A/N: Firstly, I just would like to give an ENORMOUS thank you to those who have taken interest! It's widely exciting and I appreciate you SO much^_^ Secondly, I would like to disclaim all rights to InuYasha and its characters. The anime/manga and all its entirety belongs rightfully to the marvelous and awe-inspiring creator, Rumiko Takahashi.
Now, onwards with the next chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Caught Up
"Would ya two morons stop movin' so much!" Koga growled at his comrades.
"S-sorry K-Koga, it's c-cold," Ginta and Hakkaku replied in an annoyingly peculiar sync.
The three stood in chilling knee deep water, water that was admittedly a tad colder than usual on this night, while a cool breeze swept over the land. Their hair softly swayed with the pull of the air. It was a quiet night. The usual swish of the trees blowing back and forth, rustling armies of leaves colliding into one another, the wolves quietly panted and paced around the dirt allowing tiny whines of impatience to occasionally escape them, and of course the soothing trickle of flowing water. Given there was not the usual abundance of fish wriggling down stream, it hindered chances of arriving back to the cave with confidence and a smile. Koga had a pack to provide for. Fish was not by any means the ideal choice for a group of carnivorous wolves but upon heavy search up and down the forest, no boars were to be found. He had to make due and at minimum, return with just enough for everyone to have something for the night. And it definitely did not help with two shaking wolf demons disrupting visibility of the water through unnecessary rippling.
"If the water hasn't numbed ya up by now, either ya get out or I need ya to focus!" He sharply hissed out the last word in frustration.
It had been difficult to gather enough food during the last few weeks to sustain everyone at the cave. Perhaps it was the change of season? Perhaps not. Perhaps Koga's own ability to focus wholly was at fault. The tribe leader had much on his brain. With thinning advances to scavenge daily, a strenuous drive to discover Naraku's whereabouts and needless to say, a persistent and forever burning impulse to know if she was okay.
"We-were tryin' our b-best, boss!" They shivered, palms held shakily over the water.
He sighed. "Just try to control yourselves alright? We gotta scoop up a few more before we can start heading back." He prompted before treading upstream a bit in attempt to distance himself from those two fools. Fools they were but Koga knew he would, without hesitation, take the life of anyone- or anything - that so much as attempted to cause them harm.
The wolves raised their heads and watched him attentively as he distanced himself upstream. Whimpers of concern left their bodies. Two of the smaller, less experienced wolves began to gallop near the rivers edge until they were alongside Koga. Who hadn't gone to far. Only a few yards ahead. The wolves whimpered loudly at their leader once more.
"I know, I know you're starvin'. Won't be to long so pipe down, alright?"
The two wolves obeyed with one final whimper. Their ears flattened against their heads as they lowered their bodies to the ground. Once settled, they turned in unison towards the delectable pile of freshly caught fish sitting right across the river, stacked neatly over large green leaves. The two famished canines drooled.
As Koga neared the small waterfall ahead, he felt his skin begin to sting as the chill of the deepening water slowly rose up his legs. He disregarded the sensation and continued on, the bare bottoms of his feet slowly indenting the soft riverbed, allowing small clouds of dirt to puff up into the water and quickly after, settle into his prints. But suddenly, one unfortunate step landed him into an unseen dip in the riverbed with a splash and he found himself in deepened water risen past his hips. He groaned.
"Just my luck, huh?" He said to himself before retracing his steps backward into shallower water. Had no intention on gettin' the tail wet tonight but shit's just been flyin'. He thought to himself as he allowed his tail to remain underwater, now swaying with the chilled, gentle flow.
"You doin' alright over there, Koga?" Ginta called out from downstream.
Without turning back, Koga raised a hand in the air and dismissed them with a single wave.
Koga was straightforward majority of the time with a wild attitude and substantial concern for survival. Identical to an actual wolf, he has always been intuitively in sync with his natural instincts and would never hesitate to act upon them. However, his utmost heartfelt emotions, remain hidden deep within him. Held with no intention of release. However he, as any other, allowed certain issues to linger within his mind. He was not easily distracted by any means but something in the air had him on edge tonight. He felt an unusually great sense of defensiveness surround him, but he could not for the life of him distinguish what for. There were no enemies nearby nor any approaching demon presences, nothing seemed off about the land surrounding, he nor Ginta nor Hakkaku were wounded, and his pack had experienced no loss in a decent amount of time. So what could this uneasiness be the result of? He felt an inordinately great strain to protect. But to protect what? Nothing at the moment could possibly be considered in danger.
