InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Duck ❯ Grown Closer, Torn Apart PARTIII ( Chapter 4 )

Hello again, friends!

 

I am so SORRY about the long update… Had a little writer's block… Oopsie… Heh heh heh…

 

I was very pleased with the last chapter, just to let everybody know. And thank you all for the reviews! I feel so loved! And you are all loved!

 

In this chapter… Well, you'll see. Lots of fluff, romantic scenes, crying scenes, and lots of pain. Well, in the end part anyway…

 

I'm not going to spoil it for you.

 

A "Funnie" for your viewing pleasure:

 

Fluffy: -Looking at script- Hmmm… Apparently I appear in this chapter.

 

Kagome's Mother: -Walks in, slightly flustered- Have you read later in the script? Like, later in the story, I mean.

 

Fluffy: No, why?

 

Kagome's mother: -Shows him-

 

Fluffy: -Surprised- Oh my.

 

Kagome's mother: -Blushing- What should we do? Complain?

 

-A Pause-

 

Fluffy: Rehearse?

 

Kagome's mother: … Yes, absolutely.

 

-They walk off-

 

A hint for you all about what MIGHT happen in future chapters. I still haven't decided yet. Anywho, on with the fic!

 

DISCLAIMER: Oy, with the poodles already!

 

Chapter Four: Grown Closer, Torn Apart (Part Three)

 

 

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(Inuyasha's POV)

 

 

 

 

I couldn't believe I'd actually told all of that to her. I'd never talked about my mother like that before; it was always bottled up inside me. When she had died, I had simply shoved that into the back of my head and never thought about it until now.

 

The entire village hated her… Because of me. They hated her because I was a half demon, because that I was the lowest of all breeds… They called her whore and harlot. All of that because of me. And yet… She still loved me.

 

She still would eat meals with me; spend every last waking moment with me. She'd still talk to me and laugh with me, she's kiss me every night before bed. She still loved me after being ridiculed by the entire village. And with all of this I wonder… why? Why would she still love the thing that made everyone hate her? Why would she not reject it?

 

Perhaps it was the fact that she took comfort in something that actually did love her, that there was at least one person in the world that cared for her as much as she did everyone else. I would never know, not now anyway. All I could worry about now was Kagome.

 

I looked down at her as she rested in my lap, a dreamlike smile on her face. My arms were around her waist, my thumb gently rubbing up and down her stomach. She sighed and moved around a little. The expression on her face changed from comfort to confusion. Her hands moved up to my chest feeling around as if she couldn't remember where she was. Her eyes opened and she looked up into my smirking face.

 

"Hello there, sleepy head." I said. She smiled up at me and yawned. I watched as her mouth opened and her delicate hand came up to cover her mouth. Her eyes were closed gently and dreamily, she began to open them. She looked up at me again.

 

"How long have I been asleep?" She asked.

 

"I don't know, maybe about ten minutes." I said. She smiled again and I did the same.

 

"We should probably get going. To the mall, I mean." She looked over at that 'clock' thing, "Two-thirty. That should be plenty of time. I think they've built an art gallery there, I kind of want to check that out, if you don't mind…" She trailed off.

 

"It's alright with me." I said, shrugging. Kagome crawled out of my lap, I let out a whine. She heard it and turned to me, smirking.

 

"Did you just whine?" She asked. I just nodded. She smiled at me, "Did you not want me to leave your lap?" She asked, as if she were talking to a child.

 

I glared, "No, as a matter of fact, I didn't."

 

"Why not?" She challenged. I blushed, but my glare didn't falter.

 

"Kagome! Inuyasha! You should probably get to the mall now!" Kagome's mother yelled, "I've left some money on the counter for the train and the food court!"

 

She smiled at my blushing face and called out to her mother, "Okay mom! Thank you!" She looked at me for a moment, "Hold that thought," Whew. "C'mon, we'll miss the train!" She said excitedly. She grabbed something beside the bed, "These are your shoes, there's a sock in each of them. The socks go on first. Then put on the shoes."

 

I looked at them. They were red, and they looked a little worn. But I liked them just the same. I quickly put them on and ran down the stairs with Kagome. I said goodbye to Ms. Higurashi and Kagome's grandfather. I smiled and waved at Souta and Kagome and I left for the 'train' thing.

 

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Kagome and I had found a compartment on the train that was vacant. I sat myself across from Kagome. She smiled at me.

 

"This'll be fun, I promise." She said.

 

I looked out the window, the train wasn't moving yet, "Whatever you say."

 

The smell here was almost unbearable. But luckily, I had Kagome here with her scent to cover it up. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, sighing as I breathed out. Gods… I just wanted to smell her all day; hold her and kiss her until there was no strength left in me, till we were motionless and exhausted. I just wanted to love her.

 

If only…

 

"Inuyasha?" Her voice sounded. My heart ached with pain again. I wanted to be with her so badly; a low howl escaped me. This was turning out to be a lousy day. When I thought about what Kaede had told me… Gods… I wanted to cry, I wanted more information. But Kagome needed me… Or at least… I think she does. God! I didn't even know that!

 

"Inuyasha?" Her voice sounded again. This time, she put her hand on my shoulder, bringing herself over to me, "Are you alright? You seem upset…" I looked up at her, her beautiful face filled with worry.

 

If only…

 

She sat down next to me, her hand still on my shoulder. I just put my arms around her and sighed. I nuzzled her neck, smelling her, wanting to remember her scent.

 

For KAMI'S sake, Inuyasha! If you want her so bad, then tell her!

 

I already did!

 

You call kissing her for less than five seconds "wanting" her? You didn't even put any passion behind it! Nothing!

