In the Image Of An Angel
One-Shot
He lay in his bed, eyes closed as he tried vainly to ignore the happy giggling of the people outside. He didn't need this. Not now. He rolled over, facing the wall. The giggling just seemed to increase in volume. He growled low in his throat. Couldn't they ever be quiet?
He rose from the bed, walking menacingly towards the open window. The dark gray curtains blew around him, warm summer wind playing with his long, silver hair. Staring down at the huge backyard, he looked at the people. A small child ran around giggling, a bunch of flowers in hand, clumsily put together. A young woman whispering to someone who could have passed for his own copy from a fair distance. The man chuckled good naturally, and embraced the woman from behind, pulling her closer. She swatted his hands away, playfully, giggling at his mock-hurt expression. The child ran up to the woman, tackling her in a hug from the front, almost making her fall over with the force.
He growled, turning away from the picture they made. This was exactly why he was leaving. He hated them. He hated them for so many things. Yet had he told anyone, no one would understand.
He walked stiffly to his laptop, turning the contraption on. In 3 seconds, you could hear the impatient tapping of the keyboard from the inside of the soon to be vacant room. This was how he could deal with his problems. He wrote books. He had already written over 30. He was only 21 and he already had more money then most people could make in their lifetime. Paragraphs appeared on the screen at speed faster then humans could see. The laughter from the outside had died down, and then disappeared completely. He never noticed. He wasn't there anymore; everything else faded away, only his imagination left to guide him.
A swift knock on the door brought him back to reality, as the tapping slowed to a halt. He stood up, walking to the small white door. Turning the knob he saw her. Curious blue eyes peered behind him into the room. She was never allowed in there. A small happy smile graced her lips, as her eyes traveled up to meet his own. Pitch-black hair framed her face, going down her back almost reaching her hips.
"Hi, I was supposed to tell you dinner's ready, everyone's waiting for you." Her soft, tinkling voice echoed in the empty hallway. He stared down at her for a few moments, just wondering. He never could understand how someone like her would love someone like his little brother. She was made in the image of an angel; he was far less then unique. But then, he wasn't one to decide, unfortunately. Did she even realize he was cheating on her? She most likely did, though ignored it all together just living in the perfect reality she created for herself.
"Tell them I won't be coming down today." He answered, ready to turn back and slam the door in her face. He didn't need her here, not now. He was supposed to leave, not see her, and forget her. But how could he forget someone like her? You never could forget an angel if you saw one, could you then forget her? He sighed to himself mentally. May be he was insane after all. For the love of all that is holly, he was comparing his brothers play toy to an angel!
"But it is your last day here, don't you wish to spend it with your family?" she sounded truly concerned for what he did. Why would she be? Shouldn't she be hanging all over his brother? He knew she wasn't like that though. He couldn't even make himself believe this. It was a wasted effort, he saw her as perfect and nothing less.
"No." It was a simple enough answer, may be now she would leave him be. It wasn't that her company was something he didn't desire with all his being. It was that she was there for completely different purposes then he wanted her to be.
"Do you want me to bring it to you up here then?" Was there no way to be rid of this woman? Would she never give up? Another mental sigh resounded in his head, yet unexpressed at all on the icy expression he forever stayed behind.
"If you would be kind enough to." May be then she would let him be. He had nothing to lose. Plus he hadn't eaten in quite a while. He turned back and slammed the door in her face without waiting for her to reply.
He stopped behind the door, hearing some mumble something, as light footsteps disappeared down the hall.
"Of course lord Sesshoumaru, anything else you wish? Should I just out the window after I am no longer useful as well?" A small bearably recognizable smile curved his lips. Oh how he wanted to reply to that statement. He would never dare wish she jump out the window. Why she could hurt herself. He did, however wish for her to do some other things for him. How utterly wonderful that would be.
He went back to his desk, once again engulfed in his heart-breaking story he had thought up just days before. He never wrote anything akin to happy-ever-after. No one should be stupid enough to believe such nonsense. For anything that is real could not have a happy ending. He had learned that lesson at such a young age.
A swift knock brought his attention yet again to the door. She had come back? He had thought she'd just leave for his rude behavior. He stood up opening the door. There she stood in all her glory, barely able to hold the full tray of food and not drop it.
