InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Decision ❯ Chapter 2: Sweet Music ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

This chapter should be okay for anyone!

CHAPTER 2

Kagome and the others began to lose all hope. Kagome's tears start to stream faster and harder. She had to turn her back to him and just pray that he would be okay.

"Ka-Kagome," Inuyasha said. Kagome whirled around to see Inuyasha's face eyes wide open. She looked at his wound. It was slowly beginning to close up.

"That's some medicine you have Higurashi!" exclaimed Sango overjoyed to see the hanyou still alive. Inuyasha started to sit up much to everyone's discontent.

"No!" They all shouted in unison.

Inuyasha jumped back a little. "Okay," he said surprised at everyone's concern. He had awakened just in time to see Kagome cry and everyone's heads fall in sadness.

`They were concerned for me,' he thought. He stared at Kagome whose cheeks were still stained from tears. `She cried for me?' he questioned somewhat shocked at the idea. She had done that before. `Kagome is something else,' he thought. `And she is still beautiful even with bloodshot eyes and stained cheeks….Whoa! What am I saying? Kagome is Kagome. Feh! She's not beautiful, she's…'

His thoughts were cut off by Kagome changing his bandages. She smiled weakly. She then gently placing a pillow under his head, and put a cold cloth on his forehead.

"Do you need anything else?" she asked him. His eyes were filled with disbelief.

`Why is she waiting on me like this? She's concerned,' he thought answering his own question.

"Inuyasha?" she asked again slightly blushing at him staring at her. He caught himself staring at her and blushed.

"No," he replied but as she turned to walk out he said, "Kagome!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned. "Hmm?"

"Um…er…uh…thankyou," he said forcefully, not looking at her. She smiled in response knowing that his tough attitude was just Inuyasha trying to be tough. She walked out.

Everyone turned to look at Inuyasha who purposely avoiding their gaze. Miroku was the first to speak.

"I must say that I am impressed Inuyasha. I really do not think I have ever seen you treat Lady Kagome more kindly. But there again she did just save you from dying." One thing stuck out in Inuyasha's head.

`Is saying thank you the nicest thing I have ever done for her?' he thought remembering all of the times she had nursed him back to health, cried for him, put up with his stunts with Kikyo and his neverending insults, and helped him collect fragments of the jewel. Had all he done was protect her from dying? Had he never told her nice things? His thoughts were broken off by Kaede mumbling something about Kagome being an incredibly powerful priestess. He decided to listen.

"Kagome gets more and more powerful each day," she continued. "I have never seen a priestess with powers such as Kagome. Not even my sister Kikyo. Inuyasha was near death and she brought him back to life. Kikyo could never perform such feats. Of course her friendship with Inuyasha probably helped for if ye has a bond with someone ye's powers to heal that person increase ten fold. If only Kagome were not from another time. Her powers are strong enough to ward off any demon from our village and even some surrounding villages. She could surely continue the peace found here after Naraku's death. I am old and it is time for someone to take my place. Kagome would be a greater priestess than my sister." Kaede hung her head at the idea of losing such a perfect replacement to another time.

`That's right,' Inuyasha thought. `Kagome has to go back…but will she choose to go back? Of course she will idiot! What would make her want to stay here? Surely not a lousy hanyou like me! Even humans hate hanyous…but…Kagome is the only one who ever treated me like an equal.'

Kagome walked/limped back through the door with a fresh bucket of cold water.

"Kagome!" he exclaimed. "Why are you limping?" She winced in pain, sat the water down, and said nothing.

"She was in such a hurry to get back to save you that she tripped while she was running here and twisted her ankle, but she refuses to let us help her," Miroku answered for her. "Kagome, I insist, let me…"

"No!" she replied quickly. "I am fine!" The entire room knew she was lying. Despite her being a powerful priestess, she still was a mere human. Kagome had not noticed the pain until after she knew Inuyasha was okay. `I didn't realize how bad I had injured myself. I guess continuing to run didn't help any,' she thought. She took off Inuyasha's head cloth, dipped it in fresh, cold water, and placed it on his forehead. She smiled.

"The chills seem to be leaving you. You will not need this cloth for much longer." She glanced at his wounds. "Looking good," she said. "That medicine I gave you really worked. I need to remember it for when you or any other hanyou gets badly injured again."