 

I didn't want the rejection! I… can't take it from her…

 

She doesn't reject you, you baka!She loves you! Even AS a half demon! She even told you!

 

But she might regret her words now… God, I've insulted her so much… Gone after Kikyou… I've done nothing but hurt her. I don't deserve her kindness.

 

YOU BUILT A FUCKING HOUSEFOR HER! You LOVE her! You WANT her! So go GET her!

 

I can't! She doesn't love me!

 

WHO SAYS?! You'll never know until you try.

 

In the life I've lived, it's better not to.

 

So you're not even going to try? You're not even going to kiss her?! God, you're such a coward!

 

FINE! I'll kiss her, but don't you DARE blame me for it if she rejects me!

 

Trust me on this one, pal.

 

My heartbeat quickened. My palms began to sweat. I tried to calm myself down from my nervousness; I breathed deeply and slowly as Kagome pulled away. Her eyes weren't worried anymore. They were filled with an emotion that I couldn't read… Hope, maybe. I don't know. Her hands rested gently on my shoulders as my hands were placed on her arms. I felt my eyelids begin to get heavy as my lips made their way to hers. When we had made contact, her lips were soft, just like I remembered. I gently pressed my lips against hers, moving them and kissing her softly. My hands moved down her waist, stopping just above her hips. I didn't want them to travel any farther then that, in fear that she might slap me. Kagome's hands trailed down my back slowly. I shivered. She let out a murmur and pulled away suddenly.

 

"I-I'm sorry… I just… Sorry…" I stuttered. But she didn't seem to hear me. Her eyes were closed dreamily, her voice oddly slurred when she spoke.

 

"It's alright, Inuyasha." She finally opened her eyes; they were glazed over with another emotion that I couldn't identify. The only way I could put it was… fiery. Plus… Her scent had changed dramatically… If you know what I mean. Her hands moved off of my back and onto my face. She pulled me down to her lips, kissing me forcefully. My eyes closed and I shifted so I could get more comfortable. I placed my hands on her face and she bent her neck backwards so I had better access to her lips. I dominated the kiss, my hands returning to her waist, traveling up and down it. She squeaked, but didn't pull away. Her mouth opened to me and then I-

 

WHAM!

 

Both mine and Kagome's heads smacked against the wall as the train started. I cursed and she rubbed her head. I felt the area where her hand was.

 

"You alright?" I asked.

 

"Yeah, just a little bump." She said nervously. She was blushing and she wouldn't look at me. I kissed the bump on her head; her face turned about five shades darker. I'd kissed her head before… Why was she so embarrassed?

 

Well, you know, Inuyasha. It may have to do with the fact that you'd been kissing her.

 

Well… Yeah…

 

Do something… Say something clever.

 

Like what?

 

I don't know… Comment on something she said before…

 

I smiled at Kagome. She smiled back, her face still red. I moved slightly so that she could get comfortable with my arm around her shoulders.

 

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm having fun." I said and she laughed. She sighed and closed her eyes. I leaned my head on hers and I followed suit.

 

We sat there for quite a while, just enjoying each other's company. Kagome would occasionally look up at me and smile. Most of the time, we'd just stare out the window of the train, watching the world go by. My eyes closed as I thought about our kiss. The way her hands trailed down my back, the way it sent delicious shivers down my spine… How forceful her lips were. I found myself staring down at her again, at her lips. I wanted to kiss them again. As if on cue, her head tilted upward, her eyes filled with that… Look again. And I bent down to kiss her; I could feel her warm breath coming from her mouth-

 

WHAM!

 

"Damnit! This thing has the worst timing ever!" I said angrily.

 

Kagome laughed and kissed my cheek, I instantly calmed down, "C'mon, let's get out of here."

 

My day was getting better. A whole lot better.

 

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Inside this 'mall' place, Kagome and I entered a place called "Bed, Bath, & Beyond". It was quite large; from wall to wall there were household items… Pillows, sheets, plants, dishes, and all sorts of things. Why don't we have these in the Feudal Era? We could sure use one of these. There were so many smells in here, too. Flowers, those things called 'air fresheners', a cotton type smell, and they were all mixed in with all the 'perfume' that the women in here were wearing.

 

"Okay," Kagome said, my attention turned to her, "Where should we start?" She was looking around the place, apparently searching for something. She let out an "Ah-ha!" and walked over to some place with odd contraptions used for holding things. (A/N: Grocery Carts) She pulled one out of the storage thing and walked over to a section of aisles.

 

"Maybe… Some stuff for the kitchen. Like dishes and stuff." I suggested. Kagome nodded and walked into one of the aisles. It was full of plates and bowls of all shapes, sizes, and colors. We sort of scanned the aisle, not really looking. My eyes drifted toward a set of dishes that were red and black. The plates were square and red, while the bowls were black. The cups that matched them were square-ish and tall. They had both red and black on them. I liked this set.

 

"Hey, Kagome. What about this one?" I said. She walked over with the odd contraption. She smiled.

 

"I like this one." She read the label under it, which told her how much it was. Her smile brightened, "Hey! It's on sale, too!" She picked them up and put them in the contraption. She turned to me, smiling, "Nice choice, Inuyasha." I smiled and we went on to find some cooking equipment.

 

Kagome had found a really nice set of pots and pans that were 'on sale', as she described them, and then we decided to find some knives. We were inspecting a set of them when a small child, no older than six came rushing down the aisle. He looked rather worried, his face red from running, tears rolling freely down his face.

 

"Mommy…" The boy whimpered. I frowned at him and nudged Kagome, who was still inspecting the set. I nodded toward the boy and Kagome frowned as well. The boy whimpered again as he searched the aisle frantically.

