InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Demons Within Us ❯ Waking ( Chapter 25 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Golden eyes flickered slowly open only to immediately shut tight against the intrusion of the mid-day sun that shone down between the curtains. A low painful groan escaped the lips of the prone man as he fought the haze between unconsciousness and reality, but more so against the stiffness in his neck.

Fuck…. What the hell did he sleep on? InuYasha winced as he tried to gain coherent thought. He lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck but it felt like lead. In fact, both of his arms ached as if he had exercised too much and felt near impossible to move.

Grunting in submission, he let his hand fall back onto his chest before he flinched slightly in pain. Man, even his chest felt like it was bruised. Damn, maybe he wasn't completely over the drugs right yet. His eyes tightened into a grimace. That clinched it. He was never popping pills again.

He slowly shifted his tight legs to stretch out the kinks, but even that was a chore. Moaning in protest against the realization his whole body was out to get him, InuYasha turned awkwardly onto his side and unconsciously nuzzled into the sweet scent beside him, trying to find relief in its presence. His arms sorely reached out to embrace the body he felt for certain would be there, yet his touch met nothing but a thin blanket and the back of his couch.

His heavy eyes automatically fluttered open as sudden uneasiness forced him to wake. He blearily focused on the brown leather back of his sofa as his body searched for what was wrong, wondering what was missing, but he found nothing out of the ordinary. Sharp tingles of panic immediately shot through his limbs, making his gut lurch in his chest at the realization that that was the problem. He was alone.

InuYasha's head snapped up from the arm of the sofa as he peered quickly around his living room, listening to any possibility that someone else was there. His heart began to thunder hard against his ribcage as he realized his apartment was empty and the only sound around him was coming from the ticking clock on his television stand saying it was 3:18.

Slumping his face back into the arm of the couch in dejection, he pulled the beige flannel sheet that covered him up over his head to block out the world. God, he was such an idiot. As if she would stay after the mess he made of himself. Quite seriously, even he didn't want to be around him right now.

He moaned heavily into the soft leather as he tried to force the memory of last night out of existence, but the feeling of it was burned into his soul.

She had held him last night - held him as if he were a child, and like a fucking moron he let her. And what was worse, he held her back! God, what was he thinking? When did he get so goddamned weak? It had to be because he was just so exhausted and drained last night that he wasn't in his right mind. Hell, the pills had him almost fuck Kikyo! Surely they would have made him drop his defences to be unstable in front of Kagome.

His eyes clenched tight in humiliated agony. No. That was a lie. He needed something desperately last night, regardless of the pills, and out of the shadows she was there. Even after everything he had said and done to her after the fact, she had stayed with him.

She had stayed, even when he pulled away from her as if burned. She stayed even when he grimaced at her as if she were contaminated. She stayed when he yelled at her to get the fuck out, calling her every name in the book, only to finally lock himself in his bedroom, slamming the door nearly off its hinges when she didn't. And hours later, when he finally came out, she was there on his couch waiting for him.

They never spoke after that. Instead, he sat at the other end of the couch and both of them watched television until the sun broke out over the horizon. It was then that he finally drifted off to sleep, collapsing exhaustively as his body gave out. He didn't even feel it when she placed a blanket over him, or when she tucked a sweat-dampened strand of his hair off his face.

Yet as he slept, he knew she was there.

But now she wasn't.

InuYasha's hollow eyes slowly drifted open in desolation to stare blankly at the sheet that covered him. He couldn't blame her for leaving. She saw the weakest side of him, something that no one had ever been allowed to see. It was bad enough that she saw him sick a few days ago, but now she saw his desperate temper. It was a humiliating and degrading experience, and she witnessed it all. So how could he blame her for leaving? He was surprised she had stayed through it all, never once saying a goddamned word against him.

A twist of bitter anger coursed through him. Maybe that's what she wanted to see. Maybe she wanted to see him fall to pieces around her and act like she was untouched by his pain in order to make herself all the more higher on that bloody pedestal she stood on.

But as quickly as his anger came, it disappeared into a feeling of guilt. Was he still trying to convince himself that she was capable of such things? Was he that desperate to find fault with her? From everything he had learned about her, she had become more and more perfect, so much that he could barely believe she was real. And the funny thing was he hardly knew anything about her. Only that he never needed anyone more than he needed her.

