Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. If I did, I'd be living in a beach house
in Miami with the Inuyasha characters as slaves waiting on me hand and
foot. Ah yes, that would be the life ^_^
A/N: Yay! Reviews! Heh, check out my new story if you have time. It's *gag* a high school fanfic, but I'll do my best to make it realistic and give it an actual plot.
Sorry for not updating in, well, forever, and I promise to make it up somehow!!!! I guess I've been having a bit of writer's block lately, so I apologize if this chapter isn't exactly up to par with the others. Ah well, you win some you lose some.
To be honest, this story is starting to frustrate me, but don't worry, I definitely won't quit. I know how annoying it is when fic writers just quit writing out of the blue, and you never get to find out the ending. Sucks, doesn't it?
Chapter Twenty One
Mystery Unveiled
Inuyasha, Kouga, and Kagome somehow remained together amongst the thick crowds of various relatives in the NY airport, doing their best to find an escape route from the line of fire. Kouga and Inuyasha weren't aiding the situation, since pushing each other and toppling even more people to the ground certainly wasn't helping them get anywhere faster. Kagome gave an audible sigh of annoyance; she should have just come to retrieve Kouga by herself. People were starting to glare at the two obnoxious boys, and she hurriedly led them toward the first restaurant she could find, which happened to be a Burger King. She scanned the room, searching for an open spot (and preferably one with no people surrounding it), and her eyes lit up when she saw an open four chaired table from across the fast food establishment. Dashing to it before anybody else had the opportunity to do so; she shoved Inuyasha into one seat and Kouga into the seat across from him. Hey, if they wanted to have a glaring contest, who was she to deny them their amusement?
Ignoring their venomous glares, Kagome gave her instructions. "Listen you guys. I'm gonna go get us some food, O.K? What do you want?"
"How about some wolf meat?" Inuyasha muttered under his breath, and Kagome shot him a death glare, earning him a victorious smile from Kouga.
"I'll just have a number 2, if that's all right," Kouga asked politely, folding his hands in front of him, and Kagome smiled sweetly at the wolf youkai.
"Sure Kouga, and what about you Inuyasha? Sorry to say, but cannibalism won't be allowed tonight," she stated dryly, trying not to laugh as Inuyasha glowered at her words.
"I'll have the same as Kouga," he stated in an apathetic tone, his amber eyes never leaving the blue ones before him. Kagome shook her head with a muffled groan, then turned to go fetch their meals, shooting them hopeless glances over her shoulder as she made her way to the food counter.
"Listen, dog-breath," Kouga leaned forward, attempting to intimidate the hanyou before him. "Kagome is MINE, got it? So back off!" his deep growl would've scared anybody else to pieces, but Inuyasha wasn't fazed a bit.
"Damn you, wolf-boy, I don't care what the hell you do with Kagome. I'm only saying that it's a bit rude of you to claim someone as yours without asking them first. It's called respect," Inuyasha leaned forward as well, and the two were almost nose to nose by this point, each trying to outdo the other's intimidating glare.
"Something you obviously seem to be lacking," Kouga smirked, and Inuyasha simmered quietly, doing his best not to rip the asshole's guts out. Kagome would kill him if he dared to, but it was just so tempting!
"Do you know who I am?" Inuyasha barked with an air of importance.
"Yes, you're an idiot," Kouga stated hotly, leaning back into the hard back of his chair and crossing his arms in front of them. It was only then that Inuyasha began to realize just how alike the two really were.
Not wanting to be outdone, Inuyasha leaned forward and grabbed Kouga by the collar of his muddy brown shirt, dragging him further towards the hanyou, until the two were almost nose to nose once again. "Listen, you arrogant bastard, just stay away from Kagome," he spat, causing Kouga to blanch.
"Yuck, now I have dog germs all over me," he accused, making an elaborate show of dragging his fist across is face in disgust.
"I'm back!" a lilting female voice shouted over their racket, setting down a tray full of food as she did so. She flipped her midnight tresses behind her ears and sat down in between the bickering boys, breathing in the aroma of the freshly cooked foods. "Ahhhh," she exhaled happily, ignoring the strange looks she was attracting from the boys.
"Ahh, Kagome?" Kouga tentatively asked.
"Oh, right!" Kagome snapped out of her trance. "Dig in boys!" she gestured toward the food in front of her, and the two arrogant bastards happily obliged to her instructions, each trying to stuff as much food as possible down their throats before the other could get to it. Eventually it was like a game, and they started arguing over something as silly as a French fry. Kagome, who had been attempting to ignore them both, frankly had the notion to just dump them down the garbage disposal with the food, or deposit them on the side of the road with a "FREE PUPPIES" sign.
"ENOUGH!" she shouted forcefully, attracting some odd looks from the German people sitting at the table next to her, and she ducked down a bit to avoid her blush.
"Listen you two. I've tried to be civil, really I have. But ALL you've done is ARGUE! It's annoying as hell!!! For the love of god, will you two PLEASE cut it out?" she hissed under her breath, but Kouga and Inuyasha caught every word perfectly. They nodded dumbly, and Kagome shot them both her biggest smile, which in all honesty was a little creepy.
"Good," she said through clenched teeth. "Now let's enjoy our meal!"
~*~
"So, you're Inuyasha's brother?" Naraku asked calmly, taking a sip of his coffee while leaning back into Sesshomaru's white leather couch, the material bouncing a bit under his weight. "Tell me, do you enjoy his company?" he questioned with an expression he hoped was full of naught but mere curiosity, but anybody could see the hidden motives behind his schoolboy facade.
"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Sesshomaru replied curtly, doing his best to cut the conversation off as short as he possibly could. Human contact just wasn't his cup of tea. "No, I don't like Inuyasha, and since you obviously don't either, what do you want from me?" he narrowed his eyes at the dark haired man, being an untrustworthy man himself, he never failed to jump on any possible suspicion.
"Sesshomaru, sir, if I may inquire as to whether or not you'd be interested in working with me on something?" Naraku asked pointedly, leaning forward to rest on his dark elbows. Sesshomaru's eyes focused in on him, the detached pupils never giving even a glimmer of emotion, never changing from their cold, murky amber, so like and yet so unlike those of his temperamental brother.
"I prefer to work alone," the icy man stated bluntly, taking a sip of his darkened coffee. He wouldn't have anything to do with this Naraku man if he could help it; he could already tell they didn't have much in common other then their hatred for his younger brother, and he could plot his scheme just fine by his lonesome.
"Look, YOU want to kill Inuyasha, and I want to kill Kagome! It's perfect, we team up and get them both when they least expect it. What do you say?" he raised his eyebrows. "It's quite a bargain," he attempted to nudge the man in the direction of a solid yes.
"I've already told you, I prefer to work on my own," he stated, just as coolly but with a bit more force. "Now please leave my house," his eyes narrowed just a bit, without ever changing the apathy within his amber pupils as he directed a clawed finger toward the shabby doorway. How DID he do it?
"Sir, be honest with me," Naraku rose to his feet, not unwilling to resort to groveling if he needed to, Sesshomaru's support was crucial to the success of his scheme. "Do YOU have a plan?"
"Yes, in fact I do, as soon as I can find a way into the man's apartment without him knowing of my involvement. Seeing as I generally don't climb fifty stories high, this may be a difficult feat to achieve, but I am confident that I will succeed in the end. As I am confident that you will fail. Now please leave," he pointed his hand in the direction of the exit once again, clearly stating that their brief conversation was complete. Naraku paid no heed to the man's silent instructions, and his eyes lit up at his recent proclamations.
"Sir, I have the solution for you. My secretary," Kagura scoffed at this from behind the pages of the Wall Street Journal, and Naraku shot her a pointed glare. "My secretary over there is a wind youkai; it would be very simple for her to levitate to the level of Inuyasha's apartment, as she's done it before. Though I must wonder, wouldn't picking locks just be so much easier?"
Sesshomaru looked a bit intrigued, then scoffed at the proposition. "Picking locks? Even I do not stoop that low, and besides, the security measures on such a prestigious apartment building would be great. Picking the lock would no doubt set off all kinds of alarms," he paused in thought for a moment. As much as he hated the thought of combining his efforts with that of the mysterious man, the thought of a wind youkai certainly struck him as helpful. Besides, once he got in the apartment, who said he had to continue the partnership? "Fine," he stretched out a clawed hand for a shake. "It's a bargain".
