Edited: 7/21/2011
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.
Dashed Hopes
Chapter Twenty-Two: Loose Ends
"What?" Kagome whispered, peering up at him.
For just a second, his eyes glanced away. When he met her gaze again, he had an odd expression on his face. "I asked if you would stay with us."
Startled, she frowned, which made him nervous. It wasn't every day that you ask someone to move to a new city to stay with you and your friends, and when that someone frowns… it seemed ominous.
Thankfully, Kagome was soon smiling. "Actually, I'd love to stay with you guys in Tokyo," she told him sincerely. She had been temporarily thrown when he'd repeated himself, asking her to stay with us instead of me, which is what she could have sworn he'd said originally. Kagome shook her head quickly, thinking that maybe she'd misheard him, because that's what she'd wanted to hear him say. Then again, that thought made her feel a little uneasy—why would Inuyasha asking her to stay with him be better than Inuyasha asking her to stay with everyone?
They shared a grin, and both of them felt relieved now that the question had been settled. Kagome had been afraid to ask if they would mind if she did move, and up until then, Inuyasha had been afraid to ask her to do so.
"I'll talk to my family in the morning," she said, unwrapping the blanket from around her shoulders and giving the excess to Inuyasha. "We'll have a lot of decisions to make." With one last smile, Kagome climbed down the ladder to the ground and went inside.
As soon as he heard the front door shut tight behind her, Inuyasha let out the deep breath he'd been holding. He laid down on his back, watching the night sky. It had been close— too close, really. Thank goodness he'd learned to lie so well due to dealing with Sesshoumaru for so many years.
He couldn't believe he'd let that "me" slip when he'd asked her the question the first time. All night, he'd been planning, "Will you stay with us?" And when the moment finally arrived, he'd been stupid and sentimental and too vulnerable by saying instead, "Will you stay with me?"
There was no way Kagome would have seriously considered moving to Tokyo if he suddenly complicated things with affection beyond friendship!
Thank goodness he'd had the chance to repeat himself using the proper words. Hopefully, Kagome had completely missed the "me."
"What about work?" Sango asked, leaning her elbows onto the coffee table.
Kagome looked pleadingly back at her for a suggestion. They'd been working out the kinks in the plan to stay in Tokyo; she'd completely forgotten about the major things. Like money, shelter, and a job, for example.
"What you mean 'what about work?' Kagome already has a job!" Inuyasha snapped from where he was lounging on the couch.
"You mean I can stay at the Inutaisho Company?" Kagome asked hopefully.
"Did Sesshoumaru fire you or something? I told you not to put that fake spider in his coffee!" Inuyasha glared at her heatedly.
"No, Sesshoumaru didn't fire me, but I thought that now that the whole Naraku thing was over, you'd let me go since I didn't need the cover story anymore," Kagome explained slowly, her eyes glued on her feet.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You're a hell of a lot better than most of the losers who work at—!"
"—The great, magnificent, wonderful, amazing, perfect Inutaisho Company?" Kagome finished, suddenly all smiles.
"Yeah, okay, I guess that's one way to describe it." He seemed almost frightened by the waves of gratitude coming off of her.
"So, what about a home?" Sango asked once things has settled down.
"Seriously, Sango? Just like she already had a job, Kagome has a home with me—and my brother!"
"Actually, I think I have an answer for that," Kagome told Sango excitedly, grinning around at everyone. "I've been waiting for just the right time to tell you all. I mean, it's a little weird, but at the same time, I guess it's kind of lucky!"
"What are you talking about?" Miroku asked pleasantly, sipping his tea.
"Well, you see, I just heard back from Detective Yagi yesterday, and…" she trailed off, struggling to word what she wanted to say properly.
"What?" Inuyasha prodded in an exasperated voice when she didn't finish her thought immediately.
"You see, Naraku, he kind of…"
"Yes?" Sango pushed, reaching over to pat Kagome's hand supportively. "What did he do?"
In a rush, Kagome explained, "I'm the only person listed in Naraku's will. I get everything."
"Everything?" Sango echoed, stunned.
