InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken Fates ❯ Fragile Strength ( Chapter 31 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Chapter 31: Fragile Strength

Kagome sighed wearily as she settled down onto her bed slowly.

It had been a long three weeks since she'd come home from the hospital, and today, she'd finally set up her and Yasha's first post-coma appointment with Mika. Because of the difficulties she was still suffering due to her injuries, it had indeed been decided that Mika would conduct the meeting here, in her room.

Yasha practically lived here with her family, anyway, barely ever going home, and hovering over her protectively pretty much every second of every day, driving her insane... but she loved him, so she put up with it with a resigned smile.

Shippo was also around a lot, spending a great deal of his time with she and Yasha, and Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi came to visit as much as possible as well, though their visits would soon slow, as they all began their first semesters of college as the summer wore down, and fall came in.

Still, it was nice to have the people she cared about around, and she'd even finally met Sango's reincarnation, a beautiful woman named Suki... beloved. Kagome thought it fit her, and was thrilled to pieces to meet her. Suki didn't remember her past, per se, though she'd felt an instant connection to the younger woman when she'd met her, and had a really strong deja vu reaction. Kagome was certain, that with time, she'd gain some memories of her past life - enough to understand their connection, at any rate.

Suki was Kagome's physical therapist, and worked with her several times a week to strengthen her, though the exercises were minimal at this point, due to her still healing bone structure. Both women were positive, though, that a deep friendship would develop, and that they would be part of each others lives for the rest of both of them.

Kagome was also sure that Miroku would soon be entering the picture, as well, and had no doubts that he was just as much a lecher this time, as he was the last.

Right now, though, every part of her body ached, and with a pained sigh, once again, she looked over at her boyfriend, who'd just entered the room with a glass of the juice she'd asked for, and her pain medication. She smiled gratefully at him, her eyes sparkling with affection - he cared so much, and he didn't hide it from anyone, showing his possessive side just as much as his protective.

As much as she'd fought that behavior from Inuyasha in the past, her spirit was still so fragile right now, that she was grateful for the way he was, and even enjoyed it. As she healed, she would probably push him back just a little, but she didn't think she'd ever go back to being quite as determinedly independent as she'd once been - once something had been broken into as many little pieces as she had, it could never truly be put back together as completely whole as it had once been.

She was a different woman now, and her slightly more reserved behavior showed that.

But Yasha was pleased to see that she didn't hide any of herself from him. He was the only one that she let in completely - and then there was Shippo. Shippo was the next closest, the difference being in Yasha's intimate relationship with the woman he would someday soon - hopefully - be marrying, and Shippo's almost sister-brother relationship with the woman who'd once been his surrogate family.

With everyone else, including her own family, there was that little bit of reserve - she wasn't as open with anyone anymore, and her family and friends, while saddened for that, respected the differences, and stayed as close as she let them.

"Oi, woman, relax," he scolded her as he set the juice down on the side table, then reached over and fluffed her pillows. "You're overdoing it again."

Kagome chuckled at him slightly, careful to not jar her ribs too much - they were still very sore, and moving was difficult without making things worse. "Oh, hush, Dr. Worrywort. I'll be fine... at least, I will be as soon as I get those pills your holding down my throat."

He scowled lightly at her. "Keh. Just hold your horses, you impatient woman. Here," he handed her the pills, and then her juice, watching closely as she popped the little pills in her mouth and then tilted her head back, drinking the juice down slowly. She sighed and smiled as her parched throat smoothed with the drink.

"That felt good," she said softly, turning smiling eyes up at him. "Thank you for taking such good care of me, Yasha." Her smile darkened a little and she looked down. "Though, I don't want you to feel like you have to do these things for me, I can do them myself, you know. I'm not totally helpless anymore."

He sent her an aggravated look. "Feh. Kagome, shut up. I do what I'm doing 'cause I want to, and I ain't gonna let anyone tell me when I have to stop. Not even you." He sighed, then sat down on the side of the bed. "I take care of you because I love you, baka... what would you be doing if our positions were reversed?" he asked knowingly.

She flushed, then laughed, staring down at her hands folded in her lap. "You know me too well, that's the problem. I can't get away with anything."

"Nope, you can't, so don't bother tryin'. Now - when's our appointment?"

"Actually, tomorrow at ten." She rolled her eyes at him. "Think you can be here?"

Tapping a long, elegant finger against his chin in mock thoughtfulness, he said, "Maybe... if I can convince my date to change the time that we were supposed to go out," laughing as he ducked her hand. "Geeze, wench, so violent. I'm beginning to wonder what I see in you."

Kagome sobered at that, her own laughter falling away, shame taking its place. "I don't know what you see in me, either, truth be told. I haven't exactly been nice to you since I met you, have I?" She looked at him, sadness in her eyes as his smile slowly faded. "I'm sorry, Yasha, that I treated you so horribly - I was taking all my hurt out on you - and that made me no better than the lowest of the low."

