Bloodborne Duties
An ancient curse was placed upon the Inuyoukai family: if the youngest born heir does not produce an heir-apparent before his 205th birthday, the Dogs will surrender to the Panthers. Inuyasha is the youngest heir and it is his duty to avoid the curse.
"Mount Hakurei first or Hijiri Island?" Kagome asked as they put out their campfire and she threw her backpack on. Inuyasha adjusted the sheath of the Tetsusaiga and crossed his arms before looking at his fiancée. He took a moment to drink in her beauty; he never got over how beautiful Kagome was. It was an innocence that he couldn't explain, but loved it nonetheless.
"Hijiri Island comes first but I was thinking you could spend a day in your time before we set out. You know… to do girly shit with your mom and friends because we're now courting."
Inuyasha didn't look at Kagome. He knew as soon as he saw her bright smile and excited expression he'd change his
one day away to
five days away.
Damn the wench and her puppy dog eyes. She isn't even a dog and she can do it better than I can. Keh... "Oh my God, really?" Kagome squealed, throwing her arms around Inuyasha. "You're the best, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you!"
Inuyasha awkwardly pat her back. "Yeah, yeah… Get off me now?"
Kagome let go and blushed. "Sorry. I can't believe you're letting me go back!"
"I let you last time!"
"I know but still! Let's go! I'm excited! Yay!" Kagome squealed and Inuyasha lowered his ears.
The simplest things make her happy. He glanced sideways at her as they began walking towards the direction of the Goshinboku Village.
But that's what makes her so special I guess… What makes her Kagome. He smiled.
My Kagome…
.xx.
"You go spend a day with your friends." Inuyasha instructed as he stood in front of Kagome by the well. "Be back by tomorrow morning
latest or I
will come back to get you."
Kagome frowned. "You aren't coming?"
He shook his head. "Miroku needed help with some
warding off evil spirit shit he's doing in the neighbouring village. He's getting paid six barrels of rice—six..." Inuyasha stretched that word out. "Besides, you're going out with your shrilly friends." He glowered menacingly at her at this point. "If I smell Hojo on you, I'll rip him apart, limb from limb."
Kagome grinned. "You said his name right!"
"Keh. Just have fun."
She smiled. "You too!" Leaning on her tip toes and she kissed his cheek before jumping into the well. Inuyasha counted a full ten seconds before jumping into the well after her.
I hope she doesn't get back here before I do, he thought slowly.
I hate lying to her but how else am I supposed to fucking surprise the wench? He sniffed the air before pulling himself out of the well. Kagome had gone inside her home and left all within the twenty or so seconds it took him to get to her time.
Guess she was excited to tell her friends. A soft smile touched his lips. That was a good thing. He leapt out of the well hut and quickly ran into Kagome's house to see Souta playing PlayStation, Jii-chan praying, and Korari Higurashi making pork dumplings in the kitchen.
"Inu-onii-chan!" Souta launched at his hero. Inuyasha let him do his traditional
hug-my-hero before telling Souta what he was in the modern era for.
"I need your help, runt. Yours and your mom's."
As if on cue, Korari walked into the living room, wiping her hands down on a dish towel. "Help with what? And by the way, congratulations." Korari grinned. "I always knew you two would make an amazing match."
Inuyasha blushed. "...
Keh... That's the thing. I want to get her something that shows everybody she's mine."
"But you bit her." Souta tilted his head and Korari's grin broadened, if it were possible.
"You mean a ring?"
Inuyasha nodded dumbly.
"Oh my! Yes you must, here." Korari walked over to her purse and pulled out her credit card, "This is my credit card, spend as much as you need. Souta, be a dear and help your
brother-in-law to find Kagome a nice ring!"
Souta twitched. "Why… don't you go… with your son-in-law?"
"Because I'm making pork dumplings. Now
go." Korari pointed a finger to the door and the two boys ran out, Inuyasha decided that he was more afraid of her than he was Narkau.
Geez, creepy-looks-when-angry must run in the damn Higurashi bloodline. Inuyasha raced down the shrine steps before realizing he was in his haori and hakama. Sighing, he handed Korari's credit card to Souta.
"Hold this. I have to change."
"Hurry up!" Souta roared as Inuyasha leapt up the steps and entered Kagome's bedroom via window.
.xx.
"Where do we find a nice ring?"
Souta rolled his eyes. "I'm fifteen. My mom still buys my underwear."
Inuyasha glowered. "Well take me to a good ring store!"
"I don't know where they're located!"
And at that moment, Souta's cell-phone began ringing. Inuyasha always found it amazingly stupid how that the little kid had a cell phone but Kagome didn't.
