InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Silent Affair ❯ Chapter 6

Hello everyone, hope your summer went well. I just started a new job. My first big girl, real person, job! Enjoy the new chapter.

 

 

Kagome was terribly nervous. Even with Inuyasha at her side, his hand clinging tightly to her own, his gentle words in her ear, the young woman couldn't help her anxiety. For the first time in three years she would see her family again. She couldn't imagine what Toga and Izayoi would have to say to her. Would they be upset with her for causing their son pain for so long? Would they be happy to see her? Indifferent? No matter which emotion they displayed upon her arrival Kagome couldn't help feeling excited as well. It would be good to see them, even if they didn't want to see her. Inuyasha had already called ahead to tell his parents they were coming straight from the airport and Kagome's hands fidgeted in loose approximations of signs as her mind raced. “They're excited to see you,” Inuyasha whispered in her ear again, knowing she was upset. She nodded absently while she stared out the car window.

 

'I hope you're right,' she signed in front of herself, not necessarily to him but he saw it anyway. The last five miles before the house came into view were nearly excruciating for Kagome, her hands gripping the seat under her tightly. As the large house, exactly the way she remembered it, began to appear over the hill which hid it from the main road Kagome took a deep breath and let it out. There was no turning back now. She would have to face her past completely. Accepting Inuyasha's proposal to come back with him and try again had been the first step in a long journey she wasn't sure she was entirely ready to make. It had seemed so easy at the time. Just hop on a plane with her few belongings, Inuyasha's hand holding her own, and go back to the United States. But once the plane took off the young woman began to realize all the things that came along with that. Seeing the people who had raised her and must be disappointed in her, seeing her brother again, returning to a world where she would almost constantly be required to communicate... It was a lot more than she had anticipated.

 

Toga was standing at the door when the car pulled up to the house. His amber eyes, wizened but not old, watched as his youngest son got out of the car and walked around the hood to open the door for the young woman in the passenger seat. She took his hand and smiled somewhat weakly at the inuhanyou. The Taiyoukai could practically feel her anxiousness from where he stood and he smiled softly. “Koishii, they're here,” he called to his wife. She stood from where she was nervously reading in the living room, dropping the book carelessly in prospects of seeing Kagome again. “She's so nervous,” he murmured as he took his mate under his arm. She nodded, noticing the telltale behavior the young woman was displaying as she waited for Inuyasha to get their things from the trunk.

 

A few minutes passed and the couple finally gathered their luggage from the car and made their way to the front step. Toga opened the glass door and stepped out to take the things his son held, setting them inside before taking his boy's hand in greeting. “Hey Dad,” Inuyasha greeted, going the extra mile and sweeping his arm around his father's shoulders in a quick hug. He let go to hug his mother as well, laughing at her tears. “Come on Mom, don't cry,” he chuckled, wiping her cheeks gently. Izayoi smiled at her son before stepping around him to finally greet Kagome.

 

The silent girl stood awestruck, completely frozen by the gaze of the man who had raised her. His golden eyes bored into her, digging for the words she couldn't say aloud. “Oh Kagome dear,” Izayoi interrupted, hugging her and crying all over again. Kagome smiled slightly, hugging the older woman back. It was good to be hugged again. “We've missed you.” Kagome couldn't help nodding and smiling at Inuyasha's mother. After a moment more of hugging and weeping Inuyasha pulled his mother back to lead her into the house and Kagome was left to face her surrogate father on her own.

 

“Hello Little One,” he whispered in the same deep and soothing voice he'd always had. Kagome, who had been holding up pretty well up until this point, broke down in tears and nearly flung herself into the inuyoukai's arms. He caught her easily and hugged her tightly, gently stroking her hair and hushing her. “It's alright, hush now,” he murmured. It took several minutes, but she finally did manage to settle her silent sobs. “It is so good to have you home.”

 

'Thank you. It's good to be home.' Toga smiled, having understood her.

 

“Come on then, Inuyasha's probably itching to come get you. He hates you being out of his sight.” At his words Kagome flinched, cringing back from the doorway and the large man who softly held her arm.

 

'I hurt him,' she signed when Toga turned to question her reluctance to follow. He sighed but nodded. 'I thought I was making things better, but I was wrong.'

 

“I know Little One. You would never hurt my son on purpose, just like he would never let harm come to you if he could prevent it. But he caused you pain as well and he is dealing with that guilt just like you are." He smiled slightly. "You two have been protecting one another since the day you joined our family and I doubt that will ever stop. However, you're both despairingly stubborn, am I right?” he said with a twinkle in his eye. The young miko blushed but didn't respond, finally allowing the silver-haired man to lead her into the house.

 

Later that evening Inuyasha finally got to have a talk with his father. The two sat perched high in the branches of his and Kagome's favorite tree. It was odd to see his father up there but it was a welcome comfort. “I guess I really did get this habit from you,” Inuyasha eventually said, smiling at his parent sitting easily on a sturdy branch a couple above him. The elder inuyoukai chuckled and nodded. The pair continued in silence for a bit longer, not quite ready to broach the subject they were both wanting to discuss. A slight breeze blew through the leaves, rustling them and tickling the hairs inside the hanyou's ears. He twitched them unconsciously, sighing softly and relaxing back against the trunk. “I almost couldn't bring her back Dad,” he whispered.

