A/N: Still don't own em. Oh, well.
Grovel, grovel, grovel. Sorry so long, friends. Had to get another job to pay the bills. Not much left after tuition and books, so in addition to classes, practicum, shows, a newsletter, and another job, I'm not sleeping much. Or writing. Sorry!
Ok, I changed my mind. A couple of people wrote to me and said that it might not be a good idea to change the title of the fic. It seems some people have been recommending the story to others and they might not be able to find it if the title has changed. Can't have that, can we? Whoever it is that is saying such nice things about my story, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can't tell you how good it makes me feel. Also, I got word that this story has been nominated for an IY Fanfic award! Wow! I can't believe it, but it makes me so happy! (Thanks, SylverAngel!) So, maybe I'll change it after the story's done.
One more thing: I wish you all could listen to this song while you read this chapter. I'm listening to it as I write it. It's the same song, Once in a Blue Moon, from the previous chapter (6? 7?) when Kagome dances with Houjo. I love Sydney Forest's music, and I believe this song came from the soundtrack of a movie called "Simply Irresistible." I acquired the song by "other means," as I have been completely unsuccessful in finding any of her cd's to buy. You might recognize her from the opening and closing songs on the Disney version of Kiki's Delivery Service.
Hey, stop throwing things! Alright, already! I'll get on with it!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Once in a New Moon
He stood alone on the terrace, staring at the river below, thinking it was a shame that he knew how to swim. The knife in his gut twisted brutally, and conflict raged within him ~ every instinct inside demanded that he leave, run back to the shrine, and go back to his own time. Maybe find that cave again, and finish what he had started before. But he couldn't do that. For one thing, he was human tonight, so he couldn't just leap off into the night. But mostly it was because, heartbroken or not, he couldn't just abandon Kagome. Whether she loved another or not, they were still friends, and she had come here with him. He couldn't just leave her.
It was probably a good thing he was human tonight, too. In this form, while his fury boiled within him, he didn't feel the need for blood that he would if he were hanyou. Killing, or maiming the object of Kagome's affection would probably put a damper on the evening for everyone there.
'Why did I ever listen to that brainless monk? Kissing dance! Keh! I should have known that was stupid!' One tear slid down his cheek, and he angrily dashed it away. What now? 'I guess I should go back and find Kagome. It's not her fault that this happened. It's my own stupidity!' He groaned. 'I still want her to have a good time tonight, even if she doesn't return my feelings. Tonight was so important to her.' But he couldn't make himself move. He just stood, gazing out at the water, lost in his misery.
***********
'What the hell is wrong with him?' Kagome attempted to push through the throng of couples that had engulfed her while she stood, dazed, on the dance floor. Moments before, she had been so blissfully happy ~ in the arms of the man she loved. And then ...what? She shook her head, recalling the conversation of the last few minutes, struggling to understand what had gone so terribly wrong.
After pushing, ducking, and being squished by sweaty, clinging couples, she finally made it to the edge of the dance floor. Focused only on the French doors, she let out a little squeal when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Kagome, may I collect on that dance now?" It was, of course, Houjo.
She sighed. "Now's not a good time, Houjo. I'm sorry."
He searched her face with concern. "Is something wrong?"
She shook her head, "I don't know! I just don't..." She looked up at him, "Thank you for your concern, but I've gotta go, ok?"
"Oh, ok." He said to no one. She was already gone.
"Kagomeeeeeeeee! Look! We got a proof of you and Inuyasha! It's sooo sweet!" Mimi was waving a sheet of photo paper, followed by Yuri and Nanami.
She tried to ignore them. 'Don't these girls have dates? Love lives of their own? Why is my life so fascinating to them?' She didn't want to stop. But they caught up with her and somehow, managed to surround her. 'How do they do that? They have to practice at it!' She resigned herself and took the proffered photo and looked at it.
And started in wonder. It wasn't the posed photo she had expected to see. It was one that she hadn't realized had been taken ~ one of herself rubbing the smudge off of Inuhasha's mouth. She wore a subtle smile, adoration clearly written in her eyes. Nothing surprising there. She imagined she must look like that all the time when she cared for his wounds. But Inuyasha's image ~ that astonished her. The expression he wore was so...gentle. So... Was that ... could that be love she saw in his eyes? 'No!' she berated herself for being so silly. Caring, yes. Tenderness; definitely. But love? That had to be wishful thinking on her part. His heart was taken.
Yuri's dreamy voice interrupted her thoughts, "I've never seen a guy so in love! You're really lucky, Kagome! And he's so cute!"
"Noooo...no. We're just... friends. Just...fr..." her voice trailed off.
Nanami scoffed, "Oh yeah, right! I've seen him watching you all night. If he thinks of you as "just a friend," I'll eat my shoe!
Kagome wasn't listening, "Your shoe? Why would I want ...Sorry guys! I've gotta go. I've gotta find him." Before anyone could protest, she bolted for the doors.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When she finally made it outside, he hadn't moved. He was aware of her presence, but he didn't trust his voice to speak.
"Inuyasha?"
Silence.
"Inuyasha? What's wrong? Why did you leave?" When he still didn't respond, she moved toward him and laid her hand on his arm. "I didn't say you couldn't kiss me. I just said it wasn't part of the dance."
He didn't turn around. He couldn't face her. "So, you love him, then?" He didn't try to disguise the bitterness in his voice.
