InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Syndrome ❯ Please Don't Go Away ( Chapter 20 )

I do not own Inuyasha and Company, no matter how happy it would make me. Rumiko Takahashi does.

 

The song in this chapter is one of my new favorites and definite proof of my mommy-hood. It's called Upside down by Jack Johnson and is on the Curious George soundtrack. After hearing it over and over in the movie, since we watch it over and over, I had to have it. I think it fits well with Kagome's personality. She doesn't let anyone tell her what or how she should think.

 

 

Chapter 20 - Please Don't Go Away

 

 

 

 

 

@@ 4 Years Ago @@

 

 

It was slow going, earning Inuyasha's trust, but she understood. He'd been hurt so many times, and she didn't doubt for a minute that someone had pretended to be his friend just to laugh at him later. If it hadn't happened yet it probably would. Of course he would be a little gun-shy. He had absolutely no reason to trust anyone, not when he'd grown up learning that no one liked him and no one ever would, that they all hated him for what he was.

 

She hadn't known how to proceed, so mostly they'd gone on like before. She made sure to look at him and smile to let him see that she was sincere. She'd never imagined that not looking at him had been just as bad as if she had been all that time. He automatically assumed the worst about everything and she was constantly making sure that he didn't take something she said or did the wrong way. Kouga had backed off a little, though he was always somewhere in the crowd watching the miko and hanyou whenever they were together like he was waiting for something.

 

He'd finally agreed to sit with her during lunch rather than hiding in a tree, but it hadn't turned out so well, at least in the beginning. Kagome had gotten up to throw away her trash and by the time she turned to return to their table it was too late. Apparently the majority of the students disapproved with her choice of companion and they'd decided once again to make their opinions known.

 

Inuyasha was backed up to a wall and surrounded by a group of demons, bullies that were taunting him and threatening him, ordering him to stay away from the `normal' people. Kagome slowly approached, waiting to see what would happen before she got involved, knowing he didn't want her to fight his battles for him. She watched as one of the larger demons punched her new friend in the gut hard enough to make him gasp for breath and was surprised when he didn't hit back. She immediately began running to interfere but by the time she reached them two more had taken their turns and the hanyou had a bloody lip and what was going to be a nasty black eye.

 

“Stop it!” she screamed as she shoved her way through the throng of students either watching or participating in the attack on Inuyasha. “What the hell is the matter with you people?”

 

Inuyasha was surprised to see her, having figured that the whole thing had been planned. He took a chance and opened up a little and then she left him for the wolves, so to speak. He hadn't expected her to come back, let alone get in the middle of it.

 

“Why do you care what we do to him?” the biggest and ugliest of the demons asked her when she'd made her way to Inuyasha's side. “He's just a fuckin' half-breed, disgusting filth.”

 

Kagome gave a thoughtful look before answered. “Oh.” For a moment Inuyasha's heart clenched. She finally got it and now she would go back to treating him like everyone else. “Manten, right? And you're a big strong demon?” Her tone was rather seductive and the demon she spoke to smirked.

 

“That's right baby. You like big strong demons, don't you?”

 

Inuyasha wanted to throw up right then. She was actually flirting with his attacker right in front of him?

 

“Are you tough and brave?” she asked sweetly.

 

“Of course.”

 

“So then it must have been some other demon…” she trailed off, looking down and to the side and drawing circles with her toe of her shoe in the dirt.

 

“Whattya mean?”

 

She looked up again and smirked wickedly. “It must have been some other 3 rd grader that pissed his pants when a little five year old human girl stood up to him?” The look on the demon's face gave it all away and the crowd, including his cronies, burst into laughter at the senior who'd just been taken down a notch by a freshman.

 

Manten's eyes darkened as he glared at the girl who'd humiliated him once all those years ago and now again. “I think I know a little girl who needs to be taught how to act around her betters,” he growled. He took two steps toward her before Inuyasha slipped between them. When the demon laughed, thinking that the hanyou had just bought a ticket for a world of hurt, Inuyasha punched him hard enough to send blood spraying from his mouth, covering a few of the watchers on one side. “Defending a human, huh?” he asked while wiping blood from his lips. “Must be that filthy mixed blood of yours.”

 

“Do you ever shut the fuck up?” Inuyasha growled before throwing another punch. Manten didn't get a chance to hit back as the hanyou took all the frustration that had built up inside him out on the bully.

