InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ As Young Hearts Grow Older ❯ Preparations ( Chapter 4 )

As Young Hearts Grow Older

 

Chapter Four

 

Disclaimer: InuYasha is the property of Rumiko Takahashi. I am obviously not her.

 

Kagome's heart pounded in her ears. There were footprints in the dust! He had been there the night before. She hadn't been crazy at all.

 

Her mind swam with questions. Why had he come? Why didn't he say anything to her? Why hadn't he stayed for more than just a few moments? Why did her heart keep fluttering at the thought of being with him again? Was he with some one new? Did he miss her?

 

She stood up, dizzy with the notion of seeing him once more. The thought of hearing his voice again sent the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy. She dropped her book and ran to her grandfather's shed. She pulled out his broom and sprinted back to the well house.

 

Kagome wasn't sure why she was cleaning the well house. It was possible that Inuyasha wouldn't come back at all. He might not want to have anything more to do with her ever again. Yet, in the back of her mind, she couldn't shake the feeling that she would see him again. She didn't want him to have to come back to a dirty well house, thinking that they had all given up on him.

 

She swept furiously, sneezing occasionally as she kicked up large amounts of dust. She didn't understand how her meticulous grandfather could let something become so neglected. She was resolved to fix it, to make it sparkle if she had to. She hummed to herself as she worked, sure to be done in no time.

 

oOo

 

Sango returned to Kaede's hut, a quizzical look plastered to her pale face. Miroku turned to meet her gaze, smiling. Kaede never pulled her attention away from the small fire she was poking at to prepare their breakfast. Miroku was the first to speak.

 

“Good morning, Sango dear!” he happily declared.

 

Sango looked at him and gave him a serious look. “We need to talk. There's something strange going on.”

 

Shippou sprung to his feet. “What do you mean something strange? Like a demon?”

 

Miroku, sensing the topic at hand was a certain half-demon, interjected. “Shippou, I believe Lady Kaede needs more wood for her fire and some water from the stream. Do you think you could fetch those for her?”

 

Shippou gave Miroku a look of disbelief and turned to Kaede. When she nodded in the affirmative, Shippou sighed. “I guess this is what I get for being the smallest one here, huh?”

 

Sango giggled a little bit. “It's okay, Shippou. I'm sure it won't take you long at all! You're pretty fast. Faster than Miroku and I. And I know that Kaede-sama would appreciate it very much.”

 

“Aye. That I would,” Kaede agreed. “I'm getting old. It's not easy for me to move about as once I did.”

 

Shippou's shoulders sagged a little bit. “I know, Kaede-sama. I'm sorry. I just hate missing out on things! I want to know just as much as any one else does! And I'm old enough now that I should be included!”

 

Kaede smiled warmly at the pouting little fox-child. “I shall tell ye everything when ye return.”

 

A grin came to the corners of Shippou's mouth. “Well…alright! But don't leave anything out!”

 

Shippou grabbed a bucket and was out the door in a matter of seconds. Sango took a seat in between Kaede and Miroku. Her face was full of worry and questions. She was obviously unsure what to make of something.

 

Miroku asked the first question, since Sango seemed to be at a loss for words. “What is troubling you, Sango?”

 

Sango took a breath, attempting futilely to arrange her thoughts. “Well, I'm not sure where to start. I guess I'll tell you what happened first.”

 

Kaede prodded the fire one last time, turning her attention to Sango. Miroku settled himself. Sango gripped her green apron in her fists and began.

 

“I woke up early because I was having nightmares. Inuyasha was gone and, because of the argument we all had last night, I thought I might try to find him and set things right. I don't know what I was going to say, but I didn't really get a chance to say it. I didn't really say much at all.”

 

She paused for a moment. “I found him on the Goshinboku. He asked me what I wanted and I told him I was just checking up on him. Then, all of the sudden, he jumped down and asked me what kind of present he should give to a girl!” she blurted out.

 

Miroku's eyebrows arched in surprise. Kaede tilted her head to the side. Sango dropped her apron back to her lap, her hands moving up to her chestnut colored hair.

