InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ iHanyou ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

It was dark.  He was alone.  He had no idea where he was.  His phone vibrated in his hand.  The screen shone painfully bright in the surrounding gloom.  It was a text message from Shippou, he realized. 

 

Inuyasha, where are you?  I’m scared. 

 

His blood ran cold.  He furiously began typing a response, but the phone vibrated again and another message arrived, this one from Miroku. 

 

Inuyasha, we’re in trouble.  Please come as soon as you can.

 

Once again he began typing, but two more messages interrupted him, from Sango and Kagome, respectively. 

 

We’re surrounded, Inuyasha.  I’m not sure how long we can hold out.

 

Inuyasha, please.  We need you. 

 

He could almost hear Kagome’s voice, colored by fear.  With suddenly shaking hands he tried once more to type a response, but it was futile.  The messages from his friends kept coming, each more desperate than he last.  He thought to call them instead, but in his rising panic he couldn’t remember how to do so.  He wanted to smash the phone against the ground in frustration, but he couldn’t.  Here in this darkness where no sight, sound or scent of his friends could be found, the phone was his only lifeline to them.  And the messages kept coming. 

 

Finally the tone of the messages changed, and not for the better.  He sank to his knees, a choked cry escaping him as he read Kagome’s words. 

 

It’s all right, Inuyasha.  I’m glad to have met you.  Thank you for letting me be your friend.  Miroku-sama, Sango-chan and Shippou-chan feel the same.  Please don’t blame yourself for what happened.  I want you to live, to be happy. 

 

Another message, this one much shorter, every syllable like the blade of a knife piercing his heart. 

 

I don’t think I have much longer.  Goodbye, Inuyasha.

 

He leaned forward, curling in on himself, tears streaming down his cheeks as the skies opened up above him, battering him with a torrential downpour.  Finally he dropped the phone into the fresh mud beneath him, reared back and howled into the storm, the flash of lighting and clap of thunder echoing his despair. 

 

* * *

 

Inuyasha bolted awake with a strangled cry.  Momentarily disoriented, he forgot his current position and his flailing sent him toppling from his perch.  Only quick reflexes and demonic strength saved him from an unpleasant rendezvous with the ground.  His hand shot out and latched onto the tree limb, leaving him dangling by a few clawed digits until he finally regained his bearings.  Snarling in annoyance, he hauled himself back up, then reared back and punched the tree trunk hard enough to leave a sizeable dent in the bark.  He spent the next several moments swearing colorfully under his breath, while looking down into his friends’ campsite to see if he had woken any of them.  Fortunately, they all seemed to still be asleep.  That observation allowed him to relax a little, so he ceased his verbal tirade and flopped back against the trunk, folding his arms into the sleeves of his suikan.  Finally, he heaved a long-suffering sigh. 

 

He'd experienced this nightmare about a half-dozen times over the past several months.  It was relatively rare for him to fall asleep deeply enough to even dream in the first place, otherwise he was sure the nightmare would visit him more often.  There was always some variation, but the core theme remained the same.  His friends were in trouble, and he was unable to get to them in time.  Usually he snapped awake shortly after finding their bodies.  This was the first time he’d been able to actually communicate with them during the battle that ultimately claimed their lives.  He couldn’t say he appreciated the novel twist.  For once, the term ‘evil little pieces of shit’ didn’t seem facetious in the slightest. 

 

“Fucking phones,” he growled.  He debated whether it would be worth the ensuing hellstorm to go snatch all of them now and toss them into the nearest pond.  Probably not.  His friends might understand his actions to some degree if he told them of his nightmare, but he was sure as hell not doing that.  He was sure as hell not closing eyes again either.  He glanced up at the moon, estimating that the night was only about half over. 

 

Sighing again, he resolved himself to a long, lonely vigil. 

 

* * *

 

Inuyasha’s mood had not improved by the time morning finally arrived.  If anything, it had gotten worse.  He was not tired—big, tough hanyou didn’t need sleep, after all—but he didn’t enjoy sitting up half the night stewing in his own misery either.  The residual fear and despair of the nightmare still hovered over him.  It was a genuine relief when his friends rose and started going about their business, the stupidity of that sentiment souring his mood even further.  Of course they’re fine, you idiot!  It was just a nightmare!  Given his mood, he didn’t trust himself to join the others immediately, or rather, he trusted himself to snap at them and begin the day with everyone annoyed, rather than just him.  So he remained in his perch as the others made breakfast and prepared for a day of travel, with everything seemingly taking just a bit longer than usual due to their preoccupation with their phones.  That threatened to flare up his anger again, but this was quickly doused when Kagome made him his favorite flavor of ramen for breakfast.  She called his name hesitantly, smiling hopefully up at his perch.  And while he did come down, it was only for a moment.  He must have seemed a blur to her, leaping down to grab the ramen and then launching himself back into the tree.  Kagome blinked in surprise, then sighed and went back to join the others. 

 

After eating, his mood markedly improved by the treat, he admitted that snatching it out of her hands like that had been pretty shitty of him.  He leapt down and wandered over to where she stood watching Sango and Miroku put out the campfire.  He nudged her gently with his elbow while turning his head slightly away, suddenly too nervous to make eye contact.  She chuckled under her breath and wrapped her arms around his own, leaning her head lightly into his shoulder.  His cheeks warmed at the display of affection, but he immediately dismissed the idea of pulling away.  And while he caught the others glancing furtively in their direction, they were fortunately smart enough not to comment. 

