Author's Notes- It's been a long time between updates, but no worries- I'm back on track now. I've been writing a lot on my InuYasha/Kagome drama/romance "In Order to Break Me." I've been updating some other stories as well- most are InuKag. (Go check them out via my profile if you haven't!) Added to that, I've had some personal problems that caused me to have problems working on this fic.
However- now updates should be consistent once more.
At the end of this chapter InuYasha reflects back on something he said during thought during volume 12 of the manga episode 31 of the Anime. The original line was "That's right. When did it happen that... it seems natural that Kagome being beside me... is my home."
This chapter has one of the pivotal romance scenes in the fic, I'm still somewhat unsure of it, but I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless.
-This chapter was revised and reposted on 4-10-04.
As always, read, review, and enjoy!
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"A Fortuitous Blunder"
Chapter Six
This is Where Home Is
By Kelly O'Connor
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InuYasha shuffled his feet in irritation as the mid-morning sun sifted through the trees and beat down upon the forest floor. It was a hot summer day, he was already frustrated, and the weather wasn't making him feel much better.
"Mou InuYasha, are you hot?" Kagome asked from beside him. "I know I am, but at least I dressed for it." She gestured to the short sleeved top and shorts she wore. InuYasha frowned, yes, he was hot, and yes, it was impractical for him to wear his usual very thick clothing- but that was what he always wore.
"Keh, this is what I always wear, I can handle the heat." InuYasha replied. Kagome grinned.
"Well then maybe it's time you got a change in wardrobe," She said jokingly, "Seriously though, you could at least take off your fire-rat coat, I can tell you're burning up."
"Hmph," InuYasha crossed his arms, "I'll be fine."
"Okay, but don't come near me when you're all sweaty and stinky," She smirked.
"Not like I could come near you anyway," He retorted in aggravation. The schoolgirl sighed.
"I know, but hopefully Shuurei-sama can fix that once we get to the village." Kagome stated. "Then this long walk in the heat will actually be worth something."
"She better be able to fix it."
"Mhmm," Kagome paused and pulled her backpack off her shoulders. Unzipping it, she pulled out two water bottles and tossed one to InuYasha. Deftly he caught it and twisted the cap open, lifting it to his mouth and taking deep gulps. "There, that way you won't stink quite as badly." Kagome grinned and began drinking herself as they continued to talk towards the Miko's village.
It had been a substantial amount of trouble to convince their friends not to come along on this little adventure. It's not as if either Kagome or InuYasha had any problem with the idea of their group going on another escapade together, but this particular trip was one they definitely didn't want anyone joining them on. In fact there were some of their friends that they were trying to avoid until the problem was fixed completely. So as quickly as they could escape the prying eyes and ears of Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kohaku, and Rin- InuYasha and Kagome began the few hour journey to Shuurei's village in hopes of fixing their rather frustrating predicament.
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After hours of walking in the intense exhausting heat, Kagome and InuYasha found themselves at the familiar village where the instigator of their disaster resided. Quickly, they made their way to the hut at the end of the village path- hoping Shuurei was home and available. Much to Kagome's chagrin, InuYasha stepped in front of her and knocked rather harshly on the frame of the hut. "Oi, Miko… you there?" He asked rudely, irritation clear in his voice. Kagome sighed as Shuurei hurried out and opened the flap of the hut, predictably tripping on the frame once again.
"InuYasha-sama! Kagome-sama!" She exclaimed, then remembered their request to drop the honorifics. "Err sorry, I mean… InuYasha and Kagome, sorry… I just got excited." The Miko scratched the back of her head. "Anyway, please come in!"
Kagome and InuYasha nodded and stepped into the hut. Kagome couldn't miss the dirty looks InuYasha was sending Shuurei, and gave him one of her own to get him to stop. He "Keh-ed" and crossed his arms in resignation. "So why are you here anyway, I'm glad to have you… but I thought you'd never come back after how much I messed up yesterday. I know I wasn't exactly the best company." Kagome bit her lip, but InuYasha didn't.
