Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the shows characters…yet…insert evil laugh and lightening cue in background
A handsome young man, only 18 years of age, sat alone in a booth of the most expensive restaurant in all of Tokyo alone. He tapped his fingers anxiously on the white lacy table cloth.
'She said she'd be here at 7:30.' He checked his watch for the 50th time that night.
'9:30.'
Kagome had a tendency to be late or simply not show up at all and then apologize the next day with some excuse that didn't make sense. Normally he would have given up about an hour ago and left disappointed; but they had made these reservations weeks ago, and she had promised she would be here. Besides just wanting to spend time with her there were other, much more serious reasons for him needing her to show up…
He stuck his hand in the pocket of his slacks and pulled out a diamond ring. Twirling it around in his fingers, he smiled as the over head chandelier's light hit the ring just right to make it sparkle.
Tonight was supposed to be perfect. The room he had invested a pretty penny in was smaller and isolated from the main dining room, blocking out the noise of the other guests. The smell of roses and the sound of soft classical music filled the lavished room.
He would ask her to marry him, she would say yes, and they would live happily ever after in a cozy little cottage on the countryside overlooking a sparkling aqua lake. They would grow old together, watching their own children's children grow up as well.
'It's all I've ever wanted for us since our first date three years ago but your not coming are you? I guess this is a sign. We're just not meant to be…'
With a sad sigh of defeat he was about to get up and leave when he heard the door open he hastily shoved the ring back in his pocket. When he looked up, his breath caught in his throat.
"Hojo! I'm so sorry I'm late!"
Kagome looked amazing. Her long wavy hair was down and framed her face, flowing past her bare shoulders of the light blue dress that fit her perfectly. She was so beautiful…
She rushed over and gave him a hug. Hojo's eyes closed for a second as the smell of strawberries and vanilla filled his senses. He tried as hard as he could to not seem disappointed when she pulled out of his arms and took a seat across from him.
"I'm sorry I'm late but I had a good reason! You see what happened was-"
"Kagome Kagome!" he said through laughs, "Don't worry about it. You're here now, that's all that matters," he finished with a smile placing a hand over hers.
Kagome smiled back, "Okay."
"Damn it! Where the hell did she go?" a half-demon asked himself loudly in frustration.
He stopped on top of a tall building and tried to pick up her scent. He ended up going into a coughing fit at the horrible smells that greeted him. "It's no use! I can't pick up her scent anywhere! Where is she?" he yelled again covering his sensitive nose.
Inuyasha plopped down, annoyed, on the building's roof and let his legs dangle over the side. He needed to talk to Kagome, to find her, he needed to know what happened a little over an hour ago.
He knew something was wrong, the way she was looking nervously at that thing on her wrist (a 'watch' he remembered), the way she was extra careful to stay clean, and the way she insisted they needed to look for jewel shards near Kaede's village, even though they knew the area like the back of their hands.
After the time that the sun went down she looked even more nervous and made it clear that she needed to go home and study for a huge test tomorrow. After a huge fight and a few not-so-pleasant sits he finally and reluctantly agreed; she was off.
It wasn't until a few moments later that he realized something that confused and frustrated him… She had graduated a month ago, he went to her graduation, he saw the proud look on her face when her name was called and she received that piece of paper… so he knew it wasn't possible for her to have a test.
'Why did she lie?' was the question that wouldn't leave his mind. Although he knew he wasn't perfect and made mistakes, it hurt that she had lied straight to his face.
He hoped she would be in her room, but he'd searched everywhere and there wasn't any sign of her or her family anywhere. So he spent the last half hour running all over this pollution infested, loud place searching for her, but she was nowhere to be found.
He was about to give up when the wind changed direction. It was only for a second but it was long enough for the scent of strawberries and vanilla to reach his nose. Even though he was supposed to be mad at her, Kagome's distinct smell instantly calmed him down and made him feel happier to have found her. He was able to pinpoint it to a small building, not far away.
"Ha! Got ya now Kagome!" With a triumphant smile Inuyasha jumped off the tall building and ran towards the much smaller one, ready to get the woman he loved back.
"You must try this!"
"Hojo! It looks great but I don't want to eat up all your food!" Kagome whined.
"No no, I insist," he said with a smile as he held a forkful of halibut across the table near her mouth. With a fake sigh of annoyance she leaned across the table and let him give her the bite.
"Fats doe bood!" she happily declared with her mouth full of the tasty fish.
He couldn't help but laugh at her childish antics. He was so busy staring at her and twirling the ring in his fingers under the table that he failed to notice the flash of red in the window next to him. As Kagome continued to laugh and talk to Hojo, the half demon outside the window watched with hurt eyes.
'This is why she lied to me? To be with this guy?'
He didn't miss the way the man she was with was staring at her longingly, there was no mistaking that look. Inuyasha had been practicing it for the past three years. He also didn't miss the fact that her smile, her laughter, and her excited chatter… was all for this guy and not for him.
'She must be in love with him.' The thought cut him deep inside and he couldn't decide whether he wanted to jump inside and beat the jerk to a bloody pulp or whether he wanted to run as far away as possible. His frozen legs didn't give him a choice.
"I had a lot of fun tonight Hojo, I'm glad we got this chance to catch up," Kagome said smiling."I am too," he replied returning the warm smile.People were running by with umbrellas in an attempt to escape the sudden rain shower, but couldn't help but stop to whisper about the strange clothed teenager who was practically plastered to the window. Inuyasha couldn't hear them; the only thing he could focus on, as much as he wanted to run away, was the couple behind the window."Kagome there's something I have to confess… I had other reasons for bringing you here tonight."
Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him suspiciously. "Really? What reasons would those be?" she asked confused as to why he was starting to look nervous.
"Well um… Kagome, for the past three years I've uh…um, Kagome, I love you," he finally spit out. Her eyes, along with the amber eyes of the boy outside the window, widened. Hojo didn't give her a chance to respond and stood up.
"I need to ask you something." He dropped on one knee in front of her and took her left hand in his left hand.
"Hojo why are you on the floor? What are you doing?" she asked worriedly. Her questions were answered when he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out the diamond ring. She gasped and covered her mouth with the hand he wasn't holding.
"Kagome Higurashi, will you marry me?"
A few years ago Inuyasha wasn't even familiar with the term 'marriage', but thanks to several midnight talks under the stars he was well aware of its meaning and knew what would happen if she said yes.
'Please Kagome please…say no. Say no, come back to the Feudal era and I promise I'll tell you everything, I'll admit that I fell out of love with Kikyo a long time ago and fell in love with you. But I can't do that is you marry him so please don't say yes…' Inuyasha silently begged.
It only took Kagome about 10 seconds to respond to Hojo's proposal, but to Inuyasha it felt like 10 years, the wait was agonizing. But her answer produced more pain than he ever thought possible.
Tears started to well up in her honey brown eyes and a small smile started to form on her lightly made up face.
"Hojo, I would love to marry you."
Before everyone murders me, give the second part a chance. By the way, the second part hasn't been written yet so even though I have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing with it I would love to hear your input. I Hope to have part 2 up within the week.