 

And then they were off, resuming their journey to nowhere in particular, in search of an enemy who did not want to be found.  As the morning wound on, he tried to tell himself that Naraku’s cowardice was the reason for his once again worsening mood.  But he knew what the real culprits were. 

 

Bzzzt

 

He hung his head.  How many more of those horrible sounds could he take before he snapped?  He needed a break. 

 

“I’m going ahead to scout,” he muttered, knowing no one would buy it, but not caring.  He didn’t go too far, just enough so that if he turned his ears forward he could no longer hear the awful buzzing noises, which were admittedly fairly quiet but still quite jarring at close range.  He stopped at the edge of a sun-kissed meadow, heaving a deep breath to calm himself.  He had spent half the night and part of the morning being miserable; he didn’t want to go back to feeling that way.  Striding forward a few steps, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes, allowing the natural light to warm his skin, as the buzzing of insects and the chirping of birds soothed his ears like fine music.  He still found himself somewhat agitated, even after several minutes of peaceful reflection, but he decided to redirect that agitation towards the person who actually deserved it. 

 

Naraku, he reflected, golden eyes glowing as they out gazed across the meadow.  Lately he had begun to feel that their quest was drawing to a close, that soon their hated enemy would finally grant them the climactic battle which they had sought for so long.  This filled him with both anticipation and dread.  The former in large part because Naraku needed to be eliminated before Miroku’s cursed hand consumed him, and the latter because there was no guarantee of victory, or even that all of his friends would survive the battle.  His jaw tightened, his left hand moving to rest upon the hilt of his sword.  No.  They would all survive.  He would die before he allowed harm to come to any of them.  Naraku would not take any of the people he cared about from him. 

 

A strong wind gusted as if in response to his determination, tossing his hair behind him and causing the flora of the meadow to dance and writhe.  A burgeoning spirit rose within, a fire which he would carry with him into the impending battle.  Naraku would die.  His friends would live.  There was no other outcome. 

 

An unnatural clicking sound shattered his concentration, and he turned to find that the others had finally caught up with him.  He seemed to recall hearing that strange sound before, but couldn’t place it.  Kagome had stopped while facing him and was staring down at her phone, appearing somewhat awestruck by whatever was displayed on the screen.  Sango sidled up next to her and took a look, then grinned and nudged her friend in the side, raising and lowering her eyebrows a couple times.  Kagome blushed prettily, then giggled behind her hand, prompting Sango to do the same.  The exchange lasted only a few moments before they resumed walking, though he did note that Kagome’s gaze lingered upon him for a fraction longer than necessary.  He blinked, thoroughly confused.  Then he shrugged, figuring whatever that was about, it was harmless enough.  At least Kagome was happy. 

 

He rejoined the group, bringing up the rear for a change.  He was pleased to find that the awful buzzing noises had finally stopped.  Maybe Kagome had realized they were driving him crazy and turned them off?  If so, he was grateful. 

 

“Will you show me how to do that, Kagome-chan?”

 

“Sure, Sango-chan.  Miroku-sama, turn around for a second.” 

 

He did so, and the whole group drew to a halt as Kagome showed Sango how to hold her phone correctly, zoom in and out, and take a picture.  Her phone soon displayed an image of the bemused monk, and Kagome explained that a certain number of pictures could be stored on the phone.  Of course, once Miroku learned what they were up to, his face lit up as though he’d just discovered buried treasure.  Both women shied away from him, sharing a concerned look, and Kagome wondered aloud if she should have gotten him a phone without a camera. 

 

Inuyasha observed the latter portions of this exchange merely in passing.  His mind had entered full constipation the instant he realized what was going on.  So, a few moments ago…Kagome had taken a picture of him?  And then she and Sango had laughed at it. 

 

Raw hurt flooded through him.  He tried to tamp it down or brush it off, to no avail.  Kagome’s derision stung far more than he cared to admit, and he hated that.  He never should have allowed one person’s opinion of him to matter so much.  He never should have given anyone the power to hurt him so deeply. 

 

“Come on,” he snarled, stomping past the lot of them.  “Quit fuckin’ wasting time.” 

 

He could smell their confusion at his sudden change in demeanor as they settled into step behind him, his olfactory senses zeroing in on Kagome in particular.  Good.  Let her be fucking confused. 

 

They made good time the rest of the day, mostly because no one dared to ask him to slow down.  By evening, even he was wearing down, not so much physically as emotionally.  He felt drained, even though he hadn’t worked up a sweat.  He didn’t even want dinner.  He just wanted to climb into the highest perch he could safely occupy and have the world leave him the fuck alone.  To that end, he selected a suitable tree and leapt to a branch a little less than halfway up the trunk, his eyes scanning the limbs above him to see which ones could likely support his weight. 

 

“Where are you going, Inuyasha?” Kagome called after him, sounding tired and frustrated.  And despite his simmering resentment, those undesirable qualities in her voice called to him on some level, which just pissed him off even more. 

 

“What the fuck does it look like?” he shot back, not particularly caring if she ‘sat’ him for it.  He didn’t want to talk to her tonight.  She should just take the damn hint and leave him alone. 

 

“You said you would take me back!” 

 

A profane exclamation halfway between a groan and a snarl escaped him at that.  Fuck.  He had indeed told her that.  She’d reminded him yesterday, but with all the ‘excitement’ today, he’d completely forgotten. 

 

“Can’t you take your fucking ‘make-up test’ another time?” 

 

“No, I can’t!” she told him, stomping her foot.  “Inuyasha!  You’ve been pissy for most of the day.  Why are you acting like this?” 

