InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Ashes and Dust ❯ A Shift in Purpose ( Chapter 7 )

I do not own Inuyasha and Co.

Chapter 7

A Shift in Purpose

As the morning rose, the two still embraced tenderly. Both breathed steady, and comfortably. Inuyasha had rolled onto his back, and she had rolled partially atop of him. The first rays of sunlight started to creep across his eyes through a thin slit in the thick curtains draped across her east facing window. Behind his eyelids, the warmth of the sun awoke his eyes as the orange light bled through his eyelids, waking him. A moment later, as the rest of his body slowly awoke, he felt her weight on his chest and upper torso. Her left hand covered his right peck, her face rested right over his heart, and her left leg settled between his knees. His eyes looked down at her slumbering body, thankful he was not naked.

Her breath had warmed his shirt with each exhale, and a bit of drool cooled a spot below her mouth. He lifted his hand to brush her bangs from her eyes. She looked so peaceful. There was no pain evident in her brows. He looked to her clock to see it was shortly after 9am, and he was in need of a bathroom break. He ran his hand down her cheek, and past her lips. She stirred a bit, and licked her lips in reaction. He touched her nose gently, and she rubbed it into his shirt. He blew into her bangs. Her left hand rubbed her face. She rubbed her eyes. That was when she stopped and looked down, seeing a body under her. She looked up at him.

He smiled, raised his eyebrows and said, “Morning.”

She sat up in shock and gasped. “Y-you slept with me?”

“You asked me to.”

“I did?”

“Yes, otherwise I would have gone home.”

She panted for a moment, turned and saw her door had been left open during the night. She gasped, her hand covered her mouth as she turned to see him smiling widely. “You're not concerned my mother saw us?”

“I saw your mom as she came up the stairs, and she told me to stay by your side.”

“S-she… I don't believe you.”

“She did, otherwise I wouldn't still be here.”

“So she-“

“She said you're a grown woman, and that she trusts me. Don't worry, I didn't touch you, or anything, so relax.”

She said nothing. She slowed her breathing, and looked him in the eye. He remained calm as he sat up and faced her. No words were said for what felt like a long time. Both sat cross-legged across from each other, fiddling with their nails nervously.

“Can I tell you something?” She asked quietly. Her eyes rose to meet his through her bangs.

“Sure.”

“You're the first man in my bed. Ever.”

His cheeks went red and he cleared his throat. “You're not the first I've spent the night with.”

“Of course not.”

“Nothing happened. Between us, I mean.”

“I know. I would feel different if we had, since I've never…”

“I see. You can trust me not to violate you. I'm a loyal man, and have only been with one woman. I haven't fallen for another since.”

“Wow, that's a long time to be alone.”

“Like I said, I'm loyal.”

“For over 500 hears? No sex for 500 years?”

He shook his head, “No sex.”

“How do you do it?”

“I'm not interested in anyone. No one has compared to Kikyo.”

“Really? Wow… She was some woman then for you to lament her for that long.”

“I'm not really good with people, so it's not hard. Most people look at me funny anyway. It's the hair, the eyes, the elongated fangs, and the nails. I tend to scare or freak people out.”

“You don't freak me out.”

“You're a rare woman, Kagome.”

“I guess so. I wasn't raised to be judgmental toward people. I was raised to love everyone, and admire their individual features, since they're going through something different from me. And if it's tough for me, it may be tougher for them, so why should I add to that stress?”

“Good way to think. I'm glad you and your mom accepted me, fully, as I am. The ears would never be respected out there.”

“In that case, tell me something.” She scooted closer to him. “How do you feel about me, knowing that I accept all of you as you are?”

He looked her in the eyes a few moments, thinking for a way to word his response. “I'm grateful for you and your mom. You've given me hope. I haven't had a family since before my mother died, and even then, they called me an abomination.”

He looked down toward her hands and her feet. “It was hard knowing I would never be accepted, that I would be on my own, and at such a young age when my mother fell ill. I raised myself, fended for myself, and hid from everyone. Every time a human came upon my presence, they saw my ears, hair and eyes, and ran from me screaming. Nowadays, it's not as hard to be seen in public, as people dye their hair and wear oddly colored contacts to be different. People don't pay attention to my claws so much, or the fact that my hair is so long and full. They see me as some tough dude who is fearless and expresses himself.”

