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Miko no Makimono	By : cakeiton Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Sessh?maru/Kagome > Sessh?maru/Kagome Views: 4431 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own or make money off of anything Inuyasha.

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Hojo's Find

I don’t own anything Inuyasha

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Present Day

A faint, blurred noise broke through her calm, foggy darkness. Following the rude intrusion of her peace was a pain that started to swell at her temples. She felt the vibrations of pounding on wood somewhere off in the distance and that awful noise came through again. “Hig-------i!”

Reluctantly, Kagome raised her head from the pillow. Sunlight burned her eyes as they groggily opened to meet the new day. Groaning, her hand cupped her forehead and bright light glowed through her fingers, releasing the pain of the unknown and constant oppression, but not the throbbing of sake working through her system.

Ah, one more cup then necessary. She really was such a lightweight.

The outside pounding broke through her thoughts and she sat up less gracefully than intended. It was a voice making that noise and when it sounded again she now heard it clear.

“Higurashi-san!”

Oh hell, I forgot all about that.

Sighing, the young miko got out of her bed. Yes, he was trying to help. Yes, he was sweet and she appreciated his friendship greatly. Yes, his family was as old as the feudal era and had many family treasures. But… it was early and he was loud. Reaching for her yukata that hung on the open door, she released just a little more reiki, hoping to stem any pain that might happen during this visit. The cotton was soft against her exposed arms as it slipped on and tied tightly against her waist on her way out of the bedroom.

Early morning sunlight casted a warm glow throughout the house, bringing life back to her old, familiar childhood home. She bounced as lightly as possible down the stairs, but still wooden thumps resonated underneath her feet. The knocking on the kitchen door stopped when Hojo saw Kagome approach from the stairs, smiled at him through the window, and then slid the door open.

He returned the smile, but had a brow risen in amusement. Her unruly as usual bangs were joined by unruly long black blue locks that tucked into her yukata. Her eyes were half open though her smile was wide; as civil as ever.

“Ohaiyo gonzaimasu, Akitoki-san,” she said in sleepy tones, clearing her voice of hours of quiet that left it jagged on its edges.

“Ohaiyo gonzaimasu,” he responded cheerily; the light and caring tone from junior high had stayed with him into adulthood. He entered into the kitchen holding his messenger bag as if it was a precious gift.

Kagome slid the door closed and turned to join him in the room. She motioned for him to sit as she asked, “Have you eaten?”

Nodding, he took a seat at the head of the table where Kagome sat last night, bringing the bag into his lap.

“Here,” she offered as she started rolling scrolls and moving books out of the way. She saw a small food stain on the scroll directly in Hojo’s way. Though it wasn’t anything important or valuable she winced as her grandpa’s voice rang in her head, yelling his frustrations about treasured family heirlooms that only seemed to matter to him. Her heart tugged as she thought about her disregard for his honored items and rolled the scroll quickly. Sorry, Gramps. “I’ll make tea,” she offered, pushing back memories.

After moving everything to the living room to clear a spot for Hojo and herself she started the tea and began rinsing rice. The small routines helped wake her brain up and prepare for whatever Hojo was so excited about over the phone.

“Honey?” she asked as she turned her face to him, her body still squared to the sink. His eyes rounded in surprised and a blush attached itself to his cheeks as he started playing with the hair on the back of his neck. Averting his eyes to the ground, laughing under his breath, he stumbled out, “Um, well…”

Kagome held up the small plastic jar of honey as his eyes came to meet her again. The embarrassment caught in his throat and his blush deepened as he brought his eyes down onto his bag, fiddling with the straps to give his hands a task; easing his tension and keeping his face out of sight from Kagome. Her heart reached out to him. She had never really given him a reason to pursue her since junior high, but his affection seemed to endure. Not wanting to bring it up and embarrass him further, she continued the menial tasks of tea and rice.

As Hojo caught his breath she placed the tea, honey, and natto on the table and took a seat to his right. The rice cooker buzzed lightly in the background as it started up and a silence came between the two. It became obvious that inaction would cause more awkwardness then speaking, and she knew Hojo wouldn’t be the one to say something first.

“So!” she said brightly to shine away the growing awkward tension. His eyes shot back up at her when the word broke his concentration. “What is it you wanted to show me?”

He blinked once as if to restart the whole interaction then smiled so big that his eyes became crescents over his less red cheeks. “Ah, yes,” he said in his returning cheery voice. “Once you told me about your side project on mikos I remembered a story my mother used to tell about their healing powers.”

