Hindsight

A/N: Oh, my hearties. Oh, my dear, sweet hearties. I love you all from the buddum of my wittle heart. I'm sooooo on the final list for voting. I'm a competitor, baybee!!! To Snowfall, Jennifer J and Mako, I love you best.
And to everyone who may vote for this little ficcy come November 12th, I shall love you also.
And if you don't vote for me, I will send Polly after you!!! Keep the crackers handy!
Anyways, I am ecstatic, in case it wasn't obvious enough...

ON WITH THE SHOW!!!

Disclaimer: Oh, there's a snazzy new automatic disclaimer in GREEN at the top. And because I'm lazy, I'll let it suffice. But I'd like to think that my carefully-thought out disclaimers a-muuuse you, so...here goes...
I'll own Inuyasha when the West Indies stop choking at every major cricket final.
Like...two days after NEVER!!!


Day Three, Act One; Kagome
Chapter Fifteen; Maternal Lovermen

*****************************

Kagome dropped down into the well, heaving a relieved sigh as the soft, warm lights cushioned her fall and sped her several centuries to her home.
After the completely spectacular kiss with Sesshomaru, she had been mired deep in contemplation for two whole days. Noting her complete uselessness in battle, and the constant need to sweep her out of the way of danger in their myriad encounters with rookie youkai itching to make a name for themselves by attacking the ‘Shikon Miko and her fearsome allies’, Inuyasha had magnanimously ‘allowed’ her to retreat to her mother, to, and she quoted,

“Fix whatever womanly thing has you so stupid lately.”

After the obvious ‘sit’ that was coming his way, Kagome had fled gratefully, leaving the object of her confusion behind, and diving into the creaky, musty well.
She truly needed a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, a pound of fine dark chocolate, her beat up blanket and her comfortable beanbag chair.

And, most desperately, she wanted her mommy.

As she landed gently on her side of the well, and clambered up the sturdy wooden ladder, she rushed for the doors and threw them open, inhaling the slightly smoggy air that personified her present-day home.
She sprinted up the stairs and made for the kitchen, where she could smell her mother cooking something mouth-watering and wonderful.

“Mama! I’m back!” she called, rounding the corner to enter the kitchen, snagging a handful of sweets from a dish on a side table.
The scene there had her stopping dead in her tracks, the sweets tumbling to the floor in a shimmering rainbow of hues as her face leached of all colour and her eyes widened in shock.

Her mother…her mother…HER MOTHER was wrapped in a torrid embrace in front of the stove, kissing the hell out of some man while her miso bubbled over behind her.
As she and her loverman broke away, and her mother…her MOTHER stared at her with panicked, widened eyes, Kagome clapped a hand to her mouth and sank to the floor, ignoring the uncomfortable prodding of several crushed candies.

Godsdammit.

Could she not find out that her mother…her mother was the second half of a steamy relationship some other day?

“Oh, Kagome, darling, I’m so sorry that you had to find out this way.” Her mother…HER MOTHER said regretfully.

“I…you…and with the…but…eh?” as Kagome babbled, she stared up at her advancing mother, her kind blue eyes filled with concern as she wiped her hands on her frilly apron.

“Oh, dear. Um, Kagome…there’s someone I would truly like you to meet.” Her mother said softly, curling her hands around Kagome’s arms and lifting her gently, ignoring the fixed, wide-eyed regard of her paralyzed daughter.
Walking where her mother led her, Kagome eyed the man leaning sheepishly against the counters.

It penetrated her numb brain that her mother had excellent taste, because her beau was hot. Long, wavy black hair, merry brown eyes, and a fit body clad in loose slacks and a crisp white shirt, his red tie askew.
As though…as though someone had yanked at it in an effort to get him NAKED!
Her brain once more descended into a dark box where images of her mother getting down and dirty could not enter, and she breathed easier.

“Dear…this is Rafael Torres. He works at my office…he’s actually a transfer from Spain. And…we’ve been seeing each other for six months now.” As her mother trailed off breathlessly, Kagome once more eyed the gorgeous man looking at her hopefully.
She turned to her mother, who was anxiously twisting her fingers together, sending wordless pleas through her wide blue eyes.
Kagome heaved a deep breath and fought through the knot of emotions to grasp gratefully, desperately onto her unconditional love of her mother.
Exhaling, she proffered her hand and smiled slightly at the slowly grinning Mr. Torres.
“Nice to meet you.”
When he shook her hand, grinning widely at her relieved mother, Kagome turned and smiled at her.
“You have a lot to tell me, and I have a lot to tell you. But first…what are we eating?”

