InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Fragment of Eternity ❯ Confused Wishes ( Chapter 17 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha.

Author's Note: Okay guys- a few quick things that YOU MUST READ.

ONE: Thanks to EVERYONE who e-mailed/reviewed/sent in abuse reports about Anniella! I was almost crying with joy at all the concerned readers who contacted me! (Of course, at the same time I was almost sobbing with anger over Anniella. . . ^_^;;) And yea! ::throws confetti:: Thanks to everyone's hard work, she was kicked off ff.net.

TWO: I'm VERY sorry about the amount of time it took me to update. If you didn't see it on my bio, here's why: I posted `Tips for Writers' to help people who asked for it. However, I didn't know that such postings were against the rules (I know I sound hypocritical when I say this, but come on- I haven't read the ff.net rules since I joined almost a year ago! I'm only human, I forget things too! Also, I've seen postings like this before. . .). Anyway, someone told ff.net and my account was locked on the 3rd. (Same day I was actually planning to take down Tips for Writers T_T.) They told me it would be useable again on the 10th. Unfortunately, I wasn't at home on the 10th- nor am I at home now. I am currently spending Spring Break in London, England. How is this chapter being posted? My wonderful friend Emily kindly agreed to help out! Thank you SO much, Emmy! I love you (And I'm sure you all love her, too!)! ^_~

All right, that's all, I think. ^_^ Here is a rather fluffy chapter for everyone (just because I feel like it). ^_~

Enjoy, and please R&R! ^_^

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~Fragment of Eternity~

Chapter Seventeen: Confused Wishes

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"Uh huh! Yeah? Yes!"

Inu-Yasha graced Kagome with an exasperatedly confused sideways glance. "Who the hell are you talking to?"

The girl ignored him, waving her hand frantically to silence his words as she concentrated on the phone in her hands. "Really? No! Yes! No! Yes!"

"Choose one and stick with it," the hanyou rolled his eyes quietly, stretching lazily in the air as he counted the tiny cracks on the kitchen ceiling. 56, 57, 58, 59. . . Damn. That was all.

"No!" the teen laughed, oblivious to the ghost floating above her head as she continued to giggle. "He didn't! He did? Oh my God!" She glanced upwards and suddenly glared as she saw Inu silently mocking her, batting his eyes like a bimbo as he animatedly mirrored her movements. Then she turned away once again, deciding not to waste any energy on him. "Hm? Oh- I'm sorry, I didn't catch that. . . Yeah, it was Inu-Yasha. You were saying, Sango?"

At this the spirit did a small double take, plummeting an inch or two in shock before catching himself.

She was talking to Sango. . . ?

He slowly slipped to the ground, toes a few centimeters from touching the floor as he trailed after the wandering Kagome, now intent upon eavesdropping. What was Sango calling about. . . ?

To talk of love again. . . ?

Maybe. . .

But no- Kag was a little too perky at the moment for that serious and irritatingly controversial subject.

"He didn't? He did! Oi. . . Did you hit him? Hard? Good!"

Inu-Yasha frowned, hovering over Kagome in a fashion she found rather annoying. At least, he assumed she found it annoying by the way she was batting at his face, trying to make him leave. "And what did you say after that? No. You didn't. Oh my God, you did?! Ha!"

"Just get to the point!" the ghost hissed in the teenager's ear, making her flick a short, indignant stare his way. "Shut up!" she replied in an angry whisper before giving a start. "What?! No- not you, Sango! Inu-Yasha! He's being stupid again. . . Yeah, like usual, I know."

"Hey!"

"Yep, we're fine. Yeah- Kikyo's still around. Saw her yesterday, actually. He acted like a fool, of course."

Inu's eyes narrowed in irritation as he watched Kagome chatter, his eyebrow ticking slightly. How dare she talk of him as if he wasn't here? How rude! Almost as rude as eavesdropping!

. . .

Not that *he* was rude. It was different when it concerned him.

"Yeah, I know! And I- hm? Oh, you've gotta run? All right. . . No, that's okay. It's not like I won't be seeing you shortly- we can talk then! Uh huh. Uh huh. All right! See you soon!" Kagome sang, twirling in thrill as she clicked the `off' button and placed the receiver back in its cradle. Inu-Yasha watched her coolly, arms crossed over his torso.

"So. . . ?" he prompted as she bustled around the kitchen, humming happily.

"Huh?" Kagome blinked intelligently, turning to face the exasperated spirit. "What is it?"

Inu let out a soft growl of irritation. "Why did Sango call? What's going on?!" Duh! How stupid could one teen be?

. . . Don't answer that.

