Disclaimer: I'm running out of ways to say this! So imagine me, straight
faced, with big round glasses, speaking in a robotic monotone: I do not
own Inuyasha or any of it's characters or merchandising rights. I am
making no monetary gains due to writing this story. I'm just keeping my
hide safe from a group of somewhat violent people (if I listen to their
reviews) who would be really unhappy if I didn't finish it. Preferably,
yesterday. Ok?
BTW, thanks again for liking it so much. I am humbled by your praise and enthusiasm.
I was going to finish this story and post it tomorrow after I had a chance to run it past my Beta reader. But, I'm concerned for the health of one of my most loyal reviewers who seems to be on the edge of apoplexy! So, I'm gonna take my chances and post today, even if it's not quite perfect. Gotta take care of my friends, ne?
Ok, OMT (one more thing): I apologize in advance for any OOC in Miroku's personality. As I said in the beginning, I am limited to what I have seen on Cartoon Network (websites, great fanfics, etc). So, as yet, I have yet to be formally introduced to our questionably holy man. Please forgive me for any inconsistencies.
Also, I don't know whether the jewel begins to fuse before it is complete or not, so I have Kagome wearing it. If that's wrong, please let me know and I'll rewrite it the right way. It's not that important to the plot, yet anyway. Thanks! **************************************************************************** *******
"Maybe we should look for him. It's not like him to be away from the hunt for so long." Sango mused. She and Kagome had both dressed and were headed back to Kaede's hut.
"Not like him to be away at all. But then, maybe he hooked up with Kikyo and the two of them have decided to go on without us." Kagome fingered the nearly completed jewel that hung around her neck. "Except that I would think he would have come to get this first."
"Kagome..."Sango began reproachfully.
She was cut off by a sharp gasp from Kagome, who had just been seized by a very clear and vivid image in her mind. It was too real to be just a thought or her imagination. "We have to find Inuyasha! She's got him, and she's taking him with her!"
Sango didn't have to ask who "she" was, or where "she" was taking him. "But how do you know?"
"I just do. I just saw it. In my head, but it was real! You've got to believe me!"
"I believe you! I do! But how are we going to find him? We have no idea where to look." She regarded Kagome. "Or do we?"
"Yes. Well, maybe. I feel like I need to go this way." She pointed off into the hills beyond the valley. "After that, I will just have to sense him. Come on! We have to go!" And with that, she took off running.
"Kagome, stop! Let me get Kirara! We'll get there much faster!"
The anxious girl skidded to a stop. "Oh, yeah, right. Hurry!"
In what seemed forever to Kagome, but was really just a few minutes, Sango was back. She was riding Kirara, and had Miroku and Shippou along with her. Sango pulled Kagome onto the cat's back, and they took off, following Kagome's directions.
As Kagome sensed the hanyou's presence becoming stronger, she began to scream his name. She looked at her companions to help her, but they shook their heads. Miroku was the one who spoke up, "No, lady Kagome. He needs to hear your voice. We might drown it out."
So she screamed, "Inuyasha!" desperately. "Inuyasha, where are you!" Fear and anguish washed over he in waves. He couldn't go with Kikyo! Not yet! Oh, please, gods no!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha was in Kikyo's embrace, headed into nothingness, far from the pain of his broken heart. Something in the back of his mind was screaming at him that this was not right! That this was not what he was supposed to do. But he ignored it, pushed it away, welcoming the cold darkness. A chill wind began to rush around them, swirling to encircle them in a void of time and space. He closed his eyes to meet oblivion.
And then he became aware of someone calling his name. The voice was tortured, insistent, and it spoke not to his ears but to his heart. It broke through the void and grabbed ahold of his soul, and wouldn't let go. He knew it was Kagome, calling for him, needing him.
Kikyo heard it too. She swiftly pressed her lips to his and whispered against his mouth, "You won't need her where we are going. You won't ever need to worry about her again."
Inuyasha recoiled and shook his head to clear it. The wind stopped and the spell was broken. He pulled away from the miko's hold and fought the urge to wipe his mouth of the taste of death and decay that was Kikyo's kiss. Kagome was now frantically screaming his name, and she was getting closer. "Inuyasha, please!"
When he finally found his voice, he said, "You're wrong, Kikyo. I will always care for her, and worry about her. And even if I had gone completely into hell with you, even into the deepest bowels, I would find a way to come back and protect her. Nothing and no one will ever keep me from doing that."
And with that, he turned and bolted from the cave, his sensitive ears picking up the direction of Kagome's cries.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~
Kagome's frantic cries echoed throughout the hills, her sense of urgency mounting. 'Oh, please, please, don't let me be too late!'
