Part 2
Inu Yasha slowly opened his eyes. The sensation of having a sword driven through his ears bombarded his senses as the light from outside hit his eyes. He groaned loudly, shutting his eyes to ward off the pain.
"So, I see ye are finally up."
Shuffling footsteps moved past him, amplified 10 times by his sensitive ears. There may as well have been a marching band pounding through the room playing 'Saints Come Marching In'. Inwardly he cursed Souta for introducing him to that song; now he'd never get it out of his head!
"I take it your hangover has not yet subsided?" If he hadn't known any better, the old miko sounded a bit sarcastic.
Sitting up as much as his pounding head would allow, Inu Yasha cast Kaede the surliest glare he could muster. "I suppose you think feeling like an ogre just sat on your head is something to laugh about, old hag?"
Kaede gave him a bland look. "Your ailment is no one's fault but your own, Inu Yasha," she chided gently. "Let this be a lesson to you to take things in moderation – sake especially."
Inu Yasha growled halfheartedly, flopping back down on the ground. "Yeah, yeah, spare me..." Resisting the urge to curl up into a ball, he groaned loudly. Damn hangover...
"Oi, Inu Yasha!"
"Damn it!" Inu Yasha clamped his hands over his head, curling into a ball. Damn headache! Did everything have to be so freakin' loud?
Shippo entered the hut, blinking at the cringing hanyou curled up in a ball in the darkest corner of the room. The young kitsune turned to Kaede curiously. "What's wrong with him?"
"Hangover." The old miko answered; Shippo 'ahh'ed in response. Spooning some concoction from her pot into a mug, she placed it in front of the simpering inu-hanyou. "Here, drink this."
"Hell no," he responded with a muffled growl. "That's what got me into this shit in the first-place."
"No one said you had to accept Kouga's offer to a drinking match."
"Yeah right," Shippo grinned. "Inu Yasha would rather shave his head than admit defeat to Kouga."
"But didn't he lose anyway?"
"Shaddup!" Inu Yasha growled, snatching the mug from the old miko's hands. Sniffing at it, he made a disgusted face. "What the hell is this?"
"It'll help with your migraine. Your youkai blood has undoubtedly taken care of most of the alcohol still in your system, but this should help finish the job."
Inu Yasha only let out a 'keh' in response as he downed the liquid in one swig.
"You're pretty lucky," Shippo replied, dangling his feet off of the tatami Inu Yasha had only recently vacated. "Kagome-kaasan said any normal human who drank that much sake would have died of alcohol poisoning."
Inu Yasha only snorted, although secretly marveling out how fast his headache was already dissipating. "Well, I ain't a ordinary human." As if to prove his point, he scratched behind his ear absently. He paused, eyeing Shippo. "And what's with the '-kaasan' all of a sudden? Kagome's not your mom."
Shippo made a face. "I know that!" he retorted. He paused, his face brightening suddenly. "But Kagome said I could call her that cuz she's gonna look after me now."
Kaede smiled slightly. "I'm sure she will take good care of you, Shippo." The kitsune grinned in response.
"Keh." They both looked to Inu Yasha to see him rising to his feet.
"Perhaps you should rest a little while longer, Inu Yasha," Kaede called after him. "You have been unconscious for a few days."
He paused. 'A few days?'
"Yeah," Shippo chirped, spinning his little top on the dirt floor absently. "Kaasan was kinda worried when you wouldn't wake up. After all, the two of you were stuck in the forest for a pretty long time."
"What?" Stuck in the forest with Kagome? When had this happened?
"Do ye not remember, Inu Yasha?" Kaede asked. "We found the two of ye by the river some time after the festivities ended." At the blank expression on his face, she coughed lightly. "I must say the two of ye were in a compromising position."
"Guh..."
Shippo grinned. "Miroku said the odds were the two of you were doing something dirty," Inu Yasha paled at this. "Though I don't think so, cuz Kagome didn't seem mad at you when she went home."
"She... went home...?"
Seeing the panicked expression on his face, Kaede decided to clarify. "Kagome returned to her home for a few days to assure her family she was all right." She replied. "She promised to return shortly so that you all could decide what is to be done with the Shikon no Tama."
'She went home... because of me...?' Inu Yasha wondered. Why else would she just up and leave without telling him? Why? Had he done something to make her mad? He couldn't remember anything that had happened that night. Why couldn't he remember...?
