InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Elemental: A Feudal Soap Opera ❯ Chapter Three ( Chapter 3 )

The trek back to Kaede's was spent in awkward silence. Kagome had made it clear that she preferred to walk rather than ride on Iuyasha's back, and he was not looking forward the lengthy trip with her not speaking to him, but he wasn't willing to go ahead and leave her behind, either. Thankfully, it was shortened considerably when they found Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kilarra not far from where they had spent the night. Apparently, the rest of their group didn't appreciate being left behind without notice, and had set out to find them. Kagome had immediately latched on to Sango, dragging the older girl off into the forest while chattering about finding a bath, leaving Shippou, Miroku, and a pensive Inuyasha staring after them.

 

Inuyasha was growing more confused and apprehensive by the second. He knew that Kagome was keeping something from him, and he didn't like it one bit. He hated being kept in the dark, and he had a bad feeling about the entire situation. He hoped like hell Miroku or Shippou wouldn't ask him any questions about what had happened, because he didn't have any answers to give them--not that he would have told them anything even if he did have a clue as to what was going on.

 

Of course, his hopes were impossible. Before the girls had even left his range of hearing, Miroku asked, “What's wrong with Kagome?”

 

Inuyasha shot the monk a dark look, then stomped over to the remains of a campfire, sitting down on a log and watching the direction Kagome and Sango had taken. I should have known the nosy bastard wouldn't keep silent. He gave the monk another glare before attempting to ignore him and the kitsune completely. Not an easy task. He saw Shippou tugging on the sleeve of Miroku's robe from the corner of his eye.

 

“What's with him?” Shippou asked, pointing a finger in Inuyasha's direction.

 

The monk shrugged. “What's always with him?”

 

Understanding lit Shippou's face. “Ahh. He's done something stupid, and Kagome's mad.”

 

Why, that little... “Grrrrrr...” Restraining his urge to bop the kit on the head, Inuyasha got up and stalked into the forest; opposite the direction Sango and Kagome had taken.

 

***

 

Upon hearing the hanyou's aggravated growl, Shippou clutched Miroku's robe, squeezing his eyes shut and looking more like a frightened rabbit-demon than a fox demon. After a moment passed and no blow came, he worked up the courage to pop one eye open. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen. He looked up to find Miroku looking down at him, one eyebrow lifted and a mocking expression on his face.

 

“Would you mind letting go of me now?”

 

“Why? You aren't thinking of asking me to bear your child, are you?”

 

The kit couldn't move fast enough to avoid being knocked flat by the monk's staff. “Someday, Shippou promised himself while he waited for the world to stop spinning, “I'll learn to keep my big mouth shut.”

 

***

 

Inuyasha watched Kagome from across the campfire, growing crankier by the minute. He was no closer to knowing what was troubling her than he had been that morning, and it wasn't that he hadn't tried--he had risked a broken back to circle around the clearing and spy on her as she had soaked in the spring with Sango. His cheeks colored at the memory, and he shifted uncomfortably. It wasn't like when that perverted monk follows them. I just thought maybe she'd tell Sango what was going on. Girls do that. They tell each other stuff. I wasn't trying to look at her naked.

 

But I didn't try to *not* look at her naked, either. He had a quick mental image of her rising from the water, and felt his blush burn deeper. Kagome had...matured...in the years he had known her, and, while he had always found her attractive clothed, seeing her nude was another matter entirely. He had nearly lost the ability to breath just at the sight of the rivulets of water sluicing across her bare breasts, her rosy nipples pebbled with cold--fuck, fuck, fuck. He shook himself slightly, cursing himself. Stop thinking about her like that, you jackass. She would sit you until your ears bled if she knew what you were thinking. His face actually felt hot, and he knew that his blush must be more than obvious by now. He ducked his head so no one would notice, but kept his eyes trained on the girl plaguing his thoughts. She hadn't spoken to him since she had returned from her bath. It was driving him insane. Of course it is. *She* drives you insane.

 

Idiot. Shut up. Inuyasha nearly growled when he realized he was actually arguing with himself. She really *was* driving him insane.

 

Told you so. This time he did growl. He had worried all day about what he might have done while ill, but, damn it, enough was enough. He hadn't been himself. Surely she couldn't be mad at him for something he couldn't control, at least not to the point of not speaking to him. She could at least talk to him about it, or yell at him. Anything but act like she thought he might turn on her at any moment. Like she doesn't trust me anymore. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He shot Kagome a glare. She saw it and flinched away. It was the last straw.

 

“Don't be stupid,” he growled. Surely she knew by now that he'd never hurt her intentionally. “Get up.”

 

Miroku and Sango both looked at him in surprise, then at Kagome, confusion written clearly on their faces. Kagome sat, frozen, until another soft growl rumbled from Inuyasha's throat. Startled, she got to her feet, dislodging a sleepy Shippou in the process.

 

“Yes, Inuyasha?” Her expression was wary.

 

Why is she acting like this? The whipped dog look she wore infuriated him. He could feel a muscle begin to twitch in his cheek, and clamped his jaws together to control it. He briefly thought about snatching her up and jumping into the trees so he could talk some sense into her, but he was afraid that she'd flinch away from him again. “We're going to talk,” he said instead, “Now.” Giving her a last hard look to make sure she would obey, he strode away from the campfire and into the woods.

 

***

 

Kagome shot an embarrassed and apologetic glance at her friends, then followed the hanyou.

 

Miroku turned to Sango, but she cut him off before he could speak. “She didn't tell me a thing, and if you move your hand one inch closer, I'll break it.”

