I Can't Catch You
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. There, I said it.
Oh, and I don't own "I Can't Catch You" by Sixpence None the Richer, either.
The bright afternoon sun beat down on their faces from the hot summer sky, causing beads of sweat clinging to their foreheads. It seemed like there had never been a hotter day ever. Still, they ran. Fast and hard, pushing until they believed their feet would leave the rest of them behind. Her breath was heavy and loud, but she tried to control it so she wouldn't lose her wind. He hadn't even felt the strain of the run yet, and they both knew it would be a while before he would. So of course, Kagome was well behind Inuyasha. It was to be expected. Even though the distance between the two of them seemed endless, she didn't let it discourage her. Determined to catch up, she urged herself forward towards the red figure ahead of her.
In order to graduate high school, it was a requirement that each student had at least one P.E. credit, and there was no way Kagome was going to fail because of that. So to prevent such a thing from happening, Kagome signed up for cross country with some friends. It sounded easy enough. All she had to do was run a few miles every now and then and run in a few races. There was no experience required and no physical contact, just running. God knew she did enough of that in the feudal era. The first race was less than two weeks away, and Kagome decided that it would be a good idea to run when she had the chance. And who better to help her than Inuyasha? It took a lot of convincing, but she finally managed to get him to do so.
I guess you could say I'm a little afraid, I'm a little afraid
What if you go away?
I've seen it before, I've been here before
For a brief second, Inuyasha glanced over his shoulder to see Kagome following behind him as best as she could. He couldn't help but feel as if he should wait for her and keep pace with her, but decided against the idea. Kagome ran too slow for him. Besides, he enjoyed the look of intense focus on her face. Inuyasha's amber eyes flickered back one more time to see Kagome raising her knees higher as she ascended the large hill he was now at the top of. A smirk found itself on the half-demon's face as he watched the trail in front of him curve sharply past a large, fallen tree.
If I have to love myself, tell me how to love myself
What's there to love about myself?
Ijust want to see that as a person you want me, as a person you want me
Kagome slowed her pace a tad and unclipped the pedometer from the elastic of her running shorts. Watching the number slowly rise on the display, she felt disappointment sink her heart. She'd only gone a mile since she began, and she had two more to go. For a brief moment, Kagome considered quitting and forgetting about the meet, about everything that had to do with running and cross country. But as soon as the thought had come to her, she shook it away. Slipping the pedometer back onto the waistband of her shorts, she forced herself to take longer strides.
But I'm feeling the pain of all these bags in the way
And I'm thinking you're just gonna run away
And I can't catch you
Once she had approached the hill, Inuyasha had disappeared on the other side. Feeling her inspiration leaving her, she ran faster until her half-demon came back into her sight for a moment before he ran into a cluster of trees. Sighing inwardly, she attempted to pace herself better so she wouldn't wear herself out too early. Kagome knew it was impossible to catch up with Inuyasha, but she had to try. It was the reason she asked him to run with her, so that she would push her limits. But was she pushing them too hard this time?
I can't catch you
He panicked, but only for a moment. Once he entered the group of trees, Kagome was completely out of his sight. His heart started beating painfully against his rib cage and he could have sworn he was on the verge of a panic attack. But then he took a deep whiff of the sun sweetened air and calmed down. The scent of Kagome's vanilla aura hadn't disappeared, and that alone was enough to assure him and bring him back to reality. Feeling guilt welling up inside him, Inuyasha finally came to a halt. There was no way he was going to risk another panic attack.
I can't catch you
"Three miles, why three miles? Why couldn't they just settle for two miles?" Kagome asked herself as she continued to run, but at a much slower pace than before. Time was no longer a concern to her; all she wanted was to finish now. A painful knot surged in her side, making concentrating even harder. Her legs felt weak and numb, and her arms felt light and weightless. Kagome's stomach lurched uneasily, signaling that it was a bad idea to eat all those granola bars before she left. In an attempt to keep herself from heaving, she ran faster until she thought she was flying. The trees fell behind her in a blur, but the pain didn't cease. And then there was that familiar red outfit coming closer and closer to her. Kagome wanted to stop, but her feet simply refused, resulting in a head-on collision.
"OOMPHFFF!"
"OY, WENCH! What are you trying to do, kill me!" Inuyasha cursed loudly from his place in the dust. They were both on the ground in a heap under the shade of a tall oak tree. Kagome felt her cheeks burning furiously with a prudish blush, and she ducked her head away so that Inuyasha couldn't see it. She was more embarrassed and ashamed of herself than she had ever been in all her life. First she couldn't finish the three miles, and then she brings Inuyasha down with her.
"Sorry! Sorry! I didn't mean to…" Kagome apologized, her breathing still heavy and uneven from running. She stumbled up to her feet and prepared to dash off again, but caught her foot on an old, weathered root of the tree. Watching her fall again, Inuyasha heard an excruciating crunch emitting from Kagome's ankle, bringing an awful cringe to her face. He wasn't able to get to his own feet early enough to catch her, but he hurried to her side.
I guess I would say that I want you to stay, that I want you to stay
'Cause you have this strange knack,
Adds a strange glow to my black as you chase it all away
"Kagome! Are you okay!" Inuyasha tried not to shout, but he couldn't help himself. The pain tearing at her face was ripping his heart apart. This was his entire fault. He didn't know exactly how it was, but he somehow felt responsible. He took her into his arms, unsure of what to do. Was her ankle broken? How was he supposed to check without hurting her? Countless worried questions raced through his head as he kept fidgeting with his feet.
"Do I look like I'm okay?" Kagome asked sarcastically, trying to smile through the waves of ache. She tried to keep her voice calm as well, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.
