InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chained ❯ The Way it Should Be ( Chapter 58 )

A/N: Hey Everyone!

Sorry it’s taken me so long to update-- I’ve had a really bad case of the flu, and have only just recently been able to get enough energy to begin writing again, so gomen for that-- it’s made me fall majorly behind in updates....

Oh, and I figured I should probably apologize for the horrendous editing jobs in this chapter and the last chapter. I’ve been doing it worser (<- heh, I made a new word! ^_^) than usual, but I’m too lazy to do anything about it at the moment, so please just bear with me on that. ^_^

-Snowfall - Lol, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Everybody seems to like the clone idea, although at first I think it caused some confusion... ^_^ And I don’t think Amaya’s going to see Naraku, don’t worry. I should get around to telling you who she’s gone off to see soon enough, though. ^_^ Lol, yeah, I had to give some sort of explanation for Sess, because I’ve been told a few times he’s way ooc, and I really hate to do that without an explanation of some sort, so hopefully that was good enough. Although some people still think that he and Inu were acting a little less than brotherly toward each other. ^_^ And I know what you’re saying, I haven’t been able to come up with that much new stuff recently either (which, I’m disappointed to say, I can’t blame entirely on my cold). And when I do write, my mind only wants to focus on WMtM, which would be fine, only it’s making me neglect my other stories. >_< I really need to fix this somehow... ^_^

-naughtygrl - Lol, thanks! And I’m sorry I did make you wait so long! Hopefully I’ll be able to start updating regularly again soon though. ^_^

-elenacala - ^_^ Lol, yep, after 57 chapters, they’re finally together again. ^_^ Yep, I do have plenty of ideas floating around in this sadistic little mind of mine... and hopefully I’ll be able to use them to throw a few more curve balls your way before the end. If I can keep you surprised and on the edge of your seat with my story, then I am more than pleased with how it’s coming along. ^_^ -- And no, I don’t think that is a dumb idea at all. I’ve actually been rolling it around in my mind a little bit for the last little while. That does seem like something I would do to our poor characters though, doesn’t it? ^_^ Lol, although, I think if I do do that, some people are gonna kill me for tormenting poor Inu so much again. Still, it’s definitely an idea to keep in mind, even though I don‘t think I‘ll use it for this particular story... maybe I can put it to use in a different story I come up with some time though..., that is if you don‘t mind of course. ^_^

-Tryst/Punishment of the Inu - Lol, well I’m glad I’ve got you wanting more. It seems that’s a talent I’ve passed on to you (or visa versa) considering I can hardly wait to find out what’s going on in your stories. ^_^ Nope, I didn’t forget about the final battle, but it may be a little while yet before I can get there, because there are a few other facts that I didn’t forget about and that I want to take care of before we get to that... ^_^

-kwelgurl - ^_^ *beams* lol, really? You like it that much? ^_^ Your muse is gonna come and force feed me chocolate? EEP! *hides behind chair*... Not that I have a problem with chocolate, but my own muses are scary enough, and they’re just forcing me to write a story... ^_^ (And don’t worry, I don’t think this falls under the category of a flame ^_^)

-Lady Orange - Lol, well I don’t doubt it, considering I’ve got at least a few more chapters to get out before I finish, and even if I only get like, two or three reviews per chapter, I am probably gonna reach 100. Still, that’s quite the lofty goal on this site, so I’m actually impressed that I’m anywhere near there. ^_^ -- Oh, and I hope I’m good at ending stories too. The truth is, I don’t know. Other than one-shots, I’ve only ended one continuation before, and I have no idea if it came out good or not. Hopefully though, what I come up with will be satisfactory. Because I agree, there have been fics online, and then just movies and stories in real life, that have a good plot, and then a suck-ass ending that just ruins the whole thing. If you’re going to suck, you might as well just suck from the start, rather than get people’s hopes up that you’ll do good, and then give them crap at the end. Hopefully I won’t fall into that category though... ^_^ -- And congrats on being the 80/81st reviewer! ^_^

