InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Trial and Error ❯ What A Day ( Chapter 2 )

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

Huge thanks to those who left reviews for the last chapter. It means a lot.

-MD

---

For Kagome the day had dragged on and on. She had sat behind her desk and plaied solitare on her computer for the past four hours. She loved working at 'Gong', but there were just some days she was down right bored. It just so happened that today was one of those days.

Apparently the other journalists and designers were in the same predicament. One of her high school classmates was walking through the row of cubicles, headed directly toward her. Though she smiled brighty, she mentally groaned. "Hi, Hojo!"

Hojo worked in the printing department, but he found many an excuse to come up the four floors thats eperated them just to say hello or see if she had eaten yet.

"Hello, Kagome!" he said happily. "How are you today?"

"You know, the usual. Busy busy busy!"

He just laughed and gestured toward her computer screen. "Have fun with your game, Kagome."

She quickly shut the game down as he walked away.

"Man, that boy is so deep in the closet that he's finding Christmas presents."

She looked up into the shining blue eyes of Kouga, another graphic designer. From the moment they met she had taken an instant liking to him, even though he tended to be a bit possessive of her.

"That's an awful thing to say, Kouga."

"But it's the truth."

Neither of them could deny thtat one. There had been rumors flying ever since they graduated, especially since they had never seen Hojo actively try to pursue anyone other than Kagome.

"So, what are you doing tomorrow night?" he asked.

She took a moment to think. "Going home, fixing dinner for Inuyasha, going to band practice with him, watching mind numbing game shows....the usual."

"How about you break away from the norm and go to dinner with me?"

She thought for a few moments. Kouga was a very sweet man, but she wasn't entirely sure that she wanted to even take the effort to date him. He had a reputation of flying through women. "I don't know Kouga. Let me think about it."

Kouga smiled brightly. "At least it wasn't a no!"

"That it wasn't," she replied with a laugh.

He gave her another blinding smile of perfect white teeth before he turned around and began walking back toward his cubicle. "Think about it!" he called over his shoulder as he walked away

Kagome took a deep breath and sighed, then looked at the clock on the computer screen. 3:30.

"Eh, what the hell," she mumbled. Her boss had even taken off early, not returning from his lunch, so she doubted that anyone would miss her if she took off a few hours early.

With that thought she shut down her computer and packed her things up into her tote bag. A few extra hours would enable her to make a huge dinner for Inuyasha. He had seemed down lately, so maybe a nice heaping bowl of extra special ramen would cheer him up.

----------

Kagome wrestled with her shopping bags as she tried to unlock the door to the apartment. To her relief the door whipped open mid match.

"Oh thank god, Inu, I was having a -" she stopped and looked at the person who opened the door. "You're not Inu."

Kikyo smiled and took one of the bags from her. "You are very observant, grasshopper."

Kagome just rolled her eyes and walked into the apartment and straight to the kitchen. "Where's Yash?" she asked, as she sat the bags on the countertop.

Kikyo joined her and started to help her put away the groceries. "He and Miroku went to Buffalo's to pick up some more sound equipment. I'm rather glad, honestly. It gives me some time to think."

Both women walked out to the living room and sat on the couch. "About what?"

Kikyo shook her head. "Nothing extremely important." She looked down at her hands in her lap, picking at her perfectly manicured nails, then looked back up at Kagome. "You look like you have something to talk about though."

Kagome sighed. "There is a man at work that asked me to go to dinner with him.

Kikyo immediately brightened. "That's wonderful! What did you say?"

"You know," Kagome replied, "I wasn't sure what to tell him so I told him I'd think about it."

"Why did you say that? It's been forever since you've been out on a date. I think it would be good for you."

As much as Kagome wanted to deny it, Kikyo was right. It had been a year and a half since she had gone out with anyone, and the person she went out with was Hojo. The date turned out to be a disaster and they never dated again. "To be honest, I'm not sure if I want to take the time to date him. He's such a womanizer it makes me sick."

"Inu was a womanizer but I decided to give him a chance," Kikyo pointed out.

"That's not it though. I am ready for Mr. Right to come about so we can get married and start on those 2.5 kids and get a dog." Kagome leaned back. "Oh gods, I'm starting to sound like my mother," she groaned.

"You are starting to sound like my mother too," Kikyo giggled. She scrunched her face up. "Why don't you get married?" she said, in a high pitched voice, the perfect impression of her mother. "I want grandchildren, damn it!"

Both women laughed for a moment before it trailed off into an awkward silence.

"I can't see you getting married," Kagome told her, honestly. "Just like Inu has always said, you aren't the wifey type."

"That is exactly what I had come here to talk to him about." Kikyo sighed, then looked over at Kagome and grabbed her hands. "What I am about to tell you mustn't go any further than this room," she said. "Promise me." Kikyo tugged on Kagome's hands, as if she was emphasizing the point. "Please?" she pleaded.

Kagome nodded. "Cross my heart."

Kikyo took a deep breath. "I came here to break things off with Inuyasha."

"Why?" Kagome was rather shocked. They had been dating for a solid five years and things seemed perfect between the two of them.

"Things just aren't working out like I had hoped." Kikyo let go of Kagome and ran her hands through her hair. "He is looking for something more permanent. I can't deal with that."

"Why not? You have been together so long it seemed that marriage was just around the corner!"

Kikyo just shook her head. "It's not working out."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "I better start dinner." She stood from the couch and went into the kitchen, leaving Kikyo behind on the couch to think. Twenty minutes later the door to the apartment opened and she heard Inuyasha and Miroku stumble in, arguing over the equipment. She knew she promised Kikyo she wouldn't say anything, but she knew in her heart that Inuyasha was going to be devastated.

How was she going to get herself out of this one?

-------

"Kouga asked me out." Kagome looked up at him, sitting on the other side of the couch.

Inuyasha stared at her like she had grown another head. "Excuse me?"

'Great, Kagome. Ruin movie night, why don't ya?' She took a deep breath and repeated herself. "Kouga asked me to go to dinner with him."

Emotions ran though Inuyasha's eyes, ranging from anger to hurt to jealousy. "Good."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Pardon?" This wasn't her Inu. Her Inu would flip out and scream at her, saying he wanted to keep her at home where he knew where she was at all times. Something was definitely wrong.

"Good. It's about time you started seeing someone." He scooted over to her and wrapped his arm around her. "It will be good for you."

She snuggled into his chest. "I hope you are right," she mumbled. "Who are you and what have you done with my Inu?" she asked. She grabbed a piece of his long hair and started to toy with it.

Inuyasha laughed. "Still here, just not feeling like my normal self."

"What's wrong?"

He pulled his arm back and stood up. "I don't want to talk about it."

Kagome stared at the action movie that was playing on the screen as he stomped back to his bedroom and slammed the door. "So much for that."