AN: Yay new chapter. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. Enjoy!!!
CH: 7 Kiss and Tell
Kagome sat silently next to her mother's hospital bed. She felt uncomfortable in the bland white room. "Gomen, kaasan. I haven't visited as much as I should have." Kagome's words fell on deaf ears since her mother was in a deep coma. She gently took her mother's hand in the hopes that somewhere in her deep sleep, her mother knew she was there.
"You were right about Inuyasha. You always said he wasn't right for me. Too brash for your little girl. You would have been proud that I didn't give in to him." Kagome paused for a moment trying to think of other things to say.
"So much has happened lately. Sango and Miroku are still dancing around each other. I don't think they'll ever admit how they really feel." That sentence brought up thoughts of Sesshoumaru in Kagome's mind. "I've been getting along with Sesshoumaru again. He's a really great guy. We saved some little girl in the park from Kouga, you remember him. Sesshoumaru is going to adopt her. Her name's Rin, and she's really kawaii."
"Sesshoumaru also got me a puppy. His name's Fluffy. I'm sure you'll love him when you wake up and meet him at home. Everyone thinks Sesshoumaru and I should be a couple. I don't know how I feel about that. We kissed. Kaasan, I wish you were here. You would know what to say. You would help me figure out what I feel."
"I've already been hurt by Inuyasha. I don't think I can go through something like that again. Sesshoumaru is older, so isn't it more likely that he'd want a more physical relationship like Inuyasha had." She paused for a moment in thought. "The strange thing is I don't think I would mind as much with Sesshoumaru." Kagome said with a small smile.
"Time's up Kagome." Kagome turned to see the nurse in the doorway. She gave a small nod and gently squeezed her mother's hand one last time before standing.
"Did the doctors say anything?" Kagome asked.
The nurse gave Kagome a sad smile. "They're still not sure if she'll wake." Kagome nodded in understanding as she went to the door.
'Please get better. Souta and I miss you.' Kagome plead silently as she glanced back one last time at the pale and fragile looking woman in the white sheets.
Kagome walked down the hall with her head lowered in thought. 'I should talk to Sesshoumaru. I need an explanation, but I'm sure he'll want one too.' Kagome's thoughts were jarred when she realized she had run into someone. She looked up from her new position on the ground though she didn't quite remember falling she did feel the pain in her behind to prove it.
Her eyes met a pair that were almost black. The man she had run into offered his hand to help her up. She hesitantly took it, not liking the strange feeling she got from the one before her. "Gomen, I wasn't watching where I was going." Kagome said and tried to pull her hand away from his, but he held it tight.
"Not at all. It was pleasure to run into such a beauty." The man brought Kagome's hand to his lips. Kagome held back the urge to hurt the man for his forwardness. Kagome pulled back her hand and walked angrily down the hall without looking back.
When she got home, she found Souta had left her a note saying he would be over at Shippou's house. Kagome pulled off the note and tossed it into the trash before taking a seat at the dining table. Her foul mood didn't last long when she was suddenly the center of attention of two very kawaii animals.
Fluffy jumped into her lap and started licking at her face while Buyo rubbed up against her legs. "Okay, okay, I'll feed you." Kagome picked Fluffy up into her arms giggling as his tail wagged back and forth enthusiastically. Buyo followed close behind as Kagome brought out some food and put it into their bowls.
'I guess I should feed myself too.' Kagome went through her nightly ritual of cooking her own meal, doing her homework, showering, and finally going to bed. Life got so monotonous when you had to do everything for yourself.
When morning peeked through the window, Kagome merely rolled over and covered her head with a pillow. She jumped awake, however, when the phone rang rather than her usual alarm. 'Who could be calling now?' Kagome looked at her clock and saw that she still had another hour before she had to be up.
Another ring caused her to pull herself out of bed and run to the phone. "Moshi moshi, Higurashi residence."
"Is this Kagome?"
"Hai." Kagome answered.
"I am calling from Tokyo hospital. Your mother went into cardiac arrest. We got her stabilized, but I suggest you get down here in case something further goes wrong." Kagome was too shocked to answer and merely hung up the phone. She was frozen in place for a moment, a great sense of dread coming over her. Once she regained the ability to move, she ran up the stairs to change and rushed to the hospital.
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"Hey Miroku, have you seen Kagome today?" Sango asked slightly worried. Miroku just shook his head. "Where could she be?" Sango began to think up all of the horrible scenarios of what could have happened to her best friend.
"You're worrying yourself for nothing, Sango. I'm sure Kagome-sama is fine. Something probably came up." Miroku tried to calm down the panicking girl.
"Something came up? What could possibly have come up? Kagome has never missed a day without a very good reason. And if she were sick, wouldn't she have called me?" Sango asked.
"Sango, nothing's wrong, but we should get to class before we get in trouble." Miroku said as he pushed her a bit in the direction of their next class.
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Kagome looked at her mother through the glass window. The doctors wouldn't allow her in because they feared she wasn't as stable as they hoped. The beeps of machines could be heard and her mother was barely recognizable under all the tubes keeping her alive. 'You have to get better.' Kagome's mind pleaded. 'I don't know if I can keep all this up without you.'
She looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. She would have to leave soon to get dinner ready for Souta. She was also sure that Sango would be calling her house like mad trying to get in touch with her. She couldn't help but give a small laugh at the thought of Sango practically killing Miroku in her frustration, since Kagome hadn't called them.
