Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Bane of Existence/Love of A Lifetime ❯ Chapter Nine ( Chapter 9 )

Shippou was just finishing off the last of his breakfast when he heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs. His ears perked a bit and he listened intently. At first, he had thought Kagome was coming back but the more he tuned his ears to the sound, he realized that although the person was equally light-footed, it was not his mother. Lifting his gaze from his plate to the stairway, he smiled brilliantly when Kurama landed on the floor. Maybe now is a good time to convince him to come with us. Momma needs help and I think Yusuke and Kurama would be perfect.

 

Jumping down from his seat, Shippou raced towards the elder kitsune and jumped into his arms. Kurama caught him easily and chuckled at the kit's antics. While Kagome is busy with Yusuke, maybe I can get Shippou to talk to me. I know I shouldn't question Shippou about Kagome's past too much since it is her story to tell, but maybe I can find out whether or not he thinks Yusuke and I could travel with them. Sitting down in a chair next to where Shippou had been, he turned to the kit and smiled.

 

Grinning like a madman, Shippou started pointing to all the food. “Get some breakfast Kurama! Momma is a really good cook and she made it for all of us. Where are momma and Yusuke?” He plopped down in his seat once more and sipped at the remainder of his juice while the fox loaded his own plate. “Yusuke was having trouble sleeping and Kagome was calming him down.” Kurama replied as he poured his own glass of juice and settled down to eat.

 

The young kit simply nodded, the action looking far too wise and experienced for one so young as his bright eyes grew thoughtful. “She always did the same thing for me. After my parents were killed, I had horrible nightmares and hardly ever slept. Then Kagome and Inuyasha,” he spat the name out as though it was a curse, “found me. She woke up one night when I was having a bad dream and moved me to lay next to her. I've slept with her every night and she made sure the nightmares never came again.” He turned to the redhead and smiled softly.

 

Really, he shouldn't be surprised. It was obvious from the first time he had met the young miko that her heart was full to the brim with compassion and love; and that the very same heart had been tarnished and cracked by the hands of the hanyou she seemed to care so deeply for. Hearing Shippou shift slightly in his chair, Kurama's focus returned to him and he settled his gaze on the kit.

 

“Kurama,” the small kitsune started tentatively, “I know that you don't know us all that well but I have to ask you something.” He turned his turquoise orbs to lock with emerald green and at his nod, took a deep breath and continued. “I can't let momma go back, not with things the way they are. He is so cruel to her and it hurts to see how badly he treats her. I'm still too small to protect her from him and I wanted to know if I could convince you to travel with us.”

 

Now, the fox was shocked, though he didn't let it show. He had been anticipating an argument with the miko already due to their plan of joining up with her but here her kit was, giving them a way out of having to make such a request. The desire to answer in the affirmative immediately was held back as he paused. It wouldn't do to make the both of them look desperate to follow the small female, even if they really were. Now that he had appeared to be thinking over the kit's question, he settled his gaze back to him once more and smiled. “I don't think either of us would mind traveling with you but what about Kagome? Will she be upset by it?”

 

Truly he didn't want that. He and Yusuke both wanted to be near her and even after only a day that want felt as though it was turning into a need. Youko was purring happily in the back of their mind at the prospect of spending more time with their intended and the chance to severely beat a disgraceful hanyou. Youko remembered the hanyou's brother, Lord Sesshoumaru, from his days of thieving with Kuronue and all the Spirit Detectives well knew the power the Great Dog Demon held. Yusuke and Kurama had both been in the presence of the Western Lord once before and his awe inspiring aura was enough to keep even Yusuke's tongue held. Both souls of the avatar were sure that he would be extremely displeased to find that his father's youngest was treating a female in such a way; human or not.

 

Kurama was pulled from his thoughts by the voice of Shippou, talking excitedly. “Are you kidding? Momma puts up with that stupid dog and Kouga all the time! She has a great heart and I'm sure she would love to have some other people around. She always takes care of us and everyone else she meets, if they let her. She even saved Lord Sesshoumaru's ward, Rin once. Momma isn't the kind of person to turn people away.” His voice quieted then, as if speaking the words were a physical pain to him, “She gives so much to everybody, all the time and never gets anything back. She tends our wounds and cooks our food and always has an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. Momma deserves so much better than what she gets. It isn't fair. She even took an arrow in the back for Inuyasha!”

 

The little fox was visibly shaking with his emotions as he struggled with them, trying to stuff the sobs down his throat. He didn't want to be weak anymore; he wanted to be able to protect Kagome by himself, but he knew that wouldn't happen for awhile yet. Although he had grown considerably since the Inu-Tachi had started their travels, he still wasn't a match for the battle-hardened hanyou. “I'm afraid,” he started, his voice a bare whisper, his throat tightened with unreleased sobs, “I'm afraid that she will just keep giving the way she does until she doesn't have anything left. Momma deserves to have some happiness in her life and since she seems to like the two of you, I thought it might help her a little if you came with us. She thinks so little of herself.”

 

Youko was seeing red in the back of Kurama's mind and the human side of the avatar wasn't fairing much better. From the little they knew of Kagome, and what they could glean from her aura and Shippou, she was a most wonderful and amazing young woman. It was hard to miss her purity and power, not to mention beauty, and the fact that she wasn't able to see the good she had done, or the good person she was, was a travesty. One that Kurama was sure to rectify. Placing a calming hand on the silently crying kit, he spoke softly. “Shippou, I understand your need to protect your mother and I can assure you that neither Yusuke nor I will let anything happen to her. She is a very special woman.”

