He'd never understood why Kagome had ever been interested in him all those years ago and he was sure that he never would understand it, but he'd never forget it. He'd never forget her. Even now, even after all the shit they'd been through, he could still remember the day they met, the day she chose him, and the day she told him how she felt. At the time, it had felt like it was happening so fast, but now he relived those memories in slow motion.
Inuyasha could easily recall his first day of freshmen year in high school, sitting in the cafeteria at lunch with Miroku. Both had been heavily invested in discussing a new video game when she walked by waving politely toward Miroku. Inuyasha had never noticed her before and hadn't recalled having her in any of his classes, but Miroku clearly knew her.
"Who's that?" Inuyasha had growled, irritated that Miroku had interrupted their conversation just to say hi to a girl. Correction, another girl. Miroku had always had girls on standby.
"Kagome Higurashi. We had an elective together last year." He had answered quickly, sapphire eyes watching her walk all the way across the room to sit with her three high school friends.
Inuyasha had rolled his eyes. He knew what that look meant. She was Miroku's new target. At the time, he hadn't cared. He didn't know Kagome and hadn't had any interest in changing that. Miroku could give him all the shit in the world he wanted to, Inuyasha wasn't interested in dating and couldn't give two shits about the women in their high school. As far as Inuyasha had been concerned, they all saw him as a degenerate half-breed anyway, why unnecessarily expose himself to additional opportunities to be rejected and/or humiliated? Nah, hard pass.
It hadn't mattered though. The next day Kagome had stopped by again, but this time she had looked directly at Inuyasha. Chocolate had melded with honey and her smile had made his heart stop. From then on, she'd smiled and waved at Inuyasha every time she saw him in the hallway and she had stopped by every day at lunch just to say hi. Each day attempting to engage Inuyasha in conversation, more and more little by little. He had been oblivious to her attention, thinking that she was merely being nice to Miroku's friends so that she would be higher in Miroku's good graces. He had never for a second thought she had genuinely been interested in the prickly half-breed that followed Miroku everywhere. That was until the party.
Miroku's parents had gone on a business trip, as they usually did. Miroku, true to his playboy form even back then, had taken that opportunity to throw a party at his place while his parents were out. It had been the first big high school party of the year and Miroku was thrilled. He was going to show Kagome how awesome it was to be with a guy like him. Impress her with all the people he knew and all the connections he had. He was going to give her the royal treatment and at the end of the night convince her to make out with him in his room. He had had it all planned. He'd told Inuyasha about said plan a least a dozen times.
It had seemed like it was going well in the beginning. Kagome and her friends had arrived fashionably late but as soon as they did Miroku had swooped in and begun introducing Kagome to all the upperclassmen he knew and had offered her one of many drink options he had been able to purchase with his fake I.D. before walking her around his parent's large home. It was all a tactic. For most women, Miroku's appearance usually spoke for itself and his charisma was an added benefit. But Kagome had presented a deeper challenge. She had rebuked his advances over and over. This party was meant to change that. To wow her.
Inuyasha had hidden in a corner sipping on cheap beer and waiting for Miroku to take her upstairs so that he could slip out undetected and pretend that he'd stayed for the full event when Kagome had walked right up to him.
His narrowed gold eyes had stared at her wearily as she approached him. Miroku had been the only friend he'd ever had and had been one of the only people who had ever treated Inuyasha like he mattered. Kagome wasn't the first person who had approached Inuyasha when he was alone at one of Miroku's parties. It was fairly common for others to find Inuyasha alone and defenseless so they could berate and ridicule him. He wasn't sure what to expect when she bounded over to him, but he had been sure it wasn't going to be good.
He clearly remembered the way her wavy raven hair had spilled out around her and bounced with every step she took, her hips swaying ever so slightly as she had sauntered over to him in a cropped band t-shirt and skinny jeans. She had looked amazing and he had been determined not to tell anyone about how attractive he found her. Inuyasha had needed to stay on his guard and that's exactly what he did. He had been ready to attack until he saw her nervous smile and flushed cheeks. Her eyes were wide and she had been chewing on her bottom lip nervously, her hands held behind her back to hide her other anxious fidgeting.
Inuyasha had had no idea what to make of it. She didn't look like she was about to ream him out. None of the people who had approached him had ever looked like she did at that moment. So nervous… so unsure of themselves. The people that had usually approached him were positive he was scum and had wanted to make sure he knew it, but that required a confidence and an arrogance Kagome hadn't possessed. She hadn't looked like that was her objective at all… So he waited.
"Inuyasha, right?" Kagome had murmured, walking right up to him. Inuyasha had merely nodded, still waiting for her to claw his eyes out or hurl insults at him for his dirty heritage. "I like that name."
"What?" He had blurted out in surprise, almost choking on his beer.
"I like your name." She had repeated, smiling from ear to ear, though her hands were still behind her back fidgeting endlessly. "I don't think we've ever had a class together."
"We haven't." He'd confirmed, shoulders tense and mentally still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
She hadn't minded or if she had Kagome hadn't shown that she minded how tense and gruff he was. Instead, she stood there next to him in silence for several minutes. When he didn't say anything else she had begun again. "I really like your ears." She had blushed almost immediately, watching them swivel on top of his head because he was sure he had misheard her. He hadn't answered, merely glared at her. She had inhaled deeply then, undeterred, and tried again. "What do you like to do?"