'At least if Sango calls then I could talk about it with her.' Kagome pushed off the wall, and with one more glance back, she left. She tensed as she saw the same man from the day before. He looked at her and smiled. The smile seemed almost sinister and made Kagome's blood run cold. Her pace quickened as she made for the exit.
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"Answer...come on."
"Moshi moshi, Higurashi residence." A voice spoke into the phone.
"Kagome, thank kami you're alright. I've been trying to get a hold of you all day." Sango said.
"Calm down, Sango. I'm fine. It was a thing at the hospital." Kagome said, her voice quieting as her mood dimmed.
"Gomen. Is she alright?" Sango asked understanding Kagome's pain.
"Yeah she'll be okay...I hope."
"Shippai shinai. I'm sure she'll be fine." Sango tried to comfort her friend. They talked a bit more, and Kagome told Sango she wouldn't be going to school Friday either. Sango did however; convince her that she should go to Kagura's party to cheer herself up.
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He had been watching her intently. He'd followed her to the hospital the first day he had seen her and listened to every word she had said to her mother. The girl was more innocent than he had thought by her picture. She had also made it a lot easier to find her weak point. 'Weak point, more like weak points. The girl has so many. She fears for her mother, her little brother, her friends, and that boy...'
He knew from what she had said that she was not yet with the boy she called Sesshoumaru, but he didn't like the competition anyway. 'I need a way to get this boy out of the way.' Naraku thought as he considered his options.
He smirked when he remembered about the little girl he had saved. Everyone had a weakness, and he just happened to be the best at exploiting those weaknesses. He was sure if the boy lost something as precious as the little girl he would be far too despondent to be any competition for him.
He pressed the intercom button on his desk. "Kanna, get me all the information you can on Takara Sesshoumaru and the little girl he is trying to adopt."
"Hai, Naraku-sama."
'I wonder where a girl like that would turn to if her world crumbled.' Naraku couldn't help, but laugh when he thought of the girl being completely defenseless with no where to turn to.
Kagura leaned on the door outside of Naraku's office. She knew what was going on, and hated not being able to do anything to stop the sadist. If she ran, she knew he would be able to find her. Besides, she wouldn't leave her sister, Kanna, there alone with him.
Kagura walked down the hall silently thinking over what she could possibly do to stop Naraku. Kikyou obviously wanted his downfall and her freedom as well, but for Kagura it would be a cold day in hell before she allied herself with someone like Kikyou. 'She's just as bad as Naraku. She's nothing more than a sadistic bitch in love with power.' Kagura had done many reprehensible things in her life, most of which she never wanted to remember, but she never enjoyed it. 'Naraku has to be stopped.'
Kagura saw her little sister printing out some papers and putting them into a folder. 'Most likely the information Naraku asked for.' She frowned as she saw her sister's slow and exact movements. Seeing her sister the way she was now after Naraku had gotten a hold of them always distressed her. Kanna had fallen into herself and hardly ever spoke. Kagura silently wondered if Kanna remembered at all what their life had been like before Naraku.
Kagura hardly remembered herself. Their parents had been in great debt, and she and Kanna had been forced to work for Naraku to pay it off. What the really sadistic part was that her father had been Naraku's brother, Onigumo. Naraku was family, and had still caused his nieces such grief. When their parents, had died Naraku had adopted the two of them. That was when they knew the terror would never end.
Kanna walked right past Kagura without so much as a glance in the younger sibling's direction. 'That was when Kanna finally lost herself.' Although Kanna was the elder sister, her sickly pale complexion and short stature made her seem much younger than she truly was.
'Gomen Kanna, we can't be free of him yet, but I promise we will be some day. Some day soon.' Kagura told herself as she watched her older sister walk, so slowly and silently that she almost seemed to float down the hall.
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"This isn't working." Inuyasha mumbled as he walked down the hall Friday afternoon. Kagome hadn't come to school two days in a row, and he had no idea what was wrong. He was now feeling incredibly guilty. He knew he wanted revenge on Kagome, but he couldn't help but worry about her.
He had hoped that by dating Kikyou she would realize that they were meant to be together and come back to him. Instead, she wasn't even around to see it, and Kikyou was still clinging to him like a leech every chance she had.
The other thing that made him unintentionally concerned was that his brother had refused to go to school that day. Inuyasha wasn't sure if it had something to do with Kagome or not. The jealous part of him was trying to convince him that they were seeing each other behind his back. His reasonable side, however, had been growing in strength lately thanks to the reality slaps Sango and Miroku had been giving him. It said that there was no way Kagome would ever let a guy keep their relationship secret, and Sesshoumaru would never miss a day of school short of being sent to the hospital.
'Something's wrong and I feel like I'm completely lost.' Inuyasha sighed as he finally reached his next class. 'I wanted Kagome and Sesshoumaru to suffer, and now that it seems like they are...I don't know. It just doesn't feel as good as I thought it would.'
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"Come one Kagome. You promised you would go." Sango said as she rummaged through Kagome's closet. "If it's any consolation, Kikyou slipping on some spilt chocolate pudding in the cafeteria and ended up with a huge brown stain on her white skirt." Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the mental image she got.
"Here, I found the perfect outfit." Kagome, who had been lying on her bed, looked up at Sango and shrugged. "Good, get changed. Miroku will be taking us."
"Oh? Miroku will be your date?" Kagome asked, nudging Sango's shoulder a bit as she took the clothes from her. A blush rose on Sango's cheeks.
