In the Beholders Eye

Written By Sarga

May/June 2006

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters, I'm just taking a theme and running with it...

Chapter 21: By the Dark of the Moon

The sun was high in the sky, its bright light breaking through the foliage of Kagome's and Inuyasha's shelter. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Kagome raised her hand to shield her vision from the penetrating rays. Her delicate hand, devoid of claws, caught her attention immediately.

Gasping loudly, Kagome pulled her disbelieving hands through her hair. Her black hair.

Shaking her pillow, Inuyasha, awake, her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"They've done it!" Kagome squealed in delight.

Inuyasha, still groggy from their slumber, blinked a few times before turning a curious gaze to her.

"Done what?" he muttered sleepily, not realizing the sun was at its full hight.

"They've broken the wish!" Kagome punctuated the remark with a tight hug. Purring, a little too loudly for his liking, Inuyasha returned her hug as the full extent of her statement sunk in.

With a mixture of relief and grief, Inuyasha was startled to find that he had been hoping, perhaps a little to much, that Kagome would be like him forever, would give him companionship in the years to come. Inuyasha stiffened at the realization.

Sensing his tension, and misreading it as concern, Kagome dropped her hold of him.

"We have to go find them!" The sudden worry flew off of her in waves. "They could be injured. Who knows what they had to go through to break the wish!" Kagome nearly fell from her perch as she shifted suddenly.

Grabbing her, Inuyasha felt her shiver as he pulled her flush to his chest. Holding her for a few moments longer than he had to, Inuyasha stood on the branch, pulling Kagome up with him. Relocating his grip to her waist, Inuyasha jumped down, gently laying her to the ground.

"Kagome," he whispered, looking deeply into her eyes. His golden eyes held hers, displaying the depths of his soul, his love, his desire, his guilt, his sense of loss.

Turning away suddenly, Inuyasha silently berated himself. 'She wants to go find our friends. She wants to thank them for restoring her to her former self. She didn't want to be a hanyou any more than I do." Inuyasha frowned as a thought graced his grieving mind. 'She'll want to go home for good. I've given her more than enough of a reason to never return...Why would she come back when her supposed protector goes around turning her into a half-demon?' Angry at himself for believing he could make her want to stay, Inuyasha stalked past a confused Kagome and headed back towards the village.

"Come on," he said coolly, trying his hardest not to betray his overwhelming sense of loss. "We'll have to tell Kaede that we're leaving."

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After saying their goodbyes to Kaede, Inuyasha and Kagome had traveled steadily during the afternoon and evening. Coming to a small village, they were able to secure a room in the home of an old woman who they had helped a few years before.

"Stupid new moon," Inuyasha huffed as the evening sun quickly faded. Sitting heavily on the floor like a scolded child, Inuyasha felt the change come over him.

Kagome watched with a sense of understanding that she had never been able to have before. She felt so much calmer now that she did not have the hot blood running through her, keeping her on edge. Just like the human Inuyasha.

"What are you looking at?" he asked nervously, looking away with embarrassment. While his hanyou form could easily beat back rogue emotions with anger, his human form was prone to them. Embarrassment, joy, sadness...love.

"I was just thinking," Kagome said gently, looking past Inuyasha and to a bundle of flowers on the room's only shelf.

There was a long pause.

Inuyasha shifted awkwardly. "About?" He mentally chided himself for his lack of control.

"About you, and what it's like to be a half demon." Kagome slid next to Inuyasha and rested her head on his shoulder.

Inuyasha could feel his heartbeat quicken. 'Traitor,' he thought as he took a deep, shaky breath. Lifting his arm, he delicately placed on Kagome's shoulder, squeezing her to him for a moment. Then, allowing his arm caress hers, he let her continue.

"Did I ever tell you about the dream I had? The first one I had when I was a half-demon?" she asked, nuzzling subconsciously into his shoulder.

"No," he whispered.

"Well, let's just say, it gave me some insight on what it feels like to be torn inside." Kagome placed a hand to Inuyasha's shoulder and snuggled closer, like she had in the tree those few days ago. "I...I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha tensed, his heart beating wildly. "Nothin' to be sorry about," he desperately tried to control the nervous shaking in his voice, making it crack.

Kagome pulled back, confusion on her face, as she looked deep into Inuyasha's brown eyes.

'I'm going to lose her!' The sudden thought overwhelmed his senses, making all of the fears that she would leave break to the surface of his thoughts. He felt his eyes water as a sense of urgency overtook him.

Grasping Kagome by both shoulders, he pulled her close and let all of his tears fall.

"Don't..." he sobbed. "Don't leave me!" Inuyasha's tears, hot and heavy, soaked Kagome's shoulder as she stroked his hair.

"Shh," Kagome whispered comfortingly. "I'm not going anywhere, Inuyasha. I'll always come back."

Inuyasha felt himself gain some control. As his tears slowly subsided, he became keenly aware of his position. Her scent, weaker to his human senses, was still intoxicating. He moaned longingly and almost imperceptibly grazed his teeth across her neck. His demon half would have been proud.

As he pulled away, he felt her breath hitch in her throat. Her hand raised to her neck and she looked with a mixture of fear and desire into Inuyasha eyes.

He saw the fear.

Standing roughly, he scowled and wordlessly left the room.

Kagome, confused by his sudden reversal from intimacy to anger, was too stunned to do anything. She cautiously fingered where she had felt his teeth on her neck, where Myoga had said the 'mating mark' should be. Kagome's eyes went wide.

'Could he...does he?"

She left the hopeful thought, it's answer too real for her to face. Changing quickly into her pajamas, Kagome slipped into her sleeping bag and closed her eyes and did the only thing she could think of.

Kagome slept.

End of Chapter

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- Sarga