InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Choices, Choices... ❯ Truth Be Told ( Chapter 17 )

A/N: Wow. Do you realize I started this story almost two years ago? I can't believe you all have stuck with me for this long. Indeed, I am truly, truly grateful. And how do I repay you? With a cliffhanger… *sigh* Sorry about that. Anyhoo, I hope you all like this chapter - after all, it's what most of you have been begging for.

 

Thanks:

deviantART - Jurzeth-Animefreak25, UtenaTenjou1212, luvtodraw, no1sangel.

FanFiction.Net - LittleFoxDemon, knifethrower, poems2songs, slowfatbunny, snowkatara101.

InuYashaFanFiction - dirtydogs57, mnemosyne.

 

MediaMiner: Timmy77 - I'm really glad you're enjoying the story; I'm sorry you're on the edge of your seat, though! I hope you don't fall off by the end of this chapter! Haha… Thank you for reading, and of course, commenting.

 

“What if I say I'm not like the others?

What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays? You're the pretender.

What if I say I will never surrender?” - The Pretender, Foo Fighters

 

Chapter 17: Truth Be Told

Phony (adjective) pho*ny [fÅnee] 1. Not genuine - not genuine and used to deceive.

(transitive verb) Falsify something - to make something appear to be genuine when it is not.

 

Well.

 

It was one thing that Inuyasha had wanted a tattoo. It was another thing to then be dragged to a shop that did piercings and then to a bar. Some kanji, an eyebrow ring, and several drinks later, they wound up at Sango and Miroku's apartment, stumbling and laughing as they opened the door.

 

Kohaku came out to inspect the damage. “You guys, keep it down. Mr. Nelson is going to complain again…”

 

He tried to take his sister away from Miroku, but he wound up bringing both of them to the couch. Inuyasha, with his half-demon blood, was better off than the two humans, so he sat on the sofa's arm. The seventeen-year-old boy started the coffee pot while the trio of friends laughed at nothing in particular.

 

“Sango,” Inuyasha said suddenly.

 

All eyes were upon him, and he felt self-conscious all of a sudden. He shied away, but Sango caught him, suddenly serious.

 

“Forget it,” he said angrily.

 

“Inuyasha,” she said in a tone that - despite how drunk she was - told him he should say whatever he was going to say, unless he wanted to be neutered.

 

After some hesitation, Inuyasha tried again. “Sango, cut my hair.”

 

The sound of ceramic shattering rang throughout the apartment, and they all stared at Kohaku briefly, who had dropped a mug in his shock. Then they turned back to the hanyou.

 

“Inuyasha, what's going on? What's with all the changes? You've never gotten a tattoo, you've never told me about any piercings, and you've never cut your hair. What's going on?” Sango looked concerned, but the half-demon wasn't feeling particularly thrilled with spilling at the moment.

 

“Yeah, bro. I've never seen you be so destructive to yourself,” Miroku added.

 

“I'm not being… destructive. I just… it all feels right. Please, Sango.” His pleading tone and - no pun intended - puppy-dog eyes broke through her resolve, and she agreed.

 

“Okay, Inuyasha. But I'm not going to help you mutilate yourself anymore after that,” she said sternly.

 

“Hey,” Miroku said suddenly, grabbing all their attention, “what makes you think she can cut hair, anyways?” He pointed to his longtime girlfriend with a thumb, his eyes still locked on his friends'.

 

Sango grabbed his thumb and twisted backwards and down, effectively quieting the man. He whimpered, and she let him go after a few moments. Kohaku sat down on the couch with the rest of them, reminding them that he was still present. He handed Sango and Miroku mugs of coffee, which they drank greedily. He hadn't bothered with Inuyasha - not only did the hanyou not drink it, but he knew from experience that the half-demon wasn't as affected by alcohol. Besides, his body metabolized it three times faster than theirs: he would be totally sober in two hours. They sat in silence.

 

“Um…”

 

Again, Miroku had commanded everyone's attention with his complete randomness.

 

“You know, Kohaku can cut hair…”

 

Sango's eyes widened, Inuyasha seemed surprised, and Kohaku glared menacingly.

 

“Wha…?” This was the first Sango had heard of this.

 

“Really?” Inuyasha asked.

 

“Miroku,” Kohaku growled menacingly.

 

Compared to his sister, Kohaku was as a puppy worrying a shoe. So Miroku decided - perhaps the alcohol was also involved - to finish informing the group of the internship at their local barbershop. He tried to look as placating as possible to his girlfriends' brother, but Kohaku did not look like his anger was subsiding.

 

“He has been working under a barber at that place down the street where I get my hair cut,” he told them.

 

“Street Stylez?” Sango asked.

 

Miroku nodded. “A couple of months ago - when I got tired of how long his hair was, remember? - I took him there and got his hair cut. I guess he got interested. He became friends with one of the guys. Unfortunately, that's also who got him involved with his new friends,” he told Inuyasha and Sango. He said the last word as if it left a nasty taste in his mouth.

 

Inuyasha leveled the boy with a glare; he would be relentless now that he knew who kept getting the boy in trouble. Sango gasped in surprise; she couldn't believe she was so out of touch with her own flesh and blood. When their father was murdered, she swore she would take excellent care of Kohaku as if she was his mother, not his sister. She felt like she had failed both him and their father.

 

Kohaku attempted to storm away, and Inuyasha knew he needed to gain the boy's trust to get him out of whatever he had gotten himself into. Anyways, judging by his sisters' expression, he was going to be in enough trouble. He grabbed the young man's arm as he walked past. Kohaku turned, a murderous, empty look in his eyes. He was about to rip his arm out of Inuyasha's grip when Inuyasha interrupted his thoughts.

 

“Will you do it?”

 

“Huh?” Kohaku gasped intelligently.

 

“Can you cut my hair?” Inuyasha asked.

