Ouch. My heart. It aches for Kagome and Inuyasha... Oh well. On to the next chapter! Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha. Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy. :)
Rather than acclimate to his present circumstance, Inuyasha was giving Kagome a really hard time. When he had returned from whatever adventure he sought out earlier, he cooped himself in his room and didn't wish to be bothered. He told Kagome, "I have to think." With a slide of his door, he shut her out of his world and remained alone.
Kagome wanted nothing more than to yell at him out of sheer frustration. He was acting childish and needed to get over his predicament. The only way he would do so was to let Kagome continue to apply salves to his wounds, in an effort to recover his health and memories. At least, she hoped it would work out that way, considering she knew no other alternative.
It was during moments such as these where she wanted—no needed, to go back to her time in the future and seek out professional help. Hospitals would not be formed until the Meiji restoration of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, if her memory served her well. If she was able to gain access to the bone eaters' powers and return to the future, she could perhaps consult a physician and seek out a proper remedy for her husband. Without such help, she was simply left to her own devices.
Which clearly meant she was screwed.
Kagome sighed, the breath emitting a world weary exhale. Since Inuyasha did not desire her company, she chose to spend some time with Lady Kaede. The priestess was applying medicinal herbs to a man who had been wounded by flames. The story Kaede elucidated informed her that the man had been home alone, when a strong wind blew from his window. There was a fire, burning fiercely at his hearth, and its embers caught on to a scrap of wood. Before he knew it, the house had been engulfed by flames, and he had been forced to flee, sustaining multiple injuries.
Though it seemed fairly wrong to think so, Kagome was humbled while she helped Kaede apply various healing creams to him. Her situation was tragic, true, but at least she had her home. More importantly, at least she still had her husband, despite his temporary memory lapse.
After they had conducted all the necessary procedures, the women worked on wrapping his burnt flesh with a thin strap of clothe. The man was thankfully unconscious throughout the ordeal and did not wince once. When they were finished, Kaede brought some incense near and they began to pray over the man, wishing him blessings and health.
During that prayer, Kagome dropped in a vital supplication for her husband and when they finished, they clapped their hands and came to their feet. Kaede thanked Kagome for her work, commenting on how well she was progressing in her field. Kagome smiled, the gesture gentle and somewhat sheepish.
Kaede ambled toward her doorframe and called out to a few civilians to take hold of the man. The village had specific housing for people in pain; humble abodes which served only to provide solace and peace. When they left with the man, Kaede returned to her living room. Kagome held a stick and picked at the fire which sat at the center of her room. The golden embers lifted only to darken a moment after they rose. Kagome sat with her knees bent, head bowed.
Kaede's eyes saddened at her apparent suffering, yet her love for the girl shined through. Kagome had become a younger sister of sorts, allowing herself to be mentored daily by Kaede. The old woman felt nothing but honor to stand by her side, knowing full well that she was a powerful priestess in her own right; far more powerful than Lady Kaede ever could be.
She sat close to the fire, her knees bent before Kagome.
"How do ye fair?" she asked her.
Kagome lifted her head and smiled wistfully. "I'm alright."
"Inuyasha has been alone for some time. Do ye think it wise to leave him be for so long?"
Kagome exhaled and her bangs jumped. "He doesn't want anything to do with me."
"Did he say such a thing?"
"No. But I know him well enough to understand that he needs some time to himself."
"Ay, but how much time, Kagome?"
She poked at the logs; the fire cackled and popped. "Only a little."
Kaede frowned. "It appears to me that ye wish to avoid him as well."
Kagome let out a gasp of denial, but she chose not to speak. As outrageous as it sounded, the old woman was right. She was avoiding Inuyasha, but only because she could only handle so much of his rebuffs. The man clearly did not wish to work on their dilemma, and so Kagome felt as though she were at an impasse, with nowhere to turn but to her friends.
"He left me earlier today. I know he did, despite his promise not to."
Kaede nodded. "I can understand why he would have done such a thing."
"Yes, but it still hurts. He promised not to go."
"'Tis true, but Inuyasha is not the same Inuyasha ye married. He is much younger in the mind and far less affable. Give him time."
