InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Show Me How It Ends ❯ A Smaller God ( Chapter 6 )

I really didn't mean 2 go this long w/out updating, preparing for college has just kept me I guess. Much sorryness 2 everyone! But we r now continuing, yay!

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C h a p t e r VI - A S m a l l e r G o d

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Your presence is the night

Your absence is the morning

I'm searching your dark hallways

Trying to find the light

Swimming your sad ocean

I'm drowning in your sea

This will all be over soon

And we'll learn to live again

A Smaller God - Darling Violetta

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Ginta's head snapped around at break neck speed as the horrified screech reached his ears. There through the water fall he could see a shaken Kagome with her back pressed against the nearest tree staring in shock at the dead puma. Her hand darted up to point shakily at the carcass.

"W-What is that?!" She shrieked her eyes never leaving the deceased animal.

The wolf youkai on the other hand was concerned with more pressing matters. Such as how exactly in the hell did she get here. He jumped down from the rocks underneath the falls paddling through the water until he reached the edge nearest to her. Kagome's focus refused the desert the gory site even as the nude wolf crawled out of the water and onto the forest ground.

"Oi, How'd you get all the way out here?" He asked walking over to her.

"Huh?" Some how her clouds stupor parted long enough to allow her gaze to turn towards the questioning youkai. And she mentally pummeled herself wishing she hadn't. She yelped in surprised embarrassment and instantly twisted herself away from him, the grotesque puma momentarily forgotten. "What do you think you're doing?!" She tried her best to scold him but all the blood rushing to her face forced her brain to quickly abandoned that idea.

"What are you talking about? What's wrong?" He asked, concern coming into his voice as he stepped closer to her.

"W-What's wrong!?" She parroted horror-struck at the very thought of explaining the exact `wrong-ness' of the situation. "G-Ginta!" Kagome started, feeling very embarrassed and not knowing how to say, you being naked in front of me is not okay. "you're not decent!" She hissed.

Ginta looked down at himself. He had never particularly found his body aesthetically pleasing but he hadn't really considered it `indecent'. He looked away from her, rubbing his arm awkwardly. He suddenly felt like a rejected child standing in front of her. "You're body isn't exactly standing perfection either, ya know." He grumbled.

"What!" Kagome exclaimed twirling around completely aghast at his oblivion. "I'm not talking about your body, you baka! You're naked!" She cried pointing at his blatant nudity.

He raised an eyebrow at her statement of the obvious. He was bathing, what did she expect? "So?"

Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly looking for some sort of explanation on why it was wrong to stand naked in front of the opposite sex. `You certainly didn't have a problem with his nudity before he knew you were there.' A naughty voice whispered at her, bringing with it a mixture of shame and curiosity. She felt very stupid stating "I'm just not used to naked men standing in front of me, that's all." She mumbled quickly becoming fascinated with the dirt beneath her.

Hairless eyebrows raised a fraction in surprise at her proclamation. He stopped himself from correcting her, he wasn't a man, he was a youkai. But he understood what she was saying all the same. She had never seen a naked male before? He had grown up with his pack and was quite accustomed and comfortable with the nudity of both genders. Clothing was simply for protection and sometimes to show off a kill, nothing more. His head cocked daintily to the side, all of a sudden feeling very curious about her. His few encounters with humans had taught him a few things. One: Humans were very tasty. Two: They were weak. And three: For some reason or another, humans appeared to be very ashamed with their bodies. The last bit of information he had heard from members around the pack. Female humans, it seemed, were especially embarrassed about being seen nude. They certainly put up quite a fuss when being caught unclothed. Ginta had never been inquisitive about human culture, but now that she was his new den sister he was getting a bird's eye view of it and couldn't help but wonder why exactly human females were so ashamed of nudity. Studying her now as she was, he could see that she was avoiding all contact with him. She refused to look at him and made sure to keep at least two steps away from him. He bit back a chuckle. She even twitched a bit, like a jittery bird.

Experimentally his hand reached out laying a gently index finger on her shoulder. As he expected, she jumped in surprise, letting out a high pitched yip, and instantly batted his hand away from her. He couldn't stop the snicker rising from his throat as she hurriedly twisted away from him and buried her flushing face in her hands. Controlling his laughter, he decided that as long as he was living with one, he might as well educate himself on the ways of humans. "Why are human females so ashamed of their bodies?"

