InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ So Crazy in Love ❯ Confrontations ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter Nine

Confrontations

It had been three days since InuYasha had been to Kagome's time, and he had dragged Sango and Miroku off on a search for Naraku. Miroku had tried to talk to InuYasha many times about the futility of simply wandering around searching for Naraku with no information as to his whereabouts, but InuYasha had dragged on day and night, never resting. He wouldn't leave Kagome with Naraku. He would not stop and wait for Naraku to decide to bring him into his plans. He would not turn his back on Kagome again.

InuYasha was lost in his thoughts, when Miroku grabbed his shoulder, motioning towards the sky. InuYasha was struck by the sight of Kikyo's soul gatherers. He was instantly burdened with indecision, wanting desperately to find and protect Kagome, but needing to see his Kikyo again. Miroku saw the look of uncertainty on InuYasha's face, and was disappointed to know that his friend was wanting to return to his first love, even after all that had happened. Not even Kagome's imminent danger could cut through the confusion caused by the wounds of his heart. Miroku was surprised to see anger flash across InuYasha's face, followed by determination.

"She will tell me where Naraku is, or she will really die by my hand." InuYasha said this with passion, though he knew that he could never strike down his Kikyo. He looked to Miroku and Sango, then took off after the creatures. He saw Kikyo repairing her body, and wanted to go to her to make sure that she was not hurt. He fought the urge and angrily addressed her. "Kikyo, where is Kagome?"

She turned around, surprised that she hadn't sensed him, and then remembered she had used much of her power in the spirit blast and barrier. Her senses were weakened, and she momentarily wondered how he knew that she had been to see Kagome, thinking that he may have been following her. `No, I would have sensed that. Besides, if he had, he would know where she is.' She also thought that it would have been impossible for InuYasha to wait the entire day and a half that it had taken her to get here. Not that he would have been able to keep up with her soul gatherers anyway. She thought about denying any knowledge, and then thought better of it. It was obvious that she would not be able to get the girl from Sesshoumaru; however, InuYasha would never be able to stop her.

"Well, InuYasha, it would seem that your protection of the girl is very lacking, if you both allowed me to kill her and your brother to capture her." She saw the look of shock, followed by rage, cross his face and she continued. "Do not worry, InuYasha. Unlike you, your brother is quite protective of the girl. He must have some use for her." She laughed at him and then left as her body had been fully repaired.

InuYasha stood stock still as Kikyo slowly walked away from where they stood. `Sesshoumaru has Kagome? Why would he take her? What possible use could he have for her? He hates humans.' InuYasha was not any less worried for Kagome's safety now, and he quickly turned and ran towards Sesshoumaru's castle. If he didn't stop, it would still take him at least three days to get there. It had been his bad luck that he had been heading the other direction in search for her.

*****

Kagome saw Kikyo standing, aiming her bow and looked to InuYasha. InuYasha simply looked away and walked towards Kikyo. Kagome felt her heart break as she closed her eyes, tired of living and being constantly reminded that she was second-best. She stood there for an eternity, willing the world away with her tears. She was pulled out of her reverie by the searing pain of a sharp arrow entering her chest. Her eyes flew open and all the pain, physical and emotional, shone through, emptying her until all that was left was the numbness of death. She saw InuYasha and the shock on his face. She knew that she should hate him for what happened, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She loved him, now and always. She finally knew what she was doing. She would die; and give InuYasha a chance at true love and happiness.

She closed her eyes and heard someone approach her. She looked up to see Sesshoumaru. She was past feeling fear, so she looked at him unworried to see what he was doing. She was shocked to see that he had pulled his Tenseiga, the sword of healing. She assumed that he was planning on using it on her, though she could not fathom why, and shook her head at him. He looked confused and she used the last of her strength and time to try to explain to him. "Let me die, Sesshoumaru. I love InuYasha, and he loves Kikyo. If I die, Kikyo can have her soul back, and they will get to live the life they have always deserved. I will die happy knowing that I could do this for him." She could not keep consciousness any longer.

*****

Kagome woke to find herself in her bed. `Well, the bed that I use here, rather.' Her automatic recognition of the room as her own bothered her. `I have been here for a while.' She looked over and noticed that Sesshoumaru was in the room with her. She saw him looking at her questioningly, and she recognized the look from somewhere. "What?" `Not exactly the most dignified question, but it gets the job done.'

"Are you in pain?" Kagome still had the confused look on her face as she slowly shook her head. "Then why are you crying?" Her hand reflexively wiped at her cheek, and came away damp with her tears. "It is in my experience that humans do not cry unless they are in pain."

Kagome remembered her dream, and felt her eyes tearing up again, but quickly wiped them away too. "I must have just been having a bad dream." Kagome quickly remembered all that had happened and a worried look overtook her features. "Is Rin okay?" Sesshoumaru answered quickly, "Rin is fine. She awoke while I was carrying the two of you to the castle, though she is worried for you. If you are not in any physical pain, she would like to see you to make sure you are okay."

