InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shades of Gray ❯ The Bottomless Chasm ( Chapter 16 )

 

 

~<>~ Shades of Gray ~<>~

 

 

~<>~ Chapter 16 ~<>~ A bottomless chasm

 

"The genius of the hole: you can spend as long as you want crawling out, but one slip, one moment of weakness, and you can fall back down. Only the hole's grown deeper." - Max Payne (thanks to Drake Clawfang for the quote, it fits this beautifully).

 

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“What the hell is wrong with you? Who the hell do you think you are, locking someone out of their own house?” Taking two steps into the living room, Sango wished that she had that large stick of wood handy. “Let go of Kagome, get away from her!”

 

The scene before Sango had set her back a moment, but her ire did not relent. The man of whose audacity she couldn't fathom was holding her best friend in one of the most intimate embraces that one could while standing. Had she not known that InuYasha was Kikyo's boyfriend, she would have instantly have thought them a couple. Her eyes darted to where Kagome's hands intertwined in a mass of mangled flesh behind InuYasha's back, taking in the velocity of her tremors. She was sobbing silently, Sango noted, and was allowing the man before her to utmost freedom to comfort her. Tapping her foot impatiently, she called out to him in Japanese, “I said back the hell off!”

 

InuYasha barely recognized that Sango and Miroku had made their grand entrance to the room; his sole attention was focused on the broken girl in his arms. Keeping his eyes firmly shut, he retorted back to Sango; “Shut up, I got this. Make yourself useful and get me a glass of water.”

 

Miroku trotted in behind Sango, nearly oblivious to the scene behind him. Pocketing his bent credit card, he knew the two days he'd have to wait for a new one was worth it. The brief smile that she had bestowed upon him before storming off to unleash her wrath on InuYasha, was well worth it. Hearing InuYasha's terse order, he halted and slowly crossed his arms. “All right, someone here better start speaking English because I have no idea what the hell is being said! And I don't want to be left out!”

 

InuYasha completely ignored his friend. Lifting his cheek from the top of Kagome's head, his eyes darted to where Sango still stood, rooted by near shock to the hardwood floor. “Did I stutter?” He asked bitterly, his eyes narrowing in fury. He was challenging her to defy him at this moment. Personally he didn't care if he verbally slaughtered the woman who interrupted; she had tried to keep him from Kagome and for that she deserved hell to be wrought upon her head.

 

A hand grasped his bicep with a feather like touch that shut him up instantly. Choked words whispered along with the contact, words that Miroku and Sango were deaf to. “InuYasha…she's just…trying to help. Please…” she spoke between sobs, her pitiful voice shaking worse than her entire body.

 

InuYasha glanced down and locked his gaze with hers. Seeing the sorrow mounted in her chocolate eyes, he sighed and ran a hand over his face, his other still wrapped firmly around her. Covering his eyes for a moment to regain his concentration, he cleared his throat and looked slowly at Sango from between his fingers. “It ain't for me, wench, it's for the sobbing girl. Now can you move or have you gone stupid?”

 

Sango licked her lips, her entire body language screaming that she would love to slug the man before her. Yet they shared a common goal at the current moment, she could see it in his eyes. Throwing her hands to her side, she snapped her head to the left and her body followed as she stormed from the room.

 

As soon as Sango was out of his peripheral vision, InuYasha carefully backed Kagome away from him and held her shoulders at an arm's length. “Kagome, listen to me. I want a name, and I'm not leaving until I get one.”

 

Kagome's eyes were downcast, her entire body feeling sluggish in his grasp. At the current moment, she just wanted to sleep. Her brain was telling her to just rat out Bankotsu for all the arrogant prick was worth and then curl up and get a decent rest. But she knew what awaited her behind her eyes, and she was not prepared to deal with that again. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth and faltered. “InuYasha…”

 

“His name, Kagome, not mine. Who the hell did this to you?”

 

Pursing her lips, she sighed once more. “I can't.” Another tear slipped down her cheek and went unchecked by the man before her. His aura grew dark, like a passing storm cloud, his eyes glazing over with something beyond anger and fury.

 

“Damnit Kagome, this isn't some fucking game! I'm not asking you! I'm telling you that you're telling me! Now fuckin' answer my God damned question!”

 

Sango managed to make a wonderful grand reentrance at that moment, the speed behind her step was an obvious reaction of the heightened tone of the pissed off male. “Don't you dare yell at her,” she snapped in Japanese, rounding the corner of the living room. Grabbing Kagome's free arm, she attempted to pull her from InuYasha's grasp with a cup of water in her other hand. “Come on, Kagome-Chan, you need to sit down.”

 

InuYasha wouldn't relinquish his hold. “She can sit when she answers my God damned question,” he shot back at Sango in English. “Who the hell did this to you?”

 

Kagome groaned as she swayed back and forth lightly between the two, her vision blurring slightly. “Guys…please…”

 

Miroku stood aghast in the doorway, watching the pair bicker over who knew what was best for the girl. With a sigh, he took a few steps towards the controlling couple. “Yo…seriously, guys…”

 

“Get your hands off of her, you lunk head, you're hurting her!”

 

“I ain't letting go until I get a fuckin' answer. What part of that don't you get?”

