InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Pulling Her Down ❯ Tell Me To Sit ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of InuYasha, even though he owns my heart. I do not seek to gain anything in means of profit, rights, or anything else from creating this. This story is only a fanciful musing from a person that totally adorns the characters and story as it is.

Ok. This is it…the long awaited chapter, which I had posted briefly and removed. I'm sorry for the inconvenience to everyone, but I wasn't satisfied with what I put out before. Something just didn't seem right with the other one. I felt 'rushed' even after taking so long to put it on the site and know it wasn't as good a job as you all say I do. I appreciate ALL the reviews that I did get from the chapter the brief time it was up. I DO hope that you enjoy this version of the chapter much better for having to wait. I DID make a lot of revisions to the story. I promised you chapter 4 before, and hopefully I'll be able to keep that by having it up by…(on)… the weekend.

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Pulling Her Down

by: aishiteru_inu

Part 3: Tell Me To Sit

InuYasha appeared, as if from nowhere, just off to the side and slightly behind Kagome. Sango was there with her, but he really hadn't expected anything else from the demon exterminator than to be there for her friend. They were like sisters, maybe even closer than sisters, and they had a habit of confiding everything with each other. It put him a little ill at ease wondering just what the other girl thought of him now.

He gave himself a mental snort; worried about what yet another ningen (human) thought of him, and yet… a few things were starting to matter. The more he was around these people, a little bit more of him opened up inside, it was just that he wouldn't show it.

The instant his presence was visible, Sango looked up, past her injured friend. She gave the hanyou a curious guarded look for a moment or so before dropping her gaze back to Kagome.

They all knew the heated arguments that InuYasha and Kagome would have at times; usually it was by some fault of InuYasha, whether directly or indirectly, but never had they seen him ever hurt her. Bellowing, name calling, stomping around,…the sits. Eventually, it wound up with Kagome leaving for a few days, but that was always the extent of it.

As gruff and intimidating as the hanyou could be, and as easy as it was for him to be able to hurt her, when it came to her friend, he more than showed many times over how dedicated he was in protecting her. Still, the marks on the young miko's arm were made by the hanyou's claws, and she found it hard to believe what had happen to Kagome was of her own fault. But her friend ardently insisted that he was not to blame for it.

Mixed emotions emanated from the girl, but, despite that, InuYasha did not sense anything that revealed any animosity toward him. He felt a little more at ease, knowing whatever transpired between the two didn't have him running for cover. The dark haired taijiya (exterminator) wouldn't have had any qualms about chasing him down and giving him a good swipe with her boomerang, if there had been.

"Kagome-chan," Sango spoke softly as she rose to her feet, her friend's eyes following her upward direction. "I will see you back at camp later."

She gave another fleeting glance toward InuYasha, and then left her friend in the company -- and protection -- of the hanyou.

The pressure that had weighted him down, lifted somewhat, since there had been no altercation or lecture from Sango. In fact, she had departed just as she would if there wasn't anything the matter……but…that was her, not Kagome.

He felt something constrict in his chest and tighten in his stomach, as he vividly remembered the reflection of pain that was in her eyes right before he ran off. He also couldn't help the grimace that washed over his face, as he dealt with the realization that he had caused it. Would she ever forgive him? Could things ever be all right between them?

After a dozen more questions and doubts ran through his mind, InuYasha knew he couldn't just stand there, contemplating what to do. He knew what he had to do.

Squaring his shoulders back, he moved until he stood in front of her, and awaited anything that she may say or do, awaited to be sat at least a dozen times or so, awaited for her to…… just…… raise her head and look at him.

"Kagome," he breathed her name hoarsely. He needed to tell her how sorry he was for having hurt her. He so much wanted to make things right with her, whatever it took, whatever she wished, yet, other than saying her name, he was afraid to venture further because, then, he would have to deal with the consequences that much sooner. Yes,… damn it,… he was afraid of hearing her rejection and disgust of him.

'Please, just look at me.' He couldn't help but to mentally beg her, for the longer he stood there, the more he feared that she didn't want to see him at all, ever again. 'Please.'

At the slight indication of movement, InuYasha realized that he had been holding his breath, praying, willing her to cast a glance up at him, but then his ears lowered somewhat, feeling a bit of defeat. She had indeed moved, but it was not to acknowledge him. Instead, it was only to remove the cloth she held against her face to wipe her cheeks and eyes before lowering it to her lap.

