A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews. I love hearing from other InuxKag shippers. It makes me really happy. I wasn't sure where to go with this chapter, but it occurred to me that the world just doesn't have enough Inuyasha/Kagome fluff... And thus the ending to this chapter was born. I'm actually pretty satisfied with how this chapter turned out overall; I had a bit of trouble at some parts but overall I think it went in an excellent direction. Here's hoping you all agree!
Chapter 14: Visit to the Hot Springs Part III
Later that night, Kagome was seated on a plush, extremely comfortable couch beside Matsu, sipping from a cup of tea that she had prepared in the little kitchenette of the house. She had chosen not to go back to the spa after speaking with her brother in the hot springs. Instead, the two of them had spent most of the day together, and Matsu had told her a lot of details about his life that she hadn't previously been aware of. Like the fact that he had an older brother who was due to inherit the temple that their parents ran, so Matsu was free to choose to do whatever he wanted with his life. Or the fact that he'd once had a younger sister, but she had died when Matsu was only five years old from an unexpected complication from a fever. He was in the middle of telling her about his parents when the door opened and Seiko walked in, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Matsu and Kagome openly stared in silence, shocked by the transformation. Gone was the casual clothing that Seiko normally lived in. She was now wearing a form-fitting, soft pink dress that did wonders for her complexion and brought attention to her dark brown eyes. Her hair had been artfully arranged in sweeping curls on top of her head, with a couple of enormous pink blossoms tucked here and there for extra decoration. The classy but simple white gold-and-diamond jewellery she wore and the expertly applied make-up helped to complete her stunning package. All in all, she looked absolutely breathtaking... and Kagome could tell that Matsu was speechless, which a rare but extremely positive sign.
"Onee-chan, you look beautiful," Kagome said with a smile, giving Matsu a pointed poke in the ribs with her elbow. He snapped out of his daze and coughed.
"Yes, Seiko-san, you are amazing," he said, his voice holding a level of sincerity that made Seiko turn pink with pleasure. Matsu stood up and crossed the room to stand in front of her while she was floundering for a response. He took one of her hands into his and gently kissed the back of it. "I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you and not taking your thoughts on the matter into consideration. I should have realized that trying to protect you is not only impossible, but also not my place."
"I'd like it to be your place," said Seiko softly. She smiled hesitantly. "I know that you're not Miroku, because I'm not Sango, but... my love for you has never diminished, Matsu." Her blush grew darker when she spoke his name without attaching an honorific, but she kept going. "I've felt that way for you even before my memories returned to me. I never really dated anyone because some part of me was waiting for you. But I knew that you were frightened by the thought of the Kazaana and what that might mean for us. I was willing to wait for you, but I... I hope you won't make me wait any longer."
"Seiko..." Matsu ducked his head, pressing his lips against the soft skin of her hand a second time. "I'm so sorry. You're right; the Kazaana was holding me back. I have to admit, Miroku was better at hiding how much the Kazaana bothered him than I am. It seems like every night I have nightmares about our deaths, and sometimes I imagine it happening all over again," he confessed. "I didn't want you to be close to me for that reason. I was trying to protect you, but..."
Kagome chose that moment to stand up, attracting the attention of both of them. "But there's no need to worry about it this time," she said with a confident grin. "We're going to destroy Naraku long before the Kazaana ever becomes an issue, I promise you that. Please don't hold yourself back just for that, Onii-chan, Onee-chan. Inuyasha and I are here this time, and we're not going anywhere. We'll defeat Naraku together."
"Kagome-chan..." Seiko whispered, tears sparkling in her eyes. She didn't need to say anything else. The level of gratitude in her dark brown eyes was enough for Kagome, who winked and backed out of the room to give them some privacy. As she went to close the door, she witnessed Matsu taking Seiko into his arms and giving her a long, sweet kiss. Tears of joy filled Kagome's eyes as she quietly crossed the kitchen, opened the back door of the house, and slipped outside. Her sister and brother were together again, and no matter how long a road there was in front of them, she knew that this was how things were supposed to be.
"Well?" Rin demanded, startling Kagome so badly that she actually jumped even as she whirled around. She hadn't noticed that all of her family was standing just outside the door waiting to hear how it had gone, even Sesshoumaru and Kouga... though she suspected that Rin and Ayame had something to do with their presence. "How did it go?"
