InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Knight Errant ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

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

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of the other inhabitants of the fine story of Rumiko's that we all know and love.

“We should leave soon. It's still a long way to the cave.”

InuYasha protested early on into the journey since he considered it a waste of time that could be better spent hunting shards, until Kagome exasperatedly pointed out that the Birds of Paradise that were preying on the wolves more than likely had at least one shard among them to make them so strong. Then it was all they could do to keep him with them, him wanting to forge on ahead even when Kagome needed to rest. It had been InuYasha's idea to carry her when Kouga had run ahead to scout out for possible trouble so they wouldn't fall too far behind, though even InuYasha's quick pace was no match for Kouga's amazing speed. She rested quietly on his back as he carried her, amazed at how smoothly he carried her even when he leapt and landed with hardly a jarring of her. Kagome had just decided that this was really the way to travel when Kouga rejoined them. To say that he was less than pleased with the arrangement was an understatement.

As InuYasha landed, Kouga came running up in his customary tornado and dust whipped past them and cleared to reveal him standing there with his arms crossed and a slightly cocky smirk on his face, which dissolved into an almost blank stare as he took in the scene before him. His woman, his Kagome was on the back of that half demon mutt, and he couldn't hold in the deep growl or the snarl that followed. He threw his hands up in the air in absolute disbelief as he began to pace and rant at InuYasha.

“I can't believe you let her get hurt! I was only gone a little while, and you couldn't even protect her that long!”

Kagome blinked in confusion, she wasn't hurt at all! Though Kagome was suddenly very annoyed and surprised to find herself dropped in the dirt behind her erstwhile ride as he gestured rudely at the yelling wolf Prince and protested his innocence of the charges leveled at him, ignoring her while she stood up and dusted herself off to stand to the side and watch the two argue back and forth.

“What are you raving about you jerk? She's just fine! I was just carrying her because she's so slow!”

Kouga's intense blue eyes widened a bit then narrowed in a glare at InuYasha before he stalked over to Kagome and then tenderly took her hands in his. He then carefully moved her a bit, examining her closely to make sure that she was really fine, though his nose wrinkled when he got close to her. He snarled over his shoulder at the half demon, ire clear in his voice.

“So she's fine, but now she's got your stink on her!”

“Why you dirty mangy wolf! I'll show you who stinks!”

Kagome blushed deeply red as the two exchanged more insults, her cheeks flushed and hot to the touch when Kouga abruptly turned his back on InuYasha and almost tenderly nuzzled her face, whispering to her that he wasn't angry at her. The softness of that gesture made her remember the kiss they'd shared, and she was almost surprised to see that she'd lifted her hand to capture Kouga's ponytail in her fingers. She drew it around to her face and inhaled, like she'd seen Kouga do with her own hair, and she was surprised at how calm she suddenly felt. He smelled like the forest, warm fur, and the wind he ran in and she smiled up at him. For Kouga he had suddenly caught his breath in sheer amazement at her. Without knowing, what she had done was so highly attractive to him that he could scarcely contain his reaction to it, fingers almost trembling as he ran his hands down her arms and leaned to brush his lips to hers before he turned back to snarl at InuYasha once more.

She felt so out of her depth, listening to them argue and she wondered how long it would be before they stepped past arguing and began to physically fight. This had something to do with their youkai blood, she just knew it, and if she thought hard about it she might draw some fairly embarrassing conclusions. What she wasn't sure about was if there was anything she could do to stop the fight, or if it was at this point a foregone conclusion. It was such an innocent thing in her eyes, yet Kouga had taken such offence at what InuYasha had done in carrying her when she wasn't hurt. A very small portion of her also began to wonder if her silver haired friend hadn't perhaps done it for that very purpose, to upset the proud wolf Prince. What she couldn't understand was why he would do such a thing, other than to pick a useless fight with Kouga, it just didn't make sense to her at all.

Her head was starting to ache thinking about it, and as her head pounded her temper rose. She looked around at the area they were in, and recognition set in quickly. Not too far from here was the well that she came here through, and the God Tree that Kouga had been bound to. As the pair began to exchange blows, Kagome's temper finally snapped. Head down, hands in little fists at the end of arms fully extended by her thighs, she screamed at the both of them.

“If you two are going waste time being stupid jerks, I'm going home!”

