AN; AND WAFF. I don't know where all of these warm and fuzzies are coming from. I also don't know how these chapters are so flipping long! I realized that I have an 'InuYasha pattern' which is a culmination of all of my favorite things. Haha. InuYasha, facial hair, heterochromia, manliness, and smoking. That just reeks of a lumberjack, if you ask me. XD
Many many many thanks to my reviewers.
ninjamidori - I just love you. There, I said it. ;D
Warm-Amber92 - I was so excited when I read your review. I didn't know if anyone would like it at first. I'm actually already almost done with the story, so I'm going to be posting everything today and tomorrow. :3
k.a.a-inu - Thank you! I hope you enjoy this chapter, too!
xsachi - I seriously can't wait to post this. I can't get done with it fast enough!
The sun drew circles around the gray clouds, disheartening this simple wish to be anywhere but the fridge back of the train. Kagome had thought it was a blessed idea to escape the woes of walking, in trade for the steel car, ushering them to parts unknown.
Whether or not they had made any progress, truly, was beyond her. She stared in bewilderment at the mountainous range that disappeared and left behind silhouettes of their statuesque forms. InuYasha was chewing on his nails, brightly absorbing the golden light on his skin.
It pestered her to no end that she was staring at the nape of his neck, and way his breathing was always ragged. This cold was probably doing him an injustice and it made her stomach knot at her selfishness is dragging him along.
A sigh erupted from her throat as she buried deeper into the red coat. She found out that his wife's name had been Kikyo, and was beautiful as the flowers in which she was named. Much more than that would have been asking and delving too deep to recover conversation.
She did come to find out that he had been a soldier in the war, and often handled himself as a hermit because of his pride. People didn't quite understand that he was a person of his own will and mind, and sharp as tack.
Kagome waited patiently for him to speak up, but instead, he continued staring at the setting sun and the way he shuddered at the wind, and probably from his nerves. This was the first time he had been so exhilarated, he had told her, to leave his home for the night. Hell, this was the first time he had been on the train since he traded in his uniform for some rice and vinegar.
InuYasha eventually blew a wayward breath and settled down against the locked car door. His body was stiff and burned at the joints. Kagome, he smiled to himself, was tired, and lost in a daze and probably her imagination.
Part of him had romanticized this awkward and unique situation to the fullest and left a wake of ideas running through his own head. The train whistled and grinded to a halt, making them jump to reach and alert state.
Kagome was quick to grab hold, and shot up like a rocket. "We have to get off here, they'll catch us if they take out the luggage." She said quietly, helping the man up to his feet.
"If nothing else there's a town here." He said, sliding off the back of the caboose. "You'll have to see if someone takes pity on you. You've got those doe eyes so it shouldn't be a problem." He chided, reaching out his arms.
His hands latched around her waist as he helped her down, eyes meeting for a moment. The girl tore her eyes away and nodded in jest. "Well, maybe an unhappily married woman will find you to be a charmer and let you stay."
He was about to say something sharp, but noticed a few early prowlers lurking in the field beside the drop off. Deliberately, he placed his hands on her back and lead her towards a hill with cobble steps. "Come on, Red. I don't need wolves eating you."
Kagome tensed slightly, looking over her shoulder to see a few of the creatures sniffing around nearby. "I wasn't afraid of them until that old lady at the inn told me all sorts of stories. I know that the ones about the King of Okami aren't necessarily true..."
"Ah," InuYasha crossed his arms over his chest as he walked, watching the backs of Kagome's long legs swishing beneath the fabric. "You know, I heard that he's actually a human. He likes to prowl around what was Musashi. He likes pretty dark headed girl's with red coats and pale skin." A wide, micheivious grin settled on InuYasha's face when Kagome whipped around.
Her eyes were ferociously serious and dreaded the fear behind them. "No. Don't tease me like that! I already can never have a dog again!" She yelped, slowly letting herself giggle as she reached the lantern light at the apex of the stairs.
