Disclaimer: I don't own jack!
Pairing: Jirou x Kagome
Albatross 3
The summer heat was in full swing. Kagome trekked silently, brushing strands of hair away from her neck. Much to her dismay sweat stuck to her like white on rice, causing her to tug at a couple of tangles painfully. The sun's heat blared down upon her pale form. Her legs grew heavy with exhaustion as dark circles were starting to become more apparent beneath her eyes. The miko-in-training could feel the beginnings of a stress-induced illness coming on. They had been traveling nonstop for the past two months. Despite their desire to return to Kaede's village, they had run into several youkai on the way. Many of them were weak creatures that were easy to handle however there were a few that had been a bit more difficult. They had already lost out on the past couple of nights due to the inu hanyou's transformation on the night of the new moon. A large group of youkai that had been following them for some time had noticed of the change in their traveling companion and decided to take advantage of his mortality. Kagome had used up most of the power she had fighting off the beasts but in the end it was Inuyasha that drove them all away at daybreak. However since they lost so much time due to their interference, Inuyasha had decided that the best course of action would have been to push them as fast as they could to cross the forest before the end of the day. Judging by his erratically twitching ears and the ever thickening foliage that surrounded them, Kagome was certain that his goal was not about to come to pass.
"Would ya pick up the pace already!" Inuyasha cawed. He tilted his head back to cast a blistering glare at his two companions. "It's getting dark and I damn sure don't want to get stuck out here!" She fought the urge to sigh. Of course he didn't want to. The last thing that man ever wanted was for them to slow them down in any way shape or form. Cobalt eyes stared peevishly at the impatient dog. He was so selfish! Was it really so hard for him to think about someone else for once in his life? The weight in her legs grew heavier. Damn, how far had they already gone today? Her chest tightened painfully from her exhaustion.
The little fox kit perched on Kagome's shoulder stuck his tongue out at the hanyou. The dark haired woman sighed as Inuyasha made an attempt to grab the child from her shoulder. There it was again – that petulant nature that kept rearing its ugly head. The miko-in-training briefly wondered how a hanyou as old as Inuyasha could still act like a five year old? Perhaps youkai aged much more slowly mentally than their human counterparts? Seeing the silver-haired dog grab Shippou by his tail and twirl him around like a yo-yo solidified her belief. A rare bought of rage welled deep within her soul as she saw the half demon smack the child. Fatigue long forgotten, she marched up to their companion to give him a piece of her mind.
"That's enough Inuyasha." Kagome's voice was harsh and reprimanding. Shippou's eyes swirled as he was callously dropped to the ground in a heap of fur. "Get your act together!" She ground out, "What can a boy like Shippou do to you to deserve such treatment!" The fire in her heart flared to life, making her cobalt orbs appear like a pair of blue flames. During the entire trip Inuyasha had done nothing but insult, demean and verbally abuse the both of them. The final straw was when he started putting his hands on the fox. She would not stand by and allow this kind of abuse to continue!
With a huff, she approached the sulking half demon. "I don't care if you are angry! You will not under any circumstances lay your hands on that child, do you under stand me?" She prodded his chest with a sharp poke of her index finger. The clouds above darkened as a bolt of lightening struck one of the forests' trees a short distance away. Kagome's expression combined by the terrible rumbling of thunder caused Inuyasha to jump back in shock. He had never seen her like this. Sure they got into their spats, but it usually ended with a quick 'sit'. Golden eyes slid guiltily to Shippou's unconscious form. Dark blotches of purple began to form over the boy's skin from where he had hit him earlier. Perhaps he did take things too far this time? The teenager gathered the kit into her arms protectively. She turned her back on their 'companion' and began to wander down the gravel path that snaked its way through the forest.