Silver haired and raven haired heads whipped around at her words, though the surprise wasn't even close enough to stop Kouga's fist from connecting with InuYasha's chest and sending him flying into a nearby tree. She was running towards the well, and on the breeze Kouga could scent the salt of her tears. InuYasha's next spring towards him sent him flying back because he was so focused on her that he didn't even bother to defend himself. He felt abruptly guilty, and the pain of his collision into another tree barely put a dent in that guilt. He jumped up, ready to chase after her, and what … apologize? He wasn't sure, but he felt the need to do something. She surely just didn't understand what had happened and why he'd reacted the way he had, knowing nothing of youkai instincts and he cared enough for her to want to explain himself. He might not be able to change how he reacted to things that happened but the least he could do was make sure his woman would understand what things meant, what the consequences to seemingly innocent things were. Like the way she had taken his scent from his hair, and how even now that feeling wound around his heart, drawing her deeper into his being, and surely even though she couldn't have known something moved her to do it. He wanted to ask her, why.

Yet she was leaving, leaving him to go home. It felt like a vise around his heart, and while he could see her in the distance it was as if his feet were encased in stone, unable to follow. Was she rejecting him? No, she wouldn't do that like this, he knew her well enough to know that. She was just upset, and hurt that they'd fought, though again he knew he didn't know enough about humans to be totally sure why. That wasn't to say that even demon women liked being fought over either, though he did know that they appreciated having a choice for their affections. Was that it? Did she think that the hanyou might want her affections as well and was unsure how to react? Time slowed while he thought about that, only coming back up to speed when InuYasha leapt past him calling her name. Maybe she wasn't aware of it, but Kouga had the startling realization that he did indeed have a rival in that moment.

“Kagome! Wait!”

It was enough to push him into motion, his Shard enhanced speed pushing him easily past the sprinting half demon. She was leaving, just like the last time, going somewhere he couldn't follow and protect her and the thought tore at him. He knew, watching her sobbing as she slung a leg over the wooden structure that topped the well that even if she did reject his claim of her as his woman, that he was lost to her. He would always be driven to protect her, even if it could only be from the shadows, if turning him away made her happy. But she wasn't happy, and he was almost close enough to stop her, his hand out towards her and his own stricken whisper of her name coming to her on the breeze. He could see his anguished expression reflected in her eyes as she had let go to drop back into the well and he saw her try to stop herself. Did she want to go to him? Either way it was too late now, she had dropped and the blue light had come up to engulf her. He had a strange sense of déjà vu then when InuYasha came sliding to a halt next to the well and began ranting at him about letting her go, but even that brash half demon quieted at the snarl Kouga directed his way. Head bowed, dark hair released to fall around his shoulders, he was silent for a moment before he stood up, straightening proudly. If she could come here, he could go to her. It seemed just that straightforward to Kouga, just that simple.

He would go into the well and bring his woman back. He leveled a shaking finger at InuYasha, and snarled at him again.

“This … it's not over between us, mutt. I'm not stupid, I know what you really want.”

At the confused look InuYasha shot his way he almost doubted the conclusion that he'd come to about the hanyou wanting his Kagome, almost. Either way it was something he'd deal with later, he decided, and he did as he'd watched his woman do twice now. He sat, then swung a leg over and dropped down into the well. He had no idea what to expect, though he felt his heart yearn for her. He wanted to wipe those tears from her face, make her forget that it had been something he'd done that caused them in the first place, other than to apologize for it. Surely she would understand, once he'd explained to her. Even if the thought of what it was, the primal needs of a youkai, were alien to her she was bright and she could understand him. He had that utmost faith in her.

Present Day:

Whether it was the yearning for her that let him through or the Shards in his legs he'd never be able to say, but it was one of the most unique experiences of his life. The same blue light that he'd seen engulf her came up over him just before he hit the bottom of the well which surprised him, as did the feeling of floating and weightlessness that went with it. Finally the light cleared and his feet touched packed earth, darkness surrounding him. He took a breath, Kagome's scent was strong here as well as the scent of her tears, so she could not have passed this way too long ago. He cocked his head and faintly but close by he could hear her weeping. He crouched, then he jumped up out of the well to look around at the strange wooden enclosure around it. He felt elation for a brief moment, because somehow he'd done it, he'd crossed over to where she came from! That moment died when he slid open the door to see his woman sitting on the steps trying to stop her tears.

“Kagome.”

His deep voice was so soft then, as he slid behind her and embraced her much as he had before the fire. This time she didn't resist, she turned and sighed, leaning against him. It didn't occur to her that he had done anything amazing by being just there when she needed him, he was right in that she had tried to stop when she'd seen how sorry he was, but once through her confusion had won out and she had sat out here to cry out her tears before going in to see her family. His roughened fingers slipped over her tear wet cheeks, and he nuzzled his nose into her hair, taking her scent in again. His dark hair was still loose from the fight and draped over hers, and Kagome moved in his arms to bury her face in it. Again came that feeling of calm and she sighed, his scent in her lungs again and she heard his sharp intake of breath, how his fingers dropped from her cheeks and his arms went around her tight, his voice suddenly very low.