Kagome let out a heavy groan. "I know, I know." She pouted, then said, "I wonder why he returned."
"He was with Lord Sesshomaru when I saw him. Perhaps he ran off to find something familiar, and caught his half brother." Kaede laughed. "Inuyasha was shocked at his core to find Lord Sesshomaru so close to Rin."
"Shocks me too," Kagome mumbled. The demon lord was a constant in Rin's life, often visiting her nearly every week with some kind of gift. Kagome used to tease Inuyasha with this, asking him why he never bothered to bring her as many gifts as his half brother. Inuyasha would often glower at Kagome and sometimes slap her posterior; a gesture done in jest.
She would give anything to have that simmering bundle of fur in her arms. Tears began to well from her eyes, and she wiped them clear before they could fall. Now wasn't the time to cry, no matter how much she wanted to.
Kaede watched her, concern clinging to her heart. She wanted nothing more than for the girl to be happy since her bitterness simply darkened even the brightest of days. Kaede turned to her door frame, and listened to all that occurred near her home. The wind was gentle, a soft caress on her flesh. The sun was near to setting, its rays branching out from the pink horizon, creating shadows across her wooden floor. Villagers continued to work on their menial tasks, unencumbered by Kagome's plight.
Her gaze left them only to return to Kagome's forlorn form. The priestess sighed, crawling closer to her. When she was close enough to touch her, she wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulder. Kagome could hold herself up no more; she wept in Kaede's embrace.
Inuyasha's skull felt as though it wished to burst, and he groaned, holding his head to his knees. The pain was positively excruciating and he wanted nothing more than to seek out Kagome and beg her to heal him. She wasn't in the house though, and Inuyasha was too weak to leave the area.
God, he hurt so much he found that he could hardly move sometimes. His best position remained on his back, with his gaze lifted high, seeing nothing.
"This sucks," he gritted through teeth threatening to turn to powder. "This sucks so much."
He remained in this position for hours, waiting for the woman's return, and regretting having ever told her to give him some space. He didn't need space. What he needed was a respite from this pulsating agony.
He had pushed himself too hard last night, and now he reaped every consequence imaginable. Foolish, so foolish he had been to think that he was strong enough to quickly heal from a wound so precarious as the one which scarred his head. He touched the throbbing lump of skin, and even though he found that it shrunk by a fraction, it still ached like the day he first woke up with it.
He rested his arm and ground his teeth, seeking a reprieve from this torment.
Time stilled all around him, yet he remained in a constant state of pain. He hoped for blessed sleep but it never came.
Finally, when he heard Kagome step into their home, he could contain his pain no longer. He screamed her name for the world to hear; his voice more than a howl. It was also a prayer.
She ran to him, wasting no time.
"Are you okay, Inuyasha?" she said at the door, her breath coming out nearly as rough as his.
He opened his eyes and saw that she held a jar in the clutch of her hands. "Please," he rasped. "I need that salve."
Kagome nodded and quickly knelt beside him. She poured the liquid onto her hands. When her delicate fingers touched his hell, he winced but forced himself to remain quiet. Kagome continued to move her hands around his head, and soon enough the pain began to dull, turning, in no time, to a simple ache he could now swallow.
His breath, which came out strong and fast, now fell into a proper pace, finding a delicate rhythm. He swallowed thickly and focused his vision on Kagome. Her gaze was set on his scalp, the brown depths darkened with worry. He realized then that his head was on her lap while she maintained her position. Despite this, and feeling somewhat disoriented, he could not take his eyes away from her face, her concern for him a palpable force. She touched him gently with a caress that reminded him of how his mother used to coax him to sleep.
At the thought of Izayoi, he felt a lump form on his throat, missing her with every fiber of his being. She had left him too soon and at far too young an age.
His thoughts were making him depressed and he had never been the type to sulk for too long. He turned his mind away from his past and blinked slowly, with no words to say. Kagome must have noticed how calm he became because she suddenly stopped touching his lump, and wiped her hands with her pants. He thought she would move to stand, yet she allowed Inuyasha to remain on her lap as she sought to comfort him some more by brushing her fingers through his hair.