 

He looked sincere, so Kohaku began to get excited as he comprehended what this would mean. “Really? Seriously?” Inuyasha nodded in the positive, so Kohaku began to drag him away to the single bathroom everyone shared.

 

“Oh, no you don't!” Sango stood, her hands on her hips. “First of all, it doesn't have to be right now.” Inuyasha was about to argue with her, but Sango wasn't finished. “Second, Kohaku shouldn't even be up right now! He has school tomorrow!” Now Kohaku tried to dispute her statement, but she still was not done. “And thirdly, you are NOT clogging up my drains!”

 

She stood, panting from the outburst, and everyone waited a few moments before speaking to be sure she wasn't going to lop off their heads with the machete she used to threaten her bounties with. Then, all at once:

 

“I can handle it…”

 

“You should've told me…”

 

“She's gonna kill one of us…”

 

“But tomorrow is…”

 

“I know, we don't…”

 

“She looks really pissed…”

 

“I don't wanna wait…”

 

“SHUT UP!” Sango yelled, attempting to speak over the three males in the room that had begun to speak animatedly to one another. When they all stared, gaping and wide-eyed, she smiled politely and sat down. “One at a time, please.”

 

“Sango, this ain't something I wanna wait to do. I wanna get it over with. And if Kohaku can get some experience and I get a free haircut… we both get somethin' out of it.”

 

Sango looked unconvinced, but looked to her brother, who wanted to speak.

 

“Sis, I know you've been busy so you don't realize, but… I had the day off today, and tomorrow I only have third and fourth periods to deal with. It'll be the fourteenth…”

 

“Oh… right…” Sango looked a bit caught off guard. It was October already?

 

Then Miroku spoke. “My love, if I may give my opinion… I think it's better for Kohaku to spend time with Inuyasha than with his friends…”

 

That was it. It was what convinced her, and she slowly nodded as she confronted the lot of them. “All right. But I still don't want all that hair in my house.” To Inuyasha, she said: “Go do it at your house. You have like, a million bathrooms.”

 

Inuyasha chuckled. “I don't. Sesshoumaru has a million bathrooms. But I can't do it there. He's probably home right now,” he said, retrieving his phone from his pocket, only to find it had died. He glanced over at the time on the cable box and glared at it, as if it was responsible for his brother coming back home.

 

“What about Kagome's?” Miroku suggested innocently.

 

“NO.”

 

“That's not a bad idea,” Sango said.

 

“She just got back, too. I don't think she wants to see me,” Inuyasha insisted.

 

Sango laughed. “She just spent a whole weekend with him. I bet she'll be glad for the change,” she told him.

 

He still looked unsure.

 

“I'd like to see Kagome again,” Kohaku assured him.

 

“All your things are there anyways,” Miroku offered casually.

 

Inuyasha debated silently, then swore softly. “All right. We'll go in the morning, so she's at school,” he grumbled. He glanced at Kohaku's joyous expression. “Damn private schools,” he added, cursing the school for making up odd hours.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- --

 

Kagome had awakened early; she was well rested from the trip, and the good night's sleep had made her more peppy than usual. She rushed about the apartment: showering, making coffee, dressing, collecting her books. She kept glancing at the corner she had placed Inuyasha's things in; she wondered where he was.

 

When she had finished her coffee, brushed her teeth, and switched her things from her little black purse to her messenger bag, Kagome left for her first class in what seemed like weeks.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- -

 

It was half-past nine in the morning when Inuyasha opened the door to Kagome's apartment. Kohaku looked at him in surprise, an eyebrow quirked as Inuyasha procured a key from his jeans' pocket. The hanyou paid him no attention.

 

Inside, Kohaku unloaded some of the equipment he had brought with him.

 

“God damn it, Kohaku. Where'd you get all this stuff?” Then, when the boy tried to respond, he held up a hand. “No, smartass. What I meant is, where did you get the money to buy all this stuff?”

 

Kohaku grinned. Then when Inuyasha didn't smile, he frowned. “Mind your own business, Inuyasha. It's not that expensive. I have a little job, let's leave it at that.”

 

Inuyasha growled at the young man, but he didn't flinch. He knew Inuyasha wouldn't harm him. Instead, he began to pick out the tools he would use first. He grabbed a sharp pair of scissors, a comb, and a brush.

 

“Where are we doing this?” Kohaku asked the half-demon moodily.

 

Inuyasha was silent as he debated. “I guess in the other bathroom,” he told the boy.

 

Kohaku followed Inuyasha, his tools in his arms. When they entered the pink-and-green decorated bathroom, Inuyasha began to feel awkward. Memories of the girl who had lived here haunted him; he decided he needed Kagome's strength.

 

“Uh… let's go to the other bathroom,” he said while Kohaku sighed impatiently.

 

They worked their way to Kagome's room, then into her bathroom, which had a more art-deco look. Kohaku looked around appreciatively.

 

“Nice. Better than all that girly stuff in the other one.” When he was done taking in the small room, Kohaku addressed Inuyasha again. “All right, go take a shower.”

 

“But I just took one last night…”

“Your hair needs to be wet, and I don't wanna smell like wet dog,” Kohaku teased.

 

Inuyasha growled.

 

Kohaku left the tiny room, closing the door. A scant minute later, he heard the water running. Entertaining himself, the young man looked around the simply-decorated room of the woman he had only met once. Walking over to the stereo, he looked through the CD cases that were stacked next to it. He didn't recognize many of them; some had pictures of trumpets, saxophones, or pianos. More had serene backgrounds, like waterfalls, an underwater scene, or a woodsy picture. A few he did recognize. They were either J-rock - which he had grown up with - or pop albums from recent years. There were also many rock albums that he didn't know, although the names of some of the bands were familiar.