Kagome frowned, completely confused. 'Love him? Love who? Surely he can't be jealous of his other form? But who else could he possibly think I would love?' "Do I love who, Inuyasha?"
He growled in frustration, anger, pain. Finally turning toward her, he flung an arm in the direction of the ballroom and spat, "HIM! That...that... that human!" When she still frowned at him in confusion, "Ho...Houjo!"
"Houjo? What would make you think that I love Houjo? I mean, he's a good friend, but I don't..."
He cut her off. Turning to face the water again, he said, "I saw you dancing with him."
"Inuyasha, we weren't dancing. We were just talking while I was waiting for you to come back from the men's room. I was telling him about..."
Again, he cut her off before she could finish her sentence, "I saw you dancing with him at your last dance."
That stopped her. For a very long moment, all she could do is gape at him, "H...h-how could you have..."
"I got your brother to show me where your school was." When she said nothing, he added, "We were up in that tree outside the courtyard."
She gasped, remembering the loud crashing sound she had heard. What had she told Houjo? "I'm just going to sit down over here?" When she heard the crash, she had almost gone to investigate, but by then, Houjo had returned with their drinks.
"So that WAS you! But why...?" Why what? Why was he there? Why didn't he interfere when she danced and ...ohdeargods...kissed ...could this possibly explain his bizarre behavior of late? Why he had disappeared for all that time? Why he insisted on coming to this dance? But why did it matter so much to him? Her head was spinning as questions bombarded her brain faster than she could ask them, or even decide which ones to ask.
"Why do you think I left? Why do you think I was so hostile? I saw you kiss him!" He flung his words at her, pain and anger hitting her in a shockwave of anguish.
"Inuyasha..."
"He touched you and kissed you and I was going to destroy him for it. But you kissed him back. I saw you. I watched as you chose him. You kissed him back.... the way I wanted you to kiss me. The way I've always dreamed you'd kiss ...me..."
To say that Kagome was startled would be like saying that the Niagara is a trickle of water. 'He wants to kiss me???' Her insides were a complete jumble of emotions beginning with astonishment and ending with jubilation. But in between there was confusion, uncertainty, and that annoying, ever present little voice that kept murmuring "Kikyou, Kikyou. What about Kikyou?" She pushed those thoughts away. This was all too confusing...and wonderful... and for once, Kikyou's not going to interrupt.
"Inuyasha... you don't know..."
He snorted, "But then the houshi convinced me that the kiss was probably part of the dance. BAKA!" he spat. "So I decided that I had to be the one you did that danced with tonight." He squeezed his eyes shut in pain, trying to hold back the tears of frustration that threatened to burst forth. "How stupid can any one guy be? I should have known you'd choose a human from your own time over a lowly half-breed from a by-gone era."
Kagome shook her head sadly. "Oh, Inuyasha. You could have saved us both, not to mention everyone else, a lot of heartache and pain if you had just talked to me to begin with. If you had just told me..."
Laughing bitterly, he asked angrily, "How could that possibly have helped? I assure you, there is nothing more painful than watching you kiss ..."
"INUYASHA!" she rebuked sharply. Then more gently, if a bit feebly, "I...I *was* kissing you."
That stopped any retort he could have come up with. In fact, it completely flummoxed him. He glowered and blinked at her, "Uh, Kagome, I think I would have noticed that."
"No!" She shook her head, memories of that evening flooding back, "I suppose I was kissing him, but I was thinking about you."
At his dubious look, she sighed. How could she make him understand? Timidly, she took his hand, fully expecting him to shake her off. He didn't. He just stood very still, waiting to see what she'd say next.
She sighed again, trying to compose her thoughts, and tugged gently on his hand, "This is going to be kind of a long story, so you might want to si.. uh, be seated for it."
"I'm fine here."
"Perhaps, but I want to talk directly to you, to make sure I have your full attention. And you're much taller than I am." He stubbornly stood his ground, but when she said, "Please," he relented and allowed her to lead him over to a bench. He looked at her expectantly.
"Inuyasha, do you remember the day of the dance? Before the dance, I mean? Remember that demon we fought?"
Nodding, he said, "Yeah. That son-of-a-bitch was a tough one! And you, you stupid wench ~ going after him and grabbing the kit right out of his mouth like you were."
Kagome cut in impatiently, "Yes, it was a very harrowing battle. And, not being half demon, it was also exhausting for us mere mortals. But I had been looking forward to that dance for a very long time." Seeing a glum expression cross his face, she added, "and not because I was going with Houjo. I just love to dance."
She paused to make sure he was listening, and that the truth of the last statement had registered with him. He nodded, so she continued. "Ok, now my story. It goes back further than the night of the dance, but it all ties in, so try to be patient." She shot him a wry smile at this, knowing that patience was not one of Inuyasha's most accomplished skills.
"We'll start with our heroine. She's an ordinary teenage girl, living in Tokyo, Japan in the 21st century. She gets good grades in school, has nice (if nosy) friends, goes to ballet classes four times a week, and lives at a shrine with her family. Her family has cared for the shrine, according to her grandfather, ever since it was built more than 400 years ago.
On the girl's fifteenth birthday, she sees her little brother go into the building on their grounds that houses an old well. She knows he's not allowed to play in there because it's dangerous, so she goes in after him. Her little brother is worried about the family cat who went into the well house, and wants her to go in and get the cat. But when she goes to do it, a huge centipede comes up out of the well, and before she knows what's happening, it grabs her and pulls her in. Now, her grandfather had told her stories all her life about demons and monsters of ancient times, but she had never believed any of them. But next thing she knew, she was in a forest, fighting for her life with what looked like one of her grandfather's fantasies. And, if that weren't shocking enough, when the girl put her hand up in self-defense, she sent out a wave of light that seemed to destroy the monster.
