Soft and Subtle
By Squishy
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Prologue
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Kagome scooted closer to Inuyasha in the theater, playing with a lock of his long, black hair. She knew he hated the movie.
"Thanks." She said simply, placing her head on his shoulder. He shrugged slightly and mumbled something akin to "no problem." Kagome smiled. He was the best friend a girl could ask for. He was a bit possessive and jealous at times, but that somehow added to his rugged charm. They watched the remainder of the movie in silence...except when Inuyasha laughed at the main character during the death scene.
After the movie, Inuyasha took Kagome home. Since he was going to be a senior and she a freshman once school started, she doubted they would ever be anything more than friends. She sighed deeply as she opened the door to exit the car. Instead, she found Inuyasha's lips pressed firmly against hers in a chaste kiss. Kagome pulled back in shock, but quickly regretted that action.
"I don't want to be just friends with you, Kagome." He told her seriously as he moved in for a second kiss.
"Ditto..." Kagome agreed before their lips met.
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Chapter 1
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~ One Year Later ~
"Okay...Yeah of course I understand..." Kagome idly twirled the phone cord around her index finger, holding the receiver lightly against her ear, listening. "Huh? Whaddya mean?! Of course I'm pouting!" She stood, ignoring the crash of the phone base on the floor as the cord bounced. "I haven't seen you in at least a wee--hello? Hello?!" She quickly ripped the phone away from her ear as the receiver cracked out loudly,
"FUCK YOU BITCH!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?!" She screamed back, pacing the length of the room despite the protest of the phone jack as it groaned and pulled. "If I'm not mistaken, I'm the one who stayed with you despite you cheating on me! I'm the one who stood beside you when you were on trial for assault! I'm the one-" The receiver gave a faint click before the infamous dial tone. "Shit..." Kagome threw the phone against the wall, watching with terror as it shattered into five pieces and clattered to the floor. She repeated her earlier phrase and left the room to get a snack. Food always made her feel better...
"I swear this stupid house is haunted!" Kagome grumbled heatedly as she flung open another cabinet only to reveal--well, everything other than the brownie mix she'd hidden strategically somewhere. If only she could find it...Feeling no better, Kagome left the house to take a walk. A very long, thoughtful, smoldering walk. She could swear Inuyasha was cheating on her again. He had an odd tendency to do that. Oh well...she shrugged her shoulders. He always came crawling back in the end, so why did it bother her? Kagome looked up. There she was. In front of his house. "I am so gonna regret this," she told herself reasonably as she hopped the fence into the backyard. Their dogs didn't even look up at her as she situated herself beside his window. Laughter floated from the partially opened window. It sounded like Inuyasha. She chanced a peek, and saw Inuyasha and a few of his other friends lounging in a messy pile on the floor, watching some perverted movie that only males could find joy in. Not a girl in sight. Kagome felt somewhat better.
"So it's a guy's night out?" A soft voice asked from behind Kagome, who fought her throat's hell-bent urge to scream.
"Sango!" Kagome twitched as she whispered urgently. "What are you doing here?" She could practically feel Sango rolling her eyes at the question.
"I'm here keeping tabs on Miroku, of course." Kagome nodded and turned.
"As you said, no foul play." She smiled at her friend reassuringly, and Sango smiled back.
"Do you wanna come over? I have ice cream and movies." The taller girl offered, her ponytail swishing as she cocked her head slightly.
"No can do," Kagome replied as the two girls turned and began their trudge back across the fence. "I have Saturday school, remember?"
"Oh, yeah..." Sango seemed pensive for a moment. "How did you get that, anyway?"
"My skirt was apparently a little too short, and I argued with the teacher over it." Kagome rolled her eyes and Sango laughed.
"Enjoy your torture." Sango teased lightly as they stepped onto the sidewalk.
"Yeah. Enjoy your sleep." Kagome grumbled in response, and turned and headed home. She couldn't help but feel that a weight had been lifted. So Inuyasha wasn't cheating on her after all...
The next morning Kagome awoke feeling refreshed, if that was possible at six on Saturday. She couldn't help but notice that her alarm had not gone off, and wouldn't do so for another hour.