 

Taking in more of the room, he noticed how many books she had. Most were for personal reading - she had such a variety, from `Little Women' to various manga - but there were also a great many textbook. He could tell that she had held on to her older ones; many of the books came in succession. Idly, he wondered why she had kept them instead of letting a store buy them back.

 

He had just noticed the many pictures when Kohaku heard the water turn off. Obviously, Inuyasha was on his way out. The hanyou opened the door thirty seconds later, a towel around his well-toned hips. Show off, Kohaku thought.

 

“C'mon, kid. I wanna have everything cleaned up before Kagome comes home an' kills me. And watch the ears.”

 

So, sitting on Kagome's toilet with the lid down, Inuyasha had Kohaku cut his hair in a shaggy, comfortable style. Kohaku explained it would be easier to manage, but would require maintenance. When he was done, Kohaku allowed Inuyasha to look in the mirror. The half-demon couldn't believe his eyes.

 

He had never cut his hair before; old customs die hard. But he had been living modernly for centuries. Why not cut his hair? It was something his brother could not bring himself to do - the egotistical, preening bastard. Obviously, this had been a good choice. It looked good: the chunky strips of hair outlined his strong jaw, and it also went with the look he usually maintained.

 

“Dude, this is awesome, Kohaku.”

 

“Really?” The teenager beamed with delight. “You think so?”

 

“Yeah, man. Yo, if you like it, you should stick with this,” he told the boy, smiling. Then, he became serious. “But I still wanna know what kinda activities you're up to. I don't get how you can make that kinda money…”

 

“Inuyasha, please… drop it, already. I need this job to pay for my tools, and I need the connection so I can learn. Just drop it, man,” Kohaku pleaded. When both were silent for a few moments, Kohaku tried to change the subject. “Hey, do you think that when the next new moon comes, I could take your picture? I think this would be great for a profile…”

 

“Sure, kid,” Inuyasha said, ruffling Kohaku's hair. “But it's gonna be a while. Just changed last week.”

 

“All right. I guess I'll have to give you another trim before I take the picture, that's all…”

 

They were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and panic ensued. Inuyasha ran as fast as a hummingbird's heartbeat to his bag, grabbing a bandana. Kohaku attempted to scoop up the silver hair - since it was no longer attached to him, his youki had no effect on the cut hair - and dispose of it.

 

“What the fuck, Inuyasha?!” Kohaku whispered. “Couldn't you tell she was coming?”

 

“Dude, everyone here has keys. And I wasn't expecting her until later!” Inuyasha almost broke his hushed voice in his anger.

 

“H-hello?” Kagome's unsure voice drifted to them.

 

Inuyasha realized she would see Kohaku's things and be taken off guard. He had to say something.

 

“Kagome? We're in here.”

 

“We?” he heard her say to herself.

 

And then, in the first time in four days, Inuyasha laid eyes on the source for all his unease. She was lovely; she had a pair of khaki capris on that showed off how slender her legs were, and she wore a white tank top. Her plaid Converse were the center of the outfit, in their blue and beige interweaving pattern. But the plainness of her outfit only made her more beautiful. Her slightly wavy ebony tresses were loose, save for a simple clip on each side to keep the hair out of her face. They made her deeply tanned skin glow with radiance. She hardly ever wore makeup, he knew, and this made him wonder at her natural beauty. She had on her favorite strawberry lip gloss - he could smell it from here - and it made him want to taste it. But Kohaku was here.

 

His observation had only taken a few milliseconds, but now he saw her eyeing him. He figured she had been staring since he had been staring at her. But… she was still ogling. That's when he looked down and realized he was only wearing a towel. Inadvertently, the movement of him bending to look at himself had flexed his abs, and he heard her take in a sharp breath. His eyes snapped up to hers, and he found unabashed lust in them. Unfortunately for him, this caused a reaction that would otherwise be welcome. But there were three problems: First, he was only wearing a towel, which was about to reveal his current state. Second, Kohaku was still here. And third, he hadn't told her yet.

 

But Kagome had already seen that he wanted her just as badly, and the connection between the two could not be severed with a chainsaw. She hadn't even noticed Kohaku yet, who was growing more uncomfortable by the minute. Suddenly, Inuyasha's phone rang - a loud tune that shocked everyone into movement. He raced to silence the phone, not knowing that he had actually answered the call. It had been resting on Kagome's desk, and - not wanting to break their eye contact - he thrashed around until he found a button and pressed it.

 

“Sorry about that,” he said.

 

She smiled, but didn't get to speak. Kohaku interrupted.

 

“Right… so… I'm gonna go wait in the living room…”

 

Kagome finally realized his presence. “Oh! Kohaku, hi! I'm so sorry… How are you?”

 

Kohaku chuckled. “It's okay. I'm all right, I guess. You okay?”

 

She nodded, and he excused himself again. Now that they were alone, Inuyasha noticed a bewildered look on the young woman's face. He began to step towards her, and she allowed it. Then, her eyes widened dramatically as they noticed the three major changes that had occurred in the past four days.

 

“I just can't go anywhere without you doing something crazy, huh?” she practically whispered.

 

One corner of his mouth lifted in a crooked smile that had Kagome's heart beating faster than a bee's wings.

 

“A… An eyebrow piercing?” She looked at him dubiously.

 

He was in the middle of the room now, still approaching slowly. “Yeah, well…”

 

“And…” He saw her eyes flicker to his arm. “A tattoo?” He watched as he held his arm out for her to read. She gasped as she read it, looking into his eyes questioningly. He nodded, as if to tell her that her eyes were not deceiving her. “But… why that particular phrase? Why would you want everyone to judge you?” Now, she began to step forward as well. When they met near the foot of the bed, she gently grasped the now-inked arm. “What do you think you've done that you require the world to perceive you so?”

 

He looked away from her, unable to hold her gaze any longer. “I just… I don't deserve…”

 

He didn't finish. Kagome scowled.