"Judging by the kiss I just saw, pretty well," Kagome replied, brushing the tears from her eyes. Inuyasha approached and dumped Shippou into her arms, then wrapped an arm around her shoulders. It was the first time he'd shown her that kind of affection in front of other people, and she gave him a happy smile in return as she cuddled a sleepy Shippou closer. "I think that Onii-chan finally understands that he doesn't need to worry about the Kazaana this time around."
"Keh, I could've told him that," Inuyasha muttered, his free hand resting lightly on Tetsusaiga's hilt. "I haven't met up with Naraku yet. That bastard's developed the good sense to stay the fuck away from me. But the moment that I do..." The anger in his voice made the threat clear.
"With my blessing," said Kagome, who wouldn't have minded the chance to use her arrows up close and personal. She lightly stroked the shards of shikon no tama around her neck. Grief didn't seem to affect the shards, but raw anger and hatred... Sometimes it was difficult trying to keep a lid on her emotions when she loathed Naraku so much.
"Not to change the subject from the Naraku hatred, but I'm glad that they've managed to patch things up," said Ayame, glancing up at the house. "It was frustrating watching the two of them dance around each other."
Looking over at her, Kagome went to speak and stopped, realizing for the first time that both Rin and Ayame were just as dressed up as Seiko had been. Rin had her hair swept up in a style that was similar to Seiko's, only with a simple, sapphire-studded piece as opposed to flowers. The sapphires complimented the dark blue gown that she was wearing. Ayame's hair had been curled and left loose around her shoulders, which looked excellent with the little black dress that clung to her every curve and the strappy black sandals that made her legs seem that much longer. Kouga certainly seemed to have a deep appreciation for the amount of leg that his mate was showing off, as he kept glancing at Ayame with a devious smirk, and Sesshoumaru's arm was wrapped around Rin's waist in an unusually possessive manner. Kagome pressed her cheek against the slumbering Shippou's hair in a vain attempt to hide her amusement.
"I see your day was successful," she said at last.
"Very, and don't think that you're home free just because you spent the day with Matsu-san," Rin told her, holding up a white shopping bag that Kagome hadn't noticed before. "Inuyasha, I'm going to have to borrow Kagome-onee-san for a little bit while you guys get dressed."
"Where are we going?" Kagome asked as Inuyasha plucked Shippou out of her arms. The little kitsune gave a sleepy yawn at the unexpected movement and curled into Inuyasha's shirt. She reached over and patted her son on the head, a little surprised that Inuyasha hadn't protested in the slightest even though she hadn't seen him all day. That meant one thing: that he already knew where they were headed. As though to confirm her suspicion, he shot her a grin.
"You'll see," Rin said airily. "I told you were going out for dinner earlier, remember? Just because you weren't around doesn't mean you missed out on the shopping experience. Now, come on, we'll go in through the kitchen in case Seiko-chan and Matsu-san are still preoccupied."
Rin hustled Kagome through the door without another word of explanation, giving the younger girl absolutely no time to complain. Ayame followed them up to the room that Kagome was sharing with Seiko and Shippou and closed the door as Rin burst into action. Kagome sat down on her bed and watched in bemusement as Rin began removing things from her bag – a make-up bag, hair accessories and brushes, a curling iron, and a large box that she set down on the bed with the upmost care. She didn't know how crazy she was about giving Rin and Ayame permission to do whatever they wanted, but she didn't have the heart to tell either one of them otherwise when she saw how excited that they were. Instead, she obediently went to take a quick shower under Ayame's direction and returned to the room in record time, where she was promptly forced into a chair.
"Are you having fun here, Kagome-onee-san?" Rin asked, picking up a small compact. She pressed her lips together as she flipped the compact open and held it next to Kagome's face, and then nodded in satisfaction. Gently, she dipped the end of a brush into the blush, swirled it around, and blew on it before dusting it over Kagome's cheeks. "Close your eyes."
"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, closing her eyes.
"We were wondering about your mother," said Ayame carefully, ignoring the way Kagome stiffened. "You haven't spoken to or of her in some time. Miho-chan and Jin-kun have been watching over the shrine just like always. Jin-kun tells me that every day, he sees your mother kneeling in front of the Goshinboku, weeping and praying. Megumi-chan says that your brother has been stressed by what happened between you two, and he confided in her that he's worried about what will happen between you and your mother."