"Why?" she asked no one in particular as she slipped out of bed and bounded into the bathroom to wash her face. "Hm...so there's that soap I've been looking for..." Kagome studied the bottle before lathering up. She rinsed, then checked her reflection to make sure all was well. Only this time it wasn't her reflection.
"What the--?" The girl in the mirror made no move to mimic Kagome, only smiling slightly. "Uh..."
"Hello, Kagome." The girl waved, and her smile broadened. Kagome blinked a few times before rubbing her eyes so roughly she saw spots. When she looked again, the girl was gone, replaced by her own shell-shocked image.
"Okay..." she cautiously placed one shaky hand on the water-splotched counter. "That was just my imagination..." Hello, Kagome. Yeah...just her imagination. Kagome. Turn around. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as the soft laughter pierced through her very being. "Imagination, imagination..." she muttered, turning slowly. She had to prove it. She was suddenly nose to nose with the mirror girl, locking gazes. The girl giggled again, placing her hand on Kagome's chest, just above her heart. Then she pushed, and Kagome fell against the counter--or rather through the counter.
"What the hell?!" she screamed in rage at the intruder. Then she realized that she was no longer occupying her body. The girl smiled, waved, and stepped in to fill the void shell. "Wha-wait!" Kagome called desperately as her body walked away nonchalantly, housing that girl. Kagome turned toward the mirror, still trying to regain her composure. She looked to her reflection for reassurance. It offered none, since it no longer existed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Kagome shrieked, and ran from the room, not even bothering to use the door.
________________________________
This is my first fic, so no persecution, please. I would appreciate reviews, but they aren't absolutely vital. Oh, and constructive criticism is encouraged. For example, if you say, "I noticed an error in this chapter. You said 'their' instead of 'there,'" I won't go all psycho on you and flame every fic you've ever written or blame you for flaming. (And I know the characters are OOC, so if you absolutely get the urge, go ahead and tell me about it. Otherwise…I know.)
By Squishy
_______________
Prologue
_______________
Kagome scooted closer to Inuyasha in the theater, playing with a lock of his long, black hair. She knew he hated the movie.
"Thanks." She said simply, placing her head on his shoulder. He shrugged slightly and mumbled something akin to "no problem." Kagome smiled. He was the best friend a girl could ask for. He was a bit possessive and jealous at times, but that somehow added to his rugged charm. They watched the remainder of the movie in silence...except when Inuyasha laughed at the main character during the death scene.
After the movie, Inuyasha took Kagome home. Since he was going to be a senior and she a freshman once school started, she doubted they would ever be anything more than friends. She sighed deeply as she opened the door to exit the car. Instead, she found Inuyasha's lips pressed firmly against hers in a chaste kiss. Kagome pulled back in shock, but quickly regretted that action.
"I don't want to be just friends with you, Kagome." He told her seriously as he moved in for a second kiss.
"Ditto..." Kagome agreed before their lips met.
_______________
Chapter 1
_______________
~ One Year Later ~
"Okay...Yeah of course I understand..." Kagome idly twirled the phone cord around her index finger, holding the receiver lightly against her ear, listening. "Huh? Whaddya mean?! Of course I'm pouting!" She stood, ignoring the crash of the phone base on the floor as the cord bounced. "I haven't seen you in at least a wee--hello? Hello?!" She quickly ripped the phone away from her ear as the receiver cracked out loudly,
"FUCK YOU BITCH!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?!" She screamed back, pacing the length of the room despite the protest of the phone jack as it groaned and pulled. "If I'm not mistaken, I'm the one who stayed with you despite you cheating on me! I'm the one who stood beside you when you were on trial for assault! I'm the one-" The receiver gave a faint click before the infamous dial tone. "Shit..." Kagome threw the phone against the wall, watching with terror as it shattered into five pieces and clattered to the floor. She repeated her earlier phrase and left the room to get a snack. Food always made her feel better...
