InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ I still need you.. ❯ Because he is both.. and Neither ( Chapter 11 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

I still Need you
Chapter 11 Because He is both.. and neither
Rating : PG
Author : Sami-chan! ((AkA Belldandy-chan))
Author's notes : Hey minna-san! This chapter is brought to you by Sloth co. "When it absolutely has to be there... Sometime.." ::giggles:: bad joke sorry ^^ Anywho! I hope you are all enjoying the story so far. If you have any questions comments or suggestions please feel free to contact me! Oh! And can anyone tell me who the Japanese voice actor for Inu yasha is and for Ranma's male voice?? I was watching Ranma and got to thinking that he and Inu yasha sound *ALOT* alike!! Anywho! On with our story!
Ja mata!
Disclaimer :: sobs loudly:: I still don't own Inu yasha and and... He even took my lunch!!!

@>~~~^~~~~

Inu yasha paced around the living room. He was a nervous wreck...

He had been pacing in the living room for a good 30 minutes and before that he had worn a path around the perimeter of the house. He had fought countless youkai, onis and monsters and never really blinked but ask him tell 4 high school students about his life with Kagome and he was looking for the first place to hide! He wasn't really sure how this was going to turn out but if it was anything like in the past... He'd need that hiding place.

Inu yasha's ears perked up as he heard footsteps coming towards the door. He dashed over and opened the door just as Kagome pulled out her key. She smiled up at him, "Hey Inu yasha!"

He swallowed hard as he looked passed her to her friends trying their best to hide behind her. "Hi." Inu yasha stepped back into the house allowing the others to follow him into the living room.

Kagome entered first and motioned for the others to follow. Houjou entered first. He stood up as tall as he could and held his head up high in the most intimidating pose he could come up with but as soon as he saw Inu yasha sitting on the arm of the couch he felt his resolve begin to faultier.

"Kagome?" He grabbed the girl by the shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Are you sure this is.. safe?"

Kagome laughed. "Don't be silly! Of course it's safe!" She ushered the girls in and shut the door behind them. She took everyone's coats and hung them on the rack next to the door while Inu yasha ran their bags upstairs to Kagome's room. Kagome motioned for everyone to take a seat and when everyone had settled in and Inu yasha returned for his chore She began.

"Now.. I know you are probably all wondering why you are here."

"No really we are wondering why *HE'S* still here.." Yuki said, pointing at the hanyou standing next to Kagome's armchair.

Kagome frowned but continued. "The truth is I've been hiding a few things from you guys about myself.. and Inu yasha..."

Kagome started from the beginning. Tell first about how she had been dragged into the "bone-eater's well" on her 15th birthday and stumbled upon Inu yasha pinned to the Gishinboku by Kikyou's arrow and continued on until she came to the events of the day before. At the end of her tale she looked around at her friends and after a long pause she sighed. "well?"

"Are you sure you're feeling ok?" Ayumi stood and walked over to Kagome, placing her hand on the girl's forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever."

Kagome let out an annoyed sigh. "I'm not crazy if that's what you think."

Yuki folded her arms, "Then you actually expect us to believe that Inu yasha here is a hanyou dog demon from feudal Japan?"

Kagome motioned for Inu yasha to sit on the arm of her chair. He did so skeptically. She reached up and removed his ball cap, revealing 2 dog-ears perched on top of his head. "If you don't believe me touch them."

Inu yasha cringed. He knew this was coming. He hated it when people touched his ears but.. This was probably the only way to convince them.

He ignored them as best he could as their fingers began to slide over his ears. First one set of hands then another and when he finally thought it was over he let out a sigh of relief.

"Ow!" Inu yasha jumped up with a loud growl. "What'd you pull my ears for?!"

Eri just looked at him wide eyed and shocked. "I-I-I-I" she stammered. "They're real!"

Yuki stood behind Houjou. "You mean that he.. he's really .. he's really a-"

"Demon?" Inu yasha finished.

Ayumi stepped back, tripping over the arm the couch and landing on her back on the cushions. "But aren't demons.. " she swallowed the lump in her throat. "Evil?"

Kagome waved her hands in front of her frantically. "Oh no you have it all wrong! Yes some demons are evil but Inu yasha's not one of them! He's not even a full demon." She ignored the growl behind her. "He's half human too."

Everyone in the room seemed to breath a little easier but it was obvious that they were still very uncomfortable. "Why don't," Kagome continued in a soft, almost mothering voice, "we all sit down and Inu yasha and I will try our best to answer your question ok?"

