Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha!
Hidden Beneath a Smile
Chapter Seventeen: Memories
Rousing from sleep, bleary eyes took in the expanse of the room in confusion until images flashed through her mind as to why she was in the sparse room. Well, all except for her bed and the pile of cloths to her left that she had yet to place in the closet. Resting back into the mattress with a sigh of relief, Kagome stared sightlessly up at the ceiling as her mind replayed yesterdays events. That feeling she had gotten in her side as she, Shippo, and Souta explored their new home was such a wretched, agonizing sheering pain that she was lucky she had not lost consciousness before the boys aided her back to bed. She was still worried that the two might be terrified of what happened, but Kikyou assured her that after she introduced them to the things she had brought along the two seemed to be in higher spirits. That, well it did alleviate her worry, did not stop her from wanting to see the kit and her brother. Even more so, when Kikyou and Inuyasha both agreed that she should rest without any interruption, it was not the fact that the two who obviously disliked each other agreed whole heartily upon something rather it was the tension that hung around them as they did so.
The aura around them put Kagome ill at ease; was there something wrong that Kikyou and Inuyasha were keeping from her? Did it have to do with the level of her condition, was there something more serious wrong with her that she was lead to believe? Was she dying? It had certainly felt like it before she had lost her grasp on the wakeful world.
Turing to her side with that thought in mind, Kagome curled in on herself with a rational fear building in her chest, she did not want to die without realizing it. Quite frankly, the young woman did not want to die at all, but if she were going to then she would like to be aware of it rather then fading off one day none the wiser in her sleep leaving her two brother's alone. Even if Miroku were the elder, he would be helpless without his imouto around, which she knew all too well from years of experience. Even if she had this great desire to know if her impending end was hovering over her, Kagome could not find the strength to fully, move her self from the bed. After dinner the other night, or perhaps it was still night, her limbs' had felt immensely exhausted and her mind was slurred. Still, it was not enough to effect her minds thought processes afterward, as her musings now were proof of that.
The door cautiously opened allowing the light of the hallway to spill into her room, jumping from her skin at the sudden brightness, Kagome decided to feign sleep. "Don't even try it," an amused utterance bearing edgy irritated undertones rang out for her ears to catch, the voice was Inuyasha's she registered dimly. "With all the commotion you've been making trying to fake sleep isn't too smart." He grouched, and Kagome was aware of his feet prattling across the floor, carrying his body infinitely closer to her person. What commotion could the hanyou speak of? She had made no sound, as she lay still as the dead in deep contemplative thought. "Are you all right?" Unlike before when he spoke, his voice was small and unsure, causing a little smile to work its way across her lips.
Unable to continue under this false sleep, Kagome slowly tried to rise, but could not find the strength to do the minimal task, so instead turned her head in his direction. What was wrong with her? "I'm fine, what time is it?"
"I haven't a clue," his shoulders outlined by the light that poured into the room from the doorway shrugged slightly, "this place didn't come with a clock. Are you sure that you're all right?" He pressed.
"I'm fine," she assured, "but I'd be even better if you'd allow me to see my brother and Shippo." Kagome pressed on with a suggestive tone, she was tired of being trapped in this room, even though it had not been long and wanted to see some friendly faces to make the drab room even brighter. Why could she not bring herself to sit up in the bed, even the tiniest bit of leverage from the mattress? "Hey," she queried after a bit of silence, "Inuyasha?"
"Hmm?"
Taking a deep breath, Kagome took the noncommittal noise as an okay to continue, and asked hesitantly, "you would tell me if something were wrong wouldn't you?" Seeing the hanyou stiffen, she took it for the suggestion that something may be wrong, and asked in alarm the horrifying thoughts that had been on her mind. "I'm not dying am I?" She waited upon bated breath for him to answer her of the wall question.
Sputtering, as the inquiry had caused Inuyasha to choke on his breath, he shot the girl an incredulous look. "Nani? Dying? What gave you that idea?"
Kagome shot the inu a sheepish smile, suddenly feeling stupid for even bringing the thought out into the open, twiddling her fingers together above her chest and blanket. She could move that much at least. "My body is too weak to move more then I am now, that pain I felt in my side before I feinted, and your reaction just now gave me that idea." She added, and then looked away from his gaze when irritation leaked into his amber orbs. She had thought the notion was a foolish one, and by their argument over whether or not she should be able to see her brother, she figured she was about to get a tongue lashing for being foolish.
"Damn Miko Witch," he spat, plopping onto the bed beside her out of exasperation, "you're not dying, that damn Kikyou slipped some medication into your tea. I honestly didn't think it would have such a ill-effect on you, being that your only human, and Kikyou knows her way around medicinal herbs." Sighing heavily through his nose, Inuyasha turned weary eyes upon her blanket-covered form. "How weak are you," he asked, and then added, "I have to know in order to gauge the seriousness of the situation."
Trying to shrug, but failing at it miserably, Kagome decided to answer with words. "I don't know, I can move my arms a bit, and I did turn so I was lying on my side, but beyond that there is not much I can find the strength to accomplish." Seeing his sudden blank face, she queried helplessly, "is that bad?"
"Are you sure that your only human," at first she thought that he was only joking, but from the serious set of Inuyasha's face she could see that he was not. Managing to nod her head in affirmation, Kagome could not help but wonder at what it was she had been given and whether or not she should be livid that he had slipped something into her tea without telling her about it beforehand. "Then the Miko Witch screwed up the recipe, stuff works wonders on a regular human but impairs a youkai or miko for at least eight hours."
"Why," she squeaked in outrage, "would you give me something so harmful?" Never had the young girl felt as helpless as she did right then, the hanyou could have had his way with her, and there would have been nothing she could have performed to prevent it.
