InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Silence the Fairytale ❯ Assumptions, Assumptions ( Chapter 20 )

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

"I thought you hated helping humans," Kagome said balantly as she plopped down upon a log, stretching out her legs as a tell-tale POP showed off her aching joints. Inuyasha once again found his ears hibernating beneath his hair, permanently buried there from guilt and frustration.

He wasn't sure when they had last saw the light of day. It had certainly been more than a week.

Kagome seemed to be the one to hate going to the villages these days in recent. Her dislike was subdued and thinly veiled by off-hand comments, but he could tell her distress through smell alone.

He only had to point out her once white and now gray yukata, the weather, and the tattered hem of her clothing to get her to go along with it.

He had received plenty from his help in youkai exterminating the last three villages.

Rations.

Place to sleep.

Tea. Entertainment. Small pouch of coins enough to buy some rice and fish.

Disgusted villagers.

Complaining Kagome.

All the things he could have had without killing youkai and getting his hands needlessly dirty.

At least he had finally gotten her a decent pair of geta sandals and a few pair of tabi socks.

...but no clothes for her, nope.

He was growing weary of the bullshit.

It was as if no one was willing to help them out.

...he hadn't had so much trouble in so long, and from word of it, the year's harvest was absolutely awful due to an unusual drought earlier in the year. He never noticed, of course, because he could always find what he needed fairly effortlessly.

Sighing deeply, he took his place on the log next to Kagome and drapped his arms resigned over his knees as he looked to her, "I know. I'm not happy about it either, but you need clothes and nobody has anything to spare."

Kagome looked down at her outstretched legs, tapping her wooden sandals together with a small, recurring thunk. She seemed to consider his words, mulling them over in her brain as the wheels slowly churned.

Inuyasha mused himself by grabbing a stone and chucking it randomly into the forest before them, allowing his anger at the universe to be transferred to that one object.

He was so sick of their sour luck.

It was as if someone was jinxing them.

"Instead of travelling from village to puny village, why don't we just take the money we earned and go to a damn city already?" Kagome muttered, bending down to grab a stone as well and mimicked his action. Only, the force in which she threw it seemed to show she had a lot more on her mind than just their sour luck.

...she's probably thinking about us again... she always is...

He could always see it in her weary eyes. The shadows under them told of sleepless nights and constant thinking...

And he never said anything about it.

But he had a feeling it was more than just that, with her reaction to villages... humans, in general. Before, she had practically had to beg him to go.

It amused him bitterly their positions were reciprocated.

We have both been so rejected by humans. Maybe she's been reliving it and she can't deny her feelings any longer...

He brought his eyes to her, studying her profile for again one of the countless times he was staring at her.

...she had stopped being uncomfortable with his open looks not that long ago. He had stopped trying to hide them.

He would do it previously when he himself wasn't paying attention.

She never said anything about it.

And she took it as an open invitation to return the favor.

There would be times they would stare over an open flame, having a silent conversation no one knew the words to.

Conversation they didn't dare translate.

They feigned ignorance the next day, always.

It was the hard, unstable rule that kept the now staggering balance between them.

They knew... betwix themselves, they needed one another. Desperately.

And they were both afraid if they were to change their relationship to anything but what it was at the moment, both their fragile hearts would once again shatter.

...neither of them could survive the rejection.

"...that would be the best idea. Let's do that," he said solidly, standing then and offering a hand to her.

She stared at it for a moment, almost as if she was threatened by it... and took it tentatively a moment later.

Their previously natural touches had also become taboo.

While he took every rare opportunity as an excuse to touch her, she seemed to shy away from it.

...as if she were afraid he'd burn her up.

Like she did him.

He pulled her gently to her feet, and she hastily removed her delicate hand from his calloused one, the flesh tingling where she had made contact with him.

...he felt like an addict.

"We'll head off in the morning. For now, let's make camp."

He noted the way she looked to the sky to assess the time.

"...but it's still two hours until sunset. We could still make good travel..." she started, but he shook his head.

