InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ After-effects ❯ Home is where the heart is ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Well, as usual, I don't own Inuyasha and the gang.

 

Author's note: Well, here we are, the next chapter. I hope you all didn't wait too long. I would have had this posted yesterday except that I didn't have the time to post, so here you all are :). Enjoy everyone.

 

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Chapter 2 : Home is where the heart is

 

"Inuyasha I swear if you don't hold still I'm going to S I T you into oblivion," said Kagome exasperated by the hanyou's fidgetting.

 

Hearing the menace, the half-demon grumbled something under his breath before doing as he was told thus allowing the schoolgirl to treat his numerous wounds. He had been in a bad mood ever since she had brought help back from Kaede's village. Though she wasn't sure exactly why, she suspected that he blamed himself for what happened to her. He had not been pleased at all when she had left to get help, in fact he had been downright infuriated.

 

******Flashback******

 

"YOU WILL NOT LEAVE!" yelled the hanyou in anger and frustration.

 

"And just what do you suggest," snapped Kagome equally frustrated. "You can barely stand, let alone walk to Kaede's village, and as for the jewel, for some odd reason, it's not granting anymore wishes today," she finished.

 

"If you carry that thing around, demons will be attracted to you," he countered pointing at the round sphere around her neck. "What do you plan to do if you come face to face with one?" he asked.

 

"I can't very well leave it here with all of you in this state, whose going to defend you when a demon comes?" she argued back.

 

At this the hanyou had no answer. He knew she was right, but still he couldn't bear to let her leave his side a second time. The first time, she had come back only to die in his arms. A miracle had saved her life then, but it was unlikely that they would be able to repeat such a feat a second time should the same thing happen again.

 

And so the hanyou found himself face to face with his worst fear once again. He had to let Kagome go because there was simply no other way out of their situation. All of them were too weak to go anywhere, even he could barely stand as it was. "Why is it that what I want most is the only thing I can't have!" he screamed in his mind. "Why can't I keep her safe!" he cried again in frustration.

 

"Go," was all he managed to say before turning his back on her and slumping on the ground.

 

She looked at him for a few seconds before turning to Shippo. "Let's go," she said to the little kitsune.

 

"Right," he answered before transforming into his balloon form.

 

She climbed on his back and in seconds they were gone. Inuyasha's worries this time turned out to be unfounded, much to everyone's relief. Kagome and Shippo made it to Kaede's village and back in record time and everyone was able to be transported safely.

 

******End flashback******

 

Now though came the laborious task of treating everyone's injuries. The good news was that none of them were permanently scarred, but the bad one was that it would take quite some time for all to recover completely. Especially Sango who had more than one broken bones in her body.

 

Surprisingly enough, the death of Kohaku had not affected the demon slayer as much as everyone thought it would. It was obvious that she was sad, but at the same time, she was glad that his torment was finally over and he was allowed to rest in peace. She had even asked Kaede to make preparations to burn his body tonight so that his soul may finally be able to move on. The old lady had accepted and an altar was currently being built in the center of town in preparation of the uncoming ceremony.

 

For his part, Miroku was positively extatic. Nothing could even begin to dampen his mood. His wind tunnel was gone and he would be able to finally live his life normally. He would glance from time to time to Sango and his eyes would sparkle with happiness. As much as he wanted to sit by Sango's side, he was very aware of her loss and thus sat at a respectful distance that would allow her to mourn in peace.

 

The worst one of the gang was Inuyasha. He had not said a single word since they had been back and he had adamantly refused any sort of treatment for his wounds. Kagome had to threaten him into standing still and even now, she was the only one allowed near him. Anyone else getting close prompted a low and menacing growl from his throat.

 

"There, all finished," she announced proudly. She took a step back to admire her handy work and giggled lightly at the sight before her. The hanyou was wrapped in so much bandages that he looked like a mummy. Seeing his lack of reaction quieted her down and she sighed in frustration.

 

"Inuyasha, I realise you feel badly because of the decisions you had to make, but do you have to take it this far?" she asked a bit annoyed.

 

Seeing that he didn't answer, she tried again. "Everything turned out alright in the end, all because you were able to actually make those choices. If anything I admire you for it, I don't resent you," she said. She waited a few minutes but no answer came.

 

"I'll go check on the others, I'll be right back," she spoke before turning to leave the room. She had taken only a few steps before Inuyasha's voice stopped her.

 

"That's not it," he blurted out suddenly.

 

"Huh?" was Kagome's only answer as she stopped in her tracks.

 

"My decisions… I don't regret them," he said quietly.

 

"Then what is it? What is it that's troubling you so much?" asked the schoolgirl suddenly confused.

