what Father Higurashi called their `autumn home', which was one of the four estates the Higurashi's' rotated between during the different seasons.

 

And it really didn't matter to Kagome that she came from a wealthy (very wealthy) family because, as she was taught as a child all the way through to her semi-adult years, `It doesn't matter if you live in a box. As long as you fill it with love it will be a home'.

 

Kagome had believed this up until a few weeks ago.

 

 

 

When she first laid her misty blue, naïve, eyes on the tall, sophisticated, silvery form of the first man (technically demon) she would ever get “those kinds of feelings” for, she knew she was in love with him.

 

As she was the daughter of The Higurashi, she played hostess along with her mother meeting and greeting all of their friends and business associates at the dinner parties they threw. After she was practically dragged over to meet with him by her seemingly best friend Sango, her feelings were solidified. Even though the first things out of his mouth besides his name, had been some pompous comment about hating having to come to menial gatherings such as these.

 

Kagome, never one to keep her opinions to herself - especially when it came to insults directed towards her family - had never felt more inclined to give someone a piece of her mind. Educating him as to how much effort was put forth into the makings of the so-called `menial gathering', and then tastefully addressing his lack of morality and manners, she was rewarded with a cold, slightly amused, golden gaze, which made her shiver. Making a noise suspiciously like a snort, he had turned and left. Vehemently she tried to rid herself of any such romantic feelings felt for the haughty, snob who she would swear (on many occasions to come) that his own pride was shoved so far up “where the sun don't shine” that it was amazing he could walk at all

 

Their next meeting was a formal introduction made by her father where she was required to act civilised towards him, and like wise, where she met his father, and decided that he had definitely inherited his personality from someone else.

 

While this party was many times smaller then the grand party the Higurashi's had thrown a few weeks earlier, the proper precautions were taken, aka: formal dress, hourdurves, seating arrangements, wine, three course meals, music, dancing. The whole nine yards. Although Kagome had attended many parties in her life, had sat next to countless people, had endured cheek pinching after cheek pinching, over came the acute embarrassment of being hit on by sleazy “junior execs”, as she liked to call them. She had come out of all of those annoying, uncomfortable, degrading situations and she felt she was a better person because of it. But when her father announced that they were to be joining the Inutaishos' as their `table-mates', Kagome couldn't help but blanche just a bit.

 

Sitting there eating was the easy part. The parents talked easily enough, and when it came to small talk between his father and her, their conversations flowed quite nicely. Not once did she feel the need to put on her fake happy face, which (little did she know) could be seen through by virtually anyone with a brain.

 

He had stayed quiet for the most part, only saying anything when spoken to, and even then his answers were direct and to the point; no elaboration.

 

She couldn't stop her eyes from making their traitorous way back to him. He was a very intriguing piece of work. He was beautiful with his piercing yellow eyes, straight nose, generous mouth, and that wealth of pure white hair that glinted the way snow does in the sun when he moved it just so…

 

Reminding herself to blink and divert her eyes somewhere not as blatant as his face was slowly wearing on her nerves, and she went to excuse herself when she realised the parents had left and she was sitting there alone with someone she really didn't want to be alone with.

 

Insulting her again for being basically a twit, that evening became the starting point of their relationship.

It was a strange relationship to say the least, for he was a man of few words, and the words that did pass over his lips were, for the most part, premeditated and usually ended up sounding arrogant, or dangerous. Where as she said pretty much everything that was on her mind, which ended up balancing things out quite nicely. And as the months passed and the barriers around them fell, it was Kagome who initiated the first kiss.

 

It was during yet another dinner party where they had slipped out to get some air because he wasn't really into the dancing and intermingling, and while she was, she did make the exception for him. She knew that he didn't mind going out alone - that was how he preferred it - but she also knew that he, on some level, enjoyed her company and she was more than willing to give it.

 

So there they were, standing on the balcony, looking off into the dotted midnight sky, Kagome talking while he listened. Then he was talking, and it was about something other then companionable banter, it was something serious and deep. She didn't think he knew that he was saying such things aloud, he was just standing, talking; his eyes reflecting the light from the moon…and then she was on her tiptoes and her lips were pressed against his cheek.

