InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Legend of the Labyrinth ❯ Choices Made ( Chapter 8 )
Chapter 8
*~*~*~*~*
They awoke in better spirits, fairly early in the day, yet not so much as to still feel exhausted. Kagome was once again slightly sore and stiff in her front, but not nearly as much as before. She suspected that this was because Shippo had slept curled up next to her, bringing added warmth to drive out the chill of the night from her bruised flesh. Not to be outdone, Miroku found some herb he claimed would keep her wound from becoming infected, and Kagome found she could trust his judgment. Even if he was a leach, he still seemed to care about the people around him. Afterwards, Miroku took Shippo in search of some breakfast, and Kagome decided to go take a quick bath to clean herself up. Her mind made up, she told Inuyasha of her plan before she left. She was fairly certain he heard her, even though he gave no indication of being awake, and continued to sit in his tree in utter silence.
Walking up stream in the opposite direction Miroku and Shippo had taken, she found a nice, fairly deep pool and slowly stripped off her clothes, mindful of her aches and wound. To be honest, the little cut in her arm hardly deserved the title. It was maybe four inches long and not deep enough to reach the bone. She was surprised it had bled so much, now that she had a chance to inspect the brownish stain on her shirt. It had covered almost all of her left sleeve and dripped right down to the hip of her skirt. It was amazing how much somebody could bleed from something so little.
"Ow!" Then again, maybe not. It looked small, but the pain was more then enough to limit the movement of her arm. She sighed and berated herself once again for doing something so foolish as running out into the middle of a battle without a care or thought as to where the danger was. To be honest, she was very lucky to even be alive right now, and not among the fallen masses of soldiers. Once again, Kagome shuddered involuntarily at the thought.
Wringing her clothes out as best she could, she lay them out on the grass to dry and sat down beside them, itching when the plants tickled her bare skin. She proceeded to inspect her wound again (they hadn't had any spare cloth to use for a bandage), and ground up the herb between two rocks into a very pathetic sort of paste. It stung like nothing she had ever known before, and she had to bite the back of her lip bloody in an attempt to keep from screaming. Finally it settled down and she rinsed the gunk away with some clean water and left it at that. Her clothes were dry enough to wear by now, but Kagome decided to delay returning to camp, opting instead to flatten herself out in the tall grass out of view, and do some much needed thinking.
Inuyasha…
She hadn't been able to speak to him last night about what had happened, she couldn't bring herself to. It wasn't that she blamed him, no. They were the ones who had attacked him, and strangely, she felt very little or no sympathy towards the young men who had died in the fray. Why, she couldn't say. What had been done to them was heartless and cruel, but she didn't care. She couldn't even bring herself to feel guilty for her lack of emotions. Wasn't she a good person? Weren't good people supposed to care about such things? Shouldn't she be angry at Inuyasha for what he had done?
No. Instead, all she felt was a mind numbing sadness. Sadness for every human life lost, sadness of every sufferance anyone had ever born, sadness for those who had been treated unjustly, those who had never been given a chance, and sadness for mankind, who would commit and bear these atrocities until the end of time. It was so unfair, and she had found herself asking nothing but why questions until she fell asleep. Why were people so cruel? Why did they lie and cheat and hurt each other? Why did they have to suffer and die so pointlessly?
No reason. It was the only logical conclusion she had been able to draw from the days events. It was all pointless. The thought disgusted her, and gave way to a stony depression which had eaten away all her sense and enthusiasm. It was all she could make herself do, to get them moving and out of the city before military reinforcements arrived. Kagome was sure she had never experienced such a dead feeling before in all her life.
Now however, in the bright light of morning, it had passed. They weren't the ones who had died. Time hadn't and wouldn't stop for their moping and she needed to get things in order and get on with their lives. She still needed to find her family.