"It's because you messed up yesterday that we're here!" The white haired boy snapped. Kagome shot him a dangerous look.
"Shuurei-sama, that spell you cast… it was to make a couple fall in love right?" The teenage girl inquired. Shuurei nodded. "Well if a couple is already," She blushed, "in love… then it isn't supposed to have any effect right?"
"Well of course not. The spell would void itself out!" Shuurei smiled sweetly, "Umm… why?"
"Then you cast the stupid spell wrong," InuYasha responded before Kagome could. Shuurei, slightly oblivious although she was, couldn't miss the aggravation in his tone.
"What's… the matter?" Shuurei asked. Kagome sighed and reached over to poke InuYasha, frowning when she crashed clumsily on top of him. Shuurei blinked.
"Ummm?"
"Shuurei-sama," Kagome stood up and brushed her shorts off. "It seems your spell was…not done properly. Every time InuYasha and I touch now, we literally fall on each other."
"Oh dear… well," She paused, "Have you figured out how to fix it."
"Keh! That's what we're here to ask you," InuYasha snapped. Shuurei sighed.
"I… I don't know anything about reversing something like this!" The Miko clarified. "I cast the spell to make you fall in love and… why would I want to undo a spell like that? So… I never learned any counter spells." She grinned sheepishly. Kagome almost fell over, and InuYasha just stomped his foot in extreme irritation.
"So because you're so stupidly idealistic…"
"InuYasha!" Kagome interrupted him, "Shuurei-sama you have NO idea how to fix this?" Shuurei turned away, ashamed- short sobs began wracking her body.
"I'm so sorry… I just wanted to help and…" She wiped a tear away, "I just ended up causing you so much trouble! I'm a horrible Miko." Kagome blinked at the slightly melodramatic display.
"Umm… it's okay," She paused, "Hey you're an apprentice Miko right?" Shuurei sniffed and nodded. "Do you think she could fix it?"
"Maybe, if she ever forgives me for being such a failure of a Miko." The schoolgirl reached over and patted her on the back. InuYasha rolled his eyes.
"No umm, really it's okay!" Kagome said in slight exasperation, "Don't worry about it! I'm sure you'll be a good Miko. When will the other Miko be back?"
"I don't know, soon is all I know." Shuurei broke down in a fit of tears once more.
"When she gets back Shuurei-sama, the only thing I ask of you is that you send a messenger to Kaede-baachan's village and let us know." Kagome reasoned. Shuurei nodded.
"It better be very soon," InuYasha grumbled. Kagome ignored him.
"So just don't worry about anything until she gets back… okay?" The more experienced Miko finished. Shuurei sniffed and smiled weakly.
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Kagome spent what was likely another twenty minutes reassuring the distraught Miko that she had nothing to be so incredibly upset about before she and InuYasha finally made their way out of the village.
"What the hell was up with her? I've never seen someone so guilty about something so stupid!" InuYasha finally said.
"I guess she knew it was her fault and felt bad. Considering the fact that she seems to have some odd form of hero worship for both of us…"
"And is completely obsessed with us 'being together,'" InuYasha added with a light blush.
"That too," Kagome shrugged, "I guess it just… ah well, she'll be okay."
"Hopefully her trainer is a hell of a lot better at being a Miko than her." InuYasha stated. "You're a better Miko than both of them." The Hanyou complimented.
"Maybe, but I don't know any love spells or anything weird like that, so I'm of no help here." Kagome reasoned. InuYasha shook his head.
"Real Miko don't need to know shit like that, they know how to fight and help heal people and stuff… not how to play matchmaker." Kagome grinned.
"So I'm a real Miko huh?" She asked as she adjusted her backpack. The two continuing their way through the sunlit forest.
"Keh! Of course you are, the guardian of the Shikon no Tama couldn't be anything else!" InuYasha replied.
"Well you're guarding it too, and you're not a real Miko," Kagome observed playfully.