~*~
"I call backseat!" Inuyasha spoke up triumphantly, racing to the back door of the bright yellow taxi and flinging it open with a toothy grin before hurling himself into the gray cushioned seat.
"No way, the backseat is mine!" Kouga argued vehemently, flinging open the opposite door before executing a similar move. Kagome, who had taken the safe route and walked a few paces behind the both of them, had to let out a giggle when she realized what a position the two had just placed themselves in. It was a wonder no screams of murder had emitted themselves from the cab.
Calmly, she lightly pulled open the front door before sliding into the seat and closing it with just as much care. With a light grin she turned to face the two in the backseat, who were currently arguing over who could claim ownership of the middle seatbelt, which in all reality was quite idiotic since neither of them sat in the middle seat.
"Start the car," she rolled her eyes at the two in back. "I think I'm getting a migraine from those two," she placed her fingers upon her temples and began to rub them in a gesture of annoyance. The surly cab driver gave a sympathetic nod before starting the engine, all of which remained oblivious to the two in the backseat.
Kagome took a half circle turn in her seat, so that she was facing the two boys while propping herself up on her knobby knees, her elbows resting delicately on her headrest. "Enjoying yourselves?" she inquired innocently, not trying to hide the apparent giggle in her voice.
"He keeps moving over on MY side of the seat," Kouga growled, a pouty look resting on his lips as he crossed his arms and gazed angrily out the foggy window. Kagome had to stifle a giggle; he sounded like a six year old, and that would be a disservice to six year olds everywhere.
"Hey, wolf-breath, care to play the license plate game?" Inuyasha asked testily, daring him to refuse the challenge. The wolf youkai glared back with every bit as much vigor, and Kagome could see fire dancing in their pupils. Oh boy, she was getting a migraine all right.
"I thought you hated the license plate game!" Kagome protested indignantly, hoping to put a stop to this ridiculous nonsense, but Inuyasha just gave a cocky smirk in her direction, his ulterior motives clearly written on his face.
"Not the way I play it," he boasted, then swung back his fist. "Hey, guess what Kouga? I see New York!" he brought his fist forward with all his might, preparing to strike the side of Kouga's arrogant face with all the strength he could muster. But just as his fist was about to come in contact with skin, the arrogant wolf ducked down under his speeding arm, causing Inuyasha's angry punch to come in contact with naught but air.
"My, your armpits smell even worse from down here," Kouga exclaimed gleefully, popping back up in mere seconds. "Guess I don't know my own speed," he replied, examining his nails with a cocky look in his eye. Inuyasha turned to Kagome to sympathize with her over the annoying ass, but found himself thoroughly surprised when his gaze met her own stony cold one, her face contorting in fiery anger. She was absolutely livid.
"INUYASHA! How dare you try to hurt Kouga? Insulting each other is one thing, but what did he ever do to you?" she demanded, unintentionally spitting on him as she did so, and Inuyasha brought his hand up to wipe away the distasteful germs.
"He was born," the hanyou muttered under his breath, crossing his arms and glaring out the opposite window.
"If you EVER try something like that again, EITHER of you," she added, noticing Kouga's mischievous grin, "I will not hesitate to kill you BOTH!" she screeched, seeming to tower above the two sulking boys. After a moment of giving them both her most venomous glares, she turned around to face the front of the vehicle in a huff, ignoring the astonished cab driver and concentrating her energy on how she'd murder Inuyasha when they arrived home.
The rest of the drive, for some odd reason, remained utterly silent.
~*~
"Sango, come in darling, the show is JUST about to begin!" Miroku exclaimed ecstatically, placing a hand against her back to guide her to the living room, and sitting her down on the couch one that task had been accomplished.
"Show?" Sango piped up, confused. "I just came down here to pick up my share of the...fudge," she trailed off, a vein popping in her clear forehead. "GET YOUR HAND OFF MY ASS!" she barked, causing Miroku to fall flat on the couch next to her, his head resting on her bare knee.
"My, the view is quite nice from down here," Miroku remarked idly, ignoring the steaming Sango behind him.
"MIROKU!" she bellowed, dragging him up by the scruff of his shirt. "Will you PLEASE tell me what's going on?" she demanded, giving him a suspicious glare.
"You'll find out in a second," he hinted secretly, a calm but smug smile appearing on his lips. Sango opened her mouth to give her response but was cut off by the melodic sound of the doorbell, which for some reason played the tune to the song "Work It". Sango rolled her eyes at Miroku's new choice of song, though she supposed it was better then when he had "Milkshake".
"Probably Inuyasha," Sango jerked her thumb at the door. "Go get it, see if Kagome's with him".
"Why don't you answer it, lady Sango, if you're so keen on young Kagome's whereabouts?" he smiled warmly, but Sango didn't buy it for even a second.
"When you smile like that, I KNOW not to answer the door. Besides, it's YOUR house," she pointed out, pulling herself to her feet daintily and dragging an unwilling Miroku up with her. "Now answer the damned door!" she placed an indignant hand on her hip, the other gesturing toward the continually ringing doorbell. She'd faint if she heard "Work It" being played even one more time.
"All right, darling Sango, if you insist," he held his hands up in defense, his composed and collected figure making its way toward the doorway. He reached out a hand to grasp the shiny golden knob, pulling it aside to reveal who Sango had assumed to be a grouchy Inuyasha and giggling Kagome.
It wasn't.
Instead, a young couple stood before them, the man with longish dark hair and deep brown eyes, appearing the picture of seriousness if it weren't for the teasing twinkle in his eyes and smile. The woman had hair a shade lighter, but still very dark in comparison to, say, Inuyasha's purely cream hair. She wore a cheerful, motherly expression; her right arm entwined through the man's left. After taking one look at them, her heart sank straight down to her toes, for she already knew that this would prove to be a very long and tiring night.
"Sango, meet the parents".
~*~
The extravagant apartment building gradually slid into view as the bright yellow cab rode up to it, its clouded windows continually going through the cycle of cleaning as the shield wipers struggled to keep up with the foggy skies. Kagome fumed silently, her head balanced perfectly against the window of the car, and her body bouncing every so often as they encountered a speed bump. Inuyasha leaned back in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest and his face twisted in an angry scowl. Kouga had his arms crossed as well, but his face bore an indifferent expression. It was an incredibly awkward moment for the surly cab driver.
The car skidded to a stop next to the forest green curb, and before they had even fully stopped, Inuyasha tore out of the car in unbelievable haste, making his way toward their apartment building before anybody else had the opportunity to follow.
"Where are you going?" Kagome called out, standing on tip-toe with a small hand cupped over her mouth. His silence filled the air as her answer, and with a sigh she turned to Kouga and plastered a smile on her face.
"Sooo," she began, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Kouga shot her an apologetic smile and placed his hands on her shoulders to halt her annoying movements.
"Look, Kagome I'm sorry," his bright blue eyes clouded over a bit. "I don't know what got in to me, I just..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say.
Kagome gave him a warm smile and pulled him into a friendly embrace, silently rocking back and forth, her head resting in the blades of his shoulder. "Oh Kouga, it's me who should be sorry. I should've known that your and Inuyasha's personalities would clash, it's O.K. I don't fault either of you, and I apologize for yelling," she finished sincerely, drawing back from Kouga to continue their conversation.
"It's not your fault, it's the fault of that damned mutt," Kouga spat crossly. "If he hadn't shown up, none of this would've happened and," he was cut off by a sharp look from Kagome.
"Kouga, if it weren't for Inuyasha I'd be dead right now," she softened a bit. "Besides, he's actually quite nice once you get to know him," she smiled fondly at the thought, which made Kouga bristle even more.
"Look, all I'm saying is that he's a damned bastard who should go to hell and," Kagome had stopped listening by this point to concentrate on the man's eyes. A long time ago, her mother told her that if you looked deep enough into a person's eyes you could see into the depths of their very soul. She found the saying held true when she looked into Inuyasha's amber pools; his gaze never hesitated to ensnare her own. But when she looked into Kouga's eyes she saw nothing, felt nothing. There was no connection between them.
"And then I'll throw his many pieces into a river in Kentucky and laugh as his bloody remains get washed down the river. What do you think, Kags?" he shot a cocky grin at her, and she smiled softly at him, glad she finally knew where she stood with him.
"That sounds perfect," she giggled, and Kouga gave her a perturbed look, unaware that she hadn't heard a single word he'd said. He shrugged and grabbed her wrist, preparing to drag her along to instill a much more romantic feeling into their night then currently available. Therefore, he was quite surprised when he felt her pull back reluctantly, shaking her head with a sigh.
