Chapter Twenty Four
On the way back home, Sango and Kagome were chatting away about what they were going to where for tonights dance. Inuyasha kept a close eye on Kagome, 'Why was she going to ask me out?! There has to be another reason besides her lame excuse about Miroku and Sango, of course that was my reason, too.'
"Hey, Inuyasha, can you hear me?" Miroku waved a hand in front of Inuyasha.
"Yeah, what?"
"You know, at the last minute, the student council noticed they went over budget for the dance, so they had a better idea to have the dance at the park."
"Really? That's great!"
"Uh, why?" Miroku cocked up an eyebrow.
"I don't know, I was just in the moment. So are you happy that Sango finally asked you?"
"Of course I was! Well, weren't you happy when Kagome asked you out? It must've been the trouble for you to dump half of the girls at school."
Inuyasha made a face, "No, I just don't want to be home alone with her. I've already told you that."
"Yeah, I know you've told me that, but that's not how you feel. Oh and when are you going to propose to her?"
"I'm not going to, "Inuyasha put it simply, "I don't intend to. Kagome's just my friend and nothing more."
"Oh come on, with all the time you've spent with her, I'm surprised you didn't already-"
"Guys, hurry up! We've got a lot of thins to do before the dance!" Kagome screamed as they reached the house.
"Like what? All we gotta do is get a shower and dress up!" Inuyasha screamed back.
"Girls take longer!" Sango retorted.
"They're right Inuyasha; girls MUST look their best for their men." Miroku nodded to Inuyasha which got him a bump on his head. Sango ran up to her house real quick before ANYONE had noticed and then they ran up the stairs and shut themselves up in the walk-in closet.
"Sango's a faster runner than she gives herself credit for." Miroku said. "Well, let's go to my house, seeing that they won't let us see them get ready, there's no point in staying there."
"Alright, let be just try to get my stuff them I'll be right over." Inuyasha said. He went up and knocked on the closet door. "Hey, mind giving me my clothes for tonight?"
The door cracked open and his tux was slammed into his face, "Well, thanks! Oh, and if you didn't know, the dance is at the park instead of the school because of money problems!"
"Whatever just don't take too long!" Kagome screamed at him though the thick door.
"Just hoping you won't." Inuyasha replied. He went over to Miroku's house and went to get ready.
"So Sango how's life with Miroku?" Kagome said bluntly.
"More like how's life you and Inuyasha." Sango said getting out of the closet over to the mirror in her normal clothes, "Gotta do make up first before getting the dress stained."
"Yeah, "Kagome followed her and beginning to put on some foundation, "Well, nothing's going on, we're just friends that happen to go to the same dance...together...in the park...as dates...Ok, that isn't how it sounds it's like an outing."
Sango smirked while putting on her lipstick, "Sure Kagome, you know you like him more than that."
"No I don't, "Kagome had a small tint of pink on her checks, but that could've been the blush she was applying.
"Oh, and I heard something interesting from my parents, "Sango looked over at Kagome, who was putting on eye liner, "Well, they said that they heard from your parents that they hope you're getting along." There was a small pause where Kagome just stared at Sango, "Because they're going to persuade you eventually."
"WHAT?! They can't do that! Forcing us to share a room is one thing, but they expect us to ACTUALLY get married? I thought that was just a hoax, a little fun in their 'switching spouses' thing. Gah, I didn't know they actually meant it!" Kagome tugged on her hair.
"Don't do that Kagome, you're going to mess up your hair even more. Come one, let's get those dresses on and do our hair." Sango pushed Kagome into the closet.
"Ok Inuyasha, how do I look?" Miroku spread his arms and turned around at Inuyasha in his tuxedo.
"Great, now can we go?" Inuyasha said.
"What's the rush? You should enjoy tonight. Well, you should enjoy the prom too, but you shouldn't give Kagome a bad time just because you don't like her."
"I like her fine; I just don't like her anymore than a friend."
"No, I don't like her anymore than a friend, YOU like her more than a friend, but less than love, am I right?"
