Deceitful Time
Chapter Sixteen: Tangled

That wound… the gashing gut on her frayed body was always what haunted him the most, the one that his eyes always wondered to in his memory, the one that sent panic, painful, waves through his body at just recalling it. He hadn't thought much about that until now, now he knew why that affected him so much.

He didn't lose just Kagome that day.

Still, he couldn't regain his stable breath or stop the shaking as he bent down by one of the farther away hot springs, his hand gripped to his chest to try and steady the erratic heartbeat that throbbed in his mind. What the fuck was wrong with him? How could he leave her like that? Why would he ever do that? Granted, he never wanted kids or anything, he'd make the world's worst father for sure, but that didn't mean he should leave the woman that was pregnant with his child. No, no, no… and he lost her, she came back for some reason only to… die. Knowing her good heart, she probably wanted to forgive him or give him another chance... but instead he lost her and their unborn child and it was his fault, if he hadn't pushed her away that day maybe…

Five hundred years was a grave amount of time, of course he'd forget a great deal of his past as newer memories washed away the old but that… still, how the hell could he forget that the woman that was going to bear his child died? How could he forget he lost a child? No, he couldn't believe time could take that away from him. Wouldn't that thought plague his mind all the time so as never to be forgotten? Yes, yes, yes…

"Inuyasha?" If he heard her he made no sign of it, gods, what was wrong with him? She was finally going to give herself to him and he freezes up and runs away? Did he have any idea how much that hurt her? If it weren't for that odd look on his face she would have pulled back on her yukata and left with haste instead of putting one the white night-time oned and going to look for him. By the time she went out into the hallway he was gone so she scoffed to herself before slamming the door and heading back to grab her things, she'd just leave. Then she caught a glimpse of him in the back of the inn, where all the hot springs were. He seemed to collapse beside one, was he OK?

She couldn't help but run out of there—without even shoes—to go make sure. By the time she reached him she had called out his name three times lightly before putting more force behind it yet he still stared—shaky eyed—at the steaming water before him, his hand clenched to his chest tightly.

"Inuyasha!" She shouted, finally, as she knelt down beside him to cup his face and pull his face to look over at him. After a moment he blinked and it seemed realized she was there, "are you OK?"

No, nowhere near it, how could he do that to her? He couldn't lock eyes with her; he glanced away and freed his face from her grasp.

"Inuyasha," she whispered. He looked… so strange as if somehow he had broke in only a moment, but how? How could Inuyasha show such apparent weakness? He was always hiding any sign of mortality, of feelings, of pain, of suffering, of anything from her yet now... she couldn't help but wrap her arms around his neck and pull him into an embrace where his head was leaning against her chest and her chin upon his jet black hair. "Please, you are worrying me, are you alright?"

He cringed when she hugged him like that, guilt bombarded him to the point that he felt almost as if he needed to pull away to vomit. She was comforting him when it really should be the other way around, how could he…? He didn't deserve her if he did such a thing to her in the past—wait, no, he closed his eyes and took a breath. No, he never did it to her-her. He did it to another Kagome, a Kagome that did not yet exist… and he didn't necessarily do it—well, he did—but his ignorant, selfish, childish, self from five hundred years ago did.

He would never make that mistake. He would never leave her like that. He could never hurt her like that.

"Kagome," he whispered before giving in and holding her back.

"What's wrong?" She muttered back.

"I'm sorry," for so much more than she could possibly understand, "it's… nothing. I just remembered something and it…" he shook his head lightly before unraveling her arms from around him so he could look into her eyes, he'd never tell her what he remembered. She'd never forgive him, he couldn't blame her. Then again… it would probably keep her from ever wanting to return through the well, right? To know that his past-self that she was so in love with would leave her like that would shatter her image of him, right? But… he couldn't risk her blaming him, too.