His nose tucked into the blanket and he slowly closed his eyes in twisted contentment as he fisted the sheet more tightly against him. It smelled just like her. She must have used the blanket last night when they watched T.V. He inhaled long and deep once more, basking in the sweet scent of vanilla. He shivered in tormented pleasure as it flooded his pained senses, sending sharp tingles of want through his body.

Amazing. The scent was so simple and so small yet it swallowed his entire world. And he couldn't get enough.

His golden orbs tightened painfully as remorse shook his being. He told her she was out of the band. He said he wanted her out of his life. He insulted and degraded her so much over the last few months. And last night…. God, last night!

He clenched a fist between his eyes as he tried to block out the entire event, but it replayed like a haunted nightmare. His teeth clenched as he let out a bitter groan. How was it possible that he could fuck up his life even more? There was no way he could make up for it. Nothing could excuse his behaviour. Within one day he not only ruined his life but his band's as well. Kagome was gone and there was no way of getting her back. He had crossed the line too far and there was no way to fix it.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! He internally seethed as he buried himself deeper under the blanket in misery. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He never felt more hopeless in his life.

His breath stopped short when he heard the front door click quietly shut and he lay still as he listened. His ears automatically perked in alertness as a body moved softly into his kitchen where he could barely make out a faint rustling from various bags being moved.

InuYasha slowly pulled the blanket down from his face and peeked around his living room, but couldn't see much from his vantage point on the couch. Who the hell was here? Very few had access to his apartment. He rolled his eyes. Most likely it was Sango but for some reason he felt depressed at that notion. He had hoped it was….

His heart twisted bittersweet in his chest as the faint smell of vanilla drifted over to him. Fighting the pain in his body, he lifted himself up into a sitting position and peered over the rim of his couch to look towards the kitchen. His brow quirked slightly as he barely saw Kagome's form disappear behind his fridge door. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or annoyed. At the moment he felt both. What the hell was she doing anyways?

Grimacing in painful discomfort, having forgot his body's protest of the night before, InuYasha slowly got up from the couch so not to make any noise and hobbled over to his kitchen. Resting his side against the frame of the entrance, he let a tired smirk etch on his lips as he watched her round ass wiggle by the fridge door before he quickly placed on a mask of contrariness.

“You still here?” He barked.

Kagome froze in fright before she pulled herself from the fridge and looked up at him. She gave him a lopsided grin as her body automatically eased. “Apparently.”

He snorted softly. Guess there wasn't much more to say than that. A brow rose slightly as he looked her over briefly. Man, she looked tired. Didn't she sleep at all last night? A slight twinge of guilt unsettled him before he glimpsed at a bag of oranges in her hand. He frowned. “What're you doing?”

She shrugged as she bent back into the fridge. “Putting groceries away.”

His eyes widened a fraction, not sure whether to be thankful or pissed at her charity. “You bought food? Why?”

Closing the fridge door, Kagome moved to the table to start putting the rest of the groceries away. “I wanted pancakes but you didn't have the ingredients.”

His eyes widened a bit more as his mouth automatically watered. Fuck, when was the last time he had pancakes? He internally snorted. Not since he was a kid at least.

“You could've gone home.” He moved awkwardly to lean his back on the frame, but thankfully she didn't notice his discomfort.

“Yeah,” Kagome looked over her shoulder at him and grinned. “Which means I would have to make a million pancakes for fifteen kids and I didn't want to share.”

InuYasha smirked. “How unchristian of you.”

A soft smile settled on her lips. “What makes you think I'm a Christian?”

His brows rose slightly in disbelief. “You believe in God, don't you?”

Her smile grew and InuYasha could almost see a secret hidden in them. “What does religion have to do with God?” She asked.

He was taken aback. “Isn't that the whole point of it?”

Kagome tilted her head slightly. “I guess in its truest form it does. At our most desperate times we search for meaning in teachings of religion. We want examples to follow to better our lives.” Her blue eyes warmed as she looked up at him. “But religion isn't necessarily a path to God and it certainly isn't our only path.”

InuYasha crossed his arms as his mood began to sour. “Then what's the point of it?”

