InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Face Down ❯ Part Two ( Chapter 2 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: Nope, don’t own anything here besides the plot….


Wow, almost been two years since this story original went up and I feel horrible about not getting this up sooner. I’ve had a lot of writers block with this story, I even lost the loose leaf papers I had for this, but a couple months ago I found them and put it all on my little attachable drive, can’t remember the real name for it anymore…


Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of this story because I know I enjoyed the craziness that ensued writing it!


“Face Down”


By Miztikal-Dragon


PART TWO


Days flew by like passing minutes and all Kagome could do was sit there on an uncomfortable plastic chair with her hands tightly clasped in her lap and watch the seemingly asleep boy in front of her. Dry tracks of tears cried made a trail from her eyes, but she made no move to wipe the salty residue from her face. How did things end up this bad? She asked herself, her eyes watching the man lying in the hospital bed. InuYasha had always been a strong person, he always had a clear head on his shoulders and now he was covered in bandages.


Those white bandages, that seemed to glow underneath the fluorescent lighting off setting the crème white of the room wall. The smell of sanitation irritated her nose making it itch and she sniffled fighting hard to keep the depressing thoughts from her mind. They had seen the marks on her face, the swelling of her eye and both Sango and Koga had to be restrained in order to keep them from marching out of the hospital and hunting down Naraku; they knew it was her fiancée’s fault.


Kagome knew it too, she could feel it in her bones and it made the guilt pull at her heartstrings and making it harder for her to breathe. It killed her to think that Naraku was capable of hurting InuYasha; however, she knew that she should have known better. If her fiancée was capable of hurting her, who’s to say that he wouldn’t go after her closest friend? After all, it wasn’t an unknown truth that the two males disliked each other, but Kagome just didn’t want to think about the possibilities.


She reached for the pale hand on the hospital bed and held it against her cheek trying to hold back the emotions trying to force their way to the surface. Kagome wasn’t sure exactly how much longer she could keep herself together. It wasn’t fair, she told herself cradling InuYasha’s limp hand closer to herself; needing to try and chase away the coldness creeping into both their bodies. He didn’t deserve to be in a hospital bed, the bandages around his silver hair staining pink from the blood and stitches above his left brow. The way his tanned skin was now pasty and pale making her wish that she had told him to stay a little longer or that she had given into his pleas of leaving Naraku sooner. This was all her fault.


The door opened behind her and Kagome ignored the nurse as he came in and checked on InuYasha and the urge to cry was bearing down on her. She struggled to keep her nerves calm and a hand touched her shoulder and Kagome closed her eyes feeling the warm moisture burning them. Miroku’s gentle voice swept through her ears and she bit back a sob when he kneeled next to her, his indigo eyes filled with concern and knowing.


“It’s not as bad as it looks,” she knew he was right, but she couldn’t keep the helplessness from showing on her face. “He’s a trooper Kagome, and before you know it he’ll be yelling at the nurses for more Jell-O.”


His words forced laughter from her throat and his thumbs brushed over her cheeks wiping away the tears that spilled from her eyes. Sometimes she didn’t know where she’d be without the perverted boy at her side. He didn’t judge her or get angry when he saw the bruises and cuts on her face or the fact that she was without shoes or socks. Miroku merely nodded his head and opened his arms to her and held her as she fell apart; bringing flip flops for her to wear and something hot to eat and cold to drink. Miroku was like the father she missed so desperately and the older brother that helped her stand when she fell.


“I know Miroku,” she told him, her voice shaking slightly. “I’m just- I’m sorry I didn’t mean–“


The front on Miroku’s face stole the words she was going to say from her lips and his hands held her face, forcing her to look at him as he glared at her. The sudden silence besides the constant beeping of the machines in the room unsettled Kagome and he made her more nervous than she had been in a while. A large lump formed in her throat and after trying unsuccessfully to swallow it, Kagome gave up allowing her tongue to slightly swell with unease. She didn’t like this feeling, not one bit.


“I don’t ever want to hear you try and blame yourself for what happened to InuYasha!” Miroku’s voice was commanding and Kagome was taken back by the harsh tone. “It’s not your fault, never was or will be. So don’t you ever say it again!”


The only thing she could do was nod and she listened to the heavy sigh that escaped Miroku’s lips as he released her face. He suddenly looked a lot older than he was and Kagome reached out to him, embracing Miroku and running her hands up and down his back in a friendly gesture. None of them had much sleep and it was taking it toll. Kagome and Miroku held each other for a while longer, Koga and Sango joining in the group hug (Sango being more or less trapped into it by the look on Miroku’s face) and the depressed and melancholy mood of the small room lightened. Even if it was a little change, all four of them were grateful for it because it felt like a small weight had been lifted from their chests.


