Jami – Yo. I'm updating slave trade, hurray for me! Hehe! Well, here it is… we'll see if Kagome forgives Inuyasha… unless Kouga gets to her first… what to do… hmmm… I'm still thinking about it…
I LOVE WEST SIDE STORY! I cannot stop listening to the soundtrack and stuff…
ANYWAYS… here ya go, the 10th chapter! Whoo hoo!
Chapter Ten: Blackness
Kagome was out of the palace now, running. To where, she didn't know. She just wanted out of there. She didn't know what or who to believe anymore. She knew how she felt about Inuyasha, and she had thought, no, hoped that he had felt the same about her.
But now, she was so unsure about everything… all she felt like doing was hiding in a corner and pretending that she never even existed. She felt as if her world collapsed when the words that Kouga spat at them crashed into her brain.
And suddenly, she felt dizzy. She immediately stopped running at her slow, heavy pace when she saw stars and found herself holding onto a tree for consciousness. She couldn't give up now, she was so close to…
To what?
She had no one… no family, no friends…
She had no one to love or care for her…
Her breathing turned into heavy, ragged gasps for air as she felt herself tear up again… The droplets of shining water slipped down her cheeks and evaporated under the morning sun.
She felt her knees buckle and she crumpled onto the hard, cold earth. She held her hands to her face, catching the unwanted tears and staring at them as if they were something no one else could see except for her…
Not even she understood her own emotions… she loved him…
She was in love with Inuyasha.
But she was cowering.
"I… I can't fa-face him…" She said out loud. "I ca-can't face Inu-Inuyasha."
Out of nowhere, soft, gentle arms surrounded her body in a tight embrace.
Speak of the devil, she thought inwardly.
"If you can't face me, then don't, but I'm not leaving you until you listen."
"Inuyasha! Let go of me! You liar!" She struggled to get out of his embrace. Inuyasha took a hold of her shoulders and looked her in the eye.
"Kagome! Who are you gonna believe, me or him?"
They paused. After a few moments, Kagome again tore her gaze from his and struggled out of his grasp. "I don't know what to believe anymore!"
"Believe me!"
"Why should I?"
"Be-because… I…"
They just sat there, crouched in front of each other, Inuyasha's grip tightening on her shoulders, his palms sweaty.
"Because, I… I-"
"You what?" Kagome stood up, breaking from Inuyasha's grip. Inuyasha stood up to face her.
"I… I…"
A few moments passed and neither one of them said anything, Inuyasha still struggling with his words. His mouth opened and closed several times in confusion.
Kagome sighed. "Come find me when you can think of some lame excuse for me to believe you." She moved passed him, her shoulders slumped, her bangs covering her riveting blue gaze. A trickle of water glossed her tan cheek and fell to the ground.
Inuyasha just stood there, in shock at the fact that he realized for the first time that he was in love with her.
He was in love with Kagome.
And he didn't even have the guts to tell her.
But why didn't he? Was it because he feared that she wouldn't return his feelings? Was it because he still couldn't get over Kikyou?
No…
He was afraid that she wouldn't believe him, and that she wouldn't trust him anymore…
He needed her. He needed her to save him from falling into the depths of depression again…
The moment she was with him from the beginning, Kagome had saved him. He owed it to her to be completely honest with her. He owed it to her to keep her safe and wanted. He owed it to her to love her. He owed it to her to take away her loneliness.
He had to save her, as she had saved him.
He fell down to his knees as the revelation sunk into his skin.
Suddenly, he realized she was gone. She had left him there. He became angry, then, a look of sorrow drowned into his gray orbs as he looked back at her faded, retreating form, and he silently began weeping.
What if she didn't love him back…?
What if she… hated him…?
His weeping turned into crying and he pulled his knees up to his chest, burying his face into his black hakemas.
As if on cue, the wind startled, the skies thundered, and rain began drizzling down on of the forest treetops.
Soon, the rain swallowed itself into a downpour.
Inuyasha had to get inside. He had to be with Kagome. He was going to get sick and he couldn't risk himself catching ill and dying.
He couldn't die when he owed his happiness to Kagome.
Wiping the stray tears from his face while walking, he found it wouldn't even matter since it was raining. He slightly smiled, but then it returned back to its frown in a matter of seconds.
He made his way into the palace, two servants greeting him and running to him in his aid.
"Lord Inuyasha, you mustn't fall ill." One maid said while retrieving the medicine.
"Yes, Lord Inuyasha. We couldn't afford to have one of our masters to be sick." Another maid said while draping his silken, black robe over his shoulders, leaving it open to expose his muscular chest and stomach.
"Wow, it sure is going to be a feisty storm, isn't it, Akako chan?" The maid that had ran to fetch the medicine said to the maid beside Inuyasha.
"Yes, it certainly is, Sorano chan." The maid called Akako smiled as Sorano slowly poured some of the pungent, maroon shaded, thick liquid into a small spoon.
"Here, Lord Inuyasha. Take this." Sorano smiled as well as Inuyasha opened his mouth for the medicine with some hesitation. "C'mon. It'll prevent you're getting sick." Sorano quickly stuck the spoon into his mouth and ran to put away the medicine and spoon.
