InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ After the Storm ❯ Confrontation! ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5

 

 

A few days later, Kagome was finally able to sit up without hurting herself, and Inuyasha and the Higurashis celebrated with Coke and take-out pizza. Inuyasha sat beside Kagome on her bed, his arm wrapped gingerly around her waist, supporting her and blatantly staking his claim to her. To his immense relief, Kagome didn't seem to mind and her family was perfectly fine with it.

 

Halfway through the mini-party, there was a knock at the room door, and four people walked in--three girls and a boy. Inuyasha felt Kagome stiffen, and he watched the people curiously. Weren't those girls the ones he had met a few months ago, Kagome's friends?

 

"Hey, Kagome!" said Eri. "Souta told us what room you were in, so we decided to come and visit." Her gaze strayed to the boy sitting beside Kagome and to where his arm currently was, and her eyes lit up, as did the other girls'. "Hi, Inuyasha! Didn't expect to see you here!"

 

The hanyou nodded an acknowledgement. Kagome smiled brightly at everyone. "Hi, Yuka, Eri, Ayumi. Hi, Houjo!"

 

Houjo and Inuyasha were staring at each other, and Kagome blanched inwardly, remembering their last meeting. It had been at the cultural fair, during a play. Kagome and Houjo had had the lead parts, and at one point, they were to act as though they were in love with each other. Inuyasha had come crashing in, destroying the roof of the building and nearly ruining the play. He had challenged Houjo to a sword fight, Inuyasha believing the entire thing was real and Houjo thinking everything was just part of the play. Somehow, she had managed to improvise and turned the almost imminent death of Houjo into a huge grand finale that made the play the biggest success at the fair, but she knew that the two wouldn't forget each other easily.

 

"So you're name's Inuyasha," said Houjo carefully. Inuyasha nodded silently. "It's…nice to meet you," continued the senpai. "I'm Houjo."

 

Kagome relaxed slightly and was glad Inuyasha was wearing his hat. She knew he looked kind of like some kind of yankee, but at least they couldn't see his demon heritage.

 

Then she nearly threw up when Houjo said, "Could I talk to you for a bit?" to Inuyasha. His expression remained unreadable, but he let go of Kagome's waist and stood to follow the boy into the hallway. The girls immediately sat down at the foot of Kagome's bed and started talking with her, and though she acted as though nothing was going on, she watched the door carefully, wondering just what it was Houjo wanted to speak to Inuyasha about.

 

* * *

 

"What do you want?" asked Inuyasha as soon as the door closed.

 

Houjo's voice trembled slightly as he asked, "Are you…are you going out with…with Kagome?"

 

The question surprised Inuyasha, although he didn't show it. His only sign of surprise was the perking up of his ears, but of course Houjo couldn't see that. "Why should you care?" he asked carefully.

 

Houjo lowered his gaze. "'Cause…I like her, but for a while…well, I've been getting the feeling that…that the feeling is unrequited, and…and her friends have mentioned you before, saying that you two are kind of going out…so I just wanted to know."

 

Inuyasha felt a little bad for the guy, but he didn't say anything. His gaze softened very slightly as he watched him.

 

"Listen, Houjo," he said, "I don't know how you know her or what you are to her…but the thing is, we're not exactly 'going out', but…but I know that she likes me, and I know that I…that I…I…" he swallowed hard and breathed in deeply, "I know that I love her, okay? I'm sorry, but…"

 

Houjo nodded. "I had a feeling. I suppose…I suppose it's okay. I mean, so long as she's happy…"

 

"Sorry, Houjo," said Inuyasha again. "Neither of us can help how we feel about her, but it's up to her who she likes." He turned away and opened the door. Behind him, Houjo nodded and followed the hanyou inside. The girls all looked around but said nothing. Kagome noted Houjo's depressed expression and thought she knew what had happened. She'd wait till later to ask Inuyasha.

 

* * *

 

"So what'd Houjo want?" Kagome asked casually later that night. They were watching TV together in her room; everyone else had long since gone home. Inuyasha sat beside her, staring at the TV, transfixed; a popular anime show, Fullmetal Alchemist, was on.

 

Inuyasha didn't say a word until commercial. "He wanted to know if we were going out," he said, leaning back and propping his face onto his hand.

 

Kagome wasn't surprised; that had been what she was expecting.

 

"And what did you tell him?" she asked, as nonchalantly as she could manage.

 

Inuyasha's elbow slipped and he nearly fell on his face. Blushing furiously, he sat up and looked away. He couldn't tell her what he had really said--he was still shocked that he had been able to admit to anyone other than himself, much less a total stranger, that he loved her--but he could tell her part of the truth.

 

"I told him that we…that we are, in a sense," he said hurriedly and quietly. Kagome blinked, surprised that he would say something like that. Didn't he still love Kikyou?