Runt's too young. When Kagome and I have pups and cell phones become invented, unless they're eighteen in human years, they ain't getting one. "Hi mom! … How did you— You're just creepy. Okay… Alright… Thanks!" Souta turned off his phone and turned to his idol.
"Mom called. She said she was positive we were confused about where to go."
Inuyasha twitched. "Is she… a psychic demon?"
"Who knows…" Souta muttered. "She said to go to Suzuki Ring's somewhere on Hiroshima Road and Sakura Avenue."
"I don't know where that is."
"Hiroshima Road is up the street. Then we walk till we find Sakura Avenue?"
Inuyasha shrugged and continued walking alongside his new brother-in-law-to-be. Souta rambled about Hitomi in school and Inuyasha randomly nodded his head thinking,
My kids better not get crushes till they're at least twenty…
.xx.
"YOUR BOYFRIEND PROPOSED TO YOU?" Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi roared in the middle of a WacDnalds lunch date with Kagome. She grinned and nodded, making sure her hair was covering Inuyasha's claim mark on her neck. They didn't need to know he bit her…
Probably would think he bites me elsewhere as well. Kagome blushed at the thought.
"Where's your ring, girl?" Eri reached for her hand but Kagome wretched it away.
"He asked me to marry him; he hasn't got a ring yet!"
"What kind of a cheap, ungrateful bastard asks a girl to marry him without a
ring!" Yuka snarled. "If it were
Hojo…"
"Yeah, but it's not." Kagome waved her hand in annoyance. "It's Inuyasha and that's how he does it. What if I said no? Then he'd have a couple hundred thousand yen ring in his pocket and no girl to give it to!"
Great lie, Kagome, she thought proudly to herself.
"Yeah right," Ayumi rolled her eyes, "as if you'd say no." She snorted and ate a fry before continuing to speak. "You two coming to the spring break party next week?"
Kagome wanted to slap her head. She totally forgot about the party the girls were hosting thanks to spring break in school—someplace Kagome hadn't attended in a while. "I probably can't girls…" She had to make something up on the spot—she couldn't say that she had to go to a giant holy mountain to find shards of a jewel that they probably didn't think existed. "My family is in the States want me and Inuyasha to drop by because of our engagement."
"Oh." Eri's face fell. "That's totally understandable though! Come on, let's go shopping!"
Kagome nodded. "Yeah... I need to print out some pictures of Inuyasha and myself."
Once, a long time ago, Inuyasha accidentally tackled her into a photo booth and they ended up taking pictures together. She wanted to cut them out and place them in the locket set she got from that village with the crazy rat Nezumi.
"Cool! Let's go!"
.xx.
"Ohayo," Souta bowed and pulled Inuyasha's jean pant leg so that he bowed too, "we're here to look for an engagement ring for my sister—" Souta pointed at Inuyasha, "his fiancée."
The old man, whose wrinkles fell over his eyes smiled. "Ahh yes—did you have anything in mind?"
"Special." Inuyasha blurted out. "Something… special."
The salesman smiled once again. "Of course she is special, my son, but anything in particular?"
"White gold," Souta instantly stated. "Kagome likes white gold."
Inuyasha looked down at him before back at the old man. "And diamonds too."
"Then I shall show you my white gold diamond collection—round, princess, cushion, halo... what type of cut?"
Inuyasha and Souta exchanged glances.
Huh? "Round..." Inuyasha said slowly, not knowing what the other ones meant.
"This one's a beauty," he pulled out a giant ring that made Inuyasha shudder.
"No thanks," he said before the man opened the casing. "It's too big."
"So smaller then?"
Inuyasha nodded. While the salesman began fishing for some more rings, Inuyasha walked around the shop, hoping that he could get a glimpse of something that screamed
Kagome to him. There were big rings and small rings, ruby stones and emerald ones, square, circle, even a random blob shaped ring was present.
But nothing screamed Kagome—
"Runt," Inuyasha whispered, and Souta ran over. He caught sight of what Inuyasha was looking at—sitting alone in its glass casing was a sparkling five-stoned ring.
"It's a new arrival." The man smiled. "357,305 yen," he first stated the price to see if he got a reaction from the two. Inuyasha continued to stare at the ring so he decided to continue. "It's 1.30 carat four stone cross pronged engagement ring. You see the four stones? They surround the big diamond in the middle." The pulled it out of its display case and handed it to Inuyasha. Inuyasha felt the weight of the ring before passing it to Souta.
This one was definitely a Kagome ring.
"The center diamond is a .7 carat stone and—"
"I'll take it."
The man's eyes widened as Inuyasha handed the ring back to him. "I said, I'll take it."
"Very well." He smiled happily. "You've made an excellent choice!"
