A/N: I apologize for the wait! Things were really hectic in my home this past week and I didn't have much time to write. Just for fair warning, this chapter contains a lot of angst. InuYasha may not seem completely in character in this chapter, but I am taking it from the point of view of a man who has hit rock bottom. It lightens up in the middle however. Anyway I hope you like it. Again I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to review my story. THANK YOU! It really means the world to me that you like this story.
Disclaimer: Just borrowing thank you very much!
InuYasha finished his shower in record time, and dried off quickly. His heart had been severed in two. 'It was a mistake InuYasha…' Her words repeated themselves over and over in his mind and he clenched his fingers into his palms until his claws pierced the callused flesh, the pain was nothing compared to the ache he felt inside. His lips still burned from her brief contact and he wiped them with the back of his hand to rid himself of it. His stomach churned violently and he suddenly had an unusual urge to vomit. 'Kagome rejected me. Somehow I had a feeling that she would. I want to be furious with her, but I can't. How can I blame her for rejecting me? I'm nowhere good enough for her. I'm just a worthless mutt, while she's so beautiful and kind…' He studied his appearance in the bathroom mirror for a moment then bowed his head and sighed sadly.
A sound echoed through his soft ears and he flattened them to his head and growled lowly. Kagome was somewhere in the house crying, and as usual, her pain was because of him. 'How am I going to be able to live with her now that I know her true feelings towards me? Will her feelings change everything? Maybe I should leave her with Sango, Miroku and Shippo to recover the jewel shards the remainder of the jewel shards, and find Naraku on my own. They'll look out for her until he's destroyed and the jewel is whole again. Then she can remain in her own home and I'll never have to see her again. I can pretend that I had never met her. I can forget about her with time.' He paused for a moment and pondered his idea. 'But I don't want to forget her! Could I really just abandon Kagome without regret? No matter where I'd go, she'll always be in my heart. I don't remember what life was like without her by my side. Even if we can't be together, I bet I'll probably still try to talk her into staying with all of us for good, just so I can be near her always.' He couldn't bring himself to hate her as much as he wanted to and he knew that his life wouldn't be worth living if she wouldn't be living it with him.
'Maybe I still have a small chance with her. She doesn't know how I feel.' Confessing his love for her, the very thing that he had feared the most was now beginning to seem like his only hope. 'She could try to fall in love with me, and I won't let her effort be in vain. I will woo her like Koga does and do my best to make her the happiest girl in the world. She'll have everything she has ever dreamed of, even if I have to kill to give it to her.' His mind raced with excitement and he slowly felt his confidence start to rise once more. The slightly arrogant expression appeared on his face and he crossed his arms in front of his bare chest. 'It's the only option I have left unless I eventually want to see Kagome leave and never come back. I have to tell her…today.' He took a deep gasp of air and exhaled it slowly trying to steady his nerves. 'Relax! You've already done this once with Kikyo. It has to get easier the second time around!'
He closed his eyes and squared his shoulders firmly. When they opened a few seconds later he grinned. He was as ready as he could ever be. He flung open the door and followed the sound of Kagome's sobs. They led her to her bedroom. He reached out to try the doorknob and huffed when he found it impossible to turn. She had locked it! The stench of saline was wafting from underneath the door and he cringed as he breathed it in. From the smell of it, she had been crying for a long time. He cursed under his breath and resisted the strong urge to break the door down much like an enemy's barrier. In the state she was in, she would never forgive him for intruding. He had to do it the hard way, and he cringed as he brought his fist up to knock softly at her door. After a few moments of silence he knocked again, this time harder.
"Who ever it is go away!" Kagome shouts sounded muffled from behind her closed door.
"K-Kagome?" InuYasha asked rather uncertainly knowing that he was probably the last person she wanted to see at the moment. "It's um, me. Can I come in?"
"I really don't want to see anyone right now, but thanks for stopping by!" Kagome cried with forced cheerfulness.
InuYasha growled and pounded on the door again in despair. She felt farther from reach with every second that ticked by. "Come on Kagome! We need to talk."
"I have nothing to say to you right now." She said, her tone grieved. "Please, just leave me alone!"
He could sense the anguish in her last sentence and his eyes begin to water. He clenched his fists and pressed them firmly into the wood. His head lowered and InuYasha had to steady himself against the door to prevent falling upon his knees. 'It's pointless to talk to her now. I can't guarantee that she'll even let me in her room, let alone listen to a word I say.' His clothing was soaking wet and clinging to his body uncomfortably and he wished that Kagome would at least let him in to retrieve the borrowed bathrobe. He felt miserable inside and out. "I know you're crying in there!"
