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Strawberry Summer	By : QueenoftheDream Category: InuYasha > Het - Male/Female > Kouga/Kagome Views: 3313 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I make any money in writing this fic.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
April 7, 1886
Kagome woke up well past dawn and could smell breakfast cooking downstairs. With a panicked moan, she rushed to tug on her clothes and run her fingers through her hair. She clomped down the stairs while twisting her hair into its customary bun to find that breakfast was leisurely being served. Nobody seemed panicked that half of the morning work hadn’t been done. In fact, Grandpa and Sota seemed positively cheery, and Mother almost had a spring in her step.
Kagome approached the table with caution. “Mama, I am so sorry that I overslept. I don’t know what came over me. I’ll skip breakfast in order to catch up on the work if that would be best.” She took her seat next to Sota, who was talking animatedly with Grandpa about Kitty’s brand new colt.
“That won’t be necessary,” her mother said after scooping some scrambled eggs onto Kagome’s plate. “The cow has already been milked, and Josephine is already churning the butter. The animals are out to pasture, and the new foal seems to be healthy.”
The family dug into their breakfast. Kagome was still suspicious. Was she dreaming? Was she in so much trouble that these were her last few hours of life, and they were making her as comfortable as possible before taking her out back with Papa’s rifle? She had stuffed a thick slice of bacon into her mouth when her mother cut into her increasingly dark line of thought.
“Michael told me what you did last night, sneaking out and such.” Kagome nearly choked. If she was “sneaking” by thundering down the stairs and flying out the door to the stable, then either everyone in the house was deaf or she was dreaming. Her mother’s face was impassive, and Kagome stood up to defend herself against the verbal whipping that was sure to come.
“However, he also told me that you were able to save our newest mare and her foal, even if it was merely by the grace of God.” Her mother’s face cracked into a slim smile, and Kagome stared wide-eyed. Sota, on the other hand, was enthusiastically shoveling his breakfast into his face with a sly grin appearing between gulps.
“Your grandfather and I figure that although you were out after curfew, you did save us much money, labor, and time by saving that horse. Most of your chores have been done by your brother and the hired help, so if you go out to the coop to collect eggs and find the cat, you can have the day off.” Kagome’s cheeks lifted with a smile, and her mother gave a small chuckle in return. “You do have to go into town, though. We’re getting down to the bottom of our stores.”
“Yeah, sure! Oh, thank you, Mama,” Kagome cried as her mother started in on her own plate of food. She nodded in acknowledgement, and Kagome tore into her meal, wolfing it down as fast as she was able. Sota sat next to her, watching his sister transform from a civilized farm girl into a ravenous Amazon she-beast in an instant. She excused herself from the table and ruffled his hair, earning a tetchy grumble from the teenager. Though he was only fourteen, she knew it was he who had convinced Mama to let her have the day off both as compensation for doing his share of the work before, as well as for her efforts in assisting Kitty’s foaling.
She flew out the door and into the chicken coop, collecting the eggs without so much as a gripe or grouse of malcontent. As fortune would have it, the cat was slinking around the edge of the henhouse. She picked up the cat and jogged her over to the stack of firewood, holding the squirming ball of fur out an arm’s length away. She’d told Mama about the rattlesnake the night before at dinner, and it was decided that they’d rather deal with the mice than dead horses or barnyard animals. If the cat took care of the mice, the snakes would have nothing to eat and would be forced to move away in search of food. The cat leapt away from Kagome’s arms and skirted around the side of the house with her hackles raised high in offense. As she walked back to the house, Kagome yelled to Sota to haul out the cart and a horse to pull it.
After running the eggs back into the kitchen, she hurried upstairs to change her clothes. An excursion into town was rare, so she prepared for a day in the big city. She pulled on a corset and tied on the bodice and skirts to her green plaid day dress. The collar was a bit too high on her throat for her tastes, and it itched, but it wasn’t every day she got to wear her nice clothes. The spring air still had a bit of a nip, so she was glad that the cotton fabric was a bit thick. She rearranged her hair into a neater coif and tied on her nicest hat before pulling on her smartest pair of shoes and spats. With a breathless goodbye, she bustled out the door to see the cart and horse just in front of the porch.