"Yeah. The city is working on shutting down all of Naraku's companies—it turns out he had several small ones that he never told me about—and they are using funds from selling the office space to give employees severance packages. All the money Naraku owes has been paid off, but it still leaves a pretty big pile of it that the state can't get their hands on."
"So?" Miroku asked.
"So, I now have enough money to live off of comfortably. Plus, any property Naraku owned is now in my name, including a flat in Paris and our old apartment in Kyoto. I was going to sell them both, as well as Naraku's cars, and then use the money… well, I haven't thought it through that far yet."
"Sounds like the bastard was actually good for something," Inuyasha commented lightly.
"Inuyasha! You can't speak of the dead so horribly, even if it was Naraku!" Kagome scolded.
"Anyway," Sango said to redirect Kagome's focus.
"Right! The only thing I plan on keeping is the pickup truck; I'm even getting rid of my Lexus," Kagome concluded.
Sango leaned into the back of the couch, mentally tallying off a list that only she could see. "That covers work and transportation, but there's a lot more to living on your own than that."
"I know," Kagome admitted. "But I do have some more good news."
"Really?" Inuyasha asked, but since he was balancing a pencil on the tip of his nose, he didn't seem very invested in what Kagome was talking about.
"Yes, really." Kagome reached over and shoved Inuyasha out of his seat. As he toppled to the floor.
"And that would be...?" Mrs. Higurashi asked as she stepped over Inuyasha's body lying on her living room floor, entering the living room.
"There is one more property owned by Naraku. It's only about two blocks from the Inutaisho building in Tokyo; it's a penthouse suite. I'll be living there, but that's not the good news."
"Okay, I'll bite," Inuyasha grumbled, taking his seat again. He was trying to find the fact that he was hurt by how easily Kagome was talking about moving out of his—and Sesshoumaru's!—house. "What's the good news?"
"The penthouse is huge, I'm talking serous luxury here. Three bedroom, two full bathrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, and a mini-bar. It's like a house," Kagome described it excitedly. "Detective Yagi said he'd give me the keys once I get back in Tokyo."
"Sorry to burst your dream-filled bubble, but that place has to have a hell of an up-keep," Inuyasha pointed out practically.
Kagome continued on as if she hadn't heard him. "The best news is that Kagura's brother, some guy with purple hair I think I met once, and he just bought in on the apartment complex. Kagura told me not to ask how he can afford it… My point is, he promised me free water and electricity for as long as I want to live there."
"My goodness, this Kagura woman must really adore you, Kagome," Mrs. Higurashi pointed out thoughtfully.
Kagome grinned. "I think so, too. I'll still have to pay for phone, cable, and stuff like that, but this will really help me out. I will have less to worry about."
"Exactly how much money did you inherit?" Sango questioned curiously.
"Detective Yagi won't give me specifics yet, but he made it sound like it was quite a bit. No matter how much I end up with, I'm donating a big chunk to the Sakura Hide-Away shelter."
"Oh, Kagome!"
"I'm happy to do it! Right after I pay you back for those clothes, of course," Kagome added with a laugh.
If Sango were the squealing type, she would have squealed. "Thank you. You really are one of a kind," the brunette told the other woman sincerely.
"I should donate more often if I get this kind of response!" Kagome joked.
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Nah, I'd keep the money."
Kagome nudged him with her foot. "And I remember someone saying that I was the insensitive one!"
Inuyasha smirked. "Well, if the shoe fits..."
"Be nice, you two," Sango scolded them, complete with a finger wag.
Kagome cracked a small grin. "Yes, mother."
Sango's smile slipped, and her eyes narrowed with a playful glint of fury. "Are you by any chance calling me old?"
"Yes!" she shouted, jumping out of her seat and running from the room, laughing.
Sango sprang up and gave chase. "Get back her you ungrateful little girl!"
"No way, mother!" Kagome yelled as she raced down the hall.
Later that evening, Kagome went through her old closet and dresser and pulled out all the clothes from when she was seventeen that wouldn't fit anymore. She'd decided to donate it all to the women at the shelter.
"I'm going with you to Tokyo, right?" Shippou asked from the doorway, startling Kagome.
"Of course, sweetie," she promised, turning away from the suitcases she was packing the clothes into and crouching down in front of the little boy. "You'll have a whole new building to make friends in."
