InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ House of Fire ❯ Chapter 2

Ayame watched as Inuyasha gazed at the river, noting the troubled expression on the hanyou's face. She had witnessed the exchange between him, Kouga, and Kagome, and, as always, it baffled her. Kagome constantly kept declining Kouga's advances towards her yet she punished Inuyasha for doing something that came naturally when it came to rival males. It was like the girl was totally clueless as to how males determined who got a female. She just wanted to shake the priestess for not noticing what she did to the one male whom she claimed to love. Of course, she wanted to strangle Kouga for simply being dense in the head. The miko kept pushing him away, a sign that she didn't love him . . .

 

`Not the way that I love him,' she thought morosely, keeping her gaze on the inu hanyou before her.

 

Inuyasha really wasn't all that unattractive, if she were to be honest with herself, especially when it came to being hanyou. Ayame had seen a lot of hanyous but none quite like Inuyasha. His hair practically shimmered when the sun hit it, and he simply had the prettiest eyes she had ever seen. They were like pure honey to her. And his physique . . .

 

Ayame felt herself blushing as she realized where her thoughts were taking her and a little ashamed of herself for thinking such thoughts. She was still betrothed to Kouga, in her mind. She had no right to be disrobing his supposed rival like she had begun to do. Quickly shaking her head, Ayame turned to go . . . until she noticed Inuyasha rising to his feet.

 

`What is he doing?' she wondered, creeping closer. The hanyou had his arms spread and was now taking a few steps towards the stream, his eyes shut. Given his direction he was walking in, it didn't take Ayame long to figure out what he was doing.

 

`I can't let that happen!'

 

She sprang to her feet and dashed towards the hanyou, knocking him to the ground. However, because she hadn't slowed down her own momentum, she followed him down, landing on top of him.

 

“What the hell?!”

 

Her head raised to see those honey-gold eyes staring at her, eyes filled with shock, despite the hanyou's angry tone. Cheeks burning, she quickly scrambled away from him and scooted until her back thumped lightly against a tree. Inuyasha slowly sat up, his eyes landing on her as he did so.

 

“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded. “Why did you knock me over like that?”

 

“You were walking towards the stream,” she shot back, suddenly irritated with his ungrateful behaviour. “I saved your life.”

 

“You what?”

 

“I saved your life,” she repeated, folding her arms across her chest. “You were walking towards the stream with your eyes closed, like you were under some kind of a spell so I stopped you.”

 

“Why?”

 

His tone was not the abrasive one he'd use a moment ago. It was softer and filled with surprise. A quick glance at him revealed that his facial expression had softened as well. The blush returned to her cheeks as she noted how attractive he looked and averted her gaze.

 

`I'm Kouga's girl. I'm Kouga's girl,' she chanted in her mind.

 

“Because . . . I don't want anything to happen to you,” she murmured.

 

“You . . . didn't want anything to happen to me?”

 

The sound of clothing rustling told her that he was creeping towards her.

 

“Hai . . . I didn't want anything to happen to you.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why?” she blinked, surprised that he had even asked that.

 

“Yes. Why?”

 

He now sat a few inches away from her, balancing himself on his feet. His eyes gazed at her intently.

 

`Why didn't I want anything to happen to him?' she wondered to herself. She supposed that it could have been because, if he did die, of the fact that Kouga would really be free to chase after Kagome and to ignore her but it felt like a flimsy reason to her. Weak, in fact. But she had no other reason for it. At least . . . not one that she could easily identify.

 

“I don't know,” Ayame finally replied, shaking her head. “I just . . . didn't. That's all.”

 

For a moment, she expected him not to believe her. Most hanyous, after all, ended up being suspicious creatures due to mistreatment by both ningens and youkai alike. She did not, however, expect him to lean in closer to her and sniff. As quickly as it had happened, he pulled back.

 

“I see . . . Well then . . . thank you . . .”

 

Before she could even register what he had done and said, Inuyasha rose to his feet and turned away.

 

“I'll see you around then.”

In the blink of eye, he disappeared into the forest, becoming a blur of red and silver. Ayame watched him go then shook her head.

 

“Strange,” she murmured. She, too, got to her feet and took off, the day's events continuing to baffle her.

 

* * *

 

Inuyasha ran towards his friends, his mind turning over Ayame's words repeatedly. She had saved him from killing himself. That much he was aware of and he understood. It had been the why that had baffled him.

 

`Why did she save me?'

 

He supposed that it could have been because she still wanted Kouga and, with him out of the way, the wolf wouldn't even give her a second glance for he'd be chasing after Kagome. She hadn't said that, though, when he'd asked her why. Hell, she didn't even really know why, and he believed her! He could tell by her scent that she hadn't been lying.

 

`So what does this all mean?' he wondered. `Why did Ayame save me?'

 

To those questions, he had no answers. He continued on, unaware that his thoughts were now starting to center on the wolf demoness . . .