Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Anything For You ❯ Permission to Speak ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or Inuyasha!

I'm sorry if the chapter is short and the update is slow…I have finals next week - it's hectic, and I have to make priorities.

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Permission to Speak

Near afternoon, Kagome's stomach began grumbling from the lack of food, halting Youko in his steps. A dark blush crossed her cheeks when the kitsune raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Humans," she heard him mutter. "Wait here and start a fire." he ordered before turning back onto the dirt road, leading to the village they had passed an hour ago (walking at a human pace, as Youko had said). Kagome gathered some twigs and furiously rubbed them together in an attempt to start a fire. After several tries, a small spark ignited, much to her delight.

As she patiently waited for the kitsune's return, she stared lovingly at the fire, contemplating the recent events. The whole way, she had been itching to ask Youko about his half-brother, the rude one, who bad-mouthed him every chance he received. However, she knew it was not her place to ask about the kitsune's family matters (or any, for that thought), so she squashed her desire.

Several minutes later, Youko reappeared with a white bag in his hand. Tossing it to Kagome, she clumsily caught the bag that held her lunch. Opening the sack, she found several fresh rice balls, making her mouth water as the delicious smell wafted to her nose.

As she ate the rice balls, Youko asked her a question, which startled her. He never bothered to talk to her unless it was to order her to do something - not that she minded, of course. "I heard you arguing with someone before I found you. Who was it?" he asked, a look of disinterest on his face, acting as if he wasn't the one who had asked the question, but someone else.

"I forgot his name." Kagome replied, stopping mid-bite. "He said he was your half-brother." she quickly added, hoping against hope that the silver kitsune would elaborate the relationship between him and his brother. She didn't want to sound like she was prying in other's business, but she really wanted to know. They really did look alike…

But more importantly, she just wanted to know more about Youko. Anything - even his favorite color or hobby. Why something so trivial? That's because beside he's a kitsune and popular amongst youkai, she didn't know anything about him. Kagome regretted added her last sentence when she saw an annoyed look flash across the kitsune's emotionless façade.

Youko seemed to fall into deep thought, his face twisted in disgust. "I don't want you to talk to him ever again." he finally answered, startling his charge with his belated answer, nearly causing her to choke on her rice ball at the suddenness. Kagome only dumbly nodded her head as Youko stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Let's go."

Hurriedly stuffing the last rice ball into her mouth, she ran to catch up with the youkai's long, quick strides. After swallowing the food, she opened her mouth to ask where they're going, only to close her mouth again. Youko didn't look like he was in the mood for a nice little chat, not that he ever did, mind you.

A few minutes passed before Kagome gathered her courage and opened her mouth again, only to close it a second later. This process repeated itself for a couple of times before the silver kitsune came to an immediate stop and pinned Kagome with an indescribable look. Kagome seemed to shrink under his golden gaze, suddenly finding the ugly, little critters crawling on the dirt extremely dazzling in its beauty.

"If you have something to say, say it - you're irritating me - if you're afraid of disturbing me, I'll let you know that you're disturbing me even more with your lack of courage." he bluntly stated. "Ask and I'll decide if it's worth my time to answer you."

"Where are we going?"

"We're paying a little visit to the northern lord."

"Oh."

Silence followed this short exchange of dialogue.

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Sesshoumaru was seriously contemplating moving out of the castle as his despised, younger half-brother popped his head into his chambers for the umpteenth time that day. "Hey, Sesshoumaru, guess what the old man said?" By old man, Sesshoumaru deducted that his half-brother meant their father. "Listen to this…he said, 'my whittle Sesshou is finally all grown up and read to get a mate'. How sweet," Inuyasha smirked.

"Get out of my chambers half-breed or you'll find your head rolling off your shoulders and down the stairs." he growled.