Kagome nodded and quickly stated before he left, "I'm sorry I was such a burden." She looked down at her arms, and realized that she was in her pajamas. She felt a hot blush enter her cheeks. `Oh my god. Please tell me that he did not change my clothes for me.' "Ummm… Sesshoumaru?" He looked at her expectantly. She blushed brighter. "Well… my clothes, ummm… you… well… how did… I end up in my pajamas?"

Sesshoumaru felt the now traitorous warmth wash over him at her blush, but still couldn't help himself. "Your clothes were covered in dirt from the battle with the priestess; you couldn't very well be put to bed in them." He saw the anger fill her eyes at what he had insinuated and felt his body temperature raise slightly.

"That doesn't give you the right to undress me. Have you no shame? You're just as bad as Miroku, I swear!" He did not know the name that she said, but assumed his character from her ranting. He calmly waited until she was done and spoke evenly.

"I never said that it was I who changed your clothes. I sent Ruriko in to do it before she put you to bed. However, if it is your wish, I will tend to it personally next time. I will be back with Rin in five minutes. That will give you time to change out of your pajamas." He made his way to the door and then stopped looking back at her, his face the usual blank mask. "Unless, of course, you would request my assistance." Her sputtering anger was enough to drive his body temperature up another couple of degrees, and he turned and left the room, and the fuming girl.

He was irritated that her anger had once again incited a reaction in his body, but let the fact go as he went to retrieve a worried Rin. He returned to her room slightly early and knocked on her door, making sure to wait until she had given them permission to enter before entering. He saw a smirk on her face when they entered, having noticed his reference to their former discussion.

Rin bounded into the room and into Kagome's arms, she quickly pulled herself back, remembering that her friend may be injured. "Is Kagome hurt? Rin doesn't remember what happened, because Rin fell asleep. But Rin remembers the bad lady wanted to hurt Kagome."

Kagome hugged the girl again, trying to reassure her that she was ok.

"Rin, Kagome is not injured, but we will let her rest before she will play with you." It took him by surprise that he had used her first name, though he didn't let it register. He figured the woman would simply assume that he had used her name to placate the child, and would not put much further thought into it. This seemed the truth until the child turned and said excitedly, "Lord Sesshoumaru called Kagome, Kagome! Rin thought Lord Sesshoumaru only called Kagome He-Hig-oo-rashi, or human." Sesshoumaru looked up at the woman and saw her eyebrow cocked in amusement, and she added, "Don't worry Rin, I think that it just means Lord Sesshoumaru likes me better now."

"Oh good. It makes Rin happy that Lord Sesshoumaru likes Kagome." The child turned a happy smile to Sesshoumaru, but he didn't look away from the face of the priestess. "Rin, its time for Kagome to take her bath. You may go and play with Ah and Un." The girl gave Kagome another hug, and bounded back out of the room, leaving Kagome alone with Sesshoumaru. She had been brave enough to say that while Rin was here, but now that she was gone, Kagome could tell just how wrong her statement had been as she could almost feel the anger radiating off of him, though he remained stone-faced.

She decided that whatever she was going to do, she was going to need to do it quickly. "I'm sorry about answering for you, but it just made her so happy." Try as she might to sound nonchalant, she couldn't keep a small note of sarcasm out of her voice. Then she thought back to what Rin had said that caused the problem in the first place. She added on more seriously, "I know that I told you this before, well, I yelled it at you. By the way, I'm sorry about that too. I know that you despise humans, but you have to remember that Rin is a human, and that someday, she will realize that. If you're always making bad comments about them in front of her, I think that she might grow to resent you, or even hate you. And I could be wrong, but I don't think that you want that." After saying this, she turned and gathered her bathing supplies, and turned back to him at the door. "Well, if you don't mind, I think I will go take that bath now."

She smiled at him and walked out the door, heading for the baths. Sesshoumaru watched her leave. The human woman had made him feel many feelings within a couple of minutes, some of them completely foreign to him, and now he was just standing there, stunned. He had been angered that he had been roped into having to call her by her first name whenever Rin was around, but partly at himself for having called her it in the first place. At the same time, he was amused, knowing that she had done it as a joke on him. Then her statements had left him completely off guard. He had felt anger at her for telling him not to insult humans, oddly frightened at the thought of the small human child hating him, and amazement at the fact that she had known that he would be bothered by it.

The strangest one of all was the odd feeling he got, when he had heard the concern in her voice when she said this. Her concern towards the child had not confused, or even surprised, him. It had been the concern in her voice that had been directed at him. She had been concerned that the child would hate him, concerned that he would be, what, hurt by it? What a foolish thought. He may have chosen to protect Rin, but she was still a human child. Her feelings toward him were of no consequence. However, it was clear that the young woman had shown concern for him, and he was not sure how to react to it. He had never been shown concern, and the fact that she was a human priestess, was astounding. He finally gathered his thoughts and turned leaving her room behind, as if this would clear the cloud of confusion in his mind.