Reaching for the Stars
Chapter 3
Reasons
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha
"I say, what have you been doing with my wife?"
The man couldn't have looked more surprised if InuYasha had told him he won the lottery and he hadn't bought a ticket. Kouga, in Inu's opinion, looked too young to be engaged to anyone. Why, he didn't even look much older than eighteen! The boy, for Yasha had decided that he was a boy still, stood opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish. Finally, he seemed to have regained the use of speech.
"Your wife? What have you been doing with my fiancée?" Well, that confirmed it. Kagome wasn't lying, and even if she was InuYasha would have been able to see through the veils she pulled over everyone's head. He felt another gaze on him. He slowly turned around. He knew that he was going to regret having stated the truth out loud.
He finally caught a glimpse of Kagome's eyes and the look that made his blood run cold. He could tell the words that she just only managed to bite back. He was going to regret it, big time. There was a look akin to hatred in her eyes, something he never thought he'd see when she was looking at him. But also, he thought he saw just the barest hint of sorrow and fear. 'Now why would that be there…?'
"I'm sorry, sir, but I only knew you once years ago, and I don't say I remember ever getting married to you." The lack of warmth in her tone alone sent shivers creeping down his spine. He knew better than to reply. She scurried across the room to whisper to Kouga.
He couldn't believe he was just being thrown out like this! She was, no doubt, asking Kouga to make him leave.
"Right this way, sir." She began walking down the hall. This wasn't even in his wildest realm of imagination. A restraining order, at the least, but a room at her B&B? Nothing was going as planned, but then again, ever since he had first met Kagome, everything was unexpected.
"Are you coming?" she asked in an annoyed voice. As his reply, he trotted after her. InuYasha was surprised when he entered the room. Everything was neat and orderly. It looked like it had just recently been cleaned.
"The previous tenant vacated just before you arrived. I expect you find everything to your liking?"
"Yes, but…" She cut in.
"Then I shall leave you to settle in. Breakfast is served from 6:00 A.M. until 9:30 A.M. in the dining room. If you need anything, I'm in the room next door. Don't be afraid to ask. Thank you for your choice in staying. I hope you will find it most enjoyable. Good night, sir." She dipped into a curtsy and was preparing to leave when he seized her wrist.
"For God's sake, Kagome, must you be so formal?" She sounded exasperated and frightened.
"I beg your pardon, sir, but your grasp on my wrist is hurting slightly and I must go check on my other customers."
"You don't need to be scared of me," he said gently as he released her wrist. She scurried out of the room faster than a frantic jackrabbit. InuYasha sighed. Why was she so afraid of him, and what was he going to do about it?
Kouga Ookami was somewhat confused. He couldn't tell if this was the husband or not. Kagome certainly didn't act as if they were married. She told him that she would explain everything later.
"It better be a good explanation," he grumbled to himself as he watched them leave. She didn't want Kouga to know if it was her husband, even if he could bench press Kouga. Which, according to his looks, he could. "Oh well, I've got to go tell mother, wait until she finds out she may have recommended Kagome her husband…"
Kagome went to her room. She heard the door slam as Kouga left. He was probably on his way to visit his mother. She sighed and sank down onto her bed. The pillows were wonderfully soft and she allowed herself one peaceful moment. Then she flipped onto her stomach and out her head into her hands. She began chewing her lower lip.
"What am I going to do…?"
BOOM! Kagome jumped out of her bed in fright. Whoever opened her door was very noisy. She would have to check later and make sure the door was not yanked off its hinges.
BOOM! The door slammed shut.
"Can I help…" she began, but the rest of her question was stillborn. "Oh, no, what do you want?" she groaned.
"Don't you think you should be a little friendlier to your husband? Or are you nicer to your fiancée?" Inu tried to make it sound lighthearted, but there was a menacing undertone in his voice. "I did not know it was a new trend to go and get yourself engaged when you already have a husband." She didn't want him thinking like she just forgot him.
"You don't understand. I don't want to be engaged." He only raised his eyebrows to this exclamation. She looked down at the floor and the next words she spoke were almost inaudible.
"It's a forced marriage." Tears once again fathered in her eyes. Good Lord, what was it about this man that made her feel so helpless? She hadn't cried this much since, well, he left!
He gently pulled up her chin until she was looking at him. She hadn't even felt him touch her, it was just that right. But now that she was aware of him she could feel his touch, warm and gentle. Without even thinking about it she brought her hand up to his and grasped it. He lowered his hold on her chin and tightened his grip on her hand. She felt as if a flame had just been created by the sparks she felt. Could he feel them too?
