InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Genuine Desires : Unity ❯ Aikyoushin ( Chapter 21 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: Scooda

Aikyoushin

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“InuYasha!”

InuYasha flinched but instinctively hopped off of the roof, rushing into the direction of Kagome's voice. In the middle of the village, wrapping around the miko was a huge serpent youkai, laughing as Kagome screamed again and her bows and arrows dropped from her hand. Her face was white---and she let out another scream as the scent of pain dripped to him. “Are you the miko that purified the Shikon No Tama?”

InuYasha growled and unsheathed Tetsusaiga. Sesshomaru was lying on the ground, his head bleeding and his breathing ragged, as well as Sango and Miroku who were underneath an unconscious Kirara---they were both knocked out. InuYasha growled again.

`Why didn't I smell it? Why didn't I smell the youkai . . . why can't I smell it now?'

`The scent of the woman you are to mate is instinctive---whereas you're natural scent is weakened.'

`Why?'

`Some sort of illness . . . Kagome called it a cold, I think.'

InuYasha switched hands and lunged at the youkai when Kagome looked at him. Her eyes a brightening unusually, he heard the constricting sound of the serpents skin and could hear her whimpering as the color drained from her face more and more. Swinging, but getting knocked back by the serpents tail, InuYasha staggered a bit. The serpent's tail was as hard as metal---probably what knocked everybody out. He couldn't use the wind scar . . . or he was in danger of hurting Kagome. There was nothing he could do . . . the serpents skin was as hard as iron, and he growled again as Kagome screamed once more.

“My . . . . Arrow . . . .”

“What? Kagome----don't talk . . . damn!”

InuYasha lunged again, hitting the skin with a loud clang and getting pushed back as the vibrations from the contact made his ears flattened. He was beginning to panic . . . Kagome's scent was getting weaker and weaker, and his head was pounding. He was trying not to lose control . . . Kagome's life was in danger and it was the last thing he needed.

A flash of light occurred and the amulet that Kagome had in her blouse drifted out and blinded the serpent, and in an explosion, InuYasha could hear the agonize cry of the serpent and watched as he erupted in ashes and was absorbed by Kagome's amulet. She slowly drifted to the ground, and InuYasha watched as a small stone appeared around the large one in the middle.

InuYasha caught her before she hit the dirt floor, Tetsusaiga falling behind him as he cradled her head in her arm. She blinked a couple of times and groaned, grabbing her head and trying to sit up, flinching and grabbing her arm after a sharp yelp from her made InuYasha jump. “What's wrong? Where does it hurt?”

She pointed to her wrist. It was a terrible blue color, and InuYasha could tell immediately that it was broken. The color was slowly returning to her face, and her breathing returned to normal as InuYasha told her not to move and rushed over to Sesshomaru. He was already sitting up and trying to keep Rin from crying---which was going unsuccessfully. His eyes were dulled, and his silver hair was matted from the dry blood coursing down his head. He was careful to make sure that Rin didn't step in the bubbling ooze on the ground that had developed, and he winced when she threw herself into his chest and began sobbing. InuYasha nodded to him and rushed over to Sango and Miroku.

He had to shake them both a little bit, and Kirara needed a douse of water from the well. After Kaede assured him that she'll deal with them, as well as Miroku, InuYasha rushed back over to Kagome, who was trying to stand. She stumbled, and he caught her before she fell, holding her close to his chest and cradling her forearm in his hand, looking at the damage with flattened ears and whimpering. “On a scale of one to ten, how much does it hurt?”

Kagome whimpered and tried to hurry and wipe the tears that were falling. “Thirty! Oh . . . InuYasha . . .”

He grimaced and instructed for her to hold her arm, and not to move it too much, wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumb and sweeping her up and cradling her against his chest. She gave a pained little whimper. “I'm not cripple, dog-boy.”

InuYasha scoffed. “Close enough.”

Kaede rushed over to Kagome as Sango and Miroku got them together, checking over each other. Kaede lightly poked Kagome's wrist and flinched when Kagome yelped and pushed away from her. “It is broken.” The woman announced.

InuYasha whimpered and flattened his ears as Kagome laid her head back and closed her eyes. “It hurts . . .”

“Bring her to the hut---and I'll wrap her arm up right away.”

