Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. That great honor goes to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi and her wonderful mind.
Inuyasha's P.O.V.
"Look, Higurashi, if you would just listen – "
"Listen to you? For what? You're just going to keep talking about the same mindless garbage that doesn't make sense." I let out a huff from my impatience. Kami, she was so dense!
Let me fill you in on what's going on: We're trying to find a way to work around the kiss scene. I suggested that we just don't mention the line at all and just have Romeo, that's me, chug down the poison and die a peacefully horrible death.
However, little miss bitch thinks it's a horrible idea and won't have any of it. She says we need to "fill in the void" with something just as good. I thought the whole idea of fixing this forsaken ending was just so we didn't have to meet each other's lips anytime soon. Why does she always have to make things do damn complicated?
"Well, what the hell do you suggest, boss?" I said, giving her a very annoyed look. She was burning a hole through my patience.
"I think you should say the exact words that Romeo says," She said, with more sass then needed, might I add. "But, just don't kiss me."
"Now, you see, that makes no sense whatsoever."
"It can."
"Perhaps in your little twisted mind it does."
"A mind that is far superior than yours."
"Oh ho, you think so?"
"I'd bet my life on it."
"Then I hope you won't miss your life when it's gone. Then again, can't miss what you never had."
"Inuyasha! Are we ever going to get this damn thing done?" She exploded, giving me a hysterical look. I gritted my teeth, biting back my anger, and then letting out a sigh. She was right. We always did end up like this: fighting like caged animals.
"Okay, I'm sorry, but if you'd just for once listen to what I am saying! Look, that line was meant for the kiss. The line before that he hugs her, after talking about holding her body close to his. This line, he's talking about her lips, so you need a kiss! So, we should just omit the line from our script, give a valid explanation as to why we omitted the line, and then get a very well deserved grade." She looked at me with a strange look, as if she was contemplating on actually agreeing with me. Then, after about a minute, she nodded slowly.
"Okay, you're right. We do need to omit the line."
"Thank you." I said with a sigh and actually giving a genuine smile.
"But, I just think – "
"Oh, here we go." I fell back into my sofa and rubbed my eyes. I just can't win with this girl. She won't let me win!
"Hey, I listened to you and I do agree with you. So, can you at least listen to what I have to say before you start whining like a horse?" I removed my hands from my eyes and looked at her. Did she just call me a horse? Well, she was right about the listening. I sighed and sat up again.
"Okay, tell me what you got." I said with a sigh, but actually devoting my attention to her.
"I just think that there are different ways of expressing love of someone's lips other than kissing them…" She said, trailing off. I gave her a confused look.
"Okay…? So, what did you have in mind?"
"I don't know… Maybe, just maybe you could maybe… Perhaps… I don't know I guess – "
"Kagome," I said with a laugh. "Come on, you can tell me. This is our project."
"Well, I was thinking that maybe you could… touchmylips." She said the final words so fast I almost didn't catch them.
"Uh… You want me to touch your lips?"
"Look, I know it's a stupid idea and, you know, now that I think about it, it is very stupid, but I was just thinking that going through the trouble of telling the teacher that we took out the line because of the kiss and all that stuff, I mean, why bother? This is much simpler and a little less gross."
I actually thought about her suggestion. I mean, I guess it makes a little sense, right? And, hey, maybe the teacher well applaud us on finding a way out of that uh… Situation. Kami, I must be very tired if I actually think that anything that Higurashi says makes sense. What might be even crazier than her making sense… Is me actually siding with her.
"You know, I think you're idea is pretty good."
"Yeah, I know it – Wait, what?"
"It's good. It'll add affect to our ending… Without adding our lips together, if that makes sense."
"You like my idea?"
"Don't get cocky now."
"No, no, I'm just a bit surprised is all."
"Yeah, well, that makes two of us."
"Are you sure you're feeling okay?"
"Uh, I feel pretty okay. Why?"
"Well, first, this morning you're gushing, and now you're siding with me, I mean – "
"Hey, I was not gushing."
"Well, you were a bit revealing."
"Well, you wanted to know if you'd see my mom, and you most likely will not, so there."
"Whatever." She said with a sigh. Finally, that's done with. She suddenly looked at me and smiled. "Thanks."
"Uh… For?"
"For finally listening to me."
"Well, just hope that I don't change my mind about anything."
"Hmm, maybe I should get you a contract to sign or something." I laughed, an actual, real laugh. Wow, she got one out of me. I'm impressed.
"Yeah, might not be too bad of an idea." She smiled and turned back to her notebook, writing something down. Kami, her and the notebook are almost inseparable.
"Why the heck do you write so much in that thing?" She turned to me and raised her eyebrow.
"Um, it's a notebook. That's kind of what they're for." She responded sarcastically with a laugh.
"Yeah, but it's like at the end of every conversation, you write something." Suddenly, something hit me and I smirked. "It's not a diary, is it?"
"What? Of course not!" She squealed loudly, shutting the notebook. I grinned.
"Alright, then, let me see what you're writing down."
"Hmm, how about a big, fat no?"
"Oh, that personal huh?" This was kind of fun.
"It's not personal."
''Then why won't you let me see it?"
"Because."
"Because what?"
"Because I'm not done with what I'm writing down."
"What were you writing down?"
"What is this, twenty questions?"
"Aw, come on, let me see!"
"Alright, alright, just shut up and don't laugh." She opened up the notebook to the page where she was writing. At the top it said in large letters: CONTRACT. Then there was the description: I, Inuyasha Takahashi, hereby declare that I agree with Kagome Higurashi about the terms of our project. I will not change my mind nor will I cause her much fuss about this project anymore. I gave her a bizarre look, but she refused to look at me.