"Aren't you coming?" he cocked his head in confusion, and Kagome continued to shake her head.
"I'm sorry, Kouga, I'd love to, but it's getting pretty late. Besides, I think I may need to calm Inuyasha down or he may end up torching the apartment, being the pyromaniac that he is," she laughed, remembering the time he'd saved her from a burning building without ever knowing who she was.
"Kagome, I came here to spend time with you! I'm leaving in three days, and I want to see you before then," he pleaded, his eyes begging her to agree.
Kagome glanced off at a nearby lamppost, appearing to be deep in thought. "Yes, I'd like to spend time with you too, Kouga. I'm afraid that I'm busy tomorrow, but I'm free the day after that if it's all right!" she spoke up earnestly, and Kouga shot her a hurt look.
"Busy with Inuyasha no doubt," he muttered softly, but Kagome caught it. She snorted violently, her raven black tresses shaking in her mirth.
"Yeah, we had plans to go try out the new flying pigs. Actually I'm going shopping with my new friend Sango. You'd like her, she's a lot like me actually," she gave him a warm grin, which he thought seemed to light up her features even more. She was so beautiful when she smiled, and he was glad that in spite of everything, she still smiled often.
"Well then I'm sure I'd love her," he said softly, but Kagome didn't seem to notice the reference. She dropped her hand from his wrist, sending him an apologetic smile before reaching up to give him a quick hug.
"Bye Kouga. See you Wednesday then," she said softly, turning back toward the apartment building, glancing over her shoulder at the wolf youkai every few seconds. Was it just her imagination, or did it seem like he was keeping something from her?
"Yeah, bye," he replied, but by then she was much too far away to have heard it. He swore inwardly at his repeated failures and patiently waited by the curb for a taxi to take him to his hotel. Damn that Inuyasha...
~*~
"Get your hand off my ass Miroku!" Sango bellowed angrily, whirling around to face the offending pervert. She held back an angry gasp as Miroku's smiling father stood in Miroku's usual spot, holding up calloused hands in defense.
"Woah, you're a feisty one there, aren't you?" he commented, sounding a bit like a cattle rancher commenting on a fine breed of horse. Sango groaned inwardly; she was hoping that, by some unlikely chance, Miroku's father held more maturity then his son. Apparently the apple didn't fall far from the tree, and while Miroku was perverted, he couldn't hold a candle to his father.
Luckily his mother was a different story; in fact, she seemed an awful lot like Sango herself. She leaned toward Sango eagerly from her seat on the couch, asking if the younger girl would like some whipped cream on her sundae, before whirling around to face her chuckling husband. "Not a perverted word out of you, mister!" she admonished angrily, turning back to the girl with a warm smile once again resting on her face. Yes, she was an extremely fascinating woman.
"So, how long you two been sleeping together?" Miroku's father asked pointedly, dragging his finger back and forth between a grinning Miroku and a red faced Sango.
"Since never!" she barked, trying to keep her voice as polite as she could, but this man was positively infuriating. "Never have and never will!" she crossed her arms and glared at the two smiling men, whilst Miroku's mother gave her a small punch on the arm.
"Atta girl," she winked, and the two lapsed into giggles at the confused faces of Miroku and father.
"How do you expect me to get any grand-children then?" he sputtered angrily, glaring at Sango. "Why on Earth did you choose such a pure woman? It's distasteful to our family line," he huffed, turning his glare on Miroku, who smiled warmly.
"Because I love her," he said simply, causing Sango's head to whirl around so fast that it was a wonder she didn't get whiplash.
"What?" she asked in soft amazement, half of her praying he was being serious and the other half equally as hopeful that this was just another ruse. He calmly folded his hands in his lap and opened his mouth to reply, when suddenly the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," he finished, rising to his feet to answer the door.
"Rats," Sango mumbled quietly, turning beet red when she realized that his mother had heard perfectly. She sunk down a bit lower into the material of the white leather, attempting (but failing) to hide her red cheeks.
"Oi Miroku, you and I need to talk! That Kagome chick's been driving me up the wall with her dumbass boyfriends and," he trailed off softly as he stared into the living room with an open mouth. "Sorry, I didn't realize you had company over," he said apologetically, but the unfamiliar tone came out more as a snarl.
"Nah, it's fine, I wanted you to meet them anyway. Mom, Dad, meet my best friend Inuyasha!" he introduced grandly, then cupped an exaggerated hand over his mouth. "Don't worry, he's all bark and no bite," he smiled, to which he received a dirty look from Inuyasha before his gaze changed to something completely different, something very difficult for even Miroku to comprehend.
"Oh, so these are your parents," his normally aggressive tones now seemed to be void of any emotion. "Good to meet you," he greeted in the same emotionless tone. Miroku cocked his head in confusion; it was so strange to see Inuyasha act so politely. He was actually quite surprised that his hanyou friend wasn't slapping his parents high fives. Heck, he hadn't acted like this since....
Oh shit.
"Anyway, I'm gonna go back up and see if I can bug Kagome at all," he plastered on one of his famous smirks, but nobody was fooled for even a moment. He held an awkward hand up in a wave. "Night all," he trudged out the doorway, his ears drooping slightly as he headed into the luxurious elevator. He pushed the button to his floor without any of the usual enthusiasm, leaning back onto the wall while staring at a checkered spot on the ground, a melancholy expression resting on his usually scowling face.
"Family," he scoffed bitterly, his bangs clouding his eyes. "What a waste".
He dragged himself into the apartment wearily, flopping down on his king sized bed with a clump and closing his eyes. 'Rin....,' he thought softly before drifting off into a deep slumber. 'I'm sorry'.
~*~
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out, letting the house keys dangle at her sides. "Look, Inuyasha, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for things to get so out of hand! Inuyasha?" she called out again, her frantic voice filling with panic. Oh gods, what if Kouga had angered him enough to make him commit suicide or something? Her heart filled with terror, and she raced around the house as fast as her legs could carry her, each empty room filling her heart with dread. "INUYASHA!" she called out, tears threatening to overflow. "WHERE ARE YOU?"
"Sleeping...go away," a low mumbling voice came from the only unopened door, Inuyasha's bedroom. Kagome sank to her knees in relief, shaking in silent sobs.
"Oh thank god," she trembled wearily. "I was sure you were gone," her usual laughter invaded her salty eyes, and she brought a wrist to her face to wipe the tears away with a slight sniff. "I'm an idiot; I should've thought to check Inuyasha's room!" she chuckled. "Boy am I dense".
She rapped her knuckles on the wooden surface of the door. "Inuyasha? Can we talk?" she asked softly, pleading for him to give an affirming response. When no answer came, she tried the same approach a second time. "Inuyasha?" her voice became increasingly hopeless. Just as she was about to turn away, his barely audible mumblings floated through the cracks in the doorway.
"No, I don't need you," he sighed into his pillow, rolling over onto his side. Well he certainly wasn't tired anymore, but now he could at least take some time to think. He wasn't in the mood to converse right now, especially with Kagome who he still hadn't forgiven for the evening's earlier events.
Kagome's shoulders slumped in defeat as she made her way to her bedroom door, calling out over her shoulder in a whisper toward the angry hanyou. "Oh, Inuyasha, we all need somebody," she smiled softly, closing the door behind her with a small click before following Inuyasha's lead and flopping down on her own bed, her raven hair tucked under her cheek like a pillow. She hugged Buyo to herself, who she supposed had been awfully bored all day with both her and Inuyasha gone.
"So sleepy," she yawned. "Time to nap," she stretched her arms over her head until they grasped on to a real pillow, in which she immediately proceeded to snuggle into until she also was in a deep slumber, Buyo curled up by her side. She was only a second too late to hear the last mumbled thought find its way into her heart.
"Yeah, but that someone is gone".
~*~
Inuyasha rolled over onto his back, crossing his arms behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. Wow, did he have a lot to think about. Pushing his legs up until they were propped up in front of him, he allowed his thoughts to overtake him, pushing him out of the safety of his body and into the turbulent world of his own thoughts.
'I had tried to forget up until tonight; I guess I'd been putting on this stupid façade for so long that I convinced myself that it was real,' he gave a rueful smile. 'And I suppose Kagome helped take my mind off things a little, but here I am back where I started. This is fucking perfect,' he sighed, willing himself not to give into his emotions completely and curl into a fetal position on the ground. He had SOME dignity left.
