InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Gray ❯ A cold walk ( Chapter 9 )

~<>~ Shades of Gray ~<>~

 

 

~<>~ Chapter 9 ~<>~ A cold walk

 

 

Rolling to her right, Kagome fought the urge to burry herself under the soft down comforter. It sounded as if someone was setting off an array of Fourth of July fireworks in her head. Her eyelids felt like hundred pound weights, refusing to open to see the light of day. And she wasn't going to get started about the tension in each and every muscle in her body. All together, she was nearly sure she had never felt this hung over in her life. The night before was a blur of colors, amusing at points, but never the less, uninterpretable, kind of like a Picasso painting.

 

The sanguinity of her normal disposition refused to rear its cheery head as she forced one eye open, defying the act of gravity at the current moment. Where was her alarm clock? With a rather guttural groan, she wondered for a moment if she was even asleep in her room. Forcing her neck to crane up from the pillow, she took a very brief glance around the dimly lit room. `Nope, definitely not my room,' she thought as her head crashed back into the fluffy warmness of this stranger's pillow.

 

She could remember bits and pieces of the night before hand; there was the bar with Jak, and then sending Miroku up to flirt with the man. She giggled under her breath, unable to suppress the memory. Oh, she would never forget that; it was one of those things that she would rag on him about for the rest of his life. With a smirk, she attempted to roll over the other way. She made it halfway onto her back and paused, her concentration focusing on a different entity all together. InuYasha.

 

They had laughed nearly all night together, hadn't they? They had stumbled home from the bar with Miroku and, regardless of her disbelief, they had gotten even more wasted back at the apartment. He had shown her a side of him that she had never seen that night; he was funny and slightly intellectual…at times. But never the less, he wasn't that stupid dolt that she had believed him to be for so many years. He wasn't… half bad.

 

And at that moment, her lungs seemed to stop producing air.

 

With a pit the size of a grapefruit settling in her stomach, she focused her eyes solely on the ceiling. Had she done something stupid last night? She couldn't remember a single thing, and now…now she knew that she was at InuYasha's apartment…alone…with two boys who had proven to be nothing less then choir boys with a hard on. A lingering sense of doom welled up in her chest, restricting her airway even more. If she had done something that stupid, that foolish, then she would have no choice but to commit ritual suicide. It was death or face the boys, who would be more then happy to broadcast to the world what she did. What if she said something, something that she never meant to tell? What if she made a complete ass of herself in front of Yash…what if she….

 

Swallowing hard, she slowly looked to her left, praying to a God she didn't all together believe in, and nearly did a jig when she realized that she was alone in the room. Sitting up abruptly, she lifted the blankets and peered under them at her state of dress. Nope…clothes were still intact. Everything seemed…normal…she felt normal. As she swung her legs off the bed, she was pretty sure that nothing `abnormal' happened the night before.

 

Forcing herself to her feet, she glanced around the room, brushed off her shirt, and then riffled her nails through her hair. `I must look a mess!' she thought as she stumbled towards the mirror in the middle of the large beige room. A part of her wondered which boy was willing to give up their room for her, and for that matter, was able to keep their room this immaculate.

 

The walls were painted tasteful beige with a beautiful wooden trim lining the ceiling. The carpet was stainless and a beautiful shade of pearl. The wooden furniture that lined the room was stained with a flawless cherry finish and surprising dust free. The mirror attached to the dresser was huge, something she would expect to see in her cousin's room, not a males. Glancing down at the top of the vanity, she noticed all the bottles of gel, moose, and the brushes and combs. `This has to be Miroku's room,' she thought with a grimace, `InuYasha cannot be this meticulous about his appearance.' Reaching for the first brush she saw, she ran it through her hair, knowing that in the end the said male wouldn't really care. After tearing out a few knots to make herself seem slightly more presentable, she actually ventured to look at her reflection.

