InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Confessions of a Broken Heart ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 8 )

****Though not described in detail, this story does deal with rape so be warned if that sort of topic bothers you****

 

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Author's Notes: Just a word of warning for this chapter: it has MAJOR fluff content so, if you're one of those people who get cavities really easily I'd proceed with caution. I thought about ditching the chapter all together and rewriting it, but after letting it sit for two days and rereading it, I found that I liked it so it's staying! Anyway, I hope you like it! Enjoy!

 

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Title: Confessions of a Broken Heart

 

Author: dolphingirl0113

 

Chapter: Seven

 

Rating: PG-13 (rated for violence, language, and implied sexual situations)

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

 

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The breeze was a welcome change from the stuffy air of the gym, and Kagome found herself inhaling a deep, refreshing breath, the cool air washing through her lungs like cold water. She sighed, thinking about how everything in her life was finally starting to look up, just like whenever she worked with a jigsaw puzzle and finally started figuring out where the different pieces needed to fit.

 

Nearly two weeks had gone by since she had first come back home with Inuyasha at her side, having made her resolution to fight her melancholy with everything she had. The first few days had been, bluntly put, hell, with nearly everything causing her heart to race, her skin to crawl, and her fingers to go cold with fear, but with the slow passage of time Kagome could feel herself finally starting to slip back into the comfortable routine she had once called her life, and was beginning to believe, finally, that perhaps it really was possible to move on.

 

Her trainer, Julie, was wonderful, always encouraging when kind words were needed, but at the same time tough too, never allowing Kagome to slack off or whine about anything. And even though some days Kagome felt like she was going to be worked to death, and that when she finally collapsed on her bed at night she would never rise again, each morning she proved herself wrong…and she was slowly starting to reap the rewards of her disciplined efforts.

 

Amazingly, in the short time Kagome had been working with Julie, she was already running up to thirty minutes a day, and found that she could easily disarm the trainer in a mock fight, though, granted, the blonde trainer was only fighting at about half her actual potential. Still, it was encouraging, considering the fact that, aside from archery, Kagome had no idea going into the experience how to even punch correctly. The only means of self-defense she'd known was to kick a male attacker in the groin…much to Inuyasha's dismay the first time he'd tried to help her practice in the shrine courtyard.

 

School was improving as well. Her grades were better, though part of that was merely due to the fact that, for the first time in a long time, she had actually been in school for a record two weeks straight. But more then that, her classmates, as she'd predicted, had finally stopped staring at her like she was a freak animal at the zoo, and moved on instead to their next victim, a poor girl suffering from a severe acne attack.

 

The play was coming along too. She and Hojo had managed to rehearse the ballroom scene without incident, and Kagome had managed to prevent herself from pulling out of the fake kiss, and had no problem dancing with `Count Paris'. The only problem that had presented was the fact that, unbeknownst to her, Inuyasha had been secretly watching the rehearsal, kiss and all, and it had only been after several bowls of ramen and nearly two hours of explanations that the hanyou had finally understood that the kiss was not real, but rather merely pretend. Even so, he had not been pleased, and still threatened to punch the poor, unsuspecting Hojo if the need ever arose.

 

Kagome couldn't help but crack a grin at the memory. He was so protective, and yet, that was one of the many things she loved about him. He was so passionate about everything he attempted in life, putting his whole heart and soul into the very essence of living, and that frequently slopped over into their relationship.

 

“Inuyasha…”

 

She truly loved having him around, just his presence enough to make her feel safe and happy in a way Hojo, Kouga, and any other man in her life ever could. And these days he truly was everywhere, just like he'd promised he would be; walking her to school, taking her to the gym, eating every meal at her side, and then talking to her late into the night before settling down at the foot of her bed and playing the role of the sentry.

 

Sometimes Kagome would find herself caught up in daydreams, and frequently wondered if this is what life would be like were they to get married…but would always stop herself with a hot blush on her cheeks, along with a slight pang of sorrow in her heart. After all, she had to remind herself nearly every day of her life, her hanyou, her beloved Inuyasha, was promised to another.

 

The sun was just starting to disappear, turning the sky into a pinkish red maze of colors, and Kagome looked up in awe at the shear beauty of the early evening. She loved both sunrise and sunset, when the world seemed to have been painted over with the colors of some amazing artist.

 

And that particular night was special, as she was very aware of the fact that she was completely alone on the sidewalk. It was the first time she had walked home alone from anywhere since the night she had been raped, and it felt, surprisingly, very liberating, like she had stepped out of a pair of chains, her feet light on the ground beneath her despite the fact that her muscles ached from another long afternoon of exercise. She was so happy, in fact, that she had to resist the ridiculous urge to skip.

