¤¤Smile Like You Mean It¤¤

Oneshot #2

Miroku, Sango, Kagome, Shippou and Kirara tried their best to ignore the stares that were coming their way. They had never been to this village, so they knew that they hadn't killed anything in front of these people that would make them scared of them. It was so odd. As soon as they stepped foot onto these village grounds, they had been stared and gawked at. The only good thing was that Inuyasha had been quiet about it.

Kagome's tired eyes snapped up from her feet, hoping to ignore the whispers, and sighed at Inuyasha who was walking three feet ahead of her. He hadn't said a word all day, nor eaten. She didn't know how to approach this. She wasn't his mother, so it was hard to tell whether he was angry or going through a phase.

She somewhat felt offended.

Her relationship with the half demon was extremely close. She always seemed to find out what was on his mind, the same for him (to her dismay). He could read her like a book, and right then, she wished she had the gift so she could figure out what was bothering Inuyasha. His nagging voice wasn't whining about how slow she walked. Why?

She had tried purposely slowing her pace several times, but nothing had happened. She couldn't even remember if she had seen those beautiful eyes of his that were full of such insecurities. He was acting shallow, hollow and sad. Inuyasha... please talk to me.

When Kagome's tender thought wasn't answered, her eyes seemed to become hazy. Please turn around... for me... let me know that you're alright, she said to herself as she lifted her head again. Are you... i-ignoring me?

She gasped.

Shippou's head looked down from Kagome's shoulder when his ears heard something leave her mouth. Besides Inuyasha, she had been quiet as well. In fact, everyone had been quiet. Inuyasha's moodiness was acting up. Either that, or he really didn't feel like speaking.

Since he wasn't stupid like Inuyasha, he looked to Sango to say something; she was a woman, and the perfect person to talk to a woman was a woman. His adopted mother had by that time hidden her eyes in her bangs. What he didn't think she knew was that she looked just as Inuyasha did, sad and depressed.

Sango nodded in an understanding matter, and smiled at the kitsune. Clearing her throat, her face turned pale when Inuyasha's ear snapped her direction as if he was waiting for her to continue. She felt better when he didn't turn to look at her. "Uh, Kagome-chan?" she asked with a friendly smile, as she reached her left hand to Kagome's forehead. Wiping the bangs away so her face was clear, she flinched when her best friend's eyes looked violent. "I-is something the matter?"

Kagome adjusted the strap of her backpack so it wasn't hurting her shoulder, and shook her head. "Nothing, Sango. Don't worry about me." As she said her words, she noticed that Inuyasha's ear twitched at her voice as well. He's alert... in such a holy place? She could sense the presence of a shrine nearby. Only a retarded demon would think about coming to this place.

She watched as they passed the villagers who were picking vegetables out in the fields. The rows of dirt, the so many rows that were occupied... with so many humans. It was as if they were multiplying by the second. A combination of eyes were staring at them, picking their bodies apart and throwing them down the bone eater's well.

She felt better when Miroku quickened his pace so he was matching Inuyasha's. If there was anyone besides her to get advice or confide to, it was Miroku. He should be able to talk to him. After all, they're men. Scratching her head, she sighed. Odd men...

Miroku knew from the kick in the leg from Sango that something was wrong. Let's see. Inuyasha and Kagome weren't fighting last night. In fact, he said to himself, as he looked at his friend square in the face. Inuyasha hasn't bothered to say that Kagome's walking slow today... which she is.

He too watched as they passed the villagers. Something bothered him about the way Inuyasha was leading them. Normally they would walk around random villages unless it was necessary to stop. He looked over his shoulder at Kagome's backpack. It was still full, which told him that they didn't have to stop. A jewel shard, perhaps?

Also... he could sense the holiness just like Kagome. He could tell already that Shippou and Kirara were starting to get effected from the way they seemed to be woozy, but as for Inuyasha... he was normal. Why?

"Shippou?"

Turning around, his eyes widened at the passed out Shippou in Kagome's arms. I was right. So that means... His eyes became wider when Inuyasha looked over at him, obviously knowing what the monk was thinking. He's completely powerless in an aura this thick. He was suddenly glad that Kagome's knowledge on being a priestess wasn't that high, or she would be attacking Inuyasha to the ground.