But our heroine finds she is not in her well house, or anywhere that looks familiar to her. She looks around to see someone who looks like a young man, except that he has long silvery white hair and little dog ears on top of his head. And he appears to be dead, pinned to a tree by an arrow. Having perhaps more curiosity than is healthy, she approached the young man and cannot help but reach up to stroke his ears. He doesn't stir. Before she can do anything else, she is discovered by the people of the nearby village, and is eventually told that she is the reincarnation of their long- ago slain priestess. Then the centipede monster revives and attacks the village, and the girl realizes it is after her. So, she runs away from the village and into the forest again, calling out for help, which strangely seems to revive the guy pinned to the tree. He calls the girl "Kikyou," which is NOT her name, and eventually convinces her to free him from the tree, but not before this centipede monster has pulled a jewel from the girl's body.
Now, believe it or not, all this is a little hard for a modern girl to believe, let alone understand. But what was really the limit was when this guy that she freed from the tree saved her life, killed the monster, but then tried to kill her to get the jewel from her!
"I didn't try to kill you, stupid. I just wanted to scare you."
She glared, "Yeah, right. Don't interrupt. Anyway, it turns out that this guy is a hanyou ~ half human, half dog-demon. Through a series of events that I don't need to go over, she shatters this jewel thing, and ends up duty bound to embark on a quest to collect all the pieces with this guy, who's personality didn't improve much from the time he tried to kill (glare), ok, scare her. He was rude, arrogant, stubborn, single minded, insensitive, and verbally abusive. He had no problem with pointing out all her shortcomings either ~ from her human frailty to her unsightly appearance and offensive scent. According to him, the only reason he keeps her around is that she can see the sense and see the jewel shards, and he cannot. And completing the jewel is the only thing that matters to him, so he can use it to become full demon.
Luckily, while on this quest, our heroine is able to go back to her own home in her own era so that she can still see her family and go to school, at least occasionally. Assuming that she can convince the hanyou she needs to go home or that she can use her subduing spell on him so she can make it through the well. She misses a lot of school, and thanks to her "helpful" grandfather, all her friends think she is a walking poster girl for bizarre diseases medical research, but she is at least able to keep up most of her grades. Math suffers, but her history grade improves by light-years!" she added with a smirk.
"Hmph!"
"While at school, she is approached by another guy. He's one of the most popular guys at that school because he's very handsome, athletic, and smart. He's also very nice. For some reason, in spite of her constant "illness," he likes the girl and wants to date her. He asks the girl if she wants to go out with him to the movies. Hoping she can make it, she accepts. But, of course, instead of being home when he comes to pick her up, she is off somewhere in the Feudal Japan, fighting for her life and a jewel shard with the jerk."
"Hey!"
"Amazingly enough, the Nice Guy accepts her lame excuses, and still wants to go out with her. In fact, she stood him up so many times, you'd think he'd give up, but every time he forgives her. And meanwhile, he brings her little gifts to help with her "ailments," and tutors her to help her keep her grades up."
Inuyasha sighed. All the things he couldn't give her. And he could never even begin to hope he could help her with her studies. Even if he could understand why they were so important.
"Ok, so, moving on to almost three years later: Our heroine is still on this quest, still with The Jerk, but with the addition of several other friends who help them out. She has learned to love the people she spends much of her time with, and has become a stronger, better person for all their trials. But every once in a while, she needs a break. Living a double life is exhausting! She no longer has time for ballet classes, but she still loves to dance. So she decides to go to her school dance. She doesn't tell "The Jerk" about it, because she knows he will try to prevent her from going. It's bad enough, in his opinion, that she's human and has to take breaks to sleep and take refuge from the elements. If it were up to him, she would never go back to her time, but stay with him and hunt for the jewel shards all the time. Except of course, when he goes off looking for the reanimated corpse of his dead lover, leaving everyone to wonder if he will ever come back or if she has pulled him into hell with her."
At this last part, Inuyasha flinched, remembering he hadn't told Kagome about Kikyou yet. He paled, but since it was dark, Kagome didn't notice.
"Anyway, the day of the dance comes. Our heroine is very excited. She can hardly wait to be there. But that morning, they are attacked by one of the fiercest monsters that they have encountered thus far, and a furious battle ensues, leaving the human and kitsune members of the party exhausted."
"At least we won," came a muted grunt from the bench beside her. "And got the shards."
She rolled her eyes, "Yes, they won. Let's move on. We'll skip everything up to the dance, ok? The girl was very tired by the time she had eaten dinner, and would have been ready to go to bed and sleep for several days if she hadn't been going to a dance. But she wasn't about to miss that. It didn't matter whom she danced with ~ she just wanted to dance. The music revived her; made her feel alive! It was wonderful! So she danced every dance without stopping, and her sweet date didn't object."
Inuyasha exhaled heavily and looked away. He didn't like how this story was going. He really didn't like the way his character stacked up against this "sweet date" of hers. Kagome stood and held her hand out to Inuyasha. Reluctantly, he stood.