Inuyasha was shouting her name, too, but without his demon ears, she couldn't hear it. She must have sensed it, though, because when she looked down into the thickly forested hills, she was able to spot a flash of red, and her heart knew!
"Down there!" she pointed excitedly, "He's down there!"
Kirara executed an effortless turn of her body, and began to descend in the direction Kagome indicated. "Inuyasha!" this time her cry was joyful. He was alive! He was ok! Inuyasha looked up at the group, and yelled, "Kagome, I'm here!"
He was standing in a clearing, waiting for her. He was surprised to see that she wasn't being attacked or harmed in any way. Why had there been such fear in her voice, then?
Still 30 feet from the ground, Kagome let go of the flying firecat and leapt down toward the waiting hanyou. He caught her easily, and she threw her arms around his neck, nearly smothering him with her hair, or choking him with the force of her hug. She sobbed into his chest from pure joy. He was alive!
"Oi, wench! Do you always just jump and expect that I will be there to catch you?"
She looked up at him with a tear-stained face and smiled a smile that almost made his knees buckle. "Of course. I know you won't drop me! You're the great Inuyasha!"
He couldn't help himself. He hugged her to him as hard as he could without crushing her slim body. The trust she had in him warmed his heart. He buried his nose in her hair and took in her scent; sweet and warm. And alive. She felt so good against his chest. It was all he could do to keep from crushing his mouth to hers, demonstrating all the passion he held in his heart for her.
By then the others had landed and were running toward them, but when Sango spotted the happy reunion she held her hand up for the rest to stop. They stayed back, not wanting to ruin the moment for their friends. They watched from behind some scrub, keeping as quiet as they could while still breathing, as the little scene played out before them.
Inuyasha finally set Kagome down onto her feet, keeping his arms around her slim waist. She drew back and regarded him. Now that she knew he was alive and apparently unscathed, she had to wonder where the hell he had been the last couple of days. She scowled at him and demanded. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I have been about you? I waited and waited and you didn't come. Where were you!?!
It was Inuyasha's turn to glower. He began to remember why he had been holed up in that cave, why he had almost let Kikyo take him with her into hell. He pulled away and turned his back to her. "I'm a big boy! You don't have to worry about me. I'm not some weak, useless human who can't take care of themselves!"
She felt like she'd been slapped. She had only been concerned for him. "Where were you?" She demanded. She wasn't sure she really wanted the answer, but she had to know.
"I was busy! I have a life, too, you know. I had a life before you came traipsing through that well. You think I should just drop it to spend all my time with you?" He bellowed.
"Oh, you mean that life you had while you were pinned to the Goshinboku? That life?" she countered angrily.
"Before that!" he yelled back. What happened? They were so cozy a minute ago. Oh, gods, he messed it up again
'No, she messed it up when she chose that jerk back in her world.'
'That life. The one with Kikyo.' The answer she had feared. "Of course. You're right. I shouldn't have come." She looked away to conceal her face from him. She turned and headed back towards where she had seen her friends land. "I was just concerned. It's not like you to take so much time away from shard hunting."
"So, that's why you bothered me? I came when you called, didn't I? I came when I thought you needed me, didn't I?" His stomach was in knots. All he really wanted t odo was hold her and never let go. Forget about the stupid jewel and carry her off someplace and just be together. But she wasn't his. He knew that. But he still hated to watch her walk away from him. Like he knew she would someday, forever. And he would live out the rest of his long life alone, because he now knew without a doubt that even without a mark, he had chosen her to be his mate. He had given his heart to her, even without his body.
"I always need you." She said it so quietly; he knew she hadn't meant him to hear it. But he had, and it made his heart twist. She spoke up, "Go back to wherever you were. I'll let you know when we find another shard."
He strode the few steps that divided them, saying, "No. We've lost enough time already. What if I don't get there on time, and you weaklings lose the shard? I will come with you."
She shot him a resentful glance, "the" word on her lips. He saw it and prepared to kiss the ground, almost hoping she would say it. In a perverse way, it reaffirmed their link to one another.
But the word never came. 'What's the point?' she thought. I was hoping for something that just wasn't there. That's not his fault. Silently, they walked to meet the rest of the group.
The three friends waiting behind the scrub just sighed. "Those two are hopeless, aren't they?" Shippou lamented.
No one answered. No answer was required.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~
"Look, Dog-boy! I'm not going to argue with you. I have to go back to take two exams! This is not up for negotiation! I am not going to mess up my chance of getting into University because of some pig-headed hanyou not letting me get back to take my tests!"