His shoulders started to curl downward, as he surrendered to the loss, when she moved again. This time he felt the heat of her eyes upon him as they traveled from his feet up his legs, across his stomach, over his chest, and finally…… finally…… they locked with his.

It was only for an instant; then he watched as her gaze dropped from his, back to the ground somewhere. She had looked away with not a word issued from her lips!

*******************

Kagome wouldn't have known he was there, if it hadn't been for that silent exchange of eye contact Sango cast beyond her. Her heart jumped against her breast bone at the knowledge of his presence, but she also tensed knowing that the inevitable confrontation was at hand.

She had wished that he would come and be there with her, so she could let him know that she didn't blame him at all for what happened. She didn't want him hurting, like she knew he must have been from his expression before he darted away.

She wiped her face before confronting him. The words were just at the tip of her tongue, but then her bravery fled and self consciousness set in, and she dropped her gaze back to the ground.

How could she look at him now that he was there? How could she face him knowing that she had to be such a horrible person? To never have thought of how one simple word could bring such mind shattering pain to someone -- especially one that watched out and protected her with his very life! She felt so small and ashamed of herself that she couldn't bare the fact that he stood there looking at her -- not right then.

Closing her eyes, Kagome tried to shut everything out; concentrating only on the rhythm of her heart beating against her ribcage, trying to summon some measure of strength to face him again.

*******************

A cold chill raced down his spine. She…… She didn't want to look at him!

'She can't bare the sight of me,' he thought, upon seeing her lashes sweep down across her cheeks in an effort to close him out, and it was obvious that she didn't want to speak to him either, because she didn't even say the one accursed word that he awaited with a sick need of hearing!

Gods, how much he wanted just to crash to the ground at that moment! He more than deserved it, but…… there was nothing, just silence and…… nothing, except, maybe, the tension he could sense radiation from her now.

The blow hit him like someone managing to punch him in the stomach, and he released the air in his lungs in a sounding rush. What was he to do now?

*******************

Kagome felt a warm, soft breeze against her skin, disturbing the wisps of hair that hung near her face, tickling her neck. It carried on it the scent of something sweet like berries, or…chocolate. Chocolate?

An alarming sense hit her, which caused her to turn her head to the side a bit. Opening her eyes, she found herself nearly nose to nose with InuYasha; his large golden eyes penetrating straight into hers.

The position he was in made him have to lean his body forward somewhat, as he hunkered down, next to her, like he would be inclined to sit at times: feet planted flat upon the ground, knees spread apart as he rested his hands, also, on the ground between them. It usually brought a small smile to her face because he looked so much like a dog that was part of his being, however she was beyond able to do that simple jester now.

"Tell me to sit." His voice was low, and a little more forceful than he intended it to be. He watched as her eyes widened and a renewed pain entered into them; up close as he was, he could see the tears rise and flood across them. Her face took on a look of aguish, and she turned away, but not before the dam broke to allow the tears to escape down her cheeks. He watched as she sat there, hiding from him behind the strands of hair that had fallen to form a barrier between them.

"You can't even look at me, can you?" The sudden clenching in his stomach and chest reached up to grab a hold of his throat, making his voice not much more than a whisper, but it hadn't taken away the harsh hoarseness of his words.

Still stinging from the revelation of her disgrace, she twisted her fingers in her lap. Shaking her head slowly, she answered tearfully low, "No."

InuYasha made a sudden movement backward, feeling as if she had just slapped him. It wasn't a far distance, -- pushed back upon his haunches, balanced only upon his feet with his hands coming to rest upon his knees, -- but the action moved him away from her so that he wasn't as close. She should have went ahead and slapped him, then, at least, she would have been venting something. That was a better start than just the silence. He could deal with the physical pain much better than the kind he had to deal with on the inside.

The first urge he had was to run away; run as far as possible so that he wouldn't have to face her, so she wouldn't have to see his face to remind her of the hurt he had caused, but he couldn't make himself go. It was like he was glued to the spot.

He tried to think of reasons why -- why he needed to stay.

For one, there were parts of the jewel that still needed to be found, and Kagome needed his strength to take them from the demons that possessed them…or that were possessed by them. Then, there was the fact that she needed to be protected in their perilous journey. He had to at least do that much for her -- see that nothing else harmed her! There was also the fact that when speed was of the essence, or when she became too overly tired to make it on her own, he carried her on his back. That was something he didn't want to give up.

When it all came down to it, InuYasha realized that every reason he thought of revolved around her. She needed him. She needed him even though she might not want anything to do with him. She was bound to him as he was to her.