Kagome shrugged. “I can't answer for everyone, but if I had to say I would think it was having a connection with other people, wishing to feel a bond with each other and find peace with their surroundings and find their greater calling. It's a means to connect one's soul. I think it's pretty much what everyone searches for when they first enter a church, temple or synagogue.” She turned to look distractedly into a grocery bag on the table. “It's what we search for no matter where we are.”

He snorted contritely. “Religion is fucked. It caused the War on Terrorism, abused so many systems as a means for power and made ignorance a way of living for people. God has no place in a rational mind.”

Kagome shot her gaze up at him. “Don't blame the decisions and actions of people on the very force that holds us together.”

He turned cold eyes upon her. “You don't seriously think….”

“InuYasha.” Her hands dropped heavily on the table as she stared at the wall in front of her, hiding her face from his view. “If people honestly knew what God was,” she turned saddened blue eyes upon him, “there wouldn't be any ignorance at all.”

“Yeah?” He scoffed, turning his eyes from her gaze. “So looking at history, you honestly think believing in God did any good for our humanity? Fuck! Look at all that's been done! Government scandals, murders and prejudice… child abuse….” He turned his face away bitterly. “All done in the name of God.”

“Just because someone says they're doing something in the name of God,” her azure eyes looked openly up at him, “doesn't mean they're doing the will of God, or the work of the moral that name upholds. These people may say religion or God is the reason why they do something, but it doesn't mean what they are doing is what it truly stands for. It doesn't mean they are doing God's work no matter what they say.”

“So again,” he smirked unkindly, “what's the point of religion if people don't uphold what it's supposed to stand for?”

Kagome turned back to the table to finish her unpacking. “Funny thing about religion, InuYasha. People think it stands for a certain thing and it's never allowed to change. I guess that's where a lot of problems lie. Religion in its definition means belief. Just because a person believes in something doesn't mean that it's right. And just because people tell you what God is supposed to be doesn't make it the truth.” She stuffed the empty bags into one and placed them under the sink. “So it can be difficult to uphold a belief when one doesn't fully comprehend its intention.”

“Belief has an intention?” He frowned.

Placing the last items in the cupboard, Kagome sighed. “Belief is a standard of living. It motivates how we think and act. But what we believe is not meant to cripple our morality, but strengthen it. Beliefs are meant for us to pursue what we understand as good for ourselves. But what we forget is what the good needs to be as a whole. And that's where God comes in, to define that good for all of us.”

InuYasha's mouth shut tightly as he stifled a growl. “I think that's shit, believing in some otherworldly figure that has some fucking `devine' plan for us all and we have to follow it.”

Kagome finally turned to face him as she relaxed her body against the counter. She tilted her head softly as she studied him thoughtfully. “Is that what God really is, InuYasha? A supernatural being with the world already set and we're just pawns playing the part?”

His lips twisted uncomfortably as he looked away. “It's what you people believe isn't it? At least it's what you make us believe. How am I to rationalize it? I can't believe in something so farfetched.”

Kagome let a whispered laugh leave her lips as she looked wistfully up to the ceiling. “You know what I think? I think that a lot people don't believe in God because they already have it set into their minds to be something not worth believing in. And some try so hard to break believers, slandering those who have faith, because they draw on examples from people who never really knew what God was to begin with.”

She settled her eyes to rest onto his. “It's easy to say there is no God when you see so much hurt and pain and evil done by those who claim they are doing God's work. But all I want to know is why unbelievers believe the people who didn't even know what God's will was? Just because they go to church or even run it, doesn't mean they truly know God. It's from that fault where ignorance lies. Ignorance is from accepting the truth for what it's not, and not accepting it for what it is.”

InuYasha's mouth opened slightly, but he remained quiet as he turned his gaze bitterly to the floor.

Kagome sighed as she shook her head. “We are a unique species, don't you think? Capable of so many dreams, ideas and innovations. It's foolish to think we can be set on one thing, and that one thing must last forever. Religion should be no different. We learn, we advance and we thrive with our beliefs adapting with the change. It's how we survive. But change can scare people, enough where they can use people's beliefs as a weapon to hold so many back and hurt so many in the process. And yes, there are even those who will use people's beliefs to gain power, not caring about the power behind the belief. When that happens God becomes lost. Paperwork, bureaucracy and self-indulgence overpower the good that our beliefs once held. And from that comes the hatred and intolerance you see. So then it's easy to say there is no God when you see these things, because you're right… God isn't there.”