"What'd you remember?" She inquired as her hazel delights wondered about his auburn-amber gaze; she lifted one of her hands to cup his cheek with a pout upon her lips. She was quiet sure she knew, though, probably something to do with her death. It was only those memories that made him look so... distraught.

He could see her patience was wearing thin, he could see he hurt her, he could smell some salt upon her cheeks as if he made her shade a single tear after he left. She had finally agreed to give herself to him and he jetted, he defiantly needed to do some damage control. "I love you."

Her eyes widened immensely as her lips parted ever so slightly yet nothing came out, her hand retracted from his cheek only a small amount.

"I love you," he repeated with more certainty, he did. He knew it. He had for over five hundred years now, he just didn't remember until that moment. He'd make up for what he did in the past, he'd never hurt her again, "Kagome, I really—"

"Inuyasha," she hushed before retracting her hand to her chest and looking over to the hot spring. Should she say it back? She loved him, she did, but did she love him or the past-Inuyasha or… a mixture of the both? Did she just love one of them or had the best of both fused into her mind as one? Did it matter if she differentiated between the two? Weren't they still the same man?

"I don't need to hear it back," he said with a sigh—but not out of disappoint just… relief, it was as if a weight was lifted from his shoulder after saying those three words to her. A weight he didn't even know was there. "And… Kagome," he gently tilted her face so she was looking at him once more, "you know I want to…" he dragged out before she met his gaze again and nodded, she knew what he was getting at. "I really want to," he assured, "believe me but I think… we should wait a while."

"What?" She scoffed, "why?" Should she take that as an insult? After all, she was finally giving into him yet he wanted to wait? Was he scared of the fact that he loved her? Her brows furrowed as she bit her bottom lip, why did he have to be like this?

"Just… safety first, ya' know?" he managed a smile for her then, "we were in the moment and it was a great one but… I didn't think you'd be staying with me tonight and even if you were I didn't think you'd want to have," sex, somehow he figured he shouldn't blatantly say that to her so he just shrugged, "so I don't have… protection tonight. I don't want to do something careless," that was a lie but he just couldn't bring himself to becoming intimate with her after that memory resurfaced. "Besides," her cleared his throat some before standing up and reaching his hand out for her, she still seemed a bit baffled but took it and let him help her to his feet. "Maybe you should get on that… pill, just in case. You know, you're only seventeen; it'd be pretty bad if something were to happen while you're so young. It's not healthy, ya' know?"

She retracted her hand from his while her cheeks flushed with a pink tint, she hadn't thought about that. It was very reasonable… almost too reasonable, how did Inuyasha become so mature? "Maybe you're right…" she was embarrassed at how disappoint she was that they weren't going to do anything, had she wanted to that badly?

"I hear it takes a month for that med to take effect," and the safer it was whenever they were together the better. The longer he had to figure out how to get over the guilt, the better. How could he take her when he did something like that in the past to her? He couldn't… he wanted to, still, but he couldn't. Damn, after five hundred years he was really hoping he had gotten rid of his conscious.

Her hazels narrowed upon him as she folded her arms, "you know that, huh?"

"It's common knowledge, Kagome," he assured.

"Mm-hm," she grumbled, "Inuyasha… do you have children?"

"Wh-What?"

"You've been with how many women throughout the past five hundred years?" She sneered some, "hm? So have you ever had a child?"

That's a valid point, he guessed, but, "no. None that I know of—"

"That you know of?" She awed with utter disgust, "so you really could and just—?!"

"Kagome, hold on," he requested as he placed his hands upon her shoulder, "I would know. The child would be a half-demon and I would have been made aware of his existence. There aren't a whole lot of us left, you know, and there are a few demons that are designated as… population control, you could say, and they go around tracking all the demons and half-demons that are left. They would have brought me any heir I might have and forced me to raise the child. Besides, I'm really not as big of a dog as you think I am. For a hundred straight years after you I didn't ever bother with the company of a woman."

"Really?" She murmured.

