InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cheating Fate ❯ Come Hell or High Water ( Chapter 14 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Dreamer6164 
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.05.2009 | Pages: 7 | Words: 10.8K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 07.05.2009 | Pages: 7 | Words: 10.8K | Visits: 1.3K | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha
AN: Well, the chapter's finally done. It's freaking long! I didn't even intend for it to be this long, but I guess that's better for you guys since it'll take you longer to read. I have to say that this is one of my favorite chapters. Hope you enjoy it!
I'd like to give you a little outline of how much more of this story is to come. Of what I've got worked out, and I'm pretty sure it's all worked out, there's nine chapters left. Nine. That's a lot, but at least we're past the half way point! So yea!
As Sango poured her coffee in the early morning hours, she couldn’t help feeling like she was on top of the world. Who would have guessed that she would be feeling this happy the day after a date with Miroku! She leaned against the counter just taking in the morning rays that filtered in through her patio door and the smell of her coffee.
She knew that once she got to work that morning Kagome would want all the details that happened the following night, and the weird thing about the situation was that she wanted to talk about it. In fact, that’s all she wanted to talk about.
She took one last chug of her coffee before placing her cup in the sink. Today was going to be a good one. She could just tell.
Sango grabbed her purse and slipped on her shoes before heading out the door to begin her day. The twenty minute car ride to work was pleasant, and she couldn’t stop herself from humming as she walked into the hospital.
After the elevator ride, she stepped out and made the short walk to her office. She picked her lab coat up off the coat hanger, put it on, and then decided to go find Kagome before the morning got too hectic.
Sango found Kagome walking out of the nurses’ quarters after she trekked up a flight of stairs. She smiled to herself as she went over to greet her. “Hey Kagome, you got a minute?”
Kagome smiled back. “For you? I think I’ve gotta few.” she said teasingly. “I was just heading down to pick up some breakfast for Ami. We were running late this morning, and I didn’t have time to make her something. You want to walk with me?”
They strolled in silence for awhile before Kagome glanced over with a coy look in her eyes. “So, how’d last night go?”
Sango’s smile grew. She knew she could count on her friend to know exactly what she wanted to talk about. “It went extremely well! I had a great time. I’m so glad you forced me to do it.”
Sango’s enthusiasm was contagious for it had a huge grin spreading across Kagome’s face. “I’m so happy for you.” Kagome said as she put her arm around Sango’s shoulders to give them a light squeeze. “So, what’d he do to change your mind about him? You must have had a lot in common.”
Sango’s smile faltered a bit. “Actually I’m not really sure if we have anything in common. But what I do know is that I liked is honesty, and he’s funny and who doesn’t like a man with humor? . . . He can also make the dullest topic interesting.”
This intrigued Kagome. “So, what’d you guys talk about?” By this time they arrived in the cafeteria. Kagome grabbed a tray to get in line as she awaited Sango’s answer.
Sango smiled a giddy smile as she replied, “Water.” She grabbed a tray as well, and followed Kagome in line.
Whatever Kagome had been expecting, it hadn’t been that. “You talked about water? …I guess that would be a dull topic, but… how could you even talk about it long enough for it to be a topic?” As she said this, she reached for a carton of milk, and then continued down the line.
“Well, he’s getting a degree in hydrology. So, believe me when I say that he could have talked on and on about it for longer than he did.” Sango didn’t say in a condescending way, but more like she was talking about an inside joke. Kagome was happy to see Sango so excited about something. “Plus, the things he said were sorta interesting, and he was really passionate about it.”
“Huh?” she said as she spotted Ami’s favorite brand of cereal. “You know, as long as I’ve known Miroku, I don’t think we’ve ever talked about his school work, but then I guess there’s always something going on when I’m over there.”
Sango grabbed a bagel as she got a knowing look on her face. “You know, I think the whole pervert thing is just an act. I think he just puts up that façade to try to trick women into thinking he’s some kind of dumb jock, but really he’s this smart nerd. And I’ve always had a thing for nerds.”
Kagome started laughing at this. “This is such a turn around from your last opinion of him.” Kagome said with a grin. “But I’m so glad that it worked out, and that you did change your mind about him.”
They were at the checkout point, and, after paying for their food, they started heading back to the nurses’ quarters. On the way, Sango turned to Kagome, and said, “Alright, so enough about my date, I want to know what happened on yours.” Sango watched for Kagome’s reaction intently.
Kagome didn’t give anything away however. She answered calmly with a sweet smile on her face. “It wasn’t a date. We merely went there to make sure everything went alright between you and Miroku. Dinner just happened to be a bonus.”
“Are you sure?” Sango asked with a knowing smile. “’Cause it sure looked like a date to me. What with the violinists playing the romantic music and all.”
Kagome’s eyebrow twitched. “The violinists only came over to our table because you and Miroku had it arranged!” She took a deep breath to regain her composer. “Besides I’m dating Kouga, not InuYasha.”
“I know that, but I’m just a little curious as to why you felt the need to dress up gorgeously when it was only to ‘watch’ Miroku and me.” Sango pestered.
Kagome turned her head slightly away to hide her guilty expression. “It was a fancy restaurant. Of course I was going to dress up.”
“Uh huh.” Sango said with little conviction. “Well, I was the one on the actual date, and you out dressed me so…”
They both stopped walking as Kagome turned on her. “Look, I just felt like dressing up. Don’t you ever get that urge to just look pretty for one night? Besides, I never get to dress up.” Kagome’s voice wavered a bit throughout her reason.
Silence followed her speech, and all Sango could do was give her a blank look. Was Kagome really going to make her demand the real reason out of her? It sure looked like it. She let out a sigh. “Cut the crap, Kagome, and tell me what’s going on.”
Full blown guilt filled her eyes. Sango was going to think she was a horrible person, but if she couldn’t talk about this with her best friend then who could she talk to it about? She averted her eyes as she said, “I dressed up to look good for InuYasha.”
An amused smile appeared on Sango’s face. “Kagome, it’s perfectly natural for you to want to impress your ex-boyfriend. I mean, if I saw any of my exes I’d want to look good. So there’s really no reason for you to–“
“Oh Sango, you don’t get it!” Kagome said miserably as ducked her head in shame. “I wanted to look good for him. Not so I could make him regret leaving me, but for him. So that maybe… he’d want to be with me. …I know I’m a horrible person for wanting him to want that, but I can’t help it.”
Sango stared at her friend in amazement. Kagome sure knew how to put herself into a predicament “Wow. This could be a problem.”
“You think?” Kagome snapped, but Sango didn’t take it to heart. She could only imagine how long this had all been bottled up inside her. “I know the only solution is to stop seeing InuYasha, but how can I? Ami ties us together!”
Sango looked at Kagome with a troubled expression. If she were to be truly honest with Kagome, ever since InuYasha had found out about Ami she had just assumed that Kagome would wind up with InuYasha some way or another. She especially thought this when they started getting along better. But before she would say any of her thoughts on the matter Sango had to know exactly what Kagome felt for InuYasha, and the only way to get that information was to know what feelings she had for Kouga. She let out another sigh. “Tell me this; are you in love with Kouga yet?”
Kagome was taken aback by the question. As far as she knew it was off topic, and it didn’t do anything to make her feel better about her situation. Kagome looked uncomfortable as she answered, “…I thought I told you the answer to that?”
“A week ago. Some things could have changed in that time.” Sango rebutted. She rolled her eyes when Kagome gave her sarcastic look. “Just answer the question.”
“No.” was Kagome’s short answer, but she immediately felt like she had to explain herself. “I care about him. A lot. But I’m just not there yet, and it’s not like I’ll never love him. It’s just taking me longer to feel that way about him than it was for him about me.”
Okay, so Sango could probably guess at why Kagome was being cautious with love, but did Kagome even know what love felt like? “Kagome, how do you know you’re not in love with Kouga? I mean, are you waiting for something to happen? What exactly are you expecting to feel?”
Kagome didn’t answer right away. She was trying to find the right words to describe what she was trying to say. “I think that when you’re in love with someone there’s gotta be something that sparks. Don’t get me wrong, Kouga’s really great, and I love being with him, but… I just don’t feel the…heat . . . with him. When we kiss, it’s just a kiss. So, I guess I’m just waiting for something to catch fire.”
Sango was quiet for a moment, trying to stall the inevitable question that she was going to ask. “. . . Did you ever feel that with InuYasha?”
Blush dusted Kagome’s cheeks as she looked away. “I thought I did.” was her reply before she quickly walked the rest of the way back ahead of Sango.
As soon as his alarm fell silent, he heard someone yell, “Bombs away!” He felt something fall on him, and the next thing he knew he was soaking wet. “AHH!” Miroku yelled as he shot out of his bed. Half alert and half disoriented, he looked around the room and found his roommate rolling on the floor in laughter.
“You should have seen your face!” InuYasha exclaimed as he held his gut. “Oh man, it was priceless!”
Miroku, who wasn’t a morning person to begin with, stared at InuYasha with a cold expression. He wiped his dripping bangs off his forehead, then looked down at his soaked bed sheets. Great, now he had to do laundry today. He looked back over at InuYasha, who had begun to catch his breath, and said, “Why in the hell would you wake me up with a water balloon?”
InuYasha smirked. “Consider it pay back for what you did at the restaurant.”
Miroku closed his eyes in frustration. “I’m so glad your maturity level this morning is that of a third grader’s.”
“Don’t be such a priss! It was only water.” InuYasha said as he crossed his arms over his chest, but some of his humor still remained in his eyes.
Miroku sighed, sensing that it was pointless to get into an argument with InuYasha this early in the morning. “You’re doing my laundry.” was all he said as he pushed himself out of bed.
“Like hell I am.” InuYasha replied. “You had it coming to you.”
Miroku sighed again as he turned back to his bed and starting gathering the soiled beddings. Carrying the load to the laundry room, Miroku asked InuYasha, who was following behind him, “So, where did you get the water balloons anyway?”
“The drug store up the road.” InuYasha answered with a smile in his voice. “They were on sale in the toy aisle. I saw them, and an evil idea popped into my head.”
Miroku rolled his eyes as he stuffed his beddings into the washing machine. “And I’m sure you just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get back at me.”
“Well, yeah.” InuYasha watched as his roommate spill softener and detergent onto his things, and then once Miroku was finished, he said, “You know, compared to what you did, my prank was pretty tame.”
Feeling a bit more awake, a wicked smirk adorned Miroku’s face. “Oh, I disagree my friend. You see, my prank wasn’t even that bad. But I must applaud you for making it one hell of a performance.”
A growl escaped his throat as he answered, “You knew I would react that way!”
“I assure you I knew no such thing.”
“Bullshit!” InuYasha contradicted, but Miroku could tell that he wasn’t as mad as he appeared for humor lit up his eyes. “You’ve lived with me for how long? I think you know what gets me worked up by now.”
Miroku started the washing machine as he shook his head. “I don’t know, Man.” he said mockingly. “Three years really isn’t long enough to get to know someone.”
“The hell it isn’t.” InuYasha replied as he rolled his eyes. He watched as Miroku turned around to face him, and then lean against the washing machine with expectant eyes. InuYasha let out a sigh as he changed the topic. “So, I assume that your date with Sango went well.”
Miroku’s persona changed at once. He stood up straighter as he answered, “Yeah, it did. I tell you, InuYasha, she is one of the most interesting women I’ve ever talked to.”
“Why’s that?” InuYasha asked with curiosity. “Don’t tell me she’s a lover of water too.”
