Fall is the Season of Love
“Why are you following us?” Inuyasha hissed at Haruko.

At dawn break Inuyasha woke up Kagome and helped her pack her things, ready to go back to the future with her. Although they tried not to wake anyone up, Haruko somehow opened her eyes just as they were exiting the hut.

“Because I can’t sleep.” Haruko turned her head sideways, trying to keep up with Inuyasha’s speed. Even though he got a giant yellow bag over his shoulder, it doesn’t seem to bother Inuyasha at all.

“Slow down, Inuyasha.” Kagome complained instead. “You’re going too fast.”

“Slow humans.” Inuyasha mumbled. With his free hand, he picked up Kagome and threw her over his shoulder.

“Inuyasha, what are you…Hey!!!” Kagome screamed in protest. Without another second of hesitation, Inuyasha darted for the well.

Haruko panicked. The reason she woke up so early was because she wanted to see if she’s allowed to go through the well. But with Inuyasha long ahead of her, she’s unable to find the well by herself.

“Damn that dog!” Haruko stumped her foot. She turned around in anger, ready to go to the river to wash up before making some breakfast. Her mother always taught her that she can’t always rely on someone else. Since Sango was so tired yesterday from making dinner, she should cook today. But as she turned, she bumped into something very hard and fell.

“What are you doing out?” A voice said, “Are you finished yet?”

Haruko looked up in search for the source of this voice. And as she suspected, it belonged to no one else but Sesshomaru. The arrogant youkai didn’t help her up, his only hand carried Sango’s Hiraikotsu, which looked even better that before.

Haruko’s stubbornness refused to let her be afraid although she was alone with potentially the most dangerous youkai she has ever met. Instead she stood up on her own and raised her head as high as she can.

“Finish what? The kimono? No.” Haruko circled around Sesshomaru and started walking toward the river. “I’ll finish it soon.”

To her surprise, Sesshomaru followed her. She rolled her eyes, “What? Can’t find your way?”

But Sesshomaru only followed silently. This was getting on Haruko’s nerves, since she never really liked the youkai in the first place. “Why are you following me?” The back of her head laughed at her as she remembered that Inuyasha just asked her that question a few moments ago.

Sesshomaru silently took out something from the inside of his armor and handed it to Haruko. The girl turned to stare at it.

Sesshomaru had two things in his hands: a jade pendent that was carved in the shape of a bunny, and a hair clip made out of silver in the shape of a butterfly.

Haruko looked up in confusion. “What’s this?”

“The pendent,” Sesshomaru replied in his calm attitude, “put it on the obi.” Haruko gathered that he meant the obi of Rin’s new kimono.

“And this?’ She pointed to the hair clip.

The reply came slowly, and in a soft hum. “Your payment.” The simple, two-word answer made Haruko blush. Her shrewd character toned down as well.

“Oh, umm, thank you.” Haruko took it from Sesshomaru’s hand shakily. No male has ever given her anything so beautiful before. For that moment, her duty as a miko left, and the woman side caved in. “It, umm… looks nice. Thank you. No, I said that already.” Haruko kept it at a distance, as if it was unreal.

Sesshomaru chuckled to himself at Haruko’s discomfort. “Just finish the job soon.”

“Yea, of course, okay.” Haruko looked down at the ground. Both hers and Sesshomaru’s feet were in full view, although his kimono covered pretty much every single inch of him. Although his left sleeve was still gone, leaving some of his shoulder exposed.

“Give this to that exterminator.” Sesshomaru lifted the Hiraikotsu a little higher. Haruko is still so grateful about the hair clip that she didn’t seem to realize that Sesshomaru has been commanding her all this time.

“Yea, of course, okay.” Haruko took the Hiraikotsu from Sesshomaru shakily. Her odd behavior didn’t escape the observant Sesshomaru. And somehow, even to his own surprise…

“Thank you.” The two of them stood there uncomfortably for a few seconds before Sesshomaru spoke again. “I have some business to take care of, I’ll be back for Rin and her kimono.”

“Yea, of course, okay.” Haruko’s brain was unable to generate anything more than those three words. And since she was still looking down, Sesshomaru took the chance to show a grin. The girl’s ever-changing mood was new and odd to him. But nonetheless, it’s not everyday that he meets someone that’s not afraid of him, and that humored him.

At that, Sesshomaru took off in a flash, leaving Haruko standing there. One hand holding Sango’s heavy Hiraikotsu, and another clutching the butterfly hair clip.

