Third Time's A Charm- Chapter 10
"So." Inuyasha spoke glancing over at Akari. They had been walking through the forest in silence for some minutes now and it was begin to grate on his nerves.
"Inuyasha. I cannot read minds. I'm going to need a little more then 'so' if I'm going to answer whatever inquiry you had." She said with peaceful amusement.
He glared. "Why are you wandering around this forest?"
She sighed a bit. "The scorpion demon that attacked you…there are others in this area now. I believe…" she mused thoughtfully. "That they followed us. This is where the children of the village play and I wanted to check the forest to make sure none were hiding nearby."
"So you went out by yourself?" He snapped, suddenly angry.
She cast him a questioning look, lifting a dark eyebrow. "Yes."
"And what would you have don if you'd gotten yourself killed, huh?"
She shrugged dismissively. "Died, I suppose." Something wrenched in Inuyasha. Died… She'd have died just like Kagome. Just like Kikyou. "Inuyasha? Inuyasha!" He felt the soft touch of fingers on his cheek, soothing away the black that had begun to steal over his mind. Her turned to see Akari regarding him with worried eyes. "I'm sorry."
"Whatever." He replied, turning his head away from her ministrations, annoyed and confused over the fear that had chilled him. "Whatever." Her repeated after a moment. "Just…just don't die okay."
For a moment he thought she'd make some kind of retort or tease him. The weight of her gaze rested on him and then she smiled, lifted a hand and brushed her fingertip over his ear. "I'll try."
He growled and brushed her hand away. "Stop that!"
Not liking his reaction to her he shrugged out of her grip to stand on his own. Paused, stretching a bit to make it seem that had been his reason for breaking away when really it had been an attempt to exorcise and the dead feelings she was stirring. He didn't want to think or feel any more. It brought to much anguish.
The smell of roasting meet pierced the pine and dirt scents of the forest and his stomach rumbled, loudly. Akari's laughed filled his ear and he turned to find her hovering over him. She flashed a wicked grin, soft, placent demure gone into her favored mischievous one.
"I believe that's a request for breakfast." She commented. She reached out and linked her arm through his but didn't attempt to support him again, which made him agreeable enough to accept it. "Let's get back before we're missed."
The village was awake by the time they reached it again, smiles and greets passed their way. Or rather Akari's way, Inuyasha mused. And she returned them with brilliant smiles and warm words of her own. The decorations in the courtyard had already been taken down and laundry hung up in its place. Looks were cast their way, particularly by the women who glanced at him, then Akari, then giggled.
They didn't think….
They couldn't….
"Oh my." Akari commented, laughter bubbling in her voice. "I do believe we're a scandal. Isn't this delightful Inuyasha?" She threw him a smile and he responded with a blushing glare.
"My lady." A young human girl had approached Akari, dark eyes moving towards Inuyasha and then she blushed bright pink, returning her gaze quickly to the priestess. "Yaeko and Keisuke are waiting for you in their hut."
Akari smiled. "Lead the way Kaeko." She glanced towards Inuyasha again. "I'll be back in a moment Inuyasha. Try not to get into too much trouble." Before following the girl across the village.
Inuyasha growled irritably. He disliked being so idle and was getting restless. That woman was turning everything in his life upside down. The worst part of it was that he couldn't decide whether or not he wanted her to.
"Here." A bowl was thrust beneath his nose, smell of meat and rice rising and summoning the hunger that had been brewing in his stomach for almost two days. He glanced over at the offered and his bad mood doubled.
"You!"
Ayako smiled innocently. "Yea. I guess you're upset with me. It was just a little trick. Here eat up. I promise there's nothing in it."
He balled his hands into fists and glared at her. "Why I oughta…"
The amusement disappeared a moment. "It was just a precaution. I don't want anyone taking advantage of our lady."
Advantage! If anyone was taking advantage of anything it was Akari, not him!
"But I suppose." She went on slowly. "You're alright."
"Oh yea. And what made you decide that?"
"She did." Ayako replied seriously. "Lady Akari…she smiles all the time but it never seems to reach all the way down. She smiled and laughed with bits and pieces of her heart. But then you came and now…well here." She set the bowl down on an over turned washstand near him then turned and walked away.
"Hey! Wait a second." Inuyasha called as his mind whirled with the information she'd just given him. "What do you mean 'now'? Now what?"
Ayako smiled. "You make her happy Inuyasha. Truly happy. We know, all of us here, that she loves us but you…she's in love with you Inuyasha. Her whole heart smiles for you." She bowed her head respectfully. "So I'm truly sorry for what I did. And thank you." She smiled at him again then turned and continued on her way.
Inuyasha sat down, folding his legs beneath him and stared at the bowl settled on the stand. Reaching out a hand, he lifted it down into his lap, picking at the grains of rice quietly.
'She's in love with you'
That couldn't be true! She barely knew him. They'd only met less then a week ago and it had been nothing but fighting. But…it had been the same way with Kikyou. And Kagome. Inuyasha growled and set the bowl down firmly.
He'd lost his appetite.