 

That morning she had insisted to both Hojo and Inuyasha, separately, of course, that she wanted to do everything that day on her own, without their help or hovering shadows. Neither man had liked the idea, though Inuyasha had been more verbal with his opinions, but in the end both had agreed, although Kagome had a sneaking suspicion the silver-haired hanyou had followed her to school that morning, and not too far away in the afternoon when she'd walked to the gym either.

 

The shrine steps finally came into view, and Kagome sighed as her muscles seemed to relax in relief, knowing that the time for a hot bath and an early bed time were in order. She couldn't wait to wash away the grime and stress of the day, but her mood instantly soured as she walked towards the front door and found a note taped, yet again, to the knob. Sighing in exasperation, she knew exactly what it was without having to read it.

 

It was another `message' from Ted Wilkins.

 

Before anyone had a chance to see it, she stuffed the paper into her pocket, feeling all the joy from the day vanishing instantly as she opened the door. Why couldn't the bastard just leave her alone? Without meaning to, she started muttering to herself, walking right by Inuyasha without so much as a glance.

 

“Kagome! You're ten minutes late! You said you would be back at…” The hanyou trailed off, following the girl with his finger, which had been poised to attack the moment she walked through the door, listening as she mumbled several incoherent words under her breath.

 

“Incompetent fool! Who does he think he is? Can't he just leave me alone for one minute? Why is he bothering me this much?”

 

“Kagome?” She was making no sense, and Inuyasha cocked his head to one side, trying to puzzle through the strange words. What was going on?

 

She disappeared into her room, and Inuyasha followed after a few minutes of standing in the stairwell like an idiot, his finger still pointing at air. When he walked in, he found her hastily shoving a small book of some kind under her bed before standing and turning to look at him with a fake smile. That set him on edge instantly, knowing she was hiding something.

 

“Inuyasha!” She exclaimed happily, to which he frowned.

 

“Kagome, what's going on?” She smiled again in reply, and he cringed at how sugary sweet it was. That was her silent signal that she didn't want to talk about it…whatever `it' happened to be.

 

She walked up and hugged him briefly before pulling back, her face still smiling like a plastic Barbie doll. “Nothing's wrong, Inuyasha. So how are you doing?”

 

He snapped. “What the hell does that mean? How am I? Don't try and wriggle out of answering my question, wench!”

 

She hardened her eyes slightly. “I told you…nothing is going on. Why are you pushing the subject?”

 

“Because you're a horrible liar and I can tell that you're hiding something from me!”

 

“I am not!” Kagome stepped back and looked positively furious as she placed her hands on her hips. God, he loved it when she did that, though for the life of him Inuyasha couldn't understand why, considering the fact that the gesture never boded well for him. He usually ended up either kissing the ground or sleeping far away from her the coming evening.

 

He remained firm, and crossed his own arms. “Quit lying to me, Kagome! Are you so stupid that you think I don't figure these kinds of things out?”

 

“Don't call me stupid, baka!”

 

“I'm a baka?” He smirked. “Try looking in the mirror, wench!”

 

“SIT!!!”

 

Inuyasha had come to the conclusion that the carpet, or any form of the ground, for that matter, was not meant for such an impact, because it never seemed nearly so soft and forgiving when he hit it going so fast. He glared up at Kagome. “Stu-stupid woman,” he muttered, but Kagome simply rolled her eyes.

 

“Get over yourself, Inuyasha. Dinner's ready.” And with that she walked out the door without so much as a second glance, the last remaining threads of her good mood gone.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

Miroku was pacing again, Sango observed with concern. For nearly four days, the monk had seemed extremely agitated about something, which meant he had taken to pacing back and forth in front of Kaede's hut in the evenings as a result, creating a convenient little path of footprints that the demon exterminator feared would soon become a permanent addition to the environment. And yet she couldn't, for the life of her, understand what was going on. Was it because Inuyasha and Kagome had been gone so long? That made no sense…Miroku had never been one to worry overmuch about anything…at least not in front of people.

 

“Miroku, are you alright?” She finally asked, deciding she could take no more of his annoying habit, convincing herself she was asking merely because the noise of his footsteps were driving her crazy…not because she actually cared. Unfortunately the monk didn't notice her at first, and collided with her, sending them both to the ground in a heap. But what shocked her then was the fact that he quickly scrambled to his feet…he didn't even try to grope her, even though he would have had the perfect opportunity, considering the position they'd been in. “Miroku?”

 

“Sango, forgive me. I did not see you.” He sounded distracted and looked extremely embarrassed…very unlike the Miroku she knew so well.

 

“What's wrong?” She asked, willing her voice to sound as gentle as it could as she reached out and touched his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

 

He met her gaze forcefully. “Sango, I…I have to ask you a question. May I?”

