Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I think she
keeps him locked in her basement.
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They walked back in silence. Every now and then, Kagome would glance over at Inu-Yasha and then quickly avert her eyes before he caught her.
"Kagome! Inu-Yasha! Where have you been?"
Shippo's chipper voice greeted the pair as soon as they walked into camp. He ran towards them but upon seeing their somber faces, came to an abrupt halt. Something was definitely wrong. Inu-Yasha looked grim and Kagome looked ragged, her clothes torn and her hair a mess. Kagome gave a weak smile as they passed the young kitsune but Inu-Yasha didn't even spare him a glance.
The pair made their way over to the fire, where Sango and Miroku were fixing dinner.
"What happened to you two?"
Miroku's question was answered with a scowl from Inu-Yasha. The monk widened his eyes but left it at that. Kagome sat down next to Sango, exhausted, and started eating. Inu-Yasha stared at her for a moment and then announced that he was going to go check the area for demons and bandits. Kagome nodded and he bounded off into the trees. As soon as the hanyou was out of sight, Sango turned to her friend.
"Kagome?" Sango asked, concern threaded through her voice.
Kagome laid down her food and stared into the fire.
"We had a run in with Sesshoumaru."
Sango and Miroku breathed a sigh of relief. It made sense now; Inu-Yasha was always tense after a run-in with his brother.
"Well, that explains it. . . " Sango began.
"It was different this time. Worse. This time he almost. . .he did. . ."
She gulped back tears, unable to continue. Sango put a comforting arm around her friend and stroked her hair.
"It's alright. It's alright now. Inu-Yasha's fine. Everything's okay."
.Kagome leaned into her friend as tears slowly began to stream down her face.
************ ************ ************
Inu-Yasha stared out into the night. He hadn't returned to camp until late that evening. He had spent the last few hours just running. He'd needed to run. Running made him feel alive. Beside him, Kagome stirred in her sleeping bag. He looked down at her. She had bathed after dinner, washing both blood and dirt off her body. She had washed her clothes as well, leaving the mending for morning.
She stirred again and this time, when Inu-Yasha looked down at her, he found her staring back up at him.
"Did I wake you?"
Kagome nodded.
"It's okay. I was trying to stay up till you got back anyway. I was worried about you."
He turned his head back towards the forest.
"Keh. There's no reason for you to be worried about me."
Kagome sat up and looked at him. The moon was full and cast a silvery light, making it easy for her to see him in the dark. He looked more relaxed then before but there was still tension in his face. He gazed out into the night, refusing to look at her. His eyes were grave and his lips were set in a harsh line. Kagome's gaze traveled from his face, down to his neck. There was a faint scar there from where Sesshoumaru had cut him.
He felt her hand touch his throat. He stiffened but kept his eyes forward, making no move to stop her. Delicately, she traced the scar with her fingers. When she reached the end of the wound, he grabbed her hand. Slowly, he turned and looked into her eyes. They stayed like that for a moment, eyes locked. Finally, he spoke.
"Thank you."
Kagome, shocked by his statement, sat quietly for a moment before responding.
"For what?"
"For saving my life."
"Oh that."
She turned her head to the side, blushing, and dropped his hand.
"It's nothing. You would have done the same for me."
"Yes, I would have. But thank you anyway."
She turned back to him and smiled.
"You're welcome."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How did you get him to do it? Bring me back to life I mean."
She pursed her lips and considered his question.
"I'm not quite sure. I guess he doesn't dislike you as much as you thought. He is your brother after all. I think I just reminded him of that."
"Maybe."
They talked for a little while longer until Kagome became tired and went back to bed. Inu-Yasha stayed by her side the rest of the night, watching her sleep. As he looked at her, he mulled over the day's events in his mind. Kagome said that Sesshoumaru brought him back because they were brothers. Inu-Yasha snorted. It could be possible but he doubted it. There was another reason. He just didn't know what it was yet.