 

"Have you lost your mother, hun?" Kagome asked, crouching down to the boy. The boy could only nod. Kagome gave him a small smile, "C'mon, I'm sure she could see you better if you were out of this aisle." She suggested. The boy nodded and we walked out of the aisle, the boy sticking close to Kagome.

 

The boy looked around worriedly when we got out of the aisle. He was whimpering and clinging to my leg, grabbing at my pants. I bent down to him, looking at him straight in the eye.

 

"You worried?" I asked. The boy nodded, I smiled warmly at him, "Well, there's two things you should remember when you're worried." The boy nodded for me to go on, "One, don't ever let it get to your head. It'll drive you insane." I jerked my head to Kagome, who was watching this encounter with interest, "I should know," I said, "I've lost her countless times-"

 

"Not 'countless' times… Just-Just a few times." She said, embarrassed. I gave Kagome a look that said 'Do you mind?'. I turned back to the boy.

 

"And I've been worried sick like you are now. The next thing you should remember is that you can't act like you already know the outcome of worrying." I looked at the boy's confused face and smiled, "That means that… Well, don't act like you think your mothers' forgotten about you." I said, I pointed at him, "I guarantee that she's somewhere in this store in the exact same situation you are." I put my hand down and smiled at the boy, "So, in conclusion, if we stay still like this and let nature take its course, she'll come to us and find you here." I got nose to nose with the boy, whispering the last part, "And she might get you some candy." The boy smiled.

 

"Pocky…" He said.

 

I chuckled and nodded, remembering Shippo going nuts over the stuff, "Yes, she might get you some pocky."

 

"Kenmaru! Kenmaru!" A voice shouted. I stood up and turned to see a woman looking around frantically, her hair in disarray, clothes slightly wrinkled from stress.

 

"Miss?" I asked loudly. She turned and looked at me. She was a rather pretty woman, but the way she looked now didn't exactly suit her. "Is this who you're looking for?" I pointed to the boy. The woman let out a sigh of relief and walked quickly up to us.

 

"Thank Kami, Kenmaru. You're safe." She bent down and hugged her son tightly. I smiled, and Kagome attached herself to my arm. I looked down at her smiling face. The woman looked up from her son at us, "Thank you. If I'd lost him…" She sighed, "I don't know what I would do."

 

I smiled, "I know the feeling." Kagome looked up at me, knowing what I'd meant. The woman smiled at us.

 

"Do you have children?" The woman asked. Kagome and I both blushed; the woman smiled again, "One on the way then?"

 

Kagome's eyes widened and she said, "Oh, no. Um… We're not…" She trailed off.

 

"Not really…" I said shaking my head, embarrassed. The woman smiled at us in an odd, knowing way and thanked us again thanked us again and stood up. The boy tugged on his mother's skirt.

 

"Mommy, can I get some pocky?" He asked. The mother smiled and nodded. They walked off, hand-in-hand. The boy looked back at me and smiled. I winked and he looked away. When they were too far away to hear her, Kagome spoke.

 

"Why does everybody think I'm pregnant?" She asked, irritated.

 

"I didn't say-" She cut me off.

 

"Do I look pregnant, Inuyasha?" She demanded. I blanched, blushing.

 

I figured this was a question best left unanswered.

 

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After that little… encounter, Kagome and I shopped in silence for a while. When I'd thought about what the woman had said, about us being a couple… It made me feel happy, I guess. I smiled. I once again thought about having children with Kagome; Gods, that would be the best thing… I could picture us, all of our children in the cabin, running around and playing in the house. And Kagome and I would watch them, holding each other and smiling. And then I'd ki-

 

"Inuyasha?" I was taken out of my fantasy when I heard her voice, "Are you alright?"

 

"What?" I blushed, "Oh, oh yeah. I'm fine."

 

Kagome gave me a crooked smile, "You just look a little flushed, that's all." She put her hand on my forehead, checking for a fever, "You are a little hot… Let's pay for our things and get out of this store." She took her hand off of my head and smiled warmly, "We'll check out the art gallery after, how does that sound?"

 

I shrugged, "It's fine with me."

 

Her head tilted thoughtfully, she smiled, "That was really nice… What you did for that boy, I mean." She said.

 

I said, "Well… Must have gotten it from you. I mean, you're really good with Shippo and Sesshomaru's girl… What's her face…?" I trailed off, trying to think of her name.

 

"Rin," She said, "Her name is Rin."

 

"Yeah… You're really good with them." I said. I shrugged.

 

"What happened with you and Shippo, Inuyasha?" She asked.

 

"What do you mean?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

 

"How come you two are all… friend-like now?" She asked.

 

I scratched the back of my head nervously, "Well… I apologized to him… For everything; we talked for a good long time."

 

She smiled, "Well, that's good." She changed the subject, "C'mon, let's get this paid for."

 

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Kagome and I were headed toward this 'art gallery' thing. This… 'mall' was HUGE. There was a hell of a lot of people. I was distracted by the many sights and sounds. The sounds of the people laughing and talking. The many bright lights. It was almost too much to take in. Then we came to a plain looking part of the mall. There was no color or sounds. There was just a small little entrance to the art gallery. It looked… Open on the inside. Hardly any people, and all of them were wearing black. They probably worked there. Kagome smiled and took my hand as we walked in.

 

There were many very odd paintings in this place. I didn't really like them… So strange… Like being in a very confusing dream. There were people in this world that had learned to appreciate this kind of art. Though they were strange, I had to admit that there were a few that I liked. Kagome led me over to a section of sketches.

