I do not own InuYasha. Not now, not ever. L
This fic was inspired by Alanis Morissette's "Ironic". Which again, I do not own.
Now edited!
Ironic
What a fine, autumn's day it had been. The sun had shone through for the first time in months, a late summer indeed. The slight breeze ruffled my long black hair and red neck scarf, brushing them against my sun kissed cheeks.
I clutched two giant bags of clothes, the latest asset of my overly expensive shopping sprees. What could I say? I loved to shop, shop, shop, spend, spend, spend. I loved to buy the most pricey of designer clothes, designer bags, jewellery, the works really… Most girls my age did. Or at least, they would love to. To do everything I could do, to buy everything I could, you had to have some money to your name.
Money - that was something I had plenty of. Plenty much of.
My father owned a very successful housing business. A business I was heiress to, a business I would one day inherit. My family had all the money, all the wealth. I could have anything I wanted, when I wanted it. Loving family, car, dresses, cats, dogs, friends… the list was endless.
I had the best education around, went to the best school. I was one of the smartest in my class too. And one of the prettiest. How my ego would swell with every compliment given to my hair, my fair skin, my slender body, my perfect brown eyes… I was practically worshipped by my peers. The most popular girl in school. I had every boy in the year trailing after me like magnets. I'd dated more than a few of them too.
Yes, I had everything. Everything a girl could ask for, everything a girl could want. I was content, there was nothing that I wanted that I didn't already have. I had everything.
Or, so I thought.
It was on the way to my local archery club that I was headed on that fine autumn's day. I'd dropped my bags at home, and I'd decided to make the most of the sunny weather. It was breezy, but not cold. Japan had had a miserable summer, humid, but wet and pouring with rain virtually all the time.
It was walking through the more suburban streets of Tokyo -the ones I was far less accustomed to- that I first saw him.
I'd passed some great steps next to the road that looked like they lead up to some great and historic shine. Never had I taken much notice of these ancient Shinto shrines before, but this one caught my interest. I couldn't actually see the shrine itself, just the great steps and red entrance that indicated where it stood. An unfamiliar curiosity spiked through me, and I found myself lifting my right foot onto the first stone stepping…
…only to trip over my own feet and come falling down onto the road…
…and fall into the arms of perhaps the most handsome man I had ever seen.
"Hey! Watch it would ya?!"
Looking up into the my saviour's eyes, my breath caught- this man… this boy… he had the most beautiful violet eyes I had ever seen. Hard but mystifying. And long, wild, waist length ebony hair that shone-no- glistened- in the autumn sun. His hair sort of moulded in with his black shirt and deep grey baggy trousers. Shabby sort of looking, hadn't taken much time with his choice of clothes, but…
Kami… I thought I'd had everything. I'd thought my life was complete.
Kuso… had I ever been wrong.
"Oi!" The angelic being who'd caught me in mid fall snapped, " whatcha gawking at? Eh wench?"
His deep, rough, masculine voice only intrigued me further. He seemed to be about my age. Rather impatient he was though…
…and wait. Did he just call me wench?
Huh… he obviously had no idea who he was talking to.
I closed my eyes, breathed in deeply and counted to ten. I opened them again, intent on giving him a proper mouthful and piece of my mind, but the moment my eyes met his again I found myself completely lost in his intent violet gaze once more. Harsh, rough and cold his eyes were, his faced fixed into a frown… but still so intent. So intriguingly bewitching. I couldn't tear myself away.
This hauntingly beautiful man looked as if he could love no one, had never loved or cared for another. There was hardly any kind of emotion in his violet eyes… all there seemed to be was anger… and sorrow…
…and sadness. Loneliness.
The boy scoffed.
"Keh. Airhead. What's so great about me you gotta stare like that huh? Feh! Who cares?! Watch where you're going from now on…"
With that, he began walking away.
No… I wasn't done yet.
"H-hey! Wait up a sec!"
He stopped and shot an annoyed look over his shoulder.
"Whadya want wench?!"
"I er…" I blushed, I couldn't believe I was actually stuttering. Me, of all people.
"I er… er… I… justwantedtosaythankyouforstoppingmyfall!" Argh. That didn't come out the way I wanted it to.
The frowning boy raised an eyebrow, his expression only increasing in annoyance.
"Didn't catch a word of that."
I took a deep breath.
"I just wanted… I wanted to say… thank you… for helping me back there… when I… and the car…"
The boy looked taken aback. Surprised.
"Er… sure. Don't think too much of it though…"
With that, the mysterious boy who had saved me from flying into the road whirled round and stalked off and away from me, never once looking back.
A new feeling tugged at my heart. One I wasn't familiar with at all.
I… I didn't want this boy to go. I was still bedazzled… still so intrigued and curious.
Before you say it- no. I was NOT a stalker. I just wanted to follow him… to just learn a little bit more about him.
So I did.
