There are, like, 2-3 other InuHime fics that exist that aren't linked to me. You should check them out. Maybe make a few.
Enjoy!
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Auburn Strands and Red Threads #14
One Week Later
Kagome Higurashi began to wonder about fate these days.
It was hard not to think about it whenever she visited the Feudal Era because this was not a luxury money or fame or luck could obtain. If it were not for Kagome being a reincarnation of the priestess Kikyo, Kagome would not be able to live the life she has today.
She would not be fated to certain people . . . The priestess Kikyo was also Inuyasha's first love, and he had made it very clear the two looked alike. Indeed, it was very hard to not think about fate, being dealt this hand in life.
Kagome didn't believe everything was left up to this elusive concept, but when it was, it was difficult to break from. It was because of this belief that she found it hard for her mind to break away from any thoughts relating to Inuyasha; it was difficult not to think about him when he was acting strange.
Well, in truth, she hadn't had the chance to see or speak to him as much as she would have liked. They hadn't been traveling for shards as often, so Kagome found herself going home more and more because Inuyasha was hardly around, and everyone kept trying to figure out why through her.
According to Sango, Inuyasha spent most of his time away from the group even when Kagome wasn't around. Guiltily, this made Kagome feel better because this was a good indication that she wasn't the reason he wasn't around them as often, but it troubled her to know he was doing this; it usually meant he was hiding something. Usually, it was emotional and could easily be fixed by opening up to someone, but that wasn't Inuyasha. For some reason, he still had trouble opening up to them, even though they've all been through so much together.
"Kagome?"
She looked up, meeting Sango's gaze.
"It's getting late. Are you sure you want to stay longer?"
"Ah . . ." Kagome looked towards the doorway. "I just . . . wanted to give Inuyasha the news before I go." It was already night, and she hadn't seen Inuyasha in days. Even when they would go searching for him, he wouldn't respond to their calls. She didn't understand where he could be all this time, and she didn't understand why he would want to be away from them for so long. Catching shards didn't happen as frequently as it used to, which was very odd because Inuyasha was the one who wanted them the most.
"You'll be here close to morning if that happens."
"Yeah," Shippo agreed. "If Inuyasha comes back at all, it's usually before we're even awake. Even then, he rushes off before the sun can fully rise."
"Oh . . ." Kagome tried not to show her disappointment. She wished some cellphone equivalent existed in this time period because how on earth did people not drive themselves crazy with not being able to contact someone in cases of emergencies? She didn't have an emergency, but what if Inuyasha did? What if that's why he's been acting so strange?
"We can pass on the news, if you like," Miroku offered.
"That's alright. I'll just give it a few more hours."
"Why must you tell him, Kagome?" Kaede asked. "If I were ye, I would not care to tell Inuyasha, given he has been removing himself of his own accord."
"Yeah!" Shippo sprouted into the air and sat himself on Kagome's shoulder, crossing his arms. "If you ask me, you're catering to him too much. It's good to make him worry."
"Well, look at you, Shippo," Sango laughed. "You're starting to sound like a woman."
"Am not!" He flushed. "I just think it's rude of him to think Kagome will always wait while he does whatever he wants."
"Go easy on him," Miroku defended, albeit uncomfortably. "I'm sure he has a . . . lot . . . going on."
Sango huffed. "You would stick up for him."
Miroku looked at her confused. "Is it bad to?"
"It feels like it. Inuyasha runs off, comes back without an explanation, and that's the cycle, yet lately you tell us to take it easy on him like we're acting strange. At what point does he let his friends know something is bothering him, unless there's nothing bothering him."
"Eh, well . . ." Miroku cleared his throat. "Please understand, my dear Sango . . ."
And that was another oddity, Kagome thought. As of late, it was typical for Miroku to defend Inuyasha in his absence. Kagome didn't mind it, no. There was just something . . . sketchy about it. Miroku and Inuyasha weren't particularly close, but it was changing . . . little by little. Was it paranoia to think their closeness started around the time Inuyasha started to disappear?
Which was after Inuyasha got knocked out by that demon . . . Did it center around that day?
Kirara perked up in Sango's lap, sniffing the air. She mewled a few times before standing.
Sango looked at her loyal companion. "What is it Kirara?"
"She's happy all of a sudden," Shippo commented. He looked out the door, frowning slightly.
Kagome studied him. "Shippo?"
Kirara jumped out of Sango's lap and rushed out the hut. Sango called after her, but was interrupted by a surprised yell.
"So, he has returned early," Kaede muttered.
Inuyasha walked into the hut, an affectionate Kirara rubbing against his legs. "What's up with her?" he asked the occupants.
