Rebuilding Dreams

Chapter Eight – Conversations, Fear, and … Hope?

Inuyasha smiled as he kept Kagome’s hand held loosely in his. He led her quietly to the closest lake so that she could look at her new appearance. She still smelled of fear at his touch, but he hoped after they talked perhaps this would ease off.

They approached the waters edge and curiously Kagome leaned over, her eyes widening as she caught her first glimpse of herself. Idly she traced the stripes on her face. Closing her eyes and concentrating very hard, her father’s image appeared before her. Identical markings had covered his face all the time. She continued to stare into the water, unaware of two thick tears running down her face. “Tiger.”

Inuyasha turned his eyes to hers and nodded slowly. Carefully, he slid his arms around her too thin waist. She gasped and became rigid, but he didn’t let her go. Instead he laid hiad aad against the back of her shoulder. “Your father was a good man, Kagome. I used to look up to him in much the same way I did my father and Sesshoumaru. When you were born and your parents allowed me to hold you, I thought the whole world had ended, that’s how right it felt, even then. Later, when my father told me of the betrothal I was so happy I could have danced. I loved you from the moment you were born. I knew you were my soul mate, as did my father and yours.” Absently he kissed the back of her head, feeling her fear spike again, but he continued to cradle her against him, determined to prove he would not hurt her. He lowered them both to the ground, pulling her into his lap. “I am sorry if I seemed callous to you these past days, but I was not myself.”

He decided not to tell her why he hadn’t been himself. The betrothal had been forced to protect her; he did not want to frighten her. Finally, Kagome relaxed just a little. Enough so that she leaned her head against Inuyasha’s chest. He could hear her heart racing again and gently he stroked his hands up and down her arms. Finally, she started to speak.

“I remember so little of my childhood and even less of Father. But, when I saw you in our house, I remembered you. Not clearly, just enough to know that somehow I knew you.” Her eyes were on the water still, but absently her hands drifted to his head, rubbing his ears. As soon as she realized what she was doing her face went death pale again. “I’m sorry was wasn’t thin. I. I didn’t mean to.” What had previously been small trembles now turned to full-blown shudders and the stench of her fear increased drastically.

“Kagome!” His voice came out sharper than he had meant and she toppled off his lap. He swore and got down on his knees next to her, pulling her close again until she calmed down. “One day Kagome, you’re going to have to tell me what happened to you. I won’t make you now though. I know this is all hard enough for you.”

She laid her head against his shoulder again as he scooped her back into his lap. Being so close scared the Hell out of her, but she didn’t want to seem weak. She would not give him reasons to hate or abhor her. She gazed quietly at her reflection in the water, tracing her stripes again. They were the exact pattern that her father’s had been.

“My father was beautiful in his youkai form. He hated that we had to hide what we were, but he did it to protect us. I know that. He wouldn’t at home though. He said that it wasn’t right if he had to hide from his own family.” She frowned slightly. “I think I remember Papa Unc Uncle Yukio fighting about it one night. Uncle Yukio refused to show his youkai form. He wouldn’t even take his proper form to be at the protection ceremony when Souta was born.”

Inuyasha stared at her in surprise. “But, it is required for all living family members to attend in their youkai form in order for the spell to work correctly. Why did he refuse?”

Kagome shrugged and stood up, stretching. “I’m not sure, truthfully. All I know is that was the last day I saw him before my father’s… disappearance.” Her shoulders slumped slightly, but she quickly tried to shake away the sadness that accompanied thoughts of her father. “We didn’t see him again until a week after Papa disappeared.”

Inuyasha stood next to her and carefully slid his hand into hers. She jumped in surprise. No one had ever held her hand save for Souta. Tentatively, she tightened her hand around his and smiled slightly.

He smiled at this and squeezed her hand tenderly. “I promise you, Kagome, no one is ever going to hurt you again. Not as long as I can protect you.”

“How touching!” A male voice exclaimed behind them. Kagome jumped, but Inuyasha just rolled his eyes.

“Must you always lurk, monk?”

In reply Miroku’s form more or less materialized from the bushes where he had been sitting. He bowed in front of them. “Inuyasha. Lady Kagome.” He took her hand and kissed it, apparently not noticing the way she stiffened. His other hand crept around to her backside, and she made a startled sound of panic as she felt his hand on her body. It was only there for the briefest of moments though before Inuyasha had walloped him upside the head.

“Lecherous monk!” He rolled his eyes and pushes Miroku’s crumpled figure away from them as they began to walk towards the castle. “Pay no mind to him, Kagome. He’s lecherous and perverted, but he would never hurt someone, least of all an innocent, and someone he knows to be special to me.” She seemed to calm slightly at this, though she walked several feet away from him as they made their way back to the castle. For that fact alone Inuyasha could have happily wrapped his hands around the monk’s throat and choked the life from him.

When they reached the castle, Kagome was startled by a shriek of delight and found a small bundle of robes and hair attached to her legs. “Lady Kagome! You look so beautiful in your proper form, Lady Kagome!” Rin looked up at her, big brown eyes shimmering with delight as she trilled on about Kagome’s new appearance.

“Rin.” Sesshoumaru said softly, but Rin immediately quieted and contented stayed attached to Kagome’s legs. Kagome didn’t mind. She ran her fingers lightly through the child’s hair and smiled down at her. Inuyasha was amazed by totally enthralled by watching her interact with the child.

It was amazing how she could go from frightened and timid with a situation, but the simple presence of a child seemed to wash all of it away. Children were innocent. Maybe that was why she relaxed so easily with Rin.

Inuyasha nearly choked on a laugh when he heard Rin’s next question. “You and Inuyasha are going to be mates soon, right?” He saw Kagome nod. “Then can I start calling you Aunt Kagome?”

Kagome looked rather taken off guard by that question but nodded none the less, smiling at the girl. In the next instant Rin had grabbed Kagome’s hand and led her outside to play, leaving Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha behind.

Inuyasha stood silently for a long moment, simply staring after them before he turned his attention to his half brother. “How long would you say is a respectable amount of time to wait to make her my mate?”

Sesshoumaru had just t a d a drink of wine, and had he been anyone else he would have choked at this out of the blue question. He was not anyone else however. He was Sesshoumaru, and he certainly did not joke simply because of a question. Instead he lowered the glass and looked at his brother. “Since when is respectable anything to you?”

Inuyasha glared at him. “It’s not.” He frowned at the floor. “You know as well as I do that I can not give her my full protection until we are mated. I don’t want to rush her though. She seems like she has been through so much.”

Sesshoumarddeddded quietly. “You should talk with her about this. Explain.”

“It may appear to her though that I am trying to rush her.” Inuyasha walked past his half brother and into his study where he flopped into a chair. “Something about that Naraku character does not settle with me, Sesshoumaru. The way that Kagome looked at him, and said his name. She knows him somehow, that’s all there is to it. He will try to take her, I’m sure of this.” He stared blankly at the floor for a long moment. “If he tries to mark her before I take her as mine, then I have no way to help her.”

Sesshoumaru looked at his brother for a long minute, then did the most out of character thing Inuyasha had ever seen him do. His cold mask dropped, and he stepped in front of Inuyasha. He placed a clawed hand on his half brother’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “I will heou gou guard her until she is ready. I won’t let you lose her.” Then he smirked and the mask slid back in place. “After all, given time she may be able to sufficiently control that hot headed temper of yours.”

Inuyasha sputtered indignantly, jumping to his feet. Before he could make another move though he found the hilt of his brother’s sword was more slamming against the back of his head. Sesshoumaru’s eyes were almost laughing as he left his study.