"I'm not crying!"
"Liar, I can smell your tears from out here. What's the matter?" He demanded none too gently.
"Nothing, I'm fine!"
"Bullshit! I want to know what's wrong now!"
"Why do you care?"
InuYasha raked his hands through his damp tresses and blushed slightly. "Because… I just do, okay? Quit your stalling and just come out with it. I'm not going anywhere until I know why you're crying."
"You can't be serious!"
"Keh! Try me!"
Inside her room Kagome stood in stunned silence. InuYasha had expressed concern for her before, but never to this extreme. 'He must pity me. He's probably thinking: "Stupid! Why would you ever think that I'd fall in love with a weakling like you when I have Kikyo who is not only beautiful but powerful as well." Still I know that he considers me to be a friend whether he admits it or not, and he has to have at least a small amount of worry for me. If he didn't then why does he insist on being the one to protect me in battle?' Her facial expressions softened and she sat in front of her door leaning her back against it. She could almost feel the aura coming off of InuYasha's body through the thick wood and closed her eyes basking in it's light. "InuYasha?"
"I already told you I wasn't leaving without an explanation."
"I-I know. Um.. you shouldn't worry about me InuYasha. I'm just upset about the huge amount of school work I have to find time to complete so I can pass this year." It was a lie, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him the true reason why she had kissed him in the shower and also the reason she was now broken hearted. 'My mother always told me that it's better to love once in your life and get hurt than to never love at all. I used to believe her, but after experiencing love for myself that saying is a load of crap!'
"Are you sure that's all that's bothering you?" InuYasha prodded gently. It would be so much easier on him if she was the one to bring up the little incident in the shower. That way he could ease her mind about their kiss then figure out a way to casually mention that she shouldn't cry about stupid things like that because he loved her and didn't want her to cry.
"Uh huh."
He couldn't try to pry a confession out of her. She would suspect something. He would have to be the one to make the first move. "What about… earlier? Are you upset about…?"
"Can we not talk about it?" Kagome snapped crossly and buried her hands in her face. Her soul felt so torn between grief and shame and she bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood. "Can't we just pretend that it never happened. I already told you it was a mistake InuYasha. Do you want another apology? Fine, I'm sorry." She took a deep breath and regained her control. "I guess it's a good thing that you decided to come see me. There's something I wanted to say to you. I was going to wait until later, but I guess now is as good a time as ever. You don't need to come with me to the dance tomorrow night. I know that it'll just be awkward for you, and I don't have any right to force you into doing something that you don't want to do."
"What?" InuYasha gasped.
Kagome interpreted his reaction as immense relief and continued sadly. "I need some more time here. There are so many things that I need to take care of before I can commit myself fully to shard hunting. I'm falling behind in all of my classes, and there is some other stuff I need to think about. I want you to go home InuYasha, go home and don't come back for me. When I'm ready I'll come to you."
"K-Kagome? What? How long?"
"As long as I need InuYasha. I have a lot of stuff to sort out. I won't be any use to you if my mind is constantly somewhere else." She needed time to mend her heart. After time she could possibly fall out of love with her hanyou. Until then she wanted to be as far away from him as possible."
"You sound like you're giving me an order." InuYasha snapped back as he felt himself fall victim to his despair. First she didn't love him, and now she didn't even want him around. He felt like he had been punched in the stomach and took slow, steady breaths to maintain his control. The first waves of panic had hit him hard and he felt his heart flutter rapidly in his chest. 'No, she can't possibly mean that. What if she decides she's better off here and never comes back. What if she seals up the well so I can't reach her?'
"I guess in a way I am." She agreed solemnly. Her heart argued with her sternly. "You need to stay with him Kagome. He has all of your love after all. If you just try to forget about him, you will regret it for the rest of your life. He loves Kikyo, but right now he needs you. Care for him and love him until he is finally reunited with his true soul mate. It will be hard for you and very painful, but unless you follow where your heart leads, you will never be able to love another."
"Is that truly what you want?" InuYasha half pleaded. His fear overwhelmed him and he felt a faint sweat begin to break on his brow. 'Is this how it's going to end? If she decides to never return this will be the last time we speak.'