-ooo-
I found myself getting into this new and funny little routine. It was so low and petty of me, something I would never have done before…
But, I so badly wanted to know that boy. The one who had saved me from a potentially serious road accident. My saviour, my own, personal, strong, violet eyed…
Ah kami. I was doing it again. Thinking about him, getting lost in my own little dream world.
My Prince Charming, come to finally make my perfect little life complete.
Mou, did I ever sound dim. An airhead he'd called me. That had angered me, but with all this running through my head right now, it didn't seem too much of an unfair assumption.
Ever since the day I'd been valiantly rescued and saved from almost certain death, I had been following my mysterious saviour. I didn't think he'd noticed me tailing him half the time…but it WAS NOT stalking! It turned out the man who'd saved me worked at the very same shrine I'd been passing that day…or rather he visited it a lot. I think he'd been just finishing off his day's shift when he caught me before I landed in front of the speeding cars.
So I knew where he worked, I knew where he was and where he would be when I went and came home from school (I'd recently opted to stop riding in my father's car, in favour of meeting my ebony-haired stranger). I also knew where he'd be as I walked to my archery club.
As I said before, I thought I'd had everything. I had everything but him. Him I kept calling this boy.
I didn't even know his name. How pathetic was I?
And yet, I…
When ever I'd see him, or walk by the shrine he worked at, I would just stand and watch him from the shadows. I was shy and embarrassed - never had I felt like this before! Whenever I saw him, I hid, hoping he would not see or hear me, for the sake of my dignity. He'd sounded harsh and guarded when we had spoken before. That intrigued me only further.
I wanted to know this boy, I wanted to talk to him… I had to gather up the courage.
I hardly knew a thing about him, but…
What kind of back round was he from? Was he part of a gang or maybe even from one of the poorer suburbs of Tokyo? That wouldn't surprise me, he seemed to be working at a shrine, after all. Normally, a boy from such a back round wouldn't interest me. Normally, they'd have to be rich and well educated like I was. The perfect Prince for the perfect Princess…
But not this boy. I found I really didn't care whether this boy was royalty or even if he were a drug addict. For the first time in my life, money and fortune didn't matter. How odd.
All these feelings… I'd never felt this way about a boy before. Sure I'd dated, but that hadn't been for anything other than good looks and a good time. People seemed to notice me more too, and I liked that very much. I craved attention.
The present object of my desires though, well…he didn't seem like other boys. Whenever I'd see him, he would have that same guarded look on his face, his violet eyes harsh and almost void of any emotion, except the slight hint of anger and impatience that coursed through them from time to time.
Kami, do I really see so much of him? So much in him?
I wanted to know him. I wanted to speak with him. Share things with him. I wanted to…
Well, so many things did I want to do, but fear held me back. Would he want to know me? Or would he really not give a damn about the "airhead" blabbering to him? I hoped so, but I very much doubted I was his type. He might not even date.
Kuso, I think…
I think I'm in…well… it's kind of more than just a petty crush in my eyes… I was definitely attracted to this guy.
Crush or no crush, I cannot stop thinking about this man.
-ooo-
This was the day. This was the day I was going to gather up the courage and finally speak to him.
I walked to the shrine, leaving my humble home a little bit earlier that I would usually leave for archery. Mother had eyed me suspiciously, she didn't seem to trust my intentions of leaving so early.
Well…she could think what she liked. I was a girl on a mission.
So there I found myself, at the foot of the great stone steps where I had fallen before, and where I saw the man I desired disappear up every day, supposedly to complete his shift.
That time, I followed him up the stone steps.
I read the little inscription that had been carved into the stone next to the great red Torii. Higurashi Shrine.
Higurashi? That sounded vaguely familiar.
Pushing those thoughts aside and focusing back on the man who'd disappeared through the Torii, I ran through the traditional gates myself, and got my first proper view of the shine.
It was impressive, I had to admit, as I admired the many structures and grounds of the Shinto shrine. The Higurashi shrine.
Then, I heard a voice from over near what looked like an old storage shed, set apart from the magnificent structures of kami worshipping in front of me. I recognised the voice immediately, and my heart fluttered. I would never mistake his voice, so deep, masculine and strangely warm but bitter at the same time.
I walked as elegantly as possible over to the storage shed, took a deep breath, and then looked around the wooden structure to make my presence known.
He was there of course. Only there was someone else with him. A woman, a girl, about my age herself…
Beautiful, did this woman look. Her raven locks were bouncy and lively, literally shimmering in the sun that cast over her, only high lighting her beauty further. She had a gorgeous smile, so warm and inviting, welcoming. And her eyes, her eyes were her most marvellous feature, aside from her slim, curvy form. Her eyes were a deep, warm, musky brown, full of such light and emotion.
It was then that I recognised her.
Kagome Higurashi. Another girl who attended archery, but during the morning rather than the afternoon like me. Still, I'd seen her around enough times, heard how the sensei's complimented her skills…
The only other living person who I'd ever been jealous of.
