InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Just The Way You Are ❯ Worlds Apart ( Chapter 3 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: xbitternessx 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.09.2005 | Updated On: 09.13.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 09.09.2005 | Updated On: 09.13.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.6K | Visits: 1.4K | Status: Completed
A/N: I don’t own Inuyasha, but I have a tabby that’s pretty vicious…
On another note, this chapter’s been edited, along with 2 and 3. Just little, bitty mistakes. But they bug me.
*******
Inuyasha’s ears laid against his head. “Is that all it takes to get to you?” he asked. “A few compliments?”
“Well, it’s not like I get them anywhere else,” she replied.
That stung him. “Well, a lot of people get when it’s earned, not when they’re following orders.”
“Seiji doesn’t order me!”
“He doesn’t?” Inuyasha tilted his head. “’Wow, Kagome, I love your lipstick, but wouldn’t something a little darker suit you?’” the hanyou mocked Seiji. “’That’s a great song, Kagome, but I brought this for you to listen to.’ ‘Oh, I don’t know if your friends would like this film, Kagome, but what if we bring them along next time?’”
“Just how much have you been spying on me?”
“Enough to know that he’s a piece of shit!” Inuyasha exploded. “He’s only nice to you because you follow him around like an obedient little bitch!”
Kagome gasped, and a long silence spun out between the two. When Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, she shut him up with a threatening glare. Defeated, he returned his attention to the claw marks on her shoulder. She sat stiffly in front of him until he moved her arm up to bring the gauze wrapping around, grazing her breast, which caused her to flinch. “Sorry,” he mumbled, shocking her that he’d actually acknowledged the contact.
“Why do you care?” she asked quietly.
“Care about what?” he asked meekly. Was she going to call him out for that?
“Seiji.”
Inuyasha snorted, relaxing slightly. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about him.”
“You know what I mean.”
He taped up the gauze, pulling her ruined shirt back into place before setting back against the trunk of a large tree. “Because. I know you were always mad at me for something, but we had fun, right?” Kagome nodded slightly, not turning to face him. “And if you want to spend your time with someone else, well… that’s fine. I’d just rather it be someone that deserved you.”
“And who deserves me, Inuyasha?” She finally faced him, the tears in her eyes shining. She was putting him on the spot, and he knew it, but he couldn’t back down, or the whole argument would mean nothing.
“No one, okay? No one does.” He stood, crossing his arms. If she wanted more than that, she was going to drag it out of him kicking and screaming.
“Then, why are we even arguing?” she asked. “No matter who I’m with, you’re going to find something wrong with them.”
“I wouldn’t if they didn’t seem to find so much wrong with you,” he replied, rolling a pebble on the ground around with his toe. “But if Seiji’s what you want, fine. I’ll have you home in time to go to your stupid party.”
Kagome didn’t know what to say to that, and she was relieved when she heard the voices of the others, back from their errands. Sighing, Inuyasha walked away to help the others. She watched as they set the wood up for a fire after sunset. Inuyasha returned her medical supplies to her bag, and rolled her sleeping bag out near the stacked logs, pulling it back a little bit so no cinders could fly at her while she slept. She watched him dig around in the bag a bit longer, pulling out a bottle of juice and an energy bar, which he brought to her. “You should feel a little better after you eat,” he told her, his voice betraying no emotion at all.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, taking the food from him. Once it was out of his hands, Inuyasha bent over, picking her up easily in his arms and depositing her on her sleeping bag. It was hard to hate him when he was being so nice.
As darkness approached, Inuyasha left camp, letting the others know he was going to wash the blood off of himself. Miroku followed at Sango’s request so she could help Kagome change out of her own ruined clothing.
“Does it hurt, Kagome?” Shippou asked, looking at the bandages in concern.
“Some. But I’ll be fine.”
“Inuyasha did a pretty good job,” Sango commented before helping Kagome into a looser shirt.
“Yeah.”
“I noticed the two of you are speaking again.”
“Sort of.” Sango didn’t miss the small smiling playing at the corners of the girl’s mouth.
“Well, that’s something, isn’t it?”
“Mm-hmm.”
*
When Inuyasha returned, carrying his dripping haori in his hands, he was glad to see Kagome laughing by the fire with Sango. She looked pale, and tired, but he knew she’d be okay, and it had been so long since he’d seen her really laugh. He wished he was better at talking, so there was some way to convince her to stay, and not go to that party. Even though he knew Kagome had a family, and a whole other life, sometimes he found himself fantasizing that she would leave it all, and stay with him. Then, they’d have more time to hunt down the jewel shards, and defeat Naraku, and he could avenge Kikyou’s death and finally let her go. Then, after all that was done, he could focus on his own life, and what he wanted. Not that he knew exactly what he wanted, but he did know that Kagome figured into it somewhere.
