I didn't read over this very thoroughly so there may be some mistakes. If so, please tell me in a review! Much appreciated!
Disclaimer: Most of this crap belongs to whats-her-face.
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940------
A sense of serenity, of contentment, had settled between the two couples, allowing a few awkward moments, but more than often moments of knowing-knowing what they were to each other, that something more is on it's way to nudge their relationships into a deeper connection.
And this was how they felt-content, peaceful-as Kagome and Sango announced to the guys as they sat beside the pool that the ship was stopping at a port on an island of Japan. The foursome had spent much time together-swimming in the pool, playing tennis-which InuYasha took much too seriously, tending to get rough and possibly harmful-, among other activities. They had an unspoken agreement not to bring up each others relationships-nor the pathetic excuses of Miroku and Sango to steal some time alone; "Oh Miroku? I seem to have left my book in the bedroom. Will you come with me to find it?", "Why don't we get something to eat? No, no. You two stay there. Sango and I'll grab some good food for all of us."; or the loving looks and words exchanged by InuYasha and Kagome.
"Which island is it," asked Miroku, looking into Sango's eyes, an action that caused her to smile and forget the question.
It was Kagome who answered: "Somewhere on the Ryukyu Islands, I think. We're stopping to reload on stock and give the guests a break from the ship. One time, we went three weeks without stopping, and a woman went so crazy that she tried to jump off the railing to swim to land."
InuYasha scoffed at the woman's weakness. "Why'd she get all suicidal? She was on a cruise boat, not trapped in a cage by terrorists."
Frowning at his insensitivity, Kagome shifted her body to turn full-force on InuYasha. "She was having a hard time okay? I talked to her at the infirmary. Her son had died while she went out of town and she was on her way back for his funeral. She was in a pretty big rush."
This was followed by a stunned silence and three pairs of eyes turning to look at InuYasha, gauging his reaction. With a frustrated face-knitted eyebrows, tightened lips, reddened skin-understanding there was no way he could contradict that, but still refusing to give in, he growled in frustration and turned his back to the group.
Kagome was incensed with InuYasha's behavior-that of a small child who didn't get the candy bar he wanted at the grocery store. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't suck up his pride and admit to being wrong. Just as she was about to smack InuYasha's head to get his attention, she heard two voices calling out: "Hey Sango! Miroku! Kagome! InuYasha!" Three heads turned to watch as Trianna and Rin-bikini-clad and holding towels-jogged toward their friends, each waving an arm wildly.
"Hey," they repeated as they reached the chairs lounged in by the others. Rin flopped into a chair beside Sango as Trianna slid into the one besides InuYasha. She pointed a finger in his direction and asked, "What's wrong with him?"
Kagome shook her head in disappointment and replied, "He's being a baby. Don't worry about it."
Trianna smiled in assurance that she wouldn't in any way further the conversation. Rin, on the other hand, stated, "InuYasha's always getting angry. Why are you always angry InuYasha?" Her voice was young and innocent despite the fact that she was 20 years of age. She carried an air of child-like quality and ignorance wherever she went; a captivating quality that made her easy to like.
He kept his body facing away from the curious faces, but answered with a growl: "I'm not always angry. Kagome's just annoying."
"Hey!" Kagome's face scrunched up in anger. "I am NOT annoying. You're just mad because you don't want to admit I was right."
"Yeah right," was the only answer InuYasha could think of. He knew what she was saying was the truth, he could understand that, but admitting it? No way. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction.
"Ah! This is so stupid." Kagome stood up and walked to the edge of the pool. "I'm not going to let you ruin such a nice day for me, InuYasha." With that, she dived in and swam, furiously kicking and grabbing at the water without coming up until she touched the opposite side. Sango chuckled in amusement and followed behind, jumping into the cool water-goose bumps enveloping her body. The rest joined in as well, leaving a fuming InuYasha in their wake. He tuned them out, frustrated that they would dare have fun without him.
Through the laughter and splashing of water, Kagome watched InuYasha feel miserable for himself wishing he would come in with them. Thinking of a plan to lighten InuYasha's spirits, she pulled Miroku aside and conversed silently. The other three girls noticed this and soon stopped splashing as they watched Kagome and Miroku silently slip out of the pool and move towards InuYasha who, still immersed in his self-pity, didn't notice the sudden lack of sound. Miroku grabbed one end of InuYasha's lounge chair while Kagome held tight to the other. They faced each other and mouthed "One...Two...Three!" And, screaming the last number, they yanked the chair back with all their force into the water.