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Cradling her against his chest in the high branches of Goshinboku, InuYasha smiled to himself as Kagome stirred softly and dug her face deeper into his neck. He shifted her softly, trying not to put too much discomfort on her arm.

Kaede had given her a salve to rub on her arm whenever it began to hurt, and Kagome had fallen asleep right after she applied the medicine to it. InuYasha was trying to keep her asleep in the hut, but she said it was too hot and stuffy, and whenever she closed her eyes, a villager always woke her up to offer something. So InuYasha took her into Goshinboku were she slept most of the day away.

The strange area was still drawing his concern, but he could see it more clearly from his perch above Kagome's house. It seemed to have a barrier around it just as Naraku's lair did, and for a moment, he had thought maybe Naraku had risen.

But Kaede dismissed his thoughts, saying the Shikon No Tama was purified, and if Naraku returned then she could take care of him easily because he didn't have the Shikon no kakera any more. But InuYasha didn't like the huge building that turned up, and he didn't like the calmness of the area, either.

Sesshomaru was resting in Kagome's hut. Rin was there with him, and she was ordered to run and get anybody whenever he woke up. The blow was pretty heavy, and even though InuYasha was worried, he inflicted injuries worse than that, and he knew Sesshomaru wouldn't die over something that weak. Sango was suffering from a back pain, and Miroku nothing but a bump on the head. Kirara was shaken up, but she'll be fine after a moment of rest. Just what went on before InuYasha got there was mysteriously wiped from their memories.

He had a bad feeling about it all, but he knew better than to question it when Kagome needed him. She would need constant help, and even though he knew with Shippou and Rin she'd be fine, he still couldn't shake the feeling that somebody was trying to rid him of her. He shook away his worries quickly when she snuggled closer to him. As long as she was always near, he'll be comforted, right? Nothing to worry about.

Her eyes opened slowly and blinked a couple of times before looking up at him. He tweaked her nose. “Good morning.”

She wrinkled her nose and sat up, stretching and rubbing her eyes. “That's not funny, dog-boy.”

He shrugged and grinned, holding her on her waist tightly as she stretched again and inspected her arm. She winced when she poked it and frowned before laying her head on his chest. She sighed and grabbed a fistful of his shirt in her tiny hands. He sighed and rubbed them, making them loose and entwining them with his own as he dug his nose into her hair.

“I was so scared,” She whispered.

InuYasha sighed and squeezed her hand softly. “I---I was too.”

They sat in silence for a while, Kagome trying to fight back tears and InuYasha trying to calm the guilt and nervousness. He always wondered what he would do if something happened to Kagome. He almost found out the answer a little while ago, and that wasn't something he appreciated, or he'd want to get used to.

She sighed again and shuddered softly, turning her head so that she didn't get the imprint of her clothes in his face. She looked up at him, her eyes darkening under his scrutiny as he stared right back. They cleared and watered up, and he thought for a moment she was going to cry. “I . . . I thought I was going to die.”

“I wouldn't let you die, stupid,” He mumbled. “Don't you know that?”

“But . . . it was so tight, and . . . I couldn't breath, and . . . I thought you weren't going to come and . . .”

He softly dropped his lips over hers as the tears began streaming down, wetting his face as well as her own. She began to shake and quiver and she sought to touch him, yet was left quavering inches away from his face. Her shaking turned to terrible trembling, and InuYasha took her hands in his and placed it on his chest, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss as the wind caressed their bodies and blew away her tears.

Her fear haunted him. He had almost lost her, and she knew it. She was just as afraid as he was, and it wasn't long before he realized he was shaking as well. She was like a dream destined to fade away. Too perfect, too pure, she was everything he thought he didn't deserve. She was beautiful in all ways, and for her to be so close to never seeing him again . . . the brush with death that she just encountered . . . it was too much for him to take at once.

Entirely too sweet, too inviting, she pressed her body against his as her hands slipped around his neck. The gentle reluctance in her kiss gave way to a quiet sense of longing, a stunning surrender. She felt so alive to him, so vibrant, offering him a peace even as his pulse hammered in his ears. She moved her chin up a little and he kissed her gently; a teasing nibble that masked a deeper need. She sighed and allowed him to pull back, kissing the tip of her nose playfully before wiping away her tears again.

“Weepy wench,” He muttered.

