I do not own the rights to Inuyasha.
Kagome glanced back over the spotless apartment. She had spent the last few days cleaning up the place in the evenings after classes. It wasn't that the place needed a lot of work — she really did a good job of keeping things organized and tidy — but if she was about to have a guest in her and Inuyasha's apartment she was going to make sure it was immaculate.
Whirring through the apartment, she lit candles, gave pillows an extra fluffing, straightened picture frames, and made her way to the kitchen. She cracked the over door, peeked in at the casserole, and breathed in the heady and comforting aroma. Earlier that week, Inuyasha had told her that he would bring Kikyou over on Thursday and they could all hang around the apartment and eat dinner together. Ever the hostess, Kagome had insisted on cooking for the occasion and had showered her roommate with a barrage of questions about what his love-interest would and would not eat. He had insisted that her lasagna would be a crowd pleaser. Nodding at the bubbling dish, she closed the oven door.
Half an hour later, Kagome heard muffled voices and Inuyasha's keys outside the apartment door. She heard the door swing open, Inuyasha's voice filling the apartment.
"I'm in the kitchen! Make yourselves comfortable," Kagome called from her task.
"It smells great, Kags! We'll be in there soon," her roommate shouted back.
She was pulling down plates when she heard the couple behind her. Turning around, she froze at the sight of the young woman in front of her.
"Kags, I'd like you to meet Kikyou. Kikyou, Kagome." He stood between the two women as their eyes locked. Kagome almost gasped.
Kikyou was so similar to her in some ways and so very different in others. Both had long raven hair and dark eyes; and their complexions were nearly identical. Upon closer inspection, however, the differences were shocking. Kikyou's eyes were almost onyx - the pupils and iris practically indistinguishable — while Kagome's were a swirling brown. Kikyou's hair was sleek, hanging about her like sheets of silk and Kagome's a voluminous mass ever shifting and never tamed. The biggest surprise was the similarity and stark differences in how they were assembled. At first glance, one might think they were sisters - their appearances seeming to mirror one another. But if one looked closer they could see that where Kagome was all curves and soft - an homage to femininity, Kikyou was all angles and flat planes - her sharpness giving her a regality and air of unapproachability.
A tense smile forced its way onto Kikyou's face.
"It's...it's so nice to meet you," Kagome managed to stutter, sticking out her hand.
Kikyou's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at the outstretched hand. Gingerly, Kikyou stuck hers out as well, barely making contact before pulling her hand away. Kikyou's touch sent a shock through Kagome as though she had suddenly been emerged in ice water. Small warning bells sounded in her head, urging her to suggest that Inuyasha find another woman to fall for. Something about Kikyou was off, and it concerned Kagome. But one look at Inuyasha, grinning ear to ear, was all it took for Kagome to push her sense of unease away. He looked truly happy and she didn't want to ruin it based on a slight feeling. Inuyasha placed his hand on Kikyou's back. "Come on," he said, "let me show you the apartment!"
"I would love to see it, dear." Her voice was like honey dripping over a crystal dagger — sweet and beautiful, but dangerous.
Kagome stood there watching the couple travel across the apartment as the other woman wiped her hand off on her dress after touching Kagome. Kagome shook her head. I must be imagining things. I'm sure she's really sweet. I'm probably just being overly protective of him. Turning her attention back to dinner, she carefully pulled the dish from the oven to let it cool.
Kagome called out to the couple, looking over the bar top that separated the kitchen from the living room. "Do you two want anything to drink? We have a bottle of red wine if you'd like some."
"Would you like some?" Inuyasha's eyes were glued to Kikyou. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and gave an almost imperceptible nod of her head.
Kagome did her best to smile at them before grabbing the bottle of red wine she'd bought to go with dinner.
She emerged from the kitchen moments later, bringing the couple their wine.
"This one should go really well with dinner. I'm no wine connoisseur, so I double checked with the man at the store." Kagome looked at her wine proudly. She really wanted to create a comfortable evening for Inuyasha and Kikyou.
The other woman looked up from her glass. "Dinner?"
Kagome looked at her and then at Inuyasha. "You told her we were having dinner right? I'm not about to have a guest come in and not feed them!" Kagome laughed kindly. "I'm sorry, he told me he spoke to you about it and about what you might like to eat."
"I did," Inuyasha piped up.
Kikyou raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at Kagome and then turned to Inuyasha. "Oh, I thought you were asking if I minded that she would be cooking while we were here. Of course I don't mind if she cooks in her own quaint apartment. But," she glanced down at the wine glass and sighed, "I already made us dinner reservations at a really nice restaurant in town."
