InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Unexpected Feelings ❯ Thinking of You ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: don't own it

“ ” someone's talking

` ' someone's thinking

 

 

Thinking of You (3)

The journey between eras seemed to fit her mood perfectly, tense and all around unpleasant. `Heh, it's almost as if the well is somehow affected by my moods.'

 

Normally the passage to and fro was smooth, giving Kagome that feeling of serenity as she watched the effects of time slip by.

 

`Not tonight I guess.'

 

Lifting herself out of the well, Kagome paused inside the shrine doors as she tried to calm herself with a couple deep breaths.

 

“I just want to take a bath and then go lie down.”

 

The tense woman could tell that the day's events were starting to lie heavily upon her shoulders as she offhandedly began to rub an aching knot at the base of her neck.

 

Sliding open the shrine doors, Kagome was surprised to see that it was almost sunrise.

 

“Time flies when you're having fun I guess.”

 

Dragging her feet inside the house, the tired woman headed for the bathroom, stripped and jumped into the tub as the water began to fill the basin.

 

The water was warm and relaxing on her tired muscles as Kagome slid into the tub. Unanticipated feelings of loss and anticipation flooded her mind as visions of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru drifted through her thoughts.

 

The day's events, however short and unexpected they were, had really taken their toll of the young woman. After all the heartache and confusion that had plagued Kagome's emotions for the past year and a half, the sudden loss of normalcy felt very similar to having the rug tugged out beneath her feet. It was all she could do to stop herself from falling.

 

Giving an exasperated sign, Kagome reached for the scented bath soaps that littered the sides of the tub. It was seriously time for some cleaning!

 

Squeezing a generous amount onto a wash cloth, the young woman began the process of soaping her arms.

 

A sigh escaped her lips as the soap washed away all the dirt and grime.

 

“Ohhh, I don't know how I could ever give up the luxuries of living in this glorious age!”

 

Kagome halted mid stride as her hand rubbed across her collarbone, her pulse fluttering stupidly as her mind raced with thoughts of Sesshomaru's hand messaging the skin there.

 

“Baka…” Sighed Kagome as she rolled her eyes. It wasn't like her to have such a reaction to something like that, something as trivial as a touch.

 

`Kami Kagome, you sound like a damsel in distress from those awful romance novels.'

 

When sounds from downstairs drifted through the door Kagome decided it was time to get out of the tub and on with her morning.

Seconds later, sounds of barreling footsteps were heard from the stairs as Souta wailed heavily on the bathroom door.

 

“Siiiiiiiiiissss! Time for breakfast!”

 

“Ok Souta, give me sec.”

 

A slight pause and then, “Hey Sis?...Why did you come home so late? It's not like you to…”

 

All of a sudden the door slid open and steam poured out.

 

A curious look passed over his sister's face as she stepped into the hall. However, it was gone in a matter of seconds so the young boy decided to stay quiet until her could safely judge his older sisters mood.

 

`Whatever mood, it's defiantly not the one I was expecting.' It just wasn't like her to leave the feudal era in the middle of the night, practically dawn, to come home.

Souta concluded that something bad must have happened with Inuyasha again.

 

Rolling his eyes, Souta decided to go back downstairs. `Those two really need to grow up.'

 

The sudden movement must have roused Kagome out of whatever daze she had fallen into. “Did you say something Souta?”

 

Turning his head slightly to the side, so as to stare at her directly, Souta repeated his reason for coming upstairs in the first place.

 

“Breakfast is ready.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Giving his sister a strange look Souta turned and headed downstairs.

 

`What's with him?' wondered Kagome as she followed his retreating back down the stairs.

 

Padding her way over to the kitchen and into the delicious aromas, Kagome's mouth watered at the site that greeted her. Delicious assortments of food and other goodies lay on fancy dishes at the kitchen table.

 

The famished woman's stomach rumbled.

 

“Morning Dear, when did you get back?”

