InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Snowflakes and Coughdrops: When a Sword Can't Protect Her ❯ On the Other Side ( Chapter 3 )

A/N: *looks at watch* nooope. Still don't own Inuyasha. *sigh*

Ok, so I know it's been forever since I've updated so I'm being a good person and putting up 4! Yes! Count them! 4! Chapters tonight! Don't you just love me? Please don't hurt me!

Chapter 3~

Kagome walked back to her room after standing in the kitchen watching him leave. He had redeemed his shirt from the dryer and she sent him on his way. She lazily turned her head to look at the computer, which held the first three lines of her unfinished report. She wasn't even going to try to work on it.

"One second he seems so caring and the next he shows that all he really cares about is himself."

Kagome couldn't help but be a little upset about it still. For a second he actually had her thinking that she meant more to him than just his jewel detector.

"He just didn't want to be cold or have to go through the trouble of going and coming back."

She undressed for the second time that day while picking up a fresh towel. She turned on the shower as hot as it would go and stepped in. She winced in pain at first because of the scalding hot water, but quickly grew accustomed to it and let it wash over her. Her head was throbbing. She tried to clear her mind as she desperately attempted to scrub all her worries and doubts away. Kagome took a deep breath in allowing the steam to soothe her soul.

`My heart hurts. It's longing for something, but I don't know what.'

Tears started to pool in her eyes. A name played with her lips, daring her to speak the name. Kagome opened her mouth but instead uttered a different word,

"No."

She slumped against the shower wall letting herself sit. She was so exhausted. She smiled as countless memories emerged in her mind. They were memories she cherished and were known only to her. Kagome smiled and let the first tears drop from her eyes. She stood up again and went back to washing determinedly putting that name out of her mind. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was just a stupid girl. Maybe she should stop thinking about him. She turned off the shower and wrapped the fuzzy towel around her. Picking up a smaller towel she wiped the condensation off part of the mirror and stared at her reflection. Her skin was a bright pink color from the blisteringly hot water, but she knew it would fade quickly. She made eye contact with herself. Her eyes looked so sad almost like…

"Kikyo."

Kagome quickly worked to try and change her expression back to its normal happy look. Succeeding only in making herself look like a clown with a hernia she sighed and turned away from the mirror. If he did have any other feeling toward Kagome besides her use as a jewel detector it was because of who she used to be. Focusing on getting dressed she once again refused to allow herself to think of him. He didn't care about her and she didn't care about him. Wrapping a towel around her hair and squeezing it to pull the water from where it had settled in, Kagome slowly made her way back to her room.

"I…I must have been standing too long."

Kagome let herself fall onto a chair as her head swam and threatened to force her into sleep. It didn't help the matter that her coughing had decided to make another reappearance at that time. Finally subduing her coughs she panicked as she realized she couldn't breathe as usual despite her attempts. Getting up from the chair she walked to the kitchen as quickly as she could without falling too many times. Finally reaching her destination she made her way to a window and watched for that almost-human form that she knew would make things better. Seeing a glimpse of red out of the corner of her eye she stop struggling and let herself fall knowing that everything would be ok.

Inuyasha reentered the well grumbling. She had made him go out in the blizzard to go tell four people that they were both alive just so he could get there to find out they had already assumed correctly what had happened. When he got there they were all warm and snug in Kaede's hut chatting merrily. When he walked in they stopped and looked at him rather surprised. Finally the monk spoke.

"Why aren't you with Kagome?"

Inuyasha was about to take his head off right there.

"Yeah!" chimed in Sango. "We thought you went to make sure she was ok." Inuyasha just sputtered.

"Wha? Ha? What made you think that I went back to check on her?"

"We aren't dumb, Inuyasha! When you didn't come inside last night when it started snowing harder we figured u went to check on Kagome, and when you didn't come back this morning we decided that you must've spent the night with her."

Miroku had this stupid smile plastered on his face while Shippo was explaining. Inuyasha was going to make the little fox pay. Then he would wipe the smirk off the monk's face. What was he smiling about anyways? With Miroku's perverted mind it couldn't be anything good. Kaede and Sango exchanged glances.

"Well?" Sango looked at Inuyasha quizzically.

"Aren't you going to get back to Kagome now?" Kaede finished Sango's thought. These people! Inuyasha didn't know why he put up with them in the first place. He turned his attention back to the smiling monk.

"What are you smiling about?" Inuyasha knew he probably wasn't going to like the answer he got, but he had to know. Miroku continued to grin. Thinking back to when he had started smiling Inuyasha played over Shippo's monologue in his head until he came to the point where he had seen the grin start to form. Thinking it over a couple times in his head, it hit him.

The monk's smile grew wider as he saw the realization hit Inuyasha. Inuyasha let a growl emerge from deep within his chest and turned to Sango.

"You might want to hit him for just thinking that."

Sango blushed and Inuyasha left in a whirl of snow that he had forgotten to brush off when he walked inside. They were lucky that he let them live for being so…them! Once again he was out risking his life for the stupid girl in the school uniform. It seemed almost easier to breathe when he thought about her.

"Feh! Like I like thinking about her!"

Still he couldn't help but speed up his run just a little bit.

"It's colder than Sesshoumaru's voice out here!"

Inuyasha tried desperately to convince himself he wasn't coming up with excuses. Jumping into the well he let it transport him to a different time back to the girl who was standing by the window waiting for his return. Not slowing down in the least he ran to the door of the house and went inside to find her lying on the floor. His heart sank. He shouldn't have left her. It was his fault. He shouldn't have given in so easily when she asked him to go back to tell the others. Snapping himself back into reality he ran to her side and leaned down to listen for her breathing. She was breathing, but not as deeply as she should be. Nearly breaking down into tears he sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. He couldn't remember ever feeling so helpless. He pulled her closer to him resting her head on his shoulder. He closed his eyes and wished everything would be ok and when he opened his eyes they would be back in the Feudal Era and she would be bouncing around smiling and things could be simple again. Opening his eyes slowly he disappointedly realized they were in the same position they were in five seconds ago when he made his wish. He stood up with her still in his arms. Glancing out the window she had been standing by he saw a big metal creature approach the house. Frozen in place he watched it stop and 3 figures got out of it and ran for the house. Too shocked to move he watched them come closer and closer until they were at the door. The tallest one seemed confused to find the door open and they walked in. They were not ready for what they found on the other side of the door.

A/N: so yeah, this was a short chappie, but fear not for there are still 3 more being posted tonight! I shall redeem myself! By the way, do you like the new format? I've been trying to space it out more for your enjoyment.