InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Twisted Hearts ❯ Diamond Rings ( Chapter 3 )

Twisted fate

Diamond rings

 

Kagome threw some bills to the taxi-driver and practically flew out of it. She didn't bother to close the door of the car. Her mind was not there at all. A thousand thoughts of what could be wrong were passing in her mind, and she was pleading that it was not what she thought.

She already knew her prayers would not be answered.

**

“Her brother?” Sesshoumaru asked quite curiously, though his face and voice were blank.

Miroku hesitated for some minutes. It really wasn't his business, but…

**

“Where is he?” She yelled at the receptionist, and she was rewarded with a cold look.

“Miss, you need to calm down and tell me who you are looking for.”
”Don't tell me to calm down” She yelled, and then, more quietly “Just tell me where he is.”

“Tell me who you are looking for.”

**

“Well…” Miroku started, and he suddenly wondered if his idea was as great as he had thought moments ago. “Her brother is in a very delicate position. He is…”

**

“Souta, Souta Higurashi. He is twelve years old. The hospital called me.”

“Did they tell you why he was here?”

Kagome bit her lower lip. “No, I…I didn't hear that part.”

**

“I see.” Said Sesshoumaru, and his eyes, for a second, seemed to change, to become more intense, but Miroku couldn't be sure. It had passed way too briefly, and now Sesshoumaru's eyes were as cold as before.

Miroku though he might have imagined it.

**

`Please, please, please, I'd do anything, just, please, please, please…'

This scene was so familiar to what had happened two years ago. The burden in her chest was the same, and the nausea she was starting to feel was the same too. Her throat was dry, just like last time, and her petty prayers to whatever deity was above were the same.

Their silence was also the same.

**

“Will you ask her to marry you?” Miroku asked, and Sesshoumaru thought about it for a few minutes.

“I do need a bride…” He finally said, and his eyes cold eyes looked intensely at Miroku. Had Miroku not being used to Inuyasha's shifting moods, he might not have been able to stand that strong look.

**

“Are you related to the patient?” The receptionist asked in a very irritated voice.

“Yes, yes I am.” Kagome managed to say.

“What are your ties to him?”

“I'm his sister.”

“Do you have any identification? I can't give you information without knowing.”

Kagome very much wanted to hit the woman in front of her. “I forgot my purse.” She said instead.

“Then I'm afraid I can't do anything.”

Kagome thought this would be the right moment to indulge pain into the other woman.

**

“Then you will?”

“I do not like to be hurried into any decisions.”

“I…of course not. Take your time.” Miroku leaned against his chair. Maybe this would take more than a few minutes…

**

“Kagome, thank god you are here.”

Kagome turned to look at her mother. One look at her face and she knew that everything was as bad as she had imagined. Still…

“Mom, please, tell me it's not what I think…”

Her mother's face fell, and tears started to pour out of her eyes.

“It's back, and more intense than last time.”

Kagome's last hopes fell.

**

“I'll ask her to marry me.” Sesshoumaru said after what seemed like ages. Miroku stood up fast and offered his hand.

“You won't regret it.” He said with a little grin.

“It will be your fault if I do.”

Miroku gulped, but his hand did not falter, and he squeezed Sesshoumaru's hand as if he had just signed a very important contract.

“Where can I find her?”

“I'll give you her address.”

“He is very delicate. We are doing every exam we can to see what is wrong this time, but up until now we have had no results.”

“Is there anything you can do for him?”

Mrs. Higurashi looked at the doctor with pleading eyes, but the doctor's face was as serious as it had been for the last thirty minutes.

“We can't give him any medicines or treatment right now. They could make it all worse. After we know exactly how bad his condition is, we will then proceed with the treatment that is required; though I'm afraid his options may be limited. Last time his body didn't almost make it. This time his body is far more weaker.”

Kagome's mother took that as a cue to panic. “What are you saying? Are you not going to do something for him? You have to. It is your job, I…”

Kagome put her hand on her mother's shoulder. “What are his options?”

“It all depends on the results we get. They should be ready on a few hours. After that, we will decide.”

“What do you think will happen?”

The doctor looked between Kagome and her mother, and then he decided that Kagome was, at the moment, the most indicated person to talk to.

“I think the results will tell us what we already know. There is nothing more for him to do here in Japan. We don't have what Souta needs.”

Kagome did her very best to not faint or have a panic attack or anything that may make the situation harder.