"I-iie, we're just going as friends." Sango replied, pushing her index fingers together in nervousness as her blush darkened.
"Sure, and if you two just so happen to kiss later tonight then all the better right." Kagome laughed as she looked at Sango's red face. "So when are you going to tell him you have a crush on him?"
"Me?! Have a crush on that-that lech?!" Sango left the room flustered.
A few hours later, Miroku was standing at the base of Kagome's staircase with Souta. "Why do women take so long getting dressed?" Souta just shrugged.
Sango was the first to walk down the stairs. She was wearing a silky black dress that came down to her knees. Her hair was pulled back in the usual high ponytail. "There's my beautiful date, at last. Well worth the wait." Miroku declared as he took Sango's hand.
Kagome walked down the stair seconds later. She was dressed in a pink spaghetti strap dress that had bamboo plants on it. Her hair was pulled back with a few butterfly clips. "You look lovely, Kagome-sama. I'm sure Sesshoumaru will be all over you tonight."
Kagome blushed and silently wondered if Sango had told Miroku what had happened between her and Sesshoumaru. "Are you sure he's even going to the party, Miroku? He didn't show up at school today." Sango stated matter-of- factly.
'He wasn't at school. Sesshoumaru never misses school.' Kagome thought. She knew something must have been wrong. "Souta don't forget to feed Buyo and Fluffy." Kagome called out as she, Sango, and Miroku left.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm not a little kid you know." Souta said as he waved goodbye. He knew his sister needed a good time and hopefully she would have one at the party. 'I hope she runs into Sesshoumaru and then they can start going out, and then Sesshoumaru can be my big brother. I had hoped it would be Inuyasha, but I guess that's not going to work out. Sesshoumaru's way cooler anyway.' Souta told himself as he went inside and warmed up the food Kagome had left for him.
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Kagome stood near the wall talking with some friends from school. Miroku and Sango had mysteriously disappeared off somewhere. 'I have to tease Sango about this later.' Kagome's blue eyes glanced over the crowd. 'Where's Sesshoumaru?'
She had been hoping to see him. She was surprised herself when she realized that over the last few days she had missed him. 'Well, why wouldn't I miss him? He's one of my best friends. It's just that...it's so much more than that. I miss him more than I had missed Sango when she went off on vacation or something. I miss him more than just a friend. I- I fell for him.'
Kagome had spent all the time at the hospital trying to figure out what her feelings for Sesshoumaru were. She finally came to an answer that afternoon when she was rambling on about nothing in particular and the words had just slipped out. She had paused in shock at her own words, but after thinking about it she decided it couldn't be any truer.
"Kagome are you listening?" Ayumi, one of Kagome's friends asked.
"H-hai." Kagome lied and turned her attention back to the people speaking to her. She listened and nodded or threw in a small comment at times, until she saw Sesshoumaru by the staircase. "Gomen minachan, but I see someone I really need to talk to." Kagome made her way over to the stairs only to get there in time to see Sesshoumaru walking up to the second floor. 'Why is he going up there? There's no one up there.' Kagome wondered as she followed him.
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'Where is he?!' Kikyou had been flitting through groups the entire night in search of Inuyasha. He was supposed to have taken her, but hadn't shown up at her house to pick her up. 'How dare he not show up?!'
Kikyou kept her normal self-composure, but inside she was ready to kill. She most likely would have had she not gotten a glance of the violet eyed boy outside. "You didn't show up." Kikyou stated in her normal deadpan tone.
Inuyasha just glanced back for a second, only to turn his attention back to the lights hanging from the trees around the house. Kagome wouldn't even spare him a glance earlier. "Inuyasha..." Kikyou called his name and although her voice sounded as calm as ever, he could tell she was upset.
"It's not working, Kikyou." Inuyasha walked away leaving the dark haired girl silently seething on the terrace.
'How dare he walk away from me? Me?! Nothing is over until I say it is.' Inuyasha's name was now added to her list of those to get revenge on. He would pay for ruining her plans. Also, the students would undoubtedly notice that he had been the one to dump her. He had ruined her reputation.
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The ice cubes clinked against the sides of the glass as Sesshoumaru swirled his drink. As a rule he had never drank before, but he decided that this occasion definitely called for it. He couldn't remember feeling so depressed...so helpless. He had lost everything.
Kagome hadn't shown up for school Thursday and Friday and she had avoided him on Wednesday. The best kiss in his life had led to him losing one of the most important things in the world, Kagome's friendship. If she wasn't upset with him for the kiss then why was she avoiding him, and why hadn't she called him to tell him why she hadn't been in school? Lately she had seemed to confide in him that is until that kiss.
'How could I have been such a fool?' Sesshoumaru asked himself for what seemed like the millionth time. However, for once his mind couldn't fully concentrate on Kagome, because he had lost something else very important to him. "Rin..." Sesshoumaru muttered before taking in another swig of the clear brown liquid in his glass.
The social worker had said it was a done deal. Rin had no other family; the little girl had said it herself. How could both of them be wrong? Today was the day he was supposed to go before a judge and sign papers saying that he would care for Rin. Instead he had ended up having to bring the girl to the social workers office and hand her over to her uncle who had supposedly not heard of Rin's parent's passing.
It was a scene that would be forever etched into his mind. Rin had cried endlessly when she found out she was being taken away from Sesshoumaru. Her wails could even be heard after he'd left the room. He had tried to keep his emotionless façade on while returning the girl. He succeeded until he reached his car and no longer had the will to hold back his tears. He couldn't remember crying since his mother had died.