"But then the music slowed down, and her date drew her into his arms." She placed Inuyasha's hands on her waist, and she put hers on his shoulders. "She kept him at arms distance at first, because as sweet as he was, she couldn't make herself care for him the way he wanted her to. Because ~ and this is the really stupid thing ~ in spite of all his faults, she is absolutely, completely, madly, stupidly in... crazy about The Jerk. In fact, she cares more about him than anyone in the whole world, past or present. Because, in addition to being insensitive and abrasive, he is also strong and loyal and incredibly brave. His first instinct is always to protect her and his friends, even at the risk of his own life. Because he can be very sweet when he forgets to put on his "tough guy," act, and because he has the purest heart of anyone she has ever known. And because, no matter how much danger they are in, if he's there, she's never frightened. She'd rather die fighting by his side than live without him."
Inuyasha looked down at her, wide-eyed. Heart thundering against his ribcage, he thought, "She's crazy about him!... Me!" Hope began to rise in his chest, and the knife began to withdraw, to be replaced by something warm; something joyful. Feeling her move closer to him, he responded by tightening his arms around her and drawing her to his chest. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed happily.
Kagome continued, "But the music was so soft and kind of hypnotic, and she became very drowsy. Resting her head on his shoulder, and closing her eyes, she let the music wash over her. The words of the song were "Once in a Blue Moon," but to her they became, "Once in a New Moon."
As if on cue, the first strains of "Once in a Blue Moon," floated out over the terrace.
The room is empty
the lights are dim
and my heart wonders
if I'll ever see you again
my tears are hungry
for an open door
when your arms held me
I never felt that way before
"Suddenly, she wasn't dancing with "The Nice Guy" anymore. She was dancing with the, uh, ...the other guy. She could feel his strong arms, his powerful chest, smelled his wonderful earthy scent." She breathed deeply and again stroked his ponytail. "It felt so real! She could feel his presence there with her. Probably," she added sardonically, "because he was right there, up in the tree."
I'll be waiting
I'll be watching
under a new moon
the taste of heaven
only happens
once in a blue moon
once in a blue moon
Remembering what was coming next in this little re-enactment, Inuyasha began to tremble. 'Don't blow it! This has to be good!' his mind screamed at him.
"So, when he reached down and lifted her chin... and kissed her...she responded with all the hunger, all the passion she felt for him ... that she had been holding back for so very long...." That was all she got out, because Inuyasha took his cue and captured her lips with his, willingly assuming the role of the, uh, ... other guy.
The feeling was overwhelming. It far surpassed anything he could have ever imagined. Her lips were so soft, like the petals of sakura blossoms, yet so warm. He quickly forgot his nervousness, because at first union, a kind of epiphany came over him. In all his life, nothing had ever felt so perfect, so right. With her he had always felt at home, complete, and this kiss confirmed it. The emptiness and loneliness that consumed his soul all his life filled with the warmth of her love..... of their love. And for once, he wasn't afraid of his emotions. This was meant to be ~ it had to be! Why else would she have crossed time to be with him?
do you remember
when the wind blew free
and we fit together
so naturally
I'll be waiting
I'll be watching
under a blue moon
the taste of heaven
only happens
once in a blue moon
if the wind closes a door
it will open another
And so he kissed her deeply, passionately, willing her to feel all the love he held inside for her. His heart soared when he heard her moan appreciatively. Never in his life could he remember being so happy.
But then she pulled away and looked up at him.
Breathlessly, he clutched her to keep her close and searched her face, "Why did you stop?"
"Because I heard a howl in the distance. It was the saddest sound I have ever heard." Her voice was wistful, "Like his soul had been torn from his body, or that he had just lost his reason for living." Gazing up at him, she realized for the first time that the howl must have come from him.
"He thought he had."
"I realized that I hadn't been kissing the one I had been thinking of. I kind of ...freaked out, I guess, and excused myself to the ladies room." Kagome finished.
Keeping his hold on her, he asked urgently, "What if it had been? What if it had been the...The Jerk?"
She smiled up at him, "Let's call him The Hero."
He smiled back. "What if it had been him that you were kissing?"
Giving him a teasing smile, she said, "If he let me, I would have kissed him again ..." she tiptoed and kissed his lips lightly, "and again," another kiss, "and again." She kissed him again quickly, then had to duck her head to keep him from taking it further so she could continue, "As many times as he let me, for as long as he wanted to." She finally finished, which was a good thing, because Inuyasha was prepared by then to wrestle her to the ground to get at the promised kisses.
Curling his hand around the back of her neck and making it impossible for her to escape (as though she would have tried), he pressed his lips to hers, tasting her lips and then her mouth with his tongue. Oh, gods, she tasted good! Just like he always knew she would. "Hm-mm. You couldn't have." He smiled against her mouth.
She tried, unsuccessfully, to draw back. "Hmmmm?"
"If you kissed him for as long as he wanted to, you'd still be there."
I'll be waiting
I'll be watching
under a blue moon
the taste of heaven
only happens
once in a blue moon
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, one more chapter to go. Waff city! I really will try not to make you wait so long. Meanwhile... I have a fantastic recommendation for you all. I almost hesitate to mention this story because my writing talent pales in comparison to this writer. But the story deserves to be read, and you all deserve to read it. It's called The Crying Game, and it's by one of my all- time favorite fanfic writers, Lara Winner. She posted all nine chapters at once ~ no waiting for those annoying cliffhangers *ahem*. Unfortunately, because she did that, it didn't get much front-page time, so I think many people missed this amazing story. I promise you'll love it. Go on! Read it! But leave feedback first! BTW, I love you all!
