TWO DAYS LATER
Izayoi sat in the Higurashi palace common room with Kikyou and Ai. They were each occupying themselves with something fro their individual interests. Ai was picking out baby names for her grandchildren, Kikyou was reading on Inu Youkai mating habits, and Izayoi was sewing up some pants that Inutaisho had ripped.
Inuyasha walked into the room quietly and caught his mother's attention. He gave her a "look" and left.
"Excuse me ladies, motherly duty beckons," Izayoi said and put down the clothing. She stepped out of the room and spied Inuyasha sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. She immediately went to his side and kneeled next to him.
"Inuyasha?" she asked as tender as only a mother could. She tried to look him in the eyes, but he turned away.
"Is it true?" he asked.
"Is what true?"
"That you want me to marry Kikyou. That you're siding with Dad," Inuyasha said and looked at her. Izayoi had a shocked look on her face.
She left out a small laugh, "Honey, I'm your mother. I know you. You don't want to marry Kikyou," then she whispered, "I mean, who would?"
She and Inuyasha shared a laugh and then Izayoi continued, "I can tell you don't have any feelings for her… but Kagome on the other hand…"
"What!" Inuyasha yelled and stood up immediately. He looked down at his mother's knowing face with shock. Izayoi laughed behind her hand and stood.
"Inuyasha, calm yourself," she said.
"Where did you get that ridiculous idea from! I don't have any feelings for Kagome," Inuyasha denied. Izayoi gave him a smug/knowing look.
"Deny it all you want my son, but I know what's true. If it soothes you, I know she feels something for you as well," Izayoi said.
"Mom?" Kagome asked as she came into the hall. Inuyasha looked to her and a pint tint came over his cheeks. Kagome smiled at him.
"Kagome, your mother's in the common room," Izayoi said. Kagome thanked her and went inside.
"She's going to make a wonderful daughter-in-law someday," Izayoi said wistfully. Inuyasha looked at his mother with a blank face and Izayoi led him away quietly.
Meanwhile…
Kagome walked into the common room and rushed over to her mother. Ai smiled and looked up at her daughter.
"Yes, Kagome?" Ai asked with a smile.
"How could you do this?" Kagome asked accusingly.
Ai's smile disappeared and her face was confused.
"What?"
"That you're taking Dad's side and forcing me to marry Sesshoumaru!" Kagome yelled. Kikyou sat up straighter and stared at Ai. Ai hung her head and sighed.
"Yes. But," Ai started.
"Why?" Kikyou asked. Kagome looked to her sister. What did Kikyou care about her marrying Sesshoumaru? Kagome gave Kikyou a weird look. Kikyou buried her face in her scrolls and pretended that she wasn't in the room.
"Because, your father would suspect something if he still thought I was against him," Ai said and stood.
"What?" Kagome and Kikyou asked, confused.
Ai smiled at her daughters, "Kagome, I know you don't want to marry Sesshoumaru. Kikyou, I've seen you and Sesshoumaru around the castle," Ai said. Kikyou blushed and looked away. Kagome raised an eyebrow. Kikyou… likes Sesshoumaru?
"Girls, I am on your side. Kikyou, if you have feelings for Sesshoumaru, feel free to pursue those feelings," Ai said. Kikyou stood with her nose in the air.
"I have no feelings for the demon prince," Kikyou said and left the common room.
Ai shook her head and turned to Kagome, "And Kagome, I have a very strong feeling that Inuyasha may have taken a liking to you as well."
"What?" Kagome asked incredulously.
"Kagome, I am very happy to see you taking an interest in a prince. And Inuyasha is a wonderful choice! I'm so proud of you! Now, go out there and get me a son-in-law!" Ai said and pushed Kagome out the common room and right into Sango.
"If you see Miroku, NOTHING happened!" Sango said, shaking Kagome's shoulders and disappearing around the corner. Miroku showed up thirty seconds later.
"Kagome, have you seen my lovely Sango?" he asked with a star-struck look. Kagome pointed in the direction Sango left and Miroku followed her directions.
"Sango! Wait for me!" Miroku yelled, his voice echoing off the walls.