"No, JUST a friend." Inuyasha leaned on the door frame waiting for Miroku to finish styling his hair.
"Don't you need to fix your hair?" Miroku asked.
"No, all I need to do is brush it and it's done."
"Whatever, ok, let's go get their flowers and head off to your house."
"Flowers?"
Miroku slapped himself, "Inuyasha, don't tell me you forgot the flowers."
"Ok then I won't tell you. Let's go."
"We can't go yet; you need one flower at least."
"Fine, since you got a whole bouquet, mind lending one to me?"
"No way, I got Sango a dozen red roses and a dozen red roses she's going to get, go pick one from my mom's garden and hurry!" Miroku pushed him through the kitchen and to the backyard.
Miroku's mom had a whole variety of flowers, big, small, while, red, there were tons. "Now which one would Kagome like..." He walked around the whole garden and finally found a flower. 'I remember Kagome was talking about this flower when we were learning about myths, this was a Narcissus flower' It was a tall white flower. He took out the pair of scissors he grabbed from the kitchen and cut it off near the root. He went in and Miroku stood near the front door.
"So, you got the Narcissus flower, eh?" Inuyasha nodded, "Yeah, ok, great, let's go!" Miroku dragged Inuyasha out of his house and went over next door to Inuyasha's house. Miroku rang the door bell.
"Uh, why did you ring the door bell? I mean, why can't we just go in? It IS my house."
"Yeah, but...it's just formal ok?"
"Keh, fine, whatever." Inuyasha's mom came to the door with a very wide grin on her face.
"Well, don't you two look handsome? The girls will be down soon, you two have a seat in the living room."
"Yeah sure, Mom." Inuyasha replied to her over welcoming greeting.
"Sango, you're hurting me!" Kagome winced.
"Well, stop moving your head." Sango said with bobby pins in her mouth. She was doing Kagome hair in a very complicated bun.
"You know what? How about I just leave my hair down?"
"Fine, if you want too." Sango shrugged. Kagome did Sango's hair in a bird nest's bun (Dunno if that's a name, but it looked like a bird's nest) Kagome wore a light blue dress that went midway-calf it was a simple dress, like Sango's except Sango's dress was a light pink. (Much to leave to the imagination)
They went downstairs too see that the guys were in the living room watching TV. "Ahem" Sango said.
"Oh, hello my darling!" Miroku ran up to Sango and kissed her.
"Will you two leave it for another time?" Inuyasha made a disgusted face. "Oh yeah, this is for you."
Kagome smiled, "Wow, thank you Inuyasha, that's sweet." Kagome took the flower and put it in a small vase with water, "Well, let's head over to the park."
"Luckily it's not hot outside, or we would be a walking sauna in these tuxedoes." Inuyasha said while walking down the sidewalk.
"Yeah, and we wouldn't want that now would we?" Kagome snickered.
"Shut up." They reached the park and immediately they saw a whole bunch of lights. Everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves. The park had 4 poles around it with a line of lights that wrapped around at the top. They all walked over and saw everyone dressing formally and beautiful. Inuyasha and Kagome were still on the friendship side and watched Miroku and Sango talk and flirt with each other.
Inuyasha and Kagome crossed their arms looking disgustingly at their friends, "Must you do that in public?" Kagome asked.
"Well, you wouldn't say that if you did it with Inuyasha" Sango laughed.
"And why would I do that?"
"Because you like him." Miroku joined in to see that both Inuyasha and Kagome blushed. "See? Why don't you both just admit your feelings right here in public and get it over with?"
"Because we're not you." Inuyasha said, "Thank gods."
"Well, at least we're happy because of how we confronted our feelings." Sango said holding Miroku hands and smiling up at him. Kagome and Inuyasha made gagging noises the laughed. Miroku and Sango kept on talking then they went onto the dance floor.
"This dance is too crowded." Inuyasha said.
"Yep." Kagome agreed. "Wanna get way from all the love birds?"
"Sure." Inuyasha nodded.
"I wonder where they're off to." Sango wondered.
"Better leave them alone, let love take its own course." Miroku winked and kept on dancing with the girl in his arms.