"That's no way to greet your friends after being gone so long!" Shippo pouted. He scurried off Kagome's shoulder and over to Inuyasha, circling up his body until the fox demon was on Inuyasha's shoulder.
Inuyasha flinched. "What's up with you?"
"I don't know." Shippo glared at nothing before settling comfortably. "It's just very comfortable here."
"Uh . . ."
Everyone stared at this odd sight. Shippo was decidedly planted on Inuyasha's shoulder, huddling close to his face. Kirara wrapped herself around Inuyasha's foot, appearing pleased.
Miroku stifled a laugh. "Well, someone was missed."
"Yeah, yeah." Inuyasha walked (rather awkwardly) to take a seat against the wall behind Miroku and Kagome. Once settled, Kirara climbed into his lap, and Shippo scurried inside his jacket. Inuyasha glared at the two. "Is this a joke?"
"There's something comforting about you today." Shippo closed his eyes. "Not you but something about you."
Oddly, Inuyasha didn't protest. Instead, he crossed his arms and stared at everyone else. "What?"
"Inuyasha!" Kagome blurted. "Where have you been?"
He avoided her gaze. "Out . . ."
"You have been 'out' frequently," Kaede mentioned.
"Yeah, well . . . Yeah." Inuyasha shifted. "Look, I have something to ask all of you."
"Can it wait a moment?" Kagome said. "There's something I need to tell you."
He looked at her, uneasy and relieved at the same time. The relief perplexed her . . .
"My family will be going on vacation and-"
"What's a vacation?" Inuyasha interrupted.
"It's . . . when you take a few days or more to relax and go do fun things." She felt that answer was a bit inadequate, but she never had to explain it before. "Anyway, I'll be gone for a few days, so I can't help with finding the shards until I get back."
His eyes widened, as though a weight was just taken away. "Oh. So, these next few days you'll . . . ?"
"Be . . . gone," she nodded slowly.
"I see." He blinked, looking at his lap (past Kirara). He pulled the resting pair off of him, earning whines and protests, and stood up. "Miroku, I need to talk to you."
They all watched as the ever mysterious half-demon set Shippo and Kirara down and stalked outside the hut. Miroku sat awkwardly in his spot before coughing and standing as well.
"I wonder what he could want," he said formally. "I better go see what it is."
Sango's eyes squinted. "You two have been awfully close since that day."
Miroku paused in front of the door, looking back at her with a horrified expression. "What are you implying?"
"His 'bottled up desires' had to go somewhere, and ever since then the two of you have been running off together."
"S-S-Sango!" Miroku waved his arms around. "It's not what you think, I swear!"
"Yeah? Then what have you two been doing?"
"I-it's complicated. Inuyasha has problems, you know? We've just been-"
Inuyasha's arm shot through the doorway, grabbing Miroku's collar; a gleaming yellow eye could be seen out the door. "Come on, Miroku," Inuyasha hissed. "That hole in your face is leaking."
"Sango, this body is yours!" Miroku howled into the night.
Kagome laughed to herself. She had been feeling so somber, but Miroku always had a way of lightening the mood without meaning to. "Sango," she smiled, "you're not jealous, are you?"
Sango flushed. "Jealous of what?"
"Of Miroku hanging around Inuyasha so much. He's usually giving all his attention to you, right?"
"It's not like that." Sango feigned her composure. "Besides, Miroku can do whatever he wants." She gave a concerned glance to her friend. "What about you?"
"Me?"
"This . . . Inuyasha thing bothers you, doesn't it?"
"I . . . Well, I'm not sure. He used to open up to me, but now we rarely see each other. I'm starting to think the only thing that brought us together was the jewel shard, but we're rarely finding those these days."
"But you saw how he reacted when he heard you'd be leaving, didn't you?"
Kaede nodded, "He indeed held an expression rarely seen."
Kagome sighed. "He looked happy."
"He looked shocked," Sango insisted. "With the way he rushed Miroku out the door, I'm guessing it got to him."
"Meaning what?"
"I'm saying maybe the shards did bring you together, and maybe that's the only way Inuyasha can act normal around you: If you have something you can both strive for. With the lack of fighting we've been doing, I'm guessing he's had time to really think about his feelings."
Kagome felt the top of her head throb. "You mean . . . he's acting this way . . . because he doesn't know how to act around me when we're not out hunting?"
"Exactly."
"Think about it, Kagome," Kaede said warmly. "The way the two of ye met has to be fate. Yes, the jewel played a large role in it, but the bond shared between the both of ye runs much deeper, and Inuyasha can feel it as well. He has not felt such strong emotions in a very long time, and it did not end well for him the last go. It only makes sense that he be cautious this time around."