"Video games." He had answered. Inuyasha had kept his answers short on purpose. The shorter his answers, in theory, meant that there would be less room for her to maintain a conversation with him.
"Really?" She had asked excitedly, looking relieved at his response. "Which ones do you play? I play several with my brother. We spend every Sunday night playing video games together."
"Are you any good?" He had scoffed.
"Depends on the game. I'm not a big fan of first-person shooters, but I can kick some real butt in them. I prefer things more like Mario Kart, but my brother absolutely destroys me. I always mess up the turns."
He had tried, he really had, to keep his guard up and hold her at a distance, but before he even knew what was happening he was relaxing in her presence and conversation had begun to flow naturally between them. They had spent the rest of the evening talking and Kagome had even invited him to play games with her and her brother the next day. He had accepted her invitation and soon learned that, yes, Kagome was oddly amazing at first-person shooters and god-awful at Mario Kart. Like, shamefully bad.
He'd left her home that Sunday with a sinking realization that that had been the most fun he'd had in years. Inuyasha had quickly developed a crush on her. An all-consuming massive pain in the fucking ass of a crush on Kagome stupid Higurashi. He had convinced himself that she would never like him back though and had adamantly refused to act on his feelings. Especially not when Miroku began whining about how perfect his plan had been and how sad he was that Kagome still wasn't interested in him the following day at school.
Kagome had other plans though. She would not let either dullard get in the way of her budding relationship with Inuyasha. She had begun inviting Inuyasha out regularly, with and without Miroku. After she had gotten his phone number they had started to talk constantly whether it be through various messaging apps or over the phone. He still held his ground, sure that his feelings were one-sided. He had convinced himself that he wasn't going to tell her how he felt. Especially not when they had developed such a robust friendship. No. Aside from his mother, Inuyasha's relationships with Kagome and Miroku were the two he had valued above all else. He wouldn't threaten either of them by telling either how he felt. Still, Kagome had had other plans. She always fucking did.
Inuyasha and Miroku had been sitting at lunch like they always did, talking about something of little to no real importance when Kagome had slid down on the bench next to Inuyasha. Both boys had stopped and watched her carefully. Her hands were tightly clenched around her tray of food, her shoulders tense, and her eyes firmly gazing at Inuyasha. She was on a mission. They just had no idea what it was.
"I like you." She had blurted out to Inuyasha, surprising Miroku who had immediately begun choking on his chicken nugget.
"I know… that's why we're friends." Inuyasha had answered, not understanding why she had had such a determined look on her face.
"No, I mean yes, but no. I want to be more than your friend." Kagome had sputtered, her face turning bright pink.
"Like… best friends?" Inuyasha had asked, still failing to grasp the core concept of what she was trying to ask. No girls had ever been even remotely interested in him before, he had absolutely no idea what to expect or what was happening to him at the moment. He laughed at it now, but back then he had been just painfully clueless.
"For fuck's sake." Miroku had muttered, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
Kagome though had smiled, despite his density. She had always seen beyond his shortcomings and that moment hadn't been an exception. "No, I was thinking something more like boyfriend and girlfriend. Dating."
Inuyasha had sat there in shock for a good five minutes, cheeks burning red. When his gold eyes had met hers she had smiled broadly, knowingly. At some point, he had nodded his head in agreement and Kagome had sighed loudly in relief. That day they had left lunch holding hands. He had determined right then and there he would never let Kagome go. Never.
Lying in his bedroom, Inuyasha couldn't understand how they had gotten here. How had he gone from holding her hand to calling her a whore? How had she gone from smiling brightly at him every day to drinking herself into a stupor just to tolerate his presence? It didn't seem right or just. They had been an almost unstoppable pair. Until they weren't.
Inuyasha had done a lot of stupid shit over the years, he'd be the first to tell you that, but the smartest thing he'd ever done was to let Kagome in. She was his North Star. The guiding light and principle in his life. For a time he had loved her more than life itself. Now he was at sea without a compass during an overcast night. How the hell was he supposed to find his way back? He sure as hell didn't know.
Kagome inhaled the Vietnamese soup along with half the pile of fried spring rolls and gyoza they had ordered. She had no idea how hungry she was until she and Sango sat down at the restaurant. It had been one of her favorite spots back when she lived in the city. Kagome had been thrilled to learn that it was still in business. After slurping down half the broth, Kagome looked up from her face-size bowl of pho and noticed that Sango had barely touched her food. "Is everything okay? Does yours taste alright?"
"Miroku texted me," Sango murmured, magenta eyes staring at the screen of her phone. Sango frowned a little at the text. He was checking in on her and Kagome. It was sweet but it reminded Sango that in truth she didn't know if she and Kagome were okay. Yeah, for the moment, they were good. Kagome had been drinking water and her fierce appetite was reassuring, but it didn't change what happened earlier. Sango wanted answers. Maybe Miroku can help with that, she thought to herself. Without asking, Sango quickly texted him back asking him if he wanted to join them for dinner.
"Oh, how's he?" Kagome asked placing her bowl down on the table and grabbing her chopsticks.
"He's going to meet us here for dinner," Sango answered firmly.
Kagome didn't dare argue with Sango. Not after what she had put her through that day… and the evening prior. Instead, she pulled out her own phone and sent a quick pleading message to Miroku begging him not to bring Inuyasha to the restaurant. There was no point in trying to hide it now. They both knew she had an issue with Inuyasha and Kagome would prefer it if he stayed far away from her for the next two days. Ugh, two whole days. Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It's okay, you can get through this. Two days isn't that long of a time.
