InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Always and Forever ❯ As Time Goes By ( Chapter 3 )

Always and Forever

By KeikoDogDemon

Chapter 3

After a while, it became obviously clear to Inuyasha how deeply he had fallen in love with Kagome. The feelings he'd had for Kikyo were very similar; however, the difference was the desirable tendencies that took over his mind and body whenever he got close to Kagome. With Kikyo it had simply been a feeling of belonging and acceptance, but with Kagome, it was so much more. Even being in the same room with her caused his mouth to go dry and a trembling sensation to start in his lower regions. It had often gotten to the point where he'd had to put quite some distance between them to control his imperious desires.

That particular day was no exception. Now nearly three months after their first passionate encounter, Inuyasha had had to go out into the woods, far away from Kagome, to get control of himself. However, this day, Kagome had decided that she'd had enough. Every time she tried to get close to Inuyasha when they were around others, he would always run off. She needed to find out what had been bothering her dog-boy and why he'd been spending less and less time with her.

She found him almost a mile outside the village sitting in a tree. She'd almost passed him by, for the leaves did well to practically conceal him from her sight. Looking up, he seemed to not have noticed she was there, for he had his back to her. She knew better, though. He'd sensed her, all right. It would have been impossible for him not to, what with his dog senses and all. The fact that he was deliberately ignoring her was proof that something was bothering him, and she was determined to find out what it was.

"Inuyasha," she said worriedly, hoping he'd pay attention to her.

"Go back to the village, Kagome. I can't talk right now."

She suddenly became angry. "Why the heck not?"

"It's hard to explain."

She began to climb the tree in a futile attempt to reach the top where he currently sat. He looked down at her almost in amusement when he saw her try to pull herself even to the first branch. She did manage it, though, and proceeded to go up even further. When she was almost halfway up her foot slipped and the fair skin of her leg was scraped against the rough bark, causing her to cry out in pain. He quickly descended to where she was, a concerned expression on his face as he helped her get in a position where he could get a closer look at her wound.

"Are you all right, Kagome?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," she replied. She used her injured leg to push up on her body weight to see if it could still be used, which resulted in her hissing as a stinging sensation shot through her body.

"Try not to move too much on that leg, okay? You may have sprained it as well."

He removed the blood-soaked sock and shoe that adorned that foot and added pressure to her ankle with his fingers, asking every now and then if his touches hurt. Most of them did, so he instructed her to stay still while he tried his best to tend to her.

Afraid that Kagome would fall out of the tree if he went back to the village for some of Kaede's herbs, he licked off the blood that was already running down her leg to her foot. When he placed his tongue directly onto her wound her body tensed and she bit her bottom lip so as not to cry out again. When her skin was relatively clean, he tore a strip from the sleeve of his fire-rat kimono and tied it around the injury. Then he carefully picked her up and, leaping down from the tree, placed her on the ground, her back to the trunk of the tree so she could sit up.

"That should work until Kaede can take a look at it. For now, I think it would be best if you stayed still for a while without moving and gave that thing some time for the blood to dry and clod up."

Inuyasha's words comforted her somewhat. She realized that even though he'd been ignoring her so much recently, he was still concerned for her safety and well-being.

"Inuyasha," she started, "will you please tell me what's bothering you?"

He sighed. "Do we have to talk about it now?"

"Well, we're alone with no one else around. I think it's the perfect time, especially if you don't want anyone else listening in."

Inuyasha looked down at the ground. "It's not something I can just talk about openly. To tell the truth, I don't even really understand it, so I doubt you would."

"Try me."

"Kagome…is there any way I can get out of telling you?"

"Nope."

"Will you promise not to laugh or make fun of me afterwards?"

She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Inuyasha, I could never make fun of you for something so serious that obviously has you down in the dumps. I promise you that I will love you no less than I do now, so please, tell me what's wrong."

"All right." Turning to face her, he took her hands in his and kissed each one.

"Kagome," he began, "I know that you already realize how much you mean to me. I've come to believe that we've grown closer in these past few months than throughout our whole first year together. Every time I look at you or even think about you, my heart is filled to overflowing with my love for you, and I want to touch and caress you all over.

"This is an effect that Kikyo never had on me. When I looked at her, of course I felt a sense of love. She accepted me in a way that no one else had since my mother was alive. That was the main reason I was willing to die for her. I figured I owed it to her for always being there for me. I did love her very much, but she is no longer in this world.

"I have discovered, though, that I love you much more than I ever loved Kikyo. What I felt for her in the beginning could be described as puppy love or a first fling to the people of your era. I never felt desire towards her like I do you. As I've said, just being around you makes me want to touch you. I get turned on so easily just by being in your presence…sometimes it scares me. The last thing I need is for the others to see me aroused like that. It's embarrassing because I'm afraid of my own feelings. That's why I've been running off so much lately; I don't want them to see what you do to me."

She caressed his cheek with her hand. "Inuyasha…do you truly mean that?"

He nodded. "Yes, Kagome. My love for you can only be rivaled by the love I had for my mother. No one else has affected my life the way you have. I only wish that I wasn't ashamed of these feelings I get when you're around. I know it's nothing to be embarrassed about, but the others might think I'm going soft if they knew…that I get completely weak when I'm with you."