Moments passed as the three steadied patiently in the water, paying close attention for any river inhabitants to make an unfortunate final pass under one of the clawed hands eagerly awaiting above the surface.
All of a sudden Kogas eyes instinctively darted upstream as two large silver bodies hastily wiggled their way over the edge of the falls, and soon... toward their death. He smirked.
"Here we go boys," He called, eyes locked on his prey. "Be ready."
Koga stood nearest to the approaching fish, while Ginta and Hakkaku took two places further downstream.
Three pairs of claws. No chance they're gettin' away.
The fish were a mere twenty feet away as the eager wolf demon waited, carefully observing them as they danced along the riverbed. Oh man was Koga ready for this. He could see it now; his claws piercing through the scales of one of em', burying deep into their head, robbing it's last glimmer of life. He was ready to do the job and get out of this damn frigid water. However, his thoughts were rudely interrupted by a sharp pain felt on the heel of his left foot. He quickly yanked his foot forward as his eyes scanned the water, causing a small splash above the surface, disrupting visibility. And expectantly, a disturbance under as well. His distracted eyes shot back to the position of the fish which he found were now swimming in place, unmoving. Dammit. A hiss left Kogas lips as the heel harboring his new wound began to sting. He looked down once again into the settling surface to see a thin ribbon of blood exiting the back of his heel, flowing slightly downstream before dissipating among the water.
You're fucking kidding me.
The injury itself was not heavily painful, but the timeliness of the occurrence was incredibly eyes frantically searched the riverbed around him in attempt to stand still as he was trying not to cause any further ruckus in the water.
Ginta and Hakkaku had noticed Kogas fidgeting and lifted their heads to focus on him. They both raised a brow as he looked rather strange with his eyes jumping around the water, looking vastly irritated. Concern crept over their features as their excellent eyesight took notice of the thin stream of red flowing from beneath the surface of where Koga stood. Soon enough their concern quickly diminished as their mouths began to twist into a smile, holding back laughter as they discovered the culprit creeping away under the crystal clear water from where Koga stood. A single giant crayfish.
Hakkaku raised a straightened hand to shield his mouth as he whispered toward Ginta. "Go figure. The young and powerful leader of the wolf demon tribe finds himself fatefully outsmarted by a crayfish." The two began to burst out into a silent chuckle fest.
Koga's ear twitched and he shot the two slackers a deadly glare. Upon notice of Koga's warning, their quiet laughter halted immediately as their mouths shrank into a small line. Koga then shifted his body so he could inspect the area behind him and sure enough, there was that damned coward on the bottom of the riverbed crawling away with open pinchers. Koga growled before sweeping his good heel right into the hard exterior of the formidable crustacean, lifting it up into the water, allowing it to get caught in the running flow. Ginta and Hakkaku's gaze followed the now tumbling crayfish as it swirled past them down stream. Koga lifted his foot out in front of his body to inspect his injury. A single, clean, horizontal gash across the back of his heel was to be seen through the water. It seeped small streams of blood. How could that little bastard have managed such a cut?! Koga exhaled hard in annoyance.
"You sure showed him, boss!" Hakkaku congratulated while holding a fist in the air.
"Shut up!" Koga snarled through his teeth whilst returning his foot back to the bottom of the river.
He had enough of this. They've spent an unnecessary amount of time here. His eyes reverted back into the direction of the fish to find them missing! Of course. Dammit all. He turned to face his comrades but before he could manage a single word...
"Behind you Koga!" Ginta warned.
Koga's eyes shot to the right. It took him nearly half a second to sense the quickly approaching silver body. He shifted his weight, stealthily launching himself out of the water. He was fast. His movement was blurred and the sudden jump had barely caused the water to stir. Small waves sent off in all directions forming a perfect expanding circle from where he had leapt. Whilst midair he leaned his head backward and his body followed, completing half a back flip allowing his line of sight straight down over the fish. He smirked as gravity did the rest.
Ginta and Hakkaku watched in awe. They adored their leaders imposing skill. Even envied it, for fair reason. How could they not? That was a pretty damn impressive display.
How To Catch A Fish With Style 101, brought to you by Koga.
A swift blur launched itself from under the water and landed on dry ground in front of Ginta and Hakkaku, who were still shaking in the river. Beads of water dripped from the tips of Koga's hair, the fur of his armor, and down his skin. He had initially intended to leave this area mostly dry with nothing but dampened shin guards. Yet there he stood, soaking wet. But meh, he got the thing done even having a little fun with the kill to conclude. His fingers hooked under the fish's gill, slinging the unlucky creature over his shoulder.