Grovel, grovel, grovel. Sorry so long, friends. Had to get another job to pay the bills. Not much left after tuition and books, so in addition to classes, practicum, shows, a newsletter, and another job, I'm not sleeping much. Or writing. Sorry!
Ok, I changed my mind. A couple of people wrote to me and said that it might not be a good idea to change the title of the fic. It seems some people have been recommending the story to others and they might not be able to find it if the title has changed. Can't have that, can we? Whoever it is that is saying such nice things about my story, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can't tell you how good it makes me feel. Also, I got word that this story has been nominated for an IY Fanfic award! Wow! I can't believe it, but it makes me so happy! (Thanks, SylverAngel!) So, maybe I'll change it after the story's done.
One more thing: I wish you all could listen to this song while you read this chapter. I'm listening to it as I write it. It's the same song, Once in a Blue Moon, from the previous chapter (6? 7?) when Kagome dances with Houjo. I love Sydney Forest's music, and I believe this song came from the soundtrack of a movie called "Simply Irresistible." I acquired the song by "other means," as I have been completely unsuccessful in finding any of her cd's to buy. You might recognize her from the opening and closing songs on the Disney version of Kiki's Delivery Service.
Hey, stop throwing things! Alright, already! I'll get on with it!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Once in a New Moon
He stood alone on the terrace, staring at the river below, thinking it was a shame that he knew how to swim. The knife in his gut twisted brutally, and conflict raged within him ~ every instinct inside demanded that he leave, run back to the shrine, and go back to his own time. Maybe find that cave again, and finish what he had started before. But he couldn't do that. For one thing, he was human tonight, so he couldn't just leap off into the night. But mostly it was because, heartbroken or not, he couldn't just abandon Kagome. Whether she loved another or not, they were still friends, and she had come here with him. He couldn't just leave her.
It was probably a good thing he was human tonight, too. In this form, while his fury boiled within him, he didn't feel the need for blood that he would if he were hanyou. Killing, or maiming the object of Kagome's affection would probably put a damper on the evening for everyone there.
'Why did I ever listen to that brainless monk? Kissing dance! Keh! I should have known that was stupid!' One tear slid down his cheek, and he angrily dashed it away. What now? 'I guess I should go back and find Kagome. It's not her fault that this happened. It's my own stupidity!' He groaned. 'I still want her to have a good time tonight, even if she doesn't return my feelings. Tonight was so important to her.' But he couldn't make himself move. He just stood, gazing out at the water, lost in his misery.
***********
'What the hell is wrong with him?' Kagome attempted to push through the throng of couples that had engulfed her while she stood, dazed, on the dance floor. Moments before, she had been so blissfully happy ~ in the arms of the man she loved. And then ...what? She shook her head, recalling the conversation of the last few minutes, struggling to understand what had gone so terribly wrong.
After pushing, ducking, and being squished by sweaty, clinging couples, she finally made it to the edge of the dance floor. Focused only on the French doors, she let out a little squeal when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Kagome, may I collect on that dance now?" It was, of course, Houjo.
She sighed. "Now's not a good time, Houjo. I'm sorry."
He searched her face with concern. "Is something wrong?"
She shook her head, "I don't know! I just don't..." She looked up at him, "Thank you for your concern, but I've gotta go, ok?"
"Oh, ok." He said to no one. She was already gone.
"Kagomeeeeeeeee! Look! We got a proof of you and Inuyasha! It's sooo sweet!" Mimi was waving a sheet of photo paper, followed by Yuri and Nanami.
She tried to ignore them. 'Don't these girls have dates? Love lives of their own? Why is my life so fascinating to them?' She didn't want to stop. But they caught up with her and somehow, managed to surround her. 'How do they do that? They have to practice at it!' She resigned herself and took the proffered photo and looked at it.
And started in wonder. It wasn't the posed photo she had expected to see. It was one that she hadn't realized had been taken ~ one of herself rubbing the smudge off of Inuhasha's mouth. She wore a subtle smile, adoration clearly written in her eyes. Nothing surprising there. She imagined she must look like that all the time when she cared for his wounds. But Inuyasha's image ~ that astonished her. The expression he wore was so...gentle. So... Was that ... could that be love she saw in his eyes? 'No!' she berated herself for being so silly. Caring, yes. Tenderness; definitely. But love? That had to be wishful thinking on her part. His heart was taken.
Yuri's dreamy voice interrupted her thoughts, "I've never seen a guy so in love! You're really lucky, Kagome! And he's so cute!"
"Noooo...no. We're just... friends. Just...fr..." her voice trailed off.
Nanami scoffed, "Oh yeah, right! I've seen him watching you all night. If he thinks of you as "just a friend," I'll eat my shoe!
Kagome wasn't listening, "Your shoe? Why would I want ...Sorry guys! I've gotta go. I've gotta find him." Before anyone could protest, she bolted for the doors.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When she finally made it outside, he hadn't moved. He was aware of her presence, but he didn't trust his voice to speak.
"Inuyasha?"
Silence.
"Inuyasha? What's wrong? Why did you leave?" When he still didn't respond, she moved toward him and laid her hand on his arm. "I didn't say you couldn't kiss me. I just said it wasn't part of the dance."
He didn't turn around. He couldn't face her. "So, you love him, then?" He didn't try to disguise the bitterness in his voice.
Kagome frowned, completely confused. 'Love him? Love who? Surely he can't be jealous of his other form? But who else could he possibly think I would love?' "Do I love who, Inuyasha?"
