Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Inuyasha universe or any of the popular name brand apps, products, services, etc. The rest is mine.
Chapter 19
"Why did you put vinegar all over these?" Kagome asked as she plucked a fry out of Inuyasha's blue and orange paper cup with the words "Frankie's Boardwalk Fries" in giant 90s style bubble letters on the side. She held it up to her face and examined it, giving it a tentative sniff and lightly squishing the thicker cut fry between her fingers. It wasn't exactly soggy, but it wasn't crisp and hard either.
"Why did I put vinegar on these? Oh my God...Higurashi, are you telling me that you've never had boardwalk fries before?"
"They're just fries," she shrugged as they walked along the worn wooden path of the boardwalk of Benning Beach and sat down at a bench. It was an old boardwalk. It had been developed in the 1970s with just a few shops and games, and it had grown significantly over the last forty plus years. Now, it was littered with people and included hotels and restaurants along with vendors who sold everything from weed to healing crystals.
They had spent the whole day lying in the sun, playing in the surf (which mostly just consisted of him chasing her, catching her, and then tossing her to the point that she had accidentally flashed him a breast - not that he minded), and walking up and down the boardwalk. It had now grown late enough that the sun was finally setting, and they had slipped back into slightly more "normal" clothes before relaxing at the small bench and waiting for dark - that's when all of the "fun" rides opened.
"They are not just fries! Take a bite, and then you can judge it. Besides...the place doesn't even have ketchup. There was a sign up and everything."
"What? If the one thing you sell are fries, how can you not also have ketchup?"
"Because they're boardwalk fries. Just eat it," he sighed, taking one out for himself. He popped it into his mouth and gave her a pointed look, telling her with his eyes to just humor him and try the fucking fry.
She squared her shoulders and took a tentative bite, and surprisingly...it wasn't bad.
The overall texture reminded her of a Five Guys fry, which she liked - not quite a potato wedge, but not a thin and crisp McDonald's stick either. It was salty, which was a given, but the vinegar...she didn't know why, but it worked.
It added a little extra something that she just couldn't explain. It was kind of like eating a salt and vinegar potato chip, but without the extra crunch...and what surprised her the most about the whole thing was that she actually liked it.
"Well?" he asked, handing her a cup of ice water with a paper straw poking out of the top.
"It's good."
"See?" he grinned. "Boardwalk fries. They're only acceptable at the beach, and you only put vinegar on them. That's just the way it is," he shrugged as she stole another one.
"I promise not to doubt you again, oh Wise One," she giggled, and his grin widened.
"You really shouldn't. I'd never point you in the wrong direction."
"Except for when you get lost," she teased, reminding him of when he had gotten confused as to where the car was earlier when they went to drop off their stuff. He just rolled his eyes.
"One time - I get turned around one time, and you can never let it go."
"Am I supposed to?"
"If you love me, you will," he said without thinking, and he instantly froze as his eyes widened.
Fuck.
"I...ah...I'm gonna go and get napkins," he nodded, shoving the fries at her. "I just realized I forgot them. I'll...ah...I'll be right back."
Kagome blinked hard a couple of times, trying to process the last ten seconds.
"If you love me, you will."
Had...had she heard that right? She had to have, given how abruptly he had just left. But...what...what was that supposed to mean?
Did he…love her? He didn't, did he?
No.
Absolutely not.
He couldn't...not when he had only broken up with Kikyo a few months ago. There was no way he loved her like that. That's not even what he had said. He had said if you love me...totally different from I love you…
But why did he even have love on the brain?
What was going on in that head of his?
She sighed and leaned back, staring up at the sky and holding onto that cup of fries.
Hypothetically speaking...let's say he did love her like that...was that a bad thing?
She knew she liked him. She liked him a lot...so much so that the only thing making them end this was her departure in two weeks. There was no way he would be willing to do long distance after that train wreck of a relationship last time…
But if he was…
If he asked her, or gave her some indication that he would be willing to try one more time, then yes. She would stay with him in a heartbeat. She'd find a way to make this work.
So...if he did love her like that...then she was fine with that, because she could see herself quickly falling for him too. She had never met anyone else like him. She had never felt this way with anyone else. He made her feel...whole. Complete. He gave her a sense of peace when she was with him. He literally ticked off every box she had when it came to a partner, and even a few extra she had never known she had on the list.