 

She stood in front of me, blocking my view of them, an eager look on her face, "Okay, I'm guessing you're wondering why I brought you here in the first place." She said.

 

"To look at artwork?" I said, confused.

 

"Well, yeah… But I also had something I wanted to show you." I nodded for her to go on, "You see… Well, I sketch, you know… And so before I came back, I sold some of my sketches to this gallery." She moved so I could see them. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the sketch before me. It was… Well, it was me. I was in the God Tree, and I appeared to be sleeping. Kagome had an amazing talent. It was slightly eerie how realistic it looked. Kagome moved so I could see the other sketches that she'd done. She'd only two others, and they were just as brilliant as the first.

 

The second one was of Shippo. He was playing with a butterfly. I'd seen few pieces of artwork in my life, but I had never seen something like this. Kagome captured the joy in Shippo's eyes perfectly, it was wonderful. It may seem stupid and emotional, but I felt a stinging at the corners of my eyes.

 

I was crying. But only a little. Only like one tear.

 

My eyes flicked to the last sketch. This one wasn't like the others. It was of me and Kagome; it was sort of a mixture of all of our memories together. Around the edges were small sketches of us, representing different memories. The first one was of us arguing, then to us fighting a demon, and then to Kagome getting ready to fire an arrow, the next was me holding Tetsuiga. The last small picture was of both me and Kagome, we were at Kaguya's Castle and I was in my demon form. My claws were digging into Kagome's arms as her face was lifted up, filled with tears. Her mouth was open, apparently saying something…

 

"I love you as a half-demon!"

 

The middle of the sketch was a little larger than the others. It was of me and Kagome kissing. The significance of this sketch made a very big impact on me. I was drawn to it, hypnotized by the beauty. I understood this sketch.

 

"Kagome…" I said, barely above a whisper.

 

"I did them all with pencil, because that's all I really had. Most people would argue that you have to have a specific style with your artwork. I don't believe that. I'm just good at drawing… Life, I guess is how you'd put it." She said.

 

"These… These are beautiful, Kagome. I even think that beauty is an understatement…" I said, still looking at each of them.

 

"So… You like them?" She asked. I turned to her, looking at her seriously.

 

"I love them," I smiled and pointed to the one with Shippo, "Look how you'd captured the childish joy in his eyes… Gods, Kagome… And this one, of us… It's so… Unique. All of them are wonderful."

 

She was blushing when I looked up at her, I smiled. "These are just my best ones. I have a few of Sango and Miroku at the house. When I came here with all of my sketches, they picked those. They said they loved all of them, but the limit was three. So… Here you are." We both looked down at them.

 

"How do you know what to sketch?" I asked, still looking at the pictures.

 

"Well, I just try and capture the significance of that particular moment." She pointed to the one of me, "Like this one. This was the night after the battle with Naraku. That was the most peaceful sleep you'd ever been in." I smiled, she pointed to the one with Shippo, "I liked this one because… I think this was a little after we met Shippo… I remember he looked so happy, even after he lost his parents. I sympathized with him, that's why I think this one seems more… complete than the others. It's almost as if you can feel the joy coming from him, like you're with him, you know?" I nodded. She pointed to the last sketch, "This one… Happened right after Kaguya's Castle. You can guess this one's significance."

 

"Yeah…" I looked at the names of the sketches. The first one, of me, was titled 'A Lion's Peaceful Slumber'. "Why'd you name it that? I mean, why a lion?"

 

"Well, I figured 'A Handsome Beast's Peaceful Slumber' would be a little long, wouldn't it?" I laughed, "And plus, the lion is the king of the jungle. You're king of Inuyasha's forest, right?" I straightened myself arrogantly.

 

"Indeed I am." We both laughed.

 

"And also… If someone woke you up at that moment, you'd be pissed as hell." Kagome slapped her hands over her mouth, I laughed.

 

"God Kagome, you curse more than I do." I said, smirking.

 

"No way! You curse way more than I do." She said, offended.

 

"Alright, maybe that was a little over the top." I changed the subject when I saw the title for Shippo's sketch, "'Bittersweet Happiness', that makes sense, I guess."

 

"Yeah. He lost his parents, but found us." She said, smiling at me.

 

I looked at the title for the last one. 'A Memorable First Kiss'. I was Kagome's first kiss? Really?

 

"I was your first kiss, Kagome?" I asked, trying desperately hard not to make my voice sound hopeful.

 

She blushed and looked down, "Um… Yeah…"

 

I felt slightly guilty, I mean, a girl's first kiss is supposed to be special. Kagome had given me hers out of fear that I'd leave her, and everyone else. I looked around nervously, seeing if there were people around. The people who worked here were walking around looking at the paintings; they probably wouldn't appreciate people kissing all over the place. Which was my plan in the first place, to kiss Kagome and tell her it was a replacement first kiss.

 

"Kagome," I said, "I think you deserve a better first kiss. I mean, you deserve special, more romantic one." I put my hand on the side of her face, trailing my lips over her other cheek, heading for her ear. "We'll have to do it later though," I whispered heavily into her ear, I smiled when I felt her shiver, "Too many people are watching." I kissed her ear, her knees went weak. I put my hand on the small of her back, bringing her back up.

 

"R-Right…" She said, her voice barely a whisper. When she had recovered from her swooning, she said, "You hungry?" I nodded, smirking at her, "Let's go eat then. Then we'll get this stuff organized and go home."

 

Home…

 

I really liked the sound of that.

 

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Kagome and I entered a place called the 'food court'. I looked around at all of the booths. It reminded me of a village market, back at home. There was a huge section of tables in the center of all of the madness, they were filled with people. The sounds of the people began to hurt my ears, plus, the ponytail was making them ache really bad.