 

“Inuyasha,” she said as gently as her anger would allow as she tried to recapture his eyes, “I don't know much about you - mostly because you won't tell me - but I know that you haven't done anything to deserve to be branded like this; you treat it like it's a scarlet letter!” She was silent for a moment, then quietly, carefully: “Did you cheat on someone?”

 

“No!” he cried out, snatching his arm away from her. “It's not like that! It's just that… I'm not what you think…”

 

Knowing she had heard this argument before and resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Kagome finally pointed out the obvious. “Your hair…”

 

She reached out, playing with the drying strands. He noticed off-handedly that his hair was nearly dry; when it was long it would take over an hour to dry. He searched her face for a sign. He got one.

 

Her eyes and nose crinkled as she grinned wickedly. “This, I like. Why did you decide to do it, though?”

 

He smiled back. “Last night I just thought, `I need somethin' different', and I did all this stuff. Sango and Miroku helped me,” he told her. “But… Kohaku cut my hair.”

 

“What?” She was shocked to no end. Who would have thought the emotional boy had it in him?

 

“Keh, he's good, I'll give him that. Oh, by the way, we still gotta clean up. I wasn't expectin' ya until later, and…”

 

Kagome reached for his hair again, twirling it in her fingers and stalling his thoughts.

 

“Can I see it?” she asked.

 

The cool depths of her eyes flooded his mind, and he almost complied for the sake of pleasing her. But then he came to his senses. “Huh? What? Er, no, you can't. Not right now. I gotta-,” he started, attempting to skirt around her to his bag.

 

Used to his avoidance of the subject and not wanting to push him further - lest he become a hermit - Kagome relented. “All right,” she interrupted.

 

He felt crushed instantly. It wasn't her fault that he was hiding himself. So why should he make her suffer longer? If he wanted any chance with Kagome against his brother, he was going to have to tell her. Now.

 

“Kagome, I-,”

 

“Listen, I came home to change my shirt. I got mustard on it at lunch just now. Are you going to be on campus?”

 

Deflected, his brain sputtered as he tried to both remember what he was saying and tried to answer her question.

 

“Er, huh? Um, no. No classes for me today.” He searched her shirt and found the bright yellow splotch near her right breast.

 

Kagome paid no mind to him as she fished in her drawer for another tee shirt that would match the torn jeans she was already wearing and pulled off her stained shirt. She had thought nothing of changing in front of Inuyasha - they were both adults, and had already explored each others' bodies, if only in part - but panicked when she heard his sharp intake of air. Damn it! I forgot! Stupid pain pills! Kagome quickly pulled the fresh top onto her tiny frame and remained facing the wall, unable to look at the man who stood a few feet behind her.

 

Inuyasha could say nothing at first. His youki was quick to react, and he swiftly responded by quelling his primal urge to demand who had hurt her. He was sure his fangs and claws hadn't grown, so he steeled himself to stop the trembling in his arms, then addressed her. He was glad she hadn't been looking at him…

 

“Ka-” His voice sounded shaky, so he cleared his throat and tried again. “Kagome…” He was pleased with how his voice sounded now, so he continued. “How… did you… get hurt?”

 

She had known it was coming when she saw his expression, but it didn't make it any easier. Her thoughts jumbled within her, trying to come up with something that didn't sound like she was an inexperienced princess.

 

“I, um… Well, I went to Australia, you see. That's where I was. And I went scuba diving, and although I know what I'm doing, a shark came after me and I only got scraped by the denticles…”

 

Inuyasha's brow furrowed. “Only a scrape?”

 

She nodded.

 

His expression lightened slightly, relieving her to no end.

 

Already knowing the answer but curious as to how she would handle the situation, he probed. “How did'ja get away without gettin' bitten? Once a shark is interested…”

 

“Er, well…” Kagome floundered, and Inuyasha almost felt bad enough to change the subject, but she recovered. “I um, hit it in the nose, and it went away.” She seemed proud of her response.

 

“But that doesn't make sense. How'd you get hurt, then?”

 

Kagome flushed, her eyes wildly searching the room, as if her walls could answer for her. After a pregnant pause, she all but gave up. “I… I really don't know. It happened so fast. I was twisting to get away…”

 

Her face became downcast, remembering. Inuyasha felt bad for forcing the memory on her. Either way, he would get answers. He knew the girl wouldn't tell, but if he had to hang his brother by his tail - or threaten his pretty, long hair - he would get answers.

 

“Forget about it,” Inuyasha said, pulling her into a gentle hug, avoiding the wounded area.

 

She snuggled into him, and Inuyasha was suddenly grateful to Sango. It seemed the bounty-hunter was right; she seemed to miss him. The memory of their conversation allowed him to recall his thoughts from last night and he pulled away from Kagome slowly.

 

“Listen, Kagome, I gotta tell you somethin'…”

 

It seemed that Kagome picked that moment to glance at the clock on her nightstand, and noticed that unless she left right now and ran, she would be late for her next class.

 

“Oh! Hold that thought, Inuyasha! I gotta go!” She pecked him on the cheek before running out of her room.

 

He heard her pick up what he assumed was her messenger bag, then the door opened and closed. With a defeated sigh, Inuyasha sat on the edge of the bed. Moments later, Kohaku appeared in the doorway.

 

“Wow, what was up with her?”

 

“Class,” Inuyasha said.

 

“Oh,” Kohaku offered. “Well, let's get this bathroom cleaned up, then. It's a good thing she didn't come in the bathroom…”

 

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Three hours later, Kagome came home to find Inuyasha and Kohaku in her apartment watching a rerun of a football game. Men, she thought, rolling her eyes. “Hi, guys. I'm glad you stayed. I barely got a chance to say hi before,” she said cheerily.

