A Heart Divided

A Heart Divided
by The Hanyou Sisters

Chapter 1


Kagome sat in the waist high grass of an open field, lost in her thoughts. Her knees drawn up to her chin, her head resting on them as she stared off into the sky. The other day, when she was going to the hot spring, Kouga had approached her. She was surprised to see him perched on a boulder near the edge of the spring. "Kouga?" she said. "Hi...what are you doing here?" for some reason she felt....uncomfortable around him. This was worse than the last two times they ran into each other. He had always been flirtatious, but lately, he was getting a little too touchy feely for her liking. He even went as far as to lick her wrist and hand! She blushed as she thought about how it felt.

The wolf smiled at her, hopping down off the rock and sauntering over to her. "Hello mate." he grinned.

"Um....Kouga..I'm not your mate....what's the matter with you? You don’t seem like yourself lately." Kagome asked as she stepped away from him.

"Nothing is wrong with me..but I do wonder about you." he said with a straight face.

"What do you mean?" she took a few more steps back, wanting to put more space between them.

"But you are MY mate...well..my future mate at least. You are my intended." he reached out, grabbing her smaller hands. Kagome dropped her bath supplies.

"Kouga....let me go..." she pleaded.

"Not yet." he told her. "Not until you hear what I have to say."

Kagome drew herself from her thoughts, hugging her knees tighter as she thought about the 'offer' he had made...as well as the MANY other things he had said to her. She shivered when his words came back. Kagome rubbed her pounding temples.............this was all too much....... and it was giving her a headache. The childish giggles of Shippo and the little mews of Kilala made her smile, even though her head was throbbing with pain.

The hanyou had seen her in the grass lost in thought...wondering what was bothering her so...leaping from the tree that he'd sat himself on, Inuyasha decided to go talk to her. Nonchalantly he walked beside her, still standing he crossed his arms, watching the young kit and neko play...Not making eye contact, the hanyou said lazily, "..hey.."

"Inuyasha, I didn’t know you were around here." she said, giving him a faint smile. His presence was normally a welcomed one, but at this moment, she really wanted to be alone. What Kouga had said...the things he pointed out had....disturbed her, and she needed time to get her head together.

The sun was hidden behind a patch of clouds, making a comfortable shade. Breathing in the cool air, the hanyou looked down at the raven haired young woman, noticing how truly bifuliful she looked, with her lightly tanned skin, pink lips, and silky tresses floating around her porcelain face...But one thing he saw that made him frown slightly..was the troubled look that plagued her.

She looked up at him, wondering why he was just standing there. The little bit of sunlight reflecting off his silver hair made her head hurt even worse. She looked away, one hand coming to rest against her temple. She closed her eyes for a minute, then glanced at him again, "Um..did you want to sit down?" she patted the spot next to her, offering him a seat.

The invitation was what he was waiting for...Shrugging his shoulders a bit he uncrossed his arms and laid in the grass, sprawling out his legs, stretching the muscles that had so recently been at work looking for jewel shards...The sweet smell of sakura blossoms filled his nose, as well as her pleasant scent...Kagome was always persperson to be around when you wanted to relax..

Her mind drifted as they sat there in silence...together. It felt good to be around him..it felt right. To Kagome, when Inuyasha was around, anything seemed possible and every problem had some type of solution. But she questioned whether or not to tell him about Kouga. She hadn’t mentioned it purposely because she knew he'd be angry and most likely blow up at her. It hurt and upset Kagome that Inuyasha always blamed her for Kouga's attention. He was stretched out beside her, looking so relaxed and calm. She decided to join him. Kagome stretched out beside him, folding her hands over her stomach.

After she'd laid down beside him, Inuyasha let it go for another moment....Ears twitching, the young man stated in a normal voice..."What’s wrong..?" He knew Kagome well enough that he knew something was wrong when she didn’t act like the normally cheerful person she always was.

"Nothing..." she sighed, "..my head hurts..that’s all." she watched the clouds roll by, thankful the sun wasn’t fully out today. Silence settled between the two friends, and Kagome could feel her eyes drooping as she further relaxed next to Inuyasha.

