InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Difference a Little Time Can Make ❯ Chapter 5 ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. I am not making any money from this.

 

Summary: A butterfly flaps its wings and a tornado occurs on the opposite side of the world. One difference causes a ripple effect, changing everything. What difference can a small change make? What if Inuyasha didn't arrive at Kikyou's village for several weeks? What difference would a little bit of time make? What if he arrived in time to save Kaede from the demons but was mistakenly blamed by Kikyou? What if he never heard of the Shikon no Tama, never had any type of relationship with Kikyou? How would this affect his meeting with Kagome?

 

Author's note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far. Please continue to let me know what you think of this story. I am more likely to update quickly when I am inspired by reviews, otherwise I might lose interest and take a while to post the next chapter. I'm not saying that I won't post if I don't get a certain number of reviews, just that I write faster when I am inspired.

 

 

Kagome slowly woke up. She felt warm and content. Opening her eyes she took in her surroundings and gave a start. 'This isn't my room. Where am I?' Her memories of the previous day filtered into her head. 'That's right. I'm in the hut with Inuyasha. Wait where is Inuyasha?' The hanyou was no longer seated against the wall as he had been the night before. That was when Kagome became aware of something warm resting against her back and a weight on her chest. Glancing down she saw her arms were wrapped around a white clad arm, the clawed hand of which was resting on her breast.

 

At the same time, Inuyasha also stirred as his sensitive ears alerted him to the fact that she had awoken. Not yet opening his eyes he thought 'I fell asleep?' He was surprised to find that he was well rested, he couldn't remember the last time he had slept so deeply and peacefully. He noticed that his hand was wrapped around something soft and warm and he gave it an experimental squeeze to determine what it was. He jerked completely awake and shot up from his position on the floor as the girl in front of him gave a loud scream.

 

“PERVERT!” Kagome shrieked as she felt him squeeze her breast. As she felt him release her and move away, she scooted herself back from him with a furious blush on her face. 'He's no better than those villagers' she thought angrily as she tried to put some space between them.

 

Inuyasha was looking around for what had made her scream like that when what she said actually filtered into his brain and he turned to look at her. “Oi, who are you calling a pervert?”

 

“Who do you think, baka? You were groping me. You had your hand on my chest,” She accused him harshly. Looking at him she noticed something different about his appearance but ignored it as she confronted him with righteous feminine fury.

 

“What the hell are you talking about? I didn't grope you.” Inuyasha yelled back confused and oddly hurt at her accusation.

 

“Then how did your hand end up on my chest? You were just trying to take advantage of me, just like those villagers! You're no better than them!”

 

Inuyasha instantly became defensive. “Keh! You're the one who grabbed me! Why would I want to touch you? You've got nothing I want. I don't have to stay here and listen to this.” He started to storm out.

 

Kagome watched him start to leave. 'Good, let the jerk leave' she thought. 'I don't need a pervert like him.' She started to cross her arms over her chest and frowned when she felt something shift on her lap. She looked down and saw Inuyasha's red haori draped over her waist. 'His haori? That's what looked different. Why do I have it?' She recalled Inuyasha's words about her grabbing him. 'He must have covered me with it to keep me warm and then I grabbed his arm. I've got to stop him.'

 

She got up and rushed out of the hut. “Inuyasha!” she called as she ran out the door. “Inuyasha wait, please.” She spotted him as he prepared to jump into the trees and put on a burst of speed, grabbing his hand before he could leave. “Inuyasha, please wait. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have accused you like that. I should have listened to you before I jumped to conclusions. Please forgive me. Please don't go.” She was afraid of what would happen if he decided to ignore her and leave anyway. What would she do if he left her here alone? He wasn't saying anything, just standing there. “Please Inuyasha” she pleaded.

 

Inuyasha stood there in shock. 'She's holding my hand? She's willingly touching me?' Listening to her words, his shock only further increased. 'She's apologizing? Nobody's ever apologized to me, for anything. She wants me to stay?' He turned his head to look at her and she started to speak taking his look as a sign that he would listen before he did anything.

 

“You were only trying to keep me warm, weren't you? You covered me with your haori?” she asked. At his nod she continued. “Thank you, and I really am sorry for jumping to conclusions. You said that I grabbed you, was that when you were covering me with your haori?” He nodded again. “Please forgive me Inuyasha. I should have known that you wouldn't do something like that. I know that you're nothing like those villagers. Please don't go.”