Could that be it? Inuyasha had a lot to learn when it came to expressing his emotions, but was he just now taking the chance to figure himself out? Was he conflicted with the feelings budding between them? It must be confusing to balance the fate of the world and a growing love life . . . but did he have to distance himself?
"Maybe you're right," Kagome finally said. "I just wish he'd turn to me instead."
Sango smiled sympathetically. "Don't worry too much. Instead," she looked over at Shippo and Kirara, who were cuddling each other in the spot where Inuyasha had sat, "we should worry about them. That . . . That is just not normal."
"I don't know." Kagome shrugged. "It's kind of cute."
"No, that is very cute, but the way they've been acting since Inuyasha's arrival is very . . . unsettling."
"Wherever Inuyasha returned from," Kaede said, "he encountered a great deal of positive energy demons crave."
"Where would that be?" Sango asked.
"I have not the answer for that."
Kagome found herself lost in thought. If Inuyasha was surrounding himself with positive energy, where would he go to do that?
o0o0o
On a path between the many rice patties, far enough from the hut, Miroku gaped at Inuyasha. He heard what the half-demon said, paid attention to every hesitant word, but that is why Miroku's mouth hung open, his eyes widened, and a great deal of his weight was supported by his staff.
Inuyasha waited, unusually calm.
The monk shook his head, blinking a few times. "Here?"
Inuyasha nodded.
"As in," Miroku gestured to all around him, "here?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"A few days." Inuyasha paused. "Depends."
Miroku slid a hand through his hair. "Wow. Okay . . . Wow."
The monk didn't know why this was throwing him for a loop. It shouldn't be such a big deal. If Inuyasha wanted to . . . bring . . . that girl from Kagome's time here, then that was his choice. It's not like Inuyasha knew Kagome would be absent when he decided this, so this wasn't a despicable act.
But . . . this was a girl that had feelings for Inuyasha—cooking for him, for goodness' sake!—and Inuyasha had at least accepted those feelings to some extent. He kept running back to her, at the very least. Even if all that wasn't a factor, to invite a girl here at all was a bit insensitive to Kagome, wasn't it? Unless somehow, some way Kagome and Inuyasha are actually just friends?
No, Miroku refused to think his observation skills were that off.
Maybe Inuyasha and this new girl were actually just friends? But this new girl cooked dinner for him . . . And Inuyasha had only mentioned her to Miroku so far when he could have told everyone else by now . . . instead of sneaking off all the time . . .
This was wrong . . . but it was accidentally wrong. Or maybe coincidentally wrong. This had all started because Inuyasha followed a demon into Kagome's time. Who would've guessed he'd meet someone who would catch his interest? And why was Inuyasha telling Miroku he was bringing this new girl, anyway? What did Miroku have to cover for now?
The monk took a few deep breaths. "Alright. Fine. But Inuyasha-"
"I want you to meet her."
"What?!" Miroku hid behind his staff, utterly floored. "Is this a trap?"
"Don't give me that! You're the one who suggested it first!"
"When?!"
"When you asked to meet her some time!"
"I didn't think you'd take me seriously!" Miroku stumbled over words before he could form sentences again. "You were so against it anyway!"
"Well, now I'm not!" Inuyasha huffed, turning away. "Besides, she . . . She's looking forward to it. We've been talking about it, and . . . Eventually, she'll meet everyone, but you're first."
"So, you've been running off all this time to . . . talk?"
Inuyasha frowned at him. "Yeah."
"You've, well, you've just been spending a lot of time with Ori . . . hime?"
Inuyasha nodded.
"You've been spending a lot of time with Orihime ever since you went to go save her from something. I don't even know what you're really up to these days."
"Really up to," Inuyasha scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm not up to anything, I'm just . . . I still feel indebted to her for healing me when we first met, and I haven't repaid her yet. That's kind of a big task, and that society will probably pop back up soon."
Miroku laughed, dry. "You're full of it."
Inuyasha crossed his arms, turning his head away. "Well, I wasn't askin' ya for what you think, was I? I was tellin' ya she's coming here and you're meeting her."
"Why just me?" Miroku felt heavy just thinking of Sango's and Kagome's glares. "Can't it wait until we're all able to?"
"No, Miroku, it took this long to convince her, and she may take it back."
"Why is this so important to you?"
Inuyasha looked at him, defensiveness in his glare. Inuyasha looked away again and huffed. "Are you gonna meet her or not?"
Miroku relaxed, physically. It was odd to explain how he was actually enjoying the way he and Inuyasha seemed to be getting closer. True, Miroku would have preferred Inuyasha had found anything else to stress over, but Miroku felt as though he were helping his friend.
Or rather . . .