The hanyou watched them sullenly. Why did he always manage to screw things up? He shoved his hands into his sleeves and followed several paces behind them. An emotion began blossom within his chest, one he thought long forgotten: guilt. He watched as Kagome continued marching forward, but something was wrong. She started to lean and her breath was coming in heavy pants. Golden eyes widened in shock as she slowed, her body leaning even more than before. His heart skipped a beat as he lurched forward. She was about to fall! His arms snake fluidly around her waist and rib cage. Much to Inuyasha's relief he had been able to grasp her just before her head collided with the thick bark of a tree trunk. Shippou was still dazed in her slackened grip. A tired groan escaped the boy's lips as he turned his face into Kagome's neck.
"Are you alright?!" The silver-haired man shouted frantically. The girl went limp in his arms, her face gaunt. How had he missed the signs of her illness? The heat of her fever burned hotly against his skin. "Damn it all! Don't you dare die on me you stupid girl!" Inuyasha ground out between gnashed teeth.
Stupid girl
In Kagome's semi-conscious mind, the words replayed over and over again. A small yet cynical smile spread across her face. That's right. That was all she was. Just a simple, stupid little girl that had gotten caught up in this nightmare world. Inuyasha had made that much clear. She was nothing like the Kikyou the villagers spoke of. She wasn't graceful, she wasn't strong, she didn't even know how to defend herself! Perhaps things would be better if just went home? The world around her burned as she drew in painful gasps of air. She didn't belong here. With a pang in her heart, Kagome realized that she never did.
Ikui glanced nervously at his wife. Her gaze was fixated on something resting deep within the well's darkness.
"Are you sure she'll be back?" The woman's chin trembled with fear. Sun-tanned skin touched the wooden lip of the portal. Delicate nails dug themselves deep inside the grain. Ikui flinched ever so slightly.
"She'll be back, you'll see." Although he forced himself to smile, he knew exactly what was about to happen. Their daughter would return but she'd never be the same again. His heart tore at the memory of her ragged appearance, bloodied clothes and empty expression. She had looked so frail, so weak. The land god feared that perhaps allowing his daughter passage through the well was a mistake. Still, even if he wanted to cut the connection it'd be virtually impossible. A power even greater than his surrounded the portal. It wound itself around the well tightly and overtook his own.
Izumi nodded, the tears still threatening to fall. How had it come to this? Wasn't a mother supposed to protect her child? Yet here she was, unable to do anything other than wait while her first born fought blood-crazy youkai. Why was she always so useless?
You'll never amount to anything!
She squeezed her hazel eyes shut at the memory. Of course. How could she have forgotten? The vile things that her own family had thrown her way resurfaced beneath the false pretense of a happy childhood.
Ikui pulled his wife into a tight hug. The moment he saw her face lower, he already knew that something was wrong. She buried her face in the warm junction of his neck and collar bone. Her tears glided over her cheeks onto her husband's exposed skin. He dared not to whisper words of false comfort for those would only cut her deeper. He would be able to promise their daughter's return but not her safety. Not yet at least. There was still one last place to go. He had tried once before to be granted an audience with that person but was denied on the spot. Ikui's expression darkened at the thought. Did the other land gods truly think him so weak? The power in the well pulsated once more. It was nearly time. The rest of the night he spent holding his wife close to him. His son had taken to sleeping in his sister's bed during her trips away from them. Despite their constant bickering, the boy desperately missed his sibling. It was as clear to him as the crystal shards Kagome carried around her neck that Souta could sense that something was terribly wrong. He needed to pull his family back together again, but how? What could he possibly do to untie fate's thread from his child's very soul? The spirit's heart ached. He'd have to keep trying. No matter the cost, he'd have to keep pushing forward to see that she was returned home safely. After all, that was what he promised her all those years ago.
Three days Kagome slept. Her breaths were ragged and her fever had yet to break. Cobalt eyes slowly opened to reveal a shabby hut that barely protected them from the intense weather. With a flushed face, she reached clumsily for the items sprawled around her limp form. Where was it? The palm of her hand landed on a ceramic bowl. Recognition illuminated her eyes. With little grace she tried to grasp the bowl. Instead her hand fell limply to the side and accidentally knocked the liquid to the wooden floor. Clear water spilled from the edge of her futon across the ground. It seeped past the gaps of the flooring beneath them, dripping noisily onto the ground below.