 

“Why you arrogant piece of…”

 

InuYasha raised his eyes from his visual he had held on Kagome for the entire time to stare at Sango. “Listen to me, because I'm not saying this again. She needs to give me a name so I can…”

 

Sango rolled her eyes and yelled over him, complete frustration overwhelming her brain. Switching to English, Sango screamed; “So you can what? Start a larger fight, get Kagome into more trouble? What will you do, InuYasha, besides for get yourself killed and leave her to reap the punishment?”

 

Miroku's mouth dropped open. “Wait a damned minute! You speak English?”

 

InuYasha tried to yell over Miroku, “I'll fuckin' beat the hell out of the asshole who did this to her. There is no way he's walking away after doing this! No one…”

 

Kagome finally had enough. Pulling her arms away from both parties, she stumbled backwards nearly falling over until Miroku reached out and steadied her. Flashing him a grateful look, she took to his aid and approached the couch slowly. Calling out in a small voice that had the power to quiet the room, she bit back, “everyone needs to calm down.” Her voice was weary, her exhaustion wearing on her patience and her sanity.

 

Miroku nodded as he helped lower her to the couch. After seeing her safely to the seat, he lifted his somber cobalt eyes to glare at the two who insisted on yelling back and forth. “Look, I understand both are you are justifiably upset. But we need to think about this logically. It's a puzzle, and more then anything; we need to see all of our pieces before we can start.” Slipping into the seat next to Kagome, he cupped her chin lightly and turned her to face him. Seeing the massive discomfort welling in her eyes and the unbending stubbornness in her aura, he switched up his question. “Are you afraid that whoever did this will hurt your family if you say something?”

 

Kagome tried to jerk her face from his gasp, wincing as his hold tightened. Lowering her eyes, she hesitated before slowly answering, “Yes.” If answering a few ambiguous questions was going to get him to leave her alone, then she was all up for it.

 

Miroku nodded once, his gaze remaining stoic and oddly serene. “Okay, Kagome, have they given you reason, before this, to think them capable of hurting someone?”

 

Kagome hesitated once again, weighing the man's question in his brain. There was no way that she was willing to give them Bankotsu's name, especially since Bankotsu was Sesshoumaru's direct competition. InuYasha would have Sesshoumaru on the phone in a second and conveying all the dirt he would need to bury Bank. Having the Taisho family name protecting her would be a step up from where she was currently, but she wasn't ready to throw in that towel. Getting the Taisho Protection Plan would mean having to come clean about everything, and she wasn't ready to face that music. She wanted to try to solve this on her own. If need be, then yes, she would sell out and fall to the graces of the stoic older brother of whom she had never met. Until then... “Yeah I've seen him get physical with a few people.”

 

Miroku studied her eyes, waving off InuYasha from his questions with a sideward's glance. Nodding once, Miroku continued his inquisition. “Did he hit them with a closed fist, like he did you, or an open hand?”

 

Kagome closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don't see how this…”

 

Miroku forced a smile to his lips. “Just…trust me.”

 

Kagome shrugged once, opening her right eye to look at the man. “Mostly he hit with a back handed closed fist.”

 

“Did you see him hitting other girls or mostly guys?”

 

Kagome shifted her weight, feeling another wave of fatigue crashing over her. “Look…can't I just…”

 

Miroku's lips fell to a frown as he let go of her chin, “Just a few more, Kagome.”

 

Kagome hung her head and groaned loudly. Opting out of the game, she ruined his analysis. “You're trying to get me to tell you some attribute to look for while considering who could do this to me, yes? You want to pick out some A-typical psychological bullying behavior. If I tell you he hits girls, you're going to go looking for a power loving yet insecure bastard who probably has a relationship with his mother but not his dad. If I tell you that he hits guys, you're going to go looking for someone who's in a high position of power, and throws his name around like he's some serious big shot. You'll search for someone who's a boxer, or into the physical hand on hand combat, with a vendetta against women, probably a play boy with an Oedipus complex. He'll have a strong relationship with his dad and will have an extended family none of whom will be as powerful.” Blinking once at the astonished look on Miroku's face, her smirk was purely sarcastic. “You're not the only one who stayed awake in Psych 101, Miroku.”

 

Miroku gawked at the girl, his mouth moving with the likeness of a fish out of water. After only gaining back a bit of his ground, he finally gave in. “So, you're right, that's exactly what I'm looking for. Obviously, we want to help you Kagome. We want to be able to find the shit head that did this to you, but you're not being that helpful.”

 

Kagome wanted to cry; every bone in her body was begging her to simply tell them who did this to her so that she could sleep, but deep down, she knew that was impossible. If she betrayed him…`no, he betrayed you! Damnit girl, get your head on right!' What would be the worst case scenario if she told InuYasha that it was Bankotsu? InuYasha would go into the city, probably go to his office, make a huge scene, get himself arrested, and Kagome would wake up dead. That was the best possible situation to arise. The worst? Kagome wasn't even sure she could fathom it. “You're right,” she said suddenly, startling Sango on her right. “I'm not helping the situation, but I'm also not asking for help.”

 

InuYasha cursed loudly and bit back, “for the love of….” Pushing Miroku off the couch, InuYasha slid over the arm rest and landed with his legs crossed before Kagome. Grabbing her shoulders, he pulled her an inch from his face, his eyes burning into hers. For a moment, he just stared, trying to read the emotions that she was refusing to admit to, the secrets that she was trying to cover up in the sand box. After a moment, he got it. “This…isn't about him beating you, is it?” Slowly InuYasha let go of her arms, but Kagome seemed hesitant to move away from him. “You really don't care that he hit you.”