Kagome started to get up from her sleeping bag, and Inuyasha quickly raced over, sitting her back down. “Hey,” she laughed. “I’m not an invalid, you know.” He could tell she didn’t exactly mind the attention, however.
“What is it?” he asked her.
She sighed, rolling her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. “There’s a book, in my backpack.”
“Yeah, there’s a dozen of them.”
“The blue one, please.”
After digging in her backpack, Inuyasha found her textbooks, bringing her the one she wanted, and nonchalantly taking a seat next to her as she opened it. Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and even Kirara exchanged looks.
Inuyasha looked over the pages Kagome read, wondering what they said. He knew how to write his own name, as well as his mother’s, but that was all. “What’s that one mean?” he asked, tapping a claw down on the page.
“That’s kanji, for happiness.”
“I like that.”
“Really? Well…” She looked around. “Shippou, could you give me a page out of your drawing book?”
“Sure, Kagome,” the kitsune complied, bringing her a crayon as well.
Kagome sketched the symbol out, handing it to Inuyasha, who failed to hide his smile. “Could you teach me some more?” he asked.
“Sure.”
The two of them were so involved that they didn’t even take notice as one by one, their friends fell asleep.
“Okay, this one if for ‘fire,’” Kagome told him, writing it down.
“Keh, that’s easy.” He took the paper and crayon, copying the symbol she’d drawn.
“That’s good,” she said. He really did have nice script, and he was a fast learner. As Kagome looked for another word, she hid a yawn behind her hand.
“Tired?” he asked.
“Yeah, but this is fun.”
“You should rest.”
“I don’t know how I’m going to,” she laughed. “I’m afraid I’ll roll over on my shoulder.”
Inuyasha puckered his lips, thinking. He then retrieved his haori from the ground, handing it to her. Before she could ask why, and make him feel awkward, he hoisted her up in his arms, jumping up onto the branch of a nearby tree. Settling himself against the trunk, he carefully moved her until her right side rested against his chest before covering them both with the warm fur of his robe, and closing his eyes.
“Inuyasha?” Here it came.
“Go to sleep, Kagome.”
“But… I really shouldn’t be…”
He opened one golden eye, looking down at her upturned face. “Look. You’re here, and I’m the one taking care of you. If you want to leave yourself in the hands of that moron from you’re time, you do that. But as long as you’re here, you’re mine.” He heard Kagome’s soft gasp at his choice of words, but chose to ignore it. After a few moments, he felt her head relax against him as she drifted off to sleep.
*
Wednesday came all too soon, and without finding a single jewel shard. Kagome felt strangely guilty as Inuyasha walked her to the Bone Eater’s Well. She also felt guilty that she didn’t want to go home. Three days of sleeping in trees and teaching Inuyasha how to read probably wouldn’t rate as great fun for anyone else, but she’d enjoyed it. She was almost depressed that her shoulder was healing so well. By the time she got back, there would be no need for Inuyasha to hold her as she slept.
Inuyasha kept stealing glances of Kagome as they walked to the well. She seemed deep in thought, and he wondered if there was some way he could talk her out of going home. He always missed her when she left, but he didn’t know what he was going to do now, without her company at night, without her to put his arms around as she slept, her comforting scent sending him into dreams as well. Did she not see what was happening?
Wait a second, what was happening?!
Suddenly, they were at the well, and Inuyasha was at a loss for words, afraid of what might come out of his mouth.
“I’ll be back tonight,” she told him.
“How late?”
“As soon as I get dropped off.”
“I’ll wait here.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to do that. It’s not that far for me to walk alone.”
“Remember what I said,” he told her in a serious tone. Kagome nodded, knowing she’d never be able to forget. She was his, whatever that meant.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you later.” Inuyasha simply nodded, which made for more of a surprise when in the very next moment, she was wrapped in his arms.
“Be careful, Kagome,” he told her, letting her go.
“I will,” she promised, before jumping into the well.
*
Kagome let herself into the house quietly. She knew her mother wouldn’t be home, but she didn’t want to be spotted at all. Once in her room, she locked her door, going through her closet for something that would still look nice while not revealing her bandages. She only had an hour before she was supposed to meet Seiji at the bus stop.
She finally settled on a long sleeved black dress, and pulled her hair back quickly before beginning on her make-up. Once that was done, she studied herself in the mirror.
