Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, Rumiko Takahashi does.
Between Darkness and Light
Chapter 3: First Sight
By Cataluna
"I am not happy with you."
"The hell I care," Inuyasha answered with a snort, his hand inattentively flexing over the wooden arm of the park bench.
Kaede sighed again, louder this time. "Two weeks, Inuyasha, nearly two weeks. If I had known it would take you this long to find her I would have asked somebody else or simply wait for the Order to discover her whereabouts."
Sun-bleached wood cracked inside his fist as he snarled, turning his head to look at her for the first time, "The Order knows shit."
"Then maybe I should-" she stopped as a fit of dry cough came over her, causing her to double over with her fist covering her mouth before continuing, "Maybe I should really find someone else to take the job."
"No," Inuyasha said almost too quickly, standing up in a whirl of silver and black. "I'll find her in the next few days, I just have a few more leads I need to check out before I can be sure." If only he could... He shook his head at the thought that followed. But despite their incompetence, they would not give up on their human weapon so easily…for what were they without their slayer?
The watcher stood with the help of her cane. "Then I'll hold you to that promise."
No denying it, he was beautiful.
Slyly, Kagome dared another glance at the man through the large conveniently placed mirror hanging on the wall in front of her while she absently sipped on her lemon ice tea. Like a vulture, she had been watching him since his arrival at the restaurant, his powerful presence and rugged good-looks attracting the stares of the female diners as well as those of their jealous male companions. Fortunately for her, he was given a seat a few tables down from her instead of the empty one on her left. His proximity would probably have turned her into a stuttering airhead.
It wasn't until her friend had left to visit the bathroom that she was given the opportunity to study him more closely. His hair was of an unusual coloring – a shade one would see on the head of the elderly instead of someone his age. It was also at a length most guys wouldn't be caught dead with unless they were models on the cover of those cheesy romance novels, but for him, it was strangely fitting and appropriate, with no mistaking of his masculinity. His built was impressive and slender at the same time – shoulders broad but not to the extremes of a professional bodybuilder.
Something about him was familiar even though she was certain that she had never laid eyes on a man like him before. Her brows furrowed into one as attempted to come up with a possible reason, and she cursed silently at the fact that she was blessed only with the view of his profile. If only he would turn his head in her direction, just enough for her to see his eyes. Her plead was left unanswered for he continued to stare straight ahead at the entrance. The food on his plate remained untouched and he seemed almost bored with it, along with everything else around him. 'Is he waiting for someone? A girlfriend?' Kagome wondered, her lips twisting into a frown.
"So how much longer are you going to drool and stare before going up there and talk to him?" came a voice from behind.
Kagome nearly choked on her drink as a grinning Ayumi slid easily into the seat across from her, a fresh coat of lip gloss covering her lips. She turned quickly to see if he had heard her. Lucky for her, the handsome man appeared oblivious to her friend's outburst. The twinkling glint in her friend's eyes caused an unsettling lurch in her stomach and she prepared herself for the worst. She never knew what to expect from her.
"You know," Ayumi began casually, reaching over to grab a fry out of her plate. She bit into the end with a knowing smile, allowing a few tense second to pass before resuming the conversation, "I've known you for a long time and I've never seen you look at a guy like that…like he's a piece of meat."
She could feel all the blood in her body rushing directly to her cheeks, her dry mouth preventing her from inventing a plausible explanation except to give a weak protest, "Ayumi! He's going to hear you."
Her friend shrugged, "It's not like it's a crime. Half the women here are doing it right now. You know, you should really go talk to him. He'll love that."
"Maybe you should go talk to him," Kagome replied defensively, "You seem to like him more than me."
"Nah, don't want to be standing in the way of true love… bad karma, you know?" Ayumi answered, ignoring her glare. "Besides, you haven't had a boyfriend in ages. Come to think of it, have you always been single?"
"Ayumi!" Kagome hissed, sliding as low as she could on her seat in case someone had just overheard their conversation. It was true. She had been single for all her life, but did everyone have to know?
"What could it hurt?"
Kagome swallowed deeply, before replying in a dry tone, "My pride."
"Come on, it won't hurt. Besides, he doesn't look like he goes to our school, and he's probably used to girls drooling over him all the time."