"Kagome," he said, hesitantly, "don't worry about it. It was karma, you could say - just something I had to go through to understand what I put you through in a past life. We've both been hurt... but let's not dwell on that, okay? That's all in the past. I'm sure we'll make plenty of mistakes in the present to bash ourselves over, you know, without havin' to worry about doin' it for the past, too."

She had to chuckle at that, because it was true - there'd be plenty more mistakes over a lifetime together that they really didn't need to look back at the last lifetime's mistakes. "You're right. You've certainly changed a lot from the last life, that's for sure - it's going to take me time to get used to all of this 'you being right' stuff," she teased, as he growled at her playfully. Then she yawned, and he sobered instantly, pushing her back softly to lie against the pillows.

"Go to sleep, wench, you're tired." He smiled as she nodded sleepily, glad that she wasn't fighting him on it, and tucked the blankets gently around her, before kissing her lightly on the forehead. "I'll see you when you wake up. And don't try to get down the stairs by yourself - ring my cell and I'll come get you," he said sternly. Satisfied when she nodded again, he straightened up and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Her last thought before she sank into dreamland was how different he was from Inuyasha - and how glad she was for that simple fact.

Yasha could never be Inuyasha...

And that was a good thing.

-cCc-

Mika smiled at the two sitting together on the bed, Kagome nestled in Yasha's protective embrace. How different from those months ago when she refused to even look at him, she thought, pleased that they seemed to be getting along so well.

"So... Kagome. You finally accepted your soul back... how do you feel about Kikyou now?" she asked, deciding to jump right in.

Yasha tossed her a dirty look, but Kagome answered easily. "Oh, I still can't stand her."

A frown, then, "You still feel hate towards your past life?"

The little miko curled up in Yasha's lap shook her head. "No - I didn't say I still hated her." She shrugged. "Hate takes a lot of energy to maintain - and I just got tired of doing so, I guess you could say. I have no use for her, and am sincerely glad I will never have to see her again, but as for anything else, well - I just feel indifferent."

"You are certainly right there - hatred does take a lot of energy. And how do you feel about what Inuyasha did to you?"

Kagome frowned thoughtfully, then craned her neck around to look up at Yasha as he stiffened, and kissed him under his chin, rubbing his arm comfortingly. She turned to look back at Mika. "I think I'll always have anger at what he did, but I'm ready to move past it. There's nothing I can do about it, anyway, so there's really no point in dwelling on it."

Mika didn't miss Yasha's tension leaving his body at Kagome's answer. "Yasha? How do you feel about what Kagome's said so far?"

He tightened his arms around Kagome, squeezing gently. "Just fine. Inuyasha deserves every bit of anger she has towards him. I've got plenty of my own, truthfully. But it's not something I'm gonna dwell on, either - got much better things to think about, right?"

She nodded approvingly. "You both do. Tell me... what are your plans?"

At that, both looked taken aback. Yasha answered. "Well... we haven't really made any yet - she's still healing, and it's going to be a while before she's really a hundred percent again, with therapy and all. But college, more than likely, we'll start a semester late, but we'll still get there."

"Anything else?"

Kagome grinned, then, as Yasha hesitated - she was completely aware of what he wanted to say, but he was uncertain - so she answered. "Oh, a wedding, at some point, of course. Maybe I'll wait 'til we're done with college... and maybe I won't," she said mischievously, as Yasha choked. She wiggled around a bit in his lap and looked up at him - he looked dumbstruck. "What... didn't you want to marry me?"

He blinked. "Hell, yeah! I just hadn't expected you to have really thought that much about all this - you know, gone that far with things," he said, a slight blush on his face.

Kagome chuckled and turned back around. "Well, I have, so if we're going to be getting married at some point, that means that we're engaged - and I want a ring to put on this finger, Yasha. Now, where were we?" she asked Mika. "Oh, yeah... plans. Well - what he said. College, next semester." She narrowed her eyes. "The same college, I think - I'm not letting him out of my sight around all those college girls."

Yasha snorted behind her. "Feh. Like I'd care about any of them, anyway - but I was gonna say the same thing - 'cause I'm not letting you out of my sight around all those college guys."

Mika had to laugh at the two - they made quite a couple, and she could feel a great deal of the apprehension she'd originally had about the possibilities for them disappear. Argue they certainly would; make it despite that, they also certainly would.

"I'm glad to see you both meshing so well - I have to admit, in the beginning, I doubted whether you would."

Kagome sobered at that, as did Yasha. "We wouldn't have, then. I was too broken to have a relationship with anyone at that time. Things have changed," she murmured. "I'm more than ready now."

Yasha dropped a kiss on her shoulder, so honestly grateful for the chance to be with her that he couldn't even speak at that moment; he simply let the two women talk. He knew quite well how close he'd really come to losing her... and knew that if he had, he'd have lost himself, as well.

With a glance at him, Mika nodded thoughtfully. "Tell me... are you certain you can spend your life with Yasha, knowing that he is the reincarnation of the one who hurt you so badly?" Blunt it certainly was, but she wanted to make sure that Kagome had thought about this.