Kagome hesitated then sighed. "Yes, for a while. I hope that someday you can forgive me for this, I know I promised to remain with you until the jewel was whole. I won't break that promise, and I will return someday to finish what we started, but for now I just can't."
"Then I guess there's something I need to say to you before I leave."
"No! Please don't say anything else. We've talked for far to long already." Her resolve was starting to crumble. He needed to leave and as soon as possible. If he stayed much longer, she wasn't sure if she would be able to stay true to her words.
"But Kagome!"
"Just go!" Kagome said harsher than she had meant to, but her words met only silence.
"InuYasha?" No response, he was gone. Kagome shook her head sadly and drew her knees to her chest and set her chin on top of them. She embraced herself for a moment and fresh tears caressed her cheeks. 'Goodbye InuYasha.'
InuYasha tore through every closet in the house searching for a familiar gray bag. He didn't understand why, but he felt compelled to take his suit home with him. It would serve as a reminder of Kagome while she was away. Finally after a few minutes of hunting he found it tucked away safely in Mrs. Higurashi's closet. He unzipped the bag and peered inside of it, everything even the shoes were in place. As if it was fine china InuYasha draped the bag over his arm and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand not caring if anyone saw. She was sending her away and to him that was more than enough reason to cry. 'What will I do if she decides to never come back to me? Going to hell with Kikyo is no longer an option. Hell will hold no comfort for me since she'll constantly remind me of Kagome. Now that I know what pure love feels like I know I could never love anyone else. I will die without a mate and disappear from the earth without a child to carry on my name. Kagome is the only woman I have ever wanted to take as mine and no one else could change that. Even if I wished Kikyo back to life, she could not take Kagome's place in my heart.'
He had run to the ancient well house and was now standing before his portal home. He looked down into its depth and gave Kagome's home one last glance. 'Please, come back to me Kagome. I love you.' He closed his eyes and leapt inside. The wind rushed past his ears and the familiar feeling of sinking took a hold of his body. Almost as soon as it began it was over and InuYasha found himself back home. The sun was still shining in all of its glory and the air was sweet with the smell of new flowers, but none of these things were able to lift his spirits. He simply buried his face in his hands in defeat and allowed all of the emotions he kept inside to spill fourth. 'Kagome…why?'
"Hey! I think I saw something near the well! Do you think Kagome is back?" Shippo leapt off of Sango's lap and sniffed the air fervently.
"You're probably just seeing things Shippo. It seems too early for Kagome to be back. She's only been gone a few days." The demon slayer chuckled gently and set the neon purple hairbrush Kagome had given her as a present to her side. They had just returned from a bath and as usual Shippo's damp hair was tangled in knots.
"I don't think so Sango. I think I smell InuYasha." Shippo paused and nodded his head. "Yep, that's defiantly InuYasha all right." He shot Sango a glance that clearly said "Told ya so!" and smirked.
"You probably just smell InuYasha's hair from the brush I was using on you. Kagome borrowed it a while ago for him to brush some dirt out of his hair after a round of sits."
"No, this smells fresh!" Shippo persisted tugging on the hem of her kimono. "Let's go check it out!"
"I don't know Shippo. Kaede isn't in today and Miroku though better still isn't able to defend himself if a demon were to attack." Sango hesitated sending a fleeting glance to the river where she could see the Monk resting next to the campfire. She was still furious at him because of his behavior when she accompanied him to his "secret place", but felt guilty abandoning him just the same.
"He'll be fine Sango! I promise! Besides, he's just faking most of it for your attention. I saw him this morning and he seemed fine."
"Hm… He has been needing some special attention since he's been hurt." She began to count them on her fingers. "He wanted me to fix him a cup of tea, and later he asked me to lend him my lap to use as a pillow because his head was in pain." Her eyes widened and her cheeks grew scarlet. A scowl appeared on her pretty face and she clutched her fist at her side. 'That skunk! I can't believe I was dumb enough to fall for that old trick! She spoke softly, still glaring at the oblivious monk with venom. "Let's go Shippo."
The kitsune grinned and pointed in the direction of the Bone Eaters well and Sango followed, sprinting as fast as she could to catch up with the swift fox demon. The reached their destination in a matter of seconds, and Shippo jumped onto the wooden rim, his entire body shaking with excitement. "Wait a second, where's Kagome? I only smell InuYasha."
"She's not comin' back this time." InuYasha's sorrowful voice rose from behind them and both Sango and Shippo couldn't help but jump, startled by both InuYasha's sudden presence and also his words.