What he would remember most of all, however, was the man who claimed to be Rin's uncle. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure he believed him, seeing as though he shared barely any resemblance with the girl other than their color of their hair, which was entirely too common in Japan. The social worker, however, had reassured him that she personally had rechecked the man's claims. Sesshoumaru knew she had not been bought off because she herself seemed very apprehensive to take the girl from him.
The one thing that made him detest the man that now held his Rin was his smile. The bastard had the audacity to smile while Rin was crying helplessly and Sesshoumaru who, although trying to hide it, was obviously in pain. It wasn't a happy 'I got back my relative' smile either. It had been a sadistic twist of the mouth that made Sesshoumaru's stomach turn. He couldn't believe he'd been forced to leave her with a man like that.
Sesshoumaru's mind was starting to blur from the amount of alcohol he had consumed. The music in the room was becoming louder in his mind and he felt the beginnings of a massive headache coming on. He decided to go to the second floor, which was usually unoccupied so he could relax and grieve in a more secluded area. He couldn't even remember what had convinced him to show up at the party. He stumbled over to the staircase and stood there for a few moments to get his bearings. Using the railing, he slowly ascended the stairs in search of a quiet area.
He opened the door to one of the rooms and found it be a bedroom. "Sesshoumaru?" Upon hearing his name, he turned a bit too quickly and lost his footing for a second. A warm arm went around his shoulder and supported him over to the wall. "Sesshoumaru, daijoubu?"
Golden eyes glanced to the side to see a pair of deep blue eyes looking back into them. "Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked recognizing the girl, but not trusting what his mind was telling him in its induced state.
The alcohol on his breath was obvious and Kagome could only wonder at what could have driven him to drink. "Hai, it's me." Kagome felt Sesshoumaru lean onto her so that she was sandwiched between him and the wall. She heard him whispering something almost too quiet for her to understand. When she did her heart wept for him.
"I was forced to give her back. I lost Rin. Now I lost both of you." Sesshoumaru mumbled as he leaned onto Kagome as his only support.
"Shhh...it's okay Sesshoumaru. Everything will be alright. You never lost me. I'll always be here for you." Kagome consoled him. Sesshoumaru pushed away from her a bit. His hands were braced against the wall on either side of hers and he met her gaze.
Kagome's heart felt like it was breaking when she saw the tears fill Sesshoumaru's golden orbs that were looking back at her. Sesshoumaru felt the sleepiness from the alcohol slowly overtaking his system. His eyes, however, focused enough to see the tears that fell from Kagome's eyes.
'She shouldn't ever cry.' Sesshoumaru brought his hand to her cheek brushing her tears away. It might have been the feeling of her soft skin under his fingertips or the alcohol impeding his judgment, but Sesshoumaru leaned in and claimed Kagome's lips in a slow gentle kiss.
Although she wanted the kiss, Kagome was too surprised to react. It didn't matter anyway because Sesshoumaru's next action was going to throw her completely off guard. He slowly fell to his knees, his cheeks glancing down her feminine frame until he reached his knees and was nuzzling her stomach. Kagome blushed involuntarily.
"Ai shiteiru, Kagome." Sesshoumaru whispered loud enough for Kagome to hear without any room for misunderstanding. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and fell into an alcohol-induced slumber while still leaning against Kagome's stomach and his arms around her waist. Kagome's blue eyes only stared forward in shock as she registered what Sesshoumaru had just said.
'Sesshoumaru loves me.'
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Okay you guys are going to be a little upset with me when I tell you this, but I have to go to a wedding and then move into my new apartment (yay my first apartment), and unfortunately my apartment doesn't have internet installed yet so I will be completely without internet for a few weeks. Don't worry I'll still be writing just able to post.
Kagome: You realize you just left them with a horrible cliffhanger and now you won't be able to post.
Shichan: I did, didn't I?
Kagome: They're not going to be happy. I mean now they won't be able to find out what I say to Sesshoumaru after his confession till mid-September.
Shichan: I guess you're right. *to readers* Please don't be mad
Translations:
Gomen: sorry
Kaasan: mother
Kawaii: cute
Moshi moshi: hello (on telephone)
Shippai shinai: don't worry
Minasan: everyone
Daijoubu?: are you okay?
Ai shiteiru: I love you
Review Responses:
Aira^o^: Here's a new chapter. And don't worry I shall return and continue once I can.
Tsuki no Tennyo: I checked out you fic If Love is Blind. I really love all your fics. You have to continue.
CrescentAngel16: I hope Kikyou dies also, but I'm not entirely sure how I'll kill her off.
Yaiko Youkai: Thanks and good luck with your fic.
Sesshiria: Don't worry I promised Sesshou a happy ending.
Tessa: Thanks your one of my first fans. I'm happy you're still with me.
Aki no Yume: Well Sesshou confessed, but not how you probably hoped
Fluffy+kagome=kawaii: don't worry Naraku might try, but you know I would never let that happen to Sesshou and Kagome
Susan: Ummm...I'm not exactly sure when this story will be finished.
Unknown: You're the first person to comment on the whole morning problem thing that Sesshoumaru had. Let's just say that while guys sleep blood flows to an area below the belt even if they're not having an arousing dream.
Thanks to everyone else that reviewed. Please review this chapter and I promise I will be writing more.