"You're not going to leave me alone till I do, huh?"
"Nope."
Kagome sighed and stood. "Fine fine fine. You win. I'll go talk to him and you can watch me get laughed at."
"Too late," Ayumi said, pointing to his empty seat.
"I didn't even see him leave and I was watching him the entire time," Ayumi paused and reconsidered, "Well I took my eyes off of him for like a second when I took a sip of my soda."
Kagome shrugged to feign indifference and readjusted the purse strap on her shoulder. "It's ok. I'm glad he left. I really didn't want to bother him." Liar liar…
"Nonsense!" she insisted, her voice echoing loudly through the street, "He would have been flattered. Plus he was looking pretty lonely sitting there by himself."
Her lower lip caught between her teeth. "He's probably one of those moody loner type who has a really bad temper." She shook her head and skipped on ahead. "Anyway, he's gone now so we should stop talking about him."
A pain started on her lower back, shooting up her spine, and she fell unceremoniously to the ground. Ouch… "Dammit, what's with me lately?" she stood with an angry huff, "I've been falling left and- Ayumi?" She turned and found that she was suddenly alone, and no longer guided by the soft glow from the streetlamps. "Ayumi?" she raised the volume of her voice, listening carefully for the sound of her friend's footsteps.
The sound of heavy breathing and a soft whimper alerted her to street they had passed a moment before. She walked carefully towards it, panic beginning to settle in her stomach. It might not even be her… what if… She shook her head to rid her mind of the thoughts that were urging for her to turn back, to run away as fast as she could. I can't, I'll never be able to forgive myself if anything happens because I ran like a coward.
With a deep breath to calm her nerves, Kagome stepped carefully around the corner only to immediately stumble over a large object in her path. She winced and tucked her legs under her, using what she had just tripped over as a leverage to push herself up. Dammit, I am turning into a major klutz. Good thing no one's here to see- Soft…the object is soft! She paledand took a few steps back, careful not to lose her balance. "A-Ayumi?" she managed to whisper before she was hurled against the wall, her breath knocked out of her. The entire line of her body was throbbing with pain as she sunk to the ground.
"Slayer," her assailant hissed with a gender-neutral voice that reminded her of a giant-talking snake, "We've been looking for you."
Wincing, she carefully patted the back of her head, looking for open wounds. A strange sensation came over her, starting from her head and moving to the curl of her toes. Her mind felt fuzzy, despite the sharpening of her vision that allowed her to see clearly without the aid of light. "It" turned out to be a "he" with fangs. "I think you've got the wrong person," she spoke with a strange calmness that surprised even herself.
He appeared confused before hissing as he moved closer toward her, "You are the one."
Her leg shot out from beneath her without her realization, planting a swift and painful kick between his thighs. She kicked him again as he howled in pain, pushing him off balance. As soon as he was down, the alien-like feeling disappeared, leaving her to face the consequences of her action. A piercing scream was heard echoing through the deserted street until she realized it was coming from her. Throat raw from exhaustion, she quickly scrambled to her feet, fixing her horrified stare on the moaning figure on the ground.
But it was another figure that soon captured her attention, the first swiftly forgotten. Eyes brimming with tears, she moved to Ayumi's side and dropped to her knees. She gently touched her cheek, drawing back immediately when she felt she had touched ice rather than flesh. She's so cold…too cold… I have to get her out of here. Kagome leaned forward again and pressed her fingers to her throat, only to come away with something warm and wet. Tentatively, she brought her hand to nose and nearly gagged when she detected the distinct scent of blood. 'Ayumi's blood,' she corrected herself. What kind of- why is this happening?
Kagome wasn't allowed the time to think or to tend to her friend when her head snapped back painfully by a violent pull of her hair. She fell backward, her hands shot up immediately to keep her hair from being yanked out at the root, a loud whimper escaping from her lips. The rough pavement tore through her blouse and scratched at the tender skin on her back as he continued to drag her away. "Let go!" she managed to cry out in broken gasps. The pain was excruciating, made worse when she increased her struggle. 'I don't want to die… No, please no…' she pleaded silently to whoever that was listening, whatever out there.