InuYasha's playful expression fell, giving way for an unadulterated one instead. "What's so funny?"
"I guess I need to get you a leash, then. You're the only dog I care to have around." She teased, not caring that he gave her a rather perturbed glare. Normally, InuYasha wasn't fond of plays on his name, and the fact that his family had been given such names for stemming from the Inuyama-jo.
"You know, I could just leave right now and go on my merry way." He replied seriously, waiting on the girl to fly down the steps and throw herself around him. He had watched too many films with his mother, he sighed.
"You came with me after I told you goodbye, what should make me think that you'll leave me now?" Kagome asked, eyes falling heavily upon him as though he was prey. He doubted she realized what she was doing, or that she held that alluring prowess.
It was like being submerged and realizing that you could never refill your own lungs with the sweetness of air. "Fair enough." He said, walking beside her as they passed through the bustling streets. It was an old shrine town and held a few businesses and residents, in comparision to Tama. A temple rested in the West, raised high on another set of stairs and torii to protect it from the urchin that may defile it.
The plumes of smoke rising from a bonfire made Kagome's body coil with pleasure. Her fingers knitted together as the maple leaves dissolved into dust within the fire's ravenous mouth. Each lap of its tongue absorbed and conquered another part of nature, absolving this cold with a sputter of its hot breath.
It was magical, she breathed, finally hiding her body from the formiddable wind. InuYasha probably couldn't feel his toes and she ushered his gaunt body forward. The towns-folk, dressed in traditional garb, offered up some spirits and a few of their rations in exchange for a few coins.
One man, in particular, studied Kagome from afar. He held his broom in his hand and looked over towards the lumbering idiot beside her. He wasn't much in the way of a man, he scowled, brushing off the walkway to the shrine.
His hands brushed against his hakama and settled his broom down. InuYasha leaned down to whisper something in Kagome's ear, warily walking away from her to the shrine. As he passed by, the stout man glowered and sent him a daring look.
InuYasha scoffed and headed up the incline, leaving Kagome defenseless for the time being. A few of the women had surrounded her, talking to her about her fine garments and how lucky she was that she afford them in a time of faminine and recovery. Her responses were just as surprised as their questioning, until he showed up.
Kagome's eyes caught his for a brief moment and she smiled awkwardly as he introduced himself. Bowing, he smiled toothily, "I'm Koga, I'll be happy to help you with anything you may need while you're here. It's not like the big cities or anything fancy, like what you seem to be used to, but it's a pretty nice place."
The girl bit her lip as she told him her name and declined the offer as politely as possible. She quickly realized that his scowl was fixed and had taken offense to her refusal. "Koga-sama, I didn't mean to be rude. I have to make it to the city soon. My companion and I have to be there some time tonight, but thank you for your offer."
"Are you seein' that man you were with?" Koga asked bluntly, tossing his bound hair over his shoulder pompously.
Kagome shook her head, "No, but that doesn't matter."
"I don't see what the harm is in coming with me for a drink and some food would hurt." He pleaded with a cheeky grin. Kagome gathered that it wasn't all that innocent of a smile. She was pretty dumb sometimes, but this certainly was a situation where she wasn't so stupid.
Kagome smiled and sat her drink down on a bench and began to walk away, heading for the heart of the small town. There was an inn in which she bustled in and plopped down on a Western sofa, hoping that she had lost in him in the evening commotion.
There were a few passing patrons checking in, and she waited patiently to ask the rate. It couldn't have been too terribly expensive, but the entire building was furnished with American memorbilia and the woman behind the counter was obviously foreign.
She must have lived on a military base nearby and chose to stay after the war was over. After the other patrons were gone, she settled her green eyes on Kagome and leaned over the counter. Her language skills were fairly decent and helped herself to some light jokes and pricing while the girl waited.
"Are you looking for your honey?" The red-headed woman teased, watching Kagome peek out of the window cautiously.
