All Change In Time

♥

Inuyasha shivered, well aware of the cold stitching in through the thick fabric of his clothing. It stuck to him in heavy folds, making movement more work than normal, which made him pant with weariness after a few miles of dashing about. He had been trying to flee the rampaging thoughts of Kagome consuming him, the dirty imagery worse than washing in a bath of sin. However…he smiled at more than one of them, sensing comfort in the plot that perhaps they may care for each other equally someday. He was truly blind…he could not stop to think if Kagome already loved him.

He stopped in mid step, catching the brief hint of red against the foliage, the coloring dangerously distinct to him. Time ushered itself still once his feet ceased to move, his eyes wide in wonderment over the creature huddled into the scenery, watching her with as much fear and apprehension as he might show when facing a huge monster under the damnable moonless nights. Kikyou.

The woman stood now, soaked from head to toe, her attire in complete ruin. A blush painted Inuyasha’s face when one of her breasts fell half-exposed, but Kikyou’s slender hand seized the failing neckline and made it safe to eyes again. She seemed entranced by him, and he by her, and the wind ripped through the nearly empty forest with whistling fury. Kikyou’s face fell, as though she were in some sort of pain, and the grimace upon her face made Inuyasha frenzied, ripping him from his frozen stop. As she began to fall forward, he gave out a small cry, catching her in his arms just before she tumbled into the mud. His breath caught in his throat, the scent of her drowning him with old memories of hurtful good-byes, and he nearly dropped her, but seeing her confusion made him hold on. Her face…it did not hold the hatred she had so freely offered to him on past occasions. And her eyes, which were so close to Kagome’s and yet so different held deep pools of wonder and innocence…not the emptiness she normally had.

While he held her, she glanced up and blushed, her eyes shadowed with a small smile that he had always wanted to see on her face. “Inuyasha?” she whispered, placing her hands on either side of his face, holding it gently, “I always dreamed you would catch me when I fell.”

Inuyasha choked back a swelling gasp at her words, his hands tightening on her back. She wanted him to…save her? Since when? “Ku…” u…” He could not help it. For despite all the heart in the audience that might break, he leaned in, lusting for something to remember her…to feel her.

Their lips met, folding with silken grace over each other, lost in a hungry kiss of passion and desire. Thunder rolled over their heads, while the sky purpled in color, but neither noticed as they fed on one another, soft breaths of excitement aroused from the dancing mouths. Her hands found their way through his hand, combing back the heavy strands through her fingers, merely wanting to bring him closer. And closer indeed he came, pulling her into him before he broke for air, gasping inwardly. What scandal! His golden eyes followed into hers, unsure of just why he so quickly forgave the dead woman who had damned him to a fate in hell, trying to pry answers from her face alone. But she simply stared back, saying nothing more, the pink hue of embarrassment fading away, replaced by the small look of hurt, confused as to why he would refuse. Before she had died…before Naraku’s treachery, she had been a happy woman, destined to be this half demon’s lover forever. But now that she had died and returned, she had to settle with desire for Inuyasha’s death, as it was the only way they could be together…suffer together.

But they were not alone.

♥

It must have been the cruel greed of fate that made Kagome’s findings so laughable. For several times now, when Inuyasha went on his own, he seemed to find Kikyou, who was the single person standing between Kagome and her happily ever after. In those times, Kagome had only known hurt and betrayal, emotions that left her heart weak…hateful. But despite this, she could not find hatred for Kikyou. Rather…she pitied her, for she knew it must have been difficult to realize that the vicious hands of a stranger, who you had openly taken care of, smote your only chance of true happiness in life. Naraku was a devilish sort indeed.