"Wh-What do you mean Kagome isn't coming back with you InuYasha?" Sango stammered her face pale as the clouds that floated above their heads. Shippo just gave him a blank stare.
"I mean just that. She's not coming back for a while." InuYasha said, dully his eyes lowered to the rich green grass that covered his bare feet.
"Very funny InuYasha, now where is she? Is she returning a little later?" Sango asked barely above a whisper. She couldn't believe him, she wouldn't. This was all a big joke, and Kagome would appear soon. Then they would laugh and everything would be okay. She prayed it was true. She had already lost her brother, she didn't know if she could bear to lose her almost sister as well.
"I already told you Sango. Kagome won't be back for a while. We'll just have to find Naraku and the rest of the shards without her help."
"InuYasha! What did you do to her this time?" Shippo wailed loudly and stomped his foot into the ground.
"I don't want to talk about it." InuYasha replied stiffly crossing his arms in front of him.
"Why?" Shippo wailed again, this time mustering up his courage to leap onto InuYasha's shoulder. He heard InuYasha's low growl and winced, preparing his tiny body for what was coming next. Sure enough, he felt InuYasha grasp his tail firmly in his hand and his body went flying through the air. Sango's reflexes responded quickly and she caught him before he hit the ground.
"InuYasha what…?" Sango asked as she bent down to deposit Shippo safely on the ground, but when she lifted her head again he was gone.
"InuYasha is such a meanie! I bet whatever he did to Kagome was real bad." Shippo spat and shook his head sullenly. "What an idiot!"
"I don't know Shippo, InuYasha seemed different this time. Usually when he and Kagome fight he is in a bad mood until they eventually make up. He seemed defeated. I don't think I've ever seen him in such a bad state." Sango shook her head and sighed. Something bad did happen, something that had a big effect on InuYasha. 'Poor guy. We should probably leave him to his thoughts. Maybe Mirkou will have more luck getting the truth out of him than I did.' She took the kitsune's tiny hand in her own and forced a cheerful smile to dance on her face. "Come on Shippo, it's almost supper time. Why don't we go to the river and catch some fish. I'll stew it with the roots Mirkou was able to find in the woods."
Shippo sighed and gave a fleeting glance back at the well before hopping back onto Sango's shoulder. They departed south from their small camp and the well faded into the distance causing a pain to go through Shippo's heart. 'Come back soon Kagome. I miss you already!'
Miroku yawned and stretched his arms high above his head, feeling much better than he had an hour ago. That morning he had practically ran the entire way to the hot spring where Sango was bathing, delighting in the thought of spying on her without InuYasha around to tattle on him. The jog combined with his half-healed wound had sucked up all of his strength. It had been worth it though. 'InuYasha should really stop being such a prude and join me sometime. I'm sure he'll enjoy staring at Kagome's body just as much as I do as I watch Sango.' His lips twisted into a tiny smirk, he could still picture her curves in his mind and knew that it was a sight he would not soon forget. He placed his hands on the dry earth and pushed his body into a sitting position. There was a small pile of dry kindling near his feet and he threw a few branches upon the dying fire. It consumed it greedily and burned with new warmth. His pain had lessened greatly and already there was a new crusty scab that covered most of his stomach, the only indication of puncture. He was surprised at the speed at which body was healing and marveled at the lady Kaede's skill with simple herbs. 'I've got to be careful. If I slip up even once, Sango will realize I'm not as injured as I had led her to believe and she'll really let me have it!' He closed his eyes and smiled as he struggled to think of more meaningless tasks to give Sango, most of, which involved her bending over. A twig cracked loudly behind him and his eyes snapped open. The intruder was giving off a faint demonic aura and he felt his muscles tense. He knew that as healed, as he was, he was not in shape to do battle, and prayed to Buddha that whatever it belonged to would leave. "I demand to know who's there! Show yourself or face the wrath of Miroku!" He shouted in an attempt to intimidate the intruder, and reached for his staff. He filled his lungs and grasped it tightly in his palms. He knew he was easy prey.
"Give it a rest Miroku. Who did you think it was?" The irritated voice of a familiar hanyou called out and he sighed in relief.
"What are you doing back so soon? I thought you and Kagome were to be gone for a few days?" He asked and looked around for InuYasha's counterpart. "Speaking of Kagome, where is she?"
