Hello boys and girls! Room For Improvement is back (aka Stars of Fire, for those who don't quite remember me!) But I am back, with Inuyasha goodness for you all! Please review! Thankyou!
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own him.
And now for the goods.
"The Sunset"
By Room For Improvement
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The sun had just set on the horizon for the Inu-gang. No leads on Naraku had been found. They did however, manage to collect a jewel shard that was rewarded to them after an 'exorcism' was performed, thanks to Miroku. They had traveled so far from Kaede's hut that it would take at least a two day trek to get back.
Miroku knelt over a pile of dry sticks and scraped them against each other, igniting small sparks, and eventually making a flame large enough to produce warmth for the Inu-gang well through the night.
Kagome unrolled her sleeping bag and sat on it, leaning on the palms of her hands and staring in awe at the orange and purple colors filling the sky at sunset.
Inuyasha noticed this, and continually stared at the sky until he was sure Kagome must be staring at nothing. Well, nothing that he could see.
"Keh, what are you staring at?" Inuyasha demanded Kagome.
Kagome did not return him with harsh tones or glares; she simply smiled and pointed upward, "Look at the sky, Inuyasha. Look how beautiful it is."
Inuyasha took a quick glance to be reassured the sky had not changed, "It looks like that every night, have you forgotten?"
Kagome shook her head, "I'm sorry, it's just that I rarely get to see the sky like this. At least in my time I don't. I figure I should appreciate it while I can."
"Keh, what is that supposed to mean? You're not leaving anytime soon."
Kagome gave Inuyasha a challenging look, "Says who?"
"Are you implying that you are just going to go up and leave us in the middle of our jewel hunting?"
"No! Of course not, why would I do that? Sorry for thinking you actually wanted me to stay, instead of just needing me to stay to be your jewel shard detector!"
Inuyasha's heart melted, this girl really knew how to put him on the spot.
"Don't be stupid. You know you can't leave us now, you are the only one who can find the jewel shards. Keh, what else did you think you were to me?"
Kagome's eyes filled with tears, "I can't believe how insensitive you are!"
Inuyasha braced for a 'sit' but to his dismay Kagome had left him without the painful word.
Sango stood up and chased after Kagome, "Kagome, wait!"
When Sango was a ways off she turned and called, "Inuyasha, why must you always do this to her?" She quickly turned and kept running after her weeping friend.
Inuyasha turned and looked at Miroku, "Keh, what does she mean by that?"
Miroku sat with his eyes closed and his hands meeting in his sleeves, "You know what she means, Inuyasha."
Inuyasha's ears twitched at this, "And now what do you mean by that? Did I miss something here!"
Miroku opened his eyes and stood up, measuring taller than Inuyasha since he was sitting down. He looked Inuyasha straight in the eye, "Stop hiding it Inuyasha. You are in love with Kagome, and she obviously has the same feelings in return for you. So why must you always push her away?"
Inuyasha was startled aback by this comment. He eyed Shippo sleeping in Kirara's soft fur and then looked back at Miroku.
"Well?" Miroku persisted.
"I'm in love with Kikyo and I will always be," Inuyasha muttered softly.
Miroku rolled his eyes, "You are still in love with that corpse…" He stopped as he noticed Inuyasha's face flushed red hot with anger.
Miroku sighed and sat down next to Inuyasha. He moved rocks around in the dirt in front of him as he spoke, "Inuyasha, I know you love Kikyo. But the Kikyo you love is dead. The Kikyo that wanders the Earth now is nothing more than a poor copy of the one you knew. From what I've heard, the Kikyo you knew was kind and caring. But, this Kikyo, her soul is nothing but a bit of hatred from Kagome's soul. Don't you see? By loving this Kikyo, you are showing affections for Kagome, because the present Kikyo is nothing but a bit of Kagome's soul."
"What do you mean, monk? Kagome is Kikyo."
"No, she isn't. If it was Kikyo's soul it would have returned to Kikyo's body long ago. Kagome's soul has a part from Kikyo's soul, but it isn't Kikyo herself. The real Kikyo's soul is probably sleeping somewhere in the afterlife."
Inuyasha nodded his head. He understood. He stood up and gave Miroku a winning look, "My point proven. I'm still in love with Kikyo."
Miroku sighed and shook his head at the ground, "Then that is quite a pity. Kagome cares for you a lot and to not return her feelings would surely break her heart. I just hope Koga will be an acceptable mate for her someday."
Inuyasha's ears twitched and he gritted his teeth at Koga's name, "Kagome can do much better then that puny fox."
Miroku shook his head and bent it forward more to hide the small smile creeping on his face as he persuaded Inuyasha, "Oh, but you are wrong here. Koga is a full demon. He would protect Kagome with his life, and he easily has enough skill to do so. He also has his fox minions to protect him and Kagome for miles. Koga would never deny Kagome anything, so I think he would be just a fine mate."
