Chapter 3
Keeping Secrets
It was now three Sundays later, and Kagome again lay sprawled on her bed, her thoughts troublesome. Only this time, they were about Kouga, the incident with Sesshoumaru temporarily forgotten.
Kagome was beginning to question her relationship with Kouga. Ever since that date over a month ago, Kagome had given Kouga her full attention when it came to having a boyfriend.
Then InuYasha had walked into her life.
He was what she felt she wanted. She could have long conversations with him, and they had even gotten into a few heated arguments, once or twice.
She didn't dare tell Kouga he'd been calling her. She saw the jealous stares he gave InuYasha while they were at work or just out with everyone. She truly believed, that if Kouga had the chance, he would find any way possible to get rid of InuYasha.
She stared up at the ceiling, a bit peeved that it wasn't helping her situation.
Her brain kept tugging back to the only idea she wanted to avoid.
The cruel idea.
The only idea that had made any sense so far.
Break up with Kouga.
Did she really have that kind of courage?
She had to admit, she was almost a little scared of what he would do. She knew it would break his heart. She felt loyal to him. After all, they had been together for a little over two months, now.
Then, things would get awkward around work.
She could picture exactly what would happen in that situation:
Enter: Kagome and InuYasha, holding hands and talking. Everyone is going about their business until. . .
Enter: Kouga. Everyone falls quiet. Whispers can be heard among the silence, and intense glances are exchanged between the three people. Then. . .
Exit: either Kouga or InuYasha (or both) in an ambulance on his way to the hospital.
Oy. . .
There had to be another way.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later. . .
Kouga glanced at Kagome as they walked to the theater. She was being so quiet. Something was obviously bothering her.
"Kagome-chan?" he asked softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Had she flinched when he touched her?
"What's the matter?" Kouga stopped walking and placed his hands on both her shoulders. She stared at the ground.
But then she looked up, and looked around.
They were in the park, and the evening was fading into the night. Hardly anyone was around.
"Kouga," she finally said, "there is no easy way to say this. . ."
Suddenly, Kouga could feel his world begin to shake with earthquakes from his beloved's words. . .
"I don't think-"
Rumble.
"-we should continue-"
Rumble.
"-seeing each other."
Maybe he hadn't heard her right.
"What, Kagome?"
"Please. . . " she was begging him. "Don't make me say it again. It hurt enough the first time."
Kouga wondered, who had it hurt more? Himself or Kagome?
"Let's remain strictly. . . on a friendship bases."
No.
"No."
"Kouga, please don't make this hard for me!"
"Are you sure. . ."
. . . this is what you want?
"Yes. Very."
"Who are you leaving me for, Kagome?"
She began to protest, but then gave in. No use in lying.
And all it took was one word.
"InuYasha."
SMACK
It was like a slap in the face for Kouga. . .
. . . and he'd seen it coming all along.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
InuYasha got up, rubbing his eyes.
He yawned.
Who the hell was at his apartment so late?
He opened the door to Kagome. Only, this was no Kagome he had ever seen. She had been crying, and she looked completely broken.
What the hell happened?
"What the hell happened?"
When she saw him, happiness filled her eyes, and she suddenly looked hopeful.
And she finally said the words he thought he would never hear:
"I broke up with Kouga."
Maybe he hadn't heard her right.
"You mean . . . it's over?"
"It's over!"
She threw her arms around him, and he closed the door behind them. He held onto her for a little longer, and then pulled himself away. He looked down at her.
This was what he wanted.
So he kissed her. How soft her lips were!
And they finally were allowed to do all the things they hadn't been before. They were allowed to touch each other, he was allowed to feel the softness of her face, her skin was so soft. He wanted to feel more of her.
And she wanted just as much of him.
And they were allowed to keep it from a secret the world.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next morning, Kagome woke up in InuYasha's arms.
Where the hell are my clothes?
She recognized her blue sweater among other various crumpled garments on the floor by the bed.
Oh.
Finally, everything came flooding back to her. She had waited a length of five hours after breaking up with Kouga to immediately go to InuYasha and make passionate love to him.
And she had never felt better.
InuYasha woke up and looked straight at her, smiling. He hadn't forgotten where his clothes were.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Good morning." "Try afternoon." He pointed to the clock.
Kagome lazily looked at the time. She gasped.
It was 2:30 in the afternoon!
"Oh, my god!" she exclaimed, coming back to reality. "It's Monday! Oh, shit! InuYasha, we should have been at work. . ." she paused to do the math ". . . eight hours ago!"
She sat up, keeping the sheets around her body, difficultly trying to gather her clothes from the floor at the same time.
InuYasha just laid back and watched her. "Are you hungry?"
She stopped. "What?"
"Are you hungry?"
Kagome then realized this was InuYasha's way of saying, "we just had a passionate night of lovemaking, who gives a shit about work?!"
So, she smiled at him. "Yes. I'm starving."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Meanwhile everyone, Sango, Miroku, and Kaede had desperately been trying to get a hold of Kagome and InuYasha.
Kouga just did the math.
Kagome was missing.
InuYasha was missing.
Therefore:
Kagome + InuYasha =
Kouga didn't have to finish the equation. It was one with a rather obvious answer.
