InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Kagome's Story ❯ Chapter 16 ( Chapter 16 )

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

She hadn’t spoken to him since their conversation in the car. She took her bag to his apartment and mumbled something about being back later. Which is precisely what she decided she would do; be back later.

She was running. Running to nowhere.

‘I like running at night. Then no one stares at me like I’m a deranged animal. No one can be in my way, I can just run, and run, and run. It’s as if gravity doesn’t even exist, I seem to hover above the ground as I move. I float as I drift past everything. I’m definitely in the bad side of town now. I can see the graffiti on the walls, the thugs in the alleys…I don’t like how they look at me as I run past them.’ She frowned and pushed herself to the limit, she needed to circle around and find her way back to Inuyasha’s. It was a good thing she remembered that she had only run straight, not taking any turns.

‘I wonder what Inuyasha’s doing right now…Is he worried about me? I did somewhat just run out on him after he had been so kind to me…I hope he didn’t leave…I don’t have a key, nor do I know what time it is…Damn! Why don’t I think before I do things?’ She mentally slapped herself ‘I’ve got to apologize like really-’

She screamed the only sound breaking through the slumbering city. She placed her hands in front of her, bracing herself for the impact. It came, scraping her arms, knees and stomach. Apparently her ankle hadn’t been as well as she had thought, fore it decided to give out on her, just then, further injuring her. She didn’t mind as the tears slipped down her cheeks, knowing no one was outside to see them. She only knew that she had to get home…err…Inuyasha’s apartment.

Gingerly, she picked herself up and, limping, made her way back. It didn’t seem to go as quickly as it had when she had been running. She wished she could run back. She wrapped her arms around herself, protecting herself from the brisk wind. When had it gotten so cold? Had she missed it? She sighed and slumped to the ground in defeat. Her cuts and scrapes were bleeding all over her, Inuyasha’s, clothes. She bit her lip as the howling wind whipped and stung.

‘Why did I leave?’

---

‘Where’d she go!? She left at least an hour ago!! Damn girl, I don’t have enough time to be here when she gets back and go to work! Why did she leave!? Man…’ He looked out the window and was alarmed at the rain he hadn’t scented coming. ‘Shit!’

He grabbed his coat, keys and ran out into the night. ‘Please be okay…Please be okay…’ His mantra continued in his head until he could see the outline of something on the ground ahead. His breath hitched in his throat; somehow, knowing it was her. He ran over to her and was relieved to find she was still breathing.

“Kagome!? Are you alright?” She nodded meekly as he pulled her to him. She was sobbing and it pained him for her to do so. He noticed the blood mixed with the rain and shot his worried gaze at her. “Are you sure!?” She nodded once more and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I fell…” She whispered. “And I twisted my ankle again.” She smiled at her own stupidity. Her smile caused relief to sweep through him.

“Stupid girl.” He mumbled into her hair as he stood up. “You scared me half to death!” He began jogging through the rain. There were overcome by an awkward silence until they reached the apartment. He set her in the chair and looked her over.

“Girl, you look like shit.”

“Thanks.” She glared up at him through wet bangs. He sighed and shook his head.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” She nodded and allowed him to help her to the bathroom. “What the hell were you thinking anyway?” Kagome sat on the toilet seat as he searched through the cabinet below the sink. He came back over to her with bandages, a wet washcloth, and ointment in hand.

“I needed to get away from everything…” He rolled his eyes.

“What a horrible way to do so.” He bluntly replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “You ruined my favorite jeans.” Her eyes widened with apology.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I’ll clean them-- I promise!!” Inuyasha mumbled incoherently as he began washing her arms with the cloth. After he had gotten most of the dirt and grit cleaned away, he applied the Neosporin, and then covered the cuts with bandages.

“Heh. You could be starting a new fashion trend here, babe.”

“Oh please.” She rolled her eyes with laughter. “I look like I went Emo or something!!”

“Eww!! That would be so horrible! I think I would have to disown you as a friend or something if you did that!” He smirked at her as he moved on to her legs, being mindful of her swollen ankle.