He didn't know this woman; she remained a stranger to him. But he could not find it in his heart to move her away from him. She was doing something no other being had ever dared to do and he found that he liked it. He relished this moment, closing his eyes, marveling at this new feeling.
It felt to him like peace.
"You pushed yourself too hard," Kagome told Inuyasha as he was eating supper that night in his room. She had wanted to prepare him some more soup, but after Inuyasha recovered from his ordeal, he groused at the mention of soup and told her he wanted a proper meal. "Like what?" she'd asked, somewhat humored by his tone.
"Some chicken," he'd mumbled. "But no noodles. Please, for the love of God. I need something heftier than a bowl of soup."
Kagome obliged her husband's request and cooked him a hearty meal, one made for a man who was far healthier than he was. But she should not have doubted his strength, because despite being half human, his demon side was simply famished. He devoured the meal she prepared, taking in a whole chicken and two bowls of rice with ease. She wanted to laugh with delight.
He was feeling much better now; his previous cry having drenched her face from nearly all of its blood with fear.
He looked at Kagome with his mouth somewhat full. Then he gulped his heavy morsel. "Sorry about that. Made a mistake."
She arched a brow and crossed her arms to her chest. "And what mistake was this?"
He drew back, his face turning red. "Uh… Shouldn't have left."
"What changed your mind, Inuyasha?"
He shrugged. "Nothing. I just believe 'ya now."
She stared at him. "Why?"
"You ask a lot of questions," he muttered. "And it ain't necessary."
Kagome rolled her eyes heavenward, feeling both exasperated and relieved. So he finally accepted the truth. Good. Now they could work on his healing process.
She looked back at him and shrugged her shoulders. "I'll take what I can get."
He humphed. "Good."
"I just wanted to have a conversation with you. Didn't mean to annoy you. I'm sorry."
He bit his lip, guilt now eating at him and he snapped, "Nothing else makes sense, okay?"
"I see."
"This whole house smells like me. And you-" He pointed at her in an accusatory fashion. "You smell like me, too. Ain't no way you can smell like me unless we're mates. So, yeah, I believe 'ya now."
Kagome couldn't help herself. She smiled at him, her teeth beaming.
Inuyasha felt uncomfortable at such a face and sputtered. "What the heck are you smilin' about?"
She waved her hand. "Oh nothing. I'm just happy you're okay." She sobered suddenly, surprising him when she took his hand and lifted it. He didn't pull her away, instead waiting for what she had to say. "You scared me, you know."
"I'm so-" He caught himself before apologizing, then relented because he had every reason to feel sorry. "It's my fault. Shouldn't have asked you to give me space. Ain't exactly the right time to have it," he added when he caught a blush forming on her cheeks.
She nodded in acquiesce. "I know things may feel odd for you. Lord knows they feel that way for me, too. But you have to let me help you."
He wanted to deny her and said, "I-"
But she continued, cutting him off. "I know you think you don't need my help. I remember when we first met, even if you don't. You were quite the stubborn half demon. But we learned to trust in each other. I hope that you will learn to trust me once more." She then clapped her hands together, making him blink. "Let's start anew. I personally think you're going to regain your memories any second now, but until then, let's get to know each other. Sounds like a plan, ay?"
He remained silent for some time but she didn't object to it. She simply let him think for himself, as she lifted his plates onto a tray. Kagome left the room, giving him some space for only a few minutes. She walked to her kitchen, and emptied the remnants of his food into a wooden bin. She would leave it outside for the village animals to eat when they came in the dark of night. She then picked up a pale of water and began to scrub his plate clean of all stains. When she finished, she placed the plate into a bin and began to walk back to Inuyasha's room.
She found him staring at the door. When he saw her, his eyes widened and he said, "Where did you go?"
"Cleaned up a few things."
He dipped his head ever so slightly in acknowledgement, his gaze following Kagome as she sat next to him.
"How are you feeling now?" she asked. "Do you need me to add on some more ointment? In case you're feeling any other kinds of pain, I have a number of remedies for you."
