Disclaimer: Yeah yeah, not mine Rumiko Takahashi is a goddess, and I own nothing…
I KNOW IT'S SHORT!!!! But this is my first posted Inu ficcy, so don't be too harsh. Arigatou! *bows* I hope you like it. Ignore it if things don't make any sense, I stopped in the middle and picked it up again this afternoon. And try not to analyze it too much, please, this is just a basic concept. Thank you, I appreciate it much. Don't feel shy about reviewing either!
Kagome blinked the thick mascara over her long eyelashes and sat back in her chair. She looked herself over and smiled proudly. She stood before her mother's full length mirror and admired herself. Her mother knocked politely and gazed at her daughter.
"Ready, Kagome?" she smiled. The teenage girl nodded enthusiastically and followed her mother to the door. "You be careful. And stay away from drugs and alcohol. Keep warm and…" Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes at her mother who smiled at her, "I love you, sweetheart."
"Thanks, Mom," the girl smiled walked off toward the train station.
"Kagome!" her friend waved to her, "Over here!"
Kagome smiled and trotted over to her friend who laughed and grinned widely.
"Kagome!' she beamed, "You're beautiful!" Kagome blushed and returned the compliment to her friend. She tugged at the soft fabric of her long, form-fitting black dress self-consciously. The chain link straps over her shoulders matched her strapped shoes. Her ivy necklace sparkled brilliantly; her hair was up in an elegant work of art, save for the curled tendril that fell to the side of her face, framing it perfectly. Her large, grey eyes shone excitedly.
"I can't wait to get there." Her friend sighed. "Prom night was never this fun!"
"You've never been to prom," Kagome pointed out, "How would you know?"
"Well, you've never been to prom either," she quirked an eye brow at Kagome, who blushed at the realization. "I hope I get to dance with Hojo…"
"I hope I get to dance at all," Kagome responded quietly, just as the train arrived.
"Look, Kagome!" her friend pointed to the building in which lay the junior high prom. "Isn't it great?"
Kagome nodded happily and the two rushed to the door. The night was loud and exciting. The music was so loud; a full body massage could be attained just from standing around. The buffet table rested against the wall seductively.
"Hojo isn't coming?" Kagome's friend wailed, "Couldn't he have picked a better night to get a cold?"
"Not here, huh?" Kagome grinned light-heartedly. Her friend shook her head sadly. "We can still have fun, right?"
The night dragged on until, before she knew it, the dance was over. Kagome sat slumped over her cup of punch, moping about. No one had even asked her to dance. She listened to the DJ come over the microphone.
"Okay you couples, time to get together for the last dance of the night!" Kagome held her breath as the music began playing. She watched as couples latched onto each other and swayed slowly to the music. She managed a grin at her friend who rested her head on the shoulder of her dancing partner. As the last measures of the song were played, Kagome's eyes were watering. She fought back tears as she rushed to the door and requested her jacket.
"Have a good night," the woman presented her jacket with a smile. Kagome forced a smile and a polite bow and left.
The girl waited for the train to arrive impatiently. Her resolve was diminishing and her tears were beginning to escape her eyes, making her carefully applied mascara run down her face, marking the trails her tears left. The doors opened and the teenage girl rushed in and sat down, burying her face in her jacket sleeves. She cried through the trip home and shuffled her way out of the train station, people shoving past her. A man in a black coat pushed past her and the force of his interception knocked Kagome to the hard cement floor. Her carefully woven hair became unpinned and fell around her shoulders in three braids, two of them unraveling. She wiped the mascara from her cheeks and pulled herself to her feet.
"This is not fair," she muttered under her breath. Kagome sulked and walked home.
"Mom!" she called, "I'm home!"
"How was the prom?" the woman smiled expectantly.
"It was great!" Kagome plastered a smile on her face. "But I'm really tired."
"Goodnight honey," her mother said and returned to what she was doing. Kagome opened the door to her bedroom and dropped her jacket to the floor next to the desk. After heaving a huge sigh, she flopped onto her bed. Kagome sobbed a few times, then she suddenly stood and left the house. She headed to a very familiar place, but not a place she would imagine she would find any comfort.
"Oh well," she shrugged. "The least that'll happen is he'll say I'm hideous and demand we go search for more shards…." With that, she climbed down the ladder and left her time.
Inu Yasha shot up from his sleeping position on the high tree branch. "Kagome's back." He sniffed again to make sure, the leapt down from his branch and leapt toward the well. He grinned happily and would have started panting with joy had he not sensed the grieve that radiated off of her in huge waves. Inu Yasha watched her pull herself out of the well and waited a moment before approaching her haughtily.
"What's your problem, wench?" he sneered. "Broke a nail?"
"Shut up," Kagome whispered quietly, her head still down. The half demon leaned over to try to get a glance at her face, but she turned away from him. He sniffed at her again and stiffened in surprise. The strong scent of salt and grease invaded his senses. He reached his hand under her chin and lifted her face up so he could see her.