"I swear this stupid house is haunted!" Kagome grumbled heatedly as she flung open another cabinet only to reveal--well, everything other than the brownie mix she'd hidden strategically somewhere. If only she could find it...Feeling no better, Kagome left the house to take a walk. A very long, thoughtful, smoldering walk. She could swear Inuyasha was cheating on her again. He had an odd tendency to do that. Oh well...she shrugged her shoulders. He always came crawling back in the end, so why did it bother her? Kagome looked up. There she was. In front of his house. "I am so gonna regret this," she told herself reasonably as she hopped the fence into the backyard. Their dogs didn't even look up at her as she situated herself beside his window. Laughter floated from the partially opened window. It sounded like Inuyasha. She chanced a peek, and saw Inuyasha and a few of his other friends lounging in a messy pile on the floor, watching some perverted movie that only males could find joy in. Not a girl in sight. Kagome felt somewhat better.
"So it's a guy's night out?" A soft voice asked from behind Kagome, who fought her throat's hell-bent urge to scream.
"Sango!" Kagome twitched as she whispered urgently. "What are you doing here?" She could practically feel Sango rolling her eyes at the question.
"I'm here keeping tabs on Miroku, of course." Kagome nodded and turned.
"As you said, no foul play." She smiled at her friend reassuringly, and Sango smiled back.
"Do you wanna come over? I have ice cream and movies." The taller girl offered, her ponytail swishing as she cocked her head slightly.
"No can do," Kagome replied as the two girls turned and began their trudge back across the fence. "I have Saturday school, remember?"
"Oh, yeah..." Sango seemed pensive for a moment. "How did you get that, anyway?"
"My skirt was apparently a little too short, and I argued with the teacher over it." Kagome rolled her eyes and Sango laughed.
"Enjoy your torture." Sango teased lightly as they stepped onto the sidewalk.
"Yeah. Enjoy your sleep." Kagome grumbled in response, and turned and headed home. She couldn't help but feel that a weight had been lifted. So Inuyasha wasn't cheating on her after all...
The next morning Kagome awoke feeling refreshed, if that was possible at six on Saturday. She couldn't help but notice that her alarm had not gone off, and wouldn't do so for another hour.
"Why?" she asked no one in particular as she slipped out of bed and bounded into the bathroom to wash her face. "Hm...so there's that soap I've been looking for..." Kagome studied the bottle before lathering up. She rinsed, then checked her reflection to make sure all was well. Only this time it wasn't her reflection.
"What the--?" The girl in the mirror made no move to mimic Kagome, only smiling slightly. "Uh..."
"Hello, Kagome." The girl waved, and her smile broadened. Kagome blinked a few times before rubbing her eyes so roughly she saw spots. When she looked again, the girl was gone, replaced by her own shell-shocked image.
"Okay..." she cautiously placed one shaky hand on the water-splotched counter. "That was just my imagination..." Hello, Kagome. Yeah...just her imagination. Kagome. Turn around. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as the soft laughter pierced through her very being. "Imagination, imagination..." she muttered, turning slowly. She had to prove it. She was suddenly nose to nose with the mirror girl, locking gazes. The girl giggled again, placing her hand on Kagome's chest, just above her heart. Then she pushed, and Kagome fell against the counter--or rather through the counter.
"What the hell?!" she screamed in rage at the intruder. Then she realized that she was no longer occupying her body. The girl smiled, waved, and stepped in to fill the void shell. "Wha-wait!" Kagome called desperately as her body walked away nonchalantly, housing that girl. Kagome turned toward the mirror, still trying to regain her composure. She looked to her reflection for reassurance. It offered none, since it no longer existed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Kagome shrieked, and ran from the room, not even bothering to use the door.
________________________________
This is my first fic, so no persecution, please. I would appreciate reviews, but they aren't absolutely vital. Oh, and constructive criticism is encouraged. For example, if you say, "I noticed an error in this chapter. You said 'their' instead of 'there,'" I won't go all psycho on you and flame every fic you've ever written or blame you for flaming. (And I know the characters are OOC, so if you absolutely get the urge, go ahead and tell me about it. Otherwise…I know.)