She decided that when she got back to camp the first thing she would do was insist that Inuyasha take a bath. He was still covered from head to toe in blood and it probably wasn't healthy for his body, or at the very least, their sanity. Then, while he was gone, she would discuss with Miroku and Shippo what they planned to do next. Neither of the pair had been expecting to go on this journey to Delphi with them, and it was most likely they had other designs for the near future. However, Kagome secretly wished that they would find some reason for wanting to travel with them, and accompany them on their journey. After all, they were delightful company and had already proven themselves to be very resourceful in a fix. She only hoped that they wouldn't hold yesterdays events against Inuyasha, and feel obliged to come simply because they needed to protect her from "a murderous half god beast."
Then, afterwards, she would have a talk with Inuyasha. After all, he was the person yesterday had left the greatest impact on. His actions this morning proved it, for Inuyasha was always the first to wake up. She was sure he had been listening in on their conversations this morning, waiting...for something. Or maybe she was wrong. Maybe he just needed some time alone to think things through for himself.
Or maybe he was wounded?!
As the thought struck her, she suddenly realised exactly how much time she had wasted sitting here. Quickly getting up, she slipped on her clothes and skipped quickly back to camp. Running would seem a little too desperate, and she wasn't really that worried about him, just...concerned. After all, Inuyasha was a tough guy, he could look after himself.
Either way she was out of breath by the time she got back.
"Oi! What took you so long wench. We were just about to leave without you!"
Still panting a bit, she looked up, shocked to see a clean Inuyasha standing before her, arms crossed over his chest in a typical perturbed fashion. Behind him, Miroku was untying the horse, while Shippo used his little claws to brush the dust from the animal's hide.
"Inuyasha...what...what?" She gestured around with her hands instead of wasting air.
He gave her a confused glare before giving the usual, "Keh!" and replying, "Stupid wench. WE took care of all the work while YOU were out being LAZY! Now come on, we're going!"
He turned to do just that, but was stopped when a fuzzy orange thing flew over his shoulder and bopped him on the head. Shippo landed neatly in front of Kagome and pointed an accusing finger at Inuyasha.
"You jerk! Kagome can take as much time as she wants. She's injured, remember! No thanks to you!"
Inuyasha stopped rubbing the small lump on his head and took up an equally threatening position. "Watch it brat! Or I'll use your hide as a rag for cleaning Tetsusaiga!"
"Ahhh! Kagome!!"
Once again, her bruised flesh protested as Shippo leaped into her chest, and the sudden movement to catch him pulled her wound. She masked it quickly however, changing it into a scowl aimed at Inuyasha. He really should know better than to threaten little kids.
Inuyasha returned the scowl for a half second. Then folded his arms, tossed his head and began heading off down the path.
"Keh!"
By now, Miroku had untied the horse and brought it around so he could lift Kagome up onto his lap. Shippo leapt up on his own.
Kagome was on for maybe five seconds tops before something began to rub against her butt. She shrieked, and instinctively moved forwards, sliding off the horse to land and then stumble somewhat gracefully on her feet. Composing herself, she turned around to look at Miroku, who's face again betrayed none of his earlier actions.
"Lady Kagome, are you alright?"
"Um...yes. I, uh..., I think I'll just walk for a while, if that's okay." She said simply. The genuine look of concern on the Monk's face sent her mind reeling. How could he do that?!
"Are you sure lady Kagome, the day is already turning quite hot, and the more you exert yourself, the more time your wounds will take to heal..."
"That's quite alright," Kagome replied. She'd collapse from exhaustion before she let herself be "petted" like that. "Alright, let's go!" She turned to leave.
There was a flutter of red cloth and Kagome instantly found her way blocked by Inuyasha, or at least the back of Inuyasha. He was standing directly in front of her, facing the other way, slightly crouched down. Kagome looked at him, confused.
"Inuyasha?"
She saw his ears twitch in irritation and he bent down a little further.
Kagome was now more confused than ever. "Inuyasha, what is it?"
"What does it look like wench! Get on!!"
She stopped. He wanted her to ride him, piggy back? Kagome didn't know which was more degrading, being petted by Miroku, or having her thighs wrapped around Inuyasha's body, though she was touched by the offer...sort of...
"Um, I don't think...uh..."
"Did I say you had a choice? You'll slow us down if you walk!"
