~*~More Than What She Seems~*~

A/N: Here's your update! ^_~

Chapter 15: A Visit To The Cemetery

'Today is a special Sunday...' Kagome walked silently down the path in the cemetery with a bouquet of roses in her arms, dressed in black jeans and a white blouse.

Behind her, Inu Yasha, Sango, and Miroku were talking quietly (the three were also wearing all white and black).

"Why did I have to go too?" Miroku whined to Sango.

She shot him a glare, "Because we're FRIENDS of Kagome."

"Geez, Miroku," Inu Yasha rolled his eyes. "Today is a really important day for her. At least PRETEND that you WANT to be here."

"But the truth is, I don't want to be here," Miroku's pace slowed and made him fall slightly behind. He complained, "And, as a monk-in-training, I should always tell the truth..."

Inu Yasha and Sango whipped around and glared at him together, "We don't CARE!"

"Enough, guys," Kagome stopped in her tracks. "If Miroku didn't want to come, you shouldn't have made him."

She turned around and gave them a fake smile, "You all don't HAVE to come and mourn with me on the day of my father's death."

Kagome turned her back on them and continued walking.

"Look at what you did," Sango frowned. "Miroku, you're so stupid. You could've at least showed her some sympathy."

She followed after her best friend.

"Aren't monks supposed to pray for the dead?" Inu Yasha snorted behind Miroku.

"Well, uh," Miroku bit his lip. "Uh-yes. Yes, they are."

"And since you're a monk-in-training," Inu Yasha walked past him. "Shouldn't you be training to pray for the dead?"

He turned around and gave his friend an amused expression, "And since today is the day that Kagome's father died, and we're all here to mourn with her, don't you think this would be a good time to start your training?"

"Uh," Miroku blinked. "Uh...yes."

Inu Yasha gave him a smug grin and then continued walking.

*****

"Dad, once again, I visit you on this day and pray for you..." Kagome said softly, kneeling in front of a tombstone and lighting some incense. "Now, it's been 6 years since you died."

Her closed her eyes and clutched onto the slowly burning fragrant stick.

She continued shakily, "I hope you continue to watch over our family. I miss you..."

A tear slipped down her cheek.

Kagome held back a sob, "I miss you and I love you."

Sango knelt down beside her and patted her on the back.

"It's okay," she soothed, hugging Kagome. She took hold of the incense stick which was still apparently in Kagome's hands and stuck it into the small pot in front of the tombstone. "Cry all you want."

Inu Yasha nudged Miroku, "Hey, now would be a good time to practice your praying."

"Now?" Miroku stared at his best friend.

"Now," Inu Yasha said firmly.

He gulped and walked over to the tombstone. Miroku closed his eyes and held his hands in a praying position.

Inu Yasha watched him with a small smile and then shifted his view on Kagome.

"Inu Yasha," Sango whispered, still comforting the crying teenager. "Take care of her for me for a minute."

He rushed over to them and helped both of them up.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Sango said to him and Kagome. "I have some things I'd like to say and ask of Mr. Higurashi myself."

She walked over and stood beside Miroku.

Inu Yasha sighed and put his arms around Kagome.

"You want to go for a walk?" he asked his girlfriend.

She sniffed and nodded, "Hai."

*****With Sango And Miroku*****

"...and may you also watch over me and my friends, Miroku and Inu Yasha," Sango murmured. "Arigato."

She bowed and glanced at Miroku...who was still praying.

"Eh..." Sango sweat-dropped. "Are you done praying yet?"

He shook his head, "I haven't even started."

She fell over anime-style.

*****With Inu Yasha and Kagome*****

Kagome gazed down at the floor as they walked down the brick path in the cemetery hand-in-hand.

"Kagome, do you want to see a place that I've never shown to Miroku and Sango?" Inu Yasha tightened his grasp on her fingers.

Kagome walked silently beside him and then replied, "Sure."

He led her onto another brick path and they continued walking on, not making any more turns.

Inu Yasha then slowed to a halt, Kagome stopped beside him.

"Inu Yasha?" she looked up at him. He didn't answer, but looked down at one of the tombstones instead. "Are we there yet?"

"We're already here," he said quietly. "This is the place."

Kagome followed his gaze and looked down at the grave.

She breathed, "Oh, Kami..."

*****With Sango and Miroku*****

Sango burst out laughing, "You don't know how to pray?"

"I do!" Miroku protested. "But...I don't know...what to do...in this occasion."

Sango clutched her sides and giggled, "Th-then why did you j-just stand there?"

"If I just stood there," he started. "Inu Yasha would've started laughing...exactly how you just did right now."

She continued giggling.

Miroku sighed, "Why do I have to become a monk?"

*****Back With Inu Yasha and Kagome*****

"Inu Yasha..." Kagome whispered. She looked at him.

His eyes were covered by his bangs.

She turned away and knelt down in front of the grave.

Kagome reached out a hand and placed it onto the tombstone.

"Why didn't you tell me that your parents are dead?" she asked.

"It wasn't that important for you to know," he said blankly. Inu Yasha turned his back on her, his hands clenching at his sides.

