Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha and company or the storyline.
AN: The idea for this story came from a dream I had. Please read and review. It is now 1:30am. Happy belated 4th of July everyone!
Kagome sat on the fuzzy ground against the white wall in her home. Her knees were drawn to her chest and she stared dully over them, at the white-carpeted floor. The house was dark and quiet. The lights had been off ever since she'd gotten home and she hadn't bothered turned them on. She just undressed herself in somewhat mechanical movements and took up the position she's currently occupying. The dullness of her dark blue eyes gave away her feelings of bleakness. She sighed softly, ignoring her surroundings as she went over the problem in her head for what had to be the thousandth time.
InuYasha.
It wasn't as simple as it had been all those years ago, the meaningless little arguments they had so often… and the more serious ones about Kikyo. This time it was more complicated than any of those slightly compromising situations; back when she used to jump through the well to see him, just pass through time whenever she wished. How she wished she could do just that again. Travel back in time to where this all began. Find out about his apparent rebirth. She'd jump at any chance presented to do so.
She knew they had all been reincarnated. The other day, she saw Sango and Miroku crossing a street talking about how many kids they were going to have. There was no doubt in her mind that it was them. Her soul had become so accustomed to the presence of theirs; She felt the connection more than she realized just how shockingly identical the two individuals looked to her friends from the past.
It was from that very day when she'd seen her friends that she was determined to search them out and hope they remembered their past lives. She wished to find them again as well as the one person who meant everything to her. The person she would have easily died for without a second thought. The person who tortured her so much but made her happy with just his presence.
Kagome had found her old friends and amazingly enough they went by the same names: Sango and Miroku; she sadly understood they couldn't remember their pasts except for random flashbacks and even then it was only Miroku who received them. Then she searched for InuYasha, but to no avail. She searched every source available to her for mention of his name, his ancestry, his characteristics, anything relating to the hanyou she loved but found nothing that would aid in seeing him again.
It began to worry her. Maybe he wasn't going to be reincarnated the same. What if his soul was at permanent rest? Were demons different when it came to reincarnations? She had too many unanswered questions and she didn't know what to do; She felt hopeless. Nothing could help the aching in her heart except the man she loved. So, in a desperate attempt, she kept searching looking for other friends of theirs.
She found Shippo, though he was no longer the young looking child he once was and he wasn't a reincarnation. He was the same kitsune as five centuries and half a decade ago, memories intact and all. She was extremely happy to see him and they still stayed in touch as she did with Sango and Miroku. She tried to find Kouga and succeeded. He was married to Ayame and they had four children. They also were not reincarnations though they didn't look a day older than when Kouga himself courted her. She even found Sesshomaru who seemed slightly more tolerant of average humans. He was a solemn person; she had realized it must have been after his only wife, Rin's, death that this continuous sadness took hold of him. He had no children and was a corporate big shot that no longer desired anything. He also looked the same; after a private meeting with him, she realized his attitude and presence were more or less the same: indifferent and demanding attention at the same time. When she asked him if he knew of anything concerning his brother; he stated a simple negative answer and continued saying he hadn't bothered to search for him any more ten years after the final battle, when Naraku disappeared. Then as an after thought and after taking in her expression he voiced allowed his renewed desire to search for his sibling. She had thanked him and left his office.
After that day, she went back to searching. From what she gathered, InuYasha should still be alive unless he was killed. He was half demon. Still, she found nothing on him. She was left with only her memories of him.
It was before the last battle, when InuYasha had asked her to go with him into the forest. Briefly, she wondered why he asked her to do such a thing but eventually gave up pondering; this was InuYasha, the most unpredictable person when it came to his actions. Finally, in a random clearing, they stopped. There, under the evening sky, he told her he didn't love Kikyo. What a way to start a conversation. She smiled sadly at the memory.
"Okay, so, what does that mean?"
"Just what I said! I don't love Kikyo, are you retarded or something?"
She bit her lip in annoyance, "InuYasha! Just because you're trying to explain your feelings, it does not give you the right to be rude!"
"Am I that obvious?" he asked with a slight pout as his ears drooped slightly.
Giggling and without thinking she said the first thing that came to her mind, "You're so cute."
They both stood still for a moment. Neither one knew how to react to the statement. InuYasha's expression was something akin to shock and admiration with a hint of embarrassment. He wished he could be so open with his thoughts. Then he moved forward, slowly, until he was inches away from her.
"And you're so beautiful," he said softly, his golden eyes flickering across her face from his position above her.
Suddenly Kagome felt intimidated, he was tall… and brave, and strong… and so sweet sometimes. But this was a completely new level. This was the most romantic thing he ever said to her. Suddenly, her breath left her as his hand reached up and a single finger delicately caressed her cheek.
"What could have I ever done to deserve someone as perfect as you?"