"Shut up," Inuyasha roared, the way her small voice had accused him of causing her harm reeked havoc upon his senses. "I didn't know it would do this to you, all right, its not suppose to have this type of effect on a human." Even speaking this justification did nothing to remedy the sudden negative energy coursing through his veins, he would only find redemption in her. "Look," he began, raking his claws through his sliver hair, "if I had known that this remedy would not only fix what was wrong with your body but make you immobile I wouldn't have allowed her to put that herbal powder in your drink." Before he had even finished his sentence his eyes were searching hers, imploring her to forgive him this trespass.
"What was wrong with my body that needed fixing…" she slowly inquired as her mind worked to remember anything that may have occurred before she passed out. She only recalled an intense pain in her side, there were no openings, and she did not think anything was ruptured on the inside. Still, she would feel better after hearing her ailment from his mouth, at least, she assumed that she would.
His face paled, he would have to explain to her, at least in part, what he had done that healed her after the explosion. This was not something that he relished in doing, but perhaps if he explicated it in such a way, the girl would not feel the need to seek answers from another and find out something detrimental to his health. "After what happened back at the apartment you were badly injured," he began swallowing hard. "It was so bad, in fact, that I doubt you would be alive had I not given you my blood to heal you."
"What do you mean," Kagome breathed, unsure of what she should be feeling after hearing this information, "how did you know my blood type." She was not entirely dense when it came to science, she knew that two types of blood could not commingle without dire results. If they did share the same type of blood then the transfusion would have killed her if the wound had not.
Inuyasha snorted, some humor coming to him despite that he was giving her information that he would rather have her be in the dark about. "I'm part youkai, our anatomy does not follow the same guidelines as a human, at least not all of them. A youkai can give another blood, depending on the type of youkai, if it is meant to heal. Being inu my blood and saliva have wonderful healing properties, but you were well beyond the powers of my spit." He laughed when her face cringed in disgust, "then I guess you'll be happy to know that I spat all over your lesser wounds."
"You're lying to get at me," she accused with a heated glare in his direction.
"I'm afraid not little girl," he muttered, trying to gauge if she were truly disgusted by the idea of spit or blood, of course any human would have been a little put off by such a thought. She was not quite aware, yet, of what he was for her cringe in abhorrence at his hanyou self, though he was sure that type of loathing not to be far off. "If it bothers you that much then don't think about it," he barked when her form shuddered beneath her blankets.
The little nigen shot him a sheepish smile, "its not that, I just can't believe that I came so close to dying, though it is a little disturbing to know that I have dried spit all over my body." She paused, giving him a long considering look, before asking in a small voice, "you didn't lick me did you?" Kagome could almost picture it, because he was an inu, and blushed madly at the images.
"Of course not," he easily lied, "I spat on my hand and rubbed it into your small cuts."
"Oh," was all that she could manage in her embarrassment, "well then," she continued red faced her voice straining to make the sounds, "finish telling me why you saw fit to drug me."
Forgetting that she demand him to tell her his story as though ordering a servant, or in his case a dog, he lashed out at the flippant way she still accused him even after he had been giving her a legitimate reason. "I didn't drug you," he growled menacingly, and then remembered he had yet to tell her why he had allowed Kikyou to make that herbal medication. "Look, your body healed because of my blood, but it was done fare too quickly. Your nigen body still thinks that it is injured and so that Miko Witch thought that the brew she gave you would help your system to realize it wasn't injured anymore, expect it seems to be effecting you like it would her or a youkai." Perhaps it was the blood he had given her that caused such a reaction, then he shook his head against the idea, even that factor should not have brought on this problem. "I don't know why it did this to you, but after you've finished sleeping we'll see if it did what it was suppose to do."
Kagome nodded, feeling sleep trying to drag her under despite the fact that she had slept for so long already. A sudden thought occurred to her and she decided to voice it before she fully gave in to the sleep that was steadily drowning all coherent thought. "Right, but if it did this what it's not suppose to do then how can you be sure it won't do anything else."
A blank look stole across his face, and as she fell into slumber waiting for his reply, she could have sworn she hear Inuyasha whisper. "No matter what, I won't let you die." It seemed that the hanyou knew of the fear that spurred the young girl in to catechizing for more assurances; she did not want to die, not just yet.
The beeping of the medical machines were beginning to grate upon Miroku's nerves, the only thing that kept him from snatching the plugs from the walls were the simple facts that they both signaled and kept Sango's life. It was difficult to see her lying upon the medical bed so pale and listless, knowing that he was the one who had placed her in such a delicate state. Eyes squeezed shut, he reached out and took her clammy hand into his, despite that it was chill and tubes were stuck into her wrist, he needed the assurance that she was in fact still there.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The steady sound was almost music to his ears, yet it dragged on his nerves like nothing of this world had ever done to him before. He was a clam easy-going sort, it took quite a bit took anger or annoy this ex-agent and would be monk, yet that sound was enough to drive him to his knees in both hatred and joy. It said she was still alive, yet it was also like a taunt, speaking oh so derisively with every quick beep. Your fault, beepyour fault, beep, your fault…and so on, tugging at his guilt ridden heart.
"I'm so sorry Sango, I never should have excepted the job, I was just too," he swallowed hard still novice to the concept, "emotional over their deaths to handle killing that creature. My hands" his eyes tore to them in disgust, "they needed to feel his blood in vengeance. I was so overcome by that need that I lost sight of the reality around me, nothing else was tangible except for the pain that I felt, I just, please forgive me Sango. I couldn't bare it if you were to hate me, you're all that I have left." He confessed, his sorrow, his agony, resting in his throat threatening to choke the life from him and for once Miroku was unsure he wanted to fight it.
A hand resting upon his shoulder startled the raw man from his monologue, brown eyes swinging to the intruder, stunned. "Forgiveness isn't necessary, and though it is needed to move on, I am sure that she will tell you that. This Sesshoumaru should never have placed that gun into your hands, I should have seen that you were too emotionally wrought over the death of both your siblings, yet I over looked it. No," the taiyoukai roughly shook his head, eyes falling closed, "this Sesshoumaru forced himself not to see it. I ignored the signs because, I too, needed for more then anything to have a small measure of vengeance. I wanted to do it myself, I wanted to feel my hands slick with his blood, to spill so much of it that I could taste his death upon my tongue, and because of that I made you go. A man that shared my feelings, and for that I am to blame for what has transpired."