Miroku laughed at the concept of Sango being as fascinated by water as he was. “No, she’s definitely not as big a fan as me, but she was a good sport about it.” he paused as he thought about the way she smiled, how her eyes took on an undying look of sadness as she talked about her late brother. “There’s just more to her than I ever would have thought.”
InuYasha didn’t say anything as he took in the thoughtful look on his friends face. Miroku really had it bad for this doctor. “So, I take it you’re going to see her again?”
“Well, yeah. She gave me her number, so she obviously wants to get together again too.” Suddenly Miroku jubilant air deflated into uncertainly. “When should I call her? I know there’s rules that I’m supposed to follow, but I want to see her again. Tonight. Do you think that’s too soon? I don’t want to freak her out or anything.”
InuYasha smiled jokily. “You’re not in high school anymore, Miroku. You’re both adults, and if you both had a great time last night then I see no reason for you not to call her today.”
Miroku sighed. “I don’t know. She said she had a good time, but how do I know she wasn’t just being nice?”
InuYasha rolled his eyes at his friend’s lack of self-confidence. To be honest it was kind of funny to see him so nervous about a girl. Usually he would just be the player InuYasha knew him to be, but Sango had cast a spell over his roommate. Who would have thought that one hospital could send them both wake up calls? “She gave you her number, for one. And, unless it’s a fake, she wants you to call her.”
“You think it’s a fake?” Miroku asked panic-stricken.
InuYasha waved his fears to the side as he continued, “Two, I was there, remember? I saw the way she leaned forward when you were talking. The girl obviously saw something in you.”
Miroku took on the look of a nervous school boy. “So, do you think I should call her?” he asked anxiously.
“Yeah.” he said as he propped himself up onto the dryer. “Come on, Miroku! All you have to do is call her, ask her how the rest of her night was, tell her that you can’t stop thinking about her, and that you guys should schedule another date. That way she can come up with when the next date will be. It’s as simple as that.”
Miroku let out a deep breath that seemed to relax his shoulders. “You’re right, InuYasha. I’ll call her later this afternoon.” Miroku finally leaned back against the washing machine again, feeling a hundred percent better now that he knew what to do. Although, he was sure the actual calling part would bring about the same panic attack, but that call wouldn’t be placed until later. So, he might as well relax as much as he could before then. “So, did you ever call any of your girlfriends the day after the first date?”
“Oh, no.” he replied as he franticly shook his head. “I’d always wait the three days.” He looked over at Miroku, who had gone rigid again. So, he continued hastily, “But I never took any of my girlfriends seriously. It was all a game to me.”
Miroku calmed down after that statement, and looked over at his friend with confused eyes. “Even Kagome?”
InuYasha hadn’t expected that question, but he supposed that he had left this topic vulnerable. “Well, the thing with Kagome started out just like any of my other potential girlfriends. I took her out, called her three days later, went out on another date, . . . before I knew it the thing I had with Kagome turned into my only long-term relationship.”
Miroku’s eyes turned sympathetic. InuYasha looked away with a irritated feeling. He hated pity. “I never asked why you left her?” Miroku asked.
InuYasha pinched the bridge of his nose to keep any irritation out of his eyes. “We dated for eight months. That’s a long time. I was stupid, and didn’t want to be tied down. Plus, my friends were saying all kinds of things about how she was too involved in my life. So, I decided it was time to move on.” he explained as he removed his hand. The irritation had melted into something that resembled regret. “Besides, I got what I wanted out of her, right?”
The way InuYasha said that made Miroku positive that he didn’t mean it. He moved his hand over to squeeze his friend’s shoulder. “InuYasha, if I had been your friend back then, and you loved her as much as you do now, I wouldn’t have let you walk away from her.”
He looked over his shoulder at his roommate. “I don’t love her.” he denied half-heartedly.
Miroku gave his a flat look. “Yeah, and I didn’t just have panic attack over asking a girl out.” InuYasha sighed and put his head in his hands. Miroku sighed as well. “Why don’t you just get her back?”
InuYasha jumped off the drying out of his friend’s reach. “Are you insane?” he asked as he rounded on him, and when Miroku only gave him a serious look, he started naming off reasons. “She’s with another guy for starters. She’s the mother of my child, that she deliberately kept me from, remember? And most importantly, I threw away any shot I had with her when I left her four years ago!” As he calmed down, dejection took up residence in his mind. “Besides, even if she did somehow want to take me back . . . I don’t deserve her.”
Miroku was thoughtful for a moment before he spoke, “InuYasha, you just gave me great advice, and I want to do the same for you.” He inhaled before he said, “A wise friend of mine once said, ‘You’re only as good as you let yourself be.’”
Miroku lifted an eyebrow up at him, and InuYasha couldn’t help but let a small smile escape. He had said that to Miroku the first night he’d met him after he found him alone in a room drinking away his troubles.
“InuYasha, if you think you don’t deserve Kagome, then you don’t. After all, you know Kagome better than I do, . . . but I do know you.” Miroku preached. “And, InuYasha, if you let yourself be the guy that deserves Kagome, then you will deserve her. You’ve changed a lot in the last couple of years. You could be with her again if you really wanted to.”
Be with Kagome again? To be able to raise Ami together, to be able to hold Kagome every night? Just to be with her again? He had to admit that those images had crossed his mind before, but he’d never wanted them as much as he did in this moment.
But it was impossible. She wasn’t open for the taking. He sighed as he let the thoughts of a happier life erase from his mind. “Can we talk about something else?”
“If that’s what you want.” Miroku said with easy ease. He could sense he had pushed InuYasha emotionally too far. “So, what do you think I should wear tonight?”
InuYasha whipped his head over to give Miroku an incredulous look. When he saw that Miroku’s earlier panic was setting back in, he rolled his eyes and walked out of the laundry room leaving Miroku to fret by himself.
InuYasha let out a growl as he pressed the buttons of his controller furiously. “How can you still have a first down? We’ve hit you with everything we’ve got! And you’re still winning!”
Bankotsu let out a bellowing laugh. “What can I say? I‘m a natural at this.”
“Whatever! You’re just winning ‘cause you’ve got the game working half of your players for you!” Hiten exclaimed as he also worked his controller. “InuYasha and I have to work together!”
“You’re just jealous!” Bankotsu said with a smile. “Besides, it serves you right for picking InuYasha over me.”
Hiten grunted. “I only picked him ‘cause he usually kicks ass at this game. He just sucks today!” With that said the time ran out, and Bankotsu was announced the winner.
InuYasha threw his controller down. “Hey, it’s not my fault you let Bankotsu run right through our linemen. Thanks to you I was basically playing by myself.”
“He’s right, you know. Your defensive line sucked.” Bankotsu commented. Hiten crossed his arms over his chest and sulked. “Hey, InuYasha, what do you say we team up against the noob?”
InuYasha smirked as he picked up the controller, signaling he was game. Hiten scowled at the two of them. “Come on, InuYasha! I was just warming up! You can’t ditch me now!”
“I think I just did.” InuYasha replied cockily and Bankotsu laughed at the looked on Hiten’s face. InuYasha was about to hit the start button when he was interrupted by his cell phone. He dug it out of his pocket and checked the incoming number. It was Kagome. He was a little confused because Kagome knew not to call him when he was hanging out with the guys. He sighed as he flipped open his phone. “What is it, Kagome?” He looked over at his friends and gave them an apologetic look. They rolled their eyes in response.
He heard her sniffle. “InuYasha?” she asked as if she hadn’t heard his rude greeting.
InuYasha heard the distress in her voice and became instantly alert. “What’s wrong, Kagome?” he asked with sincere concern. She continued to sniffle, and he could tell she was trying not to break down. His mind started supplying him with images of her injured, and it sent him into a panic. “Kagome, are you hurt?”
“Oh InuYasha, it’s horrible!” she finally burst out with a wave of anguish in her voice. “Gra-grand--oh I don’t even want to say it! It’ll make it seem real!”
His panic was beginning to mix with frustration, which it often did. “Would you please just tell me what’s going on? I can’t help if you won’t tell me.”
She was silent for a moment, but when she spoke her voice was filled with dejected longing. “Could you just please come over? . . . I need you.”
Hearing her sound like that made his heart ache. All the frustration and panic washed away and were replaced by compassion. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” he whispered. After saying goodbye and hanging up, he looked over at his friends. “Kagome’s upset. I have to go.”
His friends just stared at him in shock. It was a moment before Bankotsu said, “Man, I never pegged her as a control freak.”
InuYasha looked at him in confusion, and felt anger well up inside of him. “What? No she’s not!”
“Yeah she is, InuYasha. She has you at her beck and call. You’re supposed to be hanging out with us, and now just because she says she’s upset you’re going to go off to her. You sound pretty controlled to me.” Bankotsu replied.
InuYasha was ready to lash out at his friend. Who did Bankotsu think he was saying that he was being controlled? By Kagome of all people? “She’s not controlling me! She called and asked me to come over because she was really upset about something! Not because she wants me at her beck and call.”
Bankotsu looked over at Hiten, and he shook his head in disappointment. “Look at the facts InuYasha. You’ve been with this chic for how long now?” Hiten asked.
InuYasha looked back and forth between the two of them. “About seven months.”
“Have you even screwed her yet?”
Embarrassment heated up the back of his neck. “. . . Yeah.” he lied trying to hide his shame.
Bankotsu laughed. “You’re lying.” He shook his head with a mocking smile on his face. “It’s funny really. I mean, this is the longest you’ve ever been with a girl, and you’ve barely gotten to second base with her.”
InuYasha’s humiliation rose. He couldn’t even defend himself because Bankotsu was right. He and Kagome hadn’t done much with the physical aspect of their relationship. “Look, it’s not like I don’t want to do those things with her. She’s just not ready.”
Hiten smacked his hand to his forehead. “Don’t you see, Man! This is how she’s controlling you!”
“What are you talking about?” InuYasha said with frustration.
“Look InuYasha,” Bankotsu started, “Usually when you are with a girl, you’re with her for maybe two weeks, give or take a couple of days. In that time limit, you’ve charmed her, screwed her, and dumped her. Now with Kagome you’ve wasted eight months charming her. And Hiten and I are a little concerned.”
“Concerned about what?”
Hiten sighed, “That she’s locked you into a relationship that you can’t get out of.”
InuYasha stood up at this. “You guys are crazy. I could end this thing I have with Kagome anytime I want. As it is I don’t need to prove anything to either of you.” InuYasha looked from Bankotsu to Hiten and then back again. “And as for you guys keeping tabs on my sex life, you both really need a new hobby.”
“Whatever. I’ll just be happy when you finally dump her.” Bankotsu commented.
Hiten nodded in agreement. “Sooner or later, her not putting out is going to push you over the edge.” InuYasha rolled his eyes. “I’m serious. Your pervious girlfriends have spoiled you.”
InuYasha shook his head in frustration. “I gotta go. You guys know the way out.” With that said InuYasha walked out of his own house, and drove to Kagome’s.
When he arrived, he flew up the never-ending staircase, and then knocked on the door. After a couple of moments, Kagome answered. “I’m sorry I took so long. Are you al--” InuYasha cut off mid-sentence as he took in her appearance. Her face was blotchy from crying and her eyes were still filling up with tears. She had a tissue in her hand, and her hair was in disarray. “--right?”