“But that's all there is.” InuYasha frowned, eyeing the girl up and down. “Nothing but hate and intolerance and injustice. They're all caused by beliefs, more specifically the belief in God. How is it possible you can still believe in God after everything that has happened because of its ideal?”

“Because,” Kagome let a soft smile grow on her lips as her gaze lowered to the ground. “Because some people get it. Some people really know what God truly is, and that's what gives us hope to continue to believe. When you get to the basis of what the concept of God is, there is nothing greater to put your faith into, especially when that faith is shared. When you know what God really is, you then realize it was never the belief in God that caused such horrible things to happen.” She slowly lifted her eyes to his. “For living the truth of what God is would deny such terrible things any possibility.”

“Then what is it?” His golden eyes searched hers with trepidation. “What's the truth?”

Kagome's smile gentled and her whole presence seemed to warm him without anything more than her eyes gazing up at him deeply and wholly.

“It's unique for everyone, no two people ever know it as the same. Yet it's something that every one of us has. It's something that everyone can give. And it's something that everyone needs at every moment of every given day.”

He snorted on a cool laugh as he crossed his arms. “You make it sound like a riddle to some sacred secret.”

“Hardly, though its concept can be hard to grasp.” She giggled and stepped up to him so close that he could smell the sweetness of her hair and the hint of mint on her breath.

His body automatically pushed heavily against the wall as he unconsciously tried to escape her welcoming presence. Scowling at his cowardice, he pulled away from the wall and glowered down at her. “Well, you're not making it any easier to understand. It's something that all of us has, gives and needs? What the hell does that mean? Why can't anyone just give an answer without having to bring so much bullshit into it?”

Her head lifted to meet his gaze and her lips pressed in a cute frown as she contemplated her words. “Well… I think that some answers are better off being found rather than being told.” She gave him a wistful grin and a slight shrug. “I guess in that way, it makes it more believable.”

InuYasha's arms dropped to hitch in his pants and he smirked unkindly down at her, although it was hard to look her in the eye. “Believable? I hardly think there is anything out there worth believing in. If there was, don't you think everyone would?”

Her lips frowned slightly as her eyes pulled away from him in thought, much to his relief and disappointment.

“You know, they say people look for God all their lives and never really know that what they were searching for was there all along.” She appeared reflective as she flicked her eyes up and down his form. “I can understand your disbelief, though. God is something more powerful than any could imagine, enough to create light where there is darkness, good where there is evil and hope when there is pain. To believe in something that profound and perfect could easily be passed off as something supernatural and unreal.

“But what if,” she breathed as her eyes drifted along his broad chest in deep thought. “What if it was something so simple that you never even realized you believed in it all along?”

InuYasha looked down at her soft form as she stood before him innocently, not even aware of how close to danger she was in. It was not just the fact that she dared to argue God with him, but that she dared to answer him with no fear or anger, and with as much conviction as any had allowed with him. He found it invigorating and stimulating, not to mention down right aggravating. Yet she did not back down, she never did. His chest grew tight and tingly at the realization. She took everything he criticized and never did her light fade. Instead, he felt it grow brighter and hotter with every answer she gave to him.

His eyes grew darker like liquid syrup as he pulled in her tranquil aura like a sensual caress. She smelled so sweet and the craving to bury his face into her hair hit him hard. Her eyes glided up to meet his and he felt captured in waves of cerulean tranquility and purity. Believe in something perfect? So much that it couldn't possibly be real? The notion sounded familiar. To believe in something so….

His gaze glided down to her silk kissed lips.

Perfect….

His amber eyes drifted closed without his volition as he leaned down towards her before the realization of what he was doing sunk in. His eyes flashed open in alarm and he nearly tripped over himself in his haste to get some distance from her, not noticing her look of confusion as he shot from her as if burned.

He backed up into his living room, quickly brushing his fingers distractedly along his scalp as he flicked his eyes around his apartment uncomfortably before his gaze settled on her small form. He smirked slightly as he fought to gain his composure. “Keh, let's just drop it. Whatever it is, I don't have it, I won't give it and I don't need it.”

Kagome's lips struggled to smile as she stepped up to him. “But I….”

