Hey everyone!! I know, I know, a day late to update! I'm so sorry!! I
went to bed at 2:30 this morning, got up 6 hours later, and it's now almost
11:30 PM, which is when Inuyasha comes on. Sucks to stay up this late, but
I'm not missing my Inuyasha!
As much as I wish, none of these characters are mine.
~~~~~~
Ch 4 I Missed You!
Kagome just held onto him, sobbing into his shoulder as her mind replayed what he had done and said. Yes, there was only one kitsune she knew who could possibly know about her first time to the past, that slept a lot, and that knew about the pink balloon form Shippou changed to when he would chew on Inuyasha's head. She didn't know how he grew up so fast, though. He appeared to be at least her age of 19, but he had only appeared about 6 when she last seen him.
She shook her head. She didn't care. She was here. And Shippou was here, too. Even though Miroku and Sango were gone, she still had him... But wait... Hadn't the people said "Great-grandchildren"?!?! How long had she been gone? It had only been two years, as far as she knew! She sighed and tightened her grip on her only remaining friend. But, what if it wasn't Shippou? Could it be his son??
She felt his arms around her, and just relaxed in his warmth right then. She was so happy to be back, and to be among familiar faces, even if they weren't so familiar. She couldn't help the tears flowing down her cheeks, but decided it might be good to try and stop them. She felt him hug her back, and she smiled. Taking deep breaths to calm back down, she looked up into the face of her living teddy bear.
Sure enough, a pair of green-blue eyes were visible as the sun began to shine into the small hut. She could also see a nervous smile, as though he was trying to make her feel better, but wasn't sure how. But those eyes... She knew only one with those bright, laughing aquamarine eyes. With a final squeeze, she released Shippou, planning on sitting back on her bed from the previous night. While he did relax the hug, however, he did not let her go. His hands were resting on her shoulders, and he was looking into her eyes curiously. That was when she noticed the oddest thing, though, and that was the pain and sadness hiding inside him.
"Shippou? What happened? What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" She reached out a hand to him, wishing she could help this person who had grown up so much without her. Now she wanted to cry again, but for him. For the little boy he used to be. For the pain in his eyes.
Before she could react, his arms tensed again, and he pulled her close, resting his head on her shoulder. She felt drops of warm water touch her neck as she felt the body of the grown kitsune shudder slightly under her hands. He whispered only 5 words to her, but it was enough to make her eyes well up again as she tightened her grip on the quietly weeping man.
"I missed you so much..."
~~*~~
Shippou couldn't help it. All the pain, the loneliness, the loss, poured out onto her shoulder as he held her body close to him, breathing in deep, shuddering breaths which were laced with her scent. When the tears of hurt ended, the tears of joy, relief, and sheer happiness began to drop onto the now-warm skin. He sighed, hugging her as he felt her arms tighten around him.
He still had to answer her question. He knew she was being patient; she always had been with him. But he knew she was also curious. After all, hadn't she always asked endless questions whenever they heard of something new? He smiled at that memory, her running behind Inuyasha, or riding on her pink bike with himself sleeping in the basket, asking question after question of the irritated hanyou.
His smile made him relax, and he realized he was no longer crying. He sighed and released Kagome, surprised when this time, she was the one who refused to let go. She was looking into his eyes, as though searching his soul. He knew what she was looking for. He smiled at her.
"You left. You disappeared. I was so upset. And now, you're back. I don't know... I just missed you so much. You missed a lot of things you would have loved to see." Now he recognized that look in her eyes. That curious spark that always preceded a long list of questions. But first, he had to answer the ones she had already asked.
"It's been 72 years, Kagome. I don't know why, but I think the time gone by for both of us is different."
She nodded at him, whispering quietly, "It's only been two years for me."
He raised an eyebrow at her, curious. Only two years? But why...?
She looked at him now, blushing, and he wondered what she was thinking. He didn't have to wait long.
"Shippou? That man I heard calling my name... Do you know who it was? Was it you?"
Now it was his turn to blush, and he looked down at his claws, which he realized were fiddling with the leaf he had used for his illusion. He stuffed it back in his inner vest pocket, then looked back to Kagome, who was watching him with that expectant look on her face. There was no getting out of this, he knew.