~*Shichan
CH: 7 Kiss and Tell
Kagome sat silently next to her mother's hospital bed. She felt uncomfortable in the bland white room. "Gomen, kaasan. I haven't visited as much as I should have." Kagome's words fell on deaf ears since her mother was in a deep coma. She gently took her mother's hand in the hopes that somewhere in her deep sleep, her mother knew she was there.
"You were right about Inuyasha. You always said he wasn't right for me. Too brash for your little girl. You would have been proud that I didn't give in to him." Kagome paused for a moment trying to think of other things to say.
"So much has happened lately. Sango and Miroku are still dancing around each other. I don't think they'll ever admit how they really feel." That sentence brought up thoughts of Sesshoumaru in Kagome's mind. "I've been getting along with Sesshoumaru again. He's a really great guy. We saved some little girl in the park from Kouga, you remember him. Sesshoumaru is going to adopt her. Her name's Rin, and she's really kawaii."
"Sesshoumaru also got me a puppy. His name's Fluffy. I'm sure you'll love him when you wake up and meet him at home. Everyone thinks Sesshoumaru and I should be a couple. I don't know how I feel about that. We kissed. Kaasan, I wish you were here. You would know what to say. You would help me figure out what I feel."
"I've already been hurt by Inuyasha. I don't think I can go through something like that again. Sesshoumaru is older, so isn't it more likely that he'd want a more physical relationship like Inuyasha had." She paused for a moment in thought. "The strange thing is I don't think I would mind as much with Sesshoumaru." Kagome said with a small smile.
"Time's up Kagome." Kagome turned to see the nurse in the doorway. She gave a small nod and gently squeezed her mother's hand one last time before standing.
"Did the doctors say anything?" Kagome asked.
The nurse gave Kagome a sad smile. "They're still not sure if she'll wake." Kagome nodded in understanding as she went to the door.
'Please get better. Souta and I miss you.' Kagome plead silently as she glanced back one last time at the pale and fragile looking woman in the white sheets.
Kagome walked down the hall with her head lowered in thought. 'I should talk to Sesshoumaru. I need an explanation, but I'm sure he'll want one too.' Kagome's thoughts were jarred when she realized she had run into someone. She looked up from her new position on the ground though she didn't quite remember falling she did feel the pain in her behind to prove it.
Her eyes met a pair that were almost black. The man she had run into offered his hand to help her up. She hesitantly took it, not liking the strange feeling she got from the one before her. "Gomen, I wasn't watching where I was going." Kagome said and tried to pull her hand away from his, but he held it tight.
"Not at all. It was pleasure to run into such a beauty." The man brought Kagome's hand to his lips. Kagome held back the urge to hurt the man for his forwardness. Kagome pulled back her hand and walked angrily down the hall without looking back.
When she got home, she found Souta had left her a note saying he would be over at Shippou's house. Kagome pulled off the note and tossed it into the trash before taking a seat at the dining table. Her foul mood didn't last long when she was suddenly the center of attention of two very kawaii animals.
Fluffy jumped into her lap and started licking at her face while Buyo rubbed up against her legs. "Okay, okay, I'll feed you." Kagome picked Fluffy up into her arms giggling as his tail wagged back and forth enthusiastically. Buyo followed close behind as Kagome brought out some food and put it into their bowls.
'I guess I should feed myself too.' Kagome went through her nightly ritual of cooking her own meal, doing her homework, showering, and finally going to bed. Life got so monotonous when you had to do everything for yourself.
When morning peeked through the window, Kagome merely rolled over and covered her head with a pillow. She jumped awake, however, when the phone rang rather than her usual alarm. 'Who could be calling now?' Kagome looked at her clock and saw that she still had another hour before she had to be up.
Another ring caused her to pull herself out of bed and run to the phone. "Moshi moshi, Higurashi residence."
"Is this Kagome?"
"Hai." Kagome answered.
"I am calling from Tokyo hospital. Your mother went into cardiac arrest. We got her stabilized, but I suggest you get down here in case something further goes wrong." Kagome was too shocked to answer and merely hung up the phone. She was frozen in place for a moment, a great sense of dread coming over her. Once she regained the ability to move, she ran up the stairs to change and rushed to the hospital.
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"Hey Miroku, have you seen Kagome today?" Sango asked slightly worried. Miroku just shook his head. "Where could she be?" Sango began to think up all of the horrible scenarios of what could have happened to her best friend.
"You're worrying yourself for nothing, Sango. I'm sure Kagome-sama is fine. Something probably came up." Miroku tried to calm down the panicking girl.
"Something came up? What could possibly have come up? Kagome has never missed a day without a very good reason. And if she were sick, wouldn't she have called me?" Sango asked.
"Sango, nothing's wrong, but we should get to class before we get in trouble." Miroku said as he pushed her a bit in the direction of their next class.
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Kagome looked at her mother through the glass window. The doctors wouldn't allow her in because they feared she wasn't as stable as they hoped. The beeps of machines could be heard and her mother was barely recognizable under all the tubes keeping her alive. 'You have to get better.' Kagome's mind pleaded. 'I don't know if I can keep all this up without you.'
She looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. She would have to leave soon to get dinner ready for Souta. She was also sure that Sango would be calling her house like mad trying to get in touch with her. She couldn't help but give a small laugh at the thought of Sango practically killing Miroku in her frustration, since Kagome hadn't called them.
