Disclaimer: I own Rhiodoru, Karameida, Zaniistar, Kishotaka, and Niishi. All other characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
Baffling Behaviour
The girl threw herself at Inuyasha, clinging to him as if he were her last lifeline.
"Thank you!" She wailed, locking both hands around fistfuls of the hanyou's kimono and burying her face in his chest, "Y-you saved my life! Thank you so much!"
Kagome leaped to her feet as well. Inuyasha was staring at the girl latched onto him with a look bordering on pure horror. Shippo was gaping at her in confusion, and Sango and Miroku looked like they were trying not to laugh.
"It's not that big a deal," Inuyasha muttered uncomfortably, unsuccessfully trying to unhook the girl from his kimono. She just held on tighter.
"B-but you saved me! I w-was so afraid!"
Kagome felt a sudden surge of jealousy. She couldn't fault the girl for being thankful and wanting the comfort of Inuyasha's presence, but she still wanted that woman off her man!
Trying to smile reassuringly, Kagome stepped up beside the young woman, her smile growing a little more genuine as she stifled a giggle, seeing Inuyasha's look of naked relief.
"Come on, now," she said comfortingly, "it's all over. You don't need to be afraid."
Kagome gently but firmly pried the girl's hands open and pulled her away from Inuyasha. The hanyou immediately stepped back, putting Kagome between him and the girl. Kagome patted the girl's back as she sniffled, seeming completely unembarrassed by her emotional display. Poor thing must have been terrified out of her mind.
Miroku stepped up beside the girl, smiling gently. "Let's start with the basics, nice and simple. What's your name?"
The young woman shyly peeked up at him through her eyelashes. "Niishi."
Miroku introduced himself and rest of them, then said, "Well, Niishi, why don't you tell us what happened?"
The girl stared at the ground. "I was camping out in those trees. I . . . I had some . . . trouble . . . at home, and I'd had to leave. I was staying in those trees when that demon attacked me. I don't know why it did . . . it just did. And I ran. And then you saved me." She directed a look of pure, worship-like gratitude at Inuyasha, who shifted his weight from foot to foot in obvious discomfort.
Making the gesture as obvious as she could without looking like she'd done it on purpose, Kagome slid a possessive arm around Inuyasha's waist, leaning against him. He, in turn, wrapped his arm around her. Unfortunately, Niishi's expression didn't change or falter. She continued to stare at the hanyou in unabashed wonder. Not good.
Miroku stepped in. "So, where were you headed when you were attacked, Niishi?"
She shrugged, managing to tear her eyes away from Inuyasha for the moment. "I don't know. I don't really have anywhere to go." Her expression shifted into one of pure misery.
Poor girl, Kagome thought, compassion replacing initial cautiousness she'd felt towards the girl. Miroku looked suitably sympathetic, as did Sango. However, a quick glance at Inuyasha proved that the hanyou looked about ready to chuck the girl into the nearest ditch so they could be on their way.
The girl's face suddenly brightened. "I know!" she said excitedly, her huge brown eyes opening wide in hopeful delight, "do you think I could go with all of you?"
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"No!"
Inuyasha's angry response caught them all by surprise. He felt Kagome start, and saw the others look at him curiously. He didn't care. He didn't even care that the girl's eyes filled with tears and despair at his vehement refusal.
"She ain't coming with us, so don't even consider it!" He snapped, hoping to curb all opposition at once. He did not want this sniveling, clingy, teary-eyed child going anywhere with them. He didn't want her anywhere near them.
Kagome glared at him. "Inuyasha," she hissed, "be nice." He snorted. No, he wasn't going to be nice.
"Ah, Niishi," Miroku said calmly, "could you give us a moment to discuss things, please?"
Inuyasha waited impatiently for the girl to move out of hearing range, before snapping angrily, "There's nothing to discuss! She ain't coming with us!"
Kagome elbowed him in the side. He glared at her.
"Be reasonable, Inuyasha," Miroku said, sounding somewhat annoyed, "of course she's not coming with us. But that doesn't mean we can't take her to the village where she can be cared for. She'll never survive out here on her own."
Sango nodded. "He's right, Inuyasha. Look how close she came to being killed just now. We can't leave her here."
Inuyasha felt his temper raging out of control, but he couldn't rein it in. Something about that girl set him on edge. And it wasn't just her obvious and instant obsession with him.
He looked at the others, and saw the expressions of obstinate determination set in. He stifled a growl. And they called him stubborn?
"Fine!" He snarled, knowing he would never win this argument, "we'll take her to the village, but she's not staying there! I don't want her anywhere near here!"
His anger only grew as the others smirked at him. Kagome, however, was frowning at him worriedly. Maybe she could sense what he could. The others seemed oblivious to it.
"You just don't want her anywhere near you," Shippo said haughtily.
Inuyasha resisted the powerful urge to give the snippy kitsune a hard smack.
"Yes, Inuyasha," Miroku said innocently, "she does seem to have taken a strong liking to you, don't you think?"
He balled his hands into fists with fury. Didn't they get it? Were they purposefully trying to endanger themselves? So, maybe they hadn't lived the same kind of life as him, and maybe he was a bit too suspicious sometimes, but they were being way too quick to trust every person who happened by. Sure, he didn't like the way the girl had jumped him, but that wasn't why he was so adamant, why he was so on edge. No, there were many reasons he didn't want this child near them. And these foolish humans couldn't see a single one!
"Did you all leave your brains behind?" He snapped, "Doesn't it seem just a little suspicious that we were lured here by that jewel shard only to find this girl in the middle of nowhere who suddenly wants to join us?"
"Don't be so mistrusting, Inuyasha," Sango said. "She's just girl, hardly more than a child."
Just as he'd guessed, they were being their pathetic, trusting selves again.
"She's no threat, Inuyasha," Miroku said, trying to sound reasonable and soothing. All it did was make Inuyasha start grinding his teeth in an effort not to give the monk a smack along with the kitsune. "Don't worry about it. We'll take her back to the village for now, and decide what to do with her there. Come on. I'm tired of standing around."
Knowing he'd already lost the argument, he just glared and growled.
The girl, of course, was delighted to hear that she would be accompanying them, if only for a short time. And, of course, as soon as they began walking, she fell into step beside none other than Inuyasha.
The hanyou, snarling and grumbling, tried to walk faster to leave her behind, then tried to walk slower so she would draw ahead, but she determinedly kept pace with him, her eyes gazing at him with single-minded commitment. Neither his pointed glares, nor Kagome growing displeasure, had any effect. Inuyasha's temper stretched to the breaking point.
The others didn't get it. Inuyasha couldn't put it into words, couldn't even be sure of what he felt, but something about Niishi was wrong. Something off. He couldn't place it, and it frayed his temper even worse. There was something about her that make all his instincts scream at him to fight—or to flee. Was it just her unnatural interest in him that was heightening his instinctive aggression? Or was it something else?
And that damn girl wouldn't stop staring at him so he could think in peace!
Kagome, sensing his upset, switched from sending pointed, annoyed looks at Niishi to rubbing his arm soothingly. Inuyasha gritted his teeth as the girl began to watch Kagome's hand move up and down on his arm.
The walk back to village was the longest of his life.
: x ∙ To Be Continued ∙ x :
Chapter 5 – Love and Lust