"Damn it," He bolted out of the hut and straight towards the well.
~~~
Perched high up in the branches of the Goshinboku, Inu Yasha ran a hand through his hair, racking his brain. So his drinking match with Kouga had gotten a little out of hand. How was he supposed to know the effects it would have had? It hadn't seemed to bother him when he was throwing back jug after jug right along with Kouga.
Well, maybe the expression on Miroku's face should have been a tip-off. When the monk had been watching him in something akin to horror he had thought it had been because they had drank up at least half of his supply. Well, he knew better now. Apparently mass amounts of drinking not only left you with a hell of a hangover, but large gaps in memory as well.
What the heck had happened anyway? He certainly didn't remember passing out in the forest. How had he gotten there in the first place, and with Kagome no less? The last thing he really remembered was Ginta dragging him over to the bonfire, and Hakkaku trying to teach him some old drinking song. How did it go?
'If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, go out and get yourself a chunky wife...' Or, something like that...
But what had happened after that? Inu Yasha shut his eyes in concentration, trying to sift through all the thoughts in his brain. There just had to be something there – there just had to be!
There! He strained, trying to pull the errant thought to the surface. Ah- ha... here we go.
He had felt warm, and safe. He was lying down, engulfed by an aura that just exuded warmth and security and... love...
Love? The only time he had felt like that aside from with his mother was when he had been poisoned by the spider youkai during that time of the month. Kagome had allowed him to lie in her lap ---
Wait – had he been lying in Kagome's lap? Yeah, that sounded about right. Inu Yasha was thankful no one was around to see the blush staining his cheeks. He could definitely remember feeling the heat radiating from her body and damn it if it hadn't felt good. He hadn't wanted to move.
'But I did eventually...' he thought to himself. 'What did I do next...?' He remembered her talking to him - but about what he couldn't remember. He paused, remembering the solemn expression on her face. "There was something she wanted to tell me..."
Inu Yasha found his gaze wandering towards the old well in the distance. Somehow, he'd run her off. He wasn't sure how, but he was almost certain it had something to do with whatever she had wanted to say. He gulped, his amber eyes widening just a fraction. What... what if she no longer wanted to come to the Feudal Era? Now that their quest was over, would she stay in her world and never come back?
"No..." He shook his head fiercely, clenching his eyes shut as if to ward away the thought. "She wouldn't do that to me – not without saying goodbye..."
He paused a few moments more before jumping off of his perch and diving into the Bone Eater's Well.
~~~
~ "No!" He bolted upwards then, nearly bumping heads with her as he snatched her into one of his fierce embraces. "Your home is with me, Kagome!" ~
Kagome 'eep'ed, bringing a hand up to her blushing face as an unbidden image of herself locked with Inu Yasha's tight embrace. She shook her head disbelievingly. 'I can't believe it!' she thought to herself. 'I'm still blushing about what happened!'
Kagome's mother, who was standing at the stove preparing dinner, looked back at her young daughter seated at the kitchen table. "Is everything all right, Kagome dear?" she asked. "You look awfully warm. Would you like for me to open a window?"
The young girl jumped, smiling nervously. "Oh no, mom, I'll get it!" Rising from her seat and walking over to the window, she didn't notice the knowing smile skitter across her mother's face.
The kitchen window slid open with a 'swoosh', letting a soft breeze flow into the room. Kagome let out a sigh as she gazed out the window and the shrine and the cityscape beyond. This was where she belonged, right?
~ "Your home is with me, Kagome!" ~
Though she had to admit, lying there in Inu Yasha's arms had felt pretty natural. Kagome had spent the whole night next to him without uttering so much of a complaint. And when the others had found them that way the next morning, she didn't complain or try to blame the whole situation on Inu Yasha. After all, she had liked it.
Sighing once again, she tugged on her hair forlornly, 'Kagome, my girl... you are completely hopeless.'
"You should tell him."
Kagome froze, whirling around on her mother like a dervish. "Wh-what?"
Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Your grandfather," she replied. "He's out by the well house. You should go tell him dinner is ready."
Resisting the urge to face fault like some character in an anime, Kagome only nodded dumbly as she retreated from the kitchen. Once she was out of earshot, Mrs. Higurashi tittered quietly to herself.