"WHAT THE..." InuYasha yelled before his chair sunk him heavily to the bottom. He thrashed his arms and legs in the water, furiously swimming to the top. When his head broke free and his ears emptied of water, they filled again, but this time with laughter. Rin, Miroku, Kagome, Trianna, Sango, all laughing at him. He was furious. He was mortified. And it was all Kagome's fault. She was bent over, her head close to touching the ground, her body undulating with laughter. InuYasha's fists clenched in anger, he decided he wasn't going to stand for this; it's about time for Kagome to get what's coming to her.
Checking to make sure no one was watching-they were all laughing to hard to notice much-he sunk back into the water, touching the bottom with his feet, and made his way to the side Kagome was standing on. He bent his knees, building up energy, and shot out of the water, a spray waking everyone up from their overjoyed states and alerting them to the fact that a large bulk was over fifteen feet in the air and Kagome was missing from where she had previously stood.
InuYasha held on tight to the screaming girl in his arms, positioning her body so it was atop his and her head so it was safely tucked into the crook of his arm, trying to make sure she wouldn't get hurt when by the force of the water, as gravity caught up and pulled them back down. Fast. A sickening Slap! sounded as InuYasha's back landed full-force on the top of the water. Kagome was torn between fear for herself and concern for InuYasha as they sunk to the bottom. Despite the incredible stinging-like a thousand knives being pulled in and out of his back-he rushed back to the top to allow Kagome some air.
There was an immediate clamor: furious and concerned screaming, multiple bodies splashing into the water to help pull the two out. InuYasha pushed them away, shoving Kagome onto the side of the pool before pulling himself up beside her. Kagome was in a state of shock as eight hands and eight eyes were on her, checking for any damage.
"I'm fine," she reassurred them, pushing herself up. Beside her InuYasha was watching her movements, sitting up, back against the feet of a chair. "Are you okay," she asked , remembering the sound of his back against the water.
"Fine," he said, shrugging it off like a heroic sacrifice.
"What were you thinking," she demanded. "You could've gotten me hurt."
"Yeah," Rin retorted, "why do you have to be so stupid, InuYasha?"
He glowered at Rin's insult. "I wasn't being stupid. And, Kagome, how could you think I would ever let you get hurt?"
This stunned any answer Kagome could have thought up. InuYasha continued: "I only wanted to scare you. A little payback since you humiliated me twice today." He crossed his arms and looked the other way, a childish gesture that almost made Kagome laughed. Almost.
"Well that sure was a dangerous way to pay me back!"
Then, Miroku spoke up: "Really InuYasha, you should think about your actions before acting them out. Something much worse could have happened. It's just sheer luck that..."
"I already told you!" InuYasha cut through Miroku, infuriated at their distrust of his abilities. "I wouldn't let Kagome get hurt! Ever!"
There was nothing to say to that. Nothing anybody there could think of. Silence-and angry glares directed from InuYasha-filled the moment. Soon he stood up and stomped off to his room, leaving four bewildered people, and one confused Kagome.
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940------
A knock came to the door of InuYasha's room.
"No."
The door opened despite the less than positive reaction. A worried Kagome stepped through the threshold. "We need to talk," she announced.
"No." InuYasha was sitting on his bed, legs crossed, back against the pillows, with a permanent scowl and a stubborn fold of his arms across his broad chest. He stared right into her, daring her to continue. She took that dare.
Closing the door behind her, Kagome walked over to the bed and sat down in front of him, feeling the all-too-familiar springs beneath her as memories swallowed her mind, covering it in reminders: of kindness, of sensitivity, of patience. All shown by the man in front of her. She raised her eyes to meet his, her grateful smile surprising him.
"Thank you." These were the last words InuYasha expected to hear-"You creep.", "What were you thinking?", "Don't come near me!", those he had prepared himself for. But this? He couldn't summon an answer.
