Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me. You know it, I know it, why
must you make me say such painful things?
Chapter Thirteen - You Belong Here
Everyone sat in the main room of Kaede's hut. Dinner had long passed already and Kagome still hadn't returned. They were all worried about her. She never stayed out this late without telling them. Shippou was constantly glaring at the other three that he had traveled with for years. If not for their tempers she would be home instead of out there making everyone worry.
All three of the older members of the group felt incredibly guilty for what they said to their friend. But no one felt guiltier than Inuyasha, who hoped she would become more than a friend. Finally, he couldn't stand it any more. Without a word, he rose from his seat against the wall and left. Outside he lifted his nose in the air and sniffed. It didn't take long to find Kagome's scent and he was off. After following the scent for a little ways, dread filled his heart. He knew the path she was on. Had their words really hurt her that bad? Had he really hurt her that bad? The hanyou doubled his efforts. He wasn't going to just let her go this time. Hopefully she hadn't thought to put the seal on the well again. If he couldn't get to her, couldn't talk to her, he didn't know what he would do. He couldn't lose her again.
* * *
Kagome sat on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chin fighting tears. Why had she gone back? What was it she had been hoping to find? Had the past been haunting her just to prove she didn't belong there? With her friends? With him? She didn't know where she belonged anymore. She had always felt out of place after she returned from the Sengoku Jidai. When she went back she almost believed that she belonged there. almost. She sighed.
"Where do I belong?"
She heard the branches rustling outside her window. At the same time she felt the presence of a youkai. No. half-youkai.
"Sit!" She said loudly.
She was rewarded with the sound of branches snapping under the falling weight of a hanyou. A few minutes after he hit the ground she heard him climbing back up the tree. She did it again... And again. And again. She must've done it a dozen times before he stopped trying to climb up. At first, Kagome thought he had left. Then, Inuyasha launched himself through her window and landed nimbly on the window seat. She immediately "Sat" him, but he fell into the room instead of out the window.
"Would you quit, wench? You'll wake everyone up!" He growled.
"There's no one else here. Sit!" BAM! "Mom and Grandpa went to my aunt's for a few days. Sit!" BAM! "And Souta is staying at a friend's tonight.. Sit!" BAM!
"Well stop." BAM! "anyway. That." BAM! "hurts." BAM!
She smiled. "It's supposed to.Sit!" BAM!
"I." BAM! "need to." BAM! "talk to you." BAM!
"There's nothing you can say that I want to hear. Sit!" BAM!
"Oh really?" BAM! "How about." BAM! "I." BAM! "love." BAM! "you!"
"Si." Kagome froze. "What did you say?"
Realizing that he was safe for the moment, Inuyasha stood straighter and gazed at her seriously. "I love you, Kagome. I've been trying to find the right way to tell you, but I guess this will have to do."
Suddenly, he gripped his chest and doubled over in pain. She rushed forward to lend him support and led him over to her bed.
"Oh Kami, Inuyasha, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot about your wound."
She made him take his haori and gi off. As she expected, all of her 'Sits' had pulled the stitches and he was starting to bleed. Luckily, that one artery was healed by now. She still felt ashamed at being so childish and spiteful. Silently, she cleaned, re-stitched, and re-bandaged the wound. As she put her medical supplies away Inuyasha struggled into a sitting position.
"Kagome, I'm really sorry for what I said. I didn't expect you to take it literally," he said. "You never have before."
She sighed. "I'm sorry, too. The only reason I yelled at you was because I was angry that you got hurt because of me."
"Sesshoumaru is the one who hurt me," he reminded her gently.
"But he did it because he wanted me to kill him. Something he never would have had a chance to do if you hadn't been worried about me."
"Are you saying you don't want me to love you:? Because I doubt I have a choice. And I wouldn't change it even if I could." He took her hand. "I love you, Kagome."
Rather then reply, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips. It was a chaste kiss, just lips meeting briefly. She started to pull back, a slightly embarrassed look on her face, but he wrapped his arm around her and deepened the kiss. His tongue flicked across her lips, asking for entrance. Imagine his surprise when her tongue entered his mouth instead. Not that he minded. She was sweeter than he ever imagined she would be.
