Disclaimer - We do not own Inu Yasha. Miss Chang Po, however, does own
her muse Wufei.
Wufei: ::grrs::
Chapter 11
It was the same dream - again. Inu Yasha cursed in frustration - would he
plagued with the same vision forever? What did it freakin' mean?
The same invisible force hit him head on, sending him sprawling into the
ground. Dizzy, and on his back and covered in dust, he heard her voice cry
out to him again.
"No, Inu Yasha!"
Sitting up as quickly as his body would allow, Inu Yasha looked around once
again. This time it took a few moments to orient himself in order to see her,
but she was there, right in front of him like before. Still dressed in her school
uniform, armed with her bow and quiver, Kagome gazed right through him. Inu
Yasha could see the unshed tears shining in her gray eyes now more clearly
than before.
The brief fluttering feeling arose in his chest, causing the hanyou to frown in
confusion. What was it about her silly human emotions that affected him so
much? She was fine to deal with when she was angry, but what was it about
her being happy or sad that threw him for such loops?
That feeling of apprehension was upon him again, but though he knew it was
only a dream, Inu Yasha placed his hand on his sword hilt. Dream or no dream,
he couldn't stand to see the girl harmed. "Kagome! Kagome, look out!"
Kagome remained where she stood, the same worried expression on her face.
It pained him to know that she continued to be so upset, even when the object
of her worry was standing right in front of her. "Inu Yasha! Be careful, Inu
Yasha!"
She was the one in danger! Why couldn't she see that? 'And for that matter…'
the hanyou frowned to himself. 'Why the hell can't she see me?' The invisible
force was drawing nearer. "Kagome! Move out of the way!" Still she didn't
move. "Oi, wench! Move it!" Fear was beginning to grip him; he was going
to lose her again… "KAGOME!!"
Without warning, the energy hit her dead on, encircling her body and amplifying
her screams.
Inu Yasha wanted to scream out with her. Why… why was he being put
through this? Why wouldn't his body obey his commands? Why couldn't he
save her!
"NO!! INU YASHA!!"
It wasn't right… it just wasn't right; how could he not save her? Why did she
have to be the one to suffer? She'd never done anything to anyone - he was
supposed to protect her!
"That's right…" he murmured out loud. "I'm supposed to protect her… I HAVE
TO PROTECT HER!!" Nearly ripping the Tetsaiga from its sheath, Inu Yasha
rushed forward, eyes blazing and poised for battle. "KAGOMEEEE!!!"
~~~
Inu Yasha woke with a start, face down in the grass. A bit disoriented, he sat
up and looked at his surroundings. Definitely in the forest - towards the end of
it if he wasn't mistaken. But what was he doing here?
A soft murmur coming from the left reached his ears. He looked over to see
Kagome next to him asleep, propped against the base of the tree. It was the
same exact spot he'd found her when she…
He trailed off, shaking his head roughly. However, the thought wouldn't leave
him alone. If he'd come a second later, who knew what would have happened!
Hell, she'd been separated from him for only half a day and nearly been killed!
He frowned, trying to quell the anxiety stirring within him. It wouldn't do any
good to fret over it; there was no telling if those youkai would come back. Inu
Yasha did, however, know for certain that he would be no match for them
should they bring reinforcements. It was time to move on - and fast.
"Oi, Kagome…" He'd been a bit uncertain at first, but then he nudged her gently,
trying to wake her. When she didn't wake up, he panicked, shaking her roughly.
"Oi, wench! Wake up!"
Kagome opened her eyes, staring around blearily. When she realized she was
being shaken, she glared up at him angrily. "What are you doing?" she
demanded.
Inu Yasha hmphed, rising to his feet. "Leave it to you to find such a sucky
campsite."
Kagome wanted to remind him that his passing out had caused her to choose
this location, but she held her tongue.
"Get your stuff together," the hanyou told her gruffly. "We leaving."