Knitting his brow, the hanyou didn’t reply to her lie. Enjoying her presence, Inuyasha just stayed quiet, until he heard the evened out breathing of the woman beside him...Looking over he found her fast asleep...Sitting up the young man looked around to see where the kit had went...Down in the village, he could see the fox child talking to Kaede...Lifting his gaze to the sky he listened to her small breaths and reveled in her sweet scent...Moving a little closer to her, the hanyou laid back down, being careful as not to wake her...

She woke up suddenly, the sky a dusky purple, nearing nightfall. A soft snore came from beside her, drawing her attention to the source of the noise. Inuyasha was beside her, his silver hair spilling over his white shirt....wait....she looked down at herself, noticing for the first time how warm she felt. His red haori was carefully placed over her long ways, so it would stretch from her chin to her ankles. She had worn jeans, but with the passing day, it had gradually cooled down. "Inuyasha?" she questioned, reaching over to touch his shoulder.

He was in a state of exhaustion...That last fight with that demon had taken it out of him...His deep sleep felt like an endless worm hole...no dreams...just his body rekindling the lost energy that he'd so generously exerted for that tiny shard...

"Are you okay?" she asked while her hand moved down his arm. Inuyasha wasn’t the type to sleep so much; it worried her when he opened his tired eyes.

A soft touch and a warm voice met his ears as he awakened from his slumber........With a grunt the hanyou opened his eyes, seeing her beautiful hazel-grey ones staring back at hiSittSitting up with a sore back and heavy head, the young man put his hand to his forehead, squinting his eyes from the sunlight that was coming from the sunset off in the distance..."..uh..."

"Hey...Inuyasha..are you sick or something?" her voice held worry. He looked so worn out. She smoothed his wild bangs away from his forehead, letting the cool breezy fully wash over his face.

Looking in her direction, he gave a slight smile and said with the best cheery voice he could, despite the obvious discomfort he was in, "..yeah..yeah I’m fine...sorry...just...a little tired...*ahem*.."

"Well, that’s understandable.." she said as she laid back down beside him, one arm propped up holding her head so she could look down at him. "You really put up a fight against that nasty demon." she smiled at him, momentarily forgetting her own worries.

Blinking a few times, the hanyou felt a bit sick...like a fever was overtaking him. The last time he'd been sick like this...was when he was just a pup...'ugh..what the hell's wrong with me?..' he thought as he felt his entire body go up in flames..well the hotness felt like that anyway...Taking a deep breath he said in raspy voice, "I...I think I’m gonna go...take a bath...or somethin'....Its hot out here.."

She looked at him, her eyebrow lifting, "But, its cool out here." Kagome pressed her hand against his forehead, gasping when she came into contact with the heat of his skin. "You're burning up!!" Kagome came to her feet, pulling on his arm for him to stand, "Come on Inuyasha! Stand up! You have to help me get you to Kaede's!" Never had Inuyasha been sick and it frightened her.

A bit surprised at the sudden outburst Kagome had just showed, Inuyasha's head spun from the loudness, bringing him to stumble and fall...Shaking his head he focused on the terrified girl before him..."I'm just hot that’s all Kagome..don’t worry...its..ok.." he said a bit woozy from the fast movements she was doing..

"No." she insisted, "This isn’t okay Inuyahsa!! Please get up."


She made him stand and supported his wobbly frame with her smaller one. Slowly they made their way to the village, going straight to Kaede's hut. Kagome laid him down on a thin futon, and started to take his shirt off.

His vision was getting blurry, but he could definitely make out what the raven haired young woman was doing...Her hands were like ice on his fiery hot skin, making him close his eyes from the soothing sensation...He knew it was wrong..but really didn’t care at the moment...Her fingers made their way to his shoulders sliding the white shirt away,...The cool air was better, but his form was still scorching with heat...


Kagome blushed when her trembling hands worked at the ties of his pants. She pulled them over his hips, down past his knees. He was wrapped in a white fondushi, thankfully. She placed a thin blanket over his form and got a bowl of cold water and a rags. She soaked the rages, squeezing out the extra water and placed them over his forehead and chest. Kaede came in, her aged face wore a worried expression as she looked at the feverish hanyou. She instructed Kagome on which flowers to pick, special flowers that would heal a hanyou or demon. The young miko went out and retrieved the flowers, bringing them back to the hut.

