InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Silence the Fairytale ❯ A Simple 'Thanks' Would Suffice ( Chapter 17 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

She... hadn't... stopped.

She was still being weird, she was still smiling at him, and he thought she might go blind with how much she squinted at him through those cheeky beams.

He was beginning to wonder if her face was permenantly stuck in that position.

Though he had reached the conclusion slowly that she was not a mononoke, or possessed, or on some sort high otherwise that might have changed her personality... he could not begin to guess on what caused her to act the way she was.

So... sickeningly... sweet.

It was enough to cause cavities, make his stomach ache as if he had had too many sweet buns, and revolt him by the fakeness of it all.

Though it didn't seem forced, it seemed driven by some odd sort of motivation that didn't make him comfortable.

"Would you like anything, Inuyasha?" she had asked him for about the gazillionth time the last few days, and he had long ago run out of a list of tasks to keep her preoccupied. He had even begun to tolerate Buyo's attentions as they had become unwelcome by Kagome on his behalf.

She would shoo him off, and Inuyasha would protest.

Had he died and gone to the Netherworld?

Perhaps next his full blooded youkai brother would welcome him with open arms and proclaimations of brotherly love.

The idea made him shudder in disgust.

Just for imagining it, he must be in some sort of twisted hell.

"...uh... no, I'm fine..."

He had to get away from her, maybe go to a village and dump her off in a room, then hang out in a tree near her.

But his heart protested the thought, knowing he had promised himself.

He would not leave her side, no matter how crazy she drove him.

She continually beamed, exuding a playful innocence he had not seen for a long time and it reminded him of when he first found her.

Silent, forgiving and kind.

Blue eyes that stole his heart and reminded him of her.

...he hadn't even thought of her in so long.

Not when Kagome was there to distract him, something he was silently grateful for, despite the insanity that came along with the package.

"Whatcha thinking about?" she piped up, sounding like a chirping bird or perhaps a harping flute.

Just high noted syllables that didn't really sound like music.

...somewhat annoying, really.

How you're not being yourself...

But he couldn't stand the thought of seeing the hurt look he knew would be there the minute he said those words... But they hid behind his tongue, daring him to say it, and he had to admit he was more than tempted.

"...nothin'..." was all he could muster.

Hopefully, she would drop it.

...not Kagome, though.

Nope.

That was more than asking the universe to bend to his will.

He was asking to be Kami himself.

"Aw, come on, talk to me...?" she seemed to whine pathetically as she titillated the last word, reminding him of those clingy females in the villages that loved to gossip. The housewives that stood on the corners, too used to having their way, with nothing better to do than cluck like mindless hens about everyone who lived there.

Kagome could have her way all she wanted.

As long as she's true to herself.

"I'm fine..." he gruffed, hoping she could take a hint.

Again, wanting the impossible.

"You haven't been talking to me much lately, Inu-chan! Please, please? Talk to me?"

Inuyasha felt an eyebrow twitch at the name that sounded far too close to a pet name, the image of those village woman growing all too strong... His ears quivered in disbelief as he turned a hard glare down at the girl who had then come to hang onto one arm in a clingy fashion.

Inu-chan...?

He smacked his lips in distaste, feeling his ears bury themselves in his hair at his perceived anger... predicting the shouting that so wanted to rip itself from his body.

But he looked at her face, at that bright smile that still seemed genuine.

And he pictured that face flushed red, her jeweled eyes sparkling with tears, and his body deflated.

He just didn't have it in him.

So instead he carefully drew himself from her grasp patiently and sighed, "I promise kid. It's nothing."

Kagome simply nodded, seeming to finally relent at his promise.

"Okay!"

So enthusiastic.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose and surpressed a growl.

She doesn't know what she does to me...



"Here's some dinner, Inu-chan!"

His ears flinched at that hated name once again.

Everytime she said it, he felt his resolve crack a tiny bit futher, but still he fought on valiantly.

I...will...not...yell...

It was the mantra he held in his head like he was a monk praying for a sign.

He never knew he had so much patience.

"...thanks..." was the grumbled response as he pulled the dinner she had insisted cooking yet again for the fourth day in a row from her small hands.

Everything was all wrong.

He always cooked. He always hunted.

He was the provider.

He was the alpha, and she was a gatherer, the beta.

But she wanted to do it all, all of it.

His manly ego was suffering blow after shameless blow, and he was unsure how much he could take.

