Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
The Beginning And The End
Chapter 5
Kagome sat staring at the fire, her mind lost in memories of the time she spent at Sessho-maru's fortress. It had been a month and she found herself missing him. At first, she thought she missed the laidback life she enjoyed there. But soon she realized that what she was missing had more to do with him than anything else. She missed being with him. She missed the evenings spent reading or talking together. And she missed his voice. That deep, soothing voice that she could listen to all day. Ah! This is stupid! I need to just forget about it and face the facts. That was a one-time deal that will never happen again.
Sango noticed how quiet and withdrawn Kagome had been the past few days and she was beginning to worry. She went over and sat down next to her friend and nudged her shoulder.
"Is everything ok?"
Kagome looked up to see Sango's concerned face and she managed a small smile. "I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired."
"Are you sure? You've been awfully quiet the past few days."
Kagome leaned her head against the slayer's shoulder and sighed. She didn't want anyone, not even Sango to know about what happened with Sessho-maru. "I have been feeling under the weather lately."
"Why didn't you say something? We could have rested for a day or something."
"No, I'll be fine really. We've already lost too much time and Naraku isn't slowing down so neither should we." Kagome wrapped her arms around her friend, "But thank you for worrying about me Sango."
Kagome stood up and walked over to her bag, pulling out a blanket and small pillow. She nestled down in a dark corner and fell asleep.
Sango went back over to sit next to Miroku and the monk gave her a questioning look. "She says she's been sick the past few days but doesn't want to rest and give Naraku the upper hand. I'm worried she may be pushing too hard. She's not allowing herself to get over being sick and it could turn into something worse."
"We'll give it a few more days and see how she's doing. If she's no better or worse, we'll take her home. Ok?"
"Ok. Hey, where's Inu-yasha?"
"He went off to scout the area. He'll probably be back soon."
"That talk you had with him seemed to really help. They hardly argue at all anymore."
"I've noticed that too. Here's hoping it continues."
Miroku and Sango went to bed shortly after Kagome, snuggled together by the fire. Inu-yasha watched the whole scene from the lofty shadows of a tree. He'd scouted the area and when he was satisfied everything was clear, he went back to camp to find Sango and Kagome huddled together and he waited to see if something was wrong. He was perched close enough to Miroku that he heard the conversation he had with Sango before going to sleep. If Kagome was sick, she should rest. But he knew exactly how stubborn she could be and he didn't want to argue with her. Miroku was right, they had been getting along the past month and he didn't want to ruin it. He was beginning to enjoy Kagome's company.
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Kagome awoke the next morning before sunrise, as usual, and took a walk through the quiet forest. She thought she saw a flash of white out of the corner of her eye, but she shook her head, dismissing it as early morning fog playing tricks on her. She continued along but stopped in her tracks at a flower in her path. She looked around, but didn't see any patches of the flower. She picked the flower up and twirled it in her fingers.
"All alone? Where are your friends?"
She smelled the pink flower and continued on her way, finally realizing that this was the same type of flower that she and Rin planted over a month ago. Kagome sighed and sat down on the ground, once again missing Sessho-maru.
"Are you not happy to see the results of your hard work?"
Kagome started at the voice and looked up to see Sessho-maru standing only a few feet away with four more of the pink blooms in his hand. Kagome couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Sessho-maru." She stood up to greet him, "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted you to see how well your garden is growing." He handed the remaining flowers to Kagome and watched her eyes light up at the pretty blooms. Rin was correct. She's delighted to have the flowers. He was worried about her when he saw her walking along earlier. She seemed tired and sad. There was no sign of the happy carefree woman that shared his home. But when she saw him with the flowers, her whole face transformed. It made him happy to know he could give her some joy.
"Thank you, they're perfect. And thank Rin for doing such a good job."
"Why don't you thank her yourself? Will you be taking a break soon? You are more than welcome to come stay with Rin and I again."
Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only had he tracked her down to give her the flowers, but he wanted her to come back to his fortress. "I would love to do that, but we probably won't be stopping for another month." Kagome turned her attention to the blooms as she began to meander around the small clearing between the trees. "We're taking the path up into Mount Hotaku and circling around to head back to Musashi." She looked over at Sessho-maru, "I figure it will take us another month, barring any major complications of course."
Sessho-maru slowly closed the gap between them, his eyes never leaving hers, "So I'll find you along the path in a few weeks or so and we can decide what to do then. In the meantime," he reached out for her hand and guided her over to sit next to him at the base of a very large tree, "tell me what you've been up to."
Kagome and Sessho-maru sat and talked until she realized the sun had come up. "Oh no! I lost track of time. They're probably wondering where I am." Kagome stood up in a panic, brushing herself off, saying her goodbyes. "I'm sorry, I really should go. I'm glad we had a chance to talk. I'll see you soon!"
Kagome left the stunned demon in the clearing but realized something after running a few yards. She turned back around and returned to Sessho-maru who hadn't moved. She walked right up to him and hugged him tight, thrilling at his immediate reaction of wrapping his arms around her.
"Thank you so much for the flowers and spending time with me. It really means a lot to me."
When she pulled back, she saw he was smiling and she couldn't help but blush. "You are very welcome, nisou. I'll come see you again soon. I promise."
He watched her run away, looking back to wave one more time before disappearing into the forest. He could still feel the lingering warmth of her embrace and he couldn't keep the small smile from showing.
