Onward with the story! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
^_~
“I’m going for a walk,” Kagome announced suddenly as she helped Kaede finish the remainder of the morning chores. “I know what you’re going to say,” she hastily added, seeing the expression on the elderly woman’s face, “but you don’t need to worry. I’ll be careful. I won’t go far and as soon as I start to feel tired, I’ll come right back and rest, okay? I just want to walk around for a bit; I’ve been bedridden for weeks!”
“Very well, child,” Kaede reluctantly conceded. “Be ye careful, though. We cannot risk having the fever come back.”
“I will!” Kagome chirped as she half-skipped from the hut and down through the village. She highly doubted she’d grow tired anytime soon; the spring air was fresh and clear and a warm breeze tugged at her hair and clothes playfully, filling her with youthful energy. She loved this time of year, especially with such nice weather, which made her feel as lively as a lamb frolicking in the fields, however cheesy that sounded.
Shippo was asleep inside the hut (how a child as energetic as that kit
could sleep so much would forever be a mystery to her), and Inuyasha was…well…who
knew where Inuyasha was. Probably off chasing the squirrels or something,
she thought with a little smirk. For the first time in a very long
while, Kagome found herself to be completely alone (aside from a few run-ins
with some of the villagers, who all congratulated her heartily on her return
to good health), and she intended to relish it. As much as she loved
to be around people, sometimes absolute solitude was good company in and
of itself. So, clearing her mind of everything but enjoying every
moment of the bright day, she continued her leisurely stroll, allowing
her feet to take her wherever they will, unknowingly leading her in one
certain direction, into the forest.
She was in so much trouble.
If she got caught, that is.
Kagome stared in horror at the scene before her; the all-too-familiar clearing with the all-too-familiar well situated right in the center of it. She mentally kicked herself; that was the last time she let her feet do the walking instead of her head!
Wait…she paused to contemplate that last thought, brow furrowing slightly as she attempted to sort it out, before giving up with a dismissive shake of her head. Whatever…the point was…she had to get the hell out of there, and fast, before Inuyasha caught wind of it and showed up. He always seemed to have the nasty habit of being exactly where she didn’t want him to be, and it would be a disaster if he ended up being there. So long as the well remained intact, there was always the slim possibility that he’d change his mind and let her go home again. But if he actually carried out his threat and destroyed it…well…she could consider herself to be pretty much screwed for life.
On the other hand…
She stilled as another possibility suddenly hit her, the possibility of not running away, of instead running toward the well and throwing herself into it. She was there. She was alone. Nobody was there to stop her…and she…she could finally go home! She could finally be with her family again, and she could reassure everyone that she was fine and dandy and go back to school again and see her friends and…and…and it would never work. Her shoulders slowly began to slump again while hope packed its bags and fled as quickly as it had come. It was hopeless, because as soon as Inuyasha figured out what had happened he’d simply go in after her and drag her back by her hair and then he’d destroy the well for good.
Muttering curses under her breath, Kagome whirled around to leave the clearing—to run the entire way back to the village, if need be—and abruptly froze in her tracks.
It really shouldn’t have surprised her to see him standing there. It really shouldn’t have. This was exactly like some scene out of a novel, after all. Of course the antagonist has to be where the heroine is, she thought bleakly. What kind of a story would it be, otherwise? All she knew was that whoever it was up there that was writing this particular story had one hell of a sick sense of humor.
Inuyasha seemed just as surprised to see her as she was to see him. His golden eyes kept darting from her to the well and back again, widening a little before narrowing, a strange look beginning to cross his features as he apparently jumped to the most obvious conclusion.
And Kagome panicked.
“Inu-Inuyasha, wait!” she cried, throwing herself at him and latching her arms tight around his waist—hard enough to make him grunt from the impact—as though to physically hold him in place. “Wait, please! I-it isn’t what it looks like! I wasn’t going to…I was just walking and I didn’t pay attention to where I was going and…and I just ended up here but I swear I wasn’t going to go through! Please don’t destroy the well!” she pleaded desperately, gripping his gi with both fists and raising frightened, tearful eyes to meet his own startled gaze. “I-I’ll never go near it again, I swear, but don’t destroy it! If you do that then there’s nothing left for me to hope for!”
Inuyasha said nothing, merely stared down at the girl who was struggling fiercely to back him away from the well; of course it did no good, and he didn’t move an inch. He could feel her fists shaking where they pressed against his chest; her entire body was shaking, and he felt a jolt of alarm. If she kept this up, she was going to get sick again! “Kagome, calm down,” he commanded sternly. “You’re being hysterical.”