Time seemed to pass by Kagome even slower than before as she sat in her plastic chair watching InuYasha in the dark. Sure it would have been easier to see him with a light on, but the brightness hurt her tired eyes and all she wanted to do was sleep for the rest of her life if InuYasha was okay. If he woke up and smiled at her one more time she would be set for the rest of her life; if only he’d give her the one thing she wished for.


Getting to her feet, Kagome stretched her stiff muscles and rubbed her eyes trying to push back the exhaustion she felt in her bones. The moonlight drifted in from the window where Miroku had pulled back the curtains before he left, the gang having gone home earlier to get sleep so they could continue working. Unlike Kagome who currently didn’t have a job to be worried about, and silently she was thankful for the lack of it. There were still so many things that still needed to be done and Kagome knew that ignoring them wouldn’t make it go away, but she couldn’t stop herself from praying that it would.


How much longer would it be until Naraku was fed up by her disappearance and start hunting her down, if he wasn’t already? The thought brought goose pimples to her entire body and Kagome wrapped her arms tightly around herself. A week, it had been just about an entire week now since the call from Miroku and to say she wasn’t worried and scared about the possible repercussions for her actions would be a lie. She didn’t understand how Naraku’s mind worked, but she did know that he was probably more than angry with her.


Then why didn’t he come and ‘fetch’ her if he was so mad? Things weren’t adding up and Kagome couldn’t help but feel the tension and apprehension in her heart grow. It would be only a matter of time before Naraku came to see her, they were engaged after all and things had to be packed up for the move.


The move, her mind repeated as her fingertips brushed the long strands of silver hair from InuYasha’s peacefully sleeping face. His skin was cool to the touch and she sighed heavily letting a small smile grace her lips.


The large rock on her finger would have to be taken off sooner or later and Kagome had to find the strength to let go. She loved Naraku, she could feel it, but it was no longer as strong as it once was; the love wasn’t the same anymore. There was only so much that her heart could take and the attack on InuYasha was the straw that broke the camels back. It was time for her to move on and Kagome had an overwhelming feeling that her future wasn’t with Naraku because there now was an entirely different pull on her heart. One that had become stronger since the innocent kiss she shared with InuYasha.


Kagome’s heart pounded in her chest, brushing her fingers across his slightly parted lips, she didn’t realize how much she loved the man in front of her until it was practically too late and it almost killed her. But now she knew that she couldn’t let him go. Maybe she wasn’t thinking clearly, she couldn’t be too sure about anything anymore; however, she had to trust her instincts because it was the only thing she had left of herself.


There were things that she wanted to say, but she didn’t know how to say it. How could she rely on InuYasha to help her when she couldn’t help herself? If she wanted to become her own person again she first had to find what she really wanted and become stronger so she could pursue it without too many setbacks. Tearing those thoughts from her mind, Kagome tried keeping herself optimistic, things would be dealt with later.


“Kagome-” his voice was low and raspy and it made her jump slightly.


“I-InuYasha?” her gaze met with half lidded eyes and she felt her heart jump into her throat. “Oh my god, you’re awake!”


His snort brought tears to her eyes and his irritated gaze made the butterflies flutter in her stomach as a nervous and watery laugh left her mouth. “I’ve only been calling your name for a few minutes, jeez learn to pay attention.”


“I’m sorry,” her laughter shook as more tears fell and her vision swam as she covered her eyes to catch the falling droplets.


Relief was flooding through her veins and she felt the adrenaline and strength abandoning her body and leaving her feeling small and weak. It didn’t matter though as she slumped back into the chair she’d spent hours sitting in, InuYasha came back to her and the emptiness was fading from the shadows of her mind. Sobs wracked her body and she tried holding it back but it seemed hopeless, even as she listened to InuYasha moving on his hospital bed.


His fingers curled around her hair, tugging it until Kagome lifted her tear stained face to look at him. “It’s okay Kagome,” he told her touching her face. “Come here, it’s okay.”


He didn’t have to say it twice. Kagome slowly rose to her feet and climbed onto the bed with him, his hands reaching for her and pulling her to him desperately. He couldn’t stand to see her cry and held her against his chest listening to her, hushed whispers floating into her ear and trying to calm her tears. Breathing was a little harder for him with Kagome’s dead wait resting on him, but InuYasha squared his shoulders and simply held onto her.


Kagome’s sobs turned to hiccups sooner than he thought they would and he let out a quiet sigh listening to her breathing evening out as exhaustion claimed her. InuYasha’s muscles were stiff and he could feel the sleep tugging at his eyelids and he fought back the need to sleep. He knew he’d been asleep for a while, it was like a gentle prodding in the back of his mind and the need to get answers won over sleep.


Laying in the darkness with Kagome sleeping in his arms warmed his heart and he brushed his parched lips over her brow, smiling as she sighed softly, her fingers holding the hospital gown he was wearing tighter. There were so many different emotions running through his mind, but he couldn’t stop the long forgotten happiness from bubbling a soft smile to his face.