"Are you going to name your kid half-breed or something?" Inuyasha snorted with a delighted smile on his lips." Sesshoumaru eyes narrowed and within a fraction of a second, held Inuyasha by his throat, threatening to cut off his airway. The hanyou struggled fruitlessly in his elder brother's iron grip.

"You will die, half-breed, if you spread your tall-tale rumors. I, Sesshoumaru, love no one." With a flick of his wrist, he tossed Inuyasha out of the room, sending him sailing down the stairs, pummeling into the ground head first (courtesy of gravity). Sesshoumaru watched with a bemused expression as Inuyasha turned up his nose and stalked away…an idiotic, blissful smile on his lips.

Sesshoumaru growled - Inuyasha was going to pay dearly for even daring to ruin his reputation by tainting it with rumors of his lust for a human. Thinking back to what Inuyasha had just said, his lips curled up into a disgusted snarl. First, he doubted his father, as weak as he is, to say those utterly human words. Second, he, Sesshoumaru, would never be reduced to mating with a human and producing a half-bred heir.

Inuyasha was going to have to leave this castle…not him. This castle belonged to him as is the right to be the next lord and ruler of the western lands. If anyone was going to have to move out, it was Inuyasha. Their father can protect the half-breed now, but he couldn't protect him forever… As Inuyasha had so kindly said, the 'old man' is getting on in his years.

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"Are we near a human village?" Kagome tentatively asked. If Youko was surprised, he hid it well. At the kitsune's impassive look, Kagome softly continued. "Every time we're near a human village, your nose twitches…" she admitted.

This time, Youko's eyes did widen slightly. He hadn't expected her to be observing him, much less pick up his instinctive habits. He prided himself in being untouchable (well, sort of) and unreadable. Hiding his surprise, he turned his attention back to the road before him, his pace slowing to a much more comfortable pace (for Kagome). "Yes, we're about three miles away from the next human village. It's getting dark. We'll stay there for the night."

"But it's a human village." Kagome whispered.

"And obviously, you're human."

Kagome nodded her head, though she doubted the kitsune saw her nodding (unless he had eyes in the back of his head). She wanted to ask Youko how he was going to enter the village without stirring up everybody with his presence. Even though she hadn't been out of her own village until recently, she had learned quite quickly that all villages were the same. They did not take kindly to youkai or hanyou. Just like youkai villages didn't take well to her - a human. She shuddered as she was reminded of the two youkai woman at the village…

When Kagome finally resolved to ask Youko the question that had been plaguing her mind, the kitsune, as if reading her mind, answered it by showing her how he was going to into the village without instilling fear in the humans. With each step he took, his silver tresses turned darker and darker until it was pitch black. Without warning, his tail and hanyou-like ears disappeared.

"Come here," he ordered. Kagome stepped up beside the kitsune, who had stopped walking. When she locked gazes with him, she was surprised to see light brown eyes instead of the usual molten gold. Immediately, she knew she preferred his original color - it suited him better.

A few seconds passed as Kagome watched the silver kitsune shrink to a smaller, human-like size. Before long, there were no traces of him having ever been youkai in the first place. Enraptured by the change in his appearance, she missed the small smirk that flashed across the former kitsune's lips. This was the first time she had ever witnessed his transformation from youkai to ningen.

"It's only a disguise." Youko stated almost amusedly when his charge kept on staring at him in unhidden awe, looking as if she wanted to poke him in the ribs to make sure he was real. "Give me your hand." This startled Kagome out of her shocked state. Confused, she did as she was bid and stretched out her arms.

A crimson blush crossed her face when Youko clasped his larger hand over hers in a protective grip. "Youko-sama," she began, looking at their clasped hand.

"Before, it was inappropriate for us to walk too closely together because I was youkai and you, a ningen. Temporarily, for now, I am a ningen as well. If we walked like the way we did before, then it would have looked strange. I can assure you that most would assume me to be a slave trader."

"Oh."