Stonied with awe that his boss was having a conversation of this depth with him, of this length even, that he was shouldering a blame that was entirely his own to take, Miroku said. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I too could have-" he stopped speaking when the named man brought up a clawed hand to forestall his words.
"Do not speak any denials to this Sesshoumaru, what has transpired is entirely my fault, however it is unwise for one to dwell upon past mistakes. Learn from them and do not make them again, for now all this energy should be directed toward the man that is the cause for all of this."
Miroku nodded, and for the first time in a long while a small, but genuine, smile formed upon his mouth. "Sesshoumaru-sama, why…?"
"We are alike, you and I, in the way that we both have had a younger sibling to protect and have fail at that age old task." Sesshoumaru allowed, but unwilling to stand on the topic he changed it to a more comfortable setting. "We have a name for 'him,' it is Akahito Houjo," noting the drastic change in the human beside him, he questioned, "is this name familiar to you?" He rose a brow at the suddenly pale contours of his human cohort, what is the name that could strike such a cord in this man's heart?
His heart had iced over in fear, that cold feeling trickling through his veins to every part of his body, at that name he had not heard uttered in so long. A name he would rather forget, a name he never wanted to see the face of, Akahito Houjo. It had been a long time, but it was inevitable that they would cross paths again. "You said that Kagura thinks to spy upon the agency, is this Akahito Houjo the man that she thinks to spy upon?" He demanded gravely.
Alarm arose in the inu's chest, yet calmly he asked, "why does it matter houshi?" What had Kagura gotten herself into?
His voice shook even with the effort he put into keeping it steady, "Yes or no, damn you?" He was far too upset, far too fearful, to watch his temper and words with the youkai that could very easily snapped him like a twig.
Sensing this Sesshoumaru did not reprimand his employee, rather he answered more calmly then he felt, "yes." As he breathed that word the taiyoukai could not help the feeling of having his head upon the chopping block, waiting for the ax to fall, and it did slashing downward painfully.
Eyes widening twice their normal size, he did something so separated from himself that it rose the alarm beating down upon the taiyoukai, "shit! You have to get her out of there, Sesshoumaru, that man can smell a con a mile away. The old man is too smart for his own good, he probably cornered her, offering her to join his side of things, he, knows Sesshoumaru. He knows who she is, I have no doubts about that, and you have to get her away from there, for the moment he gets tired of toying with her he will kill her but not before punishing her. I've seen him do it before, it could be a number of this, even letting his men use her for their less then noble urges…" he knew that old man all to well and his tactic of persuasion, as he calls them.
Beeeeee….
That shrill noise of her heart falling was the last thread breaking in Miroku's tender state, and he fell to his knees, breath pluming from his mouth in heavy gasps, he was having a panic attack. This coupled with the knowledge he had of Houjo and thoughts of seeing his nightmare again were all too much for the young man to take. In front of the taiyoukai the ex-agent with a shadowed past broke, and seeing this Sesshoumaru could only bolt from the room to find one of the society doctors, for once powerless to help a situation. His way was made in heavy fear, as he wanted nothing more then to find Kagura and drag her back home.
Kagome woke with start, breath panting, limbs shaking, from another nightmare. Without her aniki to do whatever it was he did to quell her night terrors, they seemed to be frequenting her more then ever before. Then it hit as she sat huffing, that her body could move where as the last time she had been awake she had been condemned to remain as the dead. With the new discovery she had the desire to be free of her confinement, she wanted to move around, finish her exploration of the tinny abode.
Standing, with a goofy smile about her lips, Kagome stretched happily, giddy that she was able to move more then the inch she was the night before; or perhaps it was the morning before. She still was not quite sure on the time of day, so she would just assume with every time she slept a day had passed, but then what would she categorize a cat nap? She decided that she would cross that bridge when she happened upon it as for right now the only thing the deprived girl wanted was to roam free and unrestrained. Hopping from the bed, she lightly ambled toward the door, sticking her head outside to look about for any wandering persons who could force her back to her prison. Seeing no Inuyasha, her brother or the kit, Kagome stepped from the room, closing the door behind her with a bearly audible click. Glancing around once more to be sure that no one, by chance, heard the shutting door, she stalked down the hallway coming to its end she quickly shoved her body against the wall investigating the great room and kitchen for signs of life. Again finding no life stirring, she debated whether it would be wise to enter the room and explore the rooms of the hall across the way. Knowing, as it was the first place her brother and Shippo showed her, that the sleeping quarters of everyone else lay behind the doorways of that corridor.
Deciding that it would be best not to tempt fate, as they say, she swiftly went back the way she had come, figuring it would be best to see what lay beyond her door. Her sibling and the kit did not seem to think it was as interesting as their own rooms, or the great room, or the kitchen and Inuyasha's room, but Kagome was certain that it would at least prove entertaining. Behind the first of her query she found a bathroom and that was something that she marked in her memory as, with a grimace, she examined her unruly appearance in the mirror and at the feel of her gritty self. Reluctantly she left to return to her exploration, she would demand a bath after she was caught.
The next place she walked into brought a smile to her face, and, even as she walked the large expanse in wonder, Kagome could not help but to be curious as to why a safe house would have a dojo. Then, it also made a bit of sense, seeing that Inuyasha was Miroku's partner meant he was in the CIA, and an agent would need to brush up on their skills even in hiding. What more suitable way to exert this pent up energy she felt at being lock away for the day, and all of her sleep, then to walk through her Katas? To her even greater delight, Kagome found Krodachi lying against the wall beside a katana. Striding to the double swords, she took their familiar heft in hand, the thought for further exploration died as the rough material of the hilt met her palm and small fingers.