InuYasha was lost in thought when a nurse came in and his brows scrunched together when he fully realized his situation. There were bandages wrapped around his forehead and chest, long white bandages that hid yellow healing skin or surgical stitch marks that kept parts of him together. Thick, concrete hard like binding was on his left leg, which he was reminded, was a cast and another one on his right hand protecting broken bones. The nurse explained the broken bones and stitches and what operations which had taken place leaving him temporarily in shock.


It was an open investigation? He couldn’t believe those words or that now he was awake, police officers would be coming around to ask questions so they could finish up their police reports. Words flew by him like calculated math problems and he found himself exhausted after the nurse smiled gently refilling the plastic jug that Kagome had been using to keep herself hydrated.


Face down in the dirt, she said,

This doesn’t hurt, she said,

I’ve finally had enough.


InuYasha was in the hospital for a total of three weeks, three long and agonizingly boring weeks and when the doctor said it was allowed for him to leave, he jumped at the first chance he got to sign the discharge paperwork. There were stipulations to the discharge, strict conditions that were ordered to be followed to the ‘T’ and as a wheel chair was fetched they were agreed to without hesitation.


It was impossible for InuYasha to go back to his apartment with all the police and caution tape, it sounded less appealing; not to mention the fact that it definitely wasn’t a safe place to be. Everyone knew who’s attacked InuYasha, it was only that they had to prove it and by the looks of it there was no evidence to convict. Of course eye witnesses had seen an expensive car and an equally expensive looking man waiting; although, two and two were never able to be put together to make four, at least not this time.


Naraku was a slippery eel and though nobody in the law enforcement department could lay a finger on him it didn’t mean that they couldn’t watch him closely. However no matter how informed the investigators seemed to be, Naraku was always several steps ahead of the game, slyly dodging the blame and long arm of the law with every twist and turn. There was only so much that could be done and when it began to run dry, so did the investigation.


While InuYasha had been hospitalized it was Kagome who rarely ever left his side, her sad eyes watching him and though he always wished her eyes were only his it was heart wrenching catching a glimpse of her because he knew she blamed herself for his state. And if he wasn’t as crazy about her as he was the blame would have floated to her. It could have been avoided, though InuYasha wouldn’t’ have changed anything. Kagome was realizing things about Naraku that she should have opened her eyes to earlier, but then again, she thought it was love and that was a crazy ride all on its own.


Love could do crazy things, could make people do things they would have never thought to do before and it was Kagome’s love for InuYasha that helped her find the strength to pick up the broken pieces of her life and start over. Miroku and Sango had gone with her for moral support when Kagome left Naraku, they kept her safe as his angry eyes glared daggers at her, promising retribution and she was able to walk out unharmed and that had been a first.


Kagome’s new found freedom was exhilarating--even more so when a judge granted her the restraining order against Naraku she’d been desperately fighting for and it was as though her life had made a one-eight of what it had been. The celebration had been huge, the small gathering of friends at InuYasha and Kagome’s new apartment and if it were possible the party would have never ended.


Neither of them thought it would be easy transitioning into a new apartment, living with their conflicting personalities, though Kagome was surprised at how easy it was. Being with InuYasha was almost easier than breathing, his smiles were contagious, his frustration almost comical and it wasn’t long until they fell into a comfortable routine.


She was even able to find a job at a near by restaurant as a hostess --- sometimes waitress and the scheduled hours were flexible around InuYasha’s physical therapy and many doctors visits. Of course her silver hair companion fought her mothering him, his grumbles and often squawking about being a capable adult falling on deaf ears. He didn’t complain too much though because he liked the attention that Kagome gave him while she pretending to be a mother hen; her watchful eyes never too far away.


InuYasha could have taken advantage of Kagome’s kindness and several times he had, once pretending he had an itch he couldn’t reach and waiting until Kagome was close enough to snatch up. For someone with a broken leg he was quick on his feet, catching Kagome off guard as she walked by, or trapping her against a wall his mouth devouring hers with urgency and need.


He didn’t need to steal kisses from Kagome, she would have given them up without even thinking of a fight, but he loved the way her eyes would widen then glass over, her lower lip trembling just so and the way he could practically feel her heart thundering away in her chest before the electricity shocked her veins and the need for his touch became too much for her to handle.


Yes, life with Kagome was like a dream come true, one that InuYasha hadn’t thought to allow himself. InuYasha realized that even after death (figuratively speaking that is), life went on and he was eager to see what his new life with Kagome had in store for him. Together they lived in harmony and all was quiet for six months.


Kagome didn’t think that Naraku would have waited long to get back at her, not with the way she left him, though when she was safe behind her friends and a court order, she didn’t think Naraku would come around. After all he was an intelligent and successful man and she honestly thought he knew how to let go.


Apparently she had no idea of who Naraku was beneath his well placed mask. Instead of getting on with his life and calling the failed relationship a loss, he dwelled on it. His hatred for InuYasha taking what was his fuel for revenge and the calm collected man Naraku had fooled everyone died after being given Kagome’s restraining order.


