Chapter 9 - winds of change part 2

~*~

"Do we have to do this?"

"Don't you want to?"

"No!"

"Come on, you wanted to a few nights ago."

"That was a few nights ago! I'm tired now! I'm sore! I'm- oh, come on, no!"

"Aww, please? You know you want to. . ."

The sound of sagging bed springs- coming from Inu-Yasha's bedroom- echoed though the apartment.

In the living room, Miroku's face broke into a rather perverted smirk while Sango rolled her eyes.

Grabbing the back of her mate's collar, the brown haired wolf dragged her koi out the door, ignoring his protests.

"Please, Inu-chan?"

"No! I don't want to! Not now!"

"You promised!" Kagome pouted.

"I don't care!"

"Don't lie to me. I know you want to. . ."

"No! I do NOT want to go to your family's house!" Inu-Yasha pouted, his ears flat against his head as he glared at his mate, his arms and legs crossed Indian style on the bed.

"But Inu-Yasha-!" the ebony haired girl whined, poking the amber eyed teen next to her painfully in the shoulder. "I already told them we'd come! Sota's so excited! You wouldn't break his heart, would you?"

"Sure, I would."

"My mom made lots of Ramen, since you told her you liked it so much. You wouldn't break her heart, would you?"

"Sure, I would."

"My grandpa is hoping that you won't come. You won't make his day, will you?"

Inu-Yasha was silent for a moment, his forehead wrinkled in thought.

Kagome grinned.

She already knew she'd won.

"All right, all right, let's go. But let's make it quick!"

*

"Inu-Yasha niichan!" Sota screamed in delight as he threw open the front door, ignoring his sister entirely as he grabbed his idol's hand, dragging him off into the depths of the shrine.

"Great to see you too, Sota," Kagome rolled her eyes, stepping into her old home. Taking off her shoes and slipping on her slippers, she grinned as her mother came bustling in from the kitchen, beaming at her daughter.

"Kagome dear! It's so wonderful to see you!" Mrs. Higarashi gushed, giving her daughter a bear-hug.

"Mama! It's great to see you too!" the girl smiled, nuzzling her mother's neck in an almost canine-like fashion- but neither really noticed. "It feels like it's been so long. . ."

"It has, silly!"

"Yeah, it has. . ." Kag whispered, feeling a painful throb in her heart as she and her mother broke the embrace.

"Dear, between you and me, a little lighter on the perfume next time." The older woman winked as she backed away, chuckling softly and causing a small smile to appear on her daughter's face again. "I'm sure there are better ways to attract men, other then that sweet smelling stuff."

"WHAT OTHER MEN WOULD SHE WANT TO ATTRACT?!" Inu-Yasha bellowed from somewhere unseen.

"YOU'RE THE ONLY MAN FOR ME, INU-CHAN. STOP EVESDROPPING!" Kagome called back, her face slightly pink as her mother blinked curiously.

"My, he has good ears," Mrs. Higarashi commented cheerfully, linking arms with her daughter as they walked into the kitchen, Kag admiring the lovely Christmas decorations her family had put up.

"Yeah, he does," the younger woman smiled. 'And their very fuzzy and cute, too. . .'

*

"So tell me what's been going on!" the older female exclaimed, peeling potatoes with extraordinary grace and speed.

"Not much," Kagome lied, flicking a strand of her hair behind her shoulder.

"You're still a virgin, of course?"

"Mama!"

"Just asking!" Mrs. Higarashi defended herself. "But fine, I'll drop the subject."

"Thank you."

A moment of silence past.

"So you are, right?"

"MAMA!"

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" she smiled apologetically, dumping a few peels into the garbage disposal. "It's just that you're growing up so quickly- and you still look so young!"

Kagome forced a slightly nervous grin. 'I never thought about that. . . I'll still be looking like I do now for years. . . I'll have to tell them someday.'

She glanced momentarily over at her happily chattering mother and sighed.

'But not today.'

*

"So," Mr. Higarashi drawled in what he must have thought was a sly manner, clenching a scroll behind his back "where no one could see it." "Are you going to admit you're a spawn of the devil yet, demon?"

"Hmm?" Inu-Yasha questioned, only half paying attention as he creamed Sota at 'Street Fighter'* in the little boy's bedroom.

"Wow! Good move, Inu-Yasha niichan!"

"Thanks, runt."

"ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!" the elder roared in exasperation.

He was met by an echoing silence, broken only by 'bloops' and grunts from the game.

"Well?!"

"Hm? Did you say something, old man?"

"ARGH!"

*

"Inu-Yasha! Sota! Grandpa!" Kagome called up the steps. "Come help set the table for dinner!"

"Aww! Do we have to, sis?"

"Yep! Especially since you didn't even acknowledge me earlier! Get your butts down here, all of you!"