He just nodded, even though that was true… it was still a bit amazing he never produced an heir through all his one-night stands. Perhaps it was a punishment from the gods, since he rejected his first he couldn't have anymore? Whatever the reason, he didn't have a child and he was most certain someone would have figured out if he did.

"Is…" she sighed before taking a step closer to him so he could wrap his arms around her and she could rest her head upon his chest, "it OK for a child to be a half-demon now? Mimiko said they're more accepted, is that true?"

"Uh-huh, it's fine, any amount of demon blood is important now. Half or full, you saw today, there were plenty of half-demons running for posts."

She nodded lightly before wrapping her arms around him, if they ever had children together—not that she was even considering that as a possibility right now, mind you—they would be half-breeds. She didn't want them to have to go through the same difficulties Inuyasha did when he was a child… not that she wanted to marry Inuyasha or anything—which is what would have to come before she ever had a child with him. "OK, Inuyasha. Let's wait."

"Alright," he murmured back as he kissed the top of her head. "Do you want me to—?"

"Inuyasha," a hazardous chuckle beckoned.

"Fucking bastard," another grunted, "bringing a pet here like you did."

Kagome meant to turn around to see the two rather large demons she could feel were right behind her but Inuyasha squeezed her tighter so she couldn't move.

"Fuck off," he ordered, "I'll only give you one chance."

They both laughed before the ground shook some with their steps forward, "like one of you could take two of us."

"Idiots," he scoffed before pushing Kagome behind him. It was only then that she could see how huge they really were and ugly, too. They looked like two giant ogres, they must be in their true demon forms, then, and not human—wait, she couldn't help but ponder, didn't that mean Inuyasha had a true demon form now, too? Did he look like a big dog like Sesshomaru once did?

"We told you we wouldn't forgive you for what you did!" The greener one of the two shouted as he slammed his hand down right in front of them, cracking the ground in the processed. Inuyasha snatched up Kagome and jumped out of the way and upon the balcony that belonged to their room.

"What's going on?" She asked right away.

"Stay here," he sighed, "this won't take long."

"But—"

"Stay," he ordered again before jumping back down to land right on the greener one's head.

She couldn't help but grumbled something bitter to herself as she paced about, if only she had a bow and arrow she could help him but… she didn't. Not that it appeared to matter; he didn't even lift a claw to them. All he did was jump about to here and there; it was rather amusing to her how the two ogres ended up doing nothing but assaulting the other. In no time, the greener one smacked the other severely in the head in an attempt to get Inuyasha, causing his companion to pass out and fall into the hot spring.

"Fuck you!" The green one grunted.

"You are as stupid as ever," Inuyasha gloated before leaping up to where Kagome was once again, "I suggest you stop it now. We aren't supposed to fight at these things. The pasts the past, anyway, it was your twos fault that you got in trouble. I was just enforcing the law of the land."

"You are fucking lucky we are here or else you'd be dead!" He shrieked as he retrieved his friend, "I swear! I'll get your little bitch—!"

"Touch her and I'll kill you," Inuyasha assured.

"You can't kill a fellow demon over a mortal," he chuckled, "that's just the law of the land."

"But Ohachi approved her," Inuyasha smirked, "that means she's safe. If you touch her you'll have ot answer to me or him, your choice, neither will be pretty."

"You liar!"

"Ask Ohachi yourself."

That seemed to fluster the brute into silence before he stumped off with his friend on his back, cursing up a storm all the while.

"What was that all about…?" Kagome sighed.

"Nothing," he shrugged before turning to her once more, "they killed a horde of humans once and got punished for it. We really aren't supposed to do that. It's kinda the opposite of laying low. They're just idiots, really, I could take them down without breaking a sweat, don't worry about it, alright?"

She nodded lightly before she glanced away, "your yukata is sort of opened… Inuyasha."

