InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Feel Like Makin' Love ❯ Reunion of Sorts ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 8

 

Reunion of Sorts

 

There was a small parking lot, and a road at the foot of the stairs that led up to the Torii gate of the Shrine of the Mountain Youkai. The road hugged the mountain cliff, and it was narrow, only two lanes in width. A precipitous drop sheered off the side of the road, and below lay the dense, spring-green trees of the wooded mountains.

 

Shippo and Emiko led InuYasha to a sleek gray sports car. Stepping back, InuYasha regarded it critically. He had never ridden in a car before - and it looked so small. The kitsunes opened the doors, and then looked back to see InuYasha still standing there.

 

“What's the matter?” Shippo said. “You afraid of my driving?”

 

“I ain't afraid of anything!” InuYasha scoffed. “Just wondering if we will all fit in that car.”

 

Emiko turned to look at him with a smile. “You are to sit up front with my Dad,” Emiko said. “I don't take up much space and will sit in the back seat.”

 

Scowling a moment, InuYasha gave a quick nod, and then climbed in the front seat next to Shippo. Emiko slipped in behind her father, and Shippo started up the Nissan Skyline GTR. The engine roared to life, growling like InuYasha in a fit of rage, and Shippo smiled in satisfaction as InuYasha quirked an eyebrow at him.

 

“Seat belts, InuYasha,” Shippo said, clipping his own belt in.

 

“What the hell is that for?” InuYasha replied, eyeing the contraption with doubt.

 

A slim hand suddenly reached around InuYasha, and he looked up into Emiko's face as she grabbed the seat belt and buckled him in. If he was to live in Kagome's time, there was a lot for him to learn, InuYasha realized. Shippo backed out of the parking space and pulled onto the road.

 

Grinning, Shippo started to floor it. The force of the sudden increase in speed pushed InuYasha unexpectedly back into the seat. Recovering in a moment from this unforeseen occurrence, he peered out the window as the scenery rushed by in a green blur. It felt strange to be moving like this - he was used to creating his own speed. He missed the feel of it, the air rushing past him and hitting his face, hair and clothes. The air in the car felt stale and still to him.

 

“I need some air,” InuYasha grumbled, crossing his arms and staring out the window in front of him.

 

Not taking his eyes off the road, Shippo hit a button and InuYasha's window went down. He watched it lower with a critical look in his face, finally satisfied when air rushed in, whipping at his long hair.

 

“I think you should reconsider getting some modern clothes,” Shippo said. “Our aim in these times is to fit in, to stay inconspicuous.”

 

InuYasha was not really interested in hearing about how to fit in. He would deal with it when he had to. But nothing mattered until he was reunited with Kagome again. Better to stay asleep permanently than live without her one more day.

 

“We can take you shopping,” Emiko said. “The Kitsune Society has been preparing for your return for centuries - we have plenty of money to get you what you need.”

 

Sullenly, InuYasha glanced at her sweetly smiling face. These kitsunes were obviously not going to leave him alone about this. It did not pay to be stubborn, a hard lesson he had learned while living with Sesshomaru for seven years. And since his brother seemed to feel he had fulfilled his obligations to him, InuYasha had no one else to rely on but them.

 

“Fine,” InuYasha grated. “But I don't want to shock Kagome too much when I see her - I stay in my fire rat until then.”

 

“Glad you are being sensible,” Shippo replied. “Right after you see Kagome, we will get you some clothes.”

 

The trip to Tokyo would take four hours. But as soon as they got out of the mountains, InuYasha complained he was hungry. They stopped at a small town, and the townspeople regarded InuYasha curiously as the group got out of the car. It made him feel uncomfortable until he realized they could not tell he was a youkai. He glanced at the cloaking device on his wrist a moment and gave a wry smile.

 

Once they had eaten at an Udon restaurant, they continued on their way. The silence in the car left InuYasha to brood on his thoughts. Images of Kagome filled his mind; laughing, crying, looking dreamy or sleeping in her old, worn sleeping bag. She must have come through the well by now. What was she thinking, what was she doing? Was she missing him as he missed her? Anxiety clenched at his heart, and he emitted a low growl as he fought the feeling.

 

`This car goes pretty fast,' InuYasha thought. `But we are not much closer to Tokyo yet, I can just tell. God damn it, how much longer will it be?'