Nodding, they continued on their way. Since Kirara was already knocked out, the atmosphere between the semi-adults was pressured. The kitsune and feline were considered the kids. Without them their lives were quiet boring.

Miroku ignored the whack in the head he received, and rubbed the sore spot. "Confession time, Inuyasha?" he asked so Sango and Kagome couldn't hear him. They were about ten feet away now, obviously knowing that Inuyasha wasn't the one to shout what was on his mind, and that he needed his space. "What's up?"

Inuyasha shook his head, still silent. Words weren't enough to express how angry he was. The villagers were taking their disgust out on his friends when it was he who should be yelled at to go away. Thanks to these jackass people, he hadn't been here in ten years; they had set the barrier.

The only reason his friends were with him was for Miroku and Kagome's spiritual powers. If it weren't for them he would be sleeping. He had to thank his father's blood that was flowing inside him for being so strong. Right now it was like he was human, but still in his demon form, leaving him completely powerless.

He didn't hesitate at all as he stepped into the village.

Immediately all the villagers stopped what they were doing, stopped mid-step, stopped talking, stopped everything. He knew his presence wasn't welcome, but didn't care. A part of him was in this area that was blocked of his access, and he was going to do everything in his power to get to it. He wouldn't forget... he wouldn't...

"Inuyasha, I love you!" Izayoi's voice screeched, before her eyes slowly closed, the stench of blood filling his nostrils and mind. "You can do anything you want, my headstrong son."

Kagome's eyes widened. If it weren't for Sango who was holding her arm, she would have slapped Inuyasha upside the head. He knew that this village had a barrier, he knew that there were people in this village that could kill him with their powers, and he knew that he could die. Baka!

She noticed the way the villagers were staring. They didn't seem fearful of Inuyasha for some reason, and she was glad at this. They were intruders yes, but they didn't seem to mind... how quaint. Whoever these people were, they were nice in her perspective. Thank goodness. She motioned to Sango that she was fine, and she released her arm. They were good in her book... for now.

"Look! It's Inuyasha!"

"Demon! Demon!"

"Is that who I think it is! How the hell is he in here!"

Her eyes widened again. "Cruel..." she hissed. She seemed to stutter when Inuyasha turned towards her direction with deadly eyes. Inuyasha... She didn't know what was wrong with him, but he had better start explaining. He had never used this kind of force on her. Still, she stayed quiet. Her grip on Shippou seemed to tighten. I made him upset.

Inuyasha turned around, semi satisfied that Kagome knew that she had to be quiet. He was risking everything by returning to the place of his birth. When he said that everyone hated him, he meant it. Eyes were all on him; he even saw a few people reach for their pitchforks.

He cracked his knuckles, the Sesshomaru-like look on his face still present. If he had to kill every last one of these humans, turn full demon, or tear apart everything in his path... he would. It had been far too long since he had seen someone special.

"Inuyasha," Miroku snapped, and instantly Inuyasha sighed in defeat. His "friends" wouldn't allow him to kill anyone. Sometimes they really were party poopers...

He looked down when he felt someone pull on the ends of his hair. Shaking slightly, he smiled a small smile at the woman who only reached to his shoulders. She was old, crippled and energetic; just as he had left her. "Kaba-sama." This woman was the only old person he gave his respects to.

The woman smiled, her wrinkles lifting. "I knew it was you the second you stepped onto these grounds," she said with the smile still on her face. Elbowing the hanyou in the stomach, she grinned and pointed to Kagome. "Part of your aura lingers on her, has little Inuyasha got a girlfriend?"

She laughed when both of them blushed and eyed each other, before turning away with crossed arms. "You might as well go see her before the head master finds out that you're here."

While letting a look of sadness cross him, he sighed and nodded. "Can you-"

"Of course I'll take care of your friends and girlfriend." While getting another blush from the two, she led the way through the people, doing her best to ignore their gazes as to what in the hell she was doing. She managed to look over her shoulder and watch as Inuyasha walked in the opposite direction, heading to the lake half a mile away.

