Thoughts of You

Ok!  Chapter 3!  Inu Yasha returns to the Singoku Jidai when Kagome goes to school.  Waffy thoughts and some craziness too.

Disclaimer:  Once again, I do not own Inu Yasha or Kagome, they belong to each other and Romiko Takahashi!  But a girl can dream can't she!

Here's a quick recap:  After driving himself crazy over missing Kagome, who had returned to her time, Inu Yasha goes after her.  When she finds him in the God Tree, Kagome invites him to sleep in her room.  Morning comes, and they go their separate ways, but thoughts of each other persist in their minds and hearts…Which leads us to this chapter!  Enjoy!

The heavy rain clouds trembled as they swept across the sky, their grayness shutting out the sun.  The treetops swayed gently in the blowing wind.  Like a thousand whispering ghosts the leaves rustled, their voices carried off in the stormy breeze.  High in the boughs of the Go Shinboku he sat, the red of his robes flashing through the shivering leaves.  As the wind picked up, he lifted his face to it, embracing the mingled scents of earth and rain.  Like the awaiting summer rain cleanses the earth, the scent cleansed his mind.  Rising to his feet, her leapt from the branch to land gracefully on the limb of another tree.  Like a bizarre mating dance he bounded from one tree to the next, his lithe body moving with effortless ease. 

A loud clap of thunder followed by a brilliant flash of light rent the air as the first drizzle began.  Within seconds the clouds opened, releasing a torrent of harsh rain.  It pummeled the earth, turning packed dirt into soft mud.  High above the rain washed ground stood a figure in red.  One hand braced against the trunk of a tree, his other resting lightly on the sword at his side.  He knew he should not be out in this.  Trees were not the safest place to be during a thunderstorm.  Yet, he didn't move.  Instead, his liquid gold eyes scanned the angry skies.  This was so different from her time.  There, it had been bright and sunny, the wind a gentle breathe upon his skin. 

Absently, his hand reached up to his chin, where only a few hours ago she had touched him.  The skin still tingled at the remembrance of it.  When he looked into her hazel eyes, shiny with unshed tears, his heart sank.  He hated seeing a girl cry, especially her…His Kagome.  The look of pain and sorrow in the depths of those eyes had nearly undone him.  He wanted so much to take her in his arms and comfort her.  Instead, he took her hand and gently caressed it.  That was all he would allow himself. 

"Baka!" He murmured, berating himself.  "I can't believe I made her cry, again!  It seems I'm always making her angry or making her cry."  The leaves around him whispered chaotically in reply.  How she must hate him, but no, he knew that wasn't true.  There were times when he caught her looking at him with so many emotions shimmering in her lovely eyes, but he had never seen hate there.  His keen youkai senses had discovered many of Kagome's feelings.  Hope, joy, fear, confusion, compassion were common for her, and perhaps too he had sensed something greater in her.  But he would not dwell on that, refused to dwell on it. 

Another crack of thunder jerked him back to the raging skies.  His vision was blurred by the water streaming down his face; his kimono and hair were plastered to his body.  With a graceful leap he landed on the muddy ground, his bare feet sinking into the mud.  He wriggled his toes enjoying the cool mud against his heated skin.  The dampness from the storm had only intensified the already too warm air. 

He turned and headed toward the village to seek the company of his friends.  Kagome's absence left him empty inside.  Taking a step forward, he suddenly turned, his gaze resting on the faint outline of the Bone-Eater's Well.  He could go back and just wait for her.  Shaking himself mentally, he quickly abandoned the idea.  She was at school taking her tests, which would leave him alone with her mother or grandfather.   The triangular ears a top his head flattened to his skull and his eye began to twitch.  An image of Kagome's mother tweaking his sensitive ears caused a low growl from him.  He definitely did not want to wait for Kagome in her time.

The smell of cooking food met him as he approached the small hut.  Tossing back the flap he entered plopping himself down in front of the fire. 

"And where have you been all night, Inu Yasha?"  The hoshi asked, a mischievous glint in his cobalt eyes.