Kagome stood up, staring at him defiantly. "I'm not going back to the village."
she told him. Inu Yasha made no response, but set about gathering her things
anyway. She watched him, but made no move to help. "So, how long did it
take you to catch up to me?"
Inu Yasha stopped before reaching for her sleeping bag, but he didn't reply.
Closing her eyes, Kagome sighed heavily, taking her sleeping bag and rolling
it up properly. "Well, if those guys hadn't stopped me," She noticed him flinch
this time. "How long would you have waited before appearing before me?"
Inu Yasha didn't meet her gaze. "First sign of danger."
She sighed again. "I figured as much."
Growing impatient with her slow packing, the hanyou turned to glare at her.
"What're you getting all huffy about?" he demanded. "I told you that you
wouldn't get very far without me!"
"Maybe, maybe not," Kagome answered, wincing at how stupid she sounded.
"I still had to at least try!"
Inu Yasha paused, remembering what she had said to him before their little
'moment' in Kaede's hut.
~ "It's already too much to bear…" ~
His frown lessened slightly. 'Does this whole situation bother her this much…?'
he wondered to himself.
Finished packing her belongings, Kagome stood up, turning to him with a
resolute expression on her face. "Well, that's that." she replied. "I'm going on
to look for the healer. You should go back to Kaede's."
"No," Kagome started to speak. "I'm not letting you go alone, Kagome." he
replied.
"You're in no condition to be travelling like this, Inu Yasha!" she exclaimed.
"There's no way I'm letting you go by yourself!" he snarled back. "Do you
really want a repeat of last night?"
Kagome raked her hands through her hair in frustration. "Inu Yasha!" she
exclaimed, stomping her foot. "You cannot protect me like this! You said so
yourself!"
"Maybe not, but I'm sure as hell gonna try!"
The two of them paused, suddenly aware of how small the distance was
between them. Mere inches, really; how had they gotten so close together?
Inu Yasha took a deep breath, placing his hands on Kagome's shoulders to
calm himself. She jumped slightly, but he didn't pull away. In fact, he leaned
forward, resting his forward against hers, closing his eyes.
"Inu Yasha…" she called out tentatively, still stunned by his words.
"I can't let you go alone," Inu Yasha replied slowly, as if trying to make sure
she understood. "It's my responsibility to protect you…"
'Since when…?' Kagome thought to herself. "Because of the shards…?"
Inu Yasha's amber eyes gleamed angrily. "Shit, Kagome… they've got nothing
to do with this!"
Kagome froze as his hold on her tightened. What was going on? Why wouldn't
her mind let her focus?
Inu Yasha shifted his hold on her, slowly encircling his arms around her in a
loose embrace. "It's my job to protect you, Kagome," he replied. "From
anything and everything that would hurt you…" 'Including myself…' he wanted to
add, but now was not the time to be getting into that conversation again… "If
something happens to you… it'd be my fault-"
"That's not true!" Kagome protested, though the warmth radiating off of the
hanyou was not helping her sleep-addled brain at all. "This was my decision…
it's my responsibility!" She forced herself to glare up at him. "Why can't you
see that I have to do this!" 'On my own! Let me do this on my own!'
Inu Yasha smirked lightly. It didn't serve to help his argument any, but he
couldn't help but admire how cute she looked, glaring up at him like that.
'Cute…? Hey-o! Focus!' He reached a hand up, ruffling her hair lightly,
causing her to gawk in surprise. "I know you wanna do this on my own." he
replied. "There've been a lot of times where I wanted to do the same thing…
but you stood by me - even when I was being a jackass. So, I'm asking you,
Kagome," He tilted his head down slightly so that he could see her eye to eye.
"Just this once… let me be the one to stay by your side."
Kagome didn't know what to say. Who was this guy, and what had he done to
the real Inu Yasha? Here he was, practically begging to stay with her. And
she, sick as he was, was seriously debating whether or not she should let him!