 

He glared down at her incredulously.  Was she really trying to act like he had no legitimate reason for being angry?  He had every right to be angry!  And if she couldn’t figure out why, that was her problem.  But a response directed at the devices which were the cause of all the trouble was already practically boiling out of him, and he didn’t see a reason to hold it back. 

 

“Why don’t you get a new phone that can magically teleport you back to the well?  Then you don’t have to rely on the dumb hanyou to carry your ass anymore.” 

 

“Is that what this is about?  The phones?  Really?!  I’ve been trying to have them be less annoying for you, but you didn’t even notice, did you?  You’re such a stubborn jerk!” 

 

Inuyasha saw red.  He was a jerk?  Him?  Where did she get the gall to say something like that, after the shit she pulled earlier?  Fueled by rage, he suddenly dropped from the tree to land with a heavy thump right in front of her.  The little wench didn’t even flinch, glaring up at him even as he towered over her. 

 

“You know what would have been even less annoying?” he snarled right in her face.  “Leaving the damn things in your time.  Why the fuck did you bring them back here in the first place?” 

 

“Because I miss my world, Inuyasha!” she yelled, her voice cracking with emotion.  And just like that, he felt his formidable ire sputter and die, reduced now to merely flickering embers.  It was as though someone had dumped a giant bathtub full of ice-cold water on his head.  His lower jaw flapped soundlessly, unable to form words.  Kagome recoiled, her expression uncertain, as though she hadn’t intended to let that slip.  Then her countenance firmed once more and she continued, albeit in a more subdued tone. 

 

“I miss my modern friends, Inuyasha.  I miss my family.  I love coming back here and spending time with all of you, but sometimes…  So I thought if I could share a small piece of my world with all of you, maybe I wouldn’t feel so homesick.  But I should have known better,” she spat bitterly, throwing her hands up and marching away from him.  “The Kami forbid we have a little fun once in a while.” 

 

Still too stunned to reply, Inuyasha could only watch as she dried her eyes, then knelt next to Kirara and asked the fire-cat to take her back to the well.  And though his thoughts were still incredibly jumbled and he needed time to sort them out, the idea of letting her go with their relationship in this state seemed repugnant to him. 

 

“Oi, wen—”

 

“Osuwari!”

 

The ensuing painful thud against the hard earth felt like a well-deserved punishment, which was odd given his mindset mere moments earlier.  It came as no surprise that Kagome was gone by the time the subduing spell released him.   He considered chasing after her, but he would never be able to keep up with Kirara in flight, especially since he’d be stuck winding his way through the forest for much of the trip.  And going to confront Kagome again before he sorted himself out was a recipe for disaster anyway.  He needed to take the time to engage in something which wasn’t always his strong suit—thinking.  And he needed to do it alone.  The less than warm reception he would undoubtedly receive if he joined the others at camp was all the more reason to choose solitude.  So he hauled himself out of his self-made indentation in the earth and trudged off into the trees.  To think. 

 

* * *

 

“Shit,” he swore, tapping the back of his head against the trunk of the tree he was sitting against.  He had followed his typical post-fight ritual.  Step one: seclude himself.  No problem.  Step two: try to convince himself that the fight was entirely Kagome’s fault.  He’d given up on that pretty quickly.  Step three: actually think about things carefully.  He hated thinking, but he did it anyway.  Step four: admit that the fight was at least partially his fault.  No fucking doubt about that.  Step five: figure out what the fuck he was going to say the next time he saw her.  This one he often skipped and decided to just wing it, which is probably what he’d do tonight.  Or tomorrow.  Or whenever he gathered the courage to see her again. 

 

It had taken him a lot less time to reach step four than it normally did.  The reason was obvious.  Kagome wasn’t whining about something stupid here, like her schoolwork or needing to take yet another dumb test.  That was why she needed to go back to her time, yes, but her reason for bringing phones to the feudal era was something else entirely.  It had been many years since he’d last been in the presence of his own mother, the only family he’d ever known.  Even so, he could understand missing one’s family.  He still missed his mother, in particular when he was severely injured.  How many times had he been lying there feeling weak and helpless, and wishing his mother would take him into her arms like she used to when he was little?  Whether he’d hurt himself experimenting with his youkai abilities, or a stone cast by a neighbor had left a bruise, or even if he’d just been bullied by the other children, she would hold him and tell him that everything was all right.  And somehow, she always made him feel better.  She’d been the only source of goodness in his entire world. 

 

Kagome probably didn’t have the exact same relationship with her own mother.  She probably wasn’t persecuted or bullied in her time—he’d hunt down and murder the offenders if he ever found out that she was.  But missing one’s family still resonated deeply with him.  He demanded a lot of Kagome.  She had to leave her safe modern world where seemingly everything was convenient, from hot running water to food stored in a magical cold box to cooking fire with the turn of a knob.  And she had to leave her family and friends behind, going weeks without seeing them and having no way to communicate with them.  Yes, their mission was of the upmost importance, which Kagome acknowledged.  But that didn’t mean her sacrifices were worthless.  Far from it.  And that was something which he definitely didn’t tell her enough—or at all.  He needed to man up and do so, if he was going to make this right. 

 

Her interaction with Sango had held him back from getting up and going to her thus far.  Kagome had taken a picture of him, and she had laughed at said picture.  Those facts were undeniable.  And yet, his assumption that she was deriding or making fun of him didn’t hold up perfectly under close scrutiny.  For one thing, she hadn’t instantly started laughing; she’d seemed rather awestruck at first.  She did laugh at whatever Sango had indicated to her, but the meaning of the taijiya’s nonverbal communication was something of a mystery to him as well.  He had never known Sango to mock his appearance, and the manner of her communication didn’t seem to fit with ‘let’s point at the hanyou and laugh.’  Nor did Kagome’s blush.  All in all, he'd finally acknowledged just a moment ago that there was a possibility that he’d misinterpreted what he’d seen.  And that he should give Kagome a chance to explain. 

