InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Soul Therapy ❯ Chapter Twenty ( Chapter 20 )

Title: Soul Therapy

 

Author: dolphingirl0113

 

Chapter: Twenty

 

Rating: PG-13 (for language and, at times, sexual implications)

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

 

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“Inuyasha, what time is it?” Kagome called out from the bedroom as she jumped up and down on one foot, hastily pulling her nylons over her legs while crunching on a granola bar, the only thing she had eaten all day.

 

“About 5:30,” he answered, and she swore, rather loudly, knowing they had to be somewhere at 6:00.

 

“Okay, if Miroku calls and wonders where we are, just tell him I'm sorry, and that it's my fault we're running late.”

 

“I don't think he'll mind being late for this,” Inuyasha replied sarcastically, and Kagome rolled her eyes in amusement, though she was also a little annoyed.

 

It was true, Sesshoumaru was putting on another of his notorious banquets, though this time it wasn't a fundraiser, it was just a fashionable party, and since Kagome was now officially dating his brother, she was invited. She hadn't wanted to go alone, so she had invited Miroku, Sango, Kouga, and Ayame to come as well.

 

Once her nylons were officially secure around her waist, and she was sure they weren't going to fall down, she snapped a strapless bra into place and snatched the dress she had bought two days ago off its hanger. Slipping it on over her waist, she pulled the top, which was strapless, up so that it was secure before attempting to zip it up from behind, but having trouble.

 

“Inuyasha?”

 

“What?”

 

She blushed slightly, still unused to sharing her apartment with anyone, especially a man, but pushed ahead anyway. “I need help with my dress.”

 

“Just a second.” She could practically hear the smirk on his face, and groaned at how that must have sounded.

 

A little over two weeks ago, he had appeared on her doorstep with that same bag he had used when he came to the shrine slung over his shoulder, an impish grin on his face. She had, of course, welcomed him into her home with open arms, though she was still getting used to having a roommate.

 

He appeared in the door, balancing on the cane he now used to walk around, since two days ago she had announced that he had officially graduated off of the crutches. Naturally, he hadn't been too happy about it, because now he was moving extremely slow again, but she knew he would get used to it.

 

“What do you need?”

 

She indicated her bare back with her head. “My zipper; I can't reach it.”

 

“Got it,” he replied, and moved, slowly, in her direction until he was right behind her and she could feel his breath against her neck, though she had the feeling he was breathing extra hard on purpose as goose bumps appeared on her arms.

 

She felt the zipper slide into place, and released her hands from where they had been holding the dress in place, turning around to give him a smile and a peck on the cheek. At the last second, he turned his head and caught her lips in a heated kiss, one which, when he pulled away, left her head spinning, albeit in a good way, and she felt a stupid grin spread across her face.

 

“You need to stop doing that,” she scolded playfully.

 

“Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?”

 

He was teasing her, and she knew it. In reality, it did still feel a bit strange, considering they'd only slept together once more since he'd moved in, and at night he slept on the couch since she had been out late at work for the past several days.

 

“You're as bad as Miroku,” she giggled, pushing him away so she could turn around and put on a pair of simple pearl earrings, admiring her reflection in the full-length mirror along the far wall.

 

The dress was simple, and perfect for the approaching summer weather. White with dainty little blue polka dots, it fell to her calves in a bouncy skirt that twirled as she moved. Her hair was simple, just falling down her shoulders with a slight curl, and she pulled off the look of innocence with cute little open-toed white sandals.

 

Inuyasha's reflection appeared in the mirror, and she watched, surprised, as he reached around and revealed a simple polished silver locket, in the shape of a heart, with a large K engraved on the front.

 

“Inuyasha, what is this?” She reached up and fingered it gently as he pulled her hair out of the way and clasped the chain at the nape of her neck. His reflection shrugged.

 

“I was just passing by this little jewelry shop, and I thought of you. Consider it my thanks for letting me stay with you.”

 

She smiled indulgently as she let the heart fall back against her chest. Inuyasha was the kind of guy who didn't declare his love every minute, but at the same time managed to show it in other ways, so that she was never in doubt of his feelings. “You know you don't have to thank me, I'm happy to help.”