“Then?”

“We will have two options, depending on the results. We can either translate him to the US, or we can bring a doctor from there and all the required equipment, depending on Souta's state.”

And Kagome pretty much felt like the world had ended.

“If…if we had the money to do any of this things, would Souta be saved?”

“I can't promise you he will be saved, but the US have made some remarkable advances in the heart problem that your brother has. His possibilities of surviving would be many.”

“Thank you, doctor. Can we see him now?”

“Yes, of course. Follow me.”

As they made their way towards Souta's bedroom, Kagome kept insulting anything that crossed her mind. It was her way of fighting desperation because there was no way, no way at all, that they would ever have the money that was needed to save her brother, and Kagome wanted to laugh at the irony. The only thing that could save her was if someone decided to donate a fortune to her family, or if she married someone rich. Since Inuyasha had dumped her, and he was the only rich man she knew, her brother was lost.

Kagome felt like dying.

Inuyasha walked besides Kykio, their hand entwined, and he could safely say that he had never felt better than now. They were walking on a park, surrounded by red, orange, and without-leaves trees. There was an artificial lake in the middle of the park, and the bird's songs could be heard everywhere. It was a little chilly, and Kykio leaned closer to him, trying to warm herself. She squeezed his hand.

Inuyasha knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

He couldn't imagine letting her go. He didn't want to wake up in the morning and not have her by his side. He knew he would not be able to go to sleep if she wasn't there with him. He wanted to know everything about her. All her flaws and perfection he wanted to know them. He wanted her to be his and he hers.

And so, he decided he would marry her.

Not that he hadn't thought about that before. He had to marry someone, and who better than her? She was beautiful, talented, graceful, and kind. She would be good for him, and the most important thing, he loved her. He had planned to wait before asking her. He wanted to get to know her, but things had been complicated, and now he had no time for his earlier plans. Not that he minded. Inuyasha preferred to rush into things.

“Kykio…· He said, as he stopped and brought Kykio closer to the lake. The sun was setting, and Inuyasha smirked. It seemed nature agreed with him in his decision to marry her. He couldn't have picked a better day to propose.

“What is it, love?”

Inuyasha's hand went to his pocket, where he had the ring that he had bought for Kagome. A small part of him scowled at him. He had bought that ring for Kagome because he seriously thought that he wanted to marry her. She had been a good companion, and Inuyasha had been satisfied with her.

Until Kykio appeared.

He pressed the box harder into his palm. It was no time to think about Kagome.

“I have had a wonderful time since I met you.” Inuyasha began nervously “I've never felt happier than I do now, and I certainly don't want it to end.”

“Nor do I” Kykio said, though he barely heard her. He was too nervous.

“Kykio, before you appeared, my life was ok, but it was nothing spectacular. Since I met you, every day gets better, and I, I just wanted to ask…”

Words had never been Inuyasha's strong point. He was a man of actions, as he very proudly proved right then.

He took Kykio's hand and pulled her towards him, stopping inches before his lips claimed hers.

“I love you” He breathed, and then his lips crushed hers. Kykio seemed startled for a moment, but then her hands went to his neck just as Inuyasha's went to her waist. He kissed her fervently, until their breathing was rage, and both of them were lacking oxygen.

“Marry me.” He said, and Kykio smiled.

“I was wondering when you would ask.”
Inuyasha grinned and slipped the ring into Kykio's finger.
******

“Are you sure he asked her to marry him?”

“Completely sure, milord, I watched them with my own eyes. He proposed to her by the lake this afternoon.”

“How long has he been seeing her?”

“He met her in Paris, sir, three and a half months ago.”

“Was he seeing Kagome Higurashi at that time?”

“Yes, sir.”

“How long had he gone out with Higurashi?”

“Over a year, sir.”

“I see.”
”…”

“Go away, Jaken, your nervousness displeases me.”
”Sir, I'm completely sorry. It will not happen again. I…”

“Go.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You should go see her now.” Miroku said after Jaken left.

“I'll see her when I consider prudent.”

“Of course.”

Miroku held back his grin. His plan was working just fine, and soon, Kagome would be engaged to Sesshoumaru.

This is where she lived.

He hadn't knocked, but he knew there would be no point to it. He could smell from here that she wasn't inside. No one was inside. The house was empty, and he still had time to change his mind.

Problem was, though, that he never changed his mind.