'Kami… what's gotten into us these days…?'
As usual, there was no answer. But, then again, she expected there wouldn't
be one until this whole mess played itself out. She might as well sit back and
enjoy the ride.
~~~
Inu Yasha frowned in growing agitation. His amber eyes gleamed angrily,
boring holes into the back of the young girl before him. He'd growled, he'd
muttered a few choice words under his breath, but to no avail. It seemed no
matter what he did, nothing was getting her attention! He'd tried - oh, how he'd
tried to stay calm, but it was a well-known fact that patience was not one of his
strong points. They'd been travelling for well over an hour, and still Kagome had
not uttered a single word to him.
At first Inu Yasha didn't seem to mind. While travelling along the road with the
whole group in tow, it seemed as though someone was always talking about
something. The hanyou made a habit of not contributing to the conversations
unless it was an insult, or had something to do with the shards.
He liked listening, though, to what his companions had to say, despite how he
often complained. The light chitchat that could often be heard well on throughout
the day and into the night often served as a reminder of the fact that he was not
alone - in his quest and in life. Not only that, but they also kept him aware of the
fact that there were those around him that accepted him for who he was… a
pompous jackass, yes - yet, no less welcome than they.
Yes, Inu Yasha liked hearing about Kagome's family, Shippo's mindless little
stories about his deceased parents, and Sango and Miroku's constant bickering
about the monk's wandering hands. No matter how dire their situation seemed,
hearing his companions talk amongst each other always managed to somehow
put him at ease. Yet, a short tempered hanyou like Inu Yasha could only take
so much heart-felt sentimentality. There were certain times when the incessant
chatter would never end!
~ How did your tests go, Kagome?
~ Kagome, how is your family doing? ~
~ What was your party like, Kagome? Did you dance with any boys? ~
Keh… Inu Yasha never enjoyed hearing about boys in Kagome's time, certainly
not Hobo (or whatever that moron's name was). Kagome always went on and on
about how he kept coming by her house, leaving stupid little remedies and
cure-alls for her non-existing ailments… hadn't he figured out yet that she
wasn't actually sick? Even if he hadn't, he had to have figured out that the girl
wasn't interested in him, right? Right…?
Inu Yasha's frown slowly evolved into a dark scowl at the thought of Kagome's
refusing-to-be-deterred classmate. He knew very well that the human boy had
certain affections for her, and that he was always asking how she was. There
wasn't really anything he could hold against the guy, except for the fact that he
was an idiot, and for this he was secretly (AN: yeah right) jealous of him and
anyone else who happened to like Kagome.
'Keh… it's not like I like her or anything…' he grumbled to himself. 'I just don't
want her to be distracted…'
At that, his thoughts were derailed when Kagome's bicycle hit a bump in road,
sending them wobbling unsteadily until the girl could get them back under
control.
'Speaking of distracted…' Inu Yasha let out a low growl, leaning forward toward
the girl in front of him. "Hey, why don't you watch where you're going?" he
asked.
"I am!" she snapped back, grinding her teeth in frustration. "I can't avoid
everything you know!"
Inu Yasha 'hmph'ed. Testy, wasn't she? The hanyou had already known that;
sensing the agitation rolling off of her in waves, so much so that it was almost
dizzying. She had been that way for some time, and Inu Yasha, being who he
was, had yet to make any attempt to ask her what was bothering her.
'Yeah right…' Normally, he never really picked up on her changes in attitude
unless he could detect it in her scent. And even if he did happen to notice
something, most of the time, one of the others would confront her when
something was bothering her. Besides, he wasn't really good at that sort of
thing anyway. 'Like she'd really give me an honest answer…' he muttered to
himself.
~ It's not like you would either… ~ one of the voices in his head taunted.
'Shut up…' He frowned, trying to collect himself before turning to Kagome
once again. "So, what's the matter with you?"
He watched as her body tensed slightly. "Nothing." she answered stiffly. "Why
do you ask?"