"Got him." He said slyly with a wink.
The wolves broke out with loud, echoing barks that radiated through the trees in excitement for Koga's win.
"Ahh! Well done, Koga!"
"Yes, that was truly amazing!"
"Alright, alright. Let's not get carried away." Koga raised a palm in front of him. "C'mon fellas, this'll do. Let's get outta here."
Kagome quietly observed her wolf friends from her secret position atop the cliff. The cool breeze swept through her bangs, stirring their natural placement. She watched as Koga grabbed the arms of his comrades and assisted them out of the water. As Koga and Ginta made their way over to the pile of previously caught fish, Hakkaku remained near the rivers edge, staring into the water a ways ahead. Kagome watched as he crouched over the water before jumping in headfirst. She cocked her head. A few short seconds passed before Hakkaku surfaced, squeezing a large, flopping fish of striking size against his body. The large fish struggled for freedom, flopping viciously against his hold. He strained heavily for the creatures submission when suddenly, the sound of a piercing slap echoed through the clearing as the fish's tail pounded against the side of Hakaku's face, knocking him back under the water. Kagome's hands quickly pulled over her mouth, muffling her gasp. A second hadn't even passed before Koga introduced himself into her line of sight, jumping in the water to aid his comrade's dismay. Mere seconds passed before he surfaced with Hakkaku slung over his shoulder, and his fingers under the gill of the large fish.
Shortly after Hakkaku had come to and they had all recuperated, she noticed their shoulders begin to bounce in laughter before making their way upstream, tracing the edge of the river, each carrying a string of fish over their shoulder, seven wolves following closely at their heels. Her distance had left their conversation inaudible the entire time and she hadn't heard a single word they said but from what she saw... they seemed content. The edges of her mouth tugged upwards ever so slightly, managing a weak smile, as her eyes dropped down into the tangle of bushes below her.
What would happen if I went down to say 'hello'? No... that would be so weird! What would they possibly think? Little ol' me coming out of absolutely no where... in nearly the middle of the night! But... then again...
She blinked once before letting out a soft sigh. She moved her gaze back to the slow shrinking pack as they ventured further into the distance. She refused to admit to herself that Koga would be more than happy to see her. Overjoyed, even. However, she would have to explain why her only source of protection was Kirara. And what they were doing flying around in the dead of night. And more importantly, where the hell Inuyasha was. Not that Koga believed Inuysha was very skilled at protecting Kagome anyway, but anything would be better than having her travel alone. And that on it's own would just turn into an entirely way to messy conversation. What, was she to pour her heart out to Koga and exclaim her frustration on Inuyasha's feelings toward Kikyo and how much it pained her? Was she to explain why she was making such a hasty to return to the well- the well Koga had absolutely no knowledge of!
Kirara stood patiently nearby as she also watched the strange wolf demons slowly begin to disappear up river. She then dipped her head down and nudged her nose under Kagomes hand in attempt to catch her attention. Kagome noticed Kirara's gesture and turned toward her, tracing her hand up over Kiraras nose and onto the top of her soft head. She gently stroked and Kirara began a deep purr.
"I'm sorry I made us come down here, Kirara. Thank you. We can leave now." Kagome offered with a weak smile.
She allowed her stare to linger just a while longer but before she could conclude, she felt a small presence climb atop her shoe. She froze. She felt a long body begin to tug on the fabric around her ankle. She carefully moved her head down to find an absolutely horrific scene. A small centipede was slithering up the length of her sock! She immediately let out a loud, high pitched squeal as she began to jump up and down, causing quite the scene. Kagome stomped around the patches of grass, crushing small flowers and mushrooms that peaked through the soil. She even brushed up against the bushes a few times, causing their leaves to rustle- but thank goodness for them as they acted as a barrier to a very horrific result.