He came... he's here.

Kaba eyed the girl who looked terribly sad. By her facial structure she could tell that this girl had a wonderful smile which could brighten a room, though she didn't look like she was willing to share it. "Hungry?" she asked, as she lifted the lid off a pot in the middle of her huge hut.

Little did these children know that she was rather wealthy.

Miroku shook his head while Sango nodded.

Kagome kept a close eye on the woman, as well as the sleeping Shippou in her arms. Was he alright? If it had something to do with demons, Inuyasha would have been affected, but he wasn't. Even though she wasn't a mother, she found that the instincts were kicking in she had developed. "Will Shippou be alright?" she asked, referring to Kirara as well.

Kaba nodded, and passed Sango a bowl of soup, smiling at the soft 'thank you' she got in return. "Nonsense, dear. You don't seem to eat much, you're all skin and bones!" she spoke with a grin, then gave her attention to the concerned Kagome. "Touching his forehead should do it." She ushered her eyes to the feline rested in a ball in Sango's lap. "The other youkai as well."

Kagome looked confused and eyed Miroku. When he nodded at her and touched Kirara's head, her eyes fluttered open. I see now, she said to herself with a smile, as she touched her son's forehead. When his eyes snapped open in confusion, she hugged him close to her warm body. "Thank you."

The elderly woman nodded. "Now, let's get down to business," she said while holding out a bowl of soup to Shippou. "Why did you come here with Inuyasha?"

Miroku raised an eyebrow, hoping for the woman to elaborate. "Why wouldn't we come here with Inuyasha?" he asked. "We've all be traveling together for about two years now." The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. "Wait! He needs-"

"What he needed was you and his girlfriend to get inside," Kaba explained. "You, young monk, posses enough holiness to get inside the barrier that's been here for ten years, as well as you, young priestess." She looked down at her bubbling soup, and felt twenty pounds grow on her as she let out a sigh. "...It was made to keep him out."

Kagome gasped. Cruel, she said this time in her head, as her eyes narrowed. "And just who are you?" she asked rather fiercely. "Surely you aren't the one who put up the barrier?" It was only common sense. This woman, Kaba, had been nice to Inuyasha for some reason, while the villagers looked like they were ready to kill him. Inuyasha, you're so stupid. You just had to come here, huh? She winced when Sango nudged her in the arm. Though... you always have a reason for everything.

Kaba sighed again. "It's alright, lady demon slayer." She saw the nudge. "Inuyasha's girlfriend has every right to be upset. Though, I can't say it's healthy. I've been upset for ten years, and look how I turned out." She stirred her soup, watching as the steam made a wall that separated herself from the travelers. "No, I wasn't the one who had the barrier made."

Kagome wiped the thin line of sweat off her forehead. Thank good-

"In case you people haven't noticed, this is a very holy place, a place where demons aren't aloud," she said with a usual smile. "Quite rubbish, isn't it?" She made a fist. "I would just love to tell these people that Inuyasha is neither."

Kagome smiled and nodded. "Hai!" This woman took the side of half demons, just like she and her friends. No wonder why she was so nice to him, she thought, still keeping the smile on her face; it was nice to meet a person on their side. "I'm sorry for being so forward earlier." Inuyasha would have wanted her to apologize. "I was wrong."

Kaba shook her head. "Nonsense, you had every right," she replied with a giddy smile. "To answer your question, my name is Hitomi, or as Inuyasha calls me, Kaba." She still smiled when she got blank faces. "Let's just say that Inuyasha was an awkward child to begin with."

Kagome continued to smile at this woman. She looked about the same age as her grandfather. She had wrinkles, gray hair in a long braid down her back, and a blue kimono with a white string around the waist to keep it in place. She looked quite active for someone her age. Kagome chose not to say that this woman looked as thin as a toothpick.