`Did she just say any other hanyou? Does this mean that she intends to stay? No, it can't be. But she did say any other hanyou. Maybe I am not something that she was forced to like. Maybe she sincerely doesn't have a problem with any hanyou. But that's impossible. EVERYONE sees us as low life forms,' he thought.

"Kagome," Inuyasha said sniffing the air. "What's that unusual smell?"

"Oh, you must smell my herbs. I just picked them. They are known to help you relax and if you are relaxed you will heal faster. I am about to grind them up, but I forgot you had such sensitive smell. I may not have to grind too much doggy boy!" she said.

He laughed. Everyone looked at Inuyasha. Had someone just made Inuyasha laugh?

* * * *

Later that evening as the sun was setting, everyone pretty much did their own thing. Shippo went with Kaede to find some more herbs, Sango and Miroku sat outside Kaede's hut to monitor Inuyasha's improvement, and Kagome commenced to sweeping and tidying things up outside. Sango and Miroku had been talking about Inuyasha and Kagome since they had gotten outside.

"So," Sango asked. "What was it that Inuyasha wanted you to tell Kagome if he had died?"

Realizing it could just be a scam to get the information so she could tell Kagome he smiled and said, "I don't know. What are you willing to do to find out?"

*WHAM!*

"Lecher!" she said after she had whacked him over the head. "I have no intentions of telling Kagome. If it is something between her and Inuyasha then it is something she needs to find out on her own. I will do NOTHING to find out. So either tell me or move on to another subject."

Miroku rubbed his head. "Sorry guys' oath. Can't tell."

"Fine!" Sango said as she folded her arms tightly across her chest in a pouting position.

Feeling guilty Miroku said, "But I will tell you that Inuyasha just wanted me to tell Kagome how he felt about her should he die without saying it. That is all I am going to say." He sipped on a cup of tea. Sango didn't need anything other than that. She could figure the rest out for herself. "How does Kagome feel about Inuyasha?" he asked her.

"Sorry girls' oath," she said mockingly with a smirk. "Can't tell."

Miroku scowled. "Now I told you a little."

Sango smiled. "To be perfectly honest with you, Kagome and I never got into a lot of depth about it. I know she has feelings for him but I know not to what extent."

"Hmm…huh?" Miroku was deep in thought when he heard the sweet sound of a young woman singing.

"What pretty singing," Sango said. "Where is it coming from?"

They walked farther away from the hut to find…Kagome! She had just finished taking a bath and washing the blood and dirt stains from her school uniform. It was drying not far from her. She had on Kaede's priestess clothing and was looking more radiant than ever as she swept. Unbeknownst to her, the villagers had slowed their pace to stare at the beautiful girl and listen to the sweet music that escaped from her lips. The music was from Kagome's time but Kagome's beautiful voice made it that much more enchanting.

"Sango…is it me or is Lady Kagome more radiant than ever today?" Miroku asked entranced. Sango couldn't help but to agree.

"There is something different about her," she said moving closer to her but her steps were cut off by another voice.

"I agree with you for once Miroku. Normally I would smack you to the ground for saying something about her, but you at least said it with respect this time," Inuyasha said as he appeared out of no where. He watched in amazement as the music seemed to soothe him somehow. Kagome stood with her back to everyone so she had not noticed the crowd that began to encircle behind her as she continued singing in her own little world. Meanwhile, Sango and Miroku's attention kept diverting between Inuyasha and Kagome.

Sango whispered to Miroku, "Did he just say in an odd way that Kagome is incredibly beautiful today?"

Miroku nodded. "I do believe so," he whispered back. Kaede and Shippo had even returned with the herbs and they too were staring at her as she sang. Kagome continued to sing as she closed her eyes and almost danced as she swept. Her hair flung from side to side as she moved making her that much more enchanting. Inuyasha was the first to move and take a step towards Kagome. This broke his friends stare as they realized the kind of look Inuyasha was giving Kagome. He had such a soft look on his face like he was content, happy, and amazed all at once. It was a look of…of love!

Kagome suddenly turned around to see everyone staring at her. "Eep!" she gasped as she dropped her broom. Her face glowed a bright red from embarrassment. The villagers immediately continued their work and pretending they had not been staring, but her friends continued their gaze. Sango was the first to speak.