 

She felt him tense but she didn't jerk away, she let it linger just long enough so the meaning wasn't lost to him. When she pulled away he was still looking out at the night and she was glad that the lights were gracious enough to grant shadows for her to hide in. She took their cover and started bumbling some fragmented apologies/explanations. He stopped her as she began to make her way inside and asked her in his quiet way that made people nervous, if she meant it. Humiliated, (and a tad scared) she didn't dare lie, and if she had he would have known and the out come may not have been as pretty.

 

Swallowing her fear, and any other emotion that was threatening to overflow, she met his eyes, that strange glow they acquired in the dark gave him a look of foreboding. She told him yes, she had meant it, and he told her that there was nothing to apologise for before he took that one last step, the step that filled the gap, that turned the page; the step that sealed the deal. He kissed her - her first kiss - and it was warm, and she liked it very much. That was the first of many kisses, kisses that soon turned from mere kisses to breaths, to whispers and moans, to love. They were in love and she was young.

 

Her father didn't like the idea of them being involved due to the age difference but her mother approved.

“If she's in love age doesn't matter,” Mama Higurashi had said right before she elbowed her husband in the ribs. “Isn't that right Hunny?” he had immediately shook his head in approval. Her brother Souta had always been weary of him but she chalked that up to him being a wimp, but her grandfather was the only one that brought up the fact that he was youkai.

 

She finished up her last year of high school and a few weeks later on (unbeknownst to Kagome) they shared their five-month anniversary, which he had considered was from the first time they kissed. Surprised at his uncharacteristic show of sentimentality, she succeed in - what she believed to be the most shocking event of their relationship thus far - making the stony youkai blush just a little.

 

She was led onto a jet, blindfolded, led into a Limo, then into an extremely spacious penthouse apartment overlooking the ever-impressive city known as the big apple.

 

After having a small tiff over the fact that she hadn't known it was their anniversary, they made up and christened their new apartment in the only real way.

 

Kagome decided to take the first year off to travel with him, suiting their life style due to his moving around a lot on business. During the first few months abroad she had gotten home sick and decided to make a detour to visit with her family, which ended up lasting about a whole month. Meeting back up with him briefly in Europe, they both came to the conclusion that he was far too preoccupied with work to enjoy their time together so she continued on without him for a short while before heading back to the uninhabited apartment they shared in New York.

 

She began the task of making the apartment ready to become a home, incorporating her own styles with his trying not to turn it completely girlie. This project occupied her for a time before she started to get restless. She had, after all, just turned nineteen and was never one to stay idle for longer than was absolutely necessary. She was also beginning to get a little lonely without him to keep her company. Although a fair share of their time alone together was spent in silence, for he had always felt that there was really no need to waste breath on a lot of pointless drivel. He felt comfortable enough with Kagome, and felt that she knew him well enough to know that words were not always needed, and he was okay with that.

 

In the beginning he had come back to her whenever the chance presented itself, but after an extremely stressful merger (viewed by him as unnecessary) with none other then Naraku, Onigumo, and his father becoming sick… his time away started reaching an all time high.

 

The first time she really knew that something wasn't right with them followed the last time they made love, the way he had acted afterward…she couldn't ignore that. So the questions began, and so did the fighting, the silent treatment, and the tears weren't far behind. Then his father died and a part of him died too, a very, very important part: the part that cared for her.

 

She discovered shortly there after that he was having an affair with one of his new business partners. From the one time she had met her, Kagome had deducted that she was one of the women categorised as beautiful but deadly. Cool demeanour, proud stance, condescending stare, youkai. Looking back on it Kagome wondered why she hadn't seen it coming. This woman - this youkai - was his equal, there was no way that she could ever compete with her, no matter how badly she wanted to be the one for him.