"Yes. That was me. I was at the well. Like I said, I missed you. I missed you more than you could imagine. Miroku and Sango were married, and later had children. But I never fully fit in. And so, I moved out here and built my home, within walking distance to the well." He glanced out the window that faced the structure in question. He had placed that window there so that he could see it anytime, and so that he could see if and when she came back.
He sighed. "I've lived here ever since their deaths. I still visit the village, and I go by the well everyday. Today was going to be your anniversary. Exactly 72 years since you were stolen from me. I couldn't handle it. I had to do something. I began to cry, which is surprising since I haven't cried in a while. I couldn't make myself cry. I still hurt, but there were no tears there. But yesterday, when the pain became unbearable, I called out for you, begging you to come back. And I cried into the well. I forced myself to get up and walk away, but then, you were there."
Before he could notice it, her arms were around him again, squeezing him in a warm hug. The kind that only she could give. The kind of hug that radiated peace, laughter, and love. He smiled as he hugged her back, then realized she was speaking.
"... And when I heard it, I thought it was Souta, you remember him, right? My little brother I always talked about? Well, then I realized the voice was too old, and when I walked outside, no one was there. Next thing I know, I'm standing by the well, looking in, remembering all of you and missing you so much... I cried then, knowing I could never see you again. I would never see Miroku's and Sango's family, I would never see you become a man. I just wanted to come back so badly... And I cried into the well. When it began to glow, I immediately jumped in. I would have gotten some supplies, but I didn't want to take any chances that the portal might close. And I had to see you all again." She tightened her grip on him, and he thanked his lucky stars she wasn't a demon, or else she might have ended up breaking a rib or two. He could almost hear them cracking now...
He hugged her gently, afraid of hurting her, and was about to tell her about the nearby hot springs, in case she wanted to bathe, but then, she did something he wasn't expecting. She kissed his cheek.
Now, he had been used to it as a boy. It had been a mother's kiss. But now, as a man, this kiss was surprising, and he began to blush.
"I felt so horrible, Shippou." He looked down at her, still holding her lithe form close to him. She was looking at him sadly, as though begging forgiveness. "I felt so terrible... I knew that you would be alone without me..."
He hugged her, squeezing her slightly tighter this time, making her emit a soft squeak of surprise. He grinned and tapped her nose again. "That's in the past," he told her, "This is the Now. And if I know you, the one thing you really want is... a bath! You always would go bathe when you were upset, needed to think, or just wanted to get clean." He smiled at her. "And after you left, I went exploring all around this area. Why do you think I chose here to live? There's a couple of small hot springs about 5 minutes away, in that direction." He pointed it out to her, noticing the way her face lit up at the mention of a bath. He grinned and held out the present he had received from Hikana the night before, after he had lifted the young miko into his arms.
"Here, you can wear this. Don't worry, it's yours. Well, it was Hikana's, but she wanted you to have it. She said you'd need something to wear until we were able to get you your own clothes." He watched her smile and lift up the kimono, holding it out for inspection. Hikana had been right, he thought as he looked from the light blue silk to the woman holding it.
"Shippou, she's going to need something to wear! And this would be perfect! The color almost matches her eyes! Come on! Either you take it, or I'm going to hit you a few times with my great-grandmother's weapon until you do!"
He remembered how he had glanced at Hiraikotsu then, the giant boomerang resting in the corner. Stifling a shiver of fear, he noticed Kagome had folded up the kimono, and had stood up, waiting for him. He smiled and stood, only to hear her say "Thank you" before heading off towards the springs.
He watched as the most important person in his life went to clean up, just as she had always done in the old days. He smiled. But it's not the old days anymore. Now, it's the new days. With a glance at the morning sun, he realized he was supposed to have already been out hunting. He walked to the door, lifting the sword as he prepared himself. He loved the chase. He supposed all demons did. Speaking of which...
With a glance at the sword in his hand, which was nothing compared to the Tetsusaiga, he made a mental note to find a bow and some arrows for Kagome. That was the weapon she was most comfortable with. However, if she was willing to learn, he was willing to teach.
He shook himself out of his thoughts, reminding himself of the date. Kouga and his pack will be here in a matter of hours to pay their respects. I can't wait to see their faces! With that thought, and with a grin on his lips, Shippou made his way into the woods, sniffing for something that could be called breakfast.