Inuyasha grimaced and almost gagged. "Yuck!"
Akako giggled. Inuyasha gave her a look before smiling as well.
"Thanks, Akako chan, was it?" Akako stopped laughing and gasped. Never had she heard her master thank her before. She was in shock. This wasn't like him. Did something happen to make him happier? She smiled as she realized it was probably Lady Kagome who healed his heart.
"Yo-you're welcome, Lord Inuyasha." She bowed quickly, a blush forming on her cheeks.
"Ah. Please tell you're friend, Sorano chan, that I thank her gladly as well." Akako gasped again and nodded.
"Yes, Lord Inuyasha." Akako ran to tell Sorano what had just happened.
Inuyasha smiled wider as he saw her gasp again and blush harder. Then he was off to find his Kagome. He wasn't going to cop out of this. He couldn't. He couldn't give up now. Not when he was this far in the game…
Not when he loved her so much…
Kagome sat on Inuyasha's mattress, tears streaming down her face. She was utterly distressed. She wanted so badly to believe Inuyasha, but the real problem was that she couldn't even trust herself. She heard a quiet knock on the door and quickly wiped the excess tears from her flushed cheeks.
"Lady Kagome?"
Kagome peered up as the rest of the wetness was dried from her sleeve. "Yes, come in."
The door opened slowly to reveal Rin with a worried expression etched across of her face. "Lady Kagome, I umm… I have the cold medicine. You should really take it to prevent you from catching ill."
"Yes, Rin."
Rin smiled weakly and sat beside her on the bed. She slowly poured some syrup into the spoon and held the spoon to Kagome's mouth.
"Here." She said. Kagome opened her mouth and let Rin give her the medicine. Kagome swallowed with distaste and made no effort to make eye contact with Rin. "Lady Kagome…?"
"Hm?"
"Umm… we are all very worried for you. We heard what happened… would you like to talk about it?"
Kagome lost all control and turned to wrap her arms around Rin, her body wracking with sobs. Rin shushed her and gently rubbed the small of her back and shoulders to calm her down.
"Inu-Inuyasha! He… I'm so confused!" She sputtered between cries.
"Yes, yes. It will turn for the better, don't fret." Rin told her with soothing words. "You know, it's very easy to tell, Lady Kagome." Kagome withdrew from Rin's embrace and looked her in the eye.
"Ea-easy to tell wh-what, Rin?" Rin smiled.
"It's very easy to tell how Lord Inuyasha feels about you, if it's not too bold of me to say." Kagome's face lit up, and her eyebrow rose a bit.
"How he feels? What does he feel, Rin? Did he say something?"
"You need not words to understand the passion within those beautiful eyes of his. He does indeed care for you, you just have to ask him yourself." Kagome blushed and turned away from her helpful, caring servant.
"Rin?"
"Yes, Lady Kagome."
"You have been very helpful."
"Ah, yes. That is my job."
"Which is why I'm giving you time off. You may go rest and do whatever suits you for the time being." Rin appeared to be shocked when Kagome heard a slight gasp from her.
"Oh, ah, thank you very much, Lady Kagome. I will see to it you get an extra special prepared meal for dinner this night."
"That won't be necessary, Rin." Kagome turned to face her and stood. "You have done quite enough."
"Thank you." Rin said finally and left the room.
Kagome sighed as she blushed even redder.
"You need not words to understand the passion within those beautiful eyes of his."
'Could he really… could it be true?' Kagome thought hopefully as she studied her features in the mirror of her vanity.
"He does indeed care for you, you just have to ask him yourself."
"Maybe… I should go ask him..." Kagome thought out loud.
"Ask who, what?"
Kagome spun around to be met with the smug face of Kouga.
"Wha-what are you doing here?" Kagome squealed, fisting her hands at her sides. Kouga smirked.
"I came to see how you've been taking the news, dear."
Kagome squinted her eyes in an attempt to make out his features through the dim lighting. What she saw made her gasp and draw a hand up to her mouth to catch the broken air.
Kouga's face was swollen, casting his jaw a tender purplish red. His forehead had a tiny trickle of blood running down the side of his face, and his breath seemed to be ragged.
"Ko-Kouga… di-did… he do this to you?"
"Who? Inuyasha? He barley even scratched me…" Kouga trailed off, losing his smirk and unlocking his eye contact with her. He crossed his arms.
"It appears that you might have a headache." Kagome told him.
"Nah. I've been worse. I mean, c'mon. I am going to a war, ain't I?"
Kagome nodded. Never did she know that Inuyasha had so much strength. Kagome almost beamed because of it. He could be able to protect her in desperate situations.
"So…"
Kagome peered up at Kouga to find that he had come closer to her and was now standing right in front of her. Kagome leaned back a bit to keep her distance.
"You ready to ditch that mongrel and head on out with me, Kagome?" Kouga smirked again. Kagome's mouth twisted into an ugly grimace and she turned away from him, crossing her arms.
"Psh. As if."
"What?"
"I said, as if."
Kagome heard a low, rumbling growl before she felt a sheer, painful pang on her head and then saw nothing but blackness.
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Jami – dude! Tell me what you think!
Ahehe…