 

 

And even after he changed, broke her heart, and left her with nothing she still loved him and she hated herself for it. Bringing her to her current predicament. She was soaking wet, she was tired, she was hungry, she was without residence, without funds, without friends…to sum it all up: she was alone in New York City, in the middle of spring (the never ending rain season), and she was broke. She wondered again for about the millionth time that day how things had gotten turned so upside down.

 

 

After they shared their last fight she had stormed out and came back later to an empty apartment (which she was shortly escorted out of by security), and to find that all of her accounts had been closed except for her own personal account, which was nothing to brag about. It kept her off of the streets for the first little while, and - against her better judgement - she had declined the help her family had offered after they found out what happened. She wanted to keep a semblance of her dignity intact after she was humiliated so profusely and, in true Kagome fashion, she had tried desperately to look on the bright side of things. After all, it couldn't be that hard to make it on your own people did it all the time that came out of worse situations didn't they?

 

She tried to stay as optimistic as possible while she was fighting off the rat sized cockroaches in her rundown, filthy, disgusting low rental motel room, which she couldn't decide if it smelled more of its numerous, previous tenants, or mould and rotten cheese. Tried to stay optimistic while she lay wide eyed in the middle of the night preying that she had locked the door, while fights commenced in the neighbouring rooms, and in the alleyway under her window. She tried to stay optimistic while she was rejected time and again from each job interview she attended.

 

She was hired as a waitress at a greasy restaurant, which lasted all of two days before she was fired for being too clumsy.

 

Tripping over an empty can of beans brought her out of her bleak thoughts as she stumble forward into an unsuspecting pedestrian.

 

“Watch where you're going, bitch,” he growled as he pushed her out of his intercepting grasp, sparing her a scathing glance before he continued on his `merry' way.

 

All she saw of her “hero” was a face full of wet leather, and a fleeting glimpse of silvery white hair, resulting in her heart becoming lodged in her throat, successfully cutting off her oxygen. So she stood there, paralysed, just the way he left her: bent down, torso twisted to watch his retreating figure. Having never fainted before the experience was an interesting one. Still staring in the direction he had gone black dots started to appear, pretty soon taking over her whole vision, but not before she caught another glimpse of silver, then everything went black.

 

 

Inuyasha grabbed at the back of his jeans then the front, then the pockets in his jacket. He had, had someone attempt to steal his wallet before using the same routine with the exception of the tripping on the can, but one can never be too careful about these things, especially in New York City.

 

He grinned - a little nastily - thinking of the pathetic excuse for a pickpocket that was currently residing in his apartment…until further arrangements could be made of course. His thought process stop abruptly as his claws came up with no wallet.

 

“Damn it!” he hissed as he turned around, intent on catching the sneaky little thief. He was hoping to get to her before she got too far ahead but he wasn't expecting her to still be there…in the same position…with a vacant stare…about to fall over.

 

Rushing over to her, he caught her before she fell and cursed. Gathering her in his arms trying to make his way through the uncaring crowd he finally spotted an opening and took it, leading him right into a dirty alleyway.

 

Kneeling down, repositioning her so he had access to her face he tapped it gently.

 

“Oi,” he demanded as quietly as his irritation would allow. “Oi! Wake up you stupid girl,” this time a little louder accompanied by a jostle. He sighed irritably and glanced back into the ever-moving mass of people trying to decide what to do with her, until he heard her make a small noise.

 

“Mmumh…” she twitched.

 

“You going to wake up now?” he asked gruffly. Her eyes fluttered.

 

“Wah? You…why…” the slight recognition in her unfocused eyes gave him pause, and he was about to ask her just who she was when she passed out again.

 

“Fucking great,” he mumbled as he hoisted her up again, and rejoined the masses, the retrieval of his wallet all but forgotten.

 

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Yet another story to add to the ever-growing collection with a completely different spin, AND, it's AU! How much fun is that! I know, I know, New York is the usual setting for AU fics but what can you do?

Well, I hope you enjoyed it because there are definitely many, many more twists and turns to come. Exciting? I think so!!! And don't be shy. Reviews are always welcome and muchly appreciated, and thanks for taking the time to read my stuff. It makes me feel all good inside (big goofy smile).

 

Tsuki Miko