Kirara watched, confused, as Kagome leapt around the area in sheer horror with piercing shrieks leaving her body in a rhythmic fashion. She had no clue what could have possibly happened to Kagome. In attempt to calm her- and more importantly shush her- Kirara hastily bounced along side her movements in hopes of Kagome accidentally running into her body so she could enwrap the startled priestess with her large, fluffy tails. After a few tries, Kagome's back finally thudded against the side of her large body and Kirara took the chance to position her tails in front of Kagome, trapping her. She then proceeded to lay on the ground, with her back facing the cliffs edge, softly pulling Kagomes body down with her. The two landed on the ground with a quiet thud. Finally having ceased the poor girl of her shrieking; Kirara lowered her head to lick the side of Kagome's cheek. Kagome found herself in a daze with clouded vision that soon revealed she had been enwrapped in thick, soft cream colored fur. Upon allowing a few seconds to pass as her mind cleared, she hastily lifted her foot in the air to discover the wretched creature no where to be found. Kirara carefully observed Kagome while she sat nestled against her fur. Of course, one evil slithering demon was just not enough. She sighed heavily before squeezing her eyes shut as memories of her very first encounter with Mistress Centipede flooded her mind.
"Stupid centipedes." She muttered.
"Kagome?" An uninvited yet familiar deep voice filled the silence.
Kagome gasped as her eyes sprang open while Kirara's head shot into the direction of the voice. She began a low growl as a dark figure slowly made it's way out of the shadows of the trees ahead of them. Kagome's sudden fear quickly diminished as the shimmer of the moon peaked through the tree tops, illuminating the features of the approaching body.
It was him.
"Uh... h-hi Koga!" She attempted enthusiastically.
A slightly damp, vastly concerned looking Koga but nonetheless... there he was.
"Kagome..." He repeated, pinching his brows together. "What are you doing out here..." He looked to the left. Then to the right. Then back at Kagome. "...on your own?"
Kagome nearly choked. She was at a definite loss for words. She couldn't possibly come clean on her true intentions. She would never find it in herself to reveal her sudden curiosity for the pack. Nope. No possible way.
"Well I um... I was just... I-I needed-" She stuttered as her eyes moved randomly around the forest floor.
"Are ya hurt? I heard you screaming from up the river aways. Is everything alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine. You heard me from all the way over there?" She asked as her shy eyes found his.
"We we're about to pick up speed when we heard your shriek comin' from up the cliff. I told the boys to stay back while I checked it out."
"Oh? So, you knew it was me?"
"Of course I knew it was you. I'd know that adorable squeal from anywhere." He added with a smile before folding his arms in front of his body. "So, are ya gonna tell me what you two are doin' out here?"
Her cheeks began to warm. Oh no. There it was. Of course he wasn't simply going to ignore the fact that she was wandering in the dead of night without the rest of her group. She began to nervously twist her fingers in the fur of Kirara's tail.
"We we're-" She paused, taking a moment. "We were heading back to Kaede's village and stopped to rest a while."
He raised a hand near his face and tapped his cheek. "Kaede? Oh, yeah, that old hag."
Kagome's brow furrowed. "Why do you have to call her that?" She snapped. "Couldn't you of just stopped at her name? She's a very close friend of mine so don't insult her."
All of a sudden, Kagome's eyes stilled and her face stiffened. Time began to slow as her mind filled with the pain-stricken, frustrated expression of Inuyasha's face from earlier events in the night. 'How can you even say that, Kagome?! She's alive, you idiot! Don't you dare insult her!'His voice played over in her mind as she felt her chest begin to ache.
"Sorry Kagome. I didn't mean to..." He noticed her new expression. "Look, I won't ever say that again, alright?" What's gotten into her? It ain't like her to lash out like that.
As the sound of Koga's voice filled her ears, pulling her back into reality, she shook her head in attempt to clear the thought of him.
"How's your foot?" She blurted out of no where, raising her expressionless eyes.
"My... foot?" He raised a brow at her before bending his knee forward and tilting his head to the side to inspect the nearly healed wound. Whilst doing so, something dawned upon him. Had she been watching us? Her unexpected outburst brought amusement upon him.
"How did you know about that?" He questioned with his head tilted to the side, a slight smirk curving the corner of his mouth.
Kagome raised her brows and popped her lips. No, no, no! How can I be so stupid?! She raised to her feet but remained in place, close to Kirara's body. Kirara stood with her, staying close to her side.
"Well you see," She chuckled out of nervousness. "While we were flying, I noticed some wolves around the river..."
"Mhm," Koga's suggestive smile grew slightly.
"And I asked Kirara to land up here so we could get a better look..."
"Okay," He added, amused, as he leaned on the trunk of a nearby tree.
"And when we got here, I recognized the three of you... standing in the river..."
"Oh, did you now?" He was having way to much fun with this.
She pursed her lips. The soft deepness of his voice had never been intimidating to her before, why now? Honestly, what else could she possibly have to loose at this point?
"...and I was curious." She admitted, unable to maintain eye contact any longer.