Inuyasha was showing different sides of himself that Miroku found relatable, and it was nice to actually have another man to connect with on any level. A lot of men didn't like Miroku that much. It was a mystery.
Mentally, however, Miroku didn't know how wound up he should feel. Inuyasha was becoming less troubled, but Kagome was becoming more troubled. Inuyasha was finding happiness while Kagome only found emotional conflict. Maybe this said something about those two. Maybe they weren't meant to be together. Maybe Kagome was supposed to be with someone from her time, but what about Inuyasha? Why was he so drawn to that time?
Miroku didn't like to think about this (mainly because it hurt his head), but how was Inuyasha's soul mate living in a time where everyone from this world no longer lived? If Kagome never traveled to this time . . . Well, Inuyasha wouldn't have to worry about having a soul mate because he would still be trapped to the tree, but this was all very bizarre.
Girls across time were bizarre.
Or maybe Miroku was trying to justify his own actions . . .
Miroku swallowed; there was no way he could sort through these thoughts. "I . . . can't wait to meet her."
Four Days Later
"I don't think I can meet them."
Orihime stood in Kisuke's kitchen as he prepared himself coffee. It's been over a week since she returned from the Soul Society, and he was pleased to discover his relationship with her was becoming stronger. They had been eating dinner together like usual, and she started to get to know Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu better. Yoruichi even joined a few times.
Still, he was surprised to see her at his door step two hours before she would need to be at school. Well, he woke up when he sensed her coming, and that was something that never happened before, but he could hardly complain. The fact that she came to him when she had a problem warmed his heart; he just couldn't show it when he was so tired.
"So," Kisuke yawned, leaning on the counter near the coffee pot, "you're going to visit Mr. Ears . . . in the past?"
She nodded. "Feudal Japan."
"Right," he droned. "I don't think I follow. You're going into the past?"
She nodded.
"As in, time travel."
"I . . . Yes?"
"So, Mr. Ears lived centuries and centuries ago, but is somehow able to come to the present, and you're going to his time because of . . . some reason both of you agreed upon."
"R-right."
He shook his head, running his hand through his hatless hair. "I don't get it, but I guess I believe you, what with the Soul Society being a place to travel." He looked at her, trying to focus. "Though, I'm confused why you're doing this in the first place."
"He . . . wanted me to see what it's like."
"Okay, that explains why he wants you to go, but why are you deciding to go?"
Orihime hesitated. She twisted her hair as she looked around the room briefly. "I don't really know. We've been talking every night, and I guess I got . . . curious?"
Kisuke nodded, letting her words process. "How long do you stay on the phone?"
Orihime laughed. "No, we talk in person. He comes to visit, and we just talk for a few hours." She blushed, looking at Kisuke guiltily. "We stay up late sometimes, but I always finish my homework."
"Does he stay the night?"
"No!" Orihime covered her face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell . . . but no. We're just friends."
"Who stay up late sometimes and talk in person."
"That's not weird."
"No, of course." Kisuke covered his mouth as he yawned, smirking "You just haven't mentioned it. Mysterious."
Orihime blinked a bit too much.
"And now he wants you to meet the family?" Kisuke grinned lazily. "What a guy."
Orihime pursed her lips, fiddling with her hand bag. "Are you implying that he and I are d-dating?"
"That depends. Are you insisting that you aren't?"
"We aren't!" Orihime reddened, pressing her lips together when she realized she was being far too loud. "He's just a friend," she mumbled. "Besides, I . . . I like Kurosaki-kun."
Kisuke turned momentarily and groggily tried to turn the beeping from the coffee maker off. He had nearly forgotten Orihime liked Ichigo. She liked him in every go-around, but this was the first time in a very long time they were able to talk about it. He wondered if she kept secrets like this back then, too. He poured himself a cup of coffee and turned back to her.
"So," he said as he slowly twirled his mug in circles, "how is Ichigo anyway? He didn't come visit me after he came back."
"Um," Orihime tilted her head to the side, "I'm not sure. We haven't had time to talk."
"Doesn't he visit you?"
Her blushed deepened. "Of course not. He only comes over if I ask him to."
Kisuke sipped from his mug as he regarded her with sleepy eyes. "You ask him over often?"
Orihime blanched; her bag almost slipped from her fingers as she stared back at the man in front of her. "You're awfully . . . suggestive . . . early in the morning." She coughed.
"I'm really not," he muttered into his mug. "Boys are just dangerous." He paused, taking another sip. "I used to be one."
Even as she witnessed Kisuke's less coddling side, she couldn't help but give a small smile at how he could express all aspects of himself in front of her—no matter how forward he may be. "You turned out well."
He paused, mug to his mouth, and tried to decipher how serious she was being.
Kisuke was not well.
He was very far from being well.