 

Hence, the profane muttering and knocking his head against the tree.  Ok, so step four: accomplished.  Now as for step five… 

 

Ah, fuck it.  He’d just wing it. 

 

Grinning wryly, he rose to his feet, stretched his limbs and bounded off in the direction of the Bone-Eater’s Well. 

 

* * *

 

It took a little while to traverse the distance, but he arrived well before the moon had reached its zenith.  With any luck, Kagome was still studying and had not gone to bed early.  He didn’t really want to leave this until tomorrow, but if she was already asleep then he wasn’t planning on waking her up either. 

 

He was surprised to find Kirara napping on the rim of the well.  Standing guard in case Kagome returned unexpectedly?  Or more likely, he realized with a grin, waiting for him.  Her reaction on noticing him confirmed the latter; she leapt up and began rapidly pacing back and forth along the top of the wooden structure, mewing excitedly and undulating her tails.  

 

“Waiting for me, eh, Kirara?” he asked, only to receive a more insistent ‘mew’ in response.  He thought about teasing her for a bit, but didn’t have it in him tonight.  Giving her what she wanted was the least he could do at any rate, since she’d yet again been asked to carry Kagome to the well due to his own hardheadedness. 

 

“All right, you win,” he declared, striding forward.  “Your pal Inuyasha knows what you want.” 

 

Without further ado, he flopped onto the ground with his back against the well, allowing Kirara to jump happily into his lap.  Their opportunities for this activity were few and far between, because there was no way in hell that he was partaking in front of anyone else, which Kirara seemed to respect.  At the same time, when the opportunity did present itself, she could be rather insistent.  For even though Kirara was far more intelligent than your average feline, she was still a cat.  And she loved his claws.  She especially loved when he used them to scratch her head, neck and back, applying just the right amount of pressure.  This time was no different.  Standing on his thigh, she started purring almost immediately, arching her back, her twin tails curling above her.  And while he was glad that she was enjoying herself, he did need to draw the line somewhere. 

 

“Oi, I told you before, get your asshole out of my face.” 

 

She turned her body—barely, but it was enough.  At least now he wasn’t stuck staring directly into her anus.  Friggin’ cats, man.  Absolutely no shame. 

 

So it was abundantly clear why Kirara relished these moments, but why did he?  Big, tough inu-hanyou didn’t pet cats, after all.  The short answer was that he enjoyed the companionship, but that didn’t really cover it.  He remembered the first time Kirara had pressed him to pet her, in a circumstance remarkably similar to this one, actually.  He’d been so hesitant, so afraid of accidentally hurting her or scaring her off.  It had taken a lot of coaxing on her part to get him to apply any degree of pressure with his claws, but once he did, he’d been amazed at her reaction.  For the first time in his adult life, not only was his touch welcome, but enthusiastically so.  The obvious parallel was sexual touching, which this definitely was not.  But it felt special to him all the same. 

 

Of course, there was one other person who might enthusiastically welcome his touch…  His cheeks heated at that thought.  He and Kagome certainly did touch.  A lot.  Carrying her into battle or whisking her out of danger was one thing, but especially as of late, much of their physical contact was more casual in nature, like their exchange this morning.  Those moments had become special to him as well. 

 

Kirara settled in his lap and nudged his hand, encouraging him to scratch a different spot.  He turned his attention to her neck, drawing more happy purrs from the feline as she stretched out on her side, her paws working rhythmically into his hakama.  He grinned and shook his head.  If only he could please the other women in his life with some skillful strokes of his fingers. 

 

The possible implications of that statement hit him like a smack across the head, causing his entire face to redden.  There were probably several dirty jokes to be made about this little scenario.  He wasn’t making any of them. 

 

He indulged Kirara for as long as she wanted, figuring that giving Kagome a little more time to cool down was not a bad idea.  Eventually the fire-cat yawned cavernously and curled up in his lap.  He’d be content to let her sleep on him if he didn’t have somewhere else to be. 

 

“Sorry, Kirara, I gotta go through the well before Kagome goes to bed.” 

 

She mewed in disappointment, then sat up gazed at him, blinking slowly.  Knowing what the gesture meant, he returned it. 

 

“You gonna hang out with Kaede-babaa or go back to the others?” 

 

She looked toward the village briefly, then hopped off his lap and stretched languidly before transforming into her larger form and turning in the direction of the distant campsite.  Before departing, she glared at him over her shoulder, as if to say ‘don’t screw this up and make me fly back here.’ 

 

“I got it, I got it,” he grumped, waving her off.  He was going to Kagome’s time to make up with her.  Even he couldn’t screw it up that badly.  He hoped. 

 

Moments later, he emerged from the well house in Kagome’s time.  The shrine grounds were empty as he jogged over to his destination, no surprise given the late hour.  He was pleased to find that her light was still on and the window was cracked open, the latter especially being a good sign.  All right, here we go…  Without further ado, he leapt up to the sill and slid the window the rest of the way open.  He found Kagome sitting at her desk, already turned to face him, perhaps having sensed his approach a moment earlier.  She seemed surprised to see him, but not unpleasantly so.  She looked and smelled freshly bathed and was dressed in those warm, full-length pajamas that she liked.  All of which served as a reminder of the things she gave up while traveling in the feudal era, and the reason for his visit. 