Assuming the stance for a particular kata that one needed much energy to use, as she had much to burn, she held the swords at an angle parallel across her face. Legs parted, knees bent as though coming to a crouch, Kagome gracefully moved her blades as though they were one in the motion of the tide lapping at the beach. That move slowly glided to another as the swords were pointed away from her, hilts twirled in her hands to bring the blades beneath her arms pits while her body shifted to the left, her feet remained as they were. Even that shifted in to something more, for as her mind became one with her movement, to the viewer it was as though watching a slow provocative dance of her soul.
Raw and unhindered by the lies that keep most locked tightly behind the bars of uncertainty, for when Kagome performed her dance everything that she used to hide her true self fell beneath this routine that often gave way to improve. In moments like these the true Kagome Higurashi came to light for even the senseless to see, and there she stood transfixed to the steps of her dance, a fiery sprit, a quick wit, and a sadness so bare that it stopped the viewer from speaking any words. Speech became beyond Inuyasha the second he stormed into the room with the very intent of hollering at her with such voice that even those above ground could hear it, yet that voice died away in his throat when her dance registered to his sight.
Mouth agape and heart pounding a mile a second, the hanyou had to tell himself to breathe as he watched the story of the soul he had bound himself to unfold. It was said that, when viewing another's passion, when seeing a person working in that field that gave them so strong of emotive feeling, one could see that true nature of a person. Anon, all Inuyasha could see was sadness so carefully etched into the moves and face of the girl that it pulled at his chest, and he would do anything to be rid of it. He hated to feel anything other than anger, annoyance, and the occasional murderous intent. Those were safe to feel and those gave a person less pain in the end, as he had a great history with emotion that went hand in hand with happy sentiments.
Strolling more fully into the dojo, Inuyasha scoffed aloud, startling his quarry from her movements. Kagome, as she had done before when sneaking on her in his penthouse dojo, dropped both of her swords from her hand. "You're a clumsily little thing aren't you," he sneered, "how do you ever expect to fight a man for real if your hold is so weak."
Squeaking in outrage, she picked up the Krodachi, pointing one blade in his direction. "I bet that I could take you on just fine." She challenged, chin held proudly. She had faced her aniki and made it without to many scrapes, and there was no way the hanyou before her was better then her big brother. No one, in her mind, was better then Miroku.
Inuyasha's eyes flashed as he deftly moved to pluck the only other sword from the floor against the wall, he was treading on dangerous territory. Even knowing this, he was never one to turn down an out right challenge as she had made, and his instincts were whispering so sweetly to ears making them twitch in anticipation. Partaking a stance, an ancient art that none but the family of Inutaisho knew of, the hanyou whispered darkly. "You're on little girl," the rough tone a telltale sign of his control slipping.
Standing loosely, she held both blades level with her hip, recalling her aniki's words. This was boy would definitely hold a greater strength then her own, and so she would need to move like liquid and use his powerful muscles to her advantage. Watching him carefully, to decipher what his body intended to do, she nodded her head telling him that he would have to make the first move as she had no aim of doing so. She paid close attention to the way his muscles bunched in preparation for his action to strike, from his body language, she assumed it would be to hit at her left side.
Unprepared as she was for the downward swoop of his blade, she hastily scissored her own to shield herself from the deadly blow, startled. Looking up into his face, she was angered to see a smug fanged grin about his lips, and kicked him in the gut causing his blade to fall away from her own while he clutched at the offended area. Unknown to Kagome, his eyes flashed again. Their fight consisted of a series of quick strikes, blocking, dodging, and speed. Something that she was not quite use to, this battle was a struggle closely resembling something of survival, and not the finesse she was use to when sparring with her brother. Sometimes the raven haired girl thought that the hanyou meant to kill her, and there were a couple of times when she had to retreat and collect herself, at which Inuyasha would respond by chuckling darkly and that sound was beginning to terrify her the longer things dragged out.
Kagome was beginning to tire, her limbs burned and now were straining to keep up with his motions and fend him off at the same time. The strike that had ripped the sword from her left hand she barely even registered, was he beginning to grow faster, her mind thought feverously. Adjusting her grip upon her lone Krodachi, she held the blade out before her, with a two handed hold for a better defense. Strength was useless against the hanyou, and the speed she prided herself upon was naught more but snails trail in comparison to his own. That thought all on its own stung worse then any of the blows she had ever received in a fight.
Clear thought was no longer a luxury that Inuyasha beheld, his mind was in red haze, his every action controlled by the instincts he was loath to have during this situation. This duel the hanyou should have never partaken, yet as he bore flashing eyes upon his prey a fanged grin spread wide, she was nearly beaten and he would be proven dominate. Tossing his blade to the side, his beast in near complete control, Inuyasha charged the girl claws outstretched in a deadly manner. He would prove that he was by far the stronger by handing her deft without the use of a metal weapon.
Ripping the single Krodachi from her hold with his bare hand the other violently slammed her up against the near by wall, his body pinning her firmly in place. Growling softly as he sniffed at her neck before he suddenly sealed his lips over hers, parting her mouth with his own, the hanyou dipped his tongue inside languidly exploring all the contours of her aperture. His body hummed with energy as he tasted her, the object of his obsession ever since he a placed his blood into her body, and purred in delight when she shyly tried her tongue against his own.
Nicking herself against one of his fangs, Inuyasha pulled back in horror as he felt her warm blood slide down his throat, whispering faintly an apology for losing control before bolting from the dojo. Leaving Kagome to slide down the wall in mass of confusion, with the ingestion of her blood, he had made for them an inseparable seal. Though the ritual was not complete, though they would not yet be considered fully entwined, he and the monk's sister were that much closer to it. His possessive blood would never relinquish this tiny bit of blood flow, her essence would never disperse from his veins and because of that his would never vanish from her own veins. Had this not occurred, his blood would have evaporated from her system after a few cycles through the pumping of her heart, and she would have been freed of him. Free to live a normal life. Now, because he could not control the pull of his inner youkai, Inuyasha had immovably enmeshed their beings and the only thing left was to move forward. However, the hanyou was unwilling to move onto the last step of the ritual, Miroku's little sister still had a choice in the matter, he would not rip it from her.