 

Kagome knew a statement when she heard it, and cringed at the reality. Opening her mouth to retort, she knew that there was little she could say. What InuYasha said was the truth; this wasn't the first time that Bankotsu had left bruises on her, and she never really cared when he did. But what he this time was unforgivable; this betrayal of trust had raped everything she had held dear. “I…” licking her dry lips, she fumbled for her voice. “It's not like that!”

 

“Bull shit,” InuYasha snapped back, his voice hardly above a whisper. “You loved him.”

 

Kagome's mouth fell open but not a word left to defy that truth. After a moment of gawking, she slowly shut her trap and looked away. Hearing Miroku curse under his breath and the footsteps of what was probably Sango walking away, and closed her eyes in shame. So they knew her secret, or at least a part of it. She was in love with the abusive bastard.

 

“How long, Kagome? How long did you take him hitting you, humiliating you? How long did you let him use you as he wanted all under the pretense of love?”

 

Why did he sound so hurt? Kagome lifted her eyes for the briefest moment to dance across those striking features of the man before her. His purple eyes seemed so cold, so barren. It was as if that revelation stripped away all the emotions that had begun swirling in those amazing eyes and rendered them both desolate. Closing her eyes, she nearly broke down in tears. “Long enough to feel like he ripped my heart out.”

 

InuYasha closed his eyes, the pain nearly unbearable. All this time he had teased her about not being able to find someone to love, and she never spoke up. Maybe she knew that it was never meant to be, maybe this bastard had been abusive the entire time. He barely knew Kagome well enough to say if she had been distraught when she ended her relationship with Bankotsu, but whoever took that guy's place wasn't any better than that bureaucrat. InuYasha knew heartache when he saw it, and having shattered that façade that Kagome had donned, what he saw nearly broke his own heart. Swallowing thickly and attempting to say a few things, he finally was able to speak after what felt like hours. “Kagome…I'm sorry, I know that rejection hurts…”

 

Kagome closed her eyes and snorted once. Looking away quickly, she hoped he didn't see the tears that had begun streaming down her face. “What do you know about rejection,” she snapped, “you haven't ever had to face it! You've been with Kikyo for nearly six years. Besides, guys like you and Miroku don't get rejected.”

 

InuYasha laughed chidingly and shook his head. “I don't get rejected? Kagome, you're right, I have been with Kikyo for a while, but not my entire life. I've lived through my awkward stage and survived. But I never let the fear of rejection keep me in a relationship I know was doomed to fail.”

 

Miroku coughed loudly on that one but wisely chose to remain silent.

 

Kagome didn't seem to give to his advice. “I'm not letting it keep me in the relationship,” she said weakly. “There is no relationship.” Throwing her hands up, she brought them to her face in frustration. Flicking away a few stray tears, she inhaled sharply. “You just don't understand, but I can't help you there. There's too much…”

 

Sango walked to the couch and sat on the opposite side of Kagome, wrapping an arm around her friend. “And we have all the time in the world, Kagome. You know I'll listen to anything you want to say! I worry about you, Kagome, so much! I want to know what's going on, I want to help. But you won't let us in.”

 

Kagome shook her head firmly, sniffing delicately. “I know you do, Sango, but I just…can't. Not yet. Please, I just want to rest right now. I didn't come here to get lectured.”

 

InuYasha growled under his breath, his eyes narrowing with his ire. “Kagome, you can't expect me to just…”

 

“Go back to your girlfriend, InuYasha. I don't know why you're even here. It's not like you care about me.” Was that a glint of self loathing he caught flicker through her eyes right before the words hit him?

 

Somehow that was like a shot to the heart for the hanyou. Hearing her proclaim his insincerity to her plight angered him nearly as much as her current disposition. Grabbing her shoulders, he hauled her to stand before him, his lavender eyes daring her to break the connection. “Kagome shut the fuck up and listen to me!”

 

Were those specks of gold she saw floating through his iris? Beyond the anger and the rage that was boiling out of his ears, Kagome couldn't be to sure. That would be impossible, unless she had finally lost it. At the current moment, however, not every part of Kagome was functioning. Staring into those indigo eyes that had captured her soul, she couldn't see anything beyond the purple sea. With the risk of drowning in his eyes, she was more then willing to take that dive at the current moment.

 

“I don't give a fuck that you're not asking for help. I'm not offering it. I'm telling you I'm getting involved. Think of it like an STD Kagome, you're just getting it as an added bonus.” Seeing her slow blink, he knew he was going to lose her concentration. Out of the corner of his eye, he took note to her bangs that were hanging in front of her eyes. Taking his hand slowly, he swept the stray strands over his finger and slid them behind her ear, stroking the side of her cheek gently as he removed his hand. “Kagome…I…” with a snort, his cocky tone slipped from his voice, leaving only a boy who had seen to many females the victims of these abusive self righteous men. Swallowing his pride and his smug attitude, the man's voice transcended into something that Kagome couldn't place. Filled with an infinite sadness that could only be spoken from the heart, it melted Kagome on the spot. “I want to help you. I can't…I can't see you like this, not you. And…I know I've been a bastard but…but I do….i….that is…”

 

Kagome's eyes slowly slid from his to avert to the carpet. Feeling a hand cup her chin, she tried to fight against his presence, but somehow he won her over. Lifting her eyes to his, she was hardly ready for the explosion of emotion that overwhelmed her. He looked nearly as helpless as she felt. Her entire body clenched, a sob ripping from her lung; she wasn't sure whether it was from that subtle desperation in his eyes or from the desolation in her soul. Lunging forward, Kagome wrapped her arms around InuYasha's neck and buried her face in his chest. Fat tears began to roll from her eyes and down their carved path upon her cheeks.