 

“Uh…hi.” 

 

He groaned internally.  What a great start.  Real smooth. 

 

“Hi,” she greeted shyly.  He had no idea what to say next, so awkward silence quickly settled between them.  “Would you…like to come in?” Kagome finally asked. 

 

“O-Oh!  Yeah,” he replied lamely, climbing inside and closing the window behind him.  He stood fidgeting for a moment, then sat on her bed facing her.  That awkward silence threatened to descend upon them again, so he decided to stop beating around the bush and get it over with. 

 

“Kag—”

 

“Inu—”

 

“Go ahead,” he told her, trying to tell himself it was out of politeness that he asked her to go first.  And not because you’re a giant coward.

 

“No, you first.” 

 

Damn.  There was nothing for it, he decided.  He took a calming breath and focused his attention on the floor beneath their feet. 

 

“W-Well, I just wanted to say that…I know what you give up by going to my world.  I’ve seen it,” he declared, gesturing at the modern world around them.  “Or at least some of it.  Your world is…amazing.  Your family is amazing.  And yeah our mission in the past is important, but…I appreciate what you sacrifice.  It…it means a lot to me.”

 

Here he paused, finally daring a glance up at her.  She was holding a hand to her chest, her mouth hanging slightly open, appearing as though his words were quite meaningful to her.  He swallowed nervously, but found the courage to continue. 

 

“S-So, if you feel like you need phones or some other shit from your time to not feel so homesick, it’s okay.  I’ll try not to complain…too much at least.” 

 

She chuckled at the joke, lame as it was, the sound finally allowing him to relax a little.  He’d said what he needed to say, and Kagome had taken it as he’d intended.  Congratulations.  You are now a master of human speech.  Did his inner monologue have to be such an asshole? 

 

“Thank you, Inuyasha.  It means a lot, to hear you say that.  But…there’s still one thing from our fight that bothers me.  I didn’t notice it at the time, but I’ve been thinking about it ever since.” 

 

Inuyasha’s eyes widened, his brain rapidly replaying the fight.  What was left?  Hadn’t he covered everything? 

 

“Earlier you called yourself a ‘dumb hanyou,’ as if you were accusing me of thinking that’s what you were.  Why would you say something like that?” she demanded with seemingly unintentional urgency, tears forming in her eyes. 

 

Inuyasha’s jaw dropped.  That Kagome could be so hurt because he believed her capable of thinking so little of him spoke volumes.  He didn’t even need the real explanation for what happened earlier.  There was now no doubt in his mind that he’d made the wrong assumption.  Of course he had.  Kagome had never given him any reason to believe she thought of him as anything less than a companion early on, then a friend, and later still, perhaps something more…

 

“Sorry,” he muttered, eyes downcast.  “I…I saw you take a picture of me…and then you laughed.  So I thought—”

 

“You thought wrong,” she interrupted, her tone still fairly harsh. 

 

“Sorry,” he muttered again.  Damn, he’d really screwed up this time.  This was far worse than the thing he’d come here to make amends for.  He was just wondering if he should leave when Kagome heaved a tremulous sigh. 

 

“It’s okay,” she told him, her words conveying genuine forgiveness.  “Here, let me show you something.” 

 

She stood from her chair and grabbed her phone, then sat on the bed next to him, her left hip pressing against his right.  Far from being put off by her closeness, it served as further confirmation that he was in fact out of the doghouse.  Plus, he was rather curious what she planned to show him.  Even so, he was not prepared for what she pulled up on her screen. 

 

“Tell me, does this look like someone worthy of being made fun of?” 

 

It was a picture of him, obviously the one she had taken earlier.  This was the first time he had ever seen an image of himself, but that was not the main reason for his sudden stupor.  No, it was how he looked.  His body seemed to exude fierce determination, from the intensity of his gaze and the firm set to his jaw, to his proud, straight-backed posture and the hand resting on the hilt of his sword.  All of it spoke of unflinching resolve, and given what he’d been thinking about at the time, that should not have been surprising.  And yet, it was.  Because he seldom thought of himself as being capable of appearing this way, let alone in anyone else’s eyes. 

 

Like a great man. 

 

He turned to her, still utterly awestruck, earning a soft smile from her. 

 

“When I saw you standing there, you looked so brave and determined.  Like you were ready to take on the entire world to protect the people you care about.” 

 

“I am,” he responded firmly.  I said I would protect you with my life, Kagome. 

 

“I know you are,” she replied, nudging him with her shoulder.  “So I hope now you can see what I see when I look at this picture.  Because this is you, Inuyasha.  This is how you look to me.  And…if the well ever separates us and we can’t see each other anymore, this is how I want to remember you.” 

 

She finished quietly as she contemplated the unpleasant prospect of their eventual forced separation, one which he had considered also.  They’d be foolish not to think about it; there was no guarantee that the Bone-Eater’s Well would continue to function as it currently did, especially once the Shikon no Tama was dealt with.  Kagome wanted to remember him as he appeared in that picture, as the brave protector and loyal friend who stood against a great evil.  It begged the question, how would he want to remember her?  The woman who gave him reason to fight, to stand tall, who healed his wounded heart and brightened his entire world just by being by his side.  How was a single picture or memory supposed to encapsulate all of that? 

 

“I’d want to remember your smile.” 