“Kagome, there's just so much you don't understand yet. I promise I'll explain all I can, I'm just not so good with words. But do you know, what you do to me when you do that? With demons it means you … you accept me, that you trust me, and that you want me. I know you're a human girl, but when you do that it makes me want to keep you forever, because it makes me believe you're mine.”

She gave the softest gasp, surprised at his words. She drew back enough to look up at his face, at the seriousness there and the soft light of truth in his so blue eyes. His hands on her had tightened when she'd moved, afraid that she would bolt and run from him, but she didn't. Her eyes shone from her tears, chocolate depths warm even if she still felt so unsure. Her hands moved up to push back his dark hair, fingertips brushing the tips of his pointed ears. Even if she wasn't sure of how she felt for him, she knew the truth of one thing, and that was that he was utterly sincere with her. He cared enough to want her to understand him, without pushing her to agree before she grasped the truth of their strange relationship. Was that what they had? Could he be considered her boyfriend? He had given her the first kiss of her life, and so much more. He would do anything for her, brave anything, which he had proved by coming through the well after her. Anything could have happened, the power could have rejected him or worse destroyed him, yet he chanced it to come to her when she needed him.

“I'm sorry, I didn't know. I still don't know if I'm ready for what I think you want.”

He held back the feelings of rejection, because her hands were still there in his hair, and then she leaned forward and deliberately inhaled of his scent. His heart leapt in his chest, because now she did it knowing full well what she did. It was an acceptance at least of how he felt for her, and that was a start. He whispered her name again, and she brushed her lips to his. When she stood up she took his hand in hers, and began to lead him across from the well house towards a small house. This was a shrine, and it was nicely kept, though there was a strange burnt scent to the air which distressed him slightly, and there were odd sounds coming from not too far away. He turned his attention back to the girl that held his hand since that was much easier for him to deal with than the oddity of where she lived.

Meeting her family led to the strangest fifteen minutes of his life. First had been her grandfather calling him a demon and throwing paper sutras at him, he'd almost flinched until he realized there was no power behind them. Kagome had been outraged and shouted at him, this is Kouga and he saved me, remember? He was touched that she had told her family about him, even if they were a little odd. Her mother had been lovely and had such kind eyes, though he was a little anxious when she had reached to grab his tail, petting it and asking if it was real. Her brother Souta hadn't been too bad, though he had asked lots of questions that Kouga really didn't have an answer to. Helplessly he looked for rescue and Kagome obliged, and after a few more long moments she got him out of there. She let him pace outside while she gathered up more supplies and something she called `homework' whatever that was, and then she was back outside to take his hand and lead him towards the well.

“Don't you want to stay, at least the night?”

She shook her head, though he was sure in the future most likely she would do just that. Her home was here, and her family was here, and until she accepted his offer and truly became his woman it would be only proper that she be with her mother at least part of the time. He could accept that. Her soft words made him smile though as she let him pick her up and jump down into the well together.

“We have to save your tribe from the Birds of Paradise first.”

Feudal Era:

It was lonely in the clearing of the Bone Eater's Well, for InuYasha. The sun was bright over head, what clouds that were there were of the soft variety that Kagome liked to look up at and tell him what things she thought they looked like. He wanted to blame Kouga for everything, the fight and her leaving, but he knew that deep down he was just as at fault. He knew that what he'd done would get a rise out of the wolf Prince, who was just as predictable in his youkai behavior as Sesshoumaru in his own way. Scent was very important in the youkai world, and he'd known full well that his scent on Kagome would irk the Prince that called her his woman. Part of InuYasha took great glee in that, his scent on Kagome. But right now, he was sorry because she was gone and Kouga had been the one to go after her. Surely he would bring her back soon, and they could continue where they left off.

He would just have to reign in this part of him that wanted to goad Kouga into fighting for Kagome. He had a distinct advantage over Kouga in this fight if he could only clear his head enough to use it! He had had fifty years to observe humans while protecting the village that his Kikyou had lived in and he knew much about their habits and needs, much more than Kouga could possibly know. That was definitely in his favor, though the heavens knew that the moment he got around the mangy wolf that his brain seemed to fly right out the window and his youkai half wanted to clamor towards the forefront and take over. So he had it in his mind to make a truce with Kouga at least for now, and win Kagome in the only way he could. He'd have to be patient and strong, but it could be done.

He'd be there for her. He could do it. Kouga was often away because of his responsibilities as Prince, and in those moments InuYasha would be there at her side. It was the perfect plan. Or would have been, if certain things had not gotten in the way, things that the half demon could never have predicted would happen. But in that moment he was satisfied with what he had planned, so he was able to smile when Kagome and Kouga came out of the well together, and even gruffly sort of semi-apologize. Then he was right back to his old self.

“It's about time you two got back, how far is it to those Birds and their Jewel Shards?”

A/N: Next Chapter, Shippou and the Birds of Paradise!