"And what about me?" Souta asked; he was standing just behind Shippou, looking far too forlorn for a kid that young.
Kagome paused, considering. "It's up to you, Souta."
"What do you mean?"
His older sister sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "You've been away from Mama for so long. Don't you want to spend time with her? Go back to your old school and see your old friends?"
"Do you want to get rid of me?" Souta's lower lip trembled, a sign that he was about to burst into tears.
"No, of course not! I love you, Souta, and I'd never want to get rid of you. I just want you to be happy." Kagome took a step towards her little brother, wishing he'd act more like a pest and less like a depressed adult.
"Well… I want to stay with you," he responded slowly. "We'll visit Mom every holiday and talk to her every night, right? What's the big deal?"
"I'd love it if you stayed with me Souta. Who'd get me up by pouring a bucket of ice water on my head on my slow days?" Kagome laughed lightly, but then trailed off, becoming serious once again. "What about school?"
Souta perked up instantly. "Can't I just not go?"
"If I had to suffer through all those years, you are so not going to miss them!" She ruffled his hair, and Souta shoved her hand off. Immediately, he started to finger comb it back into place.
"If I can talk Kohaku into going to a public school in Tokyo instead of being homeschooled, could we go to the same one?"
"I don't see why not," Kagome agreed. "We'll have to talk to Sango about it first, though."
"Yay!" Souta cheered, his whole face brightening.
"What about me?" The redheaded boy asked; he obviously felt left out.
"You'll be in a different grade, but you'll get to see them. Plus, it's another chance to make new friends!"
The three shared a hug, cementing their relationship. Not even Naraku could have ruined the way Kagome felt about the two most important little boys in her life. Kagome released them and pushed them towards the door, she watched them run off before looking back to the suitcases.
Inuyasha stumbled a little when the two boys raced past him. "Whoa! Hey, watch it!"
"Sorry!" they chorused.
"Feh," he muttered grumpily.
"Hello, Inuyasha!" Kagome greeted cheerfully as he stepped in even though her back was turned to him; she was trying to finish folding all of the clothes.
"How'd you know it was me?"
"Oh I don't know. Maybe I can sense you or something?" Kagome joked lightly. "Actually," she added seriously, "I think the shouting and the 'feh' gave it away."
"Oh. Right."
Kagome sighed and quickened her packing. "Before I head back, I think I'll go shopping."
"When's that?"
"When's what? Me leaving? Well," Kagome dragged the word out, finally turning to face him. "You can leave any time."
"What?"
Kagome frowned at the look on his face; he seemed almost crest-fallen. "You, Sango, Kohaku, and Mirkou can leave whenever," she explained with a shrug. "I can drive back in the pickup. I'll stop by your place to get any of the things we left behind. There's no reason you should wait in Kyoto for me."
"Feh. If I stayed it wouldn't be because of you, it'd be like a vacation or something." Inuyasha crossed his arms stubbornly across his chest, but then winced at her hurt expression. "But I think we'll stay."
"Hmm," Kagome hummed noncommittally before turning back to her packing. He did, however, notice that she didn't look quite as hurt. At the same time, she seemed trouble; she had in fact noticed that now that Naraku was gone, she and Inuyasha were getting into more and more fights. She had thought about asking if they could stay with him until the apartment was ready to be moved into, but now Kagome doubted herself. Maybe Sango wouldn't mind a little extra company?
"Hey, Kagome?"
"Yeah?" she asked, not turning around.
Inuyasha was silent for a long time, watching her meticulously fold and pack clothes. Finally, he sighed. "Never mind."
"Sure." Kagome actually scowled down at her busy hands. She and Inuyasha seemed to be so tense lately that they couldn't even have a conversation without a strained pause!
"See you," he muttered.
"Okay," she said quietly.
Inuyasha turned and walked out the door, pausing in the hallway. He just hadn't been able to bring himself to tell her how much he'd miss her sleeping right next door to him.
"Sango?" Kagome called, stepping out into the yard. She looked around, finally spotting her friend sitting at the top of the shrine steps and watching the cars pass by below. "Hey!"
"Hi, Kagome," Sango murmured; the days they had been in Kyoto left her feeling very relaxed.
