The Stray
Summary: A fire takes the lives of the Kikumaru family, save one son who had stayed late for practice. The death of his family leaves Eiji distraught, running from the nightmare. Lifeless eyes draw in a young girl who ends up taking him in and unknowingly saves his life.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha/Prince of Tennis
Pairing: Eiji/Kagome
Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Rated: M for Mature Content
-x-x-x-
In the sun's early rays, there was silence. Living atop a mountain had its perks; she got the best view in all of Japan. 'He ran far,' she looked down at the city and the orange glow over the horizon. The chill in the air was one she'd grown all too familiar with. In her hands, a steaming cup of hot chamomile tea, its aroma floating around her in an endless waltz with the morning breeze. Her ears perked at the sound of footsteps from behind her; she smiled sadly. "Morning, I hope you slept well."
"...hai."
Standing, the shawl she'd had draped over her shoulder fell with the motion, and she turned to face the tearful redhead. Walking over to him, her hand moved on its own as she brought it up to his cheek. They were damp with the tears he'd been crying once again. He'd started crying last night in his sleep too. Moving closer to him, she brought her arm around his shoulder and let him rest his head against her shoulder as he cried once more in her arms. This, for now, this was all she could do for him.
-x-x-x-
Ryoma was walking to school, his eyes dull and sleep-deprived. When he arrived at school, he saw that his eyes weren't the only ones that appeared to be straining to stay open.
"Ryoma, are you okay?"
Turning, Ryoma looked curiously up at Shuusuke. "Me?" He shook his head, "it's not me you should be worried about. Eiji had nowhere to go last night. His home is gone, and so is he."
"Don't worry about Eiji. He would be annoyed if any of us got sick because of him. So, take care of yourself, and when he comes back, we will be here for him."
Hearing Shuusuke say this, Ryoma wanted to yell, scream, fight! He really would have punched Shuusuke...if not for the dull look in his Senpai's eyes. It wasn't just him. Ryoma knew this was hurting everyone, he knew, but he had for a moment felt alone in his anguish. Moving over to Shuusuke, he brought his hand to his Senpai's arm, and the older student smiled brokenly down at him. The two walked in silence to the tennis courts. In times like this, they'd play it out. After school, they would go out and look for Eiji once more. Together as a team, they would search for him.
-x-x-x-
Fingers trailed through red hair as she watched the sway of trees around her. Settled on the ground with her back to a tree, lying on the ground beside her was the boy Kagome had taken in. His head was resting in her lap. She glanced down curiously at him as she thought over the fact that she still didn't have his name. Smiling, she noted his eyes were open and staring ahead at a patch of swaying flowers. For now, there was little light in his eyes. She desperately hoped that would change, though.
"Almost a year has passed," she spoke softly so as not to surprise him. "I lost a large number of family members...two sisters, three brothers, and my son." She let her hand fall away from his hair as he rolled over and stared up at her. She looked to the flowers across from them. She thought about Rin. 'She must have grown up well with Sesshoumaru's guidance.'
She felt warmth touch along her cheek, not realizing that she'd started crying. The warm fingers on her cheek brushed the tears away, and she glanced down to see stray tears had fallen and touched down along the boy's cheek. Gravity had betrayed her once again.
"They were killed in front of me, and I couldn't do anything to save them. Sango, Ayame, Kouga, Inuyasha, Miroku, and Shippou... there were others too. Kikyou, Kaede, Kohaku, Ginta, and Hakkaku. When I came home, after seeing so many friends die that I considered family...I left my home; my mom, my brother, and grandfather, they are still alive. It just hurt to be there. Being happy, felt almost as if I were betraying those who died. Do I have a right to be happy? Am I allowed to be? Sango and Miroku were going to get married. By now, they certainly would have had a child or two on the way."
More tears burned a path along her cheek, and no longer was she aware of the eyes watching her; the look of stunned understanding and broken sympathy. She closed her eyes to the world around her as she imagined Sango in a wedding Kimono. Images of a small little girl running around between Miroku and Sango as Sango held a baby boy strapped to her back.
