Leaning against the trunk of the ancient tree, letting a deep breath out
slowly and stretching his legs before him on the high branch, he closed his
eyes. Again his thoughts drifted to her, the girl that had unknowingly
enchanted him. It was times like these, while she was away back in her own
time, that he seemed to think only of her. His concentration seldom moved from
the memory of her. The way her scent gently pulled at him when she was near,
how her voice left him in numb at times, how she moved...everything was deeply
embedded in his mind's eye. He would never forget a single detail about her,
ever.
Sighing quietly, he let his golden eyes slip partially open. She would
never know. If she knew she could reject him. He feared that, but the thing he
feared most was that she would return his feelings, accept him. It would make
it that much worse, because it could never work. Once the Shikon no Tama was
gathered and their quest was over...it would be over. That was all there was to
it.
But he tried not to think about that. He tried to take the comfort it
gave him to be near her. Although that comfort in itself was a torture he had
never known before her, a torture that left him to wonder why he made himself
go on. Then he would remember. He went on because of her, and because of the
fact he was too stubborn to give up.
His nose twitched a moment and he smiled inwardly. Although it was a
blissful torture to be around her it was a new hell altogether to be away from
her. Unfolding his arms he dropped to the soft ground at the base of the tree
and straighted slowly. She knew where to find him, she always did, so there was
no need to hurry to her.
No matter how eager he was to be near her again, he walked slowly in the
direction of the well. As long as she had no idea, no suspicions of how he
felt, maybe nothing would happen and he would find a way to go on. Just as he
came to the small clearing that surrounded the well he saw her hand come over
the edge and grip the wooden frame.
By the time she had pulled herself over the wells edge and reached back
to pull her overly large bag after her, Inu Yasha was beside her pulling the
bag up himself.
His face took on the scowl that it usually had when she came back late,
he was over joyed to see her again but if he let her know that she would become
curious.
"You're late."
Smiling softly at him, she threw her arms around his neck for a brief
moment, causing his heart to skip a few beats, "I'm sorry, I told you I
had to make up for all that school time I'm missing... I didn't know how long
it would take"
"Feh." Shrugging off her apology, and her arms he walked
towards the tree he was previously in with her bag slung over his shoulder.
Looking to the darkening sky then back to her, he kept his voice slightly
annoyed but mostly uncaring. "You should get some rest so we can start early
in the morning."
Trotting to catch up and walk next to him, she scowled slightly,
"You know, you don't have to be so rude, Inu Yasha. You don't even seem to
be glad that I'm back."
Shaking a finger at him, she raised her nose knowingly, "That's not
an attitude that will attract any girls"
This was where he would usually reward her remark with some witty comment
of his own, or the infamous "feh". But he didn't. Something she
couldn't define passed over his eyes briefly before it was gone and he looked
silently away. Frowning slightly, she watched him a moment.
"Is something wrong, Inu Yasha?"
"No."
"Are you sure, because you've been a-"
"I'm sure, okay?" His reply was almost sharp, his tone slightly
annoyed, as he picked up his pace.
Dropping her bag near the base of the tree, he crouched near a cold pile
of ashes and started a small fire with the wood lying next to the previously
used pit. While he stacked the wood, his ears turned back slightly as he
listened to her unpack her things.
Once he had a small blaze going he sat next to it, crossing his arms, not
looking to Kagome as she sat next to him. She placed a hand softly on his arm
and he unwillingly tensed. She felt it.
Watching him closely, she spoke with her voice a near whisper "Inu
Yasha... did anything happen? ... I mean... you just..."
As her voice faded off, he turned his eyes slowly to her. Watching her a
few moments before he spoke a quieter voice "No, nothing happened Kagome.
I'm ...don't worry about it. Get some rest."
With that he began to rise, her hand slipping down his arm as he did so,
grasping his hand. Looking down at her, he gave her a somewhat confused
expression as she pulled herself to her feet. Never letting go of his hand. He
thought he should pull his hand back, away from hers, but he couldn't bring
himself to just then.
Just one moment, I'll take it back in a moment. If I can never hold her
again, just give me this small moment....Without realizing his eyes reflected
those thoughts faintly, along with the confusion.
With her standing in front of him, he swallowed and licked his dry lips
quickly, her closeness and that look in her eyes was making him nervous.
"Kagome... I-"
She quieted him instantly by placing a single soft finger to his lips.
Slipping her hand from his she ran it over his shoulder, and let it rest just
under the base of his neck. He tensed again, his body as rigid as steel as she
pulled her finger back.
His eyes held a form of shocked confusion, as he tilted his head down to
her to watch her. Her eyes bore into his for moments that could have been
eternitys to him. Lifting herself, she lightly brushed his lips with her own.
He froze instantly against softness of her lips, all his senses numbing, his
mind swimming. Seconds later, she pulled back her cheeks burned and she looked
away.
"I'm sorry Inu Yasha, I just-... I didn't-"
He cut her off right there and then as he brought a hand from his side to
cup her chin and turn her eyes to him. A small smile graced his lips before he
brought them to hers in a brief flutter before pulling her into a more intense
kiss within moments. All thoughts other than being near her left him. He
suddenly didn't care if they could never be together, he didn't care she could
tear his heart to pieces someday. She was there with him now and she had kissed
him. She wanted him, she wasn't disgusted or frightened. All he wanted then was
her.
I didn't write more I just fixed the Italics, but more is coming.
TBC- if she gets the reviews Chelle's
email for the reviews!