His lips twitched as if to smile. "So you're a healer as well as a priestess?"
She grinned, pride glistening within her eyes. "I'm learning. Kaede is teaching me everything she knows about medicine and I'm doing pretty well, if I don't say so myself."
He caught himself grinning, her own acting somewhat contagious.
"I see, and what do I do for a living?"
The smile dropped and a pall fell over her eyes. What did he do? "Are you okay, Kagome?"
She swallowed thickly. "I'm fine. It's just..." She shook her head. "It's nothing." She looked at him then, her gaze unrelenting. "You slay demons and police this village from the likes of evil."
He snorted. "What's new?" At her surprised look, he said, "I've always fought demons. Ain't nothing new."
"Well, this time you fight with others. Miroku, the monk, and his wife, Sango, also help you. Sometimes I even help."
He cocked his head to the side, intrigue lacing his tone. "Sometimes?"
Kagome struggled for words, some kind of excuse. It came to her quickly. "Been sick for a while. Had to stop."
"Huh." He crossed his legs together and covered his hands with his long sleeve shirt, appearing to Kagome rather comfortable. She smiled inwardly, knowing that Inuyasha, for some reason, was warming up to her.
"So what else do I do when I'm not hunting demons?"
Kagome lit up at the opportunity. "You help me cook and clean!"
At that, Inuyasha couldn't help but bark out a loud and long laugh.
Kagome took no offense, reveling instead at the beauty that was his voice. Such a voice filled her with love and nostalgia, reminding her of what she had done to those lips and tongue, which could sometimes speak wondrous things to her at night. Her body pooled at the thought for she longed to hold him close and lose herself within his thickness and his warmth.
Realization set in over what she was beginning to feel, and she bit the inside of her mouth as she tried to quell her hunger.
Too lost in what Kagome surely stated in jest, Inuyasha wiped his eyes; tears had formed there. Then he winced when a slight pang nudged his bump.
Before he could ask her for help, she was at the ready with her cream on hand. He lay on his back and let her work her magic, his eyes closed and at rest. Once again, the pain began to dull till only a tiny whisper of it remained. As she finished, he wanted to thank her for the way she moved her fingers; a power only she could enact. But when he opened his eyes, he saw her looking somewhere beneath his chest. Her eyes were dark and somewhat seductive in the way they narrowed; her face was also flushed. She stopped caressing his head and made a move to touch him further down, unaware of what she was doing. Or perhaps too lost in her own thoughts to notice his sudden form of discomfort.
His whole body tensed, not ready to be handled by this stranger.
She's not a stranger, though. She's your wife.
Didn't matter. He didn't remember her. Sure, he liked the way she touched his head, alleviating his pain. But that did not give her the right to touch him anywhere else. No one else ever had, as far as he could recall, and he intended for things to stay that way.
Before she touched him inappropriately, he grabbed her hand, much harder than he'd envisioned. She blinked, her lust filled eyes now clear.
"Don't," he growled. "Don't touch me."
Kagome's hand dropped suddenly and she bowed her head. Words failed to release themselves from her lips and she stuttered. Now embarrassed for having lost her composure, she stood up and apologized. Discomfited and ashamed, she whirled out of his room without a backward glance.
Inuyasha didn't chase her, but remained on the floor. Not long after, he heard Kagome in her room, sniffling. She was crying; he could hear the tears as they fell. The pain on his head seemed pale in comparison to this and he covered his eyes in an attempt to curb his sense of regret. When guilt could not be swayed, he worked on falling to the blessed numbness that came with sleep, but images of Kagome bombarded him. Some with her crying his name, tears staining her cheeks. Another with her calling out to him, her body seeking comfort, with arms stretched wide.
And there were other images of her, these perverted and venereal. Depictions of Kagome appeared, skin bared and flawless, close to him, surrounding him.
His body became hot and stifled by the clothes he wore. His shirt was too tight, his pants too small. He wanted to take them off and free himself from a new ache that plagued him. But he endured this torment with quiet resilience, and fought to find some peace. One that came without the condition of her touch.
He failed. And sleep evaded him once more.