Things had been quiet on the demon attack front for the last few days. It was not quiet, however, in the little group of shard hunters. Non-stop bickering from the hanyou and the girl from the future echoed through the forest. She, for her part, had tried to talk to him, tried to apologize to him for her last departure, tried to appease him with the gifts of ramen and chocolate she had brought back for him. All she got for her efforts was steadily increasing hostility. He picked on her for everything from her general appearance and inferiority to her incompetence as a shard hunter. Everything she said annoyed him.
He even stopped eating her cooking, though it took great restraint on his part. It worked, though. She was pretty sure he must hate her if he wasn't even willing to eat the food she prepared, since he never turned down food.
When it was finally time to go home, she was relieved. Until he decided that he would stop her. She couldn't understand why he would. He apparently found her company abhorable. So much so that he reminded her at every chance. She had spent more time in tears in the last few days than in the last three years. She hoped that she had hidden that little piece of information from him. Indeed she must have, or he would have goaded her about that, too.
In fact, he hadn't missed the tears. He didn't need to see them. He could smell them. His ears and his heart caught every tremor that she couldn't hide in her voice. He didn't mean any of the horrible things he said to her. But every time he looked at her, wanting to go to her and tell her he was sorry, to hold her and let her know he hadn't meant it, he would remember the other guy he saw holding her, touching her, kissing her...And he would become so angry that he just spewed venom. It was a vicious cycle, and he was powerless to stop it.
"We've lost enough time! You don't need to go back there! You have enough to do here!" He just knew she was lying about those "tests." She was going back to be with that Hobo guy. To touch him and kiss him again. But he couldn't say that. She might find out that he had been watching her at the dance.
"Don't talk to me about lost time! I'm not the one who disappeared for four days, doing "who knows what!" I've got to go!"
"No!" He blocked her path. "Why do you need to go to to this Oni-varsity for anyway?"
"Aaaaaaaaaaagh! This is not up for discussion! I am LEAVING!" She faked a step to the left of him, then darted under his right arm. Maybe PE classes were good for something after all.
One leap, and he had again situated himself between her and the portal. "Fine. Come right back after your test tomorrow!"
"I will not! I have a test tomorrow, one the next day, a Prom committee meeting after that, and then on Sunday, I am going shopping with my friends."
He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "Shopping for what? What do you need so badly?"
"That's none of your business, but I'm going to buy a prom dress."
'Promdress? What's a promdress?' He sneered at her,"What about tomorrow night? Do you have another date? With your precious human?"
Kagome felt the blood rise to her face as she fought for control. "Why, Inuyasha, do you want to bring Kikyo and join us?" she hissed through her teeth. "I am soooooooo out of here! Sit!!!!" And before he could get even the "B" out, she was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha was still lying there a few moments later when Miroku came charging into the clearing. "Ok, Inuyasha! I've had enough! We all have! What the hell is wrong with you? I know it has something to do with the night you followed Kagome, so spill!"
"Nothing. Nothing important."
Miroku lifted his eyebrows skeptically. "Oh really? And that's why you've been acting like the spawn from hell ever since that night? With the exception of that little disappearing act you pulled on us for four days." He eyed the hanyou and said, "I have kept my word and not said anything to anyone. But I wonder if I told Sango what I knew, if maybe we could piece things together. I'm sure Kagome has said something to her."
Inuyasha paled. "You promised not to say anything. And it's none of your business, monk." He turned to walk away.
"What? Are you going to run away again? I never took you to be a coward before, Inuyasha. Are you going to let Kikyo take you into hell this time? Kagome saw that, you know. In her mind."
Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, stunned. "Sh...she did? How is that possible?"
"I don't know, but she did. And she was frantic. She was determined to find you, even if she had to run on foot." He watched the hanyou's face change from shock to confusion to pleasure, and finally to harden again into a scowl. "And it is my business, when two of my friends are hurting. Especially when one is doing it to another."
"I suppose you mean I'm hurting her? Well, what does she care what I do or say? She doesn't want me!"
"Gods, can you really be that stupid? Why do you think she doesn't want you? She doesn't have to keep coming down that well, you know. She could seal it up with one of Kaede's ofudas and you would never be able to get through. But she keeps coming back, completely trusting you with her life. Worrying herself sick when you disappear, or when she thinks you're injured. And she tries to take care of you, even though you make it pretty tough and thankless." He paused a moment before going on, perhaps to see if the hanyou would respond. Finally, "So, what in seven hells happened?" He delivered a good, solid * WHACK!* to the back of Inuyasha's head with his staff.
"OUCH! MONK!"
"Well?" Miroku eyed him, his staff poised to deliver another blow.
