Chapter Nine
Inuyasha shook his mates shoulder lightly to wake her. He had woken feeling deeply disturbed. He glanced down at the naked woman lying next to him, admiring her beauty until he realized she was having a nightmare. The disturbance he felt intensified and Kagome let out a small whimper. He shook her shoulder, lightly, stirring her awake. Her eyes fluttered open, fresh tears escaping as she sat up.
Her hand went to her face to catch them, and she looks to Inuyasha, confused.
"I was dreaming." She breaths out, but it sounded more like a question.
Inuyasha wraps an arm around her waist and lays her back down, propping himself up on an elbow. Her eyes were searching his. He kissed her, softly, until he felt her calm.
"Thank you." She whispered, running her fingers over one of his velvety ears.
He lays his head on her chest and relaxes. "Are you going to be okay, 'Gome?"
He had sensed her sadness. She was dreaming about what happened; about Souta in the well. She closes her eyes and runs her fingers through his hair.
"I want you. I think I've wanted you since I found you that day. I never wanted anything more."
He lifts his head and looks at her again. Her face was serious and he knew her words were true. He thought back to those years with her and what he put her through.
"Kagome," he began, hating how sorry he knew he looked, "I was such a foolish boy-"
She felt his sudden swell of guilt and knew he was thinking about Kikyo. "Don't." She said, shaking her head.
He felt her jealous for the first time and feared she was angry with him.
"You loved her," she shrugged, "You shouldn't be sorry for it. I had years to wrestle myself about that whole thing. I put myself in your shoes. If I were you, I would have chosen her, too."
"I didn't." He said, hardening his expression. "You just didn't know I hadn't."
"You fooled me."
He looks away from her, preparing himself for her next answer. "Did you ever love anyone else?"
Her heartbeat quickens and her eyes widen in surprise. Jealousy took him, instantly, misinterpreting her reaction.
She thought back to one guy she had dated after college. His name was Jacob. They were together for nine months. He was from Canada, and like herself, living in America and working in linguistics. She had liked spending time with him, being able to speak in her native tongue. His Japanese was excellent. He was fun and full of life, always joking and laughing. He was a huge dork. He made her laugh when Kagome, otherwise, could not. She was very comfortable with him and he became her best friend. She told him everything about Inuyasha, leaving out the details she knew she could not tell anyone. He comforted her, and was very understanding and patient with her.
They held hands at first. Eventually, he kissed her and she kissed back. She could never love him, though, like she had hoped, and their physical intimacy never went beyond a few kisses. In the end, they parted ways. He told her he was falling in love with her, and she could not bear to hurt him. So she ended it. Kagome had cried that whole night. He had grown to be so important to her.
Kagome had not spoken about him to anyone. She never told her mother, even knowing she would be delighted. She didn't even tell Sango about him at the springs, when she asked if she had tried loving again. Thinking about Jacob made her feel guilt and regret.
"Inuyasha-"
"I'll forgive you." His words came out in a rush as he sat up and looked away from her.
"I tried." She answered, honestly, and ignored the highly possessive flare she felt come from him. "I mean yes, I guess, but not like you loved her. He was my best friend. He made me happy, but I couldn't love him the way he loved me. We broke up and I never saw him again."
He didn't look at her. She could feel his anger and a strange growing desire to claim her even though she was already his. She sits on her knees behind him, moving his hair to one shoulder and kisses his back.
"Did you kiss him?" He spoke through clenched teeth.
She rested her forehead on his back. "I never let him touch me like you have. You know that." She said, not wanting to answer his question. She wanted to change the subject. She didn't want to think about Jacob.
Inuyasha barely felt her twinge of guilt over his own jealousy, but he did and he let out a frustrated sigh. He turned and pinned her beneath his body and kissed her, hard.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms going up around his neck, and he broke away from her mouth. "How could you stand it, Kagome? How did you not want to kill her? I want to murder this guy." He growls, truthfully.
"I am nothing like you, Inuyasha." She retorts.
"After last night, I'd say you are just as aggressive as me." He teases, grabbing her breasts, attempting to lighten the mood.
She laughs. "You are wrong."
He brings his hands to the sides of her face and kisses her again, softly this time. "Lets go the springs. The sun will be up soon."
She smiles and nods in agreement./
Kaede eyed Shippo thoughtfully. He was unusually quiet. He was hands deep in the garden, working fervently as he did every morning with her. He, however, had hardly said a word and was working much faster. She had taken notice of the way he would stop to sniff the wind, ever so often, and glance at the forest. It was clear he had somewhere he would rather be.
