Adult-FanFiction.org : Inuyasha / Yashahime

Sloppy Seconds	By : CutiePieHentai Category: InuYasha > General Views: 23931 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, nor make money from this story.

Chapter List
- 27
- 28
- 29
A/N: In the third movie, �The Sword of Conquest,� the opening has Miroku, Sango, and Myoga paying their respects at Izayoi, Inuyasha�s mother�s, grave. A part of this chapter is taken directly from that scene. I mention this because I have read where some authors describe her tomb or her final resting place, but I wanted to stress that much of what I use for my fiction is drawing directly on previously developed plot points from the original creator. Just so you know, I�ve done my research. Basically, I don�t like to write anything that goes against what has already been laid in concrete by the anime, manga, and movies. If it don�t fit, I don�t write it, I justify it, or I work around it. If there is anything that I have used that contradicts the original, please let me know, as I try to keep it as true and in tune as possible. One of the reasons I don�t give Kagome�s mom a name. And, if any of you are interested, I am considering adding an addendum after the epilogue (still many chapters away, I might add), that will connect different episodes to various points in the story. Let me know your opinions on the matter, so I know whether it�s a worthwhile project at the completion of the story. On another topic, I had one response to my request to any of you who may have noticed a pattern in the story. A hint- it�s not too hard, don�t put too much thought into it, really. Check the title, the chapter titles and scan the individual chappies. My offer still stands, but that�s enough of my babbling about it. Enjoy and thanks to you all for the reviews! They soooo make working on this worth it to me. The response to the last chapters really encouraged me to crank this one out. Quite a bit of foreshadowing and subtle nuance in this one, a dash of humor, and a smidge of fluff, I am proud to say.

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Inuyasha cracked one honey hued eye and twitched an ear towards the door when the sound of it snicking open awakened him the next morning. Kagome�s mom leaned her head in quietly and smiled at the pair, not noticing that she had roused the hanyou who lay draped protectively behind her daughter, one arm around her waist. Kagome had turned during the night, snuggling further into Inuyasha�s warm embrace, her head all but hidden against his chest. He noticed a light in Mrs. Higurashi�s eyes that so reminded him of the smile of his gentle miko and popped his head up in greeting.

�Good morning, Inuyasha.� Kagome�s mother whispered.

He inclined his head in response, not wanting to wake the slumbering girl. Gently, he untangled himself from her limbs and slid off the bed, following the elder woman downstairs.

When they reached the kitchen, Mrs. Higurashi began pulling items out of the refrigerator in preparation of breakfast, talking to him as she handed him a carton of eggs and other items to place on the counter, �I take it last night went well?�

�She liked it, I guess.�

She nodded, �That�s good. That was a very nice thing you did for her, you know. I�m sure it meant a lot to her.� She moved to the counter and he sat at the table to watch her morning routine.

�Keh.�

She cracked a few eggs into a bowl and set a kettle of water on the stove to boil, �So, do you have any plans for today?�

Inuyasha shrugged, �Dunno. Kagome mentioned that she wanted to do some things. Shopping if I know her.�

�Hmmm. I think she mentioned wanting to take you somewhere.�

Inuyasha raised a brow, �Well, I told her we could do whatever she wanted today. Thanks, � Kagome�s mother poured some of the boiling water into two cups of ramen and set them before the hanyou, then returned to stir the contents of the bowl. They remained in silence, Inuyasha slurping his noodles and the other flitting about the kitchen.

Inuyasha moved to place his empty cups in the trash bin and started to walk to the front door, �I�m going outside��

�Oh, before you do, would you mind helping me with something?�

Inuyasha nodded and followed her out the side door to a shed behind the house. Wiping her hands on her apron, she unlocked the shed and flicked the light switch near the door. She pointed to an old cedar chest, �Can you bring this to the well house?�

Inuyasha sneezed as he entered the poorly lit and dusty room, picked up the chest easily and stepped back outside. Kagome�s mother relocked the door and walked ahead of him to slide open the well house screen, motioning for him to place the chest at the bottom of the steps.

�What�s this for?� He asked, stepping back from the container.

