Sweet Misery
Chapter 2

Kagome sunk beneath the steaming water of her own bathtub, letting it wash over her.

She had run away.

She hadn't been able to deal with sitting next to him. He had acted as if nothing had happened and she couldn't bear it, so she said she had to go home for a test. It wasn't necessarily untrue, but the thing was to test him. To see if he would come to her. He had barely blinked. She winced at the memory of his words. "Feh, do whatever you want." Emerging from the water, Kagome let out a deep sigh. What was up with him and his mixed signals ?

Inuyasha sat in the Goshinboku, contemplating. Should he go after her ? Kami knew he wanted to. They would able to talk alone, without interruptions. "I ain't apologizing, that's for sure," he muttered as he leapt off the tree branch and landed quietly onto the grass. He cautiously went to the well, sniffinf to make sure those nosy companions of his weren't following him. He threw one leg over the edge of the well.

"Inuyasha."

He sniffed the air as he turned. "Kikyou."

The dead priestess strode purposely over to the hanyou. She slowly ran her cool fingers through his thick silver locks and bending down, she kissed him deeply.

'Kikyou . .' he thought silently.

She moaned into his mouth. 'Kagome !' Inuyasha pulled back.

"Where are you going ?" Kikyou asked innocently.

"To see Kagome." He sighed. "I've hurt her enough."

Kikyou narrowed her almost lifeless eyes. "And what do you plan on doing ?"

Inuyasha got off the edge of the well and embraced his departed love. "Kikyou," he whispered into her hair. "I love Kagome," he stated, his voice quiet but firm. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I love you Kikyou, I always will, but I'm not in love with you. And I can't afford to wait until you are at rest to tell Kagome how I fell. I'm sorry."

Kikyou looked as if she were about to cry. But before the tears could fall, her face contorted into rage.

"You ! You are a liar ! You told me you hadn't stop thinking about me for a single day ! I held onto those words ! Even when I wanted to give up, when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, I thought of you and I kept myself tortured in this world ! I held onto the thought that we had each other's lives !" Tears finally poured forth as Kikyou notched an arrow into her bow. "I love you Inuyasha ! You are mine and no one else shall have you !" she screamed as she let the arrow fly.

Inuyasha's eyes widened at the impact. He fell back, but instead of crasing into the earth, he continued falling, the depth neverending.

Then he knew no more.


Kagome shot up in bed, drenched in sweat. 'What kind of dream was that !' she wondered. Throwing a coat over her pink pajamas, she wandered outside.

A gentle breeze caressed her heated cheeks and Kagome inhaled the night air. She padded over to the Goshinboku. Reaching out, she touched the scar of the arrow that had pinned Inuyasha years ago. Suddenly, she heard a loud crash in the well house. She ran there and threw open the door. Racing down the steps, she peered into the very well that forever changed her life.

There lay Inuyasha, an arrow protruding from his chest.

Sunlight. Too fucking much of it.

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes and a shadow quickly blocked out the sun.

"Inuyasha ?"

He blinked. "Kagome ?"

He squinted his unadjusted eyes and saw her head above his, her brow furrowed with concern. He watched as she worriedly chewed on her bottom lip.

"Grr ! How could I have let this happen !" he growled.

Kagome blinked, confused.

"Kagome, I died before I could tell you how I felt."

"W-what are you talking about ?" she asked, backing away.

Inuyasha sat up and embraced her. "I'm in heaven right ? Or maybe this is hell, teasing me with what I'll never have. But Kagome . . even if you're not real, please know that I love the real you."

"W-what are you . . That's not funny ! Osuwari !"

Inuyasha did a face plant into the soft pink comforter.

"What do you think you're doing !" he yelled.

"What are YOU doing baka ! Huh ! I can't believe you ! I knew you could be callous and blunt, but that was just plain mean ! Osuwari !"

"Would you knock it off !" he yelled, his voice muffled. "What the hell are you talking about ! I ain't dead !"

