Author's Note: How's this for a fast update, eh? It's been, what, five days? Not bad, if I do say so myself! Technically I should probably be updating MIA (especially since I left them with a cliffie – heh heh…oops…), but I decided to follow my inspiration and go with this one. There's at least one more chapter after this one, but I think there may be two, if things work out the way I expect them to. I'll know for sure when I post the next chapter.
Oh, also, I'll be out of town this weekend, so MIA won't be updated for another week, most likely (sorry…), but at least I'm getting something out this week. Yay me!
Now I positively must thank all you fabulous reviewers out there! This story has (for the moment, at least) surpassed MIA in reviews, even though it has four less chapters. I got over 30 for chapter six alone (--giggles like an idiot--). Awesome! I feel so loved…
Too bad this story is so short, but I seriously thought I would suck at the romantic comedy genre – guess I was wrong. Cool! Well, I'll just have to write another, longer, more involved one next…
BlackRougeDapura: You're jealous of Kagome? Aren't we all…
akina kumi-tami: Danke for the vonderful offer! Ich shall contact you if ich should have need of "Angry Reviewer Insurance" in ze future (lol). Das ist updated soon enough, ja?
DrkFire: Can't have my reviewers in pain now, can I? Read this chapter and thou shalt be healed! …or something like that…
NinJinChan: You have to download all the chapters? Ugh. I totally understand why you don't review each one. Thanks for taking the precious internet time to review this one though. I feel special!
Soul of Kagome: I UPDATED! (drama works both ways – see?) And yes, Inuyasha is definitely an idiot. But he's such an adorable idiot; I love writing him! Oh yes (--glares disapprovingly--) you were NOT first (there goes that old drama again…)! I've completely lost my faith in you now (--turns away moodily--)…but if you slit your wrists you'll never find out how the story ends…(lol)
Hououza: Yeah, I watch Kenshin, though I've only seen the first four episodes so far. But actually I bought the entire series on DVD off Amazon and it just arrived the other day, though I haven't watched it yet. Anyway, I liked what I've seen so far, and I've heard good things from others. I'll let you know what I think when I've seen the rest!
sashlea: You're right! I put 'plane' instead of 'plain' (--laughs at self--). I first saw My Fair Lady when I was little, and when I heard that song I always got a mental picture of an actual airplane, so I guess I never really thought about it. 'Plain' makes a lot more sense though, doesn't it? Oops… Thanks!
firebird5: Thanks for the fic's name. I haven't read that one, but I keep coming across it in people's favorite's lists, so I might have to just break down and read it…
Crazykiddo13: I made you cry?! Thank you so much! I love fics that make me cry!
Fallen-Snow: Let me see…$800,000…$900,000…$1,000,000! Yep, it's all here! (lol) Oh, looking forward to your really long email – promise I'll send you a really long reply. Unless of course my busy schedule allows me to send you a really long email first, in which case you'll have to send me the really long reply…or I could just keep talking here and make everyone mad at me for taking so long to start the chapter…but that wouldn't be good! Oh, yeah, you convinced me, I'll check out MeganM. I've come across her, but I think I passed her over because her stories are incomplete (I'm in the middle of sooo many right now, it's hard to keep them straight sometimes). Talk to you later!
Alter EgoChapter 7: Seeking Absolution
"You did what?!" A spatula clattered to the kitchen floor as Sango whirled around to glare at the brown haired man, eyes blazing in outrage.
Miroku swallowed nervously at the fierce look she was directing toward him, but he stood his ground, repeating calmly, "I bet Inuyasha that he couldn't get Kagome to sleep with him, so he pretended to be this guy named Ryoga in order to win."
"I can't believe you two!" she spat in disgust. "Do you have any idea how low, how...how demoralizing and degrading that is? You can't just treat women like poker chips!"
"Well, actually if you think about it, the two-hundred dollars would be the poker chips, and Kagome would be the cards-"
"Miroku, this is not about poker!" She threw a nearby dishtowel in his face and shoved past him, marching toward the door. "And to think I actually believed you when you said you were mature enough to be in a relationship." She snatched up her purse and jacket and turned back to say scathingly, "Well I have news for you, this is not mature behavior!
"Call me when you grow up!" she snapped as she made to storm out, but Miroku caught her arm before she could reach the doorknob, and pulled her back to face him.
"Wait, just listen a minute, okay?" he pleaded, and the hint of panic in his eyes softened her anger, though only slightly. She heaved a heavy sigh, regarding him darkly through slitted eyes. "All right, I'm listening," the woman said in a cold tone of voice, adding silently, This had better be good...
