InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Kings and Betrayal ❯ Innocence Before Death ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue

 

 

Ch. 5 Innocence Before Death

 

InuYasha groaned, rolling over on the futon as the bright sun filtered through his eyelids. He pulled the warm covers over his head in an attempt to block out the offending light, grunting in annoyance.

 

`Covers?… What the fuck!?' he bolted upright, the covers sliding off of his form.

 

He wasn't in his forest, sleeping on his usual branch in his tree…he was in a house. A human house. Sleeping. On a futon. How disgraceful…

 

The hanyou shook his head and sighed, the memory of previous events crashing against him full force. He had been saved… Kami knows how or why… but here he was. Alive.

 

He scowled. `What the fuck is wrong with me? First I let a bunch of asshole humans capture me, beat me and try to hang me… now I'm sleeping in a human home, my ass saved by a stupid bitch…keh!'

 

A loud rumble snapped him out of his stupor. `Fucking stomach…' If he could get out of the house unnoticed, he could go and find himself some game… and leave with some dignity still intact. `Not to mention that wench creeps me out…' Yes, the faster he got out of there the quicker he could forget about the whole damned incident, the house, the bed, the girl, those eyes….

 

Shaking his head to rid himself of the troubled memories that flooded his thoughts, InuYasha carefully pulled back the covers and quietly placed his feet on the wooden floor. Looking at the hands that lay in his lap, he noticed that they were restraint-free, as were his feet. `At least she saved me the trouble…'

 

The hanyou slipped out of bed and silently padded out of the room in search of a way out, hoping that the original inhabitants of the house were deeply asleep…. Or deaf. Sure, he was a demon, stealthy…quiet… but he could only control so much…. Kami knows houses make all kinds of foreign noises…

 

He walked down a very small hall until he found himself in the main living area. Scrutinizing amber eyes scanned the room and ended up falling on the raven-haired girl nestled on a raggedy futon, `Sleeping soundly… good.' InuYasha sniffed the air and realized the girl wasn't alone on the small bed. Though this scent was similar to the girl's, he could tell it belonged to a male. The hanyou suddenly scowled. A small surge of….some thing swept over him. Some thing he didn't like…some thing that should've died a long time ago, along with so many other things.

 

His scowl deepened as he immediately crushed the feeling. He was being stupid.

 

Silently walking over to stand beside the bed, InuYasha took it upon himself to find out the male's identity, and relation to the girl, not that he cared or anything. After carefully eyeing the boy realization dawned on his hanyou mind… he was her brother, her younger brother.

 

`I was jealous because of that?'

 

`Wait, jealous?'

 

`I…was…? Over her?!'

 

`Baka, who else is here?'

 

`Fuck no. No.'

 

`You're doing it again…'

 

`Fuck!'

 

He was getting to old for this shit. Arguing with himself was becoming a habit of some sort, a very annoying, strange habit. He wasn't one to usually think things through. And now having two sides on every matter he was becoming quite observant, over analyzing situations and giving himself nice little migraines. His fists used to do most of the thinking for him. Yeah… his fists could take care of anything…or well... `Almost anything…'

 

With a quick roll of his eyes, the hanyou scanned the rest of the living area, spotting a withered, wooden door to his left. Proceeding towards the door for his escape, InuYasha almost beat himself for the loud CREAK one of the floorboards made under his weight.

 

`Shit!' the half-demon turned around to check on the siblings. Still soundly sleeping. He tiptoed the rest of the way to the door before reaching to unlock the rusty latch.

 

“Morning!”

 

“AHHHHH!”

 

Blue eyes silently apologized as the girl pulled away the covers and slipped off of the futon, shivering slightly at the loss of warmth. A puzzled look marred the half-demon's face… those eyes. They had once looked at him the same way long ago, sad, confused, lonely.

 

“Keh!” InuYasha looked away, annoyed at being caught making his escape, and for screaming like a banshee. `Damn… almost made it!'

 

“Um…I see you're feeling better.” She smiled sheepishly as she leaned over the futon and nudged her younger brother. “Souta? Souta, it's time to wake up.”

The boy just mumbled something and rolled over, reluctant to end his blissful slumber.

 

InuYasha unknowingly eyed the young girl, taking in her current appearance and clothing… or lack there of. She was wearing an old, green, worn down nightgown that was probably a size or two too small for her, showing off her long legs and bare arms. The hanyou quickly averted his eyes, the smallest twinge of heat spreading across his face.

 

`What's the matter with you? Keh, it's not like you haven't seen anything before…idiot.'

 

`Not on her.'

 

`Does it really matter on who?'

 

`Yes?… wait, no?'

 

`No. It's all the same. She's all the same.'

 

`Don't fucking start on that!'

 

“Uh…please excuse me for a minute.” The young girl walked over to a large, wooden chest at the foot of the futon, produced some clean clothing and quickly ambled away into a smaller room opposite the bedroom InuYasha had previously occupied.

 

InuYasha just stood there, unable to move. What was he suppose to do? He could leave now! Now was as good as any other time. With a shake of his head he got back to his previous task, once again reaching for the latch to unlock the door when….