"Huh?" He murmured before looking down to see how true she was, he quickly fumbled about to tie the knot once more and keep it closed, "anyway," he coaxed, "it's almost midnight. If we hurry, and I mean like really hurry—demon speed hurry—I can take you to your family so you can be with—"

"I told you," she stated swiftly as she turned around to cup his face in her hands, "I want to spend New Years with you. Do you not want to spend it with me just because we aren't going—"

"No, I want you here, but won't your family wonder where you are?"

She shrugged lightly, "I doubt it. They'll probably be at the shrine all night praying, making wishes, and playing around with all the activities that are there. They must think I'm doing the same elsewhere with you and friends, they won't care."

"If you say so," he murmured, "I meant it when I said—"

That he loved her, she smiled, "I know."

It's a bit ironic, isn't it? She had yearned for him to tell her that for so long, if she was in Feudal Era she'd be the one declaring her love and not getting a reply out of Inuyasha yet… now, in her era, it was the other way around. It's just, she couldn't say it yet… she couldn't tell him she loved him when she wasn't sure it was him she loved. So instead she just gave him one, simple, innocent kiss.

Their first kiss of the New Year.

{xoxoxoxoxo}

"So you want me to leave today?" Kagome almost pouted as they lingered around the front of the Inn.

"You'll be safe," he promised before leaning in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek, "humans aren't allowed at all during the voting and you'd be bored out of your mind, anyway. I'll see you later."

"If I walk just down to the road I'll be able to catch a bus?" She inquired as she pointed down the dirty road, "without a problem?"

He shrugged lightly, "you might have to wait a while. If you want I can call a car service to come pick you up. I don't think I want you to have to wear your nice yukata on some public bus."

"Inuyasha," she sighed before rolling her eyes at him. It's funny that he became such a snob over all the years, "it'll be fine."

"I'd feel better if you let me call—"

"Stop it," she retorted, "I'll be fine. I take public transportation all the time."

"Fine, fine," he grumbled, "call me when you get home, alright?"

"Worry-wart," she giggled some before taking a step away, only to have him grab her arm and pull her into an embrace rather abruptly. She was happy he loved her, she was more than happy to sleep in his arms all night after they talked well into the New Year about this and that, and she was overjoyed that he cared enough not to want to let her go but it was going to be bothersome he was always like that. Then she heard a car drive by behind her and saw it stop not too far away from them. Oh… "was that going to hit me?"

"You are a," he bit his lips and snorted, "moron. Do you want to die via vehicle manslaughter, huh?"

"Jerk," she jeered as she pushed away to watch as two people exited the in one a goddess looking female—a demon, she could tell from the marks about her face and her aura—and the other… her eyes widened and jaw almost dropped. The other was—!

"Inuyasha!" the woman beckoned with a bright smile as she raised her hand slightly to wave, "how are you? I was so sad to see you were not running for ambassador, darling."

"Chi," he smiled back with a small, cheerful, chuckle, "with you as advisor of section one what's it matter who's ambassador?"

"You are too kind," she assured, "but I cannot seem to bring myself to vote for Takeo, he is still such a child."

"That's true."

"Oh, is this your human?" She inquired before making her way over to them—it seemed as if she floated upon the ground she was so graceful. She bowed her eyed ever so slightly to Kagome, who did so in return, "let me introduce myself. I am Tsumino Chiyoko, it is a pleasure."

"I am Higurashi Kagome, it's nice to meet you, too." The way Inuyasha and her acted was… strange, to her at least. They seemed to be friends, they had nothing but good cheer as they talked with one another and she brought a surreal smile to his face… a pang of jealousy struck her. The silver haired beauty wore a silk, elaborate, blue and gold kimono that only advanced her already noble looking grander.

"Ah, Kagome," she nodded with a prying smile to Inuyasha, "I see... well, this is my human," she turned to the handsome, brown haired, teal eyed teen who nodded his head lightly to Kagome, "he is Morinu Katsu."

"Yes, I know," Kagome couldn't help but glow, "I loved your last album."