'At least if Sango calls then I could talk about it with her.' Kagome pushed off the wall, and with one more glance back, she left. She tensed as she saw the same man from the day before. He looked at her and smiled. The smile seemed almost sinister and made Kagome's blood run cold. Her pace quickened as she made for the exit.
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"Answer...come on."
"Moshi moshi, Higurashi residence." A voice spoke into the phone.
"Kagome, thank kami you're alright. I've been trying to get a hold of you all day." Sango said.
"Calm down, Sango. I'm fine. It was a thing at the hospital." Kagome said, her voice quieting as her mood dimmed.
"Gomen. Is she alright?" Sango asked understanding Kagome's pain.
"Yeah she'll be okay...I hope."
"Shippai shinai. I'm sure she'll be fine." Sango tried to comfort her friend. They talked a bit more, and Kagome told Sango she wouldn't be going to school Friday either. Sango did however; convince her that she should go to Kagura's party to cheer herself up.
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He had been watching her intently. He'd followed her to the hospital the first day he had seen her and listened to every word she had said to her mother. The girl was more innocent than he had thought by her picture. She had also made it a lot easier to find her weak point. 'Weak point, more like weak points. The girl has so many. She fears for her mother, her little brother, her friends, and that boy...'
He knew from what she had said that she was not yet with the boy she called Sesshoumaru, but he didn't like the competition anyway. 'I need a way to get this boy out of the way.' Naraku thought as he considered his options.
He smirked when he remembered about the little girl he had saved. Everyone had a weakness, and he just happened to be the best at exploiting those weaknesses. He was sure if the boy lost something as precious as the little girl he would be far too despondent to be any competition for him.
He pressed the intercom button on his desk. "Kanna, get me all the information you can on Takara Sesshoumaru and the little girl he is trying to adopt."
"Hai, Naraku-sama."
'I wonder where a girl like that would turn to if her world crumbled.' Naraku couldn't help, but laugh when he thought of the girl being completely defenseless with no where to turn to.
Kagura leaned on the door outside of Naraku's office. She knew what was going on, and hated not being able to do anything to stop the sadist. If she ran, she knew he would be able to find her. Besides, she wouldn't leave her sister, Kanna, there alone with him.
Kagura walked down the hall silently thinking over what she could possibly do to stop Naraku. Kikyou obviously wanted his downfall and her freedom as well, but for Kagura it would be a cold day in hell before she allied herself with someone like Kikyou. 'She's just as bad as Naraku. She's nothing more than a sadistic bitch in love with power.' Kagura had done many reprehensible things in her life, most of which she never wanted to remember, but she never enjoyed it. 'Naraku has to be stopped.'
Kagura saw her little sister printing out some papers and putting them into a folder. 'Most likely the information Naraku asked for.' She frowned as she saw her sister's slow and exact movements. Seeing her sister the way she was now after Naraku had gotten a hold of them always distressed her. Kanna had fallen into herself and hardly ever spoke. Kagura silently wondered if Kanna remembered at all what their life had been like before Naraku.
Kagura hardly remembered herself. Their parents had been in great debt, and she and Kanna had been forced to work for Naraku to pay it off. What the really sadistic part was that her father had been Naraku's brother, Onigumo. Naraku was family, and had still caused his nieces such grief. When their parents, had died Naraku had adopted the two of them. That was when they knew the terror would never end.
Kanna walked right past Kagura without so much as a glance in the younger sibling's direction. 'That was when Kanna finally lost herself.' Although Kanna was the elder sister, her sickly pale complexion and short stature made her seem much younger than she truly was.
'Gomen Kanna, we can't be free of him yet, but I promise we will be some day. Some day soon.' Kagura told herself as she watched her older sister walk, so slowly and silently that she almost seemed to float down the hall.
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"This isn't working." Inuyasha mumbled as he walked down the hall Friday afternoon. Kagome hadn't come to school two days in a row, and he had no idea what was wrong. He was now feeling incredibly guilty. He knew he wanted revenge on Kagome, but he couldn't help but worry about her.
He had hoped that by dating Kikyou she would realize that they were meant to be together and come back to him. Instead, she wasn't even around to see it, and Kikyou was still clinging to him like a leech every chance she had.
The other thing that made him unintentionally concerned was that his brother had refused to go to school that day. Inuyasha wasn't sure if it had something to do with Kagome or not. The jealous part of him was trying to convince him that they were seeing each other behind his back. His reasonable side, however, had been growing in strength lately thanks to the reality slaps Sango and Miroku had been giving him. It said that there was no way Kagome would ever let a guy keep their relationship secret, and Sesshoumaru would never miss a day of school short of being sent to the hospital.
'Something's wrong and I feel like I'm completely lost.' Inuyasha sighed as he finally reached his next class. 'I wanted Kagome and Sesshoumaru to suffer, and now that it seems like they are...I don't know. It just doesn't feel as good as I thought it would.'
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"Come one Kagome. You promised you would go." Sango said as she rummaged through Kagome's closet. "If it's any consolation, Kikyou slipping on some spilt chocolate pudding in the cafeteria and ended up with a huge brown stain on her white skirt." Kagome couldn't help but laugh at the mental image she got.
"Here, I found the perfect outfit." Kagome, who had been lying on her bed, looked up at Sango and shrugged. "Good, get changed. Miroku will be taking us."
"Oh? Miroku will be your date?" Kagome asked, nudging Sango's shoulder a bit as she took the clothes from her. A blush rose on Sango's cheeks.