Letting a giggle leave her at Inuyasha's pet name, she took the bowl of soup the woman held out to her, as if she knew she was actually hungry. "Are you family of Inuyasha's?" she curiously asked, as she ate a spoonful. Inuyasha had never told her anything about his family. All she knew was that his parents were dead, and Sesshomaru and he were anything but close. The pathetic part was that Inuyasha wasn't the one to tell her this information.

Taking another spoonful into her mouth, she let a "mmmm" escape her. It's so good! Just like home!

Kaba shook her head. "Heavens no," she said, still keeping the smile on her face as if it was drawn with one of Shippou's crayons. "I'm simply a friend of Inuyasha's mother." She didn't seem at all fazed when the children eyed each other, then her, wanting her to say something else. "The end!" she said with clasped hands.

"His... MOTHER!"

She listened to everyone shout at her that Inuyasha had never spoken of his mother. "Surely he's still hurting then..." She put a hand on her chin. The people of this village wouldn't even allow him to go to Izayoi's funeral. She looked up at Kagome. And for that reason, I didn't attend either.

"She was a very kind and beautiful woman," she began, and instantly Miroku, Sango, Kagome and Shippou silenced themselves. "She was by far a goddess. Long black hair, deep blue eyes, a kind voice, there was nothing to question as to why every man in this village was after her, hoping that she would take their hand in marriage."

"She said no, right?" Miroku butted in. "She must've said no?"

Kaba chuckled. "Young man, if she had said yes, Inuyasha would have never existed." When she got a white face, she continued. "I remember everything about the woman. She was competitive, smart, always said her mind, and somewhat cocky."

She looked to the sky. "She should have returned hours ago," she said with a sigh, as she continued to stir the stew in her hut. When she heard striding footsteps, she smiled. "Just where have you been child?"

Izayoi sighed. "...Nowhere," she said while looking out a nearby window. Cursing herself at how late she was, she sat down across from her adopted mother. "How was your day?" she casually asked, as she was given a bowl with hot contents inside.

Kaba raised an eyebrow. "I should be asking you that very question." She looked the woman up and down. She was nineteen now, and she could do as she wished. "You said you would be back hours ago," she informed. She chose not to say that five men had appeared, hoping to get a chance to have her hand in marriage.

Izayoi blushed. "...Nowhere," she said again, while bringing the bowl to her mouth, blowing on it to get the stew cool. "I just walked through the forest all day." It was a terrible excuse, and when Kaba eyed her, she sighed and set her bowl down. "...Can I confide in you?" she asked. "No embarrassment until later?"

Kaba sighed. The embarrassment was the best part. "You can tell me anything, darling," she said with a smile, as the sky turned black. Most sounds were gone now.

Izayoi exhaled deeply. "I-I... met someone, someone in the forest," she said, while not noticing that her face was completely red. "They're hurt... badly." She directed her eyes to the ground, hoping that Kaba would leave. Confiding shouldn't be this hard! "Mother... I-I... like them."

Kaba grinned. "Well now, that wasn't so bad," she said with a wider grin. "Male or female?" She dodged the rock that was thrown at her and ignored the "Why do I even bother talking to you!" comments. "Relax, child! Go on," she ushered with her hands.

Izayoi nodded. "Alright." She squeezed her hands together, hoping that her mother wouldn't hit or hate her. 'No,' she thought, 'Jai's not like that.' Some of her friends went through intense training to be a wife, while all she did was help gather vegetables and fetch water with her mother. Their mother's would beat them with sticks if they didn't do their orders right. The only thing Kaba had ever done to her was make her try on a wedding kimono. Actually, they were more like best friends rather than mother and daughter.

"H-he's a... demon."

Kagome's sweat dropped. I guess it's like 'mother' like son...

Standing, she set Shippou next to Kirara in Sango's lap. Giving a small smile to her friends, she made her way to the entrance of the hut. "I'll be back." She didn't bother looking at them as she stepped out. A few villagers had been listening, which made her want to slap them. Her eyes widened when one of them pointed a finger at her.

"Inuyasha's aura lingers on it!"

Kagome felt her vision turn black and white. Since when was she considered an IT? The last time she checked, she was still human. Shaking her head, a tear fell down her cheek at how cruel people were in the past. This still went on in her time, but at least these kinds of people were isolated and forced to discuss these matters in groups, mostly therapy.