Did she think he was stupid? "Look, I know you're upset about something," he
replied, trying to sound uninterested. "We're gonna be on the road for a while,
so you might as well get it out in the open now." He glanced away from her,
watching the scenery go by. "Just say whatever it is I did to piss you off so we
can get on with our lives already…"
Kagome started to speak but then clamped her mouth shut again. "You know,
Inu Yasha," she replied in a low tone. "Not everything revolves around you…"
"Oh yeah," he drawled back. "Then what are you so mad about?"
"I'm not mad… I just…" she trailed off, as if unsure of what to say.
Inu Yasha paused, glancing at her curiously. "Well…?" As he waited for her
to speak again, another rock came up in their path. "Oi, Kagome, look out for
that--"
Whump! "Itai!"
Golden eyes blinked as the bike slowed to a stop. The hanyou watched
worriedly as Kagome bent down, massaging one of her legs. "What'sa matter?"
he asked cautiously.
"My ankle…" Kagome muttered, as if she were ashamed. "It hurts really bad…"
Inu Yasha hopped down from the bike, walking around to the front to get a clearer
view. "What happened?" he asked.
"I fell off my bike last night," she explained, forcing her mind not to dwell on the
events involved. It appeared as though the dog demon was trying to do the
same. "I think I bruised it and all this pedaling has only been making it worse."
Inu Yasha bristled slightly. She'd been hurt… and hadn't told him? "Why didn't
you say anything before?" he demanded.
Kagome pulled off her sneaker, massaging the bruised joint lightly. "It's no big
deal…" she replied, not looking up at him. "I just need a little break… that's
all…"
Yeah, right… Inu Yasha could tell just by the look on her face. Not only had
she barely managed to escape a bunch of thuggish youkai, but also she had
been pedaling on that contraption of hers - first with her pack, and then with his
added weight - for nearly two whole days! The girl was exhausted.
Kagome glanced back up at him hesitantly. Noting his silence as well as his
stance, she waved her hands in front of her in a defensive gesture. "It's nothing
serious, Inu Yasha, really!" she exclaimed, remembering how worked up he
would get whenever she was injured. "I didn't tell you because I didn't think it
was that important - there's no need to get mad--"
"I'm not mad."
Kagome blinked. "Huh?"
Inu Yasha looked away from her, scanning their surroundings. Judging by the
scent in the air, there was a small creek not far from where they stood. Not a
bad spot to stop for a break. He walked back over beside her, stooping down to
one knee. "Hop on."
"Inu Yasha… I don't think…"
He glared up at her. "I'm not that weak yet, you know…" he replied crossly.
"Besides, we're not going far… just some place to rest for a bit."
"But I can walk just fine…" she trailed off, noting the look on his face that said
the topic was not open for discussion. With a resigned sigh, she hopped on his
back and held on as he strode off with her bike in tow.
~End of Chapter 11
Authors' Notes -
Miss Chang Po - Hi, all! Sorry we kept you waiting!
Nataku-chan - We hope you enjoyed Chapter 11, though the romance is going
a bit slow so far...
Miss Chang Po - It's been a bit waffy, though... right? And anyways, we can
assure you that the romance will be picking up soon. Along with some action.
Nataku-chan - That's right. We forgot to mention earlier (though you already
might have guessed) that this fic is a tad AU, simply because does not
follow the regular story arc.
Miss Chang Po - We've been relying on the dub and the first movie, but rest
assured, you won't be disappointed with the sequence of events that are
about to play themselves out.
Nataku-chan - So! Inu Yasha and Kagome have hit a rocky start on their
journey together... will they manage to reach the ancient healer in time to
cure Inu Yasha? Will this trip serve to help their current 'relationship' or make
it worse? And what's to become of Miroku and the others on their journey?
Read and find out!
Miss Chang Po - Don't forget to review also!
Nataku-chan - That's right!