If he was well, he would have let people stay dead many, many lifetimes ago. The first two or three tries would make sense—anyone would give life one more shot if saving a life was possible—but he was practically addicted to starting over. The instinct to end a bad situation before it even started was always at the front of his mind . . . but that's why Yoruichi was so amazing. She was his voice of reason when something as small as an illness sent him into a panic attack.
No, Kisuke was definitely not well, but maybe he wasn't at fault either.
The shopkeeper shook his head, setting his cup down. He rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands and groaned. "Thanks, I guess I have you two to thank for that."
"Who?"
He shook his head and looked at the clock. "You still have over an hour before you go to school. Aren't you tired?"
She shrugged, forcing a smile. "Not really. I was going to go to school early."
"And do what? I doubt very many people would be there."
"True, but it gives me time to think."
"If it's about Mr. Ears, then don't think too hard. You want to go, and he wants you to go. If judging by the way you guys," he paused, smirking, "sleep together amounts to anything, I say he'd protect you from anything resembling danger."
"Kisuke . . ." Orihime bit the corner of her lip. "You're kind of a . . ." she smiled despite herself, "a pervert."
o0o0o
Fifteen minutes later, Kisuke couldn't keep her from leaving. She was determined to have some time to herself, and he had to respect that.
As he closed the door, his mind finally started to function just a bit. He stood with his back slumped against the door and pieced together this morning's conversation. This time around held quite a few surprises. Not only had Orihime managed to live to her fifteenth birthday, but she made a new friend from another dimension. Or maybe the past. He didn't fully understand, but this was definitely a change.
"Hm," he mused, staring at the ground. "Feudal Japan, huh?"
He stared at the wall, letting his mind process.
And he stared.
And he frowned.
His eyebrows furrowed, eyes widening. "The Warring States Era?"
That Afternoon
Kagome sighed.
It was the beginning of the weekend and her week long vacation. This wasn't a school approved vacation; her mother had a whim to just . . . travel away from Tokyo. Kagome had the option to stay at home (which meant she'd be with Inuyasha and the others), but she wanted to get away, too. She wanted to remember what the modern world felt like and all there was to offer.
She also . . . wanted to see if Inuyasha would miss her.
She felt foolish for resulting to something so juvenile to possibly find out if he cared.
She sighed again as she walked down the streets of this . . . side of town. She didn't remember the name, but she noted it wasn't all that different from where she lived. Maybe there were more parks and small shops, but that was about it.
The rest of her family preoccupied themselves with settling into a nearby hotel, so Kagome didn't feel comfortable thinking there; the only other option she had was to get out and walk, but now this was proving to be no better than staying. She shut her eyes for a moment and sighed.
"Maybe I should have just-" Kagome yelled in pain as she collided into someone. She fell on her back, clutching her forehead, legs twitching, as nauseating waves of pain swarmed her. "Ow . . ."
"I am so sorry!" someone—a girl—apologized. "Can you stand?!"
"I'm fine," Kagome tried to assure, but it was difficult. She knew she collided into someone's head, but it had felt impossibly hard.
"I wasn't paying attention to where I was going!" The girl was next to her now, kneeling over her. "I was so lost in thought that I didn't see you coming and . . ."
Kagome willed her eyes open as the girl next to her continued her rant. She blinked, but couldn't see that well. This unnerved her because all she did was run into another person's head. Moreover, why wasn't this person as hurt as she was? What the heck made her head so dense?
". . . should have thought about leaving the house at all, but he said he wanted me to see where he-"
"It's okay." Kagome tried her best to smile. "Accidents happen."
"Are you sure?"
When her vision focused, Kagome found herself staring at a girl about her age who was still dressed in a school uniform. The local high school must have just gotten out. Then Kagome noticed this girl was unbelievably pretty. Her skin was virtually flawless, and her eyes were round, innocent, glimmering. Never had she seen someone in Japan with grey eyes, but what stood out the most was the girl's long, fiery orange hair.
Kagome had to blink for a moment. "Yeah." She climbed to her feet. "I'm fine, really."
When they were both standing, Kagome took note she was an inch or two taller than this girl, and this girl . . . had an impressive bust. It was almost offensive. Was she really Japanese? Her features strongly suggested otherwise.
"Are you sure you're okay?" the girl asked again.
"You're being too nice." Kagome earnestly smiled. It's been a while since she's seen anyone this concerned for a stranger. "It was just a bonk on the head."
The girl smiled—beamed, really. "I've been told I have a hard head." She knocked on her cranium for emphasis. "Well, I didn't mean to keep you for so long."
"It's alright. I wasn't doing anything important anyway. You just got out of school, right?"
The girl nodded. "Um . . . you didn't?"