"I have a favor to ask," the other woman began apologetically, sitting down next to the brunette.
"Go on Kagome, I don't mind." Sango looked over for a second before turning away again, not wanting to make Kagome—who already seemed extra fidgety—feel uncomfortable.
"Can we stay over at your house for a few days? Just until the penthouse place is ready for us?"
"Sure! It'll be nice to have company again, especially you. Don't get me wrong, Miroku and Inuyasha are okay, but if you mention the words 'pantyhose' or 'bikini wax' or even 'nail polish,' they'll be out of the room so fast you can actually feel a breeze."
Appreciating the mental image, Kagome laughed. "I can just see them slinking out with their tails between their legs. They act so tough, but they're really just softies."
"Do you have the clothes for the SHA all packed?"
"Yeah. I stopped by the old apartment, too, the one I shared with Naraku, and I gathered up all my things. I'm all packed. Now all I have to do is wait for a policeman to deliver Naraku's pickup where they're holding it at the impound lot," Kagome informed her while leaning forward and wrapping her sweater tighter around her.
"I can feel winter coming," Sango muttered, not exactly sounding happy about it. Her mood was noticeably darker. "My parents died during wintertime."
Kagome reached out and hugged Sango with one arm. "I'm so sorry."
"Thanks." Sango said sincerely, remembering that Kagome had lost her father, so she didn't mean the words as an empty gesture. The brunette shivered since her jacket was still inside.
"Hey, why don't we visit the cemetery when we get back? I'd like to see where they're buried."
Sango nodded. "Sure, Kagome, that sounds nice."
"Well!" Kagome turned a bright smile on her friend. "I'm heading in. Tomorrow, I have something I need to get done, and then we can head back to Tokyo. I'm sure the boys are getting impatient with me..."
"Good night Kagome, I'll see you in the morning," Sango called over her shoulder as Kagome walked back towards the house.
The following morning, just after the sun was rising and when the sky was pink and orange with the dawn light, Kagome knelt down on the solid ground. She could hear the dead, brittle grass brush against her black skirt as she leaned forward to place a bouquet next to the tombstone.
"Hi, Daddy," she whispered, her eyes overflowing with tears. No matter how much time had passed, it still hurt. "I… made a mistake a little while ago. I was with someone who put my loved ones in danger. He's dead now, but we made it out all right I guess— Souta, Shippou, and I. You never met Shippou. He's a ball of energy, all sweet and innocent, and maybe even a little annoying sometimes. Then again, aren't we all? Even though he's my adopted son, he's more like a little brother. There are days that I forget he's not actually family by blood.
"Anyway, Naraku (that's the guy's name, by the way) is dead. I wouldn't wish that kind of death on anyone, but I can't go back and change the past. But some good things happened because of all of this. I won't take my friends and family for granted anymore, and I even made some new friends.
"You'd like Sango. She's really strong and stands up for herself, but she loves taking care of people, too. She has a little brother, Kohaku, who'd she'd give her life for.
"And then there's Miroku. He's very… interesting. He has his share of problems, but he's always so wise and calm and understanding. You just know you can trust him. Of course, that ends up coming back and biting you in the ass later. Or, well, patting you on the ass. …Never mind.
"Finally, there's Inuyasha. I don't really know how to explain him. He's always changing. Sometimes he's sarcastic and rude, or—more rarely— he's quiet and thoughtful. Lately he's been so… different. I catch him watching me sometimes with an expression that I can't figure out. He tries so hard to be nice but always ends up sticking his foot in his mouth. I just hope he doesn't push me away; I'd like to get to know him better.
"We all met under strange circumstances, and I think that's what brought us closer together. I'm going to do everything I can to learn more about them. If I ask questions, I might understand them more. You can't learn something if you don't ask, right?
"I miss you, Daddy, and I hope everything's amazing wherever you are. When I see you again, I just want to spend hours talking. Until then, I promise to come and visit you here more often than I have been. I love you, and I miss you. I'll, uh, I'll see you later, Daddy."
Kagome sniffled a bit and cleared her throat, reminding herself that there were many more good memories than bad for her to lean on. Blowing a soft kiss to the grave, she turned on her heel and began to walk away from the grassy hill that sat in a clearing not too far away from her home.