 

"Okay," My attention turned to Kagome; I stared at her as she looked around at all the places to eat, "Where would you like to eat, Inuyasha?"

 

"I have no idea." I said, looking around.

 

"Well, I could see if they have a place that serves Ramen, or something similar to it, I guess. You'd probably like pizza; we could get some ice cream after." She said.

 

I nodded in agreement and then Kagome said, "Why don't you go find a place to sit while I get our food?" I nodded again and she left me to find a table. I looked around; there were plenty of places for us to sit at, despite the crowd. I picked a table away from a large group of people and sat down. The bags I was holding had gotten particularly heavy, and I was glad to set them down.

 

Kagome came back with two trays full of food, how she could carry all of that was a mystery to me. The smell coming off of them was heavenly as she set them down. I looked at the many food items, wondering where to start.

 

"Well, dig in." She took a triangular looking piece of food and took a bite.

 

"What's that?" I asked, curious. I noticed another one of them on the tray and I picked it up, inspecting it.

 

"Pizza." She said, "It's good, I think you'll like it."

 

I took a bite. She was right, I did like it. It may have been foreign to me, but I really enjoyed it. I got thirsty. It was then I noticed three large cups. I looked at them questioningly. Kagome smiled at me.

 

"Those are sodas. If you didn't like those I got you some water." She said. I nodded and took the first one, "That ones' Coke, it's a favorite among people my age." I took a sip. It was odd, it felt like thousands of bubbles were bursting on my tongue at the same time. It didn't really taste good… I tried the second one; it tasted like… oranges. It was better, but I didn't really like it that much more. I tried the last one… cherries. I really liked this one. I took another sip of it and nodded my head.

 

"That's what I figured." Kagome said once I was finished testing, "Though I must say I thought you'd like the orange soda more." I shrugged and continued to explore the food. Kagome did manage to find something similar to Ramen and I ate the whole cup full of it. I'd finished the 'soda' and began to drink the water that Kagome had gotten me.

 

"Thank you." I said to her. She looked at me quizzically.

 

"For what?" She asked, confused.

 

"For getting me lunch. Thank you." I repeated.

 

She smiled, "You're welcome."

 

We continued eating for a little while, we talked occasionally. I remembered my promise to her and smirked inwardly. I could have fun with this…

 

"Kagome!" A voice shouted behind me. I turned around to see who it was. There were three girls walking toward us. All of them in a uniform similar to Kagome's 'school' uniform, except it was grey. (A/N: University uniforms) One girl had a yellow headband in her hair, the other one had shoulder length curly hair, and the last one wore her hair in a ponytail.

 

"Where have you been?" The one with the headband asked.

 

"We've missed you!" The curly haired on said.

 

"Well, I've just been busy, you know." Kagome said and shrugged. All three girls nodded at the same time, smiling. I felt ignored…

 

"And who is this good-looking gentleman, here?" One of them asked. I resisted the urge to smirk at Kagome.

 

"Oh! Where are my manners?" Kagome said, "Ayumi, Yuka, Eri… This is Inuyasha… My… fiancé."

 

"WHAT?!" All three of them gasped. Even though I had no idea what 'fiancé' meant, I had a good feeling it was important…

 

"You're getting married?"

 

Very important…

 

I put an invisible mask on, not wanting to ruin Kagome's cover up for me. Though on the inside I was about to explode with happiness. Kagome looked at them sheepishly as they towered over her.

 

"Where's the ring?" The one in the headband asked.

 

"It's getting resized." Kagome said, not missing a beat.

 

"When is the wedding?" She asked. She looked skeptical.

 

I thought it would look suspicious if I didn't answer anything so I said, "We haven't exactly set a date yet." Kagome looked grateful. The girl in the headband turned her attention to me.

 

"And what do you do, Inuyasha?" She asked me, a little harshly.

 

"Yuka!" Kagome exclaimed, glaring at her. I had to think of something quick…

 

"I work in theater." I lied. I remembered some of the books in Kagome's room, there was one on a guy named 'Shakespeare' and all of his plays that he did.

 

"Really?" One of them asked. I nodded. "What do you do in theater?" She asked.

 

"I act." I lied again.

 

"What play are you working on now?" The skeptical one asked.

 

"Shakespeare; we're doing one of his plays." I said to her, not faltering a bit.

 

"What one?" She asked, her voice still harsh.

 

"Twelfth Night." I said, matching her harsh tone.

 

"How come I've never seen the play advertised?" She asked. Everyone was watching this little spat with interest. I ignored them.

 

"Because we're done with our production in Tokyo." I said. I noticed the other two girls staring at my fangs, white hair and claws, "And the reason why I have a demonic appearance is because we're placing the time period from the Renaissance to Feudal Japan and they wanted me to play a demon lord that's in love with a priestess."

 

"That's cool." The one with the ponytail said.

 

"I can't believe you're getting married, Kagome. It's so exciting." Said the curly haired one.

 

Kagome smiled until…

 

"Prove it." Said the one named Yuka.

 

"What?" Kagome asked, lifting an eyebrow.

 

"Prove that you're in love." She repeated.

 

"Okay," I said, glaring at her, "How shall we prove it to you?"

 

"Kiss her." She said, "But none of that stupid pecking crap, I mean really kiss her."

 

Kagome and I looked at each other, I nodded to the seat next to me and she got up and sat down next to me.

 

"Well come on." The girl ushered us. I glared at her, and looked down at Kagome, who looked nervous.

 

"Don't worry," I said looking around at all the tables, "No ones' watching."