Kagome threw herself into his arms, and busted into tears. InuYasha had never seen her in such a state and it scared him a little. He wanted to pry her off of him so he could check her for injuries. “Oh InuYasha, I’m so glad you’re here.” she sobbed.
“What’s going on, Kagome?” he asked in utter confusion as he held the shaking girl in his arms.
She stayed in his arms for awhile just sniffling and staining his shirt with her tears before she pushed herself away. She took his hand and led him into the house. With one sniff of the air, InuYasha could tell she was here alone. His confusion intensified. She continued to lead him until they came to the couch. They sat down and Kagome took a deep breath. “…Grandpa passed away.”
InuYasha sat in silence before answering in shock. “H-how?”
Kagome sniffled again as she dabbed at her eyes. “You know how he’d been sick for awhile. Well, they took him to the hospital early this morning and . . . and . . . He was just too old. There was nothing they could do. Mom and Souta are at the funeral home making arrangements, but I couldn’t handle it . . .” She trailed off as more tears fell down her face and emotion chocked her voice.
InuYasha reached forward and cupped both of her cheeks in his palms. He slowly wiped away her tears with his thumbs as he gazed into her watery eyes. She took a shaky in take of breath. “I hate it when you cry.” His comment had her closing her eyes which caused more tears to fall. He quickly wiped those away too. “It makes me want to beat the living shit out whatever made you sad in the first place, but . . . but I can’t with this. I don’t know how to help. How do I make it better?”
A small smile adorned her face. “You could hold me. Stay with me.”
“I can do that.”
He opened his arms, and she snuggled up next to him. He gently kissed her on the top of her head, and soothingly ran a hand through her hair. The treatment seemed to relax her. They stayed like that for a few minutes before her drowsy voice said, “I love you. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here.”
InuYasha froze at those three words. She loved him? Was he expected to say something back? He couldn’t seem to get his body to work let alone his voice. Suddenly the words Hiten said sprang into his head. “She’s locked you into a relationship that you can’t get out of.” What if he was getting in too deep with Kagome? Similar thoughts continued to run through his mind, and the only word he could think of to sum up all of his feelings was, ‘Shit.’
“Hey Kagome, is your shift over yet?” InuYasha asked as soon as he heard her voice.
Kagome opened the back car door as she answered, “Um, yeah, I just got off.” She balanced the phone between her shoulder and her cheek as turned and lifted Ami up to put her into her car seat. “Why? Did you have something planned?”
“Well, I just figured since I haven’t seen Ami since Friday night that I’d come over to see her.” he replied simply. “That is if you didn’t have anything planned . . .”
After buckling Ami in, Kagome straightened up and shut the door. “Um, as far as I know, I don’t have anything going on.” She made her way around the car, and then got in. “Yeah, sure, why don’t you start heading that way, and I’ll meet you there, InuYasha.”
“Daddy!” Ami piped up when she heard her father’s name. “I wanna talk to Daddy, Mommy!” She leaned forward as far as her car seat permitted, and then reached for the just-out-reach phone.
Kagome switched the phone to her other ear as InuYasha replied, “Alright, I’m be on my way in minute. See ya there.”
“See ya.” she said as she hung up the phone, and Ami gave an unhappy cry about not being able to talk to her daddy. Kagome sighed as she was about to turn on the engine when she spotted Sango walking across the parking lot to her own car. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal if she hadn’t spotted the cell phone in her friend’s hand and a huge giddy smile on her face.
A smile of her own appeared on Kagome’s face as she pulled out of the parking lot. What a great day this was turning out to be.
She was almost to her street when her cell phone rang again. She fished around in her seat, where she’d thrown it. She picked it up and checked the ID. It was her mother. Now just like any normal mother/daughter fight, the fight they had a week ago had blown over. Though, they hadn’t talked about their little issue, but it had been pleasant between them. But her mother hadn’t been calling her as much. She answered her phone uncertainly. “Hello?” she said slowly.
“Kagome, I just want to apologize for what I said about Kouga.” she said, not beating around the bush. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and you’re right. Kouga is a great man, and you’re lucky to have him. And I’m sorry if I was a little out of line with the InuYasha comments. I just wanted Ami to know her father, but she does know her father. And not only does she have one, but now she has two great men in her life. And I just wanted to say I’m sorry if I upset you or Kouga.”
Kagome’s eyes were wet. She took in a shaky breath as she said, “Mom, it’s water under the bridge, right?” She wiped her eyes as she continued, “I love you, Mom, and no matter how many disagreements we get into that’s never going to change.”
“Oh, Sweetheart. I was just so sick of there being something left unsaid between us, and I just want you to know that you can talk to be about anything.”
“I know, Mom.“
Kagome could tell that her mother was emotional as well, so she gave her a moment to calm down. When a minute had passed, Dr. Higurashi asked, “So, what are you doing tonight?”
“Uh, InuYasha’s coming over. He wants to see Ami.” Kagome answered as she pulled into her driveway.
“Oh.” was Dr. Higurashi’s reply. There was silence for a moment before she continued, “Well, you three have fun then.”
“Mom--” Kagome was about to complain.
“No, I’m serious, Kagome. Have a great time. I’ll see you and Ami in the morning, alright?” her mother said.
“Alright. See you then. Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, Sweetheart.” With that said they both hung up, and Kagome took a deep breath before turning off the car and getting out. She walked around to let Ami out, and, as soon as Ami’s head was out of the confines of the car, InuYasha pulled up.
Ami knew InuYasha’s black car so well that she started bouncing in her mother’s grasp. “Daddy!” she squealed as she tried to get out of her mother’s arms, but Kagome held tightly until InuYasha had the car turned off. As soon as InuYasha stepped out of the car, Kagome set Ami on the ground. “Daddy!” she yelled again as she ran over to him.
InuYasha bent over to scoop up his daughter, and settled her against his hip. “Hey Sunshine, how’s Daddy’s girl?” he asked as she threw her little arms around his neck.
She placed a small kiss to his cheek as she answered, “I missed Daddy.”
InuYasha held her gently to him. “Oh, I know, Sunshine. Two days is way too long to be away from you.” He pulled away and put her on the ground again, but took her hand in his to keep contact.
Kagome smiled as they walked over to her. “So, what did you have planned for the night?”
Just as InuYasha was about to answer a Chevy truck pulled up onto the curve of the road, and the last person InuYasha wanted to see stepped out of it. “Hey, Kagome, I hoped you’d be home.” Kouga said as he advanced on the party in the driveway.
“Kouga!?” Kagome asked, her voice full with excitement, as he planted a kiss on her awaiting lips. “What are you doing here?”
“Just came to see ya.” But before he pulled away he asked, “What’s Muttface doing here?”
Before Kagome could answer Ami yelled, “Kouga!” as she ran over to him. Not being very old, she didn’t know that running away from her outsider father hurt his feelings.
Kouga greeted her by swinging her up into the air. “Hey, Munchkin!” He placed her back onto the ground before answering Kagome’s question more in depth. “Well, I figured since it was such a beautiful day out I’d take you and Ami on a picnic at the beach.”
InuYasha felt just a little bit snubbed. Kouga, who had just showed up, was now holding the hand of his daughter, and also had an arm wrapped around Kagome’s waist. “Isn’t a little bit late for a picnic?” he asked rudely.
Kouga chose to ignore him. “So, what do you say? It’ll be fun, and I bet Ami will love it!” he said as he unwove his arm around Kagome’s waist, and then knelt down to Ami’s level. “What about you, Munchkin? Do you want to go on a picnic at the beach?”
The smile that was on Ami’s face grew. She liked the fact that Kouga was asking her. “Yes!” she yelled as she jumped up and down. She looked over at her father to see if he was happy too, and noticed that he wasn’t. With a bit of a frown she looked back over at Kouga, “Can Daddy go?”
Kagome looked over at InuYasha, evaluating his expression. His face was unreadable, so she quickly looked back over to Kouga, who the question had been directed at to begin with.
Kouga was a little shocked. He hadn’t expected Ami to ask such a question. But now, how could he turn down her request? He could tell that she desperately wanted her father to come by how hopeful her eyes were, and he’d be damned if he didn’t love that little girl. He let out a sigh. “If you want your father to go . . . well, I’m not going to stop him.”
Ami let out a high pitched giggle as she ran over to InuYasha. “Yea! Daddy getta go!”
InuYasha smiled for his daughter’s benefit, but he was feeling anything but joyful. Since he couldn’t very well tear Ami’s happiness to shreds, he was now having to go on this ridiculous outing. And it wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with Ami, it was just that now he would have to watch Kagome be with Kouga, and, after spending so much time with her himself recently, he didn’t know if he’d be able to do it.
Feeling someone’s eyes on him, InuYasha looked up to meet Kagome’s gaze. Her eyes were intense, like she was trying to make out what he was thinking. Not wanting her to really know or even guess at what was going on through his mind, he looked away. He feared that he might not have been fast enough though.
As it was, Kagome had noticed something in InuYasha’s expression, and she didn’t know quite what to make of it. Though he had been smiling, his eyes had inferred to some other feeling. A feeling that resembled dread, which would have been a normal feeling, but . . . it was mixed with another emotion. Something that, and she couldn’t be absolutely sure, looked liked longing. She felt herself blush at the silly thought. For she must have imagined the look, because there was no way that InuYasha could look at her longingly. He couldn’t possibly feel that way. Right?
Kouga noticed the quick exchange between Kagome and InuYasha, and he felt jealousy bubble up inside him. It wasn’t really a rational emotion because Kagome was his girlfriend, but it was still there. After sighing quietly, he straightened his shoulders and looked over at InuYasha with an unreadable face. “So InuYasha,” he began civilly as he tried not to scowl at his name. “Are you going to come or not?”
InuYasha was taken aback by Kouga’s cool acceptance of his going. It would have been so much easier if Kouga would just objected to the whole idea. As it was, InuYasha felt he didn’t have a choice. “If Ami wants me to go then I’m going.”
“I want Daddy to go!” Ami shouted with glee as she threw her arms around his leg and squeezed him tightly.
He smiled weakly, and then bent down and quickly kissed her on the top of her head. “Then I guess I’m going.”
“Yea!” Ami was practically bouncing.
Through this whole exchange, Kagome had been watching Kouga’s face, and, though she couldn’t completely be sure, it seemed to have stayed emotionless. So it surprised Kagome when a very artificial smile lit up his face. “Alright, let’s get going.” He turned to InuYasha and said, “You wouldn’t mind following, would you InuYasha? I’ve only got enough room for three. Unless you want to ride in the bed?”
Kagome felt bad as they all piled into Kouga’s truck, and InuYasha was stuck riding by himself. She was tempted to ride with him, but she didn’t want to be separated from her daughter. And she couldn’t very well leave Kouga to ride by himself. The picnic was his idea after all.
It took less than fifteen minutes to arrive at the beach, and less than five minutes to set everything up. Kouga passed Kagome and Ami a ham sandwich, but looked at InuYasha with fake concern. “I didn’t know you were coming, so I don’t really have anything for you. So, I don’t really know how you’re going to eat.” He knew he was being a little spiteful to InuYasha, but he couldn’t help it. He had ruined the perfect evening he’d planned with Kagome and Ami.
“That’s alright. I’m not hungry.” InuYasha replied as he crossed his arms and sulked.
Kagome felt bad for InuYasha. She could tell he really didn’t want to be here, and probably only agreed to come because of Ami. She sighed as took half of her sandwich and held it out for him. “You can half of my sandwich, InuYasha.”