A flush crossed the girl's cheeks and he leaned down, painfully slow, touching his lips to hers.
Her mind went into shock and she didn't move. Sensing what he thought was discomfort or fear, he pulled back quickly with a nervous look in his eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that; I understand if you hate me now and you can go ahead and sit me until tomorrow, just please don't cry," he didn't want her to think of him as disgusting.
He caught the scent of salt and stiffly turned to see her with tears streaming down her face. He was alarmed by her reaction but didn't have a chance to think as she quite literally pounced on him, sending them both to the floor. He stared up questioningly at the girl straddling him. Did she feel the need to hit him? But before he opened his mouth fully, hers was sealed to his. Time stood still and he closed his eyes as she kissed him so passionately he thought he might pass out for no apparent reason. Eventually she removed her lips from his with the need to breathe.
"I love you too, InuYasha," she said breathlessly and smiled down at him. He never really said it but she knew that's the point he was trying to get across. He never really was good with words.
His eyes were still closed and his lips were moving as if to make a sound but he could not find his voice, lying there on the forest floor with a pretty girl on top of him.
She giggled at his impression of a fish.
"Ahem! Wha-what are you laughing at, woman?" he said rather squeakily, a blush on his face.
His exclamation only made her laugh harder. So, to silence her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back down for another kiss.
An annoyed "ahem" was heard and the two looked up, lips still attached to each other's, to see Shippo tapping his foot impatiently.
"We're about to go into battle with Naraku and this is what you're doing? Sucking face?" he said as if he were disgusted
Suddenly Sango and Miroku entered the clearing with Kirara. Sango immediately turned with a hand over her forehead and a blush. Miroku smirked.
"Last minute quickie, just in case? Good thinking InuYasha!" the man with dark hair winked.
The two on the floor quickly separated. Kagome dusted herself off and smoothed out her skirt. InuYasha glared.
"Ha ha, monk," he said icily.
--
That was the last time she was alone with InuYasha. The next day the battle took place and in the end… not everything was happy. The last she remembered, Sango was injured and lying on the floor, Shippo was next to her protecting her as well and Miroku was in front of them both using his kazaana and staff to battle off random demons, risking his life as Saimyosho repeatedly flew into the wind tunnel.
InuYasha was still fighting Naraku himself with the help of Kagura and Kouga. Sesshomaru stood off to the side with Rin and Jaken, not getting involved, but interested in the fight. Kanna was still on Naraku's side helping him with the aid of her mirror as well as Kikyo. InuYasha refused to allow anyone to harm Kikyo but in the end, Koga gave her the final hit and she dropped to the ground reaching for InuYasha. He immediately fled to her side and Kagome felt nauseous as he did so and it wasn't because of the hurt he'd caused in her heart. Her soul was reacting to the death of Kikyo's clay body and she felt like she was going to pass out. Koga was running towards her and the only person battling Naraku was Kagura until Sesshomaru entered the fight.
She couldn't understand what was happening but in a blinding violet blast of light, everyone was knocked to the ground including herself. Suddenly, she recognized Naraku hovering over her back in his normal form. At first, he gave her look of contempt and she tried to push him away. He raised one eyebrow, smirked and grabbed her wrist with one hand, the other going to her hip. She was getting dizzy. Next thing she knew, Naraku licked her neck and dug his nails into her side, piercing the scar where the Shikon no tama came out. She recognized InuYasha screaming her name and she leaned her head back with a moan of pain. A white light shone and Naraku disappeared. Her heavily lidded eyes looked up to see golden. In her hand, she felt the jewel, its power radiating to her very core. She smiled and lifted her weak hand and the orb to the hanyou. His hand covered hers and she fell back, her eyes closing allowing her to slip into unconsciousness. The last thing she heard was InuYasha's cry of "no."
When she woke up, she was at home. She asked her family what happened, where was InuYasha and how she got there. They had no real answers for her besides the fact that when they returned home, she was in her bed, with a bleeding scar on her side as a result of the last attack Naraku had made.
That moment, she ran to the well to search for InuYasha and make sure he and the others were alright, but the well wouldn't take her. It had been sealed by some power. She didn't know what to think. Did InuYasha seal it? Did Naraku reappear and find a way to close it? What happened? She didn't know.
For the next year, she wondered all the possible what ifs. Maybe InuYasha wished Kikyo back to life now that he had the Shikon and forgot all about her. Maybe he turned full demon. None of the ponderings helped her understand why she was back in her era with no link to the past.
After a long period of mourning for her lost love and her friends, she decided to take care of what she needed to do in this life. She would never forget her friends or InuYasha but she decided she needed to make a life for herself here, now that there was no alternative. She decided to move on although she was sure her heart would never heal. She would never love again. Nothing could compare to the way she felt about InuYasha, even if half the time she loved him it was unrequited. All those years of waiting until InuYasha finally told her he loved her and then they were separated. Life was just too cruel.