As she reentered the woods, from the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of her ancestor's tombstone that had guarded the shrine for generations. Soon, sadly, Grandfather would be buried there, and then her mother, and hopefully a long time after, Kagome herself.
"Good bye, Dear, I'll see you soon! Call as soon as you get in to tell me you arrived safely. I love you and take care of yourself." Mrs. Higurashi hugged her daughter tightly with only the smallest sniffle. She reminded herself that saying goodbye to Kagome this time was not like in the past—Kagome was going somewhere where she was loved and safe and happy, and the communication lines were fully open again. There was no Naraku looming over her daughter's shoulder, keeping her isolated, anymore.
"I will, Mama," Kagome assured. "We'll visit as often as we can and call every night. We have to hurry now; Miroku and Sango already have a good head start on us with the other cars and the children. I love you." Kagome pecked her mother on the cheek, gave her hands one last squeeze, and then jogged off towards the pickup truck where Inuyasha was waiting. "Bye, Mama!"
"Bye, Dear!" Mrs. Higurashi shouted as she waved from the foot of the steps. Her daughter climbed into the cab of the unnecessarily large vehicle. "And good bye, Inuyasha! It was great meeting you. You're like a son!"
"Wait, what?" Inuyasha stuck his head out, his eyes wide and stunned, but before he could say anything else, Kagome turned the engine over and the rumbling effectively cut him off.
Within half an hour, the two were on their way home to Tokyo. Mostly, Inuyasha kept his mouth shut, only fiddling with the radio. Unfortunately, he had the attention span of a gnat, and he soon found himself fidgeting in his seat.
"Hey, you know that you really lucked out, right? You're pretty much getting everything handed to you on a silver platter, like the penthouse suite and the money," he told Kagome with a shrewd expression on his face.
Kagome rolled her blue eyes, not taking his comments to heart. "You realize that you inherited a multi-million dollar company through your family, right? You've got the Inutaisho Company, a refurbished feudal castle as your house, a huge pile of money, and you look like a movie star thanks to your ridiculously good genes. It's about time Karma gave the rest of us a chance."
"Oh, yeah, I guess I am pretty lucky," Inuyasha muttered thoughtfully, having easily forgotten about his own good fortune. Then again, he had grown up with all those advantages; sometimes he really did just forget.
"You really are," Kagome said quietly while keeping her eyes on the road. She carefully steered the pickup alongside all of the tiny Japanese cars.
They descended once more into silence as Inuyasha considered her words. He concluded that maybe she was right; he did take the easy way in life, and he had a tendency to always come out on top. Perhaps he should be more grateful.
"By the way, I know I was really lucky, but don't you think it was also kind of fair?" Kagome bit her tongue as soon as the words were out, worrying that she sounded too conceited. "What I mean is: after what I went through with Naraku, don't I deserve a chance at happiness too?"
Inuyasha glanced at her quickly before looking away. "Yeah, I guess so."
Kagome sighed and stared harder at the pavement ahead of her. She had sounded too selfish, but she believed what she'd said. So many bad things seemed to follow her around, and she figured it was about time she got a shot at straightening out her life. If she happened to have a little extra help along the way, was that really so bad?
"How much longer do you think?"
"We should be back in Tokyo in about an hour and a half, I think." She hesitated before saying, "Sorry, Inuyasha."
"What about this time?" he asked gruffly, confusion leaking through to his voice.
"I don't know. I just feel like I should say it."
Four days later, on the streets of Tokyo during their lunch break, Ayame stared wide-eyed at Kagome. "Well… shit."
Kagome chuckled weakly and rubbed the back of her neck, in embarrassment. "Yeah. So now you know."
"That really happened?" her green-eyed friend whispered, leaning forward until Kagome was forced to take a step back to maintain her preferred personal space.
"Yeah, it really did."
"Kagome…" Ayame's voice was strained. "You could have told me, you know."
"Almost no one knew; I'm sorry Ayame," she apologized sincerely, waving a placating hand at her coworker.
After some careful consideration, the redhead shrugged. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."
Kagome nodded absently. "Thanks."