He shook his head. “It’s alright. I’m really not hungry.”
“Daddy eat!” Ami said as she took a bit of her own sandwich.
InuYasha sighed as he took the sandwich from Kagome. “Fine. I guess I’ll eat your sandwich.” He took a huge bite for effect. Ami smiled in encouragement.
The rest of the meal was spent in silence, except the occasional eating noises Ami made, that she’d recently picked up from her father. When Kouga was done, he looked over at Kagome and asked, “Would mind walking along the beach with me? I’m sure InuYasha wouldn’t mind watching Ami for us.”
At that moment, InuYasha wanted to do nothing but shove sand down the prick’s throat. “Sure.” Kagome answered as Kouga stood up and then helped her up. “We’ll be right back.” she said to InuYasha.
“I go too?” Ami asked hopefully as stood up to join them.
Kouga looked down at her with a warm smile before he kneeled down next to her. “How about I go with Mommy first, and then when we get back you and I can go?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but first you got to stay here with your daddy.” Kouga explained as he stood back up. “Mommy and I will be right back, okay?”
Ami nodded vigorously. “Okay. Me stay with Daddy.” she said as she sat back down and patted his knee.
InuYasha grumbled something about being second choice, and Kagome felt bad for him all over again. “We won’t be long.”
InuYasha nodded as he watched them walked down the shore. He ripped his eyes away from the pair when he felt the little hand on his pants tugging to get his attention. “What, Sunshine?” he asked as he took in her appearance. She had her head tilted to the side with a smile stretched across her face.
“I’m glad Daddy here.” That one statement made his heart soar.
“Well, Daddy’s glad he came.” he said and then picked up some of the potato salad Kouga had thought to bring, and pilled some onto Ami’s plate. “Try some of this. It’s really good.” And just to demonstrate, he shoved some of it into his own mouth. “Mmmm.”
Ami wrinkled her nose, but nonetheless took a bite of it. “Yummy.” she said as she continued to eat it.
InuYasha smiled as he looked back over at the couple on the beach. They were walking hand-in-hand now. It felt weird to InuYasha knowing that he didn’t have a right to interrupt them.
It wasn’t long after that that Kouga and Kagome walked back up to them. Ami jumped up with excitement. “Me next!”
“Alright Munchkin, let’s go!” he said as he threw her over his shoulder, and with her giggling the whole way Kouga took her down to the shore.
Kagome sighed as she lowered herself down onto the ground next to InuYasha. She watched as Kouga lifted Ami upright so that she was sitting on his shoulders. This helped so he could take her deeper into the water. Kagome felt grateful that he stopped going any farther when the water was up to his waist.
“He better not drop her.” InuYasha said with narrowed eyes as he watched the playing duo intently.
Kagome rolled her eyes. “Have a little faith, would ya InuYasha?”
“Feh,” was his reply, but he continued to watch for the catastrophe that he was sure would happen if he looked away. “I wouldn’t trust that fleabag to take care of a paper bag let alone my daughter.”
Kagome stayed silent as she contemplated what to say. “You know, he really is great with her. He’s never let anything bad happen to her, and I trust him with her.” InuYasha stayed silent, and Kagome took this as his way of agreeing with her (at least the part about him being great with Ami) with out having to admit to it.
“This really wasn’t the plans I had for tonight.” InuYasha suddenly said as he leaned his arms on his bent knees in front of him. Kagome turned sympathetic eyes on him.
“I know. I saw your face.” she answered. “Ami kind of suckered you into this, but I want to thank you for humoring her. I know you don’t get a long with Kouga, and I have to say that the two of you have been behaving fairly well tonight.”
InuYasha shrugged off the comment. “Yeah, well, with Ami present I just thought it’d be best not to do anything rash. So he‘s off the hook for now.”
Kagome stifled a laugh as she also put her arms on her knees, and then fiddled with her fingers. “So, what were your plans for tonight?” Her spirits were in good humor, and as InuYasha glanced over at her he could tell that she was in a good mood.
“Oh you know, I thought we’d start off playing Candy Land, then maybe have some ramen for dinner. Then after that watch Sleeping Beauty, and once Ami would be asleep we’d, you know, . . . play Candy Land again so I could beat you fair and square.” he explained with a fake serious expression.
Kagome decided to play along. “Oh yeah, you think you’re better than me? Well, I’m sorry to tell you, Buster, but I could kick your butt at Candy Land any day of the week.”
“That’s pretty big talk for such a small lady, but I’ll take your challenge.” he said as he turned to face her better. “As soon as we get back and Ami is asleep, we’re playing and I’ll show you once and for all who’s better.”
“You’re on!” Kagome answered with a giggle as she stuck out her hand in a gesture to seal the deal. With a smirk, InuYasha shook her hand, and then reclined back to rest on his elbow in the sand. His eyes didn’t leave hers though, and Kagome notice a certain shift in his gaze.
Kagome felt the smile and humor slowly slide off her face. The way he was looking at her reminded her of the way he had looked at her last night right before she had gotten into her car. This situation had her heart beating faster. She knew the feeling was wrong so, in an attempt to get of it, she looked away and changed the topic. “So, what did Miroku think of the date?”
InuYasha seemed to be pulled from the trance he was in because he too looked away. “Uh, he said it went really well. She gave him her number, and there’re going out again tonight. So, I guess they’re hitting it off.”
This didn’t surprise Kagome. By the way Sango had been acting that morning and later that afternoon as she walked to her car, it had been an easy assumption. “That’s great!” she replied as a new bigger smile formed on her face.
InuYasha smiled too as he looked over at her. “Actually, I’ve never seen Miroku so nervous before. I mean, sure he’s struggled for words before, but this was bizarre. He had to take a deep breath before he could even hint at her about going out again.” he said as he shook his head, but as he continued warmth filled his eyes. “But anybody could have saw that she had said yes when he finally spit it out. His face became clear, and he went right back to his usual self. It was something to watch, that’s for sure.”
Kagome giggled a little. “I’m happy everything is working out for them.” He nodded in agreement, and then, looked away from her again. They lapped into silence. The happy mood that had been around them seem to dissipate with each passing moment. Kagome watched him gaze into the horizon as an unhappy expression gradually took its place on his face. She couldn’t help but ask, “What is it?”
He didn’t look back over at her like she thought he would. Instead he answered her exactly like he was. “I was just thinking about how it should have worked out between you and me. And how it’s my own damn fault that it did turn out this way.”
Kagome was speechless. Whatever she had thought was running through his mind it hadn’t been that. She wasn’t prepared for this topic. He’d been back in her life for thirteen weeks now, and they had never really gone far with this subject. She didn’t know if she was strong enough yet. “InuYasha . . .”
“No, it’s true.” he continued as he finally looked back over at her. Her eyes widened when she saw a desperate look in his eyes. “Kagome, I’ve never regretted any thing as much as I regret what I did to you. It was stupid, I was stupid. . . . And if I could take it all back, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
By this time, Kagome was having trouble breathing. She briefly closed her eyes to try to clear her head. She took a deep breath and then opened her eyes again. “InuYasha, if you’re saying this so that I’ll forgive you, I already have. I thought I told I did.”
“You did,” he replied with sudden exhaustion, “but I’m not telling you this because I wanted forgiveness. I’m telling you this because I want you to know that ever since I first saw you in that hospital, deep down I knew I made a mistake by letting you go.”
Kagome tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but the action failed. “What are you saying?”
InuYasha looked her dead in the eyes as he said, “I want you back.” Kagome’s breathing stopped all together. Upon seeing her shocked look, he let out a dejected sigh. “But I know you’re with Kouga. I just hope he knows how lucky he is to have you.” They sat in silence for a moment before he said, “It’d be great if you could tell me to shut up or something.”
Kagome couldn’t seem to get her voice to work. It was like her mind was blank. Everything he said after “I want you back” came out as a high pitched noise. She desperately wanted to ask why, to find out his reasoning, but she was afraid what doors that one question would open. So, instead she asked the next safest question. “What?”
A little hint of frustration entered his eyes. “Kagome, are you even listening? I want to be with you again!”
Those words were the key to unlock her perfectly placed defenses. Without the walls to keep her in check, it was like she couldn’t help herself. She was being pulled toward him. Although she was sure if she really wanted to stop herself she could, but the scary thing was she didn’t want to stop herself. She found herself wanting to feel his lips against hers. Not even considering the consequences, she closed her eyes and threw herself into his chest so that she could easily press her lips to his.
InuYasha watched in amazement as Kagome kissed him. Sure he had told her that he wanted to be with her, but he had assumed she’d shrug it off. Not react like he dared to hope she would. However, his surprise didn’t stop him from leaning in and kissing her back.
Heat was the first thing Kagome felt after their lips connected. It generated from her stomach and quickly made its way throughout her body. She found herself lifting her hands to his face, and then they made their way up into his hair. She fisted her hands around a couple of strands and pulled him closer. All sense of reason left her as she felt his hands slid up from her forearms to rest on her shoulders. With a little moan, she let herself be taken in by the fire.
InuYasha knew that he should probably stop her. After all she wasn’t his. She was with the wolf for crying out loud, but it’d been so long since he’d had the scent of Kagome so close, so willing . . . He threw caution to the wind, and started to put everything he had into the kiss. He let his lips slowly coax hers into the rhythm he wanted. Pushing and tugging, pulling and pressing. The rhythm continued this way until InuYasha took her bottom lip into his mouth.
Kagome must have finally come to her right mind because the next thing InuYasha knew she was pushing herself out of his reach. She scrambled around until she was on her feet with her back toward him. “I’m sorry, InuYasha. I don’t know what came over me.”
InuYasha watched as she started dusting the sand off her bottom. He couldn’t let her walk away. Not just like that. Something had happened between them, and he wasn’t going to let it go ignored. “Kagome--” he said was he started to get up as well.
“It’s alright.” She cut him off, assuming he was going to apologize for what just happened. “I’m going to go check on Ami. It’s getting late, and she might be getting tired.”
Before InuYasha could do anything she started walking in the direction of Ami and Kouga. InuYasha could tell by the way Kouga was still twirling Ami around above the water that he hadn’t see anything the had just transpired between Kagome and himself, but a little, malevolent part of InuYasha wished that he had. Just so it would have started something between the happy couple.
He violently brought a fist back and slammed it into the sand. He should have stopped her! Why didn’t he stop her? Because he knew the benevolent side of him cared about her happiness, and whether or not her happiness was with him or the wolf he couldn’t say. Letting his face fall into his hands in defeat, he couldn’t help thinking what a rotten turn of events that evening had taken.
I want to take this time to explain why this chapter is so late. For starters, I graduated high school. That in itself is a pretty decent excuse, but wait I have more. As one of my graduation presents, I got to spend two weeks in London, England with a friend, who just happens to be my beta for this story. London was amazing, and I was sad to have to come home. On top of all this, I've been stressed out over getting a job and getting ready to go to college in the fall. It's all unnerving. So, I think I did pretty well trying to find time to finish this chapter.
I hope it was up to everyone's standards! Leave a review!~Dreamer6164~
AN: Well, the chapter's finally done. It's freaking long! I didn't even intend for it to be this long, but I guess that's better for you guys since it'll take you longer to read. I have to say that this is one of my favorite chapters. Hope you enjoy it!
I'd like to give you a little outline of how much more of this story is to come. Of what I've got worked out, and I'm pretty sure it's all worked out, there's nine chapters left. Nine. That's a lot, but at least we're past the half way point! So yea!