She was stupid to think that a measly piece of paper could dictate what he did! Naraku bowed to no man, so the thought of bowing to a woman was like talk of suicide. Oh, he had plans for Kagome, big plans -- she couldn’t simply decide that she didn’t want to be with him anymore and walk away. Nobody walked away from him unscathed, definitely not a back-stabbing whore like Kagome -- no, definitely not her or her pathetic mongrel.


Sure bashing in InuYasha’s head with a baseball bat had been pleasing, hell it made his blood boil in a way that was almost sexually gratifying and just thinking about it had dark thoughts swimming in his mind. Naraku wanted to watch the face Kagome would make as he broke all of her allusions of happiness, he wanted to beat her into submission. Beat her until her chest was forever still and the thought brought a sick smile to his beautiful face.


People like Kagome and InuYasha were only as happy as they were when they were blind to their imminent demise. People like them didn’t have long lasting happiness, they had a temporary break from the hurt and pain until it was time to relapse like a homeless drug addict and their time together was limited and being watched.


One day she will tell you that she has had enough

Its coming round again


Naraku shifted the newspaper in front of him, turning to the next page only he wasn’t reading about teen drivers or how his favorite team had lost again, losing him a few hundred dollars he’d bet on them. No, he was watching Kagome instead as she smiled care freely, her long legs gliding on the floor as she guided a couple to their table. He’d been watching her for weeks now, if not months and her naivety had him smiling in a sadistic way.


Just because she thought she was in the clear after laying low for a while she was in for a rude awakening. Naraku knew where she was from the moment she left the hospital with the bruised and broken InuYasha and he had been keeping close tabs on her ever since.


Her time was slowly ticking down to zero, soon it would be up and Naraku was going to have fun waking Kagome from her dream and drag her back into reality. Taking a small sip from the half-full glass of iced tea, he flipped the page to the next page in the newspaper in front of him; he would be waiting patiently and Kagome would be his once again. It seemed like his work was never done, there was always something to do, something to fix, yet he didn’t mind it at all.


The thought of getting closer to her was overpowering and he was losing the battle against it. He wanted her, wanted to break her all over again since it looked as though he hadn’t done it correctly the first time around. The excitement was growing in him, filling him with a child-like giddiness and as he rose the loud ringing of his cell phone snapped him back into reality.


His cover was blown! Pulling the electronic device from his slacks, Naraku answered it while walking away from h is seat. Kagome would have recognized the ring tone and despite the need growing in the back of his mind, it wouldn’t bode well if she saw him now. No - they would have their reunion and he wasn’t going to let anything jeopardize it for him, not even himself.


Barking a few short orders into his cell phone, he ended the call before climbing inside his expensive corvette. Things were falling into place now and it would only be a matter of days until InuYasha was finally out of the picture. This time Kagome wouldn’t be able to have any friends, he wasn’t going to give her a choice or chance to betray him again. Revving the engine to his vehicle Naraku glanced at his rear-view mirror and laughed, he had to go see a man about a gun.


Do you feel like a man when you push her around?

Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?

Well I’ll tell you my friend, one day this world’s going to end


As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.


Naraku was there, she knew he was and her eyes darted suspiciously at everything around her as she continued working. She’d heard the ring tone-- the one that he had commented once to paying the ‘big bucks’ for, one that there would never be any other copy released. It had come out of nowhere and it froze her entire body and if she had been anywhere else besides work she would have immediately gone into hiding and cried.


She hadn’t been able to breathe, to move, all she could do was stand there like a deer in the headlights as everything crashed over her. Of course when she was brought back to reality he was nowhere around, and though it did nothing to alleviate the pain clutching her chest, she did the only thing she thought of, she went back to work and pretended like it never happened. However, now that she was safely protected behind the deadbolts and chains of her apartment door she knew that it was okay.


Her body slid to the floor as her knees buckled and she didn’t have to worry about any strangers watching her breakdown or any coworkers to start questioning her sanity-- she did that all on her own. No, she was in the comforts of her own home, away from all prying eyes and she curled herself into a tight ball, her hands clutching her toes as she rocked hypnotically wishing for the wooden floor underneath her to take pity on her and swallow her into its darkness.


“Kagome?” She recognized his voice and she needed him, but she couldn’t stop, she couldn’t breathe.


InuYasha had watched Kagome come home in the usual fashion, her careful, calculated way and on days like these it made him smile. Her hair twirled around her as she locked the door behind her, her hand resting on the chain after latching it like the piece of protective metal was her best friend, her rescuer. Sure it was just her being paranoid, but he admitted that it was a touch of paranoia that they both needed to stabilize them.


