{ x. Complications Galore .x }

x.| Chapter One: Cue |.x

{K.agome's P.O.V}

I never knew it could be so hard to find my breath. Consistently I could only get a small bit of air in then out; it caused a gasp with each attempt at regaining my senses.

This wasn't happening…

This couldn't be.

Could it?

Not a bit of him had changed, nothing about his golden globes that had once enchanted my heart and soul stared at me but there was something in them that I wasn't too familiar with… at least not when he was the one looking at me. Those fluffy square bits of joy were pointed up to the sky like always, it was a very fleeting thought but I almost wanted to reach out and tweak his ears just to make sure that it was him. He still wore the same red rat fire wardrobe as always and even had his sword upon his side.

Inuyasha… after six years, there he stood.

..x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x...

Three Years Ago

For three long years she had jumped into the Bone Eaters Well each and every day to see if somehow, someway, it would open up and she would float right threw to see the love of her life. Inuyasha. That one word mingled within her mind more so than anything else. It taunted her when she was meant to study. It popped up while she was taking an exam. It lingered when she tried to sleep. It flashed up at any time; the smallest thing would spark a memory of him.

Of the man she feared she'd never see again.

It truly surprised her when she managed to turn her grades around and graduate from high school in good standing. When she was finally finished with high school she was filled with dread rather than thrill, what to do then? There was no way she could get into Tokyo University with her grades, she couldn't even pass the entrance exam… that was the closet college, one that she could live at home and continue her relentless ritual each day of jumping into that well and standing there for a good ten to fifteen minutes, sometimes she'd do it twice a day, sometimes three, sometimes four, sometimes… it would consume her weekends.

Just to please her mother and grandpa she took entrance exams to other colleges, all the small ones in Tokyo and a few out of the city, she applied to a ton, too many she couldn't remember. When she received her acceptance letter from Kyoto University she barely recalled even taking the exam or sending in her information, oh, well, it didn't matter. She got into a small college in Tokyo, she'd go there, she'd live at home, and she'd keep going into the well each day.

Each and every day for the rest of her life.

That was all ruined when her generous grandfather that had done so much for her fell ill, so ill that no one thought he'd make it through the summer. For her sake, she knew it; his dying wish was for her to go to Kyoto University. It was better than any of the ones she got into in Tokyo, her future would be secure if she did so, and it would get her off of her obsession and allow her to move on with her life.

She hated it, she truly did, but she agreed.

At the end of summer her grandfather's health recovered enough that he could move back home, but she had already made arrangements to attend Kyoto U. Half of her begged to get out of it, to go to one of the other little colleges that she had gotten into, so she could jump in and out of the well each day still but… another part of her wanted to try and move on from the past… the pain.

It wasn't until her second semester that she stumbled upon him, rather literally.

"Ah!" She muttered as she fell forward, hearing an 'ugh' once she hit the rather soft ground.

"What the—?" A rather rude sounding voice began, a rather familiar one, too, one that made her heart flutter as she looked up to see a pair of auburns staring wide-eyed at her, but then it changed, it soothed, and corrected itself, "are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," Kagome brushed off with a mild, uncomfortable laugh as she got to her knees and off the man that had been lying below the tree. "I'm sorry, I just didn't see you…"

"I'm sorry, too, I fell asleep. It's the open air, I love it," he murmured back before he pulled himself up to sit, "are you in Anthropology 360? Professor Yamatoshi's?"

"I am," she retorted in a bit of a squeak, she cleared her throat to stop that. She hadn't been that used to talking, she supposed… No one she knew from high school came to Kyoto U with her and she hadn't been big on making new friends like she would normally be. Her mind was just too muddled with thoughts of the past, of him, of regrets, of her regret… of what haunted her.

"I love you," she had said those three words that she had been holding back on the entire journey until a week after Naraku was dead and gone. That was the last time she saw him, with a blank, shocked look upon his face as he held the full shikon jewel in hand. What did he say in return? Nothing, nothing for a very, very long time… it said it for her, he wouldn't return the three words.

So she laughed and brushed it off before saying she had to go home for a while, that she'd see him later, and then she jumped through the well… was it because she hadn't any of the shikon jewel that she couldn't get through? No. No, she was sure Inuyasha would have come and got her even if he didn't want to say 'I love you' back. They were just three simple words… just three. Three that would bring her more joy than she ever knew, she was sure.