"It's okay, Kag, I won't let him do anything to you." She pulled away, and he felt her loss like a physical pain.
"You just don't get it, do you Inu? I don't care enough about a lot of things that would force me to do something. I don't care if they treated me horribly, starved me, or whatever." She only just managed to hold his gaze. "They got to me through you." He looked shocked.
"They found me four years ago. Kouga was sixteen. I watched the kids for Ayame. Kouga was from a previous marriage, she's his step mom. Hardly older than him, but they're quite close. Anyway, Kouga watched me while I took care of the children. I daresay he grew quite…fond of me. Two months ago he proposed. I declined his offer, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Finally I told him I was already married." She got quieter as she spoke again, and her voice began to quiver.
"He said he'd kill you id you ever came near. You shouldn't have come. He will kill you. I had to, don't you see, Inu?" Kagome seemed to be begging him for something. She felt like he needed to understand.
"I can take care of myself." She was frustrated. He still didn't get it.
"No! He won't stop!" She was overcome by sobs and couldn't speak. He pulled her into an embrace.
"Everything will be okay," he murmured into her hair.
He smelled nice and clean. His close proximity weakened her resolve to keep her feelings locked away. Kagome looked up. She was greeted by a pair of gold eyes. She lost all sense of reality and time after that. Next thing she knew, they were kissing. She felt like after wandering for sixteen years, she had finally found her way home. That was how Kouga found them when he walked in.
"So you are the husband. I thought so, but Kagome was just acting strangely whenever you tried to mention it. Well, this proves it. She wouldn't have let you kiss her unless you know her. I suspect she was just scared." Seeing InuYasha's eyes widen, Kouga continued.
"Don't even try to play innocent with me. I know she already told you about the conditions of our marriage." He made a tsk-ing sound. "Shame, Kagome, you are just so predictable. Well, it makes you easier to figure out, so it's okay." By this time, InuYasha felt like the insolent brat should have his face smashed in to teach him a lesson. Who did he think he was? To threaten people like this, to scare them into agreeing with the terms he set down? He was sick. And to insult Kagome, the girl he was forcing to marry him! His whining voice cut into Inu's train of thought.
"Oh, and InuYasha? Just to let you know, I intend to carry out with my plan, no matter how macho you think you are. I will kill you if you interfere. And that's not a threat, that's a promise." And with that, Kouga shoved him out of the room and locked the door. He knew Kagome wasn't going to be chopped to pieces for firewood, so he went back to his room in a daze.
Kouga was surprisingly strong for such a scrawny kid. Could he really kill him? InuYasha turned his thoughts back to happier subjects. He was sure when he told Kagome that everything would be okay that she would throw him out of the B&B. After all, look at how things turned out the last time he said that. Instead, they ended up kissing.
She knew about kissing now, and the kiss was far from clumsy, but he could tell she hadn't really had any experience. He could taste her innocence. But then that infernal Kouga had to interrupt his perfectly blissful moment. InuYasha had come to a decision. Kouga had to go somewhere that he didn't disturb Kagome.
He still hadn't been able to explain himself to her, and she probably still thought that he was married to someone else! After the kid burst into the room, Kagome pushed him away as if he were a piece of year-old-salami! She looked repulsed, although Inu couldn't tell if she was more repulsed at herself or at him.
He didn't know what he was thinking, bursting into her room like that. It was a wonder that she didn't throw him out of the house! All he knew was that he had to resolve things between them as soon as possible. Then, a thought occurred to him. Kouga walked into her room and didn't come out. And Inu distinctly remembered seeing two dressers. Did he share a room with her? 'He can't have! That's scandalous! They're not even married!'
Now Yasha was in a deeper bind than before. His concerns seemed small compared to now. All of his life before had been simply about finding Kagome. Now he had found her, but she was engaged to be married, and her fiancée was trying to kill him. How was he supposed to fix this? InuYasha sank down into an uneasy sleep.
Kagome had stopped even pretending she was listening to Kouga's relentless rambling fifteen minutes ago. He had been droning on endlessly for about half an hour. Five minutes in she stopped paying attention. Now she was mulling over her situation. Inu had kissed her, and she realized that she had been a fool to let him. Anything could have happened. If Kouga hadn't interrupted, who knows what he could have led to? She wasn't sure if the thought relieved her or disappointed her.