Kagome opened the backdoor leading out to the shrine only to be face by a pair of golden eyes staring back at her unblinkingly. Already nervous and edgy, she jumped back letting out a loud squeal.
Inu Yasha cringed, clamping his hands down over his ears. "Damn it, Kagome, don't do that!"
Patting her chest to get her heart started beating again, Kagome nodded apologetically. "Right, right, sensitive ears... sorry." She looked up at him. "What are you doing here?"
He blinked, as if unsure of an answer. Looking away, he shifted his weight from one foot to another awkwardly. "Uhh..." Damn, she was doing that cute little head-tilting thing. "Erm..."
"What's wrong, Inu Yasha?" Kagome asked, pleased that she wasn't blushing anymore. It wouldn't do for him to see how embarrassed she was. Did he remember anything about the other night?
Inu Yasha stammered for a few seconds before muttering a small 'sorry' and looking away again.
Her heart sunk. He did remember, and now he regretted doing it. Still, Kagome decided to play dumb. "What are you apologizing for?"
Jumping on the defensive, Inu Yasha took a step back. "Nothing!" He paused, looking down. "I'm not sure... I guess for the other night... after the party."
"Oh..." Kagome frowned inwardly; she was blushing again.
Inu Yasha blinked. Why was she blushing? Had he done something to embarrass her? Crap, that meant more apologies were in order. He hated having to apologize for things. But looking at her pretty blushing face, he knew he had to do it. How could he possibly refuse her anything?
'Whoa... déjà vu...' He cleared his throat, staring down at his feet. "I guess I'm apologizing for whatever happened between us the other night," He paused as a flash of recognition flew across her face, hid by another blush. At that, he panicked. "I just wanna say I didn't mean any of it!"
Kagome staggered, gripping the frame of the door. "Wha...?"
Inu Yasha scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah... I was pretty shit-faced..." he admitted. "If I had known what a mess it was gonna cause, I never woulda taken Kouga up on his stupid bet..."
"Oh, yeah..." 'He... didn't mean it... He didn't mean... any of it? Not any of it...?' Kagome's world seemed to be slipping and tilting on its axis.
"I don't remember a lot of what happened," Inu Yasha replied, not noticing the shattered expression on the face of the young girl before him. "But I know I probably made a total ass of myself. You didn't even get to say whatever it was were trying to tell me."
"I... what?"
The hanyou tilted his head at her in curiously, causing her heart to melt and clench in pain at the same time. "You okay, Kagome?" he asked. "You look kinda sick."
Kagome forced a cheerful smile, giving him a small laugh. She knew he could tell it was fake but she pretended it didn't matter. "Oh, everything's fine," she persisted. "I'm just a little tired. But it's okay, everything's over and done with." She laughed again. "Man, am I relieved!"
"Yeah," Inu Yasha frowned slightly. "So, what now...?"
'How the heck am I supposed to know?' Kagome thought desperately to herself. Everything she thought Inu Yasha felt about her had turned out to be an alcohol-induced joke! Her whole world had just been turned upside down. It was time to wipe the slate clean and try again. "Oh, I dunno," she replied aimlessly. "Mama just finished dinner, so I gotta go find Gran'pa and let him know."
"Oh," Inu Yasha paused, shaking his head. "No, that's not what I meant." He gave her an earnest look. "What're you gonna do now that the mission's over?"
"That's easy," Kagome replied with a smile, although she really felt like crying. Could she really go through with this? Looking at his face, she knew she had to. She couldn't be near him knowing he didn't feel the same way; it'd kill her. "I'll turn the Shikon no Tama over to Kaede and then come back here to the future."
It was almost as if someone had run him through with his Tetsusaiga. He took a step towards her, his eyes wide and disbelieving. "WHAT?!"
"What?" Kagome frowned. "I thought you didn't want to Shikon no Tama to become a full demon anymore."
"No!" Inu Yasha clenched and unclenched his fists tightly, desperately trying to hold onto his temper. "That's not what I'm trying – You're just writing us off like that?!"
"What else is there for me to do?" she asked him.
"Whaddya mean what else is there for you to do?!"
Kagome folded her arms over her chest. "Well?" she questioned. "What then? I'm not needed anymore."
"Guhh... nuh-not needed...?"
Kagome's heart was crying. Why was she doing this – saying such cold things? And why was he looking at her like that – like her words were actually hurting him? He didn't love her – didn't want her, didn't need her like she needed him...
