Chapter Ten
Safaia sighs. After some short tracking she had found Kagome and Inuyasha near some hot springs, but the scent of sex kept her away. Eventually they had appeared into her field of vision, but she stayed perched up in the tree. The couple was walking slowly, hand in hand, smiling and whispering sweet nothings to one another. She watched Kagome climb onto her mates back, hugging him and laughing.
It was strange to Safaia, to see a human-a human miko, no less-with a half demon. She had known Kagome must be demon-friendly that night she found her. Inuyasha's scent was all over her, the mate mark fresh on her skin, and so Safaia was not afraid of her. When she had found out Kagome was a priestess, she had been afraid, but Kagome used her powers to save her-not vanquish her.
She mated a half breed. She adopted Shippo. She was the kindest person she'd ever met. It was beyond her, that kind of love. Or was it just love that was beyond her? She had never loved anyone except for her mother who raised her. Demon's did not love. They lived, they killed, and they died. Demon mating was about reproducing. It was possessive at best. Being a fox demon kept her from interaction with almost everyone. She had crossed paths with many demons in her short life, many of which were mated, and her mother had told her one day she would undoubtedly take a mate for herself. It had never occurred to her that demons could be capable of love, or friendship, or affection-like she had seen the humans of this world display.
Yet, here was Inuyasha. A half demon, yes, but still a demon. He treated Kagome like every other male demon would treat a mate, only, he loved her. She wondered if it was only the human half that was capable of feeling, but then there was Shippo.
He lived with humans. He grew up with humans. He even acted like one. He had spoken of living with a priestess. He did whatever she asked him to. He spoke of his friends, people who hunted her kind, and smiled as he did so. He had been ready to fight for Kagome, against a demon he could never hope to defeat.
She thought back to that night. He had been ready to die, even for her. He had attacked when she surrendered herself. She looks down at Kagome, silently thanking her for stopping him. She barely knew Shippo, but for the first time in her life, she felt something for someone. It made him important, somehow, and she did not understand it. He made her nervous, but in a good way. He made her laugh and smile, which was something she hadn't experienced since childhood. She had laughed more, since meeting Kagome, than she had in a long time. She had been on her own for almost four years. Ever since she had left the den she had only seen her parents a handful of times, and they never made her laugh.
"Keh. You just gonna sit up there like a creepy rodent?"
She peers down at the couple who was looking up at her, confused until she remembered she had taken the form of a squirrel. She shape shifts back into a human form and drops to the ground.
"Your sense of smell is impressive Inuyasha, for a half demon anyway."
Inuyasha paid no mind to her comment but Kagome glared at her.
"Safaia, I'd wager his nose is better than yours." Kagome challenges.
Safaia giggles. "Kagome, I'm not only a full demon-I'm a fox demon, thank you. We have the best sense of smell. Better than wolves or dogs."
"Don't let the wolf hear her say that." Kagome jokes, hugging Inuyasha.
He smirked. "Let him. Even if he wanted to fight her, Shippo would just run to her rescue."
Kagome looks at Safaia and grins. The fox demon was glaring at the side of her mates head.
"I don't need to be rescued."
"Ah," Kagome teases, leaning over to her from Inuyasha's back. "But you want to be rescued?"
Safaia's eyes widen, and she looks away from the miko. She hadn't been aware they had powers such as that, to read minds.
"Kagome, am I ugly?"
It was Kagome's turn to gape at her. "Why would think that?"
"No one has ever told me I wasn't but my mother. You can't listen to mothers about these things."
"No, Safaia, you are not ugly." She replied, softly.
Inuyasha sensed his mate's sadness at the mention of mothers, and became determined to change the subject.
"You come all the way out here to ask Kagome a stupid, girly question like that?"
"Oh! I'm having dinner with Shippo's friends tonight. A monk and a slayer." She explained. "I imagine you are invited. Kagome will they like me?"
"Kagome, will they like me?" Inuyasha mocked, his voice elevated to a girly octave. "Keh! You worry too much about stupid things."
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Don't worry about them, Safaia. Although, I'm surprised you agreed to this."
"Well, Shippo and I raced. See you at dinner!" She called back, taking off toward the village.
"Did you hear that, Inuyasha? They raced." Kagome was stifling a giggle.
"Yep. Explains it all." /
"Miroku, Shippo's coming."
He steps out the doorway to Sango's side, waving at the approaching demon.
"Wonder if he's still upset with me?" She asks.
Shippo closed the distance between them, then, running right to Sango and pulled her into a tight hug.
"I'm not mad at you Sango." He says, pulling back to smile at her. "I'm sorry for upsetting you."
"It's okay, Shippo. I'm sorry, too." She replies, taking a step back. "So is everything alright?"
"I guess you could say that. Actually, something happened-"
"What?" The couple said in unison.
"Everyone is fine, thanks to Kagome. Sesshomaru showed up last night."