 

He didn’t recall giving his mouth instructions to form those words.  But his ears heard them, in his own voice no less, and Kagome’s gasp confirmed it.  He had actually said that.  Oh, shit.  An anxious glance in her direction left him breathless.  She was wearing the most dazzling smile he had ever seen, gazing at him as though his simple statement meant more to her than any sound which had ever graced her ears.  Was it possible that she knew him well enough to understand what he didn’t explain, why her smile was so much more than just a smile?  Perhaps so.  And that both frightened and inspired him. 

 

Ultimately it was the former which won out, and he abruptly broke eye contact and turned away from her, latching onto the first topic he could think of in his desperation to change the subject. 

 

“S-S-S-So, wh-why did you and Sango laugh at the picture then?” 

 

She didn’t answer immediately, prompting him to worry that she’d misinterpreted the motive behind his question.  He wasn’t suspicious at all, just genuinely curious.  A glance in her direction dashed those concerns but created new ones.  Kagome was blushing, though ‘blushing’ didn’t really cover it.  Her entire face was pink, and when she dared to look at him, it grew even darker.  What the heck was that about?  Screw curiosity.  Now he had to know. 

 

“Kagome?” 

 

She grimaced.  “Do I really have to say it?” 

 

“Say what?” he demanded, honestly perplexed.  Kagome heaved a sigh, covering her face with her hands, leading him to think that she was about to refuse to answer, which he was having none of. 

 

“Kag—”

 

“Sango-chanwasteasingmethatyoulookedreallyhandsome!” 

 

Inuyasha blinked in confusion.  What the hell kind of word vomit was that?  It took him a few moments to unravel, and even when he did he couldn’t believe it.  ‘Sango-chan was teasing me that you looked really handsome!’  That couldn’t be right.  No freaking way. 

 

First off, Sango would never say such a thing.  She’d always been reserved concerning men.  Although, she hadn’t actually said anything, and even if she had, it certainly wasn’t explicit.  Calling a man handsome seemed comparable to calling a woman pretty.  Quite tame, in other words.  And while he had no romantic interest in Sango, he could admit that she was an attractive woman.  But that was different.  Sango was human, and he was hanyou.  She would smack you over the head with hiraikotsu if she knew you thought that.  Okay, so he couldn’t assume that Sango would devalue his appearance due to his inhuman features.  All in all, maybe it wasn’t so farfetched that the two women would share a fun little moment like that, which no one else in the party would understand? 

 

That still didn’t address his biggest doubt, namely that either woman would find him physically attractive in the first place.  Although, it wasn’t really his body that was the problem, was it?  He thought he had a fairly nice body.  He was young and fit, his form toned from years of travel and exertion.  He wasn’t overly muscled because he didn’t have to be; his demonic blood supplied his strength.  Of course, that blood and the external features which came with it would instantly repulse most women.  They wouldn’t even look at the rest of him.  And neither Kagome nor Sango are like that.  True enough.  Perhaps Sango could admit that he was an attractive man, similar to how he viewed her?  And even if not, she had apparently been ‘teasing’ Kagome…as though Kagome was the one who thought he was handsome. 

 

This idea sent him into a fresh round of mental constipation.  He knew what he thought of Kagome’s physical appearance.  She was fucking gorgeous.  Could even a fraction of the reverse be true?  It was not a subject he liked to consider, so easy was it to fall back into the historically well-supported view that no woman would ever find him attractive.  But again, Kagome.  Wasn’t.  Like.  That.  Hell, she might even think his demonic features made him more attractive, as absolutely insane as that sounded.  But everything fit.  Her awestruck expression, Sango’s raised eyebrows, Kagome’s blush…it all made sense if only he could buy into the simple yet crazy idea that Kagome thought he was handsome. 

 

Looking at her now, the idea didn’t seems so crazy.  She still held her face in her hands, her ears now glowing red as well.  She smelled of nervousness and…a certain slight headiness which quickened his heartbeat.  He had detected this scent from her before, and had a notion of what it signified.  He had always brushed it off, told himself that he was imagining things.  Perhaps this was not something to be brushed off.  Perhaps it was her scent telling him something which he should really be paying attention to. 

 

But it wasn’t enough.  Before he could truly believe what his own logic and Kagome’s body and scent were telling him, he needed confirmation.  He needed to hear her say it. 

 

“A-And…what did you think?” 

 

She lifted her head, gazing at him sadly.  Do you really not know?  The unasked question hung heavily in the air between them.  His expression hardened slightly.  No, he didn’t.  He was the unwanted hanyou.  He didn’t get to assume such things, that the woman he thought looked like a goddess felt similarly about him, even to the tiniest degree.  He didn’t get to believe. 

 

Kagome nodded, the corners of her lips quirking up in an understanding smile.  She raised her hand, hesitating briefly, then pressed it to his cheek, using her thumb to caress his skin endearingly, perhaps even lovingly.  He leaned into her touch, his eyelids drifting shut, lulled into a state of complete contentment. 

 

“You’re beautiful, Inuyasha.” 

 

His eyes snapped open.  Beautiful.  It was not a descriptor he had ever hoped to hear applied to himself, but coming from Kagome’s lips…it felt right.  She meant it physically, but not exclusively so.  He raised his hand to cover hers, holding it against his cheek as their gazes locked, as he willed her to understand.  You’re beautiful too, Kagome.  He meant it in every sense of the word. 

 

Her chocolate orbs glowed happily, a couple rogue tears slipping from them to run down her cheeks.  Without thinking, he used his free hand to wipe them away, his fingers lingering on her delicate skin.  She leaned into his touch as well, and he felt an uncontrollable smile blossom over his own features.  Then they were moving closer, smiles fading as they comprehended the gravity of what was about to occur, of what this would mean for each of them.  And yet, neither had any intention of pulling away. 

