Jam and Marmalade
by Kei



AN: I am SO sorry for that sucky short chapter. So I wrote a new one, and it's hopefully going to explain a lot of things. It's not supposed to be funny. ;-; I can't exactly say it will be the most exciting, but I'm trying. _


Genre: Romance, Drama, Humor

Oogaa boboga go booga! (Review or I hit you with club!)

Disclaimer: It's my sucky disclaimer rap!

Yeah, so I said to my Takahashi homie
"Yo Gee."
"I'd like to chill with the Inuyasha ganstas."
But she says, "That ain't cool, ya know."

Word.

Does rap really rhyme? I usually can't tell because 1) they talk too fast 2) I don't care enough to actually listen. Oh well.


Chapter Four: Cry Me a River


Sesshoumaru stood uncertainly, not sure what do with the sobbing girl in front of him. One thing he knew was, he couldn't stand crying girls, so without thinking, he knelt in front of her. Kagome wrapped her arms around herself, sobbing as he nervously patted her back.

"Oh, I hate him! I hate him, hate him, hate him," Kagome choked out. "If he thinks he can just come back and pretend nothing ever happened, he is so wrong!" She


Sesshoumaru stared at the girl in front of him and his hand trembled slightly, standing between actions. There comes a time in everyone's life when you have to make a decision that will "make or break" everything. He had two choices. He go back to his emotionless self, keep his distance, and tell her to just suck it up.

On the other hand he knew almost how she felt. He knew pain. Of course there was that risk of emotions; he could be hurt all over again. But as he looked at the suffering girl, an image of his younger self, crying and alone, overlapped her figure and his eyes widened slighty.

Then he knew.

Kagome gasped softly as Sesshoumaru enveloped her in a gentle hug.

"Shhh.. It's alright. I know I know," he whispered.

+ + +

Inuyasha came up to Kagome in math class, tapping impatiently on her desk.
She looked up to find him glowering dangerously, but simply asked, "What's up?"

"That's some show you put up with Sesshoumaru today!" He snapped. "You know his fan club's gonna be after you!"

"Oh, you mean G. W. W. S (Girls Who Worship Sesshoumaru)?" Kagome looked blankly at him. " I hear your girlfriend's in it. Interesting."

"She only likes me cuz I look like my half brother," Inuyasha winced and growled. "I hate that baka yaro's guts. But that's not the point here! Kikyou gets vicious when she doesn't get what she wants. Or when people touch what she doesn't want them to."

She looked thoughtful for a moment and poked Inuyasha, "I'll take what you seriously. A-ri-ga-tou!"

He grumbled and looked stalked off. "It wasn't like I was trying to help you or anything."

+ + +

"Well, what are we going to do? We have hardly any money in the bank and you just got laid off..." Mrs. Higurashi talked in a hushed voice to her husband, the room darkened by night save for the one lamp in the corner.

"How the hell am I supposed to know? I'll try and find a new job, but we'll have to live on the money you're bringing in with nursing."

"That's not going to last for very long...And what about your father? How are we going to pay for him?"

They started arguing, their voices carrying throughout the house.

A ten-year-old Kagome peeked into the room, wide-eyed as her parents verbally went at each other's necks. She never seen her mother, who was always kind and gentle, get so frustrated.

" 'nee-chan, what's wrong?" And 3 year old Souta looked up at her with curious, sleep-fogged eyes.

"Nothing, Souta! Go back to bed," she whispered, pushing him him away from the door, tears spilling down her face.

He looked worriedly at his sister but left, quietly hugging his teddy as he climbed into his bed.

+ + +


Mr. Higurashi stumbled drunkenly up the steps of the Higurashi shrine, an empty bottle hanging from his limp hands.

"Hiroshi! Don't come home like this, especially not in front of the children! And you shouldn't be drinking away what money we--" Kagome's mother was cut off abruptly by a rough slap to her face.

Kagome and Souta, who had been in the yard with their mother, cried out in shock and stood wide-eyed and scared as their father yelled and hit her.

"Stupid bitch!" he slurred, growing angry as she didn't fight back, "I don't need you to tell me what to do!"

"No! Papa! Stop it!" Kagome screamed, running at him and trying to save her mother from his blows.

He growled at his daughter, backhanding her viciously. Kagome screamed every threat she could at him, covering her throbbing cheek with her hand. Unable to take all the noise, Mr. Higurashi growled and stomped away, leaving Kagome and Souta to sob with their mother.

+ + +


Kagome woke, covered in sweat and her throat raw. She turned to see Sesshoumaru sitting next to her bed, looking up at her with a neutral look on his face.

"You were screaming and screaming, but I couldn't wake you up, so I just decided to wait it out."

"Thanks..." Kagome smiled softly at him, but sighed as she ran her finger through her hair. "I had a dream, about what happened 6 years ago. About my dad. I haven't had it in a long time, ever since 3 years ago when he dropped by just for a visit."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Maybe you should meet your dad somewhere. Tell him your feelings, and get it off your shoulders."

"Yeah, I should. Makino-san, you're being awfully helpful..."

Sesshoumaru shrugged lightly and stood up. "We've got an hour before school, so you should probably take a shower and stuff."

She stared out at him for a while, wondering.

I guess he's not such a bad guy after all.


Glossary:
'nee-chan = (older) sister


AN: Wow, that was REALLY depressing. Please don't hate me _
Next Chapter: Kagome sees her dad for the first time in 3 years. o_o


See you next time! ^-^ ~Kei