"I would have, if I had been at school. I'm not from around here."
"Oh! Are you on vacation or something?"
"Yeah. Sometimes you need to get away from the big city."
"Are you from Tokyo?"
"I am. I have to say, this town gives me the comfort of being at home without all the noise."
"That's Karakura Town alright! I've never been anywhere else but here, but I'm sure it's the best place in Japan."
Kagome laughed. "There's one place in Japan that's worth seeing, but it's not easy to get there. Oh, but let me not keep you. You must want to get home and relax."
The girl jumped. "I do need to get ready for tonight. Well, if we see each other again, I'll show you around some time." She turned and walked the other way. "Bye!"
Kagome waved slightly. That girl made her think of her own friends—her modern day friends. She hadn't had time to properly hang out with them despite being home more, nor did she have a chance to contact them for nearly a week outside of class. Kagome's mom was happy she was home more, and she took the opportunity to have more involved family nights. It was unbelievably not as bad as Kagome thought it would be. They cooked together, went out to eat, went to the movies, had game nights, and more, and it was relaxing especially after school.
There was a time when she could balance her two lives quite well, but with her shaky standing with Inuyasha, Kagome found herself trying to further establish a relationship with him than maintaining the ones she already had. The thought made her . . . remarkably sad.
She walked again; she never thought she'd be the type to put a guy before her friends, and she honestly didn't know how or when she got into this situation, but Inuyasha was different. She was sure he was different because never had a guy made her want to put her friends on the back burner. Deep down, she knew this must be her first real exposure to intense emotions, but, again, she was reminded she did not meet this boy under normal circumstances.
If she were anybody else, she would never have met him, so this had to be it. This had to be the love many wished to obtain but could never reach. She had heard the myths behind the Red String of Fate, and she started to believe it was not just a myth.
Inuyasha . . .
Inuyasha had to be destined for her.
She had to be destined for him.
She was born long after Inuyasha's time period ended, and he was not able to find love then. Her family's well connected across time, so that could only mean she was the one he was truly supposed to be with.
Even with this in mind, she felt like she was losing him. No matter what anyone else said, she was losing Inuyasha, and she didn't know why or to who.
She cringed internally. When she was feeling really down or confused, she thought maybe she was simply needed to free Inuyasha so he could live once again. Nothing more. This meant . . . maybe they were destined to meet . . .
. . . but not destined to be together.
Kagome stopped to lean against the wall of a nearby bakery. She inhaled and exhaled steadily as the pain in her chest tried to grow, trying to burn her further. She shut her eyes, hands pressed against the hard surface of the building, and tilted her head down.
This was ridiculous.
Thoughts shouldn't rattle her this much. Thoughts of Inuyasha being with anyone but her shouldn't bother her this much, but it did.
This whole situation bothered her.
She didn't want to be here; she wanted to be in the Feudal Era. She was tired of not seeing Inuyasha. She was tired of giving him time to think things over on his own. Maybe he needed time to himself, but they could figure things out together. She didn't want to be apart from him anymore . . . She wanted him . . . All of him . . .
"Inuyasha," she groaned quietly. She found herself squatting against the building, but didn't care how she looked to people. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and stared at her legs. She wished she could talk about this issue in detail with her friends, but they wouldn't understand. Sango and Kaede were the only other people she could turn to, but they were advocates when it came to a more aloof approach with him. She groaned again, sinking deeper into herself.
"Uh, excuse me?"
Kagome looked up. In front of her was a boy in a familiar looking high school uniform. His expression was stern (a feature that instantly made her think of someone else), but it was slightly masked with confusion.
"Are you okay?"
Kagome stared for a moment. He was the second person she's seen with orange hair today.
When evening began to fall, Orihime sat idly on her sofa. Her nerves had caused her to make Kisuke's dinner as soon as she got home, so she decided to deliver it as soon as she was done. She enjoyed a rowdy afternoon with him and the other occupants of his home, and she had only arrived at her home an hour ago.
The weekend started today . . . which meant Inuyasha would be here soon to take her . . . there.
She would be going to another time to meet Inuyasha's friends . . .
Judging by what she learned in school about that time period . . . she knew there would be many things she wouldn't know how to take in. Inuyasha just described the era as having no concrete or tall buildings, and everywhere a person looked would be trees and tall grass.
Then she began to wonder what kind of friends Inuyasha would make. Were they like him? Were they complete opposites? Would she meet the Kagome person she heard about? To be honest, she wanted to meet her the most. Inuyasha claimed they were friends, but she suspected they were more than just that.
Orihime grinned at the thought.
Looks like they both had someone who caught their interest. She only wished . . . Ichigo and Inuyasha met under better conditions.