He growled in frustration, anger, pain. Finally turning toward her, he flung an arm in the direction of the ballroom and spat, "HIM! That...that... that human!" When she still frowned at him in confusion, "Ho...Houjo!"
"Houjo? What would make you think that I love Houjo? I mean, he's a good friend, but I don't..."
He cut her off. Turning to face the water again, he said, "I saw you dancing with him."
"Inuyasha, we weren't dancing. We were just talking while I was waiting for you to come back from the men's room. I was telling him about..."
Again, he cut her off before she could finish her sentence, "I saw you dancing with him at your last dance."
That stopped her. For a very long moment, all she could do is gape at him, "H...h-how could you have..."
"I got your brother to show me where your school was." When she said nothing, he added, "We were up in that tree outside the courtyard."
She gasped, remembering the loud crashing sound she had heard. What had she told Houjo? "I'm just going to sit down over here?" When she heard the crash, she had almost gone to investigate, but by then, Houjo had returned with their drinks.
"So that WAS you! But why...?" Why what? Why was he there? Why didn't he interfere when she danced and ...ohdeargods...kissed ...could this possibly explain his bizarre behavior of late? Why he had disappeared for all that time? Why he insisted on coming to this dance? But why did it matter so much to him? Her head was spinning as questions bombarded her brain faster than she could ask them, or even decide which ones to ask.
"Why do you think I left? Why do you think I was so hostile? I saw you kiss him!" He flung his words at her, pain and anger hitting her in a shockwave of anguish.
"Inuyasha..."
"He touched you and kissed you and I was going to destroy him for it. But you kissed him back. I saw you. I watched as you chose him. You kissed him back.... the way I wanted you to kiss me. The way I've always dreamed you'd kiss ...me..."
To say that Kagome was startled would be like saying that the Niagara is a trickle of water. 'He wants to kiss me???' Her insides were a complete jumble of emotions beginning with astonishment and ending with jubilation. But in between there was confusion, uncertainty, and that annoying, ever present little voice that kept murmuring "Kikyou, Kikyou. What about Kikyou?" She pushed those thoughts away. This was all too confusing...and wonderful... and for once, Kikyou's not going to interrupt.
"Inuyasha... you don't know..."
He snorted, "But then the houshi convinced me that the kiss was probably part of the dance. BAKA!" he spat. "So I decided that I had to be the one you did that danced with tonight." He squeezed his eyes shut in pain, trying to hold back the tears of frustration that threatened to burst forth. "How stupid can any one guy be? I should have known you'd choose a human from your own time over a lowly half-breed from a by-gone era."
Kagome shook her head sadly. "Oh, Inuyasha. You could have saved us both, not to mention everyone else, a lot of heartache and pain if you had just talked to me to begin with. If you had just told me..."
Laughing bitterly, he asked angrily, "How could that possibly have helped? I assure you, there is nothing more painful than watching you kiss ..."
"INUYASHA!" she rebuked sharply. Then more gently, if a bit feebly, "I...I *was* kissing you."
That stopped any retort he could have come up with. In fact, it completely flummoxed him. He glowered and blinked at her, "Uh, Kagome, I think I would have noticed that."
"No!" She shook her head, memories of that evening flooding back, "I suppose I was kissing him, but I was thinking about you."
At his dubious look, she sighed. How could she make him understand? Timidly, she took his hand, fully expecting him to shake her off. He didn't. He just stood very still, waiting to see what she'd say next.
She sighed again, trying to compose her thoughts, and tugged gently on his hand, "This is going to be kind of a long story, so you might want to si.. uh, be seated for it."
"I'm fine here."
"Perhaps, but I want to talk directly to you, to make sure I have your full attention. And you're much taller than I am." He stubbornly stood his ground, but when she said, "Please," he relented and allowed her to lead him over to a bench. He looked at her expectantly.
"Inuyasha, do you remember the day of the dance? Before the dance, I mean? Remember that demon we fought?"
Nodding, he said, "Yeah. That son-of-a-bitch was a tough one! And you, you stupid wench ~ going after him and grabbing the kit right out of his mouth like you were."
Kagome cut in impatiently, "Yes, it was a very harrowing battle. And, not being half demon, it was also exhausting for us mere mortals. But I had been looking forward to that dance for a very long time." Seeing a glum expression cross his face, she added, "and not because I was going with Houjo. I just love to dance."
She paused to make sure he was listening, and that the truth of the last statement had registered with him. He nodded, so she continued. "Ok, now my story. It goes back further than the night of the dance, but it all ties in, so try to be patient." She shot him a wry smile at this, knowing that patience was not one of Inuyasha's most accomplished skills.
"We'll start with our heroine. She's an ordinary teenage girl, living in Tokyo, Japan in the 21st century. She gets good grades in school, has nice (if nosy) friends, goes to ballet classes four times a week, and lives at a shrine with her family. Her family has cared for the shrine, according to her grandfather, ever since it was built more than 400 years ago.
On the girl's fifteenth birthday, she sees her little brother go into the building on their grounds that houses an old well. She knows he's not allowed to play in there because it's dangerous, so she goes in after him. Her little brother is worried about the family cat who went into the well house, and wants her to go in and get the cat. But when she goes to do it, a huge centipede comes up out of the well, and before she knows what's happening, it grabs her and pulls her in. Now, her grandfather had told her stories all her life about demons and monsters of ancient times, but she had never believed any of them. But next thing she knew, she was in a forest, fighting for her life with what looked like one of her grandfather's fantasies. And, if that weren't shocking enough, when the girl put her hand up in self-defense, she sent out a wave of light that seemed to destroy the monster.