He was never wrong, and therefore, he never had any reasons to change his mind. There was nothing, absolutely nothing that would make that change now.

Sesshoumaru was not wrong.

He had made the best choice given his situation. He would marry the woman because he had no intention of giving his good for nothing brother what belonged to him. Besides, the idiot was already engaged, and that left Sesshoumaru behind him.

He did not like to be behind anyone, especially not behind an inferior being such as a hanyou. He would marry his ex-human, and he would enjoy seeing the jealously in his eyes. No matter what Inuyasha's feelings were towards that new human, Sesshoumaru knew he had to still feel something for Higurashi. Inuyasha was a fool that drove himself by his emotions. Surely it would stir something inside of him to see his elder brother marry the woman that used to be his. Ah, yes, that would surely enrage Inuyasha, and he would very much enjoy it.

That had to be the only good part of this situation.

He still couldn't believe his father was making him marry an inferior being.

Human.

What had his father thinking?

He must have been in delirium. That was the only explanation. It was that, or his father truly hated him. His father had known how much he despised humans. Why, then, would he make him marry one?

Pure hatred. That was it.

Sesshoumaru glared at the door. Not only was he forced to marry a human. He was also forced to wait for her. He looked at his claws. If there was no one here to open the door for him, then he would just have to do it himself.

After all, he was a youkai, and he refused to wait for anyone in a bloody corridor.

He wondered if he should maybe accept that he was wrong and leave. He could start a business of his own and…

And leave everything to the hanyou?

Absolutely no.

He would rather marry a human.

It really seemed like his father hated him.

“Must everything go wrong today?” Kagome yelled at the ceiling as she kneeled to pick her keys.

It was obvious, of course. Someone from above hated her because it was obvious that Inuyasha's breaking up with her had not been enough. Oh, no, it had been just a start. The bloody morons not content with just making Inuyasha fall for someone else had also decided to make Souta sick again. They had put obnoxious nurses at the hospital that didn't let her pass, and they had made her miss her bus. Now, they didn't let her get in her house. She had dropped the keys twice.

She grabbed her keys, stood up, and finally opened her door.

She didn't notice the white-haired youkai sitting on her couch at first.

Kagome went straight to the kitchen.

“Where the hell is that bloody scotch?”

She had every intention of drinking the entire bottle. Okay, so maybe not all of it, but definitely a good part of it.

She needed to calm her nerves or numb them.

Definitely numb them.

“You aren't going to drink all that, are you?”

And then she turned, and her eyes fixed on something that definitely didn't belong there.

“AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

Her scream was high, and he stiffened at the loud noise.

“Quiet!” He yelled at her, and then Kagome decided that she had had enough.

“Quite? You want me to be quiet? You are the one that is in my house. You should be the one to be quiet.”

He stood up and walked towards her. Kagome took a step back, now coming to the realization that she didn't know him, and he was probably a robber, a very dangerous looking robber. Maybe she shouldn't have yelled at him.

Kagome felt the stove behind her, and she felt the stranger was a youkai.

Shit. This was a very powerful youkai that she had just pissed off.

He stopped. Kagome tried to remember how to breathe.

“I'm a miko, and I can purify you.”

He took a step closer.

“Really, I can…”

He took both of her hand in his.

“That would not be good for human-youkai relationship.”

“I…”

“And if you had any intention of purifying me, miko, you would have done it by now.”

“Get your hands of mine.”

She lifted her head, and her eyes crossed with his.

Golden, he had golden eyes, just like…

Her body decided that it had been enough excitement for one day, and Kagome fainted into strange arms with familiar eyes.

She thought of Inuyasha last.

Some time later, Kagome stood facing a very scary demon. She was sitting at a chair while he was elegantly sprawled on her couch. She took a deep breath.

“So, um, you are Inuyasha's brother?

“Half brother.”

“Oh”.

Kagome could not take the uncomfortable chat any more. She had been through too much, and she just wanted to go to her bed, hide under her covers, and never face the world again.

“Look, um, Sessho…” Shit, what was his name? Kagome cursed Inuyasha. Why couldn't the fool ever speak of his brother without calling him names?

“Sesshoumaru.”

“Excuse me?”

Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and snap at her.

“My name is Sesshoumaru.”

And again, Kagome found herself without words.

The clock ticked, and as each minute passed, she grew more restless.