His confused and silent state prompted Kagome to explain: "You have been a great protector of me. From the very beginning.Even at the pool, when you were mad, you still made sure I wouldn't get hurt. You deserve my understanding for what you did, and you have it, along with my gratitude. I don't know how I'll ever be able to properly thank you for all you've done." Those eyes-so expressive and magnetic-never left his and watched as he took in her words. Her soft words weakened him. He could only nod. Warm and heartbreaking, her smile lit up her face as she began to crawl out of the bed.
No wait.
She turned around, her smile still alive but confused.
Did I say that out loud?
Embarrassed though he was, InuYasha knew there was nothing he could do to take the words back, and really, he didn't want to. Holding her eyes captive was the only action he needed to take; she understood. Kagome used her hands and knees to find her way across the large bed beside InuYasha who threw the more uncomfortable pillows (with all the frills and beads, it's hard to rest your head against one of those things) down on the floor leaving one for each of them. She lay on her side facing InuYasha as he settled in front of her. Wrapping an arm under her waist and pulling her body to his, he closed any gap between them. One of her legs rested on both of his, a hand lightly touching his chest while the other encircled his waist and played with his hair, soft and light to the touch. All these body parts had moved unconsciously-no thought towards it. Almost an instant reaction-as their eyes, a warm brown and softening yellow, connected and spoke an unteachable language; one that's discovered and strengthened by very few. Niether fell asleep. They just lay there, fingers unawarely stroking, watching each other for an amount of time impossible to count in seconds or minutes or hours.
It wasn't until the light shining in from the window became a shadow did they shift positions and become conscious again to the outside world. They moved slowly-the trance still holding some power over them-, sitting up and standing on opposite sides to turn and look at one another , losing themselves in the same trance again. It was Kagome who reluctantly looked down and said, "I should go. The girls will be worried."
InuYasha watched her the whole time; watched as the sliver of moonlight from the window softened her hair and face, creating a kind of aura around her head.
My beautiful angel.
When Kagome looked up again, she was met with a softened smile and loving eyes. Her heart warmed, as she smiled back, said "Goodbye," and left the room.
InuYasha stared at the door a few moments after, but grudgingly got ready for bed. He wasn't looking forward to sleeping alone.
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940------
Kagome strained her eyes to read the clock on the wall: 4:15 AM. Seven hours had passed since she had left InuYasha, but it felt like a millennia.
It seemed impossible to settle down. The light from the window shined into her eyes. Her bed was too narrow. Too cold. Too hard. The blankets seemed thin, the pillows as well. Everything seemed wrong. Maybe because before, everything felt so right.
She tried again to rest her mind and body, a process she developed after her nightmares began:
1. Relax your body and mind.
2. Pick a good memory.
3. Do not allow yourself to think of anything besides that memory.
A simple, but effective procedure. She tried to relax her body and mind into a state of numbness and chose a good memory. Thinking of that memory-being in bed with InuYasha since that's all she can think about-she focused on that and attempted sleep. But sleep didn't come. Only need. Need to go into InuYasha's room and lay next to him, holding his arms around her waist-such a comfortable fit-and slipping into dreamland with him by her side. That's the only way she wanted to sleep.
And that's just how she slept. Remembering her roommates, she left a note:
Can't get comfortable. Slept somewhere else.
-Kagome
That'll give them something to talk about.
She giggled into her hand while taking silent steps to and out the door, through the kitchen and dining room, down the hallway, until she found InuYasha's room. A wave of calm washed through her just being at his door. As she grabbed the knob, she began to think: What if he doesn't want to sleep with me (AN:...)? What if he gets angry that I woke him? But she remembered his face as she left his room-so soft and sweet. Blocking all negative thoughts, she turned the doorknob and poked her head through the doorway. A body shot straight up in the bed and, after seeing who it was, almost ran towards her. His smile was bright as he explained, "I couldn't sleep."
Kagome threw her arms around InuYasha's waist and murmured into his chest, "Me neither," and looking up into his face-cheery and relieved-confessed, "I missed you."
His smile widened and he laughed aloud as he closed the door behind them. Sweeping Kagome up into his arms and burying his face in her hair, he carried her to the bed where they laid in each other's arms and settled in for a great night's sleep.
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940------
I hope it was okay! I think this just might be the longest chapter I've ever written in my life. I've been working on it since 1:00 and it's now 7:00. Geez! Where DOES the time go? Next chapter, we have a new character coming in. It's someone we all know and love (or at least I do!)! Why doncha guess as you review? Later!