Her keys clinked as they fell into the ceramic dish they kept and next he told himself would be the sounds of her kicking off her shoes and her overdramatic sigh and bubbly laughter before she called after him. Only those three things didn’t come and he knew it because he strained his ears as the seconds turned to minutes and he was greeted by nothing other than silence.


Silence was something he had grown accustomed to while growing up, it was what he leaned on during his teen years as he tried desperately to find himself and it was his only welcomed companion while he pined pathetically after Kagome once he realized exactly where his feelings for her were laying dormant.


“Kagome?” He called out from his spot in the kitchen, the small pot filled partway with water, the unopened package of Ramen on the counter. “Hey, I’m in here.”


Nothing came back, not even a peep and his thick brows furrowed in confusion. Maybe she hadn’t heard him, or maybe she had been listening to one of those MP3 players Miroku has been gushing and chiming about for the last couple of weeks. That was plausible, he told himself, yet the voice in the back of his head did nothing to quell the bad thoughts peeking out from the dusky shadows of his subconscious. Maybe something was wrong.


“Kagome?” He called again heading towards the door. InuYasha wanted to believe he was the one being paranoid this time, but he didn’t want someone to piss on his boots and tell him it was rain, so he wasn’t going to try to lie to himself either.


She was curled up in herself against the door like a lost child, her long ebony hair curtaining around her and hiding her face from his view. He called out to her, his stomach dropping to his feet and he immediately knew that it had been a bad day. As gently as he could, InuYasha kneeled next to her slightly rocking form and let his fingers brush away her hair. He wanted to hold her against his chest and never let go; however, after he tried that once before she flinched away and it spurred more problems than good.


Instead he just sat next to her, his head resting on her shoulder and his hand next to her thigh letting her find the words and giving her the time she needed to say them. No pressure, no games, and rules were only guidelines that were suggested. Kagome was never gone for too long and InuYasha didn’t want to pry and risk pushing away. He needed her too much. All he could do was take loud, deep even breaths and hope that she’d come back to him from where she was, hope that she still was herself and not the stranger she’d once been.


“InuYasha?” She whispered to him brokenly after what felt to him like an eternity.


“Hmmm?” He lifted his head from her shoulder and watched her, waiting for her to come out from behind the shield her hair had become.


She wasn’t rocking but her muscles were tense and whatever was making her behave like this, he wanted to take it from her, even if for only a little while. “This is real right?”


He wanted to laugh though due to the absurdity of her question, though decided against it in favor of a small smile as Kagome’s wide eyes peeked out from the long onyx strands of hair.


“Of course this is real Kagome,” he told her pulling the stray strands behind her ears. She looked so frightened and he wished he knew what happened. “It’s real, more real than anything’s ever been. I’ll protect you.”


Her head lifted off her knees and those wide, terrified eyes judged his words with a fine-tooth comb, trying to decipher if it was as real as he was claiming. He held his breath and silently waited for her to let everything sink in, it was killing him to watch her this way. Tears suddenly surfaced, threatening to fall and InuYasha wasted no time gathering Kagome into his arms and almost crushing her to him. Her nails clawed at him, digging into his skin and though it wasn’t the best of times, it made him feel breathless.


“I keep hearing him,” Kagome choked out behind a sob, the cold droplets of her tears tickling his shoulder. “I can feel his eyes InuYasha, and today--today I could have sworn he was at my work.”


They had had this conversation several times before, and as of lately it had been increasing. InuYasha wanted desperately to tell her that she was just too stressed out, that Naraku was long gone, but the truth was that he honestly didn’t know. It was possible she was right, Naraku had his ways, had his own underground network of knowledge, yet there was nothing InuYasha could do except follow the law and try protecting Kagome the only way that would keep her alive longer.


“I don’t want to die,” Kagome’s words were like the backlash of a whip and he flinched away from her.


How could she even think that he’d let anything like that happen to her? She made him tremble with budding anger and shame; how could she not trust him with her life? “You won’t die.”


“InuYasha--”


“NO! ” He growled grabbing her arms and shaking her softly. “Don’t you ever talk like that Kagome--” he wanted to yell and scream but he couldn’t, he just couldn’t. “Don’t you ever think for even a second that I won’t be there to protect you! I won’t let you die under any circumstances. Do you understand me?”


“I--can’t,”


“ ;God dammit Kagome!” He growled loudly rushing to feet. He wanted to rip out his hair and he settle for fisting his hands on his temples and growling as the anger welled up. “Stop thinking about him and just trust me for one fucking second. You’re driving me absolutely fucking crazy!”


“Where are you going?” She was yelling back at him as he grabbed his coat and he brushed her words off his shoulders like lint. “InuYasha!”


“OUT!”


The door slammed shut behind him and he didn’t spare it a glance as he hurried away from the apartment. He needed to scream, to punch someone or something--he needed a cigarette (or an entire pack), a drink, and cold refreshing air. He needed it all, craved for it like it wasn’t anyone’s business; although he settled for just the fresh air and a long smoke as he tried to calm his thoughts. He wasn’t really mad at Kagome, nothing was her fault, it was merely the situation they were in that frustrated him so. The utter feeling of hopelessness and being powerless was beginning to get his goad.