 

Inuyasha stood, welcoming her with a hug and a quick kiss on her cheek. “Hey there, beautiful,” he murmured in her ear.

 

Kagome flushed prettily and gave a slight smile. She lifted a hand and ran her fingers through his now shoulder-length hair. She marveled at how thick it was; now it was light as well. She remembered the heavy curtain of it covering her when they fooled around. It wouldn't do that anymore. But it looked good enough that she wouldn't miss it.

 

“Hi again, Kagome,” Kohaku said, not bothered by the personal display of affection.

 

Kagome used the boy to deflect some of the affection being flaunted by Inuyasha. “Hi there, Kohaku. Hey, didn't you have school today?” She was confused, but mostly she was annoyed that she had just realized it.

 

“I had school today, but I only had a half day. Only third and forth periods. I go to a private school,” he explained.

 

Kagome was familiar with the block scheduling, as she had block scheduling in high school as well, although it was a public school. She liked the idea of having four classes a day for the first half of the year, and a different four classes for the second half of the year. The student body had been split on it: those who liked the older rotation schedule preferred the shorter, hour-long courses. Those that liked the new block scheduling didn't mind the longer, 90-minute classes, and enjoyed only having four classes to study for rather than the seven that was normally required.

 

“Lucky,” Kagome pouted. She longed for the easier days of high school students, but was also happier moving towards the goal of her career of choice. Idly, Kagome wondered how she had missed the fact that he had a piercing near, but not on, his lip. Had he had it the first time they met? She couldn't be sure. But then again, she nearly missed the little golden stud as she was speaking to him now. As she studied him discreetly, she also noticed how light his skin was - like Sango's - and they shared the same eye and hair color as well. Their faces were shaped differently - Kohaku's was pointy while Sango's was more rounded - and Kohaku had a sprinkling of freckles. They also had the same large ears. Sango preferred to hide them behind her thick hair while Kohaku - although his hair was long enough to rival Inuyasha's - tucked his hair behind his ears, not caring what people thought.

 

Kohaku grinned, and Inuyasha pulled her towards her bedroom. He could tell she was puzzled by his actions, but it was better if he caught her off-guard. As they entered her room, she turned to him, pulling away from him gently.

 

“Inuyasha, is there something wrong?”

 

“I… I dunno, Kagome. I guess that depends on you,” he said softly, alarming her.

 

Kagome grasped the seriousness of the situation and sat down on the edge of her bed. She patted the spot next to her to indicate he should sit. He declined, worrying her further. Instead, he paced, his hands never still. One hand dug in his pocket, fumbling with his phone. The other clenched into the tee shirt he was wearing, then wiped onto his jeans, then into his shortened hair, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

Kagome needed to get the information from him before he wore a permanent trench into her carpet. “Why don't you start by telling my why you're so serious all of a sudden?”

 

He stopped in his tracks, his eyes snapping to hers. Then he stood directly in front of her and kneeled down so that he was below her eye level. He grasped her hands in his own, his eyes pleading her to understand. Kagome was so wound up, she thought she would scream. Finally, he began to speak.

 

“Kagome… I'm not who you think. I'm… I'm a monster. I'm not fit to live in civilization, let alone be happy with a girl like you…”

 

Her deep blue eyes blazing, Kagome demanded answers from him. “What the hell are you talking about, Inuyasha? Why wouldn't you deserve to be happy? And what's this about being a monster? Are you a murderer or something?”

 

“No, no…” Inuyasha released one of her hands so he could use it to hide his face. “I'd better start from the beginning…” He got up, stretching his legs, and resumed pacing. Then, he began. “Kagome, you remember how I told you about the girl I was engaged to?”

 

The question caught her off guard and stung a little, so she couldn't answer at first. Then she nodded, adding, “Yeah, Kikyou. She was murdered. You didn't…”

 

He cut her off with a wave of his hand and a glare. “No. This isn't about that. You see, the thing is… Kikyou and I… we were happy, but we weren't… happy. I mean, I was happy, but she was always worried about what people thought, how the gods would look at her family, and what our kids would be like…”

 

Hearing the intimate details of their relationship - especially that they had discussed having children - made Kagome's blood heat with jealousy, but she reigned it in, hoping to hear where this was all leading. “Inuyasha, what does that have to do with-”

 

He held up a finger, asking for her patience. But he became very quiet and somber very suddenly, so his gesture was unneeded. He was quiet for a long time before he spoke again. Kagome could swear she saw his honey-brown eyes glisten with tears. After what seemed like five whole minutes, he was collected enough to continue.

 

“She…” He had to stop once more, not able to get the words out. But he knew he had to continue if he was going to be fair to Kagome. If she hated him after this, so be it. It was his fate to be an outcast, anyways.

 

“She…” he began again, only pausing for a moment this time, “she didn't accept me the way I was. She didn't love me for what I am. She wanted me to change; to be like her.”

 

“I… I don't understand,” Kagome said, feeling close to tears herself. It was hard, hearing that some woman screwed him up enough that he could barely get the words out. And the fact that she didn't accept him totally and irrevocably made a tiny splinter of darkness appear in her pure soul.

 

Inuyasha sighed. It was now or never. They only way she would understand was if he told her now. But there was so much to tell…

 

“Kagome, I'm-”

 

A sharp, insistent knock on her front door made Kagome's head snap up and away from Inuyasha. He scowled, listening for who it could be.

 

“I'll get it,” Kohaku called from the living room, where he was watching a movie. He had barely gotten off the couch before the person knocked again, louder and more urgently.

 

Inuyasha stood, facing the bedroom entryway. He was ready to fight, if it was Kouga, or worse - his brother.

 

They heard the teenager open the door, and then all was quiet for a few seconds. Inuyasha was afraid for the boy for a moment - how could he put the kid in such danger? - but relaxed when the stranger spoke. Until what the presence of said person could mean hit him.