"I think my ankle is broken, Inuyasha," she added, regretfully wiggling free of his arms to take a look at her ankle. Carefully and cautiously, she unlaced her shoe and slid it off, but not without a great deal of pain. Inuyasha leaned in close to examine her ankle, but couldn't exactly diagnose what was wrong.
"It looks swollen," he told her, gingerly touching her ankle. At this, Kagome closed her eyes in pain, trying to ignore Inuyasha's touch. "But I can't tell if it's broken. We should get back to Kaede's and she'll be able to figure out what's wrong with it." Kagome nodded in agreement, wiping a salty tear away from her eye with the back of her hand. Eyebrows furrowed in concern, Inuyasha offered his clawed hand to Kagome who took it and attempted to stand. Once she was up, she wobbled and felt herself falling again, but this time the half-demon was able to catch her this time.
"Maybe I should just carry you," Inuyasha suggested, not wanting Kagome to injure herself more than she already had. Not looking up, Kagome nodded solemnly and allowed Inuyasha to scoop her up into his arms. He took off running, holding Kagome close to him, determined to get back to Kaede's hut as quickly as possible. Every time he leaped over a fallen tree or a large rock, Inuyasha felt Kagome cling to him a little more than before. Smirking, he began to hop from tree to tree at a great speed. Inuyasha glanced down after a moment, and saw Kagome squeezing her eyes shut tight in fear, causing a slight guilt to rise in him. Feeling bad, the half demon decreased his speed and returned to the ground.
And I hope that you can't see
I will soon believe these things
I'm waiting to get free
Seeing the little rickety shack come into view, Inuyasha hurried towards it. Brushing the blanket that served as a door aside, the two entered the hut to find the old woman grinding herbs with her pestle and mortar. The worried expression on Inuyasha's face and the pain distorting Kagome's was enough to aware Kaede that something was definitely wrong. Hastily setting her work aside, she stood up and walked towards the couple standing at her doorway.
"What is wrong?" Kaede asked, concerned.
"I tripped…," Kagome explained simply, blushing. It was embarrassing enough that she had a clumsy moment, but hurting herself in the process was the worst.
"She hurt her ankle, hag. And we can't tell if it's broken or just sprained," Inuyasha added disrespectfully while warily placing Kagome on the floor.
"Ah, I see," Kaede said, kneeling and examining Kagome's ankle. She poked and prodded the joint, causing Kagome to cringe. "I don't believe it's broken. There are no bones protruding, but it is badly sprained. Ye should stay off of it for a while, Kagome," the woman diagnosed. Relief washed over Inuyasha. Now he could rest knowing that she'd heal eventually and be back on her feet.
"Inuyasha, I am going to get some cold water from the creek to help the swelling go down. Ye must stay with Kagome while I am away," Kaede instructed Inuyasha before leaving the hut with an empty pail at hand. Inuyasha merely nodded in response and took a seat beside Kagome. Silence filled the hut along with awkwardness between the two. Feeling as if he should say something to lighten the mood, Inuyasha searched his mind. But to no avail. He could think of nothing, he didn't have to. A soft weeping was picked up by his sensitive ears, coming from the girl next to him. Turning to look at her, Inuyasha saw trails of tears streaming down Kagome's face, causing the same painful feeling to rip at his heart again.
"Kagome? What's wrong?" He asked in a soft tone, edging a little closer to her. Kagome hiccupped, wiped her tears, and turned her head away so Inuyasha couldn't see. She felt so foolish… When she made no reply, a caring hand placed itself firmly on her shoulder. It belonged to Inuyasha.
But I'm feeling the pain of all these bags in the way
And I'm thinking that you're just gonna run away
I can't catch you
Practically melting under Inuyasha's hand, Kagome threw herself at Inuyasha. She buried her face in his red shirt and let her tears soak it while she sobbed. Surprised, Inuyasha wrapped a comforting embrace around Kagome and rocked her back and forth like a small child. It was the least he could do to make the situation even slightly better.
"Shhh… You're okay," he cooed softly, running a hand through her dark hair that was gathered back into a ponytail. Kagome choked out a sob and shook her head.
"I'm… n-not… not okay, Inu… yasha," she said between her tears, wrapping her arms around him tighter. "I… I… I c-can't do… this."
I can't catch you
"Yes you can," Inuyasha reassured her, brushing her tears from her eyes with his thumb. "You just need to keep running and you'll get better. But not any time soon. We don't want you to make that ankle any worse than it already is." Kagome looked up at the half demon and managed to crack a smile at this, feeling better at his words.
I can't catch you
"Thank you, Inuyasha…" Kagome said, pressing her cheek against his chest, listening to his rhythmic heartbeat. The feeling of being surrounded by Inuyasha drove the thought of pain away from Kagome, easing her and pacifying her for the first time in a while. Her smile grew wider across her face, contagiously causing one on Inuyasha's.
"Anything for you, Kagome."
I can't catch you
After so long, Kaede finally re-entered the hut with a heavy, full bucket of cold creek water. Upon coming in, she came to see a sight she never thought she'd ever see. Inuyasha and Kagome sat against a wall, fast asleep in each other's arms. Kagome's head was rested in the crook of Inuyasha's neck and shoulder, her arms around his waist. Atop her head, rested Inuyasha's while he draped his arms around Kagome. They were undisturbed by Kaede's movement, though the half demon's dog ears twitched from time to time. Smiling broadly, Kaede set the bucket aside for future use and took to starting dinner.
"They love each other, yet their too afraid to admit it. Maybe one day," Kaede thought out loud.
Oh, I want to catch you.
The End.
So, that's it for this story. There's really nothing to continue onto this, but I think it turned out alright. But whatever. Please review and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading! I appreciate it!
Love, Fake Ninja 3