Her head snapped towards him obviously offended. "What?! I'm not ashamed of myself!" She snapped indignantly.

"I didn't say you were. I said you were ashamed of your body." He stated calmly, as if speaking to a four year old.

She turned her body angrily to face him. "There's nothing wrong with my body!"

"I didn't say there was. I'm just wondering why you're so ashamed of it."

"I'm not!" She exclaimed fisting her hands at her sides.

"So what's wrong with me being naked?" It was a question he was truly curious about.

Suddenly reminded of that fact, she `eeped' and quickly spun away from him. `What is wrong with him being naked? You seemed to enjoy it before.' Darn that voice of naughtiness! Kagome squirmed, desperately searching her brain for the answer. "I-It's just not proper. Humans aren't comfortable being naked in front of people, or anyone else being naked in front of them!" She rushed the last part.

"Why?" He asked plopping down at her feet like a student before their instructor.

She let out an exasperated sound of frustration. "I don't know! It's just the way we're raised! It's considered shame….ful……." Kagome trailed off considering her own words. If it was considered shameful to be naked in public then didn't that mean that humans were taught to be ashamed of their own bodies? Letting out a lost sigh, Kagome followed Ginta's example and dropped her butt to the ground. "I guess you're kinda right. It's not really that we feel ashamed, it's just that our parents raised us to think that such things are improper in society."

Ginta nodded in understanding. Learning about another culture was interesting but it still left a burning question in his mind. "Why is it considered shameful?"

Kagome paused in thought. "I dunno…..I suppose……….lemme think." She racked her brain trying to think of something to relate this to. "Well I know when a girl shows off her body by wearing revealing clothing, she considered to be um….ano……… promiscuous?" Judging by the blank look on his face Kagome guessed she should try another word. "licentious?" He raised a confused eyebrow at her. She growled in frustration, was the stupid man actually going to make her spell it out?! Damn him and his lack of good vocabulary that was useful for dodging awkward subjects! "Whorish, Ginta. We consider them to be whores. I guess that's why." She explained seemingly too lost in thought to notice that the subject of such nudity was sitting right next to her, still as naked as the day he was born.

"It's sexual?" He was somewhat surprised at the reason. In any wolf tribe nudity was only considered sexual when the female was in heat, other than that no one really noticed. During that time the female, if unmated, would be the receiver of many cat calls and propositions. Ginta gave his companion's own body a once over, strangely interested in what her body looked like. He briefly wondered why he was thinking such things; she obviously wasn't in heat so he shouldn't worry about it. Then again, human's considered all nudity to be sexual, so his own thoughts should be quite innocent compared to any human males'. He gave her nightgown a little tug, catching her attention.

Kagome looked at the source of the new pulling at her pajamas and once again felt very uncomfortable. He was still naked, but now they had talked about why her reasoning for being uncomfortable was so flawed she did not have the nerve racking urge to spring away from him.

"What does yours looking like?" He asked staring at her person inquisitively.

"What!?" She didn't have to wonder what exactly he was referring too and instantly felt her face light up like a red Christmas bulb.

"Just wondering." He stated as if that justified everything.

"It looks just like every other human female's, trust me." She growled warningly.

"I haven't really seen many human females naked, to be honest."

"Well I'm not about to make you a liar!" She cried blushing madly.

Ginta observed Kagome innocently as she continued her reddening fit. Bitches were generally only fertile in the spring, human females on the other hand could conceive at any time during the year. He briefly wondered if that was one of the perks Kouga considered when choosing Kagome for his mate. Yet another biological difference between humans and youkai. "I'm not very good at lying anyway." He stated casually folding his arms behind his head and leaning back against the tree behind them.

A pair of overly large Miko eyes widened as his new position brought back the recent problem. `Penis!' Her flustered head threatened to explode as the word reverberated throughout her mind. She gulped jerking her head away and the organ out of sight. Guilt and shame flooded her senses at her hormones' determined curiosity over this new experience. With the exceptions of the few and only second lasting walk-ins on InuYasha and gaudy pictures in health class, she had never really seen a penis before. `I'm not even going to count those times when Souta had his little 4 year old nudist phase.' She thought as the memory of a much younger and stark naked Souta running around the house was brought into place. For the life of her, Kagome could not understand where her guilt and shame stemmed from. Ginta was perfectly at ease with his nudity, so she was obviously not invading his privacy. With InuYasha, she just felt horribly embarrassed for catching him during his few bathing times. Now, there was a whole torrent of familiar emotions racing through her blood, yet coming from a totally unfamiliar and unnamable place. "We should get back. It's getting hot." She muttered staring at the ground to the side of her.