Kagome licked her lips and didn't say anything for a minute. She'd known that sooner or later, someone would have the guts to ask, although she hadn't expected that it would be Rin and Ayame. Even though she had managed to fix the problem between Seiko and Matsu, the issues between she and her mother were still looming. Neither mother nor daughter wanted to be the first to give in, so Kagome wasn't entirely sure what to do. There was no way she was going to allow herself to be separated from Inuyasha, but the longer she went without speaking to her mother, the worse that it would get, and she had already left it too long as it was. As much as she loved Inuyasha and her new family, she didn't want to cut herself off from her old one entirely, which meant that it was time to suck it up.
She sighed as Rin began smearing something cold over her lips. "I'm going to talk to my mother when we return."
"I think that's a smart move," Ayame observed as she leaned against the wall, watching over the two of them at a safe distance. "It won't be an easy talk, but I have the feeling that she really cares about you, Kagome-chan. I could tell from the way she wouldn't let me into the house to speak to you when you were ill. As a wolf youkai and your friend, I know you can't be taken from Inuyasha, but as a mother, I can understand that she's only trying to do what's best for you when it comes to a world that is completely foreign to her."
"Do you... believe I'm being too harsh on her?" Opening her eyes, Kagome glanced into the mirror and was pleased to see that the make-up Rin was applying looked very natural. Darker mascara and subtle green eyeshadow made the gold in her eyes pop, and the deep pink gloss that Rin had placed on her lips made her mouth look full and plump.
"No, not necessarily. I think she's wrong to try and separate the two of you and you need to find a way to make her understand that. However, I also know that when it comes to our cubs, I never look forward to the day that they start looking for mates because Kouga is a bear every time," said Ayame, rolling her eyes. "He can't accept that they've grown up and are ready to move out of the den, and he ends up fighting it every time. Maybe that's how it is for your mother. She resents the fact that she has to let you go, particularly when she doesn't fully appreciate the world you've moved into."
Kagome mulled that over silently as Rin stood up and began working on brushing her hair. When she was younger, and returning to Sengoku Jidai every few days, Kimiko hadn't really liked listening to her tales, however edited that they were. She'd always thought that it was because her mother was worried that she would be hurt, but now she realized that maybe there was another reason. Maybe Kimiko had lived in fear of the thought that one day, Kagome would just disappear down the well and not return. Certainly, Kagome had never done anything to lay that fear to rest: the more time that she had spent in the past, the more that world had consumed her life. The future had seemed so unimportant when every day in the past was a fight between life or death, and no doubt her mother had realized that. Even though she was still angry, she knew it was time to cut her mother a break.
"I guess you're right," she said slowly, wincing as Rin pulled on a particularly stubborn tangle. "I just never thought about it like that. My dad died when we were just kids, so she was the only one who really cared for us growing up. My grandfather tried to help, but there was only so much he could do. I remember when I was younger, I overheard her asking Jii-chan what she was supposed to do with Souta and me. She was terrified to raise us all by herself." She paused, surprised by the memory, which she hadn't thought about in years. Yet it was so vivid, and she could almost hear her mother's terrified voice.
"It's always hard when you're on your own," Rin said softly. "There was a time several hundred years ago when Sesshoumaru had to leave me for a few months in order to deal with some threat to our land. We only had two pups at the time, but I remember that it was very difficult. I felt so lost without him at my side. I can't imagine what it would have been like to have to do it on my own." She paused for a moment and gave a few final tugs on Kagome's hair, then smiled broadly. "There."
Relieved for the change in subject, Kagome eagerly glanced into the mirror and saw that Rin had gathered the strands of hair that normally framed her face and pulled them straight back with a fancy clip that was studded with what looked suspiciously like real diamonds. The hairstyle highlighted her hanyou ears and drew attention to the fact that she didn't have human ears. Kagome touched the smooth skin where her human ears had once been and found herself smiling. She liked the sophisticated air that the hairstyle lent to her, as it made her look much older than she really was.
Taking that as a positive sign, Rin urged her to stand and then went over to the box she'd placed on the bed. She pulled out an expensive set of black lace underwear and handed them to Kagome, and then she and Ayame turned their backs. Taking the hint, Kagome took off her bathrobe and slipped the underwear on. It fit better than most of her own things. The bra was strapless and had been fashioned to go with the dress that Rin took out of the box. She couldn't help gasping when she saw it. It was beautiful: form-fitting, strapless, and long with a high slit up the right side; the color was a rich shade of red that was almost a perfect match to Inuyasha's fire-rat robes.
"Rin-chan, I can't accept that," said Kagome, stunned. She reached out a hand, just barely brushing the soft fabric. "It's gorgeous, but it's way too much."
