InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Is she perfect? ❯ Beyond the smile ( Chapter 1 )

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

I am Kikyo.

Dark eyes, filled with empty despair were what greeted Kagome anytime she looked in the mirror.
Smooth, fair skin not a blemish in sight. Long, ebony hair that shone beautifully in the sun.
High cheek bones, delicately crafted. A slender nose, gentle mouth.
All of these, traits of Kikyo. The woman that Inuyasha loved.
With a sigh of utter forlorn, Kagome gingerly outstretched her hand, letting her fingertips brush against the cool surface of the mirror.
A constant reminder, thats what she was. A reminder of what Inuyasha had lost.

Turning away disgusted with herself, Kagome sank onto her bed and curled into a ball. Closing her lids, she let images dance before her.
Memories, feelings. Raw emotions that tore her resolve to pieces.

Only she knew.
The smiles, the happiness, the laughter.
Only she knew what they were. That they were fake.
A pretender. That’s what she had become.
Nothing felt real anymore.
Yet she kept holding on to the smallest of hopes, like a sputtering flame, it burned.
The hope that one day Inuyasha might realize how he felt about her. That her love, which had grown stronger with each passing day, would no longer be unrequited.

“Stop kidding yourself, Kagome.” she muttered, opening her eyes. Her fingers picking at the embroidery of the quilt that draped over the
narrow mattress of her bed. “How can he love someone like you?”
Sitting up, she pushed a lock of hair from her face which was accompanied by an unlady like sniff.
Her eyes burned. They longed to spill over with tears. Tears of self-hate, tears of hopelessness.

A tap on her window sent a series of different emotions course through her body.
Anxiety, recognition, fear, annoyance.
Whiping franticley at her swollen lids, Kagome swung her legs over the bed and stood up shakily.
She lifted her gaze, and there he was.
Crouched in a cramped position, his long fingers dug into the wood of her window sill. His golden eyes locked onto hers, and a look of pure annoyance crossed his chiseled features.
“Open the damn window!”
Despite the whirlwind of emotions tearing around inside of her, Kagome felt a small giggle ease it’s way up her throat.
Clamping her lips together, she headed for the window and unlatched it. Moments later, the hanyou loomed over her.

Bracing herself for the usual rant about her being late, not ready, or something else, Kagome stiffened when her head was tilted back, Inuyasha’s fingers holding a firm grip on her chin.

His amber gaze was narrowed, his eyes like pools of liquid.

His tanned skin seemed to glow under the soft illumination from the light that hung overheard.

Parting his lips, a low growl rumbled through his chest.
“Were you crying?”
Wrenching herself free of his grip, Kagome turned her back to him and hugged herself.

Already, she could feel the all too familiar tremble of her lower lip, the returning burn along her eyelids.
“No,” she mumbled, with a sniff that contradicted her reply.
His hands rested on her shoulders, gentle but firm as he tried to turn her around.
“I--I haven’t packed.” she heard herself stammer.


Why was she giving him an explanation? He didn’t need one. He didn’t deserve one.
“Kagome,” he began, his voice unusually soft.

“Let me pack, okay Inuyasha?”
She stopped there, not trusting her voice. Dropping to her knees, she reached under her bed to retreive the large, baggy yellow knapsack she packed for her journeys.
She could sense his presence behind her, his gaze burning into the back of her head like acid.

She forced herself not to breakdown infront of him, and stood up, her shaking hands holding the bag in an iron grip. Leaving the room, she stumbled down the stairs, her path blurred by tears that threatened to spill over.

Inuyasha was at her heels, yet kept silent as she began stocking up with ramen and other food products.
Leaving the bag in the kitchen, Kagome hurried down the hall and into the bathroom.
Closing the door, she locked it before forcing herself to step infront of the mirror.

Her dark eyes were glassy from the unshed tears, and her lids swollen. Flushed cheeks, her rosebud mouth trembling.

Turning on the tap, Kagome leaned over the sink and splashed cool water onto her face.
“Get a hold of yourself,” she muttered, turning off the water. Drying her face with one of the towels that hung on the shower rack, she forced a smile on her face, and marched back into the kitchen.