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Kagome, Inu-yasha, Sango, Miroku and Kirara were walking along the path towards the next village on a sweltering summer day. They were all sluggish from the heat and showing signs of fatigue from their long, difficult journey. Kagome had hoped to see Sessho-maru by now but the inu hadn't shown up yet and after this next village, they would be out of the mountain range. Maybe he's changed his mind. I served as the distraction when he needed it and now he's found someone and something else to occupy his time. Kagome sighed as she trudged along, wanting only to sit down on the road and pout for her absent demon. Gods, I am so stupid for feeling like this! But I can't help it. After spending time with him, I realize I really like him. He's real easy to get along with if you don't take his aloofness personally. And if you're lucky, he lets you see the real him. The quiet demon in the plain pants and shirt reading a book and falling asleep curled up in an oversized chair. She felt herself blush at the recalled memory.
"Are you ok?" Kagome looked up, confused to find Inu-yasha walking along next to her, concern in his eyes. Why did he look so concerned? "Kagome? Are you ok?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." She offered a quick smile and turned her attention forward again.
"I was worried because you were lagging behind and you're just kinda staring off into space and now your cheeks are flushed. I just thought you might need a rest."
"Thank you, but I'm fine really."
Inu-yasha stayed by her side as they continued towards the village. After another mile or so, he still wasn't convinced she was ok. She was still distant and her pace had slowed even more. "Would you like me to carry you?"
Kagome stopped in her tracks and faced the half-demon, stunned. "Excuse me?"
"On my back. Like I used to do years ago."
"Oh."
Kagome felt her cheeks get warmer as she stared at him, wondering what had come over him in the past few months. Ever since she returned from recovering from their last argument, Inu-yasha had been different. They still disagreed every now and again, but they hardly ever yelled or threatened each other's lives like they used to. He seemed to be trying to control his temper.
"That's sweet of you to offer Inu-yasha, but I'm ok walking, thanks." She saw the disappointment on his face and couldn't help but feel guilty. "But I'd like it if you would stay and talk with me. Do you mind?"
"N-no."
They walked along in silence for awhile until Kagome spoke up. "I've been meaning to thank you. I know you've been trying to control your temper and I want you to know I appreciate it very much. I've been trying to curb mine as well. I figure our arguments usually work both ways." Inu-yasha blushed and wouldn't look at her. He was trying not to be so hotheaded. It never occurred to him that she would admit to her part in their arguments. They used to be friends. What happened?
"Kagome? Why did we start fighting so much?"
Kagome sighed and took a long time to consider her answer. She had her own idea, but that didn't mean he wanted to hear it. "I'm not sure Inu-yasha. I think we started out needing each other, and that's why we didn't really argue. But then we both began to change, didn't we? I became stronger and started training as a priestess and I think that on some level, you focused your anger and frustration for Kikyo on me. I'm sure I could have done things differently to avoid some of those situations, but I was too stubborn to step down. We're a lot alike in that respect. Maybe that's why they say opposites attract."
Inu-yasha kept walking along silently and she thought for sure he was going to start yelling. She saw the frown on his face and she noticed he was clenching his fists. "You're right." The admission was soft-spoken, and he sounded defeated. Kagome turned to him, trying not to show her surprise. "But you're also wrong." He finally faced her, his golden eyes showing all his emotions. "I liked the fact that you were becoming stronger and training to be a priestess. It was like getting Kikyo back from the dead. But then you began to use other weapons than the bow and doing more with your spirit energy than she ever did. And slowly, my illusion of having Kikyo with me was shattered. And I resented you for it." He turned forward again and slowly, his face lost the tension of the frown and became soft, as he let the sadness through. "I'm sorry Kagome. Please forgive me."
"Forgiving each other is what friends do, right?" Kagome looked over at the half demon and smiled, happy to see the gesture returned.
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Getting To Know You…..Again
Inu-yasha sat in the tree watching the two women enjoy themselves at the lakeside. It was a beautiful day and they had decided that the four of them needed a little fun so they had a big picnic by the lake. And now, belly full and the sun just passing its peak, he was settling in for a nap. Kagome and Sango were sitting lakeside, splashing their feet in the water and laughing as if they didn't have a care in the world.
He let his eyes settle on the priestess. A small smile played across his lips as she lay back on her elbows and let her head fall back as she basked in the sun. She was wearing a tank top and from his vantage point he was getting a nice view of her cleavage. She has a great body. Inu-yasha chuckled and shook his head as he closed his eyes. Hey, that's one thing we'll never argue about. Unless she catches me looking, of course.
Since taking Miroku's advice months ago, they weren't arguing as much and he could finally see for himself what an amazing woman she had become in the past several years. She'd always been beautiful, but now she was strong and powerful, and had gained a lot of knowledge about their world and being a priestess. She was still a bit short-tempered and bossy, but then again, who was he to talk?
Miroku helped him to realize that Kagome had indeed become a formidable priestess and they weren't utilizing her full potential. So he'd started to let her participate fully in any battles she chose. And so far, things were working out rather well. They'd had a few near disasters, but they had managed to laugh it off or they would sit down and figure out what went wrong so it wouldn't happen again.
Inu-yasha opened his eyes as he heard a familiar voice calling his name. "Inu-yasha! Hey! Come join in the fun!"
Kagome was smiling and waving at him. Miroku had joined Sango and Kagome and it looked like they were sitting down to play a game. "Alright! I'll be right there!" Inu-yasha stood up and leapt down to the ground, walking over to join his friends. Yes, he could say that now. They were all his friends. And as he locked eyes with the smiling priestess, he felt a tightness in his chest which he knew very well. He'd only felt it when he looked at one other woman. A woman that was nothing like the smiling, laughing person in front of him. This priestess was happy and alive and made him feel that way as well. And one day soon, he'd tell her just how special she was to him. But for now…
"Ok! Who's ready to suffer defeat at my hands!" He smirked at the grumbling group as he sat down next to Kagome. She playfully pushed him as she smiled and laughed along with the others and Inu-yasha felt that tightness again. One day soon Kagome. I'll show you how much you've changed me.
To be continued…