"She's not coming back this time." InuYasha growled lowly as he repeated the same words he had said to Sango and Shippo back at the well. He laid the garment bag gently at his side and sighed.
"What?" Mirkou asked with a dumbfounded look plastered on his handsome features. "She's not coming back?"
"That's what I said, isn't it?" InuYasha took a seat next to Miroku and threw more wood on the fire. He watched the flames dance around the dry wood and felt his stomach sink. 'She's really not coming back. What am I going to do without her?' Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but he hastily blinked them back. He would cry later when no one was around to see him. For now he had to remain strong.
"What happened? Don't tell me that you had another fight!" The monk asked expectantly and glared at the melancholy picture InuYasha presented.
InuYasha hesitated and crossed his arms in front of him. Though he had refused to tell Sango about what caused Kagome's decision, telling his story to Miroku wasn't sounding like a bad idea. He seemed to be like the person most able to relate. "We didn't exactly have a fight…" InuYasha sighed deeply and raised his eyes to meet Miroku's. "Uh…Kagome kind of… kissed me."
Miroku's eyes lit up and he grinned lecherously. "And?"
"And that was it, she kissed me. End of story." InuYasha snapped and bowed his head letting the information soak into Miroku's brain.
"You mean that's it? She didn't say anything to you? You didn't perhaps confess anything to her?" Miroku was puzzled. After all it was completely obvious to him that the friendship that had blossomed between InuYasha and Kagome had deepened into something more. He had a feeling InuYasha was holding back.
"It was a mistake. That's what she said. A damn mistake." InuYasha growled and clutched the hilt of his famed sword until his knuckles turned white.
"So what did you do?" Miroku frowned, eyeing InuYasha suspiciously. He rested his chin in his hand and stroked it gently with his index finger as he thought of how he would have reacted had it been he and Sango instead of InuYasha and Kagome.
"I didn't do anything. I just let her go. I mean come on, what else could I have done?" Sharp pain filled his head and he cried out. Miroku had just struck him with his staff, hard. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Miroku gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes. At once his staff was firmly in his grasp and he brought it down on top of InuYasha's head causing him to yelp. "You idiot! There must have been a hundred things you could have done! Why didn't you just tell Kagome how much she means to you?"
"What makes you think that I have any feelings for Kagome?" InuYasha asked as he rubbed the painful lump on his head.
"You must take me for a fool InuYasha. You may think that no one else takes notice of the little things you do only for Kagome such as giving her your robe when she's cold, but I see everything. You're in love with her InuYasha. Why can't you just be a man and admit it?" InuYasha glared at him with malice as his pride came under attack and growled softly. Miroku rolled his eyes at his display and rolled his eyes. "Why are you so reluctant to tell her how you feel?"
"You're making things up! I only do stuff like that for Kagome because she's the weakest of us all, and I can't have her getting sick on me. I still have a lot of shards for her to find and if she keeps getting sick, we'll never find the majority of them before we face Naraku."
Miroku gritted his teeth and the top of his staff once again came in contact with the back of the hanyou's head. "Let me be the first one to tell you that you're a terrible liar. Come on InuYasha, you can talk to me about these things." He smirked as he prodded him on.
"I have nothing to talk about!"
"Oh come now InuYasha. Your feelings for her are written all over your face. Why don't you just come out and tell her, or are you too scared? It would be a shame if that were the case. Kagome is quite a remarkable woman, beautiful, kind, honest." He sighed and smiled serenely. "Yep, she's a rare find indeed. I'm sure she'll have no problem finding a man to take for her husband, after all she already has two suitors." He glanced at InuYasha hoping that his words were giving him the effect he had hoped to achieve. The hanyou's face, remained stoic however, his eyes glistened dangerously. The monk smirked, so far so good. "Actually if things don't work out with Sango and myself, perhaps I will try to woo Kagome myself since you don't want her." Miroku gasped as InuYasha's hand went firmly around his throat. He lowered his face towards his until their noses touched and snarled.
"If you ever lay a hand on Kagome, I will tear you limb from limb. You got that?" He released his grip and Miroku staggered backwards. To InuYasha's surprise he didn't seem to be intimidated in the least. In fact he was grinning at him with a knowing look on his face. InuYasha cursed to himself and turned his head cheeks flaming.
"You see InuYasha! Admit it, you're in love with her!"