 

Kagome heard a sweet, melodic voice politely apologize for banging on the door, and then she asked for Inuyasha. Was he seeing someone else? Did his other girlfriend come looking for him? Inuyasha noticed the panic in Kagome's eyes and smiled at her, easing her nerves slightly. Then he motioned towards the door. She followed as he strode into the living room.

 

“Rin,” he said menacingly. “What the hell are you doing here?”

 

Kagome's eyes widened as she realized who it was she was looking at. The girl - young woman - could only be about sixteen or so, but she dressed a little more grown up than other sixteen year olds. She had beautifully tanned skin - it looked like she sunbathed every day of her life - and eyes that were a warm brown, although they were currently blazing with restrained anger. Her hair - the same color of her eyes - was short and pixie-like, with spikes in disarray that gave her a sophisticated yet wild look. Her pale pink lips shone with gloss and her cheeks were flushed - with anger or with makeup, she wasn't sure - but the girl wore no other makeup. Kagome thought the teenager could be a model.

 

“Uncle Inuyasha,” Rin said in a calm voice, although her eyes betrayed her, “where have you been? I was worried! I haven't seen you in days; that's not like you!”

 

“I can take care of myself, Rin. Run along home,” he said in a rough voice he knew she would understand as an inu command. She may be human, but living in a house - or mansion - with two mature - or immature - dog demon - or hanyou - males will teach you a thing or two. Especially about pack order. Fortunately, she was the only female, and therefore Alpha. But she had witnessed many fights between the brothers over many things, and she knew the deep, growly voice was intended as a warning.

 

Rin was about to give Inuyasha a piece of her mind when Kagome interrupted.

 

“I-I'm sorry, but we've never met. I'm Kagome,” she was curious as to why the younger girls' expression turned to shock when she had said her name. “I, uh, have heard many things about you. Good things,” she said, nervous.

 

Rin gave a short bark of a laugh. “Ha! I'm sure,” she said sarcastically.

 

“No, really,” Kagome said placatingly. “And I've been wanting to meet you, but I guess you live with him, and I haven't even been to his home yet.”

 

Rin smiled at her. “Well, we would die waiting for Inuyasha to bring someone home. I'm sorry, it's nice to meet you…” she paused, trying out the name, as if trying to place it with the face, “Kagome.”

 

They shook hands, and Rin looked over at Kohaku, who was shyly staying out of the conversation. She gazed at him expectantly, but he said nothing. Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha intervened.

 

“This is Kohaku, Sango's brother.”

 

Rin's eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh! Kohaku! I've heard so much about you. You never come over, so… Well, whatever. I'm glad we finally get to meet.”

 

A shy smile graced Kohaku's features, and he nodded once. “Rin.”

 

Then she turned back to Kagome. “You have a lovely home, Kagome. Everything is decorated so nice.”

 

“Thank you, Rin,” Kagome beamed. She was beginning to really like the girl.

 

“You have to come see my house one day. I'm sure Se-”

 

Inuyasha was so fast, everyone gaped. He clasped a hand over Rin's mouth so hard, she made a muffled `ow' sound.

 

“Er, sorry. Don't know what came over me,” he said nervously.

 

Fortunately, Rin took the hint. “Well… you should come over one day. When Inuyasha's ready to bring you, we'll have a dinner party,” she said, turning back to Kagome. Then she turned to scowl at her uncle. He glared in return.

 

Rin had never known a girlfriend of Inuyasha's - or Sesshoumaru's. She had no women in her life, save for her teachers. There was one maid that was female, but out of deference for the Dog General's sons, she made no move to speak to Rin, only if absolutely necessary. Her adoptive father brought home no women, although she didn't know why. Her adoptive uncle brought home no women because he was grieving; and he was still hurt by the actions of that woman. She knew of Kikyou from her Uncle's stories, but what happened, happened a long time ago, before she came to live with them.

 

But she wasn't stupid. She knew Sesshoumaru went on dates; lipstick on collars and phone numbers in pockets were easy to decipher. So whoever he was dating now wasn't a shock to her. However, she had never seen Inuyasha take an interest in any woman, so despite the fact that he hadn't `brought her home' - and his obvious yet puzzling avoidance at saying his brothers' name - she knew he was ready. And by the looks the two sent each other's ways, they were getting serious. Perhaps… perhaps Kagome didn't know he was a half-demon? Was that why he hadn't yet brought her to meet the family? Rin smirked to herself. Then again, maybe he was just worried Sesshoumaru would steal her.

 

“I'd like that,” Kagome said, recapturing the girl's attention. “When he's ready, of course.” She looked to the man in question, and he nodded.

 

“Soon,” he said.

 

Rin and Kagome both grinned, and Inuyasha flushed under their attentions.

 

“Er, I think I'm gonna go for a walk,” Kohaku said suddenly, turning for the door.

 

“I'll go with you,” Rin said cheerily. Then she turned to Kagome, a serious look on her face. “Unless… I'm sorry, Kagome. I don't mean to be rude. I just… who knows when I'll ever see this one-” she pointed her thumb at Kohaku over her shoulder, “again. I have a feeling I'll see you again.” She winked at Kagome, who giggled.

 

“Go ahead,” Kagome said, shooing them out.

 

When the door closed, Inuyasha let out a gust of air. Kagome laughed.

 

“It's sweet how much she cares about you. You shouldn't have worried her,” Kagome chastised gently.

 

“Keh. Thinks she's the freakin' hen of the house. What I do is my own business!”

 

Kagome smiled. “Yeah, it is. But, we women worry. It's our job. And the thing we worry about the most is the person we love.”

 

He was captured by her gaze, and her words rang through his mind. He had to tell her.

 

“Kagome, what I was trying to tell you before…”

 

He had captured her interest, and she leaned towards him, interested.