Wufei- ::humphs:: baka onnas
her muse Wufei.
Wufei: ::grrs::
Chapter 11
It was the same dream - again. Inu Yasha cursed in frustration - would he
plagued with the same vision forever? What did it freakin' mean?
The same invisible force hit him head on, sending him sprawling into the
ground. Dizzy, and on his back and covered in dust, he heard her voice cry
out to him again.
"No, Inu Yasha!"
Sitting up as quickly as his body would allow, Inu Yasha looked around once
again. This time it took a few moments to orient himself in order to see her,
but she was there, right in front of him like before. Still dressed in her school
uniform, armed with her bow and quiver, Kagome gazed right through him. Inu
Yasha could see the unshed tears shining in her gray eyes now more clearly
than before.
The brief fluttering feeling arose in his chest, causing the hanyou to frown in
confusion. What was it about her silly human emotions that affected him so
much? She was fine to deal with when she was angry, but what was it about
her being happy or sad that threw him for such loops?
That feeling of apprehension was upon him again, but though he knew it was
only a dream, Inu Yasha placed his hand on his sword hilt. Dream or no dream,
he couldn't stand to see the girl harmed. "Kagome! Kagome, look out!"
Kagome remained where she stood, the same worried expression on her face.
It pained him to know that she continued to be so upset, even when the object
of her worry was standing right in front of her. "Inu Yasha! Be careful, Inu
Yasha!"
She was the one in danger! Why couldn't she see that? 'And for that matter…'
the hanyou frowned to himself. 'Why the hell can't she see me?' The invisible
force was drawing nearer. "Kagome! Move out of the way!" Still she didn't
move. "Oi, wench! Move it!" Fear was beginning to grip him; he was going
to lose her again… "KAGOME!!"
Without warning, the energy hit her dead on, encircling her body and amplifying
her screams.
Inu Yasha wanted to scream out with her. Why… why was he being put
through this? Why wouldn't his body obey his commands? Why couldn't he
save her!
"NO!! INU YASHA!!"
It wasn't right… it just wasn't right; how could he not save her? Why did she
have to be the one to suffer? She'd never done anything to anyone - he was
supposed to protect her!
"That's right…" he murmured out loud. "I'm supposed to protect her… I HAVE
TO PROTECT HER!!" Nearly ripping the Tetsaiga from its sheath, Inu Yasha
rushed forward, eyes blazing and poised for battle. "KAGOMEEEE!!!"
~~~
Inu Yasha woke with a start, face down in the grass. A bit disoriented, he sat
up and looked at his surroundings. Definitely in the forest - towards the end of
it if he wasn't mistaken. But what was he doing here?
A soft murmur coming from the left reached his ears. He looked over to see
Kagome next to him asleep, propped against the base of the tree. It was the
same exact spot he'd found her when she…
He trailed off, shaking his head roughly. However, the thought wouldn't leave
him alone. If he'd come a second later, who knew what would have happened!
Hell, she'd been separated from him for only half a day and nearly been killed!
He frowned, trying to quell the anxiety stirring within him. It wouldn't do any
good to fret over it; there was no telling if those youkai would come back. Inu
Yasha did, however, know for certain that he would be no match for them
should they bring reinforcements. It was time to move on - and fast.
"Oi, Kagome…" He'd been a bit uncertain at first, but then he nudged her gently,
trying to wake her. When she didn't wake up, he panicked, shaking her roughly.
"Oi, wench! Wake up!"
Kagome opened her eyes, staring around blearily. When she realized she was
being shaken, she glared up at him angrily. "What are you doing?" she
demanded.
Inu Yasha hmphed, rising to his feet. "Leave it to you to find such a sucky
campsite."
Kagome wanted to remind him that his passing out had caused her to choose
this location, but she held her tongue.
"Get your stuff together," the hanyou told her gruffly. "We leaving."