"Don't tell me you're crying again." He said softly. "I'm… I didn't mean to make you-"
"It's not that," she interrupted him and wiped again at the tears and mascara running down her face. "It's just…" She sobbed again and turned her face away. Inu Yasha blinked at her curiously a few times. It was then he noticed something different about her and his opened wide. Her hair was up, well, mostly, and she was wearing a long black dress. And he had never seen her do her make-up the way it was. She was actually, well, beautiful.
"You look great," he spilled without intending it. Kagome stopped crying and hesitantly looked up at him. Inu Yasha blushed and quickly slapped a scowl on his face. "I mean, you would if you didn't have that smelly stuff all over your face and you didn't-"
"Oh," Kagome slumped her shoulders and leaned against the well. Inu Yasha suddenly felt a wave of ice wash over him as Kagome's mood shifted drastically, "I shouldn't have even come here! I knew you would do this! You're always like this! I'm never enough for you! I'm never smart enough, never pretty enough, never kind enough! I'm not even enough like Kikyo for you!"
Inu Yasha felt as if he had been slapped. Did she really think that way? Had she always been trying to be all that she had said? Baffled, and finding the words difficult to recall, he could only stare at her in astonishment, mouth agape. He shook his head, clearing the confusing thoughts from his boggled mind.
"Kagome," he began, but stopped, not knowing what to say, "I…I didn't…Gods, don't cry." Kagome ignored him and started crawling back into the well. Inu Yasha grabbed her wrist in his strong hand and held her in his time. "Don't leave me. Not like this, please."
His eyes pleading more deeply than any words ever could, Kagome agreed with a nod and swung her legs back over the side of the sacred well. Inu Yasha's eyes misted over with emotion and he slowly drew her into an embrace. He gently eased her head onto his shoulder and whispered in her ear.
"You gonna tell me what's wrong with you, or what?" Kagome sniffled and wiped her eyes on the half-demon's yukata.
"It's stupid, you wouldn't understand," she mumbled. Inu Yasha laughed, startling Kagome into jumping a little.
"If it's so stupid, then I should understand quite easily, don't you think?" Kagome couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well," she began, "I went to this really important dance and no one danced with me. They didn't even ask…" She broke down in tears again and Inu Yasha, though confused, held her tenderly just the same.
"Is that all?" he said nonchalantly. "I think I can help you."
Kagome blinked up at him through the blur of her tears. Inu Yasha pulled her away from the splintered, rotting wood of the old well and hugged her close again. He slowly began to sway to and fro, humming a soft, gentle tune from his memory of childhood. The vibrations of his voice as he hummed warmed Kagome's arms as they wrapped themselves around his middle. She closed her eyes and listened to his beautiful baritone voice, soaking in the melody created by the surrounding woods and his voice. Chords formed in her mind as an internal symphony played. Her tears flowed slower and she smiled in his arms, swaying in time to his voice.
Inu Yasha let a smile creep onto his face as he held the girl in his arms, humming the tune his mother sang to him as a child. He listened to her breathing even out.
"Kagome?" he whispered, but received only a soft sigh in response. He smiled at the sleeping girl and gently brought his arms behind her knees and lifted her up into a cradling embrace. She moaned and sleepily laid her hand on his chest. At that moment, Inu Yasha felt his heart would burst. To keep from crying out in a flood of emotion, he nearly crushed the girl to his chest. Tears tried to escape his eyes, but only succeeded in furthering the mist that had kept a wet sheen over his eyes. He shook his head, his white hair swishing from side to side following the motion of his head. With the liquid grace of his demon heritage, Inu Yasha leapt into the well, returning to the present time. As smoothly as he had jumped in, he emerged with the girl sleeping peacefully in his arms.
Not wanting to disturb her parents, the half-demon lighted on her window sill and entered her room. Laying her down on her bed, he went to the bathroom and retrieved a damp cloth. He watched her face for a moment, admiring the peaceful expression, then carefully wiped away all the make-up from the evening.
As he gently wiped the lipstick from her mouth, she sighed deeply, "Inu Yasha…."
Inu Yasha froze, afraid he had disturbed her from her sleep. After seeing she was still in a deep slumber, he cleaned away the last of her make-up and returned the cloth to the bathroom.
Not really wanting to leave her quite yet, he sat on her floor and watched her dream. Kagome began shivering atop her covers from the cold chill of the night. Inu Yasha pulled the thick blankets from under her, chiding himself for not covering her in the first place. The girl began to whimper softly and clutched at his arm that was laying the blanket over her. He hesitated for a moment, then wrapped her form in the blanket and cradled her in his arms, holding her close.
He began humming the same song he had earlier and slowly rocked her back and forth until her breathing became deep and even again.
Inu Yasha held her through the night, falling asleep with her in his arms, and dreamt of their last dance…