Inuyasha seemed startled by the sudden change of face, and watched her closely as she finished packing the rest of her things.
“Something weirds going on,” he commented as she scrawled down a messy note.

Mom,
I left with Inuyasha. Be back in a few days.
Kagome

“Weird? Why do you say that?” She asked, as she set down the pen.
Carefully, she knelt down and lifted the bag which had grown heavy, onto her shoulders.
Avoiding his gaz she left through the back door, Inuyasha following suit.

The sun shone brightly, yet failed to lift Kagome’s spirits as they made their way to the Bone-Eaters Well.
“I could smell your tears,” Inuyasha hesetantley began. “why were you crying?”
Kagome shook her head as she swung one leg over the edge of the well.
“I failed a test.” she lied. Pushing her hair off her face, she hefted the bag off the ground and set it on her shoulders once more.
“It was important, and I almost cried because...” she paused, to think why. “because I needed it to pass math.” she concluded, satisfied.
Launching herself over the edge, Kagome felt the familiar yet fleeting feeling sense of flying, as she was transported from her time to the Feudal Era.
Inuyasha appeared moments after her, and lifted the bag from her arms.
With an easy leap, he cleared the narrow walls of the well and set the bag down.

Kagome tilted her head back, dark eyes narrowing on the blue, blue sky above her. A shadow fell over her, and Inuyasha’s face appeared in the opening.
“Are you comming up, or are you just gonna stand there all day?” A scowel graced his lips, yet she couldn’t whipe the concerned look that had been in his eyes, from her mind.
Kagome gave him a weak smile, her hands curling around the vines that lined the insides of the well.
Hoisting herself up, she ascended the walls and eventually pulled herself out.
Tumbling onto the soft grass, Kagome winced and rubbed her hip.
She hadn’t done that in a while.

They walked towards Kaede’s village in silence, Kagome pondering her earlier thoughts.
She was painfully aware of Inuyasha’s presence, like a glow in her peripheral vision.
Her nerves were on fire, burning with the desire to touch him. I am Kikyo, she reminded herself. The urge suddenly dipasitated and she felt her body go numb.
“How are Sango, Miroku and Shippo doing?” she heard herself asking.
“Fine.” Inuyasha replied. They fell into silence once more, and when Kagome was able to see the rooftops of the familiar village, she was grateful. An unseen tension still loomed betwixt the pair when they arrived at Kaede’s hut.

“Ah, Kagome, glad to see ye are back.” Kaede greeted her warmly as Inuyasha set her things down by the entrance of the hut.
Kagome gave the old woman a smile and abrupt nod before entering the hut.
Running her hands through her hair, she exhaled and closed her eyes. The small space was dark, although faded sunlight spilled into the room through the windows.
I’m okay, she told herself. But she knew she wasn’t.

The night air was cool as it kissed her skin, pushing her thick hair off of her shoulders and offering some release from the scorching day.
Dipping her toes into the stream that flowed through the village, Kagome sat along it’s banks, grateful to be alone.
Since she’d arrived, she’d been surrounded by the others, especially Shippo.

His presence was non-stop.
A consistant tugging on her sock, or weight on her shoulder as he clung to her.
She didn’t mind but it was good to be alone with her thoughts once more.

Her eyes lifting to the crescent moon that glowed like alabaster against the black sky, she continued to dip her toes in and out of the refreshing water.

Inuyasha hasn’t spoken to me all day, she thought sadly. He always has something to say.

He had, infact, been in a rather odd mood. He was silent most of the day, and when Shippo had pulled his hair and asked what was wrong, he didn’t even hit him.

Merely stared at the wall across from him, his eyes vacant. As if he were thinking.

Are you thinking about Kikyo right now, Inuyasha?
Dropping her lids, Kagome closed her eyes and parted her lips. The sound of water trickling over rocks was faint, accompanied by crickets and other insects. She forgot how peaceful it was here.

Because I’m thinking about you..