The wolf nodded pulling his arms out from behind him and stretching out any kinks his relaxed posture had left. The mention of heat brought his attention to the prone bestial figure laying a short ways away from them. The heat was surely spreading its sent through the forest like wild fire. He jumped to his feet and began wiping the debris and dirt left from the tree off his arms. "Where're you going?" He asked pulled from his cleansing to watch her walk away from him and toward the bushes.

Kagome stopped herself before the habit of looking at whoever was addressing her turned her attention back to the very naked youkai. She settled for reacquainting her eyes with the grassy floor. "I'll just wait over here until your ready, neh?"

He nodded, a little puzzled at her reckoning but shrugged it off none the less. When the bushes swallowed her whole just as they had spat her out before, he stopped his pawing and glanced at his still dirty arms. As long as he was here he might as well wash them too. Ginta treaded over to the water's edge, squatting down until he could safely dunk his hands in up to arm level. The cool water washed over his limbs, pulling the dirt from them and making them pure once more. He hated to leave this place; it was so serene yet refreshing at the same time. Only the mental suggestion that he could always come back kept his good mood afloat as he watched the ripples his hands had made rejoin to make up his reflection. Only it wasn't his reflection they made. His two toned hair appeared to make up its mind and finally settle on a color as the raven hair completely replaced the white. It obviously not only wanted to change color but length as well since it rose into a high pony tail and beyond. His pale, porcelain skin grew shades darker. His dotted irises thinned and expanded into azure slits. Ginta gasped, wrenching his arms from the water as Kouga's glaring face stared back at him. Bile that he had managed to keep from his stomach for days suddenly returned with a vengeance and he swiped his dripping hands over his face to cool the rising hot flashes the nausea brought with it. Swallowing down his pooling saliva his eyes darted down to the waters to confirm his insanity. And he saw nothing. Nothing but his normal face with its normal two toned hair and normal pallid complexion.

A sigh mixed with relief and disappointment broke from his lips and Ginta looked almost longingly at his now normal reflection. He reached a hesitant and shaky hand out, allowing his fingers to softly skim the surface. He was frozen there for a long time, not caring that he was leaving Kagome to wait on her own. He gazed at his own image as though if he stayed long enough, Kouga's own face would return and he would rise from the waters and all Ginta's memories of his death, the corpse, and his broken friendship with Hakkaku would all just be some twisted nightmare his brain had concocted. But no blue eyes and raven hair met him. Only the rippling image of a two-toned young youkai, with lost eyes and a lonely face stared up at him.

Ginta turned away from the water, rising to his feet he made for his clothing. The water may have hidden Kouga's face from his eyes but that scowl and glaring face had seemingly permanently imprinted itself on his mind.

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Even she didn't take this long getting ready! Kagome thought pacing impatiently. She had been out here for almost a half an hour, what was he doing?! Only her modesty and refusal to allow her hormones the satisfaction of seeing him naked again kept her from storming back to yell at him for taking so long.

"You ready?"

Kagome looked up from her murderous thoughts to see the exact subject of such evil contemplations standing there, fully clothed mind you, with that horrible carcass slung carelessly over his shoulder. She about faced and gave him her best death glare. "Are you ready? I don't mind waiting another three hours if you want to fix your hair up extra nice or something." She bit out making sure he would notice the utter sarcasm dripping from her tone.

He threw her a bewildered glance at her tone but didn't comment on it. "I must have lost track of time. We really should get back; we're probably attracting a lot of unwanted attention keeping our food out in the open like this." He walked over to her and with a quick swoop of his free arm he scooped her up, ignoring the cry of surprise that came from it. "It'll be faster this way." He explained quickly before racing off.