"Oh!" Kag exclaimed in understanding, clapping her hands together. "She called to let me know that she and Miroku are coming back! They'll be here tonight!" A large smile lit her face as Inu-Yasha felt his spirits sink slightly. "Isn't that great?!"

"Let me find a thimble for my joy," he grumbled dryly. Yeah, it was great. He was SO looking forward to having THREE people around the house pestering him about moving on to the after life.

Oblivious to his sarcasm, Kagome simply nodded in agreement. "I know! I've missed them! I can hardly wait until they return!" A squeal of happiness fell from her lips as she suddenly bolted out of the room, heading towards the stairs.

?

What the- - - ?

"And WHAT are you doing?" Inu-Yasha called loudly, following the girl casually as she bounded exuberantly up the steps into her room. He stopped right outside the quickly slammed door, listening to the sounds of utter chaos and disarray echo from inside.

"I'm going to wait for them in the yard!" she replied cheerfully as she bolted out the door again, almost running into Inu as she half hopped, half ran down the steps- trying to pull on heavy woolen socks as she did so. Straightening her sweater and sweatpants as she expertly tugged on her thick green coat and gloves, she yanked on her tall black boots in a rush.

"What's your hurry?!" he gaped as she fumbled with the door knob in excitement. "It's barely noon! They won't be here for at least four hours!"

She simply smiled. "I have nothing better to do." Except a bit of homework. But who wanted to do homework? "Anyway- why don't you come out and keep me company? Besides- the snow's just *begging* to be romped through!"

. . .

"`Romped'. . . ?" he echoed slowly, arching an eyebrow in slight amusement as Kagome managed to open the front door, pushing through the screen door as well and allowing a frigid breeze to flow through the house. Her dark locks began to twist and twirl in the sudden wind, inviting Inu-Yasha to follow her. "Who uses the word `romped'?"

"Me," she shrugged simply. "Coming?"

She held the door open a little wider, cocking her head in question.

He sighed and looked away, afraid that if he watched her too long he'd feel a strange, warm jolt pass through his soul- a jolt that he'd been feeling a little more often lately. "Whatever."

*

"Isn't it gorgeous out?!" Kagome cried happily, her head tilted towards the sky as she lifted her arms, spinning through the white yard in utter thrill. Soft mounds of glittering whiteness clung to the gray tree branches in the grove and dusted the evergreens in the front. The light blue sky shone with an unusually cheerful brightness as the sun performed its celestial dance- the pale shadow of the moon hanging in the corner of the heavens, waiting for its turn. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Lovely," Inu-Yasha replied in monotone, though a small smile had already taken over his lips. "It's GRAND."

Kag stopped for a moment and glared at the spirit. "You don't need to be rude and sarcastic."

"You're right. I choose to be."

The girl rolled her eyes and began to clomp in his direction, the snow- which was a few inches higher than her ankles- making it hard to walk. "Look, buster," she puffed as she hiked towards the boy- who was watching her with an arrogantly amused twinkle in his eyes, "you don't have to have such a negative attitude! Snow is FUN!"

". . . If you say so," he drawled, fighting back a snicker as Kag stopped before him, her cheeks already rosy red from the cold. Random flakes of the powdery stuff clung to her glossy lashes, framing her azure eyes as she stared at him, annoyed.

"I'm serious!" she insisted, bending down momentarily to scoop up some snow. "See? You can make snow men and snow forts and-" she listed, about to continue when something cold, hard, and rather wet hit her in face.

!

"Snow balls," Inu added as he laughed, watching Kag as she wiped the remains of the weapon from her face, spitting out bits of snow that had melted in her mouth. "Don't forget those, now."

"Yes," Kagome agreed dryly. "Snow balls, too." With that, she fashioned the snow in her hands into a round ball, chucking it towards the spirit. And, though it went right through him, the girl noted with deep satisfaction that the hanyou actually winced. "Ha," the girl grinned widely in victory.

"Very funny," Inu grumbled, slightly embarrassed at his reaction. "But at least I'm not wet."

"At least I'm not afraid of being hit," Kag smirked slyly.

"I'm not afraid!" the spirit frowned.

"Than why did you wince?" she inquired coolly, casually glancing down at her mittens.

". . . Reflexes?"

"Ha."

"Shut up," Inu-Yasha mumbled, looking away as Kagome took a teasing step closer.

"Make me."

"All right."

PHUMP.

?

Wha- - - ?

Dazed, Kagome eyes fluttered open- - - to find she couldn't see.

?!

She was covered in a pile of icy whiteness. Not a deep pile, but a large pile nonetheless. Her cheeks and forehead burning in the freezing heat that snow creates, she pushed her hands through the end of the wall of ice, creating a small hole. Snickers crept through the layers of cold, making Kag's burning face redden in embarrassed anger.

Damn Inu-Yasha and his telekinesis.