~*~
Chapter FourteenAs Sango poured her coffee in the early morning hours, she couldn’t help feeling like she was on top of the world. Who would have guessed that she would be feeling this happy the day after a date with Miroku! She leaned against the counter just taking in the morning rays that filtered in through her patio door and the smell of her coffee.
She knew that once she got to work that morning Kagome would want all the details that happened the following night, and the weird thing about the situation was that she wanted to talk about it. In fact, that’s all she wanted to talk about.
She took one last chug of her coffee before placing her cup in the sink. Today was going to be a good one. She could just tell.
Sango grabbed her purse and slipped on her shoes before heading out the door to begin her day. The twenty minute car ride to work was pleasant, and she couldn’t stop herself from humming as she walked into the hospital.
After the elevator ride, she stepped out and made the short walk to her office. She picked her lab coat up off the coat hanger, put it on, and then decided to go find Kagome before the morning got too hectic.
Sango found Kagome walking out of the nurses’ quarters after she trekked up a flight of stairs. She smiled to herself as she went over to greet her. “Hey Kagome, you got a minute?”
Kagome smiled back. “For you? I think I’ve gotta few.” she said teasingly. “I was just heading down to pick up some breakfast for Ami. We were running late this morning, and I didn’t have time to make her something. You want to walk with me?”
They strolled in silence for awhile before Kagome glanced over with a coy look in her eyes. “So, how’d last night go?”
Sango’s smile grew. She knew she could count on her friend to know exactly what she wanted to talk about. “It went extremely well! I had a great time. I’m so glad you forced me to do it.”
Sango’s enthusiasm was contagious for it had a huge grin spreading across Kagome’s face. “I’m so happy for you.” Kagome said as she put her arm around Sango’s shoulders to give them a light squeeze. “So, what’d he do to change your mind about him? You must have had a lot in common.”
Sango’s smile faltered a bit. “Actually I’m not really sure if we have anything in common. But what I do know is that I liked is honesty, and he’s funny and who doesn’t like a man with humor? . . . He can also make the dullest topic interesting.”
This intrigued Kagome. “So, what’d you guys talk about?” By this time they arrived in the cafeteria. Kagome grabbed a tray to get in line as she awaited Sango’s answer.
Sango smiled a giddy smile as she replied, “Water.” She grabbed a tray as well, and followed Kagome in line.
Whatever Kagome had been expecting, it hadn’t been that. “You talked about water? …I guess that would be a dull topic, but… how could you even talk about it long enough for it to be a topic?” As she said this, she reached for a carton of milk, and then continued down the line.
“Well, he’s getting a degree in hydrology. So, believe me when I say that he could have talked on and on about it for longer than he did.” Sango didn’t say in a condescending way, but more like she was talking about an inside joke. Kagome was happy to see Sango so excited about something. “Plus, the things he said were sorta interesting, and he was really passionate about it.”
“Huh?” she said as she spotted Ami’s favorite brand of cereal. “You know, as long as I’ve known Miroku, I don’t think we’ve ever talked about his school work, but then I guess there’s always something going on when I’m over there.”
Sango grabbed a bagel as she got a knowing look on her face. “You know, I think the whole pervert thing is just an act. I think he just puts up that façade to try to trick women into thinking he’s some kind of dumb jock, but really he’s this smart nerd. And I’ve always had a thing for nerds.”
Kagome started laughing at this. “This is such a turn around from your last opinion of him.” Kagome said with a grin. “But I’m so glad that it worked out, and that you did change your mind about him.”
They were at the checkout point, and, after paying for their food, they started heading back to the nurses’ quarters. On the way, Sango turned to Kagome, and said, “Alright, so enough about my date, I want to know what happened on yours.” Sango watched for Kagome’s reaction intently.
Kagome didn’t give anything away however. She answered calmly with a sweet smile on her face. “It wasn’t a date. We merely went there to make sure everything went alright between you and Miroku. Dinner just happened to be a bonus.”
“Are you sure?” Sango asked with a knowing smile. “’Cause it sure looked like a date to me. What with the violinists playing the romantic music and all.”
Kagome’s eyebrow twitched. “The violinists only came over to our table because you and Miroku had it arranged!” She took a deep breath to regain her composer. “Besides I’m dating Kouga, not InuYasha.”
“I know that, but I’m just a little curious as to why you felt the need to dress up gorgeously when it was only to ‘watch’ Miroku and me.” Sango pestered.
Kagome turned her head slightly away to hide her guilty expression. “It was a fancy restaurant. Of course I was going to dress up.”
“Uh huh.” Sango said with little conviction. “Well, I was the one on the actual date, and you out dressed me so…”
They both stopped walking as Kagome turned on her. “Look, I just felt like dressing up. Don’t you ever get that urge to just look pretty for one night? Besides, I never get to dress up.” Kagome’s voice wavered a bit throughout her reason.
Silence followed her speech, and all Sango could do was give her a blank look. Was Kagome really going to make her demand the real reason out of her? It sure looked like it. She let out a sigh. “Cut the crap, Kagome, and tell me what’s going on.”
Full blown guilt filled her eyes. Sango was going to think she was a horrible person, but if she couldn’t talk about this with her best friend then who could she talk to it about? She averted her eyes as she said, “I dressed up to look good for InuYasha.”
An amused smile appeared on Sango’s face. “Kagome, it’s perfectly natural for you to want to impress your ex-boyfriend. I mean, if I saw any of my exes I’d want to look good. So there’s really no reason for you to–“
“Oh Sango, you don’t get it!” Kagome said miserably as ducked her head in shame. “I wanted to look good for him. Not so I could make him regret leaving me, but for him. So that maybe… he’d want to be with me. …I know I’m a horrible person for wanting him to want that, but I can’t help it.”
Sango stared at her friend in amazement. Kagome sure knew how to put herself into a predicament “Wow. This could be a problem.”
“You think?” Kagome snapped, but Sango didn’t take it to heart. She could only imagine how long this had all been bottled up inside her. “I know the only solution is to stop seeing InuYasha, but how can I? Ami ties us together!”
Sango looked at Kagome with a troubled expression. If she were to be truly honest with Kagome, ever since InuYasha had found out about Ami she had just assumed that Kagome would wind up with InuYasha some way or another. She especially thought this when they started getting along better. But before she would say any of her thoughts on the matter Sango had to know exactly what Kagome felt for InuYasha, and the only way to get that information was to know what feelings she had for Kouga. She let out another sigh. “Tell me this; are you in love with Kouga yet?”
Kagome was taken aback by the question. As far as she knew it was off topic, and it didn’t do anything to make her feel better about her situation. Kagome looked uncomfortable as she answered, “…I thought I told you the answer to that?”
“A week ago. Some things could have changed in that time.” Sango rebutted. She rolled her eyes when Kagome gave her sarcastic look. “Just answer the question.”
“No.” was Kagome’s short answer, but she immediately felt like she had to explain herself. “I care about him. A lot. But I’m just not there yet, and it’s not like I’ll never love him. It’s just taking me longer to feel that way about him than it was for him about me.”
Okay, so Sango could probably guess at why Kagome was being cautious with love, but did Kagome even know what love felt like? “Kagome, how do you know you’re not in love with Kouga? I mean, are you waiting for something to happen? What exactly are you expecting to feel?”
Kagome didn’t answer right away. She was trying to find the right words to describe what she was trying to say. “I think that when you’re in love with someone there’s gotta be something that sparks. Don’t get me wrong, Kouga’s really great, and I love being with him, but… I just don’t feel the…heat . . . with him. When we kiss, it’s just a kiss. So, I guess I’m just waiting for something to catch fire.”
Sango was quiet for a moment, trying to stall the inevitable question that she was going to ask. “. . . Did you ever feel that with InuYasha?”
Blush dusted Kagome’s cheeks as she looked away. “I thought I did.” was her reply before she quickly walked the rest of the way back ahead of Sango.
~*~
The ugly sound of Miroku’s alarm clock filled his room. In one part of his mind Miroku knew that it was Sunday, and that his alarm shouldn’t be going off, but he didn’t second guess the reflex to turn it off.As soon as his alarm fell silent, he heard someone yell, “Bombs away!” He felt something fall on him, and the next thing he knew he was soaking wet. “AHH!” Miroku yelled as he shot out of his bed. Half alert and half disoriented, he looked around the room and found his roommate rolling on the floor in laughter.
“You should have seen your face!” InuYasha exclaimed as he held his gut. “Oh man, it was priceless!”
Miroku, who wasn’t a morning person to begin with, stared at InuYasha with a cold expression. He wiped his dripping bangs off his forehead, then looked down at his soaked bed sheets. Great, now he had to do laundry today. He looked back over at InuYasha, who had begun to catch his breath, and said, “Why in the hell would you wake me up with a water balloon?”
InuYasha smirked. “Consider it pay back for what you did at the restaurant.”
Miroku closed his eyes in frustration. “I’m so glad your maturity level this morning is that of a third grader’s.”
“Don’t be such a priss! It was only water.” InuYasha said as he crossed his arms over his chest, but some of his humor still remained in his eyes.
Miroku sighed, sensing that it was pointless to get into an argument with InuYasha this early in the morning. “You’re doing my laundry.” was all he said as he pushed himself out of bed.
“Like hell I am.” InuYasha replied. “You had it coming to you.”
Miroku sighed again as he turned back to his bed and starting gathering the soiled beddings. Carrying the load to the laundry room, Miroku asked InuYasha, who was following behind him, “So, where did you get the water balloons anyway?”
“The drug store up the road.” InuYasha answered with a smile in his voice. “They were on sale in the toy aisle. I saw them, and an evil idea popped into my head.”
Miroku rolled his eyes as he stuffed his beddings into the washing machine. “And I’m sure you just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get back at me.”
“Well, yeah.” InuYasha watched as his roommate spill softener and detergent onto his things, and then once Miroku was finished, he said, “You know, compared to what you did, my prank was pretty tame.”
Feeling a bit more awake, a wicked smirk adorned Miroku’s face. “Oh, I disagree my friend. You see, my prank wasn’t even that bad. But I must applaud you for making it one hell of a performance.”
A growl escaped his throat as he answered, “You knew I would react that way!”
“I assure you I knew no such thing.”
“Bullshit!” InuYasha contradicted, but Miroku could tell that he wasn’t as mad as he appeared for humor lit up his eyes. “You’ve lived with me for how long? I think you know what gets me worked up by now.”
Miroku started the washing machine as he shook his head. “I don’t know, Man.” he said mockingly. “Three years really isn’t long enough to get to know someone.”
“The hell it isn’t.” InuYasha replied as he rolled his eyes. He watched as Miroku turned around to face him, and then lean against the washing machine with expectant eyes. InuYasha let out a sigh as he changed the topic. “So, I assume that your date with Sango went well.”
Miroku’s persona changed at once. He stood up straighter as he answered, “Yeah, it did. I tell you, InuYasha, she is one of the most interesting women I’ve ever talked to.”
“Why’s that?” InuYasha asked with curiosity. “Don’t tell me she’s a lover of water too.”
Miroku laughed at the concept of Sango being as fascinated by water as he was. “No, she’s definitely not as big a fan as me, but she was a good sport about it.” he paused as he thought about the way she smiled, how her eyes took on an undying look of sadness as she talked about her late brother. “There’s just more to her than I ever would have thought.”
InuYasha didn’t say anything as he took in the thoughtful look on his friends face. Miroku really had it bad for this doctor. “So, I take it you’re going to see her again?”