 

“I know, but I wanted to get it for you.”

 

“Thanks.” She turned around and hugged him, but in the process he lost his balance and they toppled over to the floor. “Oh god, Inuyasha, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?”

 

But he was just laughing, and she made a face. “What?”

 

“Forgive me, but I think we've been in this position before.”

 

Kagome turned red at the memory of their little excursion on the kitchen floor, and smacked him, hard, on the chest as she sat up. “You really are spending too much time with Miroku.”

 

“Hey, what can I say? You spend so much time with him I can't help but inherit a little of his personality.”

 

“Well don't, it's not good for you, unless you like red handprints on your face.”

 

He laughed again, and Kagome couldn't help but close her eyes for a moment and just relish the sound. It was so free, and so pure, and in it she could hear his very soul, just like when she looked into his amber eyes.

 

“What are you smiling about, woman?” He asked, trying to sound gruff, but it only caused her to giggle as she bent down and gave him an Eskimo kiss.

 

“I just love hearing you laugh,” she finally sighed, pulling away and rolling off of him so that he could get back on his feet, using the cane for support as he stepped off the ground.

 

Once he had succeeded, he folded her against his side with one of his arms, and squeezed gently. “Well I'm glad to hear it, because something tells me I'll be laughing a lot more now that I'm with you.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Tokyo's crystal ballroom was just as elegant as before, only this time Kagome got to arrive in style, in the limousine with Inuyasha. Now I know how Ayame must feel all the time, she thought with a smile just as the chauffer opened the door to reveal several cameras, trying to see who it was stepping forth from the black car.

 

Unused to the attention, Kagome simply blinked stupidly, like a deer looking at headlights, for several minutes, only realizing she should keep walking when Inuyasha nudged her forward, and away from the reporters.

 

“I didn't know you were such a celebrity,” she commented once they had stepped through the frosted glass doors and into the ballroom which, tonight, had been decorated in deep reds and burgundies, almost as though to copy the fashions of the medieval castles and their great banquets. There were still the same rich couples moving about, and Kagome felt very underdressed, blushing as she noticed several haughty women eyeing her out of the corners of their eyes.

 

“I'm not,” he replied, breaking her away from her train of thought. “They just care who I am when I come to my brother's functions, which is very rare.”

 

“Then why did you tonight?”

 

Inuyasha shrugged. “He asked me to.”

 

“Oh,” Kagome nodded and looked around, finally breaking into a huge smile as she spotted her friends, currently standing off to one side trying to figure out where to go. She waved, and they waved back, instantly moving in her direction as though she were a lifeline in the sea of jewels and high fashion.

 

“There you are,” Miroku commented once they were all together, before looking at Inuyasha and smiling. “How goes it, Inuyasha? How's the cane?”

 

Miroku had been there the day Kagome had presented him with the cane instead of the crutches, and had been a witness to Inuyasha's rather childish temper tantrum. The silver haired man blushed slightly at the memory.

 

“It's just fine Miroku,” he replied, trying to cover his slightly wounded ego by sounding angry.

 

“So Kagome, do we just go upstairs to eat, like before?” Kouga asked. “Or is it different since this time we're not the honored guests at a fundraiser?”

 

Kagome made a face. “Do you ever think of anything besides food?”

 

Ayame laughed as Kouga looked slightly hurt. “Not really, but he's got a good heart in spite of it all.”

 

Everyone chuckled at that, but Kouga just seemed annoyed that no one had answered his question. “I don't see what's wrong with liking food. So, what's the answer? I'm starving!”

 

“Okay, okay,” Kagome finally conceded, turning to Inuyasha with a questioning look. “Do you know what to do, because I sure don't have a clue.”

 

“Yeah, you just go up and eat,” he replied with a casual shrug. “Since Sesshoumaru is putting on this ball, all the food is complimentary.”

 

“Halleluiah!” Miroku whooped, and Sango blushed, making her scarlet colored strapless dress seem even darker.