 

It was obvious that the demon was losing, and badly, and when his friends moved to interfere Kagome stepped forward and allowed her powers to rise, keeping the others back. She was watching the fight closely and was beginning to get worried. Every now and then Inuyasha's eyes flashed red and she could see jagged, nearly invisible markings rising out of the skin on his cheeks. He was losing control… fast. She had to do something to stop him before he killed the obnoxious demon. Yes, he deserved an ass-kicking, but she couldn't let Inuyasha do something he might regret and definitely not when they were fighting because of her.

 

“Inuyasha!” she called out to him, but she got no response. After a few more tries she decided she needed to get involved and when the fighting pair got a bit closer and Inuyasha's back was to her Kagome wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his back. She could feel his muscles tense for a moment before relaxing and the steady growling and snarling he'd been doing slowed to more of a purr. “Get him out of here,” she ordered, still holding tightly to the half-demon while the very well beaten and freshly tenderized demon was carried away by his friends.

 

When they were all out of sight and she was alone with him once more Kagome allowed her arms to slide from around his waist but he stayed facing away from her. “Inuyasha? Are you alright?”

 

“You should go too, Kagome,” he said, his voice low and depressed.

 

“Why would I do that?”

 

He whirled around and stared at her. “I lost control! I could have hurt you! I'm not good enough to be your friend anyway. If I'm a danger to you too than I can't allow it, no matter how much I want to spend time with you.”

 

“Inuyasha, quit it. You weren't going to hurt me.”

 

“How could you fuckin' know that?” he yelled. “I could have killed you! Hell, I probably would have killed him if you hadn't stopped me.”

 

“Calm down,” she said softly, reaching out and catching an arm before he could pull away. “I know that because if I was in any danger my miko energy would have protected me from you instead of healing all your wounds.”

 

“Huh?” was his all-intelligent reply as he inspected himself. He poked at his face, especially his recently split lip, only to find out that she was right. He was as good as new.

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

He turned and looked at her, seeing the curiosity in her eyes. “Go on and ask.”

 

“If you could fight so well why don't you ever fight back, stand up for yourself? Well, besides Kouga I mean.”

 

“Because,” he said in a low voice. “Because they're right. I deserve it for being a hanyou.” He lifted a hand as she began to protest. “But I refuse to let anyone hurt you if I can prevent it. If I ever fail to protect you it would be because I died trying.” His tone was completely serious and he soon found himself wrapped in her arms.

 

“You don't deserve any of it, how they treat you. Don't let them hurt you, please?” she mumbled into his chest. “And you most definitely deserve to be my friend. Don't you dare think otherwise.” He only nodded as he slowly allowed his arms to come up and wrap around her. It was the first time that he'd ever had a friend, a real friend that he could trust, and the first time he'd ever held someone in his arms that wasn't his mother. He allowed himself to breathe her in deeply, savoring the moment just in case it never happened again.

 

Two sets of eyes finally stopped watching the proceedings, pulling back around the tree to look at each other. Miroku smirked at Bankotsu's surprised look. “I guess he's not so bad after all…”

 

“He said he would protect her or die trying, and he barely even knows her.”

 

“I knew I would lay down my life for her before she ever even looked at me,” Miroku said in his wisest sage-like tone. “Perhaps Kagome was right, that she is meant to be friends with him.”

 

Bankotsu smiled. “I guess I really should have learned to trust her judgment about people by now, huh?”

 

“Yeah well you're not the only one.” The two left their hiding place where they'd been ready to jump in and protect Kagome if needed. Instead they'd caught quite the show and now knew that Inuyasha deserved more than a chance. He deserved their friendship and their respect.

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

Inuyasha was staring at his ceiling in the middle of the night, just trying to understand what had happened during lunch that day. He'd never lost control like that, ever, and he'd been pushed a lot further and hurt a lot worse. So then what was it? Why had it happened and how had Kagome managed to stop it? Finally he found the difference. He wasn't fighting for himself, to protect himself. He was fighting to protect her. Just the thought of it made him growl. She'd been threatened. That had to be it because it was the only difference really between the most recent fight and all the others.

 

He'd decided that he could trust her. She stood beside him, defended him, put herself in danger to protect him, and he would never forget it. The pull that he'd felt towards her before was multiplied by a thousand and he knew he would never be able to let her go. She was his and he would take care of her from that day forward.

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

It seemed that the bullies didn't all get the lesson as the next day a few of Manten's friends decided it would be fun to get revenge on the hanyou by dumping his lunch all over him. It was rather funny, really. They didn't expect him to be able to move quite so fast, and they ended up getting food all over each other instead of on their intended dog-eared victim. Too bad he didn't have a back-up lunch.