Her prayer was answered when he grunted in pain and released his hold on her. She heard the sound of flesh meeting flesh, then the wet sound of flesh being impaled as she rested on the floor, her heart threatening to burst out of her ribcage. She closed her eyes, and it was silent for a long time before a hand wrapped itself around her arm. She nearly screamed, but didn't. Somehow, she knew that he was not trying to hurt her.
"Get up," he ordered in a rough tone.
Kagome ignored his command, even as he was increasing his grip, lifting her a few inches off the ground.
"Get up, wench."
"Just leave me," she answered back.
"Foolish AND crazy," he declared with a condescending snort that made clear how little he thought of her intelligence, before picking her up.
Kagome opened her mouth to protest, but the shock of suddenly being in his arms silenced her and she unconsciously gave a soft sigh as she sunk into his warmth, not minding the slight sting on her back. It didn't hurt as much anymore. Maybe she was becoming numb to the pain. A cool breeze blew past them, causing strands of long silver hair to surround her, along with the smell of expensive cologne. Captivated, she wrapped her finger around a loose tendril that had fallen near her hand, noting its softness and how it seemed to glow against the night. Silver, I've never seen a color like- Her breath suddenly caught in her throat as she came into a realization. It's him. He's the guy from the restaurant.
A fit of panic came over her as her mind cleared and she remembered. "Ayumi!" she cried out hoarsely, twisting her body around to peer over his shoulder. She saw that she was still on the ground, not moving. "My friend, she's hurt. She's still back there."
He slowed his step and growled down at her, "Stop squirming or I'm going to drop you, little girl."
"Then let me go. Go back to my friend or let me go," Kagome demanded, ignoring his command by increasing her struggle, not caring for his threat. If that was all it took for him to release her, then fine. She much rather land on her ass then to risk Ayumi's life. But her effort proved to be futile, like pushing against a brick wall.
"She'll live, but that wench is not my priority, you are."
Tired of arguing and knowing that he was moving her further away with each second, she did the only thing she could do, the only thing she could think of.
She bit him.
Later, she would understand the ramification of her action and the ironic meaning behind it when she sunk her teeth into the only exposed part of his body - his neck. For now, she didn't care, she just wanted him to let go. She had expected anger, a strong reaction, but instead, he stilled immediately, and she felt his body become rigid. Recognizing an opportunity for what it was, she twisted out of his hold and managed to stand on her own again without embarrassing herself. That was until she started running. She almost stumbled twice before she reached Ayumi's side. She kneeled on the ground and gently shook her shoulder, "Ayumi-"
"Stupid bitch."
She was yanked to her feet once again by the man she had thought to have left behind. How he had reached her so quickly was astonishing, especially when she had heard nothing more than the roaring sound of the wind. Unless… Her eyes widened. That was him. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her so closely toward him that she could scarcely move. He was breathing hard, and she couldn't decide if it was from the chase or something entirely different. "Let me go," she requested weakly, pushing half-heartedly against his chest, "Please…" It was then that she finally got the nerves to face her rescuer, seeing those piercing eyes of his that glared into her own.
"What did you fucking think you were doing? You're deaf or something?"
Her eyes quickly narrowed with anger and she tried to raise her hand to slap him, which he caught with little effort. She hated him even as she was subconsciously melting against him. Why she ever thought he was handsome, she didn't know, it must have been a lapse of insanity. Her resentment for him gave her strength, allowing her to glare at him squaringly in the eyes, "Let me go or I'm going to send your ass to jail."
He cracked a small smile. "You're not going to shut up till I help your friend, huh?"
She shook her head.
"Fine," he said softly, before hauling her over his shoulder and carefully picking up her friend, "So be it. My car's parked over there and the hospital isn't too far from here."
His car turned out to be a sleek, black Ferrari. He folded the seat back then told her climb into the back so her friend could rest comfortably in the front. Mumbling about blood stain on his leather seats, he started the engine and sped off like a maniac, making her wonder if they would have been better off not accepting a ride from him. The thick silence gave her time to think, her mind rewinding through events and pieces of conversation that had transpire in the past hours.
She'll live, but that wench is not my priority, you are.
"What did you mean by that?" she asked suddenly.
He fixed his gaze on her through the rearview mirror as they came to a stop in front of the red light, "By what"
"That she is not your priority."