 

At that moment, the show came back on, and Inuyasha was too mesmerized to say anything for the next fifteen minutes. Kagome smiled and leaned back. In the Sengoku-jidai, it was hard for them to get a private moment together. Usually they were interrupted by a demon, or by spying, nosy friends. (Not that she could say anything; dear Kami knew that she interfered in Sango's and Miroku's developing relationship a few times herself.) It was nice to be alone with him again.

 

I told him we are in a sense.

 

She glanced at the hanyou. In a sense? What did that mean? They either were or they weren't. And technically, they weren't. But if he said that, maybe he…?

 

Inuyasha suddenly realized that she was watching him, and he looked at her with a confused expression. "Kagome? What is it?" he asked.

 

She shook her head, smiling. "Nothing at all, Inuyasha," she said. "Just wondering when we'll be able to get out of here. I wanna leave now."

 

He turned his full gaze on her, paying absolutely no attention to the TV now. He looked her in the eyes and said, "I know. We both want to, but you are not going anywhere until I'm sure that you're okay. Got that?"

 

Surprised at the intensity in his voice, she sat up slowly and stared at him.

 

"Inuyasha, are you okay?" she asked.

 

He nodded and looked away. "I've already told you, Kagome, I just don't want you to get hurt again," he said.

 

"Just cause you don't want me hurt doesn't mean you have to get overprotective of me," she said. "It's not like as soon as we walk out of here, some guy will shoot me, or an arrow will hit me as soon as we climb out of the well, or--"

 

Inuyasha threw a clawed hand over her mouth, stopping all further attempts at speech. She couldn't see his eyes; they were being shadowed by his bangs.

 

"Kagome, shut up!" he growled. "Don't ever say stuff like that to me again. Do you have any idea how worried I've been, what sort of shit's been running through my head since you ended up in here? Knowing it was my fault, knowing I shouldn't have done anything? Cause let me tell you, if you did, you wouldn't be spouting out the stuff you're saying right now. I swear to god, if you're hurt again, I'll just commit jisatsu then and there."

 

Her eyes widened. He felt that horrible about all this? His hand slipped slightly, and she saw the pain in his eyes as they came into the light once more.

 

He really thinks this is all his fault, she thought in surprise. But it isn't…how can he think that?

 

"If you commit jisatsu, Inuyasha, then I'll commit atooishinjuu," she said fiercely. The words made him snap his head up, staring at her.

 

"Kagome…"

 

"Don't 'Kagome' me, Inuyasha!" she said. "I'm not going to let you go alone, to be alone for eternity. If you go alone, I swear to god I'll kill you. We go together or not at all."

 

He stared at her in amazement. He had always known that she had an inner strength, but this…this was purely his Kagome, his brave, determined, loyal Kagome. How on earth could a girl like her have ever even considered loving him?

 

He reached out to touch her--but then the moment was shattered as a doctor walked in, stopping dead when he saw the two staring at one another with an intensity that amazed him. He cleared his throat. "Ah, Ms. Higurashi…"

 

She and Inuyasha both relaxed and she fell back into her pillows. "Yes, Dr. Sato?"

 

"Um, the nurse has the release papers…when your mother comes in tomorrow, she may sign them and you're free to leave. If you just keep low on the action for a few days, you should heal just fine. Your wounds have healed shockingly well, considering how bad they were."

 

Kagome and Inuyasha shared a secret smile. They had been using an herbal concoction Kaede had whipped up for her, and it was aiding her recovery wonderfully.

 

"So if you agree to lay low for a few days, then I think you're good to go."

 

"Thanks, Dr. Sato," she said, smiling happily. He turned and left the room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he left, the two of them sat and stared at one another for a moment, then they simultaneously burst out laughing. Inuyasha drew her into a tight embrace, glad that she was getting well so quickly. She held him just as closely, smiling. At last, she could get out of here!

 

"Now, remember, Kagome. Not too much action for the next few days," said Inuyasha teasingly as they pulled apart.

 

She smirked. After all, when half of your life is in the Sengoku-jidai, what was too much action?

 

***************************************************************** ************

Author's Note:

 

I realized why I was having a writer's block. I've spent too much time in hospitals; they bum me out. So it was hard to write a hospital scene, which is why this chapter is a little shorter than usual. My first reaction when I realized this? Probably what you people wanted me to do anyway: "Get Kagome out of the hospital, FAST!"

 

As always, thanks for the reviews, guys! There should be a plaque for review-leavers. They're awesome! ^_^

 

Ok, Japanese vocab:

 

Senpai: upperclassmen; older student

 

Yankee: usually means "American", but in the case of the Japanese, a yankee is a gangster.

 

Kami: God

 

Jisatsu: suicide

 

Atooishinjuu: suicide immediately after the death of one's spouse or lover; following one's lover into death