InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Hurts The Most ❯ The Morning After ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Kagome woke to her friends staring down at her anxiously, waiting for her to wake up. As soon as her eyes fluttered open Sango couldn't help herself.
"What happened last night?" Sango inquired nosily. Kagome sat up and looked at them in disbelief.
"My god, can I have a minute to wake up please?" she snapped. Her mind kept floating back to last night, wondering if it had actually happened. She yawned and stretched.
"So...?" Sango tried again expectantly.
"We talked," she replied vaguely.
"Did he have a reason or not?" Sango persisted.
"Yes. He said it was for Kikyo's sake. He did it because he loved her," she revealed.
"That's it? That's his only reason?" Miroku implored pointedly.
"Well there was something about her not going without him and Naraku toying with Kikyo and whatnot, but yeah.. Like I said, for Kikyo's sake."
"That stupid, selfish, immature," Sango continued to go on spitting out insults and obscenities aimed at the dead hanyou.
"And you told me not to speak ill of the dead," Koga taunted with a smirk.
"Where's Ian?" Kagome asked suddenly.
"He went for a walk around the village. He's feeling a little guilty about last night. He didn't think it was possible for Inuyasha to come back from the dead," Miroku informed.
"Oh well, I think I'll go find him. He should probably be getting back to our era soon so his parents wont worry."
"You will bring him back, right Kagome?" Miroku demanded.
"Um... If he wants to come back," she answered, her voice laden with doubt.
"Kagome, we are going to need him. With Naraku still alive, Inuyasha is a necessity," Miroku stated. "I need you to do your best to convince him to return with you from time to time. At the very least during every new moon."
Kagome sighed, "I'll try." She left the quaint hut to wander the small but bustling village. It's citizens looked at her as a strange outsider still, but she didn't mind. It seemed to be what she was. She found Ian tossing a ball around with some children in the village. A hint of a smile came to her face as she watched their frolicking. Ian spotted Kagome out of the corner of his eye. He gave the ball back to the little boy closest to him.
"Thanks for the game, but I need to be going," he said, apologetically.
"Aww," a little girl whined.
"You'll come back and play with us later, right?" a different little boy asked.
"I'll try," he laughed.
'He is completely different from Inuyasha in so many ways,' she decided silently.
"Hey Kagome, how'd it go last night?" he inquired, somewhat nervously.
"It was okay," she lied. It had been awful. Even if it seemed llike it went well, it hadn't. Inuyasha had hurt her more than he had ever had. Seeing him again hurt worse than watching him leave. Ian noticed the hurt in her eyes. It hadn't gone okay.
"I'm sorry," he apologized.
"For what? You didn't think it would even work. It's not like it's your fault," she replied nonchalantly. "Are you ready to go back to our era? We'll figure out something to tell your parents."
"Go back? Um, sure."
Kagome eyed him suspiciously. He almost sounded disappointed. She had figured that he'd have wanted to go back. Who in their right mind would want to stay in the Feudal Era risking their life and slaying demons? Other than herself, she couldn't think of anyone who'd have wanted to get involved in this dangerous adventure, and Ian hadn't seemed exactly thrilled to be Inuyasha' reincarnation. He hadn't thought that any of it was possible. If he had known it was, Kagome doubted he would've been there with her in the first place. He might've, though. She didn't know him well enough to decide.
In all actuality, Ian was disappointed. He didn't like the Feudal Era when he had first arrived, and the prospect of endangering his life on a regular basis was quite daunting. But in the day he had spent there, his sense of adventure had started to kick in. He wanted to know what it would be like to face a demon in battle. If Kagome was able to manage, he was sure he could. He looked at her with admiration. She was so petite that it made her seem frail, and her beautiful features were so dainty. She had to be tougher than she looked.
"Well then, lets say goodbye to the others then," she ordered and started sauntering back toward Kaede's hut. She seemed more worn out than she had when she met him. Her face had taken on an unhealthy pallor and her eyes were void of any cheerful sparkle. The previous night had taken its toll on her.