Inuyasha let out a long, labored sigh. After a short silence, Miroku finally heard his defeated reply, "She chose the human boy."
Miroku lifted his brows and waved his hand to indicate that he should go on. "And..."
He went on to tell the monk the story of everything that had happened from the time he jumped through the portal to Kagome's Family well house, to the time he came back and saw Miroku again. Except for the bit about tucking Kagome's brother into his bed. It wasn't relevant anyway.
Miroku listened without interrupting. When Inuyasha finished, he still remained silent. 'So this what this whole mess has been all about. Two people who desperately love one another, but who are too pig headed to take the first step. He turns to what's familiar to keep from getting his heart broken, she retaliates by turning to one she doesn't love. But it's not working, because they're both miserable.' He shook his head at the stupidity of it all.
"So, seeing them kiss hurt, huh?"
Inuyasha grunted. He couldn't eradicate that hideous image from his mind, and it was worse when they talked about it.
"Maybe the way it hurt Kagome when she saw you and Kikyo together." The hanyou's eyes closed painfully. It was a thought he had avoided. The pain was much easier to deal with when he could put the blame on her.
"Hmm. And this," he waved his hand to indicate the area in which they were standing, but really meaning the scene that had taken place a short time before, "is your plan to win her back, is it?" the monk had the mischievous glint back in his eyes.
Inuyasha spun to look at his friend. "Win....her...back? But I don't feel...I don't love her that way...that is..." the hanyou sputtered.
Miroku rolled his eyes and held up his hand. "Oh, for gods sake, save it pal! Lie to yourself if you want to. You're the only one you're fooling. Well, you and that poor girl. After that little closing scene, you'll be * lucky* if she doesn't seal the well and leave forever."
'Seal the well?' the thought brought the searing knife twisting in his gut. "She wouldn't ... couldn't...could she?"
"Well, obviously her powers are getting stronger. After all, she saw you when she thought you were in trouble."
"But...win her back? Can I do that?" He had been so miserable and angry that the thought simply had never occurred to him.
"Inuyasha," the monk laid his hand gently on his friend's shoulder, "no matter what you two want to think, she loves you. It's as obvious as your love for her."
This time he didn't even try to deny it. "Then why did she choose that Hobo guy?"
"Why did you kiss Kikyo?"
" I didn't. She kissed me. And besides, that was totally different."
"Different, how? Two people, trying desperately to fill the void in their hearts. How is her case different than yours?" the monk asked, one eyebrow raised. "And besides, what makes you so sure she "chose" him? Were they the only ones kissing during that dance?"
Inuyasha frowned, thinking back. He hadn't really been watching anyone else, but he did see some other couples out of the corner of his eye. "Well, no, I guess not."
"Look Inuyasha, they do things differently in Kagome's time. They talk differently, they eat differently, they dress differently. We already know they dance differently. They touch and hold each other, even if they aren't bound to the person they are dancing with. Maybe the kiss was part of the dance."
Inuyasha found that hard to believe, but he found lots of things about Kagome's world unbelievable. He was beginning to warm to the theory. It was a good one. That would explain why Kagome would let that pathetic guy touch her. If that were true, then he was going to have to make sure she only danced * those kind * of dances with him from now on. "But she looked so happy..."
"She loves to dance. You know that. And she loves music. She's been looking forward to that dance for a long time."
"She didn't tell me about it!" Inuyasha muttered resentfully.
"She didn't want you to stop her from going." The hanyou huffed, but the monk continued, "Look, Inuyasha. If she were that crazy about him, wouldn't she want to spend every extra minute she could with him? But when she came back here and you weren't here waiting, she stayed. If she loves that guy, why didn't she just go back home and tell us to send you for her when you came back?"
The Houshi had a point. Inuyasha felt his spirits lifting; higher than they had been for almost a week. 'Maybe there is some hope after all.' "So, uh, what do I do? She was pretty mad at me when she left. I said a few really awful things."
Raised eyebrows again. "A few? Try an endless barrage for three days."
The dog-demon's ears drooped again. "She's never gonna forgive me, is she?"
"I'm sure she will, but we're going to need some help. And some wisdom. Kaede can help us with that. But even I know one thing you're going to have to do, and you're not going to like it. Indeed, it may be one of the toughest things you've ever had to do."
"What's that?" the ears perked a little.
"You're going to have to apologize. Probably even grovel."
The ears drooped again. "Hmmph." Couldn't he just maim himself or face off against Hiten again? Well, he had a few days to think about what to say, anyway. Which reminds him:
"Uh, Miroku? What's a promdress?"
