Chapter 21
Three days had passed and the four never spoke to each other. Sango's grasp on her pillow tightened, Kagome's reflection in the mirror appeared more often, Miroku's mind were filled with Sango's words, and Inuyasha clutched the picture of Kikyo each day.
Sango got out of her room and went to go get a glass of water. Inuyasha's door was slightly opened and she caught a glimpse of him rubbing his face. At first, she thought that it was because he was tired, but she then heard the sound of him sniffling.
Sango gently opened the door to his room slowly.
"Inuyasha?" she said softly.
"What do you want?" he said irritatingly, but there was a slight sense of pain in his tone.
"What's the matter?"
Inuyasha looked away from her, but Sango came closer and sat next to him on his bed.
"It's nothing." he said all of a sudden.
Sango looked at the picture hidden in Inuyasha's hands, and gently pulled it out.
"Where...did you get this?"
"I found it in your drawer."
"And...you just thought you had the right to steal it?" her voice rose.
"Why didn't you tell me you had a picture of her!"
"Is this why you were crying?"
"I wasn't crying!"
"Fine...is the picture the reason why you're sad?"
"Yes, and no."
Sango sat there and was about ready to give up trying to find out what was wrong with Inuyasha. She stood up from his bed, and made her way to the door.
As she was about to walk out, Inuyasha began speaking.
"It's about Kagome and Kikyo.." he said deeply.
Sango closed the door to his room and sat next to him on his bed again.
"What would Kagome have to do with Kikyo?"
"You were right...she does look so much like Kikyo.."
Sango nodded.
"...but she acts so differently. At the club opening, Kagome told me that she loved me.."
"And what did you say?"
"I told her that I loved her too.."
Sango smiled, but was confused on why he would be so sad.
"...but when I came home, I saw the picture of Kikyo and remembered my promise. I promised to love her forever, and loving Kagome would only interfere."
"How so?"
Inuyasha wiped his face with this sleeve.
"Because...I meant what I said to Kagome. I meant it when I told her that I loved her."
"And there's nothing wrong with that.." Sango said softly as she put her arm around her brother.
"You don't get it, Sango." Inuyasha got up as he voice began to rise.
"If I love her, then where would Kikyo be in my heart? I can't love another! No! Not when Kikyo isn't alive! I'm betraying her soul! I'm betraying my promise to her! I can't love another!" Inuyasha looked down as he sniffled.
"How would you be betraying her?"
"BECAUSE! Kagome also looks like Kikyo...so I'd be giving her injustice if I loved her. Most of all, how can I love someone when I already fell in love? It's like cheating on Kikyo when she's dead! You know much that would haunt me?! To know that I hurt her and she isn't even alive!?"
Sango got up and put her arms around Inuyasha.
"It's okay, Inuyasha...calm down." she said gently. Inuyasha began to breathe heavily. He and Sango sat back down on his bed.
"I know how you feel...about betraying Kikyo. But you have to remember.. Kikyo loved you. And you love her, yes, we all know it. But dead or alive, Kikyo wouldn't want you to miss out on something important to you...especially this."
"And yes, I have to admit, Kagome does look like Kikyo...but like you've said before..she's nothing like her. Kagome is her own person...and we should all appreciate her for it. Though Kikyo isn't here with us, she'll always be in here." she pointed to his heart.
"So no matter what you do...fall in love...fall out of love, she'll be with you. And she'll be happy knowing that you're happy."
"How do you know all of this?" he asked her.
"Because...me and Kagome are the best friends now. And...Kikyo was my best friend...she will always be. But I know, that she wouldn't want me to restrain myself from having another one just because of her. Blaming Kikyo for not enjoying our lives is just not fair." Sango smiled as she pat Inuyasha's back.
"Sango.." Inuyasha began.
"Yes?"
"Thanks..." he said as he hugged her.
"You're welcome, Inuyasha...you're welcome." she smiled.
==============================================================================
"Miroku?" Kagome called out softly as she opened his door.
Miroku was lying on his bed, face down on the pillow.
"Miroku?" she asked once again.
"Yes?" he said as he got up.
"I know it's not any of my business, but Sango's my best friend. And I want to know why you didn't say that you love her back!" Kagome stomped her foot.
"You have a lot of nerve, you know that, Kagome? A lot of nerve to come into my own room and stomp your foot asking for an answer to my personal business." he got up and walked towards her.
Kagome stood her stance, and wasn't about to let Miroku frighten her.
"I want to know. It's been 3 days and we haven't spoken a word. I thought you loved her, Miroku."
