InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Overcoming the Past ❯ Home ( Chapter 19 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha and Co. (But I do own Nika, Yukio, Hana, Katsuga, Reiha, Yukino, and Tsukino ^_~.)

"..." Indicate words

'...' Indicate thoughts

Overcoming the Past

Chapter 19: Home

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Sesshoumaru bolted up, a thin sheen of sweat covering his heaving chest. He took in a ragged breath and tried to calm himself down. He looked down at his manhood with a frustrated expression. Yet again he had dreamed of a certain miko writhing in ecstasy beneath him. The idea of having their bodies merge in such a way had been invading his every thought, even while he slept.

"Dammit! What's a youkai need to do to get a little sleep?" he grumbled. His eyes drifted to the half-opened door on the far side of his room. The taiyoukai slowly rose out of his bed and strode over to it, sighing at his lack of control as of late. He silently opened the door the rest of the way and peered into the bedroom that used to belong to his mother, carefully surveying every aspect of the room before allowing his eyes the pleasure of viewing the angel in the large four-post bed. The moonlight poured in through the window and gave her fair skin an ethereal glow. Her raven hair cascaded down her shoulders and back.

'Why? Why am I cursed with feelings and desires for this human? Her face haunts me, even in my sleep.'

Sesshoumaru then turned his golden gaze to her face and started when he saw sapphire orbs staring up at him with an expression he couldn't define.

'Whatever it is, it's arousing.'

"Sesshoumaru..." the name fell from her lips with such longing that Sesshoumaru almost forgot his own predicament in his desire to help fulfill whatever longing she had.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" he inquired worriedly. Kagome just stared at him before remembering the way he just abandoned her for Yukino only hours before and grew angry.

"What does it matter to you? Get out and leave me alone!" she shouted, making the dog demon cover his ears in pain. He glared at her for a long time before returning to his room and slamming the door behind him, uttering several curses at himself while doing so.

Kagome stared at the closed door. For some reason, it disturbed her, more than she ever thought. What disturbed her even more was the fact that she had been the one who demanded it be closed.

'But I didn't like the look in his eyes. He looked like he would devour me in my sleep if I hadn't woken up. His body language was very different than it usually is, maybe because he now finds me repulsive and is questioning what he ever saw in me to begin with. At least I won't have to worry about it anymore. Tomorrow I am going home.'

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The next morning, Kagome rose before the sun and packed up everything that had originally belonged to her. She opened the door of her room without a sound and squeaked when Inuyasha fell backwards into her room, his eyes wide open. Kagome peered down at the hanyou, who was lying on his back in a state of shock.

"What the hell?!" he yelled when he came back to reality. "What happened?"

"Keep your voice down, Inuyasha. Besides, I'm the one who should be asking you that!" Inuyasha realized where he was and blushed, immediately rising to his feet and taking in the scene before him. Kagome was frowning at him and carrying a several parcels.

"Where are you going?" the disgruntled hanyou inquired, not really expecting her to answer.

"Home." Home. It was such a simple word, but it held such deep emotion and sorrow in it that Inuyasha couldn't help but feel his heart lurch at the hearing it. His ears flattened to his head and he looked at her with a guilty expression.

"Because of me?" Kagome shook her head. Inuyasha then thought of something that made his anger rise. "Because of Sesshoumaru?"

"No," Kagome replied. "I just think it's time to go home for now. My family probably thinks I'm dead or something; I haven't seen them in months."

"Will you come back?" When Kagome didn't answer, Inuyasha found the courage to look up at her face, and he started. She was smiling at him.

"Is the Jewel still incomplete?" Without waiting for a reply, she added, "I will come back soon and finish what we started, okay?" Inuyasha nodded hesitantly.

"Promise?" Kagome smiled.

"I promise, Inuyasha."

"Why are you being so nice to me? You should hate me..." Inuyasha trailed off uncertainly, half expecting her to say that he was right and that she did hate him.

"Friends don't hate each other, Inuyasha, and I consider you my best friend." With that, Kagome walked passed the hanyou and down the hall to the exit. Inuyasha made no move to stop her. He had no right to. Kagome deserved to go home or wherever else she wanted. He heard a door open and turned to see Sesshoumaru step out of his bedroom and watch Kagome fade from his line of sight. Inuyasha scowled at the taiyoukai beside him.

"What are you thinking about, Inuyasha?" Sesshoumaru said politely, his voice laced with well-masked melancholy that the hanyou could only identify because he felt it just as keenly, but it still didn't help to calm the crazed resentment toward his brother that was burning within him.

"I'm wondering what the fuck you were thinking, Sesshoumaru. You just let the best thing that ever happened to either of us just walk out of our lives forever." Sesshoumaru turned to glare at the angry hanyou.

"If you care so much for that human wench, then you can go after her!" he shouted, mimicking Inuyasha's fiery tone. The hanyou growled audibly, his chest rumbling from the vibrations.

"I can't! I have no right to stop her from going back home anymore. You were the one who was keeping her here; you were the one who hurt her the most; you are the one she chose, Sesshoumaru. Her actions were determined by what you said and what you did. When you turned your back on her, Kagome thought it was your way of telling her she had overstayed her welcome and that she meant nothing to you. You are making all of my mistakes, Sesshoumaru! Don't be like me; I screwed up my entire life because I failed to realize how important Kagome is to me...and it broke her heart. You just repeated my mistake." Sesshoumaru just stared at his brother; since when had the brat been so inspirational? However, it made no difference. The mistakes had already been made, and Kagome was long gone.

