InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Broken people ❯ Going home ( Chapter 2 )

“Oh, my name is Kagome.”

 

The name fit her so well; it was beautiful and understated just like her.

She looked up at him and he was taken aback. Her eyes were deep cobalt pools of sadness that seemed as though they could break you if they desired to do so.

 

“ I guess you probably want to be alone, so I'll just...”

 

“No it's okay. Actually I wouldn't mind a distraction. I mean that is if your not ya know busy or whatever.”

 

“Oh...uh...sure....I mean....ok”

 

`Damn it Inuyasha stop acting like an idiot!' he berated himself. He sat down on the grass Indian style opposite of her, so that they were facing.

 

“So why do you come here at night to talk to your mom?”

 

Inuyasha felt his cheeks burn as he was reminded that this girl had caught him in a personal moment of vulnerability.

 

“I dunno I just like it. It's quieter than the day time. There's no one else here. I guess it's just easier this way.”

 

“Oh. May I ask when she died?”

 

He felt a pang in his chest as he recalled his mother's painful, and drawn out death.

 

“Two years ago, breast cancer.”

 

“Oh, I'm sorry that must have been hard to go through. I bet you took care of her.”

 

“I tried to, but it was hard doing it alone. My father wasn't a big help. He buried himself in work to try and distract himself from her disease.”

 

Inuyasha wasn't sure why he was telling a girl that he had just met things that he hadn't even told his best friend.

 

“How did your ....” he left the question open

 

Her face fell and she tried very hard not to cry.

 

He tried to recover, “Oh man I'm so sorry I shouldn't have asked I mean it's too soon I understa—“

 

“She died of a broken heart. She couldn't stand to live a life knowing that she had failed my younger brother and allowed him to die. At least that's what she thought. She blamed herself for Souta's death.....her body refused to fight an infection that had put her into the hospital....she just gave up....and left me behind.”

 

During her speech Inuyasha noticed the gravestone to her left for the first time

`Souta Higurashi......her brother....”

 

Kagome began to cry as the emotions became too much. Something inside of him snapped and his instincts took over. He took her in his arms and rocked her like a child. She didn't fight it; she collapsed into his hold and sobbed. She cried for her brother, and for her mother, and for herself. Sobs wracked her body and she no longer held control over her tears.

 

After a few minutes she began to regain some of her composure, at least enough to realize that she was crying in a total stranger's arms. She sat up and wiped her eyes.

 

“Oh god, I'm so sorry....I don't know what came over me...I just....I'm sorry.”

 

“It's ok I understand. I know how hard it is, especially this soon after.”

 

He didn't know why but he felt such a bond towards this girl even though he'd only known her for a few moments. They shared a common pain, and he wanted to help her the way that no one helped him when his mother died.

 

They sat in silence for a moment as he watched her stare at something far in the distance, almost as if she was watching a memory play out. She was taken from her thoughts when she felt a hand on hers. She didn't fear or reject the gesture because she knew it was not malicious, but an attempt at comfort. And strangely enough this boy's presence soothed her. She felt instantly safe with him. Safer, she knew, than she had any right to feel at this moment.

 

Kagome blushed as she couldn't control a yawn from escaping her mouth.

 

“You look really tired. How long have you been out here?”

 

“Uhm...since eight o' clock this morning.”

 

“Eight?! You've been here for fourteen hours???”

 

“Yea”

 

“How much longer do you plan to stay? You can't live out here ya know, I say this from experience.”

 

She gave him a weak smile that illustrated just how tired she really was.

“I guess I should go home. I'm just .....scared. I haven't been back since she died, I've been staying with my friend Sango.”

 

“Couldn't you stay with her tonight?”

 

“I know that I could but I just can't be around her tonight. She's always bugging me, wanting to know if I'm ok. I know that it's because she loves me but....I just want to have some peace and not be asked if I'm ok every other minute ya know? And I know I have to go back sometime. Not going home isn't going to bring her back.....I know.”

 

He watched as she internally debated with herself over whether or not to go home. She wasn't speaking out loud, but the emotions that played across her face were proof enough to know what she was thinking.

 

“Do you have a way to get there?”

 

“Oh. Yea I don't live very far, I'll just walk.”

 

“Uhm...I'll walk with you if you want. I mean I totally understand if you don't wa—“

 

“Yes.”

 

“Yes.....what?”

 

“I would like you to walk with me.....I mean if you don't mind.”

 

He smiled as a hint a pink tinged his cheeks. Why was it that everything about being around this girl made him blush and feel all.....tingly?

 

They got up and began walking towards Kagome's house. On the way they talked about whatever it is you talk about when trying to get to know someone. Like are they in school? Do they have a job? What kinds of stuff they like, you know the usual. It was teeming with forced casualness. They both tried to ignore the fact that they had just met 30 minutes ago....in a grave yard.

 

They reached the massive staircase that lead up to Kagome's house.

 

“You live in a shrine?”

 

“We live in a house on the shrine property. The shrine is a traditional one that isn't in use anymore. Sometimes people will come and wander around and look at it, but basically we just live there....I mean I live there.”

 

The sadness resurfaced in her blue depths.

 

As they came to the top of the stairs Inuyasha noticed a very large tree with a picket fence around it's base.

 

“What's that” he pointed to the tree.

 

“Oh,” some of the usual brightness returned to her eyes as recalled the legend of the God tree. “That's the God tree. It's said that an inu-hanyou was pinned to it by his miko lover 500 years ago.”

 

“Why would she do that?”

 

“The two were deceived by an evil man who was also in love with the woman. She killed the hanyou before he could confess his love to her. And so legend says that their spirits will be eternally restless until their reincarnations find each other again.”

 

“Wow. You know my mother always told me that we were descendents of inu-youki.”

 

“I guess that explains the name then.”

 

He smiled at her, impressed that she knew what his name meant.

 

Kagome sighed knowing that the inevitable was about to happen. She was going to have to go inside her house.

 

Inuyasha followed Kagome's frightened gaze to the front door. She looked so nervous.

 

“Would you come in with me? Just for a minute, to make sure there are no robbers....or ghosts?”

 

“Sure.” He smiled at her warmly and she felt reassured. Her instincts told her that she was safe with this boy and that he would protect her from any monsters that were hiding under her bed.