~~~~~~~
Well!! There ya go!! Another chapter! Sorry about not putting one up yesterday, I know you all HATE me now! I'm sorry!! Anyways, it's 1 in the morning, and I'm outta here. G'Night! Oh yeah, and please review!!
As much as I wish, none of these characters are mine.
~~~~~~
Ch 4 I Missed You!
Kagome just held onto him, sobbing into his shoulder as her mind replayed what he had done and said. Yes, there was only one kitsune she knew who could possibly know about her first time to the past, that slept a lot, and that knew about the pink balloon form Shippou changed to when he would chew on Inuyasha's head. She didn't know how he grew up so fast, though. He appeared to be at least her age of 19, but he had only appeared about 6 when she last seen him.
She shook her head. She didn't care. She was here. And Shippou was here, too. Even though Miroku and Sango were gone, she still had him... But wait... Hadn't the people said "Great-grandchildren"?!?! How long had she been gone? It had only been two years, as far as she knew! She sighed and tightened her grip on her only remaining friend. But, what if it wasn't Shippou? Could it be his son??
She felt his arms around her, and just relaxed in his warmth right then. She was so happy to be back, and to be among familiar faces, even if they weren't so familiar. She couldn't help the tears flowing down her cheeks, but decided it might be good to try and stop them. She felt him hug her back, and she smiled. Taking deep breaths to calm back down, she looked up into the face of her living teddy bear.
Sure enough, a pair of green-blue eyes were visible as the sun began to shine into the small hut. She could also see a nervous smile, as though he was trying to make her feel better, but wasn't sure how. But those eyes... She knew only one with those bright, laughing aquamarine eyes. With a final squeeze, she released Shippou, planning on sitting back on her bed from the previous night. While he did relax the hug, however, he did not let her go. His hands were resting on her shoulders, and he was looking into her eyes curiously. That was when she noticed the oddest thing, though, and that was the pain and sadness hiding inside him.
"Shippou? What happened? What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" She reached out a hand to him, wishing she could help this person who had grown up so much without her. Now she wanted to cry again, but for him. For the little boy he used to be. For the pain in his eyes.
Before she could react, his arms tensed again, and he pulled her close, resting his head on her shoulder. She felt drops of warm water touch her neck as she felt the body of the grown kitsune shudder slightly under her hands. He whispered only 5 words to her, but it was enough to make her eyes well up again as she tightened her grip on the quietly weeping man.
"I missed you so much..."
~~*~~
Shippou couldn't help it. All the pain, the loneliness, the loss, poured out onto her shoulder as he held her body close to him, breathing in deep, shuddering breaths which were laced with her scent. When the tears of hurt ended, the tears of joy, relief, and sheer happiness began to drop onto the now-warm skin. He sighed, hugging her as he felt her arms tighten around him.
He still had to answer her question. He knew she was being patient; she always had been with him. But he knew she was also curious. After all, hadn't she always asked endless questions whenever they heard of something new? He smiled at that memory, her running behind Inuyasha, or riding on her pink bike with himself sleeping in the basket, asking question after question of the irritated hanyou.
His smile made him relax, and he realized he was no longer crying. He sighed and released Kagome, surprised when this time, she was the one who refused to let go. She was looking into his eyes, as though searching his soul. He knew what she was looking for. He smiled at her.
"You left. You disappeared. I was so upset. And now, you're back. I don't know... I just missed you so much. You missed a lot of things you would have loved to see." Now he recognized that look in her eyes. That curious spark that always preceded a long list of questions. But first, he had to answer the ones she had already asked.
"It's been 72 years, Kagome. I don't know why, but I think the time gone by for both of us is different."
She nodded at him, whispering quietly, "It's only been two years for me."
He raised an eyebrow at her, curious. Only two years? But why...?
She looked at him now, blushing, and he wondered what she was thinking. He didn't have to wait long.
"Shippou? That man I heard calling my name... Do you know who it was? Was it you?"
Now it was his turn to blush, and he looked down at his claws, which he realized were fiddling with the leaf he had used for his illusion. He stuffed it back in his inner vest pocket, then looked back to Kagome, who was watching him with that expectant look on her face. There was no getting out of this, he knew.
"Yes. That was me. I was at the well. Like I said, I missed you. I missed you more than you could imagine. Miroku and Sango were married, and later had children. But I never fully fit in. And so, I moved out here and built my home, within walking distance to the well." He glanced out the window that faced the structure in question. He had placed that window there so that he could see it anytime, and so that he could see if and when she came back.