Inuyasha stomped his foot in the dirt like a small child throwing a fit, "No! He will never be acceptable enough for my Kagome!"
Miroku was startled by this, "Did I just hear a 'My Kagome'?"
Inuyasha's eyes widened, he hadn't realized what he had done, "Keh, I didn't mean it like that."
"Then what did you mean by it?"
Inuyasha looked around nervously, "Uh.. err… well… you know… well… well, the point is, I'm still in love with Kikyo!" Inuyasha flashed a triumphant smile.
Miroku looked up at Inuyasha, "Then let Kagome be with Koga. Let her be happy Inuyasha. Quit messing with her emotions. If you truly do not love her, you will have to let her go eventually."
"Eventually, I plan to. Eventually will come when we find all the jewel shards. Then I can send her back to her own era and defeat Naraku. She will marry a man in her own era and forget all about me." Inuyasha hoped his ears weren't drooping as he spoke these words, or it would blow his cover for sure.
"You honestly think you can defeat Naraku without her?"
"Of course I can," Inuyasha replied confidently, though in his heart he asked himself the same question.
Miroku shook his head and stood up. He put his hands on Inuyasha's shoulders and looked him straight in the eye, "Listen Inuyasha, I'm done playing this game. Go find Kagome and apologize to her. She could leave forever any day she wants, and every time you two have an argument I fear that that day will come sooner. I'm not willing to let you make the biggest mistake of your life and let her walk out. You need her, Inuyasha. No matter how much you love Kikyo, you need Kagome. Kikyo is dead. She's never coming back, so please, for everyone's sake, stop hoping she will. Kagome is here, this place and now, and she needs you now. And you need her. Kagome is getting older, and it won't be long until she starts to look for a suitable mate. Don't let her pick anyone else but you, Inuyasha. You two belong together and you know it just as much as the next person."
Inuyasha stared at the ground. Every word was true, and he was not willing to deny it any longer. He looked up and gave Miroku a weak smile, "Sometimes I wonder how you got to know so much, monk."
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Kagome sniffled as she threw rocks violently into a pond. "Stupid, stupid, stupid me. Inuyasha loves Kikyo. I am nothing to him. I just wish I wasn't so stupid," Kagome's last word came out harshly as she threw another rock into the pond. She buried her head in her hands as she felt the tears come.
"Don't cry Kagome. He isn't worth your tears," Kagome tried to comfort herself but the tears still fell softly onto the rocks below. She hadn't even noticed someone had come and sat beside her.
She jumped as she felt the presense of someone. "Hey Sango," Kagome simply said, and forced a small smile on her face.
Sango looked out onto at the pond and leaned back on her elbows, "Don't let him get to you like that Kagome."
"Who? Inuyasha? Inuyasha get to me! Oh, oh Sango you must be kidding right!" The enthusiasm in Kagome's voice was obviously forced and Sango sighed.
"He loves you Kagome, he just doesn't know how to show it."
"Well I wish he would figure out soon…" Kagome mumbled.
"What?" Sango asked as she turned to look at her friend.
Kagome's eyes widened, "Oh, nothing."
Sango patted Kagome on her back, "It's alright Kagome. He will come around eventually. I know how insensitive he is, but just think how I feel with Miroku! The lecher goes around groping anything with breasts!"
Kagome had to laugh. It was all so true. "But he gropes you the most, so doesn't that count for something?"
Sango groaned, "I truly wish it did." The two girls laughed as Sango stood up.
"Are you ready to go back to camp, Kagome? It's getting late."
Kagome stared at the night sky and then back down at the pond, "No, I think I want to stay for a bit longer. I will be back soon, Sango. Tell the others." Kagome smiled and waved Sango off.
Sango smiled back, "Alright," was all she said as she made her way down the path back to the camp.
Sango finally stumbled through some shrubbery and was back at the camp. Inuyasha arched his neck and looked around for Kagome, until he realized she hadn't returned with Sango.
"Where is Kagome?" Miroku calmly asked.
Sango pointed in the direction Kagome had run off to, "There is a pond back there. Kagome is collecting her thoughts there. She said she would be coming back in a bit." Sango smiled as she made a spot between Miroku and sleeping Shippo and Kirara.
Inuyasha stood up and sniffed the air. He smelled Kagome. He knew he had to apologize. He leapt off in the direction Sango had pointed out earlier.
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Kagome shivered at the touch of the water against her bare skin. She looked to make sure her clothes were still hanging on the tree she had left them. She didn't have her backpack with her, so if she lost her clothes she would be stuck running back to camp naked, a surprise that only Miroku would enjoy.
She sighed and leaned against a rock. If only Inuyasha could share this beautiful scenery with her. If only he knew how she felt. If only he loved her back. If only…
Kagome doggie-paddled in the water and then plunged her head down to explore what lied beneath the watery surface.