It hit her then that although the last twenty-four hours certainly felt like it had been a fucking year, it was in fact, only a day. A. Day. In a single day, she had ditched Sango twice, drank herself into oblivion, slept with a childhood friend, and been called a slut by Inuyasha. They had only made it through a single day and there were two more ahead of her. Crap.
"Okay, sounds good." Kagome smiled meekly, before returning to her pho.
"He's with Koga, is it okay if Koga joins too?" Sango mentioned.
"Yeah," Kagome mumbled.
"Awesome," responded Sango.
Not fifteen minutes later, Koga and Miroku strolled into the restaurant. Koga was quick to jump into the seat next to Kagome, sliding right up to her. "I am so happy to see you Kagome!" He exclaimed, all but ignoring Sango.
Miroku rolled his eyes and nodded over at Kagome before sitting next to Sango. "Thanks for inviting us out," Miroku began, looking mostly at Sango but briefly gazing over at Kagome too.
"It's the least we can do after all your help earlier." Sango cooed.
"I heard things got a little challenging," Koga interjected. "How are things going Kagome? We haven't been able to talk since the bikini incident."
Kagome's shoulders slumped down, her eyes widening in embarrassment at the reminder of her actions several hours earlier. "Oh, uh, I'm doing better now that I'm fully clothed and yeah," she mumbled, pointedly staring at her mostly empty bowl. "Does, erm, does anyone want a drink? I'm going to get something at the bar."
"Kagome," Sango murmured, "are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Really." She answered, uncomfortable with the three sets of eyes staring back at her. She exhaled loudly then walked away before anyone could say anything else to her. Kagome wasn't planning on getting drunk, she just needed something to take the edge off. Again.
"This must be so hard for Kagome." Koga admonished.
"Why do you say that?" Sango asked a little too eagerly.
"I mean wouldn't you be annoyed that the mutt was about to be your family by law? Especially this weekend. What the hell has gotten into him?"
"Weddings are stressful," Miroku answered. "Everyone handles them differently, Inuyasha is no exception."
"Nah, I think something else is going on." Koga continued, pulling out his phone. "He's been stressed before, but hasn't been nearly as surly."
"Like what?" Sango pressed, leaning in toward Koga.
Miroku eyed her curiously as she moved toward Koga, listening intently for whatever his inane response would be. Odd, he thought.
"Ah-ha!" Koga proclaimed, shoving his phone in Miroku's face. "Figured it out."
"Did you now?" Asked Miroku, trying to stop himself from overtly rolling his eyes as he took Koga's phone and looked at the image on the screen.
"There's only ever been one time that I've seen the mutt this worked up." Koga began finding a hungry listener in Sango.
"What's going on?" Kagome asked, reappearing with a bottle of wine.
"Inuyasha!" Koga exclaimed. "I know why he's been such a pain in the ass!"
"Please, enlighten me," Miroku smirked, handing the phone back to Koga. "That is nothing more than a photo of Kikyo and Naraku. Nothing untoward is even happening in it!"
"No! But, Naraku has been invited to almost every wedding event and will be at the wedding!" Koga announced, looking between the three of them like he had just discovered the cure to cancer. "Why are you all giving me blank stares?"
"What does Naraku being at the wedding have anything to do with Inuyasha's behavior?" Kagome asked as she poured herself a large glass.
"Because the only other time I've ever seen the mutt this annoying and callous was when he and Kikyo broke up that one time and then she and Naraku-"
"I think that's enough." Miroku interrupted. "I don't think we need to get into this."
"I'd like to know more." Sango pressed.
"Koga, come on. That's personal." Miroku insisted.
"You know what's personal? All the garbage he's been saying and doing! You can't tell me he's not pissed that Naraku is around all the time. I'd be livid too if my girl's fuck buddy was all over the wedding!"
"Kikyo slept with Naraku?" Sango questioned, looking over at Miroku who was glaring daggers at the wolf.
"Yeah, it wasn't great," Miroku answered.
"Wasn't great? God, it was fucking awful! I mean he was already on edge because it was the anniversary of his mother's death, but one year she just couldn't handle it-"
"Koga." He tried again, glaring and clenching his jaw.
"-he was lashing out and going out late. Kikyo broke it off with him briefly and slept with Naraku during the break. Inuyasha was a fucking nut case for a solid month. I didn't think they'd ever actually get back together after that."
"I think that's enough," Miroku stated more forcefully.
"That's terrible," Sango mumbled, looking over apologetically at Miroku.
Kagome sat silently, sipping on her wine, digesting the information. She knew. She knew why he had lashed out. He'd never really been the same since his mother's death. It had been a terrible, terrible ordeal. How could Kikyo not be there for him through that? Kagome thought, her heart sinking to the floor. He must have been in so much pain. I should have called or-or something! No, he wouldn't have wanted to hear from me.
"Yeah, I felt bad for the dude. Felt bad for you too," Koga continued, looking over at Miroku. "Miroku had to pick up the pieces. That must have been a whole headache and a half."
Kagome slowly looked up and over at Miroku. The dark-haired man was still glaring at Koga for having divulged such personal information. "Was it bad?" Kagome murmured.
"Bad? Ha!" Koga laughed, "it was like fucking Armageddon. I swear Inuyasha even scared the shit out of Sesshomaru."