 

The Taiyoukai remained silent as his son retold of his search for Kagome in Japan, the revelations Miroku had brought to light and the emotional struggle he'd had to go through with Kagome in order to get her to agree to return home with him. “She loves you a great deal Son.”

 

Inuyasha huffed and growled. “Then how could she leave? I still don't get how she could up and walk away!”

 

“Because she does love you, my boy. In fact I think she may love you more than most people are capable of loving another person. She willingly let you go so you could be happy.” Inuyasha frowned. That didn't make sense to him. “If Kikyo had been the one for you, and Kagome had been in the way, would you have been able to let Kagome out of your life?” The inuhanyou growled at the very thought. “You see? She thought you would be happy with Kikyo and she moved herself out of the picture so you wouldn't be unhappy. But also so she could move on herself.”

 

“What the hell does she need to move on for? She's got me.” Toga rolled his eyes. He loved both his sons a great deal and usually he would try to be as understanding as possible with them but both of them certainly had their moments... With a growl the Taiyoukai tossed a broken bit of branch at his son's head.

 

“She does now baka. But when you were going to marry Kikyo, what did you expect her to do? Be alone for her entire life so you could remain friends? That girl deserves more love than anyone has given her Inuyasha, and if your intentions toward her are not what I hope they are I will pay to send your ass back to that temple while she stays here!”

 

Inuyasha stared up at his father. It had been a very long time since he'd seen his father visibly angry. While he had often thought Sesshomaru got his emotional control from his youkai mother, their father could give a poker face with the best of them. This time he was reminded where he got his own temper from and Inuyasha had to remind himself that his own father would not hurt him willingly.

 

After several deep breaths Toga was able to calm himself and returned his gaze to the night sky. “Inuyasha, you've grown up a lot in the last few years but you still have a long way to go. You've learned that just because Kagome loves you, it doesn't mean she will wait for you forever. So now Son, you need to make sure you deserve her or at least try to deserve her for the rest of your life.” He paused to smile slightly. “I will never deserve your mother but I've been trying for nearly a hundred years and she doesn't blame me for only being able to try.”

 

Inuyasha digested his sire's words for a while before he felt ready to respond. “I don't deserve her,” he said. Toga smirked a little at his son's humble voice. Inuyasha knew he would have to work his entire life to prove to himself that he was worthy of Kagome and he was willing to go the distance. “But I'm gonna try. I... I do love her Dad,” he murmured. An embarrassed flush suffused his cheeks and he ducked his head slightly.

 

Toga was reminded of a much younger Inuyasha telling him determinedly that he would watch over a certain young human girl and her little brother while they slept. “I know you do Inuyasha,” he whispered back, reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair.

 

 

“Kagome dear, could you hand me those towels?” Izayoi waited with her hand patiently outstretched as the young woman at her side gathered the requested items from where they were folded on the arm of the couch. She smiled at the girl, still obviously nervous around her, and took them with a quiet thank you. Kagome seemed to flinch at her every word and it worried her. Did the poor girl think they were mad at her? “Kagome? Sweetheart?” she questioned, gently tugging Kagome down next to her on the couch they had just cleared of clean laundry. “What's wrong dear?”

 

Kagome wasn't sure what to say. She didn't feel comfortable telling Izayoi all her fears and yet she knew there was no way to end her uncertainty if she didn't ask. 'You didn't have to let me back in the house.' It took a moment for the older human woman to understand but she finally did and huffed out a “preposterous!” at Kagome's assumption. 'Inuyasha was hurt when I left. I thought I was making it easier for him but I just ruined everything.'

 

“Really Kagome, don't be ridiculous. We aren't upset with you. You were very brave to do what you did and we're proud of you.” A comforting hand was laid on Kagome's back, rubbing gentle circles. “If you hadn't left, Inuyasha would never have realized how much he needs you. We missed you a great deal, but if I'm honest with you, he needed the kick in the pants,” she whispered the last. Kagome smiled a little at that. She hadn't thought of it that way, as it hadn't been her intention in the least, and it was good to hear a more positive spin on the lengthy time spent away from her family.

 

'Thanks Izayoi.'

 

“Of course dear.”

 

 

The shadows in the hallway were long and deep but he wasn't bothered. He knew this house almost better than he knew himself, having traversed its every inch in the dark at some point or another. Her door was slightly open as if in invitation and he took it gladly, closing it behind him as he stepped inside. He could easily hear her soft breathing from the bed, telling him she was sound asleep. The young man had originally only meant to check on her but once her scent reached his nose somewhere down the hall he hadn't been able to resist at least staying for a little while. Her scent had been absent from that room, from the whole house, for far too long.

 

It felt like a fairytale. The moonlight beamed in through the window and shone down on the sleeping woman in the bed against the far wall. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically with each breath, her eyelids fluttering faintly as she dreamed. Inuyasha couldn't help the way his heart fluttered at the sight of her and he took several steps toward her. His head felt slightly off, like maybe he wasn't in complete control of himself but as he had no dangerous intentions in mind he didn't feel any panic at the thought. He just wanted to be near her and surely she wouldn't mind that. As he approached the edge of her bed he found himself leaning down to gently crawl up next to her, nudging her aside when he noticed she was taking up the whole bed.

