Kaya's Story (An InuYasha Fanfic)

Chapter 42: My Tears and Ryu's Kiss

It has been roughly three days since my fight with Naraku and Ryu still hasn't woken up. I haven't left his side very much since then, except to help the villagers with injuries and whatnot. I'm really worried about him, so is Hiroshi. "I'm going to look for more herbs, I'll be back soon," I told Hiroshi, who nodded in response. It was dawn on the fourth day. In all honesty, I left the hut so Hiro wouldn't see me cry. He was worried enough, so I didn't want to add to it. Ryu is one of my oldest and closest friends, so the thought of losing him felt like I was losing a piece of myself. Koneko's voice brought me out of my thoughts, "Kaya?" "Good morning, Koneko. You're up early." I greeted. "Yes. I wanted to see if you wanted some company." She said with a smile. I smiled down at her, "sure, that would be lovely." Soon the other villagers emerged from their homes and began their morning duties. Koneko and I gathered some new herbs I had found. Lady Kikyo had told me they work well for poisons, so I was going to try those. When we returned to Hiro's hut, we found him asleep against the far wall. He hadn't been sleeping much either the past few days. I sighed and began my work.

Late afternoon came and went quickly, Koneko had left in the late morning. Ryu and I were the only ones left in the main room. I had been holding his hand, much like he did with me, silently praying he would be okay. I could feel tears start to gather in my eyes as I rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb. "Please, Ryu. You're safe, come back to me." "Kaya? Where am I?" Ryu asked quietly. "You're home, I'm so happy you're okay," I stated as the tears fell. He sat up slowly and looked at me with a weak smile. "Thank you, for saving me." I smiled in return, for once I was speechless. He moved his free hand and wiped a tear from my cheek. "How long have I been out?" "About four days. You had me so worried, I'm happy you're okay." I said. "That long, I'm sorry I worried you." He said looking down. "Don't ever apologize for making me worry," I said lifting his chin, so our eyes met. He smiled and interlocked our fingers. "I'm happy you're okay, too." I could feel myself blush. "I think we should both get some sleep. If you want, I'll tell you about it in the morning." I said. He nodded, letting go of my hand and laid back down while I moved to lean against the far wall. Soon, we were both asleep.

"I'm glad to see you up and about, son," Hiroshi stated. "I have Kaya to thank for that. I don't know what I'd do without her." Ryu said. I opened my eyes at the mention of my name. "Good morning, everyone. Did you all sleep well?" I said, smiling. "Morning, Kaya. Yes, we did. Do you want to go on a walk with me?" Ryu replied, hopefully. "Sure, if you're sure you're okay to go," I stated. He nodded and stood up. I followed in suit and grabbed his hand. He chuckled and led me to the river bank where we sat down. "Now, I want to hear everything," I explained everything that he didn't already know and when I finished, he gave me a deep frown. "So, you came after me in the middle of the night when you were human? What were you thinking?" "That you were in danger, I didn't care I was human because my main focus was you," I stated. "You could've gotten killed; you know that, right?" He questioned. "Of course, but that didn't matter to me and it still doesn't. I care about you Ryu, ever since we met 50 years ago, I've cared about you." I said, looking down. Ryu lifted my face, so our eyes met before he spoke. "I care for you too, Kaya. Always have and always will." What happened next was shocking. Ryu leaned in and kissed my lips softly. The kiss ended almost as abruptly as it happened and he put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to him. I laid my head on his shoulder, blushing wildly. We sat like this for a long time, just the two of us watching the river, enjoying the company of the other.