"First, he took my mother. Damn, she was a wonderful woman, always thinking of me before she'd even dream of considering himself. Then father, but he was always very cold anyhow. Still, though, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss him. And then, and then Rin... the sunlight in my darkness, Rin, he took you too," his voice trembled softly as he curled himself back onto his side.
"Feh, I don't care. What am I getting so worked up about?" he admonished himself. He had almost betrayed his number one rule: Never allow your emotions to get the better of you. It had kept him going thus far, and damnit, that rule was going to follow him all the way into death. He'd never be forced to remember, never be forced to relive the pain all over again. He could live a pseudo life, shooting movies and scattering women everywhere he went. He could smile to mask the pain, though that was all his smile would ever be, a mere mask. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to smile for real...
'No that isn't true,' Inuyasha reminded himself. 'Remember the other day when you went to see that god-awful movie with Kagome?' he recalled all the times he'd laughed that day, all the times he'd actually opened up to her and allowed himself to feel free. No, that day wasn't like the others. For the first time in forever, he actually felt like he was allowed to move on, like it was O.K to smile and laugh with her the way he hadn't permit himself to do with any other friend for the past six months.
'Well don't let her fool you,' he scowled softly. 'She's just like the others; you're just incredibly desperate for companionship is all. Eventually she'll leave too, and where will you be then? Best not to get too attached to anyone, it's safer that way,' he concluded, sure he wouldn't have to worry about that damned wench tangling up the perfectly spun web he'd sculpted his life into.
"Maybe it's time to do something I should've done a long time ago," he pulled himself to his feet, shaking the tangled white mass out of his face. Quietly he padded out the doorway, glancing at the clock as he left to see that it was almost midnight, and he didn't want to wake Kagome if he could help it. With a determined resolve, he crept quietly out toward the front hall, ignoring the buzzing of the television in the background. He'd have to remind Kagome to turn off the stupid T.V, but now was not the time.
He stopped in front of a white doorway, unsure if he should really go through with this. The handle seemed to be shaking back and forth, taunting him, telling him he was too weak for this. Shaking his head, he placed a hand on the handle before jerking the door wide open and stepping inside, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. Letting the door swing halfway shut behind him, he blinked open his eyes, letting them accustom themselves to the darkness for a moment while remembering something Kagome had once said to him.
"Inuyasha, if you spend all your time reflecting on the past then you'll never be able to move on with your future! And what's the point of living like that? You've got to move on from whatever it is that always puts you in such a crabby mood. Come on, I know you can do it! Just think of what determination and willpower can do for you!" her voice faded away into the darkness, and Inuyasha took a soft swallow.
'This is for you Kagome...'.
~*~
Kagome yawned, stretching her hands up high above her head. Buyo, a bit startled by her actions, scampered away from her, and she laughed and gave him a few soft pats on the head.
"Oh Buyo, I don't know what's gotten into Inuyasha," she voiced her thoughts aloud to the dog, who seemed to be listening attentively. "I don't think it was the whole thing with Kouga, though he did seem a bit miffed about that," she rolled her eyes. "Which, by the way, is very confusing. Why did Inuyasha get so mad at Kouga? Ah well, I guess there are just some people that others don't click with," she shrugged softly, moving on in her train of thought. "But still, I don't think that's all that's bothering him. Normally he would've just come out yelling at me about Kouga, not turned all reclusive and stayed in his room. Maybe I should ask Miroku," she contemplated, but decided that midnight was not the best time to take a course of action.
"Kouga was acting odd tonight as well. I don't mean the way he got along with Inuyasha, which by the way was dreadful. I've never seen two more immature boys," she rolled her eyes toward the dog and he seemed to yip in agreement. "He kept shooting me these strange looks all through dinner; it was quite unnerving. Do you know what's sad Buyo?" she asked, and the dog yipped in response, which she took to signify as a no. "I actually used to LIKE Kouga," she laughed at the remembrance. "I know, it's strange isn't it? Even when I left Japan I still liked him, but then, when he came here tonight...," she trailed off softly. "It was like something was missing in him, some sort of inner quality that just seemed to be absent. I don't know, maybe I'm just picky," she smiled ruefully.
"Anyway, back to Inuyasha. I'm very angry at him right now; I want to know what's wrong and he just keeps shutting me out!" she let out a groan of frustration. "He is so impossible sometimes and - " she was cut off by a loud thump.
"What was that?" she asked fearfully, clutching Buyo closer. Buyo basked in her attention, but his attentive ears didn't seem to be paying attention to anything, and Kagome relaxed. If Buyo wasn't worried then surely there wasn't any reason to be...
*Thump*
There it was again. Drawing a finger to her lips, she set Buyo on the ground gently and nudged him toward the other end of the room. Tentatively, she crept out of her doorway as quietly as she could, hoping to spot the source of the noise before it spotted her. She looked around curiously, only to see that nothing was amiss. Seeing as she only had the front hall left to check, she turned to glance down it, sure that if there was some sort of intruder then he wouldn't be hanging around in the front hall, when all of the sudden a gasp caught itself in her throat, and her heart leapt right up to match it. For what she saw before her was the one thing she did NOT expect to see.
The door to Inuyasha's hidden closet was swinging wide open.
Unsure if this was some sort of trick, she tip-toed quietly over to the open space, and grimaced as she came upon the forbidden spot. Maybe this was some stupid test made by Inuyasha, and it would be best to just steer clear of the place.
But she was a curious person by nature, and she cautiously reached out a hand toward the door's handle, pulling it open wide enough for her to slip in unnoticed. She opened her eyes eagerly, expecting to see some sort of buried treasure or diamond mine in here, but found herself very confused when all she found were walls full of....pictures?
That was it?
Indeed, that's what it was. All around the closet were pictures, papers, and other childhood memorabilia, some in shelves, some hung up on walls, and even some strung up on clothesline. On a second inspection she could see that the pictures were of a much younger Inuyasha, and the papers were his as well. She began to connect the dots and understood that this must be Inuyasha's connection to his past, a little walk down memory lane for him. She'd kill for such a thing, and she felt implored to explore it all right then and there, but something kept her from completing the task.
Why all the secrecy over something like childhood memories?
Suddenly a shuffle came from a darkened corner, and Kagome felt a scream lodge itself in her throat. Whirling around to meet whatever fate had in store, she fought hard to contain her gasp for the second time that day.
Inuyasha...?
He sat in a corner, his mouth void of any emotion as he seemed to be staring straight ahead, though Kagome couldn't really tell since his long bangs hung over his eyes. His knees were drawn up around him, and his arms resting lightly on him. He wasn't crying, but Kagome certainly wasn't expecting him to, he had too much pride for that. No, he was doing the closest thing he could without losing it completely, emptying himself of any thought or emotion, trying to give up on the feelings around him without giving in.
It was Inuyasha's way of grieving.
A sob lodged in Kagome's throat to see him like this, as he looked like the world were about to end at any moment. His face was so hard, so uncaring, so unnatural for him, that she just wanted to reach out and hug him, tell him everything was going to be all right and that she understood.
But she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't want that.
It was when his head sunk lower and his whole body began to shake with silent sobs that she couldn't hold back any longer. Sure she was mad at him, sure he was a jerk, sure he would probably yell at her later for busting in on his privacy, but at that moment none of it mattered. He was her friend and (she hoped) she was his too, and she wouldn't let him sit there and hurt like that by himself.
Kagome felt her heart clench up as she crossed the tiny room in only two strides, kneeling down next to the shaking man. She was close enough to see that his eyes were void of any tears, but his entire being continued to shake all the same as he tried to empty himself of the pain, tried to rid himself of the despairing feeling he seemed to receive whenever he thought of her... whenever he was presented with memories...whenever he was forced to go back in time and relive it.
Tentatively, she knelt behind him, swinging her arms over his shoulders and around his neck, holding onto him like he was a lifeline, but not choking him. She rested her head on his shoulder and allowed him to continue shaking, and trying her hardest not to burst into tears herself. She had to be strong...for Inuyasha.
She nuzzled her head deeper into his shoulder as he stopped shaking, only calmly sitting there with that same distant look on his face, a silent comforting gesture. He made no move to leave and neither did she, so the two just continued to lie there, drowning in their own memories and thoughts as they'd so often done before.
'But at least this time,' Kagome thought to herself with a teary smile. 'At least this time you aren't alone, Inuyasha. And you never will be again'.
A/N: Well not exactly romantic fluff, but hey, it's better then when they first met!