 

Her makeup had been completely removed, and the bags under her eyes weren't half bad. How she managed to clean herself up last night was beyond her, but hell, she wouldn't question this miracle. Placing the brush back to the vanity, she paused upon a more careful inspecting. She couldn't differentiate all the black long hair that was cluttered in the brush, but what caught her eyes was the white. A few strands, only what accounted for a sparse amount, lingered not far beneath the black. Narrowing her eyes, Kagome used her nails to grab onto one of the strands and pull it free of its confined environment. After the acquisition, she padded barefoot across the carpet to the window. Opening the Venetian blinds just a crack, she inspected the hair. It was silver; there was no doubt about that in her mind. The length was nearly as long as hers and the thickness left something to marvel at. Out of a morbid curiosity, she wound the silken strand around the tip of one finger, and grabbed the other end with another. Pulling, she wasn't shocked to see the strand wouldn't split.

 

Unraveling the hair from her finger and dropping it into the wastebasket by the door, she realized two things; the first was that this had to be InuYasha's room…Miroku didn't have long hair. And the second was that InuYasha was already starting to go gray. Wait until Kikyo found this out.

 

Kagome laughed silently as she slipped out the door with minimal sound. Walking barefoot across the cold wooden floor, she found herself in the archway of the living room. Glancing at the back of the couch, she felt her eyebrows knit together as she crept by there into the tiny kitchen. Her nose wrinkled at the ungodly mass of dishes that were piled up in the sink; no wonder why they had used paper plates for those evil triangle hors'devours stuffed with god knows what. With a sigh, she fished around the counter for the coffee pot and after finding it among the mess, she turned it on. Turning her eyes to the ominous stack of dishes, she sighed and decided to put herself to work.

 

It hadn't taken as long as she thought it would, but the dishwasher was loaded and chugging away at the first batch of dishes. Judging by the cleanliness of the dishwasher, she could only gather that neither boy knew how to operate it. As she began to tackle the pots, a voice nearly scared her out of her wits.

 

“What is that God-awful noise?”

 

Turning, she raised an eyebrow to the black haired boy in purple boxers. “Well Good morning to you too.” She grabbed a coffee cup, flipped it in her hand and poured Miroku a cup of the earthly goodness. Handing it to him, her response was a few muttered words of praise and something about, “since when did you move in?”

 

Kagome smiled and leaned backwards against the counter. “Do you two just think that someone one day is going to just come in here and clean up after you? Those dishes were disgusting!”

 

Miroku took a sip of the java then glanced around Kagome. Raising his eyebrows and nodding quickly, he shrugged, “Well…hell, it was the plan. And low and behold, the dish-fairy has come to roost.” Looking down towards the dish washer, he raised one slender eyebrow in comprehension. “Oh. Damn that thing is noisy.”

 

Kagome cracked a side wards smile and shook her head slowly. “This dish fairy is going home. I have classes, and I'm sure a test or two.”

 

Miroku glanced at Kagome then held up one finger, blocking her exit. Flashing her an all to charming smirk, one of which Kagome was coming to understand had nothing to do with charm but rather a devious intention of deception, Miroku took two steps backwards and glanced over the back of the couch. Looking down, he took a moment then walked back into the kitchen. Leaning his lanky body across the entrance, he blocked her escape. “So.”

 

“Oh this game; Fun,” Kagome snapped back with a rather drôle tone.

 

Miroku's smirk widened. “I went to bed rather early last night. Tell me, what did I miss?”

 

Kagome turned from Miroku mid sentence, partly because she wanted to wipe that condescending smirk off his face and partly because she would love to have known the answer to that. Clearing her throat she stacked the clean plates together and began searching the cabinets for their place, if there was one. “Nothing.”

 

Miroku snorted. “Because I'll believe that. You're back is telling me so much.”

 

Kagome glanced over her shoulder at him, her eyes narrowed playfully. “Oh, don't analyze me, mister; unless you want it two fold.”

 

Miroku's smirk widened. “Something tells me I'm not the only one who wants it twice…”

 

Kagome's eyes widened and she slammed the cupboard. “Why is everything sex related with you?”

 

Plastering on a façade of a school boy, he blinked twice. “My dearest Kagome, I know not what you mean. I am merely taking the focus of your sentence and reinserting it into a question, or a statement, of which the meaning is only gathered by your inability to state the obvious.” Taking a long drink from his coffee, he smacked his lips and leveled his cup to his chin. “So, did you bang him?”