 

“Ya see, I'm a-”

 

A loud tone filled the room which Inuyasha recognized as `Paradise City'. He searched for its' cause, but Kagome had beat him to it. She was already halfway to her bag, which contained her phone. She found the phone, looking at it for only a second before shutting off the alarm and swearing colorfully.

 

“I… I have to go…”

 

Inuyasha scowled, angry. “Who is it?”

 

“No, no, no…” she said placatingly, putting her hands out in front of her. “That was my alarm. I totally forgot that I have an interview…”

 

“A job interview?”

 

Kagome nodded. “Yeah, I gotta go change… I'm so sorry.”

 

“Oh, I didn't know,” he said mostly to himself. “Why don't I take you?”

 

Kagome's eyes became huge saucers of blue. “Er, no. I mean, don't trouble yourself-”

 

“It's not any trouble, woman,” he growled.

 

“No! I mean, why don't you stay - all of you. Stay here and wait for me to get back. I would still like to talk to Rin, and even Kohaku. Will you stay?”

 

Inuyasha sighed. Obviously, he wasn't going to win this one. He wanted to follow her - she was acting very suspicious - but he knew Rin wouldn't allow it. She couldn't have gone far. He nodded, letting Kagome know they would stay.

 

Kagome squealed with delight as she clapped, then she kissed Inuyasha on the cheek as she jogged by, returning to her bedroom to change.

 

Inuyasha had a funny feeling about this. He wasn't sure what it was, but already he knew that something was fishy.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- ---

 

Dressed in a pair of skin-tight black pants and a tight, pink, strappy tank top - Inuyasha had nearly forced himself to go with her; it was obvious he was suspicious of someone who goes to an interview dressed this way - Kagome walked into Summertime, a strip club approximately a mile down the street from the campus. She had foregone anything she normally deemed appropriate; any job she was going to get at this place was going to require her to be scantily clad, so she would use her curves to get the job she wanted. The bus had taken too long, and she would go out of her way to get to the train station, so she had walked; she had taken her books out of the denim messenger bag and placed a pair of silver stilettos inside, which she now wore. Her thong sandals, which she had worn to walk here, now rested inside the bag.

 

A burly man dressed entirely in black stepped into her view as she walked the carpet that led into the viewing area. She had just caught the eye of a man at the bar - he had eyes so bright they seemed red, as well as long, wavy, black hair that hung loosely around his pale, angular face - when the bouncer stopped her. He eyed her, and Kagome felt dirty.

 

“Can I do something for you?” he asked wryly.

 

Obviously, she wasn't here for her health. “I have an interview with Mr. Bordacio,” she said quietly.

 

He nodded knowingly; he knew all their employees, and he also knew the manager was expecting someone. He reached for a device that was attached to a wire that ran from his ear to his waist, and spoke into it. Seconds later, another burly man - this one was shorter and had longer hair - came out from a hidden doorway to their left.

 

“Tim,” was all the introduction she got, and she told him her name as he led her through the way he had just come. They only walked a short, straight distance, and then on the right, there was a doorway. “Right through there,” he said, then stood aside, as if he were guarding the door.

 

Her hand shaking and her mind balking at what she was about to do, Kagome reached for the knob and turned.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------

 

In reality, the interview hadn't been as bad as she thought. It had been much, much, worse.

 

Mr. Bordacio - Anthony, he insisted - was intent on Kagome being a dancer. She had exotic looks, he told her, and some men would really pay to see an Asian stripper. Kagome took offense, then had told him politely in no uncertain terms that she was not going to strip.

 

They had sat in silence for a few moments, the club manager thinking of a way to change her mind and Kagome wondering what in seven hells had compelled her to show up to the interview. Like an answer - from heaven or hell, she wasn't sure - memories flashed through her mind: her brother telling her that her mother and grandfather would be homeless soon; Sesshoumaru offering to pay her tuition; Sango grilling her on the reason she didn't buy anything for herself. Oh yes, that was it. She had declined every offer for help. And for good reason - Kagome wanted to fend for herself. So in order to prove to herself - and to the others - that she could indeed provide for herself, she had to do whatever it took. And that included interviews with sleazy strip-club managers.

 

In the end, the muscular, tanned, expensively-dressed man had offered her something she couldn't refuse: she would work as a waitress for a few weeks to get a feel of how things worked, then she would become a bartender, and if it was okay with her once she had been tending bar for a while, she would learn to strip. At first, she had balked at the idea when he mentioned the last part. But he filled her head with promises. She nearly dropped her jaw on the floor when she learned that a month's tips as a stripper could pay her mothers' mortgage and her tuition expenses. It made the task of baring ones' self to strange men almost… appealing. But she knew it would never get to that, so Kagome agreed on the proposition. He told her to come in on Sunday - the slowest day - to begin her training. She agreed, filled out some paperwork and left, taking the bus purposely to delay her homecoming.

 

She trudged home and faked a smile when she walked in the door. The teenagers greeted her whole-heartedly, and Inuyasha smiled at her, but there was a reservation in his eyes that made her curious. Again, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as she sat on her couch, squeezing between Inuyasha and Kohaku. Rin laughed gaily as she was squished between Kohaku and the arm of the couch, and she practically ended up in the boy's lap, which made him nervous. Kagome listened to the chatter and found it made her happy to be surrounded by friends.

 

She and Nikki had always been close and loved each other's company, but their apartment had never been the place everyone hung out at. Her blonde friend had always been a party girl, and Kagome was happy following in her wake as long as she was included. But it was always `this is the place to be' or `that's where everyone wants to go'; Kagome never really had a say in where they went or what they did unless it was directly involving her, such as her birthday. And even then, if it was a surprise - like her twenty-first birthday at Club Deep in South Beach - no one took her into consideration. She would have rather had her family flown in, a nice gathering at home.