"Thank you," oh, his smile made her heart flutter. She couldn't help but be like all her other friends and have a crush on the famous J-pop star. Honestly, that was the last type of person she would have expected to see there particularly since he was human—not even a bit of his aura seemed to be demonic. Then again, if she remembered all that Eri, Ayumi, and the rest of her friends always said while gossiping over him he was from a very well off family.

"I am sending him away," Chiyoko frowned, "I can't keep him here during the voting. I suppose you are doing the same for yours?"

"Yep," Inuyasha nodded.

"Why waste money? Let them share the car, that way she needn't wait for whatever service you have summoned."

"Oh, no, that's—"

"Sounds great," Inuyasha broke in before Kagome could respectfully decline the offer, "I'll see you later, Kagome."

"Fine," she sighed… besides, how bad could it be if she had to share a town car with someone so dashing?

"Here you go," Katsu offered as he opened the door for Kagome, "that is a very pretty yukata, Higurashi."

"You can call me Kagome," she assured as she slid in, "and thank you."

"Well, if I'm going to call you Kagome, will you call me Katsu?" He inquired, never once letting that subtle, sweet, smile leave his lips.

"If you don't mind," she replied back with a bit of a giggle as the car started on. It wasn't until they returned to a fairly popular road that Katsu struck up conversation once more.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," she nodded as she looked away from the window and over to the staring Katsu, his smile had faded.

"Why do you associate with demons?"

"Me?" She mused, "I've known Inuyasha for forever."

He nodded lightly, "my family has had to do with them for generations now, too."

No, that's not what she meant at all but… she didn't feel like trying to really explain it to him, "it's something like that. "

"Do you like them?" He mumbled as he glanced out the window.

"I like Inuyasha…. I'm not so sure about the rest, what about you?"

"I don't, I like Chiyoko but the rest… can burn."

{xoxoxoxoxo}

"Inuyasha," Chiyoko dragged out, "you finally found that human you were looking for, hm? I have to say I always thought you were a bit crazy. How would you have known someone from the future? But, apparently, you were right."

"Of course I was," he scoffed as he stuck his hands in his pocket, "I just… hate how much I've forgotten about her."

That stopped Chiyoko in her tracks right before the entered the theater, her violet gems wondered about him as he slowed to a stop to turn and look at the strange expression written upon her pretty face, "Chiyoko…?"

"Don't you remember?" She inquired with her calm tone and a tilt of her head, "back when we lived together, Inuyasha? You asked me for a favor…?"

Silence lingered between the two as he just stared at her, trying to recall what that might have been since it was well over a hundred a fifty years since they had. Finally, the gears started to turn in his mind and his stance stiffened.

"I can't sleep…" he complained as she played with his bangs, "I can't get over what happened… the guilt, fuck…"

"Would you like me to make it stop, Inuyasha?" She whispered before she brushed his hand away from his eyes so he could look up into her violets, "for you, I will."

"Chiyoko," he dragged out before sighing and nodding, "I can't… I need to stop feeling this way."

"Then let me help you," she requested before pressing her lips to his forehead and mouthing once more, "Inuyasha."

"Please, Chiyoko… make it stop."

"Consider it done, sweetheart," she replied as she sat back up and placed her fingers upon the side of his temples, her eyes locked with his as they began to fog up, "think about what you want to forget."

"That's right," he whispered before taking a step back and raising his hand up to his face, "I asked you to erase some of my memories…"

"Don't feel too bad about it," Chiyoko requested, "they were already fading naturally, you barely remembered any details just one that kept you from sleeping. I wanted to help you, Inuyasha."

"Did I ever tell you what it was?" He inquired.

She simply shook her head, "let's not worry about it right now, let's go vote."

"Alright," he whispered, "is there a way to get the memories back?"

She sighed, "it's difficult, I'll try…"

A/N: Thank you for reviewing! It's great. Enjoy.