Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
She felt the tears falling lightly down her face. It was wrong to be crying, she knew it. But she couldn't help it. There was a difference. She would stop, if she had a choice. But her heart refused to stop squeezing, and hands refused to stop balling, and her eyes refused to stop producing tears. She relaxed one clenched fist to gently stroke the wood of the Bone Eater's Well. With a loud sigh, she narrowed her caress to a fingertip, tracing the natural lines in the wood. She sniffed, a reaction from crying, and it sounded like the loudest noise around her. The trees quietly whispered, and small critters were scurrying in the woods. She was in the Feudal Era, and after surviving yet another fight with her half-demon companion, she had trudged to the symbol of safety, the portal connecting opposite worlds, her own personal barrier. She inhaled sharply, letting the cool night air burn her lungs. It wasn't a horrible fight.
It was just another small bickering, but it was the last straw that day. All he had been doing was complaining and insulting. When he finally told her she was "a dumb, shard detecting tool", she had given up, sitting him into oblivion and storming off. She didn't need to look up to see where she was going. Walking through Inuyasha's forest and to the Bone Eater's Well was like second nature; a secret path to go home. She involuntarily shivered. It was slightly colder than she imagined. But she didn't let the cold get to her. It wasn't enough to make her want to move. She sat perfectly still, pale legs stretched forward, head leaning on the well, and her fingertip still slowly moving up and down the callous pattern of the well. Her tears had slowed down. They were more so from anger than sadness. Of course, she wished her secret affection would be returned, but that was just a hopeful speaking. She was known for being optimistic and looking on the brighter side. But even she knew that this was beyond her control. She could make situations better, if she tried. But she couldn't change his heart, and she knew where it lay.
Kikyo.
Died in a lack of trust in her own love, yet continued to try and take him with her. At this point, Kikyo wasn't the same woman she used to be. She was no longer bent on destroying her first love and taking him to the depths of hell. She realized her true intent, and was now focused on purifying the demon Naraku. It wasn't the cold that caused a shiver this time.
As her muscles twitched, her finger ran quickly down the well, and a small splinter imbedded itself in her soft touch. She winced, and gave a small squeak in disdain. She examined her finger closely, and saw the splinter making a deep home on the pad of her pointer finger. She furrowed her brows in disagreement, mentally cursing the well for sending its minion to prank her. She used her thumb nail to scrape it off, only pushing it farther in her skin. She sighed once again and leaned her head back on the well, keeping her finger a safe distance. After a few moments, she felt her finger produce a slight increase in pain, and she looked at her splinter finger once again to see a drop of blood. She shook her head, put her finger in her mouth and closed her eyes.
It's just my luck, she thought, to start bleeding when I'm alone. When she opened her eyes, her vision was blocked with a deep shade of red. She gasped and sat up straight, backing into the well with a grunt.
"I-Inuyasha!" she stammered. She felt a gentle blush creep up on her cheeks. It was quickly followed with a remembrance of earlier events. Anger seethed in her tone. "What are you doing here?" She put a hand on her hip to emphasize her point. He still stood above her, arms crossed, brows pulled tight, and his lips in a taut line. His golden orbs peered down at the crumpled priestess, making her feel uneasy. He released a disapproving grunt, and lowered himself to his haunches to be on the same eye level. She glared back at him with the force of a kitten. He reached out and took her finger, observing it much like she had. She hoped to Hades that he couldn't see the blush growing in shades or the warmth flowing through her fingers. Using his claws as tweezers, he gripped the splinter and slowly massaged it out of the wound. She inhaled through clenched teeth, and he glanced up through his lashes.
"Human," he muttered. She gave a fake smile, and continued to watch his work. At last, the splinter came free. He flicked it away with disgust, and made sure her small puncture was no longer bleeding.
"Come on," he complained, standing back up. "It's getting dark. The others will start to worry." He started walking away until he noticed that she hadn't moved. He looked down to see her staring at her finger. He tuned towards her.
"Hey, wench. I said let's go!" She lifted her head to give him her best glare. She'd been practicing.
"Just because you help me out for a sec doesn't mean I'm coming back! I'm going home!" She crossed her arms. He imitated.
"You're not going back! You just got here!" he yelled. He walked closer. She stood up.
"Yes I am! You're a jerk, and I want to go home!" She turned towards the well and lifted her leg over the lip. Just as she was about to fling herself into the blue swirling vortex, a clawed hand grabbed a hold of her wrist. She swung her head and came face to face with a temperamental half demon. Her façade faltered for a brief second as her proximity to her desire hit her with an unexpected force. He, too, seemed to notice their closeness. He released her wrist, but stayed where he was.
"You're not going home. It's nighttime. You'll wake everyone up. Now just come back to Kaede's and you can go back later." This time he didn't turn to leave right away.
"And why should I, Inuyasha?" She folded her arms, careful not to rub her finger on her clothes.
"Because I said so! That should be good enough!" He once again mimicked her actions. She didn't understand why he couldn't come up with his own movements. She wanted to giggle but knew that it would throw off her act. Instead, she kept her face stern and with a purpose.
"Inuyasha, you can't just expect me to listen to you. Why should I? Give me a real answer, or I'll go home right now."
"I did, wench. It's late. You can't go prancing around at night." His expression began to lose its force.
"But I don't want to be here," she lied. She, too, felt her face lose its seriousness. His face softened, and his ears flattened against his head. She immediately regretted her words.
"I mean, it's not that, it's just…well you were being so mean earlier, Inuyasha. It's hard to take sometimes." She let her eyes fall downwards. "I thought going back home would be good space." Silence fell between them. The wind was whistling a content tune, and it seemed like the stars could be heard gently twinkling above them. Peaceful and tranquil, the Feudal Era worked its magic on the teens in denial.
With a soft breeze, the hair of both the priestess and the half demon blew. The tips of their tendrils tickled each others face, and their eyes met. Melting chocolate gazed into burning gold, and for a moment, that's all they saw. She wasn't a priestess. He wasn't a half demon. She hadn't been upset. He hadn't been mean. They were both with each other, alone in the middle of the unintentionally magical woods, and that's all that mattered. A small smile played on her lips.
This time, though, the half demon didn't mimic. When her gesture of forgiveness wasn't returned, the smile faded. She had been hurt yet again, in such a perfect moment. Instantly, the half demon wrapped a sturdy arm around her waist, pulling her off the well and into an embrace. Her eyes popped, and her mouth fell open. She felt hands on the back of her head occasionally fingering her strands as if he were combing her hair with his claws.
"Kagome," he whispered. Her heart fluttered in her chest. "Please." Tears welled up in her eyes. He wasn't usually affectionate, and when he was, she couldn't contain herself. She buried her face in his robe, wrapping her frail arms around his body and squeezing. She never wanted to let go. He pulled her tighter against him, lowering his head to bury his face in her hair.
"Kagome," he whispered yet again. She sighed against his chest, and he knew he was forgiven. He wasn't the best at apologies, and even though it was just her, he still had trouble. He was grateful for her forgiveness, as he didn't want her to leave for any reason. Good things must come to an end, though, and he pulled back slowly, keeping her at a close distance. She smiled at him. He mimicked. And the Feudal Era sent another encouraging breeze toward the teens in love.
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