"Good. Okay, here's what happened: We made this bet, you know -- and I admit it was a stupid idea in hindsight-"
"Just 'stupid'?"
"Alright, moronic," he amended, but she raised her eyebrows skeptically in response.
"And...?" she prompted.
"And immature, okay?" he said, beginning to get exasperated, "May I continue, please?"
"By all means," she drawled.
"Thank you. Anyway it seemed like a good idea at the time -- and what can I say? Everybody makes mistakes, right?"
"Mmhm," she agreed, still wary, but gradually relaxing.
"Well you know how Kagome's been lately about her new boyfriend-"
"The so-called Ryoga," Sango added contemptuously.
"Right -- a.k.a. Inuyasha. She's been talking about him non-stop, right? Well here's where it gets interesting: At the same time that Kagome was falling in love with 'Ryoga', Inuyasha has been falling in love with Kagome..."
That got her attention. "You're kidding..."
"Nope. Not that he'll admit it, mind you, but I know my best friend, and either he's got it bad, or he's been afflicted with some rare new disease that makes you act like a lovesick puppy."
"But how?" Sango asked as she dropped her things back on a nearby chair and moved back over to the kitchen to finish breakfast, her previous annoyance with Miroku all but forgotten in light of this news. "I thought their hatred was mutual?"
"It was, at first," Miroku agreed, following her and helping her dish out scrambled eggs and sausages for each of them, using a fresh spatula to replace the one Sango had dropped earlier. As they sat down at the kitchen table to eat, he elaborated. "Truth is, I really have no idea what happened in between, but somewhere along the line he fell for her; I'm sure of it. The thing is, I'm still not sure even Inuyasha is aware of it -- at least not completely."
"So what does this all have to do with this lunch we're meeting him for?" she inquired, still trying to get up to speed.
"From the sound of it, something's happened. Maybe he got up the nerve to tell her the truth, I don't know -- that's what were going there to find out. All I know is that I can't remember the last time Inuyasha was willing to admit that he needed advice from anyone, so this must be serious."
Sango wrinkled her brow in thought. "It's so complicated. I mean, There's no way Kagome will ever forgive him for a trick like that."
"How can you be so sure?"
"She was in love with him, that's how. Jeeze, if you suddenly pulled off your face and turned into my worst enemy, I'd never forgive you either."
"Aww, I'm touched," he teased with a smirk.
"Shut up," she replied, but her smirk matched his, belaying the harsh remark. "By the way, how did Inuyasha manage such a good disguise?"
"Um," he hesitated, unwilling to spill his friend's most closely guarded secret without permission. But if she was going to hear the story, she'd need to know this part as well. "Well, you see...there's this thing about hanyous..."
-- -- --
The waiter cleared away the menus and went to place their orders, leaving Inuyasha to stare silently at his clawed fingers drumming repeatedly against the tabletop as he avoided the quiet yet penetrating gaze of the pair opposite him.
"So what's this all about, Inuyasha?" Miroku began, sitting back in his chair. The hanyou glanced up briefly, then returned his eyes to his hand.
"Kagome knows," he answered gravely. Miroku nodded in response, his suspicions confirmed, and Sango bit her lip in sympathy. Sure she was angry with him on Kagome's behalf, but he just looked so dejected and melancholy that she couldn't help but feel for him. Maybe Miroku was right; maybe he really did love Kagome.
"How did you tell her?" Sango asked.
Inuyasha winced almost imperceptibly and lifted his gaze back to the other two, a rueful look in his eye. "I didn't. She...she found out before I had a chance to tell her."
"Why don't you start from the beginning," suggested Miroku. "It's easier that way."
Inuyasha heaved a sigh. "Look, all that happened was that I was in her apartment and we were...well, never mind that...but anyway the necklace broke and it fell off and I -- wait a minute, Sango, do you know about-"
"I told her about the necklace Inuyasha; she knows how it works."
"Oh, good. So anyway, I changed back, you know, without the necklace...and she saw me, of course, and..." he trailed off.
Sango watched him with ever growing sympathy. The poor guy! "What did she say?"
He gave a wry laugh. "Nothing that wasn't true. But the long and short of it is that she threw me out and said she never wanted to see me again -- ever. She wouldn't even give me a chance to explain! I've tried calling her but the minute she recognizes my voice, she hangs up. What am I supposed to do now?" he asked them imploringly, "How can I get her to talk to me?"
"Well, if you want my advice," began Miroku, evoking a look of trepidation from the woman next to him, which he ignored, "you should go out and buy her a nice big present. You know, chocolates or flowers or jewelry or something. Oh, or a mink stole!"