"Look, he's not perfect. Not by a long shot, but he's been to hell and back several times. He's incredibly sensitive, though he will fight you to the death if you tell him that, and he has more feelings than he knows what to do with. He was having a rough year and he was really relying on Kikyo to help him." Miroku explained.
"But she failed, miserably." Sango finished.
"Yeah, kind of," Miroku confirmed. "He's not an easy person. He's got a lot of baggage but he didn't deserve that. I understand that Kikyo may not have been emotionally or mentally equipped to help Inuyasha, I get that. But I disagree with the way she handled it."
"So, she can't handle him at his worst?" Sango asserted.
"She can barely handle him on his best behavior." Koga laughed.
"How can you both still support the marriage then?" She inquired.
Miroku turned to look at Sango, an obviously fake smile plastered on his face. "I support whatever he wants to do and thinks will make him happy. I have attempted to meddle in his life before and that doesn't really work out in anyone's favor. He's an adult and I'll be here when it doesn't work."
"So you don't think this relationship will last?" Sango persisted.
"Kagome can I get some of that?" Miroku asked. She nodded and slid over a glass of wine along with the bottle. He quickly filled the glass and drank down most of its contents before pushing the bottle back toward Kagome. "I don't know what the future holds. All I know is that no one has a perfect past. We can spend the rest of our lives picking apart what we've done, but I find that doing so only ever uncovers explosive mistakes and a lot of hidden pain. I don't want to judge people on who they were, I want to judge them based on who they are. I know Kikyo is a good person. I know Inuyasha is a good person. I want them both to find happiness. If they find it together cool. If not, we'll cross that bridge then."
"How poetic." Koga mocked.
"I agree with Miroku. I'm not sure picking apart the past is the best way forward." Kagome concurred.
"Oh please," Koga purred looking at Kagome. "What terrible secrets could your past really hold? Hmmm?"
"I once cheated on a math test in high school." Sango offered.
"That's mundane, I'm talking like actual cringeworthy shit." Koga laughed. "You know, I'm surprised this is the first time I'm meeting you," Koga stated, turning to Kagome. "Didn't you go to the same high school as Miroku, Naraku, and the mutt? Why haven't we hung out before?"
"We weren't that close in high school." Kagome lied.
"Really? Because Miroku said you guys used to be good friends." Koga asserted.
"I say that about every woman," Miroku answered, inhaling sharply.
"No, you made a big stink about her being back in town. It's really strange you know, what with you being so uncomfortable around Inuyasha, and yet Miroku and Inuyasha have been glued at the hip for decades."
"They never got along Koga, drop it." Miroku spat. "Sango, why don't you tell us about your life before this weekend?"
"It was pretty boring for the most part. I have very strict parents and I didn't really do a lot of crazy stuff in college." She mumbled, looking directly at Kagome questioningly. Koga, inadvertently or not, had raised some pretty valid points.
"What about relationships?" Koga asked, "any serious ones?"
"Yeah, I was in a long-distance relationship with my high school boyfriend Kuranosuke for a total of five years, but that didn't work out and now I'm here. What about you Kagome?" She asked quickly, leaning in and raising a challenging brow, gaze hot with burning questions eating at her.
"Hmm?" Kagome asked in surprise. "What about me?"
"Any relationships you want to share with us?" Pressed Sango, magenta eyes staring firmly into her bronze ones.
"Nope," Kagome answered quickly.
"No as in you haven't been in any relationships or no as in you don't want to share?" Koga asked leaning into her.
"I've had one previous, serious, relationship and it was really messy so I do not want to share." Kagome looked down at her glass of wine, trying to ignore the heat coming from Sango and Koga.
"I've never had a serious relationship." Miroku offered. Kagome swallowed hard and mouthed thank you when both Sango and Koga turned to look at him in shock. Kagome and Miroku had talked at length about this in high school. Miroku hated the scrutiny he usually got from admitting his lack of stable relationships. He was taking a hit for Kagome and she knew it. He was protecting her from the hell that would undoubtedly ensue once either Sango or Koga learned of her past history with Inuyasha.
"Are you fucking serious?" Koga sneered. "Why the hell not?"
Miroku shrugged, "the only woman that I've ever known who I could tolerate being around for more than a few weeks or months was Kagome but she was off-limits."
"Why is that?" Sango mumbled, feeling insecure.
"Why what?"
"Why was she off-limits?" Koga pressed.
"Oh, because she's my friend," Miroku answered casually. "She and I have an amazing and very platonic relationship, isn't that right?"
"Yes, very platonic," Kagome confirmed.
"Tada." Miroku smiled uncomfortably.
"You guys are weird." Muttered Koga as he rolled his eyes after pointing between Kagome and Miroku.
"So, anyway," Miroku muttered, "this is fun. Right?"
"Super fun," answered Kagome sarcastically while sloshing the wine in her cup around.
"Where is the pup now?" Koga asked offhandedly.
"Dinner with Kikyo." Miroku sighed as he answered.
The conversation then shifted topics, but Kagome remained fixed. Inuyasha was supposed to be happy. That was the deal she'd made with herself in high school. Kagome had promised herself that she wouldn't interfere. That's why I'd… he was supposed to be happier and laugh more. It was supposed to be easier for him. Did I… did I make a mistake?