Kagome couldn't have objected if her life depended on it. Blood once again sloshed about her head, bringing a horrible tomatoey hue to her face. His arm was firmly positioned at the apex of her rear and thighs, while said thighs promptly straddled the side of his torso. She had ridden InuYasha's back plenty of times but it had never seemed this sexual. She swallowed the large saliva lump that had gradually formed in her throat. `It's just hormones. I was always a bit of a late bloomer, maybe they're just starting to really kick in…' Kagome thought slowly taking in a deep breath and just as slowly letting it out. This would all go away soon, and she would just end up laughing at herself in the end….

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Ginta was thankful for the mental oblivion running often gifted him. With the young woman child gripped carefully in one arm and the soon to be meal thrown carelessly over his shoulder, he reached their mountain caves in no time. Or what was supposed to be their mountain caves, anyway.

"Oh no. No no no no no." The wolf youkai stopped, his mouth hanging open in reckless abandon as small groups of wolves continued to leap up their cliff and pile themselves into their den.

"Ginta, who are they?" Kagome asked curiously watching the youkai hoard into their caves like ants into a mound.

Ginta barely remembered to keep his grip on the human and the food before he darted over to the quickly disappearing crowd and began to lunge up the cliff himself. Jumping into what had been their den he thoughtlessly dropped both burdens and gaped at the vanishing space ignoring the indignant cry of surprise and sudden pain that came from the ground.

"W-what are you doing?!" He stammered, shocked, panicked, and at a loss of what to do.

"You, pup, get out and find your own pack. We don't take in strays." A stern voice commanded.

The pair looked over at the newcomer. A menacing looking youkai with a built and scarred body looked at them with threatening eyes, obviously waiting for them to scurry out. Kagome looked up at Ginta, not understanding what was happening and waiting for him to take charge of the situation. Then again, Ginta had never really taken charge of anything. She watched his mouth open and close speechlessly. With his body frozen and eyes wide he reminded her much of a deer caught in the headlights of a gigantic pick up truck. Pangs of fear and uncertainty began to bubble in her stomach. What would happen to them if Ginta couldn't handle this?

Said youkai stared at the other wolf speechlessly. This was obviously this pack's alpha male and he had no idea how to handle this situation. They were taking over their home! This would never have happened with Kouga. Unfortunately Kouga wasn't here, and now Ginta had to take control of the situation. He had to be the leader of his tiny pack of two. But he wasn't a leader, he was raised to be a follower and take orders. And now an order was being given to him and his sense was warring with his ingrained teachings.

The older youkai cast a glance down at Kagome, mistaking the fear in her eyes as she stared up at Ginta for the fear prey had for their predator. Reverting his attention back to the younger wolf he snorted in disgust at the paralyzed and `scared stiff' posture. "I suggest you take your lunch with you if you intend to keep it." He growled out.

The sound of the alpha male's voice seemed to break Ginta away from his paralyzing indecision.

"Wait! What are you doing?! This is our home!" He cried pleadingly.

The elder youkai looked at Ginta in surprise at the protest. A small sliver of sympathy wormed its way into his eyes. He honestly did not take pleasure in harming his own kind whether directly or indirectly. But it was survival of the fittest, and he had worked hard for that title. "We are the eastern wolf clan. The northern clan has been overstepping their territories and those dealings have left us with very little time to complete our migration south. This cave will have to do for now."

This was not happening. Ginta stared at the older youkai dumbfounded. What was he supposed to do? It was ironic that Hakkaku left to look for a tribe to take over, when one had literally just arrived at their proverbial doorstep. Thankfully an urgent tug broke him from his jumbled thoughts.

"Ginta, do something!" Kagome hissed at him under her breath pulling pleadingly at his wrist from her place on the ground.

He looked down at her frightened eyes, misty storms swirling in their depths. The young wolf's head snapped back up to meet the impatient elder. "We're not strays! This is the home of the western tribe." He tried hard to push the unease from his voice, but he obviously did not completely succeed at the task.

The sympathy returned to the old youkai's eyes, his face noticeably softened a fraction. "There is no western tribe."

Ginta's spirits plummeted. Had the news of Kouga's death spread that quickly? "You know then. About Kouga." It was not a question.

The elder gave a curt nod. "Hai. Youkai are quite the gossips, neh?"

Ginta's gaze dropped to the ground in defeat. What else was there to do?