If she could stay with him…
If she could stay with him, then she knew she would love him. As long as he would let her...which was hopefully forever.
She looked up and saw Inuyasha nervously standing in front of her, a wad of napkins crinkled up in his hands.
"You found them," she smiled warmly, and he nodded jerkily as he sat down next to her.
"Yeah...sorry...it took me a bit longer than I was anticipating."
"It's fine," she reassured him, scooting closer to him on the bench as she watched his hands clench and unclench. "Fry?" she offered, raising the cup.
"Yeah...sure…" he nodded, shakily putting the wad of napkins down and hastily snatching one from the cup. It was almost like he thought that if he was fast about it, she wouldn't see how completely and totally freaked out and terrified he was.
She sighed deeply at how he was acting and whispered, "Yash—"
"—Can we not? Please?" he begged. "I don't want to talk about it. I don't even know why I said it. Can we just pretend it never happened?"
"Yash…"
"Please? It was stupid. Really. I didn't mean anything by it."
The fact that he immediately ran after saying it meant that he did mean something by it, in her opinion.
"Ok…" she relented. "It never happened."
"Thank y—"
"—Only it did, and I do. Just so you know. I do love you," she whispered, and he let out a choked gurgle like sound as his eyes widening to the point that he reminded her of an owl. "I love you like I love a very dear, close, old friend. But...I'm not there romantically, because I didn't let myself." She watched him close his eyes, and his fists squeezed the napkins tighter. "I couldn't...I...when we started this, we always said that this was over at the end of the summer. I couldn't give away everything I had when I knew that we were going to end. I just couldn't, Yash..." she trailed off and he just nodded his head and smiled sadly at her.
"Yeah. I know. I get it. I...me too, Higurashi."
"I can't say I love you in that way, but I do adore you. Can...can that be enough for this?"
"Of course," he replied, his voice gravelly, "I...I adore you, too."
She smiled warmly and leaned forward, bringing a hand up to the back of his neck and encouraging him to lean down and meet her halfway. She placed a long, lingering kiss to his lips that left both of them tingling.
"Why don't we finish this up, and then we can go on some rides?" she asked, shaking the cup a little and relaxing at how relieved he seemed to be now.
"I like how you think, Darlin'."
"I think I'm gonna puke," Inuyasha groaned as they stepped out of the octopus ride and back onto solid ground.
"You are not," Kagome scoffed. "Stop being dramatic. You're a fighter pilot! You've handled worse."
"Exactly - I am a fighter pilot. That should tell you how bad that one was!"
"Not bad - amazing. Would the teacups be more your speed?"
"No," he glared. "I can do some others, but I want to take a break. That's all. How is your stomach not upset?"
"I wish I could tell you - I don't understand how yours is!" she laughed as he led her away from the rides and over to the games.
"Maybe it was the funnel cake?" he speculated as they made their way into the thick of the games. Bright colors and flashing lights were all around them and the air was filled with the sounds of buzzers and bells and tinny music.
"I had the funnel cake too...and I'm fine," she pointed out with a smirk, raising her voice so he could hear her over the noise.
"Guess it's just not my night, then," he shrugged. "Anything look exciting to you?"
"Bumper cars?" she asked hopefully, and he did his best not to groan.
"How about we do that in ten minutes after my stomach settles down. What about the games...anything look fun? Want to try and win something?"
She looked around and pulled him up and down the aisles, making note of all of the traditional carnival games and prizes. There were some cute stuffed animals - frogs and goats and elephants, but she paused at the stand that had a medium sized plush dog. It had white fur and gold eyes and for some reason, it made her think of Inuyasha...and she just...she loved it.
She saw him glance between her and the wall of toys and then over at the game, and a giant grin broke out across his face.
"Come on," he motioned with his hand, walking towards the booth.
"Wait...what are you doing?" she asked as she ran after him.
"You want something from here, right?"
"I don't need it, though…"
"Doesn't matter. It will be fun trying to get it," he shrugged, standing behind the current contestants. "Have you ever played before?"
She shook her head.