Miroku sighed at his stubborn-headed cousin and sat down on a chair in his room.
"I do.." he murmured.
"Then why didn't you tell her?!"
"Ask her! She knows! I talked about it with her the night of the day after the club opening! I told her it was because I thought she'd leave me just like my own mom did!"
"Trust her with your heart!" Kagome sighed as she yelled.
"What is it with that saying?! Sango mumbled something like that that night!"
"IT MEANS THAT YOU SHOULD TRUST THE ONE YOU LOVE WITH YOUR HEART! Sango trusted you, Miroku! Why can't you trust her!? Why DON'T you trust her?!"
"Because I can't trust ANYBODY!"
"That's bullshit and you know it! You're scared! You're scared!"
"I KNOW I'M SCARED!" he yelled. Kagome stopped yelling and the two were breathing heavily.
"Sango loves you, Miroku...." Kagome made her way to his door.
"...so don't be." she said as she exited his room.
Miroku sat there, stunned. His face formed a stern expression and he nodded to himself. He got up, and went to go take a shower.
============================================================================
There was a knock at the door, and Sango was in the shower. Inuyasha went downstairs and opened it. To his shock, he found Miroku.
"Inuyasha, I need to borrow your car. Please, it's important." Miroku begged.
"You want to WHAT?!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Borrow your car."
"Hell no! What makes you think after what you did to my sister that I'd let you borrow my car?!" he yelled.
"Please. This has something to do with Sango. It really does."
"I don't want to hear it, Miroku. Get your own car!"
"My aunt went to work with the only car that we have!"
"THEN TAKE A BIKE OR BUS BECAUSE YOU AIN'T GONNA USE MY CAR!" Inuyasha yelled as he slammed the door.
"Some best friend you are.." Miroku mumbled as he began to walk down the stairs of the front door.
Inuyasha opened the door again.
"Miroku!" he called. Miroku turned back.
"You can't use my car." Inuyasha grunted.
"...but you could use my bike."
Miroku sighed with relief. It wouldn't be the easiest way, but at least he knew that Inuyasha had a soft spot for him. He nodded and thanked Inuyasha.
"Do you know your way to wherever?"
"I think I do." Miroku replied as he shrugged.
"Well, I want my bike back when you get here!" he called as Miroku began to peddle.
"You will! TRUST ME!" Miroku waved.
Three days had passed and the four never spoke to each other. Sango's grasp on her pillow tightened, Kagome's reflection in the mirror appeared more often, Miroku's mind were filled with Sango's words, and Inuyasha clutched the picture of Kikyo each day.
Sango got out of her room and went to go get a glass of water. Inuyasha's door was slightly opened and she caught a glimpse of him rubbing his face. At first, she thought that it was because he was tired, but she then heard the sound of him sniffling.
Sango gently opened the door to his room slowly.
"Inuyasha?" she said softly.
"What do you want?" he said irritatingly, but there was a slight sense of pain in his tone.
"What's the matter?"
Inuyasha looked away from her, but Sango came closer and sat next to him on his bed.
"It's nothing." he said all of a sudden.
Sango looked at the picture hidden in Inuyasha's hands, and gently pulled it out.
"Where...did you get this?"
"I found it in your drawer."
"And...you just thought you had the right to steal it?" her voice rose.
"Why didn't you tell me you had a picture of her!"
"Is this why you were crying?"
"I wasn't crying!"
"Fine...is the picture the reason why you're sad?"
"Yes, and no."
Sango sat there and was about ready to give up trying to find out what was wrong with Inuyasha. She stood up from his bed, and made her way to the door.
As she was about to walk out, Inuyasha began speaking.
"It's about Kagome and Kikyo.." he said deeply.
Sango closed the door to his room and sat next to him on his bed again.
"What would Kagome have to do with Kikyo?"
"You were right...she does look so much like Kikyo.."
Sango nodded.
"...but she acts so differently. At the club opening, Kagome told me that she loved me.."
"And what did you say?"
"I told her that I loved her too.."
Sango smiled, but was confused on why he would be so sad.
"...but when I came home, I saw the picture of Kikyo and remembered my promise. I promised to love her forever, and loving Kagome would only interfere."
"How so?"
Inuyasha wiped his face with this sleeve.
"Because...I meant what I said to Kagome. I meant it when I told her that I loved her."
"And there's nothing wrong with that.." Sango said softly as she put her arm around her brother.
"You don't get it, Sango." Inuyasha got up as he voice began to rise.
"If I love her, then where would Kikyo be in my heart? I can't love another! No! Not when Kikyo isn't alive! I'm betraying her soul! I'm betraying my promise to her! I can't love another!" Inuyasha looked down as he sniffled.