**************************************************************************** ********
A/N: Any better? At least we're headed in the right direction, right? BTW, I don't know if they have anything like proms at Tokyo schools. But it's integral to the plot, so work with me on this one, ok?
BTW, thanks again for liking it so much. I am humbled by your praise and enthusiasm.
I was going to finish this story and post it tomorrow after I had a chance to run it past my Beta reader. But, I'm concerned for the health of one of my most loyal reviewers who seems to be on the edge of apoplexy! So, I'm gonna take my chances and post today, even if it's not quite perfect. Gotta take care of my friends, ne?
Ok, OMT (one more thing): I apologize in advance for any OOC in Miroku's personality. As I said in the beginning, I am limited to what I have seen on Cartoon Network (websites, great fanfics, etc). So, as yet, I have yet to be formally introduced to our questionably holy man. Please forgive me for any inconsistencies.
Also, I don't know whether the jewel begins to fuse before it is complete or not, so I have Kagome wearing it. If that's wrong, please let me know and I'll rewrite it the right way. It's not that important to the plot, yet anyway. Thanks! **************************************************************************** *******
"Maybe we should look for him. It's not like him to be away from the hunt for so long." Sango mused. She and Kagome had both dressed and were headed back to Kaede's hut.
"Not like him to be away at all. But then, maybe he hooked up with Kikyo and the two of them have decided to go on without us." Kagome fingered the nearly completed jewel that hung around her neck. "Except that I would think he would have come to get this first."
"Kagome..."Sango began reproachfully.
She was cut off by a sharp gasp from Kagome, who had just been seized by a very clear and vivid image in her mind. It was too real to be just a thought or her imagination. "We have to find Inuyasha! She's got him, and she's taking him with her!"
Sango didn't have to ask who "she" was, or where "she" was taking him. "But how do you know?"
"I just do. I just saw it. In my head, but it was real! You've got to believe me!"
"I believe you! I do! But how are we going to find him? We have no idea where to look." She regarded Kagome. "Or do we?"
"Yes. Well, maybe. I feel like I need to go this way." She pointed off into the hills beyond the valley. "After that, I will just have to sense him. Come on! We have to go!" And with that, she took off running.
"Kagome, stop! Let me get Kirara! We'll get there much faster!"
The anxious girl skidded to a stop. "Oh, yeah, right. Hurry!"
In what seemed forever to Kagome, but was really just a few minutes, Sango was back. She was riding Kirara, and had Miroku and Shippou along with her. Sango pulled Kagome onto the cat's back, and they took off, following Kagome's directions.
As Kagome sensed the hanyou's presence becoming stronger, she began to scream his name. She looked at her companions to help her, but they shook their heads. Miroku was the one who spoke up, "No, lady Kagome. He needs to hear your voice. We might drown it out."
So she screamed, "Inuyasha!" desperately. "Inuyasha, where are you!" Fear and anguish washed over he in waves. He couldn't go with Kikyo! Not yet! Oh, please, gods no!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha was in Kikyo's embrace, headed into nothingness, far from the pain of his broken heart. Something in the back of his mind was screaming at him that this was not right! That this was not what he was supposed to do. But he ignored it, pushed it away, welcoming the cold darkness. A chill wind began to rush around them, swirling to encircle them in a void of time and space. He closed his eyes to meet oblivion.
And then he became aware of someone calling his name. The voice was tortured, insistent, and it spoke not to his ears but to his heart. It broke through the void and grabbed ahold of his soul, and wouldn't let go. He knew it was Kagome, calling for him, needing him.
Kikyo heard it too. She swiftly pressed her lips to his and whispered against his mouth, "You won't need her where we are going. You won't ever need to worry about her again."
Inuyasha recoiled and shook his head to clear it. The wind stopped and the spell was broken. He pulled away from the miko's hold and fought the urge to wipe his mouth of the taste of death and decay that was Kikyo's kiss. Kagome was now frantically screaming his name, and she was getting closer. "Inuyasha, please!"
When he finally found his voice, he said, "You're wrong, Kikyo. I will always care for her, and worry about her. And even if I had gone completely into hell with you, even into the deepest bowels, I would find a way to come back and protect her. Nothing and no one will ever keep me from doing that."
And with that, he turned and bolted from the cave, his sensitive ears picking up the direction of Kagome's cries.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~
Kagome's frantic cries echoed throughout the hills, her sense of urgency mounting. 'Oh, please, please, don't let me be too late!'
Inuyasha was shouting her name, too, but without his demon ears, she couldn't hear it. She must have sensed it, though, because when she looked down into the thickly forested hills, she was able to spot a flash of red, and her heart knew!