A ferocious snarl tore from his throat as he clenched his hands tightly, pricking the flesh of his palms on his claws, this was why hanyous were viewed as disgusting things that had no deserving existence. The disgust he felt with himself was like hot lead hollowing out his stomach, and, as he stormed his way toward his solitude in the safe house, Inuyasha filled his head with every derogatory thought on hanyou and agree with them all.
"Inuyasha," her sweet voice whispered, stilling him worse then one of Sesshoumaru's quickly executed paralyzing blows. Her mind was a mass of confusion, but she did have a good idea as to what his discomfort with the kiss they shared in the dojo may have been. Miroku was the problem. The hanyou and her brother were partners at the agency, and though her brother wanted her to have nothing to do with the inu-boy, she could see that they were very close. It was in the way that they spoke of the other, especially her aniki. "You don't have to get that upset about it, I," she paused suddenly feeling very shy and unsure of herself. She had never been in such a situation before, a boy never really giving it any thought to kiss her as who would want to kiss the girl whom could kick your butt better then anyone else. She was the tomboy other guys saw as a good pal, and would never seek anything else for fear of both her and her aniki's actions. Though Kagome had a suspicion that they feared her big brother much more then they feared any course that she might walk down. "I really didn't mind it and if you're worried about Miroku, I won't say anything to him, though with your strength you might be the one person to equal him." She added with a thoughtful frown, even with the admission, her brother was the strongest man in her eyes.
Inuyasha laughed softly at her words, he was ten times stronger then her aniki, but refrained from mentioning so. Miroku's reaction to the kiss never crossed his mind, however, his reaction to binding her even more to his being did. Despite Inuyasha being the stronger, he had no doubts that Miroku would find a way to kill him were he to find out what the hanyou had done to his little sister. He would more irate to learn that all chance of reversing what was done had been taken away by a mere kiss that should never have taken place. Only happening because the inu's instincts were driving him to take his sister in away that would bind them for all eternity. Miroku would really relish in hearing that whole sepal.
"Miroku and I have been through a lot, its why I let you and your brother stay in my penthouse, why I defied my own brother, and why I gave you my blood to heal your wounds. Despite that you would have died if not for what I had done," he gave her a rueful smile, "I don't think that would quite register in his brain. You're his sister, a blood sibling, and that counts for more."
Confusion wrinkled her brow, "I don't understand. Are you saying that my brother won't care for all of that, that he'll only see that you tried to take liberties with me if he found out?"
"I wasn't trying to take advantage!" He snapped.
She shot him a frown, saying in disdain, "injuring yourself just to get my sword away was distraction enough, but then I was slammed up against a wall giving me no time to form any thoughts before you kissed me! I'd say that's taking advantage of the moment," when in predicament less then desired, sometimes humor was the best answer, "why Inuyasha," she purred and though there was a slight tremor to her words, Kagome was desperate to lighten the air of this strained awkwardness. "I didn't know you harbored hidden desires for me, whatever will Miroku say?" She drew up a brow delicately and then laughed, her entire body shaking, as she took in Inuyasha bewildered, startled and fearful countenance. "I'm sorry," she gasped, and then added as she composed herself, though it was difficult now that his face had transformed into the most amusing scowl, "I was only joking." She shot him a sheepish grin, "the situation right now is so awkward that I felt the need to lighten the mood a bit, though I guess I'm not that great with humor as I thought. It always worked with Miroku and Souta," she added in explanation.
"Keh."
Kagome giggled again, and ventured to ask, seeing they were on seemingly safe grounds, "does that mean that I'm free to move now?" Seeing his dark look at the suggestion, she hastily added, if nothing else it could bring a smile to his face, "I think I deserve something for that freebie, I very well could have smacked you."
Inuyasha growled low in his throat, "the moment I see you in pain…" he left the threat hanging, unsure of what he would do but unwilling to allow her to believe she would be without punishment.
Laughing in joy, the young woman threw her arms around his neck, very happy to be free of her forced imprisonment. The first thing she would do with her freedom would be to take a bath and cleanse her body of the blood, soot, and dirt that coated nearly every inch of her flesh. "Thank you," she beamed, chuckling slightly at his startled features, she was in a good mood now that she had been freed. That, and having to crack jokes and find humor after the kiss that had been share between them sort of brought about this joyous feeling in her gut. "I'm going to see Shippo and Souta!" She called running as fast as her legs could carry her to their bedroom, hopping that her sudden withdrawal would stun him long enough that she would make her destination before he could think twice.
Inuyasha snorted as he slammed the door of his room shut, women were confusing creatures, and he had bound himself the strangest of all.
Silence. It reigned heavy in this darkened place, though there was a slight light given off from the moon through the windows. She remembered, as she trailed quietly at her grandfather's side, that he liked for things to be a pitch black with nothing more then moonlight to follow. Her father was to her other side, lips taut in a decidedly marked frown, causing her little heart to beat in agitation. Whatever was going to occur, her father was not happy about it, while her grandfather seemed almost giddy. He had an expression she held many a time after her father presented her with one of the many treasures he would acquire in his travels.
Where they headed down the dark dank hallway she was not entirely certain as many times they had traveled down this path and yet she could never recall what occurrences lay beyond it. Yet the anxiety she felt weighing down her chest only seemed to intensify, squeezing her father's hand she whispered. "Tou-san, why do we always have to go there?" Go where, that was the information she really fished for but was not sure if her lack of memory should be known. Her grandfather never did like it all that much when she appeared foolish, and she did not want her beloved grandfather to be disappointed in her.
Her father squeezed back, "masume, you have to take your testing again." Her body stilled.