The others slowly nodded and settled back into their seats. After a long, uneasy pause it was Houjou that spoke first. "So.. You have been going back and forth between modern Japan and Feudal Japan for 3 years?"

Kagome nodded.

"And," Eri pointed toward Inu yasha, "You're the only other person, beside Kagome, that can use the well?"

Inu yasha nodded.

"But.. Didn't you try to kill Kagome when you first met her??" Ayumi asked. "What changed??"

Kagome and Inu yasha looked at each other for a moment and blushed. "Umm.." Kagome scratched the back of her head.

"Keh!" Inu yasha folded his arms inside his haori. "It was just a misunderstanding."

Ayumi raised a questioning eyebrow. "A what?"

"He thought I was the woman that had pinned him to the tree." Kagome sighed and shook her head. "It's really very complicated but let's just say.. It's an easy mix up."

Yuki huffed. "Well serves you right I say! Who ever pinned you to that tree deserves a medal!"

"Yuki!" Kagome growled.

"What?! It's true!" Yuki jumped to her feet, pointing an accusing finger at the hanyou. "He's a violent, uncontrollable demon! He should be on a 'leash'!"

Inu yasha growled and placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder, squeezing it gently. Kagome reached up and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Look, I'm not asking you to think he's the best thing to ever walk the earth Yuki and yes I know that at times he can seem a little 'excessive'-"

"More like *ALL* the time!"

Kagome ignored her. "*But* that's just the way he's had to live his life. Fighting for his *life* is a day-to-day thing where he's from. Especially because of who he is.."

Ayumi and Eri looked up at Inu yasha who sat on the arm of Kagome's chair brooding silently. It was obvious he was not enjoying all the attention now surrounding his life.

Now that they looked at him it was obvious that he was not some simple farmer in his time. On the uncovered portions of his body the girls could make out older battle scars and there did seem to be a few newer ones scattered among those as well. They hadn't noticed the sword at his side before now and as that they looked his hands they did appear rough and worn not only on the palms but across the knuckles as well. This man had been in more then his fair share of battles.

"Kagome," Ayumi reached out and took her friend's hand gently in her own. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

Kagome smiled. "I didn't want you guys to worry.. I figured thinking I was sick you'd worry less then if you knew I was battling demons everyday.." She smiled. "Besides, it wasn't totally my secret to tell..." She looked over her shoulder at her mate and smiled.

Ayumi, seeming to except this answer, nodded. "Well I would rather have known the truth but.. I can see why you kept it secret.."

Kagome smiled and mouthed a 'thank you' to her friend. She let out a long relieved sigh. This was going better then she had thought it would. She giggled to herself. 'At least no one has tried to exercise Inu yasha yet..' she thought.

Suddenly a voice cut through her thoughts. "I want to see it."

Kagome blinked and stared at Houjou, dumbfounded. "You.. what?"

"I want you to take me to the other side of the well. I won't be able to believe it till I see it."

Kagome looked over to an equally as shocked Inu yasha. "Inu yasha?"

Inu yasha shook his head to clear his thoughts and after a long pause he let out a 'keh'. "Fine human. Any of you that want to go I'll take *BUT* once we get there you are on your own! Also-" his voice cut through the chatter that had begun to rumble in the room. "If you go back with us you will be there for at least a week if not longer. Kagome and I still have a mission to complete and if I'm going back I'm going shard hunting."

Kagome gave Inu yasha skeptical look. What did he think he was doing?

"Fine." Houjou stood until he was eye level with Inu yasha. "When do we leave?"

@>~~~^~~~~

The group had been walking for hours without stopping. Inu yasha lead the way as they trekked through the thick under growth of the forest followed by Kagome who was a few steps behind him. Sango had been 'accepted' by Yuki, Ayumi and Eri almost immediately and they now chatted about the latest in girl talk from Kagome's time while Miroku and Houjou made polite conversation to the rear of the group. Shippou, who was being cradled by Eri, took to staring at Houjou for long periods of time but for the most part was enjoying the all the attention he was receiving from Kagome's friends.

Kagome let out a long sigh as she kept one ear on the conversation her friend's were having behind her. They didn't seem to be discussing anything of great interest.. Mostly just the usual boys, music, and clothes. She smiled and shook her head. Poor Sango was probably confused as all hell but she seemed to be putting up a good front.

Sigh again, Kagome decided to check on Inu yasha and picked up her pace but just as she seemed to be catching up to him he moved away from her again, changing his pace, it seemed, to keep just a head of her. Kagome frowned as she tried to make a dash to catch the speedy hanyou but again, just as she made it within an arms reach of him, he took off at a light jog and was off in front of her again.

