A/N: Again, I apologize for the week-long hiatus. I was really close to my deadline, which I may have missed, and I needed to work every spare moment I had last week to finish it.
Anyway, picking up where we left off, Kagome was just starting to let Inuyasha come back into her heart. Although you may cry when they have yet another almost-kiss, I assure you the time will come. Soon.
Chapter 12: Beginning to Heal
"Inuyasha! Let me down, you baka!" Kagome screamed from atop his back, as he ran through the forest at night.
"Keh. Why?" he asked. "You were the one that wanted to get there as soon as possible, and now you want me to stop?"
She growled, "There's a hot spring nearby, and I want to take a bath! And its getting late!"
Inuyasha shot back, "You don't smell that bad woman! If you needed a bath, trust me, I would be the first to tell you."
Clenching her fists, feeling all her frustration build up inside of her, Kagome said in a calm, yet threatening tone, "Inuyasha, if you don't put me down right now, then I'll say the word."
That got him to stop quickly. In an instant, Kagome felt herself being dropped from his arms, landing hard on her bottom. "Hey! That hurt!"
Crossing his arms, the hanyou smirked, "You said you wanted to be put down that second."
Kagome glared at him and turned to look through her backpack, "You're so annoying sometimes, Inuyasha!" Though, she couldn't deny that she knew he was only half serious.
The hanyou leaned over her, looking into her backpack as she shuffled through it. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"I already told you, I'm going to take a bath!" she said, gathering up her clothes, standing up with a fierce glare in her brown eyes. "And don't you dare peep on me!"
Inuyasha replied, "Keh! Like I'd risk my life over peeping on you." With a sly grin, he added, "Besides, I've already seen you nakeda few times, sothere's no reason for me to be looking again any time soon."
A red blush blossomed on Kagome's face as she sputtered, "You pervert! You've been hanging around Miroku-sama too much!" Running towards the hot springs, she yelled, "I'll say 'it' if you come as much as twenty feet near me, I mean it!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" he called back, plopping himself on the ground, his back against a tree. Leaning his head back to look up into the thick branches, like always, Inuyasha's thoughts went to the woman who had just left him. Kagome…
Their relationship now was a strange one. Though it was mean to torment her, it was the only way he got a reaction like the old Kagome, and it was the first way he could try to get her back to being the old Kagome, the Kagome he loved.
When they were having an argument, that tragic, dead look in her eyes faded for an angry glare. It was a far cry from the soft, loving eyes he wanted to see on her, but anything was better than seeing her show her inner pain and anguish. He knew she was still haunted by those memories, and perhaps would never get over them, but at least, he could help her get it off her mind for her sake…and his.
Inuyasha knew that as much as she needed him, he needed her. He wasn't going to deny that Kagome had a hard time while he was under his curse, but his inner pain mattered as well. He had been the one to cause her so much pain for the longest time, and he still caused her pain whenever her back began to ache. But he needed comfort from her to be able to fully move on from what he had suffered. Inuyasha needed Kagome, his laughing, smiling Kagome to make him happy once more.
She would have remained the happy Kagome if it hadn't been for the curse…Clenching his hands into fists while his amber eyes turned hard, Inuyasha growled, That damn curse! If I hadn't been so impulsive, then maybe—
Sighing, he brought his tirade to halt, lowering his fists. No, it wouldn't have mattered if we had waited a month, a year, or even a hundred years, the curse would have still been activated. Glancing up at the almost full moon, he remembered, We can't keep dwelling on the past…nothing can change it.
What we have to worry about now is the present…and the future. He folded his arms inside his read haori. As for the present, he knew what he wanted, and Inuyasha wasn't going to hide it from himself. He wanted Kagome. He wanted to feel the touch of her lips, the feel of her skin, he wanted to hold her close, to smell her beautiful, erotic scent that he could never get enough of…he wanted her, and nothing more.
But with life's current course, he wouldn't be able to have her as his mate, to claim her as his own once more until the curse was lifted. But once it was, what then?
Inuyasha had heard Kagome say once before that once the shikon no tama was gone from the world, then the well would seal permanently. He had asked her if she had considered asking Midoriko to keep the well open, once it was complete, but she had shaken her head, saying it wasn't possible. If the shikon no tama were corrupted, and overrun with malicious jyaki, then you could make any wish, but there would be a terrible price to be paid. But if the jewel was completed and purified, a wish would have to be a pure, unselfish wish to completely destroy it.
Keh. She just wants to go back and forth between this world and hers, how selfish is that? But with that statement, he knew the answer. Wanting to keep a time stream open so she could have the best of both worlds would be incredibly selfish, and it would be something Midoriko would not allow. But, if that's not allowed…then that means one day…
Inuyasha took a sharp intake of breath, as well as his amber eyes going wide as he realized, She'll have to chose between staying here, with me, and going back to her own world.