"Tou-san," she remembered what her mind had bade her to forget and swung her gaze up to her father's sorrowful one, and shook her head roughly. "No, Tou-san, I don't want to be tested. It hurts tou-san, it hurts," she murmured repeatedly while she just as suddenly dragged her weight, letting her feet drop from beneath her.
Grandfather snapped a sharp gaze in her direction, barking, "get to your feet granddaughter, I will not have a weak grandchild! You must test, and you must pass, or you will no longer be of use to your dear Ji-san." He admonished gently.
The raven-haired little girl stopped her struggles and incoherent mutterings to look up at her grandfather; "do you love me Ji-san?" She whispered the question, as though fearful for the answer might be, eyes watching the old man in uncertainty.
"Hai granddaughter," her grandfather dutifully replied, held his arms out for her to run toward, and she did so without thought finding herself upswept into his firm embrace. "Now be a good girl," he murmured lowly, "and allow the medical team to perform this test. We must find out what is wrong so that we can fix it." The little girl nodded as she was released from his hold, and began to follow without complaint down the dark hall, her anxiety over proceeding far from quelled.
The world around the little girl shimmered and wavered into a horrifying nightmare, where she was strapped to a metal bed as masked, gloved, men came towards her with sharp objects. She could feel an unseen force probing at her body while the man descended the sharp object towards her arm, shaving a thick piece of flesh from her, dabbing at the blood that dripped down her arm before placing the tissue into a baggy for later testing. Her body was immensely tired from undergoing all the trauma that had been forced unto it in the last hours, that she wanted nothing more then to fall into slumber. The unseen fingers, pointed nails, ran over her exposed body, running over the wires that poked into her form, in search of something. They seemed to be communicating with her in away that was difficult to understand, and before she could really grasp at what was happening, the world fell away from her again.
She was slightly older now, her ji-chan stood beside another, a cruel smirk twisting his normal placid features as he calmly spoke to her father. "Come, now, boy, you can't truly mean to steal her away from me?" He laughed, and it was such a corrosive note that it melted at her eardrums, "she belongs to me, you would not have her had I not intervened. Your wife would have died along with the girl during the birthing processes had I not understood what was happening. I saved her and she belongs to me, my granddaughter."
"This is ludicrous, you're insane if you think the you can own my masume, not after everything that you have done to her!" The girl's father crowed with outrage, his shape literally shaking in anger. "Miroku take your sister to safety, and worry for nothing else." The boy nodded meekly, still feeling ashamed for allowing her to travel back into harms way.
"Grandson I would stand where you are," her aniki paused, eyes growing large from the pistol pointed in his direction. The raven haired little girl felt her heart squeeze, surely their grandfather would not try to kill them, and before she assured herself the bang of the gun rang out defining her as she screamed in terror.
Kagome shot up out of her bed, panting heavily. It had been two days since she had been given freedom, and in that time Inuyasha paid her no mind, except when viewing her choice in attire. It was not like she had say, as all that she had was what Kikyou had given her but that did not seem to matter to furious hanyou. It took quite some convincing to get him to shove down his irrational ire for what she could not change, and telling him that she would then have to walk around stark naked seemed to quiet him down quite a bit. Her and the kitsune had grew closer now that she knew him for what he was and assured the young boy that she was perfectly fine with his heritage, that it in no way changed her feeling about him. She had a blissful shower only to have it ruined after being told that everyone thought they were dead. They had to remain 'dead,' for another four days until they had been gone long enough for their pursuers to believe them gone for good.
Sitting up, she let the blankets fall around her, no one was left that would be able to console her fast beating heart because Miroku was not there. Normally such nightmares never made it through, somehow her aniki managed to keep that at bay, though since coming to this strange place they had been frequenting her much more lately. Nightmares of the most harsh since they were a cold hard reality, terrors born through sleep were always so much more startling when they were nothing but fact.
Moving from the bed as though a wraith blanket still attached to her form came trailing after as she sought the comfort of her otouto. Through the darkened room, she went ambling in a sleepy haze towards Souta's dwelling, hopping to be consoled of the night terrors that held her mind steadfast. Ever since the death of her father, she had been having the dreams of things that were truths of long ago, yet she dissected them from her conscious thought, and forced them away to where they would only be remembered in sleep. She needed some one to take the fear away.
Stumbling through the doorway of what she presumed to be her little brother's room, Kagome lethargically took unsteady steps towards his bed. "Souta," she whispered gently, moving to stand at his bedside, she reached an arm out to gently shake the shoulder protruding from the bed.
Strong hands grabbed at her, pulling her downward, a hand placed firmly over her mouth to halt the scream that had begun to sound in the back of her throat. Somehow being transferred underneath the weight of a body, amber eyes pierced into her own, flashing dangerously. "What are you doing in here?" He demeaned dourly. She tensed, readying her body to fight her way from his room if need be when his severe tone etched its way across the skin of her cheek.
"I thought that this was Souta's room," she mumbled chagrined with the fact that in her sleepy haze she had entered the wrong doorway and stepped into the devils lair rather then her own sanctuary from the demons hounding her in her wake. "I had a nightmare." Kagome explicated hopping that it would curb the temper she had seen rise in him during her days of wakefulness perhaps the hanyou could find it in his heart to feel sympathy towards her predicament.
Fingers danced down the expanse of her face, light feather touches that she had to concentrate in order to feel. "That's why you were so uneasy, why you were despairing." He whispered, fever pitched, matching the near quiet of the night. She still really had not figured out a way to discern night from day other then with sleep and wakefulness. "Why are you here?" He asked again, this time, though, there was curious air to his tone.
Her brow drew down in confusion, "I don't mean to be here, I came to find Souta?" For one reason or another the answer left her mouth as more a question to his inquiry rather then an answer. Uncertain, Kagome tried to wiggle her body from beneath his, wanting to leave to the comfort of her sibling from this man she knew nothing about. The inu made her nervous; there was something about him that pulled at her, strengthened in the two days since they shared a stolen kiss. The young girl chalked it up to that fact that she had never been touch in any form by the opposite gender and so it was beginning to invoke strange feelings within her breast. "You have to move so I can go," she supplied to his probing gaze.