She giggled and sniffled, shaking her hair back and allowing him to wipe her face clean. The wind blew again, and she flinched as someone cleared their throat below him and stomped their foot sharply. Sango waved to Kagome from down below, and InuYasha saw Kagome's cheeks reddened as she waved back slowly. “How are you feeling?” She called down.

Sango shrugged and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I'm fine, you?”

Kagome nodded but showed Sango her arm.

Sango sighed and grimaced. “Is it broken?”

Kagome sighed. “Yeah---I'm out of commission for a couple of days. Dr.Yasha's orders.”

Sango smiled. “Hey, you want to go for a walk?”

Kagome yelped as InuYasha leaped from they tree and set her on the ground. She swaggered a bit, but he caught her arm and shot her an amused grin. Taking Sango's arm, Kagome allowed Sango to pull her off into a different direction.

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“M'Lord?”

Sesshomaru blinked from the wane sunlight as the scent of Rin's tears hit him head on. He nearly groaned and forces himself to sit up, recognizing the scent of the miko and InuYasha and the design of the house. He looked around and winced again when his head protested the movement. Rin was sitting in front of him, and he realized that his head had been resting on her lap.

Her eyes were red and swollen, her cheeks rosy and pouting. How long had she been crying? How long had she been here with him? “How are you feeling M'Lord?”

Sesshomaru felt his head and winced when his claws poked the second skin. How did he really feel? Terrible---he remembered the appearance of the serpent, and he remembered trying to keep Rin from getting hit by its tail, which ended up with him receiving a hard blow to the head that knocked him out for the rest of the fight. Apparently InuYasha had arrived, as the miko Kaede was saying as she attended to his wounds, but she was pretty disturbed by his lateness and the fact that he had no clue the serpent was there.

Kaede had also commented that youkai were beginning to attack villages frequently now. The first thought that ran to his head was Naraku, but there was no way Naraku would be foolish enough to resurrect. Kaede said nothing about the strange youki that constantly flared every night. She didn't comment on the fact that the youkai were searching for the Shikon no Tama, either.

Were they going insane? Was something polluting their minds to make them think that the Shikon No Tama would be reborn? Sesshomaru had a feeling that he needed to go back and check up on his territory, but that is something that has to be pushed back for right now. Sighing as Rin brushed his hair and hummed to himself, he laid back, feeling too weak to tell her to cease her ministrations. He was in agony---his mid section was throbbing in rhythm with his skull, and he thought that conscious thought would vanish in a couple of moments. But he stayed away and even asked Rin for a swallow of water.

She began telling him about things that happened during the day, and that she was also making him a bracelet that he had to wear. She claimed it was good luck, and even though he couldn't talk, Sesshomaru automatically knew that he'd end up wearing it anyway. Rin sighed happily and told him that if he was sleepy to get some rest and that she would start on dinner. But Sesshomaru sat up and pushed himself against the wall, and asked Rin to fetch InuYasha.

InuYasha walked in and regarded Sesshomaru quizzically. The hanyou had been thinking about it, it was evident on his face he felt guilty about the whole matter. But when Sesshomaru had asked him what happened, he said he could only smell Kagome and nothing else. Sesshomaru suggested that maybe he had an illness that Kagome was always talking about, but InuYasha argued that `inu hanyou don't get sick.'

Sesshomaru told him that was a foolish assumption, but InuYasha had been living by it for so long he couldn't tell him anything else. Rin walked back in with Shippou, who helped her climb the ladder to sit on the roof. Sesshomaru wrinkled his nose when InuYasha hollered for both of them to be careful, looking off into the direction Kagome had went off with Sango with.

He wanted her to hurry back; it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Sesshomaru winced when he scratched his head a little, and tried to stand up, only to be growled at by InuYasha to stay down until he felt a little better.

“Maybe you should regard the old village miko about this matter, InuYasha.”

InuYasha wrinkled his nose. “Keh! There's nothing she can do about it, anyway.”

“Than maybe the miko?”

“I highly doubt it. Kagome's not going to be able to do a lot until her arm heals, you know. I'd rather not tell her, not yet, anyway.”

Sesshomaru nodded at his brothers' maturity. He remembered InuYasha as a child---tough, but he was weak and fragile in the heart. His spirits were melancholy, and his ears were constantly pressed to his head. But the man he had grown into . . . “Father would be proud.”