 

Kagome's mouth fell open as she nearly stumbled over her words. “I…I did no such thing! How dare you imply that I would sleep with my cousin's boyfriend! I would never do that to Kikyo.”

 

Miroku rolled his eyes and shifted his weight to give her a rather dark glower. “Fuck Kikyo, I'm interested in this…dichotomy…between you and InuYasha.”

 

Kagome remained flabbergasted. “There is no dichotomy! There is nothing between me and Yash!”

 

Miroku pursed his lips then waded into the kitchen. Kagome spun on his approach, choosing to stare at the ugly yellow tile rather then the knowing smile on Miroku's face. Feeling the boy's chest coming to brush against her back, Miroku reached around her for the sugar, and then lingered for a moment, his mouth next to her right ear. “If there is nothing between you and my friend,” he pulled back but didn't retreat from the uncomfortable distance, “than what's with the nicknames?”

 

Kagome could just about feel him wagging his eyebrows at her. The red hot blush that illuminated her cheeks felt radioactive. “I…there isn't…that is…”

 

Miroku pushed away from Kagome, and leaned against the opposite wall. “Right, because nearly two weeks ago you two hated each other. And I mean you two loathed each other. Now suddenly you're Kags, and he's…Yash.” The smile even reverberated in his words.

 

Miroku sighed heavily and relented. “That's fine. If you don't want to tell me that you got laid last night, I understand. It's not lady like to fuck and tell. But don't worry, I'm sure Yash will tell me.”

 

Kagome turned on Miroku and stepped in his path walking out of the kitchen. “Listen up,” she gently poked Miroku in the chest with the fork she grabbed in desperation. Her voice wavered at first, whether from panic or frustration, she wasn't sure. “From what I know, I did not sleep with InuYasha. I don't plan on sleeping with InuYasha, I don't want to sleep with InuYasha. He's dating my cousin and I, unlike some, can respect that. He was a gentleman and apparently gave up his room last night for me to sleep in. I'm not sure where he is, but tell him thanks for me. Now, with what little dignity you have left for me, I'm going to leave. I have to get home and take a shower.”

 

Miroku glanced down at the three pronged menace then back up at Kagome. Capturing her hand in his, he jerked the silverware free. Bowing curtly, he raised an eyebrow. “I'm sorry if you feel insulted. It was never my intent.”

 

Kagome scoffed then relented. “I'm sorry…just…nothing…”

 

Miroku nodded quickly. “I get it, nothing happened. You don't need to jab me with eating utensils to prove it.”

 

Kagome scoffed again as she turned and walked towards the door. “You could have fooled me. Tell InuYasha…thanks, for me.” With an uncomfortable smile at the dumbfounded boy, she closed the door behind herself. Only when she walked into the frigid weather did she realize two things; she left her coat inside and that she was still barefoot.

 

“Shit!” Kagome let out a loud groan and kicked the garbage can outside of the apartment entrance. The last thing she wanted to do was look like a complete ass, having stormed out without footwear into the Jersey January temperature, but then again, it would be a two mile walk back to Jak's and to where her car was. “Oh isn't this just the fuckin' cream filling!”

 

“Kagome-chan?”

 

Kagome spun on her heels, her eyes widening at the sound of that voice that came from across the street. A voice she hadn't heard in person in nearly six years…but how would it be possible? The last place was in Japan when she was fourteen. But this was completely impossible!

 

Yet somehow…it wasn't. A girl Kagome's age bounded across the street, bundled in a long ski coat and jeans. “Kagome-chan!”

 

Kagome's face lit up as she was nearly tackled by the girl. Hugging her fiercely, Kagome didn't even notice that she switched languages. “Sango-chan! How are you?”

 

The girl, Sango Fukimora, beamed a luminous smile in Kagome's direction, her entire complexion a disagreement with the sordid landscape that laid about them. Her normally pale cheeks were illuminated with a brilliant color from the tropics, and her brown doe eyes beamed through the silken mahogany tresses that slipped out from under her hood. She responded to Kagome in the tongue of their fathers: traditional Japanese. “I'm doing well! I am so happy to see you again, Kagome-chan! I didn't think that you lived in this area.”

