Forgotten Snow
Chapter six
Kagome stared at the swirling liquid in her coffee mug. She felt kind of tired and depressed yet jittery and enthusiastic at the same time, if that was even possible. She watched the swirls of honey weave its way around her peppermint tea as she threw the tea bag into the small garbage bag her mother offered her.
The small shrine where Kagome's mother lived since the day she was born, was always the home Kagome ran to when she really needed it. Sure, she paid her bills, her furniture was in her apartment, she slept in a small apartment on the other side of the city, and that's where she rested her feet after a long day of Inu-yasha's split personality. But yet, her home would always be at the small sunset shrine, where she and her brother had grown up, like her mother before her, and her grandfather before her mother and so on all the way back to when the shrine was first built.
Her mother took a seat opposite Kagome on the small dinning room table. Her mother drank some green tea silently with her eyes closed in thought. Snow fell gently outside and the distant sound of traffic and dogs barking were heard from the city only a small half a mile away.
The shrine had always been so peaceful. Yet had dark and happy memories alike.
She gazed out the window with a sad expression dancing on her face. It seemed like only yesterday that she had thrown Inu-yasha aside like a possession and moved onto the next best thing.
And yet...
She had the deepest regrets. Naraku hadn't last; it had only been a few weeks until she had ended up dumping him. But she probably knew before that. He wasn't the person she thought he was. He had tricked her. She remembered only several days of breaking up with Inu yasha, she had run to Inu-yasha's home trying to beg forgiveness but she had never gotten it. She had tried to get to Inu yasha even before her break up with Naraku…
She remembered that day so perfectly. She closed her eyes and remembered the events so clearly:
Kagome's long hair trailed out behind her as she sprinted down the icy walkway. People walking the opposite direction quickly dodged the rampaging girl. She was panting loudly but didn't dare stop.
She turned the corner violently and nearly knocked over a woman carrying a potted plant and a bag of cat food. She muttered an apology and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.
Soon, the populated city of towering buildings faded behind a long line of trees and houses were seen. Kagome had sprinted into the suburban area and was desperately searching for the one house that stood out from all the others. Inu-yasha's house was painted a pale blue on the outside while all the others were a boring white.
She finally spotted the blue house and raced up the steps.
She pounded on the door furious, "Inu-yasha!"
No answer from the house. She kept pounding.
"Inu-yasha! Please answer the door!" she was near tears, she was hysterical. "I'm sorry for what I did! I was wrong! I swear! Please forgive me! Inu-yasha!"
People next door began to peer out of their houses and stare at the disgruntled girl as she continued to pound on the brown door. She rang the doorbell furiously, pounded the door, tapped the windows, stomped her foot, everything she could think of.
"Inu-yasha!" she said a little quieter, "Please, answer the door."
"Good luck with that dear," Kagome turned to see an old woman looking at him from the sidewalk. She was holding an umbrella, even though it hadn't rained in weeks, only snow or sunshine. She lifted her umbrella and pointed sadly to a sign on the sidewalk's dead grass.
Kagome walked slowly, dreading what she was pointing to. She gasped loudly when she saw what the sign said:
'House for sale please contact.'
And further down it gave the contact information and the house dealer's pretty womanly face. Farther down was a red sign stapled to the white post:
'SOLD'
Kagome felt her face pale as she bowed her head.
"The Nakanichi's are moving in tomorrow, I'm afraid sweetie, the Takahashi's moved two days ago," the woman shook her head sadly. The woman was Inu-yasha's next-door neighbor and had been good friends with Inu-yasha's parents. She recognized Kagome as well. "The poor lad, Inu-yasha, he seemed so heartbroken. I'm sure he meant to tell you."
Kagome looked at the house as tears fell down her cheeks.
She bit her lip and wiped her tears away. Inu-yasha's other neighbor's all peered at Kagome's sobbing, hunched up figure.
"I'm sorry, Kagome dear, I'm sure he meant to tell you. Really. He wouldn't leave without saying goodbye especially since he loved you so dearly," the woman nodded, trying to make Kagome feel better. She, however, only succeeded in making it worse.
Kagome ran home crying.
"Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi lightly touched her daughter's arm. "Sweetie, are you ok?"
"Yes..." Kagome lied and closed her eyes, trying to shake the painful memory. To this day she never discovered why Inu-yasha had left and where to. She had a vague feeling that his mother wanted to try and make him feel better. But the one thing that tugged her heart like a ton of lead was forever tied to her was the fact that she broke her boyfriend's hear before the holidays and that...
Whatever it was that he was going to give her...was obviously a big deal...
