CHAPTER FOURTEEN
*
Thunder rumbled softly as Kagome finally came back to the stone chamber where Inuyasha had been resurrected. The air was cool and breezy with the coming storm, and the light was almost gone. She had sat on the stone stairs, just staring into the darkness of the mountain passages, until finally she had worked up the nerve to go back to Inuyasha. The memory of his wide eyes full of shock still stung.
I feel like such a fool, she thought. I knew all along that he was going to react that way. And I let it hurt me...
She looked around the darkened room, but didn't see him. Then a flash of lightning caught a glint of silver hair out on the balcony. Inuyasha was huddled by the railing, staring off into the valley below him. He had wrapped himself carelessly in Miroku's borrowed outer robe; it was wrapped loosely around his legs, and it was open to the waist in front. One of Inuyasha's fists was pressed against his heart.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called in a low voice.
Inuyasha didn't move.
Kagome came closer and knelt by the railing beside him. "I don't expect you to talk to me," she said quietly. She wiped at her eyes.
For several long, cold minutes, the only sound was the thunder. "Why'd you do it?" Inuyasha finally said in a low voice.
"Because... because it was the only thing Sesshoumaru wanted, that I could give him," Kagome said. "I-I know you really loved that sword, and if... if I had been able to do anything else, I would have. But I just wanted you to come back -- because I knew that it wasn't right, Naraku winning like that against you, and I heard how alone... how you..." Kagome sighed, and tried to compose herself. "Inuyasha, I don't expect you to forgive me. And I... I know you hate me for what I did, but I just wish you could try to-"
"SHUT UP!"
Before Kagome could react, she was being crushed in Inuyasha's arms, with her face pressed against his neck. He was breathing hard, as if holding her were a strain on his new body. "Kagome," he said hoarsely, "you thought all along that giving the Tetsusaiga to Sesshoumaru would make me hate you?"
"Yes..."
"And you did it anyway, thinking that I was gonna hate you when I... came back from the dead."
"Yes," Kagome said. She wanted to cry, but was too exhausted by the whirlwind events of the past day. So she clutched at the dark robe and just leaned on him. "I didn't want to lose you."
Inuyasha's arms were becoming looser and gentler, but he was still keeping Kagome pressed up against him. She rested her cheek against the side of his throat and closed her eyes, feeling his pulse beating against her skin. He's so warm, she thought, closing her eyes. Inuyasha...
"Well, you were wrong," Inuyasha said, pressing his hand to her cheek and pushing her away from him. "Not the way you thought, though. Did you think I hated you?"
"Yes..."
"Idiot."
Despite her tiredness, Kagome bristled. But the strange, almost sad expression on Inuyasha's face stopped any angry words on her lips. "Inuyasha... what are you doing?" she asked.
"You said that you gave away the Tetsusaiga because you didn't wanna lose me," he said in a low voice. "Didja mean that?"
"Of course I did! I've been going crazy for over a week because I couldn't stop thinking about you."
The moon and stars were blocked out by the storm clouds, and all Kagome could see of him now was his eyes. "D'you think I could hate you if you did it because of that?"
Kagome blinked. "So you're not mad at me?"
"I didn't say that," Inuyasha said gruffly.
"So you ARE mad at me..."
"A little."
"A little?"
"Most of it's for Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha growled, looking out at the gathering storm. "And there's no way he's keeping the Tetsusaiga. I'll find a way to get it back from him."
He stopped short, flustered. Kagome was leaning on his bare shoulder, her eyelids drooping. Suddenly she slid close to him again, wrapping him in a hug. "I'm glad," she murmured sleepily. "I'm glad you're back... and that you don't hate me for what I did..."
"Feh! You think I could hate you?" Inuyasha said with a hint of his old bluster. When Kagome didn't answer, his eyes softened slightly, and he slipped an arm around her back. After a moment of hesitation, he rested his cheek against the top of her dark head. "Nobody ever did anything like that for me, Kagome... it's not something I'd forget, ever. When I was dying, I wanted you with me, and now... I'm just glad I have another chance."
Thunder crashed overhead, and a cold wind swirled the robes around Inuyasha's body. Inuyasha looked up briefly, and blinked as a cold raindrop struck his eye. "Let's get inside," he mumbled.
Kagome didn't answer.
"Dammit, she's asleep!" Inuyasha said, astonished. His face flushed slightly. How much of what I said did she hear? he thought. As more raindrops hit his head, he brushed those thoughts aside and carried her into the dark room.
