A/N: Yep. Another sad-ish one. Seriously, I was stuck in an angst-rut that month. Meh, whatever, I wrote it so now I'm posting it, no matter how crappy it is. Enjoy! ;)
Disclaimer: Last time I checked, my name was not Rumiko Takahashi ,*checks birth certificate* *sighs* and sadly it is still not. Therefore, InuYasha does not belong to me.
InuYasha sat in a bar with a bottle to his lips. After another huge gulp, he set it down on the counter, but didn't let it go. It seemed like he didn't want to let the damn thing run away or something.
A pair of sapphire blue eyes watched him drink away his misery with a mixture of sympathy and hurt, and to her horror, just a slight twinge of cruel satisfaction. She instantly felt guilty and silently chastised herself. She was not the kind of person who found pleasure in other people's said, she had a pretty good idea of why her ex-boyfriend was in here. After all, this was the very place she'd come to after they had broken up.
Kagome's foot tapped along with the beat of the music as she patiently waited. It was almost time for her to take the stage. tearing her gaze from the inu-hanyou from her past, she looked to the door with a slight frown on her face. 'He'll be here soon, though he's cutting it a bit close.' she reassured herself. Her fiance always came to watch her sing. Even before they'd started talking, he'd always come just to listen to her singing, and it didn't matter what he had to get out of , he would still be here.
Suddenly she felt it; she knew that he knew she was there. His youkai brushed against her aura in recognition, causing her gaze to stray back to him. InuYasha's eyes widened as he saw Kagome.
She was as beautiful as he remembered and he felt his heart ache with longing and guilt for all the crap he'd put her through. 'Maybe she'll take me back...' the little voice whispered hopefully in the back of his mind. He knew he didn't deserve her, but he decided to try anyway. After all, she loved him, right? She'd taken him back all those other times, so why should this time be any different? Mind made up, he got up from the stool at the bar and made his way over to the table she sat at.
His furry dog ears that she'd always found so adorable twitched nervously on top of his head when he spoke.
"Hey Kagome. How've you been? You look really good." he said awkwardly; he never was any good with words.
She really did look stunning in a light blue halter dress. She gave him a small, soft smile, though the memories that came back with him so close, hurt.
"Hey InuYasha, long time no see. I'm good." she completely ignored the comment about how she looked. "So, what brings you here?" She saw him tense up a bit as he tried to feign nonchalance.
"Keh. Just in the neighborhood." Yeah, riiiight. He'd never really liked to drink and he'd never been good at lying to her. Time apart hadn't changed that. Kagome would bet her new pair of boots that Kikyo had dumped him.
"Really?" she asked, raising a brow and giving him a piercing look that would have made Sesshomaru proud. He fidgeted slightly under her gaze, a sure sign that he was lying. She watched silently as he took a breath and asked his next question.
"I was wondering if maybe you'd like to get together and have dinner or something? You know...to catch up on things..."
Kagome blinked in shock. Had he just asked her out? She couldn't believe he had the nerve to ask such a thing! She'd already been through so much for him and he still wanted more from her? She remembered a time when she would have been more than willing to do anything and everything for him, no matter the cost, but that time had long since passed.
"I-" The song ended and she was cut off by the small crowd in the bar as they called her name. All eyes turned in her direction, causing her to flush. She waved to the cheering crowd of regulars and rose gracefully to her feet, and as she passed InuYasha, she paused and leaned in closer and spoke softly for his ears alone.
"I'm sorry, InuYasha. I can't. Not again." She had finally gotten over him and moved on, there was no sense in trying to go back.
He silently watched her petite form walk up onto the stage, furry ears plastered to his skull. He had expected anything but her kindness-he knew he didn't deserve it, but it was just so like Kagome-and it only increased the guilt eating away at him. He sat down heavily in the booth she'd just vacated, and stared up at her. What idiot in their right mind would let someone like her go? Oh right, him.
Kagome looked out at the audience, capturing their full attention with those beautiful sapphire eyes of hers. "Any requests?" she asked with a smile. She really hoped it wasn't-"SO COLD!"-her enraptured audience shouted back. Ah crap. That was the song she'd written for InuYasha. It had been a huge hit with the regulars, and tonight of all nights, he had shown up. Just great! He didn't need to be kicked when he was already down, but she couldn't disappoint. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she began to sing,
"Love can be so cold, love can be so cold, ooh, I think it's time that I told you the truth, yeah, 'cause it's on my mind, so let me do what I gotta' do, yeah, 'cause there's someone else so I can't see you no more, I can finally see my smile again 'cause he's the one my heart beats for..."
InuYasha felt his heart sink and his ears droop as he listened to the lyrics. Her voice was even more beautiful than he remembered, and he knew exactly who she'd written this song for...him. He knew that what she sang was true. In the last few months of their relationship, Kagome hadn't smiled much, and that was not like her. She was always smiling, but he hadn't seen the brilliance of that smile in a long time, and it hurt to know that he'd taken it away... and that someone else had gotten it back.