 

InuYasha reacted immediately. Wrapping his arms around Kagome, he closed his eyes and sighed heavily, as if fighting his own battle against tears. He wasn't sure what the hell was wrong with him or for that matter why seeing this girl before him so hurt dug into him like a mortal wound, but whatever it was, it felt lethal. Rubbing his hand up and down her back, he tried to sooth her and vicariously himself. He wanted to say the right thing; he wanted to tell her that it would be okay. But somehow, he knew this was just starting, that the darkness had yet to come. Opening his mouth, he was unable to find the right words. So time slipped by unnoticed by the two grieving, their friends eventually slipping from the room as silent as that passing of time, leaving only Kagome and InuYasha to share the grief of the moment, the weight crushing the two.

 

Hours passed before InuYasha became acutely aware of the steady breathing sounds coming from the girl wrapped around him like a cloak. Bringing one trembling hand to her face, he gently moved the hair from her face to gaze down at the woman who had apparently stolen his heart when he wasn't looking. She seemed content, a serene smile gracing her lips, as she laid in slumber against her unwitting savior. Shifting his weight, he gently picked her up in a bridal style hold and slowly made his way into the kitchen. It seemed as if he was shocked to find Miroku and Sango sitting at her kitchen table, speaking in hushed tones over topics that evaded InuYasha's ears. The three stared at each other in confusion that quickly gave way to shock. InuYasha swallowed thickly then looked down to the girl in his arms. “Where…”

 

Sango shot to her feet instantly, leading the way to the spare bedroom at the back of the condo. Holding open the wooden door, she watched as InuYasha deposited Kagome gently onto the full sized bed and knelt down beside her.

 

A hand came to rest on her shoulder, and a voice whispered in her ear. “I think we should give them some time…”

 

Sango glanced over her shoulder to come nose to nose with Miroku. Startling slight, she shook her head. “Don't you think we've given them enough time? You said that three hours ago. See where it got us?”

 

Miroku's smile was brilliant. “I know…and I'm quite enjoying getting to know you with this spare time. Let them be and come tell me more about your time in Italy.”

 

Sango shrugged off his hand and hissed, “incase you didn't notice, my best friend was beat to shit by some ass hat out there. Now is not the best time to flirt with me, you weirdo!”

 

Miroku cleared his throat, trying to draw Sango away from the bedroom and into the open hall. It was already palpable to him that InuYasha was oblivious to their presence. Miroku had to admit, he was worried about his friend. Never had he seen InuYasha emotionally attach himself to a woman; he normally wrote them off for the sake of looking cool, even if underneath he really did give a damn. To see him lingering over this girl in such a fashion scared the hell out of him. He loved the guy like a brother, and he wanted to see him with Kagome, but something was rubbing him the wrong way. It's like that feeling one gets before a lightning storm, like how the hair on the back of your neck stands on end; he knew that whatever Kagome had dove into was bad news, and InuYasha was ready to jump in head first with her.

 

Clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth, Miroku backed away from Sango and motioned for her to follow. “I'm serious; I've only been to Tuscany so I would love to hear what you thought about Rome.”

 

Sango glanced over her right shoulder and scrunched up her nose. “You only want me to jabber on so you can stare down my shirt.”

 

Miroku bit down the rising smirk, keeping every muscle on his face still sans a faint blush that tainted his cheeks. “Ms. Sango, I have no idea of what you speak of. I would never…”

 

Sango let her head roll to one shoulder. “Save it, letch, you think I didn't notice you just about drooling over the table?”

 

Miroku cleared his throat. “Lady Sango, I can assure you, I do not drool.”

 

“And you don't lie well either.”

 

Hearing a faint growl issued from inside of the room, Miroku nearly paled. Grabbing Sango's arm, he tried to pull her from the doorway before she really got a face full of InuYasha. Miroku knew better then to try to argue with his brooding companion, but the lovely Sango had yet to be introduced to that level of depravity. “Come on, my dear. We'll…we'll…figure out something.”

 

Sango ripped her arm from his, turning around to face him nose to nose. “Just who the fuck do you think you are, grabbing me like that? I hardly know you!” Her right fist balled as her eyebrow twitched. “Listen to me, and listen good; you and your friend need to get out. I'm serious, I don't know why he's all over Kagome when he has a girlfriend but I'm not okay with it. Something tells me, also, that if Kagome was in the right state of mind, she wouldn't be okay with it either!”

 

Miroku could swear he heard footsteps heading towards their location. By God he didn't want InuYasha involved, or more to the point, he didn't want to hear his shit. Once again grabbing Sango's hand, he pulled her away from the door with a strength he rarely exhibited. “Come on. You can yell at me downstairs.”