 

“Hi.”

 

`Fucking shit…'

 

The hanyou whipped around to face the source of the greeting. The boy known as Souta had already rolled out of bed, rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes. InuYasha just nodded his response as he watched the young boy go to the same chest and retrieve his own pair of fresh clothing. Not bothering to change in another room, Souta just changed in the living area, unaware of the strange look that had twisted InuYasha's face.

 

“So… are you feeling better?” Souta asked, moving towards the hearth to stoke the small fire.

 

The girl re-entered the living area before InuYasha could grunt out his response. She walked into the kitchen area before turning back to pin the hanyou with a warm smile.

 

“Are you hungry?”

 

`She reads minds…'

 

`Keh! I don't need any human to feed me, I'm not dying!'

 

`So why are you still here?…'

 

“…..” InuYasha opened his mouth to tell her to piss off when his stomach betrayed him… a second time.

 

A small giggle caught the hanyou's attention as he pinned the girl with a death glare. Giggling? At him? What the hell was so funny?

 

“Pardon me, I didn't mean to laugh. I'm really sorry.” She apologized, a dark curtain falling over her blue eyes as she bowed her head.

 

InuYasha just stood there, dumbfounded. Never. Never had someone apologized to him, not since….. but that was a long time ago. And now, those eyes… apologizing again, even if it was over something small and trivial. That look of sincerity, it still haunted him in his sleep. She still haunted him… evident in the young girl who had saved his life.

 

Damn time… it's what had left him alone in the first place… alone to his thoughts, alone to cope with those memories…. over and over again. Like waves rolling onto the shore, taking, dragging away bits of his sanity with them back to the ocean, always leaving him feeling emptier… what would those memories have left to drag out when everything was gone? When they hit rock bottom…

 

`I'm too fucking tired of this shit!' he roughly shook his head. Heaven forbid he shake himself unconscious one day…

 

He snapped his amber orbs back to the girl who had already started preparing breakfast, carefully placing a pan into the small fire she had started.

 

“Souta, we're out of eggs, could you please go get some?”

 

Nodding, Souta picked up a hemp basket that was on the floor and hurried out the door.

 

“So… how do you like your eggs?” She smiled again, bright eyes dancing with amusement.

 

`How do I like my eggs? Who the fuck cares? As if I had a choice living in the forest… '

 

“Guess you're not much of a talker…” She murmured as her eyes fell back on the pan over the fire. “That's okay,” she continued, “ I'll take care of breakfast, don't worry.”

 

InuYasha gave her a keh, amber eyes blazing like wild fires as the flames of the hearth danced in them. The girl couldn't help but stare at them, an ethereal glow surrounding the two orbs, and though his face was trained, emotionless, stoic, his eyes… they spoke volumes, sadness, anger, pain… `What he must've lived through…' she inwardly winced at the horrible images that played in her head.

 

He felt her staring, burning a path on his skin as she raked her eyes over him. What the hell was her problem? She was always staring at him intently, always calculating him in some way… it was starting to piss him off. He didn't like being scrutinized by humans, it had happened one too many times during his life time… nothing good ever came out of getting close to humans. Sure, he was only a hanyou… divided between two worlds he would never belong to… always cut down the middle… accepted by neither side. Not then… not now… not ever. He had let down his walls once, and it wouldn't happen again.

 

The young boy walked back in, basket full of eggs, a small smile playing on his lips. He resembled his sister in that way… that disarming smile.

 

Taking the basket from Souta, Kagome got started on preparing the rest of the meal. The whole time she worked InuYasha just stood there in the middle of the living area, watching her from the corner of his eye, waiting for the moment when she would either kick him out or he could escape. Either was fine with him.

 

She worked gracefully, swiftly gliding around the small kitchen gathering plates and cups and setting the table for three, distributing the food evenly onto each plate.

 

“Alright, it's done.” She smiled triumphantly, pushing away the dark wisps of hair that had gone renegade from under her bandana. “Souta, breakfast is ready. Please, “ she turned her eyes on InuYasha, “come join us. We won't bite, I promise.”

 

Those damned eyes again…he couldn't look away as he involuntarily walked over to the table and slowly sat down on one of the wooden chairs. Souta came in a second later and plopped down next to the hanyou, hungry eyes staring down at the meal on the plate before him.

 

Before InuYasha knew it, they were all eating in silence. `Keh. It's not that bad… but no Ramen…'

 

As soon as they finished their meal, the girl cleared away the dishes, setting them in a large tub of water. Souta hurriedly jumped out of his seat, thanking his sister and waving to InuYasha as he went out to do his daily chores.

 

“Okay, well I suppose that um….” What happened now? He was already entirely healed… what else could she do for him. He wasn't much of a talker.. so maybe this was goodbye? At least she saved his life, he deserved that much. Everyone does.

 

“Why?”

 

A pregnant silence fell over the room leaving blue eyes to stare at the hanyou in shock. He had just spoken. He had avoided speaking as much as possible; he didn't want any attachments or anything.. not that he was getting attached; he just wanted to forget this whole thing with as little to forget as possible. And now… he had just said one word, one word… but it had meant everything.