InuYasha knew that they had to get away, the two of them, if they wanted to keep what was left of their sanity, but it wasn’t like they could simply pack up and disappear. He had to keep Kagome safe in the country where the closest law enforcement agency, when dispatched, could protect her if something happened and he failed. There was no running away, no cowardly moves, when Naraku came to try and take Kagome from him, InuYasha had to be ready--ready for anything and everything.


His walk didn’t lead him very far away from his apartment building, they rarely ever had and he sucked in the nicotine flavored death stick, letting the smoke fill his lungs. He had to stop smoking, though, it was days like these when he couldn’t cope without one. His head itched from his anger and horrible thoughts and he tugged on his hair hoping to alleviate the pain building behind his eyes. A migraine was undoubtedly on its way and he chewed on his lower lip as the plume of cigarette smoke wafted out from his nose and into the night air.


Once he had finished his second cigarette and paced around for the umpteenth time, he flicked the butt onto the ground and squashed the dying embers with his shoe. The fresh air was getting a little too cold for him and it had soothed his rampantly running emotions to a barely there dull ache. He was able to think more clearly no and less like a trapped mouse and all he wanted was Kagome.


It was funny that even after everything said and done, at the end of the day all he wanted was Kagome by his side and he hoped that it never went away. He was spoiled by her very presence and just as quickly as he had hurried away from her, he was heading back to their apartment. He couldn’t stand to be away from her, especially after one of his minor blow offs, it made him feel guilty and he didn’t like feeling that way, not when she sacrificed her safety and chose a life with him.


He hadn’t even been gone an hour, yet it felt like it had been more than several and InuYasha sighed heavily as he pushed open the front door. Kagome stood in the exact same spot she’d been when he stormed off, dried tear tracks shinning on her cheeks and it was a punch to his gut. InuYasha didn’t want to be the reason behind her crying and he bit on the inside of his cheek to scare away the shame.


“I’m sorry,” his voice was soft and almost pleading, the hand combing through his long tresses doing nothing to calm his nerves. “God, I’m so sorry Kagome. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that.”


More liquid pain poured from her eyes as she watched him, the door closing behind him and locking. Some routines weren’t forgotten for a reason. “I’m scared..”


It was as though Kagome was a child stuck in an adult woman’s body, forced to deal with unimaginable things the way gazed at him and it made his heat crack in his chest. In a moment of need, InuYasha went to Kagome, his hands cupping her wet cheeks and gently holding her as his lips descended on her. He kissed her gently, merely whispered touches against fragile porcelain and all the tense feelings evaporated.


Her kisses were sweet like honey on a good day, but now, now they were something entirely different. She was sweet and spicy and soft touches quickly turned deeper as he pulled her to him, letting her feel his apology in a way he could but was still able to keep only a little bit of his pride. She responded reluctantly at first, cautious not to be completely swept away; however, when she gave into her desire it was a heavenly rainbow showering over him.


All of her worries disappeared with every passionate kiss, every teasing touch sparking something more primal and overwhelming. Articles of clothing were stripped from hot and flush skin and thrown away to be immediately forgotten. They danced around each other in a rhythmic and chaotic mess, elbows and other limbs smacking on passing walls, furniture and the occasional light switches. Kagome peaked and crashed, her loud cries and gasps of pleasure falling on almost deaf ears and InuYasha trucked further, pushing the both of them to the brink before throwing them over the edge.


Muscles InuYasha didn’t even know he had ached and protested, he would be feeling it later; however, none of that mattered to him at the moment. All he wanted to do was continue laying his head on Kagome’s bare chest, his arm holding her close while he listened to the steady beating of her heart. It was like a scene out of a movie, well almost, and he was perfectly content with the beauty of their comfortable silence.


I love you Kagome, he thought to himself holding her tighter to him and allow his mind to drift away.


Do you feel like a man when you push her around?

Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?

Well I’ll tell you my friend, one day this world’s going to end


As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.


Music blared from speakers hidden throughout the large room, the thundering sounds of the drums and bass digging into her body and demanding motion. She wanted to follow the beat, get lost in its seductive melody and on any other day she would have and it would have been magical. Familiar and strange faces floated by her and she smiled politely raising her glass when needed, it was not a night for ‘clubbing’.


Truth be told she didn’t even want to be at some club in the middle of the night celebrating her birthday, she would have preferred a quite get together at home. Miroku and Koga had insisted though, their eyes wide and hopeful and like a gullible fool she caved in to their ‘demands’. Of course it wasn’t completely horrible, InuYasha seemed to be having a little fun and that alone was enough to make her grin and bear it. She hadn’t seen him truly smile in what felt like forever, he always looked stressed and irritated and though he told her it had nothing to do with her, she couldn’t help but know otherwise.