 

"What you said right before you… died," he said, choking a bit on the last word. "Did you mean it?" he asked softly.

 

Her memory of what she had said at this particular moment came back to her and she turned a nice shade of crimson as a result. "Y… Yes, I… meant it," she finally managed to stammer while she looked down in embarassement.

 

Finally, he turned his eyes to her and she could see that his gaze was clouded with uncertainty. "I love you too Kagome, but now… which time are you going to choose?" he asked, pain and fear lacing his words.

 

This simple sentence struck her like a lightning bolt. She had waited so long to finally hear those words from him and she felt elated because of it. However, he was right, she couldn't afford to keep existing between two timelines. Now that their quest was finally over, she had to make a choice once and for all. She was silent for a long time, not knowing what decision to make.

 

"Think carefully about it," began the hanyou. "I know you'll make the right choice, just like I did," he finished while giving her a small smile.

 

"Thank you," she said smiling back before turning around and heading to the room where her other friends were treated.

 

******

 

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" asked the monk to the sitting demon slayer.

 

"Miroku, you must have asked me this question at least ten times already and the answer is still the same: NO!" answered an annoyed Sango.

 

She was saved from further pestering by the overprotective monk when the door opened to reveal a very somber Kagome.

 

"Kagome-chan? Is everything okay?" asked the demon slayer upon seeing her friend's expression.

 

"What? Oh! yeah everything's fine," she stammered. "How about you?" she asked.

 

The two people could easily see that it was a lie but decided not to press the issue, she would open up to them when she was ready. "Well aside from being pestered by Miroku here, everything's as perfect as it can be," answered Sango while shooting a the monk a dangerous look.

 

"Now now Sango, I'm merely concerned for your well being, is that such a crime?" questionned the monk looking embarassed.

 

She was about to answer in kind when Kagome suddenly interrupted the argument. "Sango… How did you just call Miroku?" she asked in surprise.

 

"I… " she stammered as a blush appeared on her cheeks, which promptly caused the schoolgirl to smile mischeviously.

 

"Well you two sure didn't waste any time," said Kagome happily, causing Sango to blush even more and Miroku to shuffle in embarassement.

 

"How about you and Inuyasha then?" asked the monk in hope of diverting the attention from this particular subject. As soon as he popped the question though, he knew it was a mistake as the happy expression quickly dissolved in a mask of sadness on Kagome's face.

 

"I'm sorry Kagome-sama, it was not my place to ask," apologized the monk.

 

"No it's alright, I needed some advice on this anyway," answered the schoolgirl with a sigh as she sat on the floor.

 

"What's troubling you Kagome-chan?" asked the demon slayer once the girl had settled on the floor.

 

"Well… I don't know what to do," she said slowly. "Now that the jewel is complete and Naraku's dead, I have to make a choice," she finished while looking at the floor.

 

"A choice?" asked the monk, a bit confused by that last statement.

 

"I must choose when I'll live, I must decide which time will be my home," she answered softly.

 

At this declaration, the room grew very silent. Miroku and Sango could easily understand the situation that Kagome was in. The choice was not one to be made lightly and would involve a sacrifice no matter what the decision.

 

"Kagome-sama, we have been through a terrible ordeal," began the monk carefully. "The pain and hardship we've had to endure brought us quite close together," he continued. "I've seen you grow into a surrogate mother for Shippo, a second sister for Sango and, though he would never admit it out loud, a lover for Inuyasha. So it's obvious that a part of your heart is and will always be here. The only thing you have to ask yourself then is: Where does your heart belong?" he finished solemnly.

 

Kagome's gaze shifted from Sango to Miroku as if searching for further advice, but none came. It was the demon slayer who finally broke the silence. "There's really nothing more we can say Kagome-chan. In the end, home is where the heart is, I can only hope it's with us," she said with a smile.

 

"Thanks… I'll think about what you said," answered the schoolgirl before shuffling to her feets and exiting the room.

 

******

 

A while later Kagome found herself sitting under a tree on the outskirt of town deep in thoughts. As she reflected on her possible future, she was suddenly brought back to the very beginning of her adventure, before she had broken the jewel. The villagers had realised she was Kikyo's reincarnation and had given her food out of respect. There had been too much for her so she had found Inuyasha and offered to share some of it with him.

 

"God, he was so suspicious then," she remembered fondly. She giggled lightly when she recalled the accidental `sit' she had given him. She also started to compare how he was then and how he was now and marveled at the difference. "He's grown so much in the last three years, it's like he's a completely different person," she noted.

