Between The Lines
By: Maggz
Disclaimer: InuYasha and Co. © Rumiko Takahashi.
Chapter 20
InuYasha sat in the bar, beer in hand, eyes gazing off into the distance. No matter how hard he tried to get his mind off Kagome he always drifted right back to her. Just this morning, she'd stood with him in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water as he made coffee. He'd waited for her usual smart remarks over the girl he'd had with him but she'd said nothing. If anything, she'd avoided him altogether. Looking up, he'd caught her eyes on him several times but once she noticed he'd caught her gaze, she would quickly look back down and he could've sworn she had been blushing.
Was she embarrassed at having him know she was sleeping in Kouga's bed? That had to be it. She'd never shown embarrassment before when he'd been with another girl in the house. But he'd been pretty damned smashed the previous evening when he'd been making out with Kikyo on the sofa. God knew he'd been trying to push any thoughts of Kagome from his mind but nothing seemed to work, not screwing her, not getting drunk, not anything. He'd taken the girl home a few minutes after he'd heard Kagome slam the bathroom door, citing Kouga and Kagome's "unexpected" return home as his reason.
He'd seen the look Kagome had given him when the light of the lamp had revealed he and Kikyo on the sofa. But what it had meant? And how she'd reacted, it left him feeling even more confused. If she didn't desire him, if she had no passion for him then why had she ripped a hole thru him with those eyes of hers when he'd looked up to see her staring at the girl he'd brought home? Why had she walked off in a huff and why had she slammed the bathroom door, nearly shaking it from it's hinges?
Yet the fact remained that once he'd gotten back home, once he'd stepped inside the house he'd known she had went straight to Kouga's bed. He hadn't even had to be told, hadn't had to go check it out for himself; he'd just known.
This morning, she'd been very distant tho and for the life of him he didn't think he'd ever understand. Either she wanted him or she didn't. How was he to ever get what she was feeling out of her?
A hand on his shoulder brought him up out of his depressing thoughts and he turned to see Sango, Kagome's best girlfriend sitting near him.
"Strange, I came upon Kagome at the laundry in much the same condition as you right now, InuYasha. What IS going on in your life and in Kagome's?", she asked.
"Nice to see you too, Sango.", InuYasha smiled, teasing her. She was a petite brunette with a fiery personality to match. Brilliant chocolate eyes dancing with mischief were taunting him even now and he grinned bigger. He had never been able to resist a girl with naughtiness in her eyes.
"What is going on, InuYasha? You look like you just lost your best friend and Kagome damn near swore at me in the laundry, you guys have a row?", she asked. "I know you think she's perfect and everything but Kagome does make mistakes sometimes, InuYasha and I'm thinking she's making a huge one right now tho I'd never tell her.", she said and winked.
"I don't know what you mean.", he said and reached for his beer.
"Yes you do and stop with the game. I know you adore Kagome. I know you'd do just about anything for her and BOTH of you just KILL me with that "we're best friends and that's all we are" crap! So cut it out. It's ME you're talking to InuYasha. Spill it.", she said.
"Jeez, Sango, bossy are we?", he grinned.
She arched a brow and looked at him, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Fine, fine. OK", he said, holding up his hands in truce and she smiled. "Kagome is… seeing Kouga. I suppose you saw them here together the other night?", he asked and Sango just nodded.
"Kouga and I were roommates back two years ago. He left to travel the States and just came back, he's living with Kagome and me.", he said and smiled sadly. "I'm stupid. Go ahead, tell me. I know it but it's too late.", he said.
"No, you're not stupid, InuYasha. If anything, you're guilty only of overprotecting your best friend. Let her grow up, let her make her own way. She HAS to and you HAVE to allow her to.", she said, touching his hand.
"Sounds familiar. Somebody else said just that thing to me not long ago.", he surmised, remembering his conversation with Kouga.
"It's true. She depends on you. You want her to LOVE you and she does but InuYasha, it's all mixed up in here.", she said, pointing to her head. "Let her go her own way. She'll come back to you, I'm willing to bet but my question to you is will you still WANT her if and when she DOES come back?", she asked.
He looked at her, her words sinking slowly into his muddled brain.
"I… yes, I'd always want her, Sango. I love her.", he said, finally.
"But neither of you can say HOW you love each other, only that you DO! It was a big mistake asking her to move in with you, InuYasha. It only confused the both of you more. You grew up together, right? You were her first real boyfriend, her best friend, her protector. You were all she had for a very long time. Now she's found someone that gives her what she's been missing from you, Cowboy! Passion, sex, adventure, something to make her heart beat a little faster. And I know you don't wanna hear it but she's fallen fast and hard and they are simply smashing together. I watched them the other night in here and they just melt into each other. I know you understand what I'm saying, it's what's driving you insane after all.", she said.
"Just when did you get your psychology degree?", he asked and snorted laughter. Trouble was most of what she was saying rang very, very true.
"I don't need a degree to see what's right in my face, InuYasha.", she countered.
"You said you thought she was making a mistake with Kouga.", he said.
"Yeah, not because I think he'll hurt her or do her wrong, not that at all. Just that she has a perfectly sexy, gorgeous, good hearted potential lover right up under her very nose and she'll never realize it till it's too late…", she said and smiled at him.
"You think I'm sexy?", he smiled at her, working the Inu charm for all it was worth.
"Dear God, InuYasha. I've had a crush on you for over two years. Don't tell me you're THAT blind!", she said as she stood. "Listen, be patient with her. I'm not saying you have to put your life on hold… far from it. Live, do what you would normally do and for God's sake quit acting like her FATHER and act like you're supposed to. Give her space and you know, I'm not promising she'll come back to you, she may just end up married with eight gorgeous babies one right after the other but you never know. If you love her, if you really, really love her and if it's meant to be, it WILL be. And if it's not… well, you know where to find me!", she said and with a wink and a swing of her hips, she turned and walked away leaving him to stare after her.