The Storm
By: AniuLonewolf
Chapter 4 - Going Home
Lightning flashed above, dancing in the dark clouds as the thunder soon chased after it in loud cracks in the sky. The rain didn't let up, pelting the green leaves above in the trees.
Inuyasha had taken a path that was sheltered under think healthy tree branches so they were protected from the bulk of the rain, just getting random drips that escaped the leaves.
Wearing the half demon's haori as he held her, Kagome couldn't get herself to stop sneezing and she soon a headache was starting to rock her head.
"Aahhh... achooo!"
"Bless you." Inuyasha whispered down to her as he pulled her closer to him. Even though pulling her closer to him probably wouldn't help her become warmer since he was soaked to the bone himself, he tried to make her comfortable for the remaining travel to the village.
"Thanks." Kagome said, cuddling closer to Inuyasha's chest and trying to suppress a shudder from the cold. "Are we there yet?" She didn't remember the forest being this big. Shouldn't they be at the village by now?
"We'll be there in a minute. I took a longer route but under thicker trees to shield from the rain." Inuyasha explained and just as he finished his sentence the trees broke away to reveal the sleeping village.
When they got to Keade's little hut they found that the fire was put out and that everyone had gone to bed while they were gone. Though there was very little light, Inuyasha's demon eyes could pick up just enough light to be able to see perfectly. He sat Kagome down on the wooden step and sat down beside her and placed one of his clawed hands on her forehead. "Shit Kagome, you're burning up!" He whispered.
Kagome let out a very tired sigh and rested her head in her hand as she looked down at the floor. She wrapped Inuyasha's haori around her for more warmth but since it was wet, it did little. "I don't feel so good."
Inuyasha ran his fingers through Kagome's wet hair and then got up, soundless on his feet. He walked over to one of the corners of the hut where Kagome's big yellow backpack was and swung it over his shoulder. "Well it looks like we're going to take a visit to your era."
Kagome looked up from her head in her hands with a questioning look on her face. "Huh?" Wasn't the entire fight not even an hour ago about how Inuyasha didn't want Kagome to go home?
Boy, he must have had one hell of a revelation to be so easily open to taking her home. The thought brought a smile to her face.
Inuyasha walked back over to Kagome and picked her up to carry her bridal style while her backpack was over his shoulders. "I'm going to take you home so you can rest 'til you get better," He kissed her lightly on the forehead again and walked out of the hut and into the rain. "I'm sure your era's medicine will help you get better faster."
This time the half demon took the direct route, taking to jumping through the limps of the trees. Since they were already wet, he didn't bother to take the route with thicker branches to get away from the rain, instead he wanted to get Kagome back to her time as quickly as possible.
He didn't slow down when he got to the Bone Eater's Well and jumped into the well and into the glowing cloud that took him into Kagome era. When he got to the other side, he jumped out and into the little shrine that housed the time traveling portal.
Opening the door of the shrine, he found the same monstrous storm raging in Kagome's time as in his. The well connected the two times, the same area just 500 years difference. So it was no surprise to see the same weather in both times.
Inuyasha could feel through his haori around Kagome that her fever was starting to rise so he wasted no more time to run through the rain, across the courtyard to Kagome's house. Seeing a light on in the house, Inuyasha knew that someone was home.
"Just go through the front door," Kagome said, still in Inuyasha's arms. "It would be too awkward to go through my bedroom window. And I wouldn't want my family to think someone is breaking into the house." Going through Kagome's bedroom window was the usual route Inuyasha took to get into her house.
Trying to be quiet, Inuyasha was trying to balance Kagome in one arm while trying to get the door when the door moved by itself. The woman who stood on the other side of the door was Kagome's mother.
"Oh hello Inuyasha," Mrs. Higurashi answered in surprise when she saw the half demon at the front door. "Kagome, what brings you home?" She asked her daughter in a kind, soft voice as she saw Kagome in the half demon's arms. "Is everything ok?"
Inuyasha beat Kagome to explanation as she had to sneeze again. "We were out in the rain. Kagome twisted her ankle and she's caught a fever."
"Oh." Was all Kagome's mother said at first and stepped to the side to let Inuyasha through the door to bring Kagome in the house. "What were you doing out in the rain?" She asked her daughter.
Again, Inuyasha took to explaining as he sat Kagome down on the step to remove her shoes. "It was my fault that she was out in the storm. We had a fight and she ran out. I followed after her but she had been out in the rain long enough to get a cold."
Kagome just sat on the step as Inuyasha explained to her mom why she was sick. She took her wet socks off and saw that her ankle was actually turning purple from a bruise that she got from hitting the tree root. "It's ok. We're not fighting anymore," She told her mom, seeing a smile on Inuyasha's face from the corner of her vision. "I'll get over this cold in no time." And with that, she sneezed.
"Well let's get you warmed up."Mrs. Higurashi smiled and let Inuyasha carry Kagome upstairs to the bathroom where her mother ran a warm bath for her daughter.
While Kagome was in the bath, Inuyasha followed Mrs. Higurashi into the laundry room to put their wet clothes in the dryer. While his haori and undershirt where in the dryer, Inuyasha was stuck walking around in Kagome's house shirtless.