 

She smiled at me awkwardly and I did the same.

 

"You do know what kissing is, right?" I gave her a look that said, 'Will you PLEASE shut up?', and pulled Kagome to me, crushing my lips over hers. And then…

 

Everything stopped; it was only me and Kagome. I heard nothing, just the sound of our breathing. The kiss was a little violent at first, but then Kagome's lips softened, changing the mood of the kiss entirely. She tilted her neck backwards and I put my hand on the side of her face, angling her head slightly. My fangs grazed her bottom lip ever so slightly and then I ran my tongue over the excited skin. Oh God… This was too much… It felt so good to kiss her like this, so dreamlike, so peaceful. Kagome kissed me back with every bit as much passion as I'd kissed her. I wanted to pull Kagome into my lap, or wrap my arms around her, but that was either way too inappropriate to do in front of Kagome's friends, or it would result in both of us falling over. My lungs begged for air.

 

Damn the need to breathe!

 

I pulled away from Kagome, reluctantly. I slowly sucked on her bottom lip one last time, but I kept my hand on her face. My eyes opened slowly, my vision was blurry and distorted, but I didn't care. All three girls gasped when we pulled away.

 

"Whoa…"

 

"Does that answer your question?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. It took me a while to realize the whole place had gone quiet, and it wasn't because I was distracted.

 

Everyone… No, seriously, I mean everyone had gotten quiet. There were a few coughs, nervous giggling, and someone's baby crying. I stared at Kagome, who seemed completely oblivious to the entire situation. I had no idea how long the awkward silence went on, but then…

 

There was clapping...

 

Slow at first, but then a full on applause. People stood up and cheered, whistled and I think I saw somebody crying. I looked at Kagome again, her face was redder than the shirt that she was wearing, as was mine, I predicted.

 

"They're getting married!" One of the girls shouted. That caused even more noise. And then… Kagome and I stood up. She looked around at everyone and smiled, her face turning crimson. Her arms wrapped around my waist and she buried her face into my chest. I put my arms around her and nuzzled the top of her head, laughing slightly.

 

I highly doubted that, if Kagome had kissed this "Hojo" character, it'd start something like this…

 

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(A/N: I know most of you are wondering why I'm not doing a "Kagome's POV", well… You'll see in a minute…)

 

Kagome and I had managed to get out of the crowd about five minutes later. Now, we were in a little (what Kagome called) a 'Gag Shop'. It was filled with all sorts of odd looking things. There were costumes, posters, odd looking lights, and there was a funny smell that reminded me of tobacco. It was making me rather dizzy and sleepy. (A/N: Yes, somebody lit up a joint. There's a little inside joke I have about that, but I don't have time to tell you right now…)

 

I was looking at some shirts with some obscene sayings and pictures on them. I read one that said, well… I probably shouldn't repeat it.

 

"Hey- Inuyasha?" I heard Kagome ask.

 

I turned to her, "Yeah?"

 

"How did you know all of that stuff? About theater and Shakespeare, I mean…" She said.

 

I lifted an eyebrow, "I've read practically all of your books, Kagome. What do you think I did when I had to wait for you to get finished with your homework? Sit there patiently?"

 

She laughed slightly, "Good point…" She looked at me, "You really saved me back there. Thanks."

 

"No problem." I said, "Lucky you I get bored easily." She giggled. Her attention turned to the shirts I was reading. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

 

"Where would you wear these? Surely not in public." She said. I agreed with her, I mean, there's plenty of children around here, one of them could walk in here and see one of these shirts. I continued reading them and snorting my disapproval.

 

"Inuyasha, look." Kagome said. I looked over at her, and glared playfully. She was wearing a pair of fake, bright pink, fuzzy dog ears.

 

"You're hilarious." I said sarcastically. She laughed and than pouted, her lip poking out. I found myself staring at them, wanting to kiss them again…

 

"What? You don't think they look cute on me?" She said, in a whiny voice.

 

My eyes softened and I smiled, "They do." She smiled. I folded my arms in front of me and then I said, "Speaking of which…" I brought my voice down to a whisper, not to bring attention to ourselves, "You owe me one hell of an ear rub when we get back to your house. This ponytail is killing me."

 

"I owe you?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow, mimicking my stance.

 

"Yes, you do. I, after all, am going to replace your first kiss." I said arrogantly.

 

"Ah, see that's where you're wrong." I looked at her quizzically, "What about what happened out in the food court?"

 

"No, you're wrong. I said in the art gallery that there were too many people watching." I jerked my head toward the exit of the store, "What happened out there everyone saw. It doesn't count." I said. I leaned over to her, like I had done in the art gallery, grazing my lips over her ear, "Though I must say, Kagome, that was quite enjoyable." This time, instead of kissing her ear, I gently nipped at it with one of my fangs. She gasped. I smirked inwardly. I loved how I could do this to her.

 

"U-um… Let's-let's go now. Mothers' probably waiting on us…" She said, putting the ears back where they were, grabbing the bags and rushing out of the store. I just waved to the guy at the register, shoved my hands in my pockets, and left.

 

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When we got back to Kagome's house, we discovered that Kagome's mother had bought us three new 'mattresses' for the beds in Kagome's cabin. They were quite large, but they'd fit in the frames I'd built.

 

I was sitting on Kagome's bed when she walked in with the bags. I was fidgeting with the band holding my ponytail, trying to take it off. She laughed at me and sat next to me. I put my hands down as she pulled it off. I shook my hair a little and my hair sat in its normal place with my ears popped up. I let out a very long, very loud moan as the pain slowly relieved, leaving me with a dull throbbing. Kagome laughed. I could feel her hands begin to rub them gently; I sighed and closed my eyes. She pulled my head down into her lap and continued rubbing. The ache on them died down after a few minutes. But Kagome continued to rub them gently as I rested.