"I'm not a fake Miko either though," InuYasha grinned, "Only you and I can guard it, is that better?" He paused. "Better yet, you're the guardian, but I guard the guardian." The teenage girl looked down to the jewel she wore around her neck.
"That's the best arrangement I can possibly think of," She gave him an affectionate smile. "Hold on a moment, I need to get a drink." Kagome stepped over to one of the many trees around them and sat down leaned up against it, unzipping her backpack and pulling out a water bottle. She tossed InuYasha his, and they both paused to replenish themselves once more. Once he was done, InuYasha placed the bottle back in Kagome's backpack and moved to sit down next to her, careful not to touch her. The Miko acknowledged the Hanyou with a grin and placed her water back in her bag as well.
"That other Miko better be able to fix this," InuYasha finally said. Kagome nodded.
"I'm sure she'll be able to… I hope." Kagome sighed in exasperation. InuYasha shook his head in the positive and reached over to take Kagome's hand, once again forgetting the spell that was their current bane. The inevitable crash occurred and InuYasha made a muffled sound as he slumped against Kagome's form.
"Umm InuYasha?" Kagome ventured as she leaned against the tree behind them.
"This is getting so… annoying!" InuYasha growled out from on top of her. "That stupid Miko has no way to fix it and I… I don't know why it's such a big deal anyway." Kagome blinked, and ignored how close InuYasha's face was to her chest- although she couldn't stop the blush that flooded her cheeks.
"What do you mean you don't know why it's a big deal?" Her tone sounded somewhat hurt. InuYasha looked slightly taken aback. "…And why have you still not moved off of me?" The Hanyou made a move to scramble off of her, but stopped mid doing so and fell back on top of her. "Huh?"
"That's… not what I meant by it's no big deal," He paused, "I meant that it seems… weird, that it's bugging me so much that I can't touch you." The white haired boy blushed.
"Oh--- I see," Kagome reddened a bit more, "You're uh… still on me." InuYasha made a small cough of embarrassment.
"I uh… Keh… is it annoying you that much that I am?" The Hanyou managed to ask. Kagome blinked in surprise as his question.
"No… no it's not annoying me at all!" Kagome sighed and smiled lightly. InuYasha tentatively wrapped his arms around her center.
"Keh- well then don't ask me to move." He smirked in an attempt to hide his nervousness. The teenage girl nodded, and felt her body relax at the feel of his arms around hers.
"I guess it just seemed odd that you hadn't moved… I didn't mean I wanted you to." Kagome stated. "Usually you would blush and leap off me as soon as possible."
"Hmph, well I," He lowered his voice somewhat, "I… like it here... so there!" His cheeks burned crimson. Kagome smiled warmly, then in realization her eyes narrowed.
"You like it… on my breasts?" She inquired in mild irritation as she noted the positioning of his cheek, his head sideways on the lower part of her chest. InuYasha's eyes widened and his cheeks, if possible burned even more.
"Na-nani…? I--I didn't mean it like that!" He replied in an honest defense, for the poor boy really had not realized the placement of his face. Without thought, the Hanyou whipped his head off her chest and turned away, pulling his body away from hers completely. "Really Kagome," He continued, "I'm not Miroku or something." Kagome sighed.
"Yes, I know you aren't InuYasha… I'm sorry for ruining the moment."
"Eh?" InuYasha looked back at her as he began to stand up. Kagome gulped slightly and reached up to grab his hand, finding herself ungracefully crashing on top of his form.
"Stay." Kagome said in a tentative voice. The schoolgirl snaked her arms around him in an embrace. "I like it here too." InuYasha made a sound in the back of his throat, as her body pressed on top of his. "This spell isn't so bad for one reason InuYasha…"
"What's that?" The Hanyou asked cautiously. Kagome smiled into his chest.
"Before yesterday, you were never… so… open towards me."
"Huh?"