With giddy excitement, she climbed onto the seat of the cart and set the horse going down the road. The sun was shining occasionally between wisps of light clouds, and a slight wind rustled the wheat fields along the road. All in all, things were quiet and peaceful on the road to Colorado Springs. Kagome could fully appreciate the joys of living outside of civilization, but cities drew her like a moth to a flame. The excitement, the hustle and bustle, the flurry of activity: it all fascinated her, and since the first time her father had brought her into Denver as a little girl, she had loved being in the city.
Her peace was broken when she heard galloping coming up the road behind her. She turned in her seat and saw Koga coming up the dirt road astride his bay thoroughbred, kicking up dust as the horse bolted toward the slow-moving cart. He tugged on the reins as he came up alongside her and tipped his hat with a sly smile.
“Well, good morning, Miss. Heading into town?”
“What’re you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be working?” Her heart sped up, but she beamed at him. The day was lovely, and she had it all to herself for her own enjoyment.
“I think I deserve a day off, too, you know. I was working on that mare long before you arrived,” he chuckled. “Any work I have left will get done when I get back, I reckon. What I want to know is why a young lady such as yourself is going into town all by her lonesome, Miss Walker.”
“Oh, we’re back to ‘Miss Walker’ now? I do have a first name, and it’s Kagome. You’d best remember that,” she snipped and stuck her nose in the air as the corners of her mouth twitched with a suppressed smile.
“Many apologies, Miss Kagome,” Koga teased, and Kagome giggled. “You didn’t answer my question, though. What possessed you to go into town on your own? There could be dangerous types around.”
“There could be dangerous types anywhere. You could be a dangerous type for all I know of you.” She shrugged and turned her head, cautioning a peek at him out of the corner of her eye. One eyebrow was lifted, and his mouth tilted in an amused smile. She could feel her cheeks flushing, and she cleared her throat.
“Well, to answer your question, I’m the only one at home who is willing to go into town. It’s about time to restock on our groceries. I know what we need, and I know how to spot a bargain.” Koga hummed in understanding, and she added, “Beside that, I really enjoy being in the city. There just seem to be so many opportunities for fun, for greatness, for making a name for yourself.” The fringe of hair on her forehead was tousled with the wind, and she reached up to smooth it back into place.
“Well, that is true. Cities are places where you can win or lose a fortune. You can be robbed blind or be precipitated under the wheels of a runaway carriage. You could get a raw deal in trade or be cornered and assaulted by a drunkard. There is forever good with the bad, Miss.”
Kagome scoffed. “I had no idea you were such a philosopher, Mr. Allen.” He said nothing in reply, and the rest of the journey into the Springs was made in companionable silence. By the time they reached Colorado Springs, the sun was at its zenith, warming Kagome’s back despite the cool breeze in the air.
There were people hustling and bustling about. Fine ladies and dapper gentlemen stepped into carriages destined for the springs at Manitou to partake of the healing waters. Peddlers hawked their wares, and miners bustled past them on their way to the rail station to take them to Denver, where alcohol could be legally bought and sold.
Kagome steered the horse and cart west down Tejon Street toward Helm & Co., where she usually bought groceries. Koga travelled alongside her on his horse, keeping an eye on their surroundings. When she bypassed the building, he turned to her. “I believe it is my duty to bring to your attention that you have passed the grocer, Miss.”
She rolled her eyes playfully as she continued down Tejon, her eyes trained on the mountain that loomed over the city. “Many thanks. I do know where I’m going,” she replied. She slowed the cart as it approached the Colorado Springs Opera House, just a couple blocks from the grocer. She let out a wistful sigh as she eyed the proud brick building.
“Opera? Culture is a marvelous thing, no doubt, but what place does opera have in a place like this?” Koga pondered aloud.
Kagome threw her hands up with a smile. “I’ve always wanted to see a performance here, you see. The drama, the sopranos, the arias! Even though it may not be something I end up enjoying, I would like to see one all the same,” she gushed. Koga puckered his lips and nodded. “Some day,” she trailed off, and she could feel her face settling into a look of discomfort.
