Kagome stared down at where Inuyasha lay sprawled, too stunned at first to do anything else. He was out cold. Shin inched toward him, bristled and sniffing. Even when he nudged Inuyasha with his snowy crackling muzzle, even when his miasmic purple tongue licked Inuyasha full and fuming across the face, the hanyou barely stirred.
Shin’s red, slit-pupiled gaze lifted to Kagome. Low in his throat, he whined again. Kagome’s paralysis broke. As she moved toward him, he breezed back into his human form. His blue eyes glimmered with unmistakable tears of distress, as he clutched Inuyasha by the ear.
“It’s okay,” she said, scooping Shin up as he whimpered. Slanting Inuyasha a dubious glance, she murmured to her baby, “…Shh, he’s okay. Everything’s okay…”
She calmed Shin down as best she could. Once she’d settled him back in his crib, she turned to Inuyasha. The scorch mark from Shin’s lick had faded, but Inuyasha’s face was a sickly greenish tint. Kagome frowned, not knowing whether this was just from the booze or something worse.
Kneeling next to him, she looked him over. The heel Shin had bitten had a feverish, puckered look. The punctures were red and raised and weeping like lanced boils, clear and slightly red. As unsightly as this was, Kagome took it as a positive sign—Inuyasha was fighting back against Shin’s demonic venom. The flesh wasn’t necrosing.
Though she doubted the wound would fester, Kagome did her best to clean it anyway—both with topical antiseptics and careful application of her own reiki. Inuyasha grimaced and twitched at this. After a few minutes, Kagome drew back, satisfied she’d purified enough for his sluggish, drunken defenses to handle the rest.
His dead weight was too heavy for her to drag into bed. Instead, she levered him over onto his side and stuffed a pillow under his head. Draping a blanket over him, she clambered back into bed. In her absolute exhaustion, she passed out herself.
It was well past dawn when she woke the next morning, feeling stiff and sore all over. Her tongue was heavy and swollen in her mouth. Kagome remembered then that she’d scored her teeth into it the night before. She winced as she sat up. Tugging down the sleeve of her yukata, she saw yellowing bruises banded across her arm, just below the shoulder. Kagome pulled her sleeve back into place and went to check on Shin.
Inuyasha’s color had returned to normal, but it was a while before he woke up. He had a sour look when he did, and no wonder. The biggest mystery was how he hadn’t puked his guts out from the near-lethal amount of sake he must’ve ingested. All Kagome could figure was that like with Shin’s venom, his youki had managed to burn it off.
“…What happened?” he croaked when Kagome brought him water and crackers.
You tell me, she wanted to retort. But with a sigh she answered instead, “You came home drunk out of your mind last night. You lost your balance, fell down and knocked yourself out on the ledge.”
Inuyasha munched sullenly, washing down the crackers with a rueful swig. “…My foot’s throbbing like hell. All of me is.”
Kagome glanced down at his clawed foot where it stuck out under the hem of the blanket. His heel was still red and inflamed, but not nearly as bad as it’d been the night before. Uncomfortably, she shifted.
“You were…really upset with me. You grabbed me, and Shin bit you. He poisoned you, too.”
“…Shit.” Inuyasha kneaded his brow with furled claws. “I’m such an idiot.” Hazarding a glance at her, he said, “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No,” Kagome lied, “of course not.”
Inuyasha sagged in relief. “Good. That’s good…” A bit sheepishly, he asked, “Hey, are there any more of these crackers? I’m starving…”
Kagome hastened to get him some more. She spent the rest of the day tending to him as much as Shin. Inuyasha reveled in the attention. He kept making little requests of her just for the sake of making them, but Kagome didn’t mind.
“Bring Shin over, won’t ya?”
Kagome brought him over, sat him in Inuyasha’s lap. When Shin gripped Inuyasha’s forelock and tugged, Inuyasha grinned down at him, chuckling.
“Taught me a lesson, didn’t ya, little guy?” Shin burbled when Inuyasha bounced him. Inuyasha sliced Kagome a smile which made her chest clench. “Nobody messes with your mom.”