 

“Do you want to listen to some music?” Emiko suddenly said. “Sometimes it makes the trip faster. Dad, put something on.”

 

Shippo quirked a quick smile at his daughter through the rear view mirror, and then reached for the radio. When he turned it on, strains of the song, “Come,” filled the small car…

 

Come my way
Kono yami no hotori
Come close to me
Ima akari tomoshi
I'll be with you I'll be with you
Tada sobani iru kara
So come my way

 

Not really used to listening to much music, the words to this song were rather arresting to InuYasha. It was like he was seeing and hearing Kagome sing these lyrics, and his heart skipped a beat. He closed his eyes as his sensitive ears filled with the dance beat and the woman's voice.

 

~*~

 

“Hey sis, that you?”

 

Kagome's maudlin reverie was interrupted, and she quickly dashed the tears out of her eyes and squinted up into the open doorway. Silhouetted by the sun, Souta looked down at her. Placing her hand on her chest and taking a short but deep breath, she composed herself and smiled up at him.

 

“How did you know I was down here?” Kagome answered.

 

“I heard a noise, like someone crying, as I walked past on my way to school,” Souta replied. “You okay?”

 

`Oh my, was I crying that loudly?' Kagome thought. `I did not realize…'

 

Pushing away from the edge of the well, Kagome replied, “I'm fine, really.”

 

Souta shrugged as Kagome mounted the stairs and met him in the doorway. The wind tousled his hair as he looked up at her, his backpack slung over one shoulder.

 

“I'm on my way to school,” Souta said. “Mama and Jii-Chan are home. They will be thrilled to see you!”

 

A gentle smile came to her face at the look of excitement on Souta's face. Kagome put her hand on his shoulder a moment and squeezed gently, and they walked out into the morning sunshine. Then they parted, and with a heavy sigh, Kagome walked to her house. Valiantly, she worked to compose herself so as not to alarm her mother and grandfather to how disturbed and distraught she was. Her footsteps echoed back to her like the empty aching in her heart.

~*~

 

When Shippo, Emiko and InuYasha got to the suburbs around Tokyo, InuYasha grew increasingly impatient. As used as he was to the traffic and congestion around Tokyo from his visits to Kagome's time, now it was getting severely on his nerves. He hardly noticed the fact that he was gouging the dashboard with his claws, and emitting a low growl, until Shippo gave him a wryly exasperated look, rolling his eyes.

 

“It will be okay, InuYasha,” Emiko said soothingly from behind him. “We will be there before you know it.”

 

“Isn't there any way we can avoid this damn mess?” InuYasha growled. “The car has done nothing but stop and start!”

 

“It's the morning rush hour,” Shippo replied. “I really see nothing more we can do.”

 

`I'm close enough,' InuYasha thought. `No reason I can't travel as I did when I was a hanyou.'

 

The car rolled to a stop at a red light, and InuYasha unclipped the seat belt. The sound made both Shippo and Emiko look at him to see what he was doing.

 

“You should not do that until we get to the Higurashi Shrine,” Shippo said.

 

“Let me out,” InuYasha growled dangerously, and grabbed for the door handle. “I can get there myself from here - you two meet me there.”

 

“But -” Shippo began to protest.

 

Putting her hand out to gently touch her father's arm, Emiko said, “Let him go, Father.”

 

`And Kagome worried about him changing when he became a youkai,' Shippo thought as he hit the button to unlock the doors. `I don't see much change at all.'

 

Grabbing the door handle, InuYasha yanked at it and the door flew open. The light began to change, and he leapt out. Emiko and Shippo watched him solemnly as he jumped into the air so quickly he was a blur. Before the cars behind them got too impatient, Emiko slipped into the front seat and closed the door. She clipped the seat belt in as the car began to move. Then she looked up at her father's exasperated expression.

 

“Don't worry, Father,” Emiko said. “You always told me he was impatient…he's waited so long.”

 

Shippo turned and gave her a quick nod. `Where did I ever get a daughter like her?' He thought. `Must take after her mother…'

 

On the rooftops of the buildings, InuYasha exalted at the feeling of freedom. The car had begun to remind him of being cooped up in his resting-place at the Shrine of the Mountain Kami - close and confined. He took a deep breath of the air, so much fresher from these heights. A breeze whipped out his hair and clothes, and they fluttered like banners behind him. Eyes gleaming and a feral smile on his face, InuYasha bounded into the air, and was off.