“But you're still not desirable to them, are you?”

“No. They think I'm part of some kind of yakuza faction, or something, so they glance at me but don't stare. They're afraid to anger me.”

They laughed over how people view him. “It's literally the opposite!”

“Yes, yes it is. I'm glad they think I'm badass, but it sucks that they still avoid me.”

“Well, you'll always be welcome here, unless you wrong us, of course.”

“Very unlikely, as I don't cause mischief.”

“Sure you don't, mister climbs trees to get into my window.” She chuckled.

“That was a rare occurrence.”

“I know, I just couldn't resist.” They chuckled over the day before.

“You're nothing short of amazing, Inuyasha. I know I've been a pain in the ass the past few days, but I know you're a gift to this world. You've done a lot for me, and you're so kind. I'm glad you caught me in front of that deli.”

He didn't say a word as her eyes shyly met his. His cheeks slightly grew a pinkish hue. His breath hitched in his throat. The air grew thick with nervousness between them. He licked his lips, knowing what was about to happen, but he waited to see what she'd do. She kept her eyes locked with his, her cheeks pinked as well. Her breathing quickened, as well as his. She looked down, and his eyes followed to their hands. She looked up and met his eyes, and slid her hand to his. They looked at their hands as she examined his left hand. Every callous, line, and thick, sharp claw. The top of his hand was laced with large veins lifting up into the skin. The knuckles were pronounced, showing the many years of fighting for his life.

He said nothing as she lifted his other hand and looked over it as well. Her touch was tender, soft, and curious. Once she'd finished eyeing his hands, she looked up to meet his eyes and laced her fingers with his. She leaned closer to him, and he leaned in slowly. Their faces came close, and their eyes went to each other's lips. Just as their lips were about to touch, they heard a sneeze from the other room, jolting them out of their tender moment. They sat back, embarrassed, looking away from each other.

Her mother appeared outside her door a moment later. “Good morning, you two. How's your ankle, Kagome?”

She turned to look over her shoulder and said, “Oh, hi mom. I guess it's better. I think it just needs to be rewrapped.”

Inuyasha motioned for her to swing it toward him. “I hope it heals soon. I'll start breakfast and tea for you two. I'll yell when it's ready.” She turned and descended the stairs.

As Inuyasha unwrapped her ankle, she cleared her throat. “Well, that was awkward.”

“Yeah, we almost kissed back there.”

“Yeah.”

He continued unwrapping, and they looked at her ankle. The bruising was still there, but the area wasn't as swollen.

“Maybe a couple more days. We'll keep icing it, and soon you'll be able to put pressure on it.”

“You know, you realize you wasted your money on the crutches.”

They both laughed over the realization. He rewrapped her ankle. Once he was done, he left his hand on her ankle. “What is it?”

“Would it be OK to kiss you?”

She looked up to see him eyeing her intently. A moment later, she nodded. They once again leaned in. He reached his right hand up to her cheek, and touched his lips to hers tenderly. They remained like that for a few seconds. Then they continued moving their lips against each other's, deepening the kiss. Their breathing quickened, and their need heightened. Soon, she'd scooted closer, her legs touching his as he held her shoulders. She reached her hand up to touch his cheek as his mouth moved, feeling the muscles tense and loosen under his soft skin.

Their lip lock went to the sides and they pulled each other closer, tightening the embrace. Before they knew it, they laid on their sides, full frontal embrace. Then, a few moments after the tasting lessened, they slowed to a stop, and eyed each other. She ran her fingers down his cheek as he did the same.

“You're the first kiss since her.”

“How was I?”

“I guess I've missed this. A lot.” They chuckled a moment.

“I bet.”

“So, what does this make us?” he asked.

“I don't know yet. What do you think?”

“Not sure. This was similar to how it happened between Kikyo and me. Although, the difference is we knew each other longer than a week or so.”

“For how long?”

“About a year or so. I helped her exorcise demons all around Japan, and out to the continent as well. When we came back from China was when she almost fell on the dock after getting out of the boat we were in. I caught her, and the mood was just right. I dropped the oar I was holding and held her to me, and we kissed. Although, I doubt we'll be going further than this today, unless you want to.”