"So," Ayame began, her eyes surveying their surroundings. It looked as though her mind was racing a million miles per minute as she tried to put everything into place now that she knew Kagome's situation. Somehow, it seemed to explain a lot of things that had never really fit before—such as how easily Kagome had gotten her position at the company without any gossip about Inuyasha even hiring, or her coming in for an interview; now that Ayame thought about it, she realized that it also explained the way Kagome and Inuyasha had acted around each other, even on their very first day. "Your last name is Higurashi?"
Kagome nodded.
"I like it!" the redhead announced with a firm nod of her head; her pigtails bounced. "It fits you. It's sway."
"Thanks!" I think, Kagome added silently.
Ayame refocused her attention on the vanilla ice cream cone in her hand, managing to catch a drip before it fell to the ground. "How's yours?"
She smiled and took another bite of her sundae. "Very… sway?" Kagome tried the word, and it felt silly and awkward on her tongue.
It didn't help that Ayame burst into giggles. Kagome blushed and shrugged, deciding it had been worth a try. "Let's head back. That big company announcement is in less than an hour," she reminding the redhead.
"Do you know what it's about?" Ayame asked, quirking an eyebrow. The pigtail and the ice cream cone made her look like a little kid.
Kagome shook her head to show that she didn't have a clue.
They finished their treat on the way to company office, and the two women parted way in the lobby. Kagome headed towards the elevator, realizing just how different the building seemed during the day and packed with people than it had on that terrifying night. It had been difficult to drive in that day, and she'd had to forcefully keep her eyes from straying to the spot where she'd seen Naraku's body.
As she was waiting for the elevator, someone stepped up beside. Kagome looked over and saw an elbow, so she tilted her head upwards, recognizing the statuesque Sesshoumaru before even getting to his face. The expensive suit and impeccable hair gave it away. Their ride arrived, and they stepped inside together.
"It is good to see you looking so well, Ms. Higurashi," Sesshoumaru told the young woman politely. He managed to gracefully push the button for his floor.
"Thank you."
The inside of the elevator doors was polished metal, and Kagome studied her reflection. Sesshoumaru was right; she did look a lot better. Without the constant stress in her life, her skin was a little rosy instead of deathly pale and her hair had never looked healthier. Of course, even with that great head of hair, Kagome couldn't help but envy her boss's perfect, silky, silver tresses.
Kagome waved happily at her older boss as he got off on his floor, and then she rode the elevator one higher. When she stepped off, she found Inuyasha standing over her desk, studying some paperwork in his hand.
"Hey, wench," he grumbled when he looked up and spotted her.
"Hey, jerk," she snapped right back, but her tone was mostly playful.
"How's it going?" Inuyasha asked, setting the file down on top of her desk. Kagome realized he'd decided to make her go over it instead of just going it himself.
"Well it was going good," Kagome began coyly, stepping closer to him with a serious look on her face. "But not anymore, because now…"
"Yeah?"
"I saw you!" Kagome gave a mock shriek when he lunged at her. She easily dodged, laughing lightly.
"You're such a bitch! That was just rude and mean," he muttered with a sulk.
Kagome scoffed openly. "As if you're not always rude and mean."
"You forgot petty; I'm petty too," the younger Mr. Youkai pointed out with a smirk. "And devilishly handsome, of course."
Naturally, Kagome couldn't argue with that. Instead she looked away, blushing just a bit. His confidence officially boosted, Inuyasha approached her and wrapped his arm around her waist, tugging his secretary close to his side. Kagome blushed even more and tried to pry the arm off, but it only tightened. "Inuyasha?"
"Is there a problem?" he asked smugly.
Kagome sighed in defeat. "Never mind," she stated with the utmost exasperation, remembering just how stubborn he was.
"Any news from Kagura?"
Kagome smiled brightly. "I talked to her yesterday, the morning after we got back."
"And?"
Vehemently, Kagome pushed away the fact that physical contact with Inuyasha was making her feel a little light-headed, and she'd lost her train of thought. "She's okay. As soon as I found out about that flat in Paris I inherited, I told them to stay there. I won't sell it off until they're in the clear and come back home." Kagome hesitated, trying to come up with a verbal reason to tell Inuyasha that he should let go of her. It was starting to make her heart do a weird tap-dancing thing. Thankfully, she noticed the clock overhead. "Oh! We should get going! You and Sesshoumaru have an announcement you want to make to the company, right? …Speaking of, just what is your big announcement?"