"Oh, this is cute." I simply said, not realizing the grin that was plastered on my face.
"Shut up."
"Was this really necessary?"
"No, but I thought it would be silly."
"Well, you were definitely right about that." She sighed and grabbed the page, as if about to rip it. I don't know what it was, but I actually didn't want her to rip it out. I think I actually wanted to sign it. "Hold on," I said, stopping her from ripping out the paper. "Let's sign it." I said, smiling a bit.
"What?"
"Come on, it'll be fun. Hey, maybe this'll actually keep us from fighting." We both laughed at that. There was no was a flimsy piece of paper was going to keep us from doing anything.
"Alright then." She said with a nod and a smile. "Are you sure you're okay?" I looked at her for a moment, pretending to actually think about how I was feeling.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Come on, let's sign it before I change my mind."
"I see what you did there."
"Eh, well, I try." She smiled and gave me her pen. I grabbed the notebook from her and signed my name at the bottom of the page. I gave her back the notebook and the pen, and she signed next to my name. She closed the notebook and smiled.
"That's that." I said, smiling slightly. Wow, am I actually having fun with Kagome Higurashi? "Seems like old times, doesn't it?" I blurted out the words before I could stop them. Ah, shit. I watched her hesitate for a moment, before nodding a bit.
"Yeah, I guess it does." Well, this is uncomfortable as hell now. Kami, why did I have to open my mouth. Things would have been better off the way they were. Then again, all this awkwardness is her fault. I felt a bit of anger rise up in me and I began to grit my teeth again. I don't usually get word vomit, but this was my chance to find out why she did what she did.
"Kagome – "
"I should get going."
"What?"
"It's almost time for me to leave. I've been here for a while and we did get some stuff done, right? Plus, my mom will get really pissed off if I don't get home before dinner."
"Oh, uh, okay then." She stood very quickly and gathered all of the things she had scattered across the coffee table in front of us. Before I could say anything else, she was already opening the door. I rushed up so that I could at least say good-bye.
She opened the door and walked outside, turning to me once she was out of my house.
"So, I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked me in a soft voice.
"Um, yeah, sure."
"Oh, and try to get some sleep. I don't want to work with a zombie, again." I guess I could have said something mean, but, for once, I actually didn't feel like arguing with Kagome.
"Will do." I simply said with a nod. She smiled at me and then walked off my porch. I watched her walk down the path to my house and turn the corner until I couldn't see her figure anymore.
"Damn." I whispered to myself. After four years of constant bickering between the two of us, I finally had the chance to figure out why she destroyed our great friendship, and she completely blows me off and leaves.
She's just as horrible as I thought she was. For a split second, I actually thought she was still that great girl I knew for years.
I guess people really do change for the worse.
Kagome's P.O.V
"Kagome? Is that you?" I heard my mother's voice from all the way in the kitchen as I walked through the door of my house. She really follows that stereotype of women belonging in the kitchen. It's really bad, she really shouldn't do that.
"Yeah, mom, it's me." I answered as I placed my stuff on top of my coffee table. I walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. My mother turned to me and gave me a smile.
"So, how was it? Did you have fun?" How do I even begin to explain how I feel?
"As fun as it could be." I answered simply. Too many details is a bad idea.
"Kagome, you could lighten up." I laughed at that. My mom hated not hearing a full story.
"It was okay. We did some stuff and solved some issues."
"You make it sound like you're both CSI agents." I smiled at my mother's moderately good humor. No matter how bad her jokes are, they do make me feel better.
"I think we did good work."
"Okay, well, if that's all you're going to give me." She said with a sigh as she turned on the stove. I shook my head, still smiling. "Are you going to wash up?"
"Uh, yeah," I said, standing from my chair. "I'm going to shower, I'll help set the table when I'm done."
"Don't take too long. You know how your grandfather gets when he's hungry. He starts telling his stories."
"Don't worry, I'll be quick." I said with a laugh before walking up the stairs. Oh, I really love my mom. How can someone say maybe ten sentences to me and already make me feel better? Even when I have these strange and horribly familiar feeling swirling around inside me. Oh Kami, why is he doing this again? It isn't fair.
I walked into my room and eyed my nightstand. I bit my lip tentatively. I probably shouldn't, I thought to myself as I walked over to the table. I removed the drawer from the table and looked at the paper that lay in the space where the drawer was. I placed the drawer on my bed and grabbed the very old paper, smiling sadly. I opened it slowly and felt all types of emotions just wash over me.
FRIENDSHIP CONTRACT
I, Inuyasha Takahashi, do swear to be Kagome Higurashi's best friend, for as long as we both shall live. I promise to never give up on our friendship, not matter what happens.
I felt my eyes begin to sting and I put the letter back where it belonged.
It was for the best, I told myself. Just keep telling yourself that Kagome, and everything will be okay.
If only that were true.
A/N: Wow, that was a lot of writing. I mean, not a lot, but well... A lot. I just feel like you guys deserve another chapter because holy crap if you stuck with me for this long then bless you. Seriously guys, I don't even know how I have reviews with the way I'm updating. I feel so horrible that I can't update a story like a regular person and you're all just so great and so supportive with your reviews it really makes me feel super-duper special and I just wanted to take the time to thank all of you for keeping up with the story. Thanks so much you guys, I hope I won't disappoint you guys any further as far as updating!
UNTIL NEXT TIME!
(Questions? Comments? I love hearing from the reviewers!)