 

Kagome shrugged and hugged her long time friend again. “Mama never wandered far from Deal. But you…you've been around the world! I can't believe that you're here!” Laughing to a point of tears, Kagome fought down the urge to cry.

 

Sango Fukimora had been her neighbor and best friend from beyond when Kagome could remember. Sango's father was a chief executive to a major security firm in the United States, having transferred from Japan only months before Sango had been born. Her and her family lived in Deal for ten years, and for those years, the girls grew up as close as sisters.

 

Then Sango's younger brother, Kohaku died. It was a tragic accident that had claimed the toddler's life and tore the family apart. Sango's mother demanded to return to Japan to her family due her inability to accept reality and took Sango with her. From that point on, Sango had literally moved every year; from Japan with her mother to the Caribbean with her father, to France with her mother then to Italy with her father. Finally, at seventeen, Sango had applied at Tokyo University and had been granted a full ride. What she was doing in America was beyond Kagome.

 

Sango seemed to be nearly as sentimentally displaced as Kagome. Wiping away a few stray tears, Sango laughed loudly. “Of all the places…” her eyes widened as she glanced towards the door of the apartment. “Tell me that you live here. That would be wonderful!”

 

Kagome's smile diminished only a fraction of a degree. “No…just a couple friends do. Wait!” Kagome caught Sango's drift as she felt a hope bubble up in her soul that she hadn't felt in years, “Are you staying here?” Maybe this wasn't a figment of her imagination; maybe this was real, maybe someone Kagome loved was actually being returned to her. So much darkness had shrouded her life for the past six years; she found it impossible to believe that anything good could come upon her.

 

Sango pointed to the vacated frat condo across the road, the one that the boys had been bitching about a week prior. “I'm here for school. I want to get my masters and teach in the United States. The school put me up in that condo.” Glancing back at the house, her smile grew devious. “So is it just a friend who lives here…or a friend?” Her connotation on the last friend couldn't be missed.

 

Kagome nearly caught herself blushing again. “No, it's not like that. Actually…it's…” Kagome grimaced, knowing this wasn't going to be pretty. Licking her lips, she rushed out the truth, “itskikyo'sboyfriend”

 

Sango made a face and rolled her eyes with a rather disgusted grunt. “Kikyo is still around?”

 

If Kikyo had ever had an arch-nemesis, it was Sango. The girls had hated each other from the first time they were introduced and Sango bit the head off Kikyo's Barbie doll. Kikyo had been asking for it, but never the less, it had set the tone for a long relationship of contempt.

 

“Yeah, she's my roommate.”

 

Sango's face dropped. “Oh, Kagome no. She's evil.”

 

Kagome hissed lowly and waved her hand at Sango, “don't say such things. I know you don't particularly like her…”

 

“She's Satan.”

 

“She is not Satan! She's my cousin.”

 

“You're adopted, and she's Satan. You can't be related to that, Kagome, you can't. You're too sweet.”

 

Kagome pressed her lips together and snickered loudly, “if only you knew, Sango…”

 

Sango smirked, her eyebrows disappearing under the mahogany mop of bangs. “Oh, things that Kagome Higurashi has to tell me?”

 

As Kagome opened her mouth to respond, the door behind them jerked open loudly and Miroku shoved his head from the crevice, a pair of shoes dangling in his hands. “Hey Kaggers, do you want these or should I add them to my collection of presents left for me by beautiful women. I mean, they're not panties…but I guess they'll do.”

 

Kagome swiveled around on her feet and shot Miroku an incredulous look. “You're insufferable!” without even thinking about it, however, the sentence came out in Japanese.

 

Miroku looked, actually, quite stunned. Blinking twice, he sighed loudly, “Am I the only fucking person who doesn't speak another God damned language?”

 

Kagome jogged forward to grab her shoes, when abruptly Miroku grabbed her arm. Judging by the grip, Kagome figured that he had just laid eyes on Sango.