“So, wait… You catch her, you two kiss for the first time, and then go do the nasty? Just like that?”

He chuckled and smiled awkwardly, “Pretty much.”

“Wow! And I thought people in my time were forward and fast.”

“Well, we knew each other for a while. We just needed the right moment of awkwardness, I guess.”

“What was it like outside?”

“It was sunset, so everything had an orange hue. It was beautiful. It was a warm night, and the water was calm. A light breeze blew through the trees, and there was a sweet smell to the air. The perfect moment. That was my first kiss, my first time, everything.”

“Wow… how about her?”

“The same. We were outcasts, in essence. She was told to remain pure, to never fall for a man. Then she met me. I knew nothing about the Shikon Jewel when I first met her. She was fighting a swarm of demons when I leapt into a nearby tree to settle for the night. She sensed me, and asked me if I was after the jewel as well, and I told her I knew nothing about it. She told me to keep my distance and not to seek it if I value my life and then collapsed.”

He looked down at their hands, lacing his in hers. “I leapt down to check on her. She wasn't wounded, just exhausted. Even passed out, she still emitted an immense, pure energy. When I heard voices calling out her name, I leapt back into the tree out of sight, and watched as the men carried her away. The next morning was when I learned about the jewel from a demon who was seeking it, asking me if I'd seen it. I asked questions as well, and gained interest too. I thought it was what I'd need to help me be stronger. I was desperate, and getting tired of being weak. My only weapons were my claws at the time. I looked for her, and challenged her for the jewel. Each time, she shot arrows and pinned my clothes to trees, and told me to stop. She called me hanyou, which I hate. I asked her to call me by name, and she promised never to call me a half-breed again. I chose to protect her, and remain close to the jewel. I wanted to protect it from other demons and humans seeking it. And before I knew it, we were comrades, and I fought beside her.”

“Wow, that's never told with the story I heard as a child. The story I heard only included that the great priestess and her lover fought, she sealed him to the tree just before she died, and the jewel was burned with her body as he was forever sealed to the sacred tree, never ageing. I asked my grandpa if the sacred tree at the shrine was the tree from the story, and he said it is, but you weren't sealed on it. I asked him what happened, and he could never give me a straight answer. I bet he'd shit a brick if you showed up at the shrine.”

“I bet he would. Was there a description of me in the story?”

“No. No description was given, aside from her lover being described as not fully human, not fully spirit.”

“I see. Legends lose their richness over time.”

“Yeah. This means you're the man of legend.”

“I guess you could say that.” He smiled. “So, would you date the man of legend?”

Her breath hitched in her throat at his question. “You don't have to answer right now.”

“Sure, I wouldn't mind dating you, Inuyasha.”

“Wow…” He smiled and they both released what seemed like long-held breaths.

They looked at each other and leaned in for another kiss, this one a bit freer. After a few moments of kissing, her mother shouted up the stairs that breakfast was ready. They parted and left the room. He lifted her up into his strong arms and carried her down, both of them giggling all the way into the kitchen.

Her mother turned and saw them enter smiling. “Well, this is unusual. Usually Kagome's complaining that you're setting her down in a seat.”

“Yeah, well, today's a different day.” Kagome responded with a sigh in her voice.

She turned and looked at them as he took a seat across from her, a sparkle in their eyes, and wide smiles on their faces, as if there was a secret between them giving them joy.

“So,” she said as she set plates full of food before each of them, “What happened between you two?”

“Oh, nothing…” Kagome singed. Inuyasha chuckled.

“Nothing?” she took the seat at the end of the table. “This doesn't look like nothing to me. Did you two share a kiss or two?”

Inuyasha spit out his food in shock, and Kagome laughed hysterically as he covered her in food. The three of them laughed for a few minutes over his reaction, and then she brought them back to focus.

“Well, did you?”

They were silent, as neither one could answer. Their cheeks went bright red and they smiled at each other for a few moments.

“Yo ka ta!” she cheered. “My daughter has a boyfriend! I am so happy for you, Hun.” She stood from her chair and kissed her daughter on the forehead while hugging her.

“Mom, it's not that big a deal!”

Inuyasha chuckled with a proud smile. She crossed to the other side of the table, put her hand on his shoulder and said, “Inuyasha, you can call me mom, if you like. I see you as a son anyways.”