"Shippo."
"Yes, Kaede." He didn't look up from his work.
"I think I'd like to rest today."
He looked up at her, then, disappointed. "Okay, Kaede. It will take longer, but can handle this by myself."
"No, ye should enjoy your day, as well. Nothing bad will come of it, the garden is not going to uproot and walk away if we leave it for a day."
His smile beamed, he kissed her cheek, and he was gone in a flash.
Shippo ran in the direction her scent had been. It was faint, which meant she was farther from the village than he would have liked, but it was there. He hadn't slept a wink, wondering where she had gone. After several hours of waiting into the night, he caught her scent, relieved she came back like she had sworn to Kagome she would.
He couldn't deny to himself that he liked her. She made him feel something that he had never felt before. It was technically superficial. He didn't know her at all, but he was going to change that.
The closer he got to her the faster he ran. He felt exhilarated. He found her a few miles into Inuyasha's Forest. When he sped into the small clearing where she was, he skid to a stop in front of her and couldn't help but smile.
She had jumped up, quickly, and was running her hands over her braid and dusting off her clothes. She watched him, her big eyes wide, and stuttered.
"Shippo. What are you doing here?"
"I have the day off." He explained, taking a step toward her. She took a step back, and his smile left. She was just staring at him, and his confidence depleted fast.
"What would you be doing normally?" She asked, looking him up and down.
He could feel her nervousness and did not understand it.
"I live with the village priestess. I do whatever she asks of me." He takes another slow step forward. She didn't move, but she didn't take her eyes off of him.
"A priestess? She doesn't want to kill you?"
"Kagome is a priestess, Safaia." He informs her. "You didn't know?" He takes another step and she remains in place. He felt his confidence boosting, again.
"I was a little taken aback last, night." She admits. "I wasn't aware of what she was."
"Is that why you left?" He asks, curious, taking another step toward her. He was only a few feet from her, now.
"I had business to take care of," she offers, looking him up and down again. "Where is Kagome?"
"With Inuyasha. They needed to be alone."
He watches her visibly relax, and finally break her gaze away from him. She looks down at the tall grass, disappointment etching her features.
"I wanted to thank her." She says, looking back into his green eyes.
He didn't say anything, then. He was lost in the depths of her brilliant blue orbs, almost in a trance. And she was staring back.
"Hey, why do you do that?" She asked boldly.
"Do what?" He said, never breaking his gaze.
"That." She said, when his demeanor stayed the same.
He blinked at her, confused for a moment, then cleared his throat and swallowed when he understood. He turned away and rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, I had just thought you'd like some company until Kagome was ready to see you. I'll leave you alone-"
"You want to spend time with me?"
He turned to her, again. She looked suspicious of him.
"I want to be your friend." He held his hand out for her to take it.
She shied away from him, looking at his hand like it was going to bite her. "I've never had one."
He dropped his hand. "Heh. Yeah, I guess I forget I was raised a differently than most fox demons."
"And how was that?" She asked, leaning in a little, her eyes sparkling and curious.
He smirks. "I'll tell you if you relax a little. I'm not the one who bites."
She looked serious, then. "I'm sorry. I thought you were going to hurt Kagome-"
"You're pretty tough." He chuckled. "I'm glad you're on our side."
"I've never been on a 'side'. It's kind of nice. Kagome saved my life. I want to stay with her."
Shippo could hardly contain his excitement at her confession. He was worried all night she would be leaving since she was out of danger.
"Stay then." He shrugged.
Safaia studied him as he walked away from her, then. She knew she could trust him now, but he still made her nervous. She had never seen anyone look at her the way he did, just staring with his emerald eyes. She wondered if all fox demon males were as cute and her heart fluttered.
He turned and called back to her. "Are you coming?"
Her feet carried her to his side of their own free will and they walked at a steady pace, she knew not where.
"Let's go to the lake."
"Sure." She agreed, remembering there was one close by. "So how did you meet Kagome?"
She watched him smile but he kept his eyes forward.
"I was trying to steal shards of the Shikon Jewel from her." He laughed. "I was only a little kit back then."
"She didn't purify you?"
"Kagome wasn't the same priestess she is now. But she was still accepting of our kind, with some exceptions."
He looked at her, and she looked away, shyly.
"She and Inuyasha must be the unsung heroes who defeated the demon Naraku."
Shippo gaped at her. "You ever meet him?"
"No. I imagine I wouldn't be here if I had. Is it true?"