"You'll find out soon enough," he answered, his eyes returning to the road as the light turned green.
Her hand fidgeted with the clasp on her watch, "But-"
"Damn bitch, stop asking so many damn questions. I'll tell you when it's time."
She was finally quiet but that did not stop her imagination from running wild. "Are you in the mob?" She had seen movies, read books about girls who were rescued by a man, only to find out that he was a monster in disguise.
He laughed like he hadn't laughed for quite some time, "You're a curious kitten, aren't you. Believe me when I tell you this because I don't say this to too many people… you're safe with me."
For reasons unknown, she believed him. She knew that he had meant every word and would do everything he could to keep her out of harm, even at the risk of his own safety.
The only question left on her mind was "why?"
The scent of sickness and death hung heavily in the air, so much that he had to stand near the entrance to keep from becoming ill. Inuyasha allowed his eyes to close briefly as he leaned his head back. How did the humans stand this - surrounding themselves in the foulness night after night? He had slain countless but had always been able to walk away from it. This was different. Death had permeated every hole in the wall and every crack in the ground.
'Then the fuck am I doing here?' Inuyasha wondered quietly to himself again. He had a clear objective at the beginning of the night but somehow she had managed to twist everything into going her way. Now, he was stuck here in a damn hospital when he was only supposed to ensure her safety. He groaned and banged his head lightly against the wall. This girl… this girl is going to be the end of me.
His ears picked up on the faint sound of her voice coming from far end of the corridor, hearing her thank the doctor numerous times before making her way toward the waiting area. She stared at the ground the entire time, and when she finally looked up, her eyes were shining bright with tears. He felt his heart twist at the sight, but quickly dismissed it with a shake of his head as she watched him with uncertainty. Finally, he released a sigh and stepped outside, glancing backward when he was a few steps away from the door, "You're coming or what?"
Kagome nodded and obediently followed him back to the car. "Where are you taking me?" she asked after she had fasten her seatbelt.
Inuyasha looked at her in disbelief and took his foot off the accelerator, slamming on the brake. Not too many people could shock him, but this girl… She got into the car with me without knowing where I'm taking her? This girl is way too trusting for her own good. Come to think of it, does she even know my name? "Hey! What's my name?"
She gave him a sheepish grin, "Your name is… umm… Sagura?"
"Idiot-" he started to say until he felt a sharp pain on his arm, "The fuck is wrong with you?"
"You've been calling me names from the start, and now you're mad at me for not knowing your name when you don't even know mine and-"
His hand covered her mouth to stop the annoying squealing sound coming from it. "Shut up, Kagome," he added emphasis to her name, knowing that it would produce the effect he had hoped for. It did, for her eyes grew impossibly large and her breath caught in her throat. Knowing that she would likely scream as soon as he released her, he decided that now was the time to tell her the truth, well at least a part of it. "I'm going to let go and you're going to stay quiet, you understand?"
She nodded.
"This car is completely soundproof and the only way you can open the door is if I want you to, so there's no point in screaming. And I'll answer some of the questions you have if you'll behave." 'So far, so good,' he thought as he removed his hand.
True to her words, she kept her composure and he could see that she was studying him carefully.
"Name's Inuyasha, by the way."
"Inuyasha," Kagome repeated quietly to herself.
Though mundane and entirely trivial, it felt good to hear her say his name. He had known hers for so long and had said it out loud to himself when she wasn't even aware of his existence.
"Inuyasha…" she began, displaying a sudden fascination with the pattern on her denim, "Who are you and why are you doing this?"
"Like I've said before, I'm here to protect you."
"But why?"
"It's a little too soon to ask, but trust me. I'm not a crazy nutcase."
She considered for a moment before nodding, "I don't know why, but I trust you."
"Then trust me when I tell you that I'll explain everything to you tomorrow."
"When?"
"I'll pick you up after school."
She didn't say anything again afterward and took to gazing out the window, speaking only to occasionally guide him toward the direction of her house. He let her, regardless of having memorized the streets leading to her place by heart.
A/N: I'm glad that you guys are liking the revised version so much! I had intended for this chapter to come out sooner but I caught a nasty bug and was sick for almost the entire week. Thanks again for the encouragement!