She didn’t appear to hear him, still babbling at him not to destroy the well. He swallowed, hard. Is this what I’ve done to her? he thought sadly. She’d tossed away all of her pride, begging him like a condemned prisoner begs for his life, but instead of feeling satisfaction at finally having her prostrate herself at his feet after the humiliation she’d repeatedly dished out to him, he felt only shame. This wasn’t what he wanted at all. It wasn’t right, that someone as confident as Kagome should be practically groveling at his feet. It just wasn’t like her at all. Had he…had he broken her so thoroughly?
He couldn’t take it anymore; without warning, his arms swept around her and pulled her against him in a fierce embrace—her words were cut off in a startled squeak at the unexpected action—and his head lowered to bury his face against her hair as he sought to gain control over his emotions. “Stop,” he whispered hoarsely. “Just stop.”
Kagome blinked in astonishment, her mouth slightly agape as she struggled to understand just what was going on. Her eyes were level with his throat, and she could see his Adams apple flex as he repeatedly swallowed. His arms were tight around her, and his warmth radiated into her, surrounded her like the first touch of the sun against a newly-opened flower. He smelled like the trees, like the wind and sunshine and everything nature; this close to him, his scent was dizzying and as wild as he was. As long moments passed, and he didn’t seem to be inclined to release her anytime soon, she slowly relaxed against his hold, her distress ebbing away.
But it was a bit disturbing, she admitted. Inuyasha wasn’t being himself at all (not that she was complaining or anything), and she wondered what on earth she’d said or done to have warranted such a reaction. “Um…Inuyasha…” she began hesitantly, highly reluctant to break this rare and precious moment.
“I’m sorry.”
The words startled her; they hadn’t come from her throat. She drew back slightly to give the hanyou an astonished look. He gazed back at her, his expression serious and pensive. His intense eyes stared into hers, locking her in a deep, golden gaze that she was helpless to withdraw from. He seemed to be trying to communicate something through them, but she was hopelessly confused and couldn’t begin to fathom the emotions she saw churning in the brilliant pools. She opened her mouth to speak, but a single, clawed finger against her lips stilled her, and sent her stomach to fluttering with tiny butterflies. It was almost like…he’d kissed her…
When he stepped away again, she wanted to cry. Even more, she wanted to throw herself back into his arms and hold on tight. It was only through the greatest force of will that she stayed where she was, watching him cautiously as he reached into his clothing and searched around. When he extracted his hand again, she was more than a little astonished to see a rosary dangling from his fingers. Her eyes widened and she shot a confused glance at him, wondering what in the world he was up to. When he reached out to take her hand and press the beads firmly into her palm, before closing her fingers over it, she thought she might actually pass out from the shock.
“Put it on me,” he commanded her serenely, just as though he was commenting on the weather or demanding a second helping at dinnertime.
Her jaw dropped. “Wh-what?” she stammered out, certain now that her ears were playing tricks on her.
He sighed heavily and lowered his head so that his silky bangs shadowed his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he repeated quietly. “For everything that’s happened…since that day…I’m sorry. Because of me, horrible things have happened to you. You got hurt. You got sick. And I…I didn’t do anything but cause you more pain and anguish. So I’m sorry.”
“Inuyasha…” she breathed, her wide eyes trained on him intently. “You…I…”
“Let me finish,” he interrupted somewhat impatiently. Taking a deep breath, he let it out and glanced at the blue beads fisted in her hand. “I destroyed your trust in me, your friendship” he added quietly, and for a moment, his face took on an expression of intense pain. “I’ve made you miserable. I…I made you fear me.” His fist clenched at his side, the sharp claws breaking skin to draw blood. He didn’t notice. “I don’t know what to do to get it back again,” he added. “I don’t think I can do anything to make you trust me again, except maybe for this. Go ahead, put the rosary on me; Kaede already has it spelled so all you need to do is say the word. When you have me collared again, you’ll have no more reason to be afraid of anything I do. I’ll be just as harmless to you as before, Kagome. You won’t have to be afraid of me destroying the well, anymore.”
“But…” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “But you hate the spell. Why would…you do that?”
His reply, when it came, was barely above a whisper. “Because compared to losing your friendship, the spell means nothing to me.”