 

“Do you have to make such a scene?” She whispered in his ear, and he immediately turned his attention to the woman on his arm.

 

“Sango, dear, I didn't mean to embarrass you, you know that, right?” His face looked so sincere that no woman would have stood a chance, especially not Sango, and she just shrugged her shoulders and squeezed his arm, turning to lead him up the stairs.

 

“Yes, food,” Kouga seemed to be like a robot, following the pair with Ayame, leaving Kagome alone with Inuyasha again. She turned to him and smiled, motioning toward the stairs.

 

“Shall we? I know I'm hungry. All I've had today is a granola bar.” She noted the way Inuyasha was glaring at the stairs, and read his thoughts immediately. “Its okay, Inuyasha, I'll help you if you need it, and we'll just go slow.”

 

He gave her a surprised look. “You mean you wouldn't be too embarrassed helping me?”

 

“No! Why would I be embarrassed?”

 

“I don't know, just because you're stuck with the one guy who can't do anything by himself.”

 

Kagome gave him a haughty look. “Excuse me, sir, but you can do plenty of things on your own.” She blushed, recalling that first night on her couch, but pushed the memory away. “So don't give me that helpless act. Let's go.”

 

She took his free arm and led him toward the stairs before he could protest any more, and sure enough, slowly but surely, they made their way up the stairs and in the direction of the table where their friends were sitting. Sango waved them over and motioned to the two remaining seats.

 

“I ordered you a Shirley Temple, Kag,” She said once they had sat down, and Kagome nodded in response with a smile to show her approval. But more then that, she was glowing with an inner joy to see that the empty chair beside her was finally holding someone, and she didn't feel so alone any more.

 

“What's on the menu?” She asked, eagerly taking two menus and passing one to Inuyasha, who just grunted and buried his nose in the folder. Clearly, she realized, he was as much a lover of food as Kouga.

 

“There's no surf n' turf this time,” Sango conceded, “Which is too bad, because that was really good before.”

 

“Not to mention free,” Miroku chimed in, and they all laughed, except for Inuyasha and Kouga, who were taking their selection process very seriously.

 

Finally, after about twenty minutes of deliberation, they made their choices and settled in for a pleasant evening of conversation. Ayame was the first to ask the obvious question on everyone's minds.

 

“So Inuyasha, with you living at Kagome's apartment, are you guys officially a couple now?”

 

His glass stopped halfway to his lips, and Inuyasha looked rather comical with a slight blush on his face, almost matching the pale wine he was about to drink. “Um, I don't know if I would say that.”

 

That brought Kagome's head whipping around to stare at him, and she could tell it made him feel uncomfortable, because he started to fidget slightly, looking at everything but her. “What do you mean by that, Inuyasha?”

 

“I don't know,” he shrugged, trying to look casual, “Just that since I'm still technically married to Kikyou I don't know if it's right for me to be saying I'm dating someone else yet.” With that he brought the glass to his lips for a drink.

 

“Why not?” Sango muttered, though everyone could still hear her. “You slept with her already.”

 

Poor Miroku was covered in the wine Inuyasha spit from his mouth when Sango's comment caught him by surprise. Now his face really was red, but more from anger then anything else as he whirled on Kagome. “You told them?”

 

Kagome blushed, and it was her turn to fidget. “Well, I didn't tell all of them, just Sango, but somebody,” She glared at her friend, “Has a big mouth.”

 

“I can't believe you told them! That's private!”

 

“She's my friend, Inuyasha,” Kagome lashed back, feeling her own temper spark. “What do you expect me to do? Hide it from the world like I'm ashamed? Or have I read all your intentions the wrong way? Does a man moving into my apartment mean something different then I thought?”

 

“Don't start with that, Kagome, you know what I mean! Maybe I wasn't ready for the whole world to know that I was in a relationship with someone else.”

 

“You brought me here in your damn limo! What do you think the whole world will think now? Our picture is going to be in the paper tomorrow!”

 

“Really?” Miroku asked, still wiping off his face, and everyone just rolled their eyes.