"Sorry, I'm late!" Sang Kikyo, as she strolled into the restaurant to meet Inuyasha for dinner that evening.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, lifting the rocks glass up to his lips, taking a quick sip of the smoky brown liquid. She was roughly thirty minutes late and he was already two scotches in, but as long as she didn't give him shit about his drinking he didn't care if she was thirty minutes or two fucking hours late. "No problem," he muttered in reply.
Kikyo took her seat, a perfectly shaped eyebrow rising in curiosity, "Really? You usually get so upset over my tardiness," she mumbled, dark eyes looking him over and eyeing the glass in his hand. "Everything okay?"
He ignored her gaze and looked around for their waiter. He was almost done with his drink and in desperate need of another to take the edge off of the budding longing that continued to grind on his emotions from his encounter with Kagome at the pool… and the nagging self-loathing that lingered from his words with her after that…
"Everything is fine," he answered, cheeks already rosy while he polished off his current drink. Inuyasha was determined to silence his traitorous mind, even if that meant drowning it in fermented wheat and rye.
"Okay," Kikyo replied, lifting up the menu after giving him a quick once over. "I'm glad you're in a decent mood, I was half expecting this evening to be as tense as brunch was."
"Oh?" He mumbled, lazily resting the glass on the table, gold eyes passing over her as Inuyasha briefly took stock of his surroundings. "Why is that?" Inuyasha asked, frowning slightly.
"Because I wanted to talk to you… about Kagome," Kikyo pressed, staring at the menu in front of her, purposefully not looking in his direction. Kikyo had learned over the years that there had never been a good time to confront Inuyasha about Kagome. He never wanted to talk about her. Ever. Any mention of her always had him running for the hills or instantly agitated. Still, Kikyo felt that given how the weekend was panning out following Kagome's unceremonious return, speaking to Inuyasha about Kagome's behavior was necessary. It was necessary to both resolve the tension that infected every gleeful moment before their impending nuptials and for her to get a better sense of where his mind was.
The truth was, Kikyo never really needed to ask Inuyasha about how he felt about Kagome. It was written on his face every time she came up in conversation over the years. Every single time someone so much as hinted at something to do with Kagome his gaze would become unfocused, staring off into the past, a somber expression taking hold of him until something or someone yanked him back to the present. It was easy to see that Kagome still had a strange hold on him. A hold that Kikyo detested with every fiber of her being and worried might derail their marriage… permanently.
"What about Kagome?" Inuyasha groaned, looking around for their waiter, resisting the urge to very overtly roll his eyes or growl. It seemed that his traitorous mind wasn't the only one interested in fixating on the raven-haired woman.
"Her friend told me I need to keep you on a shorter leash," Kikyo gritted out. "Why do you think she would saying something like that?"
"I don't know, and, frankly, I don't really care," Inuyasha grumbled, not at all interested in the conversation Kikyo was trying to start. Even a few drinks in, he knew it would only lead to trouble.
"Inuyasha," she began, placing the menu down on the table and interweaving her fingers together in front of her. "What happened today? What did you do after we parted at the hotel?"
Now he rolled his eyes. Kikyo may have been a tad older than him but he never appreciated being talked down to. "Nothing fucking happened, can't you just trust me?" Inuyasha snapped, looking around again for the waiter.
"It's not you I don't trust," she replied, though her voice wavered slightly. "I don't trust Kagome. She's changed a lot and she's out of control… I'm worried about you spending too much time with her and being exposed to… that."
"Wait, what?" He asked surprised by her statement and that it wasn't about his certainly reprehensible behavior but instead was meant as an insult to Kagome. He no longer cared if or when the waiter showed up, instead, Inuyasha stared straight ahead at Kikyo, his mouth parted and brows knit together in agitated confusion. The condescension sent his way by her comments went ignored as he fixated on the way Kikyo had spoken about Kagome with nothing short of disgust and contempt for her cousin.
"Oh come on," Kikyo continued, "you can't tell me you haven't seen it too? Kagome has been causing problems from the moment she arrived and has been upsetting everyone. I mean, I know the rumors said she was off, but I wasn't expecting this."
"What rumors?" He questioned, an unwelcome protective surge warming his blood and urging him to defend the same woman he was desperately trying to rid his mind of.
"Just, you know… rumors within the family," she explained, waving her hand flippantly around like she was talking about taking out the trash. "There's been talk about her devolving since high school. A friend of the family attended Shikon with her and said that she slept with like half the student body. I'm just worried about her returning later this summer… you know Miroku has always had his eye on her… and I would hate for that to cause a rift between us all."
Inuyasha sat there, blinking rapidly as his some-what hazy mind tried to digest everything Kikyo had just thrown at him. He wanted to hiss and snarl at her for the way she had attempted to degrade Kagome in his eyes or the way Kikyo tried to shame Kagome for her actions, but a different thought - or question, really - rose to the forefront of his mind. "R-returning?"
"Yes," groaned Kikyo, "she and that friend of hers apparently both got jobs in the city. They are moving here in a month or so. You didn't know this?" She questioned, watching closely as that dazed, unfocused, and somewhat somber expression she knew well spread across his face all too easily. Kikyo clenched her jaw and waited for a response.