"I thought so, me too," the boy replied, "I'm Isao. I'm a first year, how about you?"

"I'm…" she was so enchanted by him; a connection was formed right away. It was stupid, wasn't it? She was sure that she just wanted a bond, that why it happened, it wasn't real, it was superficial. "Kagome, I'm Kagome, a first year, too."

And that was the start of the next three years of her life. She found her new light. With Isao she gained new friends, a fun life, and a life she began to want to live, instead of discard to return to the past.

In a semester Isao and Kagome began to date. Half of her summer was spent jumping in and out of the well still, the other half in Kyoto with Isao and his family.

In a year they were inseparable, and the pain had faded into a thought in the back of her head. She only traveled to the well a third of as much as she used to.

In another year… she was sure; Isao was her soul-mate, her reason for living in the twenty first century.

..X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X...

Three Months Ago

"Kagome," Isao chuckled with his usual good cheer as she leaned forward, grabbing his arm for support, apparently she was laughing too much to keep herself stable, "it's not that funny, is it?"

"I love your mom!" Kagome kept up before she finally could stand up straight, "she tells the best stories."

"It freaks me out a little that you and her talk on the phone regularly," Isao shivered as they walked back from a lovely night out on the town—the movie of the year followed by a dinner at the top restaurant in all of Kyoto. He stopped her once they reached the park that was a few blocks away from their shared apartment.

"Well, when she calls to check up on you and you aren't there I still answer," Kagome explained before she sat down on a bench within the park. With her hands she straightened out the small wrinkles that formed in her favorite green dress, "your mom is the best."

"Uh-huh," Isao nodded as he bit his bottom lip to try to keep his grin down, but he failed and Kagome just laughed again, "I love your laugh, Kagome."

"Alright, Isao," she smiled before grabbing his hands, it was a bit strange that he was standing in front of her instead of sitting beside her… "you have been acting kind of odd tonight, honey bear."

Honey bear, he glanced away with a smile that could almost break his lips. "Have I, angel doll?" They had picked up nicknames somewhere along the line, he wasn't so sure where 'honey bear' came from but the first time she called him that he told her to stop and ever since then she'd throw it out when he gets mad—to make him laugh—or when they were fooling around. He'd use angel doll whenever she started the name-game.

"Yes, you have," she coaxed as she tried to get his auburns to meet her hazels, "is something wrong, Isao?"

"I don't know yet," he took his hands from hers and then waved one of them before he knelt down.

In a flash, lights illuminated the trees all about them; it blinded her for a moment since her eyes were accustomed to the night. With a few blinks she focused on Isao and… the beautifully shimmering ring before her.

"Do you remember?"

He didn't even have to ask, she knew right away what moment he was trying to bring back to life. The festival that took place in that very park, it was the scene of their first kiss, their first date, their first 'this is it' moment.

"Ho… How did you?" She breathlessly inquired.

"I talked Kyou into helping me put these lights earlier," he confessed before taking a breath, "Kagome, I love you. One of the best days of my life was the moment that you tripped over me," he couldn't help but smile right she bashfully did. "I love you," he repeated before taking her left hand into his, "more than anything, Kagome. This is the place I realized 'this is the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with'… so it's only fitting that I bring you here to ask…"

"Isao…" she choked as she raised her right hand to her mouth and blinked some traitorous tears away.

"Kagome, will you marry me?"

Inuyasha.

She closed her eyes, damn that random thought.

She swallowed the lump in her throat before she opened her eyes, with a light smile she nodded, "yes, Isao."

"Really?" He gleamed, waiting for her to nod vigorously before he slid the ring.

"I love you, Isao."

"I love you, Kagome."

..x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x...

Three Days Ago

No, no, no, no… she begged as she rubbed her hands together robustly. Not yet, at least, no… but maybe… yes?

Maybe? Yes, yes, yes?

It was an inner battle, a constant, terrible, conflict—a clash of feelings. Joy, bliss, excitement, love. Dread, doubt, fear, panic.