 

“I don't know what you're so upset about,” Ayame commented after a while, when the silent tension between the couple became unbearable. “I mean, what do you think girls talk about, anyway? The weather? Our favorite topic is guys; who looks cuter, who kisses better, and, when the time comes, who's better in bed.”

 

“Really?” It was Kouga's turn to ask the obvious question before he leaned in to whisper, “So you talk about me like that?”

 

Ayame just rolled her eyes and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. “Please, we haven't gotten to that base yet, so don't flatter yourself.”

 

Everyone laughed, and the tension was broken as the waiter arrived with their food, which Kouga and Inuyasha pounced on instantly as though if they didn't it would hop away.

 

The topic wasn't broached again, but Kagome could still feel an underlying tension between herself and Inuyasha, as though the cat had been let out of the bag and now refused to go back in. She sighed and stared for a while at her pasta, fingering it with her fork.

 

“What's up, Kag?” Sango asked, bringing her filet to her mouth as she spoke, looking at her friend with concern.

 

“Nothing,” Kagome replied, but then caught Inuyasha staring at her as well, clearly trying to figure out what was on her mind.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yeah, Sango, I'm fine.” She put a smile on her face, but anyone who knew Kagome could tell that it was fake because usually she was so genuine. That only made matters worse between herself and Inuyasha, who sighed in frustration and returned to his meal.

 

“Well,” Miroku announced after he finished his beef, “I'd like to work off some of this dinner. Sango, would you care to dance?” He glanced down at the ballroom floor, full of twirling skirts and jewels.

 

“Oh,” Sango blushed, having no excuse to refuse as she was finished as well, and finally nodded, rising to her feet and putting her hand in his. “I would be delighted, good sir.”

 

He chuckled, winking as he playfully kissed her hand. “The honor is all mine, fair lady.”

 

“Oh please,” Kouga grunted, feeling nauseous at the corny scene, and the two finally cut it out and walked down the stairs.

 

Kagome watched them, Sango's floor length scarlet dress standing out against the more common blue or yellow gowns worn by the rich couples who were enjoying spring weather. She put her arms about Miroku's shoulders, and together they began to twirl about the room.

 

Kouga followed Miroku's example and pulled Ayame to her feet, her own gown of mint green, held up by spaghetti straps, falling about her body elegantly.

 

“I feel so underdressed,” Kagome finally commented, watching her friends move about to the waltz below before looking down at her own simple dress once more.

 

“Your dress is fine,” Inuyasha finally replied, obviously not quite sure what to say. They were both feeling a little uncomfortable at the moment in each other's presence.

 

“But everyone else is wearing evening gowns, and I thought this was going to be a simple occasion, not so, well, formal. Otherwise I would have worn something else.”

 

“I said your dress is fine, Kagome, and I meant it,” he replied, sounding a little gruffer then he meant to, and Kagome winced slightly. He felt a slight pang in his heart at that. He hadn't meant to offend her.

 

“Am I really irritating you so much?” she finally whispered, looking at her hands, which were currently resting in her lap.

 

He sighed, looking out one of the far windows. “You're not irritating me, Kagome, I just don't know what to do or say right now, okay? This is the first time we've really been out together since I moved in with you, and I guess I'm just feeling a little uncomfortable about it.”

 

“Because of me?”

 

“No!” He snapped back, and she winced again. He swore softly and tried to start over. “Look, you're just asking too much of me too soon, okay? Maybe, if I wasn't a man still waiting for the divorce to go through, it would be different, and I'd joke about our personal life with friends as much as you do, but I can't do that right now.” He went silent, and Kagome took in several deep breaths, trying to find the right words to say.

 

“I'm sorry,” she finally murmured, and he looked up at her as she continued, his anger already starting to fade at the sight of her beautiful face. “I really am, Inuyasha. I'm trying so hard to just act normal about this whole situation, but the truth is, it's not a normal situation, and I'm trying to recognize that too. Even though you've both filed for the divorce, the papers won't be ready to sign for another two weeks, meaning you're still technically married to my cousin, and that also means that a part of you is probably still attached to what used to be.”