Kagome and her mother were sharing a nice conversation about politics when the doorbell rung suddenly. Mrs. Higurashi, whom was about to have another sip of green tea, peered towards the front door. She looked at Kagome, who also seemed a little confused.
"That couldn't be Souta already, could it?" Mrs. Higurashi asked herself as she stood up. Kagome's younger brother, now twenty, often visited his mother, though the visits had grown less frequent when Souta had settled down and he and his wife moved to Kyoto.
Mrs. Higurashi wiped her hands on her apron and walked towards the door. Kagome shrugged and sipped her tea once more.
She heard her mother give a startled hello and she stood to go to the kitchen to fill her cup up with more hot water.
"Kagome!" her mother called, "Kagome?"
"I'm in the kitchen, mom," Kagome replied as she refilled her mug and added a new teabag. She was always a big fan for tea over coffee; unfortunately, her work place didn't have tea. Only coffee, which annoyed her greatly.
Kagome walked out of the room and gasped loudly. Her teacup clattered to the floor and sat dumbly on the carpeted floor. Her eyes widened when she saw her mother talking to Inu-yasha, her boss, her ex-boyfriend, for god's sake, as if he'd simply been on vacation and she was eagerly awaiting details.
"Mother!" Kagome stressed out the word.
Inu-yasha glanced over Kagome's mother's shoulder and looked away quickly. Mrs. Higurashi turned from Inu-yasha and made a noise of annoyance as she spotted the fallen teacup. "Oh look at that, you two wait here while I get a dish rag," Mrs. Higurashi said as she marched into the kitchen. Kagome stressfully tried to catch her mother's eye, but her mother was humming softly and not listening or remotely aware of Kagome's desperate pleas to contact her.
Inu-yasha was rubbing his bare feet along the carpet. Kagome smiled softly at the decency to remove his shoes and that he still went sockless. She remembered in the times of them being together how Inu-yasha would often choose to walk along bare foot then wear shoes or socks.
"What are you doing here?" Kagome said, a little harsher than she meant to.
Inu-yasha fixed her with a glare that shut her up at once. She looked away and he looked away as well. He was clutching something in his hands and she wouldn't dare look at it.
Mrs. Higurashi reentered with a large grin on her face. "Inu-yasha, it's so nice to see you again. After you moved away I was afraid I'd never see you again! You were such a sweet boy and Souta simply adored you. What are you doing back here in Tokyo?"
Mrs. Higurashi either failed to see the tension between the two or was trying to lighten up the atmosphere. Kagome wasn't sure.
"Um..." Inu-yasha seemed slightly overwhelmed by the older woman's bombarding on his simple intrusion of the household.
"Oh don't be shy, Inu, dear, why don't you sit down," Mrs. Higurashi nudged him gently.
"I would prefer not-"
"Nonsense," Mrs. Higurashi shoved him a little more and he lost his footing before falling onto the chair. "There, doesn't that feel nice?"
"Erm..."
"Of course it does!" Mrs. Higurashi smiled hugely, not noticing Inu-yasha's discomfort at all.
Inu-yasha shifted uncomfortably under Mrs. Higurashi's intense gaze.
"Uh, mom?" Kagome asked, deciding to come o the rescue. "Can I speak with you? In the kitchen?"
"Of course, dear," She gave Inu-yasha what was supposed to be a friendly look, "Now don't you go running away, mister, we've got a lot to catch up on!"
Inu-yasha looked very uncomfortable now.
Kagome nearly jumped her mother once the kitchen door was closed firmly. "MOTHER! What are you doing!?"
"I am having a friendly conversation with your EX-boyfriend," Mrs. Higurashi and gave her daughter a motherly glare. "And for the life of me I cannot figure out why you let such a sweet boy leave your life like that!"
"That makes two of us," Kagome muttered to herself. She looked at her mother, "Stop being so friendly, it's embarrassing!"
"Oh so you want me to act like he's an unwanted guest?" Mrs. Higurashi asked.
"He is an unwanted guest" Kagome hissed.
Mrs. Higurashi sighed deeply. "You know Kagome, I hold such a deep pride for your excellent decision making. But I think that man sitting out there in that room is a living example of the worst mistake of your life."
She marched out and Inu-yasha jumped away, looking guilty. Mrs. Higurashi didn't notice, but Kagome knew that he had heard everything they'd said.
"Inu-yasha, are you thirsty?" Mrs. Higurashi said with an overenthusiastic attitude.
"Um-"
But before he could answer, Mrs. Higurashi had rushed off and was heard making tea or pouring him a drink of some kind.
Kagome looked at him, "What are you doing here? It's my day off."