"When you kissed me… you've never been so bold InuYasha," Both the schoolgirl and the Hanyou blushed. "It really surprised me, and I liked it… if this spell makes us closer as a… umm… couple, then that's one thing that is good, right?"
"Umm… sure, right… I guess that's good." InuYasha answered.
"But… we still need to figure out how to remove it soon, there has to be a way." Kagome snuggled into InuYasha's chest a bit more, noting the way his heart rate seemed to increase as she leaned closer.
"Keh, of course there is, that excuse for a Miko couldn't have done something permanent." InuYasha replied. Kagome, although she wouldn't state it aloud, was inclined to agree.
"I wonder what would happen if my family saw it," Kagome mused. "That would be… so embarrassing." InuYasha shrugged.
"Hmph, Don't worry Kagome, we'll make sure and get the stupid spell removed before we go home." Kagome nodded, then her eyes widened at what he'd said.
"Home…?"
"Keh- Yah, your Mom and brother would probably keep pushing us on top of each other, and your grandpa would try all these stupid ways to remove the spell with fake legends or some crap he found out in your shed-thing." InuYasha clarified, now a little bit more at ease with the feel of Kagome's body on his.
"You consider my time your home InuYasha?" Kagome clarified, him thinking that had never really crossed her mind. The schoolgirl tightened her embrace a bit more, burying her face in his fire-rat coat.
InuYasha's face took on a surprised expression. Do I… consider Kagome's world my home? He glanced around him, taking in the vast forest and sky that made up much of Sengoku Jidai. Even though I'm in Kagome's world more… this is where I come from? It's really my home… right? His mouth quirked in a small smile as he realized the truth, and he cleared his throat and attempted to form the words he wished to say.
"Kagome…" He blushed and lowered his voice nervously, "Your world… is my home," The Hanyou paused, "Whenever you're there." InuYasha quickly averted his gaze away from Kagome's delightfully surprised one.
"And what of this world?" Kagome asked in curiosity. InuYasha paused to think for a moment, once more trying to formulate his words.
"Hmph- Kagome… my home," He paused and bit his lip, "Is… wherever you are." The teenage boy said the last part quickly, in one breath. If Kagome weren't so used to him, she would have had difficulty understanding it.
"InuYasha…" The schoolgirl slipped her arm out from under him and reached up to his face, pulling it back in her direction and stroking her hand down his cheek. She made a slight sound of annoyance, when she unceremoniously felt gravity pull her down a bit closer to him, the spell couldn't do much when Kagome was already pressed so close to the Hanyou. Ignoring the slight lurch she leaned up and placed her head under his chin. "You really mean that?"
"Keh of course, why would I lie?" He smirked, despite the blush that covered his cheeks.
"I know you wouldn't lie InuYasha," Kagome grinned and wrapped her arms back around him, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. He smiled genuinely and unthinkingly kissed her lightly on the top of her head, growling when he felt their body positions switch and he found himself once more on top of her. InuYasha and Kagome both frowned in irritation as the spell, after creating a moment between the two- once again ruined it.
"We should get going back to the village Kagome," InuYasha stood up and stretched his arms. Kagome nodded in disappointment.
"Yes… we should," The schoolgirl replied as she looked to the Hanyou. He didn't say anything else, but just began walking in the direction of the village. Kagome figured he must have, like she was- been thinking on the conversation the two had just finished.
Indeed he was, the words he'd spoken to Kagome continually echoed in the Hanyou's head- as they would for the rest of the day. Where Kagome is… is home? He thought. He knew that the thought had crossed his mind before, but now the meaning was different to him. Now that he was truly free to be with Kagome, now that, unlike the first time he'd made that realization over three years ago… he could actually think about and hope for the future.
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~End~
Next Chapter- InuYasha continues to reflect on his conversation with Kagome, and he finds that sometimes good friends can be the best people for advice- no matter how perverted and nosy they are.
Yes, that's really what is happening in the next chapter. I realize that sometimes my next chapter previews aren't actually… right. This one is.