InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Once Upon a Time ❯ True Confessions ( Chapter 22 )

Disclaimer: I still don’t own them. If I did, it would have been me at the end of this part.

22. True Confessions  

The hanyou leaped from the well carrying his precious cargo. Although the late morning sun had been shining when they had left his world, Kagome’s home was shrouded in fog, a light drizzle falling.

Though her leg was mostly healed after a week of treatment, there was still a trace of soreness, but Kaede agreed that this would disappear with time and use. She would not, after all, be running any marathons or climbing any mountains in the immediate future.

Of course, trying to explain that to him was….

“You can put me down now,” she said for the third time since their arrival in the village.

As he had on each of the previous occasions, he totally ignored her. “It’s raining, Kagome. You can’t move very fast yet--you’ll get soaked between here and the house.”

Realizing that he meant well, she decided to just wait until they got into the house before making an issue of it. It was only a couple of seconds to the house for the hanyou--that characteristic run-and-leap gait of his covered huge amounts of ground quickly. Since his hands were full, he had no choice but to put her down so that he could open the door.

Although she still limped a little, she moved with relative ease. Looking around, she noticed that nobody seemed to be home. Since she herself hadn’t been there in more than a month, she had no way to know where the rest of her family might be. Though unwilling to allow her companion to carry her any further, she gratefully accepted his arm to assist her up the stairs to her room.

She sat on the chair by her desk, as the hard surface would make it easier to get back up than the softer bed. Even though she hadn’t been out in the rain long enough to get really wet, she was chilled by the damp, grey day. “Do you mind if I take a hot bath? It was a little raw out there.”

Growing concerned about her, the hanyou looked closely at her for any signs of illness. All he could see, though, was relief: was she really that glad to be here? “Can it wait a minute? I have something I need to talk to you about.”

Suddenly fearful, she nodded numbly. She had been worried about him ever since the battle with Naraku--he’d been behaving so unlike his usual self. At that moment she was certain that he was going to tell her that he had changed his mind and would not be making her a permanent part of his life. “Go ahead,” she said, her voice flat and lifeless.

“Maybe I shouldn’t use the Shikon no Tama to keep the well open. It’s a dangerous world back there--I’m not sure I want to expose you to that on a regular basis. I think that I could use the jewel to become human and stay here with you, if you wanted me to.” This last was said in a rush, as though he was afraid that if he gave himself time to think about it he would be unable to get the words out.

She thought about it for a long moment. “I like it when you become human at the new moon,” she said, “But I didn’t fall in love with a human guy--I fell in love with you, exactly the way you are.” She reached up to rub his ears in a gesture that had once been irritating but had recently become…intimate. He closed his eyes, enjoying the shivery sensation running from his ears to other, long-neglected parts of his lean body, able to think only of what she had just said--she loved him?--as she continued, “Besides, I don’t think you would be happy living here all the time. It’s too crowded, and noisy, and people wouldn’t know what to make of you.”

“I’ve been an outsider before.”

She thought about it for a few seconds, then said, “You don’t have to be an outsider any more--not with my family here, and not in the village back home.”

His head snapped up suddenly. “Back home?” He looked at her closely. “I thought you said that this was your home.”

She nodded, an unusually serious expression settling on her features. “It was, for my whole life. Now, you are.”

She had never before noticed exactly how expressive those golden amber eyes could be. As they simply looked at each other, time seemed to stop, and she suddenly forgot that she was damp, and chilly, and worried about what would happen when her mother saw her injured leg. Reaching forward, she grabbed the front of his haori, pulling him closer so that she could throw her arms around his neck. Even though his hanyou muscles were much stronger than her own, he couldn’t bring himself to break free--this aggressive move on her part was startling, but enjoyable all the same. His arms went around her, warming her with his body heat. Still, a water droplet falling from the end of her hair reminded him that she was thoroughly chilled by the unpleasant weather outside.

They remained in that position for several timeless minutes, until the sound of a door closing downstairs signaled that someone else had returned home. “Mama?”

The woman’s voice from downstairs was both surprised and pleased. “Kagome?” She raced up the stairs just in time to see the pair separate from their innocent embrace.

Kagome stepped away from the hanyou, and her mother’s quick eyes caught the stiff, unnatural movement. “You’re hurt! What happened?”

She shrugged, reaching behind her to grab the hanyou’s clawed hand. “It’s not so bad. Actually, it’s nearly healed. It’s the main reason why it took us so long to get back here.” She quickly explained the basic events of the final battle with Naraku. “So, what it amounted to was that our deadly enemy was finally gone, and Kaede, the miko from the village by our shrine--you would absolutely love her--was patching up the wounded, including me. Because of the kind of injury it was, I couldn’t get up and move around for a few days, so all my friends came to see me, a few at a time. At least, almost all of them did.” She shot the hanyou a brief, irritated glance that immediately softened as she saw the unease in his eyes. “Anyway, it was all a huge misunderstanding--he thought I was mad because he did something that he couldn’t remember while he was transformed, and I thought he didn’t want to see me because I stabbed him in the chest with his own sword purely by accident.”

