InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Elemental: A Feudal Soap Opera ❯ Chapter Thirteen ( Chapter 13 )

Kagome was only a few meters from the well when something red and white streaked by her with chilling speed, coming to a stop between her and her destination. Kagome stumbled to a halt. Inuyasha. The hanyou looked pissed off. She tensed, eyeing him nervously. Can't I do anything without him finding out?

 

“Oi, wench! Where the hell do you think you're going?” The setting sun blazing behind him made him look larger than life, but Kagome was in not in a state of mind to appreciate the view.

 

She bristled at his tone in spite of herself, and met his eyes, her own flashing with fear and indignation. Why does he even bother to ask? He knows exactly where I'm going. “I'm going home, Inuyasha,” she said, trying to sound firm.

 

To her further aggravation, he simply shook his head at her. “I don't think so, Kagome.” He began stalking toward her, and she threw up a hand to ward him off.

 

“Stop right there, Inuyasha, or I'll say it. You know I will.” Why does he have to be so stubborn about this? You'd think he'd be glad that I'm leaving.

 

He stopped, but she didn't like the expression he wore. He looked irritated, to be sure, but what truly worried her was the look of dark satisfaction that played across his features. What's he planning? She began speaking to cover her unease. She hated having to beg him to allow her to return to her own time, but she didn't see any way out of it at the moment. “Please, Inuyasha. I'll be back in a day or two,” she began, hurrying to continue when his expression became thunderous. “I need to go. I think I might be able to find a solution to this...situation...in one of the books in my time.”

 

He frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “No.”

 

Kagome gaped at him. “No? What do you mean, no?”

 

He shrugged. “I mean no, you aren't going.”

 

Kagome felt slightly ill. He isn't even going to let me go if it'll save me? Why? Is he that angry? “Inuyasha...,” she began in a quiet voice, then lowered her voice even more, “Please.”

 

Inuyasha's eyes darkened, and he took another step toward her. “You don't need a book, Kagome. We already know what to do.”

 

That again? I thought we'd settled this. “We've been through this, Inuyasha. I can't ask you to do that.”

 

He was shaking his head even before she finished. “We have no choice, Kagome.”

 

Kagome felt like screaming. “And that's why we're not going to do it, Inuyasha. I didn't do this to trap you. It's not your problem.” Remembering his parting shot to her earlier with not a little anger and hurt, she snapped, “My mess, remember? I'll clean it up myself.”

 

Inuyasha visibly flinched, and his frown deepened. “Dammit, Kagome,” he began, moving closer to her.

 

She backed quickly away. “No! I'm not going to let you ruin your life just because I screwed up. Stop it,” she yelled, as he made to lunge at her. Run now, her mind supplied helpfully. “Sit!” He crashed to the ground just out of her reach, cursing viciously. She hurried around him, reaching the lip of the well and heaving herself over it. Looking back over her shoulder she found him fighting the subduing spell and trying to lever himself up, amber eyes piercing hers even from this distance. Now, before he gets up.

 

Inuyasha was yelling at her. “Kagome, no!”

 

She ignored him, pushing herself off and dropping into the well. She heard him call her name again as she fell, and tried to block out his voice, waiting for the flash of light that signified she had entered her time. It never came. Instead, she hit the bottom of the well with bone-jarring force, emitting a cry of pain. The curses above her resumed with renewed vigor, and she again heard Inuyasha calling her name, frantically now.

 

What...what just happened? Why am I still here? She sat, unmoving, mind whirling, not even budging when Inuyasha jumped into the well, disappearing when he should have touched bottom. A moment later, he was back before her. Inuyasha can still go through...why can't I? What's going on? She began to be afraid, and turned confused eyes up to the hanyou who was now crouching before her.

 

“Kagome?” He asked, searching her face. She didn't answer. Grunting, he slipped his hands under her arms, pulling her up and, with a graceful leap, lifted her out of the well. He set her down gently on the grass, wrapping one hand firmly around her wrist. She stared at him mutely. Why doesn't he seem surprised?

 

His eyes were scanning her body anxiously, but finally he seemed satisfied, and lifted his gaze to her face. Still, he asked, “Are you hurt?”

 

She shook her head, blinking up at him. He's not surprised. He's not. He knows why the well won't work for me, doesn't he? “Inuyasha,” she said, voice strained. “Why?”

 

His face flushed, and he looked uncomfortable, but he said nothing.

 

I'm not going to like his explanation, am I?

 

“Why, Inuyasha?” She repeated.

 

He sighed, and looked pointedly at her neck. What? She followed his line of sight, looking down at her own chest. There, looking completely innocuous, was a set of prayer beads, nearly identical to his own. Are those...?