Kagome gasped when she suddenly found herself flush against the kitsune's body. "Tonight, you are my…what do you humans call it…wife, I think?" Kagome nodded; her face a bright shade of red. "It will be the best explanation for a man and a woman traveling together."

"Why do we have to stay in the village?" Kagome asked. She silently berated herself for asking that question. It wasn't that she didn't like the idea of staying near the kitsune, it was just that ever since he said she could ask him any questions she wanted; she hadn't been able to control her mouth very well.

"Going through the village is the only way into the northern land. The northern lord has a strange sense of humor; all visiting youkai must pass through the human village. A strong, but not impenetrable barrier separates his lands from the rest. It is seen as an offense if I break through his barriers and a declaration of war if I attack his people." the kitsune sneered. "The last time I crossed as a youkai, it caused me unneeded problems and wasted time."

"I understand now!" Kagome chirped, smiling brightly. As they began walking again, hand in hand, she suddenly realized something. Youko was paying more attention to her and telling her things that he had deemed unnecessary when he had first saved her many months ago.

As they came closer to the village, they found old couples going on a moonlight stroll. Kagome was confused, weren't these people afraid of being attacked by youkai? "Youko-sama," began Kagome.

"Call me Kurama." he interrupted.

"Kurama," she whispered; the name felt foreign on her lips. "Um, why aren't they," she pointed to the old couple, "afraid of attacking youkai?"

"This place is protected by youkai slayers."

"Youkai slayers…like Sango. Isn't the four lands ruled by youkai? Why then, do they allow youkai slayers to exist?"

"They don't, but it doesn't harm them if they do exist. Youkai slayers are weak at best. Humans usually don't like to accept the fact that youkai rule their lands; therefore, they just keep telling themselves that they don't. Soon, even they began to believe themselves. But the truth of it is, whether they believe or not, it does not matter. We, youkai and hanyou, rule these lands."

"Hanyou…?"

"The northern and eastern lord." he spat the latter as if it was a foul-tasting medicine.

Walking past the old couple, they both caught what the two elder humans were whispering between themselves. Kagome blushed as she caught the words, "A cute, young couple." She wanted to look at the kitsune and try to asses his reaction, but couldn't find the courage to do so. She had never expected anyone to comment her in a nice way, much less about being a couple with someone (and definitely not being a couple with Youko).

"Why are you looking for the northern lord?" she suddenly asked, trying to divert her attention away from the comment made by the old couple.

"That is something you do not need to know."

"Oh okay. Um, what's your favorite color?"

"That is not important."

"What's your favorite food?"

"Once again, I don't see the need to answer that question."

"Do you ever sleep?"

"…"

"How long can you hold your disguise as a human?"

The kitsune held in a sigh (which probably would have been very uncharacteristic for him if he had given into his temptation). He was beginning to regret giving his charge permission to ask him any questions she wanted. That is, if he hadn't regretted it already. It hadn't even been a whole day and he was already answering questions he usually would have ignored. Four days…between the span of four days, he had given a human the liberty of talking to him as she wished. Something not even Yomi was given the permission to do.

Oh, how was he going to explain this disaster to Kuronue? Knowing his friend, he'll probably laugh his head off. If anyone else heard it…well, he didn't know what they'll say. He, Youko Kurama, feared youkai…and Kagome, a pitiful human…He didn't even want to think about the possibilities of the rumors that could spread from this. That is why nothing that transpired tonight will ever be spoken of again.

Too bad time cannot reverse itself…nor can his mistake be erased. By giving his charge his permission, he had given her courage. Before, she did not dare to question or even speak to him. Now…he wasn't so sure. He didn't know what possessed him to say what he did earlier today and it was too late to take back his words. He silently promised himself that nothing like this would ever happen again - he will learn to have better reign over his impulses and emotions - they were weaknesses.

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TBC~

:) How was that? I hope it wasn't too rushed...it wasn't meant to be. Youko's getting a little mixed feeling.