(“What happened to those stupid socks you used to wear?”)
Kagome smiled a little sadly at her image, remembering Inuyasha’s vehement words. It was true that Seiji was a little opinionated, but at least it proved he was interested. Kagome glanced at her clock, sighing. It was time to go.
*
Inuyasha sat by the well, wondering if Kagome was with that bastard yet. He’d probably hurt her shoulder, because she probably wouldn’t tell him it was hurt in the first place.
(“Why do you care?”)
Her words rang through his head. Had he done such a good job of convincing Kagome he didn’t care for her? After the past few days, he found himself hoping that wasn’t true. He’d always cared for Kagome. She was so open, and kind, and never judgmental. Even when they’d first met Miroku, she’d continued to give him chance after chance until Inuyasha finally ended up accepting him as part of their group. And the way she had with Shippou, you’d hardly know the runt was an orphan. She’d done a great job of bringing Sango out of her deep depression, as well.
After the past few days, he’d learned even more about her, like how patient she was, even to an idiot like him. He couldn’t believe that after 200 years, he was learning to read. She didn’t see it as wasting her time.
She reminded him of his mother.
*
As Kagome and Seiji neared his friend’s house, he slipped an arm around her, squeezing her shoulder. “Ow!” Kagome squealed, causing him to jump back.
“What the matter?”
“Oh. I, uh, fell. When I was visiting my aunt.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, sure.”
He smiled. “Good. Let’s go in, huh?”
“Okay.”
As the door opened, Kagome was hit by a wall of loud music, and yelling teenagers. Seiji grabbed her hand, leading her through the thick crowd. By the time they reached the other side, her shoulder was screaming in complaint of the beating it had just taken.
“Kagome, this is Ken,” Seiji told her, gesturing to the boy they’d come across the room to see. Kagome nodded her head to the boy, who smiled in return.
“First party?” he shouted over the din.
“Yes.”
“Great!” He handed her a cup of foul smelling liquid.
“Oh, I don’t drink,” she told him.
“It’s okay, Kagome,” Seiji assured her. “I’ll make sure you get home alright. Have a little fun.”
“Well…” She watched as her boyfriend took a long swallow of his own drink, and Kagome took a very small sip of her own, grimacing as it burned her throat on the way down.
*******
Yeah, I like ending my chapters mid-scene. It’s a thing I have. Let me know what you think!
On another note, this chapter’s been edited, along with 2 and 3. Just little, bitty mistakes. But they bug me.
*******
Inuyasha’s ears laid against his head. “Is that all it takes to get to you?” he asked. “A few compliments?”
“Well, it’s not like I get them anywhere else,” she replied.
That stung him. “Well, a lot of people get when it’s earned, not when they’re following orders.”
“Seiji doesn’t order me!”
“He doesn’t?” Inuyasha tilted his head. “’Wow, Kagome, I love your lipstick, but wouldn’t something a little darker suit you?’” the hanyou mocked Seiji. “’That’s a great song, Kagome, but I brought this for you to listen to.’ ‘Oh, I don’t know if your friends would like this film, Kagome, but what if we bring them along next time?’”
“Just how much have you been spying on me?”
“Enough to know that he’s a piece of shit!” Inuyasha exploded. “He’s only nice to you because you follow him around like an obedient little bitch!”
Kagome gasped, and a long silence spun out between the two. When Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, she shut him up with a threatening glare. Defeated, he returned his attention to the claw marks on her shoulder. She sat stiffly in front of him until he moved her arm up to bring the gauze wrapping around, grazing her breast, which caused her to flinch. “Sorry,” he mumbled, shocking her that he’d actually acknowledged the contact.
“Why do you care?” she asked quietly.
“Care about what?” he asked meekly. Was she going to call him out for that?
“Seiji.”
Inuyasha snorted, relaxing slightly. “I don’t give a rat’s ass about him.”
“You know what I mean.”
He taped up the gauze, pulling her ruined shirt back into place before setting back against the trunk of a large tree. “Because. I know you were always mad at me for something, but we had fun, right?” Kagome nodded slightly, not turning to face him. “And if you want to spend your time with someone else, well… that’s fine. I’d just rather it be someone that deserved you.”
“And who deserves me, Inuyasha?” She finally faced him, the tears in her eyes shining. She was putting him on the spot, and he knew it, but he couldn’t back down, or the whole argument would mean nothing.
“No one, okay? No one does.” He stood, crossing his arms. If she wanted more than that, she was going to drag it out of him kicking and screaming.