Ha ha. Jealous I had been before, but of her looks and beautiful personality, something I didn't seem to have well enough. But that jealousy was nothing compared to this new feeling...
The man, the boy who had saved me. My violet eyed wonder, my ebony haired mystery guy…
My first love. My first ever real love, was standing there next to her, staring intently at her…no. Staring so…adoringly at her. So painfully lovingly at her. That compassionate stare was one I'd never seen on his usually so guarded face before.
And he… had his arm wrapped around her.
I felt my chest constrict tightly. It hurt. I wanted to just turn and run away when I saw him and Kagome lean in towards each other, eyes glazing over, lips puckered…
It was then that Kagome seemed to notice I was there. She blushed and pulled away from her… her lo-lo…
"Oh Kikyou-san! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there," Kagome stuttered, obviously embarrassed by the predicament I'd caught them in.
I heard a half hearted gruff from the boy beside her. Oh hell no, don't see me like this…
"You. Hey, wench, what on earth are you doing here? Since when does your type take the time to visit old shrines like this?"
My heart hammered violently.
"InuYasha!" I heard Kagome scold.
InuYasha. Inu…Yasha. His name was InuYasha. Such a wonderful name. It suited him…
"Sorry about that Kikyou-san, InuYasha has a slight tendency to be overly and unnecessarily rude to other people…" Kagome continued, glaring in warning at InuYasha. I saw him wince.
This boy…InuYasha…wince? Before, he'd seemed like the toughest and most guarded looking soul on the planet. Only now was I seeing this new side of him. Was it…was it because of Kagome?
Oh. Oh no.
"Hi…Higurashi-san. It-it's nothing to apologize for. I-I was just leaving…"
I heard something that sounded like a 'keh'.
I turned to leave, determined to escape this nightmare.
I felt someone clasp my shoulder.
"Kikyou-san wait! Please don't leave just yet, I'll happily give you a tour of the shrine if you want, we hardly ever get to speak with each other…"
I went with the latter.
"Oh, oh no, thank you Higurashi-san. I really should be going. I'll leave you and your…associate alone?"
"Feh! Associates? Is that what we look like?" InuYasha sneered to himself, almost amusedly.
"Then…you two are…?"
Kagome blushed again. I feared the worst.
Don't say it, please don't tell me InuYasha and Kagome are…
"Actually, we're…we're actually a couple. InuYasha's my boyfriend, today's our third anniversary…"
But every word after 'boyfriend' was unheard by me. Everything was unnoticed by me except the way InuYasha stared so lovingly, so longingly at Kagome, like he wanted to lean down and…
I felt tears build in my eyes. I'd had no reason to cry for years, such a perfect eighteen year old girl was I.
"I… How very lovely for you."
"Thank you Kikyou-san, now, er, how about that tour?"
"No thank you, Higurashi-san. I very much need to be going now."
"Oh…well, don't be a stranger Kikyou-san! See you around!"
"Yes. Goodbye, Hi…Kagome-san. InuYasha-kun."
InuYasha made a gruff like sound, his exterior still calm and relaxed around his…girlfriend. Kagome smiled sweetly at me.
I whipped around and fled. I couldn't stand it any longer.
I couldn't get the image of the man I really loved staring so lovingly at someone else. They looked so perfect together, those two, so incredibly different, total opposites, but still so perfect…
I had always gotten what I wanted.
Never was there something I wanted that I didn't already have.
Not until now, as I stared back for a mere second behind me, watching as InuYasha and Kagome embraced and leaned forward, ready to finish what I'd interrupted…
I, Kikyou, was staring at the one thing I could never have. The one thing, the one person who I could never have as my own, for his heart already belonged to another…
InuYasha…
-Owari-
Oooh look! I'm using MICROsoft Word! With spell checker! - Urgh. Far from happy about it. Stupid programme feels the need to correct every Japanese word I put in here. Darn you spell checker! I doubt I'll use it for writing fan fiction again.
Anyway, this short fic was inspired by the song "Ironic" by Alanis Morissette. Sound familiar? It's a great song. That's where the title of this fic came from, not necessarily because the fanfic itself is ironic. Though it is…sort of… argh. Irony's hard to explain. Anyway, my full-length story -"Starlight"- has NOT been abandoned. It's chapters just take a hell of a lot longer to write, and I haven't had a lot of time recently to get round to it (Coursework's playing a BIG part in that). But I will update SOON, and it WILL be SOON. Count on that. And a full apology one the way I promise…
For now, I hope you can enjoyed this little oneshot type thing I put together. I just had to get it down and posted, like when something just screams at you to be written. "Starlight" is next on the list!
And yes, before I forget, Kikyou is WAYYYY OOC. But this is an alternate reality! And yes, I kinda switched Kagome and Kikyou's roles around. Sorta. I see so many stories where Kagome can't have InuYasha for her own because he already has Kikyou, despite the fact she loves him. I wanted to try something different, so that's how this story came into light.
You'll be hearing from me soon! Ja ne!
Black And White Kirara.