The time of playing damsel in distress was over, she couldn’t expect InuYasha to be strong enough for the both of them forever, it would suck him dry and she didn’t want to continue being the reason he blew up. She had to be stronger, more in control and give InuYasha some room to breathe or she’d lose him and that wasn’t an option for her.


“Mmmm Kagome,” long arms draped around her wait, pulling her against a hard chest. “Happy birthday.”


“Thank you InuYasha,” she laughed turning to face him, his lips immediately searching hers out with a chaste kiss. “You almost ready to go?”


It was already later than she would have liked; however, the little celebration wasn’t as bad as she was making it out to be, she just wanted to go. The age she put aside for partying and making merry with music and booze was long over and she wanted to begin something entirely new. Maybe it was only her biological clock ticking down loudly, or maybe it wasn’t, but whatever it was, Kagome wanted a family.


“Almost,” he whispered against her lips. “You go ahead and say goodnight to everyone. I’m gunna go have a quick smoke.”


Kagome nodded silently, watching InuYasha head out through the backdoor before she turned in search of her friends. She wanted to say her goodbyes and hurry after InuYasha as soon as possible. The idea of going back to their warm apartment together where they would be absolutely alone was more than appealing and she didn’t want to wait any longer. The music was getting louder as she tracked down her friends, luckily for her they hadn’t been spread out as she thought them to have been.


Hugs and innocent kisses came from her friends and Kagome returned them, waving to them and laughing at a few crude jokes tossed her way about the ‘look’ in her eyes. She guessed that her birthday could have been any better than it already was, she spent it with the people she cared most for and that that alone was enough to put a small smile on her face. But now it was time go to home and InuYasha was waiting for her, and that feeling was way better than a home run, ball over the fence kind of feeling she got thinking about him.


The back door was heavy and Kagome had to push against it with her shoulder to get it to budge and she sighed when the cold air hit her tired face. The loud music was cut off into muffles and she glanced around seeing only nothing but emptiness in the dimly lit alleyway.


“InuYasha?” She called out hoping that it wasn’t her heart that was beating so loudly. “Hey InuYash--”


Kagome instinctively clutched her purse tighter to her body hearing something smash onto the metal dumpster and though a part of her was scared when she heard the grunts of me, she knew she couldn’t run back to safety. Instead she headed deeper into the alleyway and immediately she spotted InuYasha’s silver hair as it danced in the night air.


She wanted to call out to him; however the furious look on his face stole away anything she had wanted to say. His fingers were balled into fists, his lip was bleeding and his chest heaved as he pulled back his shoulder to punch the man whose back was facing Kagome. The strange man blocked InuYasha’s attack, instead grabbing his arm and twisting it painfully, a large black book connecting with InuYasha’s stomach followed quickly by an elbow to the back of his neck.


The voice inside of Kagome’s head screamed as she watched InuYasha fall, his silver hair dirtied with blood and alley gunk and before she could stop to think she picked up a piece of abandoned wood and crept up behind the strange man. She wasn’t going to let him hurt InuYasha anymore than he already had, and with that in mind she swung at his head. The sound of the collision made her stomach sink, the brittle wood breaking into smaller pieces leaving her weaponless and with a few splinters.


The man went down, his knees hitting the pavement and Kagome could feel the uneasiness seeping into her bones. InuYasha was slowly rising to his feet, his amber eyes glued onto the man and if it wasn’t the calm before the storm she didn’t know what was. The man was holding the back of his head, a snarl erupting from his lips as InuYasha towered over him and Kagome could only watch in horror as a shiny black metal reflected in her eyes.


“InuYasha look out!” She screamed as the man pulled the gun from its holster.


Everything happened in an instant, she reached out to the strange man and he turned, his dark black eyes catching her, his arm flinging to her, the bottom of the clip smashing into the side of her head. She felt the burst of pain explode in her head and neck as she crashed to the ground, her cheek scraping against the pavement. Naraku, her mind screamed, the bile rising in the back of her throat. The man-- it was Naraku, but how? Wasn’t she supposed to be safe from him, wasn’t all of this over? How did he find them so soon?


Her mind raced with unanswered questions as her brain desperately tried to et her body to respond. She couldn’t move, couldn’t cry or scream and she already knew why---she was going into shock. Hard and cruel laughter floated into her ears, haunting her and the loud pop that followed it instantly rebooted her brain as another ran in her ears. Naraku had shot InuYasha in cold blood.


“Get up Kagome,” Naraku venomously snarled, his free hand grabbing the front of her shirt and dragging her to her knees.


The look in his eyes was evidence enough of how pleased he was, of how powerful he must have felt and Kagome screamed as loud as she possibly could. This wasn’t happening; Naraku hadn’t just shot InuYasha---he wasn’t shaking her violently, his fist smashing onto her sore cheek ordering her to shut up. No, it wasn’t InuYasha’s blood seeping onto the pavement, itching its way over to her. It wasn’t real, it couldn’t be true…


“You killed him!” She screamed shrilly, her tears falling and she clawed at Naraku trying to break free from his iron clad hold. “You killed him! You bastard! YOU KILLED HIM!”