 

By the time Kagome reached him the two had taken off, but the evidence of the incident remained. “That your lunch?”

 

“Was my lunch,” he grumbled. Inuyasha was surprised when a steaming cup of ramen noodles was set before him. “What's this?”

 

“Your new lunch,” she said with a smirk, handing him chopsticks and walking away before he could protest.

 

As soon as she was gone Miroku and Bankotsu slipped into the open seats on the other side of the table. Inuyasha was surprised for a minute and then worried that they were going to tell him to stay away from her, but when they smiled at him he relaxed. “So is she always like this?” he asked while pointing at the food she'd given him.

 

“Ever since I've known her,” Bankotsu said in a nostalgic tone.

 

“How long have you known her then?”

 

“We met on the first day of kindergarten.”

 

The hanyou's eyes widened in surprise. “Shit that's a long time. What about you?” he asked Miroku.

 

“I met her on the first day of middle school and she drew me right in immediately. Took us a while to get along though,” he said while tipping his head towards Bank. “But we're not going to have that problem this time.”

 

“Well, what happened? How did you guys become friends?”

 

“It's a long story,” Bank answered. “In short, Kagome knows when she's meant to be friends with someone and we should just trust her instincts.”

 

Inuyasha nodded, agreeing that Kagome certainly had a sixth sense about people. She could read him like a large print book with a magnifying glass. “I'm confused about one thing,” he said before slurping some noodles. “Damn this is good!” he exclaimed as his eyes lit up.

 

“Kagome's got a way with food, even instant,” Miroku said. “What are you confused about?”

 

The hanyou ate another mouthful of noodles before answering. “Which one of you is dating her?”

 

Miroku and Bankotsu both had surprised looks on their faces, not having been expecting that particular question. Inuyasha looked up when he heard his angel laugh and Kagome slipped into the seat beside him, setting a salad on the table in front of her. “I'm not dating either, Inu. And neither of them will let me date anyone else either. They're a tad overprotective.”

 

He could see the looks he was being sent, something along the lines of `don't even think about it, she's off limits', and he nodded his understanding to them. He knew he wasn't good enough for her and he would never condemn her to the torture she would be sentenced to if she were to date him. No, he would love her secretly, protect her and make sure she was always happy, and that would have to be enough. At least he would be graced with her calming presence. Inuyasha had never felt quite as lucky in all his life as when she smiled at him. He didn't know what he did to deserve such an angel and he figured that he never would, but he was determined to spend every minute he had with her thanking her in his own way. She was his and he hoped she always would be.

 

They sat together, chatting casually and enjoying their lunch period for a while until Kouga decided he'd had enough. He stalked up to stand behind the hanyou that was sitting way too close to `his woman'. “You just don't get it, do ya half-breed?” When Inuyasha tensed and looked like he was ready to get up, Kagome laid her hand on his arm, calming him instantly. Kouga's eyes widened as she made contact with the abomination purposely. Shaking away his shock and the roiling feeling of disgust in his stomach he moved a little closer. Miroku smirked and Bankotsu merely shook his head. No one moved but in a few seconds the wolf demon yelped and jumped back in pain.

 

Kagome had had enough of Kouga. He was irritating, but that she was used to. It was the bigot in him that really made her wish he lived on the other side of the island, or better yet on the other side of the ocean. Deciding she was just tired of it but not wanting her friends to end up in another fight so soon after the last she took care of it herself. She allowed her miko energy to rise up and surround her, spreading slowly like a bubble that wrapped around their table. She smiled as she saw Bankotsu's eyes fall slowly shut and a stupid smirk showed up on Miroku's face. She felt it as Inuyasha began to purr beside her and she allowed the bubble to expand until it came into contact with Kouga. When it reached the wolf however, he didn't experience the peace and calm that he friends did, instead receiving a painful burn of purification on every inch of his skin, even in the more sensitive places. Needless to say he backed up quickly and made no move to come closer again.

 

“Damnit Kagome! Why are you protecting him? He's disgusting!”

 

Kagome whirled around in her seat and sent him a glare that could freeze flames in place like ice sculptures. “He is not disgusting. Inuyasha is my friend and there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING wrong with him. There is, however, something wrong with YOU! How dare you judge someone for what they are? He didn't get to pick how he was born any more than anyone else! I'm tired of it. You! You call me your woman. You do realize that if I agreed and we had children they would be hanyou too? I would never even think of being with you, knowing what I know. You want to know what's disgusting?”

