A/N: Here is a brand-new one-shot for everybody! It was inspired by episode 107 (the one that Inuyasha cries in) so there might be some very minor spoilers. This story was also inspired by Mandy Moore's song: Cry. However, this is not a song fiction. Enjoy it and please review!
Summary: When Kagome needs to go home for a while, she unknowingly uses a different method to convince the hanyou to let her go. She had no idea that it would hurt him so much.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters. They belong to the great Rumiko Takahashi. However, I do own this story and the plot.
Through Amber Eyes
"But Inuyasha! I have a sociology paper due on Monday! I have to do ten pages in two days! I haven't even done any research yet!" Kagome exclaimed.
"Keh. Well, if you haven't done any research then there is no point in doing it," Inuyasha said matter-of-factly.
It was another day in the feudal era and Kagome and Inuyasha were doing something very predictable…arguing by the bone-eaters well. Kagome wanted to go home and, as usual, Inuyasha refused to allow it.
Kagome had been trying to explain about her opinion paper for an estimated time of ten minutes. Normally, she would've just sat him and ended it. However, the subject of her paper was, to quote, 'Should violence be used to solve problems?' She had to give three reasons why or why not and she was aiming for peace over war. In short, she was going home without using the word today.
Unfortunately, Inuyasha was making her rethink her decision.
Kagome exhaled in frustration. "Listen Inuyasha, this assignment is worth a lot of marks. If I do really well on it, then one of my course marks is safe until exam time."
"So?" Inuyasha asked in confusion.
Kagome refrained from pulling her hair out. "So, that means that I can spend more time here without worrying about that particular class."
Inuyasha seemed to consider this before shaking his head firmly. "No. If Naraku gets the last jewel shard, then your entire time won't exist. You don't want that, do you?"
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Spare me the lame what-ifs, Inuyasha."
Okay…clearly, reasoning with him was not going to work. Now it was time for Plan B…Good, old-fashioned bribery.
"Inuyasha, did you like that new Ramen from Thailand that I brought back a week ago?" she asked, smiling.
"Yeah I – wait, what?" Inuyasha asked, looking confused at the abrupt change in subject.
"I'm sure Mama bought a lot more," she said, licking her lips. "Yummy, hot, Thai broth…" she said, closing her eyes as if she could actually taste the instant noodles.
Inuyasha got a glazed look in his golden eyes. "Yeah…it was really good," he said hazily.
Kagome saw her chance. "I'll bring you back a whole bunch if you want…" she said, tempting him.
"A whole bunch…"
Kagome slipped a leg over the lip of the well. "A whole bunch…" she repeated. She was so close! Now she just had to lean forward and –
A strong hand caught her arm, as she was about to slide into the well. She turned to look at Inuyasha and realized that he had snapped out his daze. She sighed…nobody could say that she hadn't tried.
"Pretty sneaky," Inuyasha said with a smirk.
Kagome fought not to lose her cool. What could do it? What could make him let her go? She was running out of ideas.
"Who do you think you are anyway?" she yelled. "School is my responsibility!"
Ah, she hadn't tried shouting yet.
Inuyasha lashed out with his own temper. "You have a responsibility here too! If you hadn't broke the jewel, Naraku wouldn't have gotten so powerful!"
"I know that!" she shouted. "I can't forget it because you remind me every time that I want to go home!"
As they noisily argued, Kagome was trying to rack her brain for ideas.
I'm not going to use the word…I'm not going to use the word…Must. Have. Control…"I need supplies anyway!"
"We have Kaede's herbs!"
Kagome thought and thought and thought. Nothing.
Kagome closed her eyes. She was losing control with her emotions. Kagome opened her eyes to reveal…tears. "Inuyasha," she said, hating herself for not keeping her tears at bay. "Why can't I just go home? Why do I always have to fight you?" she said, with a few tears streaming down her cheek.
Whatever reaction Kagome had been expecting, this wasn't it. A dark look overcame his eyes and he turned his back on her.
"Fine," he said tightly. "Go."
"Inuyasha?"
"Go home."
It wasn't only what he had said…it was the way he had said it. Pain was lacing each short word.
"Inuyasha…"
"JUST GO!" he roared at her. "If it's so important that you have to cry over it, then go!"
With that, he jumped up into a nearby tree and hopped off toward the village, leaving Kagome shocked and hurt.