The look he gave her from the corner of his eye was enough to make her blood several degrees cooler. Gulping, the physical rendition of literally swallowing her pride, she gingerly set her hand upon his shoulders and, holding her skirt up to her knees with her free hand, jumped up to wrap her legs lightly around his torso. It was almost too lightly, but the moment she began to slip, Inuyasha's hands came up and caught her under her knees, holding her in place. She straightened, getting as comfortable as she could, in that awkward position.
Then, without any warning, he took off, leaping down the path with Kagome squeaking in fear and Miroku galloping not far behind.
*~*~*~*~*
Leap, bound, sprint a little, bound again. Light as the summers breeze but twice as fast. Young soft thighs being held by strong, rough hands. Lean muscle brushing against soft flesh, heavy breathing.
Something about the whole picture bothered Miroku.
It wasn't that he held anything against the demi-god beast that was running before him, or Kagome who was riding on his back, but more, it was the principal of the matter. He just simply couldn't understand why a maiden would choose Inuyasha over him.
After all, Miroku had spent years studying the exquisite art that was women kind. He knew when to flatter, when to remain silent, and when to defend a lady's honour. He knew which buttons to push, both emotionally and physically. He knew the primal game of hunt and chase. He knew when to be bold, when to dominate, and when he should let himself be dominated. Most importantly, he knew how much of himself to put into a relationship so that it could be drawn back later when it all eventually came to a close. As far as Miroku was concerned, he was a perfect ladies man.
And she had chosen to ride with Inuyasha, who was rude, violent and above all, insulting.
It wasn't an isolated incident either, now that he thought of it. Dinner the eve of Kagome's arrival, breakfast the following morning, all those times she had chosen to sit next to Inuyasha, and as far away from himself as she possibly could.
This realization was what alarmed him. Could it be that he, at such a tragically young age, while still so handsome, had lost his appeal to women? He had seen it happen before in some young priests, like a disease of the mind. They got bored, lost their sincerity, and soon became merely routine in their pursuit of women. It was like they had lost their spark, their fire; handsome young men who had lost all interest or pride in their bodies' form and purpose. Often, they suffered the most tragic of tragic fates, and left the cult to become tax collectors or the like. Soon, they weren't men at all, but shadowed beings with beady, calculating eyes, burdened by silly meaningless things, like possessions, money, or maintaining a status.
NO! He would not let that happen to him, he could not! There must be some way, some salvation out there in this world! He would find it, no matter how long it took him, how horrible the sufferance, he would endure. How incredibly fortunate that the fates had chosen to provide him with such a perfect opportunity to go out into the world and search.
Resolutions made, and thoughts put at rest, he galloped on. Shippo remained perched on his shoulder, and Inuyasha with Kagome bound just ahead of the horse's bit. And so it was that they came in early afternoon to the outskirts of the city state of Marathon.
*~*~*~*~*
He didn't need them, he didn't care. It was the mantra that had been going through his head since before the break of dawn when he had awoken with a cold sweat crawling his skin, a reminder of the nightmares he had experienced the night before.
And why should he care? They didn't. Everything until now had been nothing but a fancy of his imagination. Kagome helping him, Kagome understanding him; it had all been a lie, or at least misinterpreted. He understood now. Kagome was a person who treated even her enemies with respect, her enemies and Inuyasha. It wasn't kindness or caring, it was a fairness she expected of herself to show others.
Now, though, she couldn't even bring herself to give him that. He could understand the sideways glares from the Monk, or the insults of the fox brat. He hated the annoying pair and expected to receive nothing less in return. Though they never voiced it, he knew they were only here to protect Kagome from himself, the blood thirsty god beast. Keh! What did he care? They could think what they wanted, even her. He didn't need them.
... ...Not that he'd ever protected her in the past. She was wounded twice now because of him...
Keh! She didn't deserve it. Fist thing in the morning and what does she do? She goes to go talk to them, not even noticing him, that he isn't there like usual. Then she goes to take her bath, leaving him with a bunch of total strangers. Fuck her, fuck them all. She goes and takes the stupid kid's side at every argument, even the Monk's side! And when he offers to be nice and give her a ride, she won't come near him because she's disgusted with him, because he's a monster. Fuck them! Screw them all! They could do what they wanted to him. He was stronger then that, he would even kill them if he had to. And he could, without any regret, because HE DIDN'T CARE!!