She waved a hand to draw him closer, undid the hasp, and lifted the lid, �This is Kagome�s trousseau.�

�Two-sew?�

�After I married, I stored my wedding kimono and headdress in here for the daughter I would have one day. And since the day she was born, I have been adding things that I thought she might need when she became a wife herself. It�s a tradition in our family. A hope chest.� She moved a bundle of fabric away from the top and withdrew a small box, opening it and fingering the contents, �I thought that when she met the right young man, I would like for them to exchange the rings that her father and I wore when we were married. Is there a safe place where all of this can be stored on your side of the well, until Kagome is ready for it?�

Inuyasha nodded, thinking of the orchid cave, �Yeah, I know somewhere I can hide it.�

Kagome�s mother stood and handed the small box to Inuyasha, �I�ll leave this to you, then. You�ll see that these find their way to the young man that holds my daughter�s heart and you�ll make sure he takes good care of my little girl, won�t you?�

Inuyasha nodded dumbly.

Smoothing her apron she walked to the door, �Alright then, I have to go finish breakfast. I�ll tell Kagome you�ll be back soon if she wakes before you are back, okay?�

�Why?�

Kagome�s mother stopped. As understanding of the young man as her daughter, she answered with a sweet smile, �Inuyasha, Kagome�s life isn�t here any more, you know that as well I do, ne?�

He looked intently at the box in his hands but didn�t answer.

�She�ll always be my little girl. But one day, maybe when you have children of your own, you�ll understand. There comes a time to let go. I want her to be happy. And I trust that you will see that she is.� She continued out, closing the door behind herself, and leaving Inuyasha to his thoughts. How could she..? Did she just�? He smiled to himself, a rare smile that softened his eyes, as he chanced a peek at the small bands of gold and jewels, before closing the box, tucking it into his hoari for safe keeping, and jumping down the well with his cargo.

Kagome simply couldn�t help the bounce in her step or the hum on her tongue as she skipped downstairs. She was in simply too good a mood.

Granted, she�d been slightly disappointed to wake up alone, but with how well she knew Inuyasha, it wasn�t unexpected. Actually, she would have been surprised to find him still there, especially considering that she slept in until almost eleven and the hanyou was usually up at the crack of down, something about super human metabolisms and demon stamina. �Demon stamina�� she giggled to herself as she peeked in the oven, finding the breakfast her mother had kept warm for her, the usual routine when Kagome slept in late.

She sat at the table and pushed the tofu in her miso soup around her bowl. �What to do today?� An idea struck her and quickly downed her meal and called out to her mom, �Mama, do you know where the phone book is?�

A voice from the laundry room directed her, �In the junk drawer next to phone, dear.�

Kagome located the book and scanned to the section she was looking for, dialing a number as her mom joined her in the kitchen, �Did you find it?�

Kagome nodded as the line rang and a man answered, �Tokyo Motor Sports, this is Ted. How may I help you?�

�Ohayo, Ted. This is Higarashi Kagome. I need��

Inuyasha arrived back at the shrine at just the right to moment to flatten his ears to his head and pull Tetsuseiga at the loud, smelly beast that had a kidnapped Kagome on it�s back, near the bottom of the shrine steps. Inuyasha took inventory of the demon, looking for vulnerability. A single, bright, eye stared blankly as the beast growled, and its shiny body meant that it was likely covered with a hard, protective armor. The greatest weakness Inuyasha could discern, was that it appeared to have an exposed underbelly and looked as if it could be easily unbalanced, standing on only two stubby legs. The beast roared loudly again as Inuyasha took aim and prepared to jump to Kagome�s rescue.

Before he could land a blow and play the hero, the beast became silent, its single eye dulled, and Kagome jumped off the back.

�Kagome! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did you purify it?�

Kagome looked at Inuyasha perplexed. She followed his line of sight and cracked a smile. Then, she giggled. Next, she chuckled. Finally, even that was not enough, and she wrapped her arms around herself as her sides shook and tears rolled down her cheeks, �Inuyasha, that�s not a demon. That�s my surprise!� She wiped her eyes and tugged at the half-demon�s sleeve, urging him to follow her. She led him over to the �demon� and flipped a switch. Inuyasha�s ears twitched as the thing made a high-pitched noise, �Inuyasha, this is a motorcycle. It�s like the cars and buses we�ve driven around in, but it�s smaller, for only one or two people, and it isn�t closed in.�

�And it noisier,� he said, still wary of the machine, his ears almost hidden as they flattened again in remembrance.