Kagome stood up, staring at him defiantly. "I'm not going back to the village."
she told him. Inu Yasha made no response, but set about gathering her things
anyway. She watched him, but made no move to help. "So, how long did it
take you to catch up to me?"
Inu Yasha stopped before reaching for her sleeping bag, but he didn't reply.
Closing her eyes, Kagome sighed heavily, taking her sleeping bag and rolling
it up properly. "Well, if those guys hadn't stopped me," She noticed him flinch
this time. "How long would you have waited before appearing before me?"
Inu Yasha didn't meet her gaze. "First sign of danger."
She sighed again. "I figured as much."
Growing impatient with her slow packing, the hanyou turned to glare at her.
"What're you getting all huffy about?" he demanded. "I told you that you
wouldn't get very far without me!"
"Maybe, maybe not," Kagome answered, wincing at how stupid she sounded.
"I still had to at least try!"
Inu Yasha paused, remembering what she had said to him before their little
'moment' in Kaede's hut.
~ "It's already too much to bear…" ~
His frown lessened slightly. 'Does this whole situation bother her this much…?'
he wondered to himself.
Finished packing her belongings, Kagome stood up, turning to him with a
resolute expression on her face. "Well, that's that." she replied. "I'm going on
to look for the healer. You should go back to Kaede's."
"No," Kagome started to speak. "I'm not letting you go alone, Kagome." he
replied.
"You're in no condition to be travelling like this, Inu Yasha!" she exclaimed.
"There's no way I'm letting you go by yourself!" he snarled back. "Do you
really want a repeat of last night?"
Kagome raked her hands through her hair in frustration. "Inu Yasha!" she
exclaimed, stomping her foot. "You cannot protect me like this! You said so
yourself!"
"Maybe not, but I'm sure as hell gonna try!"
The two of them paused, suddenly aware of how small the distance was
between them. Mere inches, really; how had they gotten so close together?
Inu Yasha took a deep breath, placing his hands on Kagome's shoulders to
calm himself. She jumped slightly, but he didn't pull away. In fact, he leaned
forward, resting his forward against hers, closing his eyes.
"Inu Yasha…" she called out tentatively, still stunned by his words.
"I can't let you go alone," Inu Yasha replied slowly, as if trying to make sure
she understood. "It's my responsibility to protect you…"
'Since when…?' Kagome thought to herself. "Because of the shards…?"
Inu Yasha's amber eyes gleamed angrily. "Shit, Kagome… they've got nothing
to do with this!"
Kagome froze as his hold on her tightened. What was going on? Why wouldn't
her mind let her focus?
Inu Yasha shifted his hold on her, slowly encircling his arms around her in a
loose embrace. "It's my job to protect you, Kagome," he replied. "From
anything and everything that would hurt you…" 'Including myself…' he wanted to
add, but now was not the time to be getting into that conversation again… "If
something happens to you… it'd be my fault-"
"That's not true!" Kagome protested, though the warmth radiating off of the
hanyou was not helping her sleep-addled brain at all. "This was my decision…
it's my responsibility!" She forced herself to glare up at him. "Why can't you
see that I have to do this!" 'On my own! Let me do this on my own!'
Inu Yasha smirked lightly. It didn't serve to help his argument any, but he
couldn't help but admire how cute she looked, glaring up at him like that.
'Cute…? Hey-o! Focus!' He reached a hand up, ruffling her hair lightly,
causing her to gawk in surprise. "I know you wanna do this on my own." he
replied. "There've been a lot of times where I wanted to do the same thing…
but you stood by me - even when I was being a jackass. So, I'm asking you,
Kagome," He tilted his head down slightly so that he could see her eye to eye.
"Just this once… let me be the one to stay by your side."
Kagome didn't know what to say. Who was this guy, and what had he done to
the real Inu Yasha? Here he was, practically begging to stay with her. And
she, sick as he was, was seriously debating whether or not she should let him!
'Kami… what's gotten into us these days…?'