A/N: Yay! Reviews! Heh, check out my new story if you have time. It's *gag* a high school fanfic, but I'll do my best to make it realistic and give it an actual plot.
Sorry for not updating in, well, forever, and I promise to make it up somehow!!!! I guess I've been having a bit of writer's block lately, so I apologize if this chapter isn't exactly up to par with the others. Ah well, you win some you lose some.
To be honest, this story is starting to frustrate me, but don't worry, I definitely won't quit. I know how annoying it is when fic writers just quit writing out of the blue, and you never get to find out the ending. Sucks, doesn't it?
Chapter Twenty One
Mystery Unveiled
Inuyasha, Kouga, and Kagome somehow remained together amongst the thick crowds of various relatives in the NY airport, doing their best to find an escape route from the line of fire. Kouga and Inuyasha weren't aiding the situation, since pushing each other and toppling even more people to the ground certainly wasn't helping them get anywhere faster. Kagome gave an audible sigh of annoyance; she should have just come to retrieve Kouga by herself. People were starting to glare at the two obnoxious boys, and she hurriedly led them toward the first restaurant she could find, which happened to be a Burger King. She scanned the room, searching for an open spot (and preferably one with no people surrounding it), and her eyes lit up when she saw an open four chaired table from across the fast food establishment. Dashing to it before anybody else had the opportunity to do so; she shoved Inuyasha into one seat and Kouga into the seat across from him. Hey, if they wanted to have a glaring contest, who was she to deny them their amusement?
Ignoring their venomous glares, Kagome gave her instructions. "Listen you guys. I'm gonna go get us some food, O.K? What do you want?"
"How about some wolf meat?" Inuyasha muttered under his breath, and Kagome shot him a death glare, earning him a victorious smile from Kouga.
"I'll just have a number 2, if that's all right," Kouga asked politely, folding his hands in front of him, and Kagome smiled sweetly at the wolf youkai.
"Sure Kouga, and what about you Inuyasha? Sorry to say, but cannibalism won't be allowed tonight," she stated dryly, trying not to laugh as Inuyasha glowered at her words.
"I'll have the same as Kouga," he stated in an apathetic tone, his amber eyes never leaving the blue ones before him. Kagome shook her head with a muffled groan, then turned to go fetch their meals, shooting them hopeless glances over her shoulder as she made her way to the food counter.
"Listen, dog-breath," Kouga leaned forward, attempting to intimidate the hanyou before him. "Kagome is MINE, got it? So back off!" his deep growl would've scared anybody else to pieces, but Inuyasha wasn't fazed a bit.
"Damn you, wolf-boy, I don't care what the hell you do with Kagome. I'm only saying that it's a bit rude of you to claim someone as yours without asking them first. It's called respect," Inuyasha leaned forward as well, and the two were almost nose to nose by this point, each trying to outdo the other's intimidating glare.
"Something you obviously seem to be lacking," Kouga smirked, and Inuyasha simmered quietly, doing his best not to rip the asshole's guts out. Kagome would kill him if he dared to, but it was just so tempting!
"Do you know who I am?" Inuyasha barked with an air of importance.
"Yes, you're an idiot," Kouga stated hotly, leaning back into the hard back of his chair and crossing his arms in front of them. It was only then that Inuyasha began to realize just how alike the two really were.
Not wanting to be outdone, Inuyasha leaned forward and grabbed Kouga by the collar of his muddy brown shirt, dragging him further towards the hanyou, until the two were almost nose to nose once again. "Listen, you arrogant bastard, just stay away from Kagome," he spat, causing Kouga to blanch.
"Yuck, now I have dog germs all over me," he accused, making an elaborate show of dragging his fist across is face in disgust.
"I'm back!" a lilting female voice shouted over their racket, setting down a tray full of food as she did so. She flipped her midnight tresses behind her ears and sat down in between the bickering boys, breathing in the aroma of the freshly cooked foods. "Ahhhh," she exhaled happily, ignoring the strange looks she was attracting from the boys.
"Ahh, Kagome?" Kouga tentatively asked.
"Oh, right!" Kagome snapped out of her trance. "Dig in boys!" she gestured toward the food in front of her, and the two arrogant bastards happily obliged to her instructions, each trying to stuff as much food as possible down their throats before the other could get to it. Eventually it was like a game, and they started arguing over something as silly as a French fry. Kagome, who had been attempting to ignore them both, frankly had the notion to just dump them down the garbage disposal with the food, or deposit them on the side of the road with a "FREE PUPPIES" sign.
"ENOUGH!" she shouted forcefully, attracting some odd looks from the German people sitting at the table next to her, and she ducked down a bit to avoid her blush.
"Listen you two. I've tried to be civil, really I have. But ALL you've done is ARGUE! It's annoying as hell!!! For the love of god, will you two PLEASE cut it out?" she hissed under her breath, but Kouga and Inuyasha caught every word perfectly. They nodded dumbly, and Kagome shot them both her biggest smile, which in all honesty was a little creepy.
"Good," she said through clenched teeth. "Now let's enjoy our meal!"
~*~
"So, you're Inuyasha's brother?" Naraku asked calmly, taking a sip of his coffee while leaning back into Sesshomaru's white leather couch, the material bouncing a bit under his weight. "Tell me, do you enjoy his company?" he questioned with an expression he hoped was full of naught but mere curiosity, but anybody could see the hidden motives behind his schoolboy facade.
"Let's cut to the chase, shall we?" Sesshomaru replied curtly, doing his best to cut the conversation off as short as he possibly could. Human contact just wasn't his cup of tea. "No, I don't like Inuyasha, and since you obviously don't either, what do you want from me?" he narrowed his eyes at the dark haired man, being an untrustworthy man himself, he never failed to jump on any possible suspicion.
"Sesshomaru, sir, if I may inquire as to whether or not you'd be interested in working with me on something?" Naraku asked pointedly, leaning forward to rest on his dark elbows. Sesshomaru's eyes focused in on him, the detached pupils never giving even a glimmer of emotion, never changing from their cold, murky amber, so like and yet so unlike those of his temperamental brother.
"I prefer to work alone," the icy man stated bluntly, taking a sip of his darkened coffee. He wouldn't have anything to do with this Naraku man if he could help it; he could already tell they didn't have much in common other then their hatred for his younger brother, and he could plot his scheme just fine by his lonesome.
"Look, YOU want to kill Inuyasha, and I want to kill Kagome! It's perfect, we team up and get them both when they least expect it. What do you say?" he raised his eyebrows. "It's quite a bargain," he attempted to nudge the man in the direction of a solid yes.
"I've already told you, I prefer to work on my own," he stated, just as coolly but with a bit more force. "Now please leave my house," his eyes narrowed just a bit, without ever changing the apathy within his amber pupils as he directed a clawed finger toward the shabby doorway. How DID he do it?
"Sir, be honest with me," Naraku rose to his feet, not unwilling to resort to groveling if he needed to, Sesshomaru's support was crucial to the success of his scheme. "Do YOU have a plan?"
"Yes, in fact I do, as soon as I can find a way into the man's apartment without him knowing of my involvement. Seeing as I generally don't climb fifty stories high, this may be a difficult feat to achieve, but I am confident that I will succeed in the end. As I am confident that you will fail. Now please leave," he pointed his hand in the direction of the exit once again, clearly stating that their brief conversation was complete. Naraku paid no heed to the man's silent instructions, and his eyes lit up at his recent proclamations.
"Sir, I have the solution for you. My secretary," Kagura scoffed at this from behind the pages of the Wall Street Journal, and Naraku shot her a pointed glare. "My secretary over there is a wind youkai; it would be very simple for her to levitate to the level of Inuyasha's apartment, as she's done it before. Though I must wonder, wouldn't picking locks just be so much easier?"
Sesshomaru looked a bit intrigued, then scoffed at the proposition. "Picking locks? Even I do not stoop that low, and besides, the security measures on such a prestigious apartment building would be great. Picking the lock would no doubt set off all kinds of alarms," he paused in thought for a moment. As much as he hated the thought of combining his efforts with that of the mysterious man, the thought of a wind youkai certainly struck him as helpful. Besides, once he got in the apartment, who said he had to continue the partnership? "Fine," he stretched out a clawed hand for a shake. "It's a bargain".
~*~
"I call backseat!" Inuyasha spoke up triumphantly, racing to the back door of the bright yellow taxi and flinging it open with a toothy grin before hurling himself into the gray cushioned seat.