InuYasha's cheeks flushed. “Yeah . . . of both of us.”

“Luckily I didn't kill you . . .”

“Keh! You want me to remind you how Tetsusaiga nearly got shoved up your---“

“Kagome!” Shippou shrieked. InuYasha could hear Shippou hopping off of the roof and barreling towards probably the rear entrance of the village as Rin tried to climb the ladder quickly.

Her foot slipped and she screamed when she came barreling down. In a flash of movement, Sesshomaru caught her before InuYasha had a chance to even get up. He cradled her to his chest and waited until her breathing died down. She smiled and thanked him when he put her down, shooting out of the hut, her hair beating against her back to greet Kagome.

“All women are clumsy,” InuYasha said, flattening his ears and shaking his head. “It's pathetic.”

Sesshomaru eyed him critically. “I think your woman has to be the clumsiest of them all.”

“Keh!”

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“Hungry?”

“Nope.”

“Thirsty?”

“Nope.”

“Bored?”

“Nope?”

“Then what's the matter?”

“How would I know?”

Miroku rolled his eyes and threw a small pebble at InuYasha. The hot spring for both of them had been a good idea, and Sesshomaru had been forced into it by Kagome, who threatened to purify him.

InuYasha thought it hysterical---until Kagome threatened him also. Sango had given Miroku and dark look and he winked at her, smiling when her cheeks blossomed in color and she looked away quickly. She couldn't provoke him; she knew that. Sighing when he lowered himself deeper into the scolding hot water, he felt the ache in his back give way.

InuYasha was watching him through narrow eyes. The hanyou had been in a bad mood since Kagome threatened to subdue him with the `osuwari' spell. But Miroku knew that Kagome wouldn't do anything like that unless he really deserved, it, which was nine out of the ten times that she'll use it. InuYasha was so predictable at times, but that didn't stop him from surprising them all from time to time. It was safe to say InuYasha was a best friend of Miroku, though it'll take a little effort for the hanyou to agree.

Sesshomaru, however, had barely said two words to Miroku. He wondered why, but then he remembered him and Sesshomaru never actually talked to each other, nevertheless looked at each other. It was like Sesshomaru just overlooked him, and even though it made him angry, Miroku knew better than to challenge the tai-youkai, especially since he seemed to be in a bad mood also.

Shippou hadn't wanted to come along. That was strange. . . Ever since Kagome had told Shippou he was growing too old to bathe with her, he hadn't wanted to bathe with anybody else. Maybe he still felt awkward, but Miroku didn't blame him. He wouldn't want to bathe with two brothers in fouls moods either.

“Will you stop staring?” InuYasha snapped, his ears flattened but irritation evident.

Miroku shrugged and sighed. “Whatever, my friend.”

Sesshomaru had an amused glint to his eyes, and he stood up abruptly, standing up and shaking his hair dry before dressing himself quickly. InuYasha stood up and wandered over to him, yanking his hakama over his hips and regarding Sesshomaru through narrow eyes. “What's the matter?”

Sesshomaru's cheeks were slightly pink, but he stared InuYasha down coldly before stomping away. With a snort, InuYasha hollered over his shoulder for Miroku to hurry. Sighing, the monk dipped himself under one long, last time and waded out of the water.

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The stars shone high up above, and Rin's soft laughter could be heard echoing through the roof of the hut. Kagome winced against the cold wind adding pressure on her legs and shoulders. InuYasha was near, she could sense him . . . but for some strange reason, she wanted him near with her.

She cradled her arm against her chest. It reminded her how fragile and weak life was . . . how weak she was. She had never thought about it, she always relied on InuYasha. But what if he hadn't gotten there in time? What if he was a couple of minutes late . . . would she be here right now? Tears of fright sprang behind her eyes, and she tried quickly to blink them back.

She rubbed her finger against the cold stone on her chest. An act of kindness, Rin had asked Kagome would she like her name carved into the stone, not forgetting to add the fact that Sesshomaru taught her the many things she hadn't been able to learn after her parents were killed. She was proud and happy that she had Sesshomaru, someone to care for her, but Kagome's heart went out to the little girl. She trusted him so much, and . . . would he break her heart when she finally came to him with it?