�Let me show you how it works,� She pointed to the switch she had flipped, �This turns on the gas pump, giving the engine,� She pointed to the exposed undercarriage, �Food, or gas, to work.� She hopped into the seat and straddled the bike, pulling in the clutch. �You hold this handle and push this lever with your foot,� She demonstrated, �that�s neutral, or not moving, then you twist the throttle to give it more gas,� The �beast� purred, �Then, when you�re ready, you move the lever with your foot to shift. You hold the clutch and move into different gears as you speed up.�

�Oookkaaayyy. So why do you have this thing?�

Kagome explained, �When people in my era are old enough, they practice driving a car and take a test to prove that they can do it safely and that they understand the laws. Then, the government gives them a permit that says they are allowed to drive a car. When I was old enough, I got a motorcycle license.� Kagome blushed, �I, um, like when you carry me in your era, and this feels kinda like that. I took it up when a friend of mine offered me a ride once and� it reminded me of you. I know how you hate cars, so since I want to take you somewhere, I thought it would be fun for you to feel like I do when I�m on your back.�

�You expect me to learn how to work that�thing?� He scowled.

�No�I, um, well, it�s made for two people. You�ll sit behind me and I�ll drive. Okay?�

Inuyasha still looked uncertain, but eyeing the small seat, the idea of Kagome pressed so intimately against him made him waver, �Are you sure it�s safe?�

Kagome nodded. �I have lots of practice. Let�s change our clothes and I�ll show you. It�s really fun.�

Twenty minutes, two sits, one bandanna (to cover a pair of ears), and three pairs of shoes (because Inuyasha kept hiding them), later, Kagome was once again situating herself on the motorcycle. Hesitantly, Inuyasha climbed behind Kagome, scooting as far back on the seat as possible, trying to keep from making too much contact.

Kagome reached behind herself and threw a smile over her shoulder as she grabbed his hands and drew them securely around her waist before leaning forward across the gas tank, �Inuyasha, you�re going to have to hold on. There are two types of motorcycles. One is called a chopper, and they are more for long trips. This is a sport bike, also known as,� She blushed, but he didn�t notice, �A crotch rocket. They go much faster, faster even than you. Okay?�

Inuyasha nodded. He tried, feebly, to stifle his own blush and hide his nervousness. His body was sending his brain conflicting messages. He was aroused by the seductive position and Kagome�s closeness, plus the confines of his �jeans� that were all too thin and allowing him to feel her curves all the more. At the same time, his demon side, the part of him that screamed for dominance, was at odds with the submissive symbolism of riding behind her, and it was all he could do to keep from either jumping off of the contraption or jumping on Kagome. He was still trying to make up his mind when she turned the key in the ignition and quickly maneuvered them into traffic.

The thrill of the machine was lost on him as they traveled through the city, the smells of the other vehicles even more overpowering when they were directly in their midst, and traffic made progress slow. Eventually, though, Inuyasha found the traffic thinning and the wind whipping at a faster pace around them. The cloying smell of pollution, industrialization, and too-many-humans-in-too-small-a-space dissipated and they began passing fewer and fewer cars. Inuyasha felt the machinations below him amplify as Kagome�s wrist flicked on the throttle and the bike surged forward, faster than before. Trees and houses began whizzing by and Inuyasha could finally begin to take full breaths of fresh air. As Kagome had said they would, they were traveling faster than even he could. Much faster. It was exhilarating and emancipating. He rarely admitted it, except through annoyed, half-hearted grumblings, but Kagome�s era always made him feel caged and restrained. Like a captive animal forced to pace the confines of an enclosure, only glimpsing freedom through bars, or in his case, through shrine windows and from under baseball caps. When he did dwell on it, he chalked it up to the fact that the people in this time seemed more content to live among concrete than trees, more comfortable talking to each other through phones or com-poo-ters instead of face to face, and more concerned with how much more they could amass instead of enjoying what they already had. That or it was yet another testament to the wanderlust of the demon blood that ran in his veins.

Whatever the case may have been, at that moment, he was enjoying the feeling of the wind caressing his face and felt a surge of pride when he remembered that Kagome had said that this was how she felt when he carried her. And that she did it because it reminded her of him. He�d have to store that thought away to ask her about later.