After closing his eyes he felt a jolt of cold hit his skin, making him relax...the hanyou fell into a light sleep, but hadn’t the time to sleep for long, because Kagome had awoken him and sat him up...She held some sort of remedy in her hands..herbs and spices...His whole body felt like a rock..unable to move much at all the hanyou lifted his shaky hands trying to grasp the delicate cup...He absolutely hated being weak....

She helped him steady his trembling form enough to drink the greenish liquid. It must have tasted foul because he scrunched up his nose and made a gaging sound as he swallowed the potion. She lowered him back to the futon, her gentle hands changed the cold rags, and brushed his long wet bangs away form his face. She hated seeing him like this, and it scared her more than Naraku himself. If anything happened to Inuyasha she would.....well....she didn’t know, but it certainly wasn’t good.

The nasty tasting stuff weown own his throat, coating his stomach walls...whatever they'd put in it was working fast...His vision came back...yet he still felt ill...Looking by his side, he noticed Kagome looking at him...worried eyes met his as the hanyou moved his hand over to hers, smiling a bit, sweat still on his brow..."That...was gross..." he said ng ung ung up his nose, hoping this would lighten her spirit..he hated it when Kagome wasn’t happy...

She laughed as tears gathered in her eyes. Kaede said it was fast acting, but nothing in her time worked THAT fast! "Sorry.." she whispered as she put a fresh rag on his head. "Are you feeling any better? Kaede said by morning you should be as good as knew." She smiled at him, wiping away the extra moisture from her eyes.

He frowned at her tears, lifting his clawed hand to her knee saying with sly fanged smile, "I....I feel better already...I could get up..." he said trying to sit up to extinguish her fears

"Who are you trying to impress?" she asked as she pushed him back down to the futon. "I can tell you are still weak Inuyasha, so stop trying to act like a tough guy and rest!" She spooned a portion of stew in a bowl, and went to sit back down with the hanyou. She had a pair of chop sticks in her hand, catching a piece of meat between the sticks, Kagome blew on it to cool off faster and held it up to Inuyasha’s mouth. "You need to eat. If you eat then you'll heal faster."

Holding his wobbly hand up, the hanyou tried to take the chopsticks from her with great concentration, saying with a full mouth.."I..can feed myself..." he was to proud for his own good...He hated depending on her...HE was the one who should be taking care of HER...

"Really Inuyasha....why do you have to be so stubborn?" she smiled at him. "I want to help you, YOU are my friend, you are always helping me when I need you. For once, de on on me, let me take care of you." she rubbed one of his fury ears, laughing as it twitched under her fingers. She watched as he drank the warm broth from the bowl. Kagome poured him a cup of cool water and handed it to him.

After finally accepting her aid, due to his growling stomach, Inuyasha drank and ate from her hands gaining strength...

When he was done, Kagome took away the bowl and cup and tucked him in. She took a thick blanket from Kaeda and stretched out beside. I. If you need anything during the night, wake me." Kagome leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. She gathered the blanket around her and settled down for sleep.


He was surprised when she settled in beside him...and close too...His reaction to her touch and nearness was now evident under the covers...Blushing he looked over to see if she noticed...That kiss was the the breaking point, and without his red hakama to conceal his 'excitement' his was officially screwed....

Kagome saw his face turning red, "Oh no!" she exclaimed, jumping up and running to get more cold rags. "Don’t worry Inuyasha, I'll get you some more medicine and water." Kagome felt his face again, noting he wasn’t as warm as before, "How do you feel?" she asked.

Squeaking out an answer the hanyou tried pulling the covers far enough up to cover his length...''..uh...f..fine.."

She gave him a questioning look, her head turning to the side slightly, "Are you sure? You look...funny." she asked with a cocked eye brow.


With a kind of squeaky voice, the hanyou replied with even more of a blush, "uh..ye..yeah...I ..just ne....need some fresh air..."

Inuyasha ran past her like a streak of light, leaving Kagome bewildered, "What is wrong with him?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. For a moment she was tempted to follow him, but with as weird as he was acting, she decided to give him some free space. His pants and top laid in a crumpled heap on the floor. "I can’t believe he went outside in his fondushi!!" Kagome exclaimed, grabbing his baggy hakama. "If he isn’t running a fever now he certainly will be!! I mean, who the hell runs outside in their underwear!!" Kagome grumbled to herself as she headed for the door.

