When we got back to the cabin, he carried me inside and laid me down. I then realized that I still had his coat. "Inuyasha… here's your…"
"Eh, keep it… it's supposed to be a bit on the cold side tonight." I sighed, holding onto it. "Aren't you sick of always hiding your emotions? I feel like you're always trying to put on a strong front to protect yourself or something…"
"Humph, it's just the way I've lived until recently. I had to take care of myself and I could depend only on myself. Emotions just get in my way…"
"They don't have to… I mean, for me, they never get in my way. Other than when I lose my temper at your enemies or even you, emotions are all I know. The jewel shard in my heart tells me so…" I put the coat on over my pelt, "It feels nice…"
"Yeah… my mother gave it to me, and it was from my father to her…" I looked at his eyes and it looked like he was sad about something. "What was she like?"
"She was… beautiful and kind, she took care of me and sheltered me when I needed to be sheltered." I sat up and rubbed his shoulder. "I can imagine what your life was like, being half-demon and all… Although my mother wasn't human, she and the tribe sheltered me. Actually, life in the tribe was all I knew. I just don't know where I'd be if I didn't come upon you sealed to that tree. I very well could have completely given up on everything…"
"Well, I'm glad you didn't. Although we came from different places, I think we have a lot in common… We grew up with our mothers, but as for our fathers, we know little to nothing. I don't even remember what he looked like; it's not like I care all that much."
"Yeah… I mean, my father left before I was born… so I don't have a clue what he was like. That's why I didn't know if he was human or half-demon. It sure seems like yours at least cared about you. He left you a sword that protects you from his demon blood."
"Yeah…" He looked at me with eyes that looked like they were ready for tears, but he was afraid to let them fall. "I have my tribe that depends on me, but as for friends, I don't really have any besides you guys. I don't know if there's even anyone out there that I'd want to give my heart to."
"What do you mean?"
"I doubt you'd understand… emotions mean nothing to you, remember?" I laid down as my heart suddenly felt heavy. I wanted to tell Inuyasha the truth, but I was afraid of what he might say. I knew I had no chance, but it killed me to keep such a huge thing from him. I let out a large exhale and drifted off to sleep.
Inuyasha looked down to see me asleep. He thought, 'Was she trying to tell me something important?' Kagome popped in, "Hey, when'd you guys get back?"
"Just now… her stomach was hurting her, so I brought her back. Kagome," he paused.
"Yes, Inuyasha?"
"I think we bonded quite a bit… and, I get a sneaky feeling that she was really trying to tell me something."
"Oh, like what, Inuyasha?"
"She started talking to me about how she thinks with her heart… and I flat out told her that emotions just get in my way. It's creepy," he rubbed his arm, "I feel like she's getting under my skin… and it's leaving me feeling a little on edge. She's just so open with her emotions and I just can't be…" I looked back down, "I get the sneaky suspicion that there's one thing she's holding back."
"Well, if you expect her to do that, you need to show her how you feel about her. Do you like her as a friend or as a best friend? That kind of thing… you don't expect her to give her all the answers, do you?"
He crossed his arms, "Humph, I guess not. Nobody ever gives me all the answers."
"If you keep building these walls around yourself, you'll never get any answers from anyone." She turned away.
"I just feel like whenever she gets under my skin, like she exposes my heart… it's very unnerving… I just don't know why she gets to me or how she does it."
"Well, you've got a whole month to figure that out, Inuyasha." She smiled. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, "Yeah, whatever." He looked outside, seeing the sun was starting to set. "You thinking of turning in, Kagome?"
"I was actually, since we had such a long night last night."
"I told you, I never sleep when I'm transformed, and it's because someone's always keeping me busy." Suddenly, Inuyasha caught a whiff of something. "Oh great, what's he doing here?"
"What? Who is it, Inuyasha?" He went through the door flap, followed by Kagome, to find Koga newly arrived at the village. "Koga? What are you doing here?"
"Hey mutt, I caught the smell of the princess's blood and I followed it all the way here! What'd you do to her?"
"Why do you have to thinking that it's my fault?"
"Because when Kagome's in danger, you're the cause of it."
"Not always, you wimpy wolf!"
"Guys, keep it down. Someone's trying to sleep." Kagome drew Koga's attention away for a moment. He headed for the cabin, but Inuyasha stood in his way. "She just got to sleep, wolf, so leave her alone…"
"Whatever, I just wanted to check on things here. Her tribe's been a little concerned since she left without so much as a word. I'm kind of keeping an eye on things while she's away, training with you."
He growled, but relaxed for a minute. "Kagome, keep the princess company and if she wakes up, tell her I'll be right back."
"Ok Inuyasha, just promise me that you won't kill Koga."
"Can't promise you that." He brushed it off and followed Koga into the woods outside of the village.
"If you must know, wolf, she was attacked by Naraku. She tried to attack him, but he implanted some tainted jewel shards in her stomach. He invoked so much rage in her that she was unable to contain herself. She came after me and was ready to finish me off too."
"Oh, so that would explain the blood stains…" Koga pointed, seeming uninterested. Inuyasha growled and turned his head away. "Anyway, I snapped her out of it, but the jewel shards took quite a bit out of her. If I hadn't brought her to the priestess, Kaede, she could have died! I could have left her behind, but I refused to, even though she told me to."
"Oh, I see…" Koga smiled. "See what, wolf!"
"You care more about her than you tell her." He crossed his arms, "I tell you, you should have seen her just the other day. She was so lost without you that she just burst into tears; you should watch the way you treat her. Next time she attacks you, you might not be as lucky."
"Humph, like I don't know that already."
"Did you also know that she had debated over the way she feels about you? She's either hiding something or you should really try to look past the surface. The whole time I was with her, I never called you a mutt or half-breed or whatever, but I kept telling her how much of an idiot you are."
"Like how!"
"That's just my point. You're such a simpleton that you fail to grasp the obvious; you don't see what's right in front of your eyes. She'd do anything for you, even die for you, and you don't so much as care to even blink at it. If that were me, I'd be flattered."
"Yeah, maybe I just don't work that way!" He turned away.
"I'd watch myself if I were you, half-breed. Because if you don't grasp the obvious soon, chances are that she'll do exactly what she says she's going to do. Then, you might not be able to do anything about it." Inuyasha turned his back, trying to hide his insecurities from Koga.
"Fine, be that way, half-breed. I'm out of here." Inuyasha turned around just as Koga's tornado left. Not knowing what to think, Inuyasha headed back to the cabin.
