I needed a break from "Means to an End," so I ended up writing this. Enjoy!
A sudden shrill bird cry woke Inuyasha from his unintentional nap. Glancing at the sun from his high branch, he realized the sun was passing the noon boundary. It was time for Kagome to come back. Three days was all he could take before going to get her.
It surprised him he had slept, especially with the way the tree moved under an unusually strong wind. He never fell asleep while he was waiting for Kagome-- at least, not on the day she was supposed to come back. He was always to anxious. It seemed like the whole world shut down when she left, even if Sango and Miroku were still around.
Well, he resolved, it was time to go and do the thing he loved most in the world: tease Kagome and drag her back here where she belonged.
He could already hear the argument... he would get to her house and find her fretting over her stupid yellow backpack or her books or something equally ridiculous. It's not like she needed all of that junk over here. Sure, the food was good, and they tended to run through the bandages, but he failed to see how a book was more important than him... or the shards, he amended.
After that she would probably lament about one of her tests that she had did poorly on because he was "always dragging her back," or because "math is completely stupid anyway, I don't know why I need to learn trigonometry!" He wasn't sure why she needed to learn trigonometry either, but whenever he made a comment expressing such, he found himself doing face-plants. The girl was always overreacting. Must be a female thing.
In the end though, she would always sigh and give in. She would let him take her pack and they would go through the well together and everything would be right in the world again. It was pretty pointless, after all, to look for shards while she wasn't there. Not to mention less fun, Sango and Miroku weren't nearly as enjoyable to argue with.
He bounded through the forest towards the village. The well would be on the way, and by this evening Kagome would be back where she belonged.
He smiled in spite of himself as he broke through the trees, bounding once on the rim of the well before jumping in.
It took a solid three seconds to realize he had... landed. He looked blankly at the vine-covered walls of the well, then up at the square of sun light some meters above him. No eery blue light, no familiar tug as he traveled through time-nothing. He crouched down and knocked experimentally against the floor of the well. Still nothing.
He fought down the knot that was forming in his stomach. This was obviously some kind of fluke. The well always worked for him. He leapt out of the well, landing on the rim in a crouch. He examined it closely. It looked as it always did. The same rotting wood, the same scraggly grasses. And Kagome's scent-it always lingered in the well, even when she wasn't there.
He held his breath and stepped off the edge again, his eyes closing as he touched the bottom. He looked up hopefully, longing to see the wooden beams of the well house in Kagome's time. But no, just a stupid bird who had the nerve to land on the well and start chirping at a time like this.
He sprang out again, giving the side of the well a firm kick. "Stupid well." That, however, did not appease his frustration. He slashed at it once with his claws, neatly slicing off a corner. He stared at the chunk of wood for a moment and tried to remember why he had done such a thing before lifting it and pressing it back into place.
He slumped down against the well, pressing his back against it and scowling at the ground. Could it really be possible that the well was locked? What could have happened?
Was it possible the well had been sealed? Perhaps that strange grandfather of hers had found a way to shut him out. He had never seemed that fond of him... he didn't exactly make a good first impression. He had to know that he would never let any harm come to Kagome while she was with him, though. Maybe he had finally decided not to let Kagome come back with him anymore... but the crazy old geezer had as much holy power as the cat.
He tossed an annoyed and worried glance over his shoulder at the bone-eater's well. If her grandfather hadn't sealed it, then perhaps Kagome had done it. She did have strong powers, she could have found away. Would she really shut him out like this? He wracked his brain, trying to think what he had done.
She said she had to go home for a while to take some tests and see her family. He had pouted and tried to hold her back until she sat him half a dozen times and made a break for the well. He had pried himself off the ground and found a tree to sit and sulk in. Yup, all standard operating procedure. What the hell was her problem?
Perhaps it was something else. After all, she could have gotten tired of Miroku trying to feel up her and Sango, or of Shippou's non-stop yammering. But Kagome wouldn't have blocked the well over something silly like that.
A few more days of tests perhaps? Surely, that was all. She would probably unseal the well in couple of days, and come back smiling and chipper like nothing had happened. He scoffed. It would be just like her. Well, he wasn't going to forgive her no matter how hard she begged. She was wasting everybody's time.
But what if she didn't unseal the well?
She had to come back, the jewel still wasn't complete. Surely Kagome wouldn't turn her back on that. Unless she had a really good reason not to come back. Had he done something? Did she hate him now for some reason? Enough to lock him out of her life forever?
He had never been particularly nice to her. They spent most of their time bickering, but he had never meant to harm her. He just didn't know what to say to her sometimes. It wasn't his fault she was so pretty and smart and unusual, it only made it harder for him-- like Kikyou had been.
Kikyou? Is that why she wouldn't come back? Even he had to admit he had hurt her before. At first he had been resentful towards her just because she was the image of his betrayer. But even more, her face was so much like that of his first love. He had always gone to Kikyou whenever she called, even kissed her. He would be lying if he said part of him did not still love the stoic priestess. Kagome knew it, and he knew that it hurt her. But she said she would stay anyway... did she change her mind? He couldn't really blame her, but he thought that she understood that Kikyou was his responsibility too. If anyone could understand, it would be Kagome.
Losing Kikyou had been a horrible blow to him, but he knew it would be nothing like losing Kagome. What would he do without her by his side? Find the shards, kill Naraku, turn full demon and live happily ever after? He wasn't stupid enough to think it was that simple anymore.
Would she really stay locked in her world? Forever? His insides twisted at never seeing her smile again, hearing her laugh. Never carrying her on his back to keep her safe, no more sweet scent clinging to his clothes. Maybe he had made her cry to many times. Maybe that was why she sealed the well.