 

The question had been plaguing him since he regained consciousness. Why? Why had she saved him? Didn't she know what he was, what it meant to save him? At what cost had his life been spared? Didn't she know that he would just get captured and hung again? Running… always fucking running. What more did he have? Dying might've been a godsend, the chance at freedom from this world. All he ever knew was cruelty and rejection… before her so long ago. And now, once again saved by those eyes. Why did she have those eyes? Her eyes? Perhaps why had so many questions hidden behind it… the whole thing was better left forgotten… words left unspoken… goodbyes before hellos…. he shouldn't have said anything…

 

“Why what?” Confusion marred her features now… interest, curiosity at his choice of word… it was too late to back out now, wasn't it? He could leave right now. Leave and forget this, forget her, forget those eyes. He didn't need to explain to her, he owed her nothing! It was her own stupidity; she should've known not to save a worthless hanyou…

 

“Uh…” `Look away from those eyes, dammit!' “Keh! Why'd ya save me?”

 

His voice. It was the first time she had heard him form a sentence. The sound, it was pleasant… gruff but warm, harsh but harmless…

 

“I… had too.”

 

He was taken aback the moment those words had left her lips. She had too? No one ever had to save a criminal, much less a hanyou or demon. Who the hell was she kidding?

 

“Had too?” he quirked a dark brow, leaning his red clad form against the wall in the kitchen, shoving his hands into the large sleeves of his haori.

 

“I have my reasons.” She looked down at the hands in her lap, shifting uncomfortably in the wooden chair.

 

“What fucking reasons do you have to save a hanyou, dammit?!” He barked, his temper rising with every passing second. He wasn't going to walk around this subject and be polite about it, he wanted answers and he wanted them NOW.

 

The girl cringed slightly at the rise in his volume but didn't do much else. Instead she brought her head up to lock blue eyes with gold, unknowingly challenging the hanyou.

 

“What does it matter?” she questioned calmly, eyes glistening with a sort of sadness.

 

“It matters. It damn well matters!” InuYasha spat, brows furrowing together in displeasure. “Do you even know who or what I am?”

 

“I neither know nor care,” she rose from her seat. “It's no one's place to say who lives or dies! Why? Did you want to die? Is that it?”

 

She was pushing it now… Who did she think she was, talking to him like that? Didn't she know he could easily claw through her, tear her limb from limb?

 

“Keh! And who are you to say who gets saved or doesn't, bitch?”

 

“No one! I just thought no one would want to die at the end of a rope!”

 

“Well you thought fucking wrong!” He narrowed his eyes.

 

Blue eyes suddenly widened at the blatant statement. “Y-you wanted to die?” her voice was soft, shaky.

 

“Whatever. You won't tell me why you did it so I have no other business here.” He pushed off the wall and stomped towards the door. Finally, he was finally getting out of there.

 

“Wait!” She pleaded, taking a few steps towards his departing form.

 

He stopped, whipping around to face her, ears twitching in slight irritation.

 

“I s-s-saved you because… I thought you were innocent.”

 

“What?” That had got him. `Innocent? She doesn't even fucking know me!'

 

“I didn't think you were guilty of the crime.” The girl said with more stability, her fists bunching up her apron.

 

He could smell the anxiety rolling off of her, further stiffening the air around them. At least she wasn't completely fearless…

 

“Keh! I was hung for murder… how could you be sure I didn't do it?” He cracked his knuckles for emphasis. He was playing with her now, intimidating her with his mind games. Now she'll definitely realize her mistake and scream for him to leave. He would execute the command graciously.

 

She glared at the sharp talons on his fingers before relocking her eyes with his. “ Because… I just know you didn't. You don't look like that kind of man…”

 

What? Still defending him? This girl really was psychotic… How would she know what kind of `man' he was, anyway? She only met him yesterday, and under very, very compromising circumstances. Speechless… now he was speechless, and he had almost made it that time too…

 

-*-*-*-

 

“ My apologies once again, my Lord. Had I known that your carriage was immobile yesterday I would've said so earlier.” Miroku apologized, bowing low before his agitated Lord.

 

“No need for apologies, monk. Just make sure that it is at my disposal today! I am in dire need of seeing the beautiful face of my lady.” Kouga turned around and walked towards his balcony. “You may go now.”

 

“Yes, sire. Thank you.” The monk bowed again before exiting behind the two double doors, taking a deep breath as he started on his walk towards the stables. `Calm yourself, Miroku. Stay calm…'

 

It had been bad enough that Lord Kouga had been irritable since last night when he was told, only too late, that his carriage was being repaired after some minor damaged had been inflicted… but now he was acting even creepier and more obsessive. His little visits to see Kagome always left him feeling `happy' or `hopeful'…not to mention crazy.

 

`Yes… todayt I will make Kagome mine…'

 

 

A/N: Wow! Long chapter. Things will start coming together in the next chapter, dun dun dun!! .. yeah okay. Anyway, please Read and Review!!! Greatly appreciated! :)

-Samsara