"I was just your shard detector, right? Well, the shards are all collected. My job is done."
That did it for Inu Yasha; he took another step towards her. "Job? Your job?" he roared. "Is that all this was to you?! Just a job that had to be done?" 'Is that all I was to you – just part of the job, Kagome? Don't I mean anything to you – after all we've been through? Kagome...?'
Her next words cut through him. "What else could it be, Inu Yasha?" Blue- gray eyes looked up at him piteously. "My life is here in the modern era."
So that was it then. It was over. They were over. That was what she had planned to tell him. Now that their mission was over, she was leaving him. He should have known it all along. Kagome didn't want to be with him anymore. She didn't need him.
Inu Yasha lowered his head, his ivory bangs hiding his eyes. "I see." The hands that had been clenched in fury fell limp at his sides. "So, this is goodbye then."
"I'll be back tomorrow," Kagome replied softly, hurt that he wouldn't meet her gaze. Could he not stand to look at her anymore; was she that awful? "I still have to say goodbye to everyone. Oh, and we have to decide what to do with the jewel."
"Hn."
"Inu Yasha?" He twitched and raised his head slightly, but would not meet her gaze. "Like I said, dinner's ready... you can, um, stay for it you like." 'Please... look at me, Inu Yasha... give me a reason... Let me know I mean something to you... please?'
He remained silent a moment, turning some thought over in his head. As he gazed back up at her, all the hurt he was experiencing could be seen in his eyes. He realized this as Kagome gasped, slipping his usual stoic mask back into place.
"I can't..." he replied quietly. "Kaede's expecting me back, so I... I gotta go." Kagome only nodded at this and he turned to walk away. "Kagome...?"
She looked up at him hesitantly. "Yeah...?" But as she looked up at him, he paused before bounding off back towards the well house. Whatever had been holding Kagome up until that point vanished, leaving her to crumble into a sobbing heap on the back doorstep.
~End Part 2
Author's Notes – Is that the end? Could I be so twisted as to leave you all hanging like that?
[pause]
Nah... not even I'm that sadistic. ::snarls as Wufei begs to differ:: One more lap to go folks, stay with me!
Inu Yasha slowly opened his eyes. The sensation of having a sword driven through his ears bombarded his senses as the light from outside hit his eyes. He groaned loudly, shutting his eyes to ward off the pain.
"So, I see ye are finally up."
Shuffling footsteps moved past him, amplified 10 times by his sensitive ears. There may as well have been a marching band pounding through the room playing 'Saints Come Marching In'. Inwardly he cursed Souta for introducing him to that song; now he'd never get it out of his head!
"I take it your hangover has not yet subsided?" If he hadn't known any better, the old miko sounded a bit sarcastic.
Sitting up as much as his pounding head would allow, Inu Yasha cast Kaede the surliest glare he could muster. "I suppose you think feeling like an ogre just sat on your head is something to laugh about, old hag?"
Kaede gave him a bland look. "Your ailment is no one's fault but your own, Inu Yasha," she chided gently. "Let this be a lesson to you to take things in moderation – sake especially."
Inu Yasha growled halfheartedly, flopping back down on the ground. "Yeah, yeah, spare me..." Resisting the urge to curl up into a ball, he groaned loudly. Damn hangover...
"Oi, Inu Yasha!"
"Damn it!" Inu Yasha clamped his hands over his head, curling into a ball. Damn headache! Did everything have to be so freakin' loud?
Shippo entered the hut, blinking at the cringing hanyou curled up in a ball in the darkest corner of the room. The young kitsune turned to Kaede curiously. "What's wrong with him?"
"Hangover." The old miko answered; Shippo 'ahh'ed in response. Spooning some concoction from her pot into a mug, she placed it in front of the simpering inu-hanyou. "Here, drink this."
"Hell no," he responded with a muffled growl. "That's what got me into this shit in the first-place."
"No one said you had to accept Kouga's offer to a drinking match."
"Yeah right," Shippo grinned. "Inu Yasha would rather shave his head than admit defeat to Kouga."
"But didn't he lose anyway?"
"Shaddup!" Inu Yasha growled, snatching the mug from the old miko's hands. Sniffing at it, he made a disgusted face. "What the hell is this?"
"It'll help with your migraine. Your youkai blood has undoubtedly taken care of most of the alcohol still in your system, but this should help finish the job."