"I am sorry for your loss. For all his faults, Kouga was a good leader. His father raised him well." The other wolf straightened his posture. Nature could be so cruel. "But, I cannot let my tribe pay for that loss. It does not affect our clan."

Ginta flinched at the feel of such coarse and unfeeling words.

Was he really going to just let that man kick them out?! Kagome gawked up at Ginta in shock. So much of a baby sitter he turned out to be! "And just where are we supposed to go?! You're kicking us out of the only place we have just so you can hunt when you already have a home of your own!" She snapped rising to her feet but keeping close to her so called body guard, just incase the other wolf decided to take a swipe at her.

Said youkai jolted slightly in surprise at her impudence. Food was not supposed to talk. His lips thinned threateningly as he spoke to Ginta but did not take his gaze off Kagome. "Shouldn't you have killed your lunch by now?"

Instinctually, Ginta searched the ground until his eyes found the very much dead puma. He looked at the other youkai in confusion before realization finally dawned on him. Oh, he was talking about "Kagome?" It had been a long time since he had thought of her as something to eat.

The older wolf's eyes widened the tiniest bit at the declaration. There were only four wolf tribes in the all of Japan, so news traveled quickly between them. And there couldn't be a single one that didn't know of the scandal involving the Western wolf prince and the human miko. He raised a clawed finger in the girl's direction. "That is Kagome, then?"

"Hai." Ginta replied, curious as to why it really mattered who the `lunch' was.

The pointing finger curled at her, gesturing her forward. Kagome's brows furrowed in apprehension. She moved closer to Ginta, grateful when he grew tense at the other youkai's interest in her. Maybe he wasn't so useless after all. Which was her last thought as the other wolf's hand darted out to grab her upper arm and jerk her forward. She let out a surprised squeak before feeling another thinner hand snatch her waist in protest.

"Oi! Get a-"

"Why has Kouga not marked his mate?"

Kagome's entire body went rigid as the invasive youkai pushed her hair away from her neck and promptly stuck his nose in the warm middle area. She felt Ginta's arm relax but it did not pull away.

"Their obligations kept them apart for a very long time. He was planning to mark her properly after Naraku's defeat…"

Kagome let out a breath of relief when the other wolf released her. Her hand went up to the violated place at her neck, impulsively feeling to see if anything was injured or amiss. A small pang of shame spiked within her and she stopped frisking her neck at the sudden look of pity and gentleness the older youkai was now directing at her.

"I see he never got the chance." His voice was laden with sympathy, his eyes never leaving the nervous young woman.

Mist colored eyes went to the ground, his stare unnerving her. Ginta's hand left her waist now making her feel very naked and unprotected under the wolf's gaze.

Said youkai mistook her unease for distress at bringing up such a tender topic. A clawed and calloused hand rose to gently stroke her hair. "Loosing a mate is a very lamentable experience. Especially so early in the courtship." He said compassionately.

Kagome's eyes shot up in confusion at the old wolf. Did everyone really believe that she and Kouga were involved in such a serious relationship? Guilt and disgrace swam through her blood at thinking of him in such a way. A very dear friend had died and she was still the little girl throwing a tantrum because her classmates were singing the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. song at her.

The elder patted her head affectionately. "Kouga always was a radical. Never did give two squats about tradition. I suppose it's fitting that the all those rumors about him taking a human mate be true."

A horrible redness spread across Kagome's cheeks that she eagerly tried to fight back.

Ginta smiled nostalgically at the remembrance of his friend. He never did care how taboo it was for him to mate with a human. It was possibly the closest thing to bestiality Youkai had, but then again once Kouga became interested in something, there was no deterring him.

The other youkai's lips suddenly quirked in an impish smirk as if he had just remembered something wicked. "Well, maybe not all the rumors."

"There were others?" She asked confusedly.

"Supposedly you were already due with a litter." He said, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"Huh?" Her nose scrunched in bewilderment.

"Everyone thinks you're pregnant." Ginta answered bluntly. He sighed exasperatedly, it figures. Youkai really were incredible gossips, and gossip always changed with every telling.

Her face was a mood ring of colors at that moment. One minute it was full of that appalling red hue, next it was completely drained of any color, then it was back to the reddest of red. "P-pregnant!? When was I pregnant!??" She exclaimed desperately trying to get her face to return to its fleshy tint.