“Gee, thanks, mom,” he said with an awkward look toward Kagome, and she giggled.

“Now you have a family.” Inuyasha looked at Kagome and a tear swelled in his eye.

He nodded. “Yeah, you're right, now I do.” He tried to hold back the tears, but soon excused himself from the table and went to the bathroom.

“Something wrong?” her mother asked.

“Oh, he's been alone since his mother died. She was all he had until you asked him to call you mom.”

“I had no idea. Poor thing. How long has it been?”

“Quite long.” Kagome wasn't sure if it was her place to tell his story.

In the bathroom, he sat silently crying tears of joy. Mrs. Higurashi reminded him of his mother long ago. Always kind, accepting, loving, and caring of him unconditionally. When he found Kikyo, her parents were already gone. Now, he had a mother again. He couldn't cry in front of them. His pain poured out in silence, healing him from the pain he'd felt for centuries. Losing his mother was just as traumatic for him as losing Kikyo, twice. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

“Inu, are you ok in there?”

He swallowed his tears and said, “Yeah, I just need a minute, thanks. I'll be there in a few.”

“Ok, son. If you need anything, just holler.”

He held his forehead, tears falling onto the cold, tile floor. His pain was nearly gone, and replaced with joy. A smile spread on his lips, and he used the hand towel to wipe his tears from his face. He folded it and left the bathroom, ready to start anew. When he entered the kitchen, Kagome asked him if he was alright.

He sat down, smiled and said, “Yeah, I'm fine.” He scooped some eggs into his mouth, and took a swig of tea. They silently ate till their plates were empty.

They talked the rest of the morning, as Kagome's mom inquired about Inuyasha's background.

“So, how old are you?”

He looked at Kagome, and said, “Well, much older than you think.” Her reaction was inquisitive instead of confused.

“Really? How much older?”

“You sure you wanna know?” She nodded. He leaned toward Kagome and asked, “Should I tell her?”

Kagome nodded and giggled. He looked to her mother and she said, “I want to know, I won't judge.”

He sighed. “Well over 600.”

Her mouth dropped and his eyes were serious. “How…”

“Is it possible? Well, you see these ears?” She nodded. “I'm not fully human, and I'm essentially immortal. Look, here's something you wouldn't have expected to learn about me, but your family shrine, it turns out, is related to me. You see, I'm the great Priestess's lover.”

She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. He didn't flinch at her reaction. “You're him, the one who killed-“

“I never killed her. What you heard was wrong. We were set up, by a demon as a matter of fact.”

“A demon? How?”

“Naraku sought the jewel, but he wanted the jewel tainted, so he pit us against each other. He posed as both of us while we were apart and attacked us while in the form of the other. He's the one who killed Kikyo. He mortally wounded her, and she pinned me to the tree. I should have known at the time it was him, as he had a bad aim. Kikyo was a marksman with the bow, and I was too angry to put two and two together. It was fifty years before she was resurrected by a demon necromancer and she unsealed me from the tree after learning of Naraku's deceit. It's a long story from there.”

“Wow. I wonder why we never learned of the truth.”

“I don't know. My guess is the details were lost over time, but then again, who knows.”

“So, what of this Naraku? Who is he?”

“He's a demon comprised of a human core, and thousands of demons.”

“How is that even possible?” Her mother asked.

“I'm not sure, but according to what Kikyo said long ago, he was born from Onigumo, a bandit who came under Kikyo's care without my knowledge. Before our relationship grew closer, she found him in a nearby river, and helped get him to safety in a cave just outside of the village where he remained until he gave his body over to a horde of demons.”

“Why would he do that?” She asked.

“He coveted the jewel, and wanted Kikyo. However, the demons wanted the jewel, and had other plans regarding Kikyo. He was the one who killed her, both times.”

“Both times?” She asked.

“Yeah, he killed her the last time, eventually, as she tried to purify the jewel after he took it from her. The jewel came from her body after her resurrection. Apparently it was attached to her soul, and she failed in keeping it from this world.”

“Oh, wow…” Kagome's mom looked down at her tea cup in thought.

“After he killed her, he disappeared without a trace. I looked for any information on his whereabouts for quite a long time. He tended to show up here and there whenever a strong Shinto Priestess surfaced, and he would attack her. He was looking for her; Kikyo I mean.”