As usual, there was no answer. But, then again, she expected there wouldn't
be one until this whole mess played itself out. She might as well sit back and
enjoy the ride.
~~~
Inu Yasha frowned in growing agitation. His amber eyes gleamed angrily,
boring holes into the back of the young girl before him. He'd growled, he'd
muttered a few choice words under his breath, but to no avail. It seemed no
matter what he did, nothing was getting her attention! He'd tried - oh, how he'd
tried to stay calm, but it was a well-known fact that patience was not one of his
strong points. They'd been travelling for well over an hour, and still Kagome had
not uttered a single word to him.
At first Inu Yasha didn't seem to mind. While travelling along the road with the
whole group in tow, it seemed as though someone was always talking about
something. The hanyou made a habit of not contributing to the conversations
unless it was an insult, or had something to do with the shards.
He liked listening, though, to what his companions had to say, despite how he
often complained. The light chitchat that could often be heard well on throughout
the day and into the night often served as a reminder of the fact that he was not
alone - in his quest and in life. Not only that, but they also kept him aware of the
fact that there were those around him that accepted him for who he was… a
pompous jackass, yes - yet, no less welcome than they.
Yes, Inu Yasha liked hearing about Kagome's family, Shippo's mindless little
stories about his deceased parents, and Sango and Miroku's constant bickering
about the monk's wandering hands. No matter how dire their situation seemed,
hearing his companions talk amongst each other always managed to somehow
put him at ease. Yet, a short tempered hanyou like Inu Yasha could only take
so much heart-felt sentimentality. There were certain times when the incessant
chatter would never end!
~ How did your tests go, Kagome?
~ Kagome, how is your family doing? ~
~ What was your party like, Kagome? Did you dance with any boys? ~
Keh… Inu Yasha never enjoyed hearing about boys in Kagome's time, certainly
not Hobo (or whatever that moron's name was). Kagome always went on and on
about how he kept coming by her house, leaving stupid little remedies and
cure-alls for her non-existing ailments… hadn't he figured out yet that she
wasn't actually sick? Even if he hadn't, he had to have figured out that the girl
wasn't interested in him, right? Right…?
Inu Yasha's frown slowly evolved into a dark scowl at the thought of Kagome's
refusing-to-be-deterred classmate. He knew very well that the human boy had
certain affections for her, and that he was always asking how she was. There
wasn't really anything he could hold against the guy, except for the fact that he
was an idiot, and for this he was secretly (AN: yeah right) jealous of him and
anyone else who happened to like Kagome.
'Keh… it's not like I like her or anything…' he grumbled to himself. 'I just don't
want her to be distracted…'
At that, his thoughts were derailed when Kagome's bicycle hit a bump in road,
sending them wobbling unsteadily until the girl could get them back under
control.
'Speaking of distracted…' Inu Yasha let out a low growl, leaning forward toward
the girl in front of him. "Hey, why don't you watch where you're going?" he
asked.
"I am!" she snapped back, grinding her teeth in frustration. "I can't avoid
everything you know!"
Inu Yasha 'hmph'ed. Testy, wasn't she? The hanyou had already known that;
sensing the agitation rolling off of her in waves, so much so that it was almost
dizzying. She had been that way for some time, and Inu Yasha, being who he
was, had yet to make any attempt to ask her what was bothering her.
'Yeah right…' Normally, he never really picked up on her changes in attitude
unless he could detect it in her scent. And even if he did happen to notice
something, most of the time, one of the others would confront her when
something was bothering her. Besides, he wasn't really good at that sort of
thing anyway. 'Like she'd really give me an honest answer…' he muttered to
himself.
~ It's not like you would either… ~ one of the voices in his head taunted.
'Shut up…' He frowned, trying to collect himself before turning to Kagome
once again. "So, what's the matter with you?"
He watched as her body tensed slightly. "Nothing." she answered stiffly. "Why
do you ask?"