She knew that if she married Joseph Hopkins, she would be able to go to the opera and the theater nearly as often as she wished, and her mother would use that as leverage to try and marry the two off. She forced her face into something akin to a tight smile and directed the horse forward to the street corner where she could turn and circle around the block to get back to the grocer.
While Koga took care of their two horses outside, Kagome entered and placed her order for the dried goods at the wooden counter. When the laborer went around to the back to fill her order, she exited the building with a sigh and decided to ask Koga to help the man load the goods more quickly.
As the two men loaded the sacks and crates into the back of the wooden cart, she removed her hat to surreptitiously fix her bangs and the fluffy little ringlets that had fallen down around her ears. With one strong gust of wind, the hat flew from her fingers and tumbled along the ground before coming to a stop at a black pair of shoes. The man stooped down to pick up the dainty accessory, and when he made his face known to Kagome, her heart nearly stopped.
It was of course none other than Joseph Hopkins. She pasted a smile on her face as he strode up to her quickly, eyes alight. “Why, Miss Kagome! I had no idea you were in town. I was just here on some business on behalf of my father, since he’s been feeling ill and all. Are you here by yourself?” His expression quickly turned from delighted to serious as Kagome took the hat from his hands.
She wasn’t even given the opportunity to respond to him before he set in. “I can’t believe a young lady like you was allowed to come all by herself to town! I simply cannot believe your mother let you go unaccompanied.” Kagome nervously fingered the thin brim of her hat as he continued. “Your young brother or even that Michael fellow from your stables could have come along. The city is no place for a young lady to be unescorted. Please, let me accompany you back home, miss.”
She shook her head and eyeballed the ground. “No, that’s very kind of you, er, Joseph, but I’ll have to decline. You see-“
“Wait just a second, Miss Kagome. I could not in good conscience let an innocent young woman like you wander the streets alone, unescorted if you will. I simply could not.”
She hadn’t realized Koga had stepped up beside her until he spoke up, and she nearly jumped. “Well, I beg your pardon, friend, but the young miss isn’t unescorted.” His thin lips were pressed into a straight line, and his stare was hard. Her suitor scoffed, and her palms started to sweat. The last thing she wanted was a confrontation.
“And who’s your little friend? Aren’t many half-breeds left in town. I don’t believe I’ve seen him around,” Hopkins declared, quirking his eyebrow. Kagome felt the color drain from her face at the term ‘half-breed.’ Joseph Hopkins may have been a happy-go-lucky, harmless, charming dunce, but she had never known him to be overtly racist. Perhaps he only meant it as a descriptor for Koga’s obvious Native heritage. Part of her thought not, and it sent a none-too-pleasant shiver down her back. What would he do if he found out that she was a quarter Indian? She saw Koga stiffen.
“I recently was hired on at the Walker ranch. Koga Allen is the name. Actually, I do believe we encountered one another a few days ago.” Joseph nodded slowly, clearly trying to think back to when he could possibly have encountered such a character as a ranch hand. Koga continued. “I was charged with escorting Miss Walker for the afternoon. One never knows what unfriendlies one might encounter.” Hopkins’s face flushed, and he stammered at the obvious implication that his presence was unwarranted and unwanted. A pang of guilt pinched her heart, so Kagome stepped in for some damage control.
“Thank you for the offer, Joseph. Truly, I do appreciate you looking out for me, but as you can see, I have Mr. Allen here with me. Even if that was not the case, I have other stops to make, and I would never wish to see you go out of your way for a silly little girl such as me.” She gave him a small smile, and he scratched the back of his head in obvious embarrassment. Koga stood nearby, checking the straps on his horse’s saddle.
“That being so, I thank you for your concern, and I hope to see you at this Sunday’s services. Do have yourself a good day, Joseph,” Kagome finished with a small curtsy. Hopkins made an effort in at least assisting her in getting up onto the cart, but she politely declined and climbed up and plopped down onto the seat.