“He's looking to kill her, hoping to get his hands on the jewel again.” Kagome chimed in.

“Oh, my. Has anyone revealed themselves recently?”

“Kaede was the most recent strong Priestess, and I've been protecting her since her youth. Now she's no stronger than the average woman, so she's under no threat to speak of.”

“How will you know another priestess needs protecting?”

“Whenever the news speaks about a Priestess coming to her position at any local shrines, namely the large ones that attract the tourists. Kaede was the last one to speak of.”

“Ah, so does she have to pass before finding the next priestess?”

“Not always, but Kaede wasn't under attack, really. He never showed interest, and never came out of hiding.”

“How do you know which one he will go after?”

“She has to be spiritually strong, and have above average spiritual abilities and powers. Kikyo was the strongest Priestess in the land, and only a few have ever come close to her abilities, all long ago, of course.”

“I see.”

“Mom, he said there is a power about me, and that I have some features similar to Kikyo's.”

“Really? What features?”

“Her mouth, her eyes, her nose. Very similar.”

“You remember how she looked after all these years?”

“I could never forget her. She was everything to me.”

“I see. And now my daughter looks similar to her, and here you are, in love with her. Is there a connection, you think?”

“I don't know. I'm figuring, if she is the next chosen Priestess, it's probably best she does not develop her abilities, as she will remain safe from Naraku. He's just as immortal as I am, and there's no reason why I shouldn't believe he would come to kill Kagome if she developed even a slight bit of spiritual power.”

“And here our family is the new generation of shrine keepers related to your story. Well, then, we must stay extra careful. Do you think he's watching you as well, Inuyasha?”

“I don't know. I never thought of it that way.”

“What do we do if he does come after us?”

“Not sure, but leave him to me. If anyone suspicious comes to the house, I'll see, and I'll keep an eye on the property.”

“If you think it's best, you could always just move in.”

“Say what?!” The two said in unison.

“You're together now, so why not? Inuyasha, if you like, I have an extra futon you can use and sleep in Kagome's room, to make sure she's safe at night, if you like.”

Their wide eyes looked from her to each other, and their cheeks went red again. “Mom, shouldn't he stay in Sota's old room? He'd be right next door to mine, and he would hear everything going on, if anything ever does.”

“I'm sure she'd like her privacy, mom.” He chided in.

“I leave it up to you guys. If you feel more comfortable in Sota's room, that's fine too, though his bed is a bit small, so you can use the futon in his room instead. I'll eventually replace that bed with a new one.”

“The futon will be just fine. That's normally what I sleep on at the house, so I'm good. Um…I'm thinking of sending Kaede to a retirement home, as she's losing brain functions, and it would just be best for her to have better care now.”

“Okay, then it's settled, you'll live here with us, and you can work out at your home if you like.”

“Yeah, that sounds good to me.” He chugged the last of his tea, and made to leave to make some phone calls.

Later that day, a van came and picked up Kaede and she was then transferred to the local retirement center, and he said he would visit her periodically. Kagome watched the exchange from the porch. After the van left, Inuyasha crossed the yard and walked up onto the porch. They stood at the railing together and looked out peacefully at the trees across the street. It was silent between them for a few minutes until Inuyasha broke it.

“Well, it's done, and I'm now a resident here.”

“Ya know, if anyone had told me this would happen later this week, I wouldn't have believed them.”

“Yeah, I know. I didn't plan any of this either.”

“What if you find out you've decided to protect the wrong person?”

“I don't know.” He turned and rested his right hip against the railing as he faced her. He put his hand on hers and said, “My hunch this time is very strong. I believe the next priestess is you.”

“Well, I guess, if it turns out it is, that would explain why we became so close, and why we're here at this very moment.”

She turned to face him, leaning up against the railing as well. He stepped closer and put his hands on her hips. He bent his head down and kissed her again. They stood there kissing for a few moments in silence.

Meanwhile, back in the hallway, her mother caught the image of them in each other's arms kissing through the curtains. She smiled, and continued with what she was doing.