He didn't want to be anywhere that she wasn't. Maybe some would think that he was weak, needing someone, needing her like he did, but he didn't want to go back into the dark emptiness. He just couldn't…didn't…want to live his life like that anymore, not since she had brought so many things into it. His life had a huge, hollow hole in it when she wasn't there, and knowing that their relationship might be irreparably damaged, hurt him terribly.

Even though his mind raced with a hundred things, he was still at a loss for words to say to her, so he sat like a statue, staring at her. She may not be able to bare to look at the sight of him, but he couldn't get enough of her. He dreaded the moment when she would cast him away also, leaving him to be all alone again.

'Just say the damn incantation,' he anxiously, yet silently insisted.

He had told her to sit him, and she looked at him with horror and refused by turning away. He questioned her about being able to look at him, and she said no. If he tried to apologize, would she reject that too? What was he to do?

InuYasha did the one thing he didn't give thought to, as if his subconscious inner self drove him to do it. He dropped to one knee as he reached over and took her in his arms. He pulled her closer until he had her pressed against him; his arms wrapped around her to hold her there. He even took a hold of the back of her head to keep her from pulling back, nestling her against his collarbone where he could rest his chin on top of her head.

"Please, don't cry anymore, Kagome," he whispered against her hair, trying to sooth her. "I can't stand to see you cry. You don't have to look at me, and you don't have to say anything. Just…… just let me hold you for a little while."

He felt her hands grasp at his haori, and the soft, yet sharp, sound of her intake reached his ears. She did not struggle. In fact, he felt her body press closer to him, and with that he tightened his arms around her even more. Gods, he was glad, because he didn't think he could have let go of her right then, anyway.

He held her as if he could meld them close enough together so that everything he was feeling, everything he wanted to tell her, would seep within her.

*******************

It surprised her when he reached out and pulled her against him; his arms wrapping around her like a vice that she couldn't get out of. As if she really wanted to get out of them! This was were she had wanted to be in the first place, even though she hadn't the nerve to launch herself into doing so.

She felt his breath brush her hair as he spoke his whispered words against her, and when he had asked her to let him hold her, the only thing she could do was to grab a hold of his clothing and snuggle closer in affirmation; breathing air in with a soft gasp, which she seemed to have forgotten about doing before he took hold of her. Squeezing her eyes closed, Kagome silently willed him to feel all the she had within her. Praying that he would know just what he meant to her life.

*******************

That moment seemed to envelop forever, as the two willing energies sought to merge together; both feeling a tingling sensation within them where their chest met with each other. Yet forever wasn't quite long enough to forget that there were still things… important things… that needed to be taken care of. Kagome just happened to be the one to withdraw from that place first as her lips moved against the skin of his throat, her breath fanning across it as she whispered, "I'm sorry, InuYasha."

Hearing her words, the hanyou pulled himself back from the elation he was wrapped in, wondering what she thought she had to apologize for.

"For what?" his voice was hushed and held the questioning tone.

There was a pause, allowing only the sounds of the night to be heard, but then he felt her hands tighten a bit and a slightly firmer press against him before she relaxed in release. When she pulled back, he let go of her; his fears being momentarily set aside as he concerned himself with her.

Kagome completely withdrew herself away from him, but only as far back as to the point of where his knees were. After sitting there a brief moment, she tilted her face up to look at him, then she reached her hands out toward him.

A warm softness came over his features, and he started to lean forward to meet her touch. His heart leapt within his chest even though he was uncertain where it would lead from there. He just knew damn sure that he was getting closer to her mouth!

He watched her for some sign of rejection, moving as if everything was in slow motion, but there wasn't any. There was only a sadness in her eyes, which was so unfathomable, nothing would be able to make its way out of them if it were to fall in.

'Whatever it takes, Kagome,' he vowed silently, 'as long as you want me to be with you, I'll see that things are better with us again. You don't need to be so sad because of me.'

He felt her hands touch him. He also felt a tug at the back of his neck, which still his movements. What elation he had just been feeling, changed, as whatever reason he had thought she was reaching out to him wasn't that at all……whatever 'it' would have been. She had taken a hold of his necklace, and her intentions were clear as she started to pull the beads upward. She was going to remove the control of the incantation beads from him, something which he could not do himself. She was going to release him of their accursed hold. She was setting him free!