...he was feeling unusually tired.

I'm tired of everything.

"Here's as good as any. Besides, it's a good ways to the city. You should get the extra rest while you can because we won't have much time for it tomorrow."

He knew she recognized the excuse, but made no comment on it.

Her silence told him that.

...and he wondered when she had gotten so good at reading him.

"...all right."

He looked around, and began to busy himself with the idle task of collecting firewood. Kagome simply continued to stand there, as if she had no sense of purpose.

Or that she just had no idea what to do.

"Get the food ready, will you?" he asked, knowing that was the way out she needed.

The same thing he needed.

That was why he hadn't stopped picking up random bits of sticks, though he had damn near an armful already.

Just to stop thinking, to stop having to face those thoughts.

"...uh, sure..."

She went to their travelling pack uncertainly, gingerly opening the flap to it and unearthing Buyo from within it.

It was the cat's favorite place to be, now that winter was upon them. It was much warmer than the near frozen ground.

Inuyasha absently remembered Kagome cracking a joke about how lucky the cat was to be so spoiled, so loved.

She sounded envious then.

He didn't blame her.

Things were particularly hard at that moment...

...that was a major source of his guilt. It was beginning to overwhelm him.

...he should have been able to provide better for her.

"I'm sorry, Kagome."

The words came from his mouth, unbidden, tumbling from his mouth and speaking for him before he could stop it.

The words seemed to startle her, as such were his apologies ever so rare, and she dropped the things in her hands and looked at him in a concerned manner.

"For what? What happened? Are you okay?" she gushed, flustered, and made her way over to him quickly, placing an innocent hand on his shoulder.

...she was always so worried about him.

"I'm fine... I'm fine. I'm just sorry things suck right now, and I can't make it better. S'all," he had grumbled irritably, knowing honesty was the best policy at that moment or else she might blame herself for something she didn't at all do.

...there was no reason to cause unwarranted feelings, anymore than necessary. They had both been feeling too crappy lately to play any games.

But then he felt those gentle fingers tighten on his shoulder reassuringly, as she crouched down beside him... and to his surprised, rewarded him with a bright smile for his sentiments.

"Silly... you've been trying so hard, to find us a den and to find me some clothes. You've been kicking ass and fighting for my sake. What more could I ask for?" she spoke softly, giving him a shy look and slightly flushed cheeks as she spoke.

...and when she put it that way, he guessed maybe he was doing better than he thought.

It was the boost his manly qualities were needing.

He was man! Hunter and provider!

...and Kagome reminded him of that.

His chest puffed up with pride and he gave her a toothy grin, "Don't worry, I'll be able to do it! Just you watch."

She giggled at him, standing, all previous awkwardness forgotten. "That's the spirit. Let's get some food ready, I'm starving!"

Sharing an enthusastic outlook, Inuyasha turned around with Kagome to seed through the travelling pack and see what was left of their rations...

...and a fat, furry butt with a twitching tail and a back paw stuck out of their bag, along with the sound of gluttonous eating.

Inuyasha felt his eyebrow twitch in restrained aggravation, and he attempted to quell the very sudden urge he had to toss the cat across the forest.

...no doubt, the thing wouldn't have survived the throw but the mental image sated his stress just enough.

"BUYO!" Kagome admonished in shock, running toward the fattie and pulling him roughly from the inside of the bag.

Transferring the still chewing cat to one arm, she weeded through the bag to see what was salvagable, but gave a snort of anger after a moment of searching.

"Damn fattie ate all the food!" she snapped, looking down at the cause of her irritation.

Buyo wasn't immune to her death glare, and he cringed far away from his mistress.

Inuyasha could only wish he could incite such fear in the animal who didn't seem to have half a wit of his surroundings, but only Kagome held such power, and he knew why.

The bitch was damn psychotic when she was angry.

"What are we going to do now, huh?! It's getting hard to just find stuff!" she held Buyo out at arms length then by the scruff of the neck.

