InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Six Feet ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

If there was anything that was constant in life, it was the changing of the seasons. Winter blanketed the world in a fine, white powder of snow. It nipped at people's noses and chilled their feet, causing them to huddle closer to their home fires. Young children went out to play, tossing snowballs at each other. Then winter made way for spring. Snow melted away, sending precious water into the ground so the first seedlings of the grass and the crops wouldn't die from thirst right away. Warm rains also came, washing away the remaining snows and bringing out the friskiness in even the oldest of people. The flowers blossomed, and trysts were either made or renewed. Spring made way for summer and for the planting of more crops. Courtships either continued or were broken in favour of someone else. Such was the way of the world.

'It's a beautiful day,' Miroku sighed as he sat in front of Kaede's hut and watched as yet another pretty young girl was given flowers by another would-be suitor. She immediately accepted and the two dashed off, laughing as they went, another potential mother gone. He let out another sigh, his head slightly lowered.

The houshi had a very interesting habit of asking nearly every pretty girl to bear his children. With each day that passed, he felt the kazaana gnawing slowly away at his hand . . . and his life. Before too much longer, he'd really have to start looking in earnest for someone to bed so he'd have his heir. Not that he really wanted just any girl to bear his child. Miroku already had someone in mind but for some reason, his advances and overtures, were rejected by her. Every time he tried to let her know or to get her attention, he ended up with a bruise that covered half of his face, though lately she hadn't been hitting him nearly as hard.

'It's worth it every time,' he chuckled to himself. Then Miroku raised his head to the sky and let out a third sigh.

“Oi, knock that off, Miroku!” came the harsh and irritated bark from inside the hut. “She'll be back before too much longer. You can go back to groping her ass then!”

The houshi shook his head, still smiling. While he admired Inuyasha's strength and courage, there were times the hanyou could be absolutely clueless. Something could be going on right in front of his nose and, chances were, he'd miss it. It had taken a blunt and very direct question from the silver-haired boy for him to finally get it about the crush Miroku had on Sango. Immediately upon thinking that, the monk became somber and thoughtful. There was something going on that Inuyasha didn't know about, something that would ultimately tear the hanyou apart. Miroku knew it. He cast a saddened glance to the door of the hut.

'I don't like this,' he told himself. 'I really don't. She shouldn't be keeping something like this a secret from him. He's going to be devastated when he finds out.'

The “secret” that he was thinking of was something that Kagome had told him, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara several months before, about a decision she had come to. Before she told them what it was, she had sworn them to secrecy. They weren't allowed to tell Inuyasha at all. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the side of the hut, going over the situation in his head once more.

Kagome had been unusually happy that day, despite the run-in they'd had with Kouga. As usual, Kouga and Inuyasha had gotten into one of their usual fights, bickering over Kagome. At least, they had started to. Kagome had instantly “sat” the hanyou and told him to leave the wolf youkai alone. It had resulted in a three-way argument between Kagome, Inuyasha, and Kouga, and ended with another “sitting.” Angry, Inuyasha had stormed off to sulk. Everyone, with baited breath, had watched him leave until Kouga had stated he couldn't detect the hanyou anymore. Then Kagome had relaxed and started smiling once more. When Sango had asked what she was so happy about, Kagome's smile had only gotten wider . . . and warmer.

“It's a secret,” she had giggled.

“A secret?”

“Hai,” Kagome had nodded. “And only one I'll tell you if you promise to keep it.”

Hesitantly, he, Sango, and Shippou had given their word. At least, he had hesitated. There was something about the entire situation that had seemed off to him. Then, when Kagome had told them that she had accepted Kouga's proposal to be his mate, he had known why. Even Kouga had seemed uncomfortable with keeping the relationship a secret from Inuyasha. But, because Kagome had insisted, they'd agreed.

“He won't understand,” Kagome had murmured. “He never does.”

“I don't think you're giving him enough credit,” he had stated gently. “Inuyasha needs to know this.”

“I can't tell him . . . it would tear him apart!”

'So would keeping it a secret,' he moaned to himself. It had been the same argument since she'd told them. Every time it was brought, she'd shake her head and say it was too soon. She wasn't ready to tell him. She didn't want to hurt him . . . and she didn't want him to kill Kouga.

Inuyasha stormed out of the hut at that moment, sniffing the air. He snorted.

“About time,” he grumbled. “What took them so long?”

“I don't know,” Miroku shrugged, feeling slightly ill to his stomach. He knew. And he hated himself for the lie.

'Kagome, you had better tell him the truth and soon. For friendship's sake.'

* * *

Kagome drew a deep breath then let it out, giggling as she did so. Her excursion with Sango to the exterminator village had gone off better than she had hoped for. Inuyasha had stayed with Miroku and Kaede in Edo, giving her and Kouga a few days together without interruption.
'Thank goodness there was a hot spring nearby,' she thought as Kirara made her descent into the village. 'I don't know what I'd do if Inuyasha caught a hint of Kouga's scent on me.'

Truth be told, she hated herself for keeping her relationship with Kouga a secret from Inuyasha. But she also didn't want to hurt the hanyou. They'd gone through so much together that she didn't want to lose their friendship. For him to hear that she'd chosen Kouga . . .

'It'd kill him,' she thought. 'Or he'll kill Kouga. One or the other. And I don't want to lose either of them.'

She hadn't really meant to agree to Kouga's proposal. He'd been flirting with her for some time and she'd always turned him down. Kagome still had feelings for Inuyasha, after all. Then something her friends had said to her one day struck a nerve. She'd been telling them about a fight that had occurred between the hanyou and the wolf youkai (without revealing who and what they were to the girls) and how she'd broken it up. Kouga had taken off and Inuyasha had stormed away. She'd revealed more than she had intended to, her anger about the whole situation finally getting the better of her.