"Inu-onii!" Souta called frantically. Inuyasha nodded his head at the salesman and walked over to where Kagome's brother was standing. It was in front of a display case full of wedding bands. "You guys need wedding bands too!"
"Wouldn't you want to purchase the bands with the bride?" The salesman seemed confused at that moment. Usually the bride and groom came in together to purchase the bands.
"Anything he likes, Kagome-nee-chan likes too!" Souta grinned before pointing at the his and her wedding band set. It was a 5 millimeter ring with a matte finish—the band was flat and had three interlocking circles at a distance of 3 millimeters from the other. The rings themselves had a faint reddish tint to it. The edge of the rings were designed with milgrain and a small edge step.
"It's…" Inuyasha couldn't finish his sentence. He knew what Souta meant. The rings represented everything Kagome and Inuyasha went through. The interlocking three rings meant three worlds: hers, his and theirs.
He knew that was a ring he'd wear for eternity- the circles also represented that. Circles never end and he had eternity within his wedding band; an eternal union.
"How much?" Inuyasha breathed.
"49,418 yen." the man stated and Inuyasha nodded.
"Pack it too."
Knowing not to argue such a big sale, the salesman went to go pack the rings. "Did you want anything engraved on any ring?" He asked and Souta nodded at Inuyasha. Thinking for a moment, he spoke. What came out of his mouth next surprised both Souta and the salesman.
"Engrave the engagement band with
Wench," he said first, "then my wedding band with
Osuwari..."
Souta giggled. The salesman looked like Inuyasha lost his mind.
"And engrave her wedding band with
You were born to meet me. I was born for you..."
The salesman nodded and promptly went to engrave the three rings. Souta looked up at Inuyasha and gave him a low-five.
"Nee-chan will love it!"
"I hope so, runt. I hope so."
.xx.
Inuyasha left the wedding bands with Korari, saying that he'd come and take it from her when Kagome and him have mated after they defeat Naraku. Korari instantly fell in love with the bands and said that he had excellent choice. Souta puffed his chest and Inuyasha rolled his eyes, saying that it was all the runt.
Sensing Kagome, Inuyasha bade the Higurashi family farewell before running towards the well hut and disappearing into his own dimension.
"GUESS WHO'S HOME!" Kagome roared as she entered her shrine. Souta looked up at her from his PS3 game.
"Hey! Buy me anything?"
"Nope." Kagome grinned ruffling his hair, before throwing him the new Soul Calibre Five game.
"OH MY GOD YOU'RE AMAZING!" Souta launched at his sister who laughed and patted his head lovingly. Immediately, he went to go play his new game and Kagome went into the kitchen to greet her mother.
"Hey, mama," Kagome smiled.
"Hey, sweetie. Ready for dinner?"
Kagome bit her bottom lip. "Actually I was hoping I could go back to Inuyasha tonight?"
Korari hid her smile. "But you said he wasn't expecting you till morning?"
"Yeah I know but…" Kagome trailed off. How could she explain to her mother that ever since he claimed her, her soul craved for him more than it ever did before. She felt her mother's hand on her shoulder.
"I understand." Korari looked into her daughter's eyes. "That's how I felt with your father. Just stay safe, baby, and drop by and visit more often!"
Kagome hugged her mom.
"Thanks, mama..."
.xx.
Kagome slid the well hut door shut and stood at the lip of the well.
Well... I'm going back early. I wonder how Inuyasha will take it? With her final thought, Kagome pulled herself up onto the lip and jumped into the endless abyss that took her back home…
Back to Inuyasha.
.xx.
Inuyasha sat with his back against the wall of Sango and Miroku's hut. Sango was making beef stew over a hot flame in the middle of the hut and Miroku was outside hanging their clothes to dry on a laundry line.
"What are you gonna name the runt?" Inuyasha inquired. Sango and Miroku and Shippo had taken the news of their engagement very lightly, saying they always knew it was going to happen. Too bad they didn't know about the curse that forced them to take such decisions in their life. Inuyasha felt the weight of the ring box in the pocket of his hakama. He was waiting till morning when Kagome returned—
Wait a second… "I smell Kagome…" Inuyasha got up and ran out of the hut, leaving a confused Sango in his wake.
"That boy will never change…"
.xx.
Kagome looked up out of the well and frowned. Where did that stupid vine go? How was she going to climb out of it now?
And as if like magic, a clawed hand appeared in front of her face. Smiling, she took it and Inuyasha pulled her out of the well, one hand going to her waist to support her as she used his body weight to lift hers up.
"Hey…"
"Are you stupid?" he whispered, setting her down on the ground in front of him before brushing a stray lock of her hair away from her face. "I said come back in the morning."