 

He didn't respond, letting his silence be his guide as he tried to think of what to say. But what could he say? It was true, he wanted to just date Kagome like every other normal guy in the world, but that just wasn't possible, given their current situation. So what could a person do?

 

“Look,” he finally started, putting his hand over both of hers, which were still knotted together in her lap, “I'm sorry too, okay? I need to remember that you, unlike me, are coming into this relationship with no strings attached, and no extra baggage, like a marriage.” He chuckled, trying to make light of the situation, and it seemed to work, because her dark eyes sparkled slightly at the comment as she met his gaze. “Just give me a little more time to figure things out, okay? I promise we'll get through this, so long as you don't give up on me.”

 

She smiled at that, and he felt himself relax, his heart melting, and he suddenly wished they could just go back to her apartment and be together in peace for the rest of the evening.

 

“I would never give up on you, Inuyasha,” she assured him. “Even before all of this, when you were just my patient, I wouldn't give up on you, remember? No matter how much you tried to push away my help, I wouldn't let you, and I have no intention of backing away now.” Her smile broadened. “Just, have a little patience with me too, when I say the wrong thing or do something that makes you feel uncomfortable, okay?”

 

He nodded, and leaned over to catch her lips in a kiss that, by most standards, was too passionate for a public setting, but neither of them cared. Pulling back finally, Inuyasha smiled. “Okay.”

 

That argument having been settled, Kagome rose to her feet, glancing at the dancers. “Alright then, would you like to dance?”

 

His blood ran cold. “What?”

 

“Would you like to dance? You know, move about the floor to the beat of the music?”

 

“I know what dancing is,” he replied, his voice reverting back to sounding annoyed. So much for having patience with her.

 

“Okay, so do you want to?”

 

“No.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Keh, I think you know why not.”

 

“No, I don't, so enlighten me.”

 

He sighed in frustration and held up his cane for the entire world to see. “Hello Kagome, I can't move without this damn thing to help me!”

 

“And I don't see why that should hold you back. I can help you, like I did before when you were still using crutches, which are even worse then a cane.”

 

“But we were alone then, now we'll be in the middle of a bunch of people, and, well-”

 

“You'd be too embarrassed?” She gave him a hard stare, and he hurried to correct her.

 

“No! I would have thought you would be.”

 

She rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration. “Inuyasha, if I were going to be embarrassed, do you think I would have asked in the first place?”

 

“I suppose not.”

 

“Good, then get up off your butt and let's go dance.”

 

He allowed her to pull him to his feet, leaving his cane on his chair as she provided him with the support necessary to move down the stairs. He was surprised to find that Kagome did such a good job of supporting him while looking casual that they really just looked like a couple who was very intimate.

 

“I really have to give you more credit,” he finally admitted in her ear, and she shivered slightly at his breath before smiling.

 

“I've only been telling you that all along,” she replied, and his smile widened, but then faded as they approached the other dancers, who were giving him a look of sympathy, knowing about his injury. The question on everyone's faces were would Sesshoumaru's brother dance?

 

Kagome answered their questions by leading him right onto the dance floor and putting his arm around her waist, taking his other hand in hers as she placed her free hand on his shoulder. Slowly, without even asking if he was ready, she began to move, and he followed, occasionally having to lean against her, but surprisingly finding his legs supporting him more then he expected.

 

“You see,” she finally commented, reading his surprised expression. “You're doing a lot better then you give yourself credit for. I didn't tell you before, but the cane is the final step before you are free to walk on your own again.”

 

She loved the way his face lit up at that statement, and kissed his cheek fondly. “Really?” he finally asked, sounding overjoyed.

 

“Yes, really,” she replied, laughing, and he pulled her closer just to show her how happy he was, catching her lips with his again, inspiring several `awes' from the ladies, and much rumor spreading by the men about how Inuyasha was clearly separated from his wife if he were kissing another woman.

 

After a while of moving about the floor to different waltzes and jigs, they finally moved off the floor to take a break. After all, while he was improving, Inuyasha's legs weren't fully healed yet.