A chorus of groans rang from Inu-Yasha and Sota as they bounded down the steps, Kag watching the little parade with amusement.

Sota ran ahead of the others, talking to Inu-Yasha a mile a minute. The silver haired teen sauntered slowly after the little boy, continually tearing up the demon wards Mr. Higarashi kept trying to paste on him.

"Damn it, demon! Stop tearing up those scrolls so I can exorcise you!"

"Why the frack should I let you exorcise me?!"

"A-HA! So you admit to being a demon!"

"I admit to not wanting to be 'exorcised'!"

"If you don't exercise, don't you get fat?" Sota pondered- though he was ignored by the two arguing men.

"Admit it, hell-thing! You only want to be with my granddaughter so you can impregnate her with your demonic seed and some day conquer the world!"

An exasperated laugh escaped Inu-Yasha's lips. "I think someone's been watching too many horror movies!"

"I'm *sure* that if you don't exercise you get fat!"

"SHUT UP!" Kagome screamed though the assembly of fighting males, causing all three to jump. "Grandpa, stop being mean to Inu-Yasha! Inu-Yasha, stop taunting Grandpa! Sota, exercise and exorcise are two different things! Now help me set the table!"

"Yes, Kagome. . ." they responded dully, shooting glares at one another as they followed the ebony haired girl into the dinning room.

*

"All right, Sota, you do the plates," Mrs. Higarashi smiled as she handed her son the dishes. "Inu-Yasha, dear, you hand out the glasses," she stated as she pointed them out, "and Kagome, you do the silverware- They're sort of hidden behind the cups. Grandpa will help me with the food."

"Yes," the younger ones chorused, collecting their respective dinner utensils.

'Wait-' Inu suddenly thought, his eyes widening. 'Silverware?!' "Kago-!"

"Ow!" the girl cried in pain, dropping the cutlery on the floor in shock.

"Kagome-chan? What's wrong?" Sota questioned as his sister fell sweating to the floor, next to the fallen forks and knives.

"Kagome, are you okay?" Inu-Yasha whispered, kneeling next to his mate and gingerly taking her hands, examining them.

Good.

Only a small burn.

She'd heal quickly.

"Y-yeah," she replied, her voice shaking. "Only. . ."

"Only-?"

"Kagome? Kagome, dear, are you okay?" her mother gasped as she re-entered the room, sitting next to her daughter as well. "Wait- I told you to take the silver, didn't I? We can't use the silver- Inu-Yasha, you have an allergy to it, don't you?"

"It looks like Kagome has one now, too," Sota stated.

". . . I didn't know you could catch allergies," Mrs. Higarashi blinked.

"You can from demons!" the old man cried, jabbing a finger at Inu.

Everyone ignored him.

"I'm fine," Kagome smiled at her mother, allowing Inu-Yasha to help her to her feet. "Let's eat."

*

After a lovely dinner- which had been consumed with the help of plastic forks and knives- Inu-Yasha and Kagome headed home, walking hand in hand.

"Are you okay?" the silver haired teen asked as they strolled through the night, the light of the moon and Christmas decorations brightening their path.

"Yeah, my hands feel better now," she sighed in response, looking up at the half-moon.

"That's not what I meant," he replied softly.

Kag sighed again, deeper this time.

"I don't know, Inu-chan. . ." she whispered, her eyes slowly filling with tears. "Tonight. . .It- it just struck me how my relationship with my family will never be like it was. . . You know? With aging and silver and. . . and other stuff. . . I mean. . . It'll just never be the same again. . ."

The male gave his mate's hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

"Nothing ever stays the same, koi. But things can change for the better. . . Besides, they're your family. They'll always love you."

Kagome smiled weakly, her eyes sparking with tears as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Yeah. . . you're right."

"And I love you, too," he murmured, planting a soft kiss on her forehead as they made their way downtown.

She blushed and kissed him back, feeling better then she had.

*

A dark figure watched the pair from the shadows of the allies.

He had seen the action in the shrine.

He had heard the couple's conversation.

He knew things were changing.

His plans, for instance.

'Hm. It seems I was mistaken about dear, sweet Kagome-chan,' the male thought darkly as he walked though the shadows. 'Well, once foolish, twice a fool- and I don't plan on making another mistake.'

"Father," Kagura complained as Naraku reached her and Kanna, who were both hiding in the depths of the ally. "Can we go home yet?"

"Shut up, Kagura. Be more like your sister."

As the maroon-eyed girl snarled in anger, the werewolf hunter began to fiddle with his silver studded bracelet, more ideas, tricks, and schemes forming in his mind.

'Inu-Yasha was right. Some change is for the better. And my plans are just becoming more and more fool-proof. . .'

With a soft snicker, the three disappeared into the icy shadows of the ally, a cold wind blowing through the streets.

Ah, the ever shifting winds of change were back again. . .

~*~

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment