Inuyasha hummed happily as he sat on the lip of the well and watched Kagome rummaging through her backpack. Stupid woman swore up and down that she'd 'printed' her latest assignment - that act of which had taken some explanation - but he couldn't remember her doing that for the life of him. He'd even said as much but she would be in denial her doing that had been a dream until the world ended.
"I know I put it in here," Kagome groaned as she continued taking out item after item, "I'll have to go back to school if it's not here."
"You couldn't just get on your con...computer and print the assignment again?" Inuyasha asked as he preened silently at having remembered the correct terminology and on top of that, said it casually enough to seem like he had some understanding. Which he didn't but it at least sounded like he did.
Kagome cast him an adoring, proud little smile before shaking her head.
"It was a one time only link," Kagome sighed miserably before quickly explaining, "I could only open the message once. I'd need to request another and..."
"That sounds complicated and wrong," Inuyasha snickered, "Why wouldn't you be able to read a message more than once?"
"I don't know. Ask the stupid people who run the school," Kagome huffed as she glanced up the stairs, "Maybe I left it inside. Or..."
"I bet you don't even have an assignment," Inuyasha teased as he watched her shoving her things back into her bag, "Besides you're never at school anyway. Can't you just say you were too sick and forgot and they'll forgive you like always."
The miko huffed and glared.
"They don't forgive me. I'm failing almost everything," she spat and he cringed.
"You can stay here a few extra days if you want," Inuyasha offered as he cleared his throat, "I'll watch Shippo and you can stay here and catch up. It's not like there's any jewel shard rumors."
"You wouldn't mind?" Kagome asked hopefully and he grinned.
"No. Not at all," he promised before adding for good measure, "Besides when...when we do have kids, one of us needs to be smart enough to teach them about shit. All I can do is explain how to kill things."
"Well that's more useful than learning how to do alegra so score one for Inuyasha," Kagome laughed softly as she got to her feet and planted a chaste kiss on his lips, "I'll come back tonight, okay? If you really don't mind, I'd like to go to school during the day and stay with you at night."
"Here?"
"No. In our house. Obviously," Kagome hummed as she pressed another kiss against his lips. Nuzzling her nose, Inuyasha grinned happily at the reminder that they were married, they would be living together from now on and that this all would work out. Maybe losing his arm and getting damn near paralyzed was the best thing that could have ever happened to him. This turn of events might actually turn out to be his very best life. A life worth living for once instead of one he was simply trying to survive.
"I'll have dinner ready. When you get back I mean," Inuyasha promised happily before blushing when Kagome gave him a somewhat skeptical look, "Who do you think has been feeding Shippo, huh? I can cook. I can do things."
"I know you can. I look forward to finding out what types of things you cook," Kagome cooed and his grin widened.
Yes, this Injury really was the best thing that could have ever happened to him. For the first time quite possibly ever, there was no resignation in that thought. It was a strange contradiction to be feel both broken and whole at the same time. Maybe happiness was not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them. All his life he'd hoped to eradicate what he perceived was to blame for the struggles he'd been forced to undergo. If he changed, if he could pin point what element of his being made life so miserable, then he could finally rest. Becoming a full demon. Becoming human. Hating both sides of himself in turn a way of life. It had never been about gaining power - although power was definitely a perk. For whatever reason his mind was decidedly made up. There was something wrong with him. That's why shit always went south. But then today he woke up in the arms of the woman he loved and who loved him. One arm missing. Nerves or what have you shooting lightning down his leg. His head deciding to play along and hurt for no reason. And instead of feeling despair, he...he felt happy. Not what he previously thought was happiness either. It was like a giant wave smoothed something over and replaced every negative feeling with contentment. All the bad things simply no longer bothered him. Which was absolutely insane but he weirdly didn't care about a possible descent into madness either. Maybe this was what love felt like but...but a little voice in the back of his mind told him it wasn't that simple.
"I love you," Inuyasha hummed once more as he pressed his forehead against his wife's temple, "I'll see you later okay?"
"Love you too."
Plan set in place, Inuyasha bid pecked her cheek before dropped down into the well. In short order, which for some reason seemed less daunting, he launched outward in a similar fashion to what he'd done before and as he pulled himself out for the well he found himself face to face with none other than Kikyo.
Who seemed just as surprised to see him.
"Oh," She gasped softly as she held one hand over her un beating heart, "I'm sorry. I just...they said you wouldn't be back until tomorrow. I wanted to see..."
"See what?" Inuyasha sighed heavily as he awkwardly pulled himself up by one arm and Kikyo fidgeted slightly which was very, very disturbing.
"Well I have been dropping in twigs," Kikyo admitted sheepishly, "To see whether they disappear."
"Did they?"
"No," she admitted, "I also wanted to speak with you. Alone. And apologize. I didn't think the others would let me near you all things considered but I imagined if...if Kagome could still see us without talking to them first, it would be more acceptable."
Oh what fresh hell was this? If Kikyo's scent wasn't so overwhelming her own, he would've assumed it was some trick. Since when did she speak like this? Since when did she seem so insecure? Maybe someone had messed with her mind?
Either way, he couldn't trust that her intentions were good. The more time passed the more he realized that whatever their relationship had been, it hadn't been healthy as Kagome put it. The constant fear of betrayal and pain wasn't normal. The compulsion to do her bidding sickening in retrospect. Whatever they'd had wasn't love and even if it was, that wasn't a love he'd ever revisit again. It just plain wasn't worth it and in his heart he knew he deserved better. Maybe this was the feeling Miroku was constantly seeking when he meditated. This acceptance of what was instead of a constant search for what could be.
That and Kikyo's mention of the others was strange at best and suspicious at worst. Miroku, Sango and even Kaede's absence was suspect as well. Surely they would be keeping tabs on Kikyo, right? Not that he believed the undead woman was capable of taking them all out on her own but rather...
It was just weird that no one else was here.
"About what?" Inuyasha replied uneasily as he awkwardly arranged himself on the lip of the well to jump if need be.
"I owe you an apology," Kikyo admitted softly as she wrung her hands, "For the time we were together. For what I asked of you."
"I'm not following."
The undead miko seemed incredibly lost which only raised Inuyasha's guard. Nibbling her lip uncharacteristically, she continued.
"I treated you poorly," she explained awkwardly, "I controlled you to meet my own ends and to your detriment. I convinced you to erase a part of yourself to make my life easier. It was..."
She swallowed thickly and fidgeted.
"It was cruel. And manipulative. So I apologize."
Gaping stupidly, it was all Inuyasha could do to stare. What the hell was this? Why...
"I took advantage of you,. Of your loneliness and desire to please," she blurted as nervousness radiated off of her in waves, "I saw an easy way out of a life I hated. A way to kill two birds with one stone. And that was wrong of me."
Reading in between the lines, all the air whooshed out of his lungs at the extremely hurtful realization.
"You didn't love me," he stated more than asked and Kikyo sighed.
"Not as much as I should have," she corrected, "I care for you. Deeply. But...but I don't know if love is the right word. At least not in the romantic sense."
"And this is your version of an apology? That you didn't love me and used me?" Inuyasha snorted - strangely apathetic to the hurtful admission. It didn't bother him nearly as much as it would have a few short weeks ago. He wouldn't get back with her even if he could get his old body back by doing so. The thought of even doing so felt repulsive. Her words - while hurtful - were met with the equivalent of a shrug and peace. No regret. Pain limited to a dull ache and a fleeting sense of something unidentifiable. Awkwardness maybe? No. That wasn't it.
"What I am not so eloquently trying to say is...is...get down. Go through the well," Kikyo breathed as she whirled on the spot and readied an arrow.
"What do you...oh shit. Where the fuck did he come from?"
The image of Sesshomaru appearing randomly was met with a mixture of morbid amusement and fear. Not fear of what his bastard brother might do but rather, fear of what it meant. Undoubtedly this asshole was here to kill him but how far would he go to reach that end. Amber eyes glanced towards the village as he tried to weigh his options. Yes, he could run but that would only delay the inevitable. Inuyasha had no doubt that Sesshomaru would resort to killing everyone in the village to draw the perceived stain on his bloodline out. That he would wait. And Inuyasha knew he couldn't stay on Kagome's side of the well knowing that his friends, that the villagers might be getting slaughtered. Or worse he goes back to Kagome and Kagome, being the spunky woman she was, would come back to defend him and she'd get hurt. There could be no running without someone getting hurt.
And Kikyo, while powerful, couldn't be left alone to face down someone intent on killing him. He wasn't completely useless. He could defend himself to an extent after all.