He instantly shot up, heading for the hot springs. Inuyasha didn't care if she would kill him, he needed the answer now. The minute her beautiful scent filled his senses, and he knew she was close, he turned around and leaned against a tree close to the spring, close enough to talk, yet making sure he wasn't looking. While he hid, her scent combined with the splash of the water and her sighs as she relaxed made forbidden desires enter his brain, desires that he hastily shoved away, ashamed that he was thinking like Miroku all of a sudden.
Wanting to let her know he was there, he said, "Hey,"
There was a loud, feminine shriek from behind him as he heard Kagome splash in the water to cover herself up, screaming, "Sit!"
With that, the silver haired hanyou plummeted face first into the ground, landing hard with a yelp of pain. After a second, he shot his head up from the ground, yelling, "Damnit, Kagome, what was that for?"
"I can't believe you peeped!" she bellowed, sinking lower into the warm water. "I told you not to!"
"I wasn't peeping!" he shot back, "I had my back turned, baka! I just wanted to talk!"
There was a silence as he heard her turn around in the water, so her back was also facing him, giving Inuyasha no desire to even try to peep now, since he didn't want to be faced with her scar once more. "All right." Replied Kagome timidly. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"
Inuyasha popped up, and brushed the dirt off his haori, resuming his spot with his back turned against the tree. "Kagome, I was wondering…where are you planning on staying after the shikon no tama is complete?"
With his sharp hanyou ears, he heard her give a small, surprised gasp. "What do you mean?"
"You heard me, woman." He said sharply, needing an answer.
Sinking lower into the water, while still keeping her hands across her chest, Kagome amswered, "Well…I don't know. I mean, the jewel isn't complete yet and I have a long time to make that decision—"
"Kagome, do you want to stay with me, or do you want to go back to your world?" he asked rather bluntly, knowing he wouldn't rest until she told him.
Turing around slightly, her eyes focused on where he stood, Kagome replied, "But Inuyasha…I don't know…it all depends upon circumstances…"
"The curse." Inuyasha finished for her, leaving them both in silence.
"Inuyasha," Kagome replied, her voice shaking, "Believe me, it's not about that its—"
He cut into her speech again."I know, Kagome. If the curse can't be lifted, then what's the point?"
After that, there was an even bigger silence, neither of them daring to add more. After some time, Inuyasha's dog ears twitched when he heard the gurgle of the water as Kagome emerged. "Keep your back turned, Inuyasha, I'm getting dressed."
"Keh." Was all she got in response.
As she dressed herself, Kagome replied to their previous conversation, "Inuyasha, lets not worry about these things now, all right? When the time comes, I'll examine the circumstances and make me decision."
"Yeah," he sighed, sounding forlorn. And maybe he was. He hadn't expected for Kagome to be open-armed and loving, after when she saw the true youkai that lie within him, but he had wished she would at least want to stay with him. It seemed that happiness for the both of them all depended upon whether or not the curse was lifted.
"You can come out now, Inuyasha." Kagome said, jerking him from his thoughts. Preparing himself for the wave of her wonderful scent that he knew would hit him the minute he saw her, he turned, looking at the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair was still wet, while droplets of water lay on the bare skin that showed after she put on her flannel pajamas, and her scent, made pure by her bath, hit him at once, calming his heart like it always did.
"Kagome…" he sighed, his intense amber gaze making her shiver as he came closer.
Kagome gasped, "Inuyasha?", only to find him closer to her, closer than her heart could handle, a bright blush coming on her face.
"Kagome," he continued, unable to stop now, "If the curse is lifted…then will you stay here, with me…as my ma—"
Inuyasha didn't finish when the cry of "Mutt!" was heard throughout a forest, a whirlwind emerging from the trees and launching itself at the hanyou, only dissipating to be Kouga, holding Inuyasha against a tree by the throat.
Kagome cried, "Kouga-kun! Inuyasha…"
"I heard all about it, Kagome!" Kouga yelled, tightening his grip around Inuyasha's throat while the hanyou sunk his claws into Kouga's arm, glaring and growling fiercely. "How this dog tried to kill you!"
Running up to both of them, Kagome grabbed on to Kouga, trying to pull him away, yelling, "Kouga-kun, please! Inuyasha was under a curse, it wasn't his fault—!"
"And why should I believe that?" Kouga snapped, looking back at her with wild eyes. He was really mad…all for her sake. The thought scared her, knowing Kouga would kill Inuyasha if he thought it was for her own good.
"I think," Inuyasha snarled, "You should listen to my mate, before you start making stupid assumptions, wolf."
Mate? That word caused Kouga to stare in surprise. He had heard of the curse through the youkai grapevine, but Kagome and Inuyasha were…? The wolf youkai glanced back at Kagome, in disbelief, but the thin layer of the mutt's scent upon her was all the proof he needed.