She had only gotten the rosary as far as his chin when a clawed hand took hold of both sides of it, trapping the necklace within his grasp; making the loop too small to simply be pulled over his head. Her eyes widened with startlement, only to have them held by his steady golden ones. Hers were ones of question. His were studious and unsmiling.

"No." He said quietly, directly, and without blinking only inches from her face.

Kagome could only stare at him, her lips parting in want of saying something, yet nothing went past them. She did not understand why he had stopped her, why he would stop her.

"Why would you do that for?" He questioned her in disbelief, his brows furrowing and a slight frown graced his own lips.

She dropped her gaze, veiling her eyes from him with dark lashes that fanned against her cheeks.

"Because you don't……nobody deserves to wear something like that," her voice was low as she bowed her head enough that she wouldn't be directly facing him. "I -- I never thought…… that you might ever be hurt when you… slam down onto the ground like that. I…… You just never seemed to act like it… hurt."

InuYasha could only sit there, stunned by her words.

"I'm sorry, InuYasha," she whispered again.

The realization of her words floored him. She had…… She had she been upset over him? After he had hurt her, like he had, how could she be concerned over him like that? So her tears and distress hadn't been just for herself. She wasn't upset over what he had done to hurt her, or because she was afraid of him. She was troubled because she got the idea in her head that she had been hurting him all those times before! That meant she had been crying not because of him, but for him!

"Stupid, Baka," he said gently, trying to take her thoughts away from the direction they were in by saying something that was normally him, but despite the type of words he spoke, they were in a tone that made them sound almost like an endearment. "There's nothing to be sorry for. Really. Don't be crying over me. You're the one that got hurt!"

"Please, InuYasha," she stole a look up at him. "Let me take these off."

He closed his eyes against the words that were already forming in his head. "No."

"Why?" she simply asked, raising her head up further. Both of them still held onto the damn necklace.

InuYasha was not willing to admit the real reason he was keeping her from doing the very thing he had wanted since it was activated, but couldn't help become a little aggravated as to what he was about to do because of it. He drew back, pulling the beads from her hands to let them drop back against his chest.

"Sooner or later, you'll realize that having them around my neck isn't such a bad idea after all."

Looking back at him, she wasn't sure how to take that answer.

"Let's just say that without them I would have done a lot more stupid things without giving a thought about it. And I'm sure there's a lot more things between now and finding the rest of the shards that I…" Back in his mind, his knew he was going to regret this sometime later. "…might need to sit and think about."

"But…"

"Nani (What)? Still worried that you hurt me? Keh! You're the one with the frail body! I'm not like you, remember? I'm a demon."

"Y-you're only half."

InuYasha bristled a little at that reminder, feeling a little buffeted at her thinking he was the weaker side of his youkai self.

"So?!" He returned exasperated. "That still makes me tougher and stronger than you! And you don't need to be whimpering and crying over me, either!" Even though his ego was dented a bit, her concern touched him, yet he folded his arms across his chest, as if he were in disgust. "As if you could hurt me with your 'sit' incantations! Feh! You'd have to try a lot harder than what you've given me any time before now."

He turned his head away, if nothing else than to watch her out of the corner of his eye to see her reaction. She looked uncertain as to what she should really think, as if wondering if he was really telling the truth, or if he was just covering the fact.

After moments of contemplation passed, she said, "Is that so?" and by the slight change of tone in her voice, he knew he had drawn her a little out of the wretched state she had trapped herself in.

"Way harder," he pressed scornfully. "So get over it already! If you're not crying over yourself, then you're just wasting water! You can't hurt me!"

'Well, that should do it!' he thought, priding himself and waiting to hear the single word slip out from between her lips.

Instead he got, "But I don't want to hurt you, InuYasha. I--I never wanted to hurt you."

His pretense dropped, and he said softly, "I know that, Kagome." seeing some doubts still in her as she stared up into his warm golden eyes.

"Why don't you just tell me to sit? You'll feel much better."

"I… don't… really ever… want to say that word again."

"Feh, I know you want to."

"I do not."

"Yes, you do."

"Why on earth do you want me to say it?"

"It's like that saying about falling off a horse."

"That still doesn't make sense as to why you want your face slammed into the ground."

"Because you'll get over this moping once you say it, OK?" he argued. Guess he was going to have to be a little more forceful about it after all. Looking at her pointedly, InuYasha jabbed a finger at his head. "Is your brain dead?"

She didn't say anything.

"Stupid!"

She was still quiet, so he tried again. "Baka!"

"Dog."

"Ninjen!"

"Hanyou!"