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Inuyasha could smell Kagome's scent very close. He sniffed the air and stuck his nose up. He suddenly stumbled over something and was sent crashing to the ground. Inuyasha stood up brushing himself off. He then noticed what he had tripped over. He picked it up, inspected it, and then he confirmed what it was. Kagome's shoe. Inuyasha walked faster, seeing articles of Kagome's clothing scattered through out the woods.
Inuyasha's heart was racing. What if Naraku heard him admit his feelings about Kagome to Miroku? What if he was planning to do something evil to her?
"Kagome!" Inuyasha called out. No reply came.
"Kagome! Kagome, answer me!" Inuyasha called again.
He saw something move in the water. Inuyasha removed his haori and his undershirt and dove in the water in just his pants. He searched the water, for something, for anything, that would give him a lead on Kagome's whereabouts.
He saw something move again. Was it a fish? No, it looked like hair. Inuyasha stealthily waded to where the figure resided. In one quick movement he reached his hands in the water. The creature kicked and screamed, spraying water everywhere.
Inuyasha pulled the creature up by what felt to be its arms and turned his face to the side to keep from being splashed in the face.
"Where is Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed.
"Let me go Inuyasha!" Inuyasha turned to look the creature in the face. To his surprise it was Kagome. A naked Kagome, at that. As soon as Inuyasha's eyes started to wander her body, Kagome had returned under the surface so only her head stuck out.
"What are you doing, Inuyasha!"
Inuyasha knelt down in the water so he was eye-level with Kagome, "I came out here looking for you! What do you think?"
Kagome's angry expression turned to shocked, "You, you actually came out here in the middle of the night looking for me?"
Inuyasha was thankful it was dark out, or Kagome would have surely noticed him blushing, he looked to the side and nodded his head. Then he stood up and turned around, "And it's about time you get back to camp! I still don't know what you were thinking wandering around this late! Do you know how worried I was!"
Kagome stared at Inuyasha's back. She stood up and took a step to him, "You were… worried?"
Inuyasha turned around in shock but quickly covered his eyes, "Agh! Don't stand up without telling me! Yes, of course I was worried Kagome!"
Kagome blushed. "Of course you were, how else would you find the jewel shards?" Kagome asked bluntly.
Inuyasha brought his hands down from his eyes and took a step toward Kagome. Kagome was shocked, "Inuyasha! Show some decency!" Inuyasha rested his hands on Kagome's shoulders and looked her in the eye, which eased Kagome to know he wasn't looking at her body.
"We would probably manage to find the jewel shards without you Kagome. It would be a lot slower, but we would find them."
Kagome looked away, "So, are you saying you don't need me?" The tears started building up in her eyes.
Then Inuyasha did the unthinkable.
He pulled Kagome close to him and wrapped his arms around her, not caring she was wet and naked. He pulled her as close as he could, and Kagome just stood there frantic with his arms around her.
"Of course we need you Kagome. I need you the most. You keep me together, and you make me who I am. Without you, I would still be pinned to that tree just rotting away. You have shown me that, that… not all humans are cruel and vengeful. You've shown me that just one person can change another person's life completely. Kagome, I don't know how to say this… Kagome, I think I… I think… I love you."
Kagome's eyes watered with tears. She buried her head in Inuyasha's shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Oh Inuyasha. You don't know how long I've wanted you to say that." And with that she started sobbing into Inuyasha's shoulder. He just held her all the more tightly, giving her the approval to cry all she wanted.
Kagome's glittering eyes met with Inuyasha's. She stood on her toes and then Inuyasha could no longer see her eyes, because they were closed. Then he understood what Kagome wanted. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her lips. He held her close to him, and they stood there in the warm embrace for what seemed like an eternity.
Kagome broke the kiss and pulled back from Inuyasha, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering. Inuyasha leapt over the water and came back with his haori, wrapping it around Kagome. Kagome smiled, "Thanks…" she said quietly.
Inuyasha turned his back to Kagome and knelt down, gesturing for her to climb on his back for a ride home. Inuyasha walked slow, picking up Kagome's garments along the way that had been scattered by the wind. When they reached the camp Sango and Miroku were asleep. Miroku, sleeping with a handprint on his face.
Kagome smiled at Inuyasha as she snuggled into her sleeping bag, still wearing his haori. Inuyasha stood by her sleeping bag and looked down at her, "What are you doing?"
Kagome questioningly looked at Inuyasha, "Going to sleep," she said drowsily and rubbed her eyes with her fists.
"Well you're not sleeping there tonight," Inuyasha said with a smile has he reached a hand out to her.
Kagome took his hand and he lifted her up to her feet. Then he picked her up bridal-style and climbed a tree.
He perched himself on a branch so his back was leaning against the trunk. He placed Kagome between his legs and she layed her head out on his chest for a substitute pillow. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her and Kagome smiled as she closed her eyes.
Tonight was the beginning of their lives.
-The End-
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Room For Improvement