Inuyasha looked from his love-interest to his roommate and back. The last thing he wanted was to upset either woman. "How about we cancel the reservations this time and stay here and eat? Kagome already went to the trouble to make dinner." Time seemed to creep by as his suggestion hung in the air. Kagome caught the tiniest twitch of a muscle in Kikyou's perfectly composed face before the woman's eyes misted with tears. Dropping her wineglass on the rug, she turned in to Inuyasha's chest. The look on his face told Kagome that he had never seen this side of Kikyou before. Tentatively, he reached up and stroked her shaking back.
"Oh, Inuyasha!" She tilted her head up to look into his baffled eyes. "I'm sure you'll think me rotten. After all, your friend," the word dripped with venom, "went to the trouble of making some sort of meager dinner that must have required so much effort for someone like her." Kikyou snaked one hand up his chest and placed the other on the side of his face. "It's just, this restaurant is really something special and you have to call months in advance to get a reservation. Did you know I called three months ago in the hope that by this time you would have noticed me?" She let out a soft whimper. "And now you have noticed me and I could just die of happiness. I wouldn't mind canceling the reservations but if you ever cancel, you can never make reservations with them again." Inuyasha looked at her quizzically. A restaurant that would never let you eat there again if you had to cancel you reservation? Kikyou read his expression and let a lone tear fall down her cheek. "It's a very nice restaurant," she reiterated and, letting one last tear fall, she had him.
"Ok, ok." He stammered. "It seems like you went to a lot of trouble and I wouldn't want you to be banned from some place. Kags," he finally tore his eyes off of his date and looked at his incredulous roommate, "you don't mind, do you?" His eyes were pleading as Kikyou ran her fingers through his hair.
Kagome stood in shock at the incredible display of manipulation Kikyou had just put on. Most people would have to pay serious money to see a performance that good. Lucky me, I got it for free. I can't tell what's the bigger mess, though: Kikyou or my carpet where she spilled her wine! Pulling herself from her thoughts, Kagome brought the corners of her lips up and found her voice. "That's fine. You guys go. Have fun."
Inuyasha shot her a grateful smile before looking back at the woman in his arms. "I guess I need to change really fast before going to a fancy restaurant, huh?" Kikyou sniffled and nodded at him as he worked on disentangling himself from her. "Ok, I'll be right back!" Suddenly, Kagome and Kikyou were left alone.
Kikyou drew herself up to her full height and glared at Kagome. All traces of her past tears were gone and her face was arranged into a look of pure disgust. Kagome almost gasped at the sudden shift. Kikyou walked towards Kagome until they were a hair's breadth apart, her hand flying up to grab the gentle girl's chin. "I'm only going to say this once." Kikyou's voice was low and sharp. "You disgust me with your happy-go-lucky attitude. You think you're something else, don't you? Well you're not. You are plain and ordinary. Your unexceptionality is the only thing exceptional about you. Your cooking smells horrendous, your apartment is ugly, and you are pathetic. Yes, you live with Inuyasha for now, but when I am through with him he will have completely forgotten who you even are. I suggest you stay away from him. If you already start distancing yourself from him, it will hurt far less when I wrench him from your grasp. We are not friends and we never will be. And if you ever look me in the eye again, I will make you regret it. Do not ever think you are equal to me. Do I make myself clear?"
Kagome's head was pounding. Kikyou kept her fingers clenched tightly on Kagome's chin, her nails digging into the tender flesh, all through her hateful rant. Her touch sent wave after wave of ice water through Kagome.
"I said, do I make myself clear?" Kikyou tightened her grip on the woman before her.
Kagome's eyes were wide with shock, her voice lost somewhere in the back of her throat.
"Very well, if you won't answer me. I'll answer for you." And with that, Kikyou forcefully nodded Kagome's head up and down before relinquishing her hold.
At that moment, Inuyasha burst out of his room. "I haven't worn this suit in a while! I'm glad I have a chance to dust it off." Kikyou moved to his side and traced little patterns on his lapels. "You look so handsome in this," she purred before pulling his mouth to hers and kissing him.
Kagome turned from the couple and moved into the kitchen. She started putting plates away as small tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. I will not give that woman the satisfaction of seeing me cry. She repeated the mantra again and again to herself.
Inuyasha popped into the kitchen. "Bye Kags! Thanks for being so understanding, you're the best." He leaned down and placed a small kiss on her cheek before Kikyou's voice rang out, drawing him away from his friend. "Come on, Inuyasha! We'll be late if we don't leave now!"
"I'm coming! See you later Kags."
Not trusting her voice, Kagome opted for nodding.
Then the apartment was silent, leaving Kagome alone with nothing but her thoughts and her tears.