"Kagome!" she said. "Where did you learn to sing like that?"

"Indeed Lady Kagome," Miroku chimed in. "I do believe that is the sweetest sound I have ever heard."

Shippo ran to her and jump in her arms. "Weee! Kagome, I love your singing. Will you sing me to sleep tonight?" Kagome blushed again at everyone's reaction. She then turned her attention to the closest face to hers, Inuyasha.

`Say something,' she thought. `Don't just stare at me.'

Inuyasha then turned his face into a scowl.

"Hmph!" he said and folded his arms. "Watcha staring at?"

"Nothing," she replied so calmly that it could almost not be heard. "I was just wondering why you were staring at me in such a way."

"Staring at you in WHAT kind of way? And I wasn't staring. I ain't got no reason to be staring at you! I was just wondering where that noise was coming from. My ears are sensitive ya' know!" he retorted.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. That look on her face…so full of hurt. She didn't shout at him or get angry…she just looked hurt. Inuyasha felt like something was being drilled into his heart when he saw her face like that. She placed Shippo on the ground and picked up her broom.

"I believe I have some chores inside. Excuse me," she said looking at the ground and walking past her friends without looking up. As soon as she was gone Inuyasha could feel the heat of everyone's stare on him.

"What?!" he shouted. Miroku hit him over the head.

"I saw the way you looked at her. I saw your reaction to her singing. You could have at least said nothing about it if you were going to act like that!" Miroku said and took his staff and whacked him again.

Shippo kicked him in the knee. "That's right. Why do you insist on treating her like crapp?! She gave her life for you and would gladly do it all over again. I know Kagome. She looked prettier than ever and her singing was amazing and all you could do was talk rudely to her! If I was Kagome I would take off with Kouga and forget you. At least he treats her nice!"

With that statement Inuyasha picked up Shippo by the tail and punched him on the head a few times.

"Let him go Inuyasha!" Miroku said. "Forget what he said. Didn't you see the look on her face as she left."

"Come to think of it, she would normally fight back with me but this time she just kind of acted like she didn't feel like it or…" Inuyasha was interrupted.

"Or she was hurt!" Sango said as they realized that she had disappeared with Kagome and was suddenly back in their presence.

~Flashback~

Sango wasted no time following Kagome into the hut. She knew Miroku and Shippo would take care of Inuyasha's rudeness. She found Kagome sitting on a mat stirring up some more medicine for the hanyou. She didn't even look up at Sango.

"Are you okay?" Sango asked her.

She smiled. "Sure Sango. I am used to that kind of treatment from Inuyasha. I know he doesn't mean what he says…or at least I hope he doesn't."

"Of course he doesn't Kagome," she said placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "He is just afraid to show his feelings. He thinks it is a sign of weakness. You know that! I honestly don't see how you put up with him."

At that Kagome had to smile. "What about that lecher you are always having to put up with?" They both laughed.

Kagome's face turned solemn again. "He just hurts me so much!" she said as her eyes filled with tears. "I am just about ready to give up on him feeling the same way about me as I do…" She trailed off realizing she had just given away too much.

She blushed and Sango said, "It's okay. Your secret is safe with me. Besides…I already knew." They hugged each other.

"Thank you Sango," Kagome said as she watched her friend leave the hut.

~End Flashback~

Sango told them all of this except the part about how Kagome felt about Inuyasha.

"Why must you hurt her so?" she proceeded with almost as much hurt in her voice as Kagome had had. "Don't you see what you do to her?" Inuyasha just stared at the ground. "Right now she is in there mixing herbs for you, YOU! If I was her I would throw them in your face!" With that Sango turned to leave. "C'mon Miroku. C'mon Shippo."

They all proceeded back towards the hut but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Kagome with a bow and arrow drawn ready to fire. It was pointed at…Inuyasha. `She's finally had it with him,' the three friends thought.

"Kagome?!" Inuyasha said shocked. `No this can't be. Not again. No, Kagome you are different,' he thought over and over again in his mind.

"Kagome NOOO!" the three friends said in unison as they moved to stop her but they were too late. She released her arrow. The arrow struck its target. Inuyasha dropped to his knees barely able to move or speak.