Inuyasha retracted his arm and began to head towards the elevators. "You'll see," he responded lightly in an almost sing-song voice. It made Kagome even more suspicious.
"I guess I'll have to," she muttered, defeated.
"Good girl. Let's get moving," he demanded. When she came to stand next to him, he draped his arm over her shoulders without really thinking about; Inuyasha missed the way Kagome's eyes narrowed.
Over the past two days, she had noticed that he touched her any chance he got. He was always touching her hand, holding her around her waist or her shoulders, and he had even brushed back her hair form her forehead once. Mostly, she didn't really mind it, even if it was a bit unusual—however, everyone once in awhile, Naraku's words came back to her.
"And then there's Inuyasha… He doesn't care for you, in any way at all. He's a shallow playboy who sleeps around with anyone who will have him. He'd just use you and throw you away."
What if… What if Naraku had been right?
Despite their first few days of arguments and fights, especially while she had been deciding whether to move back to Kyoto or officially stay in Tokyo, Inuyasha had suddenly become so physical with her. He was so flirty and playful. She was getting to know a side of him that she hadn't really seen before; and if he really was a shallow playboy, Kagome wasn't sure she really wanted to give him a chance to make her regret trusting him.
Kagome shook her head to clear away the unwanted thoughts.
She shrugged off Inuyasha's arm and pushed ahead, entering the elevator and settling in the corner away from him. Kagome missed the look of hurt that crossed his face at her rejection, too busy thinking.
At the moment, she was reminding herself that they were friends, and that she had no reason to think he might be attracted to her. Really, she was just being vain and egotistical—Inuyasha had a million prospects, why would he ever be tempted by her? She remembered Yura, how voluptuous and seductive the ex-girlfriend had been. Clearly, Kagome wasn't Inuyasha's type.
Even in death, Naraku had her acting paranoid.
Studying her shoes, Kagome concluded that she would just have to take everything in stride and not worry about something silly like Inuyasha wanting to date her (or "use her and throw her away") unless it actually crossed her path. Inuyasha seeing her as more was not something she ever planned on happening.
When they met in the large auditorium in the basement of the building, Kagome and Inuyasha separated. He approached Sesshoumaru at the podium, while Kagome stood off to the side on the stage, hidden behind a table of board members and other important executives that she had never really dealt with. In the crowd, she could pick out Hojo, Ayame, and Nobunaga—and she waved at them excitedly with a broad smile.
The employees fell silent with Inuyasha raised his hands to gain their attention. "You all know Kagome Higurashi," Inuyasha started, speaking into the microphone. He broke off when a murmur raced through the crowd; everyone (except Ayame) looked confused, and they all shook their heads, turning to one another to whisper. "Wait—okay, fine! You all know Kagome Shashu."
There was an audible noise of understanding as the majority of people smiled and nodded; some even found Kagome on the stage and waved at her. Self-consciously, she waved back. Inuyasha couldn't help but notice that the most enthusiastic response came from the men; he stubbornly pushed away a crushing wave of irritation.
"Anyway, her real—just call her Higurashi from now on," he tried to explain, obviously failing miserably. People against looked bewildered. Kagome mentally slammed her head into a wall, reveling at how ill-equipped Inuyasha was at speaking publically.
With a silent sigh, Sesshoumaru snatched the microphone from his half-brother's hands. He tossed a look at Kagome, somehow managing to convey that he was about to save the day—although, technically, his expression never changed from one of complete boredom. Kagome still thought she understood what he was aiming for. "Quiet," Sesshoumaru commanded. The entire employee base fell silent.
Inuyasha scowled but secretly welcomed the fact that he could stop trying. Sometimes, effort seemed like such a waste to him, especially when it came to words.
"Kagome Shashu, who will now be referred to for personal reasons, has been..." Sesshoumaru paused, carefully picking out the right word. "Rewarded," he said finally, deciding that was the closest one, "For her determination and hard work."
"I have?" Kagome called out, confused. A few coworkers laughed.
