Author's Disclaimer: I don't own any of this business. But I still think it's cool.
But you know what's NOT cool? Is when the italiacs decide not to work. I'm so sorry that all of the character's thoughts (of which there are a lot, mostly Kagome's) aren't italicized! They're pretty easy to identify, though. Aaaah!
Once again, sorry for the inconvenient thought thingy, and... I hope you like it! Remember to review and all that goodness.
-scoutsdream aka Me(A)ga(i)n
"Inuyasha. Hold. Still."
"OW! THAT HURT!"
"This, coming from a guy who can stand getting a hand punched through his chest, but can't stand a bit of antiseptic on a little scratch! Come on, please? Just sit still for one minute?"
Kagome Higurashi was sitting in Kaede's hut, trying to put some rubbing alcohol on her brave hero's wounds. Wounds he had inflicted on himself. To be perfectly honest, she didn't even mind his complaining, as long as it meant that she got to bandage his chest. Even though she would never admit it out loud, one of the perks of being Inuyasha's personal miko was the fact that she could stare at his muscles and pretend that she was actually tending to his wounds. Anything just to even be near to him, she thought.
Inuyasha submitted to her coaxing, and sat still, grimacing as she applied the antiseptic alcohol to his scratches.
"So, remind me again what it is I did to deserve this pain?" he asked, looking in her eyes with a hint of pained amusement.
Kagome, only too aware of the hard gaze he was giving her, broke away and went back to staring at his scratch. "Well... as I remember..." she began slowly, "Y-you were separated from the Tetsusaiga while you were fighting that scorpion demon, and... you went all pure demon on him, and tore him up."
Inuyasha let out a laugh at this, apparently amused at what he couldn't remember.
He thinks it's so great to have so much power, Kagome thought as she continued with her account of the afternoon's events. "Then, after he was defeated, Miroku rushed over to you to give you back the Tetsusaiga, but before it could change you back, you flung it into the forest and almost tore him a new hole in his hand. Then you went all crazy and started hurting yourself, until... I 'sat' you."
"That's all?"
"I'm pretty sure, yeah."
He laughed, more to himself than anything. There was a silence while Kagome applied more alcohol, taking her time to apply bandages. Suddenly, Inuyasha grabbed her hand, holding it against the bandaged wound, trying to find her downcast eyes behind her bangs. He raised her face up to look at her, but her eyes wouldn't stay on his face and wandered. "Kagome, I know... I know you hate it when I'm like that. To be honest... The last thing I want to do is see you hurt, but- I can't exactly help it, you know? But I promise... once the jewel is finished, and I can be a full demon, it won't be like that. I'll be able to control my power, and... you won't have to be hurt anymore."
Kagome's eyes were watering. She had so much to say, but no way to express her feelings without exploding. But the impulse was too great, so she let go. "What do you mean, it won't be like that? Is that a promise? How do you know that you won't be entirely uncontrollable? Inuyasha, look at the demons that go crazy just by possessing a fraction of that damned jewel! Look at what they do to themselves!
She pushed herself onto her feet, slamming the first aid kit into her backpack. The tears were streaming down her face, and she couldn't stop them. "Besides, what use am I to you once that stupid jewel is finished? I'm just a shard detector to you, right? You don't- you don't love me. You probably don't even consider me a friend. Besides... once the jewel is whole... you could have anything- anyone- you want."
Inuyasha's eyes were downcast. He wasn't sure if he should be angry, or sad. Obviously the subject of a completed jewel was a sore one for Kagome, but still he wondered what possessed her to rip into him. He decided that he couldn't be angry, and instead got to his feet and held out his arms to her. She burst into loud and noisy sobs and ran into his arms.
"Don't cry. You know that's not true, Kagome. Why do you say those things?"
She said nothing, but continued to sob into his kimono. Once her sobbing had died down, he lifted her face up to his again. "Are you okay?" he precariously asked. She nodded. With a slight awkwardness, she bent his head down and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Her lips felt like electric against his skin, and sent impulses to his brain that made him want more. He moved his mouth to hers, and pulled her tightly into him. She submitted to his hold, and let him kiss her. She kissed him back, being glad for the magnetic pull between the two of them. A lot like science, she thought. Opposites attract.
After a moment, she reluctantly pulled back, and he noticed a tear making its way down her cheek. He brushed it away, and she held his hand. Biting her bottom lip and still sniffing, she sadly said "I guess I'd better check on Miroku now..."
Embarrassed, he looked down. "Okay. Uh, come back later, please."