"So you were spyin' on us." He prompted, revealing his fangs behind a now ear to ear smile.
As if her cheeks couldn't get any redder. "No! I wasn't spying. We just... wanted to be aware of our surroundings!" Yeah, that's believable right? Safety is a highly justifiable priority!
"We? Kirara here didn't seem like she had much of a choice gettin' dragged down here with ya."
Kagome swallowed hard before parting her lips. But alas, no words could find their way out. So instead she stood there, motionless with deep rosy cheeks, unable to meet his gaze. Koga chuckled at her nervousness. He decided that he had his fun and wasn't seeking to discomfort her any further by pushing the subject.
He sniffed the air. "Say, where's that mutt. I know he's gotta be around here somewhere."
"He's not here." She muttered regrettably.
"Not here? Surely your joking. That incompetent half-breedcouldn't possibly be as stupid as to let you travel on your own." He lowered his hands to rest on his hips as he scanned the forest once more.
She chose not to speak and there was silence. Koga stared at her for a moment, studying her expression. So it was the truth. That damned half demon let her go on her own!
"Damn that Inuyasha. How could he be so careless?" He asked with hints of repulsion.
As the sound of the name filled Kagome's ears, her eyes lowered as she fell into a blank stare. Her body fell weak and she dropped to her knees, then on her bottom, knees bent to the side. Kirara brought her head close to Kagome's face before nudging her shoulder with her nose. Koga's eyes widened at her unexpected descend toward the ground. Not wasting a single second, he was right in front of her. Kirara immediately shot him a glare before wrinkling her nose and allowing him a better look at her fangs.
"Relax, would ya, cat." He said as he knelt in front of Kagome on one knee, an arm resting on his thigh. "I love Kagome, I ain't gonna hurt her."
Kirara narrowed her eyes at the strange wolf demon. She did not trust him. A deep growl echoed in her throat as she towered above Koga. This was not supposed to happen. She was to take Kagome back to the well and nothing more. How was she to relieve Kagome of this situation? She knew Koga was a persistent one and he wouldn't let her out of his sight if he picked up anything unusual about her. She had to plan with caution.
He leaned in toward her but upon closer view of her face... disturbance struck him twice over. Her skin was pasty white, her eyes were swollen and trembling and there were dry trails leading down her cheeks, revealing the paths of where steady tears flowed not long ago.
He blinked before pinching his brows together. "What happened to you, Kagome?" He asked with immense worry.
Silence.
"Kagome... ya gotta talk to me." Concern pierced through his chest and his mouth went dry.
Silence.
"Kagome, please. You were cryin'. Tell me what happened." The beat of his heart accelerated and his skin now radiated heat.
Not a word.
Damn.
Koga was at a loss. The entire mood had shifted and Kagome's dulled aura radiated a specific sadness. One Koga was not familiar with. Her heart was aching. She seemed so torn and her eyes glared at the ground with a cloudy lifelessness. It shook his very core to see her like this. Accentuation of his concern was no great obstacle at the moment. What bothered him even more though, was his deep desire to attain the understanding as to why she suddenly fell so disconnected.
Without warning, his mind started to race and he felt the temperature of his blood begin to rise. His nostrils flared and the tips of his fingers twitched. And there it was. That powerful, unjustifiable need to protect which just hit him with an indescribable force.
"Tell me where the mutt is, Kagome. I'll kill him for sending you off like this!" He snarled, growls ripping through his throat.
"No." She whispered, eyes staring at the dirt.
His brows released, taken back by her flat response.
"He didn't send me off." She blinked at the ground.
"Tell me he's not the reason why ya shed tears."
Why did he have to be so persistent? Although, who was she kidding, this was Koga she was speaking with. 'Persistent' is an understatement.
She sighed. "We got in an argument so I left." She responded bluntly. No sense in attempting to avoid the truth any longer.
A few moments passed as he allowed the information to process. However, his newly agitated state got the best of him. He needed to know what that stupid mutt had done to upset Kagome this much.
"An argument?" He inquired, suppressing his burning desire to bolt off in search of Inuyasha's throat.
"I don't want to talk about it." She said flatly.