"No way, the backseat is mine!" Kouga argued vehemently, flinging open the opposite door before executing a similar move. Kagome, who had taken the safe route and walked a few paces behind the both of them, had to let out a giggle when she realized what a position the two had just placed themselves in. It was a wonder no screams of murder had emitted themselves from the cab.
Calmly, she lightly pulled open the front door before sliding into the seat and closing it with just as much care. With a light grin she turned to face the two in the backseat, who were currently arguing over who could claim ownership of the middle seatbelt, which in all reality was quite idiotic since neither of them sat in the middle seat.
"Start the car," she rolled her eyes at the two in back. "I think I'm getting a migraine from those two," she placed her fingers upon her temples and began to rub them in a gesture of annoyance. The surly cab driver gave a sympathetic nod before starting the engine, all of which remained oblivious to the two in the backseat.
Kagome took a half circle turn in her seat, so that she was facing the two boys while propping herself up on her knobby knees, her elbows resting delicately on her headrest. "Enjoying yourselves?" she inquired innocently, not trying to hide the apparent giggle in her voice.
"He keeps moving over on MY side of the seat," Kouga growled, a pouty look resting on his lips as he crossed his arms and gazed angrily out the foggy window. Kagome had to stifle a giggle; he sounded like a six year old, and that would be a disservice to six year olds everywhere.
"Hey, wolf-breath, care to play the license plate game?" Inuyasha asked testily, daring him to refuse the challenge. The wolf youkai glared back with every bit as much vigor, and Kagome could see fire dancing in their pupils. Oh boy, she was getting a migraine all right.
"I thought you hated the license plate game!" Kagome protested indignantly, hoping to put a stop to this ridiculous nonsense, but Inuyasha just gave a cocky smirk in her direction, his ulterior motives clearly written on his face.
"Not the way I play it," he boasted, then swung back his fist. "Hey, guess what Kouga? I see New York!" he brought his fist forward with all his might, preparing to strike the side of Kouga's arrogant face with all the strength he could muster. But just as his fist was about to come in contact with skin, the arrogant wolf ducked down under his speeding arm, causing Inuyasha's angry punch to come in contact with naught but air.
"My, your armpits smell even worse from down here," Kouga exclaimed gleefully, popping back up in mere seconds. "Guess I don't know my own speed," he replied, examining his nails with a cocky look in his eye. Inuyasha turned to Kagome to sympathize with her over the annoying ass, but found himself thoroughly surprised when his gaze met her own stony cold one, her face contorting in fiery anger. She was absolutely livid.
"INUYASHA! How dare you try to hurt Kouga? Insulting each other is one thing, but what did he ever do to you?" she demanded, unintentionally spitting on him as she did so, and Inuyasha brought his hand up to wipe away the distasteful germs.
"He was born," the hanyou muttered under his breath, crossing his arms and glaring out the opposite window.
"If you EVER try something like that again, EITHER of you," she added, noticing Kouga's mischievous grin, "I will not hesitate to kill you BOTH!" she screeched, seeming to tower above the two sulking boys. After a moment of giving them both her most venomous glares, she turned around to face the front of the vehicle in a huff, ignoring the astonished cab driver and concentrating her energy on how she'd murder Inuyasha when they arrived home.
The rest of the drive, for some odd reason, remained utterly silent.
~*~
"Sango, come in darling, the show is JUST about to begin!" Miroku exclaimed ecstatically, placing a hand against her back to guide her to the living room, and sitting her down on the couch one that task had been accomplished.
"Show?" Sango piped up, confused. "I just came down here to pick up my share of the...fudge," she trailed off, a vein popping in her clear forehead. "GET YOUR HAND OFF MY ASS!" she barked, causing Miroku to fall flat on the couch next to her, his head resting on her bare knee.
"My, the view is quite nice from down here," Miroku remarked idly, ignoring the steaming Sango behind him.
"MIROKU!" she bellowed, dragging him up by the scruff of his shirt. "Will you PLEASE tell me what's going on?" she demanded, giving him a suspicious glare.
"You'll find out in a second," he hinted secretly, a calm but smug smile appearing on his lips. Sango opened her mouth to give her response but was cut off by the melodic sound of the doorbell, which for some reason played the tune to the song "Work It". Sango rolled her eyes at Miroku's new choice of song, though she supposed it was better then when he had "Milkshake".
"Probably Inuyasha," Sango jerked her thumb at the door. "Go get it, see if Kagome's with him".
"Why don't you answer it, lady Sango, if you're so keen on young Kagome's whereabouts?" he smiled warmly, but Sango didn't buy it for even a second.
"When you smile like that, I KNOW not to answer the door. Besides, it's YOUR house," she pointed out, pulling herself to her feet daintily and dragging an unwilling Miroku up with her. "Now answer the damned door!" she placed an indignant hand on her hip, the other gesturing toward the continually ringing doorbell. She'd faint if she heard "Work It" being played even one more time.
"All right, darling Sango, if you insist," he held his hands up in defense, his composed and collected figure making its way toward the doorway. He reached out a hand to grasp the shiny golden knob, pulling it aside to reveal who Sango had assumed to be a grouchy Inuyasha and giggling Kagome.
It wasn't.
Instead, a young couple stood before them, the man with longish dark hair and deep brown eyes, appearing the picture of seriousness if it weren't for the teasing twinkle in his eyes and smile. The woman had hair a shade lighter, but still very dark in comparison to, say, Inuyasha's purely cream hair. She wore a cheerful, motherly expression; her right arm entwined through the man's left. After taking one look at them, her heart sank straight down to her toes, for she already knew that this would prove to be a very long and tiring night.
"Sango, meet the parents".
~*~
The extravagant apartment building gradually slid into view as the bright yellow cab rode up to it, its clouded windows continually going through the cycle of cleaning as the shield wipers struggled to keep up with the foggy skies. Kagome fumed silently, her head balanced perfectly against the window of the car, and her body bouncing every so often as they encountered a speed bump. Inuyasha leaned back in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest and his face twisted in an angry scowl. Kouga had his arms crossed as well, but his face bore an indifferent expression. It was an incredibly awkward moment for the surly cab driver.
The car skidded to a stop next to the forest green curb, and before they had even fully stopped, Inuyasha tore out of the car in unbelievable haste, making his way toward their apartment building before anybody else had the opportunity to follow.
"Where are you going?" Kagome called out, standing on tip-toe with a small hand cupped over her mouth. His silence filled the air as her answer, and with a sigh she turned to Kouga and plastered a smile on her face.
"Sooo," she began, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Kouga shot her an apologetic smile and placed his hands on her shoulders to halt her annoying movements.
"Look, Kagome I'm sorry," his bright blue eyes clouded over a bit. "I don't know what got in to me, I just..." he trailed off, unsure of what to say.
Kagome gave him a warm smile and pulled him into a friendly embrace, silently rocking back and forth, her head resting in the blades of his shoulder. "Oh Kouga, it's me who should be sorry. I should've known that your and Inuyasha's personalities would clash, it's O.K. I don't fault either of you, and I apologize for yelling," she finished sincerely, drawing back from Kouga to continue their conversation.
"It's not your fault, it's the fault of that damned mutt," Kouga spat crossly. "If he hadn't shown up, none of this would've happened and," he was cut off by a sharp look from Kagome.
"Kouga, if it weren't for Inuyasha I'd be dead right now," she softened a bit. "Besides, he's actually quite nice once you get to know him," she smiled fondly at the thought, which made Kouga bristle even more.
"Look, all I'm saying is that he's a damned bastard who should go to hell and," Kagome had stopped listening by this point to concentrate on the man's eyes. A long time ago, her mother told her that if you looked deep enough into a person's eyes you could see into the depths of their very soul. She found the saying held true when she looked into Inuyasha's amber pools; his gaze never hesitated to ensnare her own. But when she looked into Kouga's eyes she saw nothing, felt nothing. There was no connection between them.
"And then I'll throw his many pieces into a river in Kentucky and laugh as his bloody remains get washed down the river. What do you think, Kags?" he shot a cocky grin at her, and she smiled softly at him, glad she finally knew where she stood with him.
"That sounds perfect," she giggled, and Kouga gave her a perturbed look, unaware that she hadn't heard a single word he'd said. He shrugged and grabbed her wrist, preparing to drag her along to instill a much more romantic feeling into their night then currently available. Therefore, he was quite surprised when he felt her pull back reluctantly, shaking her head with a sigh.