Hopkins cleared his throat, and she felt bad for basically humiliating the poor guy. “Well, it seems you’re all set, Miss Kagome. I’ll see you and your family this Sunday, now. Give my regards to your mother.” He tipped his hat at her, looked up at Koga, who had mounted his thoroughbred, with what appeared to be a mix of curiosity and petulant dislike, and walked off with his remaining dignity.
She readjusted her hat and started the cart down Tejon Street once more. In reality, she had lied when she told Hopkins that she had more shops to visit, but his presence and insistence had a terrifically grating effect upon her nerves. She and Koga said nothing until they were outside of the city and heading back toward the ranch.
“Maybe it would have been better if I’d stayed back to work,” Koga casually remarked with a hint of a chuckle, and Kagome looked over at him in surprise.
“Good heavens, no. I admit, the situation became a bit tense for my liking, but you really helped me back there. That boy is honestly just too persistent for his own good. You’re turning out to be a regular lifesaver at that,” she replied jovially, earning a smirk from her “escort.”
“Well, you wouldn’t need saving so often if you didn’t place yourself in hairy situations, Miss Kagome,” he quipped. “One might think that you’re partial to playing the damsel in distress.” He chortled at the supposition, and she felt the color rise up her neck to redden her cheeks as she sputtered in embarrassment.
After they were a reasonable distance out of the city, Koga rode ahead to the ranch to start on his work for the day, while Kagome stayed in the slow-moving cart, enjoying the peace and quiet of the open air. She prayed to every saint she knew that Joseph Hopkins didn’t come along in his carriage and accost her once more. It puzzled her that her mother was so adamant about her marrying that boy. Sure, he was kind to her and was set to inherit a decent amount of money at his father’s passing. He was also childishly innocent and naïve, and the afternoon’s events had demonstrated that he might even be adverse to the idea of associating with, let alone marrying, someone with Indian ancestry. After all, even her first name was a dead giveaway. In the time of Marys and Josephines, Margarets and Anns, she was a Kagome. It practically screamed Indian. She sighed. It was something that she would have to discuss with her mother, and hopefully the stubborn woman would listen to reason.
When she finally arrived back at the ranch, Sota helped her to unload the crates and burlap sacks and haul them into the pantry. Michael was of course still useless due to his broken collarbone, and Koga was somewhere out in the pasture with the horses. It was only a few hours past noon, so Kagome still had free time. She had arrived just in time for the afternoon meal, and the family sat down to a relaxed dinner.
After checking with her mother, she ran up the stairs and peeled off her city clothes, slipping into a white blouse and split riding skirt. She undid her nice coif and braided her hair before recoiling it onto her head in a more functional, plain bun.
After plodding down the creaking wooden stairs and listening to Grandpa gripe about the “impropriety” of her split riding skirt, she slipped on her boots and headed back outside. With a spring in her step, she headed to the barn to milk Peaches for the evening. All went smoothly, and her calf Dorothy even let Kagome pet her fuzzy little head. As usual, she left the pail of milk on the front porch and strode over to her little strawberry patch. The leaves were turned over and searched for bad spots or mites, and the tiny sprouts of weeds were yanked out of the soil and promptly scattered in the chicken pen, earning her a chorus of happy clucking from the hens. Without a second glance at the house, Kagome made her way to the stable.
Rosie nickered at her from his stall and brought his face to hers as she walked up with the saddle. He blew air out his nose, rustling Kagome’s bangs. She giggled as she approached and strapped the saddle and equipment on. She led the dappled grey gelding out of the barn and into the pasture before climbing onto his back.
The horse seemed to intuitively sense her desire to fly, because as soon as she was seated comfortably on the saddle, he bolted much to her glee. The sun was glaring bright, sending the day’s last strong rays out before its descent toward the horizon. She shut her eyes, wrapping her fingers tightly around the reins and letting the horse run where he pleased. The wind ripped through her bangs and tore at her clothes, making her puffy sleeves and the copious fabric of her riding skirt snap and flutter. She couldn’t hear anything except the wind in her ears, and when the horse finally turned away from the bright sun, she opened her eyes. Rosie had slowed to a trot, and he gave a loud snuff as he made his way to the water trough.
Sota was just walking past after checking on the new foal when Kagome asked him to unsaddle her horse and put the tack away.