Events quickly escalated from there and they made love late into the night before falling asleep in each other's arms. Their faces were masks of content and Inuyasha didn't mind the pain the exertion had caused his wound. After all, he needed to exercise it anyway.
* * *
The next morning he woke up to the feeling of being watched. Opening his eyes he found Kagome staring up at him. Her brown eyes were shining the way he hadn't seen since they first started searching for the Shikon no Tama. His heart soared. He had done that. Her eyes were shining again because of him and only him. If he were to die at that moment he would die the happiest man to ever walk the planet.
"Good morning. Did you sleep good?" He asked.
She grinned. "Better than I have in over a year. What about you?"
He grinned back. "Do you have to ask?"
Kagome reached up and kissed him. "In case you haven't gotten it yet, I still love you."
Inuyasha grew serious. "Last night, before we talked, I heard what you said."
She frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"When you asked where you belong, I heard you," He said. "And I know the answer to your question."
"Oh? What's that?"
"You belong here." He saw her face begin to fall and quickly explained. "I'm not talking about this time period. I mean right where you are. In my arms and. my heart."
Kagome gave him a radiant smile. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Good, 'cause I want you to be my mate."
Inuyasha said it almost as if she didn't have a choice. Which is just the way I like it, She thought. Instead of answering, she reached up and kissed him so passionately that it stole his breath.
"I'll take that to mean you agree," He gasped. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shayril: Okay, guys, it's all over. You won't hear from me again until the next time I write a fic... stops to glare at everyone ... Yes, I fully intend to write another fic. If you don't like that idea you can just cry me a river, build me a bridge, and jump off of it because it's not like you have to read the damn thing. My writing is strictly for people who actually WANT to read it. Anyway, what'd you think of this one? Of course, you KNEW they'd wind up together in the end. THAT was predictable, but what did you think about the rest. Did I spin a good tale? Hope you think so. You know where to send it. Actually, hang on a sec. There's still an epilogue to write. See ya soon...
Chapter Thirteen - You Belong Here
Everyone sat in the main room of Kaede's hut. Dinner had long passed already and Kagome still hadn't returned. They were all worried about her. She never stayed out this late without telling them. Shippou was constantly glaring at the other three that he had traveled with for years. If not for their tempers she would be home instead of out there making everyone worry.
All three of the older members of the group felt incredibly guilty for what they said to their friend. But no one felt guiltier than Inuyasha, who hoped she would become more than a friend. Finally, he couldn't stand it any more. Without a word, he rose from his seat against the wall and left. Outside he lifted his nose in the air and sniffed. It didn't take long to find Kagome's scent and he was off. After following the scent for a little ways, dread filled his heart. He knew the path she was on. Had their words really hurt her that bad? Had he really hurt her that bad? The hanyou doubled his efforts. He wasn't going to just let her go this time. Hopefully she hadn't thought to put the seal on the well again. If he couldn't get to her, couldn't talk to her, he didn't know what he would do. He couldn't lose her again.
* * *
Kagome sat on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chin fighting tears. Why had she gone back? What was it she had been hoping to find? Had the past been haunting her just to prove she didn't belong there? With her friends? With him? She didn't know where she belonged anymore. She had always felt out of place after she returned from the Sengoku Jidai. When she went back she almost believed that she belonged there. almost. She sighed.
"Where do I belong?"
She heard the branches rustling outside her window. At the same time she felt the presence of a youkai. No. half-youkai.
"Sit!" She said loudly.
She was rewarded with the sound of branches snapping under the falling weight of a hanyou. A few minutes after he hit the ground she heard him climbing back up the tree. She did it again... And again. And again. She must've done it a dozen times before he stopped trying to climb up. At first, Kagome thought he had left. Then, Inuyasha launched himself through her window and landed nimbly on the window seat. She immediately "Sat" him, but he fell into the room instead of out the window.
"Would you quit, wench? You'll wake everyone up!" He growled.
