InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Trouble With Love Is... ❯ The Trouble With Love Is... ( Chapter 1 )

The heart of the night beat blacker than any would have thought possible. No darkness could match the bleak, starless night in the forest. It was unlike any other.

Oh, there was a moon, full and bright, but it did nothing to banish the darkness that seemed to dwell in a central pit. It rose into the night, giving it a quality that even the infamous Naraku could not mock. It was a night of feelings undaunted, of sorrow not known the world around, except in one falling heart…

She ran from it like a bullet headed for a lover's heart - faster and faster until she practically flew through the trees at a speed unimaginable for any normal human. The sky trembled and crackled mercilessly overhead. The earth rumbled below, alternately making the hapless human woman stumble in her stride, but she did not break. It seemed nothing would stop this dread-ridden, sorrow-driven little human.

But what was she running from?

It didn't matter, it was over now…

It could not be changed, and it could be the same. She was hiding, not fighting as she should be right now. There was no heaven for the empty, and it could not be the same.

Finally, she knew. With her own eyes she'd seen just what kind of deep shit she'd been digging herself into for the last 3 years.

She wanted to scream out her frustration at the world, this world in particular. She couldn't believe what a damned fool she'd been, holding on like some leech to life-support when she knew, deep down she knew all the effort was for naught. And she was an even bigger fool for running away.

'No more…' she thought to herself as she slowed her hasty retreat. The last of her tears had fallen long ago. She wouldn't continue to mourn over something that was never hers in the first place, no matter how badly she'd wanted it to be…

Stopping to catch her breath, Kagome took a look at her surroundings and was not in the least bit surprised to find herself in the clearing that held the bone eater's well. She supposed it was in the back of her mind to flee for her true home, but now, she thought better of it.

Despite the little… incident, she still had a duty to perform, one that she knew she could not just drop after 3 years of near completion. No, she would not return home permanently until the jewel was completed. Even so, she needed to return for fresh supplies and better clothing; it was becoming increasingly difficult to travel in the skimpy school uniform. However, just before she could swing her other leg over the lip of the well, she heard that damning voice screaming her name.

"Kagome! Wait!"

She said nothing. She just continued to stare forward, her back to him. He bounded her way, no doubt having caught her scent in the air at the worst possible moment. Most likely, he felt guilty and would attempt to explain his actions as he always did, but there was no hearing him this time. He was far from being able to redeem himself and rectify the words that'd come out of his mouth.

Of course, being the person that she was, Kagome had already forgiven him, but that didn't mean she had to take anymore of his crap.

He was closing in now, the distance between them quickly diminishing. All she wanted was to get away from him and his lies, but he just couldn't see that. He continued his pursuit, oblivious to the pain he caused.

Without so much as a word, she moved to plunge into the well's dark depts…

and was thwarted…

Kagome gasped at the sudden turn of events, clutching the familiar silken, white robes. Almost distantly, she heard Inuyasha's enraged shouts as they touched down on the other side of the vast clearing.

"Bastard! Get your hands off'a Kagome!"

The tall, white-clad figure said nothing, completely ignoring the irate hanyou in the distance. His glacial golden eyes softened a fraction, his sights upon the petite miko in his arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice as stoic as ever. However, if one listened hard enough one could hear an undercurrent of worry and concern.

She sighed, leaning against his chest, soaking up his abundance of strength. He had been there when it happened, when Inuyasha said those damning words. She'd felt him, watching in the shadows even though she'd told him to stay away.

Now here he was, trying once again to save the day.

Kagome's mind was set on telling him to just butt out and stay away… but her heart wasn't up to the task. She needed an anchor right now, and who could be better for the job than the Great Taiyoukai of the West?

"Eventually, I will be," she told him, her words barely a whisper on the rushing winds. He heard them, though, as they were said only for his ears.

"I said get the hell away from her, you son of a bitch!"

"Stop your bellowing, foolish half-breed," Sesshoumaru growled, his voice low and dangerous. He'd had about enough of his idiotic half-brother, and his foul mouth. Too often had his words caused pain for their mutual companion; the ivory lord would stand for it no more.

Carefully cradling the precious bundle in his arms, Sesshoumaru sped into the density of the night forest, eager to get away from the hanyou's territory… and the hanyou.

He stopped when he was just within the borders of his lands, settling them within a beautifully, moon-bathed clearing. Reluctantly, he settled Kagome to her feet, but found that he could not release his hold completely. He was caught, ensnared in the unrelenting trap of blue-gray depths.

"Why?" she asked him. It was only one word, but he knew the actual question behind it.

Why had he stopped her from leaving? She could have been gone, away from that stupid hanyou and all that he'd put her through. She would've been home, getting the rest and healing that she needed. Yet, he'd deprived her of that solace.

Why?

He was a selfish bastard, that's why...

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sesshoumaru knew that if he let things play out as they might have, Kagome would not have returned for a long time. That was not something he could bare.

The irony made him want to laugh…

Once, he swore to himself that he'd never follow in his father's traitorous footsteps. He vowed that he would protect his lands with all that he was, and restore the honor that was sullied with wanton acts of debasement. He would be the one to clean out the human blood that had dirtied his family's heritage. He had become the cold and unfeeling Sesshoumaru, feared and respected Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, locking away the weak emotions that hindered his father from carrying out his duties.

Damn, what a hypocrite…

He and Kagome had become so close since the final battle with Naraku. Despite all the useless things he told himself, a friendship began forming even before then, when he and his half-wit brother formed a somewhat shaky alliance.

She'd been the only one to actually make him feel welcome. He'd thought to tell her to just save it and leave him be, but she was persistent even then.

Slowly, she'd chipped away at his glacial heart, picking her way in until he had no defenses left. She melted the icy residue with her warm smiles and affectionate gestures. Soon, it wasn't long before he couldn't keep a straight face in front of her anymore. Her smiles and laughter were infectious and he was unable to hold back his own smiles.

Of course, never allowed anyone to see his slip ups. Those moments were reserved for her and her only, with the inescapable exception of his young ward.

That's why he couldn't let her go.

Damned if he'd tell her that though…

"Sesshoumaru?" He was brought out of his musings by a softly inquiring voice, and a small, delicate hand gently tracing the markings upon his cheek.

Could he really tell her what she wanted to know? Could she handle knowing the truth about how he really felt? Could he even handle it? Did he even know?

The trouble with love is… no one ever knows…

Fini

A/n: Alright people, so ends my first official Inuyasha one-shot. w00t! I was thinking of making this a continuous thing, but I'd like to know what you guys think of it. Please review, and thanx for all your time and patience. Ja!

Akai