Not That Social
Chapter TenThis chapter is dedicated to Laurell-chan. She helped me out a lot, and she's surviving a hurricane right now. So give it up for Laurell!
I'm sorry that I haven't updated. I mean I'm REALLY sorry. I've just had a lot going on...sorry. It's a bit short, but the point gets accross. Or at least I think it does...
Tokyo at night was a lively and festive city, speckled with both party-going locals and traveling tourists alike. Flashing neon lights danced across the city's skyscrapers, casting playful shadows on the streets below as people rushed from one building to another in their attempts to have a good time. Outside the city the suburbs were sleeping, tiny houses nestled all in a row. The houses were darkened and the kids were put to bed—but not for long.
A black 2001 Harley-Davidson Softail Deuce FXSTD raced down the residential streets at 73mph, revving its engine and squealing its tires. Kagome grinned from ear-to-ear as the motorcycle sped up, clutching tighter to Inuyasha's muscular frame. She rested her head on the crook of his shoulder as wind whipped at her hair. She felt like she was flying.
Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder when he felt her lean up against him, smiling as she tightened her grip on his chest. He sped up the bike, turning sharply onto the expressway. The highway gave him the freedom to push the bike even faster, and he felt Kagome once again clutch tightly to his body. She was scared, but he knew that she loved it.
They weaved in and out of traffic, which was light at this hour, and sped off away from the city. The lights died to a dim glow in the distance and Kagome had to squint her eyes just to make out the outline of the great metropolis. They were heading southwest towards no particular destination when a thought popped into Inuyasha's mind.
Mount Fuji rose up in the distance, watching over the area with years of experience. Jerking the bike roughly to the left and racing off the closest exit, Inuyasha began speeding down the side streets towards his target. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park was just up ahead, it's opening arches rising up to kiss the sky.
Kagome lost her breath when she saw where they were headed. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park was the most beautiful one in all of Japan. It was just on the outskirts of Tokyo's border, yet she had never been there.
Inuyasha slowed his bike down as he pulled through the entryway, riding up the dirt path to a convenient parking place. The park was virtually deserted except for a few campers who were dotted throughout the land, all fast asleep in their tents and trailers. He pulled his bike into a large gravel parking ground, shutting off the engine and helping Kagome off the bike.
"I've never been here before," she whispered as she took his hand and climbed off the motorcycle. Her eyes were wide as she took in the sight around her.
There were large oak trees as far as the eye could see, stretching towards the heavens and casting eerie shadows across the ground. Above them sat Mount Fuji in all its glory, its snowcapped tip piercing the clouds and seemingly glowing with its own internal light. The mountain appeared to be glowing, lighting up the entire park in a pale light. In the sky hung a full moon, its face smiling down upon them.
"It's so beautiful here," she added after a second, her voice a bit louder this time.
"I know," he smiled. "I love coming here." They stood there for a second, just taking in the beauty of the nature around them, before Inuyasha grabbed her hand. "Come on, there's something I want to show you."
He pulled her away from the bike and she stumbled a few steps before finding her footing and skipping after him. As he walked her along the worn dirt path he couldn't help but think how perfect his hand felt in hers.
They walked for fifteen minutes, going deeper and deeper into the surrounding forest. There were no lights along the path and the trees appeared dark and threatening around them. Kagome let out a slight 'eek' when she heard some animal let out a low howl somewhere in the distance and grabbed onto Inuyasha's arm as if for life itself.
"Scared?" he asked with a smile, looking down to her arm that was securely wrapped around his.
"N-no," she mumbled, looking away to hide the blush that spread across her cheeks. 'Wait, it's dark, he probably couldn't see me blush anyway,' she thought, feeling stupid. She nearly tripped when Inuyasha came to an abrupt halt beside her, his feet planted firmly on the ground.
"Hop on," he said, looking ahead and not directly at her. She stared at him for a second, not really comprehending what he had said. "I said hop on," he reiterated, crouching down slightly.
'Does he actually want me to climb on his back?' she thought incredulously. "Are you serious? What if I hurt you?"
"I'm a hanyou, I've lifted way heavier than you," he growled slightly, getting irritated with her lack of movement.
"Uhm, okay," she whispered, placing her hands on his shoulders and pulling herself onto his back. She felt him straighten and she panicked, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing…tightly.