 

Inuyasha looked at her and said “Keh.” But he moved back towards the hut. Something she had said niggled at the back of his mind and he asked her “What did you mean about the villagers? That I'm nothing like them?” He would have thought that would be a bad thing but she seemed to really dislike the villagers for some reason. And hadn't she accused him of 'being no better than the villagers' when she thought he had groped her.

 

Kagome froze at his question, not sure about how to respond. She just stared at him as she thought about what had occurred the previous day and felt tears well up in her eyes.

 

“H-hey. What's wrong? Don't start crying again” he told her while he wondered what had caused her reaction. 'It happened when I brought up the villagers' he thought. 'Did they hurt her somehow? I'll kill them if they did.' That thought brought him up short. 'Since when do I care so much?'

 

Kagome saw the concern on his face and decided to tell him the truth. “Some of the men from the village captured me after I climbed out of the well. Some of them thought that I was a youkai because I was dressed differently. They wanted to kill me then but decided to bring me to Kaede-sama and let her decide. But on the way they started talking about whether I really was a youkai or not. One of them said I might just be a whore and he groped me. Then they started arguing about whether I was a youkai or a whore. They decided to bring me to Kaede and let her decide if I was a youkai. They said that if Kaede thought I was a youkai they would k-kill me but if she said I was human, they were going to r-rape me. That's when I decided to take my chances in the forest and ran for it.” She started crying again as she finished. “That's why I was upset when I thought you had groped me. I thought you were like them but I should have known better. I'm sorry for doubting you, please forgive me.”

 

Inuyasha felt rage well up inside him at her words. 'How dare they!' he thought, growling low. He patted the girl on her back to soothe her. “It's alright wench. I understand. I'm sorry for yelling at you. Please don't cry.” She wiped her face at his words that showed his forgiveness and understanding and smiled at him. He felt himself give her a small smile in return which only made her smile wider.

 

Inuyasha suddenly tensed as his senses started screaming at him. He grabbed Kagome and shoved her behind his back as he turned to face the forest. “Inuyasha, what is it?” he heard her ask as she moved closer to him.

 

“Stay behind me” he told her as several low level snake youkai came pouring out of the forest. “What do you weaklings want? Leave before I shred you.” he called as he cracked his knuckles and prepared for a fight.

 

“Big talk from a ssstinking hanyou. Give usss the jewel and we'll make your deathsss painlessss” they hissed as they drew closer.

 

“Keh! I don't thinks so weaklings. Sankon Tessou!” Inuyasha easily took care of the three in front of him with a few well placed claw strikes. A sudden scream from Kagome drew his attention and he turned to see a fourth youkai had circled around and reared up ready to strike. Inuyasha leaped up and struck it down before it could harm her but ended up drenching her in it's guts in the process.

 

“Eww” she cried in disgust. “Was that the last of them?”

 

Inuyasha sniffed and twitched his ears but detected no other youkai in the vicinity. “Yeah.” He gave her a quick once over to reassure himself that she was unharmed.

 

“Good. I don't suppose that there is somewhere nearby I can wash up? I really need a bath after that.” She said as she looked down at herself.

 

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose as he looked her over. “There's a stream over this way. Come on, you stink.” And he started leading her to the nearby stream.

 

“And who's fault is that?” she asked him. His only response was a “Keh.”

 

Upon reaching the stream Kagome paused and looked around. “Wow, it's so beautiful” she said as she took in the picturesque scene. There was a small waterfall flowing down a hill into the stream and there were plenty of wildflowers growing alongside the stream.

 

“Keh. If you say so. Would you hurry up and wash already” he told her as he glanced around the clearing. Something was putting him on edge but he didn't know what.

 

“I'm going.” She started to lift her shirt as she approached the stream but stopped and told him “Turn around.” Grumbling, he did so. “And no peeking.”

 

He spluttered at that. “Keh! I'm no pervert. And why would I want to look at you anyway?” he said with a blush on his face.