He felt cornered and there was only one thing left to do, as much as he dreaded it. Fury engulfed him along with humiliation and he growled. "Dammit, you want to hear it Miroku, then fine! I love Kagome." InuYasha seethed. He looked Miroku straight in the eye, and the heat of his gaze burned into his soul. "I'm in love with Kagome! There I said it again!" InuYasha's eyes blazed with fire, but he trembled inside. His most carefully guarded secret was now exposed leaving his defenses down. He was vulnerable, and prayed to any god that would listen to a stubborn hanyou that Miroku wouldn't take advantage of the leverage he now held over him. He cursed at himself fiercely for saying anything at all to the lecher and lowered his eyes to his lap.
"I bet you feel a lot better now. It's not good to keep things like that bottled up inside of you, it taints your soul." Miroku said almost gently and patted him on the shoulder. "You can trust me to keep your secret InuYasha. One thing I pride myself on is being a man true to my word." He paused and scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Though I will not tell, that doesn't mean that I don't think that you should. Let me warn you InuYasha, if you never tell Kagome how you feel you will regret it until the day you die. As your friend, I don't want that to happen to you."
InuYasha felt himself begin to calm down. Miroku hadn't laughed at him as he had expected and slowly he was beginning to feel a kinship towards the monk at his side. "How can I tell her Miroku? She has already rejected me once." Now that everything was out in the open, InuYasha decided to take advantage of the Monk's wisdom.
"I don't believe she was rejecting you, I think she only said what she thought you wanted to hear. You really haven't given her much reason to think otherwise. You almost never show her any form of affection. She probably thinks that you're the one not interested in her!" Realization set in and he clasped his hands together and smiled. "Don't you see InuYasha? That's the reason she doesn't want to come back here. She thinks you don't want her!"
InuYasha felt like he had just been punched in the stomach and he keeled over as his stomach churned. His breath was raspy and his jaw dropped. 'She thinks that I don't want her. Does that mean she wants to be with me?' His mind was racing a mile a minute and hope surged once again in his breast. ' Then that means that she wanted to kiss me, then lied about it afterward because she thought that I'd reject her. Everything is starting to make sense now!' "H-How do I get her to believe that I care for her? I've been trying to tell her for a while now, b-but I haven't been able to." He spoke rapidly. "What if I just fail like all the other times?"
"You won't fail InuYasha. I Miroku, conquer of hearts am here to help you!" He said with bravado and grinned arrogantly. "I will teach you everything I know about wooing a lady!"
"The hell you will! I've seen how you act around women Miroku, and I would rather die than turn into a lecher like you."
"InuYasha, lechers are not created, they are born." Miroku replied with pride. "Besides I'm talking about Kagome here. Do you really think I would allow you to compromise your chance with her? Sango would never forgive me if I did. What I mean is women are delicate creatures. They live to be complimented and adored. For example it wouldn't hurt if you gave Kagome an occasional compliment. Try saying something romantic like: "Kagome, your eyes sparkle more than the stars above." Women eat stuff like that up!"
InuYasha shook his head stubbornly and sighed. "There's no way Kagome will fall for shit like that. Koga comes around here all the time spouting his mouth off about stuff like her hair and smile, but she doesn't seem to care."
Miroku slapped himself in the forehead and groaned. This was beginning to get harder than he had expected it to be. "But we all know that she isn't in love with Koga."
"Are you trying to tell me that she loves me?" InuYasha asked breathlessly. He wondered how much the monk really knew.
"I can't say that for sure InuYasha. Only Kagome knows the truth, but I do have my suspicions that she cares about you a great deal. Think about what I said about compliments. I'm sure they'll help to do wonders."
"I guess I have a lot of time to think about it then. I don't know when Kagome's coming back."
"She'll be back soon enough."
"How do you know that?"
Miroku grinned and laughed out loud. His eyes twinkled with mischief. "Because you're going to go into the well tomorrow and bring her back."
"I can't do that! She told me not to." InuYasha protested and pounded his fist into the ground, sending dust flying everywhere. Things were becoming more complicated. "Besides, she won't even be home tomorrow! She's still going to that stupid dance!"
"Good, then go with her."
"What?"
"You're going to go to her dance with her InuYasha. You promised her in the first place that you would, and I know that despite your protests you were looking forward to it. If she won't come to you, then you must go to her. Something like this is too important to put off for much longer."
"What the hell are you talking about Miroku? I never said anything about telling her that I love her yet." InuYasha bowed his head in shame. Time seemed to be running out, yet he still hesitated to completely open himself to her. "It's too soon."