Did she think he was stupid? "Look, I know you're upset about something," he
replied, trying to sound uninterested. "We're gonna be on the road for a while,
so you might as well get it out in the open now." He glanced away from her,
watching the scenery go by. "Just say whatever it is I did to piss you off so we
can get on with our lives already…"
Kagome started to speak but then clamped her mouth shut again. "You know,
Inu Yasha," she replied in a low tone. "Not everything revolves around you…"
"Oh yeah," he drawled back. "Then what are you so mad about?"
"I'm not mad… I just…" she trailed off, as if unsure of what to say.
Inu Yasha paused, glancing at her curiously. "Well…?" As he waited for her
to speak again, another rock came up in their path. "Oi, Kagome, look out for
that--"
Whump! "Itai!"
Golden eyes blinked as the bike slowed to a stop. The hanyou watched
worriedly as Kagome bent down, massaging one of her legs. "What'sa matter?"
he asked cautiously.
"My ankle…" Kagome muttered, as if she were ashamed. "It hurts really bad…"
Inu Yasha hopped down from the bike, walking around to the front to get a clearer
view. "What happened?" he asked.
"I fell off my bike last night," she explained, forcing her mind not to dwell on the
events involved. It appeared as though the dog demon was trying to do the
same. "I think I bruised it and all this pedaling has only been making it worse."
Inu Yasha bristled slightly. She'd been hurt… and hadn't told him? "Why didn't
you say anything before?" he demanded.
Kagome pulled off her sneaker, massaging the bruised joint lightly. "It's no big
deal…" she replied, not looking up at him. "I just need a little break… that's
all…"
Yeah, right… Inu Yasha could tell just by the look on her face. Not only had
she barely managed to escape a bunch of thuggish youkai, but also she had
been pedaling on that contraption of hers - first with her pack, and then with his
added weight - for nearly two whole days! The girl was exhausted.
Kagome glanced back up at him hesitantly. Noting his silence as well as his
stance, she waved her hands in front of her in a defensive gesture. "It's nothing
serious, Inu Yasha, really!" she exclaimed, remembering how worked up he
would get whenever she was injured. "I didn't tell you because I didn't think it
was that important - there's no need to get mad--"
"I'm not mad."
Kagome blinked. "Huh?"
Inu Yasha looked away from her, scanning their surroundings. Judging by the
scent in the air, there was a small creek not far from where they stood. Not a
bad spot to stop for a break. He walked back over beside her, stooping down to
one knee. "Hop on."
"Inu Yasha… I don't think…"
He glared up at her. "I'm not that weak yet, you know…" he replied crossly.
"Besides, we're not going far… just some place to rest for a bit."
"But I can walk just fine…" she trailed off, noting the look on his face that said
the topic was not open for discussion. With a resigned sigh, she hopped on his
back and held on as he strode off with her bike in tow.
~End of Chapter 11
Authors' Notes -
Miss Chang Po - Hi, all! Sorry we kept you waiting!
Nataku-chan - We hope you enjoyed Chapter 11, though the romance is going
a bit slow so far...
Miss Chang Po - It's been a bit waffy, though... right? And anyways, we can
assure you that the romance will be picking up soon. Along with some action.
Nataku-chan - That's right. We forgot to mention earlier (though you already
might have guessed) that this fic is a tad AU, simply because does not
follow the regular story arc.
Miss Chang Po - We've been relying on the dub and the first movie, but rest
assured, you won't be disappointed with the sequence of events that are
about to play themselves out.
Nataku-chan - So! Inu Yasha and Kagome have hit a rocky start on their
journey together... will they manage to reach the ancient healer in time to
cure Inu Yasha? Will this trip serve to help their current 'relationship' or make
it worse? And what's to become of Miroku and the others on their journey?
Read and find out!
Miss Chang Po - Don't forget to review also!
Nataku-chan - That's right!
Wufei- ::humphs:: baka onnas