Inuyasha and Orihime didn't really talk about their friends in depth, and Orihime didn't push the issue because she would feel obligated to bring up Ichigo because he is her friend, but she didn't want Inuyasha reacting negatively to him. She felt the best way for the two to meet would be after some time had passed, but concealing the fact still felt . . . wrong.
o0o0o
Thirty minutes passed when the anxiety really started to set in. She didn't know Inuyasha very well. Yes, he's been visiting her every night, and they talked for hours on end, but should she really be going to the past with someone who's new to her life?
Maybe not . . .
And what would his friends think of her anyway? Would they be able to tell she was from a different time period? Would it be alright if she continued to meet people from the past? Why did Inuyasha want her to meet his friends anyway? Maybe the two of them were closer than she had thought . . . but still.
Still . . .
She wished she and Inuyasha could have a few more nights to talk like they have been . . .
She sighed. Her hand smoothly ran across her pocket. She was accustomed to carrying her pins around again but only when she wasn't in school. Maybe just for tonight she could . . .
A thump came from outside her door. She stood, a response reaction, and walked to stand in front of it for a few moments. She placed her hand on the knob, slowly turning it, and opened it by a crack.
Inuyasha stood on the other side, his eyes snapping down to meet hers.
She didn't know what froze her, and there was no telling what froze him, but both parties stood in their respective spots. She felt her skin come alive with tingles and shocks. It was bizarre.
After whatever she felt passed, she opened the door and stood in full view of him. He blinked, shaking his head.
"Hey," he greeted.
"Hi," she responded, a nervous smile forcing itself on her lips.
He shifted, averting his gaze a few times. "Do you still want to do this? You asked a lot of questions but didn't really . . . say much about it."
"No, I want to," she assured, though her emotions recoiled at the idea. "I'm very eager to see where you come from and to meet your friends."
"You sure?"
She nodded, stepping outside and closing the door behind her. She was going to verbally agree to him, but he was very close.
She was very close.
With the door closed, her back was against it and Inuyasha's body heat was engulfing her. There wasn't a hint of doubt in her mind that told her this was anything to get nervous about, but when she looked up at him, locked gazes with him, she would have sworn a jolt went right through both their bodies, and her heart was soon pounding with adrenaline and anticipation. Inuyasha's expression was thoughtful yet troubled at the same time.
This happened sometimes. Sometimes their eyes would meet and things felt . . . different. She wasn't sure in what way.
She slowly pressed her back more into the hard surface behind her and took a few deep breaths. "Is something wrong?" she whispered. The quivers in her voice went unnoticed.
". . . No," he replied. His voice was low, like she should be the only one to hear.
A warm feeling blossomed throughout her, which caused her to suppress shivers. She didn't know what was going on. Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a step back. Orihime relaxed, legs shaky, as her guest turned to look at the rooftops.
He gave her a small smile. "Are you ready?"
She nodded, summoning that cheerful nature that came to her so easily. To her surprise, Inuyasha scooped her into his arms and immediately jumped onto the nearest roof and leapt through the night.
"I forgot you do this," she squeaked, clutching onto his clothing.
He smirked. "Have you seen me do anything else?"
She laughed as she watched the world pass around her. She couldn't look in front of her without the air stinging her eyes, so she settled with looking directly across from her. Vaguely, she wondered if she could learn to run this fast.
o0o0o
When they finally stopped, they came upon a house. No lights were on, so maybe it was abandoned. Inuyasha took them to a shrine in the back and set Orihime on her feet in front of the old doors. She anxiously watched as he pushed them open and let her in.
"This place has a lot of character," she observed.
"Character?" Inuyasha shut the doors and started down the stairs. "If you're sayin' it's old, then I ain't disagreein'."
Orihime eyed the open well they were headed towards. Was that it? He said more than once a well was the reason he could time travel, but it wasn't guarded. It had been left wide open.
The two stopped in front of it. Orihime peered in; it was dark, so she couldn't see the bottom, but it felt like a regular well.
She looked at Inuyasha and was confused as to why he was frowning into it.
Was she going to be able to pass? Inuyasha didn't know. He didn't think about it until now. He huffed, looking over at her. She was already giving him a questioning look, but he couldn't force himself to inquire about it.
"You know," he said, "it's gonna be a lot different there."
"I was betting on it." She grinned, placing her hands on the edge of the well and peering down. "Um, we're not trespassing on someone's property, are we?"
His eyebrows scrunched. "What's that?"
"Like . . . It's okay if we just come in here? It looks like someone might own this place."
Inuyasha snorted, understanding her meaning. "It's fine. Just . . . stay close to me."
Orihime walked next to him, pressing her body against his, and clutched his clothes.