"But she's always in danger over here," he mumbled to himself. It was selfish of him to want her to put herself into so much danger, especially when she only did it for him. It really wasn't fair that she had to be plunged into this fight. He was the one who wanted revenge-for Kikyou's sake no less. But Kagome never seemed to complain about that.
'But what if she didn't seal the well?' the back of his mind whispered. 'Kagome wouldn't abandon her duty. She could have been attacked and the well could have been destroyed...' A knot of fear inside him was growing. Even her side of the well had demons, and Kagome always had the shards. She could be dead on the other side and he was trapped on his side. He said he would protect her, but what could he do?
He fought with images of Kagome lying broken and bleeding. Would she call for him? Would she think he had betrayed her like Kikyou had when he didn't come? He would never abandon her, she had to know that... right?
He leapt to his feet and plunged into the well again. His frustrated roar vibrated up the sides of the well and sent a flock of birds into flight. Didn't this damn thing realize Kagome could be hurt on the other side?
He leaped out and dropped himself against the well again. He didn't really notice the raindrop that splattered on his shoulder as he slumped forward, his face in his hands. He was now forced to face the possibility that she might never come back, and the well might never let him through again.
She had to be hurt, in his fear he had almost convinced himself. Kagome was strong willed, she wouldn't give up unless something forced her to. Even if she was mad at him, she would still have found a way back. Or the well on her side had been destroyed forever...
'Kagome... you can't leave my like this. I still need you. I'm sorry I made you cry all those times.' He preyed she was at least safe in the future, but not knowing was tearing him apart. 'Kagome... I...'
"Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha choked on a breath. That voice could only belong to one person. He slowly raised his head from his hands, his eyes widening.
There she stood, holding a pink umbrella over her shoulder, the air's moisture clinging to her black hair. Her fresh sent tickled his nose; it was definitely really her. How had he not noticed her until now? His eyes traveled up her form, the familiar uniform, her pretty red lips, and her bright eyes shining with curiosity and concern.
"Kagome...?" He said it so softly, as if he was afraid saying her name would blow the apparition away.
Before his exhausted mind could even register her movement, she was in front of him, sitting on her heals with one hand on her umbrella and the other sliding under his wild bangs. "Are you alright? What are you doing sitting all by yourself in the rain like this?"
He stared at her blankly. It was raining? Now that he thought about it, he realized it was sprinkling gently and the sun was beginning to set. How long had he been here? And where did Kagome come from?
"Inuyasha?" Kagome waved a hand in front of his face. "Didn't you hear me? Are you feeling ok?"
"What are you doing here?" he breathed.
Kagome frowned. "Looking for you. It just figures. The one time I actually come back early, and you're nowhere to be found."
"You... you came back early?"
Kagome nodded. "I came through the well this morning."
He should have noticed. If he had come to the well from the village side, he would have encountered her trail and known she was back. Or if the wind hadn't been so strong earlier.
"You came to find me?" he asked her.
Kagome smiled warmly at him, closing her umbrella. "Unless you prefer to sulk. I'm going to make a quick stop at home, ok? I forgot my math book. Wait for me, and we can walk back together."
Before he could stop her she had vaulted into the well. Panic washed over him as he stood and watched her disappear in a swirl of blue light.
He leapt after her, and was mildly surprised when the blue light appeared again dragging him through. He looked up and saw the familiar ceiling of the well house and grinned. The well wasn't really sealed.
But why didn't it let him through before? The only thing that had changed was... Kagome. He had followed her through. The well would only let him through... when Kagome was on the other side?
That was it. He had never before tried to go to Kagome's time when she wasn't there. It was only because of his ties to her that he could travel through. He wasn't entirely sure why, but the idea warmed him to the core.
Kagome slid the door of the well house open and shut behind her, clutching her math book and shaking her umbrella free of clinging drops. She looked up to find Inuyasha leaning against a the wall, smiling to himself.
"What's so funny? You didn't have to come through you know. I can handle math book retrieval."
His goofy smirk widened. "I don't know. You seem pretty hopeless. I thought you might get lost."
He waited for her to 'osuwari' him, but she just rolled her eyes. "I don't get what's with you today. You disappear for half the day, then you act all strange and don't hear me, and now you're suddenly happy? I think there's something wrong with you."
She jumped back in the well and he followed, unable to completely wipe away the smile on his face. He grabbed hold of Kagome on the other side, jumping out of the well with her in his arms.
Kagome nonchalantly opened her umbrella, holding her hand out experimentally at the raindrops. "I think it's starting to clear up."
Inuyasha watched her, her hair sparkling with moisture and her voice soft and pleasant. "You want a ride back to the village, Kagome?"
She turned to smile at him. "Ok."
Inuyasha's hair brushed her face as he jogged back to the village. She had to admit, it was good to be close to him again. "You're really sure you're feeling alright, Inuyasha?"
She felt him scoff, the burst of air warming her arms around his neck. "Of course. Not like I'd get sick or something. You might, though, you're just a weak human after all. Probably not good for you to be out in even this little bit of rain."
She smiled at his brashly concealed concern. "Inuyasha... earlier today... when I found you..." Kagome paused. "Were you waiting for someone?"
'She must think I was waiting for Kikyou...' He tightened his arms a little more under her knees. She would probably laugh at him if she knew how worried he had been over nothing. "Yeah, I was waiting for someone."
"Oh..." Even he heard the note of sadness in her voice. "I guess she didn't come then? I'm sorry I came and disturbed you. You probably wanted to wait some more?"
"No, its alright Kagome. I'm glad. I didn't want to wait any longer."
Kagome was quiet on his back.
"Thanks for coming to find me, Kagome."
"You're welcome," she whispered in his ear.
Ah, what a nice fluffy bit of nonsense.
Please read my other fic-Means to an End. Reviews are greatly appreciated.
-Aiwen
Last modified: Wednesday, June 25, 2003