After a moment he grinned, and then said. "I don't think I want to move," at her indignant squeak, Inuyasha added, "it took quite awhile to convince those brats to give up their video game and sleep, so I don't want you waking them up. Stupid Kikyou, giving the brats stupid gifts," he complained almost mutely.
"It was a nice thing that Kikyou did," she admonished, "but I do see your point." She added, again trying to slip out from underneath the dog-boy, only to be halted again. "I'll just go back to my room and good back to bed." She clarified, and though she did not want to be without the comfort she had been seeking, Kagome was not entirely sure she wanted to spend so much time alone in this man's presence.
"No."
"Oh, then I'm," she struggled with the words, "staying here?"
"Yes."
She was beginning to grow irritated with his tiresome short worded answers, then gave her own in question. "Why?" She breathed, inert, though she wanted to leave, as she awaited the answer to her inquiry.
Rolling so that she was lying on top of him, Inuyasha tried to calm his nerves, he was a quivering wreck, but with his mask of arrogance, it was not easy to trace. She was greatly troubled by whatever lied in her dreams, if, now that they had both shared blood, she were to lie in his arms she would have less of chance repeating that night terror. The instincts that ruled him demanded nothings less, never mind that, though he coward behind that exuse, his instincts had nothing to do with this decision. "You're still upset," he murmured while pulling his blanket over her shoulders while her head rested upon his chest over his heart. That was that one point that offered the most comfort, at least that is what he had heard, because the steady thrum often hypnotized ones mate into restful sleep. "Just go to sleep, and if you don't want to remember this when you wake up, then I won't remember either." He added.
"Okay," Kagome complied as the avid beats of his heart washed over her senses to bring a slumberous sensation over every inch of her limbs. She really had no wishes to still be awake, her body being so immensely tired that her eyes needed such strength to keep open.
There was more that he could do for the girl, deeper ways in which he could ease the fear from her sleep addled mind, yet he refused to fall so deeply into this mess he created. This was the limit of his forced kindness, normally he was not even this agreeable towards others, and so he would tread not a step further over the many lines of barriers he had long ago agreed never to bisect. Feeling her shiver against his chest, her churning over the remembrances, his resolve crumbled though he still refused what his instincts were driving him towards. "What did you dream of?" Kagome gave a start and brought inquisitive browns up to his golden eyed gaze, "it helps, sometimes, to keep them from returning if you talk about them." His mother had confided this trade secret to him when he was still very small.
Mouth working silently the girl was unsure of how to respond. Only her aniki could help her with these night terrors, reminiscences she was not suppose to speak to another living soul other then her otouto and aniki, even her mother and grandfather were not permitted to know. Her father forbade it, yet the words of her dream came tumbling fourth. She had to be strong for Souta and how could she be strong if she awoke shaken for the remainder of the day by her nightmares. "I was there when my father died, I saw it all, Miroku was going to take me back but the man didn't want him to so he shot my aniki but tou-san got in the way. He fell off the mountainside down the waterfall, and I remember screaming until my throat was raw. Aniki gave me something so that I would sleep, so I don't remember what happened to the man or how I got back home, just that I awoke back in my bed at the shrine and tou-san was dead." She did not want to talk about her ji-san and how much he loved her, that it was her fault that her father had to die, and she most certainty did not want to speak of the painful tests her grandfather forced her to partake.
Against his will a low rumble resonated in his chest, her choked confession catching in the part of his heart he often felt the need to forget. Her tense body against his suddenly went boneless signaling the complete relaxed state of her being with the sound reserved for mate or child, a sound he did not want to emit for her. A sound -an almost cat-like purr- that he wanted no female ear to be graced with. "My old man is dead too," why was he keeping her from sleep? Why did he insist upon doing more to ease her disgruntled spirit then he already was performing, no one would fault him for not going that extra mile, and so why? Why continue down this road? He had saved her life, if anything she owed him for still breathing! Therefore, why did he feel this limitless debt owed to her? "I didn't see him die, so its not quite the same, but he was taken away by some bastard who didn't like the old man refusing his corrupt offer at becoming allies." What did he hope to gain by offering up this bit of information? Honestly, he did not know.
"Do you know who it was?" Her question was feint signaling that she was further being pulled by the will of sleep.
Despite the grim topic at hand, Inuyasha felt a smile pull at the corner of his lip, she had so swiftly fallen into a deep and fitful sleep, before his mouth was drawn downward into a tight frown. No, I don't know, but when I find out that bastard it going to get a grizzly death. The hanyou assured his mind.
Clear across the country a man of questionable sanity paced about the carpeted floor of his office, his twiterpated grandson seated and watching him. Wanting to know were the young man, his protégé, spent his disappearances he had one of his best trackers follow him and though it was not a cake walk, he managed to find out the object of his grandson's infatuation. A trump card stowed away for later negotiations. The brown haired girl was not bad to look at, though he could not understand the level of caring he showed toward the woman, she was -in his opinion- too cheerful and niece to warrant his grandson's affecting. He still had yet to place a name and address with her, only catching them by chance walking hand in hand across the crosswalk from an ice-cream polar. Akahito's mouth twitched in distaste, his grandson was not suppose to act like a hormone driven teenager, rather a cold and calculating killer. It was how he programmed the boy to be and it was how he should act.
Whisking the ideal musings away by massaging at his temples, he set his thoughts back towards the matter at hand. Looking his insolent grandson square in the eyes, he spoke forcefully. "Don't you dare undermine me in this you defiant cur!"
Slamming his hands flat upon his desk, he stood in his anger, eyes flashing, "and you want to risk our operations by shifting through the city looking for two dead children! I have no choice but to undermine you, you've completely lost it grandfather!"