She sighed and wrapped her arms around her knees even tighter. It had been almost two days since the incident, and yet it rang through her mind with a vengeance. She felt weak and ashamed for relying on InuYasha to the point where she wasn't able to fend for herself. “Goshinboku---“She muttered, climbing down the latter swiftly and excusing herself before walking out of the hut.

She ambled towards the God Tree, looking up into its branches, and scowling when she couldn't see anything. But she didn't have to; she automatically knew before she even reached the tree he wasn't there.

It wasn't like him to be gone for so long and to the point where she didn't know where to find him. She gnawed on her lips and sighed. She was depending on him again, wasn't she? She wanted him to be here to comfort her, and she . . . she was really a pathetic human.

She sighed and stalked down the dark, silent road that lead towards what was the Bone Eater's well. The air was full of a dreadful sadness that tore at her aura. It made her skin crawl made her sigh as she pushed herself to walk further in the darkness of the night. It was foolish, to leave the village at this time without anybody with her . . . but right now, she didn't even care.

She began walking a little faster, could feel the youki of something watching her. It quickly disappeared, however, and she slowed down at the ruins, the memories of all the times she was pushed, fell, or simply jumped down the well that wasn't there anymore.

It hit her hard. She walked to it and collapsed onto her knees, digging her face into her hands. Before she knew it, she was sobbing. Memories of her mother, of the Shrine, her grandfather, Buyo, and Souta . . . it was all coming to her at once. Homesickness was a bitter thing, especially when you know you can't go back.

Her crying escalated. She had been delaying the pain all along, hadn't she? She had never wanted to see her mother more, to hug her, just to tell her that she loved her. But she would never see her mother again. And that brought the bitter tears spilling all over again.

“I . . . I just want to go home.”

The flash of pain, of hurt tore at a heart that wasn't her own. His youki constricting, wrapping around himself as he took a step back, InuYasha looked betrayed and vulnerable. His eyes took on a guarded darkness, the same kind he had when she first met him. Ears flattened, he blanked his features clearly and walked over to her.

He was hurt . . . she could tell by his stiffness and the way he wouldn't look at her. Tugging her up softly, but sternly, he placed her on his back and walked home. There was a strange silence, and she reached for his ears, gasping when he flattened his ears and allowed her to slide off of his back, taking a couple of steps away from her and bowing his head sadly.

He had never pushed her away . . . never. It hurt her more than she could ever imagine, and yet the stubborn pride to deny the truth was what kept the second flow of tears from coming. Her lips trembling, she reached for him again. He was fading away . . . his youki took on a guarded lash, battling with her aura, keeping her a good distance away from him. He looked at her, and with a broken sob, she fell to the floor. She didn't have to ask him to know what he was feeling. One glance was all it took.

He was crying on the inside. He was crying . . . and broken.

The promise rang in her ears, and she stood up again and slowly waded toward him.

“Does it really bother you that much to stay here? If you had the choice, where would you have stayed?”

Kagome looked at InuYasha for a moment. “Iwould not have chosen. I would have just donethe same thing I always did. Visit each place for a short time, and balance two lives, but I'm sad and pleased at the same time.” InuYasha looked at her as if she lost her mind. “Inmy era, there are things like T.Vand other things like that. Material things that make life easier. But here, I get to be free, one with nature, and I'd rather that than the city.”

InuYasha looked pleased. “Iwas just asking. I was kind of hopingthat you would have chosen to stay here, with me.” Kagome turned her head and looked at him.

“Would you have liked me to?”

“Does it matter what I want?”

“Does it matter what I want?”

“To me it does.”

“And what you want matter to me.” InuYasha did something he rarely did, grin. Looking over the cliff, he sighed.

“Kagome that day that you said you wanted to stay by my side, at the well, did you mean it?”

“Duh. Um here, aren't I?”

“Yeah, but every timeyou would leave for a long time, I would always get scared you wouldn't come back.”

“And why would I do that?”

“You tell me.”

Kagome giggled. “Remember this. If I ever leave, I'll come back sooner or later. Probably not as I planned, but I'll come back.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Why was it hard to breathe? Why couldn't she believe herself . . . why did she hate herself at this moment? InuYasha sighed and flattened his ears again, wincing and holding out his hand to her. “I . . . you didn't really wanted to stay, did you?”