"No baka ! You're not !"

Kagome's face was bright red with anger and embarrassment. Inuyasha sat on his haunches, his jaw slack. "Y-you mean I told you that . . f-for real ?"

"Yes," she squeaked.

Inuyasha peered at her through his silver bangs. She sat, her head facing away from him. He cautiously scooted closer. "Why was it mean ?"

He heard her sniff. "You can't . . you can't just prey on people's feelings like that."

"Kagome . ."

He turned her to face him. "Kagome I meant it."

"No you didn't," she said, despaired. "You love Kikyou and you always will. There's no room for me." She turned away again.

"Don't you think I know how I feel !" he yelled. "I know who I love Kagome, and I can tell you right now it ain't Kikyou."

"But-"

"No ! I don't wanna hear it !" He got off the bed and kneeled before her, her face cradled in his hands. "Kagome, I love you." They both blushed. "I was on my over here to tell you that when I got shot with that arrow."

"Do you know who did it ?"

Inuyasha sat his hands on her lap and turned his face to the side. "Well I ran into Kikyou by the well and I told her . . I told her some things that she didn't want to hear and she shot me."

Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "I love you too Inuyasha."

"Kagome," he rasped. "I can't breathe."

"Kami, I'm sorry !" she exclaimed, letting go.

Inuyasha gently kissed her fingers, then her palm. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then moved to savor the softness of her full, pink mouth. His tongue slipped through her lips and he tasted her sweet flavor. Moaning into his mouth, Kagome wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to choke him again. He picked her up and laid her on the bed, planting feather light kisses down her neck.

"No !"

He looked at her and was shocked to see sheer determination on her face. "What ?"

"I said no. We both know where this is going and I'm not losing my virginity until the night after my wedding."

Inuyasha smiled. Pulling her off the bed, he whispered, "That's why I love you."

She blushed and his smile widened. "Ready to go back ?"

"Yep !"

"What about your test ?" he asked slyly.

Kagome fumbled over her words before throwing her arms in the air and exclaiming, "Okay I lied ! I don't have a test !"

Laughing, they went downstairs where they were greeted by Kagome's family.

"Leaving already ?" asked her mother.

"Yeah, I just needed a real bath."


When they clambered out of the other side of the well, Sango and Miroku were there to greet them. Their faces were solemn.

"Inuyasha, may I speak to you for a moment ?"

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, then followed the monk into the forest.

"What's up ?" Kagome asked, smiling brightly. Sango didn't smile.

"Kagome, Kikyou killed herself last night."

"Nani !"

Sango looked her friend dead in the eye. "We saw many souls soaring into the air last night so Miroku ran to investigate. When he came back, he said that he saw Kikyou, an arrow pierced through her heart. She had laughed at him, quite hysterically, and said that even in death, Inuyasha had gone to you. But without Inuyasha, we'd never be able to get the final shards from a demon called Hideaki."

"He has the other fourth ?" Kagome looked at the ¾ of the Shikon No Tama hanging from her neck. "Well, since we do have Inuyasha, we'll be able to get it."

"Kagome have you been listening to me !" yelled Sango. "Kikyou is gone ! That baka is going to be useless because he'll be too busy crying over that stupid priestess !"

The bushes rattled and Inuyasha and Miroku returned to the clearing. Inuyasha's eyes were hidden beneath his silver bangs and Miroku's face showed nothing. Suddenly, Inuyasha looked up and smiled brightly at Kagome.

Taken aback, Kagome walked cautiously towards the hanyou. "Are you all right ?"

"Feh, course I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be ? The rest of the shards are all in one place. We'll get 'em easy."

Miroku shook his head and whispered something into Sango, who slapped him.

"Baka !"

She tugged Kagome away, stomping through the forest back to the village.

"What's going on Sango ?"

Sango stopped muttering about her stupid husband and turned to the nervous priestess.

"Miroku didn't tell Inuyasha that Kikyou is gone."