His chest rose as he inhaled hard through his nose before tearing his gaze from her. She had walked him through several emotions in a matter of minutes. When he had first heard her call of distress from upstream- his first instinct was to prepare for an upcoming kill. But upon discovering her nestled close to her cat demon friend on the forest floor, provided relief along with a great wave of joy to flow over his soul. He loved having her in his presence. Regardless if they were around the company of her group or alone in the middle of the forest; She brought clarity and tranquility into his life. She made him want to be a better man. Hell, he altered the way he and his entire pack ate for her. Although he had to admit, not having a pathetic excuse for a half demon prying himself between them given each and every interaction with her, was shown entirely much more enjoyable. However, even with Inuyasha no where near, Koga still found himself barricaded due to Kagome's newly subdued state.
He pondered for a minute, allowing a moment to calm himself and sort out the highest plausible option for the situation. He turned his head back to her and found her eyes staring into the ground. He traced her gaze to the forest floor, then back to her.
"We don't have to talk about it, Kagome." He spoke with a gentle voice as he lifted a hand and his palm, without hesitation, gently caressed the soft flesh of her cheek. "I just need to know that you're okay."
Her eyes widened at his gesture. Nervousness surrounded her body. This was the first time he had ever done this. She had, at least, expected him to grab her hand and hold it in between his before boldly expressing his love for her. This was nothing close to what she could have possibly presumed. Therefore all she could manage were a mere two words.
"I'm okay." She said, almost whispering.
She did not want to lie to him, but what other choice did she have? If he were to go off with intentions of confronting Inuyasha, well that would just be an inevitable recipe for disaster.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the warmth of his hand penetrating her skin. It felt so comforting. Her saddened eyes decided to meet his at last. Were his eyes always this blue? The pain Inuyasha had inflicted on her heart banished from her chest for a brief moment as she found herself loosing her breath in the rich depths of Koga's eyes. Her eyes twinkled and she found herself leaning into his touch. Her cheeks instantly flushed a rosy pink.
Koga's lips parted slightly to her reaction to his touch. All of a sudden, he fell into seizing captivation. She was so beautiful. They were now the only two living souls on this earth. Being just inches away from her body and having her large brown eyes locked onto his caused an aching desire to ingrain every detail of her face forever into his memory. The way her cheekbones curved so magnificently, the way her long, beautiful eyelashes fluttered when she would blink, the way her deep chocolate eyes would twinkle under moonlight, the way her lips were shaped so perfectly. His heart skipped a beat. So... perfectly. His mind flourished.
Self restraint. Self restraint.
"I'm glad. That's all I need to know." But suddenly, and without warning, he rose to his feet. "But I'm takin' ya back to the village." He said with a smirk while holding his hand out to her.
That unspoken moment of pure loveliness, pure bliss, reminded him to live for tomorrow. To survive. For there there could be something special awaiting in everyday. Just like that short but ever so sweet, wonderfully delicate moment he had just shared with Kagome. Damn she was everything pure and more.
She was taken off gaurd by his sudden movement and flinched. Her eyes followed him and landed on his out held hand. "Huh?"
"You heard me, c'mon now, let's get goin'. Don't wanna worry that old- I mean Kaede now would ya?" He stretched his fingers out toward her.
"Koga..." Kagome managed unsurely. She knew Kaede was not expecting her arrival, but of course she would not say a word.
"Alright, alright. You hitch a ride with the cat. I'll follow." His smile widened.
"Koga." She stiffened her voice.
He raised his brows.
"There's no need for you to escort me back. I'll be fine." She stated directly. And even if he was to follow, what's the point of coming along if they won't really be traveling together in the first place? She would be in the air with Kirara, and he would arrive at the destination far before they would. It was a tad puzzling to Kagome.
She did not want to disrupt his evening any further. She had already taken up a great deal of his time. And besides, the village was not her destination.
"Kagome, it's no big deal, I want t-"
"Hakkaku and Ginta are probably worried sick by now."
He slowly lowered his outstretched hand. "Those two? Don't worry about em'. They'd know if somethin' went wrong up here and they'd come runnin', no hesitation."
"But... what of those back at your cave,"
"My pack knows I'm out here for them. They know I'll return. I'm gonna send Ginta and Hakaku back with the fish." He paused to check her expression before an idea hit his brain. "Is that what your worried about, Kagome? Ruining my night?" He asked with a chuckle.
"Well, I...yes."
Koga lowered himself to her eye level once more. "Kagome, I wouldn't have taken this night back. Although I gotta admit I wish that mutt would stop causin' ya such a great deal of pain." His brow furrowed with thought of the despicable half demon. "But I'm glad we caught your eye even if it meant I'd only get to see ya for a short while. Now how about we get goin'?" He finished as he gave her a smile, his fangs beaming.