"Inuyasha?"
"WHAT?!" His voice shattered the comfortable quiet of the mansion guest room they were all staying in. Inuyasha hated it with a passion, because it was tight, airless, and too warm to be comfortable. He had wanted to sleep outside. But no, little miss princess wanted to stay in a house that the pervert was supposedly blessing. Bull! He could hear them even now, faintly. The monk was using the brat as a way of getting to the house owner's daughter. Gods he hoped he wouldn't have to listen to THAT again…
"What do you want wench?" It was quieter this time. He didn't want to scare off the cosy warmth that was just beginning to seep back into the room. Not that he'd felt it before, but he didn't want Kagome to become flustered by it's absence. Then she'd start asking questions, and he'd have to insult her again to get her to shut up. ...Not that he cared...
"Inuyasha?" his head shot up again, his thoughts disintegrating before they could even form. The genuine concern in her voice mirrored the look on her face, and for a moment, he couldn't think of anything to say. Instead he looked away, reminding himself that she hated him now...
Because of...
Because he... ...
"... ..."
"... What was that Inuyasha?" She'd seen his mouth move, but hadn't heard whatever it was he's said. In fact it didn't even look to her like he knew he was saying it. She furrowed her brow, scrutinising him. All day something had seemed wrong with him, though she couldn't place what, and half wondered if it wasn't just her imagination playing tricks on her. He was grumpy enough, and swore enough, and he was certainly stubborn enough.
Gods! He had argued for almost an hour with Miroku when the monk said he'd found them a place to sleep in. It was a nice place too, possibly the richest house in the whole City State. Personally, she couldn't see why Inuyasha was so adverse to a hot meal and a good night's sleep.
So what could be bothering him now? Was he still uptight about yesterday? Every time she had tried to bring up the subject, he simply told her he didn't care, and went back to insulting her. It seemed normal enough, but somehow...
He was still unresponsive, and as Kagome watched him in the warm glow of the dying firelight, she briefly wondered if he had fallen asleep...
Wait a minute, the fire wasn't that warm.
"Inuyasha, are you feeling okay?"
"huh!?"
He started again. Dammit, couldn't she just leave him alone for one night? Wait, she was moving, towards him! Shit. What was she gonna do? He attempted to shuffle back, but the wall blocked him. By the time he realised he was going nowhere, her hand was already inches from his face, he froze...
The caress of her hand was cool and comforting as she placed it upon his forehead. Smooth and soft, it wasn't until he felt it pulling away that he remembered his mantra. I don't need them! I don't care! They don't! She doesn't!!
"What the FUCK are you doing, stinking bitch!"
He saw her eyes grow dark as her brows furrowed in annoyance. She couldn't hide it, she hated him. He knew it!
"You DO have a fever!"
...huh?....
He was so confused he didn't realize she had lunged for his hand until it was too late. Instead, he watched in shock as she took the large clawed thing and clasped it between her own warm palms. "Inuyasha, you're hands are like ice!"
She looked at the floor, thinking, a scowl upon her rose lips. Inuyasha's head was still turning, hadn't he insulted her? His tired brain had just rewound itself to the part of the conversation he understood when, without warning her head shot up.
"Where is it?" she demanded. The tone of her voice told him she wouldn't take any lies. Unfortunately, he had no clue what she was talking about, at least, he didn't think...
Nope, no clue, "Keh! Where's what, wench? Make some fucking sense!"
But Kagome wasn't listening. Instead, she pounced on him, eyes blazing in anger as she attacked the knots of his clothing.
"Kagomeeee!! Miroku tried to lock me in a cupboard again so he and the rich man's daughter could..." Shippo stopped as he took in the scene before him, and quietly backed out of the room. Kagome was attacking Inuyasha, and winning! Who knows what the stupid half demon had done this time, but Shippo certainly wasn't going to get caught in the middle!