Inu Yasha only let out a 'keh' in response as he downed the liquid in one swig.
"You're pretty lucky," Shippo replied, dangling his feet off of the tatami Inu Yasha had only recently vacated. "Kagome-kaasan said any normal human who drank that much sake would have died of alcohol poisoning."
Inu Yasha only snorted, although secretly marveling out how fast his headache was already dissipating. "Well, I ain't a ordinary human." As if to prove his point, he scratched behind his ear absently. He paused, eyeing Shippo. "And what's with the '-kaasan' all of a sudden? Kagome's not your mom."
Shippo made a face. "I know that!" he retorted. He paused, his face brightening suddenly. "But Kagome said I could call her that cuz she's gonna look after me now."
Kaede smiled slightly. "I'm sure she will take good care of you, Shippo." The kitsune grinned in response.
"Keh." They both looked to Inu Yasha to see him rising to his feet.
"Perhaps you should rest a little while longer, Inu Yasha," Kaede called after him. "You have been unconscious for a few days."
He paused. 'A few days?'
"Yeah," Shippo chirped, spinning his little top on the dirt floor absently. "Kaasan was kinda worried when you wouldn't wake up. After all, the two of you were stuck in the forest for a pretty long time."
"What?" Stuck in the forest with Kagome? When had this happened?
"Do ye not remember, Inu Yasha?" Kaede asked. "We found the two of ye by the river some time after the festivities ended." At the blank expression on his face, she coughed lightly. "I must say the two of ye were in a compromising position."
"Guh..."
Shippo grinned. "Miroku said the odds were the two of you were doing something dirty," Inu Yasha paled at this. "Though I don't think so, cuz Kagome didn't seem mad at you when she went home."
"She... went home...?"
Seeing the panicked expression on his face, Kaede decided to clarify. "Kagome returned to her home for a few days to assure her family she was all right." She replied. "She promised to return shortly so that you all could decide what is to be done with the Shikon no Tama."
'She went home... because of me...?' Inu Yasha wondered. Why else would she just up and leave without telling him? Why? Had he done something to make her mad? He couldn't remember anything that had happened that night. Why couldn't he remember...?
"Damn it," He bolted out of the hut and straight towards the well.
~~~
Perched high up in the branches of the Goshinboku, Inu Yasha ran a hand through his hair, racking his brain. So his drinking match with Kouga had gotten a little out of hand. How was he supposed to know the effects it would have had? It hadn't seemed to bother him when he was throwing back jug after jug right along with Kouga.
Well, maybe the expression on Miroku's face should have been a tip-off. When the monk had been watching him in something akin to horror he had thought it had been because they had drank up at least half of his supply. Well, he knew better now. Apparently mass amounts of drinking not only left you with a hell of a hangover, but large gaps in memory as well.
What the heck had happened anyway? He certainly didn't remember passing out in the forest. How had he gotten there in the first place, and with Kagome no less? The last thing he really remembered was Ginta dragging him over to the bonfire, and Hakkaku trying to teach him some old drinking song. How did it go?
'If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, go out and get yourself a chunky wife...' Or, something like that...
But what had happened after that? Inu Yasha shut his eyes in concentration, trying to sift through all the thoughts in his brain. There just had to be something there – there just had to be!
There! He strained, trying to pull the errant thought to the surface. Ah- ha... here we go.
He had felt warm, and safe. He was lying down, engulfed by an aura that just exuded warmth and security and... love...
Love? The only time he had felt like that aside from with his mother was when he had been poisoned by the spider youkai during that time of the month. Kagome had allowed him to lie in her lap ---
Wait – had he been lying in Kagome's lap? Yeah, that sounded about right. Inu Yasha was thankful no one was around to see the blush staining his cheeks. He could definitely remember feeling the heat radiating from her body and damn it if it hadn't felt good. He hadn't wanted to move.
'But I did eventually...' he thought to himself. 'What did I do next...?' He remembered her talking to him - but about what he couldn't remember. He paused, remembering the solemn expression on her face. "There was something she wanted to tell me..."
Inu Yasha found his gaze wandering towards the old well in the distance. Somehow, he'd run her off. He wasn't sure how, but he was almost certain it had something to do with whatever she had wanted to say. He gulped, his amber eyes widening just a fraction. What... what if she no longer wanted to come to the Feudal Era? Now that their quest was over, would she stay in her world and never come back?