"Aren't you coming?" he cocked his head in confusion, and Kagome continued to shake her head.
"I'm sorry, Kouga, I'd love to, but it's getting pretty late. Besides, I think I may need to calm Inuyasha down or he may end up torching the apartment, being the pyromaniac that he is," she laughed, remembering the time he'd saved her from a burning building without ever knowing who she was.
"Kagome, I came here to spend time with you! I'm leaving in three days, and I want to see you before then," he pleaded, his eyes begging her to agree.
Kagome glanced off at a nearby lamppost, appearing to be deep in thought. "Yes, I'd like to spend time with you too, Kouga. I'm afraid that I'm busy tomorrow, but I'm free the day after that if it's all right!" she spoke up earnestly, and Kouga shot her a hurt look.
"Busy with Inuyasha no doubt," he muttered softly, but Kagome caught it. She snorted violently, her raven black tresses shaking in her mirth.
"Yeah, we had plans to go try out the new flying pigs. Actually I'm going shopping with my new friend Sango. You'd like her, she's a lot like me actually," she gave him a warm grin, which he thought seemed to light up her features even more. She was so beautiful when she smiled, and he was glad that in spite of everything, she still smiled often.
"Well then I'm sure I'd love her," he said softly, but Kagome didn't seem to notice the reference. She dropped her hand from his wrist, sending him an apologetic smile before reaching up to give him a quick hug.
"Bye Kouga. See you Wednesday then," she said softly, turning back toward the apartment building, glancing over her shoulder at the wolf youkai every few seconds. Was it just her imagination, or did it seem like he was keeping something from her?
"Yeah, bye," he replied, but by then she was much too far away to have heard it. He swore inwardly at his repeated failures and patiently waited by the curb for a taxi to take him to his hotel. Damn that Inuyasha...
~*~
"Get your hand off my ass Miroku!" Sango bellowed angrily, whirling around to face the offending pervert. She held back an angry gasp as Miroku's smiling father stood in Miroku's usual spot, holding up calloused hands in defense.
"Woah, you're a feisty one there, aren't you?" he commented, sounding a bit like a cattle rancher commenting on a fine breed of horse. Sango groaned inwardly; she was hoping that, by some unlikely chance, Miroku's father held more maturity then his son. Apparently the apple didn't fall far from the tree, and while Miroku was perverted, he couldn't hold a candle to his father.
Luckily his mother was a different story; in fact, she seemed an awful lot like Sango herself. She leaned toward Sango eagerly from her seat on the couch, asking if the younger girl would like some whipped cream on her sundae, before whirling around to face her chuckling husband. "Not a perverted word out of you, mister!" she admonished angrily, turning back to the girl with a warm smile once again resting on her face. Yes, she was an extremely fascinating woman.
"So, how long you two been sleeping together?" Miroku's father asked pointedly, dragging his finger back and forth between a grinning Miroku and a red faced Sango.
"Since never!" she barked, trying to keep her voice as polite as she could, but this man was positively infuriating. "Never have and never will!" she crossed her arms and glared at the two smiling men, whilst Miroku's mother gave her a small punch on the arm.
"Atta girl," she winked, and the two lapsed into giggles at the confused faces of Miroku and father.
"How do you expect me to get any grand-children then?" he sputtered angrily, glaring at Sango. "Why on Earth did you choose such a pure woman? It's distasteful to our family line," he huffed, turning his glare on Miroku, who smiled warmly.
"Because I love her," he said simply, causing Sango's head to whirl around so fast that it was a wonder she didn't get whiplash.
"What?" she asked in soft amazement, half of her praying he was being serious and the other half equally as hopeful that this was just another ruse. He calmly folded his hands in his lap and opened his mouth to reply, when suddenly the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," he finished, rising to his feet to answer the door.
"Rats," Sango mumbled quietly, turning beet red when she realized that his mother had heard perfectly. She sunk down a bit lower into the material of the white leather, attempting (but failing) to hide her red cheeks.
"Oi Miroku, you and I need to talk! That Kagome chick's been driving me up the wall with her dumbass boyfriends and," he trailed off softly as he stared into the living room with an open mouth. "Sorry, I didn't realize you had company over," he said apologetically, but the unfamiliar tone came out more as a snarl.
"Nah, it's fine, I wanted you to meet them anyway. Mom, Dad, meet my best friend Inuyasha!" he introduced grandly, then cupped an exaggerated hand over his mouth. "Don't worry, he's all bark and no bite," he smiled, to which he received a dirty look from Inuyasha before his gaze changed to something completely different, something very difficult for even Miroku to comprehend.
"Oh, so these are your parents," his normally aggressive tones now seemed to be void of any emotion. "Good to meet you," he greeted in the same emotionless tone. Miroku cocked his head in confusion; it was so strange to see Inuyasha act so politely. He was actually quite surprised that his hanyou friend wasn't slapping his parents high fives. Heck, he hadn't acted like this since....
Oh shit.
"Anyway, I'm gonna go back up and see if I can bug Kagome at all," he plastered on one of his famous smirks, but nobody was fooled for even a moment. He held an awkward hand up in a wave. "Night all," he trudged out the doorway, his ears drooping slightly as he headed into the luxurious elevator. He pushed the button to his floor without any of the usual enthusiasm, leaning back onto the wall while staring at a checkered spot on the ground, a melancholy expression resting on his usually scowling face.
"Family," he scoffed bitterly, his bangs clouding his eyes. "What a waste".
He dragged himself into the apartment wearily, flopping down on his king sized bed with a clump and closing his eyes. 'Rin....,' he thought softly before drifting off into a deep slumber. 'I'm sorry'.
~*~
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out, letting the house keys dangle at her sides. "Look, Inuyasha, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for things to get so out of hand! Inuyasha?" she called out again, her frantic voice filling with panic. Oh gods, what if Kouga had angered him enough to make him commit suicide or something? Her heart filled with terror, and she raced around the house as fast as her legs could carry her, each empty room filling her heart with dread. "INUYASHA!" she called out, tears threatening to overflow. "WHERE ARE YOU?"
"Sleeping...go away," a low mumbling voice came from the only unopened door, Inuyasha's bedroom. Kagome sank to her knees in relief, shaking in silent sobs.
"Oh thank god," she trembled wearily. "I was sure you were gone," her usual laughter invaded her salty eyes, and she brought a wrist to her face to wipe the tears away with a slight sniff. "I'm an idiot; I should've thought to check Inuyasha's room!" she chuckled. "Boy am I dense".
She rapped her knuckles on the wooden surface of the door. "Inuyasha? Can we talk?" she asked softly, pleading for him to give an affirming response. When no answer came, she tried the same approach a second time. "Inuyasha?" her voice became increasingly hopeless. Just as she was about to turn away, his barely audible mumblings floated through the cracks in the doorway.
"No, I don't need you," he sighed into his pillow, rolling over onto his side. Well he certainly wasn't tired anymore, but now he could at least take some time to think. He wasn't in the mood to converse right now, especially with Kagome who he still hadn't forgiven for the evening's earlier events.
Kagome's shoulders slumped in defeat as she made her way to her bedroom door, calling out over her shoulder in a whisper toward the angry hanyou. "Oh, Inuyasha, we all need somebody," she smiled softly, closing the door behind her with a small click before following Inuyasha's lead and flopping down on her own bed, her raven hair tucked under her cheek like a pillow. She hugged Buyo to herself, who she supposed had been awfully bored all day with both her and Inuyasha gone.
"So sleepy," she yawned. "Time to nap," she stretched her arms over her head until they grasped on to a real pillow, in which she immediately proceeded to snuggle into until she also was in a deep slumber, Buyo curled up by her side. She was only a second too late to hear the last mumbled thought find its way into her heart.
"Yeah, but that someone is gone".
~*~
Inuyasha rolled over onto his back, crossing his arms behind his head and staring up at the ceiling. Wow, did he have a lot to think about. Pushing his legs up until they were propped up in front of him, he allowed his thoughts to overtake him, pushing him out of the safety of his body and into the turbulent world of his own thoughts.
'I had tried to forget up until tonight; I guess I'd been putting on this stupid façade for so long that I convinced myself that it was real,' he gave a rueful smile. 'And I suppose Kagome helped take my mind off things a little, but here I am back where I started. This is fucking perfect,' he sighed, willing himself not to give into his emotions completely and curl into a fetal position on the ground. He had SOME dignity left.