~:~
Kagome looked around the corner and into the Inuyasha's room. No one was in there. She breathed a breath of relief and entered. She shut the door behind her. Kagome looked around the room. It seemed innocent enough..
"Let's get this over with," Kagome said to herself. Proper princesses don't search through a prince's room for evidence that said prince is in love with them.
Yep. Her mom had gotten into her head and now Kagome needed proof. Which is why she was going through Inuyasha's draws for anything at all that screamed 'I 'heart' Kagome'.
"Miroku, you're an idiot."
"I'm telling you! She loves me!"
Kagome froze. Inuyasha and Miroku were coming. She scanned the room for a hiding place. Not the closet, that's too obvious… Bed… Bed! Kagome made a mad dash for the bed and quickly slid under it. The second she did, the door opened.
Inuyasha and Miroku walked into the room nad shut the door behind them. Miroku sat on the soft bed while Inuyasha stood.
"I know that she loves me," Miroku said.
"What woman in her right mind would love you?" Inuyasha asked.
"Sango," Miroku said immediately. No way… Sango had=s got some explaining to do!
"She must be crazy. Besides, I thought she hated you," Inuyasha said.
"Well, if you were paying attention, you would have noticed that I took her for a walk this morning and we really connected. But, alas, you had your hands full with Kagome," Miroku said.
"W-what?" Inuyasha spluttered.
"You can't fool me. I've known you for how long? You like her almost as much as she likes you. Your mother knows it, I know it, and I have a pretty good feeling Kagome knows it. Right, Kagome?" Miroku said. Oh, crap…
"I have no idea what you talking about, Miroku," Kagome said and slid out from under the bed. When she was out, she pulled a piece of lint of her clothes.
"Now, if you boys will excuse me, I have a lesson to get to," Kagome said and started to leave, but Miroku held her back.
"Kagome, I have a favor to ask of you," Miroku said. Kagome raised an eyebrow at him and risked a glance at Inuyasha. When caught her stare and looked away.
"Can you talk to Sango for me? I finally got on her good side and I really want to stay there. Would you mind?"
"I guess not. If Sango's happy, I'm happy. Besides, she needs a man," Kagome said. Miroku hugged the girl, said a quick thanks, and dashed out the room.
Kagome turned to Inuyasha. He looked back at her. She sighed.
"I'm sorry for sneaking into your room," Kagome said.
"Why were you in here?" he asked. Kagome blushed.
"You see…. I was… no reason," she said. He raised an eyebrow at her. "I should be going!"
"Wait!" he yelled and held her back. Kagome looked up at him. Inuyasha sighed.
"Is what Miroku said true?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome hung head and sighed. She backed away and plopped down on his bed. Inuyasha mistook her actions and looked away.
"I guess so," she said. Inuyasha turned to her so fast, a human would have gotten whiplash. He looked at her with a shocked expression.
"It's just that…. I wouldn't say love, cause it's not. But, there's something. You, you're different from any other prince or peasant I've met. I have no experience with this kind of thing, and it kind of scares me. I feel like I'm heading into this blindly, but then I would hear you call me stupid or laugh at what I said- which can be mean sometimes- and… it wouldn't matter," Kagome finished and looked at him.
Inuyasha scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously. "So, you don't love me?"
Kagome shook her head 'no'.
"That's good to know. Cause, I don't love you either," Inuyasha said. Kagome bit her lip to keep from smiling and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. She stood and walked over to the hanyou prince. He pulled her in for a hug. When they pulled away, they closed the gap between themselves with a kiss.
~:~
Izayoi and Ai gave each other a congratulatory high-five and hug when their children kissed.
"We did it," Ai whispered.
"Come on," Izayoi whispered and pulled her accomplice away. The went into the kitchen and poured some tea for themselves.
"We are good," Ai said.
"That's just what we do. We're MWC, Mothers Who Care. Saving relationships and lives of our children everywhere," Izayoi said and sipped her tea.
"One down, two to go," Ai said.
As if on cue, Sango went running by the kitchen, laughing loudly. "Miroku, stay away from me!"
"I just want a simple kiss, my beautiful princess!" Miroku yelled after her. Izayoi and Ai gave each other a look. Shouldn't be too hard….
Isn't it great to not be in love?