"No..." He shook his head fiercely, clenching his eyes shut as if to ward away the thought. "She wouldn't do that to me – not without saying goodbye..."
He paused a few moments more before jumping off of his perch and diving into the Bone Eater's Well.
~~~
~ "No!" He bolted upwards then, nearly bumping heads with her as he snatched her into one of his fierce embraces. "Your home is with me, Kagome!" ~
Kagome 'eep'ed, bringing a hand up to her blushing face as an unbidden image of herself locked with Inu Yasha's tight embrace. She shook her head disbelievingly. 'I can't believe it!' she thought to herself. 'I'm still blushing about what happened!'
Kagome's mother, who was standing at the stove preparing dinner, looked back at her young daughter seated at the kitchen table. "Is everything all right, Kagome dear?" she asked. "You look awfully warm. Would you like for me to open a window?"
The young girl jumped, smiling nervously. "Oh no, mom, I'll get it!" Rising from her seat and walking over to the window, she didn't notice the knowing smile skitter across her mother's face.
The kitchen window slid open with a 'swoosh', letting a soft breeze flow into the room. Kagome let out a sigh as she gazed out the window and the shrine and the cityscape beyond. This was where she belonged, right?
~ "Your home is with me, Kagome!" ~
Though she had to admit, lying there in Inu Yasha's arms had felt pretty natural. Kagome had spent the whole night next to him without uttering so much of a complaint. And when the others had found them that way the next morning, she didn't complain or try to blame the whole situation on Inu Yasha. After all, she had liked it.
Sighing once again, she tugged on her hair forlornly, 'Kagome, my girl... you are completely hopeless.'
"You should tell him."
Kagome froze, whirling around on her mother like a dervish. "Wh-what?"
Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "Your grandfather," she replied. "He's out by the well house. You should go tell him dinner is ready."
Resisting the urge to face fault like some character in an anime, Kagome only nodded dumbly as she retreated from the kitchen. Once she was out of earshot, Mrs. Higurashi tittered quietly to herself.
Kagome opened the backdoor leading out to the shrine only to be face by a pair of golden eyes staring back at her unblinkingly. Already nervous and edgy, she jumped back letting out a loud squeal.
Inu Yasha cringed, clamping his hands down over his ears. "Damn it, Kagome, don't do that!"
Patting her chest to get her heart started beating again, Kagome nodded apologetically. "Right, right, sensitive ears... sorry." She looked up at him. "What are you doing here?"
He blinked, as if unsure of an answer. Looking away, he shifted his weight from one foot to another awkwardly. "Uhh..." Damn, she was doing that cute little head-tilting thing. "Erm..."
"What's wrong, Inu Yasha?" Kagome asked, pleased that she wasn't blushing anymore. It wouldn't do for him to see how embarrassed she was. Did he remember anything about the other night?
Inu Yasha stammered for a few seconds before muttering a small 'sorry' and looking away again.
Her heart sunk. He did remember, and now he regretted doing it. Still, Kagome decided to play dumb. "What are you apologizing for?"
Jumping on the defensive, Inu Yasha took a step back. "Nothing!" He paused, looking down. "I'm not sure... I guess for the other night... after the party."
"Oh..." Kagome frowned inwardly; she was blushing again.
Inu Yasha blinked. Why was she blushing? Had he done something to embarrass her? Crap, that meant more apologies were in order. He hated having to apologize for things. But looking at her pretty blushing face, he knew he had to do it. How could he possibly refuse her anything?
'Whoa... déjà vu...' He cleared his throat, staring down at his feet. "I guess I'm apologizing for whatever happened between us the other night," He paused as a flash of recognition flew across her face, hid by another blush. At that, he panicked. "I just wanna say I didn't mean any of it!"
Kagome staggered, gripping the frame of the door. "Wha...?"
Inu Yasha scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah... I was pretty shit-faced..." he admitted. "If I had known what a mess it was gonna cause, I never woulda taken Kouga up on his stupid bet..."
"Oh, yeah..." 'He... didn't mean it... He didn't mean... any of it? Not any of it...?' Kagome's world seemed to be slipping and tilting on its axis.
"I don't remember a lot of what happened," Inu Yasha replied, not noticing the shattered expression on the face of the young girl before him. "But I know I probably made a total ass of myself. You didn't even get to say whatever it was were trying to tell me."