“Pishaw!!” She waved the notion away. “I’d have to disown myself if I ever became that stupid!” They shared a good laugh at that.

“Anywhere else?” He blinked up at her, having finished both her arms and legs. She thought about it for a moment and pointed to her stomach. He nodded his head, lifted her shirt up, and began cleaning the cuts, bandaging, and everything. Silence befell them again, having run out of things to say. But it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence like when you’re talking to someone on the phone, just a silence.

“Want me to wrap yer ankle too?”

“Yeah…So I don’t go running like that again…” He nodded and did his task.

“Oh, tomorrow’s Saturday, I almost forgot. It’s Rin’s party tomorrow.”

“Really!? Are we supposed to get her something!?” Her brown orbs lit up at the thought of getting to see the adorable little girl again.

“Nah…Sesshomaru usually gets her a whole shit load of junk anyway, we could never get anything good enough.”

“Well that’s stupid. Why would someone spoil a kid that much!? I wasn’t spoiled and look how great I turned out!” He snorted at the comment. She glared up at him, man, I think it was the worst glare she ever gave him. “And what’s so bad about me!?” She pointed at herself to emphasis her point.

“Well…You went off with some guy you’ve only known a few weeks…Ran away from home and now live with him…And he’s a drug dealer none-the-less!” She flinched. She hadn’t expected for him to tell her things that were wrong with her. Especially when he was downing on himself. And he was her new friend. She despised it when he showed his hatred towards himself. Sometimes it may be great…but not right now. His ears drooped at her somber mood. He scented the air and caught whiff of salty tears.

“No! Kags I’m sorry!! Please don’t cry!!” He leaned up and wrapped his arms around her small form, trying his best to comfort her, even though he wasn’t quite sure what he had said that made her cry. Maybe it was the tone of his voice? He shook his head; he would never understand chicks.

“But…but…You made it so real…I mean….I felt as though…This past months been like…A nightmare…But you made reality come crashing back down at me!!” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “Sorry for crying.” She looked down at the floor fiddling with a strand of hair. “I guess I’m just weak.”

He pulled away and put his hands on her shoulders, staring intently at her. He didn’t speak a word that was on his mind until she looked at him. He could see something in her eyes, he wasn’t sure what it was…But he knew it was there.

“Kags, of course you’re weak!” She focused another glare at him and scrunched her nose.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better!? ‘Cause if it was, then you have a hell of a lot to learn-”

“No, no, no! You didn’t let me finish!!” He removed his hands from her shoulders and crossed them over his chest, leaning back on his heels. “Now, as I was saying, of course you’re weak. If you weren’t, then you wouldn’t be you. You wouldn’t need someone to protect you. And I can tell, just from observation that your friends love protecting you.” He nodded, proud of himself. She furrowed her brow and rolled her eyes thinking he was weird. ‘Was that supposed to make sense?’ She bit her lip trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about. ‘Oh well.’

“Well.” She clapped her hands together, finalizing their little moment. “I’m tired of sitting here, not very sanitary.”

“Actually, the toilet is the cleanest thing in most people’s houses.” He smiled proudly, for the fact of knowing that.

“Eww!!” He helped her stand and they went to the kitchen and sat at the table. “You know, considering your toilet belongs to you…And you probably throw up in it a lot from all your drinking….I wouldn’t say it was very sanitary.”

“Hey!! I do not throw up a lot! I don’t get drunk all of the time, just drink a little.”

“Suurree. Whatever.” She waved the conversation away, already tired of it. “So, what are the plans for tomorrow?”

“Uhh…I work in the morning, you sleep in. I’ll wake you up when I get home, we can get ready, and then off to Rin’s we go.” He said it slowly, just in case she didn’t catch everything.

“Hey!! I’m not five, ya know!” She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Ready for bed, babe?”

“Yeah.” She muttered realizing she did sound like a five-year-old now. Damn.

---

“Hello? Kikyou? Is Kagome at home? Okay, I’ll hold.” Sango impatiently shifted her weight from one foot to the other. This gut feeling that something bad was going to happen began a few hours ago and she just couldn’t shake the feeling.