Kagome kept the bike moving through the countryside, the open fields eventually giving way to rolling hills. Inuyasha unconsciously gripped Kagome�s waist tighter as they leaned into a curve, the roads that rose becoming more and more twisting the higher they went into the mountains. Finally, Kagome slowed and turned the bike onto a dirt rode, crawling to a stop as the road ended near a small cliff. She turned off the bike and motioned for Inuyasha to dismount, then walked to a grassy spot near an old tree. They took in the view that over looked the cities below, even the haze of smoke and pollution not enough to mar the beauty of the sight of the countryside giving way to the sprawl of the city and then the distant ocean beyond.

�How did you know?�

Kagome looked at him, perplexed, �What do you mean?�

He walked to the old, gnarled tree and knelt near it, an unreadable expression on his face, �This is my mother�s tree.�

Kagome shook her head and moved to join him near a small, stone marker at the tree�s base, �I� I didn�t. When I was little, this was one of my favorite places, but I haven�t been here in years. I�d never noticed this before.�

He tenderly drew his claw over the single kanji word that was engraved in the stone face, �I�m glad to know it hasn�t changed.�

Kagome placed a compassionate hand on his shoulder for a moment before giving him a gentle squeeze and moving away to give him a moment to himself. When he finally walked over to her, she patted a place next to her and pulled a box out of her jacket, carefully peeling away the plastic and handing Inuyasha a piece of the contents.

Inuyasha eyed the gold ball, �What�s this?�

The miko unwrapped hers, showing him how to remove the outer foil, while still staring intently ahead at the horizon, �It�s a chocolate covered cherry.�

That piqued his interest. Cherries were a secret favorite of his and he�d developed an affinity for the dark sweet that she�d often brought for Shippo, sometimes sneaking in and stealing a candy bar from her backpack stash when she was out bathing. He opened his and popped the confection in his mouth. Biting down gently, he felt the chocolate shell burst and the juice gush out onto his tongue, the outer layer melting in his mouth, � �S good,� He admitted, reaching for another.

Kagome placed the box between them and leaned back on her elbows, �It�s funny� You and me� Seems like our destinies become more and more intertwined�Like everywhere we turn, there�s one more thing, one more place, that ties us together, somehow��

He nodded but didn�t answer, sensing that she was going to continue.

�This was me and my dad�s secret place,� She gave a wistful smile, �He would bring me here and we would eat chocolate covered cherries, just he and I. I can�t even eat them anymore without thinking of him. When I�d have a bad day, or when I just needed to talk, we�d drive out here. Sometimes, just to spend time together. I always felt comfortable here, like it was home, like nothing could be wrong here. Just this feeling, you know? All I had to do was buy a box of cherries. We had a silent agreement. I�d get them and he�d know. One day, he came home with a box. He didn�t say anything, we just came out here. I knew something was wrong, though, because he never bought them. That was part of our unspoken tradition. He brought me here that day to tell me he was dying� That�s the last time I came here.�

Sensing her underlying melancholy, Inuyasha moved the box and scooted closer, trying to return her earlier consolation and give her comfort in the only way he knew. Slowly, he brought an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. She accepted his offering and rested her head on his shoulder, his hand rubbing her arm reassuringly. They sat like that, silent, as the sun began its descent, a rosy tint cast over the landscape.

As the shadows stretched, she pulled away to hop up and gather their trash.

Inuyasha studied her as she moved. She seemed to have found a gentle peace, a contentment, that he hadn�t noticed in her before and he felt an unfamiliar warmth spread within himself, almost an ache, but a comfortable feeling nonetheless. Funny thing, Fate. Despite the span of centuries, this place was close to both of their hearts. While it was the final resting place of his mother, he understood that it was also a treasure to her. It was something that no one else knew about, something she�d never endowed to anyone else, and he was humbled and gratified that she had entrusted him with this piece of her heart, welcomed him into her memories.

He leaned forward and caught her hand in his, drawing his eyes to her, �Arigato.�

�Hmm?�

He squeezed her hand gently, �For sharing this with me.�

She gazed into the intensity of his eyes and smiled.

Just as she understood him, he understood her.
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Sloppy Seconds