“Well, yeah. She gave me her number, so she obviously wants to get together again too.” Suddenly Miroku jubilant air deflated into uncertainly. “When should I call her? I know there’s rules that I’m supposed to follow, but I want to see her again. Tonight. Do you think that’s too soon? I don’t want to freak her out or anything.”
InuYasha smiled jokily. “You’re not in high school anymore, Miroku. You’re both adults, and if you both had a great time last night then I see no reason for you not to call her today.”
Miroku sighed. “I don’t know. She said she had a good time, but how do I know she wasn’t just being nice?”
InuYasha rolled his eyes at his friend’s lack of self-confidence. To be honest it was kind of funny to see him so nervous about a girl. Usually he would just be the player InuYasha knew him to be, but Sango had cast a spell over his roommate. Who would have thought that one hospital could send them both wake up calls? “She gave you her number, for one. And, unless it’s a fake, she wants you to call her.”
“You think it’s a fake?” Miroku asked panic-stricken.
InuYasha waved his fears to the side as he continued, “Two, I was there, remember? I saw the way she leaned forward when you were talking. The girl obviously saw something in you.”
Miroku took on the look of a nervous school boy. “So, do you think I should call her?” he asked anxiously.
“Yeah.” he said as he propped himself up onto the dryer. “Come on, Miroku! All you have to do is call her, ask her how the rest of her night was, tell her that you can’t stop thinking about her, and that you guys should schedule another date. That way she can come up with when the next date will be. It’s as simple as that.”
Miroku let out a deep breath that seemed to relax his shoulders. “You’re right, InuYasha. I’ll call her later this afternoon.” Miroku finally leaned back against the washing machine again, feeling a hundred percent better now that he knew what to do. Although, he was sure the actual calling part would bring about the same panic attack, but that call wouldn’t be placed until later. So, he might as well relax as much as he could before then. “So, did you ever call any of your girlfriends the day after the first date?”
“Oh, no.” he replied as he franticly shook his head. “I’d always wait the three days.” He looked over at Miroku, who had gone rigid again. So, he continued hastily, “But I never took any of my girlfriends seriously. It was all a game to me.”
Miroku calmed down after that statement, and looked over at his friend with confused eyes. “Even Kagome?”
InuYasha hadn’t expected that question, but he supposed that he had left this topic vulnerable. “Well, the thing with Kagome started out just like any of my other potential girlfriends. I took her out, called her three days later, went out on another date, . . . before I knew it the thing I had with Kagome turned into my only long-term relationship.”
Miroku’s eyes turned sympathetic. InuYasha looked away with a irritated feeling. He hated pity. “I never asked why you left her?” Miroku asked.
InuYasha pinched the bridge of his nose to keep any irritation out of his eyes. “We dated for eight months. That’s a long time. I was stupid, and didn’t want to be tied down. Plus, my friends were saying all kinds of things about how she was too involved in my life. So, I decided it was time to move on.” he explained as he removed his hand. The irritation had melted into something that resembled regret. “Besides, I got what I wanted out of her, right?”
The way InuYasha said that made Miroku positive that he didn’t mean it. He moved his hand over to squeeze his friend’s shoulder. “InuYasha, if I had been your friend back then, and you loved her as much as you do now, I wouldn’t have let you walk away from her.”
He looked over his shoulder at his roommate. “I don’t love her.” he denied half-heartedly.
Miroku gave his a flat look. “Yeah, and I didn’t just have panic attack over asking a girl out.” InuYasha sighed and put his head in his hands. Miroku sighed as well. “Why don’t you just get her back?”
InuYasha jumped off the drying out of his friend’s reach. “Are you insane?” he asked as he rounded on him, and when Miroku only gave him a serious look, he started naming off reasons. “She’s with another guy for starters. She’s the mother of my child, that she deliberately kept me from, remember? And most importantly, I threw away any shot I had with her when I left her four years ago!” As he calmed down, dejection took up residence in his mind. “Besides, even if she did somehow want to take me back . . . I don’t deserve her.”
Miroku was thoughtful for a moment before he spoke, “InuYasha, you just gave me great advice, and I want to do the same for you.” He inhaled before he said, “A wise friend of mine once said, ‘You’re only as good as you let yourself be.’”
Miroku lifted an eyebrow up at him, and InuYasha couldn’t help but let a small smile escape. He had said that to Miroku the first night he’d met him after he found him alone in a room drinking away his troubles.
“InuYasha, if you think you don’t deserve Kagome, then you don’t. After all, you know Kagome better than I do, . . . but I do know you.” Miroku preached. “And, InuYasha, if you let yourself be the guy that deserves Kagome, then you will deserve her. You’ve changed a lot in the last couple of years. You could be with her again if you really wanted to.”
Be with Kagome again? To be able to raise Ami together, to be able to hold Kagome every night? Just to be with her again? He had to admit that those images had crossed his mind before, but he’d never wanted them as much as he did in this moment.
But it was impossible. She wasn’t open for the taking. He sighed as he let the thoughts of a happier life erase from his mind. “Can we talk about something else?”
“If that’s what you want.” Miroku said with easy ease. He could sense he had pushed InuYasha emotionally too far. “So, what do you think I should wear tonight?”
InuYasha whipped his head over to give Miroku an incredulous look. When he saw that Miroku’s earlier panic was setting back in, he rolled his eyes and walked out of the laundry room leaving Miroku to fret by himself.
~*~
InuYasha was sitting on the couch, in his bedroom, between Bankotsu and Hiten. They were in the middle of playing a football video game. InuYasha and Hiten’s team was playing against Bankotsu’s, and to say that Bankotsu was kicking their butts would have been an understatement. They were in the last quarter with one minute on the clock, and Bankotsu had the ball.InuYasha let out a growl as he pressed the buttons of his controller furiously. “How can you still have a first down? We’ve hit you with everything we’ve got! And you’re still winning!”
Bankotsu let out a bellowing laugh. “What can I say? I‘m a natural at this.”
“Whatever! You’re just winning ‘cause you’ve got the game working half of your players for you!” Hiten exclaimed as he also worked his controller. “InuYasha and I have to work together!”
“You’re just jealous!” Bankotsu said with a smile. “Besides, it serves you right for picking InuYasha over me.”
Hiten grunted. “I only picked him ‘cause he usually kicks ass at this game. He just sucks today!” With that said the time ran out, and Bankotsu was announced the winner.
InuYasha threw his controller down. “Hey, it’s not my fault you let Bankotsu run right through our linemen. Thanks to you I was basically playing by myself.”
“He’s right, you know. Your defensive line sucked.” Bankotsu commented. Hiten crossed his arms over his chest and sulked. “Hey, InuYasha, what do you say we team up against the noob?”
InuYasha smirked as he picked up the controller, signaling he was game. Hiten scowled at the two of them. “Come on, InuYasha! I was just warming up! You can’t ditch me now!”
“I think I just did.” InuYasha replied cockily and Bankotsu laughed at the looked on Hiten’s face. InuYasha was about to hit the start button when he was interrupted by his cell phone. He dug it out of his pocket and checked the incoming number. It was Kagome. He was a little confused because Kagome knew not to call him when he was hanging out with the guys. He sighed as he flipped open his phone. “What is it, Kagome?” He looked over at his friends and gave them an apologetic look. They rolled their eyes in response.
He heard her sniffle. “InuYasha?” she asked as if she hadn’t heard his rude greeting.
InuYasha heard the distress in her voice and became instantly alert. “What’s wrong, Kagome?” he asked with sincere concern. She continued to sniffle, and he could tell she was trying not to break down. His mind started supplying him with images of her injured, and it sent him into a panic. “Kagome, are you hurt?”
“Oh InuYasha, it’s horrible!” she finally burst out with a wave of anguish in her voice. “Gra-grand--oh I don’t even want to say it! It’ll make it seem real!”
His panic was beginning to mix with frustration, which it often did. “Would you please just tell me what’s going on? I can’t help if you won’t tell me.”
She was silent for a moment, but when she spoke her voice was filled with dejected longing. “Could you just please come over? . . . I need you.”
Hearing her sound like that made his heart ache. All the frustration and panic washed away and were replaced by compassion. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.” he whispered. After saying goodbye and hanging up, he looked over at his friends. “Kagome’s upset. I have to go.”
His friends just stared at him in shock. It was a moment before Bankotsu said, “Man, I never pegged her as a control freak.”
InuYasha looked at him in confusion, and felt anger well up inside of him. “What? No she’s not!”
“Yeah she is, InuYasha. She has you at her beck and call. You’re supposed to be hanging out with us, and now just because she says she’s upset you’re going to go off to her. You sound pretty controlled to me.” Bankotsu replied.
InuYasha was ready to lash out at his friend. Who did Bankotsu think he was saying that he was being controlled? By Kagome of all people? “She’s not controlling me! She called and asked me to come over because she was really upset about something! Not because she wants me at her beck and call.”
Bankotsu looked over at Hiten, and he shook his head in disappointment. “Look at the facts InuYasha. You’ve been with this chic for how long now?” Hiten asked.
InuYasha looked back and forth between the two of them. “About seven months.”
“Have you even screwed her yet?”
Embarrassment heated up the back of his neck. “. . . Yeah.” he lied trying to hide his shame.
Bankotsu laughed. “You’re lying.” He shook his head with a mocking smile on his face. “It’s funny really. I mean, this is the longest you’ve ever been with a girl, and you’ve barely gotten to second base with her.”
InuYasha’s humiliation rose. He couldn’t even defend himself because Bankotsu was right. He and Kagome hadn’t done much with the physical aspect of their relationship. “Look, it’s not like I don’t want to do those things with her. She’s just not ready.”
Hiten smacked his hand to his forehead. “Don’t you see, Man! This is how she’s controlling you!”
“What are you talking about?” InuYasha said with frustration.
“Look InuYasha,” Bankotsu started, “Usually when you are with a girl, you’re with her for maybe two weeks, give or take a couple of days. In that time limit, you’ve charmed her, screwed her, and dumped her. Now with Kagome you’ve wasted eight months charming her. And Hiten and I are a little concerned.”
“Concerned about what?”
Hiten sighed, “That she’s locked you into a relationship that you can’t get out of.”
InuYasha stood up at this. “You guys are crazy. I could end this thing I have with Kagome anytime I want. As it is I don’t need to prove anything to either of you.” InuYasha looked from Bankotsu to Hiten and then back again. “And as for you guys keeping tabs on my sex life, you both really need a new hobby.”
“Whatever. I’ll just be happy when you finally dump her.” Bankotsu commented.
Hiten nodded in agreement. “Sooner or later, her not putting out is going to push you over the edge.” InuYasha rolled his eyes. “I’m serious. Your pervious girlfriends have spoiled you.”
InuYasha shook his head in frustration. “I gotta go. You guys know the way out.” With that said InuYasha walked out of his own house, and drove to Kagome’s.
When he arrived, he flew up the never-ending staircase, and then knocked on the door. After a couple of moments, Kagome answered. “I’m sorry I took so long. Are you al--” InuYasha cut off mid-sentence as he took in her appearance. Her face was blotchy from crying and her eyes were still filling up with tears. She had a tissue in her hand, and her hair was in disarray. “--right?”
Kagome threw herself into his arms, and busted into tears. InuYasha had never seen her in such a state and it scared him a little. He wanted to pry her off of him so he could check her for injuries. “Oh InuYasha, I’m so glad you’re here.” she sobbed.