"Maybe we should eat you, huh?! Would you learn then?!" she brought the cat close to her face, and spoke to him as if he understood her.

...somehow, by the way the cat was playing dead, Inuyasha had a strong feeling he did.

"Uh... Kagome, it's all right, I'll go get something... I'm sure I could smell out a rabbit or... something..." Inuyasha said lamely, feeling rather sympathetic for the poor fluffball.

"But you already worked so hard for all that stuff and Buyo just goes and eats it all!" she complained, eyes sparkling with self-blame.

Inuyasha scratched his head, "It's not problem, I swear. It's really easy..."

Kagome dropped the cat and rushed over to him, "No, let me, please? I'm responsible for him, so it's my fault. Can I?"

He was about to protest, but her pleading eyes were all too much to take.

"...Errr... I...agh...I guess..."

She brightened immediately. "Thank you! Leave it to me, I promise I'll catch something good!"

Before he could say more, she had already run off with her bow and quiver into the forest.

He stared after her blankly for only a moment.

"...women..." was the only thing he could think of to say as he sat down on the ground next to a disgruntled Buyo, who immediately sought redemption from Inuyasha. In response, Inuyasha held his hands up defensively.

"Oooh no. You're not gonna be forgiven by acting all cute with me. You gotta go through Kagome."

If he didn't know better, fluffball look horrified. "Brrrooooww..."

"Tough shit. Not my fault you fucked up."

A moment of silence ensued.

...

"...brrrooow..."

Inuyasha heaved a self-suffering sigh, rolling his eyes and caved in, patting the cat roughly in some semblance of encouragement.

"I know, cat, I know. Take it like a man, be honorable. It'll be over sometime."

Another moment of silence.

...

"DAMNIT!" a loud shout rang through the woods, sending a flock of birds into flight from the scare.

Inuyasha's ears perked in surprised, honing themselves on the direction of Kagome's curse.

Scratching a thoughtful claw against his scalp, he raised one eyebrow.

When DID Kagome start cursing?

...perhaps she had been picking up some of his more notable habits. Maybe she had been doing it way longer than he had ever noticed. Why hadn't he noticed? What exactly had he been teaching her, anyway?

He flushed in embarrassment, the thought of him perhaps molding her into an uncouth young lady causing him a slight pang of guilt for one reason or another.

...he supposed it was better than the alternative.

He started thinking of the idea that she might be at some human village, learning whatever the hell it was mikos learned, about the kindness and mercy and... stuff... he sometimes wondered if she wouldn't have been better off.

But he always recalled her, the sharp image of her bloody body and the knowledge she would otherwise be dead if it weren't for him... simply because of that inherent compassion she had in her heart, that she had in fact also saved his life.

With no prejudice against his blood, and that she had been treated the same as he had been treated.

His blood ran cold at any indication that things might be different than now.

"COME ON!" her shout rang through the forest once more.

He chuckled, amused that she thought her loud proclamations were the best way to capture something to eat. He supposed it was her first time hunting, afterall. He had never taken her before. He supposed it wouldn't be bad to start teaching her, and he figured he would entertain the thought for a while.

Shifting his attention, his ears were trained towards her, and his attention was glued in the direction of Kagome as he lifted his nose to tentatively sniff the air.

He smirked when he heard her distinct cry of triumph, and the sound of her running as she emerged through the bushes.

She was smudged with dirt, twigs sticking precariously out of her hair. Leaves littered the crevices of her yukata, it was apparent she had skidded her knee and her elbow as if she had fallen, and she appeared wild.

But best of all, she had a proud look plastered to her face as she lifted up the prize for her efforts, presenting it to him.

A half-mutilated, very dead rabbit.

And though Inuyasha wanted to laugh at the scene, thinking in perhaps some oddly demented way she looked adorable, knowing he himself could have accomplished the same task in minutes...

...he just couldn't, knowing how crestfallen she would look afterward.

He adored that look on the face he had come to fall in l-

...

...on the face he had come to care for.

So instead, he praised her.

"Good job, Kagome."