 

“I wasn't sure what to say! I told him flowers and something traditional like a hair piece or jewelry. He didn't even say anything else. He just left. I think he's in love again! There can't be any other explanation,” Sango concluded. “Kikyou died fighting Naraku with us,” she added as an after thought.

 

Miroku closed his eyes, deep in thought. “Now, Sango, let's not be hasty. He's been with us most of the time. I don't know who else he would fall in love with. He doesn't trust any one. If he hadn't known us all for so long, he probably wouldn't even trust us. Not only that, but when would he have the time?”

 

Kaede nodded. “I agree, Miroku. I do not believe he is in love again. Perhaps he wishes to give ye a gift, Sango?”

 

Miroku shook his head adamantly. “No, he's definitely not the gift-giving type.”

 

Sango's eyes brightened as a thought occurred to her. “Could it be that he's going back through the well? Maybe he wants to see Kagome again?”

 

Kaede pursed her lips. “One can never tell with Inuyasha. I believe we should let time tell.”

 

“I agree, Lady Kaede,” Miroku said. “He's not doing anything wrong. There is no reason for us to intervene until something sinister comes to light. As of right now, this is none of our business. If he has moved on, I suppose we should be happy for him, even if we don't like it or agree with it.”

 

“I don't think we should tell Shippou about this. I don't want him to get his hopes up and be disappointed. It took him so long to get used to the idea of Kagome going home anyways,” Sango said, a hint of pity in her voice.

 

Kaede agreed, as did Miroku. They finished their talk on the subject just in time, for at that moment Shippou came back into the hut. In one hand, he carried a bucket full of water, in the other, several pieces of wood.

 

Shippou looked as though he might tip over if the wind blew just right. His little body seemed to be imbalanced by all the weight he carried in his arms. He panted and sweat beaded on his forehead. He dropped the wood with a clatter near the door and carefully set the bucket next to Kaede. It appeared he had already spilled some of the water from the moisture running down the sides of the bucket.

 

“What did I miss?” he asked between gasps of breath.

 

Every one chuckled at his hurry to be brought up to date. “Why nothing at all! We were simply discussing the number of additional huts we might need to construct in the near future,” Miroku lied.

 

“Why do I get the feeling that you're fibbing?” Shippou asked apprehensively.

 

“'Tis true, child,” Kaede reassured. “We would not lie to ye.”

 

Shippou's eyes were still clouded with uncertainty, but he seemed to believe the elderly priestess. He plopped himself down next to Sango and scratched his head absently. His young mind had already begun to ponder another subject.

 

“I wonder where Inuyasha is,” he thought aloud. “I haven't seen him all morning.”

 

oOo

 

Inuyasha ran through the forest. He was on a quest and very little would be able to stop him at this point. He was determined to make things right with Kagome. He wanted, needed, to have something to give to her when he saw her again. When he finally approached her and told her how he felt.

 

He scanned the forest floor for flowers, as Sango had suggested. He wanted to find an array of beautiful, fresh flowers that he could present to her; something that would show her that he cared for her, even if he couldn't find the words within himself. Something in him yearned to be able to offer her something, anything.

 

Inuyasha was fairly certain that gifts wouldn't be enough to make up for lost time. That is, if she would bother to speak to him at all. He wasn't even sure if he deserved to be forgiven. If the tables were turned, he wouldn't forgive himself.

 

He came upon a patch of stargazer lilies. He was surprised by their loveliness. The six petals were a soft pink, the edges outlining them in white. The middle of the petals held small pinpoints of a deeper pink. The long petals curled downward towards the stem that held them. They reminded him of the small windmill fans that Kagome had brought with her from her time to give to Shippou that whirled in the wind. He instantly liked them.

 

He abandoned the idea of picking a variety of flowers. He only wanted these for Kagome. They were the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen. He only hoped that she would like them as well. It would be nice if she saw them for the peace offering that they were, but he wasn't expecting miracles.