He sighed. "I've lived here ever since their deaths. I still visit the village, and I go by the well everyday. Today was going to be your anniversary. Exactly 72 years since you were stolen from me. I couldn't handle it. I had to do something. I began to cry, which is surprising since I haven't cried in a while. I couldn't make myself cry. I still hurt, but there were no tears there. But yesterday, when the pain became unbearable, I called out for you, begging you to come back. And I cried into the well. I forced myself to get up and walk away, but then, you were there."
Before he could notice it, her arms were around him again, squeezing him in a warm hug. The kind that only she could give. The kind of hug that radiated peace, laughter, and love. He smiled as he hugged her back, then realized she was speaking.
"... And when I heard it, I thought it was Souta, you remember him, right? My little brother I always talked about? Well, then I realized the voice was too old, and when I walked outside, no one was there. Next thing I know, I'm standing by the well, looking in, remembering all of you and missing you so much... I cried then, knowing I could never see you again. I would never see Miroku's and Sango's family, I would never see you become a man. I just wanted to come back so badly... And I cried into the well. When it began to glow, I immediately jumped in. I would have gotten some supplies, but I didn't want to take any chances that the portal might close. And I had to see you all again." She tightened her grip on him, and he thanked his lucky stars she wasn't a demon, or else she might have ended up breaking a rib or two. He could almost hear them cracking now...
He hugged her gently, afraid of hurting her, and was about to tell her about the nearby hot springs, in case she wanted to bathe, but then, she did something he wasn't expecting. She kissed his cheek.
Now, he had been used to it as a boy. It had been a mother's kiss. But now, as a man, this kiss was surprising, and he began to blush.
"I felt so horrible, Shippou." He looked down at her, still holding her lithe form close to him. She was looking at him sadly, as though begging forgiveness. "I felt so terrible... I knew that you would be alone without me..."
He hugged her, squeezing her slightly tighter this time, making her emit a soft squeak of surprise. He grinned and tapped her nose again. "That's in the past," he told her, "This is the Now. And if I know you, the one thing you really want is... a bath! You always would go bathe when you were upset, needed to think, or just wanted to get clean." He smiled at her. "And after you left, I went exploring all around this area. Why do you think I chose here to live? There's a couple of small hot springs about 5 minutes away, in that direction." He pointed it out to her, noticing the way her face lit up at the mention of a bath. He grinned and held out the present he had received from Hikana the night before, after he had lifted the young miko into his arms.
"Here, you can wear this. Don't worry, it's yours. Well, it was Hikana's, but she wanted you to have it. She said you'd need something to wear until we were able to get you your own clothes." He watched her smile and lift up the kimono, holding it out for inspection. Hikana had been right, he thought as he looked from the light blue silk to the woman holding it.
"Shippou, she's going to need something to wear! And this would be perfect! The color almost matches her eyes! Come on! Either you take it, or I'm going to hit you a few times with my great-grandmother's weapon until you do!"
He remembered how he had glanced at Hiraikotsu then, the giant boomerang resting in the corner. Stifling a shiver of fear, he noticed Kagome had folded up the kimono, and had stood up, waiting for him. He smiled and stood, only to hear her say "Thank you" before heading off towards the springs.
He watched as the most important person in his life went to clean up, just as she had always done in the old days. He smiled. But it's not the old days anymore. Now, it's the new days. With a glance at the morning sun, he realized he was supposed to have already been out hunting. He walked to the door, lifting the sword as he prepared himself. He loved the chase. He supposed all demons did. Speaking of which...
With a glance at the sword in his hand, which was nothing compared to the Tetsusaiga, he made a mental note to find a bow and some arrows for Kagome. That was the weapon she was most comfortable with. However, if she was willing to learn, he was willing to teach.
He shook himself out of his thoughts, reminding himself of the date. Kouga and his pack will be here in a matter of hours to pay their respects. I can't wait to see their faces! With that thought, and with a grin on his lips, Shippou made his way into the woods, sniffing for something that could be called breakfast.
~~~~~~~
Well!! There ya go!! Another chapter! Sorry about not putting one up yesterday, I know you all HATE me now! I'm sorry!! Anyways, it's 1 in the morning, and I'm outta here. G'Night! Oh yeah, and please review!!