Ginta patted her shoulder reassuringly ignoring the other youkai's chuckles. "It was just a rumor, Nee-san. You know how it is, tell a friend you caught a fish and next thing ya know the whole tribe is talking about the whale you brought home."

Feminine hands encased her burning cheeks as she nodded. It was junior high all over again.

The elder just laughed, amused by her reaction. He had forgotten how incredibly modest humans were. He patted one of the hands clutching one of her cheeks, charmed by her blush. "My name is Jiikou and it is too bad that it was just a rumor. Kouga had always hoped to leave a little piece of himself behind before he died." Jiikou sighed looking around at his tribe, most were planning where their nests would be, and others were looking at him expectantly, either to see why he was wasting his time with these drifters or for him to give them orders on what to do next. Survival of the fittest…… "My tribe is not so weak that we must stoop to stealing a nest from a widowed female. We will leave out of respect for Kouga. But do not expect us to be so generous next time we meet." He nodded to Ginta after giving Kagome's shoulder a comforting squeeze. He marched back towards the entrance of the cave, barking out orders to his clan mates. Surprised and confused looks were given but no one questioned the alpha male as one by one they followed their leader and hopped out of the cave.

The pair stood staring at the exit of the now empty cave, half expecting for them to change their mind and come lunging back. Finally after a few minutes passed Ginta plopped to the floor with a relief filled breath. His posture slumped with his weight completely oblivious to Kagome's heated glare.

She scowled at him before giving him a rude jab to the hip with her foot. "You were just going to let him throw us out!?"

Ginta flinched briefly when the foot unexpectedly made contact with his hip. He looked up at her replying "What did you want me to do? I accept my limitations, Nee-san. And there was no way I could of defeated him."

She shook her head exasperatedly dropping down to sit tiredly beside him. Propping her chin up on her fist she noticed the sky was already getting dark. It had definitely been one of those days.

"On the bright side, we'll be eating well today, ano..tonight I mean." He stated sheepishly sticking his hand behind his head.

Her attention flickered to the limp carcass laying on the ground. She fought the disgusted cringe working its way through her facial muscles. She felt him leave her side to move towards the dead animal and heft it into his arms. He walked over to where they had kept their fire the previous night. He set the corpse down and began to gather wood for another fire. The longer she watched him the further her irritation faded. He was trying. He was trying so hard, and all by himself too. How hard must it be to have that kind of weight on your shoulders? `Probably the same as literally having the fate of the world on yours.' She definitely knew what that was like.

Ginta was torn from his task of making a fire when the twigs and other lighting material were taken from his grasp. He was surprised to see Kagome taking them and resuming what he had been trying to do.

"Why don't you worry about……that." She said daring a glance at the carcass. "And I'll make the fire."

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It wasn't working. He had tried all day and all it did was lay around his neck. Just like any normal necklace would do. If he could somehow go back in time like Kagome did, and meet his former self, that self would probably be kicking his ass up and down for doing what he was doing now. InuYasha had spent the better part of his day trying to get the dreaded rosary beads to sit him again. Shortly after Kagome had made it perfectly clear that she no longer wanted him in her life, he had returned the necklace to its rightful place. But it wasn't the same. It was no longer the magic rosary that with one word from her lips could bring him to the ground. It wasn't even magic at all. Now it was just a rosary. And it hung more heavily around his neck than he remembered. It felt colder, duller, inanimate. Which was what it was, wasn't it? An inanimate object?

InuYasha entwined the said inanimate object around his finger, leaning back into his favorite limb on the Goshinboku. There were upsides to this, weren't there? He no longer had to worry about her subduing him for pissing her off. He no longer had to control his behavior, and he had, whether she would believe it or not. So why did it feel more like a dismissal than a liberation? `Because she doesn't want you anymore…' A sly sounding voice reverberated in his head. A low growl rumbled in his throat at the taunting, his fingers clutching the lifeless beads in an aggressive grip. Kagome wasn't that kind of person. She wouldn't just send him away, not after all they had been through together. "But she did, didn't she? And it wasn't as though it was only the two of you. You two didn't go through much together, seeing as how it wasn't along before you started picking up passengers…"

The `passengers' didn't matter, damnit! Sango, Miroku, hopefully even Shippou would have left eventually, probably when the quest was over. And it would be just the two of them again, it was a given that it always came down to just the two of them. `Then where is she now? Why isn't she here? Why instead is she with a male she barely knows because of another male she supposedly had no feelings for? Do you really mean that little to her?' His hands froze along with every other piece of his body, and the beads fell lifelessly back to his neck. Did he really mean that little to her? Was he really so low on her priority list that she would put staying with practically a complete stranger, above him? Or was it something else….. `Something else? Or someone else?' His mouth went dry at the thought.

