InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Crying Game ❯ The Morning After ( Chapter 3 )

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

DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own Inuyasha. I just like to play with them.

The Crying Game

Ch.3

By: Lara Winner

It was the beginning of the end.

Looking down at Kagome's sleeping face, Inuyasha sighed. She was so beautiful. Nuzzling her neck, he breathed in deeply trying to imprint the sent of her skin to memory. Lightly he ran his tongue over the two purple whelps he made with his teeth. She tasted sweet. He would have to remember every detail about her.

"Gods I'm pathetic." He whispered to himself.

Pulling away, he blocked out the ache in his heart as he rose to his feet and dressed. Looking down at her he felt his stomach tense, his chest heave and his anger rise. She was his now. He had marked her and taken her first blood. His sent would forever mix with her own and even the dumbest youkai would know she was his mate. She belonged to him now, in every way possible.

Jealousy pricked his conscious, drowning out the logic of his humanity and replacing it with savage youkai instinct. So the idiot thought she was going to leave did she? A low pitch snarl rumbled in his throat at the notion. She needed to learn her place. She would do nothing without his consent. Why should he have to suffer because she wanted to go home. This was her home now and the only way she would abandon it would be over his dead body.

You would give up your life for her happiness and you know it.

The words screamed across his mind and his ears flattened and shoulders slumped. The demonic jealousy that gripped him faded as quickly as it came and Inuyasha found he could do nothing but concede defeat. His heart was right. She wanted to go home. For the last month it was all she talked about. No doubt, the only reason she was still here was because they had yet to purify the Shikon stone. Come tomorrow she would be out of his life forever and he didn't have the heart to demand that she stay.

"Damn it!" he hissed under his breath.

Resigning himself to what would be his undoing, Inuyasha tried to dress Kagome as well as he could without waking her. He dug in her pack and pulled out her familiar uniform and then the contraptions that went underneath. Holding up the lacy material, he stared wide eyed at the hooks and straps and stretchy bands…

On second thought, he stuffed the undergarments back into her pack and settled on the easy blouse and skirt. How she got herself into those pointless things, was beyond him. As it was, now that his desire was cooled, he knew he was blushing ten shades of red at having to dress her like this. But he couldn't bring her back to Kaede's hut naked and he wasn't about to leave her out here in such a vulnerable state.

The knowledge that he could always spend the rest of the night curled against her, cuddling with his mate, was unbelievably tempting but he stopped himself. Claiming her as his mate was bad enough. It would be hell to live the rest of life alone, knowing his chosen was another world away. To make more memories right now would only compound that hurt and loneliness into something that would destroy him. It would be better for the both of them if he never touched her again.

It was with that thought still in mind that a half an hour later his task was complete and he knelt beside Kagome, tucking the worn sleeping bag around her shoulders. The small fire in the center of the room cast its slumbering occupants in dancing shadows. Tenderly Inuyasha brushed Kagome's dark bangs from her eyes and smiled slightly. At least they had tonight. It wouldn't be nearly enough but it was still something to hold onto and remember.

Leaning down, he pressed a light kiss to her brow, silently bidding his heart farewell. Then he walked back out into the night refusing to look back.

****

"Kagome! Kagome wake up! Inuyasha's here!"

Small hands shook her shoulders mercilessly. Sunlight burned through her eyes lids and the sounds of the morning combined with the nearly screeching voice of a kitsune cub… Kagome wanted to pull her sleeping bag over her head and return to sleep.

Sleeping bag?

Her eyes shot open and focused on Shippo's excited face. Quickly they darted around the rest of the room. Miroku and Sango were in the corner discussing something serious by the look on their faces. Kaede was standing over the fire stirring a pot giving of the delicious aroma of hot tea. It was a typical morning in Kaede's hut. Only this wasn't where she had fallen asleep last night.

For a moment her eyes clouded and she was assailed with the memory of being held in strong arms, closing her eyes and drifting to sleep secure against HIS body…

For one horrible second she wondered if the night before was a dream. As her heart lurched she sat up and promptly winced. Every muscle ached and certain areas were extremely sore. No, last night was no dream. A small smile curved her lips.

"Kagome? Are you alright? I just told you Inuyasha's back. He's outside in the tree." Shippo repeated, crawling onto Kagome's lap and fairly bouncing up and down.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She laughed, ruffling the cub's hair. "I knew he would be back eventually."