"Let go, let go!" he freaked, swinging his arms around madly. Kagome didn't know what was wrong at first, and squeezed tighter in fright. "Can't…breathe…" he managed to get out, trying to gently pry her arms off his neck.
"Oh!" she shouted, realization dawning on her. She quickly loosened her arms and immediately heard Inuyasha sucking in great amounts of air.
"Were you trying to kill me!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger at her as soon as his lungs were rejuvenated.
"Hey, you were the one who told me to climb on your back!" she retorted, sticking her tongue out at the back of his head.
"Yeah, I said climb on my back, not strangle me!"
"You moved too fast, I got scared!" she expected him to yell back at her, but paused when she heard him let out a quiet laugh. "What's so funny?"
"You thought that was fast? Me getting up?" his smirk grew larger even though he knew that she couldn't see it. He laughed again; "Hold on."
Before Kagome had the chance to say supercalifrajalisticexpealladocious, Inuyasha crouched down and took off through the woods. He was running just as fast as his motorcycle! Her arms reflexively tightened around his neck again, but this time she was mindful of his need for air. She clutched onto the fabric of his shirt, closing her eyes tightly.
"You scared?" he called over his shoulder, not slowing down for a moment. He deftly dodged the trees that jumped in his path as if they were nothing as he glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was okay, a smile playing on the corners of his lips.
Kagome looked up at the sound of his voice, cracking one eye open and then the other. She was startled by what she saw. The trees were zooming past them at enormous speeds, blurring into one massive black wall on either side. The sound of Inuyasha's feet beating against the ground hammered out a small rhythm in her ears as they rushed down the path.
The entire world seemed to fade away until she was left with just him and the wind against her face. There was no noisy motorcycle engine, no birds chirping in the trees—it was just her and Inuyasha, together.
When Kagome didn't answer him Inuyasha turned his head back to the path ahead of him. This was the perfect moment for him. The feeling of her molded against his back, her arms wrapped delicately around his neck, made him feel things he never felt before. He wanted to stop right there and kiss her until the sun rose, but he kept on running. If his calculations were correct, the lake was just up ahead.
After only seconds Inuyasha skidded to a halt on the bank of a very large lake. The waters were calm and stagnant, shining with the light given to it from the moon. In its reflection Mount Fuji stared up at them, a mirror image of the great volcano that overlooked the lake.
"Wow," Kagome whispered, again awestruck, as she climbed off of Inuyasha's back. If she thought the park was beautiful before, then she didn't know what to say now.
"That's Lake Yamanaka," Inuyasha told her, his eyes focused on the water.
"No way," she whispered, almost afraid that someone would hear her if she spoke too loudly. "Lake Yamanaka is like an hour's hike from the park."
And it was true. There were five lakes at the base of Mount Fuji, all of which were infamous for their beauty. Lakes Sai, Shoji, Motsu, Kawaguchi, and Yamanaka surrounded the sleeping volcano almost protectively. Lake Kawaguchi was the most accessible of the five lakes, resting along the large city of Fuji-Yoshida. The other four were deep in the woods, reachable only by trail.
'There's no way this could be Lake Yamanaka,' she thought. 'It would've taken us a lot longer to get here on foot.'
"I'm a hanyou, remember? I can run faster than you humans," he smirked proudly. "I seem to keep reminding you of that."
"I didn't forget, it's just that…" she trailed off when she realized that she really had nothing to say. She knew that he could run fast because she was on his back the entire time, but it was still unconceivable to her to be standing at the bank of Lake Yamanaka.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, as if reading her thoughts. She looked up at him and smiled at the dreamy expression on his face. He seemed so at home here.
"It really is," she smiled. "Inuyasha, I'm so glad you brought me here. It's…amazing."
He smiled at her then, one of those unpolluted smiles that made her heart sink. She felt herself smiling back at him on instinct alone, her jaw starting to hurt with the amount of smiling she had done that day.
"You know, I have no reason to be overly optimistic…but somehow when you smile like that I feel like I can brave bad weather," he said after a second of staring into her eyes.
She didn't know what to say. That was singularly the kindest thing someone's ever said to her before. She felt a swell of emotion rise up in the center of her heart, and her pulse began to beat faster than usual. She stared back up at him, the broadest smile on her face, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling his face closer to hers, she planted a soft, but incredibly loving, kiss on his lips.
I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has read this story. The reviewers, too. The idea that people are just READING this is amazing to me. Thanks.