"How would you be betraying her?"
"BECAUSE! Kagome also looks like Kikyo...so I'd be giving her injustice if I loved her. Most of all, how can I love someone when I already fell in love? It's like cheating on Kikyo when she's dead! You know much that would haunt me?! To know that I hurt her and she isn't even alive!?"
Sango got up and put her arms around Inuyasha.
"It's okay, Inuyasha...calm down." she said gently. Inuyasha began to breathe heavily. He and Sango sat back down on his bed.
"I know how you feel...about betraying Kikyo. But you have to remember.. Kikyo loved you. And you love her, yes, we all know it. But dead or alive, Kikyo wouldn't want you to miss out on something important to you...especially this."
"And yes, I have to admit, Kagome does look like Kikyo...but like you've said before..she's nothing like her. Kagome is her own person...and we should all appreciate her for it. Though Kikyo isn't here with us, she'll always be in here." she pointed to his heart.
"So no matter what you do...fall in love...fall out of love, she'll be with you. And she'll be happy knowing that you're happy."
"How do you know all of this?" he asked her.
"Because...me and Kagome are the best friends now. And...Kikyo was my best friend...she will always be. But I know, that she wouldn't want me to restrain myself from having another one just because of her. Blaming Kikyo for not enjoying our lives is just not fair." Sango smiled as she pat Inuyasha's back.
"Sango.." Inuyasha began.
"Yes?"
"Thanks..." he said as he hugged her.
"You're welcome, Inuyasha...you're welcome." she smiled.
==============================================================================
"Miroku?" Kagome called out softly as she opened his door.
Miroku was lying on his bed, face down on the pillow.
"Miroku?" she asked once again.
"Yes?" he said as he got up.
"I know it's not any of my business, but Sango's my best friend. And I want to know why you didn't say that you love her back!" Kagome stomped her foot.
"You have a lot of nerve, you know that, Kagome? A lot of nerve to come into my own room and stomp your foot asking for an answer to my personal business." he got up and walked towards her.
Kagome stood her stance, and wasn't about to let Miroku frighten her.
"I want to know. It's been 3 days and we haven't spoken a word. I thought you loved her, Miroku."
Miroku sighed at his stubborn-headed cousin and sat down on a chair in his room.
"I do.." he murmured.
"Then why didn't you tell her?!"
"Ask her! She knows! I talked about it with her the night of the day after the club opening! I told her it was because I thought she'd leave me just like my own mom did!"
"Trust her with your heart!" Kagome sighed as she yelled.
"What is it with that saying?! Sango mumbled something like that that night!"
"IT MEANS THAT YOU SHOULD TRUST THE ONE YOU LOVE WITH YOUR HEART! Sango trusted you, Miroku! Why can't you trust her!? Why DON'T you trust her?!"
"Because I can't trust ANYBODY!"
"That's bullshit and you know it! You're scared! You're scared!"
"I KNOW I'M SCARED!" he yelled. Kagome stopped yelling and the two were breathing heavily.
"Sango loves you, Miroku...." Kagome made her way to his door.
"...so don't be." she said as she exited his room.
Miroku sat there, stunned. His face formed a stern expression and he nodded to himself. He got up, and went to go take a shower.
============================================================================
There was a knock at the door, and Sango was in the shower. Inuyasha went downstairs and opened it. To his shock, he found Miroku.
"Inuyasha, I need to borrow your car. Please, it's important." Miroku begged.
"You want to WHAT?!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Borrow your car."
"Hell no! What makes you think after what you did to my sister that I'd let you borrow my car?!" he yelled.
"Please. This has something to do with Sango. It really does."
"I don't want to hear it, Miroku. Get your own car!"
"My aunt went to work with the only car that we have!"
"THEN TAKE A BIKE OR BUS BECAUSE YOU AIN'T GONNA USE MY CAR!" Inuyasha yelled as he slammed the door.
"Some best friend you are.." Miroku mumbled as he began to walk down the stairs of the front door.
Inuyasha opened the door again.
"Miroku!" he called. Miroku turned back.
"You can't use my car." Inuyasha grunted.
"...but you could use my bike."
Miroku sighed with relief. It wouldn't be the easiest way, but at least he knew that Inuyasha had a soft spot for him. He nodded and thanked Inuyasha.
"Do you know your way to wherever?"
"I think I do." Miroku replied as he shrugged.
"Well, I want my bike back when you get here!" he called as Miroku began to peddle.
"You will! TRUST ME!" Miroku waved.