"I-iie, we're just going as friends." Sango replied, pushing her index fingers together in nervousness as her blush darkened.
"Sure, and if you two just so happen to kiss later tonight then all the better right." Kagome laughed as she looked at Sango's red face. "So when are you going to tell him you have a crush on him?"
"Me?! Have a crush on that-that lech?!" Sango left the room flustered.
A few hours later, Miroku was standing at the base of Kagome's staircase with Souta. "Why do women take so long getting dressed?" Souta just shrugged.
Sango was the first to walk down the stairs. She was wearing a silky black dress that came down to her knees. Her hair was pulled back in the usual high ponytail. "There's my beautiful date, at last. Well worth the wait." Miroku declared as he took Sango's hand.
Kagome walked down the stair seconds later. She was dressed in a pink spaghetti strap dress that had bamboo plants on it. Her hair was pulled back with a few butterfly clips. "You look lovely, Kagome-sama. I'm sure Sesshoumaru will be all over you tonight."
Kagome blushed and silently wondered if Sango had told Miroku what had happened between her and Sesshoumaru. "Are you sure he's even going to the party, Miroku? He didn't show up at school today." Sango stated matter-of- factly.
'He wasn't at school. Sesshoumaru never misses school.' Kagome thought. She knew something must have been wrong. "Souta don't forget to feed Buyo and Fluffy." Kagome called out as she, Sango, and Miroku left.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm not a little kid you know." Souta said as he waved goodbye. He knew his sister needed a good time and hopefully she would have one at the party. 'I hope she runs into Sesshoumaru and then they can start going out, and then Sesshoumaru can be my big brother. I had hoped it would be Inuyasha, but I guess that's not going to work out. Sesshoumaru's way cooler anyway.' Souta told himself as he went inside and warmed up the food Kagome had left for him.
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Kagome stood near the wall talking with some friends from school. Miroku and Sango had mysteriously disappeared off somewhere. 'I have to tease Sango about this later.' Kagome's blue eyes glanced over the crowd. 'Where's Sesshoumaru?'
She had been hoping to see him. She was surprised herself when she realized that over the last few days she had missed him. 'Well, why wouldn't I miss him? He's one of my best friends. It's just that...it's so much more than that. I miss him more than I had missed Sango when she went off on vacation or something. I miss him more than just a friend. I- I fell for him.'
Kagome had spent all the time at the hospital trying to figure out what her feelings for Sesshoumaru were. She finally came to an answer that afternoon when she was rambling on about nothing in particular and the words had just slipped out. She had paused in shock at her own words, but after thinking about it she decided it couldn't be any truer.
"Kagome are you listening?" Ayumi, one of Kagome's friends asked.
"H-hai." Kagome lied and turned her attention back to the people speaking to her. She listened and nodded or threw in a small comment at times, until she saw Sesshoumaru by the staircase. "Gomen minachan, but I see someone I really need to talk to." Kagome made her way over to the stairs only to get there in time to see Sesshoumaru walking up to the second floor. 'Why is he going up there? There's no one up there.' Kagome wondered as she followed him.
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'Where is he?!' Kikyou had been flitting through groups the entire night in search of Inuyasha. He was supposed to have taken her, but hadn't shown up at her house to pick her up. 'How dare he not show up?!'
Kikyou kept her normal self-composure, but inside she was ready to kill. She most likely would have had she not gotten a glance of the violet eyed boy outside. "You didn't show up." Kikyou stated in her normal deadpan tone.
Inuyasha just glanced back for a second, only to turn his attention back to the lights hanging from the trees around the house. Kagome wouldn't even spare him a glance earlier. "Inuyasha..." Kikyou called his name and although her voice sounded as calm as ever, he could tell she was upset.
"It's not working, Kikyou." Inuyasha walked away leaving the dark haired girl silently seething on the terrace.
'How dare he walk away from me? Me?! Nothing is over until I say it is.' Inuyasha's name was now added to her list of those to get revenge on. He would pay for ruining her plans. Also, the students would undoubtedly notice that he had been the one to dump her. He had ruined her reputation.
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The ice cubes clinked against the sides of the glass as Sesshoumaru swirled his drink. As a rule he had never drank before, but he decided that this occasion definitely called for it. He couldn't remember feeling so depressed...so helpless. He had lost everything.
Kagome hadn't shown up for school Thursday and Friday and she had avoided him on Wednesday. The best kiss in his life had led to him losing one of the most important things in the world, Kagome's friendship. If she wasn't upset with him for the kiss then why was she avoiding him, and why hadn't she called him to tell him why she hadn't been in school? Lately she had seemed to confide in him that is until that kiss.
'How could I have been such a fool?' Sesshoumaru asked himself for what seemed like the millionth time. However, for once his mind couldn't fully concentrate on Kagome, because he had lost something else very important to him. "Rin..." Sesshoumaru muttered before taking in another swig of the clear brown liquid in his glass.
The social worker had said it was a done deal. Rin had no other family; the little girl had said it herself. How could both of them be wrong? Today was the day he was supposed to go before a judge and sign papers saying that he would care for Rin. Instead he had ended up having to bring the girl to the social workers office and hand her over to her uncle who had supposedly not heard of Rin's parent's passing.
It was a scene that would be forever etched into his mind. Rin had cried endlessly when she found out she was being taken away from Sesshoumaru. Her wails could even be heard after he'd left the room. He had tried to keep his emotionless façade on while returning the girl. He succeeded until he reached his car and no longer had the will to hold back his tears. He couldn't remember crying since his mother had died.