Kagome stared at him, at his downcast eyes, and felt her own eyes burn as tears rose to their surface. She clutched the rosary in her hand, feeling a tooth digging into her palm, before abruptly hauling back and flinging the necklace away from her with all her might. It landed with a faint rustle of leaves and twigs somewhere in the trees, and she turned back just in time to witness Inuyasha’s astounded expression. He blinked several times, jaw hanging open, as his eyes fixed on the area where the rosary had landed, before snapping his gaze back to the girl. “What did you do that for?!” he barked out, but beneath the harsh command, Kagome could hear the worry; no doubt he was assuming the worst, and she hastened to reassure him.
“It doesn’t really prove anything, you know,” she said loudly, effectively silencing his protests. He gave her a quizzical look. She ducked her head shyly beneath the gaze and scuffed her shoe against the moss. “Collaring you won’t prove that I can trust you,” she elaborated quietly. “It doesn’t really mean much, knowing that I could stop you with a word whenever I wanted to. It’d mean a lot more to me if I knew I could trust you without the help of some stupid spell. Besides…how else can I know that your friendship is real, and that you’re not just pretending to be my friend to avoid being sat? I-I’d rather you give your trust to me freely instead of me having to force it out of you.”
Inuyasha was silent in the face of this admittance. He had that odd look on his face again, as though he was pondering something very important. After a long moment, he nodded slowly. “I’ll do it then,” he told her, his voice laced with conviction. “I’ll show you on my own that you have every reason to trust me, and I’ll show you how much I trust you.” He stepped forward decisively and, with a sudden move, swept Kagome up into his arms, ignoring her startled gasp as he strode gracefully toward the well. “I’m sending you home,” he said simply, in response to her protests, which abruptly died at his admission. He paused just beside the well, but rather than put her down, as she’d expected, he merely held her closer and met her gaze with serious eyes. She was dismayed to see the lingering traces of sadness in their depths.
“I have to tell you something,” he told her softly. “When you were sick, I tried to go to your family and ask for help.” Her eyes widened at this admission, but, “The well wouldn’t let me through,” he hurried on, effectively silencing her questions. “I don’t know what happened or why I was blocked, but I tried and I couldn’t get to your time. It probably has to do with the rosary being broken, but I’m not sure.” His expression was guarded. “If I send you back now, I’d have no way of retrieving you again,” he admitted quietly, wanting to make sure she understood. “If you chose to never come back again…there’s nothing I can do about it. But I’m going to send you home, because it’s where you belong. And…I’ll trust you to make the right decision on whether or not you come back again.”
“In-Inuyasha…” she breathed, her eyes round with wonder. “The jewel! You don’t…”
“Never mind about the jewel,” he growled with a shake of his silvery mane. “It’s not important.” He blushed a little under the disbelieving stare she gave him, but he was determined not to falter in his chosen course of action. “In case I never see you again,” he added firmly, “this is…goodbye.” He shifted a little, and looked decidedly uncomfortable. “And…know that…” The blush in his cheeks grew more pronounced as he struggled against his very nature to speak his deepest feelings. “Just know that you’ll always be…in my heart.” And before his pride could once more get the better of him, he held her tight, ducked his head, and pressed his lips to hers in a soft, caressing kiss.
When he drew away again, a long, heady moment later, her breathing was slightly unsteady and her eyes were filled with wonder. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest, and he smiled sadly at her. “Goodbye, Kagome,” he whispered, nuzzling softly at her ear.
Then he leaned over the well and released her, allowing her to fall
silently into its depths, her wide-eyed gaze still locked on his own until
the blue light flared to engulf her form. When it faded again, she
was gone, and the strength bled from Inuyasha’s legs as he slumped against
the side, staring in despair into the shadowed depths and wondering if
he hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of his life.
The end
Kidding! I’m just kidding, people! Don’t hurt me! *ducks and covers*
Wheeeee! Let’s hear it for the waff! *shakes pom-poms and cheers* So the story has FINALLY taken a (slightly!) less angsty turn to focus on some good old-fashioned romance. Now…let’s see how long THAT lasts, shall we? *attempts to look innocent*
So…Inuyasha has finally semi-admitted his true feelings for Kagome, but now he’s gone and thrown her into the well he can no longer travel through!
Kinda stupid of him, now that I think about it…
Anyway! Will Kagome come back? Well duh! But will she come back RIGHT AWAY, or will she leave our poor, dear hanyou to suffer of heartsickness for a couple of months (or years) before deciding to grace him with her presence once again?
Well…you’ll just have to keep reading to find out, so nyah! =P
Oh, and incidentally, Inuyasha STILL doesn’t know why the well locked him out. He thinks it’s ‘cause of the rosary…but we shall see!
Quickening
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