"Yes, you can, and you will," Ayame replied. "Believe me. This is going to be a special night, and if you don't wear it, you'll regret it later on."
"Do you two know something?" she asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes. Rin and Ayame exchanged glances and giggled. "You do! What's going on?"
Ayame chuckled again and tossed a strand of fiery red hair over her shoulder. "Never you mind. Now turn around and let us help you into the dress." Carefully, she lowered the dress and helped Kagome to step into it. The fabric melded to her every curve as Ayame tugged the dress into place and zipped it up. She smoothed it over Kagome's hips as Rin took out a simple pair of black shoes with a two-inch heel and set them down in front of Kagome, who obligingly stepped into them.
"I feel like Cinderella," she said, sounding dazed. At first she thought that the woman in the mirror looked almost like a stranger, but then she realized that wasn't right at all. No, she was gazing at a future version of herself: the strong, confident woman that she would someday become. The thought was almost eerie, and she was relieved when the cool weight of a necklace settling around her neck distracted her, until she noticed what Rin had given her. "Are these... real diamonds?"
"No," the two of them said together immediately.
Knowing that they were lying, Kagome frowned at them, but she couldn't really be angry. The necklace was lovely – gold with a simple diamond pendant – and combined with the dress and the work that Rin had done, the effect was truly startling. "Thank you," she said with a bright smile.
"You're welcome. Let's go. If we take too much longer, Kouga will go without us," Ayame said, slipping her arm through Kagome's. "I hope you mate with a patient man, Kagome-chan."
Kagome snorted. "Have you met Inuyasha?" she asked wryly.
Rin giggled as she trailed behind them as the three of them walked down the stairs. "That reminds me, Kagome-onee-san. I hired a sitter from the hotel to stay here with Shippou-chan. It will just be you and Inuyasha tonight."
She had intended to say something – thank you, perhaps – but at that moment, she entered the living room and caught sight of Inuyasha. Instantly, all thoughts except for how amazing he looked vanished from her mind. He was wearing a black suit that had been paired with a white shirt and a red tie. As good as he'd always looked in just regular clothing or his fire-rat robes, the effect of him in evening wear was truly startling. Kagome stopped short and openly stared, her mouth open just a bit. Fortunately, Inuyasha appeared to be just as struck by the sight of her, as his jaw nearly hit the floor when she walked in.
"Ka... Kagome..." he stuttered. "You look... wow."
Wow, huh? Kagome's mouth closed and she smirked, amused and more than just a little thrilled to know that she could provoke that sort of reaction from him. "You look pretty wow yourself," she teased, belatedly realizing that while they had been staring at each other, the rest of their family had gone ahead.
Inuyasha smiled weakly and held out his hand to her. Touched, Kagome intertwined their fingers and allowed him to lead the way out of the house. They fell into a comfortable walk side by side at a pace a bit slower than usual due to the fact that Kagome wasn't used to wearing heels. He didn't seem to mind, though. If anything, she could tell that there was something on his mind that he was anxious to talk about, because he kept glancing at her and then looking away. She was curious as to what could make him so nervous, but knew better than to ask him outright. That would just make him clam up. Instead, she searched for a topic that might put him more at ease.
"Things seem to have settled between Onee-chan and Onii-chan," she ventured.
"Yeah. You did a good thing, Kagome," he said, offering her a smile that made her heart flip. She gave him a shy smile in return and then looked away, blushing. They walked in silence for about a minute, until the hotel was visible. Inuyasha's grip on her hand tightened and he stopped, causing her to halt as well.
"Inuyasha..." she began, curious.
"Kagome – " he started at the same time. Their eyes met and both of them smiled.
"Go ahead," she said, tilting her head. "What is it?"
"I... Kagome, you know that I care for you," he said, looking nervous and shoving his right hand deep into his pocket. "You... You're everything. More than I ever could have imagined."
A deeper blush spread over her cheeks. "Inuyasha... I love you, too."
He nodded. "Kagome, I... I want to ask you a question."
Kagome gave him an encouraging smile. "You know you can ask me anything, Inuyasha."
Too fast for human eyes to follow, and almost too quickly for hers, his hand sprang out of his pocket, bearing with it a small velvet box. Kagome gasped when she saw it, knowing intuitively what it held, and stood frozen as Inuyasha held it out towards her. "Kagome," he said softly. "Will you be my mate?"
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