 

Inuyasha was convinced that he would crawl across a realm of broken glass on his hands and knees just to get back in her good graces. He had never felt like such a fool. And he had done a lot of foolish things in his lifetime. This, however, he found himself regretting with his whole heart.

 

He sighed as he picked several fistfuls of the pink vegetation. A feeling of uncertainty gripped at him, bringing dread along with it. He knew he needed to start thinking about what he was going to tell her when he went to her.

 

Inuyasha collected his blossoms in one hand and headed back to the Goshinboku. He had to think. He needed time. He wanted to be alone.

 

oOo

 

Kagome was satisfied with the job she had done in the well house. She strolled back to the shed to put her grandfather's broom back in its place. She continued to hum. She was full of a new hope, something she hadn't had in two years.

 

She turned on her heels after placing the broom back in the corner where it belonged. Her sundress swung around her legs and she felt the air swirl at her ankles. A small smile found its way to her lips as she walked back to the well house. She needed to collect the book that she had tossed to the ground.

 

She still had time to read. She had an entire afternoon ahead of her, after all. She knelt down to pick up the love story. She ran her fingers along the smooth wood of the well house stairs, touching one of the places where a footprint had lingered in the dust she had swept up. Her book in hand, she rose to her feet again.

 

Kagome's eyes came to rest on the cover of her romance novel. The picture was of a handsome and muscle-bound man with no shirt wrapping his arms around a beautiful woman. The scene was set on a beach at sunset. She wondered if she would ever find herself in the arms of the man she wanted to be with.

 

She sighed as she stood, book in hand. She supposed it was too early to give up on things now, especially in light of recent events. She hadn't exactly wanted to give up in the first place, but, after two years, hope had gradually faded like the light in the evening.

 

At first, her faith in the hanyou remained strong. She knew he would give up in time. She simply thought she had to be patient. After six months had passed, she began to wonder if she had made a bigger mistake than she had counted on. When a year passed, she started to wish that she could take it all back. She might have sold her brother into slavery if given a chance to see Inuyasha again.

 

At a year and a half, her heart began breaking. She lost her confidence, second guessing every decision she made. She didn't want to relive the pain of losing some one else she loved over a silly fight. Once she had marked the two year anniversary of her departure from the Feudal Era in her diary, she was sure that he had gone to the arms of another. He probably didn't even remember her anymore. Kagome who?

 

She watched the small pink petals flutter to the ground on the gentle breeze. The sun had reached the middle of the sky, noon. She contemplated going inside to get something to eat, but she wasn't really hungry. She had eaten her breakfast late enough that she wouldn't be feeling hunger pangs until dinner time. She would be able to enjoy reading in the lovely weather until her mother called her inside.

 

Kagome ambled lazily to the Goshinboku once more. A contented glow came to her face, though she didn't smile. Her heart was filled with possibility. It would be difficult for her to be displeased for the rest of the day. It seemed that her promise to return to her old self would be kept sooner than she had imagined it would be.

 

She sat down, the roots of the tree cradling her. She glanced at the clear blue sky once more before turning her attention to the tome before her. Within minutes, she was lost in the pages.

 

oOo

 

Inuyasha punched the trunk of a nearby tree. “Damn it all!” he cursed.

 

He had been wracking his brain trying to think of what to say to her. He was angry with himself for being such an idiot. He was angry with her for leaving him, but he also knew that it was just as much his fault as hers.

 

He sighed. He needed help. Who on Earth am I supposed to be able to ask about this, for Kami's sake!

 

Inuyasha paced restlessly in the clearing. He hadn't even noticed the footsteps coming up behind him. He was too caught up in his feelings. The soft rustle of grass in the distance would normally ring in his ears as loud as a scream. It was as if the Gods had heard his thoughts.

 

Miroku watched the dog demon from a distance. He looked very distraught indeed. Miroku wondered if it had anything to do with what Sango had assumed was some new mystery woman. He didn't think Inuyasha would be the type to begin an affair with some typical village woman.

 

Inuyasha's pace increased, becoming almost manic. Miroku felt it was finally time to give away his presence. He picked up a rather large stick and cracked it loudly over his knee.

