InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Before The Fall: A Prologue of Sorts ❯ Scene Three (or Get Ready to Rumble) ( Chapter 7 )

Disclaimer: I do not, have not, nor will I ever own Inuyasha & Co. (sad as that may be), that honor belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. Furthermore, I do profess that I am making no money from this, only getting hours of enjoyment

“This is pathetic.”

“What?”

“We've been cooped up in this room for two weeks Kagome!”

“You haven't, you go to Miroku's all the time…”

“Okay. Well, you've been in this room for two weeks.”

“I'm getting a lot of homework done.”

“Yes, I know. You're all caught up to the next three weeks.”

“So, where is Miroku today anyway?”

“He has a business meeting in the city all day.” Sango bolted up from her prone position across her bed, grinning. “I should call and leave him a nice message…”

“That's sweet…” Kagome smiled wistfully. Shaking her head, she refocused on her work.

Sango waited for the familiar automated greeting; what she got was a slightly out of breath Miroku. Frowning at the noise in the background, she said his name cautiously.

On his end Miroku looked in horror at the caller ID he'd ignored a moment before. “Yes, Sango?”

“I thought you had a meeting.”

“I do. I'm there. Quite a raucous bunch.” He chuckled.

Sango was a smart girl. She knew the smell of fear and he was covered in it. “Oh. Well I was just calling to wish you luck.”

Miroku almost sagged in relief. “How wonderful of you, dear Sango.” He bit his lip as guilt started to creep in. “Will I see you later?”

“Sure, just call me when you get home. I'll be busy with schoolwork till then.”

“I look forward to it.” He said sincerely.

“Oh, so do I.” Snapping the phone closed her expression melted into one of grim determination. “So do I.” she murmured to herself before turning to Kagome. “Get up.”

“What?” Kagome looked up from her text book surprised. Sango, who was pulling her hair into a ponytail, ignored her. From the look on her face, she assumed the older girl did not want to talk about it. Putting on her shoes without a second thought, she followed Sango out of the room, grabbing a jacket as an after thought. Tripping down the hall, trying to catch up with Sango's long strides, she retried her tactic. “Where are we going?”

“Over there.”

“Over where?”

“Miroku's.”

“But he's not home…”

“Oh, yes he is.”

Kagome's eyes widened. He'd lied to her. She almost choked as she came to another realization. “Inuyasha lives there. I can't go there!”

“Kagome…”

“You don't understand; I can't face him. I don't know what to say! `Hey, how are you, I'm so arrogant that I told you how you feel, sorry bout that…”

Sango stopped and turned, gaze deadly serious. “Kagome, I know he's lying to me but I have no idea what I'm going to see when I walk into that apartment. I know it's hard…but I need you.”

Kagome deflated and she sighed. “How do you know they'll let you in?”

Snorting, she turned away and began walking again. “I'm getting in there, one way or another.”

Once in the lobby of the building, she whipped out her cell phone dialing Miroku's number and holding a finger to her lips to silence Kagome who nodded her assent. “Hi, Miroku, sorry to bother you again but I think I left my coat in your living room. Oh, I know I'll see you later…” she chuckled darkly as the elevators opened on their floor. “But since I was in the neighborhood and Inuyasha is home, I figured I'd stop by now.” Kagome could almost hear him gulp. “Yeah, I'm actually here now. Oh, you just got back from your meeting? That's amazing!” Sango rolled her eyes to Kagome who winced at the poor falsehoods. Snapping the phone shut, the girls listened to the music that barely hid the scuffling inside the apartment. Miroku's face peered around the door which was opened approximately half a foot.

“Sango…how fortuitous I got home when I did. I have you coat here…”

“I see that.” She glared at him as she took the coat with one hand and pushed the door open with the other, taking a step inside in case he thought about closing it.