 

Sniffling a bit as his tears subsided; Shippou looked up at the elder fox he already felt such a connection to. Will he be my father? Will Yusuke? Will momma even have a chance with Inuyasha in the way? Although the questions were only in his mind, he could see the answers to them sparkling in the emerald eyes of Kurama. In that moment, Shippou knew that, if Yusuke or Kurama had anything to say about it, he would get two fathers and he couldn't be happier. As Shippou and Kurama continued to stare at one another, the redhead's eyes flashed gold and the young kit could feel the energy of the spirit fox more clearly. Shippou smirked. Inuyasha would be smart to keep his mouth shut when we go back.

 

Wiping the last vestiges of salty trails from his cheeks, Shippou gulped down his juice and hopped down to the floor. “Kurama, can we go check on Yusuke and momma? I want to tell her the good news, especially since we are supposed to be going back.”

 

Kurama, having been nibbling on his food during their conversation, was done with his breakfast so he nodded and stood. “You were right Shippou. Kagome is a very good cook. I am sure Yusuke will be happy to eat when he wakes up.” With a soft chuckle, he started towards the stairs pausing only briefly to let Shippou catch up.

 

Once the stairs had been ascended, the foxes stood at the door to Kagome's room and knocked softly before entering. When both were inside, Kurama shut the door with a soft click and made his way to the bedside as Shippou was crawling up towards a gently smiling miko. When he was finally close enough to his beloved mother, he sat quietly against her side; the one Yusuke wasn't occupying, and turned his gaze towards her. She looked pained and sorrowful but it wasn't the look she got when she was actually hurting; it was the look she got when someone she cared about was in pain.

 

The young miko had been sitting with the dark-haired boy for nearly an hour before she heard the soft footsteps of the kitsunes stop at her door. Since she had allowed Yusuke to snuggle into her, he had settled down considerably with only a rogue whimper escaping once in awhile; usually when she shifted her weight. While he had been blissfully unaware, Kagome had taken her time in feeling out his aura and was instantly saddened with what she found. Now that Kurama was here, she intended to get some answers. If he wanted her to help the distraught young man, she needed to have her suspicions confirmed.

 

Removing her hand from Yusuke's arm, she slid her fingers through her son's rust colored hair and smiled lovingly at him. He was the only one that was always there for her; the only one that knew everything. Kami how she loved him. At seeing his smile, she lifted her head and locked gazes with Kurama, noticing his lovely green orbs were ringed with gold. Not wanting to sugar coat anything, she spoke in a soft but firm tone of voice. “He really loved her, didn't he?”

 

This time, the centuries old kitsune couldn't keep the shock from his face. How did she know this had something to do with a female? He himself hadn't even known what was bothering Yusuke and he had known the man for years! Truly, was there anything not wonderful about her? He saw the determined and anguished look in her eyes and he had to swallow past the lump in his throat. “Yes, he did.” He answered simply, still caught in bright blue pools.

 

She nodded then and dropped her gaze, fighting against the tears that were already swimming in her eyes. She didn't want to ask her next question because she was too afraid of the answer. Yet, she knew she had to; she had to know if he had been hurt the way she thought he was. Kagome had been around demons, and half-demons, for years now and was well aware of how cruel the human race could be. Turning her watery, sapphire eyes to his brilliant green, she spoke again. “Tell me she didn't Kurama. Please, tell me she wasn't so cruel.”

 

The fox was torn. Kagome looked absolutely lost and broken, her luminous blue eyes caught in a maelstrom of emotion that steeled them to a washed out grey. Somehow, she knew what had happened to his teammate and she was begging him to deny it; to take it away and he wondered why it seemed such a personal thing to her. Then, as if answering his question, a picture of her sobbing into Yusuke's chest was flashed before his eyes and he knew. It was personal to her. It was personal to all of them. They couldn't be who they truly were and it was eating at their souls. He couldn't bring his voice to fruition so he merely shook his head sadly.

 

The dam broke then and the tears fell in fluid streams down her cheeks. Why were people so oppressive and cold-hearted? Why were good beings turned away for their blood? It didn't make any more sense to her now then it had when she had first started traveling through time. She cried for Yusuke, for Kurama, for anyone who had ever been treated so badly. She cried for herself. “Why can't people just love us for who we are? Why does it have to matter that I am a human or that you and he are demons? Why?”

 

She sobbed openly then, still trying to keep the sound low enough so as not to wake Yusuke, while she ran her fingers through his hair. Shippou cuddled up against her as far as he could and nuzzled his head under her chin. Not one to be left out, and feeling his own despair that he had kept locked away for so long bubble up, Kurama knelt down next to the bed and tilted Kagome's head against his shoulder, running his own nimble fingers through her dark locks.

 

The small group felt a sense of comfort in that moment, even as Kagome felt Yusuke shift and awaken. She was worried for a slight moment that he wouldn't appreciate such a display; after all, Inuyasha refused to even give in to his sorrow, unless it concerned Kikyou. Then, his arms tightened around her waist and she sighed; he wasn't angry with her. She was thankful for that, though she was startled when his voice sounded against her ear. “People are savages; humans as much as demons sometimes. I wasn't what she wanted so she left. I can't change who I am anymore than you, Kurama or Shippou can.”

 

The detective sighed heavily then, pressing his face closer to her sweet smelling skin. Although it hadn't been long since she had come and saved him from the tormenting images of his mind, he felt more rested than he had in ages. The warmth from her body against his made him feel safe and cared for and he found he didn't want it to end. I sure hope the fox has figured out a way for us to go with her.

 

As if in answer to his thoughts, Shippou bounced from his place at Kagome's side to land on her lap while smiling at them both. “Momma! Guess what?! Kurama said that he and Yusuke can come with us! Please, can they?”