 

“Morning mom, actually I just got back a little while ago.” Even to her own ears she sounded tired.

 

“Oh you sound tired dear, did you and that Inuyasha fellow get into another fight?” Kagome's mother turned from her position at the counter to look directly at her oldest daughter.

 

`Must be a mom thing…' Kagome still couldn't figure out how her mother seemed to always know exactly what was going on, even when not given the slightest bit of information.

 

`Or my actions could be totally predictable…' Kagome decided it must be a mother thing as she reached for a roll.

 

“Actually we did. But trust me, its not going to happen again.”

 

All she got for an answer was a knowing smile. “I'm sure it wont dear… oh Souta,” Ms. Higurashi turned to her youngest as he stopped mid- stride to the door, “You forgot your lunch.” Holding out a brown paper bag, she walked over to hand the bag to Souta.

 

“Thanks mom.” yelled Souta as he ran out the door.

 

~*~

 

After a short breakfast, Kagome being too hungry to savor her food, it was time to get on with the day. Washing out her dishes in the sink the young woman reflected back on the cryptic advice her mother had given her.

 

`If I ever have children my advice will never be spoken in riddles.'

 

“Oh Kagome, one more thing, remember to pack some treats for your friends in the feudal era. Didn't you just get through telling me how much that Shippo child likes our candy?” A pleasant smile spread across Ms. Higurashi's features as she noticed, once again, how mature Kagome was becoming.

 

`My little girl is growing into a fine young woman.'

 

“Right, thanks mom.”

 

Running towards the front hallway to retrieve her backpack, Kagome offhandedly glanced at a picture her mother had sketched when she was younger of a man holding a woman tight in his outstretched arms, love pouring out of his face as looked down at the woman in his arms.

 

For some reason Kagome couldn't take her eyes off the man's form, with his arms locked tightly around the woman, afraid that if he let go she would disappear.

 

“Well that's strange.” Shaking her head in a dismissive way, Kagome snatched up her backpack, proceeding back into the kitchen to begin her hunt.

 

A mental list started forming in her mind as she thought of each person and their personal favorites.

 

`Ok… I'll pack some candy, some noodles, some sodas, and...' looking around the room Kagome noticed a polaroid of her little brother holding an academic certificate lying on the table, `oh yeah, can't forget those.'

 

Grimacing Kagome reached over towards the end of the kitchen counter to retrieve her school books.

 

“Why do I even pack these?” Stuffing the large history textbook into her growing backpack, Kagome reached for another.

 

“It's not like I ever have enough time to…” Another strange thought, similar to the one in the hallway, burst into Kagome's mind as she studied her out stretched arm.

 

The feel of the cool textbook brought her mind back to the present as she finished stuffing the books. `Time to go.'

 

~*~

 

Standing in front of the shrine, Kagome was surprised by how late it now was. Between spending time with her mother, packing, and freshening up, it was nearly early evening. “I hope Inuyasha doesn't come looking for me.”

 

If Kagome had been aware of it, she would have noticed that she had completely forgotten about her ire with the half demon. After all, the argument had only occurred that morning but to be honest, it felt to her as if the little skirmish had happened months ago.

 

Kagome yelled goodbye to no one in particular as she raced into the building, jumping into the well with an eagerness she couldn't place.

 

~*~

Heaving her heavy backpack onto her shoulder, Kagome grasped onto the makeshift ladder. `I must remember to thank whoever it was who thought to put a ladder here.'

 

At first it hadn't been a problem to climb up the well using the various vines that clung to the sides, but, as her trips became routine and her loads increased in weight, a support system of some kind became a necessity.

 

Pulling herself up as far as she could, Kagome heaved a sign of relief as she let herself slump against the edge on her stomach. Slowly as she gained her breath, Kagome realized that her mid section was slowly being crushed between the top of the well and her large bag. Leaning forward, Kagome let gravity take over as the bag fell to the ground.