 

Sango pulled at his grasp, slightly offset to find him so unyielding. She had figured him out the first day that she saw him, but now she was second guessing herself. He was the a-typical playboy; the one with the good looks and no solid girlfriend. He was the one at the bar that was able to choose who went home with him, and then was rid of her by the next day. He would be charming, sweet, and a push over. But his grasp on his hand screamed otherwise; no playboy would act out against the girl he was trying to seduce. He was either going to rape her, or he was trying to get her away from his friend. Would InuYasha take advantage of Kagome? Though her mind was nagging her about that thought, she could just about tell otherwise. InuYasha seemed to sincerely care about Kagome's well being. If he was acting, then the bastard deserved an Oscar.

 

Trotting behind Miroku, she decided to keep quiet, until they reached the kitchen. Only then would she show him exactly how belligerent she could be.

 

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Only after Sango and Miroku were out of ear shot did InuYasha back off of his protective kick. He was two seconds from putting his foot down that girl's throat had she kept up her ranting. It was obvious that Kagome was exhausted, and for her to sit there and bitch about insignificant trivialities lit a fire of fury under his ass. Turning to cast a lingering glance on the still form of Kagome, he felt his mouth fall to a deep frown. Whoever did this to her did a hell of a lot more than what she was willing to admit to. He had ripped away a bond of trust, something that was the foundation of a relationship, or at least it was to InuYasha.

 

`What do you know of trust,' his conscious mocked from the depth of his brain. `You've done nothing but cheat on your girlfriend for six years. You've never told her who you really are, nor are planning on it. You want to talk about trust, get yourself a broker.'

 

InuYasha cringed, hating himself at that moment. Unconsciously he brought his hand to check her forehead, making sure she didn't have a fever. Letting his hand linger a moment longer, he traced two fingers down her cheek, careful of her bruises. It hurt to turn away but she needed her rest, and he wasn't about to interfere with that.

 

A hand snaked out and grabbed his wrist before he stepped away from her side. Indigo eyes clashed against brown as he turned in shock, his mouth opening just slightly as if to protest. She beat him to the statement. “Please…stay?”

 

InuYasha was sure he didn't hear her right. This was Kagome; the same girl who was always trying to kick him out of her dorm room, the Kagome who was always screaming how much she hated him, the same Kagome who was completely disgusted by him. She would never ask him to stay around her. He made a mental note to get his hearing checked. Maybe he finally did blow out his eardrums, like his father had been warning him of for years now.

 

Seeing that swelling look in her eyes, one of trepidation and fear of rejection, he was all too aware that he hadn't misheard. She wanted him to stay by her side. Swallowing thickly and letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, he returned to her side and dipped down onto his knees. Turning his face to stare parallel into hers, he remained silent. It was a testament of her statement, a moment to deliberate if she truly meant what she said. The air seemed to stifle both of them, sweltering around them like a blanket of tension. Had she truly asked him to stay? Neither person seemed to be overly sure of the correct answer.

 

Kagome blinked once, again allowing herself that moment to drown in his gaze. How had she never noticed the fathomless depth that was his gaze? He was able to captivate her with a single glance. Slowly her lips parted, searching for that phrase to be conjured up once more by her daring tongue, asking the impossible of the man before her. `This is Kikyo's boyfriend for God's sake,' her conscious screamed, `what are you doing?' But at that moment, more present matters asserted their dominance over her mind, and the one that stood out like a flame amidst snow was the need to be in his arms. “Please…”

 

InuYasha placed a finger to her lips, not needing any more confirmation. Standing up, he walked around the end of the bed and crawled up behind her. Having laid the girl down on her right side, he slid into the bed directly behind her and then hesitated. Should he wrap an arm around her? Should he simply sit there, allowing her to feel his presence? Did she even want him in bed with her? He paled at the thought; `did she mean for me to sit beside her?' A fine line of sweat broke out across his forehead. Had he screwed this up?

 

Kagome held her breath, waiting for his skin to splash against hers. She just wanted to feel his embrace, to feel that she was safe. In his arms was the only place she currently wanted to be. The tension, however, was welling to an all time high. Kagome felt that if she didn't do something, both occupants of the room would internally combust from the pressure. Shifting her weight slightly backwards, her back came into contact with his left arm. Yet that gentle nudge seemed to be all the confirmation he needed.

 

`Rationality be damned,' InuYasha decided as he slid up a little higher on the bed and laced his right arm under Kagome's right arm. Wrapping his left over her shoulders, he gently brought Kagome back to lean against his chest. Her right cheek instantly fell against his arm, a tender affection to show just how much she appreciated this gesture. Burying his face in her raven hair, he closed his eyes and inhaled gently. His limiter masked his ability to get a straight smell of the girl before him, and he fought the urge to dash that stupid thing to the ground.

 

“InuYasha?”

 

InuYasha paused, his nose still buried in her hair and his cheeks burst to life with the flushed color of life. It was bad enough to make himself so comfortable next to her, but to shove his face into her hair; he couldn't even imagine what she was thinking of him at that moment. His mouth moved, and his result was a mouth full of hair. Sliding back slightly, he was shocked when her hand grasped his arm, refusing to allow him to withdraw. He was sure he was doing a wonderful impression of a fish at the current moment. “Ka…Kagome?”

 

“Thank you,” she muttered before allowing that illusive dreariness to overwhelm her, luring her into a peaceful slumber.