"Ms. Higurashi," Sesshoumaru said simply. She shut her mouth immediately.
Mentally, she reevaluated what was going on. At first when the Youkai brothers had announced this "emergency company announcement," she had assumed that they would be feeding the employee base some partial explanation for the police activity over the last few days. Rumors had been running rampant, and most of her coworkers were convinced there had been a drug ring. Not even the media had been saying much about what was going on other than the fact that Naraku, who was known to associate with drug dealers, had fallen off the roof of the company building and died upon impact. No other explanation had been issued by the police so far.
Now, she had no idea what the brothers were about to announce. What on earth did her being a hard worker have to do with anything?
"A few of you might not know of whom we are speaking of. Kagome Higurashi is the secretary and personal assistant to both my brother and me. Some of you may not know this, but Kagome has helped out with most of the publicity jobs in the month she has been with us, and she had accepted and handled many side jobs in addition to her official duties."
Sesshoumaru paused here, allowing the information to sink it. Many workers gaped at him, having never heard this many words from the elder Youkai during all of their employment.
"While here, she has shown a great aptitude for management. Not only has she shown creativity and genius during her marketing assignments, but she has the business degrees to back it up. I am sure many of you around the building have noticed her attention to detail and skills."
Inuyasha grabbed the microphone back, feeling that he could take over from that point on; Sesshoumaru had gotten the hard part out of the way. He couldn't wait to see the look on Kagome's face when he told her. She'd just have to love him for it...
Or at least he hoped that she'd enjoy it.
Inuyasha knew in that moment that he wanted to be closer to her; he just wasn't quite sure how to do it.
"So," he announced, stepping forward, "Because of Kagome's solid loyalty to the Inutaisho Company and the impressive knowledge base she had already built in such a short time, we have an amazing announcement!"
He mentally congratulated himself. Considering words were often his weakness, he decided he wasn't doing too bad after all.
"Sesshourmaru and I have discussed this thoroughly and have come to the conclusion..." Inuyasha paused. "Kagome Higurashi, as an irreplaceable part of the company, you have been promoted to the title of Vice President. It's actually the first VP this company has ever had since its creation."
Kagome squeaked in surprising, looking around her in surprise. How could they do this to her? She hadn't been given any heads up or time to prepare. Feeling warm, Kagome fanned her face and stumbled forward.
An irreplaceable...?
The small marketing firm she had worked at before this had praised her often, telling her that her people skills made her popular with both coworkers and clients. Her dedication and attention to detail were icing on the cake. Still, being promoted to Vice President at the age of twenty-one after only working there for a month seemed completely ridiculous. Then again, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had both inherited the company at a very, very young age; perhaps it didn't seem as weird to them?
"Whoa," was all she managed to gasp once she brought the microphone to her lips.
The crowd laughed and shouted their congratulations to her, no one looking particularly upset or angry about her promotion. It seemed that her reputation was a lot more sterling than she'd known—people who knew her were happy and supportive, while those had only ever heard of her (it was a big company after all) had only heard good things. It also seemed obvious to everyone that she was close with both Youkai brothers, although no one was quite sure what to make of that.
Plus, if she really sucked at her new job, Sesshoumaru would just fire her. He put the company above all else.
Kagome thanked the crowd and smiled at Sesshoumaru. When she mouthed "thank you" to him, he responded with a dignified dip of his head. She then turned to Inuyasha and graced him with the biggest grin she had ever given anyone, and he practically melted at her feet. Kagome winked at him, and he decided on the spot that someday, he sort everything out with this woman—and no matter what, he'd make sure she stood by his side, even if it was just as friends.
She winked at him and he swore right then that someday he'd finally be able to confront his odd feelings about the woman.
"Let's go celebrate!" Ayame shouted, waving her arms to get Kagome's attention. She handed the microphone back to Sesshoumaru and started down the steps, weaving her way through the crowd of chattering employees. Inuyasha watched her for several seconds before he got the nerve to call out to her.
"Hey, Kagome!"
"Yes, sir?" she asked, turning back towards the stage and standing on her tip-toes to get a better look at him.
Inuyasha smirked. "You still owe me ice cream!"
The End
However, their story continues in the sequel: Aftermath's Destruction.