 

Sighing, she laid on her back looking at the clouds. "Can I really do this? Let go of my time and live here?" she murmured to no one in particular.

 

Closing her eyes, she stopped thinking all together, simply enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. She stayed like this for quite a while and was even starting to doze off when a shadow suddenly blocked the light. Frowning, she opened her eyes only to be confronted by a pair of green eyes mere inches from her face. She yelped in surprise before shooting up from her lying position.

 

"Shippo!" she exclaimed a few seconds later at the young kitsune who was currently doubling over in laughter. "You know that wasn't very nice, scaring me like that and all," she said in a dangerous tone of voice.

 

This caught Shippo's attention and he immediately stopped laughing to look at his surrogate mother. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously and she was inching herself closer to him in a predatory way. Gulping he started to back away from her.

 

"Come on Kagome, it was just a joke," he said nervously.

 

"Really now, well I'm afraid that it's too late to apologize," she exclaimed with a feral smile right before she threw herself at him.

 

Surprised by the sudden movement, the kitsune was unable to dodge and the schoolgirl successfully caught him in a death grip. Moments later he was frantically squirming and screaming as she started to tickle him senseless.

 

"Surrender now and I may spare your life," she said in a mock evil tone.

 

"N… Never," squealed the struggling kitsune.

 

"Well then, suffer the consequences," she said and redoubled her tickling causing Shippo to squirm even more.

 

After a few minutes of this, she took pity on the little kitsune and finally set him free. "That's enough for now," she said playfully, as her captive crumpled on the ground, breathless.

 

As she looked at the panting Shippo, she felt a pulse of maternal love grow in her chest. "He's so sweet and innocent," she thought fondly. It then turned into a pang as she once again realised her situation. The same question that had plagued her mind a few minutes before came back, with a different meaning this time. "Can I really do this? Can I bear to abandon Inuyasha, Shippo, Miroku and Sango?" she mused.

 

The answer came to her as clear as day: she couldn't. She had grown so close to them that the simple idea of leaving them behind was unbearable, especially Inuyasha who had revealed his feelings for her. A small smile crept on her face as she recalled Sango's words. "Home is where the heart is, I can only hope it's with us," the woman had said. "It is Sango… This is where I belong now," she answered the demon slayer's plea.

 

Shippo who had by now recovered from the tickle attack of his foster mother looked up to see a strange expression on her face. "Kagome?" he asked confused by the sudden change of mood.

 

The girl blinked once before her eyes snapped back into focus. She then brought her hand down and ruffled the young kitsune's hair. "Thank you Shippo," she said before standing up and heading for the village.

 

"Thank you?" he said baffled to the retreating form of Kagome. "For what?" he finished even more confused.

 

******

 

Kagome stood just outside the hut where she knew Inuyasha would be. She had come to announce her choice to him. While she was certain he would be happy to hear it, she couldn't stop her heart from hammering in her chest. "That's it… The big jump" she thought nervously.

 

She was right, once she crossed that door, there would be no turning back. Her decision would become official and she wouldn't be able to come back on it. All the uncertainties, the unknowns the future held made her hesitate one last time. Yet through all this miasma of confusion, one thing remained constant: her love for the hanyou. It had given her strenght countless times before and now it was no different. Whatever the future held, she knew he would always be there to face it with her and that certainty gave her the courage to open the door and make the "big jump" as she called it.

 

Inuyasha had not moved a lot since she had left him. In fact, it looked like he hadn't moved at all. The only clue that there had been any movement on his part was the fact that he now wore his cleaned fire rat haori, something which he hadn't had on when she had gone out a few hours earlier. He was currently in his traditional sitting position with his legs crossed and his hands in the sleeves of his haori facing away from her. He didn't react at all when she got in, but the twitch of his ears told her he knew she was there.

 

For a long time, none of the two moved or said a thing. As the seconds ticked by, the tension between them increased. It grew to such a point that if one person had come in at this very instant he could have virtually seen it. Unable to bear it any longer, Inuyasha finally decided to break the silence.

 

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't come in," he said while partially turning his head in the schoolgirl's direction.

 

"How did he…" she thought confused before her mind caught up with the obvious. "His nose you idiot," she scolded herself mentally before making her way to him.

 

"How are your injuries?" she asked, immediately wincing at the stupidity of her question. "I left mere hours ago and I bandaged them myself… How lame can I get?" she mused as she sat beside the hanyou.

 

Her question caused a light chuckle to escape the hanyou's mouth. "I won't even bother to answer that," he simply said as he kept chuckling.

 

"I have to admit it was pretty stupid of me to ask that," she said while laughing nervously.