 

“Kagome. I need a name, a number, a place of residence, and to know if she's not simply an angel sent here to torment me.” Trusting her shoes into Kagome's hands, he patted her head, “now get to it.” Swallowing what felt like a tennis ball, Miroku held his hand up and waved awkwardly at Sango. “Good morning.”

 

Sango nodded curtly at him and replied in Japanese, “Good morning.”

 

Kagome slipped on her shoes, stuffing her pockets with her socks, as she walked back to Sango. “That's Miroku…”

 

Sango shifted her eyes off the man before her to Kagome. “Wait…you were here with Kikyo's boyfriend? And tell me, just how did Kikyo find her a man like that?”

 

Kagome nearly laughed out loud. “No, no….that's Miroku, he's single.” Seeing Sango's eyes slowly drift back to Miroku almost shyly, she quickly added, “He's a nice guy but has a hard time keeping his pants on. You don't want to even think it, Sango, trust me; besides, he's an idiot.”

 

Miroku frowned hearing Kagome begin to rant in another language to the girl who had been looking at him with what he could describe as interest, and now had transformed to abject horror. “Kagome! What the hell did you just say? What's a …ba…baka?”

 

Kagome laughed and turned to look at Miroku. “Don't worry, Miro…I'm talking you up. Now be a doll and get me my coat.”

 

Miroku narrowed his eyes. “Not until you tell me what you just said to her.”

 

From inside another voice responded, “She called you a letch that can't keep it in his pants…and that you're an idiot. Now shut that fucking door, its fucking cold and my fuckin' nuts are trying to crawl up into my body.”

 

Kagome rolled her eyes and looked at Sango, “and that is InuYasha, Kikyo's boyfriend.”

 

As Miroku turned his back, Sango stole a glance at Kagome. “He's hot!”

 

“No, he's not. Sango, no…”

 

Sango smiled deviously at Kagome, her eyes glimmering in sight of a challenge.

 

Kagome shoved Sango gently, her eyes warning her friend of the boy's record. Or at least trying to convey the nature of the boy. Seeing Miroku turn back around, Kagome plastered on a fake smile, waved her hand and turned to Sango. “Can you drive me to get my car at a restaurant?”

 

Sango nodded immediately. “I think you have a lot to tell me.” Casting a stare back at Miroku, Sango let her eyes roam over the boy's chest and slowly up to his face. Flashing him a slightly crooked smile, she wiggled her fingers and turned on her heels to walk Kagome across the street towards her car.

 

Miroku nearly fell over dead.

 

Somehow, Kagome figured Sango had just upped the stakes in this game with Miroku. Let him try to tease her now about InuYasha…now she had leverage. But…what was there to tease her about with InuYasha? It wasn't as if she liked him. Kagome chuckled at the thought. `As if I would ever fall over that egotistical…jerk!' she thought as Sango steered her towards a Toyota Rav 4. `No matter,' she thought as she climbed into the passenger seat, `this was going to be far to interesting to miss.'

 

 

*X*X*X*X*XX*X*X*X*X**X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*

 

 

Not as long as I wanted it to be, but hell, it's something I can send out as an early Christmas present. And to those who don't celebrate Christmas, happy holidays. ^__^ so in lieu...

 

MM.OrG

A thanks to…

 

Toya's Gurl (thanks for the kick to get me writing this again), Moon_essence1, I.G (I wuff you, you're always on the dot), Silveraliora (I'm glad you're re-reading curse, I'm slowly fixing the chapters and slowly adding more to the chapters), Tarzan14 (I salute you for knowing who Eddie Izzard is), girl_X_16 (thanks!), Leila_chan (you know you were the only person to comment about Rin's son?) Nickita56, angelevie (not quite Kouga…) TrinityK (kinky boots?), Angelicdis0rder, Future Author, Dawngoddess87 (paranoia? maybe some…but track records do speak), Shizuka Kaze (girl, I have MISSED YOU! where did you go?), Corr (no, she didn't puke on him, but never the less…), starfire277, lyghtchyld, Shadow_of_the_night17 (connection, no. I can say that much. Naraku and Oberon have NO connection)