Kagome sat on her bed and stared out the open window. She wasn't sure what she was going to do with herself now. Go to college, maybe?
That didn't sound very challenging.
She sighed and wrapped her arms around her knees. She had never felt so alone.
InuYasha had probably married Kikyo. Miroku and Sango may not have ever met but she hoped they would, it would certainly be in happier times. Everyone she had met would be changed.
Well. Mostly everyone.
He wouldn't change. He would be himself, regardless of what time threw at him. That was something that she was sure of.
He wouldn't grow into the man she had known, though. Times were different now. He probably was dead by now. A sob escaped her throat at that thought. No. Think positive, Kagome.
You kept your side of the promise, right? He was bound to keep his! Okay, so he had never verbally agreed to it, but it had been unspoken. He would come for her again, sometime.
The question was when.
With a sigh she wrapped a shawl over her shoulders and slipped on some slippers. Perhaps a walk outside would help calm her nerves.
She smiled and walked around, listening to the silence. Sitting on a bench near the god tree she gazed up at the moon, longing for something that could never be. Just as she was beginning to truly enjoy it, someone broke the peace. Music.
The neighbor's were playing music. Rather loudly if she could hear it from here. She was about to stand and go inside when the song changed and she stopped and inhaled sharply.
Not this song. Please.
As the intro began she felt the tears begin to slide down her face and lowered her face into her hands, crumbling in on herself. Why did it have to be this song?
Then she jumped, something had touched her face. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. Are you okay?" A voice? She looked up, and saw a man standing there over her.
He was older, probably a good ten years older, but he didn't look that bad. He had blue eyes and long blonde hair, tied up in the back. He was wearing glasses and looked at her with a worried gaze over their rim. Kagome blushed and ran a hand over her hair trying to make herself presentable.
"I.. yes, I'm fine, thank you. I apologize for bothering your summit." She stood, ready to leave but he grasped her hand and she turned to him with a questioning gaze. "Yes?"
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry. It must be the lighting. I had the strangest sensation that we've met before."
She gasped. Could it be? Smiling she looked up at him and with her free hand, readjusted the shawl over her bare shoulders. "Maybe we have. In another life, perhaps."
The man seemed to smile at this and nodded. "Yes, that must be it. Ah! I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Clay Brice, a nocturnal tourist."
She laughed. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kagome Higurashi, a nocturnal resident." She smirked and he smiled.
"Well, Miss Higurashi, it would be my pleasure if we could spend this evening together. Would you mind?" He motioned towards the seat and she smiled, sitting again before he sat next to her.
They talked for hours, neither removing their eyes from the other. Neither noticing that he still held her hand clasped within his.
center/center
The next day she hadn't heard from him, even though they had exchanged information. She supposed it was probably because they had stayed up so late.
She smiled and pranced downstairs, laughing at her mother's odd gaze. "What?"
Her mother shook her head and smiled. "You seem happy. I'm glad."
Kagome was about to say something when the phone rang. Rushing over to it she answered it, but was for her mother. "Expecting a call?" Her mother had sarcastically asked as she took the phone.
The girl huffed and went into the kitchen. Her mind did a flashback on her and she recalled Sesshomaru, standing there in the 'kiss the cook' apron and blue jean shorts, cooking her breakfast. She sighed a little and picked up an apple off the counter.
She would miss that man so much.
Absently she twirled a hair around her finger while she munched on her apple and watched the tourists go by. Clay was different. He had told her that he was coming to Japan for some 'leisure time' because his business partners felt he never went out enough.
They had chosen Japan by tacking a huge world map to the wall and then having him throw a dart while blindfolded. His friends told him that it had been a dead mark. She laughed at the disbelieving look on his face as he told the story. Then she had asked what it was that he did for a living.
He explained to her how he owned a large wildlife reserve and some ranch land out in western Nevada. He had waved a hand around at the green scenery, explaining how he was so impressed with it. They had nothing like this at home.
She smiled; it had been a great conversation. They had so much in common that it surprised her to no end. She seemed to know him so well!
Then he had left, giving her a kiss on the cheek before walking off and leaving her there. The music had long since died but somehow, sitting there with him had made her forget it.
Now, here she stood, in her kitchen and wondering just where this was all going.
center/center
Clay grumbled aloud as he held his cell before him. "Stupid piece of junk! What do you mean 'no signal available'?" People around him stared at him and he glared at them before turning down the street.
He had been trying to call her all day. But his phone didn't seem to want to cooperate. So here he was, walking up the street to her house again. He wasn't sure why he was drawn to her. They had barely met but somehow he felt as if he had known her in so many ways before.
This girl was not going to escape him. If he had to pay for another visa just to see her one day, he would.
Taking the stairs up to the shrine he sighed when he saw how packed it was. How did these people walk? He turned to make sure nobody was looking and then stepped over the threshold of the stairs and into the trees. He ran up the hillside, darting over the rocks and branches that would be in his way. He had always been good at these sorts of athletic moves.
Once he reached the top he stepped over the rope fence and smiled at some tourists who glared at him. Not his fault they were too stupid to take a shortcut.
He walked up to the house and rang the doorbell, hoping this was not an inappropriate way to call. Customs were so different here. A woman answered the door and she looked at him oddly for a moment before asking him what he needed.
"Yes. My name is Clay Brice. Is Kagome in?" The woman's gaze turned sharp as she looked him up and down. She nodded and he stepped in, removing his shoes and then standing in the living room.
He watched her go up the stairs, wondering why this girl's house even seemed familiar, and heard her speak to someone at the top. "Kagome. There's a man for you downstairs. He says his name is Clay.." She never finished.
Kagome raced down the stairs and they stood, awkward for a moment before she launched herself at him, hugging him fiercely. "I thought you were gone." He reached around her, feeling the need to comfort her, and held her to him while running his hand over her hair.
"No, Kagome, I won't leave you." She smiled up at him and he returned the gaze, somehow this woman was worth everything to him.