 

Bzzzt

 

Kagome’s phone vibrating against her nightstand was the single most jarring noise Inuyasha had ever experienced.  He jumped a full half-meter off her bed, an entirely unmasculine yelp escaping him.  The damn phone might as well have been stuck up his ass.  At least then he’d have a valid excuse for emitting that horrid sound when it vibrated.  And for jumping so high. 

 

Kagome’s own discomfiture, as well as her frustrated groan, did make him feel a little better.  At least she was equally disappointed that the evil little piece of shit had interrupted…whatever it had interrupted.  He was going to spend a lot of time thinking and dreaming about where this encounter might have led.  But in any case, the moment had definitely passed.  All that was left, in Inuyasha’s opinion, was to try to save face.  And to place blame.  To that end, he folded his arms into the sleeves of his suikan and adopted his most formidable scowl. 

 

Kagome had the grace to appear somewhat sheepish when she dared to meet his gaze.  “Okay, so phones are stupid, and bringing them back to the feudal era wasn’t my best idea.” 

 

He continued to glare at her. 

 

“Okay, I admit it was a bad idea.” 

 

Glare.  Scowl. 

 

“Fine!  It was a terrible idea and I never should’ve done it.  Happy now?” 

 

Inuyasha waited a moment, then nodded.  Kagome sighed heavily. 

 

“Even so, it would be too cruel to take them away now.  The novelty will wear off soon, for Miroku-sama and Sango-chan at least.  I’m going to have to keep an eye on Shippou-chan to make sure he doesn’t get addicted to mobile games.  Ugh, what have I gotten myself into?” 

 

“Keh.  Next time you’re homesick and want to bring something else from your time, just ask me.  I’ve got some ideas.” 

 

“Oh, like what?  More food for you?” 

 

Damn, she really did know him well. 

 

Laughing, Kagome shoved him hard enough to knock him off the bed.  He landed on his side on the floor, then folded his legs and shrugged like being sideways didn’t bother him.  This resulted in more laughter from her, which he soon joined in.  When her mirth wound down, she seated herself in her desk chair, and he rotated himself ninety degrees to be upright once more. 

 

“I really need to get back to studying now, or I’ll flunk my test tomorrow.  How are you planning to occupy yourself?” 

 

Her tone started out fairly reluctant but ended somewhat sternly, the latter reminding him of a similar situation some time ago. 

 

“I was thinking of sitting on your bed and staring at you the whole time,” he declared with a smirk. 

 

“Oh, no,” Kagome moaned, rolling her eyes.  “Not that again.” 

 

“Maybe I’ll go take another bath with your brother then.” 

 

Kagome squeaked at that, her cheeks darkening.  His tone had been innocent enough, but he knew exactly which little episode he’d been referencing.  To be honest, the only reason he’d possessed the balls to bring it up was because of their discussion this evening.  It was somewhat embarrassing for him as well, the memory of his thoughtless naked flight into her bedroom.  Kagome had gotten two good eyefuls of him sans clothing, and judging by her expression and the resurgent headiness in her scent, she remembered it quite well.  And not unfondly. 

 

But of course, teasing her essentially meant teasing himself as well, except even worse.  Kagome could turn to her studies and ignore him, but he wouldn’t be able to ignore that slight yet tantalizing heady scent until it dissipated.  Which meant evacuating her room was probably the right course of action for the time being.  Besides, he was pretty hungry.  For food!  Not for…other things.  If he was nice enough maybe her mom would make him a snack. 

 

“Quit goofing around and wasting time, wench,” he told her somewhat mischievously, rising to his feet.  “We’re going back tomorrow whether you fail your test or not.” 

 

“Yes, sir,” she replied mockingly. 

 

He went downstairs and was glad to find that Mrs. Higurashi was still up.  She greeted him kindly and was happy to heat him up some leftovers from the family’s dinner, once she found out that he’d skipped said meal.  She went to bed soon after, but only after asking him to make sure Kagome didn’t stay up studying all night.  That prompted a blush and a nod from him.  After eating and washing his dishes, he went back upstairs to see if Kagome was finished studying.  She was not, but she didn’t seem too stressed either. 

 

“Everyone else went to bed.  Your mom said not to stay up all night.” 

 

“I won’t.  I think I’m almost done.” 

 

Nodding, he sat on her bed and assumed his typical upright resting pose, closing his eyes as well.  When he didn’t hear her turn back to her studies, he cracked an eye open to find her still gazing at him uncomfortably. 

 

“What?  I’m not staring.” 

 

“I know, but…”

 

He rolled his eyes, then closed them again.  How could it be distracting if he was just sitting there quietly? 

 

“Oh, I know!  Would you like me to show you how to listen to music?” 

 

“Pass.” 

 

“Aw, but why?”

 

“Kagome, you think those shitty little buds were made for my ears?” 

 

At this she adopted a victorious expression that was downright scary.  “You just let me worry about that,” she ordered, scurrying over to her yellow backpack and rifling through it for a few seconds.  She pulled out a colored box, then sat next to him on the bed and opened it for him.  Resting inside the box was a curved object with two circles on either end and a long cable running from it. 

 

“What’s this?” 

 

“These are headphones.  They’re used to listen to music, like the buds the others were using.  I didn’t think you’d want anything inside your ears, but these padded circles here sit outside.  I tried to find a set designed for people with wider heads, so they don’t put pressure on your ears.  Do you…want to try them?” 