"Of course it's important," Kagome stood up. She sighed, "Now that I think about it...you never really DID tell me about your parents in our partner 'interview' in the beginning of the school year."

She paused, "So, do Miroku and Sango know?"

"They know that my parents are dead," Inu Yasha answered, his back still facing her. "But like I've said: I've never shown them this place – my parents' burial place. They died in a car crash 6 years ago...when I was 10."

"I'm so sorry," Kagome looked down at the ground. "Here I am, crying over my dead father while both of your parents are dead."

"It's okay," he gave her a fake laugh. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

Inu Yasha slightly jumped when she slipped her arms through his and hugged him around the waist from behind.

"Baka," she mumbled, resting her head against his back. "Don't hide it. I know you're in pain. Twice the pain that I've been feeling over these years."

"You know me well," Inu Yasha's mouth twitched into a smile.

A moment of silence passed between them.

"You want to know something?" Inu Yasha asked quietly. "I've never visited my parents' grave until now."

He felt Kagome tighten her hold around him.

"Why?" she asked.

"I was afraid," Inu Yasha replied. "Sesshoumaru always came here –he still does– on the day of our parents' deaths, but I never came along with him because...because..."

"Because why?"

Kagome lifted her head up from his back and waited for his answer.

"Because I was afraid that I would start crying right in front of him," he finally said. "And I'm still afraid."

"Oh, Inu Yasha..." she sighed. "You really are a baka... There's nothing wrong with showing your sadness for your parents' deaths."

"..."

They stood silently for another moment, Kagome still hugging him from behind.

'Kagome's right...' Inu Yasha thought, his eyes softening. 'There really IS nothing wrong with showing sadness over a person's death.'

...

"AAAAAAAAAAAH! HENTAI!" Sango's voice screeched throughout the whole cemetery.

Inu Yasha's dog ears laid flat against his head, "Ow. With a scream like that...she could probably wake people up from the dead."

He unclenched his hands, "Come on. Let's go save Miroku."

*****

(A/N: Okay. I know at least ONE of you are going to ask: If Mrs. Higurashi is Kagome's 'step'-mother, what happened to her biological mother? Well, she didn't die...let's just say she just left...or just to make it simpler: Kagome's father and mother got divorced and then her father remarried someone different.

And I know: if Kagome used to live at Higurashi Shrine, why is her father buried in this cemetery? Well, let's just say that all she did was move neighborhoods. And let's just say that the cemetery is near her previous neighborhood AND her current neighborhood ^_^. And about Kagome's previous school...let's just say that there is more than one school close to Kaede's house...so that's how Kagome transferred from her previous school to Inu Yasha's school easily. Anyways, back to the story...)

When Inu Yasha and Kagome arrived back at Mr. Higurashi's grave, they burst out laughing.

"Sango, your face is as red as a tomato!" Kagome giggled.

Her best friend shakily replied, "That stupid monk! You know what he did to me?"

Miroku gave Inu Yasha and Kagome an innocent look.

Sango continued angrily, "I was helping him start his prayers for Kagome's father and while-"

"Hold up," Inu Yasha interrupted. "Why the heck were you helping him start his prayers?"

"He didn't know how to start, so he just stood there LOOKING like he knew," she answered.

Inu Yasha bursted out laughing again, "You have got to be kidding me!"

"No, I'm not," Sango gave him a smile. She cleared her voice and then continued more seriously. "Anyways, while I was praying with my eyes closed, I didn't hear a sound from Miroku. So that was when I opened my eyes and looked around. He wasn't anywhere. I started calling out his name, and then, I suddenly felt someone groping my butt and then I turned around and slapped the person and screamed out."

Kagome stared at Miroku with a horrified expression and shook her head, "Miroku, you lecher!"

"That was low," Inu Yasha said with an amused look on his face. "Really low."

"Hey, I was tempted!" he protested. "It's not my fault that Sango's hot!"

Miroku's words replayed in his head and he started blushing too. Sango's face turned even redder.

Inu Yasha and Kagome burst out laughing again.

"He finally admitted!" Inu Yasha chuckled.

Miroku avoided Sango's gaze, "Eh..."

"Oh, give him some slack," Sango finally said. She cleared her throat. "Um, we ARE going to leave this place, right? It's starting to get on my nerves."

Kagome stopped giggling and nodded, "Yes. Just-just let me say a few more words to my father."

Miroku and Sango made room for her as she kneeled down in front of the grave once again.

"Dad, I have to leave now," Kagome said softly. "Bye, Daddy. Rest in peace."

She bowed her head and stood up.

"Come on," she told her three friends.

As they turned to leave, Kagome heard a voice exclaim, "Kagome! Kagome, is that you?!"

She turned around.

A familiar boy was running towards her.

"Souta..." she whispered.

A/N: Ahaha. Souta's back too! I know, I know: some of you are saying, "Where's Grandpa?". For those of you who think he died...he didn't. Unlike my other story, nobody is going to die in this fic...well, at least I think so. ^_^ hehe.

Please review!