 

InuYasha was stunned, shocked by her sudden declaration of appreciation. Was she serious? Maybe she didn't notice that he was just about molesting her hair. Licking his lips quickly, he thanked whoever was on his side up above and moved an inch closer to the girl. Resting his head behind hers, his grasp on her tightened, as if afraid she'd vanish when he let go. “You're welcome,” he responded before closing his eyes. He didn't plan on falling asleep; sleep had been nearly impossible to ascertain since Kagome's disappearance. But now, with her before him and quite literally in his arms, he was amazed at how fast he fell victim to the sandman.

 

 

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

 

 

“So…do you have any siblings?”

 

Miroku glanced up from his cup of coffee, a smile spreading thin over his face. This was the first real question that Sango had asked him or at least one that pertained to a personal matter. The rest had all been cleaver guises to understand his direct relationship with InuYasha and vicariously, Kagome. She was overly interested in InuYasha and Kikyo's relationship, not that he could blame her. She also seemed to want to know InuYasha's life story, his mother's maiden name, and his social security number, but Miroku had managed to evade such questions. Sitting back slightly in his chair, relaxing from his limelight under her interrogation tactics, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Nope, it's just me and my parents. They said I was too much to handle as a kid, so they never tried for more.”

 

Sango's smile was eerily empty. “I see.”

 

Miroku weighed her answer then carefully reciprocated, “what about you?”

 

Sango shook her head once. “My brother died when I was ten.”

 

Miroku pursed his lips, biting back his urge to wince. He should have seen that one coming by her autonomous answer. “I'm sorry.”

 

Sango shrugged once, an indecent snort bellowing from her nose. “Why, it's not like you knew him.”

 

Miroku's eyes widened a fraction as he whistled lowly under his breath. “Right…” clearing his throat, he rotated his neck to the right. “So…Umm…What's your favorite kind of ice cream?”

 

Sango didn't bat an eye, “the cold kind.”

 

Miroku's smile was terse. It was like arguing with himself, and he didn't much care for it. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, he scoffed and abruptly sat forward in his chair, his arm slamming down onto the table and nearly leaned across half of the wood to stare Sango in her brown eyes. “Are you always this pleasant?”

 

“When two men I hardly know are in my house, yes, yes I am.” Her thin eyebrow raised, “if you don't like it, leave, just don't forget to take your dog with you.”

 

Miroku felt something inside of him coil at the remark. With a sneer, he shot back, “you know, Ms Fukimora, your chronic sarcasm is starting to become irksome.”

 

Sango let her head roll back to her shoulder, before leaning forward to meet Miroku on the table. “You should try me before I get my coffee.”

 

Miroku's hardened expression never changed, save the tone of his words. “I”ll try anything once, and on the rare occasion, twice.”

 

Sango smirked and sat back in her chair. “You really think that I'm that easy?”

 

“Do you think I'm not?”

 

Sango's smirk turned lazy. “Something tells me you are.”

 

Miroku finally sat back in his chair, his eyes softening. “Marvelous, we're in agreement. So…tonight, my place?”

 

Sango rolled her eyes, “Hardly. I'm going to be taking care of my friend. And by that time, you'll be out of my house, with your friend.”

 

Miroku couldn't help the abrupt laugh that slipped through his lips. “You really think he's going to leave her side, don't you? Oh, that's cute.”

 

Sango sat up, the tension in her back a loud declaration towards her misguided thoughts. “He is not spending the night in this house.”

 

“Then neither will Kagome.”

 

“I am not letting him hurt her anymore than what she already has been!”

 

Miroku's smile faltered as he shook his head. “I can promise you that InuYasha has no intention of hurting Kagome. In fact, I think he plans on seeking revenge for her.”

 

Sango made a face. “As if I hadn't already of thought of that. She won't give out information, and the hell she'll give out a name.”

 

Miroku shook his head again, a look resembling the nature of pity flashing across his features. “You really have no idea how to investigate, do you?”

 

“What are you rambling about?”

 

Miroku tapped his hand on the table to draw Sango's attention, and then out of his other hand, Kagome's cell phone appeared. “I can guarantee that whoever did this to her is in her contacts.”

 

Sango seemed skeptical, if not completely disgusted that he would swipe her phone, but after a moment, she seemed to agree. “So…how do you know who it is?”

 

Miroku had already begun thumbing through the names and contacts before pausing, his eyes slowly lifting to Sango's. “Well…” he said forebodingly, “what do you know about this guy?”

 

Sango shrugged and then stood up to refill her cup with the black caffeinated goodness. “He's uber powerful, and pretty vindictive. She made him sound like no one could take him down.”

 

Miroku glanced back at her book and frowned. “Two men come to my mind…and one really pieces this together well.”

 

Sango turned to Miroku, for the first time that night hope lingered on her peripheral view. “Who? Just give me his name and I'll turn him into the cops.”

 

Miroku let out a deep sigh and then slowly shook his head. “There's only one number in here that could link her to him,” he muttered more to himself than Sango.

 

Sango placed down her cup of coffee then kicked back Miroku's chair. Grabbing the boy by his collar, she yelled, “enough, already. Tell me who the fuck it is!”

 

Miroku stared up at Sango, his mouth hanging open slightly. “You know,” he remarked suddenly, “you have really beautiful eyes.”

