Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me
Chapter Twenty-Eight: By My Side
March 15th
She's staying. She's staying. She's staying with me. Inuyasha repeated the words over and over in his head. She's really and truly staying.
As he did every night since they found the shattered mirror, the dog demon jumped down from his sleeping spot in the tree and landed beside the sleeping miko. Crouching down beside her he was content to just watch her and listen to her breath. He closed his eyes and listened for her heartbeat. Steady and strong.
Tonight was the first night she hadn't cried when she thought no one was looking as she went to sleep. After a quick glance around to see if anyone was awake, Inuyasha reached down and brushed her hair away from her face.
He liked Miroku, Sango, and Shippo, even thought of them as a sort of a family… but there were days he missed it when it was just Kagome and him. Maybe there was some demon hunt he could send them on so they could have some time alone. Strategy wasn't his strong suit however, and he sure wasn't asking that lecher for advice. Sango and Shippo wouldn't be much help either, they were always demanding Kagome's attention in one way or another.
Inuyasha fought the urge to grab the girl and take off with her.
Even one day would be enough. Just a little time, he begged the gods he knew.
Time. He smiled. Now that she wouldn't be returning, they had lots of time. All the time in the world. No need to rush things.
His hand traced down the side of her face. But why do I feel so uneasy? Why do I feel like she's going to just disappear?
"Why the sad face?"
Inuyasha's heart stopped. His eyes flew to her face. SHE'S AWAKE!
Quickly he jumped back as if she had burned him.
"I wasn't DOING anything!" He jumped into his tree and looked away from her.
She sat up and smiled. "I didn't say you did." She got up and stretched. Stifling a yawn she walked over to the tree. "Gonna help me up?"
"Keh."
He jumped down, snatched the girl like he had been contemplating earlier, and jumped back up to his branch. His ears pinned to the sides of his head. Is she going to call me a pervert? An animal? He braced himself for the well deserved scolding he was certain was coming.
"Well?" she asked as she got comfortable, kicking her legs gently back and forth as they dangled in the air.
"I said I wasn't doing anything!" He crossed his arms defensively and glared over her shoulder, not quite daring to look her in the eye. Sure, he could face down a dozen or so huge blood thirsty demons without batting an eye… but he wasn't sure he was brave enough to face an angry Kagome.
"Not that, idiot. Why the sad face?"
Inuyasha relaxed his arms and leaned back against the tree. Whew. Wait… she's not mad? Not even a little upset? She smiled? He thought for a moment. Does she know how often I've… The dangerous thought sent his head spinning. He looked down to see Kagome giving him a curious look.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Do you regret it?" He blurted it out. He meant to be more subtle, to gently ease into the discussion. But subtlety wasn't his strong suit either.
Kagome sighed. "It's not like anyone broke the mirror on purpose, Inuyasha."
His eyes were serious as he studied her face. It wasn't exactly an answer to his question. He decided to try again, choosing his words carefully.
"Are you sad that you have to stay here… with… us?"
His heart sped up as she rested her head on his shoulder. He tried to pay attention to what she was saying instead of the havoc she was wreaking on his insides. But it wasn't easy.
"There are things I will miss about my world. I'll miss my family. I'm sorry I didn't give my mother enough hugs. I'm sorry I won't get to graduate high school. I'm sorry I won't get to see my brother graduate either, or be there as he grows up. I'm sorry I didn't spend more time listening to my grandpa's stories."
Inuyasha felt like he was dying on the inside. He felt responsible for doing this to her. If only he had gone after the mirror first, then she would get back to that life she loved so much. To her family. He wondered if she hated him for his failure.
He couldn't even bring himself to wish that things had turned out different. He was glad the mirror was broken. He was glad her chance at going home was gone. He was glad that Kagome was staying. He knew he was being selfish, but he didn't care.
I swear I'll keep you safe, Kagome. I'll protect you and provide for you. One day I'll make you happy. I promise.
"But… but I'm not sorry that I'm staying. I love being here with you, with all of you. It always felt like there was something missing in my life. Something important. And I think that 'something' was you."
Did she just say what I think she said? Did she mean me? Or did she mean all of us? She said 'love'. She said 'important'. His fears were quickly replaced by nerves. Zillions of them all on alert. He was scared of reading too much into what she said… that she would laugh, that they would all laugh, if they thought that she could have meant that about HIM. What if he was wrong?
He looked down at her face. Her eyes were closed and there was a smile. She was still resting against his shoulder.
For right now, he thought to himself, for right now she is here. And she's by my side. And for the hanyou, that was enough.
ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo
Author's Notes: Originally I had a different chapter written for this one. But a review wanted to see another chapter with Inuyasha's point of view. I thought about it, and decided to do a major re-write. I think it worked out better this way.
See, the reviews do help!