The woman sank to the bed, listening carefully. It was, she reflected, like something out of an old legend, like the ones her father-in-law loved so. “You’ve obviously resolved your differences.”

The hanyou nodded. “You could say that. I’d finally made up my mind to go and talk to her before she came back here for the last time. You see, after the battle she managed to complete the entire Shikon no Tama. Anyway, she got that ecchi monk to bring her out to where I was sitting feeling pretty sorry for myself. Basically, she gave me hell--and the jewel. She told me that I could use it to revive Kikyou, who had died after all the people she wanted revenge against were killed. That particular thing never occurred to me, as I didn’t feel that way about Kikyou--I hadn’t in a long time.” He shook his head at his own stupidity. “When she said that she would soon be coming back here for the last time, I knew what I had to do--that’s one of the reasons I’m here right now.”

The woman looked from her daughter’s forced smile and uncertain eyes to the hanyou’s slightly flattened ears and defiant gaze. ‘Well,’ she thought, ‘here it comes.’

Inuyasha took a deep breath. “You see, without the Shikon no Tama, Kagome would never be able to go back through the well to my time.” He noticed the slight intake as she prepared to speak and held up a hand. “I know--I could visit her any time, but neither of us wants that: we want a life together, not a series of meetings. In fact,” he said, “Just before you got here I told her that I would use the jewel to become human and stay here with her, if that’s what she wants.” He shook his head in amazement, a silly grin spreading across his features. “She turned me down.”

The woman raised an eyebrow. “So what have you decided?”

The two exchanged a brief look so full of trust and passion that the woman’s breath caught in her throat. It was the same expression she saw in her own wedding photos. She realized with a shock that these two were as married as it was possible for two people to be: no ceremony in the world could deepen the commitment she saw. She was jerked out of her thoughts by the sound of her daughter’s voice. “--go back to his world to live, but use the Shikon no Tama to keep the well open for us, the friends we made back there, and our families. That way, I can visit you any time, and you can come back and visit us, too.”

The woman looked at them numbly. “I see. You’ve obviously given this a lot of thought.” By now the shock was wearing off, and she stood up again. “Come downstairs. I’ll make us some tea--we have a lot of work to do.”

The pair started to follow her from the room, when Kagome was seized by a bout of violent shivering. Only the hanyou saw the motion. “Baka!” he snarled, “Change into some dry clothes first--you’re freezing.” With that, he shut the door in her face, saying, “I’ll be waiting here to help with the stairs.”

The older woman smiled as she went down the stairs. The boy wasn’t really what she could call socially adept--a little rough around the edges, in fact--but she knew that no one would take better care of her only daughter, no matter where they chose to live. Besides, she thought, she had always wanted to see the places and meet the people Kagome spoke of--maybe now she would get the chance.

Although the suddenness with which they had apparently realized the depth of their feelings for each other had taken her somewhat by surprise, the nature of those feelings had been painfully obvious each time Kagome had come home frustrated or enraged from her most recent confrontation with the incredibly stubborn but utterly devoted hanyou.

Truth be told, their relationship reminded her a lot of that between herself and her late husband before they were married. She busied herself in the kitchen, listening for the sounds of the others descending the stairs.

When they reached the kitchen she was already sitting at the table. As the pair sat down across from her--together, she noticed, almost like two parts of a single person--she rose to pour tea for them and brought out a large plate of the cookies she had made the previous day. Returning to her seat, she studied the two closely. “As I said, we have a lot to do.”

They looked at each other, their curiosity plain, but it was Kagome who asked the question. “Exactly what do we have to do?”

The woman laughed. “Not really as much as I probably made it sound like. I’ve had the plans in place for a couple of months now.” Before the girl could ask precisely what plans her mother was talking about, she had continued, “The official story will be that you’re gong to live with your uncle Nori in Arizona, on the recommendation of your doctors. You can thank your grandfather for that--all those exotic diseases he’s been claiming that you had gave me the perfect excuse to ‘send you to live in the desert with your uncle.’ I’ve already made arrangements with him to forward any mail you receive back to me, so that you will eventually get it. I’m sure your friends here will want to keep in touch. We’ll work the same scheme in reverse so that you can write back to them.”

“How did you ever explain it to him?”