She shook her head to get her thoughts out of the gutter. Also, now he knew for sure who her husband was, and she needed to get InuYasha out of here ASAP! He was in mortal danger. She would send him home, even if it was the last thing she did. That led Kagome to think about InuYasha's life at home. Was he happily married with kids?
'Probably,' she thought bitterly. 'After all, hadn't he come to get the ring from her?' And yet some small part in her brain said that he would never have gone back on his promise. She mentally laughed. Did he keep his promises as well as she did? If so, then another wife must almost surely exist. But still, it wasn't entirely Kagome's fault; after all, it was a forced marriage, wasn't it? Could she really have done anything to prevent it? Kouga's voice stopped her train of thought.
"Are you listening to me, Kagome?" She could barely restrain herself from rolling her eyes. He could be so daft sometimes.
"What? I'm sorry, Kouga, I've had a long day. I didn't ask InuYasha to just show up out of nowhere, you know. After all, I haven't seen him for sixteen years and he just shows up and thinks we can just live happily ever after? He needs a wake-up call, and I'll give it to him tomorrow. Just please Kouga, let me take care of this my own way. I don't think you killing him will accomplish anything."
He reluctantly agreed. And he thought she was predictable! Kagome knew that Kouga hated getting his hands dirty; he preferred to let others do the dirty work for him.
"Fine, just be quick about it, will you? I don't really like the man, he seems rude." She lay down on the bed, exhausted.
"Whatever you say." She would figure out what to do tomorrow. Right now, there was only one thing on her mind, and that was sleep. Her head hit the pillow and Kag slipped into a land where her waking problems were as far away as the stars in the distant night sky. The same stars twinkled a light into her room, letting her know she was not forgotten.
Inu woke up the next morning after a fitful sleep, not quite sure of why he felt relieved, worried, and angry all at the same time. When he opened his eyes, he saw a pleasant sight. Kagome was leaning over him, concern etched into her features. When she saw he was awake, she guarded her expression.
All of last night's events came rushing back to him, but he thought he was still dreaming. After all, what other reason was there for Kagome to be in his room? Half-asleep, he growled slightly, then pulled out the clip that held her hair up.
"I like it better this way." Her eyes widened in surprise and her mouth opened to form a perfect 'O' as her hair fell down. InuYasha tossed the clip aside, then grabbed Kagome's wrist, causing her to lose her balance and topple straight onto his chest.
She immediately began blushing, but he just rearranged both of their positions until he was comfortable, and she was certain that she'd never live it down. He half-opened his eyes, giving her a glazed look. Their legs were entwined, he had his arm around her protectively, and he looked away, burying his face in her hair.
"What's wrong, Kag? We always used to sleep together…" If possible, her face turned even redder. She knew he didn't mean it like that, but it had just sounded so…provocative. Her heartbeat accelerated in her chest, and her breathing became slightly labored. She tried carefully untangling herself so as not to disturb him, but she might as well be trying to move a boulder.
"Inu…get…off…me!" she grunted, accenting each word by pushing his arm. He growled and shifted his arm slightly, but that slightly managed to put his hand in a place on her upper body that it shouldn't be, even if they were married…
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Review Responses:
billysgotagun: Thanks! Sorry, no ass kicking in this chapter.
Ginny Weasley's Double: Hm…hopefully this chapter explained why she was thinking about marrying another man…And there's a reason she took on his last name, but it wasn't specifically because they were married.
InuYashas-writer-and-lover: Uhm…I might be evil? And Kag and Inu are already married.
ILOVEInuyasha07: Thanks! Maybe they will…although to reassure you, I'm not a big fan of Inu/Kik.
chakitattyla2h8: Hm…slight fluff…good? Sorry, Inu hasn't told her yet. But, he DOES know why Kag is trying so hard to get rid of him…
sakuradayspa: I tried for a quick update… Was there more romance or no?
kenshinkagome: Thank you! Although since I wrote this as an original fic...the characters prolly are more my own and OOC.
The Squabbit: Update I shall!
Priestess of Nottingham : Yay, I'm glad that you like it!
Frozen Miko: Yep, very young age. How did you get dirty thoughts outta that? I didn't put them there, I swear! Thanks.
HelikaAkileh: Thank you! And it's not a matter of Kag being understanding, it's that she's hurt by Inu having a husband AND she's trying to protect him from being killed.
minerva-five-one-nine: Thank you!
IceRayven: Thanks! And here it is.
Yana5: Yeppers.
Kaa-san