Inu Yasha growled at him, "Pervert!"  He turned his head away in disgust.  Why did that lecherous monk have to always insinuate something perverted whenever he stayed over in Kagome's time.  She wasn't like that.  He wasn't like that.  Their relationship was nothing more than friendship.  'But you want it to be something more.'  That voice he tried so hard to ignore spoke to him.  'Shut up!  She's just a stupid girl.'  Again the voice broke in, ' A stupid girl that you love.'  His eyes widened at this sudden thought, ' I don't love her!' He mentally screamed to himself, trying to silence the other voice.

"Inu Yasha, are you okay?"  A small voice asked.

Blinking, Inu Yasha realized the kitsune was almost nose-to-nose with him.  "What the hell?  Get outta my face, Shippou!"  Reaching out he snatched the fox demon's tail raising him to eye level.  He growled menacingly before tossing him aside. 

Sango caught him just before he hit the floor face first.  "What's with him?"  He whispered to the demon huntress. 

"Do you need to ask?  You know how he gets when Kagome-chan isn't around."  Turning her attention to the angry dog demon she said, "You should get out of those wet clothes, Inu Yasha."

"And filthy.  What did you do, jump in every mud hole you came across?"  Kaeda spoke as she entered the hut. 

"Feh!"  He snorted, ignoring the noisy group around him.  His clothes were almost dry, the mud cracking from the heat of the fire.  His long white hair hung in a damp mass about his waist. 

Again his thoughts wandered back to her.  What was she doing right now?  Probably taking her stupid tests.  He could not understand why they meant so much to her.  She always seemed upset over them, burying herself in her strange books.  Once, he remembered, he had found her asleep at her desk, her head resting on an open book.  'She pushes herself to hard.  Wh-where the hell did that come from?'  He wondered.  'She doesn't push herself enough!'  His mind countered.  'She should be here, with us…with me.'  He turned toward the door staring as if he could see through the door covering into the storm.

A loud smack resounded.  Looking in the direction from whence it came he met the smirking eyes of Miroku.  Sango's trademark handprint burned crimson on the monk's cheek.  Shaking his head, he closed his eyes hoping sleep would claim him and, at least in his dreams, he could be with her.

……………………………………………………………………………………

She lay sprawled out on the grass, her eyes gazing at the soft puffs of scattered clouds that skimmed across the pale blue sky.  The sounds of laughter and low voices danced on the gentle breeze beside her, but she ignored them.  Her mind lay in another place, another time, with another person.  Though she rarely saw her school friends she still could not phase out the thoughts of the past…of him.

"Kagome-chan?  Where are you, you look a thousand miles away?"  Eri stuck her face down to Kagome's, their eyes meeting. 

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?  That violent, jealous, two-timer?"  Ayumi looked at her friend suspiciously.

Pulling herself up into a sitting position, Kagome sighed, "He's not that bad.  I keep telling you guys he can be nice.  Really he can."  Her gaze drifted off once more toward the clouds. 

A small smile curved her lips as she thought about that morning.  After a brief fight, 'Was it a fight?  No, definitely not a fight, but a misunderstanding.'  She broke into her own thoughts.  She had grabbed hold of his chin, forcing a hurt and angry dog demon to look at her.  Her fingers tingled slightly at the memory.  'I can't believe I was so bold.  And he let me!'  Her smile widened, the tingling in her hand warming at the remembrance of his hand in her. 

"There you go again!"  Eri's hand waved in front of Kagome's eyes.  "Explain, Higurashi!  We're dying to know!"  The girl demanded of her friend.

"Well, before breakfast this morning we," Kagome began but was interrupted.

"You had breakfast with him this morning?"  Three voices exclaimed at the same time.

Kagome looked around at the three girls.  Their eyes were wide, mouths practically gaping open.  "But he left afterwards.  He only came for a short visit."  She groaned inwardly.  Once again she had given away too much information to her well meaning but overly curious friends.

"Er…well…uh, like I was saying, before breakfast we had a little misunderstanding, it was all my fault and well…I hurt his feelings."

Again three wide-eyed faces stared at her.  "You hurt his feelings?"  Ayumi asked. 

"I didn't mean too.  It just happened, but everything's fine now."  Again Kagome sighed holding her hand close to her heart.  The warm tingling from his touch still lingered.