 

Kagome stood up now and took a few steps forward, three males instantly at her back. She looked around the crowded and completely silent cafeteria. “Every single one of you is disgusting. The way you treat another living creature is disgusting! I knew there was a reason I didn't associate with any of you. You think being a half-demon is reason to torture someone emotionally and physically, that he is somehow less than you. It's you, all of you that are the lesser beings.”

 

Miroku stepped up and took her right hand, sensing how upset she was. She squeezed his hand in thanks for the support. “To hate someone for no reason other than their heritage? You need to look at yourselves, look closely.”

 

Bankotsu took hold of her right hand and stood proudly beside her. Having her saying all those things, even though it was for Inuyasha, it meant just as much to him. She knew what he was and she loved him all the same and he knew she would defend him just as fiercely if anyone ever found out. The stress was literally pouring out of her in waves that hit the crowd, making them all uncomfortable as their skin tingled with her power.

 

She let go of both their hands for a moment and reached behind her. Inuyasha hadn't known what to do. He knew she was upset, knew he needed to comfort her, but he didn't know what her boundaries were. Would she let him touch her? She touched him but he knew it wasn't the same thing. When her hands appeared behind her back, palms up and waiting he hesitantly laid his clawed hands carefully in hers and she surprised him by pulling his arms around her waist before reaching for Bank and Miroku's hands again.

 

“Every single one of you is ugly in the only way that counts and the one way you have complete control over. You're ugly inside and you chose to be that way! Well let's see how you like it!” By now tears were streaming down her cheeks and her power sparked and flared, causing everyone in the room, human and demon, to feel a kind of pain they'd never experienced before. She'd slipped into Inuyasha's mind, just a little, when they first touched and she found the pain, what it felt like to have everyone you've ever met hate you, to be constantly tormented and insulted, and she made them all feel what they'd done to him. Her miko energy wound slowly through him, healing wounds that no one could see, and his arms tightened around her as he purred in contentment. “How does it feel?” she whispered before going limp in his arms.

 

She'd overextended herself and succeeded in scaring the crap out of her friends when she passed out but when her power dissipated, ever so slowly people began to talk. Sure, not everyone got it. Not everyone realized how wrong they were, but a great deal of them did and Inuyasha found himself on the receiving end of honest and heartfelt apologies for weeks as they worked up the nerve to admit their mistake.

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

“Who's to say what's impossible? Well they forgot, this world keeps spinning and with each new day I can feel a change in everything. And as the surface breaks reflections fade, but in some ways they remain the same. And as my mind begins to spread its wings, there's no stopping curiosity.” Kagome was singing again.

 

She was nervous. When Inuyasha had told her his parents wanted to meet her she had no idea why. When he told her it was because they wanted to meet the girl who changed his life she didn't know what to say so she only nodded. Now she wished she had been able to speak to say no. What if she didn't meet their expectations?

 

“I wanna turn the whole thing upside down. I'll find the things they say just can't be found. I'll share this love I've found with everyone. We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs. I don't want this feeling to go away.”

 

She hadn't done anything more than any good person would have done in her opinion. She made friends with someone who needed a friend and then she acted like one, that's all. Sure, he seemed a lot happier, but then who wouldn't when people had finally stopped hating him?

 

“Who's to say I can't do everything? Well, I can try. And as I roll along I begin to find things aren't always just what they seem.”

 

She didn't think she'd changed his life and she certainly didn't want credit for it! That would be like telling them they were bad parents all that time for her to swoop in and fix everything in a few weeks.

 

“I wanna turn the whole thing upside down. I'll find the things they say just can't be found. I'll share this love I've found with everyone. We'll sing and dance to Mother Nature's songs. This world keeps spinning and there's no time to waste. Well it all keeps spinnin', spinnin' round and round and upside down.”

 

He'd tried to get her to relax about it but it was impossible. She wanted to make a good impression and she was afraid they wouldn't like her, like that was even possible. Inuyasha walked along beside her silently as she sang, just soaking in her soothing voice. Too bad it didn't seem to be soothing her.

 

“Who's to say what's impossible and can't be found? I don't want this feeling to go away. Please don't go away. Please don't go away. Please don't go away. Is this how it's supposed to be? Is this how it's supposed to be?”

 

When the song wound down he finally spoke. “Dude, Kagome, chill!” he laughed as they walked up the long driveway to what she was sure was her imminent doom. Mrs. Higurashi had picked them up from school and dropped them outside the large metal gates of the mansion-esque manor home. When her shoulders stayed tense he grabbed her arm and stopped her, turning her to look at him. “Kagome, they already love you. What you did… you really did change the entire world for me. How could they not love the angel that saved their son?”

