A/N: Set Before Miroku and Sango. And suspend belief in strict canon because he has the wind scar in this story.

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Unfortunate Life Decisions

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Every time she opened her mouth Inuyasha got angrier. He tried reasoning with her. It was beyond obvious that every day wasted cost lives and ran the risk of giving Naraku even more of an upper hand than he already possessed.

"I have to go back! I have a math test!" Kagome hissed as the hanyou stood stubbornly in front of her, "I'll use the word. Don't think I won't."

Frustration and fear built inside of him. Every damn time she went home, it ran his nerves ragged and not just because there were jewel shards to find. He couldn't protect her there. There he had to watch what he did or said lest he reveal himself. Didn't she understand that?! Of course she didn't. It was all about her. It was always all about her.

"I don't give a fuck," Inuyasha clipped back, "There's a rumor that some demon has a jewel shard a few villages over and we need to go. Now."

"Inuyasha…." Kagome warned in a low tone that made him cringe, "Let. Me. Go."

"I'll just come after ya and drag you back," Inuyasha bluffed as he towered over her and met her eye to eye, "Go ahead. Try me."

Moving aside, he smirked at her and watched her make her way slowly towards the well, never breaking eye contact with the predator ready to pounce. Throwing one leg over the lip of the well, she opened her mouth to say that accursed word when suddenly he covered the distance between them quicker than she could blink and quickly – yet gently – clasped his hand across her mouth.

"Ha. Can't say the word if you can't open your mouth," Inuyasha crooned evilly as he easily dragged her away from the well, "How about that?"

Reaching blindly behind her to grab onto something and gain the upper hand, Kagome's fingers wrapped themselves within his immense silver locks and pulled with all her might. While the yip of pain was satisfying, the sound that quickly followed brought only paralyzing fear and dread.

-SNAP-

It's was just so easy to be cruel in that moment. Months of suppressed rage was bubbling in his soul faster than magma and just as destructive. He'd show her who was in control. He'd show her.

"What're you gunna do now, Kagome?" Inuyasha crooned as he stared down at the beads and shells around his feet, "You aren't going home for a long, long time…"

"You wouldn't dare," Kagome hissed defiantly as she held her head high and turned to walk back towards the well, "Now I'm going home."

"What did I just say?!" Inuyasha bellowed back as he roughly gripped her shoulder and forced her to face him, "You're not going home until I say you're going home!"

"Is that so?!" Kagome snapped as she ripped herself free from his grip and turned back towards the well, "I'd like to see you try to stop me!"

Rage consumed him. Too long had he been her prisoner. Never being able to do what he wanted to do. Never having any say in where they went or what they did. Always being punished for the stupidest shit known to mankind. Shaking with ill-concealed rage, Inuyasha's knuckles were white from clenching his fist too hard, and he gritted his teeth so hard they threatened to crack under his efforts to remain silent, his hunched form exuded an animosity that was like acid - burning, slicing, potent. The hanyou's face flushed in anger to a crimson to rival the firerat and as Kagome threw her leg over the lip of the well once more he mentally snapped.

"You make one more move and I'm blowing that damn thing to smithereens," Inuyasha hissed coldly, "Now get your ass back over here."

Rolling her eyes – oblivious to the impending doom handing over her head – Kagome made to throw her other leg over the side when she suddenly found herself being thrown onto the dirt. That eye roll was the final mento in the coke that was his rage and it erupted with such force it surprised even him.

"Hey! What're you…" Kagome bellowed before trailing off and gasping in horror as she removed his sword from it's sheath and raised it above his head.

"I'm fucking destroying this shit," Inuyasha hissed cruelly as he sent a cool smirk over his shoulder, "Then you'll fucking have to…"

"NOOOOO!" Kagome screamed as she flung herself to cling to one of his arms. "No, don't destroy it! Don't…"

"This damn thing has caused enough fucking problems," Inuyasha hissed as he tried to shake her off, "Without it, we can go find all the jewel shards in no time without all this dillydallying."

"But…but I'll never see my family again," Kagome whispered quietly, "And school…"

"Ever ask all those people who've died because you shattered the jewel if they wanted to see their families again?" Inuyasha clipped back in a cruel tone, "Did they care that you didn't do well in class? Was their death inconvenient for you?"

Wincing at how pale her face became, Inuyasha admitted to himself that was a low blow. It wasn't her fault the damn jewel broke. It was an accident. Still…

"I won't destroy it," Inuyasha sighed before adding quickly in a harsh tone, "But I will if you ever step foot near it again. Got that?!"

Nodding numbly, Kagome found herself being flung over the hanyou's shoulder and silently grieved as the well slowly vanished from sight.