"Y-yeah. Like that."
He wrapped an arm around her waist and jumped into the well. Orihime's grip on him tightened as they descended, transcending into the weightless dimension of lights. Inuyasha looked at Orihime; her eyes were closed, and her head was firmly pressed against his shoulder. He loosened his grip on her, causing her eyes to flash open, and gently guided her in front of him while keeping a hold on her hand. She looked around, eyes reflecting the bright lights. She was shocked, but her expression soon changed to utter amazement. She smiled, twisting her body as best she could to look around.
As he suspected, Orihime looked breath-taking. Her hair swirled around her; her very being radiated. She was very beautiful. Almost . . . too beautiful.
Pretty faces will be the death of him.
Inuyasha felt gravity coming into play again and soon the lights began to dim. He looked away from Orihime as their feet made contact with the ground.
"Wow," she breathed, "Inuyasha, that was-!"
He pulled the girl to his chest, crouching, and kicked his legs off the ground. The two went soaring through the well and burst into the open air.
He wouldn't admit it out loud, but his sudden actions were just a way to feel her clutch him again.
When they landed, he let her go so she could get her bearings. Orihime let everything soak in, staring at every possible thing. The moon had risen, so Inuyasha wasn't sure what she looked so fascinated about.
"There are so many trees!" the girl gaped. "And look at this grass!" She bent down, running her fingers through the natural carpet. "It's so long and smooth!" She gasped, running over to the well and leaning into it.
"What are you-?"
"We came out of here!" She leaned in farther. It made Inuyasha uncomfortable.
"Uh, Orihime?"
"Yes?" She looked back at him.
"I have . . . a friend waiting, so-"
"Right!" She stood straight, jumping into place. "I'm sorry. This is all better than I expected. This isn't how the textbooks described Feudal Japan at all."
"Are you talking about school?"
"Uh-huh." The two began walking.
"What's so great about school? Doesn't sound like somethin' that's worth goin' to."
"Well, it's kind of complicated . . ."
Miroku stood impatiently in the clearing Inuyasha had picked out.
Well, he wasn't all that impatient.
He was torn between wanting to get this over with so his anxiety would go away and hoping something would prevent this from ever happening. He didn't want to get in a situation that would surely become an issue in the future, but he was also very interested in the fact that Inuyasha had managed to find another girl to fall for him.
He hummed to himself, thinking.
This girl fell for him, right? Inuyasha never actually said that, but that was a situation bound to happen, as well.
The monk paced back and forth in the moon-lit field, occasionally looking into the forest when his mind told him someone was approaching. His stomach bubbled as he finally took in all that was going to happen.
After tonight, he would always know where Inuyasha was when he wasn't with them; he would know without a doubt why Inuyasha would be acting strange. When Kagome asked where Inuyasha was, Miroku would be lying about his whereabouts. Miroku knew meeting this girl would officially take away any veil of ignorance he's been hiding under. He would be able to put a face to the person that has all of Inuyasha's time. Miroku could back out now and refuse to ever get involved again . . . but . . .
"I can't," he groaned. "This is such a pain."
"A major pain."
"A festering pain."
"It kinda stings."
"It really- WHAT?!" Miroku jumped, body freezing awkwardly, and looked at his shoulder. "Shippo, what are you doing here?!"
Shippo sat with his arm's crossed. The mini demon looked at his friend dispassionately. "I could ask you the same thing. First Inuyasha acts strange, and now you. What are you guys up to?"
"I-it's nothing, Shippo. Go back to Kaede's, okay? You can't leave the women all by themselves."
"It's okay," he dismissed. "Kirara is keeping watch. She wanted to come, too, but then that'd look suspicious."
"Won't they think it's suspicious that you left anyway?"
"How could they?" Shippo tilted his head away, appearing conversational. "Like you, I snuck off when they fell asleep."
"Can't we talk about this later? I have . . . things . . . going on."
"And I want to know what. We haven't been a very good team lately, and it's about time we start it up again."
"Shippo, things are more complicated than that."
"No!" Shippo glared at the monk. "I'm tired of acting like things are okay when they're not! Why is Inuyasha gone all the time, and why are you acting strange, too?!"
"Shippo, this isn't the time-!"
The child was about to protest when something caught his eye. He jumped, becoming more relieved than expected. "Inuyasha!"
Miroku's head snapped toward the forest.
Inuyasha emerged. When the half demon spotted the two, he halted.
"Why'd he stop?" Shippo asked aloud.
"I'm . . . not sure."
They saw Inuyasha give them troubled looks before he turned and said something to . . . something behind him. Before either of them could vocalize more questions, Inuyasha guided someone next to him.
Both Miroku and Shippo were speechless.