 

“Inuyasha?” She tried, but she couldn't keep the hint of panic from her voice. She returned her gaze to his and felt her panic increase at the faintly pitying look she found there. “Inuyasha, are these what I think they are?” Her voice rose with each word, causing the hanyou to flatten his ears against his head.

 

His hand tightened around her wrist before he answered. “It's a subduing spell. It keeps your power from working, and that includes going through the well,” he said, finishing quietly, “It's for your own safety, Kagome.”

 

Kagome's eyes widened and she chewed on that for a moment. It makes sense, I suppose. I...don't have much control, so I guess I should have something to keep from killing myself accidentally. A disturbing thought occurred to her. But how...who? She narrowed her eyes at Inuyasha, who was looking more uncomfortable by the minute. “How do I get them off, Inuyasha?”

 

“You can't,” he answered, pointedly refusing to meet her eyes.

 

Of course not. I didn't really expect to be able to. But still... “Who can take them off, Inuyasha?”

 

No mistaking it now...he didn't want to look her in the eye when he answered. No...surely not. He cleared his throat lightly. “I can.”

 

Kagome felt her eye begin to twitch. “You can?”

 

He looked at her then, and she saw a bit of trepidation in his eyes. “Yes.”

 

Kagome was appalled. I'm never going to get to go home again.

 

***

 

“I'm never going to get to go home again, am I?”

 

Inuyasha looked on in horror as Kagome's chin began to quiver. Shit, don't cry.

 

She was fairly radiating distress, and in a bid to calm her, he reached out, snagging her other wrist with his free hand, pulling her closer to him. “Kagome, I'll take them off as soon as we're mated. I promise,” he said, hoping that this would reassure her.

 

It didn't. She tried to yank her hands away, and he tightened his grip. Finally she stilled, turning glittering eyes up to him. “I told you, Inuyasha, we're not mating!”

 

Inuyasha felt a return of his earlier anger. “Why the hell not? Are you going to tell me that you'd really rather die than be bound to me?”

 

She stared at him, looking shocked. “It's not that, Inuyasha! I...”

 

He interrupted her, feeling as though a dam had burst somewhere inside him. “Well, that's too damn bad, Kagome. You're not going to die because of me. I am perfectly aware that being stuck with me isn't what you wanted, but you should have thought of that before you gave yourself to me. You should have thought of that before you told me that you were mine!” He was in her face now, nearly shaking in his anger, and it pushed him to play his trump card. “What if you are carrying my pup, Kagome? Will you let it die as well?”

 

He watched, anger receding, leaving him feeling slightly guilty as the color drained from her face and she slumped against him. “I...I didn't think...” she said, trailing off.

 

“Yeah, I noticed,” he drawled out, but pulled her into his arms, letting his chin rest against her hair. He inhaled her scent, his anger gone now. “I don't want you to die, Kagome. I couldn't...I couldn't...Please don't put me through that.”

 

He heard her inhale, then she was burying her face in the crook of his neck. He could feel her tears, hot against his skin. He gathered her closer, hoping to soothe her. “I'm sorry,” he heard her murmur.

 

He shook his head, then realized she couldn't see it. “No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did earlier. It wasn't your fault. It was both of us. I was just angry.” And scared. He felt her flinch, and he cursed himself mentally. “Kagome,” he said gently, “I was mostly angry at myself. You didn't know the consequences. I did. I'm to blame. I should have warned you.”

 

She made a small sound. “It's not your fault. How could you have known you even needed to warn me?” She mumbled against his skin. Inuyasha shivered.

 

“Kagome,” he murmured, figuring that she deserved at least this much truth, “I've wanted you for a long time. There was a good chance that this would have happened eventually, anyway, and it would have been completely my fault. Stop beating yourself up.”

 

She didn't look up at him, but she stopped crying, much to his relief. “Really? You aren't just saying that? You really wanted me?”

 

He squeezed her lightly. “Yes. So much, that sometimes I thought I'd go crazy.”

 

She seemed to mull this over for a minute before speaking again. “Do you...do you still want me?”

 

Inuyasha chuckled darkly. “Yes,” he said simply, then fell silent.

 

Kagome began playing idly with his hair where it lay against his chest. “I don't know what to do.”

 

He dropped a kiss to the top of her head, hating to hear her so uncertain. “Yes you do; you trust me. It'll work out, Kagome. You'll see.”

 

She turned watery eyes to him. “How can you be so sure?”

 

He pulled back enough to smooth the hair from her face. “I'll make it work out.”