Cursing himself to the seven hells and back, Inuyasha raced to the river, dunking himself in the frigid cold water...Yep..that made him calm down...ALL the way...With a '' KUSO!!..'' from the ice coldness hitting his skin, the hanyou shivered, not wanting the woman to be following him...How could she do this to him? A simple touch..a mere word...it baffled him...After standing up, he rung out his fondushi best to his ability, and headed back to the hut slowly...How was he suppose to last ALL NIGHT?

"Inuyasha!!??" she called out, not seeing him anywhere in sight. Kagome walked to the outskirts of the village, earning herself a few curious stares from the villagers. She had his red pants clutched in one hand, and after he didn’t respond she decided to leave them by the back of Kaede's hut where he wouldn’t be seen as easily. Inuyasha often sat in this area, liking his privacy from the nosey villagers. "MEN!...." Kagome threw his pants over an old barrel and stomped back into the hut.

Jumping on the roof with swift silence, Inuyasha slunk down from his perch and made his way inside the hut, trying desperately not to be seen in this embarrassing attire....Making his way inside the warm hut, he noticed the woman who had made him run out in the first place....His blush was still apparent and looked around to see if his clothes were anywhere..."Kagome...where the hell are my pants?...'' he said not knowing what she had done with his stuff...

When Kagome saw the half naked hanyou enter the hut, she blushed a deep crimson and turned away from him, her eyes tightly squeezed shut. "Will you PLEASE tell me what is the matter with you?! I know that your sick and all, but why would you run out of here in the middle of the night in your underwear!?"

He was already embarrassed by the way he'd reacted to her touch, and the way he looked now...And with her demands for an explanation didn’t help any....Clenching his jaw, the hanyou only replied saying again..."..where'd my clothes go?..." Trying to avoid the subject all together...

Kagome would have rolled her eyes if they weren’t already shut. Your pants are out back and your shirt is over there." she said pointing by the side of the futon. "How do you feel? I think the fever is affecting your thinking." Inuyasha was her first love and a great friend, but he was also the most confusing man alive at times!

When she'd revealed the place of his hakama, the hanyou had launched out to pull them on, tying the sash quickly, sighing in relief...Walking back into the door he felt much more relaxed and not self conscious now that he had pants on...He'd heard what she'd said though..."That fever was nothin...I'm fine now...Like I said before...I just...needed some fresh air..." He said as though he was reassuring himself...'pathetic' his mind chided at his little lie...

"Are you decent?" Kagome asked, her eyes shut and face averted from him

"..decent?...'' he repeated tilting his head to the side, not sure of what she meant. Crossing his arms, he wanted to laugh at her scrunched up eyes, and pink blush...She was more embarrassed then him!

"Um..yeah...as in...are you dressed?" she stammered out in a hushed voice.

Smiling the hanyou leaned against the wall, and replied with a smart ass remark..."..maybe.." just to see the look on her face...How he loved the way she blushed...so beautiful...He'd never get tired of that blush...It was one of Kagome’s trademarks...

"Maybe?!" she snapped back. "There are no maybes Inuyasha! You're either dressed or you aren’t. I know I had to ...uh..." her hands nervously rubbed at her face for a moment as she carefully chose her words, "...well...help you." she said quickly, "..but that doesn’t mean I WANTED to see you like..that!" Her face felt like it was on fire as her blush spread all the way down her neck. She crossed her arms, still keeping her eyes closed until she was positive he was "decent".

A ting of hurt hit home at her words of 'not wanting to see him 'like that'. Maybe she wasn’t attracted to him like he was to her...Of course the only way of showing his 'hurt' was to be an asshole.....so he walked over to where his white shirt lay and put it around his form, knowing she wouldn’t want to see any skin...despite the hotness from the fire...sitting in the corner, he said with an annoyed voice that was like a dagger....''..there..."

His tone was hurtful, especially after she had worried over him, tended to him, FED him! Why did he always do this? He could be so sweet one minute and the next, he would change into some angry bitter person that she did not know..."What's wrong with you?" she asked as she sat down on her blanket.