But our heroine finds she is not in her well house, or anywhere that looks familiar to her. She looks around to see someone who looks like a young man, except that he has long silvery white hair and little dog ears on top of his head. And he appears to be dead, pinned to a tree by an arrow. Having perhaps more curiosity than is healthy, she approached the young man and cannot help but reach up to stroke his ears. He doesn't stir. Before she can do anything else, she is discovered by the people of the nearby village, and is eventually told that she is the reincarnation of their long- ago slain priestess. Then the centipede monster revives and attacks the village, and the girl realizes it is after her. So, she runs away from the village and into the forest again, calling out for help, which strangely seems to revive the guy pinned to the tree. He calls the girl "Kikyou," which is NOT her name, and eventually convinces her to free him from the tree, but not before this centipede monster has pulled a jewel from the girl's body.
Now, believe it or not, all this is a little hard for a modern girl to believe, let alone understand. But what was really the limit was when this guy that she freed from the tree saved her life, killed the monster, but then tried to kill her to get the jewel from her!
"I didn't try to kill you, stupid. I just wanted to scare you."
She glared, "Yeah, right. Don't interrupt. Anyway, it turns out that this guy is a hanyou ~ half human, half dog-demon. Through a series of events that I don't need to go over, she shatters this jewel thing, and ends up duty bound to embark on a quest to collect all the pieces with this guy, who's personality didn't improve much from the time he tried to kill (glare), ok, scare her. He was rude, arrogant, stubborn, single minded, insensitive, and verbally abusive. He had no problem with pointing out all her shortcomings either ~ from her human frailty to her unsightly appearance and offensive scent. According to him, the only reason he keeps her around is that she can see the sense and see the jewel shards, and he cannot. And completing the jewel is the only thing that matters to him, so he can use it to become full demon.
Luckily, while on this quest, our heroine is able to go back to her own home in her own era so that she can still see her family and go to school, at least occasionally. Assuming that she can convince the hanyou she needs to go home or that she can use her subduing spell on him so she can make it through the well. She misses a lot of school, and thanks to her "helpful" grandfather, all her friends think she is a walking poster girl for bizarre diseases medical research, but she is at least able to keep up most of her grades. Math suffers, but her history grade improves by light-years!" she added with a smirk.
"Hmph!"
"While at school, she is approached by another guy. He's one of the most popular guys at that school because he's very handsome, athletic, and smart. He's also very nice. For some reason, in spite of her constant "illness," he likes the girl and wants to date her. He asks the girl if she wants to go out with him to the movies. Hoping she can make it, she accepts. But, of course, instead of being home when he comes to pick her up, she is off somewhere in the Feudal Japan, fighting for her life and a jewel shard with the jerk."
"Hey!"
"Amazingly enough, the Nice Guy accepts her lame excuses, and still wants to go out with her. In fact, she stood him up so many times, you'd think he'd give up, but every time he forgives her. And meanwhile, he brings her little gifts to help with her "ailments," and tutors her to help her keep her grades up."
Inuyasha sighed. All the things he couldn't give her. And he could never even begin to hope he could help her with her studies. Even if he could understand why they were so important.
"Ok, so, moving on to almost three years later: Our heroine is still on this quest, still with The Jerk, but with the addition of several other friends who help them out. She has learned to love the people she spends much of her time with, and has become a stronger, better person for all their trials. But every once in a while, she needs a break. Living a double life is exhausting! She no longer has time for ballet classes, but she still loves to dance. So she decides to go to her school dance. She doesn't tell "The Jerk" about it, because she knows he will try to prevent her from going. It's bad enough, in his opinion, that she's human and has to take breaks to sleep and take refuge from the elements. If it were up to him, she would never go back to her time, but stay with him and hunt for the jewel shards all the time. Except of course, when he goes off looking for the reanimated corpse of his dead lover, leaving everyone to wonder if he will ever come back or if she has pulled him into hell with her."
At this last part, Inuyasha flinched, remembering he hadn't told Kagome about Kikyou yet. He paled, but since it was dark, Kagome didn't notice.
"Anyway, the day of the dance comes. Our heroine is very excited. She can hardly wait to be there. But that morning, they are attacked by one of the fiercest monsters that they have encountered thus far, and a furious battle ensues, leaving the human and kitsune members of the party exhausted."
"At least we won," came a muted grunt from the bench beside her. "And got the shards."
She rolled her eyes, "Yes, they won. Let's move on. We'll skip everything up to the dance, ok? The girl was very tired by the time she had eaten dinner, and would have been ready to go to bed and sleep for several days if she hadn't been going to a dance. But she wasn't about to miss that. It didn't matter whom she danced with ~ she just wanted to dance. The music revived her; made her feel alive! It was wonderful! So she danced every dance without stopping, and her sweet date didn't object."
Inuyasha exhaled heavily and looked away. He didn't like how this story was going. He really didn't like the way his character stacked up against this "sweet date" of hers. Kagome stood and held her hand out to Inuyasha. Reluctantly, he stood.