"I wonder why he left? Sometimes he can be so stupid ne?" Shippo asked.

"Feh. I'd watch who you're calling stupid you little brat." Came the sharp reply from the door.

Everyone looked up and Kagome felt herself blush. Heaven's help her, the boy was sinfully handsome. Swallowing hard, she desperately tried to forget what his hands and mouth could do to her body.

Shifting a little where she sat, she held Shippo a little tighter and glared playfully at Inuyasha. "It's about time you decided to show your face. I was beginning to think I wouldn't get to say goodbye to you before I left."

The dog-demon froze and stared at her pensively for a moment, almost studying her, then he shrugged, his whole expression becoming shuttered. "I needed to get away from certain distractions and clear my head."

The edge in his tone stung Kagome as she realized he wasn't teasing. She watched him move stiffly across the room and take his usual seat propped in the window. There was a distance about him this morning. Kagome frowned, realizing she was not seeing a trace of the man she was with the previous night.

"Well?" Miroku burst, commanding the attention of the room with the serious tone of his voice. "Now that we are all together there is a certain issue that needs to be discussed."

"Cut right to the point 'eh?" Inuyasha asked irritably.

"There is no sense in delaying this discussion. Kagome needs to return to her home." Miroku explained quietly, watching Inuyasha carefully. "Since you desired the Shikon stone I'm assuming you know what you want to wish for?"

Human and Hanyou squared off for a moment before the demon turned his gaze to the window. There was a lack of vitality about him as he spoke wearily, "I have no use for the stone. Do whatever the hell you want with it."

The bewildered expression on Miroku's face was comical and Kagome would have laughed but a sinking sensation in her chest made her observe Inuyasha thoughtfully. He was staring out the window, lost in deep thought, looking so sad that Kagome almost gave into the urge to go over and wrap her arms around him. However, she couldn't seem to make herself move. There was a dark aura surrounding him telling her now was not the time to comfort him. So she remained still.

"But I thought you wanted to be a youkai?" Shippo whined as he bounded off of Kagome's lap and hoped up onto Inuyasha's. "You'd be the best youkai around." The cub exclaimed cheerfully.

"Yeah right." Inuyasha sneered. "You're just a little kid. You don't understand anything. And did I say you could sit on me?" He yelled abruptly, making Shippo scurry back into Kagome's arms.

Sango sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. "Cut it out you two. This is a serious matter." Giving Inuyasha a warning glare she continued, "We understand if you've had a change of heart but what happens to the stone now?"

Kagome answered. "I'll continue to bear the responsibility of its protection until we find another way to purify it," Her solemn words gained the attention of her friends.

Kaede frowned. "Ye can not stay here child. Too much has been asked of ye already."

Kagome shook her head. "Then I'll take it with me to my time. I'll keep it with me and make sure it stays safe."

"And maybe this time around you won't shatter it into a million pieces." muttered Inuyasha.

His spiteful comment made Kagome's eyes widen. Foolishly she felt the pin pricks of tears threatening to come. "Excuse me?" She choked.

"You heard me. It's all your fault this happened. If you wouldn't have been weak and allowed that psycho centipede bitch to bring you through then we never would have had to deal with this mess. Kikyo wouldn't have been so stupid. Maybe you should quit trying to take her place." He hissed.

Silence followed the hanyou's outburst and Kagome could only stare at him in shock. To his credit, he even looked surprised and dismayed at what he said but it was too late to call it back. Pain, sharp and merciless made her breath catch in her throat. Her eyes burned, begging to release the flood of misery that suddenly consumed her. But the miko inside her refused to be laid low by her emotions. Instead she took comfort in the icy numbness that was slowly engulfing her.

"I'm sorry you see it that way." she said tonelessly.

Something must have shown through in her expression or maybe it was the lack thereof, she couldn't tell, but Inuyasha's face paled, his ears fell back and she saw a flash of panic in his eyes.

"That was so mean you big jerk!" Shippo cried.

Miroku nodded in agreement. "Completely uncalled for Inuyasha."

Under the angry stares leveled his way, Inuyasha shifted uneasily before lowering his eyes and appearing almost contrite as he breathed. "You're right. I'm sorry Kagome."

"Don't be." She replied, managing a cold smile as the hanyou made for the door. "I'm glad I finally how you really feel."