The game looked simple enough. There was a row of jockeys on horses on the back wall that were hooked up to the row of machines that people played on. The objective was to roll a ball up the wood board at the bottom and sink it into one of the holes in the top. The holes were arranged in v-shaped rows, each row a different color. The further back you sank your ball, the further the jockey would move. The first one to make it all the way across was the winner.
"No, we never really played carnival games when I was a kid," she admitted, and he looked at her in shock with his mouth dropping open a little.
"Really?"
"My dad thought they were a waste of money. He said he'd rather just buy us the toy than try and win it."
"It's not just about the toy, though," he smiled sadly. "It's about the fun...and making memories, too."
"Tell that to him," she snorted, and he laughed.
"The day I do that is the day I become a dead man. Come on, Babe...let's right a lifetime of childhood injustice."
They watched the next game play out, and a little girl and her father won. She took a minute to decide on her prize, but in the end, she couldn't deny her desire for the sparkly pink unicorn with a rainbow mane and tail.
"You're up," Inuyasha whispered, pushing her forward to take the girl's spot as her dad took her to get ice cream.
She absently caught herself picturing Inuyasha as the father that was leading their child away and onto the next adventure.
She could see him making a great father to some lucky little kid one day. She knew that was what he wanted. He wanted that. He wanted to be that dad. He had made it perfectly clear that he was ready for that chapter of his life, and he wanted to settle down
"Ready, Babe?" he asked, drawing her out of her thoughts and back to the here and now.
She had been given a ball, and the guy manning the stand was about to hit the start.
"Yeah," she nodded nervously.
She just had to roll the ball into the hole, and she had to get it in faster than anyone else she was competing against.
Easy, right?
"On your mark, get set...go!" the man cried out, and a shrill bell sounded letting everyone know that it was fine to roll the ball.
She practically chucked it up the board, watching it roll and bounce out and rarely sink into any of the holes time and time again.
"And we have a winner!" the man announced seconds after they began, and she felt her jaw drop slightly.
How did someone win already? They had just started!
"Do you want some advice?" Inuyasha asked, and she put the ball down and shook her head.
"Nah...that's ok. I think I'm better off just watching."
She stood back up and Inuyasha placed a hand on her shoulder, a frown marring his face.
"No you aren't. Give it another chance. It was your first time. You aren't going to become an expert at this after only one round."
"Yash…" she sighed.
"Please?"
Her shoulders slumped. He looked so hopeful...like he really wanted her to like this.
How could she possibly say no?
"Ok. One more round," she said, sitting back down on the stool.
"One more," he promised, nodding his head as he put down another ticket for the man to collect. The worker grabbed it off of the counter and gave her another ball before starting the machine.
The race was over in less than a minute, she didn't even get a ball in this time.
Inuyasha slapped down another ticket before she could even stand up.
"Babe," she sighed, and he shook his head and was determined not to listen to her.
"One more," he insisted before bending down to whisper in her ear. "You're being too aggressive. Be gentle with it...slower, even. Trust me."
She looked at him skeptically, but decided to listen to him.
What did she have to lose?
That time, she followed Inuyasha's advice when the man started the machine. She gently rolled the ball up the slope and sunk it in the back row.
She gasped in surprise and excitedly glanced up at him, but he told her not pay attention to him and to keep going. She gently rolled the ball again and again, and this time, she came in second.
"One more time?" she asked hopefully. He was already tearing off another ticket.
"Of course. You've got this. Just do what you did last time again, ok?"
"Ok," she nodded, ball already in hand.
The man started the machine and she gently rolled the ball. She kept landing them in the back row until she heard the telltale sound of the bell announcing a winner, and her heart lept into her throat.
She had won.
She had actually won!
"Well Miss, what would you like?" he asked, and she grabbed Inuyasha's hand. She was absolutely beaming.
She had really won! She had won her very first carnival game!
"The white dog, please," she said without hesitation. The man glanced between her prize and Inuyasha and let out an amused laugh.
Apparently, she wasn't the only one who saw the similarities.
He pulled the dog down from the top of the overhang with the other toys and handed it to her, and she crushed it to her chest.
Why did it feel so...so good to win?
Inuyasha waved to the man and gave him their thanks as she continued to hug her plushie, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"You did great, Babe," he warmly praised her, squeezing her to him.