 

With his arm around Kagome's waist protectively, Inuyasha took great pride in the way other men her age looked away, recognizing that she was taken. He suddenly couldn't have been happier, their earlier argument having been forgotten, fading away into the back of his memory. He and Kagome could get through whatever life threw at them.

 

Or so he thought, until he felt the woman beside him stiffen suddenly, stopping in her tracks and nearly causing him to fall over. But as he looked up, he saw the reason for Kagome's distress, and suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

 

“Hey Kikyou,” he managed to stammer, looking at his soon to be ex-wife, dressed in her usual color of red, this time in the style of a long, elegant evening dress with a diagonal neck cut ending in one strap over her left shoulder. She wore diamonds around her neck he had never seen before, and since Naraku was at her side, Inuyasha could guess where she had gotten them.

 

“Inuyasha,” she acknowledged, clearly as unsure of what to do as he. But, as always to his heart's delight, he was rescued by Kagome and her cheerful voice.

 

“Kikyou, what a surprise! What are you doing here?”

 

The older woman couldn't help but smile slightly at her cousin, who was still dear to her heart despite what they had gone through. “Since Naraku's firm is the most prominent in the city, he was invited, and I came along as, um,” she stopped, unsure of what to call herself.

 

“She's my date for the evening,” the man with the dark brown hair and dark, mysterious eyes finished, and Kikyou blushed, turning as red as her dress.

 

“Wonderful!” Kagome replied, trying her best to keep the conversation light, though she was starting to feel weighed down by the sudden tension. “Have you two been here long?”

 

“We got here about an hour ago,” Naraku replied, and it quickly became apparent that they were the only two participating in the conversation, Inuyasha and Kikyou doing their best to avoid looking at one another.

 

Finally Kagome, having had enough of the nonsense, turned to Inuyasha and rolled her eyes before looking at Kikyou and stepping in between them, still being careful to support Inuyasha with her body.

 

“Honestly, you two, if you're getting a divorce, that's fine, and Kikyou, that means it's just fine if you're out on a date with someone else.” Kikyou turned even redder, but Kagome ignored that, turning her attention instead to Inuyasha. “And as for you, I'd rather not having you acting like you're ashamed to be seen with me, by her, in public.”

 

He seemed to wake up at that, and stammered to defend himself. “Kagome, I'm not ashamed of you!”

 

But she put up a hand for silence. “Look, I don't care, not this time anyway, I just want you two to stop feeling like you're doing something wrong. You're lucky in so many ways, because you both mutually agree that the divorce is necessary, and are moving on with your lives. What is so bad about that?”

 

She was answered with silence, and so rolled her eyes again and shrugged. “Whatever, if that's how you want to act, fine, but leave me out of it. I'm thirsty, so I'm going to order another Shirley Temple.”

 

That broke the ice, and Kikyou even managed a laugh as she reached out and touched her cousin's arm. “Thank you, Kagome, you're right. I'll see you later, and you too, Inuyasha.” With that, she left the two and pulled Naraku with her onto the dance floor, and they seemed very happy and carefree as they danced together.

 

Inuyasha watched them for another moment before looking down at Kagome, his eyes shining with love for what she had just done. “Do you really want another drink?”

 

She shrugged. “Not really, I just wanted to give them a reason to leave. Frankly, I'm ready to go home now.”

 

“Yes,” he said, a little louder then he meant to, “You read my mind.”

 

“Then lets go,” she replied, taking his arm and leading him toward the door, but not before catching the eye of Sango and waving, pointing to the door to show that they were leaving. Her friend just nodded before lowering her head back onto Miroku's shoulder, clearing enjoying herself.

 

Kagome accepted her coat and started to walk out the door when Inuyasha stopped. “My cane,” he said simply, but Kagome just shrugged, supporting him a little more.

 

“Miroku or Sango will grab it before they leave,” she replied and followed him out to the limousine just pulling around the corner and in front of the doors. They stepped inside, and both missed the flash of the camera, which had been following them all evening.