"Well I'm just glad that she has you to look after her." Kagome's mother smiled sweetly at the silver haired dog demon as she opened the door to Kagome's room.
Inuyasha tried to smile back but he couldn't. He was too busy pondering over the woman in front of him. She didn't say anything about the argument that he spoke of and he couldn't understand why she wouldn't be mad – it was his fault in the first place why Kagome was in this situation.
When Mrs. Higurashi turned on the lights in Kagome's room, Inuyasha just stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. Any way he turned in her room, his nose would pick up the scent of Kagome. Her bed was made with unwrinkled sheets; Kagome hadn't slept in her own bed in weeks for she was in Inuyasha's time, sleeping in a sleeping bag by the fire.
Inuyasha didn't want to stay in Kagome's room by himself so he followed Mrs. Higurashi down the stairs to the kitchen. "Thank you Inuyasha, for bringing Kagome home." She said, turning on the stove. The woman was quiet for a moment but then gave a small sigh, "Although, it might not be her home for much longer." She murmured with her back to Inuyasha.
But the dog demon's ears picked up her mumbling and looked up with a confused face. "What do you mean?"
Mrs. Higurashi turned around from the stove to look at the confused half demon. "What are your feelings towards my daughter?"
Inuyasha faulted for a moment, thinking that this was the moment that Kagome's mother was going to freak out. Of course, she had every right to freak out – why should she let her daughter be with a half demon, someone who puts her in danger every moment that she is with them. He was a danger to her. But the tone in her voice was still just as soft, sweet and loving as always, no hint of anger.
The silver haired boy gulped and felt his cheeks heat up. "I uh..." He couldn't get the words out.
"Do you love her?" Mrs. Higurashi questioned softly. She still had that motherly smile on her face.
He was still unable to find his voice for a moment and just gave a nod. "Yes – I do love Kagome." He said quietly, happy that he was finally able to find his voice again. But hearing the declaration out loud was something new to him. Yes saying those words to Kagome was a huge, pivotal step but telling her mother made his heart burst into a sprint.
Mrs. Higurashi's face broke into a wide smile and she took a step forward towards Inuyasha. "Did you tell her this?" She asked. She could remember all those times that Kagome came home with tears in her eyes and she fully knew what the reason for those tears were - her love for the dog demon. Now, to hear that very same dog demon state his love for her daughter broke a big smile to her face.
All Inuyasha could do was nod a 'yes'.
Mrs. Higurashi's face still showed that of almost nothing less of pure happiness. "And she told you that she loved you as well?" She questioned, remembering to stir the soup.
Inuyasha's face had both surprise and confusion written all over it. "How did you...?"
He continued to look at the woman, his golden eyes sparkling with curiosity as to how she knew everything about the situation. "She told me awhile back that she loved you," She explained. "She just wasn't sure if you loved her back."
Inuyasha's heart shuddered for a moment. How many times did Kagome cry over him? How many times was she hurt because of her feelings for him and he still had feelings for Kikyo? All of these questions slapped him in the face. His eyes met the floor, unable to look at Kagome's mother. "And it doesn't bother you that I am a half demon?" He asked.
"Of course it doesn't matter," Kagome's mother smiled warmly as she walked up to the half demon. "Kagome loves you for who you are, not what you are and the same goes for the rest of her family." She smiled, placing a soft hand on his folded arms.
Inuyasha let a smile break through on his lips. How long his ears had wished for those words to be spoken to him. "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me." All those years growing up without his mother, not being able to fit in anywhere, he had finally found a place and a family that accepted him.
Mrs. Higurashi smiled up at Inuyasha as he smiled down at her. "I trust you to protect Kagome. You two have been through so much these past four years. I know she will be very happy with you."
Inuyasha nodded, his smile staying on his face as he watched Kagome's mother return to the stove to stir the soup. There was a moment of silence as Inuyasha listened to the rain falling outside, the wind blowing around the house and Kagome's absentminded humming coming from upstairs.
"But I do have one question..." Mrs. Higurashi suddenly started, bringing Inuyasha back from his thoughts.
Inuyasha braced himself for screaming, yelling, rejection. It was a reaction that he developed ever since he was little. The natural reaction when someone started freaking out about what he was.
"When you have children, you will come and visit us right?"
Inuyasha gulped down a lump in his throat. The question completely took him for surprise and he was at a loss of words yet again. "Um... uh..." He gulped and let it out. "If we do, then yes, we will come." The blush on his face deepened until it almost matched the same shade of his haori pants.
But while Inuyasha was off in his own thoughts, blushing about the idea of having children with Kagome, Kagome's mother's eyes were so bright and shiny with daydreaming stars. "Oh I'm going to be a grandmother!" She exclaimed happily.
Inuyasha sweat dropped. 'Yeah...' But she was in such a happy mood that he just let it go. Plus he was kind of daydreaming about the idea himself. 'Me with Kagome? Having pups?' He smiled and looked over at Kagome's mother, who looked like she was in a daze of giddiness.
"I wonder if they will have cute dog ears like you, Inuyasha." She said, turning back to the soup with the stars still twinkling in her eyes.
But the half demon in the kitchen didn't answer for he was too lost in his own daydreaming world.
Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi
The Storm by AniuLonewolf