 

I opened my eyes slightly to look across Kagome's bed at her medals. She had said a few of them were for dancing. I looked at another one of them… Karate?

 

"You learned how to fight, Kagome?" I asked, interested.

 

"Huh?" She looked down at me. I pointed to the display, "Oh, yeah. I took that up when I was about fourteen, just before I met you, I think… But I wasn't able to show up for classes when I had to switch between times. So mother just cancelled the classes."

 

"Were you any good?" I asked, politely. I tried not to sound rude.

 

She shrugged, "I dunno. I think I was about to make it to black belt. But through the years, I guess I just couldn't remember any of the moves. And besides, I was a real klutz, and you know that." I laughed, and she playfully poked my head, annoyed.

 

"I could teach you if you want." She lifted her eyebrows, "It probably isn't any of that fancy stuff you learned, but it's still fighting, right? And I could probably get Totosai to make you a sword."

 

She blushed, taken aback by the offer I'd given her, "Y-You don't have to… I mean, you don't have to go through all that trouble. And Totosais' probably busy."

 

I shook my head, "Nah… He loves you. I'm sure he'd be happy to make you a sword. And with your new abilities and heightened senses, you'd be better off with a sword rather than a bow and arrows." I sat up, looking at her, "Sure, long range weapons are nice and all, but what would you do if you had a close range attacker?"

 

She blinked, "Yell for you to protect me?"

 

I laughed, "Well, yeah… But it'd still be nice to have those skills, wouldn't it?" She nodded, smiling, "And then we could duel together, from time to time." I smiled at her, and she smiled back.

 

"You have yourself a deal, Inuyasha." She said. She held out her hand for me to shake. I smirked.

 

"I have a better idea…" I said, leaning to her face. I captured her lips in a passionate kiss. She leaned back on her elbows as I gently pressed her onto her bed. My fangs grazed her bottom lip slightly, flicking my tongue over it as I did so. She gasped as my hand moved to her hip, dangerously close to her backside. I smiled and I took advantage of her open mouth. Her arms wrapped around my neck as I tasted her, my tongue memorizing every area, every curve, tooth, and texture. Her tongue shyly pressed against mine, I submitted, allowing her into my mouth. She timidly explored it, tracing my fangs often and expertly. Her hands moved into my hair and onto my ears, rubbing them. I let out a very odd sounding moan. It sounded more like a horses' whinny. (A/N: Like a muffled Scooby Doo laugh.)

 

My hand had moved to Kagome's backside then, and when she'd touched my ears, well… I sort of grabbed at it. Kagome made a noise to know that the action was welcomed.

 

Well, alrighty then…

 

Kagome and I continued kissing for a few more minutes, occasionally breaking for air. When we'd stopped, we stared at each other for a moment. I heard someone walking up the stairs. I quickly got off Kagome. We frantically tried to figure out where we should position ourselves. We decided on Kagome being at her dresser and me lying down on her bed.

 

It was then that Souta decided to peek in at us. He looked at both of us and our positions and said, "Busted…" Kagome glared at him, he smiled. Kagome's eyes softened. I found this very amusing. Odd, but amusing. Souta looked over at me. He winked and gave me a knowing smile. I returned it and he left. I looked over at Kagome and we blushed. I sat up, putting my knees over the edge of the bed; I motioned for her to join me. She sat next to me, smiling shyly.

 

"So…?" I said, questioningly.

 

She lifted an eyebrow, "What?"

 

"H-How was it?" I asked.

 

"That," she said, "was not a kiss, my friend…"

 

My ears drooped.

 

She smiled, "That was a make-out session."

 

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After I had changed back into my normal clothing and Kagome and I had gotten about everything into the cabin and organized, she made supper. Shippo, who had been the first to greet us when we'd passed through times, joined us. He'd worked hard setting up the beds and curtains. He deserved a little treat. I smiled at him as he sat down across from me. Kagome set down a few plates of food and sat down next to me.

 

We talked and laughed and told stories of what had happened over the last few months. Before we knew it, we were all tired. Especially Shippo; his eyes began to droop and he yawned repeatedly. Kagome's eyes softened as she looked at him.

 

"I think somebody's tired." She said. I nodded at her and we both got up. Kagome picked the kit up and carried him into his bedroom. She set him down on the bed and pulled the covers over him. He stared back lazily at her and his eyes closed slowly as he drifted off into dreamland.

 

I stood beside Kagome as I watched all of this happen. I wasn't sure what to say. But I don't think there were any words needed here. It was one of those moments where you don't need to say anything, one of those silences that are the very best kind. And as I watched Shippo go off to sleep, I couldn't help but think that he was one of my own, one of mine and Kagome's.

 

But I wasn't. I couldn't replace his father. I couldn't be his father. But maybe… Maybe I could just be a father figure to him, like Kagome was his mother figure.

 

And you know what?

 

I was perfectly okay with that.

 

----------

 

I was lying down on the guest bed thinking about everything that had happened today. Everything that had occurred; the kisses, the ear rubs, Kagome's lie about me being her 'fiancé', all the people that thought Kagome was pregnant…

 

I snorted with silent laughter as I thought about this. I put a hand to my face when I felt something roll down my cheek. A bug, maybe. I brought my hand in front of me so I could see what it was…

 

A tear…

 

Kaede…

 

How could I have forgotten? Why had I been so foolish? I was so careless. I was so stupid. Kagome could die, and I was here just... Acting like a total… I don't know. I strain my ears to hear what was going on in Kagome's room. I hear her breathing, and then… Something hits the ground…

 

Kagome…

 

I shoot out of bed and rush into Kagome's room. I see her on the floor, with one of those writing tools she uses… There was a book of some sort on her desk that she was writing in. I shake my head, ignoring the objects around me. I kneel down to her, looking at her face. She's still breathing.