 

All at once, the grief of her sham of a social life and the weight of her now-impending next birthday loomed over her. She suddenly felt so tired. She didn't even hear Inuyasha when he excused himself. But then he grabbed her hand and pulled her once more into her bedroom. He had pushed her backwards towards the bed by looming over her, stepping close whenever she took a step back. She was unafraid, but his odd behavior made her curious.

 

When the backs of her legs bumped against the bed, he roughly pushed her down and pounced, covering her petite body with his own lithe, muscular frame. He pressed down on her and pressed his lips to hers. A shot of electricity coursed through Kagome's veins and suddenly, she forgot everything else. With a sigh, she allowed him entrance, and they explored each other's warm, wet mouths. Inuyasha placed a hand behind her head, pulling her closer to him. Then slowly, he let her go, their pants the only sound in the room.

 

He looked down to find Kagome's cheeks flushed rosy, her eyes half-closed and her hair spread around her in glossy, ebony waves. He brushed her bangs aside and smiled, noticing that her weariness had passed; she finally looked normal. As Kagome controlled her breathing, she began to giggle. Inuyasha looked at her curiously.

 

“What's so funny?” he asked, her mirth contagious enough to make a grin spread on his face.

 

Kagome ceased her laughing, but a smile still graced her features. “Nothing, actually. I guess it was some sort of stress relief.” She laughed again, despite herself.

 

“What's the matter?” he asked, suddenly concerned.

 

Kagome smirked. “Who said anything was wrong?”

 

Inuyasha looked at her askance, an eyebrow raised. “Seriously?” he asked, amused. When she cocked an eyebrow in response, he felt compelled to enlighten her. He lifted her so that she sat upright on the bed alongside him. “Since you walked in the door, you've been a big ball of tension. Shoulders all bunched up and shit. On top of that, you've been forcin' yourself to smile.”

 

She looked at him incredulously. “You noticed all that?”

 

He seemed self-conscious suddenly, looking away. “Well…”

 

“You're right.”

 

Inuyasha's eyebrows met in a frown.

 

“I guess I am pretty stressed. I mean, I have so many decisions to make. All these things that I think about even when I sleep. I need a job, I need to finish school, I need to…”

 

Inuyasha placed a finger on her lips, silencing her. “Kagome, you don't hafta do anything except be yourself,” he told her.

 

Then he took her in his arms and held her gently. After a few moments, Kagome released a long sigh, and she felt better. Then Inuyasha pulled away, looking at her seriously. This intrigued Kagome, so she waited for him to speak.

 

It took a minute, but he didn't disappoint. He glanced at the doorway first, listening for the sounds in the other room. Of course, the two teenagers in the living room already knew, but he had been living in secrecy all his life, so it was an involuntary reaction. With a winded sigh, he began.

 

“I… I keep trying to tell you something, Kagome. I really like you, so…” He blushed, and Kagome placed a hand on his, to which he shied away. “I told you about Kikyou.” She nodded. “I told you she didn't love me for who I am. For what I am.”

 

Kagome nodded again, but looked at him quizzically as he finished his last sentence. Could this man be a demon as well? With two confessions from the other men already, she wondered what the possibility of attracting three demon suitors was while Inuyasha drew the courage to say what he must. And really, she didn't see what the big deal was. If he was a demon, why was he so afraid to say so?

 

It took nearly two whole minutes, but Kagome was patient, and finally, Inuyasha drew in a deep breath and huffed it out.

 

“Kagome, I'm hanyou.”

 

“Han-you?” she repeated. She knew the word, but the fact that she hadn't heard it much in conversation or even knew thy existed temporarily left her without air in her lungs.

 

She knew he was searching for some sign of rejection, and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction, but she couldn't help the widening of her eyes and the little `o' shape her mouth had taken the form of.

 

He obviously didn't read too much into it, because he continued.

 

“Kagome, my mother was a human princess about five hundred years ago. And… My father was a demon.”

 

Now, Kagome couldn't help the incredulous look on her face. But Inuyasha wasn't done.

 

With a slow, deliberate motion, Inuyasha reached up and took the baseball cap off his head, revealing a set of large, white, furry ears.

 

“Oh, my,” Kagome said.

 

------END CHAPTER--------

 

PB: MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!! You all wanted Inuyasha to tell Kagome, and I promised I would in this chapter, right? Well, I did NOT promise I would put in her reaction! Sit on THAT until the next chapter! MUAHAHAHA!!!!

 

Kagome: *whispers* I think she's lost it…

 

Sango: *whispers* I think you're right.

 

Miroku: Well, no sense in letting it get to us. Let's just relax on the beach. Preferably a nude beach…

 

*SLAP*

 

Miroku: Ow.

 

Sango: You deserved it, pervert.

 

Kagome: Besides, there's only one topless beach in Miami, and it's too far away…

 

Inuyasha and Miroku: There IS?!

 

Kagome and Sango: *sigh*

 

Sesshoumaru: I think they have gotten off track.

 

Rin: Yeah, well, what do you expect from the Inu-tachi?

 

Kohaku: So, like we were saying, PitaBread is going to work on her other story now, `That's the Way Love Goes'. After two chapters in a row, she's gonna let `Choices' hang on that precipice of a cliffhanger.

 

Rin: Oh, awesome! I LOVE “That's the Way Love Goes”! We're just, uh, getting to the good part… *blush*

 

Kohaku: Er, yeah, I guess we are…

 

Sesshoumaru: What is the meaning of this? What have you two been up to?

 

Rin: Er, nothing… You know, we just got together, Sesshoumaru. It's not like we…

 

Kohaku: Right, we haven't uh…

 

Sesshoumaru: *glares*

 

PitaBread: Right then. Before Sesshoumaru beheads Kohaku, I'll just say `thanks for reading!' Hope you all enjoyed, my little wallabies!