Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Chapter Six
Inuyasha and Kagome: Face to Face
Kagome wasn't certain how she managed it, but she pulled the beaten, bruised and bloody body of the man out of the well. Dragging him out of the well house, she saw his face somewhat clearer in the twilight. She narrowed her eyes. The face structure was very similar to Takumi's, and she could see her boyfriend in front of her, if she imagined the man with short dark hair instead of long silver locks and...what were those on top of his head? Kagome leaned closer in the waning light, and reached a hand out to touch them. Soft, and fuzzy...just like dog ears. She furrowed her brow in confusion, but then the man moaned. So, he was alive. Better to get him inside the house then.
Plus, her side still ached, and she felt dizzy. At least that weird cold wind was gone. She dragged her body towards the house, hoping her family was relaxing in the back. Luck was with her, and she got the man inside without being seen. But now she faced the stairs. Kagome shrugged, knowing there was little else she could do. Gripping the man's shirt firmly, she yanked. Kagome decided it was a good thing the man seemed unconscious, as he was probably having a very uncomfortable ride up the stairs.
They made it though, and into her room. Her side finally stopped hurting, and her dizziness had subsided. Kagome then reached for the phone, gazing at the man on her bedroom floor.
"Takumi," she began as soon as she heard him pick up, "I'm so sorry, but we've got to cancel for tonight. I'm not feeling so well...I think the cake mama baked me had something funny in it."
"Aw, miko are you sure?" Takumi sounded really worried, making Kagome feel guilty. She would rather spend the last of her birthday with her boyfriend, and not this strange man, but something inside her drew her to the man.
"Yeah, I'm really sorry."
"Don't be, you can't help these things. Look, I'll swing by tomorrow to see how you're doing. We can make a rain date, you'll just have to wait a little bit longer for the best gift of all!" Laughter coated Takumi's voice, but Kagome caught the concern as well.
"I'm get better soon, I can't wait!" Kagome promised. "Bye Takumi."
"Get well my little miko," he responded. She hesitated hanging up. Things were going to change drastically the moment she did, and Kagome wanted to hang on to her little shred of peace for as long as possible. But a final click told her that Takumi hung up first. Kagome did as well. Then she looked at the mess of a man on her floor.
"Guess I better get you cleaned up," she sighed. She took off his outer clothes, admiring how soft the red fabric felt, despite being covered by blood. She tossed the clothes into a heap in her empty laundry basket, and then took off the bloodied white shirt. She dumped in the basket as well, then looked at the man. And gasped. His entire chest was one large bloody mess, gaping open in some areas. His arms were also covered in bloody lacerations.
"What happened to you?" Kagome whispered, her eyes wide with shock. What shocked her more was actually seeing the man's body working to fix itself. "How are you able to self heal?" Then Kagome was distracted as she realized she was going to have to take the man's pants off next. She sincerely hoped the man was wearing underwear.
"I suppose I don't have too, but...it would probably be worse for you..." Kagome sighed, closed her eyes, and took off the pants. Peeking with one eye, she was immensely relieved to see there was something resembling underwear on the man. Then both eyes opened wide, for the legs were also just as bruised and beaten up as the torso. It honestly looked like the man had dived off a cliff, fighting with a lawn mower, and seriously lost.
"What happened to you?" Kagome said for the second time, unable to comprehend this sort of serious injury. "I really should get you to some place like a hospital, but then...you're also healing yourself, and those ears..." Kagome contemplated the ears. So like dogs ears... She shook her head. Business first, then she could rub those ears. Her bedroom was connected to the bathroom, and she dragged the man through the door, and laid him beside the tub.
"It's not really the most dignified form of travel, but it works." Kagome ran the water, hoping no one would come to see what she was doing. Filling a basin with the warm water, she found a sponge and some soap, and set in to clean the man up.
About an hour later, the man was laying on her bed. He was clean, and his wounds were bandaged. In just that short time Kagome had seen some of the smaller cuts heal up and vanish, as if they had never been there. It was puzzling, but she knew it also had something to do with the ears. Just has Kagome reached for them, she heard her family coming up the stairs.
"Goodnight Kagome!" called her mother. Kagome hurried to her door, afraid to show her family who she was hiding in her room.
"Goodnight mama," she replied.
"What happened with Takumi, I thought he was coming back?"
"He called, something came up..." Kagome hated lying, but she wanted to find out about this man herself. She wasn't quite ready to share him yet. Her mother smiled.
"Well, perhaps tomorrow then. After all, no school!" Kagome smiled back weakly. She then said goodnight to her grandfather and brother, and watched as everyone went into their respective rooms. Heaving a sigh, she closed her door and faced the unknown man. Again. This time she walked towards him, and looked into his face.
"You look just like Takumi. Do you have violet eyes? Your hair is long and silver...but I can imagine it short and black. How are you able to heal so fast? How did you end up in the well? And what is with those ears?" Unable to contain herself, Kagome reached forward and rubbed the ears. They were soft, just like she imagined. But she pulled back with a start when she heard a contented sigh from the man. His face did not seem so haggard anymore, but almost...almost happy. Kagome shrugged, then got into her own pajamas. With the man on her bed, she snuggled into her desk chair. It was uncomfortable, but she watched the man until he fell asleep.
Inuyasha opened his eyes. It was late, he knew, because it was so dark out. Where was he? He started to moved, then stopped as his muscles screamed in agony. Then his heart screamed in agony as he remembered...Naraku...and Kikyou dying...and then Naraku had killed him. Wait. Hadn't he died? Was he in heaven? Inuyasha sniffed, trying to figure out where he was.