"No, I didn't," he answered quietly, his heart skipping a beat. She's coming back. Kagome is… coming home. Inuyasha's mind raced and the corners of his mouth twitched upward into the tiniest of smiles. Kagome Higurashi would be living in the city again soon. Very soon. She would be around again. He could see her! Why didn't I know?! He screamed internally as understanding slowly crept up through his previous excitement sending a chill through his chest. Why would she tell me? She hates me. Inuyasha sighed, of course, she'd never tell him. Kagome had no interest in ever seeing him again. Why would she give me anything even close to an invitation to spend time together again, especially after what happened the last time we spoke…
Kagome had wanted to leave him behind. That much was very clear to him. She ran away for four fucking years to put him behind her. As his excitement waned and heavy doubts took its place, Inuyasha ran a clawed hand through his bangs, no wonder she didn't tell me.
Still… maybe… maybe Sango and I can be friends? He quickly shook that thought away too. Nah, if she ever tolerates my existence again I'll be lucky after the way I treated Kagome.
Observing Inuyasha and his sudden stillness closely, Kikyo's dark eyes hardened as she processed his brief yet still perceptible smile after learning about Kagome's return, "yeah, evidently they'll be here for good soon. But… as I was saying… I'm worried. In less than a day she has caused so much drama and tension. What will happen when she's back in the city permanently?"
"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, snapping out of his thoughts and refocusing on his frustrating and annoying conversation with Kikyo. "She hasn't done anything," he defended, still not keen on the tone Kikyo was using.
"Inuyasha, where have you been?!" She spat, "in less than twenty-four hours she has slept with my maid of honor, consumed half the alcohol in this hemisphere, whored herself out to Koga, and taken your best man hostage!"
Inuyasha recoiled immediately, leaning back in his chair, mouth hanging open in shock before slowly shaking his head. "Don't-don't talk about her like that."
"Look, I know you both dated once, but Inuyasha, you dodged a bullet with that break up. You don't need to defend her." She continued, trying to make him see what she saw. Trying desperately to have him understand.
"Kikyo-"
"It was important to my family that she be in the wedding, but I'm not going to pretend that I'm not upset with her actions and or her pit bull and, honestly, I don't understand how or why you have so much patience for her and her antics!" Kikyo exclaimed in exasperation with a hint of betrayal lacing her tone. He was her fiancé. He should have been defending her, not Kagome. He should have been agreeing with her, not looking at her like she had just strangled a puppy in front of a child.
"Her pit bull?" Inuyasha snarled, practically sputtering in confusion and anger growing in response to Kikyo's uncharacteristic vitriol.
"Sango!" She replied, "That woman has been rude to me since she arrived! How have you really not seen any of this?" Kikyo questioned, leaning in and reaching out to him for support.
"You insulted her best friend!" Inuyasha roared ignoring her gesture and even leaning back away from her, "is she supposed to just fucking roll over and let you do that?! This is Kagome, not some bitch you meet for brunch once a year. She's not a drunk or a slut or a bad person, so stop trying to make her into one!"
"Inuyasha, please," Kikyo whispered, looking around and noticing how other guests were turning and staring at the couple.
"Don't do that," he hissed. "You started this. Why would you say those things about your cousin?"
"Because she's ruining our wedding!" Kikyo spat in response, glaring at him, her lip trembling ever-so-slightly in frustration and fear. He shouldn't have been defending Kagome with such vigor. He shouldn't have found it easy to side with Sango over her. He should have been with her.
Kikyo shook her head in disbelief and dissatisfaction. "You've been out of control too, Inuyasha. Ever since you laid eyes on her in the club."
"So just go fuck Naraku like you did the last time I was too much to handle," sneered Inuyasha before he rolled his eyes.
"Excuse me?!" Snapped Kikyo, "we worked through that. Plus, I don't give you crap for sleeping with my cousin!"
"That's because she was first, not in the goddam middle," he growled, unintimidated by her heated glare.
"Why are you even bringing this garbage up! If you have a problem, just say it!"
Inuyasha shook his head and clenched his jaw. He knew he shouldn't have had a problem with it. Her words shouldn't have made his blood boil the way it did. Her venting her frustrations, though harsh, shouldn't have made him growl and snap back in warning like it did. It occurred to him, that a normal fiancé might actually side with Kikyo. Kagome was causing problems and doing so intentionally. But it didn't matter, it didn't change how he felt or stop that burning desire to protect her at all costs, even against his soon-to-be wife.
It infuriated him. Both Kikyo's actions and the inner turmoil they elicited. It was a cacophony of emotions he couldn't sort through. It was all just a little too much. Especially, as she stared at him with daggers waiting for him to respond. Inuyasha could see she already had an insult on the tip of her tongue, locked and loaded laying in wait for whatever hurtful thing he was on the cusp of spewing too. Instead, he did something he'd never done to her. He walked out.
Inuyasha abruptly stood and pulled out his wallet. "Here, take my card and do whatever the hell you want with it. I'm leaving."
"Inuyasha!" Kikyo exclaimed, surprise and offense coloring every feature of her face as she looked up at him with wide eyes and knit brows.
Without saying another word, Inuyasha dropped his card on the table for her to use and walked out of the restaurant. He wasn't going to get his third scotch but he sure as hell was getting away from her.
As he walked through the streets, ignoring the incessant vibrations of his phone going off repeatedly, Inuyasha felt like he was going to be sick. Kikyo shouldn't have said all those heinous things about Kagome. He knew that. He also knew that Kikyo should have found a safe place to vent in his company. But he didn't-he couldn't see that. All he saw when he looked at or thought about Kagome over the last day was… pain.