Crossing his arms he only said in a low voice, "..nothin'..." Closing his eyes he set his head back on the wood of the wall, twitching his ears, listening and relaxing from the night noises...And trying to calm his troubled mind...

A loud sigh passed her lips as she narrowed her eyes at the moody hanyou, "Whatever!" she laid down, pulling the blanket up to her waist. "IF you need me during the night, then wake me. Okay?" she asked, looking straight at his lovely golden eyes.

She was angry...again....Looking down when she said to wake her. No matter the situation...no matter the cause, ...this woman stood by him..and he marveled at this revelation. He was such an ass...even admitting it to himself, the hanyou thought..'Why does she put up with me?’ Her care..her concern for him was undeniable...he could see it in her eyes each time he'd get hurt..or sick like just a few hours ago...Locking her eyes with his Inuyasha replied saying..."..I think I'll be ok..." After a pause the young man whispered in her..."...thank you Kagome..."

Wide shocked eyes looked up at him, "Your...your welcome..Inuyasha." her voice was shaky. In all the time they had spent together, all the battles they fought side by side and worries they had shared, she could count on one hand all the times he had thanked her. Not that she wanted to be thanked mind you, but just knowing that he appreciated her and recognized their close friendship was so very rewarding. Kagome often wondered if he really saw them as friends..he had days when he acted as if she was nothing but a nuisance, and other times, he wanted her by his side constantly. She closed her eyes, and mentally willed her mind to be still and settle down for some much needed rest.

Soon his ears picked up the soft breathing of the woman in front of him...Inuyasha only wished that she saw more in him then a 'stupid hanyou who was an asshole all the time'..to be truthfully honest, he cared for the young woman...He'd die for her if necessary..

She woke during the night, after a fit of dreams that refused to go away. Kagome sat up seeing the sleeping hanyou propped against the wall. She took the cover off his futon and draped it over his sleeping form. Once she was sure he was asleep, Kagome tied back the door covering and smiled at the stars twinkling overhead. The night was so beautiful here. There was nothing artificial to block or interfere with the natural beauty of this land and the treasures it held. Her thoughts took her to Kouga... or, more importantly...their conversation. Kagome wrinkled her nose.... Kouga had done the talking and gave her no opportunities to debate the issues he brought up. Some of the things he said struck the cords of her tender heart...while others ignited the flames of desire within her body.

He was a handsome youkai....no doubt about it. But she wasn’t sure what she felt for him.

The hanyou was a light sleeper, and when he'd felt something touch his form, alarms went off in his head...But then he got a waft of her scent..that undescribable flowery, innocent, strong scent...that could only be Kagome...Keeping his eyes shut, he waited and listened unitl he knew she was turned away...Opening his golden orbs, the hanyou lifted his head seeing what she was up to...His hand came in contact with his haori...'she always cares..no matter what...' he thought when recalling it being draped over his shoulders.

Her eyes took on a dazed expression as she thought about all the events that occurred over the last year..from Inuyasha..to meeting Kouga....her friends at school and endless studies.....there was so much to think about. She wondered how long it would take to find the remaining jewel shards, and what would happen afterwards.....

But most of all....she dreaded seeing Kouga again. One week. That's all the time she had to consider his offer. Kagome was afraid...she didn’t know what she wanted from her life or what to expect after the hunt was over. And now, here Kouga was adding more complications to an already turbulent time.

Standing up, the hanyou stretched, yawning...Something was definitely on her mind...Stepping by her side, the hanyou was surprised to see she had yet to notice his presence...It seemed the young woman had fallen into a trance involving her own thoughts...A worried expression on her face made him eager to know what was wrong...furrowing his brow he touched her shoulder..."Kagome..?"

On reflex, she jerked away from him startled to se he was awake AND standing next to her, "Oh...sorry..did I wake you?" she asked.

Startled by her reaction the hanyou gave her a shocked look...."..I knew I was scary..but jeez..." He said his golden eyes studying her face..."No..no you didn’t..just warm in there.." he said, stepping outside looking up at the stars. The young woman seemed to always of loved those stars...Which was understandab.onc.once he looked and knew what she'd been so awed over...'Somethings you just take for granted...' he thought..and then looked at the woman before him...'yeah...' he agreed with himself mentally.