"There's no one else here. Sit!" BAM! "Mom and Grandpa went to my aunt's for a few days. Sit!" BAM! "And Souta is staying at a friend's tonight.. Sit!" BAM!
"Well stop." BAM! "anyway. That." BAM! "hurts." BAM!
She smiled. "It's supposed to.Sit!" BAM!
"I." BAM! "need to." BAM! "talk to you." BAM!
"There's nothing you can say that I want to hear. Sit!" BAM!
"Oh really?" BAM! "How about." BAM! "I." BAM! "love." BAM! "you!"
"Si." Kagome froze. "What did you say?"
Realizing that he was safe for the moment, Inuyasha stood straighter and gazed at her seriously. "I love you, Kagome. I've been trying to find the right way to tell you, but I guess this will have to do."
Suddenly, he gripped his chest and doubled over in pain. She rushed forward to lend him support and led him over to her bed.
"Oh Kami, Inuyasha, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot about your wound."
She made him take his haori and gi off. As she expected, all of her 'Sits' had pulled the stitches and he was starting to bleed. Luckily, that one artery was healed by now. She still felt ashamed at being so childish and spiteful. Silently, she cleaned, re-stitched, and re-bandaged the wound. As she put her medical supplies away Inuyasha struggled into a sitting position.
"Kagome, I'm really sorry for what I said. I didn't expect you to take it literally," he said. "You never have before."
She sighed. "I'm sorry, too. The only reason I yelled at you was because I was angry that you got hurt because of me."
"Sesshoumaru is the one who hurt me," he reminded her gently.
"But he did it because he wanted me to kill him. Something he never would have had a chance to do if you hadn't been worried about me."
"Are you saying you don't want me to love you:? Because I doubt I have a choice. And I wouldn't change it even if I could." He took her hand. "I love you, Kagome."
Rather then reply, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips. It was a chaste kiss, just lips meeting briefly. She started to pull back, a slightly embarrassed look on her face, but he wrapped his arm around her and deepened the kiss. His tongue flicked across her lips, asking for entrance. Imagine his surprise when her tongue entered his mouth instead. Not that he minded. She was sweeter than he ever imagined she would be.
Events quickly escalated from there and they made love late into the night before falling asleep in each other's arms. Their faces were masks of content and Inuyasha didn't mind the pain the exertion had caused his wound. After all, he needed to exercise it anyway.
* * *
The next morning he woke up to the feeling of being watched. Opening his eyes he found Kagome staring up at him. Her brown eyes were shining the way he hadn't seen since they first started searching for the Shikon no Tama. His heart soared. He had done that. Her eyes were shining again because of him and only him. If he were to die at that moment he would die the happiest man to ever walk the planet.
"Good morning. Did you sleep good?" He asked.
She grinned. "Better than I have in over a year. What about you?"
He grinned back. "Do you have to ask?"
Kagome reached up and kissed him. "In case you haven't gotten it yet, I still love you."
Inuyasha grew serious. "Last night, before we talked, I heard what you said."
She frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"When you asked where you belong, I heard you," He said. "And I know the answer to your question."
"Oh? What's that?"
"You belong here." He saw her face begin to fall and quickly explained. "I'm not talking about this time period. I mean right where you are. In my arms and. my heart."
Kagome gave him a radiant smile. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Good, 'cause I want you to be my mate."
Inuyasha said it almost as if she didn't have a choice. Which is just the way I like it, She thought. Instead of answering, she reached up and kissed him so passionately that it stole his breath.
"I'll take that to mean you agree," He gasped. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shayril: Okay, guys, it's all over. You won't hear from me again until the next time I write a fic... stops to glare at everyone ... Yes, I fully intend to write another fic. If you don't like that idea you can just cry me a river, build me a bridge, and jump off of it because it's not like you have to read the damn thing. My writing is strictly for people who actually WANT to read it. Anyway, what'd you think of this one? Of course, you KNEW they'd wind up together in the end. THAT was predictable, but what did you think about the rest. Did I spin a good tale? Hope you think so. You know where to send it. Actually, hang on a sec. There's still an epilogue to write. See ya soon...
