DISCLAIMER: Nope, I don't own Inuyasha or anything to do with it.
You're not Alone
By: Of Memories Past
Part IV
*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*
Kirara glared daggers at the unfortunate being that had discovered her secret. Her pink eyes burned like fire as she stepped forward and picked the cowering individual up from the floor and straightened him up, being sure to keep the stern look on her face. The poor boy.
Shippo, meanwhile, got over his shock and fear and stared in awe at the beauty in front of him. Who would have thought that their Kirara had another form—another form that was absolutely stunning. She wore a deep, red dress that shimmered as she moved, the thin straps accentuating her broad shoulders. The floor-length gown clung to her curves perfectly but still emphasized that beneath the gorgeous dress was a women who knew how to take care of herself. He smirked when he caught site of the ruby earrings dangling from her lobes.
"So those are what Inuyasha was so pissed about earlier," Shippo said, laughing to himself.
Narrowing her eyes, Kirara stepped forward and grabbed the young kitsune by his shirt. "Yes, they are exactly what he was so mad about, but he doesn't know what they were for." She growled and then let go of him.
But now Shippo's curiosity was piqued. He raised an eyebrow and looked at his friend skeptically. "What exactly are they for?"
Kirara growled again, clenching her fists at her side. Her secret had been discovered. All hopes of ever pulling a great prank on her two roommates had disappeared all because Shippo had been eavesdropping again. "I'm going to go and make sure that Kagome and Inuyasha's date goes perfectly." She frowned again before a smile slowly crept across her crimson lips. "Shippo?"
Shippo saw that look and knew exactly what it meant. "I am not getting involved," he said, waving his arms in front of him as he backed off.
A dark look took over her features. "You will if you know what's good for you." She caught the kit just as he went to turn and run. "Why don't you make yourself look a bit older, Shippo."
Shippo cringed at the smile on her face.
*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*
"Please?"
Kagome watched as violet eyes slid her way once more, the annoyed expression that she had missed for a year appearing on his face. She had to keep from smiling. Her old Inuyasha was back. His mouth tightened slightly as he locked her with his eyes and narrowed them, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. Normally, she saw him do this while looking like a hanyou, his amber eyes burning with frustration. But even as a human, he had the look perfected.
"Please," she tried again.
"No. I'm not taking the necklace off." He protectively reached up and grasped the chain around his neck to keep it from getting pulled off his head. "My ears have had enough for one evening."
The sand sifted slowly between their toes while they continued their walk down the beach. It had been a bit of a drive to get there, but the starry, "moonlit night was beautiful. The drive had been well worth it.
Kagome absently reached for his hand, smiling when she felt his own wrap around hers in return. Stubborn, but sweet in his own underhanded way, Inuyasha had waited too long to sit back and argue with her just yet. She stopped all of a sudden, her shimmering dress swaying slightly in the breeze, and reached up to place a sweet, chaste kiss on his lips. Lightly wrapping her arms around his middle, she pulled herself closer, her head pressed against his chest as she listened to the steady beating of his heart. "I missed you so much."
Inuyasha sighed and wrapped his own arms around her slight form. His chin rested atop his head as the night breeze carelessly tossed their black hair about and breaking one arm free of the embrace, he gave in to her request and removed the necklace that concealed what he truly was.
When Kagome looked back up at him, she found herself staring into the amber eyes that she has missed for so long. Grinning happily, she threw her arms around his neck and laughed joyously. The unexpected impact sent him falling onto the sand, a still laughing Kagome landing on top of him. She ran her fingers through the smooth strands of hair and then reached up to scratch his ears gently.
He reached up to kiss her before pulling her back down to him, softly scratching her back but being careful not to tear the fabric of the dress. He closed his eyes, knowing that he would never get enough of being around her.
*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*
"Well, everything looks to be going well," Kirara said, sipping at her drink. "That club was nice, wasn't it, Shippo?" No answer. "Shippo?"
The currently blond man in front of her stared viciously down at the pair lying in the sand. His, at present, blue eyes were narrowed in concentration, his hand tightly gripping the back of his chair. A low growl escaped his throat.
"Ow!" he exclaimed as a sharp kick made contact with his shins. "What was that for, Kirara?"
"You're going to draw attention to us," she growled, smiling nervously as a waiter passed by and looked at them suspiciously. "And be mature about it. Let them have a good time."
The small café they sat at gave them a perfect view of the young couple down on the beach, simply enthralled with the opportunity to be in each other's presence after so long.
"Look at them," Shippo snarled to the fire-cat. "You can just feel the love." He shuddered. "I'm going to vomit."
Kirara's deep laughter filled the night air, her shoulders shaking slightly as she laughed at the fox demon in front of her. He was so overprotective of his surrogate mother. "Oh, Shippo, calm down. You know that Kagome is enjoying—"
"Hey!" Shippo stood up and pointed from their table down to the beach. "Inuyasha, keep your hands—"
A sharp tug on his dress shirt sent him tumbling back into his chair with a loud crash. Temporary, short and blond strands of hair haggardly covered his eyes, the blue orbs glaring menacingly out at the fire-cat as she calmly sat back in her seat and turned her attention back to her drink. Ignoring the stares from other tables, Shippo straightened himself up and stubbornly slouched in his seat.