"Yeah, Kagome and Inuyasha beat him. Our friends Miroku and Sango, they helped us."
"Us?" She giggled. "You say it like you were there."
"I was." He replied, hotly.
"How old are you?" She questioned. Her eyes were disbelieving.
"19."
"You were just a baby, then. You must have been very brave." She stifled a giggle.
He smiled sheepishly. "I was pretty chicken, actually. That guy had almost killed my friends more times than I can recollect."
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and she was smiling.
"So, these other friends, what are they like?" She continued, sneaking a look at him.
"Sango is a demon slayer, and Miroku-"
"A slayer?" She stopped in her tracks. "You keep dangerous company. How many of your friends are even demons?"
He had stopped with her, and looked thoughtful at her question. "I guess you could say Kouga is my friend. He is a wolf demon."
She resumed walking and he followed her. "A wolf, huh? A wolf demon tried to eat me once." She said, through clenched teeth.
Shippo laughed. "How'd you get away?"
"It's my little secret." She teased, nudging him playfully. She noticed him inch closer to her and looked away to hide her blush, but did nothing to distance herself. "So, Miroku. Let me guess. He's a monk."
"How'd you guess?" He laughed.
"He's a monk?" She exclaimed, surprised. "I was joking."
"He's no worry at all, with his wind tunnel gone. He has got to be the worst monk I've ever met. But he is a good man. He is Sango's husband."
"So all of these people just decided to join forces one day and slay the demon?"
"Not exactly. But in a nutshell, yes. Naraku had some part to play in screwing up all of their lives. It made sense to hunt him together. My parents were killed back then. After I tried to take the jewel from Kagome, she adopted me. We were all together until the very end. He was gone, the jewel was complete. After that, Kaede, the priestess in the village adopted me."
"Kagome didn't want you any-"
"Kagome isn't from here, Safaia. She was gone for a long time, and didn't come back until recently."
"I see." Was all she said, noticing the change in his tone.
It was quiet for a minute, until Shippo spoke up again.
"We are almost to the lake. Do you still see your parents?" He asked. He knew she was old enough to have been out of the den. Foxes were traditionally solitary creatures unless they took a mate, but would stay in contact with their families.
"Sesshomaru killed my parents."
"I'm sorry." He said, regretfully, touching her shoulder. She stopped, and stiffened. "No one told me that part of the story." He took his hand off of her and she relaxed.
"You act like the humans of this world, Shippo." She said, looking at him, confused. "You have kindness in your eyes. I've never met anyone like you."
His heart quickened and he hoped she didn't notice. He stared down at her, anxiously waiting for her to speak again. She was impossible to read.
She blushed and looked away.
"I'm glad we are friends." She finished, her voice quieter.
This time, he did nothing to contain himself. He smiled and scooped her up, unexpectedly, and she let out a yelp of surprise and clung to his neck. He was running fast, toward the lake and she was laughing as they went.
"Where are we going?"
He smirked. "We're gonna race. One lap around the lake. If I win, you have to have dinner with my friends and I tonight."
"What do I get if I win?"
Shippo slowed to a stop, having arrived to his destination, and set her down. "What's fair?"
"You stay with me tonight and tell me more stories."
"Deal." He said, drawing a line in the dirt with his paw.
She stifled a giggle and kicked his legs out from under him.
"Go!" She cried.
"You cheater!" He called out, scrambling to his feet, after her in a flash.
He ran as fast as he could but he knew she would win after her little stunt. The race was over within minutes.
When they crossed the line he had drawn, he was only seconds behind her.
She turned, her breathing a little labored, and began to gloat.
"I beat you, again."
"Ha! You cheated. It doesn't count."
"Fine!" She laughs. "I'll meet your demon murderers."
"I know they will like you." He said, splashing some water on his face.
"I still beat you, you know. You going to hold up our deal?"
He gazes down at her, smiling. "I was going to come see you whether you asked me to or not."
She turns her back to him to hide the blush she knew was coming.
"I'm going to go find lunch. You should go tell your friends about tonight."
He leans over her shoulder, next to her ear, resisting the urge to hug her. "Meet me here when the sun is touching the trees."
She smiled and heard him race away, her heart skipping in her chest. She had never had a friend before, and she was grateful for him. Something told her, however, that friendship did not feel like this. She wondered if he thought she was pretty, and she found herself worrying over her appearance suddenly. He would stare at her if she let him. She needed to see Kagome.
(This chapter flowed out so easy. I hope to see some more reviews! I'm starting Chapter Ten as soon as this is posted. Until tomorrow, Adios!)