Kagome smiled broadly. "I couldn't stay away. I uh…" She looked down, blushing slightly. "I missed you… kind of?"
Inuyasha ran the length of his index claw along the twin bite marks on her neck. Kagome suppressed a shudder. The sun was setting beyond the horizon, casting beautiful hues of orange and red to paint the darkening sky of Feudal Japan. Kagome, donned in black tights and an overly large white t-shirt that landed at her thighs, held onto Inuyasha's haori. "Just kind of," she murmured cutely, and Inuyasha snickered.
"Wench, I know you can't stay away."
Kagome groaned. "Why? Why do you do this to me? You ruin perfectly good romantic mushy gushy moments with your macho manliness! Why couldn't I have gotten a Miroku?"
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You couldn't stand that kind of perversion for more than a day."
"True, but that's beside the point."
Inuyasha snorted. "Come on, I have to show you something. I was going to show you in the morning but your wench-ass-self decided to come back now."
"Shut up. I know my
wench-ass-self made you happy."
"Even if it did," Inuyasha muttered, "you think I'd admit to it?"
"Knowing that you wouldn't admit to it makes it something that you could possibly admit to, making the fact true as the light of day, making me right." Kagome grinned. Inuyasha growled.
"If you weren't a woman and my intended mate, I would've knocked you so hard you wouldn't know up from down."
"Ha, ha," Kagome sarcastically laughed as she followed Inuyasha back towards the Goshinboku. Unexpectedly, Inuyasha grabbed Kagome by the waist and launched onto the highest branch of the God Tree. Kagome was used to the unexpectedness though; numerous times he would grab her and launch into the air without so much as a
breath of warning.
"What did you wanna show me, Inuyasha?"
He sighed, looking deep into her eyes. "You sure you want this, right?"
"Not this again. Can I get down from here if this is what you're gonna go off about?"
"Seriously!" Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders. "It's easier to back away now versus after the mating process."
"I'm positive." Kagome pushed his hands off her shoulder. "I've never been so sure about anything in my life. If we don't find Naraku by the year before your two hundred and fifth birthday, we mate right away. Otherwise we mate as soon as we defeat Naraku and we postpone the curse to the youngest heir born between either Sesshomaru or you."
Inuyasha studied her for a long time. Kagome rolled her eyes. "Inuyasha, seriously, can you stop? I want—I
WANT to be your mate, alright? I'm not doing this to help you with your curse, I'm doing this because I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Well.
He wasn't expecting
that.
"You wh-what?"
Kagome blushed. "Well yeah, I thought you knew…"
"No, I didn't
knew." He used the same tone of voice with the word knew as Kagome did, even though with him saying it made it grammatically incorrect.
"Oh well..." Kagome bit her bottom lip. "Surprise?"
"Why?"
"Why what? The surprise?" Kagome raised an eyebrow.
"No! Why do you want to mate with me?"
Kagome sighed. She wasn't ready to tell him that she loved the guy… it wasn't something her heart was ready to express yet in words to the person that it felt such emotion for. "I can't... explain," Kagome finally murmured. "Just... I want to be with you forever. That's all.
Inuyasha pulled her into an embrace and quickly removed the ring box from his pocket. Kagome remained in that position for a few moments before pulling away. "Inuyasha...?"
"Kagome," he murmured before bringing the ring box in front of her face, "marry me?"
Her eyes widened and instantly tears sprung to her eyes. "You… you got a ring?"
Inuyasha nodded before opening the velvet box. "Yeah well… you wanted one. It's my job to get you what you wa—" his words were cut off by Kagome's lips.
"Thank you," she whispered into him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you... and yes. Yes, of course I'll marry you!"
Smiling, Inuyasha returned her chaste kisses before removing the ring from the box and slipping it onto the third finger of her left hand. Kagome studied the ring before smiling up at him. "It's amazing, I love it. And you knew my ring size too... amazingly enough."
Inuyasha smiled and ushered towards the ring. "Read the engraving..."
Kagome raised an eyebrow before taking the ring off and seeing tiny letters on the inside that spelt
Wench. She giggled.
"It's perfect."
Inuyasha pulled her into his arms once more and buried his nose in her hair. "Thank you…" he whispered and Kagome tried to look up at him.
"For?"
"Being Kagome."
Knowing deep in her heart what he meant, she didn't reply but returned his embrace
. And as the stars twinkled in the night sky, Kagome fell asleep listening to the rhythm of Inuyasha's heartbeat.
Thank you, Inuyasha whispered again in his mind,
for letting me love you.
.xx.
Beta-edited: Sakura-chan Master of the Clow