When she turned back around, the girl blushed and looked at her messy shoes. "No ma'am. My friend, yes." She said quietly, hoping that Koga hadn't seen her through the window. "I do have a suitor that really doesn't get the hint."
"Oh? Is that boy from the shrine?" She asked, tapping her pen to the music from her radio.
"Um, I suppose so. I didn't see where he had come from." Kagome said.
"That Koga boy?" The woman asked. "He's a handful. He loves women. If I were you I'd fine you a man before he takes you away to his cave and eats you whole."
"What?" Kagome blanched, furrowing her brows, desperately wanting InuYasha to turn up.
"He's as hungry as a wolf, sweetheart. You know how men are."
"The man I'm with hasn't once tried to touch me inappropriately."
"He's obvious a gentleman." The woman responded as she let out a sigh. Her eyes darted towards the clock on the wall and looked at Kagome. "Are you going to be staying with us this evening?"
The girl pressed her lips together, "I'm not sure. I don't have any money, and I don't know if he can afford to spend it on a room."
The woman looked out the window to see Koga looking around with a handful of food in his hands, scowling. "Well, I'll make a deal with you." She said, bringing her eyes back towards Kagome's forlorn form. "How about you help the girls in the kitchen clean up and mop and things like that, and I'll let you stay. In the morning, before you leave, wash the windows and have your friend sweep the walkway of snow, and I don't see how much of a problem it will be."
Kagome's eyes lit up and bones rattled with delight. "Arigato," She muttered, lowering her head in thanks. "Do you know how far it is to Tokyo from here? My mother is in the hospital in the city, and I need to get to her as quickly as possible."
The woman rested her arms on the white counter, eying the map in the corner of her the room. "I'd say, by train about two hours. By foot, probably half a day, if you run in this weather."
"That's not too bad, after all. Does the train stop here again?"
"Early, usually. There's normally one before seven in the morning." She guessed.
"I appreciate this." Kagome said softly, raising to write her name in the guestbook at the counter. The woman read her name and smiled a little.
"I've never heard of a girl with that name. Just that old children's song, and all."
"My father met my mother playing that game, so they thought it was fun to name me Kagome." She mused, content to be speaking about her father.
"Well, it's a lovely name and it suits you." The woman grinned, "They call me Ayame."
"Are you-"
"No, my mother was German and my father was Japanese. I didn't get much of that delicate beauty that my brothers, oddly enough, have." She laughed, "I look like a tall, gangly demon more than a pretty woman. That's what Koga's told me, anyway."
The girl frowned at that, "That's very rude of him. I wish that I wasn't plain looking. You're very lucky to look so exotic."
"You hush, you just go find that man friend of yours and get back in here and eat something. I'm sure you've gotten free board everywhere you've been, haven't you?" She crossed her arms playfully over her chest.
"Um, I suppose I've been very lucky." Kagome said, placing her small hands into her coat pockets, picking at the silky lining.
"I'd say it's because you just bat those peculiar eyes and eat up someone's soul. You're eyes say a lot about you, and yours are filled with something special. Mine are filled with spring time, and yours have secrets. Every now and then, there's a siren or two that comes washing on shore. And like I said, you go find that sailor."
Kagome bit her lip and rushed back into the cold of the night, searching for InuYasha. She saw Koga, wrapped up in a pelt, eating his onigiri in defeat. A few girls were hunkered down beside him, flirting and sweetly telling him stories about their travels.
How they weren't all freezing to death was beyond her. She could barely stand to be outside anymore, let alone wonder how InuYasha was still even alive after today. Sighing steam into the air, Kagome darted in and out of buildings, and made her way to the shrine.
Looking over her shoulder, she rushed up the steps into the darkness. A top the platform, a few lanterns still hung like stars lighting her way, and she found InuYasha sitting on the side of bench, holding his head in his hands.
Her eyebrows knitted together, waiting for him to acknowledge her. Instead, he just sat shivering, chattering his teeth in resolve. Sniveling, Kagome pulled the coat from her body and let the air cut across her warmth from each stitch.