She felt everything move in slow motion when someone threw a tomato at her left sleeve. She watched as the juices sunk in, and then the rest of the fruit fell to the ground. She was by then fully crying, but she still continued on her way, hoping she was going in the right direction she thought she saw Inuyasha walk in. She ignored the tomatoes that were still being thrown at her body.

Inuyasha... help me.

Inuyasha stared down at the stone. It meant nothing to him, for he couldn't dig it out of the ground and meet his mother's remains. He needed to see her, for her to hold him, for her to tell him that everything was ok. This happened whenever someone in the village would make fun of him for being a hanyou.

Looking down at the two foot tall stone, his eyes began to water. He hated showing emotion, and he slapped himself in the face when the tears started falling uncontrollably. "I'm sorry..." he said while shielding his eyes with his bangs. "It's all my fault you're dead."

Losing his mother was like losing a piece of who he was. She was his best friend up until the day he met Kagome. She had to jump in and save him from the demon... she just had to save him with her priestess abilities. No she didn't. He soon came to find that he was doing what he did when he was a child. He would constantly blame himself for the cause of his mother's death. After all, until he gathered the little courage he had to run away, the villagers wouldn't let him live to the end of it.

Sighing, the hanyou sniffled. Today was the day his mother had died. Today was also his birthday. Today was also the day that his mother and father had met. Unlike human children, demons spent a year inside their mothers, hence the reason why he was born so late, and yet he was still two years older than Kagome, and a year older than Sango.

Inuyasha's eyes widened when he felt the light breeze push him in the back. "I'm not a baby anymore. I'm twenty now," he informed, as a light smile came onto his face. Even if Izayoi was long gone, her spirit would live forever. And even if he loved the fact that the spirit was telling him to stop crying, he found it in him to continue doing so.

Narrowing his eyes, he got down on a knee in front of the stone. He had set his mother's favorite flowers, the Kaba flower, down to let her know that he had come. "I would have come sooner, but that damn barrier kept me from doing so," he confessed, as he stretched his hand out on the cold rock. Never would she know how much he missed her.

Today was the anniversary of so many things, so many terrible things had happened on this day, the day of his birth included.

He wanted to ask what in the hell his parents were thinking when they brought him into the world. They both knew that it would be nothing but trouble to have him, but they had kept him. To make things worse, his father wasn't around to raise him, for he had died saving his life, the same as his mother. If it weren't for that damn demon... He choked on his saliva. You'd still be here.

He loved this woman so much.

Why'd she have to leave me? ...Why'd she have to go? Letting his eyes close, the memories of having a mother flooded his mind. She had taught him how to walk, talk, read, write, be a man, talk back to others that would insult him, and all those other things mothers taught their offspring. He had by that time started shaking. It's all my damn fault, Mom! I'm a damn hanyou! All demons hate me!

Exhaling deeply, he found that he was losing control. "Yes, Kagome?" Even with his eyes closed and his demon powers temporarily gone, he could tell when Kagome was near by a long shot. "You came to find me by yourself?"

Kagome looked at the back of his head. She had been standing patiently behind him for about three minutes, quietly waiting for him to finish having his conversation with his mother. She didn't find this weird whatsoever. He was just a man who loved his mother deeply. "...Yes," she said while fiddling with the end of her skirt. "I-I was worried." That was it? So he wasn't going to yell?

Inuyasha stayed in his place in front of his mother's remains. "Oh," was all he said, as he slowly opened his eyes. His mother wasn't standing in front of him with her kind smile on her face. When she had given birth to him all the men stopped chasing her and all her friends stopped talking to her. He was known as a curse to humanity, some had said.

Standing, he looked over his shoulder at Kagome with her hair stuck to her head and sticky looking, and a red shirt that should be white. Her skirt that should be green was almost a brownish color. "What hap-"

"Nothing!" Kagome said in a hushed tone, as she set a hand on Inuyasha's cheek, noticing the three lines on it that were leaking blood. "You shouldn't hurt yourself! BAKA!" she yelled, as she pulled him down about twenty feet to the huge lake that sat in the middle of the lands.