"You know what's wrong with you? You don't have any confidence when it comes to women. It's a shame, but it is a problem that can be solved." He checked the position of the sun and smiled when he found it to be only a faint sliver in the sky. It was around suppertime, and to him, that meant lots of beautiful women rushing down to the river to gather water for their stew. It was a perfect opportunity for InuYasha to study his skill in action. "Say I have an idea. Why don't we hike out to the river? It's not a far walk, and I feel much better today."
"What are we going all the way there for?"
"A um…confidence exercise."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"You see InuYasha," He began. "The only way to build up a man's confidence with women is by the process of trial and failure."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning we are going to the river so that I can show you why I am so popular with the ladies. I figure if you watch in action a couple of times you will be able to see how successful it proves to be. Hopefully then you will not hesitate on using the same tactics on Kagome."
InuYasha cocked his head slightly to the left and his ears twitched back and forth. It sounded like a good idea to him, but then there was the chance that someone such as Koga or Sesshomaru might see him receiving help from a mortal, a well-known lecher no less. He didn't know whom he would fare worse with, but either way he would never be able to live it down. "I don't know."
"Its perfectly harmless flirting InuYasha. It's not like you haven't seen me doing it before, this time however it will serve to be educational."
"You just want a chance to grab a few more asses." InuYasha said with a knowing smirk. The monk grinned sheepishly.
"Not at all! I intend for it to be strictly for the sake of education!"
"Sure you do."
"InuYasha, you hurt me by your cruel implications. You know that I would never accost a woman purely for sexual lusts."
"Uh huh. Well if you're through blubbering, let's get a move on. The sooner we get there, the sooner it will be over."
The Monk threw his head back and laughed. "Now that's what I like to hear!"
Sango rested her back against the rough bark of a lone tree and sighed as her muscles began to relax. Near by she could hear the voices of many women laughing merrily and her spirits sunk. She wished that Kagome were there with her instead of home in her own time. Shippo and Kilala were busy catching fish a few yards away from her, and Shippo caught her eye and waved. He seemed to be having a good time, despite the fact that his adoptive mother was no where to be found. A small part of Sango felt anger towards Kagome for abandoning them just because of a falling out with InuYasha. What would they do without her? However she couldn't hold it against her. The look on InuYasha's face had revealed it all, and she was sure that Kagome was faring no better.
"Look Sango! He's huge!" Shippo cried holding a large trout up for her inspection. She giggled and waved.
"That's wonderful Shippo! I'm sure he'll make a fine meal!"
"I'm going to save him for Kagome when she gets back. I bet she'll be awfully proud of me!" As always the kitsune assumed that Kagome would be back in a few days. Either that or InuYasha will swallow his pride and fetch her. He'd be happy with either.
Sango frowned and turned her face away. She didn't want to break Shippo's spirit, but she knew that this time things were different. Kagome would not be back for quite some time, if ever. 'Let him cling to his hope. It's all he has right now.' A voice in the back of her mind spoke up, and she nodded in agreement. "I'm sure she'll love it! I think I'm going to take a little walk up river. Will you be alright with Kilala, Shippo?"
"You don't need to worry about me Sango. Me and Kilala can handle anything!"
Sango giggled and rolled her eyes at Shippo's false bravado. "All right, I'll be back in a little while. Have fun you two!" She stood and stretched the muscles in her back, then in her arms. They felt stiff from lack of sufficient exercise. 'A nice long walk will do me good.' She began to stroll along the riverbank, pausing every so often to admire her surroundings. She could hear the voices of women growing louder and knew that she should rest a bit before continuing on.
"Now, now my fair maiden! You jest! I have never gazed upon a maiden who's beauty compared to yours!"
A familiar voice rang out and Sango cringed inwardly. 'No, that's impossible. Miroku couldn't have walked all the way here in his condition! It must be some other lecherous man.'
"You flatter me good monk!" A flirtatious female voice bantered back and Sango gritted her teeth. 'I just know its him! Damn, how stupid I was to think he cared about me. All he cares about is satisfying his lust.' She was off in an instant following the sound of his voice. She reached the shocked couple out of breath.
"S-Sango, my isn't this a pleasant surprise!" Miroku fidgeted with his staff nervously and chuckled.
"I was about to say the exact same thing Monk." Sango replied icily after she regained her breath. She raised her hand and slapped him firmly on the cheek causing the strange woman at his side to gasp.