"Thanks to you," she blushed.
"Eh. I just gave away the secret. You're the one who actually won it," he shrugged. "So what now? More games?"
Kagome bit the inside of her lip and scanned the area, a wave of excitement washing over her when she caught sight of their next activity.
"Nope. We're going to do something even better," she replied, pulling him in the direction of the Ferris Wheel.
"It's been forever since I was on one of these," Inuyasha mused as the man working the ride checked their safety rail before they took off.
"Me too," she nodded, placing her prized toy between them and snuggling up against his arm. "Thanks for doing this with me."
"Are you kidding? This is much better than the octopus," he murmured softly into her hair, and she let out a breathy chuckle.
"I wasn't talking about the ride," she replied as she snaked her fingers between his, pulling him even closer.
"Then what were you talking about?"
"Today," she breathed. "It was...it was perfect."
He leaned his head down and nuzzled her hair, breathing her in. She smelled like comfort and home and the sea, and he loved it.
"It was," he agreed, and silence fell over them as they continued their slow journey to the top.
"Wow...look at that view!" she softly exclaimed as they peaked, looking down at the world around them. A rainbow of lights flickered from the games and rides, creating a magical and glittering world below them in the surrounding night. "It's beautiful," she breathed.
"Yeah...it is," he agreed.
Now was the time. If he wanted to ask, this was the perfect moment. They were up here, staring down at one of the most romantic views he could ask for and completely trapped with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. They would be forced to say their truths here and now.
He wasn't going to flat out ask her right away...he wanted to do a small test. Just to see if maybe she would even want to see him again in the future. If she said yes...then he'd ask her to stay with him.
If she said no…
He knew where he stood, but at least he could save some face.
He took a shaky breath and pulled slightly away from her, causing her to look up at him.
He had to do it. He needed to take the risk.
"So, the summer is almost over," he began nervously. "Are you...ready to go home? Get back to your old normal?"
"I guess," she shrugged, wondering why he was suddenly talking about this instead of doing something a bit more fun...like kissing her. It wasn't exactly a taboo topic, but it wasn't exactly one they openly discussed. Clear lines had been drawn ages ago, and they had silently respected them.
"What about your friends? Are you excited to see them again? Or start classes again? Finish up that degree?"
"Yeah...of course…" Was he...rambling? Who was this guy, and what had he done with her Inuyasha?
"Good! Good...I'm happy for you. It's an exciting stage of life that you're in," he nodded, and she pulled completely away from him as they began their descent.
"Yeah, it is," she agreed.
"Do you have any big plans for when you get back?"
"I'm going to move into an apartment with my friend," she replied, still trying to figure out why he was talking to her about this stuff.
"And what about your breaks? Like...Thanksgiving and winter break? Do you have anything exciting planned for those yet?"
"Half a year away?" she smiled warmly, suddenly catching on. He was trying...and failing...to casually ask her when she was coming back.
"I didn't know how much of a planner you were," he shrugged.
"Not that much," she giggled. "I'm spending Thanksgiving in Ohio with my mom's family. Miroku and Sango are coming in for it...but I'm not sure what I'm going to do for winter break yet. I had thought about coming out here for Christmas - I know my parents were talking about it last year."
"That sounds fun," he nodded, before falling silent for a moment.
She glanced back up at him, silently pleading with him to just ask her. She wanted him to ask her. She wanted to hear those five simple words: will you stay with me?
"If you do decide to come back for winter break," he finally said, and she felt her heart jump into her throat. She could feel each beat pulsating there, and she had to swallow to help ease the sensation. "Do you think you would be able to find the time to say hi to an ex?"
"An ex...meaning you?" she asked, watching intently as he nodded.
"Yeah. Me. Assuming you have the time and it won't piss off your new boyfriend."
"What makes you think I will have a new boyfriend?" she asked, raising a brow. God, she hoped she wasn't being too subtle. She didn't want a new one. She wanted him.
"A smart, funny, beautiful, driven woman like you? You won't stay on the market for long," he chuckled dryly, looking away from her. "You...you didn't answer me," he whispered forlornly.
"You didn't answer me," she shot back.
"I did," he bit out. "The first guy you see that catches your eye is going to be all over you, and that will be that."
