InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love's Smirking Revenge ❯ Sayonara ( Chapter 39 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

There was a cacophony of noise beyond his window – truck engines, bicycle bells and politicians spewing rhetoric through a megaphone – but within his Lexus only the gentle hum of the engine disturbed the silence. His car had been parked in the same spot for a quarter of an hour, his attention devoted to small coffee shop located across the street. It was a vibrant little venue, patroned by the typical university crowd. There was little that could have been called unique or inspiring about it, but it had captured her interest and so it captivated his.

A necklace weaved idly between his fingers counting out the measure of his thoughts. He glanced down at it and the gold chain caught the sun’s light and reflected it back at him. His mouth turned upwards in one corner in an uncharacteristic show of affection. It was a simple necklace, just a trinket really, but it was hers and so he hadn’t been able to bring himself to get rid of it. He wasn’t normally the sentimental type, but these were not normal circumstances. Nothing about their relationship had fit that definition.

He’d lost count of the number of times he’d driven to this spot, only to fight a war inside himself over whether to exit the car and take that first step. The question was always the same - how much was her happiness worth? The petite little waitress who’d made him feel in a callous world? The answer never changed and so the result was always the same. He kept his distance, just as he’d promised.

The first time he found himself parked across from her new place of employment he’d reasoned that he was merely ensuring her safety. Kagura hadn’t given up her vendetta against either of him. It was the least he could do was prevent her from interfering again.

After the second, third, fourth and fifth times it became more and more difficult to justify his behavior. There were times when he would close his eyes and listen for the soft cadence of his leather soles upon the pavement, imagine the weight of the door in his hand as he pulled it open, and the scent of fresh coffee and baked bread that would greet him inside. It could be so if he wished it. All he had to do was open the door and take that first step…

It was a tempting thought and more than once he’d allowed his hand to linger boldly on the door handle. But then his memories of that night would come back - the pale light of the full moon that had bathed the earth, reflecting off the stones so they glimmered like diamonds in the dark. That same soft, blue glow had made her skin appear luminescent and highlighted the tears upon her cheeks. She’d looked so beautiful, so fragile...

The deafening gunshot exploded through his memory. He felt the bullet cut through him even now, leaving a fiery wound where his heart had been. The moment she fell atop the soft earth he felt the weight of his failure bear down upon him. It clawed through him, violent and brutal and without the slightest hint of mercy. He’d never felt so helpless.


Opening his eyes, Sesshomaru shook off the memory and tucked the necklace inside his jacket. She’d asked to leave the day after the shooting and he hadn’t the will to deny her. He even consented to keep his distance on the sole condition that she accept enough money to get safely established. She did, though very reluctantly, and found herself a 1DK apartment in a quiet parcel of Minato-ward. Her neighbours were a single mother of two and an unhappily married pair of octogenarians. The job came soon after. Evenings, weekends and every other Wednesday she could be found at the coffee shop where she worked part-time.

He glanced at the establishment through his darkly tinted window and watched two patrons enter wearing smiles. It was a perfectly peaceful scene, one he didn’t belong in. Here her life was uncomplicated, routine and safe. She couldn’t be any further separated from his world and he was glad for it. There was no place for her there, just as there was none for him here, as another cog in the fresh faced industrial machine Tokyo boasted to the world.

It was how things had to be, and how they should have been from the beginning. He’d made the mistake of thinking he could ignore the boundaries between their worlds and it’d nearly cost him her life. He did not need to be reminded of what the consequences would be if he dared fate and crossed them again.

Dragging in a deep breath, Sesshomaru exhaled slowly and deliberately turned his face away. With a steady hand he shifted the car into drive and merged onto the road. He watched the coffee shop fade in his rearview mirror for the last time, slowly devoured by the jungle of cars and concrete buildings all around it. He would honour his promise to her, not because of some newfound noblility but because it was the only thing she’d ever asked of him. It would be the first vow he’d ever honoured in his life and she deserved nothing less.


Kagome stretched her arms above her head and let out a soft, satisfied sigh. The piece she’d been toiling away at was nearly complete. Turning her gaze to the man stretched out next to her, she felt a smile tug at her lips.

Within 24 hours of the story hitting the newsstands, he’d become the most sought after detective in the city. Suddenly they all wanted to know about the man who’d taken down Tokyo’s notorious “gold bullet killer.” The media salivated over the gritty details of the take down, the case, his personal life… “Tokyo’s unsung hero”, they called him. The accolades were quick to come and were never sparing in their descriptions of him as a man of high morals and integrity. It was a far cry from how he’d been treated by the press in the past, herself included.

Inuyasha’s cell phone buzzed to life on his hip and he snatched it up, barely sparing a glance to check the number. With a quiet snort he sent the call to voicemail and returned to his paper.

Another call for an interview, no doubt, she thought.

There had been a dozen calls since breakfast, everyone wanting their little piece of him. Each time the phone rang, he groused and groaned over it but there was always a hint of a smile on his lips. Because of one case, one mistake, he’d spent a decade being misunderstood, ridiculed and ignored, but he’d finally found the absolution he’d fought so hard for.