Looking straight into the living room, she saw that there were beer cans strewn on surfaces and a large Twister mat on the floor. Settled in the corner was Inuyasha, beer in one hand, a brunette in his other. Three bleary-eyed girls grinned vacuously at her. Swinging her fiery gaze on Miroku she couldn't control her inclination, swinging her arm back and slapping him soundly across the face. He looked genuinely shocked for the first time she could remember. Serves him right…bastard.

From over her shoulder she heard a gasp and spun around. Kagome stared at the scene; hand to her mouth, eyes firmly locked on Inuyasha…and the girl that was attached to him. Sango felt a stab of guilt mix into her anger for insisting that she come along.

“Sango I can explain! I didn't do anything! It's just that Inuyasha has been so down lately that I wanted to cheer him up, get him out so he could mingle. Except you know him. He won't go out so I brought the girls to him. If you were here, he wouldn't have felt comfortable flirting…”

“Who's that girl?”

“What girl?” Inuyasha rumbled to the female next to him.

“That one. She's staring at us.” Frowning he turned to see the drama unfolding at the doorway and his gaze caught Kagome's, who looked stricken. Eyes widening, he jumped to his feet but didn't move toward her. Ignoring the protests of the girl, he watched as tears sprang to her eyes feeling his gut twist unpleasantly. Sango was leaving now, ignoring Miroku's explanation. She stepped back in and slapped him again.

“And that's for Kagome, asshole.” She growled before leveling a deathly glare at him as well and grabbing the girl's arm pulling her though the door. “Come on, we've seen enough.”

Sango's glare, scary was it was, was nothing in the face of Kagome's expression as Sango led her away. It was a look of complete disillusionment. Instinctively putting his hand to his stomach, he closed his eyes, swaying slightly as the nausea rolled up. Dark hair, trembling mouth, misty grey eyes, suspiciously glittering lashes…I love you.

“Well ladies. I think this party is over.” Miroku came back in, trying and failing to inject joviality into his voice. The girls left quietly, sensing that the freewheeling shindig had gone terribly wrong. Not even the allure of an off campus apartment and upperclassmen made up for that. The brunette looked over her shoulder to where Inuyasha was still rooted. Too bad. Kikyo was onto something. He's cute…for a hanyou. Shrugging as she pulled the door closed, she followed her friends down the hall.

Kagome sat mutely on the edge of her bed as Sango paced, talking more to herself than anything.

“How stupid can he be? How stupid can I be? I mean, not only to lie but to be caught in such a situation…”

Her mind was whirling, thoughts skittering around without taking hold. Inuyasha was with that girl, holding that girl…maybe more. She bit her bottom lip absently. Well what did you expect when you showed up? Awkward small talk. It wasn't like she had a claim on him or anything but…did he have to? A new, nasty voice sprung up in her head. Admit it; you thought your only competition was Kikyo. She growled at it. Not that you're much competition anyway… Clenching her fists and squeezing her eyes shut, she willed it away. Inuyasha deserved to be happy, she'd told him that. She believed it. She meant it. Why did it hurt like this? She vaguely realized that Sango had stopped pacing and was kneeling in front of her, worry etched into her face.

“How are you holding up?”

“I'm fine.” Kagome murmured.

“I'm sorry. For bringing you there, for you seeing that…”

“No! No…Inuyasha isn't…mine. At least I know…oh God! I'm sorry! Miroku…”

“Is an idiot.” She finished roughly, sitting beside her roommate on the bed. Kagome wrapped an arm around her as Sango sighed and leaned into her. “I believe him; in my heart, in my gut, I believe him. He didn't do anything with those girls, and he wasn't going to. I know that; but he lied to me. Blatantly. And it's not okay…I just wish I didn't love him. It would make this much easier.”

“I know the feeling…” Kagome murmured.

“I lied before.” Sango looked up at her, face deadly serious. “This is pathetic.”

The girls looked at each other for a beat before laughing until they cried.

A/N: Okay, I promise Kagome will hold her own in the next chapters. Love is a tricky, tricky thing…