Kagome pursed her lips as she glowered at Mika, beginning to get a bit angry. She could feel the tension returning to Yasha's frame. "Let me make this very clear to you, Mika, so that you never ask me something like that again - Yasha is not Inuyasha, and for that I'm extremely grateful. Nor are Inuyasha's mistakes Yasha's. Who he was in another lifetime has nothing to do with who he is in this one, or how I feel for him. Satisfied?"

Protective of him as he is of her... good.

"I believe so. I'm sorry if that question upset you, Kagome, but that's what I'm here for - to ask difficult questions."

Concerned with the silence from behind her, Kagome reached up a hand and gently began to rub a velvety ear - and smiled happily at the sudden rumbling growl that came from her hanyou as he bent his head and nuzzled her shoulder, taking a deep inhale of her scent.

"You okay back there?" she asked softly.

With a sigh, he nodded a little, not wanting to jar her hand from its place on his ear. "Yeah... I'm okay."

"Good." After a moment, she let her hand fall back into her lap, and Yasha once again looked up, meeting Mika's gaze.

"Got any of that type of question for me?"

She nodded. "Yes. Now that you finally have what you thought you've always wanted, are you sure that you'll be happy tied to her for the rest of your life?"

Yasha stiffened angrily at that; he hadn't missed Kagome's sharp inhale of breath. "You're really hurling sharp sticks today, Mika," he snarled. "Are you sure you didn't get up on the wrong side of the cave this morning? And the answer is yes - I'm totally certain I'll be happy with her forever."

"Sometimes the sharp sticks are the ones that we need to get poked by, Yasha - because the easy answers we don't usually need help with. I'm not trying to hurt anybody here, but I think these are the very questions that each of you needed to hear the answers to. Am I wrong?"

Still disgruntled, though he knew she was right, he nodded, his mind easing when Kagome did as well.

"Still... do you have to ask all the difficult questions in one sitting?"

At that, Mika laughed. "Actually, I was just about to call it good for the day. I think that you two are doing very well together, so I'm going to suggest that we only see each other once a month to touch bases, though if something happens and you need to see me sooner, you can call me. How does that sound?"

"What do you think, K'gome? Think that's good?" Yasha asked softly.

Kagome nodded, a smile breaking out across her face. "Yeah, sounds good to me."

"Then that's what we'll do." She opened her dayplanner and skipped to the next month, and studied her open appointments. "I think that we'll make one more appointment here at home for you..." she muttered under her breath for a few moments, then scribbled something down on a card and handed it to Kagome. "That work for you?"

Yasha looked over her shoulder at the card, then grabbed a small appointment book from Kagome's nightstand and looked through it. "That's fine," he said as he penned in the information, "there's nothing else scheduled for that day yet, so it'll work."

Mika nodded, then stood, and Yasha scooted himself and Kagome off the bed. "We'll walk you out - I'm taking Kagome outside to sit under the Goshinboku, anyway. She needs a bit of sun and fresh air," he said.

They parted at the god tree, Mika continuing on down the stairs, and Yasha and Kagome settling down under the tree in the same position they'd been in in her room.

It was quiet for a few minutes, then, "So... engaged?" Yasha finally asked in a quiet voice. "I... didn't think you'd be ready to talk about things like that yet."

She sighed. "I'm ready to talk about those things, and even ready to be engaged. I'm not ready to be married yet, though I know that we certainly will be married someday. I just need time - and we have a lot of that, don't we?"

He nodded, a smile on his lips. "Yeah... we do. As for a ring... if you're feeling okay, maybe we can go next week and look for one?"

She twisted her head to look up at him, a happy light in her eyes that had been missing for a long time. Affection shone through, as well as peace - she looked, in that moment, like she used to, before she'd been broken. It made his heart swell with unbridled love for her.

Then she smiled back at him, and it lit her expression from the inside out, leaving him breathless as she said, "That's a good idea, Yasha - because I don't want to be surprised - I'd rather choose the rings together."

He snuggled her closer into his chest as she turned her head back around and cuddled into him, a sense of contentment and happiness flooding through him, unlike anything he'd ever felt before in his life.

That was a pretty dumb question Mika - as if I'd ever want anyone else. No one else is Kagome, in all her fragile strength...

And Kagome has always been the only one for me.

-cCc-

A/N: I was surprised recently to find that Broken Fates had been nominated by Psycochick 32 at the IYFG for Best Original Character for Yasha. I was absolutely thrilled, and wanted to send a shout out to her for it, as well as caitriona for seconding. Also, thanks to Ai Kisugi for nominating To Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, though it didn't make it through seconding. I'm glad you liked it enough to nominate it!

Also, due to the overwhelming reader responses to all my stories, I won't be able to respond to every review any longer - there are just too many, though I read and enjoy every one, and will still respond to any and all questions.

At any rate, I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter...

Amber