Oh, Hojo, I don’t need any more remedies from your family store. She still smiled sweetly at him as he spoke, but it was becoming more forced. Looks like a dead end.

Wrapped in the speech he practiced in his head on the way to her house that morning he continued, “She looked into it thinking it would sell well in the shop when she came across a tablet speaking of miko instructions or something amongst our heirlooms.”

That got her attention.

He must have noticed her increased interest because his face and shoulders swelled with confidence. Straightening his back Hojo continued to rummage in his bag. “It took a while, but I finally found what she was talking about all those years ago.” He pulled out a rectangular tablet the size of his hand wrapped in cotton handkerchief. Kagome unconsciously stood up slightly and leaned over the table to look at the hidden object closer while he meticulously uncovered it.

The smooth piece was at least a couple inches thick and rounded on all edges with age. Trailing down the center were deeply etched characters, boldly disturbing the fluidity of the shiny stone. Kagome took a few seconds to stare at the piece and gather her excitement.

“Miko no makimono,” she read aloud. Scroll of the miko.

Kagome’s eyes genuinely brightened as she looked at Hojo, a heart-warming smiling stretching across her smooth skin. Appreciation was obvious as it heightened her already beautiful features and Hojo didn’t realize he was staring until she cocked her head to the side.

“You okay?”

Breaking himself out of wishful thoughts of many more mornings together, he nodded quickly and handed the tablet to Kagome.

The weight of it caught her off guard. Her hand hit the table as she took it completely from him and he immediately said something about taking a look at her hand, but she ignored it as his voice faded behind her thoughts. Reading the etchings on the stone she felt something right, something strong, and something familiar.

And it all together freaked her out.

“Higurashi-san?” She jerked her head his way. “Thought I lost you there for a minute.”

“No… no. I’m still here,” she whispered, though her voice sounded miles away.

“Here,” he suggested gesturing at the tablet, “Turn it over.”

“Eh?” she questioned while removing the thick handkerchief completely. It was then she felt the engravings on the bottom surrounding her fingertips. Quickly she flipped it over and laid it on the table to see small characters cascading down in three equal parts.

“Tanka,” Hojo offered, referring to the type of poetry. He watched Kagome as she looked over the poems as if waiting for questions. When none were asked he had one himself. “Can you read it all?”

Without looking away from the stone she pinched her lips together and nodded. Her right hand was tapping on the wood of the table, mimicking the increasing beat of her heart.

He must have sensed some tension in her, because suddenly her left hand was in both of his. Jerking her head to her left Kagome saw Hojo looking as harmless as ever, but a rarely known seriousness marring his face.

“I know how hard you work on this, even though your health might not allow it. Please, let me help you with whatever you need. Let me be here for you. You haven’t let anyone near since you came back from that gangster boyfriend four years ago. Don’t you think it’s time?”

Time, she mused while processing his words. You don’t know the first thing about Time and me.

Another forced smile sugar coated the rejection as she regained her hand back. “Thank you, that means a lot.” She brought her eyes back to the tablet. “Focusing on this is helping me. If I need anything I will let you know.” Hojo paused, letting the silence of her dismissal fill the air and she quickly lightened the mood, “Besides, Anka is here doing this too. He’s been a big help. I’m sure there is something we all can work on together.”

Shoulders slumping down, Hojo sighed, but a small smile returned to his lips. “Anka is just a kid. How do you know you can trust him? You trust too easily. Sometimes,” he laughed under his words, “I even think you are too nice for your own good.”

With a reassuring smile, Kagome promised, “Well, trust me. I can believe in Anka.”

Hojo shrugged it off and ran a hand through his hair to concede to his old friend. After a minute he started to buckle his bag back up. Kagome secretly shot him a look as she idly ran her fingers over the small etchings.

He wants to be there for me. I’m sorry, Hojo. Even if I wanted to, there’s no way now.

She looked back at the tablet.

Not if this is what I think it is.

He watched her concentrating on the tablet; quiet, determined, and no longer long though seemingly confused. She was still in a way he hadn’t seen her be in years.

“Do you have an idea what it means?”

Kagome took her time in responding and lied as she shook her head no.

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Author’s Note:

I know “Honey” probably isn’t a Japanese sentiment, I just thought it was funny.
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Miko no Makimono