 

She blinked. He was asking for her permission? “Of…of course,” she managed to stammer, unsure of what else to say, and watched as he started pacing again, although at least this time it was in a much smaller circle. In fact, now he was circling her, and it was making her slightly dizzy.

 

“Ever since Kagome and Inuyasha left, I have been thinking a lot about…about us.” He continued to pace, not even stopping to look at her, and Sango dared not even breath, hanging on his every word. He stopped and took her hand, his eyes full of a desperation she was unfamiliar with. “Sango, if anything were to happen to you, I don't know what I would do. I think…I know my whole world would shatter.”

 

“Miroku…”

 

“I understand what Inuyasha is going through, because I know I would feel the same way were the tables reversed and it was suddenly you in Kagome's position.” His voice turned dark. “I would want nothing more than to kill the man who hurt you, and even then I would not be satisfied. I would be in so much pain because I failed to protect you like…like…” He stopped, clearly struggling for the right words. “Like the man who loves you should.”

 

Without meaning to, Sango found herself taking a step back in shock, her eyes going wide. Had he just declared that he loved her? No, that couldn't be, because this was Miroku, the man who flirted with every woman he saw…who never wanted to settle down. And yet…the look in his eyes at that moment was so sincere, so full of faith, trust, and something more, that she couldn't help but believe. “Miroku, I…”

 

“Sango,” he instantly fell to one knee and took her hand in his. She felt tears coming to her eyes. “I know I have not been very good to you sometimes, flirting with other women, being rude and offensive in the way I touch you, but…I swear to you, I will never do that again if…if you agree to marry me.” He squeezed her hands tightly. “Will you marry me, Sango?”

 

There was a long silence, and all Sango could do was manage to weep tears of joy as Miroku waited patiently on bended knee, hope etched into the very core of his being.

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

The house was absolutely silent, save for the ticking of a clock out in the hallway, which made sense since every member of the Higurashi household was currently sound asleep…save for Inuyasha, who was sitting beside Kagome's bed stewing over their most recent argument, his arms crossed and his mouth set in a grim line.

 

She was hiding something from him, he was sure of it, and that fact cut deeper than any cruel insults she could have flung his way. Why? He kept asking himself silently. Did she not trust him? Had he done something wrong? And what was it, his curious nature had to ask, that she was hiding anyway?

 

He recalled her shoving something under her bed…something that looked like a thick book. Bending down on his hands and knees as softly as he could, the hanyou tried to peer under the bed, his sharp eyes still barely managing to detect the outline of something square…but he was sure that's what he wanted, and so, reaching under the bed and through the dust that had settled beneath the mattress, he felt his hand come into contact with something solid, and drug the object out into the moonlight.

 

It wasn't a book after all, but rather one of those things Kagome called a photo album, filled with the pictures she took with that strange contraption called a camera. He stared at it for several minutes, and the frown on his face only deepened. This was what she was hiding from him? Why?

 

Opening the thick cover, he found several pictures in the front of Kagome and her friends…the ones he'd watched from afar, who he had ascertained were called Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. They were the friends that were always following Kagome around and talking too much, he thought with a grunt, recalling how he was always annoyed whenever they were around.

 

Her family was in there a lot too, with pictures of her mother, Souta, and her grandfather, sometimes posing at the shrine itself, while in other pictures standing in unfamiliar places. He smiled as he decided that Kagome looked beautiful in all of them, her smiles brighter than anyone else and her eyes dancing.

 

But then, he agreed with himself, she always looked beautiful to him.

 

Inuyasha stopped suddenly when he noticed a picture of Kagome with that Hobo guy who had been coming around the shrine so often of late. She was smiling, like always, but what the hanyou didn't like was that the boy had his arm around her shoulders…and in his opinion looking like a complete idiot. His smile was too big, and his eyes looked almost too big for his head. Keh, Inuyasha thought to himself, the guy was a genuine fruitcake. Not even Kouga was that bad.

 

Turning another page, Inuyasha was startled when several pieces of paper fell out of the album and onto the floor, looking out of place next to all the pictures. Curious, he picked them up and wondered what they were doing in the album in the first place, but as he read what they said, he began to growl loud and low.

 

There were eight total pieces of paper, each containing a threatening message, and all clearly written by the same person. It was obvious who that person was, and the hanyou didn't at all like the fact that the words were very threatening towards Kagome. No, he didn't like that fact one bit…nor did he like the fact that this is what she had been hiding from him.

 

“Kagome…” He growled, shaking her sleeping form roughly, not caring that it was nearly two in the morning.

 

Groaning, she rolled over sleepily and gave him a curious look. “Inuyasha, what is it?”