 

“But I didn't really…”

 

He cut her off with a frustrated growl. “Yes you did, wench. Just accept it cuz it's not gonna change.” When she just glared at him the hanyou bent quickly and Kagome found herself lying over his shoulder, bumping along while he walked a little faster than they'd been going with her dragging her feet and stalling for time.

 

“You do realize that I'm a human and not a sack of potatoes, right?”

 

He snorted out a laugh. “No, I had no idea! Thanks so much for educating me on the difference between a girl and a bag of spuds,” he said sarcastically. “Just be glad the monk ain't here. What is it with him and grabbing girls' asses?”

 

It was Kagome's turn to laugh. “I have no idea, but it was the first thing he did when we met.”

 

“And Bank didn't kill him?”

 

“Bank wasn't there the first time; though I know he wanted to punch him quite a lot that week. I think it's kinda funny, especially when they slap him. I think he might like getting hit.”

 

“Okay, I so didn't need that thought in my head!”

 

Kagome laughed and looked around when she heard it echo. They'd made it into the house and were in the giant open entryway. The stairs and the hall of the second floor were visible and the high ceiling held a beautiful crystal chandelier. “Shit,” she whispered. He'd tricked her, keeping her distracted until it was too late to get away.

 

“I must say, the sound of your laughter is something I would like to hear much more often.” A dignified and deep voice floated into the room and bounced off the walls. She looked around and Inuyasha carefully set her on her feet. When Katsuro stepped into view Inuyasha grabbed her hand and she visibly calmed.

 

“Pops, this is Kagome,” Inuyasha said politely. “Where's Ma?”

 

“It is wonderful to finally meet you, my dear. Inuyasha has told us so much about you.” Kagome blushed and the taiyoukai smiled. “Your mother is in the kitchen,” he said to the hanyou at her side. “Why don't you go and tell her the guest of honor has arrived?”

 

Kagome just about hyperventilated when her hand was suddenly alone, just like she was with a very powerful and just recently introduced demon. She looked around, trying to find something else to focus on. “Your house is beautiful.”

 

“Why thank you, Kagome, but there is no reason for you to be nervous. You have done something for us that no one has ever been able to do. Do not downplay your role in Inuyasha's new view on life.”

 

“All I did was make friends with him.”

 

“From what my mate and I have been hearing, you did much more than that.”

 

Kagome was about to protest when Inuyasha came back into the room, his mother in tow. When he reached her he smiled, flashing her his bright white fangs. “Kagome, this is my mother. Ma, this is Kagome.” Kagome smiled sweetly. He looked mostly like his father, but she could see several features that came from his mother who was a stunningly beautiful woman.

 

Izayoi surprised Kagome with a firm hug before she released her to give her a once over. “Hello dear! Oh, it's wonderful to finally meet you!” They were all swept into the sitting room and Izayoi hurried out to grab her tray of tea and cookies. They sat and chatted for a while and finally Kagome relaxed. They were nice and apparently they were sure that Kagome had saved Inuyasha, no matter how much she protested. They talked about family, skimming gently over the death of her father and side-stepping the topic of Sesshoumaru all together.

 

No one noticed him when the younger taiyoukai peeked into the room, having followed his nose in search of the source of such a delicious scent that was floating on the air. He frowned when he saw Inuyasha, totally missing Kagome's presence as he turned and went up to his room. Even though the scent was coming from that room, if the hanyou was in there he was no longer interested.

 

By the end of the afternoon Kagome was already calling Katsuro Papi and Izayoi Mom since she called her own mother Mama and she felt awkward saying Ma like Inuyasha did. It was the first of many gatherings and soon Kagome, as well as Bankotsu and Miroku, became a part of the family.

 

The night after he'd introduced Kagome to his parents Inuyasha lay staring at the ceiling. She had no idea, none of them did. She definitely saved his life, and not just figuratively. He had decided during the first hellish week of school that he couldn't take it anymore. It had finally grown to be more than he could handle. If it wasn't for her he wouldn't have been there anymore. He'd already planned to put himself out of his misery.

 

No one at school dared insult him again. There were still some who avoided him, but no more comments were made, not just because of Kagome's outburst in the cafeteria. Her friendship had given him the self-confidence to stand up for himself and he didn't take anyone's shit anymore… even Sesshoumaru's.