Kagome was having a hard time, that was clear as day to him. It was laced in her scent every time he walked into a room and coated her breath in the form of whatever alcohol she had been consuming. She, Inuyasha thought, didn't deserve to be judged for her actions. She was just trying to cope, just trying to manage in a difficult time. Pain was pain, and few things could actually ever ease it once it found a home in a person. Inuyasha refused to let himself judge her too harshly because… he knew a little too well what that felt like. How could he ever hold it against Kagome for doing whatever she could to survive?
After all… once upon a time, he'd tried the same thing and now… well now he was set to marry the cousin of the love of his -
"Fuck!" He bemoaned to himself as he continued to walk aimlessly down street after street. Inuyasha refused to finish that thought. He wouldn't finish that thought. He wasn't interested in going home and he definitely wasn't interested in speaking to Kikyo for a while. He needed a minute to just fucking think! The problem was Inuyasha knew he wasn't a good thinker.
He could feel his muscles itching, begging for a release. Inuyasha felt like he needed to jump and sprint and throw shit just to manage the buzzing adrenaline and energy coursing through him. All he could think of to do to contain his pain and anger was to clench and unclench his fists as he walked, repeatedly digging his claws into the palms of his hands.
His phone continued to vibrate mercilessly in his pocket. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and waited for the vibrating to momentarily cease. They had been fighting for a while. It was nothing new. The only thing that changed between their fights would be the inciting factor. That evening she just happened to pick the wrong topic to discuss.
He knew Kikyo was pissed. He didn't need Miroku to tell him that much, but still… maybe Miroku could help him sort out the rest of it. So, Inuyasha pulled out his phone and quickly rejected Kikyo's incoming call before calling his best friend instead. As soon as he picked up Inuyasha spoke, "what are you doing right now?"
"Oh, uh, Inuyasha, hello… good to speak with you-"
"Oh fuck you!" He sighed into the receiver, "you're out with Sango and shit aren't you?"
"Noooo…. why-why would you say that?"
"I can hear her in the background you filthy liar," groaned Inuyasha as he ran his free hand through his bangs again. This night was just not working out for him.
"Okay… yeah. I'm here with Sango and Kagome."
"I'm going to kill you. It won't be fast or nothing either. Slow. Painful. Deserved."
"Hey, wait a second! Aren't you supposed to be at dinner? What happened?" He asked, concern carrying through the phone and making Inuyasha sigh out of despondence.
"Oh, now you're concerned!" He spat, gold gaze looking up to the sky and quickly finding the moon. He just couldn't get away from these goddam women, could he?
"Inuyasha, tell me what happened or tell me where to meet you," Miroku demanded.
"Enjoy your evening, Miroku. I'm fine. Just another fight with Kikyo. The usual."
"You don't sound fine. Have you been drinking?"
"Yeah, but not nearly enough," Inuyasha mumbled before hanging up and turning off his phone entirely. "Let's see, where can I get a drink that no one I know will be able to find me…" he muttered to himself, looking around his immediate area. His feet carried him down street after street as he scanned the different drinking establishments lining each one. The problem was, Miroku knew a lot of people and a lot of people knew of Inuyasha. Especially the staff at bars. Inuyasha would need to find a hole in the wall place that Miroku wouldn't recognize. Or, he thought as he looked to the right as a familiar building came into view. Or it would have to be a place Miroku assumes I would never go on my own… Inuyasha smirked toward the exterior of the building.
It was perfect for being left alone. On the outside, it appeared almost regal and decadent, but he happened to know that it had a bar on the inside that was open late catering to a variety of guests each night. Inuyasha shoved his hands into his pockets, gold gaze taking in the historic and famed building while he sauntered over to the main entrance, through the lobby, past the red-headed kid at the desk, and straight the bar.
Immediately, he ordered another scotch and let the burning liquor slide down his throat, feeling oddly content for the first time in weeks.
"What the hell was what about?" Koga asked, looking at Miroku as the man lowered the phone from his ear and released a heavy sigh.
"I think he and Kikyo got into another fight," Miroku mumbled, shaking his head in frustration as he tried to call Inuyasha back only to have it go straight to voicemail.
"Did he sound drunk?" Sango questioned.
"Well, it's hard for him to get drunk-drunk, but he definitely had something to drink," Miroku answered, frowning and feeling a pang of sudden guilt for agreeing to hang out with Sango and Kagome that evening.
"So, are we going after him?" Koga asked, rolling his eyes.
"No, I don't think he wants to be followed."
"How do you know that?" Sango pressed. "That could be his way of asking for help."
"He doesn't ask for help," Miroku explained. "That's part of the problem. He always feels he needs to handle things on his own, without anyone. But… also… he shut off his phone. I couldn't find him even if I wanted to."
"How do you normally find him?" Koga inquired.
"I installed a tracking app on his phone in college," Miroku grinned, "but it only works if the phone is on… I assume I'm not the only one trying to get in touch with him."
"What could he and Kikyo have fought about that would make him so upset?" Sango muttered, mostly to herself.
"Probably Naraku," Koga sneered.
"I will bet you any amount of money that they did not fight over Naraku, or at least Naraku was not at the center of that conversation," Miroku responded bitterly.
"I should probably get going," Kagome interjected, rising from her seat, the discomfort becoming a little too much to bear as she was more than a little aware that Miroku was likely referring to Inuyasha and Kikyo having a conversation about her.
"I'll come with you!" Sango replied, standing and yawning a bit. "Going back to the hotel?"