InuYasha stumbled back until he hit the edge of the couch. “Listen, I don't believe in anything, let alone whatever the hell you're talking about, but if it gets your rocks off then I'll leave it alone if you leave me alone, okay?”

Kagome watched him for a few moments and he thought for sure he could see a hint of dejection in her eyes before it was flooded over by a watery smile and a nod.

“Okay.” She shrugged. “Besides, it cuts into pancake time. Which reminds me, I'm starved! Go! Take a shower or whatever your morning thing is, as long as it gets you dressed. I'll have breakfast made by the time you're out.”

He tilted his head in confusion at her statement before he looked down at himself. He finally noticed he had no shirt on and his loose track pants were hanging very close to his V. Flushing slightly, he grunted in agreement and bee-lined to the bathroom, shutting it quickly in his haste. He never had the chance to see the pained look on her face as she clutched her fist to her heart, pouring out the truth that she wanted him desperately to take.

-+-

By the time he was showered and dressed the sweet smell of pancakes and coffee had taken over his apartment. Growling contrarily as he brushed his tangled hair, he decided to just fuck it when he realized there was no way to make it neat. Shaking his head to create wispy waves, he sauntered out of his bedroom, frowning uncomfortably as the tips of his hair dampened his only clean t-shirt. This was not how he wanted Kagome to see him, like some unkempt slob. His frowned deepened. What did he care anyways? Not like he wanted to impress her or anything. Besides, didn't she once say she liked his hair unruly? It made him look…what was it? Wild and sexy? He sighed internally. She better had meant it because it was his only saving grace.

He stepped sheepishly into the kitchen but his apprehension quickly melted away as she smiled brightly up at him and motioned him to sit in the empty chair across from her. His eyes widened slightly at seeing the table elaborately set for the two of them with a large stack of pancakes in the middle. A mug of coffee and a glass of juice sat beside an empty plate that waited for him on one side of the table while Kagome sat on the other, already biting into a stack of pancakes she had made for herself.

She pointed to the side, trying to quickly swallow down the spongy dough coated in syrup. “Sugar and cream. I didn't know what you liked in your coffee.”

Slowly sitting down across from her, InuYasha awkwardly reached over and poured some cream into his coffee along with some sugar.

“Cream, two sugars.” His eyes shot up to meet Kagome's as she smiled at him while nodding to his coffee. “Now I know.”

“Double, double. It's a staple.” He shrugged and a faint smirk tilted his lips before he reached for some pancakes.

His unease rapidly faded as ravenous hunger took over. When was the last time he ate this good? His eyes flicked up to meet hers for an instant before he reached for some syrup. Not since the last time they shared a meal. In fact, the only time he ever had a good meal was when he was with her. It was a concept he wasn't sure he liked, but for some reason the notion felt… oddly right.

He cut a large chunk from his stack and shoved the whole portion into his mouth, trying hard to suppress the moan of pleasure as the sugary dough practically melted in his mouth with the butter it was coated in.

Kagome grinned between her bites. “Better than instant noodles?”

“Hmm?” InuYasha quirked his head slightly, his mouth too full to speak.

Kagome nodded her head to a cupboard. “I noticed you had nothing but noodles. Well, that and a questionable jar of mayonnaise in your fridge.”

InuYasha swallowed and looked at her in shock. “I had mayonnaise?”

Kagome laughed. “That or wasabi. I don't know, I don't think either should be that colour brown.”

He chuckled slightly. “Sango always said my apartment was a biohazard.”

Kagome giggled. “So what's with the noodles? You have stock in the company?”

His lips ticked up even more. “I should.” His golden eyes flicked up at her then back down to his plate. He sighed contritely as he picked at his pancakes. “I'm hardly home enough to cook. Instant anything is my diet.”

Kagome hummed. “Well, you know if you ever want a fantastic meal you can always come by the Shikon House. Ayame, Kaede and I always make more than enough in case the kids want more.”

InuYasha lifted his eyes up to meet her happy blue before he quickly dropped them to her plate. He frowned suddenly in question as all conversation went out the window. “Is that… chocolate chips?”

Kagome glanced down at her pancakes and lifted her brow innocently. “No?”

His lips seemed to thin as he darted his eyes up to hers, daring her to defy him.

She giggled and handed him her plate where he quickly stole a few chocolate spotted pancakes.