"Please don't be upset with me for leaving," she said while looking to the side, as she tore off a clean portion of her skirt and dipped it in the cool water. "I figured out on my own that today is the day that your mother died, as well as your birthday." She could also sense his body growth.

Inuyasha's eyes widened, but he still forced himself to nod at her. She refused to meet his eyes, which was causing him to become concerned for this girl. "I'm not," he said as she set the material on his cheek, wiping off the blood. He didn't expect for her to grab his claw in the process, wiping the blood from it as well. "Kagome... look at me."

"Stop acting so self conscious!" she pleaded, as she scooted a foot away from him. "It's not like you, not at all." She shook slightly when his eyes pierced through her small body that was nothing compared to his. "I-I lost someone this way too." She slapped a hand over her mouth at her words. "Gomen nasi! Gomen nasi!"

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at her, and removed her hand. Looking her up and down, he couldn't find a trace of sadness on her if it bit him in the ass. She always looked happy, and staring at him right now, had a smile on her face even though she knew she was covered in tomato juice and smelt tart. "W-who was it?" he tried to ask without a care, and got a blow in the back from his mother's spirit.

Kagome looked at where her hand was. Inuyasha's hand was covering it, as if he was soothing her pain and agony. "I don't think much of it now, but it was my father." She looked to the side. "We were in a car-" She paused when Inuyasha looked confused. "Those things with four wheels that go vroom?" When she got a nod, she continued. "Let's just say that there was someone who was drinking a little too much sake that night."

Inuyasha nodded with much interest. "Was it him?"

Kagome shook her head. "No... it was a hit and run." She once again got the look of confusion. "A hit and run is when you hit someone and... run." That was pretty much self explanatory. "The car, the thing with four wheels that goes vroom, went on its side." Her voice was becoming hoarse. "...My father and I were still inside."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. She was right, he thought as he squeezed her hand without control of himself. "You were ok, right?" His self control level was dropping. All too much had happened. In fact, if they hadn't been in the area and he hadn't sensed his growth, he would have probably gone another year without seeing his mother.

"Just a few cuts and bruises."

Inuyasha noticed the smile on her face as she said this. "What the hell are you so happy about?" he asked with a glare. "A death in the family is something someone like me finds depressing," he informed. "Smiling isn't exactly the best thing I would do."

Kagome giggled. "Silly!" She slapped him playfully on the arm. "It's the last thing he said to me before dying that makes me smile." His last words were what made her smile on the anniversary of his death, while her mother and Souta cried all over each other until they looked deadly pale. "He told me to smile for him." She wiped under her eye with her free hand. "He said that every time I smile that I shine."

Inuyasha looked at her and smiled as well, while making sure to pay attention to her face. She does. Blushing, he knew the last thing his mother had said to him before bleeding to death, though he didn't understand what it meant. Headstrong... what the hell does that mean?

Taking off his haori, he put it around Kagome's shoulders when he saw her flinch from the light breeze. He knew it was his mother's antics, but yelling at her to leave him alone wasn't the best thing he could do at the moment. He wanted to ask about the tomatoes, but making fun of her was the last thing he felt like doing. She needed help, and so did he. They were both miserable in their own ways.

When she continued to smile at him, he did the same.

Whatever his mother meant, he would be headstrong until the day he would die... with Kagome Higurashi at his side. And who knows, he thought as he got up, holding his hand out to her, maybe she's talking about Kagome. While not letting go, he felt his face lighten. "Kagome..."

"Yes, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she made her way to her feet. "Something the matter?"

Inuyasha squeezed her hand, pulling her slightly closer to him, and led the way back to the village to retrieve their friends so they could continue their journey, letting their fingers come in contact with each other's on the way.

"Nope."

Brijustme- This story came to mind completely randomly. I don't really have an explanation, but I guess I could say I'm depressed. Having two broken fingers and typing is tough stuff! Whelp, the clam chowder in the microwave must be cold by now!

Much Love,

Brijustme