She winced and shook her head quickly. “It's not that . . . I . . .”

InuYasha laughed. The sound was hollow, nothing humorous about it. She flinched again when his eyes flashed with unshed tears, and when she stepped for him, he stepped back. Two more times they repeated this process, until she finally broke down crying again. “I didn't mean to destroy the well . . . I didn't mean to make you . . . make you live with a disgusting half-breed like me.”

“I . . .”

“I . . . I guess it was really stupid for me to think that you . . . that you chose me on your own, huh? Right . . .”

Without another word, he hunkered down. Kagome knew what he wanted her to do, but she couldn't do it. Instead, with a broken sob, she sprinted past him and back towards the village.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as something flashed behind her, and he hopped into the tears. The moon kissed away the tears she was cursed to witness.

8:88::888::88:8

"Promise," She said softly, lifting her face up again. It was almost she knew what she was doing, knew she was making him feel things that he never felt before, and for some reason, he liked believing that. "Promise you won't leave. Ever."

"I," InuYasha stammered. "I promise."

`She . . . she lied to me . . . didn't she?'

Crawling over to her and changing the cloth upon her head, he spoke to her softly as he brushed the hair out of her face and dropped a little spring water into her mouth. She didn't say anything as he lifted her head so that she could swallow, and instead of placing it back down, he moved behind her and set it on his lap. She sighed happily as she pulled the haori to her chin as her shivering ceased and she simply laid there, a frigid and frail mass that had no strength whatsoever. InuYasha, who was cradling her head, whispered soothing words, making her smile as he tried to raise her spirits by entertaining her. "I have a present for you."

She cut her eye as best as she could to look at him with interest. He nearly laughed. "But you won't get it until you feel better. Think of it as a reward.” She pouted slightly as he gave her a little more water. Frowning as he thought it over, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "You can go ahead and fall asleep now. I know you won't leave me."

She gave a faint smile, and immediately closed her eyes and fell asleep.

`I . . . I trusted her . . .'

`Don't you think you are overreacting? Give her time to think . . . you two are constantly hurting each other's feelings . . . it never fails. Give her time . . .'

`But . . . she wants to go home, you heard her.'

`So? She always wants to go home.'

InuYasha winced.`But hearing the way she said it . . .'

"I . . . I won't let him have you, even if I have to kill him in order to do it."

Kagome gasped softly as the husky quality of his voice, at the sincerity in his tone. Tears came to her eyes, and InuYasha looked at her with concern. She sighed and wiped her eyes, hugging him tight as they freely flowed down her face. "InuYasha . . . I don't want you going around killing people just for me."

He pouted and growled. "If that's what I need to do, not even your crying can stop me Kagome."

The pain was raw, deep. He never knew he could feel like this. He felt like he was dying, like a part of him had been ripped out and then thrown into the river. He winced again when his body gave a painful ache and dug his claws into the branches of Goshinboku.

InuYasha . . . I'm . . . I'm scared."

InuYasha flinched a little. He reached into his haori pocket and held something in the palm of his hands. Kagome realized as he picked up her hand and took hold of her ring finger that he was shaking. She gasped softly as she felt a cold and slightly heavy object being pushed down her finger, before InuYasha's soft lips kissed her delicate flesh and he brought her hand to his face, pushing her palm on his cheek, shuddering as the heat from her touch transferred to his skin, leaving him scorched and burned. "Take this as a promise . . . I'll never hurt you."

Kagome stared at InuYasha's eyes, than at the ring on her finger. The diamond in it was huge, and utterly beautiful. Looking immediately, she had known that he had made the diamond himself. With a smile, she leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek.

The memory of his promise was strong in his mind, and he winced. Had he just broken his promise? He had a feeling that he had done considerable damage this time, but did she just realize the extent of the words she muttered? Would she ever understand how much he's hurting right now?

`She wants to leave me . . . she wants to leave me, and never come back.'

His youkai voice was quiet, and the scent of Kagome's tears and the flash of her pain hit him hard. He whimpered and dug his claws into the tree bark again, wincing when it splintered and began to fall off in large chunks.

He wanted her with him now . . . just to hold her, more than anything else.

`No one . . . no one chooses a hanyou.'

“Baka.”

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A/N

Hold on, I need a moment. This chapter has brought tears to my eyes.