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
Revised 10/6/23
Well dang… the clam before the storm? Or more like the eye of the storm (hurricane metaphor). Eth have a good one. Way this is not going to last….
Could be 😉
Thanks for sharing, Celes!! Hope you enjoy the next chapter ❤❤
Wow dodge a bullet.
This story has Kagome dodging bullets better than Neo. 😂 She’s going full Matrix every time it looks like she’s gonna get her comeuppance.
🤣🤣 Now I’m visualizing Kagome doing those slow motion backbends LOL
Thanks for sharing, Uissuteffu!! ❤❤
Uissuteffu😂 Kagome could star in the matrix with all the close calls she’s dodging 🤣🤣
The suspense in this story is killing, I’m over here analyze and over analyzing interactions. I’m on pins and needles, bitting my nails with each new chapter
Who would’ve guessed Kagome is actually ‘the one’? 🤣🤣
Thanks for sharing, Maya!!! ❤❤
Haha yep 😉
❤❤
No. No! This is too nice! There was supposed to be drama and truths and storming out and… And… And drama!!!!
Instead it’s all dandy at the Cleaver’s this fine Sunday morning. Gosh golly gee, beaver. Guess you taught your old man a lesson. WAHHHHHHH.
don’t get me wrong I love it. But I was hoping the piper would finally he paid. S’pose once that happens we’ll be closer to the end, though. I will happily support avoiding that bc this is one of my favorite fics. 😀
“Instead it’s all dandy at the Cleaver’s this fine Sunday morning” – ahahaha you got me rolling 🤣🤣
All (good?) things must end, as they say 😂 – hope you enjoy how the story goes!! ❤❤
Why does it feel like this is just a taste of the drama to come? I can’t wait for the next chapter !!!
😉 😉
Thanks, SilverMoon – hope you enjoy how the drama unfolds! ❤❤
That’s actually kinda sweet not gonna lie, but Inuyasha needs to understand that just cause he wouldn’t do that sober doesn’t mean it’s at all okay. At least he doesn’t actually want to hurt her I guess? When sober?
Also good job Shin! Protect your mama little boy! And it’s interesting to see him bonded with Inuyasha to some degree, and I wonder if his instincts tell him this is his uncle or if he thinks he’s his dad? I imagine he’d be able to smell the difference? Or at least sense it in the youki?
Side note: just reread S T A S I S and I’m in pain but like kinda the good kind of pain? Please give me a somewhat happy ending this time though or I’ll cry lol
So glad you enjoyed Stasis, M-Yan!! 🥰 All I can say is that this is a different type of story 😉
Love hearing your thoughts on the dynamics between Inuyasha, Kagome and Shin! Certainly what Inuyasha did is not okay…
Thanks so much for sharing your take and hope you enjoy the next update!! ❤❤
No one messes with this boy’s mother👏🏻 I loved this update!
Ahh so glad you loved it, mim!! Thank you!! 🥰🥰
I am so happy he protected his mom! Not gonna lie, I was so scared for Shin’s safety from the last chapter. It’s also interesting to point out that Kagome regards Shin as her son only, essentially telling how she subconsciously is aware that Shin’s father is Sesshomaru even though she was initially trying to live this fake world she planned from the beginning. M-Yan asked an interesting question if Shin views Inuyahsa as a father or an uncle figure. I first thought he would view him as a father figure as he’s actively raising him and he only met Sesshomaru twice, though I do think it is likely he is already aware of who his father is either through scent, yokai or both and he does view Inuyasha as an uncle or family. It’s also really sad how she brushes off his behaviour like that, she just seems so exhausted from everything that has to do with him and I really hope this event encourages her to leave this toxic/abusive marriage, for her and her son’s safety.
It’s certainly a rocky road for her and Shin here….
Thanks so much for laying out your thoughts on this scene and the previous one, Pixie! Love hearing your take on these dramatic and dangerous events, and the family dynamics at play 🙂
Hope you enjoy the next chapter!! 🥰🥰