He took the rabbit she offered him, and she gave him an affectionate smile in return that was immediately infectious.

And before he knew it, he found himself smiling ever so softly right back at her.






"Stop trying so damn hard! ...No, no, Kagome! Stop forcing it! Just go with it!" Inuyasha scolded her from his usual haunt... beneath a tree, Buyo curled inside his inner haori and sleeping soundly against his stomach like some sort of furball pillow of infinite warmth. His outer haori draped across Kagome's shoulders, tied off tightly. It had become too cold for her to not wear it, and Inuyasha was sure she would be wearing his inner soon enough, despite her insistent refusal now.

Something or other about the weather being 'damn near freezing'... despite him assuring her he was hanyou and it was stupid to think something as pathetic as that could bring him down. Still, she didn't listen, and worried the way she always did...

Looking down at the lump that had inhabited his personal space, he groaned. Sometimes, he wondered why he ever did take the cat that one day... well, he knew it was to make Kagome happy.

Always about Kagome.

Kami did mock him, to this day, through the mere existence of this girl.

...She stood regal, almost noble in some sense as she aimed her arrow true with an increasingly steadied and experienced hand. The breeze played with her raven locks as they shined brightly in the afternoon sun. The tip of the arrow burst with a blaze of purple, and she shouted out at him angrily for interrupting her concentration.

"Shut up! I am not!"

She released.

...too soon.

The arrow hit about a foot from her mark, and she cursed beautifully. He gave her a smug look, which he was sure she could just feel, and he watched as she went rigid.

Despite her failure, he was damn fucking proud of her improvement... she had kept at it, and was starting to have something to prove.

She whirled around, pointing an accusing finger in his direction and stamped a foot in indignant anger.

"It's your fault! You distracted me!" she yelled at him from a distance.

He waved his hand dismissively, used to by now her temper tantrums during her practices.

It was ritual to blame him for her screw ups during those times.

"Whatever, hime-sama! Just get to it!" he drilled her, mocking her into continuing.

She flushed angrily, almost too prettily in a way, and Inuyasha felt his insides turn at her passion. "BAKA!" she shouted angrily, picking up another arrow that was stuck in the ground and she aimed quickly and fired without over-thinking the shot. A brilliant stream of purple light follow in its path, a true testament to her spiritual power.

And it landed dead center on her mark.

It was his strategy... get her thinking about him, proving him wrong, and she wouldn't overdo the calculations.

It would just be natural.

"HAH! See, you jerk! It WAS your fault!" she declared victoriously, and Inuyasha hid his small smile at her antics.

Of course, it had been the result he wanted, but he wasn't going to let her know he had annoyed her purposefully.

"Yeah, yeah! Now get over here and have some lunch, would ya?" he sat up, a certain fluffball falling out of his clothes, as Inuyasha reached over to drag their bag to them carelessly.

"Great, I'm starving..." she admitted quietly, watching him as rubbed out her shoulder. She had been at it for quite some time, and her body no doubt ached.

Retrieving what appeared to be a sort of jerky, Inuyasha handed her a decent slice, and she stared at it with a confused countenance.

After a moment, he gestured at her with it, a motion for her to take it as he gave her an odd look.

"It's not poisoned, I swear," he said jokingly as she took it gingerly from his hand, turning it over as if to examine it.

Shooting him a dirty look, she grumbled, "I don't know what it is, baka..."

Blinking awkwardly, he said, "It's pretty much dried out meat. How have you not had this before?"

Kagome merely shrugged and began to chew on the tough game.

"Why did you dry it out?" she asked, between gnawing.

He frowned in thought.

"...it makes it last longer, and since it's been getting harder to get food I'm not about to waste anything."

"Oh... that's a good idea," she said after she swallowed.

"...yeah... no shit," he grumbled sarcastically as he ripped off his own bit and devoured it like a starving mutt.

...he really liked jerky.

Kagome eyed him in disgust and shook her head, but said nothing. In fact, she followed his lead.

Who was she trying to impress?