She sat, phone next to ear, in uncomfortable silence for nearly ten minutes. “Kikyou?” Dead air. She yelled this time, “Kikyou!?” Still nothing. “KIKYOU!?” She screeched deafeningly. She listened intently for a voice, but none came. Nothing, nada, zilch, nil.

“What the hell?” She set the phone back on its cradle and walked towards her living room. There she found precisely what she was looking for. She turned on the charm and hoped against all else, things would go in her favor.

“Daddy…?” Said man didn’t turn his gaze from the TV, only grunted in response. “Well…” She looked around nervously, twiddling her fingers. “I was hoping if maybe you could let me use the car?” She closed her eyes, waiting for the common response of ‘Hello no, you ain’t touchin’ my fucking car’, but nope. He merely grunted and waved her away with a ‘Yeah, sure, whatever you want honey.’ She was stunned with joy.

“Eeeeiiii!” She squealed like a little girl and ran to the kitchen to grab the keys. “Thank you Daddy!” She called out as she ran out the door.

“Umm…Dad…” His father turned his attention to the boy, seeing as it was now a commercial.

“Yes, son?” He smiled obliviously.

“You do realize that you let Sango drive your ‘precious’ Camaro…And she doesn’t have her drivers license…Correct?” There was an eerie silence; only the low drowning of the TV could be heard.

“SANGO!!” He roared, “The moment you step foot back in this house you are grounded!!!! And Kohaku, why didn’t you stop her!?”

Kohaku immediately stopped his sniggering… “I…Uhh….I have homework!” He exclaimed before hightailing it out of there.

---

Kikyou answered the phone as it rang. She told her little sister’s friend, Sango, that she would get Kagome for her. She gently set the phone down as she gracefully swept up the stairs and to her sister’s room. The desk light was on, but from what she could tell, she wasn’t in there. ‘Odd…I could have sworn she was in here…’

“Dad!!” She called out calmly. She waited for his response before going on. “Have you seen Kagome?”

“No, why?”

“No reason!” She walked into the room to turn the light off. She looked down just as her slim fingers danced around the light for the switch.

‘No one wants me, or so I’ve been told. I can’t stay here.?’ She furrowed her brow in confusion.

“Did Kagome write this?” She moved her hand away from the light and took a seat with the book in her hands.

---

“No, why?” He waited for his daughter to answer him before shrugging and shoving a lemon drop in his mouth. A small smile appeared on his face. Lemon drops were always his weakness. He passed by the phone on his way to the couch and paused when he saw it was off the hook. He picked it up and listened. Nothing. Then, the loud booming voice of the operator nearly blew his eardrums out. He grumbled and slammed the phone back on the receiver.

“Damn kids and them not hangin’ the phone up…Need to learn some manners too!” He shook his head and popped another lemon candy in his mouth.

He heard silence throughout the house and paused. There was never silence in this house. It was really very unnerving. He walked up the stairs and went into Kagome’s room, since it had a light on and everything and he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight.

His daughter. She rarely showed much emotion but here she was…Sobbing. Dear god was it going to be an Apocalypse!?

“Oh Daddy!” She leapt off of the ground and flung herself on the man, nearly knocking him over.

“Kikyou, Hun, what’s wrong?” He patted her back concernedly. She wiped her tears and handed him the, now ruffled, journal.

---

Long enough for you all? I just….I don’t know….This chapter really wasn’t working for me….AT ALL. That, and the fact my Grandma, whom I live with, is in the hospital, which lands me babysitting a lot….Yeah, see I have excuses for updating later than planned.

Oh, and I really liked my old S/N, so it’s back. Just minus the spaces, so it’s 1 character under 30. : ) ha! Take that, FF!! When I’m in a good mood that equals nice me and the S/N applies. But when I’m in a bad mood, that equals not so nice me and this name applies Steffanie, Sir Bitch.

Oh, and one more thing. I’m going to go through and edit everything, I’m not satisfied with the work. It’ll only change a minor bit, so you don’t have to re-read everything.

Steffaniey the Lavishly Splendid