 

Sango growled and threw him back into his chair. “Can you focus for just one minute?”

 

Miroku cleared his throat then nodded. “All of her recent calls have been deleted as well as her text messages. She's covering her trail. The only name in this phone that could hold any relevance is Jakotsu.” Miroku shivered in memory of that night. “He's Bankotsu Koizumi's cousin…”

 

Sango's gasp interrupted Miroku's sentence. “Bankotsu Koizumi? But…he's one of the most…” she stopped speaking and her eyes widened. “That…bastard!”

 

Miroku held up a hand to pause Sango the shit storm that was welling in her eyes. “There's no proof.”

 

“Besides for what he did to her face?”

 

“You can't be sure that it was him. Besides, Sango, how do you plan on actually approaching Bankotsu to ask him? A degree of association can not simply equate to the sum. You need the burden of proof.”

 

“Don't go all `Law and Order' on me, Miroku! I'm not an idiot; I know who Bankotsu Koizumi is, and who he can be. But…him and Kagome had a good relationship, how could he turn around and…” shaking her head, she stifled down her anger. “No, it's impossible. She was with him for two years. I would have heard something if he was hurting her. She would have shown signs earlier if it had been him.”

 

Miroku shrugged, “he has the power to invoke the kind of fear in her that you were telling me about. He'd be the most logical choice when regarding that aspect.”

 

“And the other aspects; who else could do this to her?”

 

Miroku stroked his chin. “Kouga Watanabe used to date her and is closing on Bankotsu in the realm of power. I know he's also engaged, if not married already. I can't see her going back to him, from what InuYasha told me their relationship was a dud anyway.”

 

Sango nodded in agreement. “Kagome wasn't into him like she was into Bankotsu. But still…It doesn't make sense. There has to be someone else, something we're overlooking.”

 

Miroku snapped her phone shut and laid it down. “She could just be horrified. I mean, guys who abuse their girlfriends and wives are a lot more apt to talk a big game. Most can't back it up beyond the use of their fists. He could have been talking out of his ass to her.”

 

“No,” Sango retorted while beginning to pace about the kitchen, “Kagome isn't broken over what this bastard did to her. She's scared for her friends; she's scared for those who don't know.”

 

“Many molesters get away with the threat of `I'll kill your family' to keep people quiet. It could be a reciprocation of that.”

 

Sango turned and punched the cabinet. Resting her head against the cold wood, she ignored the scraping of the chair as Miroku shot to his feet. “It doesn't make sense! She fell in love with this bastard, she admitted to that. She's had to have been with him for a while to feel so strongly! Kagome might seem frail, but I'm serious when I say she's one of the strongest people I know! She would never stay with someone who was abusing her.”

 

The image of the whip in InuYasha's backpack fluttered idly through Miroku's mind as he walked up to Sango. Taking her hand into his, he inspected her bruised skin for lacerations. “You should be more careful,” he remarked calmly. “You can't let your anger win out right now. Kagome needs you.”

 

Sango watched in a near hypnotic state as Miroku's skillful hands washed over hers. Before she knew it, he had led her to the sink and was sticking her hand into a stream of freezing cold water. “What are you…”

 

“For the swelling,” he answered as he held her hand under the stream.

 

Sango winced at the splash of cold then relaxed slowly. She hadn't even noticed how much that damned limb hurt until now. “I'm sorry…about being such a bitch.”

 

Miroku nodded. “There's no need for an apology. You're just being a good friend.” Clearing his throat, he tossed in a suggestion without meeting Sango's gaze. “What if…the beating…didn't bother her?”

 

Sango's gaze grew incredulous. “What the hell are you talking about?”

 

“What if the beating isn't what is bothering Kagome? What if she was one of those who…”

 

“Enjoyed people beating the shit out of her? No way, not my Kagome! Yeah, maybe she got herself into some trouble, or a bad situation, but she's not that kind of freak!” Sango looked nearly repulsed at the idea. “How could you say something like that?”

 

Miroku swallowed thickly then turned to glare at Sango. “Sometimes you don't know someone as well as you think you do. Trust me on this. She could be dabbling on the darker ends of the S&M sex train. If so…then it's the breaking of trust that hurt her, just like InuYasha said.”

 

Sango yanked her hand away from his and backed up. “That's absurd! She would never…”

 

“What, lie to you? Honey, she already has. Did you even know she was dating someone?”

 

Sango shrugged, “I knew that she was going up to the city every now and then to see someone, or go to a club.”

 

Miroku's words died on his lips. So maybe there were a thousand clubs in New York that she could have gone to, but a tiny black backpack that nearly ruined his relationship with InuYasha flashed through his mind. “Wait…a club in the city? Which one?”

 

“Don't know…all I know is that she'd take the train in. She told me that maybe one day she'd take me. But only when I could…” Sango paused, her face blanching. “My god, you're right.”

 

Normally those words would have brought a smile to Miroku's face, but his mind was to preoccupied at the current moment. “There's a club that InuYasha's been going to…”

 

And then hell broke loose. “Wait a fucking minute! You think that it was that douche that did this to her? That son of a fucking cunt whore! I”ll kill him!”

 

Miroku threw himself in front of Sango, blocking her from moving forward. Holding up his hands, he shouted over her, “No! That's not what I'm saying! Sango, my dear, please calm down!”