Another tear streamed down her face as she nodded. Then she stepped out into the dark and moonlit night, leaving him alone in the hut. But, mere seconds after Kagome left the hut, Kaede stepped into the hut just as Inuyasha slipped his kimono jacket back on.
"Whaddya want, Old Woman? Come to bug me about something?" He asked, in his usually disrespectful manner.
Kaede smiled, in spite of his general rudeness. "Inuyasha, it seems to me that something troubles young Kagome. I have just ran into her outside the hut, and it appeared that tears were running down her face, but she did not seem angry or hurt in any way... have ye anything to do with her tearful countenance?"
Inuyasha frowned. "Listen to me, you old... bat. You know perfectly well that you didn't meet Kagome outside. And you already know what happened to her. I know for a fact that you've been stalking outside that window for the past half an hour! Would you care to explain why the hell were you spying on Kagome and me?"
Kaede only smiled and walked to the fire in the floor, stoking it.
Inuyasha turned around, thinking out loud, wanting Kaede to hear him. "Why was she still crying? I thought I could make everything better."
"Perhaps ye have bogged her down with emotions. Women tend to take much upon their souls."
"Whaddya mean, that it's all my fault? Try again. Besides, you still haven't answered my question. Why were you spying on us?"
Kaede smiled still as she swept the hut. "Inuyasha, ye should know by now that I've always been something of an eavesdropper. Do ye remember when I was but a child, and I would spy on ye and Kikyo in the forest?"
Inuyasha's heart palpitated at the mention of Kikyo and he blanched, turning to the old miko. "N-no? Y-you saw us, all those nights that we would- talk?"
Kaede laughed, and it quickly turned to a cough. "As I recall, it was Kikyo and ye who taught me many a thing in your time together. Do you recall our first meeting, Inuyasha?"
Inuyasha's embarrassment subsided and turned into a soft resentment. He recalled that day that he fell upon Kikyo in his search for the jewel. He vaguely remembered a pretty little girl, recently wounded in the eye while getting caught in the crossfire of a battle. He shook his head out of the blurry memory, looking at Kaede. "No, I don't really remember."
Kaede said no more, and continued to sweep. Inuyasha heaved a sigh and plopped himself down onto the floor. After a few minutes of impatience, he couldn't take the silence anymore. "Kaede?"
"Yes, Inuyasha?"
"Will you... y'know..."
"I'm afraid I don't. Know, that is."
He sighed again in frustration. "Tell me how it went."
"How what went?"
"The story. About Kikyo and me. And you too, I guess. Since you were there, and all. M-my memory isn't all that great. So please."
Kaede smiled and put the broom in the corner. She came and sat across from him, and took up his spare kimono and began to stitch its' rips. "All right then. As long as ye have the will to say 'please'. And Inuyasha, do feel free to fill in the blank spots with your own ideas when I find them too vulgar to relate." Inuyasha went to protest, but she raised her hand for silence.
She cleared her throat and threw him a look that said 'talk and die', and began.
"Fifty years ago, back when you were older than me..."
Kagome left the hut, wallowing in her mixed emotions. How could he do that to me, she thought, starting off toward the other side of the village to where Miroku was being watched over by Sango. He can't just talk about the jewel without... what am I crying about? He kissed me! I should be thrilled! But why don't I feel so great? I need to talk to him.
She turned around to go back to the hut. Instead of walking toward the hut, she stood still as she watched Kaede walk into the hut. She might have heard us, Kagome thought, turning red at the thought, even though she knew that Kaede would never tell.
"I wonder if she'll say anything to Inuyasha..." She whispered before walking back to the hut to listen to their conversation.
She could hear him complaining about her tears to Kaede, and he asked her why she was eavesdropping. So she was listening, Kagome thought, closing her eyes.
At Kaede's mention of eavesdropping on Inuyasha and Kikyo, Kagome's eyes flew open. She spied on him and Kikyo when she was young?
Kagome couldn't imagine Inuyasha and Kikyo being civil or normal to each other, and the thought was uncomforting. He did used to love her, Kagome, it's really not that big of a deal, she thought, but her heart still felt weak. After all, she was Kikyo's reincarnation.
Inuyasha asked Kaede to tell him about what she remembered, and Kagome's ears automatically perked up. I probably won't want to hear much of this if Kaede thinks she has to censor herself... but I can't not listen.
So Kagome sat on the ground outside of the hut, and listened on tenterhooks as Kaede began the story of Inuyasha and Kikyo.