...besides Inuyasha day in and day out.

But he didn't count, even if he counted the most.

And since he does count the most, he doesn't count at all.

...it made sense to Kagome, in the very least.

"Want some more, kid? You seem hungr-" Inuyasha began to tease, but he was cut off as he caught a scent on the wind and went stiff.

Kagome didn't miss a beat.

"What? What is it?"

Inuyasha faced toward what she assumed he had detected, and he growled deeply, "Humans, a group of them. They're heading this way, and fast... can't you see them?"

Kagome scowled and stood up, lifting a hand to shield from the sun's rays as she squinted in the direction he was facing.

And there they were.

A group of roughly six or seven ningens, all rushing toward them it seemed.

Which meant she wanted to go the opposite way.

"...let's get out of here. I'm in no mood for trouble," as she spoke, she began to put their things away and Inuyasha watched her intently.

When he made no move after a few good minutes, Kagome snapped at him testily, "I mean it! Let's leave!"

He rolled his eyes and one quick swoop, he was on his feet and helping her. "All right, all right..."

Unfortunately, he had waited too long.

The humans were no more than 50 yards from them, and she heard one of them distinctly call out, "Miko-sama! Matte!"

This caught her attention as she stood up stiffly.

It appeared to have had the same affect on Inuyasha as he turned to look at them as well.

"What the hell?" he whispered to her softly, trying to determine if she had changed her mind about leaving.

...and she certainly had not.

"Forget it, let's go," she almost seem to plead with him, and she bent down to scoop up Buyo who she had still not fully forgiven, and double checked to make sure the deep red haori she wore was still tied tightly.

When all was secure, Inuyasha went to pick her up to carry her as usual when she wanted to escape, but once again a man called out for her.

"Miko-sama! Miko-sama! Wait! We shall rescue you!"

Kagome's face scrunched up in sheer astonishment and she clung to Inuyasha at his words.

"Rescue me?!"

Inuyasha held her to him tightly, as he turned to make a great leap away from the idiots.

"...don't worry, I won't let them take you from me."

He felt her fingers tangle in his inner haori further, and he knew he had hit the spot on what had made her worried.

She had been worried they would take her away.

Not on my life.

He repressed the snarl that rose in his throat and begged him to meet the threat, but he wanted to make sure Kagome was all right, so he turned to leap off as quickly as possible despite his initial hesitance.

...that was, until he felt a very familiar piece of paper fly and stick to his back, the tingling presence of spiritual powers enveloping him and immobilizing him just enough to throw him completely off balance and shock his muscles.

He became rigid, and fell to the ground, dropping Kagome and Buyo in the process.

"Inuyasha!" she cried out in worry, scrambling off her butt to where he lay prone on the earth.

"Miko-sama! Thank Kami-sama you are unhurt!" a man, obvious then a houshi, and a band of would-be warriors and villagemen surrounded her.

She became panicked, and she tore her bow from her back as she pointed an arrow at them in threat..

"Stay away! D...don't come any closer!" they froze, all in shock as she reached down with one hand as she kept a trained eye on them wearily, and she searched Inuyasha's back for the sutra.

Finding it quickly, she ripped it off of him and tore it to shreds.

"FUCK!" he snarled then, furiously as he turned to face them and bared his fangs in an animalistic fashion.

"Miko-sama! What have you done?! You released the demon!" the houshi hoarsely accused, but she came with a quick retort.

"You're the one who attacked us needlessly! You could have hurt us!"

"Is this demon not keeping you captive?!"

Kagome moved closer to Inuyasha, who then blocked her with his body.

"No! We're travelling together and he keeps me safe! Leave us alone!"

The houshi seemed baffled, and confused. He became determined quickly, and lifted up one hand to reveal more sutra.

"This demon had poisoned your mind! We shall purify you and save your lost soul, Miko-sama!"

Inuyasha glared at him and his bold declarations, wrapping one arm possessively around Kagome's shoulders as he seethed at the houshi darkly.

"Over my dead body, bouzo."