InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Decisions ❯ Stalemate ( Chapter 18 )

Chapter 18: Stalemate

Kikyo watched her cousin lay into her punch bag and rolled her eyes at Ranmaru who shrugged at her.

“Kagome, I don't think the bag can take much more” Kikyo warned

“Don't care” Kagome fumed

“Why are you so angry anyway?” Kikyo demanded

“He kissed me” she bit out

“And that's a bad thing?” Kikyo asked raising a brow

“It is when I didn't want him to, or even if I did...” she trailed off and looked confused “whatever he's still an ass”

“Kagome”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember when we were around twelve and we went to that summer camp together?”

“Yeah”

“Do you remember how we had to choose what activities we were going to be doing for the two weeks?”

“Yeah and you chose swimming for me even though you knew I couldn't swim” Kagome mock glared at her cousin

“You were really angry at me for a very long time because I'd done it without your permission, but by the end of the camp you could swim really well”

“Please don't tell me you're trying to draw parallels between camp and my situation with Sesshoumaru” Kagome pouted

“I'm trying to point out that when someone wrongs you like that you seem to handle the grudge in a very petty manner. Sesshoumaru was doing something he thought would help you, maybe he was being presumptuous but he was in the end trying to help” Kikyo fixed her cousin with a gimlet stare “I'd be very disappointed with you if you didn't forgive him”

“But he's sleeping with other women!” Kagome exclaimed

“You are shunning him Kagome, what other choices does he have. Think of it from his perspective, you've thrown back his generosity in his face and as such you've insulted his pride. It's probably the first time any female has ever turned Sesshoumaru down like that and in retaliation he's sleeping with a lot of women” Kikyo shrugged “I don't see the problem”

Kagome did a gold-fish impression as she gazed at her cousin, she'd never heard her talk for that long before and she was being told off?

“I'm being a brat” Kagome said slowly looking down at the floor of her flat she bit her bottom lip hard enough to make it bleed. She met Kikyo's eyes “I need to apologise right?”

Kikyo nodded sagely and watched her cousin walk into her bedroom and shut the door. She wondered if their relationship would be able to go back to the way it had been.

***

Kagome looked at herself in her mirror.

“I'm sorry” she said calmly “I probably shouldn't have been such an ass about everything but I'm not used to depending on people. I didn't mean most of the things I've said to you recently, when I'm angry my temper generally makes me say things I don't really mean” she threw herself onto the bed and started to pummel the pillows. “It sounds ridiculous!” she fumed “why can't I apologise?”

The phone rang and she nearly fell off the bed in shock she picked up the phone and put it straight back down again, there was only one person who called her at such obtrusive times. And to be honest she wasn't in the mood to deal with Naraku.

She gazed up at the ceiling. “Guess I have to be the bigger man... woman”

***

Sesshoumaru was not in the least amused. He was sat in the coffee shop, as instructed, waiting for Kagome to put in an appearance, but after recent events he wasn't sure whether she was going to slap him again or not.

He wondered if she wanted an apology, because he refused to give one. He wouldn't apologise for doing something to help her, someone he thought of as a member of his pack.

“Hi” Kagome's voice snapped him out of his reverie as she sat down opposite him.

He nodded his head in acknowledgement.

“Okay” she inhaled deeply “I want to apologise for being a brat and for saying that I hated you. I don't really hate you but when I get angry I tend to say things I don't mean” she rubbed the bridge of her nose “I'm not used to people doing things without my consent and I tend to be really agitated when they do”

“That was agitated?” he raised a brow

She blushed “Okay, so maybe I threw a full scale temper tantrum”

“Quite possibly”

“I'm trying to apologise here and you're not making it any easier” she accused

He regarded her in silence and she sighed.

“I am sorry” she said “but if we are going to have any kind of relationship you need to inform me about things before you go making huge decisions on your own”

“This Sesshoumaru is Inu” he informed her “Inu help their pack and for that this Sesshoumaru will not apologise”

“Um... okay, I guess” she frowned at him “where does this leave us, I mean I swallowed a lot of pride to do this today and I don't even know what to do now. I mean do we go back to our previous relationship, whatever that was?”