-BlackDiamon - Yes, I suppose it would have had to have caught your interest, otherwise you wouldn’t be bothering with a review, neh? ^_^ And don’t worry, you don’t need to tell me it has a lot of grammatical errors-- I know. It’s my own fault really, because I am simply too damn lazy to spend time editing before I post a story, and I don’t use beta’s, so basically whatever I’ve typed out from the start is what comes up on the sites. Maybe someday I’ll take the time out to edit, but for right now, I suppose we’ll all just have to live with the grammar errors, neh? ^_^ Anyway, I’m glad you’re liking the story, and thanks so much for taking the time out to review it-- it’s nice to know that my story is still enjoyable despite my laxity in grammar and editing. ^_^   ~*~   The Way it Should Be

Inuyasha led Kagome through the castle’s many hallways, leaving Sesshomaru and Kirara to deal with Miroku and Sango as he focused instead on the miko now with him.

The air between them as they walked practically crackled with electricity as their aura’s collided so strongly after so long apart. The awkwardness was rising slightly between them, but it was drowned out by the comfort they felt, now that they were together once again.

Which left only room for uncertainty.

He cast a glance back at her nervously as he pushed open the door to one of the many spare bedrooms (he never actually slept in any one in particular, finding it strangely comforting to move around from room to room at will) and was slightly surprised to see a fire blazing already, and a small feast laid out on a low table in the centre of the room.

Kagome looked past him at the scene before her, her eyes widening slightly at the warmth and light in the room, as well as all the food... more food than she had seen in a long time.

‘Did... did you do all this?’ She asked softly, still staring at the room.

Inuyasha shook his head. ‘It must have been Sesshomaru... I... didn’t know you were coming. He must have gotten someone to set this up.’ He said, glancing nervously at her once again, something he had been doing entirely too often for her liking.

Kagome looked over at him and offered a small smile. ‘I’ll have to remember to thank him.’ She said, her voice wavering slightly as a wave of weakness overcame her. She trembled slightly, her legs trying to give out after their unexpected amount of use, and she started to fall.

But Inuyasha was there, and he caught her, quickly lifting her up and moving into the room, setting her down on one of the mats next to the wall by the food so that she could lean back.

She shivered still at the unfamiliar sensations of warmth and light that washed through her as she gazed in amazement at the flames roaring in the fire.

‘You’re cold!’ Inuyasha said suddenly, quickly moving to strip himself of his haori. He wrapped it tightly around her shoulders while she was still blinking in confusion and trying to focus on what he said as he muttered ‘Damn sorceress, should have given you something to wear...’

He closed the haori tightly around her chest and shoulders, pausing when her smaller hand came up to meet his, their fingers touching gently as they got reaquianted with one another, and Inuyasha stared at them a moment-- her pale, small, delicate and round (if slightly sharp from the skin pressing against the bone), hand, a perfect contrast against his blunt, rough one for a moment, his ears flicking back in confusion before straightening again as he slowly looked up to meet her eyes.

They were half-lidded and exhausted, smile despite the tears present there, their dark depths flickering with so many emotions... and Inuyasha could feel himself getting lost there very quickly... in the soul that was s familiar but so... strange to him now.

His eyes drifted over the sharp protrusions of her bones that fought desperately to escape the too-thin armour of skin, and his ears went back.

How could he have let this happen?

How could he have failed her-- them all-- like this, and let Naraku do this to them?

Kagome’s brow furrowed slightly as the distress and self-loathing leaked into Inuyasha’s eyes, and she stiffened slightly.