"I... what?"
The hanyou tilted his head at her in curiously, causing her heart to melt and clench in pain at the same time. "You okay, Kagome?" he asked. "You look kinda sick."
Kagome forced a cheerful smile, giving him a small laugh. She knew he could tell it was fake but she pretended it didn't matter. "Oh, everything's fine," she persisted. "I'm just a little tired. But it's okay, everything's over and done with." She laughed again. "Man, am I relieved!"
"Yeah," Inu Yasha frowned slightly. "So, what now...?"
'How the heck am I supposed to know?' Kagome thought desperately to herself. Everything she thought Inu Yasha felt about her had turned out to be an alcohol-induced joke! Her whole world had just been turned upside down. It was time to wipe the slate clean and try again. "Oh, I dunno," she replied aimlessly. "Mama just finished dinner, so I gotta go find Gran'pa and let him know."
"Oh," Inu Yasha paused, shaking his head. "No, that's not what I meant." He gave her an earnest look. "What're you gonna do now that the mission's over?"
"That's easy," Kagome replied with a smile, although she really felt like crying. Could she really go through with this? Looking at his face, she knew she had to. She couldn't be near him knowing he didn't feel the same way; it'd kill her. "I'll turn the Shikon no Tama over to Kaede and then come back here to the future."
It was almost as if someone had run him through with his Tetsusaiga. He took a step towards her, his eyes wide and disbelieving. "WHAT?!"
"What?" Kagome frowned. "I thought you didn't want to Shikon no Tama to become a full demon anymore."
"No!" Inu Yasha clenched and unclenched his fists tightly, desperately trying to hold onto his temper. "That's not what I'm trying – You're just writing us off like that?!"
"What else is there for me to do?" she asked him.
"Whaddya mean what else is there for you to do?!"
Kagome folded her arms over her chest. "Well?" she questioned. "What then? I'm not needed anymore."
"Guhh... nuh-not needed...?"
Kagome's heart was crying. Why was she doing this – saying such cold things? And why was he looking at her like that – like her words were actually hurting him? He didn't love her – didn't want her, didn't need her like she needed him...
"I was just your shard detector, right? Well, the shards are all collected. My job is done."
That did it for Inu Yasha; he took another step towards her. "Job? Your job?" he roared. "Is that all this was to you?! Just a job that had to be done?" 'Is that all I was to you – just part of the job, Kagome? Don't I mean anything to you – after all we've been through? Kagome...?'
Her next words cut through him. "What else could it be, Inu Yasha?" Blue- gray eyes looked up at him piteously. "My life is here in the modern era."
So that was it then. It was over. They were over. That was what she had planned to tell him. Now that their mission was over, she was leaving him. He should have known it all along. Kagome didn't want to be with him anymore. She didn't need him.
Inu Yasha lowered his head, his ivory bangs hiding his eyes. "I see." The hands that had been clenched in fury fell limp at his sides. "So, this is goodbye then."
"I'll be back tomorrow," Kagome replied softly, hurt that he wouldn't meet her gaze. Could he not stand to look at her anymore; was she that awful? "I still have to say goodbye to everyone. Oh, and we have to decide what to do with the jewel."
"Hn."
"Inu Yasha?" He twitched and raised his head slightly, but would not meet her gaze. "Like I said, dinner's ready... you can, um, stay for it you like." 'Please... look at me, Inu Yasha... give me a reason... Let me know I mean something to you... please?'
He remained silent a moment, turning some thought over in his head. As he gazed back up at her, all the hurt he was experiencing could be seen in his eyes. He realized this as Kagome gasped, slipping his usual stoic mask back into place.
"I can't..." he replied quietly. "Kaede's expecting me back, so I... I gotta go." Kagome only nodded at this and he turned to walk away. "Kagome...?"
She looked up at him hesitantly. "Yeah...?" But as she looked up at him, he paused before bounding off back towards the well house. Whatever had been holding Kagome up until that point vanished, leaving her to crumble into a sobbing heap on the back doorstep.
~End Part 2
Author's Notes – Is that the end? Could I be so twisted as to leave you all hanging like that?
[pause]
Nah... not even I'm that sadistic. ::snarls as Wufei begs to differ:: One more lap to go folks, stay with me!