His face fell into a peeved grimace. “Why can’t you do it?”
“Because it’s my day off,” she replied with a puckish grin as she began unfastening the straps to the saddle. She sent the grumbling Sota down to the tack shed with his arms full of the saddle and saddle blanket, and she patted Rosie’s flank while he drank the glimmering water in the trough.
Clomping footsteps sounded behind her, and Koga rode up on his tall thoroughbred gelding, who tossed his head and pushed his nose into her tangled bangs. “You need a lift, miss?” Koga jested, and Kagome couldn’t help the blush that crept up her neck. “Almost a grown woman, and you still blush enough to redden your face in a pink sunset. Ah, but that was unkind of me,” he amended when he saw her eyebrows draw together. “If you’re looking for speed, this ol’ boy is your ticket. Hermes is by far the fastest horse I’ve ever ridden. C’mon, I’ve given plenty of kids rides before,” he cajoled with a crooked smile as he patted the bay gelding’s neck.
She stammered with a nervous smile while inwardly screaming at his alluding to her as a child. “N-no, I couldn’t possibly!” He chuckled and held his hand out. Kagome chewed on her lip before a smile overtook her face, and she took his calloused hand. He gripped her hard and pulled her up onto the massive horse.
Her heart was racing, and she mentally cursed herself for not thinking properly. The closeness of their bodies was snug to say the least, as her body was flush against his. He placed the reins in her shaking hands, and his hands came up along her sides to hold onto the saddle horn.
He gave a quick kick and barked, “Hermes,” and the horse took off at a dead sprint. Kagome nearly shrieked, but was quickly lost in the speed as the world blurred by. The horse raced across their large pasture: over the sloping, knobby hills, through the grasses and tall weeds, seemingly through the very fabric of the air itself. The wind howled in her ears, and she let out a little cry of delight. It felt as if she were riding a heartbeat- her own giddy, racing heartbeat that leapt and ran away into the wide open. The sun was setting, painting the sky in vibrant golds, oranges, and salmon pink as purple wisps of clouds floated upon the horizon, echoing the warmness in her breast.
A smile stretched across her face as they raced across the acres, and she reveled in the nervous pounding of her heart, the pounding of the horse’s hooves upon the ground, and the feeling of her body being pressed against his. She could feel a whooping laugh reverberate from Koga’s chest into her shoulders, and it got caught in her breast and bubbled up her throat in a giggle.
Her bangs were whipping around her face, and she was sure that her tight bun was loosened at best. She barked out a laugh as Hermes slowed to a trot, and they came up behind the barn. The two were chuckling together until they were interrupted by a shrill screech.
“Kagome!” the voice sounded. It was her mother. Kagome’s eyes widened and she felt her cheeks redden further. She could see the silhouette of her mother up on the porch. Judging by her body posture, Kagome was in for a vicious verbal licking. Koga seemed to see this as well, because he gently took the reins from Kagome’s hands and brought the horse to a stop. He quickly dismounted, and Kagome followed suit. She gave a small “eep” in surprise when Koga grabbed her waist from behind as she dismounted and set her gently upon the grass.
Despite her manic, racing thoughts and her hammering pulse, she couldn’t wipe the grin from her face. The warm sunset tones washed over his face, tinting his skin in rich copper and cinnabar.
“Thank you, Mr. Allen,” she said through the smile, and he nodded his head with a smirk of his own.
“Next time, we’ll ride bareback,” he said, and her eyebrows flew up in an attempt to meet her hairline.
“Bareback?! I’ve never-“
“KAGOME,” her mother’s voice sounded again, more insistent and notably more furious. Kagome winced as she turned back. Her mother was still standing on the porch, and she could see Sota poking his head out the front door.
“I’m so sorry-“ she started, but he cut her off by raising a hand.
“No need to worry ‘bout it. I’ll round up the horses tonight and get ‘em all set up in the stable. After all, it’s your day off, Miss Kagome.” He gave her a crooked smirk, and her face lit up in one last smile before she turned and sprinted toward the house, where she was ushered and swatted inside.
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Strawberry Summer