 

The two fell silent again, Inuyasha waiting for Kagome to talk and Kagome trying desperately to find the courage to speak her heart to him.

 

"What's taking her so long," he thought exasperated by the wait. "One way or the other I don't care, but for heaven's sake SPEAK," he mused again.

 

Finally after what seemed like an eternity, she took a deep breath and spoke softly. "Inuyasha… I… I chose," she mumbled while looking at his reaction from the corner of her eyes.

 

He didn't look at her, but she could see him tense up ever so lightly and his ears twitched her way, a sure sign that he was listening intently to what she was saying. "It's always his physical behavior that betrays him," she thought fondly before her nervousness came back with a vengance.

 

"That's it… no turning back now," she mused and steeled herself for the most crucial part of her revelation. "I'm…staying," she said practically spitting the last word out before she could stop it from coming out.

 

"She's staying… I heard right, right? She IS staying!" he thought frantically as happiness started to bubble in his heart. It was almost too beautiful to be true, so beautiful in fact that he started to doubt what he had heard.

 

For the first time since she had gotten in, the hanyou turned to face Kagome directly. His breath left him as he watched the schoolgirl's face intently. In her eyes, he could see a myriad of emotions all battling together for dominance. Hope and despair, sadness and happiness, doubt and certainty, fear and courage. All fought with one another and yet, through all this chaos, only one remained unchallenged: love.

 

"I did hear right, she IS staying," he mused, feeling his happiness begin to spread. "Are you sure about this?" he asked softly, desperately in need of confirmation.

 

"Inuyasha…" she began as she lowered her gaze to the floor. "Right now, I don't know if I'm making the right choice. I don't even know if there IS a right choice. I know I'll miss my family dearly and I know that many trials await in the future. But…" she said as she raised her gaze to look at the hanyou straight in the eyes. "I wouldn't have it any other way," she finished in a determined tone of voice.

 

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered in awe at the schoolgirl's determination.

 

She surprised him by bringing her right hand up to his face and caress it gently. "I wouldn't have it any other way because… I know that as long as we're together we can overcome any obstacle that come our way," she added with a tender smile.

 

Inuyasha couldn't help but close his eyes and growl softly in pleasure as he leaned into her touch. After a while though, her hand left his face and he whimpered in protest at the loss of contact. Opening his eyes, he could see that she was looking at him with an amused smile.

 

"Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked softly.

 

"Dammit, I hate it when she throws me off balance like this," he thought frustrated. Yet despite his last thought, he couldn't deny the fact that his cheek was still tingling from Kagome's last caress and that he desperately yearned for more.

 

"Well… I'm not very good with words," he mumbled as he lowered his gaze to the floor. "But I… I feel the same way," he finished shifting his gaze to her once again.

 

A look of surprise flashed briefly in the schoolgirl's eyes at the unexpected reply from the hanyou before a bright smile lighted up her features.

 

"So you really can say something nice openly," she said tenderly.

 

Inuyasha could only stare at her as he realised that what she said was true. He had always thought that making a compliment or revealing your heart was a sign of weakness so he had refrained to do so. But he could see now that he had been wrong. It had taken every ounce of willpower he had just to blurt out that last sentence and that made him understand just what Kagome had been trying to tell him in all the years they had known each other. To open up to others, trust them and believe in them, that took true strenght and courage.

 

"I suppose I can," he replied with a hesitant smile right before he averted his gaze to the floor.

 

Kagome watched in confusion as Inuyasha started to behave strangely. His hands kept clenching and unclenching nervously and she could swear that she had seen him trembling slightly. She contemplated helping him in some way, but before she could react, he reached out, took hold of her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.

 

"I love you, Kagome," he whispered.

 

Despite the fact that she already knew of his feelings, her heart skipped a beat at hearing him say it again. What struck her the most however was the look he was giving her. His golden orbs had always been a mirror to his soul, reflecting his every mood, his every feeling and Kagome loved them for that. What she didn't like was the fact that the hanyou would never let anyone, wouldn't let her probe very deep. This time though it was very different. There was no barrier, no defenses of any kind. His soul was completely and utterly naked.

 

The schoolgirl could only widen her eyes in silent wonder at the myriad of emotions she saw dancing there. It was mesmerizing to look at and she unknowingly found herself inching closer and closer to him, wanting to absorb everything that was there, yearning to let it become one with her.

 

Slowly the distance between them decreased until their breath intermingled together. They paused then, thorned between the need to drown in each other's soul and succumbing to a more primitive instinct. Finally, nature won the contest and their lips met making them forget all but the burning desire they had for each other. A burning desire only felt in the heart and soul of two people truly and deeply in love