She smiled.

~~~~~*****~~~~~

“I’m home!” Kagome couldn’t wait to get down from Inuyasha’s shoulder and ran into her house in a hurry. She already saw her grandfather outside, cleaning the shrine grounds. The old man almost had a heart attack when he saw his granddaughter being carried so brutally by a youkai. And he didn’t wait to throw out talismans while chanting “youkai, disappear”, although Kagome has explained to him a million times that Inuyasha was actually a hanyou.

“Oh, welcome home, honey!” Kagome’s mother is always in good spirit, and today was no exception.

Kagome’s little brother sat by the table, eating his breakfast. When he saw his older sister come in, he squealed in delight. “Onee-san, where’s inu onii-san?”

Kagome frowned that the first person Souta asked about wasn’t her. But a very grumpy and talisman covered hanyou enter right after her to answer Souta’s question.

“Oi, Kagome, hurry up and get your stuff, I’ll walk you to school.” Inuyasha growled while picking off all the sticky talismans on his precious red yukata.

“I think I’ll wait until tomorrow to go to school.” Kagome sat down while her mother gave her a bowl. “After all, the midterm exams don’t start until tomorrow. I think I’ll use today to study.” Kagome wolfed down a bowl of miso soup.

Kagome’s mother offered Inuyasha food as well. “Would you like some too, dear?”

Inuyasha took the bowl from the woman’s hands and sniffed its contents. He set the bowl down on the table and scratched his ear. “Umm… can’t I just have some of the ramen stuff?”

“Oh, but dear, those things are so unhealthy.” Kagome’s mother busied herself with preparing Souta’s lunch.

“Just give some to him, mama,” Kagome was fighting Souta over the last boiled egg, “he doesn’t know what’s healthy, and his stomach doesn’t care.” After successfully winning the egg from his little brother, Kagome got up to fill her bowl with more miso soup.

Inuyasha cackled at the sight of Ms. Higurashi taking out a bowl of instant ramen. And so, for some rare five minutes, the Higurashi residence had some peace while everyone ate in silence.

After Kagome finished her food, she stretched a bit and darted for her room upstairs. “I’m going to take a shower, mama!”

“Okay, dear.” Her mother yelled after her. “I’m going to take Souta to school, and then get the groceries later. I’ll be back in time to make lunch.”

The middle-aged woman hurried Souta out, even though the young boy only wants to stay and play with Inuyasha’s sword. “Now, dear, please do not disrupt Kagome when she studies, okay?” She said to Inuyasha as a last word before rushing out.

Inuyasha, of course, was too busy eating his third bowl to hear a thing that happened for the last minute. After he was finally full, he realized that no one was there. “Oi, Kagome,” he looked around, “where did that wench go?”

Suddenly he heard a rush of water coming from upstairs, which sounded like a rushing waterfall to his sensitive ears. Then an odd sound followed. It sounded like Kagome, but it was in a very odd pitch. The voice was saying a rhyme, something like: “always give my love, always give my love to you.” Inuyasha tensed up at the odd sound. Since it sounded so much like Kagome, his first thought was that she was in danger.

The hanyou extracted his claws and rushed up to the noise. The sounds were getting louder, and it came from one of the rooms. He knew that it wasn’t Kagome’s room, so maybe a youkai abducted her into another room.

Angrily and silently, Inuyasha turned the doorknob, thinking that he had the advantage of surprise. The room was small and stuffy. He could smell Kagome’s scent, and her voice was coming from behind a curtain. As swiftly and silently as possible, Inuyasha extracted his claws and sliced down the curtain.

Kagome turned when her shower curtain suddenly disappeared, and she wished she could wipe out that moment from her memory forever. At first she was stunned, then when she senses returned, she screamed in the loudest pitch possible. Inuyasha’s ears hurt so much from her shriek that he immediately left the bathroom.

Why was she naked!!! Inuyasha cursed at himself. Even though he’s seen her naked a dozen times, he has tried his best to prevent it from happening. Oh man, she is so mad, damn, she’s probably gonna…

Inuyasha didn’t even attempt to move, for he knew what was coming. “OSOWARI!!!”

The hanyou’s body slammed into the hard floor as the command executed from the other side of the door. Then Kagome appeared in front of him, wrapped tightly in a towel.

“You pervert!” Kagome nearly spat on Inuyasha. “I said I was going to take a shower, why did you come up here?!”

Inuyasha hissed. “I wasn’t listening!!! Besides, I thought you were in danger!”

“How could I be in danger in my own house?” Kagome didn’t back down, and she also didn’t lower her voice.

“It’s not like it hasn’t happened before.” Inuyasha complained. “Besides, I thought you were being tortured.”

“Tortured? What gave you that crazy idea?” Kagome kicked his leg.

“Well, your voice was all distorted. And it was very loud!!!”

It took Kagome two seconds to realize what he meant. “Osowari!!!” She yelled again, and was followed by Inuyasha’s yelp. “I was SINGING!!!”

The second “sit” finally pushed Inuyasha into anger mode. “Well, then you might wanna practice a bit more!”

“What’s that suppose to mean?!” The two of them heard some steps running up the stairs, it turned out to be Kagome’s grandfather.

“Kagome, are you alright? I heard you scream.” Her grandfather carried a broom in his hands, which caused Inuyasha to gulp.

“Grandpa, he came into the bathroom while I was showering!” Kagome tattled right away. “Get him, grandpa!!!”

And the next five minutes was filled with Inuyasha’s constant yelp and screams while Kagome repeated “osowari” every other second. And while Inuyasha was still trapped on the floor, Kagome’s angry grandfather hit him repeatedly with his broom.

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