What he would remember most of all, however, was the man who claimed to be Rin's uncle. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure he believed him, seeing as though he shared barely any resemblance with the girl other than their color of their hair, which was entirely too common in Japan. The social worker, however, had reassured him that she personally had rechecked the man's claims. Sesshoumaru knew she had not been bought off because she herself seemed very apprehensive to take the girl from him.
The one thing that made him detest the man that now held his Rin was his smile. The bastard had the audacity to smile while Rin was crying helplessly and Sesshoumaru who, although trying to hide it, was obviously in pain. It wasn't a happy 'I got back my relative' smile either. It had been a sadistic twist of the mouth that made Sesshoumaru's stomach turn. He couldn't believe he'd been forced to leave her with a man like that.
Sesshoumaru's mind was starting to blur from the amount of alcohol he had consumed. The music in the room was becoming louder in his mind and he felt the beginnings of a massive headache coming on. He decided to go to the second floor, which was usually unoccupied so he could relax and grieve in a more secluded area. He couldn't even remember what had convinced him to show up at the party. He stumbled over to the staircase and stood there for a few moments to get his bearings. Using the railing, he slowly ascended the stairs in search of a quiet area.
He opened the door to one of the rooms and found it be a bedroom. "Sesshoumaru?" Upon hearing his name, he turned a bit too quickly and lost his footing for a second. A warm arm went around his shoulder and supported him over to the wall. "Sesshoumaru, daijoubu?"
Golden eyes glanced to the side to see a pair of deep blue eyes looking back into them. "Kagome?" Sesshoumaru asked recognizing the girl, but not trusting what his mind was telling him in its induced state.
The alcohol on his breath was obvious and Kagome could only wonder at what could have driven him to drink. "Hai, it's me." Kagome felt Sesshoumaru lean onto her so that she was sandwiched between him and the wall. She heard him whispering something almost too quiet for her to understand. When she did her heart wept for him.
"I was forced to give her back. I lost Rin. Now I lost both of you." Sesshoumaru mumbled as he leaned onto Kagome as his only support.
"Shhh...it's okay Sesshoumaru. Everything will be alright. You never lost me. I'll always be here for you." Kagome consoled him. Sesshoumaru pushed away from her a bit. His hands were braced against the wall on either side of hers and he met her gaze.
Kagome's heart felt like it was breaking when she saw the tears fill Sesshoumaru's golden orbs that were looking back at her. Sesshoumaru felt the sleepiness from the alcohol slowly overtaking his system. His eyes, however, focused enough to see the tears that fell from Kagome's eyes.
'She shouldn't ever cry.' Sesshoumaru brought his hand to her cheek brushing her tears away. It might have been the feeling of her soft skin under his fingertips or the alcohol impeding his judgment, but Sesshoumaru leaned in and claimed Kagome's lips in a slow gentle kiss.
Although she wanted the kiss, Kagome was too surprised to react. It didn't matter anyway because Sesshoumaru's next action was going to throw her completely off guard. He slowly fell to his knees, his cheeks glancing down her feminine frame until he reached his knees and was nuzzling her stomach. Kagome blushed involuntarily.
"Ai shiteiru, Kagome." Sesshoumaru whispered loud enough for Kagome to hear without any room for misunderstanding. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and fell into an alcohol-induced slumber while still leaning against Kagome's stomach and his arms around her waist. Kagome's blue eyes only stared forward in shock as she registered what Sesshoumaru had just said.
'Sesshoumaru loves me.'
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Okay you guys are going to be a little upset with me when I tell you this, but I have to go to a wedding and then move into my new apartment (yay my first apartment), and unfortunately my apartment doesn't have internet installed yet so I will be completely without internet for a few weeks. Don't worry I'll still be writing just able to post.
Kagome: You realize you just left them with a horrible cliffhanger and now you won't be able to post.
Shichan: I did, didn't I?
Kagome: They're not going to be happy. I mean now they won't be able to find out what I say to Sesshoumaru after his confession till mid-September.
Shichan: I guess you're right. *to readers* Please don't be mad
Translations:
Gomen: sorry
Kaasan: mother
Kawaii: cute
Moshi moshi: hello (on telephone)
Shippai shinai: don't worry
Minasan: everyone
Daijoubu?: are you okay?
Ai shiteiru: I love you
Review Responses:
Aira^o^: Here's a new chapter. And don't worry I shall return and continue once I can.
Tsuki no Tennyo: I checked out you fic If Love is Blind. I really love all your fics. You have to continue.
CrescentAngel16: I hope Kikyou dies also, but I'm not entirely sure how I'll kill her off.
Yaiko Youkai: Thanks and good luck with your fic.
Sesshiria: Don't worry I promised Sesshou a happy ending.
Tessa: Thanks your one of my first fans. I'm happy you're still with me.
Aki no Yume: Well Sesshou confessed, but not how you probably hoped
Fluffy+kagome=kawaii: don't worry Naraku might try, but you know I would never let that happen to Sesshou and Kagome
Susan: Ummm...I'm not exactly sure when this story will be finished.
Unknown: You're the first person to comment on the whole morning problem thing that Sesshoumaru had. Let's just say that while guys sleep blood flows to an area below the belt even if they're not having an arousing dream.
Thanks to everyone else that reviewed. Please review this chapter and I promise I will be writing more.
~*Shichan