"Go through the well," Kikyo hissed as her eyes trained in the daiyoukai who had seemingly materialized out of thin air. Or rather out of a ball of light that was even now evaporating.
"You're in the way," Sesshomaru's cold voice reverberated amidst the suddenly silent clearing, "Surrender Inuyasha or perish."
The hanyou in question rolled his eyes and slid off the lip in the wrong direction.
"You cannot have him Sesshomaru," Kikyo replied coldly as she stepped directly into the line of fire should he strike.
"What are you doing?" Inuyasha hissed and Kikyo glanced over her shoulder before pointedly looking at the well.
"I could say the same," she clipped back before turning her attention back to the threat.
"You would have a human defend you half-breed," Sesshomaru laughed softly and the sound was like claw raking against a chalkboard, "It appears you spoke the truth woman. He is completely defenseless."
"Oh you bitch," Inuyasha swore softly as he quickly realized this was a trap.
"That is not what I said," Kikyo replied defensively as she sent Inuyasha an apologetic grimace, "I merely asked if you could offer him protection while I was away."
"Because that sounds like something he'd do," Inuyasha snorted as he swung his legs over the well and prepared to slide in. Let the bitch dry.
Kikyo sent him an apologetic and pleading glance before several things happened at once. In a flash of green light, her form went rigid and then began to crumble in slow motion while a firm hand suddenly gripped the back of his hair and slammed his body into the dirt.
"Only This Sesshomaru shall be granted the pleasure of ending your miserable life," the daiyoukai commented apathetically as what remained of Kikyo's tear stained face watched on in silent horror. Reeling from the shock of this extreme escalation, Inuyasha was stunned stupid. Frozen on his back as his mind desperately tried to catch up. At least a minute passed before his mind finally jump started. By that point, however, it was too late. That moment's hesitation was all it took for him to be caught like a fly in a spider's web and a firm, well placed blow to the head sent him falling into darkness.
"I'm sorry," Kikyo's disembodied voice reached him before a second green whip cleaved what remained of her form in two and Inuyasha knew no more.
xoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxxo
"I can't believe you lost her" Sango hissed angrily as she continued following Miroku around the forest, "I leave you alone and..."
"It is not my fault," the monk replied defensively, "We were checking the perimeter and when I turned around, she was gone."
"Why wasn't she walking in front of you?" Sango clipped back before sighing when Shippo began growling in response to the rising tension. Petting his head, she quickly removed his tiny form from her shoulder and placed him atop the newly transformed Kilala.
"You tried to find her from the air did you not?" Miroku huffed and Sango nodded, "Then you too realize she probably erected a barrier to hide her presence."
"She wouldn't have gone far. Whatever she's planning involves Inuyasha," Sango opined as they continued rushing through the trees and Miroku nodded.
"At least that gives us some time to locate her. They shouldn't be back until tomorrow."
xoxoxxoxoxxoxoxo
"He's going to have a field day with this one," Kagome sighed heavily as she adjusted her much heavier backpack, "But maybe he'll have mercy on me and let me study."
He would. She knew he would. The injury had made him all around more accepting of sitting around doing nothing productive. Plus it wasn't like she could go anywhere with Kikyo around and he sure as hell didn't want to be left behind with that cold undead bitch either. Not that he said that but she knew. She knew he hated being left behind on a good day even if it was by his own choice.
"I wonder what he'll make for dinner," Kagome mused yo herself as she tried to focus on a happier topic, "Never knew he could cook. Makes sense though."
Truth be told, it made perfect sense. Even though that medicine was putrid, he managed to prep and cook everything following the recipe in his head. If he could recreate medicine from memory, she had no doubt he could cook other things. After all, he wasn't some wild animal and he always seemed hungry. Had very particular tastes too and clearly loved food given his vacuum like way of consuming it. Still, it was funny how he'd never insisted on cooking things himself up until now. Then again just because someone knew how to cook it didn't mean they enjoyed doing it.
Or maybe he couldn't cook at all and she would he presented with some burnt piece of fish.
Laughing softly at the image of his proud little face when he gave her some unholy abomination which she'd haveto eat just to make him happy, Kagome felt a little lighter as she turned a corner.
Her husband was going to have dinner on the table when she got home. What a weird thing to know. Especially considering her husband was Inuyasha.