"You could've asked." A gruff response drew her attention to the silver-haired hanyou. She lifted her half-lidded gaze to stare at him suspiciously. Kagome shifted her weight further away from him. The way his golden eyes perused her nearly naked form began to make the teen uncomfortable. It was such a strange thing to experience. It was almost as if he were looking through her like some sort of distorted image. His nose twisted in a scowl.
"I didn't see any reason to." She pulled the thin sheet of cloth up to her shoulders. As a result her feet and knees were suddenly exposed to the summer's humid air. A chill ran down the miko-in-training's spine. Not because of the sudden rush of air, but because of the way Inuyasha's eyes trailed up her thighs to the apex of her legs. She tucked said appendages under herself in an attempt to guard her body from his prying gaze. "Besides, I didn't know that you were there." Kagome turned her flushed face away from him. Why was it so damn hot? Sweat poured from her flesh and soaked the bedding beneath her.
"What's to hide? Ain't nothing I hadn't see before." He tilted his nose towards the ceiling, "Besides, you ain't got much girl." The teen's heart dropped. Why did this man have such a hold over her? With one look, one word, and her whole world would come crashing down around her. Humility shattered, she gathered herself and pulled away from the half-demon.
"If that's true then I'd appreciate it if you'd look away. You're not my husband, I do not grant you permission to look upon me in such a manner." Kagome mustered as much dignity as she possibly could considering the circumstances. He snorted in response, tossing a jewel fragment at her.
"Got that last night." He slung his Tessaiga over his shoulder, "Now that you're better we should get going. Oh and you really ought to take a bath. You reek." With that the coarse hanyou left her to her own devices. She tried, she really did! But the tears slowly began to form in her eyes. Angrily wiping them away, she refused to give Inuyasha that satisfaction. He would never know how horribly he made her feel. Not if she had anything to say about it! Beside her Shippou still slept soundly. His face was scrunched in a serious pout. Tiny claws dug into the cloth of her sleeping yukata. From the way the boy's body trembled, she figured that the poor thing had been frightened out of his mind over her. The dark-haired woman gathered the kit into her arms. His form immediately relaxed. She smiled at the sight. Even if Inuyasha continued to be cruel, she knew that she'd never stop returning here-if only for this child's sake.
The fever she had from before was slowly beginning to fade. The pin pricks of heat upon her cheeks receded. The teen threw her sheets back to reveal a simple white yukata that went to her mid-thigh. Despite the harsh words he had thrown at her, the half-demon had been correct in his assumption that she needed a bath. The stench of sweat and illness clung to her. Laying Shippou back onto the futon she covered him with the covers she had just throw back. He sighed then snuggled deep into the pillow she had been resting on before. A touch of smile graced his lips. She cast one last glance at the boy before gathering her supplies.
The days of sleeping away her fever made Kagome's legs tremble beneath her. They were weak from disuse and the sudden movement caused her head to spin. Still, she pushed forward to an onsen she was sure was nearby. The teen followed the dirt path until she came upon the hot spring she had been seeking. No one was around and the afternoon's light was starting to fade into darkness. Twilight was upon them. Kagome suddenly became aware that she'd have to make quick work of her bath if she wanted to return to the hut safely before dark.
She peeled off her yukata and climbed gingerly into the scalding water. The next several minutes were spent in peace. Unbeknownst to her, those few moments were about to be shattered...
A/n: Thanks so much for all you're support guys! I really appreciate it! Tbh I kinda trolled a troll but I certainly had a blast while I did it. I'm definitely not gonna be scared off any time soon so I'll try to keep updating this story as much as I can. I also plan on updating the stories as well, but this one seems to be easier for me to write. I'm taking my time on THSWS though. So much to write and so little time. Thanks again for all of your support! I really appreciate it!