Getting almost in her face, he sneered, "BITCH!"

"SIT!"

She was as quick as the incantation this time, for as he started down, Kagome spread her knees apart to keep him from landing right in her lap. Her actions didn't register right away, as the sudden shock overtook her. She said the very word she swore she'd never say again.

After a shocked gasp, she exclaimed with wide eyes and a hand covering her mouth, "Oh my God!! You… I… It slipped out!"

Within a few moments, he raised his head up to her, with something that resembled a lopsided grin on his face. "That got you to say it, didn't it?"

"Are you alright?"

"Feh!" he snorted, as if she insulted him. "I told you to stop worrying. You need to say it a few more times so you get use to it again."

Just how he was going to get her to do that was the question, but then…… with the intake of his breath……

"InuYasha…" she started but seeing the funny expression he had as he looked at her, caused her to stop.

Well, it wasn't exactly at her as in the face, but at her. One brow quirked upward, while the other settled at a normal line. One eye was cocked open, while the other one was half hooded. Then there was a wicked grin that etched his lips. A grin that displayed the fangs of his teeth. Oh, yeah, he was going to get slammed for this one!

Raising his gaze, which had a wicked glint sparkling in them, to look her right in the eye, he said almost singing, "I can see your panties…"

Kagome shrieked, shoving her skirt down with her hands. She would have snapped her legs together if not for crushing and trapping his head there.

"I like that color, and you…" he did not get a chance to finish.

"Sit, InuYasha!"

He did really ask for this,… didn't he?

*************

He actually had been able to draw two sits out of her that last one.

"Do you feel better now?" he asked after he was able to get up from the ground; sitting cross-legged in front of her as he brushed himself off.

"No." she replied with a blush, folding her own arms across her chest. Now she was embarrassed as hell on top of it all!

"Kagome, you can see I'm none the worse for wear. If you want, you can 'sit' me some more."

She was back to not looking at him again. With all that had happened, Kagome had forgotten about her face hurting, but now that things had calmed, caught up in her own humiliation, she could feel the pulsing in her lip start again.

He watched as she shook out the cloth that had fallen to the ground earlier and dip it into the pot of water she had. He watched as she wrung it out, and folded it, and then place it against her mouth. The simple action brought back a bit of defeating reality; she was still hurt. In fact, he could now sense that her lip was bothering her. He also still needed to apologize, but then she shivered.

"Are you cold? Here," he removed his haori and handed it to her. "Put this around you."

She took it without a word and put it on. After snuggling into the folds warmed with his heat and the smell of his body, she replaced the cloth against her mouth.

"Maybe we should get you back to camp…" he suggested starting to rise.

"InuYasha?" She caused him to stop and look down at her from his half risen position. "Do you think…that maybe…," She felt her cheeks burning. "we could… ummm… we could… stay here…ummm… just a little bit longer?"

"If that's what you want."

"You think… you could…maybe… hold me for a little while?"

"You -- you want…… you want me hold you?"

She nodded her head, a little uneasy about her request, thinking he might not want to hug her again. "If you… If you don't…mind."

He dropped to his knees in front of her. "Hells, Kagome, I don't mind." Then he shifted so that his back was against the tree to help support him, settling into a position where one knee was bent upward and the other leg curled around in front. He looked at her with eyes that showed a mixture of wanting this too, yet was also doubtfully afraid.

Unsure how to approach it, he just opened his arms to her, letting her decide what to do. Immediately he found her within them as she sat herself down between his legs, draping hers over the side of the one he had lowest to the ground. She twisted her body so that she could lean against him easier, and buried the side of her face in the nook of his shoulder. One arm went up around his neck while the other went around his ribs, or at least against his side since the tree kind of obstructed the placement of her arm.

Once she was still against him, he wrapped his own arms around her to hold her close.

"How's this, Kagome?"

"Nice," she breathed against him, and after several minutes passed, feeling the warmth starting to overtake her, she faintly said, "InuYasha, I don't want you to be sad either. I don't blame you for what happened. I -- I just want you to know that."

He felt his body clench slightly, and he looked down at the girl laying against him. Her eyes were closed and she had already relaxed.

"However long you want, Kagome." He whispered. "I'll hold you however long you want."

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Also, to those that do read my other story, "Same Thing, Different Time", I will be getting a chapter up here soon. Just a LOT of things have come up over that past couple of weeks preventing me from sitting down and writing, or breaks me constantly out of my thought process. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

aishiteru_inu