Sango's expression had gone from wary to appalled, and Miroku finally took notice, turning to meet her incredulous eyes. "What?" he asked with an innocent shrug, "It works on 'I Love Lucy'..."
She snorted and rolled her eyes. "A bit of advice to both of you: never, ever, take relationship advice from 'I Love Lucy'. If the Ricardo's were around today they'd have been divorced long ago, and Lucy would have taken every last cent Ricky had. Honestly, the way he controls her and dominates her, like she's a little child without a mind of her-"
"Excuse me, could we get back to my problem please?" Inuyasha interrupted impatiently.
"Oh...yeah. Sorry," said Sango, sheepishly. "Alright, here's the thing: she's pushing you away, won't talk to you or see you or anything, right?"
"Right."
"But you want a chance to explain and beg forgiveness and she won't let you, right?"
"Maybe not beg exactly..." Inuyasha mumbled indignantly.
"Inuyasha..." Sango warned, "when you've screwed up this badly it's no time for pride."
He shot her a glare, but then relented and agreed, "Alright, beg..."
"Okay then; here's what you have to do..."
His ears perked up in anticipation of the excellent solution that Sango, with her inside knowledge of the mysterious workings of the female mind, was sure to have come up with.
"Give up."
"What!" he exclaimed, bewildered. "How does that solve anything?!"
Miroku looked equally curious, so she directed her reply to both of them. "Kagome needs her space. She needs time to come to terms with what's happened and figure out how she feels about everything...including you."
"But how can she do that until I've had a chance to tell her how I-...I mean, until I've had the chance to explain?"
Sango secretly caught the slip and smiled inwardly, but let it slide. "Inuyasha, all I can tell you is that pestering her all the time is no way to get on her good side. Trying to trick her into sleeping with you is immeasurably worse, mind you, but still," she added pointedly. "Just trust me on this one, alright? Give her time, give her space, and then try again."
Inuyasha was still skeptical, but he figured since it had been his and Miroku's bright idea that had caused this mess to begin with, he was probably better off with Sango's advice than anyone else's. "If you say so..."
-- -- --
By now all her tears were spent, her anger faded, and all she was left with were idle questions and a sort of dull, quiet, detachment. She felt nothing; she cared for nothing. It was the most depressing state of mind she'd ever experienced in her adult life.
Why had he done this to her? she wondered absently. Was she some sort of cosmic lightning rod to which only men with personality and commitment issues were drawn? Was there something wrong with her, that she could never seem to find a good, lasting relationship? Why me?
She had to snap herself out of this somehow, she knew -- but how?
Well, the first step, it seemed to her, would be getting out of bed. 'But why bother?' questioned a scornful little voice in the back of her mind. 'What's out there for you but more pain? No, it's much easier to stay right where you are -- where you won't get hurt ever again.'
Part of her wanted to listen to the voice, to just give up and go on sleeping her life away like this. Here she was safe; here she didn't have to feel anything anymore. There was a sort of solace in that detachment, as if she could curl up inside it, just like her comforter, and forget the world, as it was in the unconscious world of sleep. But the stronger part of her was determined not to give in, not to let go of her life and allow it to pass her by.
It took a great effort, both mentally and physically, but she managed to push the covers aside and pull herself up to sit. Then, finally, with much yawning and stretching, she made her way into a standing position.
With heavy steps, she sidled over to her door and observed her appearance in the full-length mirror that hung upon it. She wore a white tank top and plaid flannel sleep pants, rumpled and disorderly. Her hair was a mess, though it had been pulled into a rough ponytail, which had loosened considerably as she slept. Her face was drawn, her complexion pale in contrast to the dark, hollow eyes which peered out of it, devoid of their usual spirit and vitality.
Heaving a sigh, she pulled open the door and shuffled into the kitchen to get something to eat; she hadn't eaten for more than a day, and now that she was up she was beginning to feel quite hungry. With no regard for her diet, for she could barely muster the energy to stand, much less control her caloric intake, she reached for the mint-chocolate chip ice cream and dished herself a heaping bowl. She then plopped down on the couch, legs curled up beneath her, and began paging listlessly through the nearest magazine.
'Is He for Real?' read the title on the first article she came across, and she released a derisive snort, paging on. A bit further along, the next heading which caught her attention was 'Sex or Self: Which does he want from you? -- take the quiz...' from which she promptly turned the page with a scowl. Finally she came to an article entitled 'Is Your Man Honest?' and at that she rolled her eyes and tossed the magazine back onto the table, giving up.
"They couldn't have done an article about East African Sting Beetles, or something, for once?" she muttered wryly, "Anything but that stuff. Stupid fashion magazines..."