Inu-yasha raised an eyebrow. She saw the anger flashing in his eyes but was restraining himself when he was in the presence of Kagome's mother. Kagome felt a dread creeping inside her but she didn't really pay it any mind.
"I came to give you this!" he said crossly and chucked a briefcase she'd just noticed at her. She recognized it as her own. She gaped at it then gaped at him. "Sorry to disturb you on your day off," he said as he walked towards the door. "I'll leave now."
"No! Wait..." he paused and looked at her over his shoulder. "I mean...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I've just been so stressed lately, what with Christmas and all the work at the office and all that stuff." She tucked some hair behind her ear in nervousness.
He snorted.
"Just forget it," he said and pulled on his shoes.
She was silent, having a feeling that he had more to say.
"Just forget I even came here," he gave her a look, "ever."
Kagome definitely heard the message there. But she continued to look confused.
"Inu-yasha..." Kagome said as she took a step towards him.
He turned away with a sad look on his face. When he spoke again, his voice quivered. "Heh, this is just like that day."
"What?"
He closed his eyes as if recalling a memory and a small rueful smile crept onto his lips. "You had that same expression on your face. I remember it so clearly. I remember becoming a nervous wreck over it. I was grateful yet so depressed when Mom told me we were moving to America. As you know, our house was already for sale."
"Inu-yasha, what are you talking-"
"Don't act like you don't know!" Inu-yasha snarled and turned to give her a deep glare. He looked beyond furious. "The day you dumped me for that-that bastard Naraku!"
"Inu-yasha! You don't know!" Kagome screeched angrily. "How can this upset you for ten years?"
"Ten years?" Inu-yasha's fists clenched. "Each year that went by, KAGOME, felt like one thousand centuries without you near me!" His eyes were blazing furiously. "To know that you choose that bastard over me! He was GLOATING about it, Kagome! Gloating. In front of me, telling me that he had you in his pocket. I didn't want to believe him! I thought that you loved me!"
He snarled and punched the wall. A small dent was visible from where Kagome stood.
"I loved you so deeply; I wanted to spend my life with you! I wouldn't believe those words that he spoke! The way he spoke of you! But I didn't let it bug me because I knew that in my heart you loved me just as much as I loved you!
"And then what do I discover?" he glared at her with fire in his eyes. "Just a few hours later what do I discover, Kagome?" Kagome cringed at the venom in his voice. "That you had left me for him before I was even aware! That he had stolen your heart."
Kagome felt tears prickling the back of her eyes.
"What did I do wrong Kagome?" Inu-yasha whispered now, his yelling dying down. "What did I do wrong to push you away into the arms of Naraku? Was it something I said? Was it something I did? What Kagome?"
She didn't say anything.
"Answer me," he said pathetically. "Tell me what I did to deserve such years of torment?"
"Inu-yasha...I..." But Kagome could find nothing that could sooth the anger and the pain that radiated off Inu-yasha.
"You know, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't give my whole heart to you," Inu-yasha whispered. "Maybe it would have been different if I'd just laid off, huh? I scared you away, didn't I?"
"Inu-"
"Save it!" he said, his voice rising in volume and anger. "I don't need to hear your bullshit any longer!"
"Why are you being like this?" Kagome screeched.
"Because I want it to go away!" Inu-yasha roared and then panted. Kagome looked at him in a stunned silence. "I...whenever I see you," he said quietly again, looking at his feet. "Whenever I see you, I'm constantly reminded of what I had...what I lost...what I was going to give to you...what I never got the chance to do." He shook his head furiously, "But its too late now. These painful memories will never leave me...what I...feel for you can never die...because my heart still lies..." He trailed off and turned from her, slipping the front door open he took a step out. "I'm sorry to disturb you and your mother. I won't come again." He glanced at the wall, "Tell me how much the repairs for that dent will be...I'll pay for it."
"If you want it to go away," Kagome said softly. "Why do you have a picture of me in your desk drawer?"
He turned violently ridged and turned towards her sadistically slow. "How do you know about that?"
"I-"
"You've been digging through my stuff, have you?" Inu-yasha said angrily.
"No!"
"You were," he said and sighed loudly. He rubbed his temples and looked at his feet.
Kagome felt tears finally leak down her cheeks and his ears twitched towards her soft sobs. Not being able to stand her pain, he quickly left the house.
Mrs. Higurashi appeared behind her daughter and led her away from the front door, she'd heard everything. Though she was not fond of fighting in her house...she felt that she and Kagome alike had learned something that Inu- yasha had told no one for many years. Something that he'd kept inside until now.