"Down there!" she pointed excitedly, "He's down there!"
Kirara executed an effortless turn of her body, and began to descend in the direction Kagome indicated. "Inuyasha!" this time her cry was joyful. He was alive! He was ok! Inuyasha looked up at the group, and yelled, "Kagome, I'm here!"
He was standing in a clearing, waiting for her. He was surprised to see that she wasn't being attacked or harmed in any way. Why had there been such fear in her voice, then?
Still 30 feet from the ground, Kagome let go of the flying firecat and leapt down toward the waiting hanyou. He caught her easily, and she threw her arms around his neck, nearly smothering him with her hair, or choking him with the force of her hug. She sobbed into his chest from pure joy. He was alive!
"Oi, wench! Do you always just jump and expect that I will be there to catch you?"
She looked up at him with a tear-stained face and smiled a smile that almost made his knees buckle. "Of course. I know you won't drop me! You're the great Inuyasha!"
He couldn't help himself. He hugged her to him as hard as he could without crushing her slim body. The trust she had in him warmed his heart. He buried his nose in her hair and took in her scent; sweet and warm. And alive. She felt so good against his chest. It was all he could do to keep from crushing his mouth to hers, demonstrating all the passion he held in his heart for her.
By then the others had landed and were running toward them, but when Sango spotted the happy reunion she held her hand up for the rest to stop. They stayed back, not wanting to ruin the moment for their friends. They watched from behind some scrub, keeping as quiet as they could while still breathing, as the little scene played out before them.
Inuyasha finally set Kagome down onto her feet, keeping his arms around her slim waist. She drew back and regarded him. Now that she knew he was alive and apparently unscathed, she had to wonder where the hell he had been the last couple of days. She scowled at him and demanded. "Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I have been about you? I waited and waited and you didn't come. Where were you!?!
It was Inuyasha's turn to glower. He began to remember why he had been holed up in that cave, why he had almost let Kikyo take him with her into hell. He pulled away and turned his back to her. "I'm a big boy! You don't have to worry about me. I'm not some weak, useless human who can't take care of themselves!"
She felt like she'd been slapped. She had only been concerned for him. "Where were you?" She demanded. She wasn't sure she really wanted the answer, but she had to know.
"I was busy! I have a life, too, you know. I had a life before you came traipsing through that well. You think I should just drop it to spend all my time with you?" He bellowed.
"Oh, you mean that life you had while you were pinned to the Goshinboku? That life?" she countered angrily.
"Before that!" he yelled back. What happened? They were so cozy a minute ago. Oh, gods, he messed it up again
'No, she messed it up when she chose that jerk back in her world.'
'That life. The one with Kikyo.' The answer she had feared. "Of course. You're right. I shouldn't have come." She looked away to conceal her face from him. She turned and headed back towards where she had seen her friends land. "I was just concerned. It's not like you to take so much time away from shard hunting."
"So, that's why you bothered me? I came when you called, didn't I? I came when I thought you needed me, didn't I?" His stomach was in knots. All he really wanted t odo was hold her and never let go. Forget about the stupid jewel and carry her off someplace and just be together. But she wasn't his. He knew that. But he still hated to watch her walk away from him. Like he knew she would someday, forever. And he would live out the rest of his long life alone, because he now knew without a doubt that even without a mark, he had chosen her to be his mate. He had given his heart to her, even without his body.
"I always need you." She said it so quietly; he knew she hadn't meant him to hear it. But he had, and it made his heart twist. She spoke up, "Go back to wherever you were. I'll let you know when we find another shard."
He strode the few steps that divided them, saying, "No. We've lost enough time already. What if I don't get there on time, and you weaklings lose the shard? I will come with you."
She shot him a resentful glance, "the" word on her lips. He saw it and prepared to kiss the ground, almost hoping she would say it. In a perverse way, it reaffirmed their link to one another.
But the word never came. 'What's the point?' she thought. I was hoping for something that just wasn't there. That's not his fault. Silently, they walked to meet the rest of the group.
The three friends waiting behind the scrub just sighed. "Those two are hopeless, aren't they?" Shippou lamented.
No one answered. No answer was required.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~
"Look, Dog-boy! I'm not going to argue with you. I have to go back to take two exams! This is not up for negotiation! I am not going to mess up my chance of getting into University because of some pig-headed hanyou not letting me get back to take my tests!"