“What’s going on, Kagome?” he asked in utter confusion as he held the shaking girl in his arms.
She stayed in his arms for awhile just sniffling and staining his shirt with her tears before she pushed herself away. She took his hand and led him into the house. With one sniff of the air, InuYasha could tell she was here alone. His confusion intensified. She continued to lead him until they came to the couch. They sat down and Kagome took a deep breath. “…Grandpa passed away.”
InuYasha sat in silence before answering in shock. “H-how?”
Kagome sniffled again as she dabbed at her eyes. “You know how he’d been sick for awhile. Well, they took him to the hospital early this morning and . . . and . . . He was just too old. There was nothing they could do. Mom and Souta are at the funeral home making arrangements, but I couldn’t handle it . . .” She trailed off as more tears fell down her face and emotion chocked her voice.
InuYasha reached forward and cupped both of her cheeks in his palms. He slowly wiped away her tears with his thumbs as he gazed into her watery eyes. She took a shaky in take of breath. “I hate it when you cry.” His comment had her closing her eyes which caused more tears to fall. He quickly wiped those away too. “It makes me want to beat the living shit out whatever made you sad in the first place, but . . . but I can’t with this. I don’t know how to help. How do I make it better?”
A small smile adorned her face. “You could hold me. Stay with me.”
“I can do that.”
He opened his arms, and she snuggled up next to him. He gently kissed her on the top of her head, and soothingly ran a hand through her hair. The treatment seemed to relax her. They stayed like that for a few minutes before her drowsy voice said, “I love you. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here.”
InuYasha froze at those three words. She loved him? Was he expected to say something back? He couldn’t seem to get his body to work let alone his voice. Suddenly the words Hiten said sprang into his head. “She’s locked you into a relationship that you can’t get out of.” What if he was getting in too deep with Kagome? Similar thoughts continued to run through his mind, and the only word he could think of to sum up all of his feelings was, ‘Shit.’
~*~
The day had been unnaturally hot for so late in the season, and by the time Kagome got off her shift the sun was still blazing. Kagome held tight to Ami’s hand as they crossed the smoldering parking lot to her car. Just before they reached the car, Kagome’s cell phone went off. She dug inside her scrub’s pocket and quickly glanced at the caller ID before flipping it open. “Hello?”“Hey Kagome, is your shift over yet?” InuYasha asked as soon as he heard her voice.
Kagome opened the back car door as she answered, “Um, yeah, I just got off.” She balanced the phone between her shoulder and her cheek as turned and lifted Ami up to put her into her car seat. “Why? Did you have something planned?”
“Well, I just figured since I haven’t seen Ami since Friday night that I’d come over to see her.” he replied simply. “That is if you didn’t have anything planned . . .”
After buckling Ami in, Kagome straightened up and shut the door. “Um, as far as I know, I don’t have anything going on.” She made her way around the car, and then got in. “Yeah, sure, why don’t you start heading that way, and I’ll meet you there, InuYasha.”
“Daddy!” Ami piped up when she heard her father’s name. “I wanna talk to Daddy, Mommy!” She leaned forward as far as her car seat permitted, and then reached for the just-out-reach phone.
Kagome switched the phone to her other ear as InuYasha replied, “Alright, I’m be on my way in minute. See ya there.”
“See ya.” she said as she hung up the phone, and Ami gave an unhappy cry about not being able to talk to her daddy. Kagome sighed as she was about to turn on the engine when she spotted Sango walking across the parking lot to her own car. This wouldn’t have been such a big deal if she hadn’t spotted the cell phone in her friend’s hand and a huge giddy smile on her face.
A smile of her own appeared on Kagome’s face as she pulled out of the parking lot. What a great day this was turning out to be.
She was almost to her street when her cell phone rang again. She fished around in her seat, where she’d thrown it. She picked it up and checked the ID. It was her mother. Now just like any normal mother/daughter fight, the fight they had a week ago had blown over. Though, they hadn’t talked about their little issue, but it had been pleasant between them. But her mother hadn’t been calling her as much. She answered her phone uncertainly. “Hello?” she said slowly.
“Kagome, I just want to apologize for what I said about Kouga.” she said, not beating around the bush. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and you’re right. Kouga is a great man, and you’re lucky to have him. And I’m sorry if I was a little out of line with the InuYasha comments. I just wanted Ami to know her father, but she does know her father. And not only does she have one, but now she has two great men in her life. And I just wanted to say I’m sorry if I upset you or Kouga.”
Kagome’s eyes were wet. She took in a shaky breath as she said, “Mom, it’s water under the bridge, right?” She wiped her eyes as she continued, “I love you, Mom, and no matter how many disagreements we get into that’s never going to change.”
“Oh, Sweetheart. I was just so sick of there being something left unsaid between us, and I just want you to know that you can talk to be about anything.”
“I know, Mom.“
Kagome could tell that her mother was emotional as well, so she gave her a moment to calm down. When a minute had passed, Dr. Higurashi asked, “So, what are you doing tonight?”
“Uh, InuYasha’s coming over. He wants to see Ami.” Kagome answered as she pulled into her driveway.
“Oh.” was Dr. Higurashi’s reply. There was silence for a moment before she continued, “Well, you three have fun then.”
“Mom--” Kagome was about to complain.
“No, I’m serious, Kagome. Have a great time. I’ll see you and Ami in the morning, alright?” her mother said.
“Alright. See you then. Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, Sweetheart.” With that said they both hung up, and Kagome took a deep breath before turning off the car and getting out. She walked around to let Ami out, and, as soon as Ami’s head was out of the confines of the car, InuYasha pulled up.
Ami knew InuYasha’s black car so well that she started bouncing in her mother’s grasp. “Daddy!” she squealed as she tried to get out of her mother’s arms, but Kagome held tightly until InuYasha had the car turned off. As soon as InuYasha stepped out of the car, Kagome set Ami on the ground. “Daddy!” she yelled again as she ran over to him.
InuYasha bent over to scoop up his daughter, and settled her against his hip. “Hey Sunshine, how’s Daddy’s girl?” he asked as she threw her little arms around his neck.
She placed a small kiss to his cheek as she answered, “I missed Daddy.”
InuYasha held her gently to him. “Oh, I know, Sunshine. Two days is way too long to be away from you.” He pulled away and put her on the ground again, but took her hand in his to keep contact.
Kagome smiled as they walked over to her. “So, what did you have planned for the night?”
Just as InuYasha was about to answer a Chevy truck pulled up onto the curve of the road, and the last person InuYasha wanted to see stepped out of it. “Hey, Kagome, I hoped you’d be home.” Kouga said as he advanced on the party in the driveway.
“Kouga!?” Kagome asked, her voice full with excitement, as he planted a kiss on her awaiting lips. “What are you doing here?”
“Just came to see ya.” But before he pulled away he asked, “What’s Muttface doing here?”
Before Kagome could answer Ami yelled, “Kouga!” as she ran over to him. Not being very old, she didn’t know that running away from her outsider father hurt his feelings.
Kouga greeted her by swinging her up into the air. “Hey, Munchkin!” He placed her back onto the ground before answering Kagome’s question more in depth. “Well, I figured since it was such a beautiful day out I’d take you and Ami on a picnic at the beach.”
InuYasha felt just a little bit snubbed. Kouga, who had just showed up, was now holding the hand of his daughter, and also had an arm wrapped around Kagome’s waist. “Isn’t a little bit late for a picnic?” he asked rudely.
Kouga chose to ignore him. “So, what do you say? It’ll be fun, and I bet Ami will love it!” he said as he unwove his arm around Kagome’s waist, and then knelt down to Ami’s level. “What about you, Munchkin? Do you want to go on a picnic at the beach?”
The smile that was on Ami’s face grew. She liked the fact that Kouga was asking her. “Yes!” she yelled as she jumped up and down. She looked over at her father to see if he was happy too, and noticed that he wasn’t. With a bit of a frown she looked back over at Kouga, “Can Daddy go?”
Kagome looked over at InuYasha, evaluating his expression. His face was unreadable, so she quickly looked back over to Kouga, who the question had been directed at to begin with.
Kouga was a little shocked. He hadn’t expected Ami to ask such a question. But now, how could he turn down her request? He could tell that she desperately wanted her father to come by how hopeful her eyes were, and he’d be damned if he didn’t love that little girl. He let out a sigh. “If you want your father to go . . . well, I’m not going to stop him.”
Ami let out a high pitched giggle as she ran over to InuYasha. “Yea! Daddy getta go!”
InuYasha smiled for his daughter’s benefit, but he was feeling anything but joyful. Since he couldn’t very well tear Ami’s happiness to shreds, he was now having to go on this ridiculous outing. And it wasn’t that he didn’t want to spend time with Ami, it was just that now he would have to watch Kagome be with Kouga, and, after spending so much time with her himself recently, he didn’t know if he’d be able to do it.
Feeling someone’s eyes on him, InuYasha looked up to meet Kagome’s gaze. Her eyes were intense, like she was trying to make out what he was thinking. Not wanting her to really know or even guess at what was going on through his mind, he looked away. He feared that he might not have been fast enough though.
As it was, Kagome had noticed something in InuYasha’s expression, and she didn’t know quite what to make of it. Though he had been smiling, his eyes had inferred to some other feeling. A feeling that resembled dread, which would have been a normal feeling, but . . . it was mixed with another emotion. Something that, and she couldn’t be absolutely sure, looked liked longing. She felt herself blush at the silly thought. For she must have imagined the look, because there was no way that InuYasha could look at her longingly. He couldn’t possibly feel that way. Right?
Kouga noticed the quick exchange between Kagome and InuYasha, and he felt jealousy bubble up inside him. It wasn’t really a rational emotion because Kagome was his girlfriend, but it was still there. After sighing quietly, he straightened his shoulders and looked over at InuYasha with an unreadable face. “So InuYasha,” he began civilly as he tried not to scowl at his name. “Are you going to come or not?”
InuYasha was taken aback by Kouga’s cool acceptance of his going. It would have been so much easier if Kouga would just objected to the whole idea. As it was, InuYasha felt he didn’t have a choice. “If Ami wants me to go then I’m going.”
“I want Daddy to go!” Ami shouted with glee as she threw her arms around his leg and squeezed him tightly.
He smiled weakly, and then bent down and quickly kissed her on the top of her head. “Then I guess I’m going.”
“Yea!” Ami was practically bouncing.
Through this whole exchange, Kagome had been watching Kouga’s face, and, though she couldn’t completely be sure, it seemed to have stayed emotionless. So it surprised Kagome when a very artificial smile lit up his face. “Alright, let’s get going.” He turned to InuYasha and said, “You wouldn’t mind following, would you InuYasha? I’ve only got enough room for three. Unless you want to ride in the bed?”
Kagome felt bad as they all piled into Kouga’s truck, and InuYasha was stuck riding by himself. She was tempted to ride with him, but she didn’t want to be separated from her daughter. And she couldn’t very well leave Kouga to ride by himself. The picnic was his idea after all.
It took less than fifteen minutes to arrive at the beach, and less than five minutes to set everything up. Kouga passed Kagome and Ami a ham sandwich, but looked at InuYasha with fake concern. “I didn’t know you were coming, so I don’t really have anything for you. So, I don’t really know how you’re going to eat.” He knew he was being a little spiteful to InuYasha, but he couldn’t help it. He had ruined the perfect evening he’d planned with Kagome and Ami.