“You knew the consequences for your actions Kagome,” he told her matter-of-factly, his dark eyes glowing in the dim light. “I hope he was worth the pain.”


Kagome couldn’t breathe, she was suffocating, slowly dying and all on the whims of the man in front of her. He was slowly dragging her away from InuYasha, away from everything and she could hear the echoing of his words in her head. ‘I hope he was worth the pain.’


They were the same exact words Naraku said before he hunted InuYasha down the first time and hospitalized him. The same words that made her feel helpless because she thought she deserved Naraku’s kind of love, and just like last time he was there to take it all away again like a bringer of death.


“Kill me,” she mumbled trying to force away the black dots from her vision.


“What did you say?” Naraku teased stopping next to the door Kagome had exited from earlier.


“Kill me,” blood was dribbling down her cheeks obscuring the glare she directed at Naraku.


“I have better things in store for you Kagome,” he said seductively, brushing the barrel of his gun across her forehead. “I came to retrieve my property, not kill it. I don’t like to kill what’s mine Kagome, and you are mine.”


“If you don’t I’ll kill you where you stand,” Kagome panted heavily. She knew that she wasn’t a threatening creature, but she meant what she was saying. She would kill him in a heart beat.


His laughter was borderline hysterical and the barrel dug deeper into her skin, cutting her and he only seemed to enjoy the pain he was causing her. It was like rubbing salt in her wounds. “I’d like to see you try.”


He pulled her to her feet, shaking her once for good measure and Kagome gasped in pain. He thought it was all a game, that it was okay to hurt people in pursuit of whatever demented perversion got him off; however, Kagome wanted no part of it. Using the last of her strength Kagome grabbed the lapel of his jacket with her hand and spat on him hoping that he would understand her sincerity.


Kagome could already hear the police sirens closing in, but the loud gunshots came out of nowhere and hit like a freak thunderstorm, one right after another. They were deafening and she mentally counted six when it ended, the ringing in her ears drowning out everything else. Her eyes were wide and she stumbled back, her legs giving out underneath her and once again her body met with cold cement.


“Y-you bitch!” Naraku glared at her, his gun clattering to the ground as he clutched his abdomen.


His body crumbled to the ground in a heap of dying flesh and Kagome could only close her eyes and wait for death. She had warned him and the funny thing was that she didn’t have to try, her body had desired it badly. She wanted to crawl to InuYasha, to cry because she wasn’t strong enough to protect him; however, the black spots were getting longer, her body growing numb and she wanted to drift off into the darkness and forget.


Face down in the dirt, she said,

This doesn’t hurt, she said,

I finally had enough.


“Somebody grab a stretcher!” A voice yelled next to her ear, strong hands touching her, pulling at her and she wanted to yell at them to leave her alone.


Bright lights flashed in her eyes and she groaned trying to turn her head away from the burning. “Ma’am? Ma’am can you hear me? We’re here to help you… Where have you been shot?”


She tried to shake her head no, but her body was refusing to cooperate. “N-no… Inu--”


“Ma’am?” She was being lifted and her tired eyes spotted the paramedics and police officers surrounding Naraku’s body and when she was finally able to force her head in InuYasha’s direction all she saw was darkness. Why wasn’t anyone helping him?


“InuYasha!” She choked out, her hand falling from the stretcher in an attempt to reach for him. “InuYasha---please!”


As if on cue the sound of a helicopter assailed her ears, its spot light illuminating the dim alleyway and Kagome spotted silver. “Oh shit Eiri, get another stretcher, there’s one by the dumpster!”


“Jesus Christ, he’s got a pulse, somebody gimme a hand!” Tears leaked from Kagome’s eyes as she was loaded onto an ambulance. He was still alive. Relief flooded into her body and she slipped into unconsciousness. Everything would be okay now.


The End.


E/N: This was surprisingly difficult for me to write. I can honestly say that I’m not able to sit down and pour out everything like I used to. Makes me wonder if my imagination is drying up, but then I thought of a really cool idea for a spin off of this story and figured I still got some good mojo left in me.


If felt good to start writing a story for InuYasha and Kagome, compared to the Rin and Sesshomaru funk I’ve been in since well since I couldn’t write Inu and Kag pairings! Hoping that I’ll be able to put up a new chapter for ’Anything for Love’, but I’m not going to push buttons with my creative streak, or lack thereof.

OH well, but I did find it cool that the summary actually went with the ending, I couldn’t even remember the summary I wrote until I went back and looked at it after I already finished the story. Am I cool or what?


SOOO If you enjoyed the story please review, if you didn’t, please review. Either way we both win!