Things had been quiet on the demon attack front for the last few days. It was not quiet, however, in the little group of shard hunters. Non-stop bickering from the hanyou and the girl from the future echoed through the forest. She, for her part, had tried to talk to him, tried to apologize to him for her last departure, tried to appease him with the gifts of ramen and chocolate she had brought back for him. All she got for her efforts was steadily increasing hostility. He picked on her for everything from her general appearance and inferiority to her incompetence as a shard hunter. Everything she said annoyed him.
He even stopped eating her cooking, though it took great restraint on his part. It worked, though. She was pretty sure he must hate her if he wasn't even willing to eat the food she prepared, since he never turned down food.
When it was finally time to go home, she was relieved. Until he decided that he would stop her. She couldn't understand why he would. He apparently found her company abhorable. So much so that he reminded her at every chance. She had spent more time in tears in the last few days than in the last three years. She hoped that she had hidden that little piece of information from him. Indeed she must have, or he would have goaded her about that, too.
In fact, he hadn't missed the tears. He didn't need to see them. He could smell them. His ears and his heart caught every tremor that she couldn't hide in her voice. He didn't mean any of the horrible things he said to her. But every time he looked at her, wanting to go to her and tell her he was sorry, to hold her and let her know he hadn't meant it, he would remember the other guy he saw holding her, touching her, kissing her...And he would become so angry that he just spewed venom. It was a vicious cycle, and he was powerless to stop it.
"We've lost enough time! You don't need to go back there! You have enough to do here!" He just knew she was lying about those "tests." She was going back to be with that Hobo guy. To touch him and kiss him again. But he couldn't say that. She might find out that he had been watching her at the dance.
"Don't talk to me about lost time! I'm not the one who disappeared for four days, doing "who knows what!" I've got to go!"
"No!" He blocked her path. "Why do you need to go to to this Oni-varsity for anyway?"
"Aaaaaaaaaaagh! This is not up for discussion! I am LEAVING!" She faked a step to the left of him, then darted under his right arm. Maybe PE classes were good for something after all.
One leap, and he had again situated himself between her and the portal. "Fine. Come right back after your test tomorrow!"
"I will not! I have a test tomorrow, one the next day, a Prom committee meeting after that, and then on Sunday, I am going shopping with my friends."
He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest, "Shopping for what? What do you need so badly?"
"That's none of your business, but I'm going to buy a prom dress."
'Promdress? What's a promdress?' He sneered at her,"What about tomorrow night? Do you have another date? With your precious human?"
Kagome felt the blood rise to her face as she fought for control. "Why, Inuyasha, do you want to bring Kikyo and join us?" she hissed through her teeth. "I am soooooooo out of here! Sit!!!!" And before he could get even the "B" out, she was gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~
Inuyasha was still lying there a few moments later when Miroku came charging into the clearing. "Ok, Inuyasha! I've had enough! We all have! What the hell is wrong with you? I know it has something to do with the night you followed Kagome, so spill!"
"Nothing. Nothing important."
Miroku lifted his eyebrows skeptically. "Oh really? And that's why you've been acting like the spawn from hell ever since that night? With the exception of that little disappearing act you pulled on us for four days." He eyed the hanyou and said, "I have kept my word and not said anything to anyone. But I wonder if I told Sango what I knew, if maybe we could piece things together. I'm sure Kagome has said something to her."
Inuyasha paled. "You promised not to say anything. And it's none of your business, monk." He turned to walk away.
"What? Are you going to run away again? I never took you to be a coward before, Inuyasha. Are you going to let Kikyo take you into hell this time? Kagome saw that, you know. In her mind."
Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, stunned. "Sh...she did? How is that possible?"
"I don't know, but she did. And she was frantic. She was determined to find you, even if she had to run on foot." He watched the hanyou's face change from shock to confusion to pleasure, and finally to harden again into a scowl. "And it is my business, when two of my friends are hurting. Especially when one is doing it to another."
"I suppose you mean I'm hurting her? Well, what does she care what I do or say? She doesn't want me!"
"Gods, can you really be that stupid? Why do you think she doesn't want you? She doesn't have to keep coming down that well, you know. She could seal it up with one of Kaede's ofudas and you would never be able to get through. But she keeps coming back, completely trusting you with her life. Worrying herself sick when you disappear, or when she thinks you're injured. And she tries to take care of you, even though you make it pretty tough and thankless." He paused a moment before going on, perhaps to see if the hanyou would respond. Finally, "So, what in seven hells happened?" He delivered a good, solid * WHACK!* to the back of Inuyasha's head with his staff.
"OUCH! MONK!"
"Well?" Miroku eyed him, his staff poised to deliver another blow.
Inuyasha let out a long, labored sigh. After a short silence, Miroku finally heard his defeated reply, "She chose the human boy."
Miroku lifted his brows and waved his hand to indicate that he should go on. "And..."