Kagome stopped. Her hands clinched at her side and her eyebrow twitching in annoyance. The group behind her stopped and looked at her in confusion.

"Kagome?" Eri asked reaching a hand out and placing it gently on her friend's shoulder.

"Are you ok?" Sango asked, moving to stand just in front of Kagome.

Kagome heard a growl from just a head of them. "Come on wench! We don't have all day!"

Kagome looked up at Inu yasha, fire flashing in her eyes. Inu yasha however did not waiver. "Inu yasha..."

The hanyou swallowed hard knowing what was next but stayed calm. "Kagome..."

"OSUWAI!"

Inu yasha hit the ground with loud *thud* and a string of curse words that would have made a biker blush. He watched as Kagome's feet stomped passed his face and he reached his hand out to grab her ankle. "Where are you going?"

Kagome huffed and shook her ankle free of his grasp. "Osuwari!" He hit the ground again hard, adding another inch to the mold of himself in the dirt. Kagome turned and called behind her, "We're stopping here for a break! Rest up cause we won't be here long!" And with that she walked off into the forest, out of site.

Inu yasha let out a growl as the spell wore off and he leapt to his feet. "Wench!" he called, following after her scent. "Get back here!!" It didn't take him long with his demon speed to catch up with the perturbed girl. He grabbed her sharply by the shoulder and whirled her around to face him. "What's the big idea!?"

Kagome looked away at the ground.

Inu yasha growled. "Why the hell did you 'osuwari' me wench!? And this better be a damn good answer!" He folded his arms and tapped his foot, waiting impatiently for her answer.

Kagome continued to look at the ground. This was being to annoy Inu yasha.

He grabbed her chin a bit rougher then he would have liked and forced her to look him in the face. His eyes went wide as he looked down into Kagome's tear filled eyes. She.. she was crying? "Ka-Kagome?"

She pulled her face away and turned her back to him. "What?" she sniffled.

"Why.. why are you crying?"

There was a long pause as Inu yasha watched Kagome wipe the tears off her cheeks. "Do you hate me again Inu yasha?" It was so soft he almost didn't hear her and after she had said it.. he wished he hadn't..

He reached a hand out and placed it on her shoulder soft. "I've.. I've never hated you Kagome. Why would you-"

"Then why were you ignoring me!?" She cut him off as she whirled back to face him, the tear tracks on her cheeks renewed by fresh tears. "Why were you running away from me?!"

Inu yasha let out a sigh. "You know we can't be as friendly here as we can in your time... There are too many-"

"Too many what Inu yasha?!" Kagome spat. "Demon?! People that will turn it against us?!" More tears rolled over Kagome's cheeks as she stared at Inu yasha with hurt filled eyes. He suddenly felt like such a heel.

"Naraku is dead!" Kagome continued. "Kikyou all ready knows that we are together so there is no point in hiding it from her. Sesshomaru doesn't care one way or the other about me and you've NEVER been afraid of Kouga! So tell me Inu yasha..." Kagome paused for a moment to catch her breath. "Is it that there are too many demons.. or too many witnesses?"

Inu yasha was taken back. She was right...

With Naraku dead what was he afraid of? That had always been his excuse for not telling her his feelings before. That Naraku would use them to hurt her in some way if he found out but with him dead he had no excuse anymore. "Kagome-" his voice cracked a little as he spoke, "I-"

Kagome put a hand up, stopping him mid-sentence. "Don't Inu yasha."

"In my world Inu yasha you show your feelings pretty openly because I know and you know there are no demons to compete with in your preverbal "male pissing contest"!! Only weak humans you can easily defeat if backed into a corner while here... You're afraid of being weak. I know you've lived a long time with this fear but..." Kagome turned her back toward him and covered her aching heart with her hands. "Inu yasha I will NOT be treated like I don't exist just so you can keep the illusion in your mind going. You are stronger then you think... even when you think you're weak."

Inu yasha just stared at her, so many emotion flashing in his amber-gold eyes. "Kagome, please.."

She shook her head and started to walk again. "I'm going to find a bath. Please just leave me alone for a while." And with that she disappeared into the forest.

Inu yasha stood there and stared at where she had vanished for a moment. Suddenly a small chuckle escaped his lips as they curled into a sad smile. "Damn.. she does know me pretty well... doesn't she."

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*~*~*Meanwhile*~*~*

Eri looked at Yuki and Ayumi, trading an evil smile among them selves. Sango looked at them with a hint of worry in her eyes. She swallowed hard, "Umm.. guys?"