 

Kagome felt herself start to get angry at his words but then spotted his blush and realized that he was just being defensive over what she had implied. Remembering their earlier argument she told him “I know you're not a pervert, I'm just not used to bathing in front of anyone. Please don't turn around.” He nodded his head to acknowledge her and she stripped out of her clothes as she approached the stream. She quickly washed her clothes before laying them on some nearby rocks to dry and then entered the stream to bathe.

 

“BRRR! That's cold” she said as she started to wash the dirt and gore off of her. She resolved to make this a fast bath. As she washed her hair she commented “I wish I had my soap and shampoo. My hair feels so disgusting.” She settled for dunking herself under the water and washing herself as best as she could with only water.

 

Inuyasha continued to sit on the bank of the stream with his back to the water. His ears kept flicking in her direction as he heard her splashing behind him and he found himself hard pressed to not turn around. 'Why am I acting like this? What is it about this girl that draws me? I don't need her. I don't care about her or what she looks like. I don't need to see her soft, creamy skin. Gah, stop that' he told himself with a blush as he imagined what she looked like behind him.

 

He stiffened suddenly as his earlier bad feeling returned. He sensed youki in the nearby vicinity and rose to his feet as he looked around for what he was sensing. He turned quickly and grabbed Kagome, causing her to give a small scream in surprise as he dragged her out of the water.

 

“Inuyasha, what are you doing?” she asked as he leaped out of the stream and onto the shore. He removed his haori and draped it over her as he turned back to face the water. She turned in time to see a water serpent youkai burst out of the water but Inuyasha easily dispatched it with a “Sankon Tessou.”

 

“Keh, another weakling.” He turned to face Kagome but stopped as he caught sight of her. Blushing he turned his back to her.

 

Kagome blinked at his actions. 'What was that about?' she wondered. Glancing down at herself, she felt a blush rise on her own face. His haori was draped over her but the front was open and displaying her breasts. She quickly grabbed the material to wrap it tighter around her body and then held it shut. She then went to where she had left her own clothes, and looking back to see that Inuyasha still had his back to her, quickly changed into her own clothing. Turning back to Inuyasha she handed him his haori and said “Thank you.”

 

“Keh.” Was all he said as he accepted it before he went to the stream and caught several fish for them to eat. He quickly cleaned his catches while Kagome kept her back turned and then washed his hands and face. Once that was done he led the way back to the old hut.

 

They reached the hut after being attacked twice more by low level youkai. Kagome could tell that the attacks were starting to get on Inuyasha's nerves as he was becoming more irritable after each one. She kept quiet as she knew that they were attracted by the power of the Shikon no Tama and she didn't know what to tell Inuyasha. Once they were safely back inside the hut they quickly cooked and ate the fish that Inuyasha had caught.

 

They had just finished eating when Inuyasha's ears began to twitch at some noise and he stopped to sniff the air. “Damn it, where do these fucking weaklings keep coming from.” He turned to look at Kagome. “Stay here, don't go outside.” He ordered her before swiftly exiting the hut.

 

Kagome waited only a moment before getting up and going to the door. She heeded his warning and didn't exit the hut, instead she peered out of the doorway to see what was happening. Inuyasha stood a few feet from the hut surrounded by various types of lower youkai. She let out a gasp as she saw them swarm to attack him but Inuyasha was ready. Claws flashing, he swiftly tore through their ranks. But for every one that he defeated another one was waiting to take it's place and Kagome felt her heart sink with despair. 'I wish there was something I could do, some way I could help him. After all, it's my fault they keep attacking.' She thought as she fingered the Shikon no Tama in her pocket. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't notice that a few of the youkai had managed to edge around Inuyasha and were headed straight for the hut.

 

But Inuyasha did. “No you don't!” he yelled as he jumped away from the youkai he had been fighting to leap at the ones trying to reach the hut. He tore through them quickly but his actions had left his back exposed to the youkai he had been fighting previously and they took advantage of it. “Argh!” he yelled as one youkai sank claws into his unprotected back before another sent him flying into a tree.

 

“INUYASHA!” Kagome cried at seeing him hurt as she instinctively stepped forward to rush to his side. This drew the attention of the youkai and they turned their attention to her. They made to rush at her but then Inuyasha was there.