Later that evening, the couple settled down before the TV, and watched some funny game shows. They ate popcorn and sipped tea, as they had been doing for the past few nights. Once the shows were over, Kagome decided she wanted to bathe, leaving Inuyasha to set up the futon and bedding in Sota's bedroom. He left soon after to gather his essentials and clothing. As he locked the door to his house, he sensed something was off. He sniffed the air, but couldn't smell anything unfamiliar.

His eyes scoured the tree-line, but he couldn't see anything. His ears moved atop his head, searching for strange sounds. The breeze he felt was laced with an off-putting aura. It was a corrupted aura, but it was faint at best. He made his way across the yard and up the porch steps. His eyes remained trained on all sides. He sat upon the top step with his bag at his side, listening and sensing.

Kagome left the bath tub and dried herself off. She turned on her hair dryer and waved it at her damp hair to form the long, wavy locks. Once she was dressed, she hobbled painfully out of the bathroom with her crutches to see the futon and bedding set up in the spare room, but no Inuyasha. She looked down the steps to see his back through the window in the front door. She wanted to go down the stairs to see if everything was OK, but she decided not to risk it yet. She made her way to her bedroom and sat on her bed to wait for him.

After a bit of time, the energy dissipated, and he grabbed his bag and went inside. He looked up the stairs to see Kagome sitting on her bed watching him make his way up the stairs.

“Is everything OK?”

“Uh, yeah. I just sensed something off, that's all.” He walked up and sat down on the bed beside her, setting his bag on the floor.

“Like what?”

“An aura.”

“Aura?”

“Yeah, I sensed some odd energy I wasn't familiar with. A corrupt energy.”

“Weird. Did you see anyone around?”

“Nope, no one out there but me.”

“You don't think it was Naraku, do you?”

“No, I know his scent and aura anywhere. It's toxic to humans.”

“Oh, wow…”

“Yeah, he's been known to kill humans when he releases his aura, so I would know, as it would cause me a slight bit of alarm. If you were to come into contact with his aura, you'd have trouble breathing, and you'd feel very weak.”

“I see. So, you got everything you need?”

“For now. I'll bring more over as I need to.”

They fell silent after a while. The only sound they heard was the ticking of her rudimentary alarm clock on her bedside table as Kagome's mother's room was already dark and silent. Her hand covered his, and he looked down at their hands, and then up to her. His eyes looked like he was hiding anxiety. He was worried, but he wasn't about to talk about it. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly. Once the kiss ended, he lifted her leg and knelt down before her, resting her foot against his peck. He put his hand out for the wrap, and she handed it to him. He silently, tightly, wrapped her bruised ankle. Once he was finished, and her ankle felt better, he set her foot down on the floor and stood before her, grasping his bag in his right hand.

“I'll be in the next room. I sleep light, so if anything should happen, I will know. If you leave your door open, I'll look in, if I sense anything off.”

“OK, I will.”

He nearly left when he stopped and turned her way again. “How is your ankle feeling tonight? Is the pain better?”

“Yes, it feels better every day now. I didn't have much but a dull pain when I was bathing.”

“Good to hear. Well, good night, Kagome.” He smiled and stepped around the corner into the spare room.

Kagome heard him rustling around a bit, and then he clicked off his light. Kagome clicked off her lamp beside her bed, and lifted the covers over her body. As she settled in, she heard him grunt a couple times, and then he was silent. She found that she had a hard time falling asleep, knowing he was in the room beside hers. Her eyes remained trained on the ceiling as many thoughts from the conversations passed through her mind. Every now and then, she'd smile at the thought of Inuyasha, the man in the legend from her family shrine, was slumbering in the room next to hers. She listened intently, but heard nothing from his room. She wondered how he could be sleeping if he was so quiet. Eventually, she slipped from consciousness and fell into a deep sleep.

Inuyasha knew, as he laid there with his eyes open, that she was listening for him. He heard nothing but silence from her room, and wondered if she was just as restless as he was. He couldn't get over the aura he sensed earlier, and wasn't about to mention that he would have trouble sleeping. He didn't want her to worry. Eventually, he closed his eyes and let himself relax a bit, his ears twitching and shifting atop of his head, listening to every sound, inside and outside the house. He heard nothing from her mother's soft snores as she slept, and eventually heard Kagome's deep, even breaths as she dreamed. It wasn't an easy task, keeping watch in a house. Just before sleep took him away, he swore to himself that he would protect those two women with his life.