 

When InuYasha got to the Higurashi shrine, he stopped before the steep steps leading to the Torii gate. Somewhere up there, Kagome had just come through the well. His heart began to pound in his chest, and he clenched his fists. A war raged in his mind at how to handle the situation. He felt like a tree, rooted to the spot in indecision, but whose limbs were being blown in the direction of his need to see her.

 

`Gods, Kagome, I was going to just watch you at first,' InuYasha thought, and threw his hands up to grip the sides of his head. `I…I can't do it! I need to see you!'

 

In a blur, InuYasha sprinted up the steps, and then took a deep sniff. His heart skipped a beat as he realized she had already left the well and was approaching her house. It took every ounce of hard won will power he had to catch up to her at a reasonable rate. When she came into view, it was almost inconceivable to believe that this was all real, not just a dream. She was walking away from him, her backpack slung over one shoulder, and her hair swinging from side to side with her steps. My god, she looked so young compared to the Kagome he saw in his mind. Still, it was her - and she belonged to him! He removed the wristwatch and caught up to her.

 

Kagome was startled as InuYasha suddenly came to her side, and she halted. To her amazement, he did not say anything, just looked at her in a daze, licking his lips once. Well, she had some words for him!

 

“InuYasha, I told you to wait for me to return!” Kagome huffed, hands on hips. “I just got here and you are coming to take me back?”

 

“Kagome….I,” InuYasha stammered, and reached out a hand to her.

 

“Oh no, you don't!” Kagome said, stepping back. “You are not slinging me across your shoulder and bringing me back! Sit boy!”

 

InuYasha was so blown away by her reaction, that he cringed forgetting that he no longer wore the beads of subjugation. Obviously, Kagome had forgotten too, and when he did not go down, she covered her mouth with her hands. When the shock faded, InuYasha looked at her angrily.

 

“What did you do that for?” InuYasha growled. “Can't you even let me speak?”

 

Red in the face, Kagome turned to storm off. But InuYasha was right behind her.

 

`I'm letting her get away without hearing me out!' InuYasha thought as he caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

 

“You don't even know, do you?” InuYasha continued.

 

Kagome spun around and whipped her arm out of his grasp. “Know what?” Kagome retorted. “That you are a baka?”

 

“Damn it, you don't even know the well is closed!” InuYasha spat. “Did you even think that might have happened when you went through after you purified the jewel?”

 

Feelings of anger and betrayal filled InuYasha as he turned and stalked off, leaving her standing there is shocked silence. This was not how it was supposed to be! Nothing like he had expected at all, and he felt a burning disappointment inside him. His whole vision of their reunion had gone so horribly wrong! Now he did not know what to do, but he could not stay here right now. He needed to time to get the raging sea of his emotions in check.

 

At the bottom of the stairs leading to the street, InuYasha saw Shippo and Emiko waiting for him. When they saw his dark expression, looks of dismay came to their faces.

 

“So, how did it go?” Shippo asked.

 

“I…don't want to talk about it,” InuYasha said heavily. “Can we just get out of here?”

 

They all climbed back in the car, and the silence hung around them like a heavy shroud. As Shippo started the car, he turned to InuYasha to try and find out what happened, but Emiko shook her head at him and he subsided. InuYasha stared out the window, but saw nothing. The edges of his mouth were turned down, and a small crease appeared on his brow. Emiko felt sorry that things had obviously gone so wrong for him, but she knew that he needed his space right now. But hopefully, given time, she and her father could find out what happened and try and help him.

 

~*~

 

`Oh my God, what have I done?' Kagome thought, and raised her hands to her face. `If the well is closed…has he waited all this time to see me again?'

 

A feeling of guilt filled her heart, and Kagome turned to run after InuYasha. Feet flying so that it seemed they hardly touched the ground, she got to the top of the stairs to see a car pull away from the curb. Was InuYasha inside it? Desperately she looked around, but he was no where to be seen.

 

`Oh, InuYasha, I'm so sorry,' Kagome thought, leaning wearily on the gatepost. `It's all my fault and I did not even realize…will I ever see you again?'

 

Lips trembling and eyes closed, she turned her face to the post as her heart filled up with guilt and shame. Fervently, she hoped he would come back and give her another chance…