Sighing once more, Kagome lifted her head, leaning it back against the wall as she stared at the ceiling through the darkness. She wished he would come back to her. So badly, she wanted him to hold her the way he had that last night they spoke. Nevertheless, he wouldn't, not ever again. And, there was nothing she could do about it.
She found him, in the least expected of ways but she did find him. So close, he was and yet he would never be hers. Fate was against her.
She blinked her eyes, as the lights were turned on. She turned her sad eyes to the hand that flipped the switch. It was his. InuYasha's hand, without the claws.
She heard a giggle and a sharp pain rammed her heart.
She was kissing him, and they were walking blindly into the room. Her best friend and roommate, Ayumi was his new girlfriend.
They fell on the couch and she lowered her eyes to the ground as the two continued to laugh and kiss.
He was the same. Same silver hair and golden eyes, only now he had no puppy ears and no lethal claws. He even had the rosary around his neck. She would bet her life it was the same necklace, though she never dared to try the command and was careful with her words around him.
She saw her friend lift her head from her place on top of the man she loved, her friend's latest boy toy.
"Kagome!" she said ditzily. She was drunk.
InuYasha looked back as well, his head going over the armrest on the sofa.
"Ka-chan?" he smirked at her upside down form. He was completely sober.
She flinched at the sound of his voice.
Why did he have to make it harder? She knew he didn't remember her. She figured out that much but she still didn't know why. He wasn't a reincarnation. He was the real thing, she felt it. Though she didn't know how he managed to make himself look more human. His entire demeanor had changed. He was no longer the person she knew. He was a pompous fool.
She stood up and felt his eyes follow her.
"I'm going to bed," she said softly, moving her eyes to a now dozing Ayumi and wide awake InuYasha.
"Can I come?" he asked after he stood up, leaving Ayumi on the couch, sleeping.
"You already know the answer to that," Kagome rolled her eyes. Why did he change? Where was the real InuYasha, the one she fell in love with?
"I'll take that as a yes," he said and made his way over to her.
She glared at him. He just smiled back, putting an arm around her waist to rest her hand on her hip. She shivered involuntarily.
He was still InuYasha. She still loved him, but she wasn't supposed to. Not any more! Her friend was happy with him. She might've actually settled down.
She was a wild one, Ayumi. So to think she was ready to stay with one person was a miracle. Even if it was her InuYasha, she would have to deal. He wasn't really the same.
Though she doubted the golden-eyed boy would want to stay with the same person, it would be good for Ayumi to be happy, even if only for a little while.
"InuYasha, leave me alone," she said quietly pushing his hand away. She was annoyed.
"Why?"
"Because, I'm tired and I can't deal with you right now," she continued.
He held her wrist, "Kagome, just one night and I'll leave you alone."
She glared at him. That was the single most disgusting thing she had ever heard come out of his mouth. She pulled her hand away roughly.
"I can't believe you!" she shrieked, tears escaping from her eyes.
"Come on, why must you make everything so complicated?" he asked. For some reason he was hurting inside; he didn't want her to cry.
"No, leave me alone! You dog!" she hissed.
His eyes turned sharp amber, but he let go of her wrist and she ran to her room. Why was that girl so frustrating? All he wanted was to have a little bit of fun. Why didn't she?
He sniffed the air. She smelled so delicious. He could never get enough of her scent.
Sighing, he picked up Ayumi and set her on her own bed in her room. That done he made his way to the bathroom, to take a shower. He closed the door behind once in the small room. Kagome's scent was everywhere he realized as he let his clothes drop to the floor and released his identity spell. Dog-ears appeared at the top of his head and claws were back on his fingers. She was in the shower recently he understood from the concentration of her scent. He glanced over to the side and saw her underclothing strewn on the floor as he twisted the shower knobs and water washed over him. "She forgets not only females live here," he chuckled.
--
Kagome sobbed in her room. Why was he so horrible?
She heard the shower go on in the bathroom across from the door to her room.
It wasn't fair. Nothing was fair anymore. Why couldn't he be the same easily flustered hanyou he had once been. Why did he change?
She didn't know what to do with herself, so she went to sleep, hoping, in the morning, everything would be different and InuYasha would be the same old InuYasha he was 500 years ago. No Ayumi attached.
--
AN: Please review! I need encouragement! I'm really excited about this story and I have plans for it but I need to know if people are reading. This is like the first story I feel I can go somewhere with! If not I'll just take the story down and keep it for my own writing purposes. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas for me to incorporate in the story please voice them and I'll see what I can do. If not just tell me your opinions on my writing. Or just say hi! I don't really care as long as you review!