************
After the extremely awkward dinner, where Kagome learnt about her mother’s boyfriend and inhaled some very excellent miso soup, she ran down to the supermarket to stock up on basketfuls of ice-cream, chocolate, and the requisite ramen, pocky and art supplies for Shippo. Somewhere between the ramen and a raid on the chocolate aisle, Kagome decided that she was alright with her mother dating.
Her father had been dead for an entire decade, and though he had been a wonderful father and husband, and Kagome missed him greatly, she could not expect her mother to die with him.
And if her sexy Spanish boyfriend made her happy, Kagome wished her well.
She just sincerely hoped that she would never ever walk in on them in full make-out mode ever again.
One thing walking in on her mother had accomplished completely was the driving out of Kagome’s twisted feelings after her own steamy make-out session with the tall, sexy and utterly infuriating Sesshomaru.

But now, as she winced at the price on the cash register and fumbled for the wad of money her mother had handed her, she flashed back onto the mass of confused feelings and unfamiliar emotions Sesshomaru’s presence, and that knee-melting, mind-blowing example of kiss, had churned within her, and her fine brows drew down into a frown.
Lugging the bags home, Kagome glowered at the serene crescent moon winking down on her, remembering the fascinating blue crest on Sesshomaru’s forehead descending on her an instant before he stole her very stinking sanity.
Stomping up the stairs and into the kitchen, she dumped the bags onto the counters and glared murderously at the picture tacked up on the kitchen notice board.
Inuyasha stared balefully back at her out of the corner of his eyes, arms folded and face fixed in an ‘again-with-this-shit’ scowl. Sango and Miroku were both smiling nervously, Miroku mumbling something about soul-stealing contraptions and smiling beatifically every time Kagome heard him. Shippo, sucking furiously on a lollipop, smiled contentedly at her, ignoring Inuyasha’s muttered complaints.
Stupid Inuyasha. It was entirely his fault.
If he hadn’t opened his big fat stupid mouth, getting her infuriated and causing her to storm away, then she wouldn’t have seen Sesshomaru, saved him, incurred his stupid loyalty and debt of honour, putting them in close proximity for so long and then his running in looking for her and then that CHARGED moment, and then the kiss that she had surprisingly readily wanted, then she would not be well on her way to packing her stomach full of the most calorific, most fattening, most delicious food in creation.

She stormed to a drawer, yanked it open and grabbed two spoons, slamming the drawer closed with an ill-natured shove. As she dropped herself into a chair and pulled the pint of ice-cream towards her, ripping the cover off and stabbing a spoon in, she shoveled the first freezing spoonful into her mouth and sighed in appreciation, the cold treat immediately making her feel better.
As she spooned the ice cream her hips would later regret in with unabashed gusto, she heard her mother coming up behind her.

“Said goodbye to your boyfriend?” Kagome asked around a mouthful of melting ice cream.
Her mother sat next to her, sighing heavily, picking up the second spoon and reached for Kagome’s ice cream, which she grudgingly placed between them.

“Don’t be like that, dear.” Her mother said quietly.

“Geez, Mom, I’m not being anyway but supporting. Had I wanted to be a spoiled brat, I would’ve screamed at you in front of him and refused to speak to you ever again. And I wouldn’t be sharing my Chunky Monkey with you.” Kagome pointed out, scooping up a chunk of chocolate.

“Yes, I told him goodbye. He says to tell you goodnight. He really is a nice man, dear.”

“You don’t have to tell me that. I knew that the first time I saw him. He has a nice, colourful, bright aura. You gonna marry him?”
As her mother choked on her ice cream, Kagome thumped her mother on the back absently, concentrated as she was on working a bit of walnut out of the ice cream.

“Wh-what? You wouldn’t mind?” her mother asked incredulously.

“No, mother. And as I am going to be your maid-of-honour, I insist on a pretty dress. No burgundy-mustard taffeta bridesmaid dress for me.”
As they both shuddered in revulsion at that particular memory, Kagome’s mother smiled hesitantly at her daughter.

“I don’t know. I…wouldn’t mind if he asked.”

“Has he met Souta and Grampa yet?”

“No. Souta is off at Chiro’s, and Grampa…well, not even your father was good enough for Grampa’s approval.”

“Okay. Mom, I need your help.”

As her mother immediately straightened up, Kagome stared sightlessly at the half-full tub of ice-cream, her spoon dangling between limp fingers.

“What is it?”

“You know how I’ve always had…well…a crush on Inuyasha, right?” at her mother’s nod of affirmation, Kagome tried hard to straighten her thoughts.

And failed miserably.

“Well, y’see, a few days ago, I helped his older brother out. I kind of healed him. And then there’s this inuyoukai code of honour thing and he owes me a debt of honour. And we decided that he would help me defeat Naraku, and now he’s traveling with us.”
Kagome lapsed into silence, distracted by the memory of Sesshomaru’s descending lips.