"First, he took my mother. Damn, she was a wonderful woman, always thinking of me before she'd even dream of considering himself. Then father, but he was always very cold anyhow. Still, though, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss him. And then, and then Rin... the sunlight in my darkness, Rin, he took you too," his voice trembled softly as he curled himself back onto his side.
"Feh, I don't care. What am I getting so worked up about?" he admonished himself. He had almost betrayed his number one rule: Never allow your emotions to get the better of you. It had kept him going thus far, and damnit, that rule was going to follow him all the way into death. He'd never be forced to remember, never be forced to relive the pain all over again. He could live a pseudo life, shooting movies and scattering women everywhere he went. He could smile to mask the pain, though that was all his smile would ever be, a mere mask. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to smile for real...
'No that isn't true,' Inuyasha reminded himself. 'Remember the other day when you went to see that god-awful movie with Kagome?' he recalled all the times he'd laughed that day, all the times he'd actually opened up to her and allowed himself to feel free. No, that day wasn't like the others. For the first time in forever, he actually felt like he was allowed to move on, like it was O.K to smile and laugh with her the way he hadn't permit himself to do with any other friend for the past six months.
'Well don't let her fool you,' he scowled softly. 'She's just like the others; you're just incredibly desperate for companionship is all. Eventually she'll leave too, and where will you be then? Best not to get too attached to anyone, it's safer that way,' he concluded, sure he wouldn't have to worry about that damned wench tangling up the perfectly spun web he'd sculpted his life into.
"Maybe it's time to do something I should've done a long time ago," he pulled himself to his feet, shaking the tangled white mass out of his face. Quietly he padded out the doorway, glancing at the clock as he left to see that it was almost midnight, and he didn't want to wake Kagome if he could help it. With a determined resolve, he crept quietly out toward the front hall, ignoring the buzzing of the television in the background. He'd have to remind Kagome to turn off the stupid T.V, but now was not the time.
He stopped in front of a white doorway, unsure if he should really go through with this. The handle seemed to be shaking back and forth, taunting him, telling him he was too weak for this. Shaking his head, he placed a hand on the handle before jerking the door wide open and stepping inside, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. Letting the door swing halfway shut behind him, he blinked open his eyes, letting them accustom themselves to the darkness for a moment while remembering something Kagome had once said to him.
"Inuyasha, if you spend all your time reflecting on the past then you'll never be able to move on with your future! And what's the point of living like that? You've got to move on from whatever it is that always puts you in such a crabby mood. Come on, I know you can do it! Just think of what determination and willpower can do for you!" her voice faded away into the darkness, and Inuyasha took a soft swallow.
'This is for you Kagome...'.
~*~
Kagome yawned, stretching her hands up high above her head. Buyo, a bit startled by her actions, scampered away from her, and she laughed and gave him a few soft pats on the head.
"Oh Buyo, I don't know what's gotten into Inuyasha," she voiced her thoughts aloud to the dog, who seemed to be listening attentively. "I don't think it was the whole thing with Kouga, though he did seem a bit miffed about that," she rolled her eyes. "Which, by the way, is very confusing. Why did Inuyasha get so mad at Kouga? Ah well, I guess there are just some people that others don't click with," she shrugged softly, moving on in her train of thought. "But still, I don't think that's all that's bothering him. Normally he would've just come out yelling at me about Kouga, not turned all reclusive and stayed in his room. Maybe I should ask Miroku," she contemplated, but decided that midnight was not the best time to take a course of action.
"Kouga was acting odd tonight as well. I don't mean the way he got along with Inuyasha, which by the way was dreadful. I've never seen two more immature boys," she rolled her eyes toward the dog and he seemed to yip in agreement. "He kept shooting me these strange looks all through dinner; it was quite unnerving. Do you know what's sad Buyo?" she asked, and the dog yipped in response, which she took to signify as a no. "I actually used to LIKE Kouga," she laughed at the remembrance. "I know, it's strange isn't it? Even when I left Japan I still liked him, but then, when he came here tonight...," she trailed off softly. "It was like something was missing in him, some sort of inner quality that just seemed to be absent. I don't know, maybe I'm just picky," she smiled ruefully.
"Anyway, back to Inuyasha. I'm very angry at him right now; I want to know what's wrong and he just keeps shutting me out!" she let out a groan of frustration. "He is so impossible sometimes and - " she was cut off by a loud thump.
"What was that?" she asked fearfully, clutching Buyo closer. Buyo basked in her attention, but his attentive ears didn't seem to be paying attention to anything, and Kagome relaxed. If Buyo wasn't worried then surely there wasn't any reason to be...
*Thump*
There it was again. Drawing a finger to her lips, she set Buyo on the ground gently and nudged him toward the other end of the room. Tentatively, she crept out of her doorway as quietly as she could, hoping to spot the source of the noise before it spotted her. She looked around curiously, only to see that nothing was amiss. Seeing as she only had the front hall left to check, she turned to glance down it, sure that if there was some sort of intruder then he wouldn't be hanging around in the front hall, when all of the sudden a gasp caught itself in her throat, and her heart leapt right up to match it. For what she saw before her was the one thing she did NOT expect to see.
The door to Inuyasha's hidden closet was swinging wide open.
Unsure if this was some sort of trick, she tip-toed quietly over to the open space, and grimaced as she came upon the forbidden spot. Maybe this was some stupid test made by Inuyasha, and it would be best to just steer clear of the place.
But she was a curious person by nature, and she cautiously reached out a hand toward the door's handle, pulling it open wide enough for her to slip in unnoticed. She opened her eyes eagerly, expecting to see some sort of buried treasure or diamond mine in here, but found herself very confused when all she found were walls full of....pictures?
That was it?
Indeed, that's what it was. All around the closet were pictures, papers, and other childhood memorabilia, some in shelves, some hung up on walls, and even some strung up on clothesline. On a second inspection she could see that the pictures were of a much younger Inuyasha, and the papers were his as well. She began to connect the dots and understood that this must be Inuyasha's connection to his past, a little walk down memory lane for him. She'd kill for such a thing, and she felt implored to explore it all right then and there, but something kept her from completing the task.
Why all the secrecy over something like childhood memories?
Suddenly a shuffle came from a darkened corner, and Kagome felt a scream lodge itself in her throat. Whirling around to meet whatever fate had in store, she fought hard to contain her gasp for the second time that day.
Inuyasha...?
He sat in a corner, his mouth void of any emotion as he seemed to be staring straight ahead, though Kagome couldn't really tell since his long bangs hung over his eyes. His knees were drawn up around him, and his arms resting lightly on him. He wasn't crying, but Kagome certainly wasn't expecting him to, he had too much pride for that. No, he was doing the closest thing he could without losing it completely, emptying himself of any thought or emotion, trying to give up on the feelings around him without giving in.
It was Inuyasha's way of grieving.
A sob lodged in Kagome's throat to see him like this, as he looked like the world were about to end at any moment. His face was so hard, so uncaring, so unnatural for him, that she just wanted to reach out and hug him, tell him everything was going to be all right and that she understood.
But she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't want that.
It was when his head sunk lower and his whole body began to shake with silent sobs that she couldn't hold back any longer. Sure she was mad at him, sure he was a jerk, sure he would probably yell at her later for busting in on his privacy, but at that moment none of it mattered. He was her friend and (she hoped) she was his too, and she wouldn't let him sit there and hurt like that by himself.
Kagome felt her heart clench up as she crossed the tiny room in only two strides, kneeling down next to the shaking man. She was close enough to see that his eyes were void of any tears, but his entire being continued to shake all the same as he tried to empty himself of the pain, tried to rid himself of the despairing feeling he seemed to receive whenever he thought of her... whenever he was presented with memories...whenever he was forced to go back in time and relive it.
Tentatively, she knelt behind him, swinging her arms over his shoulders and around his neck, holding onto him like he was a lifeline, but not choking him. She rested her head on his shoulder and allowed him to continue shaking, and trying her hardest not to burst into tears herself. She had to be strong...for Inuyasha.
She nuzzled her head deeper into his shoulder as he stopped shaking, only calmly sitting there with that same distant look on his face, a silent comforting gesture. He made no move to leave and neither did she, so the two just continued to lie there, drowning in their own memories and thoughts as they'd so often done before.
'But at least this time,' Kagome thought to herself with a teary smile. 'At least this time you aren't alone, Inuyasha. And you never will be again'.
A/N: Well not exactly romantic fluff, but hey, it's better then when they first met!