 

Perhaps it was the way she said it, sounding so innocent, or perhaps it was the fact that she had been keeping the notes hidden from him, or perhaps it was simply that he was tired of worrying and tired of feeling like her sanity was clinging to him by a fingernail. But whatever the reason, he snapped.

 

“What do you mean, what is it? How the hell could you ask me that? And how the hell could you hide something like this from me, Kagome?” He held up the letters accusingly. “That bastard's been threatening you, and you didn't tell me! Why? Do you not trust me? Do you not want me around, is that it? Do you want him to hurt you again? Do you?”

 

Still trying to recover from being so rudely removed from her sleep, Kagome blinked several times stupidly before finally managing to focus on the letters in his hand, and when she did understanding dawned as she opened her eyes wide in shocked surprise before groaning and putting a hand to her forehead as she sat up, her voice sounding worn out. “Inuyasha, look…”

 

He exploded.

 

“Don't you dare tell me this isn't a big deal, Kagome Higurashi, because it is! That bastard is following you around and watching you to make damn well sure you don't get him in trouble for what he did! He's covering his ass, and you're allowing him to get away with it! Why? Does he scare you that much? How could you want him to get away with everything he's done?”

 

That last statement hit a chord and Kagome felt her own balloon of patience burst, all the rage she'd been withholding coming to the forefront of her heart and soul. “Of course I don't want him to get away with what he's done! You think I enjoy finding notes on my doors and bedroom windows? I'm going to turn the bastard in…just not yet!” She snatched the papers out of his hand heatedly. “And I didn't want you finding out about the notes for this very reason! I knew you'd overreact!”

 

“Overreact?” His face started turning red with fury. “You didn't want me to overreact? Kagome, for god's sake, I just want you to be safe! But you're so stupidly stubborn you won't let me!”

 

She threw herself away from him, scooting down her bed. “I can take care of myself, Inuyasha!” She all but screamed. “Why else would I be going to the gym all the time and working so hard to do things on my own again?”

 

The hanyou growled. “But you can't take care of yourself all the time, Kagome, or this never would have happened! Why won't you just let me help you?”

 

She bristled at the implication that it was her fault she had been raped, even though she knew that's not what he meant, and crossed her arms, her entire body going rigid. “I let you help me all the time, Inuyasha! Frankly, I let you play the protector too much, because now look what's happened to me. The first time you're not around I get hurt…deeply.” She sucked in a deep breath and bunched the bed sheets in her hands. “I am sick and tired of always been the helpless one! Of always being the one who has to be rescued and protected! I hate the fact that Kikyou is the strong one, while I'm always stuck on the sidelines playing the nurse to the wounded men and women who return from battle! I'm sick of it, do you hear me? So for once I want to be strong and do this on my own! Why can't you understand that?”

 

Exhausted from her outburst, and from all the emotions roiling around in side her heart at that moment, Kagome collapsed into uncontrollable sobs, her entire body shaking.

 

At first Inuyasha could do nothing but stare at the fiery woman before him, used to her temper but all the same shocked by her words. Then, as the shock faded, he felt an instant pang of guilt, unable to resist the feeling that it was partially his fault that she was crying now. Maybe if he'd just been nicer a few minutes ago, but…damn it all, he couldn't help that he worried so much! Why did they always have to fight? After all, he just wanted her to be safe and happy.

 

With a growl of frustration, Inuyasha reached out and pulled the sobbing woman roughly against his chest, and felt as she clutched at his shirt, her tears running down her cheeks and into the now damp fabric. “Why can't you just stop being an idiot and let me protect you?” He huffed, though his voice had gone gentle as he ran fingers through her hair. “I know you want to be independent Kagome, and I admire you for that, but…aren't you the one who taught me its okay to ask for help from others? That it isn't a sign of weakness?”

 

Kagome was so stunned by the fact that he was holding her, and by the gentle tone in his voice, that she suddenly could no longer remember why she had been crying…all she could do was feel his beating heart against her cheek. And rather then pain or fear, all she felt as he slowly moved his hands up and down her back was a surprisingly warm sensation, as though…as though this was the most natural, perfect thing in the world.

 

“Inuyasha…” Her voice cracked as she whispered his name, and his hands stilled. She pulled away from his chest and their eyes met, full of passion, longing, and something that ran much deeper, but that they weren't quite ready to put into words for fear of the unknown. Suddenly Kagome found herself wanting…wanting something she had believed she would never want again after that night she was raped.

 

“Kagome, I…” But he was unable to finish the sentence, unsure of what he could say, not familiar with the emotions roiling around in his chest. He wanted to push her away, to hold her tightly and never let her go, run away and never look back, and to squeeze her into his very soul so that they would never be apart…yet he didn't know how he could possibly tell her that. So instead, he did the one thing his words could not express, and, slowly, lowered his head until their lips met in a passionate kiss.