He ate it slowly, almost resentfully, and his anger spoiled the taste.

As did her stare.

She could have at least had the decency not to do that while he ate. She wasn't even touching her own food.

He felt his jaw clench as he almost had to force them to chew, and make his esophagus swallow.

I...will...not...yell...

His claws dug into the earth next to him.

The silence in the air was an impenetrable fortress that begged him to bring war down upon it.

"Do you like it, Inu-chan?"

His eye twitched, and he forced his lips to make a lie.

"Yes."

He wished she would be angry.

He wish he could underhandedly provoke her.

...he had tried, and she hadn't risen to the bait.

He felt trapped, wild for some reason. He was so angry.

He was seething.

...why...?

He knew the answer.

...she was the first person to be truly honest with me...

And this facade before him... it was far from what he knew she was honestly feeling.

It was a mask to cover up shame.

He had only put up with it because he knew how bad she was feeling for the other day.

But enough was enough.

Especially with Inu-chan.

If she said that one more time, his patience would be wrought so thin he was sure it'd snap.

"Want more, Inu-chan?"

He ground his teeth together, and threw the remnants of what he had not eaten, which was much, down upon the ground and Buyo scrambled to eat it up.

"No."

Kagome seemed unaware of his malice.

"Are you done?"

"Yes," came his terse reply as he turned his back on her to find solace in the woods.

"Where are you going, Inu-chan?"

The innocent question made him snap like a shimasen string plucked too tightly.

"AWAY!" he roared at the young girl, whose smile predictably fell in the face of his rage.

Of course, just as he knew it would, her face became unbearably pink. Her lips began trembling, discriminated. Her bewildered eyes were wide and shining with tears that he was sure would fall within a matter of seconds.

And just like that, everything he felt previously vanished in the sight of her sadness.

One sniff... two sniffs...

One drop... two drops...

A whimper...

And a self-suffering sigh.

"Kagome..." he began uncertainly, losing his place as another whimper came from her at the sound of his voice.

He sighed, walking over to her. He kneeled down in front of her, not missing how she leaned away as she quietly sobbed, and he placed his hands gently on her shoulders in a uncharacteristic display.

Nothing like being straightforward.

"I'm sorry I got mad."

Sniffle.

"I got mad because I don't want you to be anyone besides yourself."

Slight snort, and a pair of confused eyes.

"...don't try and be something you think I might want, or might need. Just be yourself."

Anything less is not good enough...

"...I... I'm sorry..." was her own whispered reply.

Inuyasha's ears tweaked, listening to her intently.

Why did you do it, Kagome?

"...I just wanted... to make you happy..."

Her eyes averted, and he pushed the hair away from her face.

You're good enough...

"Keh. Don't worry about that, you're amusing enough just the way you were. The way you are."

Kagome ran a sleeve across her nose, and left a trail of snot underneath her nose.

Inuyasha's own crinkled in display of distaste.

That's just nasty...

Lifting his own sleeve, he rubbed the last bits away without thinking.

And then thought about it afterwards, gaping in horror down at his haori.

Gross...

Though she didn't seem to notice, she just gave another long snort and grumbled.

"...I am...?"

Inuyasha's ears perked at the unexpected question.

"What?"

"...just fine?"

Inuyasha frowned.

"Keh! Of course!"

Kagome lifted gleaming eyes to him, eyes that were very worth the snot on his sleeve.

Eyes that expressed deep affection, and Inuyasha fought off the blush that threatened to paint his cheeks.

Instead, he cleared his throat and stood, turning away from her.

Though his ears bent backward at her soft mutter, something he barely catched.

He wasn't sure if he was even meant to, or if she realized she said it.

At least, the way she said it.

"...thank you..."

And those two words contained something Inuyasha wasn't used to, in all his two hundred and fifty years of living.

Graciousness.

And Inuyasha felt something inside his chest wind up like a clock, tight and deep, reminding him of something deep and forgein that he thought he had locked away for good.

Shoving down the familiar feeling as quickly as it rose, Inuyasha stalked back to the other side of the camp, as far from her as he could be and stole another serving of dinner for himself.

Anything to distract himself.

Though, he couldn't ignore the feeling of eyes on the top of his head as he bent over his dinner.

Lifting his own slowly, he looked at Kagome.

And on her face, there was a soft smile that played on her beautiful lips.

One that Inuyasha found he could really, truly appreciate.

And he was smiling back, before he ever realized what he was doing.