InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Two Sides to a Story ❯ Fear ( Chapter 4 )

Two Sides to a Story

Chapter 4: Fear

By Cataluna

He watched her until the coming of dawn, when his demon blood returned like a welcoming rush of heat. At once, his senses came back to him, and everything became louder and brighter than before. Instinctively, he flexed his fingers, seeing as each nail sharpened into dangerous claws that could easily tear apart the girl in his lap. Of course he would never, he'd much rather kill himself first. But does she know?

The ugly scent of pain continued to surround him, tainting the crisp morning air. She had been surprised to learn that he could smell emotions just as easily as he could smell anything of substance. But that could only give him a small glimpse; it did not tell him her thoughts. He knew it had to do with him. It always did.

He could still detect the remnant of tears on her face, and he tenderly removed them with his tongue. Kagome stirred slightly at his initial touch but remained in deep sleep, a troubled frown settling on her face. She had stopped crying while she was awake but the tears had resumed as soon as she was asleep, her body shaking with silent sobs. He hadn't dared to close his eyes in fear that she would leave him in the dead of night and never return again.

He never did understand how Kagome could stand to be near him when he had hurt her more times than he could think of. Her heart was just too big for her to hold grudges, even for a hanyou like him. Still, he couldn't take the chance of her leaving him. Right then and there, he vowed never to let her out of his sight. He held her to him. He would be so lost without her. The mere thought of her leaving was like a dull knife hacking away at his heart. "Kagome," he whispered her name softly as he ran his fingers gently through her hair.

He never told her the real reason why he was crying that night. It wasn't because of Kikyou. He had learned to accept the inevitable long ago. It was she had almost died and he was the one to blame. It was then that he wanted to be with her so that he could be sure that she was really alive. But now she was miserable because of him…

Gods, he hated hurting her.

<><><>

"I want to go home," Kagome told him softly, her hands fiddling with the straps on her yellow backpack.

Inuyasha looked down at her briefly, turning away before her face could crumble. "No." His ears flickered at the sharp draw of her breath, then waited in anxious silence for her response. The delay in her response worried him even though he knew without looking that she was still there, rooted to the same spot. He hopped off the branch and landed noiselessly in front of her in a crouch.

She didn't even blink.

"I wasn't asking for your permission, Inuyasha," Kagome replied in a quieter tone than before, his name leaving her mouth through clenched teeth. She wouldn't look at him, her eyes finding fascination with the ground.

He straightened to tower over her, using his height to his advantage, "And you're still not going back." He couldn't let her go. It would mean giving her the chance to leave him. She had said that she wouldn't, but a promise could be so easily broken. His past had taught him that.

Her chin lifted suddenly to reveal eyes shiny with tears. "You jerk," Kagome hissed, "You fucking jerk," she increased her volume with a hard push against his chest. He stood still as she took her frustration out on him. He deserved it. Not once did she use the prayer beads to subdue him. Seeing that she was to the point of exhaustion, he gently caught her wrists before she could injure herself. She always managed to let her temper get away with her.

He held her to his chest, one hand cradling the back of her head. "Why?" he asked her quietly when she grew still in his arms.

"I have to."

"Then I'll come with you."

She managed to wedge enough room between them so she could meet him in the eyes. "No!" she said almost in a panic.

"Then you're not going."

The flicker in her eyes told him what came next. "You bitch," he spat before hitting the ground.

<><><>

The spell finally wore off. Inuyasha screamed as he pushed himself off the floor, startling a murder of crows from their hiding. Fangs baring, he took a giant sniff of the air, nostrils flaring as he focused on her scent.

She was gone.

With a roar, he sunk his fist deep into the bark of the tree, splintering its trunk to oblivion. It groaned with an effort to support its body despite the abuse it had suffered, before falling with a thundering crash.

"I wouldn't go after Lady Kagome now if I were you." Miroku appeared behind him when the forest had reclaimed its calm, seemingly out of nowhere. So preoccupied with Kagome, his nose had failed him. The monk must have been eavesdropping on their conversation this whole time, taking in every word. He was used to this invasion of privacy from his traveling companions. They always managed to show up right after his fights with Kagome to give him a scolding.

Not today, he didn't have time for this.

Still facing the direction of the well, only a warning growl left his throat as he dusted splinters from his bloodied knuckles, ready to take off after her. Her disobedience was deliberate and would not go unpunished. He would not hurt her, but he would teach her. As her mate, it was his duty to make her understand the true ramification of her action.

"She needs time to think, for her anger to pass," Miroku spoke again, the metal loops of his staff jingling as he stepped closer toward him.

Think? Inuyasha clenched his fists, every muscle in his body tensing in preparation. Think about leaving me? Think about how I'm really a no good half-breed… how she's better off without me?

"No," he answered out loud to himself, taking off into a run.

I won't let her leave me.

A/N: Haven't had the chance to run this by a beta, so if you see anything weird, just let me know!