They started walking down a dirt path that went to the fields, hills, and the lake. They got to the field and Inuyasha sat down on a tall hill. Kagome sat down next to him. The wind was blowing lightly as Inuyasha but his arms behind his head while laying down. "I never noticed the stars. The city has too many lights to be able to see them."
Kagome rested her head on her knees and wrapped her arms around them, "Yeah. Not many stars are noticeable in the city, and if you see one, it's most likely a helicopter."
"Yep. Hey, Kagome."
"Hm?"
"I know this is a little ahead of time, but-"Inuyasha hesitated, 'Should I ask her? I mean I know I am going to in a month anyway, so why not ask now?'
"Yeah?" Kagome looked down at him.
"Uh, you want to go to the prom with me?"
"Aw, that's so sweet." Kagome smiled, "And you realize that you're asking me to another dance during one."
"Yeah, well, will you?"
"Why are you asking me so soon? Aren't you going to wait for a month to see if any girl interests you before asking your back up?"
"You think that you're my back up?"
"Well, aren't I?"
"No, why would you think that?"
"I don't know, I just assumed it."
"Well, you assumed wrong. You're my best friend, why wouldn't I like to go to the prom with you?"
"Well, it's the prom. Wouldn't you like to go with someone that you like more than a friend?" Kagome stood up and started walking toward the lake. Inuyasha got up and followed her. She stopped and took her shoes off. She sat on the edge of the lake and put her feet in.
Inuyasha stood behind her, "Of course I like you more than a friend. You're my best friend."
"Inuyasha, you know what I mean. And I don't get it. Throughout this whole year, you've gotten many offers and yet you declined them all. You went out with me after the 1st semester, even though you didn't have to. You're strange Inuyasha. Why haven't you liked any girl this year?"
Inuyasha blinked at the question, 'Doesn't she get it?' Inuyasha sighed, "Kagome, it's not such a difficult question."
Kagome turned around and looked at him, "You answer my question first. Why have you always stuck by me, acted all protective of me, and not liked a single girl this year?"
Inuyasha looked down at his feet, 'Damn it, she really doesn't have a clue. This would be so much easier if she did.' He sat down next to Kagome and looked up at the moon, "Well, it's quite simple. You're my friend, I'll always be with you and I defend you, in addition to that", Inuyasha looked at Kagome who was looking right back at him. He smiled, "I like you. I've liked you since I've been having my mood swings I guess. Now that I think about it, I was acting really crazy then wasn't I?" Inuyasha laughed.
"Yeah, you we're. You even called me—well, that doesn't matter, and I like you, too." Kagome smiled. "Well, now that we've established that we don't hate each other and we are more than friends, I'd love to go to the prom with you." Kagome stood up and held her hand out. Inuyasha grabbed it and pulled her down into the lake, "Why you-!"
Inuyasha laughed and held out his hand to help her up, wrong move. Kagome just dragged him in the lake, too. They both dragged themselves out and laughed their heads off. They went back to the dance all went and still laughing a bit. Everyone had left except for a couple of people.
"Where have you two been?" Miroku came up to them.
"And why are you both wet?" Sango asked.
"Uh, we went for a swim?" Inuyasha chuckled.
"Well, where ever you went, you sure seem like you had a good time." Miroku nudged Inuyasha in the ribs. Inuyasha and Kagome stopped laughing and jumped on Miroku, "Ah! No! You're getting me wet too!"
Sango stood shocked to see Inuyasha and Kagome having this much fun, 'I wonder what they did out there...'
"Come on Kagome; tell me what you did during the dance!" Sango bugged Kagome the next morning; really, everyone was curious what they did during the dance. Even the parents, but they were just going to leave this alone since Kagome and Inuyasha were getting along so well lately.
"Maybe we should tell them." Inuyasha went behind Kagome's back and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Ok, yeah, now you HAVE to tell us." Miroku said. They were all in kitchen. Kagome stood in front of the sink while the others were waiting for her to make lunch.
"Let's just say I got my date to the prom last night and some feelings out." Kagome smiled "We both did."