"The first guy, huh?"
"Yeah," he confirmed, releasing her hand and grabbing onto the rail. "All you'll have to do is snap your fingers and he'll be yours...and I...I'll be happy for you. You deserve it, after everything. If there's one thing I hope that I can give you before you leave, it's your heart back in good enough condition to love someone again. I really do," he nodded, pinching his eyes closed. "I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy."
"It sounds a whole lot like you're breaking up with me, Yash…" she whispered, looking at him as they neared the bottom.
"That's what you want, isn't it? In two weeks?" He finally opened his eyes again, and her breath caught in her throat at the look in his glossy eyes.
He looked...devastated. Like the thought of two weeks was killing him inside. Like maybe...maybe he wasn't asking her to stay because he thought that's what she wanted. Like maybe he wanted her to stay more than he was willing to admit. Like maybe...maybe he...loved her after all.
"Is that what you want?" she whispered back.
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, moving his head away from her as he seemed to struggle to find the words to say...whatever the hell it was he was trying to say.
"You still haven't answered me," he finally said instead, reopening his eyes.
"Which question?" she asked, raising her brow.
"Damnit Kag—"
"—Yes."
"Yes what?" he asked, swallowing hard.
"Yes, I'd want to see you again. I'd want to spend the whole fucking break with you...because I won't have someone new by then, Yash. Moving on from you...you make it sound easier than it will be," she confessed. "I won't want someone new. Not by then. Not for a long time. If I weren't leaving, I wouldn't even end this," she finally confessed.
There. It was out there.
He knew where she stood.
It was all on him now.
"Kagome," he breathed, turning to face her and cupping her cheeks, pulling her closer to him as he tilted her face up and crashed his lips into hers.
She still wanted him. All he had to do was ask, but he didn't want to right now. He just wanted to feel and taste and love and bask in this warmth. He poured all of his emotions into the kiss he was sharing with her, moving his lips hungrily over hers. Tasting her. Consuming her. Devouring her.
He moaned as she gave back to him everything he was giving to her, making him feel like he had just conquered the whole fucking world.
She wanted him.
The joy and elation that he felt in his chest made it feel like it was going to explode. He felt like his heart was going to pound straight out of his body.
He finally pulled away when he needed air, and he leaned back down to press a chaste kiss to her swollen lips. He felt her lean back up and press another to him and he grinned, panting. Finally, he leaned forward and placed one more lingering kiss to her lips before completely pulling away.
She reached up and cupped his cheek, using her thumb to brush the tender skin under his eye.
He looked down at her digit and noticed that it was shining in the rainbowed light around them.
Tears.
He hadn't realized he had been crying.
He roughly wiped his eyes and cheeks with the back of his hand and she reached out, grabbing his hand.
"Inuyasha—"
"—Thanks for joining us tonight, folks," the completely tone deaf Ferris Wheel worker cheerfully said, removing the bar keeping them in their seat. For the first time, they finally realized that the ride was over. "You have a great night, now!"
"Yeah...thanks, man. You too," Inuyasha grumbled, silently cursing him and standing up.
The magic was gone.
The moment was over.
"Yash, wait," Kagome said, standing up and following him. She wasn't going to let this just...just die. They were going to fucking finish this.
"I'm not going anywhere, Darlin'," he replied softly.
"Good. Then let's finish this conversation."
"Yashie?" she heard a woman call out, and she watched his whole body stiffen before he turned around.
"Ki-Kikyo?"
A/N:
Took forever….but we did it! I'm going to stop saying when next chapters will be up because life clearly happens. Hell, I'm behind in A Heart's Abduction right now because I have to re-write a whole chapter. The best way to follow along for updates / news about stories and posting dates is honestly my tumblr. I'm insanely active there now, it's easier to get the word out, and I even currently have a tumblr exclusive story called One Last Ride inspired by artwork by the lovely Clearwillow.
If you read it, bring tissues and wine. I've been told you'll need it.
Didn't get to A/Rs because despite quarantine / social distancing / whatever the hell yaw anna call this…I just haven't found the time. Just know that they are appreciated and I will get to them!
And thank you for not giving up on us / this story! Saucy in particular has been having a real time lately.