 

Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks, his head snapping in the direction of the sound. If Miroku hadn't been hidden behind a tree, he was sure that the hanyou would have spotted him instantly. Inuyasha frowned. “Who in the hell is there?”

 

The monk stepped out from behind the foliage. “It's only me, Inuyasha.”

 

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. The last person he needed to talk to was the king of lechery. “Yeah, what do you want?” he asked rudely. He made it perfectly clear that he was in no mood to deal with silly questions.

 

Miroku had never been one to take his cues from another's tone. In fact, he didn't really mind if others ended up uncomfortable under his piercing gaze. He walked toward Inuyasha, his blue eyes never breaking contact with the amber ones which met his gaze.

 

“Sango is concerned for you, you know. You haven't eaten since before last night. She and Lady Kaede are preparing lunch and she wanted to know if you would be joining us. I volunteered to come and find you. I had a feeling you might be here.”

 

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, unimpressed. “Yeah, well, it doesn't exactly take a genius to figure that out now, does it?”

 

Miroku ignored the fire in his companion's voice. “She's also been very interested in something you said to her earlier.” He paused for a moment. “It seems she got the impression that you may have fallen in love with another woman. Is this true?”

 

Leave it to Miroku to get straight to the point, Inuyasha thought. He scowled and his form stiffened. “I'm sure that's not any of your business,” he growled.

 

Miroku grinned. “Well, on that we both agree!”

 

Surprise lit Inuyasha's face. His mouth dropped open. “You mean, you're actually gonna leave me alone?”

 

“If that is what you want, then yes. Just don't expect the same courtesy from every one else.”

 

The corner of Inuyasha's mouth turned up into a half-smile. He supposed if he had to ask anyone for advice, he could probably trust Miroku enough to be quiet about things. He thought for a moment before he proceeded.

 

“Listen, Miroku, I have a question and I don't know who else to ask about this stuff. I tried asking Sango, but she didn't help all that much at all.” Miroku nodded and the half demon continued. “I need to tell some one I'm sorry, but I want to give her a gift so she knows I'm serious. I got some flowers for her, but it doesn't seem like enough. And, at any rate, I don't have any idea what to say to her! What should I do?”

 

Miroku brought a hand up to his face, a pensive look coming over it. He stroked his chin as he considered the dilemma before him. He didn't want to ask probing questions, for Inuyasha was sure to shut him out if he did that.

 

“Well, obviously, you're quite sorry. Otherwise, you wouldn't be making a move to apologize in the first place. Most women are wise when it comes to these matters. More than that, the flowers you collected for her will be a show of your appreciation for her. She will be glad to receive them, undoubtedly.”

 

Inuyasha nodded, listening intently. How Miroku came to know so much about things of this nature, he would never know. He supposed it didn't matter, as long as it helped him in the end.

 

Miroku continued. “Just tell her what's in your heart. You can never go wrong telling a woman the truth, especially when you're sincere.”

 

“I know. I just…I don't want her to think I'm a jerk, even though she probably already thinks that,” he sighed. “I'm not good with feelings.”

 

Miroku nodded and put a hand on his cohort's shoulder. “Kagome knows that. I'm sure she'll just be glad to see you.”

 

Inuyasha blinked, understanding the gravity of what Miroku had just said. His ears flattened against his scalp. “Am I that obvious?”

 

Miroku laughed. “Only to me, evidently. As I said before, Sango believes you've found another woman. Kaede isn't sure what to believe. Shippou has no clue what's going on, but we felt it would be better that way. This way he doesn't get his hopes up or get on your nerves.”

 

Inuyasha scratched his head nervously. “Thanks, Miroku.”

 

Miroku waved in the direction of the village. “Come on, let's go get some lunch. I'm sure you're hungry.”

 

“You bet I am!” he replied.

 

The started the short walk back to the village in silence. Inuyasha was glad Miroku had understood. He still wasn't sure what to say to Kagome, but he was sure he would know when he looked in her eyes. He just needed to be patient until nightfall.