“Then, why are we even arguing?” she asked. “No matter who I’m with, you’re going to find something wrong with them.”
“I wouldn’t if they didn’t seem to find so much wrong with you,” he replied, rolling a pebble on the ground around with his toe. “But if Seiji’s what you want, fine. I’ll have you home in time to go to your stupid party.”
Kagome didn’t know what to say to that, and she was relieved when she heard the voices of the others, back from their errands. Sighing, Inuyasha walked away to help the others. She watched as they set the wood up for a fire after sunset. Inuyasha returned her medical supplies to her bag, and rolled her sleeping bag out near the stacked logs, pulling it back a little bit so no cinders could fly at her while she slept. She watched him dig around in the bag a bit longer, pulling out a bottle of juice and an energy bar, which he brought to her. “You should feel a little better after you eat,” he told her, his voice betraying no emotion at all.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, taking the food from him. Once it was out of his hands, Inuyasha bent over, picking her up easily in his arms and depositing her on her sleeping bag. It was hard to hate him when he was being so nice.
As darkness approached, Inuyasha left camp, letting the others know he was going to wash the blood off of himself. Miroku followed at Sango’s request so she could help Kagome change out of her own ruined clothing.
“Does it hurt, Kagome?” Shippou asked, looking at the bandages in concern.
“Some. But I’ll be fine.”
“Inuyasha did a pretty good job,” Sango commented before helping Kagome into a looser shirt.
“Yeah.”
“I noticed the two of you are speaking again.”
“Sort of.” Sango didn’t miss the small smiling playing at the corners of the girl’s mouth.
“Well, that’s something, isn’t it?”
“Mm-hmm.”
*
When Inuyasha returned, carrying his dripping haori in his hands, he was glad to see Kagome laughing by the fire with Sango. She looked pale, and tired, but he knew she’d be okay, and it had been so long since he’d seen her really laugh. He wished he was better at talking, so there was some way to convince her to stay, and not go to that party. Even though he knew Kagome had a family, and a whole other life, sometimes he found himself fantasizing that she would leave it all, and stay with him. Then, they’d have more time to hunt down the jewel shards, and defeat Naraku, and he could avenge Kikyou’s death and finally let her go. Then, after all that was done, he could focus on his own life, and what he wanted. Not that he knew exactly what he wanted, but he did know that Kagome figured into it somewhere.
Kagome started to get up from her sleeping bag, and Inuyasha quickly raced over, sitting her back down. “Hey,” she laughed. “I’m not an invalid, you know.” He could tell she didn’t exactly mind the attention, however.
“What is it?” he asked her.
She sighed, rolling her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. “There’s a book, in my backpack.”
“Yeah, there’s a dozen of them.”
“The blue one, please.”
After digging in her backpack, Inuyasha found her textbooks, bringing her the one she wanted, and nonchalantly taking a seat next to her as she opened it. Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and even Kirara exchanged looks.
Inuyasha looked over the pages Kagome read, wondering what they said. He knew how to write his own name, as well as his mother’s, but that was all. “What’s that one mean?” he asked, tapping a claw down on the page.
“That’s kanji, for happiness.”
“I like that.”
“Really? Well…” She looked around. “Shippou, could you give me a page out of your drawing book?”
“Sure, Kagome,” the kitsune complied, bringing her a crayon as well.
Kagome sketched the symbol out, handing it to Inuyasha, who failed to hide his smile. “Could you teach me some more?” he asked.
“Sure.”
The two of them were so involved that they didn’t even take notice as one by one, their friends fell asleep.
“Okay, this one if for ‘fire,’” Kagome told him, writing it down.
“Keh, that’s easy.” He took the paper and crayon, copying the symbol she’d drawn.
“That’s good,” she said. He really did have nice script, and he was a fast learner. As Kagome looked for another word, she hid a yawn behind her hand.
“Tired?” he asked.
“Yeah, but this is fun.”
“You should rest.”
“I don’t know how I’m going to,” she laughed. “I’m afraid I’ll roll over on my shoulder.”
Inuyasha puckered his lips, thinking. He then retrieved his haori from the ground, handing it to her. Before she could ask why, and make him feel awkward, he hoisted her up in his arms, jumping up onto the branch of a nearby tree. Settling himself against the trunk, he carefully moved her until her right side rested against his chest before covering them both with the warm fur of his robe, and closing his eyes.
“Inuyasha?” Here it came.
“Go to sleep, Kagome.”