"Oh, ha ha ha. VERY funny," she growled, popping out of the mound like a spring time daisy. The spirit just flashed a toothy grin.

"It was," he agreed. "Wasn't it?"

But his chortles were cut off by a sudden round of snowballs flying through his body- each one making him wince on instinct. "Stop that!"

"No."

"Yes!" he insisted, trying to move out of Kag's range of fire- but she had a surprisingly good aim and simply toddled after him, brushing all the excess snow off her body as she did so. "I don't like snow balls!"

"I can tell," she giggled, good humor quickly returning to her. "So, what? Did you frequently get pummeled by them when alive?""

"Yes, actually," he admitted, still fleeing at a brisk pace. "When I was little. By my older half-brother."

"Oh?" Kagome blinked. "I didn't know you had a brother." She threw another, enjoying the flinching effect. So it was a little cruel to play with his mind like that. She didn't care at the moment. That snow he'd dumped had been cold!

"Well, I do. Did," he replied conversationally- - -

!

Before turning around so quickly that Kag almost walked right through him- stopping barely an inch away.

Her breath caught in her throat as her already heated cheeks flamed up, the snow ball in her hand dropping to the ground.

This was the second time in barely two days she'd been so close to him. . .

A small grin was already upon his face by the time he noted the fallen weapon. "So you finally decided to heed my request. . . ?"

"N-no," she choked out through her shock. "You just surprised me and made me loose my grip when you turned. I'm gonna keep throwing things at you until there's nothing left."

"Now, that's not very nice." He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because it's fun to watch you wince- even though nothing can touch you," she admitted honestly, her voice faltering as he watched her intently.

And then he did something she wasn't expecting.

He laughed.

She gasped in surprise as the sound of his laughter blanketed the glittering yard, filling the air with amusement. Yet a depressed twinkle shone in his honey orbs as his chortles came to a slow stop, the smile still on his face.

Confusion racked Kagome's brain.

`Why is he reacting like this- acting like this. . . ?'

Inu-Yasha regarded the girl before him with sorrow filled- but masked- eyes. She blinked again, her thick ebony lashes glistening with melted snow. Droplets of icy warm moisture ran down her rosy flesh as the sun's beams highlighted her silky midnight hair.

She was so. . .

Beautiful.

Not even in body so much as in spirit.

How she could find the simplest things amusing, how she could be so smart and yet dense. How she could be so kind hearted. . . caring.

A sudden aching filled his entire being as he found himself subconsciously reaching out for the girl, wanting so badly to feel her skin- - - !

But he stopped before Kagome could notice anything.

A soft, joyless chuckled escaped him as the teen looked up at him in bewilderment.

What. . . what was going on. . . ?

Why had his mood changed to drastically- so suddenly. . . ?

What was that emotion inside his eyes. . . ?

But all at once, as he opened his mouth to speak, everything around her vanished- her thoughts, the snow, the sky-

Everything but the loud pounding of her heart- - -

And Inu-Yasha.

"I wish. . ." he whispered wistfully, his fingertips slowly tracing the outline of the air around her face, "I wish I could touch you. . ."

- - - ?!

Kagome's mouth fell open in astonished confusion as Inu suddenly turned on his heel, gliding quickly back to the house. He had disappeared inside the warm depths within a minute.

"I. . ."

She swallowed, unsure of what she was about to say until she actually said it:

"I wish you could, too."

*

Twilight had come in all its cool-shaded glory. The snow no longer sparkled as it did mid-day; only glistened with an icy sheen. The air had grown cooler, the stars had begun to shine- - -

Yet Kagome had not moved.

She remained in the middle of the yard, face still adorned with a dark magenta blush- - -

As the sound of a slamming car door suddenly brought her back to reality.

"Hey, Kagome-chan!" Sango's voice called from the driveway. She waved wildly, trying to capture Kag's drifting attention. "What's up?"

"Kagome-sama!" Miroku cried happily as he, too, waved. "How are you?"

Kag gazed blankly at them.

How was she. . . ?

She was confused.

And. . .

She was in love.

~*~

This chapter was dedicated to:

--- Nohiro's girl

--- VoHT

--- Patrick

--- kitsunefire

--- Crsa

--- Suketchi Ryuu

--- Diminuendo

--- Kin103

--- mkh2

--- NeverEndingQuest

--- A concerned citizen

Who all took the time to e-mail me about Anniella. ^_^ If you, too, sent an abuse report or anything like that to her or ff.net, then this chapter is dedicated to you as well.

Oh! Knight Star, yes- this story has a happy ending (In my opinion), and Sword Master Jeff, no- Shippo probably will not appear here. ^_^; Gomen.

Please R&R!

Ja ne!