InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Long Way Home ❯ Chapter 5

A/N: Where are my royalties? What do you mean I don't own Inuyasha?

Thanks to all who have reviewed or even stopped by to visit. I feel so loved!!! You keep my fragile ego from crumbling!

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Inuyasha observed Kagome from the doorway, arms crossed beneath the folds of his haori. While Shippo waited outside, she was fawning over the boy, Akiro, managing to patch him back together even without her bag of future remedies. Kagome, per usual, had only needed one look at the exhausted victim before taking over his care, treating him as diligently as she would one of her own.

It was infuriating.

Not her attention on the boy, although Inuyasha wasn't feeling particularly friendly to him either, given how he was gazing at her with those worshipful cow eyes. Even worse, now that most of the blood and grime was wiped off, he actually appeared to be Kagome's age rather than the child Inuyasha initially thought. Thankfully, Kagome was, also per usual, completely oblivious to the effect she was having on the youth. Otherwise, he might have had to toss poor, battered Akiro out on his ear.

No, his anger was strictly with Kagome.

Although Miroku and Sango already had a head start and Inuyasha was itching to go after the demon himself, he remained rooted to the floor; there was no way he was leaving Kagome's side. She'd kept the secret of the well from all of them for weeks and she was still lying to him now regarding the reason it was closing. She knew how to keep the well open; he felt it in his gut. Unfortunately, the only explanation he could come up with was twisting that particular part of his anatomy so hard he felt physically ill.

She's changed her mind, baka. Can't you see that? Despite what she said, she doesn't want to hunt for jewel shards anymore. She doesn't want to risk life and limb to be with you. She doesn't want you.

Inuyasha's claws clenched against his forearms, drawing blood with the effort to keep a calm façade. Well, fine. She could go home for all he cared! He could find the damn shards on his own, defeat Naraku without her and spend the rest of his days…without…her.

"Isn't that right, Inuyasha?"

He snapped to attention, "What?"

Kagome turned to him, "I was telling Akiro not to worry-because you would protect his village."

Her eyes were so earnest. Kagome was completely confident that he would agree with her statement. She wasn't just spouting words to sooth the kid. She absolutely believed what she said. She believed in him. She trusted him. Why would she lie to him?

Because…she was protecting him.

But protecting him from what?

"Inuyasha?"

He realized she was still waiting for a response. Not for her own reassurance, but for the boy's, and by the annoyed look she was sporting, he needed to hurry it along.

"Keh. I'm waiting on you, wench."

Kagome turned back to Akiro with a radiant smile. "See? Now you rest and regain your strength. Inuyasha will take care of everything."

Akiro suddenly grasped Kagome's hand. "Kagome-sama! You have been so kind and gentle!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Nobody was going to fall for that groveling shit-wait, was she actually blushing?

Kagome found her hand abruptly yanked from Akiro's grasp as Inuyasha jerked her to her feet, nodding to Kaede before forcibly removing her from the hut. Inuyasha jerked his head at Shippo, who looked almost disappointed the argument between them hadn't escalated into the normal shouting, followed by the eventual sitting. "Oi! You coming or not?"

Kagome could only splutter in outrage. "Inuyasha! That was so rude!"

"Do you want me to go back and apologize or save his village from a man-eating demon?"

Well, put it that way…Kagome gave him a narrow look, but obediently twined her arms around his neck, letting him settle her on his back. Shippo jumped to her shoulder, snuggling against her trustingly. The tension drained almost against her will. Flying through the trees on his back, she could pretend they were a real family. When Inuyasha carried her, she felt protected, even as she protected the kit. Like this, she could forget the well was closing, that she had to leave or even that Inuyasha had never been hers to begin with. And if she clutched him closer than necessary, well, he could attribute that to fear of falling. Just as she could imagine that when he tucked her knees against him more firmly than usual, it wasn't just to secure his balance.