Meanwhile, Kagome got frustrated with the clothing and abruptly stood up. Glaring down at Inuyasha, she pointed an accusing finger at him and all but shouted, "Where is it Inuyasha-and don't try to lie to me! The last time you had a fever it was because you were injured and poisoned! Why didn't you tell me huh? Oh, never mind, just let me see it!"
Inuyasha blinked once, twice, and then slowly, pulled himself forward off of the wall and hesitantly climbed to his feet. His brain on auto-pilot, he quietly turned around so that his back was to her, and began clumsily pulling at the knots around his waist. Once they were free, he gingerly pulled back his shoulders, allowing the fabric of his coat and undershirt to slide away, knowing she would see it.
Somehow, he hadn't even noticed the pain until they had already cleared the city and were up into the lower hills, then, even when he had, he decided he didn't care. He'd live. The pain didn't really matter, because he was tough. He was so tough, that the next day while he was washing, he had barely bothered splashing some water down his back to rinse his hair. The wounds didn't matter. Hell, he was even strong enough to carry Kagome on his back, because she was weak and pathetic. Not like him, he was tough, a half demon, he could survive. That was why everyone had been taken away from him, why they all left. Because he didn't need them, because he was tough...
Sometimes, being tough really sucked...
Her breath caught in her throat. Even though this wound was no where near as ghastly as the last, Kagome winced as she watched the thin cotton fabric of his shirt rip away pieces of the dark, already blotchy scab. She also noticed a few little rivulets of dried blood running down his back and on the material. No doubt the wound had been re-opening all the time he had carried her, most of the morning and some of the afternoon. As for the wound itself, it was round and deep, stuck under the blade of his left shoulder as if made by a spear or lance. A hole in the loose material not too far away confirmed that it hadn't healed any since it had been made.
As a result of all the abuse, the skin around the edges of the wound were now almost glowing an angry red colour, complementing the hot flush of his pale skin. To make matters worse, she also noticed several lesser wounds all around his back and arms. Nicks from swords and bruises where the blades had been unable to penetrate the tough red outer coat of Inuyasha's father. None of them could have been life threatening, however, the fact that he hadn't told her...
"Stupid...why didn't you tell me..." She gently traced the line from one of the lesser scrapes with the tips of her fingers. The cool contact against the tender flesh made him shudder and wince.
"K-Keh! I didn't even notice they were there! Besides, why do I have to tell you every time I'm injured! I can look after myself you know! I don't need you!" Nonetheless, he didn't move away, and allowed her to continue tracing his wounds with the tips of her fingers.
As an after though, he added, "I've been alone for my whole fucking life, you know! I've looked after worse than this!"
He had meant it to sound angry, and most importantly strong, but somehow it came out sounding more the opposite.
If Kagome noticed however, she didn't make any comment on it. Instead, she pointed to a pillow she had placed in front of the fire for reading, and told him to "Sit!"
He did what he was told, glancing over his shoulder suspiciously as she ripped a sheet into strips and grabbed the pitcher of water from the side of the room. Then she pulled some kind of withered plant from her pocket, and proceeded make a paste from it using the stone hearth of the fireplace and the heel of her hand. She glanced up at him and their gazes met.
"I'm sorry. This will sting, but it's great for keeping wounds clean..."
"Keh! Like I said, I don't need-ARG!!" He instantly clamped his mouth shut and scrunched his face, unconsciously snarling as he pulled air into his lungs in a painful hiss. Finally, it was over and he instantly sprung to his feet.
"Fuck! What the hell was that, bitch! Know what! Forget it! I don't need it! I don't care."
"SIT!"
The authority in Kagome's voice was absolute. He sat. Luckily, she didn't use any more of that green stuff.
"Keh!"
Kagome sighed. How could one person be so...so...FRUSTRATING!! One moment he was quiet, the next he was yelling and swearing. He was wincing and feverish, then insisted he was fine! WHAT WAS HIS PROBLEM!! She continued to fume as she cleaned his wounds, this time just a wet piece of cloth to soothe over the heated punctures. She decided she'd had enough of this attitude as she wrung out the cloth for the last time and sat back to inspect her handy work. She was relieved to see the red ring around the wound already beginning to fade.