InuYasha raised his head when he heard the soft tapping from her shoes, and sent her a jaded smile. His hands wove together as he blew a hot breath into his palms. "Ready to go?" He asked, feeling the wool coat fall around his shoulders.
Kagome lowered her head, raising his chin with her fingers. He couldn't look away from her, and she stiffened her jaw almost scoldingly. "You can't stay out here like this. The entire way here, I noticed you have a little bit of a limp. You probably have bad knees, and you don't need to be sitting out in the cold, it'll only make it worse."
InuYasha wanted to bite her head off for mentioning a weakness that he couldn't help. "Fine. I don't need you babying me. I've never needed it, and I don't need you to start, okay?"
Kagome challenged the discoloration of his stare and leaned back, extending her hand to him. "Then take my hand and as soon as you get down the stairs, I won't."
InuYasha scowled at her before he relented. He didn't let her see the way his teeth clamped down as he applied pressure onto them, or the way he wanted to scream out at the way they started grinding as he walked. This was part of the reason he dreaded winter, but it was his own will that had made him follow her.
He couldn't be mad at her for it, now could he? Sighing, when they made it to the base of the stairs, he swallowed before pulling a cigarette out. Quietly, he leaned against a tree and smoked contentedly as Kagome kicked at the snow around her feet. "I got a room for the night. I just have to help the girls clean and work a little outside."
"You're a little fox, aren't you?" InuYasha said, blowing his bangs from his eyes.
"Only if Ayame-sama swings that way." Kagome said as a matter of factly. "I've been chased down by this boy all night and I think she likes him a little. She was pretty quick to call me out on it, and it was a bit upsetting."
InuYasha narrowed his eyes a little and held his cigarette between his teeth. "What boy?" He asked, feeling a twinge of jealousy. It bewildered him as to why he felt tha way. He had no ownership to this girl, or knew her that well for that matter.
"Um," Kagome stood on her toes, pointing out the boy sitting hanging around the edge of town. "That one, the one with the ponytail. He was nice, but he's a wolf in sheep's clothing. I can feel it. There's something not right about him."
"You can tell that by looking at the sap?" InuYasha asked, uncrossing his arm from his chest.
"I pinned you pretty well, didn't I?" Kagome retorted, heading towards the street. After a moment, she looked over her shoulder, sending him that damn look again. "Are you coming?"
InuYasha rolled his eyes and flicked his cigarette across the slick pavement. "Fine." He said, willingly following her. Although, he did keep an extra close eye on that man. It made sense why he had sent him such a deplorable glare earlier, and it made him a bit smug when he looked his way.
Idly, InuYasha reached forward and grabbed Kagome's arm, pulling her closer. She flinched and glanced upward at him in surprise. "Are you alright?" She asked genuinely.
Leanging down, he brushed his lips over her ear accidentally as he told her his intentions. The action made her shudder as they wove into the inn. Ayame introduced herself and escorted them to a small room, still adorned with Western styled furniture. There was one larger bed and a cot she pulled from beneath it.
A smile landed on her face as she watched the way the man looked at the girl. "You know, I don't know why you need the cot." She sighed, brushing her hand against the curls resting on her neck.
"Oh, um, we aren't..." InuYasha stammered, slipping the coat off his shoulders.
"I know, sweetheart. It's just a shame." Ayame said, leaving a lingering gaze over Kagome as she walked out of the room. "When you get settled come and eat and we'll get you tucked in for bed." She said as she shut the door behind her.
Kagome rubbed her cheeks and looked into the empty closet, and opened the lacquered nightstand and fiddled with lamps. InuYasha sat on the cot, rubbing his knees. "Are you hungry?" The girl asked, peeling back the plush covers on the bed.
InuYasha nodded absently, carefully untying his haori with one hand. "Yeah, I need to lay down for a while, if you don't mind."
Kagome walked over to him and knelt down in front of him. He arched a brow at her and readied himself for anything she may have said. That girl was turning out to be a pistol, and he wasn't sure how to handle it. "Hand me your bag." She said, holding out her hand.