He moved aside to let her pass. She stood still for a moment, taking in the look he designed in his room. He never though she would want to see his room. It wasn't anything special after all. Dark navy walls surrounded the small area. A large bed with black sheets stood opposite the large window with grey curtains. Across from the door stood his computer desk with the writing document still open.
A few moments later she seemed to snap out of her daze and walked timidly into the room. Placing the heave tray on one of the empty bedside tables, she turned back to him.
"Would you mind if I kept you company?" To say he was surprised by the request would have been an understatement, though nothing showed on his face.
"If you wish." She smiled, grateful. He could not understand this girl. She was a mystery that wouldn't want to be solved, there fore hides the pieces of the puzzle so that no one could figure her out.
She sat on the side of the bed. Then looked around. The climbed in the middle of it and stood up. He looked at her strangely. She jumped. And then continued bouncing up and down, finally falling in the middle on her back and laying for a while to catch her breath.
He wanted to laugh at her childish behavior. And they say boys are immature? Did they ever meet this girl? He looked at her. She seemed to have a hard time catching her breath. May be he could play with her? A mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.
He walked slowly to the bed, unnoticed by her. She closed her eyes breathing deeply. He looked at her from the foot of the bed, and pounced. Her eyes shot open. Startled blue meet shinning gold. She couldn't talk and he knew it. But at the moment he didn't care. In the next five seconds she would be too shocked to do anything. May be he could get his going away present from her after all?
He leaned down, ever so slowly, to her lips. She was still to confused from what he did just moments before to comprehend what he was doing now. She snapped back to reality when his lips landed softly upon hers. Her eyes widened impossible. It wasn't that he was kissing her that surprised her; it was that he was smiling! He had never smiled since she met him, which was saying a lot.
She didn't move. She was paralyzed. Then she remembered just what it was that she was doing. She was kissing Inuyasha's brother! Oh how could she do this? She wasn't that kind of person! Never that kind!
He felt her turn her head away. So she did realize what she just did. He knew her to be faithful, one of the many qualities he loved about her. Without saying anything he moved from her. She lied on the bed for a moment just staring to the side. Then a whisper.
"Why?" He didn't need her questions. He was leaving and that was it.
"You wouldn't understand." With that thought in mind, she walked silently out the door, closing it softly on her way. Once again he heard that soft voice,
as footsteps disappeared down the hall.
"You never know…" That was the last time he saw her before he left the next morning. He had been offered a job far from home, halfway across the world, and he gratefully accepted. He had not come home for over a year, always afraid to face the consequences of what he himself had done. He didn't understand exactly what he was afraid of, but there was something he just couldn't understand.
He has gotten many letters from home. Many that he had burned in the fire after reading them. He had learned that Inuyasha and Kagome were supposed to get married next year. It was supposed to be a joyous event for him. It wasn't. It was more painful then anything else.
He stared out the plane window. He was coming home. After two years of hiding from it. He still could not forget her. No matter how he tried. This girl, this Kagome. She was different. He couldn't forget her after two years! How pathetic is that? A sigh escaped his lips. He loosened up a bit since the last time he was home. He wasn't so stony any more.
The belt button blinked a few times, indicating to buckle up for the landing. He did so, shutting his eyes. This was as much a welcome home as any. The plane tires bounced off the ground before making a smooth landing. He sat in his seat until the last of passengers filled out of the plane. He told them he could get home on his own, no need to send anyone. That was probably the point of his surprise when he saw Kagome standing in the waiting area, tapping her foot impatiently and glancing at her watch from time to time. Didn't his parents get his letter telling them not to send anyone?
He walked up to her. She didn't even notice him. He tapped her shoulder. She spun around.
"Oh, what are you doing here?" he ignored her question. If she wasn't waiting for him, then for who?
"Whom are you waiting for?" she looked at him for a few seconds. She was looking for any changes what so ever. It's a useless task. He was exactly as he was before, may be just a bit less stiff.
"Inuyasha is supposed to arrive right about now, he went on another business trip 2 weeks ago." Well that should have been plain obvious. Of course she would wait for Inuyasha. But he got a call from that idiot a week ago. He was drunk as hell, from the sounds of it he actually called from a whore house.
" I see. Do you wish me to wait with you?" he didn't know what possessed him to ask such a thing. She most surely would say no, she was waiting for Inuyasha after all-
"Sure!" she smiled at him, then glanced back at her silver watch, then at the entrance from where the people had once again started filling out. They waited for a while in an uncomfortable silence. And for once he started the conversation.