 

His mouth went dry at her shy question.  Once again demonstrating how much she cared about him, Kagome had anticipated his discomfort and gone out of her way to try to avoid it.  How could he refuse her?  He couldn’t, but after picking up the ‘headphones’ and turning them over in his hands a few times, he realized that he had no idea how to put them on. 

 

“May I?” she asked timidly.  He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.  Smiling, she carefully put the device on his head with the two padded circles next to his ears and the plastic part running down under his chin.  He was sure this wasn’t how one was supposed to wear it, an opinion confirmed when it kept wanting to slip down. 

 

“Maybe it would be better if we got rid of the plastic part and used some kind of fabric across the top of your head instead…” she muttered absently, still fiddling.  Inuyasha closed his eyes, trying to ignore how close she was and how nice it felt when the backs of her fingers brushed against his ears.  Eventually she sat back with a huff. 

 

“I’ll make some modifications tomorrow, but this isn’t going to work as is with you sitting up.  Can you lie down?” 

 

He did so automatically, only realizing the kind of position it put him in after his head hit her pillow.  Fortunately, him being prone solved the major issue, and Kagome was able to get the headphones into a reasonably comfortable position without too much further fuss. 

 

“How’s that?”

 

“S’okay,” he replied after a moment.  As she’d promised, the headphones were close to his ears but not pressing against them.  The plastic part looped under his chin was a little awkward, but he could deal with it. 

 

“Great!” she exclaimed, sounding genuinely pleased with herself.  “Do you have your phone?” 

 

He pulled it out of his robes, and she plugged the end of the cable into it.  Then she showed him how to access music, turning the volume all the way down before instructing him to turn it up slowly once he played a song.  Given his sensitive hearing, that was definitely a good call.  With him reasonably settled, she told him to play around and see what kind of music he liked before moving back to her desk. 

 

“Kagome?” he called softly, prompting her to spin to face him.  “Thanks.” 

 

There was that brilliant smile again, the one that caused his heartbeat to race and his stomach to start flipping over in his gut.  He quickly snapped his head around to stare up at the ceiling, her soft laughter drawing a blush even as he had to fight off a grin.  Then she went back to her studying, and he did his best to find some music that didn’t make him want to cringe.  It wasn’t easy.  Eventually he found some songs which were purely instrumental; they had a beat to them but were clearly meant to be relaxing.  No annoying vocalist screaming or speaking words at him.  No ‘heavy metal’ bullshit.  Just people playing instruments, calmly but with clear passion.  Smooth was the best word he could think of to describe it.  Now this he could enjoy. 

 

It wasn’t long before his eyes slid slowly shut, and he began drifting off, borne away by the music. 

 

He was roused sometime later by the gentle shifting of the bed underneath him.  It was dark, he noted absently without opening his eyes.  At some point he had rolled to lay on his right side, the headphones having either fallen off his head or been removed.  Why was the bed moving?  He hoped it would stop soon.  He didn’t feel like waking up.  Fortunately the unwelcome disturbance soon ceased, whatever had caused it settling down. 

 

“Goodnight, Inuyasha,” a familiar voice whispered, seemingly from right next to him.  Wait, that wasn’t right, was it?  Something about this was odd.  But he could already feel himself drifting off again, and he didn’t bother to fight it. 

 

Whatever.  He would deal with it in the morning. 

 

* * *

 

Kagome breathed deeply of the fresh air outside the school and let out a happy sigh.  What a fantastic day!  She had understood most of what the teachers covered in class, gotten to hang out with her friends at lunch, and done well on her make-up test.  Of course, she knew none of these things were the real reason for her excellent mood. 

 

She’d debated with herself what to do about the ‘sleeping Inuyasha conundrum’ for a solid fifteen minutes last night.  There was waking him up or letting him sleep on her bed and making other arrangements for herself.  She refused to do the former when he was sleeping so peacefully and probably needed the rest.  And she knew from experience that the latter would result in a bad night’s sleep for her and poor performance on her test, which was the whole reason she was here in the first place.  So that just left the third option, the forbidden one, the one she hadn’t even considered the first time this had happened.  But she and Inuyasha had not been as close back then, and she was a little less girlish now as well.  Ultimately, it was their conversation that evening and their near-kiss that gave her the courage to throw caution to the winds.  So she’d crawled into bed next to him, keeping the thin barrier of the covers between them, settled onto her left side facing the wall, whispered him goodnight and gone to sleep. 

 

It had been an awesome decision.  She knew this because of how Inuyasha had behaved afterwards.  Yes, he had leapt from the bed and nearly destroyed her alarm clock the following morning.  Yes, he had stood frozen in the middle of her room like a frightened rabbit upon realizing that they had both slept in the same bed.  And yes, he had nearly jumped through her window, heedless of the glass, in an effort to flee.  But when she called out his name, he paused.  And when she asked him to stay, he acquiesced.  They’d gone downstairs together and eaten breakfast with her family.  And when she made eye contact with him across the table, she could tell that he felt the same as she—embarrassed, but not regretting a thing. 

 

And the best part?  Just before Inuyasha shot out of bed and nearly murdered her alarm clock, she swore she had felt his arm resting across her waist as he gently held her in a spooning embrace. 

 

She could definitely get used to waking up like that. 

 

 

A/N – This story ended up having far more heart and romance than originally intended.  In the end, it kind of feels like the whole phone thing was just a tool to get the Inu/Kag part.  What can I say?  I am who I am.  And while I know this story can’t really be said to fit into the canon storyline, I did end up wanting the Inu/Kag part to at least feel canon-esque.  Hopefully I succeeded, and even if not, hopefully it was a good read at least.