“I can't believe you were holding out on me.” He bit into a large piece of gooey pancake, leaning over his plate as a few strands of melted chocolate dripped down from his lips.

Kagome laughed. “I will never deny you again, I swear.”

His gaze slowly drifted up to search her face and he swallowed his pancake hard. He was silent for a few moments before he cleared his throat. “Kagome, I….” He stopped when her eyes shot up to meet his and a happy gleam flooded over her. “What?”

“You said my name.” She flushed before she ducked her head down. “I'm sorry, it's just that it's the only time you've ever said my name.”

A blush of shame burned his face as he glared down at his breakfast. “Is it really?”

She shrugged. “Well, to be fair, we rarely spoke to each other so I guess there never was a need.”

InuYasha reached for his coffee and held the cup between both hands as he gazed at it penitently. “I never meant to… you know.” He mumbled.

“I know.” She breathed and let a small smile grace her lips. “But before now there were a lot of things keeping us from getting to know each other.”

He nodded slightly. “I suppose.”

“At least now there is nothing to hold us back.”

InuYasha shook his head. “No.” He frowned down at his coffee. “I can't guarantee that.”

Kagome was silent for a few moments before she spoke. “Then, I guess there is only one thing we can do.”

“And what's that?” He asked numbly.

“Be happy in the moment we have.” She smiled softly. “It's all we're really given for certain anyways.”

A slight smirk hinted his lips and he nodded once.

Sitting in quiet thought for several minutes, Kagome reluctantly sighed. “About Kohaku….”

“Yeah.” InuYasha frowned. “About that.”

“I should've told you.” She whispered as she gazed down at her plate. “When you saw me in the lobby, I wanted to tell you so bad.”

“Why didn't you?” He gripped his cup harder.

She breathed in deep to relieve the nervousness in her chest. “Because I didn't want to hurt you.”

“Hurt me?” His eyes drifted up to her remorseful face.

“Sango told me what happened Thursday night. She told me about how Kohaku got into drugs, and the night he….”

InuYasha nodded his head.

“And about you.”

“Me?” His voice sounded distant as he flexed his hands around his hot coffee cup.

“About how you took his place to save him.”

He ducked his head further into his chest. “I never saved him.”

“Yes, you did.” Her voice replied tenderly. “When Kohaku was brought to the orphanage, he was thin, sick and very troubled. But he was alive. Through the years he has grown to be the man I know you will be proud of. I don't know what happened from that night to the day he was found, I'm not sure anyone knows, but what matters is that he has his life back. And he has his family back, including you.”

He shook his head. “He doesn't remember me.”

“But you remember him.” Her soft voice echoed deep inside him.

Seeing as he wasn't about to speak, Kagome continued. “The moment you saw me at the park, I just received word from my friend Bank that Kohaku was the one you saved. I knew you would have recognized him had you seen him, but I wasn't sure how you would have reacted. And to be honest, I wasn't sure how Kohaku would react either. I heard sometimes images or voices could trigger a memory. I had to be there for him, in case he did remember.” She bit her lower lip. “But I also had to get you to see him. I knew if I had told you, you would have left.”

InuYasha opened his mouth but then shut it tightly before his strained voice broke through. “How did you know I would follow you?”

“I didn't.” Kagome breathed. “But I'm so glad you did.”

He braved against his tightening stomach and lifted his eyes to meet hers and all thought left his being as her mouth parted in aching atonement.

“I am so sorry for any pain I have given you. You have to understand it was never my intent. I would never, ever do anything to hurt you, not if I can help it. I'd never forgive myself if I did.” She bit her lower lip as her eyes drifted to the table. “I hope you forgive me for what I did yesterday.”

InuYasha's mouth opened and closed in shock. For what she did yesterday? He was still beating himself up over what he did. “Forgive you?”

Kagome sighed shakily. “I know I should have told you. I should never have….”

“Kagome.”

Her words died in her throat as her watery eyes flowed up to him.

InuYasha could do nothing but watch her for a few moments before he shook his head and lowered his eyes to his plate. “Forget about it. It never happened.”

She frowned. “But….”

“It's forgotten,” his golden orbs flashed deeply into hers. “All of it.”

Her frown deepened. “But what about Kohaku?”

“What about him? He has what he needs right now.”