"Excuse me for wanting to protect her honor," he bit out venomously. "Did you see his hands?" Another sharp glance was turned back to the beach. "You'd think they were mates."
"They will be one day." Kirara's pink eyes glanced up for only a moment before looking back out at the couple in the sand. She smiled slightly as she watched Kagome playfully take a hold of the hanyou's ears, refusing to let go until she got a kiss. "They were torn apart just as things were beginning. Torn apart when they needed each other. You yourself knew that this day would be inevitable."
"They don't need to be all over each other."
"They aren't!" Kirara cried. "Goodness, Shippo, what has gotten into you?"
He remained in silence a moment, his eyes locked on Kagome, before answering. "She's my mother. I don't want her to get hurt. And with—"
"That's not even an issue anymore, and you know that," she said, raising her hands into the air. "He's left that alone for five hundred years. You know how difficult things were for him."
Shippo nodded and absently sipped at his drink, brushing at his bangs as the night wind picked up. "I know. Old habits I suppose."
The fire-cat smiled warmly and reached forward to grasp the kitsune's hand. "That is it, Shippo. Just let them enjoy each other."
"I suppose," he sighed, and he was in the process of letting things be when another sight sent his blood boiling. "His hands! Did you see—"
"Please, Shippo," Kirara responded coolly. "His hands are only on her waist."
"Too low."
"Grow up."
*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*`*~`*
"So are you ever going to tell me what you did for five hundred years?" Kagome asked, smiling.
Inuyasha sat down in the sand and pulled her into his lap. "Lots of things."
"Like what?" Kagome asked, trying to pry more information out of him. "I want to know everything."
He shrugged and began playing with a few strands of her hair that had fallen loose. "Took care of Shippo and Kirara, fought in wars, got a degree in nearly everything available, caused some trouble." He sighed and pulled her closer. "I had a lot of time."
Kagome smiled and lightly kissed his neck. "You said you had a lot of degrees. Did you have many jobs?"
"Feh. You name it, and I've done it."
Kagome raised and eyebrow skeptically. "Lawyer?"
"Hated it. Too many people lie."
"Hmmm," she thought, "this could be interesting." "Archaeologist?"
"Even found a Tyrannosaur. Took forever to dig up."
"Wars?"
He took a deep breath. "Nearly every conflict in Japan, the American Revolution, World War I and II, Vietnam, and several others. We had to keep moving around ever decade or so, or people would get suspicious."
"World War II?" she asked, amazed. "Tough war."
The old, arrogant smirk quirked his lips. "You know, they say that Hitler committed suicide…"
Kagome gasped. "Inuyasha, you didn't?!"
He chuckled quietly. "I wish. But actually, Sesshoumaru got pissed first and did him in. Of course he made it look like suicide."
"Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked, bewildered. "He's still around?"
"Yeah, alive and well."
"I guess I had never thought that he would still be around," she mused before another occupation entered her mind. "Actor?"
He shuddered. "Stayed far from that one."
"Oh." Kagome paused for a moment. "Doctor?"
Silence ensued her last question, and a saddened look crossed Inuyasha's features. "Yes."
"Did I say something wrong?" Kagome asked, worried.
Inuyasha shook his head. "Just hard memories."
"What type of doctor were you?" She lightly draped her arms around his neck.
He blushed. "I worked in the delivery room with emergency births."
Kagome brushed he silver bangs from his eyes. "Lose many?"
"Some," he admitted, biting his lower lip.
"It's ok," she soothed. "Things like that happen sometimes." She paused for a moment before laughing out loud. "I was actually one of those babies that caused trouble for the doctors. Mom told me that they almost lost me." She sat back with a pensive look on her features before continuing cheerfully. "But the doctor who delivered me was great. He had me out quickly and to my parents in no time at all, and I'm fine! Hey, you didn't deliver any of my friends did you?"
"Yuka, Aymui, and Eri," he drawled out. "And they have been loud since the day they were born."
She grinned, but the smile faded at the serious look on Inuyasha's face. "What's wrong?"
Inuyasha closed his eyes, a painful, bittersweet memory surfacing in his mind…
"Inuyasha, are you ok?" Kagome grew worried as she saw tears form in his golden eyes. She gasped when he suddenly took her hands in his. "Inuyasha?"
"Fifteen years," he whispered hoarsely. "I had you in my grasp and then had to wait for fifteen years." His eyes clenched tightly as he tried to keep back the tears. "No, it was sixteen years. Sixteen long years, knowing that you were finally here."
"Inuyasha, I'm lost," Kagome said, taking a hold of his face. "What are you saying?"
He swallowed and took a deep breath. "I delivered you, Kagome."
Kagome's chocolate eyes grew wide. "You…you delivered me?"
A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger (kind of cliffhanger at least). The next chapter is actually a one shot that I've written that coincides with this story, so forgive me if you've already read it. But the chapter after that should be interesting. A few more characters will show up, so we'll see what happens. And I also apologize for the late updates. I have had a serious case of writer's block lately, not to mention loads of work. But I'm not dropping any of my stories! Hope that you all enjoyed, and God Bless! ~Of Memories Past