“But… I really shouldn’t be…”
He opened one golden eye, looking down at her upturned face. “Look. You’re here, and I’m the one taking care of you. If you want to leave yourself in the hands of that moron from you’re time, you do that. But as long as you’re here, you’re mine.” He heard Kagome’s soft gasp at his choice of words, but chose to ignore it. After a few moments, he felt her head relax against him as she drifted off to sleep.
*
Wednesday came all too soon, and without finding a single jewel shard. Kagome felt strangely guilty as Inuyasha walked her to the Bone Eater’s Well. She also felt guilty that she didn’t want to go home. Three days of sleeping in trees and teaching Inuyasha how to read probably wouldn’t rate as great fun for anyone else, but she’d enjoyed it. She was almost depressed that her shoulder was healing so well. By the time she got back, there would be no need for Inuyasha to hold her as she slept.
Inuyasha kept stealing glances of Kagome as they walked to the well. She seemed deep in thought, and he wondered if there was some way he could talk her out of going home. He always missed her when she left, but he didn’t know what he was going to do now, without her company at night, without her to put his arms around as she slept, her comforting scent sending him into dreams as well. Did she not see what was happening?
Wait a second, what was happening?!
Suddenly, they were at the well, and Inuyasha was at a loss for words, afraid of what might come out of his mouth.
“I’ll be back tonight,” she told him.
“How late?”
“As soon as I get dropped off.”
“I’ll wait here.”
She smiled. “You don’t have to do that. It’s not that far for me to walk alone.”
“Remember what I said,” he told her in a serious tone. Kagome nodded, knowing she’d never be able to forget. She was his, whatever that meant.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you later.” Inuyasha simply nodded, which made for more of a surprise when in the very next moment, she was wrapped in his arms.
“Be careful, Kagome,” he told her, letting her go.
“I will,” she promised, before jumping into the well.
*
Kagome let herself into the house quietly. She knew her mother wouldn’t be home, but she didn’t want to be spotted at all. Once in her room, she locked her door, going through her closet for something that would still look nice while not revealing her bandages. She only had an hour before she was supposed to meet Seiji at the bus stop.
She finally settled on a long sleeved black dress, and pulled her hair back quickly before beginning on her make-up. Once that was done, she studied herself in the mirror.
(“What happened to those stupid socks you used to wear?”)
Kagome smiled a little sadly at her image, remembering Inuyasha’s vehement words. It was true that Seiji was a little opinionated, but at least it proved he was interested. Kagome glanced at her clock, sighing. It was time to go.
*
Inuyasha sat by the well, wondering if Kagome was with that bastard yet. He’d probably hurt her shoulder, because she probably wouldn’t tell him it was hurt in the first place.
(“Why do you care?”)
Her words rang through his head. Had he done such a good job of convincing Kagome he didn’t care for her? After the past few days, he found himself hoping that wasn’t true. He’d always cared for Kagome. She was so open, and kind, and never judgmental. Even when they’d first met Miroku, she’d continued to give him chance after chance until Inuyasha finally ended up accepting him as part of their group. And the way she had with Shippou, you’d hardly know the runt was an orphan. She’d done a great job of bringing Sango out of her deep depression, as well.
After the past few days, he’d learned even more about her, like how patient she was, even to an idiot like him. He couldn’t believe that after 200 years, he was learning to read. She didn’t see it as wasting her time.
She reminded him of his mother.
*
As Kagome and Seiji neared his friend’s house, he slipped an arm around her, squeezing her shoulder. “Ow!” Kagome squealed, causing him to jump back.
“What the matter?”
“Oh. I, uh, fell. When I was visiting my aunt.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, sure.”
He smiled. “Good. Let’s go in, huh?”
“Okay.”
As the door opened, Kagome was hit by a wall of loud music, and yelling teenagers. Seiji grabbed her hand, leading her through the thick crowd. By the time they reached the other side, her shoulder was screaming in complaint of the beating it had just taken.
“Kagome, this is Ken,” Seiji told her, gesturing to the boy they’d come across the room to see. Kagome nodded her head to the boy, who smiled in return.
“First party?” he shouted over the din.
“Yes.”
“Great!” He handed her a cup of foul smelling liquid.
“Oh, I don’t drink,” she told him.
“It’s okay, Kagome,” Seiji assured her. “I’ll make sure you get home alright. Have a little fun.”
“Well…” She watched as her boyfriend took a long swallow of his own drink, and Kagome took a very small sip of her own, grimacing as it burned her throat on the way down.
*******
Yeah, I like ending my chapters mid-scene. It’s a thing I have. Let me know what you think!