 

She didn't look convinced, and he didn't know what else to say to reassure her. Instead, he took a deep breath, then lowered his face to hers, watching her intently as he did so. Her eyes widened as he touched his mouth to hers softly, and he waited a moment to see if she'd push him away. She didn't. Instead, she exhaled with a quiet sigh, closing her eyes. She tastes...sweet. Kagome... His own eyes drifted closed, and he increased the pressure of his lips, brushing them across hers once, twice, three times, before lifting his head to look at her. She blinked her eyes open and stared at him, questions skirting across her face, but she didn't ask them. He was disappointed and glad at the same time.

 

“I'll make it work,” he repeated, trying to inject a note of confidence into his voice. “We can do this, Kagome.”

 

Her eyes searched his for a moment, then, hesitantly, she nodded, laying her head back down on his shoulder.

 

Inuyasha tightened his arms around her, not trying to stop the relief that filled him. He let it push away the fear. I'll take care of you, Kagome. I promise.

 

***

 

Inuyasha had returned her to Kaede's village just in time for dinner, shooting glares at the others in their group when they had crowded around her. They had backed off without argument, allowing Kagome and Inuyasha to eat their meals in relative peace inside the tiny hut. Kagome was grateful. She barely knew what to think herself, much less what to tell her friends.

 

Kagome hadn't felt much like eating, but Inuyasha had stubbornly insisted. Not wanting to argue with him, she had complied, but the food had made her slightly nauseous. She set her empty bowl aside and looked longingly at her pallet in the corner. I'm so tired.

 

Inuyasha must have noticed, for he said, “Go to bed, Kagome,” in a voice that brooked no argument. Again, she obeyed him without question, not noticing the curious glances they were receiving from Miroku and Sango.

 

Shippou was already curled up with Kilarra, asleep. Kagome didn't want to disturb him, so she went to her pallet alone, bidding Kaede, Sango, and Miroku a quiet goodnight. They were equally subdued when they returned it, and Kagome sighed to herself. I suppose I'll have to explain what's happening soon. I am not looking forward to it. She sat down on the blanket and began pulling off her shoes, pausing when Inuyasha came to her, lowering himself to sit on his haunches before her.

 

“I'll be back sometime in the morning. Do not leave the village, Kagome,” he said.

 

In the morning? “Where are you going?” She asked, hating the anxiety that had crept into her voice.

 

His mouth flattened into a thin line, but the expression in his eyes was almost tender. Kagome blinked. “I'm going to see Sesshoumaru,” he said, flatly.

 

Sesshoumaru...I had forgotten his part in this. Her hand flew to her throat, encountering the beads there. “Do you have to go right now? Can't you wait until tomorrow?”

 

He shook his head. “I need to get it over with,” he said. “We don't know how long...how much time we have.”

 

How much time we have until I die. She suppressed an unhappy frown. “Are you sure you should go alone, Inuyasha? What if he attacks you?”

 

“Feh,” he said, a bit of the customary arrogance returning to his voice. “Do you think I can't take care of myself?” He folded his arms and glared at her, letting her know that she had offended him.

 

“It's not that, Inuyasha,” she said, voice rising slightly. “I just don't like the thought of you going alone. At least let me go with you.”

 

He gave her an incredulous look. “What good would you do, wench? Your arrows are useless now.” Somebody gasped in the background, probably Sango.

 

Kagome felt as if he had slapped her. She lowered her head, not wanting anyone to see the humiliation that burned across her face.

 

She heard him curse softly. “I didn't mean it like that, Kagome,” he said in a low voice. “I don't want him anywhere near you, alright? At least not until you can protect yourself again.”

 

Kagome nodded, but didn't look up at him. She heard him sigh, then get up and walk away from her.

 

“Kaede, don't let her leave the village. I'll be back in the morning.” Kaede grunted in reply, and he was gone.

 

Carefully avoiding the questioning gazes of the others in the room, Kagome lay down, turning her back to all of them. She heard the quiet murmur of voices, and knew that they were discussing her and Inuyasha, but she just couldn't find it in herself to care at the moment. There was just too much to deal with, and she was tired of it all. Instead, she tried to focus on something more pleasant. Like the fact that Inuyasha kissed me.

 

Smiling softly, she brought her hand to her lips, trying to remember the press of his mouth against them. Why did he do that? Is there a chance that...? Kagome's eyes drifted closed, replaying the kiss in her mind again.

 

Maybe...maybe it will work out. He says he wants me...maybe, if I try hard enough, I can make him love me, too. With that thought, Kagome slipped into slumber.

 

***

 

-to be continued-