"So how are things here?" she seemed surprised by the sudden voice, but then smiled secretly and answered. After that they talked for longer then they realized, once again ending up in an almost empty room, unnoticed by either of them. In the middle of explaining what it was that interested her in the last book she read, her cell phone started playing from her purse.
She looked at the sounds coming from her purse in confusion, and then remembered that it was her new cell phone, courtesy of Inuyasha. She quickly excused herself, and answered.
From where he stood he could hear the muffled sounds of a man talking, and Kagome nodded occasionally to the phone. Then when the man finished talking, the small metallic-blue phone slipped from her hand. She seemed to be just a bit paler then 5 seconds ago.
He walked closer to her, putting his hands on her shoulders, shaking her a bit. "Kagome, what's wrong?" She looked up at him, tears staining her face as she stood still.
"They found him dead in a whore house, stabbed by one of the hookers." She stood for 5 more seconds before breaking down and falling to her knees before he could even think to catch her. Her small form shook with sobs. He kneeled down beside her, pulling her to him. All he could think was 'Inuyasha, you messed up big time.' His hand made soothing circles on her back, trying to calm the woman before him. Her sobs slowed until it was only a few hic-ups. She looked at him, eyes still wet from tears.
"Am I really that bad that he would go there?" she seemed so broken at the moment that had his brother been alive at that moment; he would have killed him himself. Though he wanted to reassure her more then anything, he hadn't the slightest idea as to what he could say to her.
"No, he just didn't realize that before." A sorrow filled smile was his response as she tried to pick herself off the ground with his help.
He got a taxi, and they went home. The ride was silent, before he could not stand the hurt filling the air and started yet another conversation.
"So what did you think of my last book?" she had mentioned before was the best one. The last one he wrote was the one about him, and her. He has changed the characters a bit, but the story was a life experience.
"Well, I loved how you wrote it, it's beautiful. If I were in the place of the main character, I would have told who ever it was that he loved. I mean, if you really loved them, you would take a chance if there was even the slightest chance that it could be returned." She seemed to have thought a lot about that. And it some how made sense. An understanding smile lit upon his face, as an idea made itself known in his mind.
"Alright then. I have to tell you something. And just remember that you have brought this upon yourself." He took a deep breath, though the smile never left his face, just turned a bit nervous. "I have loved you since I met you, but could do nothing of it because of what you and my brother had. I have hated him for the longest times, knowing that you loved him and there fore I stood no chance. I have left my home in hopes of forgetting yet, yet never succeeded in my task. And here I am now, telling you I love you, though I already know the feelings not returned."
She stared at him, with open-mouthed shock as he had just confessed to her what he has been hiding for so long. She hadn't the slightest idea how she didn't notice it. But those thoughts disappeared quickly to the back of her mind as she remembered something ever so important. A secret smile appeared on her face as her hands reached out and placed themselves on either sides of his face. Her face moved up to his level, and stopped just inches before their lips touched.
"You never know…" with that said, she placed her lips on his, and her eyes slid closed. It didn't take him long to realize just what she meant as his arms pulled her impossibly close and he responded to the kiss he had longed for since their first meeting.
She smiled against his lips. She never thought she would end up with him, though she did have some unwanted yet never unpleasant fantasies of something akin to this. She seemed to have developed a little corner in the back of her mind since the day he kissed her. That corner was filled with images and secrets only meant for him, all of him. With time, that corner has grown impossibly larger then it ever should have, taking over the other things that blended with her normal life. People never realized the little changes in her, for no one really looked. Yet, from day to day, she knew she was growing to love the man she by all means wasn't supposed to have the tiniest liking for. It was only now when he had confessed his love for her that all barriers holding his memories in that ever-growing corner broke, and only that need to be with him over took the little slips of control she had left.
He looked through half lidded eyes at the girl he was holding. He never would have guessed such a reaction from her. He wrote the book on his life. He wrote the book of her. Yet with all his depressed imagination, he could never have guessed an ending such as this. His eyes slid closed all the way as one absent though raced through his head before his whole world concentrated yet again on revolving around the angel he held so dear.
'May be there are happy endings after all…'
Hey! I wrote another one-shot. this one is pretty long. any way, I hope you like it. Please review.
Ja ne!
Kira.