She shook her head with a serene smile. “Believe it or not, I told him the absolute truth. As your father’s elder brother, he grew up hearing the same stories from your grandfather that you did--he knew all the same family histories. When I told him what was going on with you two, he understood that you were the miko in your grandfather’s story and offered his help in putting together this little charade.” She considered her daughter briefly. “I do wish you had taken the time to complete your education, though.” She raised a hand to forestall any objections. “I know, I know--you won’t have much need for history, or English, or even algebra where you’re going, but I think you should take along some reference books all the same. If not history or English, then maybe some math and books on agriculture and healing.” She paused briefly before continuing, “I also think that you should take a few volumes on emergency medicine. You might not need them right away, but I think that they’ll be useful in time.”

When they realized exactly what she was implying, the two exchanged a look. So, the woman thought, they hadn’t taken that particular step yet. Still, it was only a matter of time….

Souta was glad to see his sister and his personal hero when he got back home from school. He greeted the news that they would be staying for a while with great enjoyment--maybe this time he could get to spend a little more time with the creature he had come to think of as a very cool older brother.

It was a pleasant evening. The conversation was mellow, focusing on little things rather than the huge issues that needed to be addressed. The pair had only come home today, after all--they could have one peaceful night before they had to start coping with the changes in their lives. The only stutter in the smooth flow of the evening came when Kagome announced that she was tired, as she had only been allowed to get up that morning. After helping her up the stairs and seeing that she was safely in bed, the hanyou returned to the girl’s mother, who was sitting in the living room, listening to some soft music. He stood awkwardly in the doorway, shifting uneasily. When she looked up at him, he asked, “Where should I….”

She looked up in surprise. “What’s wrong with Kagome’s room--that’s where you usually stay while you’re here. Or are you worried about accidentally hurting her leg again?”

He shook his head, not entirely trusting his voice at the moment.

The woman nodded knowingly. “Go upstairs. I’m sure your wife will be a lot happier with you there.”

The hanyou was halfway up the stairs before he realized exactly what she had said.

Kagome looked up as he entered the room, not entirely sure what to make of the strange expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”

The soft question snapped Inuyasha back to the present. “Wrong? Nothing. I went downstairs to ask your mother where I should stay, and she--”

“Nani? What on earth did you do that for? You’ve always stayed here with me when you come here.”

He shook his head slowly. “It’s different now, Kagome. I thought it would be a good thing to do--a kind of way to tell her that she’ll always be a part of your life.”

Kagome thought about it and realized that that single small gesture of respect would be the perfect way to make the situation a little more palatable for her mother. Although, she reminded herself, the woman hadn’t really seemed bothered by their new closeness--she had been far more worried about the nearly-healed leg injury. And how, she wondered, could she have had plans to cover just this eventuality in place for months? “I think you’re right. She would appreciate that kind of gesture, especially coming from you. So,” she said, looking at where she could see his eyes gleaming faintly in the darkness. “What did she say?”

He shook his head to clear it--the woman’s words had left him in a kind of fog. “She sent me back up here. After all, this is where I usually stay. And,” he added, waiting for her reaction, “She said that my wife would prefer it that way.”

“NANI?” While she didn’t exactly fall out of bed, she did spring to an upright sitting position.

“I didn’t say it: she did.” He dropped to the floor at her bedside, assuming his usual position.

“What are you doing?”

He looked up in confusion. Her voice had taken on the same dangerous edge it had when she used to question him about his occasional meetings with Kikyou. “Waiting for you to go to sleep.”

Rather than the anger he was half expecting, she turned her back on him, burying her face in the pillows. Now thoroughly confused, he got to his feet and bent over her, trying to decide how best to repair whatever damage he had unwittingly done. Reaching out a tentative hand to touch her shoulder, he asked, “What did I do?”

Suddenly he found himself with his arms full of sobbing girl, not an entirely unpleasant sensation. “Kagome,” he said, “I don’t understand--did I say something to cause this?”

Looking beyond the hurt to see that he had absolutely no idea what was going on, she tried to smile, failing miserably. “It’s just that after what she said, you were going to stay over there like you used to….” She sniffed, wiping the salty tears from her face.

Suddenly realizing what she was talking about, he shook his head. “You’re still not completely healed, Kagome, and we’re both tired. This isn’t the right time.”

“That’s not what I had in mind. We can be together without being…together, you know. Why don’t you come up here and sleep next to me? How often can we find a place where we’re as safe as we are right now?”

Suddenly realizing that she was talking about warmth and companionship rather than anything more intimate, he nodded slowly.

It was shortly after daybreak when Souta burst into the room. He took one look at the two resting comfortably in each others’ arms, and backed out of the room in a hurry. The sound of the boy racing down the stairs woke them. “MAMA--!!”