Using the second Kouga was distracted, Inuyasha jerked out of his grip, and giving him a dirty look, walked over to Kagome, his mate, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer. Kouga, while he was surprised, didn't feel much shock, since he knew before that Kagome's heart lay with the hanyou, but already mated four months later? That was fast, considering the wolf youkai had known how long it had taken the thick hanyou to realize he liked her.
Sighing, Kouga contented himself with the only question he could ask, "So, you seem to be free of this so called 'curse', dog crap. How did that happen?"
Kagome stiffened, no doubt re-living the memory, and Inuyasha tightened his grip around her waist, saying, "It's none of your business, wimpy wolf!"
"It is my business when it involves Kagome getting hurt!" the wolf yelled, his blue eyes glaring.
"She's my mate!" Inuyasha roared, thrusting Kagome behind him while he stood in front, in a protective stance.
"Kagome may be your mate, but at least I wouldn't let her get hurt like that!" Kouga leaned in, closer to their fight, forming a fist with his right hand.
"Are you saying I don't protect her?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying, mutt!"
"Keh! I protected her long before you came into the picture, wolf. I protected her all the times you weren't there, and who does she trust more?"
"You know, I don't know why Kagome chose you in the first place, considering you don't ever respect or take care of her!"
"She chose me because she loves me!"
"If I had been around a little more, I would have been able to make her love me!"
"Too late for that now, wolf! I won, you lost, get over it!"
"Shut up!" Kagome screamed, breaking in between the two during their fight, unable to hear anymore. Turning to Kouga, she said softly, "Kouga-kun, please understand, I'm Inuyasha's mate, and I trust him with my life. I know something bad happened, but I also know that he wouldn't ever hurt me on purpose. The curse was misfortunate, yes, but it was something that we couldn't prevent. But it's over now, and that's all that matters, right?"
While Kouga stared at her, trying to understand, Inuyasha also gaped, but thinking something else, Did she…just admit she was my mate? And that she trusts me…no matter what?
Gathering up her clothes that lay by the hot spring, Kagome turned back to the wolf and said, "Please try to understand, Kouga-kun, I'm safe with Inuyasha. You don't have to worry about me." And with that, she left the clearing, heading back to their camp.
At first, the wolf tried to go after her, but Inuyasha jumped in front of him. "Hey, who said I was finished with you yet?"
Rolling his eyes, Kouga asked, "What do you want, mutt?"
Inuyasha stared eye-to-eye with the wolf youkai, not moving, his face grave. "I need you to promise me something."
"What, that I'll stay away from your mate?" Kouga asked, unamused. "Look dog turd, Kagome may not deserve you, and I don't know why she chose you in the first place, but I respect youkai traditions, and I wouldn't think of—"
The hanyou snapped, "That's not what I'm talking about baka!"
Folding his arms, annoyed, Kouga asked, "What, then?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Inuyasha replied, "Promise me wolf, if anything happens to me, you'll take care of Kagome." After a second, he added, "And I only mean protect her from harm."
Raising an eyebrow, the wolf youkai asked, "And why would something happen to you?"
Turning away, Inuyasha said, "Just do it, Kouga." Using the wolf's name for the first time, Kouga knowing that he was serious. Inuyasha followed Kagome's path out of the clearing, leaving Kouga behind, wondering what that was about.
Later that evening, Kagome and Inuyasha were looking up at the stars, sitting close to one another. "Look, can you see the dragon?" she asked, pointing up at a group of stars.
"Huh?" he asked, blinking. "What are you pointing at?"
"Over there!" she continued pointing. "Those stars there, underneath those three bright ones."
Rolling his eyes, the hanyou muttered, "Keh. I don't understand what you find so fascinating about stars, woman."
A small smile on her face, she replied, "Well, in my time, you can't see the stars at all. It's kind of nice to come here and see them all…and feel so small compared to everything…"
Inuyasha glanced over at her, and was hit with a surprise. She was smiling. Her first real smile since…three months. "Kagome…" he whispered, blinking to make sure it wasn't a trick of the darkness.
"Inuyasha?" she asked, turning, her smile fading. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Oh, er…nothing." He replied, angry at himself for causing her smile to fade.
Kagome glanced up at him, her brown eyes full in longing. "Inuyasha...I just want you to know, about what I said earlier...I didn't mean it that way."
Blinking, he asked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean..." Another smile came on her face, making Inuyasha's heart rise in delight. "I want to stay with you, Inuyasha, more than anything. And if this works out...I will."
Inuyasha put his arm around her, drawing her closer to him. " I want you to stay too. " After a brief pause, he added, "Kagome…I'm glad we've had this time alone."
Leaning back against him,still smiling,Kagome replied, "I know, me too."
With that, Inuyasha gained a soft smile of his own, thinking, She's almost back. Soon, my Kagome will be back with me. And everything will be as it should be.
A/N: I wasn't going to include that last scene, but I decided fluff would make up for my week-long absence. Squeal at will, fluff lovers!