 

“Hijin Kessou” he cried as he coated his claws in his own blood before flinging them forward to toss energy blades at the youkai. “Get back inside!” he told Kagome and watched as she obeyed. “You weaklings want the jewel, you gotta go through me. And you weaklings will never get past me.” He told the assembled youkai before renewing his attack. A few minutes later and it was over. He stood in front of the hut observing the destruction around him. A sound behind him caught his attention and he turned to see Kagome hesitantly exit the hut.

 

Once the fight appeared to be over Kagome went to the door of the hut. She hesitated but when she saw Inuyasha turn to look at her without telling her to get back inside she exited the hut and hurried to his side. “Inuyasha!” she cried upon seeing the blood on his back. “You're hurt.” She raised a hand as though to touch the wound but he jerked away from her.

 

“Keh. It's just a scratch. It would take more than a bunch of weaklings like that to hurt me.” He told her. Seeing her expression fall he told her “I'm fine. I just wish these weaklings would stop attacking. What the hell do they keep coming after us for? You'd think they would have learned better than to attack me by now.”

 

Kagome bit her lip at the question. “It's my fault. They're attracted by the power of the Shikon no Tama. They're just going to keep coming and trying to get it.”

“Let them try. I'll just defeat them like I have these.” Inuyasha told her. He led her back into the hut, away from the destruction and dead youkai.

 

Kagome lowered her face to stare at the floor. “Maybe Kaede-sama was right. Maybe I should just go to the village after all.”

 

Inuyasha jerked his head around to stare at her at her words. “What?! Why would you want to do a thing like that? Don't you trust me to protect you?” He asked her, hurt by her apparent lack of faith in him.

 

She shook her head. “It's not that. I trust you and I know you would do everything you could to protect me. But you've already been hurt once.” He interrupted her with a disbelieving “Keh!” that she ignored as she continued. “I don't want you to get hurt. The youkai are getting stronger and are now attacking in groups. I'm just afraid that you will be seriously hurt or worse.”

 

“Keh! How weak do you think I am, if you think a bunch of weaklings like that would be able to hurt me. I'll continue to beat those weaklings, easily.”

 

But Kagome was still upset and tried to get him to understand. “I don't believe you are weak. But what happens when something stronger then these youkai is attracted by the jewel and attacks?”

“Then I'll just defeat it like I did these” Inuyasha said pridefully.

 

Kagome shook her head. “As strong as you are, eventually something stronger than you will come after it. Maybe if I return to the village Kaede-sama will have some idea of a way to protect the jewel.” She saw the stubborn look on his face and went on. “If we stay out here we will only continue to be attacked. The number of attacks will just continue to grow and the youkai will become stronger as time goes on. And you will eventually tire, then what will happen after non-stop fighting? You know I'm right Inuyasha. The youkai will just keep coming after this jewel” she said as she took it out of her pocket to make her point.

 

Inuyasha had listened to her argument but stubbornly refused to believe it. He kept telling himself that he would defeat anything that showed up to attack them. But when she took the jewel out and his eyes fell on it all of his thoughts flew right out of his head. He stared at the jewel as he felt a strange pull on his youki. He couldn't take his eyes off of it and his thoughts from the previous day of using it to become a full youkai returned.

 

Kagome began to get nervous when he didn't say anything for awhile. Looking up from the jewel in her hands, she spotted the strange look on his face as he too stared at it. “Inuyasha?” she called. Something about the look on his face was putting her on edge.

 

“Give it to me” he said suddenly.

 

“What?” she asked, confused.

 

He continued to stare at the jewel in her hands. “The Shikon no Tama. Give it to me.”

 

'Why does he want the jewel all of a sudden? What's going on?' Kagome was really confused. “Why?”

 

“I can use the jewel to become a full youkai. Then nobody will be able to defeat me. You won't have to worry about those weaklings attacking and I'll finally have the strength and respect that I've fought my whole life for.” He took a step closer to her.

 

'He wants to use the jewel? But Kaede-sama said it would be bad to let a youkai gain possession of the Shikon no Tama. I know that Inuyasha is a good person but this just seems wrong.' “Why should you have to change what you are? I like you just the way you are, you don't need to use the jewel” she told him.