"But then the music slowed down, and her date drew her into his arms." She placed Inuyasha's hands on her waist, and she put hers on his shoulders. "She kept him at arms distance at first, because as sweet as he was, she couldn't make herself care for him the way he wanted her to. Because ~ and this is the really stupid thing ~ in spite of all his faults, she is absolutely, completely, madly, stupidly in... crazy about The Jerk. In fact, she cares more about him than anyone in the whole world, past or present. Because, in addition to being insensitive and abrasive, he is also strong and loyal and incredibly brave. His first instinct is always to protect her and his friends, even at the risk of his own life. Because he can be very sweet when he forgets to put on his "tough guy," act, and because he has the purest heart of anyone she has ever known. And because, no matter how much danger they are in, if he's there, she's never frightened. She'd rather die fighting by his side than live without him."
Inuyasha looked down at her, wide-eyed. Heart thundering against his ribcage, he thought, "She's crazy about him!... Me!" Hope began to rise in his chest, and the knife began to withdraw, to be replaced by something warm; something joyful. Feeling her move closer to him, he responded by tightening his arms around her and drawing her to his chest. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed happily.
Kagome continued, "But the music was so soft and kind of hypnotic, and she became very drowsy. Resting her head on his shoulder, and closing her eyes, she let the music wash over her. The words of the song were "Once in a Blue Moon," but to her they became, "Once in a New Moon."
As if on cue, the first strains of "Once in a Blue Moon," floated out over the terrace.
The room is empty
the lights are dim
and my heart wonders
if I'll ever see you again
my tears are hungry
for an open door
when your arms held me
I never felt that way before
"Suddenly, she wasn't dancing with "The Nice Guy" anymore. She was dancing with the, uh, ...the other guy. She could feel his strong arms, his powerful chest, smelled his wonderful earthy scent." She breathed deeply and again stroked his ponytail. "It felt so real! She could feel his presence there with her. Probably," she added sardonically, "because he was right there, up in the tree."
I'll be waiting
I'll be watching
under a new moon
the taste of heaven
only happens
once in a blue moon
once in a blue moon
Remembering what was coming next in this little re-enactment, Inuyasha began to tremble. 'Don't blow it! This has to be good!' his mind screamed at him.
"So, when he reached down and lifted her chin... and kissed her...she responded with all the hunger, all the passion she felt for him ... that she had been holding back for so very long...." That was all she got out, because Inuyasha took his cue and captured her lips with his, willingly assuming the role of the, uh, ... other guy.
The feeling was overwhelming. It far surpassed anything he could have ever imagined. Her lips were so soft, like the petals of sakura blossoms, yet so warm. He quickly forgot his nervousness, because at first union, a kind of epiphany came over him. In all his life, nothing had ever felt so perfect, so right. With her he had always felt at home, complete, and this kiss confirmed it. The emptiness and loneliness that consumed his soul all his life filled with the warmth of her love..... of their love. And for once, he wasn't afraid of his emotions. This was meant to be ~ it had to be! Why else would she have crossed time to be with him?
do you remember
when the wind blew free
and we fit together
so naturally
I'll be waiting
I'll be watching
under a blue moon
the taste of heaven
only happens
once in a blue moon
if the wind closes a door
it will open another
And so he kissed her deeply, passionately, willing her to feel all the love he held inside for her. His heart soared when he heard her moan appreciatively. Never in his life could he remember being so happy.
But then she pulled away and looked up at him.
Breathlessly, he clutched her to keep her close and searched her face, "Why did you stop?"
"Because I heard a howl in the distance. It was the saddest sound I have ever heard." Her voice was wistful, "Like his soul had been torn from his body, or that he had just lost his reason for living." Gazing up at him, she realized for the first time that the howl must have come from him.
"He thought he had."
"I realized that I hadn't been kissing the one I had been thinking of. I kind of ...freaked out, I guess, and excused myself to the ladies room." Kagome finished.
Keeping his hold on her, he asked urgently, "What if it had been? What if it had been the...The Jerk?"
She smiled up at him, "Let's call him The Hero."
He smiled back. "What if it had been him that you were kissing?"
Giving him a teasing smile, she said, "If he let me, I would have kissed him again ..." she tiptoed and kissed his lips lightly, "and again," another kiss, "and again." She kissed him again quickly, then had to duck her head to keep him from taking it further so she could continue, "As many times as he let me, for as long as he wanted to." She finally finished, which was a good thing, because Inuyasha was prepared by then to wrestle her to the ground to get at the promised kisses.
Curling his hand around the back of her neck and making it impossible for her to escape (as though she would have tried), he pressed his lips to hers, tasting her lips and then her mouth with his tongue. Oh, gods, she tasted good! Just like he always knew she would. "Hm-mm. You couldn't have." He smiled against her mouth.
She tried, unsuccessfully, to draw back. "Hmmmm?"
"If you kissed him for as long as he wanted to, you'd still be there."
I'll be waiting
I'll be watching
under a blue moon
the taste of heaven
only happens
once in a blue moon
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ok, one more chapter to go. Waff city! I really will try not to make you wait so long. Meanwhile... I have a fantastic recommendation for you all. I almost hesitate to mention this story because my writing talent pales in comparison to this writer. But the story deserves to be read, and you all deserve to read it. It's called The Crying Game, and it's by one of my all- time favorite fanfic writers, Lara Winner. She posted all nine chapters at once ~ no waiting for those annoying cliffhangers *ahem*. Unfortunately, because she did that, it didn't get much front-page time, so I think many people missed this amazing story. I promise you'll love it. Go on! Read it! But leave feedback first! BTW, I love you all!