Violence is an abusive exercise of power. Violence should not be used to help solve problems because…
That was all that Kagome had typed. So much for not writing with a soiled conscience… She couldn't shake off the feeling that she had somehow hurt Inuyasha in a way that was much worse than physical violence.
Kagome tapped the keys and sighed. She shouldn't think about him. She came home so that she could forget about him and finish her assignment. She had to focus! Nodding with determination, she turned back to the computer…focus… violence…violence…vio - oh forget it! She couldn't pay attention!
She banged her fist on her desk and growled angrily, briefly thinking that Inuyasha's anger habits were rubbing off on her. What was wrong with him? What was wrong with her? Why had he reacted like that?
Kagome rubbed her temples, saved her pathetic attempt at an essay and shut down her computer. She had to talk to Inuyasha. Whether it was to get rid of her annoying inner-voice or save her sociology mark or to satisfy her curiosity about Inuyasha's reaction, she wasn't sure.
Kagome hoisted herself out of the bone-eater's well and scanned her surroundings. Nobody was in sight. That was when she realized that Inuyasha was really mad. He always came to greet her as soon as he caught her scent.
A fat tear found its way out of Kagome's eye as she walked toward Kaede's village.
Inuyasha…Kagome hated that he was angry with her. Usually, it was the other way around! And the worst part was that she had no idea what she did wrong. Sure, she had cried, but she had done that many times.
Kagome came upon the hill that overlooked Kaede's village. She wiped away the tear but it was immediately replaced with another…and another…and another. She sank to the ground and rested her forehead on her knees.
"Still crying?"
Kagome's head snapped up. Leaning against a tree a few feet away, was Inuyasha. His arms were crossed and he was in his usual "I-don't-care-about-anything" pose. However, Kagome could see a trace of guilt on his usually rough features.
Kagome hastily wiped her eyes. "Of course I'm not crying!" she said indignantly.
"Keh," Inuyasha said, walking toward her.
"What's your problem anyway?" Kagome asked as he sat down beside her.
"I don't have a problem," he replied.
"Yes you do! All I wanted to do was go home and you made me feel like I did something wrong! So I ask you again, what is your problem?" Kagome said sharply.
Inuyasha just met her gaze without answering.
Kagome had had enough. She stood up and looked down at Kaede's village. "I shouldn't be surprised…you couldn't care less about my life in the future."
She began to walk forward, in the direction of the village, when a strong, clawed hand grabbed her small wrist.
"It wasn't about that," Inuyasha said gruffly, tugging her wrist and forcing her to sit down next to him.
"Then what was it about?" Kagome questioned, feeling her face go slightly hot from sitting so close to Inuyasha.
"You were crying," he said simply.
"…Yeah…and…"
"You cry over such stupid stuff," Inuyasha said bluntly.
"Hey!"
"Going home? That's no reason to shed tears. Nobody was hurt or dead. Women cry over such stupid things."
"Yes, you said that already," Kagome remarked dryly.
"Which part?"
"I cry over stupid things."
"Well, you do."
Kagome was just about to sit him out of sheer annoyance when his words finally sunk in.
"Going home? That's no reason to shed tears. Nobody was hurt or dead. Women cry over such stupid things."
He was right…Kagome had seen him cry one time in her entire life. He had cried when…she had been an inch from death. Mukotsu's poison…Kagome had almost forgotten about that.
"Inuyasha…I'm not sorry for my emotions, but I am sorry that they hurt you so much."
Inuyasha looked at her in surprise.
"You're right, sometimes I cry over silly little things that are not worthy of any attention. But, it hurts me when you won't let me make my own decisions…like go back to my own time," she said firmly. "But you're right…about people dying."
Inuyasha flushed and Kagome knew that he knew that she was thinking about the time that he had cried.
"Men never cry no matter what," Inuyasha said quickly. "I just had something in my eye that day…that's all!"
Kagome leaned her head against his warm shoulder, surprising him as well as herself. "Sure Inuyasha. Whatever you say."
"It's true!"
"So you would never cry for me?" she questioned.
"Keh, I'd never let you die!" he declared, unconsciously wrapping an arm around her protectively.
Kagome just smiled noticing that he didn't answer he question. "I know."
She briefly thought that she could write her paper, now that she had fixed things with Inuyasha...
She closed her eyes in contentment and smiled.
…But she'd do it later.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that! It's times like this that I wish that I could draw backgrounds…that scene with them two on the hill would be awesome fanart!
Anyways, please review! (I promise that I'll get back to my other story work now!)