He went on to tell the monk the story of everything that had happened from the time he jumped through the portal to Kagome's Family well house, to the time he came back and saw Miroku again. Except for the bit about tucking Kagome's brother into his bed. It wasn't relevant anyway.
Miroku listened without interrupting. When Inuyasha finished, he still remained silent. 'So this what this whole mess has been all about. Two people who desperately love one another, but who are too pig headed to take the first step. He turns to what's familiar to keep from getting his heart broken, she retaliates by turning to one she doesn't love. But it's not working, because they're both miserable.' He shook his head at the stupidity of it all.
"So, seeing them kiss hurt, huh?"
Inuyasha grunted. He couldn't eradicate that hideous image from his mind, and it was worse when they talked about it.
"Maybe the way it hurt Kagome when she saw you and Kikyo together." The hanyou's eyes closed painfully. It was a thought he had avoided. The pain was much easier to deal with when he could put the blame on her.
"Hmm. And this," he waved his hand to indicate the area in which they were standing, but really meaning the scene that had taken place a short time before, "is your plan to win her back, is it?" the monk had the mischievous glint back in his eyes.
Inuyasha spun to look at his friend. "Win....her...back? But I don't feel...I don't love her that way...that is..." the hanyou sputtered.
Miroku rolled his eyes and held up his hand. "Oh, for gods sake, save it pal! Lie to yourself if you want to. You're the only one you're fooling. Well, you and that poor girl. After that little closing scene, you'll be * lucky* if she doesn't seal the well and leave forever."
'Seal the well?' the thought brought the searing knife twisting in his gut. "She wouldn't ... couldn't...could she?"
"Well, obviously her powers are getting stronger. After all, she saw you when she thought you were in trouble."
"But...win her back? Can I do that?" He had been so miserable and angry that the thought simply had never occurred to him.
"Inuyasha," the monk laid his hand gently on his friend's shoulder, "no matter what you two want to think, she loves you. It's as obvious as your love for her."
This time he didn't even try to deny it. "Then why did she choose that Hobo guy?"
"Why did you kiss Kikyo?"
" I didn't. She kissed me. And besides, that was totally different."
"Different, how? Two people, trying desperately to fill the void in their hearts. How is her case different than yours?" the monk asked, one eyebrow raised. "And besides, what makes you so sure she "chose" him? Were they the only ones kissing during that dance?"
Inuyasha frowned, thinking back. He hadn't really been watching anyone else, but he did see some other couples out of the corner of his eye. "Well, no, I guess not."
"Look Inuyasha, they do things differently in Kagome's time. They talk differently, they eat differently, they dress differently. We already know they dance differently. They touch and hold each other, even if they aren't bound to the person they are dancing with. Maybe the kiss was part of the dance."
Inuyasha found that hard to believe, but he found lots of things about Kagome's world unbelievable. He was beginning to warm to the theory. It was a good one. That would explain why Kagome would let that pathetic guy touch her. If that were true, then he was going to have to make sure she only danced * those kind * of dances with him from now on. "But she looked so happy..."
"She loves to dance. You know that. And she loves music. She's been looking forward to that dance for a long time."
"She didn't tell me about it!" Inuyasha muttered resentfully.
"She didn't want you to stop her from going." The hanyou huffed, but the monk continued, "Look, Inuyasha. If she were that crazy about him, wouldn't she want to spend every extra minute she could with him? But when she came back here and you weren't here waiting, she stayed. If she loves that guy, why didn't she just go back home and tell us to send you for her when you came back?"
The Houshi had a point. Inuyasha felt his spirits lifting; higher than they had been for almost a week. 'Maybe there is some hope after all.' "So, uh, what do I do? She was pretty mad at me when she left. I said a few really awful things."
Raised eyebrows again. "A few? Try an endless barrage for three days."
The dog-demon's ears drooped again. "She's never gonna forgive me, is she?"
"I'm sure she will, but we're going to need some help. And some wisdom. Kaede can help us with that. But even I know one thing you're going to have to do, and you're not going to like it. Indeed, it may be one of the toughest things you've ever had to do."
"What's that?" the ears perked a little.
"You're going to have to apologize. Probably even grovel."
The ears drooped again. "Hmmph." Couldn't he just maim himself or face off against Hiten again? Well, he had a few days to think about what to say, anyway. Which reminds him:
"Uh, Miroku? What's a promdress?"
**************************************************************************** ********
A/N: Any better? At least we're headed in the right direction, right? BTW, I don't know if they have anything like proms at Tokyo schools. But it's integral to the plot, so work with me on this one, ok?