 

I take her in my arms holding her and nuzzling her hair. I pull away and look at her. I stared at Kagome, her face peaceful and serene. Silent tears crept down my face as I realized... Kagome may leave me forever. But she wasn't dead... Not yet...

 

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Miroku, Sango, Shippo and I all stood around Kagome in her room. We all were crying. But we knew that she wasn't dead. I sat at her bedside, holding her hand and bouncing my knee nervously.

 

Please wake up. Please wake up. Please wake up.

 

Something outside the room slams. It's the front door. We all look towards the door leading outside Kagome's room as it opens. Standing in the doorway… Was probably the most unexpected person I'd ever imagine at a time like this…

 

Sesshomaru.

 

He looks at all of us, his gaze lingering with a sense of understanding that I'd never seen before. His eyes finally rest on Kagome. He walks to the foot of the bed and stares at her.

 

"How long has she been like this?" He asked, his voice deep and smooth. I glare at him.

 

"Ever since last night. Why do you need to stick your nose in everything? It's not like you care." I said coldly.

 

He looks over at me and returns my glare, "I may understand better than anyone what you're going through, Inuyasha." He looks over at Miroku and Sango, "Where is Kaede and who is looking after her?"

 

How does he know Kaede?

 

Sango said, "She's being looked after in her hut. She went into a coma two days ago. Aki, the leading priestess is looking after her."

 

He growled and left the room, heading outside. I rush out after him.

 

"What the hell are you doing here?!" I yell at him, "Why can't you just leave us alone?!" We're walking in the forest; he's heading for the village. "What the hell is going on?"

 

He suddenly turns around, his hand grabbing my throat, choking me, "Inuyasha! For once…WILL YOU SHUT UP AND NOT ASK QUESTIONS?!" His claws drip poison as they sink into my neck. I scream something in Inu. He lets go of me and continues walking. The sting from the poison fades and I follow him once again. I don't ask questions.

 

We arrive in Kaede's hut. Aki is at Kaede's side, dabbing a rag over her head. Aki looks up and sees Sesshomaru. Her eyes widen and she tries to get away. It doesn't work. His claws clasp around her throat and he glares at her.

 

"How dare you?" He hisses at her, "How dare you endanger the life of my brother's intended?

 

"I should have known that a filthy little priestess that pulled this years ago, would do it again. AND TO A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY NO LESS!" He throws her across the room, her body smashing into the wall of the hut. Her eyes were full of fear now. I stood there in shock.

 

"You, that awful Kikyo woman's mentor, taught Kikyou how to make that potion and gave it to Kaede so many years ago. I didn't think you'd stoop so low as to do this to the two people that saved your patheticlife. They defeated Naraku and then you go and RUIN what's left of their relationship!"

 

Aki was backed up against the wall, cowering in fear. She'd never shown any sort of emotion before… But now… Now things may have been a little different.

 

She spoke, her voice small and stuttering, "T-They… They were n-never going to a-admit their feelings f-for each other."

 

"What makes that any of your business?" Sesshomaru hissed at her, "I'm going to end your useless life NOW. You don't do anything, but cause the people who trusted you pain! DIE YOU MISERABLE WOMAN!"

 

What happened next was a little more than shocking. In a flash of white and red, Shesshomaru had cut off Aki's head. I didn't move. Surprisingly, there was hardly any blood. But when Sesshomaru turned around, I gagged. From head to toe he was covered in it. He carried Aki's head and body out of the hut. He tossed them in a ditch where it would not be noticed. He turned to me.

 

"Something very bad is about to happen, Inuyasha." He said, "You must make the right decision."

 

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I yelled angrily, "No one will tell me what's going on! What's wrong… What's wrong with Kagome?"

 

He wiped his face with his sleeve, the blood leaving his face, "Inuyasha… When Kagome wakes up… She is going to be a rabid demon. Much like you when you transform." I say nothing, he continues, "If she stays that way too long, she still has her human heart, which allows her to hear you, if she stays a demon too long, Inuyasha… She will die."

 

My breath catches, "I-Is there a way to save her?"

 

He nods, "Yes, there is. But you're not going to like the outcome." He sighs, "When Kagome turns into a demon, you must subdue her and tell her you love her. She will fall asleep for a few days, but she'll wake up…"

 

"W-Well, t-that's it, isn't it?" I ask.

 

He shook his head, "It's called 'The Lover's Curse', the Kikyo woman you were with put the same spell on Kaede years ago." He continued, "The reason why the decision is so hard is that… Either Kagome dies… Or…"

 

I gulped, "Or…?"

 

He sighed again, "Either Kagome dies, or she… she becomes a half-demon."

 

 

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Once again, y'all, I'm SO SORRY for the long update. I just started high school and I joined the volleyball team, there's been no time for me to work on this. The next chapter will come when it comes. So I won't make any promises about how soon the update will come.

 

But I can promise you this…

 

There will be another chapter.

 

One more thing:

 

I WANT REVIEWS!

At least… Ten…But they can't come from the same person over and over. Alright?

 

Review me! (I believe that calls for a "Dirty!")

 

If you haven't watched Gilmore Girls, you wouldn't get that…

 

Keep it Gay,

 

Oddery