Kagome blinked at him with parted lips, the blush on her cheeks showing no signs of diminishing. There was no way she was letting him accompany them. No. Possible. Way.
But alas...
"Okay." She said as her shoulders slouched in disapproval to her own disobedience. Were her thoughts finally rendered useless to her actions?
"Be just a second," He said with a wink before speeding over to an unlined opening near the cliff, launching himself over the edge to inform his comrades.
Kirara made a noise, breaking her own silence and calling Kagome's attention to her. Fuzzy black ears drooped down and she tilted her head at Kagome, relaying an obvious message.
"I'm sorry Kirara, what other choice did I have? He would of never left us alone." She shrugged.
Kirara let out a strained whimper before her ears flattened against her head and her eyes saddened.
Kagome frowned at the poor felines down turned eyes. "I'll let him take us to the outskirts of Kaede's village, no further. That's where we'll say our goodbyes and once he's out of sight, we'll make our run for the well." She raised a hand onto Kirara's head and patted gently.
Suddenly, a quick rush of air zoomed through the area, causing Kagome's hair and Kirara's fur to whip in the direction of the wind, also rustling nearby leaves as Koga presented himself once more in front of Kagome with a smirk and an open hand.
"Let's go, Kirara." She said with apologetic eyes before turning her head and grabbing Koga's hand.
Glowing color of a radiating orange flickered through the doorways of small huts and atop torch posts. Tiny burning red embers floated along the evenings breeze before quickly dissipating into the air. Soothing chirps of nearby crickets melodized with one another while the croaks of pond frogs echoed with the pitter-patter of flowing water. Small pebbles were crushed into the dirt under the weight of four lonely watchmen patrolling the village grounds. Farmers, parents, children and the elderly all stowed away in their warm homes, deep in slumber. All was well on this peaceful night in Kaede's village.
About half a mile away, atop a hill just above the pathway leading to the village, Koga stood with his eyes in the sky, awaiting the arrival of his woman and her large cat friend. He had expected to arrive before them, given his superior speed. He shifted his focus onto the distant millions of stars. Their sparkle immediately welcomed Kagome's face into his mind. Her eyes twinkled the same way, maybe even a little brighter. He was in hopes that she would arrive soon.
Giving into his impatience, he removed his gaze from above and looked down onto the village below. It was dark and the clouds had since robbed the moon of maximum brightness. However, visibility was of no issue given his enhanced eyesight. His eyes moved around the layout of the village, familiarizing himself with small details including the bell tower, the chicken coops, horse stables, winding dirt pathways forking out to every building. His eyes shifted. The rice fields were of impressive size, they curved far back into the distance. He shifted back. As he began studying the architecture of a single wooden hut, grizzly memories of the past indiscreetly flooded his mind. Memories of how he would do similar to what he was doing now. Scoping. Organizing. Planning an attack. Except this time around he had no intention on ever setting foot in a village again. He exhaled hard as he closed his eyes, attempting to rid his mind of the horrid thoughts when a seemingly cued rustling was heard coming from the village. His eyes snapped open to find the orange light, pouring from one of the huts, expanding over the ground as a small child moved aside the bamboo door shades and hurried behind his home, with a handheld shovel, out of sight.
Is this were Kagome had grown up? Hm. A well-resourced, humble village. Suits her well.
A few short moments passed before Kirara made her appearance from behind the horizon of shadowed trees. He noticed immediately and eagerly awaited their landing. Kirara began her slow descent toward the hilltop where Koga stood. As she neared, Kagome became visible and happiness spread across his features.
At last, Kirara's paws touched the grass, indenting the green strands upon landing. She wouldn't let her striking red eyes off him and she watched attentively.
"Was startin' to think ya got caught in a cloud or somethin'." He teased as he held out a hand, offering to help her down.
Kagome flung her right leg over Kirara's body to meet her left. Upon doing so, she had made the simple mistake of miscalculating the height and lifted a tad too high, offering Koga an unintentional half a second of unobstructed view of a white cotton fabric and a sliver of Kagome's inner thigh. Koga immediately clenched his jaw and the muscles in his face stiffened. Thankfully, she had ignored his hand and hopped off Kirara on her own. If she would have accepted his gesture, she would have discovered the indescribable clamminess of his hands.
"So Koga," She started.
He gulped. Shit! Does she know I saw!?
"Uh huh?" He replied shakily, wide eyed.
Shit. Shit. Shit!
"How was your run?" She asked sweetly.
Ohh thank goodness.