But of any case or reason, as soon as Inuyasha had turned away from her, Kagome assumed picking up her bows and arrows again, taking care in not waking the others. Kirara, the one closest to her, opened one red eye sleepily, but it soon closed again when the animal rolled on its side and gave a weary groan. Everyone was tired…good. Kagome smiled and bowed thankfully to her friends, her bows rattling on her back as the swung the pack over her shoulder, and then wandered out into the dying rain. She knew Inuyasha might be cross at her tagging along, but the instinct that something was amiss was still unshakable, and she would rather face his wrath than his corpse.

The mere thought of seeing her beloved forsaken in the grasp of death made her steps grow lighter, her legs soaked by the drizzle and making her chilled somewhat. Skirts left little room for warmth, but she often found the free movement more positive than the bad protection, and she figured there was no need in constantly changing from uniform to common clothing. It wasn’t as though she had been hopping frequently back and forth from her time to this age. In fact, she had noticed that her periods of being here had slowly extended, whether she had wished it or not. She was not complaining though, since she felt that this place was adjusting into a home in which she could make well, considering if Naraku did not kill her first.

The forest stretched out around her with endless lines of trees, and at first she wasn’t sure how she would find her way back. But she felt a connection with Inuyasha that could not be mistaken, and she followed it carefully, her eyes focused and watching ahead, never wandering from where she felt the impulse to move. Her shoes, although dirty and in desperate need of being replaced, glided along the earth in unmistakable certainty, catering to the ground in mingled silence. “Inuyasha! Where are you?” She called out, cupping a hand over her eyes to shield them. There being no answer, she shrugged the pack higher on her shoulder, smiling to herself. She had many plans for herself and Inuyasha once the rain stopped.

Mainly, she wanted to bring him back home with her, to perhaps mingle with the new aspects of her life in his company. He was easily amused in her sort of “craft and magick” (though it was only technology, and nothing complicated at all) and she was certain that he might find amazing interest in watching a movie with her, or even attend with her to shop in the mall! A giggle escaped her, despite covering her mouth, at the thought of Inuyasha fumbling noisily at the shop windows, mouth agape at all the things that everyone took for granted.

She felt fresh now, renewed with the arrangements she had arranged, and she stepped around a wild bush, careful to avoid any sharp roots that might trip her. But as she lifted her gaze upward again after carefully eyeing the weed, her mouth dropped agape…caught in the sight of something she would have done well to have never seen.

Inuyasha and Kikyou were embraced with one another, holding as though dearly in love, their mouths forced together with the strangest sort of ease. Kagome felt her chest tighten, the faint gasp of sharp pain causing one hand to clasp over her heart, stricken at such a surprise. She was otherwise silent, her loose grip on her bow threatening to send the instrument tumbling to the ground, but for the sake of not revealing her presence, she managed to hang onto it, the tips of her fingers growing numb with cold. She watched, staring long enough to memorize each and every visual that came from them, her ears burning shamefully at the sounds they made while trapped in such a kiss. She continued to watch until Inuyasha pulled away, and for the briefest moment she though maybe he had been caught in some sort of spell, and that there had been a mistake. But he did not push her away…did not question her. Instead, he only looked at her with the strangest expression of mixed affection and confusion, and then he embraced her tightly, pulling the startled Kikyou against him with a muffled cry.

“Oh Kikyou,” she heard him say, “ I thought I had lost you forever!”

His words were of frozen ice upon her emotions, fraying the delicate strands of hope she had held secretly between them. She felt eyes study her, and she met the gaze of Kikyou, who had been staring over Inuyasha’s shoulder at her. Kikyou almost smirked…the dark reflection of her eyes kidnapping Kagome’s last strength. She dropped her bow, letting it crash into the deepening puddle beneath her, and fled. She had never felt her legs move as they did now. All she wanted to do was run away. Away from Inuyasha and the legend of Kikyou.

[Writer] Wow...seems so distinctly close to my life. Things are starting to pick up, as I promised, but I want this to be an involved and detailed story, so bare with me. Those who were purely looking for Lemon, please move on, as this will come later in my tale, after I make a certain plot. Always awaiting your reviews. -bows- [End Writer]