Three sets of blazing eyes were suddenly upon her and she wished she had just stayed quiet.

"Sango-chan.." Eri's voice was sickly sweet and it made Sango's teeth hurt just listening to it. "Will you tell us something?"

Sango swallowed again and nodded.

Ayumi placed a gentle hand on the taijiyou's shoulder. "Can you tell us what you think of Inu yasha?"

"Inu yasha?" Sango paused for a moment to contemplate the question. "Well I suppose he's a nice guy..."

"You suppose?" Yuki asked skeptically.

Sango nodded. "Yeah he's a nice guy. He may seem kinda tough on the outside but when it comes down to it," she smiled, "Especially when it comes to Kagome he's like a big umm.. what'd you guys call it? a.. marshmallow?"

Eri and Ayumi giggled. "Are you sure?" Yuki asked. "He didn't seem all "marshmallow" a minute ago! In fact he seemed kinda rude and vulgar."

Sango frowned and looked away. "He's been through a lot. None of us really have a family to go to anymore thanks to.." she paused. "Circumstances..." She looked back at the girls, her once bright eyes now so sad. "But with Inu yasha it's different..."

"Different?" Ayumi raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Sango fidgeted with the strap of her hairikotsu. "Well.. umm.. Kagome told you about Inu yasha's.. heritage right?"

"She told us he was a hanyou," Eri replied. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Plenty. You see Inu yasha is *both* human and youkai but at the same time.. he's neither of them." Sango looked over towards Miroku who sat quietly under a tree with his eyes closed. "Miroku and I.. we can find a place in the world.. Even without a family someone will take us in." Sango looked over to her shoulder as she felt a slight weight being added. She reached up and stroked Shippou's soft fur. "Even little Shippou here could find some youkai kistune pack to join and start over.. But with Inu yasha.. because he is both, neither will except him."

"That's.." Ayumi looked down sadly at the ground. "Why would even humans turn him away??"

"Because he's too strong." Shippou jumped down and stood in Sango's arms. "Humans see the youkai in him and assume he's stronger then them so they fear him but.. Youkai view his human side and assume that he is weak like them. He can't belong to either place."

"How has he survived then?" Eri asked with a glimmer of hope. "Kagome said he's been alone since he was a kid... Surely someone helped-"

"He fought." Sango turned to Miroku who had at some point walked over to the group without her noticing. She reached out and gently squeezed his hand, both for reassurance and to make sure it stayed away from her rear.

Miroku squeezed her hand back and continued. "Inu yasha has been forced to fight to survive. Because of that he's force himself to be hard and tough.. on the outside."

Sango smiled to herself. "On the inside thou," She giggled. "Once you can get passed his thick head! He's really a nice guy."

"How can you say that?!" Yuki yelled. "He attacked Houjou-kun like.. like some kinda animal!! And you're saying he's 'really very nice?! How can you?!"

Miroku blinked a moment in surprise. "And Houjou-san did nothing at all?"

"No! We were just trying to take Kagome with us when we left because that.. that *youkai* bit her and we were afraid for her! She didn't really want to go so Houjou was holding and then he just ATTACK!"

"Ah.." Miroku nodded smiling slightly. "That explains it."

"Explains what?" Yuki asked, becoming quiet annoyed.

"He was protecting Kagome." Miroku answered matter-of-factly. "See, We are the only family that Inu yasha has but Kagome is special. She has been with him the longest and unlike us, execpted him instantly, without question. He'll go to any lengths to protect her."

"If you threaten her or hurt her in any way he'll protect her at all cost." Sango finished.

"I don't suppose you noticed if he had a sword on him at the time?" Miroku asked more as an after thought.

Yuki shook her head no.

Miroku nodded. "Yes well.. that probably didn't help.. Tetsuaigai helps keep Inu yasha's anger under control and being that he didn't have it, plus Kagome's unwilling incarceration.."

Sango nodded. "Yep! Houjou-san was asking for it!"

Yuki gave a huff and turned, stomping away to fume under the shade of a near by tree. Sango blinked. "Was it something I said?"

"Speaking of Houjou-kun," Eri looked around, "Where is he?"

@>~~~^~~~~

Cliffhanger!! Kinda ^^;; Where had Houjou gone off to? You'll have to see in our next installment of my little fan fic ^^ R/R if you'd like! I'm always open to constructive criticism! Ja ne!
Oh and always remember this:
"Sloths don't save old ladies from burning buses."