 

Kagome frowned slightly, not sure what had woken her until she felt the weight of another person in bed with her. She was very warm and Inuyasha's body was like a furnace on its own. With a silent sigh she nudge him over a bit so she could push down the comforter and blanket, leaving them with just a light sheet to sleep under. He barely stirred enough to let her do that let alone wake up, his arms coming back around her firmly and tucking her against his chest. Kagome smiled softly. Letting him hold her through the night was something she hadn't let him do since they were kids. As protective as Inuyasha was of her he tended to have nightmares about her getting kidnapped or other more gruesome things. More than a few times he had crept into bed with her in the middle of the night, whimpering softly under his breath as he did so. Kagome sometimes had to coax him closer because he tended to curl up apart from her until she gave him clear permission to touch her. “Kagome,” the hanyou muttered in his sleep, nuzzling into her hair and taking a very obvious sniff of her scent. With a smile the young woman drifted back to sleep.

 

 

“Mmmm....” He was warm, comfortable and content. There wasn't much that could have made him feel better. Maybe a full stomach but that could wait until later. The slight weight against his chest made him smile and he growled quietly in contentment. “Ouch!” he shouted when a pair of fingertips not so gently tweaked his ear. Golden eyes popped open to stare down into frustrated brown, glaring at him for who knew what. “What the hell was that for?” When he saw she was having trouble responding he finally realized her arm was stuck under his body and was probably asleep by now. Rolling onto his other side and then waiting for Kagome to get feeling back into her arm allowed Inuyasha to fully awaken. By the looks of things it was much later than he'd thought. He hadn't slept that late in years.

 

'Why did you come in here last night?' Kagome questioned him, a faintly worried look in her eyes. Remembering that he used to only get in bed with her when he was upset Inuyasha blushed and took her left hand, kissing the palm softly. 'Did you have a bad dream?'

 

'No. I wanted to be near you.' Kagome's worried look turned to sad for a moment. 'Stop beating yourself up,' he stopped her quickly before she could start apologizing, 'I understand why you did what you had to now. I don't blame you and you shouldn't blame yourself.' It had been a long time since they'd been able to have a full conversation in Sign and she'd almost forgotten how much she liked watching Inuyasha sign. Kagome quirked a small smile. She knew now why she hadn't been able to resist him in the first place.

 

'Thank you.' Inuyasha only smiled a faintly more predatory smile before rolling over to trap Kagome beneath him. Her glare was mild, as he hadn't trapped her hands, and if he could smell correctly, which he knew he could, she was excited. The inuhanyou lowered his face until his lips lightly brushed Kagome's, a gentle kiss to wish her “good morning.” Next came the slightly more enthusiastic “good afternoon” from his tongue and teeth, his lips insistent on hers. Kagome returned the kiss wholeheartedly with her own tongue and teeth, roughly nipping his lower lip. A low growl rumbled from his chest making Kagome smirk. He hated it when she found his weak points and judging by the way his hips twitched toward her she had just found a very susceptible spot.

 

Inuyasha's eyes shot open and he pulled back to look down at the woman below him. He hadn't kissed very many girls in his life. A few at parties in high school on dares and then Kikyo was really the first. None of them kissed like Kagome. None of them used their teeth like she did. And the fact that her biting him had turned him on so thoroughly nearly had his head spinning. Was there anything about this girl that wasn't perfect? He couldn't think of anything off the top of his head... Not that he was thinking very clearly at the moment.

 

“You two had better be decent in there 'cause I'm coming in either way.”

 

'Sota?!' Kagome signed her brother's name with more excitement than Inuyasha thought possible. Her entire face lit up and she suddenly scrambled to get out from under him as the door swung open to reveal a shaggy-haired, tall and lanky young man. Sota had a smirk on his face and his arms open wide for his sister as she barreled toward him across the room. 'I'm so happy to see you! How are you? How's school? When did you get here? How long are you staying?'

 

'Relax Sis, we have all the time in the world to catch up,' he replied, dragging her close again to hug her. The pair shared a long hug, tears filling both their eyes, though Sota was better at hiding it. 'Wow, you look great Kagome. Where's the chubby little thing that left here three years ago?' At Sota's joke Kagome smacked his arm. She had lost a bit of weight, having grown into her more adult body on a diet fit for the very pious, but she had never been chubby. In fact Izayoi had always been trying to make her eat more because she was afraid the poor girl was too thin.

 

'Thanks, what's with the hair?' she teased back, tugging on the longer strands that hung in his eyes. The two joked back and forth briefly before Inuyasha cleared his throat, his long arms dangling between his knees from where his elbows rested. He was watching the siblings with an affectionate look though Kagome could see he was still a little mad about being disrupted. She gave him a sympathetic look to which he only shrugged. They would have other times to be alone.

 

 

Thanks for your patience! New job and a new apartment = no time for posting. I have to proofread the next chapter, then that will be up as well. Please review!