It was now three Sundays later, and Kagome again lay sprawled on her bed, her thoughts troublesome. Only this time, they were about Kouga, the incident with Sesshoumaru temporarily forgotten.
Kagome was beginning to question her relationship with Kouga. Ever since that date over a month ago, Kagome had given Kouga her full attention when it came to having a boyfriend.
Then InuYasha had walked into her life.
He was what she felt she wanted. She could have long conversations with him, and they had even gotten into a few heated arguments, once or twice.
She didn't dare tell Kouga he'd been calling her. She saw the jealous stares he gave InuYasha while they were at work or just out with everyone. She truly believed, that if Kouga had the chance, he would find any way possible to get rid of InuYasha.
She stared up at the ceiling, a bit peeved that it wasn't helping her situation.
Her brain kept tugging back to the only idea she wanted to avoid.
The cruel idea.
The only idea that had made any sense so far.
Break up with Kouga.
Did she really have that kind of courage?
She had to admit, she was almost a little scared of what he would do. She knew it would break his heart. She felt loyal to him. After all, they had been together for a little over two months, now.
Then, things would get awkward around work.
She could picture exactly what would happen in that situation:
Enter: Kagome and InuYasha, holding hands and talking. Everyone is going about their business until. . .
Enter: Kouga. Everyone falls quiet. Whispers can be heard among the silence, and intense glances are exchanged between the three people. Then. . .
Exit: either Kouga or InuYasha (or both) in an ambulance on his way to the hospital.
Oy. . .
There had to be another way.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later. . .
Kouga glanced at Kagome as they walked to the theater. She was being so quiet. Something was obviously bothering her.
"Kagome-chan?" he asked softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Had she flinched when he touched her?
"What's the matter?" Kouga stopped walking and placed his hands on both her shoulders. She stared at the ground.
But then she looked up, and looked around.
They were in the park, and the evening was fading into the night. Hardly anyone was around.
"Kouga," she finally said, "there is no easy way to say this. . ."
Suddenly, Kouga could feel his world begin to shake with earthquakes from his beloved's words. . .
"I don't think-"
Rumble.
"-we should continue-"
Rumble.
"-seeing each other."
Maybe he hadn't heard her right.
"What, Kagome?"
"Please. . . " she was begging him. "Don't make me say it again. It hurt enough the first time."
Kouga wondered, who had it hurt more? Himself or Kagome?
"Let's remain strictly. . . on a friendship bases."
No.
"No."
"Kouga, please don't make this hard for me!"
"Are you sure. . ."
. . . this is what you want?
"Yes. Very."
"Who are you leaving me for, Kagome?"
She began to protest, but then gave in. No use in lying.
And all it took was one word.
"InuYasha."
SMACK
It was like a slap in the face for Kouga. . .
. . . and he'd seen it coming all along.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
InuYasha got up, rubbing his eyes.
He yawned.
Who the hell was at his apartment so late?
He opened the door to Kagome. Only, this was no Kagome he had ever seen. She had been crying, and she looked completely broken.
What the hell happened?
"What the hell happened?"
When she saw him, happiness filled her eyes, and she suddenly looked hopeful.
And she finally said the words he thought he would never hear:
"I broke up with Kouga."
Maybe he hadn't heard her right.
"You mean . . . it's over?"
"It's over!"
She threw her arms around him, and he closed the door behind them. He held onto her for a little longer, and then pulled himself away. He looked down at her.
This was what he wanted.
So he kissed her. How soft her lips were!
And they finally were allowed to do all the things they hadn't been before. They were allowed to touch each other, he was allowed to feel the softness of her face, her skin was so soft. He wanted to feel more of her.
And she wanted just as much of him.
And they were allowed to keep it from a secret the world.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next morning, Kagome woke up in InuYasha's arms.
Where the hell are my clothes?
She recognized her blue sweater among other various crumpled garments on the floor by the bed.
Oh.
Finally, everything came flooding back to her. She had waited a length of five hours after breaking up with Kouga to immediately go to InuYasha and make passionate love to him.
And she had never felt better.
InuYasha woke up and looked straight at her, smiling. He hadn't forgotten where his clothes were.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Good morning." "Try afternoon." He pointed to the clock.
Kagome lazily looked at the time. She gasped.
It was 2:30 in the afternoon!
"Oh, my god!" she exclaimed, coming back to reality. "It's Monday! Oh, shit! InuYasha, we should have been at work. . ." she paused to do the math ". . . eight hours ago!"
She sat up, keeping the sheets around her body, difficultly trying to gather her clothes from the floor at the same time.
InuYasha just laid back and watched her. "Are you hungry?"
She stopped. "What?"
"Are you hungry?"
Kagome then realized this was InuYasha's way of saying, "we just had a passionate night of lovemaking, who gives a shit about work?!"
So, she smiled at him. "Yes. I'm starving."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Meanwhile everyone, Sango, Miroku, and Kaede had desperately been trying to get a hold of Kagome and InuYasha.
Kouga just did the math.
Kagome was missing.
InuYasha was missing.
Therefore:
Kagome + InuYasha =
Kouga didn't have to finish the equation. It was one with a rather obvious answer.