Kagome shook her head. “He needs you.”

InuYasha scoffed. “He needs me like he needs another hole in the head. Besides, he's better off never knowing the truth about what happened.”

“I'm not talking about his past. I'm talking about his present.” Kagome bit her lower lip and flicked her eyes around the table. “He should know you.”

A dry snort left his nose. “What the fuck for?”

“Because.” Her blue eyes flitted up to his face. “Because everyone should be so lucky to know who you are.”

All words caught in his throat as his golden eyes opened slightly in shock. Did she really say that?

A soft shaky breath passed quickly from her lips as she ducked her face down. “You both have come so far. Even if the past should never become known, you should not deny yourself who he is. He is here because of you, and he should at least know the man you have become.” Soft pleading eyes lifted to meet his. “Please, think about it.”

Against his better judgement, he reluctantly nodded his head. “Fine, I'll think about it.”

Her lips lifted slightly and she nodded before she looked down to her breakfast. Sighing, she pushed her plate away. “I should get going.”

Amber eyes flicked up quickly as InuYasha watched her stand. “Going?”

She nodded. “I have to go pick up Kohaku from Sango's.”

“Can't Sango drive him home?” He stood up with her.

She shrugged. “Yeah, but it's on my way.” She glanced down at the table. “You think you can handle the rest of the pancakes?”

His eyes drifted to the table in confusion. Pancakes? All she can think to say as she is about to leave him is `can you handle the rest of the pancakes?' His head shot up as she moved out of the kitchen to the doorway, slipping her shoes on in the process. Reaching for the knob she turned and smiled at him.

“Now don't forget. You're welcome to come to the Shikon House whenever you want. The door is always open.” She stood there for a long moment before she nodded and opened the front door. “I'll see you around….”

“Practice!” He blurted out, quickly walking into the living room to face her.

She stopped and looked at him. “What?”

“We're having practice.” He growled uncomfortably, wincing internally for his cowardice.

“We are?” Her eyes widened as questions flooded over her before she shook herself out of her confusion. “When?”

Grabbing his keys and sneakers, he reached for the doorknob. “Now.”

“Now?” Kagome stumbled from the door as he wrenched it all the way open before she rushed out into the corridor with him. “But….”

Snarling contritely, InuYasha slammed the door shut behind them and locked it. “Listen, we have five days until Hong Kong. I'm not about to fuck around.” He turned and frowned down at her. “You just going to stand there?”

Standing straight in shock, Kagome blinked rapidly before turning on her heal and ran down the stairs, giggling all the way. “Race ya!”

Fighting the wave of excited relief, InuYasha bit back a wide smirk and leapt down the flight of stairs, after the girl he could no longer let go.

A/N: Okay, a very short chapter I know. I HATE writing short chapters and I so wanted to add more to it, but I've held off posting a chapter far too long that even I got pissed at me for not writing. So I hope you're all okay with it.

As for my life, well, aside from about the five digs we did around Ontario, packing up the house, showing the house, seeing friends before we go, we have finally arrived safe and sound in Halifax there on Tuesday, unpacked the van and spent the last two days getting over the `U-Haul Shakes'. It was worse off for me, because a few days before leaving I found out I was two months pregnant. So any smell set me off into a fit. Note to anyone travelling. Avoid Quebec in May… apparently it's manure spreading season.

I'll be seeing a doctor tonight to find out all the details about the baby, and will keep you posted in the next chapter! As far as I know, it will be born in January. No morning sickness. Just tired and tired. I get queasy every now and then, and I am craving salty foods. I mean, I HATE McDonalds like it spawned the plagues of the Nile, but fuck if their fries haven't enticed my child. It doesn't even have a stomach yet (well, as far as I'm aware) and already it has gone the way of the dark side and its name is Rotten Ronnie's. So you can imagine I have bought stock in Tums with the amount of heartburn I've been having. I am very happy though, nervous as hell and scared out of my mind. (Seriously, I changed a diaper once my whole life and I have no idea how to hold one of these things.) I mean, I just got used to being Aunt Candy. Now I'm going to be Mommy. Whoa. Scary.

Anyways, my A/N is almost as long as my chapter, so I should get going. Hey, if any of you have facebook, I'm on there too. Just let me know if you want to be on my friends list!

Live, love and laugh!

WDW