"What did he want?" Miroku asked. "Where is Kagome?"
"Kagome met a girl-a demon, she met a demon-and it turned out he was after her. I smelled him coming so I left to stop him, but when I got there, Kagome was already there and Inuyasha was unconscious." He paused.
"Er, he is perfectly fine," he explains, after watching his friends faces twist with concern. "You should have seen Kagome, though. Man, has she gotten powerful."
"Tell me everything!" Sango demanded. "And where is she?"
"With Inuyasha. They needed some alone time. I have a favor to ask."
"Finish the story, Shippo!" Sango yells, balling a fist and punching his bicep.
He growls and rubs the sore spot on his arm. "Ow, Sango! I will! But you have to meet Safaia over dinner."
"Safaia, being this demon Kagome rescued?" Miroku guessed.
Shippo glared at Sango. "Yes."
"We'll meet her. But you have to bring the deer, if I'm cooking."
He rolled his eyes at her and looked at Miroku for support but the monk threw his hands up and chuckled.
"I'm always on my wife's side."
Shippo sighs. "I was going to bring it anyway, Sango."
She grabbed him by his shirt, yanking hard, and drug him into the house. "You're going to tell me everything."/
Kagome swallowed her last bite of rabbit, throwing the bone into the fire. "I can't believe I have only been here a week."
Inuyasha had caught a rabbit on their way back to the tent. After running into Safaia, learning they'd be eating with their friends, they had decided to eat something small for lunch. She ate a leg, leaving the rest to Inuyasha, and hoped it was enough.
She had been thinking about everything that had happened since she returned, realizing it had only been a short time. She felt exhausted from it all. Or maybe, Inuyasha had just exhausted her.
"Does it feel longer, 'Gome?" He asked, resting his head on hers.
"I guess I'm just not used to the lifestyle anymore. I need some coffee, bad."
"'S'that?"
She chuckled. "I don't think you'd like it. It's a bitter drink, but it gives you energy."
"Sounds like something human's would drink."
She didn't reply, but she rested her head on his shoulder which was good enough for him. He focused his attention on her feelings, wondering if thinking about her world upset her, but all her could sense was peace. He relaxed, then, and let his mind wander.
He thought back to that night in the cave; that night she went through the well with Kaede. He had never known of such pain. It was hard for him to believe a human could survive pain that excruciating, but she had, thankfully.
He fingers the pouch of beads in his sleeve. He had gone back to collect them while she slept at Kaede's. He supposed she only broke the rosary to defy him, in her anger. He remembered his demon screaming for him to strike her, bite her-to do anything to make her submit and pay for what she did-so he told her to sit him. He could never forgive himself for hurting her. When she ripped it from his neck, he initially panicked. For all those years, it was what connected him to her. Then he felt his rage heighten and couldn't even hear her over the sound of his demon, so he left her.
"What are you thinking about?"
Her voice interrupted his thoughts, sounding suspicious. She palmed his cheek, turning his head toward her, so he kissed her.
"Please?" She asks, looking into his eyes when he pulls away.
He gives her the pouch, watching her open it and pour the beads into her hand. She looked up at him, her gaze questioning.
"So that's where you went? Inuyasha, we don't need it anymore. I'm never going back, and I'm never doing 'that' to you again."
"Kagome, I want it-"
"No!" She refuses, returning the beads back to the pouch, drawing it shut.
"You don't have to enchant it." He explains, wrapping an arm around her waist, resting his head on hers once more. "But it's important to me."
She slouched, feeling stupid for overreacting. "Oh. I had no idea. I'm sorry I broke it."
He leaned over and kissed her again.
"I don't know how, but I'll find a way to fix it." She promised, as she stood.
She bent over and placed the pouch in her jacket pocket. Inuyasha licked his lips at the sight.
"You really shouldn't walk around in those clothes."
She stood and looked down at her body. "I like my clothes. I wish I had more of my wardrobe."
"I have something for you," he said, going into the tent. "If you don't mind wearing a kimono."
She sighed, knowing he would make her change. She supposed she couldn't argue. She couldn't wear the same clothes forever, and she could keep her modern clothes in good condition for traveling in if she wore what he gave her. She tried to remember what they looked like, thinking back to her first day here when she had found his place and his forgotten fire. She couldn't remember and just hoped she would like them./
Inuyasha returned with one folded up in his hands and threw it to her. She caught it easily, her eyes widening in astonishment. The pattern was silky smooth. It was very light weight which she hadn't expected, and solid black.
"Where did you get this, Inuyasha?"
He poked at the fire with a long stick. "Totosai gave them to me for you. He didn't know you were gone when he did and I almost burned them. But I couldn't."
She bends over behind him and kisses the top of his head. "I'm glad you didn't. Want to help me dress?"
He rose to his feet, turning to her and smirked. "Gladly."/
(Sorry for the wait. I had something to do that took me away from this. Thanks for the reviews! Next chapter tomorrow.)