"It was good, fine. I was- it was fine. Mhm." He cleared his throat and he palmed the back of his neck.
Kirara tilted her head to the side and Kagome raised a brow at his odd behavior before nodding and quickly dismissing it. "Good to hear. Well, thank you for helping me return safely. I guess I'll see you around!" She stood in place, waving to him, with an open smile.
He stood there, a bit bewildered, his elbow still held in the air. He lowered his brows and looked over to right incoherently. She's sending me off? Within the same second, Kagome involuntarily moved her eyes over to his raised arm. The fur of his shoulder plates barley shielding the very well defined line of his structured bicep. She closed her mouth and her waving hand began to retract shyly to the side of her face. She watched as the hard - well she could only assume hard - muscle rippled with his small movements as he continued to stroke the back of his neck.
He peaked back at her without moving his head to find her eyes on his...
Oh?
He turned his head and she quickly averted her eyes, unable to hide the new rosy tint of her cheeks. He barely held back a grin. He had noticed her stare, but of course he would never let her know that. What an interesting moment. It pleased him.
"I was thinkin' to walk ya from here." He suggested, breaking the silence.
"It's okay, Kirara and I are gonna fly down." She shrugged lightly.
"Ya sure?"
"Yeah. I'm sure. Thank you, Koga." She said with a gentle smile.
He presumed she was probably tired and in great need of sleep. She had been traveling nearly the entire night after all. Although he did not want her to go nor did he wish to leave. But he was not going to keep her from her rest.
"Goodnight, Kagome." Feeling it may not be best to hold her hands in his, he instead took a few steps backward before turning around and starting a slow jog. Before picking up speed, he turned his head and called back at her. "If that mutt ever gets to be to much for ya, ya know where to fine me!" He lifted two fingers to his head. "Be seein' ya." And parted with a wink as swirls of wind began to wrap around his body.
And before she knew it, he had disappeared over the horizon.
She sighed heavily and slouched forward. "Man, that was rough."
Meow-roar.
Kagome looked down over the village for a moment, then into the direction of which Koga had left, then finally to her feline friend. "What did you think of that, huh?" She asked. "He was... a little different tonight."
Kirara snorted.
"Nevermind, let's get going." Kagome giggled as she hoped on her back and the two soared into the night sky without wasting another second. Kagome was grateful for the landmark of Kaede's village. She had the well in her foresight within minutes.
Kirara landed softly on the grass and Kagome quickly hopped off her back. She walked with small steps through the clearing as she approached it. The one and only portal connecting her home in the modern era to the feudal era. The Bone-Eater's well. There it was, dark aged wood and thick, leafy green vines protruding from inside the damp stone lining of it's interior. She carefully placed the tips of her fingers on the edge of the well and proceeded to stare into the empty darkness before turning back to look at Kirara.
"I owe you big time for this, Kirara. Thank you so much."
Kirara let out a low friendly roar as she bowed her head. She was filled with relief to finally get Kagome to the well.
Kagome stepped one foot in at a time before sitting on the wood edge. "Be safe heading back!" She leaned forward. "Oh, and don't tell Sango or the others we ran into Koga, okay?" She gave her a warm smile accompanied by a wink before leaping into the dark abyss. As soon as she left the well's edge, it emitted a growing, beautiful white and purple luminescence for just a brief moment before lowering and dissipating completely.
Kirara turned her body opposite the direction of the well, curling one paw up as she gave it one last look before bolting high into the night sky, the red and orange flames enwrapping her paws and tail slowly blending into the distant millions of shimmering stars. Her mission was complete.
A/N: Wow this chapter took me 7 days to complete. I apologize for the wait! I am my own beta. Clearly no where near perfect and I over punctuate religiously. I do my best to decide on the best possible word choices for every scene. You ever find a story with an AMAZING summary but then you attempt to read one chapter and your like i thought this was supposed to be a love story not a college vocabulary checklist. (no hate, I promise!)Hahahaha... Nope? Just me? Okayyy...this is awkward lol. Anyway, I am in hopes it was worth it and you enjoyed their first initial interaction. I planned quite a bit of dialogue for this one but only a few touches into their emotions. OH and also VERY IMPORTANT SIDE NOTE: If you happen to be one of the rare few who take interest in this story and wouldn't mind knowing when the eff the next chapter is coming, I update the progress of my next chapter along with an estimated time frame as to when it will be published right at the top of my PROFILE BIO. I think this covers just about everything, stay tuned friends! Be seein' ya(; P.S. send help. this authors note is a mess and far to long.