Yet, as much as he had complained about her helping, he handed it to her and let her sit it on the nightstand. In the low light, she looked so pensive, and ethereal. He wanted to know what it was like to actually touch her, and not these little brushes or restless hand holding that lead them here.
She bustled about, pulling back the covers some more and helped him up and he didn't question her as she helped him in bed, and tucked him in. He was sitting sitting up, confused by the action until she left the room and returned with a bowl of warm rice and river fish.
She plopped down on the opposite side of the bed and dove into her food. InuYasha thought she was a bit insane, but that was always interesting in its own way. There was a comfortable silence that fell over them as they sat beside one another.
They were lonely and lost, but it made sense that they found such peace in like company. Kagome, no matter how he met her, was like a breath of fresh air. Hell, he had barely missed living alone in his old shack, or thought of it at all.
As he picked at his dinner, he lolled his head back against the wall and turned to look at her. She picked up a map from the front of the inn and held it in front of her crossed legs. She was truly terrible with directions, but made imaginary lines with her fingers.
All he could think of was brushing her hair away from her face so he could see it. It almost pained him that such a simple gesture was so tempting. So, mustering up his courage, he extended his hands and pushed back the inky locks behind her ear.
There was nothing truly profound in the gesture, but Kagome's hand absently shot up and held onto his fingers as she inspected the map. If she had looked up, she would have seen the flush reds and pinks lining his flesh. She probably felt the rapt beating of his heart through his fingers, but insisted on ignoring it.
Quietly, he licked his lips and sat his bowl down. Kagome had since done the same and chewed at her thumb, still puzzled by the multitude of colorful lines darting across the paper. InuYasha felt perverse staring at her, but he was so enthralled by the way her lashes batted and the way her mouth quirked when she was confused.
He swallowed hard as he closed his eyes and leaned forward. Kagome let of his hand when she felt his own hand turn her face to his. She was met by a soft kiss, that lingered for a moment. It was warm, soothing to the chill that remained on her lips.
Her body melted at the contact, letting them sit in that position for a few moments longer than it was probably intended. When he tried to pull away, her fingers wround into his hair, pulling him closer, moving her mouth delicately against his.
It was the first real kiss she had ever been given and the feel of it was heady, miraculously to feel what had been told to her so many times. He tasted sweet over the taste of his cigarettes and was gentle in his endeavor.
Just the night before, she would have slapped him and ran into the night screaming. Yet, as she ran her fingers through his coarse hair, she reveled in the action. His own hands trembled as he let it slip to the smooth skin on her throat.
Upon opening her eyes, she was aware of the world that existed outside of those brief seconds that felt like an infinite loop replaying in her head. InuYasha pulled back hesitantly and inhaled a deep breath before scrabbling for his bag. He knocked over the lamp, blowing out the bulb as he fumbled off the bed.
He brushed his hands through his hair and swallowed all of the sweetness remaining on his tongue. "I'm going to go for a smoke," His voice cracked, as he thumped out of the room, leaving Kagome covering her mouth.
Ayame peeked back after knocking lightly, shedding a knowing grin. "Oh, he's a sly devil, isn't he? What on earth did you do to that boy to make him nearly run into a wall?" Her hand landed on her shoulder as the girl hunched over and giggled almost childishly.
"He can blame himself for giving me my first real kiss." She said proudly, running her tongue lightly over her bruised lip.
"I guess I need to give him his own room so he isn't running out of here when he gets in over his head." Ayame sighed breathily. She was a statuesque woman and had all the flair of a movie star, and it baffled Kagome as to why she ran an inn in the middle of nowhere.
"There's not going to be any of that. He's just lonely," Kagome said earnestly. Her hands gripped to the bowls beside the bed and pushed herself to her feet. "He's a very sweet man, I guess I just came blowing in like a hurricane scare him."