“And?” her mother prodded, elbowing Kagome gently in the ribs.

“Well, so two days ago I wandered off into the forest and after the snakes he came up to me and then I saw him in your apron and he saw me trying not to laugh and then we were two inches away and he was so close to me and I wanted it so badly and it was so surprising…and then he did! And then said nothing after!” She spat out the last three words, the very memory an exceedingly bad taste in her mouth.

“He said nothing?” her mother asked, confused.

“I know! I mean, I know he has this thing against humans, maybe because we’re weaker than he is, or is it because of Inuyasha’s mom…I don’t know. Maybe that’s why! Maybe he’s ashamed or something! But it didn’t seem to bother him before, the whole being indebted to a human! And he travels with Rin, so he can’t hate us all. Maybe it’s just me.” As she thought out loud, she turned to look at her mother.

“Is it?”

“Um…no?”

“Really? Well, then, why in the seven hells did he say nothing?” she asked loudly, glaring at the gooey tub malevolently.

“About what?” her mother asked loudly.
Kagome turned, surprised, to see her mother holding her spoon like a dagger, eyes wild.

“Oh. We…kissed. And he walks away, leaving me there. Without a stinking word. For two days, he acts annoyingly cool and calm, like nothing bloody happened! What the hell is up with that?”

“Inuyasha’s older brother, the one who regularly attacks him, once even poked a hole in his stomach, the one Inuyasha relieved of an arm? He kissed you, and then walks away without a word, and you’re disappointed?” Her mother asked carefully.

“Yes! Stupid, stupid Sesshomaru.”

Her mother took in a deep breath.

“Does Inuyasha know about this?”

Kagome snorted.

“Of course not.”

“And do you still have a thing for Inuyasha?”

“Um…well…I don’t know anymore.”

“And do you now have a thing for Sesshomaru?”

“Um…I don’t know yet.”

Kagome felt herself sinking into deep, dark misery, and dropped her head onto her folded arms on the table, letting loose with a wail of confusion and headache.
She felt her mother wrap her arms around her, rubbing her back soothingly, murmuring comfort words.

“Boys suck!” Kagome sniffled, turning and burying her face in her mother’s neck.

“I know, baby. Want me to come and yell at them for you?”

“I’m so confused, Mama.” She mumbled against her mother’s neck.

“I know, dear. It’s all their faults. You…you’re perfect.”

Kagome smiled, feeling much better than she had in days.

****************

Kagome slung her overstuffed bag over her shoulder, grunting slightly as she wobbled precariously under the newly added weight.

As she dangled her legs over the edge of the well, she took a deep breath, as she always did, and pushed off, wiggling her feet crazily as she flew back into the past.

Blinking at the sudden light streaming down into the now-open well, she grasped the rope ladder firmly and clambered up, puffing under the strain of the very heavy bag, cursing under her breath at the weight of the extra pounds of ramen Inuyasha had demanded.

Curling her fingers around the rim and hauling herself out, she sat, breathing heavily, on the rim of the well, eyeing the bright sunlit forest balefully.

She could sense either Inuyasha or Sesshomaru close by.

“Great. Just freaking great.”

She stood, dusting off her pants and heading towards the village, ignoring the presence of whichever stupid brother currently was a few yards into the forest.

A silvery blur shooting past the corner of her eye had her turning, concerned.
What she saw had her sighing in resignation, before she followed the blur, muttering uncomplimentary things about idiotic inuyoukai and their stupid selves.
She peered around a particularly thick tree to eye a scene she had seen before, an interlude she had long suspected continued to this day, and a pairing she could have definitely done without seeing today.

Was it not enough that Sesshomaru had played with her head and kept her in a state of utter confusion for two full days?

Was it not enough that she had walked in on her mother and what was quite probably her future stepfather canoodling in her kitchen?

Was it not enough that her chosen medicine for both scenarios had been a whopping three pints of ice cream and a half-pound of chocolate that had made her sick all night and would go straight to her hips?

No.

Of course not.

She just had to pop out of the well to see Inuyasha sitting amiably with Kikyo, chatting away and forking over a shard of the Shikon, eyeing the soul-stealer that Kagome had followed with distaste, then pressing a gentle kiss onto Kikyo’s clay mouth with a practiced ease that shouted he had done it often before.
Because this was just her frigging day, wasn’t it?


***********************

A/N: I lovelovelovelovelove you all. Yes, I am a praise whore. I lovelovelove it. Please, don't hate me.
Oh, and I know. How cliched, having Inuyasha being stupid, going after Kikyo. But I couldn't help myself...
Forgive me, my adoring public...
Next up...SESSHOMARUUUUU!!!