"...he makes me feel like I'm his number one, his prize, tells me every day I'm his everything' and I never got that from you, so don't try to change my mind, 'cause I've had enough this time, and you always let me down, and now you can't turn it back around..."
He felt the shame welling up inside of him. It was true, he'd taken the love she so freely gave him, for granted. He'd never appreciated it like he should have...he'd never appreciated her. He was just grateful that Kagome looked everywhere but at him so that he wouldn't see the truth and condemnation in her eyes.
"...ain't it cold, when the one you love lets you go, and you got no one to hold, yeah, yeah, that's the way you made me feel, boy it's cold, on the other side, yes I know, now it's time to let you go, yeah, yeah, love can be so cold, oh, the tables turn and nothin' stays the same, yeah, how we used to do, you know we don't do it that way, it's been so long, not much more to say, the memory of me and you is gone, today's a brand new day..."
InuYasha was stunned at how much emotion and how much this song actually revealed about their former relationship, and what was going on now. He'd cheated on Kagome with Kikyo and now he'd found out that Kikyo had been sneaking around with Bankotsu. Kagome's eyes finally met his and he saw the raw anguish there and cringed, knowing he'd done that to her.
"...ain't it cold, when the one you love lets you go, and you got no one to hold, yeah, yeah, that's the way you made me feel, boy it's cold, on the other side yes I know, now it's time to let you go, yeah, yeah, love can be so cold, oh, you should know that, I forgive you, boy I hope that you can move on, 'cause you said you'll be fine without me, but love gets tricky when you're all alone..."
Kagome sang her heart out. She felt deeply sorry for him because she knew that Kikyo had done to him what he'd done to her. Of course she'd felt angry and hurt, but she didn't like to see people be hurt, especially because of someone else's saw InuYasha cringe, and she wished there was another way to show him, but he needed to understand that it does hurt, but he needed to find a way to move on.
Suddenly her gaze flew to the door as she sensed her beloved fiance. The door opened and in walked Kouga. He seemed a bit annoyed, but once he met her gaze, he broke into a wide toothy grin and his eyes shone with warmth and love. And it was all for her. She hoped InuYasha would be all right and move on, because she certainly had.
"...ain't it cold, when the one you love lets you go, and you got no one to hold, yeah, yeah, that's the way you made me feel, boy it's cold, on the other side yes I know, now it's time to let you go, yeah, yeah, love can be so cold, ain't it cold, when the one you love lets you go, and you got no one to hold, yeah, yeah, that's the way you made me feel, boy it's cold, on the other side yes I know, now it's time to let you go, yeah, yeah..."
If he'd had any doubts about Kagome moving on, they died a swift death when she'd looked toward the door at the mangy wolf demon that walked in. She'd had the same look in her eyes that she'd had every time she'd looked at him: adoration and love. InuYasha felt jealousy stir inside him, but ruthlessly squashed it. He'd thrown his chance away, he'd hurt her and she'd moved on and found someone else, it was only right that he let go and try to do the same.
"...love can be so cold, ain't it cold,when the one you love lets you go, and you got no one else to hold, yeah, yeah, that's the way you make me feel, boy it's cold, on the other side yes I know, now it's time to let you go, yeah, yeah, love can be so cold,ooh, love can be so cold, ooh, love can be so cold, ooh, love can be so cold, yeah, yeah."
When the last note faded away, Kagome stepped off the stage with a smile to the sound of cheering. She made her way over to the inu-hanyou who stood up but wouldn't look her in the eye. She stopped in front of him.
"InuYasha? InuYasha look at me...please?" She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and he closed his eyes, took a steadying breath, and met her gaze.
"I'm...sorry I...put you through all that, Kagome..." he whispered.
"I can't say it's okay, because it's not. You hurt me so bad, InuYasha, and I should hate you...but I can't. That's not who I am. But I do want to let you know That I'm sorry she hurt you too." she told him softly with a slight squeeze of her fingers.
He blinked. "Why are you being so nice to me after all I did?"
Kagome shook her head saying, "I don't know. Maybe a part of me wants you to find happiness. Maybe a part of me still cares about you...Maybe...a part of me wishes...things had been different." At that, Kagome looked at Kouga who smiled broadly, his eyes only for her. InuYasha followed her gaze.
"Yeah...I...wish that too...but they're not..." he said softly.
"No, they're not." she agreed. Her hand dropped from his shoulder and he missed the warmth her touch brought, but he had no right to ask for it back.
"I'm glad he makes you happy, Kagome."
She faced him again and smiled. "Me too. And don't worry, you'll find someone to make you happy again, I know it." He heard the sincerity in her voice. "I have to go. Goodbye...InuYasha." Kagome smiled and waved, causing the ring on her finger to glitter in the low lighting.
His heart ached with the knowledge that he had lost the only woman that would probably ever truly make him happy.
"Goodbye...Kagome." he murmured as he watched her walk out of his life again, this time with someone else's arm around her. Yeah, love was cold, but only if you made it so.
A/N: Nothing to say really, except please review. I love to hear your thoughts no matter what they may be. And please, check out my youtube video! Just search for: "Little Miss Rukia" my username is: Anastasia690.