"Inuyasha! Stop behaving like such a jerk, or next time you injure yourself, I won't care!"
Something inside him snapped. He whirled on her.
"So fucking WHAT!! Stupid BITCH!! I already told you that I DON'T NEED YOU!!" She tried to look away but he grabbed her by the chin and yanked her face closer. "READ MY LIPS! I! DON'T! NEED! YOU! You're WEAK, and PATHETIC, and I DON'T CARE! GET IT!"
He released her with a little shove and flicked some strange moisture from his hands. He got up and began to pace the room, ranting.
"About any of it! Get that! I don't care! I don't care about you, I don't care about Miroku, and I especially don't care about that fucking BRAT! I don't care about what happened to those bastards yesterday! As far as I'm concerned, they deserved it! And that other bitch deserves whatever's coming to her! Fucking liar! And I REALLY, REALLY don't care about what my mother would think, or about her fucking dead husband, or my father, or EITHER of my shit eating HALF brothers! I DON'T Care! Get it! I DON'T CAARE--" SMACK!
By the time he turned his head straight again, he was already staring at Kagome's back. She was shaking with...some emotion, head down, shoulders bunched, fists at her sides. Inuyasha was surprised she still had the voice to speak, but she did.
"Are you listening now?" She began. She gave a long pause to make sure he was.
"Because 'I' don't care either."
Had she been looking she would have noticed Inuyasha flinch visibly, but she carried on.
"Those soldiers, yesterday, they could have killed you just as brutally as you killed them. They could have tortured you, hurt you...th-they wouldn't have s-stopped...even if you were begging for mercy... Men....no, people can be really...cruel...Even worse than demons."
Her breath was becoming short, and she took a minute to get it back to normal.
"That's why I don't care. I don't care what happened to them, because of what they could have done to you. I'm glad you killed them..."
Inuyasha needed all of the long silence following to let these words sink in. She...she was...gla...d? She continued
"My father once told me, that even in war, every man is equal, no matter who's side they're on. Often, they don't even know what they're fighting for. War is a pointless thing, but sometimes unavoidable."
"When that happens, the only thing you can do is look around you, and protect the ones that matter most. You fight for them and their safety, because they're the only sense you know. They're the only ones who give reason to the madness and the fighting, to life...only the people you care for."
"I chose you yesterday, Inuyasha, because I care about you, just like I care about my family. They...and you... give me a reason to be here. The ones I search for, even when everything else is gone."
Finally she turned to him, and in the dying embers, he saw light sparkling off the unshed tears in her eyes and the traces down her flushed cheeks. She sniffed.
"If...." and her voice faltered. She took a deep breath to regain herself.
"If...you really don't care...about anyone... ...then..."
"Then you still haven't left the labyrinth!" She declared, "You're still stuck there, in the dark, not knowing which direction to turn! You're still all alone! If, even after all this, you still don't care...about ANYTHING...then...obviously..."
She trailed off and lowered her face.
"Obviously..." Kagome whispered, "...I've failed you..."
They stood like that for a long moment, frozen as the exhausting silence of that...comfortable room, slowly over came their heated tempers. Leaving nothing but numbness once again.
"...I'm sorry..." And without looking up, Kagome wandered back to her sleeping mat and curled up upon it as far away from him as possible.
Inuyasha hardly noticed this. He too, had suddenly found a particular interest in the gray stone of the floor. His mind had projected on it all the faces he had ever seen in his life. His parents', his "brothers'," his mother's human husband's...
...Some faces from the labyrinth, though they all seemed to blur into one eerie, blank face now. The men on the ship, that nutty water god, the priest, and the fox...and finally, Kagome.
But, for some reason, he couldn't find just one face to represent her perfectly. There was Kagome as he had seen her in the labyrinth, dirty and scared, and even then her eyes shone with fire. There was Kagome stubbornly trying to keep up, Kagome offering him food. Kagome angry, Kagome happy, Kagome caring... Kagome sad...betrayed
He pictured his own faces beside hers. Angry, angry, annoyed...okay fine, angry...