Her eyes suddenly grew dark "You mean…that even though you love me…you're ashamed of what you feel for me?"

"No, Kagome, that's not what I meant!" he cried, panicked. " I could never be ashamed that I love you, even if I wanted to! I'm happy to be with you! It's just…well, for one thing, my desires are so often on the verge of making me lose control. I worry about being too rough with you…and I'm also afraid that if you have too much of me, you might get bored and I won't be able to please you anymore."

"Inuyasha," she said, looking deep into his eyes, "there is no possible way that I could stop desiring you. You're the only person who…makes me feel that good. Every time we make love, it's better than the last…and if you ever get too rough with me, I'll make sure to tell you…or use the magic word." That last remark she said with a smirk on her face.

Inuyasha grinned. "I don't know what it is about you and your knowledge of the way my brain works, but somehow you always know the right things to say at exactly the right time."

She leaned into him and kissed him deeply. "I just say what I feel, Inuyasha, and no more."

He kissed her back. "Then you feel all the right things."

My feelings must be right, she thought to herself, because I fell in love with Inuyasha.

Inuyasha carried Kagome back to the village. The pace was slow, for he was afraid any sudden movements might cause her pain. The trip was silent and without words, but the glances and smiles that they gave one another only further confirmed that everything was all right between them again.

When they reached the town, Inuyasha dropped Kagome off at Kaede's hut so the old woman could better care for Kagome's scrape than he'd been able to; then he bounded out to the wheat fields to visit with Miroku. When he finally spotted the monk, he noticed that the blacked-haired man had his sleeves rolled up and was digging holes in which he would most likely be planting more seeds. Inuyasha slowed down and began ambling on over to him in a slower manner.

"Good morning, Inuyasha!" Miroku called, releasing one of his hands from the shovel just long enough to wave to the hanyou. Inuyasha returned the gesture.

"Hey, Miroku," Inuyasha replied. "Need any help?"

"No…thanks…Inuyasha," he said between grunts, continuing with his digging. "A farmer…is paying me for this work…I'd have to…split the prize with you…if you helped me, and besides…you have no use for money or valuable goods."

"I guess so," Inuyasha said. "However, that work looks almost too much for you to handle."

Miroku stopped for a moment and wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve.

"Even so, I must stay in shape for whenever danger may arise and I may be needed. My wind tunnel may one day disappear, and then I will have to rely on my physical strength to protect myself and others."

Inuyasha was astonished. "You mean your wind tunnel hasn't closed up yet?"

Miroku shook his head and held up his cursed hand for Inuyasha to see. Sure enough, it was still covered by the long purple glove and sealed with prayer beads.

"Apparently not. However, it has not gotten any bigger, which means that it has stopped growing. The curse was supposed to be broken forever at the destruction of Naraku, but I can still use the whole in my right hand, only it may just be a matter of time until I will no longer possess it."

"Well, for your sake, I hope it never closes up. No offense, monk, but you're not much in the strength category…compared to me, at least."

Miroku laughed. "Boastfulness has always been a key attribute with you, Inuyasha, and it is one that may or may not be a good quality, depending on who you ask."

The hanyou smirked. "Well, at least I can boast, houshi."

"Good point," Miroku said, laughing. Then, looking around, he asked, "Where is Kagome today? Don't you two normally spend most of your time out in the woods somewhere?"

Inuyasha blushed slightly. "She, uh…hurt herself and I took her to Kaede for treatment."

"Too bad," Miroku said. "I'll have to go visit her later when I'm done and see how well she's faring."

"She'll be all right," Inuyasha replied. "She just hurt her ankle. Nothing too serious."

Miroku nodded and popped his back. Then, lifting the shovel once again, he turned to his dog-eared companion and said, "Well, Inuyasha, it has been a pleasant experience conversing with you, but now I must recommence working. If I don't have this done by midday my payment may be reduced. You'd better get back to Kagome in case she needs you."

"Okay, Miroku. Take care."

"Goodbye, Inuyasha. I shall see you at sundown."

When Inuyasha arrived back at Kaede's hut, Sango was there helping to nurse Kagome's wound. The young taijiya had replaced the makeshift bandage he'd made from his kimono with a fresh one, and Kaede had propped Kagome up on the pillow and blankets the girl had brought from her time. The old woman had also made miso soup for the younger girls and herself, and they were just beginning to eat when the hanyou walked through the door. Smiling, Inuyasha walked over to his beloved and put his arms around her from behind.

"How are you feeling?" he asked almost in a whisper that sent a shiver down her spine.

"F-fine," she started. "It still hurts, but not so much anymore."

"Does it hurt so much that you can't take a walk with me?"

Looking their way, Kaede stated, "I would not recommend that Kagome move on that leg. Let her rest for a while, Inuyasha."

He snorted. "Well, can I at least take her home?"

"Back to her own time?" Sango asked.

"No…back to my hut."

"Since when has your hut been her home?" Sango asked curiously.

"Well, uh…" He blushed. "…Since I decided that I'd like to be the one to care for her."

"Do you even know the right herbs to use on that type of wound?" Sango asked with a smirk.

"Um…no…but Kagome does. She can tell me."

Sango sighed. "Very well, Inuyasha, do as you wish. But you'd better take good care of her."

He snorted again, but then instantly his frown turned upside down.

"Don't' worry…I will."