 

After a short while of staring at the ground and how the container of jewel shards around her neck gave the grass a pink hue, Kagome decided her current position was not one of comfort, so turning, she situated herself precariously on a corner of the well. Fingering the necklace around her neck, Kagome finally found the clasp that unhooked the container of jewel shards from around her neck.

 

A good look at the contents, and it was in the backpack, tucked neatly into a pouch. `The material of the necklace was chafing my skin anyway.'

 

The dark tint to her backpack alerted Kagome of how late it was. Looking around the young woman let out a small gasp.

 

“Kami it got dark fast! Stretching her hands to the heavens, Kagome suddenly thought of Sesshomaru.

 

Shaking her head with a sad smile on her face, Kagome sighed. “Oh Sesshomaru what have you done to me?”

 

Systematically the forest around quieted, the mere mention of such a demon having the same effect on all who were familiar with this time. The slight breeze that had kissed Kagome's skin only moments before had also ceased to blow. Was the sudden stillness the cause of an ignorant girls comment or by chance was there an actual threat looming close by?

 

Oblivious to the change in her surrounding, too immersed with her own troublesome thoughts to notice, Kagome laughed bitterly into the night.

 

`Just wait and see, soon you'll be scribbling down Sesshomaru's name in you're binder and writing `KS' on your notebook paper.'

 

“Get a grip, girl.”

 

The pull of a jewel shard jarred Kagome out of her embarrassment. Slowly rising from her sitting position, Kagome turned her head to the side. The pull was coming from behind her as she turned her head further, to afraid that if she moved her feet the jewel's presence would vanish.

 

As if sensing her doubting thoughts the twinge of the jewel disappeared as a presence appeared in front of her. Whipping her head around to look straight, Kagome was so started by what was before her that she lost her footing.

 

Falling backwards, only to trip up even more as she connected with the edge of the well, the young woman descended down the black hole, her hands flailing about as she tried to grab onto anything solid.

 

`Oh no! If I fall now then there's no way for me to come back! I don't have my jewel shards and who knows when Inuyasha would come get me!'

 

`Inuyasha…'

 

`What if he doesn't come back to get me?'

 

The small doubt that Inuyasha, having found his `true' love once again, would no longer need her to search for the jewel shards. Kagome however, wasn't quite ready to go back to her old life yet.

 

Reaching for anything, but grabbing nothing but air, Kagome had about given up when a clawed had firmly grabbed her wrist, forcefully yanking her away from the well.

 

“Inu…?” Dazed by the lack of anything similar to Inuyasha, Kagome glanced at the hand that held her. “Stripe's?”

 

Looking up, the young woman saw that Sesshomaru was not pleased about something, his demonic anger radiating off him like oppressive waves.

 

“Why do you still speak that fools name?” His voice was gruff with emotion as he spoke.

 

Strangely unaffected by his threatening tone of voice and tense body, Kagome glared up at the tall man.

 

“Well first off, whose name, pray tell, am I supposed to cry for in a moment of desperation? Yours?”

 

Sesshomaru remained silent; the candid way she spoke in his presence being a far cry from the fearful but respectful tones he was used to.

 

“Know your station human.”

 

---Twinge---

 

Eyeing him curiously, Kagome felt the pull of a jewel shard.

 

`Why would Sesshomaru have a jewel shard?

 

A bright glow shimmered from beneath his furry boa as Kagome's mind raced with a possible answer.

 

`Is he going to try and collect them like Naraku?'

 

Watching silently as the young woman in his arms quietly digested the current turn of events; Sesshomaru couldn't help but let a small, mischievous smile dance across his lips. Reaching inside his robes to collect the tiny shard, the demon lord pulled out a jagged shard of the Shikon jewel.

 

“Looking for something?”

 

 

 

 

VeggieNaku: well there you go! I hope it wasn't too bland. O-well, third revision down