“This Sesshoumaru believes this is called a stalemate”

“Neither had triumphed” she closed her eyes “but we have both failed”

“Indeed”

“I just wanted you to know I'm not angry anymore, but I don't know what to do anymore” she rubbed the bridge of her nose again

“Perhaps we carry on as we did before” he suggested hopefully

“But what were we before all this?” she asked

“This Sesshoumaru does not know” he admitted

“I guess we're just acquaintances” she suggested

He frowned, that was not nearly intimate enough for his liking. “That is agreeable”

She sighed, that hadn't been the answer she's really wanted. “Before we move on to anything more intimate it would be nice for you to respect me”

“It would be agreeable if you would not disrespect me too” he pointed out

“Yeah” she mumbled “bye then” and she shot from the cafe, leaving behind a severely confused Sesshoumaru. Had they just made up or not?

***

The next two months the two lived inside their little stalemate. When they met they were polite and cordial, there was no yelling but there was definitely no banter as there had always been between the pair. Ranmaru and Rin were at a loss, they weren't fighting anymore but the casual indifference was nearly as bad.

It seemed a new plan was in order.

***

Sesshoumaru glared up at the school building, he was really not looking forward to this. It was Rin's parents evening and as such he was required to attend because of his role as Rin's guardian. This meant he was probably going to come into contact with Kagome again.

Rin was acting impervious to the Yokai's misgivings as she skipped along merrily at his side.

The evening had been bearable, at least if he ignored the fact that the entire teaching staff was watching him and that Kagome was ignoring him it went plenty well.

He watched the other parents mill around and cast him calculating looks but didn't care. He was looking for someone in particular. He spotted Kagome leave the main hall and snarled softly as he watched someone who looked particularly familiar follow her.

Kagome leant her forehead against the cool wall of the corridor, she really loved parents evenings where she got to learn more about her pupils but Sesshoumaru's presence was giving her a headache. She hadn't known how to define their relationship before the argument and she sure as hell didn't know how to define it now.

“Ka-Go-Me” said a voice that she really didn't need to hear right now. She spun around to see the small demon boy she knew from Ayame's class with the taller more menacing figure of Naraku.

“Naraku-san” she acknowledged

“I take it you know my nephew, Hakudoshi”

The small silver haired boy glared at Naraku, absolute hatred clearly visible in his eyes.

“Yes” Kagome smiled at the boy who gave a polite nod in return “he is talented in Maths”

Hakudoshi looked stunned for a moment before offering a small smile which Kagome returned wholeheartedly.

Naraku frowned at the child “Go back to the hall”

The child gave him one last look filled with loathing before turning and doing as he was asked.

“So, Ka-Go-Me” he said smoothly as he stepped closer to her, successfully infringing on her personal space. She didn't want to admit it but this man scared her and though outwardly she appeared calm her heart was beating a mile per minute. She knew she couldn't use her reiyouku whilst there were so many demons in the building; she would incur panic.

“Please stay away from me” she commanded backing up so that her back pressed against the wall.

He smirked and leaned in closer before pulling away as if he had been shocked and glaring at the third figure suddenly present in the corridor.

“This Sesshoumaru believes that you should be going” Sesshoumaru stared Naraku down and Naraku gave a noise of derision before stalking off.

Sesshoumaru watched him leave and shook his head. “He is more trouble than he is worth” he said before turning back to Kagome “are you okay?”

She dived at him and hugged him so hard he wondered if she were not Yokai. But the moment passed so quick that it left him breathless.

She sprung away from him and bowed before smiling slightly “Arigato”

The Yokai nodded at her “You are welcome”

Two children watched from the darkness and smiled slightly, this was much better.

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha. Slowly but steadily! Kagome snapped out of it with help from Kikyo and they're even being civil! Thank you all for your kind reviews!