Was it Kouga? Had she lied to him when she said the wolf was just a good friend? `She only said that to spare your feelings…' That sounded like Kagome, she was always sparing feelings. All these thoughts were opening a door to a room he really didn't' want to enter. He had never thought she would ever actually leave him. In truth he could never really picture the whole accursed quest ever ending. But when it did he never thought she would leave him behind. Certainly not like this. He had always believed she would end up staying with him. He never would have guessed it would have turned out like this. Had Kouga's death really affected her so? `She loved him.' `NO!' The thought was blunt and completely unexpected. `She loved him. All this time she was in love with him. All this time she spent with you she was secretly loving him…' It wasn't true! He was just mad right now and it was bringing up paranoid thoughts. `It does make sense thought, doesn't it? She's in mourning, and paying her debt by helping his den brothers. What a faithful mate…'

InuYasha shook his head trying to rid himself of the devastating thoughts plaguing his mind. He took a deep breath and let it out, calming himself. She would come back. She always came back. Once she realized she was being stupid she would come back to him, just like she always did. When she realized her dumb `tests' were stupid, she came back. When she realized her little tantrum over Kouga was stupid, she came back. Even when she realized how stupid she was being over Kikyou, she came back. And she would come back after she regained her senses this time, just like she always did. `Say it all you like. Wrap yourself in your own little world because your lies are easier to face than reality.'

He closed his eyes. No more bad thoughts. He wasn't lying to himself; he had nothing to lie about. Kagome was fine, she was just being emotional like all females were most of the time. He squirmed into his branch until finding a comfortable position to sleep in.

She'd come back…….

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Yay! Again, sorry it took so long getting out. Getting ready for college has been tough, and I just entered senior year! Senior year has been pretty good to me so far with the exception of a certain teacher who will remain nameless (Ms.Freeman) and since she will remain nameless(Ms.Freeman) I am free to deliver this message.

Dear Ms. Freeman

Fuck. You.

Sincerely

Deni Collins

P.S. Fuck you.

And there ya go.

C h a p t e r V I I - H e a r t S h a p e d B o x

Sorry, I don't really have a chap summary for this one. I would just like 2 say that I am not just winging it. I do have a plot for this fic. When I decided to write it I had already thought of a beginning, middle, and end. And I've already thought of a sequal, but I'll ask if u guys want that when this fic is finished. My thoughts just get kinda jumbled on how I want 2 get to the end, but I know we're not approaching it any time soon soon. So no worries!

Luv ya!

The Deni Pie!

Whoops! Almost forgot, a few quick notes to references made in the story. #1: When I refer to the word `Bitch' I do not mean like what ppl call really mean girls today. I mean a `Bitch' as in a female dog. So don't get all immature and start giggling `cause the fic has the word bitch in it. If u'r giggling `cause of that then ya might wanna stop reading because this fic is rated R for a reason. There will be sex in this fic, so if that offends you, then u might want 2 skip over the chapter I put it in. Its not coming any time soon though. That'll be more towards the endish part. Kay? Plus, the K.I.S.S.I.N.G. song, you remember that song we all used to sing when we were little to really irritate our friends who had a crush on somebody we knew? U know the one, it went something like Jessie and billy sittin' in a stree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G., first come luv, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage. Only just replace `jessie' and `billy' with n.e.one u tormented that song with. Kay that's it. And if anything is confusing right now all will be explained in the end. Well I'll explain any sort of symbols and crap I think some of u may not get. Ok I'm shutting up now.

Remember if u want another chap. R&R, the reviews 4 this fic r pitiful! But I am very thankful for the ones that r reviewing! I luv u all! U'r awesome, set and example and don't stop reviewing!

The deni pie