"Y-you know this woman? How could you lead me on like that!" Her hand made contact with his other cheek. Then she spun on her heel and fled back to the safety of her village. Miroku took no notice of her departure; his attention focused on his beloved.
"Sango please calm yourself. I can assure you that there is a perfectly good explanation for all of this!" He strutted up to Sango's side and took her hand in his own causing her to blush. "My dear Sango, though I may trifle with other women, you know that you're the only one who could steal my heart."
Sango struggled to free herself from his grasp. "Unhand me you lecher!"
"Now Sango, why must we always resort to playing these games? I've told you how much I care for you."
"Why should I believe you? Every time you tell me how much you supposedly love me your hand winds up on my ass!"
"Purely an accident!"
"Oh I'm sure you pervert!"
Concealed amongst the branches of a bushy tree InuYasha clamped his hands over his ears and grimaced. 'Miroku, you idiot! I told you this was a bad idea!' He dropped silently from the tree and crouched low on the ground. Sango looked like she was about to decapitate Miroku with her katana, and as much as he hated to do it, it was up to him to save the monk's ass. "Would you two cut it out!" He roared coming into view. "It's really not what you think Sango."
"I-InuYasha? What are you doing here?" Sango asked confused by the hanyou's sudden appearance.
"He's learning from the master of course!" Miroku spoke up cockily.
"What?" Sango cried again looking back and forth between the two men.
"InuYasha is planning on retrieving Kagome tomorrow night, and I was just giving him a few pointers on how to sweep a lady off of her feet!"
Sango stood in stunned silence for what seemed like hours as she processed the revelation. 'InuYasha asked Miroku how to handle a woman?' She threw her head back and laughed with glee, all anger forgotten. "You mean to tell me that Miroku is teaching you how to treat a girl!" She erupted into peels of laughter causing him to frown. "InuYasha, Miroku knows nothing about a woman's heart! You should have come to me if you wanted advice about Kagome!"
InuYasha turned a shade of red and shuffled his feet restlessly realizing that now two people knew his true intentions. Miroku gave Sango a playful glare. "Now Sango, I understand that you're jealous of my popularity with the ladies, but that's no reason to say such cruel things about me!"
"Ha! Popularity my foot!" Sango retorted back testily before turning back to InuYasha. "You don't need to learn anything InuYasha. Kagome likes you just the way you are. Don't put on an act to impress her, just be yourself."
"Would both of you just shut up already! Look I appreciate your offers to help, but I'm going to do this my way. I don't need either of you butting in!" InuYasha sighed and shook his head wearily. He was starting to regret telling Miroku about his feelings, and the fact that Sango now knew made things even more uncomfortable. He felt more confused now than ever and his head was starting to throb. "I've already agreed to go see her tomorrow. Whatever happens, happens. I'm not going to lose sleep over it so neither should you." InuYasha felt irritated and wanted nothing more than to retreat into the serenity of the forest to contemplate his plan of action. They both nodded at him with stunned expressions on their faces and he fled as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
"So, he's finally admitted that he loves her. I knew it would happen someday." Sango replied nervously. Her stomach fluttered and she played with a string that had unraveled itself from her kimono, concentrating as if her life depended on it.
"Yes, hopefully by this time tomorrow they will find happiness in each other's arms." Miroku said serenely and inched closer to the demon slayer. "Have I told you how wonderful I think you look today Sango? You really take my breath away!"
"Miroku..I …Thank you." Sango blushed deeply and turned her face away.
"I mean it Sango. No other woman could compare to you!" His goal was within reach and he gingerly placed his hand on Sango's firm bum and gave it a little squeeze.
Instantly her expression changed and she whirled on him and punched him square in the jaw. "Pervert!"
"Sango, I didn't mean it!"
InuYasha sighed as their voices rose again and he heard another distinct slap. 'When will he ever learn?' He didn't have much time to think about it now. Hope was once again in his heart, and this time he was determined to confess his feelings to the miko he loved. All he needed was a plan. He closed his eyes and envisioned Kagome in his arms, her eyes reflecting the love in his and smiled faintly. All that mattered was he still had a chance, and this time he wasn't going to blow it.
A/n: Okay, so this chapter was a little boring. Please forgive me, I was having a terrible case of writer's block. The end is almost here though, for the actual dance will begin next chapter and lead into the climax of the story. I hope you're all as excited about reading it as I am about writing it. Thanks for reading and please review!