After that, Akahito Houjo was seeing red, he was sane, and no one went behind his back defied his say. He was the greater, the master, the puppeteer, and some little puppet was not going to try becoming a real, full being, to steel away his control. "Grandson, a little bit ago I did some digging," he spoke with a deceptively calm voice, "and I found out about the most interesting place you disappear too." Since he had Haku's undivided attention, Houjo went for the kill. "She is such a lovely girl, I would hate for something bad to happen to her, anything could happen to a woman living all on her own." His concerned tone was mocking as he took a wild stab in the dark, he really had no idea as the home or name of the young woman, but Haku did not need to be informed of that little tidbit.
Defeat weighed his shoulders downward, causing the boy to drop to his seat heavily, and Akahito could not help but to grin victorious. "You promise not to harm a hair on her head and I will let you recall your fruitless search."
"Agreed."
Suddenly Haku had to know, the image of his grandfather crying still burned into his retina, and softly he spoke in question. "Grandfather, why do you hunt for them so, they likely know nothing. They 're just children whom have had the misfortune of being born to a traitor, they were small when he whisked away what you work so hard to find, why are they so important when they obviously know nothing?"
The old man laughed heartily, with a maniacal undertone. "Foolish grandson, you do not understand, those children are nothing more then unknowing carriers. I believe that one of them know what I want without being consciously aware, I only need to find them." He assured.
Haku snorted, but refrained from going any further to display what he thought of his grandfather's foolhardy plan, remembering that he knew of Rin. "And if they are dead, what are you going to do then?"
"They can't be dead," was all he would say before storming off to get the search for the dead siblings underway. Once he was sure he was not followed, taking every confusing path to lose anyone who might be tracking him, he would go and worn Rin to get away. He did not trust that his grandfather would keep it word, as he trusted that the old man had no idea as to where Rin lived.
The next few days were spent in relative calm, since that night she spent in his arms neither had spoken of the incident and tended to give each other much room. Though, even with that, all five of the them seemed to grow extremely close since hiding out together and who would not living in such close quarters. Souta had, after hearing tale after tale of Inuyasha's prowess from Shippo, developed a hero worship for the hanyou and even Kagome had a hard time not admiring some of the things she heard. There had been a few close calls, but nothing like what happen within in the dojo or the night of her nightmare, and Inuyasha was feeling oddly at ease with that feeling that he perhaps had mastered his instincts. If that were true, or if they were just being silent content with the progress being made, time will tell. The inu, however, to insure no more repeats usually spent his days in his temporary dwelling.
Tucked away deep within the sewer systems, cozy and content, the time for them to enter harsh reality was fast approaching and Miroku had yet to gain consciousness after falling to the pressure and Sesshoumaru was close to loosing his calm as well. Kagura had gone missing and it would be suicide to try to march into the agency's office demanding for her to return home. The only thing he could do was to sit back and wait for whatever was to come to come and hope that Kagura's death was not the result.
Nothing is ever so simple in life.
A/N:
Wow, I finished finally, I hope that you all like it! This chappie was manly Inu and Kag fluff, me starting the foundations for their romantic relationship, considering that they've just met and I've already got some pretty good ones for Sess/Kagura and San/Miro, though I've got to work a bit on Rin/Haku…. Tell me what you all think, am I doing a good job on the romance department, I know most of you are reading it for that reason, so I gotta know if I'm doing all right.
That kiss scene it took me a while to write it, I've always had trouble writing such things, and in movies I've always gotta look away. I can never watch them, and I don't even want to think about when they start to do more then kissing, I always get so flustered and embarrassed. So I don't know if I'll be doing anything more then kissing, but if every wants me to bad enough I'll try, but I won't make any promises. The most I'll likely do is a bit of kissing, maybe some clothes disappearing and them BAM! They're lying in bed together naked!
Anyway,
I'd like a moment to thank my reviewers, your all so wonderful! XochicalocaOX- I'm so glad that you liked my story so much, but, I'm not that talented though I appreciate that you think so, that means that I'm doing something right! Demon Exterminator Barbie- Thank you so much, you really think this story is AMAZING! That makes me so happy, you know, because this story took so long to come up with and I take so much time to try and make it interesting for my readers. MiroSan huh? I like them too. Coykoi- Peru Oh yes, its going to be a riot, and will feature in this next chapter or the one after it. Foxcat- 0O wow, I missed a lot of things… thanks for pointing them out to me I really appreciate it. When I get the time I'll go back an fix em all, I'm going to get that openoffice thing they show on The one I'm currently using likes to make strange changes that I don't want as I type and I have to go through and comb for all the errors with a fine tooth comb. Ah, I meant the whole instinct thing (I'll explain that better when I go through and fix things) Inuyasha meant that if it were him, even though he's only half-youkai he would have been driven up the wall by her attire and the men staring at her in it. His dad's blood (in my story) was very strong so Inuyasha retained more of the behaviors of a full youkai then he would have being only half, he's acknowledging that Naraku is nearly the same. Only he forgets that he's of the dog variety and they are generally more possessive. Thanks for reading and leaving a review . AngelMiko289- Peru was a very devastating tragedy for Kikyou's and Inuyasha's relationship, more so then when he nearly got her burned at the stake, and this happened long before she was mated to Naraku. More will be revealed within the next chapters. Thank you so much, I'm glad that you like this story, it means a lot! Aren't I cruel, to be putting poor Inuyasha through such a thing heheheh. SailorInu1- I'm glad that you think I'm doing an awesome job, it means a lot, and things with Inu and Kag will be getting a lot closer from her on out. MyFav. Anime- Wow! Four or five times, just to leave a review, well I'm glad that you did. I always enjoy reading your reviews. What Kagome and Kikyou talked about won't come up until this next chapter, by accident cause Kagome was not suppose to say anything, (a cheat) Kikyou was trying to get a little pay back by slipping her some information. I know but he was so lost to his grief, yep all very sad.
Thank you all my wonderful reviewers, you give me the strength to go on (is that a bit too dramatic nah.). Seriously though, you guys are all so great!