Was it true, what she'd said about him not having left the labyrinth? Sure he'd done stuff, but...he'd been trying so hard to feel nothing but anger and hatred. He'd been pushing it all away...
However, even if she was right, who could he care about like that? Who would want him? His emotions, his protection, his body, should he give that to just anyone?
He was so exhausted. His wound ached, his eyes stung and his chest felt like it had either shrunk or the inside had expanded so that it pulled tight at every heartbeat, every breath. Without thinking, he wandered over to a corner and sat down with his back against the wall. Almost instantly, something seemed better as he took deep breaths and made the effort to notice his surroundings. He was surprised to find a wisp of black hair not to far from his right knee...or maybe not.
He breathed in again, and this time, knew that it was Kagome's scent that brought him comfort, that always had. Raising his head a little more, he saw her face, still red from crying. So he had hurt her again huh? He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.
Somehow, he felt like he should apologize to her for being so rotten, but the words...it just didn't seem like enough to do, to show her how he felt. He owed her so much more, and some part of him knew that.
But would she accept anything more he had to give?
By this time, his hand had found the top of her head, his claws gently snagging and teasing the hair there. The black strands were so supple, they slipped through his claws like water, making it impossible to hold on to her.
She breathed in, air filling her lungs in a deep, relaxing sigh. He froze.
"Good night Inuyasha... Sleep well, okay?..."
He felt the corners of his mouth pitch upwards of their own will as a dreamy smile crossed her face. His flexed his hand, allowing it to continue it's little exercise on Kagome's hair, even though he knew that some part of her was still awake. Like that, he waited, listening as her breath evened out and she dropped off to sleep again. It was becoming a habit of his, to listen to her fall asleep before he allowed himself to do the same.
As his eyelids closed, he decided. There was no person he wanted to live, no being more deserving of protection than Kagome.
And damn did that girl ever need a lot of it!
*~*~*~*~*
Important Author's note:
Dear GOD!! It's finally finished. I have never had so much trouble writing a chapter in all of my life! I must have finished it and then erased it all again almost a dozen times. Arg! It was SO frustrating!!
Anyway, just to make one thing clear, Inuyasha did not become a full demon in the last chapter. I'm not sure if I'll throw this in later or not, so I'll just explain it now and then maybe repeat it afterwards. At one point, I had written this as Kagome's thoughts while she was bathing.
*~*~*~*~* Out Takes *~*~*~*~*
Closing her eyes, she saw it again. Inuyasha stood in she sunshine, drenched in blood and surrounded by the bodies of the men he had killed. He was smiling, amber eyes sparkling, watching in fascination and sadistic delight as his claws and strange power made carcasses of the fleeing masses.
What had been in that smile? It was half crazed, triumphant and filled with a lust for power, and at the same time, looked like it had been pulled from the face of another, and placed upon him. Even now, in her mind, she wanted to rip it off him in the most violent of ways, because that face wasn't the face of Inuyasha.
It was the face of men; greedy men, powerful men, men who stood alone at the top of the world and looked down to see nothing but filth and darkness. Men without compassion for others. It wasn't Inuyasha she had seen, but the face of those who had hunted him and chased him. In her mind it was Inuyasha who was running away, from the fear, the pain, the injustice. Inuyasha running from himself, and so, he became the opposite, his own hunter.
She had never realized how dark Inuyasha's past had been until she saw that smile, and yet afterwards, it had seemed so obvious. He had been thrown in to a cave as a child, starved, hunted, hated, and she had always brushed it off as being too dark to think about.
Well yesterday she had thought about it, and it had sobered her into a depression so deep, it was all she could do to get them moving before re-enforcement's arrived from the military. How did he keep going like that? Even breathing, when he knew there were thousands out there who wished he would just stop. She had never realized how strong he must be, maybe even more inside than out.
*~*~*~*~*
Anyway, thanks a bunch!
Chris-san