Just keep breathing, just keep breathing, that's what she told herself over and over again as she walked about the bathroom—back and forth, back and forth. She was sure that she'd burn a hole in the ground.

Was this really happening?

Oh, gods, how would Isao take it?

What are some good names?

No, she shook her head, no, she wasn't. She'll will a negative result, so she closed her eyes and took a series of deep breaths, focusing all her power on the disloyal object that sat on the top of the toilet. Negative, be negative, be negative… more than ten minutes had to have past, it was more like twenty, before she found the will power to walk over and pick up the little white stick that could change her future forever.

She didn't gasp, she didn't breath, she just stared.

Positive.

That was the sixth in a row… she was… pregnant.

..X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X.o.X...

Three Hours Ago

It was the first time in a long while that she lingered before the well, the key to the past, the key to her past. That was what he was… the past, not her future, it could never be. It had been forever since she even jumped into the well, what? Maybe six, seven, at most ten times that year she had jumped into it? Each time she was in a fight with Isao, one of their passionate, short and few fights. It never lasted, they always made up with an 'I'm sorry', a set of flowers, a gift, a kiss, anything.

She just couldn't bring herself to jump in anymore, the one thing she used to want with all her heart she feared just as much. What if she jumped in and it actually worked? What if she never got to see Isao again because of that? What she wouldn't give to just be able to say goodbye to everyone... To know if Sango and Miroku where OK, a smile came to her face as she pondered how many children they had by now. What about Shippou, how was he?

How was Inuyasha?

No way, there was simply no way in hell she could ever jump into the well again. Her hand lifted to her stomach as she took a step away to walk out of the little hut. As soon as she exited it a new set of worries and questions plagued her.

She had yet to tell Isao… about the news, or anyone for that matter. She had come home from Kyoto to tell her mom but… couldn't. She had to tell Isao first. Then there were the concerns with her wedding, ugh, it was just a headache. At least Isao and her agreed on a small one, with just their friends and family. Then they'd go honeymoon in Hawaii, neither of them had ever been to the States.

"Being pregnant will put a damper on the honeymoon," she muttered to herself as she sat down under the sacred tree that she had first met… him at.

Gods, she was so scared, what if Isao freaked out when he found out he was going to be a dad sooner than to be expected? What if he didn't want to? What if it ruined their wedding?

No, she took a breath, Isao wasn't like that. He might be just as shocked as she is but he wouldn't throw away his responsibilities.

What would a child with Inuyasha be like? She hated herself a little for wondering, each time she thought about her first love she felt like she was cheating on Isao, just a bit at least. There was no doubt in her mind that she was Isao's first love—he told her enough times—and that he would never hurt her, never cheat, probably never even think about it…

"Isao," she murmured as she leaned against the tree.

Memories flickered to the surface anyway, of when she removed the arrow from Inuyasha's chest, of all the times they fought, of all the times she worried of him, of all the times that he rushed to save her, of all the concerned looks he gave her, of the final time they meant…

When he refused to say those three simple words.

"Kagome?"

..x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x.O.x...

Present

{K.agome's P.O.V}

I can't even imagine what look I had on my face as I stared at him, but it vexed him before he repeated my name, "Kagome?"

This… wasn't happening. Why did those types of moments seem to bombard me lately? I lifted my hand from my stomach finally to my chest to try and calm it but… I couldn't. My heart was spinning out of control. The well… worked again, finally?

Why now?

Inuyasha cocked a brow as he took a step forward to me, he still went barefoot everywhere I noticed, "are you alright, Kagome?"

No… not even a little bit. I don't know what it is… perhaps all the hormones, perhaps the eminence lack of sleep from the past three days because of all my tossing and turning over what the doctor confirmed for me and the final preparations for the wedding, perhaps it was the emptiness of the bed because Isao hadn't slept by my side for a few nights, perhaps it was the stress and shock from the situation, did it really matter which one of these it was? Or if it was all of them?

Everything still went black as I fell sideways, a red blur heading towards me all the while.

A/N: I've been playing around with this idea for a while now, before Confound and probably as long as Deceitful Time, so I decided to finally write it. I think the story will be jumping in and out of first POV--at least with Kagome, maybe Inuyaha, too. I'm not sure.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy the story and please review!