The hanyou was a little disappointed that Kagome and her mother spent more than half of their first day back out shopping together. Still, as they explained it, if he was going to spend any amount of time on this side of the well, he would need some things so that he would be a little less conspicuous. In any case, their absence gave him the chance to spend a little time with Souta, who had been uncharacteristically quiet ever since his appearance in his sister’s room.

“So, what did your mother tell you?”

The boy paused briefly, and Inuyasha began to grow a little uncomfortable. Finally, Souta looked up, something very like disappointment on his face. “She said it was okay because you were her husband.” Giving the hanyou a sharp look, he continued, “When did this happen?”

Suddenly feeling like he was on trial, Inuyasha snarled, “Back in my world, just before we came here. Why the hell do you care, anyway?”

The boy looked at him with the hurt expression of one who had been betrayed by someone he had trusted. “You guys went and got married, and we didn’t even get to have a party!”

For one of the few times in his life, the hanyou simply stared, unable to speak. After finding him asleep in his sister’s bed, Souta was worried about a party? Inuyasha had never felt quite as much the outsider as he did at that moment.

Fortunately, the hanyou’s unease was relatively short-lived, as Kagome soon returned, weighed down with an assortment of bags and parcels. In a gesture more considerate than either of the women would have believed six months earlier, Inuyasha took most of the packages inside, then returned to assist Kagome, who was limping badly from the hours of walking during the shopping trip.

“I think,” he said, eyeing the mountain of their purchases, “That you overdid things just a little.” He decided that his conversation with Souta was best left unmentioned unless it became absolutely necessary.

The older woman laughed out loud. “We had a lot to take care of, Inuyasha. Not only did we have to find a variety of …camouflage for you, but we needed some extra food as well--five people eat more than three.”

“Especially,” added Kagome, “When one of the five is a grumpy hanyou. Come on,” she said, grabbing his hand and a fistful of bags, “Let’s see if some of this stuff fits.”

Suddenly, he was all too conscious of the warmth of her hand. He closed his fingers around it carefully, lest he scratch her more delicate skin with his claws. Eyes half closed, he allowed her to drag him up the stairs. He realized then that her scent was subtly different: she smelled like she did after a battle, a hint of perspiration and adrenaline mixing with her usual compelling scent

Shutting the door behind them, she dropped the shopping bags on the bed and started to rummage through them. The hanyou stood close behind her, breathing in the intoxicating aroma, rapidly going into a kind of sensory overload. He swallowed hard. “Kagome--”

She turned around with a bright smile. She looked even better than she smelled, he decided--her hair slightly disarranged, her face flushed, her breathing a little deeper and faster than normal. Realizing exactly how close he was to losing what shreds of self-control he may have still retained, he backed away from her in a hurry.

Her smile blinked out as she looked at him. “Inuyasha?”

He shook his head to try to clear it, and she stepped closer. She couldn’t imagine what could possibly be wrong. Placing a hand on either side of his face, she studied him closely. Rather than the warmth she had come to expect, his expression seemed to be a combination of hunger, fear, and something very like pain. “What’s wrong?” she asked. “You can tell me.”

Aside from a few occasions when he had been kissed by Kikyou, his only knowledge of matters of this kind had come when he was living alone in the forest. He had occasionally stumbled upon some of the forest wildlife breeding--he had even observed human couples on a few occasions. As far as practical experience went, he was completely ignorant. Though he feared that he might hurt her somehow due to his far greater physical strength or--even worse--disappoint her, he could not bring himself to leave the room: her scent, her touch, her very presence all contributed to a sweet torment that he would willingly undergo for all eternity. He whispered something, not trusting his voice to speak in anything like a normal tone.

Unfortunately, her hearing was not nearly as acute as his. “What did you say?” By now, she was certain that he was in no immediate danger, although he seemed tortured, as he had seemed when he was trying to reconcile his obligations to Kikyou with his growing affection for her.

He tried again, speaking in a nearly normal volume. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

She smiled gently. “You couldn’t hurt me. Not unless you left me.”

The fear and doubt seemed to vanish from his face, and she lost herself in those golden eyes. Her hands dropped from his face as he gathered her into his arms, absently stroking her hair. As she was pulled tight against his firm body, she began to understand the nature of his dilemma. “It’s all right,” she whispered, raising herself on her toes so that she could brush her lips lightly across his.

One of the last things he thought before losing himself in her was that more than half of the human couples he had observed had ended up fighting, apparently because the male half of the pair had been in too much of a hurry to make it a good experience for his partner. Foolish humans, he thought--even though his own passion threatened to overwhelm him, he was prepared to devote the entire day to making what would be the first experience for both of them as joyful and pleasurable as he could.

Even in his present state, he struggled to make sure that she understood. In a voice that ached with long-suppressed passion and sheer disbelief that she would actually choose him, he whispered, “I love you, Kagome,” into the hollow of her throat.