"Well, truth be told, since I don't know either of you, I guess I should let your words speak louder than the blush on his cheeks. It doesn't matter how long you know someone before you can love them, you know? At least that's the romantic in me talking..."
Kagome blushed, herself, and followed Ayame's tall body into the hallway. "Romance is in novels, Miss Ayame. You just have to take these experiences and hope that they evolve into something worth something to you." She shrugged beneath her ornate sweater and was shown the door to the kitchen.
"Tell you what, Kagome-chan..." Ayame humbled herself by placing her painted hands over the girl's thin shoulders. "You clean extra hard and I'll give you the fare for a train ride to see your mother. I think she would be very pleased to know such a kind man had found you. I know that my mother would have, at the very least."
The girl felt tears prick the backs of her eyes as she let the woman embrace her. She mothered her and patted the back of her head, cooing over how wonderful of a person she must have been. When she released her, Kagome ran into the kitchen were a pair of younger women bustled around, soaking brass pots in a sink.
They looked at Kagome in awe, and ran to her admiring her clothes. The older girl bent down and looked at the large buttons on the front of her trousers. "Those are so fine! You must be so lucky to have afforded those!"
Kagome laughed and sat the bowls down in the sink as she looked around the sterile metal surfaces for a rag. "These aren't mine. I was actually surprised how much people like them. I only have one dress that my father bought me, other than that I wear kimono." She laughed, looking at the girl's rosy cheeks and dark eyes.
"Either way, they look wonderful. I've been saving all of my spare money, that I don't have to send to my brother's orphanage. I would love to have just one of those." She said dreamily, wishing for the melancholy in her voice to drift away.
Kagome smile sadly at her for a moment. "My name's Kagome."
"Sango," The girl replied contently. "Sorry for all the sad talk. I live here, and it's kind of sad I can't make enough money to have my own place." She said, "I guess I need to stop talking about my problems and work it out."
"It's alright, Sango-sama." A small voice piped up, belonging to a younger girl, no more than fifteen. "I told you that whenever my daddy gets back from China, you and your brother can live with us."
It was then Kagome admired the largest, more innocent eyes she had seen. Those suckers were like honey and as thick as molasses. "You are going to be a killer!" She exclaimed. "You should be a model, or an actress!"
Sango rolled her shoulder beneath her uniform, "I told her that, too. Rin's too shy to do it. Even though, she'd make a fine penny just having pictures taken of her!"
The girls laughed and chatted as they scrubbed the brown tile work and bleached the countertops. Kagome told them about how she ended up there, and they were entraced by her tall tale. It was almost like living in a storybook, Rin had exclaimed, lazily mopping the remaining water into the drain pan.
Sango blushed at the desciption of man from her story. "I guess he left?" She asked, brushing her damp hair from eyes.
"No, he went outside, which he shouldn't have." Kagome said in a scolding tone. "It's too cold for his arthritis." She pouted.
"So," Sango leaned against her broom before placing it back in the closet. "Can we see this mystery man, or will he run off again?"
Kagome leaned against the door and parted it to see him flipping through a magazine on the table top. He'd probably heard every word she said, and for some reason, she didn't feel any embarrassment in the notion. "He's right there." She beamed, pointing her finger at the lanky man buried beneath a blanket of hair.
Sango nearly shoved her out of the way to catch a glimpse and felt her skin rush with heat. Rin gaped at him and blurted, "You don't find something like that in the woods everyday!"
The man raised his head and pressed his mouth into an awkward smile. He hated being doting over, especially after being alone for so long. It was flattering that someone, anyone, would take kind to a hermit and a woodsman, at that. He was low on the totem pole, but held himself as though he was more than that.
Kagome listened to the girl's talk about how handsome he was and how he declined all offers to take them on dates. It was a bit endearing for someone so quiet to be joking with the maids. If she never saw this man again, she hoped that he would live outside of what he knew.
Yet, every time she looked at him, and that rugged facade that slowly chipped away, she yearned for him to be hers. It had only been a day and he had gotten under skin. Of course, Kagome would never admit it aloud that she pined for him, or that he was the knight in shining armor that she had wished for.