'I remember . . . I saw one of Kikyou's soul collectors go by . . . heading in the same direction as Inuyasha . . . that's when it hit me again . . . he'd never really see me for who I am . . . I'll always be another Kikyou to him . . . Eri and Yuka were right when they said I wasn't giving Kouga a chance . . . I'm glad I did . . . At least he doesn't see some dead girlfriend when he looks at me.'

After that trip to her own time, she had managed to sneak away from their group one night, while Inuyasha was in his human form, she'd detected the sacred jewel shards and had seen the whirlwind of air before anyone else had. Without saying a word to them, she snuck off and greeted Kouga before he got too close. It was then she had informed him of her decision to give him a chance. Why she had wanted to keep a secret from Inuyasha, she hadn't been able to say for certain. Just that she didn't want to hurt him and she'd been grateful when Miroku, Sango, and Shippou had agreed. The fact that she hadn't been discovered by Inuyasha yet truly amazed her.

'I need to tell him,' she thought as the village came into view. 'Before he finds out from someone else.'

As soon as they had landed, Inuyasha and Miroku came up to them. Her eyes met with golden-amber, and, for a moment, her resolve to keep her secret wavered. He was happy to see her. It may not have not shown on his face but it was there. In his eyes.

'I have to tell him . . . No,' she shook her head. 'I can't. To tell him now would be to tear him apart.'

“It's about time you two got back,” Inuyasha groused. “What took you so long?”

“Nothing,” she replied, shaking her head. “Just took our time to relax. That's all.”

“And you couldn't here?”

“Inuyasha, you know why I went with Sango to her village,” Kagome sighed. “She asked me to go with her. . .”

“Still didn't mean you had to take so long,” he huffed, folding his arms.

'Okay, now he's just being stubborn,' she thought, irritation starting to course through her. She took a deep breath.

“I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but we stayed for as long as we needed to. She had to repair her weapon and pay her respects. You know that,” Kagome stated.

“Keh, whatever. Let's go.”

“Go?” Sango echoed. “Go where? We just got back!”

“To hunt the jewel shards, of course! Where else?” Inuyasha retorted.

“We just got back! Just as Sango said,” Kagome protested, placing her hands on her hips. “We're not going anywhere. Not just yet.”

“Kagome's right, Inuyasha,” Miroku interjected. “They did just arrive back. At least give Kirara a chance to rest from her flight.”

The hanyou growled a little then snorted once more.

“Fine,” he agreed, “but only because Kirara needs the rest.”

“How considerate of you,” she murmured. Inuyasha ignored her as he scooped the two-tail up and carried her into Kaede's home. Once he was out of sight, she exhaled softly. Telling him the truth now definitely wasn't going to be easy.

'What have I gotten myself into?'

* * *

Sango cast a glance at Kagome, both girls making their way to a nearby hot spring. It had been a few days since they'd set out from Edo, continuing their search for Naraku and the Shikon no Tama. Though the younger girl was still happy about her new relationship with the wolf tribe leader, she'd been somewhat quiet since they'd left. It had the taijiya slightly worried.

“Is everything all right, Kagome?”

“Huh?” Kagome blinked then shook her head, chuckling a little. “Yeah. Everything's fine. Just been thinking.”

“May I ask about what?”

“About what I'm going to do about Inuyasha,” she sighed. “Every time I think it's time to tell him, I look into his eyes and I see how happy he is to be around me . . . and I can't bear to break his heart like that.”

“You're not going to be telling him any time soon then, are you?”

“No,” Kagome shook her head. “I can't. It'd hurt him too much . . . and I don't want to be the cause of that.”

 

Sango let out a soft sigh. She understood how Kagome felt. She really did. But the deception was starting to put a strain on their group. Miroku meditated a little more than usual, his groping practically becoming non-existent. She was having a harder time looking in Inuyasha's eyes. They hardly spoke to each other. Though Inuyasha still remained rather oblivious to the fact, it wouldn't be long before he wised up and started demanding to know what was going on.

 

'But as long as Kagome doesn't tell him anything, I can't tell him anything,' the taijiya sighed. 'Kami, he's going to be in for a very rude awakening once everything's said and done.'

 

Sango turned her eyes away as they continued to the hot spring. For once, she wished she hadn't survived her brother's scythe.

 

* * *

 

Cool, golden-amber eyes watched as the two girls made their way through the forest. He hadn't caught the entire conversation, but he'd heard enough to know. The young miko was keeping a secret from someone. Most likely his little brother. What kind of a secret, he wasn't sure, but it was a secret nonetheless. And it guaranteed to cause Inuyasha pain.

 

Sesshomaru stood there, his form never moving, never wavering. The fact that he wanted to kill his brother had not been lost on anyone. He'd despised the half-breed for as long as he could remember, hating the fact that their father had favoured Inuyasha over him, having died for the half-breed and his ningen mother. But his hatred had begun to be overshadowed by his growing respect and admiration for his younger brother. The odds were never in Inuyasha's favour yet the hanyou never gave up, never let anything get in his way, especially when the miko was around. Oh, yes, he knew that Inuyasha's strength came from his desire to protect the young girl. It had been something he'd always used to his advantage, if he could.

 

Now his ability to fight his brother teetered on the brink of disaster. In the air was the scent of a wolf he had encountered once before. He observed as the miko went to greet him . . . as his brother's scent came towards him. The truth, he deemed, was about to reveal itself and things were going to get ugly. Very ugly.

 

For once in his life, he would wish he hadn't been right.