There was a strange smell in the air, something he couldn't place. There was also the familiar smell of trees, and grass. It also smelled like he was laying on flowers, but his fingers told him he wasn't. He sniffed the air one more time, and froze. A scent he remembered, something like water? No, more like the air right after a summer rain, clean and refreshing. Something pure and beautiful, soft and inviting. Inuyasha's gold eyes finally opened and he stared at his strange surroundings. But he stopped on a figure of a woman, black hair cascading over her shoulder as he slept. A figure he never expected to see again.
"Kikyou?" The word was whispered, but enough to rouse the girl from her shallow slumber. Blinking sleepily, she looked up, and into the eyes of the waking man.
"You're awake," she said, and Inuyasha's ears twitched. Her voice was too warm to be Kikyou's and her eyes weren't the right color. Plus her smell, though a little similar, was, at the same time, very different. "What's your name?"
"Inuyasha," the hanyou responded, though he didn't know why. The girl stood up and stretched, then walked over.
"You were really beat up. I tried to clean you up as much as possible. But you seemed to be healing by yourself as well. You might be fine in the morning." She smiled, a warm friendly smile.
"Why are you helping me?" Inuyasha asked, very confused. "And where am I?"
"I don't know why I'm helping you. It was weird, it was like something was telling me too. You're in Tokyo. On my family's shrine. I found you in our well."
"The well?" Inuyasha asked. "But that's where...wait, where's Kikyou?"
"I don't know. You were the only one there. Who is she?"
"I thought you were her...for a minute..." Kagome smiled at the confused man before her.
"No, I'm Kagome. But maybe we'll find her. Wait until the morning. Go back to sleep now." Inuyasha did not appreciate the attitude she was taking with him.
"Look, I'm not a little kid."
"No, but you need rest." Kagome settled down next to the bed, then reached up and started rubbing Inuyasha's ears.
"Stop that!" Inuyasha snapped, but it felt so good, so relaxing...and he was tired. It wasn't long before he fell asleep. But Kagome rubbed them long after.
The morning sun woke Inuyasha, and he blinked, again trying to remember all that had happened. It seemed like a dream until he looked down and saw the girl who looked like Kikyou, but wasn't. What was her name?
"Hey, wake up," Inuyasha mumbled. The girl started, then looked up sleepily.
"Oh yeah!" she said. "How're you feeling?"
"Feh, well enough to eat. I'm hungry." Her eyes opened in surprise, then she laughed. It seemed so foreign, laughter coming from a girl who looked like Kikyou. Inuyasha growled in distress, he didn't know how to handle these emotions. The girl stopped laughing at the growl.
"What are you?" she asked. Inuyasha looked at her strangely.
"You don't know?" She shook her head. "Well...I'm a hanyou. Half demon, half human. That's why I'm able to heal so quickly. But, I can't move without hurting, and I'm still hungry." Kagome giggled at that.
"Ok, I get the hint. Let me go get you something for breakfast."
"Make it fast miko," Inuyasha said as Kagome stood up. She started, and stared at him.
"What did you call me?"
"Miko..." Inuyasha's voice trailed off. She had said they were on a shrine, and he assumed she looked so much like Kikyou that she had to be a miko, or at least a priestess.
"Do I know you?" Kagome asked suspiciously. Not only did this guy resemble Takumi, but he called her the same nickname. Too uncanny.
"I don't think so," Inuyasha said. "But you remind me very much of someone..." Despite his efforts, Inuyasha felt his throat choke up, and he stopped speaking. In silence, the two regarded each other. Then, "Look, I'm still hungry, wench." Inuyasha thought the insult might break the girl from her suspicious stupor. He was right. Her face looked furious.
"What did you just call me?"
"Wench. Because you obviously didn't like miko. I've got to call you something."
"How about my name: Kagome!" the girl all but shrieked. Inuyasha was flabbergasted. This girl, though she looked like Kikyou, was absolutely nothing like her. Frustrated with the whole situation, Inuyasha attempted to rise. His clawed hands scratched the girl, and she gasped. He flopped back onto the bed, the pain unbearable.
"Are you trying to hurt me? After all I did for you?" Kagome asked, insulted. Without quite knowing what she was doing, she dove for her pile of gifts, and pulled out the necklace Ayumi had given her. "Here." She pulled it over Inuyasha's head. A strange feeling pulsed from it and Kagome yanked her hands back as though burned.
"Hey!" Inuyasha grabbed at the necklace and couldn't pull it off. Despite the pain, he tried to get up again.
"Sit boy," Kagome snapped, and Inuyasha thudded back into the bed. Both the girl and the hanyou looked at each other in stunned silence. Inuyasha was wondering about the girl – she obviously had miko powers. Kagome was wondering more why she had just done what she did. And how it had worked. And before much else could be done...
"Kagome! Breakfast!" called her mother.
"I'll be back for you in a minute," Kagome said as she broke out of her shock. "Don't move." She turned and flounced out of the room.
"And where would I go?" mumbled Inuyasha. He had no idea what to expect from the girl. Perhaps it was she who pulled in here? How had he survived Naraku's attack, anyway? Until the girl came back...there would be no answers. Inuyasha drifted to sleep again, thinking about how nice it had felt to have his ears rubbed again...
Author's Notes: Hm...decent. Not quite the way I wanted it to turn out, but it works. Ok, this story is going on hiatus for a month, it will be back in MAY! For the full explanation, visit my profile.