“That’s alright. I’m not hungry.” InuYasha replied as he crossed his arms and sulked.
Kagome felt bad for InuYasha. She could tell he really didn’t want to be here, and probably only agreed to come because of Ami. She sighed as took half of her sandwich and held it out for him. “You can half of my sandwich, InuYasha.”
He shook his head. “It’s alright. I’m really not hungry.”
“Daddy eat!” Ami said as she took a bit of her own sandwich.
InuYasha sighed as he took the sandwich from Kagome. “Fine. I guess I’ll eat your sandwich.” He took a huge bite for effect. Ami smiled in encouragement.
The rest of the meal was spent in silence, except the occasional eating noises Ami made, that she’d recently picked up from her father. When Kouga was done, he looked over at Kagome and asked, “Would mind walking along the beach with me? I’m sure InuYasha wouldn’t mind watching Ami for us.”
At that moment, InuYasha wanted to do nothing but shove sand down the prick’s throat. “Sure.” Kagome answered as Kouga stood up and then helped her up. “We’ll be right back.” she said to InuYasha.
“I go too?” Ami asked hopefully as stood up to join them.
Kouga looked down at her with a warm smile before he kneeled down next to her. “How about I go with Mommy first, and then when we get back you and I can go?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, but first you got to stay here with your daddy.” Kouga explained as he stood back up. “Mommy and I will be right back, okay?”
Ami nodded vigorously. “Okay. Me stay with Daddy.” she said as she sat back down and patted his knee.
InuYasha grumbled something about being second choice, and Kagome felt bad for him all over again. “We won’t be long.”
InuYasha nodded as he watched them walked down the shore. He ripped his eyes away from the pair when he felt the little hand on his pants tugging to get his attention. “What, Sunshine?” he asked as he took in her appearance. She had her head tilted to the side with a smile stretched across her face.
“I’m glad Daddy here.” That one statement made his heart soar.
“Well, Daddy’s glad he came.” he said and then picked up some of the potato salad Kouga had thought to bring, and pilled some onto Ami’s plate. “Try some of this. It’s really good.” And just to demonstrate, he shoved some of it into his own mouth. “Mmmm.”
Ami wrinkled her nose, but nonetheless took a bite of it. “Yummy.” she said as she continued to eat it.
InuYasha smiled as he looked back over at the couple on the beach. They were walking hand-in-hand now. It felt weird to InuYasha knowing that he didn’t have a right to interrupt them.
It wasn’t long after that that Kouga and Kagome walked back up to them. Ami jumped up with excitement. “Me next!”
“Alright Munchkin, let’s go!” he said as he threw her over his shoulder, and with her giggling the whole way Kouga took her down to the shore.
Kagome sighed as she lowered herself down onto the ground next to InuYasha. She watched as Kouga lifted Ami upright so that she was sitting on his shoulders. This helped so he could take her deeper into the water. Kagome felt grateful that he stopped going any farther when the water was up to his waist.
“He better not drop her.” InuYasha said with narrowed eyes as he watched the playing duo intently.
Kagome rolled her eyes. “Have a little faith, would ya InuYasha?”
“Feh,” was his reply, but he continued to watch for the catastrophe that he was sure would happen if he looked away. “I wouldn’t trust that fleabag to take care of a paper bag let alone my daughter.”
Kagome stayed silent as she contemplated what to say. “You know, he really is great with her. He’s never let anything bad happen to her, and I trust him with her.” InuYasha stayed silent, and Kagome took this as his way of agreeing with her (at least the part about him being great with Ami) with out having to admit to it.
“This really wasn’t the plans I had for tonight.” InuYasha suddenly said as he leaned his arms on his bent knees in front of him. Kagome turned sympathetic eyes on him.
“I know. I saw your face.” she answered. “Ami kind of suckered you into this, but I want to thank you for humoring her. I know you don’t get a long with Kouga, and I have to say that the two of you have been behaving fairly well tonight.”
InuYasha shrugged off the comment. “Yeah, well, with Ami present I just thought it’d be best not to do anything rash. So he‘s off the hook for now.”
Kagome stifled a laugh as she also put her arms on her knees, and then fiddled with her fingers. “So, what were your plans for tonight?” Her spirits were in good humor, and as InuYasha glanced over at her he could tell that she was in a good mood.
“Oh you know, I thought we’d start off playing Candy Land, then maybe have some ramen for dinner. Then after that watch Sleeping Beauty, and once Ami would be asleep we’d, you know, . . . play Candy Land again so I could beat you fair and square.” he explained with a fake serious expression.
Kagome decided to play along. “Oh yeah, you think you’re better than me? Well, I’m sorry to tell you, Buster, but I could kick your butt at Candy Land any day of the week.”
“That’s pretty big talk for such a small lady, but I’ll take your challenge.” he said as he turned to face her better. “As soon as we get back and Ami is asleep, we’re playing and I’ll show you once and for all who’s better.”
“You’re on!” Kagome answered with a giggle as she stuck out her hand in a gesture to seal the deal. With a smirk, InuYasha shook her hand, and then reclined back to rest on his elbow in the sand. His eyes didn’t leave hers though, and Kagome notice a certain shift in his gaze.
Kagome felt the smile and humor slowly slide off her face. The way he was looking at her reminded her of the way he had looked at her last night right before she had gotten into her car. This situation had her heart beating faster. She knew the feeling was wrong so, in an attempt to get of it, she looked away and changed the topic. “So, what did Miroku think of the date?”
InuYasha seemed to be pulled from the trance he was in because he too looked away. “Uh, he said it went really well. She gave him her number, and there’re going out again tonight. So, I guess they’re hitting it off.”
This didn’t surprise Kagome. By the way Sango had been acting that morning and later that afternoon as she walked to her car, it had been an easy assumption. “That’s great!” she replied as a new bigger smile formed on her face.
InuYasha smiled too as he looked over at her. “Actually, I’ve never seen Miroku so nervous before. I mean, sure he’s struggled for words before, but this was bizarre. He had to take a deep breath before he could even hint at her about going out again.” he said as he shook his head, but as he continued warmth filled his eyes. “But anybody could have saw that she had said yes when he finally spit it out. His face became clear, and he went right back to his usual self. It was something to watch, that’s for sure.”
Kagome giggled a little. “I’m happy everything is working out for them.” He nodded in agreement, and then, looked away from her again. They lapped into silence. The happy mood that had been around them seem to dissipate with each passing moment. Kagome watched him gaze into the horizon as an unhappy expression gradually took its place on his face. She couldn’t help but ask, “What is it?”
He didn’t look back over at her like she thought he would. Instead he answered her exactly like he was. “I was just thinking about how it should have worked out between you and me. And how it’s my own damn fault that it did turn out this way.”
Kagome was speechless. Whatever she had thought was running through his mind it hadn’t been that. She wasn’t prepared for this topic. He’d been back in her life for thirteen weeks now, and they had never really gone far with this subject. She didn’t know if she was strong enough yet. “InuYasha . . .”
“No, it’s true.” he continued as he finally looked back over at her. Her eyes widened when she saw a desperate look in his eyes. “Kagome, I’ve never regretted any thing as much as I regret what I did to you. It was stupid, I was stupid. . . . And if I could take it all back, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
By this time, Kagome was having trouble breathing. She briefly closed her eyes to try to clear her head. She took a deep breath and then opened her eyes again. “InuYasha, if you’re saying this so that I’ll forgive you, I already have. I thought I told I did.”
“You did,” he replied with sudden exhaustion, “but I’m not telling you this because I wanted forgiveness. I’m telling you this because I want you to know that ever since I first saw you in that hospital, deep down I knew I made a mistake by letting you go.”
Kagome tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but the action failed. “What are you saying?”
InuYasha looked her dead in the eyes as he said, “I want you back.” Kagome’s breathing stopped all together. Upon seeing her shocked look, he let out a dejected sigh. “But I know you’re with Kouga. I just hope he knows how lucky he is to have you.” They sat in silence for a moment before he said, “It’d be great if you could tell me to shut up or something.”
Kagome couldn’t seem to get her voice to work. It was like her mind was blank. Everything he said after “I want you back” came out as a high pitched noise. She desperately wanted to ask why, to find out his reasoning, but she was afraid what doors that one question would open. So, instead she asked the next safest question. “What?”
A little hint of frustration entered his eyes. “Kagome, are you even listening? I want to be with you again!”
Those words were the key to unlock her perfectly placed defenses. Without the walls to keep her in check, it was like she couldn’t help herself. She was being pulled toward him. Although she was sure if she really wanted to stop herself she could, but the scary thing was she didn’t want to stop herself. She found herself wanting to feel his lips against hers. Not even considering the consequences, she closed her eyes and threw herself into his chest so that she could easily press her lips to his.
InuYasha watched in amazement as Kagome kissed him. Sure he had told her that he wanted to be with her, but he had assumed she’d shrug it off. Not react like he dared to hope she would. However, his surprise didn’t stop him from leaning in and kissing her back.
Heat was the first thing Kagome felt after their lips connected. It generated from her stomach and quickly made its way throughout her body. She found herself lifting her hands to his face, and then they made their way up into his hair. She fisted her hands around a couple of strands and pulled him closer. All sense of reason left her as she felt his hands slid up from her forearms to rest on her shoulders. With a little moan, she let herself be taken in by the fire.
InuYasha knew that he should probably stop her. After all she wasn’t his. She was with the wolf for crying out loud, but it’d been so long since he’d had the scent of Kagome so close, so willing . . . He threw caution to the wind, and started to put everything he had into the kiss. He let his lips slowly coax hers into the rhythm he wanted. Pushing and tugging, pulling and pressing. The rhythm continued this way until InuYasha took her bottom lip into his mouth.
Kagome must have finally come to her right mind because the next thing InuYasha knew she was pushing herself out of his reach. She scrambled around until she was on her feet with her back toward him. “I’m sorry, InuYasha. I don’t know what came over me.”
InuYasha watched as she started dusting the sand off her bottom. He couldn’t let her walk away. Not just like that. Something had happened between them, and he wasn’t going to let it go ignored. “Kagome--” he said was he started to get up as well.
“It’s alright.” She cut him off, assuming he was going to apologize for what just happened. “I’m going to go check on Ami. It’s getting late, and she might be getting tired.”
Before InuYasha could do anything she started walking in the direction of Ami and Kouga. InuYasha could tell by the way Kouga was still twirling Ami around above the water that he hadn’t see anything the had just transpired between Kagome and himself, but a little, malevolent part of InuYasha wished that he had. Just so it would have started something between the happy couple.
He violently brought a fist back and slammed it into the sand. He should have stopped her! Why didn’t he stop her? Because he knew the benevolent side of him cared about her happiness, and whether or not her happiness was with him or the wolf he couldn’t say. Letting his face fall into his hands in defeat, he couldn’t help thinking what a rotten turn of events that evening had taken.
~*~
AN: What a cliffy, huh? I told you it was one of my favorite chapters! Now you all know why!I want to take this time to explain why this chapter is so late. For starters, I graduated high school. That in itself is a pretty decent excuse, but wait I have more. As one of my graduation presents, I got to spend two weeks in London, England with a friend, who just happens to be my beta for this story. London was amazing, and I was sad to have to come home. On top of all this, I've been stressed out over getting a job and getting ready to go to college in the fall. It's all unnerving. So, I think I did pretty well trying to find time to finish this chapter.
I hope it was up to everyone's standards! Leave a review!~Dreamer6164~