He carried himself differently now – taller… prouder. With the weight of his guilt and self-doubt now gone, the confidence that’d slowly bled from him for a decade was beginning to return. With each day she saw another small glimmer of the man he’d once been and it was someone very much to her liking.

The thought brought a smile to her lips and Inuyasha fixed her with a curious look.

“What?”

She shook her head and snapped her laptop shut.

“Just happy to be finished. It’s some of my best work, you know,” she teased.

 “Yeah? Am I gonna get to read it or do I gotta wait till it goes to the presses?”

“All in good time,” she answered sweetly. “First, I plan on taking a long, hot shower. Care to join me?”

A playful smile crept across his lips and he snapped his paper open once more.

“Be there in a minute. Just gonna finish reading this last article.”

“Alright, suit yourself.”

He waited until the shower hissed to life before quietly folding his paper and setting it aside. Pulling her computer onto his lap, he opened it and began to read the file she’d left open. All the other interviews he’d done and articles he’d read singing his praises were great, but hers was the only one he was interested in. Hers made all the difference.

Two years ago they’d met after he read a scathing article she’d written about him in the paper. They’d fought, hated each other, fought some more, fell in love, nearly lost one another and then found each other again. It’d been a remarkable ride and perhaps the most perfect testament to it all was the magnum opus staring up at him from her computer screen.

I’d like to issue an apology, it began, to the man whose reputation I so thoroughly besmirched in the November 12, 2008 issue of the Asahi-shimbun. I professed him to be a coward, a failure and called his professionalism and character into question. Those sentiments could not be further from the truth.

How would I describe the man I know today? The word honourable comes to mind, followed quickly by brave, uncompromising and sharp. For the past two years I have had the honour to call Detective Takahashi of Tokyo’s 49th division my friend. If you, kind reader, would be so indulging, allow me the opportunity to rectify my past mistake by presenting a true portrait of a man who has worked tirelessly to make Tokyo’s streets safer.

Like a dark knight, Detective Takahashi has operated behind the scenes for the past decade - making connections, collecting information, and piecing clues together. When it came to ensuring the safety of Tokyo’s streets, Detective Takahashi left no stone unturned, no lead un-followed, and would not bow to those who suggested he simply turn a blind eye. It is that diligence, which persevered in the face of mounting criticism and harsh accusations of misconduct in the press, that led to the arrest last week of Tokyo’s gold bullet killer.

Accused is former Detective from the 39th division, Kouga Inokuma. He is currently awaiting trial.

It is thanks to Detective Takahashi, Tokyo’s too-long unsung hero, that we will sleep safer in our beds tonight. It is this reporter’s hope that this story inspires – not only those of us who need a small reminder to do our best in our day-to-day lives but also the little ones, the children who dream someday of being a police officer or a firefighter. Now they have someone worth looking up to – a role model of honour and duty who should no longer be ignored.

Two years ago, I made the single largest mistake of my career in condemning this man. Though he would never consider it necessary, I hope you will join me in extending to him our sincerest apologies. Detective Takahashi, for your tireless years of sacrifice for this city, we thank you.

Speechless, he sat back and took a breath.

“Do you like it?”

He glanced up to find her in the doorway, her hair still dry and her body wrapped in a towel. She’d known he would read it after all. He cleared his throat softly and managed an embarrassed, “It’s a bit much don’t you think?”

She smiled warmly and made her way to the bed.

“It’s not nearly enough. Inuyasha, you’ve done so much for me. This is the least I could do in return.”

He exhaled softly and shook his head in disbelief.

“Kagome, I…”

Leaning in, she placed a soft kiss against his lips and slowly closed her computer screen.

“Come on,” she said, setting the device aside. “My shower’s lonely without you in it.”  

For a little extra encouragement, she casually dropped her towel to the floor as she sashayed out of the room and he watched her go with a smirk pulling at his lips. Eager to follow, he slipped off his t-shirt and discarded it on the floor next to her towel.

Kagome was humming a tune in the shower, some cheesy pop song from the radio. He smiled and found himself pausing with his belt half-undone. In moments like this he struggled to comprehend the radical change that had taken over his life in the last year. To go from tormented, alone and ridiculed, to loved, lauded and waking up in Kagome’s bed would be a lot for any man to accept. Some mornings he still woke up wondering if it’d all been a dream. But then a voice would speak up from somewhere deep inside of him and say, “You’ve earned this. Enjoy it!” For the first time in his life he was finally ready to listen.

Scratching a hand through his silver hair, Inuyasha directed a smile at the city he loved and then made his way to the shower. For however long this lasted, however long the Fates allowed, he was going to enjoy being happy. After all the shit they’d put him through, he’d earned it.

Author’s Note: Sorry for the wait everyone! Moving to the other side of the world will do that do you, I guess. This chapter is a little shorter than my others have been, but it ties up all the ends I wanted it to. I hope you enjoyed it (and this fic!).
I have been so blessed to have such amazing readers following this story. This is the final chapter, but there will be a short epilogue forthcoming. Thank you so much for your support and patience over the years. I absolutely could not have completed this fic without you.
‘Till next time,
Langus