"Yeah, I think so. I've had enough excitement for one day." Kagome answered, a nervous laugh tumbling out after.
"Same," Sango smiled.
"Oh come on!" Koga whine, "no one wants to go out?! What about you Miroku?"
"I'll pass, thanks though. I should get my stuff together for the wedding and see if I can get ahold of Inuyasha."
"Ugh, fine," Koga acquiesced, "I'm going to go to the bathroom I'll be right back."
"I'll wait for you," Miroku responded, watching the wolf head toward the back of the restaurant."
"Hey, if you want… you can stop by later." Kagome offered, knowing it would make Sango happy.
Miroku smiled and shook his head, "just didn't want Koga coming along?"
"I've had my fill of canines for now," she responded dryly.
"Fair enough," he chuckled. "I might swing by later. I would like to check in on Inuyasha. The weekend is… getting to him."
"He seems troubled," Sango mumbled not unkindly.
Miroku paused to think, wanting his answer to be thoughtful and not hurtful or offensive to his best friend. "He's had a difficult past and his present isn't very easy either. He's doing his best."
"Being half-demon can't have helped much," Sango sympathized. "We're not as accepting a society or race as we like to pretend we are."
"You've got that right," he smiled kindly over at Sango. "I'll text you if I'm up for hanging out later."
"Please do," Kagome mentioned as she waved, turning to leave the restaurant. Sango smiled back at him then waved before following Kagome out.
As the two began their trek back to the hotel, they walked in comfortable silence, each consumed by different trains of thought. Sango kept looking over at Kagome and chewing the inside of her cheek as she tried to work out a way to ask the questions she wanted to ask.
Kagome stared straight ahead, unusually quiet as she put one foot in front of the other, a somber look in her eyes that Sango had a feeling was related to a certain half-demon she'd never heard of before but was slowly beginning to realize was probably far more important than Kagome was making him out to be.
"I know he was kind of a jerk to you earlier, but my heart goes out to Inuyasha," Sango murmured.
"Miroku's right about him. He's not a bad person," Kagome responded, still looking ahead.
"I know… I don't see a bad person when I talk to him. I just see…"
"Pain," Kagome finished for her.
"Yeah," Sango nodded the silence falling between them again. "Can I-can I ask you something without you getting upset?" Sango asked, fidgeting briefly with her fingers before looking over at Kagome.
"Sure, what's up?"
"You and Miroku… always platonic?"
"Always."
"Not even like… a quick peck between friends?" She pressed.
Kagome sighed and looked over at her friend, "no. He and I have never kissed or touched or anything, the farthest we've ever gone is a platonic hug."
Sango nodded her head, "so… why hasn't he had any real relationships?"
"None of the women he dated when I knew him could really match up. He's smart and likes to be challenged. He wants a woman that is smart and strong too. He's looking for a partner, and until he finds one he is content with enjoying the company of different people. At least, that's the best way I can explain it."
"Alright," Sango nodded as she digested the information while the two stepped into the cool lobby of their hotel. She waved over at the red-headed concierge that had helped them yesterday before stopping Kagome, who was heading straight for the elevators. "I'll meet you upstairs."
"What? Are you sure?" Kagome asked, looking around and wondering why Sango wasn't going to follow.
"Yeah, I just want to ask the concierge something quickly."
"Okay, sure," Kagome smiled quickly then continued her walk to the elevators. Sango give her a reassuring smile in reply and waited, standing in the middle of the lobby until the doors to the elevator closed, whisking Kagome away.
Inhaling deeply, she walked right by the concierge and marched over to the bar. "I need two bottles of wine."
"Oh, I'm sorry miss, we don't sell by the bottle."
"Okay… well… I either need two bottles of wine or all the nips you have," Sango reasserted, standing tall and narrowing her gaze at the scrawny man. Come hell or high water, Sango was getting her alcohol. She needed it if she was going to get answers.
"Two bottles of wine coming up. Any particular type of wine?"
"A sweet white please."
"Do you need any glasses?"
"Nope, we are classy bitches who are going to chug it from the bottle," Sango replied with a wry smile.
"What room should I charge it to?"
"Just put it on my card," she answered, sliding her credit card over to the bartender and chewing on the inside of her mouth, a little nervous over what she was about to do.
The bartender slid the bottles over to her. Sango gripped the neck of the bottles and swallowed thickly. "I may be back for more," she warned looking up at the man. "My friend and I are going to delve into some pretty painful shit before a wedding… so… How late are you open to?"
"Two in the morning, ma'am."
"Perfect. Thank you for your help," Sango answered, leaving a hefty tip behind her then turning on her heel and marching toward the elevators as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.
Time was up.
Sango was tired of being left in the dark and she wanted answers. The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind of realizing that she really didn't know her best friend as well as she had thought she did. Worse still, Kagome was actively concealing elements of her past that were colliding with her present, and Sango presumed, would soon collide with her future.
Kagome owed her an explanation. Based on how things had transpired thus far, Sango was expecting a difficult conversation, lots of deflecting, and probably some crying, but she needed answers. They had two more days of this shit and she was not going to be begging for scraps the entire time. She was going to confront Kagome and get to the bottom of this, whether or not Kagome liked it.
Sango pushed open the door to their room and shoved one of the bottles into Kagome's hands then sat opposite her on her bed. "Okay," Sango began, looking directly into Kagome's warm eyes, "we need to talk."