TO BE CONTINUED
*
Thunder rumbled softly as Kagome finally came back to the stone chamber where Inuyasha had been resurrected. The air was cool and breezy with the coming storm, and the light was almost gone. She had sat on the stone stairs, just staring into the darkness of the mountain passages, until finally she had worked up the nerve to go back to Inuyasha. The memory of his wide eyes full of shock still stung.
I feel like such a fool, she thought. I knew all along that he was going to react that way. And I let it hurt me...
She looked around the darkened room, but didn't see him. Then a flash of lightning caught a glint of silver hair out on the balcony. Inuyasha was huddled by the railing, staring off into the valley below him. He had wrapped himself carelessly in Miroku's borrowed outer robe; it was wrapped loosely around his legs, and it was open to the waist in front. One of Inuyasha's fists was pressed against his heart.
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called in a low voice.
Inuyasha didn't move.
Kagome came closer and knelt by the railing beside him. "I don't expect you to talk to me," she said quietly. She wiped at her eyes.
For several long, cold minutes, the only sound was the thunder. "Why'd you do it?" Inuyasha finally said in a low voice.
"Because... because it was the only thing Sesshoumaru wanted, that I could give him," Kagome said. "I-I know you really loved that sword, and if... if I had been able to do anything else, I would have. But I just wanted you to come back -- because I knew that it wasn't right, Naraku winning like that against you, and I heard how alone... how you..." Kagome sighed, and tried to compose herself. "Inuyasha, I don't expect you to forgive me. And I... I know you hate me for what I did, but I just wish you could try to-"
"SHUT UP!"
Before Kagome could react, she was being crushed in Inuyasha's arms, with her face pressed against his neck. He was breathing hard, as if holding her were a strain on his new body. "Kagome," he said hoarsely, "you thought all along that giving the Tetsusaiga to Sesshoumaru would make me hate you?"
"Yes..."
"And you did it anyway, thinking that I was gonna hate you when I... came back from the dead."
"Yes," Kagome said. She wanted to cry, but was too exhausted by the whirlwind events of the past day. So she clutched at the dark robe and just leaned on him. "I didn't want to lose you."
Inuyasha's arms were becoming looser and gentler, but he was still keeping Kagome pressed up against him. She rested her cheek against the side of his throat and closed her eyes, feeling his pulse beating against her skin. He's so warm, she thought, closing her eyes. Inuyasha...
"Well, you were wrong," Inuyasha said, pressing his hand to her cheek and pushing her away from him. "Not the way you thought, though. Did you think I hated you?"
"Yes..."
"Idiot."
Despite her tiredness, Kagome bristled. But the strange, almost sad expression on Inuyasha's face stopped any angry words on her lips. "Inuyasha... what are you doing?" she asked.
"You said that you gave away the Tetsusaiga because you didn't wanna lose me," he said in a low voice. "Didja mean that?"
"Of course I did! I've been going crazy for over a week because I couldn't stop thinking about you."
The moon and stars were blocked out by the storm clouds, and all Kagome could see of him now was his eyes. "D'you think I could hate you if you did it because of that?"
Kagome blinked. "So you're not mad at me?"
"I didn't say that," Inuyasha said gruffly.
"So you ARE mad at me..."
"A little."
"A little?"
"Most of it's for Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha growled, looking out at the gathering storm. "And there's no way he's keeping the Tetsusaiga. I'll find a way to get it back from him."
He stopped short, flustered. Kagome was leaning on his bare shoulder, her eyelids drooping. Suddenly she slid close to him again, wrapping him in a hug. "I'm glad," she murmured sleepily. "I'm glad you're back... and that you don't hate me for what I did..."
"Feh! You think I could hate you?" Inuyasha said with a hint of his old bluster. When Kagome didn't answer, his eyes softened slightly, and he slipped an arm around her back. After a moment of hesitation, he rested his cheek against the top of her dark head. "Nobody ever did anything like that for me, Kagome... it's not something I'd forget, ever. When I was dying, I wanted you with me, and now... I'm just glad I have another chance."
Thunder crashed overhead, and a cold wind swirled the robes around Inuyasha's body. Inuyasha looked up briefly, and blinked as a cold raindrop struck his eye. "Let's get inside," he mumbled.
Kagome didn't answer.
"Dammit, she's asleep!" Inuyasha said, astonished. His face flushed slightly. How much of what I said did she hear? he thought. As more raindrops hit his head, he brushed those thoughts aside and carried her into the dark room.
TO BE CONTINUED