"Ayame and Kouga were another who would have ended up together sooner or later. Ayame was determined to marry Kouga, even though he acted as though he wasn't interested. He only had eyes for her. Shippou...he was only a... little boy." By now, she was shaking. Her head dropped as she continued to cry, her sobs were broken and heavy with the wears of her emotions. "He was just a kid. Why was he there? Why did he die!? I was useless; I couldn't save anyone of them! I couldn't save―!" Her eyes widened. '...' she felt the warm and strong arms that were wrapped around her shoulders.
She felt the tears running down her neck and shoulder; it wasn't just her tears anymore. She listened to the boy holding her. Silently, she wondered when the last time was that she'd cried for her friends was. She brought a hand to the back of the boy. She felt safe. It was a strange feeling; she'd felt at peace since she'd come to stay atop the mountainside, but never had she felt safe. Not since the battle five hundred years ago, she hadn't.
"I'm sorry,"
He shook his head. Pulling away, his eyes no longer held the dull, lifeless look in them that they had a moment ago. "Don't apologize. Mama always told me that its healthy to cry when you need to cry. Holding it in, it hurts your heart."
Kagome watched a soft smile touched his lips. Her heart skipped a beat. She brought a hand to rest over her heart and smiled sadly. "Tell me about them..."
He stilled for a moment before he settled himself beside her and took a deep and calming breath. "My mom and dad had been married for almost twenty-five years." He grinned, "had my older sister, Ayano, on their first anniversary. After that, mama told me that they realized how precious family was to them and wanted to continue expanding it until it was perfect. Ayano, she would always say that every time mama had a baby, she'd say the same thing. "Now, it's perfect!" Hehe, except when I was born, she said, "Kami must love me so much, to have given me one more precious gift." Ayano had it written down in my album. Oh! Each of us has our own Albums! Or..." he sighed, "we did. I'm the only one left. Grandma and Grandpa, mama and papa, my sisters Ayano and Etsuko, and my brothers Kouta and Daichi. A fire took my whole family."
"...that...how old, are you?"
"Fifteen,"
"Same as me...I'm sixteen now."
"Does it ever stop hurting?"
Kagome smiled and sighed, "no, it doesn't. It wanes a bit over time, but in the end, you always go back to that place. Usually, when your sleeping, it's the worst. For me, it is. I had thought I was doing well for a while. I hadn't had any nightmares for months, but last week it hit me heard."
"Isn't it worse because you are alone up here?"
"I didn't want to be a bother to my family."
"Ah! No way, nyan! I don't think they'd see it that way." He looked down at his hands and frowned, "you have your mom, your brother, and grandfather, and they are waiting for you to come back even now, right?"
"You think? They probably think I'm dead."
"Then...then go back with me. Let's go see..."
Kagome looked curiously up at the boy, her eyes meeting friendly blue orbs that were a much lighter shade than her darker blue. "If they left?"
"Then you and I can start over; I'll take care of you!" He blushed, placing a hand to his forehead as he ran his fingers back into his hand and looked away quickly. "I mean, you've been alone for almost a year, you need a friend too! I―I have a lot of friends." He smiled softly to himself, "and they must all be worried about me."
"..."
"Won't you come back with me?"
"I don't even know your name..."
"Oh..." he laughed, "I'm Eiji! ...what is your name?"
"My name is Kagome."
"Kagome...come back with me."
'Persistent,' she looked out at the city, and a painful pang thumped hard against her chest. 'Can I do it...just go back?' Standing, she walked forward and stepped over towards the edge that overlooked Kyoto, "alright, Eiji. I'll go back with you. However, don't you think it's too soon?" She felt that if he returned too soon, he'd shatter.
"No, if I stay away, it'll be harder to return. Besides, Fujiko and Ooishi must be anxious...not to mention Ochibi and the others." He stood and stretched before glancing up at the sky. "Mama too. She would be worried about watching me like this. I don't want her to worry."
Kagome felt that pang thrum painfully in her chest again. "That's right," she smiled, 'they must have been worried too. Everyone...I promise you won't have to worry much longer. So please, watch over me a little longer.'
-x-x-x-
Me: Here is chapter three. I hope you all enjoy it!