"There's still time to go after her," Inuyasha said as if reading his mind. Then he added in a much softer tone that made Sesshoumaru's heart ache, "Please don't let her leave. I don't think I can stand it, knowing that she is hurting and alone, and that I can't do anything to comfort her. Please."

"She's gone, Inuyasha, and it's for the best." His voice was quiet and apprehensive.

"How can you say that?!" Inuyasha snarled, his anger flaring once more. "Bring Kagome back! Bring her back, now!" Inuyasha continued to shout at the taiyoukai in front of him, demanding that Sesshoumaru go and bring Kagome back, and Sesshoumaru flinched each time, uncertainty and self-doubt overwhelming reason. Neither noticed the large party of youkai staring at them down the hallway as if they had gone mad.

Yukino stared in shock while Nika and Yukio were close to joining the hanyou in his little chant. Tsukino watched on with interest and her sister did likewise, carefully observing every detailed movement the taiyoukai made. Inutaisho was appalled at his sons' behavior and it showed on his face.

"What in heaven's name are you talking about, Inuyasha?" the former taiyoukai of the west roared, ashamed that his sons were quarrelling so shamelessly. The brothers exchanged horrified looks and turned to face Inutaisho. "What could you two have possibly found to argue about at such an early hour? You have awoken every being on the estate.

"Kagome; what else is really worth arguing about?" they answered in unison, almost laughing at the way it came out in unison due to their similar characters, almost being the key word.

"Why did Kagome ask to borrow a transport earlier?" Nika inquired testily, silently praying that her intuition was wrong, but their answer confirmed her suspicions.

"She's going home," Inuyasha told her plainly. Nika frowned at glared at them.

"...and why did Kagome-chan leave? Did one of you two say uncivilized something to her?" Sesshoumaru's eyes became guilty and Inuyasha snorted.

"No; Sesshoumaru didn't have to say anything to show her she wasn't wanted. She just did him the 'favor' of leaving, and now we all have to suffer her absence...possibly forever." Sesshoumaru turned to glare at Inuyasha.

"What are you saying, Inuyasha, that Kagome will break her promise of returning to finish her duty as your shard detector?" he said, clearly having trouble controlling his temper.

"No, that's not what I'm saying! Kagome will try to come back, but without a Shikon shard, it's futile to try, and I promised not to cross the barrier and retrieve her!"

"It's not my problem, Inuyasha. Do your shard-hunting without the wench for a change," the taiyoukai said, and was rewarded with a blow to the face that made him take several steps backwards. Inuyasha stood there growling and panting with rage, glaring at Sesshoumaru, who was furiously wiping the blood from his mouth. The older brother quickly retaliated and they began to brawl tactlessly, throwing blind punches and blows. Inuyasha tried to land a punch on his brother's head, but the taiyoukai side-stepped the attack and countered with his whip, sending Inuyasha to the floor crying out in pain. The hanyou shakily rose to his feet and charged at Sesshoumaru with tears and blood on his cheeks. He delivered a powerful strike to his brother's face, piercing the older man's face with his claws.

Sesshoumaru hastily retreated to a safer distance and stared in shock at his hand, which was covered in blood, before bringing it back up to cradle the deep gash marring his perfect face. He finally realized how out of hand things had gotten. He was losing control of his emotions to a point where he had wildly attacked his own brother in front of his father. His inability to handle his own feelings had led to Kagome's emotional wounds and Inuyasha's physical ones. It was unforgivable, like most of his actions as of late. Now, he would lose her forever...or five hundred years. Both were basically the same.

"I apologize, Inuyasha," he managed, his voice hoarse and strained. The hanyou froze and relaxed his battle stance, staring at his half-brother in disbelief. Had Sesshoumaru just apologized? "I offer no excuse for my actions."

"Sesshoumaru..." he began, but stopped mid-sentence when he felt his brother embrace him loosely.

"I'm sorry for all of the grief I've caused you, little brother. I know I have brought great pain to your life and to Kagome's as well. However, I cannot bring Kagome back here for that very reason. I am sure that you also wish for that girl's happiness. If so, then how can you desire to return her to a place that makes her miserable? Please try to understand, Inuyasha. This is best for all of us, especially Kagome." Inuyasha had slowly relaxed in his older brother's arms. He had always looked up to Sesshoumaru, but somewhere along the line, through all of their fruitless quarrels and misunderstandings, he had forgotten why. This was why; his brother, in his own way, was selfless and incredibly empathic. He understood other's suffering so well, and when to extreme measures to mollify their pain, often at his own expense because people rarely understood his motives and reasoning.

"She said she wanted to come back someday and finish our adventure, but... she won't be able to. Only she and I have been able to cross times, and that was with the shards." Sesshoumaru listened to his brother's broken words and held him closer. "I didn't realize until it was too late, so it's my fault, not yours. I shouldn't have blamed you." The hanyou pulled away and smiled up at his brother and role model with teary eyes.

"It's not your fault, Inuyasha. Kagome went home, where she belongs, where she feels safe and loved. It was her choice, one we all must accept." Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

"Sorry about scratching you," he said, grimacing at the slash across his brother's beautiful cheek. Sesshoumaru chuckled softly, and Inuyasha noticed that the wound had already begun to close.

"I would be more worried about yourself, otouto. Your wounds are much more severe than mine." By the time he had finished saying those things, Sesshoumaru had fully healed. Inuyasha scoffed at the older man's arrogance and began to walk away, grumbling about having an evil asshole for a brother.

"Stupid aniki..." he said, only more clearly for Sesshoumaru to hear, even though the extra projection was unnecessary. Sesshoumaru shook his head and left in the other direction, surprisingly relieved that the tension between his brother and he was dissolved; it was refreshing. He would worry about how to bring Kagome back later.

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