Sesshoumaru didn't want to marry her. She was pretty for a human, and she did smell far better than most youk…humans. Still, he could tell she was clumsy as hell, and she would irritate him to no ends, and there was no way their marriage could be any good.

Kagome, on the other hand, had no idea of what was happening. She simply wanted to get him out of her apartment, and far, far away from her life. She wanted nothing to do with Inuyasha's family, and the youkai in front of her reminded her too much of him. It seemed ironic, really, because they were oh so very different. The only thing that made them family was their white hair and golden eyes, but Kagome didn't remember Inuyasha's eyes to be that cold.

Sesshoumaru wanted to not marry her and still have what was rightfully his.

Kagome only wanted to hit her head, have amnesia, and start all over again.

Neither of them would be so lucky.

“Why are you here?” Kagome suddenly asked, her blue eyes looking into his.

Sesshoumaru glared. Kagome got angry. There was no spark or fireworks. There was just dislike.

“Stop looking at me like that. You have no right. This is my house, and I demand that you leave.”

“I will look at you anyway I want, and do not order me around.”

“I'll do whatever I please as long as I'm in my house.”

“Don't you know who you are talking to?”
”I don't care! I just want you out.”

“Unfortunately for you, that will not happen.”

“And why exactly will that not happen?”

Sesshoumaru took two steps towards her, and Kagome was suddenly trapped. She glared at him, refusing to show her fear even though she knew he smelled it. Sesshoumaru was glad to finally make her scared. No one challenged him. No one had a right to yell at him. He was Sesshoumaru, and he would be respected and feared.

He grabbed her by the arm, and he squeezed hard. Kagome resisted the urge to cry. Sesshoumaru walked towards the couch, pulling Kagome along with him, and throwing her towards the couch. He put both his hand at her head's side, letting her look at his claws.

“You will listen to me.”

Kagome looked at his claws and got angrier. She would not have any of this. She would not be subdued by anyone. She would not repeat her mistake with Inuyasha.

“I don't have to do anything I don't want to do.” She spat in his face, and Sesshoumaru wondered if he should kill her or Miroku.

“You will.”

His claws were close, and Kagome decided that this was not the time to die. She had to clam herself. She didn't respond, but then again, she didn't say anything at all.

“Inuyasha is engaged to another woman.”

Kagome's breath caught in her throat, and something inside of her snapped.

“You are lying.”

“I am not.”
”Why…why would he?”

“We are both to marry before the end of the month, or we will lose our inheritance.”

“What, but…”

“My father was died last week. His only wish was for us to marry.”

“I…” And Kagome stopped the words from coming out of her mouth. She knew that `I'm sorry' would never be enough. “I see.” She said instead.

In her mind, she could only think that Inuyasha could have married her. She would have said yes, and they would have bought a beautiful house, have splendid children, and live forever happy.

He chose her instead. Kagome was tossed aside. Kykio, the name that she had come to loath, had taken away his heart. She wished she could believe that Inuyasha was marrying her because of his father's will. She knew it was because he loved her, and not her, never her. And now…

And now…

“Why are you here?”

Sesshoumaru took a little box from his suite. He opened it, and Kagome gasped.

This could not be happening.

“Marry me.”

Kagome couldn't believe this was happening to her. He had not just asked that.

“I…I don't love you.”
If Sesshoumaru could have laughed, he would have. “Stupid miko.” He said. “This is not about love. This is merely business.”

“Excuse me? Marriage is not a business. It is a thing people do for love. I don't know you, and I definitely don't love you. As a matter of fact, I happen to dislike what little I know about you, so no, I will not marry you.”

Sesshoumaru almost smiled.

“You have to marry me.”

“What?”

“Your brother is in the hospital, and your family doesn't have the money to save him. I do. We'll make a deal. You marry me, and I'll do anything in my power to save him. Everyone wins.”

“I…” But Kagome's will waver. Everything he had said was right. She couldn't save her brother, but he could…It went against every single principle Kagome had. A marriage for money was wrong. It twisted everything.

“I could ask Inuyasha to lend me money.”

“But you won't. If anything, you are proud.”

Kagome looked at Sesshoumaru again. He still had the box in his hand, held in front of her.

Inuyasha had left her. Her mother was breaking. Her brother was dying. She was going insane.

“I don't want to.” She said, but Sesshoumaru was already putting the ring on her finger.

Kagome didn't let the tears fall.