Such a simple man had so much to offer and the world had overlooked him, as though he were a gem stuck to a rock. After her chores were done and she jotted down the postal address for the women, she bathed and tucked herself in the bed while InuYasha sat on the cot beside her.
The day was so long, and tiring, but she failed to rest. All she could do was watch him whittle and chew on a string he had found. "InuYasha?" She called, receiving a quick glance over his shoulder. His golden eye always caught her attention and it made her heart leap into places it shouldn't have been.
"Hm?" His voice was like a crass melody, "You need something, Kagome?"
Her silvery eyes inspected him in the dim light, hoping that he would pay attention to her as he had earlier in the evening. Carefully, she slid the covers back and gestured for him to get in the bed with her. "It's better for your back and knees." She said. "If you want, I'll sleep on the cot. I put you out of your bed last night, after all."
Hesitantly, he grabbed his things and slipped into the bed. He kept distance from her, but she still was close enough that he was comfortable. She smelled like honeysuckles and whatever else she used in the bath. "What are you making?" The girl yawned, propping on her arm.
InuYasha shrugged his broad shoulder. "I'm not sure, exactly. I never am. They just kind of make themselves after you've offered enough blood." He smirked, showing her his splintered fingers.
Kagome frowned and licked her thumb, grabbing his to blot off the dried blood. "I know you work with your hands, but you need to be careful not to get an infection and lose them."
"Are you a nurse?"
"I could have been. I should have, honestly." Kagome replied, looking at the taut scarring and callouses on his palm. She held his hand upward and ran her index finger over each line intently.
Truth be told, Kagome was affection; overly so in most cases. Yet, for some reason or another, InuYasha remained still, enjoying this friendly fire. He listened to her humming when she asked him questions about his work, and answered each with no more than a few words.
This acceptance was subtle, innocent. Even in all of her worry, Kagome still held on to herself and didn't get lost in that madness that most people held. She just relaxed and took the world in with each moment that passed, InuYasha envied that about her, and found himself trying to mimic her actions.
There was no tension, no rippling applause beneath his skin to indicate anything aloof about her. He felt the same as she had the night before, and almost felt inclined to appease her. Anxiety had been a foe, but what good would it have done to sit and flitter and worry about his home in the forest?
As his eyes fell on her, he watched hers close softly a she rubbed the knots from his hands. Nervously, he swallowed and inch a little closer to the middle of the bed. Kagome leaned her head against his shoulder and gestured for his other hand, and he aptly sat his knife on the nightstand.
She continued to tend to his sore hands, and never once made him feel wrong, or mentioned the contact. He wanted to blush, but didn't have it in him anymore. The simple contact was grounding, and made his tired bones rattle as he tried to stay awake.
Just one more second of awareness with her...He yawned inwardly. The woman smiled at him, though her own exhaustion was apparent. It was late, and the hours were creeping closer towards the haunting hour of midnight.
Kagome eventually recoiled into the cotton mess of sheets. InuYasha slowly slid beneath the covers and turned on his side, staring at the locked white door. When the girl's fingers moved his long hair and slid closer, he stiffened, trying to strengthen his own will.
Feeling that small body wrap around his back and breath sweetly against his shoulderblade made him dissolve. His hand instinctively drifted through the sea of blankets to find her hand, slowly pulling her arm cover his chest while he stroked her tiny knuckles.
When her breathing slowed and dulled like water that no longer boiled, he became dazed and drunk off the feel of her body against his. His nerves wrapped up and went to sleep somewhere far away from him, and he relished in the creaking silence around him. Sleeping meant missing out on hours of time with her, but he collapsed within the arms of sleep shortly after.
This precarious girl didn't need saving, she needed to be loved. And he...
He needed something to protect and in that, he needed to find the will to truly live again. For, in the fleeting moment he had spent with this girl, he had found himself becoming more and more aware of what living actually was.