"So, what happened?"  Eri's wide eyes focused on Kagome's hands. 

Before she could answer the bell rang signaling the end of lunch.  Kagome jumped to her feet, grateful the second time that day for being interrupted.  She waved to her friends as she headed for her next class.  She knew they had her best interest at heart, but sometimes they were just too nosy. 

The rest of the school day dragged on for Kagome.  She could not concentrate on any of her studies.  Instead, a certain hanyou from the warring states kept invading her thoughts, filling her vision.  Her friends asked her questions every chance they got, but she somehow managed to avoid answering them.  Relief washed over her when the final bell rang signaling the end of the school day. 

"Kagome-chan," Eri called out to her, "Want to go to Wacdonald's with us?"

Normally Kagome would jump at the chance to spend an afternoon with her friends at her favorite burger place, "I can't, I have to go someplace after school."  She had decided sometime after lunch to return to the feudal era instead of spending another night at home.  'Inu Yasha would be thrilled by the surprise' she smiled to herself.

"Are you going to meet your boyfriend?"  Ayumi asked eagerly.

"Er…No, I promised a friend I would help them find something."  She waved goodbye to her friends glad to finally be heading home. 

"I'm home!"  Kagome announced as walked into the house.  "Mamma, Grandpa, Souta?"

"Oh, Kagome, you're home," her mother smiled at her.  "I'm taking Souta shopping and your grandfather is at the shrine.  There's water on for tea."  Her mother gave her a quick hug as she rushed for the door.

Kagome dropped her school bag down as she entered the kitchen.  After making herself a cup of tea, she grabbed her discarded bag again and headed for her room.  Before going back to the Sengoku Jidai she would take a long bath.

Setting her teacup on the bathroom counter, Kagome turned on the water and began to fill the tub.  She watched as the water gushed out the spout, wispy tendrils of steam swirled as it floated into the air.  As the water level rose, she stripped.  She sighed as she sank into the tub's depths, relishing the feel of the overly warm water on her body. A hot, private bath was a luxury she did not get often in the warring states, especially with a hentai hoshi always lurking about. 

With practiced ease she reached out a slender foot, her toes turning off the water valves.  She wished she could pack her bathroom in her bag and take it back with her.  A giggle escaped her as an absurd image of Inu Yasha carrying a now too heavy backpack came to mind.  After a stream of curses and demanding what was in it, she opened the bag to produce a life size replica of her bathroom from home.  Now laughing at the silly vision, she sank further into the water allowing the heat to ease her stiff muscles.

When her skin was pruned, the water near cold, and her muscles completely relaxed she vacated the tub.  She dried off and wrapped a robe tightly around her, flipped her head upside down and began rubbing her hair vigorously with a towel before wrapping it securely around her head.

Kagome glanced quickly out her bedroom window before shutting out the sun and prying eyes.  She knew he wasn't there, but she looked anyway.  She removed the towel from her head combing her fingers through the thick locks.  Picking up her brush off her desk, she began to brush out the knots and tangles.  A smile curved her lips as she thought of Inu Yasha's silver-white hair.  She loved his hair.  In the moonlight it shimmered like silver silk.  At every opportunity she would run her fingers through his thick tresses.  She loved the feel of it.  And he didn't seem to mind that as much has her rubbing his fuzzy ears.

Laying the brush down on her desk, Kagome sat on her bed.  She felt sleepy from her bath, and a quick nap wouldn't matter to Inu Yasha, he wasn't expecting her back until tomorrow.  Stretching out on the soft bed, she reveled in its comfort.  This was another luxury she wished she could take back to the feudal era with her.  Her eyelids began to droop.  As sleep claimed her, her mind slipped into dreams of Inu Yasha holding her tightly in his strong embrace.

~fin~

A/N:  In case you're wondering, I put Kagome's three school friends in this, but forgot the third one's name, so she does not have any speaking lines!  I am so bad! 

 I am so sorry if Kagome's half of this chapter sucked!  My system froze just before I saved it!  So I had to try and redo it from memory.  The first version was so much better!  I hope you liked it.  The next chapter will be better, I promise! 

As always please review and let me know what you think.  All positive reviews are welcome, please no flames as I will only delete them