‘Inuyasha.’ She said, her voice soft but firm, drawing his golden eyes back to her own, watching them flicker red and auburn in the firelight for a moment, before slowly, gripping his hand in her own shaking one, she drew his palm up, and pressed it flat against the left side of her chest, just above her heart.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened, and his cheeks flamed red in embarrasment as he tried, gently but determinedly, to pull his hand away. But Kagome’s determination was stronger, and she held fast, pressing both her palms flat on top of his and looking his deep in the eye, and Inuyasha was pinned, frozen, lost again within their dark depths as her heart thudded steadily, strongly against his palm, his own heart thundering in his ears, it’s beat flickering and changing to match that beneath his palm.

The hanyou was not certain what sort of message Kagome was trying to send him with this, since his previous thoughts had nothing really to do with hearts or self-induced groping, but somehow... it worked.

Despite that there had been nothing said really, he knew what she meant.

It was alright.

It wasn’t his fault.

None of them blamed him.

He swallowed thickly, feeling emotions he couldn’t name rising in his throat, trying to form into words, but he refused to let them out, so they moved instead to fill his eyes as shields of tears, one breaking free and falling down to the floor to shatter like liquid crystals.

‘Kagome...’ He said slowly, his ears going back even further as he felt the words trying to make themselves known, but Kagome shushed him with a finger, before leaning forward and replacing it quickly with her lips.

It wasn’t a rough kiss, or even a passionate one, it was simply... there.

Feather-light, just two sets of lips brushing together like the whispering caress of butterfly wings, but it lingered for long eternity-filled seconds, neither trying to deepen it or pull away.

It was simply existing.

Like them.

And when Kagome did finally pull away, Inuyasha felt more breathless than from the kisses she had given him outside.

He stared at her with wide eyes, and she stared back at him calmly, an understanding of some sort passing between them.

The moment was broken when Kagome’s stomach, having absolutely no cares for what was going on in her heart or mind, demanded attention (and food) in the form of a loud, rumbling growl.

Inuyasha’s ears swivelled toward the noise as Kagome cast a slightly appalled glance at her stomach, her eyes wide, before she looked back up at Inuyasha, smiling at the surprised expression on his face.

‘I haven’t eaten in a while...’ She said slowly.

Inuyasha stared at her a moment, his eyes softening and darkening from their initial surprise, tingeing with sadness once again that Kagome hated to see there.

‘Good thing we have lots of food here then, huh?’ She asked quietly, keeping her tone as light as she could.

‘Yeah...’ Inuyasha said, his voice soft and melancholy. Kagome sighed, her own despair rising, and looked around at the food, before her eyes settled on a cup of pure, crystalline water-- something she hadn’t seen or tasted in a long time.

She leaned forward to grasp it, only to let out a small wince and barely audible gasp as pain shot through her ribs.

Inuyasha’s ears once again focused on the sound and he quickly reached over and grabbed the cup as she leaned back with an exhausted sigh.

Her hand trembled as she reached up to meet his and take the cup, but Inuyasha shook his head, using his free hand to push hers back down.

‘Let me do it.’ He said softly, staring deeply into her eyes, waiting permission. Kagome stared back at him, slightly surprised, before nodding her head, feeling too weak to protest anyway.

Inuyasha brought the cup forward slowly, tentatively, and pressed it against her lips. Kagome couldn’t surpress the small sigh of pleasure as the cool liquid eased it’s way over her tongue, down her throat.

It had been so long...

Too long...

And now that she actually had everything she had craved for... she was all but helpless to achieve anything with it.

It was a sad thought, but, when she looked up at Inuyasha, his eyes focused intently on the cup in his hands, his ears twitching gently toward each and every noise, she couldn’t help but smile.

Because it gave her an excuse to let him take care of her.

And it gave him and excuse to take care of her as well.

And in their hearts, that’s the way they both wanted it to be.

That’s the way it was supposed to be after all.

That’s the way it should be. ~*~  

Glossary

Miko - Priestess/Witch (In this case I’m going with the first meaning)

Haori - A type of Japanese coat. (Like the fire-rat one Inuyasha wears) that’s worn over a kimono.

Hanyou - Half-Demon