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They walked back in silence. Every now and then, Kagome would glance over at Inu-Yasha and then quickly avert her eyes before he caught her.
"Kagome! Inu-Yasha! Where have you been?"
Shippo's chipper voice greeted the pair as soon as they walked into camp. He ran towards them but upon seeing their somber faces, came to an abrupt halt. Something was definitely wrong. Inu-Yasha looked grim and Kagome looked ragged, her clothes torn and her hair a mess. Kagome gave a weak smile as they passed the young kitsune but Inu-Yasha didn't even spare him a glance.
The pair made their way over to the fire, where Sango and Miroku were fixing dinner.
"What happened to you two?"
Miroku's question was answered with a scowl from Inu-Yasha. The monk widened his eyes but left it at that. Kagome sat down next to Sango, exhausted, and started eating. Inu-Yasha stared at her for a moment and then announced that he was going to go check the area for demons and bandits. Kagome nodded and he bounded off into the trees. As soon as the hanyou was out of sight, Sango turned to her friend.
"Kagome?" Sango asked, concern threaded through her voice.
Kagome laid down her food and stared into the fire.
"We had a run in with Sesshoumaru."
Sango and Miroku breathed a sigh of relief. It made sense now; Inu-Yasha was always tense after a run-in with his brother.
"Well, that explains it. . . " Sango began.
"It was different this time. Worse. This time he almost. . .he did. . ."
She gulped back tears, unable to continue. Sango put a comforting arm around her friend and stroked her hair.
"It's alright. It's alright now. Inu-Yasha's fine. Everything's okay."
.Kagome leaned into her friend as tears slowly began to stream down her face.
************ ************ ************
Inu-Yasha stared out into the night. He hadn't returned to camp until late that evening. He had spent the last few hours just running. He'd needed to run. Running made him feel alive. Beside him, Kagome stirred in her sleeping bag. He looked down at her. She had bathed after dinner, washing both blood and dirt off her body. She had washed her clothes as well, leaving the mending for morning.
She stirred again and this time, when Inu-Yasha looked down at her, he found her staring back up at him.
"Did I wake you?"
Kagome nodded.
"It's okay. I was trying to stay up till you got back anyway. I was worried about you."
He turned his head back towards the forest.
"Keh. There's no reason for you to be worried about me."
Kagome sat up and looked at him. The moon was full and cast a silvery light, making it easy for her to see him in the dark. He looked more relaxed then before but there was still tension in his face. He gazed out into the night, refusing to look at her. His eyes were grave and his lips were set in a harsh line. Kagome's gaze traveled from his face, down to his neck. There was a faint scar there from where Sesshoumaru had cut him.
He felt her hand touch his throat. He stiffened but kept his eyes forward, making no move to stop her. Delicately, she traced the scar with her fingers. When she reached the end of the wound, he grabbed her hand. Slowly, he turned and looked into her eyes. They stayed like that for a moment, eyes locked. Finally, he spoke.
"Thank you."
Kagome, shocked by his statement, sat quietly for a moment before responding.
"For what?"
"For saving my life."
"Oh that."
She turned her head to the side, blushing, and dropped his hand.
"It's nothing. You would have done the same for me."
"Yes, I would have. But thank you anyway."
She turned back to him and smiled.
"You're welcome."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How did you get him to do it? Bring me back to life I mean."
She pursed her lips and considered his question.
"I'm not quite sure. I guess he doesn't dislike you as much as you thought. He is your brother after all. I think I just reminded him of that."
"Maybe."
They talked for a little while longer until Kagome became tired and went back to bed. Inu-Yasha stayed by her side the rest of the night, watching her sleep. As he looked at her, he mulled over the day's events in his mind. Kagome said that Sesshoumaru brought him back because they were brothers. Inu-Yasha snorted. It could be possible but he doubted it. There was another reason. He just didn't know what it was yet.