 

He gave a bitter laugh. “Keh! I told you I'm a hanyou. I'm part of both worlds, youkai and human, but belong to neither. If I use the Shikon no Tama to become a full youkai I will finally gain the respect and power I deserve, and I'll finally belong. And I'll be strong, strong enough to defeat anyone. Now give me the jewel.” He took another step closer to her, never taking his gaze off of the jewel.

 

Kagome stepped back as he approached. “No” she told him but he just came closer. For every step he took forward she stepped back. The look on his face was starting to scare her, it was like he was suddenly a different person. She suddenly found herself forced to stop as she found her back against the wall of the hut. She gulped nervously and wondered what she should do now. “I'm not going to give you the jewel Inuyasha” she told him.

 

He suddenly snarled, making her jump as he slammed his hands against the wall on either side of her body, trapping her. “Give it to me, Bitch” he growled out.

 

“No!” Thinking fast, she dropped the jewel down her shirt so that it nestled between her breasts. It had occurred to her that if she got the jewel out of sight he might snap out of it. “I won't.”

 

“Like that's gonna stop me” he said at her actions as he leaned closer to her. She turned her head to the side, unknowingly baring her neck to him and calling to his inu instincts. 'She's submitting?' he thought. Her scent drifted to him then, calling to him. He pressed his body up against hers and leaned his head down next to her neck. He could still feel the pull of the jewel but the pull of her scent and his instincts were starting to override it. He lowered his head further, burying it in her neck and breathing deeply. The fear that had crept into her scent reached him and he growled low as he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her slightly as he pulled her to him.

 

Kagome had felt fear rise up in her when he pressed her against the wall. But when he buried his face in her neck and then wrapped his arms around her waist she somehow knew that he had snapped out of the hold that the jewel had on him and started to relax. She gasped when she felt something warm and wet on her neck. Her neck tingled where it touched and she felt a knot of excitement start to grow in her belly. She'd never felt anything like this before and it both scared and thrilled her.

 

Once Inuyasha felt her start to relax against him he let his instincts take over. His face was still buried in her neck and he opened his mouth to allow his tongue to slip out and taste her. 'This is heaven' he thought. “You smell so good” he growled out gruffly as the scent of her arousal hit him, and took another swipe with his tongue. “Taste so good.” He continued to hold her to him.

 

At his words and actions, Kagome felt herself flush with embarrassment. She felt him lift her and pull her closer to him. She stiffened when she felt something hard press into her thigh. Her thoughts flashed back to the village men and she reacted. “H-hey” she cried and shoved at his chest to push him away.

 

When he felt her shove him he immediately released her and stepped back, eyes full of pain at her rejection staring down at her. 'Of course' he thought. 'Of course she'd reject me. I probably disgust her. Who would want to touch a filthy hanyou?' he thought bitterly at what he perceived to be her rejection. So he did what he always did to hide his pain. He lashed out with angry words.

 

“Keh! Bitch! Like I'd want to touch you anyway. I was just trying to get the jewel. Who'd want someone like you anyway?”

 

Kagome was still feeling embarrassed at his earlier actions, though a part of her had felt a thrill and liked them, when she heard him say that. Glaring up at him she yelled “You jerk! How can you say something like that to me. I'm not going to give you the jewel, so you can forget it. If that's all you want then I don't need you.”

 

“Keh! Fine, let's see how long you last on your own. I'm out of here!” And he stormed out of the hut, immediately launching himself into the trees and bounding away.

 

Kagome sat in the hut by herself with tears in her eyes. 'That jerk. How could he say no one would want me?' She recalled his earlier actions and blushed. 'He certainly seemed to want me then. Was it really all an act to get the jewel? I thought he was my friend.' She remembered his words about never belonging and then thought of the look on his face when she pushed him away. 'He looked so hurt when I pushed him away. Did he think I was disgusted and that's why I pushed him away? That I was rejecting him? Is that why he reacted like that?' She looked around the hut and felt lonely, suddenly missing his presence.

 

Kagome got up and ran from the hut but didn't see Inuyasha anywhere. “Inuyasha!” she called. “Inuyasha, please come back. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it! I do need you! Please come back! Inuyasha!” But there was no sign of the red clad hanyou. Kagome sank to her knees and began to cry. “What am I going to do now?” she wondered. She had driven off the one person she trusted in this strange world and was now alone.