Disclaimer: I do hereby disclaim all rights and responsibilities for the characters in this gentle adventure... especially for the one who is willing to put others first. A nod of recognition is bent towards Rumiko Takahashi for her creative prowess where InuYasha is concerned. All due respect is also offered to Yoshihiro Togashi, whose fervid imagination is responsible for YuYu Hakusho.
An Affinity for Loyalty
- 49 -
True Friend
Kurama was often of two minds on a matter.
As Shuuichi, he was the good student and the star of the gardening club. Liked, admired, trusted—classmates and teachers already relied on him. And every afternoon, with the blessings of mother and grandfather alike, Kurama returned to the Higurashi's home to tutor Kagome, who wanted to graduate with honors.
And as Shuuichi, he knew just what to do. Planting the seeds of trust and nurturing tender shoots of affection. He would have been patient, could have waited for Kagome to turn to him.
But Youko had other ideas. Ones that put Shuuichi to shame.
That single kiss had revealed how deep Youko's feelings ran. And how much purer. Unlike Shuuichi, the kitsune wasn't interested in mercenary acquisition. All Youko wanted to secure was Kagome's happiness, even at the cost of his own.
Shuuichi was both disappointed and disappointed in himself.
Bowing to Youko's whim, he set aside half-formed hopes in order to plan. Because the one they loved might not want them, but she needed them. A master thief's instincts, a true friend's support, and the devil's own luck were in Kagome's corner. He would not fail her.
Kurama may have been of two minds, but his heart was united.
- 50 -
Rose Petals
"Problem?" asked Hiei.
Kurama leaned against Goshinboku, his gaze fixed on the wellhouse. "I figured it out."
"No surprise." His partner's brows lifted ever so slightly. "What will you do?"
"I don't know."
Hiei countered, "Yes, you do."
He sighed. "Fine. Yes. I know what I'll do, but there's still a part of me that doesn't want to."
"No wonder you could not leave her be." Hiei's attention flicked toward the house, which was dark except for the light in Kagome's window. "She is a lot like you. Suffering with a smile on her face."
Kurama couldn't bring himself to deny it. He turned away his face.
Hiei said, "Nothing says you have to do it now."
Stealing a glance at the demon's face, he waited for more.
The demon bluntly said, "If you're doing it, do it right. Finish things properly."
School gave structure to Kurama's remaining time, and it wasn't hard to coax Kagome into making the most of each day. They planned a party on Christmas Eve for all their classmates—shortcake and fried chicken and karaoke. She'd hoped for snow, so when the party was ending, he called down a blizzard of white rose petals. The girls giggled and squealed, and the soft expression on Kagome's upturned face warmed his heart.
He would tell her. Tonight.
"Shall we?"
Nobody was surprised when he said he'd walk her home. Everyone assumed they were dating, even though they consistently denied it.
Kagome was too quiet, so far lost in thought, she didn't notice when he took her arm. He gently guided her to the shrine stairs. On the topmost step, the very place they'd first met, he gathered his courage.
"I have a gift for you."
Her confusion was understandable. They'd exchanged little presents earlier.
Kurama took her hand and offered a small smile. "Youko has a gift for you. He's been spending time with your old friend, the Bone-eater's Well."
He'd thought she'd exclaim, question, beg.
Kagome only asked, "Why are you talking as if this is from him and not from you? You're the same person."
- 51 -
Linger
"Because he insisted." Kurama felt the color creeping into his cheeks. "Because he knows what it's like when the thing you want most is out of reach."
Kagome held tightly to his hand. "You're a kind person."
Shuuichi decided there were worse illusions to foster. "Don't mention it."
Cautiously, she asked, "You learned why the Well won't work?"
"Yes, and I think I can persuade it to let you through. Once." Shuuichi was surprised his voice was so steady. "I can send you where you want to be, but … may I ask something in return?"
"What do you want?"
"Stay with me until graduation." He bowed his head, closed his eyes. "Be my friend until then?"
"What are you talking about?" Kagome enfolded his clinging hand between both her gloved ones. "We won't stop being friends. No matter what happens, you're someone I've always needed. It's like we were destined to meet."
Kurama smiled. And destined to part.
Everything changed. Before, Kagome's future had stretched before her, an endless series of days that only served to carry her farther from the past she longed for. Suddenly, her days were numbered. Kurama's promise meant she needed to plan. She had goals to achieve and goodbyes to make. And an overwhelming debt of gratitude.
The only way to pay it was to stay. But that would mean refusing Kurama's gift. And wouldn't that cancel her need to repay him?
I want to go. More than anything, she wanted to go. Just as much as she'd wanted to stay, back when her wish had torn her away. But she'd been willing, because she loved her friends.
Much as Kurama was willing.
Kagome wondered if happiness always came at a cost.
He was breaking her heart even as he was healing it. She wasn't in love with him—that part of her heart would always belong to Inuyasha—but she loved him with a strength that surprised her. Perhaps because he was so strong.
Kurama's wish was not for himself, and she knew the consequences of a selfless wish. Now she was learning the price of accepting another's sacrifice. Kagome only hoped she wasn't condemning her friend to a long life of loneliness and regret.
End Note: These three drabbles were written for no other reason than to nudge this story along to its long-awaited conclusion. Well, I'm also celebrating the release of the first story in the Songs of the Amaranthine collection—Marked by Stars. Details at ForthWrites dot com. These drabbles are 210, 350, and 372 words respectively. Posted on December 20, 2018.