"Already? Wait- with each other?" Sango laughed.
"What's so funny?" Inuyasha went over to the table and sat down next to Miroku.
"I'm just thinking how much we've all changed since the beginning of the school year. I mean Miroku and I wouldn't' touch each other and you two wouldn't even look at each other, and here you are cuddling and-"Sango started bursting out into tears.
"Sango, what's wrong?" Miroku cupped his hand in hers across the table
"And it's all just-just so wonderful!" Sango grabbed a tissue from a box on the table.
"So why were you two wet when you came back?" Miroku asked trying to comfort Sango.
"We fell in the lake." Inuyasha shrugged.
"Both of you?"
"Well, one person falling led to another person pushing them into the lake." Kagome glared at Inuyasha.
Beyond their knowledge, the parents had their ears pressed against the kitchen door, "I knew it!" Inuyasha's dad whispered.
"No you didn't." Kagome's dad hissed
"Who knew our parents could be right? Didn't we always hate it when our parents are right? Now we're actually loving that our parents are right, aren't we?" Kagome sat down next to Sango with a plate of sandwiches. Miroku and Inuyasha started stuffing their faces with food. Sango stared and Kagome blinked, "Didn't you have breakfast?" The guys shook their heads and the girls just sighed. The parents giggled then walked away for from the door and grinned at each other.
On Monday, again, rumors were spreading. This must've been the most gossiping school in the whole district if all they had to talk about is other people's personal lives. But that's what they did. They football game is tonight and the play is going to be tomorrow night. Everyone liked how everything was working out. But Inuyasha was getting a bit paranoid about Kagome's kissing scene and Kagome was too about Kikyo being a cheerleader.
"Well, seems like you two are the top new in the gossip world again." Sango walked next to Kagome on their way to history class.
Kagome sighed, "Yup. They can never give us a break can they? Hey, you and Miroku are going to the football game right?"
"Yeah. Hey, where are Miroku and Inuyasha anyway?"
"Inuyasha said something about him and Miroku going to the library to look for something." Kagome shrugged, "I wonder what they're really doing though. They would never go to the library. Not even for school work."
"When did you get this?!" Miroku was astounded.
"It was during Christmas shopping. I didn't know what I got it for; I was having one of my mood swings and bought it anyway." Inuyasha said.
"Well, it's such a waste that you bought it for nothing."
"Who said it was for nothing?"
"You mean you're actually going to go on with what your parents planned all along? Do you love her?"
"I don't know. I just told her that I liked her on Friday, and I know she likes me, but I don't know about love. It is such a long way between like and love, I mean everyone likes someone, but love. Love is a HUGE thing. I just don't know. How did you know that you loved Sango?"
Miroku shrugged, "It was just natural that I love her. She's on my mind all thee time, when she walks in a room, she lightens it up. The way she smiles makes all the worries in the world go away, how cute she looks when she argues, the way she kisses, and how her tears make me want to change the world so that it doesn't hurt her anymore...Yet regardless if you love them, hate them, wish they would die or know that you would die without them...it matters not. Because once in your life, whatever they were to the world they become everything to you. When you look them in the eyes, traveling to the depths of their souls and you say a million things without trace of a sound, you know that your own life is inevitable consumed within the rhythmic beatings of her very heart. I love her for a million reasons, No paper would do it justice. It is a thing not of the mind but of the heart."
"Wow Miroku, that was deep. You have some powerful thoughts and you know what?"
"What?"
"I think I'm in love. Thanks for making me realize that." Inuyasha smiled slightly.
"Glad to help. Now you just have to tell Kagome that."
A/n, wow I think that was the longest chapter I ever wrote, but wasn't it sweet? Lol. Well, My computer fixed itself the next day, so I'm happy. and I'm astonded how I didn't get any flames. Thank you Shippoukittykat, siyuri, and Inuyasha-520 for not flaming me about my computer and actually helping me with it. And thank you for ALL of my reviewers too. I hope the next chapter will be up soon sigh just don't nag to me about it. I update as soon as I can anyway.