"I didn’t say that." she shot back at him. "You just surprised me. I'd swear you're part cat demon with the way you can creep around so silently." Kagome teased. "Can I assume you are feeling better?" Kagome stood up, her hand going to his forehead, "Hmmm...well...it seems like your temp is going down...that’s good. But you should still be laying down with cold rags on your head."

Giving a small smile he said..."Nah... I feel much better..." With a teasing look of his own he said with a slight snip in his voice.."keh...cat..." Almost hushed but enough for her to hear...

"And what's wrong with cats?" she asked grinning, "I happen to love cats." The statement was meant to provoke him for a round of good natured arguing. She clasped her hands behind her back and gave him a daring little smile.


Lifting a brow he said.."What’s to like about oversized hair balls?...Keh..dogs are better.." he said with a cocky voice crossing his arms and looking at her with a slight smile of his own..

"Cats are cute and affectionate and keep themselves well groomed all the time. Dogs are messy and loud!" Kagome said with a little grin tilting her lips.

"Feh...cats...are...stupid...And are...like rats.." 'wow..some comeback..' his mind said knowing that his argument hadn’t won any points...Something else came to his mind however when she'd mentioned affection"and"and....who says dogs aren't affectionate...?" the hanyou countered once he thought it over...

"They are not!" she nearly yelled, "Cats are very intelligent, and dogs are overly affectionate. They jump up on you and lick you all the time and get their muddy little paws all over your clothes." Kagome looked at him smiling.

"Feh, at least dogs aren’t all persnickety, and like people for who they are and stuff like that, unlike cats who think they’re better then everyone else...and not all dogs do that.." he said frowning a bit at the last statement...

"Dogs aren’t that great ya know. They have a habit of running away and never coming back. Plus they dig holes in the yard and bury important stuff like your good dress shoes or remote controls."


'What the hell?...' the hanyou wondered when she'd mentioned these things...Giving her a confused look . Inuyasha gave a frown and narrowed his eyes looking at the raven haired woman...saying..."..your nuts..."

She smiled triumphantly, knowing she had won this little debate. "I am not, I'm just right and you know it." Kagome then did something uncharacteristic, she stuck her tongue out at the hanyou!! Her laughter echoed through the tiny hut. "I do like dogs Inuyasha, I like you after all." she said with a bright smile and laughing eyes

The hanyou wasn’t the least bit happy at her little victory. He never liked to lose...But...one of his strong points wasn’t vocal arguments and successfully winning...so giving a sneer he only said "Feh...you dont...I probably...bury..your...REE-mot..and get mud all over you..." Inuyasha said this with a sarcastic voice...It did bother him she thought all these things..HE WAS..a dog demon..'I cant help what I do...' he thought solemnly. But on the outside he tried to seem unfazed by her 'verbal attack on K9's'

She noticed his sad expression and reached for one fluffy ear, "Aww..Inuyasha...don’t take it personally. I like you and you've never buried anything of mine and your feet are never muddy." she teased. Her fingers passed over the thin triangle of skin, rubbing it between her fingers.

As much as he hated to admit it, the hanyou absoluetly LOVED when Kagome would pet his ears...He'd rather die a thousand deaths then admit it..But when they were alone, heet het his gaurd down a bit...Her soft fingers did magic on his sensitive ears making him relax...Closing his eyes, the hanyou leaned into her touch, that dreadful scowl coming of his face...Her scent and angelic touch made him melt like ice over fire...'..its..not....like....like...anyone’s gonna...see us anyway...' he thought reassuring himself that no one would see how vulnerable he was when the young woman did...'attack'..in this manner..'..every..ones...assslleeepp..' even his mind went to mush when she'd massage his velvety ears...How he loved it...even though it was usually just a caress..

Kagome let go of his ear, stretching her arms high above her head as she let out a huge yawn, "I'm going back to bed Inuyasha. Goodnight." Kagome sat down on the blanket, curling into a tiny ball as her eyes drifted shut.

Her touch was missed...Shaking his head out of the stuper he had fallen into because of the young maiden, the hanyou watched as she made her way back to the futon. Walking back to the door, Inuyasha gazed up at the diamond sky, enjoying the night noises and the cool breeze of it as well.