When she'd finished her ice cream she put the bowl in the sink and began to do some of the dishes, if only to occupy her otherwise idle hands. Funny how normally she always seemed to have a million things to do, but now, after basically dropping out of the human race for over a day, she couldn't seem to think of a single thing.
She was just finishing with the dishes, and trying desperately to think of something to do next, when there came a knock at the door.
Her eyes narrowed suspiciously in response. If that's Inuyasha I swear I'll wring his stupid, filthy neck. Tensing instinctively in anticipation of the encounter she slowly approached the door and unlatched the chain, pulling it toward her. She was extremely surprised to discover that it was not, in fact, Inuyasha who was on the other side, but instead...
"Kouga..." she whispered in shock.
He smiled that charming, roguish smile of his -- the one that was at once calm and confident, yet sly and full of hidden mischief. "Hello, Kagome."
She could do nothing but gape at him, dumbfounded. When she found her voice again she asked dazedly, "Kouga...what are you doing here?"
"May I come in?" he asked in turn, nodding toward her apartment, and she gave her head a shake to clear it, managing to muster a polite smile as she stepped aside to allow him entrance. "Of-of course, please, come in."
He did so, surveying the apartment approvingly, hands resting in the pockets of his worn, black leather jacket. She'd always loved that jacket; it was so soft and warm, and it smelled like him, she remembered. There had been countless times when she'd forgotten to bring one of her own, so he'd offered it to her to keep her warm. Sometimes she'd forgotten on purpose just to wear it, and because he seemed to like to play at chivalry.
"Nice place you have here," he commented before turning back to regard her, "And you're as beautiful as ever."
She gasped, putting a hand to her chest as she realized how awful she looked at the moment. "Oh my god, I forgot. If you'll excuse me for just a minute I'll go get dressed."
"No, really I meant it; you look beautiful," he assured her, stopping her by catching hold of her elbow, raising his other hand to tenderly stroke her cheek with his knuckles.
She half-smiled at the gesture, without trying this time, though it was weak. It was just so...him, to say that. "That's sweet, but I was about to get dressed anyway; it'll only take me a minute." And with that she disappeared into her bedroom.
Once safely behind the closed door she allowed herself to express her full confusion as she changed and tried to make herself presentable. She hadn't seen or heard from this man in almost four years; what in the world could he be doing here now? Then again this was Kouga she was talking about; he had always been prone to somewhat erratic and impulsive behavior. To tell the truth that was what had first drawn her to him -- that dangerous, wild side of his. For that matter, it was also what had eventually split them up, when he decided 'on impulse' that he preferred that Kagura woman to her.
Having dressed in a trim pair of khakis and a grey-blue, scoop-necked, cashmere sweater that accented her figure nicely (which she'd chosen almost unconsciously -- after all, he was her ex), she made a futile attempt to tame her mussed hair and eventually gave up, twisting it into a loose sort of bun at the back of her head to be dealt with later. Finally she emerged to find Kouga sitting on the couch, his jacket lying on a nearby chair, paging through the magazine she had discarded earlier with an amused smirk on his face.
He looked up when she entered, and a genuine smile replaced the smirk as he stood. "Like I said, beautiful as ever," he repeated as she came toward him.
"What was it you wanted to talk to me about Kouga?" Kagome asked curiously.
"Sit down," he motioned and followed her when she did as he bade. He took one of her hands between his and began in that low, attractively rough baritone of his, "Kagome, I know we didn't leave things on the best of terms between us, and that's entirely my fault. I hurt you deeply, more than I realized at the time, I think, and I'm very sorry for that. I never intended to hurt you; it just sort of...happened. What can I say? I've always been one to take what I want, when I want it, and forget the consequences of my actions. I'm not saying that's an excuse, it's just who I am.
"Anyway, I came here because I wanted to tell you that...I've been thinking about you a lot lately. In fact, I can't seem to stop thinking about you; I haven't been able to for months now. I keep going over all the good times we had together, and I've come to realize that...I'm still in love with you, Kagome."
Her eyes widened as he spoke, his words seeming to wash over her numbly, like chill waves on a fall lake, lapping against the rocky shore. He was still in love with her? Kouga was still in love with her? Sure she'd had dreams where he came after her, professed his undying love and whisked her away, but to have it actually happen... She didn't know what to think.
"Kagome," he said, seeming to steel himself up for the next part, "I want you to marry me; to be my mate."
-- -- --
A/N: Okay, I'm not going to tell you to review this time, because I always tell you to review, and frankly if you wanted to review you would probably know by now that I like it when you review so you would not hesitate to review. Therefore I find it totally unnecessary to say 'please review'.
(--grin--)