 

“You expect me to calm down? Do you have any idea what you just said to me? It all makes sense! No wonder why he knew that she was here, or for that matter, so hurt! He's the bastard who did this to her!”

 

“Sango, no! He wouldn't! Trust me when I say this, InuYasha is my best friend. I'm just suggesting that maybe they travel in the same circles!” `That would explain the foundation for this new obsession,' Miroku rationalized. Unfortunately, Sango didn't see it that way.

 

“I'm gonna' nail his balls to the fuckin' wall!”

 

“Sango please, you need to calm down!” Miroku reiterated, “I'm sure that he didn't do this to her. I was with him when Naraku told him that she was injured. He nearly ripped the guy's throat out! He had no clue, I guarantee it!”

 

Sango seemed to hesitate, and it was long enough for Miroku to steer her back into her chair.

 

“Look, Sango, I think that our two love struck friends might be closer then they're letting on, but I am sure that InuYasha had no clue about her injury. I think he honestly has no clue who did this to her. But…you have me curious as to what club both of our friends have been attending.”

 

Sango rested her head on the table in front of them. “So…do you think that it was someone at this club?”

 

Miroku thought back to the state in which he had found InuYasha the morning after his last visit to the club. Leather pants, silver hair and a totally different personality; Kagome would have had no idea. But…did InuYasha know about her? “I think,” he started bravely, “that we should keep this information to ourselves for the time being. Don't say anything about the club to Kagome. I'm going to do some more information.”

 

Sango nodded slowly, “if it was someone from the club…”

 

Miroku finished her thought. “They could be mafia related, more than likely, or part of a gang. That would explain the power. I want to know a lot more about this club.”

 

Sango was inclined to agree. “All right, I'll get something out of Kagome, you dig it out of your friend, and we'll swap.”

 

Miroku couldn't help the tiny grin that pulled at his lips. “Tell me, Sango…what else would you care to swap?”

 

And that was how Miroku ended up on his back, staring at Sango's kitchen ceiling with one hella nasty bump on the back of his head. But it was worth it.

 

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

A shout out to XHanyou_lordX and Trinity K for accurately getting the quote “The truth begins in lies” right. It's from House M.D. I love that show.

 

A thanks to:

 

Drake Clawfang: thanks for the quote, love! It fit this chapter wonderfully. What will Kikyo think? Well…I'm sure we'll get into that eventually. ^_^

 

Malice_babe: I'm glad someone's on my wave length. Is the only villain in this fic Bankotsu? Hmm…maybe…maybe not. There is a sub plot that hasn't picked up yet. ^__^ do Kikyo and Kagome have a bond? Well…in Kikyo's eyes, yes, but then again, she can't see past the end of her own nose.

 

Shizuka Kaze- Yeah, inu's all fluffy for the time being. At least, as long as Kagome can't remember it. LOL. thanks! ::huggles: I'm glad that you're enjoying my Yash, but Damnit woman, I love yours more. She has no clue he's a demon, yes. How will she react when the truth comes out? Well…it will be interesting. As for when they will figure it out; when the time is right. LOl.

 

InuKag_obsession: hehe…I meant for some stuff this chapter, but it didn't fit. Don't worry, fluff starboard. LOL.

 

XHanyou_lordX- ^__^ I don't' know if he got it from somewhere else, but I'm claiming it's from him. lol ^_^

 

Moon_essence1- hope this is a little better.

 

TrinityK- glad you enjoyed it. thanks; I try with my villains. I love writing them, they make life fun. I'm really glad that you're enjoying. ^__^ Just wait, Bank is bound to get more creepy! Muhahaha….sorry.

 

Loulou4729- I know, a lot of people can't wait. It will come with time, promise. Until then, be more excited about the two of them being comfortable knowing their real identities. Hehe.

 

Tarzan14- yeah, it's fluffles all the way around for now, at least.

 

Toyas_gurl- I know. I'm shamed for giving a decent personality. LOL. don't worry, he's gonna be a bit of a gray scale character. Yeah, Yash won't be able to help his actions. LOL. all. Of. Them. LOL. ~_^ thanks! I try. Hehe.

 

Silveraloria- hmm…is he good or bad? Well…I guess only time will tell. Just enjoy the character for now. I don't like characters that can fit any definition of good or bad. What is good? ^__^ glad that you're enjoying!

 

Mistress-Kagome4U- hehe, glad you enjoyed. ^__^

 

Leilachan- will someone be hurt worse? Emotions are such a fragile thing, really. They be built up and shattered quicker then a house of cards. But yes, you put it nicely; Kagome's wounds are much more mental. Is Naraku evil? Seems to be the question of the year. Yes, he loathes InuYasha but what has that done to his psyche.

 

Oyuki- yes, this one will be uncensored, so I'm glad you came here. ^__^ I'm glad you're enjoying!

 

Anninat- ^__^ I'm glad you're hooked, that makes me smile. ^__^

 

Blaccwolf123- Bankotsu is one of my favs, and it hurts to make him so evil. But…I can guarantee that inu won't be THAT violent. Lol. things will roll down hill though. ^__^

 

Girl_x_16- sweet is a …different…term. Inu gets what's going on but…well… as for your prediction, all I got to say is…you're good. ^__^ Rin will be in the picture soon, as will some other fimiliar faces. ^_^