 

Miroku snatched his hand back and tried to look innocent. Sango snorted softly. He looks about as innocent as a snake. More amused than angry, she shooed him away from her, and looked after Kagome and Inuyasha, who had now disappeared from view. What's going on with those two, anyway? Inuyasha seemed angry, but that isn't anything new. He almost always seems irritated about something or other. But Kagome...Kagome actually looked alarmed when he asked her to go with him, but that can't be right. We all know she'd follow him anywhere. She frowned slightly, worried for her friend.

 

***

 

Inuyasha didn't stop until they were far enough away from the others to not be overheard. Finally, when Kagome was beginning to wonder if he would stop at all, he turned around to face her, a serious look on his face. His cheek is twitching again. She suppressed a hysterical giggle that made her wonder at her own sanity. He propped his back against a nearby tree trunk and closed his eyes. Kagome shifted from foot to foot, fighting the urge to run and praying he wasn't about to toss her out of his life forever. He can't do that. No, no, no. “No,” she whispered aloud, ready to cry.

 

He must have heard her, for Inuyasha's eyes opened slowly, regarding her with something akin to pain reflected in them. She flinched again, and the hurt expression deepened. Oh gods, I never wanted to hurt him. I'm sorry, Inuyasha. So sorry. Please don't hate me. She felt herself begin to tremble.

 

Inuyasha unclenched his hands, and she saw him visibly try to relax before coming to stand in front of her, not touching her but close enough for her to feel the heat from his body. She shivered harder, and would have leaned into him if she hadn't caught herself. She wanted him to comfort her so badly, but knew that she had no right to even ask.

 

“Kagome,” he said, his voice soft and halting in that way she usually adored, because it meant he was nervous. Now it just caused a dull pain somewhere in the region of her heart. “You know I would never hurt you on purpose.”

 

A fresh wave of guilt hit her at his words. “I know,” she whispered, inspecting the ground by her shoe. She had never realized how fascinating dirt could be until now. How nice it would be to hide in it at the moment.

 

“Kagome, look at me.” Inuyasha's voice was still soft, but she knew a command when she heard one. She bristled a bit at his domineering tone, and felt the knot of dread begin to tighten in her belly, but she forced her eyes to meet his anyway. “If you know this, then why,” Inuyasha said, enunciating every word with exasperated precision, “Are you being so stupid?”

 

Kagome gaped like a fish for a moment. Finally, finding her ability to speak, she yelled out, “What the hell are you talking about?”

 

There was complete silence. Not even a bird sang.

 

Kagome felt her eyes well up with tears again. I've never cried so much in my life as I have since meeting Inuyasha. He's making me crazy. She sniffled, and tried to compose herself. “I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I don't know what came over me. I guess I'm still tired.” She snuck a glance at him, wondering if he was going to shout at her now.

 

Inuyasha still looked a bit shocked, but he didn't comment on her outburst. Instead, he shook himself, blinked a few times, and then began talking again as if it had not occurred. “Feh. Pay attention, Kagome.” He waited until she was looking at him again. “If I did something last night...If I hurt you while I was out of it...then I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing, and you know it won't happen again, so you can stop being afraid of me now. It's annoying.” He looked rather pleased with his speech. Kagome could only gawk at him.

 

“What?” he asked, after a few minutes had passed and she was still standing there looking surprised. He began to fidget.

 

I can't believe this. He doesn't remember. He thinks he hurt me. He thinks...what exactly does he think? She frowned, then shoved the thought aside, realizing he was still waiting for a response. “Inuyasha, you didn't do anything to hurt me,” she said. I did that all by myself.

 

The look he gave her told her he didn't believe her. “I smelled your blood, Kagome.”

 

So that's why. I must have missed some when cleaning up. She stalled for a minute, cursing Inuyasha's acute youkai senses. When few options came to mind, she said a quick, silent apology. She didn't like lying to him, but she could not tell him the truth, either. “I cut myself while making bandages for your wounds. It wasn't important. It just bled a little bit.”

 

His eyes searched her face, and she forced herself to hold still. He leaned a bit closer to her, still looking at her intently. Her breath caught. He knows I'm lying...

 

“Show me.”

 

She blinked at him. “Show you what?”

 

“Where you cut yourself.” His tone was even.

 

Remembering the actual source of the blood, Kagome's face flamed red. “I...I don't want to.”

 

His eyebrow twitched, but he still sounded patient when he spoke. “Why not?”

 

Why not? Think, Kagome! She decided to stick as close to the truth as possible. A little embarrassment was a much better alternative to total humiliation. “It's on my thigh. Under my skirt,” she said, voice barely audible. Okay, maybe a lot of embarrassment.

 

He began reaching for the hem of her skirt, and she slapped his hands away in panic. Oh good grief, he did *not* just do that! “No! It's fine!”

 

He straightened, looking at her for a long moment. “You've been either afraid of me or mad at me ever since I woke up this morning, Kagome. Don't you think I have the right to know why?” he asked.

 

A nice youkai attack would be handy right about now. She did some more quick thinking. “I wasn't afraid of you, Inuyasha. I was afraid *for* you. You could have died while you were human, and that's what made me angry. You are entirely too careless with yourself.” She injected a scolding note into her voice, and tried to give him her best stern look, but she couldn't quite meet his gaze. There. That sounds perfectly plausible. Now please drop it.

 

“What?” he snapped, as she had hoped he would. “I get hurt all the time saving your hide. You ungrateful little...”

 

...I'm sorry, Inuyasha.

 

“...bitch!”

 

“Sit!”

